I prepared this simple dish from some left over mung bean sprouts I had after making a salad. I added some methi leaves and some seasonings and it was totally delicious. It went well with rice and rasam. I have kept the preparation very simple without adding any powders. If needed, sambar powder and chili powder can be added to this dhal for additional taste.
INGREDIENTS:
Whole moong dhal or mung bean sprouts, 1 cup.
Methi (fenugreek) leaves, 1 bunch.
Medium-size red onion, 1.
Green chilies, 1-2.
Garlic, 1 clove or garlic paste, 1/2 teaspoon.
Mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon.
Cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon.
Asafetida, 1 pinch.
Salt as per taste.
Curry leaves and chopped cilantro for garnishing.
Turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon.
PREPARATION:
Wash the mung bean sprouts.Remove the methi leaves from the stems and rinse them to take out the dirt.Dice the onion and green chili finely and crush the garlic coarsely.Take a pressure cooker or a pressure pan and put the washed mung bean sprouts, greens, diced onions, chilies, crushed garlic, curry leaves, turmeric powder, salt as per taste along with some water just enough to cover everything.Pressure cook for about 10-15 minutes up to 3 whistles. When the pressure is released, mash the content with the back of the spatula.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, asafetida let them fry for 30 seconds and switch off the stove.Add the seasonings to the dhal and mix everything well, garnish with chopped cilantro, and serve hot with idlis, dosas, rotis, or rice.
Dear friends, I hope everybody is having a good holiday weekend. We are having quite a busy weekend over here that I hardly had time to post this recipe, which I prepared on Christmas Eve. I found this cake recipe here. This is a simple one but delicious though made without any icing and it was perfect for us. We are not that much into icing and we love having some nuts topped on cake with dry fruits. I have used firm gala apples here and the apples were just a little bit softer after baking, which was so good. The changes I made to the original recipe are I used agave nectar instead of sugar, canola oil instead of butter, and whole wheat flour (King Arthur brand) instead of APF.
INGREDIENTS: 1. Whole wheat flour, 1-1/4 cup. 2. Diced apples, 1 cup. 3. Chopped walnuts, ½ cup. 4. 1 cup sugar or artificial sweetener. 5. Salt, a pinch. 5. Butter or oil, ½ cup. 6. Egg, 1. 7. Baking soda, ½ teaspoon. 8. Baking powder, ½ teaspoon. 9. Cinnamon powder, ¼ teaspoon.
PREPARATION: Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon powder together. Beat the egg, butter, salt and sugar in a bowl until the mixture is frothy. Add the diced apples, along with flour mixture and mix everything just a few times until there are no lumps in the batter. Pour the batter into a greased baking dish and add the chopped walnuts on top. Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees, let it cool, and enjoy.
I started preparing kichdi recently after seeing the recipe from a couple of food blogs. I found this dish totally comforting. The rice and dhal combination along with the spices makes a filling meal too. There were some recipes in which vegetables were also added. I made my own twist to this by adding some onions and methi leaves. Methi leaves or fenugreek leaves are very helpful in controlling the blood sugars. A teaspoon of dry fenugreek seeds soaked in water, when taken on an empty stomach in the morning is very helpful for reducing cholesterol, blood sugars, and reducing weight. I try to include these greens at least once a week in our diet either in dhals or potato dishes. I don’t know whether this is a traditional dish but this tasted really good. I paired it with a simple bell peppers curry.
INGREDIENTS:
1.Brown rice, 1 cup.
2.Whole moong dhal, ½ cup.
3.Onion, medium-size, 1.
4.Methi leaves, 1 big bunch.
5.Cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon.
6.Cinnamon, 1 small stick.
7.Bay leaf, 1.
8. Cardamom, 2 cloves.
9.Cloves, 2.
10.Salt as per taste.
PREPARATION:
Wash the rice and dhal together and soak it for 1 hour. Wash the greens and chop it 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 dhal and add it to the pan. Add 3 cups of water, salt, and the chopped greens, mix everything and cook everything until rice and dhal are cooked (it can be transferred to a microwave rice cooker or electric rice cooker at this stage). I used a pressure cooker for up to 3 whistles and cooked the rice. A teaspoon of ghee can be added once cooked and serve hot with any spicy side dish.
The inspiration for this recipe is from a Rachel Ray’s show (I saw it long back). I remember her mashing the beans with onions, garlic and spices with the back of a spatula and the serving suggestion was to top it on toasts. I used a 16-bean soup mixture instead of fava beans or black beans as suggested by RR. I made some changes to the original recipe and served it with crackers. The next day I made cutlets from the leftovers. We loved both the dishes. The cutlet tasted even better than the regular cutlets made with potatoes. Both these dishes are ideal low-carb evening snack foods.
FOR THE DIP
Ingredients:
Onion, large, 1.
Any types of cooked beans, 2 cups.
Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
Salt and pepper as per taste.
Chopped cilantro 1 cup.
Dried herbs like dill, mint, and basil, a pinch of each.
Italian seasoning or any type of seasoning mixture, ¼ teaspoon.
PREPARATION:
Drain the water from the beans and mash it into a smooth paste with the help of a blender or a spatula. Dice the onion finely. Heat a pan with a teaspoon of olive oil. When the oil turns hot, add the diced onions and sauté for a few minutes until the onions are well caramelized. Then add the mashed beans, ginger-garlic paste, dry herbs, seasonings, chopped cilantro, salt, and pepper and mix everything well. Let it cook for 5 minutes under medium flame until it reaches the desired consistency. Serve with any types of breads, chips, or crackers.
Variations:The ginger-garlic paste can be substituted with 2 cloves of crushed garlic. Some finely diced green chilies can also be added for some extra heat.
FOR THE CUTLETS:
Ingredients:
Refried beans, 1 cup.
Chili powder, ½ teaspoon.
Salt as per taste.
Whole wheat flour, ½ cup.
Whole wheat bread crumbs, 1-1/2 to 2cups.
PREPARATION:
Make small patties out of the refried beans. Take the flour in a small bowl, add ¼ cup water along with the chili powder and salt and make it into a smooth batter.Take the bread crumbs in a plate.Heat a flat bottomed pan with ¼ cup of oil.Create a work station arranging the plate with the patties first, the bowl with the flour batter next, and the bread crumbs plate next to that.When the pan is hot enough, take a patty and immerse it in the 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.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 hot cutlets hot with tomato sauce.
Paruppu usili is a traditional Tamilian dish made with vegetables and lentils. The usual veggies, which go well for this are green beans and cluster beans cooked with channa dhal. This is usually served as a side dish with rice and rasam or any spicy gravies. I tried making paruppu usili with colored bell peppers and it turned out wonderful. Since the peppers were a little bit sweeter, I increased the heat level of the dish a little bit. It was totally a tasty and colorful dish
INGREDIENTS: 1. Colored bell peppers, 2. 2. Channa dhal, ½ cup. 3. Red onions, 3. 4. Green chilies, 2. 5. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon, (optional). 6. Red chilies, small, 2. 7. Cumin seeds, ½ teaspoon. 8. Mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon. 9. Curry leaves and cilantro for garnishing. 10. Salt as per taste.
PREPARATION: Soak the channa dhal for 1 hour and grind it to a smooth paste with the red chilies and cumin seeds. Transfer the contents to a stainless steel container and steam them for 15-20 minutes and let it cool (I used idli plates and idli cooker for this). Once cooled crumble them into small pieces and keep aside. Meanwhile chop the bell peppers into small bite-size pieces, dice the onions finely, and slit the green chilies into 2. Heat a pan with a tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the mustard 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. Then add the ginger garlic paste, chopped bell peppers, and salt and keep sautéing for a few more minutes. When the peppers are half-done, add the crumbled channa dhal, mix everything well and keep cooking under medium-low flame for another 5-10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice and any spicy gravy.
This is my hubby’s favorite briyani, so I make this very often in the weekends. Some of my blogger buddies gave me the idea of cooking the briyani in the oven, I should really thank the one who came up with such an awesome idea. The flavors are concentrated when cooking in the oven and the briyani tastes so good. Again this my mother-in-law basic recipe for briyani. You can add cooked meat or vegetables instead of eggs. Most of the recipes featured in my blog are either from my grandma and my mother-in-law. My mom is a working mom (she still has a couple of years to go before retirement), so she is not that much into cooking., though these days she is trying out different dishes from all the blogs. I know my mom is going to get mad reading this post :)…that’s the idea!For the first time, hubby dear pitched in to take the photographs of the dish, so the photos will be a little bit different than my usual but I like it this way.
INGREDIENTS:
1.Basmati rice, good quality one, 1 cup.
2.Boiled eggs, 2.
3. 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. Salt as per taste.
17. Chopped cashews, 1 tablespoon.
PREPARATION:
Wash the rice well and soak it for one hour.To fry the eggs, heat a small pan with 1 tablespoon of oil and ¼ cup of water. Add 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder and a pinch of salt. Let it cook for a few minutes and when the mixture is thick, cut the eggs and place them gently on the pan. Turn the eggs once or twice until all the sides are well coated with the oil and each side gets brown. Set the eggs aside.Dice the onions and tomatoes finely. Heat a thick bottomed pan, preferably a pressure pan or pressure cooker 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 and salt and let it cook for a few more minutes. Drain the water from the rice and add the rice to the onion and tomato mixture. Let the rice get fried for 5 minutes along with the spices.Add 2 cups of water and mix everything well just once. Close the pan and increase the heat to high. Once everything starts boiling, slow down the flame to medium-low and let it cook for 10 minutes. At this stage the rice will be almost done.
For the usual briyani method, you can let the rice continue cooking and add the fried eggs, chopped mint and cilantro leaves in the end, let it sit for 30 minutes and serve with raita. For the oven method, add the fried eggs to a baking dish and pour over the briyani on the top of the eggs along with chopped mint leaves and cilantro and mix everything. Close the baking dish with aluminum foil as tightly as possible. Put the dish into a preheated oven and cook for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve hot briyani with raita and enjoy.
Note: A tablespoon of ghee can be added in the end before serving.
Banana walnut cake is my favorite. I make this very often like when I am bored or whenever we have overripe bananas. This is the cake recipe I have been following so far to bake this cake. This is a fool-proof recipe and results in a moist cake each time. I usually make a small cake preferably around 3-4 servings per cake just for the two of us. This is very ideal for portion control and it does satisfy our sweet cravings too. When using whole wheat flour for the cake, brown sugar or agave nectar is ideal instead of regular sugar or artificial sweeteners. It gives the cake a rich brown color. I have also added only ½ cup of flour and increased the nuts. The ingredients can be doubled accordingly.
INGREDIENTS: 1. Banana, 1 large. 2. Whole wheat flour, ½ cup. 3. Brown sugar, or any artificial sweetener (I have used agave nectar here), ½ cup. 4. Melted butter or oil (I have used canola oil here), ½ cup. 5. Egg, 1. (Can be substituted with 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal diluted with 1 tablespoon of water). 6. Chopped walnuts, ½ cup. 7. Baking soda, ½ teaspoon.
PREPARATION: Mix the flour with the baking soda in a bowl and keep aside. Add the peeled banana in another bowl and mash it into a paste with a fork. Add the oil, sweeteners, and egg to the mashed banana and mix everything well. The wet ingredients can also be added to a blender and mixed evenly; a hand blender also works perfectly for this. Now add the flour mixture to this slowly and mix everything just until there are no lumps in the cake batter. Transfer the contents to a well-oiled baking dish, add the chopped nuts on top of the batter and bake the cake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees. Let it cool and enjoy.
Dear friends, hope all of you had a wonderful weekend. This long weekend was a blast for us though we didn’t make any long trips. We went for some black Friday shopping, watched a couple of good movies, took good rest, and of course did some experiments in the kitchen :). I made this rasam from the leftover cranberries after making cranberry rice and dhal. Cranberries are perfect for rasam. This sourness is exactly what I wanted in a rasam. I didn’t add any tomatoes for the rasam but I think I can try adding some tomatoes next time when I making this rasam. For those who feel cranberries are too sour may be you can try adding just a couple of cranberries initially and reduce the amount of tamarind when trying for the first time. I followed my MIL’s method of making rasam here and along with her homemade rasam podi. We usually add crushed garlic in rasam. They can be substituted with garlic paste.
INGREDIENTS: (This makes up to 3 cups of rasam)
Cranberries, (fresh or frozen), 1/4th cup, probably around 5-6.
Tamarind, 1 small lime-sized.
Rasam powder (homemade or store bought). 1 teaspoon. (I will post the recipe soon).
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. Crush the garlic and keep aside. 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 cranberries and mix everything well. Keep stirring under low flame for 5 minutes until the cranberries are cooked and turn mushy. Then add the crushed garlic, salt, asafetida, and tamarind juice along with 3 cups of water 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.
This awesome recipe idea is from my hubby. With Thanksgiving Day just around the corner, who doesn’t get tempted on seeing abundant fresh cranberries in the market? I bought a big packet of cranberries with the idea of trying out cranberry pickle and maybe a dhal dish. It was my hubby who suggested after tasting the pickle that these taste as sour as tomato and why don’t we substitute these for tomatoes in thakali sadam (tomato rice), so here goes the recipe. Here I have used just 4-5 cranberries for half a cup of rice since we don’t prefer that much sourness in rice dishes. The cranberries can be increased or decreased according to individual preferences. Try adding 3 cranberries initially and when the mixture is cooked, just before adding the rice taste it for sourness and then add more cranberries if more sourness is preferred.
INGREDIENTS: 1. Any rice variety preferably basmati rice, 1/2 cup. 2. Cranberries (fresh or frozen),4-5. 3. Red onions, medium-size, 2. 4. Ginger-garlic paste, 1teaspoon. 5. Chili powder, 1 teaspoon. 6. Coriander powder, 2 teaspoons. 7. Garam masala (optional), ½ teaspoon. 8. Turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon. 9. Mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon. 10. Broken cashews, 1 tablespoon. 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. Dice the finely. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the fennel seeds and cashews and fry for a few seconds. Add the onions and sauté for a few minutes until the onions turn brown. Now add the ginger-garlic paste, all the powders, and salt. Mix everything well and cook for 5 minutes under low flame. Now add the cranberries and cook for a few more minutes until the cranberries get mushy and blend with the mixture. Add the cooked rice to this mixture and mix well. Garnish with curry leaves and chopped cilantro and enjoy.
CRANBERRY PICKLE
I tried cranberry pickle from my friend Malar’s blog and they turned out great. Thanks a lot Malar for this drool-worthy pickle recipe. I followed her recipe exactly here. For the original recipe, click here
I tasted this dish at my friend’s house recently. Initially when she served me this, I thought it was made with spinach. I couldn’t believe my friend when she told me that it was cilantro which gave the vibrant green color to the dish. It was so tasty and flavorful that I prepared it the same week. The key ingredient here is cilantro. I feel that adding tons of cilantro takes regular channa masala to a whole different level. The photo does not do any justice to the dish but most of the channa masala was devoured by my husband and me before I had a chance to take a click but I took a photograph anyway. I am sure everybody would love this once you gave it a try :)
INGREDIENTS:
Dry chickpeas, ½ cup.
Onion, medium-size, 1.
Tomato, 1.
Cilantro, 1 big bunch.
Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
Coriander powder, 2 teaspoons.
Garam masala or channa masala powder, 1 teaspoon.
Cumin powder, ½ teaspoon.
Salt as per taste.
PREPARATION:
Soak the chickpeas overnight or for 6-8 hours. Remove the cilantro leaves from the stems, wash them well and keep aside. Chop the onion and tomatoes into big chunks. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the chopped onions and sauté for a couple of minutes until the onions are caramelized. Then add the tomatoes and ginger-garlic paste and keep sautéing until everything is well blended. Switch off the stove and let it cool. Once everything is cool, transfer the contents to a blender along with the chopped cilantro. Blend everything into a smooth paste. Transfer everything into a pressure cooker. Add the chick peas, all the powders, salt, and the chickpeas along with 1 cup of water. Pressure cook for 2-3 whistles until the chickpeas are cooked. Once the pressure is released, it can be served as it is with chapathis. If needed, the dish can be cooked in a pan for a few more minutes under low flame to get the desired consistency.
I prepared this pasta dish in just 15 minutes after a long day out. We wanted to have something simple and tasty and I was not in the mood to cut any vegetables. I just cooked some pasta and tossed it with some sauces and lots of cilantro and it was absolutely delicious. Adding cilantro adds a nice subtle flavor to the dish. Again any type of vegetables can be added here for additional taste and nutrition.
INGREDIENTS
Any whole wheat pasta around ½ a packet.
Onion- 1.
Chopped cilantro, 1 cup.
Ground pepper according to taste.
Low-sodium soy sauce, 2 tablespoons.
Chili sauce, 1 teaspoon (optional).
Salt to taste.
PREPARATION
Cook the pasta to al-dente, drain the water, and let it cool.Meanwhile dice the onion finely. Add some oil to a pan or wok and when the oil is hot enough, add the onions and half of the chopped cilantro and sauté everything until the onion turns translucent. Then add the sauces, salt, pepper, and the cooked pasta and mix everything well. Mix in the remaining of the chopped cilantro at the end and serve hot.
I am back from my hibernation. It had been a month since I blogged. I was not feeling well with the change in weather and then my laptop was infected with virus. All my drafts including my project work had been deleted :(Now that everything has been restored, things are back to normal. I thank all my friends who were inquiring about me and also showering me with so many awards during the past one month. I’ll catch up with all your post soon :)
Coming to the recipe, this fry tastes almost similar to a chicken fry, a healthy dish for both vegetarians and meat-lovers. This dish is my hubby’s favorite. I make this as a side dish when I making briyani but this goes well with sambar, rasam, or curd. I have added some roasted peanuts at the end, even roasted cashews can also be added here.
INGREDIENTS
Soya nuggets around 1 cup.
Onions, medium-sized -2.
Ginger-garlic paste- 1 teaspoon.
Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
Coriander powder, 2 teaspoons.
Turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon.
Mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
Green chilies, 1 (optional).
Cumin seeds-1 teaspoon.
Garam masala (optional, tastes good even without garam masala).
Salt, as per taste.
Roasted peanuts, ¼ cup.
Curry leaves and cilantro for garnishing.
METHOD
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, drain them, and cut into small bite-size pieces. Dice the onion finely and slit the green chilies into two. Heat a kadai and add 1 tablespoon of oil.When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the cumin seeds and fry them for a few seconds. Now add the onions, chili, and a sprig of curry leaves and sauté well for a few minutes until the onions have caramelized, and then add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a minute. Add chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and salt, and fry everything for a few minutes until the spices lose their raw smell. If needed a tablespoon of water can also be added at this stage. Reduce the heat and add the chopped nuggets and peanuts and mix everything well. Cook closed under low flame for 5 minutes until everything is well blended and the soya granules absorb all the flavors. Turn off the heat, garnish the dish with cilantro on top and serve with rotis, idlis, and dosas.
This picture had been lying in my draft for a long time. I made this dish during those days when I used to make a dish and post it on the same day with the date on the picture. I found this out today as I was going through the old pictures. I guess its better late than never :) This is a recipe of my friend. I learnt this dish from her during my early marriage days when we were in Hyderabad. She usually prepares this as a side dish for idlis and dosas rather than with rice. This is more or less similar to kothsu and the moong dhal added here is very less compared to the regular kootus. I think this kootuu must go well with rice too though we have not yet tried it with rice. Here goes the recipe:
INGREDIENTS: Moong dhal, ¼th cup. Eggplant, a big one if bigger varieties like Japanese eggplants are used or 4-5 if regular small-sized ones are used. Small onions, 1 cup. Tomatoes, small, 2. Chili powder, 1 teaspoon. Coriander powder, 1 teaspoon. Sambar powder, ½ teaspoon (optional). Garlic, 2 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. Chop the eggplants and tomatoes into small pieces. Peel the onions and crush the garlic coarsely. Take a pressure cooker or a pressure pan and put the washed moong dhal, chopped eggplants, tomatoes, peeled onions, crushed garlic, turmeric powder, all the powders, 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. The eggplants will be well mashed up at this stage. If they are still whole, mash them with a spatula. 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, asafetida let them fry for 30 seconds and switch off the stove. Add the seasonings to the kootuu and mix everything well and serve hot with idlis, dosas, rotis, or rice.
Thanks to the Food Buzz team for sending me Nature’s Pride Breads as a part of their TasteMaker’s Program. We have never brought Nature’s Pride breads before and I like the texture of these breads particularly the 12-grains bread. We have been having these as a simple peanut butter and jam sandwiches. I am planning to try something different with these too like a bread pudding for the weekend.
Split peas vadais are similar like the regular peas and channa dhal vadais. I had some split peas in the pantry after making some split peas soup, so thought of using them in vadais instead of regular peas. These fritters came out pretty well. We had this as a side dish with rice and vathakuzumbu. These fritters can also be had as an evening snack with some ketchup. I have grinded the vadai batter into a smooth paste since I like the vadais to be crispy on the outside and soft inside. For crispier vadais, the peas can be ground into a coarse paste. For this consistency, run the blender for just one or two pulses.
INGREDIENTS: Split peas, 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.
PREPARATION: Wash the soaked split peas and grind them along with the fennel seeds, chilies, garlic, and ginger without water. Chop the onion, curry leaves, and cilantro into small pieces. Add the chopped onion, curry leaves, cilantro, rice powder, and salt to the ground split peas 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 vadais rise up and turns golden-brown, remove the vadais from the oil and drain the excess oil with a paper towel. Serve the hot vadas with ketchup.
I tasted this dish for the first time in a restaurant in Chennai and wanted to try this at home ever since. Since manchurian dishes are usually deep fried, I have been putting it off for a long time (the original version of this dish is a deep-fried version where the fish sticks are coated with a cornflower batter, fried, and then mixed with the sauces).Then the idea of baking the fish and adding everything to the sauce struck me and I think it turned out pretty well. I even tried this dish with tandoori chicken and that was awesome too without the extra calories from the oil. I have used salmon here. Any types of fish works well in this dish. Even baked shrimp can also be used.
INGREDIENTS: Salmon, around, 2-3 slices with the skin removed. Red onion, 1. Green, yellow, and red bell peppers, ½ of each. Chili powder, 1-1/2 teaspoons. Food color or paprika powder, ½ teaspoon. Salt as per taste. Lemon juice, 1 tablespoon. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon. Garlic, 2 cloves. Aji-No-Moto or MSG, 1/4 teaspoon, (optional). Tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon. Soy sauce 1 tablespoon.
PREPARATION: Cut the salmon into bite-size pieces. Add 1 teaspoon of chili powder, paprika powder or food color, ginger-garlic paste, salt, and lemon juice to the fish and mix well. Let it marinade for 30 minutes. Arrange the salmon pieces on a baking tray and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes until the fish is cooked and a brown crust is formed on top of the pieces. The fish can also be cooked in a regular flat pan or cast-iron pan with a little oil. Meanwhile cut the 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 bell peppers, onions and crushed garlic and sauté everything for a minute. Then add 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder, salt, Aji-No-Moto, soy sauce, 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 salmon into the mixture and mix everything well. Garnish with spring onions on top and serve hot with fried rice or briyani.
Dear friends, wishing you all a Happy Vijayadasami. Here are some kolu pictures taken at my mother-in-law’s place in Pondicherry. See you all in my next post :)
This recipe is for my mother. My father is a diabetic and though his diet is controlled, there are some foods which he takes in moderation. These are particularly the ones which he loves like briyani, pongal, and SWEETS. I have been trying some to introduce some rice substitutions for my mom, which she can cook easily without going through a lot of trouble. When I say something like, “I tried this dish with cracked wheat or oats”, the first question that she asks me is “How does it taste”. You know how skeptical moms can be :( I hope she likes this picture of wheat pongal I have posted here and tries it soon. I have not used ghee here and still it tasted great. A spoonful of ghee or butter can also be added while seasoning.
INGREDIENTS:
Cracked wheat, 1 cup.
Moong dhal, ½ cup.
Ground pepper, 1 teaspoon.
Cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon.
Chopped cashews, 1 tablespoon.
Curry leaves, a handful.
Ginger, 1 small piece.
Green chili, 1 (optional).
Any cooking oil, 1 tablespoon.
Salt as per taste.
PREPARATION:
Dry roast the cracked wheat for 5 minutes and let it cool. Wash the moong dhal and cook it in a pressure cooker until it is well-cooked and turns mushy. Chop the ginger into fine pieces and slit the chili into 2 and keep aside. Heat a small pan with a tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the cumin seeds and cashews and fry for a minute until good smell comes cumin and the cashews turn brown. Then add the chopped ginger, curry leaves, and chili and fry everything for another minute. Now add the cooked dhal, cracked wheat with 2 cups of water along with salt, mix everything, and cook under medium flame until the whole dish turns to a pongal consistency. At this stage, add another tablespoon of oil or ghee and cook for a few more minutes under low flame. Switch off the stove and serve the hot pongal with coconut chutney and sambar.
This chutney is the same as the onion and tomato chutney I make regularly, only this time I substituted the tomatoes with cranberries. This chutney was a little sour, so I added some jaggery to balance the taste. It tasted so good with idlis and dosas. I even paired this chutney with wheat rava idlis next day and it tasted good with those idlis too. The jaggery can be replaced with brown sugar, regular granulated sugar, or any artificial sweeteners.
INGREDIENTS: Red onions, medium-sized, 2. Cranberries, fresh or frozen, 1 cup. Garlic, 2-3 cloves. Red chilies, 3-4. Asafetida, a pinch. Jaggery or brown sugar, 1 teaspoon. Salt as per taste. Mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon.
Preparation: Dice the onion into big chunks and keep aside. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil is hot enough, ad the onions and sauté them for a few minutes until they turn brown, then add the garlic cloves, red chilies, asafetida, and cranberries and sauté everything for a few more minutes until the cranberries start to burst. Let it cool and grind everything into a smooth paste and add some salt and jaggery as per taste. Heat another small pan with some oil and when the turns is hot, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Pour this mixture over the chutney and mix well. Serve with idlis, dosas, and chapathis.
If needed, the chutney can be diluted with a little water and cooked under low flame for a few more minutes to get the desired consistency.
I made whole wheat pizza from scratch this weekend. I made the crust with whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon of wheat germ, and ground flaxseeds. The crust tasted more or less similar to that of a regular pizza. The only topping I used here were some skim milk mozzarella cheese and caramelized onions. I cut the onions into long thin strips and sautéed them until they were brown and added it as the toppings. If you are crazy about onions like my hubby and I, you are sure to love this pizza :)
My dear friends Priya of http://ennsamaiyal.blogspot.com/ has awarded A giant bear hug award and Shobana of http://priars.blogspot.com/ has awarded me I love your blog award and tagged me. Thank you very much Priya and Shobana for making my day :) I am not doing my tag now since I have already posted my tags in my previous posts.
Dear Priya from http://recipes-priya.blogspot.com/ has awarded me The yum blog award, A giant bear hug award, and 360 foodie award. Thank you very much for these awards and reminding me about them Priya :)
Coming on to the recipe, I had this dish for the first time soon after my marriage when my mil prepared this for evening snack. Actually idli milagai podi is a very common evening snack in many Tamilian households. This is very easy to prepare too, takes just a few minutes if leftover idlis are at hand. This had to be eaten hot and when the idlis are crispy on the outside. I prepare this dish with sesame oil for a better taste. Another variation is the same dish can be made with bread too. This tastes really great and is much crispier than made with idlis but when bread is used, sesame oil is not ideal as it changes the taste of the dish. I have also included my mom’s idli milagai podi recipe here.
FOR THE PODI: Channa dhal, 1 cup. Urad dhal, 1. Mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon. Fenugreek seeds, 2-3. Salt as per taste. Red chilies, around 15 (this can be increased or decreased according to personal preferences). Curry leaves, 2 springs. (optional). Asafetida, 1 pinch.
Dry roast the dhal one by separately and let it cool by spreading it on a plate covered with paper tissue or newspaper. Dry the chilies, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, and curry leaves and let them cool. Once everything is cooled, blend everything to a smooth powder along with some salt and asafetida making sure the jar of the mixie or blender is completely dry. Transfer the contents to an airtight container, let it rest by leaving the lid open for an hour. This can be stored for up to 3 months outside.
FOR MAKING IDLI MILAGAI PODI: INGREDIENTS: Leftover idlis, 4-5. Idli podi, 2 tablespoons. Sesame oil, 1-2 tablespoon.
Cut the idlis into small bite-size pieces. Heat a pan with a little bit of oil and add the idlis and turn everything for a few seconds until the idlis pieces are coated with oil. Then sprinkle the idli podi over the idlis, add some more oil and keep sautéing under medium-high flame for a few minutes until everything turns crisp. Serve hot and enjoy.
TRIED AND TASTED VIKI’S INDIAN CHICKEN CURRY IN OVEN:
I tried Viki's chicken and it came out very well. I took of photograph of the dish to share it with everybody. I made a few variations to the dish like sautéing the onions, tomatoes, ginger garlic paste, and powders (instead of ground ingredients she had made) and then adding it to the cut chicken and baking it. This taste was completely different from my usual chicken preparation. The flavors and very much concentrated and tasty. Next time, I am planning to follow her recipe as it is and cook the chicken.
TOFU AND PEAS MASALA
This recipe was on my mind for long ever since I started cooking with tofu. It came out pretty good. Here I have fried the tofu a little bit to get that crispy brown color on tofu. The tofu can be added as such too. The same gravy can be used for paneer butter also.
INGREDIENTS:
1. Extra-firm or firm tofu, 1 small box.
2. Fresh or frozen green peas, 1 cup.
3. Medium-sized onions, 2.
4. Tomatoes, 2. Canned tomatoes works best too. If canned tomatoes are used, 1 cup is required.
5. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
6. Almonds or cashews, around 8-10 pieces.
7. Red chilies, 3-4.
8. Coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon.
9. Cardamom seeds, 2.
10. Fennel seeds, ½ teaspoon.
11. Cinnamon, 1 small stick.
12. Paprika powder, 2 teaspoons. (optional).
13. Salt as per taste.
14. Cilantro for garnishing.
PREPARATION:
Dice the onions and tomatoes finely and keep aside. Drain the water from the tofu and pat it dry with a paper towel. Cut the tofu into bite-size pieces. Heat a pan with a tablespoon of oil and place the tofu pieces on the pan leaving sufficient space between each piece. Fry the tofu under medium flame for 10 minutes, taking 5 minutes for each side. Remove the tofu from the pan and let it cool. In the same pan, add another teaspoon of oil and add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, fennel seeds, 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, paprika powder, and salt as per taste and let it cook closed for 5-10 minutes under low flame. Add the fried tofu and peas, mix everything, and cook for 2 more minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with chapathis. I am sending my recipe for Side Dish for Chapathi event hosted by Viki
