CORNFLAKES AND POHA/BEATEN RICE FRITTERS

They look like cutlets but not,These are deep fried cornflakes and poha fritters mixed with onions ,garlic and few others.No need to grind anything,can be done within minutes as a quick snack/breakfast recipe,specially during winter season with hot cup of tea.An adapted recipe by Hari Chandana,only variation I made is I added cornflakes to this which gives a crunchy deep fried taste.

Ingredients:

Cornflakes 3/4 Cup
Poha/Beaten Rice 1 1/2 Cup( I used thin poha)
Chopped Onion 1
Green Chilli 2 to 3
Rice Flour 2 Tbsps
Gram Flour 1 Tbsp
Cumin seeds 1/4 Tsp
A bunch of Chopped Cilantro
Minced ginger and garlic 1/2 Tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 Tsp
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

Method:

1. Pulse the cornflakes in a grinder for few sec without adding water.Soak the poha
    in water for just for 10 mins,remove excess water.

2. In a mixing bowl add all above listed ingredients including cornflakes and soaked poha without adding water.

3. Make flat size balls just like cutlets and pat them gently with your hands.

 

 

 

4. Heat oil and deep fry them.As usual,can be served with tamarind sauce,green
    chutney,tomato chillie sauce etc.

WHOLE WHEAT BREAD JAMUN

Since I have looked into so many food blogs and have come across bread jamoons and i always wanted to try this one ! But Instead of usual bread, I tried from whole wheat bread,no need to knead the dough,so simple to try and healthy and the good thing is all purpose flour is totally an excluded ingredient.

My serving yields to 18 to 20 jamoons.

All you need is:

8 to 10 Whole Wheat Bread Slices
1 1/2 Cups of Sugar
3/4 Cup of Water
3/4 Cup of Cold Milk
A pinch of crushed cardamom powder
Oil for deep fry

How to make??

1. Remove the edges of the bread,dip them quickly in cold milk and immediately squeeze out the excess milk with your hands.

2. Pulse them in a grinder for few seconds,no need to add milk or water to this.
    Transfer them in a large bowl and apply little ghee onto your hands to make small
    balls.

3. Make the sugar syrup to thread consistency.

4. Deep fry the bread balls to golden brown and soak them into sugar syrup.

5. Be happy to serve the bread jamoons to get best compliments from family and
    friends.

STEAMED & SPICY CORIANDER CAKES

 I always try to make some interesting fusion in preparing any new food.A popular snack food in Maharastra and elsewhere made from Gram flour,onions and mainly with fresh whole bunch of corianders which has a rich iron content.Its kind of mild spicy cake first steamed and then later shallow fried.Happy to share with my friends as a evening snack.

Ingredients:

Gram flour/ Besan 1 Cup
Wheat flour and Rice flour 1/4 Cup each
Whole Bunch of  Fresh Coriander( chopped) 1 Cup
Onions 2(chopped)
Grated ginger,garlic 1/4 tsp each
White sesame seeds and poppy seeds 1 Tsp each
Green Chilli 3 to 4
Garam masala and Turmeric powder 1/4 Tsp
Asafeotida and salt to taste
Sugar 3/4 tsp
As an optional Baking soda( normally I try to avoid using soda in most of my dishes)
Oil to shallow fry

Method:

Method:
First grind the sesame seeds,poppy seeds and Chilli to fine paste.Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl except the oil.No need to add water as onions itself are watery.The batter I made was thick and stiff batter.

Grease a flat steel cooker vessel with oil and pour batter into it to and spread evenly. Steam it using a pressure cooker for around 8 to 10 mins without whistle. Turn off heat allow the vessel to cool,turn upside down in a tray.Make sure the batter is cooked properly insert a fork or knife in the middle of the batter.
 Cut it into desired shapes.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and arrange these slices to cook both sides till golden brown to crisp to shallow fry.

Serve these spicy coriander cakes with ketchup,chutneys or with a hot cup of tea.

CARROT CUSTARD HALWA

Have done Carrot Halwa quite lot of times, but this recipe has been modified by adding custard powder which in turn mixed with cold milk, this extra ingredient lets you to get a superior in taste. It comes out as a delicious dessert and surely gives you a new impression to try.

Ingredients:

Grated Carrots 1.5 Cups
Sugar 1 Cup( May lessen to adjust taste)
Cold Milk 3/4 Cup
Custard Powder 1.5 TBSPS( I used vanilla flavor)
Melted Ghee 1/4 Cup
Roasted Cashews and Raisins 1 Tsp Each
Cardamom Powder 1/2 Tsp

1. Peel the skin of the washed carrot and grate them.Roast the cashews and raisins with little ghee and roast them to set aside.Mix the custard powder with cold milk and keep ready.

2.  In a pan with ghee add grated carrots and saute them for 3 mins. To this add sugar and keep mixing for about 6 to 8 mins till the carrots shrink to their original volume.

3.  Now add the custard milk ,roasted nuts and cardamom powder and mix well till are separated from the pan.Ready to serve.

7 CUP SWEET/7 CUP BURFI

Never expected my 50th post on my blog would be sweet recipe.Love this burfi's..mom used to make it and was able to learn from her at the early ages.Easiest sweet dish made from gram flour,milk,sugar,ghee and coconut powder.Takes very little time to prepare during all festive seasons and mine came out extremely perfect like always.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Gram Flour or Besan
1 Cup Milk
1 Cup Ghee
1 Cup Dry Coconut
2.5 Cups of Sugar( May lessen the taste,I used only two cups sugar)
1/2 Tsp of Cardamom Powder.

Method:

In a heavy bottomed pan,combine all the above items and keep on stirring without any lumps.This is take a while for about 15 mins.

Keep stirring until you see the mixture is thick and unsticky from the pan.

Before this grease a baking tray or steel plate with little ghee and pour this mixture,spread evenly with the help of spatula.

Cut them into desired shapes when it's hot and allow it cool for 20 minutes.

TAWA PULAO

Most popular food in Mumbai called TAWA PULAO.Quite different rice recipe mixed with pav bhaji masala powder and fresh vegetables.Have been posting lot of rice dishes on my blog,but this recipe is entirely different and taste was super inviting with very few ingredients.

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice 1 Cup( cooked)
Onion 1( cut lengthwise)
Tomato 2 ( medium size,cut lengthwise)
Carrot 1(cut lengthwise)
Capsicum 1(cut lengthwise)
Grated ginger 1/2 Tsp
Grated garlic 2 Tsp
Frozen green peas(optional) 1/4 cup
Pav Bhaji Masala 2 Tsps
Red Chilli Powder 3/4 Tsp
Cumin seeds 1 Tsp
Oil and ghee 1 Tbsp Each
Coriander leaves and Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil and ghee together in a griddle,add cumin seeds to splutter.Then add onion, grated ginger garlic and cook for few mins till onion gets not to soft.

2. Add tomatoes and cook till tomatoes are semi cooked. Add all veggies and cook on low,closed till crunchy.Add chili powder, pav bhaji masala mix and cook for two more mins..
3.Then add basmati cooked rice and stir well to combine and cook for 3 to 4 mins.Turn off the heat.
4.Can garnish them cilantro leaves.

5.Looks like any other pulao but the taste is amazingly good.

BHINDI MASALA/OKRA CURRY

Very simple and nutritious to make. To make a smooth texture gravy, one needs to grind, tomatoes,cashew nuts and few more together and then fry it in oil.For better taste you can ghee instead of oil.A best side dish for parathas,rotis and more.

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped 1/2 inch Okra/Bhindi
1 Big Tomato(chopped)
1 Onion( chopped)
Minced 1/2 teaspoon Ginger and Garlic
6 to 7 cashews(roasted)
1 Green Chilli
1/4 tsp each of red chilli powder,turmeric powder,coriander powder and garam masala
2Tbsps of oil

Method:
Heat 1 tablespoons oil in a pan on medium heat with okra seasoned some salt over it.Fry them for about 6 to 8 minutes.Add onions later till are soft.

Grind the green Chilli,ginger and garlic to paste.And crush the cashews separately as well.Blend the tomatoes to make a fresh purée.

Once Onions are cooked add purée and grinded Chilli paste with all the spicy powders mentioned in my ingredient list.Atlast add yogurt and stir for 5 minutes.
Transfer to serving bowl.

VEGETABLE RAVA IDLI

Nothing much to give more introduction about Idli's,there are plenty of varieties of Idli's to make. They are one of the healthy & nutritious steamed food as well as low fat.But in these recipe Idli's are made out of fine sooji mixed with yogurt ,carrots and green peas.

Ingredients:

Roasted Semolina/sooji 2 cups
Yogurt 1cup
Oil 3 tbsps
1 carrot (grated)
1 tbsp roasted cashews
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp channa & urad dal for tempering
Green chillies 2 nos., grated ginger 1/4 tsp
springs of curry leaves
Finely chopped cilantro
Green peas(frozen) as needed for topping.
Salt as per taste

Method:

Roast the sooji in a pan for 2 minutes.Mix the yogurt to the sooji with grated carrot,ginger,green chilli,cilantro,roasted cashews.

Mix well by adding very little quantity of water as the batter should thick enough.
And for tempering,in a small saucepan sizzle the mustard seeds with channa dal and urad dal in oil.Add this to the above mixed batter.

Grease them with oil on a Idli plate,and steam the batter for about 10 minutes in a pressure cooker.Before steaming the batter,garnish the uncooked Idli's with frozen green peas and later steam them.
My serving in this portion makes about 10 to 12 Idli's.

SPICY RICE/MASALA RICE BAATH

Highly seasoned spicy rice, an excellent dish for lunch box,definitely would never mind to make this recipe atleast once in a week.Mainly this rice recipe is with no onion and garlic and made with rich aromatic roasted and grounded spices with a fusion of eggplant and capsicum.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Cooked rice
2 Eggplant( cut them lengthwise)
1 Capsicum( cut them lengthwise)

For grinding spices:

2 Roasted Tsps of Cumin Seeds
2 Roasted Tsps of Coriander Seeds
2 Roasted Tsps of Dry Coconut Powder
1 Roasted Tsps of Poppy Seeds
5 to 6 Red Chillies OR
11/2 Tsps of Red Chillie Powder

For Tempering:

2 Tbsps of Oil
1 Tsp Each of Mustard Seeds,Chana Dal,Urad Dal
1/4 Tsp of Turmeric Powder
8 to 10 Curry Leaves
Salt to Taste.

Method:

1. Roast all the spices and grind them to dry.

2. In a medium heated pan,add oil with all tempering ingredients and allow to turn golden brown.Now add the chopped( lengthwise) eggplant and capsicum,sautée them to crispy brown in color.Do not overcook the vegetables as it may loose it's nutrients.

3. Add the grinded powder,curry leaves with turmeric powder and salt.Mix well with cooked rice and can be garnished with cilantro if needed.

BONDA SOUP

A combination of healthy lentil soup and black gram dal fritters, traditionally called as "Bonda Soup where fritters are soaked into the soup for a while to enjoy the merged taste of both. This is a very nutritious appetizer as well. This is one of the most popular breakfast and evening snack served recipe in Bangalore Restaurants, needless to say this recipe was always in my favorite list. This was in my "to do" list since long, all it takes is just little of your precious time to serve and enjoy this delicious lentil soup.

Ingredients:

For Bonda's

1 Cup Black Gram Dal/Urad dal( soaked in water for atleast 4 hours)
For the grinded batter:
Grated ginger 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves 6 to 8
Grated coconut 3 tsps
Green Chillies 2
Whole pepper 5 to 6
Rice flour less than 2 Tbsps
Chopped coriander leaves
Salt
Oil for deep fry

For the Soup:

1/2 Cup Moong dal
For tempering:
1 tsp of oil
1/2 tsp of mustard seeds
2 green chillies
1 tomato
1/4 inch grated ginger
Curry and coriander leaves
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/8 tsp of jaggery as optional
Fresh squeezed lemon juice to taste
Salt.

Method:

Grind the soaked urad dal into a thick batter with very little quantity of water.
To this batter,mix with chopped chillies,curry and coriander leaves,coconut,rice flour,pepper and salt which forms like thick batter.

Cook the Moongdal in pressure cooker with 3 cups of water to soft.
In a sauce pan add the given tempering items listed above with little oil and mustard seeds in a pan,after they splutter add tomatoes,ginger,chillies turmeric powder,salt and atlast the lemon juice.Keep this ready.

Deep fry the grinded batter in round balls shaped and slide them into oil till crispy golden brown.Ready to be soaked into the Moongdal soup.Let it soak for 5 to 10 minutes .Sure you enjoy the aromatic soup..