Saturday 24 April 2021

Methi Anda Bhurji – Maharashtrian Cuisine

This dish is a variant of scrambled eggs. It is cooked with onions, spices and some greens. Adding greens increase its nutritional value. It was simple and easy and hence gave it a quick try. It came out well and tasted fine for a spicy evening snack.

Check some more recipes like 

Capsicum masala curry

Soya Aloo kurma

Kakdi ki Sabzi


Prep  time

Cooking time

Serves

      15 mins

   20 mins

4 persons

 Recipe Type: Side dish

Cuisine:  Indian

Ingredients

  • Eggs – 4 no’s
  • Methi leaves – 2 cups
  • Oil -1 tbsp.
  • Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
  • Onions – 3 medium
  • Green chillies -2 no’s
  • Tomatoes – 2 no’s
  •  Red chilli powder – ½ tsp
  • Turmeric powder – pinch
  • Pepper powder
  • Garam  powder – ½ tsp
  • Garam masala – ¼ tsp
  • Salt – to taste

 

 


Method

1. Finely chop onions, green chillies and methi / fenugreek leaves. Break all the eggs and whisk it ready.


2. Heat oil in a pan, fry onions for 2-3 minutes or till translucent. Once the onion turns translucent add chopped tomatoes. Let the tomatoes cook completely and almost dry. Let them cook together until all the moisture is evaporated and well done.

3. Add cleaned methi leaves mix well, fry for 3-4 minutes.Now add turmeric power, salt, red chilli powder, pepper powder mix well and keep the stove on medium flame and fry for 1-2 minutes.

4. Pour over the beaten eggs into the methi mixture containing the curry and cover with a lid. Keep on a medium flame for 4 minutes. The egg mixture will gently rise due to the heat.

5. Now gently check the soft (due to beaten eggs) curry over and leave for another 4 minutes until the eggs and curry are well cooked.

6. Keep stirring the eggs until they are scrambled well. Switch off the heat once they are cooked well.

7. When done, take out the curry into the serving dish and garnish with coriander leaves

 

Serving suggestions

Breads

Rotis

Notes

Break the eggs and add to a bowl. Whisk the eggs well with little salt, pepper pd and set aside.

Wednesday 21 April 2021

Black Urad dal (Karuppu Ulunthu) Kheer

Black urad dal kheer prepared with just four ingredients like whole black urid dal with skin, jaggery, grated coconut and milk. It is one the best dish to include in your diet for breakfast because it reduces the body heat plus it keeps you energized for the whole day.

This can be easily prepared within 15 minutes. In this porridge I have used black urid dal and jaggery. Black urid dal has an excellent favour when compared with white urid dal. You can have a healthy protein iron dish for your breakfast.

Check out some more recipes like

Kadala pradhaman (channa dal payasam)

Rice kheer

Aval Payasam

 

Prep  time

Cooking time

Serves

      10 mins

   20 mins

4 persons

Recipe Type: Dessert

Cuisine:  Indian

Ingredients

  • Whole black gram with skin – ½ cup
  • Jaggery – ¾ cup
  • Cardamom powder – ½  tsp
  • Ghee -1 tbsp.
  • Thick coconut milk – ½ cup
  • Grated coconut – ¼ cup
  • Cardamom powder – ¼ cup
  • Boiled milk – ½ cup
  • Water – 2 cups
  • Cashews and raisins

 




Method

1. Wash and soak the Black Urad Dal for at least 10 hours. Drain the water and wash it once again.


2. Take a small pressure cooker and add 1/2 cup black urid dal. Rinse the dal in water for a couple of times and pour 2 cups of water.Pressure cook it for atleast 6 to 8 whistles on low heat. 



3. Once the pressure subsides, open the lid of the pressure cooker and check if the dal is cooked properly. Mash it roughly if the dal is nicely cooked else, add some more water and pressure cook it for a few more whistles. Make some coconut pieces and grind it in the mixer (easy method).



4. Now place everything ready before starting the kheer.




5. Fry the dry nuts like cashews, raisins and keep aside. 





6. Add in the Jaggery into this and stir the mixture. It tends to leave some moisture. Stir until the moisture is gone. 


7. Add the Coconut Milk or milk into this mixture and stir well on very low flame. 



8. Stir in the Cardamom Powder along with a tbsp. of Ghee .Add in some nuts or dry fruits of your choice like Almond flakes, Cashew pieces, Raisins.

Serving suggestions

  • You can also add in some small pieces of dried coconut.
  • Serve when it is hot or place it in the refrigerator once the temperature comes down and enjoy it cold.

Notes

This can be kept in the refrigerator and consumed for 3 days.

Sunday 18 April 2021

Idli using Idli Rava

These idlis turn out to very soft and is quite simple in terms of batter preparation. Idli using idli rava does require fermentation but it is worth the effort. It has practically no oil, it has proteins and carbohydrates. Idli is a wholesome dish, light for digestion and easy on the stomach. Idli rava is something that you can buy in stores and is readily available. Try these soft idli using idli rava for breakfast. Idli Rava or Rice Rava also known as Idli Tari in Kannada, is coarsely ground Par Boiled Rice. The coarsely ground texture resembles Rava. Hence, the name Idli Rava. These Idlis are crumbly in texture & made using Idli Rava. 

Check out some more recipes like

Brown rice Idli

Sweet ragi Malt

Veg Mayo open Sandwich

 

Prep  time

Cooking time

      10 mins

   20 mins

 

Recipe Type: Breakfast

Cuisine:  Indian

Ingredients

  • Idli rava – 3 cups
  • Urad dal – 1 cup
  • Thick poha – 1 cup
  • Sabudana -2 tbsp.
  • Salt and water – as needed

 



Method

1. In a wide bowl, measure out 3 parts of Idli Rava & soak it in water cover just 1 inch above the surface.In another wide bowl, measure out Urad Dal, Poha & Sabudana & clean in several changes of water until it runs clear of starch. Soak in plenty of water.


2. Soak them for a minimum of 6 hours. I usually soak for 8 hours or overnight.
To grind into a batter, drain off water from urad dal-poha mixture, add urad dal-poha mixture to mixer jar or grinder.

3. With fresh water, add ½ cup to start with, adjust as required, and make a thick and smooth batter. Pour this batter into a deep vessel/bowl.Squeeze out all the water from the Idli Rava, handfuls at a time & add it to this ground paste & mix well with your hands.

4. Batter is now ready. Keep aside for 12-15 hours for fermentation. After batter has fermented well, you will notice batter has nice air bubbles and feels light.

5. Pour the idli batter into the idli plates. Fill the Idli Pot with 1/4 cup of water. Place the idli plates inside the steamer &steam for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, turn off the stove. Let it rest for 4-5 minutes. Unmould with the help of a spoon.

Serving suggestions

Chutney

Sambar

Idli podi

Notes

Soaking and fermentation is very very important.

Use Cold water from the fridge to grind the batter if you are using mixer

Adding Sabudana is completely optional. But it helps in making the Idlis softer, especially if you are using a Mixie to grind the batter.

You may want a grainy Idli texture, but still the Idli Rava should be well incorporated with the Urad Dal mixture, so you need to grind this mixture again.

Drumstick leaves (Murungai keerai) Idli Podi

Drumstick Leaves Podi is a spicy powder prepared with fresh drumstick leaves and spices mixed together giving a vibrant flavor to the palate and nutrition to the body. Drumstick leaves or Muranga Keerai is considered the ‘Queen of all Greens’ as it is valued for having the richest source of beta carotene among all green leafy vegetables.

It is an awesome spice mix powder that is generally eaten mixed with hot steam cooked rice and sprinkled with little ghee. Drumstick leaves provides essential amount of iron and calcium. They are extensively used in Siddha medicine in India. Drumsticks are widely used in preparing a variety of dishes. They are also rich in iron, calcium and vitamin C.




Benefits:

·        Excellent source of Iron &Calcium

·        Vitamins A,B,B1,B2,B3,B6,C and E

·        Controls Diabetes and BP

·        Antioxidant

·        Lowers Cholesterol

·        Detoxifies

·        Delays Ageing process

Check out some more recipes like

Curry leaves Idli Podi

Andhra style paruppu podi

Horsegram paruppu Podi

 

 

Prep  time

Cooking time

Serves

      10 mins

   20 mins

4 persons

Recipe Type: Podi varieties

Cuisine:  Indian

Ingredients

  • Drumstick leaves -3 cups (dried)
  • Curry leaves – ½ cup (dried)
  • Channa dal – ½ cup
  • Urad dal – ¾ cup
  • Moong dal – ¼ cup
  • Garlic -5 cloves
  • Sesame seeds -3 tbsp.
  • Red chillies -10 no’s
  • Hing – 1 tsp
  • Oil – 2 tbsp.
  • Rock salt – as needed



Method

1. Wash the drumstick leaves and the curry leaves and dry them on a kitchen towel in shade 2 to 3 hours.  Now dry roast them in a thick bottomed pan in a low flame.  When they become crispy remove them into a plate and allow them to cool.

2. Dry roast chana dal, urad dal, Moong dal, Tamarind, Red chilli and hing in a thick bottomed pan in a medium flame.  Keep them aside and allow them to cool.

3. When all the ingredients are cooled grind them to powder in a mixie.   Add the garlic pods and grind once again.   Add salt to taste.  

4. Store it in an air tight container.  It tastes delicious with Idli and dosa.  

5. You can also serve with steamed rice with a spoon of desi ghee.

Notes

  • It takes hardly a day or two to get these leaves dried in shade to crisp.
  • If you are lazy to remove the leaves from the stalks (yes, it is tedious) you can just roll them in the newspaper and keep it in the fridge for a day, the next day you can just shake the stalks to separate out the leaves

Saturday 17 April 2021

Turmeric Milk (Golden Milk)

Turmeric is an excellent antiseptic and blood purifier. Haldi Doodh now popularly known as 'Golden Milk' is a quick fix for many health issues. As little as a pinch of turmeric powder in a hot cup of milk is all that your body needs to heal itself. 

Turmeric in milk acts as a blood purifier and rids your body of hormonal, digestive, kidney-liver and even respiratory problems. Turmeric milk with honey before bed can help relieve the body of toxins and help regulate blood flow, boosting blood and organ health. Other natural blood purifiers include tulsi, neem and honey

 

Benefits of Turmeric Tea

  • Ayurvedic healers love turmeric for its anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, and anti-oxidant properties.
  • The warm milk provides protein and makes tryptophan, a sleep-enhancing amino acid, more readily available to the body.
  • From an ayurvedic perspective, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and black pepper are warming spices that help keep the sniffles away.
  • This traditional Ayurvedic drink is nourishing and smooth, and it’s quite simple to make. Ayurveda is one of the world’s oldest holistic medical systems. I never really enjoyed warm milk before bed as a kid, I sure do enjoy this delicious beverage.

Check out some more recipes like

Cucumber Mint Cooler

Pineapple Lemonade

Muskmelon Lassi


Prep  time

Cooking time

Serves

      10 mins

   20 mins

 2 persons

Recipe Type: Beverages

Cuisine:  Indian

Ingredients

  • Coconut milk or milk – 2 cups
  • Turmeric – 1 tsp
  • Black pepper – ¼ tsp
  • Dry ginger powder – ¼ tsp
  • Cinnamon stick – ½”
  • Honey – to sweeten

 

Method

1. Heat 2 cups organic milk with 1⁄2 teaspoon turmeric powder, a pinch of ginger powder and cracked black pepper, and 1 cinnamon stick. 

2. Cook until the milk comes to a full boil. Heat over medium heat until it starts to bubble.

3. Then turn the heat down to low and simmer for about 5 minutes so the flavors meld. 

4. Strain out the ginger. Add honey and stir.

5. Enjoy warm.

Notes

If you have an ulcerative intestinal problem, omit the black pepper as it can be problematic with ulcers. Use 2 crushed cardamom pods instead of a cinnamon stick. Add crushed jaggery, or sugar to taste.

Apricot Milkshake