Matki Usal (Moth Beans)

They are extremely healthy and a great source of vitamins and protein. A bowl of sprouted matki beans give you your daily recommended intake of protein. Each tiny grain is packed with so much goodness and its delicious too.
Ingredients
1 Cup Matki /Moth Beans
2 Medium Onions - chopped
1 Large Tomato chopped
1 No Green chilly chopped
1 Teaspoon Garlic chopped
1 Teaspoon Ginger chopped
1 Sprig Curry leaves
1 Tablespoon Malvani Masala
¼ Teaspoon Goda Masala
½ Teaspoon Jaggery
½ Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
A pinch Asafoetida
2 Tablespoons Oil
½ Teaspoon Mustard seeds
Salt to taste
    
For garnishing
Chopped coriander and grated fresh coconut . 

Method

Wash Matki and keep it in a large bowl. Add 3 cups of water. Soak the seeds overnight. Next morning drain out water, rinse it with fresh water and drain it. Now transfer it to a sprout maker or else tie it tightly in a cotton cloth for a day the next day you will see it sprout. Wash it and cook in cooker with water to the level of the sprouts with turmeric and a 1/4 teaspoon salt. Take a whistle on high flame and when cool immediately open the lid. 

In a kadai heat oil, add mustard seeds when it splutters, add turmeric powder, curry leaves and asafoetida. Saute it for a minute.Then add chopped onion and saute it light pink. Add finely chopped tomatoes and cook till it is soft. Now add sprouted matki, malvani masala and goda masala. Add the water in which the matki is cooked. Cover and cook it for 10 minutes on slow flame. After 10 minutes add jaggery and salt. Mix well. Again cover it and cook till jaggery melts. If you want extra gravy add water to adjust the consistency. Garnish it with chopped coriander and fresh coconut. Serve with rice or rotis. This usal can be used to make misal pav.

Labels: Vegetables, Vegan, Main course, Lentils, Matki, Moth Beans, Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free, Maharastrian Cuisine 

Vegetable Uttapam

March 22, 2014

A traditional delicacy from down South which literally means 'poured appam' in Tamil. Uttapam is a dosa-like preparation made with the batter of rice, split urad dal and fenugreek seeds.

Ingredients
2 cups  parboiled rice
1 cup raw rice
1/2 cup split Bengal Gram (Urad dal)
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp salt 

1 cup chopped vegetables (Onion, Carrot, Capsicum & Coriander leaves )

2 green chillies chopped fine.

2 Tomatoes cut in roundales for decoration
An iron griddle or tawa
Oil to smear the pan for cooking the uttapam

Method
Soak rice, daal and methi in water for 5-6 hours.  Grind this to a fine paste,  and leave to ferment 5-6 hours. After the batter is fermented add salt and enough water to make a dropping consistency.

In a bowl add all the vegetables, green chillies salt to taste and mix well.

Heat tawa, and brush oil over it. When hot, pour about 1 cup of batter on to it . It will spread a little  sprinkle the vegetable  mixture and arrange the tomato roundales on top cover and cook for 3-4 minutes. Open and check when the edges start browning a bit, pour a trail of oil/butter around it.   This uttapam cannot be flipped over.   Place the uttapam in a plate and serve hot with chutney or sauce.

Labels: Breakfast, South Indian, Dosa, Healthy, Vegan

Cantaloupe Strawberry Cooler

March 20, 2014

Its really refreshing to have alcohol-free drink on a hot summer day and this is just an apt drink to cool down the heat. I opted not to strain this juice because it blends up very smooth, but it's up to you if you want to strain the final result. Serve as-is for a concentrated, fruity drink or lighten it up by cutting it with a bit of sparkling water.

Ingredients
1/4  Cantaloupe
4      Strawberry's
Dash of chat masala

Method
Wash and skin the cantaloupe. Scoop out the seeds. Chop the cantaloupe and strawberry's into cubes and put it into a blender . I did not strain this juice but used along with the pulp. If you want less pulp, use a hand juicer with a strainer. Blend the cantaloupe and strawberry's into a blender again along with ice cubes and a dash of chat masala. The chat masala in this juice gives you a tangy and sweet taste. If you want it more cooler add ice or just keep it in the freezer for 15 minutes then have it. This juice is delicious and refreshing. Do give it a try.

Labels:Juices, Healthy, Pure Veg, Vegan,

Holi-The festival of love and joy

March 18. 2014

Holi-The festival of love and joy. Holi is a festival of colors which generally falls on a full moon in the month of Falgun. It is also a festival of love, unity and celebrates the triumph of good over evil. This festival is celebrated with lot of pomp all over India. Holi is celebrated with vibrant colors - these colors are actually colors of joy, love and those that fill our life with happiness to the core of our heart. The significance of holi festival has crossed many pages in history and every festival has its own traditions, but what really matters is the spirit of festivity.

Colors speak louder than words at times. Holi goes beyond the custom of smearing colors on each other. It crosses the realm of traditional customs to reach new dimensions of the renewal and spirit. It's a time to create new bonds, reach out to others and forget the past worries. In every house varieties of dishes and sweets are prepared for this festival. This is what I prepared to celebrate this festival.

Baked Cabbage Paneer Koftas in Makhani Gravy
Tomato Rice
Beetroot Pachadi
Cake Sandwich Dhokla
Puran Poli

The images are taken from Web.


Labels: Festival sweets, Sweets & Desserts, Vegetables,

Puran Poli

March 18, 2014

Puran Poli is a Maharashtrian speciallity prepared for Holi Festival. This is also called Holige or Obbattu in Kannada. This is difficult to make and requires a lot of patience but once you make it 2 -3 times and master it, this is a pleasure to make. While you are preparing the stuffing called puran the aroma of it fills the house and I sure the neighbours also know that Puran Poli is being prepared in someones house. The aroma and flavour is so strong and delciious, one just waits till the Puran Poli is ready. H loves this so much that all the effort put into making this gives you joy seeing him eat and relish the Puran Poli.

Ingredients
For the dough
1/2 cup Maida (All purpose flour)
1/2 cup Wheat flour
1 Tablespoon oil
1/2 Teaspoon salt
Water to knead dough

For the stuffing
1 Cup Chana dal (Bengal Gram)
1 Teaspoon Cardamom powder
A pinch of nutmeg powder
A pinch of salt
1 Teaspoon Ginger powder
1/2  Cup Jaggery - grated
1/2  Cup Sugar

For the rolling
1 cup Rice flour

Ghee for smearing

Method

For the stuffing

Wash the chana dal thoroughly, soak it for 15 minutes and cook in pressure cooker with sufficient water soft and paste-like. Strain and drain all the water and grind it in a mixer till it forms a smooth paste. In a kadai place the paste jaggery, sugar, salt, cardamon, nutmeg and ginger powder and place it on a medium flame stirring continuously till it forms a ball (see pics ). Remove it on a plate and let is cool. The Puran it ready. Make equal 10 equal balls and keep aside.

For the dough
Place the both the flours in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Add a little water and knead this into a smooth, medium-firm dough, adding more water as required and knead it . 

In a another bowl add oil salt and 3 tablespoon water and mix it well till the salt melts then add the dough and knead well till it is smooth and form a string like dough (see pics).
Divide the dough into 10 equal portions and keep aside. The size of dough should smaller than the filling (see pics above).

Rolling the PoliClean and flour a rolling surface. Take one ball of dough and flatten it with your fingers. Roll it out into a small circle. Now place a ball of stuffing into the center of this circle. Fold the edges of the circle over the paste and pinch together to seal. Remove the excess dough. Flatten this ball gently with your fingers and thus make rest of the balls with the stuffing and keep covered.
To roll this ball take a newspaper and cut it into a big circle, and place it on the rolling board, take rice flour for rolling and roll it like you make chapattis, roll lightly using very light pressure or else all the stuffing will spill out. Keep on rotating the newspaper as you are rolling do lift the poli with your hand. When rolled lightly dust with soft cloth and remove the excess flour from the top.

Heat a tava till hot, on a medium flame. Place the rolled out poli with help of the newspaper on the tava again with the cloth remove the excess flour and let it cook till brown dots appear on the bottom. Flip with a spatula now, cook till small brown dots begin to appear on the lower surface. The Puran Poli will begin to give of a lovely cooked aroma now. Remove from the fire, place it on a butter paper and smear it on either side with ghee. Serve with a dollop of ghee.

Labels: Breads, Festival Sweets, Healthy, Indian, Sweets & Desserts, Vegan, Puran Poli, Maharastrian Cuisine, Maharashtra, Chana Dal, Stuffed Flatbreads