SESAME FINGERS

                                          SESAME FINGERS

                                             (Yield: 8 Sesame Fingers)

A sesame finger makes great crispy, crunchy finger food for kids.

Makes great back to school snack for kids.

INGREDIENTS:

·      2 Sandwich Bread (Note: Avoid using Toast Bread, which is too soft to hold vegetable masala on it)

·      1 Medium Potato, boiled, peeled and mashed

·      1/8 cup Red Bell Peppers, finely chopped

·      1/8 cup green Bell peppers, finely chopped

·      1 Green Chili, finely chopped

·      1 T Coriander Leaves, chopped

·      ¼ tsp. Kashmiri Red Chili Powder

·      ¼ tsp. Coriander Powder

·      ¼ tsp. Cumin Powder

·      ¼ tsp. Mango Powder (Aamchur Powder)

·      ¼ tsp. Garam masala

·      ¼ tsp. Salt

·      2-3 T Tomato Ketchup

·      2-3 T Sesame Seeds

·      Oil for roasting

LET’S COOK:

Avoid using toast bread as it is very light in texture and so does not hold potato-bell pepper masala well.

Sandwich bread is dense and compact so holds potato-bell peppers masala very well.

Heat half tsp. oil in a heavy bottom non stick pan on low heat and roast bread till light brown in color on both sides. Finish roasting both bread. Allow it to cool for few minutes.

Roast again with few drops of oil till dark golden brown in color.

Twice roasted bread turns tough and crispy.

Roast bread in advance and allow them to cool, this way bread become harder and crispier and ready for preparing sesames seeds fingers.

Boil potato and peel and mash.

In a mixing bowl combine mashed potato, red bell peppers, green bell peppers, chopped coriander leaves and green chili and all dry spices and mix well. (Raw bell pepper gives nice crunch to the sesame fingers)

Divide veggie masala in two parts.

Meanwhile heat half-teaspoon oil in a pan.

Spread tomato ketchup on bread then one part of thin layer of potato bell peppers masala and again spread tomato ketch up and then sprinkle sesame seeds in signal layer. Press your palm gently on sesame seed layer to stick them well. (Tomato ketch up holds vegetable masala with bread and also helps to stick sesame seeds on top and as a bonus it adds up great taste to the sesame fingers. Use any sauce of your choice, it serves double purpose)

Place the bread in a pan with sesame seed layer down and roast on medium low heat till a sesame seed turns light golden brown in color.

Gently reverse the bread and allow roasting for few seconds.

Place roasted bread on plate.

Allow cooling and cut it into 4 long strips.

Place on serving plate and serve with chili sauce.

You can serve sesame fingers with green chutney as well as with tamarind chutney too.

Enjoy…

NOTE:

Make it in advance and before serving place on hot pan on low heat to reheat and make it crispy and serve.

OR

Place on cookie baking tray and re-heat in oven at 300 degree Fahrenheit for few minutes before serving.

INTERESTING SHAPE!!!!! ISN’T?

                                               INTERESTING SHAPE!!!!!       ISN’T?

I found a small green pepper growing inside of big red bell pepper.

A small pepper growing inside the big bell pepper. It is called “Internal Proliferation”

This is an example of a phenomenon know as “Parthenocarpy” which is the formation of fruits or growth develops without fertilization and they are usually sterile.

ONION-POTATO-POHA SAMOSA MIXTURE

                                    ONION-POTATO-POHA

                 SAMOSA MIXTURE

                     (Yield: 8 small sized samosa)

INGREDIENTS:

·      2 tsp. Oil

·      ½ cup Potato, 1” long and thinly cut

·      ½ cup Onion, 1”long and thinly cut

·      ¾ cup Thick Poha

·      3-4 green Chilies or as per taste, chopped

·      ¾ tsp. Kashmiri Red Chili Powder

·      ½ tsp. Coriander Powder

·      ¼ tsp. Cumin Powder

·      ¼ tsp. Aamchur Powder

·      ¼ tsp. Chat Masala

·      ½ tsp. Garam masala

·      1 T Coriander leaves, chopped

·      ½ tsp. Salt or as per taste

·      1 tsp. Water or as needed to make mixture soft

LET’S COOK:

Heat oil in a heavy bottom non-stick pan on medium heat.

Once oil is hot add potato chips and stir-fry on high–medium heat until 75 percent cooked.

Add onion chips and chopped green chilies and continue stir-frying on same heat until potatoes are completely cooked and onions are slightly under cooked.

Add rest of all ingredients and mix well so moisture from onion will soften poha.

Switch off the heat.

If mixture is too dry then add 1 tsp. water and mix well to soften poha. Keep this mixture aside for 15-20 minutes to allow poha to absorb some moisture from onion and potatoes.

Use this mixture for samosa stuffing.

Enjoy…