Roasted Eggplant and Garlicky Dip

This is such an easy and healthy dip that would go well with pretty much everything. It tastes great with dosa, cooked rice, toasted bread, pita chips and crackers. The garlic adds so much flavor, the red onions give it a nice crunch and the chunky eggplants adds a great texture. And last but not least, you will get a guaranteed 'good great job' pat from your spouse just like i did. And here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

2 medium Eggplants (or 1 large)

10-12 Garlic pods

4 small Green Chilli (finely chopped)

1/4 cup Red onion (finely chopped)

1/4 cup Cilantro (finely chopped)

2 tbsp Olive oil

Salt

 How to:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• Wash the eggplants, cut the stem off and make 4 slits lengthwise.

• Open the slits gently and stuff the garlic and green chilli.

• Place the eggplant on a foil, sprinkle salt and drizzle olive oil over it.

• Wrap the eggplant tightly and place it in a oven safe dish and bake for an hour.

• Once baked, remove the foil immediately and carefully slide the roasted eggplants into the dish.

• Cut  the eggplants and mash'em along with the skin and check the salt for taste.

• Let it cool completely, add the onions and cilantro, mix well.

• Serve at room temperature or chilled with chips or crackers.

Wheat Rosemary Crackers

Crackers! who wouldn't love a snack that is crunchy and flavorful accompanying their coffee? These are small bites ready to eat straight from the oven. The kitchen is filled with the aroma of rosemary that was so tempting, while baking. I found these munchies from Gaythri's Cook Spot, the ingredients made me to bake'em right away. Thanks to her, the crackers are irresistible and just 4 or 5 kept me full. I halved the sesame seeds from the original recipe, the amount of salt was not mentioned in her recipe, so you can increase or decrease to your taste. Other than that, i pretty much followed every line of it. So, have fun baking these li'l bites. And here it goes,

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups Whole Wheat flour

1tsp Instant Active Yeast

2tbsp Olive oil, divided

1/2tsp dried Rosemary or any herb

1tbs White Sesame seeds

2tsp Sugar

1tsp Salt or acc to taste

1 cup Water

How to:

• Mix the dry ingredients together: Flour, yeast, dried rosemary, sesame seeds, sugar and salt.

• Now pour the water and 1tbsp oil to the dry mixture and start kneading.

• Transfer the dough on to a flat surface and knead for 8-10 mins, resulting a soft and non-sticky dough.

• Coat enough oil in a bowl, place the kneaded dough and coat oil all over it. Then wrap'em and let sit in a warm place for 1 1/2 hrs.
• Then dump the risen dough on a flat surface and punch to remove the air and knead for couple of mins.
• Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and start working with one at a time.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Cover a baking sheet with a aluminum foil (for easy cleaning) and keep it aside.
• Roll the dough flat with a rolling pin, fold it into half, then fold one side to the center, followed by the other side overlapping the previous.

• Now roll it flat again and cut into desired shapes using a pizza cutter or knife.

• Place the shapes on the baking sheet and prick'em with a fork to stop forming air pockets while baking.

• Bake for 10 mins, remove the tray, flip the biscuits and bake'em for another 10 mins, until golden brown.
• Cool completely on a wire rack before storing in a container.

• Serve as a snack with coffee or tea.

Baked Onion Biscuits

Hi friends, how are you all doing? Its been a long time since i posted a new recipe. Got a bit lazy during the holidays and a few short trips on top of it kept me from posting one. Well, here is a new recipe, Onion biscuits. Wondering, what the heck are they? Well, they look much like crackers, but the texture of'em, when you bite into it, made me call 'biscuits'. As i was googling for a snack to beat my evening hunger and ta-da, landed on this wonderful page 'Indianvegetariankitchen' and immediately i knew that i am gonna taste'em with in a couple of hours and i did. The best part is, 'it is baked'. Thanks to her fantastic recipe, i gobbled 3 to 4 biscuits at a sitting and can't keep my hands off  of it. Here it is for you to try and enjoy just like me.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 cup Rice flour

1/2 big Yellow Onion (finely chopped)

3 Small Green Chillies (finely chopped)

1tsp Black Sesame seeds

1tsp Cumin seeds

1/4tsp Asafoetida (hing)

2tbsp Cilantro (chopped)

1/4 cup  Water

1/2 cup Oil

1tsp Salt

How to:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and keep it aside.
• In a bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. (flours, sesame seeds, cilantro, asafoetida and salt.)

• Then add the onions, green chilli and cilantro.

• Pour the water and gently mix it, followed by the oil. 

• Pour it slowly and knead it for 5 mins. The kneaded dough should be soft and easily breakable.

• Take a lime size ball (or any size of your desire), place it on the foiled baking sheet and gently press with both hands to form a flat, thin, rough rounds. (You can also use a cookie cutter or any round mouth cup to perfect the shapes or just leave it like that.)

• Do the rest of the dough in a similar pattern and bake'em for 30 minutes or until the top is evenly browned.

• Let the perfect and/or rough shapes cool on a cooling rack before you store'em in an airtight container.

• Serve with tea or coffee and enjoy the crunchiness.

Tips:

• Do not add too much of water. After using a 1/4 cup, sprinkle once or twice, if needed. (I sprinkled it twice.)
• Press the dough balls thin before baking. The thinner, the better.
• You can also try adding ajwain seeds or minced garlic to pump up the flavor.

Savoury Crackers

I was hunting for a perfect snack just to munch around in between my diet, i found this recipe "Namakpare (A Savoury Indian Snack) – The Baked Version" and very much pleased with the word 'baked'. When i read the recipe's name, it felt kind of new, but once i gone through the recipe, i remember these little bites which my mom makes for Diwali, but its deep-fried and sweeter version. I called her immediately and said, 'ma, am going to make these little crackers today', she got all excited, you know with the diwali around the corner, she started calling me to India. After i finished convincing her, *sigh*, i began kneading the dough with my hands and i could sense the smell of ajwain seeds and can't wait to bake'em. Believe me, once i popped my little fellows inside the oven, the flavor filled my kitchen and i just stood there and watched'em turn crispy. My, my the crackers tasted so good, fresh and hot, i kept eating 3,4 at a time. I never tried deep-frying these crackers, that too with ghee or butter, but with the results, i say, i won't deep-fry. Thanks to Aparna for sharing this wonderful recipe.  Well, coming to the recipe,

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Whole Wheat flour

1/2 cup All Purpose Flour (maida)

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Coconut Oil 

1/2tsp Ajwain seeds

1/4 cup Water

Salt

How to:

• In a bowl, mix together the flours, ajwain seeds, salt and oil. 

• Then pour the water one tbsp at a time, resulting a non-sticky and stiff dough. 

• Wrap it and let rest for 30 mins.
• Divide the dough into 2 or 3 portions and roll it thin.

• With a sharp knife or cookie cutter, cut the dough into desired shapes.

• Arrange it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or slightly oil-sprayed.

• Bake at 395 degrees for 15-18 mins or until evenly browned.

• Let cool on a cooling rack and store it in a air-tight container.

Serve the crackers with hot coffee or tea.

Tips:

• Make sure you keep an eye on the crackers after 15 mins of baking, as they brown faster. 
• Do not let them sit on the counter for longer time, as they might loose the crispness.
• Add sugar or honey and make your version of sweet crackers.