Aval Paniyaram / Beaten Rice Appe

Aval paniyaram (Poha Appe) is a light and easy to digest South Indian snack which is made from aval(poha), rice flour and butter milk. It can be made with various spices and vegetables for added flavor.

Poha is a good source of iron, which is beneficial for boosting energy levels and preventing iron deficiency.

Ingredients 

• Aval/Beaten rice/Poha - 1 cup
• Buttermilk - 1 cup/ as needed
• Fine rava - 1 cup
• Rice flour - 1/4 cup
• Salt - to taste

    For the seasoning

• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Ginger - 1 tbsp, grated
• Curry leaves - few
• Onion - 1, finely chopped
• Carrot - 1/2 cup, grated
• Coriander leaves - few

Method

1. Soak aval in buttermilk just enough to cover it for 15 mins.
2. Mash it well and add fine rava. Add more buttermilk just enough and mix well. The batter has to be thick.
3. Prepare the seasoning in a small pan by adding the ingredients listed in the “For the seasoning” one by one.
4. Add this to the batter and mix well. Adjust salt to taste.
5. Heat the appe pan (Paniyaram pan) on medium heat and lightly grease each cavity with oil.
6. Pour the batter using a spoon into each cavity.
7. Cover the pan and cook for about 3-4 mins on low-medium heat.
8. Using a skewer or a small wooden spatula flip each paniyaram and cook uncovered for about 3-4 mins. Cook them until golden and crisp on both sides.
9. Remove from pan and serve hot with chutney or sambar.

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Chettinad Egg Curry

Chettinad Egg Curry is a nutritious and delicious South Indian dish that balances protein, healthy fats and spices. This curry can be served with rice, dosa and chapati.

Ingredients

• Hard boiled eggs - 6, cut into half
• Onion - 1, medium
• Tomatoes - 3
• Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Coriander leaves - to garnish
• Oil - 3 tbsp

     To roast and grind

• Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
• Red chillies - 3
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
• Pepper - 1/2 tsp
• Cardamoms - 2
• Cloves - 3
• Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
• Poppy seeds - 2 tsp
• Coconut - 1/4 cup

Method

1. Dry roast all the ingredients under roast and grind in a pan until aromatic for about 2-3 mins. Grind them into a smooth paste using a little water.
2. Heat oil in a pan.
3. Add mustard seeds and once it starts to splutter, add curry leaves.
4. Add thinly sliced onions and sauté until they turn golden brown.
5. Stir in the ginger garlic paste and sauté until the raw smell disappears.
6. Add finely chopped tomatoes and cook until they turn soft and mushy.
7. Add the ground spice paste and add 1/2 cup of water.
8. Adjust salt to taste and boil until the curry reaches the right consistency for about 10 mins.
9. Gently add the sliced eggs into the curry. Cover the pan and let it simmer for 5 mins, allowing the eggs to absorb the flavors.
10. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

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Tawa Pulao

 Tawa Pulao is a popular spicy Indian street food in Mumbai. It's a quick and simple recipe made with cooked rice and vegetables and seasoned with Pav Bhaji masala.

Ingredients

• Basmati rice - 1 cup
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Onion - 1, medium sized
• Tomato - 2, medium sized
• Green bell pepper - 1
• Boiled potato - 2, cubed
• Green peas - 1/2 cup
• Chilli powder - 2 tsp
• Garam masala - 1 tsp
• Pav Bhaji masala - 1 tbsp
• Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
• Salt - as required
• Coriander leaves - to garnish
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Butter - 2 tbsp

     For chilli garlic paste

• Kashmiri red chillies - 6, deseeded
• Garlic cloves - 5

Method

1. Soak the red chillies for about an hour and grind along with garlic cloves into a smooth paste. Chilli garlic paste is ready.
2. Soak the rice for about 30 minutes.
3. Par boil the rice with turmeric powder and salt, strain and keep aside.
4. Heat oil in a wide pan and add finely chopped onion. Saute well until the onions become translucent.
5. Add chilli garlic paste and saute till oil separates from its sides.
6. Add chilli powder, garam masala and pav bhaji masala. Mix well.
7. Now add chopped tomatoes and cook till they are mashed well.
8. Then add bell pepper, boiled potatoes, green peas and salt. Mix well and cook for 5-6 minutes.
9. Add the cooked rice and mix gently.
10. Adjust salt to taste, add lemon juice and butter, mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes.
11. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with raita and papad.

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Chilli Chicken Noodles

Chilli Chicken Noodles is a delicious Indo-chinese dish that's everyone's favorite. It's a popular street food in India. Here chicken is marinated and fried before adding to the noodles.

Ingredients

• Noodles - 500g
• Garlic - 2 tbsp, finely chopped
• Green chillies - 1, sliced lengthwise
• Onion - 1, finely chopped
• Spring onions - 5
• Carrot - 1, finely chopped
• Cabbage - 1/2 cup, finely chopped
• Capsicum - 1, finely chopped
• Eggs - 2
• Soy sauce - 1 tbsp
• Green chilli sauce - 1 tbsp
• Vinegar - 1 tbsp
• Black pepper powder - 1 tsp
• Sesame oil - 2 tbsp
• Salt - as required

    For chilli chicken

• Boneless chicken breasts - 250g, chopped into 1 inch pieces
• Corn flour - 2 tbsp
• Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Soy sauce - 1 tsp
• Egg - 1
• Salt - as required
• Sesame oil - 2 tbsp + 1 tsp

Method

    Cooking the chicken

1. Optional step but recommended if using chicken breasts - First brine the chicken breasts. Place the chicken breasts in a bowl. Fill with warm water to cover them and add 2 tbsp of salt. Cover the bowl and refrigerate them for 30 minutes or upto 4-6 hrs. Remove the chicken breasts from the brine, rinse them with cold water, and pat them dry with paper towels. Chop them.
2. Marinate the chicken breasts with corn flour, ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, soy sauce, egg, 1 tsp of oil and salt for at least 10 minutes (or upto 24 hrs in the refrigerator).
3. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan and saute the chicken for 7-10 mins on high flame until cooked. Keep aside.

   Cooking Noodles

1. Meanwhile boil some water in a pot add noodles along with a tsp of oil and some salt. Cook until firm. 
2. Drain and mix with a tsp of oil and soy sauce. Keep aside.

    Chilli Chicken Noodles

1. Heat oil in a wide pan on a high flame.
2. Saute garlic for 30 secs and add onion, green chillies, and spring onion whites and cook for 30 secs.
3. Add carrot, cabbage, bell pepper, salt and saute for 1-2 mins.
4. Move the veggies into one side of the pan and pour a tsp of oil. Add beaten eggs and scramble them until they are done.
5. Mix the veggies and eggs together.
6. Add the cooked chicken and mix well.
7. Then add green chilli sauce and vinegar. Mix well.
8. Now add the cooked noodles, black pepper powder and stir for couple of minutes.
9. Sprinkle with spring onion greens and serve hot.

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Red Velvet Cupcakes

Red velvet cupcakes are delicious dessert topped with the popular cream cheese frosting or any frosting of your choice. 

Buttermilk is essential in baking red velvet cupcakes as it adds the tangy flavor to the cupcakes and also makes them moist. The additional vinegar makes the batter color brighter and when reacted with baking soda makes the cupcakes super light and fluffy.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour - 2 1/2 cups
• Sugar - 1 1/3 cups
• Cocoa powder - 2 tbsp
• Baking soda - 1 tsp
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Oil - 1 cup
• Egg whites - 2
• Red food coloring - 1 tbsp
• White vinegar - 1 tsp
• Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
• Red colored sugar for decorating (optional)

    To make buttermilk

• Milk - 1 1/2 cups
• Lemon juice/White vinegar - 1 1/2 tbsp

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a 12 cup standard muffin tin with cupcake liners and keep aside.
3. To make buttermilk, in a small bowl stir lemon juice into milk. Allow it to stand for 5 mins or until thickened and slightly curdled.
4. Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and keep aside.
5. In another bowl, mix buttermilk, oil, egg whites, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla extract together until combined.
6. Make a hole in the middle of dry ingredients and pour the wet mixture. Mix until combined.
7. Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full with batter.
8. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean or with few crumbs, not wet batter.
9. Cool in the muffin tins for 5 mins and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Frost the cupcakes with cream cheese frosting or buttercream frosting and sprinkle with red colored sugar, if using. Enjoy!

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