Vegan Coffee Walnut Brownies

This is my LAST post of 2016 and it's been a wonderful year, definitely better than the last 2. The year had me complaining a lot about hectic schedules but it also had me winning an award at work (yay!!), completing 5 years of a wonderful marriage, taking a memorable vacation to Cambodia with the people I love the most in the world. It has also been the year where I have blogged the most. This is my 70th post of the year. It is much less than how often I would like to write but it is a start. So while I sign off this year, I'm leaving you with a little treat to celebrate 2016 and here's wishing you all a very Happy New Year!!

Coffee+Chocolate+Walnuts = AMAZING moist stimulating brownie.

These brownies are good for you, really. Waaah, you think I'm just throwing it around, don't you?

1) Walnuts are good for your brain. They also shaped like them. They help in improving memory, etc etc. Well, point to be noted is they are good for you.

2) These brownies are perfect energy boosters with the added Coffee.Some think that may be bad for you, but we don't associate with coffee haters anyway. I mean, is there a tastier way for you to have coffee, than in a Brownie?

3) Everybody says chocolate is good for you, don't they? Well, here's some nice dark chocolate.   Cheers for our health!!

Have I convinced you? I do hope I have because I wouldn't want you to miss out on this little piece of heaven.

For once, I simply made the brownies. No birthday, no celebration, no potluck, no get together. Just cause I wanted to treat myself, (yes, myself) to a dark moist chocolatey brownie. I've worked hard all year and I deserve it. So do you!! And when something tastes so good, it really does not need excuses or occasions. Of course, I shared this with family, but it was I who cut into them while still warm (not advised, but let's be honest, who can resist warm brownies) and ate to my heart's content before sharing it with anyone.

I feel happy and good when I eat things I love and chocolate usually ranks high on the list of foods that make me happy. What is it that you love to eat? What makes you happy? Let me know, may be I have a recipe just for that.

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Eggless Almond Chocolate Brownies
• 40 minutes Eggless Chocolate Cupcakes

Vegan Coffee Walnut Brownies

Vegan Coffee Walnut Brownies are moist cake like brownies made from chocolate, coffee and walnuts.

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine:            International
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     25 minutes
Yield:                Makes 9

Ingredients:

100gms Semi dark vegan Chocolate (grated)
3/4 cup Flour (Maida)
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp Water
3/4 cup Powdered Sugar
8 tsp Oil
2 Tbsp Flour
3 tsp Coffee Powder
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
3 Tbsp chopped Walnuts

Method:

Microwave the grated chocolate and 1/2 cup water on high for 30 seconds until the chocolate is soft. Whisk to combine the chocolate and the water. If doing this on the stove top, do it on low heat.
Add the coffee powder and oil to the chocolate and mix well.
Add 1/2 cup sugar and mix well.
Sift the flour and baking soda together.
Add the flour to the chocolate and mix until combined.
Add more sugar or water as required. The batter should be sticky and thick.
Add half the chopped walnuts and mix.
Preheat the oven to 180 degree C.
Grease and line the baking tin with parchment paper.
Pour the batter into the tin and sprinkle the remaining walnuts on top.
Bake for 15-18 minutes.
Remove from the tin after 10-15 minutes and pull out the parchment paper.
Allow it to cool before cutting into squares.

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Beetroot Chickpea Pancake

I was so tired last night that I did not do any preparation for breakfast. I did not even give a thought on what I should be making. Not a good thing considering my mornings are like "hurry"-canes. I'm in a hurry to do everything, all because I keep snoozing my alarm. Every day when I'm running to catch my bus, I decide that tomorrow I'll wake up just 10 minutes early, so I can walk gracefully to my bus stop well before the bus arrives and the very next day I'm again running down the stairs and the road, hoping the bus hasn't left me and gone.

Luckily for me, I did not snooze my alarm till eternity and I woke up with enough time to actually cook something for breakfast. I made my quick-fix yet delicious Beetroot Chickpea Pancake.

I love beets, have done so forever. What's not to love, it is so earthy and vibrant and sweet. Although they are sweet, I've rarely ever made desserts with beet root, I'm more for adding them in savory dishes. I make beetroot sambar - a spicy South Indian curry made with beets, coconut and lentils or I make a dry grated beetroot curry that goes really well with roti.

I started making this Beetroot Chickpea Pancake when I used to have leftover beetroot in the fridge by the end of the week with no idea what to do with something as little as one single beetroot. Now I sometimes buy an extra beetroot just so I can make these Beetroot Chickpea Pancakes.

I hate to say this, but this is such a Girly Breakfast... Nothing to do with the taste, the taste is nothing girly or boy-ey but look at that vibrant pink and tell me it does not make that little girl in you shout with joy. Pink was my favorite color as a kid, well, that's what I told others. Secretly, it was yellow. But Pink came a close second.

To make this vibrant quick breakfast, all you need is chickpea flour or besan, grated beetroot, chopped tomato, some greens like curry leaves and coriander, chilli flakes, cumin seeds, semolina, baking soda, salt and water. Mix everything well to remove any lumps. Spread on a greased hot griddle and flip when one side is cooked.

Serve it up with chutney, yogurt or plain butter. Tastes amazing when hot, but room temperature will do too.

If your heart beats for "beets", you'll love this one.

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Tomato Omelet - Instant pancake made from chickpea flour or besan and tomatoes.
• Instant Wheat Dosa - Instant savory dosa or pancake made with whole wheat flour.

Beetroot Chickpea Pancake

Beetroot Chickpea Pancake is an instant vegan breakfast made from grated beets and chickpea flour or besan.

Recipe Type:  Breakfast
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Yield:                Makes 6

Ingredients:

6 Tbsp Chickpea Flour (Besan)
1/2 cup Semolina
1 Beetroot, grated
1 large Tomato
1 to 1.5 cup Water
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Chilli flakes
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
5-6 Curry leaves
1 Tbsp Coriander, chopped
4-5 tsp Oil
Salt to taste

Method:

In a large bowl mix together the chickpea flour, semolina, grated beetroot, finely chopped tomato, chopped coriander, chilli flakes, cumin seeds, curry leaves, salt, baking soda and 1 cup of water. Mix well until there are no lumps.
Add more water if required. The consistency of the batter should be thin enough to spread.
Heat a griddle / tava or a flat frying pan and grease it.
Pour a spoonful of batter onto the griddle and spread it out into circles.
Cook on low to medium heat until one side is slightly browned. Do not allow it to char or burn.
Spoon a little oil on the top and flip it. Cook the other side for 45-60 seconds or until cooked.
Serve hot with chutney, yogurt or butter.

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Creamy Pumpkin Soup [Vegan]

I've been flip flopping on my desire to indulge one last time in December and eating healthy so my January resolution is easier to achieve. 

Last night I was all set to eat in, make some delicious whole wheat pasta with my quick home made Tomato-Basil sauce. But I gave in to Temptation by 7pm and joined Gee in eating out. We went and ate tacos and cheesy sandwiches. Not at all sorry cause the food was awesome and I enjoyed every bite of it. 

While we did not order any soups yesterday, they had a lot of house special soups that inspired me to eat soup today. I love soups, but I absolutely hate the package soups or canned soups. I'm all for home made hearty soups that I get to control. Control-Freak me. 

Raj loves soups. Every week at the super market I see him eyeing the soup packets - the ones I don't let him buy. So to keep him happy I make soups often. Especially more when he has the sniffles or it is cold. While Tomato is the house favorite, I love to try out different ones.

This Creamy Pumpkin Soup is one of my personal favorites along with Spinach Soup. It is vegan and has no added starch to make it creamy. I love this recipe cause it is probably the simplest recipe I know for a soup. No simmering for hours, no chopping tens of different vegetables. All it takes is pressure cooking garlic, and pumpkin and blending it along with spices. If you don't have a pressure cooker, just chop the pumpkin a little smaller and cook in a deep pan. The smaller the pieces, the quicker they will cook.

I sometimes add green chilli while pressure cooking to make the soup hot, and sometimes I just switch the chilli for pepper. I like heat in my soup and this mix of sweet pumpkin with the heat of chilli or pepper, is just awesome. 

Pair this soup with some crusty bread and dinner's handled in less than an hour and all you had to do for it was chop and blend. Hope you "souper" liked it!

Creamy Pumpkin Soup [Vegan]

Creamy Pumpkin Soup is a vegan soup made from ripe pumpkin.

Recipe Type:  Soup
Cuisine:            International
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2

Ingredients:

3 cups diced Pumpkin
3-4 Garlic cloves
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Water as required

Method:

Pressure cook diced pumpkin and crushed garlic with 2 cups of water for 3-4 whistles or 15 minutes. If not using a pressure cooker, cook in a covered deep pan until the pumpkin is done and soft. You may need more water if cooking in a pan.
Drain and blend the pumpkin.
Add salt and pepper. Add the pumpkin cooking water if the soup is very thick.
Reheat and serve hot with some crusty bread.

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Garlic Stuffed Karela (with Step by Step Photos)

Happy Holidays!!!

The last week of the year is HERE! As the new year inches closer. and with it the new year's resolutions, I'm giving in to all my indulgences one last time. After all there are just 7 days left for 2016 to end.

While I'm filling up on all those chocolate cakes and french fries, I'm also bringing out the family favorite indulgences. One of them is my Mother-in-law's Garlic Stuffed Karela - Baby bitter gourds stuffed with a spicy masala of garlic and red chilli powder and fried in lots of oil. This is a tried, tested and loved recipe. It is what I call a flavor bomb, well they look like little bombs, don't they?

This Garlic Stuffed Karela is sure an explosion of flavors. It is S-P-I-C-Y, well you can reduce the spiciness by reducing the red chilli powder, but we love it spicy. It is heaven for garlic lovers (like me, of course), you can never kiss after this recipe, unless of course, the other person is filling up on it too. And if I haven't mentioned it enough times on this blog, I am a big bitter gourd or karela fan. Check these out if you have any doubts.

There is one thing that mellows down the sharp flavors of karela, chilli and garlic, and is also marries them all together, and that is Oil. This curry uses more oil than any other curry I've ever posted here. But it is an essential ingredient. Now you know why I call this an indulgence! You can decide to use less oil int he beginning and then add more as you go, or start out with a fair amount in the beginning. This Garlic Stuffed Karela is meant to be eaten with rice, either as a side with rice and dal or just mix it along with rice. If you are having it with just plain rice, add more oil.

This is a slow cooking recipe, perfect for holidays. This one cannot be rushed. The karela needs to be slowly coaxed into submission to bring out the best flavors. There is on silver lining though, once you have the karela frying, it requires minimal monitoring. Just check once in 10-15 minutes and flip 

them to ensure the all sides cook evenly.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

• Slit each bitter gourd lengthwise. Be careful that the knife does not pierce all the way through.
• Heat water in a shallow pan and add 1 tsp of salt and the tamarind juice to it. Allow the water to come to a rolling boil.
• Now add the slit bitter gourds and allow them to cook on medium flame for around 8-10 minutes until they change color. Do not cover the pan.
• Drain and keep aside.

• Make a paste out of the garlic, red chilli powder, salt and 2-3 tsp Oil.
• Stuff the bitter gourds with the spice paste.

• Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and add cumin seeds. Once the seeds splutter, add the curry leaves.
• Add the stuffed bitter gourds to the frying pan and cook on low flame for an hour. I prefer using a flat based pan, you can use a kadhai.
• Keep turning them frequently so all sides are cooked well.
• Sprinkle salt on top to coat all the bitter gourds. Mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes.
• The dish is done when the bitter gourds are soft.

Garlic Stuffed Karela

Garlic Stuffed Karela is vegan semi dry curry made with baby bitter gourds stuffed with a masala of garlic and red chilli powder and then fried.

Recipe Type:  Side
Cuisine:            South Indian
Prep Time:     20 minutes
Cook time:     1.25 hour
Yield:                Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

20 Bitter Gourd, small (Karela)
4 Garlic Pods
4-5 tsp Red Chilli Powder
0.5 tsp Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
5-6 Tbsp Oil
2 tsp Tamarind juice
1 sprig Curry leaves
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

Slit each bitter gourd lengthwise. Be careful that the knife does not pierce all the way through.
Heat water in a shallow pan and add 1 tsp of salt and the tamarind juice to it. Allow the water to come to a rolling boil.
Now add the slit bitter gourds and allow them to cook on medium flame for around 8-10 minutes until they change color. Do not cover the pan.
Drain and keep aside.
Make a paste out of the garlic, red chilli powder, salt and 2-3 tsp Oil.
Stuff the bitter gourds with the spice paste.
Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and add cumin seeds. Once the seeds splutter, add the curry leaves.
Add the stuffed bitter gourds to the frying pan and cook on low flame for an hour. I prefer using a flat based pan, you can use a kadhai.
Keep turning them frequently so all sides are cooked well.
Sprinkle salt on top to coat all the bitter gourds. Mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes.
The dish is done when the bitter gourds are soft.

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Bean and Grilled Veggie Sliders with Coriander Cashew Sauce

I finally got around to making these Bean Burgers.

I'm a big fan of Burgers and a bigger fan of Bean Burgers. If I see a Bean Burger on the menu, you can be sure I'm ordering it. Regular Bean Burgers are usually just mashed beans shaped into a patty and fried. They are mushy and generally low on spice. So when I set out to make my Bean Burgers, I knew I wanted to add another element to it, another flavor, something that would make my Bean Burger tastier and juicier. TA-DA! Grilled Veggies.

Grilled veggies are the best, aren't the? Low on calories, high on health, super high on taste, and absolutely vibrant to look at. This burger was a marriage of two of my favorite things.

So let me tell you what's about to go down:

• A crispy golden SHALLOW FRIED patty made from beans, grilled vegetables, garlic, sauteed onions and cabbage, red chilli powder and oat flour. 
• A creamy VEGAN sauce made by blending cashews with garlic, coriander, lime and salt. Juicy creamy green goddess goodness.
• Tomato and Onion slices, just to UP the fresh quotient and to add crunch without any effort at all.
• Multi grain buns. 

Now tell me that isn't healthy!!

Just because it is healthy, does not mean it is losing out on taste or texture. The Bean Patty is everything it should be. It has beans that are hearty and filling. The grilled veggies are coarsely blended with the bean mixture and add a bite to the otherwise plain burger. With each bite you get a different mix of grilled vegetables, so you'll never be bored. I grilled my veggies with very little olive oil in the oven. I used a mix of colored capsicums or peppers and zucchini. The sauteed onions add a much needed sweetness. And the cabbage.. well, I had the cabbage, so I tossed it in. It adds to the texture, but can totally be skipped. Garlic, chilli and salt are a given, so no discussion there. Oat flour - I know this just upped the health factor, but that's not why it is there. The entire patty is made of only wet ingredients, there is nothing else to soak up the juices. Juiciness is needed, but excess of it will make the patty very soft and fragile. The oat flour was added to soak in the excess liquid and give enough strength to the patty, so I could shape it and fry it. This can be replaced with bread crumbs.

Next comes the coriander cashew sauce. Simplest sauce ever!! Soak cashews in hot water for 15-20 minutes. Then drain and blend with chopped coriander and garlic. Squeeze some lime juice, add some salt and pepper. Done!!  There is literally no cooking involved here.

I made sliders instead of burgers, just coz they are so much fun to eat. You can make regular burgers with the same recipe, just adjust the quantities.

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Beetroot and Cauliflower Burger - Burger made from beetroots and cauliflower served with an eggless mayo.
• Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich - Sandwich inspired by the Panera Bread sandwich of the same name.
• Breakfast Bruschetta Duo - Two bruschettas, one topped with avocado and olives and other with tomato and onions.
• Grilled Paneer Sandwich - Sandwich made with rye bread and grilled marinated paneer along with a home-made tartar sauce and lettuce.

Bean and Grilled Veggie Burger with Coriander Cashew Sauce

Bean and Grilled Veggie Burger with Coriander Cashew Sauce is a vegan burger with a patty made from grilled vegetables and red kidney beans and has a sauce made from coriander and cashews.

Recipe Type:  Snacks
Cuisine:            International
Prep Time:     1 hour
Cook time:     30 minutes
Yield:                8

Ingredients:

Bean and Grilled Veggie Patty

3/4 cup Red Kidney Beans, cooked
1/2 cup Mixed Vegetables, chopped (Red Capsicum, Yellow Capsicum, Green Capsicum, Zucchini)
2 Onions
1/4 cup Cabbage, sliced (Optional)
2 tsp Garlic minced
1-2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2 cup Oat meal
2 tsp Olive Oil
4-5 Tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Coriander Cashew Sauce

18-20 Cashews
1 handful Coriander leaves
1-2 Garlic cloves
1 tsp Lime Juice
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

To assemble the Bean Burger

8 Multigrain Slider Buns
1 large Tomato
1 Onion

Method:

Bean and Grilled Veggie Patty

To grill the vegetables, lay the chopped vegetables onto a baking sheet and drizzle the olive oil on them. Sprinkle salt, mix well. Grill for 15-20 minutes until slightly charred.
Heat 3 tsp of Oil in a shallow pan and add slices onions. Saute until the onions have browned slightly. Remove and keep aside.
In the same pan, add 1 tsp of Oil and saute the cabbage, (if you are using it) until it wilts slightly.
Grind the oatmeal to powder.
In a food processor or a mixer, add the beans, grilled veggies, garlic, sauteed onions and cabbage, read chilli powder, oat flour and salt. Pulse until the mixture sticks together but it still coarse.
Form 8 patties and keep aside.
Heat the remaining Oil in a small pan and add the patties one by one carefully. Do not crowd the pan and I suggest frying them in batches.
Flip the patty when one side browns. Cook until both the sides are brown and crispy.

Coriander Cashew Sauce

Soak the cashews in hot water for 15-20 minutes.
Blend to a smooth paste along with the coriander, garlic and a little bit of water.
Squeeze in the lemon juice and add salt and pepper. Mix well.
To assemble the burger, heat the burger buns and spread the cashew sauce on the lower bun.

To assemble the Bean Burger

Place the patty on the lower bun and top it up with sliced tomato and onions.
Add a big dollop of the cashew sauce and place the upper bun.
Serve hot.

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Pathrode Dosa | Uppu Menasu Dosa | Uppu Khara Dosa

Happy Weekend Guys!!

Isn't it a wonderful feeling that you get to wake up when you want and for once your life is not ruled by technology. No alarms to snooze, no water heaters to be turned on, no bus / train to miss. So Saturday breakfast is usually something relaxed, that does not need too much effort, but definitely not something like a zero effort cereal. I love cooking traditional recipes on weekends when we get to sit down and enjoy a meal while it is still hot.

Pathrode Dosa also sometimes called Uppu Khara Dosa or Uppu Menasu Dosa is a dish from Mangalore and its surroundings. Rice grows abundantly there and almost every meal out there has rice as their hero.

Pathrode Dosa is a very similar to the Menthe Pathrode recipe, the only difference being there the entire batter is steamed and then fried, while here it is spread on a tava or a griddle and cooked.

To make Pathrode dosa, you need to soak rice for 2-3 hours and then grind it as fine as you can. Let that rest for 30 mins to an hour. For the masala, you can either use fresh coconut or onion depending on what you have available with you. Grind the onion or coconut with tamarind pulp, red chillies and coriander powder to make a coarse thick masala. Add the masala to the rice batter along with some salt and chopped up fenugreek or methi leaves to make Pathrode Dosa batter. Add water to adjust the consistency. You can replace the methi leaves with spinach or any peppery leaf, or just leave it out. Spoon out the batter and spread it a little on a hot greased tava or griddle. Flip when one side is cooked and cook until the other side is browned.

If you don't want to wait 3 hours for your breakfast, I don't, just soak the rice the previous night for 2-3 hours or you can soak it the previous morning. Grind it at night and leave it covered on the counter overnight at room temperature. Make the masala fresh in the morning and add it to batter just 10-15 minutes before making. Don't add any salt to the batter if leaving it overnight and don't add the masala overnight either.

You have to serve this dosa hot like all other dosas. You can serve this dosa with chutney or butter, or even just plain. It has enough flavour to stand up on its own.

Try out this Tondekayee Chutney to go with the Pathrode Dosa.

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Mysore Masala Dosa - A rice and lentil pancake that has a chilli and garlic chutney spread on the inside and stuffed with a potato bhaji.
• Instant Ragi Dosa - Instant dosa or crepe  made with rava or semolina and ragi flour (finger millet flour).
• Instant Wheat Dosa - Instant savory dosa or pancake made with whole wheat flour.

Pathrode Dosa | Uppu Menasu Dosa | Uppu Khara Dosa

Pathrode Dosa is a pancake made with rice, spices and fenugreek or methi leaves. It is vegan and gluten free. 

Recipe Type:  Breakfast
Cuisine:            South Indian
Prep Time:     3 hours
Cook time:     30 minutes
Yield:                8 to 10

Ingredients:

1.5 cups Dosa Rice or any Regular Rice
1/2 cup grated fresh Coconut or 1 Onion
2 tsp Coriander Powder
3-4 dry Red Chillies or 3/4 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Tamarind pulp
A handful of Fenugreek leaves or Methi leaves
1 cup Water
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

Soak the rice for 2 hours.
Drain out the water from the rice and grind it with very little water to get a smooth batter. Let it rest for 30 mins to 1 hour.
Grind together the coconut or onion along with the coriander powder, tamarind and the dry red chillies into a fine masala paste. Use 1/4 cup of water to help the grinding.
Wash the methi leaves thoroughly and chop it finely.
Add the masala paste and the chopped methi leaves to the rice batter.
Add salt and the remaining water and mix well.
Heat a griddle and grease it.
Once the griddle is hot, pour a ladle of the batter on to the griddle and gently spread it.
Cover and cook for 45-60 seconds on medium heat.
Spoon a little oil on the top and flip the dosa.
Cook for another 45-60 seconds or until the dosa is cooked through.
Serve hot.

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Tondekayee Chutney | Tendli Chutney | Tindora Chutney

Today was Potluck at office. I took Dahi Kebab and Pathrode. My other friends got some really amazing dishes that I not only ate but packed in a box and got it home for dinner to share with my family.

Lunch was definitely my only extravagant meal of the week. I've been eating super simple food all week. More because the weather is just awesome and I cannot be coaxed out of bed to cook. It's been drizzling all through the week and it is cold outside. Perfect weather for snoozing, don't you think?

So what food does a lazy me cook or eat? Dosa and Chutney! I can eat that all week long and not get bored - true blue South Indian at heart and stomach. 

Let's get real, 50% of the taste of the dosa comes from its accompaniment, whether it is chutney or sambar. But I'm totally a chutney girl. So throughout this blog, you'll find me talking chutney many a times. And this Tondekayee Chutney is just one among my favorites. 

There is this little cart or gaadi near my house that makes awesome pillowy soft dosa and idli. It is a simple affair and very economical. The dosa is always served with 2 chutneys, a green coriander-coconut chutney and a red chutney. For a long time I believed the red chutney was made from tomatoes, so every time I made the chutney, I was always left wondering why my chutney tasted so different from his. I found out from Raj that the red chutney is actually made from ripe tondekayee (tendli | tindora | ivy gourd). The non foodie in the house knew more about chutneys than I did, what a shocker for me.

To make this chutney you need ripe tondekayee, the ones you usually throw away as they are squishy and mushy. Quarter the tondekayee and fry them up along with red chillies, garlic, chana dal (split bengal gram) and urad dal (split black gram). Grind it along with tamarind, salt, jaggery or sugar and a little water to a smooth chutney once the mixture has cooled. Add a tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves, and enjoy your crispy hot dosa with this red chutney.

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Mint Peanut Chutney - Indian version of pesto, cooked peanut and mint chutney.
• Tamarind Date Chutney - Tangy sweet chutney made from tamarind and dates. Perfect for chaats.
• Heerekai Sippe Chutney - South Indian chutney made from fresh coconut and peel of ridge gourd.
• Mint Coriander Chutney - Popular green chutney of chaats made using fresh coriander and mint.

Tondekayee Chutney | Tendli Chutney | Tindora Chutney

Tondekayee Chutney | Tendli Chutney | Tindora Chutney is a South Indian chutney made from ripe ivy gourd and mixed dals. 

Recipe Type:  Side
Cuisine:            South Indian
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     20 minutes
Yield:                1 bowl

Ingredients:

18-20 ripe Tondekayee (Tendli or Tindora or Ivy Gourd)
2 dry Red Chillies
2-3 Garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1.5 Tbsp Chana Dal
0.5 Tbsp Urad Dal
1 tsp Tamarind Pulp
1/2 tsp Jaggery powder or Sugar (Optional)
4-5 tsp Oil
1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 sprig Curry Leaves
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

Wash and chop the tondekayee into quarters.
Heat oil in a pan.
Add the chana dal, urad dal and red chilli and fry for 2-3 minutes on low heat until the dals are slightly browned.
Add the garlic and chopped tondekayee and mix well.
Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes on low heat.
Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Grind the fried mixture along with tamarind, jaggery, salt and 2-3 Tbsp of water into a coarse paste.
Remove to a serving bowl.
Heat the remaining oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add the curry leaves and immediately pour this tempering onto the chutney.
Serve the chutney with rice or dosa.
It stays fresh for around 7 days in the fridge.

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Savory Puffed Rice | Murmura Chiwda | Churmuri Chiwda | Khara Kadle Puri | Bhadang

It was such an awesome day to sleep in and do absolutely nothing...

Unfortunately, it was a Tuesday!! Working day, guys. 

There is nothing worse than having to work on a day as cold, humid and lazy as today. Well, may be getting stuck on an island with no chocolate is worse, but hey, let's stick to reality. 

There is also something about cold rainy days that gets my appetite worked up. I'm always HUNGRY... Well, I'm "always" hungry most other times as well, but this rainy day hunger is different. It is just not my stomach, but my heart and my head as well that craves all sorts of deep fried goodness and endless cups of piping hot tea.

I know deep fried food is bad especially when I've missed 4 days of my workout. The first was justified, I was super tired and my back ached. But the other 3 days were just plain laziness and excuses. So no matter how much the heart or the head craves, I let my guilty conscience take over and snacked on this Savory Puffed Rice (Murmura Chiwda | Churmuri Chiwda | Bhadang | Khara Kadle Puri) the whole day with at least 3 cups of tea. 

I've always loved Savory Puffed Rice,what's not ot love in it? It's crispy, it's light, it is spicy without being overpowering, and the best part - Peanuts, I make sure every handful has a minimum of 2 peanuts in it.

Savory Puffed Rice | Murmura Chiwda | Churmuri Chiwda | Bhadang | Khara Kadle Puri is plain salted puffed rice that has been mixed with a tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves, peanuts, fried gram, dry red chillies, turmeric powder, salt and a little bit of sugar. See how easy that is? The list of ingredients may seem long, but the best part of making something from scratch is infact that you can omit what you don't want. Skip what you don't have. Just make sure you have turmeric and salt. A lot of people I know add a lot more ingredients like dried coconut slices or cashewnuts or fried garlic to their chiwda, but I prefer the basic one with just fried Peanuts.

The instructions to make this Savory Puffed Rice must be the shortest ever on One Teaspoon Of Life... All you need to do is, heat oil, and then add mustard seeds. Once they splutter, chuck in the peanuts and fried gram. Fry them until the peanuts are slightly browned, then add everything else and mix and pour onto the Puffed Rice or Murmura or Churmuri or Kadle Puri. Carefully (cause the oil is hot), mix everything until every grain of puffed rice is bright yellow. Initally use a spoon to mix, but later, just get your hands dirty and mix it. If you feel anything is lacking, like turmeric or you feel you need more peanuts ( I always feel I need more), just heat a little oil, add whatever is missing and pour that oil to the puffed rice and mix again.

This is just the basic snack, there is so much more you can do with it. You can use it as a base for Bhel Puri instead of plain murmura or chop up some onions, tomato and coriander, mix well and enjoy a quick fresh snack. It also makes a great travel snack - a lot of vegetarians travelling abroad usually carry it or like me, you can just snack on it when stuck in traffic on your way back from work (and you don't have to even feel guilty about it)

Store it at room temperature in an air tight box and it will easily last you 3-4 weeks. 

Savory Puffed Rice is easily available at local stores, but I've found that many a times, the store bought one smells like old oil. Also, they skimp on the peanuts and load it up with dried coconut or sugar, both of which I don't enjoy. I assure you, what you make at home is definitely better than the one at the store.

There is just one thing you need to remember, use the crispiest puffed rice (murmura | churmuri | kadle puri) you can find. And preferably one that does not have sand in it. If you are based out of Bangalore, I highly recommend the one from Nilgiris, it's the best I've found till date - clean and crisp and it stays crisp longer.

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Crispy Spicy Flat Rice or Poha Chiwda or Avalakki Mixture - Poha/Flattened rice deep fried and flavored with spices and peanuts.
• Churmuri Soosla or Kadle Puri Oggarne or Savory Puffed Rice Breakfast - A light South Indian breakfast made with puffed rice made with moist puffed rice.

Savory Puffed Rice | Murmura Chiwda | Churmuri Chiwda | Khara Kadle Puri | Bhadang

Savory Puffed Rice | Murmura Chiwda | Churmuri Chiwda | Khara Kadle Puri | Bhadang is a simple crispy snack made by mixing plain puffed rice with peanuts and spices.

Recipe Type:  Snacks
Cuisine:            South Indian
Prep Time:     5 minutes
Cook time:     20 minutes
Yield:                200 gms

Ingredients:

200gms salted Puffed Rice (Churmuri / Kadle Puri/ Murmura)
1/3 cup Oil
4-5 Tbsp Peanuts
1 Tbsp Fried Gram
1 sprig Curry leaves
1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
4-5 dried Red Chillies
1/4 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste

Method:

Pour the puffed rice to a large bowl or onto newspapers and keep aside.
Heat oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds.
Once the seeds splutter, add the dry red chillies, peanuts and the fried gram and fry until the peanuts are slightly browned.
Add the curry leaves, turmeric powder and salt.
Allow it to cool for 1-2 minutes and then pour onto the puffed rice. Add sugar and red chilli powder.
Using a spoon mix the oil with the puffed rice until the mixture is cool enough to handle with your hands.
Now using your hands, mix well until every grain of puffed rice is bright yellow.
Adjust the salt and sugar as required.
If you feel the need to add anything else like turmeric powder or peanuts or curry leaves, heat a little more oil and add the ingredient to it and then add it to the puffed rice. Mix well.
Store at room temperature in an air tight container after it cools.

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Mushroom Biryani

It's good to be back... especially with flavorful dish like Mushroom Biryani.

I've had a family filled weekend since my last post and days and days of writer's block.

I attended the first family wedding in over 2 years and what fun it was! I got to meet my cousins, aunts and uncles, eat good South Indian food and the best part was I got to dress up. Out came all those heavy Silk Sarees that I had tucked to the back of the cupboard. LOVED wearing every one of them.

Before the wedding, my palate had somehow mellowed down and I was more for eating less spicy and blander food. No known reasons for the change, but it was definitely not welcome. But the spicy South Indian Rasam-Rice managed to wake up the taste buds and then they craved more spice.

When I think of spicy food, I always think of Biryani. Biryani is usually meat cooked along with lots of spices and rice. But in India, we vegetarians are super lucky, cause there is always a vegetarian version of a non vegetarian dish, so we never miss out on the flavors. I've made vegetable biryani many times before, but this was my first time making Mushroom Biryani and with all my love for Mushrooms, there was really no way I could not LOVE this biryani.

Unlike the biryanis I've made before, I did not half cook anything and layer anything. This is a simple biryani - cook the rice until done, cook the mushroom masala until done and then just mix the two well to get a flavorful Mushroom Biryani.

To make the perfect Mushroom Biryani, you need 3 things:

1. Rice:  Biryani is as much about the rice as it is about the meat or the vegetables. Different regions use different varieties of rice, with Basmati being the most popular rice. Long grained fragrant Basmati Rice is perfect for Biryanis, and that is exactly what I used. Rice is washed and allowed to soak for 30 minutes, until it is cooked along with whole spices to enhance its taste.


2. Mushrooms: The hero of the dish is definitely the mushrooms. Either keep the mushrooms whole or half them. Anything smaller than that and the mushrooms will be lost in the Biryani. Mushrooms are cooked along with onions, ginger-garlic, tomato puree, yogurt, spices and herbs. In traditional style, a paste of browned onions is also added to the mushroom masala. Use any large mushrooms you can find. 


3. Spices: Any biryani is incomplete without an array of whole spices. A mix of cinnamon, clove, pepper, green cardamom, black cardamom, cumin seeds, bay leaf and nutmeg is added to the rice as well as to the mushroom masala. Whole spices have a long shelf life and it's good to have your pantry stocked with them. However, if you have run out of spices or don't use them much, you can replace the spices in the mushroom masala with store bought Biryani Masala ( spice powder).

Always serve your Mushroom Biryani piping hot. Raita or Salan make for great accompaniments with the Biryani.

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Vegetable Biryani - Rice cooked along with spices and mixed vegetables.
• Tava Pulao - Popular Mumbai street food of rice, pav bhaji masala and mix vegetables.
• Palak Rice / Spinach Rice - Rice cooked along with spinach puree and mixed vegetables.

Mushroom Biryani

Mushroom Biryani is Basmati rice cooked along with whole spices and mushrooms.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

For the Biryani Rice:

1.25 cups Basmati Rice
1 Bay leaf
2 Cloves 
1 Green Cardamom
0.5" piece Cinnamon
1 tsp Salt
2.5 cups Water

For the Mushroom Masala:

15-20 Button Mushrooms
2 Onions, large
1 Tomato, medium
0.5 cup Yogurt
1" piece Ginger
5-7 Garlic cloves
0.5 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
0.5" piece Cinnamon
1-2 Cloves
1 Bay leaf
5-6 Black Peppercorns
0.5 tsp Cumin seeds
0.25 tsp grated Nutmeg
1 Green Cardamom
1 Black Cardamom
0.5 tsp Garam Masala
Handful of fresh Mint leaves
Handful of fresh Coriander leaves
5-6 Tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash the rice twice and keep is aside.
Halve the mushrooms and keep aside.
Slice the onions.
Chop the tomatoes finely or puree the tomato.
Crush the garlic and ginger to form a paste.
In a pan, heat 3 Tbsp of Oil. Once the oil is hot, add 3/4 the onion and fry on low heat until the onions brown. Stir frequently, taking care not to burn the onions.
In a large kadhai or saucepan, add water, salt and spices and allow it to come to a rolling boil.
Add the washed rice and cook on medium heat until the rice is almost done. Drain out the excess water and spread the rice out in a large plate to cool. This will prevent the rice from becoming sticky.
Heat the remaining oil in a clean pan or kadhai.
Add the remaining onions and the whole spices and cook until the onions are cooked.
Add the ginger garlic paste and fry it for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the chopped tomatoes and fry for 4-5 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft.
Add the halved mushrooms and salt as required. Cook for 5 minutes on low heat.
Keep aside 1 Tbsp of browned onions, and puree the rest.
Add the onion puree to the mushrooms and fry for 1 minute.
Whisk the yogurt and add it to the mushrooms. Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder and garam masala and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.
Add chopped mint and coriander leaves and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Pick out the whole spices from the rice and fluff up the rice with a fork to separate the rice grains.
Add the rice to the mushroom masala and mix well. 
Add salt as required and mix well.
Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Garnish with the remaining browned onions and serve hot.

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