Aloo Paratha (Potato Stuffed Flat Bread)

No one needs an introduction to Aloo Parathas :) Most staple food of Northern India and now this globally famous flatbread is here to stay. According to me, it is one of the most kid-friendly Indian food. Comes in handy while travelling, road trips, picnics etc. (no not in movie theatres lol ) A no-nonsense, no mess parathas that can be enjoyed independently or with side dishes, can be had for breakfast or as meals. It is an all-rounder super star :)

Any beginners interested in making parathas, must begin with potatoes (aloo), then graduate to all other vegetables, that is my 2 cents :) Aloo mixture stuffing is made in 1000 (thats exageration :)) different ways, I like to keep it simple and yum! When you add little dab of ghee/butter on it while frying or while eating, that is when you will be tasting an authentic paratha (hehe! no I am not kidding). My mantra is, eat little(portion control) eat well and eat it the right way :)

So let us take a look at the recipe:

Ingredients:
To make the stuffing:

• 2 medium potatoes boiled
• 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1 tsp carraway seeds (ajwain, carom seeds)
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds powder (jeera pwd)
• 2-3 green chillies finely chopped
• 1 tsp amchur (mango powder)
• salt as per taste
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• handful chopped mint (optional)
• 1/2 tsp chilly powder (optional)

To make the Paratha dough

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• about 1 cup water
• pinch salt
• 2 tsp oil

Preparation:

• Make a dough by adding salt, oil to the flour and water little by little, keep kneading and make a soft dough. Keep aside for 15 minutes.
• Make stuffing by mixing all the ingredients under stuffing. Take small portion to make balls and keep aside. Please keep in mind that the potatoes shouldn't be soggy. If your stuffing gets soggy, it gets hard to roll out paratha (add spoonful of breadcrumbs as a quick fix)
• Now take a small portion of the dough make a ball and roll out a 3-inch diameter disc, place the potato stuffing ball in the center and bring all the edges of the disc together and seal it. Dust it nicely with flour and start rolling out again with a light hand. One trick that I learnt is, take a fork and make few marks on the stuffed ball of dough, it lets out the air and rolls out into a paratha smoothly. 
• Parathas can be made with varying thickness. I like it both ways, thinner and thicker. When you make thicker parathas, see to it that you press the edges and fry them well.
• Heat a frying tava/pan, place the paratha on it, drizzle some ghee/oil over it and let it fry for a couple of minutes on med-high flame. Flip and add more ghee/oil and let it fry till done. Properly made parathas puff up nicely while frying. 
• Remove and serve hot with boondi raita or curds and pickle.

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Health Benefits:

The humble potato is vastly underrated in terms of nutritional benefits. Due to the increased interest in foods that are low-carb or low-glycemic index, the potato has unjustly earned a bad reputation. Potatoes consumed in simple roasted, grilled, boiled, steamed manner with little or no oil/butter is very healthy and nutritious for health. It is loaded with calcium, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, iron that helps in having strong bones. It has vitamin B6 which supports heart health. Choline is a very important and versatile nutrient in potatoes that helps with sleep, muscle movement, learning and memory. So let's not ditch this humble vegetable :)

Capsicum Besan Zunka (Capsicum with Gram Flour)

Today I made capsicum(bell pepper) with besan after a hiatus and Boy! was I pleased or what? This is one of the quickest, simplest and yummiest sabji recipes that's out there. It is a famous north Karnataka/ Maharashtrian dish that I grew up eating. I do miss those tender small sized capsicum which is way more flavorful than the bell peppers that we get here in the USA. Thankfully there is no major change of taste when you cook it with gram flour and spices. This makes a perfect  mid-week side dish!

Let us check out the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 3 capsicum (bell peppers) med size
• 1/4th tsp mustard seeds (rai)
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 4-5 curry leaves
• pinch asafoetida (hing)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric (haldi)
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• salt as per taste
• 3 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 6 tsp gram flour (besan)
• 3 tbsp oil
• lemon juice optional

Preparation:

• Cut capsicum, remove seeds and chop into cubes. 
• In a nonstick pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and let it splutter. Then add hing, turmeric powder, red chili powder and curry leaves. Stir quickly and add capsicum. Mix everything and saute. Cover the pan and steam cook over medium-low heat. Do not add water. Stir occasionally.
• Once capsicum becomes soft, add salt to taste. 
• Now sprinkle 1 tbsp gram flour at a time over the capsicum. Stir nicely and continue adding besan till done. Mix gently, cover and cook until gram flour gets cooked.  If it is too dry add little oil.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro and squeeze lemon juice before serving capsicum bhaji with rice or rotis.

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Notes: Sometimes I add 3/4th tsp of ginger garlic paste to make it little spicy and flavorful.

Health Benefits- Being rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients, bell pepper provides several anti-cancer benefits. Vitamin C is vital for maintaining a healthy immune system and for building strong collagen to support skin and joints. It is instrumental in lowering the risk of arthritis and reducing inflammation. It lowers the cholesterol levels and triglycerides. It kills the ulcer-causing bacteria in the stomach and boosts immunity. I had read somewhere that 1 bell pepper (red) is equivalent to 2 oranges:)

Banana-Oats Muliks (Banana-Oats fritters)

Ahhh, it's a relief to have some yummy recipes handy for overripe bananas, I say that because every other week there are atleast 2 overripe bananas lying sadly on the counter to be just trashed. So here is one classic Konkani recipe of muliks with a twist, where one has to fry the mashed mixture of ripe banana with few other ingredients and you have a yummy snack to gobble. This is usually made during festivals and poojas at home. It makes a great tea time snack as well.

Originally this recipe calls for grated coconut but I replaced it with oh so healthy 'oats' :) Surprisingly it came out pretty good. One can also try making it in appe pan (aebleskiver pan), if you are diet conscious. The downside of cooking in appe pan is, it takes longer to cook on a slow flame.

Let us take a look at the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe bananas
• 2 tbsp semolina (rava)
• 1/2 cup coarsely ground oats
• 2 tbsp rice flour
• 1 1/2 tbsp jaggery (or more, if you like sweet)
• salt to taste (abt 1/4th tsp)

Preparation:

• Mix everything together and make a sticky dough. 
• Scoop with a spoon small balls of banana mixture and fry on medium heat till all sides are browned. Drain extra oil by placing it on paper towel.
• Serve warm with a cup of hot tea or coffee.

njoY!! happy cookinG!!
Notes: *Original recipe has grated coconut instead of oats. I have substituted it with oats.

Health Benefits: Creamy, rich, and sweet bananas are a favorite food for everyone from infants to elders. They could not be more convenient to enjoy, and they are a good source of both vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber. They have great digestive benefits and boost athletic performance. My mom always said eat a banana whenever you get muscle cramp, charley horse or muscle spasms in your legs :)

 Oats are high in fibre content, helps lower cholesterol. Enhances the immune response to infection. It is known to stabilize sugar levels. Studies show that it may reduce asthma risks in children.

Kala Chana Masala

Kala Channa (Black ChickPeas Curry)

Kala Chana (black chickpeas) is a protein loaded legume. This particular curry is a simple preparation and it actually makes you feel like you have prepared some elaborate weekend kind of meal. It is a very down-to-earth earthy creamy kind of a dish. This curry can be made either dry or wet (I like it thin) and enjoyed with paratha, poori or chapati.

My Mom actually uses kala channa while she makes her korma curry. It tastes super yummy with all the spices and other vegetables. One can soak and cook the channa beforehand and freeze it. It becomes simpler and quicker to make this curry by just de-freezing and using it accordingly, that is what I do.

It makes a perfect party dish as it serves the purpose of easy entertaining. Very filling and the spices used in the curry blends in very well with the chana, making you want to eat more than one serving. Even in temples especially in South India, they serve a dry version of kala channa sabji that is very lightly tempered and it tastes so yummy.

Let us take a look at this kala chana masala (curry).

Ingredients:

• 1 cup kala chana dry ( or 2 cups of cooked kala chana)
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes chopped
• 1 green chilli chopped
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp chana masala (can use garam masala, goda masala or kala masala too)
• 1/2 tsp red chilly powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp amchur (mango powder)
• salt to taste
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 inch ginger julienned 
• handful chopped cilantro to garnish

Preparation:

• Soak kala chana in about 5 cups of water overnight. Cook it in a pressure cooker with 4-5 cups of water and 1 tsp salt for about 8 whistles. 
• It has to be cooked to a point where it is just soft and not soggy. That's when your curry will get a nice creamy texture.
• Let the cooker cool down. Use the water from cooking in your gravy. 
• In a pan heat oil, add onions, green chilli and saute till light brown. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a couple of minutes.
• Now add tomatoes and cook till everything comes together and leaves oil by the side. 
• Add all the powders and mix for few seconds. Pour in cooked channa and add about 2-3 cups of water and bring it to a boil. 
• Adjust water as you need. Add salt, remember you have already added while cooking channa. 
• Keep stirring in between. Simmer the curry for good 10-15 minutes. Switch off the gas. 
• Serve hot while you garnish it with ginger, cilantro and lemon juice. I really enjoy it with plain pooris or ragi pooris.

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

notes*: if you want to make it more creamy, take 3 tbsp of cooked chana and make a paste in a blender and mix it in the curry. It thickens it and gives a nice texture too.

Health benefits:

Chana is loaded with proteins. The fact that chickpeas have low glycemic index (GI) makes this legume good for diabetics. It causes a slow and steady release of glucose into the bloodstream and thus, maintains your blood sugar levels. Chickpeas also help in relieving mood changes during menstruation and post-menopausal symptoms in women. The high fibre content in chickpeas helps in promoting a healthy digestive system and intestine by lowering the risk of digestive disorders.

Mushroom Matar Masala

The word "mushroom" brings back sweet memories for me. Few decades back remember how people used to look forward to eating and relishing their seasonal favorites? Nostalgia connected with Mushrooms and Monsoon season go hand in hand for me. It's also called Alambi in the local coastal region and they are the yummiest ones. Shallow fry version used to be my favorite. My mom makes a kick ass mushroom curry :) [I will be soon featuring it here, I promise]

We are lucky that we find mushroom all year round now, though it kind of loses the special treatment and wow factor due to that  :) :) Mushroom Matar masala comes from the northern region of India. Usage of cream and cashews makes it a Mughlai style rich dish. What I have observed is children enjoy this kind of dishes.

So without any delay let's get to the recipe...

Mushroom Matar Masala

 Ingredients:

• 10 mushrooms cut into 4 parts each
• 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
• 1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
• 1pinch asafoetida (hing)
• 2 tsp oil
• 3 medium size tomatoes
• 10 cashews soaked in warm water for 10 min
• 1-inch ginger
• 2 green chillies (use as per your spice level)
• 1 tsp coriander seeds powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• handful cilantro chopped for garnish
• 1 tbsp cream (or 2 tbsp whole milk) 
• 5-6 black pepper, 1 inch cinnamon(dalchini) stick,  2 big(or small) cardamon(elaichi), 2-3 cloves(laung)
• 1 tbsp kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
• 1/2 cup water ( if u don't like it very thick) 
• salt as per taste

Preparation:

• Grind tomatoes, ginger, green chillies and cashew together and keep aside.
• Roughly grind whole garam masala- pepper, dalchini, elaichi, cloves.
• Heat oil in a pan and add jeera, as it splutters add hing and turmeric and pour the tomato mixture and stir. Cover the lid till it comes to a boil, keep stirring in between. 
• Then add kasoori methi, ground whole garam masala, chilli powder and mix everything together and cook till it leaves oil on top of gravy.
• Now add peas and let it cook for 3-4 minutes. 
• Add Cream or milk over the peas masala and bring to a boil quickly. 
• You can add water if you want the consistency of the gravy to be thin.
• While you simmer the gravy add mushrooms and salt to taste. [mushroom cooks fast and hence add it in the end]. Cook for around 4-5 minutes and shut the stove off. Garnish with cilantro.
• Serve with nan, roti, parathas, phulka or just plain rice. 

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Note: You can skip adding cream/milk if you are using cashews. I used both, correcting the ratio as per my requirement. Also, if the tomatoes you are using are not sour enough use 1 tbsp of tomato paste, you get good color and sourness in the gravy.

Based on recipe courtesy: www.Nisha Madhulika.com (changed measurements and few ingredients)

Health Benefits: Mushrooms are low in calories, fat-free, cholesterol-free, gluten-free, and very low in sodium, yet they provide important nutrients, including selenium, potassium, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin D and more. They are a good source of antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and help in weight loss. Only keep in mind you eat good quality fresh mushrooms.

Seekh Kebabs

Seekh Kebabs (Chicken)

Summer season calls for staying outdoors longer enjoying the sun and long days as we have hibernated enough inside the house in the cold winter days. That in turn, calls for more grilling in the yard! The squeals of kids playing outside, that light breeze blowing on your face, you gazing at the surroundings sitting in the yard or maybe just reading a nice book on a hammock while your husband is thoroughly enjoying grilling the meat or veggies that "you"(:)) have marinated hours before. It sure is a picture perfect moment.

Now who wants to open a beer bottle to go with this perfect moment and celebrate? haha.. Today let us indulge in some great tasting seekh kebabs. It is a lovely recipe, easy and mild flavors makes it a kid friendly 'meat slathered on the stick' appetizer.

Originally it is made with minced beef or mutton kheema, but I am using minced chicken in this recipe. Gets wiped off the plate in no time. In India, it is actually a street food. There are some really famous places where people line up to taste these yummy kebabs and every place has its own speciality.

Let us check the recipe here:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb minced chicken
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 2-3 green chillies chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 3 tbsp cilantro chopped
• 1 tsp garam masala (or meat masala)
• 1 tbsp thick yogurt
• 1 tbsp chaat masala
• 1tbsp lemon juice to sprinkle on kebabs
• 2 tbsp oil or butter for basting
• 1 tbsp gram flour (optional, if by chance your mixture is not dry enough)

Preparation:

• In a mixing bowl add all the ingredients except chaat masala, lemon juice and oil.
• Use your hands or a wooden spatula to mix the ingredients thoroughly till they are well blended.
• Cover the bowl with a cling wrap and put into the refrigerator for atleast 1 hour to marinate.
• Soak bamboo skewers in water for 20 minutes to prepare the kebabs.
• Remove from the fridge and divide the mixture into equal portions. Make a ball and stick the skewer in the center of the ball and slowly start pressing and stretching the meat on the stick till it looks like a long sausage like kebab. 
• Do this till the meat has firmly adhered to the skewer. Put some oil on your hands to prevent meat from sticking to them. Repeat it till all the kebab mix is used up.
• Grill the kebabs on a griller or using a grill pan. Cook few minutes on each side till it is nice and brown. Keep basting with cooking oil or butter as required, till the meat is done. Turn as often as required.
• Serve it piping hot with sliced onion rings, mint chutney, lemon juice and sprinkle chaat masala on the seekh kebabs! 

 It is a pleasure to see him chomp off the kebabs....:)

njoY!! happY cookinG- err grillinG!! :)

Health Benefits : Chicken is a very good source of protein and good energy booster, good for brain health, heart health, thyroid health and weight loss program. If you are looking to have good muscles, go for it! :) It also helps to reduce PMS symptoms. Important source of vitamins and minerals, where vitamin D and B needs a mention as it provides a good eyesight, muscles and helpful in building bones and metabolism. It is said to be helpful in controlling blood pressure issues. Intake of warm chicken soup also provides relief from common cold, including symptoms like a congested nose and a sore throat.

Palak Paneer

Palak(Spinach) Paneer(Indian Cheese) is a famous North Indian dish that is very delectable, smooth textured dry curry dish. Calorie for calorie, this leafy green spinach has a delicate texture and jade green color that provides more nutrients than any other food. It is available almost year around, and that is the best part. As a south-west Indian ( I refer myself like that:) ) while growing up, palak paneer used to be a very special kind of dish, we ate mostly only when we went to the restaurants.

After I got interested in cooking, I used to have a mind block with respect to this dish as I thought it is a laborious dish to make because I had to make paneer from the scratch, cleaning spinach was a task in itself as we used to get mud rooted leaves and all... But now spinach is available in a clean and ready to use form, paneer is readily available too. Life is getting simpler, faster, quicker :) and palak paneer has become a staple food(dish) in my house.

I simply love spinach. There are days where I just saute it plain with garlic, salt and pepper and devour, and I am not even kidding. Various dishes can be dished out using this superstar green leafy vegetable, such as Spinach chicken, Spinach juice, Spinach pesto, salad, Spinach puffs, Spinach roti, poori etc etc.

After I have started my blog, I have made it several times and now finally got a chance to photograph it and pen it down here.


Let us take a look at this recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb spinach leaves (palak) frozen (or fresh leaves chopped roughly around 4-5 cups)
• 2 cups paneer cut in squares
• 1 onion big finely chopped
• 5-6 garlic pods roughly chopped
• 2-inch ginger roughly chopped
• 2-3 green chillies chopped
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 tsp black pepper powder
• salt as per taste
• 3-4 tbsp oil

Preparation:

• If using frozen palak, thaw it in a microwave or in warm water.
• In a pan, heat 1 tbsp oil and add green chillies, ginger, garlic and saute for a few seconds. Add palak leaves and mix everything. Cover and cook on med flame till the leaves wilt. 
• In a processor/blender make a coarse paste of this mixture and keep aside.
• In the same pan, add rest of the oil and add chopped onions, saute till translucent and add garam masala. 
• To this add the palak/spinach paste and cook for around 8-10 minutes, stirring in between. Add salt as per your taste. 
• Sprinkle salt and pepper lightly over paneer and you can shallow fry paneer separately on a grill(tava) or just gently add paneer pieces to the palak gravy.  Mix everything with a light hand. Simmer for another couple of minutes.
• Serve hot with rotis or with plain rice.  You can add a little bit of butter or drizzle heavy cream too while serving. 

njoY!! happY cooking!!

you may also enjoy leafy vegetables like methichi bhaji(fenugreek leaves vegetable) or mooli leaves (radish) pachadi

Health Benefits: Spinach has a high content of vitamin K and is useful for protein modification and plays an important role in protecting bones from osteoporosis. Spinach is also high in fiber, which helps break down food and keeps your digestive system moving.One cup of spinach is all you need to get a full day’s requirement of vitamin A. That’s good news for your tired eyes. Very rich in iron content, that’s why vegetarians and anemics are encouraged to eat lots of spinach for healthy blood and proper red blood cell production.If you are prone to asthma attacks or have difficulty breathing, include spinach in your diet. The beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, potassium and magnesium in spinach all have anti-asthmatic properties.

Mango Walnut Bread (Eggless)

Mango Bread is one delicious dessert that melts in the mouth! I will guarantee you, it will get wiped off the casserole within a couple of hours (at the most stretch it to a day): ) I love corn bread and this is a nice variation with the mango flavor. I must confess that this season I have enjoyed way too many mangoes. Each time that I stepped into a supermarket I have picked up a case of nice ripe mangoes! Ate to my hearts content! :) Also ended up making few dishes using it like this mango bread, popsicles, mango lassi, aamras poori, mango shakes, mango ice cream etc.

One lady who is a die-hard fan of Mangoes is none other than my MOM :) Have never seen anyone love something so much...she will easily trade a mango for her precious jewelry :), I am telling ya. So you can guess this fruit will always be special to me :) My dad usually gets a case of mangoes for their anniversary which conveniently falls in summer during its peak season:)

This bread is very simple and uses few ingredients which usually are lying in your pantry, it is a no-stress dessert. Try it and you will love it!

Let us check the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rava(semolina)
• 1/2 cup butter (8 tbsp)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup mango pulp
• pinch salt

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 375F/190C.
• In a mixing bowl add semolina, baking powder, butter and mix together. Then add the rest of the above ingredients except walnuts. Whip it nicely till it all comes together.
• Toast the walnut in a pan on a low heat for few minutes.
• Add 1/4 cup of walnuts into the batter and fold it gently.
• Grease a baking pan with butter and add this mango/semolina batter evenly.
• Now distribute remaining walnut on top and bake it for 35-40 minutes.
• When you stick a toothpick in the centre of the bread, it should come out clean, else bake for 5 more minutes and check again.
• Your bread is ready to be enjoyed after it cools down a little bit. We don't want burnt tongues :):)

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

You may also like few dishes with mango like mango ice cream, mango lassi.

Mixed Sprouts Chilla with Besan (Sprouts Dosa)

Mixed Sprouts Chilla with Besan (sprinkled garlic chutney on top)

These days most of us are diet conscious and are always on a lookout for good healthy recipes. Here is one such recipe of sprouts chilla. It is gaining lots of popularity and is soon becoming a staple food in everyone's house. I must admit it is actually a very tasty and healthy dish (dosa). I fell in love with chillas the first time I tried it. I make it as a replacement for Rotis, works quite well.

Chillas can be made with lots of variation, you can use moong dal, matki, channa or oats etc etc. Add spices of your choice, I like to add green chillies- always first preference :), black peppers, cumin and ginger optional. One can add onions, tomatoes or cilantro...I mean the best part is you can play around with it and it still will come out yummy and tasty.

Get addicted to these chillas and see yourself shedding a couple of dress sizes :) I will try too :)

I had a field day with soaking different legumes overnight and getting sprouts. They look so beautiful :)

One of the foodie members Medha Rajpathak-Dhorje mentioned this recipe with the ingredients. I had to eyeball and make a note of measurements, tried it twice and came up with this recipe:

So cheers to Chillas, let me walk you through the recipe:

Ingredients: 

• 3/4th cup moong dal 
• 2 tbsp matki (moth beans)
• 2 tbsp kala channa (black chickpeas) 

[ so almost 1 cup of sprouts- you can use just 1 type of legume too ]

• 2 green chillies
• 1/2 inch ginger
• 3-4 pods garlic
• 5-6 black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cumin coarsely crushed
• 1/2 onion chopped
• 1/2 cup gram flour (besan)
• 1 tbsp yogurt (dahi)
• handful chopped cilantro
• oil to fry
• salt to taste

Preparation:

• Soak the legumes overnight, in the morning drain out all the water and keep in warm place to sprout. To expedite the process, tie it in a muslin cloth and keep aside hung somewhere :) It is an easy process to do in summer time. In winter it may take 2-3 days to sprout.
• Add legumes, ginger garlic, chillies, yogurt in a blender and make a paste by using just enough water. 
• To this mixture add besan, salt, cumin seeds, onion, black pepper and cilantro. Mix everything and add water to make the batter a little runny than pancakes. Almost like dosa batter.
• Take a cast iron griddle and heat it, add 1/2 tsp oil and spread it evenly with a rubber spatula. 
• Take about half a cup of batter and pour it in the centre of the griddle and with the back of the ladle make circular motions and spread the batter like a dosa. 
• Add more drops of oil evenly around chilla. Let it cook for a couple of minutes, flip it and cook for a few more seconds on the other side.(some may skip this step if it is cooked completely). 
• Serve hot with cilantro chutney or coconut ginger chutney or yellow potato sabji, yogurt etc.

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Health Benefits: Sprouts are rich in proteins, minerals and vitamins. Legumes are in best form when consumed sprouted. The fact that sprouts have low glycemic index (GI) makes this legume food good for diabetics. It causes a slow and steady release of glucose into the bloodstream and thus, maintains your blood sugar levels. Sprouts also help in relieving mood changes during menstruation and post-menopausal symptoms in women. The high fibre content in them helps in promoting a healthy digestive system and intestine by lowering the risk of digestive disorders.

Spinach Pepperoni(turkey) Flag Pizza (Pastry Puff)

This is a gooey fun loaded pizza that you can bake with your kids and have a good time in the kitchen. I made this with pastry puff as a base and used spinach stirfry using garlic and oil along with mozzarella cheese, marinara sauce and turkey pepperoni. You can replace the pepperoni with tomato slices. It tastes soooo good!

You can indulge in this rich pastry and cheese-loaded pizza once in a while, like 4th of July as it has the deco of a FLAG:) An apt preparation for the day of independence to show strength, unity, freedom, peace and love!

So go get your pastry sheets and start rolling and baking :)

Without further ado, here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet of pastry puff
• 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3 tbsp of marinara sauce (or pizza sauce)
• 2 dozen of turkey pepperoni
• 1/2 cup frozen spinach
• 2 garlic pods minced
• salt/pepper as per taste
• mozzarella cheese cut into small bits/pieces
• 1 tsp olive oil

Preparation:

Thaw the pastry puff for 30 minutes on the counter. 
Preheat the oven to 400F/200C. Use a little olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of a baking sheet. Set aside.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry dough to about 10” x 15”. Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet. Fold the edges of the dough over to make a crust. Use a fork to gently poke holes throughout all of the dough. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 10 – 12 minutes or until golden brown.

In the meantime, heat oil in a pan, add garlic and saute quickly, add thawed spinach and cook for 3-4 minutes on low heat till all the water evaporates. Keep aside.
Remove the dough from the oven and spread spinach mixture on the top left corner in a square pattern. Drop mozzarella cheese bits in between the spinach patch to make it look like stars :)

Spread the marinara sauce evenly on the pastry dough.  Add mozzarella cheese and place the turkey-pepperoni in 3 straight lines. 

Place the baking sheet back in the oven for 8 more minutes or till cheese melts. Broil for a minute to get that nice brown spots on cheese.
Enjoy your 4th of July Flag Pizza with your family!

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

recipe idea adapted from Giada Laurentiis.