A BIT LIKE A SALAD, BUT MUCH MORE LOADED- RICE VERMICELLI WITH GREEN BEANS, COCONUT AND ROASTED PEANUTS.

A weekend post is essential right?! A good quality post. Something that is easy, healthy and so good that you would want to make it right away!

 Many of you would know it was Basant Panchmi yesterday. It is a Hindu festival that indicates the onset of Spring, of new life. The colour yellow is strongly associated with this day because the mustard flowers bloom and give the fields an overall mustard-yellow appearance, that is both beautiful and mesmerising.

Basant Panchmi is celebrated with much fervour in the agricultural community. People wear yellow clothes, pray and make sweet rice that are coloured yellow with turmeric.

In addition to all those traditions, the day is associated with the worship of Maa Saraswati, the Hindu Goddess of knowledge and wisdom. People in West Bengal hold a grand pooja (prayer) and practice the custom of keeping all their books and writing instruments in the temple. That means... no studying till the evening prayer, and I bet many of you were elated to do that as kids!
Because I am not a Bengali, I always wished we had such a custom too! :P
In my family, we just commemorate the day by a small prayer, put on yellow clothes and make yellow rice/ pulao. Not sweet, we *hate* sweet rice!

This time around I thought of making a vermicelli salad kind of a thing,
Just because I had some lying in the pantry! It is the same rice vermicelli I used in my Thai Style Soup here. *Check it out. It is so hearty you'll love it!*

This rice vermicelli is made with green beans and carrots. Flavoured with red chilies, lemon juice and asafoetida. Tempered with mustard seeds and turmeric. Topped with shredded coconut and coriander.
It is light on the stomach, healthy, flavoursome and really quick to make. Should be on the table in half an hour max! *Don't you just LOVE hearing anything about quick+ healthy meals?*
Go make it now!

Should you have any queries, contact me here- leo.kavya@gmail.com
To have a look at all that I cook, eat, shoot and share, have a look at my feeds on Instagram and Facebook.
Instagram username- arora_kavya
Facebook username- Kavya Arora

Love,
Kavya

RICE VERMICELLI WITH TURMERIC, GREEN BEANS AND CARROTS.

Serves 3-5 as a snack
Prep time- 20-30 minutes

Ingredients-
100gm rice vermicelli/ seviyaan
Water and salt, to boil the vermicelli
3 tbsp oil (mustard, vegetable, canola or olive)
1 tbsp mustard seeds
Pinch asafoetida
20-25 green beans, cut into small bite sized pieces
2 medium carrots, cut into long shaves with a peeler
1 red chili julienned
Salt and pepper to taste
Approx 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
Juice of 1 lemon, about 1-1.5tbsp
Home sugar for balancing flavours, optional
Handful roasted peanuts*
Handful of shredded/ shaved coconut
Coriander, to garnish

JUST PICTURED. I USED MORE CORIANDER! :P

Method-

1. Bring a pan of water to boil and add some salt to it.
2. Add the vermicelli and let cook for about 1-2 minutes. Shouldn't take longer for it to soften.
3. Strain and keep aside. Also, keep some of the starchy water for later use.
4. Heat the oil in a wok. Add the asafoetida and mustard seeds.
5. When the seeds start to crackle, add the beans and some salt.
6. Cover and let the beans cook and soften for 4-5 minutes.
7. Add the carrots and red chili. Season with salt, pepper and turmeric. Remember you added a little salt to your vermicelli and beans too.
8. Let the ingredients cook uncovered for a minute.
9. Throw in the vermicelli, the lemon juice and sugar, if using.
10. Mix well using two forks. Add some starchy water to keep the vermicelli moist and soft, and the whole dish together. It'll be too dry to eat otherwise.
11. Transfer into a bowl and top to your heart's content with the roasted peanuts, coconut and coriander.
12. Serve hot as it is or with mint/onion raita.

*If you have raw peanuts on hand, roast for a minute or two in the same oil you use for the whole recipe. After they've browned a bit, take them out and proceed with the addition of mustard seeds and asafoetida.

Enjoy! :)

GOT CAKE CRAVINGS? MAKE THIS SUPER EASY, 5-MINUTE MUG CAKE.

Even though I have only shared cheesy, sweet, fried, hearty foods on my blog till now, I must tell you that I am pretty health conscious and keep a check on my intake. Doesn't mean I restrain myself from eating feasting when I have the chance. Because at the end of the day, it is about balancing right?! I make up for all those extra, unwanted calories in a few subsequent meals.

And that is what I feel all of us should do. Remember the incentive and reward based approach your Mom followed when you were a little kid and forever unwilling to study? Or may be when you didn't eat your vegetables? Or when you didn't want to bathe? :P
All mothers will swear by the technique of luring with a chocolate, doll or toy car. Always works. Foolproof.

That's exactly what I do when I eat healthy during the week. On the weekend, I reward myself, splurge and eat all I like, only with some portion control. I make most of this random, quick and junk not-so-healthy food on my own since my mother is all about Indian and healthy food.

Considering all these factors, how do I ensure a small portion, great taste and ease, all in one recipe? May be some health too?
Umm...?
With this super quick, easy, charm-to-make recipe of a plain ol' mug cake.

What all do you need to make this sinful treat?
A microwave! Which I'm sure most of us already have.
A medium to large sized mug. preferably round and with thick walls.
A mini whisk. That's the ideal tool, which I also don't have. Use a small spoon or fork! Works totally fine!
Plain flour, milk, sugar, baking powder. You already have all this at home, right?
And the last thing, blueberry yogurt. All the Delhites might have to run to Mother Dairy for this. It's delicious and very, very reasonably priced. You'd need just 2 tablespoons. The remaining can be devoured at a later time. Sounds good, no?
*In case you have only plain yogurt on hand, use that in the same quantity and add a few drops of vanilla.

The cake can be topped with whipped cream (let it cool down before you do that), Nutella or just had as it is. It's that good!

You can even make this cake in the middle of the night IF you have the guts to get out of the bed in this chilly weather. :P
It's soft, fluffy texture and blueberry flavour will ensure that you have sweet dreams when you go back to bed. =)
Make the cake today and do tell me how it turns out. I bet you'll be happy with the results because I shared it with you only after I could finally make the cake work in the fourth trial. And I am in sugar coma now because I ate all of that. *sigh*

Love,
Kavya

SEE THE TEXTURE?

5-minute MUG CAKE-

Ingredients-
3 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
2.5 tsp sugar
2 tbsp milk
2 tbsp strawberry/ blueberry yogurt, i used mother dairy fruit yogurt

 Method-

1. In a medium sized mug, put the flour, baking powder and sugar. Mix the dry ingredients together.
2. Pour in the yogurt and the milk.
3. Mix all the ingredients properly so no lumps remain. Do not beat vigorously. DO NOT over-mix. I know you'll be tempted to, but that'll make your cake dense and dry.
4. Microwave on high power (80-90) for 50 seconds.
5. Check for doneness in the centre. If still too moist, microwave for another 10-15 seconds. Do not overcook or else your cake will become dry and chewy.
6. Top with Nutella while still warm or with whipped cream once cooled. Eat from the mug right away!

Enjoy! :)

A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR YOUR COLD WEATHER CRAVINGS- POTATO CHEESE TOTS

I fondly remember the day when my mother fried frozen potato bites for us for the first time. It was 7-8 years back, may be even more, when the Indian market was totally taken by frozen snacks available on sale, at reasonable prices. Prior to that it was just about the fries we got at McDonalds.
Most of these frozen foods are full of preservatives, even though they are a saviour when you have unexpected guests who like fried food. :P

To get you the best of both worlds, I now reveal the secret of just as good, crisp and delightful potato bites/ tots. To add to all that awesomeness, I took them up a notch by throwing in some roasted garlic and parsley.
Still not enough? Add a teaspoon of cream!
Think you can make them better than that? I added mozzarella too!
And for you to agree to these being the best of the best, let me tell you... they freeze really well! About a week or so! They'd be eaten by then anyway. Don't worry now.

I would suggest that you stop buying *any* frozen potato bites from the market now. Because no matter what, they can never be as flavoursome. The homemade ones can be made the way you want them to be- add any herbs of your choice, your favourite cheese and also, your desired shape and size, though they won't rightly be tater tots if you make them any bigger! That's a personal choice, you'll go to food heaven anyway. AND the fried-food-freak in you will thank me later. :P

A few tips before you get the tots together-
1. DO NOT use fresh bread for the breadcrumbs. They wont stick and will swim around in the oil, creating oily and soggy bites. Total mess!
If you have only fresh bread on hand, microwave 1 slice (as per this recipe) for 1-2 minutes or till dry. Else toast it on the tawa. Then pulse in a food processor till it  forms fine crumbs.
2. Do keep the coated bites in the freezer for 10-15 minutes, helps them cook and brown evenly. You could skip the chilling if you're short on time.

The breadcrumbs and chilling remind me of how the humble, very Indian 'aloo bonda' has been westernised and made into tater tots. More on this later!*sigh*

Coming back to the topic of importance, the cheesy potato tots can be made by even those who aren't fond of being in the kitchen, because the tater tots barely take half an hour from start to finish, which includes chilling too! And it's not going to be that easy to wait while they chill.
I dare you!
Go make them and enjoy with a hot cuppa alongside.
Love,
Kavya

CHEESY GARLIC POTATO BITES/ TATER TOTS
Makes 8-10 tots
Recipe can be doubled easily.

Ingredients-
2 medium sized potatoes, boiled and mashed nicely
2 cloves roasted/ raw garlic, minced
1 green/ red chili, chopped very finely
2-3 tbsp fresh parsley/ coriander leaves, chopped finely
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp cream, optional
Salt and pepper to taste
Breadcrumbs, made with 1 slice of white bread
2 tbsp maida + 3-4 tbsp water made into a thick paste/ a beaten egg ( i prefer flour-water mixture)
Vegetable oil, for frying

Method-

1. Take the mashed potatoes in a bowl.
2. Add the garlic, parsley, chili and mix.
3. Season with salt and pepper. taste and adjust.
4. Slowly but properly mix in the mozzarella cheese and cream, if using.
5. Shape any way you like, probably into bite sized tots.
6. Dip in the flour-water mixture/ beaten egg. Let the excess drip off.
7. Lightly coat all the tots with breadcrumbs.
8. Chill in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
9. Fry till golden in moderately hot oil. About 2 minutes in total.
10. Serve with ketchup or any chutney of you liking.

See? SO short and easy!
Enjoy! =)

FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS- LASAGNA WITH SPINACH AND CORN.

Like any other Punjabi, I have food cravings too. And they mostly revolve around fried Indian delicacies. And around pasta. And anything that has cheese. That is just where I wanted to reach. HA!
Today I bring to you one of my all time favourite and comforting pasta meals... spinach and corn lasagna!

It has layers and layers of goodness. Let's talk about them one by one.

• Lasagna sheets.. I get the dried ones from the market. You would need about 10-12 sheets here.
• Tomato sauce.. Use the bottled pasta sauce available in the market or make your own. Recipe follows.
• Spinach and corn in Bechamel sauce- The best part of the Lasagna.
• CHEESE- Okay, this is the best part! :D 

To your surprise, this layering is repeated a couple of times! Feels nice, right?!

Top the final layer with anything you like. I topped mine with sliced olives, some bechamel and olive oil.

This is all you want comfort food to be. Seriously! Melt-in-your-mouth cheesy, creamy, spinach-y and ah-mazing! If you're anything like me, you won't stop at a single serving, I bet. 
Can I say it's a tad bit healthy too with all that spinach and milk?
But cheese, oh cheese!
Go hide away your skinny pants. And plan to go for a run tomorrow. :P
But for now, get into the kitchen to make this. Go!

P.S. Please do not be intimidated by the list of ingredients. It might take a while to make this, but it is worth every second of your time. I promise!
Love,
Kavya

CORN AND SPINACH LASAGNA

Ingredients-

Tomato Sauce-
2 tbsp olive oil
Half small onion, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium sized tomatoes, chopped fine
2 basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste
Half tsp oregano
1 tsp chilli flakes
splash of water

Spinach and Corn in Bechamel Sauce-
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped spinach, thick stems removed
3/4 cup sweet corn kernels, I used frozen
3 tbsp flour
2-2.5 cups milk, better with a little cream
splash of water
pinch of grated nutmeg, optional
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp oregano
chilli flakes, as per taste

Lasagna-
1 portion tomato sauce
1 portion bechamel sauce
Mozzarella cheese, as per preference, approx 1/2 cup
10-12 Lasagna sheets
1 tbsp olive oil
Pitted olives, for garnish
Water, for cooking lasagna sheets
A little salt

Method-

Tomato sauce-

1. In a pan, heat the oil.
2. Add the onions and saute till pink. Add in the garlic.
3. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper followed by the water and basil leaves.
4. Let simmer for about 7-8 minutes or till thick. 
5. Add the oregano and chilli flakes.
6. Set aside.

Bechamel Sauce with Spinach and Corn

1. In a big pan, heat the olive oil.
2. Add the onion and garlic and saute till fragrant.
3. Alternately, add the spinach and salt. Let it sweat.
4. Add the flour and cook the mixture till the smell of the flour goes away. Keep stirring the mixture.
5. Lower the flame and slowly add the milk, stirring continuously to avoid lump formation.
6. Add the pepper, nutmeg, oregano and chilli flakes.
7. Mix in the corn kernels.
8. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.
9. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little water, just a little. We NEED a thick sauce so it doesn't become runny and make a mess when we layer it on the lasagna sheets.

Cook the Lasagna sheets-

1. Boil water in a deep pan. Add salt. Put in 2-3 lasagna sheets at a time and let cook for 3-4 minutes. Set aside. Brush with a little oil to avoid them from sticking to each other.

ASSEMBLE THE LASAGNA-

That's how I layered. NOT too much of anything. You don't want it to fall apart when you dig into it!

1. In a rectangular baking pan/ casserole dish, make a base of the semi-cooked lasagna sheets. I used an approximately 10" by 5"rectangular glass pan and used 3 sheets to cover it. Cut off the portion that doesn't fit. We'll use it elsewhere.
2. Coat the sheets with a small quantity of tomato sauce. Do not put too much.
3. Spread the bechamel mixture, not too much.
4. Sprinkle some cheese all over it.
5. Repeat this layering 3 more times, 10 sheets in total plus the trimmings. Use the trimmings in the center to ensure a stable layered structure of the finished lasagna.
6. Top the last layer of bechamel with extra cheese and olives.
7. Cover dish with aluminium foil.
8. Bake covered in a 180 degrees celsius preheated oven for 15 minutes, then uncovered for another 10 minutes.
9. Pour a tablespoon or two of olive oil over the lasagna.
10. Let stand covered for 2-3 minutes.
11. Serve hot and enjoy! =)

GIVE A CUPCAKE, GET A SMILE! =)

Like I promised, I did make something to put my new piping bags, icing nozzles and cupcake liners to good use (okay, best! Cupcakes are always the best use of cupcake liners :P)! Which gets me to present to you… *drum rolls*

…these amazing vanilla cupcakes topped with fresh strawberries and whipped non-dairy cream. Don’t they look all luscious and mouth watering? Why not make strawberries a delicious part of every dessert when they are in season and as beautiful as ever?

The cupcakes are soft and fluffy as they should be. And they are moist too because I made them with oil, and not butter. To tell you why, I have this preference that certain cakes should be made with oil only, especially when you want your frosting to be the king. Oil keeps the cakes moist and soft, and doesn’t make the cake hard in winter, as butter might do.

The classic vanilla cupcake is like a springboard which you can slather with a myriad of toppings- butter cream, whipped cream, non-dairy toppings like Rich’s, Nutella etc etc. To keep it simple, just have it with simple old chocolate syrup (is that allowed?), jam or devour it plain. It’s so flavorful already. In this recipe, I used Rich’s non dairy topping to frost my cupcakes- sweet, light and mixer-blade lickin’ good! :P

 

I made a single batch at my place, carried to my grandparents’ where I frosted them. I took the pictures on the terrace (yes, natural light!). 

My cousins were way to eager to have these and they disappeared within minutes in front of my eyes. I felt so… umm, flattered! Everybody loved them!

Make these pretty, easy-peasy cupcakes to get some love and appreciation from your family. And remember to pat yourself on the back when you are pleased by the treats you magically churn out in a single bowl and without an electric mixer! Have a great day ahead.

Love,

Kavya 

Makes approx 12 cupcakes

Recipe minimally adapted from my favourite bake blog by the best blogger ever!

 

Ingredients-

1 and 2/3 cups all purpose flour or maida

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

1/3 cup vegetable oil

¾-1 cup sugar (I used ¾ and was comfortable with the sweetness, use 1 cup if you like your cupcakes sweeter)

1 large egg

¼ cup yogurt

¾ cup milk

1.5 tsp vanilla extract

Method-

1.  Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a cupcake pan with liners.

2. Sieve the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.

3. Whisk the oil and sugar in a large bowl until combined and add in the egg. Whisk to incorporate nicely.

4. Add the yogurt, milk and vanilla. Whisk to mix all the wet ingredients properly.

5. Slowly and gently, add the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula. DO NOT mix vigorously.

6. Pour the batter into the liners up to two-thirds full.

7. Bake for 18-22 minutes in the middle rack of the oven. Mine were done in about 20 minutes.

8. Let them cool in the tray for a while and then completely on a wire rack.

9. Frost with your choice of frosting and fruits. There are precisely a thousand ways to do that! :P

Bon appetito! :)

SOMETHING FOR A HAPPY GUT- WHOLE WHEAT AND OAT BANANA BREAD

Hello lovely people!
I hope you all had an amazing start to 2015 and have a rocking, prosperous year ahead. =)

We had a small family get-together at my grandparents' place for ringing in the new year. Like a typical punjabi family, it was all about food, gupshup and dance. :D
I made this banana bread again. It is a quick snack to gobble down while you dance. HA! ( who says it can't be a snack? :P )
Here is my ever so gooey, healthy, heart warming and oh-so-easy to make banana bread. Make this to mark the start of 2015 and I promise you won't be disappointed.
Give it a try today, and do not forget to tell me how it turns out. You can serve it warm with caramel sauce or vanilla ice cream and make a proper dessert. It will be a tasty, soft and sweet end to any meal. *not healthy anymore, though :P*

Enjoy!
Love,
Kavya :)

 Ingredients-
1/2 cup normal salted butter
1 cup sugar ( brown or white )
1.5 cups whole wheat flour
2 large eggs
3/4 cup oats (used Quaker oats, uncooked)
2-3 pinch cinnamon pd/ nutmeg grated
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sour cream ( I used malai with a tsp of vinegar added to it.)
3 medium sized ripe bananas, mashed well
Dry roasted melon seeds (optional)

Tips-
Make sure the eggs are at room temperature.
If the eggs are small, use 3 numbers.
Use softened butter. If its hard, microwave for 10-15 seconds. Do not melt.
Do not skip adding the vinegar if using regular cream. It activates the baking soda.

Method-
*Pre-heat oven to 170 degrees celcius. Grease a baking pan.
*Sieve the flour and baking soda. Do not discard the bran. Add it back to the flour.
*Cream butter and sugar well, till light and mixed well.
*Add the eggs and beat gently to incorporate.
*Add the flour+ soda mix. Also add the cinnamon/ nutmeg.
*Mix gently. Add the bananas and the sour cream.
*Add in the oats. Mix.
*Pour into the tin. Tap the tin onto the shelf 3-4 times. Top the batter with melon seeds.
*Bake for approx 30 min, checking for doneness with a fork/ knife at the center.