Brussel Sprouts Spinach Cheela (Vegan Breakfast)

 Cheela or Besan ka cheela is a popular brekfast  in North India made from gramflour known as Besan . There are many variants in making cheela ,can be plain with just basic spices used for flavoring or we can add in some finely chopped veggies and make it a healthier version .

Cheela makes for a very filling breakfast and also a perfect lunch box option.  Gramflour is certainly a magic ingredient which makes the recipe absolutely delicious and tasty . This morning it was raining and chilly making us want to indulge in something that would pep us up for the day and we dint want to have anything deep fried ,so that's how this healthy breakfast was made .

I generally make Tomato Omlettes which are a very popular Street food in Bombay, today this cheela was kind off fusion recipe where I used finely chopped Brussel Sprouts and spinach in the recipe. I used my mini  uttapam pan to make bite sized cheelas just for fun and fancy sake but you can always use the regular dosa pan to make them . If you don't have Brussel sprouts you can also used finely chopped cabbage mixed to the batter.

Brussel sprouts belong to the cabbage family and very popular in western countries.  Brussel sprouts are a good source of vit C and vit K . Exercise medical caution if you are on any kind of medication or blood thinners before using Brussel sprouts . Also,they have a slightly strong odor and turn rubbery when over cooked ,hence donot overcook and keep and eye while cooking 

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Cooking Time - 20 mins

Complexity - simple

Serves - 3 to 4

Ingredients 

2 cups gramflour/besan

2.5 cups water 

2 tsp red chilli powder 

1 tsp crushed ajwain /carom seeds

1 finely chopped green chilli 

1/2 cup Brussel sprouts finely chopped 

1/4 cup spinach finely chopped 

Handful of corriander and mint finely chopped 

Salt as needed

Finely grated ginger 

Pinch of asafoetida 

Oil to roast the cheelas

Method

• In a wide mixing bowl prepare a lump free batter using the gramflour. 
• Add the red chilli powder, salt, asafoetida,ginger, crushed carom seeds, chopped Brussel Sprouts, spinach and the mint + corriander and mix well.
• Adjust salt and spices if needed and let the batter rest for 15 mins . The batter should be of pouring consistency like that of dosa batter. 
• Heat the pan and pour the batter from center and slightly spread it outside.  Keep it slightly thick and don't spread it too thin. 
• Drizzle oil around the cheela and let it cook on medium flame . Gramflour takes a while to cook,so don't rush into flipping it over .
• Once the top side appears dry,carefully flip it over and cook the underside .
• Take it off the pan and serve it with tomato ketchup or green chutney.  You can also grate some cheese or slather some butter when serving it to kids.  

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Macaroni Mango Kheer | Pasta Mango payasam - Fusion recipe

 If you ever thought that pasta can only be used in Italian cuisine, then I suggest,you must definitely try this kheer or paysam made from Mac / elbow pasta which is infused with the flavor of Mango and lots of dry fruits . 

Perfectly cooked pasta simmered in milk, sugar and flavored with dryfruits and mango puree is an absolutely royal and rich experience you will feel as you savor spoonfuls from your bowl . You can also use Penne ,but Mac suits best as it is small and easy to enjoy in kheer/Payasam when scooped using a spoon.

We at home love Vermicelli a.k.a Semia Payasam and its a dessert that I make frequently. Once, while making semia paysam I was cooking pasta for dinner simultaneously and that's when it struck to me why not try making kheer using boiled pasta ?? The idea just kept getting pushed away but yesterday I finally decided I have to make this before the mango puree got polished off . 

Fusion cooking is fun as we get to explore an array of ingredients as well as cuisines too . I too have a good share of experiments with Fusion some which are a hit while some are miss . Some fusion hits from my blog for you to try 

Pavbhaji Pasta 

Kulcha Pizza 

Adai Pizza 

Talking of fusion,I must say Chinese Poha from Radha's blog is a burst of flavors and a true Indo Chinese fusion that will hit the right notes in our tastes buds .

Preparation Time -  15 mins
Cooking Time - 30 to 40 mins
Serves - 3 to 4
Complexity - simple

Ingredients 

1/4 cup uncooked pasta 
2 cups boiled milk 
1/2 cup sugar ( adjust depending on need)
1 cup mango puree .
1 tbsp ghee /clarified butter 
Pinch of cardamom powder 
Few strands of saffron
Assorted dry fruits- roasted and powdered 

Method 

** While making the mango puree ensure the mangoes are sweet and not tart(sour) .Tart mango will curdle the kheer . Add a little sugar while pureeing if the mango is not very sweet.

• Boil the pasta in sufficient water with a tsp of ghee until the pasta is al dente, donot over cook. Strain the excess water using a colander and run it under cold water to stop the cooking process.
• In a thick pan ,heat 2 tsp of ghee and lightly saute the cooked pasta till you get a nice aroma . Add in the milk and continue until the milk begins to reduce and turn thick .keep stirring and cook on low flame as we don't want the milk to stick to the bottom and burn.
• As the milk begins to reduce add the sugar , cardamom powder, dry fruits powder, saffron strands and continue cooking further.  The kheer will again appear to become to liquidy as the sugar melts . Donot worry ,cooking for another 5 to 7 mins,the milk will thicken and the will get a nice cream color due to reduction. 
• Turn off the stove and let the kheer cool completely before adding the mango puree else the kheer will curdle .
• Add the mango puree and mix with the cooled down kheer . Mix it gently so as to not break the pasta in the kheer . Serve chilled or in room temperature.  

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Kulche wala pizza - A fusion pizza

 I love experimenting with various flavors and cuisines in my kitchen. Some are a super hit and some don't even pass my taste test ..haha !! 

After I tried my hands on Pav Bhaji Pasta which was a hit at home ,I was pondering on how else to infuse Italian flavors in our Desi style cooking.

While the thinking cap was on , my eyes fell on a pizza menu which had paneer Tikka pizza on the cards and that is how my Kulche wala Pizza was born . I was planning to make kulchas to go with a mix veg sabji ,but then I went ahead and tried my hands on this cheesy kulche wala Pizza  which was welcome by all at home .

I have used kulcha as the base and the toppings are in Italian style . So my dear readers , do let me know how you like this recipe and donot forget to try it at your homes too.

What is the difference in Naan and Kulcha ?

• Though Naan and Kulcha fall into the category of Indian Breads, there is a slight difference in the way the dough is prepared. 
• Naan uses yeast as  raising agent while for Kulcha baking powder and baking soda are used. 
• Naan needs good amount of resting time as the yeast needs to react for the dough to raise whereas for Kulcha there is not much resting time. 
• Naan and Kulcha both can be made in the Tandoor but they come out well even on stove top as well .
• In terms of shape, Naan is generally oblong while kulchas are round like rotis .
• Kulchas are easy to make with ingredients available in the pantry and fairly simple for beginners who haven't worked with yeast .

Preparation Time -20 mins
Resting Time - 30 mins
Makes - 3 to 4 pizzas 
Complexity - Medium 

Ingredients 

Kulcha

2 cups whole wheat flour 

1/2 cup maida / APF 

1 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp baking soda 

1/2 cup curd/yogurt

Pinch of salt 

2 tsp oil 

Toppings

Assorted bell peppers cut length wise 

1 tomato deseeded and cut length wise 

1 onion cut length wise (optional) 

Handful of boiled sweet corn 

5 - 6 tbsp pizza sauce 

Mixed herbs /pizza seasoning 

Chilli flakes

1 slab mozzarella cheese 

Method 

How to prepare the Kulcha dough ?

• In a wide mixing bowl, sift all the dry ingredients through a sieve .
• Make a well and add in the curd and mix it with the flour .Slowly add the water and knead it to a soft pliable dough . Donot add too much water 
• Stretch and knead the dough for about 5 to 10 min for the gluten to react well .Apply some oil  and cover with a damp cloth.  Let it rest for 30 mins .

How to make the kulchas for the pizza base ?

• After 30 mins punch the dough ,knead and stretch for another 5 mins.
• Divide the dough to 3 or 4 equal parts.
• Take one part,  dust rolling board and roll the dough into a  base which is neither too thick nor thin .
• Prick the kulcha with a fork ,this enables even cooking. 
• Place this kulcha on a pre heated tava and cook on both sides till it turns slightly brown and looks puffed up .
• Follow this process for the entire dough and keep the kulcha base ready. 

How to prepare the topping and assemble the pizza?

• In a pan ,add a tsp of oil and lightly toss the assorted bell peppers with some salt and set aside .
• Take one kulcha , spread the pizza sauce generously, top it with some mozzarella cheese. 
• Add the vegetable toppings of onions,tomatoes, bellpeppers and sweet corn as per your liking.  You may also use jalapeños and olives too .
• Sprinkle the mixed herbs , chilli flakes ,oregano and add some more mozzarella cheese on the top as much as you like .
• Place this assembled kulcha pizza on a pre heated tawa and cook it covered with a lid until you see the mozzarella cheese melt and cover the entire kulcha pizza .
• Take it off the pan , cut it into slices and serve hot .

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Pav Bhaji Pasta

Pasta is an absolute favorite for kids as well as adults . Though I make the traditional red sauce or white sauce based pasta , today I wanted to try some variation and used pav bhaji masala instead of the usual italian herbs and spices. 

Even when I started making , I never expected it would turn out to be lipsmacking ; juicy and tasty. 

This will definitely be a super hit in Children's parties or even with those who avoid pasta due to the Italian seasonings .

Cheese is optional , you may or may not add it while serving .

I had a spoonful with cheese and without cheese and both tasted equally delicious .

Any shape pasta can be used , I used elbow pasta but penne, twisted or even spaghetti will taste good .

Preparation time - 20 mins

Cooking time - 15 mins

Serves - 2 to 3

Complexity- medium 

Ingredients 

2 cups pasta 

1 medium bell pepper chopped (any color- I used red)

Handful of green peas 

Handful of frozen corn 

1 medium onion chopped (optional)

2 medium tomatoes 

2 tsp pav bhaji masala 

1/2 tsp red chilli powder 

1 green chilie finely chopped 

2 tablespoon butter 

Salt as needed 

Fresh corriander chopped

Method 

• Cook the pasta aldente according to the instructions on the pack .
• Drain the water through a colander and run it under cold water and set aside .
• Boil the corn and peas and keep ready.
• Puree the tomatoes in a blender. 
• In a pan , melt the butter , fry the green chillies and know flame fry the pavbhaji masala and red chilli powder taking care  not to burn .
• If using,Saute the onions in the masala until soft  followed by the bell pepper.  
• Now , add the tomato puree , peas ,corn , some salt and let it cook well till the raw flavor of the tomato is lost .
• Adjust water if needed . After adding the puree cook until it reaches a sauce like consistency. 
• Add the cooked pasta , toss it carefully so that the pasta doesn't break and turn mushy. The sauce must coat the pasta well.
• Lastly garnish with fresh corriander and grated cheese and serve hot.

AdaIzza ( Adai + Pizza ) - Fusion cooking

Adai as all of us know is a very traditional south indian breakfast item prepared using various lentils and rice.  There are various proportions that can be used to prepare the Adai Batter . One such version is already mentioned in my blog . Recipe can be found in this link .

Today , I shall present to you another variation of Adai batter and also the Fusion element of turning the Adai as the base for a south Indian version of Pizza. This variation in the proportion of Lentils to be used for Adai was given to me by one of my aunty friend whom I befriended on a food group in social media . By far the best proportion of Adai that I have come across and it has been a hit in my house ever since.
Thanks Bageerathy Aunty for the recipe :-)

Idli molagai pudi  and Karvepillai podi (Curry leaves powder) replaced the use of Oregano and Chilli flakes . Kids would love to have these cheesy Adais as they resemble bite sized pizzas and also the necessary proteins and veggies can be sneaked in conveniently.

click below for video recipes of
Idli molagaipodi and
Karevpillai podi / Curry leaves powder

Preparation Time : 4-5 hours
Cooking Time : 15-20 mins
Complexity : medium
Serves : 3-4
Batter shelf life - 2 days under refrigeration

Vegetable Hakka Noodles - Indo Chinese

Hubby is a huge fan of Chinese and Asian cuisine and loves to experiment new flavors and restaurants .When in the US, we loved going to a silent and quaint Thai Restaurant in our neighborhood.  I enjoyed eating there as they would happily customize my Fried rice to suit my vegetarian palate .

US of A Memories ...

We were actually missing our Desi Chinese flavors,here in Atlanta . Though we enjoyed the Thai Noodles , Thai Fried Rice and Asian style Fried rice ,there is something special about our infamous Indo Chinese Hakka Noodles,Fried rice and the manchurian served alongside that we always craved for . 

Alas,one day when I was at the Indian grocery store ,I saw this pack of hakka noodles and put it in my cart along with the quintessential Chinese Sauces like Chilli Sauce,Soy Sauce and Vinegar .Even then I wasn't sure,if I would end up making it.

I was running short of spring onions ,so I took that as an excuse to shy away the preparation,but Vj forced me to go ahead and try devoid of the spring onions. 

It turned out really tasty and finally I overcame the inhibition of  "I cannot cook Chinese food" 

I added a lot of vegetables to the noodles and the satisfaction of enjoying Desi Chinese at home without any MSG or other additives was a big bonus . I am skeptical to eat Chinese or Asian food at restaurants as there is every chance they may add fish sauce or oyster sauce.

Fast forward to 2025.... 

Year rolled by and my experiments with recipes from different cuisines continue but the memories and inhibition of making Indo Chinese food still brings a smile to my face and how I overcame the fear . Now,I make it in a jiffy when I have run out of options to make dinner or want a change from the usual roti sabji .

Today as I made this vegetable loaded Hakka noodles for dinner ,hubby and I were reminiscing my fear to try my hands at cooking Indo Chinese and he said ,you indeed have come a long way .  Sharing some eye candy photos of our Desi Hakka Noodles with some sautéed paneer to go with it . 

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Preparation Time : 20 mins

Cooking Time : 10 mins
Serves : 2 to 3

Complexity - Simple 

Ingredients

1 pack Hakka Noodles ( I bought the non egg variety )
1/2  each of green,red,yellow capsicum /Bell pepper
1 carrot
100 gms cabbage shredded
1 medium sized onion
Greens from the spring onion

3 tsp chilli sauce
1 tsp soya sauce
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp garlic paste or finely chopped garlic 
salt
2 tsp pepper powder
2 tbsp oil

Method

• Cut all the vegetables except cabbage lengthwise/ julienne
• Boil the noodles as per the instruction on the packet.
• In a wok/kadai,heat oil.
• Saute the onions on high flame,until pink,add the ginger garlic paste and saute well until the raw flavor is lost.
• Add the carrots,cabbage,green,red and yellow capsicum/bell peppers and saute on high flame.
• Put in the required amount of salt and toss
• Gently add the boiled noodles,chilli sauce,soya sauce,vinegar ,pepper powder and toss well.Take care not to break the noodles while tossing.
• Lastly add the greens of spring onion,toss and serve hot.
• Vegetable /baby corn /paneer Manchurian  can be served as an accompaniment.

Notes :

• Tofu / baby corn can also be added in addition to these vegetables.
•  After boiling the noodles,soak them in a bowl of cold water or run it under cold water ,this helps all the starch from the noodles to come out and the noodles dont stick to each other. (Sanjeev Kapoor's tip in his TV show)