Beans Poricha Kootu

Ingredients:
Beans - 250 gm (chopped)
Moong dal - 1/3 cup
Salt (to taste)
Turmeric powder - 2 pinches

To grind:
Coconut pieces - 1 tbsp.
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp.
Whole dry red chillies - 3
Peppercorns - 1/4 tsp.
Channa dal - 1 tsp.
Urad dal - 1 tsp.
Asafoetida - a teeny weeny pinch.
Oil

For Tadka:
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Urad dal - 1 tsp.
Channa dal - 1 tsp.
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Oil

Method:
1. Boil dal and beans in a pressure cooker separately.
2. Add oil in a kadai and fry channa dal, urad dal, peppercorns, coriander seeds, coconut pieces, red chillies and asafoetida by adding one by one till golden color. Cool and powder them.
3. Add this powder to the dal and beans. Mix well. Add turmeric powder and salt also. Cook in low flame for 3 to 4 minutes by stirring in between.
4. Prepare the tempering and pour over kootu. Mix well.  Remove from heat. Serve as a side dish for rice.

Read More

Methi Muthia/Muthiya

Ingredients:
Wheat flour - 1 cup
Besan/Gram flour - 1/2 cup
Fenugreek leaves/methi - 2 cups
Cornflour - 1/4 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp.
Crushed peanuts - 2 tsp.
Oil - 3 tbsp.
Green chilli paste - 1.5 tsp.
Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp.
Roasted ground cumin - 1.25 tsp.
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Yogurt or lemon juice - 2 tbsp. (I used yogurt)
Sugar - 1 tsp. or as per taste
Water (as needed)

For tempering:
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Oil - 2 tbsp.
Asafoetida - a pinch (optional)

After steaming

Method:
1. Keep the steamer on the stove and boil the water. Grease the steamer vessel with oil. Keep aside.
2. Meanwhile in a bowl, add wheat flour, gram flour, corn flour, turmeric powder, salt, ground cumin, baking soda, sugar, crushed peanuts and sesame seeds. Mix well.
3. Now add the wet ingredients. Add oil, yogurt, green chilli paste, fresh fenugreek leaves and mix well.
4. Add little water and form a dough. Make oblong sized balls from the dough and place them in the greased steamer vessel.
5. Place the vessel in the steamer and cover with a lid. Steam for 25 minutes. Cool them.
6. Slice the muthia. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and asafoetida (optional). Add the sliced muthia and saute for a few minutes till golden colour or brown colour.
7. Enjoy these healthy muthias with some hot chai.
Adapted from Super Veggie Delight.

Sent off to Nayna's "Flavours of Gujarat" event.

Read More

Idli Podi

In every household, idli podi differs according to its family taste. They add tamarind, garlic, lots of/less chillies, roasted chana dal (pottukadalai), curry leaves, sesame seeds, etc. This podi is just a simple variation which I usually prepare at home before blogging.

Add urad dal/ulutham paruppu to the kadai. Start to dry roast without burning.

The urad dal should be roasted like this. Remove from kadai and keep it on a plate for cooling.

Dry roast the chana dal/kadalai paruppu.

Dry roast till golden brown and cool.

Dry roast methi/fenugreek seeds/vendhayam and peppercorn/milagu for a few seconds.

Add oil and heat it.

Add whole dry red chillies. I added only a small amount so that my kids can tolerate the spice. You can add 12-15 chillies according to taste.

Add a pinch of salt and sauté in low flame. Salt is added to avoid excessive sneezing.

Saute till crisp and let them cool.

First add the chillies and grind them.

Then add the roasted chana dal, peppercorn and fenugreek seeds.

You can grind them coarsely or finely as desired.

Then add the roasted urad dal and grind.

Add garlic with skin, salt and pinch of asafoetida. Grind for a few seconds.

Idli podi is ready.

Ingredients:

Urad dal - 3/4 cup

Channa dal- 1/4 cup

Peppercorns - 8

Fenugreek seeds - a pinch

Whole dry red chilli - 8 (or according to taste)

Garlic (with skin) - 7

Asafoetida - a pinch

Salt (to taste)

Oil - 1/2 tsp.

Method:

1. Dry roast the urad dal and channa dal separately till it changes to golden brown color without burning. Cool them.

2. Dry roast the pepper and fenugreek seeds till you get a nice aroma. Cool it.

3. Heat 1/2 tsp. of oil, add whole red chillies and salt. Sauté till the chillies turn crispy. Cool.

4. First add the chillies and grind them. Add urad dal, channa dal, fenugreek seeds and pepper one by one in dry mixer jar and grind them.

5. Add garlic, salt (to taste), asafoetida and grind for a few seconds.

6. Remove and cool them. Store them in an air-tight container which can be kept in room temperature for one month. After one month  refrigerate them.

7. Add sesame oil with this powder or podi and enjoy with idlies or dosais.

Read More

Video Results For Rava Dosa

This my first video. As I told earlier, the batter (of correct consistency) should be poured on the hot tawa as shown in the video below.

Read More

Dapka Kadhi

Moong dal dumplings in kadhi.

Ingredients:
Sour yogurt - 2 cups
Besan/Gram flour - 2 tbsp.
Water - 3 cups
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Jaggery - 1 tsp. (or to taste)
Salt (to taste)
Ginger paste - 1 tsp.
Green chilli paste - 1/2 tsp.
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp.

For tempering:
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Asafoetida - a pinch
Fenugreek seeds - a pinch
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Whole dry red chillies - 2
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Oil - 1.5 tsp.

For moong dal dumplings:
Moong dal - 1 cup (soak for 5 hours)
Ginger paste- 1 tsp.
Green chilli paste - 1/2 tsp.
Sugar to taste (I didn't add)
Baking soda - a pinch
Salt (to taste)
Oil (for deep frying)

Method:
1. Whisk yogurt, gram flour and one cup of water without any lumps. Add remaining water, ginger paste, green chilli paste and turmeric powder and whisk again.
2. Pour this mixture in a kadai and bring it to boil. Stir continuously.
3. Meanwhile in another small pan, do the tempering with the given "tempering" ingredients. Pour this over the kadhi. Stir well. Simmer the kadhi for 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in between. Add salt and jaggery according to taste.
4. Grind the moong dal into the paste with addition of very little water. To this paste, add ginger paste, green chilli paste, asafoetida, baking soda, salt and sugar. Heat oil and deep fry the small bhajias till they're done. Remove and drop them into the kadhi. Again simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and add the coriander leaves. Enjoy with khichdi or with white rice. We had it with white rice and coriander leaves thuvaiyal.

Note:
Stirring is done to avoid the curdling of yogurt. Adjust jaggery according to your taste.

Sent off to Nayna's "Flavours of Gujarat" event.

Read More

Beets and Paneer Cutlet

Ingredients:
Beet root - 2 (Big)
Paneer- 200 gm
Boiled potatoes - 2 (big)
Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
Ginger - 1 tsp. (grated)
Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp.
Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp.
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp. (chopped)
Salt (to taste)
Oil - 1 tsp.
Oil (for deep frying)

For coating:
Maida/All purpose flour
Water (as required)
Bread crumbs
Mixed herbs
Oregano
Chilli flakes

Method:
1. Peel the beets and cut into 4 pieces. Steam for 10 minutes. Cool them. Grate them and pat dry with a paper towel.
2. Pat dry the paneer and grate. Grate the boiled potatoes also.
3. Heat 1 tsp. of oil and add the onion pieces. Saute till they turn translucent. Add the grated ginger, red chilli powder and cumin powder. Saute for a few seconds. Cool it.
4. In a mixing bowl, combine grated paneer, beets, potatoes, onion mixture, salt and coriander leaves. Make even sized balls and keep aside.
5. In a small bowl, add maida/APF and pour required water to make a medium batter which should not be too thick or thin.
6. In a plate, mix bread crumbs, mixed herbs, oregano and chilli flakes.
7. Take one beets-paneer ball and shape them as desired. Dip in the APF/Maida batter and dust them with the bread crumbs mixture. Place the cutlets on a plate. Continue the process with remaining balls.
8. Heat oil for deep frying. When the oil is hot, add 3 to 4 cutlets in one batch. Fry them till crisp. Place them on an oil absorbent paper. Continue to fry the cutlets in batches without over crowding.
9. Enjoy with tomato sauce.

Sent off to Akila's "Dish Name Starts with B" event and "Healing Foods: Beetroot" event hosted by Priya Mitharwal and started by Siri.

Read More