Semiya Rava Vegetable Dosa| Indian Vermicelli, Semolina And Vegetable Pancakes

These Indian-style pancakes aka dosas are made using roasted semolina and vermicelli, and you can load them with as many veggies as you want. They taste absolutely fantastic, and make for a hearty breakfast, a lovely change from the usual.

I made these vermicelli and semolina vegetable pancakes recently, adapting the recipe from Chandra Padmanabhan’s cookbook, Dosai. They were much loved by everyone at home, and I know for sure that I am going to making them regularly henceforth.

Here’s how I made these vermicelli and semolina vegetable pancakes.

Ingredients (makes 6-7 pancakes):

Basic ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup roasted fine semolina (rava)
2. 1/2 cup roasted vermicelli
3. Salt, to taste
4. 2 tablespoons wheat flour
5. 2 tablespoons rice flour

For the tadka:

1. 1 teaspoon oil
2. 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)
3. A pinch of asafoetida (hing)

To be ground into a powder:

1. 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2. 2 tablespoons almonds

Other ingredients:

1. Oil, as needed to make the dosas
2. A few stalks of fresh coriander, finely chopped
3. 1/2 cup sour buttermilk
4. 1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
5. 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
6. 1 green chilli, very finely chopped
7. A few fresh curry leaves

Method:

1. Take the roasted semolina and vermicelli, salt to taste, wheat flour and rice flour in a large mixing bowl.
2. Grind the black peppercorns and almonds to a coarse powder, using a mixer. Add this powder to the ingredients in the mixing bowl.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan, and add in the mustard seeds. Allow them to splutter. Add in the asafoetida, and let it stay in for a couple of seconds. Switch off gas, and add this garnish to the ingredients in the mixing bowl.
4. Add in the finely chopped coriander, onion, ginger-garlic paste, chopped green chilli and torn curry leaves, along with the sour buttermilk.
5. Add in enough water to make a batter that is neither too thick nor too runny. Let the batter stand, covered, for about 30 minutes.
6. Post 30 minutes, you can proceed to making dosas with the prepared batter. At this stage, add in more water and seasonings if the batter looks too thick.
7. To make the dosas, heat a tawa until droplets of water dance on it. Now, lower the flame to medium, and pour a ladle of the batter in the centre of the pan. Spread it out into a thick circle. Add some oil around the dosa. Let the dosa cook till it gets brown on the bottom, uncovered, and then flip it over. Let the dosa cook on the other side till brown. Transfer to a serving plate. Serve immediately.

Notes:

1. Make sure you use the fine variety of semolina, for best results.
2. I used roasted vermicelli and semolina to make these pancakes. I am guessing it would be fine even if I had not roasted these ingredients.
3. Other vegetables like carrots (grated) and tomato (pureed) can be added to the dosas as well.
4. You can add a dash of garam masala and/or amchoor for flavour. I skipped them.
5. Roasted and coarsely crushed peanuts can be added to the dosa batter, for flavour, too.
6. Increase/decrease the quantity of green chillies you use, depending upon your taste preferences.
7. Use buttermilk that is sour, but not overly so, for best results.
8. The original recipe calls for grinding together 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 tablespoon cashewnuts, 1 tablespoon pistachios and 1 tablespoon almonds, and then adding them to the batter. I have used just 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns and 2 tablespoons of almonds instead.
9. If you want the dosas to be more sour, keep the batter out for a longer time after mixing. I kept some batter out for 3-4 hours, and the dosas tasted great.
10. I am guessing you can skip adding the almond powder and pepper powder to the batter. Instead, you could just add more finely chopped green chillies.

You like? I hope you will try out these semolina and vermicelli pancakes at home, too, and that you will love them as much as we did!

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This post is for the Foodie Monday Blog Hop. The theme for the week is ‘Pancakes’.

 

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Oriental Spiced Cookies With Sprig Gourmet’s Malacca Spice Blend

I love the very interesting range of gourmet food products that Sprig offers. From their Mango Jalapeno Sauce and Passion Fruit Malagueta Sauce to their Natural Lavender Extract, from their Salted Caramel Sauce and Dulce De Leche to their Coconut Palm Sugar, Rosemary And Lavender-Infused Sea Salt, Six Pepper Medley and Nam Prik Pao, every product has piqued my curiosity and made me long to work with it. I am sure every foodie – irrespective of whether it is a home cook or a food blogger or a hotelier – would want to try out these gourmet products, try to create something fun using them.

I recently got my hands on one of the spice blends from the range offered by Sprig, an Oriental spice called Malacca. It is a mix of herbs and spices that are reminiscent of the Orient or South-East Asia, and can be used to jazz up a variety of dishes. I decided to use it in some Oriental Spiced Cookies, as opposed to noodles or fried rice or salads that first came to mind. The result thrilled me, totally. The Malacca has a lovely, mysterious fragrance to it, and the cookies turned out so very beautiful, gently spiced with the same hint of the exotic to them.

I used this recipe as the base, making one or two variations of my own.

Here’s how I made the Oriental spiced cookies.

Ingredients (yields 12-15 cookies):

1. Whole wheat flour – 1-3/4 cups
2. A pinch of salt
3. Powdered sugar – 1 cup
4. Unsalted butter – 1 cup
5. Almonds – 10-12, chopped
6. Chia seeds – 1/4 cup
7. Milk (boiled and cooled) – 1 tablespoon
8. Sprig Malacca Spice Mix – 1 tablespoon

Method:

1. Cream the butter and sugar together until light. Keep aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the whole wheat flour, chia seeds, salt and chopped almonds.
3. Add the milk to the butter to make it a little runny, and add this to the mixing bowl too.
4. Meanwhile, gently mix together all the ingredients in the mixing bowl to form cookie dough.
5. Set the dough for about an hour in the refrigerator, covered.
6. After an hour, get the dough out of the refrigerator. Preheat oven at 200 degrees for 10 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, grease and flour a baking tray. Form cookies out of the dough and place them on the greased and floured baking tray, evenly.
8. Set the baking tray in the oven. Bake at about 180 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies turn slightly brown and crisp.
9. Let the cookies cool down completely before transferring them to an air-tight container.

Notes:

1. Maida can be used in place of whole wheat flour. I used whole wheat flour for the sake of health.
2. I used the same amount of butter that the original recipe suggested, but I could have used less. I think the Oriental spiced cookies would still have tasted awesome with a little less butter, so I might be doing that the next time.
3. The chia seeds add a nice crunch to the cookies, and go well with the oriental spiced taste. That said, they can be completely omitted if you don’t have any.
4. This is not a sponsored post. I write this simply because I am very interested in the whole range of gourmet ingredients that Sprig has to offer.

You like? I hope you will try out these Oriental spiced cookies too, and that you will love them as much as we did!

Methi Nu Shaak| Fenugreek Green Curry With Chickpea Flour

A dry curry with fenugreek greens (methi) and chickpea flour (besan) is a traditional Gujarati preparation. You will surely find this dish on the dining table of a Gujarati household, especially during the winters. The chickpea flour and the sugar added to the curry even out the bitterness of the fenugreek greens, making the taste absolutely fantabulous. It is a great, great way to incorporate the greens in your diet, I think.

Amma learnt how to make this curry from one of our Gujarati neighbours, back when we were staying in Ahmedabad. And then she went on to teach me how to make it. This curry has always been a hot favourite with me, and it still is.

Ingredients (2 servings):

1. 1 large bunch or a medium-sized serving bowl of fenugreek (methi) leaves
2. Salt, to taste
3. Red chilli powder, to taste
4. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
5. 2-3 tablespoons sugar, or as per taste
6. 4 tablespoons chickpea flour (besan)
7. 4 tablespoons oil
8. 2 pinches of asafoetida (hing)
9. 1 teaspoon mustard seeds

Method:

1. Place the fenugreek leaves in a colander. Wash them thoroughly under running water, ensuring that no dirt remains. Keep aside, and let all the excess water drain out.
2. Meanwhile, dry roast the chickpea flour in a pan on low-medium flame, till it turns slightly brown and begins to emit a nice fragrance. Stir constantly. Take care to ensure that it doesn’t burn. Transfer onto a plate. Keep aside.
3. Squeeze out any excess water from the fenugreek leaves. Chop finely. Keep aside.
4. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds, and allow to splutter. Add in the asafoetida, and let it stay in for a couple of seconds.
5. Now, add in the chopped fenugreek leaves to the pan. Turn flame to low-medium, and cook till the leaves are well wilted. This should take 3-4 minutes.
6. To the pan, add salt and red chilli powder to taste, sugar, turmeric powder and roasted chickpea flour. Mix well.
7. Cook on low-medium flame for about 2 minutes more, ensuring everything is well incorporated together. At this stage, if the curry feels too dry, you could lightly sprinkle some water or add a spoonful of oil to the pan. Done!
8. Serve hot or after bringing to room temperature, with rotis and daal or kadhi.

Notes:

1. This is a dry curry and, hence, best served with a liquid-y accompaniment.
2. Initially, you might feel that the quantity of fenugreek leaves you are using is way too much. When you start cooking them, though, they really wilt down to a very little quantity.
3. While this is a very simple curry that needs very few ingredients, getting it right might need a bit of practice. I would strongly suggest you keep at it, though, for the taste is totally worth the effort you might be putting in.
4. Using slightly more oil will give you a curry that isn’t very dry. I try to limit it to about 4 tablespoons, though, usually.
5. This curry tastes best with sugar. Trying to substitute sugar with jaggery alters the taste of this curry, so that isn’t something that I would recommend.
6. A dash of coriander and cumin powder OR garam masala can be added to the curry, too, but I like keeping it simple.

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This recipe is for the Foodie Monday Blog Hop. The theme this week is ‘cooking with greens’.

 

Introducing Purganics: For Eco-Friendly Menstrual Care And More

If you have been reading my blog regularly, you would know that, as a family, we are consciously working towards a more eco-friendly, simpler and healthier lifestyle, one little step at a time. We are constantly looking out for sustainable, chemical-free alternatives for various products we use for ourselves and for our home, that are made conscientiously.

I am all too aware of the loads of chemicals that go into the making of the sanitary pads I use, and have been looking out for a better alternative for quite some time now. So, I was super happy when I recently discovered Purganics, an organic cotton no-chemicals sanitary pad. They were kind enough to send across samples of their pads for an honest review, along with a bamboo toothbrush.

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The Purganics heavy and moderate flow sanitary pads and tampons, and the cotton bag they come with

My experience with Purganics Organic Cotton Sanitary Pads

What I loved:

~ These sanitary pads are made out of 100% good-quality organic cotton, sourced from around the world. I love the fact that organic cotton has less of a negative impact on the environment as opposed to the regular cotton.

~ They were super comfortable to use, a far cry from the skin-irritating plastic-like pads that are commonly commercially available today.

~ They are free of chlorine, plastics, synthetics, perfumes, super absorbent polymers (a harmful petroleum derivative that is commonly found in several commercially available sanitary pads), or chemicals of any kind.

~ They did not bunch up with use and, at the same time, were quite breathable. They did not stick to the skin, something I have experienced with most disposable sanitary pad brands.

~ They were soft, light and thin, with wings attached, and were quite easy to carry.

~ Absorbency was really good in case of both pads.

~ These pads come in various sizes, so there’s something for everyone – irrespective of whether you are a woman with moderate, heavy or very heavy flow. I tried out the ‘heavy flow’ and ‘moderate flow’ pads at different times in my menstrual cycle.

~ They are disposable, so there is no hassle of soaking and washing which comes with cloth sanitary pads. If, like me, you don’t think a menstrual cup is for you and are not comfortable with the processes of caring for a cloth sanitary pad, this is a great middle path.

~ They are biodegradable, and even the backing is made of plant-based material.

~ They come with a cute little cotton bag, which comes in handy to carry a couple of pads in your purse while stepping out of home.

The cons:

~ Priced at INR 399 for 10 Moderate Flow pads, INR 420 for 10 Heavy Flow pads, and INR 450 for 10 Super Plus Flow Pads, they are quite expensive. That is almost twice the cost of most commercially available disposable sanitary pads. I do understand how superior in quality and eco-friendliness these pads are, but I don’t think they are affordable for everyone. If you are the sort of person who wouldn’t mind shelling out some extra money for an eco-friendly, healthier pad, these are just great! There are no other cons that I can think of.

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Purganics bamboo toothbrush

My experience with Purganics Adult Soft Bamboo Toothbrush

What I loved:

~ Bamboo is completely bio-degradable. I love that by using a bamboo toothbrush, I reduce my plastic footprint and do not contribute to the ever-increasing pollution of oceans and teeming landfills. Also, even the packaging of this toothbrush is entirely bio-degradable.

~ The bristles are made of Dupont Nylon 6, a faster degradable form of nylon as compared to the other lower nylon grades. They are free of the toxin called BPA that is present in most commercial-grade toothbrushes. The nylon is used because there is simply no natural alternative to help create a toothbrush that you can use effectively for the dentist recommended 3 months’ time.

~ These toothbrushes are available in different sizes and softness levels – Soft and Medium for adults and Soft for kids. You can take your pick. I love that the brushes are available with different-coloured bristles, to make brushing fun.

~ The design of the handle makes it very comfortable to hold and use.

The cons:

~ After a couple of days’ usage, the Adult Soft bamboo toothbrush that I was using developed black spots on the handle, in spite of being kept open on a shelf in our bathroom. I am not sure what caused it, but it does make me slightly uncomfortable with the brushing.

~ I am very, very particular about the toothbrushes that I buy considering that I have very sensitive gums that bleed very easily. Though it was a Soft toothbrush that I tried out, the bristles were a tad harsh for me – they were softer than those of most commercial brands, but still a little hard for me. It would be great if a Super Soft toothbrush could be introduced, for people like me.

~ At INR 165 per toothbrush (both the Adult and Kid version), these are indeed expensive. That’s almost double the price of a good-quality Super Soft toothbrush, which I am not sure everyone would be ready to invest.

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If you have been looking out for better, healthier alternatives for your home and personal care, too, Purganics is definitely one brand that you should try out.

Other products: Apart from sanitary pads, tampons and bamboo toothbrushes, Purganics also offers panty liners.

Availability: The Purganics products can be purchased off their website, or from Amazon or Flipkart.

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I was sent free samples of the above-mentioned products to use and review honestly, and that is exactly what I have done. The views expressed herein are completely honest, entirely my own, not influenced by anything or anyone.

 

 

 

 

 

Pressure Cooker Sem Ki Sabzi| One-Pot Double Beans (Lima Beans) Curry

I am a big, big fan of double beans in the dried form. Recently, I spotted fresh double beans (also called sem or lima beans) at the Jayanagar market, and couldn’t resist picking up some. I used them to make this beautiful pressure-cooker curry to go with rotis, for lunch today.

The curry tastes absolutely delectable, if I may say so myself. I made it in a pressure cooker, something I often do with curries, a super-duper easy way to cook stuff. And.. the best part? The curry used just 1 teaspoon of oil in all its entirety!

Let’s check out the recipe now, shall we?

Ingredients (makes 4-5 servings):

1. 3/4 of a medium-sized serving bowl fresh double beans (aka lima beans or sem)
2. 2 medium-sized tomatoes
3. 1 medium-sized onion
4. 1 teaspoon oil
5. 2 generous pinches of asafoetida (hing)
6. 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
7. 1/2 teaspoon cumin (jeera)
8. Salt, to taste
9. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
10. Red chilli powder, to taste
11. Sugar, to taste
12. 2 teaspoons chana masala, or to taste
13. A few fresh coriander leaves, to garnish

Method:

1. Wash the double beans thoroughly under running water. Place in a colander, and let all the excess water drain out.
2. Chop the tomatoes into large pieces. Puree in a mixer. Keep aside.
3. Finely chop the onions and coriander leaves. Keep aside.
4. Heat the oil in a 3-litre pressure cooker bottom. Add in the mustard seeds, and let them sputter. Add the asafoetida and cumin seeds, and let them stay in for a couple of seconds.
5. Add the chopped onions. Saute on low flame till they begin to turn brownish.
6. Now, add the tomato puree, along with salt and red chilli powder to taste, as well as the sugar and turmeric powder. Mix well. Cook on low-medium flame for a minute or so.
7. Add in the washed and drained double beans, along with the chana masala.
8. Add about 1 cup water. Mix well.
9. Close the pressure cooker and put the whistle on. Turn the flame to high. Let the curry cook for 4-5 minutes on high flame. Let the pressure come down naturally.
10. Once all the pressure has come down, add in the finely chopped fresh coriander. Mix well.
11. Serve hot with rotis.

Notes:

1. Garam masala or pavbhaji masala can be used in place of chana masala.
2. Omit the sugar if you don’t like a hint of sweetness in your curry.
3. You could add a dash of lemon juice to the curry after preparation, too.
4. After preparation, if you think the curry is too thick, you could add some water, adjust spices and salt, and let it simmer on low-medium flame for a few minutes.
5. A tablespoon of thick curd added to the curry (while adding the tomato puree) will improve the taste drastically. You could add a dollop of fresh cream, instead, as well.
6. If you are afraid of burning, you could add slightly more water to the curry. Post cooking, you could simmer the curry on low-medium flame to make it thicker.
7. If fresh double beans aren’t available where you stay, you can use dried ones to make a similar curry. Just soak the dried double beans in water overnight, discard the water in the morning, pressure cook them for 4 whistles in just enough water to soak them, and then proceed with the above recipe.
8. If you want, ginger-garlic paste can be added in the curry, while adding the onions.
9. You could even add in a 1-inch piece of cinnamon, a few cloves, cardamom and a couple of bay leaves, to make the curry more flavourful. If using, add these in along with the chopped onions.

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This post is for the Foodie Monday Blog Hop. The theme for this week is ‘Recipes with just 1 teaspoon oil’.