Fried Spicy Crispy Moong Dal using Microwave

                      The weather is absolutely fine. The cool, windy evening with some drizzles in between, makes the evening pure. This increased the thirst for a cup of ginger tea and a crunchy snack. Fine evening or weather, with a cup of tea and crunchy snack would make a best team. Yep, made this moong dal fry for halting my whole day.

                                As many, I am also a huge fan of Haldiram's Fried Moong Dal. They would be a best accompaniment for my long lonely travels. And for people like me, nowadays even small packs are available.

                                   Started making fried moong dal. But after soaking the moong dal, found my ladle (ladle with small holes) for oil frying, missing. Yes, my daughter was playing with it yesterday, while making food for her toys. Remembered my sister's tip on frying pappad using microwave. Hence tried out the moong dal with microwave frying in intervals. They turned out well too.

Prep Time 20 mins
Cooking Time 5 mins


Ingredients
1 cup Moong Dal
1 tsp Oil
As per Taste Salt
As per Taste Red Chilly Powder

Procedure
1) First soak moong dal for 20 minutes. 
2) Then drain off the water and spread it in a towel or tissue for drying.

3) Dry roast the moong dal in a kadai in medium flame. In a microwave safe vessel, put the moong dal and microwave it for one minute.
4) Once done, toss it, add oil, salt and chilly powder and mix well. Again microwave for two minutes.

5) Allow it to cool down. Hence your crunchy, low fat moong dal is ready.

                                          Note:

• You can also avoid the step 3 of dry roasting the moong dal in kadai. Instead you will have to microwave the moong dal, first for two minutes and toss it and again for two minutes. 

Cucumber, Papaya and Beet Smoothie

                          This smoothie is also a good outcome of my smoothie experiments. I remember myself turning back for beet(in any form), during my childhood days. The same is happening with my kid and my better half too. So tried making this perfect filling smoothie, with bunch of almost all nutrients.
                          Gulping is easier than chewing, particularly when we don't like the ingredient. Hence the outcome for the smoothie was again a green light.

Prep time 15 mins

Cooking time Nil

Ingredients

1 cup Papaya (Deseeded and Chopped) 

1 number Cucumber (Peeled and Chopped) 

1/2 cup Beet ( Chopped)

1/2 cup Water

1 tbsp Honey (optional)

Procedure

1. Then in a blender put the chopped papaya, cucumber& beet and blend it until smooth. Add honey also if needed.

2. Transfer it to a container.If necessary add ice cubes.

                                             Note:

• You can increase the amount of beet also if needed.
• If you want the smoothie a bit watery, increase the amount of water. But the cucumber added also has water content in it.

Cucumber, Carrot and Tomato Smoothie- A Diabetic Smoothie

                       It is the last day of my week and the weekend is about to start. Friday is the most expected day for almost all, either working, homemakers and kids too. Almost all my fruits are done, waiting for the weekend to purchase fruits and veggies. But still I want my last week day to be hydrated and would like to give a healthy kick start. Remembering the recipe, given by one of my friend, started making Cucumber, Carrot and Tomato Smoothie. 

              

                     In our homes, we will always have of tomato and carrots available. There is a popular saying that "Tomato is an apple for the poor" and fortunately, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away".  Even though the tomato are not priced high, they have a lot of health supplements in them. It is a superfood for diabetes, are packed with vitamin C and are good sources of vitamin A, potassium, and fiber. The nutrient lycopene, which gives red tomatoes their color, is a powerful antioxidant. 

                    Cucumber also falls under the superfood for diabetes, also with good source of vitamin K, vitamin C and potassium. 

                                                 

Prep time 15 mins

Cooking time Nil

Ingredients

1 number Cucumber (Peeled and Chopped) 

2 nos Carrot (Chopped) 

2 nos Tomatoes (Chopped)

1 pinch Salt (optional)

Procedure

1. Wash thoroughly and chop all the ingredients. 

2. If needed peel and chop the ingredients.

3. Then in a blender put the chopped cucumber, carrot and tomatoes and blend them.

4. Transfer it to a container. Add a pinch of salt if needed.

                     Note:

• You can avoid carrot, when serving for diabetic. 
• You can add the cucumber without peeling the skin also (if you wish). 

Mushroom Pepper Gravy(Curry) with Coconut Milk

                               I remember having hot spicy mushroom soup, during cool and calm evenings, just after my work, in Chennai (South India). Yes, there are some roads which are calm in Chennai too. The hot mushroom soup after a hectic work will be soothing for my throat as well as energizing for the remaining day. I am a huge fan of mushroom always. 
                           

                                This time when I got mushrooms, my mind flashed about milagu kuzhambu served with parota,instead of non-veg we use mushrooms here. The recipe is similar to the milagu kulambu served in Arumugam parotta kadai (arumugam parotta stall), Madurai, in the area Tallakulam. If you got to try it, then whenever you hear the name milagu (pepper), your mind will think of the taste of milagu kuzhambu (served with parota) and nothing else. So tried the mushroom pepper gravy with some coconut milk. The taste was nearing the taste which I had in my mind and craving to eat.

Prep time 15 mins
Cooking time 15 mins                 
                       
Ingredients

2 cups Mushroom Chopped
3/4 -1 cup Coconut Milk
1 Onion Chopped
1 Tomato Chopped
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala Powder
1/2 tbsp Ginger and Garlic paste
1 tbsp Oil
As per Taste Salt
As needed Water

To Crush
2 tsp Pepper Black
2 tsp Cumin Seeds

To Saute and Add
Crushed Pepper and Cumin Seeds
1/2 tbsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Chilly Powder

For Garnishing
2 tbsp Coriander Leaves

Procedure
1) In a Kadai in medium flame, put 1/2 tbsp oil, add chopped onion, after they become translucent, put the ginger garlic paste, saute well. Once the raw smell of the ginger garlic paste goes off, add the chopped tomatoes.
2) Then add the chopped mushrooms . Saute them till they are half cooked. You can sprinkle water if needed. Add the turmeric powder by now.

3) In another kadai, add a little oil, put the crushed pepper and jeera, followed by the chilly and coriander powder. Saute for few seconds and add it to the above cooked mushroom.
4) Then finally add the coconut milk and garam masala and allow it to cook for 5 minutes. Switch off the stove and sprinkle the chopped coriander leaves.

5) Hence the mushroom pepper gravy will be ready in lesser time, but the taste will be great. The flavor of coconut milk with mushroom will give the gravy to an enriched taste.

                               Note:
         You can add water depending on the consistency of the gravy you need. If you need it bit dry then coconut milk will be enough or else add water as per your need.

Citrus Blast Smoothie with Orange, Papaya and Watermelon....

                       Nowadays people are more health conscious and many go for cleansing sections. The word cleansing may sound new to us, but was practised and being practised by many people in India through fasting. Many do fasting in the name of some god, and will have only fruits and some liquids on those days. The science behind fasting is the cleansing or cleaning our whole body.

                                        This smoothie has oranges, papaya and watermelon. All the above fruits have vitamin C, anti cancerous and much more. Intake of vitamin C rich food is always good for our skin. Hence increases the skin supple too..

Prep time 15 mins

Cooking time Nil

Ingredients

1 cup Papaya (Deseeded and Chopped) 

1 cup Watermelon (Deseeded and Chopped) 

1 number Orange (Deseeded and Chopped)

1 tbsp Honey (optional)

Procedure

1. Leave off skin( green color). Deseed the papaya and watermelon and chop it.

2. Peel the orange, deseed and chop them.

3. Then in a blender put the chopped oranges, melon and papaya and blend it until smooth. Add honey also if needed.

4. Transfer it to a container. Now the orange, papaya and watermelon smoothie is ready to be served.If necessary add ice cubes.

                     Note:

•             Since oranges are also included adding honey will be more of sweet taste. 

Onion Podi Dosa

                                          It is like, my kid who is just three years now, wants to have different different recipes. She never minds even to have a very little amount of the dish, but the dish should sound new to her. Coming to kitchen, she'll ask for the recipe, for that day. If I say dosa, then her next question is "what dosa?". By this time, her father will say, "I know there are varieties in dosa, only when I got into my college". It is always funny when you come across a daughter father conversation. So I will have to make different varieties of dosa or parathas.

                                       This time I made onion dosa(uthappam) with the idli podi (spiced chutney powder). The taste was so good and a treat for spicy dosa lovers. This recipe is so easy that you will just need to chop the onions (no need of sauteing the onions) and sprinkle the idli podi (spiced chutney powder). If you have sudden arrival of guests, you can surprise them with this onion podi dosa. Infact you should have the idli or dosa batter.

Prep Time 5 mins
Cooking Time 10 mins


Ingredients

2 cups Idli or Dosa Batter
1 Onion Big (Finely Chopped)

As needed Idli podi (Spiced chutney powder)

As needed Sesame Oil/ Gingelly oil

Procedure

1. First chop the onions finely and keep it aside.
2. Heat the tawa and once the tawa is heated, pour the idli batter with a ladle and spread it in round motion to make dosa (similar to the pancakes).
3. Now put the chopped onion over the dosa. Almost on all the areas of dosa. 
4. Then sprinkle the idli podi (Spiced chutney powder) on the dosa and put some sesame oil on the sides of dosa.
5. Once cooked on one side turn to the other side. The second side will just take one minute or even less to cook. 
6. Hence your dosa is ready.

                                Note:

•  You can also add ghee instead of gingelly oil.
• Grated carrot, chopped coriander can also be added.

                                           You can serve the dosa with spicy coconut chutney, sambar, tomato chutney,etc. I will prefer having it as such, but when it for myself I will add more dash of idli powder.

Click her for idli podi (spiced chutney powder).