Sweet-Potato Paratha(Flat-Bread)

Yesterday for our dinner I made parathas out of sweet-potatoes, I usually make these kind of paratha with regular russet potatoes, I tried them with sweet-potatoes. So here is how I made it.

• Sweet potato - 1 medium
• Whole wheat flour - 2 cups
• Kalonji/nigella/onion seeds- 1tsp
• Dried Dill leaves-2 tsp

1. Cook sweet potato in water till soft, mash it well.
2. Mix all the above ingredients to soft dough (no need to add water water content in the sweet potato is enough to make the dough), add more flour if required.
3. Once it forms to stiff dough, roll to thin circles and cook them on griddle/tava.
4. Eat warm with favorite side dish. Enjoy.

White Carrrot Salad

From last couple of weeks, we are fortunate enough to get a box full of fresh organic vegetables to our doorsteps. Some of the vegetables I get, I am using them for the first time, like White carrots, which I used today to make salad and eating carrots raw is best way to enjoy them.
So here is how I made it.




Carrots - 2 washed, peeled and grated

Green onions/spring onions- 3 springs

Tempering : Oil, Mustard seeds and cumin seeds.

Spices : Pepper and salt. Lime juice - 1tsp.

First grate carrots and finely chop onions.

Mix them with salt and pepper, squeeze little fresh lime juice on top.

Do the tempering, heat oil when hot add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When it starts to pop, switch off and mix with veggies.

Eat as such, or with rice. Enjoy fresh !

Rava Dose

This recipe is a small twist on one of our favorite breakfast/tiffin dish. Along with regular sooji/suji/rava/rave/semolina and rice flour, I have also added wheat germ to make the breakfast item more nutritious.




Ingredients:

• Rice flour -1 cup
• Semolina/rava - 1/2 cup ( use the very fine kind here, know as chiroti rava in Kannada)
• Wheat germ - 1/4 cup
• Chopped or grated veggies- carrot and cilantro leaves
• Cumin seeds - 1tsp
• Water about 3-4 cups

* Can also add green chillies for more spice, grated zucchini and onions can also be used here.

1. Mix all the above ingredients with salt and water to smooth batter( Batter should be thin, once poured over the hot griddle/tava it should from like lace) .
2. Heat griddle on medium high heat, when hot pour the batter around little by little to from a circle .
3. Let it roast for 2-3 mins on side, when sides starts to leave, flip/turn and cook the other side for a minute.
4. Fold into semi-circle and serve with favorite side dish.

Simple, easy and healthy breakfast ready in minutes. Enjoy !

Apple-Cranberry Squares

I had few apples which was sitting in the basket for last week, so I baked today using that.
To make it more tasty, I added dried cranberries, some nuts and chocolates.



Ingredients

• Apple - 1 chopped (about a cup)
• Cranberries- 1/2 cup( I used Dried)
• Almonds chopped -1/2 cup
• Semi sweet chocolates- 1/4 cup (I used Hershey's Kisses)

Dry Ingredients

• Whole wheat flour - 1 cup
• Unbleached all purpose flour - 1 cup
• Baking powder - 1tsp
• Cinnamon sugar - 1 tsp
• Nutmeg- 1/4 tsp
• Brown Sugar - 3/4 cup or more for more sweetness.

Wet Ingredients (Liquids)

• Orange juice - cup
• Apple sauce - 1/2 cup
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Butter - 1tsp (for greasing)
  
  

1. Pre-heat oven 375 degrees farenheit.


2. Grease a square baking pan or use muffin cups.


3. Sift in all the dry ingredient, mix all the wet ingredients. Mix chopped apples, nuts, dry fruit and chocos.


4. Slowly add liquids to flour mixture and mix to a smooth batter. If thick add more juice or milk.


5. Now fold in apple mixture gently, and pour them to the greased baking pan.


6. Bake for about 35 to 45 mins. Once the top get golden brown, and bounces a little when touched. It will be ready.


7. Take out of the oven, let it cool a bit. Cut into squares and enjoy when its warm.

Taste great the next day, we like to have this for Breakfast with hot coffee.

Chili Relleno

As much as I like making quick meals, I also like making elaborate meals once in a while. I keep these kind of meals on leisure days like weekends.

Apart from Indian food we love Mexican foods for the spice, and any Mexican recipe can be made into vegetarian recipe. So I tried making Chili Relleno over the weekend.

I got the basic sauce recipe from the TLC's Take home chef show, sauce was very simple and at the same time looked very authentic. I have modified the recipe according to my taste.




Here goes the recipe for it.
For making this dish, some Preparations are required. It takes little time, but its all worth it once you put those hot chili's with some beans and melting cheese into your mouth.

1. Roasting peppers ( Can be done on a open flame or I have used oven for roasting peppers, when roasting many peppers its very convenient doing this way)

2. Soaking Mexican chili for at least 20 min in hot water,and then grinding, this chili sauce is the base for the sauce.

3. Cooking beans, I used small lentils to stuff the chili's so it takes no soaking time and less cooking time. One can also use store brought beans, or skip beans and stuff the chili's with just cheese.

Roasting Peppers

• Pre heat oven at 450 degree Fahrenheit, Rub little oil on the peppers and arrange them on foil on a baking sheet and put it in oven, when top side starts to brown (takes about 10-12 mins) turn and brown on the other side (5-10 mins)
• Once this step is done, take out from oven and put all the chili's in covered with plastic wrap or with a plate or lid. Let it steam and leave for 10 Min's. This helps skin come out easily from the peppers.
• Once cool enough to handle, remove the skin, make slit and remove the seeds inside as well. Keep aside.

* While pepper are roasting , make the chili sauces. Explained below.

Chilli Sauce

One big Mexican hot chili. Soak in warm or hot water for at least 20 Min's or till soft. Then with the water grind to make a sauce( use adobe sauce instead). This is the base for the sauce. Keep aside.

1. Cook beans or use store brought. Take a spoon full and stuff the chili's, stuff all of them and keep aside.
2. Make the sauce, Chop onion, tomato (1 each), heat oil when hot add chopped veggies, once they are cooked till soft add chili sauce prepared earlier. Adjust according to your spice level( i have used 3/4 portion shown above) Allow it to cook and combine well add salt and adjust to taste.
3. Once done, simmer the heat on the stove.
4. Add the stuffed pepper onto the sauce, sprinkle with cheese little or more.
5. Cover with lid and cook until cheese melts (since beans and chili's are cooked, it doesn't take much time at all, it can also be done inside the oven)
6. Once the cheese melts, serve. Eat warm. Garnish with few cilantro leaves.

It tasted very authentic, spicy and very flavorful better than any restaurant food I have tasted. Making sauces at home from scratch make whole lot of difference to the dish.

Enjoy !

Cucumber Salad

We call this as Kosambari/ raw salad. This is a simple and refreshing salad made with cucumber and Channadal/kadale bele, one can substitute Channadal with moongdal or small cooked lentils.

Ingredients

• Cucumber - 1 medium size
• Channadal - 1/4 cup soaked for and hour in warm water
• Cilantro leaves- one hand full
• Lime/lemon- 1tsp freshly squeezed
• Fresh grated coconut - 1tsp (optional)
• Salt to taste

Tempering : Oil, mustard seeds- 1tsp and red chilli's -1.

1. Peel cucumber and chop finely, rinse the soak Dal and drain all the water. Mix with chopped cucumbers. To this add chopped cilantro and grated coconut.


2. Do the tempering by heating oil , when hot add mustard seeds and red chili's.


3. Mix the tempering with cucumber and add salt and adjust to taste. Finally squeeze lime juice on top mix gently. Serve.

Can be eaten as such or as a side with rice and curry. Enjoy !

Yellow Squash with Roasted spices.

I brought some fresh yellow squash from store this week, I decided to make a simple side dish with it. We enjoyed this delicious squash gravy for our Sunday brunch with some doses.



Vegetables

• Yellow squash - wash and chopped to bite size pieces (peel skin and cut into cubes)
• Onion- one small
• Tomato - 1 medium
• Ginger- 1tsp grated

Tempering : Oil, mustard and cumin seeds - 1tsp each

Masala powder (roast and grind) : Channadal/kadalebele(peanuts can be used) , Sesame seeds , coriander seeds and red chili's dried - 1tbsp each.

1. Chop all veggies to bite size pieces, heat oil ,when hot add mustard seed, cumin seeds.
2. Then add all the cut veggies, mix well cover and cook on medium heat till just tender.
3. Meanwhile, roast and powder all the ingredients mentioned above (roast with or without oil).
4. Once the veggies are soft add the ground spice powder, add enough water, adjust salt.
5. Let it simmer for 10 more mins. Switch off and garnish with few springs of cilantro leaves.

Serve warm. Tastes good with rotis, rice and doses.

Oven roasted Red Potatoes

Spicy, crunchy, warm and healthy potato snack.



Ingredients

Red potatoes - 3 big ones

Olive oil - 1tsp

Spice Powders : Cumin, black pepper and red chili powder

Garnish - Chopped cilantro leaves

1. Pre heat oven 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Wash potatoes and cut them to long strips. Put them in a bowl of water to avoid discoloring. Remove them and pat them dry on a kitchen towel.
3. Meanwhile mix spice powders with Olive oil and coat potatoes evenly.
4. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake them for 15-20 minutes. Check them and turn around and bake the other side till golden brown. This takes about 10-15 more minutes.
5. Once done on both sides, take them in bowl, garnish with herbs.

Simply delicious, warm oven roasted potatoes, crunchy on outside and soft on inside. This makes for a nice side dish with Burgers, healthier than potato fries.

*Squeeze some fresh lime juice, for some tangy taste. Fro more crunchy potatoes bake them in 400 degrees for little bit more time, make sure to check them and turn them , make sure they wont get burned.

Enjoy them warm.

Mooli Parathas /Flat bread with Radishes

Mooli is the hindi name for radish, in USA its known as daikon and Mulangi in kannda. While growing up in Mysore (my home town) we got lots of fresh white radishes, so my mom made sambars and raithas with it, and we all like it. After getting married, I came to know that my hubby didn't like radish. So I hardly prepared anything with it.

Like many parathas, I discovered mooli paratha after I started blogging. Since it was a new recipe to me, I did try it once and for my surprise, he did like the parathas. So from there on I make use of the fresh radishes, when ever I get in the store.

I have previously tried stuffing them, I find mixing everything in one bowl, is much more convenient to me. So this is how I make these Parathas.



Ingredients :

• Radish - 1 big grated (about 1 cup,look for fresh and crisp radishes when buying them)
• Green/Spring onions - 2or 3 springs (optional, I use this to give nice color and mild onion flavor)
• Cilantro/coriander leaves - one hand full chopped
• Spices : Turmeric, Cumin seeds, Red chili powder - 1tsp each
• Whole wheat flour/ atta flour - 2 cups + more for dusting and kneading if needed.

1. Peel skin and grate radish ( i use large hole grater,so the mixture won't be very watery), finely chop onions and cilantro. mix everything with spices mentioned above, add some salt and keep for 10 min.
2. Then add wheat flour mix well to combine, add little oil and knead well. Since radish leave lots of liquid, i have not used any water.
3. Once it forms to stiff dough , cover and leave for 10 more Min's.
4. If you find the dough is sticky, add more flour and knead well and make small balls with it and roll to small,thin circles.
5. Heat a griddle/tava on medium high heat, once hot transfer the rolled paratha and cook for a min or so on each side until you see small brown blisters( don't leave rotis too long, flip/turn to other side as soon as see little bubbles). If its too dry add little oil while cooking.

We had ours with spicy chili pickle and some curds/yogurt. Enjoy !

Bok Choy Stir-fry

This is the first time, I used Bok Choy in my cooking. Like a typical south Indian, I tried to make a stir-fry with it, and it tasted like cabbage but bit more crunchy than cabbage. Here goes the recipe for it.



Ingredients

• Bok choy (i used baby) - 3 bunches
• Onion - 1 medium
• Tempering : Oil, cumin seeds - 1 tsp each
• Red chilli's- 1tsp crushed

1. Separate the stalks of bok choy, wash and chop. Slice onion into thin slices.
2. Heat oil, when hot add cumin seeds then add chopped bok choy and onion and fry them till soft. Takes about 5-7 Min's.
3. Crush some red chilli's or used chili powder, add salt mix well. Serve as a side with rice or noodles.

Enjoy !