Bisi bele bhath

Ingredients

Raw rice - 1 cup

thoor dhal - 1 cup

Diced veggies (carrot, beans, turnip, chowchow) - 1 cup

coriander & curry leaves

tamarind pulp - 1 tbsp

coconut (or dry coconut/kobari) - 1 tbsp

mustard

turmeric

asofetieda

salt

List 1

Coriander seed - 1 tbsp

channa dal - 1/2 tsp

urad dal - 1/4 tsp

thor dal - 1/4 tsp

peppercorns - 5 nos

Red chillies - 5

fenugreek - 1 tsp

sesame seed - 1/4 tsp

jeera - 1 tsp

raw rice - 1 tsp

• First put rice and thoor dhal together and wash it well. 
• Transfer the mix of rice and dhal in a big vessel add, 6 cups of water to it.
• Add a tsp of turmeric and 1 tsp of oil and pressure cook it for 5 whistles.
• In a pan, add a tsp of oil and roast all the ingredients in the list 1 and keep it aside.
• When it cools down, add coconut and grind it to a smooth paste.
• Meanwhile in a big pan, add 2 tbsps of oil (preferably kadalai ennai/peanut oil).
• When it is hot, add mustard and when it splutters add jeera.
• Then add curry leaves and asofetida.
• Now make a liquid of tamarind paste and pour it in the pan.
• Add turmeric and salt.
• Now add the grounded paste and add enough water and let it boil.
• Take out the rice and dhal mix, and transfer it into the pan of the boiling mixture.
• Mix it well and keep it in flame for couple of minutes and garnish it with coriander and curry leaves.
• Serve it with tomato raitha. Yum!

This entry goes to Ashwini's Lentils mela event.

Ven Pongal

Raw rice - 1 cup

Moong dal - 1/2 cup

Jeera 2 tsp

Peppercorns 10 nos

ginger - 1 small piece

Seasoning

mustard

cashewnuts

curry leaves

salt

1. Heat the pan. Pour a tbsp of ghee. Roast the cashew and set it aside.
   
2. Now pour more ghee if required and roast the dhal until it turns red.
   
3. Now mix the rice and the roasted dhal and add 3 1/2 to 4 cups of water.
   
4. Add jeera, peppercorns, ginger and salt.
   
5. Place it in a cooker and let it for about 5 whistles.
   
6. Meanwhile in a small pan, heat ghee, add mustard and when it splutters add curry leaves and more jeera if required and mix it when the pongal is out of the cooker.
7. Serve it hot with chutney and sambhar. 

I am sending this entry to Mahima's 15 min cooking. 

This also goes to EC's WYF: Quick Meal event

Ragi dosa

Ragi flour - 3 cups

Rice flour - 1 cup

urad dal - 1 cup

methi seeds - 1 tbsp

salt

• Soak urad dal with methi seeds for 2 hrs. Grind it to a smooth batter.
  
• Now add ragi flour, rice flour and salt as required and mix it to dosa consistancy.
  
• It is not necessary that the batter should get fermented.
  
• Optionally, you can also add fried onions, green chillies and jeera to the batter and make dosas. Serve it with chutney of your choice.
  

Poha chivda / Aval mixture

Super thin poha - 3 cups

green chillies -2

curry leaves

mustard - 1 tbsp

peanuts - 10

cashews - 10

almonds - 10

dry grapes

turmeric

salt

• Take 3 cups of thin poha in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave it for about 2 to 3 mins. Poha will be very crispy by now. Set it aside.
  
• Meanwhile pour 3 tsps of oil in a pan. When it is hot, add mustard.
  
• Let it popup. Now add finely cut green chillies and curry leaves.
  
• Saute it well. Now add peanuts, almonds, cashew and roast it well.
  
• Add dry grapes and saute it too. Add turmeric and salt. 
  
• Add the crispy poha and mix it well along with the other ingredients. Fry it for 1 or 2 mins and turn off the stove.
  
• When it cools down, you can store it in an air-tight container for 3 or 4 days too.
  
• Perfect for evening snack!

I am sending this entry to "  Meals on Wheels event  hosted by Lakshmi "

Beetroot Chutney

Beetroot - 1 (or 2 depending on size)

urad dal - 1 tbsp

red chillies - 2

green chillies - 2

tamarind - a little

For seasoning

Mustard seeds

Asafoetida 

curry leaves

• Pour a tsp of oil and roast the urad dal and red chillies
  
• In the same pan, Grate or dice the beetroot and cook it till it gets soft
  
• When it cools down, grind everything by adding green chillies, tamarind and salt.
  
• Season it with mustard and curry leaves.
  
• This taste great with hot rice and ghee!
  

I send this entry to FIC Pink/Rose hosted by Priya 

Tomato kurma

Tomatoes - 5

onion - 2

Green chillies - 2

turmeric powder 

chilly powder

garam masala powder

salt

To grind

Pottukadalai/split gram dal - 1 tbsp

coconut - 1 tbsp

garlic - 3 pods

fennel seeds - 1 tsp

khus khus - 1 tsp

green chillies - 3

cardamon - 1

• Pour a tbsp of oil. When it is hot, add mustard. When it splutters, add chillies and onion and saute well.
  
• Now add the diced tomatoes and let it cook till soft.
  
• Add turmeric, chilly powder, garam masala as required.
  
• Grind all the ingredients in the 'to grind' list to a fine paste
  
• Add this paste to the pan and mix it well and let it boil. Add water as required.
  
• Garnish it with coriander leaves.
  
• Serve it with dosa or appam. It taste really good!
  

I send this entry to Sanghi's "Fall in love (FIL) - tomato" event

Thank you Varsha for pass on this wonderful award!

Thank you Gayathri for giving me the participation award for Magnificent click contest !

Sago vada

Ingredients-

Sago/Sabudana/ Javvarisi 1cup

boiled Potatoes - 2 big ones

rice flour - 2 tbsp

Red chilly powder- 2tsp

onion - 1 finely chopped

coriander and curry leaves

Salt

• Soak the sago for 3 hrs in water.
  
• Now add the boiled potatoes, mash it well and mix the sago, rice flour, red chilli powder, salt, coriander and curry leaves 
  
• Make small balls of it and flatten them.
  
• Deep fry them in hot oil until they are crisp and brown. 
  
• Serve hot with ketchup or some spicy chutney.
  

I am sending this entry to "Cooking for Kids Event- Potato" hosted by Deepa Hari

Bread cutlet

As I was browsing for some instant snacks, I came across Mahimaa's Indian vegetarian kitchen - Bread cutlet recipe which is quick and a easy snack. Cutlet with out potatoes.. really sounded interesting and I gave it a try. It was a hit! I followed her recipe as such, but did not have zucchini and panner. I used red chilli powder and omitted green chillies

Bread - 6 slices

Onion

cabbage

peas

carrot

capsicum

turmeric

red chilli powder

MTR multipurpose powder

coriander and curry leaves

salt

• Heat 1 tbsp of oil. Saute onion.
  
• Add the other veggies and fry till they are cooked. 
  
• Add turmeric, chilly powder, MTR powder and salt.
  
• Then add coriander and curry leaves. 
  
• Turn of the stove and let it cool. 
  
• Now, take clean water in a bowl. Dip the bread in water for a sec and take it out immediately. Squeeze excess water. 
  
• Now mix all the veggies and the bread together. Make sure that the dough is not watery.
  
• Take the dough, roll it to a ball and make the cutlets and shallow fry them in a tava, until they are brown and crisp.
  
• Serve it with ketchup! Perfect for evening snack.
  

I am sending this to Ashwini's spice cuisine's - MBP:Snacks&Savouries

Thank you Lavanya for passing this cute hearts!

Kids lunch box item - Chappathi roll

Ingredients

Chappathi

cheese

To make the Stuffing
Potatoes - 3
Other veggies (grated carrot,cabbage, peas)
chilli powder - 1 tsp
jeera - 1 tsp
turmeric
mustard
curry leaves
salt


I prepare this for lunch to my 5 yr old son. I do make the stuffing during the weekend and store it in the fridge. I use ready made rotis, or just kneed the chappathi flour the previous day and store it so that it will quick and easy to prepare during the busy weekdays. I use the leftover chappathis cooked the previous night too. This will be a nice filling lunch for the kids and perfect lunch box item. Specially for toddlers, who doesn't know to eat chappathi along with the curries given separately.

• Cook the chappathi.
  
• Place the cheese on the center of the chappathi. You can use cheese slice or shreeded cheese of any kind.
  
• Now, heat the stuffing in a microwave for couple of minutes and spread them on the cheese. Cheese will melt on the hot chappathi and when the stuffing is hot.
  
• Then roll the chappathi.
  
• Now, slice it to bite size pieces.
  
• In a separate box pack the raitha or ketchup.
  

Kothu Parota

Ingredients

Parota - 4  

diced veggies - cabbage, carrot, capsicum

onion - 1 or 2 (if it is small in size)

tomato - 1

turmeric

chilli powder

green chillies - 4

garam masala powder - 1tsp

curry and coriander leaves

salt

To grind

fennel seeds - 1 tbsp

dhaniya - 1 tsp

cloves - 2

cumin - 1 tsp

cinnamon 1 inch piece

cardomon - 1

garlic - 4 pods

ginger 1 in piece

khus khus - 1 tsp

• I used ready made instant parota. First cook the parata and set it aside.
  
• Grind all the ingredients in "to grind" adding little water list and keep it ready.
  
• In a pan heat 2 tbsps of oil and saute the onions.
  
• Add tomatoes and the diced veggies. Stir fry it and not overcook it.
  
• Now add turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala and saute it well.
  
• Then add the grounded masala and saute it untill the excess water evaporates.
  
• Now slice the cooked parota's into pieces.
  
• Add this to the cooked veggies and mix it well.
  
• Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve it with raitha.

I sometimes make the same with leftover chappathi's or puri's too.

Thank you Vibaas for including me in your circle of friends. I love it!