Vegetable & Mashed Potato Au Gratin

Gratin is a cooking technique, where the top - a mix of bread crumbs, cheese and oil / butter is browned in the oven to form a nice golden brown crust. The main ingredient is usually a vegetable or root or potato mixed with béchamel sauce baked till just cooked. The gratin I like to make is one with vegetable and mashed potato layers and baked with a golden crust topping.

Ingredients (serves 2 generous portions)

Potato - 3, large

Onion - 2, medium

Broccoli - 1/3 cup

Mushroom - 1/3 cup

Carrot - 1/3 cup

Baby Corn - 1/3 cup

Bread crumbs - 1/2 cup

Butter / Oil - 3 tbsp

Black Pepper pwd

Oregano – couple of pinches

Parmesan Cheese, grated - 1/4 cup

Whole Milk – 4 to 5 tbsp

for béchamel sauce

Flour - 2 tsp

Butter - 1 tbsp

Milk - 1 cup

Boil potatoes till soft. All vegetable measures are after cleaning and cutting into pieces. Slice onion and mushroom into thick slices. Cut the broccoli into florets, carrot into sticks and slit baby corn lengthwise and then halve it.

Heat 1 tbsp butter and sauté 3/4^th of onion slices till just translucent and keep aside. Add 1 tbsp butter into the same pan and sauté the vegetables lightly without letting it cook. Mix the onion and vegetables and add a little salt and black pepper and keep aside.

Take the boiled potatoes and mash completely. Add a little salt and the 2 tbsp milk and 1 tbsp butter and mash together. Chop the remaining onion finely and add to the mashed potato, this is optional. I like to add it for the extra crunch.

Mix the bread crumbs, oregano and a pinch of salt and keep aside.

Prepare the sauce: Heat a pan and add the butter and let it melt and when hot add the flour in and mix well and sauté for a couple of minutes. When the flour is cooked completely add the milk in a steady stream, stirring all the while. Keep stirring till it thickens then take it off the heat and add the sautéed onion and vegetables and keep aside.

Preheat the oven to 200 degree C. Grease a baking dish with butter and keep aside.

In the baking dish, first evenly spread all of the mashed potato in the bottom of the dish. Then add the sautéed vegetables mixed in sauce on top of the mashed potato and spread evenly. Add the cheese on top and then top with the seasoned bread crumbs. Pop it into the oven and bake till the cheese melts and the top browns.

Serve the Vegetables and Mashed Potato Au Gratin hot with garlic bread or as is.  

 

 

 

 

 

My Vegetable & Mashed Potato Au Gratin goes to
- Flavours of the World - Grand Finale hosted by Nayna & "Light Dinners" guest hosted by abowlofcurry, originally by Vardhini of cooksjoy.
 

 

Mixed Vegetable Khichdi

The khichdi is a wholesome meal, usually had when unwell and the digestive system is not functioning to its fullest extent. It is a rice and moong dal mushy dish which is easily digestible making it ideal food for children as well. But this dish can be transformed to a one meal dish with the addition of vegetables and some aromatic spices. Whole moong adds additional fiber also. In fact, the Bengalis make their khichdi with vegetables and spices.

 

I remember a friend telling me "khichdi ke chaar yaar - papad, ghee, kadhi aur aachar", or something of that sort or maybe in a different order. These accompaniments add that extra zing to this meal.

Ingredients:

Rice - 1/2 cup
Whole Moong - 1/4 cup
Onion - 1 small chopped
Carrot - 1/2
Beans - 4-5
Green peas - 1 tbsp
Ginger - 1tsp chopped
Garlic -1tsp chopped
Green chilli - 2
Turmeric pwd - 1/2tsp
Salt to taste
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Water - 1.5 cups
Spice
Bay Leaf - 1
Black Elaichi - 1
Jeera - 1/2tsp
Dhania pwd - 1/2tsp

Soak the rice and moong in water for about 1 hour .

Heat the pressure cooker and add ghee into it. When hot, add the bay leaf, elaichi and jeera and let it splutter. Then add the chopped onions and stir for 2 to 3 minutes after which add the ginger and garlic. Let it fry well till light brown. The add the vegetables - carrot, beans, green peas and green chillies and stir for about 2 minutes. Drain the water from the rice and moong and add it to the cooker. Stir well. Add the turmeric powder and the salt and after mixing it well add the water. Once it boils check for salt and then close the pressure cooker and put on the weight. Let it cook for 3 whistles on medium heat, then open and serve in a bowl. Just before taking it to the table add a blob of ghee on top of the khichdi and serve with papad and achaar.