Cheesy Zucchini Noodles Pasta

 Cooking with vegetable spirals has become a popular alternative to carb. I made a quick lunch of zucchini "pasta" today. It turned out to be a delicious lunch indeed. I just tossed zucchini with Parmesan cheese, chopped tomato, and pesto.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

4 medium size zucchini 

3 Tablespoons olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes (adjust to taste)

1 medium tomato, chopped

1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

1 Cup torn basil leaves

1 Tablespoon corn starch

2 Tablespoons cold water

salt, to taste

                                     

Method:

1. Trim and spiralize zucchini. Cut extra long noodles to the size of spaghetti noodles.

                                                           

2. Add olive oil, garlic, and chili flakes to a large, deep skillet. Turn the heat to medium. When the oil begins to bubble around the garlic, add the zucchini noodles.

                                               

3. Toss the noodles with tongs, and cook till el dente, until the vegetable wilts, 5-7 minutes. Be careful not to overcook.

                                                                 

4. Stir in copped tomatoes, basil, and Parmesan cheese. Cook for 1 minute. 

                                                 

5. Use tongs to transfer pasta to the serving dish, leaving the liquid in the skillet.

                                                                 

6. Bring the liquid in the skillet to simmer.

                                                                 

7. Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Whisk into the liquid in the skillet. Cook until sauce thickens. Check for salt and add as required.

                                               

8. Pour the sauce over zucchini pasta. 

                                                               

9. Serve hot. Sprinkle more Parmesan over the pasta.

                               

Notes:

I did not have basil leaves. I used 1 tablespoon pesto.

Lauki Kofta

 

Kofta is a dish of meatballs or vegetable balls that are fried and served in a creamy sauce. It is a popular dish in the Indian subcontinent. Last week I made kofta using bottle gourd or lauki, mixed with raw plantain and paneer. I adapted the recipe from Sanjeevkapoor.com

Ingredients:

1 Cup grated lauki

1 Cooking plantain, boiled, peeled, and grated

2 Cups grated paneer

1 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)

2 green chili, seeded and chopped

1 teaspoon red chili powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

salt to taste

3 + 1 Tablespoons besan (chickpea flour)

oil for deep frying kofta

2 Tablespoons ghee

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 Cup tomato puree

2 Tablespoons cashew nuts

1 Tablespoon poppy seeds (khus khus)

1 Tablespoon melon seeds (char magaz)

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon red chili powder

1 teaspoon garam masala powder

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)

Method for making Kofta:

1. Place grated lauki in a strainer and drain all liquid. 

2. Place drained lauki in a mixing bowl. Add grated plantain, paneer, ajwain, green chili, 1 teaspoon red chili powder, salt, turmeric powder, and 3 Tablespoons besan to it. 

3. Gently knead to a dough.

4. Divide this dough into medium size balls or kofta. Deep fry kofta in oil, or air fry them in batches. Keep aside.

                                                                   

Method for making Sauce/Gravy:

1. Soak cashew nuts, melon seeds (magaz), and poppy seeds in water for 10 minutes.

2. Grind the soaked nuts and seeds to a smooth paste using a little water.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons ghee in a broad pan. Add cumin seeds. Allow to brown, 30 seconds.

4. Add 1 Tablespoon besan and roast to light brown. Be careful not to let it burn.

5. Stir in tomato puree and salt. Add 1/2 cup water. Add 1 teaspoon turmeric, chili powder, garam masala, and sugar.  Cook until sauce thickens, adding more water if needed.

 

6. Gently slide in koftas to coat. Cook for 5 minutes. Sprinkle kasoori methi. Remove from stove.

7. Serve hot with roti, naan or rice.

Note:

I used air fryer to cook my kofta at 400 for 10 minutes.

 

Instant Spongy Dosa (Pancake)

Though traditional dosa is a crepe made with fermented rice-lentil batter, we can make dosa from so many ingredients, like semolina, millets, wheat flour etc. Last week, I chanced upon a dosa recipe on Facebook, shared by my sister- in-law. It was a quick and easy instant spongy dosa made with just 3 main ingredients, rawa (cream of wheat), coconut, and yogurt. I made for dinner tonight. My husband helped in preparing the batter. It is that easy (he doesn't like to cook).

Ingredients for 15 Dosas:

1 1/2 Cups rawa

1 1/2 Cups grated coconut

6 Tablespoons plain yogurt

water, enough to grind batter

4-5 dried red chili (adjust to taste)

1 teaspoon cumin seeds 

1 small size onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon asafoetida

salt to taste

Method:

1. Grind all the ingredients to a smooth batter by adding just enough water like a pancake batter.

                                              

2. Check for salt. Leave the batter aside for 1-2 hours. If you want to make the pancake immediately, just mix 1 teaspoon baking soda to the batter.

                                                        

3. Heat skillet on the stove. Pour 1/4 cup of batter in the center of the skillet and gently spread with the bottom of the ladle to a circular pancake.

                              

 4. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon oil over the dosa. Cook o both sides until golden brown on both sides.

                                 

5. Repeat process with remaining batter.

                                                   

6. Serve hot with hot chutney or milagai podi (chutney powder). The dosa is soft and delicious.

Note:

The batter does not have to be fermented. You can make dosa within an hour of making the batter.

Add baking soda to the batter if you have to make dosa soon as you make the batter. 

These pancakes taste best soft, not crisp. 

                                                  

Kalakand in Instant Pot

With Diwali right around the corner, it is the season for sweets. I have a list of sweets and savory that I make every year. In addition, I also make something new. My sister, who recently bought her first Instant Pot, said that she made kalakand in it. She said it was quick and easy to make. Kalakand is like cheesecake, made by cooking milk and sugar together for a long time to form a soft cake, and garnished with chopped nuts. This version is quick and easy, using ricotta cheese, milk powder, sugar, and ghee. I have adapted the recipe from myheartbeets.com. 

Ingredients:

15 oz. Ricotta Cheese ( whole milk is best)

1 Cup sugar

1/3 Cup water

1/2 Cup ghee

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

2 1/2 Cups dry milk powder 

1 Tablespoon chopped nuts ( almond or pistachios)

Method:

1. Place ricotta cheese in the Instant Pot.

2.Add sugar and 1/ 3 cup water to the pot. Mix well

3. Cover the pot with the lid. Close the valve to seal. Cook for 11 minutes on high pressure.

4. Turn the pot off. Quick release pressure.

5. Add ground cardamom, dry milk powder, and ghee.

6. Stir well to combine.

7. Pour the mixture in a 8x8 pan lined with butter paper. 

8. Sprinkle chopped nuts on top. Tap and refrigerate for 4 hours.

                                                                 

9. Gently remove from wax paper. Cut into square pieces. Store in refrigerator.

Notes:

I used whole milk ricotta cheese and milk powder from Indian store.