Monday, August 31, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Aloo / Potato Rice
Both me and HD prepared this on a lazy sunday afternoon. Our stomachs were growling and we wanted something asap. Thus, the idea of aloo rice was conceived. Though I was skeptical initially, the final product was simply supberbbbbbbbb.
Ingredients:
Potatoes - 2(peeled and cut in cubes)
Onion - 1/2 finely chopped
Rice - 2 cups
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt and Oil as required
Steps:
1. Heat oil in the pressure cooker, add cumin seeds and stir well.
2. Add onions and saute for few minutes. Once the onions turn brown, add the potatoes and stir well.
3. Add salt, chilli powder, turmeric and coriander powders and cook till the raw smell goes.
4. Add the rice and saute for a minute.
5. Pour 4 cups water and pressure cook for 3 whistles.Serve hot with raita or chutney.
Health Quotient:
Rice is high in complex carbohydrates, contains almost no fat, is cholesterol free, and is low in sodium, unless you add salt to the cooking water. Generally all rice - both brown and white - is considered a good source of vitamins and minerals. Although almost all the nutrients are stripped from white rice when the bran layer is removed during milling, ninety percent of all American grown rice is enriched with thiamine, niacin and iron and in some instances riboflavin, Vitamin D and Calcium. White rice because it is enriched has more iron and thiamine than brown rice. Brown rice has five times more Vitamin E and three times more magnesium. Brown rice provides twice as much fiber as white rice, but it is not an especially rich source of fiber. On the other hand, rice bran alone is an excellent source of fiber. Rice is a fair source of protein containing all eight essential amino acids. It is low in the amino acid lysine, which is found in beans making the classic combination of rice and beans, popularly known as complimentary proteins, a particularly healthful dish. Rice is gluten free and easily digestible making it a good choice for infants and people with wheat allergies or digestive problems. A half cup of cooked white rice provides 82 calories; an equal amount of brown rice provides 89 calories. To know more click here.
Posted by Anu Ramesh at 8:50 PM 1 comments
Labels: Rice
Friday, August 28, 2009
Kaara Kozhukattai
Here comes my MIL's recipe.
Ingredients:
Rice - 2 cups
Onion - 1 finely chopped
Red chillies - 10 chopped finely
Channa dal - 1 Tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 Tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Coconut - 1/2 cup shredded(dry/fresh)
Salt and oil as per taste
Steps:
1. Soak the rice for 2 hours.
2. Grind the rice in a mixer/blender.
3. In a pan, heat oil and add the mustard seeds.
4. When the mustards splutter, add red chillies channa dal and urad dal and saute for a couple of minutes.
5. Add onions and saute till its brown in colour.
6. Pour the rice batter and add salt.
7. Keep stirring continously till the batter has a thick consistency like a dough.
8. Remove from heat and let it cool for 10 minutes.
9. Apply oil to your hands and make round balls with the rice dough. Shape it either length wise or make round balls.
10. In a idli cooker/pressure cooker, steam the kozhukattais. If using pressure cooker, do not use weight. Pressure cook it for 10 minutes.
Serve hot with coconut chutney.
Health Quotient:
Festival time is no time for healthyyy info.. at least in our house.. This is the time to have some fun, and what better way than food.. (especially for foodies like me.)
Posted by Anu Ramesh at 11:30 PM 0 comments
Labels: Snacks
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Potato Cabbage kofta curry
For Gravy:
Curd - 1/2 cup
Onions - 1 finely chopped
Tomato - 1 finely chopped or pureed
Cumin seeds/jeera - 1 tsp
Coriander power - 1 tsp
Chilly powder - 2 tsps
Garam masala(optional)
Salt and oil as required.
Steps:
1. Boil the grated cabbage in water. Add little salt and water should be just enough till it covers the cabbage. Remove from heat once the cabbage is soft, this will take appx. 5-7 minutes.
2। Filter the cabbage using a colander and transfer the cabbage to a muslin cloth. Squeeze out to remove the excess water.
3. In a bowl, add the cabbage, potato, salt and chilly powder and mix well. Sprinkle the besan little at a time and mix well. You can make round koftas and place it on a plate.4. Heat oil in a kadhai, and fry the koftas till they turn brown. Place the koftas in a tissue paper to soak excess oil.
5. In a pan, add little oil and the cumin seeds. Saute for a minute and add the onions.
6. Once the onions turn brown, add tomatoes and saute for 2 minutes.
7. Add chilly powder, coriander powder, garam masala(optional) and saute till the raw smell goes.
8. Pour 2 cups water and let it boil.
9. Beat the curd and pour it when the water is boiling. Stir well for a minute.
10. Add the koftas and let the curry simmer for few minutes.
11. Remove from heat once the koftas are soaked well in the curry.
Serve hot with roti, puri or naan.
Health Quotient:
Cabbage and potaoes together have all the nutrients required for maintaining optimal health. If potatoes add weight, cabbage negates it, as it is a very good vegetable for weight loss. This is one good combination you can try anytime. Try these as a vegetable curry, or make a aloo gobi paratha, if nothing else works, then atleast try these as koftas. Bet you'll love these as much as I do.
Posted by Anu Ramesh at 11:47 PM 1 comments
Labels: Vegetable curry
Monday, August 24, 2009
Spicy Mushroom masala / Kaalan masala
Wisdom stands at the turn in the road and calls upon us publicly, but we consider it false and despise its adherents. - Kahlil Gibran
Ingredients:
1 pack Mushroom - 500 gms appx
Onion - 1 cut lengthwise
Tomato - 1 medium sized
Garlic - 5 pods crushed
Masalas:
Coriander Powder
Turmeric Powder
Chilly Powder
Chicken masala
Salt and oil as required
Steps:
1. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and urad dal and let it splutter.
2. Add crushed garlic and saute till it turns light brown. Add onions and fry for 5-7 minutes.
3. Now add the tomato and stir well. Add mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes. Cover it with a lid for another 3 minutes on low flame.
4. Add the masalas and salt and stir until the raw smell goes.
5. Add a cup of water and stir well. Cover with the lid for 5 minutes or till the mushrooms are cooked.
Serve hot with roti or chappati.
Health Quotient:
Mushrooms are very low in saturated fat and contain no cholestrol. Have a good amount of dietary fiber, iron, Vitamin C and zinc.
In 2009, a large case-control study of woman, revealed that women who consumed mushrooms had approximately 50% lower incidence of breast cancer, while those who consumed mushrooms and green tea had a 90% lower incidence.
Source : wikipedia
Posted by Anu Ramesh at 11:22 PM 2 comments
Labels: Vegetable curry
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Kozhukattai
Ingredients:
Rice flour - 1 cup
Milk - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Water - 1 1/2 cup
Filling:
Shredded coconut - 1 cup
Brown sugar - 1/2 cup
Sesame seeds - 1 tsp
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil/ghee as required
Steps:
1. Heat the ghee in a pan, add water, salt and milk.
2. Once the water comes to a boil, add little flour at a time and stir well. Stirring continously avoids the lump formation.
3. Remove from heat when the flour is mixed well with the water. Let it cool for sometime.
4. In the meantime, in another pan, pour oil, add the coconut, and stir for a minute.
5. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Do this for 2 minutes or until the mixture is cooked. Avoid over stirring this mixture, or else the sugar will caramalise and the filling will become hard.
6. Make a small round ball of the rice flour mixture, add little coconut filling and shape it either round, or triangular(traditional way). Repeat the same with the remaining flour and filling.
Note: Apply some oil to your hands before making the balls. To make perfect modaks, flatten the rice flour with your palms evenly, add little filling in the center and pull all the edges together to seal it. Alternatively, you can use your thumb and forefinger to get the shape. Moulds are available in the market to make this job easier.
7. Place the kozkukattai in a greased idli plate and steam in idli cooker/pressure cooker. If using pressure cooker, dont use the weight.
Serve hot.
Health Quotient:
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm, well, coconut, is very good in destroying intestinal parasites, that we get from eating infected food. Coconut water is good for kidney and urinary bladder problems. Coconut milk has been found to help cases of sore throat as well as relieving stomach ulcers.
Try these kozhukattais to please one and all.
Posted by Anu Ramesh at 11:25 AM 0 comments
Labels: Sweets
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Celery Egg Bhurji
Posted by Anu Ramesh at 3:17 AM 2 comments
Labels: Eggs
Lemon Rice
It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere. - Agnes
Ingredients:
Rice - 1 cup
Juice of a big lemon
Red chillies - 5
Channa dal - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Peanuts - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - as per taste
Salt as per taste
Oil - 1 Tsp
Ingredients:
1. Cook rice and set aside.
2. In a small pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds.
3. Once they splutter, add red chillies, and saute till they turn brownish black.
4. Add channa dal, urad dal and peanuts and saute for a minute or till the peanuts are cooked.
5. Add asafoetida, turmeric powder and mix well.
6. Add the lemon juice and saute for 2 mins.
7. Remove from heat and mix with the rice.
Serve hot with pickle or chutney.
Health Quotient:
Low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium
High in Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Calcium, Potassium, Iron among others
Lemons are ideal for maintaining an optimum health and weight loss.
Posted by Anu Ramesh at 2:51 AM 0 comments
Labels: Rice
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Beans Sambar
Posted by Anu Ramesh at 4:53 PM 0 comments
Labels: Kuzhambu
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Aloo Palak Rice/Potato Spinach Rice
Posted by Anu Ramesh at 1:46 PM 2 comments
Labels: Rice
Monday, August 17, 2009
Oats Roti/chappati
Posted by Anu Ramesh at 7:06 PM 0 comments
Labels: Tiffin
Kalakand
Unless you change how you are,you will always have what you've got. - Jim Rohn
Butter/Ghee - 1 Tsp
Posted by Anu Ramesh at 6:47 PM 0 comments
Labels: Sweets
Uppu Seedai
Ingredients:
Rice flour - 2 1/2 cups
Urad dal flour - 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds/jeera- 1 tsp
Sesame seeds/yellu/til - 2 tsp
Asofoetida/hing - 1/4 tsp
Salt and Oil as required
Steps:
1. Soak the rice for 30 minutes and dry it on a cloth for 10 minutes. Dry grind it and sieve it.
2. Dry roast the urad dal for 5 minutes till it turns golden brown. Once it cools, dry grind.
3. Mix all the ingredients(except oil), add little water at a time to make a soft dough.
4. Make round balls apprx the size of a marble and place it in a dry cloth or tissue paper.
5. Fry a handful at a time on medium to low heat till they turn yellow or brown. Once the seedais are cooked, the bubbles will disappear and the seedais will float up on the oil.
Store it in air tight containers.
Uppu seedai is a good munch which pleases the Lord Krishna. After eating the seedai, you'll know why Lord Krishna has chosen Seedai as a offering to him. Still guessing... try this recipe and you'll know. :)
Posted by Anu Ramesh at 6:40 PM 0 comments
Labels: Snacks
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Onion Parantha
2 onions finely chopped
3 cups wheat flour
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds(jeera)
1 tsp carom seeds(ajwain)
1-2 tsp chilly powder
salt as per taste
Oil for frying
Steps:
1. In a pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, carom seeds and let it splutter.
2. Add onions and saute till it turns translucent. Ensure not to fry till brown.
3. Add all the remaining ingredients and fry till the raw smell goes.
4. Add the onion mix to the wheat flour. Mix well with the flour. Set aside for 15 mins.
5. Add water and knead the dough well.
6. Make round balls of equal size and roll them.
7. Heat the frying pan/tawa, cook the parathas on both sides for a minute. Add oil if required.
Note:
1.You can use any add some more masalas to it, like chaat masala, goda masala, garam masala to enhance the taste and flavours.
2.If the onions are not cooked completely, they will ooze out water in the dough, so make sure it is translucent.
3.Overcooked onions will become sweet, in this case increase the quantity of chilly powder as per taste.
4. Dont leave the kneaded dough to rest for long, as onions tend to ooze out water.
Posted by Anu Ramesh at 10:19 AM 0 comments
Labels: paratha
Sunday, August 2, 2009
kaala chana wheat upma / Konda kadalai godamai upma
It's healthy and at the same time easy. Makes the otherwise boring godamai upma look appealing and tempting. Love the color combo - brown and dark brown, resembles chocolate chips in a cookie. :) This is a favorite. Sure your family will love it too. Try and let me know.
When the heart is at ease, the body is healthy - Chinese proverb.
2 cups broken wheat
3/4 cup kaala chana soaked overnight and boiled
5 dried red chillies
1/2 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 - 1 tsp chilly powder
1 small onion finely chopped
salt to taste
Steps:
1. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. Once it splutters, add cumin seeds and saute.
2. Add the red chillies and once it changes color, add the the onions.
3. Saute the onions till they become translucent. Add the chilly powder and salt to taste.
4. Once the raw smell vanishes, add the kaala chana and saute well till it blends well with the onion paste.
5. Pour 4 cups water. When this comes to a boil, add the broken wheat.
6. Keep stirring frequently till the upma is done.
Kaala chana also known as garbanzo or black chickpea are high in dietary fiber, protein and manganese. They have no cholestrol whatsoever, very low in sodium and saturated fat.
Posted by Anu Ramesh at 5:35 PM 0 comments
Labels: Tiffin
Vathal Kuzhambu
“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” - William Arthur Ward.
Ingredients:
Tamarind - 1 lemon sized soaked in 2 cups warm water(an hour)
Garlic - 8-10 cloves
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Salt and oil as required.
Gingelly oil - 1 Tsp
To grind:
Red chilly - 7
Pepper - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds/vendhiyam - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds/jeera - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 Tsp
Chana dal/kadala parappu - 1 Tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
1. Sieve the tamarind juice and set aside.
2. Heat little oil in a pan and add all the ingredients under 'to grind' and saute well.
3. Once it cools, using a mixer or grinder, grind well without using water
4. Heat oil in a pan, add the garlic saute for a minute, then add fried sundakkai/vendakkai/or any other vegetable and saute well.
5. Add turmeric, salt and saute for another 2 minutes.
6. Add the tamarind juice and let it boil. When it comes to a boil, add the ground ingredients and let it boil.
7. The tamarind juice will thicken once it boils. Switch off the gas when the desired consistency is achieved.
8. Pour the gingelly oil on the kuzhambu and cover it with a lid.
Serve with rice and papad.
Posted by Anu Ramesh at 4:34 PM 0 comments
Labels: Kuzhambu