Vermiceli Upma

Dear Lovelies,

This is my son's favourite and thought would be helpful to all moms who worry a lot about there lil ones not eating food.

preparation time : 30 mins

Ingredients:

• Vermiceli
• Onion - 1 medium
• Green Chili/Red Chili - 2-3
• Curry leaves
• Oil - 2-3 sp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/4 sp
• Uddina Bele/Urad dal - 1/2 sp
• Kadale Bele/Channa Dal - 1/2 sp
• Cashews - around 10
• Tomato - about 1/2
• Salt as per taste
• Turmeric - a pinch
• Coriander leaves/Cilantro - about 1 sp finely chopped

It is very simple n can be prepared in no time and very colourful. The trick is that vermiceli must be separated and it should not be sticky. here goes the method.

1. Firstly dry roast the vermicelli until they are very light brown in color. Simultaneously bring water to boil in a sauce pan. (approx ratio might be 1 cup of vermiceli into 2 and 1/2 cup of water would be sufficient). Add 1/2 t sp salt and few drops of oil into the boiling water. Now add the dry roasted vermiceli into the water, turn off the flame, cover it for 2 mins and remove all the excess water using strainer. Adding few drops of oil is the trick for vermiceli tobe non sticky.
2. Prepare tadka with Oil, Mustard Seeds, curry leaves, Red/Green chilies, Channa n Urad dals, Cashwes, Onions. Cook until Onions are transparent. Add Tomatoes and cook until they are soft. Add pinch of Tumeric powder. 
3. Add the Vermiceli and Salt as per taste. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro n Serve hot.

Ps: It makes a good evening time snack or a light break fast. You can alwys skip tomatoes n add fresh lime juice according to your taste and also number of chillies can be varied depending on the requirement. Do try and let us know your experience. Happy Cooking!!

Homemade Rasam

Dear All,

Before I list the ingredients and method, let me share the benefits of home made Rasam. 
We are not using any ready made rasam powder available in stores in preparing this Rasam, we are using ingredients like Jeera, Black Pepper, Garlic n Hing which are believed to aid in digestion, helps in curing cold n soothes the sore throats while suffering from cough n more over good to activate taste buds after recovering from fever...As it is good to have daily during winter with hot rice n home made ghee...n more over does not take much time to prepare :)

Ingredients
Togari bele/Toor dal - 1/2 cup
Tomato - 1/2
Water - 1 to 1and 1/2 cup
Few drops of oil

pressure cook all the above ingredients until 2-3 whistles, smash the cooked dal n tomato into smooth paste.

Now roughly crush 1/2 sp Jeera, 8-10 Black pepper corns n 3-4 pods of Garlic with the help of mortar and pestle and add to the cooked dal and heat on medium flame. Add Salt as per the requirement,  about a 1/4 sp of tamarind pulp and a big grape fruit size of Jaggery bring it to boil.

Now, don't forget to finish the Rasam with a tadka/tampering with a spoon of oil, Mustard seeds, broken Red chilies, Few Curry leaves n a big pinch of Hing. Garnish with fresh cilantro n server with hot rice and spoon of ghee.

Instant Pulav - MTR Pulav Powder

Preparation time : 40 mins

Ingredients

• Rice  - 1 big bowl
• Mixed veg (Carrots, French Beans, Peas, Cauliflower - All paraboiled) - 1 cup
• Onion - 1
• Tomato - 2
• MTR Pulav Powder - 2 sp
• Oil - 6-7 sp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 sp
• Cashew  - 15
• Salt - as per taste
• Ghee - 2-3 sp

Method :

1. Pressure cook  Rice and allow it to cool room temperature. To cook rice 1:2 measurement is preferred.
2. As a part of prepreparation, cut all the vegitables Carrots, French Beans, and clean Cauliflower florrets and half boil all the veggies along with peas, drain excess water and keep it aside.
3. Finely chop Onions and tomatoes.
4. Heat a heavy frying pan on medium flame. Add Ghee and allow it to heat.
5. Add Cashwes and fry until light brown, remove and keep it aside.
6. To the same frying pan, add Oil, once Oil is heated add Mustard Seeds and allow to splutter.
7. Add Finley chopped Onions and fry for few mins unitl they are transparent.
8. Add Finely chopped Tomatoes and cook covered on low flame until they are soft.
9. Simmer the flame and add half cooked vegetables (from step 2) and cooked rice (from Step 1), Salt and MTR Plav powder to the frying pan and mix well
10. Add fried cashwes from step 5, mix well and serve. I find its very easy and very instant  to prepare than the regular method and must say very very yummy!!!

Adding Cashwes is optional but I would love to add them.

Dal with Methi

Preparation Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

• HesaruBele/Mung Dal - 1/4 th Cup
• Togari Bele/Toor Dal - 1/4 th Cup
• Kadale Bele/ChannaDal - 1/4 Cup
• Menthya Soppu/Methi Leaves - 1/2 Cup
• Onion - 1 (Medium Size)
• Tomato - 1
• Green Chili  - 2
• Red Chili - 2
• Curry leaves- 1 twig
• Jeera - 1/2 sp
• Mustard Seed - 1/4 sp
• Ginger -1/2 Inch
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Salt - As per requirement
• Oil/Ghee - 4-5 sp

   Method: 

1. Pressure Cook Dals with approx 2-2 and 1/2 glass of water until 3 whistles. Allow the pressure to ease.
2. Blanch and finely chop Menthya/methi leaves.
3. Finely chop Onions, Green Chilies, Ginger and Tomato.
4. Heat Oil/Ghee in a pan
5. Add Mustard Seeds and Jeera, allow to splutter.
6. Add Red chili(Broken into small pieces)
7. Add curry leaves and fry for a minute.
8. Add Onions and fry until transparent.
9. Add finely chopped Methi leaves fry until it shrinks approx 2 mins.
10. Add finely chopped tomatoes and little quantity of water and cook until soft.
11. Add the pressure cooked Dal from step 1, smash well add to the pan.
12. Add Turmeric Powder.
13. Add grated Ginger and finely chopped Green Chili, Add required amount of water to adjust the consistency of the Dal.
14. Add Salt as per requirement and allow to boil on low flame for 3-4 mins.
15. Turn off the flame and add finely chopped Coriander leaves if required. Dal with Methi is ready to serve and goes well with Roti/Chapathi and Hot Rice with Ghee (while serving with Roti add a dash of lime juice, along with Onion n Cucumber salad).

Anjeer Kaaju

Preparation Time: 40 mins


Ingredients:

• Anjeer - 250 gms
• Kaaju/Cashews - 150 gms
• khova - 200gms
• Sugar - 100 gms
• Cardamom - 4
• Ghee - 1/2 Cup
• Milk - 1/2 Cup

Method:

1. As part of pre-preparation, Anjeer is cut into small pieces and soak them in warm milk for about 2 hrs.
2. Cashews are cut into small pieces.
3. In Jar add Sugar and Cardamom, prepare powder and divide into 2 equal proportions. Quantity of sugar can be varied depending upon the sweetness.
4. Take a large Pan, heat it, add smashed Khova and 1 proportion of Sugar. Mix them well.
5. Add 4-5 sp of Ghee and Continue to stir on low flame for about 10 -15 mins. The mixture begins to leave the vessel. Continue to stir on low flame for 2 more mins, transfer the mixture into a plate(spread 1/2 sp Ghee to plate). Allow to cool to room temperature.
6. In the same Pan, add Anjeer (from Step 1) and Cashews (Strep 2), remaining proportion of Sugar, 5-6 sp of Ghee and mix well.
7. Continue to stir on low flame for about 10 mins. All ingredients will blend well and becomes thick, turn off the flame. Allow to cool to room temperature. 
8. Once they are cooled, roll khova mixture into thick sheet, Place Anjeer and Kaaju mixture, cover them nicely and cut into any desired shape.    

Cauliflower Curry

Preparation Time: 30 mins


Ingredients:

• Cauliflower - 1 Big size
• Onion - 2 medium
• Cashwes - 1/4 cup
• Curry leaves - 4-5
• Poppy Seeds - 1 sp
• Coconut (grated) - 4 sp
• Ginger - 1/2 sp
• Gralic- 8-9 cloves
• Jeera - 1 sp
• Oil - 3 sp
• Ghee - 2sp
• Tomato - 2
• Green chili - 2
• Red chili powder - 3/4 sp
• Garam Masala - 1/2 sp
• Cinnamon - 1/2 inch
• Cardamom - 2
• Salt - As per requirement
• Coriander leaves/Cilantro - 1/4 cup

Method :

1. Cut cauliflower into small floretts and clean with the boiling water with a 1/2 sp of salt. Continue to boil for 2 mins, Drain excees water, keep it aside.
2. Chopp Onion, Tomato, Green Chili, Coriander/Cilantro Finely.
3. To prepare Gravy - In a mixer jar, add, Grated coconut, Poppy seeds(fried), Ginger, Garlic and small quantity of water and prepare smooth paste.
4. In a large pan, heat Ghee, and fry Cashews to a light brown. keep it aside.
5. Now to the same pan with ghee, add 2-3 sp Oil and allow to become hot.
6. Add whole spice, Cinnamon and Cardamom fry well.
7. Add Jeera and allow to splutter.
8. Add Curry leaves.
9. Add finely chopped Onions and fry for few minutes until its transparent.
10. Add finely chopped, green chilies and tomatoes and fry until tomatoes turn into soft.
11. Add Cauliflower florettes from Step#1 and continue to fry.
12. Add the smooth gravy from step# 3.
13. Add water to adjust the consistency and allow to boil.
14. Add Salt, Red Chili powder, Garam masala, mix well, allow to boil for 2 mins.
15. Just before serving, add fried Cashwes from step#4, garnish with finely chopped Coriander leaves/Cilantro and serve along with Chapati/Roti.

Ps: Instead of only Cauliflower, we can replace it with combination of Potato, Green Peas and Cauliflower. 

Channa Masala

Preparation Time : 30 mins

Ingredients:

• Kabul Channa - 150 gms
• Onion - 2 medium size
• Tomato - 2
• Green Chili - 4
• Shahi Jeera - 1/2 sp
• Cashews - 8
• Red Chili powder - 1/2 sp
• Garam Masala - 1/2 sp
• Coriander seed powder - 1/2 sp
• Channa masala  - 2-3 sp
• Cinnamon - 1/2 inch
• Sugar - 1/2 sp
• Salt - As per taste
• Ghee/Butter - 3-4 sp
• OIl - 2sp
• Fresh coriander leaves/Kasoori Methi - 2-3 sp

Method:

1. Soak kabul Channa for 6-8 hrs. Pressure cook Soaked Channa with pinch of cookng soda and Salt till 4-5 whistles. Allow pressure to ease.
2. We need few things as pre - preparation before we actually start the preparation of channa masala. Among 2 Onions one we use to prepare gravy(Sliced big in size) and anothetr finely chopped will be added at later stage. Finely chop the Green Chilies. Soak Cashews in hot water or milk 30 mins so that they form a smooth paste.
3. Heat 2 sp oil in a Pan, Add Cinnamon, Onions which are sliced quite big in size and fry fro few mins. Now add Chopped Tomatoes and cook until they are soft and allow to cool to room  temperature.
4. In a mixer jar, add fried and cooled Onion and Tomatoes, Soaked Cashews and little water and blend into a smooth paste.
5. Heat Ghee/Butter in large frying pan,
6. Add a spoon of Shai Jeera.
7. Add Cinnamon Pieces
8. Add finely chopped Onions and fry until transparent.
9. Add Finely chopped Green Chilies and continue to fry.
10. Add the finely blended Gravy from step 4 and add water to adjust the consistency of gravy, continue to boil for about 10-15 mins on medium flame with occasional stir.
11. Add Salt as per requirement (approx 1tsp)
12. Add 1/2 sp Red chili powder (optional for those who love spicy), 2 sp Channa masala powder, 1/2 sp Garam Masala, 1/2 sp Coriander seed powder and continue to cook for 2 mins.
13. Add pressure cooked Kabul channa and cook for another 2 mins. Turn off the falme, garnish with finely chopped Coriander leaves or Kasoori Methi and serve along with Chapati, Poori