Coconut Rice/Thengai Sadham

Coconuts are not aliens in our south indian kitchens but surprisingly I've never made this rice ever before.I love it and so did my LM who usually picks out titbits from her plate.i must declare it an instant hit.

I have been trying to make this rice for a while since my friend has been mentioning it for a while.I was a little worried about how it would last in the lunch box.But I realised the trick!One aromatic flavoursome rice and lunch made easy in this sweaty summer!I have added a lot of baby onions to this recipe which made it extra fragrant and tasty too.I just heard on tv yesterday evening that baby onions/sambar onions are great coolants during the summer.

You need

Cooked rice 2 cups

For the seasoning:

Coconut oil 3 tablespoons
Mustard seeds 1tsp
Channa dal/kadala paruppu 1 tsp
Urad dal/uzhundhu 1 tsp
Curry leaves 2 sprigs
Peanuts 1 tablespoon
Cashew nuts few
Green chillies 1 or 2
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Aniseeds/saunf 1 tsp
Red chillies 3
Baby onions 1/2 cup chopped finely
Grated coconut 1 cup
Ginger garlic paste 1 and half tsp
Salt to taste

• Cook rice and allow to cool so the rice does not stick together.
• Heat oil in a pan/vessel, add all the ingredients listed under the seasoning one after the other waiting for each to fry well in the oil.
• Once the seasoning is all ready, check for salt and mix the cooled rice and mix well so that the flavors well mixed.
• Serve hot with any spicy chicken curry or vegetarian gravy of your choice and fried pepper papads.

• Pack it in the lunch box with fried potatoes and boiled eggs.
• Enjoy the amazing flavors!

Sending this to Lunch box ideas @ Cuisine delights, Only series-South indian , Cooking concepts 8-Vegan, Healthy Morsels @ Taste of pearl city, Anyone can cook #45 @ taste of pearl city

Coconut Rice/Thengai Sadham

Coconuts are not aliens in our south indian kitchens but surprisingly I've never made this rice ever before.I love it and so did my LM who usually picks out titbits from her plate.i must declare it an instant hit.

Aloo Methi

I had posted this recipe earlier this month using kasuri methi(dried fenugreek leaves).This recipe uses the fresh fenugreek leaves.They are really healthy and the health benefits are mentioned in my earlier post.

This easy dish makes a healthy side dish except that sometimes cleaning the fresh leaves are a tedious job.If the fenugreek leaves are tender, there is a short cut- just chop off the roots and wash thoroughly and grind it coursely in a mixer.Else the leaves have to be plucked.If the fresh leaves are unavailable use the sun dried - kasuri methi which is readily available in packs.

To make this dish, you need

Potatoes/baby potatoes 2 peeled and diced (if using baby potatoes can be used whole)
Fenugreek leaves/methi leaves one bunch
Onion 1 medium chopped finely
Tomato 1 large
Salt to taste
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Garlic 2 3 pods
Oil 2 tablespoons
Chilli powder 1 tsp (or as much as you need)
Turmeric/haldi powder 1/2 tsp

• Heat oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds and let it splutter.Add the onions and fry till soft.Next add the garlic and fry well.
• Add the methi leaves and fry well in the oil until the leaves go soft.Now add the potatoes and cover and cook for 5 minutes.
• Next add the tomatoes and cover and cook.Do not pour extra water this needs to be a nice dry dish.
• Add salt, chilli powder and turmeric powder and mix well.
• Cover and cook until the potatoes are soft.

• Serve hot with hot chapatis or steamed rice.
• Stuff this in a slice of bread with your favorite spread and enjoy a healthy breakfast!!

Sending this to Healthy Morsels @ Taste of pearl city, CC : Vegan diet:Plant based, Lets cook :greens @Tickling Palates, Serve it series:Stir fried@krithi's kitchen & Denny's Oh taste n See, Anu's "SYF&HWS - Cook with SPICES" guest hosted by  Vardhini 

 

 

 

Aloo Methi

I had posted this recipe earlier this month using kasuri methi(dried fenugreek leaves).This recipe uses the fresh fenugreek leaves.They are really healthy and the health benefits are mentioned in my earlier post.

Brownies

My first attempt at baking brownies and i was pleased!The result was some heavenly chocolatey brownies.Serve them with cream or ice cream and enjoy :)

Please excuse me for the pictures i was ever so impatient to eat it that the brownies were crumbling away, once they cooled they were fabulous.

Recipe source :Joy of baking ( i have made my changes, the original recipe says "low fat" i have cut down the butter to do so you can add butter instead of oil)


You need

Granulated sugar 2/3 cup
Butter/vegetable oil 1/3 cup
Vanilla essence 1 tsp
Egg 1 large
Flour 1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon
Cocoa powder 1/3 cup + Melted chocolate 2 tablespoons
Baking powder 1tsp
Baking soda 1/4 tsp
Cream 1/4 cup (Amul cream)

• Preheat oven to 180C and grease, flour the cake tin and set aside.
• Beat the egg in a bowl, add oil and whisk well.Add the cream and vanilla essence and mix well.
• Add oil and beat well until all is mixed well.
• Sieve the flour,cocoa and baking agents into a bowl.Add the sugar and combine the dry ingredients well before adding the wet mixture into this slowly and mixing alternatively.
• Once all the dry mixture is well combined with the wet, transfer to the greased cake tin or bowl you would be baking it.
• Bake at 180C for 45 mins or until done.I had to keep checking it because the sides were done and the centre was wobbly.If the skewer comes out clean from the centre you can turn off the oven and cool the brownies.
• Be sure to cut the brownies only when its completely cool else it will crumble (like mine , it was also a bit sticky but completely soft once cooled.)

• Stores well for about 4-5 days refrigerated in an air tight container.

• Enjoy delicious brownies with a glass of milk.

Note:I loved the texture, color, taste, etc but I have a query about why it sunk in the center??If anyone knows why please let me know. But that just didn't do anything to alter the heavenly taste of those brownies.

 

Sending this to I love Baking @ Tickling Palates and Anyone can cook #44, I'm the star @Vegetarian food and me, For U mum@UK Rasoi

Brownies

My first attempt at baking brownies and i was pleased!The result was some heavenly chocolatey brownies.Serve them with cream or ice cream and enjoy :)

Chocolate crescents

I love baking and Radhika has just the event for all of us who are going crazy about baking.Like her event demands even though i can't post on all days I'll try to post atleast a few this month.

I was keeping away from yeast for a while as i had burnt my fingers a many too times.I found out it wasn't my fault.The mistake was that i had frozen my yeast and that killed it apparently.The fresh yeast works like magic now.

My friend always bakes with whole wheat flour(only) and she gave me her fool proof bread recipe, worked well for me.Since I'm not lucky enough to find a loaf tin or any fancy bread baking tins, i just go ahead and play with the shapes and still better make stuffed breads.

Twisted bread with 2 strands of dough

This is how i made it.Check my previous post on how to shape the crescents.

Whole Wheat flour - 3 cups (sieved)
All purpose flour - 1/2 cup (sieved)
Active dry yeast - 2 1/4 tsp
Oil - 2-3 tbsp + more for greasing bowl
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Salt - 2 tsp
Water - 1 cup (warm) + more if required
Milk - 1/2 cup (warm)
Egg or milk for brushing the tops of the bread

• Sieve the flours and add all the remaining ingredients and mix well into a soft workable dough.Dough should be soft but not sticky to the fingers.
• Grease a bowl and leave the dough to rise, apply oil on the dough too.
• Cover with cling film or wet cloth and leave to double in size.(took about 3 - 4 hours,i left it for a longer time)
• For the filling:Chocolate chips as required, melt the chocolate chips in a microwave for 1 minute until smooth.

• Once the dough has doubled, pinch off a ball of dough and roll into a flat circle and cut into 4 portions first half then quarters.Take one quarter and apply the melted chocolate on the broader edge of the dough and roll the thinner edge to cover it up.
• Repeat for remaining dough and let the crescents raise for another 1 hour or so.Place them on a greased tray and let them rest.
• Brush the tops with beaten eggs or milk and they are ready to go into the oven.
• Preheat oven to 180C and push the tray to bake for about 45 minutes or until the tops and bottoms sound hard when knocked with a spoon.

• Serve yummy chocolate crescents with milk or juice.

          Happy baking :)

 

Sending this to I love baking #2@Tickling palates, I'm the star@Vegetarian Food&me,Bake fest #2

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Chocolate crescents

I love baking and Radhika has just the event for all of us who are going crazy about baking.Like her event demands even though i can't post on all days I'll try to post atleast a few this month.

Ragda Patties - Potato patties dunked in white pea gravy

Street food in Mumbai is quite unique.My dad used to tell me anyone who earns even a meagre amount can survive on these street food especially vada paav used to priced quite less but now with the sky high prices even vada paavs are pricey.

I had'nt heard of ragda patties or any of the other street food until I went to Mumbai for my further education.I used to be quite amused at these names-usal/misal paav, ragda patties, dhabeli, paani puri, bhel puri, sev puri, etc are some famous chaat foods available on the Indian streets.I can't vouch for the cleanliness though but like they say it tastes best on the streets :)

For this month's blog hop, I had to just view Deeksha's blog and her ragda patties once to be tempted to try it immediately.I made it 3 weeks before time and now i'm waiting to post it!We enjoyed it and was one really filling snack!I made the ragda-peas gravy ahead of time (for lunch) so that i wouldn;t have to be juggling with everything at the same time.The dried white peas came as a surprise because i used to do all sorts of things to mask the pungent smell from the dried green peas.Now the dried white peas are a regular on the shopping list!

Like the name suggests, this dish has to be made in parts and then assembled :part 1: ragda and part 2: the patties- potato patties/cutlets.

For the ragda :

you need

Dried white peas soaked overnight and pressure cooked 1 cup
Onion 1 medium
Tomato 1 large
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Chilli powder 1 tsp
ginger garlic paste 1 tsp
Salt to taste
cumin seeds 1 tsp
Oil 2 tsp
Water as per your need
Coriander leaves/cilantro a handfull

- Pressure cook the peas and once its cooked the peels will float on top, you can remove the peels.Retain the water and drain the cooked peas.
- heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and let it pop, add the onions let them fry until soft.
- Add the ginger garlic paste and tomatoes and allow to mash until soft.Add the dried powders and fry well until the raw smell goes away.
- Add the cooked peas and let it cook.Add the water used for boiling the peas to make the gravy as watery as you need.
- Simmer for about 5-7 mins and turn off the heat.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with indian flat breads or steamed rice.

For the patties -  check here - my aloo tikki post.I followed the same procedure except that i shallow fried the patties unlike the tikkis which are deep fried.

Serving the ragda patties:

- In a plate/dish, place the patties/tikkis with the peas gravy on the side or pour it over the tikkies.

- sprinkle onions,tomatoes,cucumber,cilantro and sev.Serve with a sprinkling of green and tamarind chutneys and lime.

- Enjoy the deliciousness of Mumbai Street Food.

Note: I have skipped using green and sweet chutneys you are welcome to add them if you feel so.

Sending this to Blog hop wednesday@Tickling palates, Bon Vivant moments:Savory items@Sumee's culinary bites, Comfort food @Daily cuppa,Anyone can cook





 

Ragda Patties - Potato patties dunked in white pea gravy

Street food in Mumbai is quite unique.My dad used to tell me anyone who earns even a meagre amount can survive on these street food especially vada paav used to priced quite less but now with the sky high prices even vada paavs are pricey.

Peanut butter Rose Surprise

Summers is here anything cooling and soothing is welcome for me.I'm trying to cut down on my caffeine and so I picked my mixer jar and looked around for some stuff to make a milk shake.My sister is a shake-maniac she'd just throw everything she finds and make just fantastic shakes...but i need to do just one think overlook the calories!

Here;s a rosy drink for any summer's day or even to serve some thirsty guests.i named it \surprise' because when i tasted this drink, i was surprised at the wonderful taste.

You need:
Milk 1 cup
Banana 1 small
Rose syrup 2 tablespoons
Peanut butter 1 teaspoon
Sugar/honey 1 tsp or as much as you need
Chocolate to garnish (optional)

• Whip all the above in a mixer until frothy.

• Serve chilled or as it is with chocolate syrup or shavings.

Sending this to Fruit fiesta @Ramya's Recipes,Summer splash@spicy Treats, Holi Fest@Preeti's kitchen life, Colorful Holi@Cuisine Delights