SOYA CHEESE BALLS

Soya chunks are made from soy beans and for vegans to meet their nutritional value it is best alternative to meat derivatives. It comes in dry form, but when boiled in water it becomes spongy. It absorbs sauces, flavours and spices.

Soya chunks are highly nutritional and full of rich proteins, calcium and iron. They are odorless and tasteless. They are used in soups, strew, masala dishes, salads etc. They come in the form of regular chunks, mini chunks and granules.

The recipe given below is my own creation, it is a healthy and tasty snack which can be served as an evening snack to kids or served as a party appetiser.

INGREDIENTS

• Soya mini granules 3/4 teacup
• Mozzarella- cheddar cheese 50 gm
• Oregano seasoning 1-2 tsp
• Boiled Potato  1
• Garlic paste 2 tsp
• Wheat bread slices 4
• Coriander leaves chopped 1 tbsp
• Pepper 1-2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Refined oil for deep frying
• Olive oil 2 tsp
• Flour/maida. 2 tbsp

METHOD

Blend the bread slices in the blender to a fine powder. Keep it aside.

Boil the Soya granules, when it becomes soft, turn off the heat. When it cools down squeeze it nicely and blend in a blender to a fine powder.

Heat a deep pan or kadai , add two tsp olive oil and on low heat add garlic paste and sauté for a minute or till raw smell disappears.

Add the mashed potato and powdered Soya chunks , finely chopped coriander leaves, season with oregano, salt and pepper and incorporate it well on low heat for five minutes. Turn off the heat.

Let the above mixture cool down. Mix 1/3 rd of the bread crumbs into the mixture and mix well.

Roll the mixture into small lemon size balls, make a depression with ur finger in each ball and stuff a small cube of cheese inside it and roll it back. Repeat the same procedure with the rest of the balls.

Make a paste of water and maida 1:1 ratio. Dip or roll the balls into the maida paste and then take it out and roll out the same balls into the bread crumbs which has been spread in a plate. Gently press the balls.

Heat oil in a deep pan and deep fry the balls. Make sure that cheese does not ooze out of the balls while deep frying.

Serve hot with tomato sauce.

QUICHE TOAST CUPS

Quiche is an open face pastry crust in which custard, meat or vegetables are used as filling. It is a kind of savoury which can be served hot or cold. It is a part of french cuisine but popular in other countries.

I have used sandwich bread to make the toast cups, instead of pastry. Mushrooms, capsicum , cheese and egg are added as filling. Fresh bread should be used instead of stale bread to make toast cups. Bread slices has to be flattened and then toasted in the oven, then filling has to be added, here i have used mushrooms. On top of that cheese and on top of it egg mixture is added. Oregano seasoning and coriander leaves which are mixed in egg mixture, gives out a nice flavour. As soon as the egg mixture is added it has to straight away go into the oven for 12- 15 minutes or the cups will absorb the egg and become soggy. Rest it and serve warm.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE FILLING

Mushroom     100 gm
Garlic               5-6 pods
Capsicum        1
Pepper             1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Olive oil           2 tsp

OTHER INGREDIENTS

Cheese grated(cheddar)  6-8 tbsp
Wheat bread slice 6
Egg                 1
Milk                2 tbsp
Oregano         1-2 tsp
Coriander leaves
Salt to taste
Pepper            1/2 tsp
Olive oil           1 tbsp

METHOD

Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a deep pan/ kadai. Add chopped garlic and sauté for a minute on medium heat. Add finely chopped capsicum and on medium heat sauté for a minute.

Add chopped mushrooms and sauté for 3 minutes on medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat. Keep it aside.

In a bowl add an egg,  1 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves/parsley, oregano seasoning, 2 tbsp milk, salt and pepper. Keep it aside.

Cut bread into round shape. I have used a steel cap to cut the bread into rounds.

Use a rolling pin to flatten the bread.

Preheat oven at 180 degree Celsius.

Grease the muffin molds with olive oil. Press the flattened bread into the molds and bake it for 3 minutes. Just toast it dry , don't brown it.

Take it out from the oven. Divide the mushroom mixture into six equal parts and add to the toast cups.

Add 1 tbsp cheese(cheddar cheese or any other melting cheese) on top of the mushroom mixture. Then add 1- 1 1/2 tbsp egg mixture on top of cheese and immediately keep it to bake in the oven for twelve to fifteen minutes or until it is set.

The toast cups starts absorbing egg mixture so it has to be kept immediately in the oven.

Take it out of the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

SPICY SOUTH INDIAN MIXTURE

Mixture is a very popular Indian snack. It is prepared during Diwali. In states of India like Tamilnadu and kerala it is known as just "mixture". Mixture is sold in bakeries and sweet shops. As the name suggests it is a mix of lot of ingredients. Usually omapodi, karaboondhi, peanuts, curry leaves etc are added.

In this recipe I have added omapodi, curry leaves, peanuts, raisins and maida biscuits.

INGREDIENTS

FOR MAIDA/FLOUR BISCUITS

Maida/flour                       1 tea cup
Powdered sugar               2 tbsp

OTHER INGREDIENTS

Omapodi
Turmeric powder                  2 tsp
Aval/flattened rice/poha   1 tea cup
Roasted peanut                      1/2 tea cup
Raisins                                       1/4 teacup
Curry leaves                            3 sprig
Refined oil for deep frying
Chilli powder as required
Salt to taste

METHOD

Heat a deep frying pan add the peanuts, reduce the heat on low, keep on stirring till they are done ( when you rub in your hand the skin will come off). Let it cool down. Remove the skin and keep the peanuts aside. Or you can buy roasted peanuts.

Add maida and powdered sugar into a bowl. Add little water at a time and make a dough like chappathi dough. Rest it for an hour.

Divide the dough into two balls. Roll each ball into a disk shape about 4 cm in diameter with a rolling pin. While rolling out add little maida on the pin and board.  Cut it out in 1 cm square shape. Carefully take out one by one square shaped maida and keep it in a plate. Keep it aside.

The recipe for omapodi is given here. ahaaafood.com/omapodi-sev/

In the same oil fry the maida biscuits in two batches till golden brown on medium heat. Drain in a kitchen towel. Keep it aside.

Take the same frying pan discard the oil, heat fresh oil and add 1 tsp  turmeric and fry the aval in batches. It takes 5-10 seconds. Drain excess oil in kitchen towel and keep it aside.

Fry the curry leaves  until crisp in the oil. Keep it in a plate.

Take a large bowl add curry leaves, peanuts, raisins and aval. Mix it well. Add chilli powder and salt. Mix it well. Break the omapodi and mix everything well.

When everything cools down, store in an air tight container.

Serve with hot tea.

OMAPODI / SEV

Omapodi is an easy Indian snack or savoury which is usually made during Diwali. It is also one of the main ingredient of south Indian mixture. Omapodi/sev is used to make chaat too.

In this recipe chickpea flour is made into a dough. Carom seeds and roasted cumin powder enhances the flavour of omapodi. This is a salt version , add chilli and you have a spicy version of omapodi.

INGREDIENTS

Besan/chick pea flour         1 teacup
Rice flour                                 1/2 teacup
Carom seeds/ajwain            1/2 tsp
Roasted jeera powder         1/2 tsp
Butter                                         1 tbsp
Oil for deep frying                           
Salt to taste

METHOD

In a bowl mix Besan, butter, jeera powder, ajwain and salt. Add little water at a time and make like a chappathi dough.

   

 Put the dough in the equipment(Nazhi ) with the correct chip. I have used the finer chip with lot of holes.

Heat oil for deep frying in a frying pan/kadhai. Divide the dough into 3-4 ball. When the oil becomes hot put one dough in the equipment.

The dough will come down from the bottom in thin noodle shape into the oil.  When it becomes slightly brown drain and take it out into a kitchen towel.  Repeat for the rest of thd dough. Fry in batches 3-4 times.

Serve hot with tea.

SPICY SOUTH INDIAN MIXTURE

Mixture is a very popular Indian snack. It is prepared during Diwali. In states of India like Tamilnadu and kerala it is known as just "mixture". Mixture is sold in bakeries and sweet shops. As the name suggests it is a mix of lot of ingredients. Usually omapodi, karaboondhi, peanuts, curry leaves etc are added.

For recipe   http://ahaaafood.com/spicy-south-indian-mixture-e/