Rava Idli / Semolina Indian Style Dumplings

Rava idli is a very popular dish in southern India and a personal favourite of mine. Unlike the conventional type of rice idlis , this does not take any time to ferment and is quiet instant. MTR makes instant rava idli mix. My mum uses this mix very often but she also makes them from scratch which is very easy . There are no unusual ingredients . Its quick and tasty . This can be served with chutney or just eaten plain. These have a flavour of their own and hence I normally eaten just plain. Thanks to mum for this recipe . I have altered it a little looking at many recipes online.

Ingredients

2 cups semolina / rava

1 cup sour curd beaten smooth ( I used my normal soya yogurt which is not quiet sour but this should also work)

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp urad dal

1 tsp channa dal

3 mild green chillies slit

3 dry red chillies broken

few curry leaves

handful of crushed roasted cashewnut

handful of chopped coriander leaves

1/2 cup of grated coconut (optional , I did not use this time)

1 tsp salt

2 tomatoes sliced for garnishing

a pinch of baking soda (optional , I normally use it but ran out of it this time). This will make the idlis fluffy and spongy

Method

Heat a wok and add oil . when the oil is hot add mustard seeds , urad dal , channa dal , curry leaves , green chillies , dry red chillies . Saute for not more than a minute. Now add semolina and roast it with constantly stirring till a nice aroma of semolina is smelt . Turn off the heat and transfer into a wide big bowl. To this add salt , coriander leaves , grated coconut , and beaten yogurt. Add a cup of water to make a thick batter . Now get the steamer ready and idli moulds greased with oil. Add soda at this last point just before pouring the batter into idli moulds. On top of each idli in the mould placed roundly sliced tomato. This batter will make 2 batches of idlis approximately. I have four idli mould plates with four idli mould in each plate so this should make about 25 - 30 idlis. Cook on high flame for 5 mins and then simmer it for 10 - 15 mins. To check whther the idlis are done , insert a toothpick and check if it comes out clean then the idlis are done else keep for further 5 mins. Serve hot .

For detailed video see Show me the curry youtube video. The have added ginger which I do not add , I still haven't tried using with ginger . This video will give the idea for consistency of idli batter.

VEGETABLE LOVE 2009 - Upma / Spicy Semolina with Mixed Vegetables

I am posting this recipe as an entry for the Vegetable Love 2009 competition.

This is the first culinary competition I am participating . I am very excited . The recipe I have posted is very easy and quick recipe. The advantage of making this is , it takes just 20 - 25mins to make it from scratch and its absolutely delicious and not to forget, its healthy too. Hence, you don't need to spend hours and hours in the kitchen preparing a meal for the special day. About the recipe, its a south Indian breakfast , but can be eaten for evening snack or as any main meal. I have used 5 different vegetables and 1 type of herb.

Ingredients

1 cup mixed frozen vegetables (preferably without green beans. I have used frozen peas,half fresh carrot chopped and frozen mixed peppers. You could also add frozen sweet corns or baby corns)
1 large onion chopped corsely
1 medium sized tomato chopped coarsely
1/2 cup semolina
2 1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp urad dal / beaten black gram
1 sprig curry leaves
2 medium hot green chillies slit into two
handful of chopped corrainder
2 tbsp grated coconut/ dessicated coconut (optional)
1/2 tsp salt

Method

Heat a wok and dry roast semolina till it leaves an aroma , this may take about 5 mins. Remove the semolina into a bowl. Now heat oil in the same wok , add mustard seeds. After they stop spluttering, reduce the flame to minimum and add urad dal/ beaten black gram, curry leaves, green chillies. Saute it for a minute and then add onions. Saute this for a minute or two and add tomatoes and mixed vegetables and salt. Cover and cook on medium flame for 5 - 10 mins or till they are cooked. You can add 2 tbsp water if the vegetables are dry. Now add all the roasted semolina and 2 1/2 cups of warm water. Now reduce the flame to minimum and gently stir it for 3 -4 mins till semolina absorbs all the water and becomes a semi solid consistency. Remove from flame . Garnish with grated coconut and corrainder.

Vegan Broccoli Cheese

Oh this looks little messy........ but this was the best I could take.....

Ingredients
1 broccoli head cut into florets (I do not discard the stem , I use them as well)
1 cup soya milk (I used sweetened)
1 tbsp plain flour
a pinch of salt
a pinch of black pepper powder
1 tbsp soya spread
190g (1 packet )of Redwood mozzarella cheese / any non dairy cheese (you can experiment with cheddar style) grated

Method
Cook the broccoli in microwave for 10 mins / till they are tender. Meanwhile make white sauce by melting soya spread in a saucepan . Add plain flour and then slowly add milk little by little and keep stirring . Make sure to blend the little milk you add with the plain flour to make a smooth paste and then add little more milk. Repeat this till all the milk is added and the suace is ready without lumps. If any lumps, do not panic, you can blend it into smooth sauce . Add salt and pepper to the sauce. Pour the sauce over the cooked broccoli and top it with grated cheese.
Bake it in the oven for 20-25 mins or till the cheese melts and starts turning golden brown.

Savoury Lentil Bean Pie

Ingredients

For filling
1/2 cup mixed dry beans (black beans, adzuki beans and black or brow lentils)
1 onion finely chopped
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp corrainder powder
3 garlic pods finely chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp oil

For pastry
1 cup plain flour
a pinch of salt
1/4 cup water

Method

For pastry
Mix all the pastry ingredients and knead into a dough. If the dough is too dry, add little water or if the dough is watery or sticky, add little flour. Divide the dough into 2/3rd and 1/3rd part. Flatten them and place the 2/3rd part into a greased baking tin.

For filling
Soak all the beans without the lentils overnight. Next morning cook them with lentils with 2 cups of water in a pressure cooker for 45 mins . Heat oil, add cumin ,onion and garlic, saute it for 1 min or two or till they turn golden brown. Now add cumin and corainder powder. Saute for a minute or two . Now add all the cooked beans with the cooked water. Add salt and chilli powder. Allow it to cook for 5 -10 mins . Then cool for 30 mins atleast and pour this filling into the tin and cover the pie with flattened 1/3rd part of the dough. Prick it with a fork to allow the steam to escape. Brush this with milk . Cook them in a oven at gas mark 6 for 30 mins till the top is golden brown.

Baked sweet-corn pakoras / fritters

Pakoras are the most commonly served Indian appetizer. Usually they are made of onions only but then to add variety , many people add carrots, cabbage, green peas... About 4-5 years ago my mum had prepared this sweetcorn pakoras and we liked them a lot , but that was the first and last time she made them. About a week ago , I had a desire to eat sweetcorn pakoras and when I asked my mum for the recipe, she had forgot......

Now It was time for an experiment. i had prepared cabbage pakoras quiet a few times and so i had to just replace cabbage with sweetcorn..... This was easy. But I was also worried of all those extra fat that we would consume if I deep fry it. It then occurred to me of baking . This process will definitely take longer time but its safer and easy and you don't have to stand near the hob and wait for them to cook unlike deep frying.

The entire preparation for this recipe just took about 15 mins and while it was baking in the oven , i was happily relaxing watching TV. For people who love sweetcorn, this is really a treat.....


Ingredients

1 cup sweetcorn (I used frozen sweetcorns)
1 small onion finely chopped
1 tsp corrainder seeds crushed (preferably freshly crushed, do not powder it)
1/4 tsp salt
1 green chilli finely minced (optional), I did not use it because we do not like the chilli bits while eating.
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1 - 2tbsp chickpea flour/ gram flour (the amount may vary depending on the quantity of water left after defrosting. I had about 1 tbsp water left after defrosting the corns.)

Method

Defrost the sweetcorns and do not discard the little water obtained after defrosting them. To this add chopped onions , salt, green chilli , red chilli powder and gram flour. Mix them thoroughly . The consistency should be crumbly mixture but when made a ball it should bind together. Grease a baking tray and spoon this mixture into lumps of 1 spoon each. Spray the top of these lumps with little oil and bake it for 30 - 40 mins or until golden brown and crisp at gas mark 6. this can served with coconut chutney or ketchup or just eaten without any dips. This recipe will make about 6 - 8 pakoras but varies depending on the size of your spoon.

Mushroom Tofu and Onion Vegan Quiche

I usually make quiche with white sauce but this time I tried tofu instead and it was really super healthy and tasty as well. I could just manage to get a small bite of it, the rest of it my husband gulped. Mushrooms are rich in folic acid and are very necessary part of a vegan and vegetarian diet. I made this quiche using whole-meal pastry flour which gives lots of fibres. Its another quick recipe.


Ingredients

For pastry

2 cups wholemeal flour
1/2 cup water
a pinch of salt
2 tbsp oil (optional)

Method

Mix everything in a bowl and knead it into a dough. i dont have a food processor so I dont know how exactly a dough is made in it. I use my hands to knead a dough. Then roll it about 2-3 inches more than the baking tin base. This recipe make the pastry crust quie tough and hard and crispy. Fit in the pastry into a greased tin and press the pastry floue against the the wall of the tin. Now fill it with any kind of dry beans and cook in in the oven at gas mark 6 for 5 - 10 mins depending on the size of the tin . Check after 5 mins , If the pastry is cooked then allow it to cool else cook it for another 2 - 3 mins. After cooling brush the pastry with oil to prevent it from becoming soggy.

For quiche

10 button mushrooms ( you can use any kind of mushrooms ) chopped
350g of tofu crumbled and patted dry
1 tsp salt
1 tsp powdered black pepper
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 large onion chopped
pinch of chilli flakes to garnish (optional)
1 tsp oil

Method

Heat oil in a pan and add onions and garlic. Saute it till the onions are translucent and tender. Add salt and pepper. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 mins. To this add crumbled tofu. Arrange chopped pieces of mushrooms in the tin and pour the tofu onion mixture in the tin . Arrange the rest of the mushroom pieces on the top (try to fit it or arrange layers of mushrooms on above the other, these shrink after coking) and sprinkle chilli flakes.




For quiche with white sauce , you can skip tofu. For making white sauce you need
1 1/2 cup of soy milk (I use sweetned)
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp vegan margarine
a pinch of salt and a pinch of black pepper powder
Melt the margarine and add flour. Pour all the milk little at a time and keep stirring to avoid lumps. Bring it to boil and simmer it and keep stirring till it thickens to a sauce consistency. If you get lumps , then don't panic , just continue to make the white sauce. At the end you can blend it smooth.

Stuffed Collard Greens (Pathrode / Konkani Style)

This is a typical Konkani dish. This is again prepared during festival or any special occasions It is normally prepared using colocasia leaves which is found in coastal regions of Karnataka. These leaves should be picked very carefully as some of them could be of wild variety and end up causing itching of the tongues when consumed. I have been quiet allergic to these leaves but I love eating them. My sister in law suggested that I use collard greens instead of colocasia leaves. I actually found that the taste did not alter too much and meanwhile I could happily eat them withot any worry of allergy. Thank you Mallika for your suggestion.

Ingredients
1 cup toor dal / red lentils soaked for 1 hour
1/2 cup white rice soaked for an hour separately
1/2 cup grated coconut
1 tbsp tamarind paste
6-7 dry red chillies
1 - 1 1/2 tsp salt
20 collard green leaves deveined and washed thoroughly and patted dry

Method
Grind coconut, red chillies, tamarind into a coarse paste. To this add toor dal and grind coarsely. And then add the rice and again grind near smooth but not very smooth paste.

Now place the back of one leaf towards you and apply the paste. Now place another leaf with back facing you and apply the paste. Repeat this procedure for 4 leaves. Now fold the right and left edges and roll them just like spring rolls. Repeat this for other leaves with each roll made up of 4 leaves. These rolls should be steamed in a steamer for 20-25 mins or till they are tender.

After they are cooked cut them into circles and serve.

The link below will give a detailed pictorial representation of the method. The ingredients may differ but the method remains the same for collard green leaves also. Thanks Aayi's recipe for the detailed pictures .

http://www.aayisrecipes.com/2006/06/06/pathrado-or-pathrode/comment-page-1/

Minty Tofu Kebabs with Roasted vegetables

Forgive my presentation and photography. Still an amateur. This recipe is from www.massala.com . This website is run by a Hema Alur Kundargi . She has posted some healthy and awesome recipes mostly vegetarian and vegan. All the vegans and vegetarians out there ! this website is really worth browsing . She has posted recipes for beginners also. My husband doesn't like the smell and taste of yogurt but he munches theses kebabs. She has even posted the video for this recipe in Youtube as well.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=fb6RPhjb9fU&feature=PlayList&p=817FF6CADF84F8BA&playnext=1&index=22

The recipe can be found in link below.

http://www.massala.com/Tofu.html