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Falafal is a traditional middle east cuisine delicacy which is deep fried balls made from chickpea.
It is mostly served in pita bread as patty stuffed with other veggies or in shwarma.

Tastes yummm with hummus.

Ingredients:

1 cup Chickpea / kabuli Chana.

½ Onion ,finely chopped.

1/2 cup Parsley Leaves.

5 cloves Garlic.

2 Green Chillies.

1/2 tsp Coriander Powder.

½ tsp Cumin Powder.

1 tbsp Lemon Juice.

¼ tsp Baking Soda.

Salt to taste.

Oil for deep frying.

Method:

Soak 1 cup of chickpeas in enough water,overnight.
Next day, drain off the water and transfer to food processor,add onion, parsley leaves, garlic,green chillies, coriander powder, cumin powder, lemon juice and salt to taste.

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Blend coarsely in a food processor without adding any water,add in baking soda and mix well.

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Now with wet palms,prepare small lemon sized balls.

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Keep it in fridge for 20 minutes.

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Now, on medium heat deep fry the balls in hot oil.

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Stiring occasionally.

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Once the falafel turns golden brown, remove on an absorbent paper.
Serve falafel hot with hummus or sauce of your choice.

Here I have served falafel with beetroot humus,fries and vegetable fingers.

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Happy Cooking!!!

Sameera.

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Potato wedges are always a hit dish with kids and when they have added cheese to it….they become irresistible.

Ingredients:

4 large Potatoes.

1/2 tsp Oregano.

1/2 tsp freshly grounded Pepper powder.

Salt to taste.

2 tbsp Corn flour.

Oil for frying.

1/2 cup grated Mozarella /Pizza Cheese.

Method:

Clean and halve each potato, further cut each half into three pieces vertically.

Boil them in sufficient water for two minutes. Drain away the water.Pat dry the potatoes put them in a bowl,add corn flour and mix well, keep aside.

Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and deep fry the wedges, a few at a time, till golden and crisp.

Drain on an absorbent paper.

Arrange on a microwave safe dish,salt, pepper powder,cheese and Oregano.

Microwave  on high for 30 secs or till the Cheese is melted completely

Serve hot with tomato ketchup.

Happy Cooking !!!

Sameera

Hummus is a Middle Eastern and Arabic food dip or spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic.
Hummus is high in iron and vitamin C.
it usually garnished with live oil and chilli powder or some chickpeas also chopped tomato, cucumber, coriander, parsley, caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, , hard-boiled eggs can be used.

Hummus is great as a spread on sandwiches or burgers or wraps (rolls). It is also served in a lebanese meze platter.. You could also have it as a dip with fried, roasted or steamed veggies.

Best is to have hummus with pita bread and falafel.

Today we are making beetroot hummus,many other variations can be made by just replacing beetroot with parsley,avacado,roasted carrots,roasted bell peppers or blanched spinach.

While preparing hummus tahini is required. Tahini is a famous middle eastern spread made from sesame seeds and olive oil,same can easily be made at home or bought from market.If you don’t get it powder of roasted sesame seeds can be added instead.
I have also shared the recipe for plain hummus earlier, click on the link below to check it.
https://udarbharna.com/2013/03/27/hummus-with-pita-chips/

Ingredients:

2 cups of Chick peas( soaked overnight in 4 cups water and drained)

1/2 Beetroot,clean, peeled and chopped into pieces.

4 tbsp Olive oil.

10 cloves of Garlic.

2 tbsp Tahini.

1 tsp Cummin seeds.

1 tbsp Lemon juice.

Salt to taste.

Pinch of chilli powder.

Method:

Soak the chick peas (Kabuli chana) overnight.In a pressure cooker,cook with sufficient water upto 5 whistles.

Drain and let cool.Preserve the water.

In a blender mix together chickpeas,tahini, garlic,salt, beetroot,cummin seeds and lemon juice.
Blend well,now add 3 tbsp of olive oil and water from the chickpeas and blend till a smooth paste is obtained.

Remove the hummus in a serving bowl,top up with a tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle some chilli powder,garnish with parsley or corriander leaves and serve with Pita Chips or falafal.

Mezze platter, beetroot Hummus,falafel, cucumber and carrots sticks and fries.

Happy Cooking!!!

Sameera.

This is an easy to make no yeast pizza base made in pan.

Using some basic ingredients, it makes a tasty pizza crust with perfect thickness and consistency,better than market bought base.

These can be made in advance and stored up to 3 days…

Ingredients:

1 cup Maida.

¼ cup Wheat Flour.

3 tbsp Curd.

1 tsp Baking Powder.

1 tsp Baking Soda.

1 tbsp Sugar.

1 tbsp Oil.

Salt to taste .

Method:

In a large mixing bowl, add all purpose flour, wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda,Mix well.

Add oil, salt,sugar and curd mix everything well.
Add water as required and make soft runny dough. Knead for about 5-6 minutes until the dough turns very soft but not sticky.

Cover and set this aside for about 20 minutes.

Divided the dough into 2 to 3 parts. Dust the rolling board lightly and pat it to form a round slightly thicker than a chapati.

And prick it with a fork all around the dough.

Now heat a flat pan,place a butter paper on it and place the rolled dough on the butter paper,cook one side properly on a low flame for around 2 mins,turn over and cook on other side.

Remove and use to make pizzas.

Tip:Same can also be baked in Oven for 15 mins at 180°C

Happy Cooking!!!

Sameera.

This curry is made using medium size prawns in very flavorful gravy made using fresh aromatic ingredients used in South East Asian cuisine.

This can also be made with chicken or vegetables.With a gravy this good, you can put anything in it – and it will taste amazing!

I have served it today with Lemon grass rice,it makes a perfect meal…

Recipe for Lemon grass Rice-https://udarbharna.com/2020/07/28/5368/

This Thai green curry had an olive green color instead of fresh green color,as I have used dark soy sauce while making the green curry paste.

Now a days a packet of mixed ingredients required for Thai curry paste is easily available in hyper markets.

Ingredients:

For Thai green curry:

3/4 cup thick Coconut Milk.

2 tablespoon coconut oil or sesame oil.

2 cups water.

2 tbsp chopped Thai Basil Leaves.

2 cups Prawns,washed,peeled and deveined.

1/2 cup Red and Yellow Bell Peppers,chopped into cubes.

For Thai Green Curry Paste:

3 Thai Red Chillies & 1 Green Chili.

1/2 inch Galangal.

1 Medium Onion chopped.

1/2 cup Coriander Leaves.

5 Kaffir Lime Leaves .

2 Lemon Grass stalks chopped.

2 tsp Coriander Seeds.

1 tspn Cumin Seeds.

1/2 tbsp Dark Soya Sauce.

1/4 tsp Lemon Rind.

3 tbsp coconut milk.

Method:

Washed,peel and devein prawns,apply little salt and keep aside.

To make thai green curry paste,put all the ingredients in Mixie jar and grind to a slight coarse paste without adding water.

If the mixture is too dry and not getting ground, then add some more soy sauce or coconut milk and grind it.

In a pan, heat Oil,add bell peppers and saute for 2 minutes.

Add the green curry paste. Saute  for another 2 minute.

Add prawns.Mix well

Add 2 cups of water and mix well.

Cover and cook till the prawns are cooked.
Now add coconut milk and mix it with the rest of the paste.

Also add salt as required. Mix very well.
Bring the entire curry to a boil. Then garnish the curry with chopped thai basil leaves.

Remive in a serving bowl and serve the thai green curry with warm lemon grass rice or plain steamed rice.

Tip: It is best to have the Thai herbs and spices for this recipe, but if you do not have this, you could still substitute the Thai ingredients with the commonly used ingredients from the Indian kitchen.

•  Galangal: use ginger instead
• Kaffir lime leaves: add zest of lemon instead
• Thai chillies: substitute green chillies.

Happy Cooking!!!

Sameera.

This curry is made using chunky vegetables in very flavorful gravy made using fresh aromatic ingredients used in South East Asian cuisine.

This can also be made with chicken or prawns.With a gravy this good, you can put anything in it – and it will taste amazing!

Serve it with steamed rice to make a perfect meal…

This Thai green curry had an olive green color instead of fresh green color,as I have used dark soy sauce while making the green curry paste.

Now a days a packet of mixed ingredients required for Thai curry paste is easily available in hyper markets.

Ingredients:

For Thai green curry:

3/4 cup thick Coconut Milk.

2 tablespoon coconut oil or sesame oil.

2 cups water.

2 tbsp chopped Thai Basil Leaves.

2 cups mixed cubed Vegetables (potatoes, french beans,carrots,bell peppers, mushrooms,broccoli,zucchini,etc

For Thai Green Curry Paste:

3 Thai Red Chillies & 1 Green Chili.

1/2 inch Galangal.

1 Medium Onion chopped.

1/2 cup Coriander Leaves.

5 Kaffir Lime Leaves .

2 Lemon Grass stalks chopped.

2 tsp Coriander Seeds.

1 tspn Cumin Seeds.

1/2 tbsp Dark Soya Sauce.

1/4 tsp Lemon Rind.

3 tbsp coconut milk.

Method:

To make thai green curry paste,put all the ingredients in Mixie jar and grind to a slight coarse paste without adding water.

If the mixture is too dry and not getting ground, then add some more soy sauce or coconut milk and grind it.

In a pan, heat Oil,add capsicum / bell peppers and saute for 2 minutes.

Add the green curry paste. Saute  for another 2 minute.

Add all the mix veggies. You can use your choice of veggies.

Add 2 cups of water and mix well.

Cover and cook till the veggies are almost done,don’t overcook the veggies.
Now add coconut milk and mix it with the rest of the paste.
Also add salt as required. Mix very well.
Bring the entire curry to a boil. Then garnish the curry with chopped thai basil leaves.

Serve the thai green curry with warm lemon grass rice or plain steamed rice.

Tip: It is best to have the Thai herbs and spices for this recipe, but if you do not have this, you could still substitute the Thai ingredients with the commonly used ingredients from the Indian kitchen.

• Galangal: use ginger instead
• Kaffir lime leaves: add zest of lemon instead
• Thai chillies: substitute green chillies.

Happy Cooking!!!

Sameera.

The Hasselback potato is your potato dreams come true at once,these potatoes have the crispy edges of your favorite french fries, but with middles as creamy as mashed potatoes….plus the added bonus of being, essentially, wholesome baked potatoes in clever disguise.

My recipe here is for four potatoes, but you can certainly multiply that for more potatoes.

Any dinner — big or small, casual or fancy — can only be improved with the addition of Hasselback potatoes.

Ingredients:

4 large Potatoes.

4 tbsp melted butter infused with herbs and garlic.

Salt & Pepper to taste.

1 tsp Oregano or mixed Herbs.

Method:

Pre Heat the oven to 200°C.

Wash and scrub the potatoes clean and pat them dry.

Cut slits in the potatoes, leaving the bottom intact. Cut parallel slits into each potato, stopping just before you cut through so that the slices stay connected at the bottom of the potato,rest the potato on 2 wooden chopsticks and use that as a guide for when to stop slicing — slice straight down and when your knife hits the edge of the spoon, stop slicing.

Arrange the potatoes in a baking tray.

Brush the potatoes with half the butter,here I have used Amuls Garlic and herb butter.Move the layers apart lightly and make sure some of the butter drips down into the space between the slices.

Season with salt and pepper.

Bake 30 minutes, then brush with more butter and sprinkle some oregano or mixed herbs.

Bake the potatoes for 30 minutes more. Bake until the potatoes are crispy on the edges and easily pierced in the middles with a knife.

Serve immediately. These potatoes are best straight from the oven while the edges are at their crispiest.

Happy Cooking!!!

Sameera.

This is an easy peasy dish that’s simple, flavorful and incredibly flavorful. And all you need is 20 min to make it!

All you have to do is boil up some spaghetti and saute your shrimp in a pool of garlic,butter,some spices and vegetables.It’s easy, quick, and comforting dish.

Ingredients:

25 medium sized Prawns, peeled and deveined.

250 gms Spaghetti.

1 cup Mixed Peppers(green,yellow & red) cut into cubes.

1 Onion quartered and separated.

1 tbsp Oil

2 tbsp Salted Butter

1/8 cup Garlic cloves finely chopped.

1/4 tsp Black Pepper.

1/8 tsp Chilli flakes.

2 tbsp Coriander leaves finely chopped.

2 tbsp. Lemon juice.

½ tsp. Corn starch.

2-3 tbsp. Water.

1 and 1/2 cup Water.

2 slices Cheese.

Salt to taste.

1 tbsp Spring Onion greens for garnishing.

Method:-

Peel,devein and clean prawns,keep aside.

Boil spaghetti in 2 liters of water with little salt.

Drain and keep aside.

Keep all the vegetables ready.Onions,peppers,garlic,coriander leaves and spring onion greens.

Heat oil in a pan and add prawns to it.

Toss this well and add salt. Keep the flame on high.

Add garlic, onions,peppers,butter, corriander leaves and toss again.

Add 1& 1/2 cup water, chilli flakes and black pepper.Let it come to boil. Add corn flour slurry(corn flour mixed in water), lemon juice and mix well.

Add cheese slices and mix well till they melt,add cooked spaghetti.

Mix well.

Remove in a serving dish and garnish with spring onion green.

Serve hot.

Happy Cooking!

Sameera.

If something can be called a bowl of happiness, this could well be it. Burmese Khow Suey is a delicious one meal noodle dish made with noodles and coconut milk. Served with a variety of accompaniments,each spoon full that you eat will be bursting with flavours!

Ingredients:

2 cups Rice Noodles boiled.

1 tbsp Sesame Oil.

1 cup Mixed Vegetables.(Carrots,Broccoli,sweet Corns,Baby corns,Peppers) chopped evenly.

1/2 cup Green Peas.

1 tbsp Ginger Garlic chopped finely.

3 Green Chillies slit.

1 tsp Turmeric Powder.

1 tbsp Coriander Powder.

4 Dry Red Chillies.

10 nos Thai Basil leaves.

400 gms Coconut Milk.

1 tsp Soy Sauce.

1tbsp Lime Juice.

1 tsp Sugar.

Salt to taste

For the garnishes:

6 cloves Garlic fried

1/4 cup Onion barista

1/4 cup Coriander Leaves chopped.

4-5 nos lime wedges.

2 tbsp Fried Peanuts.

1 tsp Chilli flakes

2 Boiled Eggs.

Method:

Boil rice noodles in boiling water for 5 minutes,strain and keep aside.

In a wok heat oil and add garlic, ginger, green chillies and stir.

Add dry red chillies and stir for 30-40 seconds.

Add the diced vegetables and stir fry on a high flame for a minute.

Here I have used yellow pepper,broccoli and sweet corns,you can use any vegetables of your choice.

Now add sweet basil leaves,turmeric powder, coriander powder, coconut milk, water and stir.

Season with sugar, salt and soy sauce.

Add boiled green peas and boil.

Turn the flame off and add fresh basil leaves and lime juice.

keep aside.

For assembling keep all the ingredients ready.

To serve in a bowl add some boiled noodles.

Top it up with prepared broth.

And garnish with lemon juice,onion barista,fried peanuts,fried Garlic,chilli flakes,chopped coriander leaves and wedges of boiled Eggs.

Serve Hot.

Happy Cooking!

Sameera.