Category: Gluten free

Beans Palya:

May 10, 2020

Fresh French beans are really tasty and loaded with high fibre and nutrients. One of my twin daughters doesn’t like beans in any form and it is very tedious to make her eat this veggie. Whenever I want to cook this veggie, I surely reach out to this fool proof recipe of my mom, which is really simple with very minimal ingredients, at the same time, full of flavours of green chilli and onions. This Subzi tastes good with rice or roti.

Ingredients:

French beans – ½ kg

Onion – 1 or 2 (medium)

Green chillies – 2

Salt – as needed

Jaggery -as needed

Fresh grated coconut – 2 table spoons

Seasoning:

Coconut oil – 1 table spoon

Mustard – 1 tea spoon

Urad dal – 1 tea spoon

Cumin – ½ tea spoon

Curry leaves – 2 springs.

Method:

-Wash, remove fibre from both sides by breaking both the tops of French beans.

-Hold fistful of beans in your left hand and chop uniformly.

-Chop onions and green chilli.

-Take one thick kadai or wok, do seasoning. Heat oil, splutter mustard, add urad dal, cumin.

-When urad dal becomes red, add curry leaves, onion and green chillies and fry for a while until onion becomes transparent and glossy.

-Next add chopped beans, salt, jaggery and toss for two minutes.

-Add one cup of water, close the lid and cook this in a low fire.

-When water evaporates, if beans are yet to cook, add little extra water and cook further.

-When it is done, garnish with fresh coconut and mix this mixture. Cook further for 2 minutes and enjoy this super delicious, simple palya/ Subzi either with hot rice, Rasam or with chapati/Roti.

 

 

Vegan/ Vegetarian Thai Massaman Curry:

May 3, 2020

Massaman curry, is a wholesome, flavourful ,peanut based Thai curry. It originated from the south part of Thailand, near Malaysia. It has Red fresh masala, which includes Red chilli, whole spices, lemon grass, galangal and roasted peanuts to give a creamy texture as well as the richness of coconut flavour by adding coconut milk.

Massaman curry pairs really well with small grain rice either steamed, normal or flavoured one.

Vegetables which I have used are Broccoli, beans, capsicum and carrots. Since the lock down, I am not finding all the options due to my restricted outing. Hence, it is also proved as a non-fussy curry 😉

How I made:

For homemade Massaman Curry paste: (For single use/Serves 4)

Dried red chilli – 3 to 4 (According to the required hotness)

Whole coriander – 1 tablespoon

Cumin – ¾ tsp

Cinnamon – 1” piece

Clove – 3

Whole black pepper corns – 4

Galangal – 1” piece (you can substitute with ginger as well) 

Lemon grass bulbs – 2

Garlic cloves – 3

Shallot/ tiny onion – 1

Lemon rind – From 1 small lemon

Soy sauce – 1 tablespoon

Maple syrup / jaggery syrup – 1 tablespoon

Juice of lemon – from 1 small lemon

Roasted peanuts – ½  to ¾ cup

Method:

-Take ½ cup of water, boil and add broken red chillies , close and keep aside to soak.

-Dry roast Coriander ,cumin, whole pepper corns, clove, cinnamon until it changes colour and you feel the aroma.

-Dry roast peanuts and keep aside.

-Grate lemon rind, make it half, take out the juice from the same lemon and keep it ready.

-Slice shallot,  lemon grass bulbs, galangal ( I had my home-grown harvest, sliced and frozen)

-Now, take one mixer jar, powder peanuts, add roasted masala, soaked chilli with water, lemon rind, lemon juice, maple syrup, soy sauce, shallot ,lemon grass ,galangal and make a fine paste. Now you have a fresh homemade curry paste with you 😀

Next Comes the Easy part:

For Vegetable Massaman Curry:

Ingredients:

Massaman Curry paste – Whatever you have prepared and kept.

Vegetables of your choice – 1 bowl (Broccoli, beans, carrot, capsicum)

Shallot – 1 (sliced)

Oil – 1 tablespoon

Salt

Coconut milk –1- 1 ½  cup fresh or 1 tetra pack or 1 coconut milk powder sachet.

Method:

-Take one wok, heat oil, fry sliced onion, add washed ,cleaned veggies and fry for a while.

-Add salt and when vegetables start wilting, add prepared curry paste mix everything and fry for 2 minutes.

-Add sufficient water, allow to boil , adjust salt. Lastly add coconut milk and allow to boil once and switch off.

-Serve with choice of rice you wish to have. I normally make small grain flavoured steamed rice.

 

 

Peperomia Herb / Neer kaddi Raita :

April 10, 2020

Pepperomia Pellucida also known as Vietnams Crab claw herb. which is known as Neer kaddi/ Neer panthi in our coastal line. Even though it is known for its medicinal as well as culinary use, we never use this in cooking.

Whenever I see a Peperomia herb in my small kitchen garden, feel nostalgic by thinking about my childhood activity. During that time, we used to play with its watery stem and used to wipe our writing slate with it 😀 It is a common weed, which is shallow rooted, water filled stem and light green transparent leaves with a tiny granule kind of flowers.

Which has a peppery taste with a pleasant aroma. Entire plant is an edible and known for its medicinal properties such as anti-arthritic, diuretic as well as analgesic . It is very popular as a salad herb and here I have used it in a curd-based dish.

Ingredients:

Peperomia herb – one small bunch

Coconut oil – 1 tsp

Mustard – ½ tsp

Urad dal – ½ tsp

Hing – little

Curry leaves

Green chilli – 1

Salt

Curd

Onion – 1 (small)

Coriander leaves

Method:

-Remove root, wash and drain the herb. Chop herb, green chilli.

-Do seasoning- heat oil, splutter mustard, add urad dal and fry. Add hing, curry leaves, green chilli and fry until green chilli wilts.

-Now add chopped herb and toss until it wilts.

-Cool the mixture, add chopped onion, salt, curd , coriander leaves.

-Tastes good as a side dish with hot rice or whole wheat paratha.

 

 

Mango ginger Thokku:

March 17, 2020

Mango ginger! Yes, it is a rhizome, resembles more of a ginger and tastes like Mango sans tanginess.

It is locally known as Mangannari /mavinakai shunti in Kannada and Aam Haldi in Hindi. Mango ginger is an antioxidant, anti-fungal, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory.

In our native, it is widely used in our traditional cooking.  We usually make Chutney or Tambli and add lemon to the pickle. I’ve never tried or eaten the Thokku version. My dear friend Smitha sent me her grandmom’s recipe and asked me to prepare and post it on my blog. Heirloom recipes are very dear to my heart, and I am fortunate to get the soul-satisfying, tasty, and flavorful recipe of mango ginger Thokku.

 Ingredients:

Mango ginger – 200 – 250 grams (grated or ground to semi-coarse texture)

Hing/ Asafetida – A generous pinch (1/2 Teaspoon)

 Curry Leaves – A sprig or two

 Byadagi Red Chillies – 4 (broken into pieces)

Tamarind – the size of a big gooseberry (soak in a hot water and extract the pulp)

 Fenugreek/Methi seeds – 2 Teaspoons (Roasted and powdered)

Jaggery Powder – 1 to 2 Teaspoons

Oil – ¼ to ½ cup.

Mustard Seeds – 2 Teaspoons

Red chilli powder – 1 to 2 Tbsps.

 Salt – To taste

Turmeric Powder – 2 Teaspoons (You can use freshly grated turmeric too)

Method:

-After Washing, peel the mango ginger, grind it into a semi-coarse texture or grate it.

-Take one kadai, heat oil, splutter mustard, add hing, red chillies, curry leaves and fry.

-Add mango ginger and sauté it well. At this time, add turmeric, roasted methi powder, and red chilli powder. Mix well and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

-Add salt, jaggery and tamarind extract and cook on a low flame.

-When almost done, oil leaves on the sides and the mixture becomes a shiny mass.

 -Switch off the gas, allow it to cool and store it in a clean glass jar.

-Stays well for months. If refrigerated, it stays for a year. Just like any other Thokku. Voila! Enjoy with idli, dosa, Uppittu or steaming hot rice with a dollop of ghee or any preferred oil.

Note: If using fresh turmeric, add it with the mango ginger or halfway through.

Whether grinding or grating, the final texture will be like that of chutney… smooth. So, grind it to a coarse texture, as grating can be tedious. If cooking on low heat, occasional stirring and tossing is enough.

Tip: You can grind two green chillies along with the mango ginger. That enhances the taste. In that case, you can reduce the chilli powder by half a teaspoon and one or two dried red chillies in the tempering. Jaggery balances it and tastes Thokku to the next level.

Plantain stem curd curry/ Bale dindina pachadi :

February 19, 2020

Banana stem or Plantain stem is a rich source of fibre ,potassium and Vitamin B6 which helps to maintain a fluid balance within our body. Banana stem is diuretic which helps to detoxify our body and hence it is used extensively to treat kidney stone naturally.

Banana stem can be consumed in a raw form like Juice, Dosa ,curd based pachadi as well as plain Salad. We can make  Rasam, palya or sambar by cooking.

If you want to see a detailed pictorial guide for “How to chop Banana stem” you can refer this link .

Ingredients:

Plantain stem – 6 – 8 inch

Hing – a generous pinch

Salt

Curd – 1 cup

Green chillies – 2 to 3 ( we normally use Bird eye chillies)

Coconut oil – 1 tsp

Mustard – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – 1 spring

Method:

  • Slice plantain stem into discs, remove thread like fibre while slicing.
  • Chop the roundels into thin slices.

  • After slicing the roundels, stack 5 to 6 roundels one over the other and chop as desired. I usually make square small pieces for this salad.
  • Sprinkle salt, generous amount of hing and mix it thoroughly.
  • If you are using green chillies , chop them. If you are using bird eye chillies, use as it is.

  • Do seasoning, heat oil, splutter mustard, add chillies and curry leaves.
  • Add this seasoning over salad. Crush all the seasoning by using hand. This step would help to release the chilli flavour.
  • Add curd and mix. Serve as a side dish with Rice. It tastes good with Roti’s as well.

 

 

Instant Raw Banana Dosa:

February 4, 2020

Raw banana has been used as a baby food from ages. It contains various essential vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre as well as small amount of protein. It is very good for digestive health and people with diabetes. In our native, raw banana is an integral part of our cooking. It starts from baby food/ banana flour porridge, side dishes, curry as well as instant dosa like this. You might be wondering, how come? Raw banana usage? Indeed, there is a reason behind extensive usage. Our elders are all from agricultural background. They all were into Areca nut farming. In between Areca nut plants, there will be Banana, pepper, Cocoa and many more side crops.

Usually we use small variety banana for this dosa and not a big banana variety. This recipe which I learnt it from one of my Atthey and trust me, it is very tasty. It is quick, instant, vegan, gluten free and what not?

Let us see, how I make it –

Ingredients:

Raw small variety bananas – 9 – 10

Salt

Soaked rice or rice flour – 1 tablespoon.

Method:

-Wash, peel outer fibre or main skin of the banana and chop into bite size.

-Immerse in water and keep aside.

-If you are using soaked rice, make a paste at first, add drained banana pieces, salt and grind into smooth paste by adding sufficient water.

-Batter should not be very thin and watery. It should be like idli batter consistency.

-heat iron griddle. When it is hot, spread thin dosas, cook both the sides by pouring little ghee or oil.

-Serve with chutney or sambar.

Fresh Turmeric Gojju:

January 16, 2020

Turmeric is a  popular spice of Indian Cuisine and we normally use it in powder form almost in all the recipes. In this time of the year, we do use fresh root in our kitchen. The fragrance of the fresh raw turmeric is very different than the powder. If you haven’t tried fresh turmeric root yet, this recipe is a delicious and refreshing way to get a taste of its earthy, sweet flavour of fresh produce.

Our ancestors had a really nice way to taking care of their health . According to the season, and depending on the local produce, they used to make and consume all the goodness of the nature in a natural way.  This recipe is one of them and it is  one of the age-old recipes which I learnt from my atte .

How it is made-

Ingredients:

Fresh Turmeric rhizome – 2 pieces

Coconut – ½ cup

Coriander – 1 table sp

Urad dal – 1 tsp

White sesame seed – ½ tsp

Red chilli – 3

Tamarind – 1 tsp

Salt

Jaggery – 2 table sp

Coconut oil – 2 tablespoons

Method:

-Clean the turmeric rhizome, grate and keep it ready.

-To prepare masala: Fry coriander, urad dal, red chilli and sesame seed in little oil. Grind this with coconut, into smooth paste.

-Now take one tawa, pour oil, fry grated turmeric, add tamarind water, salt, jaggery and cook .

-When turmeric changes its colour, add ground masala. Check for the salt and jaggery.

-Boil this nicely, serve with Hot rice and ghee. It is indeed  pure bliss and oodles of goodness for your body.

 

 

Red velvet Cake :

December 20, 2019

Hey, this is Anushree here and this is my first guest post on my mom’s blog! I have been home from college for a few days now and thought I’d make something special as Christmas is coming up and my sister is coming back from college in 2 days! So, I decided to make a Red velvet cake.

Yes! You heard it right. It is not deep red in colour but filled with healthy ingredients. It is No Artificial colour and No All-purpose flour recipe. And to pull this off, I obviously needed some assistance from an expert in healthy cooking, who happens to be my mom, so that worked out great for me!

In olden days, Red velvet cake was made with All-purpose flour and Beets. Here I have used Mixed healthy flour ( Amaranth , Red rice and Almond flour) with beetroot. So, it is not a white cake with red dye.

While frosting, instead of new age cream cheese, I have opted for an original Ermine icing , which is also known as boiled milk frosting. Here, instead of All-purpose flour I have used mixture of  Almond flour and Arrowroot powder with milk to attain a creamy and flowy texture.

Here is my recipe- Fits for 9” spring foam pan.

Ingredient:

For the Cake:

Beetroot – 1 (small,  to get 3 tablespoons of puree)

Amaranth flour – 1cup

Brown rice flour – 1cup

Almond flour – ½ cup

Cocoa powder – 1 tablespoon

Cooking soda – 1 tsp

Salt – ¼ tsp

Eggs – 2

Brown Sugar – 1 ½ cup

Butter – 200 grams

Vanilla – 1 tsp

Buttermilk – 1 ¼ cup

For the Frosting:

Milk – 1 cup

Almond flour – 5 tablespoons

Arrowroot powder – 1 tablespoon

Butter – 50 grams

Sugar – ½ cup

Vanilla – 1 tsp

Desiccated coconut – as needed

Slivered Almonds – As needed

Method:

To Bake the cake:

-Pre heat oven for 180° C . Line the baking tray and keep it ready.

-Cook Beetroot in a pressure pan for 2 to 3 whistles, peel the skin and grate.

-Measure every ingredient and keep it ready. Melt butter and keep aside.

-Take a mixer jar, make a paste of grated beet with ¼ cup of buttermilk ,which we have kept for the batter preparation.

-Take one glass bowl, beat eggs, then sugar, melted butter ,pureed beetroot, vanilla and lastly one cup of buttermilk.

-Beat everything until it is well mixed and keep aside.

-Now take one more bowl, put all the dry ingredients, all the three flours, cocoa powder, salt and cooking soda. Sieve couple of times or dry whisk and keep it ready.

–Pour the previously prepared wet mixture to dry ingredients and fold the batter by using any spatula.

-Pour the batter in lined baking tray and keep this for baking for 40 -50  minutes or until done.

-Before removing, check with a knife by inserting, in the baked cake. It should come out clean.

-Cool the cake completely before doing the frosting part.

Method for Frosting:

-Take milk ,Almond flour and Arrowroot powder in a saucepan. Boil the mixture until it is cooks and becomes creamy.

-Switch off the flame, add in butter ,sugar and Vanilla, mix well. Cool the mixture and keep it in the fridge to cool further making it more solid. ( I have not kept in the fridge)

-Now, slice the cake, make a 2-equal slice, Apply the frosting on first layer and cover it with the second slice.

-Now pour frosting on the top, as well as apply at the sides as well. Take desiccated coconut and dust at the top as well as at the sides.

-Decorate the cake with slivered almonds and serve and enjoy with the family <3

Note: 

For Egg less version, please use any egg replacer or 

Flax gel:The basic ratio is 2 ½ tsp of flax seed powder and three tablespoons of  hot water  and then you simply whisk in the mixture until it becomes gelatinous  to replace one egg.

Seven cup Burfi :

November 29, 2019

I am celebrating my blog’s 3rd Anniversary, what more reason do we need to celebrate than this? Presenting  one of the easiest sweets which can be prepared in a jiffy and with a straightforward. It is very easy to follow, no hassles of  making sugar syrup and worrying about its consistency. I must say, it is a beginner’s recipe, which is pretty simple, straight forward and hassle free. Mix everything, start making and at the end, be vigilant while achieving the right consistency and follow the notes, whatever I have listed. Even if you messed up a little, no worries, it would turn out delicious. If it is under done, it would be fudgy and if it is overdone, it would be like sweet granules. 😀

Ingredients:

Besan /Bengal gram four – 1 cup

Milk – 1 cup

Ghee – 1 cup

Fresh grated coconut – 1 cup

Sugar – 3 cups ( I normally put 2 ¾ cup)

Method:

-Take one thick bottomed kadai, add everything from Besan to sugar.

-Switch on the gas. Fire should be kept at low flame and you should continue stirring without removing your hand.

-After 10 to 15 minutes you will see the changes and mixture will become bubbly and shiny.

-Now it is the time to add cardamom powder and be vigilant. It will be ready in any moment from now.

-When it is done, mixture will leave the sides, base and sides of the vessel will become light brown or sometimes we see the ghee separating and oozing out from the bubbles. (these are the indications to remove)

-Now pour this mixture to a greased vessel, don’t touch or press after pouring, leave as it is.

-Cool it for about 5 min and mark the lines by using a sharp knife.

-Once it is completely cooled (it takes anywhere between 2 to 3 hours), invert the plate on another plate or by keeping butter paper. It needs some knocking at the base because air bubbles would restrict the easy exit.

–   Remove gently, break all the pieces and store it in an airtight container.

Your 7 cup Burfi is ready to serve!

 

 

 

Idli soup /Side dish for Idlies :

November 23, 2019

Idli dunked in hot dhal is known as Idli soup. Which is an ideal breakfast, especially when you are not well and craving for a soothing meal. It is one of our favourites too.

Here dhal is made by mixing Toor as well as Green gram / moong dal.

Ingredients:

Toor dal – ¾ cup

Moong dal – ¼ cup

Turmeric – ½ tsp

Ghee – 1 tablespoon

Mustard – 1 tsp

Cumin – ½ tsp

Hing – ¼ tsp

Curry leaves – 1 spring

Ginger julienne – 1 tsp

Green chillies – 2 to 4

Onion – 1 Small ( chopped )

Tomato – 1 small (chopped)

Lemon – (optional)

Method:

-Wash both the dals, cook by adding turmeric and water, mash and keep aside.

-Do seasoning: Heat ghee, splutter mustard, cumin, hing, curry leaves, green chillies, ginger, onion  and fry for a while.

-Add chopped tomato and fry further. Add mashed dhal, sufficient water ,salt, boil for a while.

-Garnish with coriander as well as little lime juice and serve with idlies .

Note:

-This dhal should be a little thin in consistency.

-Dunk idlies with soup and enjoy.