Instant (Rava/Oats) Idli

Idlis, that too instant - that was news to me. I am sure you would have experienced this too - get up in the morning and stare at the kitchen wall, not sure what to make for breakfast. There are not too many instant breakfast options for malayalees, its either upma or puttu, if banana is available. So this recipe is great help these days.




Ingredients


Rava / Semolina - 2 cups
Oats - 3/4 cup
Grated carrot - 3 tbsp (optional)
Grated coconut - 2 tbsp (optional)

Curd - 3/4 cup
Water -  as needed
Salt - as needed

Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Channa dal - 2 tbsp
Urid dal - 1 tbsp
Broken cashew - 2 tbsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Green chilly - 1 tsp

Method

1. Heat oil in a wide pan. Splutter the mustard seeds. Then add channa dal, broken cashew & urid dal. Saute them till they turn light brown.
2. Add curry leaves & green chilly.
3. Now add the rava/semolina & oats and give it a good stir. Let the whole mixture get roasted for 2-3 minutes (no need to brown, just get it hot).
4. Switch off the stove, and let the mixture cool.
5. Once cooled, add curd, grated coconut & grated carrot. Add 1/2 cup water (always add water in batches). As the batter sits, it starts absorbing water. You will need to add more water. The thickness of batter should be as of idli batter.
6. Just before cooking, add enough salt.
7. Grease the idli impressions with little oil. Pour a ladle full of batter into each impression and steam for about 10 min. Serve hot with coconut chutney & sambar.

Semiya Pulav / Upma

This is something which I wanted to try for a long time. I had tasted Semiya Biriyani once, when my aunt made it and it was awesome. So I thought I'll just follow my chicken biriyani recipe partially for this. Since I didnt do the garnishing part and made less rich, thought of calling it Pulav or upma. We had it for breakfast, but I think this would make a wonderful dinner since its so filling and mild. My kids loved every bit of it.

Ingredients

Semiya - 3 cups
Water - 6-8 cups
Salt -  as needed

For the masala (mine was mild, you can increase chilly, ginger, masala quantity if you want it spicy)

Big onion - 1 big, thinly sliced
Green chilly - 1
Garlic - 2 cloves
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Mint leaves - 5-6 leaves
Coriander leaves - 5-6 strands
Carrot (cut to 2 inch long strands) - 1 cup
Green peas - 1/2 cup
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp

Method

1. Heat a wide mouthed pan, add enough water. Let it come to boil. When it starts to boil, add enough salt and add the semiya. Add a drop of oil, to avoid semiya sticking to each other. Let it cook well. You can add the green peas as well to the boiling semiya so that both will get cooked together. Once semiya is cooked, strain them, sprinkle some cold water on it (to stop the cooking process and to avoid the strands sticking to each other). Keep it aside.
2. In the same pan, add oil. When its hot enough, add the sliced onions and saute them well.
3. Meanwhile, grind together (in a mixer) ginger, garlic, green chilly, mint leaves and coriander leaves.
4. Once the onions are sauteed well, add the ground paste to this mixture and saute till the raw smell goes.
5. Add in the coriander and turmeric powder, and saute for 5 seconds.
6. Add the carrots and saute till its cooked. Sprinkle some water if the masala is bit dry.
7. Now add the cooked semiya & green peas and mix well. Adjust the salt.
8. Garnish with some chopped coriander leaves, server warm!

Loaf Bread

This is my first successful loaf...perfect & tasty!

Ingredients

For the water roux/tangzong

All purpose / Bread flour - 1/3 cups

Water - 1 cup

Method : Place the flour & water in a pan. Mix the flour well with water. Turn on the heat (low flame) and keep stirring till the mixture reaches 65C or it starts forming lines. The moisture should not be dried up completely. Keep it aside to cool.

For the Bread

Bread / All Purpose Flour - 2 1/2 - 3 cups

Milk - 1/2 cup

Instant yeast - 2 tsp

Egg - 1

Sugar - 2 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp

Water roux - approx 3 tbsp

Butter (at room temp) - 3 tbsp

White sesame seeds - 1 tsp

Method

1. Warm milk till its very warm (approx 80C). Dissolve the sugar in it. Sprinkle the instant yeast on top of it. Keep it aside for approx 10 min for the yeast to get activated and the mixture to become frothy.

2. In the food processor bowl, measure and add the bread flour and salt. Now add in the frothy yeast mixture (wait till the mixture is really frothy), water roux and egg (keep aside a tbsp for brushing later). Keep kneading at medium speed till everything comes together. Add flour if its too sticky. Keep kneading atleast for 5 minutes.

3. Now add in the softened butter and knead for another 10 min till you get an elastic, soft, non-sticky dough.

4. Dab the dough with some oil and keep it aside for atleast an hour for it to double in size. Make sure you cover it with a damp cloth.

5. Once doubled, punch down the dough to remove the air. Shape it to a loaf and place in the loaf tin. Cover with damp cloth, and keep aside for another half hour for the dough to rise again.

6. Meanwhile pre-heat the oven to 180 deg celsius. Brush the top of the dough with egg (mixed with some water) and sprinkle sesame seeds. Place the loaf tin (with dough in) to the oven and bake for approx 25 min (baking time will depend on your oven type).

7. Once baked, take out the loaf and run a stick of butter over the top of the loaf to give a shiny texture. Keep it covered if not using immediately. Cut the bread with a serrated knife, only once its cooled completely.

Party Sandwiches

This is definitely a party pleaser..easy to make and stores well too. You can make the chutneys ahead and can be stored in the fridge.

Ingredients

Bread - 3 slices
Green chutney - 1 tbsp
Red chutney - 1 tbsp
Any cheese or mayonnaise - 1 tsp (I used Kiri spread)

Red Chutney (I have used carrot chutney here)

Carrot  - 2, grated
Small onions - 4, sliced
Green chilly - 2, chopped
Ginger  -1 inch piece, chopped
Garlic - 1 small clove, chopped
Tomato - 1 small, chopped
Salt - as per taste
Oil - 1 tbsp

Method : Heat a pan, add some oil. Add sliced onions. Saute them for a minute. Add green chilly, ginger and garlic. Saute for another minute. Add the grated carrot. Saute well till they are half cooked. Add chopped tomatoes. Let them cook for about 5 minutes, till everything is soft. Add required salt. Switch off the stove and allow the mixture to cool. Then grind it in mixer till its smooth. You can use it at this stage or freeze it till you need it,

Green chutney
Coriander leaves - 2 hands full
Mint leaves - handful
Small onion - 3
Green chilly - 1
Ginger - half inch piece
Curry leaves - 1 sprig, optional
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Salt - as needed
Lime juice - from half a lemon

Method - Grind everything till it forms a smooth paste.


Method

1. Take one slice of bread. Spread some red chutney over.
2. Cover with second slice. Spread some cheese over the second slice. Top it with a tbsp of green chutney. Cover it third slice.
3. Remove the crusts and slice it diagonally to et 4 equal triangles. Arrange them on a tray

Chicken Stew / Ishtu

For Easter and Christmas, our day starts with Stew/Ishtu for breakfast. Its such an unavoidable item for breakfast and when paired with Appam, they make a terrific combo. The rich, creamy stew combined with feather-like appams melt in your mouth and slowly glide through your food pipe tickling your taste buds at the right spots. They are mild, yet spicy (from the whole spices added) and tangy (from vinegar) all at the same time. The secret to good ishtu is that there should be a balance between all these flavours - mildness, tangy, spicy - none of the flavours should be overpowering.

Ingredients

Carrot - 1, washed, peeled and diced
Potato - 1, washed, peeled and diced
Cooked chicken pieces (fairly big pieces) - 2 cups (You can directly add uncooked pieces too)
Chicken stock (optional - left from cooking the chicken) - 1/2 cup
Whole spices
   Cardamom - 1
   Cinnamom - 2 inch piece, broken to smaller pieces
   Cloves - 4
   Whole black pepper - 5-6
Big onion - 1 medium
Green chilly - 1 or 2, as per your tolerance. I like to keep it mild, so add only one
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Ginger - 1 inch pieces, julienned
Thick coconut milk - 1/2 cup
Thin coconut milk - 1 1/2 cups (it should not be too thin, something like semi-thick)
Coconut oil - 2 tbsp
Vinegar - 1 tbsp

Method

1. Heat a kadai, add coconut oil.

2. Once hot (throughout cooking, it should be on low-medium heat), add the whole spices and wait till they splutter.

3. Add the diced onion and saute till they turn pink (take care not to saute for more time)

4. Add the julienned ginger and green chilly (slit), mix in

5. Add in the diced potatoes and carrots, stir well. Let them get cooked in the oil for a while (approx 3 min). Take care not to burn them, keep stirring).

6. Add in the chicken pieces (cooked or uncooked) along with the chicken stock. Add half cup water if chicken stock isn't available. If using uncooked chicken, you donot need any water as chicken will start releasing its juices. Cover and cook till carrots, chicken and potatoes are cooked well.

7. Once cooked (you should be able to smash the potatoes easily with the back of a spoon), add the semi-thick coconut milk. Mix well. Add salt. Smash some pieces of carrots and potatoes so that the sauce becomes thick. 

8. When the coconut milk starts to boil (do not allow to boil well), quickly add the thick coconut milk and immediately switch off the stove. Stir for a minute, to ensure coconut milk do not curdle.

9. Add vinegar, stir well. Serve hot with Appams

Oats Khichdi

A healthy, sumptuous, tasty & light dinner, that can be made in a jiffy. This is really a loose recipe, which you can play around with - use as many veggies as you want, or meat - if you like it your oats, use ginger if you'd like, or add grated coconut for an extra taste.

I personally like to have it with curd!



Ingredients

Oats - about 2 cups (I eye-balled the quantity)
Cooked moong dal - 1/2 cup
Chopped vegetables - 1/2 cup (I used carrots, beans, greenpeas)
Big onion - 1 small, chopped finely
Green chilly - 2, slit or chopped, as per your spice level
Salt - as per taste
Oil - 1 tbsp
Garlic - 1 small clove, crushed
Turmeric powder -  a pinch, optional
Water - about 3 cups (adjust as per yoru consistency requirements)

Method

1. Heat a wide mouthed kadai, and add oil. Add the chopped onions. Saute till they are transparent.
2. Add chillies and crushed garlic. Saute till raw smell is gone.
3. Add turmeric powder, cooked veggies. Saute for couple of minutes and then add the cooked dal and water. Bring it to boil. Adjust salt.
4. Add the oats and cooked till done. Add more water if you'd like so.

Wheat Dosa

A healthy dosa, which can be made in a jiffy..goes well with normal coconut chutney and best with tomato chutney. I like to play around with the ingredients of this dosa, as the dosa with just wheat flour and water will taste bland. So I spice it up by adding chillies, ginger, onions etc. You can either add them as it is or shallow fry them in oil and add to the batter...either ways its tasty.



Ingredients

Whole wheat flour - 2 cups
Egg - 1 (optional - egg makes the dosa slightly fluffy and tastier)
Salt - 1 tsp , as per taste
Dried red chilly or finely chopped green chilly - 1, as per taste (optional)
Finely chopped ginger - 1 tsp (optional)
Finely chopped small onions - 1 tbsp (optional)
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup (optional)
Water - almost 1 1/2 cups (according to your consistency)
Ghee - just enough to smear on the dosa

Method

1. In the big jar of the mixer, add all the ingredients except ghee and pulse 4-5 times until all of them together form a batter. If needed add more water. (I have figured out that doing it in the mixer saver a lot of time than making the batter with hand).
2. Heat a tawa and when its hot add a ladle of batter and make dosas. Smear ghee on the sides and top. Over turn the dosa and cook the other side too.
3. Serve warm with coconut chutney, tomato chutney or even chutney powder.

Aloo Paratha / Potato stuffed paratha

My favourite comfort food....for breakfast as well as for dinner...so yum they are, with a little curd and pickle!!

Ingredients

For chapathi dough

Whole wheat atta - 3 cups

Olive oil - 1 tbsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Water - 1.5 cups

For Aloo masala

Boiled potatoes - 2 medium, peeled and mashed

Big onion - 1 big, chopped fine

Green chilly - 2, chopped fine

Ginger - 1/2 inch piece, chopped fine

Garlic - 1 clove, chopped fine

Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup, chopped fine

Chillu powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)

Salt - as per taste

Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Ghee - for smearing the aloo paratha

Method

Chapathi dough

Mix all the ingredients and form a soft, smooth and pliable dough. Cover it with a wet cloth and let it rest for atleast 20 min.

Aloo Masala

1. Heat a kadai, and add the oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the chopped onions. Sprinkle some salt.

2. When the onions turn slight pinkish, add the ginger, garlic and chillies. Saute for couple of minutes. If adding chilli powder, add at this stage.

3. Now add the mashed potatoes and mix up well.

4. Sprinkle cumin powder, mix well and switch off the stove.

5. Add the chopped coriander leaves, and give a good mix.

Making the Aloo Paratha

1. Take a ball of dough, and flatten it in you palm using other hand.

2. Place a heaped tbsp full of aloo masala on this. Close it with the chapathi dough as shown in pic.

3. Now roll it out, as you would roll a chapathi, careful enough not to break it.

4. Heat a tawa, and when its hot, place the rolled out stuffed chapathi on it.

5. Add some ghee on the sides. When one side is done, turn it over and smear some ghee again so that there is enough ghee on both the sides.

6. Remove from tawa, when both the sides are done.

Enjoy with some curd and pickle.

Breakfast Wraps

A healthy, wholesome, filling breakfast!! Makes a great lunch too.. 

Ingredients

Note : I have used whatever was available in my kitchen that day. You can use any filling (like chicken strips with lettuce) or spread (mayonnaise). 

Chapati - 8 nos (I made them with normal chapathi, you can use tortilla wraps too. While making chapathi, I used around 2 tbsp of olive oil to the dough to make it soft)

Tuna (cooked) - 1 tin

Big onion - 1 medium, thinly sliced

Carrot - half of 1 carrot, cut into thin strips

Egg - 1

Cooking cream - 1 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Pepper powder - as needed

Chicken sausages - around 8 small ones, cut into thin strips

Tomato - 1 big, cut into half and then thinly sliced

Method

In a skillet, saute the tuna in little (~ 1 tsp) oil. Saute till the raw smell is gone. Remove from the skillet and keep it aside.

In the same skillet, add the sausage strips and fry for couple of minutes. Drain and remove.

Now add the sliced onion and carrot into the same wok. Add little more oil if needed. Sprinkle some salt. Saute till the raw smell is gone. Drain and keep it aside.

Beat the egg with cooking cream. Add salt and pepper. Beat well and pour into the skillet. Let it cook for sometime. Do not let it dry too much. It should be kind of soft. Take it out and keep in another bowl. 

 

 

Wrapping the wrap

Take one chapati and place in a plate.
First keep the cooked egg, and spread slightly
Top it up with a tsp of onion-carrot mixture
Place a tbsp of tuna above it
Place 3-4 sausage strips too
Arrange 3-4 tomato slices above all of them

Wrap tightly!!

Uzhunnu Vada / Urid dal vada

Uzhunnu vada doesn't need any special mention among south indians. It is much enjoyed by almost any Indian. This is the second time I am trying this out, and irrespective of any number of vadas I make, they immediately vanish. Thanks to my ever hungry husband and son. The vadas are super-easy to make except for the shaping and dropping-to-oil part, which I am yet to master. Luckily I could get quite a few in shape this time, however I am still contemplating on whether or not to buy a vada-maker.

Ingredients

Urid dal - 1 cup (soak for 2 hrs)

Big onion - 1 medium, chopped finely

Green chilly - 1, chopped

Ginger - 1/2 inch piece, chopped finely

Salt - as per taste

Whole peppercorns - 1 tsp (optional)

Curry leaves - 3-4 leaves, chopped

Oil - for frying

Breakfast fit for a King!

Method

Grind the urid dal in the big jar of mixer adding very little water (You shouldn't use more than 1/4 cup water. Use as much less as possible).
Remove the ground paste to a bowl, and add salt.
Mix in the chopped onions, green chilly, ginger, curry leaves and pepper corns.



Heat oil in a kadai.
Wet both your palms with water. Take a small quantity of dal paste with your right hand and place it on the left palm. Dip your right fore-finger again in water and make a hole with this finger on the dal paste which is in the left hand. When the oil is hot enough (it should be really hot), gently slide the shaped vada into the oil. Do not overcrowd the pot. Cook on a medium - high heat till the vadas turn crisp and brown on both sides.

Stuffed Buns

By the time you start baking buns / breads at home, you have reached a certain milestone in your culinary journey. You'd have started off the journey with chai and egg omlette, slowly moved onto making thorans, stir fries..then onto to fish, chicken..and so on. 

I remember I used to like cooking even during school days, but my grandmom wouldn't allow me inside the kitchen for a long time. So my kitchen experience those days were limited to grating coconut, stirring in between, and tasting meat & fish dishes during lent / advent days. Sooner I became happy with this limited kitchen contact...until I reached Bangalore for my first job. I was staying there as a paying guest. Initial few days went by, where I enjoyed breakfast and lunch from office canteen and dinner from nearby restaurants. Soon the kannadiga food began to be boring for me, and I craved for some Kerala dishes. There started my culinary journey, with just one small cooker, one pot/kadai, one plate and couple of spoons. Since it was a kitchen shared with many inmates, my experiments were limited to vegetarian side dishes along with Kerala motta rice (I specifically bought the cooker for that). Even after I got married and settled in Dubai, vegetarian dishes were my forte, except for the occasional pressure cooker biriyani. I can safely say that it was after my son was born (6 years back) that I really started liking cooking / baking. I had a wonderful maid then, who was an excellent cook, and from her I learnt quite a few tricks and tips of cooking. I still remember that I wanted to bake the birthday cake for my son's first birthday, and one whole night I spent trying to do the icing. It was a flop, and my husband had to run on the eleventh hour to get a birthday cake. From then on, many experiments and flops later, here I am, presenting before you the super soft, delicious buns.  

Ingredients - for buns

All purpose flour - 1 1/2 cups

Whole wheat atta - 1 1/2 cups (I used Ashirvad atta)

Instant yeast - 1 1/2 tbsp 

Milk - 1/2 cup

Water - 1/2 cup

Sugar - 2 tbsp

Salt - 2 tsp

Olive oil - 6 tbsp

For topping / milkwash

Milk - 2 tbsp

White sesame seeds - 1 tbsp

Method

Warm the milk until its lukewarm. Dissolve the sugar in it.

Sprinkle the yeast over milk and keep it aside, undisturbed. It will take around 10 - 15 min for the yeast to get frothy. Wait till its really frothy, the softness of your bun depends on this and on the quality of your yeast. 

Measure and add both the flours to the food processor bowl. Attach dough hook to the food processor.

Mix in the salt and olive oil. 

Turn on the food processor and knead in medium speed.

Add the yeast mixture, keep kneading, approx for a minute.

Add 1/4 cup water, knead for couple of minutes more. 

If you need more water add rest of the water. You should aim to get a smooth, non-sticky dough.

Keep adding water (I had to add around 3 tbsp more water) until you get the right dough consistency. Knead at high speed for about 5 minutes.

Cover the bowl containing dough with a clean cloth or cling film.

Let it rest for about 1 hr, for the dough to rise and double in size.

Once doubled, punch down the dough and make small balls out of it. Keep them neatly arranged on a baking tray. After 10 minutes, they would slightly risen. 

Take each ball, flatten them a bit, place the filling of your choice, close the dough and roll on your palm to get a round shape without any creases.

Place them on the baking tray, cover with a cloth / cling film and wait for another 45 min.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. 

Dip a pastry brush in milk and and brush over the buns. Sprinkle some sesame seeds

Place the tray in the oven and bake for about 30 min or until the top of the bun has become brown and crusty. In my cooking range, it took me less than 25 minutes for the perfectly baked buns.

The filling could be anything - chicken, beef, fish or vegetable masala. I chose vegetable filling as I didnt have meat or fish with me. Below is a quick recipe of the same.

Vegetable Filling

Potato - 1 medium

Carrot - 1 medium

Beans - 4

Big onion - 1 small, finely chopped

Green chilly - 1, chopped

Garlic - 1 clove, finely chopped

Boil the veggies. In a kadai, add 1 tbsp oil and saute the onion, chilly and garlic. When they are translucent, add the boiled veggies and gently combine. Sprinkle salt and pepper as per your taste. Switch off the stove when the mixture is somewhat dry.

Homemade Vegetable Burger

There is a certain amount of satisfaction that comes from preparing "junk food" at home...and if you can make it healthy, nothing can really beat it. Our recent addition to breakfast menu is home-made veggie burger. Its easy and pretty healthy too. We all loved it alike.

Herbed Buns

All purpose flour - 1 1/2 cups
Wheat flour (I used Ashirvad) - 1 1/2 cups
Salt - 1 tsp
Herb mixture (I used dried oregano - 1/2 tsp, fresh basil and thyme - 1 1/2 tsp) - 2 tsp

Basil

Thyme

Instant yeast - 3/4 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Lukewarm water - 1 1/4 cups
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Sesame seeds - as needed



Method

In a small bowl, add half cup water, sugar and yeast and keep it aside, undisturbed for about 10 minutes. It will become frothy after sometime. If it doesn't, wait for some more time or try to keep it in a warmer place.

Sieve the flours and add it to the food processor bowl. Add in the salt. Attach dough hook to the machine and beat at a low speed for about half minute. Slowly add in the yeast mixture, olive oil, remaining water and herb mixture and beat at medium speed for about 5 min. You need to be careful about adding water, add it slowly to get a smooth, soft dough. If you are kneading with hand, then add all the ingredients in a wide mouthed bowl and knead it throroughly for about 10 minutes.

Take the dough out of the bowl, now slightly oil this bowl and keep the dough back and allow it to rest in it. Cover with a cling film and keep it in a warm place for about an hour till the dough doubles in size. Punch down the dough and form small balls out it. Place them on a baking tray, giving enough space in between for the dough to rise again. Cover with oiled cling film and keep in a warm place to allow to rise again. This will take another 30 min.

Brush the top of the burger buns with little milk using a pastry brush and sprinkle some sesame seeds on it. After the dough has risen, place the baking tray in a pre-heated oven (180 deg Celsius) and bake for about 30 min.

Veg Patties



Beetroot - 1 medium
Potato - 1 medium
Big onion - 1 small
Green chilly - 1
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp (as per your tolerance level)
Salt - as needed
Oil - 1 tbsp
Bread crumbs - about 3 tbsp

Chop finely the onions and green chilly.
Wash and peel the beetroot and potato. Cut them into chunks and boil them separately in water (This is because beets take more time to cook than the potato). Once cooked, drain the water  (ensure that you remove all the water!!) and mash (using a masher or fork) both potato and beetroot.
Heat a kadai, and add oil. Once hot, add the finely chopped onion and chilly. Saute till they become translucent. Now add the mashed roots and mix well. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Saute till all of it comes together. Switch off the stove.
Wait for it to cool down a bit. Sprinkle bread crumbs and mix till the entire mass dries up a bit. Now take small quantity of the mixture, place it on your palm and shape into round cutlets.



You can freeze them, if you don't intend to use it immediately. If freezes well for upto a week.

Once you are done with shaping, heat a non-stick pan and grease it slightly with oil. Place the cutlets on it and cook till both the sides turn crisp. You can deep fry them in oil too, but you really dont need to do that since all the ingredients are already thoroughly cooked.

Assembling the burger

Cut the burger bun into half.
Smear some mayonnaise or your favorite spread.
Place a leaf of lettuce (optional, I didn't have and hence omitted)
Place a thin round slice of tomato (optional)
Place a veg cutlet on top of it.
Cover with the other half of bun.



Crunch!! and enjoy!!