Mini Vegetable Uthappam

Bored of the same dosa and want to try different? Uthappams are the best way to use the same dosa batter but to give a new twist to ur tongues. Just saute some veggies and add to the dosa batter and variation is instant. I made it with Peppers and u can add many other veggie combinations like cabbage, cauliflower, etc., Wanted to make circles, but cudn't get them bcos of the vegetables..

I love to make this recipe, bcos its super duper easy and tastes excellent too. And theres another reason too.. yes if u've little dosa batter, this actually increases the volume. Stating that, it  has a negative part- cos its tasty ur family may need more uthappams than regular dosas.

Ingredients:

Dosa batter - 2 cup

Finely cut Onions - 3 tbsp

Grated carrots - 2 tbsp

Cut Green and Red peppers - 3 tbsp

Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp

Orad dal - 1 tsp

Chana dal - 1 tsp

coriander leaves

Mint leaves

Green chillies - 2 (optional)

Oil - 1 tsp

Procedure:

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, urad dal and chana dal.

Add all the chopped veggies one by one and saute well

Finally add the coriander and mint leaves

Add all these to the dosa batter and mix well. Add salt if needed

Heat dosa pan and spread the batter as small circles. You can make 5 dosas in one batch

Add Gingely oil to the corners and keep covered.

Flip over and cook on other side

Serve uthappams with coconut chutney.

I'm sending this recipe for I'm The Star happening at Vegetarian Food & Me

Strawberry Banana Milkshake

Spring has started here and it's good to be warm after the chilly days. This spring is bit warmer than last year. These evenings I make my kid some milkshake instead of her chocolate drink. (Definitely a nice way to give her fruit as well as milk).This one is her favourite among them.
 

Ingredients:
Strawberry - 7-8 nos.
Ripe Banana - 1
Cold Milk - 2 glass
Sugar (if required)

Procedure:
Blend all the above ingredients in a blender. Serve chilled.

I'm sending this recipe to Kitchen Chronicles ~ Summer Splash event.

Spicy Potato wedges

I usually make Potatoes with onions and tomatoes the way my mother does. This time I tried to cut them as wedges and added some peanuts which I don't add usually. The result was awesome. This is simple but tasty way of making potatoes. It goes well with any rice and good for snacking too. :-)

Ingredients:

Small Potato - 3 nos

Chilly powder - 1 tsp

Salt

Oil - 2 tbsp

To grind

Cut Onion - 1/2 cup (around 3 tbsp)

Ginger-1/2 inch

Garlic-3

Roasted peanuts - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

Wash and prick the potatoes with a fork throughut and microwave for 1-2 minutes till half done.

Cut the potatos as wedges and keep ready

Grind the ingredients for grinding as a paste

Mix the potato wedges with salt, chilly powder and ground paste and mix well

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add the potatoes and keep stirring frequently.

Since the potatoes are half cooked, this will get ready shortly.

Once the potatoes turns nice brown remove them from flame and serve.

I'm submimtting this recipe for Serve it-stir-fried event happening at kirthi's kitchen

 

Kung Pao Chicken

When we got Chicken this week, I wanted to try something different than the usual chicken curry I make. Me and my husband always likes chinese takeouts and so wanted to try this out. I got the recipe from Vahrehvah. I didn't had chicken broth and ajinimoto, so made it without that. But even turned out well. I didn't had a chance to take pictures,but even wanted to post the recipe so that I'll remember. Its very simple to make and definitely tasty.

Ingredients:

Chicken - 500 lbs
Diced vegetables (Onions, Mushrooms, Celery, Green & Red Peppers- 1 cup
Spring onions - 2 tbsp
Red chilles- 10
Garlic ginger chopped - 1 tbsp
Peanuts roasted - 1 tbsp
Sesame oil - 2 tbsp

For marinating chicken:
Corn flour - 1 tsp
Egg beaten- 2 tsp
Salt
Soy sauce - 1 tsp

For sauce
Chicken stock - 1 cup (I used water instead)
Rice Vinegar - 1 tsp (I didn't used)
Chilli sauce - 1 tsp(optional)
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Rice vinegar - 1 tbsp
salt
Sugar - 1 tsp
Soy Sauce - 2 tbsp

Procedure:
Take chicken, soya sauce, egg, salt mix all. Add corn flour and mix again. Keep marinated for 30 mins

Take a bowl add Chicken stock, soya sauce, pepper powder, rice vinegar,ajinmato, chilli sauce mix well and keep a side.

In a pan add oil, red chilli, chopped garlic and ginger, mix well. To this add the marinated chicken and cook for 10-15 minutes on low flame checking frequently.

When chicken is almost done add all vegetables and saute.

Then add the chicken stock and mix well. Finally add peanuts spring onion. Cook for 5min and switch off the flame.

If you want a thicker gravy add corn starch at the end and cook for 5 mins.

So simple to make but its very delicious. You can deep fry the marinated chicken and add it along after mixing the sauce.

Mango Rice

Last time when I had been to the supermarket, I picked up a mango. I wanted to actually make "mango thokku" but then  I got reminded of this simple yet tasty dish. I was also running out of dishes for our lunch box as well, so tried this recipe. It came out quite well (as expected) though the mango was not quite tangy. I think I can add this in our menu of variety rice for a change.

Ingredients:
Cooked rice - 2 cups
Raw mango - 1 medium size
Green chilli - 1 finely chopped
Red chilli - 1 or 2
Grated ginger - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chana dhal - 2 tsp
Urid Dhal - t tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Hing - 1 pinch
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves
Oil

Procedure:

Peel the mango and grate it.
Cook the rice separetly with salt added. This makes it easier when preparing this kind of rice dishes.
Allow the rice to cool.
Add around 1 tbsp of oil in a pan. Once it is heated, add mustard seeds and jeera and allow it to splutter.
Add hing, urid dhal, chana dhal and cashew nuts and fry till they are slightly brown.
Following this add curry leaves, green chilly, red chilli and grated ginger and fry for few more minutes.
Now add the grated mango and turmeric powder and cook for 5-6 minutes till it reduces in volume.
Finally add salt, chopped coriander leaves and remove from flame.
Mix this with rice, adjust salt if required.

Mango rice is ready to eat. This makes easy and tasty food especially for lunch boxes as it tastes tangy and better after a couple of hours.

Easy Bread Sandwich

Bread has become an daily food in our family and it is easy to fix the breakfast with it and its filling too. So I'm just posting a simple, easy and healthy Bread sandwich.

Lets eat healthy and stay healthy while we celebrate "Womens Day"

Ingredients:

Bread - 4 slices
Steamed vegetables (I used Potato, peas and carrots) - 1 bowl
Sprouted Whole moong dal - 2 tbsp
Shredded Cheese - 2 tsp
Salt & Pepper
Chopped coriander leaves



Procedure:

Mash the steamed veggies and mix salt and pepper to it
Take one bread slice and spread the mashed vegetables. To this mix chopped coriander leaves
Place 1 tbsp of sprouted moong dal over that and sprinkle cheese
Place other bread slice and press slightly. Cut the bread into halves as triangles
Repeat the same for the other 2 slices
Toast them on sandwich maker or on tava on a low flame till bread is browned a little
Serve hot

Ginger chutney

A chutney of Ginger? Many might wonder how would this taste. But believe me it is a great combination for idly/dosa. This has ginger as the main ingredient and also has onion and coconut which gives a unique taste and flavor. I learned this recipe from my grandma and she always say that this is good for all stomach ailes. So its a medicine which your toungue can really enjoy.

Ingredients:
Ginger - 2 inch coarsely chopped
Onion - 4 tsp chopped
Urad dal - 2 tsp
cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Red chilli - 1
Tamarind paste - 1/2 tsp
Coconut powder - 4 tsp, u can use whole coconut
Salt
oil - 1 tsp

Procedure:
Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and as it splutter add urad dal.
Let it brown a little, add red chili, onion, ginger and tamarind paste one by one and saute for 2 mins.
Now add coconut and turn of the flame. let it cool and grind to a semi-smooth paste
Serve with idly, dosa or with curd rice.

Uppurundai / Steamed Rice balls

Uppurundai is a breakfast dish and my mom used to make this mostly on sunday mornings. It actally means salted(uppu) balls(urundai) - I don't know why it got this name. I always feel it should've been named as Arisi/thengai-urundai (rice/coconut balls). This is simple to make and makes a filling and healthy breakfast. This goes very well with Coconut chutney and even simply sugar(my favorite).

My mother-in-law also makes this but it'll be little different where the batter will be grinded very coarsely as rava. That gives a different taste and I'll try to post it sometime soon.

Ingredients:

Raw Rice- 2 cups (soak for 2-3 hrs)

Coconut shredded /powder - 2 tbsp (can use whole too)

Whole Black Pepper - 1 tsp

Green chili - 2 chopped (be careful when giving for kids)

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Chana dal - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Coconut pieces - 1/2 cup (cut into small pieces)

Curry leaves

Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt

Procedure:

Grind the soaked raw rice with water and coconut to a smooth batter. Add salt to this and keep it separate

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard and cumin seeds. Once they splutter, add urad dal, chana dal and fry till they turn color. Then add green chilies, black pepper, curry leaves and coconut pieces.

Reduce the flame to medium and add the ground batter.

Keep stirring to mix all the ingredients to the batter without any lumps

Once the batter mixed well and comes well together as a dough, remove from flame.

Grease your hands with oil and make small balls of the dough. Be careful as the dough will be hot.

Arrange the balls in a plate and steam them in a idly vessel or pressure cooker without weight as you do for idlies. Steam for 15 minutes.

Serve them hot with coconut chutney

Tips:

For instant purposes you can use rice flour and mix it with water instead of grinding the soaked rice

You may avoid green chillies, if u r serving kids

Keep a water bowl ready when making the balls, which u can use to cool ur hands.