Quick fix sandwich

This is a variant of a snack that my roomie used to make for us... and I love it! Easy no nonsense healthy snack.. sometimes good enough for lunch :)

You need:

• 4 Slices of brown bread


• 2 thin slices of fresh paneer (cottage cheese) slightly smaller than the bread slices. Make sure the paneer is fresh and elastic and does not crumble


• 4 tbsp of thick dahi (curd)


• 1 green chilly - finely chopped (optional)


• 1 cup of finely chopped capsicum, onion and tomato


• red chilly powder - 1 tsp


• mustard powder - 1 tsp (alternatively use mustard sauce)


• salt to taste


• Butter to toast

How to:

• Put the curd, red chilly powder, mustard powder, salt in a small plate with edges and mix well.


• Marinate the vegetables and paneer in this mix for 30 minutes


• Take a slice of bread and place the marinated paneer on it. Add some vegetables from the marinate and cover with the second slice. Press lightly to seal it


• Heat a griddle and add some butter. Place the sandwich on the griddle and toast till golden brown. Turn to the other side and toast again.


• Repeat with the other 2 slices and the leftover mixture


• Serve hot with ketchup

Paneer Bhurji

This is a quick fix healthy dish. Just heavenly with hot rotis.
You need:
Paneer (cottage cheese) - 250 gms - crumble it with your hands
Onions - 2 medium - finely chopped
Tomatoes - 2 medium - finely chopped
A handful of boiled green peas (optional)
A handful of finely chopped capsicum (optional)
Green chilly -1 finely chopped (add 2 if you want to spice it up)
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp (or 1 if you are really looking for low oil)
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp (or spice it up if want)
Salt

How to:
Heat oil in a pan (preferably non stick if you are using less oil). Temper the cumin seeds and add the onions. Fry till they start turning brown. Add the peas and capsicum if you are using them and cook for a minute. Add the tomatoes and cook till soft. Add all the remaning ingredients except paneer and cook till the oil leaves sides. You will have to stir often to avoid the mixture sticking at the bottom of the pan. Add the paneer in the end and mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot :)

Crunchy Veg Salad

The health conscious are making me bow to their wishes! So here is a salad that I like to munch on when I am looking for a light eat.

You need:

• Lettuce - 1 cup torn leaves
• Cucumber - 1/2 cup diced
• Tomato - 1 diced and seeds removed
• Onion - 1 finely chopped
• Cottage cheese - 1/2 cup cut into small pieces
• Feta cheese (optional) - just a little bit to sprinkle
• Walnuts - a handful of small pieces
• Black olives - a handful
• Bread cruotons - 1 handful
• Juice of one lemon
• Chilli Vinegar - 1 tbsp
• White pepper - 1 tsp (if you don't have it opt for black pepper)
• Olive oil - 1 tsp
• Honey - 1 tsp
• Fresh coriander leaves - to garnish
• Salt - to taste

Mix everything together, toss well and serve immediately.

Spicy Paneer Pakode

This is a perfect snack for a rainy day with a cup of tea or at a casual gathering over a few drinks.

Paneer (cottage cheese) 100 gms cut into cubes (or any shape you prefer really)

Green Chillies - 4-5 finely chopped

Besan (Gram flour) - 1 cup

Chaat masala - 1 tbsp

Saunf (fennel seeds) - 2 tsp

Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp (optional)

Red chilli pd - to taste

Salt - to taste

Oil for frying

Add everything together except paneer and oil. Mix well and add water to make a thick batter. Add paneer cubes and let it stand for a while. Heat oil in a deep pan and fry the pakodas till golden brown. Serve with green chutney/ ketchup

You may also add chopped onions to the batter for a different taste.

Besan Chila with Paneer filling

This is one of my favorite recipes because it is easy to make, quite filling and healthy too. Just one caution, if you are not used to making dosas's and chila's start with a nonstick pan.


For the Chila
Besan (gram flour) - 1 cup
Zeera (cumin seeds) - 1 pinch
Heeng (asafoetida) - 1 pinch
Saunf (fennel seeds) - 1 tsp
Eno - 1 tsp (optional)
Salt and red chilly powder to taste
Oil to cook

For the Filling
Paneer - 1/2 cup grated
Tomato - 1 small - finely chopped
Onion - 1 small - finely chopped
Green Chilly - 1 finely chopped
Few coriander leaves - chopped
salt to taste

Mix everything for the filling together and keep aside

Mix everything for the chila together (except oil) and add water to make a batter. It should be of a dripping consistency and easy to spread.

Heat a nonstick pan and brush it with oil. Spread a thin layer of chila batter on it in a round shape.

Cook on one side till brown and flip over to the other side. Cook for 30 seconds and flip over again. Put a portion of the filling mixture on the less cooked side and fold the chila in half.

Serve hot with green chutney and tomato ketchup.