Paan Shot

Posted on December 30, 2015 by Ramya Srini

paan shot

I was wondering about what to do with all the left over vethalai (betel leaves) after the festival season. Then, I remembered having paan shot as a post-meal complementary drink in a few restaurants. I thought of giving it a shot… yes, a shot, literally and figuratively! So I did, and what a hit it was!

I have tried this a few times since, and it’s been a winner all through…. I was initially sceptical about giving betel leaves to kids, but I googled and read about the benefits of betel leaves, and guess what? It’s not all that bad. I have discussed this in ‘Know Your Ingredients’ section. Of course, our previous generation always vouches for its medicinal properties, so here’s something that can please the young and old alike.

I hope you would try this easy-peasy recipe and enjoy the healthy drink.

Method

Betel leaves – 7-10 numbers

Gulkhand* – 2 teaspoons

Saunf – 1 teaspoon

Milk – 100 ml

*Gulkhand can be replaced with honey or sugar

Procedure

Tear the leaves into pieces, add other ingredients and blend till you get a smooth paste. If necessary, add extra milk and strain. Refrigerate and enjoy!

Know Your Ingredient

Paan (Betel leaves)

Betel leaf is well known for its medicinal properties. It contains vitamins such as Vitamin C, Thiamine, Niacin, Riboflavin and Carotene. It is also a good source of Calcium.

The juice of the leaf is used as a cure for the common cold/cough. It is even used for treating indigestion and colic pain in infants. Mixing the juice of betel leaves with warm water and gargling relieves sore throat.

Type	Herb
Form	Fresh
How to Buy	Select the moderately tender leaves for maximum benefit. The fully mature leaves might be low on medicinal properties.
Storage	Wash the leaves, dry them with a soft cloth and refrigerate in zip lock bags. They can be stored for a week.

Ragi Pancakes

Posted on August 17, 2015 by Ramya Srini

Hi! I’m back with a kid-friendly recipe.

Breakfast is always trouble around here with the kids. They don’t like idli, pongal,or any of the other regular breakfast items in a typical South Indian menu. I would always be in a fix when I wake up without having planned for the day’s first meal. So, when I thought I will try something new from the dosa variety, I discovered Ragi Pancakes. And! Here is a secret! Because of the colour, my little one calls this choco pancake… and hence, I consider myself to be the winner in this breakfast war, having given them a healthy, yet tasty dish.

I tweaked the basic eggless pancake recipe and added jaggery as a healthy alternative for sugar… and here comes the recipe.

Ingredients

Ragi flour – 1/2 cup

Wheat flour -1/4 cup

Milk – as needed

Jaggerysyrup (jaggery, dissolved in water) – 1/2 cup (increase if you or your brats have a sweet tooth)

Baking soda – a pinch

Cardamom (powdered) – a pinch (can be substituted with flavourings of your choice)

Method

Add jaggerysyrup, milk and flavouring of your choice to ragi and wheat flour and make a thick batter of pouring consistency. Add a pinch of baking soda and give it a gentle mix. Pour the mixture on to a hot pan and let it take the shape of a circle (no need to spread the batter). Add a little butter if you are in for indulgence, or a bit of your favourite fat will do. Once cooked, flip the pancake to cook theother side. The pancakes turn to a nice deep brown and give a chocolaty effect.

I’ve added home-made whipped cream to make it more interesting.

Know Your Ingredient

Ragi (nachni, kezhvaragu, bhakri)

Ragi is a finger millet, which is high in protein and minerals (in comparison to all other cereals and millets). Being a good source of protein, it is perfect for vegetarians.

Ragi has high amounts of calcium and potassium. It is a great source of iron, making it beneficial for people with low haemoglobin levels. Low in fat and gluten free, ragi is easy to digest. It is therefore given as first food to babies in the form of ragi porridge.

Ragi possesses anti-diabetic, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.

Ragi and its flour

Type	Millet
Form	Powdered
How to Buy	If you are planning to buy whole Ragi, check if the packet is free from stones, dust and other impurities; If you buy whole millets, check for impurities
Process	Remove impurities and clean with water and dry in sunlight for a day or till it gets completely dried.Make a fine powder by grinding it in a mixer or a mill.
How to cook	Ragi flour can be cooked as porridge by adding it to water. Follow the procedure as in any porridge recipe.

Samosa

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Ramya Srini

Hello people! That was one long break, I know! This time it was due to technical reasons that I couldn’t blog. When it (never mind; that was just a non-functioning keyboard, which I couldn’t get serviced) cropped up, I was happy to leave the blog behind and say goodbye to it. But, one fine day I started missing this little space I’m so proud of. Due to constant encouragement and support from my dear sis, I thought I should come back to it… So, here I am with one of my favourite recipes.
For a long time, I’ve been craving to make samosas just like the store-bought ones. Crispy on the outer edges and lip-smacking savoury on the inside… and, they stay that way even the next day!

So when I heard this recipe a few months back from a friend, I just couldn’t wait to try it. So I did, and whoa! What results! Since then, I’ve made these marvels a dozen times at least, and every time, people have come up and asked me where I bought them. Well they didn’t a couple of times because of some mistake I made, but hey, that’s what this blog post is all about, so you can avoid the same pitfalls I made, and dish out some great, drool-worthy, compliment-fetching samosas!

For the dough:

All purpose flour (maida) – 1 cup
Rice flour – less than 1/2 cup
Fine semolina (rava) – 1 tablespoon (for extra crispness)
Oil – steaming hot – 1 tablespoon
Ajwain – 2 teaspoons
Salt – to taste

For the filling:

Potatoes – 2 big (boiled and peeled)
Onions – 1
Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon
Garam masala – 1/2 teaspoon
Red chilli powder – 1/2 teaspoon (or as per taste)
Salt – to taste
Coriander leaves – for garnish

For seasoning:

Mustard seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
Oil – 2 teaspoons for seasoning (and more for deep frying)

Procedure:

Bring together maida, rice flour, semolina, ajwain and salt. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan, and add it, steaming hot, to the mixture. Mix well with a ladle. Remember, the mixture will be very hot at this stage. Let it cool for a while and then mix with your hands. At one point, you will start feeling crumbs of flour between your fingers. Now, add enough water and make it into a smooth dough. Let it rest for 30 minutes.

Now for the filling. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard and cumin seeds. Add onions and fry till soft. Add boiled, peeled and cubed potatoes along with turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt. Lightly smash the potatoes with the back of a ladle to blend with the other ingredients. Add garam masala and cook on low flame for about 5 minutes for the mixture to incorporate the flavours. Garnish with coriander leaves. Switch off and let it cool completely.

To make the samosas:

Step 1

Roll the dough into a circle / oval shape of medium thickness.

Step 2

Cut into two halves. You will have two semi-circles now.

Step 3

Take a semi-circle and shape it into a cone.

Step 4

Fill the cone with the prepared stuffing.

Step 5

Fold one side of the open ended cone.

Step 6

Fold the other side so that the edges meet.

Step 7

Press firmly to close.

Ensure that the oil is hot and drop two at a time (max) and fry till golden brown. Crisp, hot samosas are ready!

Know Your Ingredients:

Most of us know potatoes aren’t as unhealthy as they are portrayed to be. It is only the fat that we add that makes the dish sinful, just as I have done with the samosas. We can enjoy the nutritional benefits of potatoes when we consume them boiled, steamed or cooked with other vegetables without adding excess fat.

Potatoes are a rich source of potassium and vitamin B6. Potassium helps in regulating blood pressure, while B6 helps in breaking down protein and in keeping blood sugar levels under the normal range.

Type	:	Vegetable
How to buy	:	It is better to select individual pieces than to buy packaged potatoes. Look for firm potatoes and avoid the ones with a greenish tinge.
How to store	:	Potatoes need not be, or rather should not be, refrigerated. Refrigeration would cause the starch in the potato to convert to sugar, resulting in a sweet taste and discolouration when cooked. Keep them in a cool, dry and shady place and they will stay good for more than a month.

Bloopers:

On a cheerful day, you try a new recipe which you think looks simple and easy. But for some reason it turns out be a blunder. Yes! I have been there and done exactly that. Not once, but many times. I’m sure people out there shout out “that’s the way you learn”. I do agree. Here, I present a few of my bloopers to help you through your bad cooking days. Some are serious. Some are merely funny. Come along and enjoy!

Samosa Bloopers:

Blooper 1: I forgot to add ‘steaming’ hot oil to the flour.
After trying the samosa half a dozen times, I was over confident (sigh!) about my final outcome. I missed out adding hot oil to the flour and realized it soon after frying the first batch. The samosas were soggy and soaked in oil. Here is the evidence.

Blooper 2: A few ‘imperfect’ trials before I got the perfect ‘standing’ samosa.

Corn Cheese Balls

Posted on July 31, 2014 by Ramya Srini

When the kids go shopping with dad, I can always expect a surprise (/shock)… Sure enough, during one of their outings to the mall, they came back with a pack of ready-to-mix cheese balls. For once, that was a pleasant surprise. We were all eager to try it (thinking of the crisp-outside-gooey-inside cheese balls in Italian restaurants!). With lots of expectation, I rolled the powder mix into balls, coated them with bread crumbs and deep fried in hot oil. To our BIG disappointment, the cheese balls failed to impress us except for their looks. The texture and taste were not what we expected at all. Even the kids gave a bored look the moment they had a bite. So I had to promise them that I will make real yum cheese balls very soon. I googled it, and found a recipe that was simple enough to follow, but it seemed to include white sauce. To reduce the chance of one more disaster (shock!), I tweaked the recipe to my preference and taste, and, what do you think? It was a SUPER DUPER hit!!!!! So here goes the recipe….

Ingredients

Sweet corn kernels – 2 cups

Cheese – 1 cup (grated)

Corn flour – ¾ cup

Green chilli – 1 (finely chopped)

Coriander – few sprigs (finely chopped)

Garlic – 2 pods

Oregano – to taste

Salt – to taste

Oil – for deep frying

Bread – 2 slices (to make crumbs for coating)*

ingredients corn cheese collage

Cook the corn in a pressure cooker or microwave oven by adding a pinch of sugar. You can skip the sugar if you want to, but I’ve found that it really brings out the sweetness (and therefore, the flavour) of the sweet corn. Separate the corn kernels and run them in the mixer/blender just for a second or two. Ensure that it doesn’t get mashed. Take the blended corn kernels in a bowl and add the other ingredients. You can add more corn flour depending on the moisture content. Mix well and shape them into small balls.

Make a thin paste of corn flour and water. Coat these balls with this mixture and roll it over the bread crumbs*. Repeat process for all the balls. At this stage, you can choose to store the balls in the freezer (for up to a day or two) before deep frying. Even otherwise, refrigerating the balls for a minimum of half an hour would make the crumbs stick nicely and give a beautiful golden brown colour to the balls.

corn cheese ball ingre collage

Heat oil in a pan and drop them a few at a time. Do not disturb them for a while till they start browning. Then turn them around till they get an even browning. And lo, you have absolutely crispy, yummy cheese balls that kids will really drool over and ask for more (mine did, at least)!

corn cheese balls

* you can make bread crumbs by freezing a couple of slices and running it in the mixer for a few minutes. Hygienic and fresh bread crumbs are ready to use in any recipe of your choice.

Know Your Ingredient

sweet corn

Sweet corn is a whole grain variety which is used as a vegetable. Apart from being undoubtedly rich in fiber, it is also rich in carotenoids like Lutein and zeaxanthin. However unspellable these words can be, they can make you read better. Yes! They help in improving eye health and also have loads of other benefits like improving cardiovascular health. Recent studies are showing that consuming more of sweet corn might help in improving memory and also in cancer prevention. So, go ahead and include sweet corn in your meal and also make kids happy.

Type	Whole grain
Form	Fresh (used as a vegetable)
How to Buy	Look for a bright, green husk with pale to deep gold silk (corn hair). Always go for ones with plump kernels.
Storage	It is best to use sweet corn as fresh as possible. If you store them for longer periods, the sugar gets converted into starch and they lose their sweetness. At best, store them in a Ziploc cover along with the husk in the refrigerator for not more than 4 to 5 days.
How to cook	You can choose to boil, grill or microwave sweet corns. Remove the husk and silk covering the kernels. Break the cob in half and immerse in water for cooking. Cooking doesn’t take more than 3 – 5 minutes. The fresher the corn, the lesser time it takes to cook. Once the corn is cooked, keep it immersed in water till cool. This avoids the kernels from getting dried.
How to separate the kernels	Take out one whole row (line) of kernels with the help of a sharp edged spoon. The other rows of kernels can be easily separated by slightly bending and turning due to the space made available by the empty row.

I always buy corn on the cob and cook it on microwave for 5 minutes on high. Adding a pinch of sugar while cooking helps to bring out the sweetness of the corn.

Nachos (Indian Style)

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Ramya Srini

I just got back from a looooong (summer) break. The kids were at home and the days were completely occupied by god only knows what we did. Getting back and settling into a routine feels nice. It’s made me feel relaxed. The relaxation has resulted in yet another Indo-Mexican fusion. The Nachos – Indian style!

When the idea to do something with nachos struck, I wanted to combat the blandness of tortilla (flat bread made with corn), which is used as the base. The solution is a spicy masala roti instead of the regular tortilla, to be used as the base. Added to that, a cheesy sauce with some interesting toppings and voila! What better way to have a yummy, healthy snack than nachos with whole wheat?

There are three things to be take care of:

The base (tortillas or rotis) of your choice
The cheesy sauce (you can choose to add basil, minced garlic, oregano or some Italian seasoning preserved from the previous pizza order)
The toppings (my favourite here is tomatoes, of course you can choose to add olives or pickled jalapeños)

For the base (I used):

Whole wheat flour – 2 cups

Onions – 1 small (finely chopped)

Chilli powder – a pinch

Coriander leaves – to taste

Salt – to taste

Water – to make dough

Combine the above ingredients and make a stiff dough. Roll them into thin rotis. Cook each roti both sides on a skillet / tawa till it gets golden brown spots.

The next step is to make the rotis crispy, just right for nachos. For that, you can bake them in an oven. But I had to add my twist here – microwave and make them crispy! Cut the cooked rotis into triangles. Arrange them on a microwave safe plate. Microwave on high for 2 minutes by turning them over once in between.

Note: Just ensure that the triangles are spread evenly and don’t overlap each other. You can accommodate the cut pieces of two medium-sized rotis in one plate. Allow the pieces to cool down, and then they are ready to be assembled into yummy nachos!

For the sauce (I used):

Garlic – minced (1 pod)

Cheese – 50 grams, grated

Milk – just a few teaspoons

Oregano – as required

Slightly heat the milk, cheese mixture till the cheese melts. I microwaved it for 30 seconds on medium heat. Add minced garlic and sprinkle oregano on top and keep aside.

For the toppings:

I just used tomatoes

You can opt to choose between tinned olives, jalapenos or capsicum, onions or whatever you fancy. Just go wild with your imagination!

Arrange the crispy masala roti chips on a plate. Pour the cheese sauce and drop the toppings randomly on top. Microwave for 30 seconds on high and your steaming homemade nachos are ready.

Even the normal roti would just work fine for making nachos. Crisp them (as described above) and they are ready to get converted into a yummy snack. That’s sure a great way to use up left over rotis. It is definitely a great starter / snack option.

Know Your Ingredient

Say Cheese! Coz we are discussing about cheese here. Cheese is basically a compact, preservable form of milk. Milk is supposedly 80% water. When the water from milk is separated and the remaining solid is compressed, we get cheese. Simple, no?

Homemade cottage cheese

The cheese most commonly made in Indian homes is cottage cheese or paneer. This kind of cheese is made by adding either lemon juice or vinegar to boiling milk. The milk curdles and the solids are separated from whey by using a cheese cloth. The solid is then hung for about an hour to drain. It is then compressed by placing under a heavy object for several hours.

Paneer is a family favourite in our home. So I make it once a week and stock it. Sometimes I prefer not to compress it and use it for dishes such as paneer, veg curry or paneer paratha where crumbled paneer is used.

The other most common variety in India is the processed cheese which comes in blocks or slices. Apart from this, you get cheese spreads in a host of flavours. I prefer to use mozzarella for most of my recipes because of the gooey texture it gives to the dishes. I just add my own flavourings to make it pleasing for the kids. The kids too prefer it that way. J

The gouda cheese, which is a Dutch variety, is slightly yellowish in colour and goes well with fruits and wine. Slowly, I can see a lot of cheese varieties entering the supermarkets. Since there are numerous varieties of cheese, here I am just introducing the most common ones available in India.

Any kind of cheese is rich in protein and calcium, apart from the various other nutritional benefits it offers. It is best to make cheese part of kids’ diet plan. It really helps to meet the recommended daily doses of protein and calcium. Especially when kids are fussy about drinking milk, make sure their lunch box contains cheese.

Soft cheeses have high moisture while hard cheeses have less, thus making them less perishable.

Type	Diary product
Form	Compressed
How to Buy	Look for the date of manufacture. Fresher it is, the better.
Storage	I choose to freeze the homemade cottage cheese for a few weeks to several months, and thaw it before using.For store bought cheese, its best to follow the instructions on the pack. Do have a look at this link before planning to store your cheese. http://www.wikihow.com/Store-Cheese-Successfully-at-Home
Usage	If served as an accompaniment to any other food, all cheeses have to be served at room temperature. For cooking purposes, use as required and carefully store the rest.

For more detailed information on cheese, visit this page http://www.gardemanger.com/cheese.html which I found to be very informative.

Have a Cheesy day!

Thank you!

Posted on April 24, 2014 by Ramya Srini

It’s been raining awards and, needless to say, I’m thoroughly enjoying it.

I was in for a surprise when I got not one but two nominations from Aneela of theoddpantry. Thank you Aneela!

I stumbled upon Aneela’s blog quite recently and was pleasantly surprised to see so much useful information in her beautiful space. Do check it out for yourself.

I was also nominated for the Sunshine award by Deepa of deelightfullyveg and Rose from NishKitchen. So, there is reason for me to celebrate. Hurray! And thank you, Deepa and Rose!!!

I now get to display these proudly on my blog….

Going on to the question, answer session…. Here we go…

1. Why did you start blogging?

When I wanted to keep track of all the dishes that I try out, I chose the blogosphere to be my perfect partner.

2. Sweet or savory?

My taste buds always take the savoury route but now I like to try out new sweet dishes. One piece at a time 😉

3. If you were to go on any reality TV programme, what would it be and why?

I am very much interested in music. I have been taking training in Carnatic classical from a young age and have often dreamt about taking the stage some day. Being the shy person that I am, I know it will just stay in my dreams. Definitely, reality shows are not for me.

4. What was the last thing you Googled?

Blog awards. Sorry, till I got these nominations, I did not have an idea about what they were. Once again, I want to thank Aneela for letting me know about it.

5. Night out or night in?

Night out with my family.

6. What has been your favourite blog post to write?

It’s definitely on its way. I am very new to the blog world and am yet to get a hold on things over here. Hope to do my best.

7. What is the one thing you never leave home without?

It has to be my wallet and mobile. But there have been times that I have forgotten those too!

8. Where would you most like to travel to?

To Switzerland, for the love of chocolates and mountains.

9. If you could have any super power, what would it be?

To be able to do whatever I want. I know what you are thinking; there is no need for a superpower to do just that. But then, with this kind of thing, the mind becomes the super power. Doesn’t it?

10. What can we expect to find on your blog in the future?
I got started on this space thinking about more than just recipes…. but I’m trying to settle down and bring a kind of routine. For now, it is more and more interesting recipes.
So my nominations for sunshine awards (in no particular order) are:

Sangeetapal @ Vegetarian’s Delight

Ana @ ana’srecipes

Shari @ myfancypantry

Harini @ Itsabusylife

Rekha @ foodoliciouspictured

And for the WordPress family award, I would like to nominate:

Gemma @ Expatfamily

Anthony @ Cooking with Tony

Shrutii @ Cooking Diary by Shruti

Jaangri

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Ramya Srini

Jaangri in South India, or Imarti, as it is called in North India, is a famous delicacy which is prepared around Diwali. It is made by soaking dehusked black gram (thus making it high in protein).

Ingredients

Black gram (urad dal / ulundhu) whole, dehusked – 200 grams

Sugar – 200 grams

Salt – a pinch

Water – Just to immerse sugar

Colour – Orange (or as desired)

Essence – Rose (or as desired)

Oil – for deep frying

Soak gram for about 2 hours. Grind it using a little water to make a smooth, fluffy dough. Add colour and a pinch of salt, and keep aside.

Combine sugar and water, and boil till you get a one-thread consistency. This means that you will have to keep checking the syrup’s stickiness. Check the back of the ladle used to stir the sugar syrup with your fingers now and then. Basically ‘pinch’ the syrup at the back of the ladle between your thumb and index finger, and pull these two fingers apart. You will know that you have the one-thread consistency when the syrup starts to form a thin thread between your fingers. This is the traditional method followed for generations to check the consistency of syrup (an important ingredient to make sure our yummy delicacies are perfect in taste and texture). Once you get the correct thread consistency, turn off the stove and add half a teaspoon of lemon juice to the syrup (to avoid crystallization). Add a pinch of colour and essence.

Take a ziplock/milk pouch, make a small hole the size of a peppercorn with the help of a needle. Fill up to half the pouch with batter, and your jaangris are ready to be fried.

Heat oil in a wok/ broad pan. When small bubbles start to form, squeeze a ring shape into the oil from the batter-filled pouch. Don’t mind the shapes if they don’t turn out well. Even a random set of rings would be as yum as the elaborate, well-formed ones. Keep the flame medium-low while frying and remove the jaangris once they are slightly crisp on both sides. Note that they will not change in colour. Once removed from oil, dunk them into already prepared warm syrup for 2-3 minutes and set on a greased plate. Repeat for the rest of the batter.

The jaangris mostly take 2-3 hours to soak in the sugar juices before they are ready to be attacked.

The three check points to get perfect jaangris are:

– Size of the hole: If it is too big, your jaangris won’t absorb enough sugar to make them sweet. If it is too small, the texture is spoilt and the jaangri will be too brittle. So remember to make a hole just the size of a peppercorn.

– Temperature of the oil: The oil should just start to bubble before you squeeze in the jaangri. Try to maintain this medium heat throughout the frying process. Too much heat will make the jaangri drastically puff up in size (like a vada!). Needless to say, this will spoil the texture of the beautiful jaangri.

– Temperature of the syrup: Once fried, the jaangris must be directly transferred from the oil to the warm syrup. Basically, both the jaangri and the sugar syrup have to be warm. If the syrup cools down, make sure to just warm it for a couple of minutes on a low flame before dunking the jaangris into it.

Know Your Ingredient

Black gram/urad dal as it is called in India has many health benefits. It is rich in iron, protein, calcium, potassium, B vitamins and fibre. It is also easier on the tummy than most other legumes, making it the most popular ingredient in South Indian breakfast recipes. Yes! Idli, dosa, vadai, oothappam all have urad dal as the main ingredient!

Type	Legume
Form	Whole, Dehusked (Bean)
How to Buy	Make sure the bean is free from debris, stone and dust. If you notice a powdery substance inside the packet, the bean might be bug infested. Of course, check for the expiry date.
Storage	Always store in an airtight container in a cool and dry place. Refrigerate or rather freeze the legume to increase the shelf life drastically.
Usage	Soak overnight, if you want it to be mushy in your dishes (as in dal). If you are grinding for batter, it is best to soak only for 2 hours. Grind using a little ice cold water to get soft, fluffy dough, which is best for most Indian dishes.

Green Peas Crispies (Microwave)

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Ramya Srini

Sunday and snacking don’t go together for me. I’m talking just about the preparing part and not the eating of course. So when it comes to Sundays and snacks, I have got to make it in advance. So this recipe comes in handy.

I was inspired by Jenna of Delicious Daydreamers. She had posted the roasted chick pea and we had even discussed if it could be done on a microwave. So last Saturday I tried it using the microwave and it turned out super crisp! The lazy me, I reserved it for Sunday snacking without the hassle of even going into the kitchen. Not that it is difficult to do it on a Sunday, but having something healthy to snack without entering the kitchen is surely tempting.

Ingredients:

Whole dry peas – 100 grams

Oil – 2 teaspoons

Salt – as per taste

Seasoning/spices (you may experiment widely with this)

I used:

Chilli powder – ½ teaspoon

Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon

Cumin or Jeera powder – ¼ teaspoon

Coriander powder – ¼ teaspoon

Soak the peas in water for 8-10 hours. Drain the water and dry it on a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Spread it on a plate and microwave on high for about 2 minutes. Take it out and add oil, salt and the various spices and microwave on high till it is crisp. You might have to wait until it cools down to check if it has turned crispy. If you feel it is not as crispy as you want, microwave for a few seconds more for it to reach the perfectness that you expect. It took 8.5 minutes in my microwave with 100% power (i.e. 900 watts). Adjust the timing according to your microwave, but be careful, since even 1 minute more than necessary in the microwave could turn your beautiful roasted peas into burnt ones. So it is always better to set a shorter time in the microwave, check the crispness of the peas, and then put them back if they are not done.

Crisp and healthy snack is ready to serve.

Know Your Ingredient

Dried whole peas is the fully mature, dried form of fresh peas. This legume, like others, is very rich in soluble fibre and hence helps lower cholesterol. Dried peas are the perfect substitute when fresh peas are not available.

Type	Legume
Form	Dried
How to Buy	Pre-packed dry peas are available in stores. Check for impurities and bugs before buying.
Storage	Always store in an airtight container in a cool and dry place. Refrigerate or rather freeze them to increase the shelf life drastically.
Usage	Soak them for 8 -10 hours before cooking. If you don’t have that much time, soak it in hot water for 2 -3 hours.

Whole Wheat Quesadilla

Posted on January 28, 2014 by Ramya Srini

I hate to say this, but I have to admit that I always run out of lunch box ideas. The kids as they are, get bored very quickly with any dish that goes into their lunch box.

Did I say I hate? But I do love to think about food and the various options it has to offer. How about a dish from the Mexican cuisine, transformed into a simple lunch box idea? Nutritious and at the same time versatile and tasty too. The love-hate relationship with food will never end. At least for me!

My latest pick is the Whole Wheat Quesadilla.

This is what Wikipedia says “A quesadilla is a flour tortilla or a corn tortilla filled with a savory mixture containing cheese, other ingredients, and/or vegetables, then folded in half to form a half-moon shape”.

The curiosity starts with its name. It is pronounced as ‘cay-suh-dee-yuh ‘ with both the l’s silent. The tortillas (again pronounced ‘tor-tee-ya’) can be made with any flour (wheat or corn). You can choose to add any number of veggies and/or beans. To top it off, add cheese or paneer. Wow! How creative can it get?

I chose to make mine with regular rotis as tortillas (with whole wheat flour) and vegetables and cheese for the filling.

It’s already more than a week, the quesadillas have been going into their lunch boxes and they have asked me to make it for the next week too. I’m sure it’s a winner with my D&D. But if I follow their orders, they are sure to get bored with it soon. I have decided to make it as rare as possible so that this doesn’t happen.

Ingredients

For the dough

Whole wheat flour – 2 cups

Salt – to taste

Water – as required

Oil – 2 teaspoons

For the filling

Onions – 1 small (finely chopped)

Tomato – 1 medium (finely chopped)

Capsicum – 1 cup (finely chopped)

Carrot – 1 cup (finely chopped)

Cheese – 2 teaspoons (grated)

Salt – to taste

Oil – as required

Mix the flour, oil and salt. Add water gradually and make soft, non-sticky dough. Let it rest for 10 minutes.

Sauté the vegetables with salt on a high flame (cooking veggies on an open pan on a high flame tends to retain their colour and crunch). You can choose to add your favourite spices, or if you want to stay true to the dish’s Mexican roots, add oregano and chilli flakes saved from your previous pizza order.

Take lemon sized balls from the dough and roll them out into thin rotis. Heat a non-stick pan / iron skillet. Toss the roti onto the hot pan and wait until bubbles appear on top. Turn the roti with hands/spatula and wait till the other side gets light brown spots. Now the roti is half done, if you want to make it puffy (like how I do), quickly toss it onto an open (high) flame and wait till it puffs up. Otherwise you can choose to smear some oil and continue cooking the roti on tawa till it gets golden brown spots. Now your tortilla is ready.

Keep the skillet with the prepared tortilla on a low flame and spread out the grated cheese on it. Wait for a few seconds until the cheese melts. Spread the prepared filling onto one half of the tortilla and fold it. Keep a heavy mug on top and roast it till crisp ensuring that the flame is low all through. Turn it gently and let the other side get crisp in the same way. Your quesadilla is ready! Cut it to your desired shape and am sure kids will drool over it.

Know Your Ingredient

Whole wheat flour is the powdered form of the whole grain of wheat. The term ‘whole’ means that the complete grain including the germ, bran and endosperm are included so that the nutrients are intact even after the process of grinding it into flour. On the other hand, in refined flours only the endosperm is used and that may also be bleached to attain a lighter shade. This is the flour normally used in breads, cakes and various other dishes. Using whole wheat makes a lot more sense (at least to me!) because of its nutritional advantage. It is a rich source of magnesium and various other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in insoluble fibre making it a healthier choice for people who keep a watch on their diet.

Roti is a staple food in most Indian homes. So it is best to buy the whole grain and grind it in a nearby flour mill. If you don’t have access to any flour mills like here in India, go ahead and buy whole wheat flour off the shelf. Just make sure it says 100% whole wheat (or some other term which means the same). Check the ingredient list to see if it contains whole wheat as the main ingredient. Never go by any other fancy term like stone-ground, enriched etc.

Type	Grain
Form	Powder
Storage	Whole wheat flour can be stored in a clean and dry place for about a couple of months. It gets rancid quickly. If you need to store it for a longer time, keep in airtight packs and refrigerate or freeze up to a year.
Usage	Always keep it moisture free.
Tips	While making healthy choices for your family, replace or combine refined/all purpose flour with whole wheat flour in your recipes. Just ensure that you add more water and knead the dough for a longer time to make the dough nice, soft and light.

Milagu Vadai

Posted on January 6, 2014 by Ramya Srini

(a special festival time recipe)

I just got back from a trip to Chennai. 10 days of rest, fun, and indulgence. But after just a few days, I was itching to do something and get back to the blog.

Incidentally, the day after I returned was Hanuman Jayanthi (Lord Hanuman’s birthday). It is a custom in the family to prepare Milagu Vadai on this day, and garland the Almighty with a string of these Vadais (a way of signifying that everything belongs to the Almighty).

Milagu Vadai is a very simple and flavourful snack. Make some and find out for yourself.

Ingredients:

Urad dal (Black gram) – 1 ½ cups

Black peppercorns (Milagu) – 2 teaspoons (or more, if you don’t mind the spiciness)

Salt – to taste

Hot oil – to mix with dough

Oil – for deep frying

Soften urad dal by soaking it for 15-20 minutes. Drain the water with a colander and spread it on a kitchen towel. The idea is to remove excess moisture and not completely dry the lentil. Add the pepper and salt and whip it in the mixer for a minute or two. The result will be a stiff, coarse dough. Add hot oil to this mixture – this will make the resultant vadais crispy.

Spread a clean, wet cloth on an inverted plate. Take a small ball of the dough and lay it on the cloth. Using wet fingers, spread it by slowing applying pressure and making small circles over the ball. Make a hole in the centre using your index finger. Make 4 – 5 vadais this way, and again wetting your hands lightly, slide them gently on to your hands and drop them in the hot oil. Fry till golden brown. They tend to stick to one another while you drop them into the oil. Gently separate them using a flat spoon.

I made four pieces in each batch. You can opt to ready the next batch while the first one is frying in the oil. String them up through the holes in the centre if you are planning to garland Hanumanji. If not, you can just enjoy them as a snack.

Milagu Vadai is a nutritious and interesting snack for kids. Once you get the hang of doing it, it is very easy to make.

Know Your Ingredient

This dish is called Milagu (Pepper) Vadai because of the distinctive flavour that black pepper lends to it. So I am giving the details of pepper in this post. The details of urad dal (black gram) will find its way here very soon.

Pepper or peppercorn is the fruit (you may call it a berry) of the pepper plant. It is referred to as the ’king of spice‘. It is often grown along with other plants as it is a climber variety which needs support to grow.

It might be interesting to note that black, green and white pepper are berries from the same plant but picked during various stages of ripening and processed differently.

The spice is rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants. It offers a very good home remedy for cough and cold, which I personally use for my kids. Freshly crushed pepper can be added to warm milk along with turmeric, and this mixture, if consumed at bedtime, controls cold and related ailments.

Type	Berry
Form	Dried
Storage	Peppercorns (whole) can be stored in an airtight container for years.Its best to powder it as and when required.
Usage	Best to use a dry spoon
Tips	As much as possible, try to add pepper towards the end of the cooking process. Because pepper that’s cooked for too long tends to lose flavour.A pepper mill is a good investment as freshly ground pepper added to a dish lends a lot of flavour. If buying pepper powder, store it in airtight containers in the refrigerator and use it at the earliest. It tends lose aroma if stored for a long time.
Buyer’s Guide	Check to see that the peppercorns are somewhat heavy, uniform in colour, and free of blemishes.

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