Lemon Sevai

Sevai is a traditional tiffin recipe made with rice and served with potato masala on the side. The original method of making sevai is quite a tedious task wherein you grind the rice, steam it, make balls and pass it through a sevai press. I remember back in India making sevai used to be a family event where mom would make the sevai batter and my dad and brother would help make the soft fluffy sevai by passing it through a traditional sevai maker.

Of course, in today's fast paced world we do get dry rice vermicelli which can be used for making instant sevai. You can find dry rice vermicelli either in the Indian store or Asian markets. Sevai can be spiced up any way you like. One way is to use lemon, just like the recipe below. You can also season with coconut and make coconut sevai or add yogurt and make thayir sevai. This is an entry for Nupur's A to Z of Indian Vegetables and for the RCI - Tamil Cuisine Event.

Lemon Sevai

Ingredients
1/2 packet of instant rice vermicelli
1 tsp of mustard
1 tsp or urad dal
1 tsp of channa dal
1 or 2 green chillies
A few curry leaves
Fresh cilantro for garnish
2 tsp of cashews for garnish
2 tsps of lemon juice
1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
A pinch of asafoetida
Salt to taste
Oil as needed

Method1. Put a big pot of water to boil. Once the water boils add the instant rice vermicelli. Keep stirring and remove as soon as it is cooked. This takes hardly 3 to 4 minutes. Do not overcook as it will become sticky and lumpy. Drain and spread out on a plate to cool.
2. Pour oil in a pan and add the mustard. Once they splutter add urad dal, channa dal, green chillies and curry leaves.
3. Add the turmeric powder and asafoetida mix well and remove from the flame.
4. Transfer the rice vermicelli to the pan with seasonings and mix well. You can do this with your hand (clean hands of course).
5. Add salt, lemon juice and cilantro and mix till all are incorporated.
6. Garnish with roasted cashews.

Baked onion wheat biscuits, Masala alu paratha and Sindhi Koki - MBP March 2007

Here are a three more entries for MBP March 2007. It was fun trying out all the recipes for the theme 'Let's roll...'.

Baked onion wheat biscuitsThis is a recipe from Seema's Recipe Junction. Seema had taken recipe for methi biscuits I had posted earlier from Shammi's blog and spiced it up with jalapenos and onions. Since the recipe calls for rolling out the roti first I decided to submit it as an entry for MBP March 2007. Incidentally I had also sent in the methi biscuits entry for MBP February 2007.

Masala alu parathas

I found this recipe on Meena's Hooked on Heat. This is an alu paratha with a twist. The addition of fennel seeds and ajwain lends a touch of 'that something' in the background. This is a must try recipe.

Sindhi KokiI came across the recipe for Sindhi Koki at Manasi's blog - A cook at heart, lululoveslondon and Mythreyee's blog - Try this recipe. Here is my version:
Ingredients2 cups wheat flour
2 medium-sized onions (finely chopped)
3 green chillies (finely chopped)
1 tsp amchur powder
A pinch of turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
2 tbps fresh cilantro (finely chopped)
Salt to taste

Method
1. Mix the wheat flour, onions, green chillies, amchur powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cilantro and salt and make a dough.
2. Let it rest for 15-20 minutes.

3. Roll out into parathas and cook with fat-free cooking spray.

Puffed wheat snack

Health recipe!

Traditionally made with puffed rice, Vaggani is a popular breakfast recipe back at my in-laws house. Vaggani is a super simple recipe that fills you up and still makes you feel light (even if you have overeaten!). I wanted to find a low-cal version of the same and stumbled upon wheat kurmura (puffed wheat) at the Indian store. I was thrilled to see it and the next thing I did was to make the wheat version of this recipe. The original recipe does not call for peanuts. But, when I had the leftovers for lunch the next day I added some roasted peanuts and it was good. So, here is the recipe.

Ingredients
1 cup of puffed wheat (remember this reduces by half when you soak in water)
1 medium onion
1 medium tomato
3-4 green chillies
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp each urad dal and channa dal for seasoning
A pinch of turmeric powder
2 tsps of instant paruppu podi
Salt to taste
A few curry leaves
Chopped cilantro for garnish
Oil as needed

Method
1. Put the puffed wheat in a colander and place under running water just for about 5 seconds or until completely soaked. Remove immediately and set aside. Do not soak in water!
2. Add mustard, dals, green chillies, curry leaves in a pan and sauté them.
3. Add chopped onions and sauté until soft.
4. Next add the tomatoes (chopped finely) and cook until tender.
5. Transfer the puffed wheat to the pan, add turmeric powder and salt.

6. Then add the instant paruppu podi and mix well till the powder is incorporated with the puffed wheat.
7. Garnish with cilantro.

Puffed wheat snack

Serve hot

Baked methi biscuits ~ MBP Event ~ February 2007

Health recipe!

Here is my first contribution to Coffee's MBP February 2007 theme - Appetizers/Starters. I tried out the baked methi biscuits recipe from Shammi's - 'Food in the main' blog and they were very good. Click here to get the recipe.

Methi biscuits ready for the oven

The only variation I made was sprayed the biscuits with Pam fat-free spray before putting them into the oven. I baked one batch without the spray and felt the biscuits were dry. I added ajwain too. Serve the methi biscuits as a starter with a dip of your choice. Or simply, have them with a cup of hot coffee or tea. They are very healthy and light too!

Crisp baked methi biscuits

Grits Upma Kozkhakattai

Health recipe!
Upma kozhakattai (steamed rice dumplings) is a traditional South Indian recipe made with rice. You can either eat it as a snack or for dinner. It is usually served with chutney and sambar on the side. For my recipe, I substituted the rice with Quaker Grits (the instant variety) - you will find grits in the cereal aisle in grocery stores. Click here to read more about grits. I made ridge gourd chutney and onion sambar to go along with it. Here are the recipes:

Upma Kozhakattai

Ingredients

2 cups Quaker grits
1/2 cup thuvar dal
1 tbsp grated coconut
2 red chillies (broken)
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro (chopped finely)
Few curry leaves (chopped)
1 tsp of mustard
1 tsp of urad dal (black gram dal)
1 tsp of channa dal
1/2 tsp of jeera
1/2 tsp of asafoetida
Salt to taste
Oil as needed

Method

1. Soak the thuvar dal in hot water for about 1-2 hours.

2. Grind the thuvar dal with red chillies and jeera and set aside. You can add water while grinding the dal as you can use this dal mixture as a water measure.

3. Pour oil in a pan and season with mustard, urad dal, channa dal and curry leaves.

4. Add the asafoetida and mix well.

5. Next you have to add water to the pan as you need to cook the grits and dal in water. You have to add two cups of water for one cup of grits/dal. So, here we have 2 1/2 cups of grits/dal and need 5 cups of water. Remember, to measure out the dal paste first. So, if you have 2 cups of the dal mixture, then add 3 more cups of water.

6. Add salt, coconut and cilantro to the dal paste/water in the pan and let it boil.

Dal paste/water coming up to a boil

7. Once the liquid comes up to a boil, reduce the heat and slowly add the grits. This process is very similar to making our regular upma.
8. Cover the pan and cook till the grits becomes soft. This will take somewhere between 10-15 minutes. Add water if you feel the grits is uncooked and cook for some more time. Do not completely cook the mixture.
9. Set aside and once you feel you can handle the mixture (when slightly warm) roll into oval shaped balls and steam them for 10 minutes. I used a steamer tray on a big pot of water.

Upma Kozhakattai ready to be steamed

10. Remove and serve hot with chutney and sambar.
11. You can also put the cooled kozhakattai's in an air tight box or freezer safe bag and store in the freezer. When you are ready to eat them, simply microwave for a few minutes and you will have steaming and fresh rice dumplings ready in minutes.

Upma Kozhakattai ready to be steamed

Recipe courtesy: Laxmi Ramachandran
Ridge gourd chutney
Ingredients2 cups of chopped ridge gourd pieces (you can leave the skin on if you like)
2-3 red chillies
1/2 tsp of tamarind paste
2 pods of garlic
1 tsp mustard
2 tsps of urad dal (black gram dal)
1/2 tsp of asafoetida
Salt to taste
Oil as needed

Method1. Fry the mustard, urad dal, red chillies and asafoetida in 1 tsp of oil and set aside.
2. Sauté the garlic.
3. In the same pan add the ridge gourd pieces and fry till they become a little soft.
4. Transfer all the above to a blender, add the tamarind paste and grind to a paste.
5. Add salt to taste.
6. Serve with idli or dosa.

Onion sambar
Ingredients1 cup thuvar dal
1 onion
1 tomato
1 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp methi seeds
2-3 red chillies
A few curry leaves
A pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp of Laxmi brand natural tamarind concentrate (if you are using fresh tamarind soak and squeeze out water from a lime-sized ball of tamarind)
2 tsp Sambar Powder (any brand or home made)
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste
Oil as needed

Method1. Pressure cook the thuvar dal and set aside.
2. Pour oil in a pan and season with mustard, methi seeds, red chillies and curry leaves.
3. Add the chopped onions and sauté until soft.
4. Add the tamarind paste and 2 cups of water.
5. Then add the chopped tomatoes, sambar powder, red chilli powder and asafoetida.
6. Let the tamarind mixture boil for about 10 minutes or until the raw smell disappears.
7. Mash the thuvar dal a little and add to the tamarind water.
8. Add salt and let the sambar come up to a boil.
9. Garnish with cilantro (optional).

Note: You can add veggies to this sambar if you like. I make plain onion sambar as it is easy to eat especially with snacks.

Semiya Upma

Have it for breakfast or as a meal, semiya upma is a popular snack in South India. You can add any veggies you like and it ends up as a wholesome and nutritious meal in itself. Serve it with a little pickle on the side and it tastes delicious. Here is my version of vermicelli upma.

Ingredients2 cups vermicelli or semiya
1 medium size onion chopped
1/2 cup of grated carrots
1/2 cup of succotash mix (from your grocer's freezer - combination of lima beans and corn)
1 tsp of mustard seeds
1 tsp of channa dal
3-4 green chillies (adjust according to taste)
Few curry leaves
2-3 tsps of oil
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander for garnish

Method1. Sauté the semiya until brown. You can also spread on a microwave safe plate and microwave for about 2 minutes. Remember to add 1 tsp of oil to the semiya. Once done, set the semiya aside.

Fried Semiya

2. Pour oil in a pan and season with mustard seeds and channa dal.

3. Add curry leaves and green chillies and sauté.

4. Next transfer the chopped onions and sauté until transparent.

5. Then add the carrots and succotash mix and cook until soft.

Sauteed Veggies

6. Add water (for one cup of semiya you need 2 cups of water) and salt and let it come to a boil.

7. Once the water comes to a boil, add the fried semiya and reduce heat to medium.

8. Cover with a lid and cook for 5-7 minutes or until all the water dries out.

9. Garnish with coriander and serve hot.

Semiya/Vermicelli Upma

Serving size - 1 cup
Number of servings – 6

Kaju Pakoda - Hyderabadi style

I came across this recipe on Lavanya's food blog - Hyderabadi Kitchen. I love kaju pakoda and it's my childhood favorite. We always get them from Pulla Reddy Sweets in India. I could not wait to try it out. So here is the Kaju Pakoda hot off the stove. Check out the recipe at Hyderabadi Kitchen.

Bon Appetit!

Trail Mix - Go nuts!

I am always looking out for healthier versions and options for food especially snacks. As this is where we tend to eat more junk food. Apart from being a great snack substitute, nuts offer many advantages. They are good for your heart and they have monounsaturated fat that's good for you. Click here to read more about how a handful of nuts can make a difference to your diet.

For this trail mix I used cashews, slivered almonds, dried blackberries and raisins. You can add any variety of nuts or dry fruits like dried apricots, dried bananas, whole almonds, macadamia nuts, pistachios, walnuts - take a peek into the world of nuts and let your imagination run wild. I get my supply of nuts and dried fruits from Trader Joes, except for raisins (as I like the taste of Sunmaid Raisins). So, here goes the recipe.

Ingredients(I am not mentioning the quantities as you can add them as much or as little as you like).
Unsalted dry toasted slivered almonds
Roasted and unsalted whole cashews
Dried blueberries
Sunmaid raisins

Method1. Put all the nuts and dried fruits in a bowl and mix well.
2. Measure 1/2 cup of the nuts and transfer to snack bags.

Ensure that you only use unsalted nuts for the trail mix as it is always advisable to have less sodium in your diet.

Store the nuts in a cool place. Do not put in the refrigerator as they lose all their crunch.

Serving size - 1/2 cup

Indian Chex Mix

Mixture is a popular Indian snack that is usally savoured during tea time and coffee breaks. But the traditional method is a time-consuming process that also adds on a lot of calories to your diet. I was visiting my favorite aunt, Suguna, and she offered me this delicious mixture that she made with a combination of boxed cereals. That's when I figured out that this is a healthier and easier option to make our Indian mixture with a few store bought ingredients. You don't even have to switch on the stove except for the seasoning part. This can also work as a low sodium option because we do not add any salt (other than what's found on the package). It also doubles up as a snack for kids - just tone down the red chillies during the seasoning part. Here it goes:

Ingredients
CerealsRice crispies - 1/2 pound
Kix - 1/2 pound
Cheerios (plain) - 1/2 pound
Cornflakes (plain) - 1/2 pound

Corn squares - 1/2 pound
Note: You can add any cereal of your choice. Make sure you avoid the sweeter ones.

One small packet of Indian mixture - any brand and any combination. I used the Madras Mix from the Indian store.
One small packet of thin sev
1/2 pound of unsalted peanuts
1/2 pound of unsalted cashewnuts

(Here again you can add nuts of your choice preferably unsalted ones)
A few curry leaves for seasoning
2 tsps of mustard seeds
A few red chillies for seasoning
1/2 tsp of asafoetida
1 tsp of canola or vegetable oil

Method1. Put all the cereals in a big bowl.
2. Add the Indian mixture and sev.
3. Add all the nuts.
4. Mix until all the ingredients are incorporated well.
5. Pour oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.
6. Once the mustard splutters add the broken red chillies and curry leaves and top it off with asafoetida.
7. Mix well and store in an airtight container.
8. You can also measure half a cup of the mixture, put them in snack bags and have them ready to be picked up.


Serving size - 1/2 cupRecipe courtesy: Suguna Laxminarayan.