Daliya Poha ladoos/ Pottukadalai Aval ladoos.

      My daughter goes crazy for Pottukadalai ladoos. Since she is a picky eater, I make this for her quite often. These ghee laden ladoos are a rich source of protein for pure vegetarians like us. Today she was pesturing me for something crunchy and that too immediately. I shortlisted so many snacks but she kept saying no for everything. Finally I was able to guess she was asking for these. But to my dismay I was running short of Pottukadalai, but had almost a full packet of beaten rice flakes. A quick decision turned out to be a tasty sweet dish. 

        I quickly collected all the ingredients and sprung into action and tadaa these ladoos were born. :D. My husband was in the though that these were made of sooji but was awestruck when I revealed the secret ingredient for the coarse texture.

     
So here goes the ingredients :

Ingredients :

    1.  Pottudalai/Daliya                               -  1 cup (roughly 150-200 gms)
    2.  Aval/Beaten rice flakes                     -  1.5 - 2 cups.
    3.  Sugar                                                     -  Per your taste, I used around 1.5 cups
    4.  Ghee                                                      -  As required.
    5.  Cardamom                                            - 15-20 pods
    6.  Nuts of your choice, I used Pista.

Procedure :

    In a kadai, dry roast the Poha. No need to roast it brown as the ladoos will get discolored. In a mixie put the roasted poha, pottukadalai/daliya, sugar and cardamom pods and grind it to a powder. In the same kadai melt the ghee, fry the nuts till golden brown In a a big plate or big bowl put the powdered mixture and add the hot ghee and make ladoos immediately. Add extra ghee if you are not able to shape the ladoos.


Notes:

1. I have given a rough estimate of the ingredients.                                                                              
2.  The ladoos need to be made as soon as the hot ghee is poured otherwise shaping will be    difficult. You can use a spoon to mix the ghee for easy shaping.

 

 

Fried Idlies with stir fried veggies.

Idlies are the most safest and healthiest food. But not evrybody may like Idlies as is in the original form. Especially me, not evrytime I like to eat Idlies plain and always I try to make an addition to the Idlies. Today my daughter was also at home. She loves plain Idlies, but I wanted to give a variation to that. I even sought help frm fellow bloggers and few of them gave good tips. I customized one of the recipes to my taste and bingo. My daughter was so happy with the result and she ate more than her usual count. Here goes the recipe.


Fried Idlies with Stir fried Veggies :

1.   Idlies                                  -  6 nos.
2.   Onion                                 -  1 medium
3.   Tomato                              -  1 small
4.   Carrot                                - 1 medium
5.   Potato                                 - 1 medium
6.   Green peas                        - 1 cup
7.   Green Chilly                      - 1 medium
8.   Ginger                                - 1 small piece
9.   Mustard, Jeera, Oil          - For seasoning
10. Idli Chutney powder or
      Paruppu (Dhal powder)   - 3-4 spoons
11. Curd                                       - 2-3 spoons

Method.

  In a plate, take the Idli Chutney powder or Dhal powder and make a paste of it with Sesame or Gingelly oil and curd. Cut the Idlies into equal pieces and marinate them in the curd paste for abt 10-15 mins. In a kadai, heat small amt of oil. Once the oil is heated, shallow fry the Idlies till lightly crisp. And leave the fried idlies aside. In the same kadai, add some oil and add mustard seeds and Jeera and allow it to splutter.
Then add the green chilly and ginger and fry for a min. Then add the onion and tomato and cook till the raw smell goes. Then add the cut carrot, potato and green peas and fry till cooked. Then add garam masala or sambar powder and cook till the raw smell goes. Now add the fried idlies and fry for another 2-3 mins. 
Fried Idlies is done. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot along with sauce or chutney.

These can also be used as starters in parties. I prepared them for lunch.

Capsicum Sambar/ Capsicum in lentil gravy

Ingredients

1. Capsicum                                         -  2 medium or 3 small nos

2. Onion                                              -  1 small

3. Tomato                                            -  1 medium

4. Tamarind                                         -   Lemon sized ball

5.  Toor Dal                                          -  1.5 - 2 cups

6.   Salt                                                -  To taste

7.  Sambar Powder                                -  2-3 spoons

For Tempering:

1.  Oil                                                   -  2 tsps

2.  Mustard and Fenugreek seeds            -  1 tsp each  

3.  Dry chillies                                        -  1 big or 2 small

Method:

First soak the tamarind in hot water for about 15 mins. Pressure cook the Toor dal till soft. Now strain the tamarind, but mixing it with the water and take its water till the extract turns white.

Cut the capsicum, onions and tomatoes in equal medium slices. Add the veggies to the tamarind water along with salt, sambar powder and hing if required and allow it to boil. After 15 mins, check if the veggies have boiled and if the raw smell of tamarind and sambar powder has gone. Then add the cooked toor dal and allow it to boil for 1 min.

In a kadai, add oil. Once the oil is heated, add the mustard seeds and allow it to splutter. Then add fenugreek seeds and dry red chillies and temper it on the sambar. 

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Hot Sambar is ready to be served with Steamed rice or Idly, Dosa.

  

Strawberry Nutella Thumbprint cookies.

Today ( 12th of July) is my hubby's work anniversary. I wanted to prepare something special for him. So was pondering over for nice recipes in the Net as well as in FB. My search ended in one of the foodie grps, where I saw the recipe for Strawberry cookies. Since I have'nt tried baking cookies, thght why not try these. so started preparing them and the end result was quite satisfying to all of us. 

So here goes the ingredients list and the procedure.

Ingredients:

APF / Maida                                    – 1.5 - 2 cups
Baking powder                                – ½ Tsp
Salt                                               – A pinch
Unsalted butter                               – 4 Tblsp (Room Temperature)
Powdered white sugar                     – 7 - 10 Tbslp
Vanilla essence                                – 1 Tsp
Strawberry puree                            -  3-4 tblsp
Nutella/ Any Jam of your choice       -  For filling

The Strawberries need to be crushed finely. The consistency shld not be too watery or running. 

Procedure:

First sift the dry ingredients together and keep it aside. Then in a bowl mix the butter and sugar and beat until creamy or till they combine together. Now add the vanilla essence and the starwberry puree and mix again till the blend well. Now mix this batter with the dry ingredients. Mix well and refrigerate the dough or abt 30 mins to 1 hr.

Preheat the oven to 350 F / 175 C. Take out the cookie dough from fridge. Grease your palms with oil or butter and make small balls of the dough. Line the cookie tray with parchment paper. Place the cookie balls in the tray one by one and press them gently. Using your thumb or a small oil spoon, make a small hole in the middle of the cookies. If the butter seems to be melting, refrigerate them again for another 15 - 20 mins. 

Bake the cookies for abt 12 mins or till the bottom starts turning brown. But dnt bake them beyond 12 mins. These cookies will continue to cook after being taken out. Again, using the spoon, make a hole in the middle.
Once the cookies completely cool off, fill in Nutella or any jam of your choice.

Yummy Strawberry Nutella cookies are ready to be chewed on. 

Lemon Rice

One of the easiest and tastiest dishes and an anytimer. This can be prepared in a giffy if all the ingredients are available.

Ingredients:

1.   Cooked Rice                                             -     2-3 cups

2.   Lemon                                                        -     1 big

3.   Salt                                                              -     As per taste

3.   Mustard seeds                                         -     1 tbslp

4.   Channa Dal                                              -     1 tbslp

5.  Green chillies                                           -     2-3 small 

6.  Curry leaves                                             -    Few

7.  Oil                                                                  -   3-4 spoons

8.  Hing                                                               -  A pinch

9.  Peanuts and Cashews                             -   For tempering and garnishing.

10. Turmeric Powder                                  -   1 tbslp

Procedure :

  Cut the green chillies into very small pieces and keep it aside. Heat a kadai and add oil to it. Add Mustard seeds and allow it to splutter. Then add channa dal and green chillies and fry for abt 10 seconds. Then add curry leaves, hing and turmeric powder, Cashews and peanuts and fry for about a minute.

Then remove the mixture from stove. Add the cooked rice and salt and mix well. Then cut the lemon and squeeze the juice to the rice and mix well. Lemon rice is ready to be served. Fresh coriander leaves can also be used to garnish.

Note:

Donot add lemon while the mix is still cooking as it will spoil the mix.

Easy Black eyes beans gravy

Black Eye Beans Gravy / Curry.

  My daughter loves black eyes beans like anything. So I include it in my cooking atleast twice a week. This recipe is a very simple and easy one.

Ingredients:

1. Black eyed beans                                      - 150 - 200 gms

2. Onions                                                           - 2 nos (Medium)

3. Tomatoes                                                      - 2 nos (Medium)

4. Salt                                                                   - As reqd

5. Garam masala                                             - 3/4 Tblspoons

6. Hing                                                                - A pinch

7. Jeera seeds                                                  - 1/2 Tspoon

8. Oil                                                                    - 1 to 2 Tblspoons

9. Ginger Garlic paste                                   - 1/2 tblspoon

Method.

Wash the black eye beans for any dirt and soak it in water either overnight or for 8 hrs. Now pressure cook or boil the beans till it cooks almost soft. Now, heat a kadai. Add oil and Jeera seeds. Once it splutters, add the chopped onions saute till its translucent. Add the chopped tomatoes and fry till raw smell disappears. Now add the boiled beans and give a gentle mix. Then add some water, salt, ginger garlic paste and garam masala and allow the mixture to boil. Once the raw smell of garam masala goes off, remove the mixture from stove. Black eyes bean curry is ready to be served. Coriander leaves can be used for garnishing.

This is a good accompaniment for Steamed rice, Chapathi, Poori etc.

Aval Thengai urundai/Poha and coconut balls

As the name suggests this is a very healthy sweet and can be made in a jiffy.

Ingredients :

1. Poha/Aval                                             -  150-200gms
2. Dessicated Coconut                           -  1 cup
3. Sugar                                                       - As per taste 
4.Elaichi / Cardamom powder            - A small pinch
5. Almonds cut in thin pieces              - 6-8 pieces.

Preparation:

First wash Poha well to clear off any dirt and soak for 10 mins. Then strain off the water. Now add the dessicated cocont, sugar and cardamom powder and mix well with hands. Make medium sized balls of the mix.
Garnish with finely cut almonds.

Healthy Poha balls are ready to be served.

Semiya Paal Payasam/Vermicelli Kheer

Semiya paal payasam  is a sweet dessert usually made on many festive occassions down South India. The main ingredients of this dish are Semiya or Vermicelli, Milk and sugar.

SEMIYA PAAL PAYASAM.

INGREDIENTS:

Semiya ( Vermicelli)                         - 200 gms
Milk/Condensed Milk                         - 2 Cups/1 Cup 
Sugar                                                - 3-4 cups or as per 
                                                            taste
Cardamom powder                            - A Pinch
Chironji seed, Raisins                        - 1 teaspoon each
Cashews                                            - 4 or 5 broken
Ghee                                                 - for frying

PREPARATION :

With Plain milk:

In a kadai, first roast the semiya in ghee till the semiya turns golden brown. Then add water to the fried semiya and allow it to cook. Once the semiya is cooked add milk to the mixture and allow it cook further. Once the milk is boiled add sugar slowly and keep stirring so that the milk doesnt disintegrate. Then add cardamom powder, crush the chironji seeds by keeping between the palms and add it to the dessert. Now, in another kadai , fry cashwenuts in ghee till golden brown and add it to the dessert. Raisins can also be added.

With Condensed Milk:

Same procedure as above, add sugar first and keep stirring. Then add the condensed milk in small amounts and keep stirring. 

Notes:

Dont deep fry semiya as it will spoil the taste
If you are planning to add sugar first, then add it to the mixture and let it get mixed well and add milk and keep stirring it slowly as there is a chance of the milk and water getting disintegrated.

Araichuvitta Murungakkai Sambar/ Drumsticks in spicy Lentil and coconut gravy.

Araichuvitta Sambar is a regular dish in my house every sunday. But, I had'nt prepared it for sometime in the recent past. Today, being Mother's day, I thght why not make it today. And , as usual, it had turned out very well.

Ingredients:

1. Drumsticks/Murungakkai                  -     2 Medium

2. Capsicum/ Green Bell Pepper           -      1 big

3. Tomato                                                  -     1 Big

4. Tamarind                                              -     1 Lemon sized ball  

5.  Toor Dal                                               -     1 cup

5. Home made Masala                            -     1 Cup

6. Salt                                                        -      To taste

For Garnishing:

1. Oil                                                          -      2 tblspoons

2. Mustard and Fenugreek seeds.        -      1 teaspoon each

3. Dried Red chillies                                -     2 nos

For Home made masala:

1. Dried Red chillies                                -   4-8 Nos ( Depending on your taste)

2. Urad dal                                               -  1 Tblspoon

3. Channa Dal                                          -  1 Tblspoon

4. Dhaniya seeds                                     - 1/4 Tblspoon

5. Coconut                                                - 1 to 1.5 cups.

Preparation:

First soak the tamarind in hot water and allow it to stand for 10 mins. Then strain the tamarind by mixing it with the water and take its juice till the water is almost white. I used Tamarind paste and used almost 2 Tblspoons. Boil the Toor Dal.

Now, cut the drumsticks and capsicum in medium length pieces and add it to the Tamarind water and allow it to boil. Add cut tomato, salt, Hing. Heat a Kadai, add Ghee, then add the dried red chillies, Urad Dal, Channa Dal, Hing and Dhaniya seeds and fry till little golden brown. Remove it from the stove and allow it to cool. Once the mixture is cool, grind it along with Coconut till almost fine paste.

When the raw smell of the Tamarind goes, add this mixture to the gravy and allow just 2 mins boil. Now add the boiled Toor Dal and allow a further 1-2 mins boil. Water can be added if the Sambar turns thick

Remove from stove. In a kadai add Oil, mustard, Fenugreek and the red chillies and pour it on the Sambar.

Garnish with Fresh coriander leaves.

Hot Araichuvitta Sambar is ready to be served. Serve with Steamed white rice. Also, this is a good accompaniment for Idli, Dosa, Uthappam, Upma.

Perfect side dish for this is Potato Fry.

Note:

Small onions or Shallots can also be added, but they need to fried till the raw smell goes off.

Carrot coconut dry curry.

All of us love carrots don't we. Well, me and my husband are crazy of carrots. But till I tried giving this curry to my daughter, I did not knw that she also loved carrots. One of the most healthiest and easy to cook veggie.

This is a very simple and easy to cook preparation and is high in nutrition.

Ingredients :

1.  Carrot                          -  500 Gms

2.  Dessicated coconut      -  1 cup

3. Mustard, Jeera             -  1 tbslpoon each

4. Oil                               -  2-4 tbslpoons

5. Salt                              -  As per taste

6. Turmeric powder         - A pinch.

7.  Hing                            - For flavor

8. Red chillies                  - 2 Nos

Preparation :

 First Wash and peel the carrot. Cut it into small pieces and parboil it in water adding turmeric and salt.Once the carrots are boiled, strain off the water and rinse the carrots in cold water. Heat a kadai or frying pan, add  oil and mustard and Jeera seeds. Once they splutter, add the red chillies and add the boiled carrots. Add hing to it and fry for 2 mins. Then add the dessicated coconut and fry for abt 30 secs. Now remove the curry from stove and transfer it to a bowl.

Yumm Carrot curry is ready to be served.

Notes:

Curry leaves can be used for garnishing. 

Also, adding coconut oil adds to the flavor and aroma.

Cabbage and green peas fry

Ingredients : 

1. Cabbage                         -  250 gms

2. Green peas                     - 1 cup

3. Dried red chillies              - 2

4. Coconut  shredded           - 1 cup              

5. Salt                                   - As per taste

6. Oil                                      -  2 tbslps

7. Mustard seeds                -  1 tblsp 

Procedure : 

First cut the cabbage into fine pieces and boil it with salt and turmeric. In a kadai or frying pan, add oil and mustard seeds.Once they splutter , add the red chillies , boiled cabbage, green peas, hing and fry for a minute. Then add the shredded coconut and remove off from stove. 

Aloo and Babycorn dry curry

Today, my hubby had decided to work from home. So, I had decided to prepare Deep fried aloo for him for lunch, since he loves it very much. I had also zeroed on Paneer and carrot fried rice. But, I did'nt want to make the stereotypical Aloo fry. So was wondering wat else can be added with Aloo and mutter. 

Then I realised, I had few of the baby corns left. So got that idea of adding that to aloo and trying out a different combo. And, my experiment did not fail.

So here goes the recipe.

Ingredients : 

1. Potatoes                                        -   5 to 6

2. Peas                                                -   1 cup

3. Baby corn                                       -   3-5 , cut into thin and long pieces

4. Oil                                                    -    8-10 tbslp

5. Mustard and Jeera seeds          -    2 tspns each.

6. Hing                                                -    For seasoning.

7. Salt                                                 -   As per requirement.

8. Sambar powder/                          -  2-3 tbslp


Preparation:

First wash and boil the potatoes.Cut the potatoes into equal sized cubes. In a kadai , heat oil. Then add the mustard seeds and allow it to splutter. Then add the Jeera seeds. Now add the cut potatoes, salt, hing, sambar powder and fry for sometime. Then add peas and baby corn and fry for abt 10 mins. Then remove the curry from stove. 

This is a very good accompaniment for Plain steamed rice, fried rice, Chappathi, Pori, Dosa , etc.

    

Noodles in Babycorn aloo gravy

Last week, I had got a pack of plain Instant Noodles for my daughter, since she does not like the masala. 
I only add salt and pepper for her noodles. But for me and my hubby that wont suffice and what else can be added to that apart from Veggies and Garam masala. So again the Fridge hunt started.

I had a can of Baby corn, few potatoes and Frozen peas. Then I had the freaking idea of making a gravy of these and mixing the noodles to the same.

Ofcourse I was worried of the result and taste. But my experiment did not disappoint me or my hubby. It turned very good.

Here goes the recipe.

NOODLES IN BABYCORN ALOO GRAVY:

Ingredients :

1. Plain noodles                             - 1 pkt
2. Aloo/Potato .                             - 3-4 
3. Baby corn                                   - 7-8
4. Peas                                               - 1 cup
5. Onions                                           - 2 medium
6. Tomato Puree                           - 1 Tblsp
7. Garam masala                        - 2-3 tblsp
8. Salt                                                - To taste
9. Oil                                                    - 2 tblsp
10. Jeera seeds                               - 1 tspn

Method:

First boil and keep the noodles aside. Then boil the potatoes separately and allow it to cool. Cut onions in large and thin slices. In a kadai , add oil and Jeera seeds. Once it splutters, add Onion and saute till it turns glacious. Then add the tomato puree and fry for just abt 30 seconds. Then add sufficient water, salt, peas and garam masala and allow it to boil till the raw smell goes. Then mash the boiled potatoes and add it to the mixture. Slit the baby corn in halves and and add it to the mixture. Allow it to boil for just about a minute.

Now in a bowl, keep the noodles and add the gravy to it and serve hot.

Masala Khichdi/ Spiced up Pongal

Yesterday, we were having potluck with frnz after a long time. I was little apprehensive abt making the same old Veg rice, Biryani, Gravies, Raita. So was thinking of something new and saw this new recipe abt a Khichdi in Jagruti di's blog. So I made a few alterations to her version and aloha this Pongal popped out.

Here goes the Ingredients and Method.

Ingredients:

Raw Rice                            - 1.5 cups

Moong dal (Green gram) - 3/4 cup

Onion                                  - 1 medium

Tomato                               - 1 Medium

Potato                                 - 1 Medium

Carrot                                 - 1

Corn                                    - 1 cup(Green peas can also be used)

Capsicum                            - 1 Small

Broccoli                               - 1 small floret bunch

Salt                                      - As per taste

Garam masala                - 1 Tbslp

For  Tempering:

Ghee                                  - 1 tblsp

Mustard seeds                 - 1 tsp

Ajwain                               - 1 tsp

Bay leaf                             - 1 or 2

Cardamom(Optional)     - 2 pods

Method :

Wash and soak the rice and dal for abt 20 mins. Cut all the veggies into thin and medium slices. In a kadai or wok, add Ghee and mustard seeds and allow it to splutter. Then add ajwain, bayleaf, cardamom and fry for abt 30 seconds. Then add onion add fry till a little glacious. Then add tomato and wait for the raw smell to go. Then add the cut carrot, potato, capsicum, corn and fry for about 30 seconds. Add sufficient salt, Garam masala and hing if you like the smell of hing and fry for abt a minute.

Then add the soaked rice and dal without water and fry till the masala mixes well with the rice. 'Now transfer the contents to a pressure cooker or rice cooker and add almost 5 to 6 cups of water. In case of Pressure cooker, wait for 5 to 6 whistles as the rice has to be cooked very fine.

Now, cut the broccoli florets removing the stems. Boil water in a vessel along with turmeric and salt. Once the water comes to boil. Wash the florets in running water to remove dirt. Then add the florets to the boiling water and remove it in 1 min, then soak in cold water immediately.

After removing the pongal, add the florets and mix just once. Add Ghee/Clarified butter for extra taste.

Serve hot with Cucumber raita, Masala Papad and Pickle.

    

Carrot and Corn Rice.

As usual, Its a Hectic Monday morning, making me tensed abt all the things like preparing a diff item for my hubby's lunch box, getting my daughter ready for her school and the most important thing, making her drink a glass of milk... . And today was a spl instruction to make something different for his tiffen dabba. So I started pondering my fridge and got hold of a tin of corn and few carrots, and then came the idea of Carrot and Corn rice.

And so here goes the recipe.

Ingredients :

Rice - 2 cups.

Carrots - 2 medium, cut into thin and medium pieces

Corn - 1/2 cup

Ginger - A small piece 

Cardamom ( Optional )  - 2 pods

Bay leaf - 2

Ghee - For frying

Jeera - 1 Tbslp.

Salt - To taste

Garam Masala (Optional) - 1 tblsp.


Method.

First wash and soak the rice for abt 15 - 20 mins. In a pan, heat ghee and add Jeera seeds. Once they splutter and the cut ginger and fry for abt a min. Now add the carrot and corn and fry for 2 mins. Then add the soaked rice, salt and Garam masala and ry for about 2 or 3 minutes. Then transfer the contents to a pressure cooker or rice cooker and add approximately 4 to 4.5 cups of water. If Pressure cooking, cook the rice till 1 or 2 whistles. I cooked in a rice cooker.

Serve Hot with cucumber raita or a side dish of ur choice.

Maladu/Pottukadalai laadu/Roasted Gram Laddu

Maladu /Pottukadalai Laddu/Roasted Gram Dal Laddu.

    Pottu Kadalai Laddu or Roasted Gram dal Laddu is a wholesome snack packed with proteins and nutrients and is an apt Evening snack.

                     

  Ingredients :

   Pottukadalai/ Roasted Gram      - 150 grams.

   Sugar                                                      - 100 Grams. or as per the sweet tooth.
  
   Ghee                                                       - 5 - 6 Tspoons

   Cardamom                                           - 2 to 3 pods.

   Cashews and raisins                      - For Garnishing.

   
Preparation :

   First Powder the Roasted gram until fine flour. Powder the sugar and cardamom together. Transfer all the ingredients in a vessel. Now in a kadai or frying pan heat the ghee and pour it in the mixture of roasted gram and sugar. Fry the cashews until golden brown and raisins and add it to the mixture. Once the heat subsides, make laddus.

Roasted gram, sugar and cardamom can be powdered together as well.