Boondi Raita

Ingredients:

• Boondi - 1 bowl

(Rajasthani snack food made from chickpea flour. Can be made spicy and sweet) This one spicy

• Curd/Dahi – 1 cup
• Roasted Cumin/Jeera powder- 1 tsp
• Red Chili powder- 1 tsp
• Rock Salt- 1 tbsp
• Chaat Masala / Black Salt- 1 tbsp
• Sugar – 1tsp
• Salt as per taste
• Finely chopped Coriander leaves
  
  

Time Required: 10 mins

Method:

Whisk curd to smooth texture. Add salt, sugar, roasted jeera powder, red chili powder, rock salt, chat masala and finely chopped coriander leaves. Add boondi while serving and mix well and Garnish with the red chili powder, few chopped coriander leaves and serve with roti or noon (Indian flat bread)

Boondi raita tastes great with Parathas too.

[Continue reading...]

Beans Paruppu Usili

Paruppu Usili are has been in my 'to do' list  since long. I thought it is time consuming and postponing it for a while. If you followed the precooking preparation  it becomes too easy and now i make it quite often. The secret is when you set the rice in a cooker, follow the 3rd step and you are half done.  It is very healthy and delicious usili and it goes very well with rasam, sambar, mor kuzhambu and even with curd rice. This is a traditional south Indian side dish for rice.

Paruppu Usili  - In language of Tamil -> Paruppu means Lentils and Usili is boiled vegetables are mixed with cooked crumbled lentils. In this recipe i used string beans 

Ingredients:

• 15 to 20 green string Beans (nicely chopped)
• 1 cup chana dal / Split Black Chickpeas
• 4 to 5 nos. Whole red chilies 
• 1 tsp Haldi/Turmeric powder
• salt to taste
• Oil

For seasoning:

• 1 tbsp Mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp Jeera/Cumin seeds
• 2 tsp urad dal/ White Lentils (grown in Indian subcontinent- Available in Indian Store)
• 1 tsp Asafoetida / Hing

Time Required: 25 mins

Method:

1. Soak chana dal and red chilies for 2 hour and then roughly grind with adding haldi/turmeric powder and salt
2. Wash the beans thoroughly and Chop it into fine pieces.
3. In a pressure cooker cook both the blended mixture and beans separately  in different vessels
4. Heat 2 tsp of oil in a non-stick pan. Add hing, mustard seeds when it splutter, add urad dal. Then add the crumbled dal mixture. Fry well till the mixture gets little roasted. Add the cooked beans to it and mix well with the dal mixture and cook for another 2 to 3 mins.

Serving: It goes very well with rasam, sambar and mor kozhambhu rice.

[Continue reading...]

Mint / Pudina Chutney

This chutney is a combination of mint and coriander leaves flavorful with spicy and tangy finger licking tasty chutney. Interesting part of this chutney is, it goes very well with most of the south Indian breakfast dishes like Idli, Dosa, Kulipaniyaram, Ven Pongal, Moong Khichadi, spread it on bread sandwich, aloo chat, and even you can prepare mint rice from this chutney. 

Ingredients:

• Pudina/ Mint leaves 2 cups 
• Fresh Coriander leaves 1 cup 
• Coconut grated 1/2 cup 
• Green Chilies - 4 to 5 (as per your taste) 
• Urad Dal / White Lenti - 1 tbsp l (grown in Indian subcontinent- Available in Indian Store) 
• Ginger small piece
• Tamarind tiny ball 
• A pinch of asafoetida / Hing 
• Salt to taste 
• Oil 

Time Required: 20 mins

Method:

1) Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan, add urad dal, fry till golden brown (take care not to burn it) and keep aside.
2) In the same pan add mint leaves, fry for 2 mins then add fresh coriander leaves, green chilies, tamarind, hing/asafoetida and salt
3) Lastly add the grated coconut and fry for about 2 mins or until it turns fragrant.
4) Once it cools down add the fried urad dal and blend it into a fine paste.

Serving:  Serve with Idli, dosa, kulipaniyaram, bread sandwich, and even you can mix this chutney in rice and prepare as mint rice.

[Continue reading...]

Raw Green Mango Rice / Kairi Bhat

As you all know, sour unripe mangoes are used in chutneys, pickles and even you can eat raw mango with salt & chili powder. Here is my version of Raw Mango Rice. Enjoy this  yummy spicy taste.

Ingredients:

• Kacha Kairee/Unripe green Mango -- One grated
• 2 cup rice cooked
• Mustard seeds- 2 tsp
• Urad dal / White Lentils - 3 tsp (grown in Indian subcontinent- Available in Indian Store)
• Turmeric/Haldi powder
• Salt for taste
• Hing/ Asafetida
• Oil
• Curry Leaves
• Peanuts for garnish (optional)
• Fresh Coriander Leaves for garnishing

For Grinding

• Coconut -1/2 cup grated
• Green Chilies - 4 to 5 ( according to your taste)
• Jeera/Cumin Seeds - 2 to 3 tsp
• Ginger - 1" piece

Time Required: 15 mins

Method:

1.Grate the raw mango and keep it aside.
2.Blend the grinding ingredients and keep it aside
3.Heat the oil in a pan put the mustard seeds and urad dal and allow to splutter.
4.Add the grated raw mango, turmeric powder, hing & salt and saute on a medium flame for about two minutes.
5.Mix the blended paste and saute till light brown and aromatic.
6.Add the cooked rice and mix well.
7.Garnish with coriander leaves and curry leaves & with roasted peanuts (optional)
8.Serve hot.

[Continue reading...]