Methi Thepla With Cucumber Raita

Though the smell of the thepla dough reminds me of the face pack (besan+yogurt+turmeric) I ocassionaly use, The theplas are nothing to complain about. They are ideal to take on picnics or long journeys. These rotis from the state of Gujarat are softer than the usual ones. The yogurt content keeps them softer for longer periods unlike the rotis prepared with the flour available here. That's enough reason to try them out if you haven't done so. They can be served with a spicy pickle and some yogurt. 



Ingredients to make 15 methi theplas:
A small bunch of methi leaves / fenugreek greens (or about 3 cups of leaves)
 3 cups atta* + some for dusting
1/2 cup besan / chickpea flour
Scant 1.5 cup yogurt
1/2 tsp each - chilipowder, cumin seeds, salt
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 Tbsp ghee / oil (optional)
Oil to fry
(* Wheat flour used to make rotis, usually available in Indian grocery stores.)

Method:
Pinch the methi leaves and discard the stalks. Wash and roughly chop the leaves. Combine all the ingredients except the yogurt & the oil (used to fry) in a bowl and mix well. Add the yogurt gradually as you make the dough. The dough should be soft but easy to roll into a ball. Cover and set aside for about 30 minutes. Divide the dough into 15 balls or make lemon sized balls. Coat them with flour and press slightly to flatten them. Roll each into a thin circle of about 5 inches diameter, flouring the board as necessary. Heat a tava (cast iron, flat griddle) or a shallow frying pan over medium heat. Place the rolled thepla on the pan and cook until the surface appears bubbly. Turn around and add 1/2 tsp oil around the edges and the surface. Press the edges down with a spatula to cook evenly. As soon as the brown spots appear, the thepla is done. Repeat the process. For a detalied pictorial presentation of how to make rotis, look here. 



Cucumber raita:
I served these methi theplas with cucumber raita which can be prepared in a jiffy.This refreshing, cool cucumber raita is simple to make and can be a nice accompaniment to any meal. Raita recipe: Whisk about 2 cups of yogurt slightly. Grate a peeled & deseeded small cucumber. Add about 1/2 cup of grated cucumber, a tsp each of salt and cumin powder to the yogurt and stir well. Use it immediately or refrigerate until used. 



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Subzis for Siri: Methi - Aloo / Fenugreek Greens With Potatoes

What do you do when you prepare a subzi like this to go with roti and the 'other adult' is sulking because it is dry. You give the 'other adult' a choice of either finishing it without a word or to toil in the kitchen to prepare something new . Obviously, the smart adult selects the first option. If this has happened that many times more than you can count on your fingers, then probably it's time to change your strategy. Of course you are considerate and don't want to hurt the feelings of the 'other adult'. Isn't it? So, next step is to steal the big idea from North Indian style subzis. Add onion, tomatoes & some spices and dump some liquid if you need more gravy. Voila, you will end up with a rasedar subzi like the following one, which the 'other adult" thoroughly enjoys. Apart from that light banter which do happens some times at our home, rasedar aloo methi is a favorite side dish of mine to pair with rotis. This quick and easy subzi is a mixture of creamy potatoes and aromartic fenugreek greens with a subtle hint of tanginess from the robust tomatoes. Ingredients list: 3 potatoes - peeled & chopped into cubes 1 bunch of methi leaves - pinch the leaves & discard the stalks, wash and roughly chop (or 1 cup firmly packed leaves, If methi flavor seems strong) 2 each - chopped onions and tomatoes 1 tsp chili powder 1 tsp finely grated ginger / ginger paste A pinch turmeric powder Salt to taste For tadka: 1 Tbsp oil and 1 tsp cumin seeds Note: 1/2 tsp garam masala can also be added to the above recipe. The cooking part: Heat oil in a kadai / pan and add grated ginger and cumin seeds to it. When they slightly brown, add turmeric powder & chopped onions and fry them till they turn translucent. Then the tomatoes go in. When they turn slightly mush, add potatoes, methi leaves and about a cup of water. Cook till potatoes are done. Add some more water if needed. The subzi should not be dry or watery but in between as in the picture. Add salt and chili powder to the cooked vegetables and mix well. Simmer for a couple of minutes more and turn off the stove. Serve hot with rotis. Post a Comment So far on 'Subzis for Siri' series Sprouted Peas - Potato subzi

Almond Flavored Semolina / Rava Payasam

When we were kids, we would eagerly wait for the friday prasadam. My mom prepared / still prepares a prasdam* that day and usually it would be a payasam. The creamy, rich payasam which draws the attention of the kids and adults alike and an easy craft for the cooks. This nutritious and nurturing Indian porridge would be prepared with a cereal / bean / vegetable / nuts simmered in milk until it reaches a creamy consistency & raisins and nuts accentuating at the end. Ofcourse, what payasam is prepared depends upon the availability, ocassion and the whim of the cook. My mother and Mother-in-Law each have their own stock of payasam recipes. This one is from my MIL, which is good for nursing mothers. *Prasadam - the food offered to gods after pooja (prayers) by Hindus is usually vegetarian though dairy products are allowed owing to their habit of lacto vegetarianism. Ingredients for generous, six servings: Semolina - 1/4 cup Milk - 4 cups Sugar - 1/2 cup or according to taste or artificial sweetener MTR badam mix powder - 1 Tbsp Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp 1 tsp each -ghee, raisins & cashews The Cooking part: Roast the semolina till it starts to change it's hue and keep it aside. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a non stick sauce pan. When it is hot, add the semolina slowly and keep stirring till the semolina is incorporated into the milk with out forming any lumps. Keep cooking the semolina on medium flame till it is done, stirring once or twice in between. When cooked, each semolina grain swells a liitle and becomes transparent. Then add sugar, badam mix powder and cardamom powder to the milk mixture and keep cooking till the sugar melts. When sugar melts, turn off the stove. Heat ghee in a small pan and roast cashews in it. When they turn golden brown, remove and add the raisins to the same ghee. When the raisins turn plump, remove them. Add the roasted cashew, raisins along with the ghee to the payasam and stir. Can be served hot or cold. Tips from my kitchen: Rava payasam gets thicker after cooling and so, add more milk than required. Adding badam mix powder is optional but it gives a delicious flavor to the payasam. For diabetics, omit the sugar and use artificial sweetener before serving. Usually, I add 1 gm packet of splenda for a serving. This goes to Sharmi's Cooking for kids - Milk / Milk Products event hosted by Preety of Preety's kitchen. & 'Rice/Wheat Sweets & Diabetic Friendly Sweets' - hosted by Mythreyee of 'Paajaka Recipes'. Post a Comment Other related posts here:

Split Green Pea - Methi Dal

"Peas porridge hot, Peas porridge cold, Peas porridge in the pot nine days old, Some like it hot, Some like it cold." Porridge with peas sounded so preposterous when I heard the above rhyme for the first time. Ofcourse, I was a kid then. It never occured to me to ask an adult about the meaning of the poem. The only peas I knew about were the green peas / matar. I was told by some one at that time that porridge is the equivalent version of Indian payasam. I added this & that and simply assumed that the poem is talking about some sweet green peas stuff. It was beyond my comprehension how the guys ate the stuff and that too when it was nine days old when unrefrigerated food gets spoiled the next day. I decided that the people who ate it must be some big wierds or junglees. I know now what the rhyme is about and also that matar kheer is a real dish prepared in India. "Never assume anything' is the lesson learnt. :) Coming to present tense from past, I picked up a packet of split green peas recently, when I was in a rush to check out. Earler, a Gujarati woman at an Indian store told me that they prefer whole toor dal to split ones because of the taste. I had that in mind and erred that these peas are the same one. When we got home, M saw the packet and asked why did I buy green chana dal. Not wanting to admit the mistake, I told him that I was going to prepare dal. As a South Indian, the first thing that pops into mind whenever I come across some new bean/dal is sambhar / pappu. I went along and made pappu/dal with it adding some methi and it's taste was unique. Though the split green peas look exactly like chanadal (except for the color), they are really not related to chanadal or toordal. A comforting dal preparation to go with hot steamed rice and pleasantly different for toor dal addicted palate. Ingredients required to serve 2: 1/2 cup green split peas 1 cup chopped methi leaves 1 tomato finely chopped 1 onion finely chopped 2 small green chillies, finely chopped 1/4 tsp turmeric powder Tamarind puree - 2 Tbsp (Soak a big marble sized tamarind in water or put the tamarind with a little water in the microwave for a couple of minutes and squeeze the puree) 1 tsp each - Salt & Chili powder For tadka - 2 tsp oil, 1/2 tsp each mustard seeds, cumin seeds, a pinch asafoetida How to cook: Wash the spilt green peas and discard the water. Place the split green peas, chopped tomato, methi leaves, chillies & turmeric powder with a cup of water in a pressure cooker and cook till you hear 4 -5 whistles. When the valve pressure is gone, remove the dal. Mean while heat the oil in a saute pan and add the tadka ingredients. When the mustard seeds start to pop, add the onion and fry till it turns transslucent. Add the cooked dal, salt, chili powder, tamarind puree to the sauteed onions and mix well. Simmer the dal for about ten minutes more and turn off the stove. Serve with rice / rotis. Post a Comment

Kala Chana Sambhar

Though the South Indian Sambhar is associtated with toordal / lentils, other beans can be substituted to prepare this spicy side dish. Of course, using different beans means bringing their signature flavors and own oomphs to a dish. In this recipe, the star is the nutritious chana with an earthly flavor. I have gone with the kala chana - the dark complexioned sister of Kabuli chana (Garbanzo beans) for this wholesome, spicy dish.

Ingredients to serve 4 - 6:
2 onions, finely chopped
1 tomato, finely chopped
1/2 cup kalachana
1.5 tsp salt
Thick tamarind puree - 2 tbsp
Powdered jaggery - 1 to 2 Tbsp
1/4 cup fresh coconut (dry coconut / copra can be substituted)
Ingredients to fry:
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 one inch cinnamon pieces
2 small petals of raathi puvvu / stone flower / daagad phool (optional. I happen to use them while preparing all spice powders) 10 red chillies
Ingredients for tadka:
2 Tbsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, a pinch of asafoetida, curry leaves

Cooking:

• Soak the kalachana over night or for at least 6 hours. They will swell and you would have about a cup of chana. Pressure cook the chana. Though they can be cooked on stovetop, it would take longer. Put the cooked chana in a colander and rinse them with fresh water.
• Fry all those ingredients mentioned in the list and keep aside.
• Take half of the cooked chana, fried ingredients, coconut and grind into a paste using water.
• Mean while, heat oil in a kadai / pan and add tadka ingredients in the order mentioned. When mustard seeds start to pop, add onions and fry till they turn translucent. Then add tomatoes and saute them till they turn mush. Then add chana, ground paste, tamarind, jaggery and salt to the onion- tomato mixture. Next add water. Adjust the quantity of water to get a consistency of sambhar. Also keep in mind that it thickens a little after cooking. Taste and adjust the quantities of salt, jaggery and tamarind if needed.
• Simmer the sambhar for about 10 minutes and turn off the stove.
• Serve hot with rice and a little ghee.

Recipe Source : Smt. Rajya Lakshmi, my beloved mother-in-law.

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Subzis For Siri: Sprouted Peas - Potato Subzi

My sister recently asked me whether I could post some recipes for subzis which go well with rotis. She was bored with the monotony of cooking the same subzis over and over. She thinks that I have a little more gyan than her in the cooking area since I own a blog and have been cooking longer than her. I think anyone who cooks on a daily basis for about a dozen years obviously becomes knowledgable to some extent ( sticking to cooking). :)) Like most of the women in India, she doesn't go looking for recipes over the web or in a book. Who does anyway when family members / friends are nearby? She therefore thought it would be easier for her to look for recipes here instead of googling. I am sure she would appreciate this easy and simple subzi recipe. I have paired nutritious sprouts with yummy potatoes. Sprouted green peas can be replaced by dry green peas. Soak them for a minimum of 4 hours and pressure cook them. You can see how to sprout here and here. Ingredients needed to serve 4 : 1 cup sprouted green peas 2 of each - potato, onion, tomato - chopped into cubes 2 tsp salt or according to taste 1 tsp chili powder 1 tsp coriander powder 1/4 tsp turmeric powder 1-2 tsp sugar (Optional) For tadka: 1 Tbsp oil, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, cumin seeds The cooking part: Heat oil in a kadai / sauce pan and add mustard & cumin seeds to it. When they start to sizzle, add onion and fry till it turns translucent. Then add tomato and fry for a couple of minutes more. Then add potato cubes, sprouted peas, turmeric powder, salt and 2 & 1/2 cups of water and cook on high heat till potatoes are done. Add a little more water if needed. Now in goes coriander powder, chili powder and sugar. Simmer for another five minutes and turn off the stove. Serve hot with rotis. Related Posts here: Ghuguni This goes to FIC - Yellow hosted by Sunshinemom. Post a Comment

Moong Bean Khichadi

Our last India trip was to celebrate the Kanakabhishekam of M's parents. Though the trip was a short one, there was no dearth for the family gatherings and home cooked, good food. When ever I came across something I liked, I would ask for a pencil and paper and note down the recipe, with out feeling any embarassment. Of course, that happened many times as M comes from a big family filled with amazing cooks. By the time I came home, my purse was full of loose sheets with recipes scribbled all over.
Among those scribblings was this fabulous khichadi from Pushpa, who is M's SIL. She comes from a Kannadiga family and naturally her recipes are influenced by Kannada Cuisine which is less hotter compared to Andhra cuisine. She uses moong beans (green) and moongdal (yellow) a lot in her cooking with lot of variations. This khichadi is an example of it.
This Moong khichadi is meant for people who love quick, one pot meals. It hardly takes 15 - 20 minutes to prepare this dish if you have a cooker. Pair with some chutney / gojju and some yogurt, you will have a complete meal.

Ingredients to serve 4:
Rice - 1 cup (I have used sona masuri)
Moong beans (green gram) - 1/4 cup, heaped
Chopped vegetables - 1 cup
(I used carrot, potato, tomato, green beans and green peas).
Water - 2 cups
Salt 1.5 tsp
Sambhar powder 1Tbsp
For tadka /seasoning: 1 Tbs ghee, 1 tsp grated ginger, 1 tsp mustard seeds and few curry leaves


Pressure cooker cooked moong khichadi

The cooking part:
Wash and soak moong beans for about an hour. In the mean time, do the prep work. Peel the carrot and potato and wash the remaining veggies. Chop them finely.
Heat ghee in a small saute pan and add ginger and fry for a few seconds and then add mustard seeds and curry leaves. When mustard seeds start to pop, turn off the stove. You can do tadka directly in the pressure pan or cooker in which the khichadi is going to be cooked.
Wash the rice and throw away the water used. Add rice, soaked moong beans (with out the water used to soak), vegetables, salt, sambhar powder, the tadka and the 2 cups of water to a container and place it in a cooker and cook till you hear 3 whistles. Note that this khichadi should not be mushy.When the valve pressure is gone, remove and serve hot with dalia - coconut chutney.



This is going to
Susan's 'My Legume Love Affair' - The seventh helping hosted by Srivalli of 'Cooking 4 all seasons' this month.
and 'Harvest - The festival of rice' event hosted by Sudeshna of 'Here I cook'.

Note:
The quantity of moong can be increased to 1/2 cup. 1 cup rice + 1/2 cup lentils (toordal) + a handful of moong is another variation. Adjust the quantity of water accordingly.

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Fried Poha Snack / Veyinchina Atukulu

Ten minutes of time and the common ingredients found in any Indian kitchen are enough for this simple, crunchy evening snack.

 

Ingredients for 4 servings:
2 cups poha (Thick variety)
1/4 cup peanuts
2 Tbsp roasted chickpeas (dalia)
4 red chillies 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp mustard seeds
few curry leaves
1 cup oil to fry + 1 tsp oil for tadka

How:
Heat oil in a kadai / pan and add peanuts to it. Fry till they turn golden brown, remove them with a slotted spoon and keep them aside. Then add poha in small batches (about 1/4 cup) to the same hot oil. In a couple of seconds , the poha comes to the surface, sizzling and also changing it's color from the pale to a brighter white shade. Immediately, remove with a slotted spoon and drain the poha on a paper towel covered plate. Now the tadka part. Heat 1 or 2 tsp of oil in a small saute pan and add mustard seeds, red chillie pieces, curry leaves and turmeric powder in that order. When mustard seeds start to pop, turn off the stove. Add the fried poha, peanuts, dalia, tadka & salt to a bowl and mix well. Serve with hot coffee or tea.

 

Note: 
1. Do this test to know whether the oil is hot enough to fry poha. Drop a couple of poha flakes in the hot oil. If the poha flakes sizzle and come to the surface immediately, then the oil is ready. If poha sinks to the bottom, heat the oil for one more minute.
2. Dry coconut (copra) cubes can also be fried in the hot oil and added to the poha mixture. 1.

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Seema Vankaya Koora / Seeme Badanekayi Palya / Chayote Fry

Chayote, the pale green gourd with a mild sweetish flavor is a commonly found vegetable in India. My chayotes usually go in Indian style subzis and dal preparations. Chayotes are one of the good canditates for hassel free, simple and quick dishes.

This happens to be one of my favorite veggies. In the initial days of our marriage, some how my in laws came to conclusion that I favor only veggies with a sweet flavor. One of the reasons being that I was not in great love with the commonly available veggies in Andhra like brinjals, okra or bitter melon and loved mostly carrots, beets and such other stuff. M used to tease me all the time that I prefer rabbit food. My MIL however used to buy ridge gourds and chayotes for me even though she did not know what to do with them.

After more than a dozen years of our association and my cooking, M's point of view towards some of the vegetables have changed. Now, whenever I send M to grocery shopping, he makes it a point to buy some of these green beauties which have become his favorite too.

I usually follow my mom's steam - saute method while preparing this dish. The addition of fresh coconut lends a subtle sweetness to the dish.

What is needed:

One chayote -peeled, quartered, the seed removed and cubed

1/4 cup fresh coconut, grated

Chili Powder - 3/4 tsp

Salt to taste

For tadka - 1 Tbsp oil, 1 tsp chanadal, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, few curry leaves, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

How it is done:

Heat oil in a saute pan and add all the tadka ingredients in the order mentioned. When the mustard seeds start to pop and the chana dal starts to turn reddish, add the chayote cubes and salt. Stir once , cover the pan with a lid and cook on a low flame till the chayote cubes turn tender. Then add chili powder & coconut and mix well. Let it cook for a couple of minutes more and turn off the stove.

Serve with rice / rotis.

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Potlakaya Pappu / Snake gourd Dal

In India, beans are a great source of protein irrespective of one's dietary habits. What variety of beans (dal) are used or how they are cooked at home, depends upon where you are from. They are used both in savoury and sweet dishes.
Coming to South, lentils (toordal/kandipappu) are extensively used on a daily basis. Again each state have unique dal preparations which are special and delicious in their own way. From the state of Andhra, one can find such a distinctive dal preparation called pappu. Though it can be prepared with most of the vegetables, mamidikaya pappu (mango dal), gongura pappu, dosakaya pappu (cucumber dal) stand out.
Though I like all my pappus, I am partial towards those with Indian gourds like snake, bottle or ridge gourds. They are quick and simple. Tamarind - chili powder mantra very common to dal preparations, is a big NO here. It is cooked in such a way that the unique flavor and the mild sweet taste of the gourd stand out instead of the other ingredients added.
Snake gourds are long gourds (and probably why the name) with a beautiful green shade covered with white stripes. They are mildly sweet to taste after cooking. When using the fresh gourd, trim off the edges and slice crosswise into thin circles. If using frozen ones, wash the sliced gourds and use. I have no qualms in using frozen vegetables when fresh ones are not available or when we need to drive 40 miles around or when I need to pay more. Especially the snake gourds where I have to shell out around $8 per pound while I can get the same quantity of frozen variety at less than quarter the price.

Ingredients required:Toordal - 3/4 cup
Potlakaya / snake gourd, chopped into slices - 1 cup
Water - 1 & 1/2 cups
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
4 Serrano peppers, slit lengthwise (or use any other variety green chillies. Quantity can be increased or decreased)
Salt - 1 tsp
For tadka: 1 tsp oil, 1/2 tsp each of mustard & cumin seeds, curry leaves, a pinch of asafoetida

The cooking part:Put all the ingredients except salt in a pressure cooker and cook. When the valve pressure is gone remove the lid. Add salt and mix well with a ladle. Mash the dal a little bit, if needed.
Alternatively, add all these ingredients to a sturdy pot and cook on low flame with constant stirring. Water quantity should be increased accordingly. When cooked the dal must reach fall apart stage and need to be mushy and not watery.
Heat a tsp of oil in a small pan. Add 1/2 tsp each of mustard seeds and cumin seeds, a pinch of asafoetida and few curry leaves to the hot oil. When mustard seeds start to splutter, turn off the stove and add these ingredients to the cooked pappu (dal) and stir once more.


Potlakaya pappu served with steamed rice, a tsp of ghee & sundried, salted chilies

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