Cauliflower Kuzhambu for Rice

Category:  Lunch
Preparation Time: 10 mins 
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Servings: 3-4 servings

Cauliflower Kuzhambu

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower - 1 no (Medium sized)
• Big Onion, finely chopped - 1 no
• Tomato, finely chopped - 1 no
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Tamarind paste - 1/8 tsp (Optional)
• Salt - to taste
• Coriander leaves - for garnishing

To saute and grind:

• Oil- 1 tsp
• Small onions - 12-15 nos
• Ginger - 1 inch piece
• Garlic - 4 cloves
• Red chilly - 1-2 nos (Optional, I didnt add since the Masala powder itself was spicy)
• Tomato, roughly chopped - 1 no
• Curry leaves - few
• Coconut, shredded - 1/2 cup
• Fennel seeds - 1/2 tbsp (Optional)
• Cinnamon - 1 small stick (Optional)
• Cloves - 2 nos (Optional)
• Home made Chicken Masala powder / Kuzhambu milagai thool - 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Wash the cauliflower florets and cook in boiling water with 1 tsp of salt till it gets half cooked. Drain and keep aside
   
2. Meanwhile prepare the masala, by sauting the above ingredients in 1 tsp of oil (add one by one in the same order as above) and allow to cool
   
3. 
4. Grind the sauted mixture to a smooth but bit coarse masala paste
5. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, curry leaves and finely chopped onions (one by one)
   
6. Saute till the onions becomes soft and add the chopped tomatoes, saute till it becomes mushy
   
7. Then add cauliflower florets and saute for a min, add turmeric powder
   
8. Add the ground masala, mix well, add required water as per your desired consistency
   
9. Allow to boil for 5 mins in medium flame
   
10. Then add the tamarind paste and boil for few more mins
    
11. Switch off and garnish with coriander leaves
    

Notes: 

• Since home made masala powder has spiciness, I had not added any chillies, if you need you can add
• You can also add only one tomato for grinding and increase tamarind 
• Small onions gives the unique taste - better to add them 
• Ginger-Garlic paste can also be added while frying onions, but fresh ingredients gives a nice aroma

Oats Chocolate Smoothie

Category: Breakfast/ Oats   
Preparation Time: 5 mins    
Cooking Time: 5 mins    
Servings: For 2 persons 


I prefer Oats smoothies for the busy mornings; not only it's easy to prepare, it's very refreshing. Usually I would prepare with seasonal fruits and for a change I tried Chocolate Oats and it came out well. If you're a chocolate lover, for sure you'll like it.
 

Chocolate Oats Smoothie

Ingredients:

• Oats (Quick cooking or old-fashioned) - 1/2 cup
• Milk, boiled and cooled -  2 cups
• Cocoa Powder (Unsweetened) - 1 tbsp (You can increase as per your liking)
• Sugar / Honey - To taste 
• Chocolate chips / Any nuts - 1-2 tbsp (Optional)

Method:

1. Mix cocoa powder in 3 tbsp of hot milk and mix well without any lumps
2. Take oats, cocoa mix, sugar and 1 cup of milk in a bowl and cook for 5 mins on stove top or microwave for 2-3 mins stirring occasionally
   
3. In a blender take cooked  oats, add remaining milk and blend it together
   
4. Garnish with chocolate chips or nuts
5. Serve warm or chill  
   
6. Since I am not much fond of chocolate, I used 1 tbsp of cocoa, you can increase as per your liking

Jiffy Adai using Home made Adai Ready Mix

Category: Breakfast/ Dinner
Preparation Time: 15 mins 
Cooking Time: 1-2 min per adai/dosai

Home made Adai Ready Mix - This would be very handy when we forget to soak dhals for adai and also during busy morning hours or for a quick dinner. 

Adai using Ready mix

Ingredients:

Ready Mix:

• Boiled Rice - 1 1/2 cup
• Raw Rice - 3/4 cup
• Tur Dhal - 1/4 cup
• Gram Dhal - 1/2 cup
• Green Gram - 2 tbsp
• Urad Dhal - 1 tbsp
• Red Chillies - 10-15 (adjust as per spiciness)
• Fennel Seeds - 1 tsp
• Asafoetida / Hing - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste

For making Adai:

• Sesame Oil - as required

Method:

1. Dry Roast all the ingredients separately in medium flame except salt and allow to cool
2. Once cooled, grind to rava like consistency
3. Store it in air tight container / ziplock covers and refrigerate it
   
4. When you want to make adai, mix 1 cup of ready mix with 1-1 1/2 cup of water and required salt; keep aside for atleast 30 mins
5. After 30 mins, just give a run in the blender / pulse option for uniform mixing
   
6. If you want to add onions or any vegetables like carrots, you can add now and make adai as usual
7. Heat the tawa, pour one laddle of batter, spread, drizzle few drops of oil and allow to cook by covering with lid
   
8. Once it gets cooked on one side, flip it over and cook the other side too
   
   
   
9. Transfer to plate and serve hot with your favourite side dish.
   

 

Brinjal Rice (Vaangi Bath)

Category:  Lunch
Preparation Time: 10 mins 
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Servings: 1-2

Spicy Brinjal Rice, also called Vaangi Bath is a spicy and tasty meal of Andhra cuisine. Ingredients list may look long but if you try once, for sure you will love it:)

Spicy Brinjal Rice

  Ingredients:

• Rice - 1/2 cup
• Brinjal, chopped - 3-4 nos
• Onion, cut lenghtwise - 1/2 no
• Ginger, grated - 1 tsp
• Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
• Tamarind paste - 1/4 tsp in 1/4 cup of water
• Green chilly, slitted - 1
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Channa dhal - 1/2 tsp
• Urad dhal - 1/4 tsp
• Curry leaves -few
• Cinnamon - 1/2 inch piece
• Bay leaf - 1
• Cloves - 2
• Cardamon - 1 
• Asafoetida - a pinch

To roast and grind to paste:

• Oil - 1/2 tsp
• Channa Dhal - 1 1/2 tsp
• Urad Dhal - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Pepper - 1/4 tsp
• Red chillies - 2 (adjust as per desired spice level)
• Peanuts (raw)- 1 tsp
• Sesame seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Coconut - 1 tbsp (I used dry coconut)

Method:

1. Soak rice for 20 mins and cook with few drops of oil and a pinch of salt. Cool the cooked rice and keep aside (Make sure the grains are separate and not mushy)
2. Heat 1/2 tsp of oil and roast the above ingredients adding sesame seeds and coconut at the end, cool down and grind to a fine paste
   
3.  Heat oil in a pan and do the seasoning (Mustard seeds, Channa Dhal,  Urad dhal, Curry leaves, Cinnamon, Cardamon, Cloves, Asafoetida)
4. Add the onion, green chilly, ginger and fry for a min
   
5. Then add the chopped brinjal, turmeric powder, saute till it becomes soft
   
6.  Add the tamarind juice, required salt and bring to boil
7. Add the ground paste and boil for few mins in medium flame till brinjal gets cooked (Don't turn it into mushy)
   
8. Switch off and add the cooked rice and mix gently
   
9. Serve hot with raita / curd or pack for lunch box:)
   

Oats-Moong Dhal-Palak Tikki

Category: Snacks
Preparation Time: 15 mins 
Cooking Time: 10 mins
Servings: 10-12 tikkis
 

Oats-Moong Dhal-Palak Tikki

Ingredients:

• Oats - 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup
• Moong Dhal - 1/2 cup
• Spinach / Palak, chopped - 1 1/4 cup
• Paneer, grated - 2 tbsp (Optional)
• Carrot, grated - 1/4 cup 
• Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Garam Masala- 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Chaat Masala - 1/2 tsp
• Green chilly - 1 (Optional)
• Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp (to taste)
• Oil - 2-3 tbsp for toasting
• Salt - to taste
• Bread crumbs - 2-3 tbsp (Optional)
  

Method:

• Dry roast 1/2 cup of oats and powder it coarsely
• Pressure Cook Moong Dhal with 1 cup water, turmeric and few drops of oil
• Blanch the spinach leaves in hot water or microwave it for 1 min and keep aside
• Using blender, grind the cooked dhal, spinach and green chilly (if using) to a smooth paste
• In a wide bowl add the blended mixture, carrot, paneer, Masala powders, Salt and powdered oats. Mix well until combined
  
• If its difficult to make patties, you can add few tbsp of bread crumbs
• Make patties in your favourite shapes, then roll in the remaining oats in such a way that the oats coats evenly
  
• Heat a pan, drizzle few drops of oil and place the patties. After a min, flip it over and allow to cook the other side. If needed few drops of oil can be added
  
• Once it gets cooked, remove from the pan and serve hot with any chutney / ketchup
• I also tried baking method and it came well too. Place the patties in a greased baking pan and bake it at 350 F  till it gets slightly browned (Turn once in the middle). 
  
• For rolling, I have used old fashioned rolled oats - you can even powder it coarsely and use
  

 

Banana Ragi Cake (Eggless)

Category: Baking
Preparation Time: 10 mins 
Cooking Time: 40 mins
Servings: 1 square cake

Ragi Banana Cake

Ingredients:

• Ragi flour - 3/4 cup
• Wheat flour / Atta - 1/4 cup
• Brown Sugar - 3/4 cup
• Banana, ripen - 2 nos
• Curd - 1/4 cup
• Milk - 1/4 cup
• Olive oil - 1/4 cup
• Cardamon seeds/powder- 1/2 tsp
• Baking soda - 1 tsp
• Chopped nuts- 1/4 cup (I used walnuts)

Method:

1. Pre heat oven to 350°F
2. Grease the baking pans with oil and sprinkle some rava / cornmeal 
3. Using blender, beat banana, sugar, oil, cardamon seeds, curd and milk until well combined
4. Add both the flours (Ragi & wheat) with baking soda to the wet mixture, stir well
   
5. Fold in the nuts, mix gently and pour into greased pan
   
6. Bake for around 30 to 40 minutes (depend on the size of the pan), or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
   
7. Cool for about 10 minutes in the pan and then remove from pans to cooling rack
   
8. Once it became warm, slice and serve    
   

Lacha Paratha (Whole Wheat)

Category: Chapati / Paratha 
Preparation Time: 20 mins    
Waiting Time: 30 mins    
Cooking Time: 20 mins    
Servings: 12 parathas

Lacha Paratha from whole wheat flour is soft and flaky layered paratha. This would be a healthy alternative for the Parotta. This doesn't involve any special kneading skills and easy to make and tasty to eat:)
 

Lacha Paratha

Ingredients:

• Wheat flour / Atta - 3 cup + 2 tbsp for rolling
• Ghee / Oil - 2 tbsp + 2 tbsp
• Warm Water - as required (approx 1 1/2 cups) 
• Salt - to taste

Method:

1.  In a wide bowl, take 3 cups of wheat flour, 2 tbsp of oil / ghee and required salt, mix well and knead into a smooth soft dough by gradually adding warm water. Keep aside for 30 mins to one hour
   
2.  After an hour, knead the dough for 2 mins and divide the dough into equal lemon sized balls 
3. Take one dough ball, dust it with flour and roll into a thin paratha
4. Apply few drops of oil and spread it evenly on the paratha, sprinkle little flour on it
   
5.  From one end of the paratha, start making small pleats till the other end is reached as shown below
   
6. Roll it to form a circle; flatten it; spread few drops of oil over it  and keep aside till the remaining dough were prepared in the same way
   
7. Take one circled dough, roll into a paratha (not too thin)
   
8. Heat the tawa, place the parathas and cook till bubbles started to appear on the surface; Turn over and cook the other side, sprinkle few drops of oil if needed
   
9. Once it's cooked, transfer to plate or place it in hot box
10. After it becomes bit warm, try to slightly crush the sides of the parathas to make the flaky layers visible, Make sure not to tear it
    
11. Serve hot with any gravy of your choice 

Paruppu Podi / Dhal Mix Powder

Category: Lunch
Preparation Time: 5 mins 
Cooking Time: 10 mins
Servings: yields little more than 1 cup
Paruppu Podi mixed with hot rice and ghee is a yummy combination:)

Paruppu Podi

Ingredients:

• Toor Dhal- 1/4 cup
• Moong Dhal - 1/4 cup
• Dalia / Pottukadalai - 1/4 cup
• Gram Dhal - 1 tbsp
• Urad Dhal - 1 tbsp
• Horse gram - 1 tbsp
• Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp
• Red chillies- 3
• Pepper - 1 tsp
• Dry ginger - 1 inch piece
• Curry leaves - few
• Salt - to taste

 Method:

1.  Dry roast the Toor dhal, Moong Dhal, Gram Dhal, Urad Dhal, Horsegram, Sesame seeds, Dry Ginger and Curry leaves separately till you gets nice aroma
2. Slightly Roast the Pottukadalai, chillies, pepper and salt separately till they are hot to touch
   
3. Add all the roasted ingredients into mixie / blender and grind it to slightly coarse / fine powder
   
4. Allow to cool and store in air tight container
5. Enjoy with hot rice and ghee / Sesame oil