Veg Sandwich

I have tasted this during my school days. I used to study in a residential school where they serve some healthy snacks in the evenings. One among them is this snack.

Ingredients:

Bread slices – 8

For the stuffing –

Onion – 1 cut into small pieces

Shredded Cabbage – 1 cup

Shredded carrot – ½ cup

Green chilli – 2 chopped into small pieces

Mustard + Cumin - ½ tsp

Salt

Turmeric – 1 pinch

Oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

Heat the pan with oil. When is warm enough, add mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add chopped green chilli. Saute for a minute and then add onion with a pinch of salt. Fry the onion till it turns transparent. Now add the shredded cabbage and carrot. Sprinkle some salt and turmeric powder. Stir everything and cook the vegetables covered till tender.

Trim the dark edges, place the stuff on one slice and cover it with another slice. Cut them into 2 triangles.

Pita Boats

This is a nice way of presenting the food to the fussy kids. So simple to assemble the various nutritious vegetables in one place. 

To attain this, I chose the wholemeal Pita bread in oval shape.

Cut the Pitas into length length wise in boat shape.

Bake / toast them until bit crunchy.

Fill them with Paneer tikka, cucumber, lettuce and top them up with capsicum salsa.

Serve them warm..

Pav Bhaji

The most simple recipe to make the full meals with packed nutrients. A famous North Indian street food which tickles our taste buds with the mouth watering ingredients.

For the Pav

12 pieces of Pav bread

For the Bhaji

Ingredients:

Mixed vegetables (Potato. Cauliflower, Green pea, Carrot, capsicum etc) chopped – 4 – 5 cups

Onion – 1 large, chopped into small pieces

Tomatoes – 3 large chopped

Kaala namak (black salt) – ½ tsp

Pav Bhaji masala – 1 tbsp

Chilli powder – 1 tsp

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp

Salt

Butter – 2 tbsp

Oil – 2 tbsp

Method:

Boil all the vegetables till they are soft. Drain out and preserve the excess water.

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Then, add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté till the onion softens.

Add the tomatoes and simmer till the oil separates.

Add the chilli powder, pav bhaji masala, black salt and salt and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the boiled vegetables

Mash them thoroughly using a masher and add ½ cup of water or the preserved vegetable stock and cook until the moisture is well absorbed.

For the pav

Slice each pav, apply a little butter to each side.

Heat a large tava and cook the pav on both sides till the pieces are lightly browned.

Serve the hot bhaji on individual plates and top with the onion and coriander.

Serve with the hot pav and lemon wedges.

Tip:

You can sprinkle the pav bhaji masala or any chat masala on top of the bread and then fry them till crisp. This  intensifies the flavour.

Bread squares with sesame seeds

This recipe is a good treat for the fussy children also a quick breakfast on a lazy morning. So easy to preapare. I have chosen brown bread with thick slices.

2 Brown bread slices - Thick variety

2 tsp of roasted sesame seeds

For potato masala:

Boil and mash 1 potato

Add salt, Cumin and chilli powder to the mashed potato

Brown bread, Sesame seeds and Potato Mixture

Cut each bread slice into 4 squares.

Cover the bread peices with potato mixture

On each piece sprinkle and press some sesame seeds

Apply butter on a baking tray and arrange the bread squares and place them in the pre heated oven at Gas Mark 6.

Once the colour changes at the corners of the bread pieces, remove from the heat and serve warm with sauce or chutney.

Bread squares with potato mixture topped with sesame seeds

Note: You can also use left over potato fry.

Banana Bread

Ingredients:
Wheat flour - 1 cup
Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp
Baking Soda - 1/4 tsp
Ripe Banana - 2
Melted Butter - 2 tbsp
Egg - 1 large
Sugar  - 5 tbsp
Dates - 10 Chopped into tiny pieces
Walnuts / Almond flakes - 2 tbsp
Cinnamon powder - 1tsp
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

Wheat flour, Pitted Dates, Almond flakes, Banana, egg and Sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place oven rack to middle position. Line the pan with baking sheet and set aside. Alternatively you can butter and flour the bottom and sides of a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, dates and nuts. Set aside. 

In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla.

With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients just until combined and the batter is thick and chunky. (The important thing is not to over mix the batter. You do not want it smooth.)

Scrape batter into prepared pan.

Bake until bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 to 50 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan.

Serve warm or at room temperature with a cup of tea.