Sunday, August 28, 2016

MATAR MAKHANA ( PEAS & LOTUS SEEDS) KABABS


MATAR MAKHANA ( PEAS & LOTUS SEEDS) KABABS

"Makhana" is the Hindi term for Louts seeds. The puffed lotus seeds are called Phool Makhana. These are used in India to make kheer, curries, and even pulao. Elsewhere in this blog, you will find the recipe for Phool Makhani Kheer. This article is The Indian Express explains why it is useful to add makhana to your daily diet as they are a good source of protein, carbohydrates etc while being low on sodium. 

Today's recipe is adapted from "Peas Lotus Seeds Kebabs" by Radhika Chhabra in Better Butter. This was pointed out to me by my friend, Prathiba Rao in a cooking group in which we are members.. I liked this recipe as it called for shallow frying the kababs which I prefer to deep frying. We tried this out as an evening snack a few days ago and we thoroughly enjoyed the taste.

These days almost any ingredient can be bought at departmental stores. I bought the Phool Makhana (picture below) from Big Bazaar.




Ingredients:



  • Lotus Seeds (Makhana), 1 cup
  • Green Peas, (Matar) 1 cup
  • Cashewnuts, 2 tbsp.
  • Onion, small-sized, finely chopped, 1
  • Green Chillies, finely chopped, 2
  • Ginger Paste, 1/2 tsp
  • Chaat Masala, 1/2 tsp
  • Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, 1 tbsp
  • Salt, to taste
  • Oil, as required for making kababs
Method:

Heat a little oil in a thick-bottomed kadhai, and when it gets hot roast the cashewnuts and lotus seeds separately, till they became crisp. Keep aside and allow them to cool
In a mixer, grind the roasted lotus seeds and cashewnuts to a coarse powder. Keep aside.
Cook the green peas till they become tender, allow them to cool and then grind them to a coarse paste without adding any water. Keep aside
In a bowl, mix the coarsely ground paste of green peas along with the roasted lotus seeds and cashewnut powder 
To this add the finely chopped onion, green chillies and ginger paste, salt, chaat masala and finely chopped coriander leaves
Mix the above well and divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and shape them into a flat tikki/kabab shape using your palms
Heat a tawa and lightly grease it with oil, place 4 of the kababs, drizzle oil around the kababs and shallow fry till they become slightly golden brown.
Flip and cook the other side in the same way
Serve the kababs hot with a chutney of your choice or tomato ketchup.


Wednesday, August 24, 2016

DAL DOSA

DAL DOSA

The dosa is one of the most common breakfast items, especially in the South of India. It comes in many variations depending on the ingredients that go into making these crisp crepes, normally made from a batter of rice and lentils. Apart from the conventional Dosa, you will find recipes in this blog for other types of dosas such as Moong Dal Dosa, Paper Dosa, and Masoor Dal Dosa.

This recipe for Dal Dosa is adapted from one shared by my friend, Priya R. Shenoy in a cookery group in which we are members. The advantage of this dosa is that it is made without rice and one saves time as no fermentation is required. It is therefore helpful to those with diabetes and others who wish to avoid/minimise the use of rice.


Ingredients:
  • Urad Dal, (Black Gram Dal), 1 cup
  • Chana Dal, ( Bengal Gram Dal), 1/2 cup
  • Peppercorns, 1 tsp
  • Ginger, 1 " piece
  • Green Chillies, 2-3, or as per taste
  • Haldi (Turmeric ) Powder, 1/2 tsp
  • Salt, to taste
  • Oil, as required to prepare dosas
Method:

Wash and soak the urad dal and chana dal together for 4-5 hours
Crush the green chillies, ginger, and peppercorns together
In a mixer, grind the soaked dals along with the crushed green chillies, ginger, peppercorns, and turmeric powder to a semi-thick batter adding the required amount of water
Add salt to taste and mix well
This batter does not require any fermentation and you can make dosas immediately 
Process for making dosas is already given in the linked post for Dosas
As per your choice, you can make thick dosas or thin and crisp ones
Serve hot with chutney of your choice


Saturday, August 20, 2016

SOYA PANEER PUDINA TIKKIS

SOYA PANEER PUDINA TIKKIS

 Of late, I have started using Soya Paneer as it has many health benefits. Elsewhere in this blog, you will find the recipe for another filling snack using Soya Paneer, namely Soya Paneer and Capsicum Grilled Sandwich.

This recipe for a delicious snack cum starter is adapted from Paneer Phudina Tikkis from Masterchef Tarlaji Dalal. While the original recipe called for the use of Paneer (Cottage Cheese), I have instead used the more healthy Soya Paneer (Tofu).

These Soya Paneer Pudina Tikkis laced with the flavour of mint can be made in about 15 minutes. You can expect to get 8-10 tikkis from the ingredients given below, depending on the size of the balls of dough that you use.



Ingredients:
  • Soya Paneer, (Tofu), 200 gms
  • Pudina ( Mint Leaves), finely chopped, 1/4 cup
  • Green Chillies, finely chopped, 3-4, or as per taste
  • Cornflour, 1 tbsp.
  • Salt, to taste
  • Oil, for greasing and cooking
  • Chaat Masala, 1 tsp, for garnish

Method:

Grate the soya paneer and keep aside
Finely chop the mint leaves and the green chillies
In a bowl, mix together the grated soya paneer, finely chopped mint leaves and green chillies, cornflour, and salt, to form a soft dough
Divide this dough into 8 equal portions shaping them into flat round tikkis
Heat a non-stick tawa and lightly grease it with oil
Place the tikkis on it, drizzle a little oil around them and cook until they turn golden brown
Flip the tikkis over and similarly cook the other side too
Remove to a serving tray and sprinkle chaat masala on each of the tikkis
Serve hot with green chutney or tomato ketchup or both



Tuesday, August 16, 2016

MATKI CHI USAL (SPROUTED MOTH BEANS CURRY)

MATKI CHI USAL (SPROUTED MOTH BEANS CURRY)

Moth Beans, also called Turkish Gram, (pronounced "Moat Beans", are known as Matki in Hindi and Marathi. They are very nutritious and have many health benefits. Elsewhere in this blog you will find the recipe for Matki Pulao in which I have also explained how we sprout the moth beans. As you may know, the use of moth beans in sprouted form makes it all the more nutritious and easy to digest.

Today's dish, which is called Matki chi Usal is a popular and easy to make item in Maharashtrian cuisine that I learnt during our days in Pune. In "Usals" spouted lentils, like matki for instance, are cooked with tomato, chillies, coconut etc . These protein-packed dishes are served as accompaniments to bhakris, rotis, or pav.




Ingredients:
  • Matki ( Sprouted Moth Beans), 1 cup
  • Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
  • Hing, (Asafoetida), 1/2 tsp
  • Haldi (Turmeric Powder), 1/2 tsp
  • Onions, medium-sized, chopped fine, 2
  • Tomato, chopped fine, 1
  • Coriander leaves, finely chopped, 1 tbsp.+ some for garnish
  • Coconut Gratings, 2 tbsp. + some for garnish
  • Red Chilli Powder, 1 tsp, or to taste
  • Bedekar's Goda Masala, 1 tsp
  • Salt, to taste
  • Oil, 1 and 1/2 tbsp.

Method:

Heat oil in a thick-bottomed kadhai, and when it gets hot add mustard seeds, and wait for them to splutter
Next add the hing, turmeric powder followed by the finely chopped onions
Saute till the onions turn slightly golden brown
Add finely chopped tomato, salt to taste, coconut gratings and finely chopped coriander leaves *
*Keep some of the coconut gratings and coriander leaves aside for garnish
Add chilli powder and Goda Masala and mix well
Now add enough hot water to cook the matki
Cover and cook on medium flame, stirring from time to time, till the matki gets cooked
Once it is cooked, transfer to serving bowl
Garnish with the finely chopped coriander leaves, and freshly grated coconut that has been kept aside
Serve with bhakri, rotis or pav





Thursday, August 11, 2016

GARLICKY CHILLI MUSHROOMS

GARLICKY CHILLI MUSHROOMS

Both my husband and I are fond of mushrooms. Once in a while I make some mushroom dish using the store bought button mushrooms which are so easily available. Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for mushroom dishes as diverse as Tandoori Mushrooms, Mushroom Pepper Fry, and Schezwan Mushrooms.

Today's dish is adapted from Spicy Garlic Mushrooms in Swasthi's Indian Healthy Recipes. You will love this dish if you like garlics as much as we do. We enjoyed this spicy and tangy mushroom dish with a garlicky flavour, as a side dish with fried rice.  

We like spicy food, but if you wish you can reduce the spice level by reducing the chillies or de-seeding the chillies before use. 



Ingredients:
  • Button Mushrooms, chopped, 200 gms
  • Large Onion, finely chopped, 1
  • Cumin Seeds, (Jeera), 1/2 tsp
  • Oil, 1 and 1/2 tbsp.
To be Ground to a Paste:-
  • Chinese Garlic Cloves, 5 
  • Roasted Byadgi Red Chillies, 5
  • Vinegar, 1 tbsp.
  • Sugar, 1 tsp
  • Salt, to taste
  • Water, 2 tbsp

Method:

Clean the mushrooms and pat them dry
Cut them into quarters or slice them
In a small mixer jar, grind together garlic, roasted red chillies, vinegar, sugar, and salt, adding 2 tbsp of water, to form a coarse paste. Keep aside
Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan and when it gets hot, add the cumin seeds
When the cumin seeds sizzle add the finely chopped onion and saute till it turns light brown
Add to this the ground paste, mix well and saute for a few minutes till the raw smell goes
Next add the sliced mushrooms and gently mix till they are evenly coated
Saute for a couple of minutes
Then cover and cook on medium flame till the mushrooms are done (Remember that mushrooms get cooked very fast)
Transfer to a serving bowl and serve hot as a side dish



Sunday, August 7, 2016

GHOSALE SANNA POLO (RIDGE GOURD DOSA)

GHOSALE SANNA POLO (RIDGE GOURD DOSA)

One of the vegetables that I use often is ridge gourd, which we call "ghosale" in my mother tongue, Konkani. Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for a Ridge Gourd Peel Chutney and Ridge Gourd Pepper Kootu.

In our Konkani cuisine, we make a spicy kind of dosa which we call "Sanna Polo". This is a side dish served with the main meal of rice and dal. Today's dish is called, "Ghosale Sanna Polo" as it is a dosa in which ridge gourd is used along with the usual batter. 





Ingredients:
  • Ghosale, (Ridge Gourd), medium-sized, 1
  • Dosa Rice, 1/2 cup
  • Tur Dal, 1/4 cup
  • Byadgi Red Chillies, roasted, 4
  • Tamarind, small piece
  • Hing (Asafoetida), a large pinch
  • Salt, to taste
  • Oil, to make dosas
Method:

Wash, peel and cut the ridge gourd into roundels of 1/4 " thickness
Wash and soak the dosa rice and tur dal together in adequate water for about 30 minutes
Drain the excess water
Grind together in a mixer the soaked dosa rice and tur dal along with the roasted red chillies, tamarind, asafoetida and salt, using just the required amount of water to a batter of slightly coarse consistency. This batter should not be too thick or thin
Heat the tawa and when it gets hot, dip the ridge gourd roundels one by one in the prepared batter ensuring that they are evenly coated on both sides
Place the coated ridge gourd roundels next to each other to form a circle on the tawa, filling in the gaps between them with the batter
Drizzle oil around the sannapolo, and cook covered on medium flame till it gets crisp at the bottom
Flip the sannapolo and likewise cook the other side by adding more oil
Serve hot as a side dish with the main meal





Wednesday, August 3, 2016

MATKI PULAO

MATKI PULAO

Moth Beans, also called Turkish Gram, (pronounced "Moat Beans", and known as Matki in Hindi and Marathi) are very nutritious and have many health benefits. Besides, this dish uses moth beans in sprouted form which makes it all the more nutritious and easy to digest.

I have adapted this from Matki Pulao by that legendary cookery expert Tarla Dalal who has included this in her list of "Protein Rich Recipes.".

The addition of capsicum and onions to the sprouted matki added to the taste of this dish. We had this for lunch with Mint & Coriander Raita and loved every morsel of this pulao.



Ingredients:
  • Moth Beans (Matki) Sprouts, 1 cup
  • Cooked Rice, 2 cups
  • Oil, 1 tbsp.
  • Cumin Seeds, (Jeera)1 tsp
  • Cloves, ( Laung) 2-3
  • Asafoetida, (Hing) 1/2 tsp
  • Green Chillies, finely chopped, 1 and 1/2 tsp
  • Ginger (Adrak), grated, 1/2 tsp
  • Onions, finely chopped, 1/2 cup
  • Capsicum, finely chopped, 1/4 cup
  • Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
  • Chilli Powder, 1/2 tsp
  • Coriander Powder, 1 tsp
  • Salt, to taste
  • Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, 1 tbsp. - for garnish
Method:

First sprout the moth beans or matki. For this clean the matki, wash them and soak in water for 6-8 hours or overnight. Then drain the water and hang the matki in a soaked muslin cloth for 10-12 hours or till you see sprouts emerge from them
Boil the matki sprouts using 2 cups of water for 1 cup of sprouts, for 10-12 minutes in a covered vessel on medium flame. Drain the excess water. Keep aside.
Heat oil in a thick-bottomed kadhai,when it gets hot add the cumin seeds
When the cumin seeds sizzle, add the cloves, asafoetida, finely chopped green chillies, and grated ginger
Saute on medium flame for a few seconds
Add the finely chopped onions and saute for 2-3 minutes till they become translucent
Add the chopped capsicum. Saute for half a minute
Next add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, and coriander powder
Saute on medium flame for a few seconds taking care not to burn the spices
Add the boiled matki sprouts, mix well and saute for 1 minute
Now add the cooked rice, add salt as required, toss well and cook on medium flame for a couple of minutes stirring continuously
Garnish the matki pulao with chopped coriander leaves
Serve with raita of your choice