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Vazhaipoo Thogayal Recipe With Step By Step Instructions

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How To Make Vazhaipoo Thogayal?

VAZHAIPOO THOGAYAL- BANANA BLOSSOM RELISH. VEGAN. GF.

vazhaipoo thogayal step by step

Vazhaipoo thogayal is something i discovered three years back. I love plantain in any form- fruit, vegetable, flower, root, stem. Getting idea, huh? I was told by my doctor to include more plantain blossom in my diet when i was trying to conceive a while back. And when i had tired of making vazhaipoo usili, poriyal and kootu, i resorted to making some vazhaipoo thogayal that i discovered on Aps blog.

vazhaipoo thogayal step by step

So, what is thogayal? Thogayal is nothing but a spicy relish. This vazhaipoo thogayal uses the simplest of ingredients and yet packs a punch in terms of flavor and nutrition. For those of you who are unaware, vazhaipoo aka plantain blossom is a wonderful powerhouse of nutrients that are beneficial for women trying to conceive or for those who has menstrual irregularities.

vazhaipoo thogayal step by step

Shall we now check how to make Vazhaipoo thogayal step by step?

Before we begin making the thogayal, let me give out a caveat. It is a pain cleaning plantain blossom. Yes, your fingers may become sore and numb. But trust me, its well worth the trouble. It is very important that you clean the blossoms well before cooking. Otherwise, the dish will turn bitter. Also i highly recommend soaking the chopped vazhaipoo in sour buttermilk to prevent discoloration and to remove bitterness. Please follow the pictorial below to know how to clean vazhaipoo.

Remove the purple outer covering. You will see the white part inside with little flowers. Pick out each flower. And discard the center black stamen part from the flower. Once, chop the flowers finely and dunk in sour buttermilk.

Wash the chopped vazhaipoo thoroughly in running water. Place in a vessel with water and turmeric powder and cook till tender. Once done, drain and set aside.

Heat a pan with oil. Add dry red chilies, a marble size tamarind and 2 tsp urad dal. Fry till dal turns golden. Once done, let cool.  Place in a blender along with shredded coconut, salt and cooked plantain blossom. I do not get shredded coconut here. So i add bits of coconut to the blender and pulse it once to shred it. If you have freshly shredded coconut, use that instead of my method. Grind to a coarse paste. Temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves using sesame oil. Mix well. Serve with hot rice.

Recipe For Vazhaipoo Thogayal

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5 from 1 vote

Vazhaipoo Thogayal Recipe

Vazhaipoo Thogayal- A delicious vegan and gluten free relish made with banana blossom
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Accompaniment
Cuisine: South Indian
Servings: 3
Author: Anusha Praveen

Ingredients

  • Banana blossom aka vazhaipoo 1 plucked cleaned and chopped
  • Urad dal 2 tsp
  • Tamarind a small marble size
  • Dry red chilies 5 to 6
  • Freshly grated coconut 2 tbsp
  • Salt to taste
  • Sesame oil 1 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds 1 tsp
  • Curry leaves a sprig

Instructions

  • Clean the banana blossom properly and chop finely.
  • Add this to a pan of water along with turmeric powder and cook till tender.
  • Once done, drain completely and let cool.
  • In the meanwhile, heat a pan with 1 tsp oil.
  • Add the urad dal, tamarind and red chilies and fry till dal turns light brown.
  • Once done, remove and let cool.
  • Once everything s cool, place the dal mixture, cooked banana blossom and grated coconut along with salt in a blender. Grind to a coarse paste.
  • Heat a pan with remaining oil.
  • Add mustard seeds and once they splutter add curry leaves.
  • Pour this over the ground paste and mix well.
  • Serve with hot rice and sesame oil or ghee.

Notes

If you find that the vazhaipoo doesnt grind well, first pulse it in the blender before adding the rest of the ingredients.

For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes

Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.

Disclaimer

Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

Tried this recipe?Mention @tomatoblues or tag #tomatoblues!

 

 

Perfico Glasses- A Review

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PERFICO GLASSES- A BEAUTIFUL WAY TO GIFT

PERFICO GLASSES- PERSONALISED GLASSES, A REVIEW

Perfico Glasses Review

We celebrated our anniversary recently. I have been married for seven years now. If i were to look back at my younger self, i am sure i would have not bought it if someone had told me that i would survive a marriage, let alone 7 years of it. But here i am, a marriage, a husband, a daughter, a blog and all, in one sane piece. Such is life, i tell ya!

Perfico Glasses Review

We celebrated our special day in Bintan last year but this year, circumstances were such that I was in India and Mr.P was traveling. So there were no special cakes or jewelry or resort stays. Instead, my husband sent me a lifetime worth’s bouquets. And what did i do? Well, enter Perfico, An online personalised gift portal that sells beautiful glasses. I was delighted when they wrote to me asking if i could review their products.

I chose their wine glasses and asked them to personalise them with our names. You can see how beautiful the glasses are in the picture. And we enjoyed some good red wine once we both flew back to our nests. My husband was in awe of the glasses and was showing it off to  his friends a couple of days back. If you are looking for things to serve in these glasses, here is a great place to look.

If you are looking for some cool gifts with a wow factor, then Perfico is a great option. Housewarming gifts, wedding anniversary gifts, personalized beer mugs and wine glasses- they have it all and also offer a wide range of personalising options. Each package comes with a pair of coasters that are personalised too. And finally, i loved their packaging and their quick delivery. My order was processed and delivered in three days time.

P.S This is a product review and all views expressed are mine. 

Cheesy Garlic Herb Pull Apart Bread Recipe

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How To Make Cheesy Garlic Herb Pull Apart Bread?

CHEESY GARLIC HERB PULL APART BREAD- PILLOW SOFT PULL APART BREAD WITH A CHEESY GARLIC FILLING.

Cheesy Garlic Herb Pull Apart Bread

Cheesy Garlic Herb Pull Apart Bread- the very name or rather the description makes me go weak in the knees. I have a fetish for garlic in breads. No, wait. I have a fetish for freshly baked pull apart breads that have garlic and cheese in them. There is some magic in peeling away those layers one by one. I admit, i feel like a kid who just won her first online game 🙂 when i do this.

Cheesy Garlic Herb Pull Apart Bread

My first pull apart bread happened when i joined We Knead To Bake, a virtual bread baking group that chose a bread every month. But i feel in love with baking bread much before that. And i must say, i have come a long way since then, baking everything from stuffed buns to hokkaido loaf when it comes to bread.

Cheesy Garlic Herb Pull Apart Bread

And i m still head over heels in love with baking a good loaf of bread. Which is exactly why this Cheesy Garlic Herb Pull Apart bread happened. I am a big fan of the King Arthur Flour website. Even though i have not had the luck to bake with their products, i find that all recipes on their website are doable and very reliable. This, I speak for myself, keeping in mind, my gut feeling and experience.

So, it was only obvious that i follow them on Instagram as well. Now, these folks have this thing called Bake Along every month on Instagram and this month, we are all baking along this fabulous , super simple but fancy looking Cheesy garlic herb pull apart bread.

Cheesy Garlic Herb Pull Apart Bread

While this bread does look complex, its pretty straight forward and doesn’t involve much technique. Yet, you will feel that you have baked a masterpiece of a bread because of its looks. What i learned while baking this cheesy garlic herb pull apart bread is that the dough does not double unlike other breads. It only becomes puffy. And it comes together in a pinch.

The original recipe called for an egg but i used oil in place of it. Also, i baked this bread three ways. Ok, please dont roll your eyes. Sometimes, i become possessed when it comes to baking bread. I baked this the first time with a garlic butter herb filling that is just like the one in the recipe but shaped them into fan tans. Now, those fan tans were gone as quick as you can say bread. So, i baked two more loaves, pull aparts this time. One with a cheesy herb filling and another with cinnamon sugar.

Cheesy Garlic Herb Pull Apart Bread

Shall we now check how to make this Cheesy Garlic Herb Pull Apart Bread step by step?

Combine butter, milk, salt and sugar in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 min or till butter melts completely. Give a good stir. Let cool. Add oil to this and mix well. Set aside.

In another bowl, combine flour, garlic powder and yeast. Make a well in the center. Now, add the liquid mixture to the bowl and mix well. Knead to a soft dough. The dough should form a ball but will be a bit sticky.

Cover with a cling wrap and let it rise till puffy. Takes anywhere between 1 hour to 1h and 30 mins. In the meanwhile, prepare the filling. Combine shredded cheese, garlic flakes, herbs and pizza seasoning. Mix well.

Once risen, remove and deflate the dough. Lightly dust your work space with flour and turn out the dough. Roll into a large circle of sorts that is about 1/4 inch thick. Using a round cookie cutter or dessert rings, press circles on the dough and cut them out. Place a tsp of the filling in the center of a circle and fold in half. Seal the edges.

Grease a loaf pan with olive oil. Place the sealed half circle upright. Repeat with the remaining dough. Sprinke remaining filling over the loaf. Cover and let rise for another twenty mins. Towards the end of the second rise, preheat oven to 200 C .

Once risen, bake the loaf for 20 to 25 mins or until top turns golden. Your Cheesy Garlic herb pull apart bread is ready.

Cheesy Garlic Herb Pull Apart Bread

Recipe For Cheesy Herb Garlic Pull Apart Bread

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4.50 from 2 votes

Cheesy Garlic Herb Pull Apart Bread Recipe

Cheesy herb garlic pull apart bread- A super soft pull apart bread loaded with herbs, garlic and cheese.
Prep Time1 hour 50 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time2 hours 15 minutes
Course: Sides
Cuisine: American
Servings: 1
Author: Anusha Praveen

Ingredients

  • All purpose flour 2 cups to 2.5 cups Begin with smaller quantity
  • Instant yeast 1 tsp
  • Garlic powder 1 tsp
  • Milk 1/2 cup
  • Butter 4 tbsp at room temperature
  • Vegetable oil 1/4 cup
  • Salt 1 tsp
  • Sugar 2 tsp
  • Garlic powder 2 tsp
  • For The Filling:
  • Cheddar cheese or any cheese of your choice 4 tbsp grated
  • Coriander leaves 2 tbsp finely chopped
  • Italian dried herbs 1 tsp
  • Red chili flakes 1 tsp
  • Garlic flakes 1 tsp
  • Oil for greasing
  • Flour for dusting

Instructions

  • Place milk, butter, sugar and salt in a microwave safe bowl.
  • Heat this mixture on high for 1 to 2 mins until butter melts completely.
  • Once done, mix well and let cool.
  • In a large mixing bowl, place the flour, yeast and garlic powder.
  • Mix well.
  • Make a well in the center.
  • Add the oil and the butter milk mixture.
  • Use a whisk to combine all of it into a mass.
  • Now, knead till the dough is smooth but sticky and forms a ball.
  • Once done, cover with cling wrap and let rise till puffy.
  • Takes anywhere between 60 to 90 mins.
  • In the meanwhile, combine the dried herbs, coriander and cheese for the filling.
  • Once the dough has risen, remove and deflate.
  • Divide the dough into two parts. This is for convenience sake.
  • Now, roll each part into a 1/4" thick circle on a lightly floured surface.
  • Once done, use a round cookie cutter and cut out circles of the dough.
  • Place a tsp of the filling in each circle and seal to form a semi circle.
  • Grease a loaf pan with oil.
  • Stack the filled semicircles upright in the pan and let rise for about 20 mins until lightly puffy.
  • Preheat oven to 200 c towards the end of the second rise.
  • Once risen,Sprinkle remaining filling if any over the bread.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 mins or until tops turn golden.
  • Once done, unmould and let cool on a cooling rack for about 15 mins.
  • When cool, dig in.
  • This bread keeps well in room temperature for 3 days.

For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes

Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.

Disclaimer

Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

Tried this recipe?Mention @tomatoblues or tag #tomatoblues!

 

Millet Flakes Granola Bars Recipe

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How To Make Millet Flakes Granola Bars?

MILLET FLAKES GRANOLA BARS- HEALTHY GRANOLA BARS WITH MILLET, CACAO & NUTS

Millet Flakes Granola Bars

Granola bars need no introduction. They seem to be the rage among all foodies at the moment. In fact, they have been the “in thing” for a while now and their popularity doesn’t seem to cease any time soon. While these granola bars are available in a variety of flavors and combinations in stores, the downside to these versions are that they are often chock full of sugar and preservatives.

Millet Flakes Granola Bars

Sugar is a big no for people who are watching their weight. But then again, granola bars can be a great snack on the go. Mr. P has been working monster hours.  I mean, literally, monster hours and he hardly has the time to eat a proper breakfast these days. I tried my hand at these millet flakes granola bars to see how it works with Mr.P. These millet flakes granola bars were a complete sell out. His colleagues simply loved it.

These millet flakes granola bars are gluten free and have no refined sugar. I have used powdered Gula Melaka in these bars in place of the regular brown or white sugar. Gula Melaka is palm jaggery  and is very popular here in Singapore. Also, I tried using almond butter for a change in place of the coconut oil and I must say the bars held up pretty well and were really delicious with a nutty taste. If you are looking for more ways to use millet flakes, then please check out this healthy millet flakes parfait.

Recipe For Millet Flakes Granola Bars

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5 from 3 votes

Millet Flakes Granola Bars Recipe

Millet Flakes Granola Bars- Gluten free granola bars with cacao, millet, walnuts and almond butter. This has no refined sugar and is vegan.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Snack
Cuisine: International
Servings: 8
Author: Anusha Praveen

Ingredients

  • Organic millet flakes 1 cup
  • Chia seeds 1 tbsp
  • Cacao nibs 2 tbsp
  • Walnuts 10 broken into small bits
  • Sesame seeds 1 tbsp
  • Powdered Gula Melaka 1/4 cup Use coconut sugar or brown sugar as a substitute
  • Gula Melaka syrup 2 tbsp Use maple syrup or date syrup or molasses as substitute. ( Blackstrap molasses not recommended)
  • Almond butter 4 tbsp
  • Sea salt a pinch

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 180 c
  • In a microwave safe bowl. add the almond butter along with Gula Melaka syrup and mix well
  • Microwave on high for 20 secs.
  • Remove and add the salt to this and mix well.
  • In another bowl, place the millet flakes, sesame seeds, chia, walnuts and cacao nibs
  • Give a good toss.
  • Make a well in the center.
  • Add the almond butter mixture along with the powdered Gula Melaka.
  • Using a wooden spoon, mix well so that it all comes together to form a shaggy dough like mass.
  • Line a sheet cake pan with parchment.
  • Dump the mixture in the middle of the pan and gently spread out using your fingertips.
  • Now, use an inverted flat bowl and press the mixture and smooth it out evenly.
  • Bake this for 20 mins until set.
  • Cool and cut into squares.

Notes

In case you dont find Gula Melaka syrup, use Maple syrup or rice syrup. Honey will work too but the recipe wont be vegan then.
I used organic millet flakes for this but rice cereal will work well too.
Feel free to add your own choice of nuts and seeds.

For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes

Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.

Disclaimer

Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

Tried this recipe?Mention @tomatoblues or tag #tomatoblues!

Gajar Matar Sabzi Recipe- Carrot And Peas Curry Recipe

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How To Make Gajar Matar Sabzi?

GAJAR MATAR SABZI- CARROT AND PEAS CURRY RECIPE THAT WORKS WELL WITH ROTIS. 

gajar matar sabzi

Gajar Matar sabzi or carrot peas sabzi is a simple every day curry that can be whipped up in no time. This gajar matar sabzi calls for minimal spices and packs a punch in terms of flavors. Needless to say, carrot and peas are a match made in heaven. I love anything that calls for carrots and peas. And Lil A loves this combination too. The bright orange and green colors attract kids too. Brownie points there, i tell ya.

gajar matar sabzi

Back home, this sabzi used to be something that i made frequently during winters when there were those red carrots aplenty in the markets. But after shifting to Singapore, red carrots have become a rarity. So, i just make do with the regular orange carrots available here year round. This gajar matar sabzi uses orange carrots and frozen peas. But in case you find fresh green peas and red carrots, please do not ever pass up the opportunity to make this simple yet amazing curry.

gajar matar sabzi

Shall we now check how to make Gajar Matar Sabzi step by step?

Heat oil in a pan. Add carom seeds and cumin seeds. Once they crackle, add finely chopped onions and ginger .  Once the onion turns translucent, add all the spice powders and mix well.

Now, add chopped carrots and green peas and mix well. Add salt. Add crushed kasturi methi, salt and 1/4 cup of milk. Mix well. Cook till the milk is absorbed and the curry is semi dry. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Your Gajar Matar Sabzi is now ready. Serve with some hot phulkas or dal and rice.

gajar matar sabzi

Recipe For Gajar Matar Sabzi

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Gajar Matar Sabzi Recipe- Carrot And Peas Curry Recipe

Gajar Matar Sabzi- Simple everyday curry with carrots, peas and minimal spices. Pairs well with rotis. Can be made in 15 mins.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: North Indian
Servings: 2
Author: Anusha Praveen

Ingredients

  • Carrots 2 largish peeled and cubed
  • Green peas I used frozen 1 c
  • Onion 2 small chopped finely
  • Ginger 1 tsp grated
  • Coriander powder 1 tsp
  • Red chili powder 1 tsp
  • Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
  • Kasturi methi 1 tsp crushed
  • Salt to taste
  • Cumin seeds 1 tsp
  • Ajwain carom/ Bishop's weed 1 tsp
  • Milk 1/4 cup
  • OIl 1 tbsp
  • Coriander leaves for garnish

Instructions

  • Heat a pan with oil.
  • Add the cumin seeds and ajwain.
  • Once they crackle, add ginger and onions.
  • Fry till onions turn translucent.
  • Add all spice powders and mix.
  • Cook on medium flame for 30 secs.
  • Now, add carrots and peas.
  • Mix well.
  • Add milk along with salt and crushed kasturi methi.
  • Mix well.
  • Cook till milk is completely absorbed and the gravy is almost semi dry.
  • Garnish with coriander leaves.
  • Serve hot.

For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes

Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.

Disclaimer

Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

Tried this recipe?Mention @tomatoblues or tag #tomatoblues!

 

Strawberry Millet Parfait Recipe

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How To Make Strawberry Millet Parfait?

STRAWBERRY MILLET PARFAIT- A SIMPLE NO COOK BREAKFAST PARFAIT WITH MILLET & BERRIES.

strawberry millet parfait

Strawberry Millet Parfait is my go to breakfast when i have no dosa batter on hand or i m out of ideas for what to make for breakfast. And because this has all of Lil A’s favorites, i make this at least once a week. I just experiment with different fruits but keep the strawberries all the time.

Now, if you all are wondering what this Strawberry Millet Parfait is or for that what matter, what a parfait is, then let me explain. Parfait is basically a French dessert in which cream, ice cream and fruits are layered in a tall glass and served.

strawberry millet parfait

But over the years, the concept has evolved so much- Look where we are now- we are eating dessert for breakfast in the form of this strawberry millet parfait. So much for evolution in food, eh?Oh, i almost forgot! The blog was down last week for maintenance. I made some changes to the layout of the blog. While you are here, check out the new Visual Recipe Index. The index has a lot of updating work to be done and i hope to finish all of that over the next few weeks. So, happy browsing! And now, back to the parfait again.

Like i mentioned before, a parfait is a layered dessert. So i went ahead and made the dessert a tad healthier by using low fat greek yogurt for the ice cream part and also used some pearl millet flakes for the base.

strawberry millet parfait

Millet flakes are a common sight in supermarkets and organic storesthese days. The millet flakes that i have resemble poha or flattened rice and require no cooking. However, some varieties require cooking. Please check and buy.

I usually make the base layers in the night and keep this in the fridge. I add the fruits and nuts in the morning just before serving. But you may also add all of it and leave it overnight. In case you use fruits like banana or apple, color may change but taste will remain the same.

In case you are looking for more strawberry recipes, please have a look at these recipes too-

Strawberry compote

Strawberry crumble

Strawberry salsa

Strawberry Lassi

Recipe For Strawberry Millet Parfait

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5 from 1 vote

Strawberry Millet Parfait Recipe

Strawberry Millet Parfait- A simple no cook breakfast with millet flakes, berries and yogurt
Prep Time2 hours 10 minutes
Total Time2 hours 10 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: International
Servings: 1
Author: Anusha Praveen

Ingredients

  • Pearl millet flakes 1/2 c
  • Any fruit yogurt Low Fat Greek works best 1/2 c
  • Low fat milk 1/4 c
  • Chia seeds 1 tbsp
  • Coconut sugar 1 tbsp
  • Vanilla extract 1/4 tsp
  • Banana 1 largish sliced thinly
  • Strawberries 10 to 15 hulled and sliced
  • Almond slivers for garnish

Instructions

  • Wash the millet flakes thoroughly in water.
  • Place them at the base of a tall glass or jar.
  • Pour the milk over this and add the sugar.
  • Give a good mix.
  • Now, sprinkle the chia seeds evenly over this.
  • Next spoon half the yogurt over this.
  • I used raspberry flavor here.
  • Top with sliced bananas.
  • Spoon the remaining yogurt over the banana slices.
  • Now, arrange the strawberries over the yogurt.
  • Chill overnight or for two hours minimum.
  • Garnish with almond slivers before serving.

For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes

Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.

Disclaimer

Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

Tried this recipe?Mention @tomatoblues or tag #tomatoblues!

 

Super Foods Energy Balls Recipe

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How To Make Super Foods Energy Balls?

SUPER FOODS ENERGY BALLS- BITE SIZED ENERGY BOOSTERS WITH CHIA, SESAME ETC. VEGAN. GF.

super foods energy balls

Super Foods Energy Balls. It wont be a exaggeration if i said that these bite sized snacks are the most over rated food group at the moment. Let us not forget the price tag. But they are actually such a breeze to make at home.  The midget at home loves these super food energy balls. I give these as a snack to her before she leaves to school. These also make a great post work out snack.

super foods energy balls

While the ones at store are almost always loaded with sugar , these super food energy balls use no sweeteners at all. They are naturally sweetened with the dates and figs. And they take 15 mins to whip up. It may take lesser if your dates and figs are super soft.  And this recipe can be customised to suit your taste. Add whatever nuts and seeds you choose. But make sure you add the dates because that s what binds these super food energy balls together. In case you are looking for more energy bars, check out this chocolate coconut bars. So, shall we look at the recipe now?

Recipe For Super Foods Energy Balls

Super Foods Energy Balls Recipe
Recipe Type: Snack
Cuisine: International
Author: Anusha Praveen
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 10
Super Foods Energy Balls- Bite sized energy boosters that are packed with nutrition from super foods like sesame, chia and goji berries
Ingredients
  • Soft dates 15 pitted
  • Figs 5 to 6
  • Pumpkin seeds 2 tbsp
  • Chia seeds 2 tbsp
  • Sunflower seeds 1 tbsp
  • Sesame seeds 1 tbsp plus more for rolling
  • Goji berries 1/4 cup
  • Almonds 1/4 cup
Instructions
  1. In a high power high speed blender, place the nuts and seeds and pulse coarsely.
  2. Remove to a bowl.
  3. Now, add the goji berries, dates and figs and pulse again.
  4. You will have a very sticky coarse mixture now,
  5. To this, add the nut and seed mixture and pulse once again until thoroughly combined.
  6. Once done, shape the mixture into small balls.
  7. Spread sesame seeds on a plate and roll each ball over this evenly making sure the sesame coats the balls well.
  8. Your super foods energy balls are ready.

 

Paneer Taka Tak Recipe

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How To Make Paneer Taka Tak?

PANEER TAKA TAK- A POPULAR STREET FOOD FROM INDIA THAT USES PANEER. 

paneer taka tak

Paneer Taka Tak is a very popular street food in the northern states of India. But it is also believed that it originated in Amritsar. Irrespective of where it originated from, it is a lip smacking curry that pairs well with naan or roti.

paneer taka tak

What i personally love about this paneer curry is the flavor of ajwain ( carom seeds/ Bishop’s weed). While some versions do not call for adding bell peppers, i add them as i like the crunch in the curry. The secret to making the best street style Paneer Taka Tak lies in the ground spice powder. Paneer Taka Tak can also be called a close cousin of the Kadai Paneer. 

paneer taka tak

If you are bored of your regular cashew and cream loaded paneer curries, then it is time for Paneer Taka Tak. Oh, and taka tak is actually the sound of the ladle clinking against the pan while the person on the streets make it. I read this random piece of information (ahem..) somewhere ages ago.

Shall we now check how to make Paneer Taka Tak Step By Step?

Chop onions and capsicum into cubes. Sprinkle cornflour over paneer and mix evenly. Set aside. In a spice grinder, place the whole spices and grind to a smooth powder. Mix the spice powders along with the thick yogurt and set aside. I used store bought tomato puree in this recipe. Feel free to use homemade tomato puree. Also, hung curd works really well in this. I did not use hung curd because i had some greek style yogurt. In case you dont have both, strain some yogurt for an hour and use the same.

Heat a pan with oil. Add cumin seeds and once they begin to crackle, add the green chili and ginger garlic paste. Quickly saute for a minute and tip in the onions and capsicum. Saute till onions turn light brown.

Once, done add the paneer pieces and mix well. Saute this for about 2 mins and add the yogurt mixture along with salt. Mix well making sure that the masala coats the paneer evenly.

Next, add the tomato puree and mix well. Add 1/2 c of water and simmer this for about 5 mins. Once the gravy thickens, garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Your Paneer Taka Tak is now ready to be served with Garlic Naan or Roti.

Recipe For Paneer Taka Tak

Paneer Taka Tak Recipe
Recipe Type: Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian
Author: Anusha Praveen
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 3
Paneer Taka Tak- A spicy tangy paneer curry that pairs well with butter naan, garlic naan and rotis. Use leftovers to stuff sandwiches.
Ingredients
  • Paneer cubes 1 cup
  • Onion 2 medium chopped into slices
  • Capsicum 1 largish cubed
  • Tomato Puree 1/4 c ( Or Puree two tomatoes)
  • Cumin seeds 1 tsp
  • Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp
  • Green chili 1
  • Hung curd / Greek yogurt 2 tbsp
  • Red chili powder 1 tsp
  • Chaat masala 1 tsp
  • Punjabi garam masala 1/2 tsp
  • Coriander powder 1/2 tsp
  • To Grind Together
  • Carom seeds ( Ajwain) 1 tsp
  • Cardamom 2
  • Cloves 2
  • Cinnamon 1/4″ stick
  • Oil 2 tbsp
  • Cornflour ( White cornstarch) 1 tbsp
  • Salt to taste
  • Coriander leaves for garnish
Instructions
  1. Place cardamom, carom seeds, cloves and cinnamon in a spice grinder and grind to a smooth powder.
  2. Sprinkle cornflour over paneer, mix evenly and set aside.
  3. Combine all the spice powders, the freshly ground spice powder along with the hung curd and mix well.
  4. Heat oil in a pan.
  5. Add cumin seeds and once they crackle, add the green chili and ginger garlic paste
  6. Saute for a minute,
  7. Now tip in the chopped capsicum and onions and mix well.
  8. Once onions turn a light brown, add paneer cubes and saute for 2 mins
  9. Next add the yogurt mixture and mix well making sure that the masala coats the paneer cubes evenly.
  10. Cook for 1 min.
  11. Now add the tomato puree along with 1/2 cup of water and salt.
  12. Mix well.
  13. Simmer for 5 to 6 mins.
  14. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot

Onion Mint Chutney Recipe For Idli, Dosa- Pudina Vengaya Chutney

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How To Make Onion Mint Chutney For Idli, Dosa?

ONION MINT CHUTNEY- AN EASY CHUTNEY RECIPE WITHOUT COCONUT FOR IDLI, DOSA.

onion mint chutney

Onion mint chutney is an easy chutney that pairs well with Idli, Dosa and Paniyaram. What i really love about this chutney is that this has no coconut. I am a South Indian in each and every DNA of my body but coconut chutney is a big put off to me. No, let me change that. Chutneys that have coconut is a put off to me. No offence to coconut or coconut lovers but coconut in a chutney has never appealed to me.

 onion mint chutney

And so, i go around looking for chutney recipes that have no coconut in it. The plus side of this is that dishes like this onion mint chutney keep well for 2 to 3 days in the fridge. And we like eating this onion mint chutney with chapatis and puri too. The recipe for this chutney is pretty much straightforward. And in case you like to experiment, use shallots in place of the large onions. And if you are looking for more chutney recipes, then please check these chutneys- tomato garlic chutney, chettinad tomato chutney  and shallot chutney. 

Recipe For Onion Mint Chutney

Onion Mint Chutney Recipe For Idli, Dosa
Recipe Type: Sides
Cuisine: South Indian
Author: Anusha Praveen
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
Onion Mint Chutney- A simple and easy chutney using onions and mint. This pairs well with idli, dosa and paniyaram.
Ingredients
  • Onion 2 medium
  • Mint leaves 1/2 c tightly packed
  • Urad dal 1 tbsp
  • Tamarind a small marble size
  • Dry red chilies 3 to 4
  • Salt to taste
  • Oil 1 tbsp + 1 tsp
  • Mustard seeds 1 tsp
  • Urad dal 1 tsp
  • Curry leaves a spring
Instructions
  1. Heat a pan with 1 tbsp oil.
  2. Add urad dal and dry red chilies and fry till dal begins to brown.
  3. Next, Add tamarind and onions and fry till translucent.
  4. Now, add mint leaves next and the salt.
  5. Fry till the mint just wilts.
  6. Once done, switch off flame and let cool.
  7. Once cool, grind to a smooth paste in a blender.
  8. Transfer the chutney to a clean air tight container.
  9. Heat a small pan with 1 tsp oil.
  10. Pop the mustard seeds and add urad dal and curry leaves.
  11. Once dal begins to brown, add the tempering to the chutney and mix well.
  12. Serve with idli or dosa

 

Squash Soup With Asian Flavors

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How To Make Squash Soup With Asian Flavors?

SQUASH SOUP WITH ASIAN FLAVORS- BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH THAI FLAVORS. VEGAN. GF.

squash soup

This squash soup with Asian flavors was our dinner a couple of days ago. We are not soup people. Nope. Not one bit. But then this squash soup was an exception. All of us in the house were down with a nasty cold and no matter what we did, we could not work up an appetite for normal food. It is usually during these times that i resort to soups as meals.

squash soup

I was simply not in the mood for a tomato soup and the husband man did not want anything with starch. And in the end, we both agreed something mid way which was this squash soup. Now, this squash soup is a delicate blend of flavors and is perfect for a chilly night. It is vegan, gluten free and gets done in 15 mins flat. No one can say no to such an easy meal, can they?

squash soup

Although the recipe is pretty much straight forward, i thought of sharing how to make this squash soup with step by step pictures. As such, i used only a small pressure pan to make this. In case you intend to make a large batch of this soup, feel free to double the ingredients and use a bigger pan.

Shall we now check how to make this Squash Soup with Asian Flavors step by step?

Heat a small pressure pan with 2 tsp olive oil. Add garlic to this and once the garlic browns, add finely chopped onions. Fry till light brown. Once done, add the chopped butternut squash and carrots. Mix well. Add the red chili powder and turmeric along with salt. Stir once.

Now, add 1.5 cups of water along with the lemon grass and lime leaves. Add some freshly cracked white pepper. Mix well. Close and pressure cook for 5 mins. Once done, let the pressure drop on its own. Once done, open and discard the lemon grass and lime leaves. Blend the mixture to a smooth puree using an immersion blender.

Return the pan to the flame. Add thin coconut milk and simmer just for a minute. Serve hot with more freshly cracked white pepper.

Your Squash soup with Asian Flavors is ready.

squash soup

Recipe For Squash Soup With Asian Flavors

Squash Soup With Asian Flavors
Recipe Type: Starter
Cuisine: Fusion
Author: Anusha Praveen
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 3
Squash Soup With Asian Flavors- A simple, quick and filling soup with butternut squash and carrots laced with asian flavors. Vegan. GF.
Ingredients
  • Butternut squash peeled and cubed 3/4 c
  • Carrot 1 large peeled and sliced
  • Onion 1 large finely sliced
  • Garlic 5 to 6 cloves
  • Red chili powder 1 tsp
  • Turmeric powder 1 tsp
  • Lemon grass stalk 1
  • Lime leaves 2 to 3
  • Thin coconut milk 1/2 c
  • Freshly cracked white pepper 1 tsp
  • Salt to taste
  • Olive oil 2 tsp
Instructions
  1. Heat a pressure pan with olive oil.
  2. Add garlic and once brown, add onions.
  3. Fry till transparent.
  4. Now, add squash and carrot pieces along with chili and turmeric powder.
  5. Mix well.
  6. Add 1.5 cups water, salt, lemon grass and lime leaves along with freshly cracked white pepper.
  7. Close and pressure cook for 5 mins,
  8. Once done, let pressure drop on its own.
  9. When done, open and discard lemon grass and lime leaves.
  10. Now, blend this to a smooth puree using an immersion blender.
  11. Return pan to flame.
  12. Add thin coconut milk and simmer for just one minute.
  13. Serve hot with more freshly cracked white pepper.

 

Achari Aloo Gobi Recipe

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How To Make Achari Aloo Gobi?

ACHARI ALOO GOBI- A SIMPLE CURRY WITH CAULIFLOWER & POTATO IN PICKLING SPICES.

achari aloo gobi

Achari Aloo Gobi is a simple yet flavor packed curry that tastes great with hot phulkas or rotis. Achar means pickle in Hindi. Like the name suggests, this achari aloo gobi uses freshly roasted and ground pickling spices for flavor. But the unsung hero of this curry is mustard oil. The mustard oil lends a subtle pungent flavor to the curry which rounds off the flavors in the pickling spices very well.

achari aloo gobi

I was not a fan of mustard oil until recently when  i made Kashmiri Nadir Palak, a couple of days back. The smell of mustard oil has always made me resist it. But this time, because i wanted the real deal, i went ahead and braved it. And to my surprise, i found that i actually liked the flavor. I also found that when mustard oil is heated up, it becomes less pungent and more flavorful.

And now, it is a whole new love affair with mustard oil. Coming back to this Achari Aloo Gobi, use the freshest of cauliflower possible. You can also make this curry with just cauliflower. I adapted this recipe from Sanjeev Kapoor s website. 

So shall we now check how to Achari Aloo Gobi step by step?

Finely chop onions, tomatoes, ginger, green chili and garlic.

Heat a pan and dry roast cumin, mustard, fenugreek, nigella seeds and fennel seeds until aromatic. Make sure you do this on low flame or the spices may burn. Once roasted, let cool and grind to a fine powder in a blender.

Heat mustard oil in a pan. Add hing and cumin seeds. Once the seeds crackle, add finely chopped ginger, green chili and garlic. Once garlic turns light brown, add the finely chopped onions and fry till translucent.

Once done, add spice powders along with freshly ground powder and salt and cook for 30 secs. Once done, add tomatoes and mix well. Cook till mushy. Turn down flame to low and add yogurt. Mix well.

Add chopped cauliflower and potatoes and mix well. Close and cook covered for 10 -15 mins on medium low flame. The cauliflower and potato must be cooked but firm. Once done, switch off flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves , ginger and green chili.

Your Achari Aloo Gobi is now ready.

achari aloo gobi

Recipe For Achari Aloo Gobi

Achari Aloo Gobi Recipe
Recipe Type: Mains
Cuisine: North Indian
Author: Anusha Praveen
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
Achari Aloo Gobi – A simple everyday potato cauliflower curry with pickling spices. Pairs well with roti and paratha
Ingredients
  • Cauliflower florets 1 cup
  • Potatoes 2 medium peeled and chopped
  • Onion 1 large chopped finely
  • Ginger 1″ chopped into julienne
  • Garlic 5 cloves minced finely
  • Green chili 1 minced
  • Tomatoes 2 medium chopped finely
  • Chili powder 1 tsp
  • Turmeric powder 1 tsp
  • Hing a large pinch
  • Cumin seeds 1 tsp
  • Salt to taste
  • Mustard oil 2 tbsp
  • Coriander leaves 2 tbsp chopped finely
  • To roast and grind
  • Mustard seeds 1 tsp
  • Cumin seeds 1 tsp
  • Fennel seeds 1 tsp
  • Nigella seeds 1 tsp
  • Fenugreek seeds 1 tsp
Instructions
  1. Dry roast fenugreek, fennel, cumin, mustard and nigella seeds in a pan.
  2. Let cool and grind to a fine powder.
  3. Heat mustard oil in a pan.
  4. Add hing and cumin seeds and once the seeds crackle, add green chilies, garlic and ginger.
  5. Once garlic turns light brown, add onion and fry till translucent.
  6. Add the freshly ground spice powder along with turmeric and chili powder and mix well.
  7. Cook for 30 secs.
  8. Now, add tomatoes along with salt and cook till mushy.
  9. Turn down flame to low.
  10. Once done, add yogurt and mix well.
  11. Add the chopped potatoes and cauliflower and mix well.
  12. Cook covered on medium low flame for 10 to 15 mins until vegetables are cooked but firm.
  13. Garnish with coriander leaves.
  14. Serve hot.

 

Kovil Puliyodharai Recipe- Temple Style Tamarind Rice

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How To Make Kovil Puliyodharai- Temple Style Tamarind Rice?

KOVIL PULIYODHARAI- TEMPLE STYLE TAMARIND RICE FROM THE SCRATCH.

kovil puliyodharai

Kovil Puliyodharai transports me back to my childhood days when Amma used to take me to Perumal temples on Saturdays during Purattasi and Margazhi months. I m not a very religious person but the lure of the puliyodharai was so irresistible that i accompanied amma any way and i even stood in the long queues for the Dharshan. And i did all of this only because the kovil puliyodharai is something that can make me go weak in the knees.

kovil puliyodharai

This Kovil Puliyodharai post is a picture loaded post. But before i write the recipe, let me share a few secrets about temple style puliyodharai that i have learned from Nimmi Chiki ( chiki is short for chikamma and she is my mom’s younger sister and i love her to bits). Whenever i used to travel from Coimbatore to Bangalore, Chiki s puliyodharai used to be my lunch. And my love for it has not changed one bit.

kovil puliyodharai

This post on Kovil Puliyodharai is sort of a walk down the memory lane. I was thinking about all those times which i have shared with my aunt making or discussing some random recipe and how she still insists on adding fresh curry leaves to all her condiments.

kovil puliyodharai

Shall we now check how to make Kovil Puliyodharai step by step?

Soak tamarind in hot water for 20 mins. Mash the tamarind well into the water using your hands and strain this liquid. Discard the residual pulp. Set aside the tamarind extract.

Heat a pan with 1 tsp oil and fry urad dal, sesame seeds, coriander seeds, black pepper corns, fenugreek seeds, red chili and chana dal until dals turns golden. Make sure you make this on low flame. Let cool and grind to a smooth powder.

Heat a pan with sesame oil.  Add peanuts and fry till golden. Drain and set aside.Add mustard seeds and once they crackle, add urad dal, channa dal and curry leaves along with a large pinch of hing. Once the dal turns golden, add the fried peanuts and immediately pour in the tamarind extract. Add salt and jaggery and cook this till the raw smell of the tamarind goes away.  Once done, add the ground powder and mix well. Continue to simmer this until oil begins to float to the surface. Your kovil puliyodharai puli kachal is ready. You can store this in the fridge for a week. But make sure you use a wooden spoon while serving.

To make the kovil puliyodharai, mix 1/2 c of the puli kachal into 1.5 cups of cooked and cooled short grain rice. Tastes best with appalam and raita.

kovil puliyodharai

This kovil puliyodharai makes a great lunch box dish. It also keeps well for 2 to 3 days at room temperature and so it is a great option while traveling too.

kovil puliyodharai

Recipe For Kovil Puliyodharai

Kovil Pulioyodharai Recipe
Recipe Type: Mains
Cuisine: South Indian
Author: Anusha Praveen
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
Kovil Puliyodharai- Temple style tamarind rice made from the scratch. Tastes great with appalam, chips or raita. Vegan.
Ingredients
  • Tamarind the size of a medium lemon.
  • Hot water 1 cup
  • Jaggery 2 tbsp
  • Salt to taste
  • Sesame oil 1/4 cup
  • Peanuts 3 tbsp
  • Curry leaves 12 to 15
  • Hing a large pinch
  • To roast and grind:
  • Urad dal 2 tsp
  • Channa dal 2 tsp
  • Coriander seeds 1 tsp
  • Whole black pepper corns 1 tsp
  • Fenugreek seeds 1 tsp
  • Sesame seeds 2 tsp
  • Whole Red chilies 8 to 9 broken
  • Oil 1 tsp
  • To Temper
  • Mustard seeds 1 tsp
  • Urad dal 1 tsp
  • Channa dal 1 tsp
  • For the Kovil Puliyodharai Rice:
  • Cooked and cooled short grain rice 1.5 cups
  • Kovil puliyodharai kachal 1/2 cup
Instructions
  1. Soak tamarind in hot water for 20 mins.
  2. In the meanwhile, heat a pan with 1 tsp oil.
  3. Add urad dal, channa dal, sesame seeds, coriander seeds, pepper, fenugreek and dry red chilies on low medium flame till dal begins to turn light brown.
  4. Once done, let cool and grind to a smooth powder.
  5. Mash the tamarind well into the water using your hands.
  6. Strain this to get rid of strings.
  7. Set aside the tamarind extract.
  8. Heat a pan with sesame oil.
  9. Add peanuts and fry till golden.
  10. Drain and set aside.
  11. Add mustard seeds to this and once they pop, add urad and channa dal along with curry leaves and hing.
  12. Once dal turns golden, add fried peanuts and immediately pour the tamarind extract along with salt and jaggery.
  13. Simmer this till the raw smell of the tamarind goes away. Takes about 5 mins.
  14. Once done, add the ground spice powder and mix well.
  15. Simmer this till the oil begins to float on top.
  16. To make the rice, combine 1.5 cups of cooked rice and this paste and mix well.
  17. Serve with appalam.

 

Gujarati Kadhi Recipe

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How To Make Gujarati Kadhi?

GUJARATI KADHI- A SWEET AND SPICY YOGURT SAUCE TEMPERED WITH WHOLE SPICES. 

gujarati kadhi

Gujarati Kadhi is something that i began to love after moving to Singapore. Strange, isn’t it? I never quite liked this sweetish Gujarati Kadhi while i lived in Vadodara. I still remember bickering with my short term cook over adding sugar to kadhi. She always used to ask me how i ate my kadhi without the hint of sugar. And i always gave her a stare.

gujarati kadhi

But some how, i began missing the Kadhi once i left the place. I even miss my cook. I must admit that i learned this recipe from her. And i rely on kadhi whenever i am short of time. And whenever i make methi theplas, there has to be some sweetish gujarati kadhi to mop them off with. Addition of sugar to your kadhi is optional but highly recommended, especially if you are eating it with theplas and such. I remember this small roadside eatery that served samosa with kadhi. I found this combination very strange yet oh so delicious!. I have never eaten such delicious samosas ever. How i miss Vadodara.

gujarati kadhi

Recipe For Gujarati Kadhi

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5 from 1 vote

Gujarati Kadhi Recipe

Gujarati Kadhi- A sugar laced yogurt stew tempered with whole spices. Best eaten with theplas or rotlas.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Sides
Cuisine: Gujarati
Servings: 2
Author: Anusha Praveen

Ingredients

  • Besan chickpea flour 2 tbsp
  • Water 3 tbsp
  • Thick sour yogurt 1/2 c
  • Sugar 2 tsp
  • Green chili 4
  • Ginger 1/2" peeled and chopped
  • Cumin seeds 1 tsp
  • Fenugreek seeds 1 tsp
  • Mustard seeds 1 tsp
  • Curry leaves 10
  • Hing a small pinch
  • Oil 1 tbsp
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • Make a coarse paste out of green chili and ginger using your mortar and pestle.
  • Combine besan and water and make a smooth paste.
  • Whisk the yogurt into this making sure there are no lumps.
  • Heat a pan with 1/2 tbsp oil.
  • Add the green chili ginger paste along with hing and curry leaves.
  • Saute for 1 min on medium flame.
  • Now, add the yogurt besan mixture to the pan along with salt and sugar and whisk well
  • Simmer this mixture for 5 to 7 mins .
  • Once done, switch off flame.
  • Heat another pan with the remaining oil.
  • Pop the mustard seeds and n=add cumin and fenugreek.
  • Once the fenugreek turns a light pink, pour this over the kadhi and mix well.
  • Serve hot.

For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes

Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.

Disclaimer

Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

Tried this recipe?Mention @tomatoblues or tag #tomatoblues!

 

Aloo Jeera Or Jeera Aloo Recipe

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How To Make Aloo Jeera Or Jeera Aloo?

ALOO JEERA- SIMPLE CUMIN SCENTED POTATO CURRY. VEGAN.

aloo jeera

Aloo jeera or Jeera Aloo- it doesn’t matter how you want to call it. But this everyday Indian potato curry is as ubiquitous as your breakfast toast in India. No Indian in his right senses would say no to a bowl of dal, hot rice and aloo jeera. You get my point, don’t you?

aloo jeera

Now this is such a popular dish that there really is no one way to make aloo jeera. Every family, every household or probably every woman has her own way of making this. I m just here to share my way of making  jeera aloo today.

aloo jeera

Now, this curry is so versatile that you can eat it with anything ranging from rice to roti to bread. But my best bet would be hot chapatis fresh off the tawa and a bowl of this cumin scented potatoes. Oh, did i mention ghee? Yes, there has to be ghee when there is chapati and some  jeera aloo…hmmmmm…my tongue is already singing. Off to the recipe, ok? Okay.

Recipe For Aloo Jeera

Aloo jeera- no onion no garlic recipe
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Aloo Jeera Or Jeera Aloo Recipe

Aloo Jeera aka Jeera aloo- Cumin scented potato curry that goes well with rice and roti. Vegan.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: North Indian
Servings: 2
Author: Anusha Praveen

Ingredients

  • Potatoes 4 medium
  • Cumin seeds 1 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds 1 tsp
  • Hing a small pinch
  • Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
  • Chili powder 1 tsp
  • Salt to taste
  • Oil 2 tbsp

Instructions

  • Boil potatoes in enough water until tender.
  • Peel and quarter the potatoes.
  • Heat a pan with oil.
  • Add mustard seeds and hing.
  • Once they splutter, add cumin seeds and toss well.
  • Add turmeric powder now and mix.
  • Quickly tip in the quartered potatoes and toss well making sure the oil coats the potatoes evenly.
  • Turn down flame to low and cook till potatoes are evenly roasted and golden brown.
  • Make sure you toss them in between for a couple of times.
  • Add salt and chili powder once done.
  • Mix well.
  • Garnish with coriander leaves .
  • Serve hot

For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes

Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.

Disclaimer

Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

Tried this recipe?Mention @tomatoblues or tag #tomatoblues!

Bombay Sandwich Recipe

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BOMBAY SANDWICH- HEARTY DESI-STYLE SANDWICHES WITH GREEN CHUTNEY &VEGGIES.

bombay sandwich

The Bombay sandwich is the most popular sandwich till date among youngsters across India. The concept of a sandwich was limited to the bombay style green chutney sandwich until a few years ago when cafes across the country came up with gourmet options like sweet corn spinach sandwiches and paneer sandwiches.

bombay sandwich

So, the 80s folks and the 90s folks still love our bombay sandwich. In spite of the fact that making this sandwich is hideously easy, getting it exactly the way the street vendor makes it is difficult. There is really something about eating a sandwich with green chutney, veggies and grated cheese on top, overlooking the road or beach or whatever. Maybe it is the breeze or the noisy road or the make shift cart that makes the sandwich extra delicious.

Like i told you all, i had insane food cravings when i was pregnant. And i discovered the true essence behind making a good bombay sandwich from the same vendor who taught me that no bitter utterly delicious sandwich chutney recipe.

bombay sandwich

You will need some very good green chutney to put this sandwich together and you can find just the right recipe here –sandwich chutney recipe.  I usually make a large batch of this chutney during the weekends and store it in the fridge which certainly makes my mornings less crazier. Once you have your chutney ready, you are all set.

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Bombay Sandwich Recipe

Bombay Sandwich- delicious, healthy sandwiches that can be put together in less than 15 mins. Makes great finger foods.
Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Snack
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 2
Author: Anusha Praveen

Ingredients

  • White bread slices 6
  • Potato 1 small boiled peeled and sliced thinly
  • Beetroot 1 small peeled boiled and sliced thinly
  • Cucumber 1 peeled and sliced thinly
  • Tomato 1 small sliced thinly
  • Chaat masala to sprinkle
  • Sandwich chutney 1/4 c refer post for the whole recipe
  • Softened butter at room temperature 1 tbsp

Instructions

  • Spread butter evenly over a slice of bread.
  • Now apply some green chutney over the buttered slice.
  • Place cucumber slices and tomato slices over this.
  • Cover with another slice of bread.
  • Spread butter over this.
  • Apply more green chutney over this slice of bread.
  • Place a few slices of beet and potato .
  • Cover with another slice of bread
  • Assemble the next sandwich in the same way with the remaining bread slices and veggies.
  • Cut each sandwich into two.
  • Sprinkle chaat masala on top.
  • Serve immediately.

For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes

Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.

Disclaimer

Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

Tried this recipe?Mention @tomatoblues or tag #tomatoblues!

Restaurant Style Bhindi Do Pyasa Recipe

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How To Make Restaurant Style Bhindi Do Pyasa?

RESTAURANT STYLE BHINDI DO PYASA- HOTEL STYLE OKRA CURRY. GLUTEN FREE.

restaurant style bhindi do pyasa

I was introduced to this masterpiece of an okra dish called Bhindi Do Pyasa during my Bangalore days. There was this quaint little restaurant in Koramangala that we used to frequent during weekends for some paper thin phulkas and an assortment of curries including this bhindi do pyasa.

restaurant style bhindi do pyasa

I had never visualised eating bhindi and capsicum together even in my wildest dreams before this restaurant came into my life. And when i came across Pavitra s Post, i knew that i was on the right track. Bhindi Do Pyasa literally means okra and two onions. Of course, this restaurant style Bhindi do pyasa also has capsicum for a nice crunch.

Okra is one of my favorite vegetables and hence i leave no stone unturned when it comes to cooking okra in multiple ways. If you are interested in more okra recipes, please do check out achari bhindi, vendakkai puli kuzhambu and okra potato fry recipes.

Shall we now check how to make restaurant style bhindi do pyasa step by step?

Clean and chop okra into 2″ long fingers. Chop capsicum and one onion into big bite size pieces.

Heat a pan with oil and fry bhindi separately till light brown. Remove and drain on a tissue paper. In the same pan, add onions and capsicum and fry till light brown. Remove and drain.

In the same pan, add 2 tbsp oil.  Splutter the cumin and fennel seeds. Add ginger, green chili and garlic and fry till garlic turns light brown. Add finely chopped onions next and fry till onions turn light brown.

To this, add all spice powders and mix well. Cook for 3o secs. Add finely chopped tomatoes along with salt and mix well. Cook till tomatoes turn mushy.

Now, add the fried onion, capsicum and okra pieces and mix well. Cook for 5 mins more on low flame. Once done, garnish with coriander leaves and serve with roti or naan or paratha.

Your restaurant style bhindi do pyasa is now ready.

restaurant style bhindi do pyasa

Recipe For Restaurant Style Bhindi Do Pyasa

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5 from 1 vote

Restaurant Style Bhindi Do Pyasa Recipe

Restaurant Style Bhindi Do Pyasa- A easy restaurant style vegan and gluten free okra curry that pairs well with flatbreads like roti and naan.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: North Indian
Servings: 2
Author: Anusha Praveen

Ingredients

  • Okra 250 g
  • Capsicum 1 largish
  • Onion 2 largish
  • Tomato 2 medium chopped finely
  • Turmeric powder 1 tsp
  • Red chili powder 1 tsp
  • Garam masala 1 tsp
  • Coriander powder 1 tsp
  • Chaat masala 1 tsp
  • Fennel seeds 1 tsp
  • Cumin seeds 1 tsp
  • Garlic cloves 5 sliced thinly
  • Ginger 1 tsp grated
  • Salt to taste
  • Coriander leaves 2 tbsp
  • Oil 2 tbsp

Instructions

  • Wash and pat dry okra.
  • Chop them into 2" long fingers and set aside.
  • Chop 1 onion and the capsicum into large bite size chunks.
  • Finely chop the other onion and set aside.
  • Heat a pan with oil.
  • Add chopped okra and fry till light brown at the edges.
  • Drain and set aside.
  • Add capsicum and onion chunks to the pan and fry till onion turns light brown.
  • Drain.
  • To the same pan, add fennel and cumin seeds.
  • Once they splutter, add sliced garlic,green chili and ginger.
  • Fry this till garlic turns light brown.
  • Add the finely chopped onion to this and mix well.
  • Cook till onion turns light brown.
  • Now, add turmeric, chili, coriander, garam masala and chaat masala powder.
  • Cook for 30 secs.
  • Add the tomatoes and salt next and mix well.
  • Cook till tomatoes turn mushy.
  • Once done, add the fried onion, okra and capsicum to this and mix well.
  • Cook for 5 mins on low flame.
  • Once done, switch off flame and garnish with coriander leaves.
  • Serve hot.

For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes

Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.

Disclaimer

Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

Tried this recipe?Mention @tomatoblues or tag #tomatoblues!

 

Spicy Rice Noodles With Tofu

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How To Make Spicy Rice Noodles With Tofu?

SPICY RICE NOODLES WITH TOFU- WHOLESOME MEAL WITH GRILLED TOFU, VEGGIES AND PEANUTS.

spicy rice noodles with tofu

Spicy rice noodles with tofu is something that i resort to when i need a wholesome meal and yet do not want to make five different dishes. This spicy rice noodles with tofu is a vegan recipe as such but i added a boiled egg to the platter just to make it a tad healthier.

spicy rice noodles with tofu

This spicy rice noodles with tofu comes together in less than half an hour if you have all the ingredients handy. I always have a stash of roasted peanut powder in my pantry. As for the noodles, the rice noodles have replaced the regular ones ever since we have moved to SG. I grilled the tofu after pressing it well on a grill pan. You can also grill the tofu in an oven or a broiler.

spicy rice noodles with tofu

You can use any veggies you desire to make these noodles. Bell peppers, bok choy, broccoli, carrots, spring onions and beans work really well here. If you are looking for a gluten free  version, use Tamari sauce instead of the regular soy sauce. I have used thin rice noodles for this. You can also use flat rice noodles that are slightly thicker. Regular hakka noodles will also taste good but they wont be gluten free.

 Recipe For Spicy Rice Noodles With Tofu

Spicy Rice Noodles With Tofu
Recipe Type: Mains
Cuisine: Chinese
Author: Anusha Praveen
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
Spicy Rice Noodles With Tofu- A wholesome meal with rice noodles, tofu, veggies and peanuts. Vegan.
Ingredients
  • Rice noodles 100 g
  • Bell peppers (red, green and yellow) 1/2 cut into long strips
  • Bok choy 2 staks chopped finely
  • Spring onions 2 stalks chopped finely
  • Onion 2 medium sliced thinly
  • Garlic 5 cloves sliced thinly
  • Tofu 1/2 c pressed and cubed
  • Soy sauce 1 tbsp
  • Red chili sauce 1 tbsp
  • Vinegar 1/2 tsp
  • White pepper powder 1 tsp
  • Sugar 1 tsp
  • Roasted peanut powder 2 tbsp
  • Salt to taste
  • Chinese Sesame oil 2 tbsp
  • Coriander leaves for garnish
  • Lemon wedges to serve
Instructions
  1. Cook rice noodles according to packet instructions. Set aside.
  2. Heat a grill pan and coat with some oil.
  3. Place the cubed tofu and grill on both sides evenly.
  4. Drain and set aside.
  5. Heat a pan with oil.
  6. Add garlic and fry till golden.
  7. Add onion and fry till translucent.
  8. Add all the other vegetables along with salt and sugar next.
  9. Cook till half done.
  10. Now,add soy sauce, chili sauce , vinegar and peanut powder and mix well.
  11. Add the grilled tofu to this and mix gently taking care not to break the tofu.
  12. Add the rice noodles to this and mix well.
  13. Top with peanut powder and coriander leaves before serving.
  14. Serve hot with a lemon wedge by the side.

No Knead Whole Wheat Focaccia Recipe

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 How To Make No Knead Whole Wheat Focaccia?

NO KNEAD WHOLE WHEAT FOCACCIA- EASY FOCACCIA RECIPE WITH WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR.

no knead whole wheat focaccia

This no knead whole wheat focaccia is a dream come true recipe that i discovered in Nick Malgerie’s book. Inspite of the fact that i bake this quite frequently with variations in toppings and flavors, i have never really bothered to take pictures of the entire process step by step.

no knead whole wheat focaccia

One day, when i happened to bake this no knead whole wheat focaccia, i had my camera handy and i just decided that i ll take pictures and share this keeper of a recipe with you all. Before i go into the nitty gritty of this focaccia, let me tell you one thing. This bread takes just 10 mins and no muscle power to bake. No fancy equipment too. Isn’t that awesome?

no knead whole wheat focaccia

If you are a regular here at my blog, you will know that i love baking bread. Breads like this hokkaido loaf and kugelhopf have given me so much joy. But this no knead whole wheat focaccia takes the cake from all of those breads that i have baked so far. Merely because it is such a simpleton of a recipe that any beginner can attempt without any inhibitions.

no knead whole wheat focaccia

Shall we now check how to bake this no knead whole wheat focaccia recipe step by step?

Before i begin, let me tell you all that i used green garlic scapes and cherry tomatoes as topping and infused the dough with rosemary. Well, i know the authentic italian focaccia doesnt call for these but i love to experiment with flavors and hence the idea. You can always make a brilliant focaccia just with basic stuff like grated garlic and tomatoes.

In a large mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, salt and rosemary. Mix well.

In another bowl, combine yeast and warm water. Mix well.  To the flour, add olive oil and rub this into the flour mixture till it resembles a crumbly mass. Now add the yeast and water mixture and mix again. You will have a moist crumbly looking flour mixture at this point.

Now, add the remaining warm water to the flour and using a spatula, bring it all together to a dough like mass.

Close this and let rise until double in volume.

In the meanwhile, halve your cherry tomatoes and finely chop the green garlic scapes. Grease a 8″x 8″x 3″ pan well with olive oil. And once your dough has doubled, punch, deflate it and turn it out into the greased pan. Now, use your hands to spread out the dough evenly to the whole of the pan.

Now, make indents on the surface of the dough with your index finger. Place the cherry tomatoes on top and sprinkle the green garlic scapes over the dough. Drizzle one tbsp of olive oil over this. Preheat oven to 180 C. Once done, bake the focaccia for 20 mins or till top turns golden brown. Remove from pan and let cool on a cooling rack for 20 mins before slicing and serving.

Recipe For No Knead Whole Wheat Focaccia

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4.80 from 5 votes

No Knead Whole Wheat Focaccia Recipe

No Knead Whole Wheat Focaccia Recipe with rosemary, cherry tomatoes and green garlic scapes. A delicious bread that can be eaten on its own or used in a sandwich. vegan.
Prep Time1 hour 20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 40 minutes
Course: Sides
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 1
Author: Anusha Praveen

Ingredients

  • Whole wheat flour 2 cups
  • Olive 3 tbsp + 1 tbsp
  • Salt 1 tsp
  • Sugar 1 tsp
  • Warm water 1 c
  • Instant yeast 1 tsp
  • Dried rosemary 1 tsp
  • Cherry tomatoes 10 halved
  • Green garlic scapes 2 tbsp chopped finely

Instructions

  • Grease a square sheet cake pan with olive oil and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, salt and dried rosemary.
  • Mix well.
  • Add yeast to 1/4 cup water and mix well.
  • Add 2 tbsp olive oil to the flour mixture and rub the oil into the mixture till it resembles a crumbly mixture.
  • Now, add yeast water mixture and mix well. You will have a crumbly dough mass now.
  • Add the remaining warm water to this and using a spatula bring everything together to form a dough.
  • Close with a wet kitchen towel and let rise until double in volume.
  • Once done, punch the dough and turn it out onto the greased pan.
  • Using your hands spread the dough out across the entire pan evenly
  • Make indents on the dough using your index finger.
  • Place the cherry tomatoes on the dough and sprinkle the green garlic.
  • Drizzle the 1 tbsp olive oil on the dough.
  • Close the dough and set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 180 C.
  • Once preheated, bake the focaccia for 20 mins or until top turns golden brown.
  • Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack for 20 mins before slicing and serving.
  • Serve warm.

For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes

Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.

Disclaimer

Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

Tried this recipe?Mention @tomatoblues or tag #tomatoblues!

 

 

 

Dhaba Style Dal Fry Recipe ( Dhabe ki Dal Tadka)

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How To Make Dhaba Style Dal Fry?

DHABA STYLE DAL FRY- A DELICIOUS LENTIL CURRY WITH MIXED DALS. GLUTEN FREE.

dhaba style dal fry

Dal fry or Dhaba style dal fry is ultimate comfort food. It is a quick recipe that no one can ever resist. I have a dal fanatic in the house- Mr.P. The man loves dal so much that he could just live on dal and rice. This Dhaba style dal fry is my humble attempt to recreate the magic of dhabe ki dal.  Dhaba or Dhabe are small highway side eateries found across Northern India.

dhaba style dal fry

Each dhaba has its own magic but the best food comes from Punjabi Dhabas. The dhaba style dal fry or dal tadka is popular for its smoky flavor. But smoky or not, this dhaba style dal fry is a wonderful and healthy accompaniment to flatbreads like pudina paratha and vegetable pulao.

Shall we now learn how to make Dhaba Style Dal Fry step by step?

Pressure cook all the dals with enough water and salt till mushy. Keep ready all whole spices and spice powders. Chop onions and tomatoes finely.

 Crush garlic and ginger in a mortar and pestle and make a coarse paste. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Add all the whole spices and saute till aromatic. Now add crushed ginger garlic paste along with green chiles and saute on medium flame till garlic turns fragrant.

Add onions next and fry till translucent. Now add all spice powders and mix well. Cook on medium flame for 30 secs. Add the tomatoes next and fry till mushy.

Add the cooked dal and salt next and mix well. Use a masher and mash the dal well to a smooth texture. Cook this for about 5 more mins. Switch off flame.

In a small pan, heat 2 tbsp ghee. Add 2 dry red chilies, 2 tbsp chopped onions and a small pinch of kasturi methi. Fry till onion becomes translucent. Pour this over the dal and mix well. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Your Dhaba style dal fry is now ready.

Recipe For Dhaba Style Dal Fry

Dhaba Style Dal Fry Recipe ( Dhabe ki Dal Tadka)
Recipe Type: Mains
Cuisine: North Indian
Author: Anusha Praveen
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 3
Dhaba Style Dal Fry- A restaurant style dal curry with mixed lentils, onions and tomatoes. Pairs well with rotis, rice and naan.
Ingredients
  • Moong dal 1 tbsp
  • Whole masoor dal 1 tbsp
  • Toor dal 2 tbsp
  • Urad dal 1 tbsp
  • Channa dal 1 tbsp
  • Onion 1/2 c + 2 tbsp chopped finely ( roughly 2 medium onions)
  • Tomatoes 2 medium chopped finely
  • Green chili 1 slit
  • Garlic 5 cloves
  • Ginger 1″ long
  • Cumin seeds 1 tsp
  • Bay leaf 1
  • Clove 1
  • Cardamom 1
  • Cinnamon 1/2″ stick
  • Kasturi methi 1 tbsp crushed
  • Turmeric 1 tsp
  • Red chili powder 1 tsp
  • Coriander cumin powder 1 tsp
  • Punjabi Garam Masala 1/2 tsp
  • Whole dry red chilies ( Kashmiri) 2 broken
  • Ghee 2 tbsp
  • Oil 2 tbsp
  • Salt to taste
Instructions
  1. Wash all the dals thoroughly until water runs clear.
  2. Pressure cook this along with 1.5 cups of water and salt to taste until mushy.
  3. Crush garlic and ginger in a mortar and pestle to a coarse paste.
  4. Heat a pan with oil.
  5. Add the whole spices – cardamom, clove, cinnamon, bay leaf , kasturi methi and cumin seeds.
  6. Add crushed garlic paste and cook till garlic turns light brown.
  7. Add 1/2 cup of chopped onion next and fry till translucent.
  8. Add all the spice powders next and fry on medium flame for 30 secs.
  9. Now add tomatoes and mix.
  10. Cook till tomatoes turn mushy.
  11. Add the cooked dal along with some more salt and mix well.
  12. Use a masher and mash the dal to a smooth texture.
  13. Cook on medium flame for 5 mins.
  14. Switch off flame.
  15. Heat a small pan with 2 tbsp ghee.
  16. Add dry red chilies, a small pinch of kasturi methi and 2 tbsp chopped onions.
  17. Cook till onions turn translucent.
  18. Once done, pour this over the dal and mix well.
  19. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

 

Capsicum Pulao Recipe

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How To Make Capsicum Pulao?

CAPSICUM PULAO- A SIMPLE FLAVORFUL RICE MADE WITH BELL PEPPERS (CAPSICUM). 

capsicum pulao

Capsicum Pulao is a simple flavor loaded pulao. I make this pulao when i have stray pieces of coloured bell pepper lurking around in my fridge. We all have those days, don’t we? A quarter of a red bell pepper and a half green bell pepper, not quite enough to make anything else. So just combine everything and use it up.

This capsicum pulao happened when i was in India a while back. When i go to India, i choose cooking recipes that have poppy seeds in them, simply because we dont have access to poppy seeds in Singapore. I cook there and i click there. Oh and we eat it there too  🙂

capsicum pulao

Strange as it may sound, poppy seeds impart a lovely delicate flavor to this pulao. And what makes this even more appealing is the addition of fried onions in the end. The crispy sweet onions add a lovely texture to the otherwise soft pulao. So, the next time, give your regular vegetable pulao a break and try this capsicum pulao.

capsicum pulao

Recipe For Capsicum Pulao

Capsicum Pulao Recipe
Recipe Type: Mains
Cuisine: North Indian
Author: Anusha Praveen
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
Capsicum Pulao- A simple and flavorful pulao made with colorful bell peppers. Goes well with spicy curries and dal.
Ingredients
  • Basmati rice 1/2 c
  • Colored bell peppers 1/2 c chopped finely ( use a mix of green, yellow and red)
  • Onion 1 large chopped finely
  • Onion 1 cup sliced thinly ( about 2 large onions here)
  • Cardamom 1
  • Mace 1
  • Cinnamon stick 1″
  • Cloves 2
  • Bay leaf 1
  • Salt to taste
  • Oil 2 tbsp + 2 tbsp
  • To Grind Together
  • Grated coconut 2 tbsp
  • Poppy seeds 1 tsp
  • Water 1/4 c
  • Green chili 2
Instructions
  1. Soak the poppy seeds in warm water for at least an hour.
  2. Wash the rice thoroughly and soak in 1 cup of water for 20 mins.
  3. In the meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp oil and fry the one cup of sliced onions till golden. Drain and set aside.
  4. Place the coconut, green chili , soaked poppy seeds and 1/4 cup of water in a blender and blend to a smooth paste.
  5. Heat 2 tbsp oil in the same pan that you used to fry the onions.
  6. Add the whole spices and fry for a min.
  7. Now add finely chopped onions and bell pepper.
  8. Fry till onions become light brown.
  9. Add the soaked rice along with the ground paste and salt to the pan now.
  10. Mix well.
  11. Cover and cook till rice is fluffy and tender to the bite.
  12. Alternatively, you may transfer the contents to an electric rice cooker and cook till done.
  13. Or you may cook the pulao in a pressure cooker for ten mins on medium flame without the whistle.
  14. Once done, fluff the rice gently with a fork.
  15. Top with fried onions and serve hot.

 

Sri Lankan Vegetable Stew Recipe

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How To Make Sri Lankan Vegetable Stew?

SRI LANKAN VEGETABLE STEW- WINTER VEGGIES IN A LIGHT COCONUT MILK SAUCE

sri lankan vegetable stew

Vegetable stew by itself is a wholesome meal. While i do make the kerala style potato stew very often, this Sri Lankan style vegetable stew is a family favorite. Lil A loves the colors in the dish. Mr. P and i appreciate this for different reasons- He loves the flavors. And i love the fact that this stew is chock full of veggies. So it s a win-win either way.

Unlike Indian curries, the concept of Sri Lankan cooking is very simple in terms of spices. Almost all their dishes have cinnamon and curry leaves as the dominant flavors. Fish is also an integral part of their meal. This Sri Lankan vegetable stew is a vegan and gluten free stew that you can pair with aapam, dosa or even plain basmati rice.

sri lankan vegetable stew

This Sri Lankan vegetable stew is such a simple affair that you can whip up in 15 mins flat if you have the coconut milk ready. I used packaged pasteurized Coconut milk for this. You can also use freshly expressed coconut milk. But then, you may need more time than 15 mins.

Shall we now check how to make Sri Lankan Vegetable Stew Step By Step?

Chop all veggies and par boil them. You can either use a microwave or do this on the stove top. Just make sure you veggies are cooked but with a crunch. Drain completely and set aside.

Heat a pan with coconut oil. Add the whole spices one by one. Once the spices begin to become light brown, add ginger, curry leaves and onions. Saute till onions turn translucent.

Once onion turns translucent, add all the spice powders and mix well. Cook on medium flame for 30 secs. Once done, add all the veggies and mix well. Add 1/2 cup of water and salt to this and mix well.

Once the mixture begins to boil, switch off flame. Add the coconut milk and mix well. Add sugar at this stage along with curry leaves. Mix well. Cook this on low flame till the mixture just begins to froth. Switch off flame.

Your Sri Lankan vegetable stew is now ready.

sri lankan vegetable stew

Recipe For Sri Lankan Vegetable Stew

Sri Lankan Vegetable Stew Recipe
Recipe Type: Mains
Cuisine: Sri Lankan
Author: Anusha Praveen
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Sri Lankan Vegetable Stew- Winter veggies cooked along with spice powders and whole spices in a coconut milk sauce.
Ingredients
  • Mixed veggies ( carrots, beans, potatoes) 1 cup
  • Onion 2 medium sliced thinly
  • Curry leaves 2 sprigs
  • Thin coconut milk 1/2 cup
  • Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
  • Garam masala 1/2 tsp
  • Coriander powder 1/2 tsp
  • Red chili powder 1/2 tsp
  • Grated ginger 1 tsp
  • Sugar 1/2 tsp
  • Bay leaf 1
  • Cloves 2
  • Cinnamom 1″ stick
  • Cumin seeds 1 tsp
  • Coconut oil 1 tbsp
  • Salt to taste
  • Water 1/2 cup
Instructions
  1. Peel and chop all veggies into juliennes.
  2. Par boil them with 4 cups of water in the microwave or on stove top till tender but crunchy.
  3. Drain and set aside.
  4. Heat a pan with oil.
  5. Add the whole spices and toss.
  6. Once spices begin to turn light brown, add a sprig of curry leaves, onions and ginger.
  7. Cook till onion becomes translucent.
  8. Once done, add red chili powder, garam masala, coriander powder & turmeric.
  9. Mix well and cook on medium flame for 30 secs.
  10. Add all chopped veggies now and mix well
  11. Add 1/2 c of water along with salt.
  12. Once water begins to boil, switch off flame.
  13. Add coconut milk, another sprig of curry leaves and sugar and mix well.
  14. Cook on low flame until the mixture just begins to froth.
  15. Switch off flame.
  16. Serve hot.

 

Carrot Halwa Recipe (Gajar Ka Halwa) With Step By Step Instructions

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How To Make Carrot Halwa Or Gajar Ka Halwa?

CARROT HALWA OR GAJAR KA HALWA- CARROTS SLOW COOKED IN WHOLE MILK WITH NUTS & SAFFRON.

carrot halwa

Happy New Year Everyone! I hope this  new year brings you all immense happiness, good health and lots of positive vibes. Let us all remember that while life is no bed of roses, its beauty lies in small things and we can all live happily when we choose our battles wisely.The year of 2016 was one of ugly surprises for me and to the world in more ways than one. But i hope 2017 changes all that. 🙂

Carrot halwa or Gajar Ka Halwa instantly transports me back to my India days. I sorely miss the winters here in Singapore. The chilly weather with a nip in the air and the morning mist which sometimes extended itself into the afternoons too gave me a sense of joy.

Bundled up in layers of warm clothing,  i would cook whatever i could with the freshest winter produce that came my way. My domestic help would often bring a basket full of fresh green tuvar or green peas often.

And then there were carrots, vibrant and their tops intact. They were also known as Delhi carrots and they were red in color unlike the normal orange ones we get all around the year.

carrot halwa

This post is a dedication to those winters that i miss. Carrot halwa was a regular in my house when it was winter in Vadodara. After all, what could one do when carrots and cauliflowers used to sellat Rs. 5 per kg? We dont come across those deep red Delhi carrots here in Sg. So i just used the regular Australian produce that we get. My craving for a hot bowl of carrot halwa had reached its saturation point that i simply did not have the patience to go check Mustafa this time.

Carrot Halwa or Gajar Ka Halwa is a fabulous way to cook carrots. Shredded carrots cooked in milk infused with saffron and liberally dosed with ghee – can anything go wrong here? This will make a fine dessert for all your parties. And you can also make this carrot halwa in advance and store it in the fridge. Just microwave it a few minutes before serving and top it with slivered almonds and you are good to go!

Before i begin on the recipe , let me share a few things i have learned while making this sinful dessert over the years.

  1. Buy the freshest carrots possible.
  2. Pressure cooking the carrots for the halwa will not give you the authentic feel. I strongly recommend shredding the carrots. Its worth the effort. I used my trusted Philips Food Processor for this. But i used to manually shred them before.
  3. Use full fat milk. Nothing more. Nothing less.
  4. Saffron is optional but highly recommended
  5. Cook the halwa on medium flame at all times.
  6. Make sure you keep stirring every now and then to avoid burning or the halwa sticking to the bottom.
  7. In case you dont have a pan like the one i have used, use a deep pressure pan.

So, shall we now check how to make Carrot Halwa step by step?

Wash, peel and chop the carrots. Shred the carrots finely.

Once done, heat a deep wide pan with 2 tbsp ghee. Add the shredded carrots and cook them until they just reduce in volume by 3/4th.

Now add the milk and mix well. From this point on, its all muscle power and waiting. Cook the carrots till the milk reduces to 1/2 its quantity.  When the milk begins to froth, add the cardamom powder and saffron along with ghee and continue cooking till it reduces to half its quantity.

Make sure you keep stirring this in between every one minute to avoid burning.You will know when its done when you find milk solids here and there. This takes approximately 15 mins

 Now, add the sugar and mix well. Continue cooking till the entire quantity is reduced to half. Again, do not stop stirring. This halwa is all about muscle power 😎 .This will take anywhere between 15 to 20 min. The halwa is done when you find the ghee oozing out from its sides.

If you continue to cook this further, you will have a solid halwa. But if you stop cooking it now, you will have a melt in the mouth almost semi solid texture when it cools down.

When this is done, heat a small pan with ghee. Add broken cashews and fry till golden. Drain and add to the halwa. In the same pan, add the raisins and fry till they plump up. Add them to the halwa along with the ghee and mix well.

Your carrot halwa is now ready.

carrot halwa

Recipe For Carrot Halwa

Carrot Halwa Recipe (Gajar Ka Halwa)
Recipe Type: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Author: Anusha Praveen
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
Carrot Halwa also called as Gajar Ka Halwa is a creamy pudding like dessert made with carrots that are cooked in milk along with sugar, saffron and nuts.
Ingredients
  • Carrots peeled and shredded 2 cups
  • Full Fat Milk 2 cups
  • Sugar 3.5 cups
  • Saffron a few strands
  • Cardamom powder 1/2 tsp
  • Cashews 2 tbsp broken
  • Raisins 2 tbsp
  • Ghee (clarified butter) 1/2 c plus 2 tbsp
Instructions
  1. Peel, chop and shred carrots.
  2. Heat a deep wide pan with 2 tbsp ghee.
  3. Add shredded carrots and saute till it reduces to 3/4th of its volume.
  4. Once done, add milk, cardamom powder, saffron and 2 tbsp ghee and continue to cook till the milk reduces to 1/2 its quantity. Takes 15 to 20 mins.
  5. Now, add sugar now and mix well.
  6. You will find that the mixture turns watery once again.
  7. Add ghee after 5 mins after adding the sugar.
  8. Continue to cook the mixture till it reduces to 1/2 its volume.
  9. Takes another 15 to 20 mins.
  10. You will know that the halwa is done when you find the ghee oozing from the sides and the halwa comes away from its sides.
  11. Once done, heat a small pan with 2 tbsp ghee.
  12. Add broken cashews and fry till golden.
  13. Drain and add to the halwa.
  14. Now, add raisins to the pan and fry till plump.
  15. Add this along with the ghee to the halwa.
  16. Mix well.
  17. Your carrot halwa is ready.
  18. Serve hot.
Notes
Buy the freshest carrots possible.[br]Pressure cooking the carrots for the halwa will not give you the authentic feel. I strongly recommend shredding the carrots. Its worth the effort. I used my trusted Philips Food Processor for this. But i used to manually shred them before.[br]Use full fat milk. Nothing more. Nothing less.[br]Saffron is optional but highly recommended[br]Cook the halwa on medium flame at all times.[br]Make sure you keep stirring every now and then to avoid burning or the halwa sticking to the bottom.[br]In case you dont have a pan like the one i have used, use a deep pressure pan.

 

Bajra Raab – Gujarati Raab Recipe

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How To Make Gujarati Bajra Raab?

GUJARATI BAJRA RAAB- GF MILLET PORRIDGE WITH COCONUT SUGAR. WARMING RECIPES FOR WINTER.

Gujarati Bajra Ni Raab

Gujarati Bajra Ni Raab is a delicious warming winter drink that i learned from my domestic help when i used to live in Vadodara, Gujarat. The Gujaratis have a delicious approach to life. Almost all their conversations revolve around food. And needless to say, whatever comes from a Gujarati household kitchen is sweet.

Gujarati Bajra Ni Raab

This particular Gujarati Bajra Raab recipe is close to my heart, partly because i learned it from my domestic help who was with me for five and a half years. And partly because this was suggested when i had given birth newly and i was unable to keep anything solid down. This bajra raab is such a wholesome and filling meal by itself that you can relish it for breakfast on cold winter mornings.

Bajra Raab is nothing but a porridge made with millet flour- pearl millet to be precise. While many people have their own way of making this bajra raab, i have stuck to only way of making it- the Savita Ben s way. I used to add jaggery for sweetening the raab earlier but i have now made the transition to organic coconut sugar. Jaggery is the authentic way. Please feel free to use that in the Bajra raab for an earthier taste.

Step By Step Instructions To Make Bajra Raab

Heat a pan with 1 tbsp ghee. Add the bajra flour ,ragi flour and buckwheat flour. Toast the flours till nutty and aromatic. Add dry ginger powder to this and mix well.

Add 2 cups of water to this and mix well making sure there are no lumps. Add the coconut sugar or your choice of sweetener next and mix well.  Continue to simmer till the mixture thickens a bit.

Once the porridge begins to thicken, heat another pan with 1 tbsp ghee. Add freshly cracked pepper and carom seeds (ajwain) to this and once the pepper begins to crack, add the tempering to the porridge. Mix well. Your raab is now ready.Serve hot.

Gujarati Bajra Raab

Gujarati Bajra Raab Recipe

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5 from 1 vote

Bajra Raab - Gujarati Raab Recipe

Gujarati Bajra Raab- A wholesome healthy GF porridge with millet and buckwheat flour. Makes for a filling breakfast. Ideal for kids,sick people and nursing mothers.
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Gujarati
Author: Anusha Praveen

Ingredients

  • Pearl millet flour Bajra flour1 tbsp
  • Buckwheat flour Kuttu Ka Aata 1 tbsp
  • Finger millet flour Ragi flour 1/2 tbsp
  • Ghee 2 tbsp
  • Dry ginger powder 1 tsp
  • Carom Seeds Ajwain 1/2 tsp
  • Freshly cracked whole black pepper 1/2 tsp
  • Water 2 cups
  • Coconut sugar or Powdered Jaggery 3 tbsp

Instructions

  • Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pan.
  • Add all the flours and roast till nutty and fragrant.
  • Add ginger powder next and mix well.
  • Pour 2 cups of water to this and mix thoroughly making sure there are no lumps.
  • Add the coconut sugar and mix well.
  • Simmer the mixture till it begins to thicken.
  • Heat a small pan with remaining ghee.
  • Add Ajwain and black pepper to this.
  • Once the pepper cracks, add this to the porridge and mix well.
  • Serve hot.

Notes

1. I have used a combination of flours. You can omit the ragi or buckwheat flour.
2. You can use jaggery instead of coconut sugar but white sugar is not recommended.

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Gingerbread Recipe- Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cake

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How To Make Gingerbread, The Old Fashioned Gingerbread Way?

GINGERBREAD- A DELICIOUS CAKE SPICED WITH GINGER, PEPPER AND SUCH. PERFECT FOR WINTER.

Gingerbread

Gingerbread is probably the best way to enjoy the flavor of ginger. Sometimes, it is amazing how an ingredient that features largely in savory dishes in Indian cuisine can bring out such fine desserts like this gingerbread. I love ginger for its pungent flavor that can perk up your appetite in a moment s notice. And my favorite thing to do with ginger was always Adrak Ki Chai.

Gingerbread

Until i discovered Molasses. Yes. Molasses is my new found love. Well, its not really new found. I was over the moon when i discovered bottles of Unsulphured molasses upon my first visit to Mustafa in Singapore. I must mention here that Unsulphured molasses and black strap molasses are two different things and you cannot swap one for the other. I picked up a bottle of this dark brown syrupy goodness only because i wanted to bake gingerbread and gingersnaps.

Gingerbread

But my first bottle of molasses was devoured simply by drizzling it over my daily dose of oatmeal. I made the shift to molasses from regular white sugar ever since i discovered that molasses is earthier and more my kind of sweet with a subtle hint of bitterness. That said, i picked up my second bottle recently again hoping that i would get around to bake some gingerbread and bake i did!

I followed the recipe from King Arthur Flour website and i followed the recipe to the T. I made a few changes like adding freshly cracked black pepper for extra spice and using coconut sugar instead of brown sugar. And i must admit, i am a gingerbread slave for  life.

Shall we now go on to see how to make gingerbread step by step?

Step By Step Instructions For Making Gingerbread

Line a 9″ square baking pan. Preheat oven to 180 C.

Combine flour, salt, baking powder , baking soda, coconut sugar, freshly grated ginger and all the spice powders in a big mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly using a whisk.

Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl. Add molasses to this and mix well.

Now add this molasses butter mixture to the flour mixture and whisk well. You will have a thick dough like mass. To this add water and mix well. Yes. This recipe calls for water. And no, it wont fail. After adding the water, use a whisk and mix thoroughly. Now, your batter will become slightly looser and resemble something like  thick cake batter. Do not worry about over mixing.

In the same bowl that you mixed butter and molasses, add the yogurt and milk and mix well. Make sure your yogurt is not lumpy. Now, break an egg into this and whisk thoroughly until you see no streaks of yellow. Add this egg mixture to the batter and mix well. Use a whisk for this.

Once done , add chopped candied ginger and apricot to the batter and mix well. Pour the batter into the lined tin and bake for 35 mins or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let cool on a cooling rack for 20 mins before you slice.

Gingerbread

Gingerbread Recipe

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Gingerbread Recipe- Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cake

Gingerbread- Old Fashioned Gingerbread perfect for winter. Slightly warm before you serve. Tastes best with whipped cream or plain vanilla ice cream too.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 9 " cake
Author: Anusha Praveen

Ingredients

  • All purpose flour 2 cups
  • Baking soda 1 tsp
  • Coconut sugar 1/4 cup
  • Ground ginger 1 tbsp
  • Freshly cracked black pepper 1 tsp
  • Cinnamon powder 1 tsp
  • Nutmeg powder 1/2 tsp
  • Freshly grated ginger 1 tbsp
  • Molasses 3/4 cup
  • Butter 1/2 cup melted
  • Water 1/4 cup
  • Milk 1/4 cup see notes
  • Yogurt 3/4 cup whisked
  • Large egg 1
  • Dried apricots chopped roughly 3 tbsp
  • Candied ginger chopped roughly 3 tbsp

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 180 C.
  • Line a 9" pan
  • Combine flour, baking soda, sugar and all spice powders along with the freshly grated ginger, sugar and salt. Mix well using a whisk.
  • In a microwave safe bowl, melt butter.
  • Add molasses to the butter and mix well.
  • Add this mixture to the dry mixture. Mix well using a whisk.
  • Add water to this next and mix again.
  • Now, in the same bowl that you mixed butter and molasses, combine the yogurt and milk and mix well.
  • Crack an egg into this and whisk thoroughly
  • Add this egg mixture to the batter and mix well using a whisk.
  • Add chopped apricot bits and candied ginger bits to the batter and mix well
  • Pour batter into the lined tin and bake for 35 mins or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  • Cool on a cooling rack for 20 mins before slicing.
  • Your gingerbread is ready. Warm slighlty before serving.

Notes

1. The original recipe calls for buttermilk. I substituted it with 3/4 c yogurt and 1/4 milk. In case you find buttermilk, use 1 cup of buttermilk.
2. Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature for best results.
3. The candied ginger and apricots are optional but highly recommended.

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Restaurant Style Pudina Paratha Recipe ( Pudina Lachcha Paratha)

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How To Make Pudina Paratha Or Pudina Lachcha Paratha?

PUDINA LACHCHA PARATHA- WHOLE WHEAT FLATBREADS WITH FRESH MINT &SPICES.

pudina lachcha paratha

Restaurant style Pudina Lachcha Paratha or simply put, Pudina Paratha is a flavor packed unleavened whole wheat flat bread . It is a flaky flatbread that is pleated, patted and rolled out into a thin circle which is then cooked on a tawa. While there are many recipes for making pudina paratha out there on the internet, i don’t consider any paratha worth my salt unless the recipe comes from a Punjaban.

pudina lachcha paratha

This Pudina lachcha paratha is different from the regular pudina paratha in the sense that it involves smearing a paste of spices before being pleated and rolled up. Use the freshest of mint leaves possible for this. The finer you chop your mint leaves, the better your flavor in the paratha. I used home grown organic mint leaves for this. I have used ghee to make the spice paste but you can use regular vegetable oil for a vegan version.

 

pudina lachcha parathaThis post is a step by step tutorial on how to make the flakiest softest pudina lachcha paratha . If you follow all the steps carefully, then you will have beautifully layered pudina lachcha paratha. This tastes best when eaten hot. I served these flaky beauties with some dhaba style da tadka and fresh homemade yogurt.  Shall we now check how to make the flakiest, beautifully layered pudina lachcha paratha?

Step By Step Instructions To Make Pudina Lachcha Paratha

Place the whole wheat flour , salt and finely chopped mint leaves in a large mixing bowl. Add water gradually, mix and knead to a supple non sticky dough. Set aside for ten mins.

In a bowl, mix melted ghee, jeera powder, chaat masala and salt until incorporated. Set aside.

DSC_0481

Now, divide the dough into 8 equal parts. Shape each part into a ball.

pudina lachcha paratha

Dust a ball of dough lightly with flour. Place on a flat surface and roll into a thin circle, about 3 mm thick. The thinner you roll the dough, the more layers your paratha will have.

Now, spread about 1 tsp of the spice mixture evenly over the rolled dough and begin pleating the dough . Once you have pleated the dough, roll the pleat inwards to make a circle of the pleats. The dough should look like something in the last picture in the gallery below.

Once done, press down the dough slightly and dust with flour. Roll out into a thin circle again.

Heat a tawa. Place the rolled out paratha and cook on the tawa until brown spots begin to appear. Once brown spots appear, smear oil on the paratha and flip and cook again for 30 secs.

Once done, remove from tawa and serve hot with any curry or dal of your choice. Repeat the same steps for the remaining dough.

pudina lachcha paratha

Recipe For Pudina Lachcha Paratha

Pudina Lachcha Paratha
Recipe Type: Sides
Cuisine: Punjabi
Author: Anusha Praveen
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
Pudina Lachcha Paratha Or Pudina Paratha- Mint flavored unleavened whole wheat flatbreads with spices.
Ingredients
  • Whole wheat flour 2.5 cups
  • Mint leaves 100 g chopped very finely
  • Water to knead the dough
  • Salt 1/2 tsp
  • Ghee (clarified butter) melted 2 tbsp
  • Chaat masala 1 tbsp
  • Cumin powder (jeera powder) 1 tbsp
  • Salt to taste
  • Wheat flour for dusting
  • Oil to cook the paratha
Instructions
  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine whole wheat flour, 1/2 tsp salt, mint leaves and water and knead to a smooth non sticky dough. Set aside.
  2. In another small bowl, combine ghee, salt, cumin powder and chaat masala.
  3. Divide the dough into 8 equal parts and shape each into a ball.
  4. Dust a ball of dough lightly and roll into a thin circle of 2 mm thickness.
  5. Spread 1 tsp of the spice paste evenly on the rolled out circle of dough.
  6. Now, pleat the dough by making overlapping folds.
  7. Once you have pleated the dough, roll the dough inwards to a flattened circle.
  8. Slighly press down the circle of dough.
  9. Dust with flour again and roll into a thin circle.
  10. Heat a tawa.
  11. Place the rolled out paratha and cook till brown spots begin to appear.
  12. Once spots appear, smear oil on the paratha
  13. Flip and cook for 30 secs.
  14. Smear oil on the other side, flip and cook for 30 secs.
  15. Remove and serve hot with any curry or dal of your choice.
  16. Repeat the same steps with the remaining dough.

 

Apple And Cucumber Salad In A Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

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Apple And Cucumber Salad In A Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Apple And Cucumber Salad With A Delicious Mustard Based Vinaigrette. 

Apple And Cucumber Salad

This apple and cucumber salad done up with a delicious mustard and honey vinaigrette is all you need if you are counting your calories or if you are on a low carb diet. I happened to grab a few granny smith apples a while back. I prefer them in my ABC juice because they lend a nice tart taste to the juice. But the moment i bought them, my daughter caught on a cold.

Apple And Cucumber Salad

As a result, i couldn’t do my regular juicing. I did manage to consume one of those apples in the form of this lip smacking chutney. But i was still left with 2 more of them. They were too tart to be eaten on their own and that s when this apple and cucumber salad came to my rescue.

Apple And Cucumber Salad

I also had a bag of mixed salad greens, some cherry tomatoes and some butter lettuce that i threw in to this salad to make it crunchy. The vinaigrette happened on a whim as always. I just mixed up some good old dijon mustard, honey, white pepper, salt and white wine vinegar to balance out the flavors and i must admit, it came as one hell of a dressing. Shall we now check out the recipe for this crunchy apple and cucumber salad?

Recipe For Apple And Cucumber Salad 

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Apple And Cucumber Salad In A Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Apple And Cucumber Salad in a mustard honey vinaigrette- Simple and fresh ingredients including rocket leaves and lettuce tossed together in a sweetish pungent dressing
Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: American
Servings: 2
Author: Anusha Praveen

Ingredients

  • Granny smith apples 2 cored and sliced thinly
  • Cherry tomatoes 10 halved
  • Japanese cucumber 1 medium sliced thinly
  • Beijing cabbage 1/4 c shredded
  • Pumpkin seeds pepita 1 tbsp
  • Raisins 2 tbsp
  • Rocket leaves 10
  • Butter lettuce 1/4 c shredded
  • For The Dressing:
  • Dijon mustard 1 tbsp
  • Honey 1 tbsp
  • White wine vinegar 2 tsp
  • White pepper powder 1 tsp
  • Olive oil 1 tbsp
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • In a bowl, place the mustard, honey, vinegar, olive oil, pepper powder and salt and whisk thoroughly.
  • Add the apples, cucumbers, cabbage, pumpkin seeds, raisins, rocket, tomatoes and lettuce to this bowl and mix gently or toss lightly.
  • Serve immediately

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Aval Ladoo Recipe- How To Make Poha Ladoo

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How To Make Aval Ladoo ?

AVAL LADOO- AKA POHA LADOO. EASY SWEET USING FLATTENED RICE. GOKULASHTAMI RECIPES. GF.

aval ladoo

Aval ladoo is an easy sweet that you can make in less than 2o mins and with just five ingredients for this krishnashtami. Aval is Lord Krishna’s favorite food. It always amazes me when i think of the fact that Gods always seem to like humble things. Lord Ganesh is fond of arigam pul ( grass). Lord Muruga’s favorite prasadam is the Panchamirtham which is a mixture of simple things like bananas, jaggery and honey. It doesn’t even require cooking. And Lord Krishna is fond of aval among other things like butter and milk.

aval ladoo

This Aval ladoo comes to the rescue especially when you are short of time but you really want to make something for your little Krishna. My Little Krishna ( Lil A), or as my FIL calls, Little Krishni is not a sweet toothed person. She loves her muruku and mixture but not ladoo and the like. But when i made this aval ladoo yesterday, i gave her the mixture without shaping into ladoos and she seemed quite pleased with it. So, i must say, one battle won.

aval ladoo

You can also make this aval ladoo with brown rice poha or red rice poha. Just make sure you clean the poha thoroughly using a winnow ( muram) or by gently shaking it and sorting on a wide plate. Similarly, you can use other sweeteners like jaggery or coconut sugar for a healthier alternative. I like to keep some authentic recipes the classic style and hence i did not think much about healthier alternatives for once .

Step By Step Instructions To Make Aval Ladoo

Dry roast aval in a wide pan on medium heat until slightly golden and crunchy. You know its done when you can see the aval begin to slightly curl up. Once done, let cool.

While the aval cools, add 1 tbsp ghee to the same pan and roast broken cashews until golden. Remove from pan and set aside.

Now, place the sugar along with the cardamom in a blender and grind to a smooth powder.

Transfer this to a large mixing bowl. In the same blender, place the roasted aval and grind to a powder. You can grind it too smoothly if you want it that way. I left it a little coarse because i wanted some texture.

Now add this to the powdered sugar along with the roasted cashews and mix well using a wooden spatula.

DSC_0625

Heat the remaining ghee in the same pan until completely melted. Pour the melted ghee to the aval mixture and mix well using a wooden spatula. The mixture must resemble a crumbly mass of dough at this stage.

Once done, let the mixture cool down enough for you to handle. Once the mixture has cooled, shape into ladoos and enjoy. Please make sure that the mixture is warm to the touch and not completely cold. If the mixture is completely cold, you may not be able to shape ladoos

aval ladoo

Your aval ladoo is ready.

Recipe For Aval Ladoo Or Poha Ladoo

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Aval Ladoo Recipe

Aval Ladoo- An easy sweet using flattened rice for Gokulashtami. GF.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Tamil
Servings: 15
Author: Anusha Praveen

Ingredients

  • Aval/ Poha 1.5 cups
  • Sugar 2 cups
  • Cardamom 3 to 4
  • Cashews 2 tbsp broken
  • Ghee 3 tbsp plus 1 tbsp

Instructions

  • Dry roast the aval in a wide pan until slightly brown .
  • Transfer to a plate and Let cool.
  • In the meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp ghee in the same pan and fry the cashews till golden.
  • Drain and set aside.
  • Now, place the sugar along with the cardamom in a blender and grind to a smooth powder.
  • Add this to a large mixing bowl.
  • Place the cooled aval in the same blender and grind to a smooth powder.
  • Add this to the powdered sugar and mix well using a wooden spatula.
  • Add roasted cashews to this and mix well such that the cashews are evenly spread out into the mixture.
  • Heat 3 tbsp ghee until completely melted in the same pan that you fried the cashews in.
  • Add the melted ghee to the aval sugar mixture and mix using the wooden spatula till the mixture resembles a crumbly dough.
  • Let the mixture cool enough for you to handle.
  • Make sure the mixture is warm and not completely cold. Or you may not be able to shape ladoos.
  • Once the mixture is cool enough to handle, shape the mixture into ladoos.
  • Aval ladoo is ready.

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Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

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Dhania Kuzhambu Recipe

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DHANIA KUZHAMBU

DHANIA KUZHAMBU- A NO ONION NO GARLIC KUZHAMBU WITH CORIANDER SEEDS. VEGAN. GLUTEN FREE.

Dhania Kuzhambu, as the name suggests , is a delicious finger licking kuzhambu made with a spice paste of dried coriander seeds, tamarind and dry red chilies. It often amazes me as to how the simplest of ingredients when combined in a sensible way, produces a dish that is fit for the king.

This dhania kuzhambu is a fine example of one such dish. When my dad fondly sent me the Samaithu Par books by Mrs. Meenatchi Ammal, little did i know, that i was about to be initiated into a culinary world which has authentic south Indian, Tamil, to be particular, written all over it.

Dhania Kuzhambu2

Tambrahm cuisine is strongly rooted in the belief that food is medicine. And hence, we have a plethora of recipes that would be prescribed lest you fall sick. For instance, dhania or coriander seeds boiled in water and consumed is said to aid digestion. But because this may not be palatable to many, the concept of rasam was introduced.

NO ONION NO GARLIC MALLI KUZHAMBU

This dhania kuzhambu is also one such way of consuming coriander seeds. This no onion no garlic kuzhambu will help you wing a delicious meal on a day when you have no substantial veggies to whip up a sambar or a kootu.

Dhania Kuzhambu4

This kuzhambu is best eaten with fried appalam or vadagam and hot rice. I make a double batch of this kuzhambu usually and store it in the fridge. We enjoy this the next day with some curd rice. I like eating this with dosa or idli too. The only thing that i observed about this recipe is that it calls for a tad bit more tamarind than the usual kuzhambu. This is perhaps to balance and round the flavors off. Shall we now check how to make dhania kuzhambu step by step?

Step by Step Instructions On How To Make Dhania Kuzhambu

Heat oil in a pan. Add hing. And immediately add coriander seeds, peppercorns, cumin seeds and dry red chilies. Fry on medium flame until fragrant and golden. Once done,immediately transfer to a plate and let cool.

Soak a small lemon size tamarind in hot water for 10 mins. Once the tamarind has softened, drain the water and set aside. Add the tamarind and the fried spices to a blender. Add about 1/4 c of water and grind to a smooth paste.

Heat sesame oil in the same pan which you used to fry the spices. Now add mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves.

Now to the pan, add the ground paste along with salt. Add the reserved water in which you soaked the tamarind to the blender, shake once and add this to the pan and mix well. Let the kuzhambu simmer till oil begins to separate and float on top.

Your dhania kuzhambu is now ready.

Dhania Kuzhambu3

Recipe For Dhania Kuzhambu

Dhania Kuzhambu3
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5 from 1 vote

Dhania Kuzhambu

Dhania Kuzhambu- A no onion no garlic kuzhambu with coriander seeds. Tastes best when eaten with hot rice and appalam. Vegan.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Course: Accompaniment
Cuisine: Indian- South
Servings: 3 persons

Equipment

  • Blender

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp Sesame oil Indian Nalla Ennai
  • 1 tspMustard seeds
  • 1 tspUrad dal
  • 1/8 th tsp Hing
  • 12 Curry leaves
  • 2 tsp Salt or to taste

Spice Paste

  • 15 g Tamarind or a small lemon sized
  • 1 c Hot water
  • 1.5 tbsp Coriander seeds Dhania
  • 6 to 7 Dry Red Chilies
  • 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp Peppercorns
  • 1/2 tsp Sesame oil

Instructions

  • Soak the tamarind in hot water for ten mins.
  • In the meanwhile, heat a pan with 1 tsp oil.
  • Fry coriander seeds, cumin, peppercorns and dry red chilies on medium flame till fragrant and golden.
  • Once done, transfer to a plate and let cool.
  • When the tamarind has softened, remove from the water and reserve the water.
  • Add tamarind and the fried ingredients to a blender .
  • Add 1/4 c of water to the blender and blend to a smooth paste.
  • In the same pan that you fried the spices, heat 3 tbsp sesame oil.
  • Once the oil is heated, pop the mustard seeds, add urad dal and curry leaves to this.
  • Once the urad dal turns golden, add the ground paste along with salt and mix well.
  • Add the reserved water to the pan now and mix.
  • Simmer this mixture till oil begins to separate and float on top.
  • Once oil begins to float, the kuzhambu is ready to serve.
  • Serve hot with rice and appalam.

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Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

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Chia Berry Popsicles- Popsicles For Breakfast

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How To Make Chia Berry Popsicles?

CHIA BERRY POPSICLES- HEALTHY BREAKFAST STYLE POPSICLES WITH CHIA SEEDS AND BERRIES. VEGAN

chia berry popsicles

Chia Berry popsicles are something that i froze on a whim. It has been very hot here in Singapore for the last couple of weeks. As such, i m a cold breakfast lover. I would opt for a bowl of overnight oats or chia pudding on a hot day in place of the customary idli and dosa. These chia berry popsicles are the result of smoothie bowl leftovers. I put together a vegan smoothie bowl with some refreshingly sweet tender coconut water and berries. It was a detox smoothie of sorts. And i was left with a cup of the tender coconut water. As for berries, i freeze strawberries and blueberries to last me a year. You can also freeze strawberries easily at home using this method.

chia berry popsicles

And so when i really did not know what to do with the tender coconut water( because i had had enough of smoothies and i did not want to drink it as is), i decided to make some chia berry popsicles. These popsicles are a breakfast kind of popsicles. Once Mr. P makes his exit from the house and i have a quiet house to myself, i simply open my freezer, pry these pops out of their vibrant orange moulds and begin licking away. Ah! Bliss. These were enjoyed by the little Miss in the house too. So i m sure kids will love this too. Needless to say, these berry chia popsicles make a wonderfully healthy no sugar added snack.

chia berry popsicles

Recipe For Chia Berry Popsicles

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Chia Berry Popsicles

Berry Chia Popsicles-Delicious and refreshing popsicles with the goodness of chia, flavors of berries and sweetness of tender coconut.
Prep Time45 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8
Author: Anusha Praveen

Ingredients

  • Strawberries 6 sliced thinly
  • Blueberries 1/4 c
  • Chia seeds 1 tbsp
  • Lemon juice 1 tbsp
  • Tender coconut water 1 cup

Instructions

  • Combine chia with 1/4 cup water and let rest for an hour to make chia gel.
  • Once done, combine the remaining tender coconut water, lemon juice and chia gel.
  • Place a couple of blueberries and strawberry slices in each popsicle mould.
  • Pour the tender coconut water mixture into the moulds till 3/4th full.
  • Place in a deep freezer and let freeze till completely frozen.
  • Enjoy cold.

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Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

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Gluten Free Vegan Buckwheat Pancakes Recipe

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How To Make Gluten Free Vegan Buckwheat Pancakes?

GLUTEN FREE VEGAN BUCKWHEAT PANCAKES- DELICIOUS PANCAKES LOADED WITH CINNAMON FLAVORS

gluten free vegan buckwheat pancakes

Before i begin my post on these uber delicious gluten free vegan buckwheat flour pancakes, let’s discuss this buckwheat thingy, ok? Okay. Buckwheat is called as kuttu in hindi and Papparai in Tamil. Even though it reads buckWHEAT, it is no way related to wheat. It is a gluten free and is a psuedocereal like amaranth and quinoa seeds. Technically, the buckwheat that is used in the west is different from that which is used in the eastern side even though they belong to the same family.

gluten free vegan buckwheat pancakes

Buckwheat is a celiac- friendly food that can easily be used to substitute wheat based recipes. The kuttu ki poori is a popular dish in the northern and central India. This is a deep fried flat bread made with buckwheat flour and potatoes. I recently bought a packet of buckwheat flour to experiment with a couple of recipes other than that kuttu ki poori. I whipped up these delicious pancakes one morning for breakfast and served it up with some mixed berry compote. The result was a very happy Lil A and needless to say, a happy mom.

gluten free vegan buckwheat pancakes

These gluten free vegan buckwheat pancakes use almond milk, banana puree and a generous amount of cinnamon for the flavor. You can experiment with flavors of your choice. I replaced the egg with flax egg and this added a rustic chewy feel to these pancakes.

Recipe For Gluten Free Vegan Buckwheat Pancakes

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Gluten Free Vegan Buckwheat Pancakes Recipe

Gluten Free Vegan Buckwheat Pancakes- Delicious pancaked made with buckwheat flour, cinnamon and banana. Can be frozen
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: International
Servings: 6
Author: Anusha Praveen

Ingredients

  • Buckwheat flour 1 cup
  • Baking soda 1 tsp
  • Almond milk 1 cup
  • Vanilla extract 2 tsp
  • Cinnamon powder 1 tsp
  • Banana puree 1/4 cup
  • Coconut sugar or any sweetener of your choice 1/2 cup
  • Flax meal 1 tbsp
  • Salt a pinch
  • Vegetable oil 2 tbsp
  • Oil for grilling the pancakes

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine flax meal, coconut sugar, vegetable oil, banana puree, cinnamon powder, almond milk, salt and vanilla.
  • Whisk thoroughly.
  • Add baking soda to this and mix well.
  • Immediately tip in the buckwheat flour and mix well using whisk.
  • Heat a non stick skillet.
  • Pour 1/4 cup of the batter on the pan, reduce flame to medium and cook till small bubbles appear in the middle,
  • Drizzle oil around the edges and flip and cook for another 2 mins.
  • Remove and serve hot.
  • Repeat with remaining batter.
  • Alternatively, you can make the pancakes and freeze them after letting them cool completely.
  • To freeze the pancakes, separate each pancake by inserting a sheet of parchment in between.
  • Place in ziploc bags and freeze.

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Disclaimer

Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

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Mor Milagai Milagu Kuzhambu Recipe

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How To Make Mor Milagai Milagu Kuzhambu?

MOR MILAGAI MILAGU KUZHAMBU- TANGY KUZHAMBU WITH SUN DRIED CHILIES & WHOLE PEPPERCORNS. 

mor milagai milagu kuzhambu

Mor Milagai Milagu Kuzhambu is something that i discovered a few years back from a small booklet by Mrs. Revathy Shanmugam. I have made this kuzhambu umpteen times since then. I make this mor milagai milagu kuzhambu whenever Mr. P or i fall sick. The internet has its share of milagu kuzhambu recipes. But this one stands out from the crowd because it uses milagai vathal or mor milagai. For those who don’t know, mor milagai is nothing but green chilies marinated in buttermilk and sun dried. These chilies are fried in ghee and served as an accompaniment to curd rice.

mor milagai milagu kuzhambu

While i do make the regular milagu kuzhambu, i treasure this mor milagai milagu kuzhambu recipe because of its nutrient dense composition. It uses shallots, garlic, whole peppercorns and sun dried chilies which come together like a symphony in a tangy tamarind base. This is then simmered till thick and served hot with steamed rice and a drizzle of sesame oil. Needless to say, the medicinal properties of this kuzhambu make it ideal for those with a cold or indigestion. And the best part is this mor milagai milagu kuzhambu can work wonders on days when you don’t have veggies for substantial cooking. This kuzhambu keeps well in the fridge for up to a week and at room temperature for 2 days.Shall we now check how to make mor milagai milagu kuzhambu step by step?

Step By Step Tutorial For Mor Milagai Milagu Kuzhambu

Peel shallots and garlic. Chop tomato finely. Soak tamarind in warm water, mash well and make tamarind extract. Heat a pan with 1 tbsp oil and fry the mor milagai until golden. Drain and set aside. In the same pan, add urad dal, channa dal, whole pepper corns and cumin seeds.

Fry till dal turns golden. Now, add shallots and garlic and fry till shallots turn translucent. Once done, add tomato and fry till mushy. Add fried mor milaga to the pan and mix well. Let cool. Place this mixture in a blender and blend to a smooth paste. Set aside.

Heat the same pan with 2 tbsp oil. Add 4 shallots and 4 garlic cloves and fry till light brown. Add coriander powder and red chili powder to the tamarind extract and mix well. Pour this to the pan along with the ground paste and add salt and turmeric powder. Let this simmer till the raw smell of tamarind goes away. Takes about 5 mins on high flame.

Once the raw smell goes away and the kuzhambu has thickened considerably, switch off flame. Heat a small pan with sesame oil. Add mustard seeds and once they pop, add curry leaves and urad dal. Pour tempering over kuzhambu and mix well.

Your mor milagai milagu kuzhambu is ready. Serve hot with rice and any curry of your choice. Chenai kizhangu fry or beetroot curry will work with this.

DSC_0505

Recipe For Mor Milagai Milagu Kuzhambu

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Mor Milagai Milagu Kuzhambu Recipe

Mor Milagai Milagu Kuzhambu- A tangy gravy with shallots, garlic, sun dried chilies and whole black pepper. Tastes great with rice, dosa or idli
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: Tamil
Servings: 2
Author: Anusha Praveen

Ingredients

  • Shallots 5 peeled
  • Garlic cloves 5 peeled
  • Sesame oil 2 tbsp
  • Tomato 1 medium chopped finely
  • Turmeric powder 1 tsp
  • Red chili powder 1 tsp
  • Coriander powder 1 tsp
  • Tamarind extract 1 cup
  • Salt to taste
  • For The Spice Paste:
  • Mor Milagai 5
  • Garlic 5 peeled
  • Shallots 5 peeled
  • Channa dal 1 tbsp
  • Urad dal 1 tbsp
  • Whole black pepper corns 2 tsp
  • Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
  • Sesame oil 1 tbsp
  • For Tempering:
  • Mustard seeds 1 tsp
  • Fenugreek seeds 1 tsp
  • Curry leaves a sprig
  • Sesame oil 2 tsp

Instructions

  • Heat a pan with 2 tbsp oil.
  • Fry the mor milagai until brown and set aside.
  • In the same pan, add urad dal, channa dal, black peppercorns, cumin seeds and fry till the dal begins to turn light brown.
  • At this stage, add 5 shallots and 5 garlic cloves and fry till shallots turn translucent.
  • Now add chopped tomatoes and fry till mushy.
  • Once done, add the fried mor milagai and continue to cook for a min.
  • Once done, let cool completely .
  • Blend this mixture to a fine paste in a blender.
  • Heat 1 tbsp oil in the same pan that you used to fry the ingredients for the spice paste.
  • Add 5 shallots and 5 cloves of garlic and fry till shallots turn translucent.
  • Mix coriander powder and chili powder into the tamarind extract.
  • Add this to the pan along with salt, ground paste and turmeric powder.
  • Let this simmer till the raw smell of the tamarind goes away and the kuzhambu thickens considerably.
  • Takes about 5 to 7 mins on medium flame.
  • Once the kuzhambu has thickened, switch off flame.
  • Heat a small pan with 2 tsp oil.
  • Pop the mustard seeds and add fenugreek seeds and curry leaves.
  • Pour tempering over the kuzhambu and mix well.
  • Serve hot with rice and curry of your choice.
  • This kuzhambu keeps well for upto a week in the fridge and for 2 days at room temperature.

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Couscous Tikki Recipe For Iftaar

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How To Make Couscous Tikki?

COUSCOUS TIKKI- DELICIOUS SHALLOW FRIED PATTIES MADE WITH COUSCOUS & ZA’TAAR. VEGAN

couscous tikki

Couscous tikki is one of those party hits that you can make for your Iftaar parties. Well, the bliss in eating a good couscous tikki need not be limited to an Iftaar party alone.  You can simply make these tikkis when you crave some fried food during this monsoon season. I love giving a desi touch to global foods. While i do enjoy a good tabbouleh replete with nuts and such, my Indian roots always tend to look for some heat in any savory dish that i eat. It is for this reason that i cannot relish wine with cheese. I prefer some crispy pakoda or a good bajji if i must drink wine. Strange but true.

So i often use ingredients that i may have purchased for other dishes in a very Indian way. And that is exactly what happened to that 1/4 container of pearl couscous. Unlike regular couscous, pearl couscous takes some time to cook. It has to be cooked in boiling water for 10 mins and allowed to stand for a few mins before usage. But i found that this pearl couscous works well as a substitute for pasta because of its chewy texture. After i had successfully made upma (see, i told ya. I love adding a desi twist to a non desi ingredient), i decided to make something in tune for Iftaar and Monsoons.

couscous tikki

The moment the thought of monsoon hits my head, i m transported to the wonderful land of fried food.  😆 My peerkangai bajji has been a huge hit here on the blog. So this time, i wanted to do some frying but with some ingredients that i had not worked with before. I used za’atar spice, parsley and some chili flakes to flavor these tikkis. The potatoes were added for binding because i was really not sure if the couscous would hold well on its own. All in all, this couscous tikki lifted up our moods on a gloomy saturday evening a few weeks back. If you live in India and you want to buy some good quality pearl couscous, then Godrej’s Nature Basket Website has plenty of options. You can always substitute the zaatar here with your choice of spice mixes.

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Couscous Tikki Recipe For Iftaar

Couscous Tikki- Shallow fried patties made with pearl couscous, zaatar and herbs. Tastes great as a snack or appetizer.
Prep Time2 hours 10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time2 hours 50 minutes
Course: Snack
Cuisine: Fusion
Servings: 8
Author: Anusha Praveen

Ingredients

  • Pearl couscous 1/2 c
  • Potato 1 medium peeled and boiled till mushy
  • Onion 1 small chopped very finely
  • Parsley 2 tbsp minced
  • Dill leaves 1 tbsp chopped finely
  • Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp
  • Red chili flakes 2 tsp
  • Za'atar 1.5 tsp
  • Lemon juice 1 tbsp
  • Salt to taste
  • Maida/ APF 1 tbsp
  • Water 1/4 c
  • Bread crumbs 1/2 cup
  • Oil for shallow frying

Instructions

  • Cook couscous according to package instructions. Let cool completely.
  • Once cool, add cooked potato, onion, dill, parsley, za'atar, chili flakes, ginger garlic paste, lemon juice and salt to the couscous.
  • Using the back of a ladle, mix well until the potato and the couscous incorporates into a rough looking dough. The mixture will be sticky. Use your hands if necessary but make sure to grease your hands with oil.
  • Once done, divide the mixture into 8 using a scoop.
  • Shape each scoop into a thick disc.
  • Mix maida with water to form a thick batter.
  • Dip each patty in the maida mixture ensuring that it is well coated
  • Now roll each patty in the bread crumbs making sure that the crumbs coat the tikki evenly on all sides.
  • Once done, place all tikkis on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 2 hours.
  • After two hours, heat oil in a shallow pan.
  • Place tikki in batches and fry till golden brown. Make sure you turn the tikkis while frying to ensure even frying.
  • Drain on a kitchen towel.
  • Serve hot with any dip of choice.

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Bok Choy Kootu Recipe

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How To Make Bok Choy Kootu?

BOK CHOY KOOTU- LENTILS AND BOK CHOY COOKED IN A COCONUT BASED SAUCE. VEGANBOK CHOY KOOTU

Bok Choy kootu is my humble attempt at giving the bok choy or pak choi a desi makeover. Bok Choy is a very popular greens found here in South East Asian countries. It really cannot be classified as greens because it belongs to the cabbage family. The locals here in Singapore eat a lot of bok choy. They add it to everything from stir fries to soups. I have earlier attempted making fried rice with these leafy cabbage like stalks and they pack a punch in terms of flavor.

BOK CHOY KOOTU

This bok choy kootu was put together when i had too little bok choy to make much else but kootu. You need a lot of bok choy for a decent stir fry and i was really not in a mood to make a soup. And so i decided that Bok Choy Kootu it shall be. I was not sure if it would be received well by the inmates of the Praveen household. So i was surprised to see that it went down well with roti and rice alike.

I do not like wasting the scraps and stalks of veggies. I try to make use of them as much as possible. So i used up two entire heads of Bok Choy, stalk and all for this kootu. We get many kinds of Bok Choy ranging from dark green ones with smallish leaves to big stalks with light green leaves. I used the light green variety for this Bok Choy kootu but i m sure any kind will work well. Just in case you like kootu like me, then do try this broccoli kootu too.

BOK CHOY KOOTU

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Bok Choy Kootu Recipe

Bok Choy Kootu- Bok Choy and lentils cooked in a coconut based curry sauce. Vegan. Tastes great with rice and roti.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: South Indian
Servings: 2
Author: Anusha Praveen

Ingredients

  • Bok Choy 2 medium chopped finely
  • Onion 1 medium peeled and chopped finely
  • Tomato 1 smallish chopped finely
  • Moong dal 1/4 cup
  • Oil 2 tbsp
  • Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
  • Curry leaves a sprig
  • Mustard seeds 1 tsp
  • Urad dal 1 tsp
  • For The Spice Paste:
  • Freshly grated coconut 2 tbsp
  • Cumin seeds 1 tsp
  • Green chilies 4 to 5

Instructions

  • Dry roast moong dal in a pan on medium flame until aromatic.
  • Once done, combine bok choy, turmeric powder, salt and moong dal with 1 cup of water and pressure cook till dal turns mushy. Takes 3 to 4 whistles.
  • Let the pressure come down naturally.
  • Once the pressure has released, remove and mash the mixture using the back of a ladle.
  • Place grated coconut, cumin seeds and green chilies in a blender and blend to a smooth paste using 2 tbsp of water.
  • In the same pan that you used for roasting the dal, heat 2 tbsp oil.
  • Pop the mustard seeds and add curry leaves and urad dal next.
  • Once dal turns golden brown, add the onions and fry till translucent.
  • Once done, add tomatoes and cook till they turn mushy.
  • When the tomatoes become mushy, add the dal mixture and the ground paste and mix well.
  • Let this simmer on medium flame for 5 mins.
  • Once done, garnish with curry leaves
  • Serve hot with rice or roti

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Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

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Karuveppilai Sadam Recipe- Curry Leaves Rice

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How To Make Karuveppilai Sadam?

KARUVEPPILAI SADAM- SPICY RICE DISH MADE WITH  CURRY LEAVES, CASHEWS AND SPICES. CAN BE MADE VEGAN. RICE RECIPES.

karuveppilai sadam

Karuveppilai sadam or curry leaves rice is a wonderful way of incorporating curry leaves to your diet. Karuveppilai or the humble curry leaf is a power house of nutrition with so many benefits. It is good for your hair and helps in weight loss to a certain extent. It is also said that these leaves help in fighting cholesterol, anemia and managing diabetes. In south Indian cooking, the tadka or the tempering is unimaginable without a sprig of curry leaves while the Northern parts of India use these leaves to flavor their signature kadhi which is probably how they got their name in Hindi- Kadi Patha.

karuveppilai sadam

My mothers house has a jungle of curry leaf plants, yes, literally a jungle. I almost cringe every time i pay a dollar to pick up  a bunch of curry leaves here in Singapore. But i cannot imagine making rasam or mor kuzhambu without these flavorful and earthy leaves and hence i keep telling myself, someday, i ll have  jungle of curry leaves too. Mr. P, the husband man has never been serious about his weight in the past. He has been working out with a passion and is determined to shed a few kilos before this year goes by.

In order to help him with his mission and because my daughter loves picking out the cashews from this karuveppilai sadam, i make this very often. I usually pair this karuveppilai sadam with a raita and a pan fried vegetable. In the above picture, you are seeing karuveppilai sadam, carrot raita and sweet potato podi curry. While i personally love a good jodhpuri aloo with the karuveppilai sadam, i made the sweet potato curry keeping the husband man in mind.

karuveppilai sadam

This recipe comes together in 15 mins if you have leftover rice handy. Fresh curry leaves work best here. I love adding the cashews for a nice crunch. You can also replace half the oil with ghee if you are making it for children. Like all south Indian recipes, this rice dish allows you to add anything you like to  enhance taste . You can add veggies to this if you like. The only key to making a good karuveppilai sadam is that your curry leaves need to be fresh.

Recipe For Karuveppilai Sadam

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Karuveppilai Sadam Recipe

Karuveppilai sadam or curry leaves rice- A flavorsome rice made with leftover rice and fresh curry leaves garnished with crunchy cashews. Tastes great with raita and chips
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: TamBrahm
Servings: 2
Author: Anusha Praveen

Ingredients

  • Leftover cooked rice 2 cups Preferably short grain rice
  • Oil 3 tbsp
  • Cashews 10 to 12 broken
  • Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
  • For The Spice Paste:
  • Fresh curry leaves 1 cup packed
  • Urad dal 1 tsp
  • Tamarind a small marble sized piece
  • Dry red chilies 4 to 5
  • Fenugreek seeds 1/2 tsp
  • Coriander seeds 1 tsp
  • Oil 1 tsp
  • Salt to taste
  • For Tempering:
  • Mustard seeds 1 tsp
  • Urad dal 1 tsp

Instructions

  • Heat a pan with 1 tsp oil.
  • Add urad dal, dry red chilies, tamarind, coriander seeds and fenugreek seeds
  • Fry these till the urad dal turns golden. Make sure that the flame is on a medium low because spices burn fast.
  • Once dal turns brown, add the washed and dried curry leaves and fry till the curry leaves shrink in size.
  • Add salt to this and let cool.
  • Once cool, place all of this in a blender and blend to a smooth paste using not more than 1.5 tbsp of water.
  • Now in the same pan that you fried the curry leaves, heat 3 tbsp oil.
  • Once hot, add broken cashews and fry till golden.
  • Drain on a kitchen towel,
  • Now to the remaining oil, add mustard seeds.
  • Once the seeds pop, add the urad dal and fry till light brown.
  • Add turmeric powder now and immediately add the ground paste.
  • Mix well and cook till the paste becomes thick.
  • Once done, add rice and mix well.
  • Adjust salt at this stage if required.
  • Add fried cashews and mix again.
  • Serve hot with raita and chips

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Spring Roll Salad In a Jar

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How To Make Spring Roll Salad In A Jar?

SPRING ROLL SALAD IN A JAR- FRESH VEGGIES & RICE NOODLES WITH PEANUT DRESSING. SALAD RECIPES. VEGAN.

spring roll salad in a jar

These spring roll salad jars are a blessing on weekdays when you have no time to cook. And these are also very apt for people looking to lose weight. With minimal amount of rice noodles and loads of fresh veggies, these provide the essential nutrients and also keep you full. I have not used rice noodles before coming here to Singapore. When i came here, i was simply stumped to see so many varieties of noodles. But what amazed me was the concept of rice noodles. One can say that rice noodles are always a healthier option when compared to flour based noodles. And these rice noodles take very little time to cook. You just have to soak them in hot water and follow the instructions on your packet. Once done, drain completely and proceed.

I make hakka noodles with these rice noodles too and i must admit they are real good. While rice noodles is known as sevai or idiappam in Southern India, the similarity ends there. The texture of these noodles is completely different, with a slight chewiness. All in all, rice noodles are a great alternative to wheat or flour based noodles in terms of calories and gluten quotient. If you live in India and are looking to buy Rice noodles , the online grocery shopping portal  Godrej Nature Basket has plenty of options including rice noodles of varying thicknesses. I recommend buying thin noodles for this salad.

spring roll salad in a jar

Coming back to the spring roll salad, i recently tried my hands at making vietnamese style spring rolls at home. I decided not to post them here because i need to practice folding them well. But i was left over with the filling and the dipping sauce that i had made for the spring rolls. That is when the idea of making these deconstructed spring rolls or spring roll salad in a jar struck me. The only time consuming thing in this salad is the chopping work. Once you chop your veggies, you can make this salad in under 10 mins.

Again, you can use any vegetables of your choice ranging from carrots to fresh lettuce to baby spinach. But i just kept it very basic and minimal. I used a combination of peanut butter, sriracha and soy sauce to make my dipping sauce. And the umami flavors just came together so well. Just let your imagination run wild when you make this salad. No matter whatvegetables you throw or dont throw into this spring roll salad, you will feel totally satisfied once you eat it. And make sure you use fresh herbs in plenty.

spring roll salad in a jar

Recipe For Spring Roll Salad In A Jar

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Spring Roll Salad In a Jar

Spring Roll Salad In A Jar- Vietnamese spring rolls inspired salad with a creamy peanut butter dressing. Vegan. GF
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time2 minutes
Total Time12 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Servings: 1 jar
Author: Anusha Praveen

Ingredients

  • Cucumber 1 peeled and cut into julienne
  • Carrot 1 smallish peeled and cut into julienne
  • Red yellow and green bell peppers cut into long strips 1/2 c
  • Beijing Cabbage 1/4 c shredded
  • Purple cabbage 2 tbsp shredded
  • Mint leaves 10 chopped finely
  • Coriander leaves 2 tbsp chopped finely
  • Uncooked rice noodles 50 g
  • For The Dressing
  • Peanut butter 1 tbsp
  • Sriracha sauce 1 tbsp
  • Soy sauce 1 tsp
  • Lemon juice 2 tsp

Instructions

  • Cook rice noodles according to package instructions. Once done, drain water completely.
  • To make the dressing, place peanut butter, soy sauce, sriracha and lemon juice in a bowl.
  • Whisk thoroughly till smooth. Your dressing is ready.
  • In a small mason jar, place the carrots at the bottom and proceed making layers alternating between veggies, herbs and noodles.
  • Once you have assembled layers covering half the jar, spoon the dressing over the top most layer.
  • Assemble the remaining veggies, noodles and herbs in layers.
  • Chill in the fridge for an hour.
  • Serve cold.

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Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

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Peerkangai Bajji Recipe

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How To Make Peerkangai Bajji?

PEERKANGAI BAJJI- CRISPY FRITTERS MADE WITH LOOFAH OR RIDGE GOURD. VEGAN. GF. EASY SNACK RECIPES.

peerkangai bajji

Peerkangai Bajji or heerekai bajji is a popular snack made across many Kannada homes. Tamil people mostly use onion, potato and raw plantains for making bajji. Bajji is nothing but a crispy deep fried snack which is prepared tempura style by using vegetables. Bajjis are often associated with pon parthal, a custom in which a prospective groom comes to look at his future bride along with his family. If everything goes well, the marriage is finalised. Usually, a snack of bajji or bonda along with some kesari and hot piping coffee is served for the guests during this time. The first time i heard about peerkangai bajji was from Mr.P. He told me that during his brief stay in Bangalore during his internship days, there used to be an aunt who used to make peerkangai bajji and serve it with some delicious coconut chutney. I had never heard of peerkangai bajji before that. And i m really glad i did. Because it changed my bajji perspective. Now, i make bajji whenever i buy ridge gourd. The recipe is pretty simple. Mr.P s granny used to make bajji with freshly ground wet batter made with soaked gram dal and rice. I will share that method very soon. In the meanwhile, let us see how to make crispy on the outside and soft on the inside peerkangai bajji.

peerkangai bajji

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Peerkangai Bajji Recipe

Peerkangai Bajji- Crispy tempura style fritters with ridge gourd. Vegan. Tastes great as a snack or as a side dish with rice and sambar or curd rice
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Snack
Cuisine: Tamil
Servings: 12
Author: Anusha Praveen

Ingredients

  • Ridge Gourd/ Loofah 1 long peeled and sliced into 3mm discs
  • Besan/ chickpea flour/ Kadala Maavu 1/2 c + 1 tbsp
  • Rice flour 1 tbsp
  • Red chili powder 1.5 tsp
  • Hing a small pinch
  • Salt to taste
  • Oil for deep frying

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl, sieve together chickpea flour, rice flour , salt, hing and chili powder.
  • Add water gradually and make a thick batter. The batter should be slightly runnier than dosa batter.
  • Heat oil in a pan.
  • Drop a small spoon of batter into the oil. If it floats quickly to the top, the oil is ready for frying.
  • Now, dip discs of ridge gourd in the batter until well coated.
  • Fry in batches until golden on medium flame.
  • Serve hot with any chutney or dip.

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Vendakkai Puli Kulambu

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Step by step guide to make Vendakkai Puli Kulambu, a Tamil style stew with Okra and tamarind. This traditional dish that has a version in every Tamil household, is naturally vegan and gluten-free. This tangy Kuzhambu tastes delicious with hot rice and a South Indian style beans and carrot poriyal.

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vendakkai puli kuzhambu1

What is Puli Kulambu?

Puli in Tamil refers to tamarind. Sometimes referred to as Kuzhambu, this means a stew in Tamil. Like all Kuzhambu recipes, the recipe for  Puli Kuzhambu too differs from home to home. 

It doesn’t have anything fancy. Yet, it makes a delicious, tangy and satisfying meal when served with rice and poppadum. You can also make the same kuzhambu with vegetables like eggplant and drumstick.

vendakkai puli kuzhambu2

Recipe Notes

Please try to use old tamarind for this kuzhambu. Also, freshly grated coconut works best. You can make this with frozen coconut that has been thawed. But desiccated coconut will not work here.

Method

Soaking tamarind

Soak tamarind in 1 cup of warm water for 20 mins. Mash the tamarind well into the water and make an extract. Make sure you discard all strings by straining the water. I never strain the water. I pour the extract through a slotted ladle into the pan directly. Something i learned from Amma 😉

Prepping veggies

Peel shallots and garlic.Wash and pat dry the okra. Chop them into 2″ pieces. Chop tomatoes finely. You can see bits of coconut here in the plate. I don’t bother grating my coconut. I just scrape off the flesh from shell, chop into pieces and use these. Here I have used about 1/4  of a coconut.

  • vendakkai puli kuzhambu step by step1
  • vendakkai puli kuzhambu step by step1

Frying the okra

Heat a pan with oil. Fry the okra pieces until they begin to brown and drain on a kitchen towel.

  • vendakkai puli kuzhambu step by step
  • vendakkai puli kuzhambu step by step

Frying shallots, garlic and tomatoes

In the same pan, add 1 tbsp more oil. Add shallots and garlic and fry till light brown. Now, to this add the tomatoes and fry till mushy. Once the tomatoes are done, add the spice powders and mix well. Cook for 30 secs. Remove from flame and let cool completely.

  • vendakkai puli kuzhambu step by step
  • vendakkai puli kuzhambu step by step

Making the spice paste

Once cool, combine with the coconut and grind to a smooth paste. I  did not use any water for grinding.

  • vendakkai puli kuzhambu step by step
  • vendakkai puli kuzhambu step by step
  • vendakkai puli kuzhambu step by step
  • vendakkai puli kuzhambu step by step

Making Puli Kuzhambu

Now, in the same pan, add the fried okra along with the tamarind extract and salt and mix well. Add sambar powder to this and mix. Let simmer till the raw smell of the tamarind goes away. This takes about 5 mins on medium flame.

  • vendakkai puli kuzhambu step by step
  • vendakkai puli kuzhambu step by step

Once done, add the ground paste and mix well. Let this simmer for about 4 to 5 mins on low flame. When the Kuzhambu froths up, switch off flame.

  • vendakkai puli kuzhambu step by step
  • vendakkai puli kuzhambu step by step
  • vendakkai puli kuzhambu step by step
  • vendakkai puli kuzhambu step by step

Heat a small pan with 1 tbsp. Pop the mustard and add the fenugreek, urad dal and fennel seeds along with curry leaves. Once the dal begins to brown, pour this over the kuzhambu and mix well.

  • vendakkai puli kuzhambu step by step
  • vendakkai puli kuzhambu step by step
  • vendakkai puli kuzhambu step by step
  • vendakkai puli kuzhambu step by step

Your Kuzhambu is ready to be served with rice.

vendakkai puli kuzhambu3
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Vendakkai Puli Kuzhambu

Vendakkai Puli Kuzhambu- Okra stewed in a tamarind based sauce flavored with coconut and spice paste. Tastes great with hot rice. Goes well with dosa and chapati too. Vegan
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: Tamil
Servings: 4
Calories: 177kcal
Author: Anusha Praveen

Equipment

  • Frying Pan
  • Blender

Ingredients

  • 12 Okra dried and chopped into 2″ pieces
  • 6 to 7 Shallots peeled
  • 4 cloves Garlic peeled
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped tomatoes
  • 6 grams Tamarind
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 3 tbsp Grated fresh coconut
  • 1.25 tsp Coriander powder
  • 1 tsp Red chili powder
  • 1 tsp Turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp Sambar powder
  • 2 tsp Salt or to taste
  • 3 tbsp Sesame oil
  • 1 tsp Mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp Fenugreek seeds
  • 1 tsp Urad dal 1 tsp
  • 10 leaves Curry leaves
  • 1/2 tsp Fennel seeds

Instructions

  • Make tamarind extract by mashing the tamarind well with water and straining it. Set aside.
  • Heat a pan with 1 tbsp oil and fry the okra till it begins to brown.
  • Drain and set aside.
  • In the same pan, heat 1 tbsp oil.
  • Add shallot and garlic to this and fry till light brown.
  • Now add tomatoes and fry till mushy.
  • Next add chili powder, turmeric and coriander powder to this and mix well. Cook for 30 secs.
  • Remove from flame and let this mixture cool.
  • Once cool, combine the tomato mixture with grated coconut and blend to a smooth paste in a blender.
  • In the same pan that you fried the shallots etc, add the okra pieces along with the tamarind and salt and mix well.
  • Add sambar powder to this and mix.
  • Let simmer till the raw smell of tamarind goes away.
  • Once done, add the ground spice paste and mix well.
  • Let simmer till kuzhambu froths up.
  • Heat a small pan with the remaining oil.
  • Pop the mustard and tip in the urad dal, curry leaves, fenugreek seeds and fennel seeds.
  • Once dal begins to brown, pour the tempering over the kuzhambu.
  • Mix well.
  • Serve hot with rice.

For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes

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Disclaimer

Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

Nutrition

Calories: 177kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 1185mg | Potassium: 366mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 754IU | Vitamin C: 116mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @tomatoblues or tag #tomatoblues!

Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream Eggless No Churn Recipe

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How To Make Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream With Roasted Berries?

HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM WITH ROASTED BERRIES- AN EASY EGGLESS NO CHURN CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM MADE WITH PANTRY BASICS. SUMMER RECIPES. ICE CREAM RECIPES.

homemade chocolate ice cream

Homemade chocolate ice cream with roasted berries is a true delight during hot summers. Technically, this was supposed to be just good old homemade chocolate ice cream. Ever since i began making ice cream at home, we have stopped eating ice cream outside. Seriously, nothing can equal a scoop of homemade chocolate ice cream or strawberry ice cream. While we love both chocolate and strawberry ice creams individually, the idea of combining the both came to me when a box of strawberries was reaching its prime. I decided to roast the berries in the oven until juicy and toss them in with my homemade chocolate ice cream. This however is totally optional. You can keep this as just some plain old chocolate ice cream.

homemade chocolate ice cream

This ice cream is something that will make you look like ice cream queen. Why? Because it is no churn. It has no eggs. It doesn’t need fancy equipment, no, not even a fancy ice cream tin. And its rich, creamy, velvety and oh so chocolatey! Yes, i made that word up. I love making my own words. Especially, when it comes to describing my homemade chocolate ice cream with roasted berries. I used a freezer safe take away container to make this ice cream. My sorry pictures bear testimony to that. I did not go to any lengths to take beautiful photos this time. Because i forgot to freeze my bowls every single time i planned a shoot and i ran out of ice cubes, thanks to summer.

homemade chocolate ice cream

That said and done, let me talk some more chocolate ice cream. Ok, i know. I m talking a lot. But guys, this is chocolate ice cream without an ice cream maker. So pleassseeeee bear with me, ok? Okay. I used some good quality chocolate chips to make this ice cream. And a very teeny tiny amount of cocoa powder to bring out that color. Also, i roasted the strawberries i Balsamic. That kind of really gave a nice tang to the bitter sweet chocolate ice cream. You got to trust me on this one.While this homemade chocolate ice cream is an indulgence all on its own, a handful of roasted berries takes it to a gourmet level. So, if you can get your hands on some good strawberries, which i m sure you can, it being summer, then please roast them and mix them in. So, shall we get a move on with the recipe, then? I guess, i have talked enough.

homemade chocolate ice cream

Recipe for Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream With Roasted Berries

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5 from 1 vote

Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream Eggless No Churn Recipe

Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream With Roasted Berries- An easy and decadent chocolate ice cream recipe. No churn. No eggs. No Ice Cream maker needed.
Prep Time1 day 6 hours
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 day 6 hours 30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Author: Anusha Praveen

Ingredients

  • For The Chocolate Ice Cream
  • Condensed milk 300 ml
  • Heavy cream 140 ml
  • Dark chocolate chips 3/4 c + 2 tbsp
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder 1 tbsp
  • Vanilla extract 1 tsp
  • For The Roasted Berries
  • Strawberries 10 to 12
  • Balsamic vinegar 2 tsp
  • Sugar 1 tsp

Instructions

  • In a microwave safe bowl, combine 3/4 c of chocolate chips with half the cream and microwave on high for 1 min in 20 sec intervals.
  • Make sure you stop every 20 secs and give the chips a good stir.
  • Also ensure that the chips are completely melted. This may take a little more than 1 min depending on your microwave.
  • Once done, remove from the microwave and set aside.
  • In another large mixing bowl, add the remaining cream and whip till stiff peaks form.
  • Now, add the condensed milk, vanilla, melted chocolate chip mixture and cocoa powder and whip again until well incorporated.
  • Pour the mixture into a freezer safe container and freeze for about 4 hours or until set.
  • Towards the end of the setting time, preheat your oven to 180 C.
  • Place the strawberries in a shallow roasting pan.
  • Drizzle the balsamic vinegar on top of the strawberries and sprinkle sugar.
  • Toss lightly.
  • Roast in the preheated oven until strawberries begin to bubble .
  • Set aside to cool.
  • Once set, remove from the freezer.
  • Place the ice cream in a high power blender and blend to smooth.
  • Now, pour this back into a freezer safe dish.
  • Add 2 tbsp chocolate chips into this and mix using a fork.
  • Now, add the roasted strawberries along with all the liquid and gently mix with a fork taking care not to bruise the berries further.
  • You may be lucky to even get a swirled pattern in your ice cream if you do this patiently.
  • Once done, return the container back to the freezer and freeze overnight.
  • The next day, scoop and serve immediately.

Notes

1. This ice cream calls for a longer freezing time because there is no sugar used.
2. Addition of roasted berries is optional but highly recommended

For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes

Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.

Disclaimer

Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

Tried this recipe?Mention @tomatoblues or tag #tomatoblues!

Mango Lemonade Recipe

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How To Make Mango Lemonade?

MANGO LEMONADE- A REFRESHING SUMMERY LEMONADE WITH FRESH MANGOES AND A HINT OF MINT. SUMMER RECIPES.VEGAN

mango lemonade1

Mango lemonade is probably the best way to indulge in lemonade. There is really nothing better on a hot Summer’s afternoon than a lemonade that is bursting with the flavors of fresh mangoes. I had too many mangoes from my recent visit to Mustafa. After making some delicious mango gelee panacotta and this crazy good mango jalapeno taco sauce, i was left with about 2 cups of chopped Alphonso mangoes. Singapore has been getting hotter over this month and i decided that mango lemonade is going to be one helluva way to beat the heat.

mango lemonade2

When i made the mango lemonade for the first time, i was really not very impressed. There was something missing. Yes, i was very sure. You see, i have become very particular over the years about my lemonade. And so, i decided to experiment a bit with this version. I thought a nice Indian spicy kick would take my mango lemonade to a different level and i was not wrong. This lemonade calls for very simple ingredients but the key to making fine mango lemonade lies in finding the best mangoes you can lay your hands on. I added a bit of Jaljeera powder to give the lemonade a new flavor but feel free to skip it if you are not a Jaljeera fan.

In case you are interested, here are some more lemonade recipes for you.

Peach Lemonade

Strawberry Lemonade

Aloevera Lemonade

Lychee Lemonade

Kiwi Cucumber Lemonade

Blueberry Ginger Limeade

Orange And Sweet Lime Lemonade

mango lemonade3

Recipe For Mango Lemonade

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Mango Lemonade Recipe

Mango Lemonade- A refreshing lemonade with flavors of fresh ripe mangoes. Vegan. Can be made ahead
Prep Time1 hour 10 minutes
Cook Time7 minutes
Total Time1 hour 17 minutes
Course: Beverage
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 4
Author: Anusha Praveen

Ingredients

  • Mangoes 2 cups peeled and chopped see notes below
  • Lemon juice 1/4 c
  • Sugar 1/2 c
  • Water 1/2 c
  • Jaljeera powder 1/2 tsp
  • Mint leaves 10
  • Lemon wedges to serve
  • Ice cubes to serve

Instructions

  • Combine sugar and water along with the mint in a pan.
  • Heat the pan until sugar melts completely.
  • Let the syrup cool completely.
  • Once cool, strain and discard the mint leaves.
  • Add lemon juice to this and mix well.
  • Place the mangoes, jaljeera powder and the simple syrup in a blender and blend to a smooth puree.
  • Once done, pour into a clean bottle and store in the fridge.
  • To make one glass of mango lemonade, combine 2 parts of mango lemonade concentrate and 4 parts of cold water and mix well.
  • Add lemon wedges and ice cubes.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

1. I used Alphonso mangoes for this. You can use any type of mangoes as long as there are sweet and have a prominent flavor.
2. The mangoes were too sweet and so i used only 1/2 c of sugar. In case your mangoes are not very sweet, increase the sugar to 3/4 c and use equal amount of water to make the simple syrup
3. The concentrate keeps well in the fridge for a week.

For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes

Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.

Disclaimer

Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

Tried this recipe?Mention @tomatoblues or tag #tomatoblues!

 

 

Chickpea Salad Tacos

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How To Make Chickpea Salad Tacos?

CHICKPEA SALAD TACOS- TACOS FILLED WITH A FLAVORFUL NUTRITIOUS CHICKPEA SALAD &TOPPINGS. VEGAN. MEXICAN RECIPES.

chickpea salad tacos

Chickpea Salad Tacos is a filling taco meal that has a nutritious flavor packed chickpea salad, guacamole and a delicious mango taco sauce. I love tacos and its probably my favorite Mexican food closely followed by a Burrito bowl. But Mr.P is not a big fan. Come to think of it, Mr. P is not a fan of anything that is not Indian. So, when i do usually make some things that are not definitively Indian, i resort to adding an Indian touch to get the man eat and save myself the trouble of making dosa. Thankfully, Mexican food can easily be adapted to make it look deceptively Indian and the man enjoys a taco or two. But this chickpea salad tacos was made when he was not around. And hence the addition of guacamole and such.

chickpea salad tacos

I have used a robust salad chock full of veggies and chickpeas tossed in an assortment of spices for the filling. The toppings are this mango taco sauce and guacamole. These chickpea salad tacos made such a filling meal and was a welcome change to my roti subzi routine. If you live in India, then  Godrej Nature Basket s online store sells a range of taco shells including this12 piece taco shell box. They also stock a variety of taco sauce and seasonings.

chickpea salad tacos

These chickpea salad tacos involves three recipes and cooking the tacos either in the oven or in the microwave. I microwaved the taco shells for 1 min 30 secs. Honestly, i was really not in a mood to fire up the oven because i was just putting these together for myself. If you are making a large batch, then the oven route is worth the trouble. You can find the recipes for the mango jalapeno taco sauce and the guacamole below.

Perfect Chipotle Style Guacamole- Click the picture to get the recipe.

perfect chipotle style guacamole

Mango Jalapeno Taco Sauce- click the picture to get the recipe.

mango jalapeno taco sauce

You can use any filling to create a different version of tacos. And your toppings can also include this mango salsa or this slightly sweet and mostly tart strawberry salsa. So shall we now check out how i made these chickpea salad tacos with an Indian touch?

chickpea salad tacos

Recipe For Chickpea Salad Tacos

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Chickpea Salad Tacos

Chickpea Salad Tacos- A healthy taco recipe with a robust chickpea salad filling topped with a mango taco sauce and guacamole
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time2 minutes
Total Time22 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 3
Author: Anusha Praveen

Ingredients

  • Taco shells 3
  • Cooked chickpeas 1/3 cup see notes
  • Butter head lettuce 2 tbsp shredded
  • Red bell pepper 3 tbsp finely chopped
  • Red onion 1 small finely chopped
  • Cucumber 1 small peeled and chopped finely
  • Cilantro leaves 1 tbsp chopped finely
  • Cumin powder 1 tsp
  • Red chili powder 1/2 tsp
  • Jalapeno 1 small minced finely
  • Lemon juice 1 tbsp
  • Salt to taste
  • Guacamole 5 to 6 tbsp
  • Mango Jalapeno Taco Sauce 3 tbsp get recipe from the post

Instructions

  • In a bowl combine cooked chickpeas, onion, red bell pepper, lettuce, cucumber, cilantro, jalapeno, lemon juice, cumin powder and red chili powder along with salt.
  • Mix well or toss once.
  • Place the taco shells in the microwave open side facing down and cook on high for 1 min and 20 secs.
  • Remove and place open side up on a plate.
  • Place equal portions of the chickpea salad on the three taco shells.
  • Top with guacamole.
  • Drizzle the mango jalapeno taco sauce.
  • Serve warm.

Notes

1. I used leftover chickpeas that i had from another recipe. But you can also use canned chickpeas. Make sure you drain the water completely before mixing up the salad.

For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes

Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.

Disclaimer

Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

Tried this recipe?Mention @tomatoblues or tag #tomatoblues!