Talniche Modak / Fried Modak

Ganesh Jayanti is known as Maghi Ganpati this  is an auspicious day dedicated to Lord Ganesha and it's "Ganesha's birthday". Modak's are Lord Ganesha's favorite, so here are Talniche Modak / Fried Modak, the covering is of wheat flour. 

I have already posted  Ukadiche Naralache (Coconut) & Chocolate Modak.

 

Ingredients
For the outer covering or shell:
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
2 Teaspoons Warm Melted Ghee
Water as required to knead the dough

For the Filling

4 - 5 Tablespoons Jaggery - grated 
1 Cup  Freshly Grated Coconut  - can use dessicated  coconut 

2 Tablespoons Toasted Sesame seeds
1/2 Teaspoon Cardamom powder
A pinch Nutmeg powder

A Teaspoon Ghee

Method

For the Covering

Sieve the flour with salt and add warm ghee and mix well, then  knead it into a smooth dough by adding little water at a time and keep it covered aside for 15-20 minutes. 

Meanwhile let's make the filling

In a pan add ghee and jaggery,  when the jaggery starts to melt add the  coconut and mix till the jaggery melts and the mixture is dry, add the  sesame seeds, nutmeg and cardamom powder. Keep the mixture aside to cool.  When it is cool, divide this into small equal sized ball. keep aside to cool.

Making the Modaks

Take a small ball of dough and oil the surface and roll it into in thin and round circle,( I used the puri maker) 

Place it into the greased modak mould. 

Place the ball of filling onto the dough

Close the mould tightly remove the excess flour from the side and with bottom flour 

fold it to seal the modak. 

Modak is ready. Likewise make all.

Deep fry the modaks in medium hot oil or ghee ( I used ghee) till golden browned.  Drain on kitchen towel.  Talniche modak are ready.  

Share these with your family and friends and enjoy. My hubby and daughter, loves modak.

Labels: Sweets & Desserts, Festival Sweets, Coconut

Veg Minestrone Soup #soupswappers

Wendy has started a new group, Soup Saturday Swappers, on every third Saturday of each month, our group will be posting soup recipes based on a theme. This month's theme is "healthy".

Since many of us make resolutions in the new year to start living a more healthy lifestyle.  I too took this theme seriously and made a healthy and nutritious  soup.  This is a comforting and delicious soup full of veggies and takes just few minutes for prepare. Try this healthy soup you will absolutely love it.

Ingredients

1.1/2 Cup Homemade Pasta Sauce - recipe follows
1/4 Cup Coloured Bell pepper - finely chopped
2 Tablespoons Carrot - finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Celery - finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Cauliflower - finely chopped
1 Tablespoon French Beans - finely chopped
5 Cups Water
1 Cup Boiled Chick Peas - Lightly mash a few of them
2 Teaspoons  Basil Pesto Sauce
Salt and Pepper powder to taste
1 Cube  Veg Soup Cube

Method

In a pot add the water, soup cube , pasta sauce, all the veggies,  chickpeas, basil pesto sauce,  salt and  pepper to taste.  Bring the ingredients in the pot to a rolling boil. Reduce the flame and let it simmer for a 4 to 5 minutes. Your soup is ready, taste for seasonings, add accordingly.   Enjoy this healthy and delicious soup in this cold weather.

Labels: Soup, Vegetarian, Pasta sauce, Basil, Pesto Sauce, Soup Swappers, Healthy, Vegetables, Minestrone Soup

Check out the link up, for more nutritious soups.

1. Carrot Soup with Buttered Pecans #soupswappers

2. Butternut Squash and Ginger Soup

3. Asparagus soup with Advieh

4. Mexican Cabbage Soup, Olé! -

5. Smoked Turkey Sausage, White Bean and Pesto Soup

6. Sid's Sea Palm Cooking: Spinat Suppe (Spinach Soup

7. Copycat Campbell's Tomato soup

8. Cauliflower White Bean Chili – Soup Saturday | The

9. Veg Minestrone Soup - Sneha's Recipe

10. All-In Chicken Soup

11. Thai Fish Soup

12. Spicy Gai Lan and Tofu Soup

13. A Day in the Life on the Farm: Fennel Crab Bisque

14. Cozy Winter Sweet Potato & Thyme Soup

15. Our Good Life: Healthy Soup Options

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Mackerel And Dill Mini Tartlets #FishFridayFoodie

The theme for this month Fish Friday Foodies is Seafood Pie or Tart and our Host is Stacy, thank you dear for hosting this event.

These mini tarts are perfect  as a starter or appetizer . They can be made ahead and warmed through in a hot oven for 5 to 7 minutes. In these tartlets I, have not used cheese, but, if you wish, can grate cheese on top and then bake. These are yum without cheese too.

Ingredients

For the Tartlets
1 Cup All Purpose flour
50 Grams Butter
Pinch salt

For the Filling
100 Grams Flaked Mackerel Fish
1 Small Onion
1/4 Teaspoon Red Chilly Powder
1 Teaspoon Butter
Salt to taste

Other Ingredients
A Few Sprigs of Fresh Dill
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Bechamel sauce
1/4 Teaspoon Steakpeper seasoning

Method 
Preheat the oven to 180ºC
Prepare the pastry 

Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl, rub in the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs, add a teaspoon of cold water if necessary and bring together to form a dough.
Roll out on a floured board and using a mini cutter, cut out  rounds.
Use the pastry rounds to line the patty tins.  Blind bake them in the preheated oven or 10 - 12 minutes or  till done.  

For the filling

Heat the pan add the butter and onions, saute till translucent, add the flaked fish, salt to taste and chilly powder, saute for a minute.  Take off flame and cool.

For the topping

Beat the egg and bechamel sauce together, season with steakpepper and keep aside.  To assemble

Divide the fish filling between the pastry cases 

Top each with a few sprigs of dill  

Carefully pour the prepared sauce into each case, taking care not to overfill.  

Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes.  

Serve warm or cold. 

My Notes: 

I have used fresh Mackerel, cleaned and removed the inside of the Mackerel, then just steamed it in a pan without water.  Then flaked it when cooled.  This fish is very thorny, take care to remove  the smallest of thorns. 

Labels :  Mackerel, Dill, Tart/Pie/Quiche, Fish Friday, Bechamel Sauce, Seafood/Fish 

1. Cheesy Shrimp Spinach Filo Pie

2. Smoked Salmon, Dill, and Horseradish Tartets

3. Mackerel And Dill Mini Tartlets

4. Hot phyllo crab cups

5. Étouffée Empanada – Shrimp and Crawfish | The Sauc

6. Scallop, Goat Cheese, & Leek Egg Pie

7. A Day in the Life on the Farm: Lobster Pot Pie #Fi

8. Sid's Sea Palm Cooking: Shrimp and Crab Quiche

9. British Fish Pie

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Makaronah Bil Beshemel - Baked Bechamel Pasta - Egypt

Makaronah Bil Beshemel is  easy to prepare, baked pasta dish.  This is a one dish meal, we enjoyed it with a bowl of soup or  you can have it with  salad.  This is an healthy and delicious dish which has no cheese, yet taste divine.  

Quick and easy to make, have all the ingredients ready and  this dish is ready in minutes.  Here, I, have used Bezar spice, which is an arabic spice and goes very well with this dish, this spice mix has an awesome taste and flavor.

Serves 2 
Ingredients
1 Cup Heaped Macaroni  Pasta
1 Tablespoon Oil
1 Teaspoon Bezar Spice Mix  - see recipe
1  Onion - chopped
200 Grams  Boneless Chicken - finely cubed 
Salt to taste
1.1/2 Cups Thick Bechamel sauce - see recipe 

Method

Cook pasta in 5 cups or waters as per the packet instruction or till al dente.  Drain and add a teaspoon of warm oil and toss it, keep aside.

While pasta cooks, we prepare the chicken layer.

Heat oil in a frying pan, add onions and saute till onions are translucent.  Then add the chicken and saute till it turn pink to white then add the bezar spice and saute  for 2 to 3 minutes, cover and cook  till the chicken is done.  Open the lid and evaporate all the moisture or till the mixture is dry. Keep aside to cool.

In the meantime preheat the oven  at 200 degrees.

Butter a casserole dish well,

Spread 2 tablespoons of bechamel sauce  

Now spread half of pasta 

Spread layer of  chicken mixture

Top with remaining pasta

Pour the  bechamel sauce evenly on to dish. Sprinkle a little   bezar spice and place it in oven till it browns on top .

See the layers.. looks too tempting.. na.

Cool it a little and cut slices of this  rich dish,  enjoy with soup or salad of your choice. 

My Notes 

You can use any pasta of your choice.
Can use lamb or beef mince for the filling too.

Bezar spice is an Arabic spice and has a flavorful taste, try this spice you will love it.

Labels : Bechamel Sauce, Bezar,  Spice Mix , Chicken, Mena cooking club, Pasta & Noodles, Healthy, Egypt

SPICED BESANI PARATHA #BREADBAKERS

Our Host Pavani of Cook's Hideout decided to start the new year with a "Healthy" Bread -- with or without yeast   for our group Bread Bakers. 

This is healthy paratha that I,  made has a combination of Whole Wheat Flour and Besan - which is called Chick Pea Flour or Gram Flour in English.

These parathas are a great choice for breakfast or lunch. Gram flour is gluten free and hence whole wheat flour is added to make the dough for paratha. If you have gluten allergy then instead of wheat flour you can add mashed boiled potato to form the dough.

Makes  8 - depending on the size and thickness.
Ingredients
2 Cups Besan / Chick Pea Flour
1  Cup Wheat Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Salt or to taste
1/2 Teaspoon Red Chilly Powder
2 Tablespoons Heaped Ghee - melted
1 Teaspoon Coriander Seeds - coarsely crushed
2 Teaspoons Anardhana / Pomegrante powder
2 Green Chillies - finely chopped
2 Tablespoons Coriander leaves - finely chopped
1 Medium Onion - finely chopped
Water as required  for the dough
Desi Ghee as required

Method

Seive the wheat flour and besan together. In a bowl add in  flour and ghee mix it till resembles bread crumbs, then add rest of the ingredients and mix well,   add in water little by little and knead to form into a soft and smooth dough. 

Let the dough rest for at least an hour covered with a damp cloth. Divide the dough into 6 to 8 equal balls, roll to a quarter plate size using dry flour for rolling. Make the parathas a little thin.

Heat a griddle pan or tawa, place the paratha and cook one side for a few seconds, then flip and  cook till brown spots appear, flip again and cook the other side too, spread a teaspoon of desi ghee on top and on the sides, cook till brown spots appear.  Like wise prepare rest of the parathas. 

Serve hot with any gravy dish, or have it hot for breakfast.. I made this for our breakfast, its crisp and delicious, spread a little desi ghee on top and enjoy... does not require any chutney or pickle.

Labels : Besan, Parathas, Flatbread, Bread Bakers, Healthy, Breads

Check out the Healthy Breads that our fellow #BreadBakers have baked this month:

Amaranth Flatbread from Mayuri's Jikoni
Beet Rye Bread from What Smells So Good?
Blueberry Almond Bread from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
Brain Booster Pancakes from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Chocolate Banana Flax Almond Meal Muffins from Spill the Spices
Eggless Whole Wheat Brioche Buns from Gayathri's Cook Spot
Grain-free Nutty Carrot Flatbread from A Baker's House
Healthier Applesauce Spice Bread from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
Healthy Whole Grain Bread from The Bread She Bakes
Honey Almond Brioche from Kidsandchic
Honey Oatmeal Bread from Food Lust People Love
Multigrain Pesto Swirl Bread from Herbivore Cucina
Oatmeal Crispbread (Oatmeal Knäckebröd) from Baking Sense
Organic Honey Whole Grain Bread from Hostess At Heart
Quick Whole Wheat Bread from Ambrosia
Spiced Besani Paratha from Sneha's Recipe
Sprouted Wheat Bread from Palatable Pastime
Sweet Potato Bread with Honey from The Wimpy Vegetarian
Sweet Potato Millet Bread from The Schizo Chef
Ten Grain No Knead Bread from Karen's Kitchen Stories
Whole Wheat Carrot Apple Walnut Quickbread from A Salad For All Seasons
Whole Wheat White Bean Bread from Cooks Hideout

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the #BreadBakers home page.
We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send Stacy an email with your blog URL to foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com.