What's on Your Plate? Day #15 - Eggless Chocolate Banana Peanut butter Bars

Ever since the #stayinplace orders have been enforced I haven’t had a chance to bake at all since the focus has been on cooking :) My boys were probably missing all the baked treats they were regularly getting so my younger one insisted I bake something today and he also wanted to learn to bake. So I figured I’d make something simple for him to follow and help with. He did help measure and mix and he very very eagerly waited for it to be baked and cooled so he could eat..or devour in this case! :D 

These eggless Chocolate Banana Peanut butter bars are easy to put together and Peanut butter is a tasty crunchy addition. I had bananas that were way past their prime and crunchy peanut butter on hand, so that they went together. I thoroughly enjoy peanuts on a chocolate sundae so figured they would taste good together. Tasty amalgamation indeed!

You will need:

3/4 cup All-purpose flour
1/4 cup Cocoa powder + 1 tbsp
1/4 tsp Salt
2 large ripe bananas
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
 1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/4 cup Chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter an 8”x8” square baking pan. Dust with a tablespoon of cocoa powder. You can use plain flour too.

In a bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Add the sugar, melted butter and vanilla. Whisk well until combined. Sift flour, salt and cocoa powder over this banana mixture and combine well. Warm the peanut butter in the microwave for a few seconds until easy to mix. Add to the prepared batter and combine well.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Top with chocolate chips.

Bake for 30- 35 minutes. Cool completely before slicing. You can also chill the whole pan before cutting into bars.We of course couldn’t wait until  they were chilled and went for these bars right away. These were incredibly delicious and had to stop everyone from eating all of it! 

These bars would taste great with some vanilla ice cream too….yum!!

What's on Your Plate? Day #13 - Veg. Dum Biryani

I have shared several recipes for Biryani before, this is a slightly elaborate version and requires an hour at least to make. Getting the ingredients in place helps immensely. It’s for one of those days when you are in the mood for elaborate cooking :) The efforts are well worth it!Simple ingredients, but very big on flavor.

You will need:

2 cups Basmati rice
4 cloves
2 Green cardamom
1” Cinnamon stick
2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Ghee
3 1/4 cups Water

1 potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp Oil, divided
1 tbsp chopped Cilantro

To grind:
1” piece Ginger, peeled
6 pods Garlic
4 green chillies
1/4 cup Mint leaves
1/4 cup Cilantro

1 cup tomato puree (from fresh tomato)
1/4 cup plain yoghurt
2 tsp Garam masala (make sure it's fragrant and not old)
1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
2 tbsp Oil

To boil/steam:
1/2 cup chopped green beans
1/2 cup carrots, cut into 1” strips
1 cup Cauliflower florets
1/2 cup Green peas

Rinse the rice well until the water runs clear. Soak in water for 30 minutes. Drain and add 3 1/4 cups water, the dry spices, salt and ghee. Cook until done and set aside too cool.

In a pan, heat 1 tbsp oil.Add the cubed potato and cook on high heat, tossing every now and then to crisp on all sides. Remove from heat. In the same pan, heat the other 1 tbsp of oil and add the sliced onions. Sauce on medium high until onions are browned and almost crispy. Set aside.

Prep the veggies and boil or steam them until 3/4th done.

Lightly butter a large oven safe dish. Preheat oven to 350F.

Grind the listed ingredients. Heat oil in a pan and then add the ground paste. Saute for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Now add the tomato puree and the steamed veggies. Add garam masala, red chili powder and salt to taste. Combine and bring to a simmering boil. Lightly whisk the yoghurt and add to the gravy. Bring to a boil and turn off heat.

Assembly:

Spread half the rice in the prepared baking pan. Pour the prepared gravy on top. Top with the remaining rice. Spread the prepared potato, onions and chopped cilantro on top. Drizzle a tbsp of ghee on top. Cover with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes. This basically allows the rice to soak in the flavors of the gravy. 

Remove from oven, let sit for 10 minutes, Remove foil and then lightly mix the rice. Serve hot with a cucumber raita. i also served it with hard boiled eggs on the side which you can leave out if you want to keep this true vegetarian. 

What's on Your Plate? Day #4 - Egg Hakka Noodles

My boys love eggs & noodles and this makes it easy to sneak some veggies in as well. This makes for a quick meal any day. The eggs can be left out to make an all vegetarian version. We enjoy Indo-Chinese dishes at home, and I do like the texture and taste of Ching's Hakka noodles (available at Indian/Asian stores) 

Ingredients:

2 packs Ching’s Hakka noodles (Veg. or Egg)
4 tbsp Oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 carrot, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup cabbage, shredded
3 Garlic pods, finely chopped
1/2 tsp Black pepper powder

1/4 tsp Red chili flakes (optional)
Salt to taste
1 1/2 tbsp light Soya sauce
1/4 tsp White Vinegar
1/2 tsp Sesame oil
2-3 eggs
Chopped scallions (green onions)

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Break the eggs into a bowl and lightly whisk with a fork. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Once the oil is hot, add the eggs and stir to scramble. Cook on low heat, once done, remove into a clean bowl.

Cook noodles as per package instructions. Drain and drizzle little oil on the noodles. Toss and set aside.

Heat remaining oil in a Wok (or a wide pan). Add the chopped garlic and sauté for a few seconds until fragrant. Now add the carrots & bell peppers. Sauté on high heat for 2 mins. Now add the onions and lastly the cabbage. Cook until done. My boys don’t like it crunchy so I cook them through but you can cook until partially done. Now add the salt & pepper, vinegar and soya sauce. Combine and then add the cooked noodles & sesame oil. Toss well to combine. Lastly add the scrambled egg & toss. Turn off heat. Top with chopped scallions.

What's on Your Plate? Day #1 - Tuar & Masoor Garlic Dal

A lot has happened since December and even if you have been living under a rock there has been no escaping what's happening around us. Hope everyone is staying safe & more importantly staying home whichever part of the world you are in. Here in the US where we live, schools have been closed and companies have mandated work from home where possible. It’s been over a week of staying home and I’ll be honest, it has been an exhausting week coping with changed routines, home schooling my boys and making sure everyone gets their snacks & meals on time. Though the kids & hubby are relaxed with no rigid schedules and are not being rushed to be anywhere at any given time, my work on the other hand has only just begun!

The hardest part has always been deciding what to cook, once the decision is made though, I’m in and out of the kitchen fairly quickly. I figured having a list on hand will speeden things up and make the following weeks a little less stressful. Keeping this in mind I thought it would be good idea to post what I make in my kitchen everyday and in the process help others struggling like me in deciding what to make. Presenting “What’s on Your Plate ?” series, my humble attempt to bring food from my kitchen to yours!

I have been documenting what I’ve made this past week, I cannot assure you stellar food pictures but can certainly promise great tasting recipes! Hopefully this series will motivate you to cook, get your kids and family to join you in the kitchen, eat healthy home cooked meals and create special memories in this time of quarantine. Food has never failed to bring families together!

Kicking off the series with a heart warming Dal and a vegetable side - Tuar & Masoor Garlic Dal with Spicy Potato, Peas & Bell pepper. 

Tuar & Masoor Garlic Dal
Ingredients

Pressure cook:
Tuar dal 1/2 cup, washed drained
Masoor dal 1/2 cup, washed drained
1/4 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp oil 
3 cups Water

2 tbsp Ghee/Oil
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
3 Green chilies, slit lengthwise
Few curry leaves
6 pods Garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Red chili powder (cayenne) 
Salt to taste
Chopped cilantro

Soak the dals in water for 15 minutes. Add turmeric and oil and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Cool and set aside. 

Heat ghee (or oil) in  a pan. Add cumin seeds. Then add the green chillies,  curry  leaves and chopped garlic. Cook until garlic is done, but not brown. Add the chopped and saute until soft and translucent. Then add the chopped tomatoes,  cumin powder and red chili powder. You can omit the red chili powder or adjust to taste. Cook until tomatoes are done and then add the boiled dals. Combine well, season with salt and bring to a simmering boil. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Top with chopped cilantro and serve hot with rice or rotis. 

Spicy Potato, Peas & Bell Pepper: 
Ingredients:

1 large potato, peeled & cubed
1 cup bell pepper, cubed
1/2 cup Peas (frozen or fresh) 
2 tbsp Oil + 1 tbsp
1/4 tsp Mustard seeds
1/4 tsp Cumin seeds
2 tsp Ginger Garlic paste
1 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Red chili powder (Cayenne)
Salt to taste
Chopped Cilantro

Boil peas and set aside. Heat 2 tbsp of oil, add the cubed potatoes and cook until potatoes are crisp. Flip occasionally to allow cooking on all sides. Remove to a plate. In the same pan, add more oil and heat. Add cumin seeds and mustard seeds. When it begins to splutter, add the ginger garlic paste and cook for a few seconds. Add the cubed bell pepper and cook until soft and done. Now add the cumin powder, coriander powder & red chili powder. Add the cooked potatoes and combine well. Season with salt. Cook for 2 minutes. Turn off heat, top with chopped cilantro. Serve hot. 

Hope you enjoy making this heart meal!