Veggie Wheat Dosa/ Vegetable Gothambu Dosa/Nutritious Dosa

Wheat/Gothambu dosa is an easy nutritious breakfast that can be prepared in a short time. When vegetables are mixed with that, it adds up the nutritional value.

Serves – 2

Preparation time – 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Wheat flour/Atta – 1 cup

Onion – 1(small)

Carrot – 1 (small)

Ginger (finely chopped) – a small piece

Green chilies (finely chopped) – 2

Coriander leaves (finely chopped) – 2 strands

Salt to taste

Water to prepare the batter

Ghee/Oil to sprinkle

Preparation:

Prepare the batter by mixing all the ingredients except ghee/oil with required water. Heat the tawa/pan pour a spoon (tawi) full of batter and spread evenly. Sprinkle a little ghee/oil on the top. Cook both the sides for 2 minutes. Serve it with Nadan coconut chammanthi.

Semiya Upma/Vermicelli Upma

This is a very simple breakfast which even a beginner in cooking can do with confidence.

You can add veggies(grated carrot, beans,peas etc) if you like to have it in your upma.

I love the plain version of it with sugar/ketchup.

Ingredients:

Roasted Vermicelli/Semiya – 1 ½ cups

Onion finely chopped – 1

Ginger chopped/minced – a small piece

Green chilies sliced – 2

Curry leaves – a sprig

Mustard seeds – ½ tsp

Urad dal – ¼ tsp

Cashew nuts chopped – 10

Raisins – 10

Water – up to ½ cup

Grated Coconut(optional) - 4 tbsp

Salt to taste

Oil – 3 tbsp

Preparation:

Heat oil in a wok/kadai and add mustard. Wait till it splutter, and then add urad dal. Fry cashew nuts and raisins and keep it aside. Add onion, green chilies and curry leaves and saute it until it becomes soft. This will take around 3 min.

Add water and wait till it boils. Add salt and roasted semiya into it while stirring constantly. Cover the kadai, reduce the heat to medium and cook it for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, stir it and wait till the water is all absorbed.

Add coconut and mix well. Turn off heat and garnish it with roasted nuts and raisins.Serve hot with pickle/sugar/ketchup.

Scrambled Egg in Kerala style/Scrambled Egg for Breakfast/Mutta chikkiyathu/Mutta Kothiporichathu

This is one of the first recipe which anyone who takes their baby steps in cooking tries. However hard you try, it is difficult to spoil scrambled eggJ. Yet you can add varities to scrambled egg according to your creativity.

Serves - 2

Cooking time – 10 minutes

Ingredients:

Eggs – 4

Onions (finely chopped) – 1 large one

Green chilies (finely chopped) – 2

Pepper powder – a large pinch

Curry leaves – a sprig

Turmeric powder – a large pinch

Oil – 2 tbsp

Preparation:

Heat oil in a wok or nonstick pan. Add onion, green chilies and curry leaves , Saute it for 5 minutes. Add turmeric powder and mix well.

Add the beaten egg into it. Add salt and pepper powder and mix well. Stir it until the eggs are fully cooked and dry. Serve hot with bread/chapatti/rice.

Happy CookingJ

Chicken Fried with Bread Crumbs/ Crispy N Spicy Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

Chicken – 500 g(medium pieces)

Pepper powder – 3 tsp

Kashmiri red chili powder/Paprika  – 1 tsp

Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Egg – 1

Bread crumbs – 80g

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Preparation:

Clean the chicken pieces and marinate it with pepper powder, kashmiri red chili powder/paprika, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder and salt and mix well. Keep it aside for 30 min so that it gets the flavor.

Heat oil in a pan. Dip each chicken piece in beaten egg and roll and press it in bread crumbs.

Slide it into the oil and deep fry. This may take 15-20 minutes.

Serve it with bun, garlic dip and tomato sauce.

Onion Cucumber Tomato Raita

Ingredients:

Onion – 2(finely chopped)

Cucumber – 1(finely chopped)

Tomato – 1(finely chopped)

Jeera powder – a large pinch

Green chilies – 2(finely chopped)

Pepper powder – a large pinch

Red chili powder (optional) – a pinch

Coriander leaves(optional) to garnish

Curd – 1 ½ cup

Salt to taste

Preparation:

Whisk curd until it is smooth. Mix all the ingredients together and add the curd into it. Garnish with chili powder and coriander leaves. 

Paneer Butter Masala/Paneer Makhani

Ingredients:

Paneer cubes – 400g (I used Amul Paneer)

Fresh Cream – 5 tbsp

Onion chopped– 2 large

Tomato chopped – 4

Milk – ¾ cup

Green chilly - 1

Ginger garlic paste – 1 ½ tsp

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Coriander powder – 2 tsp

Garam Masala – ¼ tsp

Kashmiri red chili powder – 1 tsp

Kasuri methi – 1 tsp

Cashew nut – 8

Golden Raisins/ Kismis – 8

Butter – 4 tbsp

Oil for frying

Preparation:

If you are using packed paneer(not fresh ones), soak it in salted hot water for 5 min. Add ½ tsp salt to hot water and soak paneer in it. This will make it soft and fresh. If you are using fresh paneer, cut it into small cubes.

Heat oil in a kadai/wok and fry paneer until it turns golden brown. Do it in 3 or 4 batches. Drain the fried paneer on kitchen towel.

Heat 1 tsp oil and 2 tsp butter in the kadai and add the cashew nuts into it. Stir for a minute and then add the raisins and fry it, then keep it aside.

Add the chopped onions and saute it for 5 min, so that it turns light brown. Add coriander powder, turmeric powder and garam masala into it and saute it for 2 min. Now add the chopped tomatoes and stir well. Add salt into it, close it with a lid and cook for 5 min. Switch off the flame and ground it into a paste when it cools down.

Meanwhile, dry roast kasuri methi for a minute in a pan and keep it aside.

Again heat 2 tbsp butter in the kadai and add ginger garlic paste and saute it for 2 min. Add chilly powder and mix well. Add the grinded paste and milk into this and bring it into a boil. Crush the roasted kasuri methi using your palms. Add it into the boiling gravy and mix well.

Add the fried paneer cubes and 5 tsp. fresh cream into this and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and serve it with Chapati/Naan/Roti/Pulao.

Strawberry Milkshake

I am not quite fond of Strawberries. But trust me, they are quite delicious and when combined with milk, makes a refreshing and energizing drink. Also, this fruit is wonderfully photogenic and I couldn’t stop clicking J.

Ingredients:

Strawberry – 10

Chilled milk – 2 cups

Sugar as needed

Ice cubes – 2 or 3

Preparation:

Put the chopped strawberries, milk, sugar and ice cubes in a blender/mixie jar.

Blend it until it is creamy and frothy. Serve it chilled.

Notes:
You can add a vanilla ice cream scoop for the extra creaminess. Children will definitely love it.

Malai Kofta in a White Creamy Gravy

Malai Kofta is a rich creamy dish of Moghul origin which is usually prepared during special occasions. Deep fried vegetable balls are prepared and simmered in a special creamy sauce/curry and served along with rice and rotis/Naans (Indian flat bread). 

 Ingredients:

For koftas:
1 cup boiled mash potatoes

1 cup mash paneer

2 tablespoon minced cilantro (hara dhania)

1/2 teaspoon cumin seed (jeera)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 small finally chopped green chili

For Batter:

All-purpose flour/maida - 2 tablespoon

Water – 4 tbsp

For gravy:
Onions chopped - 2
Cashew nuts/Kaju – 8-10

 Milk 1/2 cup

Cream 2-3 tbsp
Whole garam masala 1 tbsp
Green chily slits – 2 (optional)

Preparation:

For kofta:
Mix all the ingredients listed under ‘ for koftas’. Shape them into lime sized round balls.Mix all-purpose flour/maida with about 4 tbsp of water and mix well until batter is smooth and free of lumps.

Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium high heat.  Dip the paneer balls in the batter one at a time and slowly drop into the frying pan. Turn them occasionally. Fry koftas until golden-brown all around.

For Gravy:
Cook the chopped onions with a little water and ground it into a thick paste without adding more than 2 tbsp water. Then, cook the cashew nuts with a little water and ground it in the mixie jar into a thick paste without adding water.
Heat oil in a  kadai/wok and add whole garam masala. Then add boiled onion paste and cook till the oil separates. Add cashewnut paste and half a cup of water to make it a thick gravy. Cook for 5-6 minutes.
Add milk into it and mix well. You can add green chillies slits if you want to make the gravy a little spicy. Do remove the green chilly slits later. Once gravy is thick and well cooked, add cream.
Mix well and add fried koftas to the gravy and cook for a few minutes.

Suggested Combination: Roti/Naan/Rice

Mulappicha Cherupayar Thoran/Sprouted Green Gram Stir Fry/Mung Bean Thoran

Sprouts are considered as wonder foods. They rank as the freshest and most nutritious of all vegetables available to the human diet.

How to sprout Cherupayar/ Green gram/ Mung beans?

To sprout Cherupayar/Gren gram/Mung beans, rinse 1 cup of dried beans very well, and then soak in 2-3 cups of water for 8-10 hrs. Then drain the water and place them in a cloth bag/cotton towel. Hang/store the bag/towel in a cool, well-ventilated place, out of direct sunlight.    This will allows drainage and airflow.
Let them stand for 1-2 days. The mung beans will quickly sprout and will have a flavor. After 1-2 days, the beans should have sprouts of anywhere from half an inch to 1.5 inches in length.
Rinse the mung beans just before you start the cooking.

Mulappicha Cherupayar Thoran in a typical Kerala style.

Ingredients:

Mulappicha Cherupayar/Sprouted Green Gram – 1 cup

Onion chopped – 2

Garlic - 3 cloves

Grated coconut – ¼ cup

Green chilies – 4 slits

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Curry leaves – a sprig

Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp

Water – ¼ cup

Salt to taste

Coconut oil as required

Preparation:

Heat oil in a kadai/pan and add mustard seeds. Wait till it splutter and add the chopped onion, green chilly slits and curry leaves. Saute it till the onion turns light brown. Add grated coconut and stir in simmer for 5 mins. Add sprouted green gram, turmeric powder, salt and water.

Close the lid and cook for 10 mins. Stir in between, so that it won’t stick to the bottom of the kadai/pan. Keep the kadai open and cook a few more minutes(max 5 mins). Give it a stir in between.

Nadan Thenga Chammanthi/Thick Coconut Chutney

I think Thenga Chammanthi is a perfect homely side dish which is a must accompaniment for dosa/idli. Most Keralites are so fond of dosa, so am I. I can have it even for lunch/dinner with this chammanthi which can be prepared in a few minutes. There are so many ways in which chammanthi can be prepared, and this is one way of preparationJ.

Ingredients:

Grated/Scraped Coconut – 1 cup (freshly scrapped coconut is the best)

Shallots/ Ulli/Pearl onions – 7

Ginger – a small piece

Green chilies – 2-3(as per your spice level)

Curry leaves – 4 leaves

Tamarind/Valan puli – small lime size

Salt to taste

Preparation:

Ground all the ingredients in the mixie jar without water. Make sure that everything is grinded properly. Chammanthi is meant to be prepared without adding water. Don’t add more than 2 tbsp water if it is not getting grounded.

Suggested Combination: Dosa/Idli/Rice/Kanji

Aloo Palak/Potato in Spinach gravy

Ingredients:

Potato/Aloo – 2

Palak/Spinach – a bunch

Onion chopped - 2

Green chilies – 2

Jeera – ½ tsp

Red chili powder – ½ tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Garam masala – ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Oil as required

Preparation:

Pressure cook the potatoes and mash it into small cubes. Chop the palak/spinach and keep it aside. Heat oil in a wok/kadai and add chopped onion and green chilies. Saute for 3-4 mins or until the raw smell goes off. Add palak/spinach into it and stir for 2 mins. Switch off the flame and grind it when it cools down.

Add 1 tbsp oil in a kadai and add jeera and wait till it splutter. Add the grinded mixture and cubed potatoes into it.

Add chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala and salt and cover it with a lid. Add water if needed and cook in simmer for 8-10 mins, for the potatoes to absorb the flavor. Serve hot with chapatis.

Eggless Vanilla Cake

I’ve been looking for a simple cake recipe for quite some time. So when I came across this recipe I couldn’t wait myself. The result was quite perfect and delicious.

Ingredients:

Maida/All purpose flour – 1½ cups

Thick curd – 1 cup

Granulated sugar – ¾ cup

Baking soda – ½ tsp

Baking powder –1 ¼ tsp

Vanilla essence – 1½ tsp

Cooking oil – ½ cup (I used Sunflower oil)

Milk – 1 tbsp

Preparation:

Seive maida/ All-purpose flour twice and keep it aside. Take the curd in a bowl and add the granulated sugar into it and beat well using a whisk/beater until the sugar dissolves.

Add baking soda and baking powder into this and mix well and keep it aside for 5 mins. You can see bubbles appearing in this mixture. Add the vanilla essence and cooking oil and mix well.

Add maida into it slowly and beat well in between so that no lumps are formed. The mixture will thick and creamy.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Transfer the ingredients into a greased cake tin/loaf pan and bake it at 200°C for 10 mins. Reduce the temperature to 180°C and bake for 30-35 mins. It took 35 mins for me to bake it properly. Check if it is done properly by inserting a fork/tooth pick in the middle.  Brush 1 tbsp milk on the top of the cake 10 mins before the baking ends to get a polished glaze.

Wait for 10-15 mins for the cake to cool down. Slice it and enjoy with a cup of tea J.

[Recipe Courtesy : Sharmis Passions]

Poori Masala/Poori Bhaji

Poori Masala is a very simple, yet tasty Indian dish that will surely impress anyone. Poori is a deep fried wheat bread. Here comes the Poori Masala recipe :)

Ingredients:

For Poori

Wheat flour/Atta – 2 cup

Warm water – as required for making dough

Salt – a large pinch

Oil – 2 tbsp

Oil for frying

For Masala/Bhaji

Potatoes – 3

Onion – 2

Garlic chopped – 2

Green chilies finely chopped – 2

Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

Mustard seeds – ½ tsp

Urad dal – ¼ tsp

Chana dal – ¼ tsp

Oil

Preparation:

To make Poori

Mix all the ingredients for making Poori except the oil for frying (2 tbsp oil is added to make the dough soft). Knead the dough for a few minutes so that the ingredients are evenly mixed. Keep it aside for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into lemon sized balls. Dip it in wheat flour and roll out into a pancake shape using a rolling pin.

Heat the oil in a kadai/wok and slide the poori into the oil. Turn it to the other side quickly and take it out once both sides are fried properly. This won’t take more than 30 seconds. Drain it on paper towels. Serve warm with masala.

Tip: Don’t roll out Poori very thin, as it won’t come up properly while frying.

To make Masala

Peel the skin of the potatoes and pressure cook it in simmer for 3 whistles. Mash them well with the back of a spoon. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add urad dal and chana dal. Add chopped onion, curry leaves and green chilies. Saute till the raw smell goes off. Add turmeric powder and salt and stir well.

Add the mashed potatoes and stir well. If you need some gravy, you can add ¼ cup water at this stage. I love the dry version and hence I didn’t add water J. Simmer it and keep it closed for 5 minutes. Switch off the flame and serve warm with Pooris.

Kerala Style Egg Roast/ Mutta Roast

Ingredients:

Hard-boiled egg – 4

Onion sliced – 3 or 4

Tomato sliced – 2

Ginger chopped – a small piece

Garlic chopped – a small piece

Green chilies – 4 slits

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp.

Kashmiri red chili powder – 1 tsp.

Coriander powder – 1 tbsp.(optional)

Garam Masala – ½ tsp.

Curry leaves – a sprig

Salt to taste

Oil as required

Preparation:

Remove the shells of the hard boiled eggs and cut each egg into 2 halves. Heat oil in a pan/wok and add the chopped ginger and garlic. Saute it for a minute and then add sliced onion, curry leaves and green chilies into it. Saute till the onion becomes brown in colour. This will take about 6-8 mins.

Add turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder and stir well. Add the sliced tomatoes and salt and cover it for 5 mins. The oil starts appearing at this stage. Add ¼ cup water if you need a thick gravy. If you want it completely dry, don’t add water.  

Add the boiled egg halves and cook for 2 minutes. If you need more gravy add ½ cup coconut milk. This will add a coconut flavor to the curry.

Suggested Combination: Appam, Idiyappam, Puttu or Chapati