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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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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Coconut rice recipe

This is an easy one pot recipe in which all you need is a pressure pan or a rice cooker . Extremely aromatic and wonderfully delicious this rice is so flavorful that we rarely ever have any leftovers.

Ingredients:

• Rice 1 cup (basmati)
• coconut 1/2 cup freshly grated
• coconut milk 1/2 cup
• water 1/2 cup
• salt as per taste 

For tempering:

• coconut oil 1 tsp
• mustard seeds 1 tsp
• urad dal 1 tsp
• asafoetida (hing) one pinch
• curry leaves -few
• green chilies -as per taste 
• red chilies-broken few pieces   

Recipe:

In a pressure pan heat oil ,add all the tempering ingredients and saute for a moment .

Add coconut and saute for few more minutes .

Rinse and add the rice .Mix everything well, making sure the rice gets in all the flavors.

Add 1/2c coconut milk and 1/2 c water

Add salt and mix well.

close the pan and put on the weight ,let cook for 3 - 4 whistle 

serve with your favorite side dish.

Here is a quick video tutorial:

Tips:

The measurement given above is for Basmati rice ,adjust the water ratio according to the quality of rice. 

This recipe can also be made in an electric rice cooker by  tempering separately in a pan and adding everything together.

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parotta recipe(low fat)

Parotta or barotta is a layered flat bread of South India,mainly famous as a street food. Lets have a look on how to prepare this at home .


Ingredients:
All purpose flour :1 cup
salt :as per taste
water: about 1/3 cup
Oil : 1 tbs for spraying

• Add the flour and salt  to a bowl and start kneading using little water at a time to form a smooth dough .
• cover this dough with a kitchen towel and let rest for about 1/2 an hour 
• Transfer the dough to a working surface and knead well for about 10- 15  minutes.
• Spray some oil and roll the dough into a log 
• Divide this log into 4 equal portions and oil each portion . oil the working surface as well .
• start rolling out each portion as thin as possible and oil the layer .
•  sprinkle some dry flour and carefully lift up the layer to make small folds 
• next lift up the folded layers on both ends and start stretching by gently patting the layers.
• swirl this up and tuck in the end and  shape the parottas using your palm or a rolling pin
• pan fry using a little oil until golden brown on both sides
• For the final touch take the parotta to the working area and fluff it up to bring out the layers .
• Enjoy with your favorite curry.

This is is just a basic recipe which uses very little oil ,one can always add more or less according to their preference also one can include ingredients like eggs or milk .

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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Ada Pradhaman recipe

"Pradhaman" in Malayalam means number one ,and it is so for a good reason ! unlike its counterpart 'payasm' or 'kheer' ada pradhaman is made elaborately using a variety of ingredients on the occasion of OnaSadya ,which is a banquet arranged for the celebration of onam festival in kerela.
  The recipe itself can be divided into two parts ,first being the preparation of ada and second -preparation of pradhaman .There are ready-made ada available in the market but you can sure tell the difference when its homemade .

For Ada:
rice-1/2 cup
banana leafs - cut into small portions
water

preparation of Ada :
(makes apprx 1 cup )

• Soak rice for about 4 hrs 
• make into a thick paste using very little water at a time 
• clean and pat dry the leaves and spread the  batter on top like a dosa,leaving enough space on the corners 
• Roll up carefully and tie with a string 
• steam cook for about 10-15 minutes 
• remove from the streamer using tongs and let cool
• Once cool open up the leaves and sprinkle with a little water to make the ada stop sticking 
• using a sharp knife start making horizontal and vertical lines on the sheet and remove carefully
• This is our base for the pradhaman lets proceed with the recipe

Notes: The ada will be sticky due to starch content,dip your fingers in oil before handling the sheet to make it easy to work with

For pradhaman :

(makes 2 medium servings)

1 cup ada
1/2 cup crushed jaggery(or adjust to your taste)
1 cup thick coconut milk
seeds of 3 cardamom-crushed
nuts and dry fruits of your choice

• Bring the jaggery to a boil along with 1/4 cup of water.filter if you feel there are impurities .
• add 1 cup ada and boil for 5 minutes 
• add the coconut milk simmer for 5 minutes 
• finally add the crushed cardamom and turn of the heat
• top with your favorite nuts and dry fruits toasted in ghee  .

Notes: the traditional recipe calls only for coconut milk but one can use part milk and part coconut milk or any proportion to their liking and taste . 

Here is a quick video tutorial:

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Wishing everybody a happy 2012!

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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