Cheesy Veggie Rolls

This is probably the easiest snack I've made in a while. I picked up egg roll wraps from Walmart a while ago but never got around to using them. Today, I spotted them in the fridge and decided to do something with it. 

Recipe-

Ingredients:

4 egg roll wraps (Nasoya)

For Filling:

1/2 tsp olive oil

1 carrot shredded

1/4 cup finely chopped bell pepper

1 serrano pepper finely chopped

1/4 cup sweet corn

1/4 cup cabbage shredded (or super thinly chopped)

1/2 an onion shredded

1/4 spinach finely chopped

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp mango powder

1 tbsp tomato ketchup

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. In a pan, cook all the veggies in olive oil. Add the spices and ketchup. Turn off heat when the veggies are well coated in the ketchup and spices. Filling is ready.

2. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese to the filling and mix.

3. Now assemble the roll.

Step 1

4. Step 1: Put the filling in the middle of the wrap like above and take one corner of the wrap and fold over the vegges.

Step 2

5. Step 2: Now fold both sides of the wrap over the veggies.

Step 3

6. Step 3: Now fold the last corner over.

Step 4

7. Step 4: Turn the wrap over. On the leftover corner, put some water with your finger (to seal) and fold over. The wrap should be completely sealed now. If there are any openings, use water to seal. Make sure everything is sealed because we don't want the filling to attract oil.

Step 5

8. Now deep fry it until golden brown (You may bake it for a healthier option).

Enjoy the yummy goodness with hot and sweet ketchup :p

x

Roadside Aloo Chaat (Dilli 6 style)

Here is a recipe I came up with and it tastes so good that we ate it almost everyday during Navratri. I know I've written a post on aloo chaat before, but this another version of it. Let's say this recipe is not as healthy as the one I wrote before (hehe) but it's super duper yummy. It tastes just like the chaat you could have on the roadside of Chandni Chowk (Delhi 6). For all those who haven't been to Chandni Chowk, it is one of the oldest and busiest markets of Old Delhi and serves some of the tastiest, cheapest roadside food you can find anywhere in Delhi.

Ingredients:

5 medium potatoes boiled
Vegetable oil for deep frying
1 green chili (serrano pepper will do)
1 tsp Cumin seeds
2 tbsp chaat masala
2 tbsp mango powder (aamchur)
1 tsp paprika
a pinch of Turmeric (haldi)
Half a lime
Black salt to taste

Method:

1. Peel and boil the potatoes.

2. Once they are boiled, cut them into small cubes and deep fry like below.

The reason why we boil them first and then fry them is because they become crispy on the outside and soft and mushy on the inside. It just tastes a lot better.

3. Once all the potatoes are fried and looking crisp on the outside, take a pan, heat some oil in it, put chopped green chili and cumin seeds. 

4. In about 20 seconds, add the fried potatoes and mix with oil, chili and cumin.

5. Now add all the spices (turmeric, chaat masala, mango powder, paprika, black salt) and mix to coat all the potatoes well. 

6. Squeeze the juice of half a lime over it and mix well.

It should look like the picture above. These are simply mouth-watering. You won't be able to stop. Put coriander and tamarind chutney over them before eating or eat as it is. It'll still be yummy. Try it!

Love!
x

7 Rules of Life

I'm feeling a bit insightful today. This is a forward that my Dad-in-Law sent. I don't know who came up with these rules but are quite deep and might work for some people.

1. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the future.

- That is so true. But sometimes, even making peace with the past can't help your future. Make sure that what you're doing right now isn't something you will regret in the future. You may not regret it right now, but might later. Being careful will only do you good.

But of course if you're already regretting it, then repent. What you did is between you and the Almighty. I believe in God. You may not. But if you are repenting then you must be a good soul. I believe that despite everything, people are still good at heart. They sometimes forget to let that good come into being. What happens with you in life will only make you stronger and wiser.

2. What others think of you is none of your business.

- Follow this rule and you'll be happy. There are all sorts of people in this world. They are entitled to think and believe anything they like. Their thinking will not affect your life, it will only make you paranoid and miserable. Do you really want to let people who don't mean anything to you affect your life that way?

The only people you should care about are the ones that genuinely care about you. Not those who will only talk behind your back and then forget you. They are not the ones who will come to you in the times of need so why bother about what they think of you? Makes sense?

3. Time heals almost everything, give it time.

- Believe it or not, but it's true. It may feel like the pain never goes away, but have faith. One day, you'll forget there ever was any pain. With time, wounds heal. I'm not saying the scars will disappear, but they will begin to fade. That's the beauty of time, it never stops for anyone and changes all the time. What you have right now doesn't have to remain. It holds true for things, friends, family, pain and even yourself. One day, you won't remain either. So don't worry :) and be happy!

4. Don't compare your life to others and don't judge them. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

- This rule is a secret to finding peace. One can never have enough. It's just human nature to want more. But you have a choice. You can either be happy and content with what you have today or you can look at people around you and compare your life. Doing that will only make you want more and there is no end to "more".

Look around you, everyone is pretending. Pretending to be happy, pretending to be satisfied, pretending to be successful. No one wants the other to know the kind of challenges they are facing in the journey of finding "more." Just because someone looks perfect doesn't mean they are. Every one has problems. Problems can be big or small or important or insignificant. That's the hard fact of life. Every single person in this world has problems of their own. Don't judge a book by it's cover. What looks perfect may be imperfect, what looks peaceful may be distraught.

As humans we are only attracted to the beautiful, the positive, and the successful. We don't ever know what negatives or evil they are facing in their journey of life. What we need to do is focus on ourselves, not others. No one is perfect, no one can be. Perfection is unattainable. Sorry, but it just is.

5. Stop thinking too much. It's alright not to know the answers.

- Seriously. Give your mind (and heart, in many cases) a break. We are always looking for answers. There are always so many unanswered questions that drive us crazy all the time and we let it! Sometimes we can't even figure out how to stop wondering. The "what ifs" and "buts" just never stop. Sometimes it's just so frustrating. Stop thinking already! You'll only make yourself crazy. In our quest to find answers, we forget to live. Everyone wants to live forever and never die. Well, sorry. You can't control that. One day you will and the day might come sooner than you expected it. That day you'll regret you wasted time looking for answers when you could've enjoyed every minute of your time, done something fun, given someone joy and love. Don't push yourself to a point where in the end you have nothing left but regret. Sing, dance, visit a new place, make new friends, eat something nice, love someone, look beautiful, be happy, live life!

Stop thinking too much. It's not going to help you or anyone else. Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is God's gift, that's why it's called the 'present' (I know it doesn't rhyme). Treat your present with respect and cherish it.

6. No one is in charge of your happiness, except you.

- This quote puts a lot of us in denial. Most of us put our happiness in charge of other people (could be our kids, our spouse, parents, friends, pets, etc.). That's not it. You are responsible for your own happiness, sadness, anger or whatever. Don't expect to be upset and have someone else make you feel better. Only you can allow someone to make you feel good or bad. If you stop allowing people to make you feel bad, you'll always be happy. Control your emotions and your mind. All humans have the capability of doing it. You just need to toughen up and make it happen. I never said it was going to be easy, but it'll be worth it :) Meditation can help.

7. Smile. You don't own all the problems in the world.

- The best tip anyone can give you. Smile. It's okay to have problems, it's okay to be unhappy sometimes, it's okay to be in pain. But don't stop smiling. A smile can change the world. Smile at strangers. Smile at your loved ones. Smile at yourself. Smile even when it hurts. When you look into the mirror, smile and be grateful for this life. It could've been worse, right? There's always a chance for it to be worse than you already think it is. If you start counting the number of problems in the world, the list is endless. But at least you know that they are not all yours :) Yet another thing to be grateful for. Never stop smiling.

These are the 7 rules of life. And I think everyone should live by it. The world would be a lot happier and peaceful. I don't know why I went on about it today but writing it all out has helped me and reassured me that life is beautiful no matter all the problems. So don't forget to live it. It won't last forever.

I hope this post helped you the way I hoped it will.

"Dance like no one is watching,

Love like you have never been hurt,

Sing like there's nobody listening and

Live like there's heaven on earth."

:) On this note, I'll end today's post.

Loads of love

x

Joy of This

Veggie Lasagna

Last night, I made lasagna! :D It was my first time cooking it, but for some reason I was excited. I was never really a fan of lasagna because the first time I had it, it was awful. I guess that's the cool thing about cooking everything yourself. If you're confident about your knowledge of spices, you can make anything bad taste good. The lasagna that I made last night turned out better than I expected it to be and that's why I've decided to share it today :)

Ingredients:

A packet of lasagna noodles (I think you will only need 10 ounces because I bought the 16 oz packet and I still have some left)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion chopped

5-6 cloves of garlic chopped

1/4 of an eggplant chopped

1 yellow squash (or zucchini) chopped

4-5 white baby mushrooms chopped

1 bell pepper (pick a color you like) chopped

1/4 cup of fresh parsley chopped

1 can of peeled, whole tomatoes (28 oz)

1 box of ricotta cheese (30 oz)

2 whole eggs

1 pound thinly sliced mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon red chili flakes

1 teaspoon dried basil (fresh is even better)

1 tablespoon dried oregano
Extra Parmesan cheese for sprinkling

Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

1. Start by chopping the vegetables. You can choose as many vegetables as you like. It's not necessary to follow a particular list of veggies.

Chop the eggplant. This much is enough. You don't need the whole thing. 

Cut the squash lengthwise and then chop away.

In the same way, cut the bell peppers and the mushrooms. You can choose to use a red bell pepper to make it more colorful.

Now chop the garlic and the onions.

Chop some fresh parsley as well.

2. In a deep pan, heat some olive oil. Once the oil is hot, put in the chopped onions and garlic. Cook for a minute.

3. Now add the bell peppers, eggplant and squash. Cook for another minute.

4. Finally add the mushrooms.

5. Now open the can of whole tomatoes. 

6. Grab a tomato one by one, crush with your hands and put into the pan. Pour all the juice from the can as well.

7. Now add the spices (oregano, basil, chili flakes, salt and pepper). Do a taste check to make sure it works for you.

8. Add the chopped parsley to the sauce and mix.

9. While the sauce cooks, cook the pasta. Let the water come to a boil before adding the pasta. You'll have to cook 4-5 sheets at a time because they stick. Add some salt to the water.

10. Cook the pasta until al dente and then lay them separately on aluminum foil to dry.

11. In another bowl, put ricotta cheese, two eggs, salt and pepper and mix.

12. Add shredded Parmesan cheese and mix well. Also pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

13. By now, the sauce should be cooked. Make sure the tomato sauce has been reduced because you don't want your lasagna to be too soupy.

14. Now take a 9x13 baking pan and start by added a thin layer of the sauce.

15. Cover the layer of sauce with four pasta sheets.

16. Now add a layer of the ricotta cheese mixture.

17. Now add a layer of the mozzarella cheese slices.

18. Start with the sauce layer again and continue layering like before. I would think four layers of pasta are good enough. 

19. The last layer should be sauce again. And over the sauce, sprinkle a generous layer of Parmesan cheese.

20. Finally, cover the pan with a sheet of aluminum foil and put it in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and let it cook for another 5-10 minutes or until it's nice, hot and bubbly.

21. And you're done! Let the lasagna sit for 15 minutes before digging into it. After 15 minutes, cut it up into squares and serve with French bread. 

A flavor idea from my husband: Put chili flakes in olive oil and drizzle the oil onto the French bread before eating it. 

It works! The flavor works wonderfully!

Try it and I'm sure you'll love it! :D

Lots of love!

x