Tindora Pulao | Ivy Gourd Pilaf Recipe

We all love one pot meal, don't we?  I know most of you going to say yes.  So here is another easy and different pulao withTinora/Ivy gourd/Kundru using our very own pressure cooker.  If I don't have enough of tindora in hand to make a curry by itself then I do either dal, or pair it up with anything else like I did with badi sabzi or sometimes I do this pulao - easy, quick and delicious done in less than 30 minutes for me it's a perfect for weekend when I don't feel like cooking much which is happening too much these days! For dinner or lunch box it's a great option too.  And before moving on to the recipe - Wishing All Happy Chinese New Year, may the year of Snack be more joyful.  Gong Xi Fa Cai

Ingredients for Tindora (Kundru) Pulao

Rice - 1 1/2 Cup [ I used Sona Masuri]
Ivy Gourd/Tindora/Kundru - 1 Cup [sliced]
Onion - 1
Green Chilli - 3
Minced Ginger-Garlic - 1/2 tbsp [or used ginger-garlic paste]
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Briyani Masala/Garam Masala- 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Water - 2 1/2 Cups
Cilantro - 1 tbsp chopped

For Tempering
Oil - 2 tbsp
Bayleaf - 1
Cinnamon - 1/2" piece
Mace - 1 small piece
Star Anise - 1
Cloves - 2
Shahi Jeera - 1 tsp [or use cumin seeds]

For Garnish [optional]
Granted Coconut - 2 tbsp
Cilantro Chopped - 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Wash and  Soak rice in water for 20 minutes or until needed. [I normally soak rice first then do cuttings and start preparing pulao]
2. Chop onion, slice green chilli.  Cut both edges of tindora and slice in roundels or cut it into 4 pieces.
3. Heat oil in pressure cooker add all the ingredients under 'for temper' and saute until jeera cracks.  Add minced ginger-garlic and saute until golden brown.

4.  Add onion, chilli and cook until onion becomes soft.

5. Add ivy gourd and saute for 3 minutes.  Add red chilli and turmeric powder and saute for a minute.

6  Now add rice and saute for 2 minutes. Add water, salt, briyani masala or garam masala, cilantro and mix well.  Close cover and pressure cook for 2 whistles.
7. Once pressure released gently mix rice with fork and garnish with cilantro and coconut.

Serve warm with any raita of your choice, pickle etc.

Have a nice day ~~

Sweet French Toast Recipe

One of the most quick, easy and delicious breakfast has to be french toast (also known as Eggy Bread) and I like french toast very much. It's good breakfast option for me whenever I am in hurry or simply in no mood to do something elaborate.

We can make savory french toast too but I hardly do that, I stick with sweet version to indulge always.   So leaving you all with a good, quick weekend breakfast option here.

Other Sandwich & Toasts Recipes you can check out

• Eggplant Curry Sandwich {Leftover Magic}
• Open Rava Sandwich
• Vegetable Sandwich {Street Style}
• Murukku Sandwich
• Tomato Toast
• Vegetables and Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients for French Toast [Serves 2]

Bread - 4 pieces
Eggs - 4
Milk - 1/8 Cup
Sugar - 3 tbsp
Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp
Butter - To Toast

To Serve [optional]
Icing Sugar - To Dust
Maple Syrup

Method:

1. Beat egg & sugar well.
2. Add milk, essence extract and mix well.

3. Heat a tawa or griller, apply 1 tsp of butter and melt.
4. Soak bread in egg mixture for 30 seconds in both sides and carefully place in heated pan.

5. Cook both sides until golden brown in slow-medium flame, repeat same for rest of breads.

Sprinkle icing sugar and maple syrup before serving warm or just have as it is.

Notes
~ Cook only in slow to medium flame otherwise toast will get burn and not cooked properly.
~ Use stale or old bread so it can soak the mixture.  Fresh bread might break in pieces.  You can keep bread in fridge for some time too before using.
~ You can add 1/2 tsp of cinnamon powder.

Have a nice day ~~

Beetroot & Sprouts Stirfry Recipe

As promised here is one of the most easy and healthy way to include sprouts in our diet, a very simple recipe nothing complicated or hi-fi here.  Beetroot is one of my favorite vegetable and you can guess that by the number of beets recipe I have blogged so far.  Here again is a usual beetroot stir fry or poriyal with extra sprouts goodness.  As I mention in my "How to Sprouts" post eating it raw is the best thing but if you are one of those people whom doesn't like to eat raw sprout then try this recipe.  We add sprouts just before finish cooking and it's get cooked by steam itself, which keep sprouts nutrition intact up to a certain level and also adds wonderful crunch to the stir fry, it goes well with rice-sambar-dal-rasam combo or even roti.

Ingredients for Beetroot & Sprouts Stir Fry

Beetroot - 1 Large
Green Bean Sprouts - 1 Cup [click on link for homemade green bean sprout recipe]
Green Chillies - 4-5
Oil - 1 tbsp
Asafetida/Hing - A Pinch
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves - a sprig
Salt - To Taste

Method:

1. Wash, peel and grate beetroot, chop green chillies.
2. In a wok heat oil, add hing, mustard seeds and allow it to crack.
3. Add curry leaves, urad dal, green chilli and saute for a minute.
4. Add grated beetroot and mix well, cover and cook for 10-12 minutes or until cooked in medium heat, stir in intervals.
5. Add salt, sprouts and stir well.  Cover & cook for a minute and off flame, leave wok covered for 5 minutes for sprouts to gets cooked from steam.

Our easy, quick, healthy and delicious stir fry is ready.

Have a nice day ~~

Vatha Kuzhambu Recipe

I like Vatha Kuzhambu or Vatha Kulambu as I call it but these days I almost stop cooking these things thanks to DH dislikes for tamarind :( and one thing I wanted to try for long was Vatha Kuzhambu recipe, I always thought it's a complicated process until I tried it.  Thanks to Prema for giving me a vathal packet to try, I followed her recipe exactly just add little jaggery to enhance & balance sharp tamarind taste and simply loved the kulambu, boy it was just too good and from there I made it multiple times just for myself.  

This is one of the most easy way of making kuzhambu - no onion, no garlic & no tomato ie nothing to chop, what a relief.  Have it with steamed rice and papad or vathal.  I also made potato fry only to realize later it's actually not needed at all, the kulambu is just good enough by itself.  

Ingredients for Vatha Kuzhambu [Serves 2-3] 

Recipe Source - Prema's Culinary

Dry Mixed Vathal - 1/2 Cup
Tamarind - A small lemon size ball
Sesame Oil - 1 tbsp [I used Saffola]
Asafetida/Hing - A pinch
Mustard Seeds - 1/2
Urad Dal - 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek/Methi Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Sambar Powder - 1 tbsp
Jaggery - 1/2 tsp [optional]
Salt - To Taste

Method

1. Soak tamarind in 1/2 to 3/4 cup water for 10-15 minutes and extract thick pulp.  Below is also picture of dried vathal for those whom doesn't know about vathal.

2. Heat oil in a wok, add asafetida/hing, mustard seeds, methi seeds, urad dal and allow mustard to splutter.  Add vathal and fry them till golden brown.

3. Add tamarind extract, turmeric & sambar powders, salt.  Give a good Stir.

4. Bring it to boil, add jaggery (if using) and cook until kuzhambu/kulambu becomes thick, off flame.

Serve with rice, potato fry, fryums and enjoy the meal.

Have a nice day ~~

Green Bean Sprouts | Moong Dal Sprouts

Green Bean or Moong Dal Sprouts are one of the easy thing to prepare and very healthy.  As my this year plan is to start posting reader request this is one of those requested recipe.  I not really a big sprouts fan other than for moong dal, any other sprout I can easily give a miss.   I used to sprout a lot and then in between I totally stopped doing it for no reason what so ever.  For past few weeks I again started to sprouts moong bean and guess what I doing this every alternative days now.

As most of the recipes even moong dal sprouts are made in few ways but I always follow the below method and satisfied with result.  The best way and to absorb all the nutrition from sprouts is to eat it raw but I know that's not everyone's cup of tea so for a start you can try making this simple khichdi with sprouts.  And as you have guessed I will post some sprouts recipes soon.

Ingredients [ Yields 2 Cups of Sprouts]

Green Bean | Hara Moong Dal - 1/2 Cup
Water - To Soak

Method:

1. Wash and Soak green bean (moong dal) 6 hours or over night.

2. Rinse again soaked bean and transfer to a wet muslin cloth.  You can also use clean cotton cloth.

3.  Take a corner of cloth and roll it to loosely tie and secure green beans as shown below and then tie it on a top or anywhere you wish.   You can also keep the beans in a large bowl and cover it and keep in dark place.

4. Leave it over night to sprouts or you can let it sprouts for 12 hours to 24 hours too.  Don't go beyond 24 hours.   And our beautiful sprouts are ready to use.

Notes ~
~ Refrigerate sprouted beans if you are not using it same day otherwise it start to taste little bitter.
~ Try to finish sprouted moong with-in 2 days

Broken Wheat Vegetable Upma | Oil Free Cooking

As I mention in my broken wheat pongal post I am working on reader request for healthy recipes so one more on the series is this broken wheat upma and guess what it's Oil Free.  Don't worry you will not miss oil a bit, it very filling and taste delicious.  Along with cracked wheat goodness we have lots of vegetables and also moong dal to increase our humble upma's nutrition value.

The recipes seems long cause I tried to take each step picture but it's actually quite a easy recipe to treasure.  Perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner or lunch box, the choice is yours.  For all the weight watchers I guess you  going to love this one.  Did I mention this upma doesn't get sticky even without oil? So let's not waste any more time and check out the recipe.

Ingredients for Broken Wheat Upma [Serves 3-4]

Broken Wheat - 1 Cup
Onion - 1
Tomato - 1
Green Chilli - 3
Minced Ginger - 1 tsp
Grated Carrot - 1 cup
Chopped beans - 1/2 cup
Chopped capsicum - 1/4 cup
Peanuts - 1tbsp
Urad & Channa Dal - 1 tbsp
Yellow Moong Dal - 1/4 cup
Curry Leaves - few
Coriander Leaves - 2 tbsp
Water - 4 cups
Salt - to taste

Method:

1. Slice onion, chill and dice tomato.
2. In a pan roast wheat until light brown and aromatic.

3. Now roast moong dal until light brown and keep aside.

4. Roast peanuts and keep aside, you can remove peanut skin if wish.

5. In same pan add channa & uard dal and roast until light brown, add onion, green chilli, ginger.

6. And saute until onion becomes soft around 2 minutes in medium flame. Add beans and saute for 2 minutes.

7. Add tomato, capsicum mix well, cover pan & cook until tomato gets mashed.

8. Now add grated carrot, peanuts, roasted moong dal, curry leaves ( I didn't use curry leaves) and  mix well.

9. Add roasted cracked wheat and stir well.

10. Add 4 cups of water, salt, bring it to boil.
11. Cover and cook for 20 minutes in medium flame or until wheat is cooked well.
~ You may cook little less or more than 20 minutes depending on your flame level, so keep a eye after 15 minutes.

12. Off flame, Add cilantro & stir to mix everything.  Cover pan again and leave it for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve warm with with curd, any chutney or curry, I had it with curd and peanut chutney.

Have a nice day ~~

Soya Chunks Pulao

This Soya Chunks or Mealmaker Pulao is somewhere near to the Soya Chunks Biryani I posted, but this recipe takes less time and can be done in jiffy if we have cooked rice in hand, also a very good way to use leftover rice.  I was getting bored of same soya chunks biryani so one day I tried this recipe and now I make this often.  Perfect for lunch box or even for a party, pair up with a simple raita and that’s all it makes a delicious meal. 

You can also add any other vegetable of you choice like peas, carrot, potato, capsicum etc to make this simple pulao even more interesting.  I missed to take step-vise pictures, I will try to update it again sometime.

Ingredients for Soya Chunks Pulao [Serves 2]

Cooked Rice -  2 Cups [ I used basmati rice]
Soya Chunks - 3/4 cup
Oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fennel Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cashews - 7-8
Sliced Onion - 1
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Salt - To Taste
Chopped Cilantro - 2 tbsp
To Grind
Green Chilies - 3
Ginger - 1/2” Pieces
Garlic - 1 pod [2 if using small]
Cilantro -1/4 cup

Method:

1. Cook and spread rice in plate to cool down.  Pressure cook soya chunks for 2 whistles or microwave for 4 minutes or cook in boiling water for 6-7 with little salt, squeeze excess water and keep side.
2. Grind all the ingredients in smooth paste, use 1-2 tbsp of water only if required.
3. In a pan or wok heat oil add cumin, fennel seeds and allow to splutter, add cashews and fry until light brown.
4. Add onion and sauté until translucent,  add grinded paste and sauté for 2-3 minutes until raw smells goes.
5. Add soya and mix well, now add chili, turmeric and salt and mix well sauté for 3-4 minutes.
6. Add rice, garam masala and mix everything well, garnish with cilantro and off flame. 
~ If using leftover rice then mix rice and sauté for 4-5 minutes.

Serve warm with your choice of raita.

Have a nice day ~~