Pasta in creamy veg sauce

This is my son's most favorite pasta recipe . Pasta/macaroni are wheat based noodle like food, that are cooked in hot water and mixed with any sauce of your choice. You can make your own sauce or buy outside. Usually tomato sauce,pesto sauce are most widely used . This creamy veg sauce is made of carrots,potatoes,onions and garlic which is pureed to a smooth paste with some other ingredients as well. This dish will be most filling and very healthy. Good for lunch box packing too !.

Preparation Time: Under 10 minutes
Cooking Time: Under 20 minutes
Serves:2 to 3 people

INGREDIENTS:

Elbow macaroni/pasta - 2 cups
Carrot - 1 medium sized
Potato - 1 medium sized
Onions - 1 cup chopped
Garlic - 2 to 3 pods
Red chilli powder -1/2 teaspoon
Paprika or kashmiri chilli powder -1/2 teaspoon
Milk - 1/4 cup
Cashews - 1/4 cup
Butter - 2 inch sized block
Pepper powder - 1 teaspoon
Salt - as required
Italian seasoning(optional) - 1/2 teaspoon
Dry basil leaves(Optional) -1/2 teaspooon
Water - as required for boiling pasta.

METHOD:

1. In a pan, add sufficient water and some salt. Allow it to boil well. Now add elbow macaroni or pasta and cook for 10-12 minutes. Filter the water out and keep aside the macaronis.

2. Now cut carrots,potatoes in medium size. Need not cut it too thin, as we are anyway going to to blend them. Take diced carrots,potatoes and onions in another pan. Add about 2 cups of water and boil them for 6 to 7 minutes, till they are soft. Filter the water. Do not throw the water away. We need the water when we blend the contents.

3. In the meantime, in 1/4 cup of milk,  soak 1/4 cup of cashews.

4. In a mixer, add the boiled vegetables,milk and cashews,butter,salt and paprika powder.  Now in a small pan, add some oil and fry chopped garlic till they change color. Now switch off the stove and add some red chilli powder in the oil and mix . Please be careful, red chilli powder get burnt very easily. So add it after you switch off the stove. Now immediately pour the garlic and chili powder mix in the mixer.

5. Blend them all in to a smooth paste. You can add the filtered water from boiled veggies in step 2 .

6. Pour the sauce over cooked pasta. Sprinkle pepper powder,Italian seasoning and dry basil leaves and mix well. Serve hot !. For kids, you can add some shredded cheese on the top for more taste !.

SEE ALSO MY OTHER PASTA RECIPES:  One pot milk pasta, White sauce pasta, Quick pasta 

Sweet Kozhukattai/Modak

Kozhukattai/Modak is southindian sweet dumpling made of rice flour with coconut,jaggery fillings inside . It is usually made on vinayagar chaturthi occasion. I made a very simple sweet kozhukattai using grated coconut,grated jaggery and fried gram.

Preparation Time: Under 15 minutes
Cooking Time: Under 20 minutes
Yields : 13 no.s of modak.

INGREDIENTS:

OUTER LAYER:
Rice flour - 1 cup
Water - 1.25 cups to 1.5 cup
Salt - as required
Oil - 2 teaspoon

INSIDE FILLING:
Fried gram /pottu kadalai - 1/4 cup
Grated jaggery - 1/4 cup
Grated coconut powder - 1/4 cup
Water -2 teaspoon
Cardamom powder - 1/2 teaspoon

METHOD:

1. Take fried gram,grated jaggery and grated coconut powder( I used dessicated coconut powder, as we dont get fresh coconuts here. Fresh grated coconuts are mostly preferred.)

2. Grind them all in to a smooth powder. Now add 2 teaspoon of water and grind again. It would be little semi dry in texture. If you are using fresh grated coconut, you dont need to add any water , as coconut it self would let out some water when grinded. I used desiccated coconut powder. Hence I added 2 teaspoon of water. Also add cardamom powder and mix well. Filling for modak is ready !

3. Now take 1 cup of rice flour. Add required salt and 2 teaspoon of oil and mix well. Boil 1.5 cups of water in a pan.

4. Pour the hot water on the flour and mix using back of any metal spoon. Do not add all water at a stretch as it would turn the flour too soft. Add little by little and mix well. The dough should not be too soft and should not be too dry.

5. Now the dough will be too hot to touch. Cover it with wet cloth and keep aside for 5 to 10 minutes, till it is warm enough to touch. Now apply some oil on your hands and make lemon sized balls.

6. Take one ball and flatten them on your palm as shown below.

7. Now place 1 to 2 teaspoon of sweet filling (which you prepared in step 2) inside and cover the sides and close it either in half moon shaped or in the shape of a coconut.

8. In the meantime, heat water in the idly cooker. Place the kozhukattai in idly plate inside the cooker and steam for 10 minutes.

9. Tasty kozhukattais are ready  !

SEE ALSO: Sweet ammini kozhukattai, Suzhiyan, Kuzhi appam

Paneer Ghee Roast

This is a new variety of semi-dry paneer gravy in which paneer is roasted in ghee and added in a masala paste made with cumin,fennel seeds,pepper, coriander seeds and chilies !. This gravy goes well with rice or rotti.

Preparation Time: Under 15 minutes
Cooking Time : Under  15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

Homemade Paneer - 100 gms
Ghee - 4 tablespoon
Dry red chilli - 5 no.s
Pepper -1.5 teaspoon
Cumin seeds -1.5 teaspoon
Fennel seeds -1.5 teaspoon
Coriander seeds - 1.5 teaspoon
Onion - 1 cup finely chopped
Lemon juice - few drops
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Curd - 1/4 cup
Asafoetida powder - as required

METHOD:

1. Dry roast dry red chilli,cumin seeds,fennel seeds,coriander seeds and pepper for 2 minutes till nice aroma comes.

2. Grind the above ingredients with turmeric powder,kashmiri chilli powder,lemonjuice and some water in to a thick paste.

3. In a pan, add 2 tablespoon of ghee and roast paneer golden brown.

4. Take the paneer and keep it aside. In the same pan, add another 2 tablespoon of  ghee and add chopped onions and salt.Fry till they change color.

5. Now add the masala paste which you prepared in step 2. Also add 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup of curd or plain yogurt and mix well and allow to boil.

6. Now add the roasted paneer cubes. Mix gently. Sprinkle some asafoetida powder.

7. Paneer ghee roast is ready !. Serve with rice or rotti.

SEE ALSO: Paneer makhni, chilli paneer, kadai paneer

Avocado Paratha

Avocado is a very healthy fruit with abundant nutrients and vitamins. Avocados can help in lower cholesterol and loaded with fiber content. Avocado also helps in weight reduction and also rich in anti oxidants. I tried making avocado parathas with spices , that are tasty and also make it easy to consume the fruit as they are little bland in taste.

Preparation Time : Under 15 minutes
Cooking Time: Under 15 minutes
Yields -3 to 4 no.s of paratha

INGREDIENTS:

Avocado - 1/2 cup mashed
Wheat flour -3/4 cup
Salt - as required
Cumin powder -1 teaspoon
Red chilli powder -1/2 teaspoon
Green chilli - 1 finely chopped
Lemon juice - few drops
Oil - for making parathas.

METHOD:

1. Take ripened avocado. Do not use unripened avocado. It taste bitter. Usually, when u buy avocado they are unripened ones. Keep it at home in room temperature for 3 to 5 days, till the outside layer turns black and when you touch the fruit, it is soft.

2.  Now peel the skin, chop the avocado in small pieces. Take about 1/2 cup of chopped avocados. Remaining , refrigerate it and use in another 1 or 2 days, else the fruit would get spoiled as it is already ripened. Now add lemon juice,salt, red chilli powder,cumin powder,green chilli. Mix all the contents and using a back of wooden ladle mash the contents well. Also add 1 teaspoon of oil.

2. Now add 3/4 cup wheat flour. Mix it with the above paste. Do not add water. Avocado itself has enough water. If you feel the dough is too dry , you can sprinkle some water. Not more than that. Allow the dough to rest for another 15 minutes.

3. Now take lemon sized dough and flatten them as rotti using rolling pin.

4. Heat tawa and cook paratha on both sides by adding some oil. Tasty avocado parathas are ready!. Serve with curd and pickle or any vegetable curry of your choice !.

SEE ALSO: Veg Kurma, Palak Paneer, Tomato Kurma

3 minute Milk Peda

This is a very easy sweet made in just 3 minutes in a microwave oven.This sweet was introduced to me by my friend +Sindhu Thiagarajan . Milk peda is a milk based sweet, made of milk powder,condensed milk and ghee. They dont require any additional sugar or any other sweetener as condensed milk itself has sufficient sugar.

Preparation Time: Under 2 minutes
Cooking Time: 3 minutes
Yields -15-16 no.s of milk peda

INGREDIENTS:
Milk powder -1.5 cup
Condensed milk - 400 gms
Ghee - 4 tablespoon
Saffron thread -3 to 4 no.s
Cardamom powder -1/2 teaspoon
Almonds - a handful for garnishing

METHOD:

1. In a microwave safe bowl, add milk powder and condensed milk. Mix well with a spoon , without any lumps. Now add 4 tablespoon of ghee.

2. Now mix the ghee well . Set the microwave oven in full heat. Put the mixture in microwave for 1 minute. Take it out. Add cardamom powder and saffron threads.

3. Mix the cardamom powder and saffron thread well and keep in microwave again and cook for 1 minute. Take it out and mix it well.Now keep in microwave again for 30 seconds.Take out again and mix well.

4. Now keep the mixture again and cook for another 30 seconds. Take it out. You can see in these 3 minutes, the mixture gets thickens and start leaving sides. That is the correct consistency. If you feel the mixture is little liquid, you can keep for another 10-15 seconds. But not more than that. The maximum cooking time is 3 min 15 sec. The end product would like as below picture. The mixture still white in color and it doesn't gets darker.

5. Allow the mixture to rest for few minutes, till it is warm enough to touch. Apply some ghee on your palms. Take some lemon sized mixture on your hand, roll it to a smooth ball and flatten it slightly. Place an almond on the top. If the mixture is too hot to touch and take from the bowl, use a spoon to take and quickly roll on your hands .

4. Allow it to cool down and refrigerate it. Tasty milk pedas are ready !

NOTES:

1. This recipe can also be done without microwave oven. Prepare the condensed milk,milk powder,cardamom powder,saffron threads mixture and heat them on a tawa and keep stirring it constantly. It will starts leaving the sides after sometime. Now switch off the stove and allow it to cool down and gets warm. Roll them in to smooth balls and garnish with almonds.

2. SEE ALSO: Milk powder gulab jamun, Eggless brownie, Padar peni

Papad Roll

This is a kid-friendly evening snacks recipe. It is made of potato filling inside and papad outside. Tasty and delicious !.

Preparation Time: Under 20 minutes
Cooking Time: Under 15 minutes
Yields : 7-8 papad rolls

INGREDIENTS:
Plain papad - 7 to 8 no.s
All purpose flour - 2 table spoon
Potato - 1 medium no.
Turmeric powder -1/2 teaspoon
Red chilli powder -1/2 teaspoon
Salt - as required
Asafoetida powder -as required
Mustard -1/2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds -1/2 teaspoon
Ajwain/omam - 1/2 teaspoon
Oil - For deep frying.

METHOD:

1. Boil potatoes and mash them well.

2. In a pan, add some 2 teaspoon of oil. Then add mustard ,cumin seeds and ajwain seeds . Then add add boiled potatoes. Add turmeric powder and red chilli powder, salt and mix well. Add another teaspoon of oil. Sprinkle some 2 tablespoon of water, so that all contents get mixed well and not too dry. Saute for a minute of two and switch off the stove. Sprinkle asafoetida powder.

3. In a small bowl take some all purpose flour /maida. add some water and make as a paste.

4. Now , take papad and put in cold water for 1 minute.

5. Take the papad out, and spread it on a tissue paper, so that excess water is absorbed. Now take one papad. Place the potato filling on one side.

6. Now roll it slowly. Papad will be too soft at it was soaked in water. So handle it little carefully so that it doesn't tear apart.

7. Cover the both ends and apply some maida paste, so the filling doesn't comes out.

8. Now deep fry them in oil  and serve with tomato ketchup !.

SEE ALSO: Maida Biscuits, Peanut Tikki, Masala nuts