Quick Tangy Masala Chips

I crave carbs like all the time and the one thing on a hot day that would hit the spot are these chips!! Not too unhealthy as they chips were baked and the sauce cooked with very little oil How …

Sagar Vegetarian Restaurant

A few days ago I went to review Sagar Restaurant, which specialises in Pure South Indian vegetarian cuisine. The menu allows you to explore other regional veg dishes especially infamous chaats from Mumbai!

My initial impression was that it was lovely.  The decor was simple, clean yet striking, a quiet and calming space, very zen like to be able to eat in peace and comfort. Traditional music was floating in the air which definitely added to the ambiece of the restaurant. 

The staff were extremely attentive, helpful and knew their dishes well. I fancied the Idli Sambhar, my mum who had accompanied me, was recommended to have the Medu Vada. 

These starters were truly incredible.
The idli were like soft clouds that just melted away on my tongue. The silky texture of onion in the sambhar and its consistency was spot on!

The medu vada, simple  crispy battered fried doughnuts, not greasy but cooked to perfection, was stunning when dipped into the coconut chutney and drenched in the tasty sambhar!

I was also pleasantly surprised having ordered an orange juice that I received a freshly squeezed sweet and tangy oj.

For my mains the Traditional Udapi thali was getting prepared and the chilli & onion Uttapam for my mum.

The thali is one of their best sellers and I can totally understand why and I agree! Presented well and all the individual dishes were named and shown to me by Shridhara the manager. 

I found all the elements of the thali complimented each other.  A mixture of curries, dry and saucy. Two types of dal to go with the heaped mountain of rice. The over generous puri/flatbread binded each portion together.

My favourite in particular had to be the dry cabbage bhaji. A soft, salty, crunchy dry curry. Extremely tasty and so very moreish! The creamy yogurt based coconut curry was amazing too!

“Rasam…ummmm!” Was how my mum described the thin almost transparent soup.  It was to her liking due to the chilli factor. It hit the back of your throat with a warming sensation!  I just loved how she reacted.

My siro, a sweet semolina pudding had started to disappear mysteriously.  Yes you guessed right, my mother couldn’t help herself.  She said she never eats siro unless it’s homemade but the look of Sagar’s siro tempted her.  I too loved it. Sweetly balanced, the cashews were toasted and cardamom notes stayed on my palette ~ Divine!!

Overall I can’t rate this restaurant enough.  I have to admit so far it is THE BEST SOUTH INDIAN restaurant I have been to and I have been to a few!

There’s no surprise that there are two more branches of Sagar in Central London.

If you fancy traditional South Indian food, good service and great prices, Sagar is the place to go!

I would sincerely like to thank Shridhara and Jay Kumar for awesome service and the management for having us over for the review

Please feel free to visit their website http://sagarveg.co.uk/ and try this yummy restaurant for yourselves 
Until next time, much love D x

If you would like me to review your vegetarian restaurant dishes in the UK, please feel free to message me on dhmakani@gmail.com

A Beetroot, Feta & Quinoa Salad

I have a tremendously healthy salad recipe for today. One that we had last night and has left me vitalised! Low fat, high in protein and fibre and so very tasty. I felt so good eating it and I still have some left over for lunch.

Perfect for a summer’s evening with a cheeky glass of crisp white wine if you want 😉 I’ll be experimenting and creating more salads this season. Can’t wait to share them with you all.

I will be serving some @ Angie’s Fiesta Friday Party

Have a terrific day! Much love D x

INGREDIENTS

1 cup quinoa
1 raw peeled and grated beetroot
3 spring onions finely sliced
1 big tomato roughly chopped
1 tin roseca/borlotti beans rinsed & drained
Feta cheese crumbled (low fat)
Handful of sunflower seeds
1tbsp olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 tsp garlic granules
Salt to taste

METHOD

Put the quinoa to in a small saucepan and cook upon instruction. I tend to cook it like pasta. Bring the water to a boil and then simmer for 15 to 18 minutes. Drain and set aside

In a large bowl add the rest of the ingredients in order according to the pictures. Leaving the beetroot til the end..ish. This way you cab minimize the addition of the deep pink colour to the salad

Crumble in the feta last and fold in

Serve alone or with some buttered whole grain pitta bread

I will be serving some @

Grilled Portobello Sandwich

I enjoy stuffing mushrooms with rice, garlic, cheese. However with the Portobello mushroom I wanted it to be the star of the dish.  This healthy and delectable sink in your teeth kind of loaded sandwich has to be my best sandwich creation to date.  The mushroom acts as a meaty substitute and the rest of the flavours are mellow untill you get glorious chunks of crumbly feta that brings a salty and sour taste to your tastebuds!  I could eat this sandwich over and over again!

Come join me, much love, D x

INGREDIENTS

2 Portobello mushroom cups
1 large tomato sliced
1 avocado sliced
Handful of baby spinach
Feta cheese
Chilli & garlic dry mix
Mayonnaise
Toast 4 slices seeded bread
Butter
Salt to taste
Olive oil

METHOD

With a brush lightly oil both sides of the mushroom, having taken out the stalks.  Grill for 7 to 10 minutes until soft and slightly shrivelled

Take out of the the grill and generously season with salt, chilli and garlic powder

Butter the 2 toasts liberally, place the mushroom along with the rest of the ingredients, layer, season and then crumble feta over the top.  and complete with the second piece of toast

(Optional, a peri peri mayonnaise can be made by mixing a peri peri spice mix with a dollop of mayonnaise)

Serve your loaded mushroom toasted sandwich with lots of french fries!

A Vibrant Halloumi & Quinoa Salad

Quinoa is one of my favourite grains   I wanted to make a vibrant colourful and extremely tasty salad dish as the sun is out here in the UK and wanted something fresh and light to keep me going all day.  This particular recipe has done exactly that! I have not had to snack on anything since I had it at lunch and I’ve just finished my dinner so it really works!

A few steps to prep and then just to mix all together, voila!  You have your healthy salad for the day.

INGREDIENTS

1 small cup quinoa cooked
Halloumi pan fried and diced
1 medium cucumber diced finely
2 tomatoes diced
4 spring onions slice
1 tin sweet corn drained
Baby spinach sliced
Salt to taste
Cayenne pepper
1 tsp cumin & coriander powder
Lemon juice to taste

METHOD

I fry the halloumi cheese by thinly slicing and then placing into a hot non stick pan with olive oil.  Fry off on both sides until golden brown

Place all the ingredients into a large bowl.  Mix thoroughly so everything is fused together

Ready to serve…How simple was that?

SHARING SUPER BLOGS!!! Flatbreads With Golden Beetroot

Mandy made these wonderful GOLDEN BEETROOT parathas based on my ruby red beetroot paratha recipe. They look amazing and thanks so much for the mention honey! Loving your blog posts always!!

Red Beetroot paratha recipe..click on me!

Spicy Lentil & Halloumi Stuffed Parathas

Lentils and chapatis are very much part of the staple Indian diet. I’m always finding ways to make food easier to eat and more exciting for my two boys! I’ve never made lentil stuffed parathas so I thought I would give it a go. But now, it wouldn’t be a Shivaay Delights recipe if it didn’t have that fusion twist.

So here it comes ~ Halloumi, yes I said Halloumi! I’ve now ventured into Greek & Indian fusion! OMG! it worked! The saltiness of the halloumi and the texture combination with the spicy lentils is gooood!

At first it tastes very Indian and it is only after I mentioned to my Husband that the parathas had halloumi in it, did he realise. Do try them out and let me know what you think.

Have a tremendous Tuesday! Much love D x

METHOD

150g red lentils
1 garlic clove crushed
½ tsp cumin & coriander powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp sambhar powder
Pinch of salt
100g grated halloumi cheese

For the dough
3 cups chapati flour
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 cup boiling water

Flour for rolling
Oil for shallow frying the parathas

INGREDIENTS

• Boil lentils in double the amount of water, simmer on a medium heat, add the garlic, seasoning and spices stir well

• Keep cooking on a low heat until nearly all the water is evaporated and your left with a dry crumbly lentil filling

Add the halloumi cheese and mix well

• Meanwhile make the dough. In a large mixing bowl combine the flour and oil to resemble bread crumbs

Carefully pour in the boiling water, using a fork bring the dough together and once your happy to handle it, start to knead. Use a little oil and work the dough for 5 minutes

• Take a palm full of dough about the size of a golf ball and roll out on a floured surface to approx 4cm in diameter. Get a teaspoon full of lentil masala, roll into a ball and place in the middle of the paratha round. Sprinkle with a little plain flour and then bring the dough up to seal the filling inside

• Flour the uncooked paratha ball and gently roll out to approximately an 8cm disk, using flour to avoid sticking. You may find that the filling may try to escape so press back in again and roll out

• Preheat a large non stick frying pan on a medium heat and dry cook the first layer of the paratha, wait for a couple of minutes then turn. At this stage use a little oil to cover the second layer. Cook until both sides are golden brown and well done

• Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling

Serve with some cool fresh natural yoghurt!

A Ravishing Roasted Aubergine Dip

For such a long time, whenever I have roasted aubergines for my Bainghan ka bharta curry I’ve always wanted to make a roast aubergine dip. The natural velvet texture and creaminess once it is whizzed really makes this dip so very special. A true delightful and healthy condiment to your favourite crisps, tortilla chips or crudité.

Perfect for any party and so healthy too!

INGREDIENTS

1 medium aubergine
Olive oil
6-8 cherry/pomodorino tomatoes
½ tsp garlic granules
½ tsp smoked paprika
⅓ tsp dried coriander leaves
½ tsp salt or to taste
Squeeze of lemon juice
Pinch of sugar

METHOD

• Pierce the aubergine a few times and chop the top off. Using a little olive oil massage into the aubergine skin with your hands. Place on a baking tray in a preheated oven at 190°c for 20-30 minutes until soft and crinkled. Set aside to cool

• Once cooled down put the aubergine with its skin on plus the tomatoes and blitz in a grinder to a smooth paste

• Stir in all the other ingredients and blitz to combine well

• Serve with your favourite crisps or tortilla chips

Roasted Radishes In A Brown Butter Sauce

I like radishes being sprinkled with salt and then being dipped in a little butter. I once saw them being served in this way on a cooking programme. Then yesterday, I had this thought in my mind as to roasting them. I’ve never roasted radishes before, but after doing so realised they make a wonderful side dish.

What makes this dish, is the brown butter sauce that seeps into the white pores of the radishes and is released gently when bitten into. I know I will be making these again for sure. Especially on Sunday’s with our veggie roast!

Such a great colour, comforting warm taste and butter!…just love it! Watch out for my Fab 4 tomorrow…I’m so excited!!!
Have a beautiful day, Much love D x

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch of red radishes
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste
2 thin slabs of unsalted butter
Dried coriander leaves

METHOD

• Preheat the oven to 190°c. Chop the green tops off the radishes and slice thickly lengthwise

• Place in a lined baking tray, sprinkle some salt and massage in the olive oil

• Roast for 20-25 minutes until radishes are tender

• Meanwhile in a thick skillet pan, melt the butter on a low heat and stir

The butter will start foaming

Brown speckles will appear quite quickly, once you see this the butter is ready. Take off the heat and set aside

• Once the radishes are roasted, place in a serving bowl. Pour over the brown butter sauce and delicately flutter dried coriander leaves on top to garnish

Cheese, Cauliflower & Broccoli Patties

Give these a go…When you want to snack on something! Great for a picnic too!
Enjoy friends, much love D x

Shivaay Delights

So I went food shopping yesterday and I saw a packet of freshly prepared broccoli and cauliflower florets! So vibrant in colour that it set my mind off to what I was to make with it when I got home. So the packet found its way into my trolley and soon after into my kitchen.

The idea that I had, was to make these cauliflower, broccoli and cheese patties. So once I put all the shopping away I started on the task at hand. These crispy and tasty patties were created. Easy, fun and simple…give them a go and let me know what you think. Have a tremendous Thursday! Much love D x

INGREDIENTS

Cauliflower florets half
Broccoli florets half
1 onion
2 to 3 cups self raising flour
1tbsp oil
1 tsp salt
1/3 tsp garlic granules
1/3 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp coriander and cumin powder
Handful of…

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