Garlic-Coriander Pull Apart Rolls for Blog Hop

Well... I have to admit. I almost missed this Blog Hop due to various reasons. I really liked Renuka's blog - with whom I am paired for this month. I just didn't have the time to do anything.

Then yesterday (Tuesday), I got back from work and decided to make Garlic Pull Apart rolls. It was really nice but I will be adding more filling into it next time and maybe go easy on the flour.

I loved a few pasta dishes from her blog that I have bookmarked and will definitely make them soon. Also note that I have written this post in a hurry. So it has very less write up.

Ingredients


For the Dough
2 Cups Plain Flour
1.5 tsp Dry Active Yeast
0.5 Cup Warm Water
1 tsp Sugar
3 - 4 tsp Oil
0.5 tsp Salt


For the Filling
3 tbsp Salted Butter
5 Big Garlic Cloves - grated / minced
2 handfuls Chopped Coriander
Chilli Flakes to taste (optional)

Method

1. Activate the yeast by  mixing it with water and sugar and leaving it in a warm place till it froths.
2. Mix the Flour and Salt and make a well in between.
3. Now add the Yeast & water mixture and knead into a dough adding oil in the process.
4. Leave the dough to double in quantity.
5. In the meantime, mix all the ingredients for the filling and keep it a side.
6. When the dough has doubled up, punch it down and give it another knead.
7. Divide this into 2 equal parts and roll each part separately to a thin layer.
8. Now spread the filling on each part and roll it up like a swiss roll.
9. Cut it into the desired size and bake it in a pre heated oven at 180^oC for 25 to 30 mins.
10. Serve Hot.

This goes to the following events:

Radhika's Blog Hop Wednesdays #18
Kalyani's Magic Mingle #6
Radhika's I Love Baking

Rajma / Red Kidney Beans Masala

Do any of you have Whatsapp on your smart phones? It is an instant messenger available on almost all the Operating Systems(OS) of the smart phones. You need to pay for some OSes and its free on some OSes. I am in love with this app as this allows me to stay in touch with my friends & cousins who are scattered in different parts of the world.

Its like texting - only, this uses wi-fi / 3g to send & receive messages. You can stay in touch through email & phone as well. But I feel this is very convenient as its with me all the time.

I have never bought apps till date. I have an Android phone and this app is free for a year on Android. So this July / August when this app expires, this will be the first app I'll be buying. I personally feel its totally worth it and I would recommend this to anyone and everyone.

OK. Why am I going on and on about this app when the title of the post is Rajma Masala? I got this recipe from my friend over Whatsapp. She's a very dear friend of mine. I lost touch once she moved to Delhi. There would be an odd email now and then (most of the time it was from her) but that was it.

Then I asked her if she has Whatsapp and she replied "Yes". I am in constant touch with her ever since and she gave me this recipe when I wanted a simple Rajma dish. I made this before my in-laws visited us and all of us liked it a lot. Thanks Pia for this wonderful recipe.

Serves: 4 - 5

Ingredients
1 cup Dry Rajma / Red Kidney Beans - soaked over night
1 Onion - finely chopped
3 Tomatoes - finely chopped
1 Green Chilli - finely chopped
1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1 tsp Shahjeera / Caraway Seeds
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
3 cups Water
2 tbsp Oil
Salt to Taste
Chopped Coriander Leaves to garnish

Method

1. Heat Oil in a pressure cooker. When hot, add the Shahjeera / caraway seeds and let them sizzle.
2. Now add the Onions and Chilli and fry till golden brown.
3. Next add the Ginger & Garlic pastes and fry till the raw smell goes.
4. Add the Salt, Turmeric Powder and Coriander Powder and fry for a few seconds.
5. Now add the Tomatoes and fry till the masala comes together.
6. Add the Rajma and mix well.
7. Add 1 cup water and cook covered (without the pressure / whistle) for about 10 minutes.
8. Now add the other 2 cups of water and cook (with pressure / whistle) till tender. (It took about 3 whistles).
9. Let the pressure go down, open and boil till desired consistency.
10. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice / roti.

This goes to the following events:
 MLLA#47 started by Susan and guest hosted by Priya.
Show me your HITS started by Sangee and guest hosted by Julie.

 

Pudhina Paneer Pulao / Mint Cottage Cheese Pulao

Kalyani hosts Magic Mingle every month. The concept seems very simple. She chooses 2 magic ingredients every month and posts them on her blog on the 5^th of every month. We need to prepare a dish using both the ingredients (as main ingredients - not as garnishing or tempering) and post it on our respective blogs by the 15^th of the same month.

Quiet simple you might think; just as I thought when I joined the event. The combinations she has chosen so far are totally new to me. Thinking about the dishes I can make with the combination has been pushing me out of my comfort zone. I am glad I joined this event as all the dishes I have made till date have been appreciated by P.

This month's dish was no exception. Mint and Paneer were the Magic Ingredients. A completely new combination for me. As Paneer was one of the main ingredients, I thought I'll make an Indian dish and settled on pulao. P liked it the moment he took his first bite. I have learnt that the addition of mint to a simple pulao can completely change its taste and give a more biryani like flavour. Well, this is not biryani in the true sense; its still pulao.

Serves: 3 - 4

Ingredients
1.5 cups Basmati Rice - washed thoughly and soaked for atleast 20 minutes
1 cup packed Mint Leaves - washed
200 gms Paneer - chopped into 1 cm cubes
2 Green Chillies
1 Onion - chopped
1 tsp Ginger Paste
1 tsp Garlic Paste
1 tsp Shahjeera / Caraway Seeds
1 Bay Leaf
2 Green Cardamoms
2 Cloves
1 inch piece Cinnamon
2 tbsp Oil
3 cups water + a little bit more to puree if needed
Salt to taste

Method

1. Puree the Mint Leaves and Green Chillies to an almost smooth paste adding little water if necessary.
2. Heat the Oil in a pan. When hot, add the Bay Leaf, Green Cardamoms, Cloves and Cinnamon and fry for about half a minute.
3. Add the Shahjeera and let it sizzle.
4. Now add the Onion and let it turn transparent.
5. Add the Ginger and Garlic paste and fry till the raw smell goes.
6. Add the Mint - Chilli paste and fry for a few minutes till the raw smell goes.
7. Add the Paneer and fry for 3 - 4 minutes.
8. Drain the rice and add it to the pan and fry for 5 minutes.
9. Add 3 cups water and bring to boil.
10. Cover and cook till rice is done.
11. Serve hot with Raita or plain curd / yoghurt.

This goes to Kalyani's Magic Mingle #5 - Mint & Cottage Cheese

Microwave Chivda for Bloghop

When Radhika sent a mail with this month's Blog Hop pairs, I was really pressed for time. I wasn't even sure if I could make something in time from Nayna’s blog. Though I loved most of her recipes, due to time constraints, I chose her Microwave Chivda. It looked very easy to prepare. And I wasn't wrong in my judgement.

I usually use the microwave to boil the potatoes, beetroot and heat up stuff. This was the first ever complete "dish" I prepared in the microwave. Due to this, I couldn't judge my microwave properly and my peanuts were still a bit "kacha" (raw). But I know my mistake now and will adjust the time / method next time. I will update this post then.

I omitted the chillies as I didn't want V to bite into a chilli seed. I added only peanuts as I didn't have the roasted almonds and cashews in my pantry. The end result of the whole dish was very tasty. Its also a healthy, nutritious and low fat snack thats perfect with alcoholic / non-alcoholic drinks and also with your evening cuppa.

Ingredients
250 gms Thin Poha (Beaten Rice)
1 tbsp Roasted Chana Dal
3 tbsp Peanuts
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Chilli Powder
10 Curry Leaves
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tbsp + 1 tsp Oil
Salt to taste

Method

1. Place the Poha in a shallow microwave dish and microwave for 3 minutes, stirring thrice in between. By the end, the poha should be crisp to bite into.
2. Transfer this into a large bowl.
3. In the same dish, mix the Peanuts with 1 tsp Oil and microwave for 5 minutes, stirring 3 - 4 times in between. The peanuts should be crunchy to bite.
4. Now add the Roasted Chana Dal, mix and microwave for another 3 minutes, stirring 3 - 4 times.
5. Transfer this to the bowl with Poha and mix well.
6. In another microwave dish, add the 1 tbsp Oil and Mustard Seeds and microwave for 2 minutes stirring once in between.
7. Now add the Curry Leaves to this, mix and microwave for another minute.
8. Add the tempering, Turmeric Powder and Chilli Powder to the bowl with Poha and mix well.
9. Store in an air tight container and enjoy with a hot cuppa.

Note: I used my microwave at 800W to prepare this.

This goes to Blog Hop Wednesdays - Week 17

Blueberry Smoothie

Its May and summer still feels quiet far away. The weather department is predicting this month to be the coldest May in 100 years. I can see why. Usually, the trees start shooting young leaves by mid April. There are no signs of the young leaves till date - atleast on most of the trees.

We've had 2 weeks of beautiful sunshine in March. I hope that's not the end of winter for this year. I agree the days are getting longer - which is the only sign of Spring / Summer. But with the temperatures still in single digits on most days, I just don’t see any sign of Summer.

I love Summer for various reasons; the weather being the main reason - quiet obvious isn't it? One of the other reasons is that we get different kind of berries. I love the berries for their "tanginess". I remember getting Strawberries in Hyderabad used to be so tough. It was almost treated like a delicacy.

When I came to UK, I was amazed at the different kind of berries available. I tried out all the varieties and liked all of them. Overtime, I stuck to Strawberries and Blueberries. I bought a box of Blueberries from Costco about 10 days back and left it in the fridge. I was too busy with so many other things (which definitely didn’t involve the blog as you can see), I didn't eat them.

Yesterday, I decided its time to use them up before they spoil. So I made this Blueberry Smoothie which was really yummy. It gets done in a jiffy and its soooo tasty. I am sure you can add other fruits to make it more healthy – but because my aim was to finish the blueberries, I didn't add any other fruits.

Serves: 2

Ingredients
2 cups Blueberries - washed
250 ml Curd - beaten
2 tbsp Honey – to taste
Water / Milk for consistency

Method

1. Take all the ingredients except water / milk in a blender and blend to a creamy consistency.
2. Add water / milk and blend to get the desired consistency
3. Pour into glasses and serve immediately.

This goes to the following events:
Srivalli's Kids Delight guest hosted by Nupur
Radhika's Lets Cook #15 - Fruits
Sumee's Bon Vivant #4 – Fruits
Chandrani's Spotlight – Fruits
 

A celebration with Eggless Carrot and Raisin Muffins

Happy Birthday to you... Happy Birthday to you... Happy Birthday Dear PRATEEK... Happy Birthday to youuuuuu. You must be wondering who's Prateek. Well, he's the most obedient cousin I could've ever asked for. I can't say he'll go out of his way to do something for me as "out of his way" will be an understatement. You get my point right?

It's a special birthday as well. He's 25. He's hit quarter of a century. Knowing him, he'll be slogging all day behind his desk in his Wall Street Office. So I thought I can do something special for him. I obviously can't go to NYC so I thought I'll celebrate it at home, bake something for him and post it on his birthday.

When Kalyani announced Carrots and Raisins for this month's Magic Mingle, I knew I had to bake something. Since I had never baked muffins, I thought this is the best time to try it. And when I decided to celebrate Prateek's b'day on my blog, I did think of making a cake. But I settled with my first thought of muffins.

Makes: 12 - 14

Ingredients
80 gms Raisins
2 cups Coarsely Grated Carrots
2 cups Plain Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 cup Sugar
70 gms Unsalted Butter - at room temperature
1 cup milk - at room temperature


Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180^oC.
2. Sift Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda and Ground Cinnamon.
3. Beat Butter and Sugar until creamy and fluffy.
4. To this add the sifted dry ingredients and milk alternately and keep beating till everything is incorporated well.
5. Add the Carrots & Raisins and fold in gently.
6. Line the muffin tray with muffin cups and scoop the mixture into the cups.
7. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or till a knife inserted comes out clean.
8. You can have it with tea, for breakfast or as a dessert.

This goes to the following events:
Kalyani's Magic Mingle #4 - Carrots & Raisins
Radhika's I Love baking #3
Vardhini's Bake Fest hosted by Sumee
Sumee's Bon Vivant Moments #3 - Breakfast Ideas
Sameena's Snacks Recipes
Chandrani's Lunch Box Recipes
Raven's Cook Eat Delicious Desserts hosted by Geetha

Alu Matar - take 2

This week, I am paired with Nisha of Nisha's Kitchen for Blog Hop. She has very simple, delicious and homely food on her blog. Very comforting indeed. As I was going through her blog, I wanted to make something with potato as it had been some time since I cooked this versatile vegetable.

I am sure potato has a soft corner in most of our hearts & palates. Unless you are on a diet or watching your carbs. Even then, its difficult to resist. After searching, I settled on this Aloo Parwal Curry. The only issue was, I didn't have Parwal. So I settled for Green Peas.

The result is that I have another Alu Matar recipe - totally different from mine. Its a quick, easy and tasty dish that goes perfectly with rice and roti. Here's my recipe:

Serves: 4 - 5

Ingredients
700 gms Potatoes - boiled and cubed
1 cup Fresh / Frozen Green Peas
1 Onion - finely chopped
1 Tomato - finely chopped
2 Green Chillies - finely chopped
1 tsp Ginger Paste
1 tsp Garlic Paste
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
2 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Method

1. Heat Oil in a pan. When hot, add the Cumin Seeds and let them splutter.
2. Add the Onion and Green Chilli and fry till the Onion turns golden.
3. Add the Ginger & Garlic Pastes and fry till the raw smell goes.
4. Now add the Tomato, Salt, Red Chilli Powder and Turmeric Powder and cook till the masala comes together.
5. Add the Potato and Peas and cook till the peas are cooked.
6. Serve hot with rice / rotis.

This goes to the following events:
Radhika's Blog Hop Wednesdays #16
Ayesha's Healthy Morsels - Pregnancy
Priya's Healthy Diet Event hosted by Vardhini

Bagara Rice / Annam

When blog hopping, have you ever felt that you want to bookmark an entire blog (atleast almost the entire blog)? I have a few blogs like that and one of them is Zaiqa. I am sure most of you know about this blog. For the others, this is a "Pucca" Hyderabadi blog with amazing recipes. Do check out the blog.

Coming to today's recipe, this is a typical rice dish served with Mughlai food. I personally feel this goes with all the curries, but can still be eaten on its own. The spices in the rice make it a Pulao type of dish - but without the vegetables.

This has been lying in my drafts from Christmas 2011. On Christmas Day, I made this and Dum Ka Chicken from Zaiqa's blog and both were perfect with each other. I am finally blogging about the Bagara Rice. I'll post the Dum Ka Chicken very soon (hopefully).

I avoided the ghee from the original recipe, added chillies and changed the quantities of some of the ingredients.

Serves: 3 - 4

Ingredients
1.5 cups Basmati Rice - washed and soaked for atleast 20 minutes
1 Onion - finely sliced
2 Green Chillies - slit vertically
1 tsp Shahjeera / Caraway Seeds
2 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1 tbsp Coriander Leaves- finely chopped
1 tbsp Mint Leaves - finely chopped
4 Cloves
3 Green Cardamoms
1 inch piece Cinnamon
1 Bay Leaf
3 Cups of Water
2 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Salt

Method

1. Heat Oil in a pan. When hot, add the Onions and fry till brown.
2. Now add the Ginger Garlic Paste and fry till the raw smell goes.
3. Add the Coriander Leaves, Mint Leaves, Green Chillies, Cloves, Green Cardamoms, Cinnamon, Bay Leaf and Caraway Seeds and fry for another minute.
4. Add 2.5 cups water, cover and bring to boil.
5. In the meantime, drain the rice completely.
6. Once the water is boiling, add the rice and bring to boil once.
7. Now mix the rice gently, cover the pan and cook till the rice is half done.
8. Open the lid, add the remaining water, mix and cook till the rice is done.
9. Now turn off the heat and leave it covered for atleast 15 minutes.

Pappulusu - Moong Dal with Lemon

Pressure Cooker - the basic appliance in most of the Indian households whether they are in India or abroad. When someone is going abroad for the first time, every one asks them to take the pressure cooker without fail. That's the importance of this appliance in the Indian Kitchens.

Most of households have more than 1. I myself have 3. One is in the garden shed as it a huge one. I use the other 2 regularly. Pressure Cookers cut the cooking time by less than half (in most cases) - making them ideal if you want to save on your energy bills.

It takes time to get used to the pressure cooker times. Once you are used to it, you will wonder how you ever got on without it. Since I never cooked before moving here, I didn't know how to use it. When my mother came here during my delivery, I saw her and learnt about the whistles and everything.

I remember when me and my mom used to cook (OK I admit it was only my mom who cooked and I would just stand there and see) after my delivery, my dad would keep V on the dining table (also in the kitchen) and play with him. Every time the whistle went off, V would give a jerk and howl. He was scared then and still is after 3 and a half years. He does an about turn from the kitchen when he sees it on the hob. His nightmare??? Seeing both the Pressure Cookers on the hob side-by-side. So no "help" from him on this dish. It actually finishes fast for me. :D

I am not sure how many of you make this - but this is a regular (and cherished) dish in our house. The preparation is similar to Sambar but without the veggies and sambar powder. You also add lemon juice instead of tamarind pulp to give the tanginess. You can have it with rice or roti (my father swears by it). You should be able to have this as a soup - I haven't tried it, so I can't be sure of this. I like it best with Rice.

This was another dish I never enjoyed so much as sambar when I was growing up. I used to eat it but like it the most with Potato Fry. I enjoy both equally now. The other thing about this dish is that you don't have to soak the tamarind in advance. Just cut a lemon and squeeze the juice. I hate the soaking tamarind bit. I can never remember to do it.

Serves: 6 - 8

Ingredients
1 cup Moong Dal - washed
1 Onion - sliced
5 Green Chillies - Slit vertically
1 Tomato - chopped
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Dry Red Chilli - torn in 2 pieces
1/2 tsp Methi Seeds (Fenugreek Seeds)
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
10 - 15 Curry Leaves
4 - 5 cups Water
2 tbsp Oil
Juice of 1 Lemon
Salt to taste
Chopped Coriander Leaves for garnish

Method

1. In a Pressure Cooker, take the Moong Dal, 3/4^thof the Onion, Green Chillies, Tomato,Turmeric Powder and 2 cups of water and cook till the Dal is cooked - I generally cook it for about 2 whisltes depending on the dal.
2. In the meantime, make the popu or tarka.
3. Heat oil in a pan.
4. When hot, add the Dry Red Chilli, Methi, Mustard and Cumin Seeds.
5. When they start spluttering, add the leftover Onion and Curry Leaves and fry till the Onions turn golden. Take the pan off the heat.
6. When the pressure goes down, mash the dal to a smooth, creamy consistency.
7. Now add the salt, 2 cups of water (this depends on the consitency you are looking for), the popu / tarka and mix well and bring to a boil.
8. Add the Chopped Coriander Leaves, mix well and turn off the heat.
9. Add the fresh lemon juice, mix well and cover and let it rest for atleast 10 minutes for the flavours to infuse.
10. Serve hot with Rice and a side dish. I love my Alu Fry with this.

Note1: If the Dal is not mashing up easily after cooking, it means the dal is not cooked properly or you have used too much water. If you are sure the dal is cooked, you can blend it using a hand blender. Or put it back on the stove for a couple of more whistles.
Note2: There is absolutely NO SUBSTITUTE for Fresh Lemon in this recipe. I admit I used to do it with the concentrate one but it s just not the same. Trust me on this.

This goes to the following events
Krithi's and Denny's Serve It - Pressure Cooked / Slow Cooked
Priya's Healthy Diet Event hosted by Vardhini