Carrot Idli and Cheese Idli

Idli with Carrot shreds

Ingredients:

Idli Batter – 3 cups

Grated carrot – from one medium carrot

Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon

Coriander leaves (chopped) - 2 tablespoons

Cooking Method:

Mix grated carrot, cumin seeds and coriander leaves.
Steam in the idli plates.

Serve with any kind of chutneys.

Idli with Cheddar Cheese:

Ingredients:

Idli batter- 3 cups

Shredded Cheddar cheese – ½ cup

Black pepper (crushed) – ¾ teaspoon

Curry leaves (chopped)- 1 sprig

Method:

Mix shredded cheese, crushed pepper and curry leaves in batter.

Steam it.

Eat with Idli Podi (powder).

These idlis are my entries for the FIL-Carrot and 'My Favorite Things: Cheese' event.

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Dill Carrot & Mushroom-Spring onion rice

Dill Carrot

Ingredients:
Shredded carrot – 3oo gm
Ginger pieces – 1 teaspoon
Dill (fresh -chopped) – 3 tablespoons
Green chilies – 2 (slit lengthily)
Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
Olive oil
Salt
Mustard seeds – ¼ teaspoon
Cumin seeds – ¼ teaspoon


Method:
Steam the carrot for 5 minutes.
In a broad frying pan heat the olive oil.
To the oil, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
When the mustard seeds crackle, add the green chilies and ginger pieces.
Sauté for a few seconds.
Then add the steamed carrots and chopped dill. Mix well.
Add the turmeric powder and coriander powder. Sprinkle salt. Again mix gently.
Remove from heat after 1 minute.

Mushroom - Spring onion rice

Ingredients:
Basmati rice – 2 cups
Bay leaves – 4
Caraway seeds – 1 tablespoon
Salt for taste
Mushroom Marinating Ingredients:
Mushrooms – 400 gm
Spring onion sliced – 5
Yogurt – 1 1/4 cup
Garlic – 3 cloves (grated)
Ginger – 2 inch (grated)
Green chilies – 4 (slit lengthily)
Salt to taste
Red chili powder – 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
Olive oil
Ingredients for Spreading:
Spring onion greens sliced pieces– 5 stalks
Garam masala – 2 teaspoon
Green cardamom powder – ½ teaspoon
Coriander leaves – 2 tablespoon (chopped)
Mint leaves – 2 tablespoons (chopped)
Saffron strands – 2 pinch
Warm Milk – 2 tablespoon

Method:


Rice preparation:
Soak the rice for 30 minutes. Drain the water and keep it ready.
Bring 8 cups of water to a boil.
Add bay leaves, caraway seeds, salt and rice.
When the rice is almost done, drain excess water and keep it aside.
Preparation of Mushroom masala:
Marinate all the ingredients (except oil). Keep it for 5 minutes.
Heat the oil in pan. Add the mix and cook till it thickens and excess water evaporates.
Further process:
Take a thick saucepan.
Spread a layer of one-third of rice.
Over it spread half of the mushroom masala.
Sprinkle one teaspoon of garam masala.
Drop ¼ teaspoon of cardamom powder
Spray 1 tablespoon of mint and coriander leaves.
Mix saffron in warm milk and sprinkle
Then spread the spring onion greens.
Repeat the same with the remaining rice and other ingredients.
Cover it with aluminum foil and place lid tightly.
Dum in low heat for about 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, remove from heat and mix the rice gently.
Serve with any of your favorite raita.
Source: Sanjeev Kapoor

This carrot dish goes off to the FIL-Carrot event and Mushroom rice to The Caraway event.

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Carrot Coconut Halwa and Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day!

Mom-Her love is like akshyapatram. As I am the only child to my parents, it is obvious how I was pampered even today. I remember my child hood, she would get up early in the morning, finish off spraying water from gate till portico.(Not to mention the kolam). Then gets milk from the booth. When my dad and I wake up, coffee will be right there. Whatever I asked she said 'Yes'. There was never a 'No'. Making me to gobble healthy foods was a tough job for her. I am proud of my mom.

She is my lifetime friend, philosopher, and guide. I can talk to her any matter. I never saw her sitting idle. She kept herself busy. She visited me every month in hostel during college days sometimes bringing food. I always spend time with her in gardening. Coconut trees, shrubs and many plants are nursed by her.

I used to talk about other bloggers to her. She liked everyones recipes. Recent days most of our talks are about who has posted what recipe. I told one of the recipes to her, i.e., carrot halwa. It was from Malar Gandhi. My mom liked it very much (and me too!). When I said that I wanted to try the recipe, she asked me to add coconut as it will taste wonders (she is big fan of coconuts and yes it tasted excellent). I didn't add ghee or condensed milk in the recipe.

She is a very good cook……..I love you mom. This halwa is for you.

Carrot: My family loves carrot. Last night, I went to whole foods and grabbed a big pack of carrots. Every week, I cook carrots for them or feed them raw. My husband's job is to work in front of computer for many hours. So I make sure my husband and everyone in the family takes up enough carrots.

Ingredients for carrot coconut halwa:

Carrot (grated)– 2 cups

Coconut (grated)-2 cups

Sugar – 2 ½ cups

Cashewnuts – 2 tablespoon (broken)

Cardamom powder – 2 pinch

Water – 1 ¼ cups

Method:

Dry roast the cashewnuts, cool them and powder them. Keep it aside.

Take a thick kadai and add the sugar and water.

Melt the sugar and keep in the medium heat.
When the sugar reaches thick consistency (Take cold water in a small bowl.Drop the syrup and it should be thick ball).
Add the carrot and coconut and mix well.

When the mixture thickens add the cashewnut powder and cardamom powder.

Stir well.

When it becomes thick like a ball and leave the sides of the kadai, remove from heat.

Serve chill.

I'm sending this recipe to Shama Nagarajan's "Mother's favorite recipe" event and Sanghi's FIL-Carrot event.

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Mor Kootu

During summer, I used to cook mor kozhumbu or mor kootu at least a week. This is a straightforward side dish but it's extremely exceptional for summer. You can also add your desired veggie for this kootu. This dish has to be gobbled up within 4 to 6 hrs in summer.

Ingredients:

White pumpkin – 300 gm (diced)

Yogurt – ¼ cup

Cumin seeds – ½ teaspoon

Grated coconut – ¼ cup

Green chilies – 2

Salt

Seasoning:

Oil as required

Mustard seeds – ¼ teaspoon

Urad dhal – ¼ teaspoon

Asafetida – 2 pinch

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Whole red chili – 2

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

Boil the pumpkin pieces with required water by adding little salt.

Grind cumin seeds, grated coconut, and green chilies into paste with little water.

Add this paste to the boiled pumpkin pieces and keep the heat in simmer mode.

Beat the curd with required salt and add it to the pumpkin.

Let it sit for a minute. Don't boil. Or curd will split.

Remove from fire.

In a small kadai heat the oil.

To the oil, add urad dal and fry till golden brown.

Then add the mustard seeds, asafetida, curry leaves, whole red chili.

When the mustard seeds crackle, add this to the kootu.

Add coriander leaves and mix well.

I'm sending this to the Summer Treats event.

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Rajma Rice

Rajma or kidney beans always attract me by its shape and color. This rajma rice is very simple and quick. It suits well for a lunch box. Even left over rice can be used. You can deseed the chilies or use the red chili powder (I play with heat-->spice sometimes).

Ingredients:

Rajma (canned) – 15.5 oz (439 gm)

Rice – 1 ½ cup

Cumin seeds – ½ teaspoon

Cinnamon stick -1

Onion – ½ (sliced)

Grated Ginger – from 1 inch

Green chilies – 2 (chopped)

Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon

Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon

Amchur powder – 1 teaspoon

Black salt – ½ teaspoon

Oil as required

Salt

Chopped coriander leaves

Method:

Boil the rice by any method and spread it in a plate.

Run the fork thru the rice so that the steam escapes.

Let the rice cool.

Rinse the rajma and drain.

Heat the oil in a kadai.

To the oil, add cumin seeds and cinnamon stick.

When the cumin seed crackles, add the sliced onion and sauté till onion becomes translucent.

Throw in the grated ginger and chopped green chilies and fry for 1 minute.

Toss in the rajma and mix well.

Now add the coriander powder, turmeric powder, amchur powder and salts.

Sprinkle little water on the kadai, so all the masalas will blend well with rajma.

Add the rice and mix well.

Add the coriander leaves and eat with any raita.

Recipe source: Tarla Dalal

Carrot raita:

Ingredients

Grated carrot – 2 cups

Curd – 1 cup

Salt

Mustard seeds – 2 pinch

Roasted and powdered cumin – 2 pinch

Urad dal – 2 pinch

Curry leaf – 1 sprig

Oil

Method:

In a bowl, mix grated carrot, salt, cumin powder in curd.

Season it with remaining ingredients.

I'm sending this dish to the WYF: Quickmeal event. Click on the picture for details.

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Almonds 'n' Jaggery Drink

Ingredients:

Almond – 1 cup

Cashew nuts – ½ cup

Dates (pitted and chopped) - ½ cup

Jaggery powder – 1 cup (or reduce according to your taste)

Mango jam – ½ cup

Method:

Cut the almonds into half. Dry roast them without burning.

Break the cashews and dry roast them.

To the jaggery powder add little water and melt them in low heat. Filter the thick liquid from impurities.

Let it cool.

Now in a blender add the roasted almonds, cashews, dates, jaggery, and mango jam and grind them by adding water.

Serve chill.

Recipe source: From a tamil magazine.

Sent off to the 15-minute event.

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