Cucumber Sweet Idli / Taushe Idli

Taushe idli is a sweet idli preparation using cucumber and jaggery. Its a traditional konkani recipe.I learnt this recipe from my mom. It is served for breakfast along with some butter or ghee on the side. This recipe has 2 versions. One is sweet, that I am going to share the recipe about. The second variation is a savory one using ginger and green chillies. An advantage of this recipe is that you don't have to ferment the batter and can prepare it instantly.

Ingredients:

1 medium sized cucumber, (preferably seedless cucumber)
1 cup rice, (idli rice or sona masoori)
1 handful of grated coconut
Salt to taste
1/2 cup grated jaggery (adjust according to taste)
1/2 tsp oil, to grease the idli mould.
Butter or ghee to serve on the side

Directions:

Soak rice for 2 to 3 hours. Wash and drain all the excess water. 

Wash, peel and grate cucumbers. Squeeze out all the liquid and reserve it in a cup.

Put grated coconut, jaggery and reserved cucumber water in a blender and grind to a smooth paste. (if you find it difficult to grate the jaggery, you can melt it using little water. Allow it to cool down and then proceed with the recipe)

Add rice and grind till the rice resembles idli rava. The batter should be thick.

Remove it on to a bowl and add grated cucumber and salt. Mix it well.

Grease the idli moulds with oil. Pour the batter halfway through in each mould.

Place it in a hot steamer and steam cook for 15 minutes.

Once done, remove the idli moulds from the steamer and allow it to cool a bit.

Demould using a spoon. Serve hot with some butter or ghee.

Vermicelli Upma / Semiya Upma

Vermicelli Upma also known as Semiya Upma is a south Indian breakfast dish. Its healthy and gets ready in no time. There are many variations to this recipe. Sometimes I add a few mixed vegetables and sometimes make it without using any onions. 

Ingredients:

1 cup vermicelli
2 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
10 12 cashew nuts, chopped
1 tsp chana dal (optional)
1 spring curry leaves
1/2 tsp urad dal
2 green chillies, slit lengthwise
1/2 inch piece of ginger, grated
1 small sized onion, sliced
11/2 cups water
salt to taste

Directions:

Dry roast vermicelli until golden brown. Remove on to a plate and keep aside.

Heat oil in the same pan. Put mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add chopped cashew nuts and saute till golden brown. Add urad dal, curry leaves and green chillies and saute till the urad dal turns golden brown.

Add grated ginger and sliced onions and saute till onions become translucent.

Add water and salt and mix well. (The water should be slightly over salty than required. Salt will balance out once you add vermicelli) Bring it to a boil.

Add vermicelli and mix well. Bring it to a boil. Reduce the flame to medium low and cover and continue to cook till all the moisture evaporates and vermicelli gets cooked.

Remove on to a plate and serve immediately.

Lachcha Paratha (Multi Layered Indian Bread)

Lachcha paratha is an Indian multi layered bread prepared using whole wheat flour. It’s flaky texture is the perfect accompaniment to any creamy, rich curries such as korma, tikka masala or makhani as it soaks in more gravy than the regular chapatis

Ingredients:

For the dough:

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

Water as needed to make the dough

1 tsp oil

For frying the paratha:

2-3 tbsp ghee / clarified butter

Some wheat flour for dusting

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, take wheat flour. Add salt and mix well. Add water gradually and knead a smooth and soft dough. Add 1 tsp oil and knead again for 2 to 3 minutes. Cover with a tight lid and keep it aside for 30 minutes.

Make medium sized balls from the dough. (Approximately 16)

Take one dough ball on a rolling board. Lightly dust it with some flour.

Roll it into 6 to 7 inches diameter thin paratha. Sprinkle flour while rolling as needed.

Apply ghee liberally on the paratha.

Sprinkle some whole wheat flour on the top.

From one edge start pleating the paratha. Do this till you reach the other edge. Once done, stretch the pleated dough as much as possible.

Roll the pleated dough in a tight circle. When you reach the end, tuck the dough at the bottom side of the dough and press it gently so that it wont open while rolling.

Likewise roll all the remaining dough balls and keep it covered.

Now take the rolled ball and dust with some more whole wheat flour and start rolling into a thin circle.

Heat up a tawa and place the rolled paratha. After a minute, apply some ghee and flip it. Press gently with the spatula while frying the parathas. Cook on the other side till the golden brown spots starts to appear. Apply ghee on the other side as well. 

Take off from the tawa once you see the golden brown spots on both the sides. Crush it with your palms to separate the layers.

Serve hot with the curry of your choice.

Note:

Once you apply ghee on the rolled paratha, while sprinkling wheat flour, you can also sprinkle dried, crushed mint leaves and make mint layered paratha

Pictorial:

Shrimp / Prawn Pulao

Shrimp pulao is a simple and flavorful recipe. Once the shrimp gets cleaned up, this recipe gets ready in no time.

Ingredients:

750 grams Medium sized shrimps / prawns
11/2 cups basmati rice
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
Salt to taste
1 tsp red chili powder
2 tsp lemon juice
3 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1” cinnamon
4 cloves
2 bay leaves
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 green chillies, slit lengthwise (optional)
1 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
Handful of chopped cilantro

Directions:

Peel, devein and clean shrimp. Marinate with 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp red chili powder, 1 tsp ginger garlic paste, 2 tsp lime juice and 1 tsp salt. Keep aside for 1 hour.
Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves. Once they start to sizzle, add chopped onions. Cook till they turn light golden brown.
Add 1 tsp ginger garlic paste and green chillies. Sauté for few seconds till the raw smell of the ginger and garlic goes away.
Lower the flame and add remaining turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala powder. Mix it well.
Add chopped tomatoes, increase the heat to medium high and cook till they become mushy.
Now add the marinated prawns and sauté till they change color slightly.
Add 3 cups of water and adjust the salt. Once it comes to a boil, add washed and drained basmati rice and mix it well.
Reduce the heat to low medium and cook covered with lid.
Once the rice is cooked, turn off the heat. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.
Serve warm with raita.

Spinach Lasagna

I saw this recipe on startcooking.com few years back and I wanted to give it a try ever since I watched it. Finally gave it a try yesterday and it came out very tasty. We all loved it in our home.

Ingredients:

2 extra large eggs (lightly beaten)
15 ounces Ricotta cheese
10 ounces frozen spinach, defrost and squeeze dry
3/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese, divided
1 tsp salt
1/3 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp oregano
26 ounces spaghetti sauce
10 sheets of oven ready lasagna noodles
1 pound of shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F

Ricotta mixture

In a medium bowl combine eggs, ricotta cheese, spinach, 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese, oregano, salt and pepper.
Layer the ingredients in a 9 x 13 x 1 inch pan in the following order.

Layer 1
3/4 cup of the sauce
3 sheets of pasta
3/4 cup of the sauce
1/2 of the ricotta mixture
1 and 1/3 cup of the mozzarella cheese

Layer 2
3 sheets of pasta
3/4 cup of the sauce
1/2 of the ricotta mixture
1 and 1/3 cup of mozzarella cheese

Layer 3
4 sheets of pasta
3/4 cup of the sauce
1 and 1/3 cup of mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.
Let it sit for 15 minutes before cutting.

Egg Curry with Coconut Milk

Hearty and mildly spiced egg curry with coconut milk goes very well with some warm rotis. Perfect recipe for the days when you don't want to spend lot of time in the kitchen.

Ingredients:

6 eggs

2 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 spring curry leaves

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1/3 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp fennel seeds powder

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

2 tomatoes, chopped

Salt to taste

1 cup coconut milk

Few springs cilantro

Directions:

Boil eggs, peel and cut them into half.

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. Add curry leaves and thinly sliced onions and cook till golden brown. 

Add ginger garlic paste and cook till the raw smell is gone.

Reduce the flame and put turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, fennel seeds powder and garam masala and mix well.

Add chopped tomatoes and salt. Mix well. Increase the heat to medium high and cook till the oil leaves the sides of the pan.

Add coconut milk and mix well. Bring it to a boil. Slide in the eggs and mix gently. Cover and cook for 5 to 10 minutes on medium flame. Adjust salt.

Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Serve hot with chapati or roti.

Prawn Rava Fry / Shrimp Rava Fry

                  Prawn or shrimp rava fry is one of the easiest recipes that is prepared by marinating prawns/shrimps in garlic, green chilies, cilantro and coated with rava to make it crispy.

                  I got this recipe from my cousin. This is a family favorite starter. I have been making these regularly since a long time.

Ingredients:

25 med. sized prawns/Shrimps
3 med cloves garlic
3-4 green chilies (adjust according to taste)
4-5 springs cilantro
Salt to taste
2 tsp rice flour
1 tsp cornstarch
1 egg
Oil, enough to deep fry
3/4 cup Rava/sooji

Directions:

Remove the head, shell and clean up the prawns.
Crush or coarsely grind garlic, green chilies and cilantro.
Take prawns/shrimp in a bowl. Add ground paste, salt and mix.
Add rice flour, cornstarch and mix it well. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, break egg and add it to the prawns/shrimps and mix well.
Heat oil in a pan. Coat each prawn/shrimp in rava and deep fry till crisp.
Serve hot with lemon wedges.