Potato Crostini

This is an Indianized version of the Italian hors d'oeuvres, crostini.  Prepared this along with the mushroom bruschetta, this morning.

Potato Crostini

Ingredients:

Regular bread, 8 slices (or french loaf slices)
3 boiled and cubed potatoes 
Spices (chilli powder, crushed kasoori methi, pepper)
Salt
Oilve oil
Chopped coriander leaves

For the basil pesto:

Basil leaves, 1 bunch
Ground nuts, 1 tbsp
Green pepper/chilli, 1
Crushed garlic, 1 tbsp
Olive oil, 2 tbsp
Pepper powder
Salt

Method:

• Blend basil leaves, groundnuts, chilli, garlic, olive oil into a paste.  Add pepper and salt.  Keep aside.
• Cut each bread slice into 4.  Brush with oil and grill in oven until toasted to golden brown.
• Heat some oil and toss in the cubed potatoes and the spices, add salt.  
• Take a serving dish and arrange the toasted bread pieces.  
• Spread some pesto sauce over it and top it with a spoonful of potatoes.
• Sprinkle finely chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.
  
  
  
  

Mushroom and Vegetable Bruschetta

Italian cuisine tickles everyone’s taste buds with its rich variety of cheeses, breads, pastas, and delectable spices and herbs.

This morning, felt like eating something Italian.  Since pasta was already prepared last week, decided to use bread and prepare bruschetta and crostini.  Bruschetta is either served as an appetizer or part of the main course.  Crostini is also an antipasto like bruschetta i.e. they are served before the meal.      

Mushroom and Vegetable Bruschetta (pronounced brusketta)

Ingredients

Regular bread (or French loaf) – 8 slices

Finely chopped button mushrooms

Finely chopped mixed vegetables (capsicum, onions, tomatoes, cucumber, basil leaves)

Green or black olives

Crushed garlic

Olive oil

Grated cheese

Herbs and spice mix (pepper, chilli flakes, basil, oregano, rosemary)

Salt

Method

• Infuse olive oil with garlic, herb and spice mix.  Keep aside.
• Brush the bread slice with the infused oil and grill in pre-heated oven for 5 minutes.
• Add salt, pepper, and drizzle the remaining garlic-and-herb-infused oil over the chopped vegetables.  Add the mushroom and chopped olives to this and mix well.  
• Arrange the toasted bread on the tray and top each slice with the vegetable-mushroom mix.
• Sprinkle grated cheese over this and heat in oven for another 3 to 4 minutes until cheese melts.
• Cut into triangular-shaped bruschetta and serve hot with ketchup.

Bhakarwadi

This is a tea-time snack popular in Maharashtra and Gujarat.  Quite easy to prepare and children as well as grownups love it.   

Ingredients

For the dough:
1 cup gram flour (besan)
1/2 cup wheat flour
pinch of asofoetida (hing)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tbsp oil
salt
water as required

For the filling:
2 tbsp fennel seeds
10 to 12 pepper corns
2 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp poppy seeds
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp grated coconut
1 tsp lemon juice
salt

Method:
   
1.  In a bowl put the gram flour, wheat flour, salt, hing, turmeric, chilli powder, and oil.
2. Crumble it nicely and reserve some to dust over the filling. 
3. Add water little by little to form a soft dough.  Keep aside.

4. Coarsely grind all the ingredients for the filling except lemon juice and salt. 
5. Add salt and lemon juice to this mix.  Add the crumbled flour reserved earlier.  Keep aside.
6. Divide dough into two portions.  Use kitchen surface to roll the dough into rectangular-shaped chappati with the help of some dusting flour. 

7. Spread the filling all over the the rolled out chappati.
8. Start rolling the chappati from one end (the longer width).  Seal the end with some water.

9. Press lightly and keep rolling gently so that all the filling is evenly coated inside.  

10. Cut into small slices and dust some flour over the pieces.



11. Fry the bhakarwadis until crisp.  Store in air-tight container.  They stay fresh for 2 to 3 weeks.