Brown Rice Sambar Sadam

According to about.com Brown rice is simply white rice that has not had the brown-colored bran covering removed. So brown rice is considered a whole grain. One cup of brown rice has 3 1/2 grams of fiber while the same amount of white rice has less than one gram of fiber. Brown rice also contains nutrients like magnesium, manganese, and zinc.

Even after reading and understanding the greatness of brown rice I don't like it too much. I grew up in an Indian household where we ate fluffy soft white rice. For me to give up that and move to brown rice is really hard. So I try all sorts of ways to hide the taste of brown rice. The inspiration for this dish came from Vegi Inspirations and one trick I learnt from her is to soak brown rice for at least 30 minutes before cooking. This makes the rice soft. To enjoy brown rice I convert it to a sambar rice with traditional sambar powder and a some fresh ground masala to top it. With fresh vegetables ( I clear my fridge and add whatever I can find) and the fresh masala this becomes an enjoyable and healthy dinner. For this recipe I used Mahatma Long Grain Brown Rice.



Ingredients:
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1/2 cup moong or thoor dhal (I tried both and they both taste yummy)
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 cup chopped vegetables - You can use any type of vegetables (I have used red pepper, beetroot, sweet potato, tomatoes, Raw tomatoes/tomato kai, boiled black eye peas..)
- 1 cup thick tamrind water
- 1 tsp sambar powder
- Salt to taste

Roast and grind
- 2 tsp channa dhal
- 1 tsp methi seeds
- 2-3 red chili
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds

Seasoning:
- 1 tspn oil
- 1 tsp methi seeds
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/4 tsp hing powder
- 2-3 green chilies
- few curry leaves


Method:
1. Soak the rice and dhal for at least 30 minutes. Pressure cook this till it becomes soft. I microwaved this in 5 cups of water and it took me 40 minutes.
2. In a pan pour oil and fry mustard seeds, hing powder and methi seeds. Once the mustard seeds start to splutter and methi seeds turns color add the chillies, curry leaves and onions. Fry till they become soft.
3. Add tomatoes, and the other vegetables. Fry for a few minutes. Now and the tamarind water, sambar powder, turmeric powder and salt. Cook for another 5-8 minutes.
4. Now stir in the cooked rice and dhal and boil this mixture in a low flame for 15 minutes. Brown rice is very thick so it takes time for it to cook and mix well.
6. Add the ground masala mixture to this and mix it well. Cook for another 2-3 minutes and it should be perfect to serve.

Note: I liked the addition of beetroot and sweet potato as it gives the rice a unique color and flavor. If you don't like this combination you can stick to vegetables like eggplant, okra, peas tomatoes and radish. This is optional but you can add a teaspoon of brown sugar to the dish. It makes the rice spicy, sweet and sour at the same time.

This is my addition to show me your whole grain hosted by Dil Se

Masala Bun

This is a nice spicy bun that is perfect for a rainy day. Inspiration for this bun came from here. Switched the recipe a bit to make it more whole wheat thus making it healthy. This is not your typical melt in your mouth white bun. Because of the wheat flour it definitely has a bit to it but it still tastes really good.



Ingredients for bun:
- 1 cup whole wheat Flour
- 1/2 cup bread flour (All purpose should work too)
- 1/2 tsp oil
- 2 tsp Bread Machine Yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup warm water - Use more if the dough is not sticky
- 1/4 cup warm Milk
- 1 tbsp flax seeds or sunflower seeds

For stuffing:
- 2 cups of mixed vegetables finely chopped. I used carrots, beetroot, cauliflower, peas, beans and onions.
- 1 boiled potato
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp oil

Method for the bun:
1. Mix all the ingredients together to form a sticky dough. I used bread machine yeast so I was able to skip the proofing of the yeast. Once you get the dough dust more flour on a flat surface and start kneading the bread. You will need to do this for at least 8-10 minutes.
2. Now grease a bowl (make sure the bowl is at least double the size of the dough) and place the soft kneaded dough in it and set it to rise. It should double in size.

Method for stuffing:
1. In a pan add oil and onions. Once it is translucent add the remaining vegetables, salt, chili powder and cumin powder.
2. Cook till the vegetables become soft. Do not add too much water as we need a dry stuffing.
3. Mash in the potato. Mix them all together and let it cool. You can add other masala according to your taste.

Putting it together:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degree F. Punch down the dough and make golf size balls. Make small balls of the vegetable mixture too.
2. Now spread the dough and place the vegetable ball in the center. Pinch the ends together and roll them to form a ball with the stuffing inside. Make sure the stuffing does not ooze out.
3. Flatten them slightly and brush it with water. Sprinkle the flax seeds or sunflower seeds.
4. Line them up in a cookie sheet and let it rise for another 30 to 50 minutes. Because of the wheat flour it will not rise too much but it should still become bigger then the original size.
5. Now bake them in the oven for 15 minutes. Keep checking to make sure it is golden brown. Mine is an old oven so it takes a little bit longer.
6. Cool it and serve it hot with ketchup.

It is a nice variation to the normal white bun.

Off this goes to the Bake-off event at Versatile Kitchen

Chappati/Roti upma

What do you do when you have dried and old roti from a day or two. The answer is yummy roti upma. The inspiration came from Mahanandi bajra roti upma. I did not make bajra roti. Mine was the normal roti but they still turned out to be very tasty.



Ingredients:
- 3 roti (preferably a day old)
- 1/2 cup of black eye peas cooked
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 green chili chopped (adjust to taste)
- pinch of turmeric and hing powder
- 1 tsp jeera
- 1 tsp oil
- salt to taste
- squeeze of lemon (optional)

Method:
1. Tear the roti to small pieces. Sprinkle them with water if they are too dry.
2. Now in a pan add oil and jeera seeds. Once it starts to splutter add the hing powder and turmeric powder. Cook for 10 seconds. Mix in the onions and sauté till it turns slightly brown.
3. Add the cooked black eye peas, salt and mix well. Add the roti pieces.
4. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes. The roti should become soft.
5. Remove from the heat and squeeze a little lemon. This adds a fun taste to the old roti's.

Serve it hot for a yummy snack.



This recipe goes to leftover delicacies hosted by Spicy Lounge

Divine Pav Bun

If you want soft, buttery melt in your mouth buns for your pav baji or vada pav then this is the recipe for you. The original idea came from here. There is a good step by step presentation in her site. I made some changes to the recipe to make it easier for me. Try it and you will not be disappointed.



Buns with Pav Baji


Ingredients:
- 3 cups bread flour plus about 1/4 cup for dusting and kneading
- 2 1/4 tsp active yeast - I used the bread machine yeast. See below for an explanation of the various yeast available in the market.
- 1 1/4 cup lukewarm milk
- 1 tbsp margarine or butter
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp oil

Method:

1. In a bowl add the bread flour, salt, sugar butter and yeast. Now slowly add the milk and start mixing it. The dough should be sticky. If it is not mixed well add up to 1/4 cup lukewarm water to it.
2. Once all the ingredients are mixed well sprinkle some flour and dump the dough and start kneading. You will need to knead it at least for 15 minutes. If the dough gets sticky then keep dusting it with more flour.
3. Now in a bowl (make sure the bowl is at least double the size of the dough) add a teaspoon of oil and rub it so that the bowl is well coated. Now place the dough in the bowl, cover it and place it in a warm place.
4. In about 2 hours your dough should have raised and would be double the size.
5. Now remove the dough and punch it down. Separate the dough into 12 equal size balls. Place it in a cookie sheet leaving about 2 inch space in between each ball.
6. Cover this with a wet paper towel and let it rise again. This should take about 30- 45 minutes. Meanwhile start pre-heating the oven at 350F.
7. Remove the paper towel and place the cookie sheet in the oven and bake it for 25-30 minutes. You will see the top turning a golden brown.
8. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 10-15 minutes. You should be able to remove it from the sheet without it sticking to the bottom.

There you have the softest and melt in your mouth buns.

Notes: A little explanation about various yeast if you are a first time baker can be found here. I have a jar of bread machine yeast with me and when a recipe calls for a packet of active yeast I just use 2 1/4 teaspoon of the bread machine yeast. The only difference is I do not proof the yeast. Typically to proof active dry yeast you sprinkle the yeast in warm water and a pinch of salt. Let it stand for 10-15 minutes. If the liquid becomes bubbly and creamy then you know your yeast is alive else it is best you don't use it.

Kneading bread - This is also an important step in bread making. Here is a nice video that shows how to knead a bread.

This one goes to the Bake-off event at Versatile Kitchen

Jícama Salad

When I visited my local farmers market I found Jicama and thought I will give it a try. It is an ugly looking root vegetable. After a little bit of research I found that it is used quite a lot in salads. I was skeptical and did not think I could eat this raw. But once you cut into it you realize why it is used so much in salads. Although the outsides are hard the insides are tender and juicy. It tastes like pears but not so sweet. Give it a try and you will be amazed - I was...


Ingredients:
- 1 jicama
- 1 cucumber
- 1 red bell pepper (You can use any and all colors)
- 1 orange pealed and segmented
- 1 small onion
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves finely chopped

Dressing: (adjust to taste)
- juice of 2 lemons
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- salt

Method:
1. In a small bowl mix all the ingredients for dressing and keep it aside.
2. Cut all the vegetables to bit size pieces. Wash them and pat them dry
3. Now in the serving bowl add the dressing, oranges and vegetables. Toss them well. Finally add the chopped cilantro and give it a mix
4. Refrigerate the salad until you are ready to serve.

The salad with lemon and jicama is crisp and tangy.




Sending this recipe to veg inspirations -healthy salad event.

This recipe also finds its way to Serve Me Some Salad hosted by Maduri

Kerala delicacy puttu and channa

Puttu is a staple Kerala breakfast items. It is a healthy and a very filling dish. I used the ready made wheat puttu flour to make this. Instead of using the traditional puttu maker I just steamed my puttu in the idli vessel.

Ingredients:
- 1 cup puttu flour
- 1.5 cup shredded coconut
- boiling water with salt added

Method:
1. In a vessel add the puttu flour. Drizzle water and start mixing it. You are looking for a beach sand with water like consistency. When you add water to beach sand you can mold it but at the same time they break down easily. That is exactly what you are looking for. The puttu flour will look like the picture below.

2. In your idli mold first layer your coconut. Then add the puttu flour and press it in. Now add another layer of coconut. Press this in and add your final layer of puttu flour and pack all the layers tightly.
3. Pour water in the bottom of your idli vessel and place the idli molds on top. Let it steam for 5 minutes. Turn the heat off and let it rest for a few minutes.
4. Remove it carefully from the mold and serve it hot.

The best accompaniments for puttu is banana and sugar or channa dhal (Kadali kulumbu)

Note: Puttu dries very easily so make sure you make it just before serving.



This recipe finds its way to Dil se - Sunday snack evnet

Quinoa upma

I am becoming a big fan of Quinoa and this time I tried making a south indian style upma. It tasted really good. Give it a try...

Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 3 cups of mixed vegetable
(I used peas, carrots, capsicum, potatoes, beans, frozen black eye peas)
- 1 tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp hing
- salt to taste

Seasoning
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp urad dhal
- 1 tsp channa dhal
- 2 green chili slit into half
- 1 tsp of minced ginger
- few curry leaves
- 1 tsp oil


Method:
1. Clean Quinoa a couple of times. In 2 cups of water add the Quinoa. Once it comes to a boil reduce to a simmer and cook it covered for 15 minutes or until the water evaporates. (or) In a microwave safe bowl add the Quinoa and 3 cups of water and cook for 25 minutes.
2. In a skillet pour the oil and add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds start to splutter add channa dhal, urad dhal and fry till they turn brown. Add the chillies, curry leaves and ginger. Fry till it becomes soft. Add tomatoes and all the other vegetable and cook till it becomes soft.
3. Add the cooked quinoa and mix it well. Cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Garnish it with cilantro and serve it hot. Can serve it with sambar, thogayal or just plain pickle.



This recipe finds its way to Dil se - Sunday snack evnet