Flax Chutney Powder (T&T-Veg Inspirations)

Ingredients:
Flax seed powder - 1/2 cup
Peanuts - 1/4 cup
Chutney dal/Pottukadalai - 1/4 cup
Curry leaves - 20
Tamarind - 1/2 inch
Brown sugar - 1/2 tsp.
Dry  red chilli - 6 to 7 chillies
Sesame seeds - 1/4 cup
Salt - 1 1/4 tsp.

Method:
Dry roast flax seed meal (till aroma rises), peanuts (till it changes color and remove the skin), sesame seeds, curry leaves (till dry and crisp) each separately. Keep aside to cool.
Fry the chillies in a drop of oil and a pinch of salt.
Powder coarsely all the ingredients except salt.
Finally add the salt and give 2 to 3 pulse.
Store them in an air-tight container.
Serve with dosa or idli by adding sesame oil.

Note:
Flax seed meal - powder the flax seeds.
I reduced the amount of chillies to our taste.

Original recipe here.
Sent off to "T&T-Veg Inspirations" hosted by Saveur and started by Zlamushka.

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Cabbage Egg Masala

Ingredients:
Cabbage (small) - 1 head (thinly shredded)
Eggs - 2
Onions (small) - 2 (chopped)
Ginger - 1 inch
Garlic - 4 cloves
Tomato - 1 (chopped)
Green chillies - 2 (sliced half)
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp.
Coriander powder - 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Oil
Coriander leaves (chopped) - 2 tbsp.

Spices to be ground:
Cinnamon - 2 (1 inch)
Cloves - 2
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Poppy seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp.

Method:
Prepare a plain thin omelette with eggs and keep aside.
Make a paste of ginger-garlic.
Heat the oil in a pan and add the onions and sauté till they turn translucent.
Add the ginger-garlic paste, green chillies and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and sauté.
Add the powders and ground spices. Sauté for a minute in low flame.
Now add the shredded cabbage and sauté. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 5 minutes by stirring now and then (don't overcook the cabbage or you will end up with a bitter taste).
Meanwhile cut the omelette into pieces with a  kitchen scissor (then wash the scissor thoroughly and keep it back in its place)

After 5 minutes, add the omelette pieces and salt and stir for a minute or two.
Remove from heat and add the coriander leaves.
Serve with rasam rice or chapathi.

Note:
Consume it within 2 hours.

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Plantain Potato Tikki

Ingredients:
Green plantains - 2
Potatoes - 2 (medium size)
Salt (to taste)
Onion - 1 (chopped)
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 1/4 tsp.
Makana - 3 tsp. (roasted and powdered)
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp. (lightly crushed)
Kashmiri red chilli powder - 3/4 tsp.
Garam masala - 1/4 tsp.
Asafoetida powder - 2 pinches
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp. (chopped)
Oil (to shallow fry)

Method:
Pressure cook the potatoes and green plantains in separate vessels.
Peel the skin and grate or mash them.
Heat 1 tsp. of oil in a pan and add the chopped onions. Saute till they turn translucent.
Add ginger-garlic paste and saute till the raw smell fades off completely.
Add Kashmiri red chilli and saute for a minute in low flame. Remove from heat and cool.
Add this to the mashed mixture. Also, add the remaining ingredients except oil and you will get a soft dough.
Make a lemon sized ball and pat them into patties. Continue with the remaining dough.
Heat oil in a tawa and shallow fry the tikki on both sides till golden brown color.
Serve with tomato ketchup.
Enjoy gobbling them.

Sent off to Yasmeen's "Health Nut Challenge 7-Tropical Temptations".

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Cherry Cupcakes

I don't bake so often as most of you know. Baked this yesterday for hub's b'day. Captured the cupcakes' photos on a cloudy day which was yesterday.

Ingredients:
APF - 1 1/2 cup
Baking powder - 1 1/4 tsp.
Salt - 1/4 tsp.
Butter - 1/2 cup (room temperature)
Sugar - 1 cup
A large egg or 2 small eggs
Buttermilk - 1 cup
Pitted cherries (fresh) - 1 cup ( I used canned cherries)
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp. 
Almond extract - 1/4 tsp.

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C.
Whisk the salt, baking powder and the flour together in a medium-sized bowl.
Mix the butter and sugar together until it becomes light and creamy in a large bowl.
Then blend in the egg and the extracts  until they turn smooth.
Gradually mix the dry and the wet ingredients with the buttermilk in between alternatively (wet ingredient-->dry ingredient-->buttermilk and so on). Conclude the mixing with the flour mixture.
Then stir in the chopped cherries.
Finally bake the goodies for 19 minutes or until the tester comes out clean.
Cool the cupcakes on a rack.

The Frosting

Ingredients:
Butter - 1/2 cup (room temperature)
Milk - 3 tbsp.
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp.
Confectioner/Icing sugar - 2-3 cups
Food Color - a few drops (optional)

Method:
Mix everything till thick in high speed...
You know what to do with the mixture. Heh. -_-"

Recipe Source: Baking Bites


Now I'm off to laze. Zzzzz.....

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Greens and Chickpeas Rice

Ingredients:
Rice - 1.5 cups
Brown chickpeas - 1/2 cup (boiled)
Greens (any kind but edible) - 1 bunch
Onion - 2 (sliced)
Garlic -3 cloves (chopped)
Green chilli paste - 1 tsp.
Dry whole red chillies -2
Salt (to taste)
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Channa dal - 1 tbsp.
Oil

Method:
Cook the rice without mushy and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan and add the seeds and channa dal.
When the mustard starts to crackle, add the sliced onions and saute till translucent.
Add garlic and saute till golden color. Reduce the heat and saute the green chilli paste and red chillies for a few seconds.
Add the chopped greens and saute till it begins to wilt. Saute till dry and add the salt.
Combine the boiled chickpeas and remove from the heat.
Add this green mixture to rice and toss.
Serve this healthy rice with scrambled eggs or chips.

Note:
Instead of green chilli paste, ground pepper can be used at the final stage.

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Vendakkai Kuzhambu/ Okra in Tamarind Sauce

Ingredients:
Vendakkai/Lady's Fingers/Okra - 250 gm
Onions - 2 (Sliced)
Tamarind - Lemon size
Salt (to taste)
Sesame oil
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.

To fry and powder:
Fenugreek Seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Bengal gram - 1 tsp.
Coconut flakes - 1 tbsp.
Byadgi chillies - 6

To Temper:
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Method:
Soak tamarind in 1 cup of water and extract the pulp.
Add 2 to 3 cups (or required water) of water to the extract and keep aside.
Wash the okras and pat dry.
Cut the okras into 1 inch size.
Heat oil and add onions.
Saute till translucent.
Add okra pieces and saute for few minutes.
Add tamarind water, turmeric powder and salt.
Cook the okra till tender and add the powder.
Stir for 2 to 4 minutes.
Keep aside.
Temper the given ingredients and add it to the kuzhambu.
Serve with white rice and appalam.

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