Eggless omelette

I remember as a child whenever we would go to a hotel ,one of the dishes ordered would be tomato omelette.We are vegetarians & we used to get a kick out of that ! I used to love the slices of bread  which would be sparsely buttered .After I grew up ,I hardly recall eating it in restaurants.

I was surfing the net one day.And came across this eggless omlette recipe.I thought of giving it a try.It is so simple & tastes great .Well , that is because anything made with chickpea flour or besan is simply tasty.I would say ,besan makes it effortless ! And, another bonus, is that dishes having besan are nutritious  as chana dal flour is full of protein.And hence, these besan cheelas make for  a very wholesome breakfast !

Ingredients : 1 cup besan , 1 tbsp rava or semolina, 1 tbsp atta or whole wheat four ( optional helps in binding the ingredients ) 1/4 tsp haldi, 1 tsp flaxseed meal , 1 tsp ajwain 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 small tomato finely chopped, 1/2 cup washed & finely chopped spring onion green shoots ( this is optional - generally finely chopped onions are added ),  1/4 cup dahi, 3/4 to 1 cup water,salt to taste ,oil to grease the tawa.

Method : Take a bowl & mix all dry ingredients like besan ,rava , atta, haldi ,flaxseed meal , salt ,red chili powder ajwain etal.Add chopped veggies.Mix nicely with the dry mix.Keep aside.

Add water to dahi & make chaas.Add chaas to the dry veggie mix.Mix nicely drop by drop, till a dosa batter type consistency is obtained.

Heat a tawa on the gas.Grease with oil.Drop a ladle full of batter on tawa & try to spread it evenly on the tawa.As the pancake gets ready ,it will start browning on the edges after 2-3 minutes..Spread 1/2  tsp of oil on the pancake .Flip it up side down & cook it  for another 2-3 minutes.Remove from tawa on to a serving plate.Or keep it in a casserole so that they keep warm.

Make more pancakes similarly from the rest of the batter.Serve besan ke cheele with tomato ketchup or any chutney of choice.I had it just like that yellow on one side & brownish gold on another side !

Since I had used chaas, I found more of ajwain & red chilli powder was needed for the batter.The chilliness was found wanting.If plain water is used ( no curds are used ) then , 1/4-1/2tsp baking soda can be added to the batter.The cheelas can be made vegetable rich .Grated cabbage, grated carrots, finely chopped methi leaves, finely chopped spinach leaves, finely chopped fresh dhania leaves can be added as well.Cheelas will turn out more colourful & more wholesome !

Sprouted matki curry

I have posted a matki usal earlier. This time, I sprouted matki or moth beans & made a curry dish. I used fresh coconut for the gravy.

Ingredients : Sprouted matki 1/2 cup, 1 onion, 1 tomato , 1/4 cup fresh dessicated coconut, 1-2 green chillies, any  curry powder ( rasam or sambhar powder or sabzi masala powder ...even dhania, jeera, pepper & red chilli powder mix will do )  1/2 tsp , 1/4 tsp grated ginger, a sprig of curry leaves,1/4 tsp haldi, 1/4 tsp powder hing, 1 tbsp oil, 1/2 mustard seeds, salt to taste.

Method : Pressure cook matki ( with 1 cup water to which haldi & hing has been added )  for two whistles.Lower the flame & cook for 5-10 minutes,Put off gas.Let it cool.

Roughly chop onions, hari mirchi, grated ginger  & kadi pattas.Grind them in mixer.Keep aside.

In a kadhai , take oil.Put on the gas & warm the kadhai with oil.Add mustard seeds. When they splutter , add the ground onion -mirchi-adrak - kaddi patta mix .Let it saute in kadhai till raw onion smell goes away.

Roughly chop the tomato & grind it with the coconut.Pour this mix into kadhai.Saute for 10 minutes.Add some water from the pressure cooked matki to this in case ,the onion tomato ground mix starts sticking to the bottom of the kadhai.Add the curry masala ( sambhar rasam or a mix of the two or any other daily veggie spice  powder ) .Mix nicely.Add the pressure cooked matki with the water in which it has been cooked.Add salt.Bring it to a boil.Put off gas. Serve with rice and or rotis.This being of liquid consistency as compared to usal ,goes well with both rice as also chapatis.

My dad simply loved the taste of this curry.He praised my cooking ! In fact, the masala used is daily spice powder made  by my mom ,for sabzis, curries etal !

Palak rice

I was surfing Archana's Kitchen for recipes .I came across this simple recipe of Palak rice. I surfed on other food blogs as well.Everyone seemed to have their own version. I decided to do my own version as there are no limits to my laziness. You would have already realised this, by going through my recipes.

I made palak rice in pressure cooker.I simply pureeed palak without chopping it with ginger, green chillies & kadi patta ( for that South Indian touch ) !

Ingredients : 1--1.5 cups washed & unchopped palak, 1 cup tukda or broken basmati , 1/2 " cinnamon stick broken into two or three pieces, 1 bay leaf, 2 small poatoes deeeled & sliced roughly, 1 medium onion roughly sliced, 2 green chillies roughly chopped, 1/2' inch ginger roughly chopped, few curry leaves, 1/2 tsp jeera, 1 bada elaichi chilka  cut into smaller pieces, 1/4 tsp garam masala, 1/4tsp hing, 1/4 tsp haldi, 1 tbsp oil, 1-2 tsp lemon juice, salt to taste.

Method : Wash the rice & keep aside.In the mixer, take the washed palak, curry leaves, ginger & green chillies.

Add 1/4 cup  water & puree it nicely.Keep aside.

In a pressure pan , take the oil.Put on the gas & heat the pressure pan with oil in it. Add jeera.When they splutter add cinnamon stick pieces followed by badi elaichi chilka. After the spices start giving aroma,add sliced onions.Saute the onions till they start turning brown on the edges.Add sliced potatoes.Saute them Add haldi & hing.Mix nicely. Add rice & fry all the rice with onions & potatoes & spices. After 2-3minutes, add the pureed palak mixture to the pan.Mix the rice ,palak puree,onions & potatoes nicely. Add salt. Add garam masala. Mix nicely,Add one more cup water as the palak puree was nearly 1 cup water.Cover the pressure pan lid.Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles. Put off gas. Cool. Remove whistle.After 5-10 minutes.Open the lid.The spinach rice is ready.Squeeze a piece of lemon.Lightly fluff up the rice .Serve it with roasted papads, raita, achar ...endless possibilities !

I use spices in small quantities as I love subtle tastes.My family prefers it this way.If you want stronger taste of spices, add more amounts accordingly.In some palak rice recipes, mint as also coriander was used. Some added peas as well.I felt that mint would interfere with palak taste. I had no peas so skipped adding them. I added potatoes as potatoes go well with palak  a I added kadipattas as I had them & they add to the nutrition by their iron content.

Soup style rasam

I had come across this carrot tomato rasam some time back while searching some recipe. I found it very interesting. In some recipes, tur dal was added as well though quantity of toor dal was very less. I decided to make plain carrot tomato rasam today as my throat was irritating me.

Ingredients : 2 tomatoes, 1 carrot, 1 tsp rasam powder, a few curry leaves, 1//4 tsp grated ginger1/4 tsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp jeera, 1/4 tsp black pepper powder,1/4 tsp hing, 1/4 tsp haldi,1 byadgi mirchi broken into 2-3 pieces,  1-2 tsp oil or ghee for tadka, a bunch of fresh dhania washed & finely chopped for garnish,salt to taste,


Method : Pressure cook tomatoes & diced carrot  along with grated ginger for 2-3 whistles. Cool.Puree in mixer. Add 1 cup water. Add haldi & hing.Start heating this puree. Add rasam powder, salt & pepper powder. Bring it to a boil.Put off gas.

For vagar, take oil or ghee in a kadhai. Add mustard seeds.After they splutter add jeera.Then add curry leaves & pieces of byadgi mirchi.Put off gas. Pour this vagar on the boiled soup style rasam.Serve rasam garnished with finely chopped fresh coriander leaves.

I found that pepper was too less.Even some more amount of rasam powder would be fine.Since carrot was added, I skipped adding jaggery or sugar.

Even onion can be pressure cooked & pureed with carrot & tomatoes. I ate rasam like soup.I have made this earlier though forgot to post it.This goes great with rice.It can be drunk like soup as well !

Tamarind paste for tamarind rice

I have learnt to make tamarind paste by reading from various posts on the topic from various recipe blogs. I thought that now I was fine with putting my take on the recipe.I liked this recipe in particular.I did some changes .I have been impressed upon my mom that til or sesame seeds be added to the puliodare paste. And have added them in my recipe.

Ingredients : 1 lemon sized ball of tamarind soaked in water & pulped three  to four  times , 1tbsp jaggery,2 tbsp til seeds,2 tbsp chana dal, 2 tsp urad dal, 2 tbsp peanuts, 4 tbsp oil ( preferably til oil ), 1/2 tsp black pepper seeds, 1tsp methi or fenugreek seeds, 1 tsp urad dal,1 heaped tbsp dhani seeds or dhania powder, 10-12 red byadgi mirchis, 1/2 tsp hing, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1-2 green chillies roughly chopped,few curry leaves,salt to taste,

Method : Boil the tamarind pulp for 10-12 minutes.Add jaggery as it boils. Put off gas.Keep aside.

In a kadhai take 1 tbsp til oil.Heat it.Add 6-8  byadgi mirchis & fry them till they get crisp.Remove the mirchis.Next fry 1 tbsp  chana dal till they change colour.Remove the chana dal.Similarly fry 1tsp urad dal,Next fry the dhani till it gets aromatic.Remove the dhania.Now, roast the methi dana till they give out aroma,Remove the methi dana.Now Fry til till it starts popping.Remove the til.Roast few  curry leaves.till they get crisp.Finally roast the black pepper for a minute.Put off gas.After all the fried ingredients attain room temperature, grind all of them to fine powder in a mixture.Keep aside.

Add this spice mixture to the tamarind pulp.Boil the pulp containing spice mix for around 10 minutes.Keep stirring continuously as it has tendency to stick to bottom.

Take a small kadhai.Heat oil .Pop mustard seeds.Next fry peanuts followed by remaining chana dal & urad dalAdd hing & turmeric followed by green chillies, remaining curry leaves & 4-5 byadgi mirchis. Put off gas.Add this vagar to tamarind pulp-spice mix .This is puliodare paste , ready to mix with rice !

Use as much as needed for mixing with cooked rice..Rest can be stored in refrigerator for around two to three weeks.

Number of pepper corns can be decreased or raised as per taste.Even jaggery amount can be adjusted.

Mixed veggies stew : Rishi Panchami chi bhaji

My neighbor had shared with me years back this Rishi chi  bhaji. I simply loved it.And so was wanting to make it .Since Rishi Panchami comes once a year, only on that day ,can that veggies mix be brought conveniently in the city.

Last evening ,I went to market & forgot that the next day is Rishi Panchami ...it is the day after Ganesh Chaturthi.I went to market at around 11.15.One vendor told me to pick & choose.I went ahead. I spotted a Maharashtrian lady.She was selling Rishi Panchami veggies.I was thrilled that she will hand over me the mixed veggies & I just pay & come home & start cooking.Yet,she had just some veggies.Colcasia leaves or taro leaves or alu were missing.So also was lal math missing.The lady sitting next to her was selling green leafy veggies in bunches...alu leaves asa slo lal math.I requested her to give me 1-2 alu leaves & a small bunch of lal math.For a price, of course ! Mission accomplished, I moved to a grocer as the Rishi Panchami vrat needs a particular variety of rice to be cooked.I drew a blank.I decided that since I was making this stew just for my tast buds, I would have to make do with the rice at home.

Ingredients : 1-2 colcasia leaves or taro leaves or alu leaves washed & chopped, a tiny bunch of lal math ( Swiss chard ) washed &  chopped, 1 small piece of red pumpkin peeled & chopped, a small cucumber piece chopped,1-2  pieces of corn cob,4-5 big bhindis chopped, a small doodhi piece deseeded & chopped, 1 tiny karela deseeded & chopped, 1 small piece of shirali ( ridge gourd ) chopped, 1 small piece of goshali chopped  ( smooth gourd )  , some peas, some balck eyed beans from pods, etal ( The veggie vendor gave me a piece of avegetable which looked like a midget or tiny version of suran ...she told me to add it to the bhaji with other veggies .I roughly chopped it & pressure cooked with other veggies ), 1-2 green chillies chopped into 3 /4 pieces,1 teaspoon jaggery, 2 tsp tamarind pulp, 2 tsp ghee, salt to taste.

Method : I was in a hurry as I returned home at 12 noon.So I pressure cooked the veggiesincluding green chillies  for 3 whistles.

Take ghee in a kadhai.Add tamarind pulp .Add jaggery. Add salt to taste. Bring all to a boil.Add pressure cooked veggies.Let all the mixture come to a boil.Put off gas. Enjoy ! I ate this bhaji with rice. It will go well with chapatis as well.

My maid, whom I served this bhaji ,felt that I had simply boiled the veggies ! When I revealed that I had added jaggery , tamarind & ghee, she said it did not taste that it contained all that ! I guess, I added too little of the ingredients to maintain the subtelty of Rishi Panchami.Next time,I promise to add more of the ingredients ! 

Mixed veggies cheese toast

I want my daughter to eat more proteins.Since, cheese  & bread is something she loves,I googled & came across this vegetable cheese toast.

Ingredients : 1/2 capsicum finely chopped, 1 small onion finely chopped, 1 small tomato finely chopped, 4 bread slices, 2 cheese cubes , 1/4  tsp pepper.

Method : Microwave the bread slices in microwave oven for 10 seconds. Keep aside.

Mix all the finely chopped veggies that is capsicum, tomatoes & onions with pepper powder. Spread this mix evenly on each of the bread slices.Grate half a cheese cube on the veggies spread on the bread slice. Microwave each veggie cheese covered bread slice till the cheese melts. Repeat with the remaining bread slices.Serve with ketchup or sauce.

I made this for my teen's school tiffin & she loved it. Even her classmates liked this !

Microwave for less than 2 minutes...maybe one or 1.5 minutes microwaving is sufficient to melt the cheese.More microwaving may make the bread hard.

This can also be done on tawa or grill  or even baked in convection oven.Pl check tawa & grill versions here.

I skipped adding salt to the toast as bread has salt as also cheese. I used brown bread & Amul brand cheese cubes.