UPMA made of leftover IDLIs

IDlis are sometimes boring!!! at times there is extra left or left over from morning breakfast and no one in house wants to have it in there plate. We wont face this in an Tamil family where Idlis are loved but what if we make another dish out of it???, like Idli upma. Yes, I love idli upma that is being flavored with cumins (jeera), carrot, beans and onions. Yummy Yummy evening snacks. Children will love it and also by big children who are in college but always on diet. Idli upma is low caloric with lots of veggies. Once decided to make, you can also include as many variety veggies as you want. Here is an easy evening snack.

Cooking time: 15 minutes
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Serves: 3

INGREDIENTS
Cooked idlis- 8-10
Carrots and beans- 1 cup together
Green chillies- 2-3 cut into 1 inch length pieces
Onions- 1 large, chopped


Tomatoes- 1 large, chopped
Salt to tase
Coriander leaves to garnish

To Temper
Mustard seeds- 1 table spoon
Cumin seeds- 2 table spoon
Urad dal and chana dal- 1 table spoon each
Oil to temper

PREPARATION
Cook idlis or if idlis are already cooked, make them into small pieces. sprinkle some salt and keep aside.
Cut beans and carrot into small pieces and cook them separate for 5 minutes in boiling water. drain water and keep aside.
In a hot pan, add oil followed by mustard seeds, green chillies, chana dal, urad dal and cumins (take care that cumins are not burnt in oil).
Add onions and saute them for 2 minutes following addition of tomatoes. Saute this for 2-3 more minutes until tomatoes becomes softer than earlier.
Now add cooked beans and carrot, mix and add idli pieces.
Give it a mix thoroughly so that idlis get mixed with vegetables.
Now taste salt and add accordingly as required.

Additional toppings: Coriander leaves to garnish, smashed chips or muruku - gives a crunchy effect, Ghee on top, Sweet corns and green peas, Cheese on top when kids love it.

NOTE: avoid green chilies and add tomato ketchup for kids snacks. It give a bit of tangling taste.

Thanks for reading this recipe. Leave your message here.
HAPPY COOKING Le (Ladies) & Ge (Gentleman) :)

KODUBALE / ಕೋಡುಬಳೆ (Kannada language)

Kodubale, is a very popular snacks in south India which can also be called as Spicy rings in English because of their spicy taste and the ring structure. Taste of red chilli, rawa/sooji/semolina and rice flour makes it more delicious and attracts people of any age. Kodubale can also be known as grand mother's recipe. Grand mother used to prepare lots of kodubales during summer school vacation. It was time for all cousins to meet at grandma's house, spend time with each other, relax and eat snacks like kodubale. Its called as muruku in Tamil Nadu.There are many variates of muruku, this is one among them. 

INGREDIENTS

(same cup should be used for measuring all ingredients)

Rawa/sooji/samolina - 1 cup (small grains)

Rice flour - 1/2 cup

Chick peas/ channa flour/ putani pudi/ Hurgadle - 1/2 cup

Dry coconut powder - 1/2 cup (grated)

Red chillies - 4

Cumin seeds- 3 tb sp.

Salt to taste

Lukewarm water - 2 cups

Oil - 1 ltr for deep frying

COOKING

Fry rawa, rice flour, chickpeas and dry coconut separately under low heat. Mix all along with red chillies and salt, and grind dry in a blender until it becomes fine grains. 

Use this mixed flour along with cumin seeds and 4-5 tb sp. of hot oil for making kodubale dough. Add required amount of Luke warm water.

Knead this dough for 10-15 minutes. 

Cover the dough with a thin cloth for 20 more minutes. 

After 20 minutes, make small round balls and roll it to thick sticks shape. Join both ends to make it circle/rings. 

Heat oil in a pot/ pan, Deep fry these rings/ kodubale until it turns golden brown color. 

Enjoy them with mint chutney or simply as snacks with tea/coffee.

HAPPY COOKING

DHOKLA

Dosa, idly, upma, chapati, poori, akki rotti all kinds of breakfast would be boring sometime and you actually feel like I want something else. I WANT TO TRY DIFFERENT :)
Why dont you guys try some thing different for a holiday/ weekend breakfast. You must be thinking and scratching your head for just a breakfast. I keep an option of Dhoklas for you.
Dhoklas also known as gram flour steamed snack, a Gujarati dish made in just few minutes and easier than before. It is usually made up of chickpea flour but also prepared using sooji or rice flour. Dhoklas are very soft if prepared perfectly and served with mint chutney or tomato chutney. The mustard seeds on top along with curry leaves and green chilies make anyone melt like butter. Its not a normal regular breakfast food in South India but no harm in trying it out today !!!
Here's I go!

INGREDIENTS
Chickpeas - 1 cup
Ginger- 5-8 pieces of small size or 2 tb sp paste
Cumin/Jeera- 2 tb sp.
Eno or baking soda- 1/4 tb sp.
Curd- 1/4 cup
Curry leaves- few leaves
Coriander leaves- few
Mustard seeds and oil
Vinegar- 5 tb sp.
Sugar- to saturate in vinegar
Salt to taste

You need a big steamer or a idly stand and a pressure cooker. I do not have a idly stand or a big pressure cooking so I used a big pot which had a lead closed tightly. Just the basic is to create steam inside to bake dhoklas. 


COOKING

1. Add chickpeas, jeera, salt, ginger pieces and curd, bring this to thick consistency, nearest to idly batter.
2. Now place pot on a stove and add water to its 1/4th level and then reverse a container or another small pot inside. This was my stand on which I kept dhokla mix in a pan.
3. Let it boil. Now add baking soda or eno into batter and stir continuously for 3 minutes. The batter comes to double of the actual amount. This makes dhoklas smooth and pouf kind or cake texture.
4. Transfer into a pan and keep it at the centre on the inversed or reversely places contained. Close the pot with a lid and allow dhokla batter to cook under steam for 15-18 minutes.
5. An easy way to check whether its nicely baked or not is to poke with a knife. if the knife comes out with out any attached batter its perfect.
6. take out dhokla pan and cut into pieces. Add vinegar-sugar mixture on it.
7. On the another stove, add oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chilies. Take out and add on top of Dhoklas.
Oh my god! you will give the same expression while you eat.

Serves: 4
Cooking time- 25 minutes

HAPPY COOKING :)

SAUTEKAI KOSAMBARI

Sautekai is cucumber and Kosambari is a salad kind made mostly as a sacred food in temples or on festival days. Its been 6 months I had kosambari and I made sure to have this as one of the food for Potluck last week at my place. Everyone liked my kosambari. This is Karnataka style salad and many friends came to Potluck were from other states of India. They liked it and I am glad to introduce them kosambari.
Here I share about how I prepared it! Enjoy madi

INGREDIENTS
Cucumber- 2, chopped into small pieces
Moong dal/ Mung bean- 2 cups
Green chilies- 2 chopped into small pieces
Curry leaves- 4-5 leaves
Coconut- 1 hand ful
coriander/ cilantro leaves- few leaves
Red chili, oil, mustard seeds- to garnish
Salt to taste

PREPARATION
Soak moong dal in water for 2-3 hours (not more than 4 hours). Keep aside. After 2 hours, mix moong dal, cucumber, green chilies, coriander leaves, coconut and salt. Mix it properly.
On a hot pan, add oil, mustard seeds, red chilies and curry leaves. Saute for a minute and garnish on cucumber mixture.
Addition of chili depends on your taste. Serve along with butter milk.

HAPPY COOKING :)

MANDAKKI USLI

Mandakki Usli is made up of puri/ puffed rice/ churmuri or called as mandakki in Kannada. this recipe is also known as mandakki oggarane. Mandakki is used in various recipes like masala mandakki (super when you eat while travelling in train), khara mandakki (with khara mixture) or usli that I am going to share with you guys now. Its so special moment when you are alone at home and its raining. You feel like eating something spicy and hot (I also feel like eating chocolate and ice creams, anyways.....) so opting bajji/bonda is a long process preparation. I have 2 cup full of mandakki at home so rushed to have usli after a long time. :) I am so happy to share this because of the oniony, tangy, spicy taste you feel in your mouth.

Go ahead and have a try

INGREDIENTS
Puffed rice/ MANDAKKI- 2 cups
Onions- 1/2, chopped small
Tomatoes- 1/2, chopped small
Green chilies- 2 chopped into medium size
Carrot- 1, grated
Coriander leaves- to garnish
Salt and pepper- to taste
Cucumber/Zucchini- half or 1/4th of 1 cucumber, chopped into small pieces
Murukku- available at stores. This is optional and used to garnish and have crispy taste on top
Curry leaves- 4 leaves
oil and mustard seeds- to saute

COOKING
1. Heat oil and saute mustard seeds. Keep adding green chilies, curry leaves, tomatoes, onions, cucumber and carrot (Optional).
2. Stir for 2-3 minutes and add salt and pepper.
3. Now before adding mandakki into pan, soak it in water for 20 sec and add to vegetable mixture and stir it.
4. Off the flame and garnish with coriander and murukke before you serve. Coconut can also be added.

HAPPY COOKING :)

HACHIDA AVALAKKI/ CHIWDA

Avalakki is flattened rice, called as poha, aval, chuda and many other names. Avalakki looks flat but when soaked in water it swells. it is used in preparing variety of dishes like sweets, avalakki bath, smashed avalakki and hachida avalakki in Karnataka style. Hachida avalakki means avalakki together with, so here together stuffs are peanuts, curry leaves, coconut dried, red chilies, turmeric and salt. We can store this food as a snack, like for more than 3-4 months and will be good and crispy to eat whenever you like.

A quick list of ingredients are here..

INGREDIENTS
Peanuts- 1 cup
Dalia split- 1 cup
Dried coconut - 1/2 cup, thinly sliced
Curry leaves- 10
Red chilli- 5-6
Oil- 3 tb sp.
Salt to taste
turmeric- 2 tb sp.
Sugar- 1 tb sp.
Chilli powder/sambar powder/ a pinch
Avalakki/flattened rice- 500 grams

PREPARATION
1. Add all ingredients one after the other (in any order but turmeric 1st), except avalakki, and saute for 5-8 minutes.
2. Now add avalakki and mix everything thoroughly along with adding sugar and sambar powder, for 5 minutes or until the turmeric color gets into avalakki.
3. Few people follow to heat avalakki separately by adding 1 or 2 tb sp of oil and then mixing up with all other ingredients. Both ways are good, so follow any one.
4. Allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes and store in containers, air tight and use as snacks whenever you feel like.

You can eat as it is or garnish with tomatoes, onions and freshly grated coconut & lemon on top.

NOTE: make sure to fry coconut, dalia splits and peanuts 1st or separate (Best!) so as to remove raw smell, if any.

HAPPY COOKING :)

MUTHIA/ DUMPLINGS in oven!!!

Muthia is a Gujarati dish which is made up of either cabbage or using kasuri methi leaves i.e., dried fenugreek leaves. The name came form the type of preparation and mixing all ingredients. I have few Gujarati friends who made me to taste this delicious one!!! This looks similar to dhokla in color as it is made up of besan and mustard seeds & curry leaves on top. Cabbage is not a usual favorite of many people at home. I have seen people making faces while eating cabbage. So, I also faced this problem at home. To convince cabbage also makes a good recipe, I tried Cabbage Muthia for dinner.  This could also be a good snack

Here we go, try this and suggestions please

INGREDIENTS

Cabbage- 2 cups

Gram flour (Besan)- 150 grams (approx., 1 medium sized cup)

Milk- 1/2 cup

Wheat flour- 5.7 tb sp.

Red chillies- 5-7

Ginger- 10 peices

Green chillis- 2 chopped (as per taste required)

Funereal seeds- 1 tb sp.

Cumin seeds (jeera)- 1 tb sp.

Sesame seeds- 1 to 2 tb sp.

curry leaves- 5-6

coriander leaves- 1 hand full

coconut- grated to garnish

Pepper powder- 1 tb sp. freshly grinded

mustard seeds- 1 tb sp.

Turmeric- 1 tb sp.

Vinegar- 1 tb sp.

Sugar -1 tb sp.

Salt to taste

Oil- 5-6 tb sp. 

COOKING

1. In a large bowl, mix Cabbage, gram flour, wheat flour, jeera, funereal and sesame seeds along with 4 tb sp. of oil, milk, green chillis, ginger, half coriander leaves, vinegar, sugar and salt (to taste)

2. Mix it for 5 minutes and then to make it to thick consistency water can also be used. 

3. Spread on a metal pan which is coated with oil or butter. Pour cabbage mix on to it.

4. Preheat oven to 350 F and then keep the tray in oven for 25- 30 minutes. This is the case when you do not have a pressure cooker or a stream cooker. 

5. usually this is cooked under steam, making it to small long sausage shaped. But here since I do not have steam or a pressure idly cooker, I used pan and trust me it comes really good. 

6. Then after 25 minutes take it out and look whether its cooked by inserting a tooth prick and if it comes dry, it means its cooked.

7. Now cool for 5 minutes and then cut it into small pieces as shows in picture. 

8. Heat a pan and pour remaining oil. Saute mustard seeds, red chillies, curry leaves and a little turmeric powder

9. Then add cut pieces. Pepper and salt, very little on top of it and garnish with coriander leaves and coconut by sprinkling on it. 

serve Hot with pudina chutney or only muthia will also taste great.

Serves 4 people. Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 45 minutes

 

HAPPY COOKING :)

JOLA MASALA/ BUTTA MASALA

If anyone of you visited Malnad region in Karnataka, INDIA, I bet that you might have tasted this delicious snack. In my home town Shimoga, this was a favorite foodie place to hang out with cousins and friends. There are many small condiments outlet where you get to enjoy Mandakki masala, Corn masala, corn toasts, peni masala and what more!!! A similar recipe is what I am sharing here with my own way. I would say, this was 3.5/5 better when compared outlets in Shimoga in terms of taste and spicy. 

So you can also try this and write to me whether you liked it or not. 

 

INGREDIENTS

Sweet corn- 1 full

Pomegranate- 1 hand full

Tomato-1 chopped

Onion- 1/2 chopped

Red chilli paste- 1 tb sp.

Pepper powder- 1/4 tb sp.

Coconut- a hand full (grated)

Coriander

Butter- 1 tb sp.

Puffed rice (Mandakki)- 2 hand full

Garlic paste- 1/4 tb sp

Khara mixture- as topping (you can also use pieces of nipattu, chakkuli or any crispy mixture kind item)

Lemon to taste 

Salt to taste

PREPARATION

1. Take out the outer cover of the corn and separate the seeds as in picture. Boil it so that the seeds can be removed easily and it tastes good as well

2. Mix mandakki, onions, tomatoes, and all listed in Ingredients list except pomegranate, lemon, khara mixture and sweet corn. 

3. Stir it well so as to get the red chilli spread completely. 

4. then add sweet corn, mixture

5. Before you serve sprinkle pepper powder on top along with pomegranates and Khara mixture. 

Now, jola masala is ready to eat. The Pomegranate gives a sweet taste while khara mixture- pepper  spreads a bit peppery taste. 

NOTE if not sweet corn, a normal butta/jola could also be used as the sweetness is taken care by pomegranate :)

  HAPPY COOKING :)

GREENY SNACK

India is known for variety of snacks either its a Gujarati style Dhokla, Misal pav of Mumbai or its tip south bajji masala or omlet masala. We have many roadside venders who sell all kinds of chatpati-sweety- tangy foods. More recently we have moved to Indian style modified Pizzas and burgers. But still we somewhere recall what we have eaten in our childhood days.. and we say, "my mom was the best cook". Of course, we like everything what our MOM prepares. I used to wait for my mom in evening, when she returns from work, she used to prepare bonda, bajji, laddu, chakli, kodbale, avalakki, many many and many- what ever the number of friends come home, MOM rocks!!!.
Pani puri was very spicy, tangy taste while molakekalu masala (sprouted green gram masala) was just too awesome. Even though it was very mild, enjoyment while eating was different. Just do gossiping with friends, talk nothing important and eat!!!
I want to share molakekalu masala here. Please do try and enjoy your evening snack.

INGREDIENTS
Spinach- take ~200 gms and cut into small pieces.

Onion- 1 chopped into small pieces

Sprouted green gram - 200 gms : this should be soaked in water for overnight. Then morning remove water and close tight the soaked grams for 4-5 hours. It will start sprouting. 

Carrot- 1-2 grated

Green chili- 1

Garam masala- 1tb sp.

Lemon-1

Coconut-1/2 cup.

COOKING

1. In a hot pan add oil, turmeric, green chili and onions. 

2. Once onion turns brownish color, add carrot and  sprouted green gram and fry it for 5 minutes or until carrot and gram is half cooked.

3. Add spinach and saute.

4. Here, we can add garam masal and coconut, if you like lemon juice only on top. Or add lemon juice along with garam masala. 

5. Mix this well and as usually, I suggest adding cilantro/coriander on top for good flavor. 

Here comes Green snack. The additional taste we could add are - khara mixture, pomegranates or sweet corn. The other part is, instead of green chili if more spicy is required add red chili paste. 


HAPPY COOKING :)