Quinoa Cutlets

The rest of the family thinks that cooked quinoa has no appealing flavor though I don't have any problems with it. I cook it as I do rice and eat it with sambhar and curry regularly. I have noticed that a little quantity of quinoa is more fulfilling than a plateful of rice and so a good one while dieting from my humble point of view. Last week after we finished our lunch, I refrigerated the left over quinoa. When the time came to use it, I decided to turn into a totally different dish so that the whole family enjoys it. And so were born these delicious cutlets that were appreciated at our home without anyone realising what they were actually made of. Mission accomplished. :)
Other quinoa dishes I published here so far are
Green Mango-Coconut Quinoa
Quinoa Kheer
Quinoa-Vegetable Upma
Quinoa Pongal
Quinoa Bisibelehuli

Ingredients for about 15 medium sized cutlets:
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 potato - peeled, cooked and mashed
1 carrot - peeled and cut into big chunks
1 onion - finely minced
Few Tbsp of semolina 
Salt & chili powder to taste
A pinch of turmeric powder
Few curry leaves and cilantro leaves minced
Oil for shallow frying

Method:
* Blend everything in a food processor except the onions. Remove the mixture, add onions and mix well to combine. Alternatively, you can leave out semolina and dip the cutlets in bread crumbs instead.
* Divide the mixture into  12 - 15 portions depending upon the size of the cutlets you prefer. Shape each portion into a ball with greased hands and slightly flatten them into thick discs. Repeat the step with the remaining mixture.
* Shallow fry (or tawa fry with little oil) cutlets in batches on low flame until golden brown.
Ours were served with ketchup.

They are going to Srivalli's "Kid's Delight" event - hosted by Harini - Jaya this month with the theme "Dressing up Leftovers".

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Moong Bean / Greengram Rotti

Greengram rottis ~ Adding a protein punch to the delicious akki rottis, the famous breakfast dish from Karnataka.
I have been making these hearty rottis for several years now and we certainly enjoy them. They taste fabulous as the regular rottis besides being nutritious.
Other rotti recipes that have been published here earlier.
Southekayi Rotti
Oats Rotti

Ingredients for about 8 - 10 rottis:
1.5 cups greengram flour (Grind the moongbeans into a slightly coarse powder.)
1.5 cups rice flour
Salt to taste
1/2 cup shredded, fresh coconut
4 - 5 green chillies
1 cup finely minced onion
Oil

Preparing the rotti dough:
Combine the greengram flour, rice flour, salt in a mixing bowl. Finely minced chillies can be directly added to the mixture. However if serving kids or do not like to bite on green chillies, grind the coconut and chillies adding a little water. Add this coconut - chillie mixture and onion to the flour mixture. Form a firm dough adding water as needed.

Making rottis:
Pinch about a big orange sized portion from the prepared dough and shape into a ball. Pour about a tsp of oil at the center of a griddle and place the dough ball on it. Pat it into a thin, flat circle and pour a tsp of oil around the edges and cover with a lid.  
 

 
Now turn on the stove and let it cook on a low - medium flame, about 3 - 4 minutes. When it appears cooked on the bottom side and brown spots appear, flip it. Again add a tsp of oil around the edges if needed. Cover it again and cook till the other side is done too. Repeat the procedure with the remaining dough.

Be sure to turn off the stove and cool the griddle slightly so that it is safe to pat the next dough ball on it. You can use 2 griddles to quicken the process but still have to let the tawa / griddle to cool after making a rotti. Actually I give the cast iron pan a quick wash with coldwater after preparing a rotti so that I can go ahead immediately just after wiping it dry with a paper napkin.



These are going to
Priya Suresh's Cooking with Seeds - Moong beans event and

Susan's MLLA, guesthosted this month by Simona.

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Eggplant Curry with Peanut Powder

A simple yet tasty eggplant preparation using spicy peanut powder. If serving kids then use the red chillies accordingly.

Ingredients:
For tadka: 1 Tbsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp chandal / split chickpeas, 1 tsp urad dal / blackgram, 1 tsp cumin seeds, few curry leaves, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 onion - sliced
1 tomato - diced
6 baby eggplants - Stalks removed and thinly sliced
Salt to taste
To toast and grind*:
1/4 cup peanuts
2 Tbsp grated dry coconut
4 - 6 Red dried chillies (or as preferred)

* Use peanut powder instead.

Method:
Heat oil in a pan and add the tadka ingredients in the order mentioned. When mustard seeds start to pop and the dals turn reddish, add onion. Fry until translucent and add tomatoes. Cook until the tomato pieces turn mushy and then add the eggplants. Continue cooking until eggplants are done. Then add the salt and peanut powder. Mix well and cook for 2 - 3 minutes more and turn off the stove.

This is going to Kalyani's Healthy Lunchbox Ideas event, hosted by Priya Suresh this month with the theme "Eggplants".

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Thotakoora Pappu

This summer, I made it a point to grow some of our favorite greens in our backyard and even in containers in the kitchen balcony. We could therefore enjoy a bounty of fresh gongura, chukkakoora and thotakoora (amaranth greens) after a long time. Today's post is about a favorite dish of mine made with thotakoora / amaranth greens. I was planning to do a special post for MLLA and when unfortunately I could not do so, I thought why not do a post about one of my favorite dishes. Thotakoora pappu or a dal with amaranth greens reminds me of home I left behind and to me is one of those homely foods that has comfort written all over it.
And obviously, this is going to Susan's MLLA, 40th edition hosted by me this month.

Ingredients: (6 servings)

1 cup toor dal / kandipappu

1 bunch of thotakoora / amaranth leaves (about 4 cups chopped leaves and tender stems)

2 tomatoes, chopped (optional but recommended.)

1/8 tsp turmeric powder
3 - 4 Tbsp thick tamarind juice or as needed (A lemon sized tamarind ball soaked in water and thick juice extracted.)
Salt & chilli powder to taste

For tadka: 2 tsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, few curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida powder

Method:
* Wash the toordal and cook in a pressure cooker, adding the greens, tomato, turmeric powder and about 2 cups of water. Or cook in a saucepan adding water as needed until the dal turns mushy.
* Heat oil in a saucepan and add the tadka ingredients in the order mentioned. When the seeds start to crackle, add the cooked dal mixture, tamarind, salt and chili powder. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Bring it to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 3 -4 minutes and turn off the stove.
Serve warm with steamed rice / rotis. 

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Avocado - Soy Flour Rotis

This is going to be my final day "Fruit" themed entry for blogging marathon #9. Check what other marathoners are cooking today.
So far, I blogged the following recipes with "Soups/Salads" theme for the first round and "Cooking with Fruits" for the second one.

1. Broccoli - Cheese Soup
2. Black-eyed Peas Soup
3. Corn Soup
4. Cracked Wheat Salad
5. Custard Fruit Salad
6. Black bean - Carrot Soup
7. Tomato - Basil Salad

1. Lemon Gojju
2. Strawberry Yogurt
3. Jackfruit Halwa
4. Eggless Apple Cake
5. Eggless Mango - Semolina Bread
6. Fruit Salad with Mango Sauce

Now to avocado - soy flour rotis. I sometimes add avocado to the roti dough since it adds softness to the rotis. This time in went the soy flour as well to make them more nutritious. The result was yummy rotis that were softer even by the next morning. Rolling is not difficult with the soy - wheat flours combo but the edges would be jagged. Do not worry about not getting perfect shaped rotis, the softness compensates it. :) And I feel that a spicy curry masks the flavor of soyflour (in case if it is noticed). Or the quantity of soy flour can be reduced  to 1/2 cup.

Ingredients for 10 rotis:
1 Avocado
1 cup Soy flour
1 cup Wheat flour (atta)
Salt to taste
2 Tbsp cilantro leaves + 1 tsp cumin seeds (optional)
Oil to toast the rotis

Method:
* Peel the avocado, remove the seed and cut into chunks.
* Add the avocado and about 1/4 cup water to a food processor / blender and puree it.
* If using the processor. add the flours, cilantro, cumin seeds and salt to the avocado and pulse it a few times so that the whole mixture combines. Transfer the dough from the food processor to a mixing bowl, add a few Tbsp of water if needed and form a firm, rollable dough. Cover and let it rest for atleast 30 minutes. If you used the blender to puree it, add this to a bowl, combine the flours and work with the dough with your hand.

* Divide the dough into 10 portions and shape each one into a ball. Take one dough ball, flatten it slightly and roll into a circle as thin as possible.
* Heat a shallow pan / tawa and toast the rolled out dough circle flipping in between and adding 1/4 tsp along the edges. Toast until it  appears cooked and there are brown spots on either side.
* Repeat the same with the remaining dough. Serve with some spicy curry.
This is going to Susan's MLLA, 40th edition hosted by me this month.

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Fruit Salad with Mango Sauce

This is a simple yet delightful fruit salad, which can be put together with ease. An excellent alternative to custard fruit salad, in fact a better one for mango lovers.

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped mixed fruit (Any ripe fruit will work. I added apple, banana, kiwi, mango, peaches and pear.)
1/2 cup mango puree (I used kesar mango pulp but homemade puree can be used.)

Method:
Add the chopped fruits to a bowl and pour the mango sauce / puree.
Cover and chill for a couple of hours. Serve.

This is going to be my Day 6 entry for blogging marathon #9. Check what other marathoners are cooking today.

This also goes to Srivalli's "Soups and Salads" Mela.

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Eggless Mango - Semolina Cake

I found this simple, delicious and easy cake at red chillies and am very impressed with the results I have got so far from this recipe. It is totally effortless recipe and yields an enjoyable cake. And that too an eggless version. I tried with mango puree twice (once with the homemade mango puree and then with the store bought one) and bananas once.

When baked, the outer surface has a slightly gritty but still an enjoyable texture while the inside is done to perfection. The cake baked with store bought kesar pulp definitely is more appealing to eyes than the home made puree because of the vibrant color. However, tastewise both versions are same.

Ingredients:
1.5 cup semolina / sooji / rava
1.5 tsp baking powder
1.5 cup mango puree (I used store bought kesar mango pulp.)
2 Tbsp melted butter / ghee
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cardamom powder
2 Tbsp coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

Batter ready for baking

Note:
1. I reduced the quantity of butter from 3/4 cup to 2 Tbsp but still the cake tasted great. For 1 cup semolina version, the cake comes out good with 1 Tbsp butter and 6 Tbsp sugar.
2. Fine semolina (chiroti rava) or coarse variety used to make upmas can be used to make this cake.
3. The final batter should not be runny. If it is, rest for a few minutes more.

Method:
* Combine all the ingredients except walnuts in a bowl and keep aside covered for 10 minutes.
* Preheat the oven at 375 deg F.
* Grease a baking pan. This batter doesn't raise much and so the batter can be filled upto 3/4th of the pan. 
* Pour the batter into the pan and sprinkle with walnut pieces. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean.
* Cool, slice and serve.

This is going to be my fifth day entry of blogging marathon #9. Check what other marathoners are cooking today.

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Eggless Apple Cake

I got this recipe more than a decade ago probably from a web source if I remember properly. It yields a perfectly textured, delicious eggless cake that leaves you craving for more. This recipe is a keeper, for sure.



Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
A pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
3 Tbsp condensed milk
2 peeled and grated apples
2 Tbsp raisins
A pinch of food color (optional)
(I also added about 3 Tbsp of milk since the cake batter was dry.)

Method:
Preheat the oven at 350 deg F. Grease the baking pan. Choose a pan such that the batter fills only half of the pan.
Sieve together flour, baking powder and baking soda twice and keep aside. Beat butter and sugar together.
Combine all the ingredients and pour into the baking dish.
Bake it for about 40 - 45 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. (It took me 50 minutes.)
Cool and serve.

This is going to be my fourth day entry of blogging marathon #9. Check what other marathoners are cooking today.

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Happy Diwali & Jackfruit Halwa

Before proceeding to the recipe, we wish you all a safe and happy diwali.

My recipe for today with fruit themed cooking is jackfruit halwa. Semolina halwa / rava kesari / sheera happens to be one of the quickly prepared yummy desserts in India. It is particularly popular with the novice cooks because of the easy preparation. Adding fruits to this halwa naturally makes it more flavorful and delicious. The most common choices to prepare fruit kesaris happen to be bananas and pineapples. In today's version, jackfruit has been added. And obviously, the halwa is redolent with rich flavors of jackfruit making it a simple, droolworthy dessert.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Chopped Jackfruit (I used canned ones after draining the  syrup and washing them.)
1/2 cup Semolina
2 Tbsp Ghee,
1/2 cup Sugar
2 Tbsp Almond slices
Saffron / Yellow food color - a pinch

Method:
* Dry toast the semolina and keep aside.
* Melt the ghee and fry the jackfruit for 4 - 5 minutes.
* Then add about 1.5  - 2 cups of water and food color. Bring the water to a rolling boil.
* Lower the heat and add semolina in a slow, steady stream, while constantly stirring with the other hand. Stir well so that the mixture has no lumps. Cover and cook until the semolina is done.
* Then add the sugar and sliced almonds. Cook until the sugar melts and gets incorporated into the mixture. Turn off the stove.
* Serve warm.

This is my third day entry of blogging marathon #9. Check what other marathoners are cooking.

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Strawberry Yogurt

My second day "Fruits" themed post for the blogging marathon # 9 is this yummy and healthy strawberry yogurt. Check what my fellow marathoners are cooking here.
We love fruit yogurts and I prefer homemade ones over the store bought ones. Obviously the latter ones are loaded with sugar and other artificial, unwanted ingredients while the homemade version needs primarily two ingredients as it should be - the fruit and yogurt.

Ingredients: (2 - 3 servings)
2 cups hung yogurt (I use homemade, fatfree yogurt.)
1 cup strawberries + extra to garnish
Sugar to taste (optional)

Method:
I hung the yogurt and then blended it with fruit since I used yogurt made with skim milk. If the yogurt and fruit are blended directly, the mixture would be runny and you would end up with a  smoothie instead of a fruity yogurt. :)
Note: Use Greek yogurt if you are in a hurry or want to skip step 1.

1. First prepare the hung yogurt. Place the yogurt in a muslin/ thin cotton cloth covered strainer or colander and place a bowl underneath to catch the drips. Keep it in the refrigerator covered for a couple of hours or until a creamy consistency is reached. No need to wait until a solid mass is formed as in shrikhand. If it becomes thicker, add a few drops of milk.
2. Wash the strawberries and remove the stalks. Blend the yogurt and strawberries together. Add sweetener only if needed. Pass the mixture through a strainer and chill if necessary. Garnish with strawberries and serve.

This goes to Raven's Cook Eat Delicious -Desserts, guest hosted this month by Kalyani with theme Strawberries.

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