I can't believe that it's almost the end of the year. For me, 2015 was a super fast one. I still feel Jan - Feb was just a few months ago & its already the end of December. 

One of the good thing about 2015 was that I kind of managed to get my blogging mojo back & I hope it stays that way in 2016 as well.

We are going on a little holiday so, this is going to be my last post for 2015. So, I am here to share a favourite recipe - Mixed Greens Saag. I love anything that has greens in it. From Green Smoothies to a leafy Salad to a Green Rich Saag.

 

To Make Saag - You Will Need:

Roughly chop the onions & tomatoes. Grate ginger & Slit the chilies lengthwise. 

In a Pan, heat cooking oil. Add chilies, ginger & garlic & sauté for 30 seconds. Add the onions & sauté till they turn slightly pink in colour. Add the tomatoes & cook till the tomatoes are soft.

Add chopped greens & some salt & cook for 3 to 4 minutes until they slightly wilt. Turn off the heat & allow to cool.

Once, cool enough to handle, blend coarsely. Transfer back to the pan, add about 1/4 a cup of water, Add Garam Masala & bring to a gentle boil. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. check for salt. Turn off the heat


You Will need about 200g of Paneer & about 2 cups of Saag

Dice the Paneer cubes & dunk them in salted warm water & let it stay for about 10 minutes. This makes the Paneer (especially Store Bought ones) stay soft 

In a Kadhai, Add 2 cups of Saag & add the paneer cubes. If the Saag is too thick add very little water to adjust the consistency. Add salt if needed. Gently simmer for about 3-4 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add juice of half a lime & mix well.


You will need about Half a cup of Chana/Chickpeas & 2 cups of Saag

Clean &  Soak Chickpeas in water overnight or for 6 hours. If I am short on time, I soak Chickpeas in Hot water for about 3 hours.

Pressure cook for 2-3 whistles in salted water.

In a Kadhai, Add 2 cups of Saag & Add cooked Chickpeas. If the Saag is too thick add very little water to adjust the consistency. Add salt if needed. Gently simmer for about 3-4 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add juice of half a lime & mix well.

Serve with Hot Makai Rotis/Phulkas or any other Indian Bread of your liking. Add a bit of sliced onions on the side. Makes such a yummy meal 

NOTE:

Any leftover Saag can be used to make Chapatis. Knead wheat flour along with Saag & make them like regular chapatis. Its a great way to sneak in some greens if your kids are fussy eaters

Khaman - Not to be confused with Dhokla is a popular Gujarati snack. It is now well known all over India & is a hot selling street food. It is very healthy since it is steamed & it makes for a great party starter & a good snack box option for kids.

I remember my childhood days in Bombay when almost every store & even our school canteen sold tiny packets of Khaman with a good dose of mint chutney & we kids would occasionally eat this when we didn't bring our lunch boxes or we had to stay at school for extra hours

I also make a similar Dhokla out of Fine Semolina. You can Check out the recipe here


You Will Need:

How To:

In a Bowl Add 1/2 cup water & Sugar & whisk well. Add the Gram Flour  slowly & whisk so that no lumps are formed. Add Semolina, salt, sugar, Ginger-green chilli paste & Turmeric & give it a good mix.

Meanwhile, Grease a square/round dish with some cooking oil. Add water to the steamer. Just before pouring the batter into the dish, Add the Eno sachet & give it a quick mix. Immediately pour the batter into the dish & steam for 12-15 minutes. Insert a tooth pick in the centre to check if its cooked. If the tooth pick comes out clean, it means that it is completely cooked. Else steam for a few more minutes

Turn off the heat & allow it to cool a little. Meanwhile, heat some cooking oil, splutter mustard seeds. Add this to 1/4 a cup of water along with sugar & lime juice.

Once the Dhokla is slightly cool, Invert it onto a serving dish & even sprinkle the water + oil mixture. Let it soak for a while. Garnish with grated coconut & coriander.

Cut into squares & serve with Mint Chutney

NOTE:

Adding Fine Semolina is optional but I feel it gives the Khaman a nice airy texture

'Kadlekai Parishe' is the annual Groundnut Fair that happens at the famous Bull Temple in Bangalore. There are heaps & heaps of Groundnuts everywhere. Apart from Groundnuts, you also get to buy a few knick knacks & other munchies. You can read a bit more about what Kadlekai Parishe is all about Here. 

Parishe reminds me of old Bangalore. And, we made a visit this time too & bought loads of Kadlekai - Groundnuts.

We mostly end up eating these shelled peanuts as is but this time, We made a batch of Boiled Masala Peanuts , just like the ones you get from the street vendor. The weather is nice & cozy & this was what we needed with a cup of Chai. Its very basic with just boiled peanuts & onions with a dash of chilli powder & lime, nevertheless very tasty

They make a great post school snack for kids & is a great substitute for cookies or a pack of chips. Groundnuts are quite rich in proteins, so if you are watching your diet, this is a good mid day snack 



You Will Need:

How To:

If using fresh peanuts, shell them & soak in water for about 15 minutes. Add 2 cups of water & a tsp of salt. Pressure cook for 1 whistle . Drain & set aside.

Meanwhile, finely chop the onions.

In a wide bowl, Add in the peanuts, chopped onion, salt, Red chilli powder & lime juice. Give it a good mix. Add chopped coriander & toss well.

Use only Raw Peanuts to make this. Do Not use the roasted ones. You can also use store bought pre shelled peanuts 

You can also add a bit of finely chopped tomatoes if you wish to.

This tastes good when the Peanuts are still warm. But, you can have them cold too. 

This isn't even a proper recipe but this is my favourite kinda Smoothie. I make a lot of Smoothies, but this one is my favourite.

I practically drink this everyday or at least 5 days a week. This is my post workout drink & its so darn delicious or maybe I am hungry when I drink this :) Either way I love it so it has to be blogged :)

Its got Banana, Spinach, Pear, Almonds & the new Superfood Chia Seeds & of course Milk .. Everything that makes a smoothie tasty. I add Spinach because it takes care of my daily dose of Greens & I don't have to bother about another dose of Greens for the rest of the day & of course I love the gorgeous Green hue it lends to the Smoothie

How To:

Roughly chop the pear or Apple. There is no need to peel the skin. Roughly chop the Banana too.  
Put everything in a blender & blend until Smooth

NOTE:

You can use any kind of milk you like. Regular, Skimmed, Soy, Nut milk or whichever. I mostly use the Unsweetened Almond Milk

I sometimes add a dash of Organic Unsweetened Peanut Butter to this. Makes it all the more delicious

Don't add Ice cubes if using frozen Bananas

I also don't feel the need to add any sweeteners as I feel the sweetness from the Banana & Pear is quite sufficient. You may add a dash of honey if you wish to. But Please avoid using White Sugar

To Make Bassaru - You Will Need:

How To:

In a cooking pot, add 2 cups of Mung Sprouts along with tomatoes. Add 4 cups of water & some salt. Boil for about 4 minutes until the mung beans are tender yet firm.

In a mixer grinder, Add a tablespoon of the cooked Mung Sprouts, Green Chilies, along with grated coconut, 1 tsp cumin seeds, Rasam Powder, Garlic, Tomatoes, Onions & Turmeric powder. Grind into a smooth paste adding a bit of water.

• Cooked Mung Sprouts
• 2 onions
• 4 Dry red chilies
• 1/2 cup of fresh grated coconut
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• A big pinch of Asafoetida
• 2 tsp cooking oil
• Salt as per taste
• juice of 1 lime
• Fresh Coriander for garnish

How To:

In a Kadhai, heat some cooking oil. Splutter cumin & mustard seeds. Add Asafoetida & Dry Red chilies. Sauté for 20 seconds

Add chopped onions & a pinch of salt and turmeric & Sauté until the onions turn pink. 

Add the cooked Mung Sprouts & salt and give it a good mix. Add grated coconut & mix again. Check for salt. Let it stand on low heat for about 2 minutes.

Turn off the heat & add lime juice & chopped coriander. Mix well & set aside 

• This Saaru is usually on the runnier side & it tastes good that way.
• Feel free to add any greens of your choice. Spinach, Amaranth or Dill Leaves are my favourite.
• If I don't cook the greens along with the lentils/sprouts, I use them to make Palya & stir fry them along with cooked sprouts/lentils
• Since I used sprouts, I didn't need to pressure cook them as they would turn mushy. cooking them for 3-4 minutes was enough to retain the bite
• You can also use Green Chilies instead of Dry Red Chilies to make the palya. Since, the palya is almost green in colour, It's easier to fish out the red chilies than the green ones

It's been more than a week, the weather in Bangalore continues to be as cold as ever. We also had a damp Diwali all thanks to the untimely Rains. But I totally love this kind of weather ..  All I want is to snuggle under a nice duvet & endless cup of Hot Chai 

The nip in the air also means that we have been craving for some sinful deep fried goodies. We had our share of Onion Pakoras over the weekend & I have been making a lot of soups to keep us warm 

I love Soups, & they always come to my rescue during winter months. They are warm, hearty, filling & healthy too. 

This quick Zucchini & Walnut Soup was my lunch today. Zucchini is a low cal vegetable, so this soup is good for weight watchers too. I toasted some Garlic Bread and served it along with the soup. 

In a pot, heat olive oil. Add bay leaves, garlic & onions. Sauté until the onions turn soft. Add diced zucchini & some salt. Sauté until they turn soft. It should take about 4-5 minutes. Set aside & allow it to cool. 

Once cool, fish out the bay leaves,  blend into a smooth paste along with walnuts & dried thyme.

Return to the pot, add 3 cups of vegetable stock or water. Check for salt. Gently simmer for about 3-4 minutes. Add Lemon Zest just before turning off the stove

Drizzle Olive oil on top & mix in chilli flakes. Serve warm with soup stocks or  a crusty garlic bread on the side

NOTE:

You can replace the Walnuts with toasted Almonds or Pecans. 

One of my favourite ways to eat Bendekayi/Ladies Finger/Okra is this Gojju with some steamed Rice. Gojju in Kannada is a coconut based gravy which is thickish in consistency. Its got a bit of sweetness from the jaggery, bitterness from the methi seeds & tartness from tamarind. 

Some of the vegetables commonly used to make Gojju are Ladies Finger, Green Bell Pepper, Pumpkin , Pineapple , Tomatoes, Bitter Gourd.

This version of Bendekayi Gojju is a staple in most Kannada home & a  traditional Kannada meal will always have a Gojju (mostly Pineapple) as a part of the menu. 

In a pan, heat a teaspoon of oil, add all the items listed under 'To Roast' & roast on medium flame until the dals change their colour slightly and are fragrant. Set aside to cool a little.

Soak Tamarind in warm water & extract juice. In a mixer grinder, add grated coconut & roasted spices along with tamarind extract & roasted gram & grind into a smooth paste using little water.

In a Kadhai, heat some oil. splutter mustard seeds. Add chopped Ladies Finger along with some salt & sauté on medium flame until they lose their slime & are cooked well.

Now add the ground paste along with 2 cups of water. Add jaggery & check for salt. Give it a good mix & simmer on low flame for about 10 minutes. Stir at regular intervals to avoid the bottom of the pan from getting burnt. 

If the Gojju/Gravy is on the thicker side, add some more water to get the right consistency. 

I dislike Chilli Cheese Toast served in most restaurants or Cafes.  Either the bread is too chewy, or there is too much Cheese or too little toppings. 
And there are several cafes, where the toast is made beforehand & they just reheat the toast in the Microwave before serving. 

There is nothing better than a freshly made Chilli Cheese Toast just out of the oven, Right??  So, the best bet is to make your own Toast, the way you like it 

I do not like an overdose of Cheese in my dishes. Be it Pizza, Nachos or this Chilli Cheese Toast. I add loads of toppings & like the taste of the toppings shine through rather than the taste of cheese.

I've tried making this on the Stove Top too. I very lightly toasted the bread & assembled the topping & on very low flame I toasted the bread without flipping. But I felt the cheese took forever to melt &  even though the flame was very low, the base of the toast was over crisp. So I prefer the Microwave or the Oven method any day. 

If anybody knows a foolproof method of making this toast on the stove top, do let me know 

In the South Indian version of Kurma, it is very common to use fresh coconut. It gives a nice nutty flavour to the gravy. A few versions, mostly the Kerala style has Coconut Milk in it.

How To:

Soak dried peas in water for 6 hours or overnight. Pressure cook with some salt. set side to let it cool.

Meanwhile, in a pan, heat half a teaspoon of oil. Add red chilies, coriander seeds, poppy seeds, cloves & cinnamon. roast on low flame for a couple of minutes & set aside. In the same pan, heat some more oil, Add roughly chopped onions, tomatoes, ginger garlic paste & saute till the onions & tomatoes turn soft. Allow it to cool

Grind together the cooked onions & tomatoes, roasted spices along with grated coconut & cashew nuts into a smooth paste. Add a bit of water if necessary.

In a heavy bottomed pan, Add a teaspoon of cooking oil, splutter mustard seeds. Add the ground paste & turmeric & saute for a couple of minutes. Add cooked peas, 1.5 cups of water & Garam Masala. Add the salt & mix well. Let it simmer for 5-6 minutes on medium flame. If you feel the gravy is too thick, add some more water to adjust the consistency

Turn off the heat & garnish with chopped Coriander leaves.

YOU WILL NEED:

• 1 cup Chana Dal - Split Bengal Gram
• 2 Tablespoon Rice Flour
• 1/4th Cup Grated Fresh Coconut
• A handful of Coriander Leaves
• A handful of Mint
• A handful of Dill Leaves
• 2 Sprigs of Curry Leaves
• 10 Green Chilies
• 5 Dry Red Chilies (Byadagi)
• A small piece of Ginger
• Salt as per Taste
• 2 chopped onions - optional
• Oil for Deep Frying - I used Sunflower Oil

NOTE:

There are tons of recipes & variations for Chalkis, Murukkus & the kind. I always thought that making Murukkus at home was a not so easy time consuming affair & is not my cup of tea,  until I ate theem at a friends house.

This easy Benne Murukku recipe is from my friend Ashwini's Mom (The one who shared the Veggie Pasta Salad Recipe) .. When I casually visited her place she offered me a big jar of these crunchy Murukkus & I was surprised when she told me that she & her mom made them under 30 minutes

As always, I took down the recipe immediately & since then, I have made these atleast a dozen times & each time it has turned out very well. So this one is almost a fail proof recipe if you ask me  

 

  You Will Need:

How To:

NOTE: 

 Adding more Butter makes the Murukkus brittle. So, do not be tempted to add more butter :)

You can also add Onion paste into the dough to make Onion flavoured Murukkus. They taste really good. 

As you are frying in batches, always keep the dough covered to prevent them from getting dry.

Always taste the Murukkus after frying the first batch & alter the taste if needed. As mentioned earlier, if the Murukkus break easily, there has been an over use of butter. You can add a bit of Rice flour & Gram flour to the dough 

It was quite a while since I made a good Biryani at home. There used to be a time when I made One pot meals quite frequently & a quick Pulao would be on our Lunch menu every other weekend. In fact, I used to make several versions of Biryani right from the layered version to a quick Pressure Cooker version, experimenting with different spice list each time

If you like all things Coconut, you are going to love this Coconut Milk Biryani as well. This is a very mildly spiced Biryani as compared to the ones that are heavy on spices. It goes well with a spicy Hyderabadi Salan, A Raita will also do but I highly recommend the Salan 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

You Will Need:

To Grind:

• 1 large Onion - Roughly Chopped
• 1 large Tomato - Roughly Chopped
• 10 Cashew Nuts
• 2 'inch piece of Ginger
• 5 cloves of Garlic
• 4 Green Chilies
• A small stick of Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Fennel Seeds
• 3 Green Cardamom
• 4-5 Cloves

Clean Basmati Rice under running water until the water runs clear. Soak in water & set aside for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, Chop the vegetables 

In a mixer, add all the ingredients mentioned in the 'To Grind' list & grind into a smooth paste without adding any water.

In a Pressure cooker, Heat Ghee & Oil. Once hot enough, add sliced onions & saute for a couple of minutes. Add the carrots, Beans, Potatoes & mix well. cook for another couple of minutes. Next, add the ground paste & some salt. Give it a good mix & Let it cook on low flame for 3 - 4 minutes.

Add the coconut milk, Garam Masala & bring it to a gentle boil. Drain the soaked Basmati Rice & Add it into the Pressure cooker. Mix well. Add about a little more than half a cup of water. Check for salt & give it a final mix. Close the lid & cook for 1 whistle. I use a Hawkins Pressure Cooker so mine gets done in 1 whistle. It may wary for other brands.

Allow the pressure to release & allow it to cool for a while. Add chopped coriander & Mint along with toasted cashew nuts. Gently fluff with a fork to mix well

Serve with a Raita or Salan along with some sliced Onions

I didn't have any Green Peas on hand. So, I didn't add them. But they make a nice addition. So does Cauliflower

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

On the Personal front, Guess who just turned THREE? Yes. Kedar is now a Three year old School going toddler. Wait, Wasn't it just yesterday that I wrote a post announcing that we now have a new member in the family? However cliched it sounds Time does fly 


 I don't write about Kedar very often in this space but I have to say that It's been an incredible journey so far. Kedar is a complete Daddy's boy & he doesn't mince his words when he says that ( which he does all the time ) He loves his Dada more :)

We had a little Birthday party for him over the weekend & he got to cut his Peppa Pig Cake. Peppa Pig is his current favourite show. He loves it so much that his cousin sister even made him a Peppa Pig Rakhi .. I am not kidding. His current obsession is Construction Vehicles & he wants to be a JCB driver when he grows up  .. Phew !!!