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GREEN PEAS SOUP, SESAME TWISTS/SAVOURY CRACKERS

"I WISH ALL MY FRIENDS HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR"


Here is simple and colorful delicious Green Peas soup. To serve with soup is sesame twists and cheese crackers which is perfect accompaniment. This is so easy to make and hope you all will enjoy this. Sesame twists recipe is noted from whole foods magazine and with slight twist to the recipe I made the savory crackers out of the same dough which tasted good too. Eat Healthy and Live Healthy !!!!!!!!!!!




Ingredients for Peas Soup :

Green peas - 1 cup
Tomato - 1
Celery - 1/2 stalk
Garlic - 1 pod
Onion - 1/2
Green chilli - 2
Cummin - 1 tsp
Butter - 1 tbsp
Milk - 1/4 cup
Pepper - as needed
Salt as needed

For serving :

Butter,sour cream or Cream can be topped while serving the soup.




Method :

1. Heat butter in the kadai add cummin, green chilli, onion , tomato, celery one by one.
2. Add the green peas and water let it boil until it is cooked.
3. Cool, blend it in the blender and strain it.
4. Dilute with milk and water to the desired consistency.
5. Heat it and add pepper and serve.
6. Serve with cream or sour cream or butter.



Ingredients for Sesame Twists/ Savory Crackers :

Wheat flour - 1 1/2 cup
All purpose flour - 1 1/2 cup
Butter - 1 stick
Baking powder - 1 1/2 tbsp
Butter Milk - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 2 tbsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Sesame seeds - 1/4 cup




Mix together for the crackers :

Parmesan cheese - 4 tbsp
Chilli flakes - few
Italian Herbs - few



Method :

1. Sieve the flour and baking powder. Add the salt and sugar, add butter milk make like dough. 2.Rub the cold butter into flour mixture with fingertips so that the texture will be like bread crumbs.
3. Stir in the buttermilk. Make like a dough. Let this dough rest for 1 hr or overnight in fridge.
4. Now divide the dough into two.
5. Take one part of dough, flatten the dough using rolling pin into 15 inch square and make 15 1/2 inch strips.
6. Brush with water and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds.
7.Twists each strip twice, set on the greased baking sheet or tray and gently press ends flat to prevent twists from unrolling. Bake in 425 f preheated oven for 25 minutes or until nice golden brown.
Savoury crackers:

1. Same way roll the dough in the flat surface.
2. Cut into desired shapes.
3. Brush with water and sprinkle the cheese mixture. Bake until crisp and cheese is golden brown in color.

Note :

For variation sprinkle , sea salt, garlic powder according to your flavour.
You can also use all purpose flour fully instead half and half.
Bake till crisp and enjoy with your favorite soup.


Once again " Wish You all Very Happy New Year ". May this new year bring you happiness, joy, peace and prosperity to you and your family.

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OATS PORRIDGES


Oats has become one of the breakfast menu in many homes. It is truly one of the amazing cereal which has so many health benefits. Oatmeal and oat bran are significant sources of dietary fiber. Eating oats in our diet provides a wide range of important health benefits.Oats, like other grain and vegetables contain hundred of phytochemicals which reduces risk of getting cancer.

Oats have a higher concentration of well-balanced protein than other cereal and also like other cereal grains, they are also valued as primary source of carbohydrates which provide calories for energy needs. Still many more benefits...... There are so many dishes that we have started making using oats like

1. Porridge
2. Idli
3. Adai
4. Pongal
5. Upma
6. Soup thickener
7. Dosas
8 .Cookies
9. Bread
10. Cereals
11. Sweets
12. Vadams ( This I tried last year when I was in India came out so good)

Many more... So today I am posting the variety of porridges which I used to make for the breakfast. The base of the porridge is same like oats cooked in water or Milk. But by adding our favourite flavour changes the taste of the porridge. So here are some ......

* Vegetable Oats porridge * Sweet Porridge * Oats with butter milk * Ginger flavored * Oats with cummin seasoning * Tomato Masala Oats

Ingredients for cooking Oats :

Oats - 1/2 cup
Water - 1 1/2 cup
Salt

Method :

1. Boil water and add oats to that let them cook for sometime until oats are cooked well.
2. Add salt and keep at aside.

For vegetable porridge :

I just add only finely shredded Cabbage, Carrot and spring onion. Add carrot and cabbage to the oats when is cooked half way. Overcooking the veggies loses the crunchiness. Add Spring onion at last. The crunchiness and flavour of Spring onion gives wonderful taste to the porridge.



For Sweet Porridge :

Instead of cooking the oats with water cook with half milk and water. Add sugar and add some raisins, dates or nuts according to your choice. Even you can add cinnamon, Apple or other fruits too.




Tomato Masala oats :

Heat tsp of oil in the pan, Season with mustard, urad and channa dhal tsp of each. Saute little onion and 1 pod garlic sliced. Add 1/4 tsp of saunf powder, chilli powder and 1/4 tomato chopped until tomato is mashed and cooked well. Now add curry leaves. Now add water Once it is boiling add oats and cook till done. Garnish with coriander.


Ginger Flavoured oats :

If you really love ginger flavour this suits your taste bud. Add Ginger and green chilli paste to the cooked oats and give one boil. It give lovely taste too.


Oats with butter milk :

Add some butter milk, asafoetida and chilli paste to the oats after it is cooled. It is so so yummy. Even you can have it as diluted or in thick consistency too.


Oats with cummin seasoning :

Season cummin, redchilli, curry leaves and asafoetida to the cooked oats gives nice and wonderful aroma.


All the above are some ways which we usually do at home.

Some other serving suggestion for oats :

1. Serve butter milk oats or cummin oats with pickle or sundal. Tastes so good.

Note :

The above recipe is using Instant quaker oats but you can use rolled oats too which is so healthy. But it needs long time and more water too cook.


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VEN PONGAL WITH SAMBAR, CHUTNEY AND TAMARIND GOJJU


I wish everyone " HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS " .

Today I am posting Venpongal which is a popular dish in South Indian homes and Restuarants. It is typically served as breakfast menu. It is combination of Rice and Moong dhal with mild seasoning of Pepper and Cummin. Sambar and Coconut Chutney is served as accompaniment for this Ven pongal. Another side dish which we make at home is Gojju which is tangy, sweet and spicy one which goes very well with pongal. So here is the simple pongal meal for you to enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ingredients for Pongal :

Raw rice - 1 cup
Moong dhal - 1/3 cup
Water - 3 cups
Milk - 1 cup + 1 cup(keep it warm)
Pepper - 1 tsp ( crack to 2 pieces)
Cummin seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Ginger - 1 tsp finely chopped
Coconut - 1 tsp (optional)
Cashewnuts - 10 ( cut to 2 pieces each)
Salt to taste
Ghee - 3 tbsp (If calorie conscious use half ghee and oil)




Method :

1. Dry roast the moong dhal slightly.
2. Combine the rice and dhal adding 3 cups of water and 1 cup of milk in vessel keep inside the pressure cooker.
3. Pressure cook for 4 whistles.
4. Once the pressure is released. In a separate pan heat the ghee or oil season with Pepper, cumminAsafoetida, cashew nuts, Coconut switch of the flame. followed by ginger, curry leaves,
5. Add this tempering to the cooked rice and dhal. Keeping the vessel in the flame add some more milk mix well so that it gets mushy. Once everything is blended well. Switch off the flame.
6. Add a tbsp of ghee serve hot with sambar and chutney.

Note :

1.You can also do the Pongal without pressure cooker. Like cook the rice and dhal in water and milk until it is cooked and mushy then season it with other ingredients.

2. When you cook the rice and dhal in cooker sometime it will overflow to avoid this add tsp of oil and pinch of turmeric so that it will not happen.


Ingredients for sambar :


Vegetable of your choice - 1 cup ( I used carrot, radish and drumstick)
Shallots - 1/2 cup
Tomato - 1/4 cup
Toor dhal - 1/2 cup
Turmeric - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Mustard - 1 tsp
Sambar powder - 1 tbsp
Chilli powder - if needed
Tamarind pulp - 1 tbsp ( Or according to ur taste)
Coriander for garnishing
salt and oil


Method :

1.Pressure cook the Toor dhal with little turmeric and tsp of oil.
2.Boil the vegetables , onion and tomato in water.
3. To this add the dhal, tamarind, sambar powder,curry leaves add some water if necessary let them boil for some time.
4. Now season with asafoetida and mustard. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Ingredients for Tangy Tamarind Gojju :

This can be done in two ways

1. Grinding 1/2 onion with tbsp of tamarind pulp and 2 tsp of jaggery by adding little water and then seasoning with urad dhal, green chillies, curry leaves and mustard.

This is another way which I am posting since the onion was so pungent.

Shallots or purple onion - 1/4 cup
Tamarind pulp - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - few
Asafoetida - pinch
Green chillies - 1 sliced
Red chilli - 1 broken into pieces
Water - 1/4 cup
Jaggery - 2 tsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
salt and oil



Method :

1. Heat oil in the pan crackle mustard and add urad dhal.
2. Add chillies, curry leaves ,asafoetida one by one.
3. Saute onion till transparent , add the tamarind, water, jaggery.
4. Once the raw aroma disappears and quantity is slightly reduced. switch of the flame and serve.




Note : Adjust the sourness and sweet according to your taste.

Click Here for the COCONUT CHUTNEY




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CHAPATHI MEAL WITH DHAL,SUBZI,SALAD AND ROASTED CURRY


Today I am posting simple chapathi meal with four sidedishes which I make once in a while. This is one complete whole meal in which everything is there dhal, subzi, salad, roasted curry. We really enjoy having this kind of meal sometimes instead of making one gravy or side dish. So here is the visual treat for you to enjoy...and also I will be posting more meal soon.

The dishes are so simple and no so much of spices and masalas.


1. Chapathi
2.Ridgegourd/Beerakaya Subzi
3. Simple Dhal(Moong)
4. Radish and Carrot salad
5.Roasted potato

Ingredients for Ridge gourd Subzi :

Ridge gourd - peeled and cubed 2 cups
Onion- 1/2 chopped finely
Tomato - 1/2 cup finely chopped
Cummin Seeds - 2 tsp
Turmeric - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Cummin Powder - 1/2 tbsp
Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - as required
Coriander for garnishing
Oil and salt


Method :

1. Heat oil in the pan and splutter the cummin seeds.
2. Add onion saute for few minutes and followed by tomato.
3. Add all the spice powder and ridge gourd.
4. Add little water and once the vegetable is cooked and reached desired consistency.
5.Check for salt and garnish with coriander.

Note :

You can substitute Ridge gourd with bottle gourd, Potato, Cauliflower and peas, Paneer also tastes so good.

DHAL SEASONED WITH SPICES

Ingredients for Moong dhal :

Moong dhal - cooked 1 cup
Cummin seeds - 2 tsp
Onion - 1/4 cup chopped
Tomato - 1/4 cup chopped
Chilli powder - 1/8 tsp
Garam masala - 1/8 tsp

For grinding:

Garlic - 2
Green chilli - 2
Make paste out of garlic and green chilli.

Coriander for garnishing
Salt and oil


Method :

1. Pressure cook dhal or in pan with little turmeric.
2. Heat oil in the kadai and splutter cummin.
3. Add onion saute followed by the ground paste.
4. Add tomato once it is mashed and cooked add the dhal, salt and chilli powder.
5. Add some water and cook for some time.
6. Garnish with coriander.

Note:

This is so so yummy dhal which is so simple and really you feel very light with chapathi.
This can also be served with rice too.
Some time I mix the leftover dhal for making dhal masala paratha too. Tastes so good.

Ingredients for Salad :

Radish- 1 cup
Carrot - 1 cup
Green chillies - 4 or 5
Mustard - 1 tsp
Turmeric
Lemon - 2 tsp
Salt to taste


Method :

1. Mix the radish, carrot in bowl with chillies.
2. Heat 1/4 tsp of oil splutter Mustard switch of the flame and add the turmeric in hot oil.
3.Immediately add to the veggies. Add the salt and lemon juice mix well and garnish with coriander.

Note :

If you have beets You can combine with this.
The mustard and Turmeric gives nice flavour to the salad.

Ingredients for Roasted Potato :

Potato - Boiled 2 cups
Chilli powder - as required
Turmeric - few
Saunf powder - 2 tsp
Salt
Curry leaves


Method :

1. Heat oil in the pan, add the chopped potato and the spice powders , curry leaves.
2. Add salt and fry till roasted.



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ROASTED TOMATO BASIL PESTO


Hi all its been loooooooooooooong time since I visited any of your blogs and updated mine too. But thanks for those who visited my blog and enquiring my absence. Yah its because of place change, weather change, holiday season, I've been so tied up with other things and off course I should blame my little laziness too. Mmmmm at last started from now...I really missed all your beautiful posts for last few weeks. Hope to catch up soon. One recent change in my blog photos will be lack natural day light which is very important for the Food photography. Because of this Minneapolis weather. Also its getting dark earlier and days are very very cold. But anyway I am trying to find out some ways to compensate this.

So after all the above stories here comes the recipe part.. Tomato Basil pesto which is so tasty that you can use for pasta as well as works for sandwich spread too.


Ingredients :

Cherry tomato - 2 cups (Broil it till the skin is lightly blackened)
Walnut - 1/4 cup toasted
Basil - 1/4 cup
Garlic - 1 pod
Lemon juice - 1/4 tsp ( optional)
Paprika - according to your spice level
Pepper - 1 tsp
Olive oil - for roasting the tomato
Salt - as needed
Few basil for garnish
Parmesan cheese for topping

I used Sauteed Mushroom and Broccoli to go along with pasta.

For Pasta :

I used whole wheat Thin spaghetti, its your choice.


Method :

1. Toss the tomato with little olive oil, pepper and salt and broil it.
2. Now in the blender add the tomato along with olive oil and the juice that comes out while broiling.
2. With that add the walnut, basil, salt, Garlic,pepper, paprika, lemon juice. Blend till its coarsely done.
3. Cook pasta with salt. Drain it.
4. If the the pesto is very thick add little water from the pasta and dilute for sauce consistency.
5. Now in the serving plate arrange the pasta add the pesto on the top and garnish with cheese and Basil.
6.Serve with sauteed veggies.


Note :

I sauteed Broccoli and Mushroom with little olive oil, pepper and salt.
You can store this pesto for 3 to 4 days.

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