Vegetable Platter: 2016

Murukku with Oats

These Murukkus are very similar to the Benne Murukku recipe here. The only difference is that I replaced half the quantity roasted Gram with Instant oats.

When it comes to deep frying, I don't consider Oats to be a healthier alternative to othet grains but I did want to try how these Murukkus will turn out with the addition of Oats. The result was quite good. Roasted oats did add a nice nutty flavour to the Murukkus

I made these almost a month ago for Krishna Janmashtami & I made yet another batch for Ganesh Chaturthi & they disappeared quite quickly

Kedar loves these kind of Munchies & since its his Birthday next week, I wanted to share a couple of his favourites

You Will Need:

1 cup Rice Flour
1/4 cup Instant Oats
1/4 cup Roasted Gram/Chuntney Dal
2 tsp softened butter
2 tsp hot oil
A pinch of Hing
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
Salt as per taste
Oil to deep fry

How To:

Grind roasted gram into a fine powder. In a pan, dry roast Instant oats for about 2-3 minutes. let it cool and later grind into a fine powder

In a wide bowl, add all the ingredients except the 2 tsp oil

Now, Add water little at a time to make a stiff non sticky dough. Cover with a damp muslin cloth and set aside.  In a deep frying pan, heat oil. when the oil is hot, take out 2 teaspoons of oil & add it to the mixture & knead. 

Grease the Murukku press with oil. Attach the Single Star Murukku Mould. Take a little bit of the mixture & fill it inside the Murukku press, Check if the oil is hot enough for frying by dropping a bit of the dough in the pan, if the dough rises immediately then the oil is hot enough, If you feel that the oil is overheated, turn off the heat for a couple of minutes & reheat 

Once the Murukku Press is filled with the mixture, press it directly over the hot oil, in a circular manner. Do not over crowd the pan. Fry them over medium flame. Flip them at regular intervals for even frying, When the bubbles & the frying sound die down, the Murukkus would have turned golden in colour.

Remove with a slotted spoon & drain on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Allow them to cool completely & store in an air tight jar. They stay crisp & fresh upto a week

2 comments

, by Deepthi Shankar

Biryani

Leftover Makeover: Biryani using Leftover Vegetable Kurma

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, by Deepthi Shankar

Breakfast Dishes

Tomato Onion Chutney

Having grown up in a South Indian household, Chutney was a staple breakfast accompaniment. Mum generally made 2 kinds of breakfast chutneys, one was the regular green chutney with coconut & coriander & green chilies & the other one was a red chutney made with onions & dry red chilies which we mostly are with Akki Rotti ( BTW, Its been eons since I ate this one. Need it make it soon )

I am not a big fan of eating Idli/Dosa with chutney pudi , though it is an option for lazy days & my Son loves Dose + Chutney Pudi. A good Coconut based Chutney is important for me atleast

There are other chutneys that mum makes like the Ridge Gourd chutney & Radish Chutney ( I love this one ) which is mostly eaten with hot steamed rice.

We rarely make a tomato based chutney ( God only knows why ) This Tomato Onion chutney is a recent addition to my list & it is a good one. It goes really well with crispy dosas or Akki Rottis but I still prefer my regular Green Chutney with Idlis.

You Will Need:

1 large Onion
1 large Ripe Tomato or 2 small Tomatoes
2 tbsp fresh grated coconut
5 Dry Red Chilies
1 tsp Chana Dal
1 tsp Urad Dal
2 sprigs of Mint
2 tsp cooking oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
A pinch of Asafoetida
Salt as per taste

How To:

Roughly chop the onion & Tomato & set aside.

In a small pan, heat Half tsp of oil, Roast Red chilies, Urad Dal & Chana dal on medium flame until slightly aromatic & the pulses turn slightly golden. Set aside to cool

In the Same pan, heat a tsp of oil & add the chopped Onions & Tomatoes & fry until they get cooked. Set aside to cool

In a mixer grinder, add fried onions & Tomatoes along with the roasted chilies & pulses. Add some salt & grind. Add about 1/4 a cup or less water & grind into a chutney like consistency. Add mint leaves & give it a final whizz

Transfer into a bowl & temper with mustard seeds & Asafoetida

Serve with Hot Crispy Dosas or Idlis or Akki Rotti/Ragi Rotti

NOTE:

You can skip adding Mint but I love that tiny hint of freshness it lends

You may add a couple of cloves of garlic while fryimg onions & tomatoes

I didn't add any Tamarind pulp because the tomatoes add a sour tinge. But if you feel that the tomatoes are not sour enough, add a teaspoon of tamarind extract while grinding

For a coconut free version, Increase the quantity of Urad & Chana Dal by half a teaspoon & skip adding coconut. Being a true blue South Indian, The Husband feels that any Chutney without Coconut isn't chutney at all & I completely agree with him here.
But you don't have to be like us. You can make the coconut free version & still like it :)

1 comments

, by Deepthi Shankar

Chickpea Recipes

Sun Dried Tomato Hummus

If not for the notification on Facebook, I would have easily forgotten that it was is my Blog's Birthday on the 10th:) Until a few years I would keep track of the Blog's anniversary then the baby happened & I got so busy with the hustle bustle that I conveniently put Vegetable Platter on the back burner. But Blogging has always been a passion & after so many years I still love clicking food pictures & writing about food.

I have been terribly guilty of neglecting my Blog Baby but I want to get back real soon.

I have a very simple recipe for Hummus today. We've all eaten the regular hummus but my current favourite is the one flavoured with sun dried Tomatoes.

Sun dried tomatoes add great flavour & a lovely hue to the dip.

They are incredibly easy to make so go ahead & make some on your own instead of buying a jar

You Will Need:

1 cup chickpeas - cooked or canned
3-4 cloves of Garlic
2 tbsp Tahini Paste ( I used store bought )
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil + another tbsp more to be poured on top
8 sun dried tomatoes (soaked in olive oil)
Fresh basil
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
1/2 tsp or more salt

How To:

If not using canned chickpeas, soak about Half a cup of dried chickpeas in water for 6 hours or overnight. Pressure cook with a teaspoon of salt. Drain & reserve the liquid & set aside

In a blender, add all the ingredients except basil & pulse for a minute. scrape down the sides. Add a little bit of reserved liquid & pulse for another couple of minutes.

Add Basil & pulse until just minced. Add a bit of the reserved water if you want to thin down the hummus a bit.

Scoop into a serving bowl. Garnish with some more chilli flakes, olive oil & fresh basil.

Serve with Pita chips, fresh vegetables or slather them on crisp toasted bread.

NOTE:

Its not easy to find Tahini paste in India, but they are so easy to make. You can make fresh Tahini paste by toasting about 2 tbsp of white sesame seeds on low flame & then upon cooling, pulse them in a blender with about 3 tbsp of olive oil & it's done

2 comments

, by Deepthi Shankar

Drinks

Mango Lassi

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, by Deepthi Shankar

Drinks

Watermelon Orange Cooler

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, by Deepthi Shankar

Lunch Box Recipes

Carrot & Raw Mango Rice

Summer has started way too early here & it definitely is not my favourite season. It is hotter than the previous year & we are gulping down tons of tender coconuts & watermelon already

One this about summer that I like are the Raw Mangoes. They have already hit the market & I am already in the process of making this year's first batch of Mango pickle .. Yaay !!

I had about 30 minutes to make something for lunch this afternoon, I wasn't in the greatest of moods to cook something elaborate in this heat. So, I made this really quick Carrot & Raw Mango Rice

I made this totally on a whim & I am very happy with the way it turned out. The sweet carrots paired up quite well with the sour raw mangoes & the addition of mint did add a bit of freshness.

This is a very mildly flavoured rice dish. Quite apt for summer. Makes a great lunch box option too. When Raw Mangoes are not in session, you can use Lime Juice or even grated Gooseberrys or Amla when in season

You can pep it up with a hit of Garam Masala & Coriander powder. I wanted to keep it low on spice & trust me, it tasted very good. Quite different from the regular Raw Mango Rice we make

You Will Need:

2 cups cooked Rice
1 large carrot - grated
Half of a large Raw Mango - Grated
1/4th cup of fresh Green Peas
A handful of fresh mint - chopped
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp Urad Dal
5 Green chilies - chopped
Salt as per taste
2 tbsp Cooking Oil

How To:

Cook Rice in a Pressure cooker & once cool, spread it onto a wide bowl & allow it to cool. I used Sona Masoori Rice. You can use Basmati too

Boil Fresh Green peas in salted water for 5 minutes. Drain & set aside. Peel Raw Mango & grate them

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat oil & splutter mustard & cumin seeds. Add Urad Dal & sauté for 30 seconds. Add the green chilies & sauté for 20 seconds. Add grated carrots & sauté for 2-3 minutes. Next, add grated raw mango & sauté for 2-3 minutes.

Add cooked rice, Boiled Green Peas & Salt. Give it a good mix & let it stand on low heat for about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat & allow it to cool & little. Add chopped mint & mix gently & serve

NOTE:

Add chopped mint after the rice cools down slightly as adding it when the Rice is still hot makes them turn almost blackish & I wanted to retain the fresh green colour

Instead of Raw Mangoes, You can also use lime juice or Indian Gooseberry/Amla when in season

1 comments

, by Deepthi Shankar

Baking

Baked Cabbage Muthia

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, by Deepthi Shankar

Breakfast Dishes

Akki Shavige -- South Indian Rice Noodles

I love Shavige/Semiya/Indian Noodles, especially Rice Shavige with loads of coconut & a generous dose of coconut chutney on the side. Totally my kind of breakfast.

Traditionally Rice Noodles are made fresh from scratch. It is a very time consuming process & is almost impossible to make it in a regular basis & that too when you need to pack that tiffin box by 7AM. That is when these instant dried Shavige come handy.

I always stock a packet or two of these instant Shavige/Semiya & this gets rustled up within 20 minutes.

There are various brands of instant rice shavige available in the market. Some of the good ones are Dragon, Anil, Concorde, MTR. I like using Dragon & MTR since they are slightly thicker & I love the texture

YOU WILL NEED:

HOW TO:

In a large pot, bring about 5 cups of water to boil. Add a teaspoon of salt & a teaspoon of oil. When the water comes to a rolling boil, turn off the heat. Add Rice Noodles & cover. After about 2 minutes, drain using a colander. Rinse under cold water, add a tsp of oil over the Shavige so that they don't stick to each otherr once cool & set aside for the remaining water to drain

Heat oil in a small pan. Slit the green chilies lengthwise. Add the chilies in the pan & fry for minute until the chilies are blistered. Carefully remove them & grind with the other ingredients along with some salt

Grind all the ingredients mentioned in the 'To Grind' List, into a smooth paste without adding any water.

In a large pan, heat 2 tsp oil. Crackle mustard seeds & add all the other ingredients mentioned in the 'To Temper' list. Add the ground paste & fry for about 2 minutes. Turn off the flame. Add cooked shave/noodles & mix gently with a fork.

Add lime/lemon juice & check for salt. Mix well. I use my hands to mix them evenly. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander. Add fresh grated coconut too if you are a coconut lover like my husband

This is usually served at room temprature. There is no need to reheat

NOTE:

You can grind the coconut, chilies, mustard & turmeric into a paste a freeze. It should stay well for a month.

Do not skip adding mustard seeds. They add a great flavour

3 comments

, by Deepthi Shankar

Beverages

Sharjah Shake - Kerala's Favourite Milkshake

1 comments

, by Deepthi Shankar

Low-Cal

Microwave Masala Peanuts

I am a part of an online Fitness group on Facebook. It is a great place for fitness enthusiasts where fellow members provide much needed motivation. And, there has to be discussions about DIET or healthy eating as you may call it.

A couple of days ago, there was a discussion, on how to tackle the 5 PM hunger pangs. While, I love eating fruits, I don't like to make it my 5 PM snack & it certainly does not go well with Chai or Coffee. Fortunately, I was not the only one who felt that way. The best way to stop oneself from attacking the pantry when hunger strikes, is to preplan our meals on time, including the in between snacks.

I have a great recipe for you to tackle the 5 PM hunger pangs - A low calorie, Microwave Masala Peanuts. All you need is 10 minutes from start to finish. You can actually make this in-between your favourite TV Show or in-between chores.

You Will Need:

1 cup Raw Peanuts
3 tbsp Besan/Gram Flour
2 tbsp Rice Flour
3 tbsp water
1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
A pinch of Hing
Salt as per taste
1 tbsp oil

HOW TO:

In a large bowl,Add Gram Flour, Rice Flour, Red Chilli Powder, Hing & salt. Combine well with hands. Add Peanuts, Oil & water & mix well with your hands.

You will get a soggy lump kind of mixture. Grease a Microwave safe bowl or a plate with a tsp of cooking oil. Spread the peanuts evenly on the bowl/plate. Breakdown any clusters to ensure even cooking.

Microwave for a minute. Take out the dish & give it a toss & microwave for another minute. Repeat the process 3 more times.

The Power of the microwave varies from one brand to another. Mine took about 5 minutes. So do a test before making the entire batch at once.

The peanuts will feel slightly raw once the are out of the microwave but will get crispy once they cool down completely.

Transfer into an airtight jar & enjoy your gulit free snack

I actually prefer this version to the deep fried ones. It is a great accompaniment with Chai/Coffee. It goes well with a mug of chilled Beer too :)

NOTE:

I did not make this spicy on purpose as my little one loves munching on this as well. Increase Red Chiili Powder to 1 tsp to make it more spicy.

It should take anywhere between 4-6 minutes for the peanuts to be done, depending on your microwave. Always do a test batch, if you are trying this for the first time.

They should stay nice & crisp for about 3-4 days. Mine lasted of 3 days & it was as crisp on the 3rd day too. Provided, you store them properly in an air tight jar

3 comments

, by Deepthi Shankar

Appetizers

Chinese Bhel -- Indo Chinese Love

For the longest time, I thought that the Chinese food that we ate here in India is actually authentic. I loved the Manchurian, those spicy noodles, & American Choupsey. Though as a kid, I always wondered as to why a Chinese dish had an American name. Nevertheless, those crispy noodles in a spicy broth was one yummy dish.

There was a tiny eat out in Mumbai, close to where I lived & they served really good Indo Chinese food. And Chinese Bhel was one of my favourites. If you believe that Indo Chinese cuisine is the best thing ever, you are going to love this version of Bhel or Chinese Bhel like its called

It is nothing but deep fried crisp noodles tossed with shredded vegetables & seasoned with Soy Sauce, Tomato & a few other spices.

HOW TO:

Cook Noodles as per package instructions. I used Ching's Hakka Noodles. Drain & set aside. Allow it to cool completely.

Heat Oil in a pan, once hot, deep fry the noodles until crisp. remove with a slotted spoon & drain on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Break them into pieces

Finely chop the onion & bell pepper. Shred the carrots & cabbage.

In a wide bowl, Add all the vegetables. Add the soy sauce, tomato sauce, tabasco sauce, vinegar & honey. Mix well.

Just before serving, Add the fried noodles & mix well. check if you need salt. you may not need any of it. Garnish with chopped coriander & serve

NOTE:

Make sure you toss in the noodles just before serving else they get soggy

This is a great after school snack option & is always a hit with the kids (Adults too)

You can deep fry the Noodles beforehand & store it in air tight jar & use it as & when needed. If stored appropriately, the noodles stay crisp for about a week.

Whenever I fry noodles to make this, I always fry excess & store them. I use them to make my salads more interesting. I love the extra crunch they add to salads.

Usually I do not add extra salt as the Sauces already have salt in them.

1 comments

, by Deepthi Shankar

Pickles

Raw Tamarind Thokku | Hunase Thokku

Those in the South, especially from the Karnataka & Andhra region will know what Thokku is & how dear it is to them. Thokku is a semi dry chutney made with various seasonal produce like raw mangoes, Tamarind, Tomatoes, Gooseberry. They are usually made in huge batches & is meant to be stored for a long time. If stored well, a Thokku can stay good for a couple of years.

Now that it is Tamarind season in Namma Bengalooru, I bought some nice & tender tamarind to add it to Gooseberry Pickle & the rest was used up to make this amazing Thokku.

You Will Need:

250 grams of tender Raw Tamarind
12-15 Green Chilies or Ripe Red Chilies - I used Green Chilies
1 tsp Fenugreek seeds/Methi seeds
Salt as per taste - Usually about 4-5 Tablespoons
A big pinch of Turmeric Powder
4 tbsp Oil - I used Groundnut Oil

How To:

Wash & Clean Tamarind. Spread it on a kitchen towel & pat them dry. While buying tamarind, choose the ones that are tender as they can be chopped easily & will have less fibre to discard.

Chop tamarind into tiny pieces & discard the rough outer skin. Pound the tamarind with a pestle to remove any seeds.

Heat the oil along with a pinch of turmeric & set aside to cool

In a blender, grind green chilies & fenugreek seeds into a fine paste. Add salt & chopped tamarind & grind into a slightly coarse paste. Mix well with a spatula & add oil & whizz for a couple of times.

Store in a clean & dry, air tight jar & consume as needed. I usually refrigerate the those & it stays well for almost a year

The best way to eat Thokku is to mix it with hot steamed rice & a little bit of groundnut oil.

Unlike Chutney, this those is slightly on the spicier side & will not go well with Idli/Dosa as it. You can take a couple of spoonfuls of those & grind it with grated coconut & a little bit of water to get a chutney like consnitency. Add mustard seeds tempering & use it to go along with idli/dosa

These gorgeous planks that I have used in these photographs are given to me by Mallika. She writes a beautiful food blog called Veg Bowl & It's always a pleasure when fellow bloggers turn into friends. She was also generous enough to send me a few other props. Only a fellow blogger will understand how thrilled I was :) Thank you Mallika. I will treasure them

2 comments

, by Deepthi Shankar

Italian

Broccoli Pesto & A Simple Pesto Pasta

A lot of people seem to dislike Broccoli but I am on the other side. I just love that green coloured Vegetable. I can probably eat it everyday & in the most simple manner, steamed -- with a dash of salt & pepper.

I am always on the lookout for new ways of using broccoli. Broccoli Parathas taste excellent & so does Aloo Broccoli .. Oh and Tandoori Broccoli is divine by the way, try it

I made a nice pesto with Broccoli & I think it is a great way to sneak in this healthy vegetable if your kids are picky eaters.

You Will Need:

1 large heaf of Broccoli
A big handful of Almonds
A couple of stems of Mint
2 tsp chopped Garlic
juice of half a lime
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 tbsp water
1 tsp Dried Chilli Flakes
Salt as per taste

How To:

Cut Broccoli into florets. Steam them for 3-4 minutes & strain. Set aside.

In a food processor, add all the ingredients & whizz for a couple of minutes till it reaches a pesto like consistency. If you find the pesto very thick & dry, add a little EVOO

Store it in an air tight jar. Keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Use this pesto in your pasta, As a Dip, in Marinades as a salad dressing, on toast or you could eat it by the spoonfuls. Its quite yummy that way too

For the Pesto Pasta, You Will Need:

1 cup cooked Pasta
Half a cup of Broccoli Pesto
A handful of cherry Tomatoes
Sliced Black olives
Fresh Basil for Garnish
A dash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Salt if needed

How To:

Choose any pasta of your choice, I used Macaroni because it is the child's current favourite :) Cook according to package instructions. Drain & set aside.

In a wide bowl, Add the pasta, Pesto, Halved cherry tomatoes, olives chopped Basil & EVOO . Give it a good mix. Check if you need some salt & Add if necessary. Gently mix again. If you find the pasta too dry, add some more pesto. I love a Pesto heavy pasta

Let it stand for 10-15 minutes before serving for the flavours to infuse

NOTE:

I didn't find the need to toast the almonds. You could, if you wish to.
You can try replacing Almonds with other nuts like Pine nuts, melon seeds, Walnuts or Pecans