Urad Maida Dosa

Another dosa with just the soaking of one ingredient. Over the weekend you can just soak and grind the Urad dal and the add maida or rava and make fresh dosa's in the morning.

Ingredients :
Urad Dal : 1 cup
Maida : 2 cups
Salt according to Taste

Procedure :
1. Soak urad dal for 4 to 5 hours.
2. Grind it to a smooth paste and ferment for 4 to 5 hours.
3. Add maida and water and get to dosa batter consistency.
4. Add salt to the batter and spread the batter on the tawa.
5. Cook on one side till it turns brown. And then flip and cook on the other side.

Collard Greens with Black Eyed Peas

I have never cooked with this green earlier. This green veggie reminded me of Colacasia leaves. It is thick and firm and takes time to cook. I found this from Raghavan Iyer's cookbook called Indian cooking unfolded.

Ingredients :

Dried Black Eyed Peas : 3/4 cup
Collard Greens : 1 bunch
Tomato : 2
Ghee/ Oil : 1 tbsp
Ginger : 1 inch
Garlic Cloves : 4
Garam Masala : 1 tsp
Chilli Powder :1 tsp
Salt : According to Taste

Procedure :
1. Add water and the dried beans in a pressure cooker. Cook for 2- 3 whistles. (The black eyed beans get cooked very soon).
2. Meanwhile remove the thick stem from the middle of collard greens and chop the leaves into small pieces or roll the leaves and cut into thin ribbons.
3. Heat oil/ ghee and saute the small pieces of ginger and garlic for 2 minutes. Now saute the chopped tomatoes till it turns a little mushy.
4. Now add the garam masala, chilli powder and the washed and cut collard greens.
5. Once the collard greens is half cooked (Cook for about 10 minutes); add the cooked black eyed peas.
6. Add water and cook it further for 10 minutes. Add salt according to taste.
7. Let the bean soak up the flavor. Serve it hot with Rice.

Strawberry and Kiwi Juice

Here's another simple and refreshing drink. I personally feel strawberry and kiwi are made for each other. They complement the color as well as the taste.

Ingredients :
Strawberry : 4-5
Kiwi : 1
Agave Nectar : According to taste

Procedure :
1. Blend the ingredients together. Sieve if necessary.
2. Add Ice Cubes and serve cold.

Spinach Strawberry Olive Pecan Raisin Chickpea Salad

Some days I just plan for salad as my lunch. This is another simple salad.

Ingredients :
Strawberry : 10 (Cut into thin slices)
Olives : 3-4
Raisin : 1 tsp
Pecan's : 5-6
Spinach : 20 leaves (Wash the leaves)
Chickpea : 1/2 cup (Soak in water at night for 8 hours)
Olive Oil : 2 tsp
Salt according to Taste
Chat Masala (Optional)/ Pepper Powde

Procedure:
1. Mix all the ingredients in a salad bowl and serve.

Notes : Olives will already have a little salt. So adjust accordingly.

Coco Choco Banana

This simple dessert is for people who don't like eating plain banana's. I coated the banana's with coconut flakes. Makes an instant

Ingredients :
Banana : 2
Coconut Flakes : 3 tbsp
Honey : 1 tsbp
Cocoa Powder : 1 tbsp
Almond Slices : for garnishing

Procedure :
1. Cut the banana's into 3 inch pieces.
2. In a bowl mix coconut flakes, cocoa powder, honey and mix well.
3. Now use the mixture to coat on the banana's.
4. I used almond's to garnish the banana's.

Beans Garlic Pepper Stir Fry

This is one another simple stir fry. Usually I prepare stir fry using mustard and red chillies. I found this recipe in one of the facebook food group. 

Ingredients :

Green Beans :  250 gms

Garlic Pods : 5-6 (Peeled and chopped)

Pepper Powder : 1 tsp

Oil : 1 tsp

Salt according to Taste

Procedure:

1. Chop the beans finely and keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a pan add finely chopped garlic and once they turn brown add finely chopped green beans.

3. And cook for sometime. I did not cook the beans for long as I like the crunchiness of beans.

4. Finally sprinkled some coarse pepper powder and salt and cooked for 2 more minutes.

Banana Halwa

My mother usually makes this with panpolo (Neer Dosa). And my hubby loves this too. Its basically not a halwa. For banana halwa to have to cook further for hours together. We actually call this "kele chirchilayile". Where we cut the "Nendrapazham" into small pieces and smash them using a smasher and cook till we get a gooey consistency. Only "Nendrapazham"/ Plantain banana can be used to make this. You over ripened banana's for making this particular recipe.

Ingredients :
Nendrapazham/ Plantain Banana : 4-5
Cardamom Pods : 3-4
Ghee : 4 tbsp
Sugar :Vary according to the taste of banana (I usually vary it between 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup for 4 banana's)

Procedure :
1. Cut the banana into tiny pieces.
2. Heat ghee in a pan and add the banana pieces.
3. Slowly start smashing the banana pieces using a smasher.
4. Cook for 30-35 minutes on a slow simmer till you get the gooey  consistency.
5. Finally add sugar and cardamom pods and cook for 5 more minutes.
6. Finally spread it on a plate and cut into squares.

Best way to eat this is hot.

Coconut Ladoo Using Condensed Milk

One of the simple dessert I have ever made. Can be made in less than 15 minutes. I am in love with this blog Veg Recipes of India. Some very good recipes are given in this site. The recipes are very simple and the photographs are given step by step for each recipes. Such clean photography taken in natural sunlight.

Ingredients :
Shredded Coconut : 1.5 cups
Condensed Milk : 3/4 cup
Ghee : 1 tsp
Cardamom : 2-3
Saffron Strands : a pinch (Optional)
Milk : 1/2 cup (Warm milk)

Procedure :
1. In a pan heat ghee and slightly roast the shredded coconut. Only so much that the fragrance of the coconut emanates but not so much that it turns brown.
2. Crush the cardamom pods and add the saffron strands in the warm milk.
3. Now add the condensed milk to the coconut flakes and mix well.
4. Now add the cardamom pods and the saffron soaked warm milk.
5. Now cook till the milk evaporates and you can roll into small balls.
6. Roll the balls into the plate of coconut flakes.

Grape and Kiwi Juice

Another refreshing homemade juice. Green grape and kiwi are of the same color. Hence tried this combination with agave nectar again.

Ingredients :
Seedless Green Grapes : 1/2 cup
Kiwi : 1
Ice Cubes : 2-3
Agave Nectar/sugar : According to Taste

Procedure :
1. Mix all the ingredients in a mixer. Add crushed ice if you prefer.

Note : If you prefer you can sieve it. But my mixer is efficient enough to pulp it up.

Brown Rice Dosa

One of the healthy dosa recipes.

Ingredients :
Urad Dal : 3/4 cup
Brown Rice : 2 cups
Salt according to Taste
Oil : to roast the dosa

Procedure:
1. Soak the rice and urad dal separately for 5 to 6 hours.
2. Now grind it into a smooth paste in the mixer.
3. Ferment it for 8 to 9 hours and add salt.
4. Spread the batter on the tawa in a circular manner.
5. Let it cook on one side; add oil.
6. Flip and cook on the other side too.
7. Serve hot with chutney.

Bread Upma

A quick fix breakfast. And quite filling. I cook this usually when I am lazy to cook anything elaborate.

Ingredients :

White Bread Slices : 15

Onion : 1

Tomato : 1

Eggs : 3

Garam Masala : 1/2 tsp

Coriander Leaves : 1 tbsp

Salt according to Taste

To temper :

Oil : 2 tbsp

Mustard Seeds : 1 tsp

Urad Dal : 1/2 tsp

Green Chilli : 3-4

Curry Leaves : 6-7

Procedure :

1. Temper all the ingredients and then add finely chopped onions and fry till they turn brown.

2. Next step you can either add tomato or egg according to your preference. You can add both too.

3. Once they turn mushy add egg immediately. Add garam masala.

4.The egg pieces should be coated well with bread pieces. 

5. Add salt and then once the bread turns slightly brown garnish with coriander leaves.

Avocado and Strawberry Milkshake

Another simple smoothie made in an instant. I always get the spelling wrong. Finally for once I got the spelling of Avocado right.

Ingredients :

Avocado : pulp of 1/2 of an Avocado
Strawberry : 3-4
Milk : 1 cup (1% fat milk; cold milk)
Agave Nectar : According to Taste

Procedure :

1. Just grind all the ingredients and serve cold.