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,

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,