Instant Lapsi and Rawa Mini Uttapa

Instant Lapsi and Rawa Mini Uttapa
Ingredients
1 cup Lapsi
1 cup Rawa
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1 cup butter milk or more
1 tsp Eno
1 onion chopped
2 green chillies chopped
2 tbsp coriander leaves chopped
Ghee
Method
Clean the Lapsi and Rawa. Grind the Lapsi and Rawa with butter milk and ginger. If required add more butter milk to get a medium thick consistency. Add salt, Eno, chopped onion, chopped chillies and coriander leaves. Mix it and keep the batter for 15 minutes. Take a Mini Uttapa tawa, apply ghee in the cavities . Put spoons of batter in the cavities. Cook the Uttapa and serve it with green chutney.....

Classic Dhokla, Schezwan Vegetable Dhokla and Vattayappam with a twist

These 3 healthy quick snack recipes are a twist from classic recipes of India made from the same basic key ingredients... Lapsi and Suji.  Do try out at home....

Suji and Lapsi Batter
Ingredients
2 cups Lapsi ( broken wheat)
2 cups Suji
1 cups butter milk or more to make a thick batter
2 tsp soda bi carb or yeast or Eno

Method
Wash the Lapsi and soak it in water for 2 to 3 hours. Then throw the water in which the  Lapsi was soaked. Now put all the ingredients except for the salt and soda bi carb or yeast or Eno in the grinder and grind it into a fine paste. Take the batter out of the grinder and if required add more butter milk to get a thick consistently. Add soda bi carb or Eno or yeast as desire. If yeast is added then add the yeast in 1/4 cup of Luke warm water with 1 tsp sugar and keep it for 10 minutes for rising. Then add the yeast water to the batter. Let the batter stand for 30 minutes to an hour.

This batter is the base for the 3 following recipes. Divided the batter into 3 parts.

Classic Dhokla
Ingredients
1 part of the batter
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp chilli paste
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder
1 tsp oil
1 pinch of hing
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
5 to 6 curry leaves
4 tbsp water
1/2 tsp sugar
Coriander leaves chopped for garnishing

Method
Add ginger, salt and chilli paste to the batter. Grease the dhokla plates and fill 1/2 of the dhokla plates with the batter. Sprinkle chilli powder and roasted cumin powder and steam the dhoklas. Check the dhokla with the help of the tooth pick. If done the tooth pick will come out smoothly. Take the dhokla out of the steamer and cool it. Now take oil in a small vessel and add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds starts to crackle add hing, curry leaves and sugar. Keep it for a minute and add water and let it bubble. Now add the tadka on the dhokla and garnish with coriander leaves. Cut it in to square or diamond shapes and serve it with green coriander chutney.

Schezwan Vegetable Dhokla
1 part of the batter
1 tsp oil
Salt to taste
1/2 pepper powder
1/2 tsp soya sauce
1 tbsp Schezwan sauce
1 onion sliced
1/2 small capsicum slice
1/2 tsp garlic crushed
1/4 cup cabbage sliced
1 tbsp carrot sliced
1/4 cup spring onion chopped
Coriander leaves and spring onions for garnishing

Method
Take the batter and add salt as required. Take a pan and add oil. Add crushed garlic and sauté for a minute. Add all the sliced vegetables. Add the soya and the Schezwan sauce. Sauté the vegetables for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chopped  spring onions the vegetables and keep it aside. Now grease the dhokla   plate and fill 1/4 of the plate with the batter. Half steam the batter. Once half steamed and the top of the batter has harden spread the vegetables on the batter. Now fill the rest of the plate with the rest of the batter and sprinkle pepper powder on top. Put the plate back into the steamer and steam the dhokla till done. Take it out from the steamer and garnish it with coriander leaves and chopped spring onions. Let the dhokla cool and then cut into shapes as desire.

Vattayappam with a twist
1 part of the batter
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
Sugar as per the sweetness required
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp broken kaju
1 tbsp raisins
1 mashed banana
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1 tbsp Saffron syrup
1 banana sliced for decoration
1/2 tsp ghee

Method
Take the batter and add all the ingredients except Saffron syrup and sliced banana. Mix the batter well. Now grease the plate with ghee and add the batter. Steam the batter till done. Take the plate out of the steamer. Cool the Vattayappam. Garnish it with Saffron syrup and sliced banana.

Sandwich Uttapa and Masala idlis....

Sandwich Uttapa and Masala idlis....
For Sandwich Uttapa
Ingredients
Dosa atta
1 onion chopped
1 tomato chopped
2 green chilies chopped
1 tbsp of coriander leaves chopped
Salt to taste
1 tbsp desiccated coconut
Ghee
Method
Mix all the above ingredients in the dosa atta, except for the ghee. Take the sandwich toaster and brush with ghee. Add the batter and close the lid... Cook the Uttapa till done.

Masala Idlis
Ingredients
2 cup Idli cut into small cubes
1 tbsp Oil
1/4 tsp Mustard seeds
1/4 tsp Chana Dal
1/4 tsp Urid dal
1 green chilli chopped
Few Curry leaves
2 tbsp  Mullapodi Chutney powder
1 tbsp Coconut chutney
1/2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp Desiccated Coconut
1 tbsp chopped Coriander leaves
Method
Take a pan. Add oil. Add mustard seeds, chana dal, Urid dal, curry leaves, chopped green chilli and sauté it for few minutes. Add Chopped Idli to the pan and sauté it for few minutes more.  Take a small bowl. Mix the coconut chutney , Mullapodi powder, lime juice and 3 tbsp water. Add the chutney mix to the idlis. Mix it well. Cook for few minutes till the water in the chutney dries up. Garnish it with desiccated coconut and chopped coriander leaves.

Multi grain vegetable idlis

Multi grain vegetable  idlis
Ingredients
2 cups broken red rice
1 tbsp of each moong dal, channa dal, tur dal, bajra, Ragi, Jowari, wheat
1/2 cup of urid dal
1/2 tsp methi seeds
Salt to taste
1 fresh coconut grated
1/2 bunch Coriander leaves
4 garlic cloves
2 green chillies
1 carrot grated
1 beet root grated
Sasame oil for greasing the idli moulds
Method
Wash the rice,the pulses and grains. Soak it in water for 6 to 8 hours. Grind the rice, pulses,grains and the methi seeds together. The batter should be thick and not very fine. Cover and keep it over night. Next day add salt to taste, 1/2 cup grated coconut, grated carrot and beet. Mix the batter well. Grease the idli mould with oil and cook it till done. Serve it with green coconut chutney.

For green coconut chutney take coriander leaves, chillies, salt to taste, coconut grated and garlic and grind the ingredients.

Eggless Kesar Pista Elaichi Pancakes with Banana and Pear Syrup.. Served with Fresh Cream / Vanilla Icream / Hung curd

Eggless Kesar Pista Elaichi Pancakes with Banana and Pear Syrup.. Served with Fresh Cream / Vanilla Icream / Hung curd
For the Pan cake
Ingredients
2 cups Rice flour
3 tbsp Curd
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp sugar 
Or
3 tbsp honey + 3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp milk masala
1/2 tsp Elichi
1 cup or milk
2 banana
Butter for spraying on the pan
Method
Take a blender. Add the banana, salt, curd, 1/4 cup milk and blend. Add sugar or honey or both as desire, milk masala, milk and blend. Add rice flour little at a time and blend. Make a thick batter. If more milk it needed add to the batter. Rest for 10 minutes.. Apply butter to the pan. Add a spoon of batter and make it. Similarly make the rest and keep it aside.

Banana and Pear syrup
Ingredients
1 pear cut in to cubes or any fruits
2 banana sliced
4 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp Elichi powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp butter
Method
Take a pan. Add butter. Add the fruits and saute. Add honey, salt and Elichi powder. Cook it for 5 minutes.

While serving take 2  pan cakes in a plate... Add the fruit syrup. Add Hung curd or Vanilla Ice cream or Fresh cream......

Italian Tomato Mozzarella Crostini made with Ciabatta Bread....

Italian Tomato Mozzarella Crostini made with Ciabatta Bread.... 

Ingredients

12 Ciabatta bread slices

12 strips Of fresh Mozzarella

2 Tomatoes cut into half and sliced

2 Onion cut into half and sliced

Olive oil

Dry Orageno for seasoning 

Sprinkle of Pepper

Salt as per taste

Optional- 2 slices Ham cut into long strips 

Method 

Place bread slices on a baking sheet. Bake until toasted for about 6-8 minutes at 200 degrees in a preheated oven.. Remove and add ham (Optional), tomato and onion. Sprinkle with pepper.

Add mozzarella. Top with seasoning and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for about 8-10 minutes at 200 degrees or till the cheese melts. When done, place crostini on serving plate and serve immediately.

Chirer Pulao

Chirer Pulao

It is a delicious healthy dish eaten for breakfast or snacks. This is a popular dish of Bengal, but only made at home.  This dish is made with flatten rice (Poha) and different types of winter vegetables. 

My mother use to add little grated ginger, which I have not added in this recipe. 

Ingredients

2 cups of thick Flatten Rice washed 

1 small Onion sliced 

1/4 cup of each vegetables cut into strips 

Carrots, French beans, Cauliflower, Potato and Capsicum) 

4 tbsp of Green Peas

2 Green Chillies cut lengthwise 

1 tbsp Peanuts

1 tbsp broken Cashews 

1 tbsp Raisins 

2 to 3 Bay Leaves 

1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Sugar 

1 tsp Garam Masala powder

3 tbsp Ghee 

Method

Take ghee in the wok. Let the ghee heat up. Add cumin seeds. Let it crackle. Add bay leaves, peanuts and cashews. Stir and sauté until light brown in colour. Add the hard vegetable first one at a time. To begin with add the potatoes. Stir for a few seconds. Add the cauliflower. Stir and let it cook for a minute. Add the carrot, continue to cook for a few seconds. Add the french beans. Let it cook further for a minute. Add the green peas and capsicum. Stir for a minute more. Add the onion. Stir and let it cook on low flame for another minute. Finally add the green chillies and stir. Now add the raisins, sugar and salt. Stir and cover the wok with a lid. Let the vegetables cook until tender. Remove the lid, check if the vegetables are cooked. Add 1/4 cup of water,stir,  add the flatten rice. Stir and cook for few seconds. Add the garam masala powder and some more salt. Stir it once more. Serve it hot. 

Dhakai Parotha with Dal

Dhakai Parotha with Dal
A street food from Kolkata.

Ingredients
2 Cup  All purpose flour
2 1/2 tbsp Saltless Butter
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp  Baking Powder
Cold Water from the fridge
Oil to fry

Method
Mix salt in the flour and mix it. Add 2 tbsp butter to the flour and mix it well. Add water little at a time to make a semi soft dough. Cover the bowl with damp cloth and keep it aside for 30 min.Knead dough well for 5 minutes by adding in more butter. Now divide the dough into equal portions. Roll out each portion into a round shape. Brush each rolled portion with oil and sprinkle flour on the top. Make a cut from the centre of the round to the edge. Roll the dough from one cut edge to the other to form a spiral roll. Then roll this into a spiral disc and tuck the ends in. Roll the disc out again. Heat oil in a frying pan. Fry the paratha turning on a low flame until both sides are golden brown and crisp.Serve it hot with Dal.

Below given is the pictorial steps for rolling the dough...

Cholar Dal
Ingredients
1 small cup Bengal grams washed and soaked for 30 minutes
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder
1 pinch Asafoetida
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1 Red dry chilli
1 Bay leaf
1 tbsp Oil

Method
Take a pressure cooker, add the dal, turmeric powder, salt to taste and garam masala powder. Add 1 1/2 cup water and pressure cook it till done. Take oil. Add cumin seeds, bay leaf and  red chilli. Let it crackle. Add asafoetida. Add the seasoning to the dal, add sugar. If the dal has become dry then add water according to the thicken required. Boil the dal and serve it with Dhakai paratha.

Baked Stuffed Potato Kulcha

Baked Stuffed Potato Kulcha

For Stuffing
Ingredients
2 cups Mashed Potatoes
1 tbsp chopped Green Chillies
1 tbsp Chopped Coriander leaves
Black salt or Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Raw Mango Powder / Amchur

Method
Mix all the ingredients together and keep it aside.

For the Kulcha
Ingredients
500 grams Fine flour
1 tbsp Dry Yeast
1 tbsp Sugar
1/2 cup Lukewarm water
1/4 cup or more Water
2 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp each of Black Sesame seeds, Nigella seeds and Carom seeds mix ( Black Til, Kalonji and Ajwin )
1 tbsp of Coriander leaves chopped
2 tbsp of Mint leaves chopped
2 tbsp Butter

Method
Add flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add yeast and sugar to the lukewarm water and let it rise. Add the yeast + extra water little at a time to make a soft dough. Add 1 tbsp oil and knead it for 5 minutes. Apply 1/2 tsp oil on top and cover it and let it rise for 30 minutes. Knead the dough again for 2 minutes. Divide the dough into equal portions and make round balls. Cover the balls for 20 minutes. After 15 minutes  take one dough ball. Flatten the dough ball and add one portion of the stuffing in to it. Close the stuffing properly with the dough, flatten the dough and keep it to rest for another 15 minutes on a greased baking tray leaving some distance. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds, nigella seeds and carom seeds. Sprinkle with mint and coriander leaves. Bake at 200 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes in a pre heated oven. Add butter and serve hot..

Ghee Maysore Masala Dosa

Ghee Maysore Masala Dosa
Ingredients
1 big bowl of Dosa Batter
1/2 cup Ghee
1 of each vegetables sliced - Onion, tomato and capsicum
1 of each vegetables grated - Carrot and beetroot
Garlic chutney- (5 garlic cloves, 4 dry red chillies and salt to taste) - add little water and grind all the ingredients together
Mullapudi powder
Method
Take a dosa tawa. Add the dosa batter, spread the dosa batter and wait for few minutes. Add 1/2 tbsp of ghee, 1/2 tsp of Mullapudi powder and 1 tbsp of garlic chutney. Spread the chutney all over on the dosa. Add little of all the vegetables. Mash the vegetables with the masher. Let the dosa cook for 3 to 4 minutes till brown in colour. Roll the dosa and server it with Sambar and coconut chutney....

Instant Appam and Vegetable Stew

Instant Appam and Vegetable Stew

Appam

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup Rice flour

3/4 cup grated Grated coconut

1/2 cup Cooked leftover Rice 

2 tbsp Sugar

1 tbsp Yeast

1 1/2 cup Water or more 

 Salt to taste

Method

Grind together rice flour, grated coconut, cooked rice and 1 cup water to form a smooth batter. Keep the batter in a big bowl. Take 1/2 cup lukewarm water, add sugar and yeast. Let it rise. Add the yeast to the rice batter and cover the bowl and let it ferment for a hour. After fermentation add salt to taste.Gently stir the salt.Cover and keep aside for another 15 minutes.The batter will rise and will be light. The batter should be thinner than Dosa batter.  Heat the appachatti over medium flame. Gently pour a ladle full of batter into the pan. Immediately swirl the pan to spread the batter in a circle.Cover and cook for about a minute or until the edges turn golden brown. Carefully remove the appam from the pan.Serve with vegetable  stew.

Vegetable Stew

Ingredients

1 Onion  cubed

1 inch Ginger  grated

3 chopped Garlic

2 Green chilli silted

2 cups Mixed vegetables cubed (carrot, beans, potato, peas, bottle gourd)

200 Ml Coconut milk

1/2 tsp Pepper powder

Salt as required

Curry leaves

Cloves -2

Cinnamon - 1 inch piece

1 Whole red

1 tbsp Coconut oil

Method

Heat oil, add the ingredients curry leaves, cloves, cinnamon and red chilli, saute for a few seconds, then add onions and garlic. Saute till onions turn transparent. Add ginger, green chilli and the rest of the vegetables.Add 100 ml coconut milk, 1 cup water, salt and pepper powder. Cook till the vegetables are soft. Once the vegetables are cooked, add the rest of the coconut milk and just heat the stew. For flavor, heat a tsp of coconut oil, and add from top. Serve with Appam.