Mohana Payasam & Veggie Platter Turns 9

Recently I was talking over the phone with my brother in law who is in India and our conversation slowly drifted towards my blog. Usually, the topic of my food blog is the last thing on my mind when I am conversing with family who are thousands of miles away, that too with the male members of the family. My brother in law was almost shocked when I mentioned that I had over 1100 recipes on my blog. The reaction was not a surprising one considering that he had seen me as a new bride not knowing the way around the kitchen. Looking back, I am equally surprised considering that this blog was supposed to be a chronicle of family recipes and the passion to pursue it had continued over the past nine years. It had last longer than any other hobbies of mine. Touch wood. 
I am lazy when it comes to celebrating my own personal milestones and so, this blog birthday announcement is also coming late by almost two months. Here is a yummy and easy kheer with an unusual name that I happened to see in a Telugu magazine as part of the celebration. Chickpea flour is the star ingredient of this kheer, which is an unusual choice when one thinks about Indian style puddings. I wasn't even certain that this creamy kheer would taste delicious until I tasted it.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup chickpea flour / besan
1/2 cup water
2 to 2.5 cups full fat milk
1/4 cup powdered jaggery
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
2 tbsp. ghee
1 tbsp. each - cashews and raisins
A pinch of saffron strands

 Method:
* Heat a tbsp. of ghee in a pan and toast the cashews until they turn golden brown and the cashews turn plump. Transfer them to small bowl using a slotted spoon. To the same ghee, add besan and toast it on low flame, continuously stirring until you smell the aroma. Remove and let it cool.

* Add the saffron strands to a tbsp. of warm milk in a small bowl and keep aside.
* Heat the milk and bring to room temperature.
* Add water and about 1/2 cup milk to besan and whisk well to form a lump free mixture, preferably in a non stick pan. If you notice any lumps, pass it through a fine sieve. 
* Put the mixture on low flame and cook continuously stirring, for about 10 minutes. If the mixture becomes too thick to stir, add extra milk as needed. Turn off the stove and add the saffron soaked milk, cardamom and jaggery. Stir until jaggery melts.
* Add the remaining milk, toasted cashews and raisins and stir to combine.

Note: 
1. I actually added the whole quantity of milk at the beginning along with the besan and added jaggery at the end. Sometimes the jaggery may curdle the hot milk and so I mentioned to add cold milk at the end.
2. The color of the kheer depends upon the jaggery used. The jaggery I used was pale yellow in color and so the kheer ended up being creamish colored one.

This goes to Blogging marathon #60 under the theme 'Bookmarked Recipes'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.



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Oven Baked, Eggless Apple Pancake

Here is a breakfast idea, to savor on a lazy weekend without actually hovering around the stove. This apple pancake, redolent with cinnamon flavor is baked in an oven instead of using a stove. I tweaked the recipe to suit my preferences and my daughter was totally sold on these pancakes.

Recipe idea: Betty Crocker 
Ingredients: (Serves 2 or 3)
1/4 cup warm milk
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp. butter / margarine (Even a tbsp. would work.)
1/2 cup milk at room temperature
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1 small apple, thinly sliced
1&1/2 tsp. cinnamon sugar
Maple syrup to serve (optional)

Method:
* Combine apple cider vinegar and 1/4 cup warm milk in a small bowl and leave it aside for about 5 minutes.
* Preheat the oven to 400 degree F.
* While the oven is heating, melt the butter in a 9 inch glass pie plate, placing it in the oven. Or melt the butter in a microwave.
* Whisk milk & vinegar mixture, the remaining 1/2 cup milk, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Add flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon sugar and whisk until a lump free batter is formed. Pour the mixture into the butter pan. Arrange the apple slices evenly on the batter.
* Place the batter pan in the preheated oven and bake until the edges are deep golden brown. The original recipe mentions to bake for about 20 minutes though I had to bake longer. Besides I was caught up in something else and forgot to remove it on time. No harm was done but only the whole pancake turned golden brown through out and the color of the apple peel was not noticeable anymore.

This goes to Blogging marathon #60 under the theme 'Bookmarked Recipes'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.



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Vegan Banana Rabanada / Brazilian French Toast

Rabanada is a Brazilian version of French toast and is served as part of Christmas breakfast there. The bread slices are dunked in egg and milk mixture, soaked, fried and served with a generous sprinkling of cinnamon-cocoa mixture. This vegan version is made with bananas, milk and cornstarch and of course uses no eggs. I went by Pavani's idea to serve it with maple syrup as my daughter too preferred it that way though originally, maple syrup is not associated with rabanada. This rabanada had become her recent favorite and thanks Pavani, for the recipe. And there may be extra banana mixture leftovers if serving only 2 or 3 as it happened to me and I used it to make pancakes later.


Ingredients:
1 baguette
2 very ripe bananas
1&1/2 cups almond milk or any other non-dairy milk
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Vegan butter / Cooking spray
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

 Method:
* Sliced baguette diagonally into 1" pieces.
* Blend bananas, milk, cornstarch and vanilla until smooth.
* Arrange the baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Pour the banana mixture over the bread and flip the slices to coat all over evenly. Let them sit for 10 minutes. Then flip them over and soak again for 10 more minutes.
* Preheat a non-stick skillet, over medium heat. Melt butter over the pan or spray with cooking spray. Place as many bread slices as the pan can hold. Cook for 5 -7 minutes or until it is toasted golden brown. Flip to the other side and cook until it turns golden brown as well.
* Keep them covered with foil to keep them warm while cooking other batches or serve them immediately.
* Mix together cinnamon and cocoa powder together in a small bowl. 
* When ready to serve, arrange the french toast on the serving palte and generously sprinkle the cinnamon-cocoa mixture. 
* Serve with maple syrup / fruit if desired.

This goes to Blogging marathon #60 under the theme 'Bookmarked Recipes'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.



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Paddu

Paddu is a rice-lentil based breakfast dish from Karnataka, that goes by the names ponganalu and paniyaram in other south Indian states. The rice and lentils are soaked, ground, fermented over the night and then the batter is poured into and cooked in a special mold pan, similar to an aebleskiver pan. I prepare ponganalu / paniyaram at least once a week for our breakfast but when a friend mentioned about this particular recipe, I had to jot down the proportions since it was a different version than the one I am used to. I use a small quantity of black gram in my regular versions but this paddu had rice and medley of lentils in equal proportions. I was glad to try them as now I have one more nutritious and yummy version to rotate. And also the original version uses just the batter without the seasonings or onion. I added them anyway since they enhance the flavor of this yummy breakfast.

Links below for the other versions posted before.
Guntha Ponganalu
Kuzhi Paniyaram

Ingredients:

1 cup rice (I used extra long rice & idli rice.)

1/2 cup urad dal / skinned black gram

1/4 cup chana dal / split chickpeas

1/4 cup moong dal

Salt to taste

Oil to make paddu

2 onions - peeled and finely chopped

For seasoning / tadka:

2 tsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tbsp chana dal, 1 tbsp urad dal, few minced curry leaves and 2 minced green chillies if not serving kids

Method:

* Soak rice and dals in sufficient quantity of water for 4 - 5 hours and discard the water. Rinse the mixture with fresh batch of water.

* Grind the rice-dal mixture fine adding water as needed to form a thick batter. The batter should not be runny. Add salt and mix well. Allow it to ferment overnight in a warm place or about 8 - 10 hours.

* When ready to prepare paddu, heat oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds, urad and chana dals to the oil. When dals start turning reddish, add the minced curry leaves and green chillies if using.

* Add this tadka, minced onion to the fermented batter and mix well.

 

Making paddus:

* Heat the paddu / ponganalu skillet when ready to make paddu. Add a few drops of oil in each mould. Then fill them with batter.

* Cover the ponganalu skillet with a lid and cook on medium heat. Cook until the ponganalu batter doesn't appear raw on the surface.

 

* Then flip them, add a drop or two of oil and cook till the other side lightly brown as well.

* Remove them once done and repeat the process with the remaining batter. Serve them warm with chutney.  
* They store well in refrigerator for 2- 3 days. And they freeze well too for a handy breakfast on a busy work day.

This goes to Blogging marathon #60 under the theme 'Regional Cuisine - Karnataka'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.



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Bendekayi Gojju / Sweet & Spicy Okra Gravy

Though this gojju may not come across as a visually appealing one, I assure you that this is one tongue tickling dish, literally. Gojju, a spicy stew from Karnataka is a melange of balanced flavors, appearing anywhere from a simple home cooked meal to in menus prepared for large gatherings. The spicy, sweet and sour flavors are perfectly balanced in a well prepared gojju. The gojju can be prepared in no time if you have gojju pudi handy, the one that can be prepared well in advance. And below are links for some of the popular variations of gojjus from the state.

Pineapple gojju
Hagalakayi gojju
Drakshi gojju 
Hagalakayi gojju (Version 2)

Ingredients for gojju pudi:
2 tbsp. peanuts
1 tbsp. chanadal / split chickpeas
1 tbsp. uraddal / split black gram
1 tsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp. white sesame seeds
A pinch of methi seeds/ fenugreek seeds
10 red chillies *
2 - 4 tbsp. dry coconut (copra), shredded  
* A combination of spicy and Byadagi chillies can be used. The latter adds a vibrant color to the dish without being overtly spicy.

 Preparing gojju Pudi:
* Add peanuts, chanadal and uraddal to a sauté pan and fry until they start to turn reddish. 
* Add coriander seeds, sesame seeds, red chillies and methi seeds to the pan and saute on low flame until coriander seeds turn a few shades darker. 
* Cool all the ingredients and grind along with coconut into a fine powder.
* Store it in an airtight container and use when needed. 

Ingredients for gojju:
1 - 2 tbsp. oil
1 tsp chana dal / split chickpeas
1 tsp mustard seeds
Few curry leaves
10 to 12 okra, ends removed and cut into thin slices
A pinch of asafoetida powder
A pinch of turmeric powder 
6 tbsp. gojju pudi
6 tbsp. tamarind juice (A big lemon sized tamarind soaked in water and pulp squeezed.)
Salt to taste
2 tbsp. jaggery powder or according to taste
2 cups water

Preparing Gojju: 
* Heat oil in a kadai or a pan and add chana dal and mustard seeds. When the dal start to turn reddish, add curry leaves and okra slices.  Fry on medium flame until okra turns crisp and then add asafoetida and turmeric powder. 
* Add gojju powder, tamarind juice, jaggery, salt and water to the pan. Cook until the gojju thickens and comes to a rolling boil. Check the flavors once midway and adjust the seasonings, if any needed.
* Serve with rice / rotis.

This goes to Blogging marathon #60 under the theme 'Regional Cuisine - Karnataka'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.



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Ragi Rotti / Finger Millet Flour FlatBreads

 

This post has been long due considering the frequency at which these rottis are made in my home. I usually prepare them for our dinners and so never had a chance to capture them until recently. Ragi rotti is one of the most traditional and rustic breakfasts from the Karnataka state. I prefer to make them slightly on the softer side and these healthy and nutritious flatbreads can make a great meal anytime of the day. They can be eaten alone if made spicier or can be served along with a preferred side dish of one's choice. 

Below are some of the 'rottis' posted here so far.
Brown Rice Flour - Vegetable Rotti
Moong Rotti
Southekayi Rotti / Cucumber - Rice flour Flatbread
Thapala Chekkalu
Oats Rotti

Ingredients: (Yield 4 to 5 rottis)
1 & 1/2 cups ragi flour / finger millet flour
2 small onions, peeled and finely chopped 
1/2 cup fresh, shredded coconut
2 spicy green chillies, finely chopped
2 tbsp. cilantro, finely minced (optional)
Salt to taste
3/4 cup warm water
Oil to make rottis

Method:
* Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl except water and the oil mentioned at the end, using your fingers. Add lukewarm water as needed to form a firm dough.
If one do not like to bite on the chillies, coconut and green chillies can be ground together adding a little water and then can be added to the flour while preparing the dough.

* Divide the dough into 4 or 5 portions and roll each one into a ball. Work with one dough portion at a time and keep the rest covered.
* Pour a tsp. of oil in the center of a cast iron griddle / non stick skillet and place the dough ball at the center of the griddle. Pat it using fingers until a thin, flat circle is formed. (It doesn't need to be super thin like tortillas.)  The rottis can me made as big as the griddle size or to a medium size of 5 to 6 inches. Poke some holes randomly using index finger if you wish or just leave it out.
 
* Pour a tsp oil around the edges of the dough circle and over it. Cover with a lid and turn on the stove. Let it cook on a low - medium flame and flip it using a wide spatula when golden brown spots develop on the bottom side and the upper side doesn't look raw. It may take around 6 to 7 minutes.
 

* Add half a tsp of oil around the edges again if needed. Cover it again and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes or until the other side is cooked as well. Turn off the stove and remove the cooked rotti.
* Repeat the above steps with the remaining dough portions, making sure that the griddle is cool each time before it is used. Wash the griddle with cold water after each use to quicken the cooling process or use 2 griddles to cook simultaneously. 
* Serve immediately.

This goes to Blogging marathon #60 under the theme 'Regional Cuisine - Karnataka'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.



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Pal Pongal / Vellai Pongal / Milk Pongal

 Happy Sankranti / Pongal / Lohri to those who are celebrating.

And keeping my Sankranti themed dishes this week, here is one more. Paal pongal is one of the pongal versions cooked in Tamil nadu during Sankranti / Pongal festival. It is a pretty much stripped to the basics version where newly harvested rice is cooked in milk until a soft, mushy consistency is reached. A ven pongal without all the spicy and yummy embellishments, if you can call it so. And that is if you are used to cooking ven pongal in milk in the first place. This is cooked on the festival day to substitute the regular rice and can be served with any spicy gravy like the 7 kari kootu, sambhar or even chutney. It is supposedly served along with banana slices, jaggery / ghee when offered as neivedyam to God.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup rice
1/4 cup water
1& 1/4 to 1&1/2 cups milk
A dash of salt

Method:
* Wash rice in two exchanges of water and drain. Add rice, water and 1/4 cup milk to a pressure cook and cook for 5 to 6 whistles.
If using a sauce pan instead of a cooker, cook rice until soft and mushy, adding extra milk if needed and stirring intermittently to avoid scorching.
* When the valve pressure is gone, remove the cooker lid. Mash the rice with the back of the ladle and add the remaining milk and cook until the milk is absorbed well and the rice appears soft. Turn off the stove. Add salt and mix well.

This goes to Blogging marathon #60 under the theme 'Festival of the Month'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.

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Til Ke Laddu / Sesame Seeds Laddu / Nuvvundalu

 

Here is one more simple and easy recipe for the Sankranti festival, which is just around the corner. The combination of sesame seeds and jaggery, redolent with cardamom flavor yield a yummy treat.

Ingredients:
1 cup white sesame seeds
Scant 1 cup jaggery 
1 tbsp. ghee
2 to 3 tbsp. water 
1/2 tsp. cardamom powder

Method:
* Dry toast sesame seeds in a wide pan until they start to splutter, about 2 -3 minutes, stirring continuously. Transfer the sesame seeds onto a plate and keep it aside. 
* Keep a small plate with cold water ready by the stove to test the consistency of the jaggery syrup. Add jaggery, ghee and water to a big, sturdy, thick-bottomed vessel or a non-stick pan and keep stirring on low flame. Soon the jaggery starts to melt and concentrate.  Boil this syrup till it reaches a rollable hard ball consistency. To test, add few drops of jaggery syrup to the cold water and roll the syrup with your fingers to form a ball. It should keep its shape without melting in spite of tilting the plate.
*  Add the sesame seeds and cardamom quickly and stir well. Turn off the stove. Set aside the mixture for few minutes and shape into small balls. Store the laddus in an airtight container.

This goes to Blogging marathon #60 under the theme 'Festival of the Month'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.

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Theepi Pongali / Sweet Pongal

 
When I recently complied recipe index, I realized that many simple, common Indian festive dishes have not been posted on my blog yet though this is my 10th year of blogging. The main reason being that I usually don't cook festival dishes in advance for blog's sake since I have to cook them anyway on the festival day. However 'clicking' those dishes during festivals would be the last thing on my mind because of the hectic schedule. I picked the theme of the festival dishes this week to change that as Sankranti / Pongal is around the corner. 
Sweet and savory pongals, the south Indian style thick and creamy rice puddings take the center stage on a Makara Sankranti day in majority of the south Indian households. And they also happen to be the popular 'prasadams' distributed to devotees in temples across the region and 'naivedyam' offered to God at homes. Today's version is the one commonly prepared in our home using sugar and coconut and a favorite of mine.
 
Ingredients:
1/2 cup rice *
2 tbsp. moong dal
1 & 1/4 cup water
1 cup full fat milk
1/4 cup fresh, grated coconut
1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
5 - 6 tbsp. sugar (adjust according to taste)
1 tbsp. ghee
1 tbsp. raisins
1 tbsp. cashew nuts
A pinch of camphor powder (optional)

* Use any south Indian style white rice. I prefer to use extra long grain rice since it can be cooked to a softer / mushy consistency. Do not use Basmati rice.
 
Method:
* Wash rice and moong dal in two exchanges of water and drain. Add water to rice and dal and pressure cook until rice is almost cooked mushy.
If cooking in a sauce pan, try to go with a non stick one if you have one. Add rice, dal and a cup of water and bring it to a boil. Turn down the heat to lowest setting and cook. Keep an eye while the rice is cooking and keep adding water intermittently as needed and keep stirring. Soaking the rice in water for at least a couple of hours prior to cooking will cut down the cooking time. More quantity of water is needed if cooking in a sauce pan.
* Heat ghee in a pan and toast the cashews and raisins until they turn golden and plump respectively. Transfer them to a small bowl. Add the pressure cooked rice - dal mixture to the pan and mash it slightly using the back of a ladle. Then add milk, coconut and sugar to the pan and cook until almost the milk is absorbed. Add the ground cardamom, edible camphor if using and the toasted cashews - raisins to the cooked pongal and stir to combine. Turn off the stove and serve the pongal warm.  

This goes to Blogging marathon #60 under the theme 'Festival of the Month'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.



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How to Cook Quinoa

Quinoa pronounced 'keen-wah' is a  pseudo-cereal, meaning it is not a grain in a true sense and are only seeds. It has been cultivated in the Andean region for thousands of years though it has caught the fancy of the Western world recently. And why not? It is gluten free, a high source of protein and fiber compared to the other grains and can be easily digested. It is versatile and can be adapted easily into any cuisine. The flip side however is it is expensive compared to the other commonly available grains. Initially I remember spending around 8 to 9 $ per pound of quinoa though the price has come down in the recent years. I find it cheaper to buy it in bulk at Whole Foods store rather than packaged stuff in super markets, comparatively. At least, locally. And also, my family has proven that it is an acquired taste and everyone may not go gaga over quinoa even it is healthier. :) Luckily I like the taste of quinoa and I am sticking to it.

 
Quinoa can be cooked and used just like rice and so this is not much of a post if you know how to cook rice. Over the years, I have realized that I enjoy quinoa when served in mushy/gravy style dishes rather than in the dry forms like salads. Now I use it in place of rice for my south Indian style meals where I serve it with sambhar and curry and the added bonus is that a small portion of quinoa is way more filling than rice, comparitively. My today's lunch was carrot-beans sambhar and potato curry served with tri-colored quinoa. 

 Ingredients: (3 servings)
3/4 cup quinoa
Water (Check below for the quantity.)

Cooking quinoa on stove top:
* Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a sauce pan.
 

* Meanwhile, wash quinoa thoroughly and drain. Add the quinoa to the boiling water and turn down the stove to low / medium flame. Cover and cook until the quinoa grains appear transparent and well cooked, about 20 to 25 minutes. The water quantity mentioned above is sufficient to cook this quantity of quinoa. However check once or twice intermittently to see if any extra water is needed. 
 
If you are cooking multi-hued quinoa, particularly look for the light colored one and notice that the center portion of it to see whether the whole grain is cooked / whether it is done. The center portion of the grain gets cooked at the end than the surface portion.

Cooking in a pressure cooker:

* Wash 3/4 cup quinoa thoroughly with water. Add quinoa directly to a small pressure cooker or to a container that is going to be placed in the pressure cooker. Add 1 & 1/2 cups water to the quinoa. Close the lid of the pressure cooker and put the pressure valve on. Cook for 3 to 4 whistles and turn off the stove. When the valve pressure is released, open the lid of the cooker and use the quinoa as needed.

   
This goes to Blogging marathon #60 under the theme 'Healthy Recipes / Diabetic Recipes'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.



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Kakarakaaya Koora / Bitter Gourd Curry

The first vegetable that comes to mind when we think about diabetes and diet from an Indian perspective is bitter gourd. The gourd which is obviously bitter is said to naturally lower the blood sugar levels in diabetics when consumed. I have seen people in our circles who consume bitter gourd directly or consume the juice. That is going to extremes in my world considering the level of bitterness of these gourds. There are several ways to cook and enjoy bitter gourd if you consume the vegetable and today's recipe is one such simple curry. My mother never tries to mask the bitterness of the gourds using any sweeteners in her recipes where as my MIL used to add sweeteners which made her version, an enjoyable one without any complaints. And so adding sweeteners in this recipe is optional, depending upon ones' ability to handle the bitterness. 

Ingredients: (Servings 3)
1 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. chana dal / split yellow chickpeas
1 tsp. mustard seeds
One big onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
3 bitter gourds, chopped finely (about 1.5 cups)
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
Salt to taste + extra
Red chili powder to taste
3/4 tsp. cumin powder
Jaggery powder / sweetener of your choice (Optional)
 
Method:
* Trim the edges and chop the bitter gourd fine. Sprinkle some salt over the bitter gourd bits and leave it aside for about 10 - 15 minutes in a colander. Then squeeze out the water from the bitter gourd and wash them thoroughly. Squeeze out again any extra water present. This step is optional and is done to cut down some of the bitterness of the gourds.
* Heat oil in a saute pan and add chana dal and mustard seeds. When dal starts to turn brownish, add the onions and fry until they turn golden brown. Next add the bitter gourd, turmeric and salt and cook until the gourds softened and cooked.
* Add chili powder, cumin powder and any sweetener if using to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes more.
* Turn off the stove and serve warm with rice.
 
This goes to Blogging marathon #60 under the theme 'Healthy Recipes / Diabetic Recipes'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.

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Microwave Apple Oatmeal

I wish all my readers a happy, healthy and prosperous new year. May all your wishes and dreams come true this year.
 
I am starting the new year on a healthy note, with this simple, humble dish that takes about five minutes from start to finish. There is no need for any sweeteners in this fiber rich breakfast as the apple does the job. If still one prefers extra sweetness, a sweetener of choice can be added. Besides the natural sweetness, the crunchy apple bits lend a nice texture to the oatmeal.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1 cup milk (I use fat-free milk.)
One small sized apple, finely diced
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon (optional)
2 tbsp. nuts / dry fruits of your choice

Method:
* Add everything except the toppings to a big sized microwave safe glass bowl. Microwave for 4 to 5 minutes or until done, stirring intermittently once or twice. Keep an eye on the oatmeal to avoid the milk flowing over into the microwave.
* Remove the container and add extra warm milk if needed, to reach the desired consistency.
* Add toppings of choice and serve immediately.

This goes to Blogging marathon #60 under the theme 'Healthy Recipes / Diabetic Recipes'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.

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