Bread Upma

A very easy, filling, quick tiffin which you can make in a jiffy, if you are that busy on a week day & also not want to miss the main meal of the day, i.e BREAKFAST!! Its Bread Upma. All the ingredients in this recipe can be found at all homes, all over the world. Prepare it, cook it, eat it & off you go!

Ingredients:

• 10-12 bread slices
• 2-3 tbsp yoghurt
• 1 big onion (finely chopped)
• 1 big tomato (finely chopped)
• 5 green chillies (finely chopped)
• 1 capsicum/bell paper, optional (cut into 1 inch cubes)
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 6-7 curry leaves
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/4 cup coriander leaves (finely chopped)
• salt to taste

Method:

1) Cut each bread slice into 1 inch squares with a knife. Keep aside.

2) In a big bowl, mix the yogurt,red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and salt. Now add the cut slices of bread to it, mix well until the yoghurt mixture coats the bread pieces. Keep aside.

3) Heat the oil in a Kadai & add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds & curry leaves. Let it splutter. Then add the chopped onion, green chillies & saute . Then add the capsicum pieces if you are including it in your Bread Upma and saute till they soften.

4) Add the tomatoes to the kadai. Also add salt to taste. Remember you have put some salt in the yoghurt mixture as well so put accordingly. When the tomato starts to get mushy, add the marinated bread pieces to it mix well. Toss frequently and add some more oil if you want the bread pieces to be crisp. Add coriander leaves at this stage.

5)Switch off the heat if you think that the bread pieces are coated well with the mixture & cooked well. Serve hot in the morning.

Hara Kebab (Green Kebab)

My honest confession, when you start a food blog, there is no looking back. You just carry on cooking & cooking & cooking. The pressure is so much to cook good, versatile & different food every time. Especially when guests come home & if they are aware of your food blog, then you need to match or rather excel their expectations. My best friend came home this weekend & we had a great time together gossiping, shopping & of course eating glorious food. She is a hard core vegetarian, hence my cooking skills were put to test as I said before. So I ended up making delicious Hara Kebab for her.

Kebab is often the grilled or roasted skewered meat which we all talk about. So I thought, why not make it vegetarian & give my friend a surprise. "yeah, Baby...eat those Kebabs right now"...Don't worry...Its vegetarian! ;) Also I came across a "spinach event" which is going on in one of the blogger's space, so I thought, why not make my first official entry to this online cooking competition as well with this recipe. Hence, the Hara Kebab, a combination of spinach & paneer blended together to give an unusual green colour & a great appetizer for those hard core vegetarians out there.

Ingredients:

• 800 gm spinach/palak
• 400 gm paneer/indian cottage cheese
• 1" stick cinnamon
• 4-5 cardamom pods
• 4 cloves
• 1 inch ginger
• 10-15 cashewnuts (finally chopped)
• 3 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 cup gram flour/besan/chick-pea flour
• 10 green chillies (finely chopped)
• 2 tsp mace/javitri powder
• 4 tsp coriander leaves (finely chopped)
• oil for deep frying
• salt to taste

Method:

1. Boil water in a sauce pan & put in the spinach & let it cook for exactly 2-3 minutes. Drain the water & blend the spinach into a smooth paste. Keep aside.
2. Blend the cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves & ginger to a fine powder. Keep aside.
3. In a small frying pan, just dry roast the gram flour for 1-2 minutes.
4. Take a big bowl & mix all the above ingredients (excluding the oil, which is for deep frying) including the spinach paste, roasted gram flour & the dry spice powder in it.
5. Shape the mixture into a thick finger size length kebab. (should look like a sausage). If you are not able to make that shape, you can make a 2 inch flat round patties out of the mixture.
6. Heat oil in a Kadai & deep fry the palak-paneer kebab/patties to a nice golden green.
7. Serve hot as an appetizer with a nice Mint Relish. (To see the recipe of the Mint Relish, please click on to the sauces/chutneys category of this blog.

Sending this recipe to yummyfood-khushi@blogspot.com for the event "What's on your Kebab Platter?"

Sending this recipe to http://rasoithekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/04/announcement-guest-hosting-veggiefruit.html for the spinach event started by mharorajasthanrecipes.blogspot.com

Sending this recipe to http://akilaskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/04/dish-name-starts-with-h.html for the "Dish name starts with H".

Mint Relish / Pudina Chutney

A quick, easy herb chutney which can be a good dip or accompaniment for any Indian fried appetizer. Use of lush green herbs makes this relish an attractive one too. The mint is so refreshing when you include it in your diet & it is also good for your digestive system. Though this is a Mint Chutney, coriander leaves are also used because, mint alone when made a paste, it loses its colour very soon. Usually coconut is used in Pudina chutney but this recipe has no coconut in it. Sounds all the more easy. isn't it?

Ingredients:

• 120 gm coriander leaves
• 60 gm mint leaves
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1-2 green chillies
• 1 small tomato (roughly chopped)
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 lemon size tamarind or 1/2 raw mango (finely chopped)
• salt to taste

Method:

1. Blend all the above ingredients into a smooth wet paste with the help of some water.
2. Chill it & take it out at the time you serve.

Iced Tea with Lemon & Mint

Quench your thirst with yet another summer drink which can be made just so easily at home. If you are a lover of tea, this is for you. And even, if you hate tea (like my sister...wonder, why she hates it??), this would be a great alternative. No need to spend bucks & buy those bottled Lipton iced teas anymore. It is this easy to make.

Ingredients:

• 5-6 tea bags (which ever you use for your daily tea)
• 2 tbsp sugar (if you want more, it is upto you)
• 7-8 mint leaves
• juice of 1 big size lemon
• lots of ice cubes
• 1 lemon cut into thin round slices

Method:

1. Make the tea as usual with 1.5 litres of water & sugar. Switch off the heat when it comes to boil. Add the mint leaves to it and cover the tea. Let the mint leaves & tea bags infuse in the water for 10 minutes & no more.
2. Strain the tea after 10 minutes by removing the mint leaves & tea bags. Let the tea cool in room temperature.
3. At the time of serving, pour the tea into a pitcher with the ice cubes, squeeze the lemon juice to it. Give it a quick stir & put in some lemon slices to it. Pour in tall glasses & beat the heat.

PS: After you strain the tea, taste it & check if the tea is too strong for you. If yes, then add some more cold water accordingly. Sugar & lemon juice is also up to your taste, so use it less or more. Above measurements are my preference for a strong ice tea.

Veggie Tandoori Salad

I rarely diet, but when I do, I still try to eat delicious and not disappoint my taste buds. These days are some of my "am on a diet" days. Dieting for me works or not but I make sure, one week in a month I eat less oil, no fry food, just to silence my inner conscience!!

This is a good healthy, light salad which I make along with a vegetable soup (will soon share the recipe) for brunch or even for supper. It keeps your tummy full, also the taste buds are happy & you can still say that "I am on a diet". ;) Check it out!!

Ingredients:

• 1-2 capsicum/bell pepper (green colour preferably, deseeded & diced into 1 inch cubes)
• 200 gm paneer/indian cottage cheese (cubed into 1 inch )
• 1 medium onion (diced into 1 inch cubes)
• 1 cup pineapple (optional, diced into 1 inch cubes)
• 1 big tomato (diced into 1 inch cubes)
• 4 tsp chaat masala
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil (or any other oil)
• salt to taste

Method:

1. Take a big mixing bowl & pop in all the diced paneer, capsicum, onion, pineapple, tomatoes in it.
2. Now add the chaat masala, garam masala, lemon juice, olive oil & salt to it & mix by hand to coat all the veggies & paneer with it. Keep aside for sometime. Meanwhile soak the wooden skewers in water to avoid burning on the grill.
3. Skewer the veggies in the order I like...capsicum, paneer, onion, pineapple, tomato. I am not a big fan of pineapple so I skewer another piece of paneer instead.
4. Cook on a slow grill for 10 - 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can cook it in your oven for the same time at 200 degree Celsius or one can even grill on a flat griddle on gas flame (turning the skewer frequently so that all the sides gets cooked or get that burnt tandoori look. Can even BBQ it.

Linking this recipe to ameessavourydish.blogspot.com for the event fit and fabulous fridays

Biscuit Pudding

No eggs, No bake dessert it is...The easiest of em all, "Biscuit Pudding". One of my bachelor friend requested for some quick dessert recipes, and immediately I thought of this one. This is so easy to make and is done in no time that all you have to do is, make a chocolate sauce, layer the biscuits & sauce in a dish & keep it in the fridge to set. Cut it & eat it. Even my vegetarian friends can make it as it has no eggs. No baking required, no tension of whether it will get burn't in the oven. Sounds easy isn't it? It is easy...just try to make this one...A Quickie - di-quick rich & appealing Dessert!!

Ingredients:

• 1 packet/300 gm of tea biscuits (marie or mcvities)
• 750 ml milk (for chocolate sauce)
• 150 ml milk (for dipping the biscuits)
• 1 & 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 25 gm butter
• 3 tbsp vanilla custard powder
• a bar of plain dairy milk chocolate

Method:

1. Boil the milk in a saucepan to prepare the chocolate sauce.
2. Make a wet paste of the cocoa powder with some milk & add to the boiling milk. Stir well.
3. Then add the butter & sugar to the boiling milk. Put the heat in medium and let the milk start thickening.
4. When you think the milk is getting to thicken, add the custard powder (mix the powder with some milk to make a paste & then pour it in the thickening milk).
5. Add 1/2 a bar of dairy milk chocolate to it & stir the milk. Let it boil & when you think that the milk has thickened enough, switch off the heat. Keep it aside. Chocolate Sauce is ready.
6. Heat the 150 ml milk (for dipping biscuits) in a microwave or gas for 1 minute.
7. Take a flat rectangular dish to spread the biscuits. Dip each biscuit in the hot milk for 10 seconds & layer them in the dish.
8. Now spread a layer of chocolate sauce on top of the biscuits.
9. Again spread the dipped biscuits on top of the chocolate sauce layer. Repeat alternate layers of biscuits & chocolate sauce until the biscuits get over. The Last layer should be of chocolate sauce. If you have excess of chocolate sauce remaining at the end, pour it out in the dish.
10. Let the dish remain in room temperature for 15-20 minues & then keep it inside the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours to chill. Remove, cut & serve the Biscuit Pudding for dessert.
11. You can shave the remaining bar of dairy milk on top of the pudding at the time of serving.

Erachi Ularthiyathu (Shredded Meat Fry)

"Erachi"in Malayalam means "Meat" mainly of beef & "Ullarthiyathu" (pronounced as ullar - thi - yadhhu) literally means "shredded". If you are not able to pronounce it....forget it...you just concentrate on the recipe. :) This is a popular pub food of Kerala. Pub when I say here, is the local toddy shops, where people enjoy their local drinks and lick on to some of this hot meat fry & pickle. Slowly this dish gained its recognition in major restaurants of Kerala. "Erachi Ullarthiyadhu" can be made in many variations. Also the names are different in different regions of Kerala. But whatever be the name or recipe, the method to prepare this dish is the same i.e to marinate and cook the meat and then pan fry till the meat is completely dry.

This recipe is given by my mother in law, who is a great cook of all times. She had made this for us once & I immediately took down the recipe from her.I have used the meat of a lamb because I am a little reluctant to include any beef or pork recipes in my blog so that I don't hurt any of my friend's religious sentiments. You can make it with mutton, if you don't prefer beef. The traditional recipe suggests to use coconut pieces with the meat, but I don't like the combination of coconut & meat. You can very well add it if you want to. This is the easiest of all the variations. Less ingredients used to get a fantastic appetizer. Cheers!!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 kg tender meat of lamb (cut into cubes) (can use with bone or boneless)
• 2 medium sized onion (finely sliced lengthwise)
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 3 tsp of finely sliced ginger
• 10-12 curry leaves
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 1/4 cup of oil (preferably coconut oil)
• salt to season

Coarsely grind:

• 6 dried red chillies
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 big stick of cinnamon
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp turmeric powder

Method:

1. Wash the meat pieces nicely and marinade the meat with the coarsely ground spices. Keep aside for 10 minutes.
2. Cook the marinaded meat in a cooker, adding enough water to cover the meat along with vinegar & salt. Keep the heat in medium allow to cook for a minimum of 20 minutes & maximum of 30. Let the pressure go off the cooker. Open the pressure cooker.
3. If there is water in the meat, cook the meat for some more time with out the lid so that the water evaporates by itself.
4. Heat oil in a Kadai or a deep frying pan. Saute the sliced onions in it till they get translucent. Now add the garlic, ginger & curry leaves to it. Saute for 3 more minutes.
5. Now stir in the cooked meat with the onions and saute well until the meat is fully dry, roasted & shredded.

Methi Ke Theple ( Indian Fenugreek Flat bread)

"Rotli, daal, Bhaat ane shaak"!! Yes, a dish from Gujarat, the West most state of India, rich in culture, religious ideologies and of course the yummy unique range of food. The Gujarathi cuisine differ from the other regional cuisines of India. First & foremost difference is that most of the Gujarathi dishes are vegetarian & secondly, they love to add a bit of sugar to almost all their dishes. But it tastes so good. I often used to go have "Gujarathi Thali" at Gujarathi Samaj in Coimbatore with friends! The Thali consists of a An Indian flatbread, rice, lentil curry and vegetable gravy....The Gujju way of describing a Thali is what I have written in the beginning!!

"Thepla" is a delicious Gujarathi flat bread made with a combination of flour and greens. Mostly, fenugreek leaves are used. A best way to consume greens, if you don't like to consume it the way it is. The Theplas are made so thin and crisp that they last long for 2-3 days. This must be the reason why you find, many North Indian families pack Theplas in their tiffin while travelling in a train. Stuffed Paranthas on the go......Saru Che!! ;)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups wheat flour (atta)
• 1/4 cup gram flour (besan/chick-pea flour)
• 1 bunch of fresh fenugreek leaves (methi) (If you don't get fresh methi, use 1/2 cup dried fenugreek leaves/kasuri methi)
• 1/2 cup curd
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 2 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
• a pinch of asafoetida (heeng)
• 1 tbsp of oil
• salt to taste

Method:

1. Mix all the above ingredients and knead into a soft dough (like you make for chapathis). Cover and keep aside for at least 10 minutes.
2. Divide the dough into lemon sized balls and roll it into very thin, round shape just like you do for chapathis. Now take a tsp of oil and spread it all over the flat chapathi / thepla.
3. Heat a flat tava or a flat non stick pan. When it is hot, place the thepla on the tava, oil side down. Let it cook for 1 minute. Pour little more oil across & on top of the thepla.
4. Turn over the thepla and let the other side too cook. Turn the thepla frequently so that it is fully roasted and cooked equally on both sides. Remove from heat when is done.
5. Serve hot with a nice North Indian dry gravy, curd & pickle. :)

Roasted Carrots & Summer Veggies in Lemony Butter

Light Cooking for me is a healthy approach to cooking. It is nothing but swapping your high calorie ingredient with a much less calorie one or use of less oil & no frying process. If you are health conscious or on a diet & would want to try out low calorie, Light cooking recipes, this is one of the dishes which you can try. Summer is in its peak & summer veggies are also in plenty, so why not include them into your diet at least once in a week. Less oil, no hassle frying, just boil it or bake it.

Roasted Carrots & Spring Veggies can be a great accompaniment too with your roasted Chicken or steak. May the goodness of nature prevail & cheers to a healthy Life!!

Roasted Carrots

Ingredients:

• 750 gm /8-10 medium carrots (halved lengthways)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• salt & pepper to season

Method:

1. Boil the halved carrots in a saucepan for 10-12 minutes until they are tender but not so much. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 160 degree Celsius / gas 4.
2. Drain the water & tip the carrots into a roasting tin.
3. Add the olive oil, cumin , coriander & the seasonings to the carrots.
4. Roast the carrots for 45 minutes until they brown at the edges.

Summer Veggies in Lemony Butter

Ingredients:

• 200 gm fresh/frozen peas
• 200 gm green beans (trimmed & cut into half)
• 1/2 of big cauliflower or broccoli (cut into florets)
• 1 green cabbage (optional, shredded)
• 25 gm butter
• juice of 1 lemon
• salt & pepper to season

Method:

1. Boil water in a big sauce pan & put in the veggies & cook for 10-12 minutes & no more.
2. Drain the water & rinse the veggies under cold water. Drain again.
3. Melt the butter in the same saucepan until it starts to foam. Add the lemon juice & the vegetables. Toss everything together until the butter is coated with the veggies. Season well with salt & pepper. Squeeze half a lemon more at the time of serving.

Chicken Satay Skewers

Oops! I almost forgot that I have a category called "Oriental". Its been long since I cooked something in Chinese or Japanese. So here goes this time. An Appetizer from South East Asia is coming through this weekend. Now who doesn't love Oriental cuisine. Its everybody's all time favourite. Everybody prefers to go to a Chinese, Thai or a Japanese restaurant during the weekends. At least I do. :) Actually I don't mind going anywhere as long as I get good food!!

Chicken Satay it is, coming straight from I don't know Japan or Indonesia...cos I have relished good satays in Japanese restaurants but when I researched, I found out that Satay have originated from Indonesia. So not getting into a debate here & straight going to the recipe. Satay, basically means any meat which is marinated in an oriental spice paste & then skewered to grill. It is served with a nice Satay Sauce. It is a good Appetizer to be made for your guests, who will just be amazed to see how a restaurant dish can be made just so quick & delicious at home. Earn your brownie points mates....So Let's get Cooking!!

Ingredients:

• 500 gm of chicken breasts (cut into finger length strips)
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 4 cloves garlic
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2-3 green chillies
• 3 tbsp cooking oil
• salt & pepper to season

Method:

1. Put the coriander, cumin seeds & the turmeric powder into a dry frying pan & fry for a minute. Tip into a blender & add the garlic, lime juice, chillies, 1 tbsp of vegetable oil & salt & pepper. Whizz for 1-2 minutes until smooth paste.
2. Put the paste into a large, shallow dish, add the chicken & toss everything together. Cover & chill for atleast 20 minutes or upto 12 hours.
3. Soak few wooden skewers in water for 10-15 minutes before cooking the chicken.
4. Heat the Bar-Be-Que or grill or a non stick griddle until hot. Thread the chicken onto the skewers, drizzle with the remaining oil & grill for 4-5 minutes on each side until juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with a skewer.
5. Serve in a tray with cut cucumber sticks and Satay Sauce.

PS: For the Satay Sauce recipe, please go to "Satay Sauce".

Satay Sauce

A quick peanut sauce of Indonesia, ready to be served along with some mouth watering Chicken Satay.

Ingredients:

• 200 gm salted peanuts
• 1 tbsp molasses sugar or jaggery(I have used soft brown sugar)
• 1/2 lemongrass stalk, chopped
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 200 ml coconut cream or milk

Method:

1. Put all the Satay Sauce ingredients into a blender & add 2 tbsp of water. Blend together & make a thick chunky sauce out of it. Chill it & serve when needed.

PS: To view the recipe of Chicken Satay, please click on the "Oriental" category of this blog.

Uzhunnu Vada / Medu Vada

Vada is a generic, common name given across India, to a round shaped fritter fried in oil. Vada's can be made of either different lentils, gram flour or even potatoes. It differs in size too according to different cuisines. Its a perfect savoury tiffin enjoyed & relished by everyone. Its crispy on the outside and soft & fluffy inside...mmmm...

I made "Uzhunnu Vada" today for my breakfast. Uzhunnu in malayalam is Urad Dal/ Black gram. Uzhunnu Vada is the Indian cousin of the Western DOUGH NUTS! Probably because of its similar looks!! Medhu Vada has become so popular now that it is now treated as a street food in India. I was missing my "Annapoorna Sambar Vada" of Coimbatore that today I ended up making some. My Vadas have not come out perfectly round but who cares, taste is all that matters. :)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups urad dal (split black gram)
• 1 large onion (finely chopped)
• 3-4 green chillies (finely chopped)
• 15-20 peppercorns
• 2 inch ginger (optional, finely chopped)
• few curry leaves (optional, finely chopped)
• salt to taste
• oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Soak the urad dal in water for at least 5-6 hours. I soak the dal overnight to make the vadas for breakfast.
2. Drain it and grind the dal to make a paste. Use very little water to grind the dal. The paste should not be watery but so thick that when you take a spoonful of the dal paste and invert the spoon, the paste should fall off with a plop sound!
3. Now add the chopped onion, green chillies, peppercorns, curry leaves, chopped ginger and salt to the paste and mix everything together with your hand. Use your hand instead of the spoon so that the air traps inside the dal paste to make the vadas fluffy and soft.
4. Heat oil in a Kadhai for deep frying the vadas.
5. Now is the tricky part. Dab your fingers in a little oil and take a portion of the dal paste with your four fingers as shown in the picture below.
6. Now with your thumb make a hole in the middle of the paste and invert the paste in the hot oil. (MIND THE HOT OIL)
7. Fry the vadas until they turn light golden on all sides.
8. Serve the hot Vadas with some hot Sambar. You can immerse the Vadas inside the sambar and oh...I can't even explain what the feeling is when you put those hot Vadas in your mouth!

PS: To see the recipe of "Sambar", please click on to the "Kerala Sadya" category of this blog!! ENJOY!!