Open Rava Sandwich Recipe

Open Rava Sandwich or Toast whatever we may call it is one of my favorite breakfast or snack recipe cause it’s very simple and quick to prepare and taste really yum.  This is my sister recipe she used to make this for my nephew for weekend breakfast or as after school snack so it’s goes without saying kids love this sandwich.

Made with minimal ingredients and in less than 10 minutes it’s perfect if you are in hurry, also one can do lot of variations with this recipe and get creative or it makes a good tiffin box recipe.  Have it with a cup of coffee or tea to make it as perfect breakfast or tea time relish. 

Ingredients: [ Yields 4-5 open sandwich]
Bread Slice - 4
Curd - 1/2 Cup
Suji/Rava - 1/2 Cup
Onion - 1 small
Tomato - 1 small
Capsicum - 1/2
Green Chilies - 2
Salt - to taste
Garlic Powder - 1/2 tsp [optional]
Butter/Oil - to toast

Method:

1. Chop finely all the vegetables.
2. In a bowl take curd and beat, add all the veggies, salt and garlic powder mix well.

3. Add suji/rava and mix.  Do not add any water.  The mixture will be thick but spreadable.

4. Take 1-2 tbsp of mixture and spread in bread pieces.
5. Heat a tawa or pan and apply butter/oil.  Toast plain side first, once it's becomes brown gently flip spread side bread down and toast for 2-3 minutes in slow-medium flame.

6. Repeat same for rest of pieces.
Serve warm and enjoy.

Variations

~ Add 2-3 tbsp of cheese and mix with rava & curd mixture.
~ You can add dash of freshly crushed pepper.

Have a nice day ~~

Moong Dal Tadka Recipe

Today I’m posting simple dal takda recipe which can be done in jiffy in the most easy way.  It’s similar to my tindora dal where I add everything, pressure cook and then give a simple tadka.   Though this dal very easy to prepare but it taste delicious with plain steamed rice or roti, even a side dish is not really necessary.  I do this when I am in hurry or have no mood to cook which becoming more and more these days.  I have used split green gram dal but you can use whole green gram too in that case soak the dal as it takes longer time to cook.  Try this simple day and you going to love it. 

Ingredients:

Split Green Gram/ Dhuli Moong Dal – 1 Cup
Onion – 1 Large
Tomato – 1 Large
Green Chillies – 4
Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
Red Chili Powder – 1 tsp
Salt – To taste
For Tempering
Oil/Ghee – 1 tbsp
Asafetida/Hing – a pinch
Cumin Seeds /Jeera – 1 tsp
Minced Garlic – 1/2 tbsp
Curry Leaves – 1 sprig

Method:

1. Slice onion, tomato, slit chilies.
2.  Wash dal, add onion, tomato, chilies, salt, turmeric & chili powder with enough water.  Pressure cook for 3 whistles.

3.  Once cooker pressure released, mash dal slightly and add 1 cup water. 
4. In a pan or wok heat oil or ghee add hing, cumin seeds and allow to splutter.  Add curry leaves, garlic and sauté until light brown.  Add cooked dal mix and bring it to boil, adjust salt, water if required.  Simmer for 2 minutes.

Our simple and quick dal is ready, add ghee on top for extra taste. 

Have a nice day ~~

Muttakos Kootu | Cabbage Kootu Recipe

Cabbage Kootu is one of favorite recipe because it’s very simple to make and taste wonderful with sambar, rasam or with any dal tadka or I like to eat with just plain steamed rice too.  The fact that DH also like this kootu very much makes my life easy and I do cabbage kootu once in a while,  there are many ways of doing this kootu or gravy but I prefer this way of not very much gravy type & with minimum ingredients, it taste much delicious than these pictures.   If you haven’t tried cabbage kootu yet then you should give it a try it’s good change from usual cabbage stir fry and it can be done in less than 15 minutes.   Some people add more of mung dal, turmeric, coconut, onion if you wish you can add that but as I said I like this simple, quick version.  There’s no step vise pictures for this recipe as that particular Saturday I was cooking storm with dal, rasam, dry soya bean kurma and few other things.

Ingredients
Cabbage Chopped – 2 Cups
Mung Dal – 2 tbsp
Green Chilies – 3
Salt – to taste
Water – 3/4 Cup
For Tempering
Oil – 2 tsp
Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Urad Dal – 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves – 1 sprig
Dry Red Chili – 1
Asafetida/Hing – a pinch

Method

1.  Wash and chop cabbage and green chilies (I used fresh red chilli), wash and soak mung dal for 10 minutes.
2.  In a wok or pan add mung dal with water and cook until dal get’s cooked, if required add more water.
3. When the dal gets soft add cabbage, green chilies and cook until cabbage becomes soft and almost no water remains.  Adjust salt if required. 
4. In a seperate pan prepare tempering, heat oil, add asafetida mustard seeds and allow it to splutter.  Now add urad dal, curry leaves and red chilli sauté until urad dal becomes golden brown.  Pour seasoning over prepared kootu, mix and serve.
That’s all our kootu is ready, simple right? 

Variations ~
~ You can add 1/2 tsp turmeric along with dal and cook.
~ If you want to add coconut, add grated 2 tbsp coconut after cabbage gets cooked and then add tempering.
~ You can use onion, prepare tempering, add 1 chopped onion saute until light brown and add with kootu.
~ You can also pressure cook dal and cabbage together, this mash the cabbage which I don’t like personally so I don’t do that. 
~ If you want little gravy type kootu then add more water while cooking cabbage and dal.

Have a nice day ~~

Fish in Mustard Gravy

I started to cook fish and try to look beyond my usual Fish Fry.  This fish curry  I made with my sister recipe, she gave me a bottle of whole yellow mustard seeds and recipe to use the mustard in different recipe.   Fish and mustard goes well and it makes me keep thinking of Bengali way of fish curry.   The recipe is pity simple and if you look for change from your  tamarind or coconut base fish curry then you should try this, I used mustard oil but you can do with any oil of your choice.  

 Ingredients

Fish – 500gms ( I used Seer Fish/ King Mackerel/Vanjiram Meen variety)
Onion – 2 large
Tomato – 2 large
Green Chilies – 4
Red Chili Powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder – 1 1/2 tsp
Nigella Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Mustard Oil – 3 tbsp
Water – 2 cups
Salt – to taste
To Grind
Yellow Mustard Seeds – 2 tsp [yellow ones]
Poppy Seeds – 2 tbsp [ I replaced with 15 cashews]
Ginger – 1” pieces
Garlic – 2 pods [4 if using small]

Method:

1. Coat fish with salt and 1 tsp turmeric and keep aside
2. Finely chop or grate onion, chop green chilies and tomato.
3. Grind all the ingredients in ‘To Grind’ to smooth paste using little water and keep side.
3. In a pan/wok heat oil until smoking point if using mustard oil, add cumin & nigella seeds and allow to splutter.
4. Add grated onion, green chili and sauté until light golden brown. Add grinded masala and cook for 5 minutes in medium flame or until raw smell goes off, keep stirring regularly.
5. Add chopped tomato and allow it to get mash, now add red chili, turmeric powders and mix well, cook until oil separates from masala.
6. Now add fish pieces and gently coat fish with masala, cover and cook for 10 minutes do stir in intervals.
7. Add 2 cups of water, salt and gently mix, cover and cook again for 8-10 minutes in medium to slow flame or until oil floats on top and fish is cooked.

Serve warm with steamed rice.

Have a nice day ~~

Soya Chunks Biryani

Soya Chunks or Meal maker biryani is easy one pot meal, pair it with any raita and it becomes a wonderful meal or lunch box recipe.  I like to do this in easy way of making in pressure cooker as it saves time, perfect for weekend lunch or a busy weekday lunch or dinner.  Soya not only add protein in our diet but it also good change from usual vegetable briyani.  If you prefer you can also add few vegetables along with soya chunks to make this biryani more colorful and nutritious.

I used small soya nuggets then the usual big ones, you can use which ever variety you have with you.  Below pictures shows you both variety of soya.  Soya nuggets has excellent source of protein, Omega-3, vitamin B making it healthy and tasteful option.  Try this simple biryani and you sure going to love it.

Ingredients  [Serves 3-4]

Basmati Rice – 1 1/2 Cup
Soya Chunks – 1 Cup
Oil – 3 tbsp
Bay Leaf - 1
Cinnamon – 1” pieces
Cloves – 2
Green Cardamom – 2
Star Anise – 1
Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Fennel Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Onion – 1 [large]
Red Chili Powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
Biryani Masala – 1/2 tbsp  [or garam msala]
Choppped Mint Leaves – 3-4 stalks
Salt – to taste
Coconut Milk – 1/2 Cup
Water – 2 Cup
To Grind
Ginger – 1” pieces
Garlic – 4 pods [ 8-10 if using small garlic pods]
Green Chilies - 5
Mint Leaves – 1/4 Cup

Method:

1.  Soak basmati rice for 1/2 hour to 1 hour, wash, drain and keep aside.
2. Wash and microwave soya chunks with little water, salt for 4 minutes or boil in water at stove top.  Rinse, squeeze and keep the chunks aside.

3.  Grind all the ingredients under ‘To Grind’ into smooth paste.  Slice onion.

4. Heat oil in pressure cooker, add bay leaf, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, cumin & fennel seeds and sauté for a minute.  Add sliced onion and sauté until light brown.

5. Add grounded paste and fry until raw smells goes or until 2-3 minutes.  Add chilli, turmeric powders and fry for a minute.

6. Add soya chunks, mix well and fry for 2 minutes

7. Add rice, gently mix and sauté for 2 minutes. 

8. Now add coconut  milk, water, salt, biryani masala, mint leaves and mix everything well.  Close cooker lid and pressure cook for 1 whistles,  low flame to slow and cook for 10 minutes.  After pressure released fluff rice until with fork.

Serve hot with raita of your choice.   

Variations
~ You can skip coconut milk and use only water.
~ Water quantity depends on quality of your rice, so add as you normally do.
~ You can add vegetables with soya nuggets.

Have a nice day ~~

Onion Chutney Recipe

Onion chutney is one of my favorite chutney which is very easy and simple to make and goes well with idli, dosa or any other tiffin items.   There are many ways of making onion chutney I like to do this way, lot of variations also can be done with this simple chutney.  I added half of tomato which helps in grinding and also add color to chutney, if you wish you can skip tomato and follow rest of procedure.  Try this simple onion chutney with minimal ingredients plus it can be done in jiffy, I am sure you will like it. 

Ingredients:

Onion - 1 large
Tomato - 1/2
Oil – 1 tsp
Dry Red Chili - 5-6
Garlic Pods – 4
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Tamarind - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Water - 2-3 tbsp [if required]

For Tempering
Oil – 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves – 1 sprig

Method:

1. Peel, chop onion and tomato.
2. In a wok or pan heat oil add cumin seeds and allow to crack, add dry red chili, garlic and sauté. 
3. Add chopped onion and fry until tight brown, off flame and allow to cool.
4. Grind together with tomato, salt and tamarind into fine paste.  Add 2-3 water if required.

For Tempering
5. In same wok/pan add heat oil, add mustard seeds and allow to splutter, add curry leaves fry for 30 seconds and pour over chutney.

Variations
~ Tomato helps in grinding and also add nice color to chutney.
~ You can add little coconut.

Have a nice day ~~

Kundru Aur Badi Sabzi

Now that Diwali is also finished back to usual routine and guess it must be same with most of you too.  After all those diwali sweets, snacks and heavy cooking let’s get back to something easy and quick.  As I said in my Tindora Dal post, I try to find new ways of cooking kundru/tindora and this recipe is one such try.   Pair together tindora and small badi, badi or wadi or wadiyan is sun dried lentil dumplings and popular all over India with different names.  My in-laws makes so many different kind of badi (as we call it), wadiyan is makes a great combination with just anything and everything. More on badi perhaps in a later post and I will try to post too how it’s made too, now back to our simple sabzi of the day.

Ingredients:

Tindora/Kundru – 1 Cup [sliced]
Badi/Wadi – 1/4 Cup
Onion – 1
Tomato – 1
Green Chilies – 2
Oil – 2 tbsp
Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Fennel Seeds – 1/4  tsp
Garlic Minced – 1 tsp
Red Chili Powder – 1 tsp
Coriander Seeds Powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
Kasoori Methi – 1 tbsp [crushed]
Water – 1/4 cup or as required
Salt – to taste

Method:

1.  Wash and cut kundru in to 4 pieces. Chop onion, tomato and green chilies.
2.  In a wok or pan heat oil, add cumin and fennel seeds allow to crack.  Add garlic and saute, now add chopped onion and green chilli and fry until translucent.  Add sliced kundru/tindora and sauté for 2 minutes.

3. Now add badi and stir gently, cook until tindora gets tender.

4. Add turmeric, coriander seeds and red chilli powder mix well and cook for a minute.

5. Add chopped tomatoes and cook covered until tomato gets mash.  Add salt to taste and crushed kasoori methi (if using), cook for a minute.

Our simple stir fry is ready.

Notes ~

~ You can replace badi with soya chunks, cook soya chunks for 4 minutes in microwave or boil in water, squeeze water and add.
~ If you are using big size badi/vadi then you have to fry badi in hot oil and soak in warm water and then use. 

Have a nice day ~~

Happy Diwali 2012

Wishing all readers Happy, Prosperous & Joyful Diwali.  

Mullu Murukku | Diwali Snacks Recipes

Atlast Diwali is here and I'm sure all of you must be in full swing preparing diwali sweets and snacks, last minute shopping and other things.   I haven’t posted murukku in my savory list of goodies for diwali so here it is mullu murukku, a easy and tasty snack for any time.  I am yet to venture into different kinds of murukku or chaliki, in our house Mathi, namak parey is more popular compare to murukku.  Mully murukku is really easy to make and if you are beginner like me in murukku/chaliki making then you can start with this easy recipe.   Try this it’s still not late to make yummy snacks for Diwali.  

Ingredients:

Rice Flour – 4 Cups
Roasted Gram Flour – 1 Cup
Salt – To Taste
Melted Butter – 3 tbsp [ or hot oil 2 ladle]
Water – As Needed [ I used 3 cups]
Oil – For Deep Fry

Method:

1. To make roasted gram flour,  grind roasted gram to find powder, sieve and measure.  1 Cup roasted gram yields little more than one cup of flour.  Use one cup of flour.

2. In a wide bowl add roasted gram flour, rice flour, salt and butter (or you can use 2 ladle hot oil) mix everything well, now start adding water in small quantity and  make a smooth dough.

3. Meanwhile heat oil in wok/kadai.
4.  Take murukku/sev press and use star disc, fill the murukku maker and press to make in circular murukku directly over oil, or do it on back of the ladle or in a wet cloth/greased plastic sheet. 

5. Carefully slide murukku in oil and deep fry in medium to high flame until light golden brown or bubbles ceases. 

6. Drain in colander lined with kitchen tissue, repeat same for rest of dough.

Once murukku/chakli comes to room temperature store in air tight containers.

Notes
~ I used home made rice flour.
~ If murukku is hard to bite, add more butter or oil.
~ If you are not getting good shape murukku don't worry.  Murukku can be of any shape as long as it's taste good and after few batches you will start to get it right

Have a nice day ~~