Tamatar Nariyal Chutney (Tomato Coconut Condiment)

This one is my favorite. It fits with my diet and adds flavour to my food. What more can I ask for? It's a perfect condiment for idlis, utthapams, dosas, or vadas, often relished at breakfast. There are so many variants of this condiment out there. I have one on my blog too (without the tomato). Check it out here.

Try it to believe it. I bet you will love this one!

Ingredients:
1. 1 large semi ripe tomato, chopped.
2. 1/4 cup shredded or grated coconut
3. 1 green chili
4. 1 dried red chili
5. A fistful of chana dal
6. A fistful of urad dal
7. tamarind pulp 3-4 tsp
8. Salt to taste
9. Cumin seeds, 1 tsp
10. Mustard seeds, 1 tsp
11. Curry leaves, a couple
12. Oil, 2 tsp

Directions:
1. Heat a wok and add one part of the oil.
2. When the oil is hot, add cumin seeds and let it sizzle.
3. Add green chili, red chili, urad dal, and chana dal.
4. Let it fry until the lentils turns brown.
5. Add coconut and fry more.
6. Next add the tomatoes and cook until it looks dry.
7. Let this cool.
8. Add into a blender and add salt, and tamarind pulp and blend to a smooth paste.
9. To temper, heat the rest of oil in a wok, when the oil is hot add in curry leaves and mustard seeds.
10. When the start to seeds pop, the temper is ready. Pour it into the paste.

Voila!

Oats Khichdi (Oat and Lentil Stew)

In my quest to cook with Oats, I am discovering new and easy recipes. I am loving this new side of culinary feasts that I had missed on for so long.
This recipe is is a combination of Oats and Moong Dal. In South India, this dish is known as Pongal and traditionally cooked with rice.
It is a great dish because it can be devoured any time of the day, requires minimal ingredients, and can be prepared in a jiffy!
For the traditional Khichdi recipe, check this out.

Ingredients:
1. Cumin seeds, 1 tsp
2. Curry leaves, 3-4 twigs
3. Ginger, 1 inch, minced
4. Oil
5. Cashews (optional), a fistful
6. Peppercorn, crushed, 3-4 (optional)
7. Oats, 1 cup
8. Moong dal, 1/2 cup, steamed/cooked through
9. Water, 1.5 cup
10. Salt to taste
11. Turmeric powder, 1 tsp
12. Hing, a pinch
13. Green chili, 1, chopped
14. Spinach, a bunch, chopped

Directions:
1. Heat a non-stick wok.
2. Add in oil. When the oil is hot, add in cashewnuts, cumin seeds, hing, ginger, curry leaves, peppercorn, and green chili.
3. When they turn brown and the cumin starts to sizzle, add in oats.
4. Then add water, turmeric, and salt and mix well.
5. Cook for about 5 minutes until the consistency is thick and oats absorbs most of the water.
6. Add spinach and moong dal.
7. Mix and adjust the seasoning.

Serve warm.

Thanks to Rak and Sailu for this delicious and healthy recipe.

Oats Upma

As you know, a healthy gluten-diary-sugar free diet is changing my eating as well as cooking habits.  I've been on the lookout for tasty yet fitting recipes for my well-being without having to kill myself over finding the ingredients. Luckily enough, there is a plethora of cooking tutorials on youtube and recipes on the internet. The recipe below has been clearly copied and I take no credit for this work. Also, I want to thank one of my blogger friends, Priya,  who inspired me to cook with Oats. She is the one who introduced me to the versatility of this super-grain. Thanks, Priya!

Ingredients:
1. Onion, chopped, 1
2. Garlic pods, 2, minced
3. Green chili, 2, minced
4. Carrot, 1, diced
5. Green peas, 1 cup, frozen
6. Green beans, 1 cup, frozen
7. Oats, 3-4 cups
8. Salt to taste
9. Hing, a pinch
10. Lemon juice to tatse
11. Turmeric powder, 1 tsp
12. Oil
13. Curry leaves from 3-4 twigs
14. Chana dal/bengal gram, a fistful
15. Mustard seeds (optional)


Directions:
1. Dry roast rolled oats.
2. In a non stick wok, add oil.
3. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter.
4. Add in turmeric powder, hing, onions, garlic, green chili, curry leaves, and bengal gram.
5. Saute until they turn brownish.
6. Add in carrots, green peas, beans and water. Let it boil.
7. Add in lemon juice, salt to taste.
8. Slowly add in oats, mixing thoroughly.
9. Reduce the heat and keep mixing until all the water is absorbed by the oats.

Believe me this tasted as good if not better than the traditional Upma. I do not regret any bit of it. 

Healthy eating? Bring it on!

Chooda Matar/Cheevra Matar (Flattened Rice Flakes and Green Peas Pilaf)

Choora Matar is a variant of Poha. When you are bored of the mundane, try this recipe and you will be surprised how small changes can yield such wonderfully anew results. Chooda Matar is typical Banarasi cuisine. It is often had as breakfast or a snack. The delicacy shares the same name as this recipe yet it lends distinctive flavours and has unrelated cooking styles.

This Pilaf is unique in its own way. While rice flakes fulfill the appetite, the ethnic Indian spices spell its magic of tastefulnessess. The goodness of green peas and the zest of lime, the aroma of fresh cilantro herbs and the kick of ground black pepper all come together in one meal to make this a personal favorite.

Ingredients:
1. 6 cups matar (green peas)
2. 2 cup poha (flattened rice flakes)
3. 1 tsp mined ginger
4. 2 red Thai chili, chopped
5. Mustard seeds
6. Cumin seeds
7. Salt to taste
8. Turmeric powder
9. 3 tsp Coriander powder
10. 1/2 tsp sugar
11. Oil
12. 1 tsp Black pepper, ground
13. Freshly chopped cilantro
14. Lemon juice, 3 tsp

Directions:
1. Heat a wok.
2. Add oil, mustard seeds.
3. Let it crackle.
4. Then add cumin seeds.
5. Add ginger and saute until lightly brown
6. Add green chili and mix.
7. Add turmeric powder.
8. Add peas and salt.
9.Cover and cook until the peas soften
10. Wash the poha and mix it with coriander powder, sugar, black pepper, cilantro.
11. Then add this to the cooked peas.
12. Cover and cook for 10 mins on low heat, stirring occasionally.
13. Add lemon juice and mix.

Serve warm and jazz it up with freshly made Dhania ki chutney.

Thanks, Mom, for sharing this recipe with me.

Chooda/Cheevda/Poha Matar (Fried Flattened Rice Flakes with Spicy Stir-fried Peas)

Chooda/Cheevra/Poha (Flattened Rice Flakes) and Matar (Green Peas) is a Varanasi/Banarasi snack often relished during the winter season. The crispiness of fried flattened rice flakes is a good compliment to the soft texture of  cooked green peas. Poha-Matar is a perfect combination but can be enjoyed individually as well.

This is my first encounter with it as a chef. Until now, I was only interested in how it tasted and not how it was made. Having Mom come stay with you has many benefits including having the opportunity to learn interesting recipes from her, especially the ones that you grew up eating. Thanks, Mom! Here goes the recipe:

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

For the Poha:
1. Poha (Flattened rice flakes)
2. Mustard seeds
3. Cumin seeds
4. Oil
5. Salt

For the Spicy Peas
1. Peas, frozen, 4 cups,
2. Salt
3. Turmeric powder
4. Red chili powder
5. Oil
6. Heeng


Directions:

For the Poha:
1. Heat a non-stick wok.
2. Add oil generously.
3. Add mustard seeds and let it crackle.
4. Add cumin seeds and let it sizzle.
5. Add dried Rice Flakes.
6. Fry on medium heat until it becomes crispy and changes colour.
7. Add salt to taste.

For the Peas:
1. Heat a non-stick wok.
2. Then add olive or canola oil.
3. Add mustard seeds and heeng let the seeds crackle.
4. Add cumin seeds and let it sizzle.
5. Add about 1 heaping tsp of turmeric powder and then the peas.
6. Mix well.
7. Cook uncovered on medium-high heat for about 5-7 mins.
8. Add Red chili powder and Salt then mix.
9. Cook covered  until all peas are cook thoroughly.

Serve with Chai by itself or as an accompaniment to the Poha.

Anda Bhurji (Scrambled eggs )

Egg and I are not friends! For me, Eggs are best when decorated-up and placed in the Easter basket. Putting eggs into my intrinsic human system is another story.

Being a calorie counter and health-conscious freak, it seems natural that I would crave this ingredient. Alas! I failed each time I tried to get my digestive tract to accept this protein-rich ingredient. So now, I have made terms with the war going on between the two. But I manage to still sneak in a bite or two every time I make an egg dish for Mr. Husband. After all, what is better and easy-to-make then eggs for breakfast?

Here goes the recipe:

Ingredients:
1.2 eggs, whisked
2. Red onion, half, finely chopped
3. Tomatoes, 1/4th, finely chopped
4. Salt, a pinch or to taste
5. Red chili powder, a pinch or to taste
6. Oil

Instructions:
1. Heat a non-stick pan.
2. Add a little but of oil and throw in the onions.
3. Stir fry for a few minutes until the onion changes colour.
4. Add in tomatoes then the whisked eggs (combined with salt and pepper)
5. Let the bottom part harden slightly so that you can flip it.
6. Cook evenly on both sides.
7. Cut into small pieces.

Serve with ketchup, toast, and a warm cup of chai.

For a vegetarian version, check this out.

Rava Utthapam (Vegetarian Semolina Omelet)

This is a perfect South Indian delicacy for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You can also make idlis out if this. This is a thick pancake or vegetarian omelet.

Ingredients:
1. Semolina. raw
2. Yogurt
3. Salt
4. Red chili powder
5. Chopped onion
7. Chopped cashewnuts (optional)
8. Chopped green chili
9. Chopped fresh tomato

Instructions:
1. Mix everything together.
2. Roast uncovered on a non-stick pan.
3. Oil the sides, then flip and roast on the other side.

Serve with Nariyal ki Chutney.

Dalia (Cracked Wheat)

Dalia is a healthy one pot dish that is low in fat and high in taste. It's easy to cook and a perfect dish for brunch/lunch/breakfast. Dalia is known as broken wheat in English.

1. Dalia

2. ghee, 2 tsp
3. cumin seeds
4. heeng, a pinch
5. curry leaves
6. 1/2 onion chopped
7. 1 green chili, chopped
8. frozen mixed vegetables
9. frozen hash browns

10. salt

11. garam masala

12. 1/2 chopped ripe tomato

Instructions:
1. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker.
2. When it melts, add cumin seeds and heeng.

3. When the cumin seeds sizzle, add curry leaves, green chili, tomato, and onions.

4. Fry until translucent.
5. Add vegetables and hash browns and saute for a few mins.
6. Add salt, dalia, lemon juice, and water.
7. Pressure cooker for 2-3 whistles.
8. When the lid of the pressure cooker opens, add garam masala and red chili powder to taste.
9. Mix well.
10. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves (optional)

Indian Style Potato Cheese Sandwich

If you are the one who counts calories and carbs, you might want to skip this. However, if you like to indulge in a healthy but tasty carb intake, this one is for you.

I had a bunch of leftovers in my fridge. Namely, half a red onion, boiled potatoes, and curry leaves. This is what I did to them.

1. curry leaves, a few sprigs
2. oil
3. mustard seeds
4. cumin seeds
5. 1 thai green chili, minced
6. 2 pods of garlic, minced
7. 2 boiled potatoes, peeled and mashed.
8. salt to taste
9. 1/2 red onion, chopped
10, heeng, a pinch
11. 2 tsp coriander powder
12. 1-2 tsp amchoor (dry mango) powder
13. 1-2 tsp garam masala
14. 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
15. brown bread slices
16. cheddar cheese single/slices. I used kraft.

Instructions:
1. Heat oil in a wok
2.  Add mustard seeds and let it splutter.
3. Add cumin seeds and heeng.
4. When the cumin seeds sizzle, add turmeric powder, onion, garlic, curry leaves.
5. Saute until the curry leaves look slightly crisp and covered in oil and the onions are translucent.
6. Add potatoes, coriander powder, garam masala, salt.
7. Mix well and cook until the potatoes are well coated with the spices and onions and start to turn golden brown.
8. Add amchoor powder and mix well.
9. Take 2 pieces of brown bread and line one slice of bread with a cheese single.
10. Top it with this potato mizture.
11. Cover this with the other slice of bread and put it in a sandwich maker.
12. Let it grill until the sandwich maker says it's done.
13. Serve with ketchup.

Perfect for a breakfast, brunch, or snack.
Tip: This potato filling can also be used as a filling for samosas.

Indian Style Perogies

Perogy is a stuffed dumpling. The frozen variants are an easy to cook snack. This is an Indian style Perogy recipe: Perogies with caramelized onions in a melange of Indian spices and infused with a flavoured oil.

Ingredients:
1. Mustard seeds, 1 tsp
2. Cumin seeds, 1 tsp
3. Heeng, a pinch
4. Turmeric powder, 1 tsp
5. Coriander powder, 1 tsp
6. Cumin powder, 1 tsp
7. Salt to taste
8. Onion, half, minced
9. Garlic, 2 pods, linched
10. 1 thai chili, minced.
11. Oil
12. 10 frozen cheese and potato perogies, blanched.

Instructions:
1. Heat a wok and add oil.
2. Crackle mustard seeds in this oil and then add cumin seeds.
3. When the cumin sizzle, add heeng and turmeric powder.
4. Add onion, chili, garlic and saute until the onions turn golden brown.
5. Add coriander powder and cumin powder and blanched perogies.
5. Cook on medium high heat for 5 mins, adD salt and mix flipping the perogies until they turn golden on each side.

Serve warm with a side of sour cream.
Perfect for Breakfast.

Savoury Cheela (Vegetarian Omelet)

Cheela or Vegetarian omelet is an Indian breakfast or snack made of chickpea flour. It's a low fat, healthy alternative, as well as a special treat for those who are allergic to cooked egg (such as myself!) I know to some of you this might sound disgusting but hang on you have to try. What will specially draw you to vegetarian omelet is that this savory chickpea pancake is nutritious and simple to make. Cheela works really well for those counting calories and on diet!
A pinch of fresh aromatic herb (Carom seeds) and some spice (red chili powder) when infused in the creamy batter of chickpea flour truly makes this dish a scrumptious delight. So don't slave the stove: quickly devour this healthy, low fat, vegetarian omelet.


Ingredients:
1. Chickpea flour
2. Some olive oil
3. Salt to taste
4. Red chili powder
5. Ajwain (Carom seeds), a pinch

Instructions:
1. Make a batter of the above and blend using a wisk.
2. Cook on a non stick pan like a pancake.

Serve piping hot with Raita, chutney, or pickles.

Upma (Delactable refined wheat grain)

Upma is a South Indian breakfast made of refined wheat grains. It is considered low calorie food so yay to healthy eating!

Serves 4-6. Needs preparation.

Ingredients:
1. 1.5 cup Sooji or refined wheat grains/ Semolina
2. 5-6 tablespoons Lemon
3. 4 tablespoons oil
4. 2 cup frozen mixed vegetables
5. 2.5 cup water
6. Salt to taste
7. 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
8. 10-15 fresh curry leaves
9. 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
10. 1 medium sized onion, chopped

Instructions:
1. Roast the semolina in a dry pan until it turns golden brown.
2. Set aside and cool.
3. In a pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter.
4. Fry the onions and curry leaves.
5. Add vegetables and cook for 10 mins.
6. Add salt and red chili powder.
7. Add 1 cup of boiling water to this broth. Cook for about 10 mins until the vegetables become tender.
8. Add roasted semolina and the rest of the water.
9. Add lemon juice and cook until all the water disappears.


Server hot with Chutney, Ketchup, or Raita. Devour delectable Upma!

My mom made this for my breakfast today. Love you, mom!

Poha (Rice flakes)

Poha is one of my liked Indian snack. I have grown up having it cooked with boiled potatoes. When I moved to North America, my aunt showed how to cook Poha with raw potato and I have liked it that way ever since. Today, I was hungry and wanted to make a fresh snack for my dad. So I decided to go for Poha. I made some modifications to suit his palate, for example I used red chili powder instead of chopped green chili because he freaks out when he seeks green chili in his food.

So here goes the recipe.


Ingredients:
1. 2 cups of potato finely chopped. I used miniature frozen hash browns instead.
2. 150 g Poha (rice flakes)
3. Salt to taste
4. 4-5 sprigs fresh curry leaves
5. 1 lemon juice, squeezed
6. 2 fists of roasted peanut
7. 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder or 1 green chili chopped
8. 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
9. 1/2 medium sized onion, chopped
10. 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic and ginger
11. 1/2 large sized tomato, chopped
12. 1.4 teaspoon turmeric powder
13. 2 tablespoons olive oil
14. 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder

Instructions:
1. Pick and wash poha under running water. Use a gentle hand to not mash the flakes but ensure that the poha gets cleaned well otherwise it will taste bad. Drain the water and keep the poha aside and let dry.
Note: You can add a spoon of milk to the poha at this time which will make the poha softer.
2. In a pan, heat olive oil and add mustard seeds. You can also add a fist of urad and chana dal at this time to make the dish crunchy but I passed on adding the dals.
3. When the mustard seeds start to crackle, add onion, ginger and garlic
4. Fry until the onion turns golden brown.
5. Add peanuts and curry leaves. I used dry roasted salted peanuts without skin on but if you use peanuts with their skin on, it will make the dish look prettier.
6. Add turmeric, red chili powder and stir fry for another 5 minutes.
7. Add tomato and cook until the tomato softens.
8. Add potato and cook until potato turns golden brown.
9. At this time, squeez the juice of 1 lemon into the poha and add salt to taste (I added 2 teaspoons).
10. Mix well.
11. Add the poha. You will notice that the poha would have puffed up and dried by now. Mix everything with a gentle hand.

Serve hot with tea and dhania ki chutney (coriander condiments) which I will show you how to make in another post.

This serves as an ideal evening snack or for breakfast.