When you have a craving for Mac and Cheese, you have to make it right away. But I didn't want to go for the boxed varieties with too many processed ingredients, names of many I wouldn't even be able to pronounce. Again a craving can be something that isn't too indulging. Ok, you could stop reading right now and think "why would you want to eat mac and cheese if it is skinny/healthy". I say, why not?! The cheese sauce I used here for mac and cheese has cauliflower in it with cottage cheese. Doing something good for your body while eating something you crave.. Win-Win!
Psst.. It is a good way to sneak vegetables in to your kids..
Ingredients:
Serves - 4
Macaroni pasta, dry - 1 cup
Cauliflower florets - 1-1/2 cups
Water/Vegetable Stock - 1-1/2 cups
Cottage cheese - 1 cup
Cheddar cheese - 2 oz (60 g)
Parmesan cheese - 2 tbsp
Ground nutmeg - 1/8 tsp
Salt & pepper - to taste
Bread crumbs - 1/2 cup
Melted Butter - 1 tbsp
Method:
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Cook the macaroni pasta in salted boiling water for about 7 minutes (that was 2 minutes less than the required time). Drain and set aside, covered.
Mix 1 tbsp of grated parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and butter in a bowl.
Boil cauliflower in salted water for 5-7 minutes until soft. Scoop out the florets and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Reserve water. Puree in a blender/food processor until smooth, using the boiled water to thin out if needed. Add the cottage cheese and puree again. Return the cauliflower-cheese puree to the saucepan and add half of the reserved water. Add the cheddar cheese and allow it to melt in medium heat. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper. Curdling at this stage is normal because of cottage cheese. Allow the sauce to cool a bit and pulse a couple of times in the food processor. Mix 1 tbsp of parmesan cheese. Mix the pasta to the cheese sauce and pour into a large oven proof baking tray/bowl. Evenly spread the bread crumbs on top. Bake for 30 minutes.
Notes:
If the top is browning too fast around 15 minutes, cover with foil and continue baking.
Pasta Aglio E Olio means Pasta with Garlic and Olive Oil in Italian. A simple pasta flavored with garlic and olive oil, it is one of the classic pasta dishes. I added some chopped bell peppers and a little lemon juice to brighten things up, since, you know I love lemony anything.
I adapted this recipe from a Pasta Cookbook which my friend Denny gave me when we visited her for Christmas. Spaghetti is the best choice for this pasta dish. Since I did not have any spaghetti in hand and wanted to introduce pasta to my 1.5 yr old with a fun shape, I used Campanelle.
Ingredients:
Serves - 3
Pasta - 1 lb box
Bell peppers - sliced thin - 1 cup (I used a combination of green and mini red, orange, yellow peppers)
Garlic cloves - 6 - slivered
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 6 tbsp
Res Pepper Flakes - 1/2 tsp
Lemon Juice - 2 tbsp
Parsley / Cilantro - 3 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Method:
Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta boiled water. Drain and set aside covered. Heat 4 tbsp of oil in a wide non-stick pan and add sliced peppers and saute for 2 minutes. Add the slivered garlic cloves and saute another 2 minutes. Throw in the red pepper flakes and toss for a couple of seconds. Add the pasta water and lemon juice with salt and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the pasta, parsley and toss. Add the remaining olive oil. Serve warm.
Linking this up for Priya's Vegan Thursdays.
Every family deserves a healthy wholesome meal. I made this Methi Paratha with Aloo Capsicum Sabzi for lunch one day. Topped with a glass of lassi, it is a complete meal in itself. These winter days when fresh greens are difficult to come by, the frozen greens come in handy. I never fail to buy the frozen methi leaves during my produce shopping. What about you? Which vegetables would you buy only fresh or only frozen?
Ingredients:
Makes 12 parathas; Measurements in 160 ml cup
Wheat flour - 4 cups
Water - 1-1/4 cups + more if needed
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Methi leaves - 1/2 cup - tightly packed - I used two cubes of frozen leaves
Amchur powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - a big pinch
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp + 1 tsp
Method:
Heat a tsp of oil in a kadai and splutter the cumin seeds. Add the methi leaves and saute until it wilts. Add the spice powders and salt and cook in medium heat until it shrinks. Allow it to cool. Mix whole wheat flour, salt and 1 tbsp of oil well. Add the cooled methi mixture and mix well. Make a well in the center and pour water and mix slowly and form a dough. Sprinkle more water if needed. Knead well for 5 minutes. The dough should be soft and pliable. Rest for 15 minutes. Make small-orange sized balls of dough. Dust the balls with wheat flour and roll into thin parathas with a rolling pin. Heat a dosa tawa and place the rolled paratha on it when hot. Flip when little bubbles appear on the top. Cook in medium-high heat by pressing and rotating with a kitchen towel, until it puffs up. Smear with couple of drops of ghee before serving. Serve hot with any curry of your choice.
This one is not much of a recipe per se, but an idea for a quick and healthy snack with leftover chapathi. If you want a colorful and healthy makeover for otherwise regular chapathi try this one. I also have another makeover recipe for chapathi which I will post soon. Now for the recipe.
Ingredients:
Leftover chapathi - 4
Onion - 1 cup - chopped fine
Green Bellpepper/Capsicum - 1/2 of a big one, any quantity of fresh vegetables can be added to make this dish more colorful and nutrient rich
Tomato - 1/2 - chopped fine
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
Chana dhal - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp or to taste
Salt - to taste
Curry leaves - few (optional)
Method:
To reheat leftover Chapathi:
Wrap the chapathi in a wet kitchen towel and microwave for about 30 secs to a minute. Hot fresh chapathis ready.
Cut or tear the chapathi into small pieces. In a kadai heat oil and splutter the mustard seeds. Add urad dhal, chana dhal, curry leaves and onion. Saute until the onions turn soft and add the bell peppers. Fry for about a minute and add the chopped tomatoes with chilli powder and a pinch of salt. When the tomatoes are almost cooked add the cut chapathi pieces and mix until the vegetable mixture coats well on the chapathi. Serve hot for evening snack.
Pizza anyone? Home-made? Gluten-free? Low carb? Eggless? If you answer "yes" to the above questions, this is for you. When I was searching for a flourless pizza I arrived at this recipe. This is an easy to put together pizza and the step which would take time is just the chopping of the vegetables. The original recipe was a farinata crust which is similar to the crispy thin crust pizza. I wanted to make a more foldable crust and reduced the water and the set time for the pizza base. Totally loved the outcome! A gluten-free low-carb pizza which we enjoyed guilt-free..
Ingredients:
Adapted from here
Serves - 2
Besan / Chickpea flour - 1 cup
Water - 3/4 cup
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Italian seasoning - 1/2 tsp
Part skim mozzarella cheese - sliced thin - as needed
Parmesan cheese - 2 tbsp
Vegetables toppings:
Red bell pepper - 1/4 cup or more
Eggplant - chopped into 1/2" piece - 1/4 cup
pablano pepper - 1
Pitted Black Olives - 5 - sliced thin
Baby Spinach - handful
Sun-dried tomatoes - 1 tbsp - drained - chopped
Red onion - julienned - 1/4 cup or more
You favorite Pasta sauce - 1/4 cup or more
Red pepper flakes / Pepper - to taste
Method:
Whisk the chickpea flour with water without any lumps. Set aside for about 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 450 F. Meanwhile chop the vegetables and prep the cheeses. Mix the pasta sauce with a pinch of salt, chopped sun-dried tomatoes and red pepper flakes. When the oven is preheated, put a 9 x 9 inch square (or round) pan into the oven 10 minutes for preheating. Skim the froth (if any) on the flour mixture. Mix in salt and italian seasoning. Pull the pan from the oven and spray some olive/canola oil. Pour the flour mixture and put the pan back in the oven for 12 - 15 minutes until the top of the base looks cooked and passes a fork test. When done, spread the prepared pasta sauce and top with sliced mozzarella cheese. Layer the vegetables all over the pizza and top with grated parmesan cheese. Put the pan back in the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese melts. Serve hot.
Linking this up to the following events Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids - Italian event by Nithu; Flavours of Cuisines - Italian event by Julie; Vardhini's Bake Fest #18.
Our weekend lunches are mostly simple. I would prefer to keep cooking time to minimum to spare more time for cleaning or other chores. If you are looking for a simple and wholesome meal look no further. This is a fusion of two of my favorite pasta dishes, Pesto Pasta and Pasta Primavera. I used the vegetables I had at hand to make this dish. It is a simple dish with whole grain pasta, loads of vegetables complete with a cheesy and filling omelet.
For the Pasta:
Serves - 2
Spaghetti - 1/4 of a box (angel hair)
Asparagus - 6 spears
Zucchini - 1/4 cup - julienned
Red bell pepper - 1/2 - julienned
Italian seasoning - 1 tsp
Red pepper flakes - 1/4 tsp or to taste
Basil Pesto or any Herb pesto - 1/4 cup (Click here for Home made Pesto recipe)
Milk - 2 tbsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste (optional since pesto and cooked pasta already has salt)
Method:
Cook pasta in 4 to 6 litres of salted boiling water until done. Drain and set aside to cool. Heat oil in wide skillet and toss the vegetables in high heat. Add the red pepper flakes, italian seasoning and salt to taste. Add the cooked cooled pasta and toss well. Remove from heat and add the milk and pesto. Mix well and serve garnished with fresh basil leaves.
One bowl Eggs Florentine
DH being a vegetarian, I made this One Bowl Eggs Florentine just for me. This recipe can easily be doubled. Traditional eggs florentine are poached eggs on a bed of spinach on a cheese sauce. I took a shortcut and made this omelet style eggs florentine with egg, spinach and cheddar cheese.
Ingredients:
Egg - 1
Spinach - a handful chopped
Low fat Milk - 2 tbsp
Grated Cheddar cheese - 2 tbsp
Salt & Pepper - to taste
Oil - 1 tsp
Method:
In a bowl whisk the egg well until frothy. Add the other ingredients and mix well. Coat a skillet with 1 tsp of oil. Pour the egg-spinach-cheese mixture and let it cook on medium heat for 1 or 2 minutes. Patience is the key to not change this fluffy omelet into scrambled eggs. Anyway, it tastes awesome either way. Flip over with the spatula and continue cooking for another minute. Serve with Pesto Pasta Primavera for a complete meal.
Sending this plate to Pari's Only-Continental event; Your Kitchen in Spring and Let's Cook for Kids.
There would be an infinite number of combinations to make Adai, the healthy lentil-rice crepes of South-India. This recipe is just one of the many possibilities you can make adai healthy. I have reduced the quantity of rice in this adai and also replaced the white rice with brown rice. Did you know that Adai and Avial is a combination which tastes awesome? I have heard about this combination but only quite recently tried it. It really is a super healthy combination.
Avial is tamil for "steamed". Quite true to its name the vegetables in this dish are steamed with just a little water and gets ready in a little time. The protein from the dhal, carbs from the rice in the adai and the fiber and nutrients in the vegetables of the avial makes a wholesome meal in itself.
Also check out my other Adai recipe here.
Ingredients for Adai:
Measurements in rice cooker cup; Makes 10-12 adais
Toor dhal - 1 cup
Moong dhal - 1/2 cup
Chana dhal - 1/2 cup
Raw Rice - 1/2 cup (I used Brown Basmati)
Red chillies - 5
Pearl onions - 5 - halved
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Method:
Wash and soak the dhals and rice together for 4 to 6 hours. Grind to a slightly coarse batter with the rest of the ingredients. Heat a griddle and pour about quarter cup of batter in the center. Use the back of the ladle to swirl the batter in a circle manner. Spray some oil and cook for about 2 minutes. Flip over and cook until done. Serve hot with Idli podi / Tomato thokku or Avial.
Avial
Recipe Source - MIL
Vegetables - 4 cups (I used a mix of drumsticks, carrot, green beans, brinjal, zucchini)
Thick Greek Yogurt / Curd - 2 tbsp (whipped)
Coconut oil - 1 tsp (kind of an inevitable part of avial)
Water - 1/2 cup
Salt - taste
Make a paste:
Grated Coconut - 3 tbsp
Cumin seeds - a pinch
Green chilli - 1 or 2
Method:
Boil water in a saucepan with salt. Add the vegetables, cover and cook until done. I added drumstick, carrots and beans first and allowed it to steam for 10 mins. Added the eggplant and zucchini (which cooks relatively fast) after 10 minutes and cooked covered for another 5-7 mins. When the vegetables are cooked and tender, drain excess water. Add the ground paste, coconut oil and cook in medium heat for another 4-5 mins. Remove from heat and mix in the whipped curd. Serve with Sambar rice or Adai.
Note: Zucchini is not traditionally added in avial. Other traditional vegetables are potato, yam, colocasia, taro root, plantain. You could use whatever you have at hand.
Sending this delicious combo to From out of Mom's Kitchen event.
This Thai style soup is sure to fill your senses and appetite. This soup makes for a delicious dinner which has the goodness of all the vegetables and is light yet filling. I made this for dinner last week and totally enjoyed it. It reminded me of the Thai soup served at Noodles and Company.
Looking for more Thai recipes? Check out my Garlic Basil Vegetable Fried Rice, Thai Red Curry and Thai Green Curry.
Ingredients:
Serves - 2
Preparation time - 10 mins; Cooking time - 20 mins.
Mushroom - 4 oz - about 1 cup sliced
Tofu - 4 oz - julienned
Bell peppers - julienned - 1 cup (I used a mix of green, red and yellow)
Zucchini - 1 small - sliced into half moons
Garlic clove - 1 - sliced thin
Ginger - sliced thin - few slivers
Chicken / Vegetable stock - 2 cups
Coconut milk - 1 cup
Thai Curry paste - 1 tbsp
Light soy sauce - 1 tbsp
Olive oil - 1 tsp
Salt & Pepper - to taste
Red pepper flakes - to taste
Method:
Heat a skillet and saute the mushrooms for a couple of minutes. Follow the same method for the zucchini and tofu. This step is completely optional though. Heat olive oil in a wide saucepan with the ginger and garlic. When the garlic is cooked add the thai curry paste and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the stock and allow it to heat. Add the vegetables and tofu along with coconut milk and let it come to a boil in medium heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the soy sauce, salt and pepper. Remove from heat after 5 minutes and serve hot garnished with cilantro or basil.
Note:
1. Any type of vegetables can be added to this soup. Carrots, Beans, asparagus, snow peas, bamboo shoots, broccoli etc., are good additions.
2. Watch the amount of salt which goes in the soup since the stock and soy sauce already has salt in them.
3. Heat the oil along with ginger and garlic so as not to burn the garlic.
Sending this to Saras' Dish in 30 minutes - Soups & Salads event and to Pari's Only-Vegan event hosted by PJ. Also to Favorite Recipes - Non-Indian Food event by Satya.
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When I have lot of chores to do on a weekend, I opt for this quickly done Dal Tadka. Paired with some spicy oven roasted vegetables (cauliflower/bitter gourd/tindora/potatoes) it is a complete meal which does not demand long time in the kitchen. Now, there are different ways to do a simple dal tadka and this is one of them. You can play around with the dhals used or the spices used and I bet it would turn delicious no matter what. What is your favorite combination?
Ingredients:
Moong Dhal - 1 cup
Onion - 1/2 cup chopped
Tomato - 1/2 chopped
Green chilli - 1 or 2
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Water - 3 1/2 cups
Ginger - 2 tsp - minced
Garlic - 1 tbsp - minced
Oil - 1 tbsp + 1 tsp
For Tadka:
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Dry red chillies - 2
Curry leaves - a few (optional)
Method:
Pressure cook moong dhal with a dash of salt, turmeric powder and water (about 3-4 whistles). When done mash with the back of a spoon. Heat oil in a kadai and saute the onion. After a couple of minutes add the minced ginger, garlic and slit green chilli. Saute for 2-3 minutes and add the tomato. Saute with a pinch of salt until the tomato turns mushy. Pour the onion-tomato mixture over the dhal and simmer in low heat until the flavors meld, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Heat 1 tsp of oil in the same kadai and add the ingredients for tadka. When the mustard splutters, pour over the dhal. Serve hot with rice/roti and ghee (if desired). Pair with a spicy side dish for a complete meal.
Note:
1. The ginger and garlic have to be fresh and minced. The paste would not work here.
2. A combination of different dhals can be used viz toor dhal, chana dhal, masoor dhal.
Do you want something quick for a busy mornings and do not want to stand near the stove cooking some dosas or oatmeal. Then these mini quiches are for you. These simple to make (bake) dish has all the goodness you need for the morning to keep you going until lunch. Eggs for protein, Milk and Cheese for Calcium and Mushroom and Asparagus adds up to your daily serving of vegetables for the day. Score!
Ingredients:
Serves - 4
Eggs - 6
Low fat Milk - 1 1/2 cups (360 ml)
Mushroom - 6 oz pkt
Asparagus - about 6 to 8 spears
Salt - 1/2 tsp or to taste
Pepper - 1/2 tsp or to taste
Grated Cheddar cheese (reduced fat) - 1/3 cup or as needed
Method:
Preheat the oven to 350F / 175 C. Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with oil.
Slice the mushrooms and saute in a pan with little oil until all the water evaporates. Drain on a paper towel. Saute the asparagus similarly until it is almost cooked. Whisk together the eggs, milk, cheese, salt and pepper. Add the vegetables and mix well. Pour carefully into the greased muffin tins until full. Bake for 30 mins or until the knife inserted into the center comes clean. Cool in the muffin pan for 15 mins. Remove carefully with a spoon and place in a plate lined with kitchen towel until cooled completely. Transfer to a ziptop bag and pop into the top shelf of the refrigerated and pull out as desired. Reheat in the Microwave for about one minute or as desired.
Alternate layering:
Divide the cheese into two and layer the bottom of the cups with half of the grated cheese. Layer the vegetables above the cheese. Now pour the eggs-milk mixture into all the pans until full. Now sprinkle the remaining (reserved) cheese over the pan equally. Bake like the method above.
Linking these beautiful mini quiches to Let's Cook - Healthy Breakfast; Mission - Breakfast; Breakfast Club.
I love mushroom. Mushroom is a low calorie herb which is very versatile. I have made and blogged about four different mushroom recipes viz. Bellpepper Mushroom Masala, Minty Mushroom Curry, Chettinad Mushroom Curry, Kadai Mushroom. I never get exhausted in trying mushrooms in different ways and always in the lookout for more. This time I tried Denny's Mushroom Badami curry and it was very delicious.
Ingredients:
Mushrooms - 1-8oz pk - cleaned and sliced thin
Frozen peas - a handful
Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
Coriander powder - 1/2 tbsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Curd/Greek Yogurt - 4 tbsp - whisked smooth with a little water
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Freshly ground black pepper - 1/2 tsp
Make a paste:
Onion - cubed - 1/2 of a big one
Green chilli - 2 or 3
Kasakasa / Poppy seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp
Almonds - 12-15
Method:
Grind the almonds until almost fine powder. To that add the remaining ingredients to make a smooth paste.
Heat oil in a kadai and add the cinnamon stick. Add the ground paste and fry for about 3-4 mins, until it changes little darker. Add the coriander powder, garam masala powder and salt. Reduce the heat to medium and mix in the whisked yogurt while stirring continuously. This way the yogurt would not curdle in the heat of the spices. Now add the sliced mushrooms and one cup of water. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the cover and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Add the green peas and coriander leaves and simmer for another 5 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh ground black pepper and serve with rotis or pulao.
Sending this creamy masala to Serve It - Boiled event happening here and at Denny's. Also sending to Sumee's Bon Vivant#9-Simply Sides and Radhika's Let's Cook-Protein rich food.
My idea of kuruma is that it is a rich coconut or cashew based gravy. But I was proven wrong when MIL made this delicious kurma with very little of those two rich ingredients. The main player here is yogurt, the healthier sibling of cream. Though coconut and cashew is present here, very little amount of these are added here at the end just for the touch. This goes well with steamed rice, Pulao, Rotis, Idli and Dosa. You could make this once and serve for all the meals in a day! ;)
Ingredients:
Mixed vegetables - 3 cups (I used a mixture of Carrot, Potato, Cauliflower & Peas)
Onion - 1/2 cup - sliced thin
Tomato - 1/2 - chopped fine
Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp or to taste
Coriander powder - 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Yogurt - 3/4 cup
Whole garam masala - 3 cloves, 1 bay leaf, 1" cinnamon, Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Grind to a paste:
Khus Khus/ Poppy seeds - 1 tbsp
Cashew nuts - 3
Grated Coconut - 2 tbsp
Method:
Soak the poppy seeds and cashew nuts in 2 tbsp of water for about 15 mins. Grind it to a smooth runny paste along with coconut. In a pressure cooker, heat oil and fry the whole garam masala. Add the onions and saute for about 2 minutes. Now add the ginger & garlic pastes and fry for 2 minutes. Add the cut vegetables, tomato with spice powders and mix well. In medium heat add the yogurt and mix well. Add 4 to 5 cups of water or as desired with salt to taste. Cover and pressure cook for 1 whistle, you could also cook in stove top until the vegetables are tender. When the pressure is released add the ground coconut paste and allow it to boil for 5 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot. This is a great accompaniment for pulaos, rotis, idli/dosa.
Sending this tasty kurma to Anu's South Indian Cooking #2 guest hosted by Sangeetha; Cooking with Spices - Poppy Seeds by Anu.
I could not decide what to make for our Serve It - Griddled event until now. Adai, Romali Roti and paratha were under consideration but it was this Suraikai dosa which made it at the end. This is a simple to make easy breakfast/dinner dish. The batter can be prepared and reserved in the fridge and used for upto one week. Just a boon for those time-crunched-whats-for-dinner days.
Ingredients:
Raw rice - 1 cup
Parboiled rice - 1 cup
Bottle gourd - 1 medium sized
Red chillies - 5
Fennel seeds - 1 tbsp
Onion - chopped fine - 1/2 cup
Mint leaves - 1/2 cup
Salt - to taste
Method:
Soak the rice together for 4-6 hours. In a wet grinder grind all the ingredients (except onion and mint) to a smooth consistency adding water. This batter can be reserved in the fridge until ready to use. Take required amount of this batter and mix water to make a pouring consistency. Add chopped onion and mint leaves with salt. Heat a griddle/dosa pan and pour ladleful of this batter from outside to inside. If using a flat griddle, swirl the griddle to have the batter fill the spaces. Spray some oil and cook well. When the edges start to crisp, flip over and allow it to cook for few more minutes. Remove and serve hot with any type of chutney or just Idli podi. I served with Raw onion chilli chutney (recipe follows soon).
Sending this healthy dosa to Serve It - Griddled event hosted by me and Denny and to Anu's South Indian Cooking #1.
I love Idiyappam or anything steamed. They are so light on your tummy and healthy for your body. And to make it more healthy I use whole grains in my steamed items. This Ragi idiyappam is one such thing which I totally enjoyed making. This tastes so good and is totally guilt-free. Also check out the other steamed entries I made and loved like Idli, Fenugreek Idli, Pidi Kozhukattai, Poorna Kozhukattai.
For the Idiyappam:
Ingredients:
Makes - about 16 Idiyappams
Ragi flour - 1/2 cup
Rice flour - 1/2 cup
Water - 1 cup
Salt - a pinch
Oil - 1/4 tsp
Needed: Idiyappam press
Method:
Boil water with salt and oil in a covered vessel. Sieve/mix the ragi flour and rice flour together. When the water comes to a rolling boil pour slowly to the flour mixture and mix continuously with a wooden spoon until all the flour comes together as a rough dough. Now sprinkle warm water if needed and mix so that there is no dry flour in the dough. Take the Murukky press/Idiyappam press with the idiyappam attachment. Stuff balls of this dough to the idiyappam maker and press away on a oiled idli plate. Repeat with the remaining dough and steam the idiyappam for 8-10 minutes.
For the Idiyappam Upma:
Ingredients:
Serves - 2
Idliyappam - 10
Onion - chopped - 1 cup
Green chilli - 1 or 2 - based on spice level
Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - a twig
Salt - to taste
Method:
Allow the steamed idiyappam to cool to room temperature. Scramble with your fingers. Heat oil in a non-stick kadai and add the mustard seeds and urad dhal. When the mustard seeds splutter add the the curry leaves and green chilli. After about a minute add the chopped onions and saute until it is soft. Now add the salt to taste and the scrambled idiyappams. Mix gently in medium heat until the idiyappam is heated through and absorbs the flavor from the onion mixture, about 5 mins. Remove from heat and serve hot with coconut chutney. Tastes great without any accompaniment too. This makes a healthy and quick to make breakfast or evening snack.
Other Possible Ideas to serve Idiyappam:
After the idiyappams are steamed, allow them to cool a little and try these varieties.
1. Idiyappam with coconut milk and sugar
2. Idiyappam with grated coconut, sugar and ghee - My childhood favorite
3. Idiyappam with Idli podi and gingelly oil - DH's favorite
4. Idiyappam with coconut chutney or Spicy Tomato chutney
5. Idiyappam with Vegetable Kurma or Paya
It has been a while since I posted any pasta recipes. Not that I am not cooking pasta anymore, just that I didn't get a chance to click. I make pasta at least once every two weeks and DH loves the regular way I make it - pasta, veggies and pasta sauce. This time I made this mushroom pasta with onions and chicken stock. Garnished with some fresh herbs this dish is very flavorful and appetizing.
Ingredients:
Serves - 2
Preparation time - 10 mins; Cooking time - 30 mins
Whole grain Spaghetti - 1/4th of a box
White Mushrooms (or any variety) - 8 oz approx 250 g - sliced
Onion - thinly sliced - 1/2 cup
Low sodium Vegetable broth / Chicken Stock - 1 cup
Coriander leaves - a few twigs (You can substitute Parsley, Mint, Basil or any fresh herb of your choice)
Olive oil - 1 tbsp + 1 tsp
Butter - 1 tsp
Italian seasoning - 1/2 tsp
Salt and Pepper to taste
Method:
Boil water in a wide pot with a tsp of salt. In a wide skillet add butter and 1 tsp of oil and layer the sliced mushrooms in a single layer. Allow it to brown for a couple of minutes and flip over to brown the other side. You can do this in batches if desired. When done remove the mushrooms to a plate. Add the remaining oil and saute the onions in high heat until they turn light brown. Sprinkle little salt and pepper and add the italian seasoning. Add the stock and allow it to reduce to half. Meanwhile drop the pasta in boiling water and cook for the time specified in the box. When it is cooked drain and transfer to the onion skillet with mushrooms and toss well. Check for seasoning and remove from heat. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve hot.
Note: You could use any variety of pasta. Adding red pepper flakes for heat would give a different level of heat and taste.
Ingredients:
Method: