Lemon/Lime rice

Very easy and instant dish. Convenient for picnics

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked rice

4-5 tbsps lemon juice

1 tbsp chana dal

2 tbsp urad dal

2 tbsps peanuts(ground nuts)

1 tbsp cashew nuts

1/2 tbsp mustard seeds

1/2 tbsp chopped ginger(optional)

Pinch of Hing

1/4 tsp turmeric

few curry leaves

salt to taste

1 tbsp oil

2 green chilies,make a slit

2 dry red chilies,tear into pieces

Preparations:

Add salt into the lemon juice, mix until salt dissolves.

Procedure:

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and as they begin to splutter, add chana dal, urad dal, peanuts and cashew nuts. fry them until they turn to light red.

Add curry leaves, green chilies, red chilies, chopped ginger and fry them for 1 more min.

Add hing(asafoetida) and turmeric pwd. fry for few seconds.

Add the rice, mix well until the seasoning coats rice well and turn off heat.

add salted lemon juice, combine well.

Serve as it is or with curd.

Oats Idly

Here i came up with another breakfast idea with oats. i.e., oats idly.
Instead of adding idli rawa, i used oats for making idly.

Ingredients:

1 cup urad dal(spitted black gram)
2 cups of oats
1 tsp oil

Procedure:

Soak urad dal for 4 to 5hrs.
Soak oats for 5 mins before grinding.
Add urad dal and oats into mixer jar and grind them both to fine paste.
Add salt and ferment for over night.
Take idly molds and grease with some oil, pour the dough as idlis.
Cook idlis for 10 mins, let them cool for 2 mins.
Remove from idli plate and serve.

we can also make instant idles without ferment the dough.

Serve with any kind of chutney.

Vegetable Fried Rice

We can make this using freshly cooked rice or with left over rice too.

Ingredients :
3 cups cooked rice
11/2 cups mixed vegetables(frozen/fresh)
2 tbsps ginger-garlic paste
1/4 tsp turmeric
11/2 tbsp coriander pwd
chopped cilantro(coriander leaves)
1 tbsp black pepper pwd
2 tbsp chili garlic sauce(Adjust)
2 tbsp soy sauce
11/2 tbsps oil
salt to taste
few cashew nuts(for garnish)

Procedure:

Heat oil in a pan, add mixed vegtables and let them cook for 10 minutes. Open the lid, add 2 to 3 tbsps of water,mix once and again let them cook for 5 more minutes with lid.
You can also add boiled vegetables for quick version of this fried rice.

Once the vegetables are cooked, add the chili garlic sauce, coriander pwd, ginger garlic paste, salt, pepper and saute for 3 to 4 mins. now add the soy sauce, saute for 1 min.

Add the rice little by little and mix immediately. Saute continuously for 2-3 mins. The rice has to coat with all the spices. Add coriander leaves, turn off the heat.

Garnish with roasted cashew nuts.

Oats Vegetable Upma

We all know about oats and its benefits. whole grain oatmeal provides essential nutrients, including B vitamins, iron, and fiber.


I made oats upma with mixed vegetables and i am sharing the recipe here.

Ingredients:
1 cup of oats
1 cup of mixed vegetables(i have taken carrot,beans,green peas and corn)
1 tbsp urad dal(spitted black grams)
3 green chilies, make slit
few curry leaves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
pinch of hing
11/2 cup water


Preparations:
Dry roast the oats until they turn brown.


Procedure:
Heat oil in a pan, add urad dal, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green chilies and saute for 2 mins.
Add curry leaves, hing and again saute for few seconds.
Add mixed vegetables and saute for 2 mins.
Add water, salt. Place lid and let the water boil  .
when the water is boiling, add the roasted oats, stir and place the lid. let it cook for 3 to 4 mins on a medium flame.
Open the lid, mix once and turn off the heat.


Enjoy the heart healthy breakfast.

Spicy eggplant fry in a very simple and quick way

This dish needs very few ingredients. its very simple, quick and tasty. I have taken a big eggplant also called as Bengal eggplant.

Ingredients :

1 eggplant(Medium Size)
11/2 tbsps ginger-garlic paste
1 tbsp garam masal pwd
11/2 tbsp coriander pwd
1 tbsp red chili pwd
pinch of turmeric
salt to taste
3 tbsps oil
2 tsps water

Preparations:
Wash and dry the eggplant. Cut into 1 inch round pieces like shown in the below pic.

Take a bowl and Prepare masala mixture by adding chili pwd, coriander pwd, turmeric, salt, ginger-garlic paste and water.

Procedure:
Cook the eggplant pieces in microwave for about 8 mins. If  microwave is not available you can directly cook them on a pan.but it will take more time and oil.

Let them cool down for 5 mins. Apply masala mixture on both sides of the eggplant.

Heat oil in a pan, add the masala coated eggplants.

Eggplants before frying

Fry them for 2 mins on each side and turn off the heat.

Serve with roti or hot rice..

Masala Vada(Chana Dal Vada)

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups Chana Dal
Goose berry sized Ginger
2 cinnamon Sticks, 4 cloves
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 green chilies, finely chopped
1 small Onion(finely chopped)
Chopped cilantro/corinader leaves - 5tbsps
few curry leaves
Oil for deep frying
salt to taste

PREPARATIONS:
Soak the chana dal  for about 5 to 6 hrs.wash and drain the water. Divide the chana dal into 2 equal batches.
take the first batch, add chopped ginger, salt, cinnamon sticks,clove and little bit of water(3 to 4 tbsps) grind them into a fine paste. Transfer the paste into a bowl. take the second batch, make it into a course powder without adding any water.

PROCEDURE:
combine the ground paste into the course powder, add curry leaves, coriander leaves, chopped onion, chopped green chillies and cumin seeds. Combine them all.
Heat oil for deep frying. when the oil is hot, take a small portion(lemon sized) of the combined mixture, press between your hands.just a gentle press should be enough. Drop it into hot oil. be careful while dropping into oil. Fry both sides until vadas turn into golden brown.

Simple Shrimp(Prawns) Fry

INGREDIENTS:

250 gms peeled and de-veined prawns or shrimp
1 large onions(finely chopped)
2 slit green chillis
1 tsps ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp coriander pwd
1/2 tsp cumin pwd
1/2 tsp garam masala pwd
pinch of turmeric pwd
1 tsp red chilli pwd (adjust)
salt to taste
few curry leaves
2 tbsps oil


PROCEDURE:

First Marinate the shrimp with ginger garlic paste, chilli pwd, turmeric pwd, coriander pwd, cumin pwd and salt for 30 minutes
Add half a cup of water to the marinated shrimp and cook for 4-5 mts. Turn off heat, drain the water and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan, add onions, green chillis and curry leaves and saute till the onions turn into light brown

Now add the cooked Shrimp and garam masala pwd and stir fry for 3-4 mts. Adjust salt and turn off heat.

Serve with roti or hot rice. Can also Serve as a starter dish