BANANA CRUMB MUFFINS

Hot 'n' Yummy

A closer look!!!

Ingredients:

All-purpose flour - 1 1/2 cups

Baking soda - 1 Tsp

Baking powder - 1 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Bananas(mashed) - 3

White sugar - 3/4 cup

Flax seeds - 1 tbsp

Water - 3 tbsp

Butter(melted) - 1/3 cup

Packed brown sugar - 1/3 cup

All-purpose flour - 2 tbsp

Ground cinnamon - 1/8 tsp

Butter - 1 tbsp

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.

In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In another bowl mix flaxseeds and water and keep aside for couple of mins. (This is substitute for egg)

Add in beaten bananas, sugar,and melted butter to flaxseed-water mixture. Mix well.

Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tbsp flour and cinnamon.

Cut in 1 tbsp butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.

Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

GREEN BEANS USILI

Ingredients:

Green Beans(chopped finely) - 1 1/2 cup

Toor dal - 1/2 cup

Chana dal - 1/4 cup

Dry red chillies - 5-6

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida - a pinch

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

Soak toor ,chana dal and red chillies for an hour.

Drain water and grind to a coarse mixture along with red chillies, asafoetida and salt.

Pressure cook this coarse mix for 2-3 whistles.

When they are done, cool the mixture and crumble them by hand.

Cook beans with salt, turmeric powder and ¼ cup of water. Cook until they are just tender and not mushy.

Heat oil in kadhai, temper mustard seeds. Add crumbled dal and cooked vegetable. Mix well and saute until moisture leaves.

Serve with rice and pulissery.

PAZHAM PULISSERY

Ingredients:
Ripe plantain(cubed) - 1/4 cup
Yam(cubed) - 1/4 cup
Salt - To taste
Tumeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli - 2-3
Coconut (grated)- 1/2 cup
Yoghurt (well beaten) - 1 1/2 cup
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Red chilli (broken) - 1-2 pieces
Curry leaf - a sprig

Method:
Grind coconut and red chilli to smooth paste. Add curd into mixer and pulse for 1-2 sec to blend coconut paste and yoghurt well.
Cook yam with salt and tumeric powder.
Once yam is almost done add plantain pieces and cook for 5 mins.
Once vegetable is cooked add coconut-yoghurt paste and mix well. Turn off heat when mixture starts to foaming.(ie for 30-60 sec). Dont boil the mixture else the yoghurt would break and curry would be watery.
Heat oil in kadhai and season curry leaf ,mustard, red chilli(broken).
Add to curry and serve with rice.

Note:
1.Pulissery taste better when served after 1 - 2 hrs of preparation. Dont reheat the pulissery if serving so.

TOMATO CARROT SABZI

Ingredients:

Onion - 1 medium

Tomato - 4 medium

Carrot (chopped) - 3/4 cup

Green peas - 1/4 cup

Salt - to taste

Tumeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Asafoetida - a pinch

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Jeera - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaf - a sprig

Oil - 2 tsp

Method:

Heat oil in a pan, season jeera,urad dal, mustard seeds and curry leaf.

Add chopped onions and saute till translucent.

Add chopped tomatoes and salt. Cook till mushy.

Add carrots,greenpeas, tumeric powder, red chilli powder & asafoetida. Cook till carrots and peas are done.

Turn off heat and garnish with few fresh curry leaves.

CABBAGE PARATHA

Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 2 cups

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Salt - To taste

Cabbage(grated) - 1 1/2 cup

Oil - 1 tsp

Method:

Grate the cabbage and add 1/2 tsp of salt. Mix well and keep aside for half an hr.

Squeeze out the water from cabbage and add to flour.

Mix in salt,red chilli powder and jeera.

Knead into a dough and prepare chappathis as usual.

Serve hot with tomato-carrot sabzi.

VEGETABLE PESARATTU

Ingredients:

Zucchini - 1 (grated)

Carrot - 1 small (grated)

Sprouted Moong gram - 2 cups

Raw rice - 1/2 cup

Jeera/Cumin seeds - 2 tsp

Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Salt - to taste

Oil - for making dosa.

Method:

Soak raw rice for 2-3 hrs and moong gram for half an hour.

Grind sprouted gram, rice, salt, asafoetida, red chilli powder and jeera to smooth batter using very little water.

Add grated carrot and zucchini to the batter. Mix well.

Make thin small dosas using the batter in a Hot Tawa. Keep medium heat. Cook both sides, using little oil in the sides.

Serve with peanut chutney or sambar.

DRUMSTICK LEAVES KOOTU

Ingredients:

Drumstick leaves - 2 cups

Toor dal(cooked and mashed) - 1/4 cup

Salt - To taste

Tumeric powder - A pinch

Urad dal - 1 tbsp

Red Chilli - 2 no.s

Coconut(grated) - 4 tbsp

Cumin/jeera - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Raw rice - 1 tsp

Method:

Cook drumstick leaves with salt, tumeric powder.

Meanwhile, heat a tsp oil in a pan and saute urad dal and red chilli till golden brown.

Grind coconut, jeera, urad dal, red chilli into a paste.

When leaves are cooked, add toor dal and coconut paste. Boil the kootu and turn off heat.

Heat oil in a pan , season rice and mustard seeds. Add to kootu and serve hot with rice.

MODAKAM

Ingredients for filling:

Jaggery - 1 cup

Coconut - 1 cup

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Ingredients for dough/cover :

Rice flour - 2 cups

Salt - a pinch

Water - 2 cup

Oil - 3 tbsp

Method:

Heat pan and melt jaggery. Strain the melted jaggery to remove the dirt.

Add the strained jaggery to kadhai. Mix in grated coconut, ghee,cardamom powder.

Mix well and cook until the mixture together. Turn off and keep aside.

To prepare rice flour, soak 1 1/2 cups of rice for 3-4 hrs.

Drain water and keep aside for half an hour.

Grind the rice into fine powder and seive the flour twice to get fine powder.

In another non-stick pan boil the water and add a pinch of salt.

Reduce the heat, add the rice flour while stirring continuously.

Mix well so that no lumps are formed. Turn off heat and cover with lid for couple of minutes.

Grease your palms with oil or ghee and knead the dough while it is warm.

Make even size small balls of dough and stuffing. Dough balls have to be a bit bigger size than the stuffing balls.

Now roll out the dough ball into a small puri and place a stuffing ball in center.

Bring together all edges and close the top. Remove the extra portion of dough from top.

Shape the top of modakam with your fingers.

Continue with rest of dough and stuffing in similar way.

Arrange the modakam in a mini idli plate(This way the modakams dont stick to each other and will also be easy to remove without cracking.)

Steam the modakams for 5-7 mins on med heat in a pressure cooker without whistle.

Once the modakams are cooked they will turn tanslucent.

Serve hot.

DRUMSTICK LEAVES DOSA

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 2 cup

Salt - To taste

Coconut - 1/2 cup

Jeera - 1 tbsp

Drumstick leaves - 1 cup

Method:

Soak raw rice for 3-4 hrs. Grind rice to smooth paste.

Add salt,coconut,jeera and drumstick leaves. Mix well.

Heat tawa on med-high heat. Spread a ladle of batter thin as you do for dosa. (Dont try to spread too much as the batter would start to roll over)

Smear some oil and cook on both sides.

Serve with jaggery/chutney.

TOMATO COCONUT CHUTNEY

Ingredients:

Onion(chopped) - 1 medium

Tomato(chopped) - 3 medium

Coconut - 1/2 cup

Salt - to taste

Dry red chilli - 2-3

Oil - 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaf - a sprig

Method:

Heat 1 tsp oil in pan, saute onions, red chilli until onions turn transparent.

Add tomatoes and saute till mushy.

Cool and transfer to blender. Add coconut, salt. Grind everything to smooth paste.

Heat oil in kadhai, season mustard seeds & curry leaves.

Add to chutney and serve with dosas/idlis.

POTATO STEW

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 2 large

Onion (thinly sliced) - 1 large

Green chillies - 4-5

Ginger(grated) - 2 inch piece

Curry leaves - a sprig

Coconut milk (thin) - 1 1/2 cup

Coconut milk (thick) - 1/2 cup

Coconut oil - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

Boil , peel and roughly mash potatoes. Keep aside.

In a pan, add onions, green chilli, ginger,salt. Cook with 1/2 cup water till soft and transparent.

Add cooked potatoes and thin coconut milk. Cook on low heat for 10-15 mins.

Add thick coconut milk and cook on low heat for 3-5 more mins. Turn off heat and add coconut oil and curry leaves.

Serve with appams/dosas/puttu.

Note:

For preparing fresh homemade coconut milk, grind 1 cup of grated coconut to smooth paste without water(if water is necessary then just add 1-2 tbsp).Strain the coconut paste through a strainer. Squeeze out the coconut shreds to release the milk. This will be thick coconut milk.

Now again grind the coconut shreds with 1/2 cup of water. After grinding again squeeze out the milk from coconut. This time the milk will be less rich and thin. This is the thin coconut milk.

If using canned coconut milk, then dilute a portion of milk with water and use as thin coconut milk.

LAUKI CHOLE

Ingredients:

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Onion(chopped finely) - 1 med

Tomatoes (finely chopped) - 2 large

Bottlegourd(chopped) - 1 small

Chickpeas - 1 1/2 cup

Chana masala powder - 1 tbsp

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt - to taste

Lemon juice - to taste

Kasuri methi - 1 tbsp

Method:

Soak chickpeas overnight.

Pressure cook chickpeas for 4-5 whistles.Separate about half cup and puree to fine paste.

Heat ghee in a kadhai. Add onions and tomatoes. Saute till mushy.

Add the cubed bottle gourd. Saute till tender.

Add the chickpeas and the chickpea paste. Also mix in the chana masala powder, chilli, turmeric powder, and salt.

Add about a cup of water. Mix well. Simmer, covered for about 15 to 20 min.

At the end, sprinkle the kasuri methi and lemon juice.

Mix well and serve with rotis/rice.

PANEER BHURJI

Ingredients:

Paneer - 250 gms (crumbled like bread crumbs)

Onions - 2 (chopped finely)

Ginger - 1/2 tsp (grated)

Green chilies - 2 (slit lengthwise)

Tomato - 1 (chopped finely)

Cashews - 5

Capsicum - 1 (chopped finely)

Garam masala - 1/4 tsp

Black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Butter - 1/2 tbsp

Milk - 3 tbsp

Method:

Heat ghee in a heavy saucepan. Fry the cashews, to a golden brown. Drain and keep aside.

Fry green chilies. Drain and keep aside. Fry the capsicum till tender. Drain and keep aside.

Now add ginger to the ghee and fry for 2-3 seconds. Add onions and fry till pink. Add tomatoes and fry further till mushy.

Add all the masala and milk and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add butter, lemon juice, sugar and paneer.Mix well. Take in a serving dish.

Garnish with fried cashews, chilies and capsicums. Serve hot with naans, parathas, etc.

DUDHI CHANNA DAL

Ingredients:

Bottle Gourd - 1 medium, peeled & cubed

Channa Daal - 1 cup

Oil - 1 Tbsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida - pinch

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp

Green Chilies - to taste

Ginger - 1 tsp, grated

Water - 1/2 cup

Garam Masala - 1 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1 tsp

Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp

Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Jaggery - 1 Tbsp

Tamarind Paste - 1/2 tsp

Method:

Wash channa dal and soak for 1 hour

Heat oil in a pressure cooker.Add mustard Seeds and allow them to pop.

Add asafoetida, turmeric, ginger, green chillies and stir.

Add water, drained channa dal, lauki. Mix well.

Add coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder, garam masala, salt, jaggery and tamarind paste. Mix well and close cooker lid.

Cook until pressure cooker whistles two times and switch off stove.

Wait until pressure goes down completely to open the lid.

If you prefer more gravy, add a little more water and bring to a boil.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with chapati or roti.

BRUSSEL SPROUT-KALA CHANNA THORAN

Ingredients:

Brussel sprouts - 8-10

Kala channa - 1/2 cup

Jeera - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Coconut grated - 1/4 cup

Green chilli - 2-3

Salt - to taste

Tumeric powder -1/4 tsp

Curry leaf -few

Method:

Soak kalachanna overnight. Drain and cook in pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles.

Remove the outer two layers of leaves from brussel sprouts and half them. Cut them lengthwise.

Grind coconut and green chilli into coarse paste and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan and season mustard and jeera.

Add cooked kalachana and saute for 2-3 min.

Add chopped brussel sprouts, salt.tumeric and ground paste.Mix well.

Cover and cook for 7-10 mins on med-low heat.

Uncover and stir well. If any moisture is left cook uncovered for few mins until water evaporated.

Garnish with curry leaves and serve with rice.

RED RADISH-LIMA BEANS CURRY

Ingredients:

Red radishes - 8-10 (cubed)

Baby potatoes - 8-10 (cubed)

Baby lima beans - 1/2 cup

Onion - 1 (finely chopped)

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Tumeric powder - a pinch

Garam masala powder - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Oil - 1 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Coriander leaf - few sprigs

Method:

Heat oil in kadhai and season jeera. Add onions and saute till translucent.

Add radishes, potatoes and baby lima beans. Cook for 10 mins.

Add salt,tumeric, red chilli and garam masala powder and cook until soft and crunchy.

Garnish with coriander leaf and serve hot with chapatis or with rice and dal.

TOMATO CHAPATHI

Ingredients:

Wheat Flour - 2 cups

Ripe Tomatoes - 5-6

Oil - 1 tbsp

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp

Tumeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

Heat Oil in a pan and season cumin seeds.

Add chopped tomatoes, red chilli powder, turmeric Powder, asafoetida and salt.

Fry the tomatoes until mushy and blended into a gravy.

Allow it to cool completely.

Add wheat flour little by little to the cooled gravy. Add little water only if required. Knead the dough well. Do not add oil or salt as the gravy already contains those ingredients.

Proceed like doing the regular chapathis.

Serve warm with blackeye beans curry or pickle.

CHICKPEAS CHUNDAL

Ingredients:

Chickpeas - 1/2 cup

Salt - to taste

Tumeric powder - a pinch

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 1 tsp

Red chilli (broken) - 1-2 pieces

Mustard sedds - 1 tsp

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - a sprig

Coconut (pieces or grated) - 2 tbsp

Method:

Soak chickpeas overnight and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles till done.

In a small pan, transfer the cooked chikpeas and add salt,tumeric and red chilli powder. Cook till water evaporates.

In a kadhai , heat oil and season red chilli,urad dal, mustard seeds&curry leaves.Lastly add asafoetida and immediately add cooked chickpeas. Stir for couple of minutes and add coconut pieces.

Serve hot.

UPPU CHEEDAI

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1 cup

Urad whole - 1/2 cup

Coconut grated - 1/4 cup

Salt - To taste

Butter - 1 tbsp

Black peppercorn - 1 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Oil - for deep frying

Method:

Soak rice for 3-4 hrs. Drain and keep aside for half an hr.

Grind into fine powder and seive twice.

Dry roast urad balls until browned.Grind urad into a fine powder and seive twice.

Grind coconut,jeera and black pepper powder to semi coares paste without water.

In a bowl, add rice flour and urad flour in 4:1 ratio. Add salt,butter to flour and mix into crumbs.

Add coconut paste to flour mixture and knead well to a tight dough. Adding too much water would spoil the dough.

Lay a clean & dry towel or paper towel on kitchen slab or floor.

Take a very small portion of dough and roll using your palms into tiny rounds(bigger than peas and smaller than gooseberry). Place on the towel.

Roll out the entire dough as mentioned above and place on towel.

Let the rolled out balls be in towel for 45-60 mins until the excess water has been absorbed onto the towel.(You can see round patches of absorbed water on the towel)

Heat oil to deep fry. Oil shouldn't be smoking hot and let the heat be on medium- med.high.

Drop a bunch of balls(10-20 - depending on size of kadhai and amt of oil) and let them fry.(Donot overcrowd the kadhai with dough balls)

Slightly move the balls in between. These balls will bunch up together and lots of bubbles will be coming while cooking.

Slowly the balls will come up and bubbles will also cease.

Remove balls from oil and place on paper towel to drain excess oil.

Cool and store in air tight container.

Note:

- Cheedais tends to burst while frying.There are couple of reasons and tips for this:

1.Make sure that urad dal flour and rice flour are very fine and seived/sifted atleast twice before making dough.(Seive thrice is best and safest).Even a little of coarse grains can make them burst in oil.

2.Using excess water while kneading the dough can also cause them to burst; also the cheedais absorbs lot more oil and usual.If you happen to add extra water into dough then after kneading the dough cover & keep the dough entirely in a towel for an hr before rolling out into balls. Again after rolling into balls, let the balls be in dry towel for 1-2 hrs depending on the excess water.

3.Again while rolling the dough into balls, remember to roll it lightly and not too tightly.If rolled too tightly, the air gets trapped and while frying it expands and causes the balls to burst.Also smaller balls makes the cheedais cook faster and crisper.

- While frying the oil temperature is also to be maintained. If smoking hot, the balls will become brown faster from outside but wont be cooked inside.

YOGHURT/CURD

Ingredients:

Milk - 5 cups

Curd - 2 tbsp

Method:

Milk should be boiled and cooled to luke warm temp.

In a bowl add curd and milk, stirring well. Place it in a warm place undisturbed for overnight or for 5-6 hours.

When it is done refrigerate it for 1-2 hours for better results.

Note:

If curd is added to warm milk, then the culture splits and curd wont be formed.