A Spooky Cat Pasta Lentil Soup#SoupSwappers

When Wendy our Host and author of Soup Swapper's group gave us the theme" Spooky Soups and Stews"for this month's event. This was the first recipe that came to my mind. 

Now starts my hunt for a cat shape cookie cutter, couldn't find one. Got after my hubby to make the template.  

When I posted this soup pic on what's app to my sister's , they said will make the soup without the cat, looks so spooky!! Laughed and replied this is for my spooky soup event. My daughter said that cat looks so real and morbid.

But nevertheless, this makes a hearty meal, a satisfying comfort food, that is a sweet, just mildly spiced and packed with proteins.  You can have this as a hearty soupy meal like we did or serve over rice.

We enjoyed this as our lunch or can have it for dinner, it's a meal in itself and is popularly known as Indian style Pasta in a lentils.

Serves 3 as a complete and filling meal
Ingredients
1/8 Cup Tur Dal
1/8 Cup Sabut Urad/Beluga Lentils
1/8 Cup Split Green Moong
1/8 Cup Raw Peanuts
1 Medium Tomato - chopped
2 Tablespoons Oil
Salt to taste
1 Teaspoon Red Chili powder
1 Teaspoon Heaped Homemade Curry powder
1 Teaspoon Jaggery
¼ Teaspoon Turmeric powder
2 Tablespoons Chopped Onion
1 Teaspoon Chopped Coriander Leaves
1 Teaspoon Ginger Juliennes
1 Teaspoon Lemon juice - optional
For the Cat Pasta

½ Cup Whole Wheat Flour
½ Cup Besan/Chickpea Flour
¼ Teaspoon Salt or to taste
A Pinch Black pepper powder
A Pinch Turmeric powder
A Pinch Asafoetida
¼ Teaspoon Carom seeds - rub them on your palms
¼ Teaspoon Kasuri Methi - rub them on your palms
1 Tablespoon Oil
Water as required to make a soft dough
For Tadka
2 Tablespoons Oil
5 Grains Fenugreek Seeds
½ Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
½ Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
3 Cloves Garlic - minced
1" Pieces Ginger - minced

Method

Wash the lentils well. In a pressure cooker add all the washed lentils and 2 cups water, let it cook on high flame for one whistle, then reduce the flame to low and keep it for 10 minutes. Switch off the flame, let the cooker cool.

When the cooker is cooled, add the washed raw peanuts and again place the cooker on high flame. Take one whistle on high flame. Reduce the flame to low and let it cook for 7 minutes. Switch of the flame, let the cooker cool completely.
As the lentils are cooking let's make our Cat Pasta Dough

Mix all the ingredients and knead into soft dough. 

Cover this dough and let it rest for 20 - 30 minutes.
Coming back to our Lentil Soup

In a pot/kadai that has a broad base, heat oil, add the fenugreek, mustard and cumin seeds when the splutter add the chopped onion, ginger juliennes. Sauté till the onion soften, now add the minced ginger, garlic and sauté for a minute add the curry powder, red chilly, turmeric powder and salt, sauté

add the cooked lentils, add the tomato and water (2 to 2½ cups ) to make a watery consistency ( since the cat pasta will absorb most of the gravy when added ). Bring this to a rolling boil, give it a quick stir, cover and let it simmer for 15 minutes on very low flame, stirring after every 3 -4 minutes. Add the jaggery and taste for salt and seasonings, add accordingly. Cover and let it simmer again.
Back to our Cat Pasta

Roll the dough and cut the cat shape pasta using the above template. 

Make eyes and mouth with sliced olives and keep them aside. I wanted to make the eyes and mouth with black olives but didn't have it.

After 15 minutes of the lentil soup boiling add the cat shaped pasta into the simmering pot, cover and let it cook for 15 minutes or till the cat pasta surfaces. Once cooked the pasta will float to the surface. Garnish it with coriander leaves and lemon juice. 

Serve into large bowls and enjoy!!

What a satisfying meal !!

Labels : Tur Dal, Sabut Urad Dal, Split Green Moong, Homemade Curry Powder, Chickpea Flour, Whole Wheat Flour, Soup, Soup Swappers, Indian, Vegan, Main Course, Pasta, Healthy 

Check other recipes of October 2020 Soup Swappers Event 

A Spooky Cat Pasta Lentil Soup by Sneha's Recipe

Anti-Vampire Potion (Garlic & Cheese Soup) by Palatable Pastime

Bat Wing Soup by Making Miracles

Bloody Night Soup (Roasted Beet Soup) by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Garlic Soup with Gruyère Cheese Toast by Karen's Kitchen Stories

Hungarian Pork Ghoul-ash by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Pumpkin Ale Soup with Pork Eyeball Meatballs by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

Besan Ka Cheela / Gramflour Crepes / Dosa - Gluten Free & Vegan

Besan Cheelas are simple spiced gram flour pancakes from Indian cuisine. Cheelas / Crepes or Pancakes  of chickpea flour are know as Besan ka cheela/Gramflour crepes/Kadalamaavu Dosai.

Isn't it interesting that crepes / pancakes in India are referred to as, cheela's in Gujarat, Rajasthan and in the North and in the South they are call it dosai or dosa, since it's very similar to dosa only the names are different . But unlike the South Indian dosa,  there is no soaking of grains,  grinding and fermentation process.  This is an instant cheela / dosa recipe.

This is a simple and instant crepe/ pancake. Since it's made to chickpea flour in the south is called Kadalamaavu, hence it's Kadalmaavu Dosai. Its quick and very easy to make and can be made with readily available ingredients in your kitchen pantry. Cheela's can be enjoyed with a chutney or ketchup or any sauce of your choice.  It's quick and easy to make Indian breakfast or great evening snack accompanied with a cup of tea or coffee.

Ingredients
1 Cup Besan

2 Tablespoon Rice flour
3/4 Teaspoon Chilly powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
A pinch of Baking soda
A pinch Asafoetida

1 Green chilly  - finely chopped 
Salt to taste
2 Tablespoon Coriander leaves - finely chopped
1 Spring Onion - finely chopped
1 Tomato - deseeded, finely chopped
Oil as required

Method 

Take all the dry ingredients in a bowl, to this add the chopped coriander leaves, green chilly, the spring  onion and tomato together and and mash it lightly with your hand. Gradually add water and mix it to a slightly thin batter (The batter should not be too watery or thick).

Keep the dosa griddle on a medium flame, grease it with a teaspoon of oil. Pour the batter in the center and spread it. Drizzle a teaspoon of oil and cook it for a minute.Now flip the dosa to the other side and cook it for a minute, add another tsp of oil. Remove it from the griddle.

Serve it immediately with coriander or mint chutney. 

My Notes

One important point while preparing this, it should be cooked in low medium flame until it becomes slightly crispy. Otherwise, you will get the raw taste of besan which you will not like.

These  should be served hot and crisp. 
Labels : Pancakes, Crepes, Dosa, Chickpea flour,Rice flour, Gluten free, Vegan, South Indian, Breads, Breakfast, Healthy, Instant Mixes

Ribbon Pakoda / Ola Pakoda

This is another addictive savory snack. Ribbon Pakoda is a snack that I enjoyed in my young age and still love eating it. When my daughter was schooling this was a regular snack that was in her tiffin. This is also called Ola Pakoda in Tamil. During festival eating to many sweets one gets tried,  you want something spicy and this snack balances that sweetness. Try this addictive and super easy snack.

Ingredients

2 Cups Chickpea flour / Besan
1 Cup Rice flour
A pinch Asafoetida
1 Teaspoon Red chilly powder - adjust to taste
1 Tablespoon White butter
1 Teaspoon Salt or to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method

Sieve the rice flour and besan thrice. 

In a bowl mix all the above ingredients together, add water little at a time and knead it into the  soft dough. 

Make the dough a little soft so that the it can be squeezed easily from the murukku maker.  This is plate that is used to make the ribbon / ola pakoda.

Heat oil in a kadai.  

Grease the inside of murukku press with oil.  Make a ball and put in the murukku press and press it directly in the oil. When  they turn light golden brown, flip the side and cook till light golden.  Remove pakoda and place it on a tissue paper to drain the excess oil. 

Let it cool completely and then store it in an airtight container.  Repeat the same for the remaining dough too. You can keep this for a month and enjoy this as a tea time or tiffin snack.

Labels : Savory Snacks, Festival Sweets, Chickpea flour, South Indian, Tamil Nadu

Mug Dhokla - A 2 Minute Microwave Recipe

Made this 2 mins microwave mug dhokla for our evening tea. This mug dhokla has to be eaten immediately or else it becomes chewy. So have it when its warm. 

Sending this to this month's BM week 2 - Mug treats

Ingredients per mug

3 Tablespooons Chickpea flour / Besan
4 Tablespoon Water
1 Tablespoon Oil
A pinch of Soda - bi - carb
3/4 Teaspoon Fruit Salt
A pinch of Turmeric
A pinch of Chilly powder

For the tadka

1 Teaspoon Oil
1/4 Teaspoon Mustard seeds
A pinch of Salt and Sugar
A tablespoon Water
A few drops of Lemon Juice
A Green Chilly - cut into 2 pieces

Method
Mix all the ingredients expect the fruit salt till smooth and lump free. Then add the fruit salt and very quickly mix it, place it on a plate ( for it may spill over ) and microwave on high  for only 2 mins.

For the tadka

Heat oil in a laddle, add mustard seeds when it splutters, add the green chilly, then add water , salt , sugar and lemon juice. Let the water come to a boil, take off the flame, pour it over dhokla.  Serve warm and enjoy this quick spongy and yummy dhokla.  

You can easliy unmould this, just loosen the sides with a knife and lift it with a spoon.. ta .. da..aa.. here  it is .....

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 57

Labels : Dhokla, Chickpea flour, Microwave, Mug Treats, Blogging Marathon