Daangar Pachadi (டாங்கர் பச்சடி)

Any food which can be made in 5 minutes is to be appreciated. This is a quick and easy pachadi and can be done in around 5 minutes and is very tasty and healthy. A recipe which is as simple as mix, season and garnish.

IngredientsCurd – 1 cup
Urad Dal Flour / Ulutham Maavu – 3 table spoons
Asafetida – 1/8 tea spoon
Green Chili – 2
Red Chili – 2
Curry Leaves – 4
Coriander Leaves – 1 table spoon
Cumin Seeds – ½ tea spoon
Mustard Seeds – ½ tea spoon
Salt – ½ tea spoon
Oil – ½ tea spoon


Method
Mix ulutham maavu, curd, salt and asafetida well without lumps.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and once it crackles, add cumin seeds, red chili, green chili and curry leaves
Pour this the seasoning to the curd mixture and mix well and garnish with coriander leaves and the Daangar Pachadi is ready to be served..

Sending this to South Indian Cooking Series #1, CWS - Urad Dal, Priya's page,

Chitrana–A quick rice

Chitrana is a quick rice recipe with ingredients all in the kitchen. This rice dish is a complete meal with protein from sesame seeds, peanuts, lentils and cashew, carb from the rice, fat from the nuts and ghee. This rice needs no cutting, not much preparation and can be made very quickly. This can be made vegan by substituting butter with more oil or vegan butter. The flavor of the rice comes from the freshly ground mix. I got this recipe from here.

Ingredients
Peanuts - 3 table spoons
Sesame Seeds - 3 table spoons
Kadalai Parupu / Channa Dal - 1 table spoon + 1 tea spoon
Ulutham Parupu / Urad Dal - 1 table spoon
Red Chili - 4 + 4
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
Sesame Oil - 1 tea spoon
Ghee / Clarified Butter - 2 table spoons
Curry Leaves - 15
Cooked Rice - 2 1/2 cups
Tamarind - amla sized
Warm Water - 1/2 cup
Coconut - 2 table spoons
Salt - 1 1/4 tea spoons
Asafetida - 1/4 tea spoon
Cashew - 10

Method
Soak tamarind in warm water for 15 minutes and extract pulp and set aside
Prepare rice and allow it to cool on a plate so that each grain of rice is separate.
Heat a pan and dry roast the peanuts and once golden, set aside
Similarly dry roast the sesame seeds and once little golden and nice aroma comes, set aside and grind to a powder when cooled with the peanuts.
Heat the same pan with sesame oil and roast the channa dal (1 table spoon) and urad dal and 4 red chili until golden and grind to a powder when cooled.
Heat a big pan and add ghee. Add mustard seeds and when it crackles, add the cashew and roast till golden. Add channa dal, asafetida and red chili.
Add curry leaves and roast all until the channa dal and cashew turn golden
Add the tamarind pulp, turmeric powder and salt. Once it boils for a minute, add both the grinded powders and stir continuously.
It will thicken very fast, so make sure to stir continuously.
Remove from heat and add rice and stir gently to combine
Heat oil in a pan for frying the vadam
Fry the vadam of choice and serve this yummy rice with the vadaam

Linking this to 30 Minute Mela, Spotlight - Rice/Roti/Pulao/Poori, Pari's preschooler snacks, brain child of Nithu's Kitchen, Show Me Your HITS - Rice, Sangee's page, South Indian Cooking Series #1,

Cucumber Mint Shake (குக்கும்பர் மின்ட் ஷேக்)

A very easy and quick to put together shake which is perfect for summer. The mint gives a very fresh flavor and this drink is a great way to beat the summer heat..
Ingredients
Cucumber – 2 cups (cut into pieces)
Asafetida – 1/8 tea spoon
Salt –½ tea spoon
Mint – 10 – 14 leaves
Green Chili – 1
Curd (thick) – ½ cup

Method
Peel the cucumber skin and cut into pieces and add it to a blender. Add mint leaves, salt, green chili and asafetida
After a few pulses add the curd and blend well until smooth.
Refrigerate and serve chilled!!

Sending this cooler to Manjula aunty’s July Summer cooler contest and also to
Serve it - Blended @ Krithi's Kitchen & Oh Taste N See, Pari's preschooler snacks, brain child of Nithu's Kitchen and Sumee's Sunny Refreshing Drinks, Healthy Shakes, Priya's page 

Brownies–Low Fat

Nine out of ten people like chocolate. The tenth person always lies -- John Q. Tullius
Brownie is a chocolate lover’s dream. What is a brownie? How is it different from a chocolate cake? Well my answers are – Brownies have more chocolate in them and much less flour compared to a cake. Brownie should be fudgy and not be spongy .Brownie does not have much leavening agents and is flat. All that you should taste is chocolate chocolate and chocolate.. I have tried many versions of brownie and this one is a perfect one in terms of texture and taste.. This one is fudgy and full of chocolate taste.. Serve this as is or with a vanilla ice cream or have it with milk and call it a kids favorite breakfast. This recipe is adapted from Americas Test Kitchen Low Fat Brownie with a few changes. I have made it eggless using the egg replacer Ener G. You can also use the Flax seed powder to replace the egg. I have also substituted curd with sour cream. Take the thick part of the curd for this.

Ingredients
All Purpose Flour - 3/4 Cup
Dutch Process Cocoa - 1/3 cup
Salt - 1/4 tea spoon
Baking Powder - 1/2 tea spoon
Sugar - 1 Cup
Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips - 2 ounces or 60 grams
Ghee / Clarified Butter - 2 table spoons
Egg Replacer - 3 tea spoons
Warm Water - 4 table spoons
Vanilla Essence - 2 tea spoons
Chocolate Syrup - 1 table spoon
Curd - 2 table spoons
Method
Sieve together all purpose flour, Dutch process cocoa, salt and baking powder and mix it well and set aside
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
Make 2 8 inch by 12 inch pieces of the aluminum foil and set it inside the brownie pan such that there is sling on all the four sides
Lightly grease the foiled pan with vegetable oil spray and set aside.
Melt the chocolate and ghee using double boiler method. Once melted set aside to cool.
For the egg replacer, mix with warm water and set aside
Add curd, vanilla essence, sugar and egg replacer to the melted chocolate and mix all well
Now dump the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold gently until no lumps
Add the chocolate syrup and mix well. You will see a lot of gloss to the batter now.
Pour the batter to the prepared pan and tap a few times on the counter to remove the air bubbles
Bake it in the preheated oven for 22 - 28 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out with just a little crumbs attached. It took 25 minutes for me.
Remove from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan only. If let cooled outside the pan, it can become dry
After an hour, remove the brownie from the pan with the help of the sling
Cut into 2 inch squares and now the brownie is ready to relish!!!!
For Vegan Version - Please use oil in place of ghee and also vegan sour supreme in place of sour cream or curd. Sorry for not mentioning this before. I am updating this based on a comment received.

Sending this to Let's Party, Kitchen Chronicles – Only Vegan, Kalyani's page,  Priya's Olympics Games Event, Jagruti's event , Kalyani's Bake Fest hosted by Pumpkin Farm this month, Bookmarked Entries - Jacqueline from Tinned Tomatoes as host and mention Ruth from Ruth's Kitchen Experiments as founder of the challenge, CEDD - Chocolate, Cookeatdelicious, Jagruti's JCO Events Super Foods,  Dish it out hosted by Foodomania, Spice n Sugar Tales - Cooking made easy with Chocolates
 

 

Pesarettu (பெசரெட்டு)

Pesarettu or Moong dal dosa is a tangy and interesting taste dosa that tastes best when served hot with tomato chutney. It makes for a nice evening tiffin. This recipe will make 10 around dosas. I got this recipe from my mom and I love when she makes it. It is very colorful, filling and healthy food.. This dish is from the Andhra State and can also be made with whole green gram (whole moong dal).

Ingredients
Paasi Parupu / Moong Dal – 2 Cups
Rice – 1 Hand
Green Chili – 3
Asafetida / Hing – A Pinch
Salt – to taste
Ginger – ½ tea spoon
Cumin Seeds – ½ tea spoon
Oil
Coriander Leaves – ½ cup
Curry Leaves - 10
Method

Soak the Paasi Parupu and rice for 2 hours
Grind the Paasi Parupu and rice after soaking with the green chili
Once well grinded, add asafetida, curry leaves, salt and cumin seeds
Bring the batter to a nice dosa batter consistency and keep aside
Heat the tawa and add ¼ spoon oil and spread the batter like making dosai.
Turn the other side after few minutes.
Flip both sides and remove from heat once done.
Serve Hot with tomato chutney!!



Sending this to Show me your HITS announced at HITS, Priya's Olympics Games Event, Jagruti's event, Kitchen Chronicles – Only Vegan, Kalyani's page, South Indian Cooking Series #1  and Walk Through The Memory Lane announced at Gayathri’s Blog, Pari's preschooler snacks, brain child of Nithu's Kitchen

 

Garbanzo Beans Sundal(கொத்துக்கடலை சுண்டல்)

Sundal is a very popular evening snack which is quick, easy, healthy, filling – too many good things together. It can be prepared in less than 30 minutes from start to finish. This is also a festive snack prepared during Navarathri. Since I am using garbanzo beans can, it is easier and less time consuming. If using the regular garbanzo beans, then soak overnight and pressure cook for at least 5 whistles before method 2.

Ingredients
Garbanzo Beans – 1 Can
Salt – ½ tea spoon
Coconut Grated – 2 table spoon
Curry Leaves – 5 chopped
Oil – ½ tea spoon
Mustard Seeds – ½ tea spoon
Red Chili – 2 or 3
Cumin Seeds – ¼ tea spoon
Asafetida – A pinch
Green Chili - 2

MethodOpen the garbanzo beans can and drain the water and clean the beans once with running water to remove the stickiness.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds
Once the mustard seeds start to crackle, add cumin seeds, red chili, curry leaves and green chili.
After 15 seconds, add the garbanzo beans, asafetida and mix well
Once mixed well, add coconut and remove from heat
Transfer to the serving bowl and now the sundal is ready to be served.

Points to note - Information on garbanzo beans (from wikipedia) – Its seeds are high in protein and one of the earliest cultivated vegetables, 7500 year old remains have been found in the middle east. They are a helpful source of zinc, folate, protein and rich in dietary fiber making them a very healthy carbohydrate

Sending this to Show me your HITS announced at HITS, Kitchen Chronicles – Only Vegan, Kalyani's page , Priya's Olympics Games Event, Jagruti's event, South Indian Cooking Series #1, Pari's preschooler snacks, brain child of Nithu's Kitchen , Nupur's Navarathri



 

Thai Red Curry – Tofu

Thai Red Curry – Tofu is a vegetarian Thai dish that tastes best when served with rice hot. The spicy and hot taste can be adjusted according to taste. Lot of red chili paste might have shrimp paste making it unsuitable for vegetarians. Please look for the ingredients to make sure it is a vegetarian version. If you cannot find one, then make a paste of garlic, red chili, shallots, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, lemon zest or lemongrass and peppercorns. I was able to get the red curry paste in the vegetarian version and used it. Next time will make the red curry paste at home….

Ingredients
Red chili – 15
Thai Red Chili Paste (vegetarian version) – 1 ½ table spoon
Coconut milk – 1 can (13.5 oz)
Oil – 1 table spoon
Carrot – 1 cup
Peas – ½ cup
Beans – ½ cup
Basil – 1 table spoon
Tofu (Extra Firm) – 2 cups
Salt – 1 ½ tea spoon
Onions – 1 cup (cut thinly)
Soy sauce – 1 table spoon
Jaggery – 1 table spoon
Method
Deseed the red chili and keep aside
Boil 1 table spoon water and add the red chili
Allow it cool and grind it to a paste
Cut the vegetables into cubes and boil them separately
Heat oil in a pan and add the red chili paste and grinded red chili
Once it is well sautéed, add the coconut milk and mix well to ensure there are no lumps
Add the soy sauce, jaggery and salt
Allow this to cook on medium flame until it boils
Add the vegetables, peas and tofu at this point
Cook for 5 – 7 minutes
Add basil and remove from heat
Cook rice in sufficient water until done and set aside.
Serve Thai Red Curry hot with rice