Moutabel ~ Qatar Cuisine

Moutabel is a Middle Eastern grilled eggplant dip. This Qatari dip is a little similar to Baba ghanoush, which includes onion & tomatoes in it.
In making Moutabel I choose to grill eggplants on stove top method, as it leaves a nice flavor to the eggplant when it is burnt directly on the heat. You can even cook it in oven to avoid the mess. 
The other important ingredient in this dish is the tahini paste. Tahini is a smooth sesame paste that actually gives creamy texture to this dish. I used a store bought one but one can make this paste at home too. The other ingredients added in add a nice flavor & taste to the dish. That’s it for now & enjoy this dip.

To know what my other friends are cooking, check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 44. 

Adapted from here.
Prep Time-15mins | Cook Time-20mins | Serves-2people 
Ingredients
1Italian eggplant
2Tbs tahini paste
1Garlic clove
1Tsp lemon juice 
2Green chili's {adjust as needed}
1Tbs olive oil
Salt to taste 
Cilantro or Basil for garnish
Directions
- Roast the egg plant on stove top. Cool it before you go ahead with peeling the skin. 
- Peel skin of eggplant & keep it in a bowl. Mash it to a chunky paste 
- Now grind green chili's, garlic & tahini to smooth paste. {You can grind eggplant too if you want a smooth moutabel.}
- Mix the grind paste & olive oil with mashed eggplant. 
- Add in salt & lemon juice. Mix well & adjust taste if needed. 
- Serve it with chips, veggies , pita bread or have it as you wish. 
Note
- Moutabel is smooth in texture. So as mentioned above grind eggplant for the texture.
- Taste was perfect for me, adjust if needed.

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Quesadillas with Avocado & Corn Salsa

Quesadillas are an easy to make Mexican delight. These can be served as any course of a meal & can also be a snacked as you like. You can use store bought tortilla's in making this dish & it will make you job very easy too. The filling in quesadillas can be replaced with your choice of filling too.
I used corn tortillas in making this dish, but you can use your choice of tortillas in making this dish. Quesadillas are served with a dollop of sour cream along, but I served it with yogurt in this recipe. I showed the 2ways of cooking this dish here & hope you will enjoy in making this dish. 
To know what my other friends are cooking, check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 44. 

Prep Time-15mins | Cook Time - 20mins | Serves-2people.
Ingredients
6Corn tortilla
2Cups corn salsa
1Avocado pitted & cut in to bite size pieces
1Cup grated shedder cheese
1/4Cup sour cream / yogurt
Directions
- Heat pan & arrange all the ingredients needed side of your stove. 
- Once the pan is heat place a tortilla on it. Cook it for few seconds.

Method 1: 

- On tortilla add cheese on one half & layer it with corn salsa. Then add few pieces of avocado & top it with a layer of cheese. 
- Fold tortilla in to half & remove from heat. 
- Cut it in to 2 pieces.

Method 2:

- On tortilla add a handful of cheese & on top of it add corn salsa. On top of salsa place few avocado pieces & little cheese. 
- Top it with another tortilla & flip it carefully. 
- Cook the other side for few seconds & remove from stove. 
- Cut it in to half & cut each piece in to half. 

- Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt. 

Note
- You can replace salsa & avocado with your favorite filling. 

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Pebre Sauce

Today I'm sharing a chili sauce from Chile. To know what my other friends are cooking, check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 44.

Pebre Sauce is Chilean Chili Sauce which can be topped on bread, can be used as a rub for meat or can be served as a dip along with tortilla chips. The word pebre means pepper & you can add any type of pepper of your choice in making this dish. You don't have to grind but for a perfect chunky structure I preferred using a food processor in making this sauce. I loved this sauce as a dip along with tortilla chips.

Adapted from here
Prep Time-10mins | Serves-2People
Ingredients 
2Cups of cilantro 
1Small onion chopped
1Roma tomato chopped
1Garlic clove chopped
1/2Tbs red wine vinegar
1Tbs avocado oil/olive oil
1Tbs chili sauce {used sriracha} {Adjust as needed}
Salt to taste 
Directions
- Wash & pat dry cilantro. Separate leaves from stems. 
- In a food processor crush cilantro & vinegar to a chunky consistency. Transfer it to a bowl.
- Next add chopped onions & garlic to food processor & grind to chunky bites. Transfer it to cilantro bowl.
- Now grind tomatoes to chunky bites & add them to the cilantro onion bowl.
- Now add chili sauce, salt & oil to bowl. Mix them well. 
- Adjust the taste {salt & chili sauce} if needed. 
- Chill it & serve or serve it right away.
Note
- Add another 1/2tbs of red wine vinegar if you want to. 1/2Tbs was just fine to me.

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Mango Avocado Salsa

Mango Avocado Salsa is a tasty & simple dip that can be made & served with less hassle. Salsa is a mexican style dip made of fresh tomatoes, onions, jalapeño peppers, salt & lemon juice. You can always tweak the recipe as you like. This dish doesn't require any cooking & it is easy breezy to make.

Prep Time-10mins | Serves-2people
Ingredients 
1Mango chopped
1Avocado deseeded & chopped 
1Tomato finely chopped 
1/2Onion finely chopped 
2Green chili's / jalapeño deseeded & sliced 
1Tbs lemon juice 
Salt to taste 
Cilantro/Coriander leaves for garnish
Directions 
- In a bowl mix all the above ingredients.
- Adjust taste if needed. 
- Serve with tortilla chips.
Note
-You can cut mangoes to much smaller pieces. Make sure that you won't mash them.

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Fajitas

Being vegetarian always has it's pros & cons. It is very hard to go to a restaurant & ask them to make you a custom made food. I feel so bad or say they are feeling sorry for us for not able to enjoy the food as it is. Anyway there are these beautiful restaurants that just make them customized & serve us making our experiences memorable. It's really a nice feeling that we are able to enjoy different flavors that are out there. 

Mexican is one of my favorite foods I like to have it every now & then. The flavors are kind of similar to Indian & make me want them more. I'm sharing a recipe for paneer fajita here, which will sure make you crave for more.

Yields : 4 Rolls  
Ingredients 
4 Tortillas 
2 Cups paneer chopped
3 Capsicum (Any color) sliced
8 Pieces of sun-dried tomatoes chopped in lengthwise
2 Medium onions sliced
1 Cup guacamole 
2 Tbs oil 
Marinade
2 Tbs. sesame oil
1 Tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbs. lemon juice 
1 Tbs. garam masala
2 Tbs. cilantro leaves
2 Tsp. red chili powder 
Salt for taste 



For Marinade
In a bowl as shown below mix all the marinade ingredients together. Adjust the taste if needed. To that add paneer and allow it sit for at-least 30mins.

Heat a pan with oil. To that add onions, capsicum & tomatoes. Sauté them for few minutes & switch off heat. Veggies will be crunchy & gives a nice bite.

In them same pan add the marinade paneer & sauté it for few minutes & off the heat.

Warm the tortilla and arrange the fajita, as you like.

As shown above I layered guacamole to that added the veggies & marinade paneer to the tortilla. Just roll it & enjoy it.

Note: 
1. Replace paneer with your choice of meat or tofu. 
2. You can also add a little salsa to wrap.

Tomato basil lasagna

I always wonder when did I start falling for pasta so much. I don't remember much but I once had it in Olive garden and it was just yummy. From then on I started mastering it at home.  This dish generally goes for dinner in our house which we njoy it pepsi or coke. 

Thinking of dinner if I ask my hubby to opt from my menu he always votes for pasta with lots of cheese.In general I don't prefer cheese in my serving so cheese just lands on my hubby's plate which he njoy's a lot :)

You can see the variation in below pics...

This pic was taken at our dinner time where I sprinkled a little more cheese and warmed it in the oven for my hubby.

Ingredients

4 Sheet of Lasagna

1/2 cup chopped Onion

Basil leaves 

1 tsp oil 

Salt

1 cup grated Swiss cheese ( Can replace with Mozzarella )

For Tomato Sauce 

6 Tomatoes  ( I used canned tomatoes)

1 Garlic pod

1 small bunch of Basil 

2 Tbs Olive Oil

Ground Pepper (Acc to your spice level)

2 Tbs Parmesan cheese 

Salt

For White sauce 

2 tsp All purpose flour 
2 tbs Butter 
1 cup milk 
1 Garlic Pod

Ground Pepper (Acc to your spice level)

2 Tbs Parmesan Cheese

Salt

Bring water to boil in a large vessel along with oil & salt. Drop the Lasagna and allow it to cook. Once it's cooked drain water leave it aside. 

Heat pan with oil and saute onions till they become soft. Rest will cook in the oven so leave it aside.

For tomato sauce 

Heat a pan with oil add garlic. Fry for few seconds and add tomato. Bring to boil on medium heat. Once the tomatoes are done add salt , pepper & Parmesan cheese to it and switch off the heat.

Once it's cool puree it along with basil. 

For white sauce 

Heat pan with butter and add grated garlic to it. Then add flour to the pan and fry it till the raw smell goes off.Keep stirring the flour along with salt & pepper. Mix milk little by little while mixing the flour with a spatula with out forming  lumps.

Add parmesan cheese to the sauce and cool it aside.

Take a Lasagna sheet spread the white sauce on the sheet along with little tomato sauce. Place the fried onions on the sheet and sprinkle some cheese.Roll off the lasagna as shown above. 

Place the rolled lasagna's in a pan and pour the tomato sauce on them. Bake @ 350 degrees for 20 mins.

 

***The cool part is that you can make a it ahead of time and freeze it. Just reheat in oven when ever you want to have.Though I prefer a fresh one it's not a bad idea. 

Out Come :  It's cheesy, yummy & delicious.This pasta is layered with different sauces & cheese. You can feel the taste of all in every bite. 

Yummy Pasta with Coriander Pesto

Yummy Yummy Pasta

My DH prefers having any dish in Indian Style.While making Pasta I was thinking of making some changes according to his taste.Added Onions,Tomatoes to Pasta even cooked Pesto a bit which he likes and served it with lots of cheese for him...

Here I call it as Indian Touch

Ingrediants

1 cup Macaroni

2 Tomatoes

1 Onion

Cheese to garnish

For Pesto

2 cups Coriander Leaves

1/3 cup of Almonds or Pine Nuts

2 garlic Pods

3 Tbs Olive Oil

4 Tbs Cheese ( according to your choice)

2 Tbs Black Pepper powder

salt for Taste

Grind Coriander leaves, Almonds and Garlic in a food processor. Now add oil while grinding the the above ingredient.Add Cheese, Salt and Black Pepper powder. Make it a nice paste.

For Pasta

1. Boil water in a vessel with little salt added to it .

2. Add dry pasta and cook them till they are done. Drain water and keep them aside.

3. Heat a pan with little olive oil and add onions to it. fry them till they turn Light brown then add tomatoes to it.

4 Allow tomatoes to cook till they are done.Now add Pesto to it and mix it well in the pan for few seconds.

5. Add cooked pasta to it and mix them well. Sprinkle cheese on top of it.

* If you are a cheese lover then add more cheese to pasta and micro wave it for few seconds...It tastes yummy...