Sev (Deepavali special )

 Deepavali is nearing and the preparation of sweets and savoury starts. So I thought of preparing Sev and here is a recipe for you. Believe me it is easy, quick and yummy. This sev can be prepared and served with the sweet dish of your choice. Here is a recipe of medium thick variety of sev recipe.

Sev/Om pudi (as we call in Kannada ) is a savoury dish and we can munch them any time of the day. (People like me who are fond of fried  items ). It can be prepared using different flours. For example we can use chickpea/gram flour or rice flour and chick pea flour or only roasted channa (hurikadale) and rice flour or even maida flour or even boiled potatoes are also used for preparing sev.
Here I have used 3 portions of chikpea/channa/gram flour/besan and one portion of rice flour. Some spices like chilly powder, jeera are used. I have used butter and no cooking soda added to the flour .
Lets us see the recipe now.

Things Needed :

Besam/Gram/Besan flour : 3 Cups
Rice flour : 1 Cup
Jeera powder : 1 Teaspoon
Red chilly powder : 1 Teaspoon
Salt : as required
Butter : 2 Tablespoons
Oil : 2 Cups (Any brand )
Sev Mould.

Method :

1. Put Chick Pea flour, Rice flour, butter, salt, jeera and red chilly powder in a big bowl.
2. Mix it nicely so that butter and other ingredients mixes well with flour.

3. Add required water slowly (little by little ) and form a dough. (thicker than chapati dough).
4. Kneed the dough well. and divide them in to small portion. (not very small).

5. Now just apply little oil around the inner layer of the mould and put prepared sev dough inside.
6. Keep a pan on the fire and put oil. Heat it.
7. Now close the lid of the mould and press straight to the hot oil.  Let it turn slightly golden brown.

8. Turn the other side and cook for a minute and remove from the pan. Put it on a kitchen tissue. Let the extra oil absorb by the towel.
9. Repeat the same with remaining dough and prepare sev.

10 Sev is ready to serve.

Note :

The dough should not be watery or too thick. Watery dough may absorb more oil and the thick (hard) dough can not be squeezed out easily. Adding more butter may soften the dough and it might take more oil.  For the above said measurement only 2 tablespoons of butter will be perfect. You can also try using hot oil instead of butter. Adding more/less chilly powder is optional. Adding whole jeera might block the holes of the mould. So roast and powder jeera and then use it. ( I just crushed it a little and added ).
Time : 30 to 40 minutes
Servings : according to your requirement.

Tomato - Capsicum Cheese Noodles

Ready to Serve Tomato Capsicum Noodles

Noodles have become very famous these days. Not only kids, all age group people love to eat. I do not like, eating noodles in hotels or parties. Actually I am scared that they must have used some sauce which contain animal fats. So I do prepare noodles very often using vegetables, tomatoes, spring onions. Preparing them with Indian spices and giving Indian touch, makes my people more happy. So here is one such recipe of noodles with tomatoes, capsicum, a little spread of Amul cheese and of course loaded with Potato french fries. (Used fresh Potatoes for french fries).
You get different  types and shapes of noodles. Some are made with maida and some are made with wheat. I have used bambino noodles which are prepared using Durum wheat. It is well known that Durum wheat is the best wheat. I have used the long noodles. Noodles are nice when it is mixed with tomatoes.
There is no garlic or onion in this recipe. 
Lets see the recipe now.

 Ingredients :

To Cook 

 Noodles : Any brand : 500 GM ( I used Bambino Noodles).

To fry :

Tomatoes : 3 to 4
Capsicum : 2 to 3
Potatoes :  3 (Medium size)
Ginger : 1 Teaspoon
Oil : 1 Cup

Spices to use:
Jeera / Cumin Seeds : 1 Tea spoon
Garam Masala Powder : 1/2 Tea spoon
Red chilly powder : 1/2 Tea spoon
Coriander powder or (Rasam powder) : 1 Tea spoon 
Turmeric powder : a pinch.
Pepper pods : 4 to 6 
Salt : Required salt

To top up 
Coriander leaves : 2 Tablespoons (optional)
Cheese : 5o grams
Fried potatoes. : 1 Bowl.

Method :
1. Keep a big bowl of water to boil. Once the water is boiled add noodles and a teaspoon of oil. . Just break them it into small pieces in hand. (Not very  small). Once it is cooked drain the water from noodles and keep the noodles aside.     

2. Wash and cut tomatoes and capsicum (remove the seeds before cutting  into small), and grate ginger and keep it aside.Crush pepper pods.

3. Grate cheese and keep it aside. Wash and cut potatoes in to thin finger size (long) wash it and put in a bowl of water.
4. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put one tablespoon of  oil and heat. Add jeera and let it fry for 10 seconds.

5. Add cut capsicum and fry nicely for 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and fry till they turn soft.

6. Add garam masala powder, daniya powder, jeera powder, red chilly powder, crushed pepper pods and grated ginger.  
7..Add turmeric powder and mix it well. Add salt. Stir for another 1 minute.

8. Add cooked noodles and mix it well.

9. Add grated cheese and cover it and cook noodles on low flame. (It helps the cheese to melt and adds to the taste). (2 minutes will do. Put off the fire or remove the noodles pan from the fire).

10. Keep a frying pan on the fire and heat. Add one cup of oil
11. Now deep fry those cut potatoes in hot oil. Fry them on high and medium flame.
12. Fry on both sides and remove from the frying pan and put it on a kitchen tissue. ( It absorbs the extra oil).

13. Repeat the same and fry all the potatoes.

14. Sprinkle salt on fried potato fries and add it on the noodles. Mix cheese and potato fries nicely and serve with ketch up.

Note :
Noodles should be cooked well but not too soft. Adding more vegetables is a good option. You can use oregano spice ( a kind of spice used in noodles). You can use pepper crush and add it to the noodles. You can add more cheese. It adds to the taste. Adding onions and garlic is optional. You can also use grated paneer instead of cheese. Adding more spice is optional. You can use tomato sauce instead of fresh tomatoes. It is always better to use fresh tomatoes.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 4 to 5.

Avalakki Bisi -Bele Baat

Ready to Serve Avalakki Bisibele Baat

Bisibele baath is a full meal dish and it does contain rice, dal, vegetables and spices normally. Bisi means hot, bele is dal and baath is some rice dish. It is well known dish of Karnataka. People just love this dish and prepare using peas or legumes according to the season and the available vegetables or pulses. Bisible baat is anytime favourite dish of many. They do prepare for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is easy to pack it for office goers or traveling.As I said earlier bisibele baath contain a whole lot of vegetables, dal and rice, the person will not feel hungry for a long time. It does contain loads of minerals, vitamins and carbohydrates. It gives loads of energy.

Here in this recipe of " Avalakki Bisi Bele Baat ", and I have used Awalakki (beaten rice of flattened rice or poha or awal) instead of rice. Some how I do not feel comfortable eating rice in the morning. Avalakki is always light and healthy. There is a little twist in preparing bisibele baat here. Vegetables, dal, Mango chutney (instead of coconut and tamarind) and bisibele baath powder are used. Mango chutney adds to the taste.  .

Let us see some benefits of having dals and legumes or lentils and Avalakki (Poha) in our diet.

Beans or peas or legumes are natural source of protein. They are high in fiber, low in fat and easy to digest. They are also rich in vitamins (A, B, C and E). They contain calcium, iron and potassium. They are rich source of dietary fiber. They help to control blood sugar levels, ease digestion and control high cholesterol.
Avalakki or Poha is packed with iron and eating poha regularly can prevent iron deficiency of anemia. They are good source of Carbohydrates. They are needed to help our body, store energy and perform various other functions. Intake of carbohydrates from healthy source is vital and Avalakki is one of the healthy source. They are good for diabetes. They are also low in gluten.
Avalakki Bisi Bele Baath do not contain any onions or garlic, and we can prepare this dish for any festival or feast, special days or fasting time. It also can be ideal for kitty parties or get together parties.

Things Needed:

To Cook :

Thick Avalakki (Flattened rice or Poha): 2 Cups
Toor Dal : 3/4 Cup.
Peas : 1 Cup
Carrots : 2
Capsicum " 1

Spice :

Bisibele baath powder: 2 to 3 Table spoons
Mango chutney : 1 Small cup
Salt : according to the taste

Seasoning :

Mustard Seeds : 1 Tea spoon
Urid dal : 1 Tea spoon
Oil : 2 Table spoons
Ghee : 1 Table spoon
Ingh (Asafoetida): a pinch
Curry leaves : One handful
Cashew Nuts : 2 Table spoons.

Method :

1. Wash and pressure cook toor dal , fresh peas (or frozen) and keep it aside.

2. Wash and cut Carrots and capsicum. Cook carrots and capsicum with little water till they are soft.

3. Prepare mango chutney using 2 to 3 table spoons of cut mango ( I used totapuri ) and 3 table spoons of fresh coconut gratings with 1 green chilly and a pinch of ingh.keep it aside.

4. Wash and soak Avalakki (flattened rice) in 1/2 cup of water.

6. Now keep a big pan on the fire. Put cooked vegetables, cooked dal, peas.
7.Add pinch of turmeric powder and salt. Let it cook for a minute.

8.Add mango chutney and bisibele baat powder. Add 1 cup of water and mix it well. Let it cook nicely for 2 minutes. Stir in between.

 9. Add soaked Avalakki. Mix it well.

10. Now keep a small pan on the fire. Add oil and heat. Add mustard seeds, urid dal and let the mustard splutter.
11. Add cashews and fry nicely till they turn golden brown. Add curry leaves and ingh. Fry them for 10 seconds.

12. Add this seasoning to the avalakki bisibele baat and shift avalakki bisibele baat to a serving bowl.
13. Add a table spoon of ghee and mix it well.

14. Serve with some potato chips and a cup of curd.

Note : 

You can use left over mango chutney but do not use the stale chutney. It may turn food poisoning. Using more vegetables are optional.
Adding onions or garlic is purely optional. You can also use dry peas. (batani or vatana). Wash and soak them for over night or 6 to 8 hours before cooking. You can use tamarind pulp instead of mango chutney. Using more ghee is also an optional.
I have used home made bisibele baat powder. Using MTR or Mayyas bisibele baat powder is an optional. Eat and serve when it is hot. It may turn thick with in small time. Adjust water while cooking.You can use Moong dal instead of Toor dal.
Total time : 40Minutes 
Serves : 4 to 5 .

Recipe for home made bisibele baat powder :

Dry roast one by one all these ingredients on low flame.
1/4 tea spoon of methi seeds, 2 table spoons of coriander seeds, 1 Table spoon of channa dal and urid dal (each 1 spoon), a piece of cinnamon, 4 to  5 cloves and 8 to 10 red chilly. Add curry leaves and ingh. Leave it for cooling and dry grind this roasted spices. Adding 1/2 Tea spoon of poppy seeds while roasting is optional. ( I do not add).

Chakkuli( Urd Muruku)

Chakkuli or Chakli is a fried snack prepared using rice flour as a main ingredient.
We in Karntaka/India call as Chakkuli in Kannada langurage. In TamilNadu it is called as Muruku. Chakli in Hindi and what ever we call this fried snack is liked by most of the fried lovers.

Chakkuli can be eaten at tea time, or as starter during the dinner or anytime of the day you can have chakkuli. Even you can pack some chakkuli for kids lunch box.
We can prepare chakkuli in many ways. I have done chakkuli with boiled urd dal and rice powder. Preparing this chakkuli is very easy.
Things Needed:
Urd Dal: 1 Cup
Rice powder: 4 cups
Butter: 2 Table spoons
Salt: to taste
Chilly Powder: 1 Tea spoon
Sesame Seeds: 1 Table spoon
Oil: 2 to 3 cups
Chakkuli Mould.

Method:
1. Roast urd dal and boil with 1 cup of water in the pressure cooker for 8 to 10 minutes. Leave it for cooling.
2. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Now roast rice powder for 10 to 20 seconds will do. (Let the rice powder be warm). Leave it for cooling.
3. Take big bowl. Put cooled Urd dal. Remove the excess water and keep it aside, and smash in the hand nicely.
4. Add rice powder to the Urd dal mixture. Add salt, sesame seeds, chilly powder and 2 tablespoons of butter.
5. Mix it nicely. Use extra water drained water if only required and prepare chakkuli dough (It can be poori dough consistency)..
6. Now fill the chakkuli mould with chakkuli dough and close it. Roll chakkuli on the plate.
7. Keep a deep pan on the fire and heat. Add oil to the pan. Put chakkuli in the oil and fry them till crispy and take it out from the oil.

8. Repeat the same with the rest of the dough. Crispy Chakkuli is ready to serve.
9. Put them in a airtight bottle and close it when the fried chakkuli is cooled down.

Note: You can directly cook the urd dal with out roasting. Roasting dal will add aroma to the chakkuli. You can also add more chilly powder if you wish. You can also add jeera along with sesame seeds. Do not allow the prepared dough to be dry. You can cover the dough with wet kerchief or small towel. Do not refrigerate the dough. It may take more oil.

Badam Halva ( Almond Halva).

Almond Halva  is a sweet dish and you can have them after meal or at any time of the day.
Almond is rich in minerals and vitamins. It is said you need  to have one or two almonds daily in the morning to get benefits of almonds/badam.
Almond halva is very delicious and it can be served in the breakfast as one of the sweet dish. Very healthy for kids. You can also prepare this halva for festivals and feast, lady's kitty party or kids party.

Things Needed : 

Almonds : 1 Cup.
Milk : 1/2 Cup.
Sugar : 11/2 Cup
Cardamom : 4 to 6 Seeds.
Ghee : 1/2 Cup.

Method : 

1. Soak Almonds in hot water for 10 minutes and remove the skin.
2. Powder the cardamom and  grind almonds in milk  till paste and  put it in a big pan.
3.Now add sugar to the ground mixture and mix nicely.
4. Keep the pan on the fire and and stir nicely till it thickens.
5. Add powdered cardamom to it. Add  2 table spoons ghee and mix it nicely.
6. Put off the gas and add remaining ghee and mix it again and pour it in a tray.
7.Serve Almond Halva when it is cold or warm.  ( Better use a tablespoon to take out Almond Halva).

Note : 

The whole process should be done on low flame to get the perfect halva. High or medium flame might burn the bottom and halva gets burnt taste. Use of more ghee is optional. Use of little less sugar is optional. It is simple and delicious. Adding saffron adds colour and taste and makes halva rich.
(Optional).
Time : 30 Minutes 
Serves : According to your servings. ( At least 25 to 30 tablespoons).

VEG - KOFTA CURRY

Veg Kofta curry is an side dish and goes well with chapatis, rotis, dosas, poori and even plain rice.
It goes well with bread also.

I have used carrots, beans, potatoes and some spices, channa flour, rice flour to prepare this kofta (Filled fritters). For the curry onions, tomatoes and ginger is used here.
Lets see the recipe Now :

For Kofta

Besan/Channa flour : 1/2 cup
Rice flour : 2 Tablespoons
Jeera or Cummin Seeds : 1/2 teaspoon
Chilly Powder : 1/ Teaspoon
Carrots : 2
Boiled potatoes : 3
Coriander leaves : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Grated Ginger : 1 Teaspoon
Salt : to taste
Oil : To Fry : 1 Cup

Method:

Kofta preparation :
1. Wash and remove the outer layer of carrots and grate it. Wash and remove the outer layer of ginger, wash it again and grate it. Wash and cut coriander leaves.
2. Boil potatoes and remove the outer layer once it is cooled.
3. Now take a big bowl and put grated carrots, grated ginger, coriander leaves.

4, Add chilly powder, cumin seeds and salt. Mix it well.
5. Divide the mixed vegetables and make small size balls.

6. Take a bowl, put rice flour, channa flour/besan and chilly powder. Add little salt.
7. Mix with required water and prepare thick dough.

8. Keep a frying pan on the fire and add oil. Let it be hot.
9. Take a small size of the dough, dip in channa flour dough and put it in the hot oil.
10. Fry nicely till it turns golden brown. Remove from the pan and put it on a kitchen tissue.

11. Repeat the same and prepare koftas and keep it aside.
12. Fry the koftas on medium and low flame.

For Curry :

Things Needed :
For the Curry :
Tomatoes : 2 to 3 (Medium size)
Onion : 2
Garam Masaala : 1/2 Teaspoon
Red chilly powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Jeera Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Rasam powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Salt : to taste.
Cashew nuts : 6 to 8
Ginger : 1 Teaspoon
Coriander leaves : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Salt : To taste
Milk Cream/Butter : 1 Tablespoon (I used fresh milk cream)

Method : 

1. Wash and boil tomatoes with little water for 2 to 3 minutes. Let it cool.
2. Remove the outer layer of onions, wash and cut into small pieces.
3. Wash and remove the outer skin of ginger and wash it again. Grate it.
4. Remove the outer layer of boiled tomatoes, cut into small and keep it aside.
5. Grind cashew nuts into thin paste with little water and keep it aside.

6. Grind grated ginger, cut tomatoes. Let it be paste consistency.

7. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add a tablespoon of oil and heat.
8. Add jeera/cumin seeds and fry. Add cut onions and fry till they turn soft and slightly brown.

9. Add ground tomatoes and fry nicely till it cooks well (2 to 3 minutes). Add required salt.

10. Add garam masala, turmeric powder, chilly powder, rasam powder and little jeera powder.
11. Add a cup of water and let it boil for 2 minutes.

12. Add cashew paste and mix it well. Let it boil for a minute.

13. Mix it nicely and add ready koftas to the curry and mix it slowly. Let it cook for a minute. Put off the fire.

14. Leave it for 2 minutes and shift the curry to a serving dish. Add fresh cream/Butter on the top. (I have added fresh boiled milk cream).

15. Serve with the main dish that you have prepared.
16. We had it with chaatis.

Note :

Use of garlic is optional. Koftas can be prepared with grated bottle gourd instead of vegetables.
Use of cashew nuts are optional. Cashews are aromatic and helps to add the taste. You can  use roasted channa (Hurikadale) instead of cashews).Adding any spice of your choice is optional.
You can use cashew pieces in koftas too. (optional).
Time : 40 minutes  (Total time ).
Serves : 4 to 5