Tons of Veggies Pasta

Finally after a long time I'm back!..with the pregnancy and the moving to Seattle, things have been really busy...I never got time to post anything..I always feel cooking is just a small part...writing up and posting the recipe is most of the part.. :)
Anyways, here's a simple pasta recipe I put together with a lot of veggies and mascarpone cheese..Its rich and yummy!

Ingredients:
Wheat penne pasta - 1/2 lb
Onion, diced - 1 medium
Zucchini, cut into thin small pieces - 2
Squash, cut into thin small pieces - 2
Green Peas & carrots, diced - 1/2 cup
Green Pepper, diced - 1/2 no
Garlic, crushed - 2 medium cloves
Mascarpone Cheese - 4oz
Parmesan cheese - 1/4 cup
Lemon juice - 1 Tbsp
Parsley, chopped - 1-2 Tbsp
Italian seasoning - 1 tsp
Chives (Fresh/dried) - 1/4 tsp
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Olive oil

Method:

1. Cook pasta in enough boiling water and salt for about 8-10 minutes until cooked.
2. Heat olive oil in a pan and add the onions and sauté until soft. Add the crushed garlic and sauté for a minute. Now, add all the remaining veggies and sauté until cooked and soft. 
3. Add all the seasonings: salt, pepper, lemon juice, chives and italian seasoning. 
4. Now add the mascarpone, parmesan cheeses and parsley and mix. 
5. Toss the pasta and cook for a minute until everything gets coated evenly. 

Ginger Okra (or Fish) Masala

This is quick ginger based dish which can be a perfect side dish for Chappati or any rice dish. You can substitue okra with fish

Ingredients:
Okra - 1 lb or Fish (Tilapia)-1 lb
Onion - 1 large half
Ginger - 1 cup of grated or sliced or small cut
Cilantro - 1 bunch
Cumin seeds - 2 tbsp
Chilli powder - 2 tbsp
Coriander powder - 3 tbsp
TUmeric powde - 1 tpsp
Bread Crumbs - 1 tbsp or 2 tbsp depending on crispyness you need
Oil


Method:
1-Slice okra and cut cilantro
2-Add ginger, cilantro,chilli powder,coriander powder, Tumeric powder, bread crumbs, oil to sliced Okra or Fish (Tilapia).
3-Heat Oil.Add cumin seeds and onion and saute until golden.
4-Add the mix from step #2

5-Constantly stir every 2 or 3  minutes
6-Close cook for 8-12 minutes
7-Open cook for 8-12 minutes
8-Garnish with Coriander leaves

Indian Baby food?

Wondering about the title? Don't laugh at me for posting this..But since I started making this for my daughter, I realized that it became more of my husband's favorite than my daughter's! :)
And I found this to be a quick and easy dinner fix if you are not interested to make an elaborate meal..
This is a traditional food that we start giving the babies when they start eating solid foods..healthy and tasty of course! But in our house this is pretty much everybody's dinner whenever I make it!

Servings: 2

Ingredients:
Rice - 1/2 cup
Toor Dal - 1/2 cup
Mixed Vegegtables - 1/2 cup
Spinach, frozen - 1/4 cup (optional)
Garlic, minced - 4 cloves
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Curry powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/8 tsp
Water - 2 1/2 cups
Salt, to taste
Ghee/Clarified Butter - 2 Tbsp

Method:

1. Take a small pressure cooker and add everything else from above except the ghee. 
2. Cover and pressure cook for up to 3 whistles. 
3. Once the pressure goes off, remove the lid and mix ghee and serve. 

The spice measurements above are for a mild rice, if you are really targeting this for adults, you can increase the curry and chilli powders by 1/2 tsp more. This is a wholesome meal with veggies, protein and carbs that is more like a one pot dish that cooks in minutes. 

Aloo Fry

In south India, this aloo curry is probably a very standard side dish in most of the houses and it goes great with dal, sambhar, rasam with rice or even chappatis. It doesn't need a lot of ingredients and when made, this can stay in the refrigerator for a long time.

Ingredients:

Potatoes, cut small - 4 large

Onions, diced - 2 large

Tomatoes, diced - 2 large

Chilly powder - 2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Method: 

1. Heat oil in a pan and add the onions and sauté until slightly dark brown. Add the tomatoes keep frying until the tomatoes and soft and mushy and the curry becomes more like a thick paste like consistency.
2. Add turmeric powder, chilly powder, salt and potatoes and keep frying in low flame for about 20-30 minutes until the curry browns up and oil separates.

Frying for a long time in low-medium flame is the key to this curry. It might not look very good initially but just leave it for the time and it will roast and come together very nicely just like in the picture :) And you might have to add oil a little generously as well! I know..but some dishes need more TLC.. 

Veggie Egg Noodles

Growing up, my brother used to experiment and make these awesome chinese style egg noodles similar to the ones that you get at restaurants as sunday breakfast or an evening snack. In India you would never had to to crave or add meat to your meal coz you get amazing vegetarian food at restaurants. So I decided to keep this veggie but with eggs..Please..I just said no meat..dint say no eggs :)

Ingredients:
Egg noodles - 1 pack
Red Onions - 1 large
Carrots - 2 nos
Bell pepper - 1 no
Cabbage, cut into strips -  1 handful
Paneer - 10-15 pieces
Spring Onions, cut small - 1/2 bunch (optional)
Ginger, grated - 1 tsp
Garlic, grated - 1 tsp
Eggs - 2
Soy sauce - 1 Tbsp
Worcestershire sauce -1 Tbsp
Chilli sauce - 2tsp (I used Sriracha)
Vinegar - 1 tsp
Red chilli flakes - 1 tsp
Ajinomoto - 1 pinch
Sugar - 1pinch
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Cut all the veggies lengthwise into 2 inch thin long strips. 
2. Cook noodles as per packaging directions
3. Scramble eggs in a pan and keep aside. 
4. If you don't have fried paneer, shallow fry the paneer in a pan/wok until slightly browned and chewy.
5. In the same pan, add onions and sauté until it turns pink. Add ginger and garlic and fry for a few mins. You can also just add ginger garlic paste if you don't have grated ginger and garlic.
6. Add all the veggies, salt and sugar and in high flame, sauté the veggies until cooked through. The sugar helps to keep the veggies retain their colors while getting cooked. 
7. Now add everything else and heat in medium flame for a few minutes. Chilli sauce, worcestershire sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, red chilli flakes, pepper, ajinomoto, noodles, scrambled eggs, spring onions and paneer and adjust salt, pepper and chilli sauces to taste, if needed.

Garlic Butter Pasta

I always experiment with different varieties of pasta..and here is my recent favorite..

Ingredients:

For Chicken:

Bread crumbs - 3/4 cup
Egg, beaten - 1
Boneless Chicken Breast/thighs - 3 nos
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 3-4 Tbsp
For Pasta:
Garlic cloves, minced - 3 nos
Pappardelle pasta - 1/2 pack
Parsley, chopped - handful
Parmesan cheese - 1/4 cup
Salt and Pepper - for taste
Butter - 4 Tbsp
Veggies, optional

 Cooking Chicken:

1. Take 2 bowls, one with breadcrumbs and one with beaten egg.
2. In a freezer bag, put the chicken piece and bash it with rolling pin until flattened out. Put some flour into the bag and shake to coat chicken.
3. Take the chicken and dip in the egg, and then in the bread crumbs and keep aside.
4. In a Skillet, add olive oil and heat over medium heat and add the chicken in a single layer and cook until browned on both sides for 2-3 minutes each side.

Cooking Pasta:

1. Take a large saucepan and bring to boil 3-4 cups of water. Add salt, little olive oil and pasta and let it cook for 15-20 mins until cooked. This pasta takes more time than others in general
2. Meanwhile, in a skillet, add butter, and when melted, add garlic and parsley and cook over medium heat until garlic is lightly browned.
3. Add salt and pepper and add the chicken cut into thin strips.
4. Drain pasta and reserve 1 cup of water.
5. Add pasta to the skillet, top with parmesan and mix.

 This is a yummy pasta for children and adults that can be customized with meat or veggies and any kind of pasta based on your taste. I added some peas and carrots for my daughter. You can even add leftover chicken, fish or shrimp.

Grilled vegetable burrito -Desi Style

Hi my first contribution to  the Happiest Kitchen!!

Encouraged by the previous exciting recipes posted here I am planning on posting tonight's dinner.

My attempt was to experiment with vegetables that are too little for elaborate dish and too young to go to crapper. I mean who throws away tomatoes if you don't see white stuff on it really ?;)

So I have green pepper, tomatoes, onions and jalapenos in my burrito tonight.

I marinated them an hour prior with yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, crushed mint, barely two drops of lemon concentrate and Spicy tandoori masala powder (usually used for meats ).

I grilled the above after spraying some oil for 30 mins at 350 Degrees.

Wheat rotis from indian store forms the base. I have sprinkled some mozarella (made from 2% milk)on top of this mix of vegetables quick spray of oil and grill it for 15 mins for hot desi style grilled vegetable burrito/wrap!