Tzatziki Sauce - Greek Sauce

Preparation Time: 15 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Hung curd - 250 grms
English cucumber - 1/4 th
Garlic - 1-2 cloves
Lemon Juice - 1/2  lemon
Lemon Zest - 1/4 tsp
Olive oil - 1/2 tbsp
Dill leaves - 1/2 tbsp
Freshly groung black pepper - to taste
Salt - to taste

Method:

1. Grate cucumber with peel and squeeze all water from it
2. Grate garlic, ground black pepper and finely chop dill leaves
3. Add all the ingredients in a bowl and mix
4. Pour it into a serving dish and cover with cellophane wrap tightly
5. Refrigerate for at least 8 hrs before serving. It helps all the flavors to blend together nicely

Hummus - Lebanese Cuisine

Ingredients

Boiled Chickpeas - 2 cups
Tahini Sauce - 1/3 cup
Garlic - 4 cloves  big size or 6 small cloves
Olive Oil - 1/3 Cup + 2 tbsp
Lemon Juice - 2 lemons
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Reserved water of chickpeas - 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients in the blender and blend to coarse paste
2. Before serving, Spoon the hummus into a bowl and sprinkle olive oil over it
3. Season it with red chilli (optional)
4. Serve Chilled or room temperature

Notes:

1. Hummus can be garnished with very finely chopped coriander leaves 
2. Tastes best with fresh pitas and baked pitas chips

Tomato Veggie Bruschetta

Tomato Veggie Bruschetta

Cuisine: Italian (Appetizer)
Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 25 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Kraftkorn bread loaf - 1  (you can use any bread of your choice)
Mozarella cheese - 1 pkt
Oregano Seasoning - 1/2 tsp
Bell Pepper (yellow and red) - 1/2 cup
Tomatoes - 6
Garlic - 6-7 cloves
Basil - 3-4 leaves
Olive oil - 1 cup
Black olives - 2 tbsp
Jalapeno - 2 tbsp
Black pepper - 1 tsp
Salt- 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Cut the bread into slices and preheat the oven at 200deg.
2. In a bowl, finely chop tomato and basil. Add olive oil, salt, pepper. Mix  properly
3. Grate mozarella cheese and keep aside
4. Mince garlic. Mix half of garlic with tomato basil mixture and set aside
5. In a hot pan, add amul butter. Once it melts, add garlic to it and simmer it for few  mins
6. Brush your slices with butter-garlic mixture and bake in  preheated oven at 200 deg for 10 mins, flipping sides after 5 mins in between
7. Now pour tomato mixture over it. Add mozarella cheese,olives and jalapenos and  sprinkle oregano 
8. Bake again at 200 deg for 15 mins or till cheese melts.Keep a watch after 10mins
9. Serve hot!   

Tomato Exotica

Notes:

1. Variations can be made to this recipe by adding veggies of your choice  like baby corn, sweet corn, capsicum, mushroom, onion
2. Baking time may vary depending on the oven you are using
3. Variations in bread loaf can also be done
4. If you  are using garlic bread then use less quantity of garlic as per recipe measurements

Tomato Basil pasta

Nutrition facts:
Calories - 320 

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 15 - 20 mins
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Penne pasta - As required
Tomatoes- 6
Garlic - 5-6 cloves
Basil -  6-8 leaves
Olive oil - 1/4 cup
Black pepper powder - 1 tsp
Salt  - to taste

Method:

1. Bring water to boil. Add pasta to it and cook till al dente (slightly undercooked)
2. Puree the tomatoes. Mince garlic and keep aside
3. In a pan add 1 tbsp olive oil and basil. Cook it for 3-4 mins till flavours blend. Keep aside
4. Pour some olive oil in a pan and add minced garlic
5. Add tomato puree and cook till it starts leaving oil
6. Add under cooked pasta. 
7. Sprinkle seasoning, salt, black pepper and basil-olive oil
8. Cook on low flame for 3-4 mins
9. Serve hot!

Notes:

1. Cheese can also be added to  make it more yummy
2. Do not cook pasta fully initially otherwise it will get overcooked by the end

Tomato bruschetta

Bruschetta is a antipasto means starter dish from Italy, consisting of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with olive oil.

Nutrition facts per serving:
Calories- 102


Preparation time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Tomatoes- 8

French bread loaf – 1

Mozarella cheese- 1 pkt

Garlic – 1/2 cup

Olive oil- 2 cups

Basil - 1/2 cup

Oregano- 1tsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

1.  Cut the French bread loaf into slices
2.  Peel and mince garlic. Finely chop tomatoes and keep aside
3. Grate cheese and keep aside
4. Heat 3tbsp olive oil in a pan and add 1 tsp garlic 
5. Roughly tear basil and keep aside
6. Now brush bread loaves with olive oil mixture and bake in preheated oven at 220 deg for 3 mins
7. In a big bowl, mix chopped tomatoes, minced garlic, basil, olive oil, salt, oregano, black pepper
8. Add tomato mixture to bread slices. Top it with cheese and bake at 200 deg for 10 mins or till cheese melts and serve

     Notes:

1.      Variations can be made by adding olives, beans, cheese or any other veggies of your choice
2.      Best enjoyed hot as it has cheese
3. 
   

Falafel

Falafel is a traditional middle eastern food, commanly served in a pita pockets. Falafel balls are topped with salads, pickled vegetables, drizzled with tahini based sauces. Falafel balls may also be enjoyed alone as a snack or appetizer with tzatziki sauce as dip

Nutrition Facts

1 patty of falafel = 57 calories

Preparation Time: 3 hrs
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Cuisine: Lebanese

Ingredients

Chickpeas- 1 cup
Refined flour - 1/2 cup
Fresh coriander(Chopped) - 2 tbsp
Grounded coriander seeds - 2 tsp
Onion- 1
Sesame seeds- 1tbsp
Roasted cumin powder - 2 tsp
Red chilli flakes  - 1 tbsp
Black pepper powder - 1 tsp
Baking soda - 1 pinch
Salt - to taste

Method

1. Soak chickpeas for 3-4 hours
2. Drain chickpeas and mix all the ingredients in blender and blend them coarsely. It should resemble bread crumbs
3. Transfer the mixture into a bowl and add refined flour (maida) to it as per requirement for binding
4. Deep fry falafels and keep on tissue paper to drain excess oil
5. Wrap it in pita bread with zuccini, lettuce, tzatziki dip, tahini and chipotle sauce and enjoy

Mango pomegranate salsa served in edible cups

Nutrition facts

Calories in 1 edible cup = 57

Calories in 1 cup Mango pieces = 99

Calories in 1 cup sliced bell peppers = 18 

Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients:

For Edible cups
Refined flour(maida) - 1 cup
Corn flour(makki ka aata) - 1/2 cup
Vegetable oil - 1/4 cup
Baking powder- 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1 pinch
Warm water as required- less than half cup


For Mango- Pomegranate salsa

Mango finely chopped - 1
Pomegranate seeds- 1 cup
Spring onion greens/Scallions - 2 tsp
Fresh coriander - 2 tsp
apple cider vinegar  - 2 tsp
Red bell pepper  chopped - 1
Castor sugar- 1 tbsp
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Salt-

Method:

For Cups:

• Sieve together all dry ingredients (refined flour, corn flour, baking powder  and salt)
• Add oil and rub it with fingers until oil blends well. It will resemble bread crumbs
• Make a well in the center and add lukewarm water little by little until the dough is soft 
• Cover the dough will clean towel and let it rest for atleast 30 mins
• Knead the dough again and make equals sized balls from it
• Roll the dough as thin as possible
• Now put dough in muffin mould and press gently all over so that it takes the shape of mould
• Prick it with fork to prevent puffing. Brush with olive oil
• Bake in preheated oven at 200deg for 20 mins. Time may vary with different ovens so keep a check after 15 mins 
• Let them cool. Cups are ready

For Mango- pomegranate salsa

• Mix all the ingredients together and cover with cellophane
• Keep it in refrigerator for atleast 4 hrs to blend the flavours
• Give it a mix again before pouring into cups.

Notes:

• Pour salsa over cups just 5 mins before serving otherwise it can make cups soggy
• Keep an eye on blog for whole wheat cups soon!! :)

Corn Tortillas

A tortilla is a type of soft, thin flat bread made from finely ground flour. Corn tortilla is bread of maize flour which predates the arrival of Europeans to the Americas. These are low in fat and sodium, provides calcium, potassium,  fiber, iron and B vitamins. Tortilla can also be made with wheat flour

Tortillas are used to prepare many Mexican and, more generally, Latin American dishes. Traditionally, all these dishes (except burritos) are made with maize, not wheat, tortillas. The dishes include burritos, chalupas, chilquiles, enchiladas, enfrijoladas, gorditas, quesadillas, tacos, sincronizadas, sopes, taquitos, tacos dorados, tlayudas, tortilla chips, tortilla soups, tostadas

Nutrition Facts
1 corn tortilla = 52 calories

Cuisine: Mexican
Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Refined flour(maida) - 1 cup
Corn flour(makki ka aata) - 1/2 cup
Vegetable oil - 1/4 cup
Baking powder- 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1 pinch
Warm water as required- less than half cup

Method:

• Sieve together all dry ingredients (refined flour, corn flour, baking powder  and salt)
• Add oil and rub it with fingers until oil blends well. It will resemble bread crumbs
  
• Make a well in the center and add lukewarm water little by little until the dough is soft 
• Cover the dough will clean towel and let it rest for atleast 30 mins
  
• Knead the dough again and make equals sized balls from it
• Roll the dough as thin as possible
• Cook on non stick tawa flipping when bubbles starts to form
• Let it cool. Can be stored and refrigerated in ziplock bag for over a week

Notes:

• Whole wheat tortillas can also be made by replacing it with refined flour. We just need to use a bit more water as wheat absorbs more water. So accordingly we have to knead the dough more

Pita Bread

Pita bread

Cuisine: Lebanese
Preparation Time: 4 hrs
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:

All purpose flour - 3 cups
Active dry yeast - 1/2 tbsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp

Method:

1. Mix half cup warm water and 1/2 tbsp yeast. Add sugar and stir till sugar is dissolved properly
2. Let it rest for 15 mins or till it becomes frothy
3. Sieve together flour  and salt
4. Make a hole in the center and pour yeast solution over it
5. Mix it gently. Slowly add more warm water to knead the dough
6. Keep kneading the dough until it becomes elastic. knead for another 10 mins
7. Coat the dough with olive oil. Put this dough  in big vessel and keep it aside for 3-4 hrs
8. It will double  in size so vessel should be large enough
9. Now punch down the dough and  knead for another 1 min. You can refrigerate the dough at this stage to use it later
10. Make  12- 14 equal sized balls and roll them like chapati
11. Place it on non stick tawa. Cover the lid for 20 secs. Turn it over and again cover
12. Now cook from both sides like chapati 

For baking:

1. You can also bake pita bread in preheated oven at 220deg for 15 min by fliping in between once

Notes:

1. Water should neither be hot nor cold as that can kill yeast. It should be lukewarm
2. It  can be stored in refrigerator for upto a week
3. I have tried both methods(non stick and baking) and like tawa one more. You can also try baking method