SPROUTED MUNG BEANS AND METHI DHAL/CURRY




I prepared this simple dish from some left over mung bean sprouts I had after making a salad. I added some methi leaves and some seasonings and it was totally delicious. It went well with rice and rasam. I have kept the preparation very simple without adding any powders. If needed, sambar powder and chili powder can be added to this dhal for additional taste.


INGREDIENTS:

  1. Whole moong dhal or mung bean sprouts, 1 cup.
  2. Methi (fenugreek) leaves, 1 bunch.
  3. Medium-size red onion, 1.
  4. Green chilies, 1-2.
  5. Garlic, 1 clove or garlic paste, 1/2 teaspoon.
  6. Mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon.
  7. Cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon.
  8. Asafetida, 1 pinch.
  9. Salt as per taste.
  10. Curry leaves and chopped cilantro for garnishing.
  11. Turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon.


PREPARATION:

Wash the mung bean sprouts. Remove the methi leaves from the stems and rinse them to take out the dirt. Dice the onion and green chili finely and crush the garlic coarsely. Take a pressure cooker or a pressure pan and put the washed mung bean sprouts, greens, diced onions, chilies, crushed garlic, curry leaves, turmeric powder, salt as per taste along with some water just enough to cover everything. Pressure cook for about 10-15 minutes up to 3 whistles. When the pressure is released, mash the content with the back of the spatula. Meanwhile heat a small pan with 1 teaspoon of oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start to splutter, add the cumin seeds, asafetida let them fry for 30 seconds and switch off the stove. Add the seasonings to the dhal and mix everything well, garnish with chopped cilantro, and serve hot with idlis, dosas, rotis, or rice.

APPLE CAKE




Dear friends, I hope everybody is having a good holiday weekend. We are having quite a busy weekend over here that I hardly had time to post this recipe, which I prepared on Christmas Eve. I found this cake recipe here. This is a simple one but delicious though made without any icing and it was perfect for us. We are not that much into icing and we love having some nuts topped on cake with dry fruits. I have used firm gala apples here and the apples were just a little bit softer after baking, which was so good. The changes I made to the original recipe are I used agave nectar instead of sugar, canola oil instead of butter, and whole wheat flour (King Arthur brand) instead of APF.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Whole wheat flour, 1-1/4 cup.
2. Diced apples, 1 cup.
3. Chopped walnuts, ½ cup.
4. 1 cup sugar or artificial sweetener.
5. Salt, a pinch.
5. Butter or oil, ½ cup.
6. Egg, 1.
7. Baking soda, ½ teaspoon.
8. Baking powder, ½ teaspoon.
9. Cinnamon powder, ¼ teaspoon.

PREPARATION:
Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon powder together. Beat the egg, butter, salt and sugar in a bowl until the mixture is frothy. Add the diced apples, along with flour mixture and mix everything just a few times until there are no lumps in the batter. Pour the batter into a greased baking dish and add the chopped walnuts on top. Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees, let it cool, and enjoy.

METHI KICHDI




I started preparing kichdi recently after seeing the recipe from a couple of food blogs. I found this dish totally comforting. The rice and dhal combination along with the spices makes a filling meal too. There were some recipes in which vegetables were also added. I made my own twist to this by adding some onions and methi leaves. Methi leaves or fenugreek leaves are very helpful in controlling the blood sugars. A teaspoon of dry fenugreek seeds soaked in water, when taken on an empty stomach in the morning is very helpful for reducing cholesterol, blood sugars, and reducing weight. I try to include these greens at least once a week in our diet either in dhals or potato dishes. I don’t know whether this is a traditional dish but this tasted really good. I paired it with a simple bell peppers curry.


INGREDIENTS:

1. Brown rice, 1 cup.

2. Whole moong dhal, ½ cup.

3. Onion, medium-size, 1.

4. Methi leaves, 1 big bunch.

5. Cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon.

6. Cinnamon, 1 small stick.

7. Bay leaf, 1.

8. Cardamom, 2 cloves.

9. Cloves, 2.

10. Salt as per taste.


PREPARATION:

Wash the rice and dhal together and soak it for 1 hour. Wash the greens and chop it into small pieces. Dice the onion finely. Heat a pan or a pressure cooker pan with a tablespoon of oil. Add the spices and fry everything for one minute until good aroma comes from the spices. Add the onions now and sauté for a few minutes until they turn tender. Drain the water from the rice and dhal and add it to the pan. Add 3 cups of water, salt, and the chopped greens, mix everything and cook everything until rice and dhal are cooked (it can be transferred to a microwave rice cooker or electric rice cooker at this stage). I used a pressure cooker for up to 3 whistles and cooked the rice. A teaspoon of ghee can be added once cooked and serve hot with any spicy side dish.


REFRIED BEANS – DIP AND CUTLETS





The inspiration for this recipe is from a Rachel Ray’s show (I saw it long back). I remember her mashing the beans with onions, garlic and spices with the back of a spatula and the serving suggestion was to top it on toasts. I used a 16-bean soup mixture instead of fava beans or black beans as suggested by RR. I made some changes to the original recipe and served it with crackers. The next day I made cutlets from the leftovers. We loved both the dishes. The cutlet tasted even better than the regular cutlets made with potatoes. Both these dishes are ideal low-carb evening snack foods.


FOR THE DIP

Ingredients:

  1. Onion, large, 1.
  2. Any types of cooked beans, 2 cups.
  3. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
  4. Salt and pepper as per taste.
  5. Chopped cilantro 1 cup.
  6. Dried herbs like dill, mint, and basil, a pinch of each.
  7. Italian seasoning or any type of seasoning mixture, ¼ teaspoon.


PREPARATION:

Drain the water from the beans and mash it into a smooth paste with the help of a blender or a spatula. Dice the onion finely. Heat a pan with a teaspoon of olive oil. When the oil turns hot, add the diced onions and sauté for a few minutes until the onions are well caramelized. Then add the mashed beans, ginger-garlic paste, dry herbs, seasonings, chopped cilantro, salt, and pepper and mix everything well. Let it cook for 5 minutes under medium flame until it reaches the desired consistency. Serve with any types of breads, chips, or crackers.

Variations: The ginger-garlic paste can be substituted with 2 cloves of crushed garlic. Some finely diced green chilies can also be added for some extra heat.


FOR THE CUTLETS:

Ingredients:

  1. Refried beans, 1 cup.
  2. Chili powder, ½ teaspoon.
  3. Salt as per taste.
  4. Whole wheat flour, ½ cup.
  5. Whole wheat bread crumbs, 1-1/2 to 2cups.


PREPARATION:

Make small patties out of the refried beans. Take the flour in a small bowl, add ¼ cup water along with the chili powder and salt and make it into a smooth batter. Take the bread crumbs in a plate. Heat a flat bottomed pan with ¼ cup of oil. Create a work station arranging the plate with the patties first, the bowl with the flour batter next, and the bread crumbs plate next to that. When the pan is hot enough, take a patty and immerse it in the flour batter. Then put it on the bread crumbs plate and cover the patty with the bread crumbs and put it on the hot pan. Repeat the same with a few more patties until the pan is covered. There should be some space between the cutlets while cooking to move them around. Let then cook for 5-7 minutes until the side facing the pan is golden-brown and crisp. Flip all the patties to the other side and let them cook for another 5 minutes. Repeat the same with the remaining patties and serve the hot cutlets hot with tomato sauce.

COLORED BELL PEPPERS PARUPPU USILI



Paruppu usili is a traditional Tamilian dish made with vegetables and lentils. The usual veggies, which go well for this are green beans and cluster beans cooked with channa dhal. This is usually served as a side dish with rice and rasam or any spicy gravies. I tried making paruppu usili with colored bell peppers and it turned out wonderful. Since the peppers were a little bit sweeter, I increased the heat level of the dish a little bit. It was totally a tasty and colorful dish

INGREDIENTS:
1. Colored bell peppers, 2.
2. Channa dhal, ½ cup.
3. Red onions, 3.
4. Green chilies, 2.
5. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon, (optional).
6. Red chilies, small, 2.
7. Cumin seeds, ½ teaspoon.
8. Mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
9. Curry leaves and cilantro for garnishing.
10. Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:
Soak the channa dhal for 1 hour and grind it to a smooth paste with the red chilies and cumin seeds. Transfer the contents to a stainless steel container and steam them for 15-20 minutes and let it cool (I used idli plates and idli cooker for this). Once cooled crumble them into small pieces and keep aside. Meanwhile chop the bell peppers into small bite-size pieces, dice the onions finely, and slit the green chilies into 2. Heat a pan with a tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the diced onions, curry leaves, and green chilies and sauté for a few minutes until the onions turn brown. Then add the ginger garlic paste, chopped bell peppers, and salt and keep sautéing for a few more minutes. When the peppers are half-done, add the crumbled channa dhal, mix everything well and keep cooking under medium-low flame for another 5-10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice and any spicy gravy.

EGG BRIYANI




This is my hubby’s favorite briyani, so I make this very often in the weekends. Some of my blogger buddies gave me the idea of cooking the briyani in the oven, I should really thank the one who came up with such an awesome idea. The flavors are concentrated when cooking in the oven and the briyani tastes so good. Again this my mother-in-law basic recipe for briyani. You can add cooked meat or vegetables instead of eggs. Most of the recipes featured in my blog are either from my grandma and my mother-in-law. My mom is a working mom (she still has a couple of years to go before retirement), so she is not that much into cooking., though these days she is trying out different dishes from all the blogs. I know my mom is going to get mad reading this post :)…that’s the idea! For the first time, hubby dear pitched in to take the photographs of the dish, so the photos will be a little bit different than my usual but I like it this way.


INGREDIENTS:

1. Basmati rice, good quality one, 1 cup.

2. Boiled eggs, 2.

3. Onions, medium-size, 3.

4. Tomatoes 2.

5. Green chilies, 1-2.

6. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 tablespoon.

7. Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.

8. Chopped mint leaves, ½ cup.

9. Curry leaves and cilantro for garnishing.

10. Cinnamon, 1 small stick.

11. Bay leaf, large, 1.

12. Cloves, 2.

13. Star anise, 1.

14. Cardamom, 2 pods.

15. Fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon.

16. Salt as per taste.

17. Chopped cashews, 1 tablespoon.


PREPARATION:

Wash the rice well and soak it for one hour. To fry the eggs, heat a small pan with 1 tablespoon of oil and ¼ cup of water. Add 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder and a pinch of salt. Let it cook for a few minutes and when the mixture is thick, cut the eggs and place them gently on the pan. Turn the eggs once or twice until all the sides are well coated with the oil and each side gets brown. Set the eggs aside. Dice the onions and tomatoes finely. Heat a thick bottomed pan, preferably a pressure pan or pressure cooker with 2 tablespoons of oil. When the oil turns hot, add all the spices and cashews and let them fry for a minute. Then add the chopped onions and curry leaves and sauté them for a few minutes until the onions turn brown. Now add the chopped tomatoes, slit green chilies, ginger-garlic paste and keep sautéing until everything is blended. Add the chili powder and salt and let it cook for a few more minutes. Drain the water from the rice and add the rice to the onion and tomato mixture. Let the rice get fried for 5 minutes along with the spices. Add 2 cups of water and mix everything well just once. Close the pan and increase the heat to high. Once everything starts boiling, slow down the flame to medium-low and let it cook for 10 minutes. At this stage the rice will be almost done.

For the usual briyani method, you can let the rice continue cooking and add the fried eggs, chopped mint and cilantro leaves in the end, let it sit for 30 minutes and serve with raita. For the oven method, add the fried eggs to a baking dish and pour over the briyani on the top of the eggs along with chopped mint leaves and cilantro and mix everything. Close the baking dish with aluminum foil as tightly as possible. Put the dish into a preheated oven and cook for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve hot briyani with raita and enjoy.


Note: A tablespoon of ghee can be added in the end before serving.

WHOLE WHEAT BANANA WALNUT CAKE




Banana walnut cake is my favorite. I make this very often like when I am bored or whenever we have overripe bananas. This is the cake recipe I have been following so far to bake this cake. This is a fool-proof recipe and results in a moist cake each time. I usually make a small cake preferably around 3-4 servings per cake just for the two of us. This is very ideal for portion control and it does satisfy our sweet cravings too. When using whole wheat flour for the cake, brown sugar or agave nectar is ideal instead of regular sugar or artificial sweeteners. It gives the cake a rich brown color. I have also added only ½ cup of flour and increased the nuts. The ingredients can be doubled accordingly.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Banana, 1 large.
2. Whole wheat flour, ½ cup.
3. Brown sugar, or any artificial sweetener (I have used agave nectar here), ½ cup.
4. Melted butter or oil (I have used canola oil here), ½ cup.
5. Egg, 1. (Can be substituted with 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal diluted with 1 tablespoon of water).
6. Chopped walnuts, ½ cup.
7. Baking soda, ½ teaspoon.

PREPARATION:
Mix the flour with the baking soda in a bowl and keep aside. Add the peeled banana in another bowl and mash it into a paste with a fork. Add the oil, sweeteners, and egg to the mashed banana and mix everything well. The wet ingredients can also be added to a blender and mixed evenly; a hand blender also works perfectly for this. Now add the flour mixture to this slowly and mix everything just until there are no lumps in the cake batter. Transfer the contents to a well-oiled baking dish, add the chopped nuts on top of the batter and bake the cake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees. Let it cool and enjoy.