SANNA ~IDLIS | STEAMED RICE CAKE FROM MANGALORE FOR ICC

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

A recipe prepared with yeast always puts me in tension till it is prepared and its served on the table.

This time, when Valli announced this month's  Indian Cooking Challenge and I checked the ingredients, my first response was NO!! This month also I am not going to participate in the event. I removed it from my mind to make it. But last week, when I saw the active yeast packet in a super market, somehow I felt I should try it. Its better to try and fail than never trying and crying afterwards. I brought the packet and boiled rice. Still I took few more days to make up my mind. 

Valli has chosen the recipe from  Shireen Sequeira's Mom. 

Day before yesterday I tried these Sannas. My first batch was a flop. Sannas were hard and tasteless. May be the reason was the batter was not fully fermented.

Please visit Valli 's PAGE  for the ingredients and the method. 

Lets see how I prepared these Sannas.

I did not take the step by step pictures  but will write down the method I followed.

I took the exact measurement of all the ingredients as in the recipe.

I soaked Urad dal(1/4 cup), Boiled rice(1 1/2cup) and raw rice(1/2 cup) separately at 11.45 AM.

At 3.00PM. I prepared the yeast(1 tsp heaped) solution with sugar(1 tsp) in tepid water(3 tbsp). Kept it for 10 minutes.

Till then, I prepared the urad dal paste first and then both the rice. It took time for the rice to get into fine paste.Mixed all the three nicely and added the yeast solution. Mixed it well. Added the salt to taste and 2 tsp more sugar. Mixed well and kept it closed till 5.30 PM.

Checked the batter, it was not fully up but my daughter was hungry. Thinking that given time in the original recipe was 1 1/2 hour, I tried making first batch.

This is what I got: hard and taste less.

                         First time, my elder daughter had it with sauce.

Then I waited till 7 PM and prepared two more batches. I got them nice puffy and tasty :-)

I prepared a simple sambhar and we had it for our dinner. My both the kids enjoyed it. Hey, one sanna I made in a Thatte idly stand, a big round one. My younger one loved it with ghee and sambhar.

I enjoyed my yeastwala sannas :-)

Keep Smiling, 

Oats, almond and dates granola bars

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

One more recipe followed from DEEBA'S blog.

Again the same problem of not getting few ingredients here. I think there is a plus point in that also. That brings more creativity in me.

The other day Suma Rowjee posted the recipe(.Eggless Chocolate Chip Oat & Whole Wheat Snack Bar..) which she has followed it from Deeba (recipe here) and Deeba has followed it from Megan(here) and everyone with their alterations.

I thought of combining all the ideas and creating my own granola bars :-)))), and hey it was a success, I could not stop munching these lovely bars. My younger daughter was so happy to have it, and I was satisfied of giving her some thing healthy. And I never never imagined even in my dream  that I will bake some bars like these...

And the best part of these bars is its made of wheat and oats added to it are almonds and dates. What a perfect breakfast with a glass of milk to start your day. It really keeps you energetic the whole day.

SO THANKS TO ALL THE LADIES FOR GIVING ME THIS WONDERFUL RECIPE.

Please click the above links for their original recipes,

Coming to my version:

Dry Ingredients:

Oats - 1 1/2 cups(I used Saffola Oats)

Whole Wheat Flour - 3/4 cup

Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp

Flaked almonds - 1/2 cup

Diced fresh dates - 1/4 cup

Wet Ingredients:

Granulated Sugar - 1/4 cup

Brown or Demerara sugar - 1/4 cup

Oil - 1/4 cup

Milk - 2 tbsp

Corn flour - 2 tbsp

Warm water - 2tbsp

Vanilla extract or essence - 1 tsp

for the coating :

Nutella spread 

and toasted flaked almonds

Method:

Pre heat the oven at 180c

Grease and line a 7x11x2 inch tin with baking parchment leaving an overhang.

Take all the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk. Keep aside.

Mix the warm water and cornflour in a bowl and keep it aside.

In a large bowl, add milk, oil, sugar and vanilla. Beat till the sugar is dissolved (it may take 3 to 4 minutes)

Add the cornflour mix. Beat again for a minute. 

Fold in the dry ingredients and mix well. The mixture will be very thick.

Spread it in a tin and level it.  

First time I baked it at 180 c for 30 minutes.

I removed and kept it to cool, but still the bars were soft.

So I cut it into bars and again baked at 200 c for 10 more minutes. And there I got crispy granola bars.

I used Nutella spread  and some flaked almonds to top it with. (I did not had dark chocolate).

My daughters enjoyed these bars.

You can store these crispy bars in an airtight box for a week or so.

Sending it to Jayasri's ongoing event Guest Hosting Tried and Tested event and she has choosen Deeba's Passionate about Baking blog.

(This event was started byzlamushka and is now taken care of by Lakshmi of Kitchen Chronicles)

Keep Smiling,

A Quick Egg Cutlet

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Being a mother of two growing kids and a person who never likes to waste the food,  I am always in search of reusing the leftover food. Here is another recipe from leftover boiled potato. Whenever I boil potato for something, I have a habit of boiling one or two extra potatoes. Potatoes always come in handy for any quick preparation. prepare a salad with it, turn it  into jeera aloo, pakodas, mix with some vegetable to make it gravy.. 

The other day, when I prepared aloo paratha, I had kept one big boiled potato in the fridge. And afternoon, I told my daughter to bring eggs from nearby shop to make egg kurma for the night. She brought the eggs with one  broken..

I did not wanted to waste it, I transferred it into a bowl and thought of making an omelet. Then I saw my potato in the fridge, thought of adding it to the omelet. I mashed the potato and added in to the egg and went on adding few more things and finally came out with this nice cutlets..... Roll down for the recipe ..

Ingredients:

Boiled Potato - 1 big

Egg - 1
Green chilly - 1 finely chopped(less if for kids)
or 
dry red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Dhania powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil- 1tsp
Fresh coriander - 1/8 cup, finely chopped
Oats - 1 cup


Oil to shallow fry

Method :

• Beat the egg. 
• Add the mashed potatoes and add all other ingredients EXCEPT OATS and oil to fry.
• Mix well, adjust the seasoning, 
• Heat tawa, Till it becomes real hot,
• Take a big spoon of ready mix, give a pressed,round shape, roll it into oats to cover the cutlets on all the sides.
• Make all the cutlets ready and keep.
• Spread the oil, keep 2 to 3 cutlets on tawa and fry on all the sides. Repeat with other cutlets.
• 
  
• Serve HOT with sauce.

Its perfect healthy snack for kids. But try to serve it hot as it it tastes like rubber once its cold.

Keep Smiling,

Sprouted whole moth Dry sabji (ಮಡಕೆ ಕಾಳು ಪಲ್ಲ್ಯೆ )

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

In North Karnataka,  in particular marriages, this sprouted whole moth dry masala is must along with, brinjal and onion masala, all types of dry chutney powders and curds. Giving you the recipe for the same :

It is called madake kaalu (ಮಡಕೆ ಕಾಳು ಪಲ್ಲ್ಯೆ) in Kannada. Very healthy and easy to prepare. It goes well with hot chapati, peanut chutney powder and curds. I love the combination.

To sprout the moong :

Whole moth - 1 cup

Wash and soak it in water for 8 hours. Drain the water. Tie it in a white cloth for one day. or keep in a bowl covered.  It may take more time in cold weather. 

You will get sprouted moth ready to cook.


Ingredients :

Sprouted moth - 1 cup

Onion - 1 medium, cleaned and cubed

Curry leaves few

Tamarind paste - 1 tsp

Green chilly - 2 finely chopped

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder - a pinch or 1/2 chopped tomato

Sugar - 1 tsp

Fresh Coriander - 1 tbsp chopped

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Fresh coriander to garnish

Heat oil in a kadai. Add mustard seeds and wait to splutter. Add cumin seeds, curry leaves, onions and green chilly. Fry for 2 minutes. Now add salt, tamarind paste and turmeric powder. MIx it and add sprouted moong. Fry for a minute. Add sugar.Sprinkle little water. Cover and cook on medium heat till the moong gets tender. If you feel the water is less add in between and keep on stirring. It may take 8 to 10 minutes to get tender. Adjust the seasoning.

Do not over cook, it may make the moong like rubber. 

Garnish it with fresh coriander and serve with chapati or roti or just like that.

 Sending this to two events :

Priya's Announcing Let's Sprout - A New Event

AND

Siri's My Legume Love Affair (MLLA) # 25 - an event annoucement and linking this to  Susan's main MLLA host line up 

Keep Smiling,

Sprouted Sorghum and onion masala

Tried and tasted by Nivedita 

Hi All,

One more recipe from North Karnataka. A very healthy, nutritious and tasty food and tastes different. My mother used to make this when we were in school. But I do not know when we stopped eating this or when mom stopped making this.

Last week when I brought  Jowar or Sorghum to make flour (in flour mill). I remembered this recipe and thought of trying with very little quantity. I was not sure, whether I will like it now or not.

But, the taste was so good that I have decided to sprout the sorghum again and try it in salads or curry.

Here is the recipe for Sprouted Sorghum and onion Masala :

To sprout :
Sorghum - 1 cup

Wash the Sorghum and soak it in 3 cups of water for 24 hours.

Drain the water, wash it 2 times with fresh water. 

Tie in a muslin or cotton cloth for 12 hours. Open and check whether its sprouted or not, If not, tie it and keep it for another 8 to 10 hours.

Sprouting time depends on the weather. In cold weather, it takes more time than in hot weather. 

Ingredients :

Boiled Sprouted Sorghum - 1 cup

(Add 2 cups of water to the sprout and keep in a cooker to give 2 whistles. Let it cool and drain the water in a bowl to use it later.)

Onion - 1 big, cleaned, chopped into cubes

Oil - 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - 10 to 12, cleaned and chopped finely

Salt to taste

Red chilly powder - 1 tsp

or green chilly - 1 finely chopped

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Lime juice - 1 tbsp

Fresh coriander - 1 tbsp, finely chopped

Heat oil in a kadai. Add mustard seeds. When splutter add curry leaves and onion. Fry till onion changes its color. (Now add green chilly if you are using it). Or add red chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix it properly. Add the boiled water about 1/8 cup. Cook for a minute. Add the boiled sorghum. Cover and cook it for 2 minutes. Remove the lid add lime juice and fresh coriander. Mix it and remove from the Fire. 

You can use fresh coriander also.

Serve it with chapati or rice or even puri!!

I would love to thank Nithu of  Nithu's Kitchen, who made me to feel happy and proud of myself by taking my interview and posting in her blog.

Check out my  interview  in her blog and enjoy her unique recipes too.
Sending this to 

Priya's Announcing Let's Sprout - A New Event

Keep Smiling,

Few recipes with green leaves stem

Tried and tasted by Nivedita 

Hi All,

Most of the times, we discard the vegetable peel, fruit feel and this green leafy vegetables. Most of us, use only the leaves from Spinach, Amarnath leaves and many few green leaves(I do not know English names for those like Rajgiri, Harive, dantina soppu). We do not like the tender stem of leafy vegetables. But it tastes very good and has more nutrition.

When I was in school, this was the toughest task for me, to clean these green leaves. But it was my work! I used to take so much time to clean it. Some times, mom used to get irritated and she used to clean it. That time, I used to collect these stems and play with those, making necklace or used to build spider web with the stems. 

When I was in college, I tried making  sabji using these stems. The taste was good. From then, its become regular in my house to use these stems for sabji, sambhar or salad. 

There are three recipes you can make with these(which I know),

1. With onions and garlic

Recipe for the same :

cleaned, and chopped stem - 1 cup

Onion - 1 medium, chopped

Garlic - 1 small bulb or 6 to 8 cloves, crushed

Green chilly - 1 crushed

Salt to taste

Haldi a pinch

Oil - 1 tbsp

Heat oil in a kadai. Add chopped garlic and saute till brown. Add onion and fry till it changes it color. Add green chilly and cleaned stem. Saute for some time. Add salt, haldi and 1 tbsp water. Cook for few minutes.

Garlic and stem sabji is ready.

2. Just add these stems while making dal or sambhar. It taste good.

3. Clean, chop and steam these stems and use it to make salad with curds, onion and tomato with seasoning of salt and pepper.

4. Now coming to the recipe with the photo:

Here is the recipe with dal,

Cleaned and chopped stem - 1 cup

Chana dal - 1 tbsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Green chilly and cumin seeds paste - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Haldi - a pinch

Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Fresh coconut - 2 tbsp grated

Hing a pinch

Soak the chana for one hour in warm water.

Heat oil in a kadai.

Add mustard seeds. When splutter, add curry leaves and hing. 

Add soaked chana and fry for a minute.

Add chopped stem, green chilly paste and 1 tbsp water. Cook for a minute.

Add salt and haldi. Cook with 1/4 cup water till the chana is cooked.

Add Lemon juice and fresh coconut. Adjust the seasoning.

Serve hot with chapati or rice and sambhar.

Sending this to the event hosted by

Nithu at Nithu's Kitchen on 

Best out of Waste

Keep Smiling,

Mixed Lentil Dal

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Dal is a food, which can be prepared in more than 1000 ways and each preparation tastes different.  The down one is a simple and healthy dal.

Again, as usual, I have mixed 7 lentils in this.

Here is the recipe,

All mixed lentils - 1 cup all together, Qty of each dal is as per your taste, but Urad dal should be little.

(Toor dal, Yellow moong dal, Chana Dal, Masoor dal, Urad dal, Split black Urad dal, Split green moong dal)

Jaggery - 2 tbsp

Tomato - 1 big chopped

Wash the dal and mix jaggery and tomato in a cooker with dal. Give 3 whistles. Allow it to cool.

For dal masala,

Oil -1 tsp

Ghee - 1 tsp

Jeera or cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Onion - 1 medium, cut into long thin slices

Garlic - 6 to 8 cloves, crushed

Ginger - 1/2", cut in to thin long pieces

Whole red dry chilly - 3 to 4

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Fresh coriander - handful, chopped finely

Heat oil and ghee in a kadai, add jeera. Fry for some time. Add curry leaves and garlic. Fry till the garlic changes its color. Now add onion and ginger and fry till onion is fried. Then goes whole red chilly, coriander powder and turmeric powder. Fry for half minute and add boiled dal. Mix it and allow it to boil for a minute. Now add 1/2 cup water. Close the lid and allow it to boil for 2 minutes on low flame. Open the lid and add fresh coriander. Remove from the heat.

Dal is ready to serve.

Sending this to EC's event MLLA-19th Helping event announcement for the month of January 2010.As per the rule of the event, I am linking my post to  Susan's event host lineup page..  also.

Keep smiling,

Egg bhurji with green leafy veg.

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

It is always very difficult to feed green leafy vegetables to kids. They just puke it out, if we stir fry and give them. Till now, I thought to add the leaves in dal and feed the kids,  is the only way. But my aunty (Mom's cousin) gave me a tip. A very healthy and easy way to give green leafy veg. to your kids. 

Every one know the benefit of intake of green leafy vegetables and egg in everyday food.

So I am good girl, if I do not explain the benefits in detail!! (Just because, it is my last minute entry, I do not have much time!! Sorry!)

Just add any leafy veg. into Egg bhurji and the purpose is served.

Jumping to the recipe,

Green leafy veg - 1 bunch, cleaned, washed and chopped finely

(Methi or palak or Rajgiri or any leafy vegetables which cooks faster)

Eggs - 2, beat and keep ready in a bowl

Onion - 1 big chopped

Garlic - 2 flakes(optional)

Green chilly - 1 chopped

(skip green chilly and add 1 tsp red chilly powder, if you are giving to younger kid)

salt to taste

Jeera - 1/2 tsp

Dhania powder - 1 tsp

Haldi - 1/4 tsp

Tomato - 1 small (only if you are using Palak)

Lime juice - 1 tsp for other leafy veg.

Oil - 1 tbsp

Heat oil in a kadai, add jeera, onion and green chilly. Fry for some time. Add tomato if you are using palak. Cook it till tomato starts leaving the sides. Add salt, dhania powder and haldi.(and red chilly powder if not using green chilly). Mix it properly. Add beaten eggs. Mix it properly and cook till egg is 3/4 cooked(3 to 4 min). Now add chopped green leaves. Mix it and cook it. Keep on stirring, or else it will get burnt. Once the green leaves is cooked and the raw smell is gone, add lime juice. Take it from the heat. Mix properly. The bhurji is ready to eat with chapati or rice!!

I want to send this healthy dish to RV's Food for 7 Stages of Life - Kids Special Event Announcement 

and it is essential to give credits to Sudeshna of

 Sudeshna’s Cook like a bong(http://bengalicuisine.net) page.

Keep smiling,