Lemon Rice using MTR Rice Sevai

In India variety of rice dishes are available and most of them belong to southern part of India. Since, my destiny has moved me to Bangalore, I am getting a chance to taste and learn these rice delicacies one by one.

Lemon rice is one of these rice delicacies that I know well and is good in taste and texture.The best thing about these variety of rice recipes is that you can prepare them in very less time once you have all the ingredients or I should say major ingredient called cool down boiled rice. In fact if  you have left over rice from lunch or dinner then that would be the BEST.

It's super easy to cook and tastes yummy, That I can guarantee :). So, lets get started and learn lemon rice using rice sevai.

Ingredients:

Cooking time: Less than 30 minutes

• 2 cup MTR rice Sevai / boiled rice on room temperature
• 2 tsp groundnut
• 1 tsp urad dal
• 1 tsp chana dal
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds/ rai
• 1/4 tsp or pinch of turmeric
• Salt as per taste
• 1 slit green chili
• hand full curry leaves
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• pinch of hing/asafoetida
• grated coconut /optional
• 1-2 tsp oil
• 5-6 slit cashews

Step by step guide for preparing lemon rice using MTR Rice Sevai:

• Soak chana dal in water for 5 minutes in advance and keep it aside.
• In a deep pan, boil water.
• Add one tsp oil, rice sevai and give it a quick stir. Let it cook on  low-medium heat for 7-10 minutes until cooked.
• Now drain excess water and run through cold water until water runs clear and keep them aside.
• In a kadhai/wok heat oil.
• Add hing/asofetida, mustard seeds and let then splutter.
• Add groundnut, urad dal, soaked chana dal, split green chili, cashew and cook for another 1-2 minute on low-medium heat until they turn light brown.
• Add curry leaves and salt .
• Now add boiled rice sevai/ boiled rice and mix it well, cook for another 2-3 minutes.
• Turn off the heat.
• Add lemon juice and mix it well.
• Garnish with chopped coriander and grated coconut.
• serve with coconut chutney.

You can serve it as a side dish during lunch/dinner or even take it in tiffin box for lunch. Isn't it easy... :)

Notes:

• Add lemon juice only after turning off heat.
• Rice sevai or rice should be cold.  Hot one can make it sticky.
• You can remove chilly if your kid can not take spicy food.

Do share your experience and let me know if you like it and love it as much I do :)

Cooking is fun!

Gujrati Khamman Dhokla

In evening, I was looking for some thing light and healthy for evening snack as morning breakfast of aaloo puri was very heavy on my tummy.  I searched my cook book and found this Dhokla recipe  ( recipe source neighbor aunt ). It's a very simple and easy to prepare and if you are calorie conscious then you are going to love it... :)

 From fellow bloggers only I learned that this is called khamman dhokla.

So let's get started and learn how to cook Gujrati Khamman Dhokla.. :)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup besan/ chickpea flour
• 1/2cup curd/yogurt
• 1 1/2 tsp sooji/semolina
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp sugar
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp ginger green chilli paste.
• 1 tsp eno fruit salt
•  1 1/2 cup water.
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

For Tampering:

• 1 tsp mustard seeds/ rai
• few curry leaves
• pinch of hing
• 2 tsp oil

Steps by step guide for preparing Dhokla:

• prepare lemon water by mixing 1 1/2 cup water, sugar, salt, lemon juice and keep it aside. We will need it twice :)
• Take another bowl and add besan, curd, turmeric, sooji, ginger chili paste ,1/2 cup lemon water and mix well.

Note: You will get thick batter, similar to idli batter.

• Grease idli plate/thali plate or you can use cake pan and keep it aside.
• Add Eno fruit salt to batter and mix well. Batter will become double in size.
• Pour this batter in greased pan and steam for 10 minute. 

Note: I use pressure cooker without weight/whistle for steaming

• For proofing insert toothpick or knife. If knife comes out clean and batter is not sticking to it, then it's done.
• Let it cool for some time.
• For tampering, in a pan heat oil .
• Add hing, mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chilies and cook for  2 minutes. 
• Add 1 cup lemon water to tampering.
• Pour this tampered water on cooked dhokla.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and grated coconut. Serve with mint chutney.

Tip: 

Sometime dhokla becomes dry. To make it moist and soft again  you can add more lemon water . 

Do you remember dholka that we get in restaurant is always soft and contains some amount of water. So always remember dhokla drinks lots of water :)

Happy Cooking!!

Kesar Kulfi

Ice cream is every one's favorite dessert ,especially during hot humid summer afternoon or to give you relief and sooth your brain from  hot wind during summer night.  All flavors are good but nothing can beat basic kulfi that every one has enjoyed during there childhood :)

I found this recipe by Chef Harpal from Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor's group, it's so yummylicious easy to prepare ... :). I have prepared this kulfi a number of times till now and it's an instant hit with everyone in the family.

Ingredients:

• 500 ml full creme milk
• 200 ml Amul milk creme
• 1/2 cup sugar/as per taste
• 2 tsp cardamom powder
• chopped pista, kaju/cashew, badam/Almonds
• 8-9 saffron strands/ kesar
• 1/2 cup milk powder optional

Step by step guide to prepare Kesar Pista Kulfi:-

• In a thick bottom vessel boil milk and then keep on stirring for 5-7 minutes on on low-medium heat.
• Add sugar, cardamom powder,saffron, milk powder  to milk and mix well.
• Turn off heat and transfer milk mix to another pan.
• Add Amul milk creme, so that creme also gets cooked and raw smell goes off.
• Add chopped pista, kaju, badam
• Let it come to room temperature.
• Pour this milk mix to kulfi mould and deep freeze for 6-8 hours.
• To unmould keep kulfi mould under running water for 1-2 minutes, this will help in removing kulfi from mould easily.
• While serving garnish with Saffron strands and server chilled.

Note:

• To get best color from saffron, soak saffron strands in  3-4 tsp cold milk before pouring it in milk mix.
• Do not add milk creme while boiling. Add it slowly and mix well while milk mix is becoming cold.
• You can use condensed milk in place of milk creme.

 

Hope you enjoy it as much we did ....seems summer's have started early this year in Bangalore...

Baingan ka Bharta with Green Peas

Best part of winter is that you get fresh green peas :). My Mom used to prepare baingan ka bharta with green peas during winter season. This is one of my favorite dish when served with hot parantha and butter :) . 

                                                    Sabjiyon ke raja ka bharta aka baingan ka bharta ...:)

Winters are already here  will stay for another few days only and both baigan and fresh green peas are easily available in market. I have heard during winter’s there are less chances that there will be an insect in Baingan. So it’s safe to cook.

Ingredients for Baingan ka Bharta:

Servers: 4-5 

2 big baingan ( eggplant)

1 cup fresh green peas

4 chopped onions

4 chopped tomato

1 tsp chopped ginger

1 tsp chopped garlic

 Salt to to taste

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 garam masala

1 t sp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

4 tsp oil

Chopped fresh coriander leaves

Steps to prepare Baigan ka bharta:

• Apply some oil on baingan and roast it on low Medium flame until it’s cooked. Let it cool for some time.
• Peel roasted skin and mash it.
• Heat oil in a pan, add chopped ginger garlic and cook until it becomes light brown in colour.
• Add chopped onion and fresh green peas. Cook till onion become light golden brown and green peas become soft.
• Add chopped tomatoes.
• Add turmeric, garam masala, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and salt to taste.
• Cook for another 10-15 mins until oil starts getting separated ro comes on top.
• Add mashed baingan and mix well.
• Cook for another 7-10 mins.
• Garnish with freshly chopped coriander and serve with hot parantha's.

I can’t tell you I am getting water in my mouth even while writing this blog.

I am sending his post to Sara's corner to participate in  Cooking with Love event. 

It’s simply yummy!!!!

Chilly Paneer

In our office cafeteria  we get egg chilly ( egg with green chilly) which they serve with chapati, and I like that combination a lot. I thought why not prepare chilly paneer using capsicum as in north we call it shimla mirch...:) I have no idea from where this word shimla came in front of this mirch.. I'll do some research later...:)

Lets come back to chilly paneer and learn how to prepare this easy and simple side dish that we can  server during any meal.

Ingredients:

• 3 green capsicum/ bell pepper/ shimla mirch
• 250 gm cubed paneer/cottage cheese
• 1 large chopped onion
• 3 medium chopped tomatoes
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilly powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp dry mango powder or 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp chopped coriander leaves
• 2-3 tsp oil

Step by step guide to prepare Chilly Paneer:

• Heat oil in a kadhai or wok.
• Add chopped onion and cook for 5-6 mins until onion turns translucent and little brown.
• Add chopped tomatoes sand cook for next 3-4 minute until they become tender soft.
• Add little water if gravy starts sticking to kadhai.
• Add capsicum , all dry ingredients/masalas and mix well.
• Cook for 6-7 minutes until capsicum becomes soft.
• Add cubed paneer and give it a quick stir. 
• Do not cover kadhai with lid/plate and cook for another 5-6 minutes. 
• Paneer will becomes more soft and get mixed with capsicum and gravy.
• Garnish with freshly chopped coriander.
• Chilly paneer is ready to serve. You can have it with chapati or parantha.

My MIL is a big fan of capsicum  and she prepares very yummy food herself. She loved this combination and that made my day.. lots of hug for her :)

Happy cooking and keep on smiling


                   " Sending to Know Your Dairy – Cheese by Jagruti and Nivedhanam" 

Idli Using Idli Rava

No, more idli batter shopping from market to get soft idli, as now I can prepare my own super soft idli batter at home.. isn't it nice :)

I am big fan of Idli and would like to prepare it at home almost every week. I have tried making idli with normal rice, but they were not so soft and that's why my search was still on for soft idli.  Last week while doing my search on internet I came across Pratibhas's blog and found this easy recipe using idli rava. I have made changes here and there but idli's were yummy softlucious .. :)

I have to admit I had lots of apprehensions in mind, as I had never prepared idli using idli rava. but there will be first time for every thing... so it was for idli rava :)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cup Idli rava
1 cup Urad dal
1/2 cup Poha/Flatten rice
1/2tsp methi dana/ fenugreek seeds
Salt to taste
3 cup water for grinding and steaming

Preparation for Idli Batter:

• Soak urad dal and fenugreek seeds for 3-4 hours.
• Soak idli rava and poha for 2 hours. Rava drinks lots of water in comparison to rice.
• Drain excess water from urad dal and fenugreek mix and grind it to smooth paste using very little water.
• Drain excess water from idli rava and poha mix and grind it for another 5 mins alog with urad dal paste. Add little water if required to get smooth thick paste.

   Note :You will need to squeeze excess water from rava using your hands, otherwise it will be very watery.

• Take out this batter in deep vessel and cover it with a lid . Leave it for next 8-9 hours for fermenting. I kept it overnight as I was preparing idli's next day morning. Batter will be almost double in size after fermenting.

Idli Preparation:

• Add little water if idli batter is too thick and mix well.
• Add salt to batter.
• Grease idli mould/plate and pour 3/4 of batter in each module. 
• Take 2 cups of water in pressure cooker .
• Place idli modules in pressure cooker without whistle (weight). Make sure you have removed whistle from the pressure cooker /
• Let it cook on medium - high flame for next 10 -12 mins.
• Dip spoon in water to remove idli from each mould.
• Server hot idli with sambhar and tomato chutney.

Note: Idli rava is different than normal rava/ soji that we use for making rava idli,but  you can easily find it in any shop in south India, not sure of northern parts of India.

Sabudana Khichdi /Sago Khichdi

When ever I think of  white transparent pearls called Sago or Sabudana in India, it takes me to my childhood memories .

My parents were working and there was no one at home to pick us after school, so rickshaw fellow used to drop us at our door step.Then we will go to neighbors house to collect our keys handded over to them by our parents and neighbor aunt will ask do you want to eat some thing? But as good kids we would say no, knowing in our heart n mind that our mom would have left something for us in kitchen, so that our small tummies are not hungry and we can wait for mom to come back from work and prepare some hot and yummy food for us. So this short brunch of our's used to have either sweet dalia, sabudana kheer, or fruits.

Over the years, as I was growing for some unknown reasons I stopped liking dalia and sabudana kheer. Also, I had never tasted dalia upma or sabudana khichdi until my destiny took me to Maharashtra where during my short stay we used to get sabudana khidchi or vada on every Thursday in our office cafeteria. From then on wards I started liking this salty version of Sabudana and learned how to prepare it at home.  You can have this khichdi as a breakfast item or as an evening snack. Some people eat it during Vrat/Upvas.

Here is the simple and easy recipe of Sabudana khichdi.

Ingredients:

1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp lemon juice
2 cup sabudana/ sago
2 chopped green chilies
2 tsp chopped fresh coriander
3 tsp roasted and crushed ground nuts.
3-4 tsp oil
few curry leaves(optional)
1 parboiled chopped potato (optional)
Salt to taste

Step by Step guide to prepare Sabudana Khichdi:

• Wash sabudana and soak it in water for 4-5 hours. 
• Drain excess water if you want each and every sabudana pearl separate.
• Dry roast groundnuts until they turn brown and keep it aside,
• Heat oil in a pan , add cumin seeds, roasted peanuts and cook for 1 minute.
• Add  chopped potatoes, green chilies and  stir for another 3-4 minutes.
• Add sabudana, salt and give it a quick toss with rest of the ingredients.
• Cover it with a lid and cook on low medium heat for another 3-4 mins.
• Sabudana white pearl will start changing into transparent pearl ... and this tells khichdi is ready :)
• Add lemon juice and give it a quick stir.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and sabudana khichdi is ready to serve.

Notes:

• To know sabudana is ready to cook or not  press it with your fingertip and it will not disintegrate.easily.
• You can use groundnuts skin after roasting or you can remove it by pressing it between kitchen towel using your hands or rolling pin.
• Adding potato is optional but it gives nice taste.
• Some people garish using grated coconut along with coriander leaves and that taste good as well.