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,

Stuffed Noodles, 3 ways(reposted)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

As usual, my last minute entry for the event.  Re posting  the whole post after editing it as the old one is very lengthy. 

Noodles are mom's best friend in the world. Kids love noodles in any form and with anything. 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 that 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 :

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.

Sending this to Shama's ongoing event,

RE-ANNOUNCING FAST FOOD EVENT SERIES !!!

AND also

Sending it to Jagruti's event

Announcing an event - I'm well Stuffed !

Keep Smiling,

Rice flour Murukku( akki hittina Chakli)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Today, I am here with a snack which is very common, liked by all the age group(only those having full set of strong teeth!!), can be eaten at any time of the day.. Easy to carry, love to share and happy to munch together.

Murukku, Chakli...

Its first time (actually second time in this month) but first time in my life that I dared to try out these mini wonder snacks all alone. And yesss!! I got them perfect in the first attempt(which rarely happens with me).

I do not know why I used to hesitate to prepare these!! may be because whenever my mom tried, either these chaklis came out very soft and got spoiled or I wanted my kids to push me into it..

My younger daughter loves chaklis, and as you know me, I do not like outside food much... I try to try everything at home.. 

Here is the recipe,

Ingredients:

Rice flour - 2 cups

Dalia powder (puthani powder) - 1 cup

Salt to taste

Red chilly powder - 2 tbsp or little more if you want it spicy

Ajwain - 1 tsp

Sesame seeds - 2 tbsp(optional)

Oil - 1 tbsp

Butter - 2 tbsp

warm water - 1/2 cup

more water to prepare the dough

Oil to fry

Murukku maker to press the murukku.

Method:

According to my mother and aunties, The rice should be cleaned, washed, dried and the flour should be done in flour mill. But, do we have all that patience now a days? if we have patience, we do not have time for sure. So I went for the shortcut way(some times shortcut way brings you success!!). I had the rice flour(but again it was done in flour mill, not from the shop).

I kept the rice flour in M/W safe plate for a minute and allowed it to cool before adding other things.

1. Take the all the ingredients from rice flour till sesame seeds in a big plate.
2. Mix well.
3. Add the butter in warm water and keep it for half a minute.
4. Heat the one tbsp oil and add it to the flour. Add the butter and water.
5. Mix well to make hard dough. Add some more water if you need.
6. Keep it ready.
7. Heat the oil in a wide kadai. Till it gets hot,

Keep few plates ready to put the murukku before putting them in to oil to fry, or I used kitchen tissue papers so that I could spread two murukku on a paper. This will make your work easy and fast. OR if you are expert you can directly put the murukku in a kadai and fry directly.
Take a big ball size of ready flour mix, put in the murukku maker. 
Press slowly, turning the upper knob to get the proper shape. Put one by one in a hot oil and fry till slight brown. Fry in batches. Allow to cool and store in a air tight jars. These can be kept for 15 days also(if remains!! )

Sending this to Nithu's ongoing event:

Event Announcement : Know Your Flour - Rice Flour

 which is started by Jagruti

Keep Smiling,

Fried Potato Cubes

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Lunch box :-), I love to cook lunch and pack it  for my kids. This gives little work to my idle brain. I need to be very specific as their school won't allow few foods like Curry or Sambhar (watery), Upma, Eggs, non veg, Poha, bread and chips. My elder daughter loves to take different type of food as she loves to share her lunch with her friends and they love it. And that makes me a proud mother :-). 

Most of the times I pack the different variety of rice for my elder daughter's lunch. But this Potato fry is my daughter's most favorite lunch. Many times she takes only the fry, but I pack the chapati with it without telling her :-) 

A very simple recipe but tasty and good food  for kids.

Ingredients :

Potatoes - 3 big

Salt to taste

Red chilly powder - to taste or 1 tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Method :

Wash and peel the potatoes. 

Cut into small cubes.

Heat the oil in a kadai.

Add these potato cubes.

Keep on stirring and frying till the potato gets 3/4th cooked. 

Add salt and chilly powder, mix well and fry till its golden brown.

Remove from the heat and transfer it on a plate.

Allow it to cool and pack it with Soft Chapatis. 

I tried to bake and grill it in the OTG, but the taste was not that good and it became very dry..

It can be rolled into chapati with some sauce or ketchup and make it a Fried Potato roll to serve it hot. Or it can be eaten just like that.

Keep Smiling, 

Boondi Chiwda

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Festivals!!! Coming in a row... The kitchens are filled with aromatic flavors of sweets, namkeens and many more delicious snacks.

Today I am here with the recipe of Boondi Chiwda. Chiwda is a spicy crispy snack which goes well with a cup of tea, a very hot Bisibele Bath(Spicy Veg. and dal rice) or Upma.

The Boondi is prepared with gram flour. Here I have used the ready made packet of boondi. Haldiram's product is available at all the major shops. I used the local product.

I will try to give the home made recipe of Boondi  here soon.

Now, coming to the recipe,

Ingredients :

      Boondi - 250 gm(unsalted)

1. 1.Oil - 1/4 cup
2. Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp
3. Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
4. Fresh Curry leaves - few
5. Pea nuts - 1/4 cup
6. Garlic - 10 to 12 big cloves, cleaned
7. Dalia - 1/4 cup
8. Poppy seeds - 1 tbsp(optional)
9. Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp(optional)
10. Dry coconut (thin shavings) - 2 tbsp
11. Red dry chilly - 6 to 8
12. Salt to taste
13. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
14. Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
15. Sugar - 1 tbsp

Keep all the ingredients ready in one place.

TAKE CARE TO ADD THE  INGREDIENTS ONE BY ONE AS I HAVE GIVEN.

Heat oil in a wide and thick bottomed kadai.

Add the mustard seeds, when splutter, add cumin seeds, curry leaves and pea nuts. Fry till the pea nuts are little golden.

Keep on adding other ingredients  till red chilly powder, slowly, keeping on stirring all the time. Once every thing is fried properly, remove from the heat. Add the sugar after few minutes. Allow it to cool.

Add the boondi and mix well. 

Store in a airtight jar.

It can be stored for a week or 10 days.

Keep Smiling,

Green chilly fries(Re posting)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

All time favorite at home. Have with hot rice and dal, have with puran poli or holige or any sweet dish.. Make yogurt poha with it, just add it to the rasam... 

We love these fried chillies and we never forget to make these during summer and preserve it for the whole year.

Re posting the same for the event 

Green chilly fries

I

Coming to this recipe,  these type of green chillies are available only during February and March month. So it is perfect to prepare these in Summer as these chillies need sundry. 

Fresh long green chilly - 1 kilo

Fresh yogurt or curds - 1/2 kilo, adjust less or more as per required

Salt to taste

Hing - 1 tbsp or a pea nut size(crushed) if using hard hing

Long thick needle to slit the chillies

Wash the green chillies and dry with soft towel or cloth to remove any water. Slit all the chillies on one side so that the curd gets mixed.

Transfer the curd in a big plastic or glass bowl. 

Add salt and hing. Mix it well.

Add slit green chillies in to it and with a wooden spatula or bare hands(if you can bear the pain later :-)  ) mix the chillies with curds.

This should be prepared in the morning so that you can keep it to dry. 

Spread a thick cleaned plastic sheet in a place where there is lot of sun rays. Take only the chillies(leave the curds in a bowl itself and keep it covered)and spread these on the plastic sheet. Allow to dry till evening. In the evening, again put the chillies back into curds. Mix it properly and keep it till next morning. Again take only chillies and put to dry like previous day. Repeat it for 3 days. From 4th day, dry the chillies till they are totally dry. This may take 2 days depending on the weather. Once the chillies are dry, the color will also change to brown. 

Store in air tight container (good plastic or glass will be fine ). You can store it for a year also.

When ever required, take the chillies out and fry in hot oil. Use it with rice, chapati as a side dish.

                                        

Sending this to Kaveri's on going event "Event Announcement - Guest Hosting EP Series - Fenugreek Leaves and Green Chili in her blog Palakkad Chamayal which is the brain child of   Julie.

Keep Smiling,