Vegetable Frankie

Veg. Frankie is slowly becoming very popular on streets of Mumbai. The recipe presented here is of Indian style. It is healthy food because it contains lot vegetables and rolled in wheat flour. Kids who do not like to eat vegetables will love to eat VEG. FRANKIE.

Ingredients:

For the Rotis:

Wheat Flour - 1 cup

Oil - 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Luke warm water

For the Filling:

Onion - 1 finely chopped

Tomato - 1 finely chopped

Green Bell Pepper (Capsicum) - 1 finely chopped

Cabbage - 2 tbsp shredded

Carrot - 2 tbsp shredded

Coriander Leaves for garnishing

Tamarind & Date Chutney - 1/2 cup

Green Chutney - 1/2 cup

Lemon Juice to taste

Salt to taste

Grated Cheese

Method:

For making the Rotis:

Take the flour in a big bowl and add salt and oil to it and mix it well. Now add the luke warm water, little at a time and make smooth dough. Keep aside for 15 mins. After 15 mins roll the dough into lemon size balls and flatten these balls with wooden roller on wooden surface to make chapatis.

Heat the tava and cook the roti only one side don't flip the roti. Pour oil around the roti. Lift up the edge of the roti lightly to check if its cooked well. If you see light brown sports your roti is ready. Remove from flame and keep inside the covered box, so roti remains soft. Perform this with all the balls and keep aside.

For the Filling:

Take a bowl put all the vegetables, salt and lemon juice, mix it well and garnish with coriander leaves. Your filling is ready. Now we go to the assembly of the wraps.

Heat the tava, place the uncooked side of the roti and cook on low heat. Now place a spoonful of the filling in center of the roti. Top it with some tamarind and green chutney according to your taste. Put some cheese. Now fold the either sides of the roti in an over lapping manner. Remove from the tava and serve hot with tomato ketchup.

Note:

Instead of rotis you can also use readymade wheat or corn Tortillas.

Handvo

Handvo is a delicious gujrati snacks. It is considered to be a low fat healthy diet and often taken as an evening snacks and also eaten while on long drive. Handvo is favourite dish at my home so I often make it for dinner. You all will love it too, I am pretty much sure.

Ingredients:
Handva flour - 2 cups
buttermilk - 3 cups
Bottle gourd - 1/2 cup
Carrot shredded - 3 tsp
spinach leaves - 1/4 cup
Green chillies - 2 finely chopped
Garlic cloves - 4 to 5
Ginger paste - 1/2 tsp
Fruit salt - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1/2 tsp

For Tempering:
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Sesame seeds - 2 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Channa Dal - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:
Take a handva flour in a large vessel add salt, soda (fruit salt), buttermilk and mix well. Cover the vessel and set aside for 6 to 7 hours for fermentation.

Grate the bottle gourd (you can use zucchini or cabbage instead of bottle gourd) and squeeze out all excess water. Do this after the fermentation is done. Now add all the vegetables, spices and green chillies to the flour mixture.

Heat oil in a pan, add urad & channa dals, mustard seeds and half of sesame seeds allow to splutter, then pour half of it into the batter and mix thoroughly.

Backing:
Put in a greased oven proof deep container. Pour remaining seasoning and sesame seeds on the top. Place in a preheated oven at 350 degree F for 10 mins. Then reduce to 300 and bake for another 30 mins until done. Check by inserting a toothpick, which should come out clean. Slice into wedges and serve hot with tomato ketchup and green chutney.

Bitter gourd with lentils

Bitter gourd has a good medical benefits and hence I prefer this dish for a healthy diet. Also Lentils (Dal) is good source of protein. Bitter gourd has proven medical benefits for diabetic patients and I would suggest all to eat this dish atleast in a week to remain healthy.

Ingredients:
Bitter gourd(karela) - 100 gm
Tur dal - 100 gm
Tomatoes - 2 big size
Green chillies - 8 to 9 (acc. to taste)
Oil - 3 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
pinch of Asafoetida (hing)
Lemon juice - 3 tbsp
Sugar or Jaggery - 2 tbsp (optional)
Salt to taste

Method:
Soak the tur dal for 1 hour, after that microwave for 5 to 6 mins on high so it becomes soft but not like smooth dal and keep aside. Peel and cut the bitter gourd into long slices and remove the seeds. Soak into salted water for 1/2 hour for reducing the bitterness.

Drain the excess water from the bitter gourd and place over the tissue paper. Split the chillies, cut the tomatoes into medium size pieces and keep aside. Heat the oil into a pan, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and hing. Now add small green chillies and fry for 1 min, after that add dry bitter gourd slices in it, cook into medium flame for 5 mins and add turmeric powder. When bitter gourd slices become crispy then add red chilli powder and salt in it. After that add cook tur dal in it and mix it, cook into low flame for 3 mins. Now add chopped tomatoes and garam masala in it. Cook on medium flame until tomatoes mix with curry very well. Now add sugar or jaggery alongwith lemon juice, mix it well and then turn off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with hot chapati and banana or serve with dal and rice.

Enjoy your meal !!!