Say Hello to the Pumpkin - Kaddu Ki Sabzi

Say Hello to My New Friend!

 So, if you have read one of the first posts of this year on my blog you may remember me telling that I will try to cook and eat more vegetables at home. Well, er, that didn’t happen! Yeah, its not as if you don’t get vegetables here. Oh my, one stop to the supermarket and you can see every possible vegetable imported from around the world. The variety is just endless and the produce is fresh. However, me being the dimwit I am, have no idea how to cook them. Give me a chicken and I will give you butter chicken. But a vegetable? That’s another story.

Well, I have finally decided to try new vegetables and will tackle something new every now and then. By new I don’t mean something that I have never eaten it before. Of course I have eaten them but I have never cooked them!

When I saw the pumpkins (the Halloween ones, LOL) in the supermarket I decided to start with it. I bought only half of it and tried a new recipe from the net. The verdict? I loved it. The sweetness of the pumpkin and the tangy masala complements each other perfectly.

Hubby’s reaction? This is our conversation

Latif – Why did you make a new vegetable?

Me – I want to try out new stuff. Moreover it is healthier and you don’t eat enough vegetables. Isn’t it nice?

Latif – Well, the masala is spicy and the pumpkin is sweet. It is confusing my head. Try to cook normal vegetables.

Me – Errrr…..What vegetables do you want to eat?

Latif – Make potato sabji. I will eat it.

Me - Rolling my eyes in horror!!

So I guess I'll be eating my vegetables all alone. Unless you join me!

Recipe Source – http://www.about.com/

Ingredients

500 Gms Pumpkin Seeds Removed, Cut Into 1" Cubes
2 Large Onions Sliced Thinly
3 Tbsp Finely Chopped Garlic
3 Dry Red Chilies
1/2 Tsp Fenugreek Seeds
1 Tsp Cumin Seeds
1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 Tsp Red Chili Powder
1/2 Tsp Raw Mango Powder (I Used Lime Juice Instead)
1/2 Tsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Cooking Oil
Salt To Taste

Heat the oil in a flat pan and add the cumin and fenugreek seeds and fry till spluttering stops.
Add the dry red chilies and fry for half a minute.
Add the garlic and onions and fry till onion is soft.
Add the powdered spices and mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the pumpkin, sugar and season with salt. Mix well.
Cook till pumpkin is soft. Sprinkle with a little water only if needed.

Happy Eating!!

Baked Chicken Pasta in Tomato Sauce

 Oh my God! I am in love! Again? Uh, yes again!! This pasta dish is amazing. Well Latif has gone to India for a few days (miss you honey!) and my brother has come over to stay with me. We both have very similar taste in food and love a lot of the same things. So as soon as Latif was out of the house I asked my brother if he wanted to eat pasta!! Hahaha (Sorry honey!) When he said yes, I quickly logged onto Annie's Eats (She has a lot of amazing pasta recipes) and searched for something to make with the ingredients I had on hand. I saw her baked ziti and then made this recipe which is loosely adapted from hers. I used the same tomato sauce recipe which I used in the Enchiladas(again from Annie's Eats). This pasta is creamy, a little spicy and oh so delicious. It is very easy to make and can feed a lot of people. I ate mine with a green salad (yes I eat salad now, I am a good girl!) and loved it!

Recipe Source - Adapted from Annie's Eats

Ingredients - Serves 3 - 4

2 1/2 Cups Dry Uncooked Small Cut Pasta (I Used Fusilli)
100 Gms Cream Cheese (Softened)
1 Large Egg
1/4 Tsp Cornflour

1/2 Cup Heavy Cream (Or Whole Milk)

1/2 Cup Mozzarella Cheese (Shredded)

For The Sauce

1 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 Cup Onion (Chopped)

2 Jalapenos (Seeded And Chopped Fine)
3 Medium Cloves Garlic (Chopped)
2 Tbsp Red Chili Powder
2 Tsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 (15 oz.) Can Tomato Sauce
1 Cup Water
1 Tomato, Seeded And Chopped

1 Tsp Dried Oregano

2 Tbsp Dried Basil

500 Gms Chicken Breast (Boneless and Skinless - Cubed)

1 Cup Diced Mixed Vegetables (Carrot, Beans, Broccoli etc)

Salt To Taste

Ground Black Pepper To Taste

Boil the Pasta

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the pasta and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook until the pasta begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Drain the pasta and leave in colander.

Make the Sauce

While the pasta is boiling, heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeno and  saute till the onions are soft. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano and sugar, and cook just until fragrant, less than 30 seconds. Mix in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato. Bring the sauce to a simmer, lower the heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and vegetables. Cook till done. Remove from heat and stir in the basil.

Mix and Assemble

Preheat the oven to 180 Degree C (350 Degree F). In a small bowl mix together the cream cheese and egg. Stir well with a fork.  Keep aside.

Pour the heavy cream in the same pot which was used to boil the pasta. Place on medium heat and add in the cornstarch. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, 3-4 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and add the cream cheese and egg mixture, 3/4 of the sauce and 1/4 cup mozzarella. Add the pasta and toss to coat thoroughly with the sauce.

Bake

Transfer the pasta to a small baking dish. Spread the remaining sauce evenly over the top. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella, cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil from the pan and continue to cook until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes longer. Sprinkle with a little basil and serve.

Happy Eating!!

Masala Fried Idlis And How to Dupe Your Husband

This idli is one of my favorite snacks. I often make extra idlis just so that I have leftovers which I can transform into this! Leftovers are a big problem in my house as Latif will not touch them. I have no problem in eating anything that is 2-3 days old but how much can I eat alone? So , what I do is I change the dish and transform it into something new. Like my Shepherd's Pie became Meat Cutlets and leftover Mutton Curry became Egg Curry!!. Latif has no idea as to what I did (of course I tell him once he has finished eating) and both of us are happy at the end of the day! Sneaky me eh??

It’s the same with these idlis. You know how fast idlis can become stale and hard. And if there is no chutney or sambhar to accompany them it is even more difficult to consume them. Don’t worry though coz you will love this masala version of the humble idli and make extras just for this.

I am submitting this recipe for the Scrumptious Delights From Leftovers Event at Seduce Your Tastebuds

Recipe

Ingredients

4 Idlis (Cut in 3 parts)
1 Tsp Mustard Seeds
1 Tsp Red Chili Powder
1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder
2 Tbsp Curry Leaves
2 Tbsp Cooking Oil

Heat the oil on medium flame in a pan. Once Hot, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the curry leaves and powders. Roast the powders in the oil (be careful not to burn them) and add the idli. Fry for a few minutes till it is slightly crisp on the outside and the idlis are coated with the masala. Serve hot with ketchup!

Happy Eating!!

Grilled Chicken Wraps with Tahini Sauce

I made these wraps for dinner one night and if I could have them every night for dinner I would be the happiest person on earth! These are so easy to throw together that it took me one hour from start to finish to make this. The grilled chicken on its own is simply fabulous (I even ate it cold straight from the fridge!) and after pairing it with the grilled onions and peppers! Oh boy! I was in heaven! It was actually supposed to go into a tortilla wrap and become a fajita (As seen on Annie's Eats) but I decided to change it up and wrapped it with a khubus and added the tahini sauce instead of sour cream (Thanks Syrian Foodie for the idea!). The marinate is very simple with no fuss ingredients and may taste a bit odd when the chicken is marinating (it did to me and I was worried about how it would turn out) but I didn’t have to worry coz after cooking the flavors just melded together and worked great. I didn’t cook the chicken on a grill (as we don’t have one) but cooked it in my oven.

I am submitting this recipe for the Sandwiches and Wraps event at One Hot Stove.

Recipe Sources – Grilled Chicken from Annie's Eats and Tahini Sauce from Syrian Foodie

Ingredients

For the Grilled Chicken
2-3 (Approx. 500 Gms) Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, (Cut In 2 Inch Cubes)
1/3 Cup Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
6 Tbsp Olive Oil, Divided
3 Cloves Garlic (Minced Or Pressed)
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
11/2 Tsp Brown Sugar
1 Jalapeno (Seeded, Ribbed And Diced)
1 1/2 Tbsp Minced Fresh Cilantro
1 Tsp Salt
3/4 Tsp Pepper

For the Tahini Sauce
4 Tbsp Tahini
Juice Of Half A Lemon
Salt To Taste
Water

For the Wraps
1 Large Red Onion (Sliced Into ½-Inch Thick Slices, Rings Not Separated)
2 Large Bell Peppers (Stemmed, Quartered And Seeded)
1 Large Tomato (Sliced Thinly)
6 Brown Pita Bread

Marinate the Chicken - In a medium bowl, whisk together the lime juice, 4 tablespoons of the olive oil, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, jalapeno, cilantro, salt and pepper. Place the chicken pieces in the marinade, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Brush both sides of the onion rounds and peppers with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Make the Sauce – While the chicken is marinating, make the sauce. Add the tahini paste and lemon juice to a bowl and start mixing with a spoon. The mixture will become stiff and light in colour. Add a little water and mix again. Keep adding a little water at a time until the mixture loosens to the consistency you want. It needs to be fairly loose but not water-runny. Add salt to taste.

Grill the Chicken and Vegetables - Preheat oven to 180 degree C (350 degree F). Cover a baking sheet with a large piece of foil. Drizzle the foil with a teaspoon of olive oil and spread it. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and transfer to the sheet. Discard the left over marinade. Place the onion rounds and peppers in between the chicken pieces. If you don’t have enough space place them on another baking sheet covered with foil. Cook the chicken until it is no longer pink inside (or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 160˚ F.) turning once in between. Fold the foil over the chicken to form a tent and cook for 5 more minutes. Cook the onions and peppers until crisp-tender, about 8-12 minutes, turning once or twice as needed. When the chicken and vegetables are done, transfer them to a hot pot to keep warm.

Make the Wraps - Heat the pita bread over direct flame on the stove to make it a little crispy. Place it on a plate and add the chicken, onions, peppers, tomatoes and tahini sauce. Roll into a wrap and enjoy!!

Happy Eating!!

Apple Rabdi and A First For Me!

Guess What?? I have joined my first food blogging event! Yay! I am so excited to be a part of this monthly event wherein two bloggers are randomly paired with each other. All you have to do is prepare a dish from your partner’s blog and blog about it. As simple as that. Though I want to join a few more such events, I wanted to start with something simple and Taste and Create was the perfect one. My first partner is Padmajha from Seduce your Tastebuds and her blog is a beautiful collection of wonderful vegetarian recipes from South India and other parts of the world. If I am not mistaken she is also from Karnataka, so the next time I need any vegetarian recipes I know where to head.

Now, let’s talk about this dish! Rabdi is a delicious, sweet concoction made by slowly boiling milk for a long time to reduce it and form the rabdi. Sugar and essence are added to it and it is served cold. When I saw this rabdi with apple in it on her blog I knew I had found my dish. You do know that I love apples right?? One thing I did differently though was to cook this on the stove top rather than in the microwave as I don’t trust my microwave. Nevertheless I got awesome results and this was gone in 5 minutes flat!

Recipe Source – Seduce Your Tastebuds (For the microwave recipe check her blog)

Ingredients - Serves 4

3 Cups Whole Milk

4 Tbsp Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 Large Apple (Peeled, Cored and Grated)

A Few Strands of Saffron (Dissolved in 1 Tbsp Warm Milk)

1/4 Cup Sliced Pistachios and Almonds

Place the milk in a non stick sauce pan and simmer on low heat. Make sure that the milk does not come to a boil. When a thin skin is formed on top gently move it to the sides with a spoon. Keep repeating this process. The skin will form small lumps and this is the actual rabdi. Stir in between to ensure that the milk is not sticking to the bottom. Heat the milk till it is reduced to 3/4th of its original quantity. Add in the other ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove to a bowl and let it cool. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Serve chilled.

Happy Eating!!

Banana Cake with Streusel

This is one of my favorite cakes as it has so many things I love - Chocolate, Walnuts, Cinnamon.. What’s not to love right? When I was in Mlore, we had a lot of ripe bananas (from our very own tree) in the kitchen and my mom asked me to make something with them or eat them!! Eeks! I am not a big fan of the fruit and eat it rarely. So I quickly logged onto the net and got this recipe (unfortunately I don't remember the source). Luckily, we had all the ingredients on hand and off I went. I was hesitant that the cake would have a prominent banana flavour but the amount was just right and the cinnamon added a perfect balance. I also added some chopped chocolate for good measure :)
After I came back to Dubai I made this once more for my hubby and this time I included a streusel topping which took it to whole new level. Yum!! I saw the streusel recipe on one of my fav foodie blogs Brown Eyed Baker and used it in this cake.
So if you have any unloved bananas lying around in the kitchen, take them lovingly in your hands, peel them gently, mash them up and bake this wonderful treat!!

Recipe - Streusel recipe from Brown Eyed Baker, Cake recipe from the internet.

Ingredients
For the Cake:
1 1/2 Cups All-purpose Flour
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/4 Tsp Salt
1 Stick (1/2 cup or approx 100 gms) Unsalted Butter
1 Cup Sugar (Granulated is fine)
1 Tsp Vanilla Essence
1 Large Egg (At Room Temperature)
2 Very Ripe Bananas, Mashed (1 Cup)
2 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Plain Yogurt
1/4 Cup Semi Sweet Chopped Chocolate or Chocolate Chips (Optional)
For the Streusel:
1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed
1/2 Cup All-purpose Flour
1/4 Tsp Salt
3 Tbsp Cold Unsalted Butter
3/4 cup Chopped Walnuts

To make the streusel, place the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a bowl and pinch together with your fingers until it forms a crumble. Mix in the walnuts and keep aside.
Preheat oven to 170 degree C. Grease and flour a tube pan or a 9X13 rectangular pan. Sift the flour, soda and salt and keep ready. In a bowl cream the butter and sugar till mixed well. Add the egg and beat at high. Add the vanilla, ground cinnamon and the banana mash. Mix in half the flour amount and mix well. Add the yogurt and then the remaining flour and mix well. Stir in the chopped chocolate.
Pour half the batter into the pan and add a layer of the streusel. Pour the remaining batter and top with remaining streusel. 
Bake for 45 minutes or till a toothpick comes out clean. This cake rises a lot so be sure to use a pan with tall sides.
Let the cake cool and invert onto serving plate.

Happy Eating!!

30 Minute Shepherd's Pie

I love trying out new recipes and sometimes try to make things that I have never eaten before! While browsing the net, I came across this recipe for a Shepherds pie and thought that it sounded great. I mean mashed potatoes and minced meat? What’s not to like here! After making this easy recipe I must say that it is fabulous. All it requires is a big green salad to go with it and you have a complete meal. I halved the recipe as it was only for the two of us and used minced chicken as I only had that on hand. Also, I added a few more spices like garam masala, coriander seeds powder etc (as usual to indianize it, hehehe ) as I found the meat a bit bland for my palette.

And guess what I did with the leftovers? Meat cutlets of course! Just mash up everything in a big bowl and make small round patties. Dip in a whipped egg and roll in bread crumbs. Shallow fry in a little oil and you have amazing cutlets!

Recipe Source – Rachel Ray from the Food Network

Ingredients (My changes in red)

2 pounds potatoes, such as russet, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons sour cream or softened cream cheese (used cream cheese)
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup cream, for a lighter version substitute vegetable or chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
3/4 pounds ground beef or ground lamb (used ground chicken)
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup beef stock or broth (used chicken stock)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire, eyeball it
1/2 cup frozen peas, a couple of handfuls
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (omitted)
1 Tbsp Red Chili Powder
1 Tsp Coriander Seeds Powder
1 Tsp Garam Masala

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and pour them into a bowl. Combine sour cream, egg yolk and cream. Add the cream mixture into potatoes and mash until potatoes are almost smooth.

While potatoes boil, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to hot pan with beef or lamb. Season meat with salt and pepper. Add the spices. Brown and crumble meat for 3 or 4 minutes. If you are using lamb and the pan is fatty, spoon away some of the drippings. Add chopped carrot and onion to the meat. Cook veggies with meat 5 minutes, stirring frequently. In a second small skillet over medium heat cook butter and flour together 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and Worcestershire sauce. Thicken gravy 1 minute. Add gravy to meat and vegetables. Stir in peas.

Preheat broiler to high. Fill a small rectangular casserole with meat and vegetable mixture. Spoon potatoes over meat evenly. Top potatoes with paprika and broil 6 to 8 inches from the heat until potatoes are evenly browned. Top casserole dish with chopped parsley and serve.

Happy Eating!!

Gajar Ka Halwa (Carrot Halwa)

Last weekend Latifs' cousin had come over for lunch and I wanted to make a nice Indian dessert as I rarely make them. Usually I just bake a cake or something but this time wanted to try something new. So I decided to tackle gajar ka halwa and off we went to the supermarket to buy carrots. I picked up a 1 kg bag and asked my hubby if it was enough and he responded "meri izzat nikalogi kya?' (you will embarrass me or what?). Buy 2 kgs he said. So I went home and grated the carrots in the food processor (or rather made him do it hehehe). When I put the grated carrots in the pot the quantity was so much that I was not even able to stir it. After a long (read LOOOOOOOOOONG) time the carrots finally cooked and reduced in size. While searching for a recipe I came across so many different methods and recipes that I decided to wing it. I added my own quantities and came up with this. This is not the dry halwa with lots of ghee. Rather it is soft, sweet and fresher. All I know is that it tastes great!

Ingredients

2 Kg Carrots (peeled, washed and grated)
1 Cup Ghee (Clarified Butter)
1/2 Cup Milk
1 Cup Condensed Milk
2 Cups Sugar*
1/2 Cup Dry Milk Powder (e.g Nido) - Optional

Dry fruits for Garnish (Almonds, Pistachios, Cashew nuts etc - Peeled and Sliced)

1. 
   
   Heat the ghee in a big pot and add the carrots. Saute them on medium heat till mixed well with the ghee.
2. 
   
   Add the milk and cook them on low heat till all the milk is absorbed and the carrots are fully cooked. The carrots will leave their water and they should be cooked till all the water has dried out.
3. 
   
   Once the liquid has dried, add the sugar and condensed milk. Cover and cook on low till all the condensed milk is absorbed. Taste and adjust sweetness by adding more sugar if required.
4. 
   
   Place the milk powder all over the top gently using a teaspoon and cover with lid. After sometime the milk powder will solidify (This replicates mawa, if you cannot find it). Mix and garnish with dry fruits. Serve hot or cold.

* The amount of sugar you use depends on how sweet you like it. Start by adding half a cup, mix, taste and gradually add more.

Happy Eating!!

Brown Sugar-Apple Cheesecake

Do you know that my favorite fruit is the humble apple. Not many people may call this their favorite fruit (the honor going to mangoes, strawberries or other such fruits) but I get my enjoyment out of a crisp, sweet apple. However, if there is one thing I can’t eat it is a green apple which I find a bit too tart for my taste. So when I found a few green apples lying in the fruit basket (courtesy hubby) I didn’t know what to do with them. I quickly shot a mail to Michelle from Brown Eyed Baker and asked for some recipe suggestions. I got a prompt reply and true to her helpful nature she suggested three desserts and after checking all of them on her blog I decided to go the cheesecake route. Now I have only ever baked a cheesecake once before so the water bath method was a bit intimidating to me. Moreover, my spring form pan is a bit lose and I was sure that all the water would seep in and spoil the cake. So I checked with her and decided to bake it without the water bath and got perfect results. The verdict? This cheesecake is to die for!! If you love apples like I do you will fall head over heels for this. It’s creamy, not too sweet and the brown sugar coated apples in the middle are truly divine. Now stop reading and go make this!

Recipe Source – Brown Eyed Baker (Originally by Dorie Greenspan “Baking: From My Home to Yours”)

Ingredients (Below is the recipe how I made it, for the original recipe check here)

For the Crust

2 Cups Powdered Digestive Biscuits

2 Tbsp Light Brown Sugar

1/2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/2 stick (4 Tbsp / 50 Gms) Unsalted Butter, Melted

For the Apples

1/2 Stick (4 tbsp / 50 Gms) Unsalted Butter

4 large Granny Smith Apples (Peeled, Cored and Cut Into 16 Slices)

2 Tbsp (Packed) Light Brown Sugar

1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon

For the Filling

680 Gms Cream Cheese, At Room Temperature

3/4 Cup (Packed) Light Brown Sugar

6 Tbsp Sugar

3 Tbsp Apple Juice

2 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon

3 Large Eggs

3/4 Cup Sour Cream

1/3 Cup Heavy Cream

To Make the Crust:

Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan.

Put the powdered digestive biscuits in a food processor and pulse in the sugar and cinnamon. Pour in the melted butter and pulse until the crumbs are moistened. Turn the crumbs into the springform pan and, using the bottom of a measuring cup, firmly press them evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan as far as they’ll go. Put the pan in the freezer while you preheat the oven. (The crust can be covered and frozen for up to 2 months.)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F).

Remove the pan from the freezer and wrap the bottom tightly in aluminum foil, going up the sides. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until the crust is set and lightly browned. Transfer to a rack to cool while you make the apples and the filling. Leave the oven at 180 degrees C (350 degrees F).

To Make the Apples:

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. When the foam subsides, toss in half of the apple slices and cook, turning once, until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the apples with 1 tablespoon of the sugar and cook them, turning, just until coated, another minute or so. Scrape the apples onto a plate, wipe out the pan and repeat with the remaining apples. Sprinkle the cinnamon on the apples and let them cool while you make the filling.

To Make the Filling:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium speed, scraping down the bowl often, for about 4 minutes, or until it is velvety smooth. Add the sugars and beat for another 2 minutes. Beat in the apple juice, vanilla, and cinnamon. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the eggs one by one, beating for 1 minute after each egg goes in. Finally, beat in the sour cream and heavy cream, beating just until the batter is smooth.

Pour about one third of the batter into the baked crust. Arrange the apples in an even layer in the pan. Cover with the remaining batter and, if needed, jiggle the pan to even the top. Place the springform pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake the cheesecake for 2 hours and 5 - 10 minutes, covering the cake loosely with a foil tent at the 45-minute mark. The cake will rise evenly and crack around the edges, and it should be fully set except, possibly, in the very center–if the center shimmies, that’s just fine. Gently transfer the cake, still in the pan, to a cooling rack and let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate it for at least 6 hours; overnight would be better.

Run a blunt knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the crust, open the pan’s latch and release and remove the sides.

Happy Eating!!

Rava Idli

I love a good south Indian breakfast comprising of soft fluffy idlis, crispy masala dosas and hot sambar. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time or the patience to sit and make all this at home. So whenever I get a chance to order breakfast from out I prefer to go the south Indian route. But when I came across this recipe on the Internet I knew it was a gem as it was so easy to make and absolutely delicious. I have been guilty of eating 8 – 10 of these in a row as they are so soft and tasty you won’t know when the plate is over!!

Recipe Source – Show Me The Curry

Ingredients - Makes 16 idlis

1 Cup Sooji/Rava (Cream of Wheat/Semolina)
1 Tbsp Oil
1 Tsp Mustard Seeds
1 Tsp Channa Dalia
1 Tsp Urad Daal
2 Dry Whole Red Chili
1 Tbsp Broken Cashew Pieces
3/4 Cup Yogurt
Few Curry Leaves
1 Green Chili (Finely Chopped)
1/4 Cup Coriander Leaves (Finely Chopped)
1/4 Cup Mint Leaves (Finely Chopped)
1 Tsp Ginger (Finely Grated)
1/4 Cup Grated Carrot (Optional)
Salt To Taste
1/2 Cup Water
1 Tsp ENO Fruit Salt

1. 
   
   Heat Oil in a on medium heat. Add mustard seeds and allow them to pop. Add the dry red chili, channa dalia, urad daal, cashew pieces and mix till dals are golden brown. Add in Rava and mix well. (If using roasted Rava do not add it to the pan, place in a bowl and add the above to it). Keep roasting Rava until a nice fragrant smell comes or you see the rava turning light brown. Do not burn it. Transfer the rava to a medium bowl and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes.
2. 
   
   Lightly oil idli trays with spray cooking oil or regular oil. Prepare Idli steamer by pre-heating water to a boil.
3. 
   
   In another small bowl, mix yogurt, curry leaves, green chilies, coriander leaves, mint leaves, ginger, grated carrot and salt. Mix well. Pour yogurt mixture into the cooled Rava and mix. Add water a little at a time and keep mixing until there are no lumps visible. Allow the batter to rest for at least 15-20 minutes.
4. 
   
   Add ENO Fruit Salt and mix well. The mixture should foam up. Immediately pour mixture into the idli trays and put the idli stand into the steamer. Place a tight lid on the steamer and steam idlis for exactly 16 minutes on medium heat. Remove idlis from the trays by scooping them out with a spoon. Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Happy Eating!!.