Tamarind Rice|Puliyodharai|புளியோதரை

Tamarind Rice is a popular and delicious South Indian dish. It is a famous temple prasadam and is an ideal food to pack for travel. It is also a perfect lunch box recipe. You can prepare the tamarind paste (pulikaaichal) in advance and can store in refrigerator for more than a week.

Tamarind Rice

Ingredients

• Raw rice - 1 cup
• Tamarind - Lemon size (soak in 1 cup of warm water and extract juice)
• Roasted Peanuts - 1/2 cup
• Salt - To taste
• Sesame oil - 2 tbsp

     To roast and grind

• Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
• Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp
• Red chillies - 3 (depends on your spice level)

     For the seasoning

• Sesame oil - 2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Channa dal - 1 tbsp
• Urad dal - 1 tbsp
• Asafoetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp
• Red Chillies - 2 (broken into half)
• Curry leaves - few
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Method

1. Dry roast fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds and red chillies and grind into a fine powder.
2. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds.
3. When the mustard seeds start to splutter, add channa dal, urad dal, asafoetida, red chillies and curry leaves. Fry until they turn light brown.
4. Add the tamarind extract, turmeric powder and salt and cook on a medium flame until the mixture thickens.
5. Now add the spice powder and roasted peanuts. Mix well and turn off the stove. Pulikaaichal (tamarind paste) is ready.
6. Cook rice with 2 cups of water and spread the cooked rice evenly in a wide bowl to cool. Mix it gently with 2 tbsp of sesame oil and salt.
7. Add the tamarind paste to the rice. Mix gently and serve.

Tips

- If you are preparing pulikaaichal in advance don't add peanuts while preparing the paste. Add roasted peanuts while heating up the paste if stored in fridge.

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Garlic Paneer

Garlic paneer is a delicious starter recipe and it can be prepared quickly. This dish can also be served as a side dish for chapathi/roti.

Garlic Paneer

Ingredients

• Paneer - 250g
• Onion - 1
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Salt - To taste
• Coriander leaves - To garnish

     To grind

• Garlic cloves - 6
• Red chillies - 2 or 3 (depends on your spice level)
• Vinegar - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - 1/2 tsp

Method

1. Cut paneer into 1 inch cubes and soak in hot water for 10 minutes.
2. Grind garlic cloves and red chilies together with vinegar, salt and enough water to make smooth paste.
3. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and stir until they turn dark brown.
4. Add chopped onions and little salt and fry until soft.
5. Then add the garlic chili paste and cook until it thickens and the oil separates.
6. Add paneer and saute for 5 minutes in medium heat.
7. Adjust salt to taste and garnish with coriander leaves.

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Instant Ragi Dosa|Finger Millet Dosa|ராகி தோசை

Ragi dosa is a healthy south indian breakfast recipe which can be made instantly or fermentatively. This recipe is instant dosa recipe and goes well with any chutney.

Ragi is one of the best non-dairy sources of calcium when compared to any grains. It is a complete multi nutritional food supplement which is rich in fiber, protein and other minerals. People in south India consume ragi as their staple diet.

Instant Ragi Dosa

Ingredients

• Ragi flour - 1 cup
• Rice flour - 1/4 cup
• Yogurt - 1/2 cup
• Green chillies - 1
• Salt - To taste

     For the seasoning

• Oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - Few
• Onion - 1, finely chopped

Method

1. Mix ragi flour, rice flour, yogurt, green chillies and salt in a large bowl. Add enough water to form dosa batter that should have pouring consistency like butter milk. Keep the batter aside for 30-45 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.
3. When the mustard seeds start to splutter, add cumin seeds and curry leaves. Saute for few seconds.
4. Add onion and fry until soft or translucent. Don't brown the onions.
5. Add this seasoning to the batter.
6. Heat a tawa and grease with oil.
7. Pour a ladle of batter and spread it in a circular motion. Drizzle some oil around it and cook covered in medium flame.
8. Flip on the other side and cook for a minute more.
9. Repeat the same with remaining batter.
10. Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Tips

- You can also substitute wheat flour/left over dosa batter for rice flour. I would recommend wheat flour for diabetes patients.

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Oatmeal Cookies

Oatmeal cookies are delicious and nutritious and are perfect for a snack for both kids and adults. This crisp and chewy cookie is loaded with oats, dried fruits and nuts. 

Oatmeal cookies contain fiber and minerals, such as iron and potassium, which are crucial to body health. They are also rich in folate and Vitamins A & K. Due to their oat content, the oatmeal cookies are also rich in soluble fiber, which combats bad cholesterol, reducing the chances of heart disease and controlling blood glucose levels.

Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

• Nuts - 1 cup (walnuts or pecans)
• Unsalted butter - 3/4 cup (170g or 12 tbsp or 1 1/2 sticks)
• Light brown sugar - 1 cup
• Egg - 1 (large)
• Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
• All purpose flour - 3/4 cup
• Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Ground Cinnamon - 1/2 tsp
• Oatmeal - 3 cups (old-fashioned or quick oats)
• Raisins or cherries or chocolate chips - 1 cup (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
3. Place nuts on the sheet and bake for 7-8 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop into pieces.
4. Beat the butter and sugar with a fork (or with an electric mixer) until creamy and fluffy.
5. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat to combine.
6. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon.
7. Add the flour mixture to the cream mixture and mix well until combined.
8. Add oats and raisins (if using) and stir well. 
• Do not overmix the dough as it results in dry or hard cookies. Stop mixing when the dough is just mixed.
9. Scoop spoonfuls of the mix onto a baking tray about 2 inches apart.
10. Then lightly flatten the cookies with your wet fingers so they are about 1/2 inch thick.
11. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges but still soft in the middle.
12. Remove from oven and let them cool a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips

- Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature before mixing. It ensures better blending of the batter and a more even baking time.

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Rava Upma|Semolina Upma

Rava Upma is a popular south indian breakfast dish which is very easy and can be done in a jiffy. You could use fine or coarse semolina but upma tastes better when made with coarse semolina.

Rava Upma

Ingredients

• Rava/Sooji/Semolina - 1 cup
• Onion - 1, medium sized
• Green chillies - 1, slit lengthwise
• Coriander leaves - To garnish
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Urad dal - 2 tsp
• Cashewnuts - 3
• Curry leaves - Few
• Salt - To taste
• Ghee - 2 tsp + 1 tsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp + 1 tbsp

Method

1. Heat 1 tsp of ghee in a pan and fry rava until it starts to give off a nice aroma. Transfer to a bowl and keep aside.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of oil & 2 tsp of ghee in the same pan and add mustard seeds.
3. Once the mustard seeds start to splutter, add urad dal and cashewnuts. Fry them till they turn light brown.
4. Add curry leaves, onion and green chillies. Fry till the onions turn transparent.
5. Now add 3 cups of water and adjust salt to taste.
6. When the water starts boiling, simmer the stove and add the roasted rava little by little stirring continuously.
7. Keep on stirring and add 1 tbsp of oil.
8. Cover and cook for 5 minutes in low flame till all the water is absorbed and garnish with coriander leaves.
9. Serve hot with coconut chutney or tomato chutney.

Tips

- You can also add boiled vegetables after the onion is cooked to make it more healthy.

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