Vegetable Semiya Upma

It's officially winter since late November and our closets are filled with winter apparel.
 
These days, it's quite difficult to wake up early since the warmth offered by the blanket tempts us to sleep more. Most of the days, I end up preparing a one pot meal for the lunches. Today for breakfast, I prepared this healthy vegetable upma with coconut mint chutney.
 
The local vegetable markets are loaded with fresh vegetables, fruits and greens. Moreover, there are more varieties of greens available. But then, I still end up scratching my head wondering what to cook for our meals...

Ingredients:
Semiya/vermicelli - 2 cups
Onions (small) - 3 (sliced)
Ginger - 1 inch (chopped)
Mixed vegetables - 1 cup (winter carrots, green peas, capsicum, beans)
Green chillies - 2 (slit)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Coriander leaves (chopped) - few
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.
White whole black gram - 1 tsp.
Bengal gram - 1 tsp.
Oil
Salt (to taste)
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
 
Method:
Heat the oil in a pan and roast the vermicelli till golden colour. Remove from pan and keep it on a plate.
In the same pan, pour a little oil and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, black gram and Bengal gram.
Allow the mustard seeds to crackle and Bengal gram and black gram change into golden colour.
Now add the onions, green chillies, curry leaves and ginger.
Sauté till the onions turn translucent.
Now add the mixed vegetables and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add turmeric powder as well.
Now pour 4.25 cups of water and sprinkle salt.
Allow the water to boil in medium flame.
Now add the semiya and mix.
Cover and cook till the vermicelli is soft and the water becomes dry.
Add the coriander leaves and mix well.
Cover and keep aside.
After 4 minutes, serve hot.
 


Coconut mint chutney

Ingredients:
Coconut pieces - 1/2 cup
Mint leaves - a fistful
Green chillies (very small) - 2 to 3 (or as per taste)
Ginger - a small piece
Tamarind - a small piece
Salt (to taste)
Oil

To temper:
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Oil
Curry leaves - few
 
Method:
Sauté the mint leaves in a little bit of oil for 3-4 minutes.
When the leaves become warm, grind them along with the coconut pieces, green chillies, ginger, tamarind and salt.
Pour very little water while grinding.
Temper them.
Serve with upma.

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Cottage Cheese & Green Peas in Spicy Masala Gravy

Ingredients:
Cottage cheese - 200 gms (cut into cubes)
Green peas (fresh) - 1/2 cup
Onion (small-sized) - 3 (finely chopped)
Tomato puree - from 3 desi tomatoes
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Mint leaves - from 5 stalks.
Coriander leaves - few
Kashmiri red chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp.
Coriander powder - 1 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Oil
Roasted and ground cumin - 1/4 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Thick coconut milk - 1/2 cup

To grind:
Ginger - 1 inch (peeled)
Garlic - 7 cloves
Mace - 1
Kalpasi/black stone flower - 3
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Cloves - 2
Desi cinnamon - 1 medium stick
Green cardamom - 2
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Black peppercorns - 4
Poppy seeds - 1/2 tsp.

To garnish:
Coriander leaves - from 5 stalks

Method:
Grind all the ingredients coarsely from the list "to grind". Keep aside.
Heat the oil and add cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add coarse spices and sauté till the raw smell fades away.
Add the curry leaves and sauté.
Add the onions and sauté till they are translucent.
Chop the coriander leaves and mint leaves.
Add the leaves and sauté for a minute.
Add the tomato puree and sauté till it releases oil.
Add the powders (chilli, coriander, cumin, turmeric) and mix well.
Now add the green peas. Add salt.
Pour 1 to 1 1/2 of water and allow the peas to cook.
Cover with a lid and cook.
Meanwhile shallow fry the cottage cheese cubes in a tawa.
Once the peas are cooked, add the cottage cheese.
After a minute, reduce the flame and add the coriander leaves which is meant for garnishing.
Pour thick coconut milk and mix. Switch off the flame immediately.
Pour the gravy in the serving bowl.
Serve with roti, chapathi, naan, dosai and white rice.

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Colocasia Masala Fry/Seppankizhangu Masala Varuval

Ingredients:
Colocasia/Arbi/Arvi/Seppankizhangu (big) - 5 pieces
Shallots - 10 to 12 (chopped)
Garlic - 4 cloves (crushed)
Green chilli (big) - 1 (slit into 4)
Curry leaves - few
Coriander leaves - few (chopped)
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Kashmiri red chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Poppy seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Cinnamon - 2 small sticks
Cloves - 3
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Oil - 2 tbsp.

Method:
Cook the arbi till it becomes soft. Cool and peel the skin. Chop them into thick circles.
Heat the oil and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, poppy seeds, cinnamon and cloves.
Allow the mustard seeds to crackle. Add the shallots, garlic, green chilli and curry leaves and sauté.
When the shallots change colour, add the coriander leaves and turmeric powder and sauté.
Now add the chilli powder and salt and sauté.
Add the chopped arbi and mix well.
Fry till the both sides of arbi become crisp.
Serve as a side dish for rasam rice or whatever.

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Chicken 65

Ingredients:
Boneless chicken thighs - 325 gms (cut into bite-sized pieces)
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp.
Kashmiri red chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Food color - a pinch
Salt (to taste)
Roasted and powdered cumin - 1/4 tsp.
Garam masala - 1/4 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Lime juice - from half a lime
Pepper powder - a small pinch
Oil (to deep fry)
Corn flour - 1 tbsp.
APF/Maida - 1 tsp.
Egg (beaten) - from half an egg

For garnishing:
Curry leaves - few
Onion - 1 (finely sliced)
Lime juice - few drops
Chaat masala - few pinches
Kashmiri red chilli - few pinches
Lemon wedges
Tomato slices

Method:
Wash the chicken pieces and drain all the water.
In a bowl add the chicken, ginger-garlic paste, salt, red chilli powder, pepper powder, turmeric powder, lime juice, cumin powder, food colour and garam masala. Mix well.
Marinate for 15 to 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, mix the beaten egg, corn flour and maida. Cover and keep aside for another 15 to 20 minutes.
Heat the oil for deep frying in high flame and once it becomes hot enough, reduce the flame to medium.
Now add the chicken pieces in 2-3 batches and fry till crisp and golden brown.
Place the fried chicken pieces on the paper towel.
In the same oil, fry the curry leaves till crisp.
In a bowl, mix onion slices, red chilli powder, chaat masala and lime juice.
In a serving bowl, spread the fried chicken pieces. Sprinkle the fried crispy curry leaves.
Garnish with onion slices next to the chicken pieces. Then with the lemon wedges and tomato slices.
Serve immediately as a starter.

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Shahi Kaju Aloo

Ingredients:
Baby potatoes - 12 pieces (boiled and peeled)
Onion - 1 (chopped)
Caraway seeds - 1 tsp.
Cashew nuts - 1/4 cup
Kashmiri red chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Coriander powder - 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Curd (beaten) - 3 tbsp.
Salt (to taste)
Butter - 1 tbsp. + 1 tsp.
Oil - 1 tbsp. + 2 tsp.
Milk - 1/2 cup
Coriander leaves - few

For cashew nut paste:
Cashew nuts - 1/4 cup
Ginger pieces - 1 tsp.
Garlic pieces - 1 tsp.
Green chilli -1 (chopped)
Green cardamom - 3
Water - 2 tbsp.

Method:
For cashew paste:
Grind cashews, ginger, garlic, cardamom, and green chilli. Then add 2 tbsp. of water and grind into smooth paste. Keep aside.

Heat 1 tbsp. of oil and shallow fry the potatoes till golden colour. Keep aside.
In the same pan add 1 tbsp. of butter and roast the cashews till golden colour. Remove and keep aside.
In the same pan, add the remaining butter and oil.
Add the caraway seeds. They would crackle immediately.
Add chopped onions and sauté till golden colour.
Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, salt and sauté for a few seconds.
Add the cashew nut paste and sauté for 4 minutes or till the raw smell fades away.
Now add the beaten curd and mix well. Sauté till it releases oil.
Now pour 1/2 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of water.
Add the fried potatoes and cashew nuts. Mix.
Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot.

Recipe source: Magazine

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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

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