Kuzi paniyaram using dosa batter

This is one recipe i always wanted to try out using my idli batter. I make iddlies and we Have for tea and dinner till its over . Along side a big pot of sambar and chutney. As it is good for diabetes mom loves  it too.  Everybody does that, isn’t it? It was by accident that I discovered this recipe. Our refrigerator was not cooling so we had to finish out dosa batter . As tge batter was thin iddlie was out of  menu . I always told mom i needed to make this recipe. But she  was not that sceptical about it. It was easy just toss and temper the batter and pour into the appa chatti . Cook both sides for just two minutes and its done by the the time your tea was on table.
We had it with  seet and spicy sauce.
Umma liked it and she said she would make it once in a while for breakfast too.
As it makes a super quick snack or for breakfast, either way it was great. 

Ingredients 

1 cup iddli batter
2 teaspoon Mustard seeds
1 teaspoon pepper corns.
2 teaspoon green chillies
2 tablespoon onions chopped
Curry leaves
1 teaspoon ginger chopped

Method

Heat a pan and add ioil .
Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter.
Add the rest of the ingredients for temper.
Add to batter and then add  salt.
Give it a good stir.
Add to the batter.
Heat the appa chaati.
Pour tablespoon of batter into the small dips in the pan . Cover and cook for two minutes each side to just a little brown .
Serve with sambar or spicy chutney or sauce .

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Chick peas masala curry

I can assure you that if one person has made up his or her mind on a special diet then thats it. I have one at office stubborn not to eat lunch . I was wondering she is so pretty with her sweet plum face but once this chuby liitle angel looses her chubby cute face she is not going to look  that pretty much . .. i dont  want to be mean or something . But why do young girls go for a death like diet . I told her there are few simple healthy diets . Do try it out. But she  wanted the fastest track possible. I dont blame her . I too did it once. There was a time when it was impossible me to lose weight. So i did the crash diet . And then started working  from there . Yes , i know its very unhealthy but still i went ahead . But later again whatever diet i did never worked for me . And this ti.e it was after having three kids. How am i supposed to cook for blog and do the diet at the same time . One thing i did do was start to eat healthy and eat it right theory. Cut sugar intake and avoid fries at maximum. I already started showing signs of thinner body. Then i skipped yeast and plain flour.. it took me two years. And now i am fit and healthy..Alhamdullillah. and my second brother is doing well with keto diet. I must say it was wonderful seeing such happiness when one has lost a lot weight. 

So much for weight loss  and diets..off to the recipe.
I was getting bored of the usualhimemade kadala curry and so today i made a slight variation . I got the recipe when i went for a function . I went direct to the cook himself  for the recipe and he delivery a good dialogie about how famous his curry was all around the neighborhood..but i felt it was good but  ok..he did boast a little though...
So here it is …

Ingredients 

2 tablespoons ghee
1 bay leaf
1 cardamom
2 cloves
1 small cinamon stick
1 teaspoon Jeera.
2 cups overnight soaked white chickpeas
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
2 green chillies slit
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper powder
Salt to taste
1/2 cup strong black tea.

Method 

1. First heat oil in a panand add  bay leaves, cardamom, cloves . Saute for few minutes .
2. Next add  onions, and cook till soft.
3. Add tomato puree, salt, green chilies,red chili powder.
4. Combine  well and cook  5 minutes.
5. Add chana masala powder,tamarind paste. Stir well 
6. Next  remove tea bags and add water 

 It will saucy . Mix  and cook for couple of minutes .
7. Add cooked chickpeas, kasuri methi, sliced ginger and mix well.
8. Add some water if needed.
9. Cook covered for 20 minutes on medium-low heat.
10. Add sliced onions, and mix well. Remove from heat and cover for 5 minutes.
11. Masala  chole are ready. Serve with any of your flatbread and enjoy.

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Green chilli mango juice

With the summers really peaking in , we have a lot of fluids especially in day times. I always make sure I make a juice, but i try to reduce the sugar i take especially since my family  love some of it at times. My usual craze this season is this special mango juice . I just loved it . Its spicy and tangy with a slight chilli flavour and ofcourse sweet.
Mixed flavors right? .

These days, there are a lot of  mangoes in the market, so obviously this is best choice. A very simple juice combining the goodness of green  mangoes and just dip of chillies. , this is very refreshing when served really cold on a hot day. I usually grind the whole thing especially the juice off the  mangoes  and then place them in the freezer so that they are almost hardening up , just optional ok... I then blitz them up with the ice cubes  so you get a thick pulpy kind of drink .  Do try this combination if you haven’t yet!

Ingredients 

1 green mango
3 tablespoon sugar
A pinch of salt
1/4 inch ginger .
1/2 cup water.

Method 

Cut the green mango to chunks.
Blend everything in mixer grinder and blend smooth.
Refrigerate for an hour .(optional step)
While serving slit a green chilli just for the flavors to seep through the juice.

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Rajma Butter Beans salad

My family is ever evolving!
Veggies that were  most hated is now finally on the home menu. Sometimes, it is good to know if there are any more recipes that are still to be found . I know i have to upload a lot that the blog is lagging behind .. and i have not uploaded on my social media and InShaAllah, I am working on it as it is  time consuming. Anyway, one of them that my Mom has recently been so addicted to was this new recipe ..
Very addictive and simple indeed.
No wonder my kids started having them .
It's very difficult to keep pace with exact nutrients that kids must have .
They hate pulses and beans ...but now this is just what they loved . As long they dwmand for it i am enjoying the fact that are enjoying it too.
We all are salad lovers and ao i was glad when umma said she just mix and matched a few leftovers and found a new recipe.

Coming back to the our salad section ,this is  something mom make regularly. Even though at first zam didnt like it later he just wanted to have for dinner and  loved it . Now i dont have to worry about whether my kids having the right portion plate. While trying to balance everybody’s diet  , this dish becomes a winner for all . I use just store bought beans to make this, no particular brand . Soak overnight  and pressure cook them . I usually pressure cook in large amounts and freeze them and use as when needed. The best part is just tossing everything into the bowl along with a little spice powders that  adds a lot of flavor. The ingredient that brings all in flavor are the green chillies and  black pepper.
Another hinter . I must say its a stress free buster for all working moms . When i come home all messed up and tired .. this is one bowl of homemade goodness that i wait for .. not always but most of the time..

Ingredients

I cup kidney beans / rajma cooked
1cup butter beans cooked
1/2 onion chopped finely
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes chopped finely
1 teaspoon corriander leaves
1 teaspoon pepper powder
A pinch of salt
2 slit green chillies.
1 teaspoon lime juice

Method
Soak beans overnight.
Wash well and pressure cook for 15 minutes in low flame .
Once cooled mix all the ingredients .
Serve warm or cold .

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Instant pickled mango cucumber

Its that part of the year where as a mum i am so busy. As my kids have a series of tests and examinations going on, i fret a lot. They do well all the time .But nowadays its not enough. I sometimes wonder am i over working myself? I want everything perfect. I feel sometimes my staff think of me as a monster. My kids think i am over worked. All this sometimes get on my mental and physical health.  This is unusually rare just because i never felt like this way before. Handling teens is mindblowing in literary sense , at times especially when one has to manage  sibling rivalry but Alhamdullillah Aj helps me a lot of  time. He takes them to classes that are apt on such issues . Balancing their emotions and their needs is very important  so they don't clash with each other. Also sometimes as kids grow up, their behavior do get on our nerves, hehe , it may be too much talk or it could be complaints of other siblings. As a mom of three kids two teens and a 5 year old , i find it really hard to manage their emotions.  Especially when i cannot yell at one and let go of the other... All has to get equal treatment and this is the part of married life that's  the toughest ... i guess.

Today's recipe is my favorite pickled mango  which is  always prepared this time of year .
The mango used for the recipe but is really fleshy one. Vengara palli as the local name goes , its considered to be the king of mangoes. One ripe one could just weigh around 1 kilo . So kick starting this month with a mango recipe .

Ingredients

1 cup mango sliced 

1 cup cucumber diced
Few Slit chillies
Salt to taste
2 tablespoon Vinegar
Boiled Water for soaking..

Method

Just mix all the ingredients at once.
Let it soak for atleast an hour for better results .
This pickle has to be used up within 2 or 3 days .

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Chemeen puttu

After long time  I called up a relative . I am not chat person so its very difficult to keep pace with the few  talkative ones in the family.  Information is i am the only odd one out as i am the only one( cousin) to be a gulfie in the family.  But i never miss any getogethers. As I just wanted to ask about a recipe that my cousin  cooked for her daughter's husband(.newly weds) . It so happened that she ( my cousin)  was not keen on studies so her parents got her married off early . While the whole bunch of us were drilling up for exams she was the only one doing The Honeymoon ,The Babymoons. We all admire her for her attitude . She knew exactly what she wanted in life . No fuss no hasstles and with a pretty temper in head she settled  for one daughter in this life .. hehe..  her mother in law is fuming at this decision of having no more kids ever.  hut i must say that she is an excellent cook .. its like' hath mey jaaddu' hau types. ...simple ingredients and quick movements in the kitchen , she can make a dozen dishes  in no time.

Anyway, there were few prawns left in the pantry that I had reserved to try this recipe for dinner. However it didn’t happen for breakfast. since I had an appointment to cover . So made it for dinner .i  just wanted to post them as i got good

reviews from my family too. Aj was surprised seeing puttu for dinner..樂 .Then I thought, why not.. cause after all its oil free and healthy too.


Ingredients

250 gm prawns - deveined and cleaned well .
2 nos onions ( chopped )
1/2 inch piece ginger,  chopped
 1/2 tsp  chopped  garlic
1 teaspoon Red chilly powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon Pepper powder
2 teaspoon tomato paste
2 teaspoon cashew paste
3 Green chilly  chopped
1 small tamarind
1/4 teaspoon Ginger garlic paste
Garam masala - a pinch
200 grams Puttu podi ( Roasted rice flour )
100 grams grated coconut
150 ml.Water
30 ml.Coconut oil
Curry leaves - a few
Salt to taste

Method (STEP WISE )

Step 1

Take roasted rice flour in a bowl and add some salt. Slowly add water little by little over the rice flour and mix well. Continue this process till the flour becomes wet and smooth. Keep this aside for 10 minutes.

Step 2

De-shell and de-vein the prawns and wash well with water.

Step 3

Heat a pan, add prawns, 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp of red chilly powder, tamarind, ginger garlic paste, 50 ml of water, salt and cook this for 10 minutes on a low flame. Switch off the flame and keep aside.

Step 4

Heat coconut oil in a pan and add chopped onion, ginger, garlic, green chilly, curry leaves and saute untill onion turns brown colour.

Step 5

Add red chilly powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, pepper powder and mix well.

Step 6

Add cooked prawns, salt, tomato paste, cashew paste and mix well. Cook this on a low flame for 5 minutes. Prawns masala is ready.

Step 7

Heat Puttu maker, so that the water poured in the Pot ,starts evaporating.

Step 8

Now you can start filling the cylindrical steamer . Put 1 tbsp grated coconut and then 5 tbsp wet rice powder and 3 tbsp of prawns masala, Like this, layer the Puttu in steamer.

Step 9

Keep the steamer  on pot  and allow to steam for 8 minutes. When steam starts coming from top of the steamer, then its done and cooked well.

Step 10

Switch off the flame and take out the steamer .  By pressing behind the steamer with a long rod, take the Puttu out.

Step 11

Tasty Chemmeen Puttu is ready.

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Grilled Baba Ganoush/ Arabic cuisine

This baba ganoush is a bit different from its reknown own version. I'm hooked by the ones we get in the malls at the food counter. As friday nights is arabic day for us. We don’t mash the ingredients until smooth, we mash it roughly with a fork. Sometimes we even leave it as it is and call it Roasted Eggplant Salad,or my mom calls it kanju! But whatever, it is  almost with the same ingredients.   We either have it with lavash or pita bread or as a side dish with nothing alongside.

Previously i posted my first starter recipe and that was mini cheese bites .If you are looking for a starter recipes ,look no further, these flavorful dips are filled with a smoky eggplant spread, also with a cute name called baba ganoush.

Its the burning that's involved in this recipe which gives authenticity to the recipe ,in which  the eggplants are cooked directly on an open flame to infuse them with a smoky flavor and the red ,yellow,  green  bell peppers are chopped finely and mixed along. 

This recipe takes some time to prepare but all the steps are very easy and the baba ganoush and bell peppers can be made ahead of time.

Ingredients

2 large eggplants
3 tablespoon thahina (sesame paste)
2 garlic cloves
1 yellow capsicum
1 red capsicum
2 green capsicum
Juice of one lime.
3 tablespoons oilive oil.
Chopped parsley for garnish ( optional)

Method

1.Preheat oven to 375F (190C).
2.Prick the eggplants randomly in a few places using a fork .
3.Roast them till chared on all sides. I personally prefer stove top roasted by placing it on a grill..though it can be  messy
4.When the eggplants get tender enough, take them out. The duration of roasting might differ depending on the type of eggplant you are using. So check yours after 40 minutes using a knife or fork. If a knife can easily be inserted, it’s soft enough and ready to be removed from oven.
5. Mash the eggplants roughly . I love to have few chunk pieces in my Ganoush. 
6. Now add all the chopped  garlic cloves. capsicum , thahina, lime juice along with smashed eggplants eggplants . Finally add the olive oil and mix well.
7. Garnish with parsley and serve .

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