May 2020 – Page 2 – Meal Haven

Kanjeevaram Idlis

Kanjeevaram aka Kanchipuram is a district in Tamilnadu, famous for silk sarees and a number of temples. The Varadaraja Perumal temple in Kanjeevaram serves these idlis as prasad to the devotees. Made with rice and lentils, these idlis are spiced with a tempering of ghee, ginger, cumin seeds, whole peppercorns etc…..

Ingredients:

Idli rice/Par boiled rice – 1 cup

Whole Udad dal – 1 cup

Pepper corns – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds/Jeera – 1 tsp

Ginger – 1 inch piece finely chopped

Cashewnuts – 5 – 6 chopped

Asafoetida/hing – a pinch

Curry leaves – 1 sprig chopped

Ghee – 1 tbsp

Salt – to taste

Soda Bi-carbonate – 1/4 tsp

Water – 2 tbsp + 2 tbsp

Preparation:

Wash and soak the udad dal and rice separately for 4 hours or overnight, with 4 cups of water each.

After 4 hours, remove the water and grind the udad dal coarsely adding 2 tbsp of water. Keep it aside.

Next, grind the rice coarsely adding about 3 tbsp of water. Keep it aside.

Mix both the batters, add salt and let it ferment for atleast 8 hours.

Heat ghee in a pan. Add cumin seeds, pepper, chopped ginger, curry leaves, chopped cashewnuts and asafoetida. Add this tempering to the fermented batter. Mix the soda with a tsp of water and add it to the batter. Mix the batter gently.

In a pressure cooker, pour the batter into small katoris or into idly moulds . The idly moulds or the small katoris need to be greased with ghee. Steam it for 8-10 minutes and put off the cooker. Wait for 10 minutes to let it cool.

USe a sharp knife or spoon to remove the idlis and serve it with any chutney.

Note : Mix the soda just before pouring the batter for steaming. If you are not going to use the entire batter, remove as much as you want and add the soda. Store the rest of the batter in the fridge.

Chicken Punjabi

Non-Vegetarian

This rich and creamy chicken curry is an all time party favourite. Though not as popular as the butter chicken, this one is just as flavourful and quite different.

Ingredients:

For Marination:

Chicken – 750 gms

Curds – 1/2 cup

Ginger- garlic paste – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Pepper powder – 1/4 tsp

Red chillie powder – 1/2 tsp

Salt

For Gravy 1:

Oil – 2 tbsp

Cinnamon – 1/2 inch

Carrdamom- 2

Cloves – 2

Cumin seeds/Jeera – 1/2 tsp

Ginger finely chopped – 1 tsp

Garlic finely chopped – 1 tsp

Onions finely chopped – 4

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Chillie powder – 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tbsp

Tomatoes chopped – 2 nos

Water – 3 tbsp

For Gravy 2:

Oil – 1 tbsp

Cummin seeds/Jeera – 1/2 tsp

Ginger – 1 tsp

Garlic – 1 tsp

Spinach/Palak chopped – 1 cup

Onion – 1 diced

Capsicum – 1 diced

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Red chillie powder – 1/2 tsp

Jeera/Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder – 1/2 tsp

Green chillies finely chopped – 2 nos + 1 no for garnish

Cashew nut paste – 1/4 cup

Water – 1/2 cup

Ginger juliennes – 1/2 inch cut

Dried fenugreek leaves powder/Kasoori methi – 1 tsp

Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp

Fresh Cream – 1/4 cup (optional)

Preparation:

Marinate the items given under “For Marination” and keep it aside for 1-2 hrs.

Gravy 1

Add oil. Add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and jeera. When it starts to splutter, add chopped ginger and chopped garlic. Then add the finely chopped onions and saute well. When it starts to brown, add turmeric powder, chillie powder, coriander powder and saute again for 2 minutes. Then add chopped tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes turn mushy. You may add 3 tbsps of water so that the tomatoes do not stick to the pan. After it is well sauteed, remove half of this masala and keep it aside.

To the other half of the masala in the pan, add the marinated chicken and stir well. Add 2 finely chopped green chillies and saute. Close with a lid and cook on a low flame until it is done. Put the flame off.

Gravy 2

In another pan, add oil. Add cumin seeds/jeera, chopped ginger and garlic and saute well. Then add the chopped spinach/palak and saute again for 2 minutes. Add the diced onion and diced capsicum and saute again. Add turmeric powder, red chillie powder, coriander powder and cumin seed powder and saute.

Add the other half of the masala which was kept aside to this and mix it well. Add cashew nut paste to this and saute on a low flame for 3 – 4 minutes. Add salt and 1/2 cup of water . Add the chicken gravy 1 to this and mix well. Then add, ginger juliennes, dried fenugreek leaves powder/kasoori methi powder, garam masala powder and 1 green chillie finely chopped. Cover and cook for 2 minutes.

You may add 1/4 cup cream if required.

Garnish with ginger juliennes and chopped green chillies..

Very Addictive Walnut Muffins

Desserts

Though I have made this a couple of times, every time we crave for more and have requests for additional batches to be baked. It is so damn good and worth every calorie and the best part is, it is quick to make with just 5 ingredients.

Ingredients:

Brown Sugar – 1 cup

Maida/All purpose flour – 1/2 cup

Softened Butter – 2/3 cup

Chopped walnuts – 1 3/4 cups

Eggs – 2

Preparation:

In a mixing bowl, add the flour, brown sugar and chopped walnuts and stir well.

In a separate bowl, beat the butter and eggs together. Add the ingredients in the other bowl (flour, brown sugar and walnuts) into this and combine well.

In a muffin pan, line it up with muffin liners. Spoon batter into it filling only 3/4 of the cup as it will rise to bake.

Preheat oven to 180 degree celsius and bake for 20 minutes. Insert a toothpick to see if it comes out clean. If batter sticks to it, bake it for another 2 minutes. Pop it out when done.

You may drizzle caramel or chocolate sauce over it and serve.

Note: You may also use pecan nuts if you do not have walnuts.

Malabar Fish Curry

Non-Vegetarian

This curry originates from the Northern part of Kerala, The Malabar region. This curry is adapted from Umi Abdulla’s style of cooking. This particular fish curry from Kerala is my favourite. Here, the coconut is roasted to a golden colour and ground alongwith aniseed which gives it a tangy and a nutty taste. It can be served with rice or dosas.

Ingredients:

Seer fish or any other fish – 250 gms

Coconut grated or cut into pieces- 3/4 cup

Onion – 1 big finely chopped

Green chillies – 4 sliced long

Tamarind – a small ball

Curry leaves – 10 leaves

Ginger cut fine – 2 inch piece

Garlic chopped fine – 6 cloves

Shallots – 1 tbsp chopped

Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves – 3 or 4 stalks

Chillie powder – 1 tsp

Coriander powder – 2 tbsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Aniseed/Saunf – 1 tbsp

Tomato – 1 big chopped

Water – 1 1/2 cups

Oil – 1 tbsp + 1 tsp

Preparation:

Soak tamarind in little water. Clean and cut the fish and keep it aside.

In a pan, add a tsp of oil, add the chopped shallots and aniseed and saute well. Add curry leaves (5- 6 leaves) and then the grated coconut until it turns golden brown in colour. Let it cool and then transfer it to a mixie. Add 1 tbsp of water and pulse it. Grind it until it is fine and keep it aside.

In the same pan, add 1 tbsp of oil and heat it. When hot, add fenugreek seeds and when it slightly changes colour, add the chopped onions and then the chillies. Next, in goes the chopped ginger and garlic . Saute for a few minutes and then add the chillie powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and salt. Saute it again and add the chopped tomatoes and saute it well for 5 minutes until the raw smell disappears. Now add the tamarind pulp to it and two cups of water. Boil for 5 minutes and add the fish and close the lid. Lower the flame and let it simmer for some time.

Lastly, add curry leaves, coriander leaves and the ground paste and let it boil once. Make sure you gently stir the gravy so that the fish pieces do not break. Garnish it with coriander leaves.

Drumstick leaves Adai (Moringa Lentils Pancake)

Breakfast

Full of proteins, this savoury lentils pancake is served typically with avial (a yogurt based vegetable gravy). I prefer to have it smeared with butter or with a chutney. You can also make it to a thinner consistency and pour it like a dosa.

Ingredients:

Raw rice/ Ordinary Basmati rice – 1 cup

Tur Dal – 1/4 cup

Bengal gram dal/Chana dal – 1/4 cup

Udad dal – 1/4 cup

Moong Dal – 1/4 cup

Whole red chillies – 8

Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida – a pinch

Grated coconut – 1 to 2 tbsp or coconut bits/pieces – 10

Drumstick leaves – a handful (optional)

Salt – to taste

Oil- as required

Preparation:

Wash and soak the lentils and the red chillies together in a bowl of water, overnight.

In a mixer, add the red chillies and grind it . Next, add the rice and lentils/dals together with little salt and grind it to a coarse consistency. Add very little water, if you want a thicker version of the adai. If you would like to pour it like a dosa, you can add half a cup of water and grind. To the batter, add the drumstick leaves, pepper powder, asafoetida, grated coconut and mix well. Adjust the salt.

Heat an iron griddle or a non stick pan. Wipe it with a piece of cloth dipped in oil and pour one ladle of the batter and spread it like a dosa. Turn the flame to medium and add a tsp of oil all over the sides of the dosa. When it gets cooked, flip it to the other side and cook. Serve it with coconut chutney or tomato chutney.

If you would like a thicker version of the adai, instead of pouring it like a dosa, take a handful of dough and place it on the griddle and spread it by hand. Or you could spread the adai on a banana leaf and place the adai directly on the pan by flipping the banana leaf. Pour a tsp of oil on all sides so that it is cooked to a golden colour. Flip and cook the other side also. Take it off the fire and serve.

Note: If you do not have drumstick leaves, you can substitute it with mint leaves /coriander leaves or spring onion greens.

Veggie and Chicken Pizza

Baking

This recipe makes 4 pizzas. You may halve it for making two pizzas or freeze the dough and make it later.

For Pizza topping:

Mozarella cheese – 250 gms or as needed

Capsicum – 1 thinly sliced

Onion – 1thinly sliced

Mushroom – 3 sliced

Tomatoes – 1

Tinned Corn kernels – 1 tbsp

Cooked chicken – 4 or 5 small pieces (optional)

Olives – 3 or sliced (optional)

Tomato Sauce – 2 tbsp

For Pizza dough

Warm water – 2 1/2 cups

Sugar – 1/4 cup

Instant yeast – 3 tsps

Oil – 1/4 cup

Maida/All purpose flour – 6 cups

Salt – 2 tsp

Preparation of the dough:

In a bowl, add water, sugar and yeast. Allow the mixture to become frothy. It takes about 10 minutes to become frothy. Then, add the oil.

In another bowl, add maida and salt. Add this to the yeast mixture, 1/2 cup at a time and mixing it gently. Continue to add the flour little at a time and combine all together with a spatula. The dough will be a little sticky at this time. Gently knead it by hand for 5 to 7 minutes until soft. Once the dough is kneaded, apply oil all over the dough and cover the dough in plastic wrap and keep it in a wide bowl. Let the dough rise at room temperature and double in one hour.

After it has doubled in size, turn the dough onto a well floured surface. Pull the dough around to bottom and make it into a circular ball. Cut it into 4 equal pieces.

You may halve the recipe and make 2 pizzas. You may also freeze one portion or two portions for later use.

For 1 1/2 cup Tomato Sauce:

Tomatoes – 3 or 4 peeled and diced

Olive oil – 1 tbsp

Garlic – 1 minced

Sugar – 1/2 tsp

Bay leaf – 1

Dry Oregano – 1 tsp

Dry basil – 1 tsp

Red Chillie flakes – 1/4 tsp

Black Pepper powder – less than 1/4 tsp

Salt – As needed

In a pan, heat oil. Add garlic and then the diced tomatoes. Add the sugar, basil, oregano, bay leaf, pepper flakes, black pepper and salt. Simmer and let it cook for 10 minutes until the raw smell disappears.When cooked, cool it and blitz it in a mixie or blender, until smooth.

Preparing the pizza:

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees for 15 minutes or until it beeps.

Meanwhile, roll out one portion of dough into the desired shape (round or rectangle) into a medium or thick crust, as per your preference. Place a parchment paper over the baking tray. Place the rolled out dough on the parchment paper. Spread the pizza sauce over the rolled out dough. Add grated cheese over it and top it with vegetables and the chicken pieces. Sprinkle Italian herbs and chillie flakes. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes at 200 degree celsius. Take it out, slice and serve.

Semiya Payasam/Kheer

Desserts

A light and tasty milk kheer which can be served after a meal. Often served during festivals, this is a staple in many households.

Ingredients:

Semiya/Thin Pakistani Vermicelli -1/2 cup

Milk – 500 ml

Sugar – 1/2 cup

Cashewnuts roasted – 5 or 6 pieces

Almonds/badam – 4 or 5 pieces sliced

Saffron – 2 strands

Cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp

Ghee – 1 tbsp

Preparation:

In a pan, add ghee and roast the almonds, cashew and the raisins until it pufs up. Remove and Keep aside 3 almonds and 3 cashewnuts for garnishing.

Heat ghee in a pan. Add the semiya or vermicelli into the pan and saute it well. Take it off and keep it aside. Then add milk to the pan, turn the flame to medium and let the milk simmer for some time about 10 minutes so that it becomes a bit thick. Keep stirring in between so that it does not get burnt. Then, add the semiya to it and stir again. Let the semiya cook in the milk until soft. Keep the flame on low. Once the semiya is cooked, add the sugar, cardamom powder, rest of the cashewnuts, almonds, saffron and stir it once. Turn off the heat and let it cool.

The semiya may absorb milk as it gets thicker and starts to cools down.

Note: Some of them add 1/4 cup of condensed milk for a thicker and creamier payasam.

Khichdi

Rice

A simple one pot meal of rice and lentils with a perfect balance of proteins and carbohydrates. This recipe is cooked in a traditional pressure cooker and is eaten all over India.

Ingredients:

Oil – 1 tbsp

Ghee – 1 tbsp

Rice – 1 cup

Toor dal – 1/2 cup

Onion 1 medium sized sliced lengthwise

Green chillies – 3 or 4 slit and seeds removed

Ginger – 1 inch piece chopped into small pieces or grated

Garlic – 5 or 6 cloves chopped

Tomatoes – 2 small chopped

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Salt – to taste

Bay leaf – 1

Cloves – 2

Cinnamon sticks of 1 inch – 2 pieces

Cardamoms – 2

Preparation:

Wash the rice and dal together and soak for about half an hour .Heat oil and ghee, add whole spices, onions, green chillies and saute for sometime. Then add chopped ginger, garlic and sauté. Add soaked rice and dal without the water. Add salt, turmeric powder and sauté for about 5 minutes. Keep stirring so that the rice doesn’t stick to the pan. Add 4 and 1/2 cups hot water and transfer the contents to cooker. Put the weight on when the steam comes and wait for the whistle. After one whistle, reduce heat and cook for 7 minutes. Let it cool down and then, open the cooker and stir lightly. This can served with roasted papad, fried papad, pickle, garlic red chilli chutney (as shown in pic) or any other spicy chutney.

Note: If you want dal rice to be more mushy, add half cup more water while it is cooking.

Vegetable Cutlets

Snacks

A delicious snack made with vegetables and potatoes which can be baked or shallow fried. It is mainly served as a snack in the evenings with a cup of tea or coffee.

Ingredients:

Beans – 6 to 7 pieces

Cauliflower – 3 or 4 small florets finely chopped

Peas – 1/4 cup

Carrot – 1 finely chopped

Onion – 1 medium chopped fine

Potatoes – 3 big

Green chillies finely chopped – 5

Ginger Garlic paste – 1/2 tbsp

Coriander leaves – 5 stalks

Garam masala powder – 1/4 tsp

Bread slices – 2 crumbled

Salt- as needed

For crust:

Maida – 2 tbsp

Pepper – 1/4 tsp

Salt -as needed

Water – 2 tbsp

Bread crumbs – 1 cup

Oil – 2 to 3 tbsp

Preparation:

Boil potatoes in water, until soft. When it is cooked, remove skin and mash it and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Add finely chopped green chillies, saute followed by onions. When the onions becomes translucent, add ginger-garlic paste and fry until the raw smell of onions disappears. Then add finely chopped carrots, saute and then, the finely chopped beans and stir for 2 minutes on high heat. Add chopped cauliflower and the peas and stir again.

When it is cooked al dente (not fully cooked, 3/4 th cooked), take it off the fire and add finely chopped coriander leaves, add 2 pieces of fresh bread crumbs, mashed potatoes, salt and garam masala powder.

Divide them into equal balls.Then flatten them slightly to make thick patties and keep them aside in a plate.

In another plate, put half of the bread crumbs and keep them aside.

In a small mixing bowl, add maida, salt, pepper and water and make a thin batter. If you want a thicker crust, the batter should be slightly thick.

Keep the patties, bread crumbs and the batter together, close to each other.

Next, dip the patties in the batter and place them on bread crumbs. Turn it and coat the other side also with bread crumbs.

Place it on a plate and continue with all patties until it is well coated with the crumbs.

Heat 2 tbsps of oil in pan and place the crumb coated patties and shallow fry them in oil on both sides, until it turns golden brown.

You may also bake the patties for 15 minutes in the oven at 180 degree Celsius. Serve it with tomato ketchup.

Mango Rice

Rice

As the summer season is on and mangoes have started appearing in the market, this rice recipe with coconut and mango came to my mind. Tangy and bursting with flavours, it is a good option for a lunchbox meal.

Ingredients:

Rice – 1 cup

Water – 3 cups

Gingely oil – 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp

Mango grated – 1/2 cup

Coconut grated – 1/2 cup

Salt – as needed

Cashewnuts – 4 or 5 fried

Seasoning:

Mustard seeds – 1tsp

Chana dal/bengal gram dal – 1/2 tsp

Urad dal – 1/2 tsp

Whole red chillies – 2

Green chillie – 1

Asafoetida – 1/4 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Oil – 1 tsp

Preparation:

Boil rice with 3 cups water, 1/2 tsp gingely oil (so that the grains remain separate) and salt. When rice is cooked, drain the water. Allow it to cool. Add one tsp gingelly oil again to the rice which is cooked and cooled.

Heat gingely oil in kadai. Add mustard seeds, channa dal, bengal gram (urad)dal, 2 whole red chillies, one green chilli whole, 1/4 tsp asafoetida, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder for yellow colour, ( If you want a white coloured rice, you may skip the turmeric powder) and grated mango. Saute for 2-3 minutes till the flavour of the raw mango goes away. Then add grated coconut, mix well for sometime and add rice to it. Mix slightly on fire for 1 minute or 2 minutes. Adjust the salt as required. Add chopped coriander on top and garnish it with fried cashewnuts.