Saturday, August 29, 2009

Cottage Cheese Club Sandwich



I love eating sandwiches for breakfast. My family calls me a westerner in this regard as they somehow are yet to develop a taste for it as breakfast dishes. This recipe, which is inspired from tastypalettes,spicy chilly, impressed me, partly because it calls for so many vegetables and partly because it is so darn simple. But since tofu is not easily available in my market, i have substituted it with Cottage cheese. health conscious people can take cottage cheese made from skimmed milk or low fat milk. I have also made changes here and there whenever i ran out of the ingredients hoping that it would still make for its taste. And yessss it did......
Take a look.....

Ingredients:
Brown Bread- 4 slices
Cottage cheese (paneer) 50 gms
1/2 capsicum chopped finely. (take any colour you want, i have taken green which was readily available).
1/2 carrot grated or finely chopped
Little cabbage grated
Mixed sprouts 1/4 cup (boiled) (Take care to boil in less water and keep the water for kitchen use rather than discarding. It can be added to gravies or rasam)
Salt to taste
Pepper powder 1/2 - 3/4tsp
Mixed herbs ( readymade powder available) 1/2 tsp
Lemon Juice 1/2 tsp (optional)
Butter or Nutralite (got widely in India) (it is cholestrol free butter so healthier)

Method:
Take the boiled sprouts in a bowl, add grated cabbage, chopped carrots, capsicum, crumble paneer and add. Add salt, pepper powder, mixed herbs, lemon juice and mix well.
Toast bread slices on tawa with little butter on it. Keep the stuffing in between 2 slices, cut in between to form 2 triangles. Serve fresh else the bread will get soggy.
Serve with a glass of your favourite juice (i have served with fresh homemade pomegranate juice) and a bowl of cut fruits to complete your power breakfast.

Idli Sambhar


South indian breakfast mainly consists of Idli, Dosai, pongal and vadais...
Don't we drool over it even if we have it every second day.
Steaming hot idlis served with piping hot sambhar is a must have.....

Ingredients:
IDLI

4 cups idli rice (ponni) available widely in tamil stores.
1.5 cups Urad dal
2 tsp Methis seeds (for the lovely aroma and flavour)
2 tsp soaked aval (for softer idlis)
1.5 cup Raw rice (for brown dosas)
I follow this ratio and this is taken from Ms.Mullai's website (http://www.spiceindiaonline.com/)
Soak all the ingredients for 5-6 hours and grind. Add 4 tsp Kallu uppu for the batter. It gives better taste. Keep for fermentation.

Make idlis with the fermented batter.

For Sambhar:
Arachu Vitta Sambar
Oil – 1 tsp
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Curry leaves - few
Quartered shallots or sliced red onions – ½ cup
Toor dal – ½ cup
Moong dal – 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder – 1+1 tsp
Tamarind paste – 2 tbsp
Salt
Cilantro – 2 tbsp, chopped
Spice mixture
Oil – 1 tsp
Coriander seeds – 2 tbsp
Chana dal – 1 ½ tbsp
Dried red chillies – 8
Raw rice – 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds – ¼ tsp
Grated coconut – 2 tbsp
Red onions – 2 tbsp, chopped
Tomato – ¼ cup,chopped
Heat oil and roast coriander seeds through coconut and grind with onion and tomato to a smooth paste. Alternately, you can grind 2 tbsp of sambar powder (homemade or store-bought) with onion and tomato.
Method
Pressure cook toor dal and moong dal until soft, with 1 tsp of turmeric powder.
In a sauce pan, heat oil, splutter mustard seeds and lightly sauté shallots or red onions with curry leaves. The onions should turn just soft, but still crunchy. Remove and set aside.
In the same pot, boil tamarind paste, salt and the remaining 1 tsp of turmeric powder with 2 cups of water. When tamarind doesn’t smell raw anymore, add the cooked dal, ground spice paste and a cup of water. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add sautéed onions and garnish with cilantro.

Serve hot

Mixed Dal

Dal as we all know are a major source of proteins.
Usually we make any one variety of dal in our homes but how about making a mixed version so as to gain maximum benefit out of it??

Ingredients:
100 g Toovar dal
100 g Chana dal
100 g Black dhall whole
100 g Masoor dal (split)
100 g Moong dal
100 g Green dal whole
1 Tomato (big) chopped
1 Green chilli slit
2 tsp Oil
Salt to taste
½ tsp Haldi powder
½ tsp Garam masala
1 tsp Jeera (cumin)
2 stks Coriander chopped
1 stks Curry leaves
¾ tsp Red chilli powder (or to taste)

Method:




Soak all dals together overnight.




In the morning, pressure cook for 2 whistles and keep aside. Take a pan, add oil, jeera seeds. When they crackle, add curry leaves, tomato, green chilli and saute. Add salt, haldi, red chilli powder, garam masala and saute. When oil leaves the sides, add cooked dal along with little water and boil till thick consistency. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve.




Serve hot with rotis or white rice and aloo fry.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Tri Coloured Parantha


Paranthas or stuffed rotis can become very unhealthy if laden with oil and ghee.But it can be twisted into a healthy version too....
chk this out..


Ingredients:


1 Radish (grated)
1 bunch Radish leaves
1 Carrot (grated)
2 cup Wheat flour
½ tsp Red chilli powder
½ tsp Garam masala
Salt to taste
Oil (for brushing)


Method:



Take all veggies in a bowl.



Add atta, salt, red chilli powder, garam masala and make dough using water.








Make paranthas, roast on both sides on tawa and thn add little oil and roast till golden brown on both sides. Serve hot with curds or sauce.











Note:

You can add any type of greens. Can also add finely chopped green chillies instead of red chilli powder.

Aloo Podimas

Aloo fry is a regular at everyone's home but how about adding some cocnut to it and give it that pakka south indian touch.....

Ingredients:

6 Potatoes medium size
1 tsp Urad dal
1 tsp Chana dal
1 inch Ginger chopped finely
3 clove Garlic (chopped)
1 Onion big ( chopped)
7 Green chilli (chopped)
Juice of 1 small lemon
¼ cup Fresh coconut (grated)
3 Tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
1 stks Dhaniya
½ tsp Mustard seed
Curry leaves



Method:

Boil and peel potatoes. Cut roughly and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard, urad dal, chana dal and saute. Add curry leaves, onion, garlic, green chilli and saute.











Add haldi, aloo, salt, and fry on low flame till crispy.















Remove from fire, add lemon juice, coconut and serve.











Achaari Bhindi

Lady finger is a powerhouse of nutrients and a boon for those who are dieting.... Slight variations can make this veggie taste completely different... Spicy, tangy and yummmmm.......

Ingredients:

20 Lady finger
2 Tbsp Toor dal
Few pepper (whole)
Salt to taste
1 Onion medium ( chopped )
1 Tomato (chopped)
1 stks Dhaniya
¼ tsp Haldi
¼ tsp Garam masala
¼ tsp Chole masala
¼ tsp Kasuri methi
2 tsp Oil
¼ tsp Red chilli powder

Method:
Take lady finger, trim the edges and cut into 2 pieces. Grind toor dal, pepper, little salt from table 1 to fine powder in dry grinder.



Slit lady finger from between and stuff this dry powder. Keep in microwave proof dish and cook in microwave for 5-6 mts with lid till soft.




Heat oil in a pan, add chopped onion, saute. Add tomato, salt, red chilli powder, haldi, chole masala, garam masala from table 2 and saute till raw smell has gone. Add cooked bhindi, toss till masala coats bhindi completely on sim flame for 2-3 mts. Switch off. Garnish with dhaniya and serve hot with flatbreads of your choice.

If you do not have microwave, steam lady finger in pressure cooker till soft but firm. Take care to not make it mushy.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Tagged!!

1. What is your current obsession?
Updating my Blog hehehe which i dont actually know how to.. A lot of help coming in from Bharathy .... thnxxx
2. What are you wearing today?
Black Formal trousers and purple shirt
3. What’s for dinner?
Dont knw MIL's cooking :D
4. What’s the last thing you bought?
A packet of chips addicted u see...
5. What are you listening to right now?
Kanthasamy Songs meow meow anyone???
6. What do you think about the person who tagged you?
A very helpful person and extremely talented cook whose recipes can be followed blindly..
7. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?
Sydney where else. my dream home... m comingggggggg
8. What are your must-have pieces for summer?
Sunscreen (indian skin u see), sleeveless kurtis, and loads of perfume/Deo.
9. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
Mauritius never been thr...
10. Which language do you want to learn?
German or french maybe...
11. What’s your favourite quote?
Dont worry be happy (the vadivelu style) hahahha
12. Who do you want to meet right now?
My best friends from school. Havent met thm in da last 3 yrs...
13. What is your favourite colour?
Shades of red and pink
14. What is your favourite piece of clothing in your own closet?
My skirt with white t shirt
15. What is your dream job?
A well known stylist or designer
16. What’s your favourite magazine?
Femina types
17. If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?
My hubby his bday is nearing.....
18. What do you consider a fashion faux pas?
Wearing Ill fitted clothes
19. Who are your style icons?
No one i guess
20. Describe your personal style.?
Very casual at home.Would love to dress that would suit the occasion.Love ethnic stuff, prefer 'comfort-clothes' rather than fashionable ones. i agree with u so i have copied ur lines bharathy.

21. What are you going to do after this?
Pack up and leave for home sweet home...
22. What are your favourite movies?
All aishwarya movies
24. What are three cosmetic/makeup/perfume products that you can't live without?
Kajal, eyeliner and gloss
23. What inspires you?
Anyone who has achieved something on his/her own inspires me to do the same.
24. Give us three styling tips that always work for you:
Decent clothes, matching jewellery, simple make up. agn same so copied dear
25. What do you do when you “have nothing to wear” (even though your closet’s packed)?
Ask my hubby for a wardrobe revamp and go shopping instead heheh..
26. Coffee or tea?
Green tea
27. What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed?
Listen to some soothing music and read HArry Potter.
28. What is the meaning of your name?
Shalini-Goddess Ambal.
29. Which other blogs you love visiting?
Love all, for sure!!..
30. Favorite Dessert/Sweet?
Chocolate truffle
31. Favourite Place to hang out:
Any lounge with hubby or friends
32.Question invented-
What else apart from blogging about food??
Movie reviews, fashion, etc etc list goes on...




Thank you so much bharathy, nice to see people like you helping out beginners... love uuuuu

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Soya Sprout Cutlets










It rained heavily in delhi yesterday... Storm, Lightning, heavy winds and Rain and to add to it, so many trees lay uprooted... Result: Roads were a mess, no drainage, and loads of office goers stranded on the roads. I myself reached home at 9 even though i left at 5:30 in the evening. Whew... wat a day it was. And today the sun smiled upon all of us... Still in last night's mood, i thought of making something for tea time snacks.. I had just finished sprouting some green dal, black chole, methi seeds etc.. But as usual, it was a daunting task to make V eat it..... He just hates nething that is healthy and i have to find unusual ways to make him eat things...
So went to the kitchen to rummage through my things to add to the sprouts.. and wat did i get.. Voila, some soya bean nuggets, some peas, some sprouts, and a whole lot of masalas to make cutlets... so here goes....
Ingredients:
1/2 cup soyabean nuggets, soaked in water and little salt for about 1/2 hour.
50 gms fresh or frozen peas ( boiled)
1/2 cup mixed sprouts
Few sprigs of curry leaves cut finely with kitchen scissors
2 Potatoes boiled and mashed
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp pao bhaji masala
1/2 tsp garam masala
3/4 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp amchoor powder
Maida for dusting
Oil for frying

Method:
Take a dry grinder mixie, squeeze out excess water from the soyabean and grind for 2 pulses. No need to make it like a dough, just shredd it.
Take this in a bowl, add sprouts, mashed potatoes, peas,all masalas, curry leaves and mix well. Shape into desired shapes, dust lightly in maida and deep fry in oil till golden brown.
Serve hot with ketchup or green chutney.

Note: You can pulse the sprouts for 2 run too to break them into smaller pieces. They will mix easily. Add 3-4 green chillies instead of red chilli powder for a different flavour. In case you don't have amchoor, you can also use chat masala.
Enjoy hot with a cup of tea and the rain outside...

This goes in as an entry to the event at Raks Kitchen...