Potato and Broccoli Stir Fry

Potato and broccoli stir fry is delicious served as a side dish for rice or chapathi. It is very quick and easy to prepare. Broccoli and potatoes are a very simple combo of healthy and comfort food.

Broccoli is one of the best health-boosting foods and it has numerous health benefits. It is one of the cruciferous vegetables and to receive the health benefits include broccoli as part of your diet at least 2-3 times per week.

Ingredients

• Broccoli florets - 1 cup
• Potato - 1 cup, chopped
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste

     For the seasoning

• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method

1. Wash broccoli florets in hot water and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds start to sputter, add cumin seeds.
3. Add the chopped potatoes, turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt. Stir fry the potatoes in medium flame until they are half-cooked.
4. Now add the broccoli florets and stir fry for another 5 minutes.
5. Adjust salt to taste and serve hot.

Tips

- Do not add water while cooking potatoes. Cover and cook in low-medium flame to cook faster.

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Tomato Dosa|Thakkali dosai|தக்காளி தோசை

Tomato dosa is another South Indian variety of dosa. It is a perfect breakfast/dinner dosa recipe and is loved by people of all age groups. This instant no ferment dosa is slightly spicy, tangy and tastes delicious.

Ingredients

• Raw rice - 1 cup
• White urad dal - 1/4 cup
• Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Tomatoes - 3, medium sized
• Red chillies - 3
• Baking soda - 1/2 tsp (optional)
• Salt - as required
• Oil - to cook dosa

Method

     Preparation of Batter

1. Wash and soak rice, urad dal and fenugreek seeds together for 3-4 hrs.
2. Add roughy chopped tomatoes, red chillies and soaked rice-dal mixture in a blender and grind them together into a smooth batter.
3. Transfer the batter to a bowl. Add baking soda and salt. Mix well.
4. Keep it aside for 30-45 mins.
5. Tomato dosa batter is ready.

     Preparation of Dosa

1. Heat a tawa and grease with oil.
2. Pour a ladle of batter and spread it in a circular motion. Drizzle some oil around it and cook covered in medium flame till golden brown on both sides.
3. Repeat the same with remaining batter.
4. Serve hot with coconut chutney or any chutney of your choice.

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Kovakkai Masiyal|Ivy gourd Curry|கோவக்காய் மசியல்

Kovakkai Masiyal is a simple curry and goes very well with rice or chapathi. Ivy gourd blends well with all sorts of masalas. Iv gourd is rich in beta-carotene, which when consumed is converted by our body into Vitamin A.

Ingredients

• Ivy gourd - 20
• Moong dal - 1/4 cup
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Coriander leaves - to garnish

     For the seasoning

• Sesame oil - 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Hing/Asafoetida - a pinch
• Ginger - 1 inch, crushed/crushed
• Green chilli - 1
• Curry leaves - few
• Tomatoes - 2, medium sized

Method

1. Pressure cook ivy gourd, moong dal with turmeric powder and salt for 2 whistles.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.
3. When the mustard seeds start to splutter add hing, ginger, green chilli, curry leaves and chopped tomatoes.
4. Saute for few minutes until the tomatoes turn soft and add the cooked ivy gourd.
5. Mix it thoroughly and cook for 4-5 minutes in medium flame.
6. Adjust salt to taste and garnish with coriander leaves.
7. Serve hot with rice or chapathi.

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Blueberry Muffins

These are the best blueberry muffins, easy to make and very delicious. Adapted from NYT Cooking's The famous Jordan Marsh Blueberry muffins, legendary in the Boston area until the mid 1990s. These muffins are tender, very moist, cake-like and loaded with blueberries. 

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour - 2 cups
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Baking powder - 2 tsp
• Butter - 1/2 cup
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Lemon zest - 1 tbsp
• Eggs- 2
• Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
• Milk - 1/2 cup
• Blueberries - 2 cups
• Sugar - 2 tsp, to sprinkle on top

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Line a 12 cup standard muffin pan with cupcake liners and keep aside.
3. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder and keep aside.
4. Cream the butter and sugar until light.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Add vanilla and lemon zest and beat well.
7. Crush 1/2 cup blueberries with a fork and mix into the creamed mixture.
8. Add the flour mixture into the batter alternatively with the milk.
9. Fold in the remaining whole berries.
10. Fill the muffin pan with batter to the tops of the paper liners.
11. Sprinkle the sugar on the top of each muffin.
12. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out with crumbs, not wet batter.
13. Remove muffins from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack and rest them for another 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

- You can make these with fresh or frozen blueberries. Do not thaw the blueberries if you use frozen.
- Mashing the berries produces a very moist muffin.
- Sprinkle the whole blueberries with flour before adding them to the batter.

- The batter should be thick like cookie dough and not runny.

- Store them at room temperature for 2-3 days.

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Instant Rava Kara Paniyaram

Rava kara paniyaram is a simple delicious South Indian recipe which can be served as a breakfast or evening snack. They are crispy outside and soft inside and tastes great with coconut chutney.

Ingredients

• Rava/Semolina - 1 cup
• Curd - 1/2 cup
• Grated carrot - 1/2 cup
• Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp, finely chopped
• Baking soda - a pinch
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - to cook paniyaram

     For the seasoning

• Oil - 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Chana dal - 1 tsp
• Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Ginger - 1 inch, grated
• Green chilli - 1, finely chopped
• Onion - 1, medium sized, finely chopped

Method

1. In a bowl mix rava, curd and salt together with little water to form thick batter. Keep aside for 1 hour.
2. Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.
3. When the mustard seeds start to splutter add chana dal and urad dal. Fry till they turn light brown.
4. Add torn curry leaves, grated ginger, green chilli and onion. Saute well until onion turns transparent.
5. Turn off the stove and add this to the rava batter.
6. Add grated carrot, baking soda and chopped coriander leaves to the batter and mix well. 
7. Heat paniyaram pan and add few drops of oil inside the holes.
8. Fill the holes with the batter.
9. Cook covered in low flame. When the sides start to leave, flip it over to the other side.
10. Cook in low flame until it turns golden brown. Repeat the same with remaining batter.
11. Serve hot with coconut chutney.

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