Vermicelli Upma / Semiya Upma / Shavige Uppittu

Ever tried getting a recipe from an elderly Indian woman like a grandma, aunt or even your own mama? You are in luck if you do get and understand the right measurements of a recipe. Most of them go with either a pinch / a dash / a handful or with a measure that you might have never heard in your life. You cannot blame them because that's how on a daily basis, an average Indian woman cooks with no need of any measuring tools. In case, if they need a measuring cup, they would grab any one lying nearby. Seriously. :)
When I was about to move here and sat with my mom for a sort of '2 day cooking course for dummies', I had a first hand experience of this. She would tell me the ingredients that went into a recipe but wouldn't tell exactly how much. She was having a hard time explaining me the measurements as she pretty much eyeballed everything while cooking.
I have learnt that experience teaches everything. Now my husband would be watching in horror as I go adding salt directly from a saltbox's spout while cooking. That's how I know how much to add and not with a spoon or by pouring salt in my hand. :)
A kitchen can be an overwhelming place for a novice cook. Keeping that in mind, I have tried to explain today's recipe in an easy manner. I hope that even those who are stepping into the kitchen for the first time have no problems following this.
I have chosen one of the simplest breakfast items from South India, the vermicelli upma. Eat it for breakfast or as a mini meal, your taste buds and tummy are going to thank you.

List of ingredients for 2 servings:
1 cup* vermicelli
1 big sized or 2 small onions
1 tomato (optional)
1 big sized, medium hot green chili (more or less depending upon the heat preferred. I have used Serrano.)
1.5 tsp salt
4 tsp oil
1 tsp each - chanadal, mustard seeds and cumin seeds
Few curry leaves (like 10)
1/8 tsp turmeric powder (optional)
Water - 1 & 1/2 cups (same cup used to measure the vermicelli, about 350 ml)

Preparation & cooking time - Less than 30 minutes

Preparation:
Fry the vermicelli in a sauté pan on medium flame. Keep stirring the vermicelli with a big flat spoon / spatula till it turns golden brown through out. It would take around 3 minutes. A tsp of oil or ghee may be added while frying though it is entirely optional and can be skipped. Also don't bother about this step if you are using pre-roasted vermicelli.
Chop the ends of the onion. Cut into halves, remove the outer skins and then chop them. Also wash & chop the tomato.
Wash the green chili. Remove the stalk and slit lengthwise twice so that you have 4 pieces. Holding them together, chop them fine. Don't discard the seeds and remember not to touch your eyes or face after cutting the chilies.

Cooking part:
Heat oil in a kadai or deep-based pan for about 30 seconds or a little longer and then add chana dal, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When chanadal starts to turn reddish and mustard seeds start to sizzle, add the chili, turmeric powder and curry leaves. Sauté them for about 15 seconds and then add the chopped onion. Mix everything with the spatula once and on low flame, cook the onions till they turn soft. It would take about 2 - 3 minutes. Then add the tomato to the cooked onions and keep stirring for about 3 minutes. After that add the water to the onion - tomato mixture and let it come to a rolling boil.  Increase the flame to high to quicken the boiling process.
When water comes to a rolling boil, add salt and the vermicelli and stir well once. Again turn down the flame, cover the lid and let the vermicelli cook till done.

Variations:
1. Add finely chopped vegetables like potato, carrot, green beans and peas along with onions. Serve with some yogurt for a full meal.
2. 1/2 tsp of shredded ginger can be added along with onion.
3. Finely minced cilantro (fresh coriander leaves) can be added as a garnish.
4. Ghee can be substituted for oil.
5. Peanuts or cashews can be added in tadka.
6. Squeeze some lemon/lime juice while serving.

* American measure

This is going to Cooking Basics event.

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Announcing Jihva - Breakfast, March 2010

Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper ~ Adelle Davis



If we look back into our childhoods, probably we would find rare occasions when our busy mothers (or grandmothers) have left us starving in the morning. Never complaining women like my grandmother / mother in law with big families, had fed their kids at least leftovers if they could not prepare tiffin (desi term for breakfast.) They were wise enough to feed their kids in the mornings instead of telling them to wait for lunch.

Unfortunately, now we are in such a fast paced, time constrained and calorie conscious world that some of us choose to skip breakfast - the important meal of the day.
When we wake up in the morning, our body would be on starvation mode after an overnight fasting. Skipping breakfast would therefore be further starving and depriving our body the essential fuel.  Especially growing kids missing breakfasts regularly means jeopardizing health and less concentration and less learning at school.
Studies show that people who eat more calories in the morning tend to eat fewer during the day. Eating a well-balanced breakfast will help us feel more energetic all day. It kick-starts our metabolism, meaning we burn more calories more efficiently.
A cup of low fat milk / yogurt / milkshake / a fruit / PBJ sandwich / cereal bars / cereal / bagel with cheese are some of the simple, no cook choices to suffice the hunger of a kid or even an adult.

A breakfast with a balance of carbohydrates for energy, protein and fiber to help keep us full longer is good for our body and brains. 
NO SKIPPING & NO BINGEING is the key.

Thanks to Indira, I am hosting Jihva here during March 2010 and I have chosen the theme as 'Breakfasts'.
 
Breakfast can be anything - Simple ones or elaborate ones, traditional ones or inspired ones, Eastern or Western, cooked or assembled or the ones concocted from your imagination and creativity.
Send me over anything you prepare, enjoy and would like to share.
 
Here are the guidelines for participation in JIHVA - Breakfast

1. Prepare any vegetarian / vegan breakfast and publish the recipe on your blog in the month of March 2010.  No eggs please.
2. Please link to this event announcement and Indira's main announcement page in your post.
3. Please send me an email notifying about your entry at toveggieplatter@hotmail.com with the subject JIHVA and the following details - Name, Recipe name, Recipe URL and a picture of the dish.
4. Non-bloggers can email me the recipe and a picture, if they have one.  
5. The deadline for this event is March 31st, 2010 midnight.
6. Multiple entries are welcome. Recipes submitted to other events are welcome.
7. Recipes from archives can also be sent only if they are reposted with a link to this announcement page and Indira's announcement page.

Looking forward to your participation in this event.

And check out Siri's Jihva - Fennel round up, here.

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Microwave Vegetable Soup

December is upon us and it truly feels like winter. Fast forward to March and still winter is here with a vengeance. It seems as if winter is enjoying its stay and doesn't want to leave us anytime soon. I woke up today with snow in our driveway and see one more  snowfall in this week's forecast. If that happens, probably this would be the first March snowfall I would be witnessing among the dozen winters I have spent in this country.
A hot bowl of soup is so comforting during these dreary, long winter days and that's what we had today - a simple, nourishing veggie soup, prepared in a microwave.

I don't follow any particular recipe for a vegetable soup and add any vegetables that I happen to find in my refrigerator. Today, in went onion, potato, carrot, green beans, peas, cabbage, green capsicum and green onions.

Ingredients for 4-6 servings: (Use it as a rough guideline)
A small onion, finely minced
Finely chopped veggies (I had about 3 cups)
2 tsp canola oil / butter / ghee
1 Tbsp of corn flour / all purpose flour (optional and can be used if the soup needs to be thicker)
Milk - 1/2 to 1 cup (optional and fat free will do)
3 cups vegetable stock / water / bouillon cube + water
Salt and pepper to taste

Add minced onion and oil to a microwave safe bowl and mix it. Then fry it in microwave for about three minutes stirring in between. If using, add the flour to the onion and fry it for about a minute.

I happened to add about 3 cups of water and vegetables to the onion mixture and put it in the microwave back. When the water started to boil, I added about one vegetarian bouillon cube. I allowed it to cook for about 12 - 15 minutes, stirring in between.
You can add the milk, salt and pepper at this point. Stir and check the seasonings. Add extra water if a watery soup is preferred. Just heat through and serve.

This goes to Srivalli's MEC event; guest hosted by Saraswati of Sara's corner  for the month of February with the theme 'Soups'.

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Greengram Sprouts Salad

Here is a simple salad which can be be part of a meal or can be eaten as a snack. I have given the measurements just as a guideline and they can be altered according to one's need.

What you would need for 2-3 servings:
1 cup greengram sprouts
1 small sized onion
1 small sized tomato
Salt to taste
Juice extracted from half of a lime / lemon
Chat masala / Garam masala / Ground pepper to taste 

Finely chop the onion and tomato and add them to the sprouts.  Sprinkle salt and chat masala / the spice of your choice. Squeeze the lemon juice. Mix well and serve.
Chat masala and garam masala, the warming spice mix from Northern India are sold in Indian grocery shops.

This is going to be a part of
My legume love affair guest hosted by Rachel and the event creator is Susan.
No cook event hosted by Padmajha and
Show me your salad hosted by Divya.

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Subzis for Siri ~ Fennel Flavored, Mixed Vegetable Subzi

Today's recipe is for Siri.  Not one but for two Siris. One is my sister and the other one being Siri of Siri's Corner. She is guest hosting Indira's Jihva this month and the theme ingredient is Fennel Seeds.

A couple of years ago, we had a subzi with rotis at the local Swami Narayan Temple, which they were selling under the name of some shaak. Shaak is the Gujarati name for the subzi / curry.
It had cluster beans, yams and some other unrecognizable veggies with oodles of sugar added. Though sweeter to my taste, the assortment of vegetables in some unfamiliar gravy had an appealing flavor. It was quite different from the subzis I had eaten earlier. I attempted to recreate that subzi a few days later at home since I happened to like it.
Though I didn’t know what went into it, my taste buds gave a vague idea about the spices that may have created the magic. I played a little with the spices in my pantry and created this subzi. It turned out quite well and though not exact, but almost tasted similar to the temple dish. Though many spices are used, fennel seeds stand out with the aroma and flavor they impart to this dish.
This is only an inspired dish from the temple kitchen and not the original one. I therefore have taken the liberty of a cook and have used my choice of veggies and spices.
Hope you would give a try.

Ingredients that would serve 5-6 people:
Chopped onions & tomatoes (I used 2 each, small sized ones)
Chopped vegetables - about 3 cups (I used carrots, potatoes, Green beans, peas and edamame)
Salt - 1.5 tsp
Canola Oil / peanut oil - 1 Tbsp
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
For the paste: 1 tsp fennel seeds, 1 tsp poppy seeds, Seeds from 2 cardamom pods, 2 cloves, 2 small pieces of cinnamon, a small piece of ginger, 3 small sized green chilies of medium heat, 1 tbsp cilantro/coriander leaves and 3 tbsp of shredded fresh coconut

Method:
Heat oil in a kadai or deep-based sauté pan. Add the cumin seeds and when they start to sizzle, add the onions and turmeric powder. Cook on slow flame, stirring in between till onion turns translucent. Then add the tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring. Add all the vegetables and add sufficient water so that all the vegetables are covered in water. Cook on high flame till the vegetables are done. Keep an eye and add extra water, if needed. Vegetables must be tender but still hold their shape.
Mean while; grind all the ingredients mentioned in the list adding a little water. Add the paste and salt. If the subzi seems dry, a little water can be added at this point.
Let the vegetables simmer for about 5 minutes on slow flame so that all the flavors mingle.
Serve hot with rotis.

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Koora Podi & Vankaya Koora

Koora Podi – Spicy lentil powder used to prepare the subzis in Andhra and not to be confused with the 'world famous' curry powder sold in the western world.

When cooking for special occasions (including weddings), preparation of the koora podi is a must in our homes. Though this powder can be used for many other vegetables, it goes well especially with the eggplants.
The flavorful eggplants and the aromatic spicy powder are just a perfect match, when combined.

The following ingredients yield about 3/4 cup of koora podi:
3 Tbsp chanadal
1.5 Tbsp uraddal
1.5 Tbsp coriander seeds
4 tbsp shredded dry coconut (copra)
10 red chillies

Toast chanadal and uraddal individually in a microwave / saute pan till they turn reddish brown. Saute the coriander seeds till they turn slightly brownish and add the red chillies at the end. Cool and grind all the ingredients into a fine powder. Store it in a air tight container.


Ingredients:
7 eggplants - 3 cups chopped (I have used the smaller, purple variety. The green colored ones or even the slender ones can be substituted.) 
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp koora podi
4 tsp oil
1/4 tsp turmeric powder, few curry leaves, 1 tsp each mustard seeds & chanadal

Method:
Cut the green stalks before chopping eggplants. Cut each eggplant lengthwise into two halves. Then go again lengthwise into thin slices.
Heat oil in a saute pan and add the chanadal and mustard seeds. When mustard seeds start to pop and the dal start to turn reddish, add the curry leaves and turmeric powder. Stir the contents once and add the eggplants. Keep the pan covered on low flame till the eggplants are done. Then add the salt, koora podi and mix well. Taste and adjust the salt and powder quantities if needed. Let the eggplant cook for a minute and then turn off the stove.

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Beerakaya Pachadi / Ridgegourd Chutney

Required ingredients:
Peeled and cut ridgegourd cubes - 3 cups
Urad dal - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Red chilies - 12
A pinch of turmeric powder and asafoetida each
Oil - 2 Tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:
Heat oil in a small saute pan and add urad dal and mustard seeds. When urad dal starts to brown, add the red chillies, turmeric powder and asafoetida. Saute for a few seconds and add the ridgegourd cubes. On low heat, cook covered till the ridgegourd cubes are tender.
Cool the mixture. Add enough salt and grind into a coarser paste.
Serve with some hot, steamed rice and a spoon of ghee.

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Our beloved Appa and Amma are gone.

         

The last month of a year happens to be dear to me and I look forward to it with (some!!) enthusiasm. I celebrate my birthday that month and also by coincidence, this blog was also born in December. My blog completed three years this past December and I was thinking about posting something special for my virtual baby's third birthday.
However, God had different plans and the year 2009 ended on a tragic note for our family.
My father in law passed away during the first week of December. My grieving mother in law, who could not bear the separation of her companion of 66 years, joined him. We lost the pillars of our family, in less than two weeks.
Every one who knew Amma and Appa adored and respected them. They were my other set of parents, God sent. Probably, I would never come across again such couple in my life. They were kind, generous, unselfish and large hearted who spent most of their life giving to others.
It is still shocking to us and hard to believe that they are gone.
We miss their presence, love & affection, guidance, words of wisdom .......
 :-( 

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Beerakaya Pappu - Ridgegourd Dal

Nurturing, nourishing dals appear in various forms across Indian kitchens everyday. Pappu, a comforting and filling one is one such dal from my home state, Andhra.
Today's recipe is beerakaya pappu - the ridgegourd dal. This dal differs from the standard papu versions and doesn't use tamarind or ground chillies. Green chilies are used for mild spiciness. This can be prepared in a cinch, if you own a pressure cooker.
Dahi mirchi is the perfect companion for these kinds of dals with sweet undertones.



List of ingredients:
1/2 cup toordal
1 cup peeled and cubed ridgegourd (remove the seeds if not tender)
4 serrano peppers (or any green chillies), slit lengthwise into 4 or 6 slices
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
Salt
Finely chopped cilantro for garnish
For tadka: 1 or 2 tsp canola oil,  1 tsp each of mustard seeds and cumin seeds, a pinch of asafoetida, 3 or 4 red chillies (broken into bits) and curry leaves. Also dahi mirchi* (uppu mirapakayalu) can be added.

The cooking part:
Wash the toordal in two exchanges of water and discard the water. Then add the gourd, chilies, turmeric powder and about a cup of water. Pressure cook (or in a sauce pan over stove top) till the dal is done. After the valve pressure is gone, remove the dal and add salt to it and stir well.
For the tadka, heat oil in a small saute pan and add the tadka ingredients in the order mentioned. Turn off the stove when mustard seeds start to pop and cumin starts to sizzle and gets brownish. Add the tadka to the dal and mix well.
If using dahi mirchi, heat a tsp of oil to a small saute pan and add dahi mirchi to it. When they slightly brown, remove with a slotted spoon and add to the dal.

*Dahi mirchi: Yogurt soaked, Sundried green chillies 

This is going to Susan's MLLA, where Srivalli is guest hosting the eighteenth helping.

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Annamlo Podi

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(Annam - cooked rice and podi - powder in Telugu.)
The name says it all. Literally, annam lo podi means the powder that goes with rice.

Powders made of legumes and/or spices have their own, unique place in Indian cuisine. Cooks in every region of this vast land use  these powders in one form or another to compliment and accentuate their local cuisine / dishes. Some powders spice up everyday humdrum meals, some go into making elaborate dishes, some lend flavor and texture while some others used as condiments.
For this month's MLLA , I thought of sending an entry where only and only the legumes take the center stage (or should I say the entire stage?). When I was thinking of such entries, this  unpretentious legume powder from Andhra popped up. I have heard from my mother that this humble podi is used to be one of the menu items at a traditional, Andhra Brahmin wedding. (I am talking about those days when pickles and powders were made at home to serve at a wedding and not the modern day menus where there are food stalls in a wedding. :)) BTW, this one is a 'must have' powder in my kitchen.
This can be served just with some hot, steamed rice and a tsp of ghee. Or try adding Andhra style pickles like gongura to this podi annam to experience a simple pleasure.

Ingredients needed for 2 cups of podi:
1/2 cup each - moongdal, urad dal, chanadal and toordal
15 red chillies
1 tsp salt

On low flame, dry roast each dal individually in a skillet / kadai till it turns slightly brown. Also dry roast the red chillies till they turn a few shades darker. Cool them.
Grind the dals, chillies along with salt into a coarse powder. Remember not to grind into a fine powder.Check the salt level and add more if needed.



This is going to Susan's MLLA, where Srivalli is guest hosting the eighteenth helping.

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