Tofu peas rice

Ingredients:

Onions - 1 medium
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Ginger - 1 inch
Garlic - 2 cloves
Capsicum / Green bell pepper - 1 medium
Green chillies - 4
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup (Finely chopped)
Tomatoes - 1 medium
Green peas - 1/2 cup
Tofu cubes - 1 cup (slightly fried)
Mustard - 1/4 tbsp
Jeera - 1/4 tbsp
Urad dal - 1/4 tbsp
Chana dal - 1/4 tbsp
Garam masala - 1/4 tbsp
Red chilly powder - 1/4 tbsp
Salt - as required
Sugar - 1/4 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tbsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tbsp
Rice - 1 cup
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp

Method:

1) Cut Tofu into small cubes. In a pan, Slightly fry tofu. (Golden brown). Keep it aside.
2)  In another pan, add oil / ghee followed by mustard, jeera, chana dal, urad dal, curry leaves, hing.
3) Now add chopped green chillies, ginger, garlic and finely chopped onion.
4) Fry them until golden brown and then add bell pepper, green peas.
5) Now add tomatoes / tomato paste and mix well until soft.
6) When everything is cooked well, add turmeric, garam masala, red chilly powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and salt. 
7) Mix all the ingredients well and then add fried tofu and saute for 2 mins.
8) Mix it with cooked rice. Top it up with coriander leaves and lemon juice.

Tasty Tofu Peas rice is ready to be served.

Note:

1) Shredded tofu can also be added.
2) Tofu can be replaced with Paneer.
3) Coriander powder, cumin powder can be replaced with sambhar powder or vangi bath powder.

Quinoa dosa

Ingredients:

Quinoa - 2 cups
Ginger - 1 inch
Garlic - 2 pods
Green chillies - 4
Salt - as required
Rice - 1 cup
Baking soda - 1/4 tbsp

Method:

1) Soak 2 cups quinoa and rice for 2 hrs or overnight.
2) Grind with ginger, green chillies & garlic according to your taste. Add water if required for consistency.
3) Add salt according to your taste and rice flour, baking soda. Mix well.
4) Make dosas on a tawa.

Quinoa dosas are ready to be served

Note:

1) It tastes good with tomato chutney.
2) Green chillies can be avoided too.
3) To add a variation, Chopped onion can be mixed before making dosas.

Hesaru bele Kosambari / Moong dal salad - Version 1

Ingredients:

Moong dal - 1 cup
Cucumber - 1 small
Salt - as required
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp (Finely chopped)
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Green chillies - 2 tbsp

Method:

1) Soak moong dal overnight.
2) Add Finely chopped cucumber, green chillies, salt, coriander leaves, lemon juice and mix well.

Kosambari / Salad is ready to be served.

Note:

1) Moon dal can also be replaced with sprouted green gram.
2) Grated carrot can also be added.

Easy lemon juice

Ingredients:

Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
Sugar - 1 1/2 tbsp
Salt - a pinch
Coriander leaves - Optional
Water - 1 glass
Ice cubes - 4 (Optional)

Method:
1) Mix all the ingredients in a glass.
2) Top it up with coriander leaves.

Add ice cubes and serve chill.

Gori kayi Palya / Cluster Beans Palya

Ingredients:

Gori Kayi / Cluster Beans - 1 cup
Red chillies - 2
Green chillies - 2
Coconut - 1/4 cup
Tamarind pulp - 1/4 cup
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp (Finely chopped)
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - as required
Mustard - 1/4 tbsp
Jeera - 1/4 tbsp
Hing - 1/4 tbsp
Curry leaves - few
Chana dal - 1/4 tbsp
Urad dal - 1/4 tbsp

Method:

1) Boil gori kayi in a pan. (boiling it in cooker makes it too soft).
2) Grind red chillies , coconut and green chillies.
3) In a pan add oil, mustard, chana dal, urad dal, curry leaves and cooked gori kayi.
4) Add the grinded paste, tamarind pulp and salt. Mix well
5) Cook until the water content is evaporated in them.

 Garnish with coriander leaves.

Note:

1) Green Peas, Chick peas can also be added to this.
2) Only red chillies or only green chillies can also be added.

Masala Majjige / Spicy buttermilk

Ingredients:

Plain yogurt - 1/2 cup 
Water - 1 1/2 cups , preferably chilled
Salt - as required
Ginger - 1 inch
Green chillies - 2
Coriander/dhania/cilantro - 2 tbsp (Finely chopped)
Ice cubes - 6 (optional)

Method:

1) In a blender, add yogurt, salt, water, ginger, green chillies and blend it together for a few seconds.
2) Pour this in a glass and top it up with coriander leaves.

Add few ice cubes if needed and serve chill.

Note:

1) Ginger and green chilly paste can also be used. Use hand held blender or a whisk or a traditional mathani(wooden or metal whisk) to churn this for a few seconds till everything is blended well.
2) If you wish you may strain the blended mix if you do not like the bits of garlic, ginger, coriender etc. 
3) I Prefer not to strain majjige as I like the bits and pieces of the fresh spices.
4) This is good for digestion.

Thondekayi batani bath / ivy gourd peas Rice

Ingredients:

Thondekayi - 2 cups chopped (vertically)

Peas - 1/2 cup
Onion - 1 medium (chopped vertically)
Garlic - 3 pods
Ginger - 1 inch
Green chillies - 4
Tomato paste - 2 tbsp
Salt - as required
Turmeric - 1/4 tbsp
Vangi bath powder - 1 tbsp
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
Mustard - 1/4 tbsp
Jeera - 1/4 tbsp
Chana dal - 1/4 tbsp
Urad dal - 1/4 tbsp
Hing - 1/4 tbsp
Curry leaves - few
Oil - 2 tbsp
Rice - 1 cup
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup chopped

Method:

1) Take one measure of rice and 2 measures of water with 1/4 tbsp of oil ad cook rice. 
2) In a pan, add remaining oil followed by mustard, jeera, chana dal, urad dal, hing, curry leaves.
3) Now add ginger, garlic and chopped onion and fry until golden brown.
4) Now add chopped thondekayi and fry until chrisp. 
5) Add Peas and fry well.
6) Now add tomato paste and fry for a min.
7) Once its well mixed, add turmeric, vangibath powder and salt.
8) Add 1 tbsp of lemon juice to this followed by coriander leaves. Turn off the heat.
9) Now add cooked rice and mix well. Add the remaining lemon juice to the rice and mix well.

Thondekayi batani bath is ready to be served.

Vermicelli payasam / pudding

Ingredients:

Vermicelli - 1 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Cardamom - 1/4 tbsp
Salt - a pinch
Ghee - 3 tbsp
Cashews - 1//4 cup
Raisins - 1/4 cup
Milk - 2 cups


Method:

1) In a tawa, add ghee and vermicelli and roast until golden brown.
2) In another pan, add roasted vermicelli and water until it sinks.
3) Boil until soft. Then add, half of the milk and boil.
4) Once its completely cooked, add sugar. Boil for 2 mins.Turn off the heat.
5) Now in a pan, add ghee followed by cashews and raisins and frry until golden brown.
6) Add the fried cashews and raisins to the cooked vermicelli. 
7) Sprinkle cardamom powder and mix well.

Yummy vermicelli payasam is ready to be served.

Mango Rice

Ingredients:

Rice – 1 cup (uncooked)
Raw Mango – 1 medium – grated
Green chillies – 4 – slit vertically
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida – 1/4 tsp
Salt – as required
Oil – 3 tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Urad dal – 1/2 tsp
Peanuts / groundnuts – handful
Curry leaves – few
Coriander leaves – for garnishing

Method:

1) Wash and cook the rice. Once done, spread it on a plate.
2) In a frying pan, heat oil. Then add mustard seeds and urad dal to it. Saute till the urad dal turns golden brown and mustard seeds splutter.
3) Now add the peanuts and sauté till they are roasted well.
4) Then add the green chillies and curry leaves. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
5) Once done, add turmeric powder, asafoetida. Turn off the heat.
6) Now add the grated mango (you can also add a few finely chopped mango pieces) and salt. Mix well.
7) Mix rice well but gently making sure it does not break.
8) Garnish with some chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with pickle or papad Or enjoy this tangy rice as it is.

Spicy Roasted Foxnuts / Phool Makhana ~ Easy Tea Time Snack

Phool Makhana /  Lotus Seeds are same and widely called as Foxnuts. The seeds are edible from lotus plant can be widely used in cooking both as sweet or savory, fried or roasted.  Indian cuisines include this in making curry, pulao, dessert also it is a good substitute for thickening the gravies. The seeds taste neutral can blend with any food ingredients when cooked.

Foxnuts are rich in anti-oxidants, high in fibre and good source of potassium. Regulates blood pressure and treats insomnia problems too.  Roasted foxnuts is a guilt-free snack can munch at any time. People like me who loves popcorn, can replace with a bowl of healthy lotus pops. The munching of seeds in between meals is a good  diet as it digest easily.

The seeds are white and round in shape, that appears to be like popcorn  with dark spots.

Ingredients:

Makhani / foxnuts - 2 cups

Chilli Powder - 1 tsp

Chaat Masala - 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder - a Pinch
Onion - 1/2 medium
Tomato paste - 1 tbsp

Salt - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

1) Heat oil in a fry pan. Once hot, stir in the foxnuts and toss constantly for about 8 - 10 minutes or until crisp under low flame. You can even taste a piece of nut to check whether it turned crispy to chomp. Keep it aside.

2) Now add some oil, then add onion and fry until golden brown.

3) Add the tomato paste and mix well.

2) Add the chilli powder, salt and turmeric. Toss to combine evenly. Sprinkle chaat masala and roasted foxnuts and turn off the fire.

 Serve with hot tea or at any time.

Note:

1) Chaat masala, chilly powder can be replaced with sambhar powder.

2) The seeds have good shelf life and can be stored in a air container.

3) Another variation would be to replace chaat masala with garam masala and amchur powder of same proportion.

4) The roasted seeds can be used in making curries along with vegetables at the final stage. 

5) Use the seeds in making Makhana kheer, Dal makhani, Paneer Makhana Masala, Makhana Pulao.

6) Onion and tomato paste can be avoided too.