Multigrain Paniyaram

The weather in Ahmedabad has dipped and its been raining last couple of nights, which has made it so cold and foggy here, which is definitely a welcome change from the usual hot months that we have about 8 months in a year !

Breakfasts are always a big task for me, not so much the preparing, but the big question of what to make for breakfast ! I am not so into cereals and milk for breakfast, give me a nice hot Indian breakfast any day, and I'm one happy person.



I also prefer something fast, easy, healthy and tasty. This one fit the bill perfectly !
Paniyaram / Appe is a favourite, and this is an instant recipe, so saves up so much time of soaking, grinding, fermenting, etc..
A spicy onion tomato chutney, some hot tea and it was a perfect breakfast

Multigrain Instant Paniyaram

Serves 2-3

What you need -

1/2 cup oats (I used Kellogs)
1/2 cup multigrain flour (I used Ashirwad)
1/2 cup rice flour
1 cup sooji / rava / cream of wheat
1 onion finely chopped
2-3 green chillies
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp chana dal
1 cup curd
1/2 tsp baking soda or 1 small sachet of Eno fruit salt

What you do with it -

Beat the curds with 1/2 cup water
Soak the oats, rice flour, multigrain flour and sooji in the curds
Add a little salt
In a pan, add a tsp of oil and heat
Add mustard seeds, chana dal and allow to splutter
Add the green chillies and onions
Fry for 2-3 mins
Then add this over the batter
Add the baking soda / eno and mix well
Heat the paniyaram pan with a drop of oil in each cavity
Add a spoonful of batter in each cavity and cover and allow to cook for 1-2 mins
Flip it over with a spoon or fork and leave uncovered for a minute
Serve with chutney or sambar

Wholewheat Strawberry Pancakes

I have posted a similar recipe of pancakes with a strawberry syrup. That was when my son disliked strawberries and it was just TH who relished the pancakes with the strawberry syrup. This year has brought about a change in the little one's taste buds. He has finally started enjoying strawberries and for his long and lazy Sunday breakfast, I made these strawberry pancakes. I used wheat flour this time and the pancakes tasted just as good.



He was thrilled with these strawberry pancakes and we have something with strawberry almost everyday now. He still hasn't started enjoying the strawberries as is. I don't blame him for that though, the strawberries, as pretty as they look, rarely taste that sweet. Maybe I will make these strawberry muffins again this time and I hope he enjoys it without pulling out the strawberry pieces !

Wholewheat Strawberry Pancakes

What you need -

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 egg
1 cup milk
a pinch of salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup cleaned strawberries
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp melted unsalted butter
butter for greasing
1/2 tsp vanilla extract / essence

What you do with it -

Add the flour along with the salt, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl
Beat the egg and whisk it with the sugar and milk in another bowl
Add the vanilla essence to the egg and milk mixture
Add the flour to the egg mixture and mix well
Stir in the melted butter and mix again
Heat a non-stick pan and add some butter to grease the pan
Drop in 2 tbsp of batter into the centre of the pan
Keep it on a low-medium flame and add 4-5 pieces of chopped strawberries over the batter
Once you see bubbles on the surface of the batter, flip it around
Allow it to cook on the other side till its golden brown
Serve with honey or any other syrup if you like

Bread and egg muffins (Breakfast muffins)

Hello ! Anybody still visiting this neglected space ? Its been in hibernation for a while, though it was totally unintentional. I just got terribly lazy and though I was cooking a lot, taking pictures and writing about it seemed like too much work. I really missed blogging though I was checking the blogs I follow regularly.



To restart after this long break, here are some breakfast muffins that I made last Sunday. If you like your toast and omlette, this is a slight spin off on that. Our Sundays are usually reserved for bread and eggs, masala omlette for TH, scrambled for me and usually its pancakes for my little boy.

I've seen a lot of these breakfast muffins on pinterest and last Sunday I finally made my version of breakfast muffins - bread and Indian style masala omlette in a muffin. And for my son, it was French toast muffins drizzled with honey.



What you need -

8 slices of bread (for 8 muffins)
6 eggs
1 large onion
1 tomato
1 bell pepper / capsicum
1 green chilli
1 tbsp coriander leaves
a pinch of turmeric powder
1/4 tsp chilli powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
2 tbsps butter

What you do with it -

Cut the egdes of the bread and spread a little butter on each bread slice
Finely chop the onion, tomato, green chilli, coriander and capsicum
Break 5 eggs in a large bowl. Add turmeric powder, salt and pepper and beat well
Add the onion, tomato, chilli, capsicum and coriander and mix well
To make the sweet ones, beat the remaining egg in a bowl. Add sugar, vanilla essence and cinnamon powder
Pre heat the oven to 180 C
Grease a muffin pan with some butter and press down a bread slice in each cavity
Spoon in the egg mixture into each bread slice, ensuring that it does not overflow
Place the muffin tray in the oven and bake at 180 C for about 15-18 mins
We had the masala egg ones with ketchup and the sweet ones drizzled with some honey

Akki Roti / Rice flour pancakes

Its always a luxury for me to have someone take care of my son and though I enjoy cooking, its nice to have someone else cook for me and make me that cup of tea when I wake up ! These simple pleasures are something I really cherish when I am in Ma's place.

A couple of weeks left before I head back to the daily grind and heat back in Ahmedabad, so I am really enjoying all the pampering and the good weather here. Its been raining almost every evening and it has cooled down a lot.



This morning, we had akki roti with garlic chutney for breakfast. Akki roti is made either plain like this one, which resembles the wheat flour phulkas, or with some spices, onions and herbs. My sister-in-law makes some amazing akki rotis in a deep curved pan, which is something I have never managed. the dough almost always sticks to the pan, remains undercoked or gets burnt. That one I still have to crack.

Ma's version is simpler, like little rotis and something that I can roll out. Rice flour is essentially gluten free and a good substitute to wheat flour if you are on a gluten-free diet. These rotis are popular in Karnataka and Maharashtra. Ma made this with a roasted garlic and coconut chutney that is a nice spicy accompaniment to these humble rotis.



Akki Roti / Rice flour pancakes

What you need -

1 cup rice flour
1 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp oil

What you do with it -

Add the oil and salt to the pot of water and bring it to a boil
Once the water starts boiling, add the rice flour to the water
Mix the flour into the water using a wooden ladle
The colour will turn into a transparent white
Turn off the heat and cover it with a lid
When it is still hot (as hot as you can handle), knead it using your hands to make a smooth dough
Line the kitchen table / platform with a sheet of baking paper or plastic, like a milk cover
Take a small ball of dough and roll it over the plastic / baking sheet
Don't use any oil to roll it or roast it
Heat a tava / griddle and place the rolled dough over it
Allow it to brown slightly and flip it over
Allow to brown slightly on the other side and take it off the heat
The dough can't be kept for too long, but you can roll it out and store it for a couple of hours and then roast it

Pancakes with strawberries

My son was introduced to pancakes and waffles about a year ago. He has never been fussy about food, but trying something new for the first time always needs a little convincing. That rule somehow doesn't apply when its something sweet, even a hint of sweetness and he doesn't need any other push. After these buttermilk chocolate chip pancakes, he is hooked on and wants either pancakes or waffles for breakfast every Sunday.



We picked up some maple syrup (that I thought was pretty expensive), but I think honey or any other sweetish syrup can be used instead. Top it up with the fruits in season and you're all set.

I had this box of strawberries at home. I am always tempted to pick them up when I see these pretty fruits, but they need to be used soon and then I am at a loss of what to make with them. Last week Ma was here and she said if I wasn't using them soon, I should cook them up a bit with some sugar and then refrigerate it. This was a simple but great idea. I chopped the strawberries in half and then added about 1/4 cup water and 2 tbsp sugar and heated it in a pan till the sugar dissolved and the strawberries were all glazed in the sugar syrup. This took about 10 mins or so. Stored it in a bottle and have used it as a topping on plain vanilla ice-cream and then these pancakes.

TH and my son had this for breakfast. TH had it with the strawberry syrup and the little fellow had it with banana slices and honey. I don't have a sweet tooth and can't eat anything sweet for breakfast, so our Sunday breakfasts are always different.

My parents gifted me a waffle maker sometime last year and I use the same pancake batter to make waffles. The toppings and syrups vary but this is pretty much the standard recipe I use. I find the ones made with buttermilk more fluffy and tasty compared to the ones that use milk, though both work absolutely fine. I use home made buttermilk and it has all the butter-y residue that perhaps makes the pancakes so fluffy.

Basic pancake / waffle recipe

What you need -

1 cup APF / maida (or use 1/2 cup APF and 1/2 cup wheat flour)
1 egg
1 cup milk / buttermilk
a pinch of salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp melted unsalted butter (avoid if you are using buttermilk)
butter for greasing
1/2 tsp vanilla extract / essence
chopped fruits of you choice
maple syrup / honey / golden syrup

What you do with it -

Add the flour(s) along with the salt, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl
Beat the egg and whisk it with the sugar and milk / buttermilk in another bowl
If using the vanilla essence / extract, add this to the egg and milk mixture
Add the flours to the egg mixture and mix well
Stir in the melted butter and mix again
Heat a non-stick pan and add some butter to grease the pan
Drop in 2 tbsp of batter into the centre of the pan
Keep it on a low-medium flame and once you see bubbles on the surface of the batter, flip it around
Allow it to cook on the other side till its golden brown
Serve with chopped fruits and pour the syrup over it

Spinach Frittata

There was a unexpected drizzle this morning and it was most welcome, since it has started getting pretty warm for a couple of days now. There was this parent-educator meet at my son's school and he had the day off, which meant I didn't have to wake up at 5.30 in the morning !
To complement this lovely weather, and with the time I hand on hand in the morning, I decided to make a frittata.
Frittata is something between an omelette and a quiche. It has eggs, cheese, veggies / meat and is cooked in a pan and served as wedges, like in a quiche.



I made it with just four eggs for the three of us. Served it with some salad, oranges, toast and tea. After this breakfast, we were too full to think of lunch and then we were off to his school, which is a little far away. We had to meet all the teachers and by the time we were back home, it was almost 4 pm. Luckily this breakfast / brunch kept us going through more than half the day.
And the meeting with the teachers went off well, thankfully.

Its really simple to whip up and packed with protein, iron and calcium. Works as a great idea to pack in your lunch box too. You can get creative with what you'd like to add in this - mushrooms, cooked chicken, peppers / capsicum, onions, anything that you'd like. You need a round pan that's slightly deep, to cook this in, and you're all set.

I had lost a good number of pics in blogger and am still trying to take new pics and upload them in the posts. Here's one for a simple corn and methi pulao.

Spinach Frittata
(Serves 3)

What you need -

4 eggs
3-4 tbsp milk
2 tbsp grated cheese
salt (since there is cheese, go easy on the salt)
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 cup chopped spinach leaves
6-8 cherry tomatoes (optional)
1 tsp flour / maida (optional)
1-2 tsp olive oil

What you do with it -

Beat the eggs. If using the flour (just in case you are short on eggs), add it to the milk and then beat along with the eggs
You can easily omit the flour and just beat the eggs with the milk
Once the eggs are beaten well and is all fluffy, add the spinach, salt, pepper and cheese
Beat to combine all the ingredients
Chop the cherry tomatoes in half or use them whole
Heat a skillet / deep pan. I use a copper-bottom pan that's about 6" in diameter and about an inch deep.
Sprinkle the pan with some olive oil
Pour the entire egg mixture in the skillet and then place the cherry tomatoes over it
Add a few drops of olive oil at the sides
Allow it to cook on a low flame for about 10-12 mins, till the top settles well
If you are using a large pan, it may take longer to cook. It the top does not set, and the bottom is browned enough, you can allow it to bake in a oven for 2-3 mins just so you don't have the eggs very runny at the top
I covered the pan and allowed it to cook and it took about 12 mins
Cut in wedges and serve with a salad and some toast or just enjoy it as is

Instant Dosa

TH loves dosas, I prefer idlis, he loves chutney, I prefer sambhar, but over the many years that we have been married now, I have started enjoying dosas and he likes idlis !!

Initially, making dosas seemed like the the most cumbersome task...soak, grind, ferment, was really too much of advance preparation for a simple breakfast...
Instant dosas were a saviour...You can have the dosa in less than 10 mins from the time you decided on eating one !



This recipe is from my friend Lal, who had brought them to office once...
Its my emergency dosa recipe - gets done in a jiffy...

What you need -

1 cup maida / AP flour
1 cup rice flour
1 cup rava / sooji / semolina
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp grated fresh coconut
2 tsp chopped coriander leaves
4-5 cups water
1/2 tsp salt

What you do with it -

Mix the maida, rice flour and rava in a large bowl
Add water to make it into a smooth paste
4-5 cups is an approximation here - I really dont measure the water - the consistency should be thinner that the regular dosa batter
Add cumin seeds, chopped coriander leaves, coconut and salt
Heat the tava and add a few drops of oil
This dosa cannot be spread out like the usual rice-urad dal dosa batter
Take the batter in a big ladle and start from the sides, then bring it to the centre. What I do is move the tava to make the batter fill in the gaps, if any
Cover and let it cook for a minute or two
Then flip over and fry for another minute
Serve with a freshly ground chutney or a chutney podi, like this one

Vermicelli / Seviyan Upma

Upma is a fairly standard breakfast option in most South Indian homes...Seviyan upma is made from vermicelli and was a big challenge for me to get it right most times...
The last few times, however, I managed to nail it...



Its very very important that you follow the instructions to cook it, as given on the pack. There is the rice vermicelli, wheat vermicelli, roasted wheat vermicelli (which I used here, and is most fool-proof)

Simple recipe for a simple breakfast...
You can add vegetables of your choice to add to the colour, flavour and health quotient of this dish !

What you need -

1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp urad dal
2 green chillies
a few curry leaves
1 onion chopped
1 tomato chopped
1 cup roasted wheat vermicelli
2 cups water (please check the instructions mentioned on the pack)
2 tsp grated coconut
salt to taste
1 tsp chopped coriander leaves
1 tsp oil

What you do with it -

Heat oil in a deep bottom pan and add the urad dal and mustard seeds
Once they splutter, add the curry leaves and green chillies
Add the chopped onions and fry for 2-3 mins
Add the tomato pieces, salt and water
Once the water comes to a boil, add the vermicelli and cook on a low flame till done
Take it off the heat and garnish with grated coconut and coriander leaves

Keerai Adai

Adai for breakfast is one of my favourites...The best part is that there is no fermenting required, so you easily save up on a good 6-7 hours of time...Its a crispy thick dosa with a lot of lentils and rice and makes for a nice filling breakfast

I had a murungakeerai (drumstick leaves) adai once at a restaurant in Bangalore, served with jaggery, butter and avial and loved the combination.
The drumstick leaves are considered very healthy and tasted awesome in the adai. I had then gone looking for these leaves at the local markets in Bangalore and made a whole lot of adai with it

Since this is something I definately will not find here in Ahmedabad, I decided to substitute it with methi leaves. This worked as an equally nice combination. I guess coriander leaves should also work very well




My son loved the adai with homemade butter and jaggery and I had it with molagapodi and butter, giving in completely to the temptation of the soft white homemade butter...

What you need

1 cup rice
1/2 cup moong dal
1/2 cup chana dal
1/2 cup urad dal
1/2 cup tur dal
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 red chillies
a few curry leaves
a pinch of asafoetida (hing)
1 cup methi leaves
1/2 tsp salt

What you do with it

Soak the rice and the lentils for a minimum of 4 hours
Drain the water and grind along with the cumin seeds, red chillies and curry leaves to a coarse paste
Add as little water as required to make the batter
It need not be smooth like the regular dosa batter
Add hing and salt and chopped methi leaves
Mix well adding a little more water so you can spread it out well
On a hot tava, add a little oil, pour a ladleful of batter in the centre and spread into a nice round shape
Cover for about a minute or two and then flip over
Add a little more oil and remove from heat when done

Serve with butter, jaggery, molagapodi or avial

Goan breakfast - Pao Tonak

This is a favourite breakfast in Goa and the first time I had this was when I was visiting my Dad's friend's family there. The lady of the house is an excellent cook and this was a very interesting breakfast.
I am not a breakfast person - I cant have something really heavy for breakfast, but on a lazy weekend, this is a great breakfast and keeps you stuffed for a few hours !

The 'tonak' is basically made with dried peas and potatoes and a strong aromatic masala.
I found this pretty packet of assorted legumes and thought it would go well in this tonak masala, so used this in place of the dried peas.



The pao there in Goa is a crusty one, which I dont get here, so I used the softer, bready pav to go with the tonak...



The masala is quite strong and very aromatic, but if it doesnt suit your taste buds, you can use garam masala instead, though I'd suggest you give this fresh masala a try..

What you need -

1 cup peas / any other legumes
1 potato (I didnt use this)
2 onions
1 cup grated coconut
1 tsp tamarind
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste

For the masala

2 tsp coriander seeds
4 red chillies
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 cloves
1 inch strip cinnamon
4 pepper corns

What you do with it -

Soak the peas / legumes overnight
Roast and powder all the ingredients under 'Masala'
Peel potatoes and cut to bite-size pieces
Boil the potaoes with the legumes
Chop onions fine
Fry the onions, add grated coconut and tamarind
Grind this to a coarse paste
Add the dry masala, sugar, salt and turmeric powder
Add the potato and legumes and cook a little more
Adjust salt and add more water if required.
Serve hot with pao, bread or chapatis

Podi Idli (spicy fried idlis) and Appe

Bangalore has restaurants serving south indian food at every nook and corner, small places serving fresh hot tasty idlis, variety of dosas and mixed rice variations.
Popularly called 'darshini', these are quick efficient places, where you may need to stand around a table and gobble down your food..The menus are written on a black board or in more fancy ones, displayed with colourful pictures alongside...
This reminds me of a place I had gone to with a friend, who was not too familiar with the local language and cuisine...On the menu, they had a line saying 'hot baths available' and she couldn't understand how a person could have a hot bath here !
It was really hilarious because the 'bath' here was actually a misspelt 'bhath', which means rice and 'hot baths' meant you would get hot tamarind rice, lemon rice, coconut rice, etc...



With so many little restaurants all over the place, I was pleasantly surprised to see 'South Indies', a very upmarket, fancy place open in Bangalore, serving vegetarian South Indian food...The first time I have ever eaten 'podi idlis' was at this place and they were really delicious...Simple to make with leftover idlis, and really tasty, its a standard snack at home now...



I tend to get bored having the same type of breakfast everyday, so when I make the batter for idlis, its idlis on day 1, podi idlis with the remaining idlis, as an afternoon snack, appe/paniyarams on day 2, dosas on day 3 and if there is any batter remaining, it becomes rava dosa on day 4 !
Here's a look at the appe getting done on the pan...



I make my molaga podi from Usha's recipe. It turns out so good, that my MTR chutney podi has been neglected completely now



The idlis from Madhuram's recipe on Beyond Curries


Podi Idli

What you need -

4 idlis (these should ideally be leftover idlis, not hot ones)
2 tbsp molaga podi
1 tsp mustard seeds
a few curry leaves
2 tsp til / gingelly oil

What you do with it -

Cut the idlis into wedges or bite sized pieces
Heat the oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and curry leaves
Once the mustard splutters, add half the podi
Add the idli pieces and stir
Add the remaining podi and another tsp of oil
Fry on low heat till it gets a nice brown colour
Serve hot


Appe

2 cups idli batter
1 onion
handful of coriander leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp salt

Mix all the ingredients
Heat the appe kadai / paniyaram chaati / Aebleskiver pan on a low flame
Put in a dot of oil in each cavity and swirl the pan around so the oil coats the entire cavity
Spoon in the batter into the cavity, upto 3/4th level of the cavity
Cover the pan and keep on low heat
After about 3 mins, turn each appe over and keep on heat for 1 more min

Serve with chutney, sambar, molaga podi

'Toast' to Friendship

I cant remember when I last hand-wrote a letter to anyone or sent a card for someone's bday. Its emails, e-cards and even websites/mobiles/e-calenders that send you reminders about your friends' birthdays and anniversaries.
I hate myself for using this 'technology' like a crutch to remember a few dates, but I guess thats how life has become now, though I am glad I belong to a generation where hand-written notes were valued so much...



On one of my birthdays a few years back, I received this small packet by courier. It had about 20 sheets of hand written recipes, neatly indexed and tied up with a little red satin ribbon.
I think that was one among the most thoughtful and touching gifts I have received in a long time. Sometimes, a really 'little something' can make you feel so good...

Miri, who's been a very dear friend for a long time now (way before I knew what food blogging was !!) had sent me this as a birthday gift.
I had visited her a while before that and seen that she has this book with a whole load of recipes and I told her I must get down to noting some - someday.
The sweetheart that she is, sat and wrote down about 40 recipes and sent it for my birthday ! Can't tell you how touched I was...
Thank you Miri, you're the best !!



This is one of those recipes and the one I make most often. I dont like my bread sweet, so that version happens for the husband and son and I love this one
Dont know how 'french' this is, but this is what Miri called it...

What you need -

1/2 onion
1/2 tomato
4 green chillies
1/2 cup coriander leaves
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
6 bread slices
salt to taste

What you do with it -

Grind onion, tomato, chillies, coriander leaves, and salt to a paste
Beat the eggs, add the masala paste and milk
Heat a tava, add a little butter
Dip the bread slices one at a time in the egg mixture and fry on the tava till both sides are done

Kumta Phovu (Avalakki/Poha/Beaten Rice)

This poha has a story behind it which my mom heard from hers..

Kumta is a town in North Karnataka and there was this woman who made this poha (supposed to be the cheapest and most easily available) with this spicy masala and sold it at the bus stop in Kumta.
This was apparently her only source of income and it was so popular that it got to be known as Kumta phovu.
I dont really know the authenticity of this story, so dont sue me for it, but naming a dish after a place or person is quite common.
We make a dal at home called 'Veena pachchi(aunt in Konkani) dal'. Thats the only way its known. Veena pachchi is an old friend of my mom and we had it at her place once and loved it, so thats how its known at home. I must post the recipe for this dal too - its a lovely yellow dal, simply and super tasty.



Beaten rice is available in this really thin 'chivda' variety, then a thin one, medium and really thick. If you use the thin one (not chivda variety), then you just put the poha in a colander and run it under some water and let the water drain. If its the medium variety, then you soak it in water for 3-4 mins and then drain. This needs to be done with a little care or the poha gets too soggy to eat.

What you need

4 tbsp grated coconut
3 red chillies
small ball of tamarind
2 cloves
1 inch cinnamon
1 tbp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 cups poha
1 medium sized onion
a few curry leaves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp grated coconut (optional)

What you do with it -

The poha / avalakki should be slightly thick and not thin like the one used for chivda(In Bangalore, we get this as Medium Avalakki an in Gujarat is its sold as Kanda Poha)
Soak the poha in water for about 3-4 mins and drain the water out
Grind the coconut, chillies, tamarind, cumin, cinnamon and cloves to a coarse chutney
Mix in the chutney with the washed poha
Chop the onion into really small pieces
Prepare a seasoning of mustard seeds and curry leaves in oil and add over the poha
Garnish with grated coconut if you like and sprinkle the chopped raw onion over it
Serve with chivda / mixture or something crunchy

Capsicum Upma

Upma was one thing I really did not enjoy for the longest time. My mum made this for breakfast and on those days I would always come up with some excuse to skip breakfast. I preferred that to making a sad face and fiddling with my spoon forever in a valiant attempt to finish the upma.

I promised myself that once I was married and in charge of my own kitchen, this is one thing I definately would not make.
I decided that about a few other things too, but have got to eat my words now, because I actually make, and enjoy my upma these days !



It all happened during one of my business visits to the US - I was sharing an apt with two other friends and we always took turns in cooking. One day, one of my friends announced she would make Capsicum upma. I, was not thrilled about the upma, and thought it was a complete waste of the capsicum, though I must admit, I was quite curious how the upma would taste with the capsicum in it.

When I had a look at it, i thought perhaps, it was worth a try and am I glad I tried it - it was really really nice, had this lovely flavour and the capsicum made it so crunchy

My friend made this without onions and I still make it that way - it turns out really nice, do give this a try if you are someone who thinks you would never like upma.


What you need -

1 cup rawa (semolina)
3 cups water
2 medium sized capsicums
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsps curry leaves
1 tomato
1 green chilli
small piece of ginger
a pinch of asafoetida
1/2 turmeric powder (For a spicier version, add vangi bhath masala)
juice of 1/2 a lime
1 tsp salt

(You could use carrots, peas, potatoes instead of / with the capsicum)

What you do with it -

Roast(without oil) the rawa on low flame till it turns a little golden
Chop the tomatoes and capsicum into small pieces
Chop the ginger into strips
Slit the green chilli lengthwise
Heat a little oil in a kadai
Add mustard seeds and asafoetida
When the mustard splutters, add the slit green chilli, curry leaves and ginger
Add capsicum pieces and fry for a 2-3 mins
Add the water, chopped tomatoes and turmeric / vangi bhath masala
When the water starts boiling, add salt and the roasted rawa
Stir so that no lumps are formed, adding more water if needed
Once its done, switch off the stove and add the lemon juice

Tomato Omelette

This is an omelette without egg !! I don't why its called an omelette, but that really doesn't matter, because its really simple, fast and tasty.
Its one of those quick-fix dosas. I make a whole lot of these easy, non-fussy dosas where there is no need to soak, grind, ferment...just mix ingredients and you're all set.

This morning, I was bored of the usual oats / cereal drill, and remembered that I hadn't made tomato omelettes in a real long time.
I have always had this at home, but there was this one time that I had it in a 'Kamath' restuarant. For the uninitiated, this is a very popular chain of resturants down south, especially in Karnataka - non-fussy, clean, vegetarian, total value for money resturants. At this Kamath restuarant in Bangalore, they serve tomato omelette with toast and tomato ketchup. That was the first time I had it with ketchup and it was actually a very nice combination.

At home, I usually have it with ketchup, coriander chutney or molaga podi



Sending this entry to JFI chickpea hosted by ms of Sometime Foodie and to FIC - Yellow hosed by sunshinemom of Tongueticklers

What you need -
(this is for about 8 omelettes)

2 cups besan (chick pea flour)

1/2 cup rava (semolina)

3 tomatoes chopped

1 onion chopped

1/2 cup coriander leaves chopped

2 green chillies chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds

salt to taste

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp chilli powder

What you do with it -

Mix the besan and rava in enough water to make a thickish batter

Add the other ingredients and mix well

Add a teaspoon (or less) oil on a tava and spread the batter starting from the outside. Swirl the tava around to get the batter to move and fill in the gaps

Cover till it turns brown on one side

Flip over and fry till done

Serve with ketchup / green chutney / raita / garlic chutney or molaga podi