Capsicum Paruppu Usili

Paruppu Usili is one of the most popular and healthiest Tamil Brahmin dishes. It is an ideal combination of protein and vegetables. You can make this dish with French beans, carrot, beetroot, cluster beans, broad beans, cabbage, banana flower etc (see variation tip below). It is generally served with more kozhambu or vatha kozhambu. It also goes well with Rasam.

Ingredients :

½ kg green capsicum (bell peppers)

1 cup channa dal (soaked in water for 1 hour)

2 to 3 red chillies

A pinch of turmeric powder

10 curry leaves

A pinch of asafoetida

For the tadka :

1 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon split urad dal

Method :

1) Soak channa dal in water for one hour.

2) Drain water from Channa dal and grind it with salt, red chillies and curry leaves to a coarse paste.

3) Steam this paste for 10—15 minutes in  a steamer or idli plate. Alternately, you can sauté the paste in oil till it is well cooked. (But this method requires more oil and if you are watching calories, this is not a good option.)

4) Saute till the mixture is well cooked.

5) Steam or saute the chopped capsicum separately.

6) Heat oil, add ingredients for the tadka. When the mustard seeds start spluttering, add the crumble and the capsicum. Mix well and serve.

Note :

1) You can also make this with Toor dal only or a mixture of toor dal and channa dal.

2) Do not soak the dal for more than one hour. We want a crumble and not soft dal.

3) The ratio of vegetables to dal can modified to suit your palate.

Variations :

1) Beans paruppu usili - Use beans in step 5.  

2) Carrot paruppu usili - Use carrots in step 5.

3) Beetroot paruppu usili - Use beetroot in step 5.

4) Cluster Beans paruppu usili - Use cluster beans in step 5.

5) Broad Beans paruppu usili - Use broad beans in step 5. 

6) Cabbage paruppu usili - Use cabbage in step 5.

MOONG DAL SALAD / KOSAMBARI

Kosambari or Kosumalli is a protein rich salad for adults and kids. The combination of lentils and vegetables make it a healthy snack and ideal for weight watchers. It is primarily served during festive and wedding meals as an accompaniment. You can get creative by adding pomegranate seeds and sweet corn for extra crunch and taste.

Ingredients:

1 cup moong dal (soaked in water for 30 minutes)

1 /2 cup boiled sweet corn (optional)

¼ cup grated carrot

¼ cup cucumber finely chopped

¼ pomegranate seeds (optional)

2 tsp fresh coconut grated

1 small green chilli (finely chopped)

1 tsp lemon juice

Salt to taste

Few sprigs of coriander for garnish

For tadka

1 tsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

Few curry leaves

Method

Take green chilli, coconut and coriander in a mixer and blend to get a coarse paste.

Add this paste the other ingredients of the salad and keep aside. 

Heat oil for tadka and add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add this to the salad and garnish with coriander leaves.

You can also serve this salad chilled.

Neer Dosa / Bajjari Dosa / Bajjarige Dosa

Neer dosai is a very popular mangalore dish. It is also known by the names - Bajjari dosa or Bajjarige dosa. It is a lacy dosa made with just rice and coconut. It is very easy to prepare and does not require any fermentation. It is traditionally served with a mixture of jaggery and coconut or rasayana (coconut milk and banana/ripe mango), but you could serve it with any chutney of your choice. I will post the recipe for rasayana in my subsequent posts.


Ingredients :

2 cups raw rice
1 cup grated coconut
Salt to taste

For the accompaniment :

1 cup grated coconut
1/2 cup grated jaggery



Method:

1) Soak rice overnight in water.

2) Discard excess water and grind with coconut to make a smooth batter. The batter should be of a runny consistency similar to a rava dosa batter. Add salt to the batter.

3) Heat a dosa pan and proceed to make dosa in the usual way.

 4) For the accompaniment, mix jaggery and coconut and serve.

White Sauce Pasta

Wishing all the kids "Happy Children's Day" in advance. Hope you have lots of fun and frolic.

Here is a recipe that all kids would love for a snack or in their lunch box. Adding loads of veggies makes this pasta healthy. I have also replaced maida/plain flour with corn flour as I find this easier to handle.


Ingredients:

for Pasta :

2 onions, chopped finely

3 to 5 cloves of garlic, chopped finely

Capsicum (green, yellow and red) – 1/2 cup, finely chopped
Mushrooms (chopped) - 1/2 cup (optional)
Broccoli (chopped) - 1/4 cup

White Sauce – 3 tbsps

Pasta – 2 cups uncooked

Olive oil – 2 tsp

Cheese grated – ¼ cup
Italian pasta seasoning or mixed herbs - a generous pinch

for white sauce :

2 cups milk
2 tablespoons corn flour
1/2 grated processed cheese 

Method:

1) Boil 5-6 cups of water with a teaspoon of oil and salt.

2) Add Pasta and once it is cooked drain out the water and keep the pasta aside.

3) Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan. Add onion, garlic and cook till light brown.

4) Add capsicum, mushrooms, broccoli and salt. Cook for 5- 10 minutes.  

5) Add white sauce and simmer for 2 -3 minutes. Add little water or milk if required.

6) Add cooked pasta and mix thoroughly. You can add more white sauce if you like a creamier pasta. 

7) For the white sauce, mix cornflour with milk thoroughly. Heat this in a pan and when it starts thickening, add grated cheese and mix thoroughly. Bring this mixture to a boil on a slow flame and your white sauce is ready.

Diwali Recipes

Here is a collection of recipes you should make this Diwali. Wishes to all of you for a very happy and safe Diwali.

1. Kaju Katli

Kaju Katli requires only a few ingredients and can be prepared in a jiffy. 

2. Badam Burfi

Yummy Badam burfi made from almonds, milk and sugar.

3. Cornflakes Mixture

A savoury recipe you can munch on this Diwali without feeling guilty !!!





4. Arachi Vitta Sambhar

An elaborate meal planned for Diwali. Try this Sambhar - the ultimate in taste and aroma.

5. Paal Paayasam

The most popular festive recipe everyone must try.

Oats and Broken Wheat Idli

A recipe ideal for health conscious people and weight watchers. The combination of oats and broken wheat in steamed idlis is an ideal combination to increase your fibre intake. The addition of carrots makes it colourful and healthy. You can use Samba rava instead of broken wheat. If you are using broken/cracked wheat, grind this in a mixer till it gets a rava like consistency.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Oats (quick cooking oats)
1/2 cup Samba Ravai/cracked wheat
1/2 cup sour peanut curd or soy yoghurt
2 tablespoons finely chopped Coriander leaves
Salt to taste

1/2 teaspoon Eno fruit salt 

Water, as required to get a idli consistency batter

For the seasoning

1 teapoon Mustard seeds
3/4 teaspoon Bengal gram/Channa Dal
1 teaspoon Urad dal
10 to 12 Curry leaves
1 or 2 Green chillies 

1 teaspoon finely chopped Ginger
1/4 cup grated Carrot 

Method :

1) Dry roast the oats and broken wheat separately for a few minutes. Make a coarse powder of the roasted oats. If you do not have fine Samba rava, you can grind broken wheat in a mixer till it gets a rava like consistency.

2) Mix oats, broken wheat, curds, salt and water to make a idli batter consistency. Keep aside.

3) Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they start spluttering, add the rest of the ingredients and fry for a few minutes.

4) Add this to the oats mixture and mix thoroughly. Keep aside for 20 to 30 minutes.

5) Add Eno fruit salt just before preparing idlis and mix.

6) Grease idli plates and add the batter.

5) Steam for 10 to 15 minutes. To check if your idlis are cooked, insert a toothpick and if it comes out clean, your idlis are ready. If not, steam for a few more minutes.

Spaghetti Verde

Here's a spaghetti recipe which your kids will love to eat and you will love to serve as it has loads of spinach. This recipe is aptly named "Spaghetti Verde". "Verde" in spanish means green.

You can pack this for your kid's lunch box or make it for lunch or dinner and see the smiles on their faces. Go green..Go Spaghetti Verde !!! :) :)

Ingredients:

150 gm spaghetti
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup bell peppers, cubed ( any colour)
1 cup milk
2 cheese slices
2 teaspoons cornflour
1 cup finely chopped spinach


Method :

Boil 4 cups of water with salt and oil. Add spaghetti and cook till al dente.

Blanch spinach and make a purée.

Heat oil in a pan and add onions and garlic. Sauté till it turns translucent.

Add bell peppers and sauté for a few minutes. Add spinach purée, milk cornflour mixture, cheese slices, salt and bring to a boil.

Add the spaghetti. Mix thoroughly and serve immediately.

Udupi Avial

This recipe is for all my vegan friends out there who love Avial. We have used tamarind instead of curd and red chillies instead of green chillies. This is a traditional Udupi recipe. I am sure all of you will love this recipe - vegan or not.


Ingredients :

1 cup grated coconut

2 to 3 red chillies

1 tablespoon raw rice

1 teaspoon jeera

1 cup mixed vegetables (beans, carrot, peas, cauliflower etc)

1 small gooseberry sized tamarind.

1 teaspoon oil

¼ teaspoon mustard seeds

10 curry leaves

Method :

Soak rice in water for 1 hour.

Grind soaked rice, coconut, red chillies and jeera to a fine paste.

Boil all vegetables with required amount of water with salt. Add tamarind to the vegetables when it is 50 % cooked.

Add the prepared paste and let it come to  a boil.

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. When it starts crackling, add curry leaves, wait for a few seconds and switch off the gas. Add this tadka to the Aviyal.

Serve hot with rice.