Yam snack

Elephant foot yam, suran or jimikand, and chena in Malayalam, is a high carbohydrate, protein, vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, dietary fibers and calorie rich vegetable. It helps the digestive system by reducing the irregular bowel movements and bloating.

Suran has special health benefits for the women as it increases the estrogen hormone level in the body, and also maintains hormonal balance.

Its richness in the vitamin B6 helps women during menstruation by providing relief from the pre-menstrual syndrome. It has property of anti-ageing and immune function inducing ability.

Ingredients:

Yam –  20 pieces (skinned, washed and cut into 2½ inch squares)

Oil       - 3 tbsps

Turmeric powder       - 1 tsp

Chilli powder  - 1 ½ tsps

Coriander powder- 2 tsps

Garam masala powder        - ¾ tsp

Salt to taste

Water  - 3 tbsps

Method:

-          Sprinkle all the masala powders and salt on the yam pieces and toss them to cover the pieces with masala powder properly

-          Pour the oil over and toss again. Leave aside for ten minutes.

-          Pour the water inside the pressure cooker and put the yam pieces inside.

-          Pressure cook for 3 minutes. The time may vary slightly depending on the quality of the yam and its thickness. Cool and open the pressure cooker.

- You can roast these pieces with a little oil on a pan. In this picture I have not done that. When I tasted them straight from the cooker, they were so yummy, we decided to eat just like that.

Crescent Roll

Recently my daughter baked croissants for us; they were just out of this world! She had spent almost the whole day preparing it, but it was worth every minute spent. I wanted to make something similar, spending much less time.

Crescent rolls are kind of like croissant but denser, and it uses much less butter. So today I made crescent rolls and they were delicious.

Ingredients:

Maida  - 2 cups (for 12 rolls)

Warm milk       - 1/3 cup

Sugar   - ¼ cup

Egg      - 1 beaten

Butter   - ¼ cup melted

Salt      - ½ tsp

Method:

-         In a large bowl, mix together yeast, milk and a pinch of sugar and let it stand for half an hour.

-         Mix in the beaten egg, melted butter, sugar and salt into the milk yeast mixture

-         Add the maida and knead a little

-         Cover and let the dough stand at room temperature overnight

-         In the morning, divide the dough into two portions, roll each portion into an eight inch round circle

-         Cut each round into 6 pie shaped wedges and roll up each wedge from the wide end to the tip

-         Place them on a greased aluminum foil, let them stand for 15 to 20 minutes

-         Bake at 190 degrees for about 15 minutes ( preheat the oven)

Ridge gourd rice (Turai rice)

The fruits of Luffa acutangula (Ridge Gourd), a natural jaundice remedy, are grown, harvested before maturity and is very popular in Asia. Ridge gourd as whole, seeds and dried crusts are all used for medicinal purposes. The ridge gourd is a healthy diet and contains a good amount of fiber, vitamins and minerals including Vitamin B2, Vitamin C, carotene, niacin, calcium, phosphorus, iron ad small quantities of iodine and fluorine.

Ridge gourd has blood purifying properties. It helps in the purification, restoration and nourishment of the liver.

Ingredients:

Rice          - 1 cup 

Ridge gourd      - 1 medium size

Ginger  - ½ inch piece

Green chilli       - 1

Oil        - 2 tbsps

Mustard seeds  - ½ tsp

Jeera    - ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Yoghurt            - ¾ cup

Water   - 1 cup

To garnish

Cut coriander leaves- 2 tbsps

Grated coconut - 2 tbsps

Method:

-         Wash and soak the rice for about an hour

-         Remove the ridges from the ridge gourd, wash, and grate

-         Peel the ginger, wash and grate it. Cut the green chilli into small pieces

-         Heat oil in a thick bottomed vessel, add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add jeera, then grated ginger and cut green chilli

-         Add the grated ridge gourd, stir, keep on medium flame and let it cook for a minute

-         Mix the water and yoghurt and add this to the vessel, along with salt

-         Add the soaked rice and bring this to boil

-         Reduce the flame, cover and cook it for about ten to twelve minutes, till the rice is done

-         Check in between to see whether more water is needed

-         Remove from the fire. Garnish with grated coconut and cut coriander leaves

 Courtesy:  Ashwita Goel

Aloo mattar tamatar (peas, potato, tomato curry)

When there are unexpected guests for lunch or dinner, this is a dish that can be prepared quickly to be served with chapatis. If there are no green peas at home, you can omit them.

Ingredients:

Potatoes           - 3 big

Tomatoes         - 2 big

Green peas       - ½ cup, shelled

Oil        - 1 tbsp

Jeera    - ¼ tsp

Turmeric powder          - 1/3 tsp

Chilli powder    - ½ tsp

Coriander powder        - 1 tsp

Garam masala powder  - ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Water   - 2 ½ cups

Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

-         Clean, peel and cut potatoes into cubes

-         Grate the tomatoes

-         Heat oil in a pressure cooker and when it is hot, add jeera. Let it brown a little

-         Add the grated tomato, stir and cook for sometime

-         Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder.

-         Stir well and add the cubed potatoes, green peas, salt and water

-         Pressure cook for 4 minutes. Cool and open

-         Add the garam masala powder and simmer for five minutes.

-         Remove from the flame and garnish with cut coriander leaves while serving

Oratti

This is a wonderful snack that serves as a breakfast item too. Though originally made with rice flour, I have experimented successfully with wheat flour and jowar flour too.

Ingredients:

Rice flour          - 1 cup (for 4 orattis)

Coconut scraping          - ¼ cup

Salt to taste

Hot water

Method:

-         Take rice flour in a vessel, add salt and pour some hot water.

-         Mix with hand and add the coconut scrapings.

-         Add more water if needed to make soft dough.

-         Divide into four portions and make them into balls.

-         Heat an iron tava and smear some sesame oil on the surface.

-         Reduce the flame, take a ball of dough, flatten it between the palms and put on the tava

-         Keep a bowl of cold water nearby. Dip your three fingers in the water and spread the dough on the tava. Take care not to burn the fingers

-         Cook on medium flame. Pour some ghee over the surface and turn it upside down to cook the other side.

-         It can be served with vegetable stew or egg curry. I love to eat it with butter

A modification:  8 July 2015
Today I discovered a modification of making oratti with jowar flour. Pour boiling water over the jowar flour, add salt, coconut scrapings and grated cucumber. Knead into a soft dough, adding more water if needed, and make orattis. It is just awesome, my husband was all praise for it.

Green brinjal masala

Ingredients:

Green brinjals   - 8

Onion   - 2 big

Tomatoes         - 2 big

Garlic   - 5 flakes

Coriander leaves to garnish

Green peas   - a few (optional)

Roughly ground roasted groundnut powder  - 4 tbsps (optional)

Oil        - 2 Tbsps

Mustard seeds  - ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Water   - 2 ½ cups

Maasala powders to stuff the brinjals

 Turmeric powder         - ½ tsp

Chilli powder    - ¾ tsp

Coriander powder        - 1 tsp

Garam masala powder  - ½ tsp

Roughly ground roasted groundnut powder       - 2 tbsps (optional)

 Method:

-         Wash and dry the brinjals. Slit them into four longitudinally and stuff them with the mixture of  two tsps of ground roasted groundnut powder, salt and other masala powders.

-         Grind together cut onion, tomatoes and garlic into a smooth paste, add it to heated oil with mustard seeds (when they splutter) in a thick bottomed pan and keep stirring occasionally on low fire till it starts separating from the sides. Half way through you can add the  ground roasted groundnut powder.

-         Add water, green peas, and some salt, bring it to boil and add the brinjals. Cover and cook till the brinjals are done (about 10 minutes).

-         Garnish with cut coriander leaves and serve with chapattis or jowar rotis.