cauliflower parota

This is yet another of the parotas we prepare regularly. For me parotas are the saviors , when I can't zero in on any side dishes to go with the chapathis. The filling can be prepared before hand and stacked away in the fridge . This comes in handy to put together a meal in when in a hurry.
Presenting the two flowers of a different kind ! One a visual treat & the other a gastrnomical one.



Ingredients for the filling -

Cauliflower - 1 medium flower
Onion - 2 medium chopped finely
Oil - 2 tbsp
Jeera - 2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 2 tsp
Dhaniya powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Coriander - 2 tbsp, chopped
Sugar - 1 tsp
Amchur powder - 1 tsp

Method

Wash the florets & pulse in the blender or grate the florets.
In a pan , heat the oil & temper with the cumin.
Stir in the onions for a couple of minutes.
Add the prepared cauliflower & cook covered, stirring now & then till the rawness goes.
Add all the powders and give it a good mix.
Garnish with the coriander.

Prepare a soft chapathi dough.
Roll out 2 small puris.
On the 1st puri, spread a tbsp of the filling , leaving a margin all around to seal the edges.

Cover with the other puri & seal the edges.
Dust a plastic sheet & roll this parota lightly.
Cook on a hot griddle on both the sides with a tsp of oil.
Tastes good by itself or with pickles & curds.

Sending this to Sri's EFM.

Saagu Junka

You can call it a saagu crossover or a Junaka crossover. Traditionally saagu is a vegetable intense dish with it's own style of masala and junaka is a gram flour based side dish. Saagu Junaka is a name coined by yours truly , because this is an integrated dish.
The boiled veggies are cooked into the gram flour gravy base. The sour curds gives a pleasant tang to the gravy.

Ingredients


Mixed vegetables - 2 cups
Sour curds - 1/2 cup
Besan gram flour - 1 tbsp
Onion - 1 large , diced
Capsicum - 1/2 cup , diced
Ginger - 1/2 '' piece, finely chopped
Garlic - 2 cloves , finely chopped ( optional )
Green chilly paste - 2 tsps
Salt
For tempering -
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard, Jeera, hing, curry leaves

Method

Boil vegetables of choice like carrots, beans, peas, potato, cabbage, ridge gourd etc.
Heat oil in a pan & temper. Stir in the ginger & garlic at this stage.
Saute the onion & capsicum till done.
Mix the gram flour in the sour curds . Pour this mixture into the onions & stir till you get a cooked smell.
Now add the boiled vegetables , chilly paste, salt . Add water to the required consistency. Bring it to a simmer.
Garnish with chopped coriander.
Serve with chapathi.

Suggestion

Can use lemon juice in the end if the curds are not sour.
Garam masala powder can be added in the end.

Sending this to Sri's EFM.

Coriander Rice

This is an old recipe stacked away in the drafts. I traced this when I launched a search for Lunch Box recipes. This is a flavorful rice, mildly spiced & combined with the veggies.
When served with a cooling Raitha , it makes a satisfying & filling lunch !

Ingredients

Basmathi Rice - 1 cup
Water - 1 1/2 cup
Oil & ghee - 3 tbsps & 1 tbsp
Cinnamon - 2 ''
Cloves - 4
Cardamom - 2
Bay Leaf - 2
Onions - 2 no.s , sliced
Carrots - 1/2 cup , julienne
Beans - 1/2 cup, julienne
Peas - a handful
Lemon juice - 2 tbsps
Sugar - 1 tsp

Grind together with some water-
Coconut - 2 tbsps
Green chillies - 8
Ginger - 1 '' piece
Garlic - 6 cloves
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
Onion - 2 tbsps, chopped
Coriander - 3/4 - 1 cup chopped

Method

Wash & soak rice for 10 minutes.
Take oil in a pan , drop the whole spices in hot oil to release their flavors. Tip in the onions & saute for 2 minutes. Stir in the vegetables & cook covered till they wilt.
Grind the masala paste & stir it in till it becomes dry.
Drain the rice, & stir it in the masala for a couple of minutes.
Bring the measured water to a boil with sufficient salt in a Rice cooker. Transfer the rice to the boiling water & cook till the rice is done.
Squeeze some lemon juice & sprinkle some sugar to balance out the flavors.
Serve with Raitha.

Sending this to the Tiffin Box Event hosted by Radhika and Sudashna.

Strawberry Banana Milkshake

I can't be wrong if I said Strawberry milkshake is everybody's All time favorite drink. With the luscious red berries in season, the first thing one would want to do in this hot summer is to enjoy a cool milkshake. Which is certain to uplift and invigorate the heart, mind, soul and all your gastronomical senses at one shot.
Banana gives body to the the otherwise thin drink, when ice cream is not used. One could do with less ice cream if a small banana is used.
Strawberries are sometimes arranged on a bed of these leaves in transparent boxes. I liked the delicate structure of these leaves & hence used it in the presentation. I'm guessing that they must be strawberry leaves. Any take on this , anyone ?

Ingredients

Cold milk - 1 glass
Banana - 1 small fruit
Vanilla / Strawberry Ice cream - 2 scoops
Sugar - 1 tbsp

Method

Add all this in a blender & whizz it up till nice and frothy and enjoy !

Methi chapathi , Raitha combo .

Methi is in season & fresh , healthy looking greens do beckon to be picked up ! How does one resist such a call ? Pinching out these leaves from their stems is laborious and time consuming , especially if it has to be done for a large family. But the goodness & flavour of this greens more than rewards all the effort. We love to have our methi chapathis with Tomato Cucumber Onion Raitha.

Ingredients

Wheat flour - 1 cup
Methi leaves/ fenugreek - 1 cup, chopped
Oil - 2 tsps
Salt
Grind-
Onion - 1 small, chopped,
Ginger - a small piece,
Garlic - 2 cloves,
Green chilly - 3,
Curds - 2 tbsps.

Method

Wash & chop the greens. Sprinkle the required amount of salt & rest it for a while. The greens release their moisture in the presence of salt.
Now mix the greens with atta & oil.
Grind the wet spices with curds.
Mix the chapathi dough with this paste. Add more water / curds if needed to make a soft dough. Rest for sometime.
Roll out chapathis & cook on a hot griddle with a dribble of oil.
Serve with any gravy/ raitha .

Raitha

Chop Tomatoes , Cucumber & onions finely. Beat thick curds. Add a dash of salt .Mix in the veggies & garnish with coriander.

Sending this to Sri's EFM.

Aapam with cooked rice

This is yet another variation from the world of Dosa. Left over cooked rice can be mixed with the curds & blended and utilized to prepare this delicious Dosa for the next day. This recipe is adapted from Pakadarshi , a book by Suryakanthamma. As all the recipes in this book are tried & tested , usually it is safe to assume that the results are upto the mark.



Ingredients

Rice - 2 cups
Rice - 1/2 cup
Curds - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1 tsp
Cooking soda - a pinch
Salt

Method

Soak 2 cups of rice for 3 hrs & grind into a fine and thick paste using less water
Cook the other half cup of rice. Blend it into a coarse paste with the curds.
Mix both the pastes. Add some salt. Let it ferment overnight.
Though this batter is thick when prepared, it loosens out the next morning.
In the morning, add water if needed to make flowing batter.
A pinch of cooking soda & sugar is mixed into the batter.
Make dosa by pouring a ladle of batter & swirling the hot pan.
Drizzle a tsp of oil & cook covered on one side only. No need of flipping the dosa to cook on the other side.
Enjoy the soft dosa with chutney of your choice.

Badam Milk / Almond milk

Badam milk, hot or cold is my all time favorite , thus making it both a summer & winter drink. Almonds are packed with vital vitamins & minerals. It is said to contain high levels of vitamin E, better known as an anti oxidant. It is not only a delicious & nutritious drink but a energy drink too. It is suitable for both the young and the old alike as it is easily digestible.
We even make our Halu obbatu / pal poli, using this milk.
Raising a toast to all the blogging fraternity ! Cheers.....!




Ingredients

Milk - 1 lt
Badam / Almonds- 50 gms
Cashew - 50 gms
Saffron - a pinch
Almond Flakes - a tbsp
Sugar - 1/2 cup

Method

Wash & soak the cashews for 1/2 hr in some water.
Boil the Almonds in some water . After a few minutes the skin swells up. Put off the fire. When cool, drain out the water & slip out the skins.
Wet grind the the cashews & almonds into a almost fine paste with water. It is nice to feel the grains of the almonds in the milk.
Bring the milk to a boil & continue boiling for another 10 minutes , stirring frequently & taking care not to scorch the milk at the bottom of the container. It is better to use a thick bottom pan for this preparation.
Stir the badam paste into the milk & continue boiling the milk, stirring all the while for 10 minutes or till you get a nice cooked aroma.
Add the sugar & Saffron strands & continue stirring for another 10 minutes.
Put off the fire.
The Milk is ready to be relished Hot or Chilled.
Garnish with toasted Almond flakes & serve.

Suggestions

Nutmeg powder can be used in the milk if preferred. It imparts a distinct aroma & flavor.
Or it can be cardamom flavored.
Pistachio flakes make a good garnish.