Peas Semiya Upma

Semiya upmaaaaaa......mmmmm..... Thats how V and me drool!! I love all varieties of Upma as they are very light and easy to make. In fact, my MIL has introduced me to much more new varieties which never existed even in my imagination.

Now here is a simple semiya upma recipe with good nutritional value. As most of you know, adding vegetables make the upma all the more healthy and visually-appealing. So here we go with our Peas Semiya Upma.

Peas Semiya Upma

Vermicilli cooked with peas and onion

Serves 2

What we need:

Semiya / Vermicilli - 2 cups

Onion - 1 medium sized, finely chopped
Frozen/Fresh Peas - 1 cup

Green Chillies - 2 to 3, minced

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.

Oil - 2 to 3 tbsp.

Salt - as needed

Corainder leaves - to garnish

Water - 3 cups

How to do:

1. Roast the vermicilli in a spoon of oil, till they start turning red. Here I have used roasted vermicilli.

2. In a pan, heat oil and add the mustard. When they start to pop, add cumin seeds.

3. When they are done, add onions and green chilli and fry till the onions turn soft.

4. Add water, salt. When the water starts to boil, add the roasted vermicilli and peas.

5. Cover and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes.

6. Remove from flame and garnish with corainder.

Serve with pickle or yoghurt.

Mor Kozhambu / Plain Kadi

Mor Kozhambu is a very common recipe in most of the south indian house and brahmin families. This is because they do not use onion, garlic (though it is an almost inevitable ingredient in my cabinet!!). Mor kozhambu or Kadi in northern India, is an awesome comfort food on any day. It can be whipped up in minutes and happy enough to go well with simple Appalams or rice crackers.

It can also be prepared without the main thickening agent, Coconut. Some call it "Mor Vendha Saaru" (Buttermilk stew) or just "Vendha saaru".

It was yet another day when I ran out of Coconut and my palates lingering for amma's mor kozhambu. This simple recipe came to my rescue without altering the original taste. The Original MOR KOZHAMBU recipe will be posted soon! :)

Mor Kozhambu / Plain Kadi

Yoghurt/Buttermilk gravy with mild spices

Serves 2

What we need:

Thick Yoghurt - 5 tbsp. or 150 g

Besan/Gram Flour - 3 to 4 tbsp.

Chilli powder - 2 tbsp.

Turmeric powder - 3 pinches/ 1 tsp.

Onion - 1 medium sized, finely chopped

Garlic - 2 pods, minced

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.

Dry Red chilli - 2 to 3

Curry leaves - 2 to 3 sprigs

Oil - as needed

Water - as needed

Salt - as needed

How to do:

1. In a bowl, mix together Gram flour, chilli powder, salt, turmeric powder.

2. Add thick yoghurt to this and make into a fine paste without lumps.
3. Now add as much water as needed. While I prefer to have it thick, you can also make it a little diluted.

4. Heat Oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds. When they pop, add cumin seeds, half of the curry leaves and red chilli.

5. Add onions and garlic and fry them till the onion becomes soft and translucent.

6. Now pour in the yoghurt mixture and reduce the flame. Keep stiring for 2 to 3 minutes and remove from the flame.

Garnish with the remaining curry leaves and serve with rice and appalam.

Note: Keep the flame low while cooking this, otherwise chances are that the yoghurt will give out water and become whey.

Palak Paneer - An unbeatable partner for Naan!

So, having ended my cold war with palak, I have now started experimenting this nutritious greens in my daily menus.

The other day, I switched-over to my SCIENTIST mode (to the horror of V!) and tried my hand at Palak Paneer. Not to mention that I had a backup plan of ready-made Aloo Mutter if this doesn't come out well! :) But luckily, it was lip-smacking!!

Do try out and let me know if it was the same for you as well!

Palak Paneer
Indian Cottage cheese cooked in a spinach gravy
Serves 2

What we need:
Spinach leaves - 200 g (or Frozen Creamed Spinach - 150 g)
Tomato puree - 2 cups (made of 1 big ripe Tomato)
Paneer - 100 g, cut to 1" inch cubes
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Cumin powder - 1 tbsp.
Dhania powder - 1 tbsp.
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Ginger paste - 1/2 tbsp.
Garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp.
Asafetida - 1 pinch
Oil/Butter - as needed
Salt - as needed
Cream - 3 to 4 tbsp.

How to do:
Preparing the palax mix:

1. Wash, clean and boil the spinach leaves.
2. Drain the excess water, allow them to cool and blend them in a mixer.
This step can totally be avoided, if you are using the frozen spinach.

Main preparation:
1. Heat Oil in a pan/kadai and fry the Paneer cubes till they start to brown out on the edges. Remove them, set them aside.
2. Heat Oil/Butter in a kadai and add cumin seeds.
3. When they start to sizzle, add a pinch of asafetida and red chilli.
4. Add ginger paste, garlic paste, turmeric powder.
5. When the raw smell of garlic starts to leave, add the tomato puree, salt, cumin powder, dhania powder.
6. Fry till the oil starts to separate from the gravy.
7. Now add the Spinach. (Spinach stock can be added at this point if you want to loosen/dilute the gravy a little)
8. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
9. Now add the fried paneer, cream, mix well and remove from the flame.

Serve with Naan and rotis. Indeed an irresistible combo, isn't it? :)

Dry Green Aloo Gobi

My MIL often says, "With Aloo and Gobi in your cabinet, you can cook an elaborate meal". So true!! These two veggies are so versatile and they can be cooked so easily in various ways. And the duo by themselves form a very irresistible combination.

So, Aloo Gobi masala is not a new recipe, what's new in mine? Well, the base we normally use are gravies cooked with onion-tomato and spices and looks red. Here, I have used a green base. To me, green color in food is very inviting and I am convinced that they are very healthy. (Talk to me about Brain's association with colors!!)

This base is also not new, it's our usual Green Chutney with a few additions. So, if you have some left-over in your fridge, this is a chat-pata recipe. And this also makes a very good Starter.

Dry Green Aloo Gobi

Potatoes and Cauliflower cooked in a green chutney base

Serves 2

What we need:

Potatoes - 3 to 4

Cauliflower florets - 1 cup

Coriander leaves - 1 bunch

Mint (Pudina) leaves - 5 to 6 optional

Ginger - 1 inch, cleaned and scrapped

Garlic - 3 to 4 small pods

Green chilli - 1 or 2

Asafetida - 1 pinch

Cumin (Jeera) seeds - 2 tbsp.

Salt - as needed

Oil - 4 to 5 tbsp.

Water - as needed

How to do:

1. Prepare the green chutney first by grinding together, coriander leaves, mint (optional), ginger, garlic, 1 spoon of Cumin seeds, green chilli, asafetida, salt, and a drizzle of Oil.

2. Wash and cut the cauliflower into small florets. Boil water, add the florets and a little salt to this and keep them closed for 10 minutes.

3. Wash, peel and dice the potatoes.

4. Heat oil in a kadai and add the cumin seeds.

5. When they start to sizzle, add the green chutney and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes. Keep sprinkling some water so that they don't burn.
6. Now add the potatoes, cauliflower. Close the pan with a lid and let them cook for about 5 to 7 minutes. (Sprinkle some water in between to help the veggies get cooked)

7. Check salt and seasoning and remove from the flame. (remember: we have added salt in the chutney base)

Serve as a dry starter or dry gravy for rotis/naan.

Beans Dry Curry (Poriyal)

In South India, especially in Tamilnadu, poriyal or the dry curry forms an integral part of the full-course meals. In most of the marriages and celebrations, there will be more than one poriyal on your plate/banyan leaf, each of them of a contrasting taste, thus giving a variety! Also, depending on the gravy or sambar or kozhambu, the poriyal vegetable varies. Like, all spicy poriyals go well with midly spiced gravies and vice-versa.

Now we had enough in-sight on the poriyal history, here goes our traditional "Beans poriyal" recipe.

Beans Poriyal
Beans cooked with mild spices and garnished with coconut scrapes
Serves 2

What we need:

Green Beans - 1/2 Kg (also called French beans)
Fresh Coconut, scraped - 5 to 6 tbsp.

Water - as needed

Salt - as needed

For tempering:
Oil - 3 to 4 tbsp.

Mustard - 2 tbsp.

Cumin (Jeera) seeds - 2 tbsp.
Red Chillies - 3 to 4

Broken Urad dal - 3 tbsp.

How to do:
1. Wash, clean and cut the beans.

2. Heat oil in kadai and add the mustard. When it starts to sputter, add broken urad dal, cumin and red chillies.

3. Fry for a minute and add the cut beans. Sprinkle enough water on the beans and cover the pan. Leave for about 3 to 5 minutes

4. By now, almost all water should be absorbed. Sprinkle some more water. Repeat this for 2 or 3 times until the beans are cooked.

5. Now add salt and granish with the coconut. Remove from flame.

Note: Coconut oil tastes best for this type of poriyal. If you are in a hurry, you can steam the beans before-hand and reduce the cooking time.

Serve with rice and any spicy kozhambu.