SPICY METHI LEAVES AND GRAM FLOUR CAKE

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

It was long time that I posted something from my place, North Karnataka recipes. This recipe is an extension of Gram flour vadi :-), Are you laughing at my word "extension". I have added methi leaves to the basic recipe. Gram flour vadi is very common food in North Karnataka and there are many versions of this and this is prepared even using green gram flour which is healthier than this one.

Coming to the recipe now,

Adding methi leaves definitely is an advantage for the mothers like me who wants their kid to have green monster(according to kids :-) ). Make these vadas or small cakes and serve it with chapati. I again crumbled it and spread it on the chapati to make it roll and gave it to my younger one.

Ingredients:

Gram flour - 1 cup

Fresh Methi leaves - 3 small bunches or 2 big one

Onion - 2 big

Green chilly - 2 or as per the taste

Salt to taste

Curry leaves - few

Oil - 2 tbsp

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Haldi - 1/2 tsp

Tamarind paste - 2 tbsp

Method :

Clean and wash the methi leaves. Keep it in a colander to remove the water.

Finely chop the onion. (I used food processor)

Finely chop the methi leaves, green chilly and curry leaves(again I used food processor, its a boon for me )

Using food processor will help you to get the fine texture.

If you don't have the processor, chop it finely with a sharp knife.

Heat oil in a thick bottomed kadai.

Add cumin seeds and onion together. Fry till it turns golden color. Add the gram flour and fry till the aroma comes. Don't leave in the middle. It may take 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the chopped methi and green chilly. Mix and fry till both the gram flour and methi leaves blends well. 

Cover with a lid and cook for few minutes. Open, add salt and haldi.

Mix well and keep frying for few minutes more. Add the tamarind paste, mix well, cover and cook it starts leaving the edge. 

Transfer it on a wide plate. Spread it on the plate to get the round or rectangular shape with little thickness. Allow it to cool. Cut into desired shape(square, rectangle, triangle or diamond). Usually its cut into diamond shape, but here I cut it into triangles. Anyways, the taste won't differ with shape :-)

As there is no water added to it, you can take it while travelling for a day or two. 

Enjoy it with hot chapati or Jowar roti. 

Keep Smiling,

DAPKA KHADI FOR ICC~MAY

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Weather is playing hide and seek with us :-) Everything served on the plate should be hot and spicy. So the butter milk has taken its seat back. But boiled butter milk or Hot butter milk?? Yes, its my favorite always. I wait for this weather to enjoy this Kadhi. 

Last month I prepared the same way but with Mangalore Cucumber (which is again my favorite) and I was lazy to post it in my blog.

When Valli announced the challenge for this month's Indian Cooking Challenge, I was happy. One more reason to be happy was its my favorite cuisine, its from Gujarat :-)

Click Valli's Dapka Kadhi ~ Gujarati Special | How to Make Dapka Kadhi | Indian Cooking Challenge - May for the recipe.

I am here with my clicks:-

Can you see my Dapkas?

Moongdal paste

Buttermilk with Besan

Baked Moong dal dapkas

I faced a problem with dapkas. When I put those in the kadhi, they did not pop up but thanks for the tips Valli, I baked those in microwave for 3 minutes and then added in the kadhi.

Still they were hard, don't know the reason.

The taste was good

Ready to serve with Rotlas

I enjoyed it with hot rice :-) 

 Keep Smiling,

CORN AND CABBAGE SOUP

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

How are you all ladies? Are you ready for the party for this month. I am waiting for your entries and waiting to get my partner. :-) Thats the specialty of this event right??

This month I was in confusion about choosing the recipe and at last I am here with a very simple but very essential part of any great party. Yes, meal is not complete without soup.The original Indian food never had soup in its list. But, its long time that SOUP has become the integrated part of our cuisine.

My younger daughter loves soup. She has kept the name for all soups, like Palak soup is Green soup, Tomato soup is Red soup, cabbage soup is White soup...

I always make hot and sour soup at home, but never tried this Corn soup. The weather is also cold in the evenings now a days. So thought of making this one and bringing it to our party :-)

I have followed very basic and simple recipe:

\

Ingredients:

Fresh corn - 2 medium(or take frozen one or canned one, in that case 1 cup)

Cabbage - 1 cup grated

Butter - 2 tsp

Garlic - few cloves, chopped finely

Onion - 1 small or half, chopped finely

Green chilly - 1 chopped(avoid if serving it for kids)

Milk - 1 cup

Water - 1/2 cup(if needed)

Corainder - 1 tbsp shopped + 1 tsp to garnish

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Lemon to taste

Method:

Clean the corn and take out the corns, you can remove the corns with sharp knife or grate it (if using fresh one),

Finely chop the cabbage. 

Take both the cabbage and the corn in a cooker, add little water(just to cover)

Give 2 whistles.

Allow to cool. Once cool, grind into fine paste.

Heat butter in a sauce pan or kadai,

add chopped garlic and onion. Saute it till brown.

Add the corn and cabbage puree.

Stir well and cook for 3 minutes.

Add the milk and cook for a minute.

Add chopped chilly and coriander.

Add water if you feel the soup is thick.

Mix well and boil it few more minutes.

Remove from the heat and add salt, pepper and lime juice.

Serve hot garnished with some more chilly(if you like raw chilly taste) and pepper.

We all loved it. 

This is my entry to 

Jagruti's  event:

Potluck party, Cyber style! - Fun and the Challeng...

Keep Smiling,

SPICY BROWN RICE

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

I just can't wait to share this recipe. I know its very simple and may be most of you might have tried it before. But there are few things which we keep on delaying to try for no reason. This week, I prepared few dishes which are easy to make and I liked to have also, still I never tried. Yesterday I made simple Banana milk shake, first  time!!! and today I prepared this lovely spicy brown rice. It was the healthiest dinner and we all liked it so much. I never thought brown rice can be so tasty.

Planning to have some good rice at least twice a week,  I thought of making brown rice which was lying in the kitchen since 6 months. 

I use brown rice while making  Dosa or Brown Rice Paddu(Gundpanglu)

I soaked it for an hour with lot of water and then cooked it in the cooker with little salt for 6 whistles. When it was cold I opened and checked the taste and I was very sure that no one will eat this bland rice(except me). I was loving it, but there are another three in the family!! There was so much water in it and I did not wanted to waste it.

Then I thought of giving it some weight :-), added fresh sambhar powder, jaggery, turmeric and some more salt. There was kokum syrup in the fridge (which I prepared day before yesterday). Thought of adding it.

Mixed all the ingredients in the same cooker and gave 2 more whistles!! :-)

Tempered with ghee, mustard seeds and curry leaves with red dry chillies.

Thats it... My super dinner was ready to be served. 

When everyone saw it on the dining table, there was big NO at first, but I told them to taste at least one spoon..... no one knew when that one spoon multiplied into many and the rice got over  :-)

Here is the recipe(I have already given above, but, down is the formal way)

Ingredients:

Brown rice - 1 cup

Water - 3 cups

Salt to taste

for Masala

Sambhar powder - 2 tbsp(Fresh home made or brought from store like MRT..)

I used my fresh sambhar powder

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Jaggery - 2 tsp

Kokum syrup - 1 tbsp or Tamarind pulp - 1 tbsp

Salt - if you feel its less in the cooked rice.

For tempering,

Ghee -1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Red dry chilly -2 to 3 broken into pieces.

Hing - a dash of

Clean, wash and soak the rice in water for an hour at least.

Cook it in the cooker for 5 whistles. (I had kept it directly in the small cooker)

Allow to cool.

Add all the ingredients under masala. 

Mix well and give two more whistles.

Allow to cool,

Heat ghee in a kadai,

add mustard seeds, curry leaves, hing and chilly.

Add this to the rice. 

boil for a minute and serve hottttttttt :-)

Keep Smiling,

MANGO PAYASAM(Food Remake)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Living in a season where you are  breathing mango, I am here with one more recipe with mango. I brought it from OUR Potluck Party partner ,  Sini of Sini's Menu.....The Kitchenmagic......., MANGO PAYASAM. 

Should I say I am lucky to get this recipe? Yes, because its easy, its quick, its tasty and yummy, its available now and I would not have tried it if I was not in Potluck party.

It has gone into my favorite dessert list to prepare when more guests are in. The best thing is you can use canned mango when its out of season. 

Coming to my recipe,

if you check Sini's blog, her dish looks different, the payasam looks different color, may be because, we both used different variety of mango or may be the jaggery I used is darker and more red in color than her. And her paysam looks thick, again may be because of the thickness of the coconut milk. 

Whatever, my payasam was really very good, tasty and different. My family loved it and again, I got little to taste :-(.

Ingredients:

Mango - 3, ripe, (I used the small ones with fibre, though Sini has told to use without, but I did not had any option)

Jaggery,- I pureed the mango and checked the qty of the puree and took the jaggery 1/2 of it, because the mangoes were very sweet.

Water -little more than the qty of jaggery

Coconut milk - 3/4 cup, thick(see notes)

Coconut milk - 1/2 cup, thin (See notes)

Ghee - 1 tsp+1 tbsp

Salt a pinch

Cashew nuts - 1 tbsp,

Raisins - 1 tbsp

Dry ginger powder - a pinch

Dry coconut pieces - 1 tbsp 

Method:

Wash, peel and puree the mangoes.

check the quantity and take half of  the jaggery.

Melt the jaggery with water and cook till its dissolved . 

Strain it to remove the dirt and keep it aside.

Take a thick bottomed kadai, add mango puree and the jaggery syrup in it .Mix well and boil it for a minute.

Add 1 tsp ghee and keep on cooking on a low flame, stirring continuous.

Cook till thick consistency.

Add ginger powder and mix well. 

Add the thin coconut milk slowly and cook till it turns thick.

Now add the thick coconut milk and cardamom powder. Mix well and DO NOT allow to boil as it curdles the payasam.

Take it from the heat.

Heat 1 tbsp ghee and fry the nuts and coconut pieces separately.

Add these to the payasam.

Allow it to cool,

have it warm or chilled :-)

linking it to Potluck party, Cyber style! - Fun and the Challeng... 

Thanks Jagruti once again.

Keep Smiling, 

Mango Lassi

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

MANGO!!!! Again !! :-), Can't help it, got so many mangoes at home. Not understanding what to do! Aamras is common now a days in my menu :-(.

The other day I made Mango mousse, but it did not come out well.  One day I made mango milk shake, I made Mango Mug cake.. what else has remained now? Hey, yes I made Mango Chutney, Mango ice kulfi,. Did not take photos :-( But will make soon and post the recipes too.

Today's recipe is very easy and quick.

NO need of giving any ingredients or method, right??

Still I am giving it.

Ingredients:

Mangoes - 3 big, ripe and with more pulp(I used the fruits from our tree, it has more fibre, but it was sweet and pulpy)

Sugar - according to the taste of mango. My mangoes are very sweet, I used just 2 tbsp of sugar.

Fresh yogurt - 1 cup

Salt a pinch

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Cold water - 1/2 cup(if you find the lassi very thick)

Method:

Wash, clean, peel the mangoes.

Make the puree of the pulp. Discard the seed.

Take all the ingredients and add it to pulp.

Churn in a grinder or juicer to thick consistency.

                             

Serve it Chilled

Isn't it easy???

Keep Smiling,

PUMPKIN MASALA

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

PUMPKIN!!! Not regular in my house. Reason?? No one likes it except me :-(,  but,  I made it last week and I forced everyone to eat it! To my surprise, all had it happily.

I love the color, the texture and the taste of Pumpkin. I love to have it in sambhar, chutney or just simple masala, same as I have given here the recipe.

Its very simple and quick.

Ingredients:
Pumpkin - 1/4 piece
To marinate:
Salt to taste
Red chilly powder - 2 tsp or as per taste
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Amchur Powder - 2 tsp
Hing  powdered- a pinch

To temper:

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Red dry chilly - 2 or 3 break in to pieces

Wate - 1/2 cup

Fresh coconut grated - 2-3 tbsp

Fresh coriander - 1 tbsp(optional, I did not had)

Method:

Wash the pumpkin and peel the skin.

Cut into small cubes.

Take all the things under "To marinate" in a bowl.

Mix well and the the cut pumpkin pieces into it. Mix well and keep it for 15 min to half an hour.

Heat oil in a thick bottomed kadai.

Add mustard seeds and allow to splutter.

Add curry leaves, and dry red chilly.

saute for a minute.

Add the marinated pumpkin, mix well and cook for  two minutes, keep on stirring in between.

Add half cup of water. 

Close the lid and cook for 5 minutes on low flame.

Adjust the seasoning.

Open the lid and the grated coconut and coriander. 

Serve hot  with Chapati or rice. 

Keep Smiling,

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, 

POTATO AND KIDNEY BEANS SALAD WITH HUNG CURD

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Its party time again Ladies :-), How I wish if it was really happening!!!

Potluck party is a great idea for people to come together with their dishes and share with others and enjoy and have a great time too.

Last time I brought the pickle which was the basic food for any Indian food party. For this party I have brought a Salad.  Salad comes next to pickle.

I tasted this potato and kidney beans salad in PIZZA HUT first time in UAE and everytime I got the chance to taste it. I liked it so much but never tried at home. No specific reasons, somehow I could not.

So I thought let me make this for the potluck party. Most of the recipes use Mayonnaise but I have used Hung curd and the taste was superb.

Coming to the recipe,

I prepared only for 2 persons, you can increase the quantity to make it for more people.

Ingredients:

Potato -2 big

Kidney beans - 1/2 cup

Hung curd - 1 cup

Salt to taste

Fresh Cream - 1 tbsp(Optional)

Green Chilly -  1 tsp finally chopped

 Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Soak the kidney beans overnight.

1. To make hung curd:
2. Take the yogurt or curd in a muslin cloth.
3. Tie it tightly and hung it with a vessel down so that the water from the curd should not spread on the floor or platform(where ever you are hanging it) Remove it after few hours(may be 3 to 4 hours), keep it in the fridge till serving time or it will become sour.

1. Boil the potatoes and the soaked beans till soft.
2. Peel the potatoes and mash it.
3. Drain the water from the kidney beans.
4. Take the hung curd, salt, chopped chilly, sugar and fresh cream in a bowl.
5. Mix it well. Add the mashed potato and beans. 
6. Mix well  keep it in the fridge for some time before serving.
7. Serve it chilled.

You can serve it on the bread slice or plain paratha slices to serve as a starter or for kids. I know kids will love it because my both the kids were happy to eat this..

Sending this  to three events:
Jagruti's  two events:

Potluck party, Cyber style! - Fun and the Challeng...

and 

Event Announcement -My Bowl of Salad !

AND 

Pavani of Cook's Hideout

Kid's Delight Event Announcement - 5 Ingredient Fix

which is started by Valli with the name Kid's Delight announcement post

Keep Smiling,

Jamoon Fruit Juice -Two ways, Re posting for the event

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
Hi All,

Summer is here, and the events are coming up to help us to beat the thrust :-),

When I went through Swathi's zestysouthindiankitchen space, I thought of re posting this juice as the season for this fruit is already started and its easily available.

Read my original post HERE.

Swathi has asked to write about any interesting story behind this recipe or if you have any memories with this. Down is my story :-

Jamoon fruit brings many sweet memories in my mind.. These fruits are seasonal and we used to wait for it. During school days, we used to run to the houses where these trees were grown. House people enjoying their afternoon nap were never disturbed till one stone fell on their roof or window glass :-). And then there were few old ladies carrying these jamoon fruits in their round baskets and selling it for 10 Paises. I always love the color of these fruits.

You can read the benefits and other details in my original post.

Coming to the recipe,

Ingredients (for making 2 glasses) for basic juice

Jamoon fruits - 20(big)

Drinking Water - 1 cup

Keep the fruits in water for some time. Clean and put it into a vessel. Add the water and allow one boil. Let it cool. Mash with the hands, remove seeds. Sieve in a serving cup. The basic juice is ready which tastes very raw and bitter. 

To make salty juice :

Add a pinch of salt, Crushed mint and white pepper powder. Mix well. Serve chilled or add few ice cubes if you want to serve immediately.

To make Sweet juice :

Add 1 to 2 tsp Sugar, half a pinch of salt. Mix well. Serve chilled. 

Sending this to Swathi's event:

Favorite Recipes Event: Drinks

Keep Smiling,

HANDVO FOR POTLUCK PARTY(Food Remake)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita                             

Hi All,

Welcome to Potluck party of this month. If you remember, I had taken pickle for the  Potluck party, Cyber style! - Fun and the Challeng... this month. And my friend Arthy brought Handvo. Now its my turn to make her recipe at home and take it to the party.

Gujrathi cuisine is my favourite!!!(which is not mine??), I have tried many recipes. And Thanks to Arthy that she prepared this one and forced me to try. Sometimes though we want to try new recipes many unwanted reasons(lazyness, not getting things ...) stops us from doing it. Actually, now also I do not have OTG  or Convection oven to make as I am in Pune, I still have tried to bake! or steam it in the cooker. Lets see how it comes out. Fingers crossed ladies...

Please visit http://savaadhjevana.blogspot.in/2013/04/handvo.html and meed Arthy Shama with her delicious recipes.

So, here is my version of making Handvo.

 

 

 

I have missed the whole wheat in it as I did not get it and forgot to add the wheat flour to the paste.

AND

I have used half the qty from the quantities given in her blog as I had to steam it and Arthy suggested me to use half.

Take

1/4 cup - Raw rice

1/8 cup - Tvar Dal

1/2 tsp -  Urad Dal

1/2 tsp -  Moong Dal

1/2 tsp -  Chana Dal

1/4 tsp Rock salt

1/4 cup Sour curd

 

soak all the above ingredients except salt and sour curd for 4 to 6 hours.

Grind into coarse paste.

Add the salt and sour curd, mix well and allow it to ferment for antoher 6 hours.



 

Take

1 green chilli finely chopped

1/2 tsp crushed ginger

1/4 cup grated bottlegourd (squeezed to liberate juice)

1/4 tsp haldi or turmeric powder

1/2 tsp chilly powder

1 tsp dhania powder

1/2 tsp Eno

 

Mix well all these ingredients except Eno

when ready to bake or steam,

 

Add the above mix in to fermented paste.

Mix well,

 

Ingredients to temper

2 tsp oil

1/4 tsp - mustard seeds

1/4 tsp - sesame seeds

1/4 tsp jeera

2-3 dry red chillies

few curry leaves

Add the above tempered mix to the ground paste. Mix well.

Keep the cooker with little water on heat.

When the water starts boiling(I have tried to make the same way as we do for Dhokla)

Add eno to your paste. Mix well, transfer it to the container that fits in the cooker.

Keep it inside the cooker.

 



 

 

 

Remove the weight of the cooker, close the lid, steam it for 45 minutes.

Check it and if its cooked remove it or continue steaming for few more minutes.

 

 

  

 I am not sure how the real Handvo tastes as I never got the chance to try it. But I am happy with my result, the handvo came out very good and tasty and of course these are healthy ones. I enjoyed it with my regular dal.

Once again thanking Jagruti for this lovely event, will wait for the next party :-)

Potluck party, Cyber style! - Fun and the Challeng...

I am out of station and scheduled this one on 28th. Hope it gets published and you will enjoy my steamed handvo for the party.

 

Keep Smiling,