Wheat Rava Upma

Wheat Rava is wheat semolina and upma is a south Indian breakfast dish. It is a humble, healthy but filling dish that keeps you full for long.

 Ingredients:

- Vegetables of your choice cubed (1 cup). I have used, carrots, onion and cauliflower. 

- Oil - 1 tbsp

- Ghee - 1 tsp

- Curry Leaves - 6-7

- Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

- Jeera/Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

- Peanuts - 1 tbsp

- Wheat Rava / Bulgur - 1 cup

- Water - 3 cups

- Salt/Sugar - As per taste

- Green Chili split - 1 (optional)

 Method:

- Heat oil in a wok.

- When hot add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, peanuts, chili and curry leaves.

- When they splutter, add the veggies and fry till half cooked.

- Add this point add the wheat rava, salt and sugar and mix well for 2 mins.

- Add water, cover with a lid and let it cook on low flame. 

- Will be cooked in 15-20 mins. Keep mixing at 2 min intervals so that it does not burn/stick to the bottom of the wok.

- Add Ghee when cooked and serve hot with Sambar.

Ragi/Finger Millet Idli

I have grown up eating a lot of south Indian food. The primary reason for that being my Dad's love for south Indian cuisine. Idli was very common at our breakfast table during my growing up years. Same was reflected in my kitchen when I started cooking. To add to the likelihood of South Indian cuisine finding a place in my kitchen, was the fact that we lived in Hyderabad for 12 years. Hyderabad is the capital of Telangana and an Indian city we hold very close to our hearts as a family. Thats where we started our life together, where our daughter was born. So many first times of my life in this city!

I was introduced to Ragi Idlis in Hyderabad. Idli is traditionally prepared with Idli Rava (Semolina) and Urad Dal (split black lentils), but this recipe basically replaces the Idli Rava with Ragi flour making it healthier. All millets including Ragi is very high in fiber making it an ideal weight loss ingredient. Ragi is rich in iron, calcium, minerals and vitamins. Ragi is also known to help with muscle growth. This recipe also calls for fermentation of the batter hence making the end product good for gut health.

Ingredients:

- Urad Dal / Split Black Lentils - 1/2 cup 

- Ragi Flour - 1 and 1/2 cup

- Methi Seeds - 1 tsp

Method:

- Wash Methi seeds and Urad Dal in a bowl and soak them for 8-12 hours.

- To another bowl soak Ragi flour for 1-2 hours (optional).

- Once soaked, take the urad dal and use a mixer grinder to turn it into a thick, fluffy and frothy batter.

- To this batter, add the soaked ragi flour and mix well.

- Cover and keep in a warm place. Leave for 12-14 hours or overnight.

- When fermented, you will not get the raw smell of ragi or urad dal instead you will get a mild fermented flavor. Yet you will not get a sour smell.

- At this stage the batter is ready. 

- Take your idli steamer (you can buy one at any Indian Store), fill the pot with a cup of water and bring it to a boil on the stove.

- While the water comes to a rolling boil, grease the idli plates and pour the batter in.

- Cover and steam the Idlis for exactly 10-12 mins.

- Open the lid of the Idli steamer and scoop the idlis out.

- Serve hot with Sambar or Chutney or both. 

Shada Alur Tarkari / White Potato Curry

Shada Alur Tarkari or White potato curry is a must make dish on Sunday mornings to go with Luchi (deep fried bread) in any bengali household. This needs very little ingredients and is delish. Goes really well with hot phulkas or paratha too. This is also a very common dish during Bengali wedding breakfasts when served with a side of Luchi and hot Rosogollas. This is not a very common preparation at my place coz the husband does not eat potatoes nor anything deep fried. But I do make it sometimes for myself and daughter when craving kicks in.

Ingredients:

- Brushed Potatoes - 2

-  Hing/Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp

- Salt - 1 tsp

- Sugar - 1 tsp

- Dried Red Chilli / Green Chilli - 2

- Mustard Oil - 2 tsp

 

 Method:

- Cut the potatoes into cubes and soak them in water. This will prevent them from turning brown.

- In a wok or pan, heat mustard oil.

- When hot add the red chilli (optional) and hing.

- Add potatoes and salt. At this point you can add green chilli too.

- Keep stirring every few minutes otherwise will stick to the bottom of the pan.

- If the potatoes are taking too long to cook or sticking to the pan, you can add a splash of water and cover the pan will the flame at low.

- Once the potatoes are soft but firm, add sugar.

- Serve hot with Luchi / Phulka / Porota / Ruti.

Healthy Chana Chaat / Black Chickpea chaat

 

One of the healthiest snacks that you can treat your tastebuds to. Great for lunch or evening snack or even as a side dish. This was prepared by my daughter for all of us for evening snack.

Ingredients:

- Black chickpeas - 2 tbsp

- Green moong Dal - 2 tbsp

- Onion chopped - 2 tbsp

- Tomato - 2 tbsp

- Lemon - 1 wedge for the juice

- Salt - 1 tsp

- Pepper - 1 tsp

Method:

- Soak chickpeas and green moong dal in water overnight or at least for over 3 hours.

- Drain the water and wash the legumes.

- Mix all the ingredients. 

- Sprinkle lemon juice on top and add chilli if you like spice. 

- Serve cold.

Note:

You can also add finely chopped cucumber and coriander if you like.

Malpua

How many of you have eaten this sweet snack during your childhood? Generally made at my place during Holi or Diwali, this finds a special place in my heart always. My Nani (grandmother) introduced me to this when I was a kid. My daughter likes this too. I made this recently for her and she liked it. This snack is sweet and she has a sweet tooth. You want her to like any food, the trick is to add sugar 😜.

Ingredients:

- 1 cup all purpose flour

- 2 tablespoon khoya

- 1 teaspoon powdered green cardamom

- 2 tablespoon chopped pistachios

- saffron as required (Optional)

- 1 tablespoon semolina

- Sugar (1 tbsp)

- water as required

- 1 1/2 cup refined oil

- 10 gm readymade rabri (Optional)

- 1 1/2 cup sugar syrup (Optional)

Method:

- Take a bowl and mix together khoya, all purpose flour, sugar and sooji or semolina. 

- Next, add cardamom powder and mix well once again. Gradually add water to prepare the Malpua batter. Ensure that the mixture has a pourable consistency and is not too thick. 

- Once the batter is ready, keep it aside for few minutes. 

- Take a small bowl and soak saffron in water to make saffron water.

- Now, heat oil in a pan over a low flame. 

- When the oil is hot enough, pour a ladleful of the mixture and spread evenly. Keep the flame low and cook until the malpua is golden from both sides.

- Remove the cooked malpua and drain the excess oil. 

- Drop the malpua in sugar syrup and allow it to soak for 10 minutes. 

- Repeat the same with the remaining batter. Drain the malpuas from the syrup, garnish with pistachios, saffron water and rabri. Serve immediately.

Poha / Chirer Polao (Rice Flakes Pulao)

Poha known as Chirer Polao in West Bengal is an acquired taste. I have never liked it as a kid and same goes for my daughter.

I do like it for breakfast now. This used to find place in the breakfast table and evening snack pretty often during my childhood.  I have tried it a few times at my breakfast table but this is not a regular.

Ingredients:

- Flattened rice - 1 cup

- Water - 2 cups

- Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp

- Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

- Peanuts - 1 tbsp

- Vegetable oil - 1 tsp

- Ghee - 1 tbsp

- Salt and sugar - acc to taste

- Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

- Veggies of your choice (cut into small pieces) - 1 cup (I have used beans, carrots, potatoes)

- Ginger paste or chopped - 1 tsp

- Coriander leaves chopped- 1 tbsp

- Lemon juice - 1 tbsp

- Pomegranate - 1 tbsp

Method

- Wash flattened rice and drain all the water. Let the rice sit in a bowl for 30 mins. Start the next steps when the rice is soaked well and has puffed up.

- Heat oil in a wok.

- Add peanuts and fry till brown.

- Add mustard seeds, fennel seeds and ginger. Fry for 1 min.

- Add all the veggies and fry till they are cooked.

- Add turmeric and mix well. Once turmeric is cooked add flatenned rice / chire, salt, sugar and mix well.

- When everything is mixed, add ghee and give it another stir.

- Garnish with coriander leaves and pomegranate. Add lemon if you like, I do add it. Serve hot for breakfast or evening snack.

Doi Begun

 Begun or eggplant is one of my favourite veggies. I love having it fried, in curries, in mixed veg stir fries or in bhartas (mashed eggplant). However, everyone in the family including you hate Begun.

Someone asked me once if there was only one veggie in the world you could eat for the rest of your life what would it be - and pat I gave the answer - Eggplant. 

This curry that I am talking about today is Doi Begun (eggplant in a yogurt gravy). One of my favourites and goes amazingly well with hot rice. I have used small eggplants (Indian or Thai) for this curry. You can use any just make sure you cut them into right size pieces.

Ingredients:

- Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

- Mustard oil - 2 tbsp

- Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

- Curry powder - 2 tbsp

- Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

- Ginger Paste - 1 tsp

- Onion Paste - 1 tbsp

- Tomato paste - 2 tbsp

- Salt - 1 tbsp

- Sugar - 1 tsp

- Yogurt - 1 cup

- Vegetable oil (or any white oil of your choice) - 1/2 cup

Method:

- Halve the small eggplants and marinate well with the turmeric and 1/2 tbsp salt.

- Heat 1/2 cup white oil in a wok.

- When the oil is hot, add the eggplants and fry them well, set aside.

- In the same wok add the mustard oil and let it heat.

- When hot add cumin and mustard seeds.

- When they splutter add ginger paste and onion paste, fry well until raw smell is gone.

- Add the curry powder and tomato paste and fry well for 4-5 mins. Add 1 or 2 tsp  water if it seems too dry.

- Add remaining salt and sugar and fry till oil separates.

- When oil separates, add yogurt on low flame and mix fast and well. Let it simmer.

- When cooked (oil separates again) add eggplants and 1/2 cup water. 

- Let it boil, let water reduce to desired consistency.

- Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with rice.

Peas Pulao

Something she (my princess) has taken to school a lot of times in Hyderabad. She did not love it. But has eaten it whenever I packed it for her, good girl you see... she is not particularly fond of rice in her lunch box and I used to pack this occasionally.

Ingredients: 

- Leftover rice - 1 bowl

- Cashews - 4-5

- Frozen Peas - 1/2 cup

- Jeera - 1 tsp

- Salt - 1/2 tsp

- Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

- Oil - 2 tbsp

- Ghee - 1 tbsp

Method:

- Heat oil in a wok

- Add in cumin

- When splutters add in cashews and fry till golden brown

- Add peas and fry till cooked

- Add rice, Salt, ghee and pepper. Mix well.