Hema's recipe: Poha(maharashtrian style)

This is my another variety of poha. I learnt this recipe from my neighbour when I was in bombay.

This poha is of maharashtrian style and quite different from my previous milagu aval recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

1) Poha - 1 cup
2) Onions - 1(finely chopped)
3) Jeera - 1/2 tbsp
4) Green chillies - 4
5) Roasted peanuts - 1 tbsp
6) Hing - a pinch
7) Turmeric - a pinch
8) Salt - to taste
9) Coriander leaves - a few

METHOD:

1)Wash the poha nicely and soak for about 5 mins in water. Do not add too much water as it will become too mushy.
2)Heat oil in a pan. Add jeera, hing, turmeric, roasted peanuts and green chiilies.
3)Add onions and fry till they become translucent.
4)Now add the poha after straining it from the water.
5)Add salt and mix them well.
6)Cover it and cook for about 10 mins.
7)Garnish with coriander leaves.
8)Serve hot with any chutney.

Variations:

1)Generally, potato is added. But I don't add it.
2)you can also add carrot, peas, beans but I like to do it only with onions.
3)you can also add ginger garlic paste to this poha.
4)Adjust green chillies according to your spice.

Madhu's recipe: Italian Taglatelle pasta

I'm not used to any kind of international food. But my hubby loves to try difft types of food.. Am very very choosy about what i eat..

My hubby wanted me to change my food habits and get used to other types of food.. So i thought of starting with some simple Italian dish, and get used to it slowly.. I made this Tagliatelle pasta.

I had bought a ready made pasta sauce called Artichoke with garlic sauce. Measurements are for 2 people..My hubby liked it a lot and i thought of posting it in my blog.

You can use any kind of pasta. I've mentioned the name of the pasta i used.

Here goes the simple pasta recipe:

Ingredients:
1. Pasta 200 gms
2. Artichoke sauce 130 gms
3. Cooked / steamed Brocolli flowerts 2/3 cups
4. Cream 1/2 cup
5. Mozzarella cheese / Parmesan cheese grated 1/2 cup
6. Fresh Parsley leaves finely chopped 2 tblspn
7. Salt to taste


Method.

1. In a sauce pan boil water with little salt and 1 tspn oil, once it starts boiling, add pasta to it and cover it. Let it cook for 15 min. Drain and keep aside.
2. In another pan add olive oil, add the pasta sauce, then add cream , also add 1/4th cup water,use the water in which pasta is cooked, cover and cook for 2 or 3 min. Then add the cooked pasta, cooked/steamed broccoli flowerts, parsley leaves, salt, and cook for 2 min till all gets well mixed.
3. Now add Mozzarella / Parmesan cheese on top mix everything once again.. cook for few seconds and turn off the stove and serve it.

Hema's recipe: Banana-walnut muffins

I have never eaten muffins untill I came to US. Here, in my hotel they keep muffins and I just love them. Just thought why don't I give a try baking these cupcakes by myself.

So I just tried it with banana and to make it crunchy I just added walnuts. It came out really well and the plates in which I had kept muffins were empty in a minute.


Ingredients:


1) Allpurpose flour - 1 cup
2) Medium bananas - 2
3) Baking powder - 1 tsp
4) Baking soda - 1tsp
5) Salt - 1/8 tsp
6) Light brown sugar - 1/3 cup
7) Melted butter - 1/3 cup
8) chopped walnuts - 1/2 cup(Reserve a few for sprinkling on top)



Method:

1)Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2)Sift together allpurpose flour,baking powder,baking soda and salt.
3)Mash bananas and add the brown sugar and melted butter.
4)Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and slightly mix till they incorporate well.
5)Fold in the chopped walnuts.
6)Pour the batter into the muffin tray till three-fourths. Sprinkle a few walnuts on top of each muffin.
7)Bake them for 20-25 minutes. Check with a fork or tooth-pick and it should come out clean.
8)Remove the muffin tray from the oven and let it cool off for few minutes.
9)Serve the delicious muffins.

Hema's recipe - Poha with Pepper and Coconut/ Milagu Aval

Poha/aval is an easy to cook nutritious snack. It is easily digestable and can be had for breakfast. Poha can be done in many ways.

Mostly in south, poha is done this way and here goes the recipe. Sending this to CWS-Pepper guest hosted by Padma, event by Priya.


INGREDIENTS:

1) Poha/aval - 1 cup
2) Mustard - 1/2 tsp
3) Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
4) Red chilli - 2
5) Pepper powder - 1 tsp
6) Coconut - 2 tsp
7) Curry leaves - a few
8) Salt to taste
9) Oil - 2 tsp

METHOD:

1) Wash the poha and soak it in water. Do not add too much water as it will get mushy. Keep aside for 10 mins until the water is absorbed.
2) Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, urad dal, chilli, curry leaves and poha. Mix everything well. Add salt & mix it again. Let it cook for sometime.
3) Finally add pepper powder and coconut. keep for 2 mins and switch off the flame.
4) Serve hot with any chutney.

Hema's recipes - Tomato Dosa

As the name suggests, this dosa is made of tomatoes. My mom prepares this dosa frequently. A unique speciality in this dosa is that it requires no fermentation. As soon the batter is made, we can start preparing dosas.

INGREDIENTS:


1) Tomatoes - 3
2) Raw Rice - 1 Cup
3) Urad Dal - 2 tbps
4) Fenugreek Seeds - ¼ tbsp
5) Shredded Coconut - 2 tbsp (optional)
6) Dry Red Chilies - 3 (De-seeded)
7) Salt to taste
8) Oil as required

METHOD:


1) Clean and soak raw-rice, urad dal & fenugreek seeds in water for 3-4 hours.

2) Drain the water. Now in a blender add the rice, urad dal, feugreek seeds, tomatoes, redchilli, coconut and grind it to a smooth batter by adding required salt.

3) Add water as required and it should be like a normal dosa consistency.

4) Now make dosas and serve hot with chutney or sambhar.

Hema's recipes - Rava Idli

Idli is one breakfast that is light in the morning & also easy to prepare. But it takes hours to ferment the batter .

Rava idli is unlike the normal idli. It doesn't consume so much time to make.

The recipe is as follows:

1) Rava - 1 cup
2) Curd - 1 cup
3) Musatrd seeds - 1/2 tbsp
4) Urad dal - 1/2 tbsp
5) Channa dal - 1/2 tbsp
6) Ginger - small piece chopped finely
7) Greenchillies - 3 chopped finely
8) Curry leaves - a few
9) Coriander leaves - a few
10) Salt to taste

METHOD:

1) Heat oil in a pan. add all items from mustard seeds to coriander leaves one by one.
2) Add rava to it and fry it on medium heat till u get nice aroma.
3) Transfer this to a plate and let it cool.
4) Now take a bowl, add this rava. beat the curd well and add it to this rava.
5) Add salt to taste and leave this batter for about 30-45 mins.
6) You can add little milk if it is too thick.
7) Now grease the idli plates and pour in the batter. Steam them for 10 mins.
8) Serve hot with chutney or sambhar.

Spaghetti with minced quorn

Quorn is a (frozen)veggie meal with high quality protein and it is low in saturated fat.It can be served with pasta or baked potatoes.

Quorn ingredients and meals tend to be lower in saturated fats and calories than similar foods made with meat .

My hubby loves, to taste different types of food..(Unlike me,as am very choosy when it comes to food especially). So ,i tried making Spaghetti with minced quorn. It turned out to be so well, and has driven me to the extent of posting it in my blog..

Here goes the recipe.

Spaghetti:

In a wok, or sause pan, boil the water, add some little salt and oil, so that the spaghetti does'nt stick. Once the water comes to boil, lower the heat,add the spaghetti and cook for 10 or 12 mins till they are tender.Then drain the excess water adn keep it aside.




Minced quorn

1 packet frozen minced quorn
2 onions finely chopped
1/2 tin chopped tomatoes
2 tbspn tomato puree
3 cloves of garclic finely chopped
2 teaspoon cumin powder1 teaspoon coriander powder(optional)
salt as per taste
chilli powder 1 tspn
mixed veggies 1 cup ( i used, capsicum, beans,carrot, can also add spring onions.)


In a pan heat oil, add chopped garlic, onions, saute till onions are cooked.

Then add frozen minced quorn.cook for few minutes, now add , veggies, and cook till they are tender.(or you can cook the veggies seperately and add them finally.Thats how i made. Its more easier and veggies will be cooked well.)

Then add 1/2 tin chopped tomatoes, and also add cumin powder,chilli powder and salt. let them cook for sometime, till the raw smell disappears.

Then finally add 2 tblspn tomato puree and cook for 3 or 4 minutes.

Can add more water if you want to have more gravy.

Serve it with spaghetti and some grated cheese on top.