Gita's Kitchen - A blog for Indian diabetic recipes and healthy recipes

KADALAI CURRY /BLACK CHICKPEAS CURRY

2011-08-11T23:14:00.005-04:00

This is one of my mother-in-law’s preparations. She had learnt this from their family friend, who is from Kerala. My father-in-law and mother-in-law still fondly remember of the days they had spent with their friends and the vacations they had gone together. I like this particular curry since this is not too spicy and has a different flavor and taste compared to the usual channa masala or the black chickpeas masala I make. This also does not have a lot of masalas. If you are bored with the regular channa masala and looking for something different, then this is your dish. We all love this black chickpeas curry with puris.

INGREDIENTS
1. Black chickpeas, 1-1/2 cup (soaked overnight or for 8 hours).
2. Onion, medium size, 1.
3. Curry leaves, a sprig.
4. Salt as per taste.
5. Dried red chilies, 2.
6. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.

To roast and grind:
1. Channa dhal, 1 tablespoon.
2. Coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon.
3. Peppercorns, ¼ teaspoon.
4. Cumin seeds, ½ teaspoon.
5. Dried red chilies, 4-6 depending on spice level. (I have used the less spicier long variety).
6. Peeled small onions, 4.
7. Grated coconut, 1 tablespoon.

PREPARATION:
Cook the soaked chickpeas with some salt and keep aside. I used a pressure cooker for up to 3 whistles to cook the chickpeas. Dice the onion finely. Roast the channa dhal, coriander seeds, peppercorns, cumin seeds, red chilies, grated coconut(until it changes to brown color) one by one and add the small onions in the end. Sauté for a few minutes until the onions turn translucent and let the mixture cool. Once cooled, grind it into a smooth paste. Heat a pan with a tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is hot, break the dried red chiles, and curry leaves into it and fry for a few seconds. Add the diced onions and sauté for a few minutes until the onions turn brown. Then add the ground paste, along with the cooked chickpeas, salt, and enough water to immerse the whole mixture. Let it cook for 10-15 minutes until the desired thickness is reached. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with rice, chappathis, idlis, dosas, or appams.

OATS VEGETABLE MASALA UPMA

2011-08-02T23:18:00.004-04:00

I am back from my week-long road trip to Pittsburg, Niagara Falls, and New York. The babies managed the trip very well and they actually enjoyed the water spraying on their faces at the falls. This is our first long trip with the babies, a tedious one with the packing and unpacking but we did enjoy it, especially my in-laws.

The thing with oats is you either like it or you don’t. Some of my family members still wrinkle their noses when I say that I prepare a couple of Indian recipes with oats. Today when I was mentioning to my mil that I am planning to prepare upma with oats, the first thing she asked was “will it not be too mushy, how are you eating that stuff” but when both my father-in-law and mother-in-law tasted this upma they seemed to like it. I usually toast the oats in a pan or in the microwave until they are all toasty and while cooking, I will usually stir the oats just once until everything is mixed and let it cook under low-to-medium flame. This way the oats is whole and doesn’t turn mushy…well if you like the upma to be a little mushy, you can go ahead and add a little water and keep stirring it just as with any other upma.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Rolled oats, 1 cup.
2. Onion, medium size, 1.
3. Roma tomato, 1.
4. Green chilies, 2.
5. Mixture of chopped vegetables like carrot, green beans, capsicum, cauliflower, green peas, 1 cup. (I have used red bell pepper, carrot, and green peas)
6. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
7. Chili powder, 1 to ½ teaspoon depending upon preferred spice level.
8. Mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon.
9. Cinnamon, a small stick.
10. Bay leaf, 1.
11. Fennel seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
12. Clove, 2.
13. Curry leaves, 3-4.
14. Chopped cilantro for garnishing.
15. Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:
Dry roast the oats under low-to-medium flame for 5-7 minutes and let it cool. Chop the onion and tomato and slit the green chilies into 2. Heat a thick-bottomed pan with a tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the cinnamon stick, bay leaf, cloves, and fennel seeds and fry for a few seconds. Add the chopped onions now and sauté for a few minutes until the onions are tender. Then add the chopped tomatoes along with the green chilies, curry leaves, and salt and keep sautéing until everything is well blended. Add the chopped mixed vegetables along with chili powder and keep frying under low flame for 2-3 minutes until the chili powder loses its raw smell. Add 2 cups of water now and let it come to a boil. Once the water starts to boil, reduce the flame and add the oats. Mix everything once and cook closed for10 minutes under low-to-medium flame. Do not stir in between, this helps the oats from getting too mushy. Garnish with chopped cilantro once the upma turns dry and the vegetables have been cooked and serve hot with pickle.

PARIPOORANA PONGAL OR THAALITHA PONGAL WITH CRACKED WHEAT

2011-07-13T23:01:00.002-04:00

This recipe is from the Tamil magazine “Snegithi”. This was from a cooking special edition from the magazine where some famous Tamil chefs shared their family favorites. The chef describes this dish as a comfort food and her family usually makes this pongal on fasting days. This was a little bit different from the pongal we make and I had bookmarked this long back. The original recipe is with rice and moong dhal and I have substituted the rice with cracked wheat. This version was really good. We liked this better for dinner rather than for breakfast. There was no preferred side dish specified in the book for this dish. It was mentioned that plain curd is good enough for this pongal. We had it with coconut chutney. It was something different and new for us and we liked it.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Cracked wheat, 1 cup. (I have used the bigger variety here, the smaller cracked wheat variety can also be used).
2. Moong dhal, ½ cup.
3. Mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon.
4. Cumin seeds, ½ teaspoon.
5. Dried red chilies, 3.
6. Black pepper powder, ½ teaspoon.
7. Curry leaves, 4-5.
8. Asafetida, ¼ teaspoon.
9. Turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon.
10. Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pressure cooker or pressure pan. Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the asafetida, turmeric powder, cumin seeds, broken red chilies, curry leaves and fry for a few seconds. Reduce the flame and add 2 cups of water along with the cracked wheat and dhal. Add pepper powder and salt and mix everything well. Cook for 15 minutes or up to 3 whistles. Once the pressure is released, a teaspoon of ghee can be added if needed. This tastes good even without adding ghee. Serve hot with coconut chutney or sambar or curd.

BANANA BLOSSOM DHAL/ VAZHAIPOO KOOTU

2011-06-29T00:11:00.006-04:00

My mother-in-law typically makes these kinds of dhal with greens or vegetables almost every week for breakfast. Our favorites are the ones with greens or ridge gourd and she serves this as a side dish for idlis and dosas rather than rice. These kinds of dhals go well with rice and chapathis too. Her preparation is also a very simple one, kind of one-pot dish using a pressure pan. Dhal with banana blossoms was very new and interesting to me, so I decided to take a couple of quick pictures just before we had our breakfast. These shots were taken at the table with my baby girl sitting on a feeding chair from across the table and looking intently to see what was I doing and taking a peep at the dishes and plates on the table.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Banana blossoms removed from a flower.
2. Moong dhal, 1 cup.
3. Onion, medium size, 1.
4. Tomatoes, 2.
5. Green chilies, 2.
6. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon. (optional).
7. Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
8. Coriander powder, 2 teaspoons.
9. Hing or asafetida, 2 pinches.
10. Turmeric powder, ¼th teaspoon.
11. Mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon.
12. Cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon.
13. Curry leaves 4-5.
14. Chopped cilantro, 1 tablespoon.
15. Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:
Clean the blossoms, chop them finely, and soak them in a diluted solution of buttermilk for 10-15 minutes. Chop the onions and tomatoes and slit the green chilies into 2. Heat the pressure cooker or pan with a tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add the cumin seeds and fry for a few seconds. Add the chopped onions and sauté for a few seconds until the onions are tender. Then add the chopped tomatoes, green chilies, ginger-garlic paste, curry leaves and keep sautéing for a few more minutes until everything is well blended. Now add chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, asafetida, washed moong dhal, chopped banana blossoms (squeeze out the excess water from the blossoms before adding), and salt along with 2 cups of water. Mix everything well and cook for up to 3 whistles. Once the pressure is released, add chopped cilantro and let it simmer for 5 more minutes before serving. Serve hot with rice, chapathis, idlis, or dosas.

CRACKED WHEAT VEGETABLE UPMA

2011-06-23T00:43:00.002-04:00

This is a favorite and regular breakfast item for us, a healthy and easy one-pot dish. Usually when preparing plain upma, I only season them with green or red chilies and onions. For the vegetable version, I add tomatoes and chili powder to make it more spicy and colorful. This type of upma doesn’t need any side dish alongside.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Cracked wheat (samba ravai), 1 cup.
2. Onion, medium size, 1.
3. Roma tomato, 1.
4. Green chilies, 2.
5. Mixture of chopped vegetables like carrot, green beans, capsicum, cauliflower, green peas, 1 cup.
6. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
7. Chili powder, 1 to ½ teaspoon depending upon preferred spice level.
8. Mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon.
9. Channa dhal, 1 tablespoon.
10. Broken cashews, 1 tablespoon.
11. Curry leaves, 3-4.
12. Chopped cilantro for garnishing.
13. Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:
Dry roast the rava under low-to-medium flame for 10 minutes and let it cool. Chop the onion and tomatoe and slit the green chilies into 2. Heat a thick-bottomed pan with a tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the cashews and channa dhal and fry for a few seconds until they turn brown. Add the chopped onions now and sauté for a few minutes until the onions are tender. Then add the chopped tomatoes along with the green chilies, curry leaves, and salt and keep sautéing until everything is well blended. Add the chopped mixed vegetables along with chili powder and keep frying under low flame for 2-3 minutes until the chili powder loses its raw smell. Add 2 cups of water now and let it come to a boil. Once the water starts to boil, reduce the flame and add the cracked wheat slowly. Keep stirring the mixture to avoid any lumps as the cracked wheat is added and once the wheat is added, add another tablespoon of oil, mix everything well, and cook closed under low flame for 10 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro once the upma turns dry and the vegetables have been cooked and serve hot with pickle.

FOOD BUZZ TASTEMAKER PROGRAM –ORE IDA SWEET POTATO FRIES

2011-06-20T23:31:00.004-04:00

As a part of the Food Buzz Tastemaker Program, Food Buzz sent me a coupon for the new Ore Ida Sweet Potato Fries. These were very different and interesting from the regular fries that my family loves. The cooking instructions were to either bake them on deep fry them in oil. I deep fried them and this version was delicious. The outsides were flaky and crispy and the inside was soft. Despite of being used to savory and spicier version of potato fries, we actually liked these sweet fries. We had these with our evening tea and these fries were a hit at my home. Next time, I am planning to bake them instead of deep frying them. The baked version can be a totally guilt-free snack loaded with beta-carotene.

MUTTAI ATTU-ADAI / EGG PANCAKES

2011-06-16T00:45:00.004-04:00

This is a favorite egg dish of my father-in-law and it has been in the family for many generations. It seems that my father-in-law’s mom used to prepare this as a side dish with rice for lunch quite often and she used to mix duck eggs along with chicken eggs when she prepares these adais to add some richness to the dish. Adding channa dhal flour to the eggs is used for increasing the volume and stretching the buck during those days. Now-a-days we see this as a healthy protein-rich evening snack. The eggs can also be substituted with Egg Beaters or plain egg whites.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Eggs, 3.
2. Onion, medium size, 1.
3. Green chilies, 2-3.
4. Ginger—garlic paste, ½ teaspoon.
5. Roasted channa dhal or chutney dhal (pottukadalai or udaicha kadalai) , 2 tablespoons.
6. Salt as per taste.
7. Curry leaves and cilantro for garnishing.

PREPARATION:
Grind the roasted channa dhal into a fine powder. Dice the onions and green chilies finely. Heat a pan with some oil. When oil starts to bubble add the diced onions and green chilies along with 2-3 curry leaves and ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a few minutes until the onions are tender and let it cool. Break the eggs into a bowl and beat them along with the sautéed onion mixture, channa dhal powder, salt, and a tablespoon of chopped cilantro. Heat a thick-bottomed pan or a kadai with a tablespoon of oil and once the oil is hot, ladle the egg mixture into the pan. Cook closed for 4-5 minutes under medium flame until the corners get crisp, and flip it to the other side. Cook for another 2 minutes until that side also turns brown and crisp. Repeat the process with the remaining batter and serve hot with ketchup or as a side dish with rice.

VARIATION: Half a teaspoon of fennel seeds can also be powdered along with the channa dhal for much tastier and flavorful adais.

WHEAT IDLI

2011-06-08T00:20:00.004-04:00

This post had been ready to be published a month ago but I couldn’t find time to post this until today. Everything has been moving at a fast pace since the twins were born. Days keep flying by with Aryaa and Krithikha keeping us on our toes all the time and I have only a little time for myself at the end of the day. We started going out for evening walks but sometimes it doesn’t work well for the twins and I have to come back holding one baby in my arm and dragging a stroller behind (my mom-in-law will be coming along with another stroller and the other little one :) Some days are real tough and it usually gets crazier as the day goes by, but we are enjoying every bit of it. Coming on to the recipe, my mother-in-law makes these idlis for me very often for breakfast. After coming here, amma got very much interested in my blog and she is also helping me to take pictures for the blog. I am hoping to post regularly for the next few months with her help….I don’t know what my babies have decided :)

INGREDIENTS:
1. Whole wheat flour, 2 cups.
2. Urad dhal, 2/3 to 1 cup depending upon the type of dhal.
3. Fenugreek seeds, 1-1/2 tsp.
4. Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:
Wash the urad dhal well and soak it for half-an-hour along with the fenugreek seeds. Grind the dhal into a smooth paste using a blender or grinder. Then add the whole wheat flour and blend everything together to a smooth paste until the batter is fluffy. Add salt to the batter and mix everything well. Let it sit overnight or 6-7 hours to allow fermentation to take place. When the batter has risen to 1/3rd of its size, they are ready to be steamed. Pour them into idli moulds and let it steam for 5-7 minutes. Once the idlis are cooked, remove them from the molds and serve with sambar or chutney.

Note: The softness of the idlis depends on the type of the urad dhal used. I have used the ratio of the flour to the dhal to 2:1 since I have used a blender to grind the batter. If using a mixer grinder, less dhal can be used. The same batter can also be used for preparing dosas.

ASPARAGUS STIR FRY/PORIYAL

2011-05-11T01:03:00.003-04:00

I made this poriyal for my mother in law since she was very interested in this new vegetable (its funny shape too  ) she saw for the first time. I have made this poriyal a couple times before and this is the only way I can eat asparagus rather than the traditional way it is served. She seemed to like it and her comment was that this poriyal tasted just like the one with green beans. I followed her poriyal recipe this time and it was really good. We added some coconut at the end for some extra taste; this can be omitted if needed. It tastes good without coconut too.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Asparagus, 1 bundle.
2. Onion, medium size, 1.
4. Mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
5. Urad dhal, ½ teaspoon.
6. Ginger-garlic paste, ½ teaspoon, (optional).
7. Salt as per taste.
8. Curry leaves and cilantro for garnishing.
9. Chili powder, ½ teaspoon.
10. Coriander powder, 1 teaspoon.
11. Cilantro for garnishing.
12. Grated coconut or coconut powder, 1 tablespoon.

PREPARATION:
Break the asparagus stalks from the woody parts (this can be done by bending the asparagus and it would break over the fleshy section, this woody portion of the stalk can be used in stocks and soups). Chop the fleshy parts of the stalks into small pieces. Dice the onion. Heat a pan with a teaspoon of oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the urad dhal and fry for a few seconds until it turns brown. Add the diced onions and curry leaves and sauté for a few minutes until they are tender. Then add ginger-garlic paste, chili powder, coriander powder, and the cut asparagus stalks and sauté for a minute. Then 2-3 tablespoons of water along with salt and cook closed under low flame for 4-5 minutes until everything is cooked and turns dry. Add the grated coconut and mx everything well. Garnish with cilantro and serve as a side dish with rice.

LENTILS MASALA / CURRY

2011-05-06T00:40:00.003-04:00

Dear friends, how are you all doing? I am back with a post after a long time. My babies are 4 months old now and doing fine. Currently my mother-in-law is staying with us to help us with the babies and she does all the cooking. My entire day is spent with my munchkins. Taking care of 2 infants is quite a challenge and most of the time I am tired and sleepy. At the end of the day all you want is to just go and sleep when one of the babies decides not to sleep  .Coming on to the recipe, I managed to take some photos of dishes when my mother-in-law was cooking. This is one such dish where she was trying to clean my pantry. I had some leftover lentils which I had stocked up for making soup and she made this tasty dish out of them. She had used only a few ingredients here. This was very good with rice and we had the same with chapathis for dinner. The green chilies used here can also be substituted with 1 teaspoon of chili powder.

INGREDIENTS
1. Lentils, any type (I have used dupuy or French lentils). 1 cup.
2. Onions, 1 medium size.
3. Tomatoes, 2, medium size.
4. Green chilies, 2.
5. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
6. Sambar powder, 1 teaspoon.
7. Any masala powders like garam masala, chicken masala, or biryani powder, 1 teaspoon. ( I have used MTR vangibath masala).
8. Curry leaves, 1 sprig.
9. Chopped cilantro, 2 tablespoons.
10. Salt as per taste.
11. Mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
12. Cumin seeds, ¼ teaspoon.

PREPARATION:
Wash and cook the lentils until they are tender. I used a pressure cooker for cooking the lentils. Chop the onions and tomatoes and slit the green chilies into two. Heat a pan with some oil and splutter the mustard seeds once the oil is hot. Then add the cumin seeds and fry for a few seconds. Add the diced onions and fry for a few minutes until the onions turn translucent. Then add the diced tomatoes, curry leaves, green chilies, ginger-garlic paste and sauté everything for a few more minutes until everything is well blended. Now add the sambar power, masala powder, and salt and cook for a few more minutes until the spices lose its raw smell. Finally add the cooked lentils with 2/3 cup of water, mix everything well, and cook closed for a 3-5 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with chapathis or rice.

ITS A BOY AND A GIRL!

2011-02-25T12:22:00.003-05:00

Dear friends and readers, thank you very much for remembering me and all your well wishes during my long absence from my blog. We are happy to announce that we have been blessed with a baby boy and girl. They are 2 months old now and we have been very busy since the babies were born. The only time I cook is when both the babies are asleep, and most of our meals are fast-food kind of meals and one-pot dishes. Gita's kitchen will be on an extended break for a few more months until my littles ones are a little bigger. Thanks to everyone for the warm wishes. I'll be back soon with more recipes.

INSTANT WHEAT IDLI

2010-09-23T08:59:00.005-04:00

The recipe for this idli is almost the same as regular rava idli. The first time I tried making these with instant wheat puttu flour and that turned out well, so this time I tried it with plain wheat flour. This variation turned good but the batter had to be jazzed up a little with seasonings. I even added some sautéed onions to the batter. Here I have served these instant wheat idlis with sambar.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Regular whole wheat flour, 1 cup.
2. Thick sour yogurt, 1/2 cup.
4. Water, 2/3 cup or more depending upon batter thickness.
5. Baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon.
6. Salt, ½ teaspoon.
7. Mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
8. Channa dhal, ½ tablespoon.
9. Broken cashews, ½ tablespoon.
10. Chopped cilantro, ¼ cup.
11. Diced onions, ¼ cup.

PREPARATION:
Fry the wheat flour in a pan under low-to-medium heat for 5 minutes until good smell emanates from the flour and let it cool. Mix the cooled wheat flour, beaten curd, baking soda, salt in a big bowl. Keep adding water until the batter reaches regular idli consistency and there should not be any lumps in the batter. Set it aside for 5 minutes. The batter should be just thick enough to pour into the molds. Meanwhile, heat a small pan with some oil. Once the oil turns hot, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then ad the channa dhal and cashews and fry for a few seconds until they turn golden brown. Remove the seasonings from the pan and add the diced onions to the same pan and sauté for a few minutes until the onions are tender. Add the onions along with the fried seasonings and chopped cilantro to the idli batter and mix everything well. Pour the batter into regular idlis mold and steam for 10 minutes. Once cooled, remove from the mold and serve hot with any chutney or sambar.

Please check out my other low-carb idli recipes:
1. RAGI IDLI

2. OATS AND CRACKED WHEAT IDLI

SHRIMP, MUSHROOM, AND SPINACH FRY

2010-09-21T10:17:00.002-04:00

This dish was a product of my refrigerator cleaning spree. I threw in some leftover button mushrooms and baby spinach lying in fridge into the shrimp curry which I make very often. This version was good and somehow it turned healthier too :) Here I added the shrimp, mushrooms, and spinach together to give the dish a saucy consistency instead of a dry dish. For a different version of the dish, the spinach can be added in the end and cooked just a little to retain their color.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Cleaned and deveined shrimp, 1 pound.
2. Any type of mushrooms, 1 small packet.
3. Spinach, 1 big bunch.
4. Onions, medium size, 4.
5. Tomatoes, 3.
6. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
7. Mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon.
8. Fennel seeds, ½ teaspoon.
9. Curry leaves, 1 sprig.
10. Chopped cilantro, ¼ cup.
11. Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
12. Coriander powder, 2 teaspoons.
13. Turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon.

PREPARATION:
Dice the onions, tomatoes, and spinach finely and slice the mushrooms into even pieces. Heat a pan with a tablespoon of oil and when the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the fennel seeds and fry for a few seconds. Add the diced onions and curry leaves now and keep sautéing for a few minutes until the onions turn brown. Add the diced tomatoes and ginger-garlic paste and keep sautéing until everything is well blended. At this stage, add chili powder, coriander powder, and turmeric powder and keep stirring under low flame until the powders lose their raw smell. Another teaspoon of oil can be added here. Now add the shrimp, mushroom, and spinach, mix everything and cook closed under medium flame until everything is cooked and the dish turns into a saucy consistency. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with rice or any type of breads.

Variation: A teaspoon of garam masala can be added in the end to give a good flavor to the dish.

WHEAT SEVAI OR WHOLE WHEAT ANGEL HAIR PASTA PAYASAM

2010-09-01T19:54:00.005-04:00

Dear friends, thank you very much for all the support and well wishes during my absence. Things have been busy at the personal front lately that I had hardly any time to post anything in my blog, even from my drafts. Now I have a lot of catching up to do with all your posts :)

Coming on to the recipe, I made this payasam today for Krishna Jayanthi. I found a packet of whole wheat sevai at my nearby Indian grocery and the ingredients consisted of 98% whole wheat, which a perfect choice for a low-carb dessert…..ideal for those who miss out all the sweet indulgences during the festival season. The same payasam can also be made with whole wheat angel hair pasta, and also transformed into a low-fat and sugar-free version with fat-free milk or half and half and Splenda.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Wheat sevai or whole wheat angel hair pasta, ½ small packet. This comes to a cup when broken into small pieces.
2. Milk, 1 to 1-1/2 cups. (Low fat or fat-free milk also works perfect for this).
3. Any sweetener of choice, ½ cup or more depending upon preferred sweetness.
4. Cardamom powder, ½ teaspoon.
5. Ghee or butter, 1-2 tablespoons.
6. Raisins, 2 tablespoons.
7. Cashews, 2 tablespoons.
8. Coconut milk ¼ cup.

PREPARATION:
Grind the coconut with ½ cup of water to a smooth paste. Dry roast the sevai until it changes to a light reddish color and let it cool. In the same pot, add the ghee and let it melt. Roast the cashews and raisins until the nuts turn golden brown and the raisins plump up. Add the milk, coconut milk, ¼ cup of water, cardamom powder, and sweetener and let it come to a boil. Add the sevai or noodles mix everything well and cook until the sevai is cooked. This can be served hot or cold.

Please check out my sugar-free rice and moong dhal payasam here.

MUTTAI SADAM/ EGG RICE

2010-05-25T18:00:00.005-04:00

This is my grandma’s take on egg fried rice. Growing up, this used to be a regular lunch box menu for me; a complete one-pot meal and simple preparation also, just scramble the eggs with the spices and add in the rice. These days, I spice it up a little bit by adding some extra green chilies and some whole peppercorns. This egg rice goes well with any spicy side dish. This time I have served this egg rice with cucumber raita and brinjal fry.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Cooked brown rice, 1 cup.
2. Medium-size red onions, 2.
3. Green chilies, 2-3 depending upon preferred heat level.
4. Whole pepper corns, ¼ teaspoon. This can be omitted if preparing for kids.
5. Fennel seeds, ½ teaspoon.
6. Curry leaves, a few leaves.
7. Chopped cilantro, for garnishing.
8. Eggs, 3. Substitutes like Egg Beaters also work well here.
9. Salt as per taste.
10. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.

PREPARATION:
Slice the onions thinly and slit the green chilies into two. Heat a pan with a tablespoon of oil. Add the fennel seeds and peppercorns once the oil is hot and fry them for a few seconds. Then add the sliced onions and curry leaves and sauté for a few minutes until the onions are tender. Next add the ginger-garlic paste along with the slit green chilies and salt and keep sautéing under medium flame until everything is well blended. Break in the eggs now and scramble the eggs until the eggs are cooked. Once the eggs are cooked, add the cooked rice, mix everything well, and let it sit under low flame for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with any spicy side dish.

MUSHROOM AND PEAS MASALA / GRAVY

2010-05-23T21:53:00.003-04:00

Mushroom and peas masala is a simple gravy I make to go as a side dish for chapathis or idlis and dosas. The flavor builds up slowly as the ingredients are added by one slowly and gets cooked. To add some thickness to the gravy I usually add some ground small onions along with a few spices. A very spicy and tasty gravy ideal for weekend meals.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Onion, medium size, 1.
2. Roma tomatoes, 2.
3. Button mushrooms, 1 small packet.
4. Fresh or frozen peas, ½ cup.
5. Curry leaves, a few.
6. Cilantro, for garnishing.
7. Salt, as per taste.
8. Garam masala, ½ teaspoon.
9. Turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon.
10. Chili powder, 1-1/2 teaspoons.
11. Coriander powder, 2 teaspoons.
12. Fennel seeds, ¼ teaspoon.

To grind:
1. Small onions, 2.
2. Ginger, a small piece.
3. Garlic 3 cloves.

PREPARATION:
Grind the required ingredients into a smooth paste and keep aside. Dice the onion and tomatoes into small pieces. The mushrooms can be thinly sliced or quartered. Heat a pan with a tablespoon of oil. Add the fennel seeds and fry for a few seconds. Then add the diced onions and curry leaves and sauté for a few minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the turmeric powder and diced tomatoes and keep sautéing until everything is blended. Add the ground paste now and keep frying until oil oozes out from the mixture. (Note that the ground paste must completely lose its raw flavor at this point). At this stage, add the chili powder, coriander powder, and garam masala along with the salt and keep frying everything under medium flame for 2 minutes until the spices lose their raw smell. Another teaspoon of oil can be added to fry the spices more quickly. Add the sliced mushrooms and peas and add enough water to cover everything, and let it simmer for 10 minutes until the mushrooms and peas are cooked. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with rice, chapathis, idlis, or dosas.

Dear friends, please check out my cookie recipe, which has also been published at the Xagave website, here .

BROCCOLI PORIYAL/ STIR FRY

2010-05-21T09:19:00.003-04:00

Broccoli is a regular in my grocery shopping these days. I add them in almost everything from soups to salads and even dishes like dhals and variety rices. Sometimes I make this poriyal as a side dish with rice. I usually don’t add too much of masala or spices here. That imparts a bitter taste to the dish. I just add light seasoning and cook the broccoli until the they are tender but still have their color and crunch in them. The ideal combination for this poriyal are with rice and any spicy gravy like vatha kozumbu or rasam or even with plain curd rice.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Broccoli, 2 large heads.
2. Small onions, 3-4.
3. Dried red chilies, 1-2.
4. Mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
5. Urad dhal, ½ teaspoon.
6. Ginger-garlic paste, ½ teaspoon, (optional).
7. Salt as per taste.
8. Curry leaves and cilantro for garnishing.

PREPARATION:
Cut the broccoli into small bite-size pieces including the stalks and dice the onion finely. Heat a pan with a teaspoon of oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the urad dhal and the broken red chilies and fry for a few seconds until the urad dhal turns brown. Add the diced onions and curry leaves and sauté for a few minutes until the onions turn translucent. Then add ginger-garlic paste and the broccoli and mix everything well. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water along with salt and cook closed under low flame for 5 minutes until everything is cooked and the broccoli still retains its color. Garnish with curry leaves and cilantro and serve with rice or chapathis.

TANDOORI CHICKEN

2010-05-20T10:10:00.004-04:00

Recently I had an argument with my friend about white meat and red meat. According to her, white meat is not that much tasty compared to red meat, so she always prefers red meat, especially when she is preparing items like tandoori chicken, and we are still discussing about this :) I have been eating white meat chicken for the past 2 years and seriously I don’t find that much difference in the taste. White meat can also be equally tasty when cooked in the proper way. White meat chicken is usually from the breast and the fat percentage of this is very less compared to red meat, so this is ideal for people cutting down on the fat intake or for those on the lookout for heart-healthy foods. I usually check the label when I buy meat. The fat content of most of these products like white meat chicken or turkey will be around 0-1%, a little bit on the healthier side. In this recipe, I did not use oil for marinating the chicken. The only oil used here is to spray the baking dish. This is an almost fat-free chicken recipe if the yogurt is replaced with fat-free yogurt.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Chicken, I have used 3 white meat breast slices here.
2. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
3. Garam masala or curry powder, 1 tablespoon.
4. Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
5. Coriander powder, 1 teaspoon.
6. Paprika, 1 teaspoon (I have used Spanish paprika powder here, this gives a nice color and some sweetness) this can be substituted with a pinch of food color.
7. Thick yogurt, ½ cup.
8. Salt as per taste.
9. Dried mint leaves, 1/2 teaspoon, (optional).

PREPARATION:
Wash the chicken well. Mix all the ingredients except the chicken into a thick paste in a bowl. Apply the paste over the chicken coating each slice thickly. Let it marinade for over an hour inside the refrigerator. Grease a baking dish with any nonstick cooking spray and arrange the chicken slices on the dish leaving sufficient space between each slice. Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked. Serve hot with lemon wedges and garnished with cilantro.

BAKED BEANS – PRESSURE COOKER METHOD

2010-05-19T08:38:00.003-04:00

I had my first try with baked beans at a nearby Peruvian restaurant. This was served with rice, salad, and roasted chicken. The one I had was a little bit spicy and tasted good when mixed with rice. I have been searching for baked beans recipes online and in TV ever since. There are so many versions available for this. The main idea of baked beans is to slow cook the beans with all the spices either in oven or slow cooker or on stove top for about an hour or two, so that the beans build up all the added flavors gradually. The only ingredient that was common in every baked bean recipe was molasses or brown sugar. I came out with my version here using tomato paste instead of ketchup and Xagave instead of molasses. I even added some chili powder to balance the sweetness from the Xagave and I have cooked the beans in a pressure cooker. Pressure cooker also concentrates all the flavors of the beans and we had this as a light dinner along with some baked baguette slices.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Any dried beans like fava beans, navy beans or white beans washed and soaked overnight in water, 2 cups.
2. Onion, medium-size, 1.
3. Garlic, 3 cloves.
4. Tomato paste or tomato sauce, 2 tablespoons.(Ketchup adds even more sweetness to the dish with the Xagave).
5. Xagave, ¼ cup.
6. Chili powder, 1 teaspoon. (optional).
7. A mixture of dry herbs of choice, 1 teaspoon.
8. Salt and pepper as per taste.
9. Vegetable or chicken broth, 1 medium-size can.

PREPARATION:
Dice the onion and garlic finely and sauté them in a pan with a little bit of oil until the onions turn translucent. Add these and the rest of the ingredients to a pressure cooker or pressure pan and mix everything well. There should be just enough broth or water to cover everything. This gives nice thick baked beans; too much of liquids give the baked beans a soupy texture. Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles. Once the pressure is released, garnish with chopped cilantro or any other herb and serve with rice, or any type of bread. (Note: I have crushed the beans a little bit with a spatula to give some texture to the beans.)

MIXED NUTS OATMEAL AND RAISIN COOKIES

2010-05-17T12:40:00.004-04:00

These cookies were made solely by trial and error method. I tried baking these cookies by throwing whatever I had in my pantry. The first time they didn’t turn out as I expected, I experimented with the ratio a little bit by adding Xagave the next time. This gave a slight sweetness to the cookies along with the raisins. They turned out perfect this time. The ingredients used here makes around 24 small size cookies. All the ingredients used here are natural, so these are pretty much healthy if had in moderation :)

INGREDIENTS:
1. Regular old-fashioned oats, 1 cup.
2. Whole wheat flour, 1 cup.
3. Peanut butter, 1 cup.
4. Butter or canola oil, 2 tablespoons.
5. Xagave or agave nectar, or any sweetener of choice, ½ cup or more depending upon sweetness.
6. Raisins, 2 tablespoon.
7. Mixed nuts like walnuts, almonds, and pistachios, 1 cup.
8. Cinnamon, 1 teaspoon.
9. Baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon.
10. Salt, a pinch.

PREPARATION:
Chop the nuts into small pieces by running through a food processor or by hand. Mix the oats, flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, nuts and raisins together in a bowl. Melt the peanut butter and oil in another bowl by microwaving it for about a minute. Add the Xagave to this and whisk the wet ingredients well and add it to the flour mixture. Knead everything slowly until it forms into a smooth pliable dough. If the dough is too sticky, it can be put in the fridge for about 30 minutes and then baked into cookies. Alternatively, if the dough is a little bit dry (this depends on the type of peanut butter used), add a few drops of water or milk and mix it into manageable dough. Roll the dough into small rounds and arrange them on a baking sheet leaving enough space between each cookie. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, let it cool, and enjoy with any hot beverage.

BOK CHOY KOOTU/DHAL - BOK CHOY WITH LENTILS

2010-05-14T15:29:00.003-04:00

(Image source: Wikipedia)

I have been cooking with bok choy (Chinese cabbage) for quite some time. I usually add them to noodles and soups. This time I tried making a simple dhal with bok choy. Bok choy has a very mild taste and blends well with the lentils and the spices added in the dhal. I do not add tamarind for my dhal preparations since we usually have this kind of dhal with rice and rasam. Tamarind juice can be added according to preferences.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Moong dhal, 1 cup.
2. Bok choy, 2-3.
3. Small onions, 1 cup.
4. Tomatoes, small, 2.
5. Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
6. Coriander powder, 1 teaspoon.
7. Sambar powder, ½ teaspoon.
8. Garlic, 3 cloves.
9. Mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon.
10. Cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon.
11. Asafetida, 1 pinch.
12. Salt as per taste.
13. Turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon.
14. Curry leaves, 1 sprig.
15. Chopped cilantro, ¼ cup.

PREPARATION:
Wash the moong dhal and bok choy well. Extract thick juice from the tamarind and keep aside. Chop the bok choy and tomatoes into small pieces. Peel the onions and crush the garlic coarsely. Take a pressure cooker or a pressure pan and add 1 tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the cumin seeds and asafetida let them fry for 30 seconds. Now add the small onions and curry leaves and sauté for a few minutes until the onions are transparent. I have left the onions whole here; they can also be diced and added. Now add the diced tomatoes along with the crushed garlic and bok choy and keep sautéing for a few minutes until the tomatoes are well mashed. Add 2 cups of water along with the moong dhal, turmeric powder, and all the powders, salt as per taste and pressure cook for about 10-15 minutes up to 3 whistles. Once the pressure is released, garnish with chopped cilantro, mix everything well, and serve hot with idlis, dosas, rotis, or rice.

KUMQUAT PICKLE - SPICY

2010-05-13T09:31:00.001-04:00

Looks like its kumquats season everywhere. I just couldn’t resist buying a big box of kumquats from the Chinese market where we do our weekly grocery purchase. Kumquats are very interesting fruits. The outer peel is edible and very sweet with the inside flesh a little bit sour. If something is sour, then there are chances that it could end up in a pickle ;) If you are a big fan of lemon pickles, you are sure to get crazy over these kumquats pickle. I have followed a very simple procedure here with some seasoning. I think this pickle can also be prepared the same way as usual Indian lemon pickles. The kumquats can also be left whole during pickling and pickle powder can also be added.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Kumquats, around 15.
2. Sesame oil, ¼ cup.
3. Mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon,
4. Red chilies, 2.
5. Curry leaves, a few.
6. Chili powder, ½ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon depending upon preferred heat level.
7. Asafetida, a pinch.
8. Salt, ½ teaspoon.

PREPARATION:
Wash the kumquats well and cut them into halves or quarters (the halves can be soaked with another teaspoon of salt for an hour to two before pickling, we are cutting down on our salt intake, so I have omitted this step). Heat a pan with the sesame oil. Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add the curry leaves and red chilies along with the asafetida and fry for a few seconds. Then add the chili powder and salt and let it fry in the oil for 203 seconds. Add the kumquats now and mix everything well. Keep cooking under low flame for 5-10 minutes until the kumquats are soft. Let it cool and transfer to an airtight container. This pickle stays fresh for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

PASTA BRIYANI AND MASALA BREAD

2010-05-11T15:11:00.006-04:00

Dear friends,
I am happy to announce that my peanut chikki recipe has been published in the BetterBody Foods and Nutrition website. Check out my recipe at here.

Coming on to today's post,

I make masala pasta or pasta briyani when I am tired of making Chinese style noodles or with any tomato sauce. We prefer spicier versions of pasta like this than adding pasta sauce or cheese. This is also an excellent lunch box menu and also an ideal evening snack for us. I have not used whole garam masala here except the fennel seeds since they tend to break the pasta. I have used some whole grain pasta, which we brought from Ikea recently. These are real cuties and they seem to absorb the masala well.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Whole grain pasta, 1 packet.
2. Ripe Roma tomatoes, medium-size, 3.
3. Red onions, medium-size, 3.
4. Ginger-garlic paste, 1teaspoon.
5. Green chilies, 1-2.
6. Chili powder, ½ teaspoon.
7. Coriander powder, 1 teaspoon.
8. Turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon.
9. Garam masala, 1 teaspoon.
10. Fennel seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
11. Curry leaves and cilantro for garnishing.
12. Salt as per taste.
13. Fresh or frozen peas, 1/4 cup.

PREPARATION:
Cook the pasta according to package instructions and let it cool. Dice the onion and tomatoes and slit the green chilies into 2. Heat a pan with 2 teaspoons of oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the fennel seeds and fry for 2 seconds. Add the curry leaves and onions and sauté for a few minutes until the onions turn translucent. Now add the ginger-garlic paste, tomatoes, peas, and green chilies and sauté for a few more minutes until everything is blended. Add the chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, and salt and mix well. Cook closed under low flame for 5 minutes until the raw smell of the spices goes and the mixture turns into a saucy texture. Now add chopped cilantro and pasta and mix everything. Let is sit for 5 minutes and serve hot.

MASALA BREAD

With the same recipe, substitute the pasta with any leftover crusty bread and you have spicy masala bread, an idea evening tiffin with tea.

TOFU IN HOT GARLIC SAUCE

2010-05-10T10:11:00.002-04:00

We tried this dish in a local Chinese restaurant recently. This was served as a starter. I tried to remember all the ingredients in the sauce and make the exact dish later that week. We had it with noodles. This can be served with rice also and the tofu can be substituted with any type of meat and vegetables and broccoli.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Tofu, 1 packet, I have used silken tofu here.
2. Small onions, 2.
3. Garlic, 3 large cloves.
4. Chopped cilantro, ½ cup.
5. Green chili, 1.
6. Low-sodium soya sauce, 2 tablespoons.
7. Chili and garlic sauce, 1 teaspoon. (I used a less spicier version).
8. Corn flour, 1 teaspoon.

PREPARATION:
Mix the corn flour, soya sauce, and chili garlic sauce with half cup of water. Keep stirring until there are no lumps in the mixture and keep aside. Slice the small onions into thin even slices, slice the garlic into very thin slices, and dice the green chili finely. Cut the tofu into even bite-size pieces. Heat a pan with some sesame oil and add the sliced onions, garlic and chili and keep sautéing until the onions are transparent. Add the sauce mixture now along with chopped cilantro and let it cook for 5 minutes. Once the mixture starts to thicken, add the tofu and let it cook for a few more minutes. Serve hot over noodles or rice.

Note: I have not added salt here as there is enough salt in the soya sauce. If needed, some extra salt can be added according to taste.

MIXED VEGETABLES AND SPROUTS KICHADI – DIET SERIES #3

2010-05-08T21:16:00.007-04:00

This is another lentil and whole grain combination I made for lunch one weekend. Since it was a Sunday, we wanted to have something spicy and filling and at the same time pertaining to our diet regimen. For me, kichadi is the best diet dish, very filling and tasty as well. This time I tried it make to healthier by substituting mung bean sprouts instead of lentils, and added lots of vegetables, and reducing the rice to one cup. I prepared chicken fry to go with this for me and for my husband I prepared oven-baked cauliflowers in tandoori style. This was a very comforting lunch for us.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Brown rice, 1 cup.
2. Mung bean sprouts, ½ cup.
3. Small onions, 2.
4. Mixed vegetables like cauliflower, carrots, and green beans all coming around 1 cup when chopped.
5. Peas, fresh or frozen, a handful
6. Cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon.
7. Cinnamon, 1 small stick.
8. Bay leaf, 1.
9. Cardamom, 2 cloves.
10. Cloves, 2.
11. Salt as per taste.
12. Curry leaves, a sprig.
123. Chopped cilantro, ½ cup.

PREPARATION:
Wash the rice well and soak it for 1 hour. Dice the onions and vegetables into small pieces. Dice the onion finely. Heat a pan or a pressure cooker pan with a tablespoon of oil. Add the spices and fry everything for one minute until good aroma comes from the spices. Add the onions now and sauté for a few minutes until they turn tender. Drain the water from the rice and add it to the pan. Add 3 cups of water, salt, chopped vegetables, sprouts, curry leaves and mix everything and cook everything until rice and dhal are cooked. A rice cooker also can also be used here. I used a pressure cooker for up to 3 whistles and cooked the rice. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with any spicy side dish.

Do check out some of my whole grains recipes, low in carb and calorie, which are ideal for dieting:

Oats sambar sadam

Oats pongal

Oats bisebelebath

Oats thayir sadam

Oats and cracked wheat rava idli

Cracked wheat rava pongal

Cracked wheat mint pulav

Quinoa pulav

Tomato soup with barley and pasta

Spinach and barley soup

XAGAVE AND PEANUT CHIKKI WITH XAGAVE

2010-05-07T11:07:00.002-04:00

Dear friends, I will be posting my recipe for the diet-series this weekend. Actually, I was very much excited about today’s post, so I had to post it first thing in the morning. Recently I was contacted by Robyn Shulsky from BetterBody Foods and Nutrition about their product Xagave. They mentioned some facts about Xagave like this is an organic agave nectar, which is low on the glycemic index, and has calorie saving qualities; Xagave is different from most other agave's on the market in a number of ways. One of the most substantial ways is its excellent cooking and baking properties, which sounded really interesting, since I use low glycemic index sweeteners instead of sugars in my cooking.

Yesterday, I received a package from them with a big bottle of Xagave, a wonderful cookbook, and some interesting articles about Xagave. This cookbook changed my notion of using agave nectar only for desserts. The recipes in cookbook cover a wide range of menus including salad and salad dressings; gourmet meals like pizzas, ham, jambalaya; and some intriguing desserts and drinks and even chocolate syrup. I am planning to try out the recipes from this cookbook and I will be posting them all here. I am happy about this cookbook, can’t wait to try out all the healthy recipes :)

Here are some more interesting facts about Xagave, which I have quoted from the book. All brands of agave are not the same. Xagave is the only brand that brings the benefits of both blue and white agave. Both blue and white agave are low GI food and both will save you thousands of calories if use in lieu of sugar. Blue agave has more naturally-occurring inulin than white; white has more naturally-occurring calcium than blue. Xagave brand combines the inulin from the blue with the calcium in the white. The Xagave blend creates a powerful combination of a low GI sweetener with inulin that makes Xagave the healthiest, best tasting and most versatile brand of agave in the market.

Here are some interesting facts about inulin and more details on agave.

Agave nectar

Inulin

Since this was the first time I was Xagave, I wanted to try out a traditional Indian sweet, and out of the blue peanut chikki or kadalai urundai popped into my mind. It had been quite a while since I had this though this is a favorite snack for my hubby and I. We had stopped all these traditional sweets ever since we cut down sugars. Xagave really surprised me here. I was wondering whether the chikkis would set tight enough but it was totally worth try. The chikkis had set beautifully and I was able to even cut them. They were a little bit sweeter and had a gooey caramel texture. I had them out for 2 days and put the remaining inside the fridge. They were not too hard even when left in the refrigerator, so friends if plan on trying out this sweet, go ahead…it is worth the try, you’ll love it. Since I had used 1 cup of peanuts with 2/3 cup of Xagave, the carbohydrate serving of an inch of chikki is around 15 g, which is just one serving. This is ideal for a quick snack or dessert. Here goes my recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
1. Dry peanuts, 1 cup. (I used a regular roasted and salted brand).
2. Xagave, 2/3 cup.
3. Cardamom powder, ¼ teaspoon.
4. Ghee or canola oil, 1 teaspoon.
5. Salt, a pinch.

PREPARATION:
Add the Xagave to a pan and start stirring it under medium heat. Nonstick pan works best here for the contents to slide on to a plate without sticking. Once the Xagave starts bubbling, add the cardamom powder and salt and mix well. Then add the peanuts slowly and keep stirring continuously under low flame to prevent clump formation. The mixture will thicken gradually. Pour the contents over a plate smeared with oil or ghee and spread it evenly and let it cool. Once cooled, cut the chicks into small pieces and enjoy.

CRACKED WHEAT USILI – DIET SERIES #2

2010-05-05T08:24:00.004-04:00

Rice usili is a classic dish prepared by my grandma for our lunch boxes when we were kids. I had completely forgotten about this until my mom reminded me of this when we were online. Rice or arisi usili is usually prepared with rice and any type of dhal. This dish is a combination between upma and pongal. The dhal will be still whole and gives a good texture to the whole dish. The seasonings used here are also very simple ones. I am not sure where this dish is from. When I asked my mom about this, even she was not sure about this. If anybody is familiar with arisi usili, please share your thoughts and memories in this post friends. I have followed my grandma’s exact recipe here except that I substituted the rice with cracked wheat.

Coming on to my recipe, I made a lighter version of this dish with cracked wheat. This was equally delicious and comforting as the original one. I had tried this for the first time last week when my hubby was away on a business trip. That day I had this meen kuzumbu. The next day, I had prepared kathrikai kothsu to go along with this and we had it for breakfast. My hubby loved this very much and in fact he had finished off the whole thing. I cooked the usili in rice cooker. Rice cooker cooking makes the usili very fluffy when compared to cooking in pressure cooker, so here is my next recipe in my diet series. This combination of lentils and whole grains is also awesome :)

INGREDIENTS:

1. Cracked wheat, 1 cup, (fine rava wont work so well here, I have used a little bit bigger variety, this can be substituted with bulgur wheat).

2. Toor dhal or moong dhal, ½ cup.

3. Whole pepper corns, ¼ teaspoon.

4. Cumin seeds, ½ teaspoon.

5. Red chilies, 1-2, can be left whole or broken.

6. Curry leaves, a sprig.

7. Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:

Wash the lentils well and cook them until they are done half way through. The lentils should still be whole. I cooked mine in the microwave. I cooked the dhal for 15 minutes with just enough water to cover the lentils. When cooking the dhal in the microwave, add a drop of oil to prevent the water from boiling over. Drain the water from the dhal and add it the cracked wheat. Transfer the contents to an electric rice cooker, add ½ teaspoon of salt, and 2 cups of water and cook until they are done. The cracked wheat can also be cooked on stove top also under medium flame, stirring in between until it is dry. Heat a small pan with some oil. Add the seasonings one by one and fry for a few seconds until good smell emanates from them. Pour the seasonings over the usili and mix everything well. Serve hot with any side dish like sambar, kothsu, or chutney.

BROWN RICE AND LENTIL SOUP – DIET SERIES #1

2010-05-03T11:54:00.006-04:00

This week I will be posting the dishes, which I have been making for the past few weeks for my husband (a part of his weight loss plan and he has lost more 20 pounds so far…so I guess my dishes seem to work :). My next 2 recipes are also in the same combination of lentils and whole grains. Meals or soup like these, especially the combination of whole grains with lentils and vegetables are filling and healthy too and doesn’t make us miss out on our favorite foods. The soup recipe I have posted here is more or less sambar rice we make, but a little bit on the healthier side with lots of veggies and brown rice. This makes a complete meal by itself with a salad on side. I used a pressure cooker to cook the soup for fast cooking. This can be done on stove top too, it takes a little longer to cook the lentils this way but the taste is the same.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Lentils like green lentils, or masoor or moong dhal ½ cup.

2. Brown rice, ½ cup.

3. Onion, medium size, 1.

4. Diced tomatoes (fresh or canned), ½ cup.

5. Mixed vegetables, chopped into small pieces, 1 cup.

6. Cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon.

7. Coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon.

8. Salt and pepper as per taste.

9. Mixture of dry herbs, 1 tablespoon.

10. Garlic, 2 cloves.

11. Any seasoning mixture, 1 teaspoon.

12. Vegetable broth or tomato juice, 1 cup ( I sometimes use V8 tomato and vegetable soups, this gives a nice color to the soup and increases the veggie servings too).

PREPARATION:

Grind the cumin seeds and coriander seeds and keep aside. Dice the onion finely and crush the garlic coarsely. Heat a pressure pan or cooker with some oil. Add the diced onions when the oil turns hot and sauté for a few minutes until they turn brown. Add the canned tomatoes along with the veggies, crushed garlic, lentils, 3 cups of water, broth or tomato juice, salt and pepper and mix everything well. Cook for up to 3 whistles and let the pressure down. Add the ground powders and dry herbs now and mix everything well. Ladle hot soups into bowls and enjoy with a dollop of sour cream or nonfat yogurt on top.

A lighter version of the same soup made next week and served with salad.

SALMON CAKES/ CUTLETS

2010-05-01T11:21:00.003-04:00

Salmon cakes are almost like crab cakes. These are excellent starters for get-togethers, takes no time to prepare if you have canned salmon on hand. I even had the leftovers as an evening snack. I have Old Bay seasonings here since they go very well with fish. I have also coated the cakes with bread crumbs for some extra crispiness. These can also be made the Indian way with chili powder and garam masala.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Cooked salmon, 2 cups. (I used 1 big can of Trader Joe’s salmon).

2. Small onions, 2.

3. Green chilies, 1 (optional).

4. Chopped cilantro, ¼ cup.

5. Any kind of seasoning mixture, 1 teaspoon.

6. Salt as per taste.

7. Egg whites, ½ cup.

8. Whole wheat bread crumbs, 1 cup.

PREPARATION:

Drain excess water from the salmon by placing the meat in a sieve with another vessel under the sieve. After 15-20 minutes most of the water must have drained out from the salmon. Meanwhile dice the onions and green chili finely, sauté them with some oil until transparent, and let it cool. Add these to the salmon along with chopped cilantro, salt, and seasonings and mix everything well. A little of bit bread crumbs can be added to the mixture if it is still wet. The mixture should be dry enough to form patties out of them. Make small patties from the mixture and keep aside. Heat a pan with ½ cup of oil and prepare a work station beside the stove with the patties first, beaten egg whites in a bowl next to that, and the bread crumbs in a plate next to the egg whites. When the oil is hot enough, dip the patties in egg whites first and coat them in the bread crumbs. Shallow fry the salmon cakes until they are golden brown, and serve hot with any sauce. Alternatively the cakes can also be baked at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes by arranging them on a greased baking sheet.

KEERAI MASIYAL/ PURÉED GREENS- MY MOM’S METHOD

2010-04-29T16:52:00.004-04:00

This is my favorite greens dish. My mom usually makes this on weekends to go along with fish. The ingredients used here are very less and my mom only uses amaranth greens for this dish. I couldn’t find those here in US, so I have used baby spinach. Baby spinach is very mild and doesn’t taste bitter. Any other greens like Swiss chard or regular spinach can also be used, but bitter-tasting greens should be avoided since tamarind is not used here.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Greens like amaranth or spinach, 1 big bunch.

2. Garlic, 1 clove.

3. Green chilies, 2.

4. Salt, as per taste.

5. Dried red chilies, 2.

6. Cumin seeds, ¼ teaspoon.

7. Mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon.

8. Grated or dried coconut, ¼ cup. (low-fat dried coconut powder can also be used here)

PREPARATION:

Clean the greens well and remove the thick stalks. The greens need not be chopped. Peel the garlic and keep aside. Steam the greens along with the garlic and green chilies by adding a little bit of water. I usually add everything in a pan and let it simmer closed for 5-10 minutes until the water evaporates and the greens wilt. Let it cool. Once cooled add the contents to a blender, along with some and grated coconut and blend into smooth paste. If needed, some water can be added for the desired consistency. Transfer the contents to a bowl. Heat a small pan with a tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the cumin seeds and dried red chilies (can be broken or left whole) and fry for a few seconds. Pour the seasonings over the pureed greens, mix well, and serve with rice.

GODUMAI INIPU DOSAI/ SWEET WHEAT CREPES

2010-04-28T12:16:00.003-04:00

This is my grandma’s recipe. She used to prepare this as an evening snack for us when we come home from school. I changed her recipe slightly by switching over to whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour and used sugar-free pancake syrup for jaggery. Agave nectar also works well here, but the pancake syrup gives a nice molasses flavor to the dosas. I make these dosas for a light weekend breakfast. They work well for dinner or as an evening snack too.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Whole wheat flour, 1 cup.

2. Cardamom powder, ¼ teaspoon or 2 crushed cardamom powder.

3. Brown sugar or jaggery or any sweetener like agave nectar (I have used a sugar-free pancake syrup), 2-3 tablespoons depending upon sweetness.

4. Oil for pouring on sides.

5. Salt, a pinch.

PREPARATION:

Mix all the ingredients except the oil with water until it reaches dosa batter or pancake batter consistency. To prepare the dosas, heat a flat cast iron pan or nonstick pan. Rub some oil on surface with a cloth or paper towel. When the surface of the pan is hot, take some batter in a ladle and pour it on the pan, and immediately spread it evenly with the help of a ladle. Add a little bit of oil on the corners if needed. After 1-2 minutes, flip the dosas to the other side and let it cook for another minute. Repeat the same with the reminder of the batter. Enjoy sweet wheat dosais for breakfast or a light early dinner.

FENNEL AND TOMATO RICE

2010-04-25T21:36:00.007-04:00

Most of my blogger friends and readers know that I am crazy about fennel. I add fennel seeds in all the savory dishes. It is not only because I was taught to cook like that by my granny but also I think I must have inherited her love for fennel seeds. When making variety rice like these fennel seeds imparts a nice flavor to the dish. I love one-pot dishes like tomato rice. I have tried many variations to my favorite tomato rice by adding dill leaves and spinach. This time I tried adding some fennel and we did like this rice very much. Fennel was not too overpowering here and it was indeed very mild blending along with the onions. If you love the flavor of fennel, then you will love this dish!

I have made this rice with brown rice. These days everybody seems to be change to brown rice, many of my friends have stopped white rice completely and we too started getting brown rice only rather then white rice. This is a quite healthy trend indeed. I have used a short grain brown rice variety that I got from Costco. I think that brown basmati rice is the best choice for anyone switching over from white rice to brown rice to begin with. They seem to hold their shape quite well when making variety rice like briyani or tomato rice.

INGREDIENTS:

Cooked brown rice, 1 cup.
Ripe Roma tomatoes, medium-size, 3.
Red onions, medium-size, 2.
Fennel 1 medium-size bulb.
Ginger-garlic paste, 1teaspoon.
Green chilies, 1-2.
Chili powder, ½ teaspoon.
Coriander powder, 1 teaspoon.
Turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon.
Mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon.
Fennel seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
Curry leaves and cilantro for garnishing.
Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:

Cook the rice separately and let it cool. The rice should not be mushy. Chop off the stalks from the fennel bulb and discard it. Dice the bulb into small pieces including some of the fronds from the stalk. Dice the onion and tomatoes and slit the green chilies into 2. Heat a pan with 2 teaspoons of oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the fennel seeds and fry for 2 seconds. Add the diced onions, fennel, and curry leaves and sauté for a few minutes until the onions turn translucent. Now add the ginger-garlic paste, tomatoes, and green chilies and sauté for a few more minutes until everything is blended. Add the chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and salt and mix well. Cook closed under low flame for 5 minutes until the raw smell of the spices goes. Now add chopped cilantro and rice and mix everything. Let it sit under low flame and switch off the stove. Serve hot with raita or any spicy side dish.

TRIED AND TASTED: MALAR’S FENUGREEK RICE

This week I also tried Malar’s fenugreek rice and it was really delicious. I had used fresh methi leaves that I had grown in a small pot in my patio. This rice was very mild and went well with potato fry. Click here for the recipe.

TOMATO AND GARLIC THOKKU/CHUTNEY AND MANGO PICKLE

2010-04-23T21:13:00.005-04:00

Spring is in its peak for us here in Virginia. The weather is fine on some days, which is so good for long walks. Though I enjoy the weather here, sometimes I feel bad when someone from India call me and mention that it is blazing back in India. It seems that this summer is a little bit harsh and it is only April yet! For me the only good thing in summer are mangoes. I can have them anytime of the day especially sour unripe ones sprinkled with a little bit of salt and chili power. It does bring back so many memories of school days and summer holidays running around with our granny chasing us and riding around in bicycles. Even now, my sister, cousins, and I remember those days ever so fondly.

Coming on to the pickle recipes, the tomato thokku recipe was tried from an Aval Vikatan magazine. My co-sister and I made this dish together from the first time 2 years back. This was an instant hit at my in-law’s place. The whole dish was finished off for breakfast and dinner in a single day and we had to make another big batch later. Canned tomatoes are very good for this chutney. They give a bright red color and the chutney also tastes much better compared to the one made with regular tomatoes. The mango pickle recipe is my mother-in-law’s. She makes this when she has excess mangoes at hand. This is very easy to make, just add the seasonings to the mangoes and let it sit!...as easy as that yet it tastes so good.

TOMATO THOKKU

INGREDIENTS:

Roma tomatoes, 5-6, or 1 cans of diced tomatoes.
Garlic, 4 cloves.
Tamarind, 1 small lemon size.
Chili powder, 2 teaspoons.
Fenugreek seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
Sesame oil, ¼ cup.
Mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
Curry leaves, 1 sprig.
Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:

Dice the tomatoes finely and extract thick juice from the tamarind. Grind the tomatoes and garlic into a smooth paste by adding little water and keep aside. Heat a pan with ¼ cup of sesame oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start to splutter, add the fenugreek seeds and curry leaves and fry for a few seconds. Reduce the flame and add the ground paste and fry for a few minutes. Once the mixture starts to thicken and loses its raw flavor, add the powders, salt, tamarind juice along with ½ cup of water and cook closed for 15-20 minutes until the chutney thickens and the oil separates. Serve with idlis, dosas, or puris. This can stay fresh for a week in the refrigerator.

MANGO PICKLE

INGREDIENTS:

1. Firm unripe mangoes, medium-size 2.

2. Sesame oil, 2/3^rd to a cup.

3. Chili powder, 2 teaspoons.

4. Salt, 1 teaspoon.

5. Asafetida, a pinch.

6. Mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon.

PREPARATION:

Peel the skin of the mangoes and grate them finely. Heat a pan with the sesame oil. Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then lower the flame and add the chili powder and salt and fry for a few seconds. The oil will start bubbling once the chili powder is added. At this point, switch off the stove and add the grated mangoes. Mix everything well and let it sit for 15 minutes. This pickle stays fresh for up to a month when left in the refrigerator. It goes well with any variety rice.

VEGETARIAN CHILI

2010-04-21T09:35:00.009-04:00

The inspiration for this dish was from Cook’s Country. I saw this episode this weekend where the chef prepared Cincinnati chili with meat. The interesting thing about this chili was that there were no beans in the chili with some hot spices and ground meat and this chili was served over pasta. I wanted to try this at once and the same evening I made a vegetarian version of it, so that my husband can also have this. I made a few changes in the original recipe by substituting ground soya nuggets for ground meat and also used some pasta sauce to thicken the sauce. This was a hit and the pasta was so good, much better than the store brought sauces. I think this chili can also be served with garlic bread or even as a dip with some pita or corn chips.

INGREDIENTS:

Pasta sauce or tomato sauce, 1-1/2 to 2 cups.
Tomato paste, 1 tablespoon.
Onion, medium-sized, 1.
Garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
Soy granules, 1 cup.
Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
Cinnamon powder, ¼ teaspoon.
All spice powder (can be substituted with garam masala), ½ teaspoon.
Oregano, ¼ teaspoon.
Fresh parsley, ¼ cup.
Brown sugar, a little. (I used agave nectar here).
Salt and pepper as per taste.

PREPARATION:

To cook the soy granules, drop them in boiling water and let them cook for 2 minutes. Switch off the stove and let the nuggets or granules sit in the hot water for 5 minutes. Drain the water and wash them twice and remove excess water from the granules or nugggets. Run them in a blender or food processor and blend everything into a smooth paste. Dice the onion finely. Heat a pan with some olive oil. When the oil turns hot, add the chopped onions and sauté for a few minutes until it is tender. Then add the garlic and sauté for a few more minutes. Add the powders and fry for a few minutes by adding a little more oil if needed. Then add the herbs, tomato sauce or pasta sauce, and tomato paste along with some salt and pepper. Let it cook for 5 minutes. Add the blended soya nuggets, mix everything well and cook closed for another 5-7 minutes. Serve hot over pasta with some grated cheese on top.

STEEPED BITTERGOURD JUICE/TEA AND SOME FACTS ABOUT HbA1c

I wanted to share a healthy soup idea with this post. This is from my mother-in-law. She always prepares a soup like this just before lunch for my father-in-law to keep his blood sugars under control. This is just bittergourd steeped juice/tea. Steeping the bittergourd like this concentrates all the essential juices even more than making a side dish or gravy with bittergourd. Drinking raw bittergourd juice is also very good for blood sugar control but I found that too bitter for me, so I just drink a steeped juice. I feel that making small changes like these goes a long way in preventing diabetes or pre-diabetes if you are in the risk group. I usually boil some slices of bittergourd (may be from a whole bittergourd) in a cup of water (sometimes I even microwave it for 2 minutes) and strain it and drink the water. I found this bitter for the first couple of times but eventually I acquired a taste for this and these days the bitterness doesn’t bother me.

Lifestyle changes like this (especially with diet and exercise) has helped me in keeping my HbA1c also known as hemoglobin A1c within the normal range for the past couple of years. HbA1c is a test which gives the average blood sugars for the last 3 months. This will give an idea about what our sugars have been running and if it is on the borderline and high, it can be brought down with diet and exercise. Sadly, many people do not know about the existence of tests like these in India. Friends, if you have a relative who is a diabetic or if you have a strong family history of diabetes at an early age (even ladies who have had gestational diabetes and are normal now), ask your doctors to write this test for you. For people with diabetes, this test has to be taken once in 3 months. Other than that it will be ok to have the blood work done once a year to make sure everything is normal. For more information about HbA1c click here

OATS SAMBAR SADAM/LENTIL AND OATS MEDLEY

2010-04-19T11:53:00.005-04:00

I made this dish especially to aid my husband’s diet plan. He has been on a weight loss plan for the past 1 month and he seemed to have lost a lot of weight already, almost like 15 pounds. This plan mainly includes salads, soups, and sometimes whole grains like oats, barley, and grains like that. There is no rice in this plan, so I thought of making sambar sadam/kadama sadam, oats, and lots of veggies, so there was no change in any of his “diet plan” and he still got to eat his all-time favorite food. I have used Irish oats instead of regular oats here because Irish oats tend to retain their shape well when used as a rice substitute and there was no difference in taste. This was like the regular dish I make with rice and much heartier. I have prepared this dish in a pressure cooker to save time since Irish oats take a long time to cook. Alternatively this dish can be prepared in a slow cooker or a regular pan under reduced flame for 1 hour.

INGREDIENTS:

Toor dhal or red lentils, 1/2 cup
Irish oats or any type of oats, 1 cup.
Small onions, peeled, a cup, 2.
Tomatoes, medium size, 2.
Mixed vegetables, like carrot, green beans, broccoli, spinanch, peas etc, all coming around 1 cup when chopped.
Green chili,.1
Turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon.
Tamarind, a small lemon-sized ball or 2 tablespoons of tamarind pulp.
Asafetida, 1 pinch.
Salt as per taste.
Mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon.
Curry leaves, 1 sprig.
Chopped cilantro, a handful.
Vadakam, 1 teaspoon, (optional). This is a mixture of dried onions, garlic, and a few spices. I use vadakam for seasoning sambar, rasams, and kuzambus. This can be omitted if not available.

TO GRIND:

1. Shredded coconut or dry coconut powder, 1 tablespoon. (I have used a low fat shredded coconut here. In US, this is available in stores like Wegmans, Whole Foods, or Trader’s Joe).

2. Coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon.

3. Red chilies, 2-3 depending on spice preference.

4. Fenugreek seeds, ¼ teaspoon.

5. Cardamom, 2 pods.

6. Cloves, 2.

PREPARATION:

Wash the lentils and let it soak for 15 minutes. Dry roast the ingredients given under the “to grind section” one by one for 2 minutes under medium flame and let it cool. Grind it to a smooth paste and keep aside. Extract thick juice from the tamarind. Peel the onions, dice the tomatoes and the other vegetables and slit the green chilies into 2. Heat a pressure pan or pressure cooker with some oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the vadagam and fry for a few seconds. Add the small onions and curry leaves and sauté for a few minutes until the onions are tender. Add the diced tomatoes and green chilies and keep sautéing until everything is blended. Now add the ground paste and fry everything for a minute until the raw smell goes. Add the tamarind juice along with asafetida, salt and 4 cups of water and boil for a few minutes. After 10 minutes (the tamarind mixture should boil at least for 5 minutes to get a good taste, 10 minutes boil is ideal and at this stage the water should have evaporated to 3 cups) add the lentils, the chopped vegetables, and oats, mix everything and cook under pressure for up to 3-4 whistles. Once the pressure is down, garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with potato chips and pickle.

CRACKED WHEAT RAVA KESARI – HAPPY TAMIL NEW YEAR

2010-04-14T12:35:00.004-04:00

Dear friends, wishing you all a Very Happy New year! It is a beautiful day for us. The morning was spent calling our families. I found out that my mother-in-law, co-sister, and I had prepared the same menu for New Year – this was a sweet surprise. We prepared Rava kesari, venpongal, vadai, sambar and coconut chutney although mine was a little bit trimmed down as hubby dear wanted to maintain his diet even today. I had made a sugar-free kesari with cracked wheat and also cracked wheat pongal. I have posted the recipe for the kesari here. I guess everybody must know this since it is such a common sweet. This is a totally diabetic-friendly dessert, a little bit healthier than the regular one, I hope you all like this idea :)

INGREDIENTS:

1. Cracked wheat, small variety, 1 cup.

2. Water, 3 cups.

3. Sugar or any artificial sweetener, 2/3 cup or more depending upon sweetness.

4. Cashews and raisins, 2 tablespoons.

5. Ghee or any low-fat unsalted butter, 2 tablespoon.

6. Cardamom, 2 pods.

7. Salt, a pinch.

8. Red or orange food color, a pinch.

PREPARATION:

Dry roast the rava for 5 minutes and let it cool. Crush the cardamom pods finely and keep aside. Heat a pan and add the ghee. Add the cashews and raisins when the ghee starts melting and fry for a few seconds until the raisins plump up and the cashews turn golden brown. Add the water along with the food color, cardamom powder, salt, and sugar or sugar substitute. Let it come to a boil. Once the water starts boiling, add the cracked wheat slowly and keep mixing while adding the wheat. Keep stirring under low flame until the kesari thickens. Switch off the stove when the kesari has a slightly watery consistency, it will thicken further as it cools. Enjoy!

SAVORY PANCAKES – UTHAPPAM STYLE

2010-04-12T09:11:00.004-04:00

The name of the dish says everything. I made these pancakes for dinner this weekend. I had used a buckwheat pancake mix from Wegmans. This pancake mixture does not have any sugar in it. I tried turning into a uthappam by adding some yogurt and topped it some grated carrots and onions. This went very well with podi and vegetable kurma. Just one tablespoon of yogurt gave enough sourness to the batter.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Any pancake mixture, (I have used buckwheat pancake mix) – 1 cup. Check out my Chocolate chips pancakes. The same recipe can also be used for this minus the honey, cinnamon powder, chocolate chips.

2. Finely diced onions and cilantro ¼ cup.

3. Grated carrots, ¼ cup.

4. Yogurt, 1 tablespoon.

5. Asafetida, 1 pinch.

PREPARATION:

Mix the yogurt and asafetida to the pancake mix and dissolve it into a smooth batter. Heat a nonstick pan or cast iron pan and apply and thin layer of oil on the pan. Take a ladle full of the pancake batter and pour it over the hot pan. It starts spreading as soon as it is poured over the hot surface. Sprinkle the diced onions, cilantro and grated carrots randomly over the pancakes. The pancakes are ready to be flipped after a minute when bubbles start forming all over the surface. Flip them over and let them cook on the other side for a minute and transfer to a plate. Serve hot with any type of chutney or sambar.

Variation: Around ¼ teaspoon of finely chopped ginger can also be added to the batter for extra taste.

VEGETABLES AND PEANUT FRY/CURRY

2010-04-09T09:34:00.004-04:00

This was a dish I made out of some leftover veggies and boiled peanuts I had in the fridge. I don’t know what I was thinking when I bought a big bag of raw peanuts for just the two of us and boiled everything the very same day. It was way too much for us. We had it like a snack for 2 days and we were done with it and couldn’t take anymore :( Then I got this idea of grinding it up and making a side dish for chapathis. This was good, the taste was a little bit different from the gravies where I add dry ground peanuts and tasted good too. Next time when I boil some peanuts, I am thinking reserving some just to make this dish again. This curry is on its way to
Leftover Delicacies hosted by Daisy Blue.

INGREDIENTS

Chopped mixed vegetables, 1 cup.
Boiled peanuts, 1 cup.
Onion 1 large.
Roma tomato, 1.
Green chili. 2.
Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
Salt as per taste.
Turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon.
Chili powder 1 teaspoon.
Coriander powder, 1 teaspoon.
Garam masala 1 teaspoon.
Cumin seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
Tamarind juice, 1 tablespoon.
Curry leaves and cilantro for seasoning.

PREPARATION

Grind the boiled peanuts into a smooth paste with some water. Dice the onion and tomatoes finely and slit the green chilies into two. Heat a pan with some oil and add the cumin seeds, and let it splutter. Then add the diced onions, curry leaves, and green chilies and sauté for a few minutes until the onions turn brown. Add the tomatoes and ginger-garlic paste and keep sautéing until everything is well blended. Then add the chopped vegetables, all the powders, salt, boiled peanut paste, and tamarind juice along with 1 cup of water. Mix everything well and let it cook closed for 5-10 minutes until the vegetables are cooked and the curry starts to thicken. Add another tablespoon of oil at this stage and keep stirring under low flame until the desired thickness is reached. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with chapathis, rice or any bread.

CHICKEN SAUSAGE MEAT BALLS/ CHICKEN KOLA URUNDAI

2010-04-07T09:34:00.005-04:00

A big thanks to dear Astra for sending me these 2 delicious peanut butter jars. She hosted an interesting guessing game in her blog recently and I won!. Dear friends, do check out her wonderful blog, which has so many traditional and tasty recipes. Thanks a lot dear, the butters are so good, we love it :) We have been having them in sandwiches and also topped on oatmeal. I am really happy to meet such good friends through my blog.

Coming on to the recipe, I made these meat balls from the chicken sausages, which I brought from Trader Joe’s. Sausages are new to me and this is first time I ever brought one but I didn’t like the taste that much, even after adding two of them in regular meat gravies. I finished off the remainder of the sausages by mincing them and making kola urundais. This was so delicious and I liked this version more than the original ones with minced mutton. I tried baking one half of the meat balls and turned out pretty good too. I have followed my mom’s method of making kola urundais except that I changed the meat she usually uses and I have also added some garam masala for some extra taste.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Precooked chicken sausage, 5-6. (I have used small sundried tomato-flavored sausages here).

2. Small onions, 2.

3. Green chili, small, 1.

4. Fennel seeds, ¼ teaspoon.

5. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.

6. Chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon.

7. Salt, a pinch only, since the sausages already has salt in them.

8. Garam masala, ½ teaspoon, (optional).

9. Chopped curry leaves and cilantro, ¼ cup.

10. Roasted channa dhal (pottukadalai), 1 tablespoon.

PREPARATION:

Chop the small onions, chili, curry leaves, and cilantro very finely. Grind the roasted channa dhal to a fine powder and keep aside. Chop the sausage into small pieces and add them to a food processor. Add some fennel seeds to this and blend the sausages finely until they turn to a minced meat consistency. Add the remaining ingredients to this mixture and mix everything well. Make small balls from the mixture and deep fry the balls for 5 minutes until they turn to a golden brown color. For baking the balls, arrange them in a greased baking sheet, spray them with a nonstick spray and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until the desired color is reached and they turn crispy.

OATS AND CRACKED WHEAT RAVA IDLI

2010-03-31T19:55:00.003-04:00

This is a regular wheat rava idli preparation I make sometimes for dinner. I usually add powdered oats in the batter. This time, I tried adding oats bran and it did turn out pretty tasty. I didn’t feel any of the grittiness from the bran. The idlis were soft too and just like regular rava idlis. The recipe can be changed to a regular rava idli recipe by omitting the oats and substituting another half a cup of cracked wheat. The ingredients I have used here makes up to 12 medium-size idlis. We had these with peanut chutney and tomato chutney.

Dear friends, I am taking a small break from blogging for a couple of days, some last minute vacation plan :) I'll see you all next week :)

INGREDIENTS:

1. Cracked wheat, 1 cup.

2. Oats flour or oats bran, ½ cup. (To make oats flour, blend regular oats in a blend to a powder texture).

3. Thick sour yogurt, 1 cup.

4. Water, 2/3 cup or more depending upon batter thickness.

5. Baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon.

6. Salt, ½ teaspoon.

7. Chopped cilantro, ¼ cup.

8. Broken cashews.

PREPARATION:

Fry the cashews in a little oil until they turn golden brown. Mix wheat rava, oat bran, beaten curd, baking soda, salt, cashews, chopped cilantro with 2/3 cup of water. Add more water if needed until the desired consistency is reached. The batter should be just thick enough to pour into the molds. Pour the batter into regular idlis mould and steam for 10 minutes. Once cooled, remove from the mould and serve hot with any chutney or sambar.

Variation: Mustard seeds can be spluttered and added to the batter and fried channa dhal can also be added.

MEEN KUZUMBU/SPICY FISH GRAVY

2010-03-30T10:32:00.007-04:00

This is a very common dish but I have so many memories and nostaligia associated with this dish. This is my all time favorite seafood dish and my mom used to make this very often for me, sometimes even thrice a week! Mixed with rice and a fried fish on side, this is the ultimate comfort food for me. Meen kuzumbu always reminds me of my grandma and her cooking. For me, the best seafood dishes I ever tasted are my grandma’s only. Whenever I taste meen kuzumbu or prepare it at home, I always compare notes with hers. I remember when I was a kid my mom used to coax us to having lunch saying that it was cooked by grandma and then we would go and sit in the dining table right away ;) This post is dedicated to my grandma who is right now in India. I learnt my cooking basics from her. She is the reason that my sister and I were not latch-key kids. I miss her a lot, though I talk to her over the phone often; it is still not the same like being there.

INGREDIENTS:

Small onions, 1 cup.
Tomatoes, medium sized, 2.
Fish slices, any type, around 5-6.
Garlic, 3-4 cloves.
Ginger-garlic paste 1 teaspoon.
Tamarind, 1 lemon-sized ball.
Chili powder, 2 teaspoons.
Coriander powder, 2 tablespoons.
Sambar powder, 1 teaspoon (optional).
Turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon.
Curry leaves for seasoning.
Salt for taste.
Vadakam for seasoning (optional).
Mustard seeds for seasoning.

PREPARATION:

Clean and wash the fish well. Once the fish is cleaned, add ½ teaspoon of salt and the turmeric powder to the fish and mix everything well until all the slices are coated with the turmeric mixture. Let it sit for 15 minutes. Extract thick tamarind juice from the tamarind and dice the onions and tomatoes into small pieces. The small onions can also be left as whole. Heat a pan with some sesame oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the vadakam and fry for a few seconds and then add chopped onions and sauté for a few minutes until the onions turn brown. Add the tomatoes, curry leaves, garlic cloves, and ginger-garlic paste and keep sautéing until everything is blended. Add the powders one bye one and keep frying on a low flame with another tablespoon of oil until good smell comes from the mixture. Add the tamarind juice and salt and cook closed in medium flame for 10-12 minutes and the gravy starts to thicken. At this stage, add the fish slices and let the gravy cook for 5 more minutes until the fish is cooked. Once the fish is cooked, garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with rice, idlis or dosas.

RICE PAYASAM AND MOONG DHAL PAYASAM/KHEER

2010-03-27T18:41:00.006-04:00

These payasam recipes are for my mom to give her an idea about sugar-free Indian desserts. Whenever my mom prepares any traditional sweets on festivals, my dad will sometimes miss out on all the sweets, especially during festivals like Diwali. Since Tamil New Year is around the corner, I am hoping that my mom would prepare these for my dad for the New Year. I am reposting the moong dhal payasam recipe also in the same post. The two kheer/payasam recipes posted here are sugar-free. I have used agave nectar instead of jaggery here. When going for sugar-free substitutes, I go for ones with natural ingredients like agave nectar or Truvia in the raw, since natural ingredients are devoid of any side effects and ideal for long term use.

I would also like to say a few of my random thoughts which I have observed from some of my friends and family members. Generally when a person is diagnosed with diabetes, they start cutting out on sugars, which is really good for blood sugar control. Sometimes people go to the extremes saying that “I am getting used to not having any sweet at all, even fruits and these days I am even used to the taste of drinking my tea without sugar”. These words were said by a close family member of mine and I felt that I should definitely say something about this in my blog. From my own experience, this type of extreme diets will result only in cravings for sugary foods and will result in overeating the same. I feel that there is no necessity to go to these extremes and cutting down on everything. These days, sugar-free and fat-free alternatives are available everywhere ranging from ice cream, jam, fruit juices, cereals to even mouthwash. We have to read the labels and choose the right ones with natural ingredients. These sugar-free substitutes have a carbohydrate value of 1 g or lesser than that, hence they are no-carb or low-carb. There are even products, which are sweetened with fruit or fruit juices, so if anyone is a little skeptical about using artificial ones, they can always go for these kind of products, all we need to do is check the ingredients in the labels. Please beware that sometimes sugar-free products are also sweetened with sugar alcohols. Sugar alcohols can lead to stomach upsets and gastric issues, so that if there sugar alcohol is one of the ingredients in a jam or ice cream, just go for a different one.

Coming on to the recipes, I am sending these two kheers to Kheer Festival conducted by Shama.

I modified the rice payasam a little bit by using brown rice instead of regular rice.

RICE PAYSAM/KHEER

INGREDIENTS:
1. Brown rice,1/4 cup.
2. Milk, ½ cup.
3. Fat-free half and half, 2 tablespoons, (optional).
4. Grated or dry coconut, 1 tablespoon.
5. Jaggery or agave nectar or any sweetener of choice, ¼ cup or more.
6. Cardamom, 2.
7. Raisins and nuts like cashews, almonds, and pistachios, ¼ cup. They can be chopped or left whole.
8. Ghee or unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon. (I used a low-fat version).

PREPARATION:
Crush the cardamom coarsely. Cook the rice separately and let it cool. Once the rice is cooled, pulse it coarsely using a blender or food processor. Heat a pot with the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the raisins and chopped nuts and fry for a few seconds and until the raisins are plumped up and the nuts turn golden brown. Add the milk, half and half, crushed cardamom, coconut along with 2 cups of water and the rice and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Once the mixture starts to thicken add the sweetener and let the kheer simmer for a few more minutes until the desired consistency is reached. Serve hot or chilled.

MOONG DHAL PAYASAM

INGREDIENTS:
1. Split moong dhal, 1 cup.
2. Agave nectar/brown sugar/any sugar substitute, 1 cup.
3. Cardamom pods, 2.
4. Ghee/butter 1 tablespoon (I have used Promise Activ Butter here).
5. Dry fruits, raisins, and mixed nuts like cashews, pistachio etc chopped, around ½ cup.
6. Milk, 1 cup.

PREPARATION:
Crush the cardamom pods coarsely. Wash the dhal well and transfer it to a microwave-safe dish. Add enough water to cover the dhal, add the cardamom powder, and microwave it on high for 15-20 minutes until the lentils are cooked and soft. Meanwhile, heat a small pan with the butter or ghee and fry the dry fruits and nuts until good aroma comes from the mixture. Pour this over the cooked dhal, add the sugar or sweetener and milk, mix everything well and microwave for 5 more minutes. Some water can be added for the desired consistency, add extra ghee if needed and enjoy hot or cold.

REPOSTS FOR EVENTS

2010-03-27T11:22:00.005-04:00

These are some of my recipes I am sending in for the following events.

I am sending the following pancake recipe for Pancakes event conducted by Priya.

Low calorie chocolate chips pancakes

I am sending in the following entries for Cruciferious challenge and cauliflower conducted by Yasmeen

Broccoli stalks poriyal

Kale and white bean soup

PERUVIAN CHICKEN

2010-03-24T16:30:00.001-04:00

Peruvian chicken is very different from the regular spicy Indian chicken curries or fries. If you love middle-eastern dishes or similar culture dishes, you are sure to love this. The cumin flavor in this chicken takes the whole flavor to a different level. My husband always brings a takeout for me from a Peruvian restaurant, which is very close to his office. The box usually consists of a big portion of broiled chicken, Peruvian style, served with baked beans and a salad. This time I tried to recreate the same at home with some skinless chicken breasts. I did see a few sites and included some of own ingredients also. I baked the chicken instead of broiling it and the color was a little bit light but the taste was very similar to the original one. I think this can also be grilled, may be I should try that next time :)

INGREDIENTS:

1. Chicken, any type and cuts, 1 pound.

2. Vinegar, 1 tablespoon.

3. Garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.

4. Fresh coriander powder, ½ teaspoon.

5. Fresh cumin powder, ½ teaspoon.

6. Cracked pepper, ½ teaspoon.

7. Salt, ½ teaspoon.

8. Paprika powder, ½ teaspoon.

9. Oil, 1 teaspoon.

10. Dried or fresh oregano, ¼ teaspoon.

PREPARATION:

Wash and clean the chicken and keep aside. Mix all the ingredients except the chicken in a separate bowl. Add the chicken pieces to this mixture and mix well until all the pieces are well coated with the spices. Let it marinade for about an hour or overnight in the fridge. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake the chicken lined in a baking sheet for around 25-30 minutes depending on the cuts. Serve hot as a starter or as a whole meal with some salads and accompaniments.

The chicken can also be cooked stove top in a heavy-bottomed pan with some oil. Keep flipping the chicken for a few minutes on each side until the chicken is cooked through.

FLAXSEEDS AND PEANUT PODI

2010-03-22T20:11:00.001-04:00

I developed the habit of eating podis with rice from my husband. He loves all types of podis. These podis also makes for a quick lunch with some rice when we go out anywhere for long hours and come home hungry. With just some sesame oil or ghee, podis and rice makes a delicious meal. Coming on the podi recipe, I made this for the first time after seeing it in a magazine under the name “Andhra style podi”. This time, I tweaked the original recipe by adding some flaxseeds, garlic powder, cumin seeds, and curry leaves. The result was so flavorful and many times tastier than the original version. We loved it so much that the whole bottle was over in just a few days and I have been making it this way since then.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Shelled dry peanuts, 1 cup.

2. Roasted channa dhal (pottukadalai), ½ cup.

3. Flaxseeds, ¼ cup. If ground flaxseeds are used, fry them for a few

4. Garlic powder, 1 teaspoon.

5. Cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon.

6. Red chilies, 5-6 or more depending upon the preferred heat level. My version was little bit mild.

7. Salt as per taste.

8. Curry leaves, 2 sprigs.

PREPARATION:

Dry roast peanuts and flax seeds under low flame until they turn to a slight brown color. (If ground flaxseeds are used, they can be roasted separately for a few minutes and added to the powder in the end). Now roast the red chilies, cumin seeds, and curry leaves separately. The curry leaves turn crispy. Let everything cool and once cooled blend all the ingredients (both roasted and the other) into a smooth powder. To serve, mix in a tablespoon of powder with some rice and ghee or sesame oil and enjoy.

WHITE CHICKEN KURMA

2010-03-19T16:57:00.002-04:00

This is a Sunday favorite at my in-laws’ place. We usually make this for Sunday breakfast for idlis and dosas. Though the color of this dish may appear bland, it is super spicy and for me the best combination is with crispy dosas. This can also be made as a vegetarian dish by substituting the chicken with veggies. I have followed my mother-in-law’s recipe here, the only change I made from hers is that I reduced the coconut and replaced it with some nuts. This gives the kurma the same creaminess and taste without all the extra saturated fat. The chicken used here is skinless white meat chicken, so presenting a low-calorie version of my family favorite vellai kurma.

INGREDIENTS:

Chicken, around 1 pound.
Onion, medium-sized, 2.
Tomato, 1.
Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
Green chilies, 2-3 or more, depending upon preferred spice level.
Grated coconut or dry coconut powder, 1 tablespoon.
Cashews or almonds, 2 tablespoons.
Fennel seeds, ½ teaspoon.
Garam masala, 1 teaspoon. (optional).
Salt, as per taste.
Curry leaves and cilantro for seasoning.

PREPARATION:

Grind the coconut and the nuts into a smooth paste with some water. Clean the chicken and cut it into bite-size pieces. Dice the onion and tomato finely and the green chilies into two. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the fennel seeds and fry for a few seconds. Then add the diced onion and curry leaves and sauté for few minutes. When the onions turn translucent, add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a minute until everything is well blended. Add the diced tomatoes, ground paste, chicken, and salt along with 3 cups of water and cook for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked and tender and the desired consistency is reached. At this stage the contents can also be transferred to a pressure cooker and cooked for 2-3 whistles. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with idlis, dosas, rice, or chapathis.

RAGI PAKORAS

2010-03-16T19:45:00.002-04:00

This is my version of ragi pakora and ragi vada recipes that I have been seeing in so many food blogs lately. I made pakoras my usual way except that I substituted ragi flour with besan. These pakoras were pretty interesting with a nice different color. They turned out real crispy and tasty. These were perfect for an evening snack with tea.

INGREDIENTS:

Ragi or millet flour, 1 cup.
Rice flour, 1 tablespoon.
Onions, small, 2.
Curry leaves, a handful.
Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
Asafetida, a pinch.
Salt as per taste.
Oil, 1 cup for deep frying.

PREPARATION:

Cut the onion into long thin strips. Chop the curry leaves into small pieces. Add the flours in a big bowl along with the salt and add the chopped onions, curry leaves, chili powder, asafetida, and ginger-garlic paste to the mixture. Mix everything well without water. Add a few drops of water and start kneading the mixture and add water slowly and keep mixing until the desired consistency is reached. The consistency should be that there should be just wet enough for flour to coat the onions. Heat a pot with a cup of oil. When the oil is hot enough, take some of the pakora mixture and put them slowly into the oil spreading the pakora mixture evenly throughout the oil. They will start to rise to the top once they get deep-fried after 5-7 minutes. Take them out of the oil, drain them on a paper towel and serve hot with tomato ketchup.

MANGO PACHADI WITH AGAVE NECTAR

2010-03-15T10:21:00.003-04:00

Mango pachadi is a true delicacy for us. Prepared with unripe mangoes and jaggery, this simple dish is such a relish with just rice and curd or rasam. I tried this pachadi with agave nectar from the request of a friend who was also cutting down her carbs. Initially I thought of adding honey with any sugar substitute for the pachadi but from the diabetic stand-point, though jaggery and honey are considered healthy and wholesome (these do not raise the triglycerides as compared to refined sugar for people with diabetics) but they are still on the high glycemic index range. High glycemic index foods generally raise the blood sugars quickly compared to their counterparts. Agave nectar is a natural sweetener with low glycemic index and the perfect substitute for honey or molasses. I felt this was perfect for this pachadi, moreover the taste of this mango pachadi was as close to the traditional dish made with jaggery. Dear friends, do try this dish with agave nectar and let me know how it turned out for you :)

INGREDIENTS:

Unripe mangoes, 2.
Agave nectar, any type, darker version gives a good color to the dish, ½ cup or more, depending upon sweetness.
Salt, a pinch.
Curry leaves, a handful.
Red chilies, 1-2.
Mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon

PREPARATION:

Peel the skin off the mangoes and cut into small bite-size pieces. Heat a pan with some oil. Add the mustard seeds when the oil is hot and let them splutter. Then add the red chilies and curry leaves and fry for a few seconds. The chilies can be kept whole or broken according to heat preferences. Then add the mangoes along with salt and enough water to cover the mangoes and cook closed under medium flame for 10-12 minutes until the mangoes are cooked and tender. At this point, add the agave nectar and mix everything well. Cook for 5 more minutes and switch off the stove. Enjoy mango pachadi with any type rice varieties or chapathis.

ALMOND AND FIG MILK

2010-03-13T21:53:00.010-05:00

This recipe idea is from my husband. Badam (almond) milk is a very popular drink in my region. There are different versions of this drink. Usually the milk will be very thick with all the nuts and cream with a hint of cardamom flavor. I had a craving for this milk today, so I went in for a lighter version of badam milk using fat-free milk and Splenda instead of sugar. As I was blending this, my husband joined in and threw in some dried figs to the milk and hence the name “almond and fig milk”. This was really sweet, kind of a dessert for us after dinner. Here is my low-calorie, fiber-rich badam milk.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Almonds, ¼ cup.

2. Dried figs, ¼ cup.

3. Cardamom seeds, 2.

4. Fat-free milk, 2 cups. (Almond milk or soy milk can also be used here).

5. Sugar or any sweetener of choice, 2 tablespoons.

PREPARATION:

Soak the almonds for 3-4 hours and remove the skin. Crush the cardamom coarsely. Add all the ingredients in a blender and blend everything to a smooth mixture. This can be served as it is. To serve the milk hot, transfer the contents to a pot and cook for a few minutes until it comes to a boil. Once the milk comes to a boil, reduce the flame and let it simmer for a few more minutes and serve.

I am sending this to “Think beyond the usual - fruits” event organized by Nithu Bala

These are my other entries for the event:

Apple rasam

Cranberry rice

Cranbery Rasam

Onion and cranberry chutney

Apricot pachadi

BROWN RICE KUSKA

2010-03-12T08:50:00.006-05:00

Kuska is a type of plain briyani without veggies or meat. The rice is usually cooked in cooked in chicken broth along with the spices and served with a spicy side dish. There are different versions of kuska like adding coconut milk or yogurt. Preparing kuska with brown rice was a little bit challenging. When I tried this for the first time with my usual method of making briyani, the rice took a long time to cook and I was not satisfied with the overall taste. This time, I let the rice cook in the broth and then added it the briyani masalas and baked everything for sometime. This way the rice absorbed all the briyani flavors and tasted really great. Actually I got a double thumbs-up from my hubby for this kuska. I also made Vellore brinjal serwa for the first time and this has changed my husband into a brinjal convert. This is the first time he loved any brinjal dish, so I think I’ll be getting more requests for this combo from now on :) The brinjal serwa can be found at Malar or at or Viki .

INGREDIENTS:

1. Brown basmati rice, 1 cup.

2. Onions, medium-size, 3.

4. Tomatoes 2.

5. Green chilies, 1-2.

6. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 tablespoon.

7. Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.

8. Chopped mint leaves, ½ cup.

9. Curry leaves and cilantro for garnishing.

10. Cinnamon, 1 small stick.

11. Bay leaf, large, 1.

12. Cloves, 2.

13. Star anise, 1.

14. Cardamom, 2 pods.

15. Fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon.

16. Briyani masala powder, 1 teaspoon.

17. Chicken broth or vegetable broth for cooking the rice, 1 cup mixed with 1 cup of water. The broth can be store bought or homemade, even fat-free versions are available in the groceries.

18. Yogurt,1 tablespoon.

19. Salt as per taste.

20. Cashews, 1 tablespoon.

PREPARATION:

Wash the rice well and soak it for 30 minutes and cook the rice in the chicken or vegetable broth until the grains are fluffy. The rice can be cooked either in pressure cooker or microwave. If pressure cooker is used for cooking, cook the rice just up to 3 whistles. Let the rice cool. Meanwhile dice the onions and tomatoes finely. Heat a thick bottomed pan, with 2 tablespoons of oil. When the oil turns hot, add all the spices and cashews and let them fry for a minute. Then add the chopped onions and curry leaves and sauté them for a few minutes until the onions turn brown. Now add the chopped tomatoes, slit green chilies, ginger-garlic paste and keep sautéing until everything is blended. Add the chili powder, briyani masala, yogurt, and salt and let it cook for a few more minutes. When the mixture is well blended and good smell starts coming from the mixture, add the cooked brown rice, chopped mint and cilantro leaves, mix everything and lower the flame. Cook closed for 15 minutes under low flame and switch off the stove. Another method is at this stage, the contents can also be transferred to a baking dish and closed with an aluminum foil as tightly as possible and cooked in a preheated oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve hot kuska with raita and any spicy vegetarian or non-vegetarian dishes and enjoy.

PESARATTU/ MOONG DHAL DOSA

2010-03-10T08:46:00.003-05:00

I am always on the lookout for healthy breakfast ideas other than our regular weekdays oatmeal breakfast. On weekends, we have an elaborate breakfast like pongal, adais, and recently I started preparing pesarattu after seeing this is in many blogs. This is such a healthy breakfast and quick to prepare. When making adais, my grandma usually sautés some onions and then adds it to the adai batter. I did the same with the pesarattu batter. This version was really good. It smelled like onion dosas and the taste was just awesome. This time we had these with sambar and tomato thokku.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Green moong dhal/mung beans 1 cup.

2. Brown rice, a handful.

3. Ginger, a small piece.

4. Green chilies, 1-2.

5. Salt as per taste.

6. Cumin seeds, ½ teaspoon.

7. Small onions, 2.

PREPARATION:

Wash the rice and dhal and soak it for 3-4 hours. Grind it to a smooth batter along with ginger, green chilies, and salt. Meanwhile dice the onions very finely. Heat a small pan with some oil. When the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and let it splutter. Then add the onions and sauté for a few minutes until the onions turn translucent. Add this mixture to the batter and mix well. To prepare the dosas, heat a flat cast iron pan or nonstick pan. Rub some oil on surface with a cloth or paper towel. When the surface of the pan is hot, take some batter in a ladle and pour it on the pan, and immediately spread it evenly with the help of a ladle. Add a little bit of oil on the corners if needed. After 1-2 minutes, flip the dosas to the other side and let it cook for another minute. Repeat the same with the reminder of the batter and serve hot pesarattu with any chutneys of choice.

APPLE RASAM

2010-03-08T16:29:00.005-05:00

I had bookmarked this rasam recipe a longtime back from Viki's blog. This turned out great. This rasam was kind of soup and both sweet and sour taste. I tweaked Viki’s recipe a little bit and grated the apples and added it to the rasam. I also used very little tamarind since I had used a tart granny smith apple and this added enough sourness to the rasam. The tamarind can be entirely omitted too if needed. This is my version of Viki's apple rasam.

INGREDIENTS:

Green apple or any tart apples,1.
Tamarind, very little, a small gooseberry sized ball. (optional).
Rasam powder (homemade or store bought). 1 teaspoon.
Asafetida, 1 pinch.
Mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon.
Cumin seeds, ½ teaspoon.
Red chilies, 2, (optional).
Garlic, 3 cloves.
Thalipu vadagam, ½ teaspoon, (optional).
Salt as per taste.
Curry leaves and chopped cilantro for garnishing.

PREPARATION:

Soak the tamarind in warm water for 15 minutes and extract thick juice from it. Grate the apples, dice the tomatoes finely, and crush the garlic coarsely. Heat a pot with a teaspoon of oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the cumin seeds, red chilies, and vadagam and fry for a few seconds. Now reduce the flame to low and add the diced tomatoes and crushed garlic and sauté for a few minutes until everything is well blended. Add the grated apples and let it cook for 5-10 minutes until the apples are cooked. Add 3 cups of water, salt, asafetida, and tamarind juice and let it come to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, add the rasam powder, curry leaves, and chopped cilantro. Mix everything just once and switch off the stove. Serve with rice and any spicy side dish.

POONDU OORUKAI/GARLIC PICKLE

2010-03-04T17:22:00.003-05:00

Homemade pickles are a great way to cut down sodium in diets. These are much better than the store-brought ones loaded with salt, preservatives, and oil. These days even a couple of weight loss programs recommend a low-sodium diet. If you are at a risk of getting diabetes or pre-diabetes or even if you have a stressful job, cutting down excess salt intake is also very important with along cutting down on refined foods. Lately, we have also been cutting down on sodium. I didn’t make any major changes in our diet except that we go for the unsalted version of nuts and chips and always look for the low-salt version of any foods we buy. I also started using sea salt instead of regular table salt for the past few months. Sea salt is a naturally low in sodium and moreover just a little of this can be added in places where larger amount of salt is used. The only thing I cannot control is our intake of pickles, especially my hubby’s :(….he needs to have pickle with every meal, so I started making pickles like garlic, tomato and mango pickle in batches and now we are having them instead of our usual ones. I saw some recipes for garlic pickles in a couple of sites and this is my own version of this pickle. I love this pickle with mixed rice varieties, particularly with briyanis.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Garlic cloves, around 10-12 if bigger cloves are used.

2. Sesame oil, ½ cup.

3. Sea salt, 1 teaspoon.

4. Chili powder or paprika powder, 2 teaspoons.

5. Mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon.

6. Lemon juice, ¼ cup.

7. Curry leaves, a spring.

8. Crushed jaggery, 1 teaspoon. (optional). The pickle tastes good even without the jaggery.

9. Asafetida, ¼ teaspoon.

To roast and grind:

1. Fenugreek seeds, 2 tablespoons.

2. Coriander seeds, 2 tablespoons.

3. Mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon.

PREPARATION:

Roast the ingredients given under the roast and grind category and grind everything into a smooth powder and keep aside. If bigger cloves of garlic are used, slice them into even pieces. Heat a pan with the sesame oil. Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter when the oil turns hot. Then reduce the flame and add the garlic, curry leaves, salt, all the ground powders, chili powder, salt, and asafetida and mix everything well. Let it cook for 10 minutes under low flame until the garlic is cooked. Then add the lemon juice and jaggery and cook for a few more minutes and switch off the stove. Transfer into airtight containers once cooled. This pickle can stay fresh for up to 3-4 weeks when stored in the refrigerator. It can be had as a side dish with rice, idlis, dosas, and chapathis.

SWEET AND SOUR NOODLE SOUP

2010-03-03T10:53:00.003-05:00

The temperature is still in the 30s and 40s for us here. Many of my friends like me feel like we’ve had enough of winter and snow. We are all waiting for spring and warm temperatures :) I still continue making soups for dinner. Soup is turning into sort of comfort food for us these days. Most of time, our dinner will be some of kind of soup and garlic bread. For those of who feel garlic bread is high in fat, you can make your own garlic bread with whole wheat Italian loaf or any crusty bread and low fat butter like Smart Balance or Promise Activ. I usually mix some garlic powder or garlic paste with Promise Activ butter and smear it over the bread and toast them for 10 minutes in the oven. This is so good with soup. Sometimes instead of making garlic bread, we used to dip the toasted plain bread in garlic-flavored olive or canola oil and have them with soup. A real treat for garlic lovers like us!

INGREDIENTS:

1. Whole wheat noodle rolls, 2. (or whole wheat spaghetti).

2. Small red onion, 1.

3. Mixed vegetables like cabbage, carrots, and peas, 1 cup.

4. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.

5. Soya sauce, 1 tablespoon.

6. Corn starch, 1 teaspoon.

7. Salt and pepper as per taste.

8. Honey or agave nectar, 1 teaspoon.

9. Chili sauce, ½ teaspoon. I used a regular Chinese chili sauce, it has some chili flakes in it. (can be increased according to taste).

10. Any dried herbs of choice, 1/2 teaspoon.

PREPARATION:

Dice the onions and other vegetables finely. Heat a pot with some oil. Add the onions and sauté for a few minutes once the oil turns oil. When the onions are translucent, add the ginger-garlic paste and the vegetables and sauté for a few more minutes. Mix the corn starch with ½ cup of water and add it the soup. Then add 4 cups of water along with the sauces, honey, dried herbs, salt, and pepper and let it come to a boil. Once the soup comes to a boil, add the noodles and let it cook for a few more minutes until the noodles are done (cooking times for the noodles varies according to package instructions) and serve hot.

MUSHROOM AND PEANUT FRY

2010-03-01T19:52:00.003-05:00

This is an interesting recipe, which came out from our love with peanuts. My hubby is crazy about peanuts that sometimes he adds peanuts to the side dishes as I keep cooking them. These even include dishes like upma and even cabbage and okra fry. As I cooking this curry, I saw some boiled peanuts from yesterday’s snack lying in the fridge. They immediately went into the mushroom fry and were relished until it was over :) If raw cashews are available, they can be added too. It will be just as divine!

INGREDIENTS:

Mushrooms, any type, 1 packet.
Red onions, medium-size, 2.
Cooked and deshelled peanuts, ½ cup.
Ginger-garlic paste, 1teaspoon.
Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
Coriander powder, 2 teaspoons.
Garam masala (optional), ½ teaspoon.
Turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon.
Fennel seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
Curry leaves and cilantro for garnishing.
Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:

Dice the onions finely and slice the mushrooms thinly. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the fennel seeds and fry for 2 seconds. Add the onions and curry leaves and sauté for a few minutes until the onions turn brown. Now add the ginger-garlic paste and keep sautéing until everything is well blended. Add all the powders and salt and mix everything well and cook for 5 minutes until the powders lose their raw smell. Now add the mushrooms and peanuts and keep cooking under medium flame. After 10 minutes, the mushrooms oozes out all the water and the dish will turn dry. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot curry with rice or chapthis.

WHOLE WHEAT AND CORIANDER NAAN

2010-02-28T16:52:00.008-05:00

This recipe is for my sister. I tried explaining this recipe to her so many times and just grew tired :( My little sis though very smart is still not able to grasp when I say what she needs to do with the yeast when we talk over the phone. She too has a very good blog, do check her blog. It is an interesting blog overall. I am not including her blog link here since I didn’t ask her permission for this but she is sure to get mad after reading this and will post her comments here in the comments section. You can follow her link from there ;)

Coming on to the recipe, I am also a relatively newbie with rotis and naans. I make chapathis very often for lunch and sometimes naans made with whole wheat flour. I usually make naans on stove top rather than oven. I feel the naans turn out softer that way. I have used white whole wheat flour here. White whole wheat flour is good for baking, especially when mixed with yeast. This is the basic recipe I follow for making naan. I usually use milk for raising the yeast rather than adding sugar to warm water. This is healthy and the naans are also very soft when milk is added to the dough. For garlic and butter naans, I usually coat the naan with low-fat butter and sprinkle some crushed roasted garlic chips in the end.

INGREDIENTS:

1. White whole wheat flour, around 2 cups.

2. Yeast, 1-1/2 teaspoon.

3. Salt, ½ teaspoon.

4. Oil, 1 tablespoon.

5. Milk, 1 cup. (Nonfat milk too works perfect here).

5. Cilantro, ½ cup, chopped.

PREPARATION:

Warm the milk in microwave or stove top. The milk should just warm enough to the touch. Very hot liquid can kill the yeast and if cold liquid is used, the yeast will not raise. Add the yeast to the warm milk, mix it well, and lit it sit for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, milk will appear frothy. Meanwhile mix the 1-1/2 cup of flour and salt together. Add the chopped cilantro and pour the milk over the flour and start mixing. Add extra flour if the dough is too sticky and then add a teaspoon of oil and knead the dough for 10 minutes. The dough should be soft and pliable. Add another teaspoon of oil on top of the dough, cover it with a wet cloth and let it sit for 1 hour. After 1 hour, the dough should have raised about half of its original size. Punch it down and knead for another 2 minutes. Then heat a flat-bottomed pan, and start rolling the dough into flat chapathis by taking small balls of the dough. When the pan is hot (it should on high heat), put on a rolled naan into the pan. Flip it after 10 seconds once bubbles start forming on the surface. Add a teaspoon of oil and flip it again after 10 seconds. Keep flipping the naan until it is well done on both sides. Then repeat the same procedure with the other rolled out naans. Serve hot with any curry. TBXGVFEEDPSX

PEAS MASALA

2010-02-26T19:04:00.001-05:00

This recipe is from an Aval Vikatan magazine recipe compilation. I am a big fan of this Tamil magazine. Usually a small recipe booklet comes along with the magazine and I have been collecting them whenever I buy this magazine, sometimes I buy it just to get the recipe booklet :) I was attracted to the photo of this recipe when I saw this in a vegetarian recipe booklet. I followed the recipe exactly here. Next time I am planning to add some fat-free half and half to this instead of the nuts used to thicken the gravy. I prepared this peas masala as a side dish with jeera rice and chapathis.

INGREDIENTS:

Fresh or frozen green peas, 1 cup.
Medium-sized onions, 2.
Tomatoes, 3. Canned tomatoes works best too. If canned tomatoes are used, 1-1/2 cup is required.
Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
Cashews, around 2-3 pieces.
Red chilies, 3-4.
Coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon.
Cardamom seeds, 2.
Fennel seeds, ½ teaspoon.
Cinnamon, 1 small stick.
Clove, 1.
Salt as per taste.
Cilantro for garnishing.

PREPARATION:

Dice the onions and tomatoes finely and keep aside. Heat a pan with a tablespoon of oil and add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, fennel seeds, clove, and coriander seeds and let everything fry for a minute. Then add the red chilies and fry for a few seconds. Transfer everything to a plate and let it cool. Add the diced onions to the same pan and sauté for a few minutes until onions turn brown. Then add the tomatoes and ginger-garlic paste and keep sautéing until everything is blended. Switch off the stove and let it cool. Grind the mixture into a smooth paste along the almonds and fried spices. The spices can also be ground separately and added to the blended onion and tomato paste. Transfer all the contents into the pan, add a teaspoon of oil, 1 cup of water, and salt as per taste and let it cook closed for 5-10 minutes under low flame. Add the peas now, mix everything, and cook for 2 more minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with chapathis or rice.

LENTIL SOUP

2010-02-24T18:50:00.004-05:00

The inspiration for this soup is from my friend. She is an Egyptian and she made this soup for us when we were at her place for dinner. The soup she served was very tasty and thick and it reminded me of the dhal I make. I asked her the ingredients and noted them down and here is my version of my friend’s lentil soup. I didn’t add potatoes to this soup like my friend did but I included some more vegetables and used the same lentil (masoor dhal) that she used. This soup tasted more or less like a rasam or paruppu rasam :)…but this was really tasty with garlic bread. The next day we had this soup with rice and that tasted so yummy. I wanted a thin soup, so I have used just ½ cup of lentils here and it can be increased according to personal preferences.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Any type of quick-cooking lentils, masoor dhal works perfect here, ½ cup.

2. Onion, medium size, 1.

3. Canned tomatoes, ½ cup.

4. Pureed tomatoes, ½ cup.

5. Mixed vegetables, chopped into small pieces, 1 cup.

6. Cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon.

7. Coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon.

8. Salt and pepper as per taste.

9. Mixture of dry herbs, 1 tablespoon.

10. Garlic, 2 cloves.

PREPARATION:

Grind the cumin seeds and coriander seeds and keep aside. Dice the onion finely and crush the garlic coarsely. Heat a pot with some oil. Add the diced onions when the oil turns hot and sauté for a few minutes until they turn brown. Add the canned tomatoes, tomato paste along with the veggies, crushed garlic, lentils, 4 cups of water, salt and pepper and mix everything well. Once the soup comes to a boil, reduce the flame and cook closed for 20-25 minutes until the lentils are cooked. Add the ground powders and dry herbs now and switch off the stove. Ladle hot soups into bowls and serve with any crusty bread of plain rice.

LOW CALORIE CHOCOLATE CHIPS PANCAKES

2010-02-23T21:06:00.006-05:00

I wrote this recipe from a cookbook long time back. The original recipe used buttermilk, eggs, and all purpose flour. I tried to lower the carbs and calorie a little bit from the original recipe by substituting all purpose flour with white whole flour and used nonfat yogurt instead of buttermilk. Nonfat yogurt gives a nice white color and softness to the pancakes. They were very good and sweet with the slight bitter-sweet taste from the dark chocolate chips. I also liked the taste of white whole wheat flour here than regular whole wheat flour. I used King Arthur whole wheat flour for the first time and I feel that this has the same texture as the atta flours available in Indian stores. Can anyone clarify me on this? The dark chocolate chips contain low sugar and less fat compared to the regular chocolate chips, so this was a totally healthy and delicious weekend breakfast for us alongside with some omelets.

INGREDIENTS:

1. White whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour, 2 cups.

2. Nonfat yogurt, 1 cup.

3. Water, ½ cup and more according to thickness of the batter.

4. Cinnamon powder, 1 teaspoon.

5. Honey or any artificial sweetener like agave nectar, 1 tablespoon.

6. Baking soda, ½ teaspoon.

7. Chocolate chips, ½ cup. (I have used bittersweet 60% cacao chips).

PREPARATION:

Mix all the ingredients except the chocolate chips into a smooth batter. The batter should be thin enough to pour. Heat a nonstick pan or cast iron pan and apply and thin layer of oil on the pan. Take a ladle full of the pancake batter and pour it over the hot pan. It starts spreading as soon as it is poured over the hot surface. Sprinkle the chocolate chips randomly over the pancakes. The pancakes are ready to be flipped after a minute when bubbles start forming all over the surface. Flip them over and let them cook on the other side for a minute and transfer to a plate. Enjoy hot pancakes with fresh fruits or syrup.

BASUNDI

2010-02-22T21:20:00.006-05:00

This recipe is especially for Announcing Hearts for St Valentines Day a beautiful event conducted by Priya. When I said to my hubby that I am planning to prepare a sweet for the event, the request was for basundi. This is our favorite sweet, though a little bit time consuming but the taste is worth all the trouble…so rich and creamy with chopped nuts. This is the basic recipe for basundi. This can be changed according to taste. There are many versions of this sweet available like adding saffron, mango pulp, condensed milk etc.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Full fat milk, 1-1/2 liter.

2. Sugar, 1/2 cup or more according to taste.

3. Ghee, 2 tablespoons.

4. Nuts like cashews, almonds, pistachios and even some dry fruits like raisins or apricots.

5. Cardamom, 2 pods.

PREPARATION:

Chop the dry fruits and nuts and fry them in ghee until the turn golden brown and keep aside. Crush the cardamom coarsely. Boil the milk in a deep-bottomed pot along with the crushed cardamom and once the milk comes to a boil reduce the flame to medium and let it simmer. Keep collecting the creamy layer, which is formed on simmering, on to a separate bowl. After sometime (around an hour later), once the milk starts to thicken, add the sugar and let it dissolve. Then add the collected cream, and fried nuts to the milk and let it simmer for 5 more minutes and switch off. Let is cool, garnish with chopped nuts and enjoy.

Another reason to celebrate with the sweet is that I recently won a contest with Foodie Blogroll for updating my profile. They sent me this cute coffee mug yesterday. I love this mug and right now it is sitting proudly on my refrigerator top :)

KEERAI PARUPPU PORIYAL/GREENS STIR FRY WITH LENTILS

2010-02-20T19:00:00.002-05:00

This is a stir-fry my mom makes regularly. She uses greens like amaranth or drumstick leaves. This is made as a side dish with rice and any spicy gravies, particularly seafood dishes. The best combination which I like the most is meen kuzmbu, fish fry, and this stir fry made with drumstick leaves. This is also comfort food for my sister and I. Sadly I don’t get drumstick leaves here, which is my favorite, but I did get a chance to taste many different ones like Swiss Chard, collard greens, turnip greens etc. I keep all of them in my freezer and this is very easy to make any side dishes with greens in just minutes. This time I have made this dish with collard greens. Collard greens have a slight bitter taste, so I have used one small tomato. This can be omitted if any other less bitter green like spinach is used.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Collard greens, 1 bunch.
2. Small onions, 2.
3. Tomato, 1.
4. Green chilies, 1-2.
5. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon (optional).
6. Mung dhal or green gram, ¼ cup.
7. Mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon.
8. Cumin seeds, ½ teaspoon.
9. Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:
Precook the dhal until they are cooked but the dhal is still whole and has a bite to it. This can be done either on stove top by cooking the dhal in a pot with enough water to immerse the dhal and cooked for 10-15 or microwave for 10 minutes. Wash the greens and chop it finely. Dice the onions and tomatoes and slit the green chilies into 2. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil turns hot, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the cumin seeds and fry for a few seconds. Now add the diced onions and sauté for a few minutes until the onions turn translucent. Then add the chopped tomatoes, chilies, ginger-garlic paste and keep sautéing until everything is well blended. Add some salt along with the chopped greens and dhal and mix everything well. Cook closed under low flame for 5-10 minutes until the greens are wilted and all the water is absorbed. Serve hot with rice.

A tablespoon of grated coconut can be added after switching off the stove. Even around ½ teaspoon of ground cumin seeds can be added in the end.

TURKEY CHOPS KUZUMBU/GRAVY

2010-02-19T11:52:00.003-05:00

This is a simple gravy preparation for non-vegetarian dishes made by my grandma. I recently brought a packet of Shady Brook Farms turkey chops. The very interesting point that attracted me to getting these was that the fat percentage of these chops was 0% (absolutely fat-free), so this is a heart healthy and protein-packed dish. Generally white meat turkey turns a little bit dry when overcooked, so making any gravies or adding them to briyanis is ideal instead of baking them…I learnt that the hard way :( This gravy turned out good and the turkey was not dry at all. I have used very few ingredients in this gravy trying to keep the dish as simple as possible but the taste was not simple in anyway. That’s how our mothers and grandmothers cooked right…when I was a kid I remember my mom and grandma using only fennel seeds for spicy dishes (garam masalas were used only for making briyanis back then) and whatever dishes they made tasted good with the simple ingredients they used, so I have followed the footsteps of my granny here. Dear friends, I hope you all like my healthy and tasty turkey chops kozumbu. Here goes the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

Turkey chops or small pieces of turkey, around 1 pound.
Red onions, medium-sized 2.
Roma tomatoes, medium-sized, 2.
Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
Turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon.
Chili powder, 2 teaspoons.
Coriander powder, 4 teaspoons.
Fennel seeds, ½ teaspoon.
Curry leaves, 1 spring.
Chopped cilantro, ½ cup.
Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:

Clean the turkey and if needed, it cut be cut into small bite-size pieces. Dice the onions and tomatoes finely. Take a pressure cooker or pressure pan and a tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot add the fennel seeds and fry them for a few seconds. Add the diced onions and curry leaves and sauté for a few minutes until the onions turn brown. Then add the tomatoes and ginger-garlic paste and keep sautéing for a few more minutes until everything is blended. Add the powders along with the turkey and add water just enough to cover everything. Pressure cook for up to 3-4 whistles (or after 2 whistle, lower the flame and let it simmer for 15 minutes) and switch off the stove to let the pressure down. If pressure cooker is not used, the gravy can be cooked under medium flame for 15-20 minutes until the turkey is cooked. Remove the lid and let the gravy simmer for a few more minutes without covering the pan. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with idlis, dosas, rice, or chapathis.

REPOSTS FOR EVENTS

2010-02-17T20:31:00.005-05:00

Here are some of my reposts of my recipes for the events conducted by Usha and Shama.

HEALTHY INSPIRATIONS EVENT
I am sending the following recipes to Healthy Inspirations Event-Soup

1. Split peas soup

2. Tomato and fava bean soup

3. Tomato soup with barley and pasta

4. Spinach and barley soup

5. Tomato and basil soup

6. Egg drop and egg noodle soup

7. Middle Eastern lentil soup

8. Black bean soup

9. 16 beans and pasta soup and roasted red bellpepper soup

10. Kale and white bean soup

11. Lima bean soup

12. Red bean soup

FAMILY FAVORITE EVENT
This is my post for Family Favorite Event conducted by Shama. These are the recipes I made on my hubby's birthday and everything here are his favorite :)

My hubby's favorite recipes

RAGI IDLI

2010-02-17T09:07:00.004-05:00

RAGI IDLI
This is a totally diabetic-friendly recipe. Ragi or millet flour is a complex carbohydrate grain, which has a low glycemic index, meaning it raises the blood sugars slowly than compared to simple carbs (these are usually refined products made with sugars and all purpose flour). These are whole grains too hence very ideal for people who are watching their carbs or calorie intake. I make ragi idlis when we are in the mood for something different than our regular idlis and dosas. These idlis turn very soft and fluffy with a good earthy taste but the batter has to be fresh each time. The idlis do not turn out that soft when left even for a day in the fridge. Usually I prepare the idli batter with only one cup of flour at a time. One cup of flour gives around 12 small-size idlis.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Ragi or millet flour, 2 cups.
2. Urad dhal, 1 cup.
3. Fenugreek seeds, 1 tsp.
4. Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:
Wash the urad dhal well and soak it for half-an-hour along with the fenugreek seeds. Grind the dhal into smooth paste with a blender or grinder. When the dhal is well done, add the millet flour and blend everything together to a smooth paste until the batter is fluffy. Add salt to the batter and mix everything well. Let it sit overnight or 6-7 hours to allow fermentation to take place. When the batter has risen to 1/3rd of its size, they are ready to be steamed. Pour them into idli moulds and let it steam for 5-7 minutes. Remove the hot idlis from the moulds and serve the idlis with chutney or sambar.

FINGER FISH/FISH STICKS

2010-02-16T08:37:00.003-05:00

Finger fish or fish fingers are the Indian take on fish sticks and these are much spicier than fish sticks. I learnt this recipe from my co-sister. This is a favorite at my in-law’s place. When the whole family get-together, there will be finger fish in the menu for lunch that day. We (my MIL, co-sister, and I) usually prepare an elaborate lunch mostly consisting of many varieties of seafood or non-vegetarian dishes and also some vegetarian dishes for my hubby. It is fun when we talk all sorts of stories, sharing laughter, and cook together. In US, I prepare them rarely since I cook only for me and mostly I go for something quick and easy when preparing nonveg. Recently an Giada De Laurentis (I just love the way she talks and cooks…everything about her is very bright!) show got my attention where she prepared baked fish sticks with salmon. I think she even added some parmesan cheese. I wanted to try that for quite sometime, so I came up with my own fish sticks version here. Here I used salmon instead of the regular king fish used in India. I have followed my co-sister’s recipe here except that I have also substituted half of the bread crumbs with oats flour and threw in some dried herbs and seasonings into the bread crumbs. Again crazy-me went ahead and baked half of the fish sticks and shallow-fried the remaining half. Both the versions were good, though the baked fish took a little bit longer to crisp and they were not as brown as the fried one though the taste of both versions were similar. The fish sticks included in this post are the baked ones.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Fish fingers, around 10. I cut from 3 medium-size salmon fillets.

2. Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.

3. Turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon.

4. Corn flour, ¼ cup.

5. Ground oats, ½ cup.

6. Bread crumbs, ½ cup.

7. Any type of seasoning mixture like Italian and any fish seasoning, 1/2 tablespoon.

8. Any mixture of dried herbs, 1 teaspoon.

9. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.

10. Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:

Clean the fish and cut into even thin fingers. Add the chili powder, turmeric powder, and salt and let them marinade for around half an hour. Mix the seasonings, dried herbs, salt, bread crumbs, and oats flour in a plate. Take the corn flour in a bowl, add a pinch of salt and some water, and mix it into a smooth paste. To fry the fish, heat a shallow pan with around ½ cup of oil. Take the fish fingers and dip them into the corn flour batter. Then coat them with the bread crumbs mixtures and shallow fry the fish until they turn golden brown on each side. Cooking around 4-5 fish fingers at a time is ideal. To cook the fish in the oven, arrange the fish fingers on a greased baking sheet leaving sufficient space in between and bake them at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Serve hot finger fish with your favorite sauce.

Variation: For a much spicier version, a teaspoon of chili powder can be added in the corn flour batter.

DUM ALOO

2010-02-14T10:56:00.005-05:00

I adapted this recipe from Manjula's Kitchen. She has a great collection of recipe videos at her site, and everything is really good. I modified the recipe a little by adding onions and tomatoes along with garlic and also substituted the regular powder with whole spices. This version was also tasted great. It went well with chapathis. I even added some fat-free half and half to make the gravy richer. This is a low-fat recipe since I shallow fried the onions instead of deep frying and used fat-free yogurt and half and half. I know that this is not the traditional way of preparing dum aloo, but this one is sure a winner. I cut the potatoes into small pieces for fast and even cooking since I used very less oil and cooked them in a nonstick pan.

INGREDIENTS:
TO ROAST AND GRIND:
1. Sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon.
2. Fennel seeds, ½ teaspoon.
3. Coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon.
4. Dried coconut powder, 1 teaspoon.
5. Dried red chilies, 1-2.

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
1. Medium-size potatoes, 2.
2. Medium size red onion, 1.
3. Tomato, small, 1.
4. Green chilies, 1-2. (I have used mild Korean peppers).
5. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
6. Besan, 1 tablespoon.
7. Paprika powder, 1 tablespoon.
8. Garam masala, 1 teaspoon.
9. Yogurt, 1 tablespoon.
10. Fresh cream or half and half, ¼ cup. (I have used fat-free half and half here)
11. Salt as per taste.
12. Lemon juice, 1 tablespoon.

PREPARATION:
Peel the potatoes and dice them into small bite-size pieces. The potato cubes can be deep-fried or shallow-fried until they are brown and tender. Drain the potatoes into a paper towel and let it cool. Roast all the ingredients given under roast and grind and let it cool. Grind it to a smooth paste by adding some water. In the same pan used for roasting, add the besan powder and keep frying it for 5 minutes under low flame until it loses its raw smell and transfer the besan to a plate. Take the blended contents into a bowl and add yogurt, besan, cream, salt, paprika powder, garam masala and mix everything well. Dice the onions, tomatoes, and green chilies finely. Heat the same pan used for roasting and add the diced onions and fry them for a few minutes until they are brown. Then add the diced tomatoes, green chilies, and ginger-garlic paste and keep sautéing until everything is well blended. Now add 1 cup of water, the paste, mix everything well and cook closed for 5 minutes under medium flame. After 5 minutes, add the fried potatoes along with chopped cilantro and let everything cook for a few more minutes until the desired consistency is reached. Serve hot dum aloo with any types of breads or chapathis.

BREAD BAJJI

2010-02-12T16:24:00.004-05:00

With another batch of snow in our area on Tuesday, we were at home the whole week and my husband was working from home. I made these bajjis for evening snacks to go with tea. I think most of my friends were preparing fried foods during the storm. When I was speaking with Viki over the phone, she too mentioned about preparing plantain bajjis last evening. There is definitely something comforting about eating fried foods during winter. Coming on to the recipe, I make these bajjis all the time when we have friends over. It takes just a couple of minutes to prepare and join in the chatting. These fritters do turn out very crispy compared to regular bajjis made with veggies.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Any types of soft or hard loaves, may be around 2-3 slices if regular bread slices are used. (I used a whole wheat baguette here).

2. Besan or kadala maavu1 cup.

3. Rice flour, 1 tablespoon.

4. Chili powder, ½ teaspoon.

5. Salt as per taste.

6. Baking soda, a pinch, (optional).

7. Red food color, a pinch (optional) although I have not used it here.

PREPARATION:

Mix the flours, chili powder, salt, color, and baking soda. Add some water and mix it to a thick batter. The batter should be thick enough to coat the bread slices evenly. A drop of oil can be added to the batter to make the bajjis crispier. Cut the bread slices evenly. Heat a pot with around 1 cup of oil. When the oil is hot enough, dip the bread slices into the batter and gently put them into the oil. To check the temperature of oil, add a drop of the batter into the oil. If the oil is hot enough the batter will puff up and rise to top. Add a couple of bajjis at one time and when the fritters turn golden-brown, remove them from the oil, and drain them on a paper towel. Serve hot with chutneys or ketchup.

Variation: Some ginger-garlic paste can also be added to the batter.

TOMATO AND DILL RICE

2010-02-10T16:05:00.006-05:00

This recipe is a variation of my regular tomato rice with added dill leaves. I started using dill leaves after reading so many dill recipes from the blogs. My first attempt with dill leaves did not go that well, I added it in a simple dhal and we found that the flavor of the leaves was too overpowering in the dish. Since then I had not used these leaves. Recently my friend made a different dish for us with dill. She made stuffed cabbage rolls for us and the stuffing that my friend used was like our regular tomato rice with dill leaves. We have been hooked on to this dish since then. I have been making the rice without stuffing them into cabbage leaves..that’s too tedious for me :( Dear friends, if any if you like dill leaves in pulav or rice varieties, then this dish is for you! Go ahead and try this dish, this combination is simply awesome.

As I was searching for the nutritional value of these leaves, I found some interesting facts about them in www.lifestyle.iloveindia.com which I wanted to share here:
• It helps in the secretion of bile and digestive juices, which further aid easy digestion. It helps stimulates the appetite as well.
• Dill provides great relief to those suffering from diarrhea, dysentery and menstrual disorders.
•• Dill shares similarity with garlic, in preventing bacterial overgrowth. The volatile oil of dill shows bacateriostatic effects.
• The herb is rich in calcium, which lowers the bone loss, particularly after menopause and in some conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.
• Dill helps in increasing the amount of urination and thereby, aids the body in getting rid of toxic elements.

These pretty leaves are healthy too, so here goes the recipe!

INGREDIENTS:
1. Cooked brown rice, 1 cup.
2. Ripe Roma tomatoes, medium-size, 3.
3. Red onions, medium-size, 2.
4. Fresh dill leaves, 1 small bunch.
5. Ginger-garlic paste, 1teaspoon.
6. Green chilies, 1-2.
7. Chili powder, ½ teaspoon.
8. Coriander powder, 1 teaspoon.
9. Turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon.
10. Mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon.
11. Fennel seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
12. Curry leaves and cilantro for garnishing.
13. Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:
Cook the rice separately and let it cool. The rice should not be mushy. Wash the dill leaves and dice the leaves finely. Dice the onion and tomatoes and slit the green chilies into 2. Heat a pan with 2 teaspoons of oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the fennel seeds and fry for 2 seconds. Add the onions and curry leaves and sauté for a few minutes until the onions turn translucent. Now add the ginger-garlic paste, tomatoes, chopped dill leaves, and green chilies and sauté for a few more minutes until everything is blended. Add the chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and salt and mix well. Cook closed under low flame for 5 minutes until the raw smell of the spices goes. Now add chopped cilantro and rice and mix everything. If needed, 1 tablespoon of ghee can also be added. Let it sit under low flame and switch off the stove. Serve hot with raita or any spicy side dish.

Variation: A teaspoon of garam masala can also be added along with the other powders while cooking.

MUTTAI MASALA KUZUMBU/ EGG GRAVY

2010-02-08T22:39:00.012-05:00

The big snow storm was over just 2 days back and it seems there is another snowfall expected tomorrow...not again! This has changed our travel plans. My hubby had planned a surprise trip to California for me but our flights have been canceled due to bad weather conditions :( This has been quite a harsh winter. Most of the roads have not yet been cleared from the previous storm and to top that, there will be some more accumulation tomorrow...sigh! Coming on to the recipe, this is a simple side dish that I make when I am preparing chapathis. Here the eggs are broken into the gravy and poached, which adds a nice flavor to the entire dish, a total delicacy for egg lovers like my hubby. I have also used tomato sauce instead of tomatoes. This makes the gravy more thicker and richer. Garam masala can also be used here if needed.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Eggs, 3.

2. Onions, medium-sized, 2.

3. Puréed tomatoes/canned tomato sauce ½ cup.

4. Green chilies, 1-2.

5. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.

6. Chili power, 1 teaspoon.

7. Coriander powder, 2 teaspoon.

8. Turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon.

9. Fennel seeds, ¼ teaspoon.

10. Curry leaves, a sprig.

11. Chopped cilantro for garnishing.

12. Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:

Dice the onions very finely and slit the green chilies into two. Heat a pan with some oil, add the fennel seeds and fry them for a few seconds. Then add the diced onions and curry leaves and sauté everything until the onions turn brown. Add the tomato sauce, green chilies, and ginger-garlic paste and keep sautéing until everything is well blended. Add the powders along with some salt and keep cooking under low flame until good smell comes from the mixture. A tablespoon of oil can also be added at this stage. Add 2 cups of water now and mix everything well. When the water comes to a boil, break the eggs into the mixture one by one and cook closed under medium flame for 10 minutes. The contents should not be mixed after the eggs are broken. Once the eggs are cooked, garnish the dish with chopped cilantro and serve the egg masala with rice, chapathis, idlis, or dosais.

PACHAI PARUPPU/MOONG DHAL PAYASAM

2010-02-06T22:38:00.008-05:00

The blizzard of 2010 is over. This was how all the news channels described the snowstorm. Our area recorded around 29 inches of snow. There was nothing to do since Friday except to watch news all day. Luckily we had our friend and her kid staying with for the weekend, so we had a good time staying at home. This is how our apartment complex looked after 26 inches of snow.

Coming on to this recipe, I made this for our wedding anniversary. January and February are special months for us since our birthdays and wedding anniversaries fall during these months. I prepared a variety of dishes ranging from cinnamon rolls (this was my first attempt) to the usual chocolate cake I make. The cinnamon rolls were the top sellers. I used white whole wheat flour and I used chopped walnuts and dry fruits for the filling. Then I used a honey butter glaze on top. It was rich and delicious yet a little bit on the healthier side. Here are some of the pictures of dishes I made for our birthdays. The lunch menu I made for my hubby’s birthday consists of egg briyani, gobi Manchurian, raita, and plain rice and rasam with chocolate cake.

Today I am posting the recipe for the payasam. This is very traditional dessert recipe and an easy one. I used the microwave to cook the dhal and I have used agave nectar instead of sugar. When preparing this payasam for kids, I would recommend going for the full fat and full sugar version with jaggery and desi ghee. I have also used a lot of nuts and dry fruits to make it richer. Nuts pack a powerful nutritional punch and a delicious way to increase your good cholesterol (HDL) levels and they are filling too. I used a darker version of agave nectar and the taste of agave nectar in this paysam was almost like the regular ones with jaggery.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Split moong dhal, 1 cup.
2. Agave nectar/brown sugar/any sugar substitute, 1 cup.
3. Cardamom pods, 2.
4. Ghee/butter 1 tablespoon (I have used Promise Activ Butter here).
5. Dry fruits, raisins, and mixed nuts like cashews, pistachio etc chopped, around ½ cup.
6. Whole milk or condensed milk, 1 cup.

PREPARATION:
Crush the cardamom pods coarsely. Wash the dhal well and transfer it to a microwave-safe dish. Add enough water to cover the dhal, add the cardamom powder, and microwave it on high for 15-20 minutes until the lentils are cooked and soft. Meanwhile, heat a small pan with the butter or ghee and fry the dry fruits and nuts until good aroma comes from the mixture. Pour this over the cooked dhal, add the sugar or sweetener, and milk. Mix everything well and microwave for 5 more minutes. Some water can be added for the desired consistency, add extra ghee if needed and enjoy hot or cold.

CHICKPEAS STIR FRY

2010-02-05T00:29:00.003-05:00

We have preparing for another major snowstorm tomorrow. It seems that this one is going to a record-breaking storm and the snow is expected to be around 17-27 inches! We finished our weekly grocery purchase and are well stocked for the week. Wow, it had been a very long day, so I am posting a very simple and easy dish today. Coming on to the recipe, I tasted this dish at my friend’s place. This was a simple dish with a few ingredients but the taste so good, a nice idea of using chickpeas as a side dish with rice instead of the regular masala gravies or sundals. This goes very well with rasam, any spicy gravies, and curd rice.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Cooked chickpeas or any other beans, 1 cup.

2. Onion, small, 2.

3. Green chilies, 1-2 depending on the spice preference.

4. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.

5. Mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon.

6. Cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon.

7. Turmeric powder, ½ powder.

8. Curry leaves and chopped cilantro for seasoning.

9. Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:

Pressure cook the chickpeas and let it cool. Dice the onion finely and chop the green chilies into small circle. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil is hot enough add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the cumin seeds and fry for a few seconds. Add the diced onions, chilies, and curry leaves and sauté for a few minutes until the onions turn brown. Then add the salt, turmeric powder, and ginger-garlic paste and keep sautéing until good smell comes from the mixture. Drain the water from the chickpeas and add it the mixture and mix everything well. Let it cook under low flame for 5 minutes, garnish with chopped cilantro, and serve with rice or chapathis.

SOYA MANCHURIAN

2010-02-02T18:30:00.008-05:00

This is my first attempt at making soya Manchurian. I tried it both baking and deep frying the nuggets before adding them to the sauces. Both ways tasted really good and crispy but the soya nuggets did absorb a lot of oil while deep frying. I drained on them a on a paper towel to soak up all the oil before adding the veggies. This is a dry Manchurian dish and to make this into a gravy, half cup of water mixed with 1 teaspoon of corn flour can be added and cooked for a few minutes and the nuggets can be added after that.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Soya nuggets, 1 cup.
2. Red onion, 1.
3. Bell peppers (any color), ¼ of each color or a whole one.
4. All purpose flour, around ½ cup.
5. Corn flour, 2 tablespoons.
6. Rice flour, 1 tablespoon.
7. Chili powder, 2 teaspoons.
8. Salt as per taste.
9. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
10. Garlic, 2 cloves.
11. Aji-No-Moto or MSG, 1 teaspoon, (optional).
12. Soy sauce, 2 tablespoons.
13. Tomato-garlic sauce or ketchup, 1 tablespoon.
14. Spring onions, 1 bunch.

PREPARATION:
Take a cup of soy nuggets and put them in boiling water for 2 minutes until the nuggets are puffed up. Let them sit for 5 minutes, then rinse them well, and drain them. Mix the corn flour, all purpose flour, rice flour, 1 teaspoon of chili powder, ginger-garlic paste, salt, and Aji-No-Moto along with some water into a smooth paste for dipping the nuggets. The batter should be thick enough to coat the nuggets. If needed, a pinch of food color can also be added to the batter. Deep fry the nuggets or bake them by placing them on a well-greased baking dish and bake them at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the nuggets turn crispy.

Meanwhile cut the green bell peppers and red onions into the long, thin strips and chop the garlic into very small pieces. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the cut bell peppers, onions and crushed garlic and let them sauté for a minute. Then add 1 teaspoon of chili powder, salt, and tomato sauce and mix everything well and sauté for 5 more minutes under low flame and switch off the stove. Then add the baked or fried soya nuggets into the mixture and mix everything well. Garnish with spring onions on top and serve hot with rice or rotis.

COCONUT, LEMON, AND CURD QUINOA

This week I also tried quinoa as a rice substitute. Quinoa is the super-grain packed with protein. It contains all 9 essential amino acids that are required by the body as building blocks for muscles.It has magnesium, fiber, manganese and copper and a very ideal rice substitute because of its light texture. I tried making a couple of rice dishes like lemon rice, coconut rice, and curd rice with quinoa. Everything turned out pretty good, I really loved the quinoa curd rice very much. If you love the quinoa in soups or salads, then you are sure to love these dishes. I am not posting the recipes of the rice dishes. You can prepare your version of any variety rice by substituting the rice with quinoa.

FISH FRY WITH FRIED ONIONS

2010-01-30T17:57:00.004-05:00

We are having a heavy snowfall here, so we are stuck in the house for the weekend, of course, what an ideal day for fried foods. I prepared some onions bajjis with vatha kzumbu and rasam for the both of us and a fish fry just for me (I love cooking seafood for me all the time, just cannot stay from eating fish :). I had some fried onions brought recently from our nearby Indian stores, so instead of the regular fish fry I make, I substituted these fried onions with the small onions. I am glad I tried this…it was very crispy and tasty. I used fewer amounts of fried onions doubting whether it would give a bitter taste when fried but this was the correct amount. The masala consistency was just correct to form a coating over the fish. Maybe next time, I can try adding more onions. If any of have already tried this, please give me your suggestions and ideas friends.

INGREDIENTS

Any type of fish slices or steaks, 2 (I have used 2 big salmon steaks here).
Fried onions, ¼ cup. (I used the regular pack of fried onions, which is used as a topping in briyani).
Garlic, 1 clove.
Chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder, 1 teaspoon.
Salt as per taste.
Peppercorn, 1/2 teaspoon.
Turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon.

PREPARATION: Clean the fish and cut into thick slices or steaks. Grind the fried onion, garlic, peppercorns into a smooth paste. Add chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric, and salt to the ground paste and mix everything well. Spread the paste on both sides of the fish slices and let them marinade for half-an-hour to an hour inside the refrigerator. Heat a nonstick pan with some oil. When the oil starts to smoke add the fish steaks one by one. Flip the slices after 5-10 minutes depending on the fish used and cook the other side for a few more minutes. Serve hot fish with rice.