Saturday, April 25, 2026
Cheesy-rice Balls
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Veg Stuffed Idlis
Ingredients for Veg Stuffed Idli's Batter
1 cup Idli Rava (rice semolina, idli rawa)
1/4 cup poha (beaten rice)
1/4 cup urad dal
Salt, to taste
Ingredients for Wedge Stuffed
1/2 cup chopped mixed vegetables (carrot and beans,)
1/4 cup boiled green peas
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp urad dal
1/2 tsp mustard seeds (rai/sarson)
3 to 4 curry leaves
1 1/2 tsp chopped green chillies
Salt, to taste
How to make a batter of veg stuffed idli
- Soak the idli rava, poha and urad dal in sufficient water in a bowl for 2 hours and strain well.
- Blend in the mixer using 1/2 cup of water until smooth.
- Put the mixture in a deep bowl, add salt and mix well. Cover with a lid and set aside for fermentation in a warm spot for 6 to 8 hours.
Method of making Veg Stuffed
- Heat the oil in a broad non-stick pan, add the urad dal, mustard seeds and curry leaves and sauté on a medium heat for a few seconds.
- When the seeds crackle, add the green chillies, vegetables and salt and sauté on a medium flame for 2 to 3 minutes. Keep aside.
How to make Veg Stuffed Idli
- Put about 1 tbsp of idli batter in each greased idli moulds. Add the 1 tsp of vege stuffed mixture prepared on top of the idli batter and finally add 1/2 tbsp of the idli batter to the top.
- Steam in the steamer for 12 minutes.
- Allow the idli to cool slightly and then demold them using a spoon.
- Repeat steps 1 to 3 to make a batch.
- Serve hot with veg stuffed idli sambhar and coconut chutney.
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Olive Tapenade
Top Tips
Start with olives you would eat on their own
- tapenade cannot hide tired or dull olives. If the olives taste flat
straight from the jar, the finished bowl will feel the same. I always
taste one before starting. It saves the recipe before it even begins.
Dry ingredients matter more than speed -
excess brine from olives or capers is the fastest way to lose
structure. A quick drain and light pat keeps the mixture chopped instead
of loose, especially if you plan to refrigerate it.
Use the food processor in pulses, not autopilot
- most recipes do not say when to stop, and that is where texture
disappears. Short pulses give you control and help keep visible pieces
that make the tapenade spoonable rather than spread-thin.
This easy olive tapenade recipe stays coarse, briny, and flexible for spreads and boards
Ingredients
1cup pitted Kalamata olives *
2 tbsp capers drained
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions Chop the base
Add the olives, capers, and garlic to a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until everything looks coarsely chopped with visible pieces, not a paste.
Add lemon juice and olive oil. Pulse a few more times until the mixture looks cohesive but still chunky. It should hold together on a spoon.
Taste and finish.Taste and adjust if needed, then serve right away or chill. Use as a spread, dip, or topping.
* What is special about Kalamata olives? These purple-hued Greek olives are bold and briny with fruity notes and often a mild smokiness. Some say they have a tanginess reminiscent of red wine vinegar. A lot of their flavor comes from the curing process. Kalamata olives are an eye-catching feature on Greek mezze platters and charcuterie boards.
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https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement
https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com for info on cancer and health related topics
https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com is the latest addition to my blogs
Roasted Carrot Hummus
Roast the Carrots

Top Tips
Roast to Perfection
– the key to deep, caramelized flavor is roasting the carrots until
they’re golden and tender. Don’t rush this step! Those slightly crisp
edges add so much depth to the hummus.Smooth and Creamy
– for the silkiest texture, blend the hummus for longer than you think.
If it’s too thick, add a little warm water or extra olive oil until it
reaches your desired consistency.
Ingredients
1can chickpeas drained and rinsed
1pound/ 400 gm carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2garlic cloves minced
¼ cup tahini
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
2 tbsp lemon juice
1tsp cumin pdr
½ tsp smoked paprika
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preparations
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Peel and chop 3-4 medium carrots into chunks. Toss them with 1 tablespoon olive oil, a pinch of salt, and black pepper. Spread them on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, or until soft and slightly caramelized.
In
a food processor, combine chickpeas, roasted carrots, garlic, tahini,
remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, and smoked
paprika. Process until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and black
pepper to taste, adjusting seasoning as needed.
Transfer
carrot hummus to a serving bowl. Optionally, drizzle with additional
olive oil and sprinkle with smoked paprika before serving.
Serve with pita bread, vegetables, or crackers for dipping.
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https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement
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https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com is the latest addition to my blogs
Friday, April 24, 2026
Cheesy Balkan bourekas with eggplant and tomatoes
Ingredients For the dough:
½kg / 3 cups flour
100 gm /½ cup butter cubed
100 ml /½ cup minus a tbsp olive oil
120 mL / ½ cup water
5gm / 1 tsp baking powder
1tsp salt flat
For filling:
1large eggplant / brinjal cut into small squares
¼ cup olive oil
1 tomato chopped
1tsp cumin pdr
1handful parsley / coriander leave chopped finely
100 gm feta crumbled
150gm Jarlsberg cheese grated OR Emmental, Gruyère, and Gouda
salt to taste
1tsp pepper pdr
For topping:
1egg
Sesame seeds to sprinkle
Instructions
To prepare dough:
In a large bowl, mix flour, butter, oil, water, baking powder and salt into a uniform dough. Work with your hands until dough is soft and pliable, about 5 minutes.
To prepare filling:
Preheat pan to medium-high heat. Start by adding 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add cubed eggplant and cook, stirring often and adding oil as necessary, until browned on all sides. Be liberal and ensure to use the total ¼ cup of oil - eggplant loves oil! This should take about 15 minutes.
Add tomatoes and cook until their raw flavour passes and tomatoes break down into sauce, about 10 minutes. Add herbs, cumin, salt and pepper and cook an additional 5 minutes. Add feta and 120g of Jarlsberg, reserving 30 grams. Taste and correct seasonings as needed.
Preheat oven to 360Arrange a baking sheet with parchment paper.
To assemble Balkan bourekas: Roll dough into balls, each weighing about 35 grams. Roll each ball with a rolling pin. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each dough circle. Distribute remaining Jarlsberg cheese, sprinkling it on top of each bourekas. Close each bourekas into a crescent shape. Press on the edges of the dough with a fork or pinch them with your fingers to ensure proper sealing.
Transfer Balkan bourekas to baking sheet. In a small bowl, scramble egg with a drop of water. Brush the top of each bourekas with egg wash, and sprinkle with sesame. Vegetarians can use milk wash, brush with milk, some may prefer to brush with melted butter/ oil
Bake in a 360F oven for 25 minutes, until Balkan bourekas are golden. Remove, let cool for a minute and eat immediately for that fresh-out-of-the-oven taste and maximum cheesy goodness.
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https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com for info on cancer and health related topics
https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com is the latest addition to my blogs
Authentic Vegan Russian Pirozhki

Can you Make Authentic Vegan Russian Pirozhki?
It's actually quite easy to veganize Russian pirozhki. For the best vegan Russian pirozhki, use soy milk in place of regular milk and omit the egg wash in the end. You will also need to make the following tweaks in the filling:
- In the cabbage filling, omit the boiled egg for a vegan cabbage pirozhki
- In the pumpkin filling, omit the feta for one-of-a-kind pumpkin, caramelized onion and dill vegetarian pirozhki. Thats the same advice I give my readers about veganizing my caramelized onion and pumpkin pizza.
- Omit the butter from the mushroom filling for vegan mushroom pirozhki (similar to my mushroom bourekas)
You can also stuff vegan pirozhki with mixed vegetables, sweet potato or potato filling.
Do you need dipping sauce for Russian Vegetarian Pirozhki?
These vegetarian pirozhki are great on their own! If you're looking for a good dipping sauce, I recommend the sauce from my Ukrainian cucumber salad. It's super simple! All you gotta do is mix equal parts sour cream and mayo, add dried dill, salt and pepper. You can even dilute it with a touch of vinegar if you want a more liquid, pourable sauce. Indians, we can eat with green chutney/ tomato ketchup/ tomato chutney.
Making the Baked Pirozhki Dough Recipe:
First, you have to make the filling. Because this pirozhki recipe uses a traditional yeasted dough, the dough requires time to rise. While the dough is rising, make your favourite filling - or make all three to try them all out!
Make the Dough
Storage Instructions for Baked Vegetarian Pirozhki
Allow the pirozhki to cool completely before storing. Place them in an airtight container or wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. They will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, warm them in a 350°F (175°C) oven for about 10 minutes or microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute until heated through.
For longer storage, freeze baked pirozhki in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or airtight container. They will keep for up to 3 months. To reheat, bake frozen pirozhki at 350°F (175°C) for 15-20 minutes, or microwave for 1-2 minutes, until heated through.
Ingredients for Russian Pirozhki Dough:
1tbsp Active Dry Yeast
2 tbsp icing sugar
1cup water or enough to cover
1liter milk warmed to lukewarm (around 100-110°F)
a few pinches of salt
½ cup oil
1kg flour(about 8 cups)
2 tbsp sugar
Ingredients for Mushroom Pirozhki Filling:
2 lb mushrooms/ 800 gm
1onion finely chopped
2 tbsp butter
Ingredients for Cabbage Pirozhki Filling:
2large onions
½head of cabbage
2 hard-boiled eggs
Ingredients for Pumpkin Pirozhki with Caramelized Onion and Feta:
1onion
1pumpkin or squash of your choice
½ bunch dill
100 gm feta
Instructions
How to make Russian Pirozhki Dough:
Combine yeast, sugar and water in a small bowl. Mix together and set aside, letting yeast activate for 10 minutes.
Then in a large bowl, combine ½ the milk, yeast mixture, sugar, salt, and oil. Mix to combine. Begin adding flour in batches; add more flour or milk as needed. Dough should be not too sticky and very soft and elastic. I make this with a Kitchenaid stand mixerf ollow, but you can also easily do it all by hand (see more on this below!). Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside in a dark, warm but well-ventilated place. Let dough rise for 1.5 hour, or until doubled in size (the dough should roughly fill twice the volume it started with). Mix dough again with spoon or stand mixer paddle, and see if need to add flour. Let rise again for 30 minutes. While dough is rising, prepare filling.
How to make mushroom filling for pirozhki:
Slice onion into half-moons. Heat pan to medium heat. Add 2 tbsp butter. Add onions and cook until colour changes and onions become translucent, about 10 minutes.
Slice mushrooms thinly. Add mushrooms to onions and sautee until mushrooms begin to brown, about 10 minutes.
Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed.
How to make cabbage filling for pirozhki: Slice onion into half-moons. Heat pan to medium heat. Add 2 TBs neutral-tasting oil, like Canola, grapeseed or vegetable oil. Add onions and cook until colour changes and onions become golden, about 15 minutes. Chop cabbage into thin strands. Add cabbage to large bowl with 2 TBs water. Put cabbage in microwave for 2 minutes, to soften slightly. Let cool until easy to handle and add 2 TBs of salt. Proceed to massage cabbage until it has softened considerably, approximately 5 minutes. Chop hard-boiled eggs into small pieces. ( can be omitted for vegetarians) Combine cabbage, sauteed onions and hard-boiled eggs. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed.
How to make pumpkin, caramelized onion and feta filling for pirozhki: Set oven to 400F. Cover baking sheet with parchment paper or a reusable silicone matfollow. Cut pumpkin or squash in half, scoop out seeds and sprinkle with salt, pepper and a drizzle of oil. Place pumpkin face-down on the baking sheet. Pierce skin a few times to let steam escape. Bake until pumpkin collapses fully when poked with a fork, about 30-45 minutes, depending on the size of the pumpkin. Let cool until safe to handle and scoop out pumpkin flesh. Set aside. Slice onion into half-moons. Heat pan to medium heat. Add 2 TBs neutral-tasting oil, like Canola, grapeseed or vegetable oil. Add onions and cook until onions change colour, about 10 minutes. Lower heat and continue cooking until onions fully caramelize, an additional 15-20 minutes. Mix pumpkin, caramelized onions, dill and feta together.
Continue shaping pirozhki: ( I have put the photos how it is shaped before the ingredients) Divide dough into portions: Cover counter with flour, and roll dough out into thin layer. Cut circles using a 3-4 inch round cup or cookie cutter. Place about 1-2 tablespoons of filling in the center of each circle. Fold the dough over the filling to create a half-moon shape, then pinch the edges firmly together to seal. You can also bring all edges to the center for a round shape. To bake, cover baking sheet with parchment paper. Add a bit of oil. Place pirozhki about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet, and brush each with egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water). Bake at 360F for 20-25 min, until golden up top. Remove from oven and cover with a soft kitchen towel until ready to serve.
https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement
https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com for info on cancer and health related topics
https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com is the latest addition to my blogs
