Miscellaneous not to be missed !

Spicy masala dahi idli - very simple & no oil!!


Wash & soak together for 3-4 hrs:

Parboiled (idli) rice - ¾ cup

Gram dhal, masoor dhal, kichdi dhal - each ¼ cup

Drain & grind to rava consistency, adding 1 tbsp urds & salt.

Ferment for 6-8 hrs.

In 1 tsp oil, sauté a mixture of:

1 tsp red chilli powder + hing + haldi & a pinch of methi powder.

Cool & add to batter.

Keep the steamer ready.

Add 1 tsp fruit salt mxed with 2 tsp of water, to the batter; whisk thoroughly & immediately steam in greased idli moulds.

Cool, remove & drop in cold water.

After 5 mtes, gently remove them & arrange in a plate.

Mix little powdered sugar with beaten curds & pour over them.

This is to give a slight sweet taste like sweet chutney, but optional.

Serve chilled.

 

Penne with vegetables - full of fiber!

Penne pasta - boil with salt & oil & refresh


Blanche & chop:


Carrot, broccoli, baby corn & peas - 1 cup


Blanche & puree - 2 tomatoes


Chopped onion - ½ cup


Heat olive oil - 2 tbsp


Add:


Chopped onions


Puree with red chilli powder, sat & sugar


Cook for a few mtes and then add vegetables.


Mix well & toss in the pasta.


Blend everything gently & serve.


If you want add white sauce, top with cheese & bake.

 

Macaroni-Cauliflower in Alfredo Sauce - makes a good meal.

This is a “mock” Alfredo sauce made with cauliflower & cornflour mixture. You can add cream if you so wish & follow the recipe for sauce in
http://www.indusladies.com/forums/1705138-post257.html
Macaroni - 1 cup ( boil aldente & keep ready)
Cook till soft:
Chopped cauliflower - 1 cup
Garlic pieces - 3,4
Milk - 1 cup
Bay leaf - 1
Salt
Cool, remove the bay leaf & liquidize.
To the same add:
Italian seasoning, parika, a little sugar, 2 tbsp processed grated cheese & the following sauce:
Cook ½ cup milk thick with 2 tsp cornflour & a pinch of salt.
Keep this sauce mixture ready.
In a pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil & add
Chopped capsicum - ½ cup
Chilli flakes, oregano, white pepper powder & lemon rind to taste
Saute till the capsicum becomes slightly soft.
Add boiled macaroni, the sauce &mix thoroughly.
Remove.
Lightly sauté 2-3 tbsp bread crumbs in olive oil & garnish.
Add some extra grated cheese when serving.

 

Basil Pesto Slice - quick to make.

For basil pesto sauce:

Mince together:

Basil leaves - ½ cup

Garlic minced - 1 tsp

Paprika - 1 tsp

Grated cheese - 2 tbsp

Chopped walnut - 2 tbsp

Olive oil

Little salt

Toast slices of bread with butter. Over that, apply

The above sauce

Boiled American corn

Grated cheese

Oregano

Paprika

A dash of olive oil

Grill for a few mtes till cheese melts.

Cut & serve.

 

Instant Dahi Vada - with biscuits!!

Salt biscuits, slighty thick, available in bakeries are ideal. If they contain jeera, all the more good.

I used “spicy butter biscuits”.

Butter - 1 tsp

fresh curds - 1cup

Finely chopped palak - 1 cup

Finely chopped green chillies - salt, little sugar

To garnish:

Blacksalt, pepper powder, chaat masala, chopped coriander leaves

Heat butter & sauté chopped palak & green cillies.

When well sauted, remove, add salt &sugar & cool.

Add curds & add all masalas.

10 mtes before serving, immerse the biscuits in the curds.

Decorate with a tiny tomato piece.

This is easy & tasty.

 

Jiffy Thayir Vadai - call it revolutionary!!

Please follow the tips for perfect results.

Grind to a fine powder in the mixi:

Moong dhal - 1 cup

Urad dhal – ½ cup

Sieve fine.

Take:

Sieved flour - 1 cup

Salt - ½ tsp

Water - about ¾ cup (add less or more when you make the batter)

Mix without lumps to get a batter of idli dough consistency.

A whisk is very helpful for good aeration & to get sot porous vadais.

Keep oil in a kadai to heat, on the stove.

Sprinkle on the batter, 1 heaped tsp of fruit salt & follow by adding 2 tsp of water to it.

Whisk very well for the fruit salt to get blended thoroughly.

At once drop tablespoonfuls of batter in the hot oil.

Fry to a golden color, flipping a few times.

Keep thin buttermilk ready in a vessel.

Drop the hot vadais in that directly from the oil.

Fry all the vadais quickly before the effervescence of fruit salt goes away to ensure porous, spongy vadais.

Take thick curds & beat, adding salt & temper with:

Oil - 1 tsp

Red chillies - 2,3

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dhal - 2 tsp

Hing & curry leves.

Keep this ready.

Take out each vadai, squeeze gently, pressing it to a disc shape & arrange on a serving plate.

Pour the curds over & garnish anyway you like.

Sambar vadais can also be made similarly. Instant vadais can also be done.