Oats Spinach Paneer Cutlet/Cake

Well, I'll be straight to the point. I was happy to receive a package containing Hudson Canola Oil from Dalmia Continental Ltd. This brand was recently launched into the Indian market. You can Google the brand for more information.

Along with the package came a recipe booklet and a letter from the team who sent me this package. I would like to thank the team members for sending this package to me.

Let's share some facts here. Canola oil is a compound word for "Canadian Oil, Low Acid". It is manufactured from rapeseed oil. The oil is rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, beneficial for our bodies. To know more about Canola oil, read the article here.

Now let's get back to the recipe. Later, I took the booklet and browsed through the recipes. This cutlet recipe caught my eye and I thought, "Hmm...I could make this". Well, the recipe originally accounted for a lesser amount of seasoning and I tweaked the amount to suit my family's taste, which is quite a task to satisfy them 100%.

Moreover, the recipe doesn't contain onions, garlic and ginger.

After trying out the recipe, the cutlets tasted very nice. The children gobbled them up immediately and were happy.

My thoughts about the product:
Canola oil is a very good oil. It can be used in normal Indian cooking and enhances the taste of food in a different manner.

Ingredients:
Cottage cheese (paneer) - 3/4 cup (grated)
Quaker oats (white oats) - 1/2 cup
Spinach - 8 stalks (each stalk having 4 leaves)
Green peas - 1/2 cup
Potatoes - 2 (big)
Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp.
Dry kasoori methi (fenugreek leaves) - 1 tsp.
Bread crumbs - 2 tbsp.
Roasted channa powder - 2 tsp.

Seasoning:
Red chilli flakes - 1 tsp.
Cumin powder - 1 tsp.
Coriander powder - 1 tsp.
Chaat masala - 1/2 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Pomegranate (anardana) powder - 1/2 tsp. (I didn't add though)
Tandoori masala - 1 tsp.
Oil (to shallow fry)

For garnishing:
Lemon wedges and onion rings

To serve:
Tomato ketchup or any green chutney

Method:

Boil the potatoes in a pressure cooker.

Peel the fresh green peas.

Boil the green peas in water for 5 minutes. Keep aside.

Blanching of spinach:

Cut the roots from the spinach. Wash the leaves well. Pour the water into a deep saucepan and let it come to the boiling point. During this point, add the spinach leaves. They should be completely immersed in water.

Let it boil for 2 minutes. Strain the spinach and drain the water.

Immediately rinse the spinach in cold water. Place the strainer on a bowl and allow the water to drip off. Keep aside. As of now, the weather is cold, so rinse it with tap water directly.

But during summer pour some water into a bowl and add ice cubes. Toss the spinach into the bowl. After a few minutes, drain the water and use the spinach.

Grate the paneer and keep aside.

Saute the oats in a dry pan for 2 to 3 minutes.

Blend the oats in a blender.

Peel the skin of boiled potatoes. Mash the potatoes while they are still warm.

Chop the blanched spinach and add in a vessel. Drain the water from green peas. Semi-mash the peas. Add it to the spinach. Add the grated paneer, mashed potatoes, powdered oats, chopped coriander leaves and dry fenugreek leaves.

Add roasted channa powder, bread crumbs, cumin powder, tandoori powder, red chilli flakes, coriander powder, chaat masala,and required salt.

Mix all the ingredients to form a dough.

Take a piece of the dough and shape it into a ball. Flatten it into a cake (or a cutlet).

Pour the oil for shallow frying. (I used the pan which was used to shallow fry the oats before). Place the cutlets in the pan.

Shallow fry on both sides till crisp and brown colour. Remove and place them on a paper towel.

Pour the oil for the next batch.

Continue the same with the remaining batches.

Place the cutlets on a serving plate. Garnish with lemon wedges and onions. Serve with tomato ketchup or chutney.

Note:

- Please adjust the spices and seasonings to your desired tastes.

- Don't cook the cutlets in high flame. Cook in medium-low or low flame.

Read More

Bitter gourd/Pagarkai chips

When I lived in Neyveli, my mom used to buy vegetables from the vegetable market (sandhai/sabzi mandi) on Tuesdays or Thursdays (unlike now, there weren't any daily markets in the 80's). The market held on Thursdays was somewhat close to our house and my mother used to walk 1.5 km just to buy those vegetables. She would return back from the market with two bags-one containing greens and tomatoes and the other bag containing onions and vegetables. Among them, bitter gourd is the regular visitor of my mother's cooking.

Whenever my mother prepared food during my school days, I would sit and do some chit-chat with her. While watching the food being prepared, the smell would make me *click* automatically record it instinctively in my mind. Unlike a typical boring teacher, she didn't teach me, "you have do this and do that" and blah blah, whatever.

She also prepared pickles out of  unripe fruits picked from those trees in our own garden like lemons, mangoes and gooseberries, etc.

After marriage, I actually came to know and see the existence of some different and exotic vegetables, fruits and spices such as squashes, broccoli, persimmons, etc. in Michigan and Texas which were not available in the town we lived in. I still continue my quest to discover some amazing hybrids of the veggies, fruits, spices and all.

Coming back to the story of bitter gourd, mother always prepared varuval (fry) or puli kuzhambu (tamarind sauce). Knowing the nutritional value of the gourd, she never squeezed out the juice just to remove the bitterness (I follow the same technique now as well). However, my tongue would repel the taste of bitterness and I only consumed the gourds in a minuscule amount.

In March 2012, I prepared these chips. My parents, who were visiting me, enjoyed it to their hearts' contents. I learnt this recipe from a magazine and made a few changes to our tastes.

Now on to the recipe.

Ingredients:
Bitter gourds - 5
Kashmiri red chilli powder - 2 tsp. (or as per taste)
Gram flour besan - 3 tbsp.
Rice flour - 1 tbsp.
Corn flour/starch - 1 tbsp.
Black pepper powder - 1 tsp. (or as per taste)
Salt (to taste)
Fennel seeds - 1.5 tsp. (coarsely powdered)
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp.
Oil (to deep fry)

Method:

Wash the bitter gourd.

Slice the bitter gourd into thin pieces. Remove the hard seeds.

Add the sliced bitter gourd pieces into a big bowl. Add pepper powder.

Add coarsely powdered fennel seeds.

Add the red chilli powder, turmeric powder, besan, rice flour, corn flour and salt. Mix well.

Sprinkle little water and continue mixing.

Heat the oil. When the oil becomes medium hot, add the bitter gourd to the oil. Every slice should be separate.

Fry till they become crisp and golden brown in colour. Remove and place them on absorbent paper. Continue with the remaining bitter gourd slices.

Serve with sambar rice or rasam rice.

Read More

Khaman Dhokla

Ingredients:
Bengal gram/Chana dal/Kadalai paruppu - 3/4 cup
Split green gram/Moong dal/Paasi paruppu - 1/4 cup
Salt (to taste)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp.
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp.
Oil - 1 tbsp.
Fruit salt (eno) - 1 tsp.
Sugar - 1 tsp.

For tempering:
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Sesame seeds (white) - 1 tsp. (I didn't add)
Green chillies - 2 (slit and chopped into 2)
Curry leaves - few
Oil

For garnishing:
Grated coconut - few
Coriander leaves - few

Method:
Soak the Bengal gram and split green gram for 4 to 5 hours.
Drain all the water and grind the grams into paste by pouring little water.
To the paste add salt, turmeric powder, lemon juice, sugar and oil and mix well.
Heat the steamer in the stove.
Grease the steamer vessel or dhokla plate with oil.
Add the fruit salt to the paste and mix.
Pour the paste into the greased vessel or plate.
Place it in the steamer immediately.
Steam for 20 minutes.
(Insert a toothpick and check whether the dhokla is cooked or not. If not, then cook for another 5 minutes)
Cool the dhoklas for a few minutes and invert them on a plate.
Cut them into pieces.
Temper the given ingredients and sprinkle over the dhokla pieces.
Finally garnish with grated coconut and coriander leaves.

Note:
Before adding Eno, the batter should be the same as idli batter.
If you want restaurant-like dhokla, pour a cup of water in the tempering when the mustard seeds crackle and green chilles are sautéed well. Bring the water to boil and pour on the top of dhokla pieces.
After 10 minutes, consume.
My dhoklas were very spongy so I didn't feel the need to pour water.

Recipe: adapted from a magazine.

Sent off to Priya's CWS-Chanadal event.

Read More

Murukku

Today I made this murukku for snack time. I hesitate most of the time to prepare this snack.......What ticks me off more is watching my hubby munching on murukkus the whole day without eating any regular meal. Even now he is munching while writing this post. I prepared this murukku with bengal gram flour and yellow split gram flour/moong dal.
I didn't add any black gram flour.

Ingredients:
Rice flour (home-made) - 2 cups
Bengal gram flour/kadalai maavu - 1/2 cup
Yellow split gram flour/paasi paruppu maavu - 1/2 cup
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tsp.
Ajwain/Omam - 1 1/2 tsp.
Butter - 2 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Oil (to deep fry)

Method:
Lightly melt the butter in micro wave. Keep aside.
In a bowl, add rice flour, Bengal gram flour, yellow gram flour, red chilli powder, asafoetida, ajwain and salt and mix.
Add butter and mix evenly.
Pour water little by little and prepare a soft dough.
Cover the bowl with a lid.
Heat the oil in a thick and wide deep pan in medium flame.
Add the required dough in the murukku presser with the star shaped nozzle.
(I pressed the murukku in spiral shape with the help of a Tupperware lunch box)
When the oil is hot, slowly and carefully drop the murukku and deep fry till golden brown.
Place it on tissue paper.
Continue with the remaining flour.
Once the murukku becomes cool, store them in an air tight container.

Note:
Take half a cup of moong dal and dry roast them till golden colour. Cool. Grind them into powder.
Sieve and then measure the flour to half cup.
Sieve each flour separately.

Read More

Karasev/Khara sev

Ingredients:
Besan/Gram flour/Kadalai maavu - 1 cup (heaped)
Rice flour - 1 cup
Black peppercorns - 2 tsp. (crushed coarsely)
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Ghee (solid) - 2 tbsp.
Oil (for deep frying)

Method:
In a bowl, mix gram flour, rice flour, pepper, cumin, salt, turmeric powder and asafoetida.
Pour hot molten ghee. Mix with a spoon.
Then mix with hands. Break the lumps.
Now add water little by little and prepare a soft and smooth dough.
Heat oil to deep fry.
Add required quantity of dough in the murukku presser and press directly in the hot oil.
Cook on both sides in medium flame till there is no noise.
Remove and place it on the paper towel.
Continue the same process with the remaining dough.
Once the sev gets cooled, store in an air tight container.
(However, I didn't store as everyone finished it within moments)

Note:
Cook the sev in medium flame.
Crush the sevs in required length when they are warm.
Don't overcrowd the sevs while deep frying.
To make sev there is a different gadget which I don't own.
Recipe source: Indian cuisine

Read More

Kara Boondi

Ingredients:
Gram flour/Besan - 1 cup
Rice flour - 1 tbsp.
Salt (to taste)
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Cashew nuts (whole) - 1 tbsp.
Peanuts - 1 tbsp.
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp. and 3 pinches (or as per taste)
Garlic cloves with skin - 8 (crushed)
Oil (for deep frying)

Method:
In a bowl, mix gram flour, rice flour and salt. Now pour some water little by little until the batter is consistent enough for pouring through the perforated spoon. Make sure to avoid lumps. The batter should not be too thick nor too thin.
Take a ladleful of batter and place the perforated spoon or boondi ladle on the top of batter vessel.
Pour the batter (from the ladle) and check whether it drops like pearls without any tails.
If it falls with tails, then again pour little water, mix well and check again.
The correct consistency is achieved when the batter falls like pearl droplets.
Heat the oil in a wide deep pan to deep fry.
Drop a very little batter to check the oil temperature.
When the boondi floats to the surface of oil, this indicates that the temperature is right for frying.
Take a ladleful of batter and place the boondi spoon over the pan and pour the batter.
Pour up till a layer of boondis is formed. Don't overcrowd or else the boondis end up as clusters.
Fry on both sides till the sizzling sound almost stops.

Continue with the next batch.

When all the batter is finished, deep fry the peanuts and cashew nuts till light golden colour, curry leaves till crisp and garlic till light golden colour each individually.
Mix all with boondi. Sprinkle red chilli powder and mix .
After cooling, store in an air tight container.


Note:
If the boondis are flat, then the batter has too much water. Add a little more gram flour.
If the boondis form tails, add little water and mix well.
Mix the batter very well to avoid lumps.
It is better to sieve all the flours before use.
After pouring the batter on the perforated spoon, wipe it clean to remove the remaining batter sticking on it each time.
Instead of garlic, asafoetida can be added to the batter.

Read More

Vazhaipoo Masala Vadai/Plantain Flower Fritters

Ingredients:
Vazhaipoo/plantain flower - 1/2 from a medium-sized flower
Bengal gram - 1 cup
Arhar dal - 1/2 cup
Black gram (whole & skinned) - 1/4 cup
Dry red chillies - 7
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Saunf/fennel seeds - 1 tsp.
Shallots - 1 cup (peeled and chopped)
Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsp.
Grated coconut - 1/2 coconut
Mint leaves - a small bunch
Salt (to taste)
Oil (to deep fry)

Method:
Soak all the dals/grams for 3 hours. Drain all the water and grind coarsely.
Clean and chop the flowers and drop them in buttermilk.
Grind the dry red chillies and grated coconut.
Chop the curry leaves.
In a bowl, mix all ingredients except oil.
Heat the oil to deep fry.
Make balls from the thick batter and flatten them into patties.
Deep fry till golden brown.

Note:
Add only chopped flowers to the batter and throw away the buttermilk.
Instead of butter milk, I used the water in which the rice was washed with turmeric added.

Read More

Mysore Bonda

Mysore bonda is a bonda made with black gram and spices. Coconut flakes and crushed peppercorns are added to this batter and are deep fried as balls. However, in the case of Mangalore bonda or goli baje, it is made with plain flour or maida with sour curd and spices.

Ingredients:
Whole black gram (dehusked) - 1 1/2 cup
Green chillies - 2 (long) or as per taste
Ginger - 1 pinch (peeled)
Black peppercorns - 1 tsp. (lightly crushed)
Coconut flakes - 2 tbsp.
Asafoetida powder - a pinch
Salt (to taste)
Oil (to deep fry)
Curry leaves - from 2 stalks (finely chopped)
Corinder leaves - few (chopped)

Method:
Soak the black gram in water for 2 hours.
Reserve some water in which the black gram is soaked and drain the remaining water.
Grind the black gram into a thick smooth batter. While grinding, sprinkle a little water from the reserved water.
Remove the batter and pour it into a bowl.
Grind green chillies and ginger without adding water. Add this to the batter.
Add all the other ingredients except oil and mix.
Heat the oil to deep fry.
Check if the oil is heated enough for deep frying.
Take a bowl of water and keep it near the batter.
Dip your fingers and palm into the bowl of water.
Take dollops of the batter and roll them into balls and drop them in the oil carefully. Deep fry till they turn golden colour.
While deep frying, the bondas should be turned on all sides every 2 minutes with the help of a perforated frying spoon.
Put the bondas on a paper towel.
Serve with coconut chutney, tomato ketchup or sambar.

Note:
Cumin seeds and chopped onions can also be added but I didn't so anyway.

Read More

Whole Black Gram Spinach Fritters

Ingredients:
Whole black gram (with skin) - 1.5 cups
Onion - 1 (chopped)
Ginger - 3/4 inch (chopped)
Green chillies - 2 (long)
Spinach - few (chopped)
Coriander leaves - few (chopped)
Pepper (crushed after measurement) - 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. (optional)
Salt (to taste)
Oil (to deep fry)

Method:
Wash and soak black grams for 6-8 hours or overnight.
Discard the water. Grind them into a smooth paste.
While grinding, add a little water (used wet grinder).
Grind the ginger and green chillies into a paste (without adding water).
Mix all ingredients to the batter except oil. Heat the oil in a deep and wide kadai.
Moisten both palms. Take a lime-sized ball from the batter.
Flatten them into patties and make a hole in the centre.
Gently and carefully slide the vadai into the oil.
Continue the process making a batch of 8-9.
Fry till they are golden brown.
Remove and place on an absorbent paper.
Enjoy with coconut chutney.

Read More

Bread Pakora

Ingredients:
Wheat bread - 6 slices
Oil (for deep frying)

For Stuffing:
Potato masala:
Potatoes (small size) - 2 (boiled)
Onion (small) - 1 (finely chopped)
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp.
Kashmiri red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp.
Coriander powder - 1 tsp.
Roasted and powdered cumin - 1/2 tsp.
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Oil
Capsicum - 1/4  (finely chopped)
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp.

For green chutney:
Mint leaves - 1 cup
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
Green chillies - 2 (small)
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp.
Chaat masala - 1/2 tsp.
Black salt (to taste)
Thick curd - 1 tsp.
Oil

For batter:
Chickpea flour/besan - 2 cups
Kashmiri red chilli powder - 2 tsp.
Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tsp.
Baking soda - 1 pinch
Ajwain - 1 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Turmeric powder - a pinch

Method:
For potato masala:
Mash potatoes without any lumps. Heat oil and add cumin seeds. Allow it to sizzle.
Now add the onions and saute till translucent.
Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for 2 minutes.
Add capsicum pieces and again saute for 2 minutes.
Now add the mashed potatoes, powders and salt and mix well.
Add little water and stir till it becomes dry. Keep aside.

For green chutney:
Saute mint leaves in oil for 3 minutes. Remove. In the same pan, add ginger-garlic paste and saute for a minute.
Combine mint leaves, ginger- garlic paste, coriander leaves, green chilli, black salt and chaat masala and grind into a paste. Finally add the curd and give 2 to 3 pulses. Keep aside.

For batter:
Sieve the besan/chickpea flour in a bowl. Add all the ingredients given under "For batter" and mix well.
Pour water and prepare a batter in such a way that's neither thick and nor thin. Keep aside.

For Pakora:
Take 2 slices of bread. Spread required chutney on a slice and required potato masala on another.
Press both the slices of breads and cut into halves.
Heat the oil in a kadai for deep frying.
Dip the stuffed bread in batter and gently slide in the oil.
Cook on both sides till golden brown.
Continue this process with remainig slices.
Remove and serve immediately with ketchup.

Note:
Make sure there are no holes in the bread.
Toast the bread if it breaks while dipping in batter.
Feel free to use both hands while dipping in batter.
Make sure to coat the bread with batter on all sides. Work fast.
Stuff the breads and cut them before deep frying.
Don't stuff them early or else the bread will get soggy.
If you have any leftover stuffings, use them as a side dish.

Read More

Beetroot Vadai/Vada

Ingredients:
Arhar dal/Tuvar dal - 1/2 cup
Chana dal - 1/2 cup
Beetroot (medium) - 1 (grated)
Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
Red chillies - 3 (or as per taste)
Curry leaves - few (chopped)
Salt (to taste)
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp.
Oil (for deep frying)

Method:
Soak arhar dal and chana dal for 1 1/2 hours.
Discard the water and grind the dals ( sprinkling little water) along with red chillies and fennel seeds  in a food processor.
Add the remaining ingredients except oil and mix well.
Shape the batter into small patties and deep fry them in medium-hot oil till golden brown.
Place them on an absorbent paper.
Serve and enjoy!!

Sent off to CBB Series#2-Chettinad Special.

Read More