Christmas Fruit cake : alcohol free,dairy free,eggless !

I have been wanting to bake the Christmas cake which I had come across at various food blogs.Now that I have baked quite a few cakes,I thought of trying this cake out.I selected the recipe @ http://www.mariasmenu.com/desserts/eggless-kerala-christmas-fruit-cake as it uses no liquor & is eggless.I changed some ingredients & my cake is Vegan !

Ingredients :Soak dry fruits like chopped almonds,cashews,walnuts,figs,brown & black kishmis,pistachios in fruit juice overnight.I soaked 11/2 cups of mixed & chopped dry fruits in mixed fruit juice brought from store.I soaked in a glass & the juice was just  enough to drown the dry fruit mix.

Keep 1- 2tbsp multigrain atta to coat the soaked dry fruit mix before adding to batter to prevent all dry fruits from sinking to the bottom of the cake.

Dry ingredients : 11/4  cup multigrain atta ( I used Pillsbury ) ,1/2 + 1/3 cup mineral sugar ( this is brown in clour & just like white  sugar in texture though less sweeter ) ,1/2 tsp baking soda,1/2 tsp baking powder,1/4 tsp cinnamon powder,1 clove & 2 cardamom...dry roast & pound them with pestle into powder ( or use 1/8 tsp clove & cardamom powder mix ),  salt to taste.

Wet ingredients : 11/2 cup soaked dry fruit mix, 1/4 cup oil,1 tbsp white vinegar, 1/2 tbsp flax seed powder soaked in 2 tbsp water for 15-20 minutes,1 tbsp grated orange peel ,1 tsp grated ginger,1/2 tsp vanilla essence,water to make batter thinner if need be.

Mix all dry ingredients with whisk or fork nicely many times so that all ingredients are nicely mixed.Keep aside.

Mix vinegar,oil ,orange peel,grated ginger ,vanilla essence nicely.Add flax seed water mix.Mix all nicely.Pour this wet mix into  the dry mix.Mix nicely.

Add 1-2  tbsp multigrain atta to soaked  dry fruits & then add these atta coated dry fruits  to cake batter.Mix nicely so that no lumps remain..Keep aside.

Take a microwaveable vessel.Line the vessel bottom with butter paper.Pour the cake batter into the vessel.Microwave for 9-10 minutes.Put off the microwave.Let it cool for 10 minutes..Insert a knife in the middle of the cake.If knife comes out clean ,it is done.If not,microwave for 1-2 minutes more.Cool & check again.

I cut the cake today in the morning. .Still it was very crumbly.Next time,I must bake only for 9 minutes.One of my best cakes till date.I distributed to one & all as today is Christmas ! 

Laapsi porridge

This is a healthy dish as it has no milk .It can be called a water payasam.My mom makes this once in awhile for breakfast.It is quick & easy.Ingredients are few.

Ingredients : 1 cup laapsi rawa( use finer variety as it will cook faster ) ,1 tbsp ghee( optional ) ,1 cup jaggery, 1 /2 tsp cardamom powder,a few dry fruits  chopped  to garnish.

Method : Take a thick bottomed kadhai.Put the laapsi  & 3 cups  water in it.Mix nicely.Warm the kadhai by putting the gas on.Keep stirring with a spoon so that it does not stick to bottom.Always keep gas burner on slow mode.Slowly laapsi will get cooked.After 15 minutes or so add jaggery & mix nicely.Slowly jaggery will melt due to the heat.After Keep stirring with spoon so that no lumps of jaggery remain.After 10 minutes,all will have got alight brown colour.If you feel that it is very thick,add some water & mix nicely.Let it simmer for some more time.Put off gas.Add cardamom powder & mix nicely.Serve in bowls.Garnish with grated dry fruits like almonds ,cashews etc.

Add a tsp of spoon on the top if desired. If no ghee is added,this is a vegan dish.

Sprouted lentils usal

Lentils when sprouted are healthier.Mixed lentil sprouts can be made into usal or sprouts curry.This can be made watery or thick.Watery usal will go great with rice.This usal will be an excellent side dish to chapptis,puris,etal.Usal pav or misal pav  is a popular Mumbai or better still,a Maharashtrian street fare.Misal is usal which has been granished with liberal sprinkling of farsan like sev, chuda, namkeen ( chickpea flour or besan  flour savouries in numerous forms ).

Any of the lentils can be used.Since ,I had moong,amtki,chawli & white peas at home,I ued them.Even black chana,white kabuli chana,kala vattana,etc can be used.

Ingredients : 1.5 cup mixed lentils soaked overnight,for 1 night & then sprouted for 1 day in a cloth tied into knot or sprouted in the sprout container,1 medium onion finely chopped,1 medium tomato finely chopped,1 small carrot peeled & grated( optional ),1/2 red capsicum finely chopped,1/2 yellow capsicum finely chopped, a bunch of fresh coriander leaves cleaned & finely chopped, juice of half a lemon,1/2 piece ginger cleaned & grated,1 green chilli finely chopped, 1/2 tsp haldi,1/2 tsp hing,1tsp mustard seeds,1 tsp sambhar powder,1 tsp rasam powder,1 tbsp oil,salt to taste.


Method : Pressure cook on high flame, the sprouted mixed lentils for 2 whistles.Then lower down the flame & cook for 5-10 more minutes.Put off the gas.Keep aside.

Take a kadhai .Heat oil in kadhai.Add mustard seeds.After they splutter,add the chopped green chilli piecesfollowed by the haldi & hing.Now add the pressure cooked lentils to the kadhai.Mix all nicely.Add sambhar & rasam powder .Mix all the ingredients in the kadahi.The lentil mixture will be boiling now Add salt & mix nicely.Pleas see the water content .If you feel it is too watery ,let it boil for more time till it gives a a consistency desired.If water is too less ,add some water & let it simmer so that all is nicely mixed.Put off the gas.Add lemon juice & mix nicely .

Serve usal in bowls.Garnish with fresh veggies finely chopped.Top the fresh veggies with finely chopped dhania..Serve with chappatis or rice.

We had it just like that for a protein rich  breakfast !

Carrot salad

My mom is very partial to this salad or gajri ( Kannada for carrot ) kosambri ( salad ).Only a seasoning has to be added to grated carrots along with salt & it is ready ! Amma makes this as an accompaniment to methi theplas.

Ingredients : 3 medium sized carrots...peeled & grated,1 tbsp oil,1/4 tsp cumin,1/4 tsp mustard,1/8 tsp haldi,1/4 tsp hing,1 byadgi red chilli broken into 2-3 pieces,1 green chilli finely chopped, a few curry leaves,salt to taste.

For garnish : 2  tbsp cleaned,washed & chopped coriander leaves,2 tbsp fresh grated coconut( optional ).

Method : Take a kadhai & heat oil.Add mustard seeds.After mustard seeds pop up ,add cumin followed by urad dal.As urda dla turns golden brown in colour,add curry leaves & green chilli pieces.Put off gas.Add byadgi mirchi.Add hing & haldi.Mix all this with a spoon.Add this to grated carrots in a bowl.Mix nicely Add salt.Mix nicely so that salt gets evenly distributed.

Garnish with chopped dhania & fresh coconut.Serve with methi theplas and or any pulao,biryani, et al  !

Beetroot carrot cake

When I was new to baking ,I had come across a  beetroot carrot cake.I tried it & I had messed it up.Now,that  I have  some what honed up my baking skills,I wanted to give it another try.I failed to get hold of that earlier recipe on the net.I saw & read some.I decided to do it myself as some had one fruit too many & others had very huge measurements.

Ingredients : 1.5 Cups multigrain atta ( I used Pillsburry ) ,1/2 + 1/3 cup brown grainy sugar( I get 1 under brand name Sunehra.... it is just like refined white sugar...except that colour is brown  in Sahakari Bhandar at BARC colony ,Mumbai) ,1/4 cup oil,1/4 cup dahi,1/4 cup apple sauce,1.5 cups grated beetroot & carrot mix,3/4 tsp baking soda,3/4 tsp baking powder,a pinch of salt.

Method : Chop an apple into two & pressure cook it for 1 whistle.After the cooker has cooled,puree the apple after removing the skin & seeds.Keep aside.

Take a vessel & put all dry ingredients .....multi grain atta,baking soda,baking powder & salt .Mix nicely.Keep aside.

In another vessel,mix all liquid ingredients ...oil,grated beetroot carrot mix,apple puree,dahi,oil .Add sugar.Mix nicely.

Make a well in the dry ingredient mix & pour the liquid mix into it.Whisk with a spoon so that no lumps remain.The cake batter thus ready must have drop down consistency.Add water if the batter is very thick. Keep aside.

Line the bottom of a a   microwaveable vessel with butter paper .Pour the cake batter into it.Microwave for 10 minutes.Put off the microwave.Let it cool for 10 minutes..Insert a knife in the middle of the cake.If knife comes out clean ,it is done.If not,microwave for 1-2 minutes more.Cool & check again.

Keep the cake out side for 10-15 minutes.Put it upside down on to a plate.Remove the butter paper .Cut the cake into desired shapes & serve.

Ragda patties

I keep searching for recipes on the net  which I can try.I chanced to see the ragda patties recipe & thought why not try it ? I tried it & found it quite easy to replicate.

Ingredients for Ragda  : 1 cup white vatana ( peas ) soaked overnight,1/2 tsp turmeric,1/2 tsp hing,1 tbsp oil,1/2 tsp red chilli powder,1/2 tsp dhania jeera powder,salt to taste.

Ingredients for garnish : a bunch of fresh dhania cleaned & finely chopped,1 cup thin sev ( available in market ) ,1-2 onions finely chopped.

Method : Pressure cook the white peas in 3 cups water for 3-4 whistles.After the 4th whistle ,slow down the gas . Keep the cooker on slow flame for 5 minutes.Put off the gas.Let the cooker cool.

In the meanwhile make the green chutni as given in sandwich dhokla recipe .Make kahjur chtni as in Sev puri recipe .

Patties can be aloo tikkis or vegetable tikkis ( opt out of using beet root as beet root will colour the tikkis a deep pink, which kids may not eat ).

After cooker has cooled,remove the ragda from the cooker.In avessel ,heat 1 tbsp oil.Add dhana jeera powder followed by red chilli powder.Pour the mashed ragda onto the spice mixture .Mix nicely Bring this ragda -spice mixture to boil.Add salt.Mix.Put off the gas.Keep aside.

Take 2 patties on to a plate.Pour 1/4 cup of ragda mix on top of the patties.Now put 1 tsp each of green chutni & khajur chutni on top of the ragda on the patties.Put chopped onions on top of the chtuni followed by the sev & top it up with freshly choppped dhania..This is quite a heavy chaat & fills tummies fast !

As seen from snap,I did not have thin nylon sev.I got some bhujia sev which was available nearby.I felt that my ragda was not mashy enough ( like thick tur dal consitency ) ...next time on ,I will cook it more till it has more even consitency & post new pictures !

Rasgullas

I simply love rasgullas ! Recently I learnt that rasgullas are full of protein ! Hence ,I am elated.Moreover ,the rasgulla syrup is less dense in sugar than that of gulabjamuns ! So many positive points ! No oil is used in making rasgullas ! So fat free,low sugar & protein rich !

I searched for recipes & came across two which I combined & made rasgullas.The two recipes I picked up are rasgulla recipe at LiteBite   & Divya's rasgulla recipe These  recipes are so easy that my love for rasgullas has multiplied many times over !

Ingredients : 1/2 litre low fat milk ( I get Amul Taaza Milky Milk with 3 % fat minimum & S.N.F.8.5% minimum ),1/2 cup sugar,2 -3 tbsp dahi,1/2 tsp cardamom powder( optional ), 1 tsp ghee to grease palms to make rasgulla loddoos.

Method :Open the milk packet & pour the milk into the container.Boil the milk.After it has boiled,slow the burner to sim or slow.Now add 2-3 tbsp dahi & keep stirring the milk.Milk will start curdling.Let it continue.Keep stirring & simmering the milk on the gas for 10 minutes.Switch off the gas.By this time ,the clear water ( whey ) of the milk & milk solids would have seperated.

Collect the milk solids onto a thin & large  cotton cloth piece.Collect all the milk solids on to the cloth.Then tie up the loose ends of the cloth into a knot tightly.This is to squeeze out all the remaining water from the milk solids. Hang the cloth from a hook .Better on the cloth knot,put some vessel which has weight so that it helps in squeezing out water.Rub some ice on the part of the cloth which contains the milk solids.Keep rubbing ice for 5 minutes.Keep aside the milk solids in the cloth knot for half an hour.

After half an hour,remove the milk solids which would have formed a mass of white colour from the cloth.This is cottage cheese or channa. Knead this mass nicely for about ten minutes till no lumps remain.It will become very soft after kneading for 10 minutes.Apply a little ghee to the palms & make small balls out of the channa. Repeat the process to make more balls till all channa gets over.Keep aside.

In a vessel take 1/2 cup sugar.Add 1 cup water .Boil till, all sugar dissolves. Cardammom powder can be added while it is boiling.Put off the gas.

Drop the channa balls into the sugar syrup.Take a pressure cooker & put the vessel containing channa balls in sugar syrup in the cooker.Pressure cook till 1 whistle.Then lower the gas & cook for 5 minutes on slow .Put off the gas.I released the pressure after this step by slowly lifting the whistle .Then after the cooker's whistle almost went away,I removed the whistle.

Then remove the lid of pressure cooker.Take out the vessel containing rasgullas & keep it in a bigger vessel containing some water to cool off.

After an hour or so ,one can relish the rasgullas !

Next time on ,I am just going to let the cooker cool on its own, without releasing the pressure by lifting up the whistle.It is so much effort ! Maybe ,rasgullas will become more juicy ,then !

Pineapple raita

I love raitas.They rarely need cooking .So ,they are ready in a jiffy ! I cam across pineapple raita  in restaurants & was hooked.

Nowadays as I have become lazy & tend to stay at home,I try recipes to bring in variety.So I got pineapple slices available at a street fruit seller.It is priced at Rs 10/ only for 5 slices & decided to make this raita.

Ingredients : 5-10  pineapple slices roundly cut,1/2 tsp  cumin seeds ,1/2 tsp red chilli powder,1/2 cup yoghurt,salt to taste.

Method : Roughly chop the pineapple slices into chunks.Keep aside.Take yoghurt & whip so that it becomes like cream.Add salt & mix nicely.

Add the chopped pineapple chunks into the dahi.Mix nicely.Keep aside.

Dry roast cumin seeds on tawa on low flame for 1-2 minutes.Let it cool.Roughly powder them with a pestle.Sprinkle this powder on the pineapple dahi mix.Sprinkle red chilli powder on the raita as well.Enjoy with pulav,roti Or just by itself !

This is a sweet-tangy raita ! And immensely popular !

My guest post

I have met many bloggers at blog meets & online.I am also lucky to be part of a group of women bloggers on facebook.We giggle  gossip,interact,rant & share our concerns,moments of joy as also sorrow.ALl of us have come closer vide this group.

Janaki Nagraj is one blogger, I met, when I had gone to attend a blogger meet.Her smile & gentle nature made me her fan.She is a poetess & an ace photographer.In fact, at blogger meets,she is flooded with requests to click pictures of nearly each one of us.I have read her poems & they are simply beautiful ! Her snaps  are just stunning ! Do go & peek at her clicks at Vithika @ http://janakinagaraj.wordpress.com/ & you are sure, to be  mesmerised !

She shares her feelings, through her poems, at her blog "Memoirs of a homemaker " @ http://janakinagaraj.com/.She invited me to write a recipe as a guest blogger on her blog Memoirs of a Homemaker .Well,how could miss this chance ?I hardly have any followers on my blog & here Janaki was lending her blog, to me, with her followers.I wrote this recipe on alu vadis, which is one of my most loved dish.I can just keep on eating this, till the stock gets over ! Please read about my  recipe of alu vadis @http://janakinagaraj.com/2013/09/inspirations-3.html as you must, try this recipe before the monsoons get over & that could be anytime now.

Vegan banana bread

Lots of fruits were left over...all due to Ganpati festivities.Some over ripe bananas.So ,thought of making banana bread without using curd or milk.Hence ,this vegan bread using egg replacer flaxseed meal & mashed bananas.

Flax seeds are powdered in mixer to get flax seed meal.I keep flax seed meal in the refrigerator as it tends to get rancid if kept outside for long.The flax seed meal must be soaked in water in the proportion of 1 :3 for 15 minutes before it can used as egg re placer in any baked dish.So,if I am using 1 tbsp flaxseed meal,I must soak it in 3 tbsp water for 15 minutes so that it gets gooey & works as the egg replacer.

Ingredients : 1 cup multigrian atta ( I used Pilsburry ) ,1/2 cup mashed over ripe bananas( bananas can be pureed in mixer as well ), 1/3 cup brown sugar,1/4 cup oil,1 tbsp flax seed meal soaked in 3 tbsp water for 15 minutes,1/2 tsp baking soda,1/2 tsp baking powder,1/4 tsp vanilla essence,a pinch of salt,10-12  cashew cashew nut pieces( optional ).


Method : Mix all the dry ingredients : atta,sugar,baking soda,baking powder  & salt.Mix thoroughly  with fork or whisk.Keep aside.

Mix mashed bananas,oil,flax seed meal water mixture,vanilla essence nicely.Now pour this liquid mix into the dry mix.Mix with a whisk   so that no lumps remain.Keep aside this batter.

Take a microwaveable vessel.Line it with butter paper.Pour the batter into the vessel.Sprinkle some cashews  on top of the batter.

Microwave for 5 minutes .Let it cool.After 5 minutes,test with a knife by inserting in the cake.If knife is clean,cake is done.If not ,bake for another minute.Repeat knife test.Cake will be done.Put off microwave.Wait for another 15 minutes. Remove cake from microwave.Let cake cool outside for 10 minutes.Invert the vessel on to a plate.Carefully,remove butter paper from the cake.Cut into desired shapes & serve.

This bread was just sweet.If you have a sweet tooth ,you may want to add more sugar.

Banana poha

What to do with over ripe bananas ? Well ,so many options...make Sri Satyanarayan type halwa with rava,bananas,sugar etal,make banana cake or banana bread .All these options need some time.Another option when one is really hungry & bananas need to be consumed just then  is to make banana poha. Moreover ,Vaishnavite tradition is to eat poha in many forms.After all,Krishna devoured poha  brought in as gift, by his dear chum Sudama. Krishna had to stopped from eating more poha by Rukmini, lest all the wealth got transferred to Sudama.

I can survive  on savoury poha almsot daily.Even during  Ekadashi,we consume savoury poha.

Ingredients : 1/3 cup thick poha,2 over ripe small bananas,1 tbsp brown sugar,ghee for garnish ( optional ),1/3  cup warm milk.

Method : Wash poha two to three times.Drain water & keep aside.Mash bananas,add milk & sugar & mix nicely .Add washed poha to this &  mix nicely.This can be topped by a tsp of ghee if desired.More milk can be added if one wants it to have  more liquid consistency.

This must be consumed immediately as keeping it makes it dry & more milk will be needed.

This is enough for 1 person.

Thin poha can be used...only it need not be washed as washing will make it into a paste.Take thin poha & add mashed bananas,milk & sugar to it & mix nicely.Consume it as soon as it is ready otherwise...it will get pasty & tasteless.

Pumpkin moong dal

I was thinking hard about cooking adal...did not want to cook tur dal as I had it yesterday.So just picked up some chilke waali moong dal & added red pumpkin,some spices & made this dal ! It is too easy !

Ingredients : 100 gm red pumpkin peeled,diced & washed,1/4 cup chilke waali moong dal,2 tsp oil,1/2 tsp jeera,2-3 pepper corns,1 green chilli,1/8 tsp methi dana,1/4 tsp haldi,1/4 tsp hing,salt to taste.

Method : Wash the dal.Add diced pumpkin ,green chilli ,haldi & hing.Pressure cook for two whistles.Keep aside to cool the cooker.

Take oil in kadhai.Add methi dana & warm the kadhai on gas.When methi dana starts spluttering add peppercorns ( grind them coarsely with pestle ) followed by jeera. Put off gas.

Remove dal from pressure cooker .Pour the dal over the tadka in the kadhai.Mix with a spoon.Put on the gas & let the dal come to a boil.Put off the gas.Serve hot with roti or rice.

Veg sweet French toast

My kid said that she wants to eat sweet French toast.As we are vegetarians,I set about searching for an eggless  French toast recipe.I got one @http://www.sharmispassions.com/2010/09/eggless-french-toast-sweet-version.html

I made it & it turned out real good.My daughter simply loved it !

Ingredients : 2 brown bread slices ( white can be used....brown bread is healthier ),1 tsp ghee, 1 tsp sugar,1/2 tsp custard  powder ( vanilla flavour ),a pinch of cainnamon powder,1/4 cup milk.

Method : Boil milk.Take it off from gas stove.Keep aside.

Add custard powder to the boiled milk.Mix nicely so that no lumps remain.Add sugar.Mix nicely.Add a pinch of cinnamon powder.Mix nicely.Keep aside.

Warm a tawa on the gas stove.Spread little ghee on the tawa.

Cut a bread slice into two triangles or even four.This makes it asy to dip them in the milk mixture.

Now ,dip a bread slice in the milk mixture so that all sides of the slice are coated with the milk mixture.Place the bread slice on the tawa. Let it get toasted.Once it has browned a little,turn it over & cook on the other side.It will turn little brown.Take it off the tawa .Serve with maple syrup or just like that.

Repeat with  aforesaid process another bread slice.

Bhari hui mirchi

I spotted big  green chillies in the vegetable market during the weekend shopping & brought some.I knew that they are not spicy.They can be made into chilli fritters by deep frying them.My mom on seeing them said that we can make ahealthier alternative...bhari hui mirchi.I agreed.I have looked up the recipe from @http://mharorajasthanrecipes.blogspot.in/2010/05/besan-bhari-hari-mirch-green-chillies.html
I have omitted some ingredients like onions as it is Tuesday & I keep Tuesdays onion free at home.

Ingredients : 10-12 green chillies, 1/3 cup besan,1 tsp red chilli powder, 2 tsp dahi,1 tsp til,1/2 tsp ajwain,1/2 tsp haldi,1/2 tsp hing,1-2 tbsp oil,salt to taste.

Method : Dry roast the besan.Keep aside.Let it cool.

Wash the green chillies & slit them in the middle vertically.Keep aside.

Add 1 tsp oil,til,haldi ,hing,red chilli powder,ajwain,til & salt to besan.Mix nicely.Add dahi .Mix nicely to get a dry dough type consistency.Fill this mixture into the slit mrchis through the slits.Take care ,not to break the chillies.

Take a pan.Put 1 tbsp oil.Put the stuffed mirchis on the pan .Put the remaining oil on the mirchis. Cover with a lid & cook them on slow gas.Uncover lid after 5 minutes.Turn the chillies on the sides.Cover with lid.Cook for 5 minutes.Uncover lid.They would have browned & become shiny & mushy.Turn again & cover with lid.Cook for 5 mniutes.Put off gas.Bharwan mirchi is ready.Serve with rotis or parathas.

Doodhi peels chutni

The skin peelings  of doodhi are generally thrown away as a waste.The peelings make a for a delicious chutni.

Grate the doodhi after washing it.Grate it carefully by turning on all sides till the white part of doodhi is seen.Keep the doodhi aside & make either sabzi or sambhar or halwa using the doodhi as it will begin to blacken soon.

Ingredients : 1 cup doodhi skin peelings,1/2 cup peanut powder, 1-2 green chillies finely chopped, a sprig of curry leaves finely chopped,1/2 tsp jeera,1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp haldi,1/4 tsp hing, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tbsp oil,salt & sugar to taste.

Method : Take oil in a kadhai.Heat up the oil.Add mustard seeds.After they splutter add jeera. Jeera will splutter soon.Add doodhi peelings,chopped green chillies,curry leaves  followed by haldi & hing.Mix nicely.Cover the kadhai with a lid.Let it cook for five minutes.Put off the gas.Add peanut powder,red chilli powder ,sugar ( just a pinch ) & salt to taste.Mix nicely.Keep it aside.After 10 minutes ,it will have mixed nicely.This can be eaten with rotis or rice.

Sev puri

Sev puri is a popular street food or chaat snack in Mumbai.It is very easy to make.Even my daughter loves it though it has to be on the sweeter side.

Ingredients : 1 average sized onion finely chopped, 2-3 biled poataoes, 20 flattened puris of same size as oreo or cream biscuits, 1 cup khajur imli chutni, ordinary sev ,superfine thin sev, red chilli powder (optional ),1/2  cup freshly chopped corainder.

Method : Made khajur imli chutni by following recipe from Tarla Dalal's site. Keep aside the khajur imli chutni.Peel the boiled poataoes & mash them.Keep aside.

Arrange 7-8 puris isn a plate.Add 1 tsp of mashed poatao on each puri.Add 1 tsp of khajur imli chutni,Add 1/2 tsp of finely chopped onions.Sprinkle 1/2  tsp of freshly chopped corainder. Sprinkle the ordinary sev on each of the puris. Sprinkle the super fine sev on the top of the earlier sev. And just serve the snack !

Tip : Those who want a spicier  snack can have the puris with finely chopped green chillies or with a sprinkling of red chilli powder.

I had this potato sev with mint flavour at home.So I sprinkled these sev followed by super fine yellow sev. In the street variety,only yellow sev is used.

Raagi wheat flour dosa

My mom makes varieties of dosas by mixing different flours.This is one such dosa rich in calcium as raagi or nachni  ( finger millet ) is a rich source of calcium. Nachni or finger millet is a cooling millet...good for summers.

Ingredients : 1 cup raagi flour, 3/4 cup wholewheat flour, water , 3-4 tbsp oil,salt to taste.

Method : Mix raagi & wholewheat flour. Add water & make dosa consistency dough.Take care to see that no lumps remain.Add salt to taste.Mix nicely.Keep aside for 1/2- 1 hour.

Take a dosa tawa or anon stick tawa.Put on the gas on sim.Keep tawa on the gas.Let it get warm for 3-4 minutes.Take aladle of the raagi hwolewheat dosa dogh & spread it into acircle on the tawa.Cover with alid & let it cook for 3-4 minutes.Uncover the lid.Smear a tsp of oil on the dosa  & spread it on the dosa.Flip the dosa upside down on tawa.Let it cook for 2-3 minutes.Remove from tawa .Serve with chutni or chutni pudi .

Make more dosas similarly.10 average size dosas can be made with the aforesaid quantity of dosa dough.

Tips : Mix raagi & wholewheat flour in buttermilk or chaas to get tangier dosas.Finely chopped coriander,curry leaves,onions ,grated ginger & carrots can be added to the dough  make uttapas.Endless possibilities !

Suran cutlets

I have made cutlets with veggies like raw bananas, arbi,sweet potatoes & now I felt,I must try suran as well.

Ingredients : 1 cup peeled,pressure cooked suran,2 pressure cooked potatoes, 4 brown bread slices,1 tsp flax seed powder, 1 cup washed,peeled  & grated beetroot,1/3 cup washed,peeled & grated carrot,2 green chillies washed & finely chopped,1tsp grated ginger, 1/4 cup washed,cleaned & chopped  coriander,1/4  tsp asfoetida,salt to taste,2 tbsp oil.

Method : Break bread slices into small pieces.Put these bread pieces in mixer & run it till the bread crumbs are obtained.Keep aside.

Mash the pressure cooked suran & poataoes.Add grated beetroot,carrots,ginger,green chillies,coriander,asfoetida,flax  seed powder & salt to taste.Mix nicely.Add bread crumbs.Mix nicely & make a dough.

Grease the palms with a little oil & take a small portion of dough & flatten it into a pedha shape .Similarly make more pedhas with the dough till all dough is finished.

Take a tawa & put it on the gas.Put it on medium flame.Spread oil on it.Now put some five to six pedha shaped patties which have been made.Cover the tawa with a lid & let it cook.After two to three minutes,uncover the lid & flip over the patties.They would have browned a little.Cover with lid & cook for 2-3 minutes.Uncover lid & remove patties on to a plate.Serve cooked patties with sauce or chutni of choice.

Cook remaining uncooked pedhas similarly.

Serve  hot with chutni or ketchup.

Raw banana cutlets

Yesterday was Mother's day.I decided to make a nashta of raw banana cutlets for my mom & dad !

Ingredients : 3 raw bananas,2 medium carrots, a few kadi pattas ( curry leaves), 1 tbsp finely chopped hara dhania, 2 slices of brown bread ( even white bread is fine ) 1 tsp flax seed powder ( optional ),1 tsp finely chopped green chillies ( or use 1 tsp red chilli powder), 1 tbsp lemon juice ( in summers,1 tsp grated raw mango can be used ),1/4 tsp tureric,1/4 tsp hing, 2 tbsp oil,salt to taste.


Method : Clean & grate the carrots.Keep aside.Finely chop the kadi pattas after washing them.Mix them with the garted carrots,chopped green chillies & chopped coriander.Keep aside.

Pressure cook the raw bananas for 3 whistles.Let it cool.

Meanwhile crumble the bread slices into fine grainy powder in mixer.Roughly cut green chillies,kadi pattascorainder can be added to this in the mixer along with roughly broken bread slices to get an evenly mixed bread chilli-corainder-kadi patta mix !

Mix this bread crumble with grated carrots-chilli-corainder-kadi patta mix.Add salt ,lemon juice ( or grated raw mango ) ,flax seed powder,haldi & hing.Mix nicely.Keep aside. Peel the raw bananas & mash them.The mashed raw bananas are very dry.Mix the mashed bananas with the bread carrot mix.It is a going to be a very dry mix.A little water or curds can be added to make for a wet dough.I went along with the dry dough.

Grease palms with little oil & take a small amount of dough & pat it into a circular shape like a pedha though a bigger pedha.Repeat with the remaining dough & make circular pedhas.I made some 12 pedhas with the dough.

Warm a tawa on the gas.Smear the taw a with oil.Transfer the pedhas 5-6 at a time on to the tawa.Cover with lid.Let it cook for 5 minutes.Uncover & flip the pedhas over .They will hav e browned on the bottoms.Cover & cook for 2-3 minutes.Take them off from the tawa. They should have burned  brown a little or turned golden brown on the other side as well.If not ,cook for a minute more.

Now cook the remaining pedhas likewise.Serve with ketchup or any chutni of your choice !

Sweet & Savoury Indian cereal

We are from north Karnataka...Hubli Dharwad .Amma makes this allehittu.Allu means pop & hittu means flour in Kannada.

It is basically mixing of milk & jaggery ( or sugar) with puffed jowar flour .A savoury version is mixing the flour with thick curds & salt.Then it is tempered with vagar.

This is a packet of Puffed jowar flour called as jwari laaya che peeth in Marathi.It is available in Mumbai & Pune...also Karnataka etal.....

Ingredients : 1 cup puffed jowar flour ,1/3 cup dahi,1 tsp oil,1/4 tsp jeera, 1/4 tsp mustard, a few curry leaves, 1 bydagi mirchi( optional ),1/4 tsp hing,1/4 tsp haldi,salt to taste.

Method : Mix the puffed jowar flour with  beaten curds .Add salt.Mix nicely.Keep aside.

Now make the tempering.Heat oil.Add mustard,jeera.When they pop up,add curry leaves & byadgi mirchi.Put off the gas.Add haldi & hing into the tempering.Pour this tempering over the dahi flour mixture.

Enjoy a healthy cooling breakfast...jowar is a  cooling flour.

Sweet version : 1 cup puffed jowar flour, 1tsp ghee, 1 tbsp gur or sugar.Add gur to hot milk.Mix. Pour this over the flour.Mix nicely till you get a paste.Add a tsp of ghee to this mixture.Mix nicely.Enjoyy !

Banana smoothie

This is  a very easy smoothie & very creamy one.

Ingredients : 2 ripe bananas ( any bananas will do ..common or the elaichi bananas ) 1 cup mil, sugar to taste ( optional ),1/4 tsp cardamom powder.

Method : Peel the bananas & blend in a mixer or blender.It will give a creamy pulp.Add sugar & cardamom powder.Add milk & blend again.

Creamy yummy milk shake is ready ! It can be chilled & then served.Or add ice cubes before serving.This shake is very filling.

For my kid ,I added ,a tsp of nutella & blended with the banana smoothie again to get a buff colour that can be seen in the snap above.

Spring onion shoots utappa & onion chutni

The veggie vendor had forced me to buy a big bunch of spring onionsthe other day.So I had to find some use for it.I had leftover dosa batter.I just cut some green shoots of the spring onions & added them to the batter & made utappas.I made some onion chutni by following Padhu ' recipe for the same.

This uttappa has green shoots in it & ginger...so it is wholesome as it has greens in it & ginger adds spice as also aids in digestion.

Ingredients for Uttappa:  2 cups idli or dosa batter, 1/3 cup spring onion green shoots  -roughly chopped, 1 tsp grated ginger,sat to taste,2 tbsp oil.

Method : Mix chopped green spring onion shoots,grated ginger & salt to the batter & mix nicely.The batter must have drop down consistency.If not add water &  mix nicely till drop down consistency is obtained.Keep aside.

Put on the gas & put the tawa on the gas burner. Turn on the gas to high..Grease with oil.Now put a ladle full of the batter on it.As it is full of spring onion greens,it will not spread easily.Let it be.Cover with a lid & allow to cook.After five minutes,the uttapa would be cooked on one side.It must have got browned on the cooked side.Flip the uttapa on the reverse side & cook again for 2-3 minutes.It will have browned little ( in patches ) on the other side.If more browning or crispier uttap is needed ,let it cook for another minute.

Reduce the gas to slow.Remove uttapa on to a plate & serve with onion chutni.

Original recipe from Padhu's kitchen.

Ingredients for onion chutni : 1 big onion ( I did not use Madras onons or vangayam ) -roughly  chopped, 2 byadgi red chillies, a few sprig of curry leaves,1 small  tamarind,salt to taste,1 tsp urad  dal, 1 tbsp oil.

Method : Heat oil in a kadhai .Add urad dal.When the urad dal turns golden brown in colour.,add byadgi michi ,followed by curry leaves.Then add the roughly chopped onions.Fry for 2 -3 minutes.Put off the gas.Add the tamarind piece & mix with the contents in the kadhai. Cool.Take the contents of the kadhai & blend nicely into a chutni in a mixer.Add salt to the chutni & blend again.

Vagar can be poured on chutni by popping a tsp of mustard seeds in a tsp of oil.After putting of the gas,add 1/4 tsp hing & haldi to the vagr mix.Put this vagar on chutni & mix.I loved this chutni as this was the first time,I made this chutni & it was yumm.

Banana chikoo cupcakes : Eggless

I have made chikoo cake earlier.Hence,it was time to mix another ingredient & make a cake.I added 1 banana with chikoos to make these cupcakes .Well ,the texture of the cupcake speaks for itself !

Ingredients : 2 chikoos,1-2  bananas,1/3 cup dahi,  1tbsp oil,1/2 cup brown sugar,1 cup atta,1/2 tsp baking powder,1/2 tsp baking soda,salt to taste.

Method : Mix all dry ingredients that is atta,baking powder,baking soda & salt. in a bowl Keep aside.

Peel chikoos & bananans.Remove seeds from chikoos.Put chikkos & banana in a blender. Blend into a smooth paste.This paste must be 1 cup.Into this paste add,sugar & mix.Add dahi & oil & mix nicely.

Make a well in the dry ingredient mix & slowly pour the paste into the well.Mix with a whisk.No lumps should remain.Keep aside.

Take microwaveable cup cake moulds & line them with butter paper moulds.Pour batter into each of the moulsds. Just fill upto 3/4 of the cup cake as the batter will rise during baking.Bake in microwave for 2-2.5 minutes.Let it cool for 2-3 minutes.Prick a toothpick to check if  cup cake is baked.If not bake for another 1/ 2 minute.Cool.Remove from microwave.Let it cool for 10-15 minutes more .Then by a spoon just loosen it from sides of butter paper mould. The cupackes are ready to be served.

These cup cakes had that crunch of chikoos which we experience when we savor chikoos.I got some 17-18 cupcakes-some small & some big ones as I have various sizes.

Mixed vegetables poha

Poha is my favourite breakfast & snack.I can eat it daily.It gets ready in no time & it is very tasty & light.

Ingredients : 1 cup thick poha ( zada poha), 1 tbsp oil,1/2 tsp grated ginger, 1 small onion ,1 small capsicum,1 small tomato, 1 small potato,1-2 green chillies finely chopped,1/2 tsp urad dal,1/2 tsp mustard seeds,1/4 tsp hing,1/4 tsp haldi, a few curry leaves, salt to taste.

Method :Wash the poha 3 times in water so that all dirt goes away.Strain the water.Sprinkle some salt & haldi on the poha & mix.This is to assist in mixing of haldi & salt with the poha.Keep aside.

In a kadhai ,take 1 tbsp oil.Heat it up.Add mustard seeds.When muster seeds splutter,add urad dal.After the urad dal turns golden brown,add onions ,curry leaves  & grated ginger.Cover kadhai with a lid & let it cook for 2-3  minutes.Uncover lid .Add thin slices of potatoes ,haldi & hing.Cover with alid & cook.After this has cooked for 7-8 minutes,add capsicum.Mix.Cover with lid & let it cook for 2-3 minutes.Uncover lid & add tomatoes.Mix.Cover with lid & let it cook for 2-3 minutes.Uncover lid.Add salt -remember some salt has been added to poha earlier.Add the washed poha to the kadhai & mix so that all veggies are nicely mixed with poha.Cover with lid & cook for another 2 minutes.Put off the gas.After five minutes,remove lid & serve poha in bowls or plates -garnished with fresh chopped dhania and or fresh grated coconut.

Tip : If tomatoes are not liked,a piece of lemon can be squeezed before serving poha - not while it is getting cooked.Tomato or lemon gives a tangy taste to poha. Boiled peas can be added to poha while it is being cooked.

Healthy batata vadas

I am petrified of frying.That's why ,I rarely make puris for my kid who loves them so much .Then I read about frying bhajiyas,batata vadas etc in appam vessel I thought about giving it a try. I have already made savoury paniyavarams many times .So ,I am quite adept with the appam vessel.Moreover unlike frying in a large bowl of oil,appam cooking will leave me with no leftover fried oil which I have to use in chapatis ,sabji vagar etc.I cannot think of wasting away fried oil no matter  how unhealthy fried oil is as it makes no sense economy wise ! Now I am waiting for which  some vessel makes frying puris as breezy as making these batata vadas

I came across this recipe @http://www.aayisrecipes.com/2008/08/24/soya-batata-vada/.I made some changes & here is my version.

Ingredients : 1/2 cup besan,4-5 medium sized poataoes, 1/4 cup soya granules( optional ),1-2 green chillies,a few curry patta leaves, 1 tsp grated ginger, 1/4 tsp haldi,1/4 tsp hing,1/2 tsp mustard seeds,1/4 tsp jeera,2 -3  tbsp oil   vessel.

Method : Pressure cook potatoes.Peel potataoes & mash them .Take a kadhai & make vagar with 1/2 tbsp oil.Add mustard seeds & jeera.When they have spluttered,add chopped green mirchi & kadi patta leaves.Now add poataoes,haldi & hing.Add soya granules which have been osked in hot water for 5-10 minutes & then squeezed to remove water.Mix nicely.Add salt & mix.Potato filling or bhaji is ready.Make small balls of poatao vadas ....about sizes of medium lemons . Keep aside.

In a big bowl ,take besan & add water.Make  dough by mixing besan with water.Note that no lumps should remain .Add salt,haldi & hing.The dough must not be too thick or thin.The dough must have drop down consistency.Please note that  no red chilli powder was added to dough as my daughter would not eat spicy batata wadas .Moreover the potato filling prepared has its share of green chillies & ginger.

Heat the  appam vessel on the gas.Add little oil in each of the bowls of appam vessel.Meanwhile dip a poatao ball in the besan dough .The dough must coat the poatao ball all over.Put this coated poatao ball in one of the appam vesse bowl.Repeat with other poatao balls.Cover the appam vessel with a lid.After five minutes,with the help of aspoon ,turn the poatao balls upside down in the bowls of the appam vessel one by one.The side of potato ball which was fried would have  turned golden brown.Cover with lid.After 3-4 minutes,remove the balls one by one from the bowls of appam vessel by means of a spoon.If the batata vadas needd more cooking ,they can be kept longer in the bowls.

One batch of batata vadas is ready.Now repeat procedure for next batch. For the second batch of batata vadas even less oil than the first batch will be needed to be put in the appam vessel bowls.

I got 16 batata vadas with my measurement.I had made small balls.Moreover my dough was thinner.I will make better dough next time.

With the remaining dough ,I made bhajiyas.I grated 1 small raw  potato.I chopped one small onion finely.Aded it to the reamining besan dough.Added some red chilli powder .Made bhajiyas in the bowls of appam vessel just as I made batata vadas. They were yumm !

Now I can have bhajiyas any time .....actually so many fried items ...thanks to the appam vessel !

Strawberry milk shake

The strawberry season is ending .Yet strawberries are available.I thought ,why not try strawberry milk shake.

Ingredients : 10-12 strawberries,1 glass milk ( I use fat free or toned milk ) , 2 tsp sugar.

Method : Clean & remove the stems of the strawberries.Chop  them roughly.Put them in a blender or mixer.Make a pulp by running the mixer once.Add milk & sugar.Blend nicely by running the mixer for 1-2 minutes. Starwaberry smoothie is ready. This made two glasses.

Refrigerate it & then serve it chilled.Ice cubes can be added to the shake at room temperature to give a cooling effect.

Carrot pumpkin cake

I wanted to try a recipe which used carrots as well as red pumpkin & came across this @ http://veganthyme.blogspot.in/2009/10/vegan-carrot-pumpkin-cake-with-orange.html

I made mine using yoghurt & hence mine is vegetarian.

Ingredients :

Dry :1 cup atta ( I used Pillsburry multigrain ) ,1/8 tsp cinnamon,1/2 tsp baking soda,1/2 tsp baking powder, salt to taste.

Wet :1/2 cup grated carrot,1/2 cup grated pumpkin, 1tbsp flaxseed meal

,1/4 cup yoghurt ( dahi ) ,1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/8 tsp grated ginger,1tbsp oil.

Mix all dry ingredients.Keep aside.

Soak 1 tbsp flaxseed meal in 3 tbsp water for 15 minutes.After 15 minutes,mix all wet ingredients.

Make a well in the dry mix & pour the wet mix into it whisking it nicely so that no lumps remain.If the dough is too thick  & lumps remain ,pl add water or even curds.

Take a microwaveable vessel & line it with butter paper.Pour the cake dough onto the butter paper in the vessel.Bake for 8-10 minutes in microwave.Let it cool.Remove from microwave after 5 minutes.Prick a toothpik or knife.If it comes out clean ,cake is done.If not bake for 1-2 more minutes.Again check .

Let the cake cool outside for 10 minutes.Turn the cake vessel upside down on to a plate.After 4-5 minutes the cake will drop down on plate.Sometimes it may drop down earlier.

Remove the butter paper lining the cake.Cut the cake into desired pieces & serve.

This cake was dense as flax seed meal has been used as egg replacer. Next time,I want to use yoghurt as egg replacer & see the results.

Arbi ke cutlet

I make bread sandwitches on a weekly basis for my kid.The four crusty  sides of the bread are cut by knife & kept in a box in the refrigerator.I use these crusty sides in making cutlets.I generally used boiled & mashed  potatoes for these cutlets.

I thought why not experiment & make the cutlets by using arbi? So here is my recipe.

Ingredients : 1/4 kg arbi,2 bread sides,1/4 tsp haldi,1/4 tsp hing,1-2 hari mirchi,1 few sprigs of kadipatta,1tsp grated ginger, 1tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp flaxseed powder( optional ),  1-2 tbsp oil,salt to taste.

Method : Pressure cook the arbi.After the cooker has cooled,remove the arbi into a plate.Let it cool.Now peel off & mash the arbis into a pulp.Arbis is very sticky.One can apply oil on hands before doing this pulping.Add flax seed powder to this pulp.Mix nicely.Flax seed powder is good fat.Keep aside.

Take the bread sides & tear them into small pieces with hands or knife.Add roughly chopped ginger,hari mirchi & kadipattas to this.Take all this & put it into mixer jar & make it into a fine powder.I do thsi as all mirchi,kadipatta &  ginger are finely mixed with bread .

Mix this bread mixture with arbi pulp,Add haldi ,hing ,lemon juice & salt & mix nicely .Grease palms & take a little of the arbi bread mixture into palms & shape into a flat round circle.repeat with the remaining arbi bread mixture.

Take a tawa & spread some oil on it.Put the flat rounds on the tawa& put on the gas.After five minutes,reverse the flat rounds -the bottoms of the tikkies would have been browned.After another five minutes,take the tikkis of the tawa.

Serve with chutni or sauce.

Chikoo milk shake

I had brought chikoos after a  fairly long period.I wanted my kid to eat the chikoos.She is not someone who will eat chikoos. So,I decided to make a milkshake using chikoos.

Yes,she drank it I am glad that I made it.

Ingredients : 3 chikoos,2 tsp sugar,1 cup milk.

Method : Wash the chikoos. Peel the skin & remove the seeds from the chikoos. Cube the chikoos.Put the cubed chikoos in a blender. Blend them into a paste.Now add the sugar & milk.Blend again.

The sapota milk shake is ready.It is quite thick.It can be served by adding ice cubes or by just chilling it in refrigerator.I served by cooling it for half an hour in the refrigerator.

This made 2 glasses.

Bhindi fry & sambhar

I brought a two litre pack of Fortune Rice bran health oil so that I could take part in this contest by BlogAdda.I was able to make two dishes with just a table spoon of Fortune Rice bran health oil. That is why  it  is  such a low absorb oil !

Take a kadhai & put 1 tbsp Fortune rice bran health  oil.Put on the gas.As the oil warms up,add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds.After they splutter,add half a piece of byadgi mirchi.Add some kadipatta .Put of the gas.The byadgi mirch will have turned colour & the curry leaves would be crunchy.Take out the byadgi mirchi & curry leaves from the kadhai along with some mustard seeds.Keep aside.

Ingredients :

Bhindi fry 

Ingredients : 1/4 kilo bhindi washed dried & finely chopped,1/2 tsp red chilli powder,1/4 tsp hing,1/4 tsp turmeric ,juice of 1 /4 of a lemon,& salt to taste.

Method : Put the bhindi in the  kadhai which has some oil & mustard seeds remaining.Put on the gas.Mix the bhindi nicely so that oil & mustard seeds are nicely mingled with the chopped bhindi.Add haldi & hing.Mix nicely again.Let it cook for five to 10 minutes.Add lemon juice & mix so that it mingles nicely with all bhindi.Let it cook for 5 minutes.

Now add red chilli powder.Mix nicely so that it gets coated on all bhindi pieces.Let it cook for 5 minutes.Add salt .Mix nicely.Cook covered with a lid for five minutes.Put off the gas. Bhindi fry is ready.I use very little chilli powder as my kid loves bhindi fry & she prefers hardly any spices.

White pumpkin sambhar

Ingredients : 1 cup chopped white pumpkin,1 tomato chopped, 1 tbsp tamrind soaked in water,1tbsp sambar powder ( any brand ) ,1/2 tsp hing,1/2 tsp haldi,1/3 cup tur dal,salt to taste.

Method : Pressure cook tur dal with the chopped white white pumpkin pieces.Add haldi & hing to the dal before it is pressure cooked as this gives nice aroma.

Meanwhile in a vessel -take chopped tomatoes & water.Put on the gas.The tomatoes will get mushy in no time.Squeeze the tamarind soaked in water.Put this tamarind water into the vessel which has tomatoes cooking in it.Let the tamarind water get boiling.Squeeze some more tamarind paste from the tamarind & add again.Let the water be boiling.Now add the cooked tur dal with white pumpkin  pieces to the vessel.Add sambhar powder.Add salt to taste.Let it all come to a boil. Put off the gas.Garnish with the mustard-curry leaves- byadgi mirchi seasoning made earlier ( at the beginning of this recipe page ).The sambhar is ready !

Just 1 tbsp oil for 2 dishes is simply awesome.So healthy !

This post is a part of Healthy & Tasty Recipe Contest with Fortune Rice Bran Health Oil &BlogAdda.com 

Eggless carrot orange cake

I wanted to try a cake recipe with carrots & oranges as ingredients as the winter season is going to end soon.I googled & came across this cake recipe @http://vegweb.com/recipes/orange-carrot-cake.I made some changes & got a superbly textured cake -of orange colour.

Ingredients : 1 cup multigrain atta ( I used Pillsburry ),1/2 tsp baking soda,1/2 tsp baking powder, a pinch of salt,1 tbsp orange zest,1/4-1/3 cup orange juice,1/2 cup dahi,3/4 cup carrot,1/4 cup oil,1/3 cup brown sugar.

Method : Grate carrot .Squeeze orange juice in a blender after removing seeds.This si the most tedious step.Next time around,I am going to just clean orange by removing seeds & all skin & cut up & put the orange strands into the cake batter.Better still would be adding Minute maid orange drink in place of orange juice as it contains orange pulp.

Mix oil,dahi,orange zest ( grate  orange peel or finely chop orange peel & use it ) ,grated carrot & orange juice.Add brown  sugar to this liquid mixture.Mix nicely.Keep aside.If regaulr sugar is being used,it can be added to liquid mix or to dry mix of atta, baking soda etc.

Mix all dry ingredients - atta,baking soda,baking powder & salt.Make a well.Into this well pour ,the liquid mix & nicely make a batter so that no lumps remain.Batter  must have drop down consistency.Keep aside.

Take a microwaveable vessel.Line it with butter paper.Pour the cake batter into it.Microwave for 8-10 minutes.Let it cool.Poke a knife to check if cake is done.If knife is clean,cake is done.If not ,bake for 1-2 minutes more.Cool.

Remove cake vessel from microwave .Let it cool for 10 more minutes.Take a plate & put the cake vessel upside down on the plate.After a few minutes,the cake will drop down on plate.

Cut the cake into desired shapes & serve.The cake was moderately sweet -so apt.This is the best cake by me so far- it had a texture which is found in cakes sold in markets !

More sugar can be added if so desired.

Sandwich dhokla

I have become quite adept at making dhoklas - white as also yellow.So ,the next step is to make sandwich dhokla.I tried it once & though it was fine,the sandwich pieces kept coming apart.This is my second attempt. I was partly successful. I am posting this, so that may many get awed by my growing culinary skills.

Ingredients :

For white dhokla :1/3  idli or dosa batter,1/3 cup dahi ,1/4 tsp hing,1tsp oil,1/8 tsp black pepper powder,1/2 sachet of  eno fruit salt,salt to taste.

For yellow dhokla:1/4 cup besan,1/4 cup rava or sooji,1/4 cup idli or dosa batter,1/4 cup dahi,1/4 tsp haldi,1/4 tsp hing,1 green chilli finely chopped ,1/4 inch grated ginger,1tsp oil,1/2 sachet  eno fruit salt,salt to taste.

For green chutney : A bunch of hara dhania( fresh coriander),1 green chilli,1/4 piece of ginger,2 tbsp dry roasted peanut powder or 2 tbsp daalia or roasted gram ( roasted chana with skin removed )   ,1 tsp lemon juice,1 tsp cumin seeds,salt to taste.

For vagar : 1 tbsp oil,1/2 tsp mustard seeds,1/4 tsp hing,1/2 tsp white sesame seeds,few kadi patta.

Method : Soak  white & yellow dhokla batters in the night by mixing the batter with dahi & oil and batter with besan ,rava ,dahi & oil respectively..Both the batters must have drop down consistency or in other words idli batter consistency.Keep them both overnight.

In the morning ,add the grated ginger & finely chopped green chillies,black  pepper powder salt ,hing & haldi to the respective batters.Remember to add haldi only for the yellow dhokla batter.No haldi for white dhokla. Keep aside.

For chutney,grind together  wash & finely chop  hara dhania & green chilly..In the mixer, add the dry roasted peanut powder,finely chopped hara dhania,grated ginger,green chilly,jeera ( cumin ) ,salt & lemon juice.Blend all nicely into a paste.

Now, take a flat vessel with sufficient height for sides so that the dhokla does not spill.Grease the inside of the vessel with oil.

Take cooked & put sufficient water into it-nearly 1 inch.Put the gas on so that the water in the cooker gets  boiling .Keep a stand in the cooker so that the dhokla vessel can be kept on that.

I wanted white dhokla at bottom of sandwich.So take white dhokla batter.Add eno in little water .It will froth.Immediately add it to white dhokla batter & mix.Pour this into the greased vessel.See if the water in the cooker is boiling.Now keep the vessel on the stand.Close the cooker lid & let it steam for 3-4  minutes.

Put off the cooker.Let it cool for 5-10 minutes.Remove lid & take out vessel.

Take chutney & spread it evening on the white dhokla batter which has partly cooked .Spread chutney evenly all over the surface of the white dhokla.Meanwhile add eno water mix to yellow dhokla batter & mix.Pour the yellow dhokla batter on to the chutney which has been spread over white dhokla. Put on the cooker lid.Light up the gas .Steam for 10 minutes.After five minutes,remove lid & insert knife to see if dhokla is ready.If knife is clean ,it is ready.Otherwise steam for 5 more minutes.

Prepare vagar by heating oil.Add mustard seeds .When they splutter add , jeera followed sesame seeds.Add kadipatta. Add hing.Put off the gas.Pour this vagar on the dhokla.

Cut the dhokla into desired shapes & serve.I cut up the dhokla sandwich & then tried to turn it on to a plate & the white & yellow dhokla pieces separated  So ,next time around,I will get the entire dhokla upside down & then add vagar .Then only will I cut it.

Optional : Finely chopped fresh dhania can be a garnish for this.Optional as I am too lazy to clean up the dhania.

Aloo matar

I love aloo matar -it is a curry type dish,My kid has it -only aloos & no matar.I am surprised that kids nowadays rarely eat peas.I still eat peas while I am opening the pea pods.They are so tender & fresh -so juicy !

Ingredients : 2-3 large potatoes.1/2 cup peas,2-3 tomatoes, 1 small carrot, 1 medium onion,1-2 green chillies, 1/2 inch ginger,1 sprig of  kadipatta,1 tsp dhania powder, 1/2 tsp jeera, 1/4 tsp pepper powder ( optional ),1/ 4  tsp garam masala powder( optional ) ,1/4 tsp haldi,1/4 tsp hing,1 tbsp oil,salt to taste.

Method : Cut onions ,green chillies,ginger Blend them in a mixer .In a pressure cooker or  pressure pan  , take oil.Heat up the oil.add jeera. When they splutter, add the green chillies-ginger-onion mix.Let it be on slow gas.

Dice the carrot into small pieces.Add diced carrot pieces in mixer.Run the mixer.The carrot will get diced into smaller pieces.Add roughly chopped tomatoes & run mixer again .After 2-3 grinding in mixer, there will be smooth carrot tomato puree.Meanwhile the smell of raw onions would have gone away from the pressure pan  where the green chilli onion ginger mix is getting heated.Add this carrot tomato puree to the pressure pan .Mix nicely.Add dhania powder.If adding black pepper powder, please add at this stage.Mix nicely.Add haldi powder.Mix.Add salt .Mix. By this time,smell of raw tomatoes would have gone away. Please keep gas on slow mode.

Add washed peas to the pressure pan Cut potatoes .Add these potatoes to the pressure pan.Mix all ingredients nicely in pressure pan.Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup water water to mixer grinder .so that whatever puree is sticking to grinder insides is mixed with water.Add this water to pressure pan.If adding garam masala powder, please add in end ....just before closing the pan with lid & whistle. Put on lid of pressure pan with whistle.Increase gas to high mode.Pressure cook for 1 whistle .Then lower the heat ( make gas on slow mode ) & cook for 10-15 minutes on slow gas.Put off gas.After cooker cools,remove lid.The aloo matar is ready to be served.

Remove lid.All matar curry is ready to be served-garnished with grated cheese and or fresh dhania.

If a thinner curry is desired ,then more  water can be added to the pressure pan before pressure cooking.In the alternative, if the curry is thick after opening lid of pan ,add water & bring it to boil once.

If curry has got very thin, 1/4 tsp flax sed powder or more ( not more than 1 tsp ) can be added & mixed. After 15-20 minutes, curry wil get thicker. Or one can add roasted gram powder to curry. Mix nicely so that no lumps remain. Bring curry to a boil by stirring occasionally so that no lumps are formed. Alternatively, one can add 1 tbsp chickpea flour ( chana dal flour ) to thicken the curry. Bring curry to boil while stirring so that no lumps get formed.

For those who do not eat onions, skip adding the onions.

Eggless strawberry bread

I had strawberries &I had made strawberry cake before,I needed a new recipe.I came caross this strawberry bread @ http://priyaeasyntastyrecipes.blogspot.in/2011/06/eggless-whole-wheat-strawberry-bread.html

I made some changes & baked it !

Ingredients : 1 cup multigrain atta ( I used Pillsbury ),1/4 tsp baking soda,1/4 tsp baking powder,a pinch of salt,
1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup strawberry puree,1/3 cup dahi,1/2 tbsp vinegar,1 tbsp oil,some strawberries to line the bottom of the bread( optional ).

Method : Pureesome strawberries in a blender.Add  sugar & blend again.Keep aside in abowl Add vinegar & dahi & oil.Mix again.Keep aside.

Mix  multigrain atta,baking powder,baking soda & salt nicely.Make awell in the centre of this mixture.Pour the strawberry puree mix into this well.Whiskthis all so that no lumps remain.The batter must have drop down consistency.If batter is thick ,add some more dahi.Mix agian. Keep aside.

Take a glass vessel & line the bottom  with butter paper.On the botter paper ,line with thin slices of fresh strawberries in any fashion as you please.Pour the batter into the glass vessel lined with strawberries .Bake in  microwave for 8 minutes.Put off microwave.Let it cool.

After 10 minutes,remove vessel from microwave. Prick the cake with fork or knife.If it comes out clean,cake is done.If not bake for 1-2 minutes more.Cool.

After the vessel is out of microwave,let it cool for 15 minutes.Then put the vessel upside down on to a plate. The cake will drop down on to the plate.Remove the vessel.Let the cake cool for 5 more minutes.Now cut into desired shapes & serve.

The bottom slices of strawberries was not a good idea.They had become mushy.The sugar ,I used was of a very sweet taste- of some prasada ( temple offering ). The only strawberry taste, I detected, was from the thin slices of strawberry at the bottom of the cake.At the next attempt,I must add more strawberry puree to cake batter & maybe ordinary or even brown sugar.

Banana jaggery bread

I had tried making banana bread with jaggery & it had turned out well.So ,I googled for the recipe & came across one @http://panchamrutham.blogspot.in/2011/02/eggless-banana-bread-with-jaggery.html

I made some changes & here is my recipe.

Ingredients: 1 cup multi grain atta ,1 tspbaking powder ,1/4 tsp,baking soda,1/4 tsp cardamaom  powder,1/3 cup powdered jaggery,1 tbsp oil ,2 over ripe bananas, 1/4 cup dahi ( yoghurt ),a pinch of salt.

Method : Mix multi grain flour with baking soda & baking poder nicely.Add cardamaom powder.Mix nicely.Keep aside.

Peel off the banana skin & mash the bananas.Add powdered or grated jaggery to mashed bananas.Blend this mix in mixer or blender.Add dahi.Blend. Add oil & blend again.

Now ,add this banana puree to the multigrain  mix .Mix nicely with whisk.No lumps must remain.

Take a bowl or bread vessel ( a rectangular glass container ) & line it with butter paper.Pour the batter on to the butter paper .Bake in microwave for 8 minutes.Let it cool.Prick the bread with toothpik .If the toothpik is clean ,then bread is ready.Otherwise bake for 1-2 minutes.Cool for 5 minutes after putting off microwave.

Cool bread out of the microwave for another 15 minutes.Now put the vessel upside down on to a plate.The bread will drop down.If butter paper is sticking to bread ,please remove carefully.Cut into desired shapes & serve.

This turned out to be on the drier side-rubbery texture.Next time around ,I will add more dahi. Maybe, add 1/4 cup dahi more,making a total of 1/2 cup dahi so that consistency will be drop down consistency.This is because for microwave baking ,consistency has to be thinner than for electric oven.