Mexican inspired build your own - Tapioca (Sabudana) and potato crepes

Here is another addition to my special Navratri special menu.
So far all of my recipes have been far from being traditional. I have tried creating menu's with a twist and here is another one from my kitchen to yours.
I love Mexican food and guacamole is my favorite dip with chips. Today I decided to try a recipe with Mexican flavors without loosing the essence of our festival.

The only prep needed is to boil 2 medium potatoes ahead of time (refrigerate them for some added texture) and wash/soak 1 cup sabudana (Tapioca) overnight.....
A treat to your eye; mouth watering, colorful and full of flavors delicacy. I enjoyed making and eating it, I hope you do too.

Cook time - 30 minutes
Servings - 4
Ingredients:
1 cup overnight washed and soaked Tapioca / Sabudana (Sago)
2 boiled and refrigerated potatoes (this will give texture to your potatoes)
1 avocado
2 1/2 tsp lemon juice
3 green chillies (or to your taste)
handful of finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp red chilly powder
1 tsp Sendha namak (rock salt)
1 tbsp Feta Cheese to sprinkle on the top
1/4 cup of lengthwise thinly chopped bell peppers (orange, yellow and red - to add colors)
1/4 cup fresh spinach
a pinch of crushed black pepper

For Guacamole:
Mash avocado with potato masher. Add cilantro, 2 finely chopped green chillies, rock salt to taste, pinch of crushed black pepper and 2 tsp lemon juice to the mash avocado. Give it a stir and mash it one more time to mix all the flavors. Set aside in the refrigerator. (you can also blend it in a blender for smoother paste).

Steps:

1. Finely grate potatoes and mix them with sabudana/Tapioca. Add rock salt to taste, red chilly powder, 1/2 tsp lemon juice, 1 finely chopped green chilly, cilantro and pinch of crushed black pepper. Mash it one more time with the potato masher to evenly mix the flavors and ingredients.
2. Make 4 balls of the mix and form circle shaped crepes using hands. This mixture will make 4 small crepes.
3. In a skillet on medium heat spray some olive oil and cook the vegetables (bell peppers and spinach) with a pinch of salt and crushed black pepper. Take them off the heat once the veggies are cooked. (Cook them till 3/4 way done. Keep them crunchy as in Fajita's)
4. In the same skillet on medium heat spray some olive oil and cook the crepes, one at a time. Cook each side for 2-3 minutes or till crispy and golden brown. Make sure to constantly check the crepe to avoid them from burning. Cook the crepes on medium heat however you can increase the heat to high if needed. Once cooked, its time to decorate and plate. 
5. Fun way to do it is by spreading the table with all the main ingredients (this is what I did). In different bowls lay down guacamole, cooked vegetables, feta cheese and finely chopped cilantro on the table. You can now add toppings of your choice to your crepes and enjoy....

Enjoy the colorful and full of flavors dinner with fruits (I had it with Watermelon) and a cup of tea or coffee...This was fun for me and my daughter. I hope you enjoy it too.

Flavorful Sama ke Chawal (barnyard millet) and Tofu mix

Sama ke Chawal (Barnyard Millet) is one of my favorite foods during Navratri season. Following series of my additions to navratri food on my blog, here is another dish from my kitchen to yours. Simple, easy and healthy way to enjoy this navrati with lots of flavors, colors and aroma to all the traditional vrat food from my childhood. Enjoy the delectable delicacy and get creative with me.

Cook time - 35 minutes

Servings - 2 

Ingredients:

1 cup sama ke chawal (barnyard millet) - washed and cleaned

1 cup tofu - mashed

handful of finely chopped cilantro

2-3 green chillies - finely chopped

handful of cashew nuts - dry roasted and loosely crushed 

Sendha namak - to taste

1 tsp red chilly powder or crushed black pepper

1 1/2 tsp cumin powder - dry roasted and grounded

1 -2 tsp lemon juice

Steps:

1. In a pot, boil 2-3 cups of water on high heat. Stir the rice/millet in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Check the rice for soft consistency. Once done turn the heat off and strain the rice/millet in a strainer or use cheesecloth. Set the chawal aside for 10-15 minutes.
2. Mix tofu with rest of the ingredients except red chilly powder in a large bowl. Add sama ke chawal / millet and mix well.
3. Take a skillet add 1 tsp oil on medium heat and add red chilly powder to the oil. Add the sama chawal and tofu mixture to it. Stir in for a 1-2 minutes and serve it warm/hot with Coconut chutney.

You can also make a patty out of the same mixture (follow steps from above) by adding a medium boiled potato to it. Mash the potato with the mixture and make patties out of it. Cook in a skillet on medium heat while cooking for 2-3 minutes each side or till golden brown. 

Healthy and easy way to enjoy navratri food.

Baked Topica (Sabudana) and Potato Patties

In continuation with my healthy theme and to eat right, I came up with another healthy way to eat Topica (Sabudana) during Navratri days.

Every time I cook Sabudana, it reminds me of my mom and gives me a new prospective to love her even more. She use to cook food for all of us during the fasting time through Navratri and try to do something different each day. I am trying to follow her footsteps by using the same ingredients in a different way - "the FooDeeva way". Hope you all like it.

LOVE YOU MAA. This one is for you.......

This recipe of mine is devoted to her in a healthy way. No frying and no use of oil, other then brushing my patties with a drop of olive oil.....

The only prep work for this recipe is to wash and soak 1 cup Sabudana (Topica) overnight for soft and smoother texture.

Cook time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Serves: 10 small size patties

Ingredients:

2 medium boiled potatoes 

1 cup washed and soaked sabudana (topica) - over night

handful of peanuts 

handful of finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 tsp red chilly powder

2-3 green chillies 

1 tsp powdered cumin seeds

Sendha or Himalayan Black salt - to taste

Steps: 

1. Dry roast peanuts in a non stick pan and lightly crush them.
   
2. In a large bowl mash the boiled potatoes and add all the ingredients including crushed peanuts and Sabudana (Topica) to it. Mix well. 
   
3. Preheat the oven to 375 degree F. Roll out the patties using bare hands (use gloves) and line them up on a baking tray. Spray some oil olive (I use PAM) or lightly brush top of the patties with olive oil before baking .
   
4. Bake for 40 minutes, turning the patties every 15 minutes or till golden brown.
   
5. Serve your patty with Greek yogurt dip over a cup of tea or coffee. 

Enjoy another healthy way of eating sabudana, the Baked way :) from my kitchen to yours. 

Sugarless Dried Cranberries & Sesame Laddus (Ball shaped sweet/dessert)

These days I am tempted to try out new and healthy recipes. Today I had my 'sugarless' light bulb, light up on me. I felt like eating laddu's however didn't want to get store bought stuff. I opened my pantry and saw a pack of dried cranberries that was sitting there untouched since I last used it. Cranberries are quiet sweet (tastes just like Kishmish/Dried Raisins) and if used in a dessert, you don't really have to use SUGAR......

I love sesame laddu's and so I decided to add my own twist to it;  'the SUGARLESS way' by using dried cranberries and coconut for added flavors.

So here you are. Unleash your kitchen's potential as I did with no prep time.

Cook time: 20-25 minutes
Servings: makes 10 laddu's (medium size)

Ingredients:
2 cups dried cranberries
2 cups white sesame seeds
1 cup dry shredded cococut
1/2 cup powdered coconut - for texture
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/3 cup chopped pistachio
1/4 cup 1% milk - for binding
1/2 tsp green cardamom powder

Steps:

1. Finely chop 2 cups of dried cranberries.
   
2. Dry roast sesame seeds for 1-2 minutes in a non-stick pan on medium heat or until it's light golden color.
   
3. Cool off the sesame seeds and lightly grind them for a few seconds. Make sure you don't grind them too thin. 
   
4. Dry roast the shredded coconut in a non-stick pan for about a minute or 2.
5. In a blender, grind all the nuts with cardamom powder and milk to thin consistency along with sesame seeds, cranberries and shredded coconut.
6. Transfer the mixture in a big bowl and mix well with hands (use gloves). 
7. Take small amount of mixture and roll with your hands to form shape of a ball or laddu. 
8. Once done making balls, roll the laddu/balls in powdered coconut to add texture to it. 
   
   

Enjoy the yummy goodness - "SUGARLESS" laddus/balls, FooDeeva way with lots of flavors and added color from dried cranberries; as a dessert this navrati season with a cup of tea or coffee. 

Guilt-free Cucumber rolls

Here is a guilt-free Navrati food recipe I came up with last night. I didn't feel like frying and was looking for a healthy alternative, so thought of trying something new. I always make these cucumber rolls as an appetizer, and decided to give it a twist with some Indian flavors. What better way to enjoy same food during festivities without being fried????

It turned out deelicious for me and I gobbled 6 of these. How many will you??

The only prep work I had to do is to wash and soak Sabudana (1 cup) for at least 6-7 hours.

Ingredients:
1 large seedless cucumber - washed and patted dry
Soaked Sabudana (1 cup)
1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tsp lemon juice
1 pinch crushed black pepper
1 tsp red chilly pepper
3 tbsp Greek Yogurt
Salt to taste (I used Sendha Namak)

Steps:

1. Thinly slice cucumber lengthwise. Please see the picture below
   
2. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl and get ready to roll.
   
3. Place 1 or 1 1/2 tsp of mixture at one end of the cucumber slices and roll up. You can secure the roll with a toothpick or can simply place it on a plate. If not serving immediately, chill until ready to serve.
4. Enjoy the guilt-free way of enjoying the festival.