Upvasachi Shengdanyachi Usal/Peanut Sundal - Keto#Alphabet Challenge

With the festival season, we need a lot of naivedyam or upvas/vrat recipes. This one dish is always prepared for Ganapati. I simply love it, and make it often since it is rich in protein and most of all keto, this is so addictive that you can't stop eating it. This is also called by different names in different states like Verkadalai Sundal, Verusenaga Guggillu in south states of our country. This is a very easy dish to prepare.

Ingredients
1½ Cup Raw Peanuts – soaked
½ Cup Packed Freshly Grated Coconut
1 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
2 Dried Red Chillies
A Sprig Curry Leaves
2 - 3 Tablespoon Oil
A Pinch Asafoetida
Salt to Taste
Method

Soak the peanuts in water 30 minutes. Then wash it well.
Add about ½ teaspoon sea salt to the soaked peanuts.
Pressure cook for one whistle on high then keep it for 5 minutes on low. Drain the water completely and set aside.
In a wok or kadai, heat the oil / ghee. Add mustard seeds and wait till they splutter. Turn the flame to low add red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida. Stir-fry for a minute. Add the cooked peanuts and grated coconut. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Add salt to taste, if required. Mix well. Switch off the flame.

Serve warm or at room temperature.
Labels: Shengdane, Peanuts, Vrat, Alphabet Challenge, Maharashtra, Keto, Low Carb, Indian

Let's see what other recipes are being served in alphabet "U" today..

• Culinary Cam: Curry Udon with Prawns 
• Blogghetti: Easy Homemade Peach Upside Down Cake 
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Stir-Fried Udon Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables (Yaki Udon) 
• Food Lust People Love: Spicy Urad Dal 
• A Messy Kitchen: Ube Muffins
• Magical Ingredients: Ube Paratha 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Ukrainian Cod in Tomato Sauce
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Unsweetened Coconut Oatmeal Peach Crisp
• Sneha’s Recipe: Upvasachi Shengdanyachi Usal/Peanut Sundal - Keto 
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Utah Buttermilk Scones 
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Vegetable Upma  

Vegan Moonga Gathi#SundayFunday

This is a traditional Goan, Maharashtra Konkan coastal side, which is soupy and delicious curry, called Moonga Gathi. This is a soupy gravy prepared by cooking sprouted moong in ground coconut . It's normally prepared during festive seasons like Ganesh Chaturthi or some holy ocassions or for a Pooja etc., Since it is complete vegan and also no onion no garlic, gluten free recipe, a perfect vrat recipe. 

Do not skip adding jaggery in this recipe, because renders a beautiful taste to the gravy, it's soupy, but you can mash some to moong beans to make a thick gravy or increase the coconut quantity to enhance the thickness.

Ingredients
1 Big Bowl Sprouted Moong Beans - Whole Mung Beans
2-3 slit green chillies
1 Teaspoon Level Garam masala
1 Teaspoon Level Turmeric powder
1 Teaspoon Jaggery
2 Tablespoon of Cooking oil
1 small marble size ball of tamarind
1 Teaspoon Level Sea Salt or to taste
To Dry Roast
1 Tablespoon Coriander seeds
¼ Teaspoon Whole Black peppercorns
3 Tablespoon Grated Dry Coconut - See My Notes
For The Tadka
1 Tablespoon Oil
1 Teaspoon Mustard seeds
A Pinch of Asafoetida
2 Dry Red Chillies
A Sprig Curry Leaves
Method

Dry roast pepper corns and coriander seeds in a pan on medium heat) until you get a aroma. Remove this into a plate and in the same pan add the dry coconut and lightly toast it, do not brown it. Cool and then grind all the roasted coconut, coriander seeds and peppercorns , along with tamarind, turmeric powder and garam masala in the grinder. Make a smooth paste adding just a tablespoon or two of water.

In a pressure pan heat the oil add the ground paste and wash the blender with water add that too and fry till oil separates. Now add the moong and sauté it lightly by tossing it up and down trying not the break the sprout or 2 minutes on high flame. Now add the slit green chillies, salt and 1½ cup water. Bring it to a rolling boil on high flame, once it comes to a boil, lower the flame and let it simmer for 2 minutes. Cover with lid and on high flame take one whistle. 

Switch off the flame and let the cooker cool down a little. When the steam settles down then open and add the jaggery and mix it well, taste for salt. Again cover the cooker with the lid and take one more whistle on high flame. Switch off the flame and the cooker steam settle completely. Open the cooker, I like the sprouted moong to be whole and not mushy , if you prefer a thick and mushy moong gravy , then take 2 whistles on high flame, or else mash a tablespoon of moong, it will thicken the gravy.

Now let's prepare the tadka
Heat oil in a tadka pan add mustard seeds, when it crackles then add the red chillies and asafoetida and curry leaves. Switch off the flame and pour this over the gravy. Moonga Gathi is ready to serve.

We enjoyed eating it with a spoon and chapatti. This goes well with poee or any crusty bread or bakri or boiled rice, mildly spiced and yummy.
My Notes
If you do not have dry coconut then used desiccated coconut ( toast this lightly) OR ½ Cup freshly grated coconut, do not roast this.

Labels: No Onion No Garlic, Sprouts, Moong Beans, Coconut, Vrat, Goa, Pressure Cooker, Vegan

Sunday Funday

Vegan Main Dishes

• Crispy Tofu Noodles by Palatable Pastime
• Mushroom Eggplant Stir fry (Indian-style Mushroom Baingan Masala) by Cook with Renu
• Mushroom Ragù by Culinary Cam
• Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Vegan 3 Bean Soup by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Vegan Moonga Gathi by Sneha’s Recipe
• Vegan Tofu Steak by Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Vegetable Biryani by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Varicha Tandalacha Sheera/ Bhagar Sheera#SundayFunday

Sharvan has began in Maharashtra, in this season many fast. There are many who do not eat onion and garlic too during this period. This is a pefect recipe to make it's tasty & easy upvas sheera also know as Varicha Sheera.
Sheera is mainly made with rava/semolina but this is made for fasting, hence used samo/varicha tandul. This sweet dish is made from Samo rice, which is a gluten free millet known by different names like, Moraiyo in Gujarati, Kuthiraivali in South, Bhagar/ Vari Che Tandul in Maharashtra and Barnyard millet in English. This millet mostly consumed during fasts. I have made gluten free puris , pulao, dosa with this.

Ingredients
1½ Cups Milk
¼ Cup Desi Ghee
½ Cup Samo Rice - washed and drained
¼ Teaspoon Kesar/Saffron Strands
7 - 8 Almonds - chopped

7 - 8 Cashewnuts
2 Teaspoon Raisins -
¼ to 1/3 Cup Sugar - according to the sweetness you want
¼ tsp Cardamom Powder 

Method
In a sauce pan heat milk on medium flame. 
In another pan heat ghee on medium low flame, fry all the cashewnuts,  almonds, raisins, remove and keep aside.

In the same pan add the samo rice/variche tandul  and fry till it releases an aroma, do not change the color of the rice. 

Add the hot milk, stir well, bring it to a boil, add kesar and cover and cook till rice is nearly done and all the milk is nearly absorbed.

Then add the dry fruits and sugar, cook till sugar melts and all the milk is absorbed. Stir at regular intervals. 

When done add cardamoms powder and the fried raisins and almonds, mix well, sheera is ready.

Serve & Enjoy!! 

Labels: Sweets & Desserts, Vrat, Indian, Millets, Gluten free,
Kuthiraivali, Barnyard Millet, Festival Sweets, Sunday Funday, Breakfast

• Herby Garlic Rice from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Mexican Rice from Mayuri's Jikoni
• Pineapple Rice Salad from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Quick Mushroom and Onion Rice from Palatable Pastime
• Stir-Fried Brown Rice with Vegetables and Ginger from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Varicha Tandalacha Sheera/ Bhagar Sheera from Sneha's Recipe 

Palada Payasam#SundayFunday

Payasam prepared with palada (rice ada) is common gluten free sweet delicacy prepared in almost all Kerala households during festival of Onam and many other occasions. There are many variations of  this is gluten free desserts which uses only basic ingredients like rice ada ( Ada made of raw rice), milk, sugar to make best palada payasam. 

I used store bought rice ada from the Kerala store. Try this and you will love it, this rice ada you will find it online too.

Ingredients
3 Tablespoons Palada/Rice Ada
2 Tablespoons Chopped Almond
1 Tablespoon Raisins
1 Liter Full Cream Milk
1/4 Cup Heaped Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Cardamom Powder
1 Tablespoon Rose petals
A Big Pinch Kesar

Method 

Heat the milk add the palada and cook till the milk reduces and palada cooks and thickens. Then add sugar and rest of the ingredients. Cook till sugar melts. Stirring continuously. Take off flame.  

Serve warm with garnish of nut and rose petals.

Labels: Desserts, Kerala, Kheer, Gluten Free, Navratri, Vrat, Rice, Milk, Sunday Funday, Payasam

Sunday Funday

Gluten Free Desserts

• Motichoor Rabri Parfait by Cook with Renu
• Gluten-Free Matcha Chocolate Pie by Culinary Cam
• Palada Payasam by Sneha's Recipe
• Snickers Salad by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Raspberry Mousse by Mayuri's Jikoni
• 3 Ingredient Flourless Chocolate Cookies by Amy's Cooking Adventures   

Doi Gobhi/Yogurt Cauliflower#SoupSwappers

This is a Bengali cuisine dish which is a mildly spiced. In Bengal cauliflower is also called fulkopi. This is a very different way of preparing the regular cauliflower for a main course meal and the fried cauliflower with curd/yogurt combination tastes great. In this dish there is no onion or garlic and still taste delicious. Do try this you will definitely love this dish.

Ingredients

To Boil The Cauliflower
1 Medium Head Cauliflower
¼ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Teaspoon turmeric powder
Other Ingredients
3 Tablespoons Oil
3 Green cardamom
1 Bay leaf
3 Cloves
1 Small Stick Cinnamon
2 -3 Green Chillies
½ Teaspoon Garam Masala powder
1 Tablespoon Desi Ghee
To Make A Paste
1 Cup Yogurt/Curd - whisk it well
1 Cup Water
1 Teaspoon Red Chilly powder
½ Teaspoon Cumin powder
¼ Teaspoon Cumin seeds
1 Teaspoon Coriander powder
1 Teaspoon Sugar
Salt to taste

Method

In a pan of water add the turmeric powder and salt bring this to a boil, when the water boils add the cauliflower florets and boil it for 3- 4 minutes. Strain the cauliflower in a colander and keep aside.

Heat oil and add all the whole spices, when they start to sizzle add the boiled cauliflower and fry for 2- 3 minutes in medium high flame till the cauliflower get slightly charred. Take out the cauliflower on to a plate and keep it aside. 

Whisk the ingredients of the paste well in a bowl.

In the same pan add the paste to the pan on low flame. Stir it with a whisk continuously for 3 - 4 minutes or until this mixture comes to a rolling boil. 

Now add the fried cauliflower and mix it well.
Add the slit green chillies. Cover with a lid and let it boil for 5 minutes on low flame. 

Then add in garam masala powder and the desi ghee, give it good mix, let it simmer for a minute or two. Switch off the flame. 

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Enjoy hot with steam rice or crusty bread or roti. 

Labels: Cauliflower, Keto, Low Carb, Healthy, Stew, Main course, Soup Swappers, Indian, No Onion No Garlic, Vrat

For Soup Swapper this month our theme is "Vegetables".  

• Palatable Pastime: Broccoli Cauliflower and Cheese Soup 
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Creamy Chili & Herb Sweet Potato & Onion Soup 
• Sneha’s Recipe: Doi Gobhi/Yogurt Cauliflower 
• Magical Ingredients: Immune Boosting Detox Soup
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Mexican Vegetable Soup with Chipotles 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Polish Vegetable Soup

Sabudana & Potato Khichdi#SundayFunday

This make a fantastic filling brunch, we had this on lazy day. This is a different from the normal sabudana khichdi that is normally made. In this I have added potato to make a filling meal. Do try this different recipe! 

Ingredients
2 Medium Size Potatoes - cut into small cubes
1 Cup Sabudana
1 Cup Roasted Peanuts - coarsely ground
A Juice of One Big Lime
A Sprig Curry leaves
1 Long Green Chilly - slit
1 Teaspoon Grated Ginger
¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper powder
3 Long Green Chillies - grind to coarse paste
1 Tablespoon Sugar or as per your taste
¾ Teaspoon Sendav Namak or taste
4 Tablespoons Desi Ghee
1 Tablespoon Oil

Method

Wash sabudana lightly and soak in water. The water should to the level of the sabudana. Leave covered for minimum 4 hours or overnight. 
Next morning transfer them to a sieve/colander with small holes. Let excess water drain off. Keep covered (so top layer doesn't dry up). Then fork lightly.

Add sugar, salt and lemon juice and ground chillies to sabudana and mix it well, but gently with a fork.

In a large pan / kadai, heat oil and ghee, add cumin seed, as it browns, add crushed pepper and immediately put potato cubes. Coat potatoes well. Add salt needed for potatoes, Stir well. Cook on high flame for 2 minutes, cover and cook on sim for about 4-5 minutes. Potatoes should be cooked 90%, and retain shape (check by inserting a flat spoon/knife, it should cut through easily).
Now add ginger to potatoes. Mix lightly and cook for 2 minutes.

Push the potato mix to the edge and make a well in the middle. Add pounded peanuts in the well and sauté for a minute.

Add sabudana mix, curry leaves and slit chillies (reserve a few of both to add for final garnish). Slowly, mix everything well.
Cook on high flame for 2 minutes, lower to sim and cook covered for 10 minutes stirring in between so that it does not burn at the bottom of the pan and slowly separating lumps, if any.  

Once all the moisture dries up, leaving the sabudana separated and it should be puffed and transparent by now.
Give it one final stir. 

Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with coriander leaves and reserved curry leaves and chillies. 

Serve with fresh, firm yogurt.

Labels: Khichdi, Sabudana, Breakfast, Brunch, Sunday Funday, Maharastrian Cuisine, Vrat

For Sunday Funday we are sharing Thanksgiving Breakfast Recipes.   

• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Bread Egg Kottu 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Chocolate Banana Cranberry Smoothie 
• Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Donut Hole Turkeys 
• Cook with Renu: Open-Faced Celery Avocado Sandwich
• Palatable Pastime : Pork Cracklin’ Breakfast Scramble 
• Sneha’s Recipe: Sabudana & Potato Khichdi   

Thakkali Chammanthi / Tomato Chutney

Tomato Chutney is a tangy and tasty South Indian chutney made from tomatoes, herbs and spices, there is no onion no garlic or coconut in it. There are many variations of making Tomato chutney / Thakkali Chammanthi. 

Ingredients
3 Rip Tomatoes - diced
3 Dried Red Chillies
1 Tablespoon Split Urad Dal
Salt to taste
1 Tablespoon Oil or as required
1 Teaspoon Finely Chopped Ginger
1 Whole Clove
For The Tadka
A Sprig Curry Leaves
½ Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
A Pinch Asafoetida
1 Tablespoon Oil

Method

Heat oil in the pan and add in the urad dal first. On low heat allow it to turn light golden. Now add in the ginger , red chillies (break them into pieces) and the clove. Sauté for a minute till the red chilly changes color. Now add in the chopped tomatoes and salt. Cook the tomatoes till they are soft and mushy.

Take off heat and allow this mix to cool. Now grind this mixture to a fine paste and keep aside. While grinding, you can add 2-4 tablespoons of water to get the desired consistency of the chutney.

For The Tadka

Heat oil in a small tadka pan add the mustard seeds when they splutter, add the asafoetida and curry leaves give this a good mix. Add in the ground tomato chutney, taste for salt, add if needed. Cook for 2 minutes till all comes together. Take it off heat and enjoy this yum..mm chutney!

This Tomato Chutney taste good and is a perfect accompaniment to enjoy with Idli, Dosa, Vada, Uttapam or even rice and dal. 

We enjoyed this with Ragi Idli and Drumstick Sambar | Murungakkai Sambar... a perfect combo!! 

Labels: Vegan, No Onion No Garlic, Chutney, Tomato, Gluten free, Appetizer, South Indian

Vangi Bath/Eggplant (Brinjal) Rice#Foodieextravaganza

This is a combo dish, using rice and vangi which is eggplant in Karnataka, a complete vegan, gluten free meal. Have this with any raita and enjoy this unique, awesome rice dish originating South India - Karnataka.
Ingredients
2 Cups Rice
1 Big Long Eggplant/Brinjal – cut into big pieces
1" Cinnamon stick
1 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
½ Teaspoon Mustard seeds
A Sprig Curry Leaves s
2 Tablespoons Chopped Coriander leaves
Salt to taste
½ Cup Oil
2½ Tablespoons Homemade Vangi Bath Masala 

Method

Cook the rice and spread in a wide bowl. Each grain of the cooked rice must be separate but soft.

Add ¾ of the prepared powder and salt to the cooled rice. Mix Well gently.

Heat the oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon, cashews and curry leaves. Lower the flame and add chopped brinjal pieces, little salt and mix it well and close the lid. Keep stirring gently every few minutes and cook well without adding any water. Once the brinjal is cooked well add the remaining powder and stir well. Finally add the rice and cook for couple of minutes and add the chopped coriander leaves. 

Serve with fresh curd and enjoy. 

My Notes

Use any type of black or purple variety of eggplant/brinjal you wish. 
Adjust the vangi bath masala according to your taste and spicyness required.

Labels: Foodie Extravaganza Party, Vegan, Gluten free, South Indian, Karnataka, Eggplant ,Brinjal, Rice, Main course, Healthy, No Onion No Garlic, Vrat

For Foodie Exgravaganza Party our Host is Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla   and the theme is Rice.
Check here the various rice dishes prepared this month.   

Arroz Rojo (Mexican Red Rice) by Palatable Pastime
Beetroot Pulao by Magical Ingredients
Bulgogi Kimbap with Seasoned Rice by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Curry Doria (Japanese Curry Rice Gratin) by Tara’s Multicultural Table
Kimchi Fried Rice by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Rice Pudding by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Southwest Rice Salad by Our Good Life
Vangi Bath/Eggplant (Brinjal) Rice by Sneha’s Recipe