Refreshing Multigrain Dal

I learnt this recipe from one of my aunt, it is little different as the end she added raw onions and tomatoes which surprised me very much, it provided a unique texture and color to the dal and did not feel it is uncooked. It was very yummy and preparation was easy too. I am sure you would love to try it

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup channa dal
• 1/4 cup green peas
• 1/4 cup black eye beans
• 1 cup onions ( 1/2 sliced and 1/2 nicely chopped )
• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
• 2 green chillies chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro (coriander)
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 big potato boiled and roughly mashed
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp garlic ginger paste
• salt to taste

Cooking Procedure

Soak the grains (channa, black eyed beans, green peas) for one hour and pressure cook them with enough water with 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and 1/4 tsp salt till they become soft. ( For my pressure cooker it took 3 whistles plus five minutes on low flame)

Boil the potato and remove the skin mash it roughly and keep aside

Heat oil in a big pan add 1/2 cup sliced onions and fry till it becomes golden brown, now add the boiled grains and potato and mix nicely. Now add one cup water, garlic ginger paste, red chilli powder and salt. Mix it nicely and it let cook for 10 minutes.

Check the consistency in between if it is hard add little water to make it flowy like dal. Once you feel all the ingredients have blended nicely then add garam masala mix it once then add chopped onions, tomato, green chillies and chopped cilantro. Mix and switch off the flame. Cover the pan for 5 minutes and serve hot with roti or rice.

Freshly Baked Eggless Cinnamon Rolls

These last couple of months I have been very busy with some personal engagements. Now I have the time I thought I can share one of my favorite baking creations. I wanted to make these eggless as I am sure there are lot of you who would want to try this out without eggs. I was pleasantly surprised that they tasted wonderful too ... so here is the recipe

Ingredients

• 3 1/4 all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp yeast
• 4 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cup warm milk
• 1 tbsp olive oil

For spread

• 4 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp butter

For glaze

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla powder
• 1 tsp butter
• 3-4 tbsp milk

Stage 1 - Making the dough

Take a large bowl add sugar,salt, butter and yeast and mix nicely.Then add warm milk and let it sit for 10 min. After 10 min add the all purpose flour 1 cup at a time and knead for approximately 5 min or until the dough becomes smooth.Keep the dough aside.

Stage 2 - Resting the dough for baking

Coat the bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil,then place this dough in it and roll it. Cover this bowl with a damp cloth or a cling wrap and let it sit for 1 hr.

Stage 3 - Shaping

The dough size will double after 1 hr, knead it again nicely and divide it into two parts and spread it with a roller like chapatti and apply butter evenly and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar powder. Then roll it and cut into 1 inch thick swirls. Let is rest for 20 minutes.

( Click all images for enlarged view )

Stage 4 - Glaze Preparation

Preheat the oven for 180 Celsius. In the meantime whisk butter, sugar and milk till it reaches a thick flow-able consistency.

Stage 5 - Baking

Bake the cinnamon swirls for 30-40 min till golden brown. Remove the baking tray and let it cool. Drizzle the glaze over the rolls and let it sit. Serve warm and enjoy the cinnamon rolls.

Note: The temperature of milk should be luke warm to ensure the activation of yeast is perfect. If the yeast does not foam then the yeast is not activated properly, discard the solution and prepare fresh again.

Majjiga Janthikalu (Buttermilk Crispies)

Hi blog friends wish you all a belated happy dewali. I am sharing one of my dewali preparations, a traditional savory andhra snack whose main ingredients are curd and sago. It is a tangy and crispy snack which kids would love to munch. Here is the recipe

Ingredients

• 4 cups homemade rice flour
• 1 cup sago (Sabudana/Tapioca)
• 2 cups curd
• 10-15 medium size green chilles paste
• 2 tbsp roasted channa dal powder
• salt to taste

Procedure

Soak the rice for 4 hours, drain the water completely and pat it dry and make it a fine powder. Keep aside

Soak the sago in 1 cup curd for 2 hours.

Now mix the rice flour, soaked sago , green chillies paste, salt, roasted channa dal powder nicely. Then add little by little curd and check the consistency.Blend nicely until the prepared dough should not stick to the side of the vessel.

Heat oil to fry in a deep bottom pan,set the three hole plate in the jantikalu gottam/murukku press and now fill the dough in jantikalu gottam and slowly press one inch over the hot oil.

Fry on medium flame and flip it occasionally till it becomes golden brown and looks crispy. Remove it and place on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.

Store it a air tight container once its completely cooled.

Note:

1. Oil should be properly heated initially medium to high flame and it should not be too hot as it will get charred and if too cold will not fry properly.

2. Adding roasted channa dal powder makes it more crispy.

3. The green chilli paste should be very fine otherwise it will stick to the plate inside the murukku press and dough will not come out smoothly

4. Sago should be properly soaked.To check if it is soaked properly press it between your fingertips and it should be completely soft.

Carrot Semiya Payasam

With dewali just around the corner this carrot semiya payasam is one of my favorite festival foods. It is quick and easy to prepare. Additional of carrot gives it a very nice color and enhances its flavor. Here is the recipe

Ingredients

• 4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup broken vermicelli/samiya
• 1/2 cup grated carrot
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup dry fruits (cashewnut,almond,kishmish, chironji and elachi)
• 1 tsp ghee

Procedure

In a deep bottom pan take 4 cups of milk and heat it.

While you wait for the milk to boil, in another pan heat 1 tsp ghee and fry the vermicelli/samiya to light golden brown and keep aside

In the same pan another spoon of ghee and fry the dry fruits till light golden brown and keep aside

Once milk starts boiling add the vermicelli , grated carrot and stir it nicely and let it cook. Stir occasionally every minute.

Once its cooked switch off the flame add the sugar and stir nicely. The sugar will melt automatically with the heat

Add the dry fruits and serve warm

Majiga Attulu ( Buttermilk Dosa )

This is a traditional andhra dosa. It has got a unique flavor and very quick to prepare. You can also use leftover curd if you like.

Ingredients

• 1 cup maida (all purpose flour)
• 1 1/4 cup rice flour
• 1 cup curd
• pinch of hing (asafoetida)
• 4 finely chopped green chilli
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander
• 1 tsp jeera (cummin seeds)

Procedure

Mix all the above ingredients and make it lump free smooth paste. Add water to make it flowy like rava dosa consistency.

Heat tawa and pour 1/2 cup batter in a circle starting from the edge of tawa. Once the edges start to become golden brown flip it and for 1 minute.

Serve hot with your choice of podi (I choose coriander powder) and coconut chutney.

Coconut Chutney

(Click all images for enlarged view)

Ingredients

• 1 cup channa dal
• 2 green chilli
• 1/2 cup grated coconut
• 2 springs of coriander (cilantro)
• salt to taste

For tempering

• 1 tsp oil
• 1/4 tsp jeera (cummin seeds)
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 spring curry leaves
• 1 red chilli
• pinch of hing

Add all the item except tempering and make a smooth paste

Prepare the tempering by heating the oil, add jeera,mustard and when it start to splutter add curry leaves,hing and the red chilli and let it fry for a few seconds and pour it on the chutney.