Red amaranth pakoda

Garma garam Red Amaranthus pakoda for evening snack.

I have harvested a few greens from terrace garden.

Red amaranth pakoda
Ingredients

Chana dal - a handful

Urad dal - 3 tbsp

Tuvar dal - 3 tbsp

Moong dal - 2 tbsp

Raw rice - 2 tbsp

Besan - 1 tbsp

Green chillies - 2

Ginger a small piece

Onion - 2

Garlic a few pods

Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp

Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp

Saunf  - 1/2 tsp

Red amaranth, ajwain, pudina - a few leaves each

Red amaranth pakoda
Tips

Use fresh leaves

Add very less water while you make batter, for golden crispy pakodas.

Red amaranth pakoda
Method

Soak dals and rice for about an hour.

Grind to a smooth batter by adding two green chilies and a small piece ginger.

Mix to  chopped greens like red spinach, ajwain leaves and pudina.

Chop and add two onion, one small piece ginger, a few pods garlic, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and finally add a teaspoon saunf.

Mix well add a little basan powder if the batter is not thick.

Heat oil and carefully add a few pakodas and take it in kitchen paper napkins.

Enjoy pakoda with freshly made tea or coffee.

Hara bhara patties for burgers

Evening snack has to something really interesting for kids. Don't they expect some drool worthy snacks. Kids don't care whether it's healthy, nutritious or has all the essential nutrients their body need.

The challenge is there to create food appealing to their senses, taste good and equally nutrient rich.

Well, here is a patties which match to all that we want our kids to enjoy.

Hara bhara patties
Ingredients

Fresh peas 1 cup

Fresh coriander leaves 2 tbsp

Potato large 1

Green chilli 2

Peanuts a handful

Besan 2 tbsp

Salt as required

Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp

Turmeric 1/4 tsp

Sesame seeds 2 tsp

Hara bhara patties
Tips

Use fresh peas as it gives body, texture and volume to patties. Which is easily available during winter season.

Use good quality potato, we are not going to boil it, we will grate and mix in with other spices.

Hara bhara patties :
Method

Wash, peel and grate potato, keep aside.

Grind peas, green chillies, coriander leaves in mixer, we will make coarse paste.

Coarsely powder peanuts. Keep aside

In a bowl mix in grated potato, peas paste, peanut powder, sesame seeds, besan, red chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala,  salt  and use a ladle to mix in. Use hands if needed.

We are not going to add water as peas and potato has enough water, we are going to bind them with peanut and besan powder.

Keep the dough for 30 minutes. Make small patties using hands.

Pour a little olive oil in kadai, shallow fry patties until golden brown. Place them on a kitchen napkin, let it absorb excess oil.

Make a few as I am sure like my kids asked for more patties your kidoos will also enjoy the tasty, yummy patties.

These patties can be filled inside burger buns. I cut burger buns into half, placed a slice of cheese, placed a pattie, sliced onion and tomato, filled them and served. While after a bite one more pattie silently went inside the bun!! 

A little mustard sauce will make it more delicious, I think! 

Happy kidoos, happy mom!!

Vegetable sevai /noodles

Our breakfast includes different rice preparations, be it idly, dosa, pongal, sevai, idiyappam, puttu, poha etc

I try to add as much vegetables and lentils to breakfast menu. I believe its should be the best meal of the day. Many days when you have a good balanced breakfast you can have salads and subzis for lunch without rice/roti. I find this a great way to manage calorie intake.

Vegetables Rice sevai :
Ingredients

Rice sevai /rice noodles 1 block

Carrot 3

Capsicum 1

Beans 10

Onion 1

Green chilli 1

Ginger a tiny piece

Grated coconut 1 tbsp

For the tempering

Gingly oil 1 tbsp

Mustard 1/2 tsp

Urad dal 1/2 tsp

Red chilli broken into halves 1 (optional)

Tips

You can add more noodles if you want. I generally use less rice preparations and add more vegetables. In an effort to feed my teens more fibre, vitamins and minerals.

You can even try bean noodles and follow the same procedure.

Vegetables rice sevai
Method

Boil sufficient water and add rice noodles, let it cook for about 5 minutes, drain excess water, spread it in a plate. Keep aside.

Chop vegetables into thin long slices. Keep aside.

Pour gingly oil in a heated kadai, add mustard and urad dal, let mustard crackle.

Add onion, followed by carrot, beans and green chilli and ginger. Saute for a while in high flame. O ce they are tender add capsicum and cook further for 2 minutes. Add salt.

Now add noodles, you can use a kitchen scissors to cut noodles and mix in.

Add curry leaves and garnish with grated coconut, adjust salt if needed.

Off stove. Serve hot with sambar, chutney or enjoy it as it is. It's a nourishing meal in itself.

Deep fried potato and brinjal subzi

Today evening was hectic with making pasta for children, tried a little mango pickle by adding jaggery to it and then a quick subzi with potatoes and brinjal.

Its a tasty combination of two absolutely delicious vegetables, namely, potatoes and brinjals.

Ingredients

Potato 1 large

Brinjals 5 to 6 medium sized

Garam masala 1/2 tsp

Turmeric 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves chopped 1 tbsp

Salt as required

Tips

Select long and quick cooking potatoes which are not green in colour or has tiny sprouts in them.

Brinjal should be fresh, you can use any brinjal, I used few home grown and few lavender skinned brinjals.

Method

Wash, peel and thinly slice potatoes. Keep aside.

Slit brinjals into thin slices.

Keep oil in kadai frying. When it's medium hot, add small batches of potatoes and brinjals. Deep fry until golden brown. Remove in kitchen napkin. Let excess oil get absorbed.

Remove oil from kadai in same kadai put fried vegetables, mix in turmeric, red chilli powder and garam masala. Adjust salt, garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with freshly made phulkas or rice. Its yummilicious!

Methi parathas and lobia gravy

Winters and fresh methi leaves are plenty available. I generally pick greens from a street vendor, who sells fresh greens. I picked a few bunches of palak, methi and curry leaves. Sometimes he will give me coriander bunch as he will not have change to return. My morning walks are never done without picking these fresh greens.

Well, palak I made palak paneer and brinjal gravy, curry leaves are shadow dried for making curry leaves powder. Then left with methi which I cleaned, washed and chopped finely for making methi parathas.

Methi parathas:
Ingredients

Whole wheat atta  2 cups

Methi / Fenugreek leaves 1 bunch

Boiled Sweet potato 2

Aam ka achar(avakkai) gravy and oil 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp

Garam masala 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder 1/2 tsp

Jeera powder 1/2 tsp

Salt very less as aam ka achar gravy got good amount of salt in it.

Tips

Use fresh leaves, it adds flavour to parathas.

Method

Peel  sweet potatoes crumble it with a fork and keep aside.

In a heated kadai pour a little oil add jeera, let it crackle, add chopped methi leaves, red chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala, ginger and saute for a few minutes. Off stove keep the methi leaves aside.

In a large bowl add atta, boiled  sweet potato, mustard oil from avakkai, I add mustard gravy also from avakkai, sautéed methi leaves, a little salt (optional) mix in add less water, knead into a soft dough. Keep it in an air tight container until you roll out parathas.

Roll out parathas, in a heated tawa, cook both sides, pour little ghee cook parathas until golden brown. Serve with curd, pickle and subzi or gravy of your choice.

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Raw(fresh) lobia masala
Ingredients

Raw lobia seeds  1 cup

Potato 1 large

Onion 1

Tomatoes 2

Ginger a small piece

Green chillies 2

Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp

Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder 1/2 tsp

Garam masala 1/2 tsp

Fresh coriander leaves a few chopped

Ghee 1 tbsp

Tips

Try to use freshly bought raw lobia or dry soaked one.

Method

In a heated pressure pan pour ghee, add jeera, let it crackle, add chopped onions saute, add tomatoes, green chillies, ginger, mix in.

Let onion become translucent, now add chopped potato and fresh lobia. Mix in, add salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, garam masala and cook for a few minutes.

Add 2 cups of water. Bring to boil.

Close and cook for 2 whistles. Pour lobia gravy into serving bowl. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with parathas, phulkas, steamed rice. It's divine.

Sabudana vada - evening snack

An evening snack is something which I believe should be filling for college going teens. Especially when your children don't carry lunch but prefer salads fruits as lunch. A habit which we follow and are happy about the lifestyle change.

Well, I made sabudana vada from scratch today. Generally we make it with leftover sabudana upma.

Sabudana vada

Ingredients

Sabudana 1 cup

Boiled potato 2

Boiled sweet potato 1

Green chilli 2

Lemon extract from 1/2 piece of lemon

Ginger a small piece (grated)

Coriander leaves chopped 2 tbsp

Raw peanuts coarse powder 3 tbsp

Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp

Dry coriander powder 1/2 tsp

Garam masala 1/2 tsp

Salt as required

Tips

Soak sabudana in just enough water for 2 hours.

Use raw peanuts powder for volume and extra crunchiness.

Make sure you fry it just before serving. It should be eaten hot and when it's crunchy.

Method

Mix in all ingredients.

Smash potato, sweet potato, sabudana, all dry masalas, salt, chopped green chillies, ginger, coriander leaves, salt, red chilli powder, garam masala, peanut powder and lemon extract.

Make a soft non sticky dough. Add a little oil while kneading.

Keep oil for deep frying.

Make dough into approximately 20 parts, roll into small balls, use hands to flatten it, when oil is hot, carefully dip in 4 to 5 vadas.

Adjust heat, medium flame is sufficient, let the vadas get deep fried.

When they turn into crispy golden colour, remove using perforated ladle and place on kitchen napkin. Let it absorb excess oil.

Serve with green chutney or tamarind chutney or sweet and sour sauce.

A cup of freshly brewed filter coffee/black coffee or masala chai can also be served. 

Palak paneer

Palak paneer is a dish my children enjoy. During winters we get very fresh bunches of small palak variety. Yesterday I picked two bunches and cleaned them. Keep it in a big bucket of water for about 15 minutes to get rid of all mud and any dirt.  Remove the leaves into a colander. You can use that water for plants.

We at times have a small harvest of palak from garden.

Today, cut it into small pieces for making palak paneer.

Palak paneer

Ingredients 

2 bunches of palak 

400 grams paneer cubed

For tadka

3 pods of garlic

1 small onion 

2 green chillies (optional)

2 tablespoon of ghee

For dry masalas

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder 

1/2 teaspoon jeera powder

1 teaspoon red chilli powder

1/2 tablespoon of coriander powder

1/2 teaspoon of garam masala

Salt as required

Method

*Wash, clean,cut and blanch palak. Use a hand blender to puree it. Keep aside.

* Peel and cut onion, garlic and green chilies. Use a small kadai to saute using little ghee. Keep aside.

*Use the same kadai for roasting the cubed paneer.Now add the sauteed onions and garlic, mix well.

*Add the paneer, onion garlic and green chilies to the pureed palak. Mix well.

*Add the dry masalas. Give a quick mixing of all the ingredients.

*Transfer to a serving bowl. Add a tablespoon of cream.

*Mix well before serving.

Serve with phulkas,naan or any Indian bread.

I enjoy palak paneer and dahi, many times reduce eating rice and roti.

Recipe 2

Variation : Added fried brinjals

I tried to create a new dish today with paneer, palak and brinjal. It was fun and I realised they do taste good as a trio!

Ingredients

2 bunches of Palak 
5 Brinjal 
200 grams of Paneer 
1/2 tsp Red chilli powder 
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2:tsp Coriander powder 
1/2 tsp Garam masala powder 
1/2 tsp Jeera powder 
1/2:tsp ofAmchur powder 
Cinnamon stick a small piece
2 crushed Elachi 
Butter a small cube
75 grams Cream 
1tablespoon Ghee 
1/2 tsp Kasuri methi

.

Method

A few bunches of palak, brinjal and paneer. The challenge before me is to make a tasty dish with these ingredients.

* I first washed and throughly cleaned palak using water, as there will be plenty of sand.

*Then slit brinjal into four, deep fried it in oil.

*Added a little butter, cubed paneer and roasted them using a little turmeric, red chilli powder and salt.

*Roughly chopped palak, cooked with a little salt, used blender to make a coarse paste.

*In a heated kadai pour a little oil, add cinnamon stick and crushed elachi let it release aroma, add palak, cook for a few minutes. 

*Reduce flame, add turmeric, salt, coriander, red chilli powder, amchur powder, garam masala, jeera powder add roasted brinjals and paneer. Mix in.  

*Coat paneer and brinjal with palak gravy. Now add cream and mix in. Adjust salt and do a quick tadka of ghee and crushed kasuri methi. Serve with phulkas.

Isn't something new and interesting? Happy cooking!

Tips

Use fresh palak leaves, blend in medium speed. Don't over cook palak. We want that lovely jade colour.

Use medium sized brinjal, slit in such a way the brinjals can be enjoyed with the stem.

Use fresh paneer for better results

Paneer parathas

I was rolling out parathas for breakfast, thought of sharing a simple technique for making tasty parathas. I know you love parathas, don't you? There are different fillings we can use for parathas, radish, aloo, gobi(cauliflower), paneer and sometimes I fill cheese and peanut butter too. Its yummilicious.

Ingredients

Atta 2 cups
Salt as required
Water for kneading soft dough.

For filling

Paneer 200 grams
Green chilli 2
Ginger a small piece
Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder 1/2 tsp
Garam masala 1/2 tsp
Salt as required

Tips

Knead atta half an hour before making parathas. I use previous nights kneaded leftover dough.

Method

*Knead atta. Keep aside.

*Grate paneer, ginger, chop green chilies, coriander, mix in. 

*Add salt, red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala. 

*Knead the filling with hands. It should resemble little crumbles.

*Role a small disk out of atta, fill paneer, fold and make potli, seal all sides, dust with atta powder, roll out parathas.

*Heat thick dosa tawa, spread a little ghee. 

*Place parathas and cook both sides till its golden brown.

* Serve with pickle and curd. Yummy breakfast!!

Technique for making parathas. Make potli and cover paneer filling from all sides using dough.

Puttu and kozhukattai

Puttu is a traditional kerala breakfast menu which is enjoyed with kadala curry or green gram dal, ripe banana and sugar.

Puttu flour is prepared by wetting coarse rice flour and salt. We dry roast it or use it as it is. We fill grated coconut in between layers of wet puttu flour and steam it in puttu maker. 

Using puttu flour you can make rice dumplings or kozhukattai. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients

Wet puttu mavu 2 cups
Green chilli 2
Coconut grated 1/2 shell
Salt as required

For tempering

Coconut oil 1 tsp
Mustard 1/2 tsp
Urad dal 1/2 tsp
Chana dal 1/2 tsp
Red chilli 1 broken into tiny pieces
Curry leaves a few

Method

I grated half coconut, added one green chilli, ginger and coarsely grind it.

Made a tempering of coconut oil, mustard, urad dal and chana dal, let the mustard crackle, add one red chilli, a few curry leaves. Mix in wet puttu mavu and give a toss, add hot water and salt. Mix in. Finally add coconut  and cook for about 3 minutes.

Off stove, keep steamer on a pan, make small spiral kozhukattai and steam for about 10 minutes.