QUINOA PAYASAM

I usually have cooked quinoa in my fridge. I saw this recipe and tried it. My kids don't eat quinoa but they really liked this payasam.

Ingredients

1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup Demera brwon sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp saffron strands
3 nos cardamom seeds (crushed)
2 tsp ghee
10 nos raisins

Method
Cook quinoa in the ratio 1 cup quinoa and 2 parts of water.
Now take 1/2 cup quinoa and add milk, brown sugar, saffron strands, crushed cardamom seeds. 
Cook everything until quinoa ,mixture turns thick.
Heat ghee and fry raisins.
Add this to quinoa payasam and enjoy hot or chilled.

MOONG SPROUT SALAD

Ingredients

1 cup mung sprouts
1 green onion chopped
1 small tomato chopped
1/2 red or yellow pepper chopped
1 small cucumber peeled and chopped
1 small potato boiled and chop into small pieces
1-2 green chilli finely chopped
1/2 cup cilantro
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 ts salt
1 tsp chaat masala
1/2 tsp oil

Method
Combine all the above ingredient's and mix well.
Serve as a  salad or stuff inside a pita with chopped avocado for quick lunch .

TOMATO KADHI

Ingredients

4 nos tomatoes chopped into cubes
2 nos green chilli chopped finely
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seed
3-4 curry leaves
2 nos cloves
2 tbsp chick pea flour (besan)
1 cup water
pinch turmeric powder
2 tsp chilli powder
pinch asafoetida
1 tbsp olive oil
5-6 cloves garlic

Method

Cut the tomatoes into cubes and grind in blender until smooth paste.
Heat a kadhai and add oil .
After it becomes hot add mustard seeds , curry leaves and cumin seed, let it splutter.
Now add cloves, garlic ,cut green chillies, saute till garlic turns light brown.
Add besan and fry for 1-2 mins on low flame.
Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and pureed tomato paste alongwith 1 cup of water.
Let it boil for 10 mins.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Enjoy your kadhi with rice.

SPINACH, ONION N POTATO PAKODA

Ingredients
1 onion chopped
1 potato cut into small cubes
1 small bunch of spinach
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp fennel seed
2 green chilli finely chopped
1 tsp coriander seed coarsely crushed
1 cup chickpea flour (besan)
salt to taste
1 tsp baking powder
oil for frying

Method
Wash spinach , drain the water and  chop it  finely .
Cut the onions and potato and keep it aside
Sift the chickpea flour into a medium bowl. Mix in the coriander, salt, cumin, chili powder, garam masala and fennel.
Make a well in the center of the flour.  Gradually pour the water into the flour mixture and mix to form a thick, smooth batter.
Add green chillies and crushed coriander seed , salt .
Add spinach , onion n potato along with baking powder.
Heat oil in a kadai. To check if the oil  is hot enough, drop a small piece of dough into the oil, if it raises to the surface immediately, then the oil is hot enough to fry the pakodas.

Now reduce the heat to medium and drop roughly shaped balls directly into the oil.
Fry until golden brown. Remove pakodas from the oil and drain them on a paper towel.

Enjoy the rain with hot and crispy pakodas and a cup of steaming hot chai!

VARATHARACHU MEEN CURRY

Ingredients

1/2 kg Kingfish or Salmon (cut into cubes)
3/4 cup Grated coconut
3 nos Pearl onions(Kunjulli)  ( sliced very fine)
3 tbsp. chilli powder
1 tbsp. coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
5 curry leaves
1/4 tsp fenugreek powder
a small ball of tamarind (puli)
salt as per taste
1 tbsp. oil

Method
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a non stick pan.
Add coconut, chilly powder, coriander powder, onions, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves.
Fry on a medium heat for 20 mins, till it becomes brown.
Cool the mix and grind it in a mixer with a little water.

Pour tamarind pulp water and grind again.

Heat the remaining oil in the same pan.

Add the paste and stir.

Add turmeric powder and salt.

When the paste boils and aroma comes, add fish pieces.

Add sufficient water such that the pieces are well immersed in the mix.

Allow Varutharacha Meen Curry (Fish Curry) to boil in a medium flame and let the gravy thicken.

Serve Varutharacha Meen Curry (Fish Curry) hot with rice.

 

FISH CURRY IN COCONUT MILK

This fish curry is from Kerala. We use kodampuli (a type of tamarind) , it  adds sourness but without acidity.

Ingredients
Fish fillet like basa
1 small piece ginger chopped finely
1 onion chopped finely
1/4 cup coconut milk
4-5 curry leaves
salt as per taste
pinch turmeric
1-2 tsp chilli powder
2-3 green chillies
1 small piece kodampuli
1 tbsp. olive oil
2-3 shallots finely chopped

Method
Soak Kodampuli in water and keep aside.
Heat a non stick pan, add olive oil.
Add ginger and onions , sauté for 1-2 mins.
Add turmeric and chilli powder
Add curry leaves and salt.
Add kodampuli and fish fillet . Boil on low flame until fish is almost cooked.
Add green chillies and simmer for 1-2 mins.
Heat oil in a small pan and add chopped shallots .
Saute it till brown and pour over the fish curry.
Enjoy this curry with rice.

VEGETABLE BIRYANI

I tried this biryani from Tarla Dalal'. This Biryani is Low Cal Biryani...  Cooked with minimal oil and aromatic spices, this vitamin A, iron and calcium enriched biryani is an all-in-one meal by itself. 

Ingredients

For the rice
1 cup uncooked rice
1 clove
1 stick of cinnamon
1 bayleaf
1 cardamom 
 salt  to taste

For the vegetable gravy
1 1/2 cups mixed vegetable
1/4 cup low fat paneer
1/2 tsp cumin seed
3/4 cup finely chopped onions
2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
3 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup low fat milk
1 tsp oil
salt to taste

Other ingredients
3 tbsp low fat curds
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
a few saffron strands
                    

Method                      

For the rice
Clean and wash the rice.Soak the rice in water for 1 hour .

In a large pan, add 3 cups of boiling water to the rice with clove, cinnamon, bay leaf, cardamom and salt.
Cover and simmer till the rice is  cooked.

For the vegetable gravy
Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and add the cumin seeds.
When they crackle, add the onions and ginger-garlic paste and sauté till the onions turn golden brown.
Add the chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and garam masala with ½ cup of water and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the chopped tomatoes and cook over a slow flame for 7 to 8 minutes.
Add the milk with ½ cup of water and continue to simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the boiled vegetables and paneer and mix well.

How to proceed
Combine the curds, coriander and saffron and mix well.
In a deep vessel, arrange the vegetable gravy on the base.
Top with the rice and spoon the curd mixture over the rice.
Cover with a tight lid and cook on a tava (griddle) over a slow flame for 25 to 30 minutes  for 20 minutes.
Enjoy your veg biryani with raita , papad and pickle.