Category Archives: Vegetarian

Koottaanchoru


This is the Nellai version of Bisibelabath. The difference is in the vegetables and the spices used. I have greatly enjoyed this rice at my maternal grandmother’s place. This is a great one pot dish.Image

raw rice – 1.5 cups
Thur Dhal – 1/2 cup

Cook the dhal and rice together in a pressure cooker with 6 cups of water , some salt and 2 tsp of oil. You can cook them in a regular pot, add enough water so that cooked rice-dhal has a soft texture.

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I have small onions, radish, cooking banana, eggplants, flat beans and drumsticks. Traditionally, we use what we call as “Naattu Kaai” for this rice and avoid vegetables like carrots, peas and cauliflower.

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Chop the vegetables in big chunks as they have to withstand a long cooking process.

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Tamarind water and asafoetida.

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For the masala, grind red chillies, cumin, small onions, garlic and 1 tbsp. of coconut.

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In the pot add some sesame oil and fry curry leaves and onions.

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sauté the veggies.

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Add the tamarind water.

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Add salt, turmeric powder and asafoetida and cook until the raw smell of tamarind goes away in medium heat for at least about 30 mins. Add the masala and cook for another 15 minutes.

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Traditionally, drumstick leaves are added. As I can’t get them in my place,I have added some chopped methi.

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Add the cooked rice and dhal to the curry and mix well. Simmer for 15 mins, making sure the rice is not getting dry.

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Fry some curry vadaam (if you don’t have it, mustard seeds will do), red chillies and curry leaves in a separate pan and add the seasoning to the rice.

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Tastes good when its hot and tastes even better at room temperature. This is a great all-in-one dish with rice, lentils and vegetables and the combination of red chillies, cumin and garlic add layers of flavor. Back in my hometown, I have even tasted this dish with shrimp in it. You can try that too !

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Spizzzzy..rice noodles (strictly vegetarian :) )


Fresh flavors, bright colors …spring is here 🙂
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Cook the rice noodles according to box instructions. Thin noodles just require soaking in boiling water. Thicker noodles may require 5-6 mins cooking .
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cut all the veggies in thin strips. mince garlic and ginger.
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For the sauce :
soy sauce – 2tbsp
red chilli garlic sauce – 3 tsp
green chilli sauce – 2 tsp
rice wine vinegar – 1 tsp (optional)
brown sugar – 1tbsp
Mix them all together, and if you taste it now, you will be thrown off by the intensity of the sauce, but whe we mix with the noodles it will be perfect.
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Cut some paneer in thin strips and shallow fry them. You can replace with Tofu or scrambled eggs.
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Now for the easy part, heat 2 tbsp. of oil in a wok and sauté chillies, minced garlic and ginger.
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Saute the onions…
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Add the carrots and green beans.
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Now add cabbage.
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Finally add all the colored peppers… (when you add veggies in this order, it is easier to maintain their crispiness).
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The sauce goes in….
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Mix well with the veggies.
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Now ad the noodles , make sure the heat is ‘high’.
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Gently toss the noodles to mix with the sauce and veggies.
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Turn off the heat add the fried paneer and some chopped cilantro.

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Grab a fork and say “hello, spring…. ”  🙂
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Idli podi (or molaga podi or chammandhi podi or..)


Call it any name , the taste never fails. I’ve always loved the combination of idli and podi(who doesn’t), this particular recipe is from my mom’s mom. This is more intense, more flavorful and more salivating 🙂 There are a few brands of podi available in stores (in NJ that is, I am sure there are more options in India), but I usually find them to be either very mild or they look very reddish as if the red chillies are raw. This recipe is very simple, so I always make it at home.
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If you just want a basic podi…these are the only ingredients you need.
Urad dhal – 1 cup (you can use urad dhal without the peel too)
Channa dhal – 1 cup
dry red chillies – 2cups (loosely packed)
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These are just embellishments that add more layers of flavor. You don’t have to add these for a simple podi. If you are adding sesame seeds, the shelf life is less.Sesame seeds (black, brown or white) – 1 cup ; Garlic cloves – a few
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Heat a pan and dry toast the lentils (urad dhal and channa dhal). Do not add oil, just toast them dry for a few minutes, until you get the flavor and the urad dhal becomes slightly pinkish.(Make sure to keep stirring to avoid burnt lentils).Image
Set the toasted lentils aside. Heat 1 tsp of oil and toast the chillies until they slightly change in color (again no burning).
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Toast the sesame seeds in a tsp of oil.
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Roast the garlic in a tsp of oil.
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Let everything cool down for atleast 30 minutes. Then dry grind it to a coarse powder.
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Add salt only after grinding. The right texture should be like beach sand, if you add salt while grinding, it will add moisture.
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Hot idlis, podi, sesame oil and a cup of good Madras coffee…..mmmm….what a wonderful life !!
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You can also add podi to spice up the idli upma.
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Make “crispy idli fingers” (cut the idlis into finger shaped pieces and coat them with the podi and oil mix and shallow fry them. You won’t believe how crisp they come out.)Image

Easy Onion Rings


This recipe is so easy, you can make it faster than reheating the frozen rings 🙂

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Cut the onion in rings. I am using white onions, I have tried with red onions too. So yellow, white , red…they are all good.Image

 

The shortcut to the batter is to use  pancake mix . To  cup of pancake mix , add red chilli powder, garlic powder, a pinch of salt. In case you can’t get pancake mix, you can make your own as below :
1/2 cup flour
3/4 tsp salt
pepper
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup milk

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Add water to make a batter, the batter doesn’t have to be smooth. consistency similar to bajji/pakora batter.Image
 
Bread crumbs ( any kind, regular, panko or pulsed cornflakes).Image
 
Dip the onion rings in the batter and then roll them in bread crumbs.Image
 
These are ready to be fried. Image
 
Fry the rings in oil to golden brown.Image
 
Coating with bread crumbs is optional. I prefer just batter fried rings… kids do love the crunch of the bread crumbs.Image
 
To make a simple dipping sauce : Mix your favorite hot sauce with your favorite ranch.
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Wasn’t that easy ? 🙂
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Oats Kichadi


Tired of eating oats with maple, brown sugar, cinnamon and fruits…try this savory oats recipe for a change…Image

Soak 1 cup of green grams (whole moong) for about 4 hours.

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Cook the green grams thoroughly. (I pressure cooked them).

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Plain oats – 1 cup.

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Onions, Tomatoes, Green chillies (I’ve used two), garlic – chopped, grated carrots, green beans

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In a pan, heat a spoon of oil and fry cumin seeds. Then sauté the green chillies, garlic and onions.

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Saute carrots and green beans (you can add vegetables of your choice) and finally add the chopped tomatoes.

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After the veggies soften add 2.5 cups of water

(1 cup of oatmeal : 2.5 cups of water)

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When water boils add the oats. I am using quick oats. Check the box for cooking time and water quantity.
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Cook for about 5 mins. If needed add more water and add salt to taste. Once the oats are cooked , stir in the cooked green grams and sook in low hear for another 5 mins.

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For seasoning : black pepper and cumin – crushed, chopped ginger, curry leaves
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Heat a spoon of oil and fry the pepper, cumin, curry leaves and ginger.
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Mix with the cooked oats.
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For garnish and to add texture, dry roast some nuts. I roast them in microwave for about a minute.Image
Top the oats with the dry roasted nut, chopped carrots and herbs of your choice. I’ve used curry leaves here.This is a complete meal with whole grains, lentils, vegetables and nuts.

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