Tomato Rice Noodles/Tomato Rice Sevai

After a long gap…am back again…
Time constraint ...

I am seeking the level of patience that makes me write about cooking…
Anyway...whatz spl 2011 ---Welcoming Summer…
Food Days Passed with Quick Wick Receipes…
Having a few to add in for now…
More to follow..
Straight to the Point now…
As I told before, I love tomatoes:)
Tried to make this one...
YES TOMATO RICE NOOODLES:):)
I remember my mom and aunt making these rice noodles from the scratch...

Busy days and week +utensils stopped me from making any bigger:)

This dish...
Way simple to define, it goes by its name…
You get Rice Noodles in any Asian Market Place (more like the Angel Hair Pasta)
Rice noodles pack-1
Mustard Seeds-1 tsp
Cumin Seeds-1 tsp
Urad /Channa Dal-1 tsp
Red onions-1/2 cup
Red/Green chillies-4
Chopped Garlic-1 tsp
Crushed Ginger-1 tsp
Tomatoes-2 (small /medium)
Diced Tomatoes (Canned)-1/4 can
Turmeric Powder- a pinch
Chili Powder-1/2tsp
Lemon juice-4 tsp
OIl as per your req
Salt to Taste
Curry leaves and cilantro to garnish….

Get set ready…
1)Separate out the dry noodles from the packet .
2)In a large pot ,boil the water with a pinch of salt and a ½ tsp of oil
3)More like how we boil the pasta!
4)Soak it in the boiling water for 5 minutes and be careful not to overcook the noodles which would make it like a paste….
5)Remove the noodles from the boiling water using a tong and filter out the extra water using the colander and run it in cold water for few seconds..
6)You will see the noodles are soft and you can separate it in layers.
7)In a sauce pan,pour 2tsp of olive oil and once the oil is hot,add mustard seeds,urad dal,cury leaves and allow it to splutter
8)Now add green chillies, onions, ginger,garlic,a pinch of salt and toss it once and allow it cook till onions become transparent
9)Add the tomatoes, pinch of turmeric powder, chilly powder,salt and mix all the ingredients so that it turns out to be a good chunk of tomato gravy
10)Once it attains “ gravy consistency “ add the cooked noodles and toss it in the mixture in such a way that the noodles absorbs it ,evenly.
11)All done!!!..Last step sprinkle some lemon juice for a refreshing taste and garnish with cilantro…
Good to Go!!!
Serve with Plain Yogurt /Chutney/Any Curried Soups.

Happy Vinayaga Chaturthi

Happy Vinayaga Chathurthi/Ganesh Pooja
Aug 23,2009-B day for the supreme god of wisdom:)
I celebrated it as simple as I could….
Made a Turmeric Ganesh of my own choice and jewels …(Juz a try!!!!)

Did offerings with flowers,fruits and neivedyam(Kolukatai,Puran poli,Vermicilli payasam etc )
A few to share from my side..

Kara kolukattai:


Idly Rice-1 cup
Mustard Seeds ½ tsp
Urad Dal 1 tsp
Sesame Seeds ½ tsp
Channa Dal -1 tsp
Ginger-1 inch (minced)
Onions-1/2 cup(chopped)
Red chillies/Green chillies 3-4
Curry Leaves 1 sprig
Coriander leaves -1 sprig
Oil /Ghee
Salt to taste
Water (to prepare batter)

To prepare a rice batter:
Soak the idly rice for an hour or two and later grind it coarsely .Add Salt to taste and set aside.
Heat a pan, pour oil, add Mustard Seeds, Urad Dal, Sesame Seeds, Channa Dal, Ginger, Onions, Red chillies/Green chillies, Curry Leaves and sauté it for about 10 minutes.
You can also add shredded coconut/Coconut flakes , coriander leaves to this mixture
Now pour the batter to this mixture in the pan and stir it well till the batter and mixture blends well with the seasoning ingredients.
Allow it to cool.
For kolukattai:
Make round balls/press it in Ur hand fist to make small patties; Grease the idly plates with ghee/oil and Steam in Idly cooker for 10-15 minutes.
Kara kolukattai-Done!

Letz move to the next,

Poli
I am not an expert in making this sweet; just gave it a try. It came out decent thou…I felt I should have added a little bit more sugar! The rest was perfect...But would like to share with you


Take:
All purpose flour-1 Cup
Wheat flour -1 /4 cup
Oil/Ghee
A pinch of salt
Water to make dough

Puran (filling)
1 cup Channa Dal-1 cup
1/2 cup Jaggery, grated-1/2 cup
Grated Coconut-1/4 cup(optional)
Cardamom Powder-1 tsp
Ghee
Note: Add few spoons of sugar to increase the sweetness as per Ur pref.

Step 1: Prepare the flour Dough for the wrap:

Mix both flours, add water as per the need and knead to non –sticky soft dough (As u make for the roti) and place it in an air tight container/plastic wrap for 30 minutes.

Step 2: Prepare Puranam/Puran
Cook channa Dal with sufficient water in a pressure pan for about 3-4 whistles and allow the cooker to cool for 5-10 minutes; Now strain off the dal from water using a colander.
Add Jaggery, Sugar (As per pref), Coconut, Cardamom powder to the channa dal and cook this mixture for another 7-8 minutes. Allow this mixture to cool for some time and then blend me once which would give a smooth puran mixture.

For poli:
1) Make small patties from the dough; Use all –purpose flour while rolling the patties to big dough circles so that it you get a non-sticky wrap.
2) Make small balls out of puran mixture and keep the puran in the center of the wrap and close the ends of the wrap so that puran is fully covered by dough

3) Now take a parchment paper, apply oil/Ghee and place this puran wrap.
4) Roll the wrap in hands or roller evenly.
5) Heat the dosa pan/griddle and slowly transfer this puran wrap to the pan
6) Toast it on both the sides (add ghee in the sides /on the pole as per Ur pref)
7Puran poli –Done!

Sweet Kolukatai:

Now that we know how to make a puran, sweet Kolukattai is way easy to do
Take:
Rice flour-1 Cup
Salt and sugar- ½ tsp each
Water- to make dough
Ghee/Oil –To grease
Do:
1) Make Rice dough with the above mentioned ingredients.
2) Make round patties with the dough; slightly roll it using a roller
3) Place the puran (lemon size) in the center of the Pattie
4) Close the ends of the wrap in the style which ever you prefer
5) You can also use mould to get the shape of the kolukattai
6) I made onion-shaped kolukatai:)
7) Once done, steam in the idly pan for about 10-15 minutes
8) Itz all Done…ready for Pooja!

Lentil Rice/Moong bean rice/ Rice Kichidi

A friend of mine is a scholar in bringing the taste in words before even we cook...........
this is one amongst the recipes that i grabbed....i tried ..itz simply awesome..

Whole Moong Bean
It has the Higher % of vitamin c and calcium....
Simply a protein food!!!!
Here goes the recipe for u....


Take:
Rice 1 ½ cup
(Green gram )Whole Moong bean ½ cup
Fennel Seeds1/2 tsp(optional)
Jeera 1 tsp
Ground nuts 2 -3 tsp (optional)
Hing powder ½ tsp
Onions ½ cup
Green chillies 4
Ginger-garlic paste 1 tsp
Potato 1
Meal maker 10(optional)
Garam masala Powder 1.5tsp (depends)
Turmeric powder ¼ tsp
Chilli powder ½ tsp
Salt to taste
Oil to fry


Will make:
1.Heat oil in the pressure pan; Add ground nuts, jeera,fennel seeds ,
ginger garlic paste, hing powder and fry for a minute.
2.Add chopped onions ,green chilies and fry it till golden brown
3.Add garam masala, turmeric powder ,chili powder and fry it for few minutes
4.Let it mix well with the onion mixture.
5.Soak peeled and cut potatoes, meal maker (soya) in warm water for 5 minutes and add to this mixture.
6.Wash rice and lentils; for 1 ½ cup of rice, add ½ cup whole moong bean/any lenthil of ur choice.
7.Put the Rice – Dal in to the pressure pan, add salt ; sauté it once.
8.Pour sufficient water and pressure cook it in medium flame (3-4 whistles).
9.Keep aside; Allow it to cool.


Best with Raita

Lemon Rice

Lemon Rice-Famous Hurry Recipe!!!!


Ingredients:
Boiled Rice(grainy) 1 cup
Onions(finely chopped) 3/4 cup
Red chillies-3
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Roasted peanuts 3/4 cup
Urad dhal 1tsp
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Ginger (grated) 1/2 "
Turmeric powder 3/4 tsp
lemon 1
Salt to taste
To garnish:
Coriander leaves
Method:
1)To the heated pan, pour oil,add the mustard seeds, urad dhal.
Let it splutter,now add red chillies,peanuts,ginger,onions,curry leaves.
Fry it till the onions turn slightly golden brown.
2)Now add the turmeric powder ,salt and fry for a minute.Add lemon juice and saute it well.
3)Finally,Add the rice and mix well so that the lemon mixture is evenly distributed.
4)Garnish with coriander leaves.
Best with Pickle and Raita

Tamarind Rice!!

Tamarind Rice-Sure to find this dish in temples...........The best!!

preserve the tamarind extract,mix it when ever you want it!!!easy right?!

Ingredients

Tamarind juice (thick extract got from water -soaked tamarind) 1 full cup

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Whole red chili 2

Small Onions ¾ cup(optional)

Chili powder ½ tsp(optional)

Dry tamarind powder 1 tsp(optional)

Peanuts – ¾ cup

Turmeric powder – ¾ tsp

Jaggery - 1 tsp

Sesame oil/groundnut oil 4 tsp (varies)

Salt to taste

Curry leaves

Coriander leaves

Cooked rice

Roast and grind:

Red chili 5-6(depends)

Urad dal – 3 tsp

Channa dal - 2 tsp

Sesame Seeds 4 tsp

Coriander seeds- 2-3tsp

Cumin seeds ½ tsp

Fenugreek seeds 1/2 teaspoon

Pepper corns - 1 teaspoon

Method:

1)Wash and cook the rice with water and 1 tsp of oil(you will get a grains separated rice)

2)Heat the pan roast and grind the ingredients listed above.

3)In the same pan, pour oil, add mustard seeds, let it splutter, now add peanuts, red chilli, onions ,coconut pieces and curry leaves.fry it well and then add the tamarind water

4)Add chili powder, turmeric powder, hing powder, tamarind powder, jaggery to it and let it boil for about 7-8 minutes.

5)Mix the grinded powder, add very little amount of water; allow it to boil till you get a thick texture.

6)Mix this extract with rice……

Tangy & a perfect Tamarind Rice is all urzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....

Serve with:Pappad,potato fry

Tomato Rice

This is one amongst my fav food! This is how I do tomato rice with spices...I love the regular one too. I enjoy when I cook with lot of tomatoes.

Ingredients:
Tomatoes 5
Tomato puree 5 tsp
Briyani leaf 2
Meal maker(optional)10-15
Red Onions 1
Green chilly(vertically sliced) 5-as per ur pref
Fennel seeds 2 tsp
clove 2
cardamom (optional if u don like the taste ) 2
cinnamon stick (medium size) 1
kas kas 3/4 tsp
ginger -garlic paste 1/2 tsp
chilli powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 3/4 tsp
oil
curry leaves
coriander leaves
salt to taste.
Method:
1)Wash the rice, pour 3/4 tsp of oil. Add rice, meal maker, bay leaf and cook(usually 1 cup rice- 2 (or)2 3/4 cup water. This would take nearly 15-20 minutes in a rice cooker.
2) Grate the following items in a blender
(5 tomatoes,1/2 onion,1 tsp fennel seeds,2 cloves, cinnamon stick, green chilli, kaskas)
3)Heat the pan, pour oil ,add 1 tsp mustard seeds ,let it splutter, add curry leaves, fennel seeds,cardomom ,channa dhal, remaining cut onions, ginger garlic paste.fry properly till onion turn golden brown.

4) Now add the grinded masala, tomato puree, chili powder , turmeric powder and little water to it...

5)Let this boil till you get a gravy consistency.
6) Now add gravy to the boiled rice and mix it.

Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve with chutney, pappad

VennPongal

One of the "for sure" dish in any function and festivals esp Thai pongal( ref as harvesting festival in tamil nadu).The dish is perfect when it is "Not pressure cooked/not boiled in pans.
My granny has a spl pots...black pot with deep & heavy bottom which adds spl flavors to all the dishes she cooks in that pot.Over here....i dont have neither a pot nor a heavy pan.So I used this pressure cooking Style!
any way...let us start with it..

Ingredients:
Rice 1 cup(slightlyroasted)
Moong dha( slightlyroasted)l 1/2 cup
Ghee 4 tsp
Ginger(chopped) 1 tsp
Cumin 1 tsp
Pepper corns 1 tsp
Cashew nut(roasted in ghee) 1/4 cup
Asafotedia powder(hing) 3/4 tsp
Water:
This is the main source which gives the consistency you wish..".Grainy" consistency wont go good with pongal.So pour more water!!
If you juz pressure cook Moongdhal and Rice-quantity of water used for this dish should be slightly more tgan normal 1:2 1/2
If you happen to boil it in a deep pan then for 2 cups , pour 6 -7 cups of water

Method:
1)Wash the slightly roasted Rice and Dhal.

2)Take the pressure cooker,heat it,pour Ghee add cumin seeds,peppercorns,roast them for few seconds.

3)Now add Rice and Dhal to it, pour 4-4 1/2 cups of water,salt to taste and leave it for 4 whistles.

4)Take another small pan,heat ghee add ,curry leaves,chopped ginger,hing powder.

5)Now add to the roasted cashews and the fried spices to the cooked rice-dhal mixture.

Venn pongal is ready to be served with Chutney.