Poha Alu Tikki

Finding myself with a big bowl of leftover Kanda Poha, I was wondering what to upcycle it as. It seemed such a shame to throw away such precious organic red poha. Thus was born Poha Alu tikki. Since rice flakes (Poha) is so quick to soak, and because the tikki is easy to put together with readily available ingredients, I am sure you will enjoy making and savoring this simple Poha Alu Tikki as much as we did.

You can use either Red or White Poha for this Poha Alu Tikki. Or you can use up leftover Aval upma/Kanda Poha like me! Just add a boiled potato for binding, some herbs and seasonings, and the Poha Alu Tikki is ready to be pan fried and gorged upon.

Here is how I made Poha Alu Tikki.

ALLERGY INFORMATION

• Does NOT contain lactose, nuts, soya, corn, egg.
• Suitable for people with gluten allergy or lactose intolerance,

Preparation Time -  15-20 minutes, Cooking Time –  25–30 minutes, Makes – 12 –14 medium size tikkis. 

YOU NEED

COOKWARE – colander, 5 litre mixing bowl, chopping board, knife, potato masher, non-stick tawa/griddle

INGREDIENTS

1. 1 heaped cup Red/ White rice flakes ( poha). I used *Red Poha. OR 1 heaped bowl leftover aval upma/Kanda Poha
2. 1 medium potato boiled, or half cup boiled mashed potato
3. 1/4 cup finely minced red onion
4. 2 green chillies, finely minced
5. a handful of fresh coriander leaves,finely minced
6. 1/2 teaspoon salt
7. 1/2 teaspoon amchur powder
8. 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder

METHOD

1. If using fresh rice flakes(Poha), cover with fresh water, soak for 5 minutes. Then place in a colander and rinse under running water. Set to drain.
2. Clean and mince finely onion, green chilly, and coriander leaves.
3. Add the above to the drained poha, mashed potato, salt, amchur and garam masala in a mixing bowl. Mash them together using a potato masher. Mix well to a homogenous mixture.
4. Make big lemon size balls, flatten slightly, and shallow fry on a heated non-stick tawa. Drizzle as little oil as possible while shallow frying. Flip to other side, and cook till browned. Take care to brown both sides evenly.
5. Remove to serving plate. Serve with onion rings and mint chutney.

Technorati Tags: PohaTikki,Poha,Poha Alu tikki,kids recipe,lunch box recipe,healthy snacks,high iron recipe

Mirch ka Salan with Mishti Pulao

Mirch ka Salan is a famous Hyderabadi dish. The dish is said to have originated in the kitchens of the Nizams. I would believe that, as the dish uses tamarind as souring agent, a practise mostly used in South India. Also peanuts (local produce) and sesame are used instead of other nuts and dry fruits(more prevalent in Awadhi cuisine). Whatever be its origin, Mirch ka Salan always elevates the meal from a common to an exotic one. It finds a definite place in wedding feasts and other important festive meals.

At our home, Mirch ka Salan is a holiday favourite. The star of a luxurious, happy meal. The main dish when important guests come over. Almost always, Mirch ka Salan is paired with the most fragrant Mishti Pulao, a sweet, fragrant Bengali dish, also a festive treat. One Hyderbadi, one Bengali..but the pairing is made in heaven. A happy marriage which we relish down to the last morsel. The tango of the sweet and aromatic Mishti Pulao with the tart, hot, spicy Salan has to be experienced to be understood.

I was introduced to this very fragrant Mishti Pulao by my dear friend Deepasri Deb. I have followed her recipe to the T. It never fails to make the most perfect, heavenly, fit-for-Gods Mishti Pulao. Check out her treasure trove of recipes at www.hamareerasoi.com 

Here are the recipes for both the dishes.

MIRCH KA SALAN

I have adapted Sanjeev Kapoor’s recipe for this. Changes to his recipe include chopping of the fat Bhavnagari Chilli into inch long batons, deseeding them, and not using any extra chillies in the recipe. This helps to scale down the heat in the Mirch ka Salan. I have also made a few changes in the preparation method. Here is how I made Mirchi ka Salan.

ALLERGY INFORMATION

• Contains peanuts. NOT SUITABLE for people with nut allergy.
• Does NOT contain gluten, lactose, corn, soya, egg. Suitable for people with gluten intolerance or lactose intolerance.

Preparation Time – 15-20 minutes, Cooking Time – 30 minutes, Serves – 4 as main course or 6 as side dish if used with other accompaniments in the meal.

YOU NEED

COOKWARE – Sharp knife, cutting board, 3-4 litre wok, long flat ladle, small bowl, Mixer-grinder

INGREDIENTS -

1. 250 gms or 15-18 fat Bhavnagari chillies (bajji mirchi)
2. A small lemon sized ball of Tamarind
3. 1/4 heaped cup raw peanuts with skin
4. 1/4 level cup white sesame seeds
5. 1/4 level cup fresh grated coconut
6. 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
7. 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
8. 3-4 cloves garlic
9. A thumb size knob of fresh ginger root
10. 1 medium red onion, finely chopped (1/4 cup finely chopped red onion)
11. 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
12. a few curry leaves
13. 2 tablespoons cooking oil
14. a pinch turmeric powder (add upto 1 teaspoon if you want a yellow coloured Salan)
15. 1 heaped teaspoon salt

METHOD

1. Wash and wipe down the fat chillies. Remove the stem, cut into inch long thick batons, and scrape out the seeds from within.
2. Soak tamarind in half cup warm water. Squeeze out tamarind juice from it. Repeat with some more warm water. Set tamarind extract aside.
3. Heat the wok over medium flame. Dry roast the peanuts first. As they begin to brown, tip in sesame. Roast until the sesame begins to crackle. Add the coriander and cumin seeds and roast until aromatic. Do not burn. Keep stirring. Remove to mixer grinder jar.
4. Return wok to heat, add a drizzle of oil. Fry the ginger and garlic for a minute. Remove this to mixer jar too.
5. Add the fresh grated coconut to the mixer jar, add some water and grind to smooth paste. Set aside.
6. Add the rest of the oil to the wok, temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves. When this crackles, add the finely chopped onions and keep stirring over medium flame. When onions turn pink and shiny, add the chopped chilli batons. Saute over high heat for 5 minutes. Keep stirring to avoid charring.
7. Pour tamarind juice into the wok, add salt, turmeric, cover and cook for 5-7 minutes over medium flame, until the chilli just softens.
8. Pour in the ground mixture, add half a cup of water, and simmer covered for another 15 minutes.
9. Switch off flame. Rest for half an hour for flavours to develop. Serve warm or hot with fragrant, sweet, Mishti Pulao.

MISHTI PULAO

ALLERGY INFORMATION

• Contains Cashew nut. People with nut allergy can avoid adding cashew nuts to the recipe.
• Does NOT contain gluten, corn, soya, egg, or lactose. Suitable for people with gluten or lactose intolerance.

Preparation time – 15 minutes, Cooking Time – 30-35 minutes, Serves – 4 as main course

YOU NEED-

COOKWARE – 3-4 litre wok with fitting lid, ladle, colander

INGREDIENTS -

1. 1 heaped cup Gobindobhog rice, or Jeera rice, or Basmati rice
2. 1/4 cup fresh/frozen green peas
3. 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
4. 2 tablespoon ghee
5. 1/2 teaspoon salt
6. a fistful each of broken cashews and raisins
7. 1’' piece of cinnamon bark broken into two
8. 2 bay leaves
9. 3-4 cloves
10. 2 green cardamom
11. 2 black cardamom
12. 1 mace flower
13. 5-6 black peppercorns
14. 3 tablespoon sugar
15. 2 cups drinking water

METHOD -

1. Rinse the rice well under running water. Set to drain in colander. Rub in the turmeric powder into the rice and spread the rice in the colander to drain well.
2. Heat ghee in the wok, add cashews and raisins. Fry over medium flame until golden brown and raisins plump up.
3. Add spices – cinnamon, bay leaves, mace, peppercorns, cloves, green and black cardamom.
4. When the spices release aroma (about a minute or two over medium flame) add the rice and sugar. Stir well continuously over medium heat. Add the green peas midway and continue stirring until rice gets a sheen from the ghee. (About 7-10minutes)
5. Add salt, 2 cups water. Increase flame to highest and bring water to boil.
6. After water has come to a boil, set wok on your smallest burner, turn down heat to minimum, cover and cook for 10-12 minutes. Switch off flame.
7. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Then, open wok, fluff up rice.
8. Serve along with tangy, spicy Mirch ka Salan.

Chocolate Marbled Energy Bars

Breakfast is the most neglected meal of the day. On busy weekday mornings, most people are in a great rush to reach workplaces, schools, just about anywhere. No wonder then, that, people do not spare time for breakfast. Yet, starting a day without breakfast just works against what we set out to achieve. We are more likely to be zapped of energy and enthusiasm early into the workday. To help us perform better at our tasks, a healthy breakfast is vital. If so, would it not be wonderful if we could have breakfast on the go? Enter granola bars, energy bars, muesli bars. Call them by any name. They are just as convenient, delicious and perfect snacks or meal on the go.

Energy bars can be made ahead, store well, and can be packed as breakfast on the go, or anytime snacks, or on road trips, picnic munchies. They are great for a pre workout or a post workout snack too.

I came across these chocolate marbled energy bars first in ‘Chocolate’ by Delia Smith. The book is filled with decadent chocolate based recipes. However, these energy bars were the ones that caught my eyes first. I tweaked around the ingredients and proportions to suit my requirement. I have substituted the condensed milk with brown sugar/jaggery syrup. You could add both the condensed milk and jaggery syrup to increase the richness of the energy bar too. If using condensed milk, keep the total liquid at the same volume as mentioned in this recipes. I have added popped amaranth seeds to add a good protein to the bar. The only part I have left unchanged is the beautiful marbled chocolate topping! I had to work on the recipe a few times to get a proportion that works best. One that gave just the right hint of sweetness, and had just enough liquid to solid ratio to bake well. I also made sure that the baked energy bars could be cut into neat squares!

I am sure you are eager to get to the recipe and make some for yourself too. So here goes…

ALLERGY INFORMATION

• Has gluten from oats. NOT SUITABLE for people with gluten intolerance. Substitute oats with total 5 cups rice flakes to make it gluten free. 
• This recipe does NOT contain lactose. Suitable for people with lactose intolerance. However, adding condensed milk will bring lactose into the recipe.
• Does NOT contain corn, soya, eggs.
• Contains nuts. Omit nuts if you have nut allergy.

Preparation Time – 20 minutes, Cooking Time – 30 minutes, Makes 9 squares

YOU NEED

COOKWARE – Convection oven, 8 inch square baking tray, baking paper to line tray, deep mixing bowl, rubber spatula, sauce pan, 2 glass bowls, steel fine mesh filter, sharp knife

INGREDIENTS

1. 4 cups quick cooking oats
2. 1 cup popped amaranth seeds
3. 1 cup thin rice flakes (poha, aval, attukulu, avalakki)
4. 1 cup deseeded, chopped sweet dates
5. 1/2 cup dried cranberries/strawberries/blueberries (optional)
6. 1/4 cup chopped walnuts/almonds
7. 1 cup powdered jaggery/brown sugar
8. 1/2 cup drinking water
9. 1/2 cup dark cooking chocolate
10. 1/2 cup white cooking chocolate

METHOD

1. Bring the water to boil in a saucepan, add the jaggery, mix and let it rest for a few minutes for the jaggery to dissolve. When the jaggery has dissolved completely, strain through the mesh filter to remove impurities. Collect the jaggery solution in the deep mixing bowl.
2. To the bowl add the oats, popped amaranth, rice flakes, dates, dried berries (if using), and nuts. Mix all the ingredients together until the liquid has coated all dry ingredients.
3. Preheat oven to 180 C.
4. Line the baking tray with paper leaving an overhang.
5. Pat the mixture into the tray, pressing down firmly with a rubber spatula. Make sure there are no dry bits of ingredients on the surface. If needed, sprinkle a few drops of water on top to moisten, and pat down again.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 20-23 minutes.
7. Remove and cool the tray on a cooling rack. Do not remove granola from tray. Cool for 20-30 minutes.
8. Chop the dark and white cooking chocolate into different glass bowls. Microwave in bursts of 20-30 seconds until just beginning to melt. Do not overheat the chocolate, stop heating when there a few bits of chocolate left to melt. Keep stirring with a metal spoon, to get a smooth melted chocolate.
9. Spoon both the dark and white melted chocolate alternately in a wave pattern over the baked granola. Drag wavy lines using a fork tip or toothpick to create marbled patterns while chocolate is still wet. Tap the tray sharply on the counter top a few times for chocolate to even out.
10. Place the tray in the fridge to set quickly.
11. After half an hour, remove from fridge and set on counter top. Wait for the chocolate layer to warm up to room temperature a bit. I left it on the countertop for 10 minutes. Room temperature at my home is around 23C-25C. Cut into 9 squares with a sharp knife. If the chocolate layer seems to crack rather than cut up, wait for some more time and then cut up. The marbled energy bars are ready.
12. Store in air-tight box. Stays good for at least 1 week, maybe more. I never got a chance to find out! Pack in baking paper for road trips or any place out of home. These marbled energy bars are great for breakfast on the go, for school snack boxes, for pre or post workout snacks, as well as a healthy snack option.

Notes -

• Diabetics may/may not be able to eat these energy bars. Remember although the recipe uses jaggery, there is more sugar in the dates as well as chocolate. Omitting the chocolate could bring the sugar content of the energy bars lower.
• The energy bars cut up neatly if baked through well. Also wait patiently for the top chocolate layer to set before cutting into squares.
• Do not over heat the chocolate. Stop heating when three fourths of the chocolate is melted. Keep stirring in a circular motion, in the same direction for a smooth glossy chocolate.

Technorati Tags: Chocolate marbled energy bars,energy bars,breakfast bars,muesli bars,snack bars

Pineapple Pulissery

Happy Onam to all readers who celebrate. May there be good health, peace, joy, and plenty in all your homes. Enjoy the day with your loved ones and with an extensive Onam Sadya!

Here is an unusual recipe in time for the Onam Sadya. Pulissery or Moru Kuzhambu is a staple dish in a Malayalee menu. Usually made with vegetables boiled and then simmered in a spicy coconut and curd paste, this Pulissery uses pineapple as the ‘vegetable’. The fruit gives the dish a unique flavour and a welcome tartness. Whether you celebrate Onam or not, this Pulissery will lift your meal to a gourmet level. So go ahead, and cook it up at your homes too.

ALLERGY INFORMATION

• Does NOT contain gluten, soya, eggs.
• Contains coconut. People with nut allergy usually tolerate coconut.
• Contains yogurt/curd. Usually tolerated by people with lactose intolerance.

YOU NEED

COOKWARE – Small fry pan/tadka pan, mixer grinder, Pressure cooker.

INGREDIENTS

1. 1 cup chopped pineapple
2. 1 cup sour thick curd or 2 cups buttermilk
3. 1/4 cup fresh grated coconut
4. 1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds
5. 4 red chillies
6. 1 teaspoon salt
7. 2 tablespoon powdered jaggery
8. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

For Tempering -

1. 1 teaspoon coconut oil
2. 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
3. 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
4. 1 red chilli
5. 7-8 curry leaves, torn up

METHOD -

1. Place chopped pineapple, salt, turmeric powder, and jaggery in pressure cooker, add half cup water and pressure cook for 3 whistles.
2. Fry 1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds and 4 red chillies in 1/4 teaspoon coconut oil. Fry on medium flame until just fragrant. Grind this with fresh grated coconut to smooth paste using water/buttermilk/curd.
3. Mix the ground paste, cooked pineapple, curd/buttermilk and stir over medium heat. Remove from flame as soon as the mixture begins to boil. Do not leave it unattended or over high flame.
4. Add coconut oil to fry pan, add tempering ingredients to it, and pour sizzling hot over the moru kuzhambu/pulissery. Cover with a tight fitting lid and let the flavours develop.
5. Serve with steamed rice and a thoran. Crispy papads are welcome too!

 

Idli – The Ultimate Guide to Softest Idlis.

Idli. Enough said. That spongy, light as air, uber healthy, steamed breakfast of millions in India. It is every idli lover’s dream to make the fluffiest, softest, ‘malli poo’ idlis (as soft as jasmine flower) at home. Idli is the stuff of  culinary dreams. The perfect idli seems so much in reach and yet, so elusive. As my friend put it, “Idli is the cause and weapon of marital fights at our home.” If you want Idli to be the cause of marital harmony rather than distress, or if you are looking for a healthy breakfast recipe, read on..

Much has been written about how to grind the perfect idli batter. Family and friends who have tasted my idlis have been reminding me to document my recipe at the blog. So here I am, with my method of making idli batter. Do share what works for you as well. It would be great to hear from everyone.

The key to good food begins with good ingredients. I use Salem idli rice. I use the best quality whole white urad that I can find. In Bangalore, Salem idli rice and whole white urad can be bought at most wholesale rice and grain shops. (rice mandi) Some supermarkets like Nilgiris, Spar, Star Bazaar, Towness also carry them. “Can I use idli rava instead of the rice?” You can. But the texture of idli will be different. Don’t tell me I did not warn you.

The next step is correct technique. For fermentation, timing is key! I soak the grains overnight, grind it the next morning and leave it to ferment through the day. By evening, the batter is ready. I store the fermented batter in the fridge and use it for up to a week without any loss of flavours.

 

If you are eager to make the perfect idlis for your family, follow these steps carefully. Please read the method thoroughly before trying. As with other recipes, perfection comes with practise. If you have any doubts, write to me and I can try to sort it for you.

YOU NEED

COOKWARE – Wet grinder, big bowls, spatula, idli steamer 

INGREDIENTS

1. 4 cups Salem Idli Rice
2. 1 cup Whole white urad
3. 1 tsp Fenugreek seeds – (optional)
4. 2 tsp Salt
5. 5-7 cups chilled drinking water for grinding.

METHOD

1. Measure out rice and urad in two separate bowls. Add fenugreek seeds, if using, to rice bowl. Rinse in enough changes of water till water runs clear. Soak in fresh drinking water. Water level should be 1 inch above the grains. Soaking time can range from minimum of 4 hours to maximum of 8-9 hours. I soak overnight. (about 8 hours)
2. Measure out 2+1/2 cups of drinking water. Drain the soaking water from urad and grind in wet grinder. Keep sprinkling a quarter cup of water every 8-10 minutes. Use all of the 2 cups of water. Add as much of the 1/2 cup as needed. I grind for 40-45 minutes. Remove to a deep bowl when the batter looks doubled in volume and is silky smooth when you feel between your fingers.
3. Measure out 3+1 cups of chilled drinking water. Drain out the soaking water from rice. Grind in wet grinder with 1 cup of water to begin with. Sprinkle just enough water to keep the grinder running smoothly. Keep checking every 4-5 minutes while grinding. Add water as necessary. I grind rice for 20 minutes. I stop grinding when the rice feels a little coarse and before the rice becomes a very smooth paste. That is not to say a semolina texture. Rather, between fine semolina and paste….
4. Remove to same bowl as urad batter. Add salt and mix well with your hand. Yes, I dip most of my forearm into the batter to mix it up. This is vital to good fermentation. Have you not heard?
5. Set this covered bowl of batter to rest in a warm place. Make sure to fill you bowl only half way to give room for rising. You can divide the batter into two bowls too. At my home, the batter takes about 8 hours to ferment. If your room temperature is below 20C, set to ferment inside your cold oven. Or cover the bowl with a beach towel/blanket. And pray that the batter does not attach itself to your blanket!
6. The batter is completely fermented when it rises to double in volume, has a sour-sweet fragrance. Stir it lightly. Pour into greased idli moulds.
7. Steam for 10-12 minutes over a medium flame. The idlis are done when a knife inserted through the centre comes clean.
8. Serve hot with assorted chutneys, or molaga podi or sambar. Or all of them!

Technorati Tags: Idli,softest idli,malli poo idli,mini idli,school lunch,gluten free,best meal,lunch box menu,diabetes recipe,best idli

Jowar dosai

Why millets? Why so much brouhaha over these pseudo cereals? Why is it important in a modern urban diet? Are they good at all? Who should eat millets? Who should not? These and many more facts set out for you here. Read on to know more.

Millets are not cereal grains, so they are called pseudo grains. Millets are smaller grains. They belong to five (or more) different botanical families, but are classified under one name as millets. Millets are grown for bird, animal and human consumption. Factors that go in favour of their cultivation are that they have a short growing season, grow in semi arid regions, (they need very little water) need very little attention. Different countries across the world have been growing and consuming millets for thousands of years. Unfortunately, urban diets have not included millets for about 50 years now.

So what is the good and bad about eating millets? Here, I split it up into its constituents and make it simple for all to understand.

The Carbohydrates -  Millets have complex starches in form of amylose and amylopectin. Such a starch can only be digested in cooked form by humans. Since they not easily digestible, they have a low glycemic index. That means they release their sugars into the blood stream in a slow steady fashion. Much like how a sustained release medicine works. There are no highs and lows in blood sugar when you are eating such starches. And yes, you guessed it right: this is great news for diabetics and pretty much everybody else.

The Proteins – After carbohydrates, proteins form the major part of millets. Egg and human milk are considered perfect proteins because they have the best combination of amino acids that the human body needs. When compared to these proteins, most millets are found to have insufficient amino acids to provide all nutrients for infants and growing children. Millets have been found to be deficient mainly in lysine, an essential amino acid. What are amino acids?

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. There are 21 amino acids that form all the proteins ever known. Several of these amino acids are made in the human body. These are called non-essential amino acids because the body can make it on its own. Some of these are called essential amino acids. Why are they called so? Because they are necessary for growth and cell repair but cannot be synthesised in the human body. So they have to come from the food we eat. Lysine is one of these essential amino acids.

Does this mean that millets are not good enough for weaning food? Or to feed growing children? No. Millets are very good for children, when cooked well and when paired with a legume such as mung bean or tuvar dal. Legumes are naturally rich in lysine and by combining them in the same meal ensures that the meal gives complete protein for the growing body. Besides, millets are gluten free as well. So they are a safe bet for all, children, older people or those with gluten allergy.

Look forward to more information and recipes with millets in my forthcoming posts.

Meanwhile, here is a recipe for Jowar Dosai. This recipe is good for beginners who are not sure about how to begin including millets. Millets are great for people who need a gluten–free diet as well. Besides, here, the ground batter is fermented which increases the food’s digestibility as well as increasing the availability of several vitamins and minerals from the grains.

The initial trouble of soaking, grinding and fermenting is well worth the effort. The batter keeps well in the fridge for up to a week. When you have batter ready in the fridge, making dosai for a meal takes only a few minutes. You can choose to make regular size dosai for breakfast, dinner or coin-sized ones for your child’s lunch box.

ALLERGY INFORMATION

Preparation Time – 8 hours soaking+1 hour grinding+8 hours fermentation, Cooking Time – 10-15 minutes, Makes – about 20 dosais.

YOU NEED -

COOKWARE - Wet grinder or mixer grinder, Iron skillet/griddle, Big deep dish mixing bowls, ladle, sharp metal spatula

INGREDIENTS -

1. 1 cup Jowar grains
2. 1 cup salem idli rice/boiled rice/raw rice
3. 2 tbsp fenugreek seeds
4. 2 tbsp urad dal
5. 1 heaped tsp salt
6. Sesame oil for drizzling over dosais, about 1/4 cup oil

METHOD -

1. Measure out all ingredients except salt and oil. Rinse the grains well, Soak overnight. To do this, steep in enough water to cover the grains plus an inch higher.
2. The next morning, grind the soaked grains. If using wet grinder, keep sprinkling water every 7-10 minutes. You can use up to 3 cups water for grinding. I grind my batter in a wet grinder. When using jowar grains, it takes longer to grind. About 1 hour of grinding gives me a smooth batter. When the batter looks smooth, add salt, mix well and remove to a deep bowl. Allow plenty of head room for fermentation. Leave overnight for fermentation.
3. The batter is ready when it has risen to double volume.
4. Heat up an iron skillet/dosa tawa. Smear oil all over to grease.
5. Pour a ladleful batter in the centre of skillet. Spread with back of ladle in concentric circles. Drizzle few drops of oil around the sides. When brown at edges, loosen the edges, flip over with a sharp spatula and cook on other side. Repeat for the next ladle of batter.
6. Alternately, pour tiny spoonfuls of batter all over the skillet to make ‘coin dosais’. Drizzle oil around the sides, flip over to cook briefly on other side. Remove to serving platter when done.
7. Serve with any chutney of choice or with dosai molaga podi!

Technorati Tags: Millets,Jowar,gluten-free,dosai,diabetes recipe,lunch box menu

Baby Corn and Capsicum Masala Curry – Indian Cuisine

While Indian food may be very appealing, cooking it at home may seem daunting to most non-Indians. Here is a masala curry which does not burn your tongue with heat, nor ask for too many ingredients. A quick fix recipe that will suit weeknight dinners too. Helpful when sudden guests arrive, or when you have little time before hunger strikes you down.

Fry ingredients for gravy and grind. Fry chopped baby corn and capsicum, simmer with gravy, add seasonings and finish off! All under 15 minutes. And did I mention low fat as well? Now is that good? Or great? Well, try it out and tell me which one, will you?

ALLERGY INFORMATION

• Does NOT contain gluten, nuts, corn, soya, eggs.
• *Contains dairy in yoghurt. Yoghurt is usually tolerated by lactose intolerant people. Substitute with soya or nut milk + more tomatoes if you cannot use yoghurt.

YOU NEED

COOKWARE – Fry pan, ladle, mixer grinder, knife, chopping board

INGREDIENTS-

1. 20 baby corn
2. 1 cup chopped capsicum
3. 1/2 cup chopped onion
4. 1 cup chopped tomato (can substitute with 2 tbsp tomato paste, or 1/2 cup tomato puree)
5. 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
6. 2 handfuls coriander leaves with stem
7. 1/2 tsp red chilli powder (optional)
8. 2 tsp Pav bhaji masala (I used Phalada Organic brand)
9. 1 cup thick curd/yoghurt*
10. 1 tsp salt
11. 2 tsp Cooking oil
12. 1/2 tsp cumin
13. 1/2 tsp Saunf (fennel)

Notes on yoghurt – Use skim milk yoghurt for low fat curry. Also use fresh curd that is not too sour. Else it may make the curry too tart. You can also add 1 tsp brown sugar or jaggery to cut the acidity if the final curry is too tangy.

METHOD -

1. Take 1 tsp oil in fry pan. Fry chopped onion, tomatoes, ginger garlic paste. After tomatoes have turned mushy, add the coriander leaves and switch off flame. Cool and grind to smooth paste.
2. In the same fry pan, add cumin and saunf to 1 tsp oil. When they sizzle, tip in chopped baby corn. Fry on high flame for 4-5 minutes, stir and toss to avoid it getting burnt. Add chopped capsicum after 4 minutes, toss again on high heat for 1-2 minutes. When capsicum is glistening and has lost its raw aroma, pour in the ground mixture.
3. Add salt, red chilli powder, and pav bhaji masala. Whisk the curd well and pour that in too. Add 1 cup water and simmer for 4-5 minutes until the gravy and vegetables come together in a fragrant medley.
4. Serve piping hot with kulcha, phulka, or peas pulao, steamed rice. I served it with fragrant peas pulao, baingan bharta and this tasty baby corn and capsicum masala curry.

Recipe: Sweet and Sour Pumpkin Curry

Sweet pumpkin is also known as Kaddu, Manjal Pooshanikkai, Gummadikayi in different Indian languages. Often considered as a lowly, humble vegetable, pumpkin actually packs a great punch in terms of nutrients. It is a weight watcher’s delight.

Sweet pumpkin has less calories and more nutrients. To explain this better, it has four times lesser calories than sweet potato, 50 times lesser Sodium but 3 times more Vitamin C, double the folic acid, and similar Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Iron content. This means that you can eat more of sweet pumpkin than sweet potato (up to 4 times more) and still benefit from its rich nutrients without the calorie overload. More health for lesser calories, now is that not a winner?

Sweet pumpkin seems to be this gentle, powerful giant among vegetables. It looks elegant despite its rotund form, swathed in deep green or mustard yellow skin revealing a firm sweet golden flesh when cut. Lends a quiet dignified presence to a dish, knows to be at home in sweet or savoury recipes with equal ease. Delicious whether cooked with skin or without. Pumpkin often comes to my rescue when I have to cook in a hurry.

Every family has their favourite pumpkin recipe. This is ours. I hope you have as much fun cooking it and enjoying as we do.

Preparation Time – 20 minutes, Cooking Time – 10-15 minutes, Serves – 4-6.

ALLERGY INFORMATION

• Does NOT contain egg, gluten, soya, lactose, yeast, corn, nuts.
• Suitable for gluten, lactose intolerance or nut allergy.

YOU NEED -

COOKWARE – Knife, Cutting board, Fry pan

INGREDIENTS -

1. 2 cups chopped sweet yellow pumpkin (with* or without skin)
2. 1/2 cup finely diced onion
3. 1 cup chopped tomato
4. 1 scant tsp salt
5. 1/2 tsp turmeric
6. 2 tsp jaggery powder
7. 1 tsp garam masala powder
8. 1 tsp sambhar powder
9. 2 tsp cooking oil
10. 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
11. 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
12. 2 tbsp coriander leaves for garnish

*Sweet pumpkin takes longer to cook with skin and lesser time without skin.

METHOD -

1. Clean, peel and chop all vegetables. Set aside separately.
2. Heat oil in a fry pan, add mustard and cumin.
3. When they sizzle and crackle, add in onions, fry on high flame for 3-4 minutes until they turn pink-brown.
4. Next to go in is the chopped pumpkin. Saute on high heat for a minute, sprinkle water and cover and cook for a further 2 minutes.
5. Finally add the tomatoes. Keep tossing over high heat until tomatoes mush up.
6. Add salt, turmeric powder, jaggery, garam masala and sambhar powder. Mix everything well. Cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes more.
7. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice.

Notes -

• Sweet pumpkin cooks very quickly. Cook lesser if you want to retain the shape of the vegetables. Cook longer if you like a mushy texture.
• Keep stirring while on high heat to avoid scorching.
• Add the powders after the vegetables are mostly done. This helps to retain flavours better.

Technorati Tags: Pumpkin,Sweet and sour pumpkin,Kaddu,Poosanikkai,Indian curry

Methi Muthia – Party Appetiser

Muthia, the traditional Gujarati snack, is served either steamed or deep fried. Muthias are a favourite among all. I wanted to glam it up further and make it healthier, if that were possible. Is it even? Why not? Improving the protein by adding Rajgira atta/Amaranth flour is one step. You can be sure of meeting your growing child’s protein needs by using Amaranth flour in dishes such as this. Removing the whole wheat flour makes it gluten free. Serving it with grilled vegetables on a satay stick makes it chic and fit to be a party appetiser. Grilling the vegetables and steaming the muthia keeps the oil used to a minimum, thus making it a super healthy food. This dish is also fit for eating during religious fasting, because amaranth flour is used instead of wheat flour.
 

ALLERGY INFORMATION

• Does NOT contain gluten, lactose, corn, soya, yeast eggs.

Preparation Time –15 minutes, Cooking Time – 15 minutes, Serves – 12-14 skewers

You need -

Ingredients -
For Muthias -

1. 1 cup Amaranth (Rajgira /Ramdana) seeds / 1 cup Rajgira flour
2. 1 cup Gram Flour (Besan)
3. 2 packed cups Fenugreek leaves (Methi)
4. 1 thumb size knob fresh ginger
5. 3 green chillies
6. Juice of 1 lemon
7. 1-2 tablespoon thick curd
8. 1 teaspoon salt

For Chutney –

1. ½ cup Mint leaves (pudina)
2. 2 green chillies
3. Juice of half lemon
4. ¼ teaspoon salt
5. A pinch sugar

To Season –

1. 2 tablespoons Fortune Rice Bran Oil 
2. ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
3. 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds

To Serve as Appetiser –

1. 2 medium onions
2. 2 each of yellow capsicums, red capsicums, green capsicums
3. 2 tablespoon Fortune Rice Bran Oil
4. 2 pinches salt
5. 12-14 satay sticks/toothpicks

Method -

1. Clean pudina leaves and grind all ingredients for chutney together in a small mixer grinder. Grind to smooth paste and set aside.
2. Pick only methi leaves from the bunch, discard stems. Measure 2 packed cups. Rinse well, drain and chop fine.
3. Peel ginger and make a coarse paste of ginger and green chillies.
4. Grind the Rajgira seeds in a mixer to a coarse powder.
5. In a mixing bowl, mix this powder along with besan, ginger-chilli paste, salt, chopped methi leaves and lemon juice. Add curd, 1 teaspoon at a time, mix well by hand into a stiff dough. Use only as much curd as is needed to make the dough.
6. Shape into smooth cylindrical logs about2 inches thick. Grease a container that fits into your pressure cooker. Place the muthia cylinders in the greased container and steam inside the pressure cooker without whistle for 10-12 minutes. A knife inserted into the muthia should come clean. If sticky, steam for 2 more minutes. 
7. While the muthia is steaming, preheat your grill to 240C.
8. Peel onions and cut into quarters. Chop the coloured capsicums into big even sized chunks. Place on a greased plate, drizzle with Fortune Rice Bran oil, and sprinkle salt over the vegetables. Mix well by hand, spread in a single layer on the plate and grill for 10-13 minutes.
9. Heat 2 tablespoons Fortune Rice Bran oil for seasoning.
10. Crackle mustard seeds in the hot oil. Add the white sesame seeds, brown slightly and switch off. 
11. Once the muthias have cooled slightly, cut into half inch thick slices. Pour half of the seasonings over the muthias and reserve the other half.

To Serve –

1. Arrange different coloured capsicums, onion wedges and the muthia slices alternately on the satay stick.
2. Drizzle the seasoning oil over the muthias again. Dot with pudina chutney or serve the satay sticks on a platter with a bowl of chutney as accompaniment.

A word about the oil used in this recipe. Fortune Rice Bran Health Oil is made from Rice bran. Rice bran is the outer covering of the rice grain. So this oil is not made from rice. By virtue of this, Fortune Rice Bran Health Oil is perfectly suitable for using during religious fasting also.
While making the muthias, I observed that the oil has a high smoke point(260 C). This makes it a stable cooking oil and does not make food greasy.
This blog post is in association with Fortune Foods as a part of their Desi Health Bites activity – The Hunt for the Best Rice Bran Oil Recipes. For more updates and healthy recipes using Fortune Rice Bran Health Oil, follow Fortune Foods at www.fortunefoods.com , on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FortuneFoods and on Twitter at @fortunefoods (https://twitter.com/FortuneFoods)

     

Samai Pongal / Little Millet Pongal

Ven Pongal or Khara Pongal is a much loved breakfast food in South India. However, you can have it any time of the day. Ven Pongal works at the brunch or dinner table with equal ease.  With the millet wave sweeping the diets of all, I feel this is a good time to share a recipe with millets.

Samai rice/Little Millet replaces white rice in this preparation. Not only is it far healthier, the millet also cooks faster than rice. Isn’t that great news? Samai has 8 times more iron than white rice and 10 times more fibre. If that was not enough, it is higher in thiamin(vit. B1) , riboflavin(vit. B2) and folic acid content as well. Owing to their low glycemic index, millets are good grains to include in diets for weight management, diabetes, as well as in pregnancy. Since Pongal is usually cooked to a soft mush, this dish can be fed to weaning babies or toddlers also.

Pongal tastes best when served hot, so packing for school lunch may not be a great idea. However, you can pack for an office lunch if you can re-heat your food at work place. Now that I have shared enough reasons to switch to the millet from rice, let us proceed to the recipe, shall we?

Making Pongal is really simple. Cook a grain and a lentil together, fry some seasonings in a fry pan, mix the two with some salt and your dish is ready! Read on for the proportions and method here -

ALLERGY INFORMATION

• Does not contain gluten, corn, soya, eggs, lactose, dairy.
• Adding nuts is optional. Omit if you have nut allergy.

Preparation time –10 minutes, Cooking Time –15 minutes, Serves – 4-5.

You Need

Cookware – Pressure Cooker, fry pan, mortar and pestle

Ingredients

1. 1 cup Samai rice
2. 1/2 cup Moong Dal
3. 4 cups water
4. 1/2 tsp salt
5. 1 tsp cooking oil
6. 1 tsp ghee
7. 10 whole cashew nuts (optional)
8. 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
9. 1 tsp black pepper
10. 1 tsp ginger juliennes
11. 7-8 curry leaves, torn up
12. 2 green chilli, slit (optional)

 Method -

1. There are two methods to cook this pongal. You can choose between – 1. Pressure cook the Samai rice and Moong dal together in the pressure cooker. For this, rinse the grains together, cover with 3 times the volume of  water and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Or, 2. Pressure cook the dal alone, and the Samai rice on the stove top. For this, cover dal with double volume of water and cover the millet with double the volume of water and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Mix both in a serving bowl.
2. Coarsely pound the black pepper and cumin in a mortar and pestle.
3. To a fry pan, add in the oil + ghee, fry the cashew nuts (if using) to a golden brown.
4. Tip in the pounded pepper +cumin, curry leaves, ginger juliennes, and green chilli.
5. Add salt to the cooked mixture, pour in the seasonings and mix well. You may add 1/2 cup of hot boiling water to the mixture if it looks very hard. We want a soft mushy texture to the pongal.
6. Serve steaming hot pongal with a spicy chutney, or sambar or even the traditional gothsu! Here I have served it with a tangy raw mango chutney.

Technorati Tags: Ven Pongal,Khara Pongal,Samai Pongal,Little Millet,Gluten free,Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner,Diabetes recipe,Low glycemic index,alternate grains

Nellikkai Thair Pachadi / Amla Raita

Do you know that Amla or the Indian Gooseberry has the highest Vitamin C content among all vegetables and fruits? That it has mention in ancient Sanskrit texts, is used extensively in Ayurvedic medicine, and is considered a miracle fruit. Amla can be used to treat eye disorders, increase calcium absorption in the bones, help build strong bones, cure skin ailments, strengthen and nourish hair, promote hair growth, actually just about do anything healthy and nourishing for our bodies.

The Indian Gooseberry (Amla) also has known anti oxidant properties. Amla has been found to offer a full range of benefits from free radical scavenging, anti inflammatory properties, beneficial effect on diabetes.   It is also widely used for its ability to dissolve plaques in arteries, reducing serum cholesterol levels.

Studies have also shown that even preserving in brine or pickling does not reduce the availability of vitamins, especially Vitamin C. Readers may be aware that vitamins B and C are easily destroyed when food is exposed to sunlight or heat, or excess water during cooking. So excessively cooked foods or preserved foods lose their vitamin content over time. Not so with Amla. This miracle fruit continues to dole out its health benefits even when cooked or preserved.

Despite having such a wonder fruit growing in our midst, I feel people in India do not make full use of it. We are in search of that elusive magic potion sourced from deep in the Amazon forests or some wonder drug that is shipped from a Scandinavian country. While those drugs/potions/foods may be good in them selves, I ask myself and everyone reading this – Is it wise to ignore the wealth in your backyard and seek something from far away? Are the money, effort, rising fuel costs, justified?

I, for one, am going to include more of this wonder fruit ‘Amla’ in my family’s meals. I am sure all of you have recipes from different cuisines with Amla as the main ingredient. Do share your favourite recipes with Amla in the comment section below.

Here is one simple, really quick, tongue tickling recipe with Amla. Perks up any meal and loads you up with its nutrients. Go on. Try it out.

ALLERGY INFORMATION

• Does NOT contain gluten, lactose, nuts, corn, soya.
• Suitable for people with gluten or lactose intolerance, or nut allergy.

Preparation Time – 10 minutes, Cooking Time – 5 minutes, Serves – 4-6

You Need -

Cookware – Small wok, Mixer grinder

Ingredients -

1. 4-5 Amla fruits
2. 2 tbsp fresh grated coconut
3. 3-4 green chillies
4. 1/2 cup skim milk curd
5. 1/4 tsp salt

For Seasoning -

1. 1/4 tsp oil
2. a pinch mustard seeds
3. a pinch fenugreek seeds
4. a pinch asafoetida
5. 3 curry leaves
6. 1/2 red chilli (optional)

Method -

1. Rinse the Amla well. Cut incisions along the segments. Pull out the flesh and discard the seeds.
2. Grind along with coconut, green chilli, and part of the curd to make a paste. Grind more than a coarse paste but stop short of a fine paste.  Add the rest of the measured curd and whip along with the paste.
3. Heat oil in a small wok/kadai/fry pan.
4. Add ingredients for seasoning in order. When mustard crackles, pour in the ground mixture, and add salt. Simmer until the liquid foams up.  Do not boil this mixture. Keep stirring over medium heat for it to cook lightly.
5. Remove to serving bowl and enjoy with hot phulkas,  or steamed rice, a dal and some stir fried vegetables.

 

Technorati Tags: Amla,Amla raita,Amla pachadi,Indian Gooseberry,Amla Thair PAchadi,Amla Perugu pachadi

Once upon a time….. and they baked happily ever after

 

There once was a little girl who clamoured to go to school even before she turned 2. She watched wistfully when all the ‘grown up kids’ would trudge to school with their backpacks and lunch boxes in hand. She longed to walk the walk too. Unable to put up with her clamour, her mom sent her along with an older girl to the friendly neighbourhood ‘nursery school’.

Once there, this little girl loved to drink in the sights of the class room. She adored the smiling teacher who would draw pretty pictures on the black board with coloured chalk. She took care to never upset the teacher because then, the teacher would make a very stern face and rap the offending child’s bottom with a small wooden ruler. Yes, these were the days before disciplining an errant kid by spanking was either sinful or unlawful. The mild spank had an immediate effect on all kids, for sure, for everyone would behave well for the next hour!

Our little girl would trudge home after school, wear her mom’s saree, find a pair of spectacles, perch them on her nose, use her slate and pencil as black board and would start her school. She taught invisible children, drew pretty pictures for them, sang them lilting nursery rhymes ( ‘I hear thunder’ became ‘Aaya thanda’) and did not forget to rap the noisy kids with her ‘ruler’! Her only aim in life was to become a teacher.

Have you guessed who this little girl is? Of course, it is me

I got the chance to become teacher to a bunch of excited teenage girls who wanted to learn how to bake. They were fired up after hearing that their moms had attended a baking workshop that I conducted earlier in December. The moms and I had baked Basic Vanilla Sponge and Chocolate Cakes.

Catching the children young and teaching them Healthy Cooking is one of the best ways to teach them healthy eating habits. The moms were only too happy to let their young ones pick up useful skills.  I seized this opportunity to share several nutrition tips with the receptive children.

On the first day, the girls learnt how to make chocolate cake and frost it too. The second day was devoted to learning how to make whole wheat burger buns and pav bread. All girls took turns at kneading the dough. It  was fun to watch them set a stop clock for themselves and divide the kneading between them. We also enjoyed making black eyed bean burger patties, and a very healthy ‘bhaji’ using plenty of seasonal vegetables like sweet potato, fresh peas and cauliflower to go with the breads.

At the end of the workshop, the tired girls sat down to lunch on their own creations. Once they started eating, all tiredness was forgotten. They were so happy that they had learnt how to make their own burgers and super healthy ones at that. The pav bhaji was ‘superb’, ‘awesome’, ‘yummy’, they informed me in between mouthfuls.

This was an amazing finish to the workshop. Did the participants enjoy the workshops? I think so. Did I like it? Of course, I loved and enjoyed every moment of both the workshops. Did I have to rap any kid? No, NO NOOO.. I did not. Just look at them, aren’t they so adorable and happy?

All this would not possible without the help of my great friend Deepa Annigeri who hosted the workshop at her home. Thank you Deepa, for your support and help throughout.