CHANNA PULAV

Channa has good source of protein and dietary fibre and pulav with channa made it very rich and healthy. Hope everybody will like this...


INGREDIENTS:

Basmati Rice - 2 cups

White Kabuli Channa - 1/2 cup

Tomatoes - 3 big suze

Onion – 2 medium size

Green chilies - 2

Garlic - 4 flakes

Oil – As required

Coriander leaves - 1/2 bunch

Cinnamon - 1 inch piece

Cardamoms - 1

Cloves - 2

Bay leaf - 1

Garam Masala - 1/2 teaspoon

Ghee – 2-3 tsp

TO GRIND:

Onions – 2 medium size

Red chillies – 8 (adjust according to your spiciness level)

Cumin Seeds -1 teaspoon

Garlic – 8 flakes

Grated fresh coconut - 3 tablespoons

METHOD:

· Heat pan with little oil and fry red chillies, cumin seeds, garlic, and onions.

· Cool and grind along with coconut and tomato.

· Soak Channa overnight and pressure cook with little salt for 4 whistles.

· Soak rice in warm water for 10 minutes and drain water completely.

· Heat pain with some oil, add the spices, then garlic and fry till brown.

· Add slit green chilies and onion. Fry for a minute and then add ground masala.

· Add garam masala and salt and mix well.

· Then, add cooked channa, rice, and double the amount of water/coconut milk and pressure cook for 2 whistles.

· Once pressure is released, add ghee, mix well, and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with any side dish of your choice.

SPICY MASAL VADA

One of the famous South Indian specialty snacks. Takes less time to prepare and is a perfect tea time snack.

INGREDIENTS:

Bengal gram - 1cup

Toor dal – 1/2 cup

Urad dal – 1/4 cup

Green chilies – 5 (adjust according to your spiciness level)

Asafoetida powder – a pinch

Salt to taste

Onion – 1 big size (finely chopped)

Coriander leaves/ curry leaves - few (finely chopped)

Shredded ginger – little

Oil to fry

METHOD:

· Wash and soak the dals for one hour approximately.

· Keep about 2-3 tsp of dals dhal separately in the bowl and grind the remaining dals coarsely with salt and a pinch of asafoetida without adding water.

· To this ground mixture, add chopped green chilies, onion, curry leaves, coriander leaves, shredded ginger, and the dals (2-3 tsp) which is kept separately before grinding.

· Heat oil in a pan and make balls off the dough and flatten them into the shape of vadas and fry till golden brown.

OATS PONGAL

I have already talked enough about Oats.. I tried pongal using Oats…The best thing is my hubby could not find out its done using Oats!! It turned out in such a good way…Herez the recipie..

INGREDIENTS:

Oats – 1 cup

Moong dal – 1/4 cup

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Peppercorns – 1 tsp

Asafoetida – small piece

Ginger – little

Cashews – 5 (optional)

Ghee – little

METHOD:

· Pressure cook oats and moong dal adding salt in enough water for four to five whistles. It can be in the ratio of 1:3.

· Meanwhile, grind asafoetida, peppercorns, cumin seeds, and ginger.

· Once pressure is released, heat the pan with little ghee, add the ground items and fry for some seconds. Then, add this seasoning to the Oats-Dal mixture. Mix well until the seasoning and Oats-Dal mixture combine together thoroughly.

· If needed, fry cashews in little ghee to golden brown and add to the mixture.

· The final consistency will be like a pudding. Serve hot with any side dish of your choice.

This is on the way to FIC-YELLOW at http://tumyumtreats.blogspot.com/2009/01/announcing-food-in-colors-january-2009.html hosted by sunshinemom of tongue ticklers.

MY FIRST AWARD –YOU PEOPLE HAVE MADE MY DAY!!!

Mahimaa and Viki Xavier have passed me the lemonade award. I am speechless and wordless now. Being a new blogger, I feel very enthusiastic and motivated. I am able to see the young girl in me jumping with happiness. Thanks much for remembering me and passing the award dears…

I would like to pass this award to Jaishree, AnuSriram, and Malar Gandhi..

GREEN MOONG DAL DOSA (PESARATTU)

Green moong dal is packed with protein in its raw form, an essential part of a vegetarian diet. A pesarattu is a delicious type of dosa made specifically from green moong dal, however, I adjusted the ingredients according to my taste. Pesarattus can be eaten at anytime of the day; as breakfast, brunch or even for dinner. This wonderful and tasty recipe is easy to prepare and very nutritious. Of note, one medium size dosa contains approximately 130-150 kilocalories.

INGREDIENTS:

Green Moong Dal (Whole) – 1 cup

Parboiled rice – 1-1/2 cup

Raw rice – 1/2 cup

Bengal gram – 2 tsp

Toor dal – 2 tsp

Red chilies – 8-10 (adjust according to your spiciness level)

Asafoetida – a pinch

Salt – As needed

Onion – 1 medium size

Finely chopped coriander and curry leaves – few

Oil – As required

METHOD:

· Wash and soak the dals and rice separately for three hours.

· Grind it to a smooth paste along with red chilies, salt, and asafoetida. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and add the finely chopped onions and coriander and curry leaves. Mix well to combine and set aside as needed. The batter should have a pouring consistency similar to that of dosa.

· Heat the dosa pan, pour the batter and spread it from the center. Pour a tsp of oil over the edges.

· When one side is cooked well, flip over to the other side. If necessary, add little oil over the edges, and remove when it is fully cooked.

· Serve hot with any side dish of your choice.

Am going to send this to the FIC-Yellow at http://tumyumtreats.blogspot.com/2009/01/announcing-food-in-colors-january-2009.html hosted by sunshinemom of tongue ticklers.

As suggested by Adlak's and Anu, am also sending this to EC's Breakfast event http://simpleindianfood.blogspot.com/2008/12/mbpeasy-breezy-breakfast-event.html and Srivalli's Legume Affair Event http://cooking4allseasons.blogspot.com/2009/01/announcing-my-legume-love-affair.html. Thanks for reminding me Adlak's and Anu..

VEGETABLE MEDHU VADA

Medhu vada is a traditional south Indian dish that is prepared on every festive occasion. Although it is deep fried, if prepared correctly, the end product will not be too oily. Usually I make it only on festive occasions and at that time I could not do justice to my dietary restrictions and think about calorific counters…But the best part in me is I incorporate veggies in all possible ways as much as I can and I don’t mind to add veggies even in the deep fried ones.

INGREDIENTS:

Urad dhal – 2 cups

Salt – as per taste

Oil – as required

Carrot – 1

Carrot – 50 g

Onion – 1 (optional, I didn’t add as it was offered as neivedhyam to God on Pongal)

Boiled potato – 1 medium size

Ginger – 1 small piece

Green chilly – 5-7

Finely chopped curry leaves and coriander leaves – few

METHOD:

· Soak the urad dhal for 2 hours.

· Grind the urad dhal with very little water in the grinder, adding boiled potatoes and salt. Sprinkle water as and when needed. This is the most careful part in making perfect vadas. Adding boiled potatoes while grinding makes the vada crisper and fluffy. When the batter becomes a soft paste, remove and transfer to a bowl.

· Meanwhile, grate the carrot and ginger using the grater and chop the cabbage to thin medium slices. Chop the chilies very fine. We can also add green chilies while grinding urad dhal but that will give bland taste, instead adding the chilies to the batter gives spiciness enhancing the taste.

· Mix the veggies, curry leaves, green chilies to the vada batter thoroughly.

· Heat pan with oil. Meanwhile take a small amount of banana leaf or plastic sheet (ziplock), wet the leaf/sheet and hand, take a small amount of batter and spread in the leaf/sheet, gently press with the fingers to correct the shape, make a hole at the center. Take the vada in the hand removing the leaf and drop very carefully in the heated oil. Deep fry until it becomes golden brown.

· Serve hot with sambar/chutney.

Tips:
** If the batter has become watery, refrigerate for half an hour and make vadas.
** If you are not sure of the right time to remove, put a small amount of batter into water, it should float.
** Make sure the oil should be in medium heat. If the oil is too hot, it will burn the vadas.

Am sending this to srilekha's EFM - Savories Event .

INDIAN PANCAKE - CAPSICUM OOTHAPPAM

Oothappam is a traditional South Indian dish made from left over idli batter. Oothappams can be of any combination such as onion-tomato, onion-carrot, or onion-capsicum or simply onion. Also we should be aware that a medium size oothappam’s calorie ranges anywhere between 150-180.

INGREDIENTS:

Dosa batter – Required amount
Onion – Medium size 2 (finely chopped)
Capsicum – Big size 1 (finely chopped)
Coriander leaves – 1/2 bunch (finely chopped)
Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
Oil – Required amount

METHOD:

· Heat pan with little oil, add mustard seeds, when they crackle, add the chopped onions and necessary salt. Adding salt to the onions will make the onions turn brown fast. When the onion turns slightly brown, add the capsicum.
· When the capsicum becomes tender, add the coriander leaves. Mix well. Transfer the contents in a bowl and keep it aside.
· Heat dosa pan and spread a teaspoon of oil over it.
· When it becomes hot enough, take a ladleful of batter and spread on it. Pour a teaspoon of oil over the edges. Note it should be thick than a normal dosa.
· Sprinkle onion-capsicum mixture on the dosa evenly. When one side is cooked well, turn over to the other side carefully and press it with ladle. If necessary, add little oil over the edges, and remove when it is fully cooked.
· Serve with any kind of chutney/sambar.

MASALA PUFFED RICE/PORI

Masala pori is a perfect tea time snack. Having masala pori with a cup of coffee will be really delicious. This is a simple recipe that fills up and still makes us feel light even if we have overeaten. Usually, peanuts and puffed channa dal is added to the masala pori but I wanted to have a low-calorie version, hence didn’t added that, however, adding both peanuts and puffed channa dal will make it to taste more yummy. It can be prepared in large amounts and stored in an airtight container. Whenever we go for get-togethers or outing, I usually prepare this to avoid myself from eating fast-food items.

INGREDIENTS:

Puffed Rice – 1 litre

Crushed garlic flakes – 15

Curry leaves – few

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Chilly powder – 1/2 tsp (add more if you want it more spicy)

Powdered asafoetida – 1/2 tsp

Salt – to taste

Oil – 2 tsp

METHOD:

· Heat oil in a pan, add garlic flakes and curry leaves, once they have become brown, add turmeric powder, chilly powder, and asafoetida.
· Then add the puffed rice and salt, mix well and keep in flame for a minute or less than that if the volume is small, otherwise it will be overburnt.
· Switch of the stove. Crispy masala pori is now ready. Transfer the contents in an airtight container to maintain the crispiness.

Being a new blogger, I have not attended any events so far. This is the first event I am going to participate. Am going to send this to the FIC-- YELLOW at http://tumyumtreats.blogspot.com/2009/01/announcing-food-in-colors-january-2009.html hosted by sunshinemom of tongue ticklers.

OATS MORKALI

Oats, Oats, Oats!!!! This is the word we are hearing nowadays wherever we go…Whether it is a fitness consultant, medical consultant, dietitian, or nutritionist, the first thing everyone recommends is Oats. The craze has caught up because of its high medicinal properties. Eating Oats regularly lowers the blood cholesterol level. A diet which is rich in Oats helps stabilize blood glucose levels. It also has some unique fatty acids and antioxidants which together with vitamin E slow cell damage thus reducing the risk of cancer. It also absorbs the fat and flushes out of the system and helps constipation because of its high fiber content. Thus, it has become a responsibility of every mother and wife to be innovative in cooking up new dishes using Oats. I tried Morkali using Oats today which turned quite tasty. Hope it will be useful for many of you and will enjoy the dish.

INGREDIENTS:

Oats – 2 cups

Buttermilk – 2 cups

Green chilies – 4

Ginger – 1 small piece

Asafoetida – a pinch

Curry leaves – few

Salt – to taste

SEASONING ITEMS:

Mustard seeds – 1/4 tbp

Urad dal – 1/4 tbp

Bengal gram – 1/4 tbp

METHOD:

· Powder the oats finely using grinder.

· Make a smooth paste of ginger and green chilies separately.

· Mix the oats powder, ginger-green chilly paste, asafoetida, salt in buttermilk in a container.

· Heat oil in a pan, add seasoning items one by one. Once the seasoning is ready, add curry leaves, then add the oats powder-buttermilk batter, stir continuously and cook until it doesn’t stick to the sides of the pan. Care should be taken in stirring because it might form lumps otherwise.

· Serve hot with any sambar or chutney. I had with vattha kuzhambu and that too went well with this.

SAMBA RAVA KICHADI

Samba rava is nothing but broken wheat is a wholesome food which is good for diabetic persons. We can substitute the diet chart with dishes made of Samba Rava instead of Rotis during dinnertime. Having a one-year-old kid nagging behind me in the kitchen, I am not able to prepare roti and subji every day, hence, I prepare this samba rava kichadi which has also the same nutritious value.

INGREDIENTS:

Samba Rava (Broken Wheat Rava) – 1 cup
Vegetables – 1 cup (Beans, carrot, brinjal, potato, cabbage, green peas)
Onions – 1 medium size
Tomato – 1 medium size
Green chilies – 3
Shredded ginger – little
Curry leaves - few
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt – To taste

SEASONING ITEMS:

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
Bengal Gram – 1tsp
Urad dal – 1 tsp
Asafoetida – a pinch

METHOD:

· Wash and cut the veggies in small pieces.

· Heat the pressure pan with some little oil, add the seasoning items one by one. Once it is ready, add the curry leaves, shredded ginger, and green chilies. Then add the onions and tomato. When the onions become light brown, add the veggies and necessary salt.

· Then add the Samba rava and water in the proportion of 1:3. Mix well. Close the lid and pressure cook for 4 whistles.

· Once the pressure is released, garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with any sambar or chutney. Even pickles go very well with this.

BRINJAL KOTSU

Eating a brinjal will give you many health and nutrition benefits. The vegetable is high in water content and is a very good resource of potassium. It is one of the most easily available and affordable vegetables. Brinjal gosthu goes well with idlis, dosas, pongal, upma, and even plain rice.

INGREDIENTS:

Brinjal/eggplant – 1 big size

Onions – 2 medium size

Tomato – 1 small size

Green chilies – 1-2

Tamarind – lemon size

TEMPERING ITEMS:

Mustard seeds – 1 tbp

Urad dal – 1 tbp

Bengal gram – 1 tbp

ROAST AND GRIND:

Asafoetida – 1 small piece

Red chilies – 8-10

Coriander seeds – 4 tbp

Bengal gram – 3 tbp

Urad dal – 1 tbp

METHOD:

· Apply little oil on the outer surface of the brinjal and grill it well until the outer skin is changed into black. Then peel the skin and take the flesh and mash it well. Keep it aside.

· Fry the above said ingredients in little oil and grind smoothly.

· Heat oil in a pan, add all the tempering items followed by curry leaves, onion, and tomato. When they blend nicely, add the mashed brinjal, necessary salt, turmeric powder, and mix them well.

· Then add the turmeric extract and allow it to boil for 5-7 minutes.

· Lastly, add the ground mixture and boil until it reaches the right consistency.

· Garnish with curry leaves and serve hot with plain rice, upma, pongal, idlis or dosas.

HEALTHY VEGETABLE IDLIS WITH SPICY TOMATO CHUTNEY

Breakfast is really an important meal. The word derives from the concept that we are breaking the fast after an involuntary fast occurs during our night sleep. Studies show that kids who had a healthy breakfast perform well and are attentive in the classrooms than those who skipped the breakfast. Hence schools are now insisting parents about the importance of healthy breakfast. South Indian breakfast typically includes idlis, dosas, and pongal with a variety of combinations. To give a headstart to the day’s veggie consumption, I thought of preparing vegetable idlis.

INGREDIENTS:

Idli rice – 3 cups

Raw rice – 1 cup

Urad dal – 1 cup

Cooked rice – handful

Salt – As required

FOR VEGETABLE CURRY:

Mix of vegetables – 2 cups (carrot, cabbage, green peas, onions)

Ginger – 1 small piece

Green chilly – 1-2

Finely chopped curry leaves and coriander leaves – few

Oil – 2 tbp

Cumin seeds – 1 tbp

Salt – As required

METHOD:

· Clean both the rice and soak them in water for 3 hours. Soak urad dal separately for 1 hour. Coarsely grind the soaked rice along with cooked rice and the necessary salt. Grind the urad dal to a smooth paste.

· Mix them both and allow it to ferment for six to eight hours.

· Chop all the vegetables very fine. I grated carrot and ginger and chopped the cabbage and onion.

· Heat oil in a pan, fry cumin seeds to golden brown color, add the chopped chilies and curry leaves, then add onion and the chopped vegetable mixture. Add little salt. Finally, add the coriander leaves. It is okay if the vegetables are half cooked because it is going to get steamed well along with the idlis.

· Add the vegetable mixture and idli batter together, mix well.

· Grease the idli plates with oil and pour the batter and stem cook for 10-12 minutes.

· Switch off the stove once they are done and let it cool for sometime before taking them out.

· Healthy vegetable idlis are now ready.

· Serve with any chutney/sambar. I had with spicy tomato chutney.

SPICY TOMATO CHUTNEY

INGREDIENTS:

Tomatoes – 4

Red chilies – 8

Asafoetida – Small piece

Urad dal – 4 tbp

Mustard seeds – 1 tbp

Oil – 2 tbp

Salt – As required

METHOD:

· Heat pan with little oil, add asafoetida and urad dal. When the urad dal turns brown color, add the red chilies and fry for some seconds. Transfer the contents to a bowl and keep it aside separately.

· In the same pan, add mustard seeds, when they crackles, add the tomatoes and the required salt. Once the tomatoes have become softened and become juicy, switch off the stove and allow it to cool.

· Now grind the tomatoes smoothly along with red chilies and asafoetida. Finally add the urad dal and grind again for a minute.

· Transfer the contents to a bowl and if needed do the seasoning with another tbp of mustard seeds.

· Serve with hot idlis, dosas, and pongal.

DRUMSTICK LEAVES PORIYAL

Drumstick leaves are rich in iron and vitamins. Pregnant women and nursing mothers are advised to include this in their diet as much as possible. Here comes the nutritious recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

Drumstick leaves – 1 bunch

Onion – 1 medium size

Tomato – 1 medium size

Garlic flakes – 7-10

Moong dal – 1 small cup

Red chilies – 2

Mustard seeds – 1 tbp

Urad dal – 1 tbp

Salt – As required

METHOD:

· Separate the leaves from the stalks and wash thoroughly.

· Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, urad dal, and red chilies.

· Once seasoning is ready, add onion, garlic flakes, and tomato. Once they blend nicely, add the moong dal and drumstick leaves. Add necessary salt. Mix well and cook it closed. Stir occasionally and cook until the leaves are cooked well. Serve hot with rice.

CHOW CHOW AND CARROT PORICHA KOOTU

Happy New Year to Everyone!!

Am starting with a nutritious recipe this New Year, Kootu. Kootu is very healthy and protein rich recipe made from dhal and vegetables. One of the very best thing in kootu is we can add variety of vegetables and also its easiness in preparation. My kid loves kootu very much and I make it a point to prepare for him at least twice in a week. This goes well with plain rice and rotis.

INGREDIENTS:

Chow Chow – 1 medium size

Carrot – 1 big size

Potato – 1 medium size

Green Peas – 1 cup

Tomato – 1 big size

Turmeric Powder – a pinch

Salt – As required

Mustard seeds – 1/4 tbp

Curry leaves and coriander leaves – few

Moong dal – 1 cup

Urad dal – 2 tbp

Red chilies – 2-3

Asafoetida – small piece

Cumin seeds – 1 tbp

Pepper – 1/2 tbp

Grated coconut – 2-3 tbp

METHOD:

· Wash and cut the veggies in small pieces.

· Pressure cook moong dal with the veggies for 2 to 3 whistles adding turmeric powder and necessary salt.

· Heat oil in a pan and fry asafoetida, urad dal, pepper, and red chilies.

· Grind the fried items along with coconut and cumin seeds to a smooth paste.

· Add the ground paste to the moong dal – veggie mixture and allow it to boil for 2-3 minutes. Please note at this instant that the mixture should be stirred then and there to avoid overburning.

· Season with mustard seeds, urad dal, and curry leaves and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice/rotis.