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Vegetable Mini Dosa for kids (Colourful Coin Dosa)

Friday, July 3, 2015

Horse gram (Kollu) Idly & Dosai

Category: Breakfast / Tiffin      
Soaking Time: 6 Hrs / Overnight  
Fermentation Time: 6-8 Hrs      
Cooking Time: 10 mins /batch

Horse gram (Kollu) can help with a number of health problems as it is a grain which contains a good and rich amount of vitamins, proteins, and iron. In addition to weight loss, it helps in reduction of extra fat from the body. Horse gram is rich in B-complex vitamin and proteins. It helps in purifying menstruation and cures and prevents arthritis. The presence of a good amount of dietary fiber in the gram helps balance sugar glucose and blood pressure levels.

In our normal Idly - Dosa batter, I just tried replacing Urad dhal with Horse gram and  the result was too good:)
 
Kollu Idly


Kollu Dosai

Ingredients:
  • Idly rice - 4 cups
  • Horse Gram (Kollu) - 1 cup
  • Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
  • Salt - To taste
  • Sesame Oil - for preparing Dosa
Method:

  1. Soak Idly rice and fenugreek seeds together and Horse gram (separately) for 5-6 hrs / overnight
    Soaked Horsegram
  2. In a wet grinder, first add the horse gram and grind till it becomes soft and fluffy (similar to the normal Urad dhal batter). Once it is done, remove it in a big container and keep aside. While grinding for Idly, make sure you just sprinkle required water at regular intervals rather than pouring it at once. This will make the batter very fluffy and airy which results in soft idlies
    Fluffy Horse gram batter while grinding
  3.  Add rice to the grinder and grind it till it becomes smooth, but with a slight coarse texture. Once done, remove it into the container with horse gram
  4.  Add required salt and mix well with hands
    Before Fermentation
  5.  Allow to ferment for about 6-8 hrs and it depends on your room temperature; After fermentation, the volume of the batter would be raised. (Make sure to place the batter in a big bowl to avoid spills after it gets fermented) 
    After Fermentation
  6. Once fermented, make idlies as usual and serve with your favourite side dish
    Idlies - Before steaming
    Idlies - After steaming
  7. Next day, just add little water to the batter and make it slightly thinner than the idly batter. 
  8. Heat Tawa and grease it. Pour a ladle of dosa batter and spread it to a thin circle. 
    Dosa - Before Cooking
  9. Pour few drops of oil around the corners and cook covered till its done.
    Dosa - After Cooking
  10. If not covering with lid, Flip it over and cook other side
  11. Serve Hot with favourite side dish

Bitter Gourd Chips (Microwave Method)

Category: Snacks / Side dish
Preparation Time: 5 mins 
Cooking Time: 10 -15 mins
Servings: For 1-2 persons

Bitter gourd Chips
Ingredients:
  • Bitter gourd -2 nos
  • Sambhar Powder -1 tsp
  • Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
  • Rice flour - 1 tbsp
  • Salt - to taste
  • Oil - 1 tsp
Method:
  1. Clean and cut the bitter gourd into thin round slices and remove seeds
  2. Take the slices in a bowl and sprinkle Sambhar powder, Turmeric powder, Salt, Oil and Rice flour over it
  3. Mix well so that every slices gets coated with the masala
  4. Take a microwave safe plate and arrange the coated slices without overlapping
  5. Microwave for 5 mins and then flip over the slices and again microwave for another 3-5 mins
  6. Ensure to check in between to avoid getting burnt, continue cooking till it becomes crispy
  7. Once it becomes crisp, take out and enjoy as a snack or with any rice varieties

Quinoa Kheer / Payasam

Category: Indian Sweets / Desserts
Preparation Time: 5 mins 
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Servings: For 3-4 persons


For my 50th post, I thought of preparing a healthy, sweet, kid-friendly recipe and thus came this Quinoa Payasam / Quinoa Kheer:) Quinoa as we all know is one of the healthiest food and for this dish we can add any choice of fruits or nuts to make this more healthy as well as Yummy:)
Quinoa Payasam

Quinoa- Strawberry Payasam
Ingredients:

  • Quinoa - 1/2 cup
  • Milk - 3 cups
  • Sugar - 1/2 cup (Jaggery can also be used)
  • Cardamon seeds - 1/4 tsp
  • Ghee - 1 tbsp
  • Cashews, chopped -5-6 nos
  • Walnuts, chopped - 5-6 nos
  • Strawberry, chopped - few (Optional) (Any fruits can be used)
Method:
  1. Place Quinoa in a fine strainer and wash well in running water, drain and keep aside
  2. Cook Quinoa as per the package instructions (Add Quinoa and 1 cup of water in a pan and bring to boil, then lower the flame and let it sit for 15 mins. When the sprouts / germs inside the seeds are visible, it means its cooked) Since it's bit bland, I added few cardamon seeds and few drops of ghee during cooking process and it gives a nice flavor
  3. While it's cooking, boil the milk in medium flame for 10-12 mins; add few cardamon seeds for additional flavor
  4. Add the cooked quinoa into the milk, stir well and allow to cook for few more mins
  5. Add Sugar and mix well and keep the flame in medium
  6. In another pan, heat ghee and roast the cashews and walnuts ill it becomes golden brown
  7. Add the roasted nuts and switch off
  8. Serve hot or allow to cool down
  9. Once it cools, add the chopped strawberries and serve:) 

Thursday, July 2, 2015

Masala Popcorn

Category: Snacks
Preparation Time: 2 mins 
Cooking Time: 5-8 mins
Servings: For 1-2 persons


Popcorn is for sure all time favourite snack and especially for kids:) After reading many articles about the cancer risk with microwavable popcorn, we stopped buying those packs. (The two packs which we bought earlier have been discarded even without opening). Preparing healthy whole grain snack for kids in healthy way is surely a satisfaction; and since we got the non-GMO type in our nearby store, it's for sure double satisfaction:) We can try many flavors from yummy butter popcorn to spicy Masala ones with the corn grains. Choice of Masala is also up to each one's taste.
 
Masala Popcorn
 Ingredients:
  • Popping Corn / Corn Kernels -  1/4 cup 
  • Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp
  • Salt - to taste
  • Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
  • Choice of Masala (Garam / Briyani /Tandoori / Chilli powder) - 1/2 to 1 tsp (adjust as per liking)
 Method:
  1. In a wide heavy bottomed pan, add oil and once it becomes warm add the salt, turmeric powder and masala
  2. Add the corn kernels and mix well
  3. Keep the lid slightly ajar to let the steam from the popcorn release 
  4. The popcorn should begin popping soon. When the popping starts, gently shake the pan by moving it back and forth  
  5. Once the popping slows to 3-5 secs between pops, remove the pan from the heat, remove the lid, and transfer the popcorn immediately into a wide bowl
  6. Serve hot:) 
  7. If making for kids, you can skip masala and just add salt and turmeric powder! 

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Pasta Payasam

Category: Indian Sweets / Desserts
Preparation Time: 10 mins 
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Servings: For 3-4 persons


Pasta Payasam
Ingredients:
  • Pasta / Macaroni - 3/4 cup (I used the smaller variety)
  • Milk - 2  3/4 cup
  • Sugar - 1/2 cup (adjust as per taste)
  • Cardamon seeds - 1/4 tsp
  • Ghee - 1 tbsp
  • Cashews, chopped -7-8 nos
  • Raisins - 8-10 nos
Method:
  1. Cook Pasta in enough water till it gets half-cooked; wash in cold water, drain and keep aside
  2. In a wide pan, boil milk for few mins and then add half-cooked pasta and cardamon seeds
  3. Allow the pasta to cook completely in milk
  4. Once it becomes soft, add the sugar and cook for few more mins

  5. In another pan, heat Ghee and fry cashews and raisins; Add it to the milk 
  6.  Switch off and serve hot or cold

Quick Tomato Chutney

Category: Breakfast / Tiffin
Preparation Time: 5 mins 
Cooking Time: 5-8 mins
Servings: For 1-2 persons


This is a quick and tasty Tomato chutney which we can do it within 10-15 mins. If you don't like Garlic, you can omit that and just use tomatoes with onions or even just tomatoes. This will be a quick side dish for Idly / Dosa.
Quick Tomato Chutney

Ingredients:
  • Tomato, roughly chopped - 2 nos
  • Small Onions - 5 nos
  • Garlic cloves - 3 nos (Optional)
  • Red Chillies - 1-2 (adjust to taste)
  • Salt - to taste 
  • Oil - 1 tsp
  • Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
  • Urad Dhal (Split) - 3/4 tsp
Method:
  1. Take chopped tomatoes, small onions, garlic cloves, onions, red chillies and required salt in a blender and grind to a smooth puree (without adding water)
  2. Heat oil in a pan, once it gets hot add mustard seeds followed by Urad dhal
  3. Once the Dhal turns golden brown, add the tomato puree and saute well
  4. Saute till the moisture evaporates and it becomes thick chutney like consistency
  5. Switch off and serve with Idly / Dosa / any tiffins

Monday, June 29, 2015

Idly Upma

Category: Breakfast / Tiffin
Preparation Time: 5 mins 
Cooking Time: 5 to 8 mins
Servings: 2 to 3 servings


Idly Upma with Veggies

Idly Upma is the simple dish which most of us used to do with left over Idly. This is not only simple but also tasty. This is the basic version and we can add finely chopped veggies for more healthier version. We can serve this as a snack or a quick fix breakfast:)

Ingredients:
  • Idly - 6 nos
  • Onion, finely chopped - 1 no
  • Oil - 1 tsp
  • Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Channa Dhal - 2 tsp
  • Urad Dhal (Split) - 2 tsp
  • Curry leaves - few
  • Green chillies - 2 nos
  • Red Chillies - 1-2 nos
  • Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp (Optional)
  • Peanuts - 1 tbsp (Optional)
  • Salt - a pinch (to taste)
  • Chopped veggies (Optional)
  • Finely chopped ginger (Optional)
Method:
  1. Crumble the Idlies (Left over Idlis will be good than the fresh ones) and keep aside
  2. Heat oil in a pan, once it hot add Mustard seeds, followed by Channa & Urad Dhals, Peanuts, curry leaves and red chillies
  3. Add the onions and green chillies, saute till it becomes transparent. If using ginger, we can add now
  4. Add a pinch of salt and turmeric powder and fry for a min. If using veggies, we can add now and saute for few mins
  5. Finally add the crumbled Idlies and stir well to get it mixed
  6. Switch off and serve hot
    Simple & Tasty Idly Upma!
    We can add our favourite veggies to make it more healthy:)
    Idly Upma loaded with Veggies!

Broccoli-Bell Pepper Rice

Category: Rice / Lunch
Preparation Time: 15 mins 
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Servings: For 1-2 servings
Broccoli Bell Pepper Rice
Ingredients:
  • Rice - 1/2 cup
  • Broccoli florets, chopped (or grated in big holed grater) - 1 cup
  • Bell pepper (Capsicum), finely chopped- 1/2 cup (I used yellow/red variety)
  • Onion, finely chopped - 1 no
  • Green chilly, slitted - 1 no
  • Ginger, finely chopped - 1 tsp 
  • Garlic, finely chopped - 1 tsp
  • Sambhar powder / Chicken Masala Powder - 1 tsp
  • Turmeric powder - a pinch
  • Oil - 1 tsp
  • Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Peanuts - 1 tbsp
  • Salt- to taste
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 Oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, once it splutters add the peanuts, fry for few secs
  3. Add the finely chopped Ginger, Garlic and Onions one by one and saute till it becomes transparent and start to browning
  4. Add the chopped Bell pepper and fry for 2 mins (It should be bit crispy)
  5. Add the grated / chopped broccoli florets, turmeric and sambhar powder, saute till the raw smell goes off
  6. Add required salt and switch off
  7. Mix the cooked rice with the broccoli mixture gently
  8. Serve with Papad / raita or pack it for lunch box