Vegan Zucchini bread

Last week my friend brought me organic zucchinis from farmers market. Looking at fresh zucchinis first thing that came to my mind was to make zucchini bread.  Since last week was my volunteer work at Shiridi Sai baba temple I decided to make this bread vegan so I could distribute it in the temple. I am glad that everyone in the temple loved it and wanted me to share the recipe. 

Here is the recipe for the same





Ingredients:

3 cups of all-purpose flour
2 tea spoons of Organic vanilla extract
2 cups of grated zucchini
3 flax eggs - ( 1 flax egg-- 1 tbsp ground flax seeds into 3 tbsp warm water. mix and keep it aside)
1 tea spoon baking soda
1/2 tea spoon baking powder
1 cup of vegetable oil
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
1/4 cup of dried cranberries
fistful or 1/8 cup of raisins
1 1/2 cup light brown sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 tea spoon ground cinnamon
1/2 tea spoon nutmeg powder
1/4 tsp salt

Yields 2 loaf pans or 1 loaf pan and 24 muffin cups.











Preparation:

Pre heat ove 350 degrees F. Grease loaf pans. ( I used on loaf pan and one bunt pan)

Dry Ingredients:
Sift flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, spices(nut meg and cinnamon).

Wet Ingredients:
In a large bowl beat  sugar, oil, once sugar is dissolved slowly add flax eggs and beat. Once mixture turns into creamy add vanilla extract. Now add zucchini and mix well.

Now add dry ingredients to the creamy mixture(wet ingredients) slowly and mix well. Add nuts and dried cranberries, raisins and fold the batter.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pans.

Bake for 40 mts or till tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean. I always keep my timer for 30 mts and check if it is still not done and increase the time to 10 mts interval so that I don't burn the cake/bread

Cool the bread on a rack for 20 to 30 mts or till it cools completely.
Yummy and delicious bread is ready to be served.

Cut the bread in slices and serve..

A perfect evening snack for a rainy weather -- Fritters or Bajji

There is something about the rains; it always brings the child out in me! The pitter-patter of the rain drops on my window makes me want to snuggle up on my couch, with a hot cup of tea/coffee and just watch out of the window.

Just like the rain water cleanses mother earth, I feel cleansed from within with new hope and a longing to try out something new or maybe something old. And what better than good old Bajji/ Onion Fritters.



Here is the simple and easy perfect snack for a rainy day.




Ingredients:

1 cup of all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1tsp of jeera/cumin seeds
1 big or 2 medium sized Onion finely chopped/ or julienne
1 small piece of ginger finely chopped
2-3 green chillies cut into small pieces (As per the spice you can adjust ) this can be replaced with red chili powder as per your spice level.
Salt
Oil to deep fry



Preparation:
In a bowl add all purpose flour,chopped onions, chopped green chillies, ginger, cumin seeds ,salt, baking soda with water like a thick batter. Keep it aside for 10 - 15 mts. In a frying pan heat oil.
Once oil is hot use your fingers to drop batter in the form of fritters in hot oil or use spoon to drop the batter in the oil. Using laddle turn the fritters so that fritters cook evenly. Fry them till they turn golden color on medium heat. Once fritters turn golden color remove from oil and keep it on paper towel. This helps to absorb excess oil.

Serve it hot with ketchup or any chutney. Perfect evening snack for a rainy day.

Broccoli Paratha

Once in a while I get in the mood of cleaning my pantry and refrigerator. As a part of that activity I start cooking different items with whatever available ingredients at home. This week is one of those weeks. Last night when I looked at my refrigerator I found half a bag of broccoli florets and decided to make something with broccoli.  Outcome of that thought is today's recipe broccoli flatbread.

Very easy to make yet healthy!

Ingredients:

1 cup of wheat flour
1tsp garam masala/all spice powder
2tsp red chili powder(Adjust as per your spice level)
1tsp dry mango powder
pinch of turmeric powder
salt as per taste
20 broccoli florets


Method:

In a sauce pan add water, pinch of salt and broccoli florets and cook till broccolis are fully cooked. Once broccolis are cooked remove from heat and let it cool. Once broccolis are cooled mash broccoli using hand or pestle or masher and keep it aside.  Keep any left over water of cooked broccoli.


In a bowl add flour, spices(masala, red chili, turmeric, salt) and mix well. Add mashed broccoli mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well. Add left over water if needed to form a soft dough consistency and keep it aside. Rest the dough for 10 mts.

Take the dough and divide into small balls. Roll the dough into small round shaped dusting with flour and gently roll into flat bread approximately 5" to 6" diameter.


On a hot griddle or pan place paratha on it. Cook both sides till it turns golden color drizzling little bit of oil or ghee.

Yummy Parathas are ready to be served with any curry or pickle or raita/yogurt.

Ideas for lunch box-- Stuff these cooked parathas with any dry vegetable/ salad and pack like burrito.

Baked Banana peppers stuffed with chickpeas/besan flour

Last week one of my colleague brought stuffed mirchi/peppers for lunch.  Those chilies were so delicious that I couldn't control myself and ate half of the quantity. I wanted the recipe from my colleague's wife, but didn't get a chance to talk to her. I wanted to wait it out till she shares the recipe with me, but over the weekend, I craved for the stuffed pepper so much, that I decided to give my taste buds a taste test. (I just knew one ingredient in the stuffing which is chickpeas flour. ) here is my experiment which turned out to be super hit. My family loved it..

Next time when you want to try a different snack for your parties try this recipe. Very simple and easy.



Ingredients:

10 banana peppers, washed and slit length wise. (if you cannot handle spice remove the seeds. I did not remove seeds since our house everyone loves spice)
1/2 cup besan/chickpeas flour
1 tsp sesame seeds (optional) next time I want to try with some chopped nuts like (cashew and almonds)
pinch of turmeric powder
1tsp cumin powder
1tsp coriander powder
red chili powder/paprika powder (As per your spice level)
1tsp dry mango powder
1/2tsp lemon juice
salt as per taste
1 tbsp oil

Method:

Preheat oven to 450 degree F.

In a sauce pan add oil and roast chickpeas flour, sesame seeds. Once chickpeas flour turned golden color add all spices and mix well. Turn off the heat add lemon and do a taste check. Adjust spices if needed.
Now take the stuffing and stuff the chilies and keep it on a cookie sheet or any oven tray. Drizzle 1tsp of oil on the chilies and bake for 6 mts and turn it on other side and bake for 6 more mts.

Serve with a lemon wedge or just like that..

Brown Rice pudding

I was fortunate enough to celebrate and experience most of the festivals of India while growing up. Living in USA it is difficult to celebrate every festival the same way we used to celebrate in India. But I try my level best to celebrate almost every festival and try to teach my daughter about indian festivals and traditions.
Coming to today, today celebrated as"Ratha Saptami" also known as "Sun's birthday/Surya bhaghavan birthday". It is believed that on this day Sun turns his ratham(chariot) drawn by 7 horses(representing 7 primary colors) towards north-east direction.

If you need more information about Ratha saptami check wikipedia

We usually celebrate this day by making Rice pudding/bellam parvannam. My mom used to cook this pudding on charcoal grill outside in the sun. I never got an opportunity to cook on charcoal grill. (May be I will try once in my life).
Today I tried a variation of rice pudding with brown rice. I am glad that I tried this variation. It turned out yummy.

Next time when you are craving for rice pudding try this recipe



Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice
4 cups of milk (For vegans use almond milk)
1tbsp raisins
1tbsp cashews
1tbsp silvered almonds
1/4tsp cardamom powder
1/2 cup jaggery/brown sugar
1tsp ghee/clarified butter (optional)

Method:

In a saucepan add brown sugar/jaggery and 1/8 cup water and cook till sugar/jaggery is dissolved in water and keep it aside. 

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan boil milk, once milk starts boiling add rice and let it boil for 2 Mts.  Reduce heat to low setting and cook rice until rice is fully cooked and absorbed most of the milk (if need add more water or milk). MAke sure stir occasionally every 2 mts This might take around 1 hour time. Don't lose patience. Meanwhile in a separate pan add 1tsp ghee/clarified butter and toast almonds, cashews and raisins in ghee till they turn golden color.(If you do not want to use ghee just dry toast almonds and cashews) keep it aside.  Once rice is fully cooked add jaggery/brown sugar syrup, cardamom powder, cashews, almonds, raisins and cook for 5 more mts. Remove from heat and serve warm or chilled. 

Carrot halwa

Love is in the air. Like every year I try my level best to cook something special on this day for my loved one. Today's recipe is all about showing my love in the form of this recipe to my daughter.

Happy Valentine's day! I hope all of you are having a great day with your loved ones.

Ingredients:

5 carrots - Wash, peal the skin and grate.
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk (optional)
1/4tsp  of cardamom powder
silvered almonds or cashews for garnish
2tbsp ghee/clarified butter

Procedure:

In a heavy bottomed pan add 1tsp ghee and grated carrot.  Sauté grated carrot for 5 mts and cook carrot covered with lid(stirring occasionally every 2 to 3 minutes. Do not forget to stir or else carrot will burn). Once carrot is semi cooked add milk and let carrot cook in milk (If you want to skip adding milk, add 1/4 cup water instead of milk).Do not forget to stir every 2 or 3 minutes. Once carrot cooked completely and milk is evaporated, add sugar, remaining ghee and cardamom powder and let it cook. Once carrots absorbed sugar and becomes like roti batter/bread batter remove from heat and garnish with silvered almonds or cashews(If you are garnishing with cashews make sure to sauté cashews in ghee)

Wheat Dosa

Healthy b'fast is the way to start your day. Today's recipe is to recreate your favorite dosa into a healthy  way using wheat flour instead of all purpose flour/maida.

When you are craving for rava dosa try this variation instead of regular recipe. 

Ingredients:

1 cup wheat flour
2tbsp finely coarse wheat/upma rava
1tsp cumin seeds
2 or 3 green chilies chopped
1 medium sized onion finely chopped (Optional) (Today I skipped using onion)
salt as per taste

oil for shallow fry


Preparation:


Mix all the ingredients(except oil) with water into a thinner version of pancake batter consistency.

Heat a pan(cast iron or non stick), add 1 tsp of oil, spread it with top part of onion(You can use other vegetable tops like brinjal or bottle gourd). This is to season the pan so that the dosa comes off easily without sticking to the pan. The pan must be hot for dosa to come out in good shape. You can check the hotness of pan by sprinkling water on the pan, it must sizzle.

Take one ladle full of batter pour it from the edges to the center. Add 1tsp of oil around the corners of dosa this helps dosa to cook evenly and crispy.

Once dosa turns golden brown remove it from pan and serve with your favorite chutney.

Chocolate cupcakes with Nutella Buttercream frosting

Its amazing how fast kids grow up. Whenever I look at my daughter and her friends I feel that. It just feels like they were small little kids yesterday, today they turned into young adults. Even though it took usual course of time but it feels like time is flying at rocket speed(especially on birthdays).   Even though growing up is a natural course, but sometimes I really feel time should be paused and all kids remain as kids :)

Coming to tonight's recipe, I baked these yummy cupcakes for my daughter's best friend who turned 16 today. She loved the cup cakes.  Few cupcakes I shared with my colleagues as well.  I am so glad all my hard work (Started at 9pm and finished at 1.30am including cleaning and frosting)  paid off and everyone loved the outcome.

Here is the recipe for the same.

Use any of your favorite chocolate cupcake recipe. I used my regular chocolate cake recipe.

Once cup cakes are cooled remove the core using a knife or apple core remover. I used knife to remove small part of the cake and filled with frosting and covered with the cake as a lid. Pipe frosting as you like and enjoy the divine bite.

Nutella Buttercream frosting: Recipe source web.

Modified a bit to reduce sweetness.

1 13oz Nutella bottle (I used 3/4 of the bottle) (To make it vegan friendly you can make your own Nutella at home.. Recipe link for home made vegan friendly nutella Vegan-Nutella)
1 cup sifted confectioner sugar
3 tbsp milk
pinch of salt
1tea spoon vanilla extract
2 sticks butter at room temperature (You can substitute Vegan butter to make it vegan)

Beat Nutella and butter until creamy smooth mixture using electric mixer. Now add slowly sugar, milk and vanilla extract and beat on high speed until frosting becomes smooth and fluffy.  If the desired consistency is not achieved you can add additional spoon of milk till you reach desired consistency.

Next time when you have a birthday party try these yummy cupcakes. I am sure this recipe will be a crowd pleaser.