Veggie Upma

Veggie Upma or Uppittu is a common South Indian breakfast dish, cooked as a thick porridge from dry roasted semolina. Various seasonings or vegetables are often added during the cooking, depending on individual preferences. Cooking upma is an art in itself, to make soft upma there are few tried and tested method.

One such method which I prefer to get the softest Upma is as follows

Ingredients

Semolina (Rava) (1 cup)

Cooking oil (3-4 tbsp)

Ginger root (1/2 tsp, grated)

Green chilies (2 Slit)

Chopped onions (2 med, chopped)

Chopped carrots: 2

Chopped beans: 6-7

Chopped Tomatoes: 2

Ghee: 2sps

Salt to taste

Lemon juice (2 tsp, optional)

Coriander leaves: 1/2cup

Ground nuts fried: 1/4 cup

Method of preparation

Dry-roast Semolina (rava) until it just begins to turn brown, remove then keep aside.

In a large saucepan/wok, heat the cooking oil.

Add ginger, green chillies roast it a bit then add chopped onions and fry until onions caramelize.

Add the finely chopped veggies and fry it for 5-6 min

Add tomatoes to this add salt and fry it the tomatoes are soft

Now add 3+ 1/2 cups of hot boiling water mix it with veggies and let it come to a boil

Add the roasted semolina mix it well close lid and cook till water is fully absorbed

Once the semolina is cooked add coriander & ghee mix well switch off the flame.

Garnish with fried ground nuts and lemon juice. Serve with hot.

Soft upma is ready for breakfast.

Mutton Gravy

Spicy Mutton gravy which will tantalizes your taste buds

While Preparing this Mutton curry you will enjoy the Aromas of roasted spices & its very Inviting

Ingredients:

For the marinade:

Mutton:1/ 2 kg cleaned 

Turmeric powder - a generous pinch

Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Curd- 1/2 cup

Potatoes: 2 cubed

To roast 

Big Onions - 2 sliced

Green chilies- 5-6

Tomatoes - 2 juliene

Ginger garlic paste- 2sp

Coriender leaves and stem- 1/2 cup

Coconut grated: 1/2 cup

To temper:

Oil -1-2 tbsp

Bay leaf - a small piece

Spice powder(Garam masala powder)

Cinnamon - 1/4 inch piece

Cloves - 4

Cardamom - 1-2

Star anise,-2

Method: 

Heat a pan add onion and green chilies fry it then ginger garlic paste and  tomatoes and saute it till tomatoes are little soft. add the coriender leaves and stems switch off the flame. add grated coconut and mix well.

Cool down and grind the above fried items to a fine paste with little water. 

In a pressure cooker heat oil, add bayleaf, saute for a minute.

Then add the marinated Mutton and saute it for 5mins atleast. Then add the grounded masala paste and mix well. Saute until raw smell comepltely leaves and the Mutton blends well with the masala add the spice powder of cloves, cardamom, cinnamon & star anise mix well or else you can use Garam masala powder of your choice

Add 1/2 cup water , required salt very little(add red chilli powder if required at this stage) and pressure cook for 4 whistles on medium flame. Once pressure releases, check the mutton pieces if cooked or not

Add the potatoes & liver pieces and cook for 2 more whistles. once cooled down add coriander leaves

Mutton gravy is ready to serve

 

Mixed Vegetables Burger

Evening snacks special, Mixed veg Burger for tasty & nutritious snacks

Making kids eat vegetables is a hard so try this healthy burger

For this healthy vegetable cutlet all you need are following Ingredients & follow this simple procedure below

Ingredients Needed

Boiled Potato(2) : 1cup

Mixed vegies: 2cups

(I have used Carrot,French beans,boiled Peas)

Bread crumbs: 1cup

1 tbsp Ginger garlic paste

1 medium sized onion: finely chopped

1 tbsp Redchili powder

1/2 tbsp coriender powder

1tbsp All spice( Garam masala) powder

1/2 cup bread crumbs to coat

Salt to taste

4-5 sps Oil to fry

Burger Buns- 2-3

Lettuce leaves few

Mayonnaise- 3spa

Tomato sauce 

Procedure to follow:

Firstly boil the potatoes, beans & peas(I have pressure cooked it)

Once cooled down mash it nicely without any lumps

Then make the bread crumbs by using the sides of bread loaf

Make a fine powder in dry blender(you can even use white part of bread)

In a pan take 2 sps Oil add add Chopped Onion & fry  

Then add add ginger and garlic paste  & saute it

Add all the spices, red chili powder, Coriander powder, garam masala

Sprinkle little water so that it doesnt burn

Add mixed(carrots & betroots) vegetables & fry nicely so that it gets cooked add salt to taste & mix

Remove from heat & Add boiled & mashed potato & mix

Keep this mixture aside, once cooled down completely add bread crumbs & mix

Check the consistency, if the mix is too soft add more bread crumbs

Take a portion of this mix in your hands,make big balls and shape like tikkis....

Then Roll in bread crumbs so that it gets well coated

In a pan Add Oil & once heated shallow fry 2-3 min till both sides are golden

For Burger slightly roast the half cut bun with butter

First layer add mayonnaise then place lettuce on top.

Keep the Mixed vegetables Tikki add tomato sauce then place burger bun's top

Super Healthy Mixed Vegetable Burger is ready to serve

Creamy Veggies Pasta

 

Creamy Saucy pasta, with veggies. Macaroni or Pene kids love this with creamy sauce 

Pasta is easy to cook snack special when kids keep demanding it
So give it a go, my kid loves this pasta with veggies. I have used Penne Pasta

You can make this Creamy Saucy pasta even with macaroni or spaghetti which ever you like

Ingredients:

Cooked pasta: 2 cups
All purpose Flour: 3Tbsp
Seasoning: Italian seasoning
Milk: 1+1/4thcup
Pasta sauce: 2tbsp or(can use tomato sauce)
Butter: 2tbsp

Follow this easy procedure:

In a large dish add 1 liter water add salt & add pene & cook the pasta for 10min
Then drain keeping little water separately

Keep this cooked pasta in a bowl of water until use

In a pan Saute Carrots Capsicum  beans broccoli any veggies of your choice, add maggie magic masala for taste add little salt saute and remove aside

In a deep dish add butter then once medium hot add the flour & mix cook till it forms a paste
Then add Italian mixed seasoning

Now fry this for a minute once it starts changing color add the milk & stir

Keep steering till its thickened a bit then add sauted veggies and the cooked pasta with little pasta water and mix well cook 2min

Now add the tomato sauce & mix if its too thick add little more of the reserved water 

Creamy Saucy pasta is ready to serve, Kids enjoy this a lot as its creamy & tasty, You can sprinkle any cheese of your choice on the Pasta & serve

Millet Masala Dosa

 

Crispy Millet Masala dosa for breakfast, replace rice with millets for Healthy breakfast, same crispy and tasty dosas can be made with Millets try this easy recipe

Millets are traditionally important grains,Millets are gaining popularity these days because of their health benefits like high fiber content, gluten free and rich nutritional content. So replace your Rice with Millets & make all the dishes healthy & low calorie, click here for some of my Millet dishes:

South Indian special breakfast is incomplete without dosas, These crispy Dosas are made using Foxtail Millet, You can use any millet of your choice

Ingredients for Millet dosa

Urad Daal: 1 cup

Chana daal: 1/2 cup

Foxtail millet: 1+1/2 cups

Dosa Rice: 1 cup

Flattened rice(poha): 1/2 cup
Oil little to spread on dosa

Soak Urad Dal & Chana daal in a container. Then soak millet & Rice in another container for  4 hrs 

Wash & Grind Urad dal & chana daal with little water to fine paste & remove

Soak Poha just before grinding for 15-20min

Then Wash & Grind soaked millet & rice along with soaked poha & water to fine paste

Here is  daal paste & Millet Paste below

Then mix this millet & poha paste with Urad dal Paste
Add little water & make it dosa paste consistency

Keep in warm place to Ferment Overnite (6hrs)

Procedure For Millet dosa is as follows

After fermentation when making Dosa add Salt to batter & mix
Heat up the dosa pan, take a laddle full batter and spread to form thin dosa
Spread the oil to the sides & apply little ghee on top of dosa cover lid and cook on medium flame
After 2min when its slightly brown turn and cook other side for 2 min

I have sprinkled chutney powder on top and served with Red garlic chutney 

Crispy healhy Millet Masala dosa is ready to serve

Mutton Biryani

Flavourfull Mutton Biryani, with Mutton Masala  This time cooked together Rice & Mutton gives this dish extra flavor & makes it more tasty, so try this Mutton Biryani & Relish the biryani taste

Ingredients Required:

Mutton: 700 grms
Jeera Rice: 2 cups(400grms)
To marinate:

Curd: 1 cup
turmeric little

To temper:

Oil: 3-4 sps
Cloves: 4-5
Cinnamon: 1 inch
Bay leaf: 2
Onion: 4 sliced
Ginger Garlic paste : 2sps
Green chilies: 2-3
Coriender leaves: handful
Tomatoes: 2 chopped
Pudina: 1/2 bunch
Mutton masala: 1sp

Coriander powder: 1sp

Red chilli powder: 1sp

Method to prepare:

Wash the Mutton thoroughly & rinse, then Marinate with curd & turmeric & keep aside

Soak Jeera rice in water for 15 min

Chop all the rest Ingredients & keep it ready

Procedure to follow:

Heat a pressure cooker, Preferably Handi style with Nonstick coating
Add Oil & once heated add whole Garam masalas Cloves, Cinnamon, Bay leaf
Then Add Green chilies & Onions & fry then add gingergarlic paste & fry further
Now at this stage add chopped Pudina & fry
Then add Tomatoes & fry it till mushy
Add the marinated Mutton & give it a mix cook Now add coriander leaves fry nicely, add red chili powder, coriender powder &
Add the Mutton masala(or Garam masala) & mix add salt to taste and close the cooker & cook for 4-5 vissels

Once cooled open and check the water there must be at least 1cup gravy
Wash the Soaked Jeera Rice(or Normal sona masuri) & drain water add this to the cooker
Add 2 cups water(500 ml)(1:1.5 ratio) & mix bring this to a boil. As it already has 1cup water
Turn the Heat to medium or low (if its not non stick keep on sim)

Once it starts bubling close the lid & pressure cook for 2 visels
Let the Pressure Cooker Cool down completely, Then once all the pressure is released Open the lid
Wait for 2-3 min let the steam settle down, then with a fork just  fluff the biryani

Dont Over Mix it just separate with the help of fork, Then Serve Portions using a spatula
Mutton Biryani is ready serve with cucumber & curd raita

Punjabi Mutton gravy

Punjabi Mutton gravy  aromatic gravy with chunky mutton pieces

While Preparing this Mutton curry you will enjoy the Aromas of roasted spices & its very Inviting, Here is the Recipe

Ingredients:

For the marinade:

Mutton:1/ 2 kg cleaned 

Turmeric powder - a generous pinch
Red Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - as required

To roast 

Dry Red Chillies
Coriander seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Black pepper corns - 1/2 
Big Onion - 1 chopped roughly
Tomato - 1 chopped roughly
Ginger garlic paste- 2sp

To temper:

Oil -1 tbsp
Bay leaf - a small piece
Small Onion - 5 to 7 halved

Spice powder
Cinnamon - 1/4 inch piece
Cloves - 4
Cardamom - 1-2
Star anise,-2

Method:

•   Heat a pan and add red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black pepper corns, fennel seeds and dry roast till slightly golden brown. Then add onion, tomato and saute till onions turn golden brown and tomatoes raw smell leaves. 

• Cool down and grind it to a fine paste after sprinkling little water. In a pressure cooker heat oil, add bayleaf, saute for a minute.

• Then add onion, fry & add ginger & garlic paste and saute for 2mins. Then add the marinated Mutton and saute it for 10mins atleast. Then add the grinded masala paste and mix well. Saute until raw smell comepltely leaves and the Mutton blends well with the masala add the spice powder of cloves, cardamom, cinnamon & star anise mix well

• Add 1/2 cup water , required salt very little(add red chilli powder if required at this stage) and pressure cook for 2 whistles in medium flame. Once pressure releases, transfer it to a kadai(in medium flame) and allow it to boil until oil seperates(this may take sometime). Garnish with coriander leaves and switch off as per your required consistency. It gets thick with time so switch off accordingly.

Punjabi Mutton gravy with all the aromatic spices is ready to serve with Roti or chapati