Thursday, January 14
Healthy Oatmeal cookies
So eventually thought of baking some cookies, as my previous attempt with baking Choco chip cookies was not so exciting due to the older oven with its round tray :( . So I was sure , my new oven would be far better and we wont be disappointed with the results . And viola, it was a breeze making these cookies. The faster I made them, even faster all the cookies were gone.
Ingredients:
Dry Ingredients:
3/4 cup (105 gm) all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
3/4 cup (170 gm) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (210 gm) packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups (260 gm) old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup walnuts or pecans (optional)
1 cup white or dark chocolate chips (optional)
Method:
1. Toast the nuts and then chop into pieces after its cooled . Set aside.
2. Whisk together all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter until creamy and smooth (about 2 - 3 minutes).
4. Add sugar and mix for another 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat to combine.
6. Add the dry ingredients and beat until incorporated.
7. Finally stir in the nuts, oats, and dried cranberries or chocolate chips.
Now our batter is ready. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours , so that the butter hardens back.
Preheat oven to 190 degree C. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Use a spoon or a ice-cream scooper to scoop a spoonful of the batter in the baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
With your fingers slightly shape and flatten the cookies to be about 1/2 inch thick.
Bake the cookies for about 10 - 12 minutes or until it gets a light golden brown color along the edges and is still soft and a little wet at the center.
Remove from oven and let it cool a few minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool.
Tips:
1. We ca replace chocolate chips with dried cranberries or raisins o make it even more healthier.
2. If we don't have unsalted butter, use salted butter and omit the salt added n dry ingredients.
3. Batter can be mixed and kept in refrigerator ahead of time.
4. If we need to bake the cookies in batches, keep the batter back in refrigerator, else the cookies flatten a lot gets cooked really fast ( may burn)
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Sunday, May 17
Tangy Pav Bhaji
Pav Bhaji is one the most famous street food , savoured in all parts of india. Basically its a fast food dish native to maharashtra.
And which is the best Pav-Bhaji? Its the one where pav bhaji wala bhaiya is there, with his huge cast-iron pan in front of him. And all around are bowls of chopped veggies and an alarming number of packets of Amul butter, and Masala'a .Whatever is the order, he 'll put appropiate amount of veggies, boiled potatoes, loads of buttere, n all the masala's and then mash , and saute it to give a sizzle and fill the place with heavenly aroma. Then serve it with pav, roasted in again loads of butter and raw onions and lemon pieces.
Its done and it goes into the tummy melting in the mouth...
Now, there's no comparision for that Pav Bhaji, but quite a aroma and taste can also be reached at home. Try this.. (I know that the picture is not all duing justice to the yummy bhaji, but that much only i could do manage with the saved portion..)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped cauliflower,
1/2 cup chopped french beans,
1/2 cup green peas,
1 cup finely chopped capsicum (green peppers),
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots,
4 potatoes,
4 medium sized tomatoes,
3 medium sized finely chopped onions,
3 tbsp Pav bhaaji masala(Everest reccomnded),
4 5 green chillies,
4-5 garlic cloves,
1 inch ginger,
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (optional),
chopped coriander leaves,
salt to taste
Pav (a kind of bun)
1 pack salted butter (Amul butter is recommended)
Method:
Boil potatoes and mash them.Set aside.
Boil all the finely chopped vegetables separately.
Mash the boiled vegetables to form a coarse pulp using Pav bahji masher.
In a pan, melt 2 tbsp butter. Add cumin seeds (optional), finely chopped ginger, garlic and green chillies.
Then add 2 chopped onions, sauté till transulent and then add chopped tomatoes and cook till done.
Add the pav bhaaji masala and mix. Let it cook.
Now add mashed potatoes and add boiled vegetables.
Lastly add some butter again(it gives a nice aroma).
Finally add salt to taste.
Add water as required.
Cook till the bhaaji thickens.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Next give slits to the buns horizontally, i.e, keeping the base intact. On a hot griddle, melt butter. Arrange all the buns on the pan. Roast both the sides as well as the inner surfaces of buns with butter, pressing it slightly.
Serve these buns(pav) and hot bhaaji with chopped onions and a piece of lemon.
Tips:
Choose proper buns, do not buy the sweet ones or can have burger instead.
Use butter generously while making pav bhaaji.
Light roast the buns. Let them remain buttery and soft.
You can use any veggies of your choice.
Variations:
For an even spicier result, make masala pav...melt some butter in a skillet. Sprinkle pav bhaji masala in it, then fry the bread in this spicy butter until sizzling and golden.
Masala onion: Heat some butter, add a pinch of pav bhaaji masala and salt. Put the chopped onions, lemon juice and mix. Serve this masala onion with pav bhaaji.
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Sending this to WYF:Quick meal
And also to Sunday snacks: Chaats, at All Thingz Yummy!!
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Friday, March 6
Aloo pooha
Aaloo Poha or kanda pohe is i feel the staple breakfast/snack in every North Indian Kitchen. Actually this tangy snack is an all time favorite throughout India with slight variations,though. I also make it every week atleast once. Easy to make, its quite filling too. Must be, as its made with flattened beaten rice.
I sometimes use to make this even before my marriage, but that was under my mom ,so was quite simple. After marriage,when we were in bangalore, when first time i bought poha, it came out to be thin one. Result it all formed one big lump,when i soaked it.(That one is used to make chiwda) Then i bought thick one(asked specially for thick one). It didn't got soaked properly n was all dry. Finally ,asked my sister,What's wrong??? she told me there's comes one more of medium thickness,that we should use. OMG.
Once when we went to indore, i saw this poha everywhere, and it was too spicy there. Hot steaming poha was prepared and kept warm over boiling water so that the hot moisture from the water can keep the poha warm and moist. One nice combo was Poha Jelabi..
Ingredients:
2 1/2 Cup Poha(rice flakes) (from Indian groceries)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 potato, diced
3-4 green chillies, chopped
Handful of frozen green peas (optional)
2 tbsp peanuts
2 tbsp Cilantro, chopped finely
1 lemon/lime
Haldi/turmeric powder 1 tsp
Jeera/cumin 1 tsp
1t mustard seeds
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Black salt 2 tbsp
Sugar 1tbsp
Garam masala powder 1 tsp
Oil 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Method:
Wash the rice flakes/atukulu in running cold water,in a seive, drain and set aside. These flakes will absorb the water and shall puff up.
Meanwhile, chop onions, green chillies, potato.
Heat oil in a wide pan and firstly add the peanuts. fry them and set aside.
In the same oil add the cumin seeds and curry leaves(optional). Let it fry for a min and a then add onions, diced potato, green peas and green chillies to the pan . Add a bit of salt to enhance cooking.
Let it cook for few mins till the potatoes are done.
Meanwhile, mix all the spices in the soaked poha and mix well with your hands. (so as not to break the flakes)
Finally mix it well in the pan and let it sit on the flame for 3-5 more mins. Add the lime/lemon juice and chopped cilantro and mix well so that the juice is evenly distributed.
Serve hot with any of the below toppings.
Toppings:
I serve it with fried peanuts on top of it.
Also it tastes womderful with Haldiram's bhujia.
In nagpur we had it with some very hot red chutney over it, along with green chillies.
Also its served with chopped onions or grated coconut.
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Sending this to Cooking for kids :Potato, authored by Sharmi of Neivedyam as my kids love it too. Along with Yummy Samosa's and Vegetable cutlets.
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Wednesday, December 10
Sooji Chilla ( semolina pancakes)
SOOJI CHILLA, I simply love to eat them. They are so easy to make and a nice change in the regular breakfast. The basic recipe i learned from mom. Its quite a filling breakfast , and can be made more healthier by adding as my veggies as you want , as per your taste. In this version i didn't added any veggie in the batter, but any chopped veggies can be added in the batter itself.
Ingredients:
For the batter:
1 cup Semolina (Rava)
4 tbsp yogurt (curd)
a pinch of sodium bicarbonate(khane ka soda)
salt to taste
For the topping:
1 small tomato,chopped
1 grated carrot
1 small onion, chopped
Green peas(optional)
grated cheese (optional)
coriander leaves
Oil to cook pancakes
Musturd seeds
Curry leaves
Method:
Mix yogurt, semolina, salt and beat well. Let it rest overnight(so curd gets a bit sour and semolina swells nicely) or atleast for 2 hours.
Just before making pancakes add soda.
Heat the wok.
Add about 1 tsp (or even less) oil, then add musturd seeds (few ) and curry leaves.
When the seeds splutter, pour about one big ladle of the batter at the center of the pan. Spread it a little bit.
Spread some onions ,tomatoes , carrots n green peas over the top.
Cover it and let it cook for a few minutes in low flame,or until the bottom of the pancake is light brown. Flip over and let the other side cook.
Garnish with coriander leaves and/or cheese.
Serve hot with ketchup and/or any other chutney.
Tips:
Don't spread the pancakes too much. While cooking covered ,they swell a bit, and are better enjoyed hard on crust and soft inside.
Can sprinkle some chat masala powder over it, to enhance its taste.
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Wednesday, July 2
Healthy Oat Dosa (pancakes)
Being a mother of two small fuzzy eater kids, i am always searching for something or the other healthy food to feed them.I heard oats are very good for them as they are full of protein and are fibre rich (can see about its nutrional value here and here).But feeding them ..???
I found this recipe(in a forum by Deepa), and thought its worth try.It makes a really yummy breakfast, Easy to make, very filling and so healthy too.
We too had this, i should say, we didn't felt it extra ordinary yummy(actually i don't have the taste buds for oats yet), but if we consider its nutritional value too, then i must say its real tasty..
Ingredients:
250gm Rolled Oats
50gm Sooji (semolina)
Green chilli 2
Ginger 1 inch
Coriander leaves 2 tbsp ,chopped
onions 1 medium, chopped(optional)
Salt to taste
Method:
Soak oats for 30 mins. Drain all the water. Grind it with 1-2 green chillis and a little bit of ginger, without adding much water. Dough should be around the idli-dough consistency. Add around 50gm semolina to the grinded dough, and add salt to taste.
Add corinader leaves and chopped onions.
Thats it, dough is ready.
Make thick dosas(pancakes) with the oats dough. Serve hot, with coriander chutney or tomoto ketchup.
Variations: You can add firm veggies (like grated carrots) or mashed veggies (like mashed broccoli ), to make it even crunchy, yummy and healthier too.
Wanna know more about these Healthy Oats, do check here.
I'm sending this to Healthy Recipes event , hosted by Mansi of funnfud
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Friday, May 16
Simple sandwich
This is the most simplest sandwich to make, i ever knew. And i mostly prepare them for sundays breakfast, when we getup late and there's hurry for the breakfast :) What i feel is, that bread is something everyone in the world loves to eat(apart from potatoes), and for me, with any filling its yum...hehe
The sandwich is America's most popular meal.They love them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and frankly anytime as a sandwich is quick and easy, portable and versatile – the ideal meal for people anytime!
Ingredients:
Bread slices
3 potatoes(boiled & choppped)
2 onions(finely chopped)
2 green chillies(finely chopped)
1 tomato (finely chopped)
corainder leaves (finely chopped)
salt to taste
1/2 tsp red chillie powder(optional)
1/2 tsp cumin powder (optional)
butter
ketchup
Method:
Apply butter to one side of all the slices.
Boil the potatoes and chop them.Now add the finely chopped onions,tomatoes,green chillies,salt, chilli powder, cumin powder and finely chopped coriander leaves.
Mix all the ingredients well and put them in between the two bread slices (buttered side out).
Meanwhile switch on the sandwich maker, so it is preheated. Add a bit butter to the plates.
Place the sandwich in the sandwich maker.
When the sandwiches are ready, serve them with ketchup.
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I'm sending this for the sandwich festival hosted by Anupama.
And to Bread mania hosted at Bay leaf by Sindhura.
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Tuesday, May 13
Sooji Dhokla
The good thing is its light to eat and with slight variations in some of above mentioned dish, we can easily add a lot of veggies in it,so its really healthy.. and my kids love its all forms.
Ingredients:
Sooji/Semolina 2 cups
Gramflour/ Besan 2 tbsp
Curd 1/2 cup
Eno Fruit Salt /eating soda 1 tsp
Sugar 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1 tsp(if you want it yellow)
Green Chilli Ginger Paste to taste
Lemon juice 1 tsp
Oil 1 tbsp
Salt to taste.
For tempering:
Mustard Seeds 1 tsp
Green Chillies 2 finely chopped (optional)
A few Curry Leaves
Sesame seeds 1 tsp
Oil 1 tbsp
Chopped Corinder 2 tbsp
Grated Coconut 1 tbsp
Method:
Mix all the ingredients(sooji, besan ,curd,salt, sugar ,turmeric ,green paste and oil) in a container and make it into a batter.
Add water as desired to have a consistency of idli batter.
Leave the batter for 1/2 an hour.
Add Soda(/Eno Fruit salt) and lemon juice to the batter. Mix well.
Pour it in a greased dish and steam it for 10 to 15 minutes(as we do for idli's or khaman's).
Take it out in a separate dish and let it cool,then cut it into pieces.
In a big pan, prepare tadka of mustard seeds,sesame seeds, green chillies and curry leaves.
Add the dhokla pieces in it and stir till done.
Garnish the dhokla with coriander leaves and grated cocounut.
Serve with a spicy Chutney.
These Dhokla's i'm sending as my second entry to SWC: Gujrati cuisine, hosted by Notyet100.
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Wednesday, April 9
Instant rava dosa
Instant rava dosa, or u can also call them Semolina Crepes, are a perfect for a quick n easy breakfast. Even though ,as myself couldn't get them so crispy in the initial attempts, they are still yum to eat. with practice we get quite crispy semolina pancakes. I 'll upload new snaps soon(this one is initial one)
Ingredients:
Sooji/ Rava/ Semolina - 1 Cup
Rice Flour 1 Cup
Maida 1/2 Cup
Yogurt / Dahi 1/2 Cup
Green Chillies 4-5
2 tbsp Coriander chopped finely
Curry Leaves chopped finely
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Onion 1 chopped finely
Coconut shreaded(optional)
Cashews chopped (optional)
Black pepper crushed 10-15
Salt to taste
Buttermilk or water (6 cups approx.)
Oil
Method:
Mix sooji, rice flour ,maida and yogurt . Add buttermilk as required. Keep this batter aside for 2 hrs.
At the time of making dosa add rest all the ingredients.
Add more water, the texture should be like butter milk only (very thin and watery)not like normal dosas.
When the non stick is hot, then just pour the batter with big spoon .DON'T put a big lump in middle n spread it outside, as we do for normal dosa's, instead do it from out and then pour inside ,filling the gaps.
Drizzle some oil on the sides of dosa. Cook in a medium flame, for abt 3 minutes,and then increase flame to high, cook for another, abt a minute,till desired crispiness is achived. Turn and cook on other side too.
It do takes some practice to get right dosas..
Serve hot with instant groundnut chutney..
Note:
If you don't have time, no need to set aside, mix all ingredients and make the dosa.
This is my entree for dosa mela
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Monday, April 7
Sabodana Khichari
Today is the first day of navratra's and i am also fasting this time . Just made my favourite sago khichari ,somehow managed to click its snap ,so as to share the recipe with you all and finally ,:) , quickly ate it (yummm..),
So here goes the recipe..
Ingredients:
200 gms cup sabodana (sago)
1/2 cup roasted and crushed peanuts,
1 medium sized potato boiled,
1 tomato chopped,
2 3 green chillies chopped,
2 tbsp. coriander leaves,
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2-3 tsp ghee(clarified butter)or oil,
salt to taste.
Method:
Soak sabudana for 3 4 hours in about 2 cups water
When puffed ,drain the excess water(if any) with the seive, set aside.
Heat ghee in a wok and add cumin seeds
Add green chilles and then tomatoes and let it cook.
Mix chopped potatoes to it.
Now add the peanuts, salt and coriander
After that add the soaked sabudana and fry for some time
keep it covered and cook for about 8-10 minutes, (stirring in between).
Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve.
Note- In case of fasting we use sandha namak(rock salt), in place of common salt.
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Friday, March 28
Egg Bhurji
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Vegetable oil
2 medium Onions
2 Green chillies
1 inch piece Ginger
½ tsp Turmeric powder
¾ tsp Chilli powder
2 Tomatoes
4 Eggs
110 ml Milk
to taste Salt
½ Bunch coriander leaves
Method:
Beat eggs into a mixing bowl.
Add 1/4 of a cup of milk, and whisk thouraly.
Chop the onions finely.
Next, finely chop 2 green chillies,tomayoes and ginger.
Roughly chop up half a bunch of coriander leaves also.
Heat two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large non-stick frying pan, over a medium heat.
Add the chopped onion and chilli to the pan, and cook until the onion is translucent.
Then, add the chopped ginger along with 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric and 3/4 teaspoon of chilli powder. Keep frying .
Add the chopped tomatoes. Stir everything together over a medium heat until the tomatoes have turned to pulp, and the mix resembles a sauce. Add a little water along the way, Stir and cover. Leave to simmer for about 10 minutes
Now add the egg and milk mixture . Keep stirring until the egg is cooked. Don't let it burn. The egg will become more solid as it cooks.
Gently stir in the chopped coriander leaves.
Serve
Spoon into a dish. And serve.
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Sunday, March 16
Idli
Ingredients:
idli rava 1 packet(4 small katoris) (/ thai rice 4 small katori)
urad dal 2 small katori
curd 2 tbsp
Method:
Soak dal for 5 6 hrs, grind into fine paste,
wash rava with water 2 3 times
mix both together with salt n 2 tbsp curd keep in a container covered overnight,(it swells almost to double)
without disturbing the batter, put in idli moulds n cook for 10 15 min, check with knief.
serve with sambar n coconut chutney
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Dahi Wada
Ingredients :
Wadas
Udad dal (Black gram dal) 1 cup
Moong dal (Green gram dal) 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
For the Dahi (yogurt)
Dahi (yogurt) 5 cups(You can use homemade yogurt or low-fat yogurt from the market)
Green chillies, chopped 1 tsp
Ginger grated
1/2 tspcurry leaves
7-8Mustard seeds
1/4 tspAsafoetida pinch
Salt to taste
Sugar 4 tsps (yogurt should taste little sweet)
Method :
For Wadas
Soak the two dals for 7-8 hours or overnight.
Grind it to a smooth paste with very little water
Add salt to taste. Heat oil for deep frying in a kadahi and add spoonfuls of dal batter (in oval shapes) and fry until the wadas are golden brown.
Drop the hot wads in a bowl of cold water and leave for about 3-4 minutes.
Take each wada out from water, squeeze the water out and set aside.
For making dahi:
Blend the yogurt with little water until it is smooth.
Add sugar, salt, green chillies and ginger.
Make a tarka (seasoning) of mustard seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves and add to yogurt.
Keep the yogurt in refrigerator until it is chilled.
Serving the wadas
Arrange the squeezed wadas in a deep dish. Pour the yogurt on the wadas such that all the wads are covered well by the yogurt. Sprinle red chiili powder, roasted jeera powder and black salt (sanchal).Serve with sweet tamarind(imli) chutney.
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Rava Idli with Sagoo
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Rava Idli with Sagoo
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Ingredients :
For rava idli:
2 1/2 cups medium semolina
2-3 stalks curry leaves finely chopped
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. urad dal
1/2 tsp. channa dal
8-10 cashews broken into pieces
4 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. soda bicarb
2 tsp. salt
2-3 tbsp. coriander leaves finely chopped
1 tbsp. finely grated fresh coconut
2 cups fresh curds
For sagoo:
2 large onions chopped medium
2 potatoes peeled, chopped and boiled
2-3 green chillies
2 tbsp. coriander leaves
1 tbsp. curry leaves finely chopped
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. fresh grated coconut
1/2 tsp. each ginger & garlic grated
1/2 tsp. each mustard & cumin seeds
1 tbsp. cashew bits
Method for idlis:
Heat 2 tsps. oil in a small pan, add seeds, cashews and fry till light brown. Remove from fire, keep aside. Take semolina in a large plate or pan. Make a well in the centre. Pour remaining oil here, add all other ingredients, except coconut, curds and coriander. Pour also seasoning of seeds and cashews. Mix gently with hands till mixture is well blended. The mixture should have enough oil to show on your fingers after mixing. If too dry add some more. Keep aside till required. 10 minutes before serving:Beat curds lightly, add rava mixture, coriander and coconut and mix gently. Keep aside for 5-7 minutes. If too dry add some more curds. DO NOT make the mixture too thin, and DO NOT beat too vigorously. When spooned into the moulds, it should hold with spreading fast. Steam in an idli cooker for 5-7 minutes. Check by inserting a skewer or matchstick It should come out clean.
For sagoo:
Blend together, 1 onion, chillies, 1/2 coriander, 4-5 pieces potato, 3 tbsp. water. Keep aside Heat oil in a heavy pan, add cashew, dals, and fry for a minute. Add seeds, asafoetida and allow to splutter. Add garlic & ginger Add onions, stir fry till pink and tender. Add ground paste, potatoes and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, simmer for 5-7 minutes till the gravy becomes thick. Add turmeric, salt, sugar, coriander, curry leaves, lemon juice, coconut, and stir. Simmer further 2 minutes. Remove from fire. Serve hot with rava idlis and chutney.
.Makes:15-17 ildis, 4-5 servings of sagoo
Shelf life: dry rava mixture may be stored at room temperature for a week in refrigerator for a month. Make sure curry leaves are wiped dry before adding. Sagoo, fresh or refrigerated 1 day. Potatoes may be boiled ahead of time.
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