Arachu vitta sambar (My home style)

The next 3-4 weekends are going to be really hectic to me, with loads of weddings and other family functions lined up. This also means that I would not get my usual relaxed weekend time to try out new and different recipes. But there is no stopping to my blog! Yes, I am going to squeeze in some time during the weekdays and post some interesting traditional recipes made at home, that have been passed on from my great grandmothers!! I feel this is also a good way in which I can save all these lovely recipes. The first in the series is Arachu vitta sambar. This is the most regularly made sambar recipe at home. We do not use any sambar powder (in fact mom doesn't even store any sambar powder in our kitchen) it is always freshly roasted and ground spices that add flavor to this authentic sambar.

INGREDIENTS:

• Any vegetables of your choice(carrot, capsicum, potato, pumpkin, drumstick, radish etc are generally used) - cut into cubes - 2 cups
• Grated Coconut - 3 Tbsp
• Toor Dal - 1/3 cup
• Tamarind - small gooseberry sized
• Salt - as needed
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 Tsp
• Jaggery - 1/2 Tsp
• Oil - 1 Tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 Tsp
• Curry leaves - a few

To roast and grind:

• Red chillis - 6 - 7
• Asafoetida - 1 small piece
• Cinnamon - 1/2" stick
• Coriander seeds - 1/4 cup
• Fenugreek (vendhayam/methi) seeds - 1/4 Tsp
• Split bengal gram (Kadalai paruppu/chenna dal/senaga pappu) - 1 Tbsp
• Poppy seeds (gasa gasa) - 1-2 Tsp, optional

METHOD:

1. Wash and soak toor dal for 15 minutes
2. Soak tamarind in warm water for 15 minutes and then extract the juice. Keep aside
3. Heat a Tsp of oil in a pan and roast all the ingredients except poppy seeds, under the "To roast and grind" list. Switch of the flame and add poppy seeds (if adding) in the last and give it a toss. Cool them for a while and grind into a coarse powder
4. Add grated coconut to the powder and grind into a smooth paste along with water
5. Boil the vegetables and dal (You can pressure cook them together)
6. Mash the cooked dal
7. Take a heavy bottomed kadai and add the boiled vegetables and tamarind juice along with water. Add salt, turmeric powder and boil till the raw smell of tamarind goes (Off late we are not using a lot of tamarind in our cooking at home and hence the tamarind juice is replaced with 1 heaped Tsp of dry mango powder or amchur powder mixed with water. You can also use readymade tamarind paste)
8. Add cooked and mashed dal, ground paste, jaggery and water as needed and allow it to boil
9. Temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves
10. Serve hot with rice and any dry curry or pappad! This also goes well with idli and dosa :)

Eggless Mango Cake

I am not a big fan of mangoes but when there was a huge ripe mango lying in the kitchen, I was really tempted. It has been long since I baked a cake, so I made use of the ripe mango to come up with a delicious mango cake! I referred to egglesscooking.com and tried this eggless and butter/oil free cake. It turned out to be a dense and moist cake and the dominating flavor of the mango made the cake very special.

INGREDIENTS:

• Mango puree - 6 Tbsp
• Yogurt - 1/2 cup
• Sugar - 4-6 Tbsp (depending on the sweetness of the mango)
• Vinegar - 1 Tbsp
• Maida - 1 cup (I used 1/2 cup maida + 1/2 cup whole wheat flour)
• Salt - 1/4 Tsp
• Baking soda - 1 Tsp

METHOD:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C
2. Grease and dust a 6" round cake pan (you could use any shape or even muffin moulds)
3. Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda. Keep aside
4. In a large mixing bowl, add the mango puree, yogurt, sugar and vinegar. Mix very well till the sugar is dissolved
5. Add in the dry ingredients little by little and gently fold in the mixture
6. Pour the batter in the prepared cake pan and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C for 20-25 minutes
7. After the cake is baked, place the cake pan on a wired rack for 4-5 minutes. Now remove the cake from the pan and cool in on the wired rack

Fruit Parfait

Summer at its peak and so here is a summer special treat in My Cheerful Kitchen :) This is a healthy snack/breakfast which is loaded with goodness of fruits and yogurt!! I came across this recipe in jeyashriskitchen and modified it according to my preference. So why wait? Make these in individual servings, refrigerate, serve chilled and relish the heavenly goodness, absolutely guilt free :)

INGREDIENTS: (Serves 4)

• Yogurt - 1 cup
• Any flavored yogurt - 1 cup, optional (if not using, then just use plain yogurt)
• Fruits of your choice. I used - apple, kiwi, pomegranate
• Digestive biscuits - 2-3, crushed
• Muesli/corn flakes or any breakfast cereal - 5-6 Tbsp, crushed
• Papaya - 1 cup
• Sugar - 2-3 Tbsp
• Vanilla essence - 2 Tsp 

METHOD:

1. Hang the curd in muslin cloth for 15-20 minutes. This is to get thick curds. Another easy way would be to place the curd in a tea strainer with a vessel in the bottom
2. Take half of the hung curd. Add a tea-spoon of sugar and vanilla essence and mix well. Keep aside
3. Blend the papaya into smooth paste. Cook the papaya puree in medium flame for 3 minutes. Allow it to cool
4. Mix the papaya puree, half of the curd, 1 Tsp sugar and vanilla essence together and  blend again. Keep aside
5. Take any glass serving of your choice. For the bottom most layer, place crushed digestive biscuits
6. Now spoon in a layer of the papaya flavored yogurt
7. Next layer it with crushed museli/corn flakes and some cut fruits of your choice
8. Now add in a layer of any readymade flavored yogurt (i used strawberry). If not then use the prepared plain yogurt mixture or papaya yogurt mixture
9. Top it up with more fruits/nuts of your choice and arrange them at your creative best, for that added class and elegance :)
10. Refrigerate it for a few hours or overnight and enjoy it as a healthy breakfast to kick start your day or even as a snack at any time, when hunger strikes!!

NOTES:

• The method that I have given above is just a reference, sky is the limit and you change it according to your taste and preferences!
• For the papaya-yogurt layer, you can replace papaya puree with mango puree too
• All three yogurt layers can be modified according to your choice or just have a plain layer too, with a little essence and sugar
• Sugar can be completely avoided if you are too conscious or can add in a bit more if you want it as a dessert
• So go on and create your own tasty and colorful parfait and enjoy summer!

Eating healthy can be tasty too! 

Palak Paneer Paratha

Whenever milk curdles, mom makes paneer out of it and comes up with a tasty dish. This time it was my turn to come up with a special paneer dish as I was cooking a special lunch for her on mother's day! I have already posted the recipe for palak paneer and when there was a little palak in the fridge, the idea of palak paratha with paneer stuffing struck me! It turned out to be very tasty. Here's the recipe....

INGREDIENTS: (Makes 6 parathas)

• Whole wheat flour - 1 cup
• Palak/Spinach leaves - 1 cup
• Green chilli - 1
• Paneer - 1/2 cup, crumbled
• Red chilli powder - 1/4 Tsp
• Salt - as needed
• Oil - for pan fry
• Water - for kneading dough

METHOD:

1. Wash and roughly chop the spinach leaves
2. Add the spinach to salted boiling water. Cook on medium flame for 2 minutes
3. Strain the spinach and immediately wash it with cold water
4. Now grind together palak and green chilli, with little salt, into a smooth paste
5. Take whole wheat flour in a mixing bowl. Add little oil and mix well. Now pour in the spinach paste and knead into a smooth dough by adding water little at a time. Cover and set aside for 15-20 minutes
6. In the meanwhile, prepare the filling. Crumble the paneer and knead it for a minute. Now add red chilli powder and salt to it and mix well. Make small balls for stuffing and keep aside
7. Divide the palak dough into equal portions. Now divide each portion into two and roll them into small rotis on a floured surface
8. Place the filling on one small roti and cover it with the other small roti. Seal the edges with little water. Gently press and roll into a thick paratha
9. Heat a tawa and cook the paratha on both sides with very little oil
10. Serve hot with any dal or raita of your choice 

Yogurt Wheels

Bored of sandwich and toast? Then here is a yummy twist for a bread snack/breakfast apart from the usual bread upma or the deep fried bread bajji/bonda. The filling that I have used here can be varied according to your taste and preferences. I wanted to keep it simple so just used 2 - 3 veggies and had ketchup as accompaniment. Serve it hot as breakfast or snack and enjoy tastefulness, absolutely guilt free :)

Recipe source: Nita Mehta's 101 diet recipes

INGREDIENTS:

• Any bread of your choice (I used whole wheat bread)
• Oil - 2 Tbsp

For filling:

• Yogurt - 3/4 cup - hang in muslin cloth or strain in a tea-strainer for 15-20 mins
• Onion - 1, finely chopped
• Capsicum - 1/4 cup, finely chopped
• Cucumber - 1/4 cup, finely chopped
• (You could also add the following veggies - potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, sweet corn, boiled and mashed peas etc.)
• Salt - as needed
• Pepper - 1/2 Tsp or as needed
• Chat masala - 1/4 Tsp, optional

METHOD:

1. Make sure that the yogurt is hung/strained at least for 15-20 minutes, so that the excess water is strained and the yogurt is thick
2. Mix all the ingredients for filling together
3. Cut the edges of the bread along the sides that you are going to roll (you could also cut all 4 edges)
4. With the help of a rolling pin, gently press along the length of the bread, so that the holes get closed
5. Spread a layer of the prepared filling on the bread and carefully roll it. You can seal the edges with the help of yogurt
6. In a non-stick pan, toast the rolls with very little oil, so that it gets brown and crisp
7. As an alternative, you could also grill it for 6-7 minutes. (In this case, just brush very little oil on each roll before grilling)
8. Serve hot with ketchup or green chutney!

We enjoyed this as a Sunday morning breakfast! How about you? Do try it out and let me know :)

Mother's day special

I know I do not need a special day to celebrate my mom and make her feel special but when there is an occasion, then it is extra special. Wishing all wonderful super moms a very happy and cheerful mother's day :) My interest in cooking and arts are absolutely inherited from my dearest mom. She never ceases to encourage me in all the things that I am interested in. Every time I enter the kitchen, she gives me all the freedom to experiment and would silently be watching me to lend her hand whenever I need. This mother's day was extra special, as there were three beautiful lovely moms at home - my mom, her mom and dad's mom!! So here is the special lunch treat for the three most important ladies of my life!

Menu: (Click on the links below for detailed recipe)

• Kesar-Pista Phirni
• Aval/Poha Pakoda
• Palak Paneer Paratha 
• Vegetable Pulao  (Recipe coming soon)
• Darbari Dal
• Coriander Raita - Grind together coriander leaves, coconut, green chillis and salt. Mix this paste along with thick curds and serve chilled
• Curd Rice

Darbari Dal (Zero Oil Recipe)

I came across this healthy dal recipe in Tarla Dalal ji's website. It is very easy to make and tastes best when served hot with rice or roti! 

INGREDIENTS:

• Rajma - 1/4 cup, soaked over-night
• Toor Dal - 1/4 cup, soaked for 15 mins
• Masoor Dal - 1/4 cup
• Bottle guard - 1/2 cup, cut into cubes
• Red pumpkin - 1/2 cup, cut into cubes
• Salt - to taste
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 Tsp
• Tomatoes - 1/2 cup, finely chopped
• Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup, finely chopped
• Coriander powder - 1 Tsp
• Garam masala - 1/2 Tsp
• Chilli powder - 1/2 Tsp
• Green chillis - 2, slit length-wise
• Lemon juice - 2 Tsp

METHOD:

1. In a pressure cooker, add all the dal, bottle guard, pumpkin, turmeric powder along with 1 and 1/2 cups of water and mix well. Pressure cook for 4 whistles
2. Open the lid after the steam has escaped and mash the dal. Add tomatoes, coriander leaves, dhania powder, garam masala, chilli powder, green chillis, salt, lemon juice and 1/2 a cup of water (if the dal is too thick). Mix well and cook on a medium flame for 4-5 minutes
3. Serve hot with rice or roti

Kesar Pista Phirni

When it is Mother's day, then the dessert has to be absolutely special. Check out this very simple yet exotic rice pudding recipe with flavors of saffron and pistachios! I referred to Manjula's kitchen blog for this lovely recipe and everyone at home, specially mom, loved it! Do try this out and surprise your loved ones :)

INGREDIENTS:

• Rice - 1/4 cup
• Milk - 3 and 1/4 cup
• Safforn - 3-4 strands
• Pistachios - 1/4 cup
• Sugar - 1/2 cup
• Cardamom powder - 1 Tsp

METHOD:

1. Was and soak rice for half an hour
2. Drain the water and blend the rice into a  smooth paste along with 2 Tbsp of milk
3. Add 1/4 cup of milk to this paste and mix well to get a running batter consistency. Keep aside
4. Soak the pistachios in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain and rub them using a kitchen towel to remove the skin. Once they are dried, crush the pistachios and keep aside
5. Boil milk in a heavy bottomed pan. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 more minutes, so that the milk reduces. Keep scrapping the sides of the pan
6. Add the rice mixture and keep stirring constantly to avoid any lumps
7. Add sugar, saffron, cardamom powder, pista (keep a few pistachios aside for garnishing) and boil for 4-5 minutes
8. Once the pudding thickens, transfer immediately to serving bowl, garnish with pistachios and set in the refrigerator for 2-3 hrs
9. Serve Chilled! 

Aval Pakoda

I do not prefer making deep fried snacks unless it is any special occasion. So when I planned to surprise mom with a yummy lunch for Mother's day, I wanted to make a starter that I haven't tried before and that's how I ended up making Aval(Poha) Pakoda. Mom and granny usually make rice pakodas and here I have followed the same procedure and just replaced rice with aval or poha. I have also not posted any traditional snack recipes in my blog, so here is a special addition to the list :)

INGREDIENTS:

• Aval/Poha/Puffed Rice - 2 cups
• Onions - 3, finely chopped
• Red Chilli powder - 1 Tsp
• Potatoes - 4
• Oil - for deep frying
• Cornflour - 1 Tbsp
• Salt - as needed
• Coriander leaves - a handful, finely chopped

METHOD:

1. Mix all ingredients except oil and potatoes. Keep aside for half an hour
2. In the meanwhile, boil potatoes, peel the skin and mash them
3. Add mashed potatoes to the other ingredients and make small tight balls
4. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and deep fry the pakodas till golden brown
5. Serve hot with any chutney or ketchup

Upma Muffins | Savory oat muffins

I am a big fan of upma in any form! So when I came across the savory muffins in showmethecurry.com, I immediately bookmarked it to try it out for a Sunday evening snack. I have made an eggless version and this yummy muffins are sure to make you want for more :) Try it out for an evening snack or make in huge batches, refrigerate them and re-heat and relish for a wholesome breakfast on a busy day!

Ingredients: (Makes 10 muffins)

• Quick Oats – 3/4 cup
• Oat bran -1/4 cup (This is optional, you can omit this and include 1 cup oats instead)
• Quick Oats Flour – 3/4 cup (grind Quick Oats in a mixer)
• Whole Wheat Flour – 1/4 cup
• Salt – 1 Tsp
• Baking Soda – 1/2 Tsp
• Yogurt – 1 cup
• Lemon Juice – 1 tsp

Seasoning:

• Oil – 1 Tbsp
• Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves – 1 sprig, chopped
• Green Chillies – to taste, finely chopped
• Asafoetida – 1/8 tsp
• Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
• Onions – 1/2 cup, finely chopped
• Ginger – 1 Tbsp, grated
• Frozen or boiled peas – 1/2 cup
• Carrots – 1/2 cup, finely chopped

METHOD:

1. Heat oil in pan on medium heat
2. Add Mustard Seeds and allow them to pop
3. Add curry leaves, Green chillies, asafoetida and turmeric powder, give it a quick stir and add onions and ginger. Sauté it for a minute
4. Add the veggies (You can include sweet corn too). Cook for a minute and turn off the heat.
5. In a large mixing bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients - oats flour, quick oats, whole wheat flour, oat bran (if using), baking soda and salt
6. To the seasoned veggies, add yogurt, lemon juice and mix well
7. Pour in the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently give it a mix
8. Grease the muffin trays lightly with oil and pour in the prepared batter upto 3/4^th of each muffin moulds. Bake the muffins in a pre-heated oven at 180C for 15-20 mins (Mine were done in 16 minutes)
9. Serve them warm or cool them on a wire rack and they can be stored in air-tight containers and refrigerated. Re-heat in the microwave before serving! Upma muffins are ready to go!!