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This week I tried a crossover between my mom's eggplant curry recipe (kathiawadi gujarati style) and the air fryer version of bharwan baingan (a.k.a stuffed eggplant). Hope you enjoy it. Don't forget to tag #theflavostation if you try it. I used firm baby eggplant, easier to stuff and eat. The airfryer version is crispier and was a hit with the family. Without further adue.. #theflavorstation #crispy #creative #aromatic #plantbasedrecipes #healthyfood #instantpot #airfryer #vegetarian #vegetarianrecipes #vegan Ingredients 4-5 small baby eggplants 1/3 cup olive oil 1/3 cup chickpea flour (besan) 1/2 cup peanut powder 1/2 cup soaked poha (rice flakes) 1/2 onion finely chopped 2 Tbsp ginger paste 2 Tbsp shredded coconut (fresh/frozen) 1Tbsp garlic paste 1 large green chili, diced 1Tsp chopped Habanero 1 Tbsp roasted fennel seeds 1/2 cup chopped cilantro Dry powdered spices to taste: red chili, coriander, garam masala, turmeric Salt Recipe Wash and make vertical slits in the baby eggplants, 4 ways. Leave stems intact. Slits should be a little more than halfway. Make the stuffing by mixing the rest of the ingredients. Spoon the stuffing into each eggplant, fitting as much as you can. Keep aside. Air Fryer Prep Airfryer to grease the bottom and sides Place stuffed eggplants into the air fryer basket. See pic. 380F, 15 mins, flip midway. Careful with the stems so as to not snap. Instant Pot Grease eggplants. Spray oil is easiest. Place these in the steamer basket. Manual Mode, low pressure for 8 mins Tip Serve warm with Rice and Roti. Pic here shows Rice quinoa pulao.

So you're stuck in quarantine and all you have is one mango, some cilantro and some basil leaves. First, making something out of nothing is an art. Making that interesting enough to call for a repeat, is another thing :). The mango I had, was the last of insta-cart delivery - very tangy, which the kids love. I noticed it had a thin skin. It occurred to me - why waste? So I peeled and cubed the mango. I saved the peel and ONE cube, gave the rest of the cubes to the kids. With that, mango peel chutney was born. Note, the end result was super tangy so I have suggested pairings below. The other two chutneys are to use up herbs in the fridge. Feel free to get creative. #theflavorstation #creative #aromatic #plantbasedrecipes #fusionfood #healthyfood #airfryer #easycooking #highprotein #vegetarian #vegetarianrecipes #vegan #glutenfree #eggfree #traderjoes #traderjoesfinds Mango 'Peel' Chutney Ingredients Peel from 1 tangy Fresca/Ataulfo mango 1 cube of mango Paprika or red chili powder to taste Salt 2 more cubes of tango mango for a pretty pic An open mind :) Recipe Thinly slice the peel of the mango In a sharp blade food processor, add salt. Add 1 spoon of water, and the cube of mango Chunky mango peel chutney is ready. This has more texture than regular crushed mango. Top with paprika/red chili powder. Add another cube while serving. Pair with black bean chips as a dip or in a sandwich. I used it in Pani-puri. Details coming soon... Basil Cilantro chutney Ingredients 1 cup basil 1 cup cilantro 2 Tbsp roasted peanut powder 1 Tbsp ginger paste 1 Tbsp diced green thai cillies 1 Tbsp diced serrano peppers 1/2 Tbsp sugar 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice Salt to taste Recipe Wash the basil and cilantro. Chop coarsely. Blend the ingredients above in a sharp food processor Do not over grind, leave some texture. Cilantro-Mint Chutney Ingredients 2 cups cilantro 1/3 cup mint leaves 1/2 cup roasted peanut powder 1 Tbsp ginger paste 1 Tbsp diced green thai cillies 1 Tbsp diced serrano peppers 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice 1/2 Tbsp sugar Salt to taste Recipe Wash the cilantro and mint. Chop coarsely. Blend the ingredients above in a sharp food processor Do not over grind, leave some texture.

Herbs are good for almost everyone, and so is protein. More so for a new mom, who just gave birth. So I made a batch for a friend, who gave birth amidst the pandemic. This was a super hit with both families, hers and mine. I remember the kiddo saying "Can we do this again?" I think he meant the food, not the aunt's childbirth ;) What is Raab? It is a millet dill stew. What is sheera? it is pudding. What is Bhadku Badam Sheera? It is a popular post partum sheera - special kind, with higher protein and more almonds/nuts. #theflavorstation #crispy #creative #aromatic #plantbasedrecipes #healthyfood #instantpot #easycooking #highprotein #vegetarian #vegetarianrecipes #postpartum #herbs Ingredients Raab 2 Tbsp Millet flour 1 Tbsp dill seeds 1/2 Tbsp carom seeds 1/2 cup jaggery to taste 4 cups water 1 Tbsp ghee 1 Tbsp dried coconut flakes (optional) Bhadku Badam sheera 1 cup Bhadku flour (mixed legume flour: green moong, yellow moong, millet) 2 cups almond flour 2 cups ghee 1 cup sugar (can replace with honey if not nursing) 4-5 cups Whole milk 1/4 cup nuts 4-5 saffron threads Recipe Raab In a pot boil water and add jaggery, let it simmer and dissolve. Keep aside. In another pot, warm up the ghee, add dill and carom seeds till they sizzle Next add millet flour and roast it for 1 min. Add the jaggery solution to this. Bring to a boil. Serve warm, top with coconut flakes Bhadku Badam Sheera In a heavy bottom pan, warm up the ghee Roast the mixed legume flour on low-med heat Add almond flour, roast till light golden Add hot milk and mix vigorously until the sheera is smooth and lump-free. More or less milk depending on how you like the texture, see pics.

Need a twist to the pizza? Try Methi malai Paneer pizza(Home-made Fenugreek cashew-based sauce). I've used TJ crust, topped with methi-malai sauce, cilantro, green chilies. Because..why not? Methi Malai Mattar Paneer is a popular North Indian dish. This recipe takes the mattar (green peas) out and uses the gravy as pizza sauce. The crust is from Trader Joe's (kale cauliflower). The methi malai is the sauce I made, just like I’d make gravy for Methi Malai Mattar Paneer. I used the Air Fryer to fry the paneer cubes. #theflavorstation #crispy #creative #aromatic #plantbasedrecipes #fusionfood #healthyfood #instantpot #airfryer #easycooking #highprotein #traderjoes #traderjoefinds #lifehacks #weeknightmeals Ingredients Sauce 1 cup ground cashew/cashew meal 3/4 cup milk 1 cup fresh/frozen fenugreek, chopped 1 Tbsp Kasuri Methi (dried fragrant fenugreek) 1 Tbsp each, powdered Onion, Garlic 1 Tbsp cornstarch 1 Tbsp sliced green chilies Fistful cilantro Pizza toppings 1 each of sliced onion, tomato 2 cups cubed paneer Recipe For the sauce, mix all powder/ground ingredients and green chilies. Add milk slowly and stir to form a thick consistency (not runny) Mix a tablespoon of cornstarch and whisk Add fresh Fenugreek leaves Add cilantro and kasuri methi. Keep sauce aside. Air fry paneer cubes (I like them crispy so gave them a prep in the air fryer for 8 mins) Spread the sauce ladle on thawed pizza crust Add other toppings like sliced onions, tomatoes. Bake pizza in traditional oven at 400 for 10 mins. Serve warm!

Nostalgia night! “Grilled sandwiches” Bombay style - Aloo(potato) paneer filling with veggies and cilantro chutney. This is a super special sandwich, and it uses certain veggies, in a certain order to grill them, thereby calling it the "grill' sandwich". Yes, the "ed" of grilled isn't audible. Swastik Sandwich, Santacruz, Bombay and Jai sandwich, Bandra, Bombay are my top favs in the city, that serve this. This one is especially close to the heart. Try it and tag #theflavorstation. #theflavorstation #crispy #aromatic #streetfood #desifood #bombay #creative #plantbasedrecipes #fusionfood #healthyfood #airfryer #easycooking #highprotein #vegetarian #vegetarianrecipes Ingredients 2 med Red onions 3-4 red juicy tomatoes 1 green capsicum 1.5 cups shredded paneer 1 cup cilantro mint chutney (recipe coming soon!) 1 Tbsp butter Fistful chopped cilantro Slice bread (white is better) Optional 1 Tsp garam masala 1 Tsp sesame Oil spray for grill Ketchup Filling 4-5 small potatoes 1 Tsp cumin 1 Tsp red chili powder Salt to taste Recipe Make the filling (can be made the day before) Steam Potatoes halves in IP (I cooked PIP since I was cooking daal earlier in the day) Peel potatoes and cube them. Temper with oil, cumin, salt and red chili powder to taste. Top off with garam masala, sesame and cilantro. Keep aside. Shred a quarter slab of paneer, add salt and chaat masala. Start grill to heat it to 375 and spray oil/butter. I like mine crisp. Start with butter, then chutney, then veggies and filling. See pics for layering the above two. Grill until crisp and golden. Slice into triangles Serve with a side of ketchup!

Even before the quarantine, reuse and recreate was big in our family. Especially in these times, making scramble or pilaf in a batch and then using in different foods provides some variety to weeknight dinners. One such dish is stuffed capsicum. Capsicum is basically another word for bell peppers, in many parts of the world. Red capsicum has a pleasant sweet taste, orange is nice and tangy too. These are the two I recommend, for this dish. I had left over rice-quinoa pilaf that I used, to make the stuffing. IP steamer basket is a blessing, but this can also be done in the Air Fryer. I hope you like it! Let me know how it turns out, tag #theflavorstation if you try this. #theflavorstation #crispy #creative #aromatic #plantbasedrecipes #fusionfood #healthyfood #instantpot #airfryer #easycooking #highprotein #vegetarian #vegetarianrecipes #vegan #lifehacks Ingredients Stuffing Cooking oil (canola or any high heat) 1 med onion 1 Tbsp crushed ginger 1Tbsp crushed garlic 1Tsp sliced green chilies 1 Tbsp crushed or whole roasted fennel 1Tbsp or more tomato paste (as tangy as you like) 1 cups cooked quinoa or rice 1 cup Tofu scramble or any minced protein, that's on the dry side Fistful of mint (optional) Shredded paneer (optional) Shell 3 red/orange capsicums with stem Recipe Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan Starting with garlic, slowly saute all the raw ingredients in the stuffing list Now add the tomato paste, half of the mint Add the leftover rice/quinoa/pilaf/scramble. Keep this stuffing aside. Wash and slice capsicums in to halves, keeping the stem intact. Prepare IP for steaming [fill with water such that the water level doesn't touch steamer basket but is close] Start spooning the stuffing into the capsicum. Top with shredded paneer (optional). Open-faced capsicum ready. Place these into the steamer basket. Mine only takes 3 halves, see pic. Instant Pot Manual mode, low pressure, 6 minutes. QPR. Serve warm, drizzle tomato ketchup, mint

So what do you do if you’re craving British-style tea cakes in covid lockdown? You resort to the pantry ingredients and bake some! Here is the recipe to a super moist, light, egg-free, citrus tea cake, perfect for spring, summer and other seasons, if you fancy! Checkout pics and recipe below. If you try the recipe, do tag #theflavorstation and let me know how it turned out. Settings for conventional oven and Air Fryer both included. For topping, to each his own: classic or top with jam & crushed almonds or honey-orange bites. Pair with cinnamon Coffee or Rooibos tea. Color is obtained naturally with fresh orange juice, zest, homemade herb concoction. Can be made Gluten-free or Keto by using complete almond flour, I used a mix of APF and almond. I recommend freshly squeezed orange juice, zest. I do not use synthetic food coloring, used saffron for color. I used tangy yogurt (like Nancy NF Plain) and aluminium-free baking powder from #traderjoes. #theflavorstation #crispy #creative #aromatic #plantbasedrecipes #fusionfood #healthyfood #airfryer #easycooking #highprotein #vegetarian #vegetarianrecipes #ketomeals #glutenfree #eggfreebaking Ingredients Dry 3/4 cup All-purpose flour (APF) 1/2 cup Almond flour 1 cup powdered sugar 1/2 Tsp Baking soda 1 Tsp Baking Powder Wet 1/2 cup yogurt 1/2 cup oil 1/2 cup Freshly squeezed orange juice 1 , 0.5 Tsp fresh orange zest (separate) Optional Pinch of Saffron threads, 1 Tsp warm milk, turmeric for color Crushed almonds, orange/fruit jam for topping Thin slices of orange peel, honey Recipe Pre-heat classic oven to 350 F (or Air Fryer for 5 mins at 350 F) Mix the yogurt and powdered sugar in a bowl, with a whisk. Add oil, continue to mix vigorously Add orange juice, mix, then add orange zest. Sieve the remaining dry ingredients and fold them all in, until the batter is smooth Add color concoction to batter: Saffron threads in warm milk, VERY tiny pinch of turmeric Smooth batter, pour into a greased muffin pan. Thin orange peel slices can be put in the remaining molds, see picture. optional Bake at 30 minutes (or 15 mins in AF) or until golden brown. Let them cool. Top with baked peel dipped in honey or border with fruit jam and crushed almonds.

Egg-free, brownie bites with avocado and almond flour. Can never go wrong with a side of ice-cream and Oreo crumbs! These awesome brownie bites are the perfect size, super healthy because they use healthy fats, but the end result has the same great taste. These can also be made gluten-free, keto, paleo. Use *all* almond flour for keto or substitute GF flour. I love the Aluminum-free baking powder from Trader Joe’s and the unsweetened vegan cocoa powder from Whole Foods. This is an egg-free recipe, actually vegan, but it doesn’t have to be. Replace avocado with traditional butter if you like. I used the electric “babycakes“ maker but you could also use a conventional oven witb a mini muffin pan at 350F. Try these and tat #theflavorstation #crispy #creative #aromatic #traderjoes #readerjoefinds #healthyfats #therapeuticbaking #wholefoods #wholefoodsvegan #babycakes Ingredients 3/4 cup APF 3/4 cup almond flour 1 cup avocado, mashed 1 cup sugar 2 Tbsp vegan cocoa powder 1/2 super ripe banana, mashed 1/4 cup apple sauce 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract 1/2 Tsp baking powder 1/2 Tsp salt Recipe Prepare baby maker, either grease or use paper baking cups In a mixing bowl mix the mashed avocado, mashed banana, sugar and applesauce Sieve the APF, baking powder, cocoa and almond flour into the mixing bowl Fold it all in to make a smooth batter. Add the vanilla and salt, mix well. Pour smooth batter into baby maker. Bake till the light shows green (10-12 mins) Check with toothpick, cool completely. Top with M&Ms and Oreo crumbs Serve with strawberry icecream! (optional)