Kanchipuram idli with coconut chutney

Kanchipuram idli for breakfast.

Ingredients

Idli rice rawa 3 cups
Urad dal 1 cup
Methi seeds a teaspoon
Jeera 1 teaspoon
Black pepper a few
Dhaniya chopped 2 teaspoon
Curry leaves a few
Salt as required

Method of preparation

Wash and soak idli rice rawa, methi for about 2 hours.

Wash and soak urad dal for about 30 to 45 minutes.

First grind urad dal for about 30 minutes till its fluffy. Now add soaked methi and idli rice rawa. Grind it for about 20 minutes till urad dal and idli rice rawa blend into a smooth batter.

Keep the batter in two vessels fill it only till half so that the batter ferment well and thus prevent it from overflowing from the vessel.  I have left it for fermentation overnight. In winters it's best to keep it in warm corners of kitchen slab.

Today morning I have made a coarse powder of black pepper and jeera. Chopped dhaniya, curry leaves and grated ginger. Add all of the ingredients to prepared idli batter and mix well.

Grease idli plates pour in idli batter and pour sufficient water in idli vessel. Carefully keep idli stand and close lid. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes. Once done, use a fork to check whether idli is cooked by gently poking into prepared idli. Once the fork comes out clean. Use a flat ladle to remove soft fluffy aromatic idlies to serving bowls.

Serve kanchipuram idlies with coconut chutney and freshly brewed filter coffee.

Carrot, burnt garlic and tomato soup

Carrot, burnt garlic and tomato soup

Ingredients

Onion 1 medium sized
Garlic a few pods
Butter a small cube
Carrot one large
Ripe tomatoes  3 large
French beans 4 to 5
Mooli leaves a few
Carrot leaves a few
Dhaniya patha a few
Ginger a small piece
Green chilli 2
Bay leaves 1
Cinnamon stick one small
Star annise one
Clove 2
Elachi 2
Crushed pepper 1/2 tsp
Ajwain leaves a fe
Water 6 to 7 cups
Salt as required

Method of preparation

Wash and chop vegetables into desired shape.  I have just halved tomato and beans. Rest leaves are washed and added to soup.

In a pan add butter,cinnamon stick, bay leaves, star annise, clove, elachi and chopped ginger, onion and garlic,  cook in medium flame till garlic turns into golden to brownish colour. Add carrot, tomatoes, beans, mooli leaves, carrot leaves, coriander leaves, Ajwain leaves and mix well. Once vegetables become soft add crushed pepper, salt and water. Allow water to reach boiling temperature. Boil for about 5 minutes. Reduce flame, adjust salt. Use a colander to extract soup. Use a hand blender to smash cooked vegetables and press them through colander or steel sieve with large holes. You can add more pepper and salt if needed.

Serve soup in small bowls with bread toast.

Cheesy bread paneer and mixed vegetables tikiya

The biggest challenge as a mother I face is how to make delicious food at home which appeal to  children. Ab hum toh koshish yahi karthe hai Ki bache kuch healthy or tasty khana khaye. Toh aaj ka challenge accepted and conquered!! Cheesy bread paneer mixed vegetables tikiya!!!💕💕😍              nam toh bahuth hi lamba hai par tikiya melt in your mouth. Bache bhi khush aur hum toh on cloud nine!

Ingredients needed a few slices of bread, two eggs, one cheese slice, a small piece paneer a lot of finely chopped vegetables like carrot, capsicum, tomato, onion, a few cauliflower florets.

Method of preparation

Beat eggs, crumble bread, chop vegetables into very tiny pieces.

In a pan pour one teaspoon olive or sunflower oil add onion, tomato, capsicum, carrot and cauliflower. Cook in medium flame till vegetables are soft, now add paneer, crushed pepper, a little jeera, coriander powder a pinch of garam masala, salt and mix well. It's time to add cheese slice and mix well. Finally add beaten eggs and allow it to cook with other ingredients. Once it resemble egg burjji, off stove. Place crumbled bread in a bowl add cooked vegetables panner mixture. Smash well using your palm. Make a soft dough, divide into eight parts, make a small lemon sized ball and gently press in the centre to make tikiya. Keep tawa on stove when it's hot add a little butter and gently place prepared tikki. Allow it to turn into golden brown. Serve with green chutney or tomato sauce. Its enjoyed by my kids. 🤩😜💕💕

Cauliflower, shalgum aur carrot pickle and Amla pickle

Gajjar, shalgum aur Gobi ke achar, Amla achar. Winter mein achar fresh bananeka maza hi kuch aur hai!!

Gajjar, shalgum aur Gobi ke instant achar

Wash and peel gajjar and shalgum cut into thin pieces

Cut Gobi florets.

Red chili powder 1 tsp
Haldi 1 tsp
Nimbu juice 2 tsp
Panch phodan 1/2 tsp
Salt as required
Red chili two broken into halves
Oil two tablespoon

Method of preparation

In a heated kadai pour oil, add panch phodan, add one or two red chili broken into halves. Once spices turn mild golden brown add chopped vegetables,mix well, add turmeric,red chili and salt. Mix well cook it for a few minutes off stove add lemon juice and mix well. It's ready to serve.

Amla achar

Ingredients

Amla 10 cut into thin pieces, discard seeds.
Til oil 2 tablespoon
Mustard 1/2 tsp
Methi seeds 1 tsp
Haldi 1/2 tsp
Red chili powder 1 or 2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method of preparation

In a heated kadai pour oil add mustard and methi seeds. Let mustard splutter. Add chopped Amla, turmeric,salt and mix well. Allow Amla to turn into golden brown. Now add red chili powder, mix well. Off stove. Adjust salt and Serve it.

Spegatti with desi tomato and paneer

I made spegatti with desi fresh tomatoes and cottage cheese(paneer)

Ingredients

Spegatti half of a packet

Cheese 100 grams

Paneer 250 grams

Cream 2 tea spoon

Tomato 5

Mushroom 6 to 7

Beans 3 

Long bean a few

Cabbage a few leaves

Carrot 2

Onion 1

Garlic a few pods

Step 1

In a large pan boil water add spegatti to cook.

 Wash vegetables

 Chop all vegetables into thin slices.

 By this time spegatti is cooked in boiling water.

 Saute vegetables beginning with onion, garlic and add rest of them in olive oil, add oregano, thyme,parsley, celery and mix well. Allow the vegetables to cook.

 Drain excess water from spegatti. Keep aside.

 Make fine puree out of cooked tomatoes.

 Spread cooked vegetables in a plate.keep aside.

 Use the same pan for reducing the puree add celery leaves for flavour.

 Grate cheese and paneer

 Once puree is ready add cooked spegatti, mixed vegetables,paneer, cheese and mix well.

 Add a dash of cream

Finally adjust salt add two packets of pizza seasoning and red chili flakes. Mix well serve hot. It's healthy and delicious and kids will love it for lunch or as evening after school snack.

Amla(Nellikkai) pickle

Today made Amla pickle. The recipe is very simple.

All you need is few fresh Amla, oil, red chilli powder, turmeric, jeera powder, dhaniya powder, hing, salt, mustard and methi.

Method of preparation

Wash and boil amla,by adding turmeric(1/2 tsp) and salt use just enough water to immerse Amla for about 15 minutes in low flame. Once cooked, remove seeds from Amla.  In a pan pour oil about 3 tablespoon add mustard seed(1/2 tsp), methi(1/4 tsp) and let mustard splutter. Add amla with the rest of water in which its cooked, mix well, add red chilli powder about 2 teaspoon, jeera and dhaniya powder 1/2 tsp each,  hing a pinch, adjust salt if needed. Preserve in clean, sun dried bottles. Make small quantity at a time as we are not using any preservatives.

Pullikutti uperi with arbi leaves, Moriga leaves mollaguttal, steamed Nendran banana

Pullikutti uperi with arbi leaves, a traditional Palakkad side dish.

Recipe for Pullikutti Uperi

Ingredients

Raw banana - 2
bindi - 10
brinjal - 5 (trim and cut all three vegtable into evenly 2 inch long slices)
Arbi/chembu leaves - wash and cut into two parts in the middle. Roll the leaves and either you can tie thread or toothpick.
salt as required
hing powder - 1/4 tsp
Coconut oil _ 2 tbsp

Tamarind - a gooseberry size (Soak in hot water and pressure cook and extract thick pulp) or you can soak tamarind in hot water for 10 minutes and extract the pulp.

Green chilly - 1(make a small hole)
ginger a small piece
curry leaves a few

Dry roast ( You can keep the rest of this powder)
Raw rice/boiled rice - 2 table spoon
red chilly - 2
methi seeds - a few
Sesame seeds 1/2 tsp
hing/kayam - a small piece

In a dry pan fry all the ingredients in slow fire into crispy golden colour and powder coarsely.

Method of preparation

In a heated kadai pour one teaspoon oil add evenly cut bindi, brinjal cook for about 5 minutes. Now add raw banana, turmeric powder mix well allow it to cook in high flame, keep tossing it now and then. You can sprinkle a little water. Add arbi/chembu leaves and allow the vegetables to cook well by placing a lid on top. But make sure you check the vegetables now and then. Once all the vegetables are cooked well add tamarind pulp allow the pulp to blend well with the cooked vegetables. Add salt, ginger and green chilli. Once all vegetables are 95 % cooked add roasted  rice powder and mix well with the vegetables.This adds great taste to the puli kutti uperi. Off the stove.

In a small pan pour coconut oil add mustard, urad dhal, methi seeds, let it splutter, add curry leaves and pour it on top of prepared Pullikutti uperi. Close the lid after 15 minutes you can serve it.

(I have removed the toothpick before serving. If you are using thread please remove it before serving)

 Note : You can preserve the left over rice powder and use it when you make puli kutti uperi next time!

Drumsticks leaves mollaguttal(Moriya leaves with moong dhal and coconut)

Ingredients

Moong dhal a small cup - wash and cook it in kalchatti(stone vessel)

Drumsticks leaves - a bunch( remove the leaves, wash and cook by adding 2 cups  water and turmeric powder)

Grated coconut 1/2 cup, one dry red chilli, little mustard seeds. A little roasted raw rice. Grind all ingredients together in a mixer by adding a little water.

Method of preparation

Add cooked drumsticks leaves, cooked moong dhal and mix well. Now add coconut paste, salt let it boil. If needed you can add hot water to make it pouring consistency. Adjust salt. Off stove.

In a small pan pour coconut oil, add mustard and urad dhal.let mustard splutter,add one red chilli broken into two piece. Pour tadka on top of prepared Moriga leaves mollaguttal. Serve it with piping hot rice and Pullikutti uperi. Enjoy you cold winter lunch with nutritious moriga leaves mollaguttal and aromatic Pullikutti uperi prepared in kalchatti(stone vessel) Heavenly!!

 Steamed Nendran banana

Ingredients

Ripe Nendran Pazham/banana - 3 (cut into halves)

Elachi - a few (use the outerskin, seeds I have crushed and added to morning tea)

Method of preparation

In a pressure pan add sufficient water and keep steamer. Place Nendran banana, add elachi skin, close the lid. Steam it for about 15 minutes. Serve it along with morning breakfast.