Gallo Pinto Rice

The biggest fear that I have while I travel is food. We had gone on a vacation to Costarica last December. The most eco - friendly country of the world did not disappoint me at all in terms of food given the fact as to how choosy I am with food. Gallo Pinto rice is served during breakfast and dinner throughout Costarica.
Since it was an adventurous trip with canopies, tarzan jump, river rafting and hiking, I gobbled up as much as I can during the breakfast and it gave me the necessary energy to stay fit till my next meal.
Anything other than bread is good for me!!

Ingredients
Fine grain rice - cooked 1 cup
Black beans - soaked and cooked - 1/2 cup
Green chilly or Jalapeño chilly (finely chopped) - 1 or two nos.
Tomato - 1 finely chopped
Oil - 1 tbsp
Onion  -  1 cup finely chopped optional
Garlic - a few pods
Cilantro - to garnish

Method

• Heat a pan with oil, add the onion, garlic and saute for a while
• Add the chillies and tomato and saute well.
• Add the beans with water and add the cooked rice and give it a stir
• The rice will get a beautiful coating of brown from the beans 
• Add salt, Garnish with cilantro and serve with lime

Enjoy!!!

Wheat Pongal

That was a great Holy Week vacation!!!  We are back from our vacation to the USA. I enjoyed the trip but didn't bother to take in many pictures since I wanted to soak myself completely in the beautiful nature and the new places that I got an opportunity to visit. The majestic Grand Canyon, the Death Valley, the beautiful Secoya Park, Californian Oranges and Vineyards - Nature is amazing. I marveled at the beauty of the man made wonders at the Hoover Dam, Golden Gate bridges and many other bridges at the Bay Area. I felt sad seeing the drought alert boards all through the state. I became ecstatic watching the mountains and the sunsets on three consecutive days that we travelled west. Yes we watched three sunsets on three different days while driving west. The medley of the colors from red to orange, to pink to pale pink dancing duets with the ever changing colors of the blue sky is a sight to die for.  I only wish we had more time to walk around rather than sit in the car most of the time of our packed journey covering the length and breadth of beautiful California.

My mind was playing its games that I had different moods at different times. While zipping through the streets and walking in the malls of California my mind longed for the tranquility of Guatemala's quiet evenings, I missed the smiling faces of the Chapins who are silent and polite even at restaurants that they talk with the inner voice. But while my vacation came to an end, I longed to stay for more time  to eat the good Indian food in the many Indian restaurants all over the US of A that I miss visiting here, to visit the temples and carefree attitude life over there.

Saffron's Biryani, Madras Cafe's Kushboo idlis ( I haven't seen such softer idlies even in Chennai, wonder how they ferment the batter in cold weather), Isckon's Govinda Meals, the dingy Udupi Palace's full meals and the masala dosas that served two a plate, Dal Bhat at a Nepalese restaurant, Eight Elements's spiciest Mirchi Bajji , the Mexican Chipootle Bowl - Wonder how the Indians are running system so well there.  I will miss all of them till I get to India or US next.

I made this quick and tasty Wheat Pongal for breakfast.
A very easy to make dish.

Ingredients 

Broken Whole Wheat - 2 cups

Moon Dal  - 1 cup

Jeera - 2 tsp

Pepper - 2 tsp

Salt to tast

Method

• Roast the moons dal to golden brown
• Add 6 cups of water to the moong dal and rice and pressure cook for four whistles
• Roast the pepper and jeera in 2 tbsp of ghee and it to the cooked pongal
• Add Salt and curry leaves 
• Enjoy with Sambar, Chutney or Gothsu

Poori Aloo - Tamil Style

Poori aloo is a dish that is served in many restaurants in South India.  Coconut Chutney is also served with  the same. I love both the combinations. Here is the recipe of the Tamil style Aloo that goes with poori.

Tamil Style Aloo Recipe :

6 potatoes medium size
ginger - a small bit
mustard - 1tsp
urad dal - 1 tsp
Bengal gram dal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves and cilantro to garnish
Tomato - 1
Oil - 1 tbsp
Green chilly - 3 nos.

Method

• Boil the potatoes and cut them into small cubes
• Heat a pan and add oil
• Once the oil is heated, add mustard, urad dal, bengal gram dal, ginger, green chillies and sauté
• Add chopped tomatoes
• Add boiled potatoes and salt 
• Add a little bit of water if the mixture is too thick
• Give it a boil
• Garnish with curry leaves and cilantro

Enjoy with Hot Pooris.

Aapam

Aapam is a very light breakfast. It is served with stew, coconut milk or kurma in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Ingredients
Raw rice - 2 cups
Cooked rice (kept overnight in the refrigerator ) - 1 cup
Rapid Rise Yeast - 1 tbsp
Salt
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Coconut grated - 1 cup


Method

• Soak raw rice in water overnight.
• Grind the rice with enough water
• When the rice is coarsely ground add the cooked rice and coconut and grind till silky
• Dissolve yeast in sugar and a cup of warm water
• Add yeast to the ground batter and salt to taste
• Let the batter ferment for 3 to 4 hours in room temperature.
• Take a ladle full of batter (see to it that it is in pouring consistency)
• Pour batter in a rounded non-stick pan and swivel it with both your hands to form a circular shape. The center part must be thicker and the outer parts must be thinner.
• Cover with a lid and cook on medium flame
• Once done, turn into a plate and serve with stew or Vellai Kurma or coconut milk.

Enjoy!!!

Quinoa Dosa

I had a pack of Quinoa lying unused that I bought from a health store a while ago. I have seen many posts about Quinoa dosa and also heard about how healthy it can be since the protein and fibre content is very high in quinoa.

Today I tried my hand at making this dosa and my family loved it a lot. It was very crispy and golden brown and very tasty.

Ingredients :

Quinoa - 2 cups

Rice - 2 cups 

Urad Dal - 1 cup

Soak all of the above for about 4 hours and grind to a fine batter.

Let it ferment for abut 6- 8 hours.

Make dosas in a pan and serve with chutney or chutney powder or Sambar.

Enjoy!!!

Upma

Ingredients

Rava - 1 cup

Mustard - 1 tsp

Ginger - 1/2 tsp grated

Urad Dal - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Red Chillies - 3 numbers

Vegetables ( carrot, beans, peas etc.) - 1/2 cup

Water - 2 cups

Oil - 1 tbsp

Curry leaves - a few

Method 

• Roast the rava with little ghee in a pan till the raw smell leaves.
• In a pan add a little oil and when hot splutter the mustard, urad dal, red chillies and ginger
• Add the vegetables and cook till done with a few tbsps of water
• Add the rava and add two cups of water
• Cook till done.
• Garnish with curry leaves and coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with chutney

Enjoy!!!!

Idly

I don't own a grinder. I have made idly using a Black&Decker mixer.

Ingredients:

Rice - 3 cups ( I have used raw rice since I don't get Idly rice where I live)
Urad Dal - 1 cup.

Method:

• Soak Urad dal and rice separately for 4 - 5 hours
• Blend them smooth in a mixer.
• Add salt and ferment them in  a warm place for 8 hours.
• Pour the batter in idly moulds and steam them for 10 - 15 minutes
• Remove them and serve with your favourite chutney.

Besan Puda

Besan Puda makes a quick breakfast or a lunch. It is very filling and healthy too.
And you can make this super quick on a day when you are really busy and need a filling breakfast recipe.

Ingredients:

1) a tsp of cumin
2) salt to taste
3) shredded carrots, zuchini and cauliflower.
4) two cups of besan flour
5) water to mix
6) chopped green chillies and cilantro

Method:

Mix in all the ingredients to the consistency of a pancake batter.
In a non stick pan pour the mixture into thick- round pancakes.
Smear oil and cook on both sides.
Serve besan puda hot with tomato chutney.


Recipe adapted from Manjula's kitchen: