URAD DAL VADA

Urad dal vada is Maharashtrian recipe using urad dal or black lentil. To make festive time fun-filled and special, most of us prepare delicious foods. They are very easy, quick and delicious and can be made during any festivals or even as a tea time snack during monsoon. I got to learn this vada recipe from my Aai [mother]  because it was made on festivals like Gauri- Ganpati and Shradh every year. Thses vadas are must to be  offered to the God during these puja. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Urad Dal

2-3 Green Chillies

4-5 Garlic Cloves

1 teaspon Cumin seeds

Handful of Coriander Leaves

Salt as needed

Oil for frying

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Wash and soak urad dal for 5-6 hours or overnight.

STEP 2 – Drain excess water and spread it on strainer to dry.

STEP 3 – Now mix other ingredients  except salt and grind it roughly in mixer grinder.

Use 1 tablespoon water if you are not be able to grind.

Don’t make fine paste. Don’t use extra water while grinding.

STEP 4 – Dal batter should be stiff and smooth. Drop a pinch of batter in a bowl of water. If it floats, the consistency is right. If it drowns, it shows you have added more water. So be careful while grinding the dal.

STEP 5 - Transfer the paste/ batter in the bowl. Add salt in it and adjust if less. Mix it well.

STEP 6 – Heat oil in a wide vok/ kadai on medium heat.

STEP 7 – Take a plastic sheet, apply water on it and also on your hands.

STEP 8 – Drop a pinch of batter in oil, if it rises immediately to the top, oil is just right.  Take small lemon size portion of vada batter

and shape vada over it by pressing the batter with your fingers.

STEP 9 – Make a whole in the center.

Now keep the flame medium and slowly slide the vada in hot oil.

STEP 10 – Deep fry it till golden brown and crispy.

Remove from oil and drain the excess oil on kitchen towel or tissue paper.

STEP 11 – Likewise make all the vadas with the leftover batter and fry them. Serve them hot.

Serve the vada hot with mint chutney or tomato ketchup. 

TANDALACHI KHEER / RICE KHEER / RICE PUDDING

Tandalachi kheer or rice kheer is authentic Maharashtrian recipe along with modak recipe. This is easy to make and very healthy and delicious which takes only 30 minutes to prepare. There are many variations in making kheer like lauki ki kheer, carrot kheer, makhana kheer, sbudana kheer and many more. Among all of them, rice kheer is my most favourite and also most popular in India. Rice kheer or rice pudding is rice cooked in milk and sugar. It is flavoured with cardamom powder and saffron. Here I had made it with fresh uncooked rice but you can make it with leftover rice too. Using leftover rice for making kheer is the best way to use and finish the leftover cooked rice.  Today I am sharing the recipe with uncooked rice and will share the another version with cooked rice in future. Rice kheer is popular dessert prepared in many household throughout India. The rice kheer is known by different names in India, in North India this is called rice kheer, in South India it’s known as payasam, while in west, they call it as rice pudding. Rice kheer is served as a dessert in many other countries including the middle east, south east regions. The flavouring agent that they use are the ones locally available and vary from one place to another.  

INGREDIENTS:

½ Cup Basamati Rice[see notes]

1 litre Milk

4-6 tablespoon Sugar [according to taste]

1 teaspoon Cardamom Powder

10-15 Raisins

Chopped nuts of your choice

1 tablespoon Desiccated Coconut

2-3 tablespoon Ghee

Saffron strands for garnishing

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Wash rice, drain water and spread on kitchen towel. Let them dry for ½ an hour.[or you can soak them in enough water for 30 minutes]

STEP 2 – Once dried, [or soaked] grind them in mixer grinder.

Don’t make fine powder Keep it coarse.

STEP 3 – Now in a pan, heat ghee

and add rice to it, roast it till golden brown,

add milk in it and let it cook. Stir it continuously to avoid lumps.

STEP 4 – Cook till the rice is done by stirring occasionally. Cook it on low flame, don’t increase the flame otherwise the milk will spill over.  Mash the rice while cookimg with the back of the ladle.

STEP 5 – Add sugar in it and mix well. Cook for another 5 minutes.

STEP 6 – Now add in chopped nuts and raisins and give a nice stir.

STEP 7 – Add desiccated coconut in it and mix well and cook for 1-2 minute.

Add cardamom powder and mix it well. Kheer is ready to serve.

Serve the rice kheer hot or chilled before serving. It tastes better with hot poori. Try it and share your experience.

NOTES: Any rice can be used to make kheer but if basamati rice is there use that only. It gives nice aroma to your kheer.

STUFFED BREAD OMELETTE

Bread Omelette is a common breakfast item in most of the household, still I would like to go with this recipe for those who are new to cooking but don’t know much about it. Egg is one thing which is always available in my fridge. My family love eggs and I like to cook in many ways like french toast, egg paratha, egg curry, egg bhurji or simple boiled eggs.  This is not regular bread and omelette as we are used to. Here I stuffed the sandwiched bread in the omelette itself. Yes you heard it right the bread is inside the omelette is so inviting with its soft texture. Here I sandwiched the bread with some vegetables and then it is to be stuffed in the omelette.  This is very hit at my place, hope you people like the variation. Here I used capsicum and onions for my recipe with some seasonings but you can use other veggies too.  Egg recipes are  quite filling and healthy too. So do try this variation and let me know.

INGREDIENTS:

4 Bread Slice

3 Eggs[see notes]

For Stuffing:

1 Tomato, chopped finely

1 onion, chopped finely

1/2 capsicum, chopped finely

1 tablespoon Spring Onion Greens

1 Green Chilli Chopped[optional]

¼ teaspoon Black Pepper Powder

1 tablespoon Grated Cheese

1 tablespoon Oil

A pinch of Salt

2 tablespoon Tandoori Mayonnase

Egg Mixture:

1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

A pinch of Turmeric Powder

1/2 teaspoon Chilli Flakes

1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper Powder[optional]

Salt as needed

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Mix all the under the title stuffing.

Mix well and keep aside.

STEP 2 – Take eggs in a bowl, add salt and whisk them.

Keep aside.

[here you can add a pinch of black pepper powder to your egg mixture’]

STEP 3 – Cut the bread slice into rectangles/ half the way into 2 pieces.[see notes]

STEP 4 – Now take 1 slice of bread, put the stuffing over it and spread evenly.

STEP 5 – Cover it with the second bread. Likewise prepare all the sandwiches. Keep aside. 

 

STEP 6 – Now heat a no-stick pan with 1 teaspoon oil.

Pour some egg mixture over it. Spread it evenly and make a thin omelette.

STEP 7 – Now keep the bread sandwich in the center of the omelette

and start folding the omelette from all sides one by one.

STEP 8 – When folded by all sides press a little with the help of the wooden spatula.

STEP 9 – Now flip the sandwich gently and cook from the other side.

STEP 10 – When cooked from both the sides, remove from the tawa.

Cut it and serve it.

Serve the stuffed omelette hot with any dip of your liking or enjoy it with tomato ketchup.

 NOTES:       * Veggies can be added according to your choice.

                 * Adjust the number of eggs accordingly.

                 * I used whole bread slice to stuff and cut it after cooking. You can do both the ways.

SUNFLOWER PARATHA / MIX VEG CHEESY PARATHA

Today’s recipe is a kid’s friendly recipe that is cheesy mix veg paratha or sunflower paratha. This is one of  my daughter’s  favourite paratha that I often make for her.Few days back when I was searching something on Internet, I saw a video of a roadside vendor. It was run by a lady and that lady making parathas very easily which really inspired me. She is making parathas as well as attending her costumers also. I really got impressed by her style of serving the paratha to the costumers. I tried to copy her recipe, don’t know about others but my family enjoyed the parathas.  These parathas tastes great when they served hot with loads of grated cheese sprinkled on the top. The name sounds little funny but I think it was given by the shape of the paratha. So let’s see what is there in that recipe. This is quick and easy recipe but needs some practice.  This paratha is nothing but a regular wheat  paratha sthuffed with vegetables and cheese mix. Don’t use tomato for stuffing because  then you are not be able to roll the parartha.  As kids love to eat pizza so I think this paratha is perfect for the times when they want to give them something that is  homemade as well delicious and healthy.

INGREDIENTS:

½ Cup Grated Cabbage

½ Cup Capsicum Juliennes

¼ Cup Carrot Juliennes

¼  Cup Sliced Onion

½ Cup Grated Cheese

¼ Cup Mozzarella Cheese

Salt as needed

¼ teaspoon Black Pepper Powder

1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

2 tablespoon Besan/ Gram flour

Other Things:

¼ Cup Grated Cheese

 2 tablespoon Chopped Coriander

1 teaspoon Mixed herbs

1 teaspoon Chilli Flakes

For making Paratha Dough:

2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

1 teaspoon Oil

1 teaspoon Salt

Water

METHOD:

For making dough:

STEP 1 – Take a bowl or plate, add flour to it with oil and salt. Mix it well. Add water gradually  and make a smooth paratha dough. Cover it and keep it aside for 10 minutes.

For making the stuffing:

STEP 1 – Mix all the ingredients for stuffing. Mix well.

STEP 2 – Make a ball by mixing it well. Keep aside.

How to proceed:

STEP 1 – After 10 minutes, again knead the dough once again. Make equal portions with it.

STEP 2 – Make equal portions of the stuffing.

STEP 3 – Take one portion or the dough, dust little flour and make a cup/ bowl with it.

STEP 4 – Now place the stuffing ball in to it.Close all the sides well.

STEP 5 –  Make a ball again, roll it in flour and start rolling on a dusted platform.

STEP 6 – Roll it very gently so that the vegetables do not comes out.

STEP 7 – Heat a non-stick tawa on low flame.

STEP 8 – Place the paratha on tawa and roast it.

STEP 9 – When done from one side, flip it and roast it from other side.

STEP 10 – When roasted on both sides, apply ghee / butter/ oil and roast it well till crispy. When done, remove from the tawa and serve.

Serving :

STEP 1 - Give cuts to your paratha with the pizza cutter like pizza.

STEP 2 – Don’t give the cuts thoroughly, only upper crust need the cuts.Now open the cuts outwards like a sunflower.

STEP 3 –  Add grated cheese and chopped coriander over the paratha.

Serve hot cheesy paratha with mint chutney and tomato sauce and enjoy.