Spinach soup/Easy Soup recipe

Spinach is one healthy green. But its difficult to get kids to eat spinach . I came up with this soup recipe to get my little one to eat spinach.Its very easy and healthy .You can drink before your lunch on a rainy day to enjoy the atmosphere.

Ingredients:

• 20 leaves of spinach.
• 1 small Onion.
• 1 small  tomato
• 1 green chili.
• 1/4 tbsp pepper and cumin seeds powder.
• 2 tbsp cheese.
• oil for saute.
• Salt as required

Method:

• Cook and blanch the spinach.
• Blanching the spinach makes it retain its color.
• Cut the tomatoes and onion in to large pieces.
• Add oil  to a hot pan and saute onions and green chili until translucent.
• Add tomato and cook them until they turn soft.

• Grind the spinach ,onion and tomato in a blender.
• Add the puree to a hot sauce pan and let it boil for 5 min, until the raw smell of spincah dissipates.

• Add pepper ,cumin powder and salt.
• Serve it hot with grated parmesan cheese.

Note:

• You can add more cheese to the end while you are serving.
• Adjust the salt and pepper according to your taste.

Linking it to Gayathris event and sahasra page

Arthy event

                                                           

 Sapanas event

Mint & Cilantro Chutney (புதினா கொத்தமல்லி துவையல் )

Another win ,this time its a food coupon from justeat.in which is shared by my best co-blogger MeenaKumar of Elephants and coconut trees.Thanks meena for providing me the coupons.

Mint is rich in carotenes and vitamin C. Mint helps in improving digestion and also improves the immune system overall. Cilantro reduces stomach indigestion problems and has anti inflammatory capacities and is benificial for arthitis patients.

I often include mint and coriander in our diet in form of chutney, include in rice and use them as garnish.

You can check other chutney recipes like Beetroot chutney,Coconut chutney,VaraMilagai chutney

Preparation time:10 min(cleaning the mint)

Cooking time:10 min

Serves:2

Ingredients:

• 1/4 bunch coriander
• 1/4 bunch mint leaves.
• 1 large Onion.
• 2 small green chilies(adjust according to taste)
• 1/4 tomato(tamarind can be substituted).
• 2 tbsp grated coconut.

To temper:

• 1/2 tbsp Mustard seeds.
• 1/2 tbsp Urad dal.

Method:

• Clean the coriander and mint and wash them thoroughly.
• Cut the onion and tomato in to large pieces.
• Add oil to the tava and add the items "to temper".
• Let the Mustard seeds sputter.
• Add onion and saute it until translucent.

• Add tomato and cook them until soft.
• Add mint and coriander and saute it for a min .

• switch off the flame and add coconut  .
• When it cools down grind them with required salt .

• Serve it with idly or dosa or as a dip to your samosas or in your bread.

Note:

• You can substitute tomatoe with small tamarind piece/ little tamrind paste while grinding.
• Dont saute the herbs too much and add them at the very end.
• Adding coconut to the end make its healthy

Linking it to Gayathris event and sahasra page

Grilled Potato Patty / Potato Cutlet

This week I brought a whole loaf of wheat bread. My husband was super busy with a deadline and he wanted to leave early to work and I wanted to make a quick and easy breakfast. Potato patty came to my mind almost instantly, its quick and easy and is very filling too. Its grilled and not deep fried so its healthy too. This patty uses black pepper and hot sauce instead of chili powder which gives a different taste to your patty.
Check my other simple breakfast recipes Kuli paniyaram,Kothu parotta,Lentils dosa

Preparation time:10 min
Cooking time:10 min
Serves:2-3

Ingredients:

• 2 large potatoes.
• 1/2 tsp black pepper.
• Thinly sliced onions.
• A dash of hot sauce.
• Salt as required.
• Bread slices for sandwich and for bread crumbs

Method:

• Cook the potatoes thoroughly in a pressure cooker for 3 whistles.
• Mash them well 
• Add pepper, salt, hot sauce,thinly sliced onions and mix them well.
• Add tumeric, onions and pepper.

• Separate them in to 6 balls.
• Pat them flat to get a patty.
• Roast the bread well in griddle and grind them in mixer until you get bread crumbs.
• Cover the patties with bread crumbs.

• Heat the griddle/pan  well and place the patties and cook them until they are crisp.
• Turn them/flip them upside down and cook them crisp .
• Toast the bread and place the patties in between.

• Enjoy your breakfast.
• If you like cheese slice you can add them as well.

Note:

• Similarly you can make cutlet adding other vegetables like beetroot,carrot,peas,soya granules etc.
• If you dont have hot sauce add little chili powder .
• While fliping the patties they may feel like they are going to crack ,once it cools it will be firm.

Linking it to Gayathris event and sahasra page

Arthy event

Lunch box recipes /Coconut rice and Potato fry

Coconut Rice

Coconut is a wonderful vegetable that I love. It has lots of calcium and nutrition ,which is good for teeth and bones. It has good cholesterol too. Coconut is very versatile it can be used a flavor enhancer, a condiment like in chutneys or you make it the feature of your dish. Coconut when boiled for too long is not very healthy.
I used to buy frozen coconut .But I love the taste of fresh coconut. In a local store I found fresh coconuts, I brought one and grated it and stored it. Coconut Rice is a dish that we used to have during our school days. My husband loves this rice .Once in a while when I buy a fresh coconut I make this for him. My little one loves coconut in any from.

Check for other rice recipes like Tomato Pulav,Mint Pulav,Pongal

Preparation Time:10 min
Cooking Time:15 min.
Serves :2

Ingredients:

• 1/4 of small coconut(grated).
• 1 cup raw Rice.
• 3 green chilies.
• salt as required 
• oil for tempering.(coconut oil is optional)

To Temper:

• 1/2 tbsp Mustard seeds.
• 1/4 tbsp split Channa dal.
• A Pinch of hing.
• Little curry leaves powder/Few Curry leaves.

Method:

• Wash the rice and  pressure cook it with little oil and required water ( Add the exact amount of water)
• Cook for one whistle and reduce the flame and cook it for  another 4 min .
• Now switch off the stove and allow it to cool till the pressure releases.
• To a hot saute pan add 2 tbsp of oil/coconut oil and add mustard seeds to it.
• After the mustard seeds splutter add channa dal (let it change color ).

• Add green chilies ,hing and saute for a min.
• Add the grated coconut and saute it for a min or two.
• Now switch off the heat and add the cooled rice .

• Add required salt and mix them thoroughly.
• Coconut rice is ready.

Note:

• Rice should be at room temperature before you add it to coconut .
• You can add coconut oil for tempering which gives extra flavor.
• Dont cook the coconut too much when you add it saute pan.

Potato Fry

Preparation time:5 min.

Cooking time:20-25 min.

Serves:2-3 

Ingredients:

• 2 large potatoes(pressure cooked for 3 whistles)
• 1 small Onion.
• 1/2 country tomato.
• A pinch of turmeric.
• 1 garlic pod.
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp Cumin powder.

To Temper:

• 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp urad dal.
• few curry leaves/ curry leaves powder.

Method:

• Pressure cook the potatoes for 2 -3 whistles until they are soft (not mushy)
• Cut them in to 1 inch pieces.
• Cut the onions and tomatoes in to small pieces as well.
• Add oil to the heated tava and add the items "to temper".
• Add onions,garlic and saute them until onions are translucent.
• Add tomatoes and cook them thorough.

• Add chili powder,cumin powder and turmeric and saute till the raw smell of the masala subsides.
• Add little water and add required salt.
• After the water  boiles and reduce in quantity add the cooked cut potatoes.

• Cover them with a lid and cook for another 5 -8 min until the potatoes absorb all the masalas.
• Potatoes should be coated and it should not have any water.

• Potato fry is ready..
• Enjoy your lunch.

Note:

• If the potatoes are not cooked allow them to cook before you add it to masala.
• Potato fry should be dry . So cook the fry until it absorbs all the water.

Linking it to Gayathris event and sahasra page

Puffy Pooris and Rajma gravy

Poori is a popular breakfast food all over India. Poori is every ones favourite because its deep fried. Even though roti and chapathi's are healthier options poori is a delicacy.
When I was a kid my mom rarely used to make poori, she still maintains that its not healthy. When we used to go out to eat out we always wanted to eat poori. Its very special and always yummy. Pooris in restaurants are extra puffy and as kids we used to poke them and play with them.
As a mom I always want my little one to eat healthy but my daughter loves poori.These pooris absorb less oil and they are puffy . They go very well along with any hot gravy,kuruma & potato subjis.

Check for breakfast recipes like Kuli paniyaram,Lentils dosa,LemonSemiya Bath,Greenchanna Paratha

Poori:
Making Time:40 min
Yields:18 medium size pooris


Ingredients :

• 2 1/4 cup wheat flour
• Required water(around 1 cup)
• Salt as required
• Oil for frying the pooris

Method:

• Mix the wheat flour with water and salt in a large mixing bowl
• The dough has to be thick otherwise  you end up with oily pooris.

• Don't let the dough rest make poori's as soon as you can.
• Place a small sauce pan /kadai in stove with enough oil to fry the pooris.
• The oil should be very hot (It should not be smoky)
• Separate the dough in to 18 pieces.
• Roll them with the rolling pen or chappathi maker.

• Fry them in oil at high temperature.
• Wait 10-15 secs in between pooris.
• Remove from oil and drain in paper towels.

For the entire batch my kitchen towels absorbed only this much oil.

Note:

• The dough should be hard but not too hard so you cant roll that out.
• If the oil is not hot enough the pooris will get soggy.

Rajma Curry:

Preparation time:12 hrs(soaking the rajma)

Cooking time:30 min

Serves:3 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rajma Soaked overnight
• 1 medium size onion
• 1 medium size tomato
• 1 inch ginger piece
• 1 garlic pod.
• A pinch of turmeric.
• 1/4  tsp  chili powder
• 1/4 tsp cumin powder

Method:

• Roughly chop the onion,tomato ,garlic and ginger. 
• To a hot saute pan pour some oil.
• Add garlic and ginger first and saute them for a few seconds

• Add Onions and saute them until translucent.
• Add tomatoes and saute it until its cooked through.

• Add the masala powders and saute for a few seconds.
• Cool and grind the mixture.
• Cook the rajma in a pressure cooker until soft(8-10 whistles)
• To a hot saute pan add little oil and add cumin seeds.

• After it changes colour add the ground paste.
• Add little more water if required and cook them for around 5-10 min until it thickens
• Add the cooked rajma and boil the curry/gravy until both of them come together.
• If you have time let the curry simmer, flavors will seep into rajma.

• Rajma is ready to be served with chapathi,rotis,dosas.

Note:

• Cooking of rajma takes time .If its not cooked, cook them again in the pressure cooker.
• Don't add too much water curry has to be little thick.

Linking it to

Gayathris event and sahasra page