Tuesday 22 November 2011

Instant Oats Dosa

Sending my hubby to shop for groceries is always a catch 22 situation for me - getting work done v/s an always extra stock of supplies..his logic- so I don't send him on the same errand soon again !! :)) So I am stuck with a couple of Quacker Oats packets and wondering what to do :(( had thought of trying out oats idli first but realised some of the ingredients were missing so then thought of oats dosa. Adapted from the original recipe here (http://simpleindianfood.blogspot.com/2008/02/oats-dosa.html) which is quite similar to the instant rava dosa recipe my mom makes (just leave out the oats in the recipe below for plain rava dosa)..turned out really delicious . The only trick is in handling the batter..for every dosa you make give the batter a nice mix as all the thick powders tend to settle down and the batter will be very thin at the top. So give it a nice mix every time you take a ladleful out for the dosa..this Sunday try something healthy and new :)

Ingredients (makes about 10)

1 cup oats
1/2 cup sooji (semolina)
1/2 cup rice flour (readily available)
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 teaspoon jeera
3 cups water
Salt
Oil ,for cooking
1 onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup, chopped coriander leaves

1. Dry roast the oats till they turn brown and a nice aroma wafts through your kitchen.
2. Cool and grind to a powder

3. Mix all the ingredients together (except the onion)
4. Heat a non-stick tawa or pan . The pan has to be really hot for the dosa to come off easily. Anyways the first dosa usually always ends up in love with the pan and refuses to come out easily so don't waste too much batter on the first one.
5. When tawa is hot, reduce the flame, pour a ladleful of the batter  from the outside of the pan and cover till the inside. Brush with oil on the sides. Sprinkle few onion pieces and cover with a lid.
6. After 2-3 minutes when the dosa starts leaving the sides, turn it over and increase the flame to let it brown on the other side.
7. Flip it back on your plate and serve hot...

This has the look of Rava dosa but tastes better definitely..another trick to avoid the batter sticking to the pan is to clean the pan with an onion half dipped in a mixture of oil and water,before spooning out the batter on the pan ..works for me atleast !

Sunday 20 November 2011

Tomato n Basil Bruschetta


Hosted a real fun Italian dinner for a gang of my sister's friends who have been demanding a repeat of a meal cooked for them almost a decade back :)) its the nicest feeling when people remember details of what you cooked and what they loved the most and the gentle reminders-when will you cook for us again :) So out of  an honest desire to make them smile with nostalgia again ,Italian it was and Italian can rarely go wrong- cheese,olive oil, pasta,tomatoes,basil...what's not to love in any single ingredient.
So while the rest of the menu takes away from the focus of my blog on simple and quick recipes, this one is a favourite that never fails. Pronounced originally as 'brusketta' ,you can make your own variations to the toppings..maybe feta cheese,olives,ham,egg,corn ..you get the picture. Well speaking of picture , this post is going to be without one as in my hurry of feeding so many hungry souls the picture taking would have kept them for moments  longer without the food..so please let your imagination do some work this time around..:)

Ingredients (makes about 15 pieces)

3 or 4 ripe tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (optional)
10-12 fresh basil leaves, chopped.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread
1/4 cup olive oil
Grated parmesan cheese, to garnish

1.  Prepare the tomatoes first. Cook the tomatoes for 3-4 minutes in boiling water till the skin ruptures. Drain. Using a sharp small knife, remove the skins of the tomatoes. Once the tomatoes are peeled, cut them in halves or quarters and remove the seeds and juice from their centers.
2.  Turn on the oven to 200°c to preheat.
3.  While the oven is heating, chop up the tomatoes finely. Put tomatoes, 1 tablespoon olive oil,balsamic vinegar in a bowl and mix. Add the chopped basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4.  Slice the baguette on a diagonal about 3/4 inch thick slices. Coat one side of each slice with remaining olive oil mixed with garlic using a pastry brush. Place on a cooking sheet, olive oil side down. You will want to toast them in the top rack in your oven for 5-6 minutes, until the bread just begins to turn golden brown.
5.  Align the bread on a serving platter, olive oil side up, place some topping on each slice of bread and serve garnished with parmesan cheese 

Friday 18 November 2011

Radish n Walnut Raita

For me, any meal is not complete till it is accompanied with some form of curd..no matter how many old wives' tales say not to eat curd at night ,some tales can be modified to suit your palate:)) Plain curd or raita or pachdi or buutermilk, anything works. Great source of calcium plus a digestion aid ,curd is a universal love. So I am always on the lookout for new ways to eat this simple delight. On most days it is curd with boondi and pomegranate (a daily must have again) but with this lovely slight onset on winter veggies I am making this raita often. Have learnt this from a darling aunty from Jammu who says this is a very winter dish as walnuts are a staple of the region..this raita accompanied my methi parathas and some yummmmmmmmyyy home churned white butter..sigh! the simple joys of winter !


Ingredients

2 cups curd (I use skimmed milk curd )
1/2 cup grated white mooli
10 walnut halves, crushed
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 teaspoon roasted jeera powder
Salt (I prefer black salt and have no hangups with the smell :))
Coriander to garnish

No steps...just mix evrything and serve chilled :)) you can even add few raisins to give a slight sweet taste


Thursday 17 November 2011

Corn n Capsicum Pulao

This is a hand me down recipe from my sister and I find it as a great option for comfort food days..it's even a great substitute for the painstaking task of preparing a veg biryani.I happened to make this today after a long time and when I opened the cooker I was transported back to sweet home memories before my sister left for University and the one-odd days that she would get into her full cooking mood. And after eating her food and my husband's, I am of the confirmed opinion that people who cook rarely make the most delicious food :) well now my sister is an expert in her own right and ends up teaching me a thing or two ..
Once you read the recipe you might notice that I have used a lot of chilli (3 types actually) but that's because this pulao tastes great spicy and hot..you can tone down as per your taste preference. 


Ingredients

1 cup rice,washed and saoked for 15 minutes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bayleaf
1 teaspoon jeera
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 teaspoon chopped green chilli
1 onion,chopped finely
1 large tomato , chopped finely
1 cup sweet corn
1 capsicum, chopped
1/2 teaspoon haldi powder
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon jeera powder
2 tabelspoons pav bhaji masala
1 1/2 cups water
Salt to taste
Chopped coriander, to garnish

1. Heat the oil in a pressure cooker. Add the bayleaf and jeera and cook till spluttering.
2. Add the garlic and green chillies and fry for a few seconds.
3. Add the onion and cook till soft.
4. Add the tomato and cook till dry.
5. Add all the masalas and salt , fry for a minute.
6. Add in the corn and the capsicum and cook for another minute.
7. Add the rice and the water . Cover the lid and put the cooker on high flame. After one whistle, let it sim for 5-6 minutes.
8. Turn off the gas and open the cooker only after the steam has been released
9. Serve hot garnished with corainder..I added a dollop of butter for some extra love :))



Monday 14 November 2011

Brinjal Crisps

This one is on special request from a dear friend in the Army who has asked if I could post some recipes keeping the vegetables he gets in the ration :)) My dad was in the Navy and just reading the word 'ration' brought back so many memories..the fixed days for ration,sometimes standing in the queue with my dad,sorting the stuff,my mom wondering what to do with so much cheese and butter,the maid's joy on getting all the extra ration..sigh! if only time can be rewound to enjoy some simple pleasures a wee bit longer..
Well so on his list was baingan a.k.a brinjal/aubergine/eggplant and I find it has so many names as it lends so easily to so many cuisines..this recipe works great as a side dish with a boring dal chawal or even as a chatpata starter . I used the big baingan varitey , the kind used for bharta and I feel the mustard oil does lend it a different flavour so try not to substitute it ...it's a great oil for the winters anyway :)

Ingredients

1 brinjal, cut into thin slices

2 tablespoons mustard oil
Pinch of heeng
1 teaspoon ajwain seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds (white khus khus)
1 tablespoon red chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon haldi powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon amchoor powder
2 tablespoons besan (gramflour)
Salt

1. Sprinkle a little salt on the brinjal slices, spread on a plate and microwave for 5 minutes.
2. In a broad pan, heat the oil. When it is smoking hot ,add the heeng and the ajwain and poppy seeds. When crackling add all the powders and fry for a few seconds. Then add the besan and let the mixture roast on a slow flame for a 2-3 minutes.
3. Add little salt (as the brinjal slices were already salted) and toss in the brinjal. You can sprinkle a few drops of water if the paste has stuck to the pan and let it coat the brinjal slices.
4. Leave to crisp for 4-5 minutes .
5. Serve hot with coriander leaves.



Thursday 3 November 2011

Arbi Tuk

Continuing with my Sindhi fanfare, this one is also a favourite..some pronounce it as Arbi Tuk (like book) or Arbi Toooook (ooo sound like in two ). My husband calls this the vegetarian fish dish , have to agree only judging by the look of it. Serve the dish as a starter or as main course, the only hitch is that it needs to be served hot as the crispy and crunchy taste is what it makes it so yummyy..the same preparation can be made using potatoes to make Aloo Tuk or Bhindi to make Bhindi tuk..basically the method is the same - fry whatever vegetables you are using and then toss them with dry spices mix...hmmm, maybe even sweet potato can be 'tuked' :)
Soak the arbis in a bowl of water for all the clingy mud to settle down, then give a washdown with your hands before boiling them. I always use a steamer vessel in the pressure cooker to hold the arbis and keep them from becoming squishy . You only need to give one whistle on a high flame and then reduce to a simmer for 6-7 minutes. Open the cooker when the steam is released.. and just FYI the other names for arbi are Kachalu/Taro/Colocassia 

Ingredients

7-8 arbis, boiled/steamed
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1 tablespoon amchoor powder/chat powder
1 tablespoon red chilli powder
Salt
Oil to fry
Coriander to garnish

1. Peel the arbis and press each one gently between your palms to slightly flatten..too flat and it will break in the oil, too thick and it wont be crispy. Might take some practise :)
2. Shallow fry the arbi peices in hot oil till crispy and golden brown on both sides.
3. Remove and drain on paper. Sprinkle all the powders and salt and toss well..you can add more/less chilli and amchoor as per your preference.
4. Serve hot ..tastes really good with dal chawal also



Tuesday 1 November 2011

Mint n Garlic Fried Rice

This note from a friend has made my day..
"Hey Sparrow(name changed:).. thanks for awakening the inner cook in me.. ur blog is an inspiration.. I never knew I wud be back in the kitchen so soon with 2 little ones... tried ur cheese tartlets, salan (made with chote baingan) and cheesecake today.. all came out sooo well.. thanks for sharing this blog and as I said 'reviving' the cook in me :))"
My reply - There is no better stress reliever for me than cooking and I am glad I can share that feeling with others through my blog !
Anyway, if I have not mentioned this earlier then I am now- my husband loves rice more than anything in the world (maybe me also :)) ..so every meal has to and has to have rice ..I have to make rice along with pav bhaji/chaat/idli sambhar/pizza..and so on ..you get the gist :)
So I am on the constant look out for rice variations and this recipe is my dear friend Richa's which I tried out today..I served it with raita and papad but you can try it with any cuisine.

Ingredients


4 cups cooked rice (I used long grain basmati)
1 cup mint leaves, finely chopped
1 bay leaf (tejpata)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt

To grind into a paste
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1 teaspoon shahi jeera (this is smaller than regular jeera)
1 badi eleichi
2-3 cloves
7-8 peppercorns
1 teaspoon regular jeera
7-8 mint leaves

1. Heat the oil. Add the bayleaf ,green chilli and fry for few seconds.
2. Add the onion and cook till light brown.
3. Add the ground paste and fry for a minute with the onion on a medium flame.
4. Add the mint leaves and toss for a few seconds.
5. Stir in the rice with the salt and lime juice. Toss well to combine everything uniformly
6. Turn off the gas and cover with a lid for a few minutes before serving