VEGAN & GLUTEN-FREE BAKED TIKIA

AFTER A PRETTY LONG TIME I AM WRITING A BLOGPOST THIS LATE!

I was preferring to write maximum of a blogpost in the daytime & then go for a swim or walk; come back, take shower, eat & then sit to finish off the remaining part of the blogpost! Today morning, I went to the Potong Pasir Shiva-Durga temple! Southern Indian temples have a variety of Gods & Goddesses; in this one the names are written, I would sincerely read! Today is too special a day, ever since the son left home & mumma lost the purpose to cook a lot on this day, she visits this temple near the Potong Pasir Mrt. 

Before the pandemic, they had a food counter in the adjunct hall, it closed down post pandemic! Only on Tuesday & Friday mornings, they would sell prasadam! I cross that area regular, do not make it to the temple! To me, visiting a holy place means taking shower, wear clean, pressed clothes & visit with a calmer mind! Wearing a walking dress I wouldn't enter! I am happy with today's visit, gradually learning how to offer in a non-Bengali style temple! I took good amount of fruits & flowers; the priest too gave me a fruit & flowers, bhasma [the holy ash]! Whilst I was taking this picture, a family of three; a mother, father & daughter were clicking too! They requested me to click them, I gladly obliged! They are a Keralite family from Mumbai, was enquiring about this island! We had a brief chat, I was saying Dubai has more of Keralites and our island has more of Tamils! Most of the desi / Indians would have that hidden attraction for a foreign land! Although India has progressed a lot; the clean roads, good transport, the strength of dollars has it's own charm! I had the same feeling as what I saw in the Keralite family's when I stepped here as a tourist back in 2006! I made up my mind then our child should get the taste of such a life! If you do not teach your child to dream, go & get, they would tend to stay in the cocoon! I want mine to reach heights, without stressing himself, without harming others! They wished the best for the son, I wished happiness for them & their daughter! 

HELLO MUMMA, WHY ARE YOU EATING THIS SIMPLE TODAY?

Well, mumma prefers eating at Popeye's on this day! Now, we have one at the Woodleigh Mall! Today, whilst returning, I passed that area, it was 12:35-40 pm at that time, I have my first meal post 4 pm! Hence, I had a bowl of "dudh chitoi" at first! 

Maggi noodles is not stocked at this home! May be yearly once I would have! Today, I craved for it, sent Cristine to get one from the Indian goods' minimart! There was no time to cook it with baby corns, mushrooms, broccoli, beans; I asked Cristine to just serve it boiled with the masala garnish! Again after a long gap I would have it! I offered my home God family, oranges; I had a hot cup of orange tea!

I liked that tea! There are a lot of food in the refrigerator, yet this mumma got two ripe avocados for 2$ today, she fell for guacamole after having it in the United States! But what is her plan today? That is to prepare avocado bharta! If I like it, I would share the experience with my readers! These days, I prefer my choice of vegetarian dishes, bhartas with my rice & roti! 

WHAT IS THIS VEGAN & GLUTEN-FREE BAKED TIKIA?

I ate wrong today but last night's meal was decent & healthy! Yesterday, I got exhausted all day trying my hands on croissant making! The outcome was good but was not worthy to get a place in the blog! I did not wish to get to the blog a homely Bengali / desi recipe, today deserves some share that the maximum in this world can have! I am inclusive, specially on a day like today! An idea popped up & I ended up baking this vegetarian delight, VEGAN & GLUTEN-FREE BAKED TIKIA! I have used healthy ingredients in it like desiccated coconut, carrots, a little of potato, dry fruits, onion & green chillies, a bit of oil & salt, dry mango powder and thats it! 

Simultaneously, I made this mixed veg achar with the available ingredients in my kitchen! There is not enough sunlight in this season here, all my Boris / the Black Gram Lentils paste balls got spoilt! Try this snack that uses only a tbsp of oil in the making, you will only be happy! 

Few other snacks, fries & fritters recipes from my Blog are these : PAN COOKED ALOO BEET GAJOR ER FRITTER, BENGALI BEGUNI, PAKORA / TELEBHAJA / FRIES & FRITTERS, PYAZ NOODLES PAKORA

INGREDIENTS :

MINCED CARROT : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP

MINCED ONION : 2 TBSP

MINCED GREEN CHILLI : 2

CHOPPED FRESH CORIANDER : 2 TBSP

BOILED POTATO : 1

DESICCATED COCONUT : 1 SMALL TEA CUP

CASHEW NUT : 7-8

WALNUT : 7-8

RAISIN : 10-12

SALT : AS REQUIRED

DRY MANGO POWDER : 1 TSP

OIL : 1 TBSP + A LITTLE TO BRUSH

PROCEDURE : 

Peel, wash the carrot & onion; wash the green chillies too! Mince them together in a hand mincer! Be careful, I have got a deep cut on my right thumb in the blade!

Chop the coriander discarding the root ends, wash! Use the mincer to chop the walnuts, cashew nuts, raisins!

Take together everything in a big bowl! Add the boiled potato, salt, oil & dry mango powder! Mix everything well!

Add the desiccated coconut and mix well again! Shape into tikia of your choice!

Grease an oven proof plate with a little of oil and place the tikias on it! 

Mine is a convection mode microwave oven! I had placed the low height wired stool inside, preheated at 180*C! 

I had placed the plate with uncooked tikias & baked at 180*C for 10-12 minutes! 

I took out the plate, turned them over & brushed some oil!

I placed them back atop the wired stool, baked at 180*C for another 5-6 minutes!

Remember, the cooking time may vary in different machines!

Our vegan & gluten-free, extremely tasty snacks are ready to be served with a choice of sauce or chutney!