VEGETABLE PIE

VEGETABLE PIE
This is a good way to make your children eat their vegetables and enjoy eating them without the fuss they usually create, this is also a nutritious dish for the young ones.
Ingredients
2 cups plain flour (maida)
100 gms. chilled butter
1/2 tsp. salt
Chilled water

For Filling
2 cups Chopped vegetables of choice (eg. potatoes, peas, beans, carrot, spinach, cauliflower etc, All or any)
2 onions
1 tomato
2 green chillies
1/2" piece ginger
1 tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp. red chilly powder
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1 tbsp. cream
Salt to taste

Method
For Filling
Chop and boil the vegetables. Chop the tomato into fine pieces, Chop the onion into small pieces, grate the ginger, Finely chop green chillies. Heat oil in a skillet, add the grated ginger and the chopped chillies, Add the onions, stir fry till transparent. Add the tomatoes. Add the boiled vegetables. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the red chilly powder, garam masala and salt to taste. Mix well.

Cook till the water evaporates and curry is thick. Pour this into a large ovenproof dish. Pour the cream all over.

For Pastry
Sieve together flour and salt. Add chilled butter. Mix with fork till mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle chilled water over it. Quickly, with light hand mix the dough into a lump. Do not over knead. Chill dough for 15 mins. in a plastic bag. Roll out the pastry to a round or any other shape that is 1 inch (2.5cm) larger than the diameter of the dish. With the trimmings make a long thin strip of pastry. Moisten the rim of the dish and place this strip on it like a border. Moisten the strips, then place the rolled out pastry like a lid on top and press down with a fork to seal the edge.

Bake at 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6 for 30-40 minutes or until the pastry is risen and golden.

Slice and serve warm.

When you remove from the oven, you will see a crispy golden crust and when you cut it into a slice the vegetables can be seen.

VEGETARIAN CANAPES

VEGETARIAN CANAPES
This is a Continental vegetarian snack or starter
Ingredients
6-7 rusk biscuits/Cracker biscuits
6-7 cheese slices
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon finely choped ginger
1 small onion sliced fine
1 large capsicum chopped into tiny pieces.
1 tsp pepper( freshly ground)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp oil
salt to taste

For garnishing
Chopped parsley or mint leaves(optional)

Method
Heat the butter and the oil in a pan, add the chopped garlic and ginger and fry. Now add the onion and sauté and then the capsicum and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the pepper and keep aside.

Place a slice of cheese on each rusk biscuit, trim the cheese slice to the size of a biscuit.
Top with a little of the prepared mixture and garnish with chopped parsley or mint leaves.

If you want it more cheesy and you can afford the calories. Sprinkle some grated cheese on top and keep in a warm oven till the cheese melts. Serve hot immediately. Serve topped with: grated cheese

Note : You can avoid the cheese slices completely and Add the grated cheese and keep in the oven till the cheese melts. Or you can avoid keeping in the oven and just add the grated cheese on top of the mixture and serve.

Tip: Any left-over preparation like cooked beans or carrots can also serve as a topping and help make this snack in a jiffy!

RICE CROQUETTES

RICE CROQUETTES
Ingredients
1 cup rice
1 big potato boiled, peeled and mashed
2 tbsp rice flour
½ tsp Amchur (Dry mango powder)
½ tsp Cumin (Jeera) powder
1 tsp Chilly powder
¼ tsp Nutmeg powder
Salt to taste
2-3 tbsp Cheese(grated)
2 tbsp dry fruits (chopped) (optional)
100 gm breadcrumbs
Oil for frying

Method
Soak the rice in water for at least one hour. Cook the rice until it is cooked and soft. The rice should be soft and not soggy (watery).Once it is cooked, Add the mashed potatoes. Add the jeera powder, Amchur powder, red chilly powder, nutmeg powder and salt according to taste. Add the dry fruits and the grated cheese and keep aside to cool. Mix in the rice flour and shape the rice mixture into balls. Roll each ball in breadcrumbs and deep-fry in oil till golden brown.

Tip: Since cheese has salt, be careful while adding salt, else the croquettes will be too salty. After adding cheese to the mix you can taste for salt and add again if you feel the need.

You can also make this with left over cooked rice. But just heat it once and then use the above method.

DRUMSTICK BREAD DELITE

DRUMSTICK BREAD DELITE
Ingredients
15-16 drumsticks (tender and rounded)
8-10 bread slices
2 onions(finely chopped)
1 tsp cumin powder
2 potatoes (boiled)
2 tbsp ghee
6-7 cashewnuts
coriander leaves(chopped)
1 tomato
½ cup cheese (grated)
1 cup Besan (gram flour)
1 tsp pepper
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Method
Trim the bread-sides and cut into triangles. Cut off the edges of the drumsticks and cut them into 3” pieces. Boil them in salted water. Open each piece and take out the fleshy part. Keep aside. Peel and mash the potato. Heat ghee and fry onions till they are light brown. Add the mashed potato, cumin powder, cashew nuts, coriander leaves and the drumstick paste and salt to taste. Mix well and remove from fire. Spread this prepared paste evenly on one triangle, sprinkle pepper and some of the grated cheese and press another triangle of bread on to it. Dip these quickly in the besan dough. And deep fry these prepared “sandwiches” in oil on a low flame, one at a time, till golden brown. Serve hot with tomato ketchup.

POTATO CAKE

POTATO CAKE
Ingredients
3 large potatoes
1 capsicum
1/2 cup grated cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1 red chilli crushed
2 tsp butter
1 tbsp. plain flour

Method
The potatoes will turn out best if boiled and refrigerated overnight before using.
Do not peel potatoes. Slice into thin rounds or grate coarsely.
Deseed capsicum and slice into thin rounds.
Meanwhile mix cheese, milk, crumbs, flour and the crushed red chilly. If mixture feels thin, add some more bread crumbs. Add salt to taste.

Heat a thick nonstick pan about 5" diameter. Apply 1 tsp. butter on bottom of pan. Arrange the grated or sliced potatoes to cover the pan. Top with sliced capsicum. Pour the cheese, milk, bread crumb, flour and crushed red chilly mixture prepared earlier all over evenly.
The mixture should cover all the potatoes. Sprinkle fresh ground pepper, salt
Simmer on low till the bottom is golden brown.
Flip over very carefully with a wide sharp spatula, and roast the other side.
Let in the remaining butter around the edges to seep down.
Let other side become golden brown too.
Flip on serving plate and make sections with a knife.
Serve hot and crisp.

Variation: Bake the same if desired, instead of roasting.

Making time: 40 minutes

BAKED BREAD ROLLS

BAKED BREAD ROLLS
Ingredients
6 slices soft bread fresh
1 tbsp. butter softened
2 flakes garlic crushed
1/2 tsp. crushed red chilly
Salt to taste
1 tbsp. grated cheese

Method
Roll the bread flat with the help of a rolling pin.
Mix the salt, chilli, garlic in the butter. Apply on all slices generously.
Roll one slice tightly from end to end. Brush all over with a bit of butter.
Coat the roll with grated cheese by rolling in it.
Repeat for all slices. Cover rolls with a moist cloth.
Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. So that it gets set.
Bake in a hot oven for 10-15 minutes or till golden brown and crisp.
Serve hot with ketchup.

Tip: If you have trouble keep the rolls in place when raw, secure them with toothpicks before placing in the fridge.

Note: Remove toothpicks before baking.

Making time: 10 minutes (excluding chilling and baking time)

Makes: 6 rolls