Artichoke Pizza

My friend makes Artichoke Pizza every year at her holiday party. My son can never get enough of this delicious appetizer. It is a simple pizza made with cream cheese, artichoke and parmesan cheese on Pillsbury crescent roll crust, topped with thin slices of tomatoes. I made this for super bowl tonight. No party due to the pandemic. All the pizza just for my husband and me. I have to thank my friend for the recipe.

Ingredients:

2- 8 oz. packages of crescent rolls

2- 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened

1 Cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 eggs (optional)

2 teaspoons lemon pepper

1- 14 oz. can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped finely

1 clove garlic, minced

2 plum tomatoes

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

                                               

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Unroll both packages of rolls and place on cookie sheets to fill the sheets. Seal the perforations and press evenly to close any gaps. Bake 10-12 minutes until light golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

2. Place softened cream cheese in bowl. Add 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, and 1 teaspoon lemon pepper to the cream cheese.

                                             

3. Add chopped artichoke and garlic to the cheese mixture. Stir well to combine.

                  

                                    

4. Spread the artichoke mixture evenly over the partially baked crust.

                                                            

5. Top with thinly sliced tomatoes. Mix remaining 1/2 cup parmesan cheese with 1 teaspoon lemon pepper and chopped parsley. Sprinkle evenly over the tomatoes.

                                                              

6. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Leave for 10 minutes before slicing. 

   

                                           

                               

Deepavali Marundhu

 Deepavali marundhu or legiyam has this name because it is especially made a day before Deepavali, and a spoonful of this is given to everyone to eat before we partake in the festival goodies. It helps in digestion. This legiyam is also given to postpartum women to help heal faster. In my house, I have this legiyam in my kitchen through out the year. I eat a spoonful of this medicine whenever I feel bloated from indigestion. Actually, I like to eat a spoonful everyday. This is prepared by cooking a special spice powder in melted palm sugar (vellam or gud) to a ball consistency. Ghee (clarified butter) and honey is added to it. The dry powder is available in herbal drugstores in India. It can also be made at home. My mom makes this powder whenever she goes to India and brings it for us. I remember she brought all the ingredients here when I was pregnant with my son and made the powder at home. 

Ingredients:

1 Cup legiyam powder

1/4 Cup water (adjust) 

1 1/2 Cups vellam (palm sugar)

1/2 Cup ghee

1/4 Cup honey

Method:

1. Take legiyam powder in a medium bowl. Add water to it and mix well to make a thick paste. Keep aside.

2. Melt gud/vellam in a non-stick saucepan with 2 Tablespoons water on medium heat.

                                         

3. when gud melts, add the legiyam paste. Combine well without any lumps.

                           

4. Cook for 20 minutes, adding ghee intermittently until legiyam gathers to a ball consistency, without sticking to the bottom. 

                                                

5. Remove from stove. Cool completely before adding honey.

                                                               

6. Store in a glass or stainless steel container.

                                                               

Oats-Green Peas Chila

 Green peas is a great source of plant protein. Combined with oats, it makes a nutritious meal. I made delicious chila/adai/pancake using soaked rolled oats and boiled sweet green peas, combined with aromatic spices and shallots for dinner tonight. It was an awesome meal.

Ingredients for 8 Chila (4 servings):

2 Cups quick old fashioned rolled oats

2 Cups fresh or frozen green peas

1 inch fresh ginger, diced

1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric powder

2 teaspoons roasted cumin powder

1 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

2-3 shallots, diced (about 1/2 cup)

1-2 green chili, chopped

2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro

salt to taste

ghee for making chila

peanut oil for making chila

Method:

1. Soak oats in water for about 20 minutes.

                  

2. While the oats is soaking, boil green peas in a saucepan, until soft. Drain the water. Place the peas in a blender. Add turmeric powder, cumin powder, ajwain, ground black pepper and cumin. Blend to a coarse paste without adding water. Keep aside.

                           

3. Wash and rinse soaked oats a couple times. Drain the water. Place in a large bowl.

                                                     

4. Place oats in a large bowl. Add blended peas to it. Add salt as required.

                                                       

5. Mash both with fingers to combine and make a smooth dough. Do not add any water.

                                                       

6. Add chopped shallots, green chili and cilantro to the dough. Gently mix everything to combine.

                              

7. Divide dough into 8 equal portions. Heat a griddle. spread 1 teaspoon oil. Place 1 portion of oats dough on the hot griddle. Wet you fingers in water and pat dough into a thin round chila.

                        

8. Spread 1 teaspoon ghee on the chila. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes on low heat.

                                

9. Gently flip chia over and cook the other side for 2-3 minutes, until both sides are cooked.

                                  

10. Gently transfer to a plate. 

                                                            

11. Repeat process with remaining dough. Serve hot with pickle or milagai podi or plain yogurt. My husband likes to eat this chila with brown sugar (gud/vellam).

                                                       

Masala Lachha Paratha

Lachha Paratha is from Punjab. Lachha means coil or loop. Lachha paratha is flaky layered flat bread made with whole wheat flour. This is similar to Malabar parotta from the south. This is made with whole wheat flour, while parotta is made with all purpose flour. It could be plain or made with various stuffing.  I made these parathas stuffed with home made masala powder. It was so good that we could eat it plain. 

Ingredients to make 6 parathas:

2 Cups whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)

1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Cup warm milk (more if required)

2 Tablespoons oil

For Masala:

2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon cumin-coriander powder (daniya jeera)

1 teaspoon garam masala

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried mango powder (amchur)

Ghee for making paratha

Method:

1. Mix wheat flour, ajwain, kasuri methi and salt in a large bowl.  Add warm milk and knead to make a soft dough. Add 2 tablespoons oil and knead to a smooth dough ball. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.

                                                         

2. In the meantime, mix the ingredients for masala in a small bowl. 

                                   

3. Divide the dough into 6 tennis ball size dough. 

                                                     

4. Place a ball of dough on flat floured surface.

                                                

5. Roll it into a thin round disk.

                                           

6. Brush the surface evenly with 1 teaspoon ghee.

                                             

7. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of prepared masala powder over the surface.

                                             

8.  Fold the disk in a zig-zag manner from one edge, like a fan.

 

        

9. Gently press the top. Fold from one end to make a spiral pinwheel. Tuck the edge in.

                                

10. Gently press the top to slightly flatten. Sprinkle the top with 1 teaspoon chopped garlic and 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds. Gently press.

                             

11. Dust disk with some flour. Gently roll into a round paratha.

       

12.  Gently place the paratha on a hot griddle (medium heat). Cook for 5 minutes. Drizzle 1 teaspoon ghee and cook both sides until golden brown. 

                                                        

13. Transfer to a plate. Compress the edges to make flaky layers visible.

                                       

14. Repeat process with remaining dough. Serve hot plain or with plain yogurt or pickle (achar).

                                                         

Note:

1. Lachha paratha can be made with stuffing like onion or garlic. 

2. I used white sesame seeds as I did not have black sesame seeds.