Baked Veg Spring Rolls.

We were discussing healthy recipes in a forum and I looked into some cooking blogs for a healthy recipe. This was something which I found very interesting and I did change a few ingredients to suit my needs and taste buds. It is quite tasty to eat and healthy too as the spring rolls are not deep fried.
here is the recipe

Baked Veg Spring Rolls:
Ingredients
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon grated peeled ginger root
1 minced garlic clove
salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1/3 cup cooked rice noodles
spring onion shredded
1 carrot, finely grated
1 red bell pepper, seeded and julienned
1/2 green or yellow bell pepper, seeded and julienned
1/4 cup finely shredded or julienned cabbage ( I used Knol Knol instead)
1 cup trimmed snow pea pods
1 cup bean sprouts
4 7-inch square Springroll wrappers
(If you can't get egg roll wrappers, you can also use phyllo sheets. )
2 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil or melted butter
1 teaspoon Chinese noodles masala.

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.
In a large thick bottom pan. Heat oil and add ginger, salt, and minced garlic. Add the rice noodles, green onion, carrot, bell peppers, cabbage, , bean sprouts, toss well for the vegetables to mix. Add the soy sauce, salt and pepper and the Chinese noodles masala.
Place the phyllo wrappers on a clean dry work surface.
Divide the mixture evenly among the wrappers; fold in the ends and roll up jelly roll fashion. Combine the olive or vegetable oil and sesame oil ( I used melted butter ) slightly brush each spring roll with oil mixture and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake at 200 degrees C until the spring rolls are crisp for about 10 minutes;then turn and bake until crisp all over, about 7 to 10 more minutes.
Serve with Red chilli sauce with some Radish and Beetroot sticks.

Vegetable Lasagne

Hello everyone. Finally I get back to what I like doing the most, writing about what I like and what I like to eat. June was moving time , I have now settled well in the new house and trying to make it home..

It was my elder daughter's birthday yesterday She had invited a few friends for lunch so the menu was set as Lasagna, Apple truffle and Banana cake. I was apprehensive about try Lasagna earlier . But we had had awesome lasagna at a friends place so I tried it again with renewed enthusiasm and with Shobha's recipe which seemed very simple. So the lunch yesterday was Vegetable lasagna and Apple truffle (if it can be called so).Lasagna it was yummy ,thanks again to Shobha .The only piece I had was the spoon I had before serving (for taste)it to the girls .The empty bowl was evidence enough that it was finger licking good in their words.

Apple Truffle needs more improvement , though girls thought it was good. I might make it again before posting the recipe.

Banana cake was made by another friend of mine ,Thanks Sheetal it was great and I will post the recipe soon.

VEGETABLE LASAGNA

Lasagna is a classic Italian dish with alternate layers of pasta , cheese, sauce and other ingredients... like vegetables or meat. Lasagna are the sheets of pasta used in the dish known as Lasagne in UK.

I won't say mine is the best recipe but this is one of the simplest and easy to make recipe.
This is how I prepared it . I am writing the ingredients with the method so that it is easy to follow.
Method

This dish is basically made of layers and then baked in the oven.
The Vegetable Sauce
2 tbsp of olive oil

2 small cans of tomato puree

1 small bottle of tomato sauce

4 finely chopped tomatoes

4 cloves of garlic - minced

2 cups of assorted diced vegetables ( corn, baby corn carrots, broccoli,cauliflower,capsicum/bell peppers,mushrooms are the ones I used)

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
2 cups of water

In a deep bottom pan or skillet add two spoons of olive oil. when it is hot add the onions and capsicum/bell peppers.Saute for several minutes and add the rest of the vegetables.Add the other vegetables and let them cook with little salt and pepper. When the vegetables are done add chopped tomatoes with two spoons of butter. The tomatoes grow soft very quickly then add the tomato sauce and tomato puree with half a cup of butter and half cup of cheese. Bring the sauce to a boil and add two cups of water.
Gently stir the following into the sauce:

1 spoon white sugar

1/2 spoon of fennel seeds/saunf

1 spoon chopped basil leaves

2 spoons of Italian seasoning

Salt to taste and

Crushed pepper to taste

Reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer and adjust the seasonings while you prepare the pasta for layering.

The layers:

You will need2 cups of grated cheese

8 Lasagna sheets

1/2 cup diced olives (green) and Vegetable Sauce

I have used the the very thin Agnesi Lasagna sheets so there is no need to boil or soak them in hot water.
Take a oven proof pan ( I used a 6 x 9) Borosil pan.Smear a little of butter all over the pan. Spread one cup of sauce as the first layer.Lay 4 pasta sheets on the layer of sauce. Spread a layer of grated cheese.Now pour another layer of Sauce, place 4 sheets of pasta on the sauce and spread the cheese. Pour the remaining sauce on top . sprinkle the remaining cheese and olives on the top. Cover the bowl with foil.Allow some space between foil and layers for the boiling sauce. (this can be frozen and baked another day too) .
Bake in a preheated for 25 minutes at 180 C .Remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool .Serve hot.

Let me know how yours was if and when you try this out.

AvarekaLu Bhath (revisited) and Sabsige Palya

Summer holidays is on and so is the Mango season. We are enjoying a few variteties at the minute.I enjoy all the seasonal fruits and vegetables but I was surprised to see that these days AvrekaLu has no season these days. I found them yesterday in the market and so todays menu at my place was AvrekaLu bhath and Sabsige palya (Sauteed Dill leaves). With girls being home it is a not easy to have a traditional menu of this sort.

Sabbasige or Dill leaves is a herb which has a typical aroma. The is used in cooking for aroma and taste. I use it with rice flour... for Akkirotti, in Dal.. with Moong or Arhar dal. These leaves add a lot of taste to Ambode (dal vada or lentil dumplings).

This is known for Anti -Gas property and so used as a mouth freshener and digestive ,It is also known to enhance lactation in mothers.. so given to mothers as post natal diet.

Avarekalu Bhath is quite simple .

Please do find the recipe in here .


Sabbasige palya (Sauteed Dill leaves with Onions)

This particular palya is a simple one with just two main ingredients... Onions and Dill leaves .

Ingredients:

2 fresh bunches of abbasige soppu (dill leaves)

1 Onion (finely chopped)

dry red chillies - 2
jeera/cumin seeds -one spoon
sasive/mustard seeds - 1 spoon
Ingu/asafoetida - one pinch
turmeric powder - one pinch
curry leaves - a sprig
oil to saute
and salt to taste.

Method:
Wash and chop the dill leaves very fine, strain and keep aside. In a pan, heat the oil and add mustard seeds. When they sputter add jeera, red chillies, asafoetida, turmeric powder and curry leaves. Add the chopped onions and saute for a few minutes. Then add the chopped Dill leaves , saute for a few minutes. Add salt to taste and mix properly.
Add a dash of lemon to enhance the taste. Serve with Rotis or Rice. Goes well with both.
I am sure you will like it too.