Bread upma /savory bread pudding with chickpea-vegan recipe

This is one of our favorite ways to eat bread ,especially if it's gone dry or a little stale.Here I have added chickpea to the dish for a boost of protein. The recipe is simple, you can add more or less spices or vegetables as per your taste and preference .



Ingredients:
Makes 4 servings for breakfast

• Bread :  6  (we use brown bread so the color may vary if in case white bread is used)
• garbanzo beans/chickpea:1/2 cup
• Onion :1 large
• tomato -one large 
• carrot- 1 grated 
• green chilies - 4
• curry leaves -a few
• turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
• red chili powder-1/2 tsp
• tomato ketchup- 2 tbs
• salt as per taste
• oil-1 tsp
• mustard seeds-1/4 tsp
• cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
• walnuts -few to garnish(optional)
• coriander to garnish

Method:

1. Start by heating a pan on medium high,add mustard seeds let crackle,add cumin seeds and curry leaves
2. next add onions ,green chilies and a little salt,saute for a few minutes.
3. once the onions are cooked well add the turmeric and red chili powder,let the spices cook for a couple of minutes and then add tomato,cook until mushy
4. add the grated carrot and mix in everything well.
5. add in the beans and also add about 2-3 tbs of water to make everything come together. 
6. mix in the ketchup 
7. cut the bread into bite size pieces or shred them by hands and add to the mixture .
8. incorporate everything and check for seasoning ,keep in mind that bread already has salt.
9. garnish with walnuts and coriander leaves 

This can be enjoyed with an evening cup of tea or can be had as a healthy breakfast along side with eggs or just coffee.

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stuffed pita pockets recipe

Easy breakfast or brunch this recipe can be made in a jiffy for curbing hunger pangs that attack unknown.

Makes 2 servings (3 each )
Ready made pita pockets : 6
eggs : 2 (can substitute potatoes for veggi or vegan version)
onion: 1 small
carrots:2
capsicum/green bell pepper: 1
red chili powder:1/4 tsp
pepper powder: 1/2 tsp
salt : 1 tsp
cilantro for garnish

• start by heating 1 tsp oil in a pan add the onions,saute till translucent
• add carrots and green bell pepper ,season with a little salt ,cook for few more minutes.
• add in the red chili powder and the pepper powder ,break in the eggs and scramble .
• cook until the eggs are done
• garnish with cilantro 
• warm up the pita either on a griddle or toaster and carefully open up to form a pocket 
• stuff each pocket with about 2 to 3 tbsp of the mixture. 
• enjoy with your favorite sauce .   

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Tiffin sambar

The mung dal sambar is often served for breakfast along with idlis , topped with ghee ....yummmm .This sambar strikes perfect combination with dosas,idli,pongal and hence also is known as  tifffen sambar .Lets have a look how to prepare this :

Ingredients :

Mung dal :1/2 cup

water - 1.5 cup

shallots: 10-12 

tomato : 1 large 

tamarind : small lemon size 

turmeric : 1/2 tsp

asafetida : little

mustard seeds:1/2 tsp

cumin seeds :1/2 tsp

curry leaves : few

salt as per taste 

oil :1/2 tbs 

To grind :

Red chilies : 4 or adjust according to taste 

coriander seeds- 1 tbs

channa dal- 2 tbs

fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp

coconut - about 2 tbs

1. Rinse and pressure cook dal  with 1/2 tsp of turmeric  for about  2 to 3 whistle.
2. Meanwhile prepare the masala by dry roasting the above "to grind" ingredients on a low flame for about 5 minutes,make a paste and keep aside.
3. Heat 1/2 tbs of oil in a pan,add mustard seeds and let crackle add cumin seeds ,some curry leaves and  asafetida
4. saute for about 2 -3 minutes adding a little salt ,next bring in the tamatoes saute well and add 2 cups water
5. add the tamarind paste at this stage and let this come to a rolling boil,you will notice foam on the top which means that the tamarind is cooked.
6. add the cooked and mashed dal and let this cook for about 10 to 15 mintues .adjust the consistency at this stage.
7. add coriander steams for a nice aroma and finally add in the paste and mix everything well and let boil for 2 more minutes before turning down the heat.
8. enjoy !

Here is the unbeatable combo for this sambar : soft idlis


Here is a quick video tutorial: 

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Instant oats Idli recipe

Healthy and quick (instant) oats idli are always an instant hit at my house - they are steamed,they have oats and cracked wheat,no rice or starchy ingredients and they have veggies too...what else can one ask for?The texture and flavor of this idli rarely resembles the Ooey gooey nature of Oats ,which makes it more like rawa or semolina idli .....the hard part is to stop munching them.Lets have a look on the preparation.

  Ingredients

• Oats : 1 cup
• cracked wheat :1/2 cup
• yogurt : 1/2 cup
• carrot: 1medium size grated
• green chilies:3 or as per taste
• curry leaves and mustard seeds for tempering
• oil for tempering
• water : 1/2 cup or as required
• baking powder or baking soda
• salt as per taste

Recipe

• Start by dry roasting 1 cup of oats for few minutes,let cool and grind to a powder
• next dry roast 1/2 cup of cracked wheat also known as daliya for about 2-3 minutes until it gives out a nice aroma,keep this aside.
• In a separate pan add some oil .temper with mustard seeds,add  grated carrot,green chilies,a few curry leaves and saute for few minutes.let this cool .
• now take a large mixing bowl and bring togather the powdered oats,the roasted cracked wheat and the tempered veggies.
• add to this half a cup of yogurt, required amount of salt and 1/2 a cup of water ,mix everything well ensuring there are no lumps.
• finally add 1/3 tsp of baking powder or baking soda ,mix well.
• grease idli moulds ,pour the batter and steam cook for 10 to 15 minutes.

The oats and cracked wheat mixture in this recipe can be roasted ahead of time in 2:1 ratio and stored for an instant version of idli.serve it warm with your favorite condiment .

Here is a quick video tutorial:

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Secret to soft idli

An all time classic tiffen item - Idli......now if u happen to be a south Indian you know the ratio already .....but what makes these steamed rice cakes different and sponge like, that they just tend to melt in mouth? follow the recipe to know.

Ingredients :
1 cup urad dal
2 cups rice
(Ratio 1:2)
1/2 cup cooked rice
fenugreek seeds-1tbs

• Start by rinsing the dal and rice in cold water .
• add the fenugreek seeds to urad dal and soak both the dal and rice for a minimum of 4 hrs.
• first blend the soaked urad dal into a thick paste adding very little water .
• next add the rice to the blender and also dump in the cooked rice .make a thick paste of this too
• add the rice paste to the dal paste and add desired amount of salt 
• mix with clean hands until everything is incorporated well.
• keep in a warm place overnight for the fermentation to take place 
• once fermented the batter should rise significantly ,if this fails to happen then the temperature is too low ,leave the batter in this case in a much warmer place until the fermentation takes place 
• once the batter is ready ,pour into idli molds and steam cook for 12-15 min
• serve steaming hot with your favorite condiment 

Notes:

1. Always make a thick batter ,if desired water can be added in later stage to dilute the paste .
2. mix with hands,the warmth from our hand is supposed to promote the fermentation process .
3. The batter should rise to get soft and spongy idlis, so have patience and if you live in a very cold place try keeping the batter in the oven after preheating for 2 minutes and turning it off. 

Here is a quick video tutorial :

For a recipe of the red chutney shown in the video  click :   tomato chutney                                                                                  

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Instant Oats dosa

A simple recipe using only oats and urud dal (no rice) also quick and handy for those busy busy days when you are on the run, put togather- a perfect way to start the day .

Ingredients:
Oats        1/2 cup
(old fashioned rolled oats works the best)
Urad dal   1/4 cup
(A ratio of 2:1)
salt as per taste
water
oil if desired to spray over the dosa


Recipe:

• In a wet grinder combine togather the oats and urad dal and grind into a powder without any grits 
• store the mix in a dry,clean air tight container, like you would any other flour .This holds good for weeks .
• when ready to make the dosa take about 1/4 cup of the powder ,add 1/4 tsp of salt and 3/4 cup of water little by little .The consistency should be that of a regular dosa batter
• make sure there are no lumps as urad dal has the tendency to form lumps use a whisker to get a smooth  paste .
•  heat a griddle until fumy and make dosa's ,spray with oil and flip if desired. serve with your choice of condiment.

Note:

The batter if left for a long period tends to get thicker .adjust by adding more water and salt . 

Here is a quick video tutorial:

Appam recipe

Hello friends!
Appam is a traditional dish mostly served with sweetened coconut milk in the southern part of India ,for those who have never had the opportunity to experience Indian cuisine this dish can be summed up as rice pancake served with coconut syrup.Delicious is the word for it ....just melts in your mouth ! .So lets see how to prepare this delicacy .


Ingredient list

• Idli rice -2 cups 
• jasmine rice -1 cup,cooked
• coconut grated - 1/4 cup
• yeast-1/4 tsp
• sugar-1tbs
• salt -as per taste

 The recipe is very simple only that the prep time has an eight hour fermentation stage ,so if one is planning to have Appams for morning then batter should be prepared the previous night .   


Recipe:

• Soak the Idli rice for about 4 hours   
• Grind together the soaked rice ,the cooked rice and grated coconut with a little water to make a smooth paste 
• Mix in sugar and yeast and let ferment in a warm place
• Add salt -note we don't add salt in the previous stage because it would demote the fermentation process .
• check for the consistency ,if the batter is too thick then add water little by little .
• Heat a griddle until fumy then reduce heat to medium .
• Scoop a ladle full of the mixture and pour in the center of the hot griddle 
• Holding the handle of the griddle start rotating so that the batter spreads over the surface area .
• cover with a lid and let cook for a minute.there is no need to flip the appams.
• serve with either sweetened coconut milk or chutney of your choice

This particular recipe is  close to my heart because my granny used to make them when i was a little kid ,although she is long gone these Appams are doing a great  job in refreshing all of  my taste buds with flavors from childhood .I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as i do .Here is a Quick Video tutorial  for the above recipe 

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