Tomato rice

I learnt this dish some years back.Then I had forgotten all about it.Recently,I packed this for my kid's tiffin box.She ate it & that is a big deal as she seldom eats rice !

Ingredients : 1/2  cup rice ,2 tomatoes, 1 onion, 1 green chilly, 1/4 inch ginger, 1/4 tsp red chilli powder, 1/4 tsp gram masala,1 tbsp oil, 1/4 tsp mustard, 1/4 tsp cumin ,1/4 tsp urad dal,1/4 tsp haldi ,1/4 tsp hing,1 sprig of curry leaves,salt to taste.

Method : Pressure cook rice.After the cooker has cooled ,spread the rice on a plate so that the grains do not form lumps.

In a kadhai, warm oil.Put mustard seeds followed by jeera or cumin.When they splutter add urad dal.They will become golden brown.Add chopped green chill pieces & chopped curry leaves.Add finely sliced onions & grated ginger.Fry all nicely till onions get transluscent.Add chopped tomatoes.Fry nicely.The mixture in kadhai will be reddish.Add haldi,hing ,garam masala ,red chilli powder & salt.Mix nicely.The red mixture will start separating from the oil in the kadhai. Put the cooked  rice into the kadhai & mix nicely.Cover with alid & cook for 2-3 minutes.Put off the gas.

Tomato rice can be served by garnishing  with fresh coriander.

Even left over rice can be used in place of freshly cooked rice.

Pav bhaji

Pav bhaji is a favourite fast food on the streets of Mumbai.It is very easy to make at home.Kids especially love this fast food.I first learnt to make pav bhaji from Amul Cook book which I had received in post.Since then I have made it many times.My daughter loves it though I would prefer she eats more bhaji & not many pav.

This is a healthy option as many kids make faces while eating vegetables ( that is if they eat many veggies ) .This recipe uses many vegetables & hence the kids will eat a variety of veggies in  this dish as all veggies are mixed up.

Ingredients :
Buttered pavs :
10 Pav ( buns available at the local bakery ) 10 is just an approximate number.Kids will eat all pav & leave no pav for you to taste.Option is to make chappatis & eat with the bhaji. Another healthy option is to buy whole wheat pav( wheat brown in colour )  if available at any stores nearby.Generally, the pav which is found in shops & bakeries is white pav ( off white in colour ) -made from maida.
Amul butter -2 to 3 tbsp.

Bhaji : 3-4 potatoes,1-2 onions,1 capsicum,2-3 tomatoes,1 carrot,1 cup beans,1 cup cabbage, 2 green chillies, 1/2 ' ginger,1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp hing,1-2 tbsp oil,1 tbsp pav bhaji masala,salt to taste.

Method : Clean & roughly chop the carrot,cabbage & beans.Pressure cook these chopped veggies & potataoes seperately in different vessels.Keep aside.

Take a kadhai & add oil.Put on gas.When the oil gets hot,add finely chopped onions,green chillies & grated ginger.Mix nicely.Cook covered with a lid till onions get transluscent.  Remove lid & add finely chopped capsicum.Cover with lid & cook.After 3-4  minutes,add finely chopped tomatoes to the kadhai & mix nicely .Cover with alid & cook till it tomato pieces get pureed nicely giving a red colour to the veggie mix.Another option is to pressure cook tomatoes & mash them.Then add the tomato puree to the veggie mix.

Now mash the boiled carrot-cabbage & beans mix into paste form.Add the veggie paste  to kadhai & mix nicely.Add hing & red chilli powder.Mix.Let it keep getting cooked.Peel the potatoes & mash them into a paste.Add the patato paste to kadhai & mix nicely with the other veggies in kadhai.Add some water & mix nicely to avoid the potato forming lumps.Add salt.Mix nicely.

For mashing ,mashers are available in market- wooden ones or steel ones can be used.

Add pav bahji masala ( readymade pav bhaji masala mix are available in market ).Mix nicely.Put off the gas.Keep aside.

Take a pav & slit it horizonatlly with a knife.Smear the insides of the pav thus split with Amul butter.Toast the pav with butter smeared surfaces on the tava which is getting heated on the gas stove.After the buttered pav has slightly browned,remove it .Repeat with remaining pav pieces.

Serve the pavs with bhaji which has been garnished with finely chopped onions & a slice of lemon.

Tip : Green peas can also be added to the bhaji-take care not to mash green peas.Just add cooked peas to the veggie mix.In place of cabbage ,cauliflower can be added by pressure cooking & mashing it.

The essentials of pav bhaji are onions,capsicum,tomatoes & onions & pav bahji masala.If red colour is needed,more tomatoes can be added. Kashmiri chilli powder may also add to the redness of the bhaji..Other vegetables can be as per choice.I do not use garlic & hence have not added.

Apple crumb cake : Eggless

I had apples which I wanted to use in a cake recipe.I came across this cake recipe @ http://mykitchenaroma.blogspot.in/2009/09/eggless-apple-vanilla-cake-with-apple.html.I made some changes & got a nicely textured cake.I feel this is the best cake ,I have baked so far !

Ingredients : 3/4 cup multigrain atta,1/4 cup quick cooking oats,1tbsp butter ( I used Amul butter ),1tsp baking powder,1/4 tsp baking soda,1/2 cup apple puree, 1/2 cup dahi,1 cup sugar,1 apple peeled & chopped,1 /2-1tsp cinnamon powder.

Method : Chop an apple & cook it in pressure cooker for 1 whistle.After the cooker has cooled,remove the apple .The peel easily comes off .Make a paste of the apple pieces.Keep aside.

Mix  atta,oats & butter nicely.A crumb type mixture is obtained.Add baking soda & powder.Mix nicely.Add 3/4 cup sugar & mix again.Keep aside.

Mix apple paste & dahi & slowly add to the atta mixture.The cake dough this formed, must be of drop down consistency.If it is not,add some water & make it of drop down consistency.Keep aside.

Line the cake vessel with butter paper.Now arrange the chopped apple pieces at the bottom on the butter paper.The whole bottom must be  lined with apple pieces.Sprinkle cinnomon powder & 1/4 cup sugar on to the chopped apple pieces.Pour the cake dough on to the apple pieces covered with cinnamon sugar mix.

Microwave for 10 minutes.Allow for 10 minutes for microwave to cool.Remove the cake vessel & let it cool outside for 10-15 minutes.Turn the cake vessel upside down on to a plate.

The cake will drop down on to the plate after some 10  minutes.Carefully remove the butter paper sticking to the cake bottom.Allow the cake to cool for some more time.Cut into desired pieces & serve.

I found the cake texture superb ! Only the cinnamon -sugar mixture was too ,sticky ,sweet & strong.Next time,I am going to sprinkle just 1 tbsp of sugar on the chopped apple pieces along with maybe 1/2 to 3/4 tsp cinnamon. The sugar in cake will be 1 cup less 1 tbsp.

Raagi thalipeeth

Raagi or finger millet is a popular millet in Karnataka.It has acooling effect on our bodies.It is consumed as raagi mudde or raagi balls ( millet is cleaned,washed,dried & powdered .It is mixed with boiling water & salt to taste  & served with sambhar or any curry  ).These raagi mudde are given to workers who do hard labour as they are  very nutritious..My mom makes raagi thalipeeth & this is recipe as told by her .The raagi thalipeeth seen in the snap has been cooked by me.

Ingredients : 1 cup ragi flour ,1/2 inch grated ginger,1-2 green chillies-finely chopped,1 large onion finely chopped ( I grated the onion ),1/2 tsp hing,2 tbsp oil,salt to taste,1tsp flaxseed powder( optional ).

Method : Mix raagi flour with chopped or grated onion,finely chopped chillies,hing & salt.Add water & make a dough just like chappati dough.No oil is to be used.

Take tawa. Grease the whole surface of tawa. with oil.Take a  ball of the prepared raagi dough on the tawa & pat it with plam & fingers to shape the ball into a flat roti. Keep dipping hand into water to continue patting the roti till a reasonable thin roti is obtained. Make 4-5 holes in the roti so that it does not fluff up.

Light up the gas & put the tawa on that with the raagi roti on it.Cover with lid.Let the gas be on slow flame.After five minutes,put some oil through the holes in the roti & turn the roti over & let it cook again for 3-4 minutes or till it changes colur completely.It will become a chocolate brown roti when fully cooked.Remove from tawa & serve with achar & dahi.

1 cup raagi flour yeilded 1 large & two medium raagi thalipeeths. I used 2 tawas & I made the third thalipeeth after the tawa had cooled.Alternatively ,aluminium foil sheets are available.The rotis can be shaped on them after greasing the sheets with oil .Then the roti is slowly put on the tawa by catching one end of the sheet & letting it fall on to the tawa.

I had added 1 tsp flax seed powder to the flour while mixing just for good health.I let the dough rest for 15 minutes as I had added flax seed powder before I made the thailpeeths.Instead of green chillies ,red chilli powder can be added.Please take care to flip on the thalipeeth after it changes colour .My first thalipeeth had become hard as it got overcooked.Still it was delicious !

Sprouted masoor curry

I came across this interesting masoor recipe @ http://sindhirasoi.com/2008/08/25/masoor-daal/I made some changes.I soaked whole masoor overnight.Next day ,I threw the water.I covered the masoor with a plate & let it sprout.The next day.,Masoor had sprouted roots.

Ingredients : 1/4 cup sprouted masoor, 1/4 tsp ajwain, 1/4 inch ginger,1 onion, 1 tomato, 1 green chilli, 1 sprig of curry leaves, 1 tsp garam masala powder,1tbsp oil,1/2 tsp haldi ,1/4 tsp hing, salt to taste.

Method : Pressure cook sprouted masoor.Keep aside.

Chop tomato ,onion ,green chillies & ginger.Add curry leaves.Grind all the veggies -tomato ,onion,green chilly,ginger & curry leaves into  a paste in the mixer.

Take a kadhai.Add oil.Warm the oil.Add garam masala .Now add the ground paste of tomato onion,curry leaves,green chilyginger to the kadhai.Mix nicely.Now add haldi,hing & slat.Add the cooked sprouted masoor to the kadhai .Add ajwain & salt .Mix.Put off the gas.

Now take another vessel & pour this mixture in it.Pressure cook for two whistles.After the cooker has cooled,the masoor can be relished.

Cabbage beans kootu

My friend has been making kootu for quite some time.Almost once every week.I asked her for the recipe & made it myself one day.It was liked by all.I mixed tur & moong dal in equal ratio.

Ingredients : 1/4 cup moong dal ,1/4 cup tur dal, 1/2 cup chopped cabbage, 1/4 cup beans cut in 1/2 inch pieces,1-2 green chillies,1 spring of kadipatta( curry leaves ),1 tsp cumin or jeera,3-4 peppercorns,1/4 tsp haldi ,1/4 tsp hing,salt to taste

Method : Wash moong & tur dal & add the cabbage & beans to it.Add water,haldi & hing  to this mixture & pressure cook for two whistles.Then lower the flame & cook on slow gas for 5-10 minutes.Let the cooker cool.

In the mixer ,grind  coconut,green chillies,peppercorns,kadipatta & jeera till it becomes a coarse powder.One can opt to make it into fine powder.I prefer little coarse.Keep aside.

Take the dal mix with the veggies into another vessel & add the ground mixture to it.Add salt.Bring this whole mixture to a boil on the gas.The kootu is ready.It is good for rotis as also rice.

Optional : One can make seasoning of oil ,mustard seeds & red chillies to add to the kootu.I prefer kootu without seasoning as cumin,coconut & other spices are already part of the kootu.

Optional Tip : I added vagar of mustard seeds, urad dal & byadgi mirchi to the kootu though it tastes well without vagar.That is how , in the snap above, the byadgi mirchi seems to be peeping out from the kootu in the katori.

Doodhi halwa

I had brought doodhi last week & still had not used it.I also had cream in the freezer- home cream - I remove malai from milk & keep it in a box in the freezer for 9-10 days at a stretch.I thought of making doodhi halwa like gajar halwa.

I googled for the recipe &  was inspired by this recipe at vah re vah !

Ingredients : 1 cup peeled & grated doodhi( bottle gourd ),1/2 cup frozen malai, 1tsp ghee ( optional ),1/2 cup sugar,5-6 almonds -grated or finely chopped.

Method : Clean the doodhi & peel it.Grate the doodhi.Remove the malai from the freezer.Let it attain room temperature.

Take a kadhai & put  on gas.Gas must be on slow burner.Let it warm.Pour the malai on to the kadhai & now put the grated doodhi on to it.Mix both the malai & doodhi nicely.Cook the mix in the kadhai -covering the kadhai with a lid.After 5-6 minutes,uncover the kadhai & mix the contents with spoon.Cover with lid & let it cook again.Repeat this 3-4 times.By this time,doodhi & malai would have mixed nicely & got cooked.Now add sugar.Mix nicely.Cover with lid & let it cook.After 5-6 minutes,uncover the lid  & mix nicely.Repeat once more.By this time ,all water would have evaporated.Add a tsp ghee & mix nicely.It will give a nice aroma to the halwa. Put off the gas.

Serve the halwa garnished with grated almonds or finely chopped almonds.I garnish with almonds as my kid does not like any dry fruits in halwa.Alternately,one can fry dry fruits like chopped almonds,cashews in ghee & add them to the halwa.