Red Bell Pepper and Paneer in Tomato gravy

The recipe I am posting today is something I whipped up in a hurry on a weekend morning. My husband and I were at home. I was prepping the weekly vegetables and getting them ready for lunch salads when I realized I did not have anything planned for lunch. I put aside some red bell pepper and some green bell pepper combined it with some left over paneer, onion and tomato and whipped up this side. It is a version of Paneer Jalfrezi and I am calling it Red Bell Pepper and Paneer in Tomato gravy.

In the picture above the flatbread or poli has been made by my husband. I have posted his recipe of chutney on this blog but never posted anything else made by him. He is always willing to try anything I make and waits patiently while I take pictures. Both of us liked this recipe very much and it was all gone very quickly.

My daughter will be back from college for summer in three days. I am looking forward to spending time with her and making a lot of new dishes.

You will need
4 oz. paneer, cut into rectangular pieces, not too thick
1/4 onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 tomato, pureed
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 serrano pepper, deseeded and minced
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp. coriander cumin powder
Salt to taste

Heat the oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. When they sizzle add the onion. Saute for about 5 minutes and add the minced serrano pepper.

Now add the tomato puree, turmeric powder, coriander cumin powder and bring to a boil.

Now add the bell peppers.

Finally add the paneer and salt to taste.

Let it all cook until the liquid evaporates.

Enjoy!

Skewered Spicy Pepper with Paneer

A few months back I went to visit my father. While there we experimented with skewered vegetables and paneer in his air fryer. It struck me that I had not made this at home in a long time. Once I got home I made some for the whole family.

My daughter is in college now and food is always a problem there. I thought this would be something she could make for herself in her apartment.

We love colored bell pepper so that is the main vegetable I used. Some red onion and paneer. Served on skewers with its own bowl of chutney makes a great appetizer for a party. It can be a side during dinner or a light dinner by itself.

You will need
wooden or metal skewers
8 oz paneer cut into thick cubes (fresh made or store bought)
1 red bell pepper, cut in large cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into large cubes
1/2 onion, cut into large cubes
1/2 cup yogurt
salt to taste

For the spice mixture
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1/2 tsp black pepper corns
1/2 stick cinnamon
2 pods cardamom shelled
1-2 dried red chili pepper

Green Chutney

Roast all the spices on medium heat for a about 3-5 minutes or until you can smell the spicy fragrance. Turn off heat and let the spices cool. Dry grind in a coffee grinder to a powder.

Add the yogurt and mix it all together with salt to taste.

Put all the chopped vegetables in a bowl.

Mix in the yogurt and leave aside covered for about 15-30 minutes, longer if desired.

The yogurt will be absorbed by the vegetables and paneer.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. If using wooden skewers in a pan of water soak the skewers for about 10 minutes so they don't burn in the oven. Load the paneer and vegetables on the skewers and place on a baking tray.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes. Broil for the last couple minutes.

Enjoy!

Red Pepper Hummus

We love the flavor red bell pepper brings to any food it is added to. I am always trying to find, create and make recipes with this vegetable. The family loves it. A couple years back we went to Disney World. We had dinner at a restaurant called Sanaa in the Animal Kingdom Lodge. There we ordered a platter of flatbread and were served red pepper hummus as one of the dips. We fell in love with the hummus and I wanted to recreate it at home.

I roasted the bell pepper and used it in my recipe for hummus. The result was tasty, fresh hummus. If you like red bell peppers and you like hummus then try this combo.

You will need
1 red bell pepper (small to medium)
1 cup garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1 tbsp sesame seeds
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. lime juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. paprika
salt to taste

Soak the bean overnight in water. Pressure cook the next day for 10 minutes. When depressurized remove the beans and let them cool. 

Wash and dry the red bell pepper. Stick a fork into it and place directly over the flame of your stove. Keep rotating the pepper as it is charred. When it turns black on all sides wrap in an aluminium foil and keep aside for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile roast the sesame seeds, cool and grind to a powder. Peel the garlic pods and roughly chop them. 

In a food processor combine the cooked beans, garlic, lime juice, sesame seeds and olive oil. Remove the pepper from the foil and rub gently to peel off the skin. Cut it open and remove the seeds. Chop coarsely and add it to the food processor. Grind to a fine paste. 

Roast the cumin seeds and pound to a powder. Mix in the cumin powder, paprika and salt to taste.

Enjoy!

Prickly Pear Fruit Dip/Sauce

Did you know cactus fruit are sweet and flavorful? Have you ever tried them? We lived in Arizona for a very long time. We had Prickly pear and Saguaro growing in the garden. Every year we watched the local animals and birds fight over the fruit. It was hard to get some for us before the birds got to them. After we moved to Texas all we see are the small 5 inch tall cactus growing in little pots. I remember the first time I saw the little cacti at the nursery and almost cried. Imagine my surprise when I saw prickly pear fruit in the local 99 ranch market. I had to get it and make this sauce/dip.

The process is really the same as with any other fruit sauce or dip. You heat the fruit with a little sugar and strain. The aroma takes getting used to but the flavor is awesome.

You will need
3 ripe prickly pear fruit (pinkish in color, not green)
1 tbsp. sugar (or as needed, increase or decrease as per taste)

Peel the rough skin off the fruit and dice into cubes. Boil 3/4 cup of water in pan. Add the fruit and the sugar. Lower the heat and let it simmer until the fruit is cooked and can be mashed. Turn off the heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes.

Using a fine wire strainer, strain the sauce to remove the seeds and hard pulp. Discard the seeds and pulp. The sauce/dip is ready. Serve with fresh cut fruit like apples.

Enjoy with some fresh fruit!

Zucchini No Noodle Lasagna in Tomato Sauce

I love the zucchini ribbon noodles that the Veggie bullet makes. But it makes a LOT! I made ribbons with two zucchini and realized I needed only one for my single serving lasagna. So I decided to make a second lasagna this time with a tomato-onion sauce. This was one of the tastiest pasta I have made.

Even though I added a sauce to this lasagna I made certain the sauce was dry enough to not soak the zucchini. This kept the zucchini from getting mushy. The shredded broccoli added more flavor. My husband loved it.

You will need
1 zucchini
1/2 cup broccoli, shredded
2 slices mozzarella
salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce
1/4 onion, diced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 tsp. dried or fresh basil (if using fresh, dice)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp or to taste paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp oil (I used olive oil)

In a pan heat the oil and add the diced onion. When cooked and tender (~ 3-4 minutes) add the tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients. Cook until all the juice is absorbed. Turn off heat and keep aside until needed.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Using a sharp knife or a veggie bullet cut the zucchini into ribbons. Add some salt and let the ribbons sit for 10-15 minutes. Using a towel soak the water. Spread the ribbons on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes flipping once.

Now you are ready to assemble. First place the zucchini in the bottom of the pan. I used a smal single springform pan. If you do not use a non stick pan add some oil/butter to the bottom to keep the zucchini from sticking.

Add half the tomato onion sauce.

Now add the shredded broccoli and a slice of cheese.

Repeat the layers ending with the second slice of cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Broil for a couple of minutes to brown the cheese.

Enjoy!

This is my entry for week one, day three of BM #81 for the theme Lasagna. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#81.

Potato Cannelloni Beans No Noodle Lasagna

My plan was to try butternut squash noodles in my new kitchen toy the Veggie Bullet. My husband went to buy it while I prepped. But he could not find it in the grocery store. And so I had to improvise and use potato instead. The lasagna was very filling as it had broccoli and beans. As with the recipe posted yesterday, I made this lasagna in a single serving springform pan.

I built the recipe based on what I had on hand, the flavors we like and the need for some protein. You can make lasagna with pretty much anything you have on hand. In order to not get the vegetables mushy, I did not use a sauce. The cheese served as the binding agent along with the mashed beans. I let the potatoes bake with the lasagna but my husband said I should have baked them separately before layering them in the lasagna so the next time I use potatoes I will cook them partially in the oven.

You will need (single serving)
1 potato, very thinly sliced
4-5 florets broccoli
1 cup Cannelloni beans (I used canned beans)
2 slices Mozzarella cheese
1/4 onion
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp olive oil

Add a little salt to the potato slices and keep aside. Meanwhile Add the oil to a pan and heat it. Add the onion and let it cook and brown on low heat. Transfer the onion to a plate and place the pan back on the heat. Next add the beans to the pan. When heated through, mash with a masher. Shred the broccoli florets and add them to the beans. Add salt and pepper and mix together. Turn off heat and keep aside until needed.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Wipe the liquid on the potato slices with a towel. If you like the potato fully cooked with no crunch then place the potato slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 5-10 minutes,

Place the potato slices as the bottom layer of the lasagna in the pan. Layer half the bean and broccoli mixture over the top.

Follow up by the onion.

The last layer is cheese. Repeat the layers ending with the second slice of cheese. Bake for 15-30 minutes in the oven until the cheese has melted. Switch the oven to broil and brown the cheese.

Enjoy!

This is my entry for week one, day two of BM #81 for the theme Lasagna. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#81.

Zucchini and Tofu No Noodle Lasagna

Today I will present a lasagna made with zucchini ribbons in place of noodles. I made the noodles using my new kitchen toy - the Veggie Bullet. Among other things it can cut vegetables into ribbons. These ribbons can be used as lasagna noodles. Since I got the toy I am on the lookout for veggies that I can turn to noodles. Vegetables noodles cook quickly and taste best when they are cooked but crisp. So you do not need elaborate sauces to make this lasagna.

I made this lasagna after my daughter left for school. I can't wait for her to be back so I can make this for her. My husband enjoyed the lasagna. I made it in a very small springform pan as a single serving. You can double the recipe. Ingredients are approximate. You can mix and match in proportions that suit your taste. The trick is to not overcook the vegetables.

You will need (single serving)
1 small zucchini
1/2 cup extra firm tofu cut into cubes
2 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
1/4 small onion
salt and pepper to taste
a little oil to caramelize the onions

Using your Veggie Bullet cut the zucchini into ribbons. Alternately, you could use a sharp knife to cute the zucchini into thin long slices. Sprinkle some salt over the zucchini and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Dab the liquid from the zucchini with a towel and place the ribbons on a baking tray and bake for 5 minutes. Flip over and bake for another 5 minutes.

Meanwhile add the oil to a pan and saute the onions until tender and sweet. Keep aside. To the same pan add the cubes tofu with some salt and pepper. Let it heat completely. Keep aside.

To assemble, place half the zucchini ribbons on the bottom of the pan. Since my pan is nonstick I did not prepare it with oil/butter. You can rub some oil/butter on the bottom to prevent sticking.

Layer the onions over the top.

Add half the tofu and place a slice of cheese over it.

Repeat all the layers starting with the zucchini ribbons.

Bake in the preheated over at 350F for about 20 minutes or until the cheese melts and all the layers are heated through. Switch to broil and let the cheese brown on the top.

Enjoy!

This is my entry for week one, day one of BM #81 for the theme Lasagna. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#81.

Dal Vada in Appe pan (Not Deep Fried)

I have made a lot of different vada in the appe pan, dahi vada, batata vada, sabudana vada, methi vada etc. This is my latest experiment. I used the dals I had on hand in the proportion that felt good at the time. Mung dal makes the vada lighter and easier to cook, channa dal and lentils add a lot of flavor.

I made these as a evening snack but you may want to add them as a side to a dinner menu. They would also make great appetizers at a party.

You will need for 15-20 vadas
1/2 cup toor dal
1/2 cup red lentils
1/2 cup urad dal (split black lentils)
1/4 cup channa dal (split chickpea)
1/4 cup mung dal
1 1/2 tsp roasted cumin coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp fennel seeds
Salt and black pepper to taste
Oil

Add all the dals to a bowl. Add enough water to the bowl to cover the dals and aside for about 2-3 hours. Drain the water. Blend the dals to a paste using a little water such that it has the consistency in the bowl in the picture below.

Mix in all the remaining ingredients except the oil.

Heat the appe pan on the stove top over medium heat. Add a drop of oil in each of the wells. Next using a tablespoon add the heaping spoonful of the mixture to each of the well. Cover and let it cook for 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat.

Check if the under side is done using a knitting needle or a skewer. If brown flip the vada.

Flip the remaining vada, cover and let it cook until done.

Dal vada is ready. East on its own as a snack or part of a meal.

Enjoy!