Rice rava kozhukkattai

A delicious breakfast or lunch idea is to make kozhukkattai (rice dumplings)

Rice rawa kozhukattai with tuvar dal and urad dal.

This recipe has two steps

Making the kozhukattai (rice and lentiles dumplings and giving it a tadka before serving.

Rice rava lentils dumplings

( Kozhukattai)

Ingredients

1 cup idly rice rava ( Vijay brand is good)

1/2 cup tuvar dal

1/2 cup whole urad dal

3 cups boiled water

1/4 cup grated coconut

1/2 teaspoon crushed peppercorns 

2 green cilies

1 inch ginger

2 springs curry leaves

1tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (optional)

For tadka (tempering)

2 tablespoon gingly oil

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 tablespoon urad dal

2 red dry chilies (non spicy)

Method

*Wash, soak lentils for 1 hour.

*Roast rava in medium flame til it releases aroma.

*Remove excess water from soaked lentils,  add green chilli,ginger and grind to a coarse paste.

* Boil and keep 3 cups of water.

*In a thick bottom pan, keep it on medium flame,  pour a little oil,add roasted rava and lentils paste, add boiled water, crushed peppercorns,salt , curry and coriander leaves, and coconut. Mix well, it will form into a soft dough. Off the stove. Wait for to be just warm. 

( my mum used to make it in ottu uruli, I use an anodized pan.)

*Divide the dough into desired portion, I make medium sized kozhukattais, so divided them into 12 equal portions.

* Use a steamer to steam the kozhukattai for about 15 minutes.

*Once done,off stove, letvit reach bit warm. 

* Use the same thick bottom pan for making the tempering. 

*Pour gingly oil in the heated pan, add mustard,urad dal and broken dry chilies. Let the mustard splutter. Now take the prepared kozhukattai and add them in the tempering while use the other hand to roll them, so that the tempering is evenly coated. Cook for two more minutes. The outer crust of the rice dumplings will be a bit crunchy.

*Serve it with coconut chutney or sambar. It's a good option for breakfast or lunch.

*Please try and share the recipe.

Version 2

Rice rawa kozhakatti without dals

Rice rava kozhukattai with red rice puttu podi.

I had made puttu with double horse puttu podi yesterday, had made little extra powder and saved it for next days kozhukkattai breakfast.

Ingredients

1 cup red rice wet puttu podi,(remember I had left over puttu podi)

2 cups of boiled water

1/2 cup grated coconut

1/2 teaspoon crushed peppercorns 

2 green chilies(chopped and crushed)

2 tablespoon of coconut/gingly/peanut oil

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon urad dal

Salt as required

Method

*In a bowl, mix in rice puttu powder, grated coconut and crushed green chilies.

*In a heated pan pour oil, mustard seeds, broken urad dal and one broken red chilli. Let the mustard seeds splutter.

*Add water,let it boil, add salt, peppercorns,rice rava (puttu podi which is mixed with coconut)

*Mix well, let it cook for about 5 minutes in medium to low flame.

*Add curry leaves. Mix well, adjust salt.

* Off stove, allow the soft dough to cool down. 

*Take a small lemon sized dough and shape it with hands. Repeat and make kozhukkattai. Use a steamer and steam it for 12 minutes.

*Serve with coconut chutney and sambar.

Notes

*Keep an extra glass of boiled water,in case you think the dough need more water.

*I used two cups of water as I used already wet, prepared puttu podi.

For better flavour and aroma you can do the tempering after making the kozhakatti. 

Pumpkin, potato subzi

The recipe for this dish is done from scratch and my husband enjoyed cooking pumpkin potato subzi very much and we all liked it.

Video available on YouTube

https://youtu.be/OBu1f1_pdYU

There are some recipes we make from our lingering memories of eating the dish. So here is the recipe for pumpkin potato subzi.

Ingredients

150 grams pumpkin, peeled and cubed

2 potatoes, peeled and sliced

1 onion thinly sliced

3 small brinjals chopped

5-6 hyacinth beans, trimmed and chopped

1 tomato chopped

1/2: teaspoon turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon Jeera powder

1/2 teaspoon coriander powder

A pinch of heeng

1 teaspoon crushed jaggery powder

Salt as required

2 tablespoon ghee/peanut oil

For dry roast

1/2: teaspoon saunf/fennel seeds

1/2 teaspoon kasuri methi

1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri Lal mirchi powder

Method

*Wash, peel and chop pumpkin, potato, keep aside.

* Wash and cut brinjal, tomato, trim hyacinth beans and cut into desired shape.

*In a small pan roast saunf,kasuri methi and finally add Kashmiri lal mirchi powder. Off stove, crush with pestle and keep aside.

*In a pan pour ghee, add onion saute and add rest of the chopped vegetables. Add salt,cook till all vegetables are well cooked and tender.

*Now add all dry masalas like turmeric, jeera, coriander,heeng give it a toss, add jaggery powder, mix in, close lid and cook.

*Now add crushed fresh roasted masalas. Toss.

*Add chopped coriander leaves, close lid. After sometime mix in and serve with freshly made phulkas. It tastes good.

Jackfruit subzi

We buy the whole Jackfruit,cut the peel, cut into cubes and steam it. I generally make idichakka poduthuval, this time kept a few pieces for making Jackfruit subzi.

The recipe is unique as we are saving time,oil. and this dish gives you the satisfaction of eating a great meal.

Jackfruit subzi

Ingredients

1/2 steamed Jackfruit

1 onion

4-5 garlic cloves

1 tomato

1/2 inch ginger

2 green chillies

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder

1/2 teaspoon jeera powder

A pinch of heeng

1/2 teaspoon jeera

1tablespoon ghee/peanut oil

Method

* In a pan pour ghee/peanut oil, add jeera to splutter.

*Add garlic,onion,ginger and tomato. Saute till onions are roasted.Add salt.

*Add dry masalas. Now we will mix in steamed Jackfruit pieces and quickly give a toss.

*Let it cook for a few minutes, the Jackfruit will be roasted a bit.

*Add curry leaves and coriander leaves

.

*Mix well,serve with jowar,ragi roti or brown rice.

Garnish with curry leaves and coriander leaves

Add steamed Jackfruit into the pan.

Sauteed the onion, tomato and garlic

Tadka

Tomato,onion, green chillies and garlic chopped

Small Jackfruit, peeled,cut and steamed.

Tendli/Kundru/ ivy gourd pulao ( kundru bhaat)

Kundru pulav (ivy gourd)

Kundru pulav(Kundru bhaat) getting ready in pan for lunch. It requires a very few ingredients and vegetables like potato, tomato, onion, green chili and star of the show kundru(ivy gourd) and little Jeera, coriander, red chilli, garam masala, cinnamon stick, saunf, salt and turmeric powder. 

It hardly takes 30 minutes to make this delicious lunch or dinner dish. Kundru pulav or kundru bhath is one of the best loved rice preparation. It's best made in thick bottomed pan.

Ingredients

1 1/2 Basmathi rice  (wash and keep aside for half an hour)

10 Ivy gourd(Kundru)  slit into thin slice

2 Potatoes peel and slit into thin slices

1 Onion thinly sliced

1 Tomato

A few cauliflower florets

2 Green chilies cut into halves

A small piece ginger cut into thin slices.

2 tablespoons Ghee

1/2 teaspoon of jeera powder 

1/2 teaspoon of coriander powder

1/2 teaspoon of red chilli powder 

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder 

1/2 teaspoon garam masala 

Salt as required

1 inch long cinnamon stick

Saunf a little

A teaspoon of chopped coriander leaves for garnish.

Method 

*In a thick bottomed pan pour ghee add cinnamon stick, saunf, onion, ginger and sauté, add potato cook for a few minutes.

*Add ivy gourd and allow it to get roasted. 

*When potato and kundru turn mild golden brown add turmeric, Jeera, coriander and red chilli powder. Mix well.

*Add basmathi rice and evenly coat vegetables and dry masala. Let it absorb all masalas.

* Add tomato and 3 cups of water. Add salt and mix gently. 

*Close lid and cook in medium flame. 

*Let it cook till rice becomes long and bend. One whistle in pressure pan.

*Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

*Serve hot with raitha or mirchi ka salan. 

*This rice preparation is best suited for lunch box and when you have guests at home.

Notes

Variation

Add a few pieces of mango during season for the tanginess.

Pasta salad with vegetables

We somedays have salad for lunch. Today we have made chickpeas pasta with loads of vegetables.

Chickpeas pasta salad ready to devour!

The delicious pasta ready.

Serving the pasta into bowls.

We have started to pick pasta made out of rajma, chickpeas and vegetables. They taste good.

Chickpea fusilli (pasta) with vegetables

Ingredients

2 handfuls of chickpea pasta

1 sweet corn

2 tablespoon olive/peanut oil

10 button mushrooms

10 french beans

1/2 capsicum

3 cauliflower florets

3 cloves garlic

5-6 babycorns(optional)

10 black olives

3 tablespoon of tomato puree/pasta sauce

1/2 teaspoon of mixed herbs like rosemary, oregano, thyme,basil

1 teaspoon of curly parsley ( mine got dried )

Salt as required,( better add towards the end,as sauce,cheese all have salt in it.)

Method

*Cook pasta in sufficient water till done.

*Wash and chop all vegetables. Keep aside

* Pour oil and vsaute garlic, add all vegetables,cook for a few minutes.

*Add dry herbs, a little salt, mix well.

*Add pasta sauce/tomato puree.

#Add cooked pasta, cheese and mix well.

*Let the cheese mildly melt. Add black olives.

* Serve in bowls.

*Sprinkle a little lemon juice.

Enjoy your pasta salad with strawberry lemonade! Yum.

Notes

Use good quality mozzarella cheese for better results.

* Use more vegetables than pasta, make sure you select fresh tender vegetables of your children's choice.

A handful of black olives, sweet corn kernels to make the salad more appealing to kids.

* Capsicum cut into small pieces. You can use them towards the end for better flavour.

We had our pasta salad with a delicious vegetable salad and strawberries lemonade. A handful of fresh pudina leaves added the zing that we were looking forward to.