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

Sai Protein for Chennai Floods

All these days, I have been watching the news with unspeakable pain and sorrow. The Chennai floods, that swept away precious life, left us all shocked and dazed. If the torrential monsoon rains were not enough, the city’s overflowing reservoirs too added to the mayhem. Coupled with indiscriminate real estate development, with no thought given to civic infrastructure, the people of Chennai are paying a very heavy price for the greed of their leaders. 

The terrible times also brought forth unprecedented help from different parts. Normal people turned heroes, and pretend heroes turned zeroes. Homes have been thrown open to complete strangers, people are offering their time and services for free, and heroic tales of survival and rescue are now flooding the social media. It is so heartening to see the generous help that people are offering each other.

While it looks like the rain gods have finally relented, a massive job still lies ahead in the flood-hit areas. Cleaning out the debris, preventing and fighting any water-borne diseases, rebuilding homes,… the task list goes on. In this context, I would like to share a recipe for kanji powder that can be made in bulk and distributed to those affected by the floods. All those want to contribute in some form for Chennai Flood Relief, please do try to make this powder and help those affected. The combination of grains used in this recipe is unique. Designed to be a complete food, 3 tablespoons of the powder dissolved in water or milk (if available), can replace an entire meal. It can be had by people of all ages, toddlers to old people. However, may not be suitable for weaning infants.

In a time when the immunity of a population is at risk, when people do not have access to normal cooking methods, when nutritious food is vital to health, this powder is a God-send. Beats instant noodles or biscuits by several miles in nourishment.

YOU NEED

INGREDIENTS

1. 6 kilos Whole wheat (wheat pearls)
2. 1.5 kilos parboiled rice
3. 1.5 kilos Ragi (finger millet)
4. 1.5 kilos Green Chickpeas
5. 1.5 kilos Green Mung Beans
6. 1.5 kilos Roasted Chana Dal ( Chutney dal)
7. 0.5 kilo Soya beans
8. 0.5 kilo Peanuts
9. 0.5 kilo Jowar grains (sorghum/white millet)
10. 100 grams Sago (sabudana)
11. 30 grams cardamom
12. 10 kilos sugar

METHOD

1. Dry roast all ingredients from 1 to 10. Roast individually to a golden brown.
2. Do not roast cardamom and sugar.
3. Add the cardamom and sugar to the roasted grains. Powder in a flour mill.
4. This recipe makes about 25 kilos of kanji powder.
5. To make kanji, dissolve 3 tablespoons of the powder in hot water or hot milk. Stir briskly and serve. 

Please share this recipe/blog post freely. Please make in bulk for your homes or send to those affected by the floods. Either way, you are doing yourself a good turn.

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

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

Watermelon Shikanjvi

In keeping with the need of the summer season, here is a winner drink recipe. Watermelon juice spiked with Indian spices. These spices were chosen not just for the flavours but also for their ability to aid digestion and add essential salts to the body.

In my earlier post, I had promised to share a drink recipe that does not include sugar. This is especially so that diabetics can also indulge in a refreshing drink. Summer need not be tiring or exhausting if we have refreshing, nourishing, hydrating drinks such as this watermelon shikanjvi in our repertoire. The ultimate thirst quencher. Rich with natural salts to rehydrate, and full of fruit vitamins and minerals. The fruit is rich in anti oxidants which helps in maintaining skin tone as well. Something we could surely use in the dry scorching months!

 

In fact, most juices and colas are not advisable for diabetics since these release a surge of sugar into the blood stream almost immediately. A spike in blood sugar is dangerous for any diabetic. As is dehydration. In diabetics, if there is excess sugar in the blood, the kidneys will try to flush out some sugar through urine. It makes this happen by drawing on body water from blood, cells, saliva. This, in turn, increases the dehydration in the body.

Without further ado, here is the recipe for a super refreshing, very low calorie, drink. For ease, I am giving measures for 2 glasses. Of course, you can make a big batch ahead (do not add the soda ahead. Mix it in just before serving) and store chilled in the fridge. When you feel like downing a glass, pour yourself half a glass of this juice mixture, top with soda and sip for instant relief from summer.

 ALLERGY INFORMATION

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

Preparation Time – 10 minutes + chilling time, Cooking Time – nil, Serves - 2

YOU NEED -

COOKWARE - Mixer grinder, lemon squeezer, and serving glasses

INGREDIENTS -

1. 1 heaped cup chopped, deseeded watermelon chunks
2. 250 ml chilled club soda
3. Juice of 1 lemon
4. a  big pinch of cooking salt
5. pinch each of roasted jeera powder and kala namak powder
6. Ice cubes to top up and serve

METHOD -

1. Whiz the watermelon chunks in the mixer until you get a smooth puree. .
2. Add the lemon juice also to the mixer jar.
3. Add also a big pinch of salt, followed by a small pinch each of roasted jeera powder and kala namak.
4. Whiz the mixture well, and divide between 2 glasses.
5. Top with club soda, ice cubes and serve chilled!

 

Technorati Tags: summer hydration,hydrating drink,summer drink,mocktail,sports drink,low calorie drink,refreshing drink,anti oxidants

 

Orange Basil Iced Tea

With summer on, in full swing, we search often for different drinks to soothe our parched throat! It is truly important to keep ourselves well hydrated in heat. Drinking plain water through the day can be boring, and nauseous at times. The trick, then, is to flavour our drinks with some palate pleasers. This way, we can drink enough fluids to keep the body hydrated well enough.

For more on hydration, and it’s importance, read my article here on importance of water.

Here is an idea which you can use to add fun to your fluid intake. Tea is a diuretic, which means it increases water excreted from the body. So to help maintain the fluid balance in the body, I have diluted the iced tea with plenty of water and added orange juice for extra vitamins and minerals.

• People who have special fluid restrictions like in kidney aliments will have to stick to their prescribed form of fluid intake. This drink may not be suitable for them.
• If you have diabetes, or are obese, this is not the best way to replenish fluids for you. Cheer up! I will be back with interesting drink recipes for you also.

ALLERGY INFORMATION

• Does not contain gluten, soya, corn, yeast, lactose.

Preparation Time – 10 minutes + 1 hour chilling, Cooking Time – 3-4 minutes, Serves – 4-6 glasses

YOU NEED

COOKWARE – Tea pot/saucepan, jug, glasses to serve

INGREDIENTS

1. Juice of 2 oranges, about 1/2 cup or more, freshly squeezed orange juice.
2. 3 tea bags of your choice of flavour. Lemon, ginger, mint teas all work well.
3. 2 cups drinking water + 4 cups chilled drinking water
4. A tiny fistful Basil seeds/sabja seeds
5. 2 tbsp honey
6. Ice cubes and orange slices to serve

METHOD

1. Bring 2 cups of water to boil in a saucepan. Place tea bags in the saucepan, remove from heat, cover and steep for 5-7 minutes.
2. Soak the basil seeds in the remaining 4 cups chilled water.
3. Squeeze out the tea bags. Mix in the orange juice, strained tea, chilled water and honey.
4. Stir well, chill for an hour.
5. Serve topped with ice cubes and slices of orange to garnish.

Technorati Tags: drinks,Iced Tea,Orange Iced Tea,Summer special,hydration,fluid losses

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

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

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

Eggless Thandai Mousse – Holi Special

King Hiranyakashipu hated his son, Prince Prahlada for being a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. The father wanted his son killed because he refused to worship his father as God, instead. Hiranyakashipu was a self-proclaimed Lord of all three worlds – Heaven, Earth and Hell. His ego did not permit worship of any other being. So the king tried heinous methods to finish his own son’s life! The king inflicted several cruelties like poisoning the child’s food, ordering rogue elephants to trample on the tiny child, throwing the young five year old over a precipice, and many more. Surprisingly none of these even hurt as much as a hair on the child-devotee’s head.

At his wit’s end, the evil king asked his sister Holika to sit with the child on her lap inside a raging fire. Holika had a special boon by which she would not be burnt by fire. However, the boon did not work when she sat with the evil intent of killing some one. The child sat through the raging fire on Holika’s lap with the Lord’s name on his lips and emerged safe. Holika was burnt to death instead.

Holi is the festival celebrated in memory of this great devotee’s escape from fire. A huge bonfire is lit and ‘Holika’ the demoness is symbolically burnt. The victory of true devotion and unwavering faith is celebrated by lighting the bonfire and playing with colours.

Whew, that was a long story, was it not?

If you are still with me on this page, allow me to explain why I am narrating mythology here – I am a sucker for ‘victory of good over evil’ stories. I can listen to them any number of times. They give me new enthusiasm to tackle life headlong. With Holi festival around the corner, what better time than now to dwell on this legend and the faith and hope the story brings!

I tried this Thandai Mousse as a variant from the usual Holi Thandai drink, because I wanted the flavours of Holi in a new avatar. I have adapted the basic thandai formula from Tarla Dalal’s website. Unlike my previous desserts, this one is neither low calorie nor low fat. It is indulgent, creamy, and exquisite. But then, it is so rich and flavourful that a small serving will satisfy you! Every spoonful takes you through a rhapsody of aromas, surprises you with the sharpness of pepper and engulfs you with the soothing notes of cardamom. Being eggless, this recipe can easily fit into your festive menu too.

A note on the ingredients for a better thandai. Do not substitute black for white pepper corns. White pepper has a slight difference in the sharpness from the black ones. The black colour also ruins the appearance of thandai. Use only Lucknow saunf – this is different from regular saunf. You can recognise it by the greener, thinner appearance. The aroma of Lucknow saunf is also more intense than regular saunf and more suitable for using in sweet preparations. Lastly, use real good quality saffron, if you want the colour. The aroma of saffron in thandai is unbeatable. You could omit it for a variation in thandai flavours too. *The food colouring does not add any value to the mousse other than tingeing.

Do yourself a good turn and try out this mousse this Holi.

ALLERGY INFORMATION

• Contains milk. NOT suitable for lactose intolerance.
• Contains almonds. NOT suitable for nut allergy.
• Contains soya as soy lecithin.
• Does NOT contain egg, yeast, corn.

Preparation Time –30 minutes + 8 hours chilling time, Cooking Time – 10 minutes, Makes about 10 servings.

You Need -

Cookware –Hand-held electric whisk, Mixer grinder, bowls, thick bottomed sauce pan, stirring spoon/ladle, refrigerator,

Ingredients -

For the thandai paste -

1. 1/3 cup whole almonds
2. 15 white pepper corns
3. 2 tablespoon poppy seeds
4. 2 tablespoon Lucknow saunf
5. 3/4 teaspoon fresh ground cardamom powder
6. A few teaspoons water
7. a few strands of saffron (optional) OR* a tiny pinch orange food colouring (optional)

For the mousse -

1. **200 ml Tropolite (OR any non dairy whip topping) OR 200 ml fresh cream, preferably heavy cream
2. 200 ml whole milk
3. 1/2 cup sugar (taste and add more if needed)

Method -

1. **Chill whatever whipping cream you are using for the recipe well ahead of preparation.
2. Soak the poppy seeds in boiling hot water for half an hour. Soak the almonds in boiling water separately for 10 minutes. Peel skin after 10 minutes of soaking.
3. Drain water from poppy seeds, and grind with the skinned almonds, white pepper corns, and Lucknow saunf in a coffee grinder/small jar of mixer grinder to a very smooth paste. Add just enough water to help grinding.
4. Heat milk in a thick bottomed saucepan. When milk comes to a boil, switch off flame. Add 3 tablespoons of the ground thandai mixture, stir in the sugar. Dissolve well and return the saucepan to flame. Stir over medium heat until the mixture thickens slightly. You may need to boil for about 4-5 minutes. Cool to room temperature, pass through a sieve if it looks grainy, and chill in refrigerator at least for an hour.
5. Whisk the chilled whipping cream you are using in a deep bowl until it forms stiff peaks. Whisk in the chilled ‘thandai milk mixture’ also.
6. Ladle out about 3-4 tablespoons into each dessert bowl for individual portions, top with rose petals or saffron strands and chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

Happy Holi everybody! Wishing for good to triumph over evil in your lives as well.

Technorati Tags: Holi Recipe,Festival Recipe,Thandai,Thandai Mousse,Eggless Mousse,Eggless thandai mousse

Mysore Pepper Rasam

The nippy afternoons and cold nights are a great time to warm the innards of body and soul with steaming hot soups. A few days ago, I had two people in the family with a running nose and cough. Just the right time to stir up some peppery, tangy, rasam. Every region has its own signature soup. Rasam is ‘the go-to soup’ of most South Indians when nursing a fever or cold. It features prominently in the menu for convalescents and nursing moms too. Well, even if you do not belong to any of these categories, you can still enjoy a hot mug of this delicious ambrosia.

I learnt this recipe for Mysore Rasam from my sister in law, Geeta. She is as creative in the kitchen as with her poetry. A truly inspiring person. We had this hot rasam at their home paired with steamed rice and a runner beans stir fry. Fond memories of that meal still linger, long after. Special people and some meals have that effect on us, don’t you agree? Well, I just had to recreate this at our home. Here, I have added extra pepper to suit our requirement. Everything else remains the same as Geeta’s rasam. Balmy, soothing, tangy, fragrant, instant comforter of stuffed noses and reliever of misery. Go on, make some for yourself.

Mysore rasam is unique in that it uses dry coconut apart from regular spices. Besides, the spices are always freshly roasted and ground. The effort of roasting fresh spices, grinding them and adding that magical powder to the rasam makes the end result so worth it.

ALLERGY INFORMATION

• Does NOT contain gluten, soya, lactose, corn, nuts.

Preparation time –10 minutes, Cooking time – 35 minutes, Serves - 4-6

You Need -

Cookware - Pressure cooker of 2 or 3 litre capacity, 1 Sauce pan/stew pot/steel pot of at least 5 litre capacity, 1 smaller steel pot, mixer grinder/coffee grinder, colander, Small ‘tadka’ pan or fry pan.

Ingredients -

FOR POWDER 

1. 1 tbsp Coriander seeds (Dhania/Sabut dhania/Malli verai/Kothambri beeja)
2. 1/2 tbsp Cumin seeds (Jeera, Jeerige, Jeeragam, Jeelakara)
3. 1 tsp heaped Black Pepper
4. 1/2 tsp heaped Fenugreek seeds (Methi dana/Menthulu/Menthiam/Menthya)
5. 1/4 tsp heaped dry coconut (copra) grated
6. 5-6 Curry leaves
7. 1/4 tsp ghee (clarified butter) OR 1/4 tsp cooking oil for vegan

FOR RASAM

1. 1/4 cup Tuvar dal (split pigeon peas)
2. 2 tbsp Tamarind paste OR pulp and juice extracted* from 3 tbsp packed tamarind
3. 2 medium Roma or Vine tomatoes
4. 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
5. 1 tsp salt (more if needed)
6. 1 tsp jaggery/sugar/brown sugar (optional)
7. a pinch of asafoetida
8. 2 tbsp chopped coriander

FOR SEASONING

1. 1 tsp ghee (clarified butter) OR 1 tsp cooking oil for vegan
2. 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
3. 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
4. 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
5. a few curry leaves
6. a pinch asafoetida

Method

1. Rinse the tuvar dal, place in a suitable container that fits inside the pressure cooker. Top the dal with double the volume of water, and pressure cook for 4 whistles. Let the pressure release on its own. If you do not have a pressure cooker, rinse the dal, place in a saucepan with 3 times volume of water. Bring to boil and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Check if it is cooked. The grains should be mash-able between 2 fingers. Else, top up with more water as needed and cook until done.
2. * To extract tamarind water, soak 3 tbsp packed tamarind in 1 cup warm water. After 10 minutes, rub the tamarind with fingers to extract juice. Sieve the juice into another container. Repeat once or twice more with half a cup of water each time. Collect this tamarind juice and use in recipe. Discard the pulp and fibre or seeds.
3. Measure all ingredients for the Powder. Fry with the ghee over a medium to low flame. Keep stirring to avoid burning. Remove to a mixer when they are golden brown in colour and begin to smell fragrant. Powder to a fine texture.
4. Chop tomatoes. Place all the ingredients (except tuvar dal and chopped coriander) mentioned under ‘Rasam’ in a saucepan, set to boil on stove top. Once it comes to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Mash the cooked tuvar dal well. You could use a potato masher, or electric churner for this. Mix this into the simmering rasam. Add water  to thin down if needed. We are looking for a thin soup consistency.
6. Add ghee to a small saucepan. Heat with the ingredients for ‘Seasoning’. When mustard splutters, pour over the simmering soup. Add the chopped coriander and remove from stove. Cover and set aside for the seasonings to infuse.
7. Pour into mugs and enjoy warm/hot with a piece of crusty bread. Or ladle onto steamed rice and eat with a crunchy papad or a crispy stir fried vegetable curry.

Technorati Tags: Mysore Rasam,pepper rasam,hot soup,winter special,gluten free,vegan,kids recipe,low calorie soup.

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Roasted Brinjal Raita / Eggplant Raita / Roasted Eggplant Dip

The best meals are often the simplest ones. Those which can be rustled up with really few ingredients, in minimum time, and deliver high on nutrition, as well as satisfaction. Quick cooking=happy eating=content tummies.

This raita is one such recipe. Besides, the dish is versatile in that it can be used in many ways. The day I made it at home, we used it as raita, dip, as well as a substitute for mayo in sandwiches! So does it taste like baba ghanoush? Well, not quite. Tzatziki? well, maybe. Punjabi Baingan Bharta? mmm, not that either.

Why don’t we  just delve in and find out? Shall we?

The secret to an amazing brinjal raita lies in how it is smoked. While purists will tell you to rub some oil on the skin and roast on all sides over an open flame patiently turning it over and watching lest it char beyond recognition, i am going to let you in on a secret!

Just rinse the brinjal, wipe dry, slit into four long pieces, place in a microwave safe glass bowl and cook on the highest power for 6-7 minutes. Now take each piece and roast them individually over an open flame for just a minute per piece.  Dunk them in a bowl of cold water, peel the charred skin and reserve the pulp. This whole process takes less than 15 minutes. This gives the right amount of smokiness to the pulp without being overpowering. It also frees you up to attend to the rest of the meal while it cooks in the microwave. No need to tend to it constantly. Plus a total reduction in cooking time.

Now that I have simplified it for you, go ahead and make yourself some fragrant raita/dip/sandwich filling/meal by itself.

ALLERGY INFORMATION

• Does NOT contain gluten, nuts, corn, soya, eggs.
• Has dairy in the form of skim milk curd (yoghurt). Usually tolerated by people with lactose intolerance.

Preparation Time – 15 minutes, Cooking time – 15 minutes, Serves – 4

You Need

Cookware – Knife, Cutting Board, Small Sauce pan / Tadka pan,  Bowl of 1 litre capacity.

Ingredients

1. 1 Big Violet Brinjal/Eggplant weighing approximately 500gms
2. 1 cup Fresh curd
3. 1/2 tsp salt
4. A pinch sugar
5. 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
6. 1 small green chilli
7. 1/4 tsp cooking oil
8. a pinch of asafoetida powder
9. a few curry leaves and coriander leaves for garnish – optional

To Assemble

1. Prepare the brinjal/ aubergine/eggplant as described earlier. To repeat – wash, wipe dry, slit along length of brinjal into 3 pieces. cook for 6-7 minutes in microwave safe glass bowl at highest power. You may add 2-3 tbsp water to the bowl to help cook without shrinking. I find this method works best for me.
2. After this, place each piece individually over an open small flame and char the skin. Dunk all of them into a bowl of cold water. When cool enough to handle, peel the skin off and reserve the pulp.
3. Mash the pulp with potato masher/fork.
4. Whip curd with sugar and salt. Add the mashed brinjal, and stir in well to combine. Raita just needs seasoning now.
5. Prepare the seasoning by heating oil in a small sauce pan/tadka pan. Add mustard seeds, when they crackle, add slit green chilli, asafoetida powder. Switch off flame. Pour over the raita. Add the curry leaves and coriander leaves, if using, stir in and let it rest for few minutes.

Your delicious fragrant raita is ready! Serve with hot phulkas, paratha, bisi bele bhath, biryani, filling for sandwich, dip for crudites, wraps. Don’t want to make anything else? Just have it chilled. A bowlful. As it is.

Notes -

• This method of cooking first and smoking next allows for a good desirable smokiness. Even agnostics of smoky flavours will find it appealing.
• Do not omit the seasoning. It is crucial in bringing all the flavours together.
• Some chilling will really help in elevating this simple creation. However, if you are in a hurry, don’t worry. Just dig in.

Technorati Tags: brinjal raita,eggplant raita,eggplant dip,smoked eggplant dip,aubergine dip,curd,yoghurt

Chole Kachumber Salad

Hearty, nourishing, vibrant, colourful. These are the descriptions that come to my mind as I think of the salads we make often at our home. And I am talking about vegetarian salads here. No, we do not miss the meat in salads or in anything else for that matter. Actually nobody would.
If we know how to bring together a medley of textures, colours, aromas and flavours, we can create amazing fresh, healthy salads for ourselves with just about as few or as many ingredients.
Salads such as these can be rustled up and forked down with guilt-less relish. At any time of the day. As part of a meal. As a meal in itself. As a filler between meal times. As a post workout snack. As an after school snack. …
Which is why I stock some soaked and cooked beans such as mung, brown or green chana (varieties of chickpeas), rajma (red kidney beans) or lobia (black eyed beans) in my freezer. They come in handy to spruce up a salad like this one.
I am calling this as chole – kachumber salad. It also closely resembles ‘Balilah’, a salad from Middle Eastern or Moroccan cuisine which is centred around chickpeas too. Here is the recipe for my chole – kachumber  salad.

ALLERGY INFORMATION

• Does NOT contain lactose, soya, gluten, nuts.

Preparation Time* – 15-20 minutes + 30 minutes chilling, Cooking Time – nil, Serves – 4-6.
You Need
Cookware – Steel/glass mixing bowl, Knife, Grater
Ingredients

1. 1 cup of cooked chickpeas/kabuli chana
2. 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
3. 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
4. 1/2 cup diced/grated cucumber**
5. 1/2 cup grated  carrots
6. 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
7. A few lettuce leaves torn by hand (optional)
8. 1 tbsp chopped parsley OR 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
9. 1 tbsp lemon juice
10. 1 tsp sesame oil
11. Salt and pepper to season

To Assemble

1. To make the dressing, mix salt, pepper, oil and lemon juice. Whisk well and set aside.
2. Prepare all the vegetables as mentioned for the salad.
3. **Peel and core the cucumber if you find it has big seeds. Then chop or grate as preferred.
4. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, drizzle the seasoning. Add salt and pepper. Toss well.
5. Chill for half an hour before serving.

* The preparation time is lesser only if you have cooked chana ready. Else, you may have to soak and cook ahead to use for the salad.  In that case, allow for 8 hours Soaking Time + 1 hour Cooking Time.

Technorati Tags: Vegetarian salad,chole,kachumber,chickpea salad,healthy salad,high protein salad

Ragi Chocolate Laddu

Deepawali, the festival of lights, eagerly anticipated and celebrated throughout India, is here. There is so much excitement, happiness, festivities in the air. It is also fun to run around shopping for new clothes, gifts, fire crackers.

As with most festivals, the stories behind celebrating this festival too are several. Sri Krishna killed Narakasura on this Chaturdashi day. Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya after His exile after killing Ravana and freeing Sita from his evil clutch.

Whatever be the legend, the common theme is the victory of good over evil. The assurance from Divinity that evil, cruelty, jealousy and hatred do not last long. That truth, goodness and virtuous living always triumphs. A very heartening reminder in a world where the opposite seems to be true. An assurance for those who believe. A great reason to celebrate. To meet up with family, close or extended. To renew friendships, to form new ones, to look forward with hope.

So here is wishing you happiness, good health, joy in your lives!

In continuation with my efforts at finding and documenting healthy recipes, I am very happy to share with you this new attempt of mine. The nutty aroma of roasted ragi combined with seductive cocoa, taken a notch festive with fragrant ghee all come together delightfully in this healthy dessert.

Millets are quite the rage in the diet of every health conscious person and rightly so. They are packed with several nutrients, richer in calcium, fibre and other vitamins than grains like rice or wheat. Ragi, or Finger Millet forms the staple grain of a large part of rural India. Here is my shot at making a festive dish with this humble grain. A successful undertaking, even if I say so myself. This Diwali, when you dig into this dark, mysterious confection, you can feel a tad less guilty at indulging knowing that there is this super healthy millet at its base.

ALLERGY INFORMATION

• Does NOT contain gluten, lactose, egg, soya, peanuts, any nuts.
• Suitable for people with gluten sensitivity, lactose intolerance, nut allergy.

EDITED – A reader expressed concern about using butter or ghee in this recipe for lactose intolerance. Usually ghee is digested even by people with lactose intolerance, since it is ‘fully clarified butter’, but if you are intolerant to ghee as well, do use margarine warmed in the same proportions. I have not used margarine myself, and am only suggesting it as an alternative.

Preparation time – 30 minutes, Cooking time – 5 minutes, Makes – 12 laddus

YOU NEED

Cookware – Thick bottomed fry pan, Mixer grinder, Metal spatula, Small Saucepan.

Ingredients

1. 1 heaped cup Ragi flour (I used store bought)
2. 1 scant cup powdered sugar
3. 1/4 cup cocoa powder (I used Hersheys)
4. 1/2 tsp Vanilla essence
5. 1/4 cup ghee (Can use melted butter too)

Method

1. Set a thick bottomed fry pan/ skillet on fire. Dry roast the ragi flour on medium heat stirring briskly all the time. This step removes the raw flavour of the flour and gives it a good nutty tone. 2-3 minutes later, you should sense a change in aroma. The flour is then ready.
2. Switch off flame, add in cocoa powder, mix well with ladle. Also add the powdered sugar,  and vanilla essence, and mix in thoroughly. You could use a wire whisk to mix well too.
3. Heat up the ghee over a low flame in a different small sauce pan. If using butter, heat a similar quantity of butter for such time until you find the butter slowly changing hue to a pale gold.
4. Drizzle this hot ghee over the ragi-sugar mixture. Mix again with ladle, and when it is of bearable heat, grab a fistful and compress using fingers to a round ball shape. The laddu can be set aside to rest when it keeps its shape. It will harden on cooling. Finish off making laddus with the rest of the mixture. Halfway through, if you find the mixture cooling and the laddu does not shape well, then warm the flour mixture gently again to help shaping the laddus.
5. Your delicious, laddu redolent of cocoa with a hint of vanilla is ready!

          HAPPY DEEPAWALI EVERYBODY. STAY HEALTHY, BE HAPPY!

Technorati Tags: Ragi Laddu,Millets Laddu,Diwali sweet,Festival Recipe,Festive Laddu,Whole grain,healthy dessert

The Quickest Kathi Roll

The original Kathi roll is a street food from Kolkata. This legendary dish has taken on many avatars since and has evolved into a versatile snack popular all over India. Kathi rolls are a great way to jazz up boring meals. The best part is there are no rules. While street food dishes out less healthier options, (read fat drenched, artery clogging, refined flour) we need not fret at all. We can easily make these at our homes using much healthier alternatives too.

To begin with, I always use organic whole wheat flour for the rotis. I normally have a stock of home made skim milk paneer in the freezer as well. This 5 minute 3 pepper paneer curry is my go-to recipe when hard pressed for time. Throw in a few salad vegetables and some fresh lettuce, and a wholesome meal / snack / appetiser is ready. Cremica’s Korma Sandwich Mayo came in handy this time around. This was part of our goodie bags at the IFBM.

Now, I am no friend to convenience foods or ready to eat products. While I am all for economic growth, feeding on chemicals which get added to foods to increase shelf life or flavour or taste, is really not up my alley. In this recipe, I have used the Cremica sandwich spread. It is definitely handy and does zing up the roll. However, you can choose to omit or replace with a different home made spread too.

You could hop over to these blogs to view their favourite kathi roll recipes as well.

Vegetable Platter’s Alu Gobhi wrap here, and Hamaree Rasoi’s Paneer Kathi Rolls here.

Here is how I assembled my kathi roll last week. Helped to satiate the hunger pangs of the teen and the tween. Ticked all boxes - flavour, crunch, health, easy assembling . Need I say more?

Allergy Information

• Contains wheat and dairy.
• NOT suitable for gluten intolerant or lactose intolerant people.
• Can be made dairy free by substituting paneer with tofu.
• Does NOT contain egg, corn, soya or nuts.

Preparation Time – 20 minutes, Cooking Time – 30 minutes, Serves – 3-4.

You Need

Skillet, Rolling Pin, Shallow steel mixing bowl, Plates to assemble

Ingredients

1. 2 cups Whole wheat flour + extra for dusting
2. 1/2 tsp Salt 
3. 3/4 cup Water (more or less depending on flour)
4. 1 tsp Oil
5. 1 recipe 5 minute 3 Pepper Paneer Curry
6. 10-15 leaves of leafy lettuce or Romaine Lettuce
7. 1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced into semi circles
8. About 6 tsp of Mrs. Bector’s Cremica Korma Sandwich Mayo

Method

1. Take a shallow steel mixing bowl. Place the flour and salt in the bowl. Mix the salt and whole wheat flour with finger tips. Drizzle water slowly and knead into a smooth dough. You may need more or less water depending on type of flour. I used 24 Mantra Organic whole wheat flour. Once dough is smooth, gather into a ball. Press the top of the ball with thumb. The dough should spring back. If not, knead again for a minute or more and check again. Grease the dough all around with 1/2 tsp oil, cover and leave to rest in a cool place for half an hour.
2. Pinch or cut out equal portions of the dough. 2 cups of flour can make 8-10 balls depending on the size you cut.
3. Roll out each ball into thin flat round.
4. Heat a flat iron griddle / skillet. Place the roti on the skillet. Turn around when brown spots appear on one side. Cook both sides of roti well taking care to adjust flame and not burn, smear with a few drops of oil if you wish. Remove to a platter. Repeat with all the balls of dough. Set the rotis aside.
5. Rinse the lettuce well and drop in chilled ice water.
6. Follow the recipe for the 5 minute 3 pepper paneer curry. Set aside.
7. Peel the cucumber, remove the seeds if any and slice into thin semi circles.
8. Assemble the kathi roll just before eating.
9. Smear the sandwich mayo around the roll leaving a cm around the sides free.
10. Place the paneer curry, cucumber slices as shown in picture.
11. Drain the lettuce, shake well, tear up and add them along to the roti too.
12. Wrap the roti inward from both sides, secure with toothpick if needed, and enjoy!

While the individual components of this roll can be made ahead, the roll is best assembled just before consuming. It does get soggy in half an hour. So it may not work well in a packed school lunch box. It does make a great after school snack. You could also prepare and pack the different components of the rolls separately and assemble at a picnic.

Dear friends, How do you like your rolls / wrap / frankie / meals on the go? Would you make it any other way? I would love to hear from all. Please do write in at my facebook page here or in the comments section below.

Till next time, eat healthy, stay happy.