Tuna, Apple, Green peas and Hummus Sandwich / Healthy Sandwich

This is a delicious and nutritious sandwich prepared using Tuna,Apple, Green peas, Lettuce, Hummus and Bread.

Sandwich is such a versatile recipe where food such as vegetable, meat, seafood or cheese are stuffed in-between two bread slices. Personally, I love my sandwich with lots of veggies along with any type of meat or egg. Today's recipe is a delicious healthy sandwich in which I have included veggie, fruit and seafood. A glass of fresh juice and this healthy sandwich makes a balanced meal to start a wonderful day. 

Ingredients used for this recipe :

Tuna is usually canned in edible oil, in brine or water and in this recipe, I have used Tuna which is canned in water. The addition of green peas made the sandwich nutritious and the sweet and sour taste from the red apple gave a lovely flavour to the sandwich. The quantity of hummus is purely one's choice. The addition of more hummus gives a delicious creamy texture so adjust according to the preference. Preparing hummus is quite easy and all you need are chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, Tahini, cumin and salt. I will be posting hummus recipe soon. Alternatively, you can use store bought hummus which is widely available in supermarkets with lots of flavours. There is no specific measurement for lettuce leaves so use it accordingly. I love adding extra lettuces to my sandwich :) And the final ingredient is bread, I have used brown bread which can also be substituted with any type of breads. I did not include salt and pepper in this sandwich but you can add according to your taste bud. 

OH YES! You can do variations..... 

Many variations can be done to this simple healthy sandwich by including more veggies like grated carrots, boiled potatoes, cherry tomatoes, avocado and herbs like parsley, chives, etc. To make it flavoursome, spread mint chutney on the toast and then place lettuce leaves. 

Don't like seafood ? Then, just replace tuna with chicken. Trust me, it will be equally delicious. 

Ingredients :

1 Canned Tuna 

1 Apple, Medium sized 

1/4 Cup Green peas, cooked 

1/4 Cup Hummus 

Fresh Lettuce leaves 

4 Brown bread slices, Toasted

Method :

Drain liquid from the canned tuna and transfer it to a bowl.

Add chopped apple followed by cooked green peas and hummus. Mix well. 

Take one toasted bread slice, place the fresh lettuce leaves and evenly spread the prepared tuna mixture. 

Cover it with another slice of toasted bread and serve. 

Repeat the same for the remaining slices. 

Serving Options :

Serve with fresh juice. 

Looking for more sandwich recipes ? Click the below links...

Chickpeas & Avocado Salad Sandwich 

Vegetable Cheese sandwich using spinach - Mint Chutney 

Grilled Chicken & Apple Sandwich 

Mint & Walnut Pesto Sandwich 

Tofu & Spinach Sandwich 

Tuna & Potato Cutlet

Weather is so crazy and unpredictable here. The sudden change of weather from sunny afternoon to rainy  evening increased my craving of having something hot and spicy. Luckily, the boiled potatoes in my fridge which I preserved for curry, saved my time in preparing these delicious cutlets. Along with the potatoes, I have included canned Tuna, onion, red chilli flakes and garlic powder in this recipe. 

Tuna & Potato cutlet pairs perfectly with any variety of sauce but personally, I served these tasty cutlets with sriracha sauce since I was craving for some spicy dish. In addition to the sauce, mint chutney and coriander chutney also pairs perfectly. The refrigeration and freezer part mentioned in the recipe are mandatory which in turn helps to hold the shape of cutlet without breaking while cooking. If the mixture is too soft, add little bread crumbs before making patties. I have shallow fried the cutlets in this recipe but the same can also be deep fried in oil. If you are planning to deep fry the cutlets, then prepare a separate batter using maida and water. Then dip the shaped patties in the batter and coat it with the bread crumbs. Always freeze the cutlets for sometime before frying. 

Variations can be made to these cutlets by adding sweet corn, green peas, coriander leaves, spinach, cheese etc. 

Here comes the recipe for Tuna & Potato Cutlet...

Ingredients :

1 Canned Tuna  

2 Medium sized Potatoes, cooked

1 Onion, finely chopped 

1 Tsp Red chilli flakes 

1 Tsp Garlic powder 

Salt to taste 

Bread crumbs ( I have used store bought bread crumbs which already contains dried herbs and cheese ).

Oil for shallow frying 

Method :

Mash or grate the boiled potatoes and keep aside. 

Drain the liquid from the Tuna can and transfer the tuna to a bowl.

Now add mashed / grated potatoes along with onion, red chilli flakes, garlic powder and the required quantity of salt.

Mix all the ingredients and refrigerate it for 30 minutes. 

Now divide the mixture into equal number of ball, gently flatten them and make thick patties. 

Repeat the process for the remaining mixture and keep aside. 

Add bread crumbs in a separate plate and keep aside. 

Now take one flattened cutlet, place it on the bread crumbs and cover it evenly. 

Once all the patties are done, keep it in the freezer for 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, heat 1/4 cup oil in a non stick pan and set ready to shallow fry the cutlets. 

Place the prepared cutlet in a pan and cook both the sides. 

Once done, remove and drain the excess oil using kitchen towel.

Serve hot. 

Serving Options :

Serve hot with Green chutney or any sauce. 

Chutney Options :

Mint Curd Chutney 

Coriander Chutney 

Mint Tomato Chutney 

Click HERE for more chutney recipes!

Tofu - Mushroom Burji Bun Pizza

Are you craving for pizza and no pizza base at home ? No worries, try this quick and tasty pizza using bun. Any variety of buns like sweet or burger buns can be used for this recipe. And also no oven is required for this recipe. Tofu - Mushroom Burji Bun Pizza is also a perfect party snack and also a great evening snack for kids when they are back home from school. Burji is prepared using Tofu and mushroom along with the spices. Paneer can also be included instead of Tofu, if you are allergic to soya products. The base is prepared by pressing the bun using flat masher. It helps to get a thick base which is similar to pizza. Then, the prepared burji is placed on top of bun pizza base along with the generous quantity of cheese and cooked again on a dosa tawa.

Ingredients :

4 Buns ( Sweet or Burger Buns ) 
2 Tbsp Oil 
2 Onions, finely chopped 
2 Tomatoes, finely chopped 
2 Green chillies, finely chopped 
1/2 Cup Bell pepper / Capsicum ( Coloured ), finely chopped 
Salt to taste 
1/2 Cup Mushroom, finely chopped 
1/2 Cup Tofu, grated 
1 1/2 Tbsp All purpose seasoning ( pizza seasoning ) 
6 - 8 Tbsp Butter 


Method :

Heat dosa pan, brush little butter and place the bun on it. ( Cook on a lower flame )

Press the top part of the bun using masher to make it like pizza base.

Once the bun turn flat like pizza base, remove from the dosa pan and repeat the process for the remaining buns. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add chopped onions.

Saute till it turns translucent and add chillies followed by tomatoes.

Saute until it turns soft and add capsicum followed by mushroom, tofu and salt.

Cook until the mushroom gets cooked and add all purpose seasoning.

Toss well and remove from the flame.

Now fill the bun base with the prepared filling and generously spread grated cheese on top of it.

Now heat dosa pan and brush little butter.

Place the prepared bun pizza and cover it with the lid until the cheese starts melting.

Once done, remove from the pan and sprinkle pizza seasoning along with chilli flakes.

Serve hot.

Serving Options :

Serve with Tomato sauce.

Garlic Knots

After April month swap post "Hong Kong Noodle Soup", here comes my second month participation in an interesting event Food Bloggers Recipe Swap hosted by Amber Dawn. For May month, I was paired with an amazing blogger Sapana who blogs at cookingwithsapana.com. The concept of the theme was to select one recipe from my partner's page and recreate the recipe. It took so much time for me to choose one recipe from her page while all her recipes looked so inviting and tempting. Finally tried these beautiful baked garlic knots which was a super hit in my place. These garlic knots are perfect with hot tea and also, can be served as breakfast along with salsa, jam or sauce. The actual recipe calls for the parsley, but I have replaced it with coriander leaves in garlic butter. Thank you Sapana for sharing such a delicious baked snack.

Click HERE to view the actual recipe from Sapana's page. 

Ingredients :

11/2 Cups All purpose flour / Maida + extra for dusting 

1 Tsp Sugar 

1 Tsp Salt 

1 Tbsp Olive oil 

1 Tsp Instant dry yeast 

1 Cup Warm water 

For Garlic Butter :

4 Tbsp Butter, melted 

1/4 Cup Coriander leaves, finely chopped ( Actual recipe calls for Parsley ) 

4 - 5 Garlic cloves, minced

Method :

In a large bowl, mix all purpose flour, yeast, sugar and salt. 

Make a well in the center of it and add olive oil followed by warm water. 

Combine together to form a dough and knead it for about 10 minutes. 

Place it in an oiled bowl and let it rise for an hour or until it doubles in size. 

Now knead the dough again for about 5 minutes and divide into 9 equal parts. 

Roll it into long tubes like and make a knot by folding over and under. 

Arrange the prepared knots in a baking tray and keep it aside for 10 minutes. 

Now bake it for 10 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 180 degree C. 

Meanwhile, prepare garlic butter by mixing all the ingredients given in "For Garlic Butter" and keep aside. 

Remove the knots from the oven and brush with garlic butter. 

Bake it again for 5 minutes and remove from the oven. 

Serve warm.

Serving Options :

Serve with Salsa or Sauce.

Hong Kong Noodle Soup

This is my first time participating in an interesting event happening among food bloggers called Food Bloggers Recipe Swap. The concept of the group is that we have to recreate recipe from our co-blogger to whom we got paired with. This month I was paired with an amazing blogger as well as a trained Chef Mireille who blogs at www.theschizochef.com. I was truly amazed with the varieties of cuisine and recipe in her page. I have almost checked all her recipes from Recipe index and got into a confusion of which one to try. Even I had bookmarked few recipes to try them in the future. Such an amazing space and must visit page. While browsing her page for a recipe , my little one happened to see her delicious Hong Kong Noodles and got tempted as he love soupy noodles a lot. In addition, the word Hong Kong fascinated him as it was his first international trip. All the more reason for him to be back of me to prepare this Hong Kong Noodle Soup. As a mother, I fulfilled his cute request and he really enjoyed the soup. I have to Thank Chef Mireille for sharing such an easy and delicious soup. I made few changes by including my son's favourite veggie Mushroom and Tofu in the substitute of prawns. And the soup turned out very delicious with a quite simple process.

Click HERE to view the original version of Hong Kong Noodles from Chef Mireille's Page.

Ingredients :

3 Cups Water
1/2 Tbsp Soya Sauce
1 Tbsp Rice Wine
1 Tsp Sugar
Salt to taste
1/2 Tsp Sesame oil
1 Tsp White Pepper
1/4 Cup Scallions, finely chopped
1 Pack Plain Noodles
Tofu, chopped into cubes
Mushroom, sliced

Method :


Boil water in a large vessel and add soy sauce followed by white pepper, rice wine, sugar, salt, oil and scallions.

Once it starts boiling, add tofu and mushroom pieces in it.

Let it boil for 5 - 10 minutes or until the veggies get cooked.

Meanwhile, cook plain noodles in another pot of boiling water until it turns soft.

Once done, drain the noodles and keep aside.

To serve, take a portion of noodles in a bowl and add the hot soup along with Tofu and Mushroom.

Serve hot.

Serving Options :

Serve hot with Toast.

Fafda - Gujarati Snack

Ingredients :

2 Cups Besan flour
1/2 Tsp Ajwain
1/4 Cup Oil
3/4 Tsp Baking soda
Salt to taste
Water, as needed
Oil for frying

Method :

Take besan flour in a large bowl and add ajwain. ( gently crush ajwain using palm and add it ).
Add the required quantity of salt and baking soda.
Add half of the oil to the besan and prepare a dough by adding water little by little.
Once the dough formed, add the remaining oil and knead it for 5 minutes.
Cover it with a cling wrap or moist cloth and keep aside for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into two parts and keep aside.
Take one dough and roll it into cylindrical shape.
Pinch a small sized dough and make a cylindrical shape.
Place the shaped dough on a wooden board and using palm stretch it thin in forward direction.
And using palate knife, gently scrape off from the board without breaking the rolled dough.
Repeat the process for the remaining dough.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a deep pan and deep fry the fafdas in batches. ( fry it in a medium flame ).
Once the fafdas turn crispy and golden colour, remove from the oil and drain the excess using kitchen towel.
Serve hot or store it in an air tight container.

Serving Options :

Serve with Jilebi, green chutney or Kadhi. 

Pizza Pull Apart Pumpkin Bread

Being Baking as the Theme in Shhh Secretly Cooking Challenge, two delicious ingredients (Pumpkin and Cinnamon) were given as secret ingredients to me by a wonderful blogger Avin S Kohli who blogs at "theyellowdaal.com". And using the ingredients, tried my hands on an easy and yummy tea time snack using Pizza dough. Pizza dough is rolled into a rectangle shape and topped with pumpkin puree, sugar and cinnamon. The pumpkin puree is prepared by roasting the pumpkin in the oven and made into smooth puree but it can also be substituted with a canned ones. Adjust the quantity of sugar according to sweet tooth. Brown sugar can also be added instead of the granulated sugar.

Are you interested in knowing the secret ingredients given by me to Avin S Kohli ? Then click HERE to check out her page now.... She has prepared a lovely and delicious dish which is loved by everyone :)

Ingredients :

1 1/2 Cup All purpose flour / Maida 
1 Tsp Instant Yeast 
1 Tsp Sugar 
1 Tsp Salt 
1/2 Cup Warm water 
1 Tbsp Oil 
1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree 
5 - 6 Tbsp Granulated sugar 
1 Tbsp Cinnamon powder 
1 Tbsp Butter for brushing 

Method :

Take all purpose flour in a bowl along with an instant yeast, sugar and salt.

Add warm water to the flour along with oil and combine well to form a soft dough.

Once done, place the dough in a greased bowl and keep it aside in a warm place till it gets double its size.

When the size gets doubled, remove from the bowl and knead it again for 10 minutes. ( use all purpose flour for dusting )

Now roll the pizza dough into a rectangle shape sheet with 1/2 inch thickness.

Spread the pumpkin puree on the pizza sheet and sprinkle granulated sugar evenly followed by cinnamon powder.

Now gently roll the pizza sheet and cut into small pieces using knife.

Take a greased baking tray or line it with a baking sheet and place the pizza bread pieces evenly and stack the remaining pieces.

Bake it for 20 - 25 minutes at 180 degree C in a pre heated oven.

Once done, remove from the oven, brush it with a butter and cool it on the rack.

Serve.

Serving Options :

Serve it with Tea / Coffee. 

Butter Biscuit ( Without Baking Powder / Baking Soda )

Sharing one of my all time favourite and easy cookies using just 3 ingredients. These tasty, buttery and crispy cookies is a perfect evening snack recipe to serve along with a glass of milk. No Baking powder or baking soda is required for these cookies yet it turns out super crispy. These square shaped cookies can also be prepared into round shaped cookies by rolling the dough into round log instead of square.

Ingredients :

170 gms Butter ( I have used Amul Salted butter )
250 gms All purpose flour / Maida
140 gms Powdered Sugar

Method :

Cream butter till soft.

Add powdered sugar to the butter and cream till it turns light and fluffy.

Now add all purpose flour to the butter - sugar mixture and combine together to form a dough.

Transfer the mixture to a working board, knead and divide the mixture into half.

Take one half of the dough and form a square shaped log.

Cover the log with a cling foil and refrigerate it for 2 - 3 hours ( or overnight, if possible ).

Repeat the same for the remaining dough.

When the cookies are ready to bake, remove the square logs and slice them into 1/4 inch thickness.

Arrange the sliced cookies in a baking tray and bake it for 23 - 25 minutes at 180 degree C in a pre heated oven.

Once done, remove from the oven and cool the baked cookies on a rack.

Transfer it into an air tight container and serve.

Serving Options :

Serve with hot Milk.

Note :

If the dough is refrigerated over night, keep it out for sometime and then slice it. This helps to slice the cookies easily without losing its shape.

Chicken & Walnut in Spinach Gravy

Preparing menu for kids is a challenging task for all mothers as the dish should include all sorts of nutrients to make them healthy and strong. Among all nuts, including Walnut into my kiddo's meal is a big task for me as he does not like to eat as such because of the mild bitter and nutty taste. But considering all health benefits of Walnuts, I love to include it in my cooking in a way my son loves it and also in addition, it gives a richness to the dish. Today's recipe is so special and close to my heart as it got published in a popular Tamil magazine Aval Kitchen ( 2nd Anniversary Special ) in July 2016. Along with this recipe, 5 more interesting and innovative recipes also got published which I will be posting on my page soon .... Stay tuned !

Chicken and Walnut in Spinach gravy is a creamy and delicious curry which goes well with any Indian breads, Rice and pulao. Walnuts are roasted and made into paste which in turns gives a creamy texture to the gravy. Along with Walnuts, I have also included Spinach in this recipe to make it even more healthy.

Ingredients :

350 gms Boneless Chicken, Cut into pieces
1 Tbsp Oil + 2 Tsp Oil + 1 Tbsp Oil 
2 Green chillies, slitted 
1 Big Onion, Finely chopped 
2 Tsp Ginger garlic paste 
1 Cup Spinach Puree
1/2 Cup Walnuts
1/4 Tsp Garam Masala
1/4 Tsp Turmeric powder 
1 Tsp Red chilli powder
Salt to taste 

Method :

Heat 2 Tsp Oil in a pan and add walnuts.

Fry it in a medium flame for 3 - 4 minutes ( do not burn the walnuts ).

Once done, remove from the flame, cool and grind into fine paste by adding 1 tbsp oil.

Add little water and grind it further to make a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and add green chillies followed by chopped onion and ginger garlic paste.

Saute till it turns translucent and the raw smell of ginger garlic smell goes off.

Add the chicken pieces and saute for a minute.

Now add turmeric powder followed by red chilli powder, garam masala and the required amount of salt.

Mix well and add the spinach leaves puree.

Allow it to cook for couple of minutes and add the walnut paste along with 1/2 cup of water.

Cook till the chicken gets cooked and the oil separates from the gravy.

Once done, remove from the flame and serve hot.

Serving Options :

Serve hot with Plain rice or Indian breads like Roti, Naan, Phulka etc..

Crispy Spinach Using 5 Spice Powder

Looking for yummy, crispy and quick snack for kids using some healthy greens ? Then, check out my today's post which is prepared using Spinach leaves. This simple snack is a perfect party snack and can also be served as an evening snack for kids along with any varieties of dipping sauce. I have included 5 spice powder in this recipe along with all purpose flour to give a lovely taste and flavour to the snack. Including cold water rather than the regular one gives a crispy texture to the dish. Alternatively, the batter can also be refrigerated for few minutes before frying.

This recipe goes to a monthly event "Ssshh Cooking Secretly" and fried snacks is the theme of June month. I was paired with a fantastic blogger Amrita Iyer who blogs at thefoodsamaritan.com. She gave me Spinach and any flour of my choice as my secret ingredients. And I chose, maida / All purpose flour as my choice of flour to prepare this crispy and tasty quick snack.

Are you interested to know the secret ingredients which I gave to Amrita ? Then, click HERE. She used both the ingredients in a brilliant way and posted an interesting snack on her page.

Ingredients :

15 - 20 Spinach leaves
1 Cup All purpose flour
1 Tsp Baking powder
1 Tsp Five spice powder
1/2 Tsp Pepper powder
1 Cup Cold water
Salt to taste

Method :

Take All purpose flour in a bowl along with baking powder, five spice powder, pepper powder and salt.

Add cold water little by little and prepare a batter. ( The consistency should not be too thick or thin ).

Wash spinach leaves and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan for frying and simmer the flame.

Take one spinach leaf, dip it in the batter and carefully drop it in an oil.

Deep fry till it turns crispy and remove from the flame.

Repeat the process for the remaining leaves. ( Deep frying can also be done in batches ).

Serve hot.

Serving Options :

Serve hot with Mayo or Tomato sauce.

Cheesy Haleem Toast

If you are in Hyderabad, Haleem is a must try dish during Ramadan season. Haleem is a delicious dish prepared using meat, wheat and spices along with a generous amount of ghee. It is usually served with lemon wedges and fried onions. A small bowl of Haleem will make your tummy full and gives an instant energy. Lots of vendors are famous here in selling Haleem in their unique flavour but my personal preferences are Pista house and Shah ghouse haleem. Every year, my leftover Haleem turns into Haleem Egg Dosa for breakfast and this year, tried an interesting cheesy toast using Shah ghouse Haleem. No doubt that as such the haleem gives a delicious rich taste but the richness got enhanced, when it was served as a toast along with Mozzarella cheese. This toast can be served as a breakfast or starter or evening snack along with Tomato sauce. Adjust the quantity of cheese and haleem according to your taste bud and being generous on both the ingredients will make your toast heavenly for sure :)

Ingredients :

2 Cups Haleem 

4 Bread slices 

2 Cups Mozzarella cheese, grated 

1/2 Cup Cheese, grated ( I have used Amul cheese cube in this recipe ) 

Chilli flakes 

Method :

Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly on top of bread slice and place it on a hot tawa. 

Simmer the flame and cook it for a minute or till the cheese starts melting. 

Using butter knife, spread the cheese all over the slice and top it with Haleem. 

Sprinkle grated cheese on top of the haleem followed by red chilli flakes. 

Toast it in a low flame till the base of bread slice turns crispy. 

Once done, remove from the flame and repeat the process for the remaining slices. 

Serve hot. 

Serving Option :

Serve with Tomato sauce.