Achari Pulao with Vegetables and Soya

We are making lot of dishes with achari masala, so why not rice and that too with lot of vegetables and my favorite ingredient, soya nuggets. Well made it for quick diner and loved it and just had it with my favorite kachumber. You can make raita to go with it , its perfect but I am not a big fan of it so just happy with my platter. I used powder achari masala which you can find it here. Try it with ready made pickle masala or even pickle  too. Add your favorite vegetables or even non veg like chicken, mutton , shrimp too.

Ingredients :

2 cups washed and soaked basmati rice
1 cup of mixed vegetables (I used frozen mixed vegetables)
1/2 cup soaked soya granules
1/2 onion chopped
1 tomato chopped
1 tbsp. Ginger, garlic , chili paste
2 tbsp. Achari spice powder
Salt to taste
1tsp. cumin seeds
2 tbsp. oil

Method:

You can make this in pressure cooker too but I made it in pan cause I wanted grains to be separated.
Heat a oil in pan, add cumin seeds in it, when it changes the color, add onion.
cook till it becomes brown, add tomato along with ginger, garlic paste.
Cook till its raw smell goes away.
Add achari powder, vegetables, soya , rice and mix nicely.
Add water to cook the rice.
Add salt and mix it and put the lid in it.
Cook it without stirring till all the water is gone and everything cooks.
Shut the flame off and leave it uncovered for 10 minutes.
Take it out and enjoy with raita, salad, dal, kadhi or as it is or old plain kachumber.

Ooey, gooey caramel dessert ideas + #recipeoftheweek 27 June - 3 July - A Mummy Too

Hearth and Soul blog hop: June last week - Zesty South Indian Kitchen

Marigold Flower Juice - UC recipe

You know that my husband is suffering from #UC , so his life and my menu changed a lot in this last few months, cooking separate for him, taking care of his special dietary needs and always looking for something which gives him a bit of relief. So he found out that marigold flowers juice is good for him, was looking for that flowers in winter but was told that they are summer flowers and as soon as the weather warm up I saw it on the streets so he get that and planted it . It already has some small flowers , waited few days and it bloom, pluck it , washed it and made a juice out of it. You dont have to strain it , just grind it super fined in blender and drink it. Here is the link which says it good for #UC patients. Your needs might be different so drink it at your risk.

http://www.planetayurveda.com/ayurvedic-medicines-ulcerative-colitis.htm

Ingredients :

4 Yellow Marigold Flowers

1 cup of water

Method:

Plucked the Marigold flowers and put them in lots of water so any sand or dirt goes away.

Take only yellow flower part, not the green part.

Add water in blender and flowers.

Grind it till it mix it nicely in water. 

Pour it in glass and Drink it immediately.

Hearth and Soul Blog hop: June 4th week - Zesty South Indian Kitchen

http://www.amummytoo.co.uk/tag/recipeoftheweek/

Ragda Pattice Bite

Sometimes when you have guests or you are having party, its always hard to please everyone with food. Everyone has their own choice but it's your party and then you have to decide how to pleased the guests, so here is a simple idea to make one dish which you all are making it but just presenting in a different way and dish become simply delicious and loved by all. My guests were not very enthu to eat raw onion and tomatoes so I didn't add it on top but if you  and your friends like it by all means put onion and tomatoes on top on this bite size ragda pattice and it will be gone soon.

Ingredients :  For Patties

3 boiled potatoes
1 shredded carrot
Finely chopped ginger , green chilies 
finely chopped coriander leaves
salt to taste
lime juice

For ragda
1 cup White or yellow Vatana (dried yellow or green peas)
1 onion
2 tomatoes
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp dhania jeera powder
1 big spoon ginger, garlic , green chili paste
5-6 black peppers
1 tsp tamarind paste
salt to taste
2 tsp oil

For Garnish : 
Tamarind chutney
coriander- mint chutney
garlic chutney
sev, coriander leaves, 
onion, tomatoes, few pomegranate seeds
20 chat Baskets or Pillsbury's pastry cups

Method:

For patties:
Mix all ingredients of patties and make a round ball and flatten it little bit. 
In non stick pan , put patties and cook on both sides. I don't put oil in it but if you want you can put oil and cook it. keep it aside.

For ragda:
Soak Peas overnight in water. then pressure cook till it's done.

To make Ragda :
 make paste of rest of the ragda ingredients in mixture except oil.
Heat oil in non stick pan, add the paste and cook it till oil floats on top.
Add pressure cook peas in it.
If water is not there, add some water to make right constituency. 
when it's done , take your chat basket, put 1/4 of pattice on down, add tbsp. of ragda on top, add all the chutneys, sev, coriander leaves, onion, tomatoes, pom seeds .
Serve immediately and enjoy.

Hearth and Soul Blog hop: June 4th week - Zesty South Indian Kitchen

http://www.amummytoo.co.uk/tag/recipeoftheweek/

Coconut Water Lemonade

I love coconut water, mint and lemonade, what happens if you combine all 3 in one big pitcher? Its become delicious coconut water lemonade. Instead of coconut water you can use cream of coconut too but its very thick not lemonde consistency, so I use water only. I got idea from here.


Ingredients :

1 bottle 12 oz. of coconut water (your favorite, fresh would be better)
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Sugar as needed
Sliced lemon, few leaves of mint for garnish
Ice cubes

Method:

Put everything in big pitcher and serve it in two glasses. You can make more because this thing wont last long.

Hearth and Soul Blog hop: June 4th week - Zesty South Indian Kitchen

http://www.amummytoo.co.uk/tag/recipeoftheweek/

Thali # 5

We always make Thali or full dinner at home, but this is very simple yet most satisfy food we can make it at home. Nothing fancy , just simple home cooked meal satisfy big hunger, don't you all agree? You can make this everyday and still not get tired of eating it, because it fills your soul and make you satisfied. So when in doubt make this and enjoy your dinner.

This thali contains Bataka ni suki Bhaji means boiled potatoes in just few ingredients, Kadhi, Bhakri , srikhand, garlic chutney.

Bataka ni suki bhaji

Boiled Potatoes, peel the skin and chop it in medium size chunks.
Heat oil, add cumin seeds, curry leaves, green chili chopped, when its cooked for a minute, add potatoes, turmeric powder, salt, grated coconut and cook till its nicely coated. Sprinkled lime juice and chopped coriander leaves and done.

You can find  bhakri and kadhi recipes here.

You can find Mango Srikhand recipe here.

Hearth and Soul Blog Hop: June 2nd week - Zesty South Indian Kitchen

http://www.amummytoo.co.uk/tag/recipeoftheweek/

Poha Chivda | Flatten Rice Mixtures

When it comes to snack, we just love to munch something with our tea and coffee. Not only cookies but our fried and non fried snack / namkeen are the best. This is poha chevda which is loved by everyone and I think you all make this too. This is my version of it, you can add nuts in it , or make  Papad Poha Chevdo/ crispy flatten disc and Flatten rice mix too. Its very similar to papad poha instead you just don't add papad in it . Only thing you have to make sure that you are using thin poha for this, thick poha for bataka poha not for this. 

Ingredients:

2 cups of thin poha
1 tsp. powdered sugar
1 tsp. Red chili powder
Salt to taste

For Tempering

2 tbsp. oil
pinch of hing
1 tbsp. turmeric powder
5-6 curry leaves
2 tbsp. roasted peanuts
1 tbsp. roasted cashews
1 tsp. white sesame seeds
1 Green chili, cut in rounds

Method : Bake poha in microwave for 3 minutes , or you can do that in stove top too. Just make it crispy. Add Red chili powder, sugar and salt and mix it. Heat oil in pan, Add green chilies, peanuts, curry leaves, turmeric powder, hing, sesame seeds and fry for minute or two. Add the poha mixture to this tempering and mix nicely. Your chivda is ready to munch it with hot cup of tea Put it in airtight container and enjoy till it last. Hearth and Soul Blog Hop: June 2nd week - Zesty South Indian Kitchen http://www.amummytoo.co.uk/tag/recipeoftheweek/

Crispy Spicy Puri

This is again after methi na thepla , must have during travel snack, you can have sweet mango pickle and this puri and you can survive any travel if you don't find proper food which is now next to impossible because you can get everything and anything everywhere. but still our aged people who don't like other cuisines can survive on this where younger one munch on pizza, nacho, pasta or falafel.

Ingredients :

1 cup wheat flour
1 tsp. jeera - crushed in your palms and use it
2 tbsp oil for dough
1 tbsp. red chili powder
1 tbsp cumin coriander powder
1 tbsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
Oil to deep frying

Method:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl except deep frying oil.
Add water to make hard dough, if you need crispy poori you need to keep dough hard  so use little water.
Keep aside  the dough  for few minutes.
Divide dough into marble size balls.
Roll it out in circle and keep it aside.
Once you done with all the rolling, heat up the oil , when oil is heated , put few puris depend upon the size of your pan, and cook it, Turn it over and cook on other side too.
When it's has nice yellow color ,take it out on paper towel and put it in airtight container and enjoy with your tea .

Hearth and Soul Blog Hop: June 2nd week - Zesty South Indian Kitchen

http://www.amummytoo.co.uk/tag/recipeoftheweek/

Basic Napa Cabbage Kimchi

Kimchi is nothing but fermented napa cabbage with spices. When you get it ready made it has very peculiar smell of fish sauce, which as a vegetarian I just can not stand it. So I tried to make it at home only so I can enjoy it whenever I want to and above all it's fermented food so he also can have it, that's the reason I didn't make it very spicy so my husband can enjoy it. If you can find it Korean red chili powder then use it otherwise regular Kashmiri chili powder is fine. If you are using fish sauce by all means use it and less salt than. And it want to add radish that also goes very well in this.

Ingredients 

1 medium head of Napa cabbage
1/4 cup salt
1 tbsp grated garlic
1 tbsp. grated ginger
1 to 5 tbsp. Korean red pepper flakes or kashmiri red chili powder
If you are using radish or daikon, peeled and chopped in medium cubes

Method:

Cut the cabbage in half then again half , remove the cores and cut it in 2 inch wide strips.Put the cabbage and salt in a large bowl, mix it with your hands so cabbage get little softer. Add water to cover the cabbage and put some plate on top and weigh it down with heavy stuff like some kind of jar or can or even water filled container.

Leave this way overnight. After that rinse and drain the cabbage and wash it under cold water for 2-3 times so all the salt goes away.Combine garlic , ginger, red chil powder according to your taste and mix it. Gently squeeze any water from the cabbage and add it in that spice mixture.  Mix it nicely with your hands if you can , otherwise use spoon because it's spicy and it will smell and burn too if you are not careful.Leave it in that container for one day and then put it in jar. 

Keep it outside till it becomes fermented totally, you can check for it by pressing down the vegetables with a spoon so all the brine will stay down. When its ripe enough , then put it in fridge. I started using it next day because I couldn't  wait but if you can give at least 3-4 days to ferment. You can have it as it is or with some burger or sandwich as a condiments.  Adopted from here.

Hearth and Soul Blog Hop: June 2nd week - Zesty South Indian Kitchen

http://www.amummytoo.co.uk/tag/recipeoftheweek/

Kacha Papaya No Sambharo | Raw Papaya chutney

I miss this dish when ever we have fafda and jalebi. Here they give kadhi and green chilies but real fun is with this sambharo only. you can have it as it is with your regular diner too. I had it with papdi and my dinner too. Because of my hubby, I didn't add green chilies in it cause he can not have it but you can add chopped green chilies in it and it taste perfect. For this dish you need raw papaya, make sure it's raw not at all ripe. Its quick and very delicious side dish.

Ingredients :

1 Raw papaya Grates
1 tsp. oil
Pinch of hing
3-4 curry leaves
1 green chili chopped
1 tsp. turmeric powder
Salt as per taste
Fresh Chopped coriander leaves

Method:

Peel the skin of raw papaya and grate with grater and keep it aside.
Heat oil in pan and mustard seeds, when its crackle, add hing, curry leaves, green chili.
Add papaya and saute for 3-4 minutes only.
Dont over cook papaya just cook till it become little tender.
Add turmeric powder, salt , lime juice , coriander leaves and mix well.
Take it out and serve it with fafda or ganthia or papadi.

Hearth and Soul Blog Hop: June 2nd week - Zesty South Indian Kitchen

http://www.amummytoo.co.uk/tag/recipeoftheweek/

Achari Khandvi

Tell you the truth, I love khandvi , its Gujju's favorite dish, quite complicated to make but once you have hang of it, you can make it but its very blend for me, no matter how spicy chili you add in tadka but the basic taste is very bland. So when we are making everything achari why not this simple dish into colorful one. Thats what I did. I add pickle masala in it and voila yummy delicious khandvi is ready.

Ingredients : 

1/2 cup Besan (chickpea flour)
1 cup sour buttermilk
1 tbsp. Aachar masala
Salt to taste

For Seasoning :

2 tsp. oil
1 tsp. White sesame seeds (til)
1/2 tsp. Mustard seeds
1 Green chili - long sliced
Few curry leaves
2 tsp. Grated coconut
Finely chopped Coriander leaves

Method:

Take besan, buttermilk (chas),  achar masala, salt in a bowl. Mix properly and make smooth batter with hand blender.

Prepare large dish or counter top to spread the mixture.

Pour batter in heavy bottom pan and cook till it's become thick , do all the process on low flame and try to avoid lumps.

Once its cook and form a nice thick paste, you have to work fast. Spread a spoonful of mixture on greased dish or on countertop.

When you done spreading all, cut in thin lengthwise.
Then carefully roll each strip till the end. and transfer all the rolls in serving dish.
Prepare its tadka, heat the oil and add all the ingredients one by one.
Pour the seasoning on top of the roll and sprinkle coconut and coriander leaves on top.
Enjoy as it is or with green chutney and your spicy masaledar achari khandvi is ready to enjoy.

Hearth and Soul Blog Hop: June 2nd week - Zesty South Indian Kitchen

http://www.amummytoo.co.uk/tag/recipeoftheweek/

Kala Chana Masala | Brown Chickpeas Curry

I prefer black or brown chana rather than kabuli, because it has horsepower literally , horses eat black chana and you know how fast they run. I always put frozen black chana in stock. so when its time to cook, take out , thaw it and then put it in masala. This comes very handy on busy weeknights. This time I made it with little gravy but you can have it with little less if you prefer.

Ingredients :

2 cups soaked and boiled brown chana
1/2 cup onion paste
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 tbsp. ginger, garlic, chili paste
1 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. cumin coriander powder
1 tbsp. Chole masala
1 tsp. Anardana powder
1 tsp. garam masala
Salt to taste
2 tbsp. Red chili powder
3 tbsp. oil
freshly chopped coriander leaves
lime juice to taste

Method:

Soaked brown chickpeas in lot of water.
Next day boiled it and keep it aside.
Take a big pot, add oil in it.
Add onion paste and cook till its brown and all the water is gone, add tomato paste and cook it.
Add all powder masala and salt and cook till oil separates.
Add chana and little / more water as per taste and choice.
Cook till you get nice thick gravy.
Top it with coriander leaves and lime juice.
I had with paratha and mirchi ke pakode.

The Well Seasoned Cook ,, Lisa's Kitchen, hosted by Seduce Your Tastebuds...: Announcing My Legume Love Affair [MLLA] # 84