Homemade Pizza / Pasta Sauce

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Its summer and I know it has arrived in more ways than one! For one, its a little less difficult to drag myself out of bed at 5.30. Later during the day I feel less guilty pulling the kids out of bed, a little less envious about hubby sleeping luxuriously - till I threaten to turn on the sprinkler system over the bed (fantasy of course, which I would love to bring alive sometime!). The exams around the corner has me 'mentally preparing' my son (from morning) to study in the evening.

I try in vain to tell my attention-demanding daughter how important it is for Amma to sit with Anna for the practice sessions. I am preparing myself mentally to put in more hours of work (while I live in a virtual madhouse, no less, with my kids), which means I will have to let blogging and baking take a temporary backseat (I am used to the luxury of working part time). While I worry about my son's exams and finding a good life-saving summer-camp, I also worry about making sure I have a few posts in my drafts (lest you forget me by the time we see the end of summer). Need to get the battery of the UPS replaced to help me run my system non-stop from morning till evening during the power-cuts. And hey! how about a power generator for my oven? Aah! Another fantasy!

As the mercury levels soar and my bread dough rises faster than usual, I think about giving making dosa-idli batter another try. Oddly and embarrassingly, I have constantly had this problem with fermenting my batter. I earlier would not believe in some 'hands' being able to do this better than others, but now I am forced to believe it. I finally (and conveniently) gave up on making batter at home, I don't have a wet grinder, no space (I see your shocked face!). As my baking buddy's hubby remarks, we belong to the very strange category of people who go to great lengths  trying things at home which normally people buy (like breads, cakes, puffs, ice creams) and buy things like idli-dosa batter which people normally make at home. I do cook fresh food everyday, but if given a choice, I would love to let someone take over the routine cooking and I would only bake. Goodness! I really must stop fantasizing!  Kudos to many of you who manage to bake a lot and also cook everyday food with equal enthusiasm and passion. I remembered that I am probably kind of  'abnormal' in this respect (am not proud of this, trust me)  when I wrote the  pizza post and mentioned that I used home-made pizza sauce.

This sauce is one you could use for making pasta too of course. Very easy and quick, this makes fresh and simple sauce in very little time. Few ingredients here, but again, please do make sure that they are fresh and the herbs aromatic.

Adapted again from Champa, who has made it from Heidi's 101 Cookbooks . The recipe uses canned crushed tomatoes, I have used fresh ones. I have blanched them to remove the skin and then pureed it in the mixer till quite smooth (my kids do not like chunks) you could leave it chunky if you wish.  Please do alter the ingredient proportions to suit your taste.

The below recipe makes about a cup of sauce, enough to make 3-4  9'' round pizzas depending on how much sauce you would want on your pizza. Double the recipe if you wish, as this keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Ingredients:
Fresh, ripe, but firm tomatoes - 400 grams (I have used plum tomatoes)
Extra virgin olive oil - 2 tablespoons
Grated fresh garlic - 1 teaspoon
Dried thyme - 1/2 teaspoon
Oregano - 1/2 teaspoon ( I use the seasoning which comes with pizza)
Red Chilli powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Crushed black pepper - to taste
Sugar- 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
Salt to taste

Procedure: Wash the tomatoes. Blanch them in very hot water for a couple of minutes. Cool, drain and peel the skim. Roughly chop into largish chunks and puree as you wish. (chunky, less chunky or almost smooth) I made mine quite smooth. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Add the grated garlic.(Heidi says, combine the olive oil, salt and garlic in a cold saucepan, then heat, I missed on this) On medium heat, saute for a minute or so, do not let the garlic turn brown. Add the pureed tomatoes, herbs, red chilli powder, salt, crushed black pepper and the sugar. Simmer on low heat for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat. Cool. Use as needed.

Isn't this really simple? Thanks to Champa and Heidi, this will be a recipe I shall be using very often!

Roasted Red Bell Pepper & Garlic Dip

 I am a real spoil-sport when it comes to my determination to not eat high-calorie and fat-laden food when I don't want to eat it. Well I would eat it 24/7 if I could afford to, but when I am trying to lose weight, which is every now and then, people around me have a hair- tearing time. My mother for instance when I visit her during holidays and she can't get me to 'eat-well'. Hubby and kids when they want to eat out and I insist on eating only at that Punjabi dhaba as the food is less oily and I still get to eat a good meal. I carry my apple or orange or salad in my voluminous bag as I don't to be tempted to grab that burger when the kids eat out. Exasperated hubby tries to sell the idea of eating a 'healthy' option on the menu and gets an earful about its nutrition quotient or lack of it. I shudder in mock-shock and he throws up his hands in real despair. I will bake, but not eat. I won't miss my early morning walks in icy December or during summer holidays when I can easily sleep in - I can be really obsessive here too! Am forced to as even as my dietitian gets ready to write me a note of commendation for my will power, I will be hiding under the table and writing her a sheepish note of my tragic story of the kilos regained...Sigh! I try to lose weight every year and I manage to do so, but also manage to spite the scales quite quickly.  A sad story familiar to my family and friends. I have a tendency to gain weight and a metabolism which is not exactly my pride and stands absolutely no chance of being anybody's envy. 

As if irking immediate family is not enough, I sometimes very firmly refuse to eat the wrong snacks when I visit friends and relatives.(One Aunt every time makes it a point to ask me 'Are you still on a diet?') On such visits I am fine with not eating anything at all or gladly sip on some coffee (anything to not be forced into eating that food!), but folks sometimes feel compelled to offer something I will eat? I was just wondering, what I could offer to such people (my kind, yikes!!!) if  I have to entertain. Hmmm...thank God, I do have some. And now can add one more to the list. A spicy, tangy, smoky dip with roasted red bell peppers and garlic. Served with our desi roasted or microwaved papad or crackers as a snack or as an appetizer...

From Deeba's PAB which she has adapted from Meeta's What's For Lunch Honey . Meeta's dip has red bell peppers, aubergines and garlic, roasted and mashed with other spices. Deeba's version which I have tried has tomatoes and no aubergines. You could roast the veggies in the oven or over an open flame or on a griddle and puree them or leave them chunky. The dip is quite easy to make, roasting and peeling the veggies the only time-consuming part. You could of course play with the spices and the veggies to suit your taste and preference. But I would surely suggest a generous addition of spices, fresh ground pepper and lemon juice and of course a good 2 table spoons of olive oil to get a flavorful dip.

The below recipe makes enough to serve 4-6 people, remember its spicy! Here is what I did.

Ingredients:
Red bell peppers - 2, medium sized.
Fresh, ripe and firm tomatoes - 2, medium sized, quartered
Garlic cloves, large, peeled - 7-8
Roasted cumin powder - 1 teaspoon
Lemon juice - 1 - 2 teaspoons
Salt to taste (go easy if serving with salty papad)
Fresh coriander leaves, chopped - 2 tablespoons
Green chilli, chopped fine - 1
Salt and freshly ground pepper - to taste
Olive oil - 2 tablespoons
Red chilli flakes - 1 teaspoon or to taste

Procedure:  De-seed and roast the peppers and tomatoes on a greased griddle or on an open flame or grill in the oven. Roast till the skin is completely charred and blistered. Roast the garlic till lightly browned. Keep the peppers and tomato in a dish with a lid or in a zip-lock bag and seal. The steam will help loosen the skin for peeling. Cool and peel the skin.

You could mash the peppers and tomato with a fork or puree in a blender. Chop the veggies and garlic roughly. Keep aside 2-3 tablespoons of this. Run the rest of the veggies and garlic in the mixer for a few seconds, just enough to very roughly puree. Add the rest of the ingredients, the reserved chopped veggies and mix. Check and adjust seasoning.

You could store this in the refrigerator for up to a week. But I think, this tasted best the day I made it. Come to think of it, we do make chutney like this, we do eat creamy dips with crackers, but eating a chunky veggie dip with  papad or lavash crackers is a great idea. Thanks Deeba and Meeta!

And do tell me, how does your family take to it when you go on a diet? Would love to hear, just to know if I am completely insane :))

Hummus - My Way!

Hummus - one very famous Middle Eastern specialty dip. It’s also spelled as humous, humus, houmos etc. The basic ingredients are cooked chickpeas, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and salt. Tahini or sesame paste is also added to the dip. Chopped parsley, cilantro, olives, jalapenos, caramelized onions, whole chickpeas, olive oil, boiled eggs, paprika, tomato and cucumber are some popular garnishes to the dip. Hummus is served as an appetizer or as a dip along with pita bread or as part of a meze or as an accompaniment to falafel (patties made of ground chickpeas or fava beans). It’s also served with crackers or tortilla chips in other parts of the world. – Source, Wikipedia.

I must confess, I am not much of an adventurous eater and hardly venture out of my comfort zone. Put the world cuisine before me and I am most likely to stick to just a few familiar ones I love to eat over and over again. Not very surprisingly, I never asked for my first taste of this lovely dip. But when I did taste it, I was surprised I actually liked it! I loved the creamy consistency, the flavor of olive oil and garlic in it. Discovered it’s quite easy to make at home and pretty versatile too, so had to try my hand at making this versatile dip.

Doesn't the above image remind you of Arabian Nights? I loved my new acquisition...its going to star in more of my pictures:-)

Here is how I made the dip. Recipe adapted from various sources. Apart from the basic ingredients, most of the other ingredients can be changed to suit personal taste and preference. So please do go by your taste.

The below quantities, I realized, makes quite a lot of Hummus, say approximately 3 cups.

Hummus (Without tahini)

Ingredients:

Chickpeas: 1 cup, soaked overnight.

Olive oil – ¼ to ½ cup

Yogurt – ½ cup

Roasted garlic – 5-6 large pods

Red Chilli powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Lemon juice – 1 teaspoon (You can add much more, if you like the dip tart or can balance with enough chilli or pepper powder)

Salt to taste

Procedure: Cook the chick peas till very soft in a pressure cooker. I like to add a pinch of cooking soda to the peas when I cook them. Drain and cool the peas completely. Reserve some for garnish if using.

Grind the chickpeas, roasted garlic, salt and ¼ cup of yogurt in a food processor or a mixie jar. Run for a minute. Add ¼ cup of olive oil, chilli powder. Process till smooth.. You could add more oil if needed. (Makes it more tastier of course!)Transfer the dip from the food processor. Add the lemon juice. Check and adjust seasoning. Add the chopped parsley and mix well. Add garnish of your choice.

Now isn't that real easy? Of course canned chickpeas or boiled frozen ones can make this even more of a breeze. We ate the dip with some home-made crackers.

Next to try, hummus with tahini...

Mint and Cilantro Chutney

 The popular, evergreen Indian chutney, literally!! Can we imagine our dhoklas, samosas, sandwiches and a score other snacks without this spicy chutney! Undoubtedly, there are plenty of versions of the Green Chutney. I tried this recipe from Tarla Dalal and have stuck with it ever since. I like this version for the simple reason that it results in the same taste consistently. The recipe specifies the quantity of mint and coriander in cup measures. The quantity of coriander is half that of the mint. I personally find the cup measure so much more reliable as compared to the bunch  measures.

I like to make this chutney and freeze it in small portions. Comes in so handy to make that sandwich for a snack or breakfast when I have nothing but bread in the fridge. Here comes the recipe.

Tricolor Creamy Dips

I know, I know... Republic Day just went past and I can't wait till Independence Day to try this out. This recipe from my Good Housekeeping calendar was demanding my attention since the time I had received the calendar. I got the chance to try this out as I had just the right amount of Mint Chutney and Red Bell Peppers in the fridge. And of course my new bottle of Garlic mayonnaise from Namdharis. In my chaotic kitchen, there are few days when things like this fall into place:-))

 The original recipe has cheese spread, garlic and also oil mixed in.  I have used garlic mayonnaise in place of the cheese spread and opted not to add the oil. Hung curd and mayonnaise form the base for this dip. Roasted Red Bell peppers and Mint chutney give varying flavors and colors. Try these easy dips with plain potato wafers or French Fries or crackers or just vegetable crudite`s. You will surely love this attractive trio of dips.

And you bet I am going to re-post this on August 15th :-))

Instant Nimbe Hannina Gojju (Hot and Sweet Lemon Sauce)

Tic-Tac-Toe, Tic-Tac-Toe, Which one, which one do I do?? Dosa-Chutney / Dosa-Potato Palya / Dosa -Chutney Pudi ...I lazily contemplate on a Sunday morning. The usual power cut takes chutney out of question. Ravenous hubby and kids can't wait till I make the Potato Palya. And I don't get much satisfaction out of eating dosa with Chutney pudi.  Instant Nimbe Hannina Gojju  comes to my rescue on such days. 'Gojju' generally refers to a hot-sweet and sour sauce, sometimes plain and sometimes made with a fruit or vegetable added to it for an unique flavor. The very popular ones in this category are Pineapple gojju, Mango gojju and Hagalkayi(Bitter gourd)Gojju. These generally need more in terms of ingredients, time and effort, but definitely worth putting in all three.

But on lazy or rush days, this super quick, tangy and tasty sauce goes really well with hot crisp dosas (also with Rawa Upma made without onions, a must, must try combo) making it a satisfying and filling meal with hardly any effort at all.

Spicy Menasinakayi Raitha (Green Chilli Raitha)

Tiny darts of fire in my mouth....but  I don't want  to douse it. I am enjoying this ...thoroughly... simple pleasures can't get better than this I think. 'Swargakke Mooru Battu' ( 'Just 3 fingers away from heaven' in Kannada) Hmmm... Guess what I am eating?? One of my all time favorites, the spicy, spicy, spicy Menasinakayi Raitha with hot rice. There are so many days when I feel like eating a simple, satisfying meal of rice at home and yet not go the whole hog and cook a full fledged meal. The rice cooks in the pressure cooker while I make this raitha.
 
The entire family participates. Me by hogging it with rice like there is no tomorrow, my kids and hubby by gaping at me, punctuating the meal with 'Stop it, don't eat it anymore'. My kids and hubby don't venture to eat this and prefer the less spicy MTR Puliogare Mix with rice to this one. Just me - the brave-heart, gets to eat the whole thing - without any competition. Of course I make more so that I can eat it the next day again. With Chapatis..

If you want to eat a hot, fiery dish which will take you just 5 minutes to put together, try this out. You are guaranteed to enjoy this. And, just in case, don't forget to keep at hand a bottle of  antacid in your favorite flavor ready:-))