Sunday, January 10, 2016

VEG QUICHE

Veg Quiche

It was just a few months ago I got to know that Quiche is pronounced something in the lines of “keesh”.

I tasted an eggy version at Cafe Zoe that my kids raved about. I wasn’t too enamoured as I don’t like eggs. It kind of put my back up to learn a vegetarian version and bake the same at home.

I must say the result was a stupendous and yummy success that all of us simply loved.

Read on only if you have the patience for this one. It’s a long process.

Pie crust ready to go into the oven


I.                  PIE CRUST (Yeah, Quiche needs one)

INGREDIENTS:

Maida (self-rising flour) – 300 gm
White Butter – 100 gm
Salt – ½ tsp
Sugar – 1 tsp
Water – ½ cup (use it carefully; you may need less)

Baked crusts (this texture needs to be perfectly crunchy. Goes a long way to make a perfect Quiche)

METHOD:

1.       Take a mixing bowl and add maida, salt and sugar to it and sift them. Add butter and mix well for a few minutes with hand to make a crumbly mixture. Now, add water by sprinkling little by little to make a tight dough. Pack it in an airtight container and refrigerate this for a minimum of one hour.
2.      Remove from fridge and divide the dough into 8 equal balls.
3.      Coat the quiche moulds with butter.
4.      Roll the dough into thin discs and place them in quiche moulds, pressing them gently down to shape. Then cut of the excess dough along the edges.
5.      Pierce the surface of the pie crust with a fork a few times. This stops the crust from puffing up.
6.      Preheat the oven at 250 degrees for 10 minutes.
7.      Place the moulds in the oven and bake at 200 degrees for 20 minutes.
8.      They turn golden brown at this point.
9.      Cool them and remove them from moulds before placing them back again to ensure that they don’t stick.

II.               FILLING

Veggies for filling

INGREDIENTS:

Green Pepper – 1 (cut in squares)
Red Pepper – ½ (cut in squares)
Yellow Pepper – ½ (cut in squares)
Corn – 1 handful
Onion – 1 (small, chopped fine)
Green chilli – 1 or 2 (chopped fine)
Garlic – 2 cloves (chopped fine)
Oregano flakes – ½ tsp
Black Pepper powder – ¼ teaspoon
Salt – to taste
Oil – 2 tsp (Olive or cooking oil)
Cheese – 4 cubes (grated)
Milk – 70 ml
Paneer 100 gm

Paneer-milk mix

METHOD:

1.       Take a saucepan and heat the oil in it.
2.      Add chilli-garlic and sauté.
3.      Fry the onions for a minute before adding the peppers.
4.      Fry as you add oregano, pepper and salt; mixing well.
5.      Now add the corn and cook on medium flame till the water is absorbed.
6.      Blend paneer and milk into a coarse mix.
7.      Preheat the oven at 250 degrees.
8.      Place the pie crusts in the moulds on a baking tray.
9.      Add a layer of grated cheese.
10.   Add a layer of cooked veggies.
11.    Add a layer of milk-paneer mix. Don’t fill to the top as it might overflow while baking.
12.   Top it with some cheese again.
13.   Bake the quiche in oven at 200 degrees for 20 minutes.
14.   Once done, remove the tray and allow it to cool.

After 15-20 minutes, you get to eat super-delicious Veg Quiche.

You can store pie crusts
NOTES:

1.       You can break down the process since it’s quite tedious. I made the dough the earlier day while also getting the veggies ready. It was the next day that I made the Quiche. If you want to make more batches, get the pie crusts ready and store them in an airtight container. You can use them over 3-4 days.

2.      Use your imagination to add your own fillings. Cheese, milk and paneer mix continue to be constant.