Pasta My style

Eating Pasta has become a passion now a days. Though it has ni taste and does not take much spice, it does a magic on all age group. I have tried this pasta on my style . It was yummy and we liked it very much.

Varieties of Pasta and noodles are available in the market. You get wheat pasta and noodles which are healthy options. Lots of veggies can be mixed with pasta so that kids do eat veggies along with pasta.
Normally pastas are loaded with cheese and tomatoes or cream.
I have just tried this pasta that suits our taste. I have used carrots, beans and tomatoes.  Added Oregano leaf powder. It added the taste in Pasta.Added some fried potatoes.

Let us see some benefits of having Oregano in our diet.O

Oregano is a herb which has its own aroma and belongs to mint family. The name  oregano derived from the Greek. Oregano means " mountain of joy ". This perennial herb's scientific name Origanum Vulgare. It is loaded with health benefits. It protects the immune system in our body. Helps to prevent chronic disease. It helps to improve digestion, detoxify the body and strengthen our bones. It also improve our heart health and increase energy levels.
It boost immunity in our body. It has a rich source of anti bacterial properties and take care of our body . It is full of fiber and helps in an easy digestion. Oregano is a natural form of Omega - 3 acids and it helps in balancing cholesterol levels, reduces inflammation and helps to prevent heart attack and strokes. Oregano is filled with nutrients and other organic compounds. It has manganese, calcium, iron, vitamin K and other organic compounds. It helps in detoxifying our body.

 Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Wheat Pasta : (Any shape) : 1 Bowl : 250 Grams
Carrots : 2
Capsicum : 1
Tomatoes : 2 (Medium sized)
Beans : Handful .
Potatoes : 2 (Medium sized)
Jeera /Cumin seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Oregeno : 1 Teaspoon
Salt : As required
Chilly Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Jeera : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ginger : An inch
Olive Oil : 2 Tablespoons
Coriander leaves : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Oil : 1/2 Cup ( To fry potatoes) (Optional)

Method :

1.Keep water for boiling and cook pasta til they are slightly soft. Add a teaspoon of oil.

2. Remove and drain all the extra water and put cooked pasta in a big bowl.

3. Wash and cut tomatoes, beans, coriander leaves, carrots and capsicum into very small pieces.
4. Cook capsicum, beans, and carrots with very little water and let all the moisture disappear while cooking.
5. Remove the outer layer of potatoes and cut into finger chips shape. (Long and thin). Wash and keep it aside. Remove the outer layer of ginger, wash it and grate it.
6. Keep a pan and add olive oil and heat. Add jeera and fry till it turn slightly golden brown.
7. Add thin cut tomatoes and fry nicely till it leaves the pan. Add cooked capsicum
, beans and carrots.
8. Fry nicely till they turn slightly golden brown. Add grated ginger. chilly powder and salt. Mix it well.
9. Add Cooked pasta and mix it slowly. Let it cook nicely on low flame. Sprinkle Oregano on the top.
10. Remove it from the pan and add cut coriander leaves.

11. Keep a frying pan on the fire and add oil. Fry cut potatoes nicely till they turn golden brown and remove it from the oil. Fry all the potato pieces same way and put it on a kitchen tissue.
12 .Add this fried potatoe to Pasta just before serving.

Note:

Cook pasta nicely till they turn soft. Adding any other vegetables to pasta is optional. Potatoes can be cooked and add it to pasta instead of frying potatoes in oil. (Healthy option). Adding oregano is optional. But adding Oregano helps in many ways. Adding some Indian spices like garam masala , channa masala , pav baji masala et. can be added while cooking vegetables. Adding more oil is optional. Adding onions and garlic is optional. You can also cook tomatoes till soft and grind it like a paste. You can use this tomato paste to cook pasta. ( I cut the tomatoes into very small pieces. Adding french fries to Pasta is optional. ( You can cook and add it at the end.). Adding onions and garlic is optional.
Time : 40 minutes. (Al together).
Serves : 2 to 3.

Pasta Kheer

Pasta is known as Italian food. Different shapes of Pasta available in the market. Pastas are cooked with different ways with  different vegetables and cheese. Here I have tried Kheer out of Pasta. We Indians try to adopt and cook things using our own ingredients and to set it according to our life style and our taste. Preparing Kheer, using Pasta is not new. I have heard and even read recipes about it. But most of them had sugar in it.

We South Canara people prepare Paradi Payasa. (Kheer is called as Paayasa in Kannada language). But this is done with rice flour or Maida flour. Even in Kerala Adai Payasam or Adha Prathamam is famous. Adah is nothing but rice flakes. I have prepared Adha Payasa many times. We do prepare Payasa with Semiya also. Semiya is also a thin variety of Pasta. Seeing Pasta pack invited me to try this Payasa. Definitely the taste was really yemmy and finger licking. I used fresh coconut milk, jaggery and a cup of fresh milk.   

Here is a recipe of "Pasta Kheer"(Pasta Payasa) and it will surely liked by all  I am sure. 

Things Needed : 

Pasta : 1 Bowl (Small)
Coconut milk  : 1 Cup
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup
Dates : 6 to 8
Cardamom : 8 to 10 pods

Method :

1. Grate coconut and grind with little water and squeeze out milk. (Thick milk) Keep it aside separately.
2. Again put some more water and grind the same coconut and remove milk from it. Keep it aside. Keep it separately.

3. Powder cardamom and keep it aside.

4. Remove the seeds from dates and cut into small and keep it aside.

5. Now keep 3 to 4 cups of water for boiling and  put Pasta and cook.

6. When the pasta turn soft drain the extra water and keep pasta aside.

7. Now keep a big bowl and put the thinner coconut milk, boiled pasta and jaggery and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

8. Let jaggery melt and start boiling. Now mix thick coconut milk. Let it boil for 2 minutes. (Do not boil for a long time).

9. Add cardamom and pour the Kheer to a serving bowl.

  10. Add fresh boiled milk just before serving.

Notes : 

You can use sugar instead of jaggery. You can use tinned coconut milk instead of fresh coconut milk. You can add ghee fried nuts to the Kheer.
Adding more or less jaggery is optional. Use of any type of Pasta is optional.
Time : 30 minutes
Serves : 6  (Small Servings)