Ravioli - With Spinach and Cheese Filling

For this week Lunch Menu, I decided to make something Italian. So I decided to make Ravioli.

As I am someone who is not so in favour of ready made store bought stuffs, so I made the Raioli sheets myself. However, I believe the ready-made Ravioli sheets are available in some supermarkets.

Even If they are not available, you can always use Lasagne sheets to make these Ravioli.

I have made the Ravioli sheets egg-less, if you want you can make it with egg. If you add egg, the Ravioli sheets will be more shiny and you can roll them super thin.

OK, now lets go on to the recipe.

For the Outer Layer:

Maida - 1 Cup
Oil - 4 Tablespoon (Preferably Olive Oil
Egg - 1 (Optional)
Salt - As per Taste

For the Filling:

Spinach - 2 Cups
Shredded Cheese - 1/2 Cup (I used Cheddar)
Onion - 1 Cup (Finely Chopped)

For White Sauce:

Butter - 100 Grams
Maida - 2 Cups
Milk - 4 Cups

For Topping:

Tomato Sauce - 2 Tablespoon
Chilly Sauce - 1 Tablespoon
Oregano/ Italian Seasoning
Black Pepper Powder
Cheese - 1/4 Cup (I used Mozzarella and Parmesan)

Method

Knead the dough using Madia,Oil and Salt and appropriate amount of water.

The dough should be soft and not sticky. Rest this aside for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, steam the Spinach/palak. Don't add water to the Palak. Pour water in a bowl and in that place the bowl with Palak and steam cook it.

Run the steamed cooked palak in the mixer and make a Paste.

In a pan, add 1 teaspoon of Oil/Butter and onions and fry it.To this add the Palak/Spinach paste,salt,Black Pepper powder, cheese,Oregano and sute and keep it aside.

Take the dough and spread it like Chappathis. This should be thin. Now using a Pizza cutter or knife, cut them into squares. Use Madia for dusting on the surface so the dough does not stick to the surface you are working on. Dont do this under fan as the dough will dry out faster.

Place one square then add the filling and cover it with another square piece. Seal it from all sides by folding or using water.

Meanwhile take a pot with broad mouth and add lots of water and bring it to boil and then add a teaspoon of oil. To this add the prepared raviolis (Sheets with the stuffing) and coo them. It would sit down of the pot in the beginning and once it is cooked it will come up.

Once the Ravioli comes up, remove them using a slotted ladle. place them in a greased baking tray.

Now make white sauce with the given measurements. The white sauce should be of Dosa Batter consistency. For white Sauce recipe, refer to my Pasta Recipe.

Now add the white sauce onto the Ravioli placed on the baking tray.

Then add some Tomato Sauce and Chilli Sauce.

Bake this in a preheated oven for 10-15 minutes at 180C.

Once Baked add required amount of Cheese and Keep it in Oven for 1 minute.

The Baking should not be overdone as the Ravioli and white sauce will not stick to each other. So cook for 10 minutes and if required for may be further by 2-5 minutes.

We will know the Dish is baked when the white sauce becomes thick.

You can serve this with Foccaccia and Tomato Soup.

Lunch menu - Litti and Mixed Chokha

If you are a North Indian you would surely know of this dish. However, I learnt about this dish only after I got married. So when Alok told be about Sattu, I was not sure of what that was.

Then I found that it is basically Powdered roasted Gram dal. (Oddachakadalai mavu). When I wanted to buy it ready made I was not sure whether I ill find out. However, I found in all stores (Spencers,Nilgiris,Nuts N Spices)

It may look quite laborious process, however the only time consuming process is making the stuffing.

So I think this is more like a UP twist to Rajasthani Dal Bati. To me the highlight of this dish is the Chokha or Bartha. I am not a great fan of Bartha but loved the Baingan and Alo Chokha.

Now lets look at how to make this delicious North Indian Dish.

For Litti Outer Layer


Whole Wheat Flour - 2 Cups
Ghee - 1 Tablespoon
Nigella Seeds/Kalonji - 1/2 Teaspoon
Carom Seeds/Ajwain - 1/2 Teaspoon
Salt

For Litti Stuffing

Sattu - 1 Cup
Ghee - 1 Tablespoon
Nigella Seeds/Kalonji - 1/2 Teaspoon

Carom Seeds/Ajwain - 1/2 Teaspoon
Salt
Green Chillies - 3 (Finely Chopped)
Garlic - 4 Pods (Finely Chopped)
Green Coriander Leaves - 1 Tablespoon
Ginger - 1/2 Inch (Finely Chopped)
Lemon Juice - 1 Tablespoon
Mustard Oil - 2 Tablespoon

For Mixed Chokha

Big Eggplant - 1 (Medium)
Onion - 2 (Medium, finely Chopped)
Garlic - 6 Pods (Finely Chopped)
Green Chillies - 5 (Finely Chopped)
Green Coriander leaves - 2 Tablespoon
Potatoes - 2 or 3 (Medium)
Tomato - 1 (Large)

Method

For the Outer Layer
Mix all ingredients under For Litti Outer Layer in a large mixing bowl and knead into smooth dough like chapati dough by adding enough water. Cover it and keep it aside for 20 minutes.

For the stuffing

Mix all the ingredients under For Litti Stuffing in another bowl using hands. Keep It aside.

For Mixed Chokha

Roast the Eggplant,Potato and Tomato over the stove top on a low flame. If you have a Oven you can roast it in the oven.

Peel the skin of Eggplant,Potato and Tomato.

Meanwhile, In a pan, heat Mustard Oil and once it is warm add onion, Green Chillies and Garlic and saute for couple of minutes.

In a mixing Bowl, mash the potatoes, Tomato and Eggplant.To this add the sauted onion,garlic and green chillies. Add Coriander leaves and mash well using hands.

Making Litti

Pre heat the oven at 180C for 10 minutes. Divide the Litti outer layer into Lemon Sized balls. Make an Indention in each ball.

Place 1 Tablespoon of Sattu filling in the indention of each ball and close it firmly.

Place these stuffed balls in a aluminium foil layered Baking Tray. Bake it at 180 C for 15 minutes on each side.

Serving the Litti

Break the Litti and pour some ghee on it and place the mixed Chokha and enjoy.

Rasmalai - A sweet beginning to the New Year

Happy New Year to all of you.  

My FB status on 31st December 2013 was “Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one.” — Brad Paisley 

So I decided to write the 1st page with a sweet. 

I have made this recipe with Store bought Rosagullas. You can make these Rosagullas at home too. They are pretty easy to make and will make and post the recipe for Rosagullas some time soon.

Ingredients

Rosagullas - 1 Box (I used Haldirams and they had 8 Rosagullas)
Milk - 1/2 Litre + 2 Tablespoons
Saffron - Few Strands
Sugar - 1/4 Cup

Method

Take the Saffron in 2 Tablespoons of warm milk and mix and keep it aside.

In a pan, add 1/2 Litre of milk and cook it on Low flame till it becomes half the quantity. Stir them in between to avoid the milk from burning.

Meanwhile, Strain the sugar syrup from the Rosagullas. Squeeze them lightly so you can seperate as much as sugar syrup as possible.

Once the milk is reduced to half its quantity, add the saffron milk and sugar and stir it well till it all comes together and switch off the flame.

When this Milk is warm, add the squeezed Rosagullas and keep in Fridge for 3-4 Hours.

It tastes yummy when it is served Chill.

Note:

• If you want you can add ghee roasted buts like Pista,Cashew,Badam etc. It will make the Rasmalai rich.
• If you wan you can little more sugar to taste your taste buds. The amount I have specified will be just right, it wont be too sweet or less sweet
• If you want you can add cream or condensed milk to this recipe. It will make it much more creamy. If you want to add them add 2-3 Tablespoonsto the Milk  before adding the Rosagullas 
• If you dont want to add Saffron, you can leave it. However the aroma and colour may differ. 

I am sending this post to the  Foodabulous Fest Event organised by SimplyTADKA and hosted by Esho-Bosho-Aahare

Apple Roulade/Apple Rolls with Homemade Apple Sauce

I just cant say enough about this recipe. Thanks to Trick and Treat for this recipe. It was such a hit at home. My mom,Dad and Hubby were hogging this. They all just loved it. The aroma while baking was heavenly.

If you have an Oven, this is a must try. If you don't make this, believe me you are missing a great recipe.

Ingredients

For Homemade Apple Sauce
Medium Apple - 3 Medium (I used Fuji)

Brown Sugar - 4 Tablespoon

Lemon Juice - 1 Tablespoon
Cinnamon Powder - 1 Tablespoon

For the Bread
Luke Warm Milk - 3/4 Cup
Dry Yeast - 1/2 Teaspoon
Maida /All purpose flour - 2 Cups
Salt - 1/2 Teaspoon
Melted Butter - 1/4 Cup

Method

Homemade Apple Sauce
Core and Grate the apple. In a pan,place the apple and add the Brown Sugar and put it on a medium flame. Keep stirring for about 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, add the Cinnamon Powder and Lemon Juice and cook for 8 1- minutes, till it comes to a spread consistency with all water gone. Keep this aside.

Now in a mixing bowl, add the Lukewarm milk, sugar and salt and mix well. To this add the yeast and give it a mix. Cover it and let it sit for 5 minutes or till frothy.

To this yeast mixture, add the Maida,Butter and Knead well in to pliable smooth Dough. It may take 8-10 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a greased vessel and keep it aside for 1 hour or till it is doubled.

Once it has doubled, take the dough and knock it down.

On a floured surface, place the dough and using a rolling pin spread it into a rectangular shape.

On this , spread the apple sauce. Leave a 1 inch space on all sides.

Now, start rolling lengthwise into a log. Transfer this into a greased baking tray and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.

Bake this for 25-30 minutes in a pre heated oven at 160C.