Potato and sweet corn sandwich(no cheese/butter)

This potato-sweet corn sandwich is very easy to put together if the chutneys are made before hand. On the day of making the sandwich, prepare the potato-sweet corn filling, assemble everything and toast. You get a tangy and spicy sandwich perfect for breakfast and picnics.

The quantity of chilli added in green chutney gives us that extra heat. But if you like spicy food, you may have to add more chillies.

Recipe Source: Got the recipe for potato sweet corn filling from my cousin's space.
Ingredients to make 8 sandwiches (using 16 bread slices)

Ingredients	Quantity	Notes/Comments
Bread slice	16	I used whole wheat bread
Green chutney	1 tbsp	-
Onion and Tomato chutney	3 tbsp	-
Potato	3	medium sized
Sweet corn	1	-
Oil	1 tsp	I used sunflower refined oil
Cumin Seeds	1 tsp	-
Salt	To taste	around 1/2 a tsp
Aamchur/Dry mango Powder	1 tsp	Optional, for extra tang
Red chilli powder	1/2 tsp	-
lemon juice	1 tsp	-

Procedure
For the potato sweet corn filling
1. Pressure cook potato and sweet corn for 3 whistles
2. Peel the potato and mash. Remove kernels from the corn.
3. In a pan/kadai, add a tsp of oil. Add cumin seeds, chilli powder, aamchur powder and salt. Add corn kernels and mix well
4. Add mashed potato and lemon juice and mix well. Switch off the flame.
5. Transfer to a bowl.
For the sandwich
1. Spread onion chutney on a bread slice.
2. Apply green chutney on another slice. Spread the filling on the same slice.

 3. Place one slice over the other. 4. Toast in a toaster until browned.
 5. Server as it is or with tomato ketchup. As you can see, the sandwich is almost oil less and there is  no butter or cheese. The best part is you won't even miss them.

Take a slice of this sandwich and you would know the meaning of "bursting with flavour". :-)

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Onion and tomato chutney/spread for idli/dosa/sandwich

I made this chutney to use as spread for potato and sweet corn sandwich.(recipe for the sandwich in the next post) This spread is so versatile that with few changes here and there, it can be used as a side for idli/dosa or even pasta sauce.

In this post, you can find the recipe for chutney and spread. The ingredients are the same for both, only the method at the final step varies.

Here is the recipe to make around 1/2 cup of onion-tomato chutney/spread

Recipe Source: My mother
Ingredients to make around 1/2 cup

Ingredients	Quantity	Notes/Comments
Onion	1 large	-
Tomato	1 large	-
Red chilly	1 medium sized	-
Vegetable Oil	1 1/2 tsp	I used sunflower oil
Urad dal	1 tsp	-
Channa dal	1 tsp	-
Salt	to taste	around 1/4th tsp

Procedure
1. Wash onion and tomato. Peel onion. Cut onion and tomato into medium sized pieces.
2. In a kadai/pan, add a tsp of oil. Add urad dal and channa dal.
3. When dal is slightly browned, add red chilly and onion.
4. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes and add the tomatoes.
5. Saute for another 2 minutes and switch off the flame.
5. Let the mixture cool. This mixture is the base for chutney and spread.
To make spread for sandwich,
7. Coarsely grind the mixture, add salt mix well and the chutney is ready.
To make spread for sandwich,
8. Grind the mixture to a smooth paste.
9. In the same kadai, add 1/2 tsp of oil, add the ground mixture and fry for 4 to minutes, till the mixture comes to a semi solid, spreadable consistency.
10. Add salt and mix well.

A nice variation to the spread would be to add some italian seasoning. In that case omit step 2 and at step 10, add italian dried herbs like basil, rosemarry and oregano along with salt and mix well. A few more modifications to the mixture, you get pasta sauce...Will post the recipe for pasta sauce soon.

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Green chutney for chaats and sandwiches

I saw this recipe for spicy green cutney in one of tarla dala's cookbook. This chutney is generally used for making chaat items like bhel puri, papdi chaat etc, but it can also be used as a spicy spread in vegetable sandwich.

Here is the recipe to make around 1/4 cup of green chutney

Recipe Source: Tarla Dalal's cook book
Ingredients to make around 1/4 cup

Ingredients	Quantity	Notes/Comments
Pudina/Mint leaves	1/2 cup	-
Coriander leaves	1 cup	-
Green chilly	1 medium sized	-
Vegetable Oil	1/2 tsp	I used sunflower oil
Roasted cumin powder	1/2 tsp	-
Salt	to taste	around 1/8th tsp

Procedure
1. Wash pudina and coriander leaves separately.
2. In a pan/kadai, heat 1/2 tsp of oil, then add pudina, coriander leaves and green chily.
3. Saute till the leaves wilt a bit
4. Switch off the flame, allow it cool.
5. Grind to a smooth paste.
5. Transfer to a small bowl, add cumin powder and salt and mix well. Store in an air tight container. If refrigerated, it keeps well for a week.

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Dal Tadka

There are innumerable varieties of dal depending on the ingredients and methods used. It can range from simple with just few ingredients and easy cooking process to exotic with elabarorate cooking methods, like the restaurant style ones. It can be made with or without onion garlic, pressure cooked or cooked over stove top. Whatever be the ingredients and process, dal is generally considered a comfort food when made at home. This dal recipe falls in between simple and exotic as far as method is considered, but when it comes to taste and flavour it is as good as dal served in restaurants.

I generally make dal by pressure cooking moong/masoor dal with turmeric, tomato and green chilly. Once cooked, just add a tadka of mustard and jeera. There is no onion or garlic and it hardly takes 5 minutes of your time to make this dal. Best for a weeknight dinner. Though this simple dal is my favourite, husband generally loves anything with onion-garlic. So, got this recipe from my sister for a weekend dinner.

Recipe Source: My sister
Ingredients to serve 3 adults

Ingredients	Quantity	Notes/Comments
Moong Dal	1/2 cup	Masoor dal can also be used
Onion	1 medium or 2 small	Cut into small pieces
Garlic	2 cloves	Cut into small pieces
Tomato	1 medium	Cut into small pieces
Turmeric	less than 1/4th tsp	-
Oil	2 tsp	I used sunflower refined oil
Salt	To taste	around a tsp
Water	1 1/2 cups	1 cup if using masoor dal
Mustard, Cumin	1/2 tsp each
Curry leaves	10	-
Coriander leaves	10	To garnish
Green chilly	1 small	Red chilly can also be used.

Procedure
1. Cut garlic, onion, tomato into small pieces. Wash dal and keep aside
2. In a pan/kadai, heat a tsp of oil, add garlic.
3. Add onion once garlic turns light brown(around 10 seconds)
4. Add tomato after frying onion for a minute or two.
5. Finally add the washed dal and mix well. Switch off the flame.
5. Transfer the dal mixture to a vessel and pressure cook for 3 whistles, then simmer for 2 minutes before switching off the stove. If using masoor dal, cook for only 2 whistles.
6. When the cooker is ready to be opened, in the kadai, add the rest of the oil, mustard, cumin, green chilly and curry leaves.
7. When mustard splutter, add the cooked dal and cook for 2 minutes in medium flame and switch off. 8. Garnish with coriander leaves and server with roti/rice.

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 Event Participation: My Legume Love Affair, started by Susan, the well seasoned cook, continued by Lisa of Lisa's Kitchen, this edition hosted by Aparna of My diverse kitchen.

 

Vegan chocolate cupcake

These cupcakes are the best way to satisy those cravings for something chocolaty. They are very easy to make, no fancy ingredients and the end result is just super chocolaty and tasty. Top the cupcakes with chocolate sauce, and it qualifies for an indulgent dessert. The recipe is from Chef in you, though I substituted all purpose flour, with wheat flour, but there was no difference in the taste.

Recipe Source: Chef in you
Ingredients to make around 15 cupcakes

Ingredients	Quantity	Notes/Comments
Wheat Flour	1 1/2 cups	I used aashirvaad atta
Granulated Sugar	1 cup	I measured the sugar and powdered it
Cocoa powder	3 table spoon	-
Baking Soda	1 tea spoon	-
Oil	1/3 cup	I used sunflower refined oil
Salt	1/2 tea spoon	-
Cold Water	1 cup	-
Vinegar	1 table spoon	I used distilled white vinegar
Vanilla Essence	1 tea spoon	-

Procedure
1. Prepare the baking tray by placing the paper liners.
2. In a bowl, mix well the dry ingredients.
3. In another wide bowl, mix well the wet ingredients.
4. Add dry mixture to the wet one, 5 tbsps at a time and mix well so that there are no lumps.
5. Pre heat the oven to 160 degree C.
5. Put 1 1/2 tbsp of cake batter into each liner and bake for 22 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and allow the cupcakes to cool.
7. Have them as it is or with chocolate sauce topping.

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Event Participation: Bake Fest, started by Vardhini of Cooks Joy and hosted by Amrita.

Dates and dry fruits laddoo(no bake/no cook)

These laddoos are a nice way to add dates into kids diet. They would sure love the crunchiness from the nuts. These laddoos are very easy to make and does not involve any cooking or baking. Just pulse the deseeded dates and nuts along with a tablespoon of date syrup to get a coarse mixture and make them into small laddoos. Its as simple as that.

I generally add almonds, cashew and dried grapes to the dates, but any other dried fruit can be added. Even orange rind can be added for that extra flavor. For 500 gms of dates, 1 1/2 cups of dry fruits is sufficient. Just stick to this ratio even if adding more varities of dry fruit.

I have made these laddoos only with the blade attachment of the food processor. I am not sure if the dates and nuts would be ground uniformly if using the regular mixer jar.

Here is the recipe to make around 25 laddoos.

Recipe Source: Various blogs

Ingredients	Quantity	Notes/Comments
Dates	500 gms	Make sure that its deseeded, otherwise it might spoil the food processor blade
Almond	1/2 cup	-
Cashew	1/2 cup	-
Dried grapes	1/2 cup	Black variety can be used too.
Date syrup	1 tbsp	I used lion dates syrup. This is just to bring the mixture together so that it can be made into laddoos

Procedure
1. Add all the ingredients to the food processor with blade attachment.
2. Grind to a coarse mixture.
3. Take a small portion of the mixture and press with the fingers to shape into a laddoo. Repeat the same for the rest of the mixture
4. Store in an air tight container.

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