Cheesy Zucchini Sandwich Fritters (Bhajiyas)

Rains and fritters or bhajiyas or pakodas are a hit hit combination for  us Indians!! So one of those cheat days when indulgence takes over.......yeah and here goes my version of the cheat dish, of course not to forget the mention of the batata vada and the mirchi bhajis on the platter!!! In the picture above you can see the zucchin, the melted cheese and the cottage cheese.......yummmm

Ingredients

1 yellow zucchini chopped into thin roundels kept ready with a wee bit of salt sprinkled on them
Cottage cheese chopped into thin  pieces  as big to fit into the zucchini
Britannia cheese slices made into pieces as big to fit into the zucchini

For the batter

3 cups of bengal gram flour (chana atta)
1/2 cup of rice flour 
1 tsp of carom seeds crushed between palms
Salt as per need
Chili powder as per taste
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp of edible soda

Oil for frying

Method

In a vessel take the flour and the rest of the ingredients mentioned with it and mix with water to a consistency which is neither too flowy nor too thick. Keep oil for frying once the oil is hot you can just put a small portion of the batter first and taste to check if salt and the consistency are all good. Once ready you take the zucchini pieces make a sandwich with cottage cheese and cheese, dip each one in the batter, leave it in the oil with care and fry on medium flame till light brown and crisp. have with masala chai on a rainy evening.

In the same batter you can make fritters or bhajiyas only with zucchini, cottage cheese, cheese and chilies too.

The platter

                   
                                  Green Sprouts  And Vegetable Salad On A Bed Of Spinach 

Boiled vegetable salad served on a bed of fresh crunchy spinach leaves. The plate in the picture shows you the salad on a big leaf but this can be actually made into bite sized servings by spooning salad on each leaf of baby spinach with a cottage cheese garnishing. In the bunch I happened to find a tender flowery portion of the spinach too! So the recipe for the next salad variety......

Ingredients
1)
1 bowl of sprouted green gram
1 small potato peeled and cubed
1 small beetroot peeled and cubed
1 small carrot peeled and chopped into medium sized pieces
4 french beans chopped into medium sized pieces
Few roughly torn pieces of red cabbage
All the above to be pressure with 1/2 tsp of salt cooked to 1 whistle

2)
For the dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tbsp freshly pounded  white pepper powder
2 cloves of garlic freshly crushed
1 tsp mixed herbs
1 tbsp of chilly flakes
Mix all the ingredients 1 hour before mixing them into the salad

3)
A bunch of baby spinach, each leaf plucked and kept in chilled water for the crunch, to be used just while serving

4)
250 gms of cottage cheese grated 

Method 

In a mixing bowl take the ingredients from (1), add the dressing (2), take each leaf serve a spoon of the salad on each leaf of spinach(3), grate a bit of cottage cheese(4). Enjoy the crunchy juicy bites of of salad. Picture below shows you the salad in the bowl.

                                               
                                                   Mushroom And Broccoli Manchurian

One of the yummiest, easiest, spicy accompaniments for fried rice and also phulkas or even as a starter, that I have ever had!! Best part is that it is home made. Here goes the way I make it.....

Ingredients
1)
250 gms of fresh mushrooms, cleaned and chopped into medium sized pieces
1 broccoli florets of medium size

2)
10 cloves of big sized Chinese garlic
1 bunch of fresh coriander
2 inch piece of ginger
3 green chillies
All the above to be coarsely ground 

3)
2 tbsp of dark soy sauce
1 small spoon ajino moto ( I personally like the taste of this in my Chinese preparations, use as per your discretion)
1/2 tsp of black pepper powder
Salt to be added very sparingly

Method

In a wok take a little olive oil, ad the mushrooms and the broccoli, add 1/4 cup of water, cook covered till almost done. remove in a serving bowl and keep ready. In the same wok take little more oil and add the coarsely ground mixture from  ingredient 2) saute well, now add the sauteed mushroom and broccoli. After the ingredients mix well add ingredients 3) mix well and cook for two minutes and your dish is ready.

                                                   
                                      Warm Vegetable Salad With Egg And Cottage Cheese

This salad is specially for people who like eggs and that too soft boiled. The only flavour which would stand out in this is the beautiful fresh parsley. So enjoy another variety ......

This is how amazingly colourful it is before adding the cottage cheese and the egg!!

   Ingredients

1 cup roughly chopped red and green cabbage leaves
1 cup broccoli florets medium sized
1 cup zucchini  chopped into thin roundels and halved
5 french beans chopped cross ways
1/2 cup carrot chopped into roundels and halved 
2 soft boiled eggs
1/2 cup cottage cheese crumbs (I used home made)
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
Salt very little
Olive oil
4 garlic cloves pounded
1 sprig of parsley chopped fine

Method 
in a wok take olive oil, add the pounded garlic, saute till lightly browned, add the chopped parsley, saute till crisp, add the  only the above mentioned vegetables ( no egg, no cottage cheese) add very little salt, pepper powder, sprinkle little water cook covered retaining the crunch in the vegetables. do not over cook them. Transfer into a serving bowl garnish with the egg pieces and the cottage cheese, tastes best  as a warm salad. 

       

                                               
                                                                   Bhendicha Bhareet
Crispy Ladies Finger In Yogurt

One more in my salad series, very tasty I must admit, if made correctly. Needs patience to bring the ladies finger  to the right crisp texture without burning it. Tastes great with pooris, parathas and phulkas. Tastes yummy as it is too, before and after mixing the yogurt!! Here goes the recipe

500 gms of ladies finger chopped into thin roundels
2 cups of fresh yogurt
2 green chillies chopped
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp sugar
Coriander for garnishing
3 tspn of oil, mustard seeds and asafoetida for tempering

Method

In a pan take oil, add mustard seeds, let them splutter, add asafoetida, the chopped chillies saute a bit and add the ladies finger, now you need to stir this occasionally till the pieces become light brown and crisp, sometimes the ladies fingers tend to be too slimy, at such a time you can squeeze a dash of lime or sprinkle little dry mango powder. As you keep sauteing the sliminess will disappear. Once almost done add salt and sugar, transfer to a serving bowl once done. add the coriander and keep ready. Add yogurt once you are  ready to serve. 

                               
                                                    Radish Salad (Mulyachi Koshimbeer)

One more addition to my Koshimbeer or salad series, a simple but a salad which has punch in it, the heat of the radish is sure to hit your palate still be soothing because of the addition of the yogurt. So enjoy one more, here goes the recipe.

Ingredients

2 radishes, cleaned and grated
Coriander chopped fine
Salt to taste
2 cups yogurt 
1 tsp oil, mustard seeds and asafoetida and 1 chilli chopped for tempering

Method

Take the grated radish, yogurt and coriander in a mixing bowl,  in a small kadhai make a tempering of the oil, mustard seeds, asafoetida and green chilli, add it to the bowl and keep ready. You can leave it in the refrigerator till you add salt and serve so that it does not become runny and the yogurt does not become sour. savour this as a side in your meal. Tastes best with phulka, chapati and bhakri too. 

                                                       
                                                    Salad Made With Radish Leaves
  
Here comes another one in the Koshimbeer or salad series, raw leaves, crunchy and yummy variety with nutty flavour of peanuts and coconut. This makes for a great side with curry rice and also rotis.It is called Mulyachya Panachi Koshimbeer in Marathi.

Ingredients

1)
1 bunch of radish leaves, this usually comes with the radish and here we will use only the leaves.
1/2 cup peanut powder (peanuts roasted peeled and powdered)
1/2 cup fresh scraped coconut
Some corinder finely chopped
A dash of lime juice
Salt to taste
1 tsp sugar

2)
For the tempering
1 green chilli
Few mustard seeds
1/4 tsp of  asafoetida 

Method
Mix all the ingredients of 1 in a mixing bowl, make a tempering of ingredients 2, mix all with a gentle hand. Such salads are normally mixed with a gentle hand else the ingredients will not blend well.

                                                                   
                                                                  Dalichi  Koshimbeer

This is a variety in the salad series, it is made with lentil and cucumber. Tastes crisp, fresh and can be eaten as is or as a side in a meal. This is a regular item on the plate in many Maharashtrian and Karnataki homes.

Ingredients

1 bowl of  split yellow lentil (moong dal) soaked for about two hours and drained 
1 cucumber peeled and chopped into small pieces
2 leaves of spinach chopped fine
1 green chilli
Fresh coriander chopped fine
Salt to taste
A squeeze of lime

Method

Mix all the above in a mixing bowl except the chilli, now make a tempering with 1 tsp of oil, mustard seeds, asafoetida, turmeric and chillies. Add this to the mixture mix well and serve. You can actually add salt just before serving since it may become watery if added before.