Tomato Rasam Cubes

Tried and tasted by Nivedita 

Hi All,

Even though I had many urgent drafts to post in my blog for events(including mine which lasts on 25th), I could not wait to post this. I was so thrilled after I tried this and clicked the photos in the afternoon. Past one week, I was thinking about these cubes, but was not able to make.

When I read the event in Jaya's blog, I wanted to participate with some different recipe. I am not sure, whether this is an unique one, but for me its new. I am not a frozen (food) person. I always love to have fresh food. But frozen foods are boon to working mothers or really busy persons. And this one is really a healthy frozen food to preserve and use it.

I have tried to put it step by step photos. 

Ingredients :

Tomato - 6 to 8, big, grated ( do not chop or puree)

Ginger -2 tbsp, grated

Curry leaves - 20

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp

Pepper - 1 tbsp

Hing - 1/2 tsp

Crush the cumin seeds, pepper and hing and keep aside

Lemon - 1 big

Sugar - 2 tbsp

Red Chilly powder - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Fresh Coriander powder - 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Fresh coriander powder - hand full, chopped

Heat oil in a thick bottomed deep vessel. Keep it on a medium heat. Add mustard seeds and wait till seeds splutter. 

Add grated ginger, curry leaves and crushed powder. Fry it for a minute. 

Add grated tomato. Fry for 2 minutes. 

Now add salt, sugar, turmeric powder,red chilly powder and fresh coriander powder. Mix it properly and let it cook for 5 minutes. 

Add Lime juice and fresh coriander. 

Cook for few more minutes. 

DO NOT ADD WATER AS THIS HAS TO BE PRESERVED. Check the taste. It should be strong and spicy as we are going to add water to the cubes to make it into rasam. So adjust the seasoning according to your taste.

Allow it to cool. Fill in the ice cube tray.

Try to take the tray with the lid or cover as the curry smell will get into the freezer. If you do not have lid, cover it with foil.

Keep it in the freezer for 6 to 8 hours. Or according to the capacity of your fridge. 

Once set, Remove the cubes.

Store in a air tight jar in the freezer. You can keep it for a week to 10 days at least.

This quantity makes 8 big cubes. You can vary the quantity according to your requirement.

When ever you need to make rasam, remove the required cubes. Boil the water in a vessel (1:2) Add the cubes and cook for few minutes. Adjust the seasoning. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve it with hot rice.

These cubes are going to the event  Back to basics  held by Jaya of  Desi Soccer Mom . 

AND

PJ'S ONGOING EVENT

Healing Foods -Event Announcement which is started by Siri  (Healing foods)

Keep Smiling,

Green gram halwa

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

I am really an absent minded person. I thought last date for event is July 31st!! Suddenly I saw it now that I have set it as July 25th!!!

Here is my one more try on halwa. It is not very delicious but a very healthy as I have used Green gram flour to make it.

Green gram flour is common in my house. We prepare rotti, thali peeth, laddus and jhunka or pitla or Curry. I use it in making dosas. But I have never tries the halwa with this. So thought of giving it a try. I loved the taste. But you are not used of the smell of green gram you may not like it. I think its good for kids as its healthy one.

I tried in with a very little quantity as I was not sure about the taste.

Giving the recipe :

Green gram flour - 1/4 cup

Sugar - 1/2 cup

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Ghee - 2 tbsp+ 1 tsp

Cashew nuts - 1 tbps, chopped

Salt pinch or less

Water - 1 cup

Take the gram flour in a microwave safe dish and keep on HIGH for 30 seconds.(I tried to roast it directly in tawa on heat, it got burnt)

Keep it aside.

Heat ghee in a pan and fry the cashew nuts. keep aside.

Take water and sugar in a thick bottomed vessel and keep it to boil. When starts boiling, add the gram flour. Here, you should be quick to stir it continuously otherwise lumps will be formed and its difficult to remove the lumps later.

OR

Take little cold water, put the flour in it and mix it properly to remove lumps. Add this to boiling water.

Keep on stirring. Add cardamom powder. Add 1 tsp of ghee. Cook it for few minutes without leaving it. It will start leaving the sides. Off the heat, add fried nuts with ghee. Mix it and allow it to cool. Halwa is ready to eat.

This for my event, EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT - CELEBRATE SWEETS~HALWA!!!!!

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,

Two sweets and one Savory - Remixed and reposted for the event

Tried and tasted by Nivedita 

Hi All,

July month is going to end... Festivals are in queue! All will be busy in making sweets for the festivals. Its really a good idea to think of the sweets we will make for each festival and keep the recipe in hand. Most of the times, each festival has a particular sweet to prepare. Check this site for details. Good collection of recipes for each festival.. blessingsonthenet

I am reposting two of my sweet preparations and one savory item for the event EFM - Sweets and Savories for Diwali Series! held by Sri of  Me and My Kitchen

 

The First one is, Peanut Gujiya 

Here is a sweet, which is usually prepared during Diwali. Gujiya or Karchikai is very common sweet in India. And the stuffing differs in each state and each region.

Giving you the recipe,

All purpose flour - 250 gm

Salt - 1/4 tsp

Milk - 2 tbsp

Oil - 1tbsp

Mix all with little water to make into soft dough, cover it with moist cloth. Keep it aside for an hour.

For stuffing,

Peanut - 1 cup, roasted. Remove the skin and clean it

Jaggery - 1 cup or less, depending on the sweetness of the jaggery

Dry Coconut, grated - 2 tbsp, roasted

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1/4 tsp

Oil to fry

                                 

First, dry grind the peanuts for one round to make it coarse powder. Then add the jaggery, cardamom powder and coconut. Grind it again to make smooth powder. Transfer it into a bowl and add salt, mix it nicely.

Divide all purpose flour in to equal small lemon size balls. Roll into oval shape of palm size. Take one tbsp of ready peanut powder mix and put it slowly in the middle of  rolled puri.  Close it to neatly and bind it with water to give gujia shape. Repeat with other balls. 

Heat the oil in a kadai. When its hot, keep it on medium flame and fry all the gujiyas in batches.

You can store it for a week or 10 days.

The second one is, Sweet Coconut Rice

Coming to the recipe,

Rice(any variety which stays firm after cooking,) - 1 bowl (cooked)

Sugar - 3/4th bowl

Fresh coconut - 1 bowl(grated)

Ghee - 3/4th bowl

Cashew nuts and raisins - 6 each cut into pieces

Salt - a pinch

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Heat 1 tbsp ghee in thick bottomed pan. Fry the nuts and keep aside. In the same pan, add coconut. Fry for a minute. Add sugar. Mix well and let it cook till the sugar is dissolved with coconut. Add half of the ghee.Do not let it boil. Once, both are mixed properly, add the cooked rice immediately. You should be  always with the dish, stirring it always on medium flame. Now add some more ghee, salt and cardamom powder. Cook it only for one minute. Remove it from the fire. Add fried nuts. Mix it nicely and transfer in to serving bowl. If you delay, then it will become hard.

The sweet coconut rice is ready to serve.

The savory item is, Green chilly crispy poha

It is a must in our house to serve with other dry sweets. 

Thin poha - 250gm

Oil - 1/4 cup or less

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Peanut - 1/4cup

Dalia - 1/4 cup

Curry leaves - 15 to 20

Green chilly - 3 to 4, slit and cut in to two

Hing - a pinch

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Sugar - 1 tbsp

Add oil in a kadai.Wait till the oil is hot, add mustard seeds. When splutter add cumin seds, peanut and curry leaves. Fry for sometime till peanut changes its color to golden color. Be careful as it may burn of if you delay or move away from kadai.

Now add green chilly and hing. Fry for half a minute. Add dalia and sesame seeds. Fry for half a minute. Off the heat. Keep on stirring. Now add Salt, turmeric powder. Let it cool.

Add the cleaned poha and sugar. Mix it properly. 

Take little quantity and transfer it into microwave safe bowl. (If you take more quantity, all the poha will not become crispy) Keep it on HIGH or 100% and run it for 30 seconds to one minute. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes.  Repeat with remaining poha. You will get crispy poha to eat.

Keep Smiling,

3 ways to make stuffed noodles.

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Home made Wheat sevian, Rice sevian are the recipes from olden days in India. We prepare upma, kheer and many more dishes with these.

It was like a revolution when the noodles were introduced in India. For me, it was a magic! noodles in 2 minutes!!  Now a days there are many good brands making noodles. Maggi was the first in India. Then came Top Ramen... Now countless..

The new in the market in this year is the Foodles from Horlicks. The taste is good and different.

Noodles are mom's best friend in the world. Kids love noodles in any form and with anything. I always try to do something new with these noodles. Here is one more which was tried for the cooking competition. My friend Vaishaly and I tried this together. After trying few shapes and the way of cooking we decided to make veggie noodles rolls for the competition.

Interesting thing in this is the masala mix is the same, only the way of stuffing and cooking is different. Choose the one you want!!

First is the recipe for making masala mix :

(This masala mix recipe is adopted from the advertisement in a magazine. It was the advertisement for some noodles product with the recipe. There the chef has prepared it for noodles basket. Here we tried to bake or steam it.)

For Stuffing:

Mixed Vegetables – 200 gm

(Carrot, Cauliflower florets, Capsicum, Cucumber, Onion, Sweet Corn, Peas, Beans, thinly sliced cabbage)

Garlic – 2 cloves, chopped

Green Chilly - 2 finely chopped

Red chilly flakes – 1tsp

Salt to taste                 

Oil – 1 tbsp

For Sauce:

Tomato Ketchup – ½ cup

White vinegar – ½ tsp

Red Chilly flakes - 1 tsp

Maggi veg.cube – 1

Black pepper powder – ½ tsp

Mix all the ingredients for sauce in a bowl and keep it aside.

For Batter

Corn flour – 3 tbsp

Veg. Stock – 1 cup

Mix it in a bowl and use as required

For the layers:

Flat noodles – 2 packets
(you can mix the normal one also)

Salt to taste

Maggi veg.cube – 1

Corn flour – 1 tbsp

Black pepper powder – ½ tsp

Mozzarella cheese to spread

Butter

Method:

To make Vegetable mix masala:

Heat the oil in Microwave safe dish on HIGH for 2 minutes.

Add chopped garlic and keep it back in oven on HIGH for a minute.

Add mixed vegetables. Sauté it and keep on HIGH for 5minutes. Keep on stirring in between.

Add the butter, ready sauce, batter and half the quantity of Veg. stock.

Keep back in oven on HIGH for 2 minutes. Stir it after one minute.

Check it after 2 minutes. If the mix is slightly thick remove it or keep again for one minute.

Cool it.  Divide it into equal quantity for stuffing.

To cook the noodles:

Boil the water with salt in a microwave safe dish on HIGH FOR 2 minutes.

Add Maggi Veg cube, salt and flat noodles and boil on HIGH for 1 minute.
Be careful not to over cook the noodles.  The noodles should be paraboiled.

Remove, drain the water and transfer it into colander. Pour cold water on the noodles and drain it properly to remove all the water. Sprinkle powdered Veg cube, corn flour and pepper powder. Mix properly and keep it aside.

To  Make Idly:
Making stuffed noodles idly was my idea and tasted great too. Check out the photos.

Take the Microwave safe idly plate. Spread the noodles in a thin layer. Take a tbsp of masala and keep it in the middle. Spread the mozzarella cheese on the top. Cover it with another thin layer of noodles. Repeat with all the moulds.
Keep it covered on HIGH for 3 minutes. Remove and allow it to cool. 
Stuffed noodles idly are ready to serve.

To stuff the roll:

Divide the noodles according to the size of the roll you want to make.

Take one portion; spread it on an even plate to make a round shape.

Press with wet hand to combine it.

Spread the grated cheese to make a thin layer.

Keep the ready vegetable mix in the center.

Cover it to give the roll shape. Apply the corn flour batter to close it properly.

Brush it with butter.

Repeat with other rolls.

Brush the microwave safe big plate. Keep the rolls in it.

Bake it oh HIGH for 3 minutes. Open and turn the rolls. Brush with butter. Again bake it on HIGH for few more minutes.

Allow to cool.

Serve with Ketchup or sauce.


Going little oily,
Take the stuffed idly shaped noodles, fry in the hot oil and serve it with ketchup or sauce.

My friend Vaishaly took The Veggie noodles rolls to  LG MALLIKA - E - KITCHEN  contest. Here is the photo for the same :

Sending these to Srivalli's 365 days of Microwave Cooking! event 

Keep Smiling,