Vegetarian | Aapplemint

Healthy Veggie Pizza Muffins

All, Baking, Featured, Vegetarian 4 Responses »

Jan 052013

Healthy Veggie Pizza Muffin

I’m hoping all of you have had a lovely holiday and begun the New Year on a great note. A lot of new resolutions, a lot excitement, fervour and zest … I’m going to exercise more, I’m going to eat healthier, I’m going to be more productive, spend less on shoes, participate in a marathon, 3 months alcohol free … etc etc … While there some we cannot keep , there are some we can. I’ve at least started eating healthier as I need to set an example for my little man, and also try n shed off those extra pounds I’ve piled on through the holidays. In school they’ve been teaching my son about junk food and healthy food, and so now before he puts anything in his mouth he asks, mommy is this healthy food or junk food ? Now I obviously cant be giving him junk and expect him to eat it, while he’s being taught not to. He adores cupcakes, and knows they classify as junk, but mommy says, once in a while junk food is ok ! Having set our limits, I’ve also started giving him beautiful healthier options, which makes eating it more fun. All kids love pizza’s so I made him these veggie loaded muffins in pizza sauce, and to him they still look like the cupcake without the frosting. He adored them and even helped make them. They were so soft and fluffy, and all those veggies and sauce made them simply delicious.

Cooking with your kids is so much fun, and these moments are priceless. Its a bit of a mess sometimes, but totally worth it. This Christmas I got a lot of wonderful presents. The favourite being my Kitchen Aid( finally, yay !!!), which I cannot wait to use ( still trying to stay away from the sweets and extra calories ) and some really neat kitchen gadgets from Savora. I got a garlic press and cheese grater, and I absolutely adore them. Not only do they make my kitchen counter look snazzy and hip with their bright colours and sleek design, but are also very useful, and whats more my 3 yr old uses them with great ease. You can find Savora Style at Bloomingdale’s (in US stores), Dillard’s (in US stores), Gracious Home (US based), Belk (US based), John Lewis (UK based) or check them out at their Facebook page or Pinterest boards.

Healthy Veggie Pizza Muffin Baking

Ingredients

2 cups self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons caster sugar
1 cup boiled sweet corn kernels
1/2 cup diced red peppers
1/2 cup diced yellow peppers
1/2 cup grated cheddar or mozzarella cheese
3/4th cup homemade pizza sauce
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup extra light olive oil
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 200°C. Prepare your muffin cases, line them.
Sift flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Stir in sugar, corn, peppers, parsley and cheese. Whisk pizza sauce, milk, oil and eggs together in another bowl. Add to dry ingredients. Use a large metal spoon to stir until just combined.Divide mixture evenly between muffin cases. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean. Stand for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature

Masala Porridge

All, Featured, Vegetarian 4 Responses »

Dec 172012

I was never a big fan of sweet porridge. Or atleast of the way we’ve been having it at home forever, i.e with milk, sugar and a pod of cardamom. I don’t remember the last time I had porridge, though I still make it twice a week for my son, I can’t seem to get myself to eat it, no matter how healthy. Then the other day I saw an advert on the tele by Quaker (the most famous oats brand) do a take on Oats, Indian style. Savoury oats suddenly didn’t seem like such bad thing, and was kicking myself as to why I never thought of it before. I had to immediately give it a go. Now figuring out what to put in wasn’t rocket science. So I threw in a couple of things and … damn it was so delicious. It had a creamy texture with a burst of flavours and now I suddenly have a hundred ways I can use oats. Substitute it for couscous, for rice, in pullaos/risottos … the options are endless. Now this one here is super easy to make, and extremely healthy, packed with vegetables its not only a great for breakfast, but also makes a great meal for lunch or an evening snack.Savoury Oats, I’ve finally found my healthy fix. Even my 3 yr old loved it. I’ve used cow’s ghee, it really makes a great difference to the flavour and turns out ghee is healthy after all and should be included in your diet in decent portions.

Ingredients

Serves 2

8-10 tablespoons of Instant Oats
2 tsp cows ghee (or olive oil : whatever you prefer )
hand full of fresh peas
1 carrot finely chopped
1 small red onion chopped
2-3 curry leaves finely sliced
2 tablespoons desiccated coconut
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 cumin powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder (optional)
1 tablespoon knorr chicken powder ( for vegetarian : use a veg maggie cube )
corriander as per taste
parsley as per taste
salt ( you may not need to add it if you are using the chicken powder or maggie cube)

Take a pot, add the ghee and fry the onion till soft and lightly golden. In another pot boil the carrots and peas till tender enough. Reserve the stock as you’ll need it. Add the vegetables to the onion and fry again, adding the spices : turmeric, cumin, chilli, curry leaves, coconut, chicken powder/maggie and give it a good mix. Add the oats and then the stock. Stirring it continuously. Cook for about 3 minutes or till the oats are cooked and you achieve the right consistency. Sprinkle the corriander and parsley. Serve immediately.

Puy Lentils – Masoor Dal

All, Featured, Vegetarian 3 Responses »

Feb 242012

Dal is one of those Indian meals, that is enjoyed the world over. I wish it was easy to categorize dals but there are so many types and variations that it is just not possible to. Within India itself the variations are so many, and each one just as delicious. Eaten by the rich and poor, these grains are a great source of protein and a must in a vegeterian diet. I remember, before I was married and living with my parents who are vegeterian, Dal was prepared practically everyday. Different pulses in different ways, some days a Gujurati style dal, some times Punjabi, and sometimes South Indian. And no matter which dal was there I’d always helped myself to an extra bowl. At the larger traditional family events, it was somehow a mainstay in the banquet, the comfortable, sturdy dish which we all relied on all the guests loving. I often used to dream of holding a food event myself, cooking for a large group for special day of their lives, helping to make it the most memorable for them possible. I would dream up the venue, the menu, the entertainment, and the seating arrangements with all- white furniture hire like in the movies.

So yesterday when a very dear friend who lives in UK asked me to put up something Vegan that she can make, preferably dal, I knew I had to make this one. My mum used to make us this dal and send it in our tiffin box when we were in school. Only she used to make us Chapatti’s or Rice with it, but now I love having it with crusty bread. Masoor Dal also known as Puy lentils are easily available all over and can be prepared really quickly. They are great when paired with meats, but exceedingly scrumptious even on its own. Like most Dals, this one is very easy to prepare as well. Calls for a basic Indian onion tomato gravy.

Ingredients

1 cup Masoor Dal / Puy Lentils

1 big onion finely chopped

1 large juicy tomato finely chopped

2 fat cloves of garlic smashed

1″ piece of ginger smashed or grated

1 green chilli chopped

1/4th tsp turmeric

1 tsp corriander powder

1/2 tsp Cumin powder

1/2 tsp Garam Masala

Salt to taste

Handful of fresh mint leaves

Soak the dal for about an hour. Boil it it softens but yet holds its shape. Set aside.

In a heavy bottom saucepan, take 2 tablespoons of oil. Fry the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli. When it begins to brown add the tomatoes and all the spices. Fry till the tomatoes have disintegrated and the oil begins to surface. Tip in the lentils along with any water that might be with it. Cook for another 10 mins till it all comes together.If you like a softer texture further ccook for 15 mins on low flame. Add the mint leaves and serve with some yogurt and rice/chapatti/bread.

Spicy Pumpkin Fries by my guest Carly

All, Baking, Featured, Vegetarian 13 Responses »

Sep 142011

For the very 1st time Aapplemint has a guest over. A very special lady, who has taken up a challenge. 12 different ways to prepare pumpkins ! Carly is the author of Createlive. She is extremely talented and very sweet, and make sure you tune in to see all the wonderful recipes she has come up with. With further adieu I present to you …. Carly Taylor !

Hello, readers. This is Carly from createlive, a blog about being creative in everyday life. My latest creative endeavor has been to show you creative recipes you can use to make use of the food of the season: Pumpkins. Kajal has been so wonderful in helping me kick off “The Twelve Days of Pumpkins” on her blog. I hope you enjoy!

Happy fall, folks! And welcome, dear friends, to The Twelve Days of Pumpkins. Yeah, that’s right. Twelve days. Before you make the phone call to officially send me to the looney bin, you should know: these recipes are delicious. I have no idea how I pulled off twelve recipes using pumpkins. It’s as though a gourmet chef from the food network inhabited my body for 48 hours.

And this, my friends, is a great achievement: it does not all taste the same. This was initially a concern for me. I figured that 12 pumpkin-based recipes would taste like… well, 12 pumpkin-based recipes. Imagine my surprise to find that these recipes are actually quite varied – from hot to cold, breakfast to dinner to dessert, sweet to spicy, thin to thick, meaty to light… the only element all 12 recipes share is that they are healthy. A good common denominator, indeed.I’ve got a few amazing food websites featuring this series over the next two weeks — I’ll let you know where and when so you can stop by their sites and tell them how much you love me. Kidding.Or am I?So without further blabbing, let’s get this baby rolling. “On the first day of pumpkins, your true love gave to you…”

I’ve always been a fan of sweet potato fries covered in spicy seasonings. This is a new favorite – much healthier than fries, as they are not truly “fried” but are baked instead.

Prep time: 10 min . Cook time: 30 min . Total time: 40 min

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons Curry Powder
2 tablespoons Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 tablespoon Onion Powder
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
Sprinkling of fresh Black Pepper
1/4 Pumpkin

Cooking Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350
Peel pumpkin using a potato peeler
Cut 1/4 of the pumpkin into fry-shaped pieces (2-3 inches long, 1/4-1/2 inch thick)
Toss fries in Olive Oil, Curry Powder, Garlic Powder, Cayenne Pepper, and Onion Powder. Sprinkle with Black Pepper.
Arrange fries in one layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
Bake for 30 minutes (until soft enough that a toothpick easily goes through)

Tropical Pineapple Rice

All, Featured, Vegetarian 50 Responses »

Mar 242010

One of the great things in Ghana is the Sunshine. Not only in the skies, but on everyone’s faces. If you haven’t already heard this … Ghanaian’s are amongst the friendliest in all African countries. But Ghana is also very typically hot, and if you’re wondering which is the best time to be there … well there really is no ‘best’ time to be in Ghana, as the temperature is always Africa-hot and if rainfall doesn’t soak you, then the humid air will. So trying not to pay too much attention to the sticky hot weather and looking at the smiles on everyone’s faces, you’ve got to enjoy this tropical weather with the abundance of its lovely fruits. Blessed with some of the most fertile lands, this country amongst so many other things, is also famous for its pineapples. With 85% of its exports to the European markets, Ghana exports a whopping 42,000 tons of pineapples a year globally, pulling in $20 million annually !! Wow … all that just selling pineapples internationally … and ofcourse + catering to the entire countries consumption too. It would be silly of me not to feature a pineapple while being still in the land. One post is not enough to do justice … but atleast its a start. They are available in different qualities, but I know them this way … there are the yellow ones and there are the white ones … I love the white ones. I would never touch pineapples in my country or anywhere else, as they would always make my tongue n cheek go funny and itchy, but these little babies … they’re something else ! So smooth, juicy and above all sweet ! These sun-kissed pineapples are the finest the world has seen. And they make a really terrific fried rice.

Tropical Pineapple Fried Rice

1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium sized carrot, diced
1 medium sized red pepper diced
1 medium sized green pepper diced
1 cup of peas
1 egg, scrambled 1 handful of chopped spring onions
1 cup cooked jasmine rice
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup pineapple diced
1 tablespoon tamari ( or a dash of dark soya sauce)
1 tbsp. yellow curry powder

Start with cutting all the veg and setting them aside. Cook the rice till 95 % done, drain and spread out on a tray so they dry out.
Cook scrambled eggs, set aside. Now in a really hot wok cook onion, carrot, pea, garlic,the peppers & pineapple chunks, set aside.
Fry the rice for 1 minute and add the veggies back in. Now add pineapple juice, tamari, and curry powder. Garnish with the greens of spring onion, and for a beautiful presentation, scoop out the inside of a pineapple and stuff the rice inside. Serve immediately.

Yam Balls

All, Featured, Vegetarian 28 Responses »

Mar 042010

Black magic and Yam are amongst the many things Ghana is famous for. “Juju”as it is called locally, is still practiced till date, and I have heard such strange stories, sometimes, I doubt if there are even real. But I know people who swear by them, and say they have witnessed such things. One really funny yet true incident was that a woman witch doctor, would shake hands with men in the market place, and suddenly the man she shook hands with would look down to find his penis would be gone ! Yup totally disappeared !!! Hahaha … I know you don’t believe it, but its true, it does disappear, and only she can bring it back, for ofcourse a reasonable amount of money !

It is also believed that couple of years ago in the Ashanti and Volta region humans were turned into yams. There was this magician who during a yam festival, was turning things like paper into money, stone to houses, so a man asked him whether he could turn a monkey or a human into a yam? The juju man did it, turned a monkey into a yam. Later he turned a man into a yam. Now the chief of this village came to hear of this magician, but doubted what the man did, so he asked his son to go and see whether it was true, and the magician turned him into a yam too. The chief now needed to see this with his own eyes, and so called the magician and asked him if he could turn him the chief into a yam, and the magician said, “Yes your highness,” and turned him into a yam too. Unfortunately for all of them, the magician (could not or probably chose not to as he was doubted) could not bring them back to life. So the royal highness – the Chief , his son and the other common man, were they remained in the palace for 3 days, hoping they would change back but they did not. And so it became an example for the rest of the community that they should not challenge a magician !

So the next time you are buying your yam from your African store/market , you never know who it might me, maybe a chief king or a cheating wife, or maybe a yam thief who was turned into a yam himself !! Think twice

Yams are, other than being remains of a king :p … a good source of dietary fiber, potassium, vitamin C, manganese and vitamin B6. It is a large tuber with rough external skin with a tree like bark and a hard pale white interior. They are creamy or sometimes firm when cooked. Yams have an earthy, hardy taste and usually a minimal amount of sweetness. Taste good boiled, pounded, fried or grilled. The simple taste allows this tuber to be accompanied with just about anything, specially spicy stews. Its also a perfect potato substitute. If you see my earlier post on Pepe and Yam, you can find another way to cook this beautiful yet simple vegetable. And the recipe for pepe, which is the perfect accompaniment for this balls.

Ingredients

1 kg Yam
Water to boil
Salt to taste
100 gms butter
100 ml milk
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tablespoon cornflour mixed with 3 tablespoons of water
Breadcrumbs
Oil to fry

Peel and cut the yam into cubes. Cover in pot with water and season with salt. Boil till soft and then drain out the water. Now mask or pound the yam together with the milk,butter and garlic powder, adding salt if necessary. Roll into balls and dip into the cornflour mixture. Now spread the breadcrumbs on a plate and roll the balls on it, coating it evenly. Deep fry till golden brown. Serve hot with some pepe.

And there’s one more thing I’d like to share with all you wonderful readers . I’ve been interviewed by Bizymom’s for the Ethnic Cuisines. Click on the button on the right or the link above to read all about it .

Rye Pita Bread

All, Non-Vegetarian, Vegetarian 30 Responses »

Feb 112010

I was ecstatic, enraptured, joyous … I was right there in the middle of the bakery section of the Lebanese supermarket, with my jaw dropped open n eyes popping out … I could not believe my eyes, I had just discovered, that they started making my favourite pita bread in rye too ! Quite a site that must’ve been of me holding the packet of bread in my hand, frozen in time, unaware of my surroundings and dreaming of the zillion things I could do with this bread. How does the bread taste ? … alright - now this is a really pathetic effort to describe it but – its tastes of rye ! Well ok … its dark, deep, intense, slightly sour n bitter … you know … a really good rye taste ! Obviously I’ll need to do atleast a 100 posts before I think I might have done justice to the bread, but you’d be bored out your wits so I’ll spare you for now, leaving you with just these …

Fattoush – Lebanese Toasted Bread Salad

toasted rye bread pieces
2 tomatoes – quatered or cut in slices
1 green cucumber – cubed in large pieces
1 red onion cubed ( optional )
ice berg/ romaine lettuce – roughly cut
parsley + mint – chopped
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 tsp sumac
2 tablespoon lime juice
5 tablespoons olive oil
salt to taste

Start with toasting the pita bread in the oven . Roughly tear the pita bread, spread them out on a baking tray , drizzle some olive oil and bake them at 180 C for a few minutes or till toasted. Set aside. For the dressing mix together, the garlic, sumac, olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt, whisk together. For the salad, in a bowl toss together the tomatoes, cucumber , lettuce, parsley and mint. You could by all means use onions, they are always used in the original recipe, I just didn’t feel like having some this time ! Add the toasted bread and pour the dressing over and give it a good toss again. Serve immediately.

Reshmi Chicken Kebab with Cumin Raita and Rye Pita Bread

Right so now from Lebanon we hop right over to India. I thought the rye bread goes really well with these soft and creamy yet flavoursome kebabs. Just get them off the skewer, place them in the center of the bread with some raita/yogurt dip , some lettuce and finely slices onion with lime n salt … make a roll and you’re ready to go !

de-bone 2 chicken thighs, cut the meat in cubes
1 tablespoon of ginger+garlic paste
2 tablespoons yogurt
2 tablespoons double cream
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp freshly ground toasted cumin powder
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste

Marinate the chicken cubes atleast for an hour better still overnight in all the above ingredients. Thread on skewers and you can either grill them on the BBQ or on a griddle pan with some olive oil. Cook for about 15 mins or till tender. Serve hot with chilled raita ( yogurt + salt+ freshly toasted cumin powder+ finely chopped mint leaves) and onion salad ( thinly sliced onion rings with salt and lime on top, and all of it mixed together).

And when really not in the mood to get fancy, simply enjoy the bread dipped in some luscious labneh with some red paprika n sumac sprinkled on top ! Simply Delightful !

Penne Arrabiata & Blackcurrant Iced Tea … the games continue

All, Drinks, Vegetarian 30 Responses »

Feb 042010

Are you the kind who always orders the same food when you go out to eat? Or you like to try different stuff on the menu. I was thinking of this one friend I have who always ordered the same dish. And its been a long long time since I met my buddy. These days everyone is so tied up in their busy lives, they hardly get a chance to spend time with people they care about. Strangely enough we get the time to log on to various networks and add each other, but still not find the time to call or write to catch up. Instead waste more time by adding irrelevant people who you meet for two seconds, remember the name, get home n search that person up and add them. I mean is there some kinda race out there, who’s got more people on the contacts list ? Who’s the most networked or who’s more famous? Jeez ! Sometimes I really miss those good old days when we were not so advanced and overexposed to technology. When there was no twitter nor facebook, n we didn’t spend so much time online, but rather in the real world doing real things. When there were no mobile phones and we used those old fashioned rotary dial telephones where you stuck your finger in the dial and waited till eternity for it to rotate back to its position, and let the call get through .. lol. Can’t imagine doing that right now can you .. lol. Well you have to admit all those times were beautiful and did have that charm to it. Well now I’m far away from what I had begun with … always the same order And at this particular time being far away from home, I miss my buddy, and wish we could hang out together, just like before n go out for lunch, and so this Penne Arrabiata and Blackcurrant Iced Tea, the regular order to reminiscence those good times.

Penne Arrabiata

Serves 2

1/2 white onion finely chopped
6 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 large red chilli – de-seeded
1 can of tomatoes – (I prefer using tinned tomatoes )
Two handfuls of penne, or as must as you need
1/2 cup white wine
Parmigiano Reggiano – as much as you like
10 black olives, pitted and sliced
Handful of parsley

In a pot, boil the water and start to boil the penne. In another heavy based pan, pour some olive oil and fry the onion for a minute. Add the garlic and chilli, and fry till just about fragrant. Splash in the wine and let it burn off, and add the entire tin of tomatoes (cut in a large dice). Toss around and let everything come together n cook for 4-5 mins. Strain the penne and add it to the tomatoes, add the olives and parsley and toss some more. Plate up and garnish with Parmesan.

Blackcurrant Iced Tea

Serves 2

I tried making this 1st with a cup of dried blackcurrants n sugar equally with 2 cups of water to extract a syrup, but the colour didn’t turn out so nice. The taste however was very strong and tasted like the real deal, but it didn’t look pretty n this is not what they serve at the restaurants. They use ready made syrup, which I find too sweet and no real goodness in it. So I made this with blackcurrant preserve instead. Colour + the real deal in it.

1/2 tin of blackcurrant preserve (with the blackcurrant bits in it)
2 teabags Assam tea -they are they are stronger than Yellow Label Lipton (basically use a strong tea)
1 large lemon
ICE
Sugar – optional (if you like it sweeter – I think the preserve is sweet enough for me)

Take the blackcurrant preserve and a 250 ml of cold water. Blitz it in a blender and pass it through a sieve. In another cup place the two teabags and pour boiling water over it and let it sit for a few minutes. Let it cool or simply pour over ice. Mix this with the blackcurrant syrup and keep adding cold water till you think its right enough for you. Slice the lemon and squeeze the juice of half the lemon in and use the rest as a garnish.

And as for game we played last week … thank you everyone for sending in your answers. The guy who likes Gelato most is

Madhvan – the guy right below

And the winner is … tatada tatada … drumroll ….

Sara of Sara Ms. Adventures in Italy !! Congratulations ! (pls mail me your address Sara)

This weeks question is … What is the highest game you can have in Teen Patti aka Flush ?

Send in your answers and win kewl prizes … and if you haven’t already visited the Teen Patti website, let me tell you that you are missing out on something. I’ve never seen anything like it. Click on the thumbnails and icons to and move your arrow key all over the page to see different clips from the movie … the site is wicked !

Healthy For You – Stuffed Peppers

All, Baking, Vegetarian 33 Responses »

Jan 152010

So its yet another stuffed pepper post, only this time its healthy. I was at the gym yesterday, n picked me a weight watchers magazine to surf through while I was trying to burn off that mars bar I polished earlier. I came across this stuffed peppers recipe, which they made with tabbouleh and halloumi. I liked it almost instantly and knew i had to make it for lunch. Only i chose to make it with Uncle Ben’s Rice and feta cheese. Uncle Ben’s Rice is delicious way to support a healthy heart and a well-balanced diet. It’s all natural and 100% whole grains – plus, it’s low in fat, high on taste and is a natural source of fiber. My hubby loves this par boiled rice and I always find myself taking an extra helping compared to the regular Thai or Basmati rice. And the coloured peppers are packed with antioxidants, the more colour you include in your meal the better it is. Antioxidants are those chemicals in food that that give the tomatoes the red sheen, broccoli that lush green, and eggplant that deep purple colour. These nutritional superheros help against age defying, cancer and heart disease. Different antioxidants tackle different concerns. So the best is to include as many fruits and vegetables of different colours in your diet. I found this meal very balanced with the coloured peppers taking care of the antioxidants, the feta cheese – calcium, mushrooms – rich in fiber,protein and vitamin B and the rice – whole grain , and the sharp Thai basil to life it all up.

Ingredients

Serves 2

10 button mushrooms halved
2 tomatoes
2 garlic cloves slices
olive oil to drizzle
2 coloured peppers
1 cup Uncle Ben’s Rice
1 tsp of smoked paprika and cumin
Handful of Thai basil
50 gms Feta Cheese

Preheat the oven to 180 C . Place the mushrooms, tomatoes and garlic on a baking tray, season with salt and drizzle some olive oil and let it roast for 10 mins on the top shelf. Side by side put in the oven in another baking dish, halve and season the peppers, drizzled with oil. Remove the tomatoes but let the peppers roast till well coloured and soft. Prepare the rice as per packet instructions and when ready add the cumin and paprika to them. This tastes really good specially with the sweet and caramelized peppers. Now mix in the mushrooms and tomatoes. Stuff the peppers and add on the feta cheese and basil. Return to the oven for 15 mins till, the cheese just about melts and all the flavours are well infused into each other. Serve garnished with extra basil leaves.

Pollenta Crusted Chilli stuffed with Cheese

All, Vegetarian 32 Responses »

Jan 082010

I love a good chilli. Bright red, firm, packed with flavour, not too spicy yet with that certain edge. These chillis were just that and when I saw them at my local store I knew I had to pick them up. The thing is, these do not grow here locally and so finding them is like winning a lottery. I instantly knew what I would do with them and next headed off to the cheese counter and bought me some Havarti. Stuffing these chillis with a flavourful cheese which is firm when cold but melts wonderfully when hot, seemed like the ideal thing to do. Coating it with pollenta gives the exterior that crunch, and so when you bite through it, and reach the soft and squidgy center you can feel all different textures.

Ingredients

10 big Red Chillis
100gms Havarti or any cheese you prefer
2 eggs
Pollenta to coat the chillis
All purpose flour for dusting
oil for deep frying
salt to taste

Wash and pat dry the chillis. Made a slit alongside the length of it and remove the seeds if you don’t like it too hot. With your fingers rub some salt – not too much and then put in cubes of the cheese and press them back. Do this with all the chillis and then dust them with flour. This will help the egg stick on to the chillis. Break the eggs and season them with salt. In another shallow plate spread out the pollenta and season that too with some salt or if you like seasoned salt. The crust tends to get bland if its not well seasoned. Now dip the chilli in the egg and roll it in the pollenta till well coated. And repeat this step once more. Next deep fry them till you get a beautiful golden brown colour and serve hot.

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