Healthy & Filling Barley Khichdi

Khichdi is always a comforting food.When you are in hurry and want to make one pot meal khichdi always comes first in mind.It has nutritional values as well. Traditional khichdi is made of rice,dal (lentils) and vegetables.

 

 Here I substituted rice with barley and gave a whole new dimensions to traditional .khichdi. This way a one more recipe with whole grain which can be included in our diet ,Including whole grain in our diet is anyway is a very good habbit.According to Wiki

Barley contains eight essential amino acids.^[46] According to a 2006 study, eating whole-grain barley can regulate blood sugar (i.e. reduce blood glucose response to a meal) for up to 10 hours after consumption compared to white or even whole-grain wheat, which have similar glycemic indices.^[47] The effect was attributed to colonic fermentation of indigestible carbohydrates.

For more info on this Healthy grain visit the link below-
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=127


Hmmn.. So now comes the recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 tbsp butter or ghee
¼ tsp cumin seeds
1/8 teaspoon asafetida
2 dry red chili,  Optional
½ onion, minced
1 small tomato, chopped finely
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ cup pearled barley
¼  cup yellow moong dal or toor dal

 cilantro for garnishing

Papad,Pickle,Yogurt to serve along

Method

Soak barley in warm water for at least two hours ,the more the better.soak dal for at least half an hour too.

 Heat ghee in a pressure cooker Add the cumin seeds,  asafetida and  stir for 30 seconds.

 Then add onions. saute on medium heat till the onions are soft .

 Add  tomatoes, and cook till they are soft.

 Add turmeric,soaked and washed barley and moong  dal. Stir for a few seconds. Add 3 cups of water and salt.

 Bring the water to a boil.put lid on the pressure cooker,let two whistle come and Then reduce heat to low,, and let it simmer till the barley is cooked,about  15 minutes.  If you want the barley to be softer, cook it longer.But  add water if needed, 1/2 cup at a time.(check after 15 minutes if you want to further cook  your barley in khichdi)

7. Taste the khichdi and adjust salt if needed. Serve hot with papad ,pickle and yogurt on side.

Baked Yogurt (Bhapa Doi)

This baked yogurt or Bhapa doi needs no introduction ,specially in Bengali households.You can call it Bengali cheesecake.It is same in texture like cheesecake.Very tasty and very easy to put together too. Traditionally this recipe is a cake which is made by steaming sweetened thick yogurt.But in our modern kitchen to simplify the process we bake the yogurt in water to give the same taste and texture to this delicious dessert.

For the traditionally  baked yogurt they use earthen pots to serve it .In our kitchen we can use any ovenproof dish or ramekins to make single serve portions.Since i did not have ramekins and wanted to make mine in single serve portions ,I made these single serve aluminium foil cups.We Indians are always good in 'JUGAAD'.Although I was very much skeptical before using my foil cups but they really worked well and solved my purpose.

Ingredients

500 gms  Yogurt (hung yogurt or Greek yogurt)

 1 can or 394gms Condensed Milk

4 Green Cardamons (powdered)

Few strands of Saffron

1 -2 tbsp milk 

few pistachios and chirongi nuts to garnish

Method

• Preheat the oven to 190 C or 350 degree F.
• Soak saffron strands in warm milk and keep aside.
• Meantime, mix yogurt and condensed milk in a bowl and mix well with a whisk until smooth.
• Add cardamon powder in yogurt mixture along with saffron infused milk.
• Pour this yogurt mixture into 6 ramekins or an oven safe dish.I used my foil cups.
• In a big baking tray, place these ramekins and fill it with hot water until 2/3 of the ramekins are inserted in the water.
• Carefully place the baking tray with the ramekins in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes in a preheated oven.
• Bake it until the toothpick or knife inserted comes out clean.  Mine took 18  minutes,   Once done remove them from the oven.
• Let the Bhapa doi cool for 10 – 15 minutes.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.  This dessert  should be chilled before serving.Garnish it with nuts when ready to serve.

Bombay street Food -Pav Bhaji T&T from Nupur's Blog

Well who is not familiar of famous Pav bhaji of Nupur in blogging world.I also came across with her Pav bhaji recipe,although pav bhaji is not new for me ,its a kind of staple food in my house .but my recipe is slightly different from hers (anyways that is the story of some other day).I just followed her recipe as it is one difference i did was i added some chopped carrots as well and it came out so so good mmmmmm.........
Actually a nice change from my kind of bhaji so now i have two different recipes of making bahji.
I tried this recipe from One Hot Stove ,so you can just follow the link and try it out,its just yummy..... 

I am sending it to Priya's  Bookmarked recipes-every Tuesday event.

Bari-Dried Lentil Dumplings -ICC July Challenge

This month Indian Cooking Challenge is baris which are made of urad dal ,actually i wanted to try them since so long but just out of laziness i did not try it so far but when srivalli gave this as a challenge ,i tried it out and it came out perfect .The only thing i was thinking before is sunlight but its summer here so just on a sunny a day i tried my hand on it in my Patio itself and for me it took 2 full sunny days to dry it completely.So here is the recipe how I made them.

Ingredients

Urad dal- 2 cups
Bottle gourd - 1 big size (I used bottle gourd in place of ash gourd)
Green chillies- 3-4
Ginger-2 inch piece
Coriander seeds-4 tbsp(coarsely ground)
Coriander Leaves-1bunch (cleaned and finely chopped)
Fennel seed-4 tbsp
Black pepper seeds - 25-30 (coarsely ground)
Red chilly  flakes - about 5-6 tbsp
Cloves - 8-9 nos (coarsely ground)
Cumin seeds - 4-6 tbsp
Nutmeg- 3-4 tbsp (freshly grated)
Asafetida -2tbsp

Method-

1- Grind dry Urad dal in a blender coarsely.
2-Add water about half inch above the level of dal and soak it for couple of hours (about 5-6 hours or overnite)
3-Peel and grate bottle gourd and drain out excess water from it,  keep it aside.
4-grate ginger and chop green chillies very finely.
5-Now add grated bottle gourd,ginger ,green chillies and coriander leaves to the batter of dal and mix it vigorously to incorporate air in the batter ,so that baris will be fluffy and light.
6-Now add all spices in this mixer and mix them well.It should be of dropping consistency like pakoda mixer (add little water if needed).
7-Grease a plate or tray with little oil.
8-Place small blob of this batter about 1 inch apart in tray.
9-Place them in sunlight and let them completely dry and hard.
10-Store them in a airtight container and use as required.

Note- 1- I made two kinds of baris the above which i mentioned above are masala baris and the other one is plain (only with dal no masala at all) ,so that if i need little less spicy i will combine both badis in the same amount to adjust the heat of my dish.

There are two dishes with baris in my blog one is Wadi ka paani and other is aloo wadiyan .same you can use them in many different dishes.

Chokha (Eggplant & potato )

Today i am going to share a traditional recipe with you all.Simply speaking, chokha, as they call it in Bihar, is a rustic dish of veggies cooked and coarsely mashed, topped with fresh flavourings like green chillies and garlic, and a drizzle of mustard oil. It can be eaten hot or cold.Mainly Chokha of eggplant and potato use to serve as side with Litti,Very simlar to Baati in Rajasthan in India but littis are stuffed Baatis.It is easy and quick to make and it has distinguish flavor of its own.So try it with Litti ,baati or just as a part of your meal as side and give me your Feedback.......


Ingredients-

Eggplant -1 (big one)
Pototo-1 (Medium size ,boiled)
Onion - 1 (small) (Finely chopped)
Tomato-1/2 (small)(finely chopped) optional
Green chillies -1-2 (according to taste) (finely chopped)
Garlic cloves- 1-2 pods (Finely chopped or crushed)
Ginger -1/2 inch piece (Finely chopped)
salt to taste
Mustard oil 1 tbsp (must)
Red chilly powder- 1/2 tsp
Garam masala- 1/4 tsp
Lemon juice -3-4 drops (optional)
Cilantro -(chopped)

Method-

1-Wash eggplant and wipe it ,prick it with the help of a fork and rub some oil on it.
2-Now there are two ways to cook eggplant for this recipe one is in Microwave which is quick and one is in conventional oven which will take little longer time ,i am giving both ways here ---

Microwave Method--Put the whole eggplant in a microwave safe dish and cook it for about 8-10 minutes or till tender.

Oven Method-Preheat the oven at 400 degrees ,put the eggplant in a shallow bowl or on cookie sheet and bake it for about 45-50 minutes ,turn often after every 10 minutes.

3-Let eggplant cool off slightly and peel off the skin and mash it well.
4-Peel and mash boiled potato and add it to eggplant.
5- Add all chopped vegetables excluding garlic.
6-Add salt ,red chilly and garam masala.
7-Heat mustard oil and let it come to smoking point,switch off the heat and add crushed garlic and add it to Chokha.
8-Add Lemon juice if required ,garnish it with chopped cilantro and serve.


I am sending it to Side Dish Showdown Event by Cinnamon Girl .

Naan Khatai

I think we all are aware of Naan khatai ,these sweet biscuits with butter and cardamom are divine.First of all these are eggless biscuits and tasty too.I was looking for traditional naan khatai recipe since so long and I found it in Manjulas kitchen .com .I followed her recipe as it is and it turned out awesome ,my whole kitchen filled with sweet aroma of butter and cardamom .I am giving written recipe here but if you want you can check out the video at Manjulas kitchen.com.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup fine  semolina
• 1/2 cup gram flour
• Pinch of baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon green cardamom seeds 
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp almond silvers

Method-

1-Mix all purpose flour,gram flour,semolina ,baking powder and cardamom seeds (reserve some ) and set aside.

2-Beat sugar and butter in a bowl till creamy and light.

3-Preheat the oven at 375 degrees F.

4-Add flour mixer and sugar  mixer together and knead it gently to form a dough.

5-Grease the baking tray with little butter.

6-Divide the dough into equal size and garnish them with cardamom seeds and almond silvers.(press garnishing  a little bit so that it will stick)

7-Bake them in preheated oven for about 15-16 minutes (check every minute after 10 minutes) till lightly golden brown.

8-Let them cool down and enjoy...............

Indian spicy crackers

All time hit,spicy crackers which is fit for anytime munching .Perfect for take along for travel and picnics and can be store for more than a month.

Ingredients,

All purpose flour - 1 cup
Semolina -1/4 cup
 oil-       4-5 tbsp
red chilli powder- 1 tsp
carom seeds- 1/2 tbsp
salt to taste
onion seeds (kalongi)-1/2 tsp (optional)
oil for deep frying

Method-

1-Combine all the ingredients except oil for frying and make a stiff dough.

2-Let it sit for 15-20 minutes.

3-Knead it well again and make 3-4 equal size balls and roll one by one  and cut it into wedges.

4-Heat oil in a deep pan and fry these wedges on medium low heat for about 10-15 minutes or till golden brown.

5-Let them cool and store in a air tight container ,serve with pickle any type of chutney . 

Microwave Sweet Saffron rice (Zarda)

Sweet Rice is a traditional dish of festivals in our house.My grandmother use to make it on 'Basant Panchmi' festival mainly.she use to make it in her own traditional way(on stove top),but i tried it in my Microwave and it came out perfectly well.Microwave sweet rice is a easy,quick one pot meal ,a perfect dessert after any meal .  

The look and smell of saffron rice is delicious and tempting. It can be serve  cold or warm. (we like it warm)

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup basmati  rice
2 tbsp ghee or butter
1  cup water
2 tbsp milk
1/4cup sugar or more
Few  saffron threads
1/2 teaspoon coarsely crushed cardamom seeds
3 tbsp  pistachios,Melon seeds,and cashews and almonds (few for garnishing)
10-14 raisins 
 1/2 tsp turmeric

Method-

1-Soak rice in water for at least 1/2 hour.

2-soak saffron threads and turmeric in milk and keep aside.

3-Cook rice in microwave with water for 10 minutes,stir occasionally after every 2-3 minutes.

4-Strain access water (if any)  and leave rice for 10 minutes.

5-Add saffron-turmeric  milk and microwave for 2 minutes.

6-Now add sugar and cardamon and microwave for 2-3 more minutes.

7-Add ghee or butter along with all dry fruits and microwave it for one more minute.

8-Sweet Saffron rice is ready,serve it warm or cold by garnishing it with few more dry fruits on top.  

                                                                                                                   

                                                         

Kadhi pakoda

Today I am going to give you the recipe of Kadhi pakora which is particularly a Punjabi recipe but there are so many different ways and varieties of making this dish.All time favorite in our house and I am eating it since my childhood...my grand mom then mom and now mom in law ,everybody have their own recipe of making kadhi ,and surprisingly the taste of the dish every time comes out different and awesome....

When it comes to make North Indian style of Kadhi I always make the U.P.type which does not have vegetables added to the pakoras. It goes best with hot phulkas and white rice. so here goes the recipe..

Ingredients:

Kadhi:

• 1 cup yogurt
• 2/3 cup gram flour (besan)
• 6 cups water
• 2 tbsp ghee or butter
• Pinch of asafetida
• 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 4 whole red chilies
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of citric acid or tatri if needed

For Pakoda

• 3/4 cup  Gram flour
• About 2/3 cup water
• A pinch of salt
• A pinch of soda if needed
• oil for frying

 Method (pakoda)

1. Mix gram flour with about 2/3 cup of water and mix well until  smooth.
2. Whip the gram flour batter using a spoon or whisk in a circular motion for about 2-3 minutes. Batter will become light and fluffy add salt.
3. Heat  oil in a flat pan. The oil should be about 1/2 inch deep.
4. Place about 1 tablespoon of batter into the oil.
5.  Batter should not be covered with oil. This will allow the pakoras to expand. The pakoras will be softer if they are shallow fried.(if you feel pakoras are not soft enough then add a pinch of soda ti the better )
6. Fry the pakoras in small batches. Fry the pakoras until golden-brown.

Kadhi:

1. Beat the yogurt. Mix in 2/3 cup of gram flour and turmeric. Mix until there are no lumps. Add 3 cups of water slowly and mix well.
2. Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the asafetida, fenugreek seeds, and cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds crack, add  whole red chilies, and red chili powder. Stir for a few seconds.
3. Add the yogurt mixture and keep stirring until the kadhi comes to a boil.
4. Add 3 cups of water and let it boil and turn the heat to medium low. Stir occasionally and let the kadhi cook for  1/2 hour. When the kadhi is cooked, add salt.
5. Add pakoras to kadhi in the end and let it cook for near about 4-5 more minutes.
6. Serve hot with little bit of ghee and red chili tadka.

Note--  1- Add salt only after curd and gram flour mixer comes to a boil ,it will prevent the curd from being curled.  

2- The pakoras in kadhi should be soft for this whisk the gram flour well.

                                                                                                         

Sooji Halwa/Sheera (Semolina pudding)

I think this is a universal sweet. Everybody likes one or the other version of it.For us it is best as Prasad (offerings) .

Namewise, its called as Sheera/Sanja (Konkani), Kesari Baath (in Bangalore-Kannada, it should be bhath, not Baath though. I wonder why it is called ‘bhath’ because as far as I know ‘bhath’ means rice) and Sooji Halwa.Here is the recipe

-

Ingredients:

•1/2 cup sooji ( semolina flour)

•1/4 cup ghee or unsalted butter

•1/2  cup sugar or little less

•1 1/2cup water

•Pinch of cardamom powder

•some sliced almonds,cashews,raisin and melon seeds (optional) for garnishing
 
 
Method
 
 
1-.Melt the butter in a frying pan on medium heat.


2-.Add sooji and roast to golden brown color; stirring constantly this will take about 5 to 8 minutes. Sooji will be golden brown in color and will have a light sweet aroma.

3-Turn the heat on low and add water slowly ,Let it come to a boil.(stir constantlly)

4-After it add sugar and let it boil .

5-Turn down the heat to medium low and let it cook for about 2-3 minutes and add cardamom powder.


6-Garnish and serve hot or cold.


Note-
  Sooji will absorb the water, as the Halwa cools so keep Halwa a little more softer than you want.

wadi ka paani

This recipe is a traditional recipe of north India.you can serve it with tadka dal and rice as side.its a kind of soup goes well as side dish.I like to add little more cumin seeds to this dish becoz the taste of cumin seeds blends well in this dish and give it a very nice taste.


Ingredients:

Masala wadi -- 3-4
plain wadi-- 3-4
Cumin seed-- 1/2tbsp(i like to add 1 tbsp)
Turmeric powder--1/2 tbsp
dry mango powder--1 tbsp
salt to taste
oil --1/2 tsp
cilantro leaves for garnishing


Method-

1-Break both kind of wadis into pieces.
2-Add oil in pressure cooker ,heat and roast wadis till golden brown,take them out.
3-Add cumin seed in remaining oil let it splutter.
4-Add turmeric powder,roasted wadis,salt and water.
5-pressure cook for near about 15-20 minutes on medium heat.
6-Add dry mango powder ,garnish with cilantro and serve piping hot.


Note--1-- you can get wadis in Indian grocery stores.
           2-- Good for cough and cold as rasam in south indian cuisine.
           3-- you can use lemon juice in place of dry mango powder.
          4-- No need to add any other spice because masala wadis have all spice in itself.


I am sending this to SARA's Cooking with Seeds - Cumin Seeds event.