Vermicelli veggies upma

Roasted Vermicelli(Semiya) - 2 cups
Ghee or butter - 5 tbsp
Onion(medium) - 1 no
Peas,beans and carrot chopped - 1.5 cups
Green chillies - 2 nos
Ginger - 1/2" piece
Sugar - 2 tbsp
Red chillies - 2 nos
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - A few
Salt - As reqd
Water - 2 cups
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup


Chop onion, ginger and green chillies into small pieces.Heat 3 tbsp ghee or butter in the kadai.
Add mustard seeds and when they crackle, add chopped onions, green chillies, dry red chillies, ginger and curry leaves.Fry, till the onions turn brown.Add the peas ,beans, carrots mixture. fry for 1-2 mins, sauting frequently.Once its 3/4 cooked,Add water along with sugar and salt.Veggies shld not be fully cooked,3/4th cooked enhances the taste.U can use frozen veggies to save time.Allow it to boil.When it starts to boil, add fried vermicelli, stirring continuously.Cover the pan with a lid and cook on a low flame, till vermicelli is soft and almost all water has dried up. Add coconut and stir for 2 mins.
Serve hot with sugar or pickle. Healthy breakfast ready in 15 mins.This Upma is for Raaga for WBB Express Breakfast Event....

Oatmeal Raisin Muffins

Yesterday I was watching 'Konkana Sen ' movie.."Life in a metro"...Its an Awesome movie...While watching i craved for some goodies to eat...Nothing was there...One and only thing that came to mind is MUFFINS!!!!...I'm a Muffin freak now a days.Now its like almost every week or so i make muffins.Thought about trying some new healthy and of course simple....I googled for healthy versions.Just found one and changed it to my interest n made it with ingredients with me.A batch of healthy muffins with crunchy on the top and soft inside are right here .....

INGREDIENTS

1 cup All purpose flour
1/2 cup Wheat flour
1/2 cup Quicker Oats
1 cup Raisins
1 cup Sugar/Brown Sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 Cup Fat free Milk
1 Tsp Vanilla Essence
1/2tsp Orange zest
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1 Egg

Toppings

Cornflakes /Sliced almonds

Preheat the oven in 350 F .Beat the wet ingredients like egg,oil,milk,vanilla,orange zest and sugar with hand beater for few Min's.Mix all purpose flour,wheat flour ,oats ,baking powder and salt. Add raisins to it and mix.Add this dry ingredients in two batches to the wet ingredients.Mix with a wooden spatula.Do not over mix.In a muffins pan,arrange muffin cups or spray it.Pour muffin mix to 2/3 of each cup.Add cornflakes as toppings .Bake for 15 Min's or until toothpick comes out clean.This yields 12 muffins.

Palappam and Egg in coconut milk curry

There's an old saying like "Eat breakfast like a king".Its true,always begin your day energetically with healthy breakfast.A balanced breakfast should be fat free,which supplies a protein,fiber and other nutrients.Breakfast is like 'Waking up to healthy start.Avoid the temptation to be a breakfast skipper like 1.If u have no time : Build a breakfast that are ready to eat or take little preparation time like fresh and canned fruits, milk, yogurt, cheese, instant breakfast mixes.2.Take it to go:Try celery stuffed with peanut butter , fruits or vegetable juices,sandwiches. Drink juice. Something is better than nothing. Have some bread or crackers later in the morning. There's no evidence that skipping meals will help you lose weight. In fact, studies show that most people who skip breakfast tend to eat more later in the day. Some even select more caloric ally-dense foods than those who eat breakfast.
When Mansi announced Balanced breakfast this month.I thought giving two birds in a shot like same with srivalli's Dosa mela.Here's my post to both events Kerala's special breakfast Palappam and Mutta thegapal curry(Egg in coconut milk gravy).Its quite delicious and easy to make.


Palappam
For kappi/kurukku
Combine 1/4cup of sooji(rava) /Rice flour with some hot water on stove top to create a gooey mixture.Keep aside.
For batter
Rice flour 2cups
(Use palappam podi or slightly fried normal rice flour)
Coconut milk 1.5cup
Yeast 1tsp(dissolved in some lukewarm water with 1tsp sugar,keep for 15 mins to rise)
Salt

After making the above kappi/kurukku.Mix rest if the items ie rice flour,yeast dissolved,coconut milk.Leave overnight to ferment.Keep in warm place or Preheat the bake oven at 200F for 5 mins.Switch off the oven,keep the palappam batter inside oven.Morning just before making appams,add warm milk if batter is thick,it should be slightly watery than dosa batter.Place appachatti on stovetop in med flame.Take a scoop of the batter and drop it into the appachatti. Hold the two handles of the appachatti and give it a quick twirl to spread the batter around. Do it once ,dont make two twirls, the edges get too thick and wont get proper laces. Cover and leave on for about 4 min.Repeat the same.Serve hot with Egg curry ,coconut milk or any curry of ur choice.


Here's simple Egg in coconut milk gravy for Palappam.
Eggs 3
Onion chopped 1cup
Tomato chopped 1
Green chillies chopped 3
Ginger-garlic paste 1tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2tsp
Coriander powder 1tsp
Coconut milk 1/2cup
Rice flour 1tsp
Oil 1tbsp
Mustard seeds 1tsp
Red chillies 2
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Salt

Boil eggs,Cut into halves and keep aside.Heat oil in pan,add mustard seeds,when it pops up,add red chillies,curry leaves.Add ginger-garlic paste,onions,fry it till raw smell goes and onions are translucent.Add green chillies chopped and saute.Add tomatoes and rest of the spices ,saute.Add some water.Let it boil for few mins,till raw smell of spies goes off.Add salt,now add eggs,coconut milk.Don't break the eggs .Stir carefully.If the gravy is too watery,add 1tsp rice flour mixed in 1/4cup of water.Cook in simmer,till the gravy thickens.Rice flour act as thickening agent.Remove from flame and keep for 10 mins covered,so that eggs absorbs spices.Serve hot with Appams or Idiyappam.

Morning Glory Muffins

Morning Glory Muffins is a healthy and easy breakfast on busy mornings.Begin your day with this tasty and chewy muffins,which is packed with carrots,apples and other vitamin and mineral rich ingredients.This low fat muffin recipe is from "Morning Glory Cafe" in Nantucket Island.I love to have these with morning coffee aahhhh!!!!..... They didn't rise as much as muffins with regular flour. But they were OUT OF THIS WORLD good! Crunchy on the edges and soft in the middle. All the "goodies" were delicious.Yesterday i made these for my friends for our weekened dinner party.This was a real hit among them.

Ingredients...
All purpose flour 1cup
Whole wheat flour 1cup
Sugar 1 cup
Egg 1
Eggs whites 2
Baking powder 2tsp
Vanilla extract 2tsp
Cinnamon powder 2tsp
Salt 1/2tsp
Grated carrots 2cups
Apple 1 (peeled,cored and grated)
Raisins 1/2cup
Nuts 1/2cup
Coconut 1/2cup (optional)
Canola Oil 1cup

Method
Preheat oven to 300F.In a medium bowl, beat eggs, egg whites, oil, and vanilla for 2 mins.In a large bowl, stir together flours, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Combine carrots, apples, nuts and raisins ,mix well. Add these fruits and nuts to wet ingredients.Now add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in two halves.The pitfall with all muffin batters is in over mixing the batter and ending up with a tough muffin. So make sure you only mix the batter until the ingredients are combined and moistened. Pour two tbsp of batter in each lined muffin cups.For standard sized muffins, only fill the muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. However, if you like your muffins with a crown, fill the cups to the top. Just make sure to grease the top of the muffin pan so that as the batter overflows it does not stick to the top of the pan. And don't forget to fill any unfilled muffin cups with a little water to ensure even baking as well as preventing the pan from warping. Bake 15-20 mins or until the inserted toothpick comes out clean.you can double the batches and store them in ziploc ,freeze it .Microwave them for a min on busy mornings .....Healthy breakfast ready!!!! Sending this muffins to suganya for her WBB: Healthy eats

Lemon Dry fruits nuts Biscotti

I love Foodnetwork,one among my fav is "Giada De Laurentiis's Everyday Italian".Once i saw her Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti.Inspired by her biscotti,i decided to make a try with the ingredients with me.
In Italian, the word "biscotto" means "biscuit" or "cookie." More specifically, biscotti are named according to their original method of baking. The root words "bis" and "cotto" literally mean "twice" and "baked." Biscotti are first baked in a loaf, then sliced and toasted. This second trip to the oven draws off moisture, and results in a crisp, dry texture, and a long shelf life. There are many different varieties of biscotti, with some being cake-like in texture, while some are very crisp and dry. Traditionally, Biscotti were almond-flavored because almonds were plentiful. Biscotti are available in a myriad of different flavors like chocolate, hazelnut , dried red cherries, raisins, cinnamon, fennel or poppy seeds, allspice, mace, citrus zest, ground toasted nuts, mini dark or white chocolate chips. Popular today is to dip one side in melted chocolate.Their unique texture makes them perfect to dunk in your coffee or tea, or wine after dinner.Because of the baking process, Biscotti have a very long life may be 6 months.No need to refrigerate biscotti , store them in an airtight container.if they lose their crispness, simply toast them in a low oven (250 degrees) for a few minutes until they’re crunchy again. If they’re too hard or dry, place them on low power setting in the microwave for about 30 seconds to soften them up.Here's My style of Biscotti..
Lemon Dryfruits Nuts Biscotti


Ingredients...
All purpose flour 1.5cup
Whole wheat flour 1.5cup
Softened butter 3tbsp
(for healthier version,add olive oil)
Baking powder 1tsp
Finely grated zest of 2 medium lemons
Sugar 3/4cup
Vanilla extract 1/2tsp
Lemon juice 2tsp
Eggs 2
(for healthier version,add eggs whites only)
salt 1/4tsp
Cashew,pistachio,pecans 1/2cup
Dates ,deseeded and chopped 8 nos
Tuuti frutti 1/4tsp
Dried apricots 1/4cup

Method..
Preheat oven to 350F.In a bowl seive flours , baking powder and salt,Add nuts and dried fruits and stir well to mix.In a large bowl,beat sugar,butter ,vanilla,lemon zest and lemon juice still creamy and fluffy.Pour dry ingredients into wet and mix well.Scoop the dough into a lightly floured surface.Divide into two parts,shape it into a log about 9" long - transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment and flatten until it is about 1/2" to 3/4" thick.Place the logs of dough on the baking sheet, making sure they are not too close to each other or to the sides of the pan. With the palm of your hand, press down gently to flatten the logs. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the logs are well risen and have spread to about double their size. The logs are done when, pressed with a fingertip, they feel firm. Place the pan on a rack to cool the logs completely. cut the log into 1/2" to 3/4" thick diagonal slices.Arrange the biscotti on the prepared pans, cut side down. It isn't necessary to leave space between them. Bake the biscotti for about 15 or 20 minutes or until they are dry and lightly golden.Remember, they will continue to crisp up as they cool. Cool on the pan on a rack.
Store the cooled biscotti between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a air tight container. Sending this Biscotti Jhiva for ingredients : Lime/Lemon

A Healthy Breakfast

Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.~ Adelle DavisThis is an old proverb, a well said fact.Eat to live ,not live to eat.I'm not a diet person but a bit health conscious .Even though many people say like they are on diet,that never happens.The one meal we should never skip is breakfast, yet this is the meal that most people omit. Eating something for breakfast is critical because it gives us the energy we need to start your day .Skipping breakfast increases our hunger,leads to consume more foods ,like junk foods.Here's simple ,but healthy breakfast with bread..


Bread Upma
Ingredients..
Bread 5slices
Onion 1/4cup
Frozen peas,carrot 1/3cup
Tomato 1
Roasted peanuts 5(optional)
oil 1tsp
Mustard seeds 1tsp
Urad dal 1tsp
Cumin seeds 1/2tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4tsp
Garam masala 1/2tsp
Redchilli powder 1/2tsp
salt to taste
Cliantro

Method..
In a Pan,heat oil,splutter mustard seeds.Add urad dal,cumin seeds,peanuts and saute for few min.Be careful not to burn them.Now add chopped onions and saute till golden brown.Throw chopped tomatoes ,saute will they are cooked.Add peas and carrots and fry .If needed sprinkle water .Once veggies are cooked,add turmeric powder,red chilli,garam masala,salt,cliantro and saute.In the mean while,put bread in a mixer and make fine bread crumbs.Recently i found that bread crumbs is more tasty than bread pieces for upma.Finally add bread crumbs to the fried veggies and mix well.Saute for few Min's in low flame.serve hot.This is my entry to WYF: Diet Food hosted by Hima of SnackORama .

Mysore Masala Dosa

Mysore Masala Dosa, a crispy pan cake with spicy chilli chutney and stuffed potato masala with hot tea....This is one of my favourite from childhood, amma usually makes dosa on sunday morning with potato stuffing served with green coconut chutney and spicy kerala sambar..when i started cooking,i tried to mix n mash ingredients .some are my own discoveries ,some from cookery sites.After coming here, my experiments has increased. so my 's' is bit tensed co'z he's a good tester....Last week i was telling him like on sunday i'm goin to try mysore masala dosa.He was bit worried n tried to pull me back from doing it .But after eating ,he wants me to blog this recipe.here it goes my style of masala dosa...

For Dosa batter...

Idili rice/Long grained rice 3cups

Urad dal 1cup

Methi seeds 1tsp

Salt to taste

Boiled rice 1cup (optional)

Soak rice,dal,methi seeds for 6 -8 hrs .Blend them till it forms a smooth batter with enough water.Let it ferment for 8-10 hrs or keep overnight.As its cold here,i used reheat the bake oven for 5 min .place the dosa batter inside it and take it back by morning .An other way to ferment is to add boiled rice while blending .This helps to ferment quickly even it is kept outside overnight.

For potato masala(stuffing)...

Potatoes 2 large

Onion 1large

Green peas 1/4cup

Carrot finely chopped 1/4 cup

Green chilles 2

Turmeric powder 1/4tsp

Asafoetida a pinch

Garam masala 1/4tsp

Red chilly powder 1/2tsp

Ginger-garlic paste 1tsp

coriander leaves

oil 1tsp

Mustard seeds 1tsp

urad dal 1tsp

Pressure cook potato,carrot ,peas for one whistle.In a sauce pan ,heat oil,add mustard and dal.when it pops add chopped onions ,green chillies ,ginger-garlic paste and stir fry till it's light brown.Now add turmeric powder,red chilly powder,garam masala, asafoetida and stir.Add boiled vegetables and afew drops of water ,cook for few mintues .finally add coriander leaves.

For masala spread inside dosa...

Many varieties of speads can be tried like Red chilly chutney,coriander chutney,coconut-paruppu podi.Here i used red chilly chutney.i'd like to share all spreads recipes here.

Red chilly chutney

Red chilles powder 2tsp

onions 1

Garlic pods 1

Tamarind pulp 1tsp

salt

Make a fine paste out of this ingredients in a blender without addingwater.

Coriander chutney/mint chutney

Coriander leaves 1/2 cup

Green chillies 2-3

Tamarind pulp 1tsp

Garlic pods 1

salt

Make a fine paste out of it.

Coconut paruppu podi/coconut channa dal powder

Channa dal 1/2cup

Dried Coconut 3 tbsp

Red chilly powder 2-3 tbsp

Cumin powder 1tsp

Garlic pods 2

salt

Mix all items and make in fine powder in a dry mixer without adding water.

To make masala dosa

Heat tawa for few mintues.spread few drops of oil in the tawa and spread evenly with a tissue.

Pour one spoon of dosa batter into it and rotate in clockwise direction.Cook for few mintues by closing the dosa with a lid so that dosa cooks faster.

Now spread 1 spoon of red chilly chutney evenly .Then some potato masala in one side of dosa and fold the other edge of dosa.

now masala dosa is ready.serve it hot.