Eggless Multigrain Coffee cake

I had this urge to bake & felt that coffee cake would be a great cake.The recipe is similar to chocolate cake @ http://www.egglesscooking.com/

 Ingredients : 

Dry :1 cup multi grain atta ( I used Aashirwad ),1/2 cup sugar,1tsp cocoa powder (I used bournvita),1tsp baking soda,1/2 tsp baking powder.

Wet :1/2 cup dahi, 1/4 cup milk,1/4 cup coffee decoction,1/2 tsp vanilla essence,1/4 cup oil.

tsp is teaspoon 

Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl..Now mix all wet ingredients in another bowl.Milk amount may be increased or decreased depending on batter consistency.

Now make a well in the mixture of dry ingredients.Pour the wet mixture into this well.Mix slowly.The batter must have a consistency which is more than drop down consistency.Accordingly, add more milk.Grease a microwaveable dish with oil  or ghee .Pour the batter into the dish.Microwave for 7-8 minutes.Put off the microwave.Check with a toothpick.If it comes out clean,cake is ready.If not ,microwave for 1-2 minutes more.Let it stand for 5-8 minutes.Now take out the dish from microwave.Let it cool outside for 15-20 minutes.Then put the dish upside down on to a plate.Cut into desired shapes & serve.

I made a coffee decoction  as I had run out of instant  coffeee powder.One can use instant coffee powder like Nescafe or Bru- about 2 tablespoons.I used only half cup sugar as I did not want a  very sweet cake.One can increase sugar content to about 3/4 of cup.

I am sending this to Linking to Dish it out hosted by Foodomania as well as 

Eggless banana cake

I surfed the net & came across this recipe @http://recipesbysam.wordpress.com/2009/05/03/the-best-ever-eggless-whole-wheat-banana-bread-with-walnuts-and-cardamom-sprinkled-with-sesame-seeds-on-top-%e2%80%93-baked-in-cooker/

I made some changes & got a yummy cake smelling of bananas !

Ingredients : 1 cup whole wheat flour ( instead of maida ) ,1 tsp baking soda,1/2 (0.5 )cup sugar,4 elaichis ( cardamoms),2 over ripe bananas,1/4 cup milk ( 1.25 cup),1/4 cup oil,25 raisins ( optional ).

Method : I mixed the atta ( whole wheat flour ) & baking soda nicely.I skipped sieving the atta along with the soda as in my last recipe when I had sieved ,hardly any flour lumps were left on the sieve.

I mashed the over ripe bananas& added sugar & mixed.Powder the cardamoms & added to the banana -sugar mixture.I added this banana mix to the flour -soda mix.I mixed the mixture thoroughly.Then I poured oil into the mixture & whisked it.Now add a little milk to mix nicely & get a drop down consistency of the batter.Add raisins if you wish. 

Take a microwaveable dish & grease it with oil.Pour the cake batter into the greased dish.Microwave for 5 to 5.5 minutes.Let it stand for 15 minutes after switching off the microwave.Remove the cake from the microwave & let it cool for 15-20 minutes.Turn the dish upside down on a plate.Cut it into desired shapes & serve.

Healthy eggless cake

Dates are used in this cake .Dates are rich in iron & fibre. So dates aid in digestion as also in improving hemoglobin content of blood. Hence, for those who suffer from iron deficiency,  dates are a helpful snack. Dates help in purifying blood as well.

The recipe is from the blog "Santosh's Kitchen ".

I tweaked it a little. And my recipe is as under ..

Ingredients : 1.5 cups whole wheat flour,1/2 cup oil,1 cup dates,1 ripe banana,1.25 to 1.5 cups milk,1.5 tsp baking soda,a few almonds & pistachios ( grated ).

Method : Sieve flour & baking soda together.Add milk & mix thoroughly -if 1.25 cup milk is less,make it 1.5 cups milk.The batter must have drop down consistency.Make paste  of dates by  immersing dates in milk & crushing them once they turn soft.Add a mashed ripe banana to the milk,flour date mixture.Now add oil.Mix well.Lastly, add the grated dry fruits & mix well.

Grease a dish with oil & pour the cake mixture into the greased dish.Microwave on high  without lid, in  the greased dish for 7 minutes.Allow the cake to stand in the oven for 5-10 minutes.

Take out the dish after that.Again, allow it to cool for 15-20 minutes outside.Now turn the dish upside down on a plate.The cake will come on to the plate.Cut into desired shapes & serve .

This is another recipe for #livoenironchef entry for the Iron Chef contest on IndiBlogger.

Bread upma

Ingredients : 1/2 packet sliced bread ( white or brown ),2 green chillies,1/2 ' grated ginger,1 sprig of curry leaves,one capsicum ,two onions,1 tomato (optional),2 tbsp oil,1/2 tsp mustard seeds,1/4 tsp hing,1/4 tsp turmeric,salt to taste, a bunch of coriander leaves for garnish,1/2 small lemon .

Method :Take oil in frying pan & put on the gas.Now put the mustard seeds .When they splutter ,add hing .Add diced onions & fry till they just start turning brown.Now add diced capsicum & turmeric to this.Fry capsicum  & cover the pan with a lid for a minute.Now add salt.,grated ginger & curry leaves & again cover with a lid.Diced tomato can be added at this time.

Take the bread slices & break each bread slice into 1/4 inch pieces with hands -crumble the slices into small crumbs about 1/2-1/4 inch big.Now put all these crumbs into the pan which has the veggies mixture.Mix the veggies & bread crumbs nicely.Add a few tsps of water - 4-5 tsp should be enough.

Cover with a lid & cook for 2 minutes.Now put off the gas.

Garnish with fresh coriander which has been thoroughly washed & finely cut.One can opt to   squeeze half a lemon on to the bread upma to get a tangy taste.

Tip :My neighbour always used pav to make this upma - pav upma ! She used to add watery chaas or diluted buttermilk to give a tangy taste.Instead of adding water at the end as stated earlier,one can use  chaas.

Shrikhand

Ingredients : Dahi made from 1/2 litre milk,2 cups sugar, 5-6 elaichi ,kesar( optional).

Method : Take a big sieve ( just like the one used to filter tea ) & pour dahi into that sieve.Leave the sieve with dahi,  suspended, to the edges of a vessel ( patela ).Leave it overnight.Cover the dahi in the sieve with a plate or lid.This is done, so that, all water keeps trickling down.By morning ,there will be a semi solid mass of dahi  left  in the sieve.

Another method is to put dahi on to a thin cotton cloth & tie up the cloth with knot & suspend it from a stand.This helps the  water in the dahi , to get separated from the dahi.

12 hours suspension is enough to drain water -hence keep it overnight.

The water along with a little dahi which has collected in the vessel below the sieve can be consumed  as chaas.

Take this dahi mass & add sugar to it.Mix this nicely.Now add powdered cardamom to it.Take kesar strands & soak   them in milk  & add the kesar also to this mixture.

The shrikhand is ready.Amount of sugar can be adjusted -one may add more or less depending on how much sweetness is needed.Also ,powdered sugar can be used to make mixing easy.

Chutni pudi

Ingredients :1/2 cup chana dal,1/4cup  urad dal,1 tbsp peanuts,1/2 tsp til ,1-2 tsp imli,18-20  byadgi mirchi , a few kadipattas,1 tbsp oil,1/2 tsp hing,1/2 tsp haldi,salt to taste.

Method :Dry roast chana dal ,urad dal ,til & peanuts together till they change colour. I use peanuts with their skin on.Keep aside this roasted  mixture.Take oil & add byadgi mirchi,kadipattas ,imli & roast for 5 minutes.Keep aside.After both the mixtures have cooled to room temperature,take a grinder & put both the dry roasted mixture & the oily one in the grinder jar.Add haldi ,hing & salt.Put on the grinder & grind to as lightly coarse mixture.The chutni pudi is ready.

This is a great accompaniment to idlis,dosas ,rice ,with til oil or dahi.I recall, that we would eat chaklis dipped in chutni pudi -dahi mixture when we were kids.We also use this powder to thicken gojju & any watery curries.

I got half a bottle of chutni pudi with the quantity of ingredients used in this.

Avial

This recipe is from an ex-colleague who is from Kerela.I love avial & make it whenever I have, even a little amount of fresh coconut, at home.

Ingredients : 10 beans,1 big carrot,1-2 drum sticks,1-2 raw bananas,150-200gm yam( suran ),150-200gm red pumpkin,150-200gm white pumpkin,2-3 hari mirchi,1 cup dahi,1 cup fresh grated coconut,a few kaddipatta leaves ,1tbsp jeera ( cumin ),1/2 tsp haldi,salt to taste.

Method : Keep 1 cup water to boil in a pot.Now start cutting vegetables.Cut 1 inch pieces of drumsticks & put them in the pot of boiling water.Next cut the carrots - thin 1 inch pieces.Add carrots to the pot.Next cut the beans in to 1 inch pieces- this can be managed by fingers - no need to use knife.The beans also added to the pot.Add more water to the pot -the water must be just enough to drown the vegetables,not more.No standing water on the veggies.

Remove skin from bananas,yam ,red & white pumpkin.Now cut bananas similarly & put them in the pot.Next goes the yam ,followed by white & red pumpkin. All must be sliced into thin 1 inch pieces & put in the pot.Add water if level goes below that of the veggies.Add haldi & hing.Also add salt to taste.

Take grated coconut ,mirchi,kadipattas & jeera & grind them nicely in mixture.Add this ground mixture to the pot after the veggies are cooked.Let this ground mixture & veggies simmer for 4-5 minutes.Put off the gas.After it cools down to room temperature,add beaten curds to the mixture.Mix nicely.Salt can be added if needed.

Another method is to keep all the cut veggies ( except drumsticks which get overcooked in pressure cooker)   in a cooker by adding salt & haldi to washed & diced veggie pieces. Pressure cook for  cooking for 2 whistles..Cook drumsticks in water with haldi n salt. Cook in water sufficient enough to drown diced drumsticks.

After drumsticks are cooked, add pressure cooked veggies to cooked drumsticks in vessel .

.Then add the coconut mixture & simmer for 4-5 minutes.Lastly, add dahi after veggie coconut mix has cooled down.

If there is need for watery avial ,one can add water or chaas.As you get the hang of it ,you can reduce the amount of coconut also.One can use sour curds to make this dish tangy.I make avial with sometimes 3 veggies only -like banans,red & white pumpkin.Also the proportion of veggies can change depending on what suits your taste & availability.

I added lots of curry leaves while grinding & got this green avial another time when I made it ! More nutritious !

Raagi dosa

Raagi or nachni or finger millet.

Raagi or nachni or finger millet is an excellent source of calcium....

Ingredients : 1 Cup leftover  idli or dosa batter , 1 cup ragi atta ( nachni atta ),1/2 cup dahi or chaas or buttermilk,,1/2 inch grated ginger,2 tbsp oil,salt to taste.

Method : Mix raagi atta with dosa batter .Add dahi or chaas to make it into a paste.The result should be like dosa batter consistency.Keep aside for half an hour to 1 hr.

Add salt to taste & grated ginger & mix.Take a ladle full of dosa batter mixture & spread it on the tawa.Cover with a lid.Turn on the gas to high & cook for a minute.Remove the lid & if the sides of the dosa have seperated from the tawa ,spread a tsp of oil on the dosa & turn it upside down.Now cook the dosa for a minute.Remove it from the tawa & serve with chutney or sambar or chutni powder with til oil.

Similarly make more dosas.

If the dosa batter is thinner in consistency ,just drop it on the tawa. Just rotate the tawa .And the batter will spread itself on tawa.Do not try to spread it.Follow same steps thereafter.

Con uttapa

Ingredients : 1 carrot,1 onion,few kadipatta leaves,1/2 " ginger piece ,dosa atta,3 tbsp oil,salt to taste.

Method : To the dosa atta ( 1 cup urad ,3 cups rice ,1 tbsp methi seeds,1 /2 cup cup thick poha -ground fine after soaking for 5-6  hrs),add grated ginger & carrot.Also add finely cut onions & kadipatta leaves.Another option is to add whole kadipatta leaves.Add salt to taste.Add some water to this mixture & mix nicely.Water is needed as the veggies make it difficult to spread the batter on tawa.


Heat the tawa & spread some oil on tawa.Now put a ladle full of batter on the tawa & spread it .It cannot be spread too thinly like dosa.Cover with the lid & let it cook.After 1-2 minutes,just turn down the uttapa on its back & heat it .After a minute or two, ,it can be removed & served.It can be eaten with chutni ,sambar ,chutni powder & gingelli ( til )oil .Chutni powder can be added to dahi & served with uttapas.

Chana masoor sprouted dal

I tried this dish once & my kid loved it. So ,I started making it fairly regularly.

Ingredients :1/2 bowl masoor ,1/2 bowl kaala chana,1 large onion,1 tomato , 1/2 carrot,1-2 hari mirchi,1/2 inch ginger,a few leaves of kadipatta ( optional ),1 tsp garam masala,2 tbsp oil,1/4 tsp hing ,salt to taste.

Method : Soak masoor & kaal chana in the morning.By evening ,remove the water & strain.Keep them covered in a perforated vessel.They can also be kept tied, in a clean piece of cloth to generate sprouts.Next morning ,they will have sprouted -masoor more than chana .If more sprouting is needed ,they can be kept for one more night & then cooked.

Take the sprouts & add water .Also add salt & pressure cook for 2 whistles.Then keep gas on slow & cook for another ten minutes.Now ,put off the gas. 10-15 minutes later  ,after the cooker has cooled,take out the sprouts .It will look like this.




Take a kadhai & put oil in that.Now add grated ginger & finely cut hari mirchi into the oil.Saute them all. Now add diced onions.Saute them.Add hing & mix well.Add diced carrot & mix.Finally, add diced tomatoes & mix well.Now add garam masala .Put off the gas after 5 minutes. When this mixture has cooled to room temperature ,take it out & make it into a paste by grinding the mixture in the mixer.Now add this paste to the sprouted dals.

There are two options now : one can cook the dal -paste mixture in cooker for 1-2  whistles depending on how soft one needs the sprouts to be .One can also opt to heat  the dal -paste mixture in a vessel till it boils once, if the massoor is not to  become a complete paste.

Now the dal is ready.One can add a dash of lemon juice to make it tangy.One can   garnish with hara dhania.

This dal can be accompaniment to chapatis ,rice & even pulav.

Khatta dhokla

Ingredients : 2 cups left over idli batter ( ratio :1 cup urad dal & 2 cups idli rava ),1 tbsp dahi,1 tbsp idli rava,1hari mirchi ,1/2 inch ginger ,2 tbsp oil,1/4 tsp hing,1/2 tsp eno fruit salt,1 tsp mustard seeds,1 tsp black pepper powder,few kadiaptta leaves,salt to taste.

Method :I mixed 1 tbsp dahi to the 2 cups idli batter & then realised that the consistency had become like dosa batter.So ,I added 1 tbsp idli rava.I also added 1/2 tbsp oil & salt to the batter & mixed it nicely.I left it overnight .

Next morning ,I added chilli ginger paste - either cut the hari mirch very finely & grate ginger.Another option is to pound the hari mirchi & ginger with apestle.Now mix this mirchi-adrak with the idli batter.Add 1/2 tsp eno fruit salt to the batter & mix the batter again.

In the cooker, I put water & let steam be generated .I put  a stand in the cooker.The water must be generating staem before the dhokla batter is kept in the cooker.I greased a flat bottomed vessel with oil & poured  the batter into it.I  sprinkled black pepper powder on the batter.I put on the cooker lid.I let  the dhoklas be steamed for 7-8 minutes.I then  off the gas.I took  the cooker lid off & put a knife into the steamed batter to check if the dhokla is ready .As the knife came out clean, the dhokla cake  was ready.

I prepared the seasoning or vagar by heating oil & putting mustard seeds,hing & kaddipattas into the hot oil.I poured this vagar on the steamed dhkla cake.Then, I cut the cake into dhokla pieces.

Hashi mandakki

Hashi mandakki means wet murmura...hashi stands for wet & mandakki stands for murmura in Kannada. It can be called masala murmura. This is a popular snack in Hubli Dharward belt.  It is a dish made famous at khanavalis  ...the term used for eateries in villages  & small towns in Karnataka.

Ingredients : 250gm murmura,2 large onions,1 tomato,1capsicum,1 carrot,2 hari mirchi,1/2 inch ginger,10 -12 kadipatta leaves, 1 tsp urad dal,1/2 tsp mustard seeds,1/4 tsp hing,1/4 tsp haldi,2 tbsp oil,hara dhania - a few sprigs,salt to taste.

Method : Wash the murmura in water:take a large bowl of water & put some murmura in it.They will float.Try to drown them in water by hand & when they come up to the surface ,collect them & put in a plate.Wash all the mumura & keep aside in the plate.

Cut  all the vegetables except the carrot & the ginger, into fine pieces.Grate the carrot & the ginger.Take a frying pan & heat the oil.Add mustard seeds & when they splutter, add urad dal.After the urad dal gets golden brown add the onions & saute them Now add hari mirchi ,kadi patta, ginger,haldi & hing.Nicely mix them all.Add the diced capsicum & grated carrot. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes.Now add the diced tomato.& cook for a minute.Now add murmura & mix thoroughly.Add salt to taste & cover the pan to cook for 1-2 minutes.Put off the gas.Wet murmura is ready.

It can be garnished with fresh  dhania.

Tip:Towards the end,one can add methkoot to the murmura & mix thoroughly.This is to prevent the mumura from sticking to the pan.Hence ,just cook for 1-2 minutes after adding murmura.

Instead of methkoot, powdered daaliya can be added.Daaliya is called puttani in Kannada.

Instead of adding tomato ,one can squeeze lemon juice after the murmura is ready.

In North Karnataka ( especially , Girmit is from Hubli Dharwad belt )  , roasted bengal gram powder or puttani powder  ( in Kannada ) or daalia powder ( in Hindi )  is added in place of methkoot after this hashimnadakki is prepared & mixed all over to give a unique flavour ! I added puttani chutni pudi instead of methkoot .

Unlike poha , which increases in volume when washed ,murmura will reduce in volume on washing.

Steamed Kakdi raita

This recipe was actually told by my ex-colleague.

Ingredients : 1 green & yellow cucumber ( known as Madraasi kakdi in Mumbai ),1/2 tsp mustard seeds,1/2 tsp jeera,1/2 tsp urad dal,1/2 tsp hing,1/4 tsp turmeric  ( optional )1 lal dry mirch ( Byadgi mirchi),1-2 tbsp fresh dessicated coconut ( optional ) 1 hari mirch,a few curry leaves ,1tbsp oil,4 tbsp dahi,salt to taste.

Method : Peel the skin of cucumber .Then cut a small piece & taste it to find out if it is bitter.If it is ,then please throw it & get another one.Or postpone this dish !

Now ,if the kakdi is ok ,please remove the seeds.Cut it into small pieces or big pieces according to convenience & liking.

Take oil in a kadhai & heat it up.Put mustard seeds.When they splutter add urad dal.When the urad dal turns golden brown,add jeera  & hing.Now add the lal mirchi & hari mirchi & kadi patta leaves.Add the diced kakdi & mix all nicely in the kadhai.If turmeric is going to be used, add it now. If no turmeric is to be added, add salt & let it cook by covering the kadhai with a lid..The kakdi will ooze water & get cooked.Sometimes ,one may have to add a few drops of water to the mixture.

After the kakdi gets cooked ( in 15-20 minutes )-it will have turned tender & translucent ,put off the gas.Let it cool.Then add dahi by beating it.Mix with dahi nicely.

If coconut is to be added, add it after kakdi gets cooked a little...maybe after 10 minutes into cooking of kakdi.Let it cook after adding coconut as well.Mix nicely.It may start sticking to bottom.Add water maybe 1-2 tbsps to prevent sticking.After 10 minutes, put off gas.Then cool it.Add dahi & mix.

Serve with rice ,chapatis or  stuffed parathas.

Tri vegetable tikkis.

Ingredients : 3 medium potatoes,1-2 bread slices( brown /white ),1/2 medium sized carrot ( grated ) 1/2 medium sized beetroot ( grated ),1 hari mirch,1/4 inch ginger,a few sprigs of fresh coriander ( washed ),1tsp garam masala,2 tbsp oil,1/4 piece lemon,1/4 tsp haldi,1/4 tsp hing & salt to taste,

Method : Boil potatoes nicely .Peel them & mash them so that no lumps remain.Make a paste of the green chilly & ginger.Add this to the mashed potato.Add the bread slices to the mashed potato.Again mix thoroughly.Now add haldi,hing,garamm masala , finely cut fresh coriander ,lemom juice of the lemon piece & salt & mix the whole mixture again.

Add grated beet & grated carrot to this mixture &  knead the mixture.


Take a little oil on the palms & a small amount of the mixed vegetable-bread  mixture & press it to get a small flat round shape.Repeat with the rest of the mixture.Take a tawa & put the flat round aloo tikkis on the tawa & put a little oil on each of them.Shallow fry on the tawa.Turn the tikkis upside down & shallow fry again.Serve the aloo tikkis with green chutney or tomato sauce.

Veg. Biryani

Ingredients :10 beans ,1-2 carrots,1tbs green peas,1medium sized tomato,1 medium sized onion,1 sprig of curry leaves,1 green mirchi,1' inch ginger,1 cup rice,1/2 tsp haldi,1/4 tsp hing,1/4 cup dahi with cream or only cream of preferably sour dahi,2 tej patta,2 cinnamaon sticks of 1/2 inches,2 cloves,5-6 black pepper ,2 tbsp oil,salt to taste.

Method :Wash the rice & keep aside.Take 2 tbsp oil in a pressure pan & heat it.Put tej patta & cinnamon sticks.Add cloves & pepper.Add hing.After the spices start emitting their aromas,add the carrots & beans which have been cut into 1/2 ' pieces.Add shelled peas.Fry the veggies.Add the rice & fry a little, maybe for a minute.Add turmeric & mix it nicely.

Take onions tomatoes,hari mirch,curry leaves & adrak.Cut them all .Now put all this in amixie & grind them.Now add dahi or cream of dahi to this mixture & again grind.Now pour this mixture on to the rice veggie mixture in the pan.Add salt.Now add 11/2 cups water to the rice.Less water is added as the onion tomato dahi paste contains some water.

Pressure cook for two -three whistles.Put off the gas.Let it cool.Remove whistle after the cooker gets silent.After 10 minutes,remove the whistle.After another ten minutes,remove the lid of the cooker to view & smell the veg biryani .

Tip :I added diced potatoes also with carrots & beans as my kid loves aloos.

Khaman Dhokla

This recipe is by my friend,Medha Sarathy.I am just putting it on to my blog.

Ingredients : 5 tbsp dosa or idli batter,5 tbsp rava,5 tbsp besan,5 tbsp dahi or yoghurt,1/2 tsp hing,1/2 tsp haldi,1-2 green chillies finely cut,1/2 inch grated ginger,2 tbsp oil,a pinch of baking soda,one sachet of eno fruit salt,a few curry leaves,1 tsp mustard seeds, salt to taste.

Method : Mix dosa or idli batter with rava & besan by adding dahi.Add 1 tbsp oil.Mix again.The consistency should be like dosa batter.For getting this consistency ,dahi amount can be altered - & in no case water needs to be added.Add 1/4 tsp turmeric & 1/4 tsp haldi & salt to taste.Again mix.Keep overnight.

Next day ,in the morning, add finely cut green chilly & grated ginger to the batter & mix.

Keep cooker on gas & let water start boiling in the cooker .Keep a stand in the cooker.Let the water boil.

Take  eno fruit salt & add 1 tbsp water..Add this eno water mix to batter. Batter will start bubbling up.Now gently the batter & immediately pour the batter into a greased plate ..Keep this plate on the stand in the cooker. Close the lid of the cooker.Do not put the whistle.

Steam will keep escaping from the cooker.Let it continue for 15-16  minutes after the dhokla batter plate has been kept in the cooker.

Now put off the gas.Open the cooker lid.Put a knife or fork in the centre of the dhokla batter plate.If it comes out clean,the dhokla is done.

Now ,take 1 tbsp of oil .Put it in a kadhai.Put on the gas.Put mustard seeds into it.When they splutter,add finely cut chilly & kadipattas.Put off the gas Also add 1/4 tsp hing & 1/4 tsp haldi.Now add 2 tbsp of water.Add 1-2 tsp sugar to the mustard seasoning.Boil this water mixture till it gets thicker.Now put off the gas.Pour this sugar-water-seasoning mixture on the dhoklas.The seasoning mixture can be poured on the dhoklas either before or after the dhoklas have been cut.

Take a knife & make squares on the dhokla plate.Now remove the squares.Serve with chutney or fried green chillies.

Option :The dhokla pieces can be garnished with finely cut dhania ( coriander ) & fresh dessicated coconut.

Gundpangulu

Ingredients : Rice 2 cups,urad dal 1 cup ,1/2 poha or 1 tsp methi (fenugreek seeds),1 tsp jeera,1 ' inch ginger ,2 large onions,1-2green chillies (hari mirchi),4 tbsp oil  ,salt to taste.

Method :Soak rice & urad dal together with poha or methi seeds for 5-6 hours.Drain the water & grind finely in a grinder.Add little water while grinding.The dough after grinding must be of idli batter consistency. Ferment this overnight.Next day ,add finely cut onions,green chillies,grated ginger & jeera to this mixture.Add salt.Mix thoroughly.

Now take the vessel as shown in the photograph .Oil the inside of the cups in the vessel.Pour a tablespoon of the dough mixture into each of the cups in the vessel.Light up the gas & keep the vessel on the burner.Cover with a lid.After two minutes,turn the balls in the cups with a spoon & reverse them one by one.They will all have turned golden brown.Again cover the vessel with lid & let it cook for another 1 minute.Now remove the balls from the cups with a spoon with sharp edges.The gundpangulu are ready to be served with coconut
chutney.

More gundpangulus can be prepared by oiling the cups after each batch gets cooked.

Tips: Grated carrot can be added to the dough to make it more healthy.Appams are also made in this fashion & they are sweet in taste.

If the vessel is a non -stick one then less oil is needed.

Corn bread tikkis

This was tried by my mother today morning.

Ingredients : Corn cobs from one & another half corn ( corn kernels removed from 1 1/2 corns).Two bread slices ( the topmost & bottom ones in a loaf of bread ),the bread crusts from all sides of the bread slices in a loaf of bread,a few sprigs of kadipattas,2 hari mirchi,1" inch adrak (ginger),1/2 tsp red chilli powder( optional ) ,2 tbsp oil,salt to taste.

Method : Boil the American sweet corn in cooker.Grind the corn into a coarse mixture by adding the finely cut hari mirchi,adrak,kadipatta leaves & red chilli powder.Keep aside.

Take the bread slices & crusts & cut them. Now soak this in water & squeeze out the water.Now crush this wet bread mixture.

Mix the corn & bread mixture nicely after adding salt.Apply a little oil on the palms & take a small part of the corn bread mixture & shape them into flat round tikkis.Take a tawa & shallow fry the tikkis on the tawa .Reverse the tikkis & shallow fry them again.Now both the sides of tikkis have become golden brown.
Alternatively,the tikkis can be baked in microwave oven for 4 minutes on each side of a tikki  to brown the tikki.So ,this will take a total of 8 minutes.

The tikkis can be eaten plain and or accompanied by tomato ketchup or dhania ki chutney.

Tips : One can add 1 tsp lemon juice to add tanginess.Even grated carrot can be  mixed in the bread corn mixture.The bread used in this recipe was brown bread.Even white bread can be used.

Instant raagi oats idli

I recently came across this recipe on the net.The copy right of the recipe is with http://www.veginspirations.com/search/label/Idli%20varieties

I made one change - that was, in using eno fruit salt instead of baking soda.

The quantity of ingredients used yields 16 medium sized idlis.

Ingredients : 3/4 cup coarsely powdered oats,3/4 cup fine lapsi rava(roasted),1/2 cup raagi ( nachni ) flour,1 tsp eno fruit salt,2 cups dahi & salt to taste.

The dahi & the raagi-oats-rava mixture has to have 1:1 proportion -hence,2 cups dahi as this dry mixture will measure 2 cups.



Seasoning : 2 tbsp oil,1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp chana dal,1 tsp urad dal,1 sprig of coriander leaves ( cut finely or whole ),1-2 green chillies( optional )finely cut.

Method: Mix the coarsely powdered oats ,lapsi rava & raagi flour.Add 2 cups dahi & mix thoroughly.Now add salt & eno fruit salt & mix vigorously.Add water if there is need.The mixture must be of idli batter consistency.

Take the 2 tbsp oil in a pan & heat it. Now add mustard seeds.After they splutter add chana dal followed by urad dal.After the dals have changed color slightly,put off gas.Add coriander & green chillies.Add this seasoning to the idli mixture prepared.


Now grease the idli moulds & pour the idli mixture into the moulds.Steam the idlis for 8-10 minutes. Your idlis are ready to be savoured !

This recipe is excellent for diabetics as it has no rice & has raagi & oats.Raagi is a good souce of calcium & oats help in controlling cholestrol.

Aloo ki tikki

I tried this dish as I felt,this will be definately eaten by my daughter who loves aloo parathas & all ki sabzi.The recipe I followed is from Sanjeev Kapoor's khana khazana on the net.But I used hari mirchi instead of lal mirch powder.I also added a thin slice of bread to the mashed potatoes.Bread is not an ingredient in Sanjeev Kapoor's recipe.

Ingredients : 3/4 medium potatoes,1-2 bread slices( brown /white ),1 hari mirch,1/4 inch ginger,a few sprigs of fresh coriander ( washed ),1tsp garam masala,2 tbsp oil,1/4 piece lemon,1/4 tsp haldi,1/4 tsp hing & salt to taste.

Method : Boil potatoes nicely .Peel them & mash them so that no lumps remain.Make a paste of the green chilly & ginger.Add this to the mashed potato.Add the bread slices to the mashed potato.Agin mix thoroughly.One option is to wet the bread slices & squeeze the water & then add it to the potato.I added only a thin slice & so I added it just like that without wetting it.Now add haldi,hing,garamm masala , finely cut fresh coriander ,lemom juice of the lemon piece & salt & mix the whole mixture again. Take a little oil on the palms & a small amount of the potato mixture & press it to get a small flat round shape.Repeat with the rest of the mixture.Take a tawa & put the flat round aloo tikkis on the tawa & put a little oil on each of them.Shallow fry on the tawa.Turn the tikkis upside down & shallow fry again.Serve the aloo tikkis with green chutney or tomato sauce.

Moolangi kosambri

This is a dish which my mother makes whenever she gets fresh raddish.My neighbour gave me some fresh raddishes grown in her garden.As she has never tasted raddish salad,I thought ,why not make it & get her to taste it ?

Ingredients: 2/3 fresh raddishes ( the radishes I used were 4 as they were very small ones ).1 tbsp oil,1/4 tsp urad dal,1/4 tsp jeera,1/4tsp mustard seeds, 1 Byadgi lal mirchi,a pinch of hing,1/4 tsp haldi,1/4 lemon,salt to taste & 1 tbsp fresh dessicated coconut ( optional )

Method:Cut the leaves of the raddishes.Wash the leaves to free them from mud & dirt by soaking the leaves in a bowl of water.Similarly wash the raddishes as well.Now cut the leaves finely -you can cut away the stems also or you may discard them.Now grate the raddishes.Take a bowl & put the chopped leaves & grated raddishes in that.Prepare vagar by spluttering mustard seeds & jeera ,byadgi lal mirch,urad dal,hing & haldi.Pour this vagar on the veggies.Now squeeze the lemon.Add salt & mix all the ingredients.Garnish with fresh coconut.

This is a great accompaniment to any paratha & also any rice dish like pulao,biryani or fried rice.