Ruchii

Dal is very important part of our food diet, so many varieties of dals and lentils and so many dishes we can do with it. Sailaja of Sailu’s food has chosen such a wonderful ingredient for JFI #3 i.e., ‘Dal’. I am making a hearty tiffin item made in most south Indian homes using most widely used toordal as my entry for JFI – DAL.

Growing up my mother used to make this kind of idly as often as possible. Except the soaking time, it is easy to make. For most part it’s like making channadal vada but no deep-frying. Bele idly is also known as ‘Nuchhinunde’ and ‘Muttege’ in some homes. My MIL makes this with little variation instead of making like idlies she makes batter bit thick and make balls and steam them.

These idlies are good for weekend breakfast or brunch. One can soak them over night. Grind, add veggies and make them in morning.

So here are the Ingredients

• Toordal  – 1& 1/2 cups (soaked for at least 6 hours, makes 12-14 idlies)
• Onion (one small), cilantro leaves (one handful), green chilies – 2 all of them chopped finely.
• Carrot – 1 grated.
• Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon.
• Salt.

Method:

• Soak toordal for at least 6 hours, by adding little water grind them to coarse paste.
• Then add finely chopped onion, cilantro, chilies, grated carrot and cumin.  Add salt and mix well.
• Add more water if required to make it to medium consistency. Batter should not be too thick or too thin.
• Smear little oil on to idly pans, pour the batter and steam for about 15 minutes.
• Allow the pan to cool a little so the idlies come out easily from the pan.
• I like to serve with little bit ghee and coconut chutney. Enjoy!

Puffed rice(puri as we call it) mixed with some veggies and spices, toped on a tomato slice. One can also use cucumbers instead of tomato or both.

I am very fond of chaats like masala puri, panipuri, churumuri , tomato puri just to name a few(my mouth started watering writing about it). Before coming to United States, I never tried  making any chats at home, whenever felt like eating it was just around the corner, I and my friends would go and have it.

I am from very cold part of this country any guess ? Weather is cold or cloudy most of the time. So I feel like eating spicy chats mostly during evenings. Knowing that I can’t go anywhere to get chats, it makes even more tempting to eat it. So now a days I am making chats at home, tomato puri is one of the easiest to make.  So here we go….

What we need.

1. Tomatos fully riped. Can make 7-8 slices using one tomato.

2.  Puffed rice(murmura), red onion finely chopped, carrot grated, garlic , ginger and chilli made into fine paste. (all the ingredients can be adjusted according to one’s taste)

3. For garnising home made or store bought sev and few mint/cilantro leaves.

4. Salt and pepper for taste. Tea spoon of oilve oil.

 How to make it

1. Slice tomato, sprinkle with salt and pepper.(If using cucumbers add lime juice to it)

2. Mix all ingredients except puffed rice with teaspoon of oil, add salt and pepper  adjust the taste. when ready to serve add puffed rice. Mix well

3. Top with sev and garnish with cilantro. Eat right away.

(can also add some tamarind or mint chutney on top).

Have a slice with hot cup of coffee/tea. Enjoy!

I have been taged by Priya of Sugar n spice and Annita of My treasure .. My pleasure for this meme. I am very excited to participate in my first ever meme. 

Five Items In My Freezer

• Dreyers – Vanilla ice cream 
• Burger patties
• Ice cubes
• Peas
• Limabeans

Five Things In My Closet

• Clothes
• Suit cases
• Purses
• Shoes
• Jewel box  

Five things in My(Our) Car

• Ganesh Idol (small).
• Music Cd’s
• Toddler car seat
• Sun glasses
• Car Freshner

 Five Things in My Purse

• ID card
• Some cash
• Keys
• Address book/pen
• Pictures of my family.

This was fun playing. Thank you Priya and Annita for taging me.

I would like to tag Latha of Masala Magic for this meme.

There are many varities of rice dishes we can make by combining dal with rice.

Moongdal(split) rice is the easiest to make since moongdal and rice cooks at the same time. Everyone has different recipes with this combo, kichadi/rice usali is famous among them.

Growing up this was my favorite rice item. It tastes good when warm. I think it tastes even better after few hours.

These are the things we need for making.

Ingredients:

Split Moongdal                1 cup

Rice                               1 ½ cup

For Grinding:

Onion                                1 small

Tomato                              1 big

Cumin                               1 tea spoon

Red chillies                        2 -3

Turmeric                            ½ teaspoon

Cilantro  leaves                  handful

For Tadka:

Oil                                   1 tablespoon

Mustard seed                     ½ tea spoon

Red Chilli                          1

Turmeric                            pinch

For garnishing:

Cashews                              8-10

Cilantro                                few leaves

Salt  for seasoning.

Method:

1. Wash and cook, dal and rice together in pressure cooker.

2. Grind onion, tomato, cumin seeds, red chilles, turmeric, cilantro into smooth paste

3. Heat a big pan, do the tadka add the grind paste and let it cook for about 5 minutes or till the raw smell is gone.            

4. Add cooked dal rice mixture, stir add more water to make it bit thin. Cook on medium heat, stir in between to mix well. Add salt to taste.          

5. Finally heat a teaspoon of ghee and fry cashews till light brown, add to the rice. Garnish with few coriander leaves.              

  Its ready to eat. Enjoy !

This is my entry for Paz’s ‘For the love of Rice’ event.

I can definitely say I am a coffee person. I don’t like to drink tea, but if any of you  ever visit me and want to have a cup of tea I can make a good tasting tea.

On the other hand my mother-in-law never drinks coffee. When I got married my husband’s side of family everyone liked to drink tea. They start their morning with a cup of tea, that was very surprising to me.

My mothers side of the family, we all like to drink coffee all the time. Coffee is the one thing I have to have atleast a sip or two to get my day started. I decided not to drink coffee for atleast 9 months i.e, when I was carrying, it was very hard for few days I got head aches. After a week or so I got adjusted and completely stopped drinking for few months. I am glad that it did it.

Now me and my hubby we both drink coffee in the morning. When I prepare something to eat during evenings he likes a cup of tea and I like coffee with it. Sometimes I think, if  I ever will like tea, so that I  don’t have to make two different drinks.

I am curious to know, if I offer you a snack what would you like to have with it.  Coffee or Tea ?

Saasive Kaayi its my mom’s recipe. She used to make this when she has not planned  anything to do for dinner, and it takes very less time to prepare. One can call it as a curry in a hurry.

 It translates saasive(mustard) Kaayi(coconut). Simply speaking mustard and coconut made into smooth paste and add it to the veggie. One can make this curry with any kind of squash they like. Back home Chayote squash is widely availble all seasons long. After coming to US is was so happy to see this kind of squash at local gorcery store. This curry is one thing I do with it.

                                       What we need for this

   Chayote squash            1      (cut into bit size peices)    

         For Grinding                                   

   Mustard         1 tsp                            Tumeric 1/2 tsp

   Cumin/Jeera  1tsp                             Tamarind paste 1/2 tsp

   Coconut         2tbsp (Fresh or Dry)    Dried red chillies 2          

   Salt             for taste                         Gram Flour/besan  1tsp

(Gram flour is optional, I use less coconut so adding Gram flour to the gravy gives very nice consistancy)

                                      For Tadka

    Oil  2 tsp, mustard 1/2 tsp, cumin 1/2 tsp.      

How to make it

1. Keep a pan on medium heat and do the tadka by adding mustard, cumin andto oil .

2. Now add peeled and cubed squash and add little salt mix and cook for 5minutes untill its half done.

3. Mean while gring the coconut, mustard, cumin, chilles,gram flour, tamarind paste with  little water to make it like a paste(You can soak tamarind in water and use tamarind water for grinding).

4. After 5 mins or untill the squash is half done add the grind mixture, salt and more water  to the make it bit thin(Adding gram flour will thicken the gravy ).

5. Cover and simmer it down for 5 more mins. Switch off. It is ready to be served.

It goes well with chapathi.     Enjoy !

In kannada this squash is called ‘seeme badanekaye’. I would love to know what other names you all know.

Will be posting a curry dish made with this squash. See u.