Homemade Ravioli - Stuffed with Spinach and Cottage Cheese in Roasted Tomato Sauce


Do you know that there is also a day for pasta? I too did not know and was quite surprised ! THE WORLD PASTA DAY – is celebrated on October 25.

I tasted Ravioli in a restaurant and loved it so much and decided that, must try this at home. I had written this recipe after watch a Television cookery show and then knew that it involves adding semolina for texture and firmness so that it can retain its shape. But rolling this pasta required a lot of energy, but still made it and everyone enjoyed it. Last year my beta's mother Reena gifted me a pasta machine for Christmas. After that everything changed, now I make my pasta at home, freshly made pasta is really different from the store brought one in taste, texture and most of all it has no oil or preservatives. Thank you Reena for this wonderful gift.

Whenever I, decide to make ravioli we always do it together because we make it in large quantities for two families and two meals. My beta and his sister will want to take it for tiffin. We really enjoying making it. So let's go to the recipe.

Sending this to Mir, who is hosting my Kid's Delight, themed on "Pizzas, Pastas n Noodles".

Ingredients
For the ravioli dough
1/2 cup semolina - the superfine variety
1/2 cup maida
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup hot water

For the filling
250 Grams Paneer - Freshly made
1 Big Bundle of Palak - blanched and chopped
1 Teaspoon Garlic powder
1/2 Teaspoon Oregano
A pinch of salt

For the sauce
12 Tomatoes - large, firm and ripe
12 Flakes Garlic - finely chopped
1 Large Onion - finely chopped
2 Tablespoon Tomato Ketchup
1 Teaspoon Mixed Italian Herbs
1 Teaspoon Chilli flakes
1 Teaspoon Oregano
2 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley - finely chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
12 Basil Leaves

1/4 Cup Olive oil
Cheese - grated for serving
Method

In a small mixer jar add the 1/4 cup water and the semolina, mix well keep it aside for an hour or more. Then grind to fine paste.

Simply mix the two flours together and then begin to add warm water if required, mixing until you obtain a stiff dough. Once you obtain a workable dough, knead on a lightly floured surface for 10 to 15 minutes until the dough is very smooth and stiff. Wrap in plastic wrap and let is rest for 15 minutes.

In the meantime prepare the filling

Mix the filling ingredients and keep aside.


If you are using a pasta roller, take your flattened tennis ball-sized piece of dough (remember to keep the rest of your dough covered with the cling film so it doesn't go dry and crusty). Push it through the pasta roller on the widest setting. Fold it, then repeat 3 times. Once you have a rough square shape, start working it through the machine, taking it down one setting at a time, until the thinnest (or last but one) setting. If your pasta is too sticky, it won’t go through smoothly, so add a little flour to each side before you put it through the roller.



Place your sheet of pasta on a floured surface. Put a small portion of the filling in half of the ravioli rounds. Dip your finger in water and apply it to the edges of each ravioli.
 

Place the other half ravioli rounds over it and cut with a cookie cutter or a knife ( see pics). 


Pick it up and press lightly to ensure that it is sealed. Place it on a well floured surface. Allow them to dry out for at least 20 minutes. 

Boiling the ravioli
Place a large vessel of salted water on heat. Allow to boil. Lower the heat and slip in the prepared ravioli rounds in the water and cook for 3-4 minutes. They will sink immediately and start floating in a minute or two. Flip them over once if required. Remove them from the water with a slotted spoon and allow to drain, toss them with some olive oil so that they do not stick.

For the Sauce 



Wash and dry the tomatoes. Sprinkle the garlic flakes, along with it. Apply olive oil and roast in oven at 250 C until the skin starts tearing. Remove from oven and keep aside until cool. Peel off the skin then chop half and puree the other half. Fry a large onion minced well in olive oil, add the roasted chopped garlic cloves. Add salt, pepper powder, tomato ketchup, the herbs and let it simmer for 15 minutes. When the sauce it slightly thick then add the torn fresh basil leaves, chili flakes, oregano and fresh parsley stir. Switch off the flame.

Serving
Place the warm ravioli in the serving plate. Top with the warm sauce. add grated cheese on top and serve. Toss it in the sauce and relish. 


We had the ravioli for dinner one serving with cheese and one with little cheese. The verdict, my hubby and me like it without cheese because the creaminess of the filling was just yum.



Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#46.

Notes :

Do not overfill the ravioli. While sealing the ravioli, you need to ensure that there are no air bubbles in it. If there are air bubbles, the ravioli will float immediately while boiling and burst.

To ensure that you get it right, prepare a single ravioli round and slip into the water. Check .. it sinks and then floats.


Labels: Pasta & Noodles, Healthy, Blogging Marathon, Ravioli, Roasted Tomato, Sauces, International Cuisine

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Spicy Chicken Rice




Sometimes you feel that today you want to prepare something quick, hassle free so that you can be out of the kitchen in a jiffy,  then this is an apt recipe.   This was one day that I felt so and thats how I prepared this spicy chicken rice.

Ingredients
1 Cup Basmati Rice
1.1/2 Cup Chicken Stock
1 Inch piece Cinnamon
2 Green Cardamon
1 Badi Elachie
1/2 Teaspoon Shahijeera
3 Cloves
3 Peppercorns
1 Large Onion - sliced
1/4 Cup Curds
Salt to taste
1 Cup Boneless Chicken Pieces
2 Tablespoon Oil / Ghee


Grind to Paste
4 Bedki Chillies
2 Kashmiri Chillies- remove the seeds
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric powder
3 Flakes Garlic
1/2 Inch Ginger

Method


Soak the dry red chillies in warm water and then grind with the rest of the ingredients. 

In a pressure pan heat oil add the whole garam masala, fry till it crackles. Add the onions and saute till light brown. Then add the ground paste, curds and saute till oil leaves the sides, add the chicken and saute for 3 minutes. Then add the rice and saute them lightly for 3 minutes. Add salt and chicken stock. Close the pressure cooker and take 2 whistles. Serve hot with raita. Enjoy !!!



Labels: Chicken, Rice, Healthy, Main course, Vegan,

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A combo post for French Baguette and Tomato Basil Loaf


For Day 3 of our Blogging Marathon we have to do a combo post with the bread that are prepared on day 1 which is the French Baguette and on day 2 Tomato Basil Loaf.

With French Baguette I made Bruschetta, the recipe as follows.

Ingredients

2 Tablespoon Potato - boiled and finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Carrot - finely chopped and praboiled
1 Tablespoon Fresh Peas - boiled
1 Tablespoon Capsicum - finely chopped
1 Teaspoon Butter
Salt and pepper to taste.
Grated Cheese
Butter for brushing the bread

Method

Heat the butter in a pan add the capsicum and saute for a minute then add all the other veggies and saute for 2 minutes add salt and pepper to taste.  Take off the flame cool.



Apply butter to both the sides of the bread and keep this on a baking tray.  Place the veggies on the top sprinkle grated cheese and bake it in a preheated oven at 200 degree for 3 minutes or till the cheese starts melting.
Cool and serve.  We enjoyed this as our evening tea time snack.

The Tomato Basil Loaf we had it with Cheese Corn Tomato Soup - A bowl of goodness (click here for the recipe).




Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#46.

Labels : Breakfast,  Blogging Marathon, Bruschetta, Sandwiches

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Cheese Corn Tomato Soup - A bowl of Goodness


Tomato soup is my all time favorite soup and you if you serve me this soup daily for dinner I, will happily enjoy it. This soup is very satisfying and filling, very easy to make. Most of us think that making soup at home is very cumbersome and time consuming, so avoid making and buy a packet of ready soup and have it. But this is a misconception, making soup at home is very easy, healthy and without any preservatives you have a bowl full of goodness in 1/4 the price of the packet and that too 2 servings.  So here goes the recipe.


Ingredients

1 Tablespoon Butter
1/2 Tablespoon All purpose flour or Whole wheat flour
1/2 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Water
3 Tablespoons Sweet corn - boiled
6 Large Ripe firm Tomatoes - cut in large pieces
1/4 Cup Beetroot - cut into small cubes
2 Flakes Garlic.
Salt and Pepper powder to taste
Cheese according to your taste



Method

In a pressure cooker add the tomatoes, beetroot and garlic and take 3 whistles. Cool, then blend and strain, keep this aside.

In another pan add the butter, flour and stir on low flame cook for a 2 minutes then add the milk and whisk well till you get a smooth liquid. Add the water and mix well when the sauce starts to thicken add the a teaspoon of cheese and mix well. Then add tomato puree then stir and let it cook on slow flame till starts boiling adjust the thickness of the soup according to your taste by adding water. Switch off the flame add the corn, salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, with some cheese on top. We enjoyed this with the Tomato Basil loaf, you have it with the bread of your choice.



Labels : Soup, Tomato, Healthy, Blogging Marathon, Cheese, Corn,Cheese Corn Tomato Soup

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Whole Wheat Tomato Basil Loaf


For November - Day 2 - Taming the yeast Veena has shared her Whole Wheat Tomato Basil Loaf that is adapted from Italian cookbook by Tarla Dalal.
This bread is  very flavourful, with all the goodness of the whole wheat, tomato and basil.
Since half the flour is whole wheat flour, the bread tends to be a little dense, but this bread was soft and moist.  This bread when it was being baked the aroma was awesome.  For this recipe I made the oven dried tomatoes at home and stored them for further use in the deep freezer click here for the recipe.

I have used regular aata, you can use all purpose flour instead.




Yield: One loaf
Ingredients:
1 Cup Whole wheat Flour
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 ½ Teaspoon Instant yeast
1 Teaspoon Sugar
1 Teaspoon Salt
¼ Cup Sun Dried Tomato 
¼ Cup Fresh Basil
2 Tablespoon Tomato puree
3 Tablespoon Olive oil
1/3 Cup to ½ Cup Warm water - Add more only if necessary

Method
Measure all the ingredients and keep it ready.




Mix the flours together with salt.




Add the yeast to 1/3 cup of warm water with sugar and let it rest for 2 minutes.
Add this mixture and tomato puree to the dry flours and knead well for 5 to 7 minutes to make it into a soft pliable dough.



Oil a wide mouthed bowl and transfer this dough to it. Keep it covered in a warm place and let it double for nearly an hour.



Now punch down the dough a little and add the sundried tomatoes, basil and knead again




If need be add a little more flour and knead applying olive oil. Dust the rolling surface and roll it into a rectangle approximately ¼” in thickness and then shape it into a loaf by rolling it from long side.




Prepare a baking tray, (either grease it or use a parchment paper)


Place the shaped loaf on a prepared tray , cover it loosely and let it rise again for 30-40 minutes.




At the end of 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 180

Now brush the top with egg wash or milk and bake it at 180C for 20 minutes or till done.




Let it cool and slice it





Serve warm with some soup ! 





Note:

To get a more soft bread use only all purpose flour

Use 1 tsp instant yeast instead of active dry yeast but skip the process of hydration.


Since used homemade oven dried tomatoes I did not soak the same, used it directly.

Check tomorrow's post to see what we had this bread with.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#46.


For other recipes on bread check Recipe Index.


Labels: Breads, Continental cuisine, Vegan, Blogging Marathon

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