Oats Pakoda / Oats fritters

Ingredients:

1.Oats - 1 cup

2.Besan/gram flour/Kadalamavu - 1 cup

   Rice powder - 1/2 cup

3.Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

   Chilly powder - 1/4 tsp

   Onion - 1, chopped

   Green chillies - 2, chopped

   Curry leaves - a sprig, chopped

4.Water as required

    Eno fruit salt - 1/4 tsp (or use baking soda)

5. Oil to deep fry

Preparation:

1. Powder the oats in a mixie. Transfer it to a bowl along with gram flour and rice powder. Combine well. Add ingredients listed as 3. Add enough water to make a thick batter. Add eno fruit salt and keep aside for 10 minutes.

2. Heat oil in a pan and drop the batter into oil using a teaspoon. Shape doesn't matter. Deep fry till golden brown and the pakodas are crisp. Drain to tissue paper.

3. The pakodas can be stored in an air tight container after it cools down completely.

Events:

Kerala Kitchen - May 2012 hosted by Jehanne of The Cooking Doctor. Check the Kerala Kitchen page here

Cheesy Sweetcorn and Bellpepper sandwich

Ingredients:

Makes 5 sandwiches

Sweetcorn - 150 gms (I used frozen)
Green bellpepper/capsicum - 1
Onion - 1
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
White or black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp or to taste
Brown bread slices - 10
Butter - as needed
Cheese slices - 5

Preparation:

1. Thaw the sweetcorn. Remove the seeds of the bellpepper and chop finely. Peel the onion and chop it.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add Onion, sweetcorn and bellpepper. Add salt and saute for about 5 minutes. Add pepper and combine well.
3. Take a slice of bread and spread the sweetcorn mix. Place a cheese slice and cover it with another slice of bread. Brush a little butter on the outer sides of the sandwich.
4. Grill or toast the sandwich.Serve hot !

Events:
Cooking Concepts:Spring seasonal food hosted by Sravs
Souper Sunday hosted by Deb
Bon Vivant Moments #3 - Breakfast Ideas hosted at Sumee's Culinary Bites
Showcase: What's in your lunchbox hosted by Divya
Let's make sandwiches hosted at Simply Food
Guest Quest hosted by Amina

Banana chips - Kerala special

Ingredients:

Raw plantain / Nendrapazham - 2
Turmeric powder - 1 tbsp
Salt
Coconut oil for deep frying

Preparation:

1. Add turmeric powder and salt to a bowl of water.  Peel the plantain and slice it very thin with a slicer or knife and keep it in the turmeric-salt water for sometime.
2. Heat oil in wok and when  it is real hot, add the sliced plantain. Stir once so that they dont stick to each other. Fry the chips on a high flame, till they are crisp and golden.
3. Drain to kitchen tissue. Let it cool and then store in airtight container.

Sending this to Kerala Kitchen - Feb 2012 hosted by Roshan, a series of event started by Ria and Rose

Also to Anyone can cook: Series 41 and Just 4 fun

Pav Bhaji - enjoy at home

What's your favourite street food? Mine is Pav bhaji, anytime...I've been planning to make it at home for a long time now. Finally, I made it today and it was so yum...

Ingredients:

Potato - 1 large, cubed
Cauliflower - 3 to 4 florets
Carrot - 1/2 of a medium sized, cubed
Green peas - 1/4 cup
Capsicum/Bell Pepper - 1/2 of a medium sized, seeded and chopped fine
Green chilly - 1 or 2, chopped fine
Tomato - 2, chopped fine or minced
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Pav Bhaji masala - 2 tbsp(I used MDH brand)
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Pav bread - 6 to 8
Butter as needed

To serve

Onion - 1, finely chopped
Coriander leaves chopped
Lemon wedges


Preparation:


1. Cook potato, cauliflower, carrot and green peas together in a pressure cooker adding just enough water to cook. Mash it using a potato masher and keep aside.
2. In a pan, heat oil and saute capsicum for a few minutes. Add ginger garlic paste and mix well. Add the tomatoes and saute till oil starts appearing. Mash it a little.
3. Add the cooked and mashed veggies, pav bhaji masala, salt and enough water to the pan. Bring to a boil and simmer for few minutes.
4. In a flat tawa, add butter. Slit the pav bread into 2, and toast both sides well.

To serve, take the bhaji in a bowl and top it with chopped onions and coriander leaves. Squeeze a bit of lemon juice and enjoy with the buttered pav !!!

Off this goes to Snacks Mela

Also to Sinful delights

Also to New year, new dish..

Street foods event

Babycorn and Bellpepper Pizza (Microwave Grill mode)

Ingredients:

Readymade Pizza base (medium size) - 1

Babycorn - 4 or 5, cut to strips
Bellpepper/Capsicum - 1, seeded and cut to strips
Onion - 1, peeled and sliced
Tomato - 1 small, seeded and sliced
Soy sauce - 1 tbsp
Crushed Pepper - 3/4 tsp or more
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Pizza sauce(or tomato ketchup) - 3-4 tbsp + more
Pizza cheese grated - 3/4 cup
Italian seasoning - as needed


Preparation:

1. Heat a pan and add oil followed by onions, tomato, bellpepper and babycorns. Add soy sauce and crushed pepper and saute for 3-4 mins. Add enough salt. Note that soy sauce has a little salt in it, so add just a little more.
2. Place the pizza base on an oven tray. Spread the pizza sauce evenly. Take 1/3rd of the cheese and spread it on top of the sauce. Now add the sauteed veggies and spread evenly.
3. Add pizza sauce on the topping if you like. Spread rest of the cheese and sprinkle the italian seasoning.
4. Place the tray in the microwave. Use the grill mode and the pizza gets done in 7-8 mins. You can see that the cheese has melted and the pizza is ready to serve.

Sending this to Snacks Mela

Dish it Out- Cheese and Tomatoes hosted by Anamika. Dish it Out is the brainchild of Vardhini

Sinful delights by Vardhini

Lets Cook for Christmas - Red and Green

Paal Pidi (Rice dumplings in coconut milk)

Pidi is a small rice dumpling similar to Kozhukatta.

Ingredients:

Roasted Rice Flour - 1 cup (I use store brought idiyappam/pathiri podi)
Water - 1 cup
Salt - a pinch

Medium thick coconut milk - 400 ml
Sugar - Add to your taste
Powdered/crushed cardamom - 1 tsp

Note: You may use whole milk instead of coconut milk. Boil till it thickens and then add pidi. Adding condensed milk also improves the taste.

Preparation:

1. Boil water with a pinch of salt. Pour this boiling water to the rice flour in a bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon. When it cools down a little to handle, take a little dough and roll it between your palms to form a cherry sized ball. Steam these balls in a steamer for 10-15 mins till cooked. Pidi is now ready
2. Meanwhile add coconut milk and sugar in a pan. When it is hot, add the steamed pidi and cook for about mins or more, till the coconut milk becomes thick. Add cardamom powder. You may also add chopped nuts if you like.

Serve warm. Kids are sure to love this...

Sending this to The Kerala Kitchen hosted by Divya Kudua, Diwali Special - Sweets& Savouriesat Tickling Palates and Diwali - Festival of lights at Anu's healthy kitchen

Also linking with Serve it - Stemed at Krithi's Kitchen and Oh Taste n See and also to Anyone can cook: Series 33

Also goes to Khushi's My Diwali My Way

Easy Bread Pakoda

 

Bread Pakodas are usually made with a potato stuffing and/or green chutney. This is an easy version which can be done within few minutes. For me it is the easiest way to use left-over bread. I keep buying bread every week though we don't like it much. Finally when it gets close to the expiry date, I have to find some interesting recipe to pep it up. This pakoda was enjoyed by my little girl which made me very happy. She has these words 'Supaa'(Super) or Nummee(Yummy) when she enjoys food and this is the best appreciation I can  get.

Ingredients:

Bread slices - 4 or 5

Gram flour/Besan - 1 cup

Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Hing/Asafoetida powder - a pinch

Green chillies - 2, finely chopped OR Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp

Chopped coriander leaves 

Salt to taste

Water

Oil to deep fry

Preparation:

1. In a bowl, add besan, jeera, hing, chilly powder or green chillies, salt  and enough water to make a thick batter. Add coriander leaves and mix well.

2. Cut out the brown sides of the bread and discard. Cut the bread slices to rectangles or triangles. 

3. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying. Dip the bread peices in batter and then slowly drop to the oil. Deep fry on both sides till gloden.

 

Serve hot with tomato ketchup or green chutney.

Linking to Anyone Can Cook: Series 31 , Monsoon Medley and Serve it - Fried hosted at OhTasteNSee and Krithi's Kitchen

Corn and Mushroom Cups

The spicy corn and mushroom cups are a welcome change from the usual snacks we make at home. I had a roll of puff pastry in the freezer and was thinking of some recipe to use it up. That's when I remembered this idea of making cups which I had seen in Kurryleaves(the filling was with chicken). I made a filling of corn and mushroom in a tangy and spicy sauce.

Ingredients:

Frozen Puff pastry sheet - 1
Sweetcorn kernels - 1/2cup
Button Mushrooms  - 3 or 4, sliced fine
Red Chilly Flakes - to taste
Tomato Ketchup - 1 tbsp
Italian seasoning - 1/2 tsp(optional)
Salt to taste
Butter or Oil - 2 tsp + to grease the tray

Preparation:

1. Heat a pan and add oil or ghee. Add sweetcorn and mushrooms and saute for a few minutes.
2. Add chilly flakes, salt and ketchup and toss well. The filling is ready.
3. Preheat oven to 200 C. Cut the puff pastry sheet to squares. I got 4 squares from the sheet. Grease the required number of cups of a muffin tray with butter or oil. Place the squares in the greased cups and press gently. Prick the base of the pastry sheet with a fork. This prevents the base from puffing up much. Fill each pastry cup with the filling. Sprinkle italian seasoning on top.Bake for 20-25 mins or till it is puffed up and golden.

Cool for few minutes and then serve with hot tea or coffee.

Linking to Anyone Can Cook: Series 31 , Monsoon Medley and to Iftar Nights

Yam fries

Yam known as Chena in malayalam is widely used in Kerala cuisine. This is a simple fry which resembles french fries, but has a spicy touch.

There are many types of yam used worldwide. The one I used is also called elephant yam. See the pic

Ingredients:

Yam - 1/2 of a medium sized

Turmeric powder -  pinch

Chilly powder and Pepper powder - to taste

Salt

Oil to deep fry

Preparation:

1. Peel and wash the yam. Cut it to thin long strips like french fries. 

2. Add salt, turmeric, chilly and pepper powders to yam and combine well. Keep aside for 30 mins.

3. Deep fry till the yms are cooked, brown and crisp.

This can be used as a snack or side dish with rice.

Sending this to Kerala Kitchen - August 2011 hosted by Vidhya of Sugar N Spice. Visit The Kerala Kitchen page here.

Sending this to Serve it - Fried hosted at OhTasteNSee and Krithi's Kitchen

Also sending this to Cooking Concepts - Appetizers at Srav's Culinry Concepts

Please do visit and send your entries for my Ongoing event - Fusion Food:Pasta

Cheese flowers for my little girl

This is a yummy bite for kids who love cheese. My little girl is very choosy about food, and I have to try new snacks or dishes to please her...The idea of this recipe is from Priya's Cheesy Discs. 

I have not mentioned the exact quantities here as the recipe is very simple and you can make it the way you like.

Ingredients:

Bread slices
Butter
Grated Cheese
Italian seasoning - you may use any seasoning of your choice
Pepper powder

Preparation:

1. Cut the bread slices into desired shapes using a cutter. Spread butter on both sides. I tried it with oil too, and that also tasted good.
2. Add seasoning and pepper powder to grated cheese and gently combine with a spoon.
3. Heat a pan and place the buttered bread. Sprinkle cheese on top and wait till cheese melts and turns light brown. You may also do it in an oven as Priya did in her recipe.

Linking to Anyone can cook: Series 28 at Taste of Pearl City

Please do visit and send your entries for my Ongoing event - Fusion Food:Pasta

Plantain Pancake

A sweet and fruity pancake, this recipe is sure to be a hit among kids and is an ideal evening snack when they return from school.  This recipe is inspired from my blogger friend Sobha's Plantain Sweet Dosa.She made it with dosa batter, as I didn't have it I made it with wheat flour. 

Ingredients:

Ripe plantain - 1 big (Very ripe plantains tastes best)

Wheat flour/Atta - 1 cup

Honey or Sugar - to taste

Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Water

Ghee/Oil

Preparation:

1. Cut plantain to 2 and steam in a steamer or idli vessel till cooked. Peel and mash it.

2. Make a batter with atta and water to form a pancake/dosa batter consistency. Add the mashed plantains and blend it well in a mixer/blender. Add honey or sugar to taste and the cardamom powder.

3. Grease a tava/pan with a little ghee/oil. Pour a ladle of batter and spread like a pancake. When one side is cooked, flip to the other side. You may drizzle ghee or oil.

Linking to Anyone Can Cook: Series 27

This also goes to Healthy Snacks event and Quick and Easy Recipes event.

Carrot and Egg Sandwich

Looking for a healthy and filling sandwich? Then, try this...

Ingredients:

Bread slices - 8 

Carrots - 3 medium, grated

Onion - 1 small sized, chopped fine

Green chillies - 3 or 4, slit

Eggs - 3

Mustard seeds or Jeera - 1/2 tsp

Salt

Oil

Preparation:

1. Heat about 1 tbsp of oil in a pan and add mustard or jeera whichever you like. Add onions, green chillies and salt and saute till onion starts turning brown.

2. Add grated carrots and saute for a few minutes. Add eggs one by one, mixing well with the carrots. You may also beat eggs separately with a little salt and then add to the carrots as I did. The filling is ready. Remove the green chillies before spreading on bread. 

3. Take a slice of bread and top it with the filling. Cover with another slice and then toast in a sandwich maker/toaster. 

Liinking this to  Healthy Snacks event and Quick & Easy recipes event

Linking to Anyone can cook: Series 27

Rava Idli

Some of my friends have been asking for an easy Rava Idli recipe and here it is...This morning I was so lazy to prepare breakfast, and this came to my rescue. There is no need to plan ahead, soak, grind or ferment unlike the regular idli. Within 30 minutes, yummy rava idli is ready...My little girl who doesnt eat rava upma, will happily have this one. Adding carrots and beans  makes it colourful and healthier too. Rava idli can be had for breakfast, with evening tea( if you are really hungry) or for dinner...

Ingredients:

Rava/Semolina - 1 cup

Jeera - 1/2 tsp

Chana Dal - 1 tbsp

Finely chopped Ginger - 1/2 tsp

Thick Curd/yoghurt  - 2 cups

Baking soda - 1/2 tsp (makes idli very fluffy and soft)

Carrot - 1 or 2, grated (optional, but it makes the idli healthier and gives a light orange shade to it)

Coriander leaves - a few, chopped

Salt

Oil 

Yields around 10-12 idlis.

Preparation:

1. Heat a little oil in a pan and add jeera followed by Chana dal and ginger and saute. You may also add chopped cashew nuts if you like. Add Rava and roast till golden. Turn off the stove and let it cool.

2. Add grated carrot, coriander leaves,salt and curd. Add baking soda and mix well and keep aside for 10 mins. You may add finely chopped beans also to this.

3. The idli mix thickens after 10 mins. Add a little more curd or water. The mix should be thicker than regular idli batter.

4. Grease idli moulds with a little oil. Scoop the idli mix into the moulds and steam for 10-15 mins till idlis are cooked.

5. Let it cool for sometime and remove from moulds.

Serve with Onion chutney, Tomato chutney or any other chutney of your choice. Sometimes I just eat it as it is and it tastes good too..

Liinking this to Quick & Easy recipes event and  Anyone can cook - Series 26

Chicken Puffs

One of the things I miss most is the Kerala style Puffs. The flaky puffs with a spicy filling makes it a very tasty snack. The filling can be mixed veggies, egg or meat. I had some leftover Kheema and was searching for a recipe to use it. I came across the recipe for Chicken Puffs at Shab's Cuisine and as I had frozen puff pastry sheet in the fridge, decided to try it out. It turned out to be very yummy and easy too...

Ingredients:

1. Minced chicken/Kheema - 1 cup (You may use cooked and shredded chicken instead)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt
Water

2. Onion - 1, chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Meat masala / Garam masala - 3/4 tsp or more (adjust to suit your taste)
Tomato - 1 small, chopped
Coriander leaves
Oil

3. Puff pastry sheet - 1 pack. I used Jus-rol
Egg - white of 1 egg lightly beaten with a little water(egg wash)

Preparation:

1. Cook the ingredients listed as item 1 till the kheema is cooked well.
2. Heat a little oil in a pan and saute onions till soft. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute. Add chilly powder and meat masala and saute for few seconds.
3. Add the tomatoes and cook till soft. Now add cooked kheema and chopped coriander leaves and combine well.The filling is now ready.
4. Thaw the frozen puff pastry sheet as per instructions on the pack. Cut them into squares and place the filling on one half of each square. Fold it with the other half. Brush the top of the puffs with egg wash.
5. Preheat the oven to 220 C and bake for 15-20 mins or till the top of the puffs is browned well.


For detailed and step by step instructions please visit Shab's Cuisine. The filling I made is slightly different from her version.

Idli Upma

Idli upma is a tasty dish that is made from left over idlis. You may add beans and carrot also to this upma. Here, I have added only green peas.

Ingredients:

Idlis - 4 to 6
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Onion - 1/2, finely chopped
Green chillies - 3, slit
Chopped garlic - 1/2 tsp
Chopped ginger - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Green peas - 1/4 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilly powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Salt

Preparation:

1. Cut the idlis into cubes and crumble them. Keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.Add onion, green chillies, ginger,garlic and salt and saute till onions become soft.
3. Add green peas, turmeric powder, chilly powder and a little water to cook the green peas.
4. When green peas is almost cooked, add the crumbled idli and mix well. Saute for a few minutes.

Serve hot.

Sending this to Healthy Snacks event hosted by Deepthi

Linking this to Kerala Kitchen July 2011 hosted by Magpie.

Linking to Anyone can cook-Series 26

Sending to Signature Recipes hosted by Saras

This also goes to the event Dish name starting with I hosted at Akila's kitchen