Instant Poha Upma Mix Recipe – Ready To Eat Poha Mix

When we think about quick breakfast recipes, Rava & Poha comes to our mind ( Poha = Rice flakes in English, Poha in Hindi, Aval in Tamil, Avalakki in Kannada).Poha recipes are easy to cook & a very healthy option for diabetic people too. In my kitchen, Rava upma and poha upma makes its appearance at least twice in a week. Sendhil loves Poha upma very much. So I keep making variations in poha upma like mixed vegetable poha upma, lemon poha, Kanda Poha, Batata Poha, Gujarati Poha, Karnataka Chitranna etc. When Sendhil went for an abroad trip, I packed homemade Instant Rava upma mix and poha mix for him. No soaking and chopping is needed. Just boil some water and cook. It will be ready to eat in few minutes just like noodles.You can enjoy this mix as teatime snack like chivda/Poha mixture.This mix was very useful for him and he loved it too. So I started making Instant mix recipes very often in my home. I make use of this mix whenever I feel lazy to cook after coming back from a trip. For this recipe, I referred this & this blogs, made some additions and tried it. Bachelors, working women and students who stay in hostel, PGs can try and keep this mix in bulk quantity. It will really help you to make quick,hassle free breakfast or dinner.Try this and share your feedback . You can try this upma mix with Red aval, Brown aval or even thin rice flakes. But cooking time and water quantity may vary slightly. See to it. Ok, lets see how to make Instant Poha upma mix recipe.
Check out my Tamil nadu style aval upma, Maharastrian Kanda poha, Gujarati Batata poha and lemon poha recipes.

Instant Poha upma mix recipe - Rice flakes mix

How to make homemade instant poha upma mix

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Main-Breakfast

Serves: -

Prep time: 5 Minutes

Cook time: 15 Minutes

Total time: 20 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml Thick Rice flakes/Poha - 3 cups Cooking oil - 4 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp Urad dal - 1 tbsp Chana dal - 2 tbsp Cumin seeds/Jeera – 1 tsp Roasted Peanuts - a handful Curry leaves - 2 sprigs Hing/Asafetida – 2 pinches Red chillies - 6 nos ( Pinched ) Turmeric powder – 1 tsp Pepper powder - 1 tsp ( optional) Salt - as needed Sugar – 1/2 tsp

METHOD

Heat oil in a kadai and splutter mustard seeds, Urad dal, chana dal, pinched red chillies, curry leaves, hing and turmeric powder.Add poha, salt, sugar and pepper powder. Saute well until poha turns crispy. Keep the flame medium to high and roast patiently by staying nearby.Add roasted peanuts and mix it.Switch off the flame and let it cool in the kadai itself. ( Roast peanuts Once its cool, store in an air tight box or ziplock cover. No need to refrigerate. It stays good for weeks even without refrigeration. To make poha upma with this mix, boil 1.5 cups of water. Add 1 cup of poha mix and keep mixing till it absorbs 3/4th of the water. Cover the kadai and let it cook in low flame for few minutes. Open the kadai and stir it once in the middle. After its cooked well, sprinkle some lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves.Mix well and serve hot !! For variations, Soak this mix in hot water for few minutes and then cook it with little water. You can saute one finely chopped big onion in 1 tbsp of oil and then add water. Add poha mix and follow the above procedure. You can add chopped and cooked potatoes along with onions like North Indian “Kanda batata poha” OR saute finely chopped vegetables along with onions, cook for few minutes and add poha mix.This makes the poha mix more healthy. You can even add some garam masala powder and make a twist from the usual upma. NB: Add more chillies or chilli powder as per your taste buds. Add 1/2 tsp of lemon peel powder in this mix if you have in hand. I din’t use it. If you have potato flakes in hand,

Make your own instant poha upma mix at home and enjoy !

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Velvety South Indian Tomato Chutney

Rarely do store-bought sauces, chutneys and salsas make an appearance on my table. For the most part, they are easy to make at home and, after prep, only patience with the simmering time is needed. Preparing your own condiments also ensures you have complete control over what is included, such as spicing and salt. I've never really understood how sauces purchased from the grocery store seem to keep for months without growing moldy. Likely some nasty preservatives are at play.

This chutney can serve as a sauce for just about anything you might imagine asking for some spicy tomato flair. It's thick enough to make for a good pasta sauce, a condiment for Indian condiments and snacks, an accompaniment to rice and flat breads, a topping for vegetable burgers or patties, nachos, burritos, or even mix into a legume dish for a fast and delicious meal. An abundance of seasonal tomatoes is another reason to make this chutney that keeps well in the fridge for up to two weeks in a well-sealed glass container or jar. The depth of flavor makes this preparation one of my new favorites.

This one IS spicy, so it's not for the faint-hearted, but reduce the amount of chilies if you can't handle the heat.

Velvety South Indian Tomato Chutney

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from Monsoon Spice Cuisine: South Indian Published on July 28, 2016 Smooth, spicy south Indian style tomato chutney suitable for serving with pasta, burgers or Indian savories Print this recipe Ingredients: 2 1/2 tablespoons tamarind pulp 1/2 tablespoon olive or other oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 tablespoon split skinned urad dal, rinsed 4 large tomatoes, chopped 2 to 3 fresh red cayenne chilies, finely chopped 1 dried red chili, broken into bits 1 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon coconut or brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon coconut sugar Tempering: 2 tablespoons olive or other oil 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 to 2 dried red chilies, broken into bits 1/2 teaspoon asafetida 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste Instructions: Begin by making the tamarind paste from the pulp. In a small bowl, soak the tamarind pulp in 1 cup of boiling water for 30 to 40 minutes. Place a strainer over another bowl and press the pulp through to remove any seeds or tough fibers. You will be left with tamarind paste. Strain the liquid and keep for another dish. It makes for a good broth. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add the cumin seeds and urad dal and cook, stirring, for another few minutes until the urad dal darkens a few shades. Now stir in the tamarind paste, tomatoes, chilies, turmeric, sugar and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes and then turn off the heat. Purée with an immersion blender. Let cool a bit before proceeding. For the tempering stage, heat the oil in a large non-stick heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the mustard and cumin seeds to the pan and fry until the mustard seeds begin to splutter and pop. Add the chilies and asafetida, stir once, and then pour in the tomato mixture along with salt. Cook the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until thickened and the oil leaves the sides of the pan. Adjust for seasoning. Store leftovers in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks. Makes about 2 cups

Other sauces and chutneys to enjoy from Lisa's Kitchen:
Classic Tamarind Chutney
Avocado and Tomato Salsa with Chipotle
Mushroom Marinara Sauce with Fresh Herbs
Green Mango Coconut Chutney

On the top of the reading stack: The Camp of the Saints

Ven Pongal Recipe – South Indian Khara Pongal

Ven pongal / Ghee Pongal / Khara Pongal / Rice pongal is one of the most important South Indian breakfast recipes which is very popular in Tamil nadu. I have already shared my MIL’s Venn pongal recipe with a video. Today I have come up with my mom’s version of making ven pongal. My parents are with me in Bangalore and I am having a great time with them. I am enjoying my mom’s special recipes. This morning amma made ven pongal and coconut chutney for our breakfast. Most of us avoid eating pepper corns if its added as whole ones. So my mom adds coarsely powdered pepper corns just like the ones served in some hotels. And she adds more quantity of moong dal to make the dish more healthy.Do try this version. You will love it for sure. Ok, Lets see my mom’s style South Indian Ven pongal recipe for breakfast.

Ven pongal recipe

Ven pongal/Ghee pongal/Khara pongal - South Indian breakfast recipes

Cuisine: South Indian

Category: Breakfast

Serves: Serves 2-3

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml Raw rice/Pacharisi - 1 cup Yellow moong dal/Paasi paruppu - 1/4 cup Water - 5 cups Ghee - 4 tbsp Pepper corns – 1.5 tsp Cumin seeds - 2 tsp Curry leaves - few Chopped ginger - 2 tsp Asafetida/Hing - 2 pinches Cashew nuts - few Salt - as needed

METHOD

Dry roast moong dal in a kadai till nice aroma arises. Do it patiently without burning them. Remove in a plate. Wash the rice and set aside. In a kadai, heat 2 tbsp of ghee and roast the pepper corns.Let it crackle. Remove half of them and powder it coarsely. If you want, you can powder all the roasted pepper corns. I powdered half & added the remaining as it is for photographic attraction. But my mom usually powders all the pepper corns. Add cumin seeds to the remaining pepper corns and roast the jeera for few seconds. Switch off the flame.In a cooker base, take the washed rice and roasted moong dal. Add 5 cups of water and required salt. Mix well and add the roasted pepper + cumin mixture, chopped curry leaves, ginger and hing. Mix everything and pressure cook in high flame for 7 to 9 whistles. Remove the weight valve after the steam is released. Heat 1tbsp of ghee and roast cashew pieces till golden brown.Open the cooker and add the roasted cashews and powdered pepper corns. Mix well and add 1tbsp of ghee. Serve hot with coconut chutney .Enjoy !

Enjoy yummy ven pongal for breakfast !

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Green Bean Poriyal

Soaring temperatures in July and nearly debilitating back pain has meant easier meals with minimal prep. After all, as any cook will know, it's the prep and the cleanup that usually takes most of the time and effort, depending on the dish of course. As I always maintain, easy does not mean you have to sacrifice flavor or nutrition, and this spicy green bean side dish certainly proves my point.

Poriyals are essentially dry curries that are ideal accompaniments to any main course and a hallmark of South Indian cuisine. These vegetable-based dishes are usually gently steamed or stir-fried over a low heat to retain the flavors of the vegetables featured in the dish. In this case, it is important not to overcook the green beans, because you want to retain the crispness that comes out in each bite. I've added tamarind here for a bit of sweetness and some coconut and split urad and toor dal for some crunchy texture. Though an ideal side, consider serving as a satisfying light lunch with some rice or flatbread or even as an elegant starter. If you want a version with more dal, then consider this green bean and toor dal poriyal that I have made on several occasions.

Green Bean Poriyal

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from Dakshin: Vegetarian Cuisine from South India Cuisine: South Indian Published on July 25, 2016 Simple and colorful south Indian green bean side dish with spices and fragrant shredded coconut Print this recipe Ingredients: 2 tablespoons tamarind pulp 3 cups (1 lb or 450 g) green beans, cut into 2/3-inch pieces 4 tablespoons dried unsweetened shredded coconut 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste Tempering: 2 teaspoons coconut oil 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon split skinned urad dal, rinsed 1 teaspoon toor dal or chana dal, rinsed 1 fresh red chili, finely chopped (don't remove the seeds) 1/2 teaspoon asafetida small handful of dried curry leaves, crushed Instructions: Soak the tamarind pulp in 2/3 cup boiling water for 40 minutes. Strain the tamarind into a small bowl, pressing down on the pulp to squeeze as much liquid as you can. Set the drained tamarind liquid aside. In a large frying pan or wok, heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds to the pan and cook for a few minutes. Now add the urad and toor or chana dals, chilli, asafetida and curry leaves. Fry for another few minutes until the mustard seeds turn grey and begin to splutter and pop. Now add the green beans, about 3 tablespoons of the tamarind water, and salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Cook until the beans are tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the coconut and cook for another few minutes. Remove from heat and taste for seasoning. Serve warm alongside some fresh cooked white rice and your favorite dal dishes. Makes 4 to 6 servings

Other South Indian dishes to try from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Spicy Black-Eyed Pea Sambar
Tomato Tamarind Soup (Rasam)
Mung Dal Vada (Fried Indian Lentil Fritters)
Chickpea Mixed Vegetable Poriyal

On the top of the reading stack: Choosing Raw: Making Raw Foods Part of the Way You Eat

Methi Chaman Recipe – How To Make Paneer Methi Chaman

Last week my friend Shalini was telling me about methi chaman gravy (Methi = Fenugreek leaves in English, Vendhaya keerai in Tamil, methi in Hindi, Menthe soppu in Kannada) she had in a restaurant. She told her family loved the gravy a lot and suggested me to give a try. She also shared me a link with a recipe close to the restaurant style methi chaman. Actually speaking, I have no idea about this recipe and its origin. So I browsed few more recipes to know its birth and came to know methi chaman is from Kashmir and it is very popular in Mumbai too. It is a mildly spicy curry/ gravy made using palak, fenugreek leaves/Methi leaves. It is popularly known as Hariyali Methi Chaman.Today I have shared Paneer methi chaman recipe. I am not sure this is the authentic recipe because I found many variations in this basic methi chaman recipe by adding paneer, Palak,  sweet corn etc. In fact my friend Shalini tasted makai methi chaman in which sweet corn and methi leaves were the major ingredients. It is without paneer and palak. But its my first attempt for this recipe. So I blindly followed the recipe shared in the link. It came out finger licking good.Its a good side dish for roti, naan, kulcha, ghee rice and mild pulao varieties. I loved it like anything and found “Kitchen King Masala” is the star ingredient for this particular recipe. Friends, do buy a pack of kitchen king masala if you don’t have in your hand.It gives restaurant style taste and flavor to North Indian gravies. If you don’t have fenugreek leaves, you can use crushed kasuri methi ( Dried frenugreek leaves) too.Ok, lets see how to make methi chaman gravy with paneer.
Don't forget to check out my other paneer recipes in THIS LINK

Paneer methi chaman gravy recipe

Paneer methi chaman gravy recipe - Mildly spiced gravy with Indian cottage cheese & Fenugreek leaves- Side dish for roti,naan, kulcha and mild pulao varieties

Cuisine: North Indian

Category: Side dish

Serves: Serves 2

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 200ml Fenugreek leaves/Methi - 1 cup Paneer/Indian cottage cheese - 1/2 cup Cooking oil - 1+1 tbsp Big onion - 2 nos Tomato - 2 nos (big) Ginger – 1 inch piece Cumin seeds/Jeera – 1/2 tsp Cashews or melon seeds - few ( I used 3 cashews) Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Red chilli powder - 1 tsp ( Add more for spicy gravy) Dhania powder - 2 tsp Cumin powder/Jeera powder – 1/2 tsp Kitchen king masala powder - 1 tsp ( I used Kwality brand) Boiled Milk - 1/4 cup Salt & water - as needed

METHOD

Cut paneer into cubes.Chop tomato, slice onions. Boil 2 cups of water till water starts to roll boil.Add the paneer cubes. Take fenugreek leaves ( methi leaves) & wash it thrice to remove the dust. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadai. Crackle cumin seeds. Saute onion till transparent. Add ginger pieces,cashews. Then saute tomato till mushy adding some salt. Let the mixture cool down. Grind to a smooth paste adding required water.  Heat 1 cup of water & add 1/2 tsp sugar and the washed leaves. Boil for few minutes till the leaves cook well. Cook till all the water drains out. For variation, you can saute the leaves in oil instead of blanching to reduce the bitterness.Also you can grind the cooked leaves to a paste and add to the gravy. This gives green colored base to the gravy. Heat 1 tbsp oil in the kadai. Saute the tomato-onion paste, 1/4 cup of water, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, dhania powder, kitchen king masala powder, required salt. Mix well till oil starts to ooze out. To this add the blanched methi leaves and some water, mix well and let it boil.Check for taste and add more salt, spice powders if needed. Add the paneer cubes, boiled milk and let the gravy boil for a minute. Check the consistency and switch off the flame. Add fresh cream if you like. Mix well and serve hot with roti/Pulao/Naan. Enjoy ! Don't forget to check out my other paneer recipes in THIS LINK

Enjoy restaurant style Paneer methi chaman recipe with roti/naan !!

 

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Creamy Potato Salad with Cashew Dressing and Fresh Basil

Potato salads are well loved favorites anytime of year, but I think especially during the hot summer months when most of us don't feel like fussing too much over a hot stove. In addition, they are portable and easily transported to potlucks, barbecues or packed for a picnic. The advantage this particular creamy potato salad has for taking along for a gathering is that it's dairy-free, so it won't spoil in the heat, especially if packed into a cooler.

I originally was going to go with an oil-based dressing for this salad, but instead went with cashews for a burst of protein. The result was a creamy dressing with some olive oil, zesty fresh lemon juice, nutritional yeast for a bit of cheesy flavor, some almond milk to thin it out, some zingy mustard and fresh herbs. Combine this dressing with baby potatoes, fresh peas, plump and salty Kalamata olives and freshly torn fragrant basil leaves. You end up with a refreshing and filling salad for any occasion. I assure you the mayonnaise won't be missed.

The only complaint from those who got to try the salad — "you should have doubled the recipe"!

This recipe was inspired by some samples I received of mustard from Maille Canada. They now have mustard available in convenient squeeze bottles. I've been purchasing Maille mustard for years in jar form and its silky texture and tart flavor never disappoints. A little goes a long way. I was also surprised to see how many different varieties of mustard the company offers. In addition to their traditional offerings, the selection of gourmet mustards are quite intriguing.

Creamy Potato Salad with Cashew Dressing and Fresh Basil

Recipe by Lisa Turner Published on July 20, 2016 Creamy potato and pea salad in a creamy cashew and mustard "mayonnaise" style dressing Print this recipe Salad: 1 1/2 lb (700 g) baby potatoes 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas, blanched 3/4 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly torn if large 1/4 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped (optional) Dressing: 3/4 cup raw cashews, soaked in warm water for a few hours and drained 1/4 cup olive oil juice from 2 lemons (3 tablespoons) 1 teaspoon rice vinegar 3 to 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast, to taste 3 to 4 tablespoons almond milk, or as needed 1 teaspoon Dijon honey mustard 1 teaspoon Dijon grain mustard 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, trimmed and chopped 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, chopped 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste fresh ground black pepper to taste Instructions: Bring the potatoes to a boil in a large pot of water. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until they are fork tender — about 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain well and let cool for 10 minutes or longer before transferring to a large bowl along with the peas, basil leaves and olives if using. To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a small blender or food processor and pulse into smooth. If it is too thick, add a bit more olive oil or almond milk. Taste for seasoning and adjust nutritional yeast, salt and pepper to taste. Toss the potatoes with the dressing and serve. Makes 6 servings

Other potato salads to enjoy this summer:
Vegan Potato and Asparagus Salad Dressed with Avocado
Indian-Style Potato and Pea Salad with Tamarind and Chat Masala
Potato and Green Bean Chaat Salad
Warm Baby Potato and Asparagus Salad

Vegetable Uthappam Recipe – Mixed Vegetable Dosa

Basically I am a big dosa lover and love to try dosa varieties at home.I make them mostly for breakfast. But I couldn’t share all of them in my blog as I don’t get time to click the pictures in the busy morning hours.Today Sendhil is working from home.So I prepared this mixed vegetable uthappam for his breakfast and clicked it too. Onion uttapam and vegetable uthappam are our favorite among all the uthappam recipes in restaurant. So most of the time, this would be in our daily routine menu. More than the restaurant ones, I love this dosa version from small road side dosa corner. I have tasted and seen the making of mixed vegetable dosa several times in road side 101 dosa varieties stalls in Salem and Bangalore as well. Topped with the mixture of colorful, finely chopped vegetables & with lot of butter, this dosa tastes awesome with a watery coconut chutney, spicy Kara chutney and sambar served as a side dish. Literally I am drooling while writing this post  and feel like running to a nearby dosa stall .At home, we can make a low calorie version by using less oil/butter and more healthy by adding more quantity of vegetables than hotels.Do try this for breakfast & kids lunch box. They would love to eat this colorful dosa. Sprinkle some cheese & make it more attractive for kids. Lets see how to make this yummy vegetable uthappam recipe with step by step photos.

Vegetable Uthappam Recipe

How to make mixed vegetable uttapam - Healthy dosa varieties for breakfast/dinner !

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Main- Breakfast

Serves: 4 nos

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 5 Minutes

Total time: 15 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

Idli dosa batter - 1 cup Finely chopped carrot - 1/4 cup Finely chopped onion - 1/4 cup Finely chopped tomato - 1 no Finely chopped coriander leaves - a handful Finely chopped capsicum - 2 tbsp (optional) Finely Chopped green chillies - 2 nos Cooking oil/ghee/butter - as needed Check out my MIXIE DOSA BATTER recipe too.

METHOD

Wash and finely chop the carrot, onion, tomato, green chillies, capsicum and coriander leaves and mix everything together.Instead of fine chopping you can grate carrot.If you like ginger flavor, add a tsp of grated ginger. In addition to this vegetables, you can add finely chopped cabbage, beans if you like.Heat a dosa tawa and pour a ladleful of dosa batter. Spread it slightly and make thick dosa if making uthappam. If you want to make as a dosa, spread more. As soon as you see some holes on the top of the dosa, start sprinkling the mixed vegetables all over the dosa. Drizzle 2 tsp of oil around it. By this time, the bottom portion of dosa would have cooked. Flip the dosa, press it lightly with the dosa flipper and cook the dosa in medium flame for 2-3 minutes. For variations cover and cook the dosa without flipping it.Add little more oil if needed.Remove the dosa and serve hot with chutney, sambar. Enjoy !

Make this colorful, healthy vegetable uthappam at home and enjoy !

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