Moong Dal Sprouts and Mint Dosa- A Refreshing Green Dosa...

                           I am not a loser, yes was able to make my kid eat sprout, that too with goodness of green leaves (mint) added.

                       

                                  Some have digestion or gastric problems towards the moong dal. But sprouting of moong dal helps in digestion with loads of goodness added towards it. Sprouting improves the quality of protein, vitamins, fibre content and essential fatty acids. Sprouts helps in alkalizing your body, i.e, they are anti-cancerous too.

                                       
                                              Adding mint made me as well my dosa refreshing. Mint is considered to be one of the highest anti-oxidant food. Aids in digestion and good for skin.

Adai Recipe/ Nutrient Rich Lentil Pancakes

                     My first day of my work, was filled with lots of excitements, joining formalities, new intros, and the list was continuing. It was the time for us to break for my first lunch (not as a student), it was dusk almost by that time. In my company food court, there were many restaurants and famous food chains of Tamil Nadu, but I had packed lunch from my lovable sister. I could find a big queue in a particular food counter, because of my hurry was less keen to know about the queue.

                                            
 

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). 

Kadai Vegetable Sabzi/ Kadai vegetables Dry

                            Some two to three years back, when I was working we used to go out for lunch when our project gets completed successfully. In the same way, I along with some of my colleagues accompanied with some of our global partners. By that time I was very new to the company, so I was very quiet and didn't go for any choices in ordering the dishes. Just accepted that anything is fine for me. One of my colleague ordered this yummy Kadai Vegetables and from that day I am a very big fan of it.

                      I was very new to that dish by that time and so was very eagerly waiting for the dish. According to my imagination, I thought the dish would be served in a the Kadai and so the name. But it was not served so in that hotel and the tasty was really good. Having tried only veg kurmas, it was new to me and had some healthy quotient in it too.

Prep time 15 mins
Cooking time 20 mins                 
                       
Ingredients

1 Onion Chopped
1 Tomato Chopped
1 tsp Chilly Powder
1 tbsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala Powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
As per Taste Salt
As needed Water

Vegetables for Kurma
1/4 cup Green Peas
1 Carrot
5-6 nos Beans
1/2 cup Cauliflower (Optional)
1 number Capsicum Green

To Dry Roast and Powder
2 tsp Coriander Seeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
2-3 nos Dried Chilies


For Ginger, Garlic and Chilly Paste
1 inch sized Ginger
6-7  nos Garlic Pods
1-2 nos Green Chilies


To Temper
1 tbsp Oil
1 inch sized Cinnamon
2 nos Cloves

For Garnishing
2 tbsp Coriander Leaves

Procedure

1. First dry roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds and dried chilies and powder it finely.
2. Then make the paste of ginger, garlic and green chilies.
3. In a Kadai in medium flame, put 1 tbsp oil followed by cinnamon and cloves. Add the dry roast and ground powder. Add chopped onion, after they become translucent, put the ginger, garlic and chilly paste. Saute well.  
4. Put all the vegetables chopped, except the tomato and capsicum. Allow it to cook in low heat. Sprinkle some water if needed.
5. Once the veges are cooked add all the powders, turmeric, chilly and coriander powder. After stirring them uniformly, add the chopped tomatoes and salt. Sprinkle water (if needed) for the veges to get cooked completely. 
6. After the water is completely absorbed, put the chopped capsicum. In low heat, cook for 4-5 minutes. Finally add the garam masala powder. Switch off the stove and garnish it with chopped coriander leaves.

                           Note:

• Need not add tomatoes immediately after adding the onions.
• Adjusting the chilly powder according to your taste can be done.
• Too much adding of water will turn the whole mushy, so just add water by sprinkling.

                       Enjoy with rotis or chapattis.

Veg Kurma / Mixed Vegetable Korma

                             
              Whenever I think about veg kurma, I can never stop my mind flashing about the veg kurma I had in Balaji Bhavan, Anna Nagar East, Chennai. I went to Chennai for my cousin marriage. Living here in Bangalore I really miss Tamilnadu food (hotel), on my stay in Chennai  I had a chance to enjoy TamilNadu food. Really had a tasty food in Balaji Bhavan. Everything served there was perfect, I became a very big fan of veg kurma served along with chapattis. So I asked for the veg kurma recipe and tried in my house with some alterations, resulted in a good taste that even my mother in law asked me for the recipe.

           The recipe is an easy one and less time consuming. Goes well with idiyappam, appam, chapattis, rotis and even with ghee rice, coconut milk rice.

               





























Prep time 15 mins
Cooking time 20 mins                 
                       
Ingredients

1 Onion
1 Tomato
2 tbsp Chilly Powder
1 tbsp Coriander Powder
1 tbsp Garam Masala Powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
As per Taste Salt


Vegetables for Kurma
1/4 cup Green Peas
1 Carrot
5-6 nos Beans
1 Potato (medium sized)
1/2 cup Cauliflower (Optional)


To Grind

      For Ginger Garlic Paste
1 inch sized Ginger
6-7  nos Garlic Pods

     For Coconut Paste
1/2 cup Coconut Grated
1 tbsp Roasted Gram Dhal/ Chutney Dhal
1/2 tbsp Poppy Seeds
2-3 nos Cashew Nuts


To Temper
1 tbsp Oil
1 inch sized Cinnamon
2 nos Cloves

For Garnishing
1/2 tbsp Coriander Leaves
1/2 tsp Garam Masala Powder (optional)


Procedure.

1. First cube all the vegetables and make the paste of ginger garlic.

2. Then make the coconut paste using the ingredients under for coconut paste. The paste should be very smooth.

3. Heat oil in cooker, add cloves and cinnamon followd by chopped onion. Saute it till it turns transluscent, then add the ginger garlic paste. Then add the tomatoes and saute for 2 mins.

4. Now add all the cubed vegetables and add 1 cup of water. Let it boil for 2 mins. Add the powders Chilly powder, Coriander powder, Turmeric Powder and required Salt.

4. Now close the cooker and wait for 2 whistles. After two whistles turn off the stove and wait for the steam to escape.

5. Open the cooker, add the grinded coconut paste and the garam masala powder. Allow it to boil (in simmer flame) to reach the thick kurma consistency. 

6. Once done switch off the stove and garnish with coriander leaves. While garnishing I usaully add 1/2 tsp of garam masala powder to get a good flavor. 

                   Note:

• You can also cook in a kadai, instead of cooker. Using cooker will consume less time.
• While sauteing the ginger garlic paste i usually add a pinch of salt so that it will not be so sticky.
• You can also add green chilies, if so you add reduce the chilly powder a little. 

                

Idiyappam (String Hoppers)

                  Idiyappam is one of my most favorite dish. I am always a very big fan of Kerala food recipes. When working in Techno park in Trivandrum ( Kerala) I just enjoyed the food served in that PG ( paying guest). Idiyappam is a famous food of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Sri Lanka too.

               My amma(mother) is a very big expert in making idiyappam. She makes such a soft idiyappam ( it will just melt in mouth). Whenever we have guest in my house she will just make these idiyappams so easily and very fast and served along with coconut milk and veg kurma. I am a very big fan of her always as all.

            For making soft idiyappams we have to add hot water for kneading the flour. For making these idiyappams there are many types of the idiyappam makers available nowadays. Here I have displayed the basic types of idiyappam makers.

Prep time 15 mins
Cooking time 20 mins                 
                       

Ingredients

2 cups Rice Flour
2- 3 cups Water 
As per taste Salt


Procedure

Images of Idiyappam Maker.

The wooden one(first) is press type and the metal one (second) is screw type

1. First in a wide opened vessel put the rice flour. In another vessel pour the water along with salt and boil the water until it is rolling hot.

2. Then pour the hot water little by little and mix along with rice flour for kneading the dough. While kneading the dough use the back portion of ladle(the stick like) instead of front one, so that the kneading will be easier. Knead the dough until they become soft.


3. Take small portions of kneaded dough in the idiyappam maker and press it onto the greased idli moulds.

4. After pressing the dough in the idli mould close the idli cooker and let it cook in high flame. Your idiyappam will get cooked in less than 10 minutes (say 8 mins). Then transfer the cooked idiyappam into another vessel and continue the process of making idiyappams again.

                            Note:

• Good quality and well roasted rice flour will give soft idiyappams.
• After kneading the dough close the dough with a moist cloth so that the dough will not turn dry.
• How to check the idiyappam is cooked? 
                           Take a spoon, dip the spoon in water and then poke the idiyappam, if cooked it will not stick on the spoon.

                          This idiyappam goes well with coconut milk, veg stew, veg kurma . I love eating these idiyappams simply by adding grated coconut(fresh) and sugar.

Broken Wheat Pongal

                           For many, books are their sleeping pills, I am also a member of the same club. That too engineering books are like rapid effective pills. Ven Pongal too falls under the same category. But I suppose that this broken wheat pongal does not make you as drowsy as ven pongal.

                         Being a diabetic my mother in law just hates chappatis. So I try different recipes which are diabetic friendly. And so came the broken wheat pongal. This recipe came out well as it tasted the same as ven pongal. My MIL also relished in eating a different diabetic recipe.

                        

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Prep time  10 mins

Cooking time 20 mins

Ingredients

2/3 cup Broken Wheat/ Daliya
1/3 cup Moong Dhal
1 Green Chilly Slit(optional)
1 inch sized Ginger chopped
2 cups Water
As per taste Salt


To Temper

2 tbsp Ghee
2 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Pepper
2 tsp Curry leaves
6-7 Cashews (optional)


Procedure

1. Start with dry roasting the moong dhal just for two minutes. 
2. Next take the measured broken wheat and roasted moong dhal in a pressure cooker. Add the slit green chilly and chopped ginger along with the water in cooker. 
3. Now in a kadai add the ghee and put all the ingredients (under the temper). When the ghee is hot add the pepper, followed by cumin seeds, curry leaves and finally cashews.  
4. Mix the ingredients in kadai and along with the ingredients in cooker. Add salt as required.
5. Now close the cooker and put in high flame, once the steam comes put the cooker weight and reduce the flame and keep in sim position. Wait for ten minutes, then put off the stove.
6. After the steam escapes fully open the cooker and mix it with laddle so that all the ingredients are evenly spread.
7. The tasty diabetic friendly broken wheat pongal is ready.

 Sambar and coconut chutney along with any pongal variety is a divine combination. 

Green Gram Curry

                Usually the recipes using green gram are simple and tasty. Cooking with green gram is fast when compared to other pulses because the soaking and cooking time is less for green gram. For this simple recipe no grinding is also required.

Prep time 10 mins

Cooking time 15-20 mins

Ingredients 

1/2 cup Green Gram

2-3 Small Onion (Sambar Onion)

2 Tomatoes Medium sized

1 Green Chilly

1 tsp Cumin Seeds

1/2 tbsp Chilly powder

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1pinch Hing

as per taste Salt

For Seasoning

2 tsp Oil

1 Dried Chilly

1 tsp Mustard Seeds

1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds

Few Curry Leaves

Procedure

    First dry roast the green gram lightly ( until a good smell comes). Cut the small onion and green chilly lengthwise, and also cut the tomatoes.

   Then in a pressure cooker put the roasted green gram, cut onion, tomatoes, chilly along with cumin seeds, chilly powder, turmeric powder and hing. No need to add salt while pressure cooking. Let this cooker for 8-10 whistles. 

Now open the cooker, add salt as per your salt and mix the boiled green gram with your ladle.

Finally season the curry. Garnish it with Coriander leaves.

                 Note:  As we have not soaked the green gram 8- 10 whistles is needed.

• if you are soaking the green gram then 4-5 whistles will be enough for cooking
• the same can be done by sprouting the green gram also.

               While cooking the green gram it should not turn so mushy also.

The simple tasty green gram curry can be taken along with rice, roti, even idli and dosa.