SUN-DRIED TOMATO THOKKU OR CHUTNEY

SUN-DRIED TOMATO THOKKU OR CHUTNEY
If you like tomato-based dishes like me, you’ve got to try this one gal. The flavor is simply amazing. I used to prepare simple tomato-onion chutney or sometimes tomato thokku with only tomatoes and garlic. Recently on a trip to Grand Mart, I found a packet of sun-dried tomatoes. The next minute it was on my cart and on my way home. I was contemplating on what to prepare with these since my husband is not a great fan of pestos or pastas. I decided to go with a simple tomato thokku but was the taste was not simple in any way. It was simply great with idlis and dosas. These types of chutneys can be stored for up to a week in the fridge. It goes well with puris and rice too. The chili powder and fenugreek powder in this dish can be substituted for red chilies and a few fenugreek seeds while grinding. They can be fried and ground along with the tomatoes.

INGREDIENTS:
Sun-dried tomatoes, 1 cup.
Garlic, 8-10 cloves.
Tamarind, 1 small lemon size.
Chili powder, 2 teaspoons.
Fenugreek powder, ¼ teaspoon.
Sesame oil, ¼ cup.
Mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:
Soak the tomatoes in hot water for half-an-hour. If pre-soaked sun-dried tomatoes are used, drain the liquid or oil out of them and use them directly. 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 ground paste and fry for a few minutes. Then add the chili powder, fenugreek powder, 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.

TOFU SCRAMBLE FOR BREAKFAST

TOFU SCRAMBLE FOR BREAKFAST
This is another healthy breakfast option like omelets with egg whites. Usually we have bread toasts with omelets or scrambled egg during week days. My husband is very comfortable with eggs for breakfast but having eggs daily is a big No No for me. Since we started having tofu recently, I came up with the idea of scrambling tofu instead of eggs for breakfast. This idea worked out rather well in our family. They can be scrambled plain with just some salt and pepper. I have zinged it up with some bell peppers and a little bit of spices. If needed, any other vegetables can also be added. This is very tasty than the plain scramble. Here goes the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
Silken tofu, 1 packet.
Onion, medium, 1.
Bell pepper, any color, 1.
Fennel seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
Turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon.
Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
Green chili, 1-2 depending upon the spice level consumed.
Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:
Dice the onion and bell pepper into small pieces and slit the green chili into 2. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil is hot, add the diced onion, bell pepper, and chili and sauté for a minute. Then add the fennel seeds, turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste, salt and keep sautéing until the onion and peppers are tender. Now add the silken tofu and mix everything well breaking the tofu finely while mixing. Serve hot with warm toast.

PALAK TOFU

PALAK TOFU

We started eating tofu recently only after hearing about the heart-healthy benefits of tofu. The taste is pretty mild, more likely tasting like an egg white. Eating tofu regularly reduces cholesterol and triglycerides, thus preventing heart diseases but an excess consumption of tofu should be avoided by people with thyroid disorders. Other than that tofu is low in carbohydrates and rich in protein. Moreover spinach is also used here, which has a carb value of less than 2 g. This is an absolute low-carb dish that can be had with any whole grain breads or chapathis.

My husband suggested substituting tofu instead of paneer in dishes that require paneer and here I am with palak tofu. Initially I just cut the tofu into small cubes and used it in the dish but that did not suit our taste, so I baked them for a few minutes spraying them with a nonstick spray. We loved it this way.

INGREDIENTS:
Extra-firm tofu, 1 box.
Spinach, 1 large bunch.
Onion, medium, 1.
Tomato, 1.
Green chili, 1.
Garlic, 2 cloves.
Ginger, 1 small piece.
Red chili, 2.
Coriander seeds, 2 teaspoons.
Cloves, 2.
Cinnamon stick, 1 small piece.
Fennel seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:
Cut the tofu into small pieces. Spray a baking dish with any nonstick cooking spray and arrange the tofu pieces side by side. There should be sufficient space between each piece. Bake them at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the tofu pieces turn brown. Set them aside. If needed the tofu pieces can also be sautéed in a pan with a teaspoon of oil until they turn brown. Chop the onion and tomato into small pieces and slit the green chili into 2. Clean the spinach leaves and drain the excess water from the leaves. They need not be chopped as everything will be blended. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil is hot enough, add red chilies, coriander seeds, cloves, cinnamon stick, fennel seeds and fry them for a minute and remove them from the pan and let them cool. Now add the chopped onions, tomatoes, and green chili and sauté them for a few minutes. Then add garlic and ginger and keep sautéing until everything is well blended. Add the spinach leaves and let them wilt along with the sautéed onion and tomato and let it cool. When the spice mixture and spinach mixture are cooled, blend them together into a smooth paste. Put the blended mixture in the pan again, add salt and let it simmer under medium flame for 5-10 minutes until the gravy thickens. Then add the baked tofu pieces and stir everything well. Serve hot with rotis.

CHEDDAR AND SPINACH OMELET WITH EGG WHITES

CHEDDAR AND SPINACH OMELET WITH EGG WHITES
This is my entry for The 101 omelet series by Sangeeth of http://letusallcook.blogspot.com/. I started preparing omelets with egg whites for breakfast recently as a part of low-carb diet for my husband. Usually I prepare using 2 egg whites but these were not so filling, so I started adding more vegetables along with the recipe. This is one such omelet. This is a very easy and fast recipe suitable for the morning rush hour. I have used frozen spinach and readymade grated carrots to add some color. Frozen spinach is ideal for this omelet as more spinach can be used here than fresh ones. If needed, any other vegetables can also be added along with the spinach.

INGREDIENTS:
Egg whites or egg beaters, 1 cup.
Frozen spinach, ½ cup.
Grated carrots, ¼ cup.
Salt as per taste.
Mild low-fat cheddar cheese, ¼ cup.
Pepper as per taste.

PREPARATION:
Thaw the spinach and remove the excess water out of it. Put the egg whites on a bowl and whisk them well. Add the spinach, grated carrots, salt and pepper and whisk everything together. Meanwhile heat a flat pan and when the pan is hot enough, pour the omelet and spread the omelet all over the pan by moving the pan to its sides slowly. Add the grated cheddar cheese over the top and flip the omelet. Remove the omelet from the pan after 10 seconds when the other side is also cooked. Serve the omelet with any whole grain bread.

METHI CHICKEN

METHI CHICKEN
This is my entry for the Weekend Herb Blogging event. This is a wonderful event started by Kalyn from http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/ hosted this week by Amy and Jonny from We Are Never Full
The herb I am using this time is fenugreek. Fenugreek is a very common herb in most Indian cuisines. The seeds have so many health benefits. Here a few benefits of fenugreek:
Fenugreek seeds are rich sources of carbohydrates, proteins, Vitamin A and C, iron, calcium and minerals. It aids in digestion and purifies the blood. Regular consumption of fenugreek helps in controlling high blood sugars and lowers cholesterol. The seeds have anti-inflammatory properties. It is also good for treating respiratory infections and mouth ulcers.
There are many variations in the preparation of methi chicken. This is my version. I have not used tomato here. The spices used here also less. If needed, a teaspoon of garam masala can be added or 1 bayleaf can also be added while sautéing the onions.

INGREDIENTS:
Chicken, ½ kg.
Methi (fenugreek) leaves, 2 bunches.
Onions, 2.
Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
Cumin seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
Yogurt, ½ cup.
Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
Coriander powder, 2 teaspoons.
Green chilies 2, (optional).
Red chili for seasoning, 1, (optional).
Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:
Clean the chicken and chop them into bite-size pieces. Wash the fenugreek leaves and remove the leaves from the stems and keep aside. Chop the onions and slit the green chilies. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the cumin seeds, and red chili and fry for a few seconds. Then add the chopped onions and green chilies and sauté for a few minutes. Then add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté everything for a few more minutes until the onions are caramelized. Add the chili powder, coriander powder, salt as per taste, and yogurt and closed for 5 minutes until the raw smell of the spices go. Then add the chicken along with 1 cup of water and cook closed under medium flame for 12-15 minutes until the chicken is well cooked. Now add the methi leaves and cook closed for a few more minutes until the leaves have wilted and everything turns dry. Turn off the stove and serve hot with rice or rotis.

LOW-FAT METHI MALAI MATTAR

LOW-FAT METHI MALAI MATTAR

I tasted methi malai mattar only recently. I loved the taste so much that I thought of preparing it at home that same weekend. Most of the recipes that I googled had at least half-a-cup of heavy cream used in the gravy, so the idea of preparing methi malai mattar was dropped temporarily since my husband was on a diet. Recently on a Food Network show, I don’t remember which one since I have been watching Food Network like crazy recently :( There was one episode in which a low-fat clam chowder in which 2% milk was substituted in place of heavy cream to reduce the calories in the chowder. That flashed a light over my head and here I am having a recipe for low-fat methi malai mattar. Since this was the first time, I was preparing this dish, I used whole milk here. Next time, I should try this with nonfat milk or fat free half and half and see. The result was this low-fat version tasted like the one with cream and it was also thick. There was no difference in the taste.

INGREDIENTS:
Methi leaves (Fenugreek greens), 2 bunches.
Onions, 2.
Tomato, 1.
Green chiles, 2.
Whole milk, ½ cup or fat free half and half.
Ginger garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.

Fresh or frozen peas, 1 cup.
Salt as per taste.
Mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
Cumin seeds, ¼ teaspoon.

PREPARATION:
Clean the fenugreek leaves and remove the leaves from the stems. Chop the onions and tomato into small pieces. Slit the green chilies into 2. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil starts to smoke, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the cumin seeds and after a few seconds when the cumin seeds change color, add the chopped onions, tomato, green chili, and ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a few minutes until everything is well blended. Add the fenugreek leaves, peas, 1/4 cup of water along with ½ of milk and salt as per taste and cook closed under medium flame for 5-7 minutes until the peas are cookes and a thick consistency is obtained. Switch off the stove and serve hot with rotis.

WHITE BEAN AND PASTA SOUP

The inspiration for this soup was from “Everyday Italian” by Giada De Laurentis. There was one episode where a spicy soup, corn bread, and hot chocolate with chili. I loved the way she prepared the soup. It looked so colorful that I decided to give it a try. She added carrots and broccoli in the soup. I used only white beans, zucchini, and celery here since my husband does not like carrots and I don’t like broccoliL. To make this dish more diabetic-friendly, any whole grain pasta can be added instead of regular ones. I have also used canned tomatoes here to add more flavor to the dish. If needed, regular chopped tomatoes can also be added.

INGREDIENTS:
White beans, 1 cup, soaked overnight.
Red onion, 1.
Garlic, 2 cloves.
Canned tomatoes, about ½ can.
Tomato paste, 1 tablespoon.
Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
Pasta, any type, 1 cup.
Salt as per taste.
Olive oil, 1 tablespoon.

PREPARATION:
Soak the beans overnight and cook them until they are tender. Chop the onion, into small pieces and keep aside. Crush the garlic coarsely. Heat a pot with some olive oil. Add the onions along with the crushed garlic and sauté them for a minute. When the onions are tender, add the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, cooked beans, chili powder, and salt along with 5 cups of water. Cook the soup closed for 10 minutes. Then add the pasta and let it cook until it is al-dente. Take care not to overcook the pasta. If the pasta is overcooked, they start to fall apart and don’t taste good. Switch off the stove and serve the soup garnished with a teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil on top. This hearty soup goes well with any bread.

CHOW CHOW PORIYAL/CHAYOTE SQUASH CURRY

CHOW CHOW PORIYAL/CHAYOTE SQUASH CURRY
This recipe is from my SIL. Usually my mother prepares chow-chow kootu with moong dhal or sometimes poriyal with only onions and adds red chilies and grated coconut as seasoning. This version is different from my mother’s recipe. My SIL makes it with tomatoes and onions. This is an easy and simple dish to make and it goes well with rice and rotis. To spice up the dish even more, some fennel seeds can also be added here. I have not used fennel seeds this time. If needed, the chili powder used in the dish can be reduced and 1 green chili can be added instead to add more flavor to the dish.

INGREDIENTS:
Chow-chow or chayote squash, 1.
Red onion, small, 1.
Tomato, small, 1.
Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
Coriander powder, 1 tablespoon.
Salt as per taste.
Curry leaves and cilantro for garnishing.
Mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon for seasoning.

PREPARATION:
Dice the onion and tomato into small pieces. Peel the skin of the chayote squash and remove the seed in the middle of the squash and scrape off the areas surrounding the seed. Cut the squash into small bite-size pieces. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the mustard seeds and when they start to splutter, add the diced onion and tomato and sauté them for a few minutes until everything is blended well. Then add ginger-garlic paste, the squash pieces, chili powder, coriander powder, salt along with ½ cup of water. Mix everything well and cook closed under medium flame for 10-15 minutes until the chayote squash is tender. Switch off the stove and garnish with curry leaves and cilantro. Serve hot with rotis or rice.

BAKED POTATO MANCHURIAN

BAKED POTATO MANCHURIAN
I tried the recipe for potato Manchurian from an old Aval Vikatan magazine. Usually, I used to deep fry the potatoes dipped in batter and then mix them with the gravy. My husband suggested me to bake the potatoes and then add them to the gravy instead of deep frying to cut out the oil. I was not sure how will this turn out but this baked potato Manchurian turned out really great. I prepared this as a dry curry to go with rice. This goes well with fried rice, briyani etc. This dish requires Aji-no-moto for taste. It can also be omitted. Here goes the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
Potatoes, medium size, 3.
Red onion, 1.
Green bell pepper, 1.
All purpose flour, around ½ cup.
Corn flour, 1 tablespoon.
Rice flour, 1 tablespoon.
Chili powder, 2 teaspoons.
Salt as per taste.
Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
Garlic, 2 cloves.
Aji-No-Moto or MSG, 2 teaspoon, (optional).
Tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon.
Spring onions, 1 bunch.

PREPARATION:
Peel the potatoes and cut them into ½ inch fingers. 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 potatoes. The batter should be thick enough to coat the potato fingers. If needed, a pinch of food color can also be added to the batter. Take a baking dish and spray the dish with any cooking oil. Dip the potato fingers in the batter and arrange the fingers on the dish with sufficient space between each finger. Bake them at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes turn crispy without changing color. Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them rest for 15 minutes.

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 green 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 potato fingers into the mixture and mix everything well. Garnish with spring onions on top and serve hot with rice or rotis.

VEGETABLE KURMA WITH CASHEWS

VEGETABLE KURMA WITH CASHEWS
This was an accidental recipe. Usually I make kurmas with grated coconut or coconut milk and sometimes I add a little bit of cashews while grinding to make it a bit rich. This time, I ran out of both coconut and coconut milk and was left with only cashews and hence decided to prepare kurma with only cashew paste though I had my doubts. The end result turned real good. This kurma tasted great and was rich and creamy with only just a handful of cashews instead of a whole coconut or a cup of coconut milk. At least some of the calories from the coconut have been off this way. This is an ideal side dish for rotis, rice, idlis, and dosas. Here goes the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
Onion, medium-sized, 2.
Tomato, 2.
Vegetables like cauliflower, green beans, cabbage, carrot, peas, corn all coming to around 2 cups when chopped.
Cashews, a handful.
Khus-khus (poppy seeds), 1 tablespoon (optional).
Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
Cinnamon, 1 small stick.
Fennel seeds, ½ teaspoon.
Bay leaf, 1.
Chili powder, 2 teaspoons.
Coriander powder, 1 teaspoon.
Turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon.
Salt, as per taste.
Curry leaves and cilantro for seasoning.

PREPARATION:
Chop the onions, tomatoes, and all the vegetables and keep aside. Grind the cashews and khus-khus into a smooth paste. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the fennel seeds, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf and fry them for 1 minute. Add the chopped onions and tomatoes and sauté for few minutes. Then add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a minute until everything is well blended. Add the chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and fry for a minute until the raw smell of the spices goes. Now add the chopped mixed vegetables along with the ground paste along with 3 cups of water. Cook closed for 15 minutes under medium flame until the vegetables are tender and the kurma thickens to the desired consistency. Garnish with curry leaves and cilantro on top. Serve hot with idlis, dosas, rotis, or rice.

Weekend lunch

Today's lunch: Egg briyani, vegetable kurma, potato manchurian with rice and rasam

YUMMILICIOUS BERRIES CRISP

YUMMILICIOUS BERRIES CRISP
This recipe was from Epicurious. I saw this dish being prepared a long time ago. I have changed a little bit of the original recipe according to our taste like including cardamom powder instead of cinnamon powder since I like the taste of cardamom in desserts. Similarly, the original recipe asked for old-fashioned oats. I did not have those, so I used the instant oatmeal and it had come out well too. I have also skipped adding brown sugar in the crust. I used regular sugar instead. The berries used here are blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Any other berries can also be used here.

INGREDIENTS:
Frozen or fresh berries, 2 cups.
All purpose flour, 1 cup.
Regular or instant oatmeal, 1 cup.
Sugar, ½ cup.
Cardamom powder, 1 teaspoon (optional).
Unsalted butter, ½ stick or around 3 tablespoons.

PREPARATION:
Take a bowl and add the berries to the bowl. Add around ¼ cup of sugar, ¼ cup of flour, and cardamom powder to the berries and mix everything well. If needed, cinnamon powder can be substituted for cardamom powder here. Let the berry mixture stand for a while. Meanwhile take another bowl and add the remaining flour, sugar, oatmeal and the butter. Mix everything well without water until small lumps are formed from the dough when pressed together. If needed, some more butter can also be added. Take a baking dish and spray it with any cooking spray. Add the berry mixture to the bottom of the bowl and spread them evenly throughout the baking dish. Then add the dough over the berry mixture and spread them evenly over the berry mixture by pressing them lightly with the fingers. Bake them at 350 degrees for about an hour to 45 minutes until the top turns golden-brown and crispy and the berries bubble. Let them rest for a while and enjoy the berries crisp by itself or with any ice cream.

CABBAGE-BELL PEPPER PORIYAL

CABBAGE-BELL PEPPER PORIYAL
This was an accidental recipe. I was in the process of making the usual cabbage poriyal for lunch when I was thinking about the some bell peppers in the fridge. I needed to use them in some way since it was nearly a week since I bought them. Then I came up with the idea of adding bell peppers to the cabbage. The flavor of the bell pepper with the cabbage was really good. This is an easy to prepare dish.

INGREDIENTS:
Cabbage, ½ of a small head.
Bell pepper, large, 1.
Red onion, small, 1.
Ginger garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
Green chili, 2.
Salt as per taste.
Curry leaves and cilantro for garnishing.
Mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon.
Urad dhal, 1 teaspoon.

PREPARATION:
Chop the onion into small pieces and slit the green chilies into two. Chop the cabbage into small pieces and dice the bell pepper into small pieces. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds starts to splutter, add the urad dhal and fry them for a few seconds until it changes to brown color. Add the onion, chilies, and cabbage and sauté them for 5 minutes under medium flame. Then add ginger-garlic paste and the diced bell peppers and add salt as per taste. Mix everything well and cook closed under low flame for 10-15 minutes until the bell pepper and cabbage is tender. If needed some water can be sprinkled over the dish and cooked closed for a few minutes if the cabbage is not done well. Sprinkle curry leaves and cilantro over the top and serve hot with rice or rotis.

VADAI CURRY

VADAI CURRY
Vadai curry is a very famous dish in Tamil Nadu, especially Chennai. Mot of the hotels in Chennai will have vadai curry served during breakfast. It is an ideal combination for idlis and dosas. The method I have used here is my SIL’s. She does not fry the vadas. She steams them instead and I feel this is a healthy way of enjoying this spicy dish. This time, I have used deep-fried vadas as I had some leftover vadas from previous day lunch and I needed to use them. I prefer this with dosas rather than idlis. It is simply yummy with dosas.

INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE VADAS:
Channa dhal, 1 cup, soaked for 2-3 hours.
Fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon.
Rice powder, 1 tablespoon.
Garlic, 2 cloves.
Ginger small pieces.
Green chilies, 3.
Salt, as per taste.
Red onion, medium-sized, 1.
Curry leaves, a handful.
Cilantro, a handful.

FOR THE CURRY:
Onion, medium-sized, 3.
Tomato, 2.
Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
Cinnamon, 1 small stick.
Fennel seeds, ½ teaspoon.
Bay leaf, 1.
Cloves, 2.
Green chilies, 2.
Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
Coriander powder, 1 teaspoon.
Turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon.
Salt, as per taste.
Butter, 2 tablespoons.
Curry leaves and cilantro for seasoning.

PREPARATION:
FOR THE VADAS:
Wash the soaked channel dhal and set aside. Grind the channa dhal along with the fennel seeds, chilies, garlic, and ginger without water. Chop the onion, curry leaves, and cilantro into small pieces. Add the onion, curry leaves, cilantro, rice powder, and salt to the ground channa dhal and mix everything well. Heat a kadai with 1 cup of oil. When the oil is hot, take a small amount of the ground mixture and flatten it with the palm of the hand and drop into the hot oil. When the vadas rise up and turns golden-brown, remove them from the oil and drain the excess oil with a paper towel. When the vadas have cooled break them into small pieces and keep aside.

ALTERNATE METHOD OF COOKING THE VADAS:
Instead of deep frying the vadas in oil, they can be steamed. Make small balls of the vada mixture and arrange them on idli plates and steam them for 15-20 minutes. Let them cool for another 15 minutes and break them into small pieces.

FOR THE CURRY:
Chop the onions and tomatoes into small pieces. Split the green chilies into 2. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the fennel seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves, and bay leaf and fry them for 1 minute. Add the chopped onions, tomatoes, and green chili and sauté for a few minutes. Then add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a minute until everything is well blended. Add the chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt and fry for a minute until the raw smell of the spices goes. Now add 1-1/2 cups of water along with 2 tablespoons of butter to the gravy. Then add the broken vada pieces and cook them closed for 5-10 minutes until the gravy thickens. Garnish with chopped curry leaves and cilantro and serve hot with idlis and dosas.

SIMPLE KEERAI PORIYAL OR SAUTÉED GREENS

SIMPLE KEERAI PORIYAL OR SAUTÉED GREENS
This is my mom’s recipe. Usually I prepare dhals with greens. Today I was not in the mood for dhals. I wanted to have something simple. This was the first time I prepared keerai poriyal. We had it today for lunch as a side dish to go with rice. My mom used to prepare this with amaranth leaves or drum stick leaves. I have used baby spinach leaves here. It was also delicious like the other greens. This is a simple and fast dish. The seasonings used are mustard seeds and green chili. They can be eaten with rice or rotis.

INGREDIENTS:
Any greens like spinach, 1 big bunch.
Small onions, ½ cup or medium sized red onion, 1.
Garlic, 2 pods.
Mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon.
Red chilies, 2.
Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:
Chop the small onions or red onions into small pieces. Crush the garlic coarsely. Clean the greens thoroughly and chop them into small pieces. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. When the mustard seeds have spluttered, add the red chiles. The red chiles can be broken into 2 or added as whole. Then add the chopped onion and crushed garlic and sauté them for 2 minutes. When the onions are well cooked, add the chopped greens along with salt and sauté everything for a few more minutes under medium flame. Cook them closed for a few more minutes until the greens have wilted and the dish has become dry. Then switch off the stove and serve this poriyal with rice or rotis.

APPALA KOOTU

APPALA KOOTU

This is traditional Tamil Nadu recipe, which I love. It tastes delicious with just rasam and may be any fried item for side dish. Made with channa dhal and vegetables like eggplants, cabbage etc, it covers all food groups in itself with some rice. My mother used to crumble some fried pappads at the end. I used to love the soaked pappad taste. Here goes the recipe of my mom.

INGREDIENTS:
Channa dhal, 1 cup.
Any vegetable like eggplant or cabbage, chopped, 1 cup. (I have used cabbage here).
Onion, small, 1.
Green chilies, 2.
Garlic, (optional), 2 cloves.
Turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon.
Curry leaves for seasoning.
Salt as per taste.
Asafetida, 1 pinch.
Cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon.
Grated coconut, 2 tablespoon.
Papads, fried or microwaved, 3-5.

PREPARATION:
Cook the channa dhal in pressure cooker for 4 whistles and keep aside. Chop the onion and cabbage into small pieces. Slit the green chilies into two. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil turns hot, put the cumin seeds and curry leaves and let them fry for a minute. Add the chopped onions, cabbage, and chilies and sauté them for a minute. Crush the garlic coarsely and add to the pan and sauté for another 2 minutes. When the cabbage and onion is well cooked, add the channa dhal, turmeric powder, salt, asafetida, 1 cup of water and cook closed in medium flame for 6-10 minutes until the dhal turns to a thick consistency. Turn off the stove. Crush fried pappads and mix well. Serve with hot rice and rasam.

SPICY CAULIFLOWER ROAST

SPICY CAULIFLOWER ROAST
For the past one month, my husband and I were simply obsessed with cooking everything in the oven. He even suggested me to bake vadas!!!! Hmmm, may be I could try that! This recipe was also the result of my experiments with the oven. I am not that good with cauliflower poriyals. They either turn up too mushy or end uncooked. In the end, I stopped making cauliflower poriyals. Instead of that, I used to prepare gobi manchurian. Today I was in the mood of something less oily being a weekday. This oven-roasted cauliflower was great and soft with the correct spices. I served this as a side dish for rice with parupu keerai and potato fry. I used only a spray of canola oil for the whole dish. Here goes the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
Cauliflower, cut into small flowerets filling up a big bowl or around 5-6 cups.
Chili powder, 2 teaspoons.
Coriander powder, 1 teaspoon.
Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
Tandoori masala powder or garam masala (optional), 1 teaspoon.
Salt as per taste.
Turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon.
Cilantro and curry leaves, a few sprigs.

PREPARATION:
Cut the cauliflower into medium-sized flowerets. Blanch them in boiling water for 2 minutes and drain them. Chop the cilantro and curry leaves and keep aside. Take a big bowl and put the flowerets into the bowl. Add the chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, salt and mix everything well. Take a baking pan and spray the pan with any oil. Arrange the cauliflower flowerets on the pan and cook them at 400 degrees for around 15-20 minutes. Then reduce the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees and cook for another 15 minutes. In the end, add the chopped cilantro and curry leaves to the cauliflower and mix everything well and cook for another 1 minute. Serve hot with rice or rotis.

SOYA CUTLETS

SOYA CUTLETS
My husband loves cutlets. I usually prepare them once a week but I was worried about all the carbs from the potatoes. I came upon this healthy version of the cutlets one day and the taste was simply yummy. In fact it tasted better than the regular potato cutlets. I used more carrots and soya granules and just one potato. If needed any other vegetables like cabbage, green beans can also be used. The bread crumbs used here are also whole wheat bread crumbs for health reasons. The measurements used here makes around 12 small cutlets.

INGREDIENTS:
Potato, medium-sized, 1.
Soya nuggets, 1 cu.
Carrots, medium-sized, 2.
Red onion, small, 1.
Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
Salt as per taste.
Corn flour, 3 tablespoons.
Bread crumbs, 2cups.

PREPARATION:
Boil the potato for 15-20 minutes and mash it well without lumps. Take a cup of soy nuggets and put them in boiling water for 5 minutes until the nuggets are puffed up. Let them sit for 5 minutes, then rinse them well, drain them, and cut into very fine pieces or they can be minced well using a blender. Take care not to make them into a paste, just one or two pulses in the blender will be fine. Chop the onion into small pieces and the grate the carrots and keep aside. Mix the mashed potatoes, chopped onions, grated carrots, chopped soya nuggets, chili powder, salt and mix everything well. Make small patties out them and keep aside. Take the corn flour in a small and some ¼ cup water and make a batter. Take the bread crumbs in a pan. Heat a flat bottomed pan and create a work station arranging the plate with the patties first, the bowl with the corn flour batter next, and the bread crumbs plate next to that. When the pan is hot enough, add a teaspoon of oil and spread that evenly on the pan. Take a patty and immerse it in the corn flour batter. Then put it on the bread crumbs plate and cover the patty with the bread crumbs and put it on the hot pan. Add a teaspoon of oil over the top of the cutlet. Repeat the same with a few more patties until the pan is covered. There should be some space between the cutlets while cooking to move them around. Let then cook for 5-7 minutes until the side facing the pan is golden-brown and crisp. Flip all the patties to the other side and let them cook for another 5 minutes. Repeat the same with the remaining patties and serve the cutlets hot with tomato sauce.

VINAYAKA CHATHURTHI CELEBRATIONS

Happy Vinayaka Chaturthi to all! These were the dishes I prepared for the occasion: Waltnut halwa, sambar, sundal, pongal, vadai, kozukatai. I prepared only one type of kozukatai since my husband is not a big fan of these sweets. The walnut halwa came out very well. I'll post the recipe for walnut halwa on my next post.

PAGADA KURMA

PAGADA KURMA
This is a standard dish that my MIL makes during Krishna Jayanthi. She has been doing so for years now. She will be fasting throughout the day and will eat only after the pooja is over in the evening. Throughout the day, she will be making sweets and other savory items for the pooja. This was the first time I tried pagda kurma and it came out very well. This goes well with rice but the ideal combination for this kurma are idlis and dosas.

INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE PAGADAS:
Channa dhal, 1 cup, soaked for 2-3 hours.
Fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon.
Rice powder, 1 tablespoon.
Garlic, 2 cloves.
Ginger small pieces.
Green chilies, 3.
Salt, as per taste.
Red onion, medium-sized, 1.
Curry leaves, a handful.
Cilantro, a handful.

FOR THE KURMA:
Onion, medium-sized, 1.
Tomato, 1.
Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
Cinnamon, 1 small stick.
Fennel seeds, ½ teaspoon.
Bay leaf, 1.
Coconut milk, 1 cup (or) fresh coconut ground with khus-khus into a smooth paste, 1 cup.
Chili powder, 2 teaspoons.
Coriander powder, 1 teaspoon.
Turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon.
Salt, as per taste.
Curry leaves and cilantro for seasoning.

PREPARATION:
FOR THE PAGADAS:
Wash the soaked channel dhal and set aside. Grind the channa dhal along with the fennel seeds, chilies, garlic, and ginger without water. Chop the onion, curry leaves, and cilantro into small pieces. Add the onion, curry leaves, cilantro, rice powder, and salt to the ground channa dhal and mix everything well. Heat a kadai with 1 cup of oil. When the oil is hot, take a small amount of the ground mixture and flatten it with the palm of the hand and drop into the hot oil. When the pagadas rise up and turns golden-brown, remove them from the oil and drain the excess oil with a paper towel. Keep them aside.


FOR THE KURMA:
Chop the onion and tomato into small pieces. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the fennel seeds, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf and fry them for 1 minute. Add the chopped onion and tomato and sauté for few minutes. Then add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a minute until everything is well blended. Add the chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and fry for a minute until the raw smell of the spices goes. Add 1 cup of coconut milk with ½ cup of water with salt and cook over a medium flame for 10 minutes.

When the kurma starts to thicken add the fried pagadas into the kurma one by one. Let them soak in the kurma for half-an-hour and garnish with curry leaves and cilantro on top. Serve hot with idlis, dosas, or rice.

Krishna Jayanthi Celebrations

This is my first Krishna Jayanthi celebration in the US. I did not have Lord Krishna idol with me, so I had do without it. These were the dishes I made during the day. I’ll post the recipes one by one soon.

DISHES FROM RIGHT: Pagada kurma, kesari, kaara seedai, muruku, idlis, baked vella seedai.

WHOLE WHEAT TORTILLA PIZZA WITH CILANTRO PESTO

WHOLE WHEAT TORTILLA PIZZA WITH CILANTRO PESTO
This is my entry for the "Weekend Herb Blogging Event" started by Kalyn from http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/, hosted this week by Srivalli from "Cooking 4 all seasons". I have chosen cilantro as the herb in the dish. Though a common herb used everyday in most kitchen, I was amazed by the benefits of cilantro when I searched the web. Here are a few benefits of cilantro:
· A great source of iron and magnesium, which women should get a good supply daily
· Rich in phytonutrients and flavonoids, which helps protect against disease
· Lowers bad cholesterol (LDL) and raises good cholesterol (HDL)
· Is an anti-inflammatory that may alleviate symptoms of arthritis

Who knew that the humble cilantro had so many good characteristics? This is a healthy recipe too since I have used whole wheat tortilla as the pizza base and low-fat cheeses. A healthy and tasty way to enjoy pizza with less fat than the regular pizza.

FOR THE CILANTRO PESTO:
INGREDIENTS:
Cilantro, 1 big bunch.
Cashews, ¼ cup.
Grated parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons.
Garlic, 1 clove.
Salt as per taste.
Pepper, ¼ teaspoon.
Extra-virgin olive oil, ¼ cup.

PREPARATION:
This is a raw sauce, so extra-virgin olive oil is the best choice. The only difference of this sauce from a regular pesto sauce is that I have used cashews instead of pine nuts. The silkiness of the cashews goes very well with the cilantro in this case. It adds a good flavor to the sauce. Remove the leaves of the cilantro from the stems, wash them, and drain them. Take a blender and put the cilantro leaves along with ¼ cup cashews, 1 clove of garlic and give a few pulses until everything is ground coarsely. Add salt, pepper, grated parmesan cheese to the mixture. Then add the olive oil slowly and start blending everything together until a smooth paste is obtained. This pesto sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week. It can also be used for pastas.

FOR THE PIZZA:
INGREDIENTS:
Whole wheat tortilla wrap, 1.
Vegetables like bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots, red onions, everything coming to about 2 cups.
Baby spinach leaves, ½ cup.
Combination of grated cheeses like fontina and mozzarella coming to about 1 cup together.
Red chili flakes, 1 teaspoon, (optional).
Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon.

PREPARATION:
Take a tortilla wrap and rub a little oil on both sides. Place the wrap on a baking plate and bake it at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Meanwhile cut the vegetables into long thin slices and keep them aside. After 10 minutes, take the plate from the oven. Apply the cilantro pesto on one side of the wrap. Then arrange the vegetable slices and baby spinach leaves all over the wrap. Cover it with grated fontina and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese and chili flakes if needed all over the top. Bake it for another 5-10 minutes at 350 degrees until the cheeses turn bubbly. Remove the pizza from the oven and cut it big slices and serve.

QUICK AND EASY MOONG DHAL WITH RED AMARANTH LEAVES

QUICK AND EASY MOONG DHAL WITH RED AMARANTH LEAVES

This recipe is from my MIL. She prepares kootu with moong dhal with vegetables like eggplant or sometimes with greens like amaranth for breakfast to go as a side dish for idlis and dosas. That was a new concept for me but I liked this combination. Her method is fast and easy with the total preparation time for the dhal taking only 10-15 minutes. The only variation that I have used here is to reduce the dhal a little bit and increased the greens since I like the red color of this green. The taste was also excellent this way. If needed the dhal content can also be increased to ½ cup. Here goes the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
Moong dhal, ½ to 1 cup. (I have used only ½ cup here).
Red amaranth leaves, 1 bunch.
Small onions, 1 cup.
Tomatoes, small, 2.
Green chilies, 3.
Garlic, 3 cloves.
Mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon.
Cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon.
Asafetida, 1 pinch.
Salt as per taste.
Vadakam ½ teaspoon, (optional).
Turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon.

PREPARATION:
Wash the moong dhal. Remove the amaranth leaves from the thick stems and rinse them to take out the dirt. Chop the greens into small pieces and keep aside. Peel the onions and keep aside. Chop the tomatoes and slit the green chilies into 2. Crush the garlic coarsely. Take a pressure cooker or a pressure pan and put the washed moong dhal, chopped greens, peeled onions, chopped tomatoes, slit green chilies, crushed garlic, turmeric powder, salt as per taste along with 1-1/2 cups of water. Pressure cook for about 10-15 minutes up to 3 whistles. Transfer the cooked dhal to a vessel when the pressure is released. Meanwhile heat a small pan with 1 teaspoon of oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start to splutter, add the cumin seeds, vadakam, asafedtida let them fry for 30 seconds and switch off the stove. Add the seasonings to the dhal and mix everything well and serve hot with idlis, dosas, rotis, or rice.

WHOLE WHEAT PANCAKES WITH STRAWBERRY GLAZE

WHOLE WHEAT PANCAKES WITH STRAWBERRY GLAZE
I had this recipe from a cooking website (I don’t remember which one) for quite sometime now though I was a bit skeptical to try pancakes at home. Today I gave it a try and the result was excellent. I tweaked the recipe a little bit by adding cardamom powder to the strawberry glaze and adding jaggery instead of brown sugar (since I did not have brown sugar) to the pancake batter. These pancakes remind of grandma’s ragi adais with jaggery. This is a healthy recipe and a diabetic-friendly recipe since whole wheat is only used here. The only sugar used here is the jaggery. If needed, the jaggery can be omitted and 2 small packets of Splenda can be added here. I have also cut down the sugar in the glaze by adding Splenda instead of sugar for health reasons. Sugar can also be added here. Here goes the recipe:

FOR THE STRAWBERRY GLAZE:
Strawberry (fresh or frozen) 1 cup
1 tablespoon of sugar or 3 small packets of Splenda
1 teaspoon cardamom powder.

Preparation: If fresh strawberries are used, remove the thin stems from the berries. Take a small pan and put the strawberries along with the cardamom powder and sugar or Splenda. Keep the flame low and keep stirring until the strawberries breaks down and becomes into a pulpy consistency. Switch off the stove and keep aside.

FOR THE PANCAKES:
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 Tablespoon jaggery or 2 small packets of Splenda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons low-fat butter

Preparation: Mix the ingredients well. Heat a flat pan and pour onto griddle in pancake sized puddles. Flip the pancake after 20-30 seconds when bubbles start coming along the edges which indicates that one side is cooked. Let the other side cook for another 30 seconds and remove them from the pan. Serve the hot pancakes with butter and strawberry glaze.

KALE AND WHITE BEAN SOUP

KALE AND WHITE BEAN SOUP

I have never used kale before but after hearing a lot about these vibrant greens, I decided to try these. I had no idea how will they taste, so instead of using them with dhals, I decided to make a soup with them. I love the flavor and butteriness of the white beans in this soup and I topped it with alfalfa sprouts. They add a great taste to the soup. Any other beans or vegetables can also be added here. If needed chicken broth or vegetable broth can also be added instead of water for good flavor. This hearty soup makes a complete meal just by itself.

INGREDIENTS:
Kale, 1 big bunch.
White beans, 1 cup, soaked overnight.
Red onion, medium-sized, 1.
Tomato, 1.
Garlic, 2 cloves.
Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
Cumin powder, ½ teaspoon (optional).
Salt, as per taste.
Alfalfa sprouts, handful.

PREPARATION:
Drain the white beans, wash them, and cook them on stove top until tender. Retain the beans with the cooking liquid. Take half of the cooked beans and purée it to a fine paste with the use of a blender. Wash the kale and chop it into small pieces and keep aside. Chop the onion and tomato into small pieces. Crush the garlic coarsely. Heat a pan and add 2 teaspoons of oil to the pan. Add the chopped onions, tomato and crushed garlic and sauté everything together for a few minutes until everything is well blended. Add a teaspoon of chili powder, ½ teaspoon of cumin powder, salt as per taste and fry everything together until the raw smell of the spices go. Then add the cooked beans along with its cooking liquid and the puréed white bean mixture with 3 cups of water. If chicken broth or vegetable broth is used, add 2 cups of broth along with 1 cup of water. Then add the chopped kale and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes. Then add the alfalfa sprouts and let it cook for another minute and serve the soup hot along with any toasts or crackers.