Spinach, Corn and Cheese Sandwich:

When I hear the name of spinach and corn sandwich or while making, my memory normally goes back in time. We got introduced to this sandwich in Indigo flight long ago. My daughters used to just love the sight of it and used to enjoy their flight travel, mainly because of spinach and corn sandwich. Because of their fondness towards the sandwich, I used to make this at home and today once again I made it for them and decided to write, my version of recipe.

Ingredients:

Bread slices

Cooked corn – 1 cup

Bunch of spinach – washed and chopped

Whole wheat flour – 2 table spoons

Milk – 1 cup

Butter – 1 table spoon

Chopped garlic – 4

Salt

Pizza Seasoning or oregano – 1 tsp

Chilli flakes – 1 tsp

Grated cheese – as needed

Method:

-Dry roast whole wheat flour, take out, mix with hot milk and make a paste and keep aside.

-In the same kadai, add butter, toss garlic, chopped spinach and cook.

-Add in roughly churned cooked corn, flour added milk paste, boil.

 

– When mixture becomes thick, add seasoning of your choice, grated cheese and mix.

-It is our sandwich filling.

-For sandwich preparation, apply this mixture, over one slice, cover with another slice of bread.

-Apply butter on the outer surface and place it in a sandwich maker and roast.

-Enjoy with ketch up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spinach Surprise- Pasta with Spinach and Paneer

 Spinach Surprise is an Italian Pasta dish, which I prepare for my daughters and it is one of their favourite pasta dishes, which is a one pot filling, healthy meal.

 In this dish, I normally put 3 layers and then bake it and serve with seasoned bread or garlic bread.

In this, first layer would comprise of spinach pockets, with seasoned paneer filling.

Second layer is Pasta with white sauce and third and final layer is Grated cheese mixed with bread crumbs and a dollop of butter here and there. After baking, I normally serve this with seasoned bread or garlic bread with some tossed and seasoned veggies at the side.

It is a wholesome homemade pasta and comparatively low in calorie as well.

We will see, how I prepare-

Ingredients:

 For 1st layer / Spinach pockets with Paneer filling:

Large spinach leaves – 20 -22

Paneer/Cottage cheese – 100 grams, grated
Butter – 1 – 2 tsp
Onion – 1 small
Green Chilli – 2, minced
Red Chilli flakes – 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste

For 2nd Layer / Pasta in White sauce:

Pasta – 1 cup
Butter – 2 tbsp
whole wheat flour – 2 – 4 Tbsp
Milk – 2 – 4 cups

Grated cheese – 2 table spoons
Garlic salt (if you don’t have garlic salt, add chopped garlic and salt)

Oregano

Red chilli flakes

If u want to add any vegetables, you can add, or you can make only white sauce as well.

For 3rd and Final layer:

Bread crumbs – 2 table spoons

Grated cheese – 4 table spoons

Method:

For the 1 st layer / Spinach pockets with Paneer filling:

-Blanch spinach in boiling water, drain, pass through cold tap water and keep aside.

-Grate paneer, chop onion, green chillies.

– Take one tawa, heat butter, fry onion, green chilli, sprinkle some garlic salt, chilli flakes and switch off. Mix in grated paneer.

-Fill this mixture in spinach leaves, fold or roll like a mat and make a pocket.

-Place all this ready paneer filled spinach pockets in a baking dish.

For 2nd Layer / Pasta in White sauce:

-Cook pasta in enough water, drain and keep it ready.

-Take one tawa, melt butter over low flame, fry whole wheat flour until it turns light brown.

-Switch off the gas, add milk slowly while stirring and make a uniform mixture.

-Heat this mixture and boil. When it reaches the required consistency, add in cooked and drained pasta, garlic salt, oregano, red chilli flakes and grated cheese.

-Pour this over spinach pockets and it is our 2nd layer.

-While pouring, it should be little runny, after baking, it would turn out perfect.

Now comes the 3rd and Final layer:

-Mix grated cheese, bread crumbs and sprinkle all over. It should cover uniformly.

-Sprinkle a dollop of butter here and there (I have grated cold butter)

Bake this in a pre-heated oven for 10 – 15 minutes at 180 °C or until light brown and serve as it is or with seasoned bread toast.

How to season a bread:

-Mix one table spoon of butter, one to two table spoons of Hot and sweet tomato sauce or ketch up, 1 tea spoon of oregano.

-Apply this mixture over sliced bread and bake this in a pre heated oven for 5 minutes or roast it on a hot tawa on a stove top.

How to make tossed vegetable side dish:

-Take whatever vegetables you want to include. Dice one onion.

-Blanch beans and drain.

-Now take one tawa, heat some olive oil, drop onions fry for a while.

-Now add all the veggies (I have taken beans, carrots, zucchini, winged beans) and toss for a couple of minutes.

-Add seasoning like garlic salt, red chilli flakes and oregano and serve.

Palak paneer:

Spinach with cottage cheese is one of the healthiest option of Indian curries. It is the most popular North Indian side dish and goes well with any flavoured rice as well flat breads. We all know the goodness of spinach or paneer. Both are very nutritious- spinach is iron rich, and on the other hand paneer is rich in calcium.

This curry which I make is light, low calorie and creamy without adding any cream or deep fry.

Cottage cheese or paneer is soaked in warm milk and cooked with spinach paste with the added mild spice. This recipe is easy to cook and works just fine as a toddler’s food or for the tiffin box.

How I proceed –

Ingredients:

Palak – 1 big punch

Paneer – 200 or 400 grams

Milk – 1 cup

Tomatoes – 2

Salt

Sugar – ½ tea spoon

Oil – 2 table spoons

Hing – one pinch

Cumin – 1 tea spoon

Garlic – 10 -12 cloves (sliced)

Ginger – 1” (julienne)

Turmeric – ½ tea spoon

Red chilli powder – 1 tea spoon

Cumin powder – 1 tea spoon

Garam masala powder – ½ tea spoon

Method:

-Chop Tomato, spinach and make chunks of paneer and keep it ready. Chop garlic and ginger as well.

-Heat milk, add chunks of paneer and keep aside by closing the lid.

-Grind tomato in the mixer jar and keep aside.

-Take one kadai, add chopped spinach, sprinkle sugar, little salt and cook until wilts.

– Sugar will help to retain the colour green and salt will help spinach to leave its water to cook.

-Cool this wilted spinach, grind into rough paste and keep it aside.

-Now keep one tawa for seasoning, pour oil, when it is hot, add cumin, hing, ginger and garlic. Fry for 2 minutes.

-Add tomato paste, turmeric, red chilli powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder and fry until oil oozes from the sides.

-Now add spinach paste, milk-soaked paneer content and give a stir. Check for the salt and add the required amount.

-After boiling it for some time, you will see a layer of oil or dark coloured layer at the top. Now it is ready.

-Serve this rich gravy with your choice main dish. We always prefer jeera rice as a main dish for this curry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Palak paneer Parata:

Palak aka spinach and paneer is a classic combination from North Indian cuisine. It is usually in the form of Palak gravy with paneer chunks. If we convert this into Palak in a roti form and grated paneer as a filling it is a mind-blowing combination in a very healthy form. Here I have used Palak in the raw form as well as paneer.

It is a healthy option for breakfast, brunch, dinner or even in an office or school lunch box.

Palak or spinach is a healthy green which is a power house of nutrition. It contains Iron, anti-oxidants, vitamins and calcium.

On the other hand, paneer is also a very good source of calcium and if it is made from low fat cow’s milk, it is less in fat as well.

It is one more favourite from our lunch box item –

Ingredients:

For the dough:

Palak/ spinach – 1 bunch (only leaves)

Salt

Sugar – 1 tea spoon

Garlic – 2 cloves

Curd – 2 table spoons

Water – as required

Oi – 1 table spoon

Whole wheat flour – as needed

For the Filling:

Paneer – 200 grams (grated)

Coriander powder – ¾ tea spoon

Cumin powder – ¾ tea spoon

Red chilli powder – 1 ½ tea spoon

Garam masala – ¾ tea spoon

Salt

Turmeric – ½ tea spoon

Coriander leaves – ¼ cup (chopped)

Method:

-Make chapati dough at first and keep aside.

-For the dough, make a paste of chopped Palak, salt, sugar, garlic, curd and little water in a mixer grinder.

– Take out the liquid and pour oil and whole wheat flour. Knead it into a soft pliable dough, cover and keep.

-For filling, take one bowl, mix in grated paneer, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder, garam masala, salt, turmeric and mix it.

-Add chopped coriander leaves and mix once again. Now, Stuffing is ready.

-Now comes the rolling part.

-Now take lemon sized chapati dough in hand, spread as a small disc by using fingers, by applying little flour.

-Keep this in your left palm, in a cup shape, put filling (smaller in size) and cover it.

-Now take extra flour for dusting and spread or roll this ball with light pressure by using a roller.

-Cook both the sides by using either oil, ghee or butter.

-Enjoy this either with sweetened curd, boondi raita or pickle.

 

Pizza with Homemade Spinach Pesto:

Who doesn’t love Pizza?  I love Spinach and paneer in all forms. So, thought of clubbing my spinach pesto recipe into veggie pizza and prepared this for the kids. Should I say, even I loved it too: D

Usually I make pizza by chopping vegetables into bite size pieces and mixing it with the seasoning that one likes and mixing some chopped cheese too. It will surely give a more tastier pizza than normal veggie one.

In this way, veggies absorb more flavour and because of cheese it gives a little texture too.

pizza 3

Now we will see how I did this nutritious treat –

Ingredients:

For Spinach Pesto:

Spinach – 1 small bunch

Walnuts – 2 table spoons

Garlic salt – 1 tsp

Olive oil – 2 tsps.

Red chilli flakes – 1 tsp

For Pizza:

Pizza base – 2 numbers

Vegetables – 1 bowl (Paneer – 100 gms, yellow and red capsicum – ½ each, Boiled sweet corn -2 tbl sp)

Onion – ½

Hot and sweet tomato ketch up – 2 tbl sp

Mozzarella cheese – 2 tbl sp + 2 table sp (to garnish at the top)

Method:

  • Grind all the items under spinach pesto and make a smooth paste and keep aside. It is for pizza spread.
  • Now chop all the vegetables and onion.

Ribbet collage 1

  • Take one bowl, put all the chopped items, Tomato ketchup and 2 tbl spoons of grated cheese and paneer. Mix everything and keep it ready. This is for the toppings(fillings).
  • Pre-heat oven at 180 C
  • Take a Pizza base on lined baking tray, Spread Spinach pesto over the pizza base.

Ribbet collage 2

  • Top with veggie mixture, which we have mixed and kept ready.
  • Spread this topping equally and grate some more cheese and spread evenly on top.
  • Bake this for 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese melts and becomes bubbly.

pizza 1

  • Remove from the oven and cut and serve.

pizza 2

  • Usually it doesn’t require any seasoning, if you feel like adding some, you can add and enjoy.

 

 

Sarson Ka Saag/ Mustard greens curry:

Come January, my veggie vendor will bring mustard greens and Bathua greens. In Kannada, we call Bathua as chakotha and mustard as sasive soppu .Last week I got a bunch from him and I prepared this curry. I love to include seasonal veggies in my cooking and it is a yearly ritual to make Saag at least once in winter.

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How I make –

Sarson / Mustard greens – 2 bunches

Bathua / chakotha leaves – 2 bunches

Palak/spinach – 2 bunches

Onion – 1

Green chillies – 4

Garlic – 10

Ginger- 1 inch

Maize flour – 1 table spoon

Cumin – ½ teaspoon

Turmeric – ½ teaspoon

Hing- ¼ teaspoon

Butter – 1 table spoon

Salt

Method:

  • Clean all the greens remove stalks and discard.

sarso-1

  • Wash and chop the leaves into fine strips and cook this in a vessel by putting half cup of water, little salt, sugar for 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Take one mixer jar and put sliced onion, crushed ginger; chopped chillies and garlic, dry grind all this into rough paste.
  • When greens are cool, grind this as well. Don’t make smooth paste. Whip only once or twice, you will get required consistency.

sarso-2

  • I usually use earthen vessel to cook traditional items. If you have one, you can use it otherwise use normal kadai.
  • Take vessel, put butter, when it is hot add cumin and hing. Then onion and chilli paste. Fry for a while. Add turmeric and salt. Salt will help to ooze out water from the onion and will retain moisture while frying.

sarso-3

  • When it is light brown, add maize flour and fry for 2 minutes.
  • Add one cup of water and mix onion and maize flour mixture. This will look like a paste now.

sarso-4

  • Add Ground greens and boil, If you feel water is needed you can add water and cook until you get the right consistency, and when it is done , mixture becomes like a mass and surface becomes little glossy.

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Millet and spinach khichdi:

Millet’s are tiny cereals, which are low in Carbohydrates and a very good source of Protein, fibre and Vitamins. This is a very tasty, easy to make, healthy one pot meal which makes a very light meal.

millet-1

Ingredients:

Saame rice/Foxtail millet – 1 cup (you can use normal rice as well)

Moong/green gram dhal – ½ cup

Spinach – 1bunch

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp.

Hing – ½ tsp

Ginger – 1” piece

Green chillies – 1 to 2 (slit)

Salt- to taste

Ghee – 1 to 2 tbl sp

Water – 4 to 6 cups

Method:

-Soak dhal and millet rice after washing, for 10 minutes.

-Wash and grind spinach into puree.

-Heat ½ table spoon of ghee in a pressure cooker.

-Add Cumin seeds, hing, green chillies and ginger and fry for a minute.

-Now add spinach puree, water, salt and bring to boil. When it starts boiling, add soaked and drained dal and millet rice mixture.

-Check for salt and cook till 3 to 4 whistles.

-After the pressure releases, open the lid and pour in the remaining amount of ghee.

khichdi

 

-Enjoy with any crispy side dishes or raita!!!