Homemade Pizzas for your Weekend Parties!

Homemade Pizzas, easy on the pocket & easy to cook up too!

Weekend's buzzing, festive fervour in the air, it's time to gang up and party, relish and gorge on sinful food, but we also keep an eye on the fact that it happens to be the last week of the month - ordering out pizzas suddenly doesn't seem like the best choice!! So how about 'Cooking Up' sumptuous, sinful pizzas at home for your weekend gathering?! Don't have a microwave? You don't need one either... Make this one on your regular cookstove with a pan - as long as you add a dash of warmth, loads of love, frolic, fun and dollops of cheese, you are sure to get one helluva pizza that you and your friends would wipe out! Find out how....

HOMEMADE PIZZAS

Prep Time: 15-20 mins | Cook Time: 5-7 mins (per pizza) | Servings: Makes 6 pizzas (from pizza bases available in supermarkets) 

Ingredients:

1. Pizza Bases - 6 nos (available easily at supermarkets)
2. Pizza Sauce - 3-4 tablespoons (or mix some leftover herbs in tomato ketchup if pizza sauce is not available)
3. Butter - 2-3 tablespoons 
4. Green Capsicum - 2 large-sized
5. Onions - 2 large sized
6. Olives - 1 cup (sliced) - optional
7. Herbs/ seasoning - as per taste - around 1 tablespoon
8. Olive oil - 1 tablespoon
9. Salt & Pepper - to taste

Preparation:

• Finely slice capsicums and onions and throw in some sliced olives if you like

• Add olive oil, salt & pepper and some herbs (oregano seasoning/ chilli flakes), mix well and set aside

• Add a few gentle cuts on your pizza base and smear some butter followed by pizza sauce. If you do not have ready-made pizza sauce, you can add some oregano seasoning/ herbs to tomato ketchup and use it as a pizza sauce too! Spread a generous portion of the veggies topping on your base.

• Grate some cheese (you can use pizza cheese - mozzarella or use regular cheese cubes) and top it off on the pizza. In the meanwhile, set aside a frying pan to heat. Keeping it on medium flame, sprinkle some olive oil or butter and place your pizza in it. Cover it with a lid. Keep a check on it after about 4-5 minutes. Once the cheese melts and the base of the pizza is crispy brown, take it off the heat and cut into slices and serve! 

Enjoy your house-party with this easy, cheesy homemade pizza and you can warm up with some freshly prepared tomato and mix veggies soup (shared in my previous post) and do let me know how it turned out! You can also experiment with toppings using other veggies of your choice...

And if you run out of pizza bases, you can always fall back on the good 'ol bread and create small bread pizzas in the same way! Have a pizza-licious weekend! 

Tomatoes & Mixed Veggies Soup

Thick, tasty, healthy tomato and mixed veggies soup!

As the cold wave grips northern India, I am beginning to see its effects here, down south too.. It is an oddly cold, breezy day and the tender sunshine on the terrace is on a mission to play hide and seek. Wrapped in my shawl, I was thinking of preparing a tasty, healthy and delightfully warm soup for snacks this evening. Soups served in restaurants, especially the ones with a tomato-base are usually laced with cornflour to thicken it and I always felt it somehow spoiled the taste... My solution is simple, just add a potato to thicken it as well as to provide a little nutrition that it has to offer! 

This recipe is uncomplicated, simple and wholesome! Go ahead and enjoy that hot bowl of soup while you watch your favourite TV show or while you simply sit and chat with friends and family! 

TOMATOES & MIXED VEGGIES SOUP

Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 10 mins | Servings: 6

Ingredients:

1. Tomatoes - 5-6 nos (firm, red medium-sized)
2. Beetroot - half (of a medium sized)
3. Carrots - 2 nos (baby carrots)
4. Spinach leaves - 7-8 large leaves
5. Bottle gourd - about a 3 inch piece
6. Potato - 1 medium-large sized
7. Yellow split moong dal - 1-2 tablespoons 
8. Black Pepper Powder - 2 teaspoons
9. Cumin Powder (Jeera) - 1-2 teaspoons
10. Sugar - 2 teaspoons
11. Butter - 2 teaspoons
12. Salt - to taste

Preparation:

1. Wash and clean the moong dal and all the vegetables. Peel and chop carrots, bottle gourd, beetroot and potato into large chunks. Cut tomatoes into chunks of 4. Pressure cook all the vegetables along with the dal and set aside for cooling. Considering beetroot takes slightly longer to cook, around 5-6 whistles should be adequate.
2. Once the vegetables are cooked, blend them in a mixer or blender. Remember and DO NOT throw away the water from the pressure cooker used for cooking these vegetables since it contains most of the nutrition from the vegetables and dal.
3. Empty the blended vegetables into a vessel and set it to heat. Depending on how thick or liquid you like your soup to be (I like mine slightly thicker), add the water (saved from cooking the vegetables) to the mixture.
4. Add pepper and cumin powders along with salt, sugar and better and bring to boil once.
5. Take it off the heat and you may garnish it with a little parsley or a spoon of cream and serve hot with bread-sticks, garlic bread or simply gulp bowls of soup! 

Quick Notes:

• The moong dal and other vegetables make it nutritious
• Potato thickens the soup and is a better alternative than cornflour
• I restrict the use of spinach to a few leaves because it has a strong flavour of its own which most people may not like
• You are free to add more vegetables like beans, cauliflower etc if you like

Using tomato as a base gives it its tang and flavour along with a beautiful red colour, adding that little sparkle to your Christmas winter evenings! Bon Apetit! 

Gajar ka Halwa - The Quintessential Indian Dessert!

With the winter chills setting in, vegetable stores and streets are full of delicious, long, juicy, flavoursome

'Delhi Carrots'... And what better to start your winters than some steaming hot and delicious Gajar ka Halwa - a dessert pudding associated with northern India and served at most festivals and functions. This light and popular milk-based, nut-laced dessert is also finding its inroads in other parts of the country and has become quite a popular choice at various functions! I welcomed the winters this year with my first plate of Gajar Halwa and here's a hassle-free recipe to cook up this delicious dessert for your next party!

GAJAR KA HALWA

Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 30-40 mins | Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1. Delhi Carrots - 1 kg
2. Ghee - 3 tablespoons
3. Sugar - 3-4 tablespoons
4. Condensed Milk (Milkmaid) - 1 tin
5. Cashews and raisins - 1 cup for garnish

Preparation:

• Boil a vessel of water as you peel and cut the carrots into about 3-4 inches long pieces. Par boil the carrots (once the water boils, take it off the heat, add the chopped pieces of carrots and cover it with a lid for 5-7 minutes)

• Once the carrots begin to soften slightly, take them off the hot water and grate them

• Heat 3 tablespoons of ghee in a pan/ kadhai and begin to roast the grated carrots till its moisture evaporates and its raw smell wears off. Once the moisture has evaporated, you can add about 3 tablespoons of sugar. Mix and roast till the sugar melts and the carrots begin to change colour slightly (turning orang-ish). 

• Add one whole tin of condensed milk (about 400 ml) to the mixture and stir continuously. Keep mixing it till the condensed milk thickens and blends well with the carrots and the halwa begins to thicken and shine and leave the sides of the kadhai (this is an indication that the halwa is done). 

• Once done, add a generous helping of raisins and shredded cashews to garnish the halwa and serve hot! 

Traditionally, Gajar Halwa is cooked in a mixture of water, milk and sugar while stirring continuously. With this recipe, you can eliminate the process of using milk and sugar and use condensed milk instead. In case you like your halwa generously sweet, you can add sugar additionally.  Parboiling the carrots before roasting them in ghee will help cook them faster too. 

Stuffed Masala Bhindi

Stuffed Masala Bhindi

We know it by several names - Lady's fingers, Okra or the good 'ol Bhindi! Fresh, dark green, succulent

Bhindi is very popular in cuisines across the country besides being seen in international cuisines across the length and breadth of the globe! In India, it is used in making subzis, curries, stews in both simple and elaborate methods. 

Today's special is stuffed masala bhindi - simple ingredients, slightly tedious process but an appetising subzi which I'm sure will leave you craving for more.. Here's how you can spruce up your everyday subzi into something slightly more elaborate, restaurant style... 

STUFFED MASALA BHINDI

Prep Time: 30 mins | Cook Time: 20 mins | Servings: 4

Ingredients: 

1. Fresh Bhindi - 500 gm
2. Mustard & Asafoetida - for tempering
3. Oil - 3 tablespoons
4. Stuffing Masala:
• Onion - 1 large
• Coriander Powder - 3 tablespoons
• Jeera Powder 1½ tablespoon
• Dry Mango Powder - 2 teaspoons
• Everest Sabzi Masala - 2 tablespoons
• Red Chili Powder - 2 teaspoons
• Turmeric - ½ teaspoon
• Salt - approx 3 teaspoons
• Sugar - 1-2 teaspoons
• Water - 3 tablespoons

Preparation:

• Wash and dry the bhindi and cut to pieces of approximately 1 inch length and slit them 

• Mix all the dry powders (coriander, jeera, sabzi masala, chili, turmeric, dry mango, salt and sugar) and keep it aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a kadhai and add mustard and asafoetida for tempering. Add finely chopped onion and fry till golden brown. 

• Once the onion turns golden brown, add the masala mix and roast well. Add 3 tablespoons of water and mix evenly and take it off the heat. The reason for adding slight water is that not only does it help in binding the masala, it also controls the usage of oil. Without water, you will end up using 3-4 times the quantity of oil to ensure the masala binds well.  

• Let the masala cool slightly. Once it is warm-cool, you can start stuffing it in to the slit bhindi and set aside. Once the bhindis are stuffed, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan/ kadhai and add the stuffed bhindis to it.

• Cover the pan with a lid and cook the stuffed bhindi on medium flame for about 15 mins. Once cooked, spread the vegetable on a plate for sometime, allowing the steam to escape before serving. 

Raw Mango & Onion Chutney

Raw Mango Onion Chutney

I am almost partial towards raw mango and it is my favourite go-to ingredient for cooking up quick, chutneys - probably because it is hardly seasonal here in Bangalore and available at all local vegetable shops in different varieties and in plenty! Usually in Maharashtra, several varieties of raw mango chutneys are made in summers. Last evening I found a big, juicy 'Totapuri' variety of raw mango and my mind instantly traveled to the many summer vacations spent relishing raw and ripe mango-based dishes back home! Here's a quick chutney, a cheer to the good 'ol days!

RAW MANGO & ONION CHUTNEY

Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook Time: - | Servings: One medium-sized bowl

Tangy raw Totapuri Mango

Ingredients:

1. Raw Mango (preferably Totapuri variety) - 1 large size
2. Onion - 1 medium to large size
3. Whole Jeera - 2-3 teaspoons
4. Red Chili Powder - 2 teaspoons (or depending on how spicy you like)
5. Salt - to taste (approx 2 teaspoons)
6. Jaggery - 1-1½ tablespoon

Preparation:

• Wash and peel the raw mango and cut into large chunks. Add jeera, red chili powder, salt and jaggery and coarsely grind the mixture

• Once it is coarsely ground, chop an onion and add it to the mixture. Grind this again until it is smooth and your chutney is ready to relish... Don't forget to store it in a refrigerator and it will last for anywhere between 7-10 days! 

Want an Instant Taste of Apno Gujarati Snack? Try the INSTANT DHOKLAS

Instant Dhoklas prepared using Eno Fruit Salt

Dhokla, the fluffy, steamed savoury cake made of Besan (Gram flour) holds a place of pride in Gujarat! A snack originated in this delightful state of many flavours and rich cuisine, Dhokla has gradually become a popular delicacy throughout the country and a go-to breakfast or evening snack for a lot of people. Known for its low-calorie, healthy and good in protein properties, the instant version of the Dhokla is easy to prepare and a great evening time snack. I wanted to try out the instant version of this snack and thankfully, it turned out fairly well and my lovelies at home enjoyed every bit of it.. If you are a fan of instant snacks and wondering what to cook up tomorrow for an evening snack, why don't you give this a try.... 

INSTANT DHOKLA

Prep Time: 75 mins | Cook Time: 25 mins | Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1. Besan (Gram Flour) - 1 cup
2. Rava (Sooji/ Semolina) - 1 cup 
3. Curd - ½ - 1 cup
4. Water - 1 cup (approx)
5. Salt - 2 teaspoons
6. Turmeric - a pinch (optional)
7. Eno Fruit Salt - 2 teaspoons (regular/ unflavoured) 
8. Oil - 2-3 tablespoons
9. For Tempering:
• Oil - 1 teaspoon
• Mustard - 1 teaspoon
• Sesame Seeds (Til) - 2 teaspoons
• Green Chili - 1 (slit)
• Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
• Lemon Juice -  ½ - 1 lemon 
• Sugar - 1 teaspoon
• Water - ¼ cup

Preparation:

• Mix rava and besan in a mixing bowl, add curd and mix well to remove any lumps

 

• Slowly keep adding water and mix the batter well. The consistency of the batter should be between that of a cake batter and dosa batter (the batter should slide off the spoon easily). Rest this mixture for an hour. You could add a pinch of turmeric to the batter for enhanced colour.

 

• After an hour, keep a steaming vessel ready with a preheated greased (with oil) tray/ vessel for the dhokla. Just before steaming the dhokla, add Eno in 2-3 tablespoons of oil and mix well. Add this mixture to the besan-rava batter and whisk it well. Add ¼ cup of hot water to the bowl in which you have mixed oil and eno and add that to the batter as well. The batter will slowly begin to rise (from half the bowl to full) and get fluffy - it is a sign for you to pour it to the greased dish to steam.

  

• Pour the batter into the preheated dish to steam and cover it with a lid. Steam this for around 20-25 minutes. Stick a knife to the centre of the tray to check if the batter is sticking to it. The dhokla is steamed appropriately if the knife comes out clean. Let this cool down completely

• Once completely cooled, you can prepare the tempering mixture. In a small kadhai, heat a teaspoon of oil and add mustard. Once it begins to splatter, add a slit green chili, curry leaves, sesame seeds and switch off the heat. Add a spoon of sugar. Mix juice of half to one lemon in ¼ cup of water and add the tempered mixture to this. Once the sugar melts, pour this mix over the steamed dhoklas. 

• Once tempered, you can cut out diamond shaped pieces of dhokla and it is ready to be relished with mint chutney, tamarind chutney or plain tomato ketchup.

 

Quick Tips & Notes:

1. If Eno is readily unavailable, you can always replace it with ½ a teaspoon of cooking soda 
2. ALWAYS let the dhokla cool down (let all the steam escape) before you temper and cut it. The dhokla begins to get light and fluffy as the steam escapes it
3. If you want to cut the dhoklas before tempering, you can dip the knife in oil and then use it to cut 

A Taste of Vidarbha - Fenugreek Curry (Methicha Aalan)

Marathi Cuisine is full of surprises and varied tastes depending on the geography and regions it originates from - the cosmopolitan food culture of Mumbai, the lacto-vegetarian subtle flavours of Pune, the sweet and sour flavours of Konkan, spicy and besan-laden dishes of Vidarbha, the red-hot curries of Kolhapur, are just a few of the many surprises and varieties the state has to offer.

Methicha Aalan complete with Jowar Roti,
Salad, Pickle and Fried Chilies!

Today I'd like to share the recipe of a simple, tasty fenugreek curry laced with besan (gram flour) and buttermilk. This is quite a staple among the 'Deshasthi' population of Vidarbha and has been a popular choice in the Sunday lunch menu back home. Served with hot rice, jowar rotis and a salad and pickle for accompaniment, nothing can beat this humble platter for me! 

Here's how you can cook up this Fenugreek & Besan Curry - known as "Methi cha Aalan" in Marathi:

FENUGREEK CURRY IN BUTTERMILK AND GRAM FLOUR (METHICHA AALAN)

Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook Time: 15-20 mins | Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1. Fenugreek leaves (Methi) - 1 bunch of fresh Fenugreek (approx 1 medium-sized bowl)
2. Gram Flour (Besan) - 1½ tablespoons
3. Buttermilk - 2½-3 cups
4. Turmeric - ½ teaspoon 
5. Red Chili Powder - 1-2 teaspoons (depending on how spicy you want it and you can alternatively use 1 green chili) 
6. Mustard and Jeera - 1 teaspoon each
7. Asafoetida - ½ teaspoon
8. Oil - 1 tablespoon

Preparation:

• Clean, wash and chop the fenugreek leaves. Heat oil in a vessel/ saucepan and add mustard and jeera. Once the mustard starts popping, add asafoetida, turmeric, red chili powder and add the chopped fenugreek. Cover this with a lid for a couple of minutes till it cooks well.

•  Add gram flour (besan) to the buttermilk in a separate bowl and mix to ensure there are no lumps. 

• Add this mixture to the saucepan with fenugreek and mix well. Add salt, cover with a lid and let it cook well (till the raw flavour of the besan wears off completely). The curry will be slightly viscous in consistency. You can add water depending on how viscous or liquid you want - Usually the curry tastes best when it is slightly thick or viscous.

• In the mean time, you can chop a quick salad with 1 onion, 2 tomatoes, a spoon of salt and sugar, 1 slit green chili and some coriander for garnish. This is a good accompaniment for the curry.

  

• Once the curry is ready, you can garnish it with fried chilies (green chilies stuffed and seasoned with salt, asafoetida, coriander & dry mango powder and dried in sunlight - a typical summer activity in Maharashtra) 

And now, it's time to plate up - a bowl of hot 'Methicha Aalan, Jowar Rotis, Salad, Pickle, a couple of fried chilies and a lip-smacking Vidarbha-inspired lunch for your weekend is ready!