Easy Oatmeal Rava Dosa, Roasted Coconut chutney and a MW Paneer Chole Makhani

Easy Oatmeal Rava dosa goes to EC of "Simple Indian Food" blog who guest hosting "MBP-Easy breakfast" event this month, which is started by Coffee of "The spice Cafe". I chose this dish from Vibaas of "Delectable Vegetarian recipes" blog.

Roasted coconut, onion and chana dal chutney goes to Ramya of "Mane Adige" blog, who just launched an event called "Chutney/Dip Mania".

Microwaved Paneer dish goes to Raks of "Rak's kitchen" who is guest hosting for her"MEC-Paneer" event which is launched by Srivalli of "cooking4allseason" blog.

Paneer chole Makhani, cooked in the Microwave goes to MS of "Food Travails" blog who is guest hosting "JFI-Chickpeas" and event is launched by Indira of "Mahanandi" blog.

My thanks to all of you for hosting and for the time you devote to do the round ups! :))

Easy breezy, delicious and nutritious breakfast or lunch or dinner!
I went "monthly blog patrolling" aka MBP for easy breakfast dishes and found this at Vibaas of "Delectable Vegetarian recipes" blog's "Protein packed Oatmeal Rava dosa. Click here to see the original recipe and her yummy Oat-Rava dosa photo too! Thanks Vibaas, we enjoyed these Oats dosa with red hot chutney! :))

Roasted coconut-chana dal-onion chutney: This red hot chutney goes well with any dosa, idli or Parathas too. It's a bit different from the usual coconut chutney I make. Inspired by Kerala Chammanthi I made for Kerala RCI cuisine, I improvised a bit on that adding chana dal. I love the taste roasted fresh coconut, gives it a smoky aroma! Whenever I buy fresh coconuts, I separate the shell from pulp inside and cut them into small pieces and freeze them in a ziplock bags. I take out some out and thaw whenever I need them. I do not use store bought dessicated coconut in any chutney at all. Use that for sprinkling on Rasam or making spice powder to add when cooking gravies etc.

You need to roast these first each separately until reddish in a bit of oil and cool: 1/2 cup fresh coconut pieces (or grated), 1/4 cup Chana dal, 1/4 of a large onion, sliced, 2-3 dry red chillies, 1/2 tsp coriander seeds, 1/4 tsp cumin seeds. Grind the above with these ingredients until smooth and thick with very less water: 1" ginger, 1/2 tsp or less tamarind paste (I use SWAD paste from the jar), enough salt, 1/4 tsp Paprika for color, pinch of hing. Adjust the salt. Season with these and add to the chutney: Heat 2 tbsp oil, add 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1-2 dry red chillies, few curry leaves until they pop, take off the heat and cool it down a bit and add to chutney to mix. That's it! :)

******************************************************************************************************************* Now comes the yummy dish I cooked completely in the Microwave!! It came out so well and it was so fast to make that I don't want to do this chole on the stove top ever again! :D My daughter loves cheese, period!! Indian cheese as she calls it, Paneer is her favorite added Indian dishes. This dish is also mild tasting, which makes the kids happy. They won't touch the above spicy coconut chutney at all but they would eat this with a piece toast gladly!! I served this dish with layered triangular parathas.

Paneer Chole Makhani, Microwaved!!
Photo didn't come out well since it was very bright in the kitchen that day but somehow I managed to save this one out of 20+ others! :D

For Paneer Chole Makhani, I used store bought Paneer which are firmer than homemade cheese and I found few cans of organic Chickpeas to add. Organic chickpeas are bit more expensive but smaller and very flavorful unlike those gigantic plump regular canned Garbanzo we get, I like the organic Garbanzo better. Enjoy the low fat dish, not much fat although it is "makhani"(with butter sauce), considering it serves 4 people.

Microwaving:
Look at the size of this Microwave! Doesn't it look like a college student's dorm room or may be a high school auditorium?! Hahaha!! Just kidding. It's a convection oven too, so it's pretty spacious to fit a regular size baking sheet. anyway, each Microwave has different power, so use your eyes and nose to judge how long each step takes when microwaving. I am giving you how I exactly I cooked this dish in my MW.

How to make Paneer chole Makhani in the MW:
Get all these in one place first and start microwaving as given below;
Ingredients:
2 tbsp oil,
1 cumin seeds, 1 bay leaf,
1 medium onion, finely minced or ground, 1" ginger+ 2 garlic (grind these both),
1/2 cup Tomato sauce,
spice powders; 2 tbsp plain yogurt, 1 tsp coriander seeds powder, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds powder, 1/4 tsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp chilli pd or paprika, 1 tsp Chole masala or Kitchen King masala pd.
1/2 cup water + 1/2 cup 2% or half fat Milk,
4 tbsp minced cilantro, 1 12oz can Organic Garbanzo/Chickpeas, drained of water, rinsed, 1 tsp sugar, enough salt,
1/2 pack of Paneer, cubed to bite sized pieces, 1 tbsp Butter.
Here is how:
1. Add oil to a deep glass dish, heat for 2 mins until hot. (Keep the bowl uncovered)
2. Add cumin seeds and 1 bay leaf, heat for 1 minute.
3. Add minced/ground onion, cook for 3 to 5 mins, keep stirring in between to prevent burning the onion, it must be slightly reddish, not brown.
4. Add ginger-garlic paste, cook for 1 minute, add tomato sauce and cover the bowl and cook for 2 mins.
5. Add yogurt, spice powders, mix well and cook for 1 minute.
6. Now mix in water and milk, cook again without the cover this time for 3-5 mins until oil shows up a bit, keep stirring often.
7. Add cilantro, enough salt, sugar (I always add sugar whenever I use tomatoes in the dishes to cut the acidity) and chole/chickpeas, cook again for 5 mins until the sauce is thick and shiny.
8. Lastly, add Paneer cubes and mix well. Just heat about 2 mins and adjust the spices to your taste.

Your delicious Paneer Chole Makhani is ready to eat! :))

Mango-Cream JELL-O, Mint-Coconut-Peanuts Chutney

I am bringing a sweet and super easy dessert "Mango-Cream JELL-O" for Meeta from "What's for lunch honey" blog's "Monthly Mingle" with the theme of " Mango Mania " this month. I thought I wouldn't be able to make anything for MM this month since I am getting ready for a Summer blog break but squeezed in one more post anyway. Who can resist Mangoes! Hope you like it Meeta, great choice of fruit!:)

Mangoes:
Mangoes have been cultivated in India and South East Asia for thousands of years, also cultivated in many tropical regions and distributed widely in the world. Mango is one of the most popular and well loved fruit. Raw or ripe Mangoes can be in various sweet and spicy dishes and Mango leaves are used for religious ceremonies, during Hindu festivals and weddings in India.. For a great collection of unique Mango dishes, click here!

Mango-Cream JELL-O:
I have made so many Mangoes dishes before in my blog as you see in my list below, I thought I will keep it very simple this time. This cool dessert was delicious and so easy to make. It's specially great for kids. Hope you make it!:)

You need these:
1 3/4 Cup Mango pulp (I used Kesar canned Mango pulp),
1/2 cup Cream half and Half or Heavy whipping Cream, divided into half, (heat 1/4 cup cream to dissolve Gelatin)
2 Envelopes(1/4oz each) of Knox or Jell-O Original unflavored unsweetened Gelatin,
1-2 tbsp powdered sugar, if mango pulp is not sweet enough, up to you.
1 tbsp crushed Pistachios and Some Whipped cream to garnish.(optional)
To make it:
1. Add Mango pulp, half of the cream and powdered sugar, mix until creamy.
2. Heat 1/4 cup of milk or cream, add gelatin and let it dissolve. Then add this mixture to Mango to whisk well.
3. Pour in any shaped molds and chill in the fridge for 3 hrs.
4 Serve chilled, sprinkled with some crushed Pistachios or with more cream on top if you like. Enjoy!:)

Note: Add 1 Gelatin envelope to 1 1/4 cup or less liquid, total proportion to get a good Jello texture. You can also add Gelatin to cold Mango mix but have to whisk (or mix in blender) hard to dissolve Gelatin and adding Gelatin to warm cream first to dissolve it, makes it easier set the Jello! :)

Check out these dishes!
Jaggary Jello!
Mango Cobbler,
Mango Dal,
Mango Lassi,
Mango-Coconut Pound cake.
Mango-Coconut Burfi.
Mango Kheer.
Mango Ice cream!

Have fun cooking with Mangoes!:)

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Dee from "Ammalu's kitchen" has started a new event celebrating various herbs called "Herb Mania" this month. She has chosen "Mint" as her choice to start with. Here is my simple Mint, Coconut, Peanuts chutney from me Dee, enjoy hosting your event!:)


Homegrown Mint from my backyard:
Mint grows uncontrollably in a moist, well drained soil if you don't contain it in the pots. I always plant the good quality mint in a large pot rather than the in the ground. They thrive in the sunshine, but need to bring in the house for Winter, although they are very easy to grow every Summer. These Mints are called Peppermint, has good mild flavor to cook but it doesn't exactly smell like Pepper or like toothpaste like Spearmints do!:D

Mint:
Dried mint leaves were found in Egyptian pyramids, dating from 1000 BC. The plant is thought to be indigenous to Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia and it was introduced into America, Australia later.
Peppermint and Spearmint are the two best known of the mints but there are literally hundreds of varieties of mint. Mint is not only used in cooking and in drinks (Mojitos!), it also doubles as medicine to clear Sinuses, relieves Colic, added to bath water to soothe the muscles and in Tea with Honey. Mint flavor is added in Tooth pastes and in Medicinal syrups to make it pleasant to take too.

Green Moong Idlis with Mint, Coconut, Peanut chutney:
These delicious light green and super soft green Moong Idlis are from Sushma's "CookSpot" blog. I made these last week to link at FH and made some spicy Mint chutney to go with it. Thanks for these Idlis Sushma, they were excellent and so nutritious too!:)

For chutney, you need:
1 large bunch or 2 cups loosely packed of Cilantro,
1 cup loosely packed Mint leaves,(Spearmint, I find it too strong, use less),
1/4 cup fresh Coconut,
1/4 cup roasted Peanuts,
2-4 Green chillies,
Few curry leaves,
1"fresh ginger,
1 tsp Tamarind juice or you can use 2 tsp Lemon juice too,
Salt.
To season:
1 tbsp oil, 1 tsp Mustard seeds, 1 tsp Urad dal, few curry leaves.
To make it:
1. Roast Peanuts in the Microwave for 30 seconds on a plate, let them cool.
2. Add the cooled peanuts to coconut etc and grind all them in a blender until smooth.
3. Heat a pan, add the seasoning ingredients and when they splutter, add to chutney and mix.

Note: Mint tends to discolor when exposed to air which turns it to blackish color. Although taste doesn't change, it will look darker.To avoid this, you have to more lemon juice to chutney.
You can also wilt the cilantro, curry leaves and mint for a second in a hot pan, roast green chillies before grinding but not necessary.

Have a great weekend. I have one last post to go here at Aroma and 2 more posts/weeks at FH before I take a blog break. See you all next week!:)

DOSA GALORE; RAVE DOSE, MOONG, MASOOR AND BROWN RICE ADAI WITH KARELA MASALA!

My Dosa galore post goes to "Dosa Mela" and to Srivalli from "cooking for all 4 seasons", who calls herself a "dosa freak" and is calling all of us to send her loads of dosas!!:D
I added two more new dosas to your list Sri. Enjoy them all to your heart's content my friend! Hahaha!




Rave dose, restaurant style!!
I accidentally found this recipe or the way of making restaurant style Rava dosa while I was surfing on the net one day. Vahchef Sunjay Thumma, has become my favorite chef on the "youtube" world since then for showing us the authentic dishes as they cook in the restaurants. His way of making rava dosa absolutely fascinated me. Just look at the result! (Click on all the photos to enlarge them to see better pictures)


I was skeptical at first. When I tried his way sprinkling the very thin dosa batter with a lacy pattern using your hand on a electric griddle, which is perfect to make a huge, thin, crispy rava dosa, I was in for a delightful surprise! It looked exactly like they serve in the restaurant, crispy and tasted delicious. I changed the recipe a bit, added the dry spices instead of fresh to keep the batter smooth and easy to sprinkle, didn't use the raw onion. Here is how I made it with some changes of my own, I thank chef Thumma for showing us the secret of restaurant style Rava dosa and other dishes too!:)

To watch Vahchef's "Rava Dosa" video demo, click here.
The Vendy award (award for the best street Vendor of New York)2007, runner up; The dosa man, Tiru kumar!! Watch him here and here and here!

To make Rava dosa:
1. Mix 1 cup fine rava/Semolina/cream of wheat, 1/4 cup plain flour, 1 cup rice flour, salt, 1 tsp of cumin powder, 1/2 tsp each of garlic pd, ginger pd, chilli pd, 1 tbsp onion pd with enough water (3 or more cups) or buttermilk to make a very thin batter with buttermilk consistency. (Watch the video to see how thin and how to sprinkle the batter on the griddle).
2. Heat the non-stick electric griddle on moderately high/375F to 400F heat, sprinkle the batter with your hand or use a plastic Mustard or Ketchup bottle to squeeze the batter out like I did (cut the tip off if the hole too small) and let it get crispy golden on the bottom, no flipping required. Drizzle oil or ghee on top. Serve right away. (Mix the batter well or shake the bottle every time you use it. Rava tends to sink in the bottom)

Tastes excellent just with thin and spicy coconut chutney to dip in. I served it with Sambhar, coconut chutney and some homemade ghee. Hope you try.

Spicy green Moong, Masoor dal and brown rice Adai:
I love Adai because of the ease of making them without fermentation and very nutritious as well. I keep adding different pulses and beans, this is one of those with Masoor dal, green Moong and brown rice. It has a beautiful pinkish green color inside. Adjust the spices to your taste.



To make Adai:

1. Soak 1/2 cup whole green Moong in water overnight. Next morning, add 1/2 cup Masoor dal (split red lentils) and 1 cup Brown rice to the same water and let it soak for 2 hrs.
2. After 2 hrs, drain the water and grind all these in batches with enough water, 1 tbsp cumin seeds, 1/4tsp turmeric, 2-3 red dry chillies or chill pd, salt, few curry leaves until you get smooth batter of pourable consistency.
3. Take the batter out into a bowl, add 1 tbsp chopped cilantro and a pinch of baking soda.
4. You can use this batter right way to make dosas or chill in the fridge to use later. Add soda just before making dosas.
5. Heat a iron tawa or non-stick griddle, add some oil, spread a ladleful of batter to a circle. Drizzle some ghee or oil on top, flip and cook both sides until crisp and golden.

Serve with red Chutney powder (roasted dry coconut, red chillies, garlic or garlic pd, salt, hing, cumin seeds, ground) and ghee.

Now presenting my Dosa/Pancake/Griddle cake/Crepe Museum!! ;D

These are all the Dosas, Crepes, pancakes, griddle cakes I have made and posted in both of my blogs so far, I am sure I will make some more of these in future!:D

Alrighty, let me link to each of them; from top left to right. Have fun! :)

1. Kerala Aapam (Rice-coconut milk pancakes),
2. Roti Jala (Malaysian flour pancakes),
3. Mysore Masale Dose,
4. Avalakki dose (Flattened rice flakes pancakes),
5. Thari dose (crushed rice-coconut milk steamed pancakes),
6. Thatte dose, plain and with veggies and dal (savory plate pancakes),
7. Uddina bele-Menthya dose (Urad dal-fenugreek seeds dosa),
8. Uttappa (vegetable pancake),
9. Rava dose (Semolina/cream of wheat pancakes),
10. Adai (Brown rice and multi dal dosas),
11. Adai masale dose (spicy brown rice dal dose),
12. Spicy Corn-Zucchini griddle cakes,
13. Zucchini pancakes,
14. All American pancakes,
15. Butternut squash griddle cakes,
16. Soy flour-veggies pancakes,
17. Patishapta (flour-coconut pancakes),
18. Chocolate Crepes,
19. Halasina hannu dose (Jackfruit pancakes),
20. Kayi-bellada dose (Molasses-coconut pancakes).

Are you still awake?! WAKE UP!! Hahaha!!

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Karela Masala is my second entry to Pooja of "creative Pooja" blog's "Vegetable of the week" event. She has chosen "Bitter Gourd/Karela" as her vegetable for this month. You can have this too from me Pooja!:))




Karela/Bitter Gourd masala:
I somehow manage to eat few tbsps of Bitter gourd dish every time I make Bitter Gourd dishes although when cooked and balanced with spices, it won't be as bitter to taste. My husband loves Karela dishes, so I do buy just two of them to cook whenever I can get them in the Indian store. This Karela masala dish comes with a delicious gravy, goes well with rice rottis usually or rice if you can handle it! :D


To make Karela masala:
1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a non-stick pan. When hot,put in 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, few curry leaves, 1 red chilli.
2. Add in 1 medium onion,chopped, fry for 2 min. Add in 2 finely chopped garlic, 1/4 tsp turmeric pd, pinch of salt, stir fry for a minute.
3. To this, add 2 cups of slightly peeled and chopped Bitter gourd pieces and fry until it gets a reddish color on the edges. Add salt and 1 tbsp tamarind juice.
4. Pour in 1/2 cup tomato sauce or 2 chopped Tomatoes, 1 tbsp coriander seeds powder, 2 tsp cumin seeds powder, 1/2 tsp chilli pd, 1 tbsp or more to of powdered Jaggery. stir fry and simmer until oil shows on top. Add some water it's too thick and simmer again.
5. Adjust the heat and sourness in the gravy, tastes good the next day. Add 1 tsp of ghee on top and few tbsps of chopped cilantro, mix and serve.

Long beans Kootu, Eggplant Pachadi, Karela Masala served with plantation style Akki/rice rotti:


Recipes for the other dishes you see on the Thali are here:
For Yardlong beans Kootu dish, click here or you can use this kootu masala to cook with Yardlong beans too. Yardlong beans are also called Mangaluru beans in Kannada.
For Eggplant chutney/Pachadi/bajji recipe, click here.
To make coffee plantation "style" Akki/rice rotti, click here.

That's "all" I have this week, Phew! :D

SOY-BELL PEPPER-CARROT PANCAKES WITH ROASTED COCONUT CHUTNEY

While I was taking a break this week, Aroma completed one full year of blogging on the 12th January, 2008!! Hurray!! I am enjoying cooking for events at Aroma, it has been a pleasure so far. My heartfelt thanks to all of you who comment and support me here! Hope you will continue to do that! :))



Weekend Breakfast blogging aka WBB is the brain child of Nandita of "Saffron trail" and this month it's Rajitha from "hunger pangs"'s turn to host this event with the theme of "Soy products". Soy and mixed veggies savory Pancakes, are my contribution to this event. Thanks for hosting Rajitha!:)




I was going to cook something with Soy beans I had in my pantry until I saw the Soy flour box in baking section at the grocery store. I never paid attention to it before until this "Soy" event! I bought it planning to bake a bread and then I read that you can't use more than 1/4th of this flour in any recipe! Then it hit me that I could make savory pancakes with it mixed with Wheat bread flour to make it spongy and with loads of veggies, Indian style!:D

About Soy flour:
Soy flour is made from roasted soybeans that have been ground into a fine powder. Soy flour is very rich in high-quality protein, it also adds a pleasant texture and flavor to the dishes.Soy flour can be used just as it is or it can be lightly "toasted" first. Since it does not have Gluten to hold itself together, you only use 1/4th cup of Soy flour to 1 measure of wheat or plain flour in your cooking or baking. You can use soy flour to thicken the gravies and cream sauces, to make homemade soy milk. It also keeps baked goods from becoming stale quickly and adds lot of protein to the dish or bread.
Because it adds moisture to baked products, soy flour can also be used as an inexpensive and cholesterol-free egg substitute in these foods.That is a great news for pure vegetarians! Replace one egg with 1 tablespoon soy flour and 1 tablespoon water. Now you can bake without Eggs and without missing any protein. All these infos are obtained by various sites and from the back of that Soy flour box too!!

Soy flour and mixed veggies savory Pancakes with roasted coconut chutney:



To make Soy pancakes:

You need:
A little note: This amount makes enough 5" in diameter and thickish pancakes for 4 people. Cut down to half the recipe if you don't need that many. You can add any veggies like green Peas to it and can skip all the dry spice powders too if you don't like it, they just add to the flavor.
1 1/2 cups Wheat Bread flour, (can use Atta or plain flour)
1/2 cup Soy flour,
1/4 cup Rice flour(Optional, just to make them crisp)
1 cup finely chopped red and green bell peppers,
1/2 cup grated Carrots,
1 onion minced,
1 tsp Cumin powder,(Or Dhana-Jeera pd if you have it)
1/2 tsp garam masala,
1/8 tsp Baking soda, few minced Cilantro leaves,
2 tsp grated ginger,
2 tbsp Yogurt, enough water to mix,
salt, Dry red chilli flakes or chillies, minced.
To make it:
1. Whisk dry ingredients first to mix the flours well and then add all the other ingredients shown above.
2. Add enough water to make thick but pourable batter, cover and set aside for 10-15 mins.
3. Heat a non-stick on medium high, drizzle a bit of oil, pour a ladleful of batter to make 5" circles and about 1/4" thick.
4. Drizzle a tsp oil on top, cover with lid and cook until the bottom is reddish. Flip and cook the other side to golden.
5. Serve hot with chutney or with plain yogurt.

Roasted Coconut chutney:




Recipe for this roasted coconut and red chillies chutney is here.

Enjoy!!





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A happy little tag by a friend!

Reeta Skeeter from "Reeta's Ruminations" asked few of us to show our best photo of 2007 or a photo very close to our heart. Thanks for happy tag Reeta!:)

This Photo may not be my best in 2007 but these Bhakarwadis are the best tasting snack I ever made at home for my "Foodie's Hope" blog last year. This is for you Reeta, I did enjoy going back in memory lane. Thanks!:))

MW THATTE IDLI, BUTTERNUT SQUASH STIR-FRY AND CILANTRO CHUTNEY

Microwaved Plate Idlis are my entry to "Easy cooking with Microwave" which is hosted by Srivalli of "Cooking 4 all seasons" with a theme of "Tiffins" this month. Thanks Sri!:)




I am sending Butternut Squash Stir-fry to Marta from "an Italian in the US" blog for her "Fresh produce of the Month" event. She has chosen "Squash" this month. Thanks Marta, enjoy!:)


Idlis are the quintessential breakfast or tiffin dish for most South Indians. We usually steam these in Idli stand or Thatte Idli stand inside the pressure. For a faster way, I cook them in the microwave one at a time. They come out quite well for folks in a hurry but of course not as soft as the regular steamed ones. Try it out and see if you like it. Cooking time varies depending on the power of your microwave, experiment. I like the convenience and ease of microwaving these. Enjoy!:)

Thatte(Plate) Idlis with Butternut squash stir-fry and Cilantro chutney:



To make the usual Idli batter:
Soak 1 1/2 cups Long grain rice,1/2 cup Converted rice(par-boiled rice) in a bowl with lots of water.In another bowl,soak 3/4 cup Urad dal,1 tbsp Fenugreek seeds with water over night or atleast for 3hrs. Wash rice,drain and grind coarsely like semolina with just enough water and put in a bowl.
Now,wash,drain and grind Urad dal,fenugreek seeds with enough water to a very smooth paste until fluffy light batter. Add to the bowl with ground rice and mix both thoroughly. Make sure batter is thicker than pancake/dosa batter and sprinkle the top with 1 tsp salt.
Cover and let it ferment overnight in the oven with the pilot light on in winter.In summer,you can keep it outside to ferment. Do not mix it until morning. When fermented well, you will see the batter risen to double the volume with little bubbles on top. Mix the batter well adding more salt if needed and 1/2 tsp Baking soda.


To microwave the idlis:
Spray a plate with no-stick oil, pour in a ladleful of batter and shake gently to spread, cover with Microwave proof plate or bowl, microwave it for one minute depending on the thickness of the batter.Thinner Idlis cook better and faster. Open the cover and check the middle for doneness, take out and cool on a cooling rack. Serve as soon as possible or you can reheat covered with plates for later.

Butternut Squash Palya/stir-fry:
I love Butternut Squash. It's sweet and spicy tasting palya/tir-fry tastes so good with dosa or idlis or in toasted bread sandwiches too. I have already posted the recipe which I make often here, but I am re-typing the recipe again. Enjoy making it, tasts delicious with these plate idlis as well!:)

You need:

2 cups chopped butternut pieces, few chopped Cilantro, Salt to taste.
To Season:
2 tbsp Oil/butter
1 tsp mustard seeds,
1 tsp chana dal (Split peas)
1/2" ginger minced,
few Curry leaves
1 onion chopped
2-4 Fresh green chillies,chopped
To make the stir-fry:
Heat oil/butter, add all the seasoning ingredients one by one and fry until onion is reddish.Put in diced pumpkin pieces,2 tbsp water and stir-fry for 5mins. Turn down the heat,cover and cook they are until soft, almost dry but not mushy. Add in enough salt to taste and cilantro.

Cilantro Chutney:
Grind 2 cups fresh grated coconut, one whole bunch of Cilantro (mostly it's leaves), 1 small garlic, few green chillies, 1/2" fresh ginger, few curry leaves, salt, 2 tbsp Yogurt, just enough water to make a smooth paste.
Seasoning is optional. If you want, season with hot oil, mustard seeds, Urad dal and curry leaves.

Here is another simple inexpensive gadget you could use to make regular Idlis in the MW. These are called MW Egg poachers available in grocery stores:

I saw these poachers in one of the blogs (don't remember which blog unfortunately) being used to make Idlis and was very impressed. Since the Idli batter used in this gadget is thicker than in the plates, you will have allow more time to cook, got to learn how many minutes to cook by trial and error!
Enjoy!:))


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"Seven weirdest things about me" MeMe

Here is my overdue MeMe tag. I have one more MeMe to do for which I have been tagged already. After that I will not be doing anymore MeMes!! So girls and boys, DO NOT tag me please!!:D

Three bloggers have tagged me for "Seven weird things" MeMe. They are Siri from "Siri's Corner", BEV from "Bird's eye view", Happy cook from "my kitchen treasures" and Swathi from "Sugarcraft India". Thanks to all of you for thinking of me!:)

I don't think I have 7 weirdest things to say about me but will try my best and keep it short!:)

1. I can't stand loud music, kids crying or acting up in public, loud and insensitive parents. I move as far away as I can in public places from them and keep away from likes of them my personal life as well.

2. I HATE phones or phone calls! It's true! When I want to call my parents in India, I think all the the things I want to say but when I do call them, I forget everything what I had planned to say and mumble pleasantries and hang up within 5mins! I would rather write long letters than call anyone! I am a writer I guess! Did I say I HATE phones!!:D

3. I wear "Man Pyjamas" as I call them to sleep in! I don't like any lacy, frilly, flowery, pink and purple "nighties". I go to men section in the stores and buy few 100% cotton, very comfortable pyjamas with computer, football, baseball and bear designs on them!! They are soooo comfy and cool!!:D

4. I was never scared of creepy crawlies or anyone as a child and am still not. I often tell my kids that if any burglar invades my home, he is going to have a VERY VERY BAD day. Arvind says he believes me when I say that!:P

5. I walk the other way if anybody tries to get close to me physically or emotionally!I have this invisible "Lakshman Rekha" or boundary around me and I don't like when people invade it or tries to step in. I give "shoulder hug" and a pat on the back and step away!:D That applies to my best friends too and they know it!

6. I don't "Hero Worship" anyone! I think we are all great, some do more than others. That doesn't mean they should be put on pedestal and worshiped. Of course,I admire them for what they have done or do but that's where it stops!

7. I will fill the 7th, when I think of one more weird thing about me later!

OH, I just thought of one more. I am a clean freak. I have this little dog who is all over my husband and kids but I hate when his wet nose touches me! If I want to pet him I will use my toes when he is sitting on the carpet, never touch him with my hands. If I do touch him with my hands, I will get up and wash my hands immediately! Poor dog and poor me!!!

Do I hear the Mental Asylum vehicle siren coming to get me?!!!Hahaha!!

I am not tagging anybody this time but you are welcome to take it up if you like. Have a great week!:)

ZUCCHINI-CARROT ADAI

Delicious Zucchini-Carrot Adais are my entry to Nupur from "One Hot Stove" blog's "A to Z Indian Vegetables" event.This week's letter is "Z", thanks for hosting Nupur!:)

Zucchinis:

Zucchini is European in origin,it was brought over by Italian immigrants, and probably got its start in California.The zucchini is low in calories, contains useful amounts of folate, Potassium and vitamin A.The zucchini has a delicate flavor and can use in quick cooking with butter or olive oil, with or without fresh herbs.There is no need to remove the skin.They are best undercooked.

Adai: Adai is a delicious and easy to make savory pancakes made with different kind of dals/pulses and rice.I use Brown rice to even more nutritions.Added with grated vegetables,they make a great breakfast,lunch or dinner.

Zucchini Adai with red Coconut chutney:

Adai is my favorite dish.Not only you don't need to ferment the batter, it is also chockful of protein with all the dals/Pulses we add to it.You can even enhance the taste and nutrients by adding many grated vegetables in the batter like I did here.Enjoy.

You need:

For batter: 1 cup Brown or white rice,1/2 Tuar dal,1/4 cup channa dal and 1/8 cup Urad dal,1 tsp cumin seeds,2 red dry chillies,salt and 2 tbsp yogurt.Pinch of baking soda as an option.
Vegetables: 1 cup grated Zucchini,1 Carrot grated, 1/2 small onion finely chopped,1 green chilly chopped(optional),1'2" grated ginger, 2 tbsp Cilantro,1 tbsp Mint leaves,1 Tomato finely chopped(optional).




Save 1/4 of zucchini for slicing to top the Adai.Slice the Zucchini into very thin slices,squeeze a little lemon juice on them and keep aside.


How to make them:



Soak the batter ingredients with just enough water to top the rice ,spices and dals for 2-3hrs. Add to the blender and grind everything together in batches until you get a coarse semolina/cream of wheat like paste.It should of thickish pouring consistency like dosa batter,may be little thicker than that.Now add all the chopped vegetables to the batter and now it's ready to make Adai.Adjust the salt,add soda if you like and mix.





Heat a non-stick pan until hot and turn down the heat slightly.Pour a ladle full of batter,spread to thick 6-7" circles.Immediately place 3 slices of Zucchini on top and press a little while batter is still soft on top.Drizzle some oil on top and the sides. When the bottom is golden,flip carefully and cook the other side until firm but not too long since Zucchinis will get too cooked.



Take it out on a plate and serve hot as soon as possible with red Coconut chutney.

Red Coconut chutney:
This is a relatively easy chutney most of you probably know already.I will give you my version anyway.It tastes great with Adais or any dosa or idlis.

You need: 1 cup fresh coconut, 3 tbsp Chana dal, 2 dry or fresh red chillies, 1 tsp Coriander seeds,2 tsp Urad dal,1 tsp Mustard seeds,3 tbsp plain yogurt,1/2" ginger, 1 garlic,salt and few Cilantro stems.(not cilantro leaves which makes the chutney green or skip it to be safe!;D)
How to make it:
1. Stir fry chana dal and Urad dal first in 1 tsp oil,then Mustard seeds,chillies and Coriander seeds in a pan until they are slightly reddish in color.
2. Add all the above ingredients including fried spices in a blender along with Yogurt and grind to a smooth paste.You can add little water if it's too thick to grind.
3. Take it out in a bowl,adjust the salt and serve.

That's it! Enjoy and have a great week!:))

RADISH MASALA PARATHAS AND RADISH STIR-FRY

Radish Masala Parathas made of Wheat flour,spices and grated Radish,is my contribution to Nupur from 'One Hot Stove" blog's "A to Z Indian Vegetables"s event.This week's letter is "R", thanks for hosting Nupur!:)

Well..the letters R, S ,T are easy to come up with some dishes for this event but I don't want to think about next few letters right now.Let me enjoy these three first!!Wouldn't you agree?! ;D

I made Radish Masla parathas for this week.I always have trouble making stuffed Mooli parathas and I even gave up making them.Last week I had half Daikon left ,so I thought I will twist the original and make it this way,which came out fabulously.
Unfortunately,as much as I love Radishes,they stink up the whole house when cooking and Arvind hates it.He walks in the house from the clinic,screws up his face and asks me whether our dog did the doody inside!!:D
But I love the taste of Radish though.Wish it didn't smell so much! Anyway,here they are.I added grated Radishes,and spices to the Wheat flour and made Parathas which is lot easier than stuffing for me and I loved them,this recipe is a keeper for me.Hope you try it too.

Radish Masala Parathas:



How to make them:Makes 8 Parathas


Mix 2 cups Wheat flour/atta, half finely grated Daikon or 2 white radishes,1" grated ginger,minced 2tbsp cilantro,1 tsp each coriander seeds pd,cumin pd,salt and 1/2 tsp chilli pd all these without water to a firm dough.Radish has water in it,don't need to add anymore unless you need it.





When you have a firm dough,divide the dough in to 7-8 pieces and make balls.Heat a griddle /Tawa and start rolling the Parathas to 5-6' circles,cover until Tawa is heated.Cook one Paratha at a time until brown specks show on top.When you take it out .brush lightly with melted butter or ghee.Serve hot with spiced yogurt.




To make spiced yogurt: Whisk 1/2 cup plain yogurt with little salt,1/2 tsp garlic pd,1/2 tsp cumin seeds,1/2 tsp Garam masala and serve with Parathas.Since Parathas have spices already,you don't need to make spicy as well.Keep it cool!




Mooli masala Parathas with spiced Yogurt:

Would you like more radish in your life? ;D Make this stir-fry with any leftover grated radish which goes well with plain Parathas or even as a side dish with rice.

Radish Stir-fry/Chutney:

How to:
1. Heat pan with 1 tbsp oil,add 1/2 tsp each mustard seeds,crushed cumin seeds,Urad dal,few curry leaves,1 green chilly chopped,1 red dry chilly and a pinch of turmeric.
2. When reddish, add 1 cup finely grated Radish with salt and stir fry until cooked and almost dry.Turn of the heat.
3.No water needed.Adjust salt,chillies,squeeze 1 tsp lemon juice and mix..Serve with Parathas. Tastes great!

That's it for "R", see you next week:))

PUDINA MASALA POORI-TOMATO CHUTNEY

Pudina Masala Poori made of plain flour,spices and mint,is my contribution to Nupur from 'One Hot Stove" blog's "A to Z Indian Vegetables"s event.This week's letter is "P", thanks for hosting Nupur!:)


Mint Leaves or Pudina:



I have a surplus supply of Mint and Chives in my backyard this year.I thought I would make something with Pudina which is Mint leaves in Hindi and put those delicious herbs to use.Poories are fried bread from India for somebody who don't know about it.Just adding some Mint leaves to any dish makes it wonderfully fragrant.




With the addition of spices,they are a delight to eat all by themselves but I served with some Tomato chutney I always have in the fridge.You could skip all the spices in the Poories if you like,just add salt and minced mint leaves,still tastes great.Hope you give these a try:)


Pudina(Mint) Poories:




How to make these Poories:Serves two




Mix 1/2 cup wheat flour(atta),1/4 cup Plain flour,salt,2 tbsp minced Mint leaves,1/4 tsp pepper pd pd,1 tsp Cumin pd,1/4 tsp ginger pd or fresh grated ginger,1 tbsp yogurt,a pinch of turmeric and add enough water to make a stiff dough.Cover and let it rest for 15mins.Heat oil to medium heat or 350F to deep fry.Divide the dough to about 6-8 small sized pieces.Make round balls,flatten and roll out to 1/8" thick about 4-5" circles.





You can use 4" cookie cutter to cut them.Place them on clean towel and slide in one Poori in the oil carefully,press down gently with the spatula until they puff and then flip and fry the other side until golden,drain on the paper towel.Repeat with others.Do not leave the Poories too long after rolling them.If they get dry,they don't puff as much.



Note:
Because of the minced Mint leaves and spices which are in the dough,these Poories do not puff like balloons as the regular ones do but they do taste delicious!!

Serve: Serve them with some plain yogurt or any chutney you like.They are quick to make if you are organized!:))

A plate of delicious spicy Minty Pooris with Tomato chutney:


Tomato Chutney:







Click here for Tomato chutney recipe.











Happy Mother's day to all of you and have a great weekend!:)