Cabbage rice

Tags

Lunch box, One pot meals, Rice items

Cabbage/Kosgadde in english and kannada respectively is used in a number of dishes. I have already put up Cabbage Bhuthi, Cabbage Sanna polo and Cabbage Paratha. This recipe today is for the Cabbage rice, a great combination with either tomato salad or just like that.

What you need to have:

1. Cooked basumati rice – 2 cups

2. Chopped cabbage – 3 cups

3. Green peas – 1 and 1/2 cup

4. Chopped onions – 1 cup

5. Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon

6. Red chilli pieces -= 8-10

7. Curry leaves – 2-3 sprigs

8. Raisins – A handful

9. Cooking oil -3-4 teaspoons

10. Salt – as per taste                                                   

Ingredients of seasoning

Chopped Cabbage & Green peas

Ingredients of wet masala:

1. Fresh grated coconut – 2 tablespoons

2. Mint leaves – 2 tablespoons

3. Ginger – 1″ piece

4. Green chilli – 3-4

5. Bilimbi – 1

6. Cinnamon – 1 ” piece

7. Cloves – 3-4

8. Cilantro – 1 tablespoon

Ingredients of wet masala

What you do with what you have:

1. Wash and peal onions lengthwise. Wash and chop cabbage fine and keep it aside.

2. Cook green peas in cooker adding a little salt till soft. Also later on cook basumati rice in the cooker in such a way that each grains are separated rather than sticky. Let the cooked rice cool down.

Cooked basumati rice

3. Place a skillet with 3-4 teaspoons of cooking oil in it on medium flame. On heating add cumin seeds to it. When it splutters add raisins, red chilli pieces and curry leaves. When fried add chopped onions and required quantity of salt to the dish and fry till transparent.

Seasoning in progress

4. When onions is fried and transparent add chopped cabbage from step 1 to it and close it with a lid till it turns soft and cooked.

Chopped cabbage being added

Cabbage being cooked in seasoning

5. Grind all ingredients of wet masala in the mixer to a fine but thick consistency adding a water in steps.

                                               Grind wet masala

6. When cabbage is cooked and also the wet masala from step 5 to it. On mixing add cooked green peas too to it. Add cooked rice from step 2 to it and give a stir with a wooden spatula checking for salt.

Wet masala being added

           Cooked green peas & rice being added

7. Transfer it to a serving plate and enjoy it with a dash of tomato sauce or a salad.

Ready to serve cabbage rice with tomato sauce

Number of servings: 4-6

How long it takes: 45 minutes

Good to remember:

1. Use fresh and tender cabbage for the dish also chop it fine.

2. Cook rice in such a way that each grain is separate and not over cooked. Always use a wooden spatula to mix the masala finally so that it does not get crushed and turn soggy.

3. Using mint leaves is an option.

Pudina parathas (Mint parathas)

Tags

Lunch box, Parathas and Rotis

Pudina/mint in Kannada/English. This is not as popular as the cilantro because of its strong odor but since very good from health point of view is used in daily menu in a lot of dishes these days. I have already put up Mint Rasam, Mint Chutney, Mint Rice/Pulav and also I sometimes use it in some wet masalas while preparing other pulav to get a unique taste and aroma. Today I would like to put up Mint Paratha, adding to the long long list of parathas on this blog! Here is my version :

What you need to have:

1. Wheat atta – 2 cups

2. Boiled potato – 1 cup (smashed)

3. Fresh mint leaves – 1 cup (chopped fine)

4. Green chilli – 2 (grated )

5. Ginger – 1″ piece(grated)

6. Lemon juice – 1 teaspoon

7. Red chili powder – 1/2 teaspoon

8. Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon

9. Dhania-jeera powder – 1 teaspoon

10. Sesame seeds –  1 teaspoon

11. Sugar – 1 teaspoon

12. Salt – as per taste

13. Cooking oil – around 2 Tablespoons (to make the dough)

                                     Ingredients of mint parathas                                                           

                                 Other ingredients of parathas

What you do with what you have:

1. Wash and chop mint leaves fine. Grate green chilli, ginger also fine and keep it aside. Boil potatoes in the cooker till smooth and grate it also fine on cooling.

2. Sieve atta in the siever and keep it aside.

3. Transfer all the ingredients in a wide bowl and is as shown in the image below.

                                           All ingredients in a bowl

4. Mix all the ingredients in such a way that you make a pliable soft dough sprinkling little water whenever needed. Just pinch out lemon sized ball from it and dust a little in atta and roll it on a thick plastic sheet to medium thickness to the shape of a disc to around 6″ diameter.

                                      Pinched out ball & the rolled roti

5. Place a roti skillet on medium flame and splash a little cooking oil/ghee on it.  When heated place the rolled roti on it, splash oil on the roti and roast it till done.  Flip and roast it on the reverse splashing oil again on it. These smooth parathas could be best lunch box dish for sure!!!!!

                                                         Roti being roaste

                                        Roti being roasted on the reverse

6. Transfer it to a serving plate and enjoy with lemon pickle and amul butter or even with curds

                                   Mint paratha with pickle & butter

Number of Parathas:  8-10

How long it takes: 45 minutes

Good to remember: 

1. Use fresh mint leaves for better aroma and smooth parathas.

2. Using boiled potatoes makes the parathas smoother and tasty too.

3. Make the dough smoother for best results and add required quantity of water only and make the dough non sticky.

Tindura dosa

I just thought of giving a try to this unique dosa while I got fresh tinduras from my garden (!) couple of weeks ago. The Dosas came out great just like the crispy okra dosas which I put up a while ago. The ginger, green chilli and fenugreek and the coriander leaves leave nothing to be desired.

What you need to have:

1. Sona masoori raw rice – 1 cup

2. Blackgram dal –  2 Teaspoons

3. Fenugreek seeds – 10 – 15

4. Fresh tinduras – 10- 15

5. Green chili – 1-2

6. Ginger – 1″ piece

7. Salt – to taste

Ingredients of tindura dosa

What you do with what you have:

1. Soak rice, blackgram dal, fenugreek seeds, chopped tinduras in water  for about 4 hours.  Drain it and grind it along with green chili, ginger adding water in steps to a fine consistency. Allow it to ferment overnight as usual.

   Tindura dosa batter

2. On fermenting the dough would be as shown in the image below. Add chopped cilantro and 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds to it.

       Chopped cilantro & cumin seeds being added to the fermented batter

3. Place a dosa skillet on medium flame and splash a little cooking oil on it. Rub it with a coconut coir and splash a little water over it. Spread a laddle of batter in a circular motion to required thickness and splash a little oil on the corners and in the middle of the dosa. Cook it till dosa turns crispy. Just fold it and no need to cook on the reverse.

Dosa being cooked 

Cooked dosa being folded

4. Transfer it to a serving plate and enjoy with any wet  chutney or chutney powder of your choice

           Ready to serve tindura dosa with chutney & chutney powder

How long it takes: 45 minutes(other than soaking & grinding)

Number of Dosas: 10-12 dosas

1. Grind the ingredients to a fine consistency to get crispy dosas.

2. Add enough water while grinding for better results.

3. If the batter has not fermented make dosas only on fermenting.

4. No need to flip dosa at all as dosa turns crispy at once.

 

Pepper rice (Andra style)

Tags

Andhra dish, Lunch box, One pot meals

How long it takes : 30 minutes

Number of servings : 4-5 

Pepper one of the most popular spices used in most of the usual powders – sambar, rasam powder, garam masala, pav bhaji masala, chole masala – really, nothing spared. Today though I am using pepper powder as the main ingredient of a dish and not just another powder. This is an Andra delicacy and deserves attention amidst the more popular one pot meals such as Biriyani and Pulao.

What you need to have:

1. Cooked Basumati rice – 2 cups

2. Pepper powder – 1 tablespoon

3. Sesame powder – 1 tablespoon

4. Curry leaves – 10-12

5. Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon

6. Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon

7. Cashews – A handful

8. Raisins (supplement with any other favorite dry fruits as well ) – A handful

9. Cooking oil – 2 teaspoons

10. Lemon juice – 1 teaspoon (optional)

11. Salt – as per taste

Ingredients of pepper rice

Cooked basumati rice

Ingredients of seasoning

What you do with what you have:

1. Wash and drain basumati rice and cook it in the cooker so that the rice corns are separate as shown in image 2.

2. Dry roast pepper, sesame seeds and curry leaves in a skillet separately and on cooling powder together in the mixer and place it aside as shown in image above.

3. Place a skillet with 2-3 teaspoons of cooking oil/pure ghee in it. When heated add mustard seeds and once it splutters add cumin seeds to it. When fried add curry leaves, raisins and cashews to it and fry till done.                                

                                           Seasoning in progress

4. When fried add cooked rice from step 1 to it and also add powdered spices from step 2  and also required quantity of salt and give a stir with the wooden spatula and on cooling squeeze a dash of lemon juice to it (optional).                                                               

Cooked rice, spice powder, salt added to the seasoning

5. Finally pepper rice is ready to serve with a spicy curry of your choice.    

Ready to serve pepper rice with green peas masala

Good to remember:

1. Always prepare fresh pepper powder for this dish rather than just something you buy.

2. Squeezing lemon juice is optional.

3. Make sure rice corns is cooked just right to avoid it from turning soggy.

4. I have used a mix of both white and black peppers, again left to your options.

Cauliflower stir fry

Tags

Lunch side dish

How long it takes: 30 minutes

Number of servings: 2-3

Cauliflower is in the same family of vegetables as the more popular cabbage and  the less popular brocolli. It is an annual plant that reproduces by seed. Cauliflower is low in fat, high in fiber and vitamin C. I feel this is a favorite veggie among the younger generation. Dishes like Cauliflower fries, Gobi Manchurian and widely and wildly popular.

Today though I am putting up a simple, healthier and not surprisingly a favorite family dish – the cauliflower stir fry/Upkari. Chopped capsicum, as I mention, is optional but I say use it if you have it !

What you need to have:

1. Chopped flowerets – 3 cups

2. Chopped capsicum – 1 cup (optional)

3. Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon

4. Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon

5. Dhania-jeera powder – 1 teaspoon

6. Chili powder – 1 teaspoon

7. Asafoetida powder – 1 teaspoon

8. Salt – as per taste

9. Cooking oil -1-2 teaspoon

Ingredients of cauliflower stir fry

What you do with what you have:

1. Wash, chop capsicum into bite size pieces and also chop capsicum fine and keep it aside.

2. Place a skillet with 2 teaspoons of cooking oil in it on low flame. When heated add cumin seeds to it. Once it splutters add all powders in a row.

                                               Seasoning in progress

3. Once done add chopped capsicum and add required quantity of salt to the dish just give a stir and let it cook for a while. Later on add chopped flowerets fropm step 1 to it and close the lid and let it cook being covered and at times give a stir in between till done.

Chopped flowerets being added                                                    

Flowerets being coated with powders 

4. Ready to serve cauliflower stir fry is as shown in the image below. Really yum ! Enjoy with rice and dalithoy.

                            Ready to serve cauliflower stir fry

Bajre ki roti

Tags

Parathas and Rotis, Rajasthani dishes

Number of Rotis: 6-8

How long it takes: 30 minutes

Bajra/pearl millet has a nutty flavour and crunchy texture. It has a lot of health benefits and is also glutten free and it has anti allergic properties too. It has to be consumed preferably in winter to avoid any digestive problems and discomfort. I prepared this roti a couple of times and everybody enjoyed it at home. It can be relished with any spicy side dish or even with raw onions rings, chutney powder and pickle. Here is my version of the dish:

What you need to have:

1.Bajre ki atta – 1 and 1/2 cup

2. Wheat atta – 1/2 cup

3. Roasted cumin powder – 1 teaspoon

4. Kalonji seeds (nigell seeds) – 3/4  teaspoon

5. Salt – as per taste

                                           Ingredients of Bajre ki roti

What you do with what you have:

1. Sieve both the att in the atta siever. Place a spatula with 1 teaspoon cumin seeds in it and roast it till done. On cooling powder the same. Add it to the mixed atta and also add kalonji seeds and salt too as shown in the image below.

                        Kalonji, cumin powder, salt added  to atta mix

2. Transfer the above mix to a wide bowl and add boiling water to it slowly and mix it with a wooden spatula to make a uniform dough.

                                          Boiling water being added

3. Make a soft dough by kneading it with your hands like chapati dough. Pinch out lemon size dough from it and roll it to required thickness on a thick plastic sheet dusting it in bajre atta.

                           The dough, pinched out ball & the rolled roti

4. Place a roti skillet on medium flame and on heating place rolled roti on it and roast it.                                                              

                                                 Roti being roasted

5. Flip it and roast it on the reverse.                                                                   

                                     Roti being roasted on the reverse

6. Again roast and it will puff up if pressed with a wooden spatula on all sides of the roti.                                                           

                                      Roti being roasted as it puff up

7. Enjoy with chutney powder, wet chutney,  lemon pickle and also onion rings!!!!! Yummmmmm                                                               

                   Ready to serve bajre ki roti with cilantro chutney & pickle

How long it takes:

1. Since bajra flour can’t be knead with normal water, we need to add hot water and wheat atta for getting a better texture to make roti.

3. Roti skillet also should be totally dry else while roasting the roti it will not puff up if it is oily.

4. While making the dough as well the vessel in which we make the dough should be also dry and free of oil.

Macaroni masala

Tags

Tiffin

How long it takes: 1 hour

Number of servings:  3-4

For those that might not be familiar, Macaroni is a variety of pasta made of wheat and is in the shape of small tubes. What I am using here though, which is the MTR packet, says it is made of 100% Suji. I tried at home a couple of times with a variety of veggies and masala and thought it is worth sharing. Here is Macaroni Masala, which you can think of as being similar to Masala Upma in some sense – single dry dish with vegetables and cereal amidst the spices.

What you need to have:

1. Macaroni – 2 cups

2. Chopped capsicum – 1/2 cups

3. Grated carrot – 1/4 cup

4. Greeen peas – 1 cup

                                            A pack of MTR macroni

                                   Chopped veggies and green peas

Ingredients of seasoning:

1. Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon

2. Chopped onions – 1 cup

3. Cashews – 2 tablespoons

4. Raisins – 2 tablespoons

5. Green chilli – 2-3

6. Curry leaves – 2-3 sprigs

7. Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon

8. Red chili powder – 1/2 teaspoon

9. Garam masala powder – 1 teaspoon

10. Ginger paste – 1/2 teaspoon

11. Salt – as per taste

12. Cooking oil – 2 tablespoons

                                             Ingredients of seasoning

What you do with what you have:

1. Wash, peel and grate carrots, chop capsicum and keep it aside as shown in image 2.  Also wash, peal and chop onions lengthwise and keep aside with other ingredients as shown in image 3. Cook green peas in cooker till done and keep it aside.

2. Place a wide bowl with 5-6 cups of water in it and when it is about to boil add macroni simmering the flame.  Cook till done and transfer it to a collander and run water through the tap so that it cools down and the cooked macaroni does not stick to each other.                                                               

                                            Macaroni being cooked               

                        Cooked macaroni being transfered to a collander

3. Place a wide bowl with 2-3 teaspoons of cooking oil in it on medium flame. Add cumin seeds and when it splutters add raisins, cashews and fry till done. When done add chopped green chili, ginger paste and curry leaves to it. Add chopped onions, turmeric powder and add required quantity of salt to it to fry till onion turns transparent.

                                            Seasoning in progress

4. Add grated carrots, chopped capsicum from step 1 to it and cook till done.                                                                  

                         Chopped veggies being cooked in the seasoning                                                               

                                       Cooked green peas being added

5. Add chili powder, garam masala powder, chili powder and also cooked Macroni from step 2 to it and stir well with a wooden spatula.                                                        

                                    Cooked macaroni & other powders added

Ingredients of garnishing:

1. Fresh grated coconut – 1 tablespoon (optional)

2. Lemon juice – 1 teaspoon

3. Cilantro – 2 tablespoons                                                      

                                           Ingredients of garnishing

6. Finally garnish with coconut, cilantro and squeeze lemon juice to it and give a stir.                                                               

                                  Macaroni masala being garnished

7. Transfer it to a serving bowl. Enjoy with a spread of Tomato sauce.                                                              

                                        Ready to serve masala macroni

Good to remember:

1. Macaroni  should be properly cooked in water to get  an elegant taste.

2. One can add any vegetable of his/her choice.

2. Fresh grated coconut is optional.

Bitter gourd gojju

Tags

Lunch side dish, Maharashtrian dishes

How long it takes: 45 minutes 

Number of servings: 2-3

Bitter gourd is bitter and that means many of us do not like it. However, it is healthy and it can cooked in a way to take advantage of its bitterness. We in the family love this veggie and prepare a variety of dishes like Kosambari and Gojju, which in fact is what this post is about. This is a Maharashtrian dish and to all your surprise (and maybe relief) it is without coconut.

What you need to have:

1. Chopped bitter gourd – 1 and 1/2 cups

2. mustard seeds – 3/4 teaspoons

3. asafoetida (soft) – size of a pepper

4. Red chili – 3-4

5. jaggery – a generous quantity

6. tamarind  paste – 1 teaspoon or Bilimbi  -2

7. salt – as per taste                                              Ingredients of bitter gourd gojj

What you do with what you have:

1. Wash and chop bitter gourd fine and keep it aside as shown in above image. Rub in a little salt and squeeze out the juice and transfer it to a spatula adding required quantity of cooking oil and fry it till brown and crispy.                                     Chopped bitter gourd being fried                                       Bitter gourd fried till brown

2. Dry roast mustard seeeds  in a spatula and keep it aside. In the same spatula add a little oil and fry red chili. Also fry fenugreek and asafoetida too.Transfer all the ingredients including fried bitter gourd, tamarind, jaggery, salt mustard seeds, fenugreek, asafoetida and grind it to a fairly coarse consistency.                                                                                            All ingredients in the mixy bowl to grind                                           Ready to serve Bitter gourd gojju

How long it takes: 

1. Chop the veggie fine to fry fast and crispy.

2. Jaggery enhances the taste of the dish.

3. Grinding coarse helps to relish the dish.

 

Mint rasam(pudina rasam)

Tags

Lunch side dish, soup

How long it takes: 30 minutes

Number of servings: 5-6

Mint/pudina is a very popular green though not as popular as cilantro. It has medicinal as well as cosmetic properties. It is used during indigestion and also used as a mouth freshner. Somehow though growing up in Bangalore it was not at all popular at home.  I mostly saw this in restaurants in coconut chutney and Chanadal Vada. On this blog I have put up Pudina Chutney, Mint pulav and pudina flavoured fried cauliflower pakoras. This one today is Pudina rasam, very simple and tasty.

What you need to have:

1. Pudina/mint leaves – 1/2 cup

2. Red chili ( Byadgi chili – 3-4

3. Tomato -1 (medium)

4. Fresh grated coconut – 1 cup (to extract milk)

Ingredients of pudina rasam

What you do with what you have:

1. Separate the leaves from the stem and fry it in a little ghee in a skillet till it is done.

Pudina leaves being fried in ghee

2. Chop tomato and cook it in broad bowl adding 1 cup of water till done.

Tomato being cooked

3. When done, grind fried pudina leaves and red chili in the mixer adding sufficient quantity of water to a fine consistency.

Grind mixture of pudina & red chili

Ingredients of seasoning:

1. Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon

2. Asafoetida powder – 1/2 teaspoon

3. Curry leaves for taste

4. Extract coconut milk by grinding coconut in the mixer adding required quantity of water and straining it later.

Coconut milk & the ingredients of seasoning

5.  On tomato being cooked add the grind mixture from step 3 to it and bring it to boil on medium flame.

Grind mixture added to cooked tomatoes

6. Once it is boiled add coconut milk to it and bring it to boil on sim so that it does not curdle. Keep it down and add salt to it.                                                           

                                        Coconut milk being added to the dish

7. Place a spatula with 1 teaspoon cooking oil in it on low flame. On heating add mustard seeds to it. When it splutters add asafoetida powder, curry leaves and switch of the flame. Season it to the dish.                                                                                                                          

                                             Seasoning in progress

8. Season it to the dish and serve hot with rice and papad.

Ready to serve pudina rasam

Good to remember:  

1. Pudina leaves should be properly fried in ghee to get rid of the raw odour.

2. After adding coconut milk it is always better to boil on low flame and add salt later to avoid it from curdling of the dish.

3. This rasam is a good remedy for stomach upset and cold too. It can be even sipped as soup too. 

Yam upkari (Soorna Upkari)

Tags

Lunch side dish

How long it takes: 45 minutes

Number of servings: 5-6

Yam/Suran/Suvarnagadde. It is almost a mandatory ingredient in 2 among the classic konkani dishes – Chana gashi and Moong Gashi which I put up a few years ago! But then Suran is also a just ideal for a simple upkari which is what I am putting up today. My younger son is capable of having this for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

What you need to have:

1. Chopped yam – 4 cups

2. Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon

3. Blackgram dal – 1 teaspoon

4. Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon

5. Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon

6. Asafoetida powder – 1/2 teaspoon

7. Green chili – 5-6

8. Fresh grated coconut – 1 tablespoon

9. Salt – as per taste

10. cooking oil – 1 tablespoon

                                         Ingredients of soorna upkari

What you do with what you have:

1. Peal, and chop yam fine and finally wash it in running tap water so that it is crystal clean. If using frozen then it is fine. Slit green chili, grate coconut and keep it aside as shown in image-1 with other ingredients too.

2. Place a wide skillet with 2 teaspoons of cooking oil in it on low flame. On heating add mustard seeds. When it starts spluttering add blackgram dal, cumin seeds, asafoetida powder, turmeric powder and finally add slit green chili.

Seasoning in progress

3. When done add chopped yam from step 1 to it. Also add required quantity of salt and also grated coconut and close it with a lid with a glass of water in the lid. As and when the water is heated up just change the water till the dish is cooked.

                                            Yam upkari is being cooked

4. When done transfer it to a serving bowl and there you have your yummy suran/yam curry. Rice and Dal is a great combination with this.

Ready to serve soorna upkari

Good to remember:

1. Cooking time for this dish depends upon the variety of the veggie. Tiny chopping helps it cook faster.

2. Placing water helps prevent condensation of the moisture and thus preventing the dish turning soggy.