Instant Upma and Rava Idli Mix - Homemade

Instant rava idli mix and Upma mix is the same, very easy and healthy mix used to prepare a healthy breakfast. I always keep this ready, after coming from my morning walk, preparing upma is is quick and easy. This instant mix is a real saver, and its exactly like the store bought instant mixes , which is expensive,  has preservatives too. This is preservative free. Here is the recipe...

Ingredients
1 Kg Upma Rava / Semolina
1/2 Cup Ghee
2 Tablespoons Mustard seeds
4 Tablespoons Urad dal
10 Green chillies - cut into small piece
5 Sprigs Curry leaves
1/2 Teaspoon Asafoetida
1/2 Cup Cashew nuts - broken in half

Method  
Dry roast the rava /  semolina till it turns pinkish. Keep aside

In a deep bottom pan  heat the ghee... add mustard seeds and let it it splutter. Then add the urad dal, let it turn golden brown. Then add the green chilies , curry leaves  and let them dehydrate in the ghee or till the chillies turn slightly white and the curry leaves crisp. Add the chasewnut and fry till it turns golden brown, add the  asafoetida, and rava fry till it releases a delicious aroma.  Transfer it on a flat plate and let it cool completely.  The Upma / Rava Idli Mix is ready to use.     After about 5 - 6 hours transfer this  mix into an airtight container.  This can be stored in the refrigerator for 6 months or more,   in your kitchen pantry for 2 months.

Method to prepare  Upma

1 Cup Instant  Upma mix
2 Cups Water

Salt to taste

A pinch of sugar

1 Teaspoon Lime juice

1 Tablespoon Coriander - finely chopped

1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric powder - optional

2 Tablespoon Freshly grated coconut - optional

 In a deep bottom pan bring the the water to a rolling boil, add the salt, sugar, turmeric  and the mix.  Stir it well, cook it for 5 minutes on medium low heat.   When all the water is evaporated add the lime juice, coriander and coconut. Give it a quick stir.  Serve and have it hot.

Method to prepare Rava Idli

1 Cup  Instant mix
1.1/2 cup of yogurt
1/4 Teaspoon Baking soda
Salt to taste

Mix all the ingredients together except the baking soda. Leave it for 10 minutes.   In the meanwhile, heat the water in the idli vessel.  Grease the idli mold .  When you are ready to pour this into the mold, mix the baking soda in a tablespoon of water and add it to the batter.  Mix well and pour it into the prepared idli mold.

Steam cook for 10 - 15  minutes. Eat the hot idlis with chutney of your choice.

Enjoy!


Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#52.

Lables : Semolina, Instant Mixes, Blogging Marathon

Mayonnaise With Egg - Homemade

My friends and followers of my blog were requesting me to give them the recipe of Egg Mayonnaise.  Here is the recipe for you.

This week theme that I have chosen for BM is Ready-made Products.  My first recipe under this theme is Mayonnaise.   This is fool proof recipe that will never fail.

Its a very simple process.   Making mayonnaise at home is healthy because you use the full egg, less salt and absolutely no preservatives.  Most of the store mayonnaise contain only the yolks of the egg and preservatives.  Once you start making mayonnaise at home you will never purchase a ready bottled one.  The homemade one is very delicious.

Homemade Mayonnaise
1 Egg
1 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Teaspoon Mustard powder or paste
1/4 Teaspoon Salt or to taste
1/2 Teaspoon Sugar 

1/4 Teaspoon Pepper powder - freshly ground
1/2 Teaspoon Lime juice 

1/2 Teaspoon White Vinegar

Put the egg, mustard, pepper powder, salt and sugar into a blender and  blend on low speed for few seconds, add the lime juice and vinegar. Keeping the blender running, carefully and slowly add the oil in a stream through the top of the jar (the opening through which you can add liquids). Make sure that you add the oil slowly. Once it starts thickening, stop the blender, taste adjust seasoning,  blend again for a couple of seconds. 

Transfer to a clean and dry glass jar and refrigerate. I use this in salads, sandwiches, and other dressings as well.

I hope you try making your own mayonnaise at home.  This will stay good for 2 weeks in the refrigerator. 

Note :  If you've reached the desired consistency, you can stop adding the oil. If you need more of it, feel free to do so.

If you are using mustard sauce, then reduce the salt and vinegar quantity.

I used the small chopper to  make the mayonnaise.  A hand blender can used to prepare the same.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#52.Labels : Egg, Healthy, Mayonnaise, Chutneys & Dips, Homemade, Ready/Instant Mixes

Moorish Crunch Salad - Moroccan

This is recipe is from Jamie Oliver's Jamie's Kitchen. cookbook. This salad is so crunchy , sweet, we loved this salad.

Ingredients
2 Carrots, peeled
2 Radishes peeled

2 Apples
1 Tablespoon raisins or sultanas
1 Tablespoon coriander - roughly chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh Mint -  roughly chopped
1 Tablespoons Sherry
1 Tablespoons Olive oil
1 Tablespoon Tahini
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds, lightly roasted

Method

Finely slice your carrots into matchsticks. Finely slice your radishes into roundels. Quarter your apples, remove the cores and finely slice. Add all these to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients, apart from the sesame seeds. Toss together, carefully checking the seasoning, and serve with the sesame seeds sprinkled over the top. Eat straight away.

Linking this to Valli's 'Cooking from Cookbook Challenge: May -- Week 1.

Labels :  Salads, Apple, Carrot, Radish, CCChallenge, Healthy, Vegan, Moroccan, Continental Cuisine

Baked Golden Beads Layered Pudding - Eggless and Butterless

Last day of our  April BM  Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye....

We had our Sunday trekking breakfast on hill and was left with lots of leftover sweet boondies.  Carried a few home,  had to rack my brains what to do with them, since  hubby does not like boondies.  Googled and found many recipes but after looking at them, created my own recipe.   This was a gamble, but end result was awesome as well as eyesome.   The top was crusty, the bottom layer soft, moist and super delicious.   This is a warm dessert, so if you have any leftovers re-heat it in the microwave for 15 seconds only.  So let's make it together ... come on lets go to my kitchen.

Ingredients
4 bread pieces
1/2 Cup Evaporated Milk- homemade
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Cup Sweet boondi
1/2 Cup Milk
4 Pieces Round Kaju Katli
2 Tablespoons  Almonds meal 

15 pieces Cashewnuts

Method
Trim the edges of the break and cut into triangles. Bake the bread for 8 minutes on one side and 8 minutes on the other side till golden brown See Pic

Grease a baking dish , now take a baking dish and arrange the bread pieces in a single layer.

Then add a layer of boondies. 

Sprinkle cashewnut pieces, add a layer of milk mixture and top of these sprinkle almond meal.  

Then again add a layer of bread, boondies , cashewnuts, milk mixture, almond meal. And lastly a layer of boondies and cashewnuts.

Then bake this dish for 30 mins at 180 degree.

 Serve it warm.  Enjoy!!

To make evaporated milk. 

 Take 2 litters of milk in a heavy bottom vessel and let is boil on slow flame till it reduces to 750ml to a liter.  The color will change to but no worries, just keep stirring after every 7 to 10 minutes so that it does  not touch the bottom of the vessel and burn.   I made a this  and stored in the deep freezer, by freezing a cup of evaporated milk at a time, so that when you require there is not need to deforst the whole container (see pic).  Between each layer place a plastic sheet.

Whenever you require just lift the plastic sheet and keep aside.  Slice according the quantity required and keep the remaining in the deep freezer.  This will remain good for 4 to 6 months.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 51

Labels : Sweets & Desserts, Blogging Marathon, Homemade  

An InLinkz Link-up

Chicken Pizza

Crisp crusts and stringy cheese is what pizza is all about . To make pizza at home is very easy. Make a batch of pizza base and bowl of sauce, you can make pizza anytime you feel like. You add whatever topping you wish.  

The other day my daughter told me Ma I feel like eating pizza, so I made this  after a few days for her, she was so happy to see it.  When I seen her enjoying this pizza it made so happy, as a mother it gave me ultimate satisfaction.

Ingredients

For the dough

2 Teaspoons Dry instant yeast
1/2 to 3/4 Cups warm water
1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
2 Cups All-purpose flour
1 Teaspoons  Salt
2 Tablespoons Olive oil

For the topping

1 Cup Pizza Sauce 

Grilled Chicken chunks

Capsicum slices

Sliced Olives
1/2 Teaspoon Pizza Seasonings
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 Teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 Cup mozzarella - grated

Method

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, yeast and sugar. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the oil.  Mix this together by adding water to form a soft dough and knead for 5-10 minutes.  Shape the dough into a ball and lightly coat with oil. Put it in a large bowl, top the bowl with plastic wrap and set it at room temperature to rise.Grease a  baking tray and keep aside.

When the dough has doubled in size, cut it in half.  Take one half of the dough and cut it again in half. Working with one piece at a time, flatten into a thin circle . Place this in a grease pizza pan.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees, bake it for 10 to 12 minutes. 

 Take the baked pizza, spread 1/4 cup of the pizza sauce over the dough, arrange pizza chunks, capsicum rings. Spread one-fourth of the cheese over the pizza, olives and drizzle with a tablespoon of oil. Season with salt and pepper and slide the pizza into the oven. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 8 minutes.  Repeat with the remaining dough and toppings.

Labels : Pizzas, Blogging Marathon, Sandwiches , Breads

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 51

An InLinkz Link-up