Mayonnaise & Mustard Sandwich

Here is a quick recipe for a sandwich.
Ingredients:
White/brown bread
Tomato –slices
Cucumber –slices
Green/coloured capsicum – cut into strips
Black olives (optional)
Eggless Mayonnaise
Mustard paste
Cheese slices cut into thin strips

Method:
1) Toast the bread to make it nice and crisp.
2) Apply mayonnaise on one slice of the toasted bread. Arrange the tomato and cucumber slices, along with the olives.
3) Apply mustard paste on the other slice of the toasted bread. Put the cheese and capsicum strips on top of it. Close the sandwich, and enjoy it!

This sandwich can also be made using Pav bread for a change.
Method:
1)      Toast the pav bread with some butter on your regular toaster (or tava).
2)      Apply mayonnaise, mustard and arrange the vegetables (tomato, cucumber, capsicum) as per your taste.
3)      Serve it as an open sandwich. This will surely be an interesting snack for children.

Green Peas & Mint Soup

This is a tasty and a thick soup using peas, mint leaves and potato.

No. of servings – 2

Ingredients:
Green peas – 1 cup (120 ml)
Mint –  20-25 leaves
Potato – 1 small size, sliced or finely chopped
Onion – 1 small size (cut into long and thin pieces)
Vegetable Stock  – 3 cups (water can be used in case stock is not available)
Butter – 1 tablespoon
Garlic – 2 or 3 cloves (optional)
Milk – 1/2 cup
Cream (optional)
Salt to taste
White pepper powder – 1/4 teaspoon
 
Method:
1) Heat butter in a pan, add the onion and garlic. Sauté this till onion becomes transparent and soft.

2) Add the potato slices and mint leaves, and pour the vegetable stock. Boil this till potato becomes soft, and then add the green peas. Boil this for about 5-6 minutes till peas become soft.

3) Once the vegetables are cooked, remove from heat, cool the vegetable mixture and strain. The excess stock/water should be retained for the soup later. Puree the mixture using a little stock .

4) Now comes the last step – mix the puree with the remaining stock and milk, and bring this to a boil. Add salt and white pepper powder. And your yummy soup is ready!

Note: Cream can be added for garnish.

Stuffed Tomatoes in Gravy

Ingredients:

6 Medium size tomatoes for stuffing

For stuffing:

2 Medium potatoes- Boiled, peeled and mashed
1 tbsp each boiled corn and peas
1 green chilli- finely chopped
1 small onion- finely chopped
50 gms paneer- grated
Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tsp
Salt and pepper to taste

For Gravy:

3-4 medium tomatoes
Garlic pods-3-4
Chilli powder- 1tsp
Coriander powder- 1 tsp
Cumin powder- 1/2 tsp
MDH Tava fry Bharwan masala- 3 tsps
salt to taste
Oil- 30 ml (approximate)

For Paste:
Melon seeds- 60 ml
Cashew nuts-6-8
Finely sliced onions- 240 ml

Method:

Tomatoes:Cut away the top of the tomatoes for stuffing. Check if they stand up erect; else cut a thin slice off the bottom so that they stand erect. Scoop out the inside of the tomatoes and keep aside. Rub a little oil inside the cavity and outside and keep them inverted inside the frig for about 15 minutes.

Stuffing: Fry in a little oil finely chopped onions, chilli and ginger/garlic paste. Add boiled corn, peas and mashed potatoes. Add salt and pepper. Finally remove from fire and add the crumbled/ grated paneer. Mix well and stuff the tomatoes with the mixture. Top each tomato with a blob of butter and bake for 10-15 minutes. Remove and keep aside.

Paste: Wash and soak the melon seeds and cashew nuts in warm water just enough to cover. Fry the sliced onions in 2 tsps of oil until browned nicely. Cool and grind along with the soaked nuts to a smooth paste.

Gravy: Cut the tomatoes and puree along with the scooped tomatoes, garlic, and the powders and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and add the puree mixture and fry until the raw tomato smell goes. Then add the paste, blend well. Adjust salt and texture adding water if necessary. Arrange the tomatoes in a serving dish and pour the gravy over it. Alternately, place the tomatoes in the pan and heat for some time and serve.

Kanakadhara Sthothram

Kanakadhara Sthavam:
Adi Shankara as a Brahmachari, before he took up Sanyasa, used to seek Bhiksha daily in accordance with his Asrama Dharma. One Dwadasi day, he went for Bhiksha to a poor Brahmin’s house. That Brahmin himself was living by unchavriddhi (is an act of collecting grains left out in the threshing field) and had gone out to collect grains.
When Shankara came for Bhiksha, the lady of the house was alone and had nothing to offer. However, she had one single gooseberry which was kept as an essential item for dwadasi paranai. (on dwadasi , the day next to ekadasi -day of fasting) people eat gooseberry as a custom) She thought that while she was not able to offer Bhiksha to the Brahmachari, she should atleast give him the gooseberry fruit and so gave it to Shankara.
Shankara understood the lady’s good intention and inability to give grains for Bhiksha. He was moved by the gesture and so prayed to goddess Mahalakshmi to give the family prosperity and composed Kanakadhara Sthavam. An ashareeri was heard to say that the Brahmin couple is suffering from poverty on account of their actions in their previous births and that it cannot change. Shankara, however represented to the divine stating that in this birth, they have parted with the only edible item of gooseberry in their house and by that action alone, they have earned immeasurable punya which nullifies all the papas of their previous births. He then prayed to the Goddess Lakshmi again to give them prosperity. Immediately, thereafter commenced a shower of golden gooseberries in their house.
‘Kanaka’ means gold and ‘dhara’ means shower. Since the sloka caused a shower of gold, it is called Kanakadhara Stotram.

श्री कनकधारास्तोत्रम्
अङ्गं हरेः पुलकभूषणमाश्रयन्ती भृङ्गाङ्गनेव मुकुलाभरणं तमालम्‌। अङ्गीकृताखिलविभूतिरपाङ्गलीला माङ्गल्यदाऽस्तु मम मङ्गलदेवतायाः॥ १॥

मुग्धा मुहुर्विदधती वदने मुरारेः प्रेमत्रपाप्रणिहितानि गतागतानि। माला दृशोर्मधुकरीव महोत्पले या सा मे श्रियं दिशतु सागरसंभवायाः॥ २॥

आमीलिताक्षमधिगम्य मुदा मुकुन्दं आनन्दकन्दमनिमेषमनङ्गतन्त्रम्‌। आकेकरस्थितकनीनिकपक्ष्मनेत्रं भूत्यै भवेन्मम भुजङ्गशयाङ्गनायाः॥ ३॥

बाह्वन्तरे मधुजितः श्रितकौस्तुभे या हारावलीव हरिनीलमयी विभाति। कामप्रदा भगवतोऽपि कटाक्षमाला कल्याणमावहतु मे कमलालयायाः॥ ४॥

कालाम्बुदालिललितोरसि कैटभारेः धाराधरे स्फुरति या तडिदङ्गनेव। मातुस्समस्तजगतां महनीयमूर्तिः भद्राणि मे दिशतु भार्गवनन्दनायाः॥ ५॥

प्राप्तं पदं प्रथमतः खलु यत्प्रभावात्‌ माङ्गल्यभाजि मधुमाथिनि मन्मथेन। मय्यापतेत्तदिह मन्थरमीक्षणार्धं मन्दालसं च मकरालयकन्यकायाः॥ ६॥

विश्वामरेन्द्रपदविभ्रमदानदक्षं आनन्दहेतुरधिकं मुरविद्विषोऽपि। ईषन्निषीदतु मयि क्षणमीक्षणार्धम्‌ इन्दीवरोदरसहोदरमिन्दिरायाः॥ ७॥

इष्टाविशिष्टमतयोऽपि यया दयार्द्र- दृष्ट्या त्रिविष्टपपदं सुलभं लभन्ते। दृष्टिः प्रहृष्टकमलोदरदीप्तिरिष्टां पुष्टिं कृषीष्ट मम पुष्करविष्टरायाः॥ ८॥

दद्याद्दयानुपवनो द्रविणाम्बुधारां अस्मिन्नकिञ्चनविहङ्गशिशौ विषण्णे। दुष्कर्मघर्ममपनीय चिराय दूरं नारायणप्रणयिनीनयनाम्बुवाहः॥ ९॥

गीर्देवतेति गरुडध्वजसुन्दरीति शाकम्भरीति शशिशेखरवल्लभेति। सृष्टिस्थितिप्रलयकेलिषु संस्थितायै तस्यै नमस्त्रिभुवनैकगुरोस्तरुण्यै॥ १०॥ श्

रुत्यै नमोऽस्तु शुभकर्मफलप्रसूत्यै रत्यै नमोऽस्तु रमणीयगुणार्णवायै। शक्त्यै नमोऽस्तु शतपत्रनिकेतनायै पुष्ट्यै नमोऽस्तु पुरुषोत्तमवल्लभायै॥ ११॥

नमोऽस्तु नालीकनिभाननायै नमोऽस्तु दुग्धोदधिजन्मभूम्यै। नमोऽस्तु सोमामृतसोदरायै नमोऽस्तु नारायणवल्लभायै॥ १२॥

नमोऽस्तु हेमाम्बुजपीठिकायै नमोऽस्तु भूमण्डलनायिकायै। नमोऽस्तु देवादिदयापरायै नमोऽस्तु शार्ङ्गायुधवल्लभायै॥ १३॥

नमोऽस्तु देव्यै भृगुनन्दनायै नमोऽस्तु विष्णोरुरसि स्थितायै। नमोऽस्तु लक्ष्म्यै कमलालयायै नमोऽस्तु दामोदरवल्लभायै॥ १४॥

नमोऽस्तु कान्त्यै कमलेक्षणायै नमोऽस्तु भूत्यै भुवनप्रसूत्यै। नमोऽस्तु देवादिभिरर्चितायै नमोऽस्तु नन्दात्मजवल्लभायै॥ १५॥

सम्पत्कराणि सकलेन्द्रियनन्दनानि साम्राज्यदानविभवानि सरोरुहाक्षि। त्वद्वन्दनानि दुरिताहरणोद्यतानि मामेव मातरनिशं कलयन्तु मान्ये॥ १६॥

यत्कटाक्षसमुपासनाविधिः सेवकस्य सकलार्थसंपदः। संतनोति वचनाङ्गमानसैः त्वां मुरारिहृदयेश्वरीं भजे॥ १७॥

सरसिजनिलये सरोजहस्ते धवलतमांशुकगन्धमाल्यशोभे। भगवति हरिवल्लभे मनोज्ञे त्रिभुवनभूतिकरि प्रसीद मह्यम्‌॥ १८॥

दिग्‌ हस्तिभिः कनककुंभमुखावसृष्ट- स्वर्वाहिनीविमलचारुजलप्लुताङ्गीम्‌। प्रातर्नमामि जगतां जननीमशेष- लोकाधिनाथगृहिणीममृताब्धिपुत्रीम्‌॥ १९॥

कमले कमलाक्षवल्लभे त्वं करुणापूरतरङ्गितैरपाङ्गैः। अवलोकय मामकिञ्चनानां प्रथमं पात्रमकृत्रिमं दयायाः॥ २०॥

स्तुवन्ति ये स्तुतिभिरमीभिरन्वहं त्रयीमयीं त्रिभुवनमातरं रमाम्‌। गुणाधिका गुरुतरभाग्यभागिनः भवन्ति ते भुवि बुधभाविताशयाः॥ २१॥

Pizza from Scratch

Ingredients:

Flour: 300 gms
Olive oil or other oil 2-3 tbsps
Salt 1 tsp
Dry yeast 1.25 tsp
Cheese: 100 gms - grate
Mixed Italian herbs
Milled Pepper
Warm water to mix
Sliced tomatoes, onions, capsicums, olives etc for topping.

Method:

Add salt and yeast to the flour and oil. Mix well. Add warm water little by little and knead into a soft dough. Put it in a deep bowl and cover loosely with a damp cloth and place in a warm place for 2 to 3 hours. Let it rise to double the size.

Take the dough and spread (do not grease) it into desired shapes- either individual mini pizzas or large one. You can oil your fingers if needed. Prick with the fork in several places. Spread tomato sauce (Recipe below). Sprinkle cheese and layer the vegetables on top. Sprinkle pepper and mixed Italian herbs like Oregano, rosemary. Dot with oil. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes at 250 degrees C. Take care not to brown the crust. Cool and cut.

Tomato Sauce:

Tomatoes- 4 large

Onion- 1 small

Garlic- 1 tsp chopped

Capsicum-1/2 chopped

Olive or other oil

sugar, salt to taste

Dried oregano- 1 tsp

Milled pepper- 1 tsp

Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water. Peel and grate the pulp or chop fine. Heat oil and saute the onion, garlic and capsicum for a few minutes. Add the tomato pulp and simmer until the sauce thickens a little. Add sugar, salt, pepper powder and simmer a little longer. Add the oregano and cool.

Brownie

Ingredients:

Flour- 100 gms
Castor sugar or powdered sugar- 100 gms
Butter- 100 gms
Walnuts- 100 gms
Eggs- 2
Cocoa- 3 tbsps
Baking powder- 3/4 tsp
Salt- a large pinch

Method:

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Shell and chop walnuts into medium sized pieces. Beat the eggs and keep aside. Melt butter in a pan and stir in the cocoa powder. Add sugar and eggs and mix well. Stir in the flour gradually and blend well. Mix in half of the walnuts. Pour batter into a buttered baking tray and sprinkle the remaining walnuts on top. Bake in pre-heated oven for 25- 30 minutes at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Cool and cut into pieces.

Paneer Bhurji

Ingredients:

200 ml paneer crumbled
100 ml chopped onions
100 ml chopped tomatoes
100 ml capsicum chopped (can include coloured capsicum)
1 green chilli- deseeded and chopped
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp olive oil
Salt to taste

For the toast:
6 bread slices
For garnish:
2 tbsp chopped coriander

Method:

Heat the oil in a pan, add onions; stir fry, add capsicum, add tomatoes, add ginger, fry. Add green chillies, chilli powder, salt, paneer and mix well. Place the toasts on a plate, top with paneer bhurji and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve immediately.

Alternatively, can serve with chappathis.