Mushroom and Peas Pulao for T & C , BM

For a long,long time, I have been wanting to prepare briyani / pulao with mushrooms.But when I get a packet of mushrooms it goes into some gravy or turns into a curry.Finally I got a chance to make it for Taste and Create for which I am paired with Min of Bad Girl's Kitchen and I have been paired with her several times.

This time, I wanted something to go with the Blogging marathon theme,so I selected this recipe which she had tried earlier for Taste and Create. We loved the pulao and it has become our new favorite..

Mushroom- Peas Pulao
Source - Bad Girl's Kitchen

I used:

Basmati rice- 2 cups

Mushrooms-200 grams

Peas-100 grams

Ginger garlic paste -1 teaspoon

Onion-1 , sliced

Cumin seeds- 1 teaspoon

Cloves- 4 numbers

Red chilli powder- 1/2 teaspoon

Coriander powder- 1 teaspoon

Cumin powder- 1/2 teaspoon

Mint leaves- a handful

Salt to taste

Ghee- 1 tablespoon

1. Clean and chop the mushrooms. Wash the rice and soak for 15 minutes.
2. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker and put in the cumin seeds and cloves.
3. When the cumin crackles, add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute.
4. Add the onion and cook till translucent.
5. Put in the mushrooms. The mushrooms will sweat. so cook till they turn brown and the moisture has evaporated completely.
6. Put in the masala powders and mix well. Let it cook for a minute.
7. Add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil.
8. Put in the rice[discard the soaked water] ,peas and salt.
9. Stir to mix.Put in the mint leaves and pressure cook for 15 minutes or till done.
10. When the pressure releases, mix and serve hot with a raita of your choice.

Note:

• You can use any rice variety. Adjust the water accordingly.The key is to cook the rice in such a way that the grains are separate and not mushy.
• You can also add 1/4 cup corn along with the peas.
• Cooking time will vary.Adjust accordingly.

Each month,it is fun creating dishes for  Taste and Create ...Would you like to join ? Just email Min @ cowgirlmin07@gmail.com with your name, blog name and a link to your blog to sign up.Hope to see you in the next edition of Taste and Create....

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#18

Recipes posted here for BM #18

Week 1 - Dry Vegetable Sautes

Carrot- lentil stir fry
Batter fries potato
Gobi/Cauliflower masala


Week 2 - Stuffed dishes

Stuffed Protein parathas
Stuffed Vegetable Ragi dosa
Almond stuffed dates

Week 3 - Kid's delight - Warm foods to beat the rain

Sambar mini idli
Sweet potato bonda
Creamy spinach soup

Week 4 - Special theme

MW potato wafers[Oil-free]
Spice mix for Vaangi Bhaath/ Brinjal rice
Mushroon - Peas Pulao

Bon Appetit...

Spice Mix For Vaangi Bhaath / Brinjal Rice

Vaangi bhaath is one of mom's signature recipes.Though I love this dish a lot, it surprised me [and mom] that I have not posted the recipe till now!Wonder how I missed it for so long!!

So when the theme 'Indian basics' was put up for this edition of BM, this was the one that came to my mind. I asked mom for the recipe and she gladly shared it with me....

Mom uses:

Chana dal / bengal gram  - 1/4 cup
Whole white urad dal - 1/4 cup
Sesame seeds,black - 2 tablespoons
Asafoetida powder - a large pinch
Red chililes- 3
Oil- 1 tablespoon

1. Heat a pan and roast the sesame seeds on low heat till you hear the popping sound. Remove from heat and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and put in the asafoetida powder.Put in the chana dal, urad dal,red chilli and roast till the dal turns brown.Remove from heat and cool.
3. Grind the sesame seeds,dal mixture to a semi coarse powder.
4. Spread out on a plate for a few minutes to cool.
5. Store in an airtight container.

Use while preparing Vaangi bhaat.This powder stays good for a month.

Tomorrow I will be back with a tasty recipe.Be sure to drop by....

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#18

Bon Appetit...

Microwave Potato Wafers | No-Fry Potato Chips in Microwave

There are times when you want to indulge in something good to eat yet that little voice from deep inside cautions you about the 'side effects'. Then you have to stop but you want to keep going.Haven't we faced this dilemma thousands of times!

I have been indulging on all sorts of food stuffs and Lil dude is now 6 months and I think it is high time I start looking into what I eat.With this thought in mind, I keep hunting for low cal snacks. I have been successful in gathering quite a few recipes and this one tops the chart.

I saw this in Srivalli's blog and wanted to try out. I must tell you the result was stunning! I never expected it to turn out so crisp and crunchy and the best part is there is not a drop of oil in it!!Yes, not even a single drop!!!

Dad was the first to taste it and it was hard to believe that it was not fried! Then Lil Angel jumped up and down savoring the aroma of the chips emanating from the MW.She loved the chips and kept asking for more.Mom said it was way better and healthier than the fried version.So all in all a hit with my folks.

Here is what you need - Potatoes , salt, and seasoning of your choice.

1. Slice the potato as thinly as possible after scrubbing it well. I did not peel the potato but you may peel it if you wish.

I also wanted to see how it will work out if I use a chips cutter

The slices were extremely thin...

2.Soak the slices in water and wash the slices in cold water a couple of times.

3. Spread out a batch on a kitchen towel for a few minutes / till almost dry

The slices you see in the front are those sliced with a knife and the ones at the back - done with the slicer.

4. Place a paper towel on the glass plate of the microwave oven and arrange the slices on the outer edge. Remember to place even sized / even thickness in a batch so that they are cooked evenly.Microwave on 100% power for 45 seconds,turn the slices over and microwave for another 30 seconds.

Please note that the microwave timings will vary based on the quantity of the potatoes placed inside, the voltage and the thickness of the slices.

For the first batch, I placed the slices directly on the glass plate and some slices stuck to the plate. For the second batch I used the paper towel.

Do not attempt to turn over the slices immediately after 45 seconds.Leave the MW door open for a few seconds and then 'peel off' the slices and turn over. By doing this I found out that the slices don't stick to the paper towel.

The Thicker slices[where I used the knife to slice] required 1 minute on side 1 and 45 seconds for the next side.The thinner one[where I used the slicer] needed 45/30 seconds respectively.

Keep a close watch on the chips after turning them over. Remove them as soon as they turn a little brown.

Remove the chips to a bowl.Leave aside for a few minutes. Add salt / seasonings, toss well to coat and serve...

Can you see how crunchy they are!!! I am never going to deep fry potato again.This version is the best!

This recipe is for the 4th week of  BM, where I will be doing three theme,one theme per day and today,with the theme - Deep fried foods- steamed or baked.


Tomorrow, I will be back with yet another recipe in another category...



Sending this to Smitha who is hosting Srivalli's MEC event with the theme Simple and Easy All Time Snacks

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#18

Bon Appetit...

Creamy Spinach Soup

Soups are one of the best ways to cheer you up the weather outside is miserable. Folks at home love soups on a cold day and I made this spinach soup that Lil Angel enjoyed and even asked for a second helping!!!

My earlier version of the spinach soup was inspired by Harry Potter's Art of Transfiguration.This time it was different and there I took no help from my dear friend,Harry Potter....

I used:

Spinach leaves - 1 bunch.[Use only the leaves and leave out the stalk]
Onion-1,peeled and chopped
Garlic,2 cloves,chopped
Potato- 1 ,small,peeled and chopped finely
Vegetable stock- 200 ml
Fresh yogurt- 1 tablespoon
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil- 1 teaspoon

1. Heat oil in a pan and saute onion and garlic till soft.
2. Add potato and cook for a minute
3. Add the vegetable stock and simmer till the potato is cooked.
4. Add the spinach leaves and cook till it wilts.
5. Remove the pan from heat and cool.
6. Blend the mixture to a fine puree and return to heat.Add water / vegetable stock to get the desired consistency.
7. When it starts boiling remove from heat
8. Add salt and pepper and serve hot with a swirl of yogurt

• I chopped the potato finely in order to reduce the cooking time
• You can use cream to serve instead of yogurt.Yogurt is Lil Angel's favorite so used it in this recipe.s

Sending this to Pradnya who is hosting Kid's delight -Warm foods to beat the rain , an event started by Srivalli...

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#18

Bon Appetit...

Sarkkaraivalli Kizhangu Bonda | Sweet Potato Bonda

As I write this post, its pretty chill here and I really wish I had a plateful of these bondas beside me now. My favorite dish on a rainy day is definitely something that is deep fried and served straight off the pan with a mug of piping hot coffee.

On one such day, mom made bondas with sweet potato. I am not a huge fan of sweet potato but since mom assured me that it would taste great, I tried it and I have it say that it has pushed down the potato bonda to the second spot.The bondas were not overly sweet as I had expected. The filling had a balance of sweet and spiciness.

As we were munching on the bondas, Lil Angel was eyeing the plate. I guess she was not sure if she has to eat it or not.Potato is her favorite.Then taking cue from me she slowly bit into a piece of Bonda and she was hooked!!

Mom used:

For batter:

Besan/Begal gram flour- 2 cups
Rice flour- 1 cup
Red chilli powder-2 teaspoons
Asafoetida- a pinch
Salt to taste

For the stuffing :


Sweet potato - 1,large piece Onion-2 chopped
Fried cashews- few ,broken into bits
Chilli powder- 1/2 a teaspoon
Curry leaves- a few
Coriander leaves-1 tablespoon,finely chopped
Mustard- 1 teaspoon
Gram dhal-1 teaspoon
Urad dhal- 1 teaspoon
Asafoetida - a pinch
Oil- 1 tablespoon
Salt- to taste

Oil to deep fry

1. In a bowl put in the ingredients for batter, add water and make a batter which can coat a spoon.It must not be too watery or too thick.Keep aside.
2. Pressure cook the sweet potato and when cool enough to handle remove the peel and mash lightly.Keep aside
3. Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard,gram dhal,urad dhal,curry leaves,asafoetida and when they splutter and turn brown, add onions and fry till golden brown.
4. Add mashed sweet potatoes,coriander leaves,salt ,chilli powder and mix well.Cook for a couple of minutes and remove from flame.Keep aside.
5. When it is cool enough to handle,make small balls of the stuffing and dip them into the batter so that the mixture is fully coated with the batter.
6. Carefully drop them one by one into hot oil and deep fry till golden brown.
7. Drain on absorbent paper and serve hot 

It can be served with coconut chutney or with a cup of piping hot coffee,or in Lil Angels style, a mug of her favorite chocolate drink....

You may also like to try this tasty recipe - Sweet potato mash with Goji berries


Sending this to Pradnya who is hosting Kid's delight -Warm foods to beat the rain , an event started by Srivalli...

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#18


Bon Appetit...

Sambar Mini Idli

Today we are starting the 3rd week of Blogging Marathon and the theme I have selected this week is 'Kids delight-Warm foods to beat the rain'.

While thinking of foods that actually warm us up during the rains, I can list of loads of deep fried stuffs, cups of tea and coffee,piping hot soups etc. A few weeks back summer abruptly ended and we were facing cold winds with a light drizzle throughout the day. During such times I prefer a hot cup of coffee with onion pakoras or bajjis. But when I asked Lil Angel what she wanted to warm up and her reply astonished me! She wanted a plate of piping hot sambar mini idli!!

Luckily I had idli batter at hand and prepared this delicious dish for her. Mom had recently got a mini idli stand for Lil Angel knowing her love for these cute idlis.

She enjoyed eating the mini idli and sipping the sambar!!![And that explains and spoon and fork here...]

You can use the mini idli stand for the pretty idlis.

If it is not available, then cut up the regular idli into 4 pieces and proceed.....


For sambar mini idli you need:

Idli Batter - 2 cups
Pearl onion sambar - 3 or more cups
Boondi
Roasted cashews
Coriander leaves
Grated carrots

1.Grease the moulds of teh idli plates and pour in the batter.

2. Steam the idlis for 15 minutes or till done. A knife inserted in the center of the idli should come out clean.

3. Remove the idli stand and let it sit outside for a minute.

4.Gently remove the idlis with a spoon and transfer it onto a serving dish.

5.Pour a generous helping of piping hot sambar over the idlis.

6. Garnish with boondi, roasted cashews, coriander leaves

Serve hot.....

Note:

• Any type of sambar can be used here
• Make sure the sambar is piping hot. That makes a lot of difference in taste...
• Instead of boondi,sev can also be use

Sending this to Pradnya who is hosting Kid's delight -Warm foods to beat the rain , an event started by Srivalli...

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#18


Bon Appetit...

Pressure Cooked Plantains For Blog Hop

Bananas / Plantains was something that Lil Angel used to love until last year.Now a days her taste has changed and she loves Mangoes and guavas.So when I saw the opportunity to give her plantains, I chose this recipe from Priya's Enveetu Kitchen.I am back to Blog hopping and this recipe seemed apt to bring my lil one to love plantains once again.

The recipe is quite simple and I remember giving her something similar as a weaning food.I will post the weaning food recipe later,for now its this version....

I used:

Nendram palam / Kerala plantain - 1
Brown sugar
Ghee

1. Cut the plantain into two / three pieces depending on the size.
2. Pressure cook for 10 minutes or till the peel splits open.
3. When pressure releases, remove the peel.
4. Arrange the plantain on a serving plate,drizzle a little ghee and sprinkle brown sugar and serve.

Tastes really great!

Check out the Blog Hop Wednesday page to catch a glimpse of what the others have been cooking...

Bon Appetit...

Almond Stuffed Dates

The famous Arabian dates finds its way into my house and I can always feel its presence. I have boxes of these delicious and nutritious fruits in my pantry. Friends and family who drop by to see the Lil ones invariably bring in this fruit along with some snacks and stuffs for the kids. So the result –a tasty collection of recipes with dates here in my space and I can say this one is the most simplest and delicious of them all.

When I took up the ‘stuffed dishes’ theme for blogging marathon, this was the first dish that came to my mind. I have seen dated stuffed with whole almonds / cashews on the shelves of the super market. Making these would be a breeze but that will be too easy to showcase for BM. Then when I thought of making an almond paste and stuffing it.The idea sounded delicious!

Mom had passed on some badam katli when I had visited her and in order to make life the recipe easier, I stuffed the dates with the katli instead![Badam Katli is an Indian Sweet- a fudge, prepared with almond paste, , milk and sugar.] The stuffed dates were gently rolled over sugar and garnished with a little bit of almonds. After a bite, you get to experience the various textures – creamy almond paste, the little fiber from the dates, and the light crunch from the sugar and nut garnish. Wow! It was an absolute delight to the taste buds!!

You need :

Dates

Badam Katli,crumbled

Sugar

Chopped almonds

1. Cut open the dates and remove the seed.
2. Stuff it with a good quantity of the katli.
3. Gently roll it over sugar
4. Garnish with chopped nuts.

This can’t get any easier, can it!

I love the fact that it is so easy to prepare and taste absolutely delicious. It is also a novel way of serving fruits as / in desserts….

I guess we can also use kaju [cashew] katli / barfis / halwas etc to stuff dates. Even the kids can assemble these mini bites! It would be an excellent choice for parties!! I made a small batch to check how my folks like it and since it was a hit, I can’t wait to prepare a larger batch to serve at some get together…

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#18

Bon Appetit...

Stuffed Vegetable - Ragi Dosa

Dosa and Idlis are an integral part of our breakfast and most of the times, the fridge holds a container of this batter. With the batter at hand, it is easy to prepare either Idli / dosa depending on our craving without the hassle of having to break my head for breakfast ideas. This does not mean that we have only idli / dosa for breakfast! We love other dishes too but dosa batter in the fridge is like  having your own safety net. Even when it is idli for 3 days straight, my folks insist on at least 2 different types of side dishes everyday without repeating them and that does not count milagai podi. Isn't that challenging!!

There are times when the batter is just enough to prepare a few dosas but there are 3 hungry mouths to feed. During those times, I add other flours to the batter and a new type of dosa is born.A few days ago, with just a few ladle fulls of idli/dosa batter left, I added wheat flour and ragi flour to it. To make it interesting , tasty and of course healthy I prepared a vegetable filling.

I used:

For Batter :

Idli batter- 3 cups
Wheat flour-3/4 cup
Ragi flour - 3/4 cup
Salt to taste

For the filling:

Mixed vegetables - 1 cup , boiled [I used carrot, potato and beans]
Onion- 1,small, chopped
Tomato-1,small, chopped
Mustard- 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaves - a few
Salt to taste
Oil- 2 teaspoons

1. Take all the ingredients for the batter in a bowl.Mix well ,add water little by little and prepare a batter of pouring consistency. Check for salt and add if needed. [The idli batter already has salt].Keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and put in the mustard ,cumin seeds.
3. When it crackles, add the onion and curry leaves.Saute till the onion is soft.
4. Put in the the tomato and cook till mushy.
5. Add salt and chilli powder and mix well.
6. Put in the boiled veggies and mix well.
7. Cook till the mixture is dry.Remove from heat and keep aside.
8. Heat a griddle and pour a ladle full of batter in the center and spread to a circle.
9. When the edges leave the sides, flip it over and cook for a few minutes.
10. Flip it once more and spread a portion of the filling over one half.
11. Fold the other half and remove from heat.

Serve warm with a side dish of your choice.

Note :

• You can also added ginger garlic paste while sauteing the onion
• To give a 'masala' touch to the filling, garam masala can be added. Sambar powder can give a different kind of flavor to the filling. Play around with different masalas and each time you will end up with a tastier version of the filling.
• Grated panner added to the filling make it even more tastier.
• You can add any vegetable of your choice for the filling.Veggies like grated cabbage,capsicum can be sauteed with onion.Other veggies like peas, cauliflower, broccoli can be boiled and added.

Our breakfast - 

Stuffed Vegetable- Ragi Dosa with sambar, mint chutney , idli podi and piping hot filter coffee

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#18

Bon Appetit...

Stuffed Protein Paratha

The second week of Blogging Marathon starts today and the theme that I have chosen is 'Stuffed dishes'.So for the first recipe today, I have made a paratha.When I prepare paneer parathas, I usually add the crumbled paneer to the flour and prepare the dough. I find this very easy. But since my theme is to prepare some stuffed dish, I made a paratha that is stuffed and full of protein.

Paneer is a favorite in the household and I used it for the stuffing. I also added a little soya flour to the whole wheat flour while preparing the dough.Then I made a coriander flavored sprouts kurma for the side dish.So a tasty and power packed meal was ready!!

Protein is very important nutrient especially during pregnancy and in the post partum period.The nutritional requirements goes up during these two phases and it is necessary to build up reserves.This is one of the dishes that is easy to prepare,delicious and filling, not to mention, full of protein.

You need:


For Dough:

Whole wheat flour - 1 cup
Soya flour - 1/4 cup
Fresh Yogurt - 2 tablespoons
Soda bi carb - a pinch
Salt to taste

For filling:

Fresh Paneer , crumbled - 1/2 cup
Onion- 1 small, finely chopped
Cumin seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
Red chili powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Black sesame seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Coriander leaves - a few

1.Take the wheat flour, soya flour, salt and soda bi carb in a bowl.

2.Mix well and add the yogurt

3. Add a little water and prepare a smooth dough.Knead for 5 minutes.

Cover and let it rest for ome time - 45 minutes to an hour.

4.Meanwhile heat oil in a pan and put in cumin seeds.

5.When the cumin sizzles, add the cook and cook till it is soft.

6.Add the paneer, chilli powder and salt.

7.Mix well and cook for 2 minutes.Add toasted sesame seeds

8.Mix well.Remove from heat and add coriander leaves. Mix once again and keep aside.

9.Pinch out 2 small balls of dough and roll each one as thinly as possible into circles.[ Both should be equal in circumference.Use a plate to mark the paratha and cut out to equal circles]

10.On one of the parathas, spread some of the filling

11.Close it with the other rolled out paratha and seal the edges

12.Cook on a heated griddle till brown spots appear on both the sides.Drizzle a little oil if needed.

13. Remove from griddle and brush ghee while the parathas are still warm.Serve warm with a side dish of your choice....

Here is a glimpse of how the stuffing looks inside....

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#18

Bon Appetit...