Here is a simple meal idea for a difference from the usual. :) pulkas with bell pepper sabji, aloo poha and a cup of fresh home-made yogurt. When made without garlic and onions this is a wonderful meal for fasting on ekadasi or any other days.
Aloo PohaIngredients:
- Poha (Rice flakes) - 1 cup
- Potato - 1, peeled and finely chopped
- Onion - 1 , finely chopped
- Green chillies - 3 or 4, slit
- Roasted peanuts - 1/2 cup
- Ginger - 1 tsp, shredded
- Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
- Corriander leaves - to garnish
- Curry leaves - few
- Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
- Urad dhal - 1 tsp
- Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
- salt - to taste
- Oil - 2 tbsp
How to make it:
Soak poha in water for about 10 minutes. Squeeze to drain the water. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. when it splutters, add urad dhal, onions, green chillies, ginger and curry leaves. Fry until onion turns translucent. Add the potatoes, turmeric powder, salt and asafoetida and cook until potato is well cooked. Add the peanuts. Add the poha and mix well on low flame. Garnish with corriander leaves. Switch off the flame. Close the pan with a tight lid and let it stand until ready to be served. (The poha becomes dry if kept open!)
PulkasIngredients:
- Wheat flour - 2 cups
- Water - to knead,as required
- Salt - to taste
- Oil - 2 tsp
How to make it:
Mix salt and flour. Add water little by little and make a soft dough. Add oil and knead for one more time. Apply little more oil on dough and set aside for about 3 hours. Make small balls out of the dough and press flat with a rolling pin. Heat a tava, spread the rolled dough and cook until it turns light brown on one side. It puffs up. Now cook the other side of the pulkas by directly showing it over the flame with the help of tongs. Apply some ghee on the pulkas and fold into four. Keep it in a hot pack layered with a thin cloth. Close tightly.
Bell pepper sabjiThis is a simple sabji with no much spices or garam masala. But the taste is wonderful!
Ingredients:
- Bell pepper - 1, medium size, chopped
- Onion - 1, finely chopped
- Tomatoes - 2, plum medium size, finely chopped
- Red chillies - 2
- Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
- Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
- Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
- Asafoetida powder - 1/2 tsp
- salt - as required
- oil- 2 tbsp
- Curry leaves - to garnish
How to make it:
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and when it splutters, add urad dhal, red chillies and asafoetida. Add onions and fry until it turns light brown. Add the bell pepper and saute until half cooked. Add tomatoes, red chilli powder and salt. Cook for a while. Add 1/2 cup water and cook covered on low heat for about 10 minutes. Garnish with curry leaves.
Hi all.... Hope you all had a wonderful Diwali Celebration. This time, its a Saturday so could celebrate with few gatherings. Made some Rasmalai and Mixture for Sweets and Snacks, decorated home with few lamps and colourful lights. No fire crackers though,.... follow state law!
Coming to the recipes,
RasmalaiIngredients:
- Ricotta Cheese - 1 lb (at room temperature)
- Whole milk - 7 or 8 cups
- Sugar - 1 1/2 to 2 cups
- MTR Badam Mix - 4 tbsp
- Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
- Saffron - a big pinch
How to make it:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix ricotta cheese and 1/4 cup sugar in a bowl. Fill a non-stick muffin pan with the cheese mixture , about 1 tbsp each. Bake for about 1/2 hour or until set. Tooth pick inserted should come out clean. Be careful not to over heat (Turns brown when over heated). Take out the cakes by inverting the muffin pan onto a cookie sheet. Let it cool.
Meanwhile, In a deep pan, add the milk and bring it to a boil. Let it boil in low flame for about 15 minutes. Add the remaining sugar, MTR mix and Cardamom powder. Boil until the milk becomes little thick. Garnish with saffron. Let it cool.
Drop the cakes carefully into the milk. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Mixture
Ingredients:
- Besan flour - 2 cups
- Rice flour - 1 cup
- Rice flakes (Poha) - 3/4 cup
- Peanuts - 1/2 cup
- Cashews - 2 tbsp
- Red chilli powder - 1/2tsp + 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp
- Salt - as required
- Asafoetida powder - 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp
- Butter - 1 tsp
- Curry leaves - few
- Oil - for frying
How to make it:
Boondhi:Heat oil in a deep pan. Mix 1 cup besan flour, 1/2 cup rice flour, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, salt, 1/2 tsp asafoetida with water. It should be in the consistency of a thick batter. Keeping the ladle with holes over the oil, pour little of the mixture and press with another ladle. This makes small round balls. Fry until it turns nice orange colour. Take onto a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Continue doing with the remaining batter.
Oma podi:Mix 1 cup besan flour, 1/2 cup rice flour, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp butter, 1/2 tsp asafoetida and salt with little water. Make a soft dough. Take a ball of the dough into a Muruku press with slotted holes as base. Press lightly over the hot oil. Fry until golden brown. Take onto a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Crush the oma podi into small pieces.
Fry peanuts, rice flakes and cashew nuts in oil separately. Fry few curry leaves.
In a small bowl, make a mixture of red chilli powder, salt and asafoetida. In a large bowl, mix everything together. Store in an air tight container.
Last week there was a parcel at my doorstep and.... wondering what it would be, i picked up the package and found that it was from Foodbuzz (as a part of the taste maker programme with Nature's Pride bread)
It consisted of - a loaf of 12 Grain bread and a loaf of Whole wheat bread. I tried lot of recipes using these breads like sandwiches, crispy and spicy cuts with veggies and bread balls. These really are, a hit on the table! We simply loved it! As the name says, Nature's Pride breads are made with some of the finest natural ingredients and to be specific the whole wheat bread was just awesome! Never hesitate to try those varieties.
Coming to the recipe,
Bread Balls
Ingredients:
- Nature's Pride whole wheat bread - 8 slices
- Spinach - 1 cup chopped
- Onions - 1/2 cup finely chopped
- Jalapenos - 2 tsp, finely chopped
- Pepper - a dash
- Oregano - a dash
- Crushed red peppers - if preferred, to taste ( just in case if u want it little spicy)
- Mozzarella cheese - 4 oz shredded
- Corn flour - 1 tbsp, made into a paste with little water
- Salt - to taste
- Oil - for frying
How to make it:
In a bowl, add spinach, onions, jalapenos, pepper, oregano, crushed red peppers and salt. Mix well. Remove the ends of the bread slices (save it for making bread crumbs). Dip the bread in a bowl of water and squeeze the water by keeping the bread between your palms. Now you have it in the consistency of a dough. Keep some spinach and cheese mixture in the center and cover it with the bread and make into balls. Dip in corn flour and deep fry in oil until it turns light brown. Shallow frying or baking is also a good option.
Serve hot with a sauce. I served with a chunky salsa, it was tasting wonderful!
Salsa
Ingredients:
- Hunt's fire roasted diced tomatoes - 1/2 can
- Onion - 1/4 cup, chopped
- Bell pepper - 1/4 cup, chopped
- Jalapeno - 1, finely chopped
- Taco seasoning - 1/2 tsp
- Lime juice - 1 tsp
- Cilantro - 2 tbsp, chopped and to garnish
- Salt - as required
How to make it:
Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan, add bell peppers, jalapenos and onions and fry well. Let it cool. In a blender or food processor, add the fried peppers and onions, taco seasoning, salt, cilantro and half of the tomatoes. Pulse for just 2 or 3 times. Take onto a bowl. Add the remaining tomatoes and a squeeze of lime. Garnish with cilantro.
Veggies 'n Rice
Ingredients:
- Rice - 1 cup
- Onions - 1, finely chopped
- Bell pepper - 1/2 cup, chopped lengthwise
- Carrots,Beans, Peas - 1/2 cup chopped
- Tomato paste - 1 1/2 tbsp
- Garlic - 2 cloves, finely chopped
- Jalapenos - 1, finely chopped
- Bay leaf - 1
- Cloves - 2
- Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
- Saffron - 1 big pinch
- Salt - as required
- Cilantro - to garnish
- Mint - to garnish, if preferred
- Oil - 2 to 3 tbsp
- Water - required for cooking 1 cup rice (depends on the rice used)
How to make it:
Heat oil in a heavy bottom non-stick pan (the one with lid), add bay leaf, cloves and cinnamon. When it sizzles, add garlic, onions and jalapenos. Fry until onion becomes translucent. Add bell peppers, carrots, beans and peas. Add the tomato paste and saute. Now add rice and fry for a while. Add water and salt. Bring it to a boil. Add the saffron. Cover with lid and simmer heat for about 15 minutes or until done. Open the lid, mix it well. Garnish with cilantro and mint and close with the lid. Let it stand until serving.
This is the platter i served over the weekend. A happy and complete meal! Moreover its 100% vegetarian!
Baked bread with veggies
Ingredients:
- Bread - 6 slices (3 nos. Nature's Pride 12 grain bread and 3 nos. Nature's pride Whole wheat bread)
- Onion - 1, chopped
- Bell peppers - 1 cup, chopped
- Ginger - 1 tsp, shredded
- Tomato paste - 1 1/2 tbsp
- Green chilli - 1 , slit
- Crushed red pepper - 1/2 tsp
- Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
- Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
- Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
- Turmeric powder - a pinch
- Cilantro - to garnish
- Oil - 2 tbsp
- Butter - 1 tbsp plus to spread
- Salt - to taste
How to make it:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread butter on both sides of the bread. Cut into pieces. Bake for about 10-12 minutes. Heat oil and butter in a pan, add fennel and cumin. When it sizzles, add onions, ginger and green chilli. Fry until onion becomes translucent. Add the bell peppers and saute until it gets half cooked. Add tomato paste, turmeric powder, red peppers, garam masala and salt. Saute well. Add the baked bread pieces and mix well until it gets nicely coated. Garnish with cilantro. Serve hot with tomato sauce.
