Wednesday, March 31, 2010

KICHIDI PULAV

We all know about moong dal kichidi or vegetable kichidi or many other forms. I feel kichidi is one of the comforting food and also quite a healthy version if made using many different ingredients. It is also a very easy, quick and one pot meal, which can be a good brunch recipe in the weekends. I want to share a kichidi dish i know which is an wholesome meal made using rice, lentils, vegetables, nuts & sprouts. I bet for its wonderful taste, flavor and nutrient rich.
This helps in getting your protein from the red lentils (Masoor dal). Vitamins, minerals, and fiber from vegetables, Sprouts and nuts. Try adding different kinds of vegetables also all kinds of sprouts you like to make this dish more richer and nutritional.
It can go well with any chutneys/pickle you like or also with aloo korma. Serve hot with ghee on it. I think this will be a perfect whole meal especially during cloudy and rainy days when you are really lazy to cook up a full course meal.Try it, i assure you will love it. It is very quick and easy.

VEGETABLE & SPROUTS KICHIDI PULAV


Ingredients:

Basmati rice - 1.1/2cup
Masoor Dal (erra Kandipappu/ Red lentils) - 1 cup
Onions - 1 medium size, chopped
Green chillies- 3 or 4 slit longitudinally.
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Ground nuts - 1/4 cup Cashews - 2tbsp
Curry Leaves Vegetables - 1Potatoes , 1-Carrot, 1/4 cup-Peas, 1 cup- Spinach (Palak).
Tomatoes - 1 medium size, chopped
Sprouts (Green and white pessarlu /Green & white gram) - 1/4 cup
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup , chopped
Salt- required.
Chilli Powder- 1/2 tsp Oil - 2tbsp
Water - 4 cup hot water

Method:

Put some oil in a pan, then add onions and slit green chillies, fry for few min until onions are light brown. Next add ginger garlic paste, fry it until the raw smell is gone. Then add groundnuts, cashew, curry leaves , chopped potatoes and carrot. let fry for few sec.
Next add 1 cup masoor dal (erra kandipappu), fry for couple minutes,then add basmati rice, sprouted white and green pessarlu (green gram), 4 cup hot water.
Next add chopped tomatoes, palak, coriander leaves, salt, little chilli powder,2sp ghee. Mix all the ingredients properly and let it cook until done (takes approx.20 min).
* After mixing all the ingredients, you can transfer the whole thing in to electric cooker and cook in it.

TIP OF THE DAY
To store green herbs live coriander leaves and mint leaves for longer duration. Place the herbs in a container and place a raw egg along with it, close the lid and place in the refrigerator. Use as required. This keeps them fresh for at least 2wks.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

UGADI SPECIAL


HAPPY UGADI
Wishing all a very prosperous New year. May the fruits of happiness ripen this year and success be all yours.



Ugadi/Yugadi mean (yuga - new era, aadi- start) Starting of a new year. It is celebrated by Andhra pradesh and karnataka called as Ugadi/Yugadi, In maharastra as Gudi padwa, and sindhis as Cheti chand. On this day everyone wait for the new panchangam and general forecast of the coming year.

The day begins with prayers, gathering, and praying to god. Especially everyone actually wait for different kind of sweets and savouries prepared on that day. Before all this, a special drink is made on this day which is eaten first called as Ugadi Pachadi, a mixture of different tastes indicating the fact that our life is a mixture of different experiences.

I am happy to share the dishes i prepared for the festival, ugadi pachadi, murkulu, carrot ladoo, and Mango rice.

UGADI PACHADI

Ingredients:

Tamarind water - 1 cup
Jaggery - 1/4th cup, grated
Mango - Cut in to small pieces/grated, 1/4th cup
Chilli powder - 1/4th tsp
Neem flowers/Methi seeds - 1/4th tsp
Salt- pinch
Coconut - chope in to small pieces, few

Method:

Mix all the above ia a bowl, add little water to thin the consistency.
If using methi seeds, soak them in hot water for 1/2hr and chop them and use.
You can reduce the amount of tamarind, if you do not like too much sourness.
You can add fruits fine banana, cut in to small pieces.
Tamarind is used for sourness, Jaggery for sweetness, Mango for tangyness, Chilli powder for hotness, Neem flowers for bitterness, and salt for saltiness.

MURKULU/JANTHIKALU

Ingredients:

Rice flour - 2cups
Urad dal/ urad flour - 1/2cup
Red chilly powder - 1/4th tsp
Salt - as required
Sesame seeds (Nuvullu/Til) - 1/2tsp
Ajwain (vamu) - 1/4 tsp
Butter/Oil - 1tbsp
Oil - for deep frying
Water - as required for mixing
Murku maker and plates

Method:

If using urad dal, dry roast the dals until light brown. Cool it, make in to fine powder. You can as well use the storebought urad dal flour directly.
Now mix both the flours, add salt and butter/oil to it and mix properly until it turns slightly grainy with butter added. This gives muruku crispy and smooth texture.
Next add the rest of the dry ingredients, mix properly. Use required amount of water and mix until a stiff dough is formed.
Now take a muruku maker, use any design plates as attachments. Take a small amount of dough and place it inside the murku maker. Press the muruku make directly in to the hot oil and deep fry until done and they turn light brown color. Dont worry whichever shape, it tastes great.


MANGO RICE

Ingredients:

Mango - 1 cup, Grated
Rice - 2 cups, cooked
Curry leaves - few
Coriander leaves - as required, finely chopped
Green chillies - chopped, 2 or 3
Cashews - few (optional)
Ground nut - optional
Turmeric- 1/4 tsp
Salt - as required
Hing - Pinch
For seasoning - Mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red chilly, urad dal, chana dal.
Oil - 2tbsp

Method:
Add oil to the hot pan, put the seasonings. When the mustard seeds splutter and dals turn light brown, add cashews, green chillies, coriander and curry leaves. Let them fry for few seconds. Next add the shredded mango and let cook for few minutes until mango is slightly cooked and tender. Add turmeric, salt and then the rice. Mix properly, check for salt. It tastes equally good as lemon rice.

CARROT LADOO

Ingredients:
Carrot - 1 .1/2cup, grated
Honey - 1/2cup
Dry fruits - almonds, cashews, raisins, walnuts, 20r3tbs
Cornflour - 1tbsp
Cardamom powder (elaichi) - 1/4tsp
Fresh coconut - 1/2cup, grated
Oil/butter - 1tbsp(optional)
Method:
Dry roast the nuts and powder fine / coarsely to have a crunchy effect.
Dry roast the grated coconut until light brown and keep aside on a plate
Take a non stick pan, add the carrot and fry it without the oil/butter (it is optional to use. I did not use in this receipe). Keep stirring until it turns slight tender. Now add the honey to it and let the carrot cook in the honey for 3-4min on low flame.
Next add the elaichi powder, nuts powder, mix properly. Lastly, add cornflour (for binding) and mix for couple minutes and remove from stove. Let cool and make the carrot mixture in to small lemon size balls. Then roll the ladoos in the grated coconut. A healthy, and delicious ladoo is ready

Friday, March 12, 2010

RAVA IDLI

Hello! all. I like to share a very quick as well as a delicious south indian breakfast RAVA IDLI. Unlike the regular idli, this does not require any beforehand planning, soaking and fermenting for hours. My husband loves this over the regular one. It can be prepared plain or using any vegetables you like, and the seasoning to this dish gives it an extra taste and flovour. The curds used in this dish gives the idlis its softness and taste.
Do you know the history of rava idli, how it originated? I read an article about it-It is a speciality of the state of Karnataka in India and the popular restaurant chain, Mavalli Tiffin Rooms (MTR) of Bangalore claims to have invented it. According to Mavalli Tiffin Rooms, during World War II, when rice which is the staple item used in idli was in short supply, they experimented in making idli using semolina and created Rava Idli.


Ingredients:

Rava / Semolina (coarse) - 1 cup
Curd - 1 cup
Water - 1/2cup
Green Chillies - 2/3, chopped
Curry leaves - few, finely chopped
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp, finely chopped
Cashews - 1 tbsp, broken
Turmeric - pinch (optional)
Carrot - shredded, 3tbsp
Peas - 3tbsp
Salt - required
Baking soda/powder - 1 pinch
Seasoning - mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, chanadal
Ghee/oil - 2tbsp

Method:

First fry the rava/semolina in 1 tbsp oil until you get a nice aroma and it turn light brown.
Beat the curd until smooth. Add the curd, salt and baking soda to the rava and mix properly until idli batter consistency.
Heat a tbsp oil to a sauce pan, add the seasoning to it, fry until the mustard seeds splutters, and dals turn light brown. Add the curry leaves, green chillies, cashews, and coriander leaves.
Add the seasoning and the vegetables(carrots & peas) to the batter and mix properly. check for the salt. Leave the batter for 10-15 min.
Grease the idli plates with oil, pour 1tbsp of batter in each mould and steam in pressure cooker for 1-2 whistles or in idli steamer until done.
Serve hot with coconut/tomato chutney.


Monday, March 8, 2010

Double ka meeta - Bread Pudding


MARCH 8 2010
WISHING A VERY HAPPY WOMAN'S DAY TO YOU
May your happiness, spirit and success be with you always

I would like to celebrate this day with a very popular hyderabadi sweet dish Double ka meeta. This is one of my family's favorite dish. It is prepared using white bread ( called as double roti, hence the name), milk and sugar syrup.


Ingredients:

White bread slices-10
Sugar - 2 cups
Water - 2 cups
Cardamon powder - 1/4 tsp
Dry fruits - Cashews, Almonds, Raisins, Pistachios
Saffron - 3-4 strands
Milk - 5 cups
Oil / ghee - to deep fry

Method:

If possible air dry the bread pieces before day to remove the moisture from the bread. This way bread slices will not absorb too much oil.
Cut the sides of the bread and then cut in to triangles. Deep fry these slices in the oil/ghee until light brown colour. Keep aside. In the same oil, fry the dry fruits and keep aside.
Boil the milk in a saucepan until it reduces to half its original amount.
In a pan add sugar and water and let boil until the syrup is slightly thick. Add cardamom powder, and saffron strands. Remove from the stove. (Amount of sugar varies according to your taste).
Dip the bread pieces in the sugar syrup and arrange in a flat dish. Then pour the reduced milk on top of the bread slices to soak and sprinkle the dry fruits and little cardamom powder.
Yummy double ka meeta is ready. Enjoy.
* you can use Half milk and half condensed milk if you wish.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

CHANA PALAK

Chole Masala, one of the most popular and favorite Indian dish all over the world. Chole also called as chick peas, chana, or garbanzo beans. But ,today i like to talk about a good and healthy combination of a vegetable(spinach/palak) and Legume/Dal (chick peas) i.e. chana palak.
Chana palak is one of the classical dish that is made using chick peas, palak and tomatoes. This is surely full of flavour and nutrients.Chole are a good source of protein, folic acid etc. It helps in lowering High BP and a low calorie food. And coming to spinach as we all know a very nutrient-dense leafy vegetable, a good source of iron, folate, fiber.
Serve this dish with chapatis/rice and raita to make it a balanced meal. How about getting all these good benefits from this great combination dish called Chana or chole palak.

Ingredients:

Chole/Chana/Chick peas/Garbanzo beans - 1 small can (15 oz).
Palak - 1 bunch.
Tomato - 1 chopped.
Onions - 1 medium size, chopped.
Turmeric - 1/2tsp.
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1/2tsp.
Green Chillies - 2 or 3 slit longitudinally or chopped.
Chilly Powder - 1/2tsp.
Coriander (Dhaniya) Powder - 1 tsp.
Garam masala - 1/4tsp
Jeera/Jilkara - 1/4 tsp
Coriander leaves - For flavour and garnish.
Oil - 1tbsp

Method:

Drain the chana from can, wash and keep aside.
Wash palak leaves, blanch in hot water for few sec. let it cool and puree it.
Add oil to pan, add jeera, then chopped onions. Fry until transparent, then add ginger garlic paste, turmeric, and chopped green chillies. Add chopped tomatoes, red chilly powder and coriander powder. Cook until tomatoes are soft and cooked. Next add the chana to it, then the palak puree. Mix properly, add required salt and cook until spices blend in. Finally add coriander leaves and sprinkle garam masala. Try it with hot chapatis / rotis.


TIP OF THE DAY:
Does your cutting board smell from the previous day's remains? Use baking soda to clean and deodorize your cutting boards. Sprinkle baking soda on damp sponge, scrub and rinse clean. Another way to clean and disinfect your wood cutting boards is to wipe with vinegar or lemon, the natural disinfectants.






Monday, March 1, 2010

VANKAYA MENTHI KARAM

Brinjal , also called as Eggplant and Aurbergine. It is one of the versatile vegetable that can be prepared in to different dishes along with other vegetables or using different spices. Guthi Vankaya, one famous andhra dish that comes first thing in our mind when we think of Brinjal and also a famous dish that is always in any parties/functions. Going farward will share more different brinjal dishes. Today i would like to share a dish called Vankaya menthi karam.
This is a recipe i got it from one of the cooking show on TV. The fenugreek seeds and mustard powders used in this give a strong flavour to the dish. Try it. It is easy and fast.

VANKAYA MENTHI KARAM

Ingredients:

Brinjal - 6-7 cut in to small pieces
Tamarind juice - 1/2cup
Onions -1 chopped
Curry leaves - few
Mustard seeds - 1/2tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2tsp
Urad dal (minappappu) - 1 tsp
Red chillies - 3-4
Salt - required
Turmeric - 1/4tsp
Oil - 2 sp
Method:
Put the chopped brinjal, salt , turmeric and tamarind water in apan and cook until brinjal is cooked. Add more water if required to cook.
Take a pan, add 1 sp oil then add urad dal, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and red chillies. fry all these lightly and make a paste with water and salt.
Now Put some oil in another pan, add the masala paste, curry leaves and then the cooked brinjal to it . Mix properly, check for salt and spicyness. Add coriander leaves, mix and serve.
* you can adjust the redchillies according to your spiciness.
* Receipe asked for 1 cup of tamarind water, i used 1/2 cup tamarind and 1/2cup water. You can vary depending on your taste. I added a 1/4tsp sugar to this dish to adjust the tangy flavour, it is not required if you like.

BEETROOT FRY

Beetroot is one of my favourite dish. Especially i love to drink beetroot juice. I was not very good at making beetroot fry, i use to chop it in small pieces and do, but never would come out well. When you grate the beetroot and use it in this receipe , it really works out and also cooks faster in its own steam. This way it is quick to make. I got this receipe from my friend Jaya.
Beetroot is one of the healthiest vegetable which can be eaten raw, cooked or in form of juice. It is best known as blood purifier. It is a natural source of Vitamin C, calcium, iron. It helps building blood in body. It has many more healthy benefits to be included in our regular diet. Hope you all will enjoy this receipe.


BEETROOT FRY



Ingredients:

Beetroot - 3 medium size
Onions - 1 finely chopped
Green chillies - 3/4 slit
Curry leaves - few
Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Ginger-Garlic paste - 1/2tsp (optional)
Groundnuts - 1/4 cup
Coriander leaves - 1/4cup finely chopped
Salt - required
For tadka (Seasonning)- Mustard seeds, Jeera/ Jilkara, Red chillies.

Method:

First peel the beetroot and grate the vegetable.
Put some oil in the pan, add the seasoning/tadka. When mustrad seeds splutter, add chopped onions and wait until they tuen translucent, then add ginger garlic paste. fry until teh raw smell is gone. Now add turmeric, curry leaves, green chillies, and ground nuts. Let it fry for few minutes. Next add the grated beet root and fry for few min. Cover the pan for few min until the beetroot is cooked. Then add salt, chilli powder, simmer for few minutes. Finally add coriander leaves, mix and remove from stove. Beet root fry is ready. Serve with hot Rice & ghee or chapatis.

TIP OF THE DAY:
Worrying from cold. Drinking lemon juice with hot water and a little honey is the best treatment for colds.