I used to eat a lot of these when I was younger. They were sold at almost every corner shop in India. These treats have a spicy paneer filling inside a shell of crispy puff pastry. Since it’s so easy to get puff pastry sheets in the US, I make them all the time. 😊
Now, I know paneer is dairy. I’d still like to mention that Pepperidge puff pastry sheets are vegan. So if you replace the paneer with tofu or a spicy veggie filling, or even some fake meat crumbles, these puffs will become vegan!
Waffles are one of our favorite weekend breakfasts. Although I frequently make sweet ones, savory waffles are really what we love. It’s just a matter of adding a bunch of veggies and some spices to the batter. These are so easy and delicious! This recipe does need an egg, but I am trying to figure out the perfect way to make it vegan. All the recipes I have tried just do not measure up-to the texture that traditional waffles have. 🥲
Recently my husband opened up more about his moral struggles with eating meat and seafood. I never realized it was such a big deal for him. Now that I do, I am even more determined to transition to a better lifestyle. However, we also realized we do not need to cut out all animal derived products from out diet. As a example, we buy only free range certified humane eggs. 🥚 So I am actually okay with eating these waffles regularly! Anyway onto the recipe…
Servings: 2, Prep Time: 20 minutes, Cooking time: 20 minutes (this depends on your waffle maker)
Ingredients
Milk 1 cup (I use oat milk)
White vinegar 1 tbsp
Egg 1 large
Canola oil 1/4 cup
Baking soda 1/2 tsp
Baking powder 1 tsp
All purpose flour 1 cup
Onion 1/2 OR Shallots 3
Chili pepper 1
Green onions 2
Chili powder 1 tsp
Garlic powder 1 tsp
Pepper 1/2 tsp
Salt 1/2 tsp
Butter to brush on top
Instructions
Finely chop all the vegetables, and set them aside
In a large bowl, mix the milk and vinegar. Microwave for 30 seconds. This will curdle the milk, giving us a quick buttermilk
Add the egg and whisk well. Then add in all the vegetable and mix
Add the oil and mix till combined completely
Add the spices, salt and pepper. Then add the baking powder and baking soda. Mix well
Immediately add the flour and whisk till just combined. Set aside for 5-10 minutes
In the meantime, preheat the waffle iron. Once hot, spray with oil or brush oil on the plates
Add about 1/2 cup batter to each waffle slot, close the lid and let it cook for about 10 minutes, checking every 3-4 minutes.
Remove from waffle iron when brown and crisp. Brush butter on top and consume immediately!
Tips
You can use whole wheat flour in this recipe as well. The waffles will not be as fluffy as all purpose flour ones, but they still taste amazing
You can use any spice mix you like, as long as the base recipe remains unchanged
The waffles will not be crispy when while inside the waffle iron. They harden almost immediately on removing from heat though. So patience is key here.
Cooking times will wary depending on your waffle iron. Make sure to check on the waffles frequently while they are cooking.
Do not over-mix the batter after adding the flour! This is key to make sure gluten is not developed. That is why I add flour at the very end.
You can mix the milk and vinegar and set aside for about 15 minutes to curdle as well. Oat milk does require that heat to curdle, but dairy milk should curdle fine at room temperature. I am just lazy, so I always use the microwave
These waffles can be cooked and frozen. Just reheat them in the toaster!
I have cooked the waffles without letting the batter rest, and they turn out just fine. So it is okay to skip this step if you do not have the time
There are entirely too many tips on this recipe. Just make sure to make these in whatever flavor you desire, and have fun making them! My husband loves to play around with the flavors. This one time we make some gyro flavored waffles, and I was pleasantly surprised that I liked them. So have at it, and as always let me know how it went! 😬
The cheese didn’t melt all the way.. I took too long to add it. 😅
I’ve been posting mostly vegan recipes, or at least vegetarian ones. However, ground chicken was on sale this time and I couldn’t resist. Meatballs are my go to when I have ground meat of any kind. This time was no different. Meatballs are so versatile and they can be made ahead and frozen. They’re the ideal meal prep food.
I didn’t start making meatballs till I moved to the US. My mom doesn’t eat meat, and she doesn’t like bringing it into the house. So we only ever ate chicken outside. Once I had my own kitchen, I tried making everything. It was a surprise that I never messed up meatballs. That’s how easy this recipe is.🤣
Finely chop the onion and parsley needed for the meatballs.
In a large bowl combine all ingredients for the meatballs (except the oil) and mix until just combined
Divide the mixture into 24 equal parts and make balls out of each.
Brush a cast iron skillet skillet with the canola oil and cook the meatballs on all sides until browned. Since these meatballs are fairly small, they cook very fast.
In the meantime, finely dice 1/2 a medium onion and garlic cloves for the sauce.
Add the olive oil to a saucepan and add in the onion and garlic. Sauté till fragrant, about 3-4 minutes
Add the canned tomato sauce, sugar, black pepper, basil leaves and salt. Mix and simmer the sauce for 6-8 minutes. Remove the basil leaves before adding noodles
Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and add immediately to the prepared sauce.
Serve the noodles in a bowl. Top with 6 meatballs for each serving and a sprinkling of cheese if desired. Enjoy!
Tips
I try to use organic no salt added canned tomato sauce. It is a little expensive, but healthier than the cheaper high sodium versions. In this recipe, I used a sauce with basil added. So, I skipped the basil leaves. There are also sauces available with garlic added. You can skip the garlic or reduce the amount if you choose to use this variety
Please make sure to mix the meatball mixture just until combined. Over mixing can lead to tough meatballs
I made mini meatballs, but you can also make larger meatballs. To make sure these are cooked thoroughly, simmer them in the sauce for 6-8 minutes. They will not cook completely in the time taken to sear the sides
The meatballs can be cooked and frozen for up to 3 months. I recommend doubling or even tripling the recipe and freezing a whole bunch of these.
The base recipe of the these meatballs is very versatile. I made these Italian style, but you can add any spices. Eg: Add cumin powder, paprika and cilantro for a Mexican style meatball. You only need to make sure the egg, breadcrumbs and chicken ratio remains the same!
I always stock up on meatballs when I see ground chicken on sale. Since these freeze well, it’s a good way to save some cash and make sure I have emergency food on hand when I don’t want to cook. I also freeze the tomato sauce mentioned in this post. I always end up making more than I need.😅 I hope you give this easy recipe and try and as always let me know how it goes!
Palak ka shorba is comfort food for me. I remember looking it up in Chef Sanjeev Kapoor‘s cookbook and walking my mom through it. It’s hard to imagine this now, but I’ve lived through a time when everything was not at our fingertips. Sometimes when I make this dish, I’m reminded of those days. It’s so weird that this was no more that two decades ago. The dish is also completely vegan, and super easy to make! 😬
Servings: 2, Prep time: 10 mins, Cook time: 20 mins plus cooling time
Ingredients
Spinach or baby spinach 2 bunches (or about 10 oz)
Star anise 1 whole
Bay leaf 1 large
Cinnamon stick 1/2 inch
Cloves 3
Ginger 1.5 inch piece
Garlic 2 cloves
Salt 1/2 tsp
Ground black pepper 1/2 tsp or 5-6 whole peppercorns
Yellow onion 1/2 medium
Canola oil 1 tbsp
Instructions
Wash the spinach leaves thoroughly. If using bunch spinach, separate the leaves from the stems. Save the stems for making a stock, we are only going to use the leaves here
Peel the ginger and garlic, then chop roughly. Also roughly chop the onion
Heat the oil in a large pan, then add the chopped veggies. Sauté till translucent.
Add the dry whole spices and cook for 2 minutes
Add the spinach a few handfuls at a time. It will wilt as it cooks, which will make room to add more.
Once all of the spinach has been added, add the salt and pepper
Let the mixture cool down completely, then remove the dry spices. Blend the remaining mixture into a smooth paste.
Add the paste back into the pan and adjust the consistency and seasoning. Heat and serve!
I didn’t know wilting spinach could be so fascinating
Tips
I have used baby spinach here. It comes in convenient packets and is already washed. However, it’s better to use bunch spinach since it’s cheaper and generates less waste.
Is you do not have dried spices, try looking for powdered spices at any grocery store. Alternatively, stop by your local Indians for all these whole spices and more! I’ve also seen these spices at Hispanic and Asian grocery stores. Whole cloves are also sold by McCormick. You just need to take a look around to see which would be cheaper for you!
It’s necessary to remove the whole spices before blending. These do not blend into a smooth paste, and can also make the soup too spicy to drink
Although you can adjust the consistency according to your preference, I recommend keeping it a little runny. This will differentiate the texture from Indian gravies with similar ingredients
This soup is super light and easy to digest. I don’t recommend having it as a meal unless you plan to sleep fairly soon.
I make this shorba every other week to get our portion of greens. I do try to eat a portion every day, but let’s face it, we all forget. 😅 If I have extra spinach which I need to finish, I make this and freeze it! It’s texture does not change and it tastes the same as it would fresh. So I hope you will give this a try and as always let me know how it goes!
We bought an air fryer last year on Black Friday because it was extremely cheap. We did not think buying it was a good thing till I tied making Manchurian balls in it. Vegetable Manchurian is an Indo-Chinese fusion dish. I have eaten something similar in Sichuan restaurants though.
Vegetable Manchurian!!
Here’s my recipe for making this dish:
Ingredients
1/2 small cabbage
1 carrot
1 bell pepper
2-3 florets cauliflower
10 cloves garlic
2 inch piece of ginger
1 bunch green onion
2 tbsp all purpose flour
3 tbsp corn flour/ corn starch
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tsp vinegar
1 cup + 2tbsp water
Cheesecloth or any thin cloth
salt, pepper and oil as needed
Method
Finely shred the cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, bell pepper and the white part of the green onions using a food processor
Add 1 tsp salt and let it sit for 30 mins
Transfer the vegetable mix to the cheesecloth and squeeze till most of the water has drained, then transfer to a bowl
Finely mince the garlic cloves and ginger. I use a garlic press and a cheese grater to do this.
Add half the garlic and ginger to the vegetable mix. Reserve the other half for the sauce
Add 2 tbsp corn flour and 2 tbsp all purpose flour to the vegetable mix.
Add salt and pepper as required
Mix using your hands. Using hands to mix the ingredients will give us an idea of how wet the mixture is. The mixture should just form a ball and stay in the shape made. If it feels too wet, add a bit more corn flour. If it feels dry, add a sprinkle of water
Divide the mixture into equal parts and roll into smooth ball.
Preheat air fryer to 375 F for 3 minutes
Brush the air fryer basket with a little oil and arrange the prepared balls in it. Make sure there is enough space between the balls for food air circulation. Make sure the basket is not overcrowded.
Brush the arranged balls with a little oil as well
Cook the balls for 16-20 mins, turning halfway. I’d start with a lower timer because cooking times can vary depending on the size.
In the meantime, heat 1 tbsp oil in a saucepan
Add the reserved ginger and garlic. Sauté till fragrant
Add in the soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar and 1 cup water
Add salt and pepper according to taste
In a small bowl, combine 1 tbsp corn flour and 2 tbsp cold water
Add this mix to the prepared sauce and cook till thick
Add the cooked Manchurian balls and mix
Finely chop the green part of green onions and sprinkle on top for garnishing
Manchurian in a too blue bowl. I should really buy better bowls
I served the Manchurian with a side of rice. It goes pretty well with anything though. If you want to make the sauce spicy, add in a chopped green chili.
Another good thing about this recipe is that it can be frozen. I make a large amount of the vegetable balls and freeze them in portions. That way, I just need to whip up the sauce whenever required.
So, I hope you try this recipe and let me know how it went!
This week, I’m adding a recipe for paneer curry that my partner really likes. He asked me to make a curry that was tangy and spicy, but did not want the usual ones. He also wanted the paneer to be stuffed. So, I came up with this recipe.
Paneer Curry
First things first. I understand that paneer isn’t an ingredient that’s readily available everywhere. Paneer is an Indian soft cheese made by splitting milk. Here’s how to make it!
Ingredients
Milk 2 liters or half a gallon (preferably whole milk)
Vinegar 3 tbsp (start with 1 tsp and use as needed)
Equipment
Large sieve
Muslim cloth or cheese cloth (large enough to drape over the sieve). You can use coffee filters or any thin cloth here
Method
Pour milk into a large saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer.
Switch of heat and 1 tsp vinegar. Stir
Repeat process till whet separates from curds
Line the sieve with muslin cloth or the other chosen form of filter
Pour the curdled milk on the sieve. Drain well and let set for at least 6 hours.
Cut into cubes and use in any curry!
So now that we have our paneer, I can walk you through the curry recipe. I will not be including the naan recipe here since they’re my partner’s expertise and I need to get the recipe from him (when he wants to sit down and give it to me)….
Garlic butter naan.. Recipe unknown.
Paneer Curry Recipe!!!
Ingredients
Bay leaf 2 small
Large black cardamom pod 1
Kashmiri dry red chilies 10-12
Whole cloves 3
Black peppercorns 5
Cinnamon stick 1 inch
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Coriander seeds 3 tbsp
Onion 1 large
Tomatoes 3 large
Ginger 1.5 inch piece
Garlic 4-5 cloves
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Yogurt 3 tbsp
Water 2 cups
Paneer cubes 250 grams or 8 ounces
Green chutney 3 tsp
Salt and oil as needed
Method
Split and de-seed the Kashmiri chilies and soak in warm water for 15-20 mins
Dry roast peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon stick, cumin seeds and coriander seeds till fragrant
Cool and transfer to a food processor or coffee grinder. Blend into a fine paste
Roughly chop the onion, garlic and tomatoes
Add 1 tbsp oil into a large saucepan and add in the chopped vegetables
Sauté on medium heat till onions turn translucent and cool completely
In the meantime, blend the soaked Kashmiri red chilies into a fine paste. Transfer to a bowl
Blend the onion, garlic and ginger into a fine paste
Add 2 tbsp oil to a large saucepan and add the bay leaves and cardamom.
Add the blended chilies and sauté for 3-5 mins on medium heat
Add the blended onion mixture and sauté till oil releases from the sides
Blend the tomatoes into a fine paste and add to the saucepan. Sauté till all the water evaporates and oil releases from the sides
Add in the turmeric and salt. Mix well
Turn the heat on low and add the yogurt. Mix vigorously to avoid splitting
Add the water and cover with a lid. Let the curry boil, then turn off the heat.
Slit the paneer cubes in the middle and spread green chutney inside the cut
Add 1 tbsp oil in a shallow saucepan and add the paneer pieces. Roast on both sides till paneer turns a light golden brown
Add the roasted paneer to the prepared curry
That is the recipe for my paneer curry. I know it has a lot of steps and does require time and effort. However, the end result is totally worth it. This curry can be frozen and used as desired as well. Just add in the paneer after defrosting!
So I hope you try it out and let me know how it went!
These are our favorite burgers ever. I was a bit skeptical about trying beetroot burgers with prunes added, but these were amazing! The earthy and sweet taste from the beetroot gave the burgers a great depth of flavor. The other additions added texture and flavor as well.
The toppings added can be customized according to everyone’s taste. I added lettuce and grilled onions to mine! Coleslaw also works in these burgers…
The best part about the burgers is that they can be frozen. Just make patties in the required sizes and freeze them individually. Grill them on a hot pan for a few minutes or till the edges almost burn. I also added cheese on the top and melted it!
I know, I know… There’s a LOT of cheese here! I happen to like cheese a lot and hence, I use low fat cheese! Grocery outlet usually has a version of low fat pepper jack cheese slices. Kraft also makes a decent 2% cheddar!
So make these burgers and freeze them for those weeknights when you really don’t want to cook! 🙂
This post is majorly about freezing Indian food, but a quick general note first. When I started meal prepping, the first thing I did was research what can be frozen and what cannot be frozen. I found a guide by Lauren Greutman (her handle: @iamthatlady) that is amazingly detailed. Here’s the link: https://www.laurengreutman.com/83-foods-to-freeze-or-foods-not-to-freeze/
I love
having Indian home food every other night. Finding complete guides to freezing
Indian foods is quite hard. It took some experimentation, but here’s a list!
Chutneys:
Most chutneys freeze pretty well. I always make big batches and use them when needed. Coconut based chutneys are the only exception. I found the texture changes on thawing and it isn’t very appetizing. While not a chutney, a mix for pani puri water freezes very well. Just blend it like you normally would and freeze it. When needed, you can dilute it with water and add salt, cumin powder and chat masala. Sometimes when I’m running low on herbs, I just add some chutney I froze. So, that’s another advantage of freezing these.
Gravies:
This recipe contains a lot of dairy and will need to be eaten in two weeks. The portion is single serve!
My cousin freezes large batches of cooked gravies and adds vegetables or paneer to it at the time of eating. I prefer adding everything in and freezing single serve portions.
One
thing you should never freeze in gravies is seafood. When I froze a batch of
Shrimp Vindaloo, the shrimp turned leathery after thawing. The same seems to be
true for all seafood, according to the internet.
There
are many opinions on whether we should freeze dairy. I find freezing gravies
with dairy in it is fine as long as the food is eaten in two to three weeks.
The same holds true for gravies with paneer in them. The other gravies can be
frozen for three months.
Bread
Indian
breads are another thing that freeze well. They can be frozen uncooked, half
cooked or completely cooked. The last time my mom visited, she froze around a
100 phulkas for me. I just microwaved them when needed. I will be adding a post
about freezing phulkas, parathas etc. and a quick way to roll them as well
soon. Till then, you can follow this link: (add link). I would not recommend
freezing raw dough. It does not thaw well and the resultant bread will not be
as soft as the ones made with fresh dough.
Dessert
Indian
desserts come in a large variety. Some of these can be frozen very well. The best
desserts to freeze are all kinds of halwas
like carrot, moong etc. Other desserts which can be frozen includes barfis
(except coconut based), ladoos etc. Basically,
any dessert without a dairy base can be frozen. Just remember to eat them
within the month. Needless to say, these guidelines do not apply to
traditionally frozen desserts like kulfis.
Dry curries
While
these can be frozen, I do not recommend it. The texture is too watery to
qualify as a dry curry. This is especially true for potato. Never freeze
potatoes, boiled or otherwise. Many guides recommend it, but my experience has
been quite bad. When I prep for dry curries, I make sure to eat them within the
first three days. They can stay fresh in the fridge for that long.
Lentils
All
lentils freeze well. I freeze large batches of my favorites like dal makhana,
rajma, moong, dal khichdi, moong etc. They can stay good for three to four months.
You can freeze lentils cooked with salt and finish the dish later as well. I
prefer to freeze mine in single serve portions so I don’t have to do anything
before eating except chuck it in the microwave.
Fried Stuff
Homemade kachoris. Who wouldn’t want to freeze these?
I have frozen kachoris, samosas etc. multiple times. I usually do this when I get packages from India. They do not thaw well or reheat well. They become quite soft and lose the crispiness. However, if it means I can eat kachoris over an extended period of time without the effort, I will do it.
Batters and mixes
This last section is my favorite. Even before I started meal prepping, I used to freeze dosa and idli batters. It is extremely easy to make them and they are delicious any time of the day. Here’s my mother’s recipe for the batter https://everything-nothing.home.blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/dosa_idli-batter.docx. The batter can be defrosted in the microwave. The recipe is for idli batter, but can be converted into dosa batter on adding more water. Hebbars kitchen has a good video about this (https://youtu.be/iT4YJV2tx1w). This recipe has other additions. You can use my recipe and watch the video for guidance!
I also freeze mixes for things like dhokla, biryani masala, samosa masala etc. They last longer this way and you can use them whenever you want. They do not need to be thawed as well! This last month we got a huge shipment of white dhokla flour and it is in our freezer now. I am not sure how long they last, but the samosa masala my mom made in May 2018 is still good.
I will
keep adding to this list as I explore more. I have some tips and recipes for
freezing other cuisines as well. Keep an eye out for my next post!!
Everything and Nothing 