One vegetables-- Three different states

   I'm happy to be back with BM girls after a long hideout! For this BM, my choice for the first week is one vegetable three different states. The theme for the second week is one vegetable and three states. This theme is an interesting one as it gives us a lot of scope to experiment with. Since we had the opportunity to travel around India during my hubby's service, I've learnt to cook some vegetables in different ways (as a necessity).

 There are so many vegetables which can be turned into yummy dishes. I have selected ladyfinger as luckily we have a small vegetable garden and I am getting a good yield even now. So this made my selection of vegetable easy. The first dish for the first is from Rajasthan as we presently staying here. This one called besanwali bhindi. 

INGREDIENTS:

1.  Ladyfinger: 250gms

2. Oil: 3 tablespoons

3. Gram flour: 2 to 3 tablespoons

4. Red chilli powder: 1 teaspoon

5. Turmeric powder: 1/2 teaspoon

6. Coriander powder: 3 teaspoons

7. Cumin powder 1 teaspoon

8. Dry ginger powder: 1/2 teaspoon

9. Dry mango powder: 1 teaspoon

METHOD:

1. Wash and dry the ladyfingers. Trim the edges and slit it in the center without cutting into two pieces.

2. Heat oil in a pan and fry the vegetable in high flame till the vegetable changes the colour, stirring continuously.

3. Reduce the flame add all the other ingredients and keep tossing till the gram flour is cooked and nice aroma comes. Take care not to break the ladyfinger.

4. Transfer into a bowl and serve with chapati.

Check out the "http://www.spicingyourlife.in/blogging-marathon" Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#106

Lemon Rice

  

      Third in the rice series is lemon rice. This is one of the most popular one amongst the variety of rice dishes I frequently make for my friends. An easy and quick to prepare and convenient to carry. A very refreshing and tasty lunch box dish. This dish always finds a place in valai kappu (baby shower) functions. Those who have not tried this must give it a try.

INGREDIENTS :

• Rice - 1 cup
• Lemon - 1
• Turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon
• Salt to taste

FOR SEASONING :

• Oil - 1 1/2 teaspoon
• mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Curry leaves - A few
• Chana dal = 1/2 teaspoon
• Urad (white)- 1/4 teaspoon
• Green chillies - 3 nos
• Onion finely chopped - 1

METHOD: 

• Cook rice the usual way and let it cool. Leftover rice can be used.
• Squeeze the lemon juice, add salt and turmeric powder and mix them.
• Sprinkle the juice over the cold rice and mix gently taking care not to break the rice.
• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds,chana urad dal and fry till the dal becomes golden brown.
  
• Now add curry leaves, onion and green chillies. Saute them till the onion is translucent. Lastly, add the rice adjust salt and toss around slowly keeping the flame low.
• Remove, sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and serve with papad.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#65

Coconut Rice

   Coconut has been one of the most commonly used ingredients in our home. As children, we used to have coconut with vellam / panangaruppatti (gud) or simply with salt and red chilli powder as our evening snacks. Since we have coconut trees in our farm itself, we, siblings had our choice of coconut (from which tree it should come). Now of course,living in the opposite end of the country, we are more than happy as long as we get one! 

   So, coconut was my obvious choice for this month BM as my childhood memories came alive with it. Coconut rice is not only my all time favourite but many of my friends love it as well. They often used to tell me to make this for them. Now for the recipe of this simple and easy to make dish.

Ingredients:

• Grated coconut - 1 cup  or 1/2 coconut
• Cooked and cooled rice - 2 cups
• Oil - 1 tablespoon
• Mustard seeds - 1/2  teaspoon
• Jeera - 1/4 teaspoon
• Chana dal - 1/2 teaspoon
• Urad dal (white) -1/2 teaspoon
• Red chillies -3 or 4 nos
• Chopped onion - 1 medium 
• Curry leaves - A few
• Salt - To taste

Method:

• Heat a pan with oil. Add the mustard seeds. 
• Once the mustard splutters, add jeera, red chillies, chana dal and urad dal. 
• When the dals turn golden brown, add onion and curry leaves. Fry till the onion turns translucent.
•  Now add the grated coconut and fry for a minute add salt and the rice. Mix well and remove from heat.
• Sprinkle some chopped coriander leaves and serve.

Tips:

* You can use left over rice.

* Do not fry the coconut too much, else the oil will come out.

* Onion is optional

* Increase or decrease seasoning according to your taste

  It is a simple yet delicious dish. Sure you will try it and enjoy this as much as I enjoyed putting this up for the Blogging Marathon. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#62.

Mouthwatering Unniyappams

  Yet another day of school for my li'l one and a Himalayan task for me deciding his tiffin box menu ( and for all those mothers who pack lunch for their kids)! When my daughter was little, I did not have to do "lunch packing" for her as she went to a boarding school. I think now it is pay back time! Abi is a very picky eater. So every evening I have to start a brainstorming session with my daughter as to what to make for his lunch the next morning. The ideal criteria is that he will actually eat without a fuss, it doesn't spill, it doesn't dirty his clothes too much - very high standards! Sometimes we are successful and sometimes we are not. Here I am posting one such success. I am sure most kids will like this because it is sweet and parents will like this because it's healthy. 

   This is a traditional south Indian recipe called 'unniyappam'. I made this day before yesterday and packed around 10 of them in Abi's tiffin box. I am not sure whether he ate them all himself or the other kids did, but his tiffin box was polished clean!  

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes per batch

Equipment needed: Appam mould ( see picture below)

Ingredients:

1. Maida : 1/2 cup

2. Atta (whole wheat flour): 1/2 cup

3. Banana : 1

4. Jaggery : 125 gms

5. grated coconut: 2 tablespoons

6. A pinch each of dried ginger and cardamom powder

7. Chopped dates : 4

8. Raisins - 10 - 15 ( or any other dried fruits)

9. Luke warm water : 1&1/2 cups

10. Ghee for frying

Method:

1. Soak the jaggery in the luke warm water and stir occasionally till it melts completely.

2. Mash the banana in a bowl. Add the maida and atta into the mashed banana. 

3. Pour the jaggery water (once it is cooled and melted) through a strainer into the banana atta mix.

4. Mix this batter well such that the atta and maida form no lumps.

5. Add the rest of the ingredients into the batter. Check the consistency. If it's too thick, add some water and if it is too thin, add some wheat flour. The right consistency is as shown in the picture below.

6. Heat the appam mould. Now pour about 1/4th tsp of ghee into each of the holes/depressions of the appam mould.

7. Pour the batter into these holes. Allow it to cook for a minute or two. When the sides appear brown in colour, turn the unniyappams upside down and cook for another 2 minutes. Insert a toothpick to check. If it comes clean, it's ready!

bananas, maida, aata, jaggery and grated coconut

dates, raisins, dried ginger and cardamom powder

soak jaggery in water and strain after its completely melted

batter consistency after adding all the ingredients should look like this

Add ghee to the appam mould

When the mould is hot, add the batter like this and cook till toothpick comes clean!

That's it! Enjoy eating hot!