INSTANT BREAD UPMA

Bread Upma is a simple yet flavourful quick breakfast recipe, which can be made in minutes.

Recipe Source & Acknowledgement: www.sanjeevkapoor.com

INGREDIENTS:
8 slices White Bread (preferably 1/2 days old bread)
1 Potato (peeled & parboiled)
1 medium Onion (finely chopped)
10 Curry Leaves
2 tbsps finely chopped Coriander Leaves
1/4 tsp Mustard Seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
1/4 tsp Asafoetida
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/3 tsp Red Chilli powder (optional)
2 Green Chillies (finely chopped)
1/3 tsp minced Ginger
1 tsp Split White Lentil (Urad Dal)
1 tsp Bengal Gram Lentil (Chana Dal)
2 tsps Fresh Lemon Juice
Salt to taste
4 tbsps Oil

METHOD:
Break bread slices in small pieces with the crust by using your hand. Set aside.

Cut parboiled potato in small cubes and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a wok. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds in it. Saute for 30-40 seconds, till mustard seed crackles and cumin changes its colour. Now add asafoetida white lentil, bengal gram lentil and curry leaves in it. Saute for another 30 seconds. A nice aroma comes out.

At this point, add onion, green chillies, minced ginger, red chilli powder and turmeric powder in it. Fry till onions turn golden.

Now add potato cubes. Mix well and fry for another 2 minues, followed by adding bread and salt in it. Mix nicely.

Keep stirring for another 3-4 minutes. Add coriander leaves and lemon juice in it. Fold well. Switch off the heat now.

Serve immediately as a breakfast palate or evening afterschool snack.

Tips: Wheat bread can be used for a healthier version
         Vegetables like green beans, peas or carrot may use in it.
         Potato can be skipped. May add tomato ketchup for making it more tasty.

Sending to: Cook Like a Celebrity Chef

PLAIN RAITA - A COOLING SIDE DISH

Always I love the protein rich thick yogurt, which offers very minimal calories. I have tried so many different varieties of raita. Here I added cucumber, onion, coriander leaves and mint leaves to make a plain raita. But you can add more to enrich the flavorand taste, as per your taste buds call for....

INGREDIENTS:
250 gm Curd / plain yogurt
2 Cucumbers (approx 200 gm )
2 tbsps finely chopped Onion
Handful of Coriander Leaves
2-3 Mint leaves chopped (preferably)
2-3 Green Chillies (finely chopped)
1/4 tsp roasted cumin seeds (powdered)
1/3 tsp black salt
1/4 tsp Chaat masala
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Whisk curd with salt, black salt and chaat masala. Keep it aside.

Wash and peel cucumbers. Chop cucumbers and coriander leaves finely. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine cucumber, coriander leaves, mint leaves, onion, green chillies with whisked curd. Mix thoroughly.

Garnish with roasted cumin powder.

Serve chill. It tastes specially good with stuffed parathas and biryani or pulao dish.

ROASTED EGGPLANT WITH TOMATO - BEGUN TOMATO PORA

We call it 'Begun', the bengali name of aubergine, eggplant or brinjal. As per me, it is king of vegetables. Here, I roasted or broiled eggplant, discarded peels and then mashed with a little twist. It came out truely delectable. 'Begun Pora' or roasted eggplant is a very common everyday bengali dish. My mother in law added roasted tomato in it and it becomes more flavorful and tasty then. So, this is how we prepare roasted eggplant in our home....

INGREDIENTS:
500 gm / 2 medium sized Eggplants (brinjals)
1 large / 100 gm Tomato 
1 Medium Onion
2-3 Raw Red Chillies
1 small bunch of Coriander Leaves
1 tsp + 1 tbsp Mustard Oil (preferably)
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Wash the eggplants and tomato and pat dry completely. 

Take the eggplants and cut slits into it with the tip of a knife. Rub tomato and eggplants with salt and 1 tsp of mustard oil. 

Put a eggplant on a chapatti roasted net on the direct gas flame rotate the eggplant after every couple of minutes. The skin will gradually dark and a nice smokey aroma comes out from the eggplant. 

When the skin completely charred, remove the eggplant from the flame and allow it to cool naturally. Follow the same process for rest of eggplant. 

Roast greased tomato following on a chapathi roasted net, flip time to time.

When outer skin is totally black, remove it from the flame and allow it to cool normally.( If you want to roast it in oven, preheat it in broil mode, then put eggplants inside the oven upper rack on a alluminium foil and roast it for 40-50 minutes.)

When every thing becoming cool, discard the skins of eggplant and  tomato now. Chop everything with knife.

Chop onion, coriander leaves and green chillies finely.Take a large bowl, combine roasted chopped eggplants, roasted tomato, onion, coriander leaves, green chillies, 1 tbsp mustard oil and salt in it. 

Mash everything nicely with a fork. 

Serve hot with steamed rice or warm chapattis and enjoy!!!

RUNNER BEANS (SHIM) BHARTA

Runner Beans or Shim, are a popular garden vegetable, stronger in flavor and coarser in texture than green beans. Nutritional value of this bean is too high, very low in fat and high in carbohydrate and protein, very rich in vitamin B1, potassium and calcium. They are therefore an important part of most vegetarian diet. This is one of my favourite green vegetable and this tasty scrumptious recipe I inherit from my mother-in-law. Just try and taste this bharta with boiled rice or plain roti, surely you will say yummy!

INGREDIENTS:
500 gm Runner Beans
2 Medium Onions
6-7 Pods of Garlic
1/2 tsp Ginger paste
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1/3 tsp Cumin powder
1/4 tsp Garam masala powder
1 Medium Tomato (finely chopped)
1 Bay leaf
1/2 tsp Nigella Seeds (kalonji)
A pinch of Asafoetida
3 Green Chillies
2 tbsps finely chopped Fresh Coriander Leaves
1/2 tsp Sugar (for flavor only)
3 tbsps Oil
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Wash all runner beans nicely.

Trim each of the runner bean from its top and tail part and make a cut in the middle with your knife edge.

Now boil all the runner beans for 10-12 minutes. Let it cool down naturally. Then drain all excess water from it. Now mash it nicely and keep aside.

Chop onions finely. Mince garlic and green chillies. Set aside.

Heat oil in a wok. Add bay leaf, nigella seeds and asafoetida in it. Saute for 20-30 seconds. Now add chopped onion, minced garlic and green chilli in it.

Fry till onion turns golden brown. Add ginger paste, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala powder in it. Fry for another 2 minutes.

Now add chopped tomato and salt in it. Fry for another 4-5 minutes till tomatoes get mushy.

Then add mashed runner beans and sugar in it. Fold nicely. Let all the excess water evaporate from it. Keep stirring occassionally. (It will take approximately 10 minutes on medium heat)

Now add chopped coriander leaves in it. Keep stirring for another 2-3 minutes and switch off the heat.

Serve hot with steamed rice or any Indian flat bread, a toothsome and scrumptious side dish.

Linking to: Favorite Recipes Event: Lentil/ Legume/Beans recipes

AWARD & POHA KHEER / CHIRER (BEATEN RICE) PAYESH

Hi Friends,

I recieved a 'Best Dessert award' from "Master Chef Contest" hosted by Divya Pramil for a scrumptious dessert recipe of Paneer Pudding. Thanks a lot Divya for choosing of mine and give me a wonderful award. You did an excellent judgement. Hats off to your effort, indeed a great job done by you.

Here, I am honoured by you, Divya. Thanks once again dear.

Today I am going to celebrate this award with another very quick, one of our all time favourite classic dessert "POHA KHEER / CHIRER PAYESH". Within 15-20 minutes the whole preparation can be done, and taste amazingly awesome!!!

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup Beaten Rice (poha)
2 cups Half & Half Milk (thick milk)
3/4 cup Sugar
1 1/2 tbsps Clarified Butter (ghee)
6 cardamoms (powdered)
8-10 Cashew nuts
1 tbsps Raisins
1/2 cup chopped Almonds
2 cups water

METHOD:
Heat clarified butter in a sauce pan. Fry cashew nuts and raisins seperately till golden. Remove from pan with slotted spoon, Keep aside. Now add beaten rice in the pan, fry till it turns golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

Add water in sauce pan. Let it boil. Add fried beaten rice in it. Stir oftenly till it get soft, add sugar. Stir till sugar melts. Now add milk and cardamom powder. Reduce the flame and keep it boiling for 8-10 minutes. Add chopped almonds, raisins and cashew nuts in it. Fold nicely.

Remove the pan from heat. Let it cool naturally.

Garnish with almond slices and serve.



Enjoy this classic dessert on the eve of my Birthday....

Cheers!!!

Sending to: Fast Food: Poha - event hosted by Shama's Easy 2 cook Recipes

POHA IN MAHARASHTRIAN STYLE

INGREDIENTS:
2 Cups beaten rice (Poha)
1 Medium sized potato
4 tbsps chopped onion
4 slit green chillies
1/4 Cup grated coconut
3 tsps Peanuts
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/4 tsp Asafoetida (Hing)
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp sugar
8-10 Curry leaves
1 tsp Lemon juice
1 tsp Raisins
1 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 tbsp clarified butter (ghee)

METHOD:

Wash beaten rice (poha) till clean. Drain the water and put 1 tsp sugar and 1/2 tsp salt in it and leave for 15-20 minutes.

In the mean time, cut potatoes into thin slices. Slit green chillies.

Heat oil and clarified butter in a wok. Add mustard seeds. When the seeds start crackling, add cumin seeds, green chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida in it. Add peanuts and fry for 30 seconds.

Now add onions, fry till it gets translucent. After that add potatoes, turmeric powder and salt. Cover the lid and fry till potatoes get almost cooked.

Add beaten rice, raisins and grated coconut in it. Stir gently for 3-4 minutes. Switch off oven and add lemon juice in it. Mix well. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with piping hot tea or freshly brewed coffee.

TIPS: You may garnish with grated coconut, also with chopped coriander leaves.
         
         At the time of frying potatoes, you can add fresh green peas, it will give a nice look and taste.

Sending to: Fast Food: Poha - event hosted by Shama's Easy 2 cook Recipes