Oats Oothapam

The goodness of oats is well known
* Oats are high in protein,magnesium,zinc and even help in increasing antioxidant level.
* they are fiber rich thus can help with maintaining a healthy weight.
 *Oats in breakfast provides kids constant energy to focus better in school.
* Oats lowers bad cholestrol
* help in controlling diabetes too

All said and done, here's an interesting way to consume oats....OATS OOTHAPAM .
 Apart from the soaking time, it hardly takes 5-10 minutes to make these delicious and nutritious uttapams.

Ingredients:
Oats - 1 cup
Semolina - 2-3 tbsp
Yogurt - 1 cup
Water - required
Salt - as per taste
Oil - sufficient
For topping:
Onion (finely chopped) - 1 large
Carrot (finely grated)- 4 tbsp
Cabbage(finely chopped) - 4 tbsp
Green chillies - 2-3
Coriander leaves (finely chopped) - 2-3 tbsp


Step 1: Mix all dry ingredients with yogurt into a batter.

Step 2:Mix in the vegetables and add the water.Now let it stand for 10-15 minutes so that the oats soak up completely and become soft .

Step 3: Heat a griddle. Spray a little oil and pour a big laddle full batter onto the hot griddle.

Step 4 : Now reduce the flame. Cover with a lid and let it cook in the steam produced.

Step 5 : Flip it over. Oats oothapam is flimsy so be careful when flipping it.

Step 6: This is how the cooked side looks No need to cover now.Let it cook on medium heat for another 2-3 minutes.Press it down a few times with the laddle to make it crisp.

Step 7 : Flip over with vegetable side up and remove carefully onto a serving plate.

 

Please don't forget to leave your reviews in the comment !

Besan Ka Paratha

We got bored with the regular wheat rotis and parathas. So tried my hands at besan ka paratha

Ingredient:1       Cup besan flour (gram flour)
1       Cup whole wheat flour
1/4    Cup chopped methi(Fenugreek) leaves
1       Pinch of Hing (asafetida)
¼      Cup fine chopped onion
1       Medium green chili – fine chopped
1       Teaspoon salt or to your taste
5/8    Cup of water of water (5 oz water)or as needed for making the dough
Vegetable oil for making the parathas

Knead all the ingredients into a dough . Roll out in circular/triangle/oval shape and cook on both sides on a hot griddle applying a little oil on each side.

* Tip : to keep the soft use milk instead of water for kneading

Baingan Ka Bharta (with a twist)

 (Sorry I could not take a clear picture before it got devoured.)

I love eating any dish made of eggplant.... be it bharta, baighara baigan, baigam aloo or eggplant parmesan , eggplant lasagne , sweet n sour eggplant with tofu, baba gannoush etc etc. Well as u must have figured out by now, I also love twists ...in stories,in life and ofcourse in food !!
So,Today I tried to make the usual delicious,liked by many baigan ka bharta (roast eggplant) infused with Pesto. Me and my hubby just loved it. Hope you like it too.

Ingredients:

1 big eggplant (huge ones used for bharta or baba ghannoush)
1 Medium sized tomato, chopped fine
1 Medium sized onion, chopped fine
1 tbsp. any neutral oil such as sunflower oil
1/2 tsp. haldi (turmeric powder)
A pinch of asfoetida pdrd.
Salt and chilli powder to taste (I use saindhav namak – pink salt) - See more at: http://tongueticklers.com/2010/09/when-pesto-married-bharta-aubergine/#sthash.sGFyiSMy.dpuf

 Eggplant - 1 big , round
Garlic cloves - 8 (I love garlic too ;p )
1 cup onion (chopped fine)
1/2 cup tomatoes  (chopped fine )
ginger paste - 1/2 tbsp
salt to taste
Garam masala - 1/4 tsp

For Pesto :

4-5 Garlic cloves, chopped fine
2 tbsp. pine nuts (chilgoze) or walnuts (I love pine nuts!)
1 Green chilli, chopped fine
1 Cup coriander leaves, chopped roughly
1/2″ piece of ginger, chopped fine
1 tbsp. sesame oil (I love idhayam brand)
Salt to taste (I use saindhav namak – pink salt) - See more at: http://tongueticklers.com/2010/09/when-pesto-married-bharta-aubergine/#sthash.sGFyiSMy.dpuf

1 big eggplant (huge ones used for bharta or baba ghannoush)
1 Medium sized tomato, chopped fine
1 Medium sized onion, chopped fine
1 tbsp. any neutral oil such as sunflower oil
1/2 tsp. haldi (turmeric powder)
A pinch of asfoetida pdrd.
Salt and chilli powder to taste (I use saindhav namak – pink salt) - See more at: http://tongueticklers.com/2010/09/when-pesto-married-bharta-aubergine/#sthash.sGFyiSMy.dpuf

1 cup coriander
1/4 th cup mint
4-5 Garlic cloves, chopped fine
2 tbsp. pine nuts (chilgoze) or walnuts
1 Green chilli, chopped fine
1/2″ piece of ginger, chopped fine
salt.

 How to Proceed : 

Poke holes in the eggplant and shove the garlic cloves in them. Rub a little oil on the eggplant and roast it on open gas flame or in the oven @ 450 F  until the skin gets charred. Peel off the skin when it cools down. The garlic inside the holes will also get roasted(yummy). Now mash it up a little.

For Pesto : Coarsely grind the pesto ingredient together using the tool of your choice - grinder , pestle , chopper.


Heat oil in a pan and add the onions and saute till translucent. Now add the tomatoes and chillies. Now add the mashed eggplant along with the garam masala. Finaly its time to add the twist.....the prepared pesto .  Now cover it and let it cook on lowest flame setting  for 5-8 minutes. Garnish and serve the Pesto infused baigan ka bharta !!
Enjoy !!

 

Served with Besan Methi Paratha and Mughlai Paneer(Check Recipes in the menu bar)

1 big eggplant (huge ones used for bharta or baba ghannoush)
1 Medium sized tomato, chopped fine
1 Medium sized onion, chopped fine
1 tbsp. any neutral oil such as sunflower oil
1/2 tsp. haldi (turmeric powder)
A pinch of asfoetida pdrd.
Salt and chilli powder to taste (I use saindhav namak – pink salt) - See more at: http://tongueticklers.com/2010/09/when-pesto-married-bharta-aubergine/#sthash.sGFyiSMy.dpuf

1 big eggplant (huge ones used for bharta or baba ghannoush)
1 Medium sized tomato, chopped fine
1 Medium sized onion, chopped fine
1 tbsp. any neutral oil such as sunflower oil
1/2 tsp. haldi (turmeric powder)
A pinch of asfoetida pdrd.
Salt and chilli powder to taste (I use saindhav namak – pink salt) - See more at: http://tongueticklers.com/2010/09/when-pesto-married-bharta-aubergine/#sthash.sGFyiSMy.dp

Mughlai Paneer

Paneer Mughlai is a flavorful, aromatic and a traditional Mughlai dish.
It has a rich gravy made with cream, cashewnut and poppy seeds. Its usually prepared for a special occasion. The preparation time is very short and the method is easy. My magic ingredient in this traditional recipe is 'Honey' . It enhances the flavors of the spices. Try it out and tell me your reviews in the comments below.


Ingredients :
Paneer- 250 gm (cut into cubes)
Tomato- 2 (pureed)
Onion- 2 (chopped finely)
Green Chilly- 2(chopped)
GingerGarlic paste- 2 tbsp(fresh)
Fresh Cream- 1/2 cup
Yogurt- 1/4th cup
Milk- 1/2 cup
Cashewnut- 10-15 (soak in water for a few hours and grind into a paste)
Poppy Seeds- 2-3 tsp (soak in water for 15 min and gring into a paste
Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder- 1 tsp
Honey- 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds- 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida- 2 pinch
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp
Coriander Leaves- for garnishing


How to proceed :

Heat oil in a pan. When the oil heats up , add heeng(asafoetida) and cumin seeds. Then add the ginger garlic paste. Now add the onion paste and saute it for a few minutes. Then add the ginger garlic paste and saute further till brown. Add the tomato paste . After 5 min add all the spices and saute. Now add the cashewnut and the poppy seeds pastes, respectively. When the oil starts floating on top it indicates the base for the gravy is cooked. Now turn down the heat and add yogurt and 1 cup water. Mis everything. At this point I  turn the heat off and use a hand blender to make the gravy more smooth. After blending I heat up the gravy again and add the paneer pieces and the 1/2 cup of milk.Cover it  and let it simmer on slow flame for 5 minutes.
Mughlai Paneer is ready to eat. Garnish with coriander !

* To make it fancier, add butter and a little cream as garnish
*I avoid grinding onion, ginger , garlic tpgether as it brings on oxidation and effects the bright color of the gravy.
 *I served it with Besan methi paratha.(look for the recipe in the menu bar)

 

Apple Sandwich

  .....a quick fix nutritional snack for my little monkeys !

Slice apples . Spread generous amount of peanut butter. Now sprinkle some granola/ cereal of their choice. Place another slice on top. Decorate with Nutella ..... My monkeys are gobbling up this omega and protein rich snack right now ... Mommy's mission accomplished ! 😀

Watch what you eat !

Avoiding GMOs could be a life saver for everyone.
Have you heard of eatwellguide.org? It is a great site that list restaurants, grocery stores, butcher shops, etc. in your area. It tells you if the restaurant serves local food, organic or offers vegetarian etc.

Here's an eye opener article I found  http://foodbabe.com/2012/09/02/how-to-avoid-genetically-modified-ingredients-when-you-eat-out/

Baked Mathri with flaxseed.

(pic of the Holi spread) 

An attempt to make a healthy and crunchy version of the popular 'Mathris' (kind of biscuits)

1/2 cup semolina
1 cup maida
1 cup whole wheat flour
salt or to taste 1  tsp baking soda
3-4 tbsp flaxseed powder
2-3 tbsp ghee or oil
Water for kneading.

Method:

Mix all the ingredients andc knead into a soft dough. Now divide them into balls. Roll them out and prick a prick a few holes in the dough.

Place parchment on baking sheet and Bake in preheated 375 *F for 20 minutes.Turn them around and bake for another 20-25 minutes. Baked mathris are ready to snack on !

Please post your reviews of my recipe int he comments below. Thanks !

 

Meal-On-A-Roll !

Angry Bird decoration to attract children

An attempt  to replace the boring roti sabzi and dal routine meal.

This is a complete meal in itself….roti +dal +vegetables and if you wish you can serve it with salad or simply add it in the filling.

Ingredients:
Filling:

1 ½ cups mixed vegetables of your choice
½ cup chopped onion
Salt to taste
1 tbsp  chaat masala
oil
Salt
Coriander leaves and green chillies chopped

For Dal layer:
1 cup yellow moong dal (yellow lentil) Soak it in water overnight.
1 tbsp ginger paste
Salt to taste

Method:

Grind the dal with the ginger paste and salt . Keep it aside.
Heat oil in a pan and sauté the onions. Then add the chopped mixed vegetables(I used carrot,spinach,potato and paneer). Add the salt. Cover and let it cook for 7-8 minutes.Then add chaat masala and cook a little more while mashing the vegetables(similar to pau bhaji process). Remove from heat .

Now heat a pan. Grease it with oil  and drop a big tablespoon of dal mixture onto it. Now press a pre-cooked  roti onto the dal mixture . Pressing down the roti over it will spread the dal mixture to the edges (like an omlette/chilla). Spray some oil on sides of the roti and cook till the dal mixtre becomes crisp. Now remove from heat. Spread some chutney (green and tamarind) of your choice . Put some prepared vegetable mixture in the center. Now roll it into a wrap and serve !
Looking forward to read your comments underneath....

Low Cal Icecream

Insert a popsicle stick into the top foil of low cal flavored yogurt of your choice. Freeze it. Now you have a low cal summer time icecream to satisfy your cravings :)

Grilled Gobhi Manchurian

Gobhi manchurian is a popular appetizer for vegetarians. This recipe is my attempt to make it more desirable by reducing the oil content....by grilling instead of frying.

Ingredients:

For Florets :
       2 cups gobhi florets
       1/2 cup cornstarch
       1/4 cup maida
       2 tbsp garlic ginger paste(better if you use fresh)
       salt to taste
        white pepper to taste
       green chillies to taste
        1/2 cup Water

For the Sauce :
        1tbsp  GingerGarlic Paste
        1/2 cup finely chopped capsicum
        1/2 cup spring onions for saute
         2-3 tbsp spring onion greens only for garnishing
         2 tbsp soy sauce
         21/2 tbsp tomato sauce
         1/2 tsp chilly sauce
         1/2 tbsp vinegar  
        

Method :
Blanch the florets in boiling water. Make a paste of all the rest of the ingredients and marinate the blanche florets for atleast 3-4 hours. Now grill them in the oven until golden brown. I usually put the setting at broil and put up a timer of 30 minutes and then flip them around and let it grill for another 20-25 minutes.

For the sauce : Take oil in a pan. Now saute the ginger garlic paste . Add capsicum and then spring onions. Saute on high heat. Now add all the sauces and the vinegar. Stir a little and then add the grilled florets and shake the pan until the sauce coats them. Grilled Gobhi Manchurian is ready to be relished.....Garnish with spring onion greens. Enjoy !

Gobhi Florets turning golden

Sauce

Indulge

Cooking for me started off as a necessary skill in order to feed and nourish my newlywed husband. It then proceeded to become a personal challenge as I continued to improve on my culinary skills and be on par with my Mum, Aunts and sisters who are all fabulous cooks.  Soon it became a passion, an art to release stress and paint with my palette of colorful and flavorful spices
....looking forward to share and indulge you in my passion of cooking alongwith my ideas on hosting parties and event planning.

Being Stereotyped !

I think to some extent generalizations or stereotypes can’t be stopped and are sometimes helpful, but yeah, it’s also annoying at times especially on the receiving end!

‘BIGGEST’ and most common or I should say frequent stereotype I have faced since choosing to make a career in the education field..

"Teaching is for people not clever enough to get a professional job. Teaching is low status”

Teachers are some of the most influential people in the world, yet the profession is continuously mocked and put down instead of being revered and respected. Well, teachers are the ones who make you capable enough to take other professions. They transfer their knowledge, their experiences to you to educate you. So instead of placing people into categories, let's get to know them

To further support my thinking I will give examples of how rewarding and satisfying it feels to be around children who give you love, respect and look up to you to kindle their flame of curiosity.

Apart from my passion and desire , one of the reasons I left my ‘kinda high paying’ software field to be a education professional is because I have vivid and fond memories of two or three teachers who fanned the flame of my curiosity and love of learning. They have the highest esteem in my eyes because they had high esteem for their job, for themselves and for their pupils. I aspire to look back and be able to feel proud of myself too.
I will love to know what are some stereotypes you have faced or come across. Please share in the comments.