Sublime Saffron Rice with Cardamom

The simplicity and elegance of basmati rice is clearly understated as evidenced by this lovely rice dish that will surely be a staple in my kitchen now. Simmered with cardamom and cloves and seasoned with delicate saffron threads, this fragrant and delicious rice pairs perfectly with hot legume curries, adding a mellow touch to the meal but shining all by itself. This dish speaks to the palate and was served with black-eyed peas with potatoes and tamarind and a lovely and refreshing avocado salad. Nothing else needs to be said.

Sublime Saffron Rice with Cardamon

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on August 31, 2012 Simple, elegant and fragrant saffron rice with cardamom and cloves Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 cup white basmati rice 2 cups water 3 green cardamom pods, slightly crushed 3 whole cloves 2/3 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads 3 tablespoons heavy cream, milk, yogurt or coconut milk Instructions: Thoroughly rinse the rice in a strainer under cold running water. Transfer to a medium bowl, add 2 cups of water, and let soak for 30 - 60 minutes. Drain the rice, reserving the soaking liquid, and let air dry for 15 - 20 minutes. Add the water, rice, cardamom, cloves and turmeric to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand for a few minutes. While the rice is cooking, combine the saffron and cream, milk, yogurt or coconut milk and salt in a small saucepan and gently heat. After the cooked rice has sat for a few minutes, fluff with a fork and then stir in the saffron mixture. Let the rice stand for another 5 minutes and serve hot. Makes 4 servings

Other delightful rice dishes you are sure to enjoy from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Baked Italian Brown Rice Balls (Arancini)
Chickpea and Brown Rice Patties
Tamarind and Coconut Pulao Rice
Mushroom Pulao Rice

Audio Accompaniment: Solar System

Keerai Vadai Recipe / Spinach Vada - Ponnanganni Keerai Recipes

Recently when i went to my in-laws place,my MIL gave me lots of Ponnanganni keerai ( Dwarf copperleaf / joyweed/Sessile joyweed – pink variety.. Generally known as water amaranth) grown in our garden.. I made sambar and kootu but still I had some left in my fridge.Its been a long time i am planning to make masala vada with spinach. So i tried this vada for first time.It was super cripsy , flavourful and yet soft inside..We loved it. My doter had 2 vadas.This shows the success of this recipe …

INGREDIENTS
 1 cup - 200ml

Ponnanganni keerai / Any greens– 1/2 cup Chana dal – 1/2 cup Red chillies – 3-4 nos Jeera - 1/2 tsp Hing – 1/4 tsp Small onion – 10-15 nos (chopped roughly) Mint leaves – 1 handful Coriander leaves – 1 handful Curry leaves - few Salt & water – as needed Fennel seeds – 1 tsp (optional)

METHOD

Soak channa dal for 2 hours. Drain the water and grind along with red chillies,hing, salt &amp ,jeera and 2 tsp of water.. First run the chillies,salt and hing together.Then add the soaked channa dal and run once or twice.The dal should be coarsely ground.Some dal would be visible.. Wash and chop the greens finely..Set aside. Mix the keerai , onions , mint leaves and coriander leaves,curry leaves in a  bowl and check for salt. No need to add water. Heat oil in a deep frying pan and add a tbsp of hot oil to the vada batter. This helps in making the shape of vada properly and gives crispiness to the vada. Mix the batter and take a small ball shaped batter. Keep in the center of palm and pat it little to make thick patties. Deep fry in hot oil. To check the right temperature of oil , just drop a bit of batter. It raises immediately.. Now drop the vadas one by one and cook in simmer flame for even cooking. Flip the vadas after a few mins and cook on the other side. Make in batches..Remove the vadas and serve hot ! Enjoy with tea or with rice as an accompaniment like we had!!

NOTE

If u r planning to make masala vada , just follow the same recipe except spinach. Adding fennel seeds gives a nice flavour but i couldn't use as my hubby doesn’t like its taste.. I used pink variety keerai and i just ground the keerai once along with channa dal. So my vada was slighlty brownish yellow in color. U can make this vada with any greens..The point is just chop it very finely..Mulai keerai, arai keerai , siru keerai , murungai keerai can be used here.. Usually we add channa, toor and urad dal for masala vada . We call tat as “MUPARUPPU VADA”..But my mom told me to make with channa dal alone..Yes , adding channa dal alone gives a nice , crispy vadas..

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No Croutons Required - The Winners for August and the Theme for September

The theme for August was to come up with a soup or salad with coconut as the star ingredient. Jacqueline mixed things up a bit this month and chose her two favorite recipes from this inspiring roundup. Short, but sweet, and very impressive creations from contributors.

Congratulations to Johanna of Green Gourmet Giraffe who came up with this stunning African Curried Coconut Soup. I am quite certain this will be on my menu soon. Such a perfect blend of ingredients.

Congratulations also to Stuart of Cakeyboi who presented us with a mouthwatering Coconut Fruit Salad with Chocolate Balsamic Dressing. Why not feature coconut for both dinner and dessert. Pure heaven.

I will be hosting the September edition of No Croutons Required. This month I am inviting readers to submit a vegan soup or salad. Though I am not a vegan but a vegetarian who enjoys dairy products, I often find it cleansing to go without animal products for days on end. The possibilities are endless and I am looking forward to your inspired contributions to this long running event. As you head into your kitchens, you might also want to consider your gluten-free friends. Guidelines for entering can be found here.

Eggplant and Tomato Caponata

Eggplant is not something I cook with very often, but during a trip to visit my Dad and his lovely girlfriend Lois, it was up to me to come up with something with a large eggplant that was given to them by my Dad's cousin (who has a rather impressive garden). After some discussion and some frowny faces because neither my Dad nor Lois have enjoyed eggplant in the past, I did not want that lovely and lonely eggplant to go to waste. After some brainstorming, I came up with a delicious broiled and breaded version served with my favorite mushroom curry. This went over well with my family.

The process was easy. You simply line a broiler pan with foil, top with a metal rack and brush with oil. Preheat your broiler while preparing the eggplant. Peel the eggplant and slice into 1/4 inch rounds. In a small bowl, beat together a large egg, 1 teaspoon or so of olive oil, 1 garlic clove, crushed sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste, dried herbs such as oregano, rosemary and basil, and a pinch of cayenne and maybe some freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Now you just need to brush the eggplant with some more olive oil, dip into the egg mixture, and then transfer to a plate with some bread crumbs or cornmeal and coat both sides. Place the eggplant slices onto the prepared pan and broil, flipping the eggplant after 10 minutes and then continuing to bake for another 10 minutes until golden brown, making sure not to burn the eggplant.

Because I was rather pleased with that simple little side, I wanted to explore eggplant yet again when I got home. So I present you with a caponata — a classic Sicilian cooked salad with eggplant, tomatoes, olive and capers served at room temperature. Very much like a Mediterranean relish or salsa, it's especially suited for serving with toasted flat breads. I will note that this is also a perfect way to take advantage of homegrown tomatoes.

Tomato and Eggplant Caponata

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Italian Published on August 28, 2012 Classic Sicilian cooked salad of eggplant with tomatoes, celery, capers, olives and a little added spice Print this recipe Ingredients: 2 medium eggplants, peeled and cut into small cubes 2 teaspoons sea salt 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 stalks celery, finely sliced 1 clove garlic, minced 3 large tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped 2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon curry powder (optional) 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons capers 2/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped 1 tablespoon brown sugar (optional) 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste fresh ground black pepper to taste large handful fresh parsley, chopped Instructions: Place the eggplant cubes in a strainer and sprinkle with the salt. Let stand for 1 hour. Rinse and pat dry with a clean tea towel. Set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the onion, celery and garlic and sauté for 5 to 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Now add the tomatoes, jalapeños, cumin, curry powder and cayenne and simmer for another few minutes, stirring often. Next add the vinegar, capers, olives and brown sugar if using to the pan Continue to simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, toss in the eggplant cubes and stir for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the eggplant to the tomato mixture. Continue to simmer for another 10 minutes and taste for seasoning. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Garnish with parsley and serve with flatbreads or toasted pitas. Makes 2 1/2 cups

More Italian dishes from my vegetarian kitchen:
Baked Mushroom Risotto
Wild Mushroom Soup
Olive and Goat Cheese Bruschetta
Rum and Ricotta Fritters

On the top of the reading stack: browsing, browsing, browsing the shelves

Audio accompaniment: Mechanical Lifeform EP

Simple Onam Sadya Recipes - Kerala Onam Dishes

As Onam is nearing , I see lot of posts featuring Kerala onam recipes in blogosphere. After trying the andhra platter successfully , i wanted to try  a simple Kerala lunch menu keeping onam festival in mind..When I was thinking about it, my neighbour showed me “Vanitha” magazine which was flooded with onam special recipes of “Pazhayidam nambhoodhiri”.There were many ideas for onam sadya dishes including payasam. As the recipes were given by a chef , I tried everything confidently. My neighbour Mrs.Prema read all the recipes and translated everything patiently.Thanks a ton to her . .Among those recipes, I picked some easy to make, simple dishes and prepared it..I reduced the given quantity as per my need and tried them.So i have mentioned the quantity what i used.We had a great onam lunch. Now after having my preparation, i really want to taste the authentic onam sadya in kerala..Wish I could get a chance When u want to prepare onam special dishes , the choices are endless. My neighbour told they serve nearly 60 side dishes..Wow..!!.I started drooling ..

Do check out my Onam sadya menu - 2 

I wanted to fill the banana leaf but i couldn’t.I should have kept Pazham , pappadam and nendhran chips which are the highlight in their menu..I was not able to do it. As this is my first Onam sadya post, I am not aware of the serving order. So I kept the dishes as I wished.Please excuse me .I dint prepare Avial as we used to make it regularly .U can see the recipe here..I wanted to try popular dishes which are new to me.They were really awesome in taste.. We loved it. Coconut oil and coconut are used as the main ingredients in their food..Even then the food was easily digestible .Yesterday my kitchen was filled with nice aroma of coconut oil ..I have bookmarked some more recipes from that book. I’ll try everything and post it soon..
Coming to the recipes ,let me start with the sweet dishes  ..

SEMIYA PAYASAM

Its very simple to make ..The taste was excellent.. My hubby who doesn’t like this payasam loved it a lot.. It can be served hot or cold. For variations, u can add badam powder at the end to give a kheer taste..

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml

For 2- 3 people Semiya / Vermicelli – 1/4 cup Sugar – 4 tbsp  ( adjust) Milk – 1/2 ltr Water – 1/2 cup Cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp(optional) Ghee – 1 tbsp Cashews and dry grapes - few

METHOD

In a wide mouthed Kadai , add half tbsp of ghee and roast the vermicelli till it turns golden brown with a nice aroma. In a pressure cooker base , take the milk and water . Let it boil till it reduces to half in quantity.. Then add the roasted vermicelli and close the cooker. Leave it for a whistle and the semiya gets cooked well. (Semiya should not be mushy) Open the lid and add the sugar. Mix well. Add milk if its too thick.Check for taste and add more sugar if required. Finally add the cardamom powder.. Boil for sometime. In a small kadai , take the remaining ghee and roast the cashews and dry grapes. Add on top of the payasam and garnish !! Serve hot or cold !

NOTE:

Cardamom powder is optional. It is not given in the actual recipe but i used it. U can add saffron threads soaked in warm milk which gives a nice color too.. My neighbour adds instant badam mix at the end which also tastes the best..

ELANEER PAYASAM / TENDER COCONUT PAYASAM

This payasam should be watery in consistency. Usually the pulp of tender coconut should be grinded coarsely along with its water and prepared. But i just cut the pulp into small pieces as given in the book . I also added jaggery instead of sugar as mentioned in the book. But please add very less jaggery as we are adding condensed milk , honey and coconut milk at the end..

INGREDIENTS

Tender coconut -  2 nos ( take the pulp and water) Jaggery –  2-3 tbsp ( please add lesser quantity) Grated coconut – 1/2 cup ( to extract milk) Condensed milk – 2 tsp Honey – 1 tsp (optional)  ( i added a tsp) Water – Little Cardamom powder – A pinch (optional)

METHOD

Take the jaggery and melt to make a syrup by adding water just to cover it. Strain and remove the impurities.After it starts to boil ,add the pulp of tender coconut ( i cut into bite sized pieces.. U can also use by grinding it coarsely).. U can even cook the pulp separately and add to jaggery. Let it boil for sometime. In the mean time , grind the grated coconut with water to extract the first milk.Set aside. Similarly take the second and third milk. Now add the third milk to the boiling jaggery mixture. After a few secs , add the second milk. Give a boil. Switch off the flame and add the first thick coconut milk. Mix well and allow it to cool down completely. Finally add the condensed milk and honey..Mix well and enjoy..

Note:

The color of this payasam varies according to the jaggery color. Mine was white in color as my jaggery was light yellow in color.. Always add jaggery in lesser quantity. If sweet is less , u can add more syrup later. Condensed milk and honey should be added after the mixture cools down completely.

MEZHUKKUPURATTAI / MIXED VEG STIR FRY

Its a simple stir fry which can be made in minutes yet tastes delicious..

INGREDIENTS

Yam – 1/4 cup Plantain / Raw banana – 1/ 4 cup Carrot – 1/4 cup Turmeric powder – 1 Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Curry leaves – few Red chillies – 2 nos Green chillies – 2nos Salt & water – As needed

METHOD

Cut all the veggies uniformly of small square shaped pieces. Cook yam in pressure cooker.cook plantain and carrot together. Make sure everything is not over cooked and mushy. Now in a kadai , take the coconut oil and add the mustard seeds , cut chillies and few curry leaves. Add the veggies finally and toss well by adding the required salt.

MIXED VEGETABLE THORAN

INGREDIENTS

Grated Cabbage – 1/4 cup Carrot – 1/4 cup Big onion – 1 no Half cooked toor dal – 1/4 cup Ginger – 1/2 inch piece Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp Salt – as needed Grated coconut – 3 tbsp to temper Coconut oil – 1 tbsp Green chilly – 1 no ( slit cut) Urad dal – 1/2 tsp Curry leaves – few

METHOD

Pressure cook toor dal for one whistle by keeping high flame. The dals gets half cooked. Grate the cabbage and cut carrot into small pieces. In a kadai, heat the coconut oil and temper with mustard seeds and urad dal. Then add the onion pieces. Saute well and add the ginger pieces , green chilly and curry leaves. Now add the cut vegetables , toor dal and mix well. Add all the powders one by one and mix well. Sprinkle little water and cover cook for sometime. Run the grated coconut once in mixie and add it at the end. Mix well and serve hot !!

PULI INJI / INJI CURRY

Among all these dishes , Puli inji secures the first rank.. We loved it a lot. It was very tasty..One can have a plate full of Dal rice or curd rice with this puli inji . Usually its very thick in consistency . But i made it little thin to suit our taste. Please make it according to ur taste buds.But in the book, it was mentioned to make it thick.It stays good for more than a week.Use a clean spatula every time....
INGREDIENTS

Tamarind – A big gooseberry size Ginger – 2 finger size ( chop finely) Jaggery – 1 tbsp ( add more if reqd) Salt & water – as needed.. Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp Hing – 1/4 tsp To temper Coconut oil – 1 tbsp Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Pinched red chilly – 1 no Green chilly – 1 no (finely chopped ) Curry leaves – a few To dry roast & grind: Methi seeds – 1/2 tsp

METHOD

Soak tamarind in warm water for take the extract. Add chilli powder , jaggery and give a boil till it reduces to half in  quantity. In a kadai , add coconut oil and temper the items given above.. Add the finely chopped ginger pieces and saute well for few mins.U’ll get a nice aroma, Finally add everything to the tamarind mixture and allow it to roll boil . **In the mean time , dry roast methi seeds and powder it. When the tamarind mixture starts to thicken , switch off the flame and add the methi powder.Mix well & Close it with a lid Serve with dal rice / curd rice.. !

NOTE

• Puli inji is a spicy accompaniment. A tsp of it is sufficient for a plate of meals..It also aids digestion..Make sure this puli inji is in ur menu if u plan to make kerala food..

KAALAN

Kaalan tasted similar to mor kuzhambu..We mixed it in plain rice and enjoyed ..

INGREDIENTS

Sour curd – 1 cup Pepper powder – 1 tsp Yam – 1/4 cup ( chopped roughly) Green chilly –2 nos Curry leaves – a few Ghee – a tsp Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp **Dry roasted methi powder – 1/2 tsp Salt & water – as needed To grind: Grated coconut – 1/4 cup Green chillies – 2 no Jeera – 1/2 tsp To temper Coconut oil – 1 tbsp Pinched red chilly – 1 no

METHOD

In  a pressure cooker , add the yam pieces , pepper powder , green chilly pieces and a tsp of ghee..Cook well. After opening the cooker , add the whipped curd , turmeric powder and salt.Let it boil.. In the mean time, grind the items under “ to grind” to make a paste by adding little water. When the mixture reduces to half , add the ground paste ..Boil well. Temper the mentioned items and mix to kaalan. Switch off the flame and add the methi powder finally . It would be in the consistency of kootu / aviyal.. Mix well and close with a lid to retain the aroma...

ASH GOURD KHICHDI / POOSANIKAI THAYIR PACHADI

Its a simple and tasty accompaniment for dal rice..

INGREDIENTS

Ash gourd – 1/ 4 cup ( chop finely) Salt & water  - as needed Thick fresh curd – 1/2 cup To grind Grated coconut – 2 tsbp Green chillies – 2 nos To temper Coconut oil – 1 tbsp Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp Urad dal – 1/4 tsp Hing – a pinch Pinched red chilly – 1 no Curry leaves - few

METHOD

Cook the ash gourd pieces with the required water and squeeze them well to remove its water content.Set aside Now in a kadai , temper all the items given above. Grind the coconut & green chillies to make a paste. In a bowl , take the ground coconut paste , tempered items , squeezed ash gourd pieces and the required salt. Mix well .. add the fresh , thich curd just before serving . Enjoy with paruppu sadam ..

ERISSERY

Its a semi dry , rice accompaniment which has lots of coconut.Adding  more coconut gives a nice flavour for this dish ..
INGREDIENTS

Yam – 1/4 cup Raw banana – 1/4 cup Pepper powder – 1 / 2 tsp Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Salt & water – as needed. To grind Grated coconut – 1/4 cup Jeera – 1 / 2 tsp To temper: Coconut oil – 1 tbsp Urad dal –1/2 tsp Jeera – 1/2 tsp Grated coconut – 1/2 cup Curry leaves - few

Please note i have put grated coconut twice here.Use accordingly..
METHOD

Chop & cook the yam and banana pieces separately. Heat oil in a a kadai and shallow fry the cooked vegetables. Grind the items given above with little water to make a paste. After shallow frying the veggies , add the ground paste followed by chilli, pepper and turmeric powders. Mix well and allow it to boil sometime. In a kadai , heat coconut oil and temper with urad dal, jeera , curry leaves and grated coconut. Roast them well and add it to the boiling mixture. mix well and switch off the flame..Enjoy !

KERALA SAMBAR / MIXED VEG SAMBAR

INGREDIENTS

Toor dal – 1/2 cup Potato – 1no Big onion – 1 /2 no Lady’s finger – 1/4 cup Drum stick – 1 no Turmeric powder – 1 / 4 tsp Chilli powder – 1 tsp Coriander seeds powder – 1.5 tsp Salt –  as needed Tamarind – Lemon size Dry roasted methi seeds powder – 1/2 tsp To temper Coconut oil – 1 tbsp Pinched red chilly – 1 no coriander leaves – to garnish

METHOD

Pressure cook dal and potato . set aside.. Reserve the dal water for making rasam.. Soak tamarind in water and take the extract. In a kadai , heat coconut oil and saute the lady’s finger and drum stick pieces. Add all the powders , tamarind extract ., Cover and cook well. After the veggies are cooked add the cooked dal and boil well for few mins. Finally temper the items and add the methi powder. switch off the flame.. Garnish with coriander leaves.. In the serving bowl , place a banana leaf and pour the sambar. Close for sometime and then serve. This is the additional tip given in the book..

KERALA RASAM

INGREDIENTS

Cooked toor dal water – 1 cup Tamarind extract – 1 tsp Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp Hing – 1/4 tsp Water – 1/4 cup Jeera – 1/4 tsp Methi seeds –1 / 4 tsp Tomato – 2 nos Curry leaves – few To dry roast and powder Dhania – 1 tsp Pepper corns – 1 tsp to temper Coconut oil – 1 tbsp Pinched red chilly – 1 no Coriander leaves – to garnish

METHOD

In a kadai , dry roast dhania and pepper corns & powder them. Take the tamarind extract , chilli powder , 1 tomato ( crushed) , jeera , hing and methi seeds along with little water. Boil everything till it reduces to half. Then add the dal water , remaining 1 tomato(finely chopped) , rasam powder and the required salt.Boil for few mins. Remove and temper with mustard seeds and pinched red chillies. Garnish with coriander leaves..

KERALA PARIPPU CURRY

INGREDIENTS

Moong dal – 1/2 cup Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp Red chilly – 1 no ( pinched ) Water & salt –as needed To grind Grated coconut – 2 tbsp Jeera – 1/4 tsp Green chilli - 1 no To temper Coconut oil – 1 tbsp Mustard seeds –1 /2 tsp & ginger pieces ( optional ) Pinched red chilly – 1 no Curry leaves – few

METHOD

Roast dal till raw smell emanates. Pressure cook the roasted dal with water , turmeric powder and a pinched red chilly.. Grind the coconut,chilli and jeera to make a paste. Mix it to the cooked dal and boil till it thickens. Remove and temper with the above items. Serve adding ghee !!

AVIAL

Please click on the picture to see the recipe for avial..
Do check out my Onam sadya menu - 2 
Easy Chakka pradhaman recipe
Kerala Paal payasam recipe

HAPPY ONAM TO ALL MY BLOGGERS AND FRIENDS. DO TRY THESE RECIPES AND HAVE A GREAT CELEBRATION !!

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Rice and Lentil Indian Pancakes

Here we go again. More Indian savory pancakes, this time a spicy and filling thin pancake made with a seasoned rice and dal or lentil batter. Easy to make, easy to eat and easy to keep. Delicious on their own or with yogurt, sour cream, or your favorite chutney. I pretty much make a batch of crêpes or pancakes once a week to keep me going for breakfast and snacks for a few days.

My thanks again to Raghavan Iyer who inspired this recipe from his most excellent cookbook, 660 Curries. More recipes will continue to be forthcoming from one of my favorite Indian cookbooks. Readers who enjoy Indian food will be missing out if they don't have this essential book. I can't heap enough praise upon Mr. Iyer — I wish I could visit his kitchen. His efforts are certainly appreciated in my home and my friends and family always give a nod to his creations that I am fortunate to recreate with my own spin on the dishes.

Rice and Lentil Indian Pancakes

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from 660 Curries Cuisine: Indian Published on August 26, 2012 Spicy and filling Indian pancakes made with a seasoned rice and dal batter Print this recipe Ingredients: 1/2 cup basmati rice 1/4 cup channa dal or yellow split peas 1/4 cup whole mung beans 1/4 cup toor dal 2 teaspoons coriander seeds 4 - 6 dried whole red chillies 3 - 4 fresh green or red chilies, seeded and chopped 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1 cup plain yogurt 1 small onion 1 large tomato, finely chopped 1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped generous handful of dried curry leaves 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt or rock salt 1/2 teaspoon asafetida sesame oil for frying Instructions: Thoroughly rinse the rice, dals and beans under cold running water and transfer to a large bowl. Add the coriander seeds and dried chilies and cover with water. Cover with plastic wrap and let soak overnight. Drain the rice and dal mixture and rinse. Transfer to a blender along with 1/2 cup of water, fresh chilies, cayenne and cumin. Purée, stirring as necessary and adding another 1/2 to 2/3 cup of water until you have a fairly thin batter. Transfer to bowl and then stir in the yogurt, onion, tomato, parsley, curry leaves, salt and asafetida. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes. Heat a teaspoon or so of oil over medium heat in a non-stick skillet. When hot but not smoking, ladle in 1/2 cup of the batter and shape it into a 6-inch circle with the back of the ladle. Cook the pancake for 5 minutes, until little holes form on the top. Sprinkle a little oil over the top of the pancake and flip, cooking for another few minutes until both sides are a light golden brown. Transfer to a plate and keep warm in a 150° oven covered with some foil. Repeat the process with the remaining batter, brushing the pan with more oil as needed. Refrigerate leftover pancakes in aluminum foil and reheat at 300° for 10 minutes. Makes 12 to 14 pancakes

Some curry dishes and sauces to go along with your pancakes that you are sure to enjoy from Lisa's Indian Vegetarian Kitchen:
Mushroom Curry Simmered in a Fenugreek Cream Sauce with Green Peas
Indian Style Spicy Mung Beans (Moong Dal)
Spicy Sun-Dried Tomato Paste
Tomato Chutney, South Indian-Style

On the top of the reading stack: browsing the shelves

Audio Accompaniment: Subtara - Darkness Into Space

Chickpea and Fresh Ginger Salad

It is well known that ginger is one of nature's best digestive aids. Load of pieces of fresh zesty ginger are combined with chickpeas and a tangy lemon and chat masala dressing to make this simple salad a tasty and easy to digest side salad or light lunch. Serve with some cooked grain, such as millet or rice, and you have all the makings for a perfectly balanced and delicious vegetarian meal. After cooking the beans and roasting the tomatoes if you wish (pretty much a hands off affair), the whole prep time is about 10 minutes. Simplicity is bliss.

Notes: If you wish to roast the tomatoes, prepare a large batch as they go well with a variety of dishes and are just wonderful to snack on between meals. Chat (or chaat) masala is a tart, hot and salty spice blend that is easily found in any Indian or most Asian grocers, but it is simple to make at home using this recipe.

Chickpea and Fresh Ginger Salad

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on August 24, 2012 A simple chilled chickpea salad dressed with pieces of fresh zesty ginger and a tangy lemon and chat masala dressing Print this recipe Salad: 1/2 cup dried chickpeas (1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 14 oz can) 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes (optional) 2-inch piece fresh ginger, cut into small thin strips 2 fresh green chilies, seeded and cut into strips Dressing: juice from 1 small lemon (2 tablespoons) 2 teaspoons white wine, champagne or rice vinegar 1 teaspoon chat masala powder 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1/2 teaspoon sea salt fresh ground black pepper to taste Instructions: Rinse the chickpeas and soak for 8 hours or overnight in several inches of water. Drain and rinse, then transfer to a medium saucepan and cover with several inches of fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the beans are tender. Drain and set aside to cool. If you are roasting the tomatoes, preheat an oven to 250°, cut the tomatoes in half, and transfer to a baking sheet brushed with olive oil. Sprinkle more olive oil over of the tomatoes and season with a light sprinkle of salt and fresh cracked black pepper as well as some dried herbs if desired. Bake for at least two hours, turning the tomatoes over occasionally, until they are slightly browned, shriveled and dry but still tender with a little juiciness left. Remove from the oven and let cool. Meanwhile, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, chat masala, cayenne, salt and black pepper. Transfer the cooked and drained chickpeas to a medium mixing bowl and add the ginger, green chilies and cherry tomatoes if using. Toss with the dressing and chill for an hour or more before serving. Makes 2 to 3 dinner servings or 4 to 6 side servings

More light salads from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Chickpea Salad with Tamarind Dressing
French Lentil Salad with Sweet Corn and Tomato
Quinoa Spinach Salad with Feta, Pomegranate and Toasted Almonds
Wild Rice and Asparagus Salad

On the top of the reading stack: World Vegetarian Classics: Over 200 Essential International Recipes for the Modern Kitchen by Celia Brooks Brown

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PAROTTA SALNA|VEGETABLE SALNA FOR PAROTTA

(Pics updated)

When we think about parotta , the side dish that immediately strikes our mind is Salna.. Nothing can beat this combo.Salna is a delicious accompaniment served with parota in road side hotels of Tamil nadu (Kai endhi bhavan) . Before marriage , my dad used to buy parotta,salna almost twice in a month. We used to buy the parotta just for salna which tastes good for dosa,idli too.So we buy less parotta and ask for more salna..My mom makes idly /dosa additionally and we relish the salna with it..Even nowadays when i visit my mom’s place , my lovely father never forgets to buy this for me .. Last week i bought frozen paratha for the first time just to prepare this salna..When i searched for the recipe , i got so many. Finally i made my own by combining all the recipes based on the salna i tasted. Usually in vegetarian salna , u can’t find anything except onions,skin of tomato and  a layer of oil floating on top and may be some pieces of cauliflower. I too wanted to make it similarly. But  i added some vegetables just to make it healthy..We loved its taste.Lets see how to make parotta salna at home.Give a try and let me know how it turned out for you.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 250ml

Cut Vegetables ( carrot , beans , peas and potato, cauliflower) – 1/2 cup Ginger – Garlic paste – 1/2 tsp Big onion –1 no (finely chopped) Tomato  - 1 no (-do-) Mint leaves – a few Cooking oil – 1 - 2 tbsp Salt & water – as needed To grind: Oil – 1 tbsp Big onion – 1 no Tomato – 2 nos Red chilly powder – 1.5 tsp(use 3/4 tsp for less spice) Coriander powder – 2 tsp Jeera powder – 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Cinnamon – 1 small stick Cloves – 2-3  nos Elachi – 1 seed Pepper corns – 1/2 tsp(optional) Fennel seeds /soambu – 1/2 tsp Grated coconut – 3 tbsp Khus khus / Poppy seeds – 1/2 tsp Cashews – 3 nos (optional)

METHOD

Cut all the vegetables of small size uniformly. In a kadai , add a tbsp of oil and put cinnamon , cloves , cardamom , fennel , onion , tomato , all powders and mix well till tomato mushes. Then add the grated coconut , cashews .mix well and switch off the flame. After it cools down , add little water and grind to a smooth paste. In a cooker base , add oil and G&G paste,onions,mint leaves and sauté till raw smell emanates. Now add the chopped tomato pieces and saute well till it turns mushy. Now add the ground masala paste,required salt  and all the vegetables. Add enough water and pressure cook for one whistle. When u open the cooker , u’ll see a layer of oil floating on top and u get a nice aroma.. If u feel the water is more , allow it to boil for sometime by simmering the flame which makes the oil separate. Remove and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with parota !!

NOTE

If u want salna to be watery , add little more water after opening the cooker and allow to boil.. U can also add coconut milk at the end instead of grinding coconut . For variations , try adding all the masala while sauting instead of grinding part. Pepper corns are purely optional.. Adjust the amount of chilli powder according to ur taste.U can even add it at the end and boil for sometime if required.

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