Raw Plaintain (vazhakai) crispies

Everytime I empty the carton of corn flakes into an air tight container, I found myself staring at the crushed pieces left behind. Apart from using them for cutlets, the powdered flakes could be used for the following recipe as well.



Peel and thinly slice the raw banana and soak the pieces in water to avoid discolouration. To the crushed corn flakes, add salt, hing, ground pepper and haldi, and spread the mixture in a dry plate. Coat the cut banana with the mixture on both sides. (a thin layer would do). Heat the tava, grease it with just a hint of oil, and place the pieces on the tava. Cook both sides in medium flame, adding little oil, so that they don't stick to the tava. Remove when they are slightly brown. Makes for a great starter, and are MUCH better when compared to all the pakoras/bhajis (and the ensuing guilty consciousness!)

Bottlegourd Surprise

A friend had invited our family for dinner. She had prepared bottlegourd halwa for dessert and I was absolutely bowled over by the taste. That's when I realised I had NEVER used bottlegourd earlier. I decided to give it a try and with the tips from my mum, prepared the below mentioned dish. I made kheer, halwa, koottu and curry (on different days ofcourse!!) and I'm impressed with the veggie, which is supposed to have nutritional benefits as well.
Here's one which could be had with rice / rotis.

Ingredients :-
Bottlegourd - about 500 gm
cumin seeds - 1 tablespoon
curd - 1 tablespoon
grated coconut - 1 cup
green chillis - 2
coriander leaves - just enough to garnish
salt - 1 spoon or as per your taste
Mung dhal - 1 tablespoon
Oil - 1 tablespoon

Method :-
Soak the mung dhal in double the quantity of water. Set it aside for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a pan and add oil. Add some jeera (cumin seeds) and saute for few seconds.(make sure jeera doesn't turn dark). Now add bottle gourd pieces (peeled and cut into small cubes) and saute for few seconds. Add some water and allow the vegetable to cook until just tender. Add salt while the veggie is getting cooked, so that the salt is absorbed within the veggie. Simmer the hob. Grind chillis, jeera and grated coconut (chutney consistency) and add the mixture to the pan. Leave it for sometime for all the ingredients to blend well. Once off the hob, allow it to cool and then add the mung dhal (make sure to drain all water) and curd. Garnish with coriander leaves/parsley.

TIPS :
-Any dish that you prepare using a combi of coconut and jeera would taste better if you use coconut oil.
- This could be prepared without mung dhal, and would only taste better.

I couldn't call it curry, as there was this gravy.. couldn't name it kootu either as it wasn't of that consistency.. Kosumbari wasn't a good choice for the name as that wouldn involve raw veggies...hence just called it bottlegourd surpirse.. sorry peoples..if you've thought this to be some icecream recipe (like mango surprise).

Cabbage With A Spicy Twist

I have majorly been a good girl as far as eating is concerned. I eat most of the vegetables. However there are certain vegetables which I don’t hate per se but I don’t enjoy eating them as well. Tinda, lauki & cabbage are case in example. Thanks to my Mom I know a recipe of cabbage which makes it taste different and tasty (somewhat!).

Ingredients

(Serves 2)

Cabbage                    ½ kg (Finely cut)

Potato                       1 (sliced)

Onion                        1 big (finely chopped)

Tomato                      1 (Finely Chopped)

Salt                           To Taste   

Red Chilly Powder        To Taste

Oil                            1 teaspoon

Ginger Garlic Paste      1 tablespoon

 

Whole Garam Masala i.e.

Ajwain                       ½ tea spoon

Elaichi                        1 big & 1 small

Cloves                       3-4

Cinnamon                   A very small piece

Tej Pata                     1 small

Black Pepper              4-5

Dry whole Red Chilli     1

In a kadhai pour the oil, as soon as it heats up put the whole Garam masala. As soon as it splutters put in the chopped onions & cook it on medium heat.

As the onion turns transparent add cabbage & potato, salt & chilly powders to taste, cover the thing and let it cook on low flame. After say about 5-10 mins put the ginger garlic paste; turn the vegetables and let it cook. When the veggies are cooked add tomato and cover the thing and let it cook. 

When the tomato is cooked, pull away the lid and cook the vegetable at high flame for 5 mins and the vegetable is ready. Garnish it with coriander and serve preferably with paratha’s.

This dish is very easy & simple to cook but the khada garam masala (whole) & ajwain change the taste of the subzi.

The same recipe can be used alternatively for different vegetable; all you have to do is to replace the cabbage with a cauliflower.

With the same recipe you can make Dum Aloo (take baby potatoes) and all you have to do is to add a teaspoon of curd while adding tomato. Rest all remains the same.

Trust me this recipe has never failed me and if you have surprise guests at dinner and only have boring vegetable like cabbage at home then this is the best variation you can come up with.

PS: The Garam masala makes the thing spicy so go slow as far as red chilly is concerned

Vegetable Idli

Tired of waiting for the normal idli batter to ferment, I once attempted this variation of idli for dinner. First time it didn't click (reason given below), but thereafter everytime I prepare this, its a hit.

Ingredients :-

Sooji - 2 cups
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Carrots - 2
Peas - 100 gm
Beans - 100 gm
Broken cashewnuts - few
Curd - 2 cups
Salt - as reqd.
Green chillis - 2
Hing - little

Method :-
If you have roasted sooji/rava well and good, otherwise roast the sooji in little ghee for about a minute and let it cool in a bowl. Add salt, hing and then add curd little by little, till you reach the required consistency. (i.e.a little bit thicker one than the usual idli batter). Cut the green chillis into small pices and add it. (Alternatively, slit the green chillis longitudinally and add them. This could be removed before you set the cooker-I personally prefer this, as you don't have to struggle with the chilli pieces in your mouth). Set aside the batter for about an hour. In the meantime, grate the carrots and chop the green beans into tiny pieces. Fry the broken cashews in ghee. Add the cut vegetables and cashewnuts to the batter and place them in greased idli plates. Idlis could be cooked in the pressure cooker for 15-20 minutes until they are soft enough.

This tiffin is not just tasty, but has a nice aroma.

Tastes best with tomato chutney.

ps:Do not be tempted to add the veggies earlier on to the batter. To know why, read second line from above. Grated carrot oozes out the juice and spoils the whole process.

White Bean Soup

Too many soups? Well, I'm trying to cook healthy and I love soups, because they're tasty, pack a nutritional punch and best of all are so easy to make. Pair them with a salad/sandwich or even a simple entree and you have a fabulous weekday dinner.

I tried a new recipe this week, made with the versatile cannellini or white beans, it's creamy texturally because of the pureed beans and milk and very satisfying. I used a pressure cooker to cook the beans since they take a long time to cook (>30 mins on the stovetop in Ina's recipe), but you can definitely use canned beans to save time. I used whole peppercorns and if you dont like getting one in your mouth, substitute with the powder or use a bouquet garni. I liked this version a lot because I think the original might be a bit bland for my tastes.

Though I do feel like I might be desifying all my recipes a bit much, will make a conscious effort not to use cumin/curry powder in the next soup I try :)

White Bean Soup
Adapted from Ina Garten's recipe

Ingredients
1 and three quarter teacups dried white (cannellini) beans (1 teacup ~125 ml)
1 quart (4 cups) vegetable broth
half cup low-fat milk (other options: cream, half and half)
water if needed
1 heaped tablespoon ground cumin
1 tsp red pepper flakes
6-7 pepper corns
1 bay leaf
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp. italian seasoning
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method
Soak the white beans overnight.

Next day, drain the beans and put in the pressure cooker. Add the bay leaf, peppercorns and enough broth (I used 2 cups) to cook the beans. It took 6 whistles with my pressure cooker. Keep them aside, dont throw away the cooking liquid.

In a stock pot, heat some oil and add the red pepper flakes. Once it becomes aromatic, add the onions and stir them on medium heat until they become transparent.

Add the garlic, cumin powder, italian seasoning (crush in hand a little bit) or fresh rosemary as the original recipe states, a little salt and pepper if needed and cook until the garlic becomes soft. Add some of the cooking liquid from the cooked beans if the cumin powder starts burning.

Add the beans, rest of the liquids and simmer for about 5-10 mins.

Fish out the bay leaf (and any other herbs), then puree the mixture to the desired consistency, and check the seasoning. If you like the soup thinner, add more broth/water.

Serve hot.

Raw Mango Pachadi

One of the reasons I look forward to festivals is the delectable food that gets to be made. Today is Tamil New Year's Day and Maangai Pachadi (Raw Mango Pachadi) is one compulsory item in the menu.

Ingredients :
Raw Mango - 1
Jaggery - About half the size of mango
Salt - as reqd.
Red Chillis - 2
neem flower - about a teaspoon full
Oil, Mustard seeds, Cumin seeds, curry leaves and hing - for seasoning

Method :
Cut the raw mango to about 1 inch pieces. Set aside the seed. Heat some oil in a pan, allow the mustard seeds to splutter and add cumin seeds & curry leaves, saute for a second. Then add the cut pieces of raw mango, saute for few seconds, then add water, and allow the mango to cook well. (keep in mind that the skin of the mango should also be cooked-check this with a fork).When its half cooked, add salt.

Grate jaggery and add the same to the pan. Mix well and serve with rice. This can be had as a side.

This dish which contains five different tastes [sour (raw mango), sweet (jaggery), bitter (neem flower) , hot (red chilli) and salt] represents the different states of mind or emotions in one's life.

NOTE :
If Neem Flower is not to be found, the same can be substituted with powdered Methi seeds for the bitter taste.

Daliya Khichddi - For All Those Who are Fighting Weight ;-)

People like us who have an ongoing fight against fat keep hitting a road block because of the lack of a tasty diet food. Let me share with you the recipe of a dish which is not only low in fats but is rich in fiber and is tasty as well.

I am talking about ‘Daliya’ also known ‘Broken Wheat’ at some places it is also known as ‘laapsi’. It is usually eaten in a sweetened form but since I hate sweets I make a ‘khicchdi’ out of it. It is simple & quick to cook.

As per google, Broken wheat is also known as Bulgar wheat. Broken wheat is a very good source of dietary fiber and manganese. It is also a good source of magnesium.

Ingredients

• Cumin Seeds – half a teaspoon
  (Alternatively you can use Mustard seeds & Curry Leaves instead of cumin seeds)
• Asafoetida (Heeng) – A pinch
• Finely chopped Onion – 1
• Small pieces of Potato – 1 (can be skipped)
• Finely chopped Tomato - 1
• A variety of vegetables like, beans, carrot, peas, cauliflower etc all finely cut.
• Coriander leaves – a small bunch
• Ginger Garlic paste – ½ teaspoon
• 1 Green Chilly finely cut (you can obviously skip this)
• Roasted Broken Wheat – 1 & ½ cup
• Oil – 1 drop
• Salt to taste
• Red Chilly powder to taste

Take a pressure cooker, pour a drop of oil and put heeng & cumin seeds. As soon as the seeds start spluttering add the onions. As the onions turn transparent add tomato, all the vegetables, ginger garlic paste, salt & the chilly powder. Let it cook for a minute & then pour the Daliya in. Again let the whole thing cook for a minute or so.

Add water in it, the water should be such that the whole thing is submerged in it and there is about an inch of water above the whole thing. Close the lid & cook on full flame. As the first whistle blows slow down the gas and after around 5-6 minutes close the gas.

As the steam is out take the thing out and garnish it with coriander powder.

I usually have it with curd or green chutney. The whole process takes 15-20 mins but it tastes tasty and still is very light.

This is my favorite dish on days when I want to keep it light :-)

TIP : It is better that you roast the daliya and store it. This not only saves time later but also avoids it from getting spoiled.