Tomato Channa Dhal Chutney

This recipe is from my mother-in-law. Simple to prepare. The best combination for this chutney is Kuzhi paniyaram or plain dosa. I generally do not add any seasoning for this chutney, as its taste fine just like that. I don’t grind this chutney to a smooth paste, rather leave it a little coarse.

Ingredients:

Tomato – 4
Red chillies – 3
Cilantro (coriander leaves) – 4 - 5 strands
Tamarind – a little
Channa dhal – 2 - 3 tbsp
Curry leaves – 1 strand
Asofoetida - ½ tsp
Gingely Oil – 1 - 2 tbsp
Salt as per taste

Method:

First cut the tomatoes into cubes. Heat oil in a pan, add the red chillies, channa dhal and fry them till the dhal becomes light golden brown. Next add asofoetida, curry leaves, tomato and salt. Allow the tomato to cook for 4 – 5 minutes so that the raw smell leaves and tomato becomes soft. When done add the cilantro and allow it to cool. Blend the mixture to a slightly coarse paste. Serve it with hot kuzhi paniyaram, idly or dosa.

Ekadesi Idly (Moriya/Samo Idly)

This idly is made out of moriya (generally called 'Samo') that we use for ekadesi. These idlies are very simple to prepare. I learned this recipe from one of my senior god sister. I was once talking to her saying that I am bored of dosas for ekhadesi, she immediately gave an answer make idlies. This how I landed on this recipe and now it’s a very regular ekadesi item at home.

Ingredients:

Moriya - 1 cup
Curd - 2 cups
Carrot – 1
Capsicum – 1
Ginger – 1 small piece
Green Chillies - 2.
Curry leaves – a few
Corriander leaves – a small bunch
Salt – as per taste

Method :

Mix the moriya and curd together. Do not add water, the water in the curd itself is sufficient. Next mince the carrot, capsicum, cilantro leaves, curry leaves, green chillies and ginger. Add the minced items to the moriya and curd mixture. Keep it aside for 30 – 45 minutes. Make idlies from this mixture and serve hot with any ekadesi chutney or gravy.

Baby Corn Pakora

I loved doing experimenting the pakoras recipe, this time used baby corn.I made this over the weekend while we were mostly in a mood to take deep fried snack. A very quick snack if you happen to have some baby corns in your fridge.
whenever , i prepare pakoras remember my office colleagues. I was working in India for a few years before moving to the U.S, and we all friends at office used to enjoy going out for a short coffee break! There were plenty of snack shops in the canteen and we used to enjoy hot pakoras ,samosas, veg. puffs etc with Tea. To me that was a good fun time with friends. I miss those good old days. Well, about this recipe. It's really a perfect snack for the evening.

Ingredients

Baby Corn - 20 (cut into thin Strips)
Ginger - 1 inch
Red Chili - 1
Green Chili - 1
Cilantro leaves - 1tbs
Gram flour / Besan Flour - 1 cup
Corn Starch - 1/4 cup
Carom Seeds - 1/4 tsp
salt to taste
water for binding
Oil for deep frying



Method

Cut the baby corns lengthways into two, set aside.
Grind together the green chillies,red chilli, cilantro and ginger to make a fine paste adding little water.
Combine maida, cornflour,carom seeds, salt, blended paste,and water to form a soft batter.
Take a skillet and heat oil in it.
Dip each baby corn in the batter and fry until crisp and golden.
Baby Corn Pakodas are ready to serve.

Quick Tomato Briyani

As the name goes, you can get this done real quick. On the days when you have not been home for a few days and you don’t have any specific vegetable available you can opt for this. The Baby Corn Potato Fry that I had posted earlier along with this Tomato Briyani is an awesome combination. Please try it and you’ll like it too. I was in a hurry so once again please excuse me for the picture.

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Capsicum - 1 (sliced into small pieces)
Ginger – 1 inch
Green Chillies - 2
Red chilli powder – ½ tsp
Gram Masala powder – ½ tsp
Carom seeds - 1/4 tsp
Tomato – 5
Coconut Milk – 1 cup
Salt according to taste
Bay leaf - 1
Mint leaves – a small handful
Cliantro – for garnishing
Oil/Ghee – 2 tbsps

Method:

Cut the tomato into small cubes. Slice the capsicum into half finger length pieces. Silt the green chillies vertically into two. Peel the skin and grind the ginger to a fine paste. In a pan, add the oil/ghee. When the ghee is hot add the carom seeds and bay leaf. Next add the ginger paste, green chillies, capsicum and fry well. After a few minutes add the tomatoes and allow it to cook well for a few minutes. Next add the red chilli powder, gram masala powder, mint leaves and salt. Cook until the tomato becomes soft. Transfer the contents to a rice cooker. Wash the basmathi rice and add it. Next add the coconut milk. Mix salt as per taste. Then add required amount of water. The tomatoes will already have some water so add based on that. For one cup basmathi rice I add two cups water, here we have added one cup coconut milk, the tomatoes will have a little more than quarter cup water, so I generally add another ¾th cup water. Mix well and allow it to cook. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with raita.

Tamarind Cilantro Chutney

This is my mother’s recipe and it’s very very simple to prepare. The best combination for this chutney is Raagi or plain dosa. This chutney is a regular at home for us. This chutney has to be seasoned with gingely oil else you won’t get the authentic taste.

Ingredients:

Tomato – 1 big
Green chillies – 2
Cilantro (coriander leaves) – 1 small bunch
Tamarind – 1 small lemon size ball
Coconut – 5 finger size pieces
Curry leaves – 1 strand
Salt to taste

For Seasoning:

Mustad seeds – ½ tsp
Urad dal – ½ tsp
Channa Dhal – 1 tsp
Red chillies – 1
Gingely Oil- 1 tbsp
Curry leaves – 1 strand

Preparation:

Add all the mentioned ingredients to the mixer and blend them to a smooth paste. Heat oil in a pan and get the seasoning ready and add it to the chutney. Mix well and serve with hot idlies, raagi or plain dosa.

Mixed vegetable moong sprouts curry

Sprouts are considered as wonder foods. They rank as the freshest and most nutritious of all vegetables available to the human diet. By a process of natural transmutation, sprouted food acquires vastly improved digestibility and nutritional qualities when compared to non-sprouted embryo from which it derives. Moong sprouts are rich source of protien, Vitamin-C and iron. With moong sprouts I usually make salad or just  a simple dal. This is the first time I tried cooking the sprouts with different kinds of veggies and spices and the outcome was a real hit. Adding veggies to the tthe moong sprouts makes it more healthy and Panchpuran- bengali spice mix adds up to the flavour of the dish.  Its a low fat dish as I have used very minmal oil, just for the seasoning..
Ingredietns:
Homemade Moong dal sprouts- 3 cups
shredded carrots- 2 tbsp
cabbage finely chopped- 1/4 cup
spinach- I cup (chopped)
yellow pumpkins- 1 cup (cubed)
ginger- 1 tsp (shreded0
green chilli- 1(chopped)
tomato- 1 (chopped)
corriander powder- 1 1/2 tsp
cumin powder- 1 tsp
Badshah Rajwadi garam masala- 1 tsp
Dry mago powder (amchur)- 1/2 tsp
turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
salt to taste
Hing- 1 generous pinch
Panchpuran- 1 tsp
oil- 1/2 tsp
coriander leaves(cilantro) to garnish- 3 tbsp

Method:

• In a presurre cooker add the home made sprouts, all the veggies, ginger, chillies, turmeric powder and cook them with 3 1/2 cups of water. (Please check Home-made Moong dal sprouts post to make your own healthy sprouts.)
• Heal oil in a small wok, add panchpuran. 
• When the mustard cracks add, hing, corriander powder, cumin powder, dry mango powder and garam masala and fry for 1 minute in low medium flame. 
• Add 1/4 cup of water and boil them and add it to the cooked sprouts and allow it to cook for 5 minutes. Mixed vegetable moong sprouts curry is ready to serve.This can be serve with rice or chapati.. 

Home made moong dal sprouts

Sprouting whole moong dal is quite simple. Here is a step by step tutorial for sprouting the moong dal.

• On Day1 night wash and soak a cup of moong dal with surplus water.
• On Day 2 morning, wash the moong dal in cold running water and soak them again.
• On Day 2 night drain the water and sprinkle some water on top of the it and leave them in a dark place.As the weather was cold I placed the moong dal in my oven. If you are staying in warmer places, then you can put the moong dal in a muslin cloth tie them and hang it in a dark place.
•  Day 3 morning check the dal if it has sprouted. It would have sprouted if you are in living in a warm climate. If you are staying in cold places the moong dal would have just started sprouting and hence sprinkle some water and put them back in the oven.
• The moong dal sprouts would be read by Day 4 night.
• The sprouts can be stored in a glass contained and refrigirated and it stays good for a week.

Moong sprouts are good source of proteins, Vitamin -C, potassium and iron. These sprouts can be used in raw salads and also making curries although it is best eaten raw or very lightly cooked.

Broccoli Pakora

It was one of those day when your refrigerator is almost empty and you are trying to push one more day before grocery shopping. I was in that scenario when I found only Broccoli in my refrigerator and nothing else. And right at the moment an idea of Broccoli recipe sprouted. How about Broccoli Pakora I thought... I added stem also not just broccoli florets. A must try recipe....

Ingredients
Broccoli - 1 cup
Besan Flour - 1/2 cup
Corn Starch - 1/4 cup
Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
Chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala Powder - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Asafetida - 1/4 tsp( less than that)
fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - one string
Cilantro - 2 tbs
Salt to taste
Water as needed
Color powder - A pinch
Oil for deep frying

Method

Wash the broccoli florets and slightly trim the stem.Dry the broccoli florets.

Mix gram flour ,Corn Starch , Curry leaves, Cilantro and spices together and little by little add water. Batter should not be too runny or too thick.

Now heat oil in a frying pan. Drop a little of batter if it comes up right away that means oil is perfect.

Dip each broccoli floret in the batter making sure it is coated from all sides and drop in hot oil. Fry them in small batches till they turn golden in color.

Drain on paper towel and Serve it hot!!!

Oats dosa

Oats are becoming a part of life now. We can prepare many delicious recipes with oats or add it to our regular recipes. These oats dosa/ crepes make a perfect breakfast or weekend brunch. This dosai turned out very soft and could be made very crisp too. Serve them hot with any chutney or pickle of your choice.



Ingredients

Oats - 1 cup ( dry roast & Blend it finely)
Rava /Semolina - 1/2 cup
Rice Flour - 1/2 Cup
Besan Flour- 1/2 cup
Buttermilk - 1 1/2 cup
Pepper Powder - 1tsp
Cumin Powder - 1tsp
Fenugreek Powder - a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil

Seasoning
Oil
Mustard - 1tsp
Curry leaves - one string
Cilantro - 2 tbs ( finely chopped)


Method
Dry roast oats for 2 mins and powder it finely. Transfer to mixing bowl.
Mix together the first four ingredients in a large bowl/ container and mix well.
Add buttermilk slowly, mixing it in to form a batter that is free flowing but not too runny. With these proportions this quantity of water was perfect for me, if you change quantities, err on the side of getting a thicker batter when adding water, that can be corrected easily. Keep the mixed batter aside.
Add salt, powders to the batter and mix well.
In a small pan add the seasoning ingredients and add it to the batter.
Heat a non stick tawa or frying pan.
Pour one ladle of the batter. Wait till it becomes a little brown, and then turn it for the other side to cook. Enjoy ur crispy oats dosa hot.

Red Basmati Rice Khichdri

A couple of  weeks back my husband got a new variety of rice called red basmati rice from the Indian stores. This rice is a product of Srilanka. But we could also get this kind of rice at Whole Foods market. Red basmati rice is considered as an aromatic rice. Similar to the brown rice this rice takes long time to cook and the rice slightly splits when its cooked.. It takes about 45 minutes to cook 1 cup of rice in a rice cooker. It resembles cooked wild rice and has an aroma  reminiscent of popcorn. This rice is also rich in dietry fibre. We both started liking the rice and started making it for our regular lunch. Last week I tried making Khichri and it came out really well.
Ingredients:

Red Basmati Rice- 1/2 cup
toor dal- 1/4 cup
Mixed vegetables- one cup (carrot, string beans, peas, potatoes, corn)
Tomato (chopped)- 1
turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
corriander powder- 1 tsp
cumin powder- 1/2 tsp
chilli powder- 1- 1/2 tsp (accoding to spice level)
grated ginger 1 tsp
garam masala- 1/2 tsp
salt to taste
coriander leaves (cilantro)- 1 tbsp , chopped (to garnish)

Seasoning
mustard seed- 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds(jeera)- 1tsp
curry leaves- 1 string
asafoetida- 2 pinch
ghee- 2 tsp

Method:

• Wash the dal and rice. In a vessel boil 3 cups of water. Add the rice, dal and turmeric powder and cook them on a medium flame. 
• When the rice and dal gets half cooked add the mixed veggies, tomato, corriander powder cumin powder, tomatoes, salt, ginger, chilli powder and aloow it to cook on a medium flame. 
• Stir the khichri in between to make sure that the ingredients at the bottom of the vessel doesn't get burnt. 
• When the rice gets 75% cooked add the garam masala and continue to cook on a medium flame.  Add 1/2 cup of water if necessary.
• When the rice and dal along with the mixed veggies get cooked fully, turn off the heat. 
• In a small wok heat some ghee add mustard, cumin seeds. When the mustard cracks add hing and curry leaves and pour the seasoning on the khichri. Mix well and garnish with coriander leaves(cilantro)
• Serve hot khichri with pickle and yogurt.(curd).

Chilli Paneer / Spicy Cottage cheese

Chilli paneer is an Indo-chinese dish. This is also one of the popular appetizer in the  Indian restaurants. Although branded as an appetizer this makes a great combo with vegetable fried rice and vegetable pulav . The recipe is simple and I leant to make this from my aunt Mrs.Parvathy. Now lets take a look at the ingredients needed for making chilli panner.
Ingredients:
Paneer- 250 g

corn starch- 3 tbsp

all purpose flour- 2 tbsp

water- 5 tbsp

chilli powder- 1/4 tsp

oil for deep fry

Sauce

capsicum (bell pepper)-  1 cup chopped (green, red, yellow)
cabbage (chopped)- 1 cup
ginger- 1 tsp + 1tbsp
tomato sauce- 4 tsp
soy sauce 2 tsp + 1 tsp
chilli sauce- 1 tsp
water 1/4 cup
ajnamoto- 1 pinch
oil- 1 tbsp
salt to taste
asafoetida(hing) - a pinch


Method:

• In a bowl mix the corn starch, all purpose flour, chilli powder, pinch of salt, 1 tsp grated ginger and 5 tbsp of  water.
•  Cut the paneer in cubes of 1" size and marinate in the batter for 20 minutes. 
• In a deep pan heat some oil about one inch deep. Fry the panner until golden brown and drian them on a paper towel. The remaining batter can be used in making the sauce. 
• In a wok heat 1 tbsp of oil. Add 1 tbsp of grated ginger, chopped cabbage, bell pepper(capsicum) and a pinch of hing. 
• saute them until they become tender and add a tomato sauce, soy sauce, chilli sauce, a pinch of ajnamoto, the remaining batter, water, salt and cook for 2 minutes. 
• Now add the fried paneer and mix well and cook in low flame for 5 minutes.
• Turn down the heat and serve hot.

Kidney Beans (Rajma) Pulao

This has been a protein week at home. We didn’t decide that we going on a high protein diet but it turned out so. As a fitting finale I tried the Rajma Pulao. I landed on this recipe in a website when I was looking for a different rice variety. Again the website recipe had onions which I dropped and added a few items to the menu and landed on this one. But please excuse me for the picture coz we were running late to office already, so no time to decorate. The picture has been captured directly from the rice cooker. Hope you enjoy this one.

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Kidney beans – 1 cup
Capsicum - 1 (sliced into small pieces)
Ginger – 1 inch
Green Chillies - 2
Cumin powder – 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Dry mango powder - 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder – ½ tsp
Salt according to taste
Bay leaf - 1
Curd – 2 tbsp
Mint leaves – a small handful
Cliantro – for garnishing
Oil/Ghee – 1 tbsp

Method

Soak the kidney beans overnight and cook them three fourth in a pressure cooker. In a pan, add the oil/ghee. When it is hot add the bay leaf, ginger, green chillies, capsicum and the spices. Cook until soft for about 3- 4 mins. Add the cooked kidney beans and mint leaves. Transfer the contents to a rice cooker. Wash the basmathi rice and add it. Mix salt as per taste. Then add curd and required amount of water. Allow it to cook. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with raita.