ChatPati Oats Locho ( Monsoon Mania Collaboration )

Ever tried to guess the reason behind those hunger pangs that crop up everytime there is a down ? Well, it could be sudden fall in outside temperature that makes one feel chilled and hence the craving to eat something hot along with one's favorite beverage. Or it might even be the limited mobility that makes one explore other avenues before finally settling down on snacking . After all good food has a relaxing effect on us.

Or maybe, it is that primal desire to bite into the forbidden fruit...er..food. With most doctors and elders putting a blanket ban on street-side fare during the rains, they suddenly start to look even more inviting. Wading though the murky waters, the aromas of bhajjis and samosas wafting up from the street vendors assail our senses and send our normally logical brain into a tailspin. And we end up eating stuff that we would otherwise not even touch with a barge-pole. 

But given that gastrointestinal disorders are very common during monsoons, it is best to steer away from street-foods. Some advance preparation can actually go a long way in avoiding such blunders. This 'Surti Locho' recipe is one such example to an easy to prepare and very healthy steamed snack. I have added a healthy twist to this recipe by substituting the 'poha' with oats and serving it up with a tangy 'Puli-inji' relish.

But hang on !! There are more recipes to be discovered as I am back with a collaboration with my bloggers friends Saswati who blogs @ Delish Potpourri and Parinaaz of A Dollop of That fame. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to check what these gals are dishing out !

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 45 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 cup channa dal
• 1/3 cup urad dal
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1 tsp crushed ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp pepper powder
• 2 tsp oil
• 2 pinch turmeric
• 1 tsp baking powder
• salt to taste

For garnishing -

• puli inji relish
• coriander leaves

Preparation - Wash and soak the channa dal and the urad dal separately for 6-7 hours.

Take the oats in a bowl. Cover with just enough hot water to moisten it.

Grind the channa dal into a slightly coarse paste.

Grind the urad dal separately into a fine paste. Add the moistened oats to the same jar and blend together.

Transfer all the ingredients ( except baking powder) into a big mixing bowl . Bring everything together.

Cooking - Take sufficient water in a steamer. Bring it to a boil.

Grease a round/square dish which is about 2 inches deep. 

Finally add the baking powder to the batter, mix evenly and pour into the baking dish.

Put it in the steamer and let it cook for 30 mins. Insert a toothpick into the center to check if it is done.

Remove it from the steamer. 

Scoop out some of the hot Locho onto a serving plate or bowl. Garnish with Puli inji relish ( or tamarind jaggery chutney ) and cilantro. 

Serve piping hot.

Note - Refrigerate any remaining batter ( to which baking powder has not been added ) and use it up in a day or two .

Check out these fabulous Monsoon recipes contributed by my fellow bloggers !!

Parinaaz's Eeda Chutney na Pattice ( Egg and Chutney Croquettes )

and

Saswati's Peas and Cottage Cheese Kebabs 

Chaak Hao Tann ( Or my version of the Black Rice Pancakes from North-East )

A feeling of 'deja vu' overcame me when I first stumbled upon this recipe on the internet. Was it because of an uncanny resemblance to the Arissa pitha? Or was it something else that triggered that sensation ? I am still not very sure apart from the fact that these pancakes had a very solid first impression on me. And that new-found love further intensified when I bit into them for the first time. Of course I tweaked the recipe a little bit keeping my taste buds in mind, but still the results were sensational. For now, I claim to have become a black-rice convert !!

Chak Hao or black rice is a aromatic rice variety that is native to Manipur ( or maybe small pockets in the entire north-east region but I am not too sure of that ). So special is this variety that an Emperor in China had banned the cultivation of this rice for the masses. Hence it came to be known as the 'Forbidden Rice'. This variety of rice contains gluten and hence people with Celiac diseae should not consume it. But for others, this the best variety of rice for a number of reasons.

Black rice has a very high proportion of antioxidants which is crucial to the prevention of cancer and Alzheimer's . Its high anthocyanin content is very much capable of lowering the risk of heart attacks and controlling high cholesterol levels. Plus it is grown organically which results in higher nutrient value and zero exposure to chemicals.

Read on for the recipe ( Sourced from HERE ) -

Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 cup Black rice
• 1/2 cup Atta (flour)
• 3 tbsp powdered jaggery
• 1 tsp fennel (coarsely powdered)
• 2 tsp ghee

Preparation - Wash and soak the black rice overnight. Drain the water and transfer to a grinder jar.

Grind the rice into a smooth paste. (If it feels dry, use some the water that we had drained earlier)

Add the powdered jaggery and grind again.

Transfer the batter into a large mixing bowl. Add 1/2 cup flour and the powdered fennel seeds.

Mix everything to get a firm dough. If it feels wet or stick, add a little more flour to make it firm.

Divide the dough into 8 equal portions.

Rub a little ghee on the hands and roll each portion into a ball. Then flatten it into a disc of about 4 mm thickness.

Cooking - Heat a skillet or tawa. Grease with a little ghee.

Place the discs on the skillet and drizzle more ghee on the sides.

Cook on low flame till one side is done. Then flip it over and add a little more ghee. Both surfaces should get a layer of crispness while the center should remain moist. Remove and keep aside.

Allow it to cool down before serving.

Should stay fresh for 3-4 days in the fridge ( not tested yet as mine got over on the same day ).

Panasa Manjee Raee ( Jackfruit seeds in a traditional mustard-garlic preparation )

Have had enough of the sweet succulent jackfruit flesh ? Well, then it is right time to embrace yet another produce of the jackfruit tree. Those big white seeds that we tend to throw away are perfectly edible and are considered a delicacy in several parts of the country. In fact, the seeds are carefully harvested, cleaned and dried in the sun to be stored and consumed over the next few months. And having grown up in Odisha, I have eaten quite a few curries and fries that have jackfruit seeds as a ingredient. Apart from the sorisa bhaja, masala bhaja, raee and just the plain roasted ones prepared in a wood fired/coal fired stove, it has a propensity of making it's way into just about every vegetarian dish. No wonder I cannot get it out of my head even if I have practically given up on ripe jackfruits ( for some reason, I find it overpoweringly sweet these days ).

Last weekend on a trip to the HAL market in Bengaluru, I chanced upon a lady selling these yummy seeds. I brought half a kilo and even though it was a Sunday ( obligatory non-vegetarian day in our kitchen ), quickly prepared this delicious curry with about one third of them. Very simple and frugal, one just needs some Badi ( urad dal vadi ) apart from the regular ingredients from one's pantry. While I choose to call it a 'Raee' because of the ingredients used, it is almost dry in consistency and hence often considered as a 'bhaja'.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 25 mins

Ingredients - 

• 150 gm jackfruit seeds
• 4-5 urad dal Badi
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 dry red chili
• 1 green chili
• 2 pinch turmeric powder
• 3 tsp oil
• dash of mustard oil for final garnish
• cilantro for garnishing
• salt to taste

Preparation - Remove the outer white layer of the jackfruit seeds. Wash them.

Chop each one into small pieces.

Make a fine paste out of the mustard seeds, red chili and garlic. Dilute the paste with 1 cup of water and let it stand undisturbed. 

Cooking - Heat 1 tsp oil in a wok. Add the Badi and fry on low flame to a golden brown. Remove from wok and keep aside.

Add another 2 tsp of oil to the same wok. Add the chopped jackfruit seeds. Stir fry for about 2-3 mins.

Carefully drain the water from the cup containing the mustard paste into the wok. The black residue part should be left behind in the cup. 

Add turmeric and salt to taste. Cook covered till 3/4th done.

Crush the fried badis and add to the wok. Let it cook till all the excess water evaporates.

Finally mix in the mustard oil, chopped green chili and cilantro. Remove from the flame.

Serve it at room temperature with some steamed rice and yellow dal. Enjoy !!

Tomato and Soya Masala Panini Sandwich ( And the Lunchbox Skirmish continues... )

Everyone loves sandwiches. You just need to find the 'One' that suits your palate. Till then it is like fighting your way ( and diminishing your bank balance in the process ) through endless tubes of red lipsticks before you zero in on that one elusive shade and can truly claim 'One woman One Red'. But jokes apart, your chances of finding the perfect lipstick are far better than bumping into Prince charming or a damsel in distress (quite a few guys still harbor that fantasy, don't they ?).

But the real reason why I love sandwiches is the fact that they are so neat and equally easy to prepare. I can have them for breakfast, lunch and dinner and sometimes to quell those stray hunger pangs that strike in-between meals. For each one, I just modify the stuffing keeping the meal requirements in mind. For example, I prefer to have egg slices and cheese when I make them for brekkie. Lunch time calls for something like grilled chicken and salad veggies. And so on. This 'Tomato and Soya Masala Panini Sandwich' is one of my mealtime staples, especially on the days when I avoid meat and dairy. 

Most kids (especially the older lot) would enjoy this sandwich in their lunchbox. One can also add some cheese spread or cheese slices or even hung curd to clinch the deal with them.

Read on for the recipe - 

Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients -

• 6 Bread slices
• 1 large Tomato ( cut into slices )
• 1 medium onion ( cut into slices )
• any other vegetable of your choice 
• 1 cup soya masala 
• 3 tsp mayonniase
• 3 tsp ketchup
• dash of pepper
• dash of salt
• butter for greasing the plates of the sandwich maker

For the soya masala -

• 1 cup soya chunks
• 1 medium potato
• 1/2 of a medium onion (finely chopped)
• 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 2 pinch garam masala
• salt to taste
• 3 tsp oil
• 1 tsp chopped cilantro

Preparation - Cook the soya chunks and potato in a pressure cooker for 1-2 whistles.

Allow steam to escape. Open lid, take out the soya chunks, squeeze them and rinse 2-3 times in clear water.

Squeeze out all the water from the soya chunks, put in a mixing bowl and mash to a coarse paste. Peel the potato, mash and add to the same mixing bowl.

Cooking - Heat 1 tsp oil in pan. Add the chopped onion and ginger garlic paste. Saute for a while till the raw smell goes off.

Add the soya and potato paste along with salt and chili powder. Mix everything together and cook for 4-5 mins.

Finally add the garam masala and chopped cilantro. Mix and remove from the flame. Let it come down to room temperature.

Assembly - Take a bread slice. Layer it with mayonnaise. Them put about 1/3rd of the soya masala on the bread.

Top it with tomato, onion and any other vegetable slices that you prefer. Sprinkle some salt and pepper, and close the sandwich with another bread slice.

Grease the plates with some butter.

Place the sandwiches and grill them to a light brown.

Serve with some tomato ketchup.

One can eat it right away or even pack for lunch/brunch.

Riiz Bi Sh'arieh ( A Lebanese Rice Delight )

While breads are the Middle eastern staple, they do possess quite a variety of rice dishes in their repertoire. I have already blogged about the Moudardara which is a kind of Lebanese khichidi. What strikes me about these rice varieties is the fact that they are so frugal with hardly a handful of ingredients and yet turn out to be amazingly flavorsome. It is the perfect accompaniment with their rich meat and vegetable gravies.

As I focus my attention on the Lebanese platter, I realize that there is lot that is yet to be explored. While the world drools over sinful desserts like Baklava, Basbousa and Kunafeh, the everyday dishes from the region are quite healthy. There is a heavy dependence on  garlic, olive oil and a handful of aromatic seasoning to prepare these dishes which can definitely be termed heart-healthy.

Today's recipe is a simple 'Riiz Bi Sh'arieh' which is a mix of long grained rice and fine noodles cooked together with only butter/olive oil used for the seasoning. While it is very easy to prepare, we need to note that the noodles need to be roasted to just that right shade of brown without ever burning it ( personally I don't mind leaving it a golden brown rather than taking a with risk burning it ). It can be garnished with handful of pine nuts and a dash of pepper to add a festive touch but I am definitely sticking to the plain version.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 15 mins ( 30 mins standby )

Ingredients -

• 1 cup long grained Basmati
• 1/2 cup thin vermicelli ( seviyan )
• 3 tsp olive oil ( You can use butter but olive oil is healthier )
• salt to taste
• 2 cups water

Preparation - Wash the rice and soak it in water for half an hour. Drain and keep aside.

Cooking - Heat the olive oil in a deep pan. Once it is fragrant, add the vermicelli and roast on a low flame till it turns a rich brown.

Add the rice along with 2 cups water and salt.

Cook covered for 12-15 mins ( or the time specified on the rice packet ).

Remove from flame and let it stand covered for 10 mins. Use a fork to fluff it up.

Serve with a meat or vegetable gravy or even with a lentil curry of your choice.

Or even with some fried prawns.

Carrot Rice ( A light and healthy Lunchbox favorite )

Some days back I had done a lunchbox collaboration with a few of my blogger friends where we had shared quite diverse and easy recipes that could fit in for breakfast, lunch or even the smaller breaks. Now it is almost 4 weeks since the schools have reopened and most of us would have exhausted the multiple permutations and combinations of those recipes. Even kiddo has started getting bored with some of the stuff that I put into his box. Hence, it is time to work out on a fresh set of recipes.

With rice dishes being his favorite, I almost always turn to some version of a pulao or fried rice by the end of every week (blame it on the weegarlickend blues that stay-at-home moms get). Recently I tried out this rather simple but very delicious 'Carrot rice' recipe for his box. Limiting the spice content for the monsoon season which adversely affects digestion and enriching it with loads of antioxidants ( read carrot and garlic), I have kept it filling as well as healthy. And if you have any doubts about the carbs in rice, kids really need those carbs given that they are quite prone to running around all day. 

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients -

• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1 cup grated carrot
• 1 small onion ( finely chopped )
• 3-4 garlic flakes ( finely chopped )
• 2-3 cloves
• 1/2 inch cinnamon
• 1 green chili ( optional )
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp ghee
• 1 tsp oil
• pinch of turmeric
• salt to taste
• 2 tsp chopped cilantro for garnishing

Cooking - Heat 1 tsp oil in a non-stick pan. Add the cloves and cinnamon. Fry till fragrant.

Add the finely chopped onion and garlic. Throw in the whole green chili as we just want a little flavor and not the heat.

Once the onion is translucent, add the grated carrot and fry for 3-4 mins.

Add the cooked rice along with salt and a pinch of turmeric. Toss lightly for 3 mins.

Finally add chopped cilantro , ghee and lemon juice. Mix gently and remove from flame.

Let it cool down a bit before packing it into the lunchbox. Or have it right away if not in the mood to do any cooking.

For more lunchbox recipes check HERE .

Kamal Kakdi ke Kofte ( Vegan Side Dish )

First the promise. For the longest time, I have have been bombarding you all with dishes made with 'Lotus Stem'. No prizes for guessing that it is my current obsession/fixation/or whatever you choose to call it. But I swear upon all my years of cumulative culinary experience that this the last one I will be posting. That is at least for another month or two.

Ok. Now coming back to the recipe, it is yet another delicious preparation that goes rather well with rotis or even pulao. Unlike the melt in the mouth koftas that one is accustomed to, this one is quite a mouthful. But that does not mean that it is anything less delicious. When combined with the sweet, tangy and mildly spicy gravy, it is a most welcome change.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 40 mins

Ingredients -

• 100 gm Lotus stem
• 1 small potato
• 3 tbsp besan
• 1/2 tsp GG paste
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• salt to taste
• Fortune Vivo oil for deep frying

For the gravy -

• 1 large onion
• 2 large tomatoes
• 1 tsp GG paste
• 2-3 cloves
• 1 green cardamom
• 1/2 inch cinnamon
• 2 dry red chili
• 2 tsp sugar
• salt to taste
• kasuri methi
• 2 tsp oil
• 4-5 cashews
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• cilantro for garnishing

Preparation - Wash, peel and chop the lotus stem into 2-3 inch long pieces. Transfer to a pressure cooker along with 2 cups water and a little salt. Cook for 3 whistles.

Chop the potato into very small pieces. Or even better, grate it.

Keep aside till steam is released. Take out the lotus stem and transfer to a mixing bowl.

Mash it up. Add chopped/grated potato, besan, GG paste, chili powder and salt to the mixing bowl. Mix and bring everything together. Take small portions of it and shape into small lemon sized balls.

Cooking - Heat sufficient oil in a wok. Add 4-5 koftas at a time and fry to an even brown color . Remove and drain it on paper towels.

Heat 1 tsp oil in a nonstick pan. Add the whole spices and fry till aromatic.

Add the chopped onions and fry till translucent. Put in the GG paste and cook till raw smell goes away.

Finally add the chopped tomatoes and cook till mushy.

Add the kasuri methi and broken cashew to the wok and switch off the flame. Once it cools down, blend into a smooth puree.

Heat 1 tsp oil in the same pan. Add the cumin seeds and allow to splutter.

Add the puree along with 1 1/2 cups water, sugar and salt to taste. Bring to a boil and then let it simmer for 5-7 mins.

Once it reaches the right consistency, add the koftas and switch off the flame.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot/warm.

For more 'Kamal Kakdi/Lotus Root' recipes , click HERE.