BEETROOT PORIYAL

INGREDIENTS : 

For Seasoning :

METHOD : 

• Wash, clean and peel the Beetroots and finely chop them.
• Heat Oil in a pan, splutter Mustard Seeds, Urad Dhal, Dry Red Chillies and Curry Leaves. 
• Saute finely chopped Onions, Garlic Cloves and Green Chilies until onions turn translucent.
• Add Chopped Beetroots along with Turmeric, Salt, Sugar and give a quick stir. 
• Sprinkle some water and cook until they turn soft for about 4-5 minutes.
• Once the Beetroots are well cooked, sprinkle grated Coconut and mix well.
• Leave the Beetroot Poriyal on a low flame for about a minute.
• Serve Beetroot Poriyal along with Rice and any curry of your choice. Goes well with Chapathis too.

NOTES :

• You can finely chop the Beetroots or alternatively you can grate them for Beetroot Poriyal.
• Adjust the number of Green Chillies and Dry Red Chillies to your spice preference.
• Adding Sugar and grated Coconuts are totally optional.

TOMATO KURMA

INGREDIENTS :

For the Masala Paste:

For Coconut Paste :

For Seasoning :

For Garnishing :

METHOD :

For the Masala Paste:

• Heat Oil in a Pan, and saute finely chopped Onions & garlic until onions turn translucent.
• Add Turmeric Powder, Red Chilli Powder and Coriander Powder to the above and fry for a while on a low flame until the raw flavour goes.
• Add finely chopped Tomatoes and saute until the tomatoes are well cooked and oil separates from the mix.
• Add Tamarind paste and Salt to the above and mix well.
• Leave this on a low flame for few minutes.
• Switch off the flame and allow the mix to cool.
• Once cooled, grind the above mix into a smooth paste and keep it aside.

For Coconut Paste :

• Soak Poppy Seeds in few teaspoons of water and keep it aside.
• Grind all the ingredients mentioned under 'To grind' along with soaked poppy seeds into a fine paste and keep it aside.

FOR TOMATO KURMA :

• Heat oil in a pan, splutter Fennel Seeds and Curry Leaves on a low flame.
• Care should be taken not to burn the fennel seeds, as it will change the flavour of Tomato Kurma.
• First, add ground Masala Paste and saute it on a low flame until Oil separates from the mix.
• Adjust the Salt to taste.
• Add the Coconut Paste to the above and mix well.
• Leave this on a low flame until the raw flavour goes for few minutes.
• Add Water if necessary.
• Cook this on a low flame until you get the desired consistency.
• Finally, garnish the Tomato Kurma with finely chopped Coriander leaves and serve hot.

NOTES :

• Adding Tamarind Paste is purely optional.
• If the tomatoes are not tangy enough/ if you like a tangy version of Tomato Kurma - add tamarind paste.
• Soaking Poppy Seeds prior to grinding will help you get a smooth paste otherwise, they may float over the Curry.
• Can prepare the same recipe without grinding the 'Masala Paste" follow the step as such, until they are Sauteed and masala powders are fried, then pour the coconut paste and follow the suit.
• Can add a pinch of sugar to balance the tastes.
• Any Vegetable oil can be used for the recipe, but Gingelly Oil gives the authentic flavour.

IDLI UPMA

      Idli Upma is an ultimate quick fix with left-over idlis & simple seasonings.  And at times if your idlis turn out to be hard, then this recipe is sure to rescue you.  Why left-over idlis for this recipe?  The two factors I reason out are
     - Fresh- Hot idlis cannot be crumbled up without lumps.
     - They turn out to be sticky too.
       So, Cold ones serve the purpose neatly.
     

    When it comes to South Indian Cuisine the two dishes which comes to everyone's mind should be Idli & Dosa. The staple breakfast item of almost all South Indians households. Variety and Variations of the dishes are served all over the world. The above vegetarian oriented dishes are relatively easy to make, healthy and serve as a quick fix.  You have the batter then you can fix a breakfast or dinner within minutes.
     

    When it comes to Indian food abroad and if asked for one in any Indian restaurant, it would always end up with a variation of North Indian Cuisine.  But you do get South Indian food that would mostly be Idli(Sambar Idli), Dosa mostly Paper Roast/Masala Dosa, Uthappams, Appams, Uzhundhu Vadai/Medhu Vadais prepared mostly to suit the restaurant standards slicked and drenched with lots of oil. Nothing like a simple home-made South Indian Tiffin Items. Even South Indian foodies rarely bother to venture further and try other South Indian dishes.
    

     This humble 'Idli Upma' is one dish which has never been in the lime light and has never ever travelled out from the confined South Indian Kitchens. One dish which can never be seen in a restaurant.  So no wonder even South Indian foodies around the world would least have an idea of the dish. Mostly prepared to use up the leftover idlis, in a simple and easiest way.  All the more it serves well for a breakfast, evening teatime snack or for dinner.  Serve it along with Coconut Chutney & Sambar or any chutney of your choice for an extra note of flavour and taste.
     

    My husband loves this Idli Upma, and he always says if there are left-over idlis, make Idli Upma.  Whereas my kids would ask me to prepare Idli Fries out of it.  So, for the above reasons, I have got into a habit of preparing extra batches of idlis just for the purpose, keep them in the refrigerator and prepare Idli Upma or Idli fries.  Mind you, they are not left-overs or I make Idli Upma because Idlis turned out to be hard😜

    When I write about Idli Upma, I cannot stop writing about the nostalgic memory which always comes along with this Idli Upma and the Tamil Movie 'Suryavamsam', least to mention the background score of Music director S.A. Rajkumar. La... La... La... La... La... La...  Rosapoo chinna rosapoo...

Cuisine : South Indian
Course : Main Course
Difficulty : Easy
Serves : 3-4
Author : SM

Preparation Time : 15-20 Minutes
Cooking Time : 10 - 15 Minutes

For more recipe on Tiffin Items, Click here...

INGREDIENTS :

For Seasoning :

Garnishing :

METHOD :

• Crumble the idlis coarsely with your fingers until they are evenly crumbled without any lumps and keep them aside.
• Heat Oil in a pan, splutter Mustard seeds.
• Add Bengal Gram Dhal & Urad Dhal along with Dry Red Chillies and Curry leaves.
• Fry the above on a medium flame until fragrant and the colour changes into slight golden brown.
• Add finely chopped Onions, Green Chillies and Ginger to the above seasonings and saute until Onions turns translucent.
• Sprinkle the Turmeric Powder and give a quick stir on a low flame.
• Add grated Coconut to the above and mix well, leave it on a low flame for 1-2 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Add crumbled Idlis along with Salt and mix well until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
• Leave this on a low flame for few minutes.
• Pour in the Lime Juice along with a pinch of Sugar and mix well.
• Garnish the Idli Upma with finely chopped Coriander leaves.
• Serve Idli Upmas hot along with Sambar or Chutney.

• Prepare this Idli Upma with cold Idlis.  Can prepare Idlis in advance and store it up in the refrigerator.
• Fresh- Hot idlis cannot be crumbled up without lumps and they turn out to be sticky too.  
• For white Idli Upma, avoid adding Turmeric Powder.
• Can prepare the Idli Upmas without Coconut too.
• I usually add Lime Juice for an extra flavour and taste.
• Adding Sugar will balance the overall taste of the dish, but it is purely optional.

 

KHEEMA FRY - PESHAWARI STYLE

 INGREDIENTS :

To Marinate :

To Dry Roast :

For Masala Paste :

To Saute :

For Garnishing :

METHOD :

• Dry roast Coriander seeds & Shah Jeera on a very low flame until aromatic.
• Grind it into a fine powder and keep it aside.
• Saute finely chopped Onion, Ginger, Garlic, Dry Chillies and Anaar -Dhaana until onions turn translucent.
• Allow it to cool and grind this into a coarse paste.
• Marinate Minced Meat with this ground paste, salt and curd.
• Leave it aside for at least 30 minutes or up to 2-hours maximum.
• Heat oil in a pan, saute finely chopped Onions and Green Chillies until onions turn translucent.
• Add Ginger-Garlic paste and fry until the raw flavour goes.
• Add Turmeric Powder, Red Chilli Powder and Coriander Powder and fry for a while.
• Add chopped Tomatoes to the above and saute it until tomatoes are well cooked and oil separates from the mix.
• Now add freshly ground Shah Jeera and Coriander Powder and give a quick stir.
• Add marinated minced meat and mix well.
• Pour enough water, salt and allow it to cook.
• When the minced meat is well cooked, sprinkle Garam Masala Powder and mix well.
• Leave this is on a  low flame for few minutes or until it becomes slightly dry.
• Garnish with Ginger strips and Coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with Chappathis, Rotis, Parathas or Plain Rice/ Basmati Rice.

NOTES :

• Can use minced Lamb/Beef for this recipe.
• I have slow cooked the minced meat, alternatively can pressure cook the meat for a Whistle on a high flame and 2 whistles on a low flame.
• Adjust the spices to suit your taste preference.

GOBI MANCHURIAN RECIPE

• Cut the Cauliflower into big florets.
• Make a smooth paste with All-purpose Flour, Corn Flour, White Pepper Powder, Light Soy-Sauce & Salt (It should be without lumps and in dripping consistency).
• Marinate the Cauliflower florets in the batter for 10 Minutes.
• Grind Ginger and Garlic into a fine paste & keep it aside.
• Heat oil in a Pan. 
• Once the oil is hot reduce the flame to medium and deep fry the batter coated Cauliflower florets until they turn into golden brown colour. 
• Fry in small batches, otherwise they may stick to each other.
• Line up the fried Cauliflower florets on a Paper Towel.
• Heat few teaspoons of Oil in a Pan, saute Onions, Dried Red Chillies and finely chopped Green Chillies until they turn translucent.
• Add Ginger-Garlic paste and fry until it turns fragrant. 
• Lower the flame and pour in the sauces and give a quick stir.
• Increase the flame to high, add fried Cauliflower florets, chopped Bell Peppers along with a dash of Salt and Sugar.
• Gently mix until the sauces coat every floret.
• Garnish it with finely chopped Spring Onions. 
• Serve Gobi Manchurian hot. 

NOTES :

• Instead of marinating the florets in the batter for 10 minutes, can directly dip them in batter and fry them immediately too.
• Adjust the number of Dry Red Chillies and Green Chillies to suit your spice level.
• Can add a pinch of MSG(Aji-no-moto) if preferred.

For Gobi Manchurian Gravy :

• Follow the instruction as above until the florets are well coated with the sauces.
• Meanwhile, mix 1 Tbspn of Cornflour in Ice-cold water without lumps.
• Pour the Cornflour mix over the Florets and stir continuously in quick movements until the mixture boils and the gravy turns thick and shiny.
• Care should be taken not to break the florets.
• Sprinkle Spring Onions once the gravy is ready.
• Serve Hot.

FRIED RICE - INDIAN STYLE

HOW TO MAKE FRIED RICE - INDIAN STYLE

INGREDIENTS :

To Cook Rice :

For Indian Fried Rice :

METHOD :

To Cook Basmati Rice in Rice Cooker : 

• Place 1 Cup of Rice in the rice cooker.
• Add 11/2 Cups of Water.
• Drizzle a Teaspoon of Oil along with some salt to the above and give a quick stir.
• Cover the Rice Cooker and turn it on.
• Cook until it automatically turns off.
• Leave the Rice Cooker in warm mode for another 5-10 minutes.
• Allow it to cool for few minutes.
• Fluff up the rice with a fork or a chopstick before serving.

NOTES :

• The amount of water to add can vary depending on the rice. The new crop needs less water compared to the old rice.
• Cooking Basmati rice in a rice cooker is a bit tricky. You get the knack then it's really easy. Try cooking as per the ratio mentioned in directions of the Rice Cooker manual and as per the Rice variety. 
• Adjust the water until you get perfectly cooked Basmati Rice.  Few trial and errors don't matter.
• I get perfectly cooked Basmati rice at 1:11/2 ratio in Rice cooker.
• 1 cup of Basmati rice gives about 3 cups of cooked rice.
• Cold Rice ( a day old refrigerated one) is very good for making Fried Rice.
• Can cook the Rice in a Sauce Pan, Pressure Cooker or even in a Steamer.  Getting the right Rice Water Ration does the job.  Will write a detailed post on how to Cook Basmati Rice soon... 

For Fried Rice - Indian Style :

• Cut Carrots and Beans into Julienne's and keep it aside.
• Chop Bell Peppers into small cubes and chop Cabbage finely.
• Heat Oil/ in a Pan, Saute finely chopped Onions and Green Chillies.
• Let the flame be at the high.
• Immediately add Julienne Carrots and Beans to the above and cook on high flame for few minutes,
• Add Bell Pepper Cubes, sprinkle some Salt and Sugar over the vegetables and give a quick stir.
• Do not overcook the Vegetables, they should have a crunchy texture.
• Add Cooked Basmati Rice and gently mix the ingredients in quick movements.
• Let the flame be at the high.
• Pour in the Vinegar and sprinkle a dash of White Pepper to the above and mix well.
• Finally, add finely chopped Cabbage and mix well.
• Once all the ingredients are well incorporated, switch off the flame.
• Garnish the Indian Fried Rice with finely chopped Spring Onions.
• Serve Indian Fried Rice hot with your preferred Sauces or Condiments.

 NOTES :

• Any fragrant long-grained rice variety can be used for the recipe.
• Use a day old cooked rice for best results. Obviously, keep them refrigerated.
• The secret of perfectly cooked Rice is getting the right ratio of water to rice. Typically, the instructions on the package call for 11/2 cups Water for every 1 cup of Rice (1:11/2 Cups Rice : Water Ratio), if you like your rice “al dente” as per the instruction.
• Adding Oil while cooking the Rice also yields a non-sticky Rice.
• Can use Butter or Oil in the recipe.
• Can add a pinch of MSG(Aji-no-moto) if preferred.
• White Pepper can be substituted with Black Pepper. White Pepper helps to retain white colour and is mild compared to Black Pepper.
• Do not overcook the vegetables, they should have a crunchy texture.
• Adding Sugar while cooking the Vegetables helps to retain the colour.
• Can add scrambled eggs, Chicken/fish/prawns for a Non-vegetarian version of this recipe.