Idlis

Perfect idli dosa with sona masuri! These were absolutely the best so far. Will stick to this proportion. They are heavier though than just with idli rice. Recipe here...

1 cup sona masoori rice

1 cup idli rice

1/2 cup urad dal

1/2 cup poha

1 tsp methi seeds

Salt as needed

Soak rice , poha and methi together and dal separate. Grind after few hrs. Keep overnight to ferment and steam them as idlis or dilute the batter a bit for dosas. Enjoy! Hit with sambhar and onion tomato chutney.

Thai veg red curry

Thai food is close to Indian palate as it's spicy, has loads of options and goes well with rice. Yet I kept away as it has a lot of pastes with non veg base. Recently a friend introduced me to this cuisine and now I play around with all the things I have in my fridge and enjoy this quick yummy cuisine. It may not be as professional as what I would get in a restaurant but I am not deprived anymore. Sharing the recipe with you. Add non vegs as required.

Ingredients

1 cup each of broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms,bell peppers

1/2 cup each of carrot sticks, beans cut in 1" sticks

1 cup tofu cut into sticks (optional)

You can use pineapple, brinjals, snow peas, zucchini, any vegs you enjoy. 

2-3 heaped tsp of red Thai curry paste

1 tbsp each of ginger and garlic

1 cubed onions

1 tbsp soya sauce

1 tbsp vinegar

100 ml coconut milk

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp chilli flakes n salt. 

Method

Heat oil. Add ginger garlic and sauté. Add chilli flakes. 

Add onions and sauté. If adding tofu , add and sauté till golden a bit.

Add the curry paste and sauté.

Add soya sauce. 

Mix well.

Add all the vegs and salt and sauté.

Add a cup of water and boil the vegs.

Slowly add coconut milk and boil this till vegs are cooked yet crunchy.

Add vinegar and top with spring onions.

You can add vegs that are available. Use Chinese cabbage, Pak choi, spinach, endless list. I put pineapple and my family loved it. Today I put raw mango pulp that one uses for aam panna! Delicious!!

Chilli spicy sauce to too this lovely curry.

4 tbsp vinegar, 4 tbsp water, chopped green chilies, salt and chilli flakes. Mix and let then blend. Pour this a tsp at a time to add more fire to your curry.

Kohlrabi sambhar

Moving to Germany has been tough as lack of desi vegetables has made it difficult to cook and get desi tastes. But that doesn't stop me from trying things constantly. So make do with whatever I can find in a supermarket. Family loved this one as the tastes were intense and it was lighter than the daal sambhar. 

Ingredients 

One head kohlrabi cut into fingers

2 thickly chopped onions

1/2 pod garlic chopped in chunks

1 tbsp chopped ginger

Curry leaves hand full

1 tbsp oil

1 tbsp ghee

1/2 tsp each of methi, mustard and jeera

1/8 tsp hing

2 tbsp of Chana dal

2 tsp of sambhar powder

1/3 tsp haldi

1/3 tsp chilli powder

2 tsp dhaniya powder

1/4 cup grated coconut paste( optional)

2 Chopped tomatoes

Paste from walnut size tamarind

Method

Heat oil and add tadka of mustard, jeera and methi. Let it color n add hing and one red chilli.

Add Chana dal and curry leaves.

Add all the vegs and sauté on low heat till slightly golden.

Add dry masalas and cook for few secs to get aroma.

Add the tamarind paste and turn well. 

Put the coconut if you are using n cook for few mins.

Add water and pressure cook for few whistles n simmer for few mins till the kohlrabi is cooked.

Top with ghee and coriander leaves.

Serve hot and tastes nice as a thin soup/ rasam soup variety too. Light with idlis, can steal few more ;)

Autumn theplas

Autumn theplas

One of the most beautiful seasons is autumn and love the colors that are around, yellow, brown, red.... Just adore it. Pumpkins are in plenty and what better to celebrate it except do it desi style. Made pumpkin theplas. Loved the color on my plate and nice way of getting a veg in to the tummy.do here goes.

Ingredients

2 cups pumpkins cut into long slices

4/5 garlic pods

3 chopped spring onions

200 ml curd

Wheat flour as needed

1 tbsp oil

Salt

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1/4 tsp haldi

1 tsp saunf powder

Hing

2 tbsp ground flax seeds or sesame.

Method

In hot oven bake garlic and pumpkin till soft.

Grate and add all the other ingredients. Knead and add flour as needed.

Keep for 15 mins and then roll into parathas and cook on both sides with oil till golden. Enjoy the autumn colors on your plate. 

Vegetable quiche

This week Shilpa and Micky tempted me to make the quiche. I added my touch and the result was fabulous. My family loved it. Thanks girls!! Keep cooking and rocking the place!

Ingredients

4/5 boiled potatoes

200 ml curd

1 cup maize flour or meal

Whole wheat flour as needed

1 tsp baking powder

Salt

2 tbsp oil

For filing

1 chopped onion

2 chopped garlic

500 gms chopped mushrooms

1 chopped bell peppers

1/2 can boiled corn

400 ml white sauce

2 tbsp cream cheese

1/2 tsp oregano

1 tsp Italian mixed spices

2 tbsp mixed seeds.. Sunflower, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds

2 tbsp flaxseeds ground

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt as needed

Grated cheese to top 

Pepper n chilli flakes as needed

Method

Mix all the ingredients for the dough. It would be a but soft.kerp for an hour.

Heat oil, add chopped garlic and onions and sauté.

Put in all the vegs and cook on high heat and reduce any water,

Add white sauce, seasonings, salt ,seeds ,flax seeds and cream cheese and keep aside.

Roll the pastry dough and put into a greased flan dish.

Pour the filling and too with cheese, pepper and chilli flakes.

Bake at 200 deg till golden brown and knife comes clean. 

Cool for a while and cut into wedges. I also made small ones in muffin molds. They look fabulous! Enjoy!!!

Piña colada cake

Piña colada cake

1.5 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup oats meal

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup pineapple juice

1 cup sugar

Freshly chopped pineapple as required

15 gms baking powder

1 tbsp vinegar

Milk as needed

1/2 cup coconut flakes

Method

Best sugar oil, juice well.keep a bit of sugar for the top.

Add the flours, coconut and mix well.

Add baking powder and vinegar and milk as needed.

Pour into a tray lined with a baking sheet. 

Top with chopped pineapple and sprinkle sugar.

Bake at 180 deg till golden brown. Cool and enjoy the pineapple and coconut aroma. Can add rum for those who like alcohol in their cakes. 

Cappuccino nut cake

Cappuccino nutty cake 

This weekend I was running out of ideas for a different healthy cake. No fruits, no regular stuff.... So started with just my oats and evaporated milk in my processor. And soon I had an amazing recipe with something that lay in the shelf as I didn't like the taste. Learnt again that one should never discard anything too quickly another form always can give a new dimension.

1.5 cup atta

1/2 cup crushed oats

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup oil

200 ml evaporated milk

4-5 tbsp cappuccino coffee mix

2 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp vinegar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup raisins

1/2 cup apple juice or more as needed

Method 

Except vinegar and baking powder, mix everything well. Keep for 10 mins.

Adjust the consistency with apple juice.

Add vinegar and baking powder and mix for few secs

Put into a greased baking dish and bake in a preheated oven at 180 deg C. 

Cut into squares and enjoy with coffee.

Dabeli style turnovers

Dabeli style turnovers

Sometimes ingredients around you push your creativity to such an extent that you feel pleased that you were short of ingredients. I promised a sick friend done dinner but the buns weren't enough and then my oven was on for baking mini pizzas for kids and there was enough left over dough from them. Enough reasons for me to experiment with potato filling of dabeli,dough and a hot oven ! They turned out delicious !! Next time around will mark the covering with whole wheat flour and make it healthier! :))

Ingredients

For the covering

250 gms flour

50 gms suji

1.5 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup curd

2 tbsp oil

Salt 

For filling

2-3 boiled potato

1 chopped onions

1 chopped tomato

Chilli powder

1/2 tsp haldi

1 tsp coriander powder

1.5 tsp dabeli masala

Salt

1 tbsp oil

For dabeli masala

1 tsp Coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

Red chille a few

4-5 cloves

Small stick of cinnamon

Other things

Roasted masala peanuts, tamarind chutney, garlic chilli chutney

Method

Mix flour and suji with baking powder , salt and oil. Add curd and water to make a firm dough. Rest for a while.

Roast all the spices for masala and powder them.

Heat oil and add onions and sauté. 

Add tomatoes and sauté to mash.

Add all the spices and cook till you get good aroma.

Add mashed potatoes and cook well. 

Add chopped green coriander and mix well.

Roll small circles from the dough, about 4" round and 2-3 mm thick. 

Spread some garlic chutney and a bit of tamarind chutney.

Put a generous spoon of potatoes on one side.

Top with peanuts and fold over.

Stick the sides with a bit of water and press with a fork.

Put on baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Brush with butter or milk.

Bake in a preheated oven at 200 deg C till they are golden brown.

Serve them hot! 

Yummy delicious tiffin snack!

Bread pudding with coffee and nuts

Coffee nut summer pudding 

This I made on an instinct , of things I would like. Easy peasy and very cool on a summer afternoon. I could do with this instead of a lunch. 

Ingredients

6-8 slices full corn bread

500-600ml prepared vanilla custard

2 tsp coffee powder

Walnuts and almond slivers

Method

Cut bread into small squares.

Dip in custard well and line in a serving glass dish. Pour a bit of custard extra.

Sprinkle coffee powder. Here and there a bit extra.

Line again the same way.

Pour the rest of the custard.

Top with coffee and lots of chopped walnuts and almond slivers.

Cover with a cling film.

Really chill this many hours, preferably overnight till coffee leaches into custard. 

Serve chilled scooped right till the bottom. Enjoy the crunch, munch and thanda thanda cool cool effect.

Aloo chaat chatpati

Chatpati aloo chaat

I remember the chaat wala making this on his little make shift dukaan. I was about 12-13 but was so loved the smells when I passed him but didnt dare to eat as it looked so unhygienic. Mum used to be very upset. So recollected the smells and tried my hand on it and here is killer aloo chaat! You can give it warm but I chilled it for few hrs to blend the tastes and added crushed garlic! Highly recommended!

Ingredients

4 Boiled potatoes sliced while still warm

1 sliced onion

3-4 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp chilli flakes 

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp roasted cumin pwd

2 chopped green chillies

Lime juice from 1/2 lemon

1/2 bowl imli pulp

Dhaniya patta chopped

Method 

In a mortar add garlic, chilli flakes, cumin and crush roughly.

Mix all the ingredients very well. Make sure it has a little water in it. It would get absorbed soon.

Cover and let the flavors blend for few hours in the fridge.

Open after a couple of hours and feel your mouth drool and beat the heat by adding more to it!