Chutni pudi poha.

Whenever we have to go to attend any function in temple or whenever we have a puja at home or any socio religious function like gruh pravesh etc in the mornings,in our community ( Madhva Brahmin community), it is preferred, to eat fruits or a no cook snack.The most common item is any snack of poha. Poha dahi or chutni pudi poha, or banana poha is common. We can eat poha any time, ...actually, all the time !

Cooked poha  like the batata poha & upma is allowed for upvaas as well.

Even for ekadashi upvaas, poha cooked as also uncooked versions are allowed. Even upma is fine for ekadashi.

Ingredients : 1 cup thin poha, 2-3 tsp chutni pudi, 2-3 tsp kachha tel (raw oil without warming or heating even ) , 1 small cucumber peeled & grated, 1 small carrot peeled & grated,1/2 capsicum finely chopped, 1 tsp lemon juice, finely chopped coriander for garnish, salt to taste.

Method : Mix poha, oil & chutni pudi in bowl.Sprinkle salt.Salt must be added very carefully. This is because, poha has salt & chutni pudi has salt as well.Add grated carrot, grated cucumber, chopped capsicum .Mix all nicely. Add lemon  juice .Mix Garnish with finely chopped coriander.

Enjoy the taste as you tuck into it !

Vegetables are optional....one can add any raw vegetable except onion & garlic as that will make it unsatvic.Cucumber is most common. Carrots, capsicum , coriander are optional.For tangy poha, add lemon juice.

Apple cinnamon mug cake in microwave

I am fascinated by mug cakes.I tried once or twice.No more than that.Earlier attempts failed.This time, I tried sincerely ,I think.I loved this recipe.I tweaked it & made this cake in a mug !

Ingredients : 1/4 cup atta ( whole wheat flour ) , 1 tbsp apple sauce,1 tbsp jaggery sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder, 1 tbsp Nestle coffee mate powder , 1/2 tbsp peanut butter, 1/4 tsp baking powder & oil or ghee to grease the mug.

Method : To make apple sauce, deseed & peel an apple.Chop it into 4 pieces.Pressure cook the washed apple pieces up to 1 whistle. Cool.Mash up the cooked apple.Apple sauce is ready.Keep it aside.

Take atta in a bowl.Add the Nestle Coffee mate powder,baking powder, cinnamon powder.Mix all nicely many times over.Keep aside.

Take 1 tbsp apple sauce &  1 tbsp jaggery sugar.Mix nicely.Add peanut butter & mix nicely.Add this liquid mix to the dry atta mix kept aside.No lumps should remain. The  batter thus ready , must have drop down consistency similar to consistency of idli batter.

Grease inside surface of mug with oil or ghee.

Pour the cake batter into the mug.Microwave cake batter in mug for 2 minutes. Put off microwave. Cool.Put a toothpick in the mug cake to test if it is baked. If it is wet,microwave for 30sec -1 minute.Cool & enjoy !

In the topmost snap , the cake can be seen leaving the sides of the mug.That is an indication that it is fully baked !

The mug cake was fluffy & nice.Except that cinnamon was not traceble.Next time, I must put 1/2 tsp cinnamon instead of 1/4 tsp.

This mug cake or for that any mug cake is a great idea for a quick & easy bake.It is a sumptuous snack !

Tips : I used Nestle coffee mate as I had no options..My kid had got it some time before & was lying around in the kitchen shelf. In the original recipe, milk is used. Since, I used whole wheat flour & that too 1/ 4 cup ,I used 1/4 tsp baking powder.  As Nestle coffee mate is sweet ( it has some sugar ( , I used just 1 tbsp jaggery sugar.I replaced oil in original recipe with peanut butter .One can use ghee or oil .If flaxseed meal is used or even yoghurt, then , ghee or oil or butter need not be added.Flaxseed meal or yogurt will make up for the fat content.

I have posted picture of jaggery sugar in my earlier blog post of Vegan Strawberry cake.

If batter is too watery, keep microwave on for up to 3-4 minutes, instead of 2 minutes.If batter is too semisolid, it may get done faster. Batter must have drop down consistency or be like idli batter ( dosa  batter is more watery in comparison to idli batter )

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.

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.