DAL,BATI, CHURMA for ICC JANUARY

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

HELLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, How are you all? Feeling little embarrassed to come back here after 3 months. I feel guilty for not posting regularly.

First and foremost, I want to say Sorry to Jagruti that I could not finish her event. Really sorry dear, I hope you do understand my problems. Thanks.

Now, today I am here to participate in Indian Cooking Challenge which is hosted by Srivalli. I am sorry Valli, I am not a regular participant for your event, but still wait for your challenge every month and always look forward for other's recipes tried in ICC. 

Food is my weakness. This time the recipe chosen was really not to be missed. Daal Bhati Churma is the delicacy of Rajsthan. I tasted this first time in Chowkidani in Pune and I thoroughly enjoyed each item. But somehow the taste of Dal Bhati Churma took more place in my heart and I always wondered whether I can make it or not. I surfed many blogs and bookmarked few. One was Priya's and the other one is Jagruti's Daal baati churma by Jagruti, But never dared to make it. I thought its difficult to make and so much ghee into it. Being health conscious, I was always hesitated to go ahead. But when I got the challenge, I could not resist. And Yes!!!! it came perfect. Thanks Valli.

She has chosen recipes from three sources. One is from Priya (which even I had bookmarked a year back only). The others are  from Sanjeev Kapoorji and Tarla Dalalji.

I thought of following Priya's recipe as I felt I can connect myself more with her recipe.

Visit her place mharorajasthanrecipes  for detailed recipe.

I really enjoyed this challenge and enjoyed the feast too. I never thought its so easy to make.

Visit Valli's space for today's post :

Dal Bati Churma ~ Rajasthan Special Step by Step | Indian Cooking Challenge - January

Keep Smiling,

EVERYDAY CHOCOLATE BROWNIE(FOOD REMAKE)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

I know, I know, its not the time to post the recipe of Cakes and brownies... Its Diwali, I should post the recipe of some sweets and savories. But just thought of sharing a recipe with Demerara sugar and then I can share other recipes.

The brownies are very common in my house. Its almost once in 10 days , I bake the brownie. I got the recipe of Every day Chocolate Brownie from Aarthi which she had taken from one and only Nigella... I love her recipes, most of the times I have to read her recipes and be happy because I do not get many of the ingredients she has mentioned in my town :-(

Even Aarthi has got the fantastic space and the best part is all of her recipes are step by step in pictorial way which helps any one to remember and cook easily. Thanks a lot for that dear.

Coming to the recipe,

Usually I follow the regular recipe but today I thought of  giving a twist to it.. only because I wanted to use Demerara sugar instead of white or normal sugar. And I added the instant Bru Coffee powder at the end.

THE BEST SOFT AND MOIST BROWNIE I EVER MADE :-)

Ingredients:

All purpose flour - 2/3 cup

Demerara Sugar - 3/4 cup(coarse powdered)

Cocoa powder - 1/2 cup

Eggs -2 

Butter - 1/2 cup or little less

Baking soda - 1/2 tsp

Salt a pinch(skip if you are using salted butter, I always use salted Amul butter)

Vanilla essence - 2 tsp

any chocolate - 100 gm

(I like to use the cooking chocolate itself )

Instant coffee powder(Bru or Nescafe)- 1 tbsp

Method:

• First preheat the oven to 190 degree c
• Line a square tin with foil and brush it with butter on it. (Using foil is really a very good idea)
• I use Microwave for making it, you can use the normal way(as shown in Aarthi's space)
• Take a big M/W safe bowl.
• Add butter and the sugar.
• Keep in M/W on HIGH for a minute.
• Remove, mix well and add cocoa powder. Keep in the oven for 10 seconds. 
• Remove, add in the flour, baking soda and mix well to make it soft.
• ALLOW IT TO COOL WHICH IS REALLY VERY IMPORTANT OTHERWISE IF YOU PUT EGGS WHEN HOT,  IT WILL BE SPOILED.
• Now add the eggs, vanilla and mix well till you get very smooth consistency.
• Fold in the chocolate pieces and mix well.
• Now pour this mix into the ready tin.
• Sprinkle the instant powder evenly on the mix.
• Bake it in the oven for 20 minutes. 
• Allow it to cool. Cut into desired size of squares. 
• Enjoy it cold or warm or with ice cream or hot chocolate sauce.

Note :May be because I used the Demerara sugar, it was less sweet or may be it was because I used instant coffee powder. Whatever, the brownies were too good :-)

Wait for my next post with these brownies...

Brownie and Ice cream sandwich.. with hot choco sauce..

This is my first entry to my event which is a brain child of Jagruti

Keep Smiling,

DAL DHOKLI (ಖಾರ ಬೇಳೆ ಗಡಬು)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

One of my comfort food. I love this any time. But always enjoyed it for the dinner. Easy, quick, tasty, healthy.. what else we want?

This is known as Dal Dhokli in Gujarat, we call it "kharbele kadabu" in Kannada. It was a long time that I made this. The other day, when I really felt like having it, I made it immediately. I thought my daughters and hubby will not like it.. But it got over as soon as it was served.. 

There are two ways to make it, actually 3 ways.. One is with dal, one is without dal, and either cook it directly in a pot or give one whistle in a cooker. All taste good, but I love the dal one and  in cooker.

Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 1 cup

Salt a pinch of

Oil - 1 tsp

Water to make chapati dough.

PREPARE THE DOUGH AND KEEP IT ASIDE.

For the dal

Boiled dal(Toor) - 1/4 cup

(if you do not have boiled dal, soak the dal for half an hour before making)

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1tsp(both are optional)

Onion - 1 big, chopped finely

Curry leaves - few

Green chilly - 1 slit

Garlic (crushed)- 6 to 8 cloves(optional)

Tomato - 1 small chopped

Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp

Red chilly powder - 1 tbsp

Haldi - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Fresh Coriander - 2 tbsp, chopped finely

Water - 1 to 2 cups

Method

Take the dough and roll into medium thick chapati.

Cut into small squares or diamonds and keep aside.

Take small cooker and heat it.

Add oil. When hot, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds(if adding), curry leaves, green chilly and garlic.

Saute for some time.

Add the onion and fry till golden brown.

Add the dal and mix well.

Add tomato, tamarind paste, red chilly powder, haldi, salt. 

Mix well and cook for few minutes.

Add water and wait it to boil.

Add the chapati dough bites. Mix slowly and cover the cooker and give one whistle.

Allow it to cool. 

Add ghee and serve hot..

Keep Smiling,

AN EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT~KNOW YOUR NATURAL SWEETNESS~MAPLE SYRUP OR DEMERARA SUGAR

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Its more than a year that I hosted any event. Before, my blog had at least one event in a month and I always enjoyed participating in the events hosted by other blogging friends. Those events always encouraged me to try new recipes and I enjoyed those challenges.

Now a days, because of some personal hindrances, I am not able to post regularly any thing, forget participating or hosting any event.

Few months back, when Jagruti asked me whether I am interested in hosting her event I could not say no because I wanted to come back again and its always pleasure to host her event. She is a lady with so much enthusiasm.Check her blog and you will come to know, her site is hosting many events at a time with different and unique themes.

Coming to my theme for the event Announcing Series event~Know Your Natural Sweetness by Jagruti,

I have chosen two sweets!! yes!, Maple Syrup OR Demerara Sugar

To be honest, till today I have not tried Maple syrup in any recipes, so its new challenge for me. I have not tasted also how it tastes. Still I need to search for the Maple syrup in my town and not sure about getting it.

When I went through Wikipedia, I was surprised to see that maple syrup is extracted from maple tree. And its less in calorie!! That makes it more interesting.There are many things we don't know!! Click here to know more about maple syrup.

Demerara sugar is commonly used in baking substituting the white sugar for many reasons. Its known as natural brown sugar.

I am inviting you all to take part in the event..

Coming to the rules of the event...

1. Cook or bake any recipe using EITHER Maple Syrup OR Demerara Sugar,

2. Please post the entries between 1st of November and 30th of November 2012.

3. Please send your entries with details of your post to my email id               nivedita.mt@gmail.com

4.Linking your post to this event announcement and Jagruti's Event Announcement is compulsory.  

5.Adding the event logo is highly appreciated as it helps others to know about the event.

6.Multiple entries are welcome. 

7.Only one post from archived posts is welcome.

8. Non-bloggers are invited to participate in the event. Please mail me your recipe with a photograph of the dish to the mail id nivedita.mt@gmail.com

ALL ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE AND MAKE THIS EVENT SUCCESSFUL.

Keep Smiling,

SOYA BEANS IDLY

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Idly recipe(Idly, Sambhar and Chutney) is already there in my blog.. but that is a regular method of making.. Here is another way of making your healthy idly healthier or healthiest... Yes, Soya beans are very good for health. We always think how to add these in our diet. I have many ways for it..

Soak the beans for 8-10 hours, drain and deep fry in the oil  or roast in the oven, add salt and chilly powder.

Make the soya beans powder and add it while making chapatis, Thaali peeth.

Or as usual make the curry, masala, salad...

These idly taste very good, same like normal idly. And the batter wont turn sour next day(it happens with the normal batter)

Ingredients:

Urad dal - 1/2 cup or 1/4 cup

Soya beans - 1/2 cup or 3/4 cup

Methi seeds - 1 tsp

Thick poha(puffed rice) - handful

Idly rava - 2 1/2 cup(ready available in the stores)

Salt to taste 

(the proportion is  1/2:1/2: 2 1/2 or 1/4:3/4:2 1/2)

If you are trying for the first time and not sure about the taste of soya beans in idly, go with 1/2:1/2 portion.

Method:

Soak urad dal, soya beans and methi seeds together in a vessel with enough water for 4-6 hours.(both the urad dal and beans get doubled in size in few hours and there is a chance that if you don't see they wont get soaked properly. JUST ONE HOUR BEFORE GRINDING, ADD POHA INTO IT.

Drain the water and grind into fine batter.

Transfer into a big steel vessel. Add the salt and mix nicely with your hands.

Keep it untouched in a warm place for 6 to 8 hours(In winter it takes more time)

Before making idly,

Add the water in a cooker and keep it on slow flame till you fill the idly mould with the batter.

Mix the batter properly, grease the idly plates with oil, Pour the batter to fill the moulds.

Keep it in the cooker and close the lid WITHOUT whistle.

Steam for 6 minutes on high and another 3-4 minutes on low flame.

Remove from the heat, allow it to cool.

Carefully open the lid and take out the idly stand.

Keep it like that only for 5 minutes. Then remove the idlys into a serving bowl.

Enjoy these softest idlys with Onion sambhar and chutney,.

(recipe for the sambhar and chutney is in my previous idly post)

Just add baby onions in oil before adding the masalas, which will make the sambhar into onion sambhar.

I love it....

Keep Smiling,

SPICY SPROUTED FENUGREEK SEEDS MASALA

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

They say sprouts is good for health. Any sprouts? I am not sure, but this one is really a healthy sprout and I enjoy having it a lot.

Thrice a week I have a habit of having a tea spoon of methi seeds in the morning with hot water. I love methi seeds and never miss any chance of adding it into our food. I add it in curries, sambhar, dal, sometimes in some sabji. So how about making the whole curry with methi seeds. But that will go directly in to the dustbin as these seeds are very bitter if prepared directly. So the best way is to soak them, allow to sprout and then use in a spicy, tangy dry curry.

Fenugreek seeds have their unique taste and contribute a huge part when comes to health. Its good for diabetes. It controls the diabetes to some extent(of course with other intakes or controlled diet)

If we take a tea spoon of methi seeds with a glass of water when suffering with diarrhea, it comes under control. 

Soak the seeds in the night and paste it in the morning. Apply it to the hair for an hour and wash it, a very good tonic for your hair.  

Ingredients:

Fenugreek seeds or Methi seeds - 1/2 cup

Soaked for 6-8 hours. Drained and then kept in a cotton or muslin cloth for a day or till it gets sprouted.

Oil - 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp(optional)

Onion -2 big, finely chopped

Tomato - 1 big, finely chopped

Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp

Green chilly - 2 slit

Salt to taste

Red chilly powder - 2 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp

Jaggery - 1 tsp

water - 1/2 cup

Fresh coriander to garnish

Method:

• Heat oil in a thick bottomed kadai.
• Add cumin seeds and Mustard seeds. 
• Add onion and fry till brown. Keep on stirring.
• Add Ginger and garlic paste. fry for a minute.
• Add tomato and little water. Mix well and cook till the tomato is half cooked.
• Add sprouted methi seeds and other ingredients. 
• Mix well. 
• Add some more water. 
• Cook for 5 minutes.
• Adjust the seasoning.
• Check the seeds, cook till soft. (It may take another 5 minutes.)
• Garnish with fresh coriander.
• Enjoy it with soft chapatis.

My aunt says its stays good for 3-4 days so good while travelling, but I never kept it more than one day...

Sending this to Soumya (of Nivedhanam)'s event 

 HITS – Diabetic friendly and HITS page"

 

Keep Smiling,

Sugar Stuffed Flat Breads(ಸಕ್ಕರೆ ಚಪಾತಿ )

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

This one is nostalgic. I love these chapatis. It was very regular in my house. My mom used to make these a lot. Me and my brother were always happy to eat these rolls. 

Unfortunately, my kids don't like sweet. So this one remained only in my memories( Me too scared of having the whole sugar or powder more!) 

The other day I suddenly felt like having it and here it is :-)

What am I talking about? Sugar stuffed flat breads.. We call it "Sakre Chapati" in Kannada..

Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 1 cup

Salt a pinch

Water to make the dough ready

For Stuffing

Powdered sugar - 1 tbsp for each chapati

Ghee or Butter - 1 tsp for each chapati + 1 tsp for frying or roasting

Method:

• Prepare the wheat flour dough by adding little by little water. The dough should be soft. 
• Divide into equal lime size balls.
• First Method:
• Take one ball and roll into small circle(small puri size)
• Take one more and repeat.
• On one rolled puri, spread ghee or butter and on another spread the powdered sugar.
• Keep the buttered one on the sugar stuffed puri and close it tight.
• Slowly dust it with the flour and roll in to medium sized chapatis.
• Keep the tawa on heat.
• Roast it on both the sides and apply or drizzle ghee on it before removing it.
• Repeat with remaining dough.
• Second Method
• Roll three small size puris.
• Spread one tsp butter or ghee on first one.
• Keep the other puri on it and close it.
• Spread the sugar powder on it.
• Close it tight with other puri.
• Roll it(as shown in the photo)
• and again roll it to give round shape.
• Do it slowly.
• Roll into medium size chapati and roast it.
• Serve hot with spicy pickle or pack and take it while travelling.
• Best breakfast for kids and me:-)

Linking this to Jagruti's event

Announcing an event - I'm well Stuffed !

Keep Smiling,

ALOO PATTICE (Re posting)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

If you really know me and follow my blog, you know that I am a person who finishes the work at the last minute. As the last date is nearing  for any contest puts me into pressure and I do the cooking or posting.

Here is a recipe which I am re posting it for my dearest Jagruti. But Promising that next two days are only for her... for her ongoing event  :I'm well stuffed.

Directly going to the recipe,( Aloo Pattice  is the original post)

Ingredients:

Potato -4 big

Haldi - 1/2 tsp

Kiraksali - 3 bunch(Washed, cleaned and finely chopped)

(In Harsha Bennur's blog (http://girmitt.wordpress.com/2008/07/25/roasted-kirkasaali-tandulsa/), he has given the name as Tandulsa for Kiraksali, I do not know which language it is.)

Green Pea(fresh or frozen) - 1/2 cup

Green chilly - 3 small chopped

Curry leaves - few chopped

Raisins - 8 to 10

Cashew nuts - 8 to 10 cut into pieces (optional)

Khus khus(poppy seeds) - 2 tbsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Dalda or Vanaspati - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Lime juice - 1 tsp

Rice flour to dust the pattice

Oil to fry the pattice

Method:

Boil the potatoes. When cool, mash it. Add little salt (1 tsp) and haldi, mix it properly and keep it aside.

Heat oil and vanaspati in kadai, add curry leaves, peas (if frozen, keep it out of the fridge for 10 minutes before using it), green chilly. Saute it for a minute, now add raisins, cashew nuts and poppy seeds. After a minute add kiraksali. Add salt and haldi. Mix it and let it cook till the green leaves are cooked. Now add lime juice and mix it and keep it aside.

Next step is to make pattice and fry them in oil.

Make equal size(Big lemon size) of mashed potato. Take one, and press it on your palm to make it flat. Stuff it with ready leafy vegetable. Take care to cover full vegetable with potato. Otherwise all the masala will come out while frying. Do for all the potato balls. Dust the ready balls with rice flour.

Now, heat the oil in kadai. When hot, fry the pattice one by one till golden color.

4 to 6 pattice can be prepared with this quantity.

Linking this to Jagruti's event

Announcing an event - I'm well Stuffed !

Keep Smiling,

Besan Ki Masala Roti for ICC ~August

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

A simple but healthy challenge from   Valli for  Indian Cooking Challenge  for the month of  August. And she gave 2 recipes. As usual I did not get Bajre ka atta which I was really interested to make and taste :-(, So,I had to go only for Besan ke Masala roti. She has chosen the recipe from  from Chef Sanjeev Kapoor

I am posting only the photos here. 

Please do visit Valli's Besan Ki Masala Roti for the recipe.

(Green chilly is missing in the photo)

We all enjoyed it with plain yogurt and pickle with papad.

Keep Smiling, 

Masala Karela(Spicy Bitter gourd Curry)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

One more Bitter gourd recipe from me. Bitter gourd is not a welcome guest in most of the houses. It is treated as a medicine. But, luckily my house people love this one. Once in a week I prepare BITTER GOURD CHIPS AND CURDS for dinner with chapati. But I never get to eat it :-), So I keep few karelas for me and prepare this masala. I enjoy it with leftover Jowar roti, I really love it.

Ingredients:

Bitter gourd - 3 big
(1 tsp of Salt and Turmeric powder to wash)
Onion -2 big, finely chopped
Curry leaves
Oil - 2 tbsp
Green chilly - 2 big, slit into two, add in the end,
 Haldi(Turmeric powder) a pinch

to grind in to paste
Fresh coconut - 1/4 cup, fried till brown
tamarind - small lime size
Salt to taste
Red chilly powder - 1 tbsp
Fresh coriander - 1/4 bunch
Ginger - 1/2 inch
Jaggery - 2 tbsp
sesame seeds - 1tsp

Method:

1. Wash, peel and remove the seeds from bitter gourd by slitting it slightly on the edge. Cut into small cubes,.
2. Add 1 tsp of salt and Turmeric powder, mix well and keep it aside for an hour or so.
3. Squeeze the bitter gourd and wash it twice with clean water. Drain and keep it aside.
4. Take all the ingredients in "to grind into paste" list and grind into coarse paste.Transfer it into a bowl and clean the grinder vessel with clean water and keep the water aside. It is used to cook the masala.
5. Heat oil in a thick bottomed kadai.
6. When hot, add onions and curry leaves. 
7. Fry till half brown. 
8. Add the slit green chilly and bitter gourd cubes. Keep on frying till the bitter gourd  turn into almost brown color.
9. Now add the ground paste, mix well.
10. Cook for a minute with the masala water,
11. Check the taste and adjust the salt or chilly taste by adding whatever you feel is less.
12. Cook for few more minutes and garnish with fresh coriander(optional).
13. Serve hot with chapati or hot rice :-)

Keep Smiling,

Fine Semolina and Oats Ladoo

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

A healthy and tasty Ladoo. And the easiest also. 

These were very common in our house during my childhood. Usually fresh coconut is also added in this but I like it the plain. And as we know the Oats now, I have tried adding the Oats powder. I never miss any chance to add Oats in my food preparation. 

To make 8(big) or 10(small) ladoos

Ingredients:

Fine Semolina (Bombay rawa) - 1 cup

Oats powder - 1/4 cup(can add more and reduce the qty of rawa)

Sugar - 3/4 cup

Water - 1/2 cup

Ghee - 1 tsp

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Almonds and cashew nut powder - 2 tbsp

OR 

Add whole cashew nuts(I used the powder as my younger daughter never likes dry fruits to eat directly.)

Method:

• Roast the semolina and oats powder till you get nice aroma. This is must as it allows the ladoos to become softer.
• Transfer into a wide plate and allow to cool.
• While roasting the rawa, keep the sugar and water to boil.
• Allow it to boil till you get one thread consistency. It may take almost 15 minutes.
• Once the syrup is ready, remove from the heat and allow it to be warm.(This is very IMPORTANT)or else you will end up with making Semolina halwa :-)
• Add nuts powder, cardamom and ghee to the semolina and oats powder. Mix well.

Now,

• Slowly spread the half of the  syrup to the semolina mix. Mix well and keep it aside for 2 minutes.Try making the ladoos. If not possible, add some more syrup and mix well. Take little amount of the mixture and try to make into ladoos. This time you should get it. Repeat with the remained mix. 
• Keep in a plate and allow to cool. 
• Store in a dry place. You can keep it for a week also.

 Sending it again to Jagruti's event,

Announcing JCO event - Super foods~Super Power

Keep Smiling,

Rice flour and Oats Porridge

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

I am blessed with the kids who are not very fussy about the food. The little one is little choosy but always prefers the good food. Both are not much into junk food.

Everyday she should be ready by 7:20 in the morning, I should be always ready with her breakfast before 6:30. Usually I ask her what she would like to have in the morning for breakfast and will make according to that. Am I giving too much choice to her!! But, I feel the breakfast is the first food in the morning and I want her to have it full and enjoy it too. Anyways, her lunch is always my choice so I am not worried about the strict laws.

Coming to today's recipe, my younger one loves this! Porridge :-), I prepare porridge with fine semolina, oats, rice flour, ready idly batter.. She loves everything.

Today is the time to share the recipe of Rice flour and oats porridge. Its very easy and I know many of you also make it.

Here is my version,

The recipe is for one cup

Ingredients:

Rice flour - 1/4 cup

Oats or Oats powder- 3 tbsp

Water - 1/4 cup

Milk  - 1/4 cup

Salt to taste

Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp(do not add if giving for younger children)

A pinch of hing or cumin powder(optional)

Ghee - 1 tsp to serve

Method:

• Take the water and milk in a thick bottomed vessel keep to boil.
• When it starts boiling, add the rice powder and oats, keep stirring as there is a chance of getting rice flour lumps. 
• Once it is mixed well, keep on low flame and cook for few more minutes. Keep watching for the water consistency. Add some more water if you feel the porridge has become more thick or its still not cooked.
• Add hing or cumin powder and pepper powder.
• Remove from the heat, add salt. Mix well.
• Serve hot with ghee.
• Its good for those also who are not keeping well(minus the ghee)
• Serve with roasted paapad and pickle for dinner.

Sending this to three events. 
The First  one is

Nithu's ongoing event:

Event Announcement : Know Your Flour - Rice Flour

 which is started by Jagruti

The Second one is Jagruti's

Announcing JCO event - Super foods~Super Power

The third one is Srivalli's 

Announcing 30 Minutes Meal Mela

Keep Smiling,