Peppercorn flavoured vegetable oats - Potluck party, cyber style January 28th 2014

 How many of us,  look  for an instant breakfast oats,  at your favourite  stores??  Yes, I can see many hands raising!!  All  thanks to an casual check-up, my dietician advised to consume  oats atleast once an week, in order to enrich my good cholestrol... Now, for an girl like me, who thought that oats were only for saints.. this was an serious layback... :P

 Gradually, my attitude changed... With an NOT-SO-SWEET TOOTH,  I  opted for masala oats once an week, untill I came across Shama Nagarajan's oats porridge.  She was my partner for poluck party, cyber style and I followed her post.  With just oats and your own vegetable/spice blend, I could actually foresee an tasty and healthy breakfast here,for, this ensures zero preservatives or zero dehydated vegetables. This peppercorn flavoured vegetable oats is an fresh breakfast blend, which amplifies your morning stamina, to kick-start your day!!   :)  :)

Hot dog- wraps

     Making wraps/rolls are always in my pending list.  Finally made them this weekday,  must say that this hot dog styled wraps were awesome.  Selected vegetables were mashed, shaped like hot dogs and  were grilled.  This was wrapped in roti with prepared green mayonnaise sauce along with thinly sliced vegetables.  Altogether this wrap was an heavenly combination.

 

Kids would love to grab them, so did Varsha :D  If you are willing, you can also dash in barbeque sauce, mustard sauce and can serve like 'subway' type.  Most importantly, these wraps are healthy and goes heavy on your stomach.  You can prepare the hot dogs the day before and can refrigerate overnight, if you felt them time-consuming.  I prepared them mildly, so that my kid could consume, you could also prepare them spicy as you wish.  So, why wait to experiment :D :P  Just do it :)

Kadaai vegetables - Hyderabadi styled

Ingredients required

• 4 tsp oil
• 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
• 2 green chillies broken
• 4 tsp finely chopped mint leaves
• 1/2 cup pureed onions (which are boiled in hot water)
• 1 cup  tomato puree
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp dhanya powder
• Salt, as per taste
• 1/2 cup cauliflower florets
• 1/4 cup each of chopped beans, potato, capsicum, carrot
• 100ml of fresh cream

Mangalorean curry

Mangalorean curry is a spicy curry that has a strong coconut base with tamarind flavour along with other spices.  This curry is prepared usually with chicken or with  vegetables

Ingredients required

For the masala paste

• Half cup of sauted onions
• One cup of grated coconut(Which is later sauted along with garlic pods)
• 6-7 garlic pods
• 4-5 tiny pieces of tamarind
• 5-6 dry chilly
• 1 tsp of whole dhanya
• 1 tsp of whole jeera
• 1/2 tsp of peppercorn
• Half tsp of methi seeds/venthayam

To temper

• 3 tsp oil
• 1/2 tsp rai/ mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp jeera
• 1/4 tsp methi/venthayam
• 1/4 tsp peppercorn
• 1/4 tsp dhanya
• 6-7 curry leaves
• 2-3 green chillies, slit lengthwise

Other

• 1/2 cup of finely chopped onions
• 1/2 cup of mixed vegetables like carrot, cauliflower, potato, green peas
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup of boiled double beans (optional)

Method

As given in pic below, first dry roast coconut with garlic.  Then,  onions  (sauted alone).  Also all dry spices , cool them separately, blend them together.  This forms the basic masala for mangalorean curry, keep them aside

In a kadaai, heat oil and add ingredients for temper one by one.  Later, add chopped onions.

Now, throw in salt and vegetables, double beans.  

Add in blended masala, cook till vegetables are done.  Serve hot with rice

Soya aur tarkari ki masala

This gravy is cooked with soya balls with other vegetables

Ingredients required

For gravy base

• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped tomatos
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp finely chopped green chillies
• Handful of mint leaves
• 2 tsp khoya
• 1 tsp garam masala
• Pinch of haldi/turmeric
• 1 tsp Everest Kitchen King masala
• 1/2 tsp salt

Other

• 1/4 cup soya balls cooked with one cup of water and half tsp salt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup mixed boiled vegetables like cauliflower, potato, carrot and beans

Method

Combine all ingredients under gravy base and saute over medium flame for 20 minutes.  Cool and grind into paste

In another kadaai, heat oil and shallow fry cooked soya balls, add other veggies also

Add blended paste and 1/4 cup milk.  Cook for 5 minutes simmer flame and serve hot with rotis

Rice Bhakri Recipe | Leftover Rice Flatbread

Bhakri (भाकरी), also known as Dhebra, is a traditional unleavened flatbread popular in the cuisines of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Northern Karnataka, and Goa. It is slightly coarser and heartier than chapati, making it a wholesome accompaniment to chutneys, curries, and dals.

This version of Rice Bhakri is a wonderful way to use up leftover rice. Combined with fresh vegetables and aromatic spices, it turns into a nutritious and delicious meal.

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Ingredients Required

• ½ cup grated carrot
• 4 teaspoons finely chopped methi (fenugreek) leaves
• 4 teaspoons finely chopped beans
• 4 teaspoons finely chopped cauliflower
• Salt, to taste
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder (dhania powder)
• 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
• 1 cup leftover cooked rice
• 2 cups rice flour
• 8 teaspoons oil

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Method

1. Blend the leftover rice into a smooth paste without adding any water.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the grated carrot, methi leaves, chopped beans, cauliflower, salt, chilli powder, coriander powder, ginger-garlic paste, and garam masala.
3. Add the blended rice paste and mix well.
4. Gradually add the rice flour and knead into a soft dough. The consistency should be similar to chapati dough.
5. Grease your hands with a little oil and flatten portions of the dough onto a greased plastic sheet or parchment paper.
6. Carefully transfer the bhakri onto a hot tawa.
7. Drizzle a little oil around the edges and cook on both sides until golden spots appear and the bhakri is cooked through.
8. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Serve hot with chutney, sambar, curd, or your favourite curry.

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Aloo Ki Bhajji (Vegetables Cooked in a Spicy Potato Base)

Aloo Ki Bhajji is a delicious twist on a traditional mixed-vegetable curry. Instead of using the usual onion-tomato gravy, this recipe uses a flavorful spiced potato base made with boiled potatoes, mint, green chilies, peppercorns, and cumin. The result is a rich, creamy curry that pairs wonderfully with roti, chapati, or paratha.  

Ingredients

For the potato base

1. 4–5 baby potatoes, boiled

   or

   4–5 tbsp mashed potato

2. 2–3 green chilies

3. 1 tsp peppercorns

4. 1 handful mint (pudina) leaves

5. 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

For the bhajji

1. 3–4 baby potatoes, boiled

2. ½ cup cauliflower florets

3. 3–4 tbsp carrots, finely chopped

4. 3–4 beans, finely chopped

5. 4–5 tsp oil

6. ½ cup onion and tomato mixture

7. 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

8. 1 tsp garam masala

9. Salt to taste

10. ½ tsp turmeric powder (haldi)

11. Fresh coriander leaves for garnish

Method

1. In a kadai or pan, sauté the onions, tomatoes, and ginger-garlic paste for about 15 minutes until soft and fragrant. Let the mixture cool.

2. Blend the cooled mixture with all the potato base ingredients (boiled potatoes, green chilies, peppercorns, mint leaves, and cumin) into a smooth paste.

3. Heat oil in a kadai and add the cauliflower, boiled potatoes, carrots, and beans.

4. Add turmeric, salt, and garam masala. Sprinkle a little water and cook until the vegetables are half done.

5. Pour in the prepared spice-potato paste and mix well.

6. Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more water if you prefer a thinner gravy.

7. Adjust the spice level as desired. If you like it hotter, add a little red chili powder.

8. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot.

Serving Suggestion

This curry tastes excellent with roti, chapati, phulka, or paratha. The potato-based gravy gives it a unique creamy texture without using cream or nuts.

Tip

For an even richer flavor, roast the cumin and peppercorns lightly before blending them into the potato base.

I am linking this with dish it out @ Divya's culinary journey, Vardhini

Koshimbir Recipe | Maharashtrian Salad with Sprouts, Carrot & Curd

Koshimbir is a simple yet flavourful Maharashtrian-style salad prepared using fresh vegetables, sprouts, curd, and roasted peanuts. Traditionally, the salad is generously dressed with curd, but here a small amount of hung curd is added for a mild and balanced flavour.

Ingredients Required

• 1 cup grated carrot
• 1/2 cup green gram sprouts, steamed for 10 minutes
• 1/2 cup onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup tomatoes, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 tbsp hung curd
• 1/4 cup finely chopped coriander leaves
• 1/2–1 tsp finely chopped deseeded green or red chilli
• Salt to taste
• Roasted peanut powder for topping

Method

1. In a mixing bowl, combine grated carrot, steamed sprouts, onions, tomatoes, coriander leaves, and chopped chilli.
2. Add hung curd and salt to taste.
3. Mix everything well until evenly combined.
4. Top generously with roasted peanut powder before serving.
5. Serve fresh as a side dish with a Maharashtrian meal or enjoy as a healthy salad bowl.