Methya Soppina Chutney - Fenugreek leaves chutney

We are at the airport now feeling awful to go back to our routine. We had great fun on our 5 day vacation. I really don't like to go back to the cold NY.

Well I take back some of the best memories we made here. Next time we come here, we are just going to Key West and no where else. It was such a great place and demands all your time in your visit.

Will catch you all back in my place with more recipes. Adiós for now.

As you guys know, I am a big fan of Fenugreek leaves. This chutney is my mother's recipe. Some of the best taste come from the most simplest of the recipes and this is one of those.

Serves: 3-4

Preparation Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fenugreek leaves chopped
• 1 tsp oil
• 2-3 dry red chilies
• 1/2 cup grated coconut
• 1 tsp tamarind paste
• salt as needed
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• A pinch of hing

Method:

• In a pan heat oil, once hot add red chilies and remove only the chilies and keep it aside. 
• To the same oil add mustard seeds and let it crackle.
• Add hing and fry for a second, then add the fenugreek leaves and fry for 2 mins.
• Now add tamarind paste and again fry for 5 mins. Let this cool down.
• To a blender add this cooked fenugreek leaves, red chilies and coconut and grind it with little water to get a chutney consistency. Check for salt and serve with rotti, dosa, chapati or rice.

Oats Veggie Dosa (Crepe)

So I am still in Miami till tomorrow and the weather gets better every time we step out. Yesterday we did nothing till late afternoon and then when to the most bustling place in Miami, the South Beach. You can find all kinds of people here and and they swim, drink, dance and dine all day long.

We just went to the beach, caught the roaring waves for a while, had a mixed fruit yogurt and walked a long way along the Ocean Drive. We went to dine at an Indian restaurant called the Guru. The food there is overrated with more emphasis on decoration rather than taste and is pricy as well.

We returned to our hotel after that and this morning we went to the Gator Safari in Everglades area. We went on an airboat ride and caught glimpses of many alligators. There was also a small show where a man literally played with his croc pals. The birds there are not shy at all and one of them stole ice cream from my hand deceitfully. We are planning to go for a spa before doing our last adventure here, shopping :)

This dosa recipe is best eaten with tangy or spicy chutney and does not need any coconut. I have used quick cooking oats here and it can be replaced with traditional rolled oats as well. With this dosa batter, you can easily make dosas on an iron skillet or non stick Tava, as the dosas come out easily if the Tava is at the right temperature and not too hot.

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: 10 mins + 1 min per dosa

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/4 cup Rava or fine semolina
• 1/4 cup rice flour
• 1/2 onion finely chopped
• 1 green chili finely chopped
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 grated carrot
• 1 tsp oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp urad dal or black gram
• A pinch of hing
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 3 and 1/2 cups water
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper powder

Method:

• Add oats, rava and rice flour in a microwave safe bowl and heat it for 2 mins on high.
• Coarsely grind this flour mixture in a food processor or blender in pulse mode.
• Remove it to a mixing bowl, add salt, onion, grated carrot, green chili and coriander leaves and pepper powder and mix well.
• To this dry mixture add water and give it a stir. Keep it aside from 15-20 mins.
• In a small spatula, heat oil. Once hot, add mustard and cumin seeds, let it crackle.
• Now add hing and fry for a second and then add urad dal and fry till golden brown.
• Add this tempering to the flour batter and stir again.
• On a hot flat skillet, pour this batter using a round spatula as measurement, circularly in the clockwise direction.
• Add oil on to the outer part of the dosa and roast it. Once roasted turn in over to roast the other side. Continue until the batter finishes. You can also store this batter in a refrigerator.

French Bean Stir Fry

I lay here on the South Beach aka SoBe in Miami, as I write this blog. This recipe was prepared previously.

Yesterday we had been to Key West, utlimate tip of Florida Keys. Reached there at lunch time after the most beautiful drive ever surrounded by crystal clear water on both sides. Had the most wonderful Thai food at a floating restaurant, the reviews to be followed in a few days.

We cycled around the island and went to the beach for a while and floated in lazy refreshing waters on Higgs Beach.

Like this was not enough, we went to the coral reef in a glass bottom cruise and watched the most beautiful sunset of my life. As I told my husband, now I don't have any regrets in life :)

This recipe is a different stir fried method which can be enjoyed with chapatis or rice. Enjoy life folks!

Serves: 2-3

Preparation time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 pound french beans cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 dry red chilies
• A pinch of turmeric
• A pinch of hing
• 1/2 tsp grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 tbsp grated coconut1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• Salt as needed

Method:

• Grind dry red chilies, ginger, coriander seeds and coconut in a blender with very little water.
• In a pan, add oil and heat. Once hot add mustard seeds and let it crackle.
• Now add hing to this and fry for 2 seconds.
• Add in the french beans and fry for 10 mins until almost done but still crunchy.
• To the beans add turmeric and fry for another minute.
• Now add the ground masala to it and fry it until there is no moisture left.
• Add salt and check for taste and serve.

Quinoa Sweet potato Salad

Hello and good morning. Yesterday, we landed in Miami, Florida. The temperature is so good that it made up for a 7 month long cold winter. Our hotel has a full equipped kitchen in it, yey! So more cooking coming along.

We got Kia Optima car for our rental, a free upgrade, talk bout getting lucky. The drive was smooth and haven't seen any interesting places yet. Today we are planning to see Key West the entire day. It is about 3 hrs drive from Miami.

Coming to this recipe. Quinoa is one of the super foods like oats. It is packed with rich protein and fibers. It is a South American based grain and is now available everywhere in the world. Every once a week I see to it that we have healthy, whole grain only food. So made quinoa salad. This is one of the basic items of quinoa and as you can see I am exploring the possibilities with this new grain.

It cooks with same amount of water as rice, that is, for 1 cup quinoa, 2 cups of water. It has a distinctive nutty flavor to it goes well with all veggies. This time you will see the continental and mostly Chinese side of usage. Next time I will stick to my South Indian roots :) mom says it resembles a grain called Navane to look at, though Navane is called foxtail millet.

Serves: 2-3

Preparation time: 15 mins to cook Quinoa + 30 mins to roast all Veggies + 5 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 sweet potato cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 lb french beans cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1/2 green bell pepper cut lengthwise
• 1/2 big onion cut length wise
• 1 big carrot peeled and finely shredded
• 1 cup Quinoa
• 2 and 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp Sriracha sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp lime juice or lemon juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
• Salt as needed

Method:

• Rinse thoroughly and cook quinoa in a pressure cooker or rice cooker or stove top with given amount of water.
• Preheat the oven to 400K.
• In a plastic zipper bag, add 1 tbsp of olive oil, salt, pepper and sweet potato pieces. Close the zipper and shake well.
• Transfer the sweet potato along with seasoning to a baking sheet lines with parchment paper and bake it for 20 mins, stirring after 10 mins.
• Do to switch off the oven, bring out the sweet potatoes and add the cut beans and bake for another 5 mins.
• Now bring out the baking tray again and add the bell pepper and onion and bake for other 5 mins.
• In a mixing bowl, add red wine vinegar, sriracha, soy, lemon juice, left over olive oil and salt, and whisk it well.
• To this add the cooked quinoa, roasted vegetables and shredded carrot, give a gentle mix. Check for taste and serve.

Seemebadnekayi mosru sasve - Chayote yougurt sauce

Hello all you beautiful people out there. First of all, thank you for your encouragement, this is my 27th post. I hope one day I publish my own recipe book with my own food photography. Too ambitious isn't it :), a girl can dream. This beats any desk job any day!

So you all remember my boothkumblakayi majjigehuli? This is similar but different in that we don't cook the sauce or the stew, though we use yogurt for both the dishes. As white pumpkin, chayote has high degree of water content, it is easier to cook.

Chayote is used as a common vegetable in Asia, South America and parts of Africa and Australia. There is a striking difference in usage. In India usually it is cooked and in Latin American cuisine, it is used raw for salads mostly. In Thai and Taiwanese cuisine, shoots are used in Stir fries. All in all, this veggie can be baked, fried, stuffed, pickled or can be eaten raw.

Some of the health benefits of chayote are:

1. The fruit, stem and leaves have multiple nutrients.
2. Anti-inflammatory property of chayote reduces blood pressure, kidney stones and indigestion.
3. High in dietary fibers, so they help to normalize motion.
4. Lowers cholesterol and helps to obtain a healthy cardio vascular system.
5. It is low in calorie and fat.
6. Helps to regulate blood sugar levels.
7. Excellent source of Vitamin C and folate.
8. Provides healthy metabolism and immunity.
9. Helps in weight loss due to high water content.
10. Helps to build strong bones, healthy nerve and muscle system.

Serves: 31 tsp 

Preparation time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 chayote chopped into quarter inch cubes
• 1 tsp ghee or clarified butter
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 5-6 curry leaves
• A pinch of hing or asafetida
• 1/2 cup yogurt with enough water to have saucy consistency
• Salt as needed

Ingredients to grind:

• A pinch of turmeric
• 2-3 strings of coriander leaves 
• 1 tbsp roasted bengal gram or hurigadle
• 2 tbsp shredded coconut
• 1-2 green chilies
• 1 tsp cumin seeds

Method:

• Grind the ingredients in the to grind section with very little water, in a blender.
• In a small sauce pan, add ghee and let it heat. 
• Once hot add mustard seeds and let it crackle. 
• To this, add hing and curry leaves and fry for 2 seconds.
• Add the chopped chayote, sprinkle some salt and water and cook with a closed lid for 5-8 mins.
• Switch off the gas, add the ground masala to this and slowly add in yogurt stirring constantly.
• Finally, add the salt and check for taste.

Kotthu Parotta

The first time I ate this dish was in Saravana Bhavan restaurant in Edison, NJ. I never knew parotta came like this. I was expecting a round bread, what I got was shredded stuff, not appetizing to look at, but great to taste.

I did some research on this and came to know it was first conceived in Trivandrum, Kerala. Usually this contains egg, but the one I ate at the restaurants didn't have any. So I made eggless and in my style. I have used Marinara sauce here as I had some left over stored.

This is a great dish for kids and healthy too. You can use those left over rotis in this recipe. This is specially good when you are done with same old chapati and want to eat a variety food or when you don't want to prepare any side dish for chapati exclusively.

Serves: 2 -3 

Preparation Time: 10 mins to make 3 parottas + 15 mins 

Ingredients:

• 3 Parotta (or thick rotis or chapatis) cut into 1 inch squares
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp grated garlic
• 1 green chili finely chopped
• 1 cup tomato puree/tomato sauce/marinara sauce
• 2 tbsp oil
• A pinch of hing or asafetida
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 8-10 curry leaves
• 1 tsp chana dal or split bengal gram
• 1 tsp urad dal or black gram
• 1 small onion sliced lengthwise
• 1 capsicum sliced lengthwise approximately to onion size
• A pinch of turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves finely chopped
• Salt as needed

Method:

• In a wok, add oil and heat. Once hot add mustard seeds and cumin seeds and wait till they crackle
• Add hing and curry leaves and fry for 2 seconds.
• Now add the chana dal and urad dal and fry till golden brown.
• To this add onion, ginger, garlic and green chili and fry till the onion turn translucent.
• Now add capsicum to this and fry for not more than 5 mins. 
• Add the 5 spice powder to this - turmeric, red chili, garam masala, cumin and coriander powder.
• To this mixture add in the tomato puree and fry until there is no rawness. Add salt and check for taste.
• Finally add the sliced parottas to this and stir for 4-5 mins. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Lauki Kadhi - Bottle gourd curry

I got to know from my readers that they didn't know the benefits of Bottle gourd until they read in my previous post on this veggie. So I am posting yet another recipe using this veggie.

I remember eating this Punjabi dish called Kadhi Pakodi long back in 2010 in Ista restaurant, Bangalore. It is essentially fried onion pakodas dipped in yogurt curry. My recipe is similar to this version, at least the curry part of it.

Instead of deep frying the pakodas in oil, I am shallow frying patties made out of grated bottle gourd.
These patties are so good, I swear I have no idea how much i ate before making curry sauce. So if you ever feel like making an appetizer, stop at the lauki patty.

The curry tend to get thick after becoming cold. Just add hot water before eating and it will still taste yummy. You can eat it with roti, rice or just like that :)

Serves: 3-4

Preparation Time: 15 mins to make Bottle Gourd patties + 15 mins for curry

Ingredients for Patties:

• 1 grated Bottle Gourd
• 1/2 cup Besan or gram flour
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp rice flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2-3 tbsp oil

Ingredients for Curry:

• 1 tsp lime juice (optional)
• 1 tbsp mustard oil
• 1/2 cup curd
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• Salt as needed
• 1/2 cup besan or gram flour
• Water as needed
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 green chili
• 8-10 curry leaves
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves

Method for Patties:

• Mix all the ingredients except oil in a mixing bowl.
• Make lemon sized balls and press with both the palms to make flat patties.
• In a flat pan add oil and let it heat. Once hot add all the patties equally spaced next to one another and roast until golden brown.
• Cut each patties into four equal pieces.

Method:

• In a bowl add curd and beat it until smooth.
• To this add chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and salt and mix it well.
• Add lime juice in case the curd is not sour.
• To this mixture add gram flour and gently fold it in the curd mixture so that no lumps are formed.
• Add water to this to get the curry consistency as much needed. I added about 2 cups.
• In a sauce pan, add oil and heat it. Once hot add mustard seeds and cumin seeds and let it crackle.
• Now add the green chilies, curry leaves and ginger garlic paste and fry until there is no raw smell.
• To this add the yogurt and gram flour mixture and bring it to boil.
• Once you see bubbles, check for salt and taste. Now switch off the stove, add the patties in the curry and garnish with coriander leaves.