RED POHA SWEET using Pressure Cooker

RED POHA SWEET

Ingredients:-
Red poha/ Red Aval/ Red Rice Flakes ( thick poha) - 1/2 cup
Jaggerry - 1/4 cup
Water - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 2 tsp
Cashews, Raisins - 5 nos.
Cardomom powder - a pinch

Method:-
Wash the poha 3 times to remove dust & impurities. Add all the ingredients mentioned in a bowl, gently mix, cover it with a plate and place it inside the cooker. Using double boiling method, allow 3 whistels on high flame, switch off the flame. Let the pressure release  on its own.
Delicious Poha sarkarai pongal is ready. Garnish with cashews, raisins roasted in ghee.

RED AVAL KESARI

Aval, also known as Poha or Flakes. Like corn flakes, Aval are called as Rice Flakes, enriched with iron, calcium, fibre etc.

RED AVAL KESARI

Ingredients:-
Red aval - 1 cup

Brown sugar - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 5 tsp
Water - 2&1/2 cups
Cardamom powder ..as required
Saffron strings ..3 to 4 ( optional)

Method:-
Using a sieve, remove the impurities from Aval/poha.
Dry roast the red aval ( i used the thicker variety) for 2 to 3 minutes or till the time that the flakes can be broken into two pieces. Allow it to cool. Using a mixer jar, make a coarse powder.
 Now boil water in a kadai, add 1 tsp of ghee, saffron stings and add the coarse powder. Keep it in sim flame.

Mix it well to avoid lumps. When there is no moisture content, it is said that the flakes were cooked.

Now add sugar & cardomom powder, mix well till it all binds well.
 Add ghee while mixing. Remove from the flame, when the kesari leaves the sides of the pan.
Healthy red aval kesari is ready to be served....

Mixed Vegetable Bonda

This is another version of urad dhal vadai. Buy adding vegetables, it turns to be tasty and healthy.

See also for Medhu Vadai

INGREDIENTS:

Urad dhal - 250g

Toor dhal - 2 tsp

Rice flour - 1 tsp

Carrot  - 2

Cabbage 

Onion - 1

Green chilly -2

Corinader leaves - a little

Curry leaves - a leaflet

Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp

Pepper powder/Crushed - 1/2 tsp (optional)

Oil - for deep frying

METHOD: 

1. Soak urad dhal for 45 minutes and grind to fine paste by sprinkling little water along with green chillies, as we prepare for vadai and transfer to a bowl.

2. Heat oil for deep frying.

2. Add finely chopped onion, carrot, cabbage, corinader leaves, curry leaves, rice flour along with salt, pepper and asafoetida. 

3. Mix well with a spoon, and place little scoops of mixed batter in the hot oil or make small balls using fingers.

4. Deep fry until golden brown and remove from the oil.

5. Crispy and tasty Vegetable bonda is ready and can be served with any chutney variety and coffee.

Note:

• Adding rice flour is a must since the veggies will let out water on mixing with the batter and will result in oily bondas.

 

KAJU PISTA KATLI

This recipe is similar to Kaju Katli. We take equal portion of Kaju/Cashew and Unsalted Pistachios for this recipe. The green colour we get is natural and its flavour is unique. We can even make this katli more healthy by adding almonds too. See also for Cashew Badam Burfi and Badam Katli

INGREDIENTS:

Cashew nut - 1/2 cup

Pistachios -  - 1/2 cup

Sugar - 1/2 cup

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Ghee - 2 tsp

METHOD:

1. In a tawa, add cashews and pistachios and stir for few minutes till it becomes little warm. Allow to cool completely. No need to over roast it.

2. In a mixer, add the nuts and grind to a fine powder, add cardamom powder and keep aside. 

3. In a tawa, add sugar and 1/2 a cup of water and allow to boil.

4. Grease a burfi plate with little ghee.

5. Check for one string consistency, it might take 5 to 6 minutes approximately.

6. Lower the flame at once, add the powdered nuts and mix thoroughly.

7. At first it will turn watery and then starts to leave the sides of the pan. Switch off the flame.

8. Add ghee, give a mix and transfer the contents to the greased plate.

9. When the mixture is warm, cut into pieces of desired shape.

10. Tasty and tempting KAJU PISTA KATLI is ready.

Note:

• Do not over cook after it leaves the sides of the pan, it might harden faster and we will not be able to cut into pieces.

CASHEW BADAM BURFI

This is also an easy recipe as Kaju Katli & Badam Katli. Here, I have done with slight variation giving importance to the sugar syrup one string consistency, which ended in reducing the cooking time and the burfi came out very well. It took around just 20 minutes. Soaking,peeling the almond and drying it has to be done little earlier. Easy way of peeling almond is to soak in hot water for 10 minutes and rub in between fingers, so that the skin gets peeled off easily. It has to be dried on a clean towel  before grinding into powder.

INGREDIENTS:

Cashew nut - 1/2 cup

Almond/ Badam - 1/2 cup

Sugar - 1 cup

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Ghee - 1 tsp

METHOD:

1. Soak Badam in hot water for few minutes and peel off the skin and pat dry it for an hour.

2. In a mixer, grind cashews to slightly coarse powder and transfer it to a plate.

3. Add badam and powder it the same way and transfer it to the same plate and add cardamom powder to it.

4. Grease a burfi tray with little ghee and keep aside.

5. In a thick bottomed tawa, add sugar and 1/2 cup of water and allow it to boil.

6. At first the sugar dissolves completely and starts boiling. 

7. Use a spoon/ladle and check for consistency by using the forefinger and thumb finger.

8. First, we will get the half string consistency and then one string consistency.

9. Immediately add the powdered cashew and badam and mix well so that no lumps are formed. The sugar syrup combines well with the powder in a minute.

10 When the mixture starts thickening, switch off the flame and keep on mixing for few minutes.

11. The mixture will thicken and start coming together. Add ghee and mix well.

12. Transfer to the burfi tray and level it using a spoon/ ladle.

13. When it little warm, draw lines of desired shape and size using a knife greased with little ghee.

14. After it cools down completely, the burfis can be easily removed.

15. Tasty and delicious CASHEW BADAM BURFI is ready.

Note:

• Do not run the mixer for a long time, the powder might turn sticky.
• Switch off the stove immediately when the mixture starts to thicken to avoid over cooking.
• It has to be mixed well till it comes together like a dough. 
• If over cooked, the burfis will turn hard.

AVAL PAYASAM / POHA PAYASAM

Aval/ Poha/ Rice flakes payasam is a very healthy dessert which anybody  can easily prepare. It is mainly done during Gokulashtami as it is the favourite dish of Lord Krishna. It is done using milk and jaggery.

INGREDIENTS:
Aval/ Poha - 1/2 cup
Jaggery - 1/2 cup
Milk - 1/2 litre
Cardamom - a pinch
Salt  - a pinch
Ghee - 2 tsp
Cashews - 10

METHOD:
1. In a pan add aval and dry roast it for a while and wash thoroughly as it might contain sand particles.
2. Drain the water completely and keep aside.
3. In a thick bottomed tawa/pan, add little ghee and roast the cashews and add the washed poha and stir gently for a while.

4. Simultaneously boil milk in a separate pan and add to the aval and cook for a few minutes till the aval becomes soft.
5. Prepare jaggery syrup, strain the impurities and allow it to boil for a while and cool completely.
6. Add to the aval, along with a pinch of salt, cardamom powder and mix well.
7. Tasty Aval/Poha payasam is ready.

Note:

• White aval/poha can be used instead of red aval.
• See that the jaggery syrup cools down completely to avoid curdling of milk.

For Youtube Video Click here....Aval Payasam

PANEER PARATHA

We usually prepare chappathi/paratha without any stuffing. This paneer stuffing is very easy and simple than other stuffings. It tastes awesome. This stuffed paratha is apt for a beginner since other stuffings might come out easily while preparing the paratha. This stuffing is dry and can easily be stuffed. 

INGREDIENTS:

Whole wheat flour - 1 cup
Grated paneer - 100 gms
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Chat masala - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup chopped 
Sesame/Gingelly oil - 2 tsp
Oil/ ghee - for roasting parathas
Salt

METHOD:
1. In a bowl, add the whole wheat flour, gingelly oil, required salt and mix well.
2. In a pan, heat  half cup of water and add to the flour little by little mixing well with a spoon/spatula.
3. After it cool well, use hand and knead to a soft dough. Add little ordinary water if needed and mix well and make a soft dough and keep aside.
4. In a small bowl add the grated paneer, red chilly powder, chat masala, turmeric powder, garam masala, coriander leaves and a little salt and mix well and make small doughs.
5. Make slightly larger dough for the outer covering using the wheat dough  and keep aside.
6. Using a rolling pin make small paratha using a dough and place the paneer stuffing and close on all sides and roll them using palm to make them even.

7. Similarly prepare  the stuffed doughs.
8.Sprinkle some flour and roll the dough one by one using rolling pin carefully so that the stuffing is evenly spread inside the paratha.
9. Heat a tawa and place the paratha and cook well on both sides. Sprinkle some oil and cook until brown spots appear on it.
10. Prepare all the parathas the same way.
11. Tasty and delicious Paneer paratha is ready to be served with any gravy or curd.

Paneer paratha with Capsicum gravy

See for Paneer gravy recipies in this blog

Note:

• Bring panner to room temperature before crumbling to pieces.
• Instead of red chilly powder, chopped green chillies can be used.

TOMATO KURMA

This is a simple kurma made with tomatoes only. No need for other veggies. Goes well with idli, dosa, chapatthi, naan and even hot rice with ghee.

Preparation time - 10 minutes
Cooking time - 10 minutes
Serves - 4

 
INGREDIENTS:
Ripe Tomatoes - 6
Onion - 2
Green chilly - 2
Ginger garlic crushed - 1 tsp
Coconut paste - 3 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Coriander leaves - 1/2 handful 
Salt

For Seasoning
Clove -2
Cinnamon - 2
Star anise - 1
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
 Hing/Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 3 tsp

METHOD:
1. In a pan boil water add the tomatoes and keep aside for few minutes and after it cools down grind to paste.
2. In a tawa, add oil and the items given under seasoning one by one. 
3. Add finely chopped onions, green chilly, saute well till it gets cooked and nice aroma comes out.
4. Add crushed ginger garlic, stir for a minute and add turmeric powder, red chilly powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder and stir well.
5. Add the tomato paste and cook well till the raw smell goes off.
6. Add coconut paste and cook for few minutes and add chopped coriander leaves and taste for salt and spice and switch off the flame.
7. Tasty Tomato kurma is ready.

Note:

• Instead of red chilly  and coriander powder, sambar powder can be used.
• The quantity will be less since we do no add any veggies.  For more quantity either add more tomatoes or other veggies along with tomato.

 

IDLY STIR FRY/ MIXED VEGETABLE IDLY UPPUMA

This is done using left over idlies, very simple and easy to make. Those who do no like idlies, may like this recipe since it resembles Paneer/Gobi manchurian. But I haven't deep fried the idly pieces instead stir fried them taking health consciousness into account.

INGREDIENTS:
Left over Idlies - 5 to 10
Carrot - 2
Capsicum slices - 1 cup 
Onion - 1 big size
Tomato - 1
Crushed Ginger garlic - 1 tsp
Chilly powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander leaves - a little
Salt 

For Seasoning
Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Cumin - 1/4 tsp
Urad dhal - 1/4 tsp 
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - a leaflet
Oil - 2 tsp

METHOD: 
1. Cut the idlies into cubes and keep aside.
2. Chop onion, carrot, capsicum and tomato into small pieces and keep aside.
3. In a thick bottomed pan, add oil, on heating it add mustard and cumin and allow to crackle and add urad dhal and stir till it becomes golden brown. Add curry leaves & asafoetida.
4. Add finely chopped onion, fry till the colour turns transparent, add capsicum and carrot and stir well until it is half cooked. Add tomatoes and cook until it becomes juicy.
5. Add turmeric powder, chilly powder, garam masala and salt required for the veggies (Idlies already have salt) and mix well. 
6. Sprinkle little water so that the raw smell goes off.
7. Add chopped idlies and mix carefully so that they get coated with masala well. 
8. Cook for few minutes so that the masalas are well absorbed by the idies. Add chopped coriander leaves, mix well and switch off the flame.
8. Tasty and delicious Idly Stir fry is ready.

Idly Stir fry with Tomato Onion Chutney

Note:

• Keep in mind that the idlies already have salt in them. Otherwise the recipe might turn salty and hard to eat.
• Idly cubes can be fried in oil before adding to the vegetables. It will taste much better and will be an apt lunch box recipe along with Tomato Sauce/Ketchup.

See also for Tomato chutney, Onion coconut chutney

CARROT COCONUT BURFI

A Simple and Easy sweet that can be prepared in minutes. Coconut burfi is usually made sweet. By adding carrot it gives extra taste and wonderful colour to the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
Carrot - 1 cup
Coconut - 1 cup (grated)
Sugar - 1 1/4 cup
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Cashews - 10 (optional)
Ghee - 3 to 4 tsp

METHOD:
1. Grate coconut and Carrot separately and keep aside.
2. In a thick bottomed tawa, add ghee.
3. Add carrot and coconut and cook well in medium flame until raw smell of the carrot disappears. Stir on continuously so that it doesn't get burnt.

4. Add sugar and mix well. First, it will turn to watery consistency.
5. By cooking continuously the mixture will get thickened.
6. Add cardamom powder and mix well.
7. When the mixture leaves the side of the pan, pour over a plate greased with little ghee and spread well.

8. Slightly roast the cashews and arrange on the top of the mixture.
9. Allow to cool completely and cut into pieces of desired shape.
10 Tasty and delicious Carrot Coconut Burfi is ready.

Note:

• Using cashew is optional. 
• If we cook till the sugar is absorbed and switch off the flame, Carrot coconut Halwa can be made.
• To cut into pieces, we should further cook till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan.

RICE ROTI/ AKKI ROTI

A famous Karnataka breakfast recipe prepared with rice flour. Akki roti in Kannada means Rice bread. It can be done adding various vegetables of choice.

INGREDIENTS:
Rice flour - 1 cup
Cumin - 1 tsp
Onion - 1
Green chilly - 2
Coriander leaves - a handful
Curry leaves - a leaflet
Salt
Oil

METHOD:
1. Finely chop Onion, green chilly, coriander leaves and curry leaves.
1. In a bowl, add rice flour, cumin, onion, green chilly, coriander leaves and curry leaves along with required salt. Mix well.

2. Add needed water and prepare a dough of soft consistency.
3. Make balls of desired size and keep aside.
4. In a plantain leaf/butter paper, grease little oil and place a ball and flatten it using finger/palm. Grease little oil in hand to make flattening easier. Make hole in the center if necessary.
5. Heat a dosa tawa, remove the roti carefully and place it cook on medium flame.
6. Sprinkle oil around the roti and cook well on both sides until light brown.
7. Tasty Rice roti/Akki roti is ready to be served with any chutney or curd.

Note:

• If you have 2 dosa tawas, the flattening of roti can be directly done on the tawa by greasing little oil. Mean while, the other tawa can be used for spreading.
• After preparing one roti, allow it to cool before making another.
• Vegetables like carrot, cabbage etc., can be added along with onion.

 

PANEER 65

A Simple home style version, dry recipe, favourite starter/ snack for many, done using cottage cheese/paneer

INGREDIENTS:
Paneer - 250 gms
Besan flour - 1/2 cup
Rice flour - 1/4 cup
Maida/ all purpose flour - 1/4 cup
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Lemon juice - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Oil - for deep frying

METHOD:
1. In a bowl, add besan flour, rice flour, maida and mix well.
2. Add red chilly powder, garam masala, ginger garlic paste, lemon juice, salt  and make a paste adding little water. 
3. Add chopped paneer cubes and marinate it for 10 minutes. 
4. Heat oil in a pan and drop the paneer cubes in batches and deep fry it until golden brown.
5. Tasty and crispy Paneer 65 is ready to be served hot.

  See for Gobi 65 in this blog

FRIED RICE

A Simple Chinese recipe done using cooked rice. But cooked Basmathi rice is usually used & suits well. It is simple and can be done in minutes. Suits well for lunch box and children love this recipe,  it is less spicy and aromatic since Basmathi rice has a unique aroma.

INGREDIENTS:
Cooked rice - 1 cup
Onion - 1
Carrot - 1
Beans - 6
Capsicum - 1/2
Crushed Ginger garlic - 1 tsp
Spring Onion - 1/4 cup (chopped)
Soya sauce - 1/4 tsp 
Tomato sauce - 1 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Star Anise - 1
Cashew - 5 (optional)
Ghee - 2 tsp
  
METHOD:
1. Chop all the veggies finely and keep aside.
2. Heat ghee in a tawa, add Cashews, roast till golden brown and remove it. Add star anise and stir till nice aroma comes out.
3. Add chopped onions and saute till it becomes transparent.
4. Add crushed ginger garlic and chopped vegetables and cook on medium flame.
5. If you feel that beans needs more time to get cooked, add water in a pan and allow to boil and add beans and cook for 5 minutes and drain the water, add it to the other veggies.
6. Cook veggies well and see that the crunchiness is retained. Do not over cook.
7. Add soya sauce and tomato sauce, pepper powder and required salt and stir gently.
8. Add cooked rice, spring onion and toss well, lower the flame. Taste for salt & spice. Add if needed and switch off the flame.
9. Tasty and less spicy Fried Rice is ready.

Note: 

• If freshly cooked rice is used, allow the rice to cool completely before adding to the vegetables. 

NUTS BURFI

This burfi is similar to Choco- Cashew Badam Burfi, with mild alteration.

NUTS BURFI

INGREDIENTS:- 

( The cup which I used for this receipe is, 1 cup = 200 gms)

Cashew, Badam and Walnut = 1and 1/2 cup
Maida / All purpose flour = 1 cup
Ghee = 1/2 cup

Sugar = 1 and 1/2 cup
Water = 3/4 cup


Cardamom powder = 1/2 tsp
Nutmeg powder = 1/4 tsp
Safron Strings = 10

METHOD:-

Grease a plate with 1 tsp of ghee and set aside. Make a coarse powder of the nuts, walnuts, almonds and cashew.

Sieve maida before preparing.

Heat a kadai, add sugar and water. Bring the sugar-water to a boiling condition. The suitable stage for this burfi is (oru kambi padham ), one -string or 2nd stage. Click here for Sugar Syrup Stages.

In a separate pan, heat Ghee, till smoke emerges from it. Add Maida to it and stir continously for 4 mins, till it is cooked. Now add, the coarse powder of the nuts and mix well. Add Cardamom powder, Nutmeg powder and safron strings. Stir well. Switch off the flame.

When the Sugar syrup is ready, switch off the flame.

Add / Pour Maida-nuts mixture to this sugar syrup and stir continously to avoid lumps.

Now, heat this pan and stir continuously, till it leaves the sides of the pan. Transfer it to a greased plate and allow it to cool down.

After half an hour, tilt this plate ( i used aluminium foil paper), on another plate. Please check, whether the burfi is hard enough to cut.Using a cup or a spatula,   smoothly tap the greased plate, so that the burfi falls to the foil/plate.

Using a knife, cut into desired shapes.

Raagi Dhokla

This type of Dhoklas are famous in Gujarat. Its very easy to prepare.
Raagi is rich in Calcium, which helps in bone development. It takes about 5 mins for preparing and 15 mins for cooking....

Ingredients :

Ragi flour  = 1/2 cup

Sooji or Rava = 1/2 cup

Eno fruit salt = 1 tsp

Curd or Yogurt  = 1/4 cup

Oil = 1 tbsp

Salt to taste or 1 tsp

Cumin powder  = 1 tsp

Perungaya powder  = 1 tsp

Grated ginger  = 1 tsp

For Seasoning:-

Oil, Mustard seeds, urid dal and curry leaves

Method:-

• In a bowl, mix all the dried ingredients ( other than curd and oil) together  and  mix well. 
• Now add oil and curd and prepare the batter. Add water if needed to  prepare the batter in pouring consistency.
• Grease a bowl or cups or idly plates with oil, and pour the batter and  steam for fifteen(15) mins.
• Remove the idlies and Season the ingredients given under seasoning, and add  on the top of the idlies/dhoklas. 
• Side dish not required, as green chillies were  added to the batter.