Gujarati Kadhi

 A very popular mixture, made with simple ingredients, the Gujrati Kadhi is a good accompaniment with rice, khichdi. An integral part of the Gujarati thali, this gravy has a sweet and tangy taste. Light on the tummy, I like to have this with Yellow Moong Dal and Cabbage Subzi. Usually white in color, I like it yellow to make it interesting for the kids.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Sour Yogurt / Curd (Regular curd is also fine, but if sour adds a different taste)
• 2 tbsp Besan (Chana Flour)
• 2 cups Water
• 1 spoon Sugar
• Salt to taste
• 4-5 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tbsp Ginger - Chilly Paste
• Few Coriander leaves, finely chopped

For the tempering

• 1 tbsp Oil
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds (Rai)
• 4-5 Curry Leaves
• 1 pinch Turmeric powder (Haldi) (Optional)
• 1 pinch Red Chilly Powder 

Method

• In a saucepan, mix the curd, besan, water and whisk well. Make sure there are no lumps.
• Add salt, sugar, ginger chilly paste, cloves, and cinnamon and mix well
• Cook on a medium flame until a full boil comes. Stir continuously.
• In another pan, heat oil and add all the ingredients for the tempering
• Add the tempering to the Kadhi mixture and mix well
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice

Chunky Basil Pesto

 By now, all of you know our love for Italian cuisine. We tried the chunky basil pesto over the weekend and had it generously spread out on our sandwich.

Pesto basil leaves and pine nuts are key to making this as authentic as possible. Flavored with garlic, fresh parmesan, and lots of olive oil, this preparation can be used as a sauce for your pasta, a spread, or a dip.

Ingredients

• 1 pack pesto basil leaves,  washed and cleaned
• 1 cup of pine nuts,  lightly toasted 
• 3-4 garlic pods
• 1 tbsp freshly grated parmesan/store-bought
• 1/2 tbsp Grated Lemon Wedges
• 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

• In a food processor, mix all the ingredients and grind to a coarse paste
• Store in a glass container and refrigerate

Grilled Paneer Sandwich

 One question that bothers me every evening these days, What's for dinner? With two kids under 4, a never-ending lockdown, satisfying our taste buds can be a challenge sometimes. My hubby came up with a demand to include more protein in our meals and thus came up with the recipe of Grilled Paneer Sandwich. Few ingredients, quick to prep, combine well with mixed vegetable soup or our favorite Cream of Spinach Soup.  

Ingredients

• 1/2 slab of Paneer, cut into rectangular thin strips
• 1/2 Yellow Bell Pepper, cut into rectangular thin strips
• Lettuce Leaves
• Whole wheat / Multigrain bread
• Butter as preferred
• Mozrella Cheese Slices
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp Oil

Method

• Heat oil in a pan, and fry the Paneer Strips and Bell Pepper strips, until they have a nice golden brown coating.
• Take the bread slices, apply butter on both upside down
• Layer with lettuce leaves, paneer and bell pepper strips
• Sprinkle salt and pepper and layer with a mozrella cheese slice
• Grill until golden brown on a pan / griller / sandwich maker. I prefer a grill pan for my use
• Serve hot with a soup for a full meal, snack or cut into bite size squares and serve as an appetizer