Upma Kozukatai / Broken Rice Balls

This is one of my favourite tiffens. My mom's special.

Things we need

Rice - 1 1/2 cups
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Oil - 2 1/2 spoon
Mustard seeds - 1 spoon
Red chillies - 6/7
Urad dal - 1 spoon
Channa dal- 1 spoon
Asafoetida
Water

Grind the rice coarsly.
In a kadai, take oil. Once it is hot, add the mustard Seeds, red chilli, channa dal, urad dal, asafoetida. When the lentils are golden brown, add 3 1/4 cups of water. then add the coconut. Allow it to boil, then add the rice rava (broken rice) & mix them well. They absorb water & become a little solid. It doesn't need to be cooked. This is how it would look (uncooked).




Then allow it cool & make small balls out of it. Take a pressure cooker and place them inside a vessel. It has to be steam cooked (without the weight) for 12 mins.
IT can be steam cooked using a electric rice cooker too.

Its done. Its very yummy with Katrikai Gotsu or Coconut chutney or idli sambar.

Mixed Paneer Fry/ Indian Cheese Fry

Things we need

Paneer - 1 packet

Tomato - 2

Onions - 2

Green peas - 1 cup

Corriander Leaves

Oil

Green chillies - 3/4
Curry leaves

Cumin seeds

Cumin powder

Corriander powder

Chilli powder

Ginger garlic paste

Turmeric

Garam Masala powder

Salt

Preparation

Cut the paneer into small cubes. Then in a kadai, take a some oil fry the paneer until they are little brown. Then put them on a paper towel to get off the excess oil. After sometime, put the fried paneer in water for 2 mins. Then taken them out & squeeze them gently. We do this to ensure that the paneer is soft.

In a skillet, take 2 spoons of oil. When hot, add cumin seeds, curry leaves, chopped onions.

When they are translucent, add a little salt, turmeric, ginger garlic paste, tomatoes & green peas. Then add the cumin powder, chilli powder, corriander powder. When they are cooked add the paneer and then the garam masala powder.

Mix then well. And finally add the chopped corriander leaves to garnish.

It tastes good with roti.

Mundiri urundai/ Cashew Balls

This is an item I learnt from my Mom in law. We so this for the festival of Karthigai.

Cashew is an all time fovourite for many of us. So lets explore.

Things we need

Cashew 1/4 kg

Jaggery 200 gm

Cardamom powder

Ghee to fry

Water

In a kadai, fry the cashew and keep them aside. Dissolve the jaggery in 1/2 glass of water & aloow it to boil. After 2 mins, when the jaggery is disso;ved, drain it into another vessel till the residue is left in the kadai. Most of the jeggery we buy contains some sediments of mud. Clean that out & put the liquid back in kadai & boil it well. Add the cardamom powder.

Now boil it till we get the right consistency. For that, have a small cup of water beside. Then add the jaggery syrup to the water. The jaggery will sink & not dissolve. And if you are able to make a small ball with it, its done.

Add the syrup to the cashew. Mix well. Have a little water beside. Make small balls with it.

That is all. Cashew Balls are done.

Paruppu Adai/Lentils Dosa

This is pretty similar like Dosa but since its made of dal, I can say its rich in protein.

Things we need

Idli Rice/ Puzungal aruci (in tamil) - 2 cups

Toor dal - 1/2 cup

Urad dal- 1/2 cup

Channa Dal-1/2 cup

Red chillies -5

Asafoetida

Salt

Green Chillies -4

Corriander leaves

Curry leaves

Grated Coconut - 3 spoons

Wash & Soak the rice & the lentils together for 3 hrs. Then grind salt, red chillies, green chilles, asafoetida, the soaked dals & rice, Salt . Grind them coarsly. Then add the coconut, chopped corriander & curry leaves. the batter is ready

Then in a tava/skillet, take 2 ladle full of batter, spread them around like one would do for a dosa. Add a little oil around. When one side of it is done, turn it over to get the other side cooked.
Its done. It is served best with Avial. some like it well with just jaggery. Even Coconut chutney would do good.
Chopped onions can be added to the batter too.

Mexican Veggie Bowl

This was one dish I had at Chipotle in chicago. It was so yummy I fell in love with. I searched for recipes in vain. So I kind of put things together to make a taste that is little closer to the original that is served there. When I started doing this, I felt like making our Desi Chaat..Lot of items. But it was fun to make & delicious too.

Its pretty easy & very Healthy with a lot Veggies.
Here is what we need:
Brown Rice - 1 cup
Black Bean (raw) - 1 cup
Green chillies - 3
Red chilli Powder 1/2 spoon
Ginger Garlic paste
Onions - 1 chopped well
Tomatos - Pureed (or cut into small pieces)
Cilantro leaves - chopped
Salt
Oil

Avocado - 1 ripe
Guacamole seasoning mix - 1 packet (available at Walmart or any other store)
Sour Cream

Veggies for topping
Lettuce
Onions
Corn
Green Pepper
Little lemon juice

Lets get to preparation.


RICE
Cook the brown rice as per the packet instructions. I felt they came out well when cooked in a electric cooker instead of the pressure cooker.

BEAN
Pressure cook the black beans. Take half of them & mash it . ( I used a food processor for this ) . Then in a skillet, add a little oil. When it si hot enough, add the onions & cook them till they r soft & add the ginger garlic paste, green chillies. Then add the tomatoes & saute well. Add the bean to this & then salt. Add little water & cook them well for 15 mins or so. When done, add the cilantro leaves. The bean is done.

Guacamole Sauce
Take the ripe avocados & miss them with the guacamole Mix. (use a food processor).

Veggies
Chop the lettuce
Cut the onions, green pepper length wise. (nothing to do with the way of cutting them. I felt that they just render a different look to the dish.)

In a skillet, take oil, when its hot, add the onions, green pepper & corn . Add a little salt.. Cook them jus a little & when done add a little lemon juice on top of them.

Now let’s put them all together. In a bowl, add the brown rice, then the bean, chopped lettuce, then the onion, green pepper & corn mix. 1 spoon of Guacamole Sauce, 1 spoon of Sour Cream. Sprinkle little salt & lemon on top.

¡buen provecho (Bon Appetit)