Rasam

South Indian cuisine is one of my favorite. Flavorful, healthy and delicious. Has so much variety and so much taste. Rasam is one such dish. A light soup, healthy and good for the soul. Can be made anytime and is good for those colds and during winters or rainy days to drive away your blues. 

Ingredients 

5-6 tomatoes chopped 

2 tsp crushed garlic

Few curry leaves

Walnut size tamarind 

1 tsp oil

1-2 tsp mustard seeds

Pinch of Hing

Ingredients of Spice mix 

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander 

1/2 tsp pepper

1 dry red chilli

Method

Crush the spices roughly for the spice mix.

In a pot pour 5 cups water.

Add chopped tomatoes ,tamarind, crushed garlic ,Hing,salt and spice mix. 

Boil on slow flame for about 30 mins.

Heat oil and add mustard. Let them splatter.

Add curry leaves and pour into rasam.

Add coriander leaves and serve hot. 

Protein packed healthy vadas

Diet protein packed vada with rasam 

My quest for healthier options for all the calorie rich foods never stops me from experimenting in my little kitchen. I saw this donut maker and I wanted to make my all time favorite ... Rasam vada without those extra calories. Today I tried mixed daals and they were passed by full marks by my friends and family. Sharing this goodness on my blog. 

1/2 cup red masoor

1/4 cup Chana dal

1/4 cup tuar

1/4 cup urad

1/4 cup quinoa 

1/4 cup dalia

1/4 cup rice

1 tbsp ginger

2 green chillies

1/2 tsp cumin 

1/6 tsp Hing

2 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1 tbsp baking powder

2-3 tbsp curd

1 chopped onion

Salt to taste

Method 

Soak all the grains for about 2-3 hours.

Grind them with green chillies and ginger .You can also add them chopped instead. Add curd to grind. Keep the batter thick. 

Add oil , onions, spices and baking powder and mix well.

Heat donut maker. Apply butter on both sides. 

Pour spoon fulls into each slot.

Close the griddle and cook for about 5-7 mins. 

Serve them hot with steaming rasam or chutney! 

Delicious and healthy !!

Whole wheat and white pao

White flour and whole wheat flour pao

I had been planning these a long time. At my college we used to make those white buns and immediately polished them off with butter. Nothing like hot buns with melting butter and this is what we did today as I baked these perfect paos! My home was filled with warm smells lifting my spirits and the low temperature and dull skies were soon forgotten . Soft, spongy, smooth and just soul satisfying .... Sharing the recipe of the perfect paos. They aren't stretchy like the ones at store. Enjoy it

Makes 28 white paos

Ingredients 

4 cups white flour

2 cups warm whole milk

20 gms fresh yeast

3-4 / 40 gms tbsp butter

2 tsp salt

Whole wheat pao ( makes 16 pao)

3 cups atta

1.5 cups milk

7.5 gms fresh yeast

3 tbsp butter

1.5 tsp salt

Method

I used the food processor that made my work lighter but you could knead it with hand.

In a bowl add the flour and salt.

Warm milk just enough so that it's warm to touch and NOT HOT.

Mix the fresh yeast in it and pour into the flour.

Turn the processor on and keep kneading. It looks too wet and impossible to come together but let the gluten break. Keep working on it.

Add the butter and keep working on the dough. 

In about 15 mins you will see it's coming together. 

Use oil on ur hands if you need to as it comes together like a baby's bum ... That's how we were told at college ☺️

Keep this for about an hour or so or till its double in size.

Use oil in your hands and roll into a cylinder.

Cut into equal sizes and roll into smooth balls.

In a buttered tray put these balls leaving about an inch of space between for them to rise.

Keep covered for another hour or so or till it rises to a double. 

Preheat oven to 200 degC. 

Brush the dough balls with milk and put into the oven.

Bake for about 12-15 mins till they are golden brown.

Remove and brush with melted butter.

Remove from tray to avoid sweating!

Enjoyyyy these hot out of the oven with chilled slice of butter melting Inbetween... Is heaven close?? Sure is.