METHI BELL PEPPER RICE , how to make fresh fenugreek and bell peppers rice

A rice variety which has the nutrient rich methi leaves and bell peppers!
Please look at the other rice varieties I have posted so far
*Methi leaves are highly beneficial in treating liver problems
*Methi leaves reduce cholesterol
*Methi leaves control diabetes
*Shield the body against many chronic diseases
* Methi leaves reduce blemishes and skin marks

Ingredients

Basmati rice - 1 cup

Onion - 1, chopped

Green bell pepper - 1/2, chopped

Red bell pepper - 1/2, chopped

Fresh peas - 1/2 cup

Fresh methi - 3 small bundles, chopped

Salt to taste

To grind

Tomatoes - 2, chopped

Red chillies - 4-5

Jeera - 1 tsp

Cardamoms - 3

Cinnamon 2-3 pieces

To season

Oil and ghee mixed - 3 tbsps

Jeera - 1 tsp

Recipe cuisine: Indian; Category: Lunch/dinner

Prep time: 10 mts; Rice soaking time: 15 mts; Cooking time: 20 mts

Serves 3

All veggies cut and kept ready

Tomatoes, red chillies, cardamom, cinnamon and jeera ready to be ground

Ground to a smooth paste

Jeera seasoned in 3 tbsps oil and ghee mixed

Onions added and sauteed

Peas, methi leaves and bell peppers added

Now the ground paste

The soaked and drained basmati added, along with salt to taste

13/4 cups of hot water added, cooked lid closed.

When steam comes out, flames turned to the lowest, vent closed with a small cup and cooked for 10 minutes. You can , alternatively, cook for 2 whistles too. I always prefer this, because it is the safest.

This rice with lot of flavors, served with Triveni raita

PLUM SMOOTHIE, how to make a very healthy plum and yogurt based smoothie

PLUMS....

Known as one of The World's Healthiest foods!!!!

Plums

* Antioxidant properties

*Reduce obesity

*Control diabetes

*Prevent osteoporosis

*Improve cognition

*Maintain healthy nervous system

*Boost immunity

*Regulate cholesterol level

*Boost cellular health

*Eliminate anxiety

*Relieve influenza symptoms

*Help during pregnancy

*Good for eye sight and skin

*Prevent blood clotting

And curds/yogurt t is highly probiotic, and ginger is good for digestion, and what more we need??? 

Ingredients

Plums - 10-12

Curds - 3 cups

Ground ginger - 3/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Brown sugar - 1 tsp

Few mint leaves for garnishing

Recipe cuisine : Indian; Category: Chilled beverage

Prep time: 10 mts; Cooking time: Nil

Yields 3-4 glasses of smoothie

Plums , only seeds removed, and with skin, chopped and loaded into blender jar, and sugar and salt added

All blended well

Now, curds added, and blended once again

Chill and serve, with a sprig of mint leaf

This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com

BOONDI LADDOOS, how to make boondi laddoos

Unplanned sweet!!!!
I hadn't even thought of making this!!!
Was talking with my manni /bhabhi/sister in law,  who is an expert in cooking, and she told me, day before yesterday she made laddoos. I told her, I haven't made so far, she gave me the exact measurements, and lo!!! within an hour, I finished making these!
Now after making these, I have come to a conclusion:
This is the most economical sweet we can think of, ww do not have to buy butter, paneer, condensed milk or milk powder.......
All ingredients are readily available at home, and I am so happy, they have come out very well too!
I did not add any extra artificial food colors, which aren't good for health. So, it is just the color of saffron and besan. And of course, a pinch turmeric powder.....

Ingredients

Besan - 1 cup

Sugar - 1 cup

Water - 1/2 cup for the sugar syrup

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Baking powder - a pinch

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Saffron - a few strands

Ghee - 2 tsps

Broken cashews - 10-12

Enough oil to make the boondis

Recipe cuisine: South Indian; Category: Indian sweets; festival delicacy

Prep time: 10 mts; Cooking time: 30-40 mts

Yields small sized 17-18 laddoos

Besan flour taken, turmeric powder and baking powder, both just a pinch, added

Enough water added and whisked to a smooth dosa batter consistecy. Batter should be flowy, not too thick, not too thin. If it's thin, boondis will be flat, they won't look good, and if it's thick, boondis will have tails😊

In a small pan, roast the cashews in 2 tsps ghee, and keep aside

1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water kept on medium flames

This is my boondi plate, very very good

Sugar starts boiling, and when it reaches 1 string consistency, switch off the stove. You can see, side by side oil also getting heated on low flames.

Add saffron and cardamom powder to the syrup

As you make sugar syrup itself, keep oil in low flames, after switching off the syrup, make the flames high for this kadai, pour 1 ladle batter, with another ladle, you can gently , in circular motions, rub in the batter, so that small droplets will fall into the hot oil. Boondis did not become flat neither did they develop tails, If tails come, please add some more water, if they are flat, add in some more besan.

Another very very important tip is, after every batch, you need to wash the boondi plate and wipe it dry.

The boondis need not become very crisp, because to take in the syrup they will require longer time. As the boondis are done, strainght from this pan, you can put them over the syrup, and mix.

Boondis done, added to the syrup, and the roasted cashews with ghee too added, all mixed well, mashed well with a masher or ladle, and keep it covered for about 10 minutes, so that boondis will get soaked well and become soft.

When the mixture becomes bearably warm, please mash it nicely with hands, as if mashing rasam saadham or curd rice.

I did not even have to grease my hands, laddoos were perfect in texture, made small laddoos.

This post first came in www.malpatskitchen.com

OMA MURUKKU, how to make ajwain murukku

Here is another signature recipe of my maternal home!!!
Always my mom and sister used to make this for Deepavali, and effortlessly they used to make!
My heart is filled with thoughts about them both as and when I make these today....
And being a special recipe of my mother, I would certainly like to document it for the posterity!!!

Ingredients

Besan - 1 cup

Rice flour - 1 cup

Omam/ajwain - 1 tsp

Hing powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Butter - 1 tbsp

Ghee - 2 tsps

Enough oil to fry these

Recipe cuisine: South Indian; Category: Savory snacks

Prep time: 10-15 mts; Cooking time: Half an hour for this batch

Yields around 23-24  murukkus

Butter, ghee and ajwain taken in a bowl

With the palm of your hand, you must rub it nicely in circular motions. Just imagine, there is no cooking soda or baking powder for these murukkus! 

Measured besan, rice flour, hing powder and salt to taste added

Just by sprinkling water little by little, a nice dough is made, not too hard, not too loose

On the back side of a spatula, make murukku like this with the single star plate. 

At a time we can make 2 or 3 and keep ready to drop into the hot oil

Dropped into the hot oil, flames on medium. While dropping into the oil, we need to take care, the spatula should not touch the oil...I am imagining my mom's voice saying that...even if some oil splashes on it, it is better to keep a paper towel nearby and wipe it then and there. Otherwise, next time, the murukku won't fall into the oil, some portions may get stuck to the spatula

Flipped over carefully.

Taken and drained on a paper towel inside a colander

The very tasty and yummy murukkus ready!!!!

This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com

SABUDHANA VADAS, how to make crunchy sago vadas

This is a festival delicacy, this can be eaten during Vrat/fasting also.
Sabudana:
*provides lot of energy, that is the reason for it being a Vrat-time food
*Aids muscle growth and strengthens bones
*Lowers blood pressure
*Improves digestion
*Prevents stomach related problems, like, gas, bloating and constipation
*Contains zero cholesterol and promotes heart health
*Good for expectant mothers since it fights birth defects
*Non allergic in nature
Please check my sabudana khichdi and sabudhana kheer

Ingredients

Sabudhana - 1/2 cup, soaked in water for 4-5 hours, till they swell up in size and become soft, then drained

Potato - 2, medium sized, boiled and mashed

Peanuts - 1/4 cup, dry roasted and coarsely powdered

Green chillies - 5-6, ground

Ginger - 1 small piece, grated or ground

Coriander leaves - 1 big heap, chopped

Jeera - 1 tsp

Lemon juice - 1 tbsp

Brown/white sugar - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil to fry the vadas

Recipe cuisine: Indian; Category: Snack, neivedhyam, starters

Soaking time: 4-5 hours; Prep time: 10 mts; Cooking time: 20 -30 mts

Yields 6-8 vadas

Sago/sabudhana washed well and soaked

Potato boiled and mashed

To the boiled and mashed potatoes, salt, green chilli-ginger pastes, peanut powder, and salt to taste added

Chopped coriander added

Lemon juice

Sabudhana has swelled up, soft when you crush

Sabudhana added, and 1 tsp brown sugar too

Kadai heated with oil, vadas shaped, flattened and added and fried to golden color

Kept in the colander

Served with tomato ketchup. Green chutney is also a good side for this snack

This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com