Dal Dosa with Suji Upma and Peanut Chutney

When I came to US, all I know about food from south India was Sambhar Idli, Sambhar Vada, Sambhar Dosa and Uttapam. Thanks to my wonderful friends and acquaintances for helping me to discover food from south other than Idli and Dosa. Now I can proudly talk about Bisi Bela Bhat, Bhagare Baigan, lemon rice, Kesari halwa and many many more.

Today I'm talking about Dal Dosa (Pesarattu) with Upma and Peanut Chutney. This is something special for my family as this is not in regular menu. We enjoyed it, its healthy and absolutely delicious.

Just to make it "jara hat ke" I made them with mixed Dal.

Mixed Dal Dosa with Upma
1/4 cup each, Toor Dal, Chana Dal, Moong Dal, Urad Dal, Masoor Dal
(Wash and soak in water overnight or at least 4-6 hours)
Ginger- 1 tsp chopped
Green Chillies- 2
Cumin seed Pd
Hing- just a pinch
salt
Oil
Drain the soaked Dal and grind it in the grinder with ginger and green chillies, adding sufficient water to make it in to a smooth dosa batter. Later add salt, cumin pd and asofetida pd. Heat flat pan, pour spoonful of batter in the center and spread it round in shape. Pour little oil on top and edges of dosa. When you can see golden color flip it in to other side. Cook that side for 30 seconds and serve hot with suji upma and peanut chutney.

Suji Upma

1/2 cup Roasted Suji
1 Onion Chopped
1 green Chilli chopped
2 tbsp roasted peanut coarsely grounded
1 tsp Chana Dal
1 tsp Urad Dal
1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
5-6 Curry Leaves
Chopped ginger
salt
Lemon Juice
2 tbsp Oil
1 1/2 cup water

Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds, both dal and curry leaves. Fry for sometime till dal becomes golden in color. Now add onion, ginger and green chillies. Fry until onion is soft. Add peanuts and suji. Mix them well and add water in it.(Be careful while mixing there should be no lumps in it)
Give it a boil and now add salt and cook till it becomes thick.
Serve hot garnished with chopped onion and coriander.

This is super easy and super delicious. We can have it for breakfast, lazy lunch or quick dinner.(If the batter is in the refrigirator)

Poha- The Breakfast

Poha ---Not a new name, nor a new recipe. One of the most popular and easy to cook breakfast or snack with a tea in the evening.

Poha
1 cup-Poha/Flattened Rice
1 tbsp Oil
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
6-7 Curry Leaves
1 Green Chilli Chopped
1 Onion Finely Sliced
1 Big Potato Cubed and boiled
1/2 cup Boiled Peas
2 tbsp Grated Coconut (fresh/frozen)
1/4 cup Roasted Peanut
(cashews and raisins optional)
1/2 tsp Turmeric Pd
1/2 tsp Sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
salt

In a colander/seive wash poha under running water until all wet and keep it aside to drain.
Heat oil in a wok/pan add mustard seeds, when they start to crackle add curry leaves, g-chilli and onion. Saute onion till translucent and soft. Add potato, peas, coconut, peanut turmeric pd and sugar. Mix it well and cook 2-3 minutes. (add little water if needed) Once vegetables are cooked add poha (sprinkle little water if it becomes too dry) Mix it well and switch off the gas. Cover it for 2-3 minutes. Mix lime juice and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve with grama-garam adrak ki chai.

It goes to "Show me your Breakfast" event hosted by Divya of Dil Se.
Thank u Divya.

Happy Birthday !

Every Year I have the same question in my mind before my husband's b'day. What gift should I give him this year?
What gift is more precious than a food cooked with love and care for the likeness and choice of the person it has been cooked.
This is my gift for my husband on his Birthday.

Stuffed Shells


Large Pasta Shells-12 or as needed
Salt
2 tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
Pot of boiling water.

Cook shells in boiling salted water as per directed on the box. Once cooked, drain the water and add olive oil. Mix it well with light hands. It helps shells stay seprated without sticking with each other.

Pasta Sauce- Homemade or Ready made Ur call, I used Marinara Sauce.
1 1/2 cup- Low fat Cottage Cheese
2 cups- washed and chopped Spinach
1 tbsp- Ready to use Chopped Jalapenos
2 tbsp - grated Parmesan Cheese
Mozzarella Cheese to sprinkle on top
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
2 tbsp- Chopped Fresh Parsley (fresh makes lot of difference)
4- cloves garlic chopped
Salt and Pepper
oil

Heat oil in a pan, add garlic, saute for few seconds and add chopped spinach. Cook 3-5 minutes, season it with salt and pepper. Cook on high flame for some more time until water from spinach evaporated. Keep it aside to cool down. Mix together cottage cheese, jalapenos, Italian seasoning, Parsley, Parmesan and cooked spinach. Taste it and season it according to taste. Spoon this mixture gently and carefully in to cooked shells.
Preheat the oven at 35o degrees F.
Grease baking dish and pour 1 cup of marinara sauce in to it. Spread it and prepare a bed for stuffed shells. Arrange stuffed shells in the baking dish. Spoon some of the sauce on the shells and sprinkle Mozzarella cheese. Cover tightly with aluminium foil and bake covered on the lower rack for 30-35 minutes.

Stuffed Bread


I read the recipe for Cherry-Go-Round in Taste Of Home's Holiday Celebrations. I liked the presentation of the bread. Its a sweat bread so I changed the stuffing and the recipe according to our palate. Thank U TOH's.

For the bread-
2 tsp Yeast
2 tsp Sugar
1/4 cup Lukewarm Water
Mix well yeast and sugar in a water. Keep it aside for 10 minutes for proofing. It should rise and foam up.

2 1/2 cups Bread flour
1/2 cup Yogurt (that day was tuesday, no egg day for us)
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp Oil
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 cup warm Milk

Mix oil, salt, yogurt and soda in to the flour. Now add risen yeast and mix it well. Knead it in to a soft and springy dough with warm milk as needed. (atleast 5 minutes) Cover and leave it in a warm place for 4-6 hours.

For the stuffing-
1 chopped onion
2 cloves chopped Garlic
1 cup crumbled Paneer
1 1/2 cup chopped Mushroom
2 tbsp Tomato Ketchup
salt
pinch of sugar
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
2 tbsp oil

Heat oil in a pan add garlic and onion. Saute until brown in color. Add mushroom, salt, sugar, and IS. Stir it well and cook for 5 minutes till mushroom are soft and cooked. Now add paneer and tomato ketchup. Give it a stir, check the seasoning and cook another 2 minutes. Keep it aside to cool down.

Take out the dough and punch it down. Now roll it into a evenly flattened rectangle. (it should big enough to make a ring when u rolled the stuffing) Spread the stuffing within 1/2 inch of edges. Now roll up Jelly-Roll style, pinch seams and tuck ends under.

Line baking sheet with the parchment paper. Place the dough seam side down on baking sheet and pinch ends together to form a ring. This is a tricky part, with kitchen scissors cut from outside edge 2/3 of the way toward centre of the ring at 1 inch intervals. Seprate strips slightly and twist to allow filling to show. Cover and let rise until doubled atleast for an hour.

Bake at 350 degree F for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

This was my first time, probably next time I can give more accurate pictures. All I can say is it tastes wonderful.


Strawberry Bundt cake was the star of the evening though Birthday boy had a soft corner for stuffed bread. My son was happy with stuffed shells. (We also had Fruit Medley and Brown Rice Fried Rice. ) And I was happy looking at two happy faces in front of me.

Touch Wood.

Asparagus Crescent Rolls

My son loves Crescent Rolls and tubes of Pillsbury Quick Dinner Rolls are the necessary item in my refrigerator. Like other kids of his age he is also not so crazy about greens. And now even become hesitant in trying out new things. So one lazy Sunday evening I decided to make his favourite crescent rolls with a little tweak. I added these asparagus with cheese while rolling out crescent shape and served warm to my son with a winner smile on my face.

Asparagus Crescent Rolls

Tube of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
Asparagus Spears trimmed and washed
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil
Grated Cheese

Pre-Heat oven to 375F.
Toss Asparagus with oil, salt and pepper. Unroll the Pillsbury Dough and separate in to triangles.
Place seasoned asparagus spears on narrow side of the triangle. Sprinkle cheese and roll up according to the instruction in to Crescent shape. Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve warm.


June is a month of celebration for us. And it started from 2nd June (yesterday) with my Hubby Dear B'day. We had a nice evening yesterday and personally I had a busy day. I will share my recipes in coming posts for now pictures straight from my party table.

Freshly Baked Bouquet-----My Click!

This was my very first attempt of baking edible cookies. I was very excited and encouraged with the results. (Thanks to my son for encouraging me the most by demanding and eating them many times a day ((I was happy and not so happy coz he was skipping his dinner)) I'm glad there is not many left now. With the cookies in mind I thought why not take a dip in photography and participate in very popular and in demand Event-Click.

With no experience in photography and not much savvy about photoshop I tried and clicked.

Today is a last day, so not much time in hand to take an advice from you guys which picture is good. I chose one and prefer to keep it in original form without using any effects. From my mind it is very Spring-y, amateurish but there is always a first time ....with time I'll improve.

These are Oatmeal Chocolate chips Cookies, I'll post the recipe very soon with some more pictures. I have to edit and post it before 30th may to partcipate in Click. So have to rush, wish me good luck for this event.

With out any further delay This is my click ready to partcipate in the Event Click-May 2009 Cookies. Thank You Jai and Bee Jugalbandi rules.

Glimpse of my favourite Color......

I never used to like saag before my marriage. Mom always had a tough time when ever she made (no matter how tempting it sound) Makke ki Roti aur Sarson ka Saag. After Marriage I slowly discovered Vegetables, fruits or matter of fact "everything" I hated all these years. Everything I hated have special likeness in my Hubby's life. I started with " I'll cook it for You" and ended up liking everything I hated before. ( Credit goes to my laziness for not to cook for myself)

Now, Karela, baigun, saag, beans ..........I can eat anything, not just eat I really like them.(Setting a good example for my son)And my parents are happy too.

Sarson Ka Saag

1 Bunch Sarson (Mustard Green) - Washed

1 Bunch Palak (Spinach) - Washed

1 Big Onion - Finely Chopped

Ginger- Garlic - Finely Chopped

1 Green Chili - Chopped

1 Tomato - Finely chopped

2 tbsp Makki ka Atta

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp Garam Masala

1/2 tsp Turmeric Pd

Red Chili Pd or whole Dried Red Chili - Acc.to taste

1/2 tsp Amchoor Pd

Mix the greens and boil in enough water for 3-5 minutes. (Try not to cover while boiling to retain green color ) Let it cool down for some time before grinding it in to smooth paste.

Heat oil/ghee/butter in a pan and add ginger-garlic, green chili and onion. Fry onion until soft and then add makki ka atta.

Fry it at least for a minute on medium flame and add tomato and rest of the masalas. Mix it well and fry till the oil separates from the gravy. Now its time to add pureed greens, mix it well and add water if needed. Cook it for 15-20 minutes on low flame. Mix Amchoor pd and serve garma garm with makki ki roti, gur, mirchi ka achar and mint raita.

I garnished it with ginger and cubes of butter.

This recipe goes to Food In Colours started by Sunshinemom and hosted by Sweatha of Curry Leaf FIC-Favourite this month.

My fav. color is green that signifies Life, Nature, Growth and Harmony.

Vegetable Stir-Fry Idlis

Vegetable Stir-Fry Idlis

10- left-over or fresh Idlis
1- Sliced Onion

1/2 cup Julienned Carrot

1/2 cup Thinly sliced Green Pepper

1/2 cup finely shredded Cabbage (I used red cabbage for color)

1 tbsp Oil

1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds

2 tbsp Tomato Ketchup

1 tsp Hot Sauce

salt

lemon Juice or chaat Masala (optional)

Cut the idlis Lengthwise. Heat oil in a stir-fry pan and add mustard seeds. When they start to crackle add vegetables and stir-fry for 4-5 minutes. Add tomato ketchup and hot sauce. Mix it well and cook for few more seconds. (use little bit of water if needed) Now add Idlis and salt(use less as tomato ketchup and hot sauce already had some) and toss well until they are well coated with the vegetable sauce.

Serve hot.