Simple Home-Made Bread Sandwich

This is a very very simple breakfast or an evening snack which a kid can even make. Usually children as well as teens learn to make these kind of dishes as their first dish, a toasted bread and an omelete usually eaten with an onion or carrot inside. I may mention this as the first dish I ever tried in my childhood. I think me and my sisters tasted and learned this from one of our cousin sister and was very eager to try it at our home. Most of the saturdays when we were free from school and all the other busy things, we, me and two sisters used to make this and enjoyed it together watching TV-the saturday evening movie. It was easy to split the job of doing this as 3 main steps are included. One of us will be engaged with toasting the bread, and one will be assigned to cutting the cabbage and the other one into beating and making omeletes. Usually me or my elder sister took the responsibility of cooking them on fire top and my younger sister in butter-smearing and preparing the final product keeping one upon the other. It was really fun doing it all together and most happy part was having it together.This recipe reminds me of my sweet child-hood. Dedicating this to all the children out there enjoying their child-hood and who bump into their kitchen for cooking once in a while. My steps will be in the way as if to help even a starter in cooking. Because most of us would have started our learning of cooking by making a sandwich. Enjoy.

Ingredients
1. Bread- 6
2. Butter- 2 tbsp
3. Cabbage shredded- 2 cups
4. Egg-2
5. Salt and Pepper taste

Preparation Method:
1. Toast the bread both sides in a toaster or in a pan to a little brown.Do not toast too much and make it crispy. It must be still soft inside and crispy outside.

2. In a pan, add one tbsp of butter, add the shredded cabbage. Sprinkle some pepper powder and salt if you are using unsalted butter.
3. Saute till cabbage is soft and half cooked. Do not add any water. Keep aside.

4. Beat the eggs with an egg-beater or an egg-whisk or in a deep glass with a fork.
5. Add salt to taste.
6. In a pan, add 2 tsp of oil and make an omelet by pouring this into the pan and spreading it by just tilting the pan.

7. Make a flat thin omelete. Keep aside.

8. On the toasted breads apply some butter on one-side with a knife.
9. Keep half or 1/4th of the omelete according to your need on the buttered bread.
10. Close the bread with another bread loaf with the buttered side facing down.

11. Enjoy them hot with some orange juice for break-fast or as an evening snack.

Cheera-Parippu Thoran

Ingredients
1. Spinach/Pacha Cheera- 1 bunch
2. Thoor Dal/Thuvara Parippu- 3 tbsp
3. Shredded Coconut-1/4 cup
4. Slat to taste
5. Chilly Powder- 1 tsp
6. Turmeric Powder- 1/4 tsp
7. Mustard seeds, to splutter
8. Coconut oil- 1 tbsp

Preparation method:
1. Remove the roots, soak the spinach bunches in water for 15 minutes.
2. Wash and clean them well under running water.
3. Chop the spinach leaves along with the tender soft stems.

4. In 2 cups of water, cook the dal till three-forth is done. (Cook for 30-35 mnts).

5. In a wok,add oil, splutter mustard seeds when oil is hot.
6. Put the spinach into the wok, cover and cook, Do not add any trace of water into it. Water will come out from the leaves and it will be enough to cook the leaves.Add some salt to taste.
7. In a bowl, mix together the shredded coconut, chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt taste.

8. When the leaves are half done, add cooked dal and the coconut mixture.
9. Stir well, cover and cook till the spinach as well as dal is fully cooked.
10. Stir and adjust salt if needed. Serve with kerala rice, pulissery, achar and pappadam.

Stuffed Mushroom

Ingredients
1.Button White Mushrooms- 10
2.Shredded Mozzarella Cheese- 1/2 cup
3.Shredded Parmesan Cheese - 1/4 cup
4.Carrot shredded- 1/2 cup
5.Spring Onion shredded or very finely chopped- 1/4 cup
6. Salt and pepper to taste.


Preparation Method:
1. Remove the stem of the mushrooms and keep aside.

2. Chop the stem finely.
3. Press and Mix together the mozzarella cheese,carrot, mushroom stem and spring onion with some salt and pepper sprinkled..
4. Keep aside for 10 minutes, since all the flavors are mixed together.
5. Into the mushroom caps, fill the mixture. Do the same for all the mushroom caps.
6. Top some parmesan shred on each mushroom.
7. In a baking tray, transfer all the mushrooms.
8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
9. Keep the tray into the oven and cook for 25 minutes.Make sure to cook the mushroom well and the parmesan melts on top.
10. Serve hot with some shredded parmesan on top. This is served as a starter.

Fig Milk Shake

This is my signature dish. We usually buy fig on a regular basis as it is very good for our health. Rich in potassium,rich in dietary fiber and many more nutritional values as I have mentioned below. It promotes the over-all well being of an individual.
One fine day, I had some dried-figs in a packet and didn't feel like eating for some days. Thought of making something out of them like a sweet or pudding and just checked for the things i have in my refrigerator. An idea clicked inside me to make some drink out of it as I was serving pulao for lunch that day. So took the ingredients I thought would go good with this and made a drink out of it. It came out really well, really refreshing. My husband loved it and wanted to make more. Try it out, its a really soothing drink and children also would definitely love this.

Ingredients
1. Fig- 10-12
2. Milk- 1 1/2 cup
3. Sugar- 3 tbsp
4. Milk-maid- 1/4 tin


Preparation Method:
1. Mostly, dried fig are available in the market. So wash them well under running water and soak them in water or the milk for 2 hours.

2. Remove the stem like part at the bottom of the fig, when it becomes soft.
3. Cut the fig into small pieces.
3. In a blender, blend together all the ingredients for two minutes.
4. Serve in a glass with a piece of fig for garnish.
Sugar and milk can be adjusted to the taste and consistency.
While served for children, better sieve it and serve, because there will be small particles of fig and its seeds inside which is grind into fine particles. Children may find it difficult to drink and there are chances of them to stick in the throat.

Nutritional Value of Dried Figs-Amount of nutrients present in 100g of dried figs:

Carbohydrates - 64 g
Sugars - 48 g
Dietary Fiber -10 g
Fat - 1 g
Protein - 3 g
Energy - 250 kcal / 1040 kJ


Consuming figs help to reduce the risk of breast cancer.
Calcium and potassium present in figs prevent bone thinning and help to promote bone density. Tryptophan, present in figs, induces good sleep and helps get rid of sleeping disorders like insomnia.Eating figs relieves fatigue and boosts memory power.
Drinking fig juice helps to soothe irritated bronchial passages.
Consumption of figs with milk cures illness like anemia.
Due to their laxative effect, figs are helpful for treating chronic constipation.
Daily consumption of soaked figs (2-3) is an effective remedy for curing hemorrhoids or piles.
The soluble fiber, called pectin, in figs helps in reducing blood cholesterol.
When applied on skin, baked figs can cure inflammations like abscesses and boils.
Due to their high water content, mashed figs act as a very good skin cleanser and help in preventing and curing acnes and pimples.
Figs are rich in calcium and are excellent calcium alternatives for people who are allergic to dairy products.
Consuming figs also helps in aiding digestion and taming various stomach and bowel-related problems.

Spring Roll

Ingredients
1. Egg Roll/Spring Roll pastry sheets-6
2. Shredded Cabbage- 1 cup
3. Shredded Carrot- 1/2 cup
4. Ginger-garlic paste- 1/4 tsp
5. salt, to taste
6. Pepper- 1/2 tsp
7. Vegetable Oil- 1 tsp
8. Sunflower Oil, for frying.

Preparation Method:
1. In a pan, add oil. Saute Ginger-garlic paste for a minute.
2. When the raw taste goes, add the shredded vegetables.

3. Add pepper and salt to taste.
4. Saute maximum for a minute. Do not cook vegetables too much.
5. In the square shaped spring roll pastry sheets, keep the vegetable filling at the corner.

6. Roll three times, now fold the two sides.

7. Brush the ends of the fold with some water and fold it into the roll.

8. Brush the remaining triangular corner with some water and fold it to the roll.

9. In a wok, add enough oil to deep fry the rolls.
10. When the oil is hot, add 2-3 spring rolls into it and deep fry into golden brown color and allow the pastry dough inside to cook.

11. Serve with tomato ketchup.

Gobi Manchurian

Ingredients
1. Cauliflower-1, florets separated
2. Cornflour- 1 1/2tsp
3. Soysauce- 2 tbsp
4. Salt
5. Pepper-1 tsp
6. Ginger-Garlic Paste- 1tsp
7. All purpos flour/maida- 2tsp

For Sauce:
9. Onion chopped -3
10. Onion diced-1
11. Half Capsicum/Bell pepper diced
12. Green chillies minsed-6
13. Garlic minsed-7
15. Vegetable Oil/ Canola Oil/ Olive oil- 3 tbsp
16. Oil for frying chicken
17. Celery- 1/2 a cup chopped
18. Spring onion-1/4 cup chopped
19. Soysauce- 1 tbsp
20. Green-Chilly sauce- 1 tbsp
21. Sugar- 1/4 tsp
22. Cornflour- 2 tsp
23. Cilantro- a bunch, finely chopped

1. Separate the florets of the cauliflower, check for any dust or worms in between each florets.

2. In a vessel with water, add enough salt and cook the florets keeping the lid open, till the rawness of the florets go.

3. Drain off the water and keep aside.

4. Mix all the ingredients from 2-8 with the cooked florets and keep aside for half an hour and deep fry them in hot oil.

5. In a pan, pour 3 tbsp oil. Add ginger garlic paste,garlic and green chillies. Saute for some seconds.

6. Add pepper powder,saute for a minute and then add chopped onions. Saute till transparent.

7. Add chopped cilantro and fry for 3 minutes till it cook completely. Add half the celery and half the spring onion. Saute for a minute.

8. Add soysauce and chilli sauce.

9. Add sugar and two glasses of water. Keep the lid closed and let it boil.

10. Once boiled, add the diced onion, bell pepper and the fried chicken.

11. Keep the lid closed till the diced onion starts becoming transparent.

12. Now, keep the lid open and mix well the fried gobi in the sauce.

13. Any sauce or pepper powder or salt, if needed can be added to the gravy at this point.

14. Now add 2 tsp cornflour mixed in 3 tsp water into this.

15. Now the gravy will start thickening. Stir well, otherwise there are chances of cornflour forming lumps.

16. Switch off the flame when the gravy reaches the right consistency you want. If you are serving it as a starter let all the water content dry and only the gobi and the onion remain. Granish with the rest of the celery and spring onion.

17. Serve hot with fried rice or chapathis.

Chicken Manchurian

Ingredients
1. Chicken cut into small pieces, boneless or with bone: 1/4 kg
2. Eggs beaten well-2
3. Cornflour- 1 1/2tsp
4. Soysauce- 2 tbsp
5. Salt
6. Pepper-1 tsp
7. Ginger-Garlic Paste- 1tsp
8. All purpos flour/maida- 2tsp

For Sauce:
9. Onion chopped -3
10. Onion diced-1
11. Half Capsicum/Bell pepper diced
12. Green chillies minsed-6
13. Garlic minsed-7
15. Vegetable Oil/ Canola Oil/ Olive oil- 3 tbsp
16. Oil for frying chicken
17. Celery- 1/2 a cup chopped
18. Spring onion-1/4 cup chopped
19. Soysauce- 1 tbsp
20. Green-Chilly sauce- 1 tbsp
21. Sugar- 1/4 tsp
22. Cornflour- 2 tsp
23. Cilantro- a bunch, finely chopped

1. Mix all the ingredients from 1-8 and keep aside for half an hour and deep fry them in hot oil.

2. In a pan, pour 3 tbsp oil. Add ginger garlic paste,garlic and green chillies. Saute for some seconds.

3. Add pepper powder,saute for a minute and then add chopped onions. Saute till transparent.

4. Add chopped cilantro and fry for 3 minutes till it cook completely. Add half the celery and half the spring onion. Saute for a minute.

5. Add soysauce and chilli sauce.

6. Add sugar and two glasses of water. Keep the lid closed and let it boil.

7. Once boiled, add the diced onion, bell pepper and the fried chicken.

8. Keep the lid closed till the diced onion starts becoming transparent.

9. Now, keep the lid open and mix well the chicken in the sauce.

10. Any sauce or pepper powder or salt, if needed can be added to the gravy at this point.

11. Now add 2 tsp cornflour mixed in 3 tsp water into this.

12. Now the gravy will start thickening. Stir well, otherwise there are chances of cornflour forming lumps.

13. Switch off the flame when the gravy reaches the right consistency you want. If you are serving it as a starter let all the water content dry and only the chicken and the onion remain. Granish with the rest of the celery and spring onion.

14. Serve hot with fried rice or chapathis. Serve with a tooth pick pierced into each chicken piece when served as a starter.

Delicious Chicken Roast

Ingredients
1. Chicken pieces- 1/2 kg
Drumsticks/Chicken Legs will be more tasty for this recipe- 5 nos
2. Onion- 2 Sliced
3. Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
4. Chilly Powder- 2 tsp
5. Coriander powder- 1 tsp
6. Curry leaves- a few
7. Tomato- 1/2, cubed
8. Coconut oil- 3 tbsp
9. Garam Masala- 1 tsp
10. Salt to taste
11. Ginger-Garlic Paste- 2 tsp

To marinate chicken
1.Ginger- Garlic paste- 2 tsp
2.Chilly powder/paprika and pepper powder- 1/2 tsp each
3.Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
4.Garam masala-1/2 tsp
5.Salt to taste
6.Coriander powder- 1/2 tsp
7.Beaten egg-1
8.Rice powder and maida-1 tsp each

1. Marinate the chicken with the masala powders and keep aside for an hour.
2. Deep fry them in hot oil. Keep aside.
3. In a pan, add oil, saute onion and curry leaves.
4. Add tomato and all the powders, saute till the raw taste goes.
5. Add lots of curry leaves.
6. Now, add the crisp fried chicken into this and mix well.
7. Add 1/4 cup water, cover and cook for 8-10 minutes, so that all the flavors penetrates into te chicken pieces.
8. Now open the lid and dry out all the water from the mixture.
9. Once dried, add 2 tsp oil into this and fry again keeping the lid open and the onions start becoming stiff and nice smell comes.
10. Garnish with curry leaves. Serve with chapathi,appam or naan

Prawns Roast

Ingredients
1. Onion- 1, finely chopped
2. Cleaned Prawns- 10
3. Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
4. Chilly Powder- 2 tsp
5. Coriander powder- 1 1/2 tsp
6. Curry leaves- a few
7. Tomato- 1/2, cubed
8. Coconut oil- 3 tbsp
9. Garam Masala- 1 tsp
10. Salt to taste
11. Perinjeerakam/Ani seeds- 1/2 tsp

1. In a pan, add oil, saute onion and curry leaves.
2. Add tomato, perinjeerakam and all the powders, saute till the raw taste goes. Do not add any water. The water from the prawns is enough to cook them.

3. Add the cleaned,washed prawns into it along with some salt to taste.

4. Add lots of curry leaves. Stir well, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Open the lid and cook for 10 minutes. Now the prawns will be cooked thoroughly.
6. Dry the water by cooking open.
7. Add some oil when all the water has dried out.Fry till mix becomes very dry and deep brown in color. Stir and fry well till onions becomes stiff. Do not over cook the prawns it turns to a rubbery-form, making it difficult to chew.
8. Now the masala would be covering the prawns sticking to them,At the end add a tsp oil and some more curry leaves. Close the lid. Switch off the flame.
9. Open the lid and give a mix just before serving.

Prawns Mappas

Ingredients
1. Prawns- 15, washed and vein removed
2. Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp
3. Chilly Powder- 2 tsp
4. Paprika- 1/2 tsp
5. Ginger-Garlic Paste- 1 tsp
6. Green chillies- 2 slit into two.
7. Cut-Mango pieces- 2
8. Curry Leaves- a few
9. Coriander powder, Cumin powder, Fenugreek powder- 1/4 tsp each
10. Coconut milk- 1 1/2 cup
11. Coconut Oil- 2 tsp
12. Shallot/small onion, peeled and chopped- 6
13. Mustard seeds, to splutter
14. Onion, chopped- 1 1/2 cup
15. Lemon Juice- 1 tsp

1. Mainate prawns with half of the turmeric powder, chilly powder, paprika, ginger-garlic paste,lemon juice and salt.Keep aside for an hour.
2. Shallow fry them in 3 tbsp oil and curry leaves.
3. Heat a tsp oil, saute onion.
4. The masalas, mango and fry.
5. Once done, add coconut milk and simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Add prawns and cook for 10 minutes.Add curry leaves.
7. In a pan, heat oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves and fry shallots.
8. Add this into the prawn curry, mix well.
9. Serve hot, goes well with appam, idiyappam and kerala rice.

Mushroom-Mutter/Green Peas Stir-Fry

1. Mushroom, cut into equal four pieces- 10 mushrooms
2. Green Peas cooked- 1/4 cup
3. Masala Powder- 1/2 tsp
4. Chilly Powder- 1/2 tsp
5. Turmeric Powder-1/4 tsp
7. Onion,finely chopped- 1
8. Curry leaves- a few
9. Vegetable Oil- 1 tsp
10. Tomato- 1/2, cubed
11. Salt,to taste

1. In a pan, heat oil add onion and curry leaves.
2. Saute til translucent.
3. Add tomato and all the masala. Saute till the raw taste goes.
4. Add mushroom and Green Peas.
5. Add salt and lots of curry leaves.
6. Saute till mushroom starts becoming soft.
7. Switch off the flame. Serve hot with naan, puri or chapathi.

Chena/Elephant Foot Yam Elissery/Erissery

Elephant Yam/Chena, cut into small equal cubes- 2 cups
Moong dal/ Cheru payar- 1/4 cup
Shredded Coconut - 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds/Jeerakam- 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder - 3/4 tsp
Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds, to splutter
Dry red chillies- 1 split into 3
Curry leaves - A few

1. Cook moong dal in a cooker.
2. Cook chena with some salt in a cooker.
3. Grind together grated coconut,turmeric powder and chilly powder.
4. Mix all the three together and allow to boil and the raw taste of the coconut paste goes.

5. In a pan, add oil, splutter mustard seeds and jeera.

6. Add some curry leaves, fry 3 tbsp of grated coconut and add this mixture into the chena curry.
7. Close the lid and keep, switching off the flame.
8. Mix well before serving, without mashing the dal or chena.

Variations can be made by using van payar/cow peas instead of moong dal.
Those who are concerned about cholesterol the final frying of shredded coconut can be avoided. Since coconut oil and coconut paste is included in the recipe. But this fried coconut adds a lot taste to this dish. Enjoy with Kerala matta rice and moru curry.

Egg Puffs

Is there any one who does not like Puffs? I really dont think so. Whether it may be sweet(Ameican style) or spicy-hot(Asian style), everybody like the flaky layers which melts into the mouth with the yummy filling inside. Usually in India the hot and spicy puffs are popular and on demand while we also enjoy the sweet jammy,or coconut filled sweet puffs.

Puffs usually come with egg filling, meat, chicken as well as vegetable filling. I have personally tried them with egg, chicken,mutton,vegetable and even soya-masala. It goes well with all these fillings.Its really-really yummy.

Me,Myself and my sister's favorite is Egg Puffs which contains half the boiled egg with the spicy onion-masala. My husband also love them with the egg-masala,the tastiest ever. So the most frequently made one in my home is the egg-puffs.

Whenever I make them at home I memorize the days I had with my sister,she used to love these puffs like no snacks she ever ate. I think of those days my mom used to get puffs at home from bakery. In the evening, by the time we are on the table it will be served hot with tangy ketchup sauce. They will vanish from my sister's plate in seconds and try for a bite from mine. It was her finger-licking favorite. Good old days....

Dedicating this recipe to my sisters back in India....

Ingredients
1. Egg, Boiled- 2
2. 3 Onion sliced length-wise
3. 1/2 a tomato chopped
4. 2 green chillies finely chopped
5. 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
6. 3 Eggs
7. 1 1/2 tbsp Chilly powder
8. 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
9. 1 1/2 tbsp Coriander powder
10. 2 tbsp Meat masala (Eastern brand masala is the best for this)
11. 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
12. 1 strand of curry leaves
13. 2 strands Coriander leaves
14. 3 tbsp Coconut Oil
15. Puff Pastry, store bought.
16. Salt,to taste

For the filling:
The same procedure for my egg masala recipe can be followed.
1. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.
2. Add the sliced onion,a few curry leaves,chopped green chillies. Saute till transparent.
3. Add ginger-garlic paste and the chopped tomatoes. Saute till tomatoes gets cooked.
4. Add the turmeric powder,chilly powder,coriander powder and meat masala and salt, fry till the raw tastes of the masala goes or till it becomes dark brown(3-4 mnts).
5. Add 1/4 glass of water. Stir and Cook open so that the masala gets mixed well. Dry the masala with no sign of water/ gravy.
6. Cut the egg vertically at the middle into two equal halves and then take each egg half and cut into 4 equal halves; so that we get eight equal halves from an egg.
8. Put these eggs into the gravy in the pan with yellow portion facing down. Give it a very gentle mix.
9. Keep aside,let it cool.

Working with the pastry:

1. Buy the puff-pastry available in the market. These are available in the frozen-section in the super-markets.
Make sure you pick the pastries for puffs and not for the thin pastries used for arabic sweets or the pastries for crab rangoon.

2. There will be two separate folded layers. Pick one from them. Keep them outside to thaw for 30 minutes so that it becomes soft so that we can easily work with it without tearing the hard dough.

Make sure the dough does not become too moist, it will make working with them difficult. Open the three-layers. Sprinkle some all-purpose flour on top so that it does not stick to each other and on the surface. Be careful while working with the pastries there are chances of tearing them, if so just add a touch of water to the torn part and stick them to each other, its easy.

For small,cutie and fluffy puffs cut one layer into three equal squares. For large puffs cut them into two equal halves. Smaller ones are more appealing and gets cooked well inside, so more tasty too.

3. Take each square pieces one by one and keep the filling exactly in the middle with the yellow portion of the egg facing down. Do not keep hot filling into the pastries, it will make the dough soft and soggy. In any of these steps if the dough came out soggy, make sure you keep them in the refrigerator for 20 minutes and the dough has set as thick layer.

Close with one side either to become a triangle or a rectangle as shown.

4. Seal the edges using a fork, as shown in the pic.

5. Now brush the top of each puffs with egg-wash.
Egg wash is basically a mixture made by mixing an egg with 2 tsps of water.

6. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degree Fahrenheit.(keep the oven for 15-20 minutes in 400 degrees).

7. Now transfer the puffs into a baking tray with an aluminium foil and keep inside the oven.

8. Cook for 15-20 minutes. Check in between and make sure it turns golden in color.

9. Switch off the oven. Now each layers of pastry get separated puffs to become fluffy and flaky which melts into the mouth.

10. Serve hot or later with tomato sauce and a hot coffee.