Bas Saaru

Ingredients -

Spinach Leaves -  1 bunch

Methi Leaves -  1 bunch

Cabbage – 1 Cup

Toor dhal -  3/4 cup

Sambar Powder -  2 tbsp

Tomato -  1 big

Onion -  1 big sized

Coriander Leaves -  A handful chopped finely

Grated Coconut -  2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Oil -  1 tbsp

Curry Leaves -  2 strands

Procedure -

1. Take the Toor Dhal in a vessel with salt to taste and a pinch of turmeric and add more water than we usually add for sambhar. Cook on medium flame and when the dhal is 80% cooked , add the spinach, methi and cabbage.

2. When the dhal is totally cooked. Switch off and strain the greens, cabbage and dhal in a colander. Preserve the water that is extracted after the straining. We will use this for the saaru.

3. From the strained greens and dhal mixture, take 1 cup and keep aside. With the rest make palya.

4. Now grind 1 cup of soppu & dal, onion, sambar powder, tomato,  coriander leaves  to a fine paste.

5. Heat 1 tsp oil in the kadai and add mustard seeds, when it starts spluttering add curry leaves and grinded paste from step 5. Fry for few mins.  Add the strained water to this and mix well.

6. Check for salt and adjust accordingly. Boil the saru until the raw smell of onion goes away.

7. Serve with hot rice  and enjoy!!

Fruit Puree Pancakes

Dry Ingredients:

1/2 cup bisquick pancake and baking mix

Wet Ingredients:

1 egg
2 tbsp fruit puree(prunes, apple, blueberry, pear)
1tbsp pure organic maple syrup
1/4 cup milk

Mix the wet ingredients together and whisk them together. Now add into the dry bisquick mix and whisk until a smooth batter is formed.
Heat a non-stick pan and pour the pancake mix to form 3-4 inch rounds. Wait until bubble form on top of the pancake and then flip.

Wait for a few seconds and remove.

Enjoy the slightly sweet(from fruit and maple syrup) and yummy pancake.
If you want some more sweetness, add more maple syrup on top and enjoy!!

This recipe is toddler friendly and can be made in inch sizes for some yummy finger food!!

Green Channa Masala

Green Channa Dry Kootu

Ingredients:
1 Cup Green Channa Pealed
1 Small Tomato (diced)
1 Medium Onion(diced)
1/2 cup grated coconut
1 tbsp Sambar powder
1 tsp Jeera
1 tsp urad dhal
couple of dry red chilli
1 sprig of curry leaves
1 tbsp oil
Salt to taste

Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Add Jeera,  Urad dhal, dry red chilli, curry leaves and onion. When the onion is translucent add the sambar powder and salt to taste. Now add the tomato and saute until the tomato is soft.

After this add the green channa and close the lid and cook for 5-10 minutes on medium flame(add water to this if necessary so that the mix does not burn). Adjust salt as necessary. Add the grated coconut and mix and let it cook for 5 more minutes.

Yummy Green Channa(kondakadalai) dry kootu is ready. Goes well with Chapathi and also as a side dish for rice.

Badam Halwa

Ingredients:
1 cup Almond
1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp Ghee

Method:

Soak the almond over night or drop it in boiling water and the outer skin is peel right off the almond. Now add the 1/2 cup of milk 1 tsp at a time and grind into a coarse paste.

Now in a wide non-stick pan take the 1/2 cup of water and add the 1 cup of sugar. Mix until the sugar blends in. Now add the coarsely ground almond paste and keep stirring on medium heat(remember to keep stirring else the almond will burn).


When the almond has thickened enough that it looks like the picture below(almost the consistency of rava kesari), remove from heat and let it cool.

Serve as it is in bowls or make into bite size balls and Enjoy!!

Boondi Ladoo

Ingredients:

1 cup besan flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup water for sugar syrup
2 tbsp cashew nuts
1 tsp ghee
water for besan mix

Bring the sugar and water to boil and keep boiling it until the mixture forms a half thread consistency. Now mix the gram flour with water(this should be added 1 tbsp at a time) to make a smooth batter without any lumps. The batter consistency should be that of a dosa batter.

In a pan heat ghee and fry the cashew nuts till slightly brown. Remove and keep aside. I have used cashews, but raisins or almonds are also popularly added to the laddoo.

You will need a spoon which has holes in it, usually used in the Indian households during deep frying like the one shown below.

Heat oil in a deep bottom pan. When the oil is hot, hold the spoon on top of the oil and slowly add the batter into the oil to form little drops of boondi. Fry them until the sizzling sound stops and the boondis are slightly colored. Remove and put it directly into the sugar syrup.

Repeat making the boondi and dropping it into the sugar syrup until all the besan batter is finished.

Now add cardamom powder and fried cashews into the boondi sugar mix. Spread this mixture on a aluminum foil or a wide pan.

When its warm enough to handle by hand(Remember not to let them cool off completely because you'll not be able to form any shape with it at room temperature), make the mix into little balls and let the laddoo sit until it comes to room temperatur

Enjoy Boondi Ladoo and share with Family and Friends!!

Thenkuzhal Murukku

This one is from my mother-in-law.

Ingredients:

4 cups rice flour
1 cup roasted and ground urad dhal
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
2 Tbsp Butter(microwave to liquid consistency)
Salt to taste
1.5 cup water
Oil for frying

Traditionally this is made from grinding the rice flour and then mixing it with roasted and ground urad dhal. I have skipped both this steps and used store bought rice flour and urad dhal flour. I slightly dry roasted store bought urad dal flour until it gave out a nice aroma and very little change in color.


Microwave the butter to liquid consistency( it takes 30 seconds in mine). Also heat the cup of water for a minute in the microwave.

In a wide bowl, add the rice flour, urad dhal flour, cumin seeds and salt to taste. Mix once.  Add the butter and mix well. Now add the water 1 tbsp at a time and mix until it is the consistency of a chapati like dough. (Check the salt at each step and add more if needed).

Now heat oil in a deep bottom kadai. Once the oil is hot(the dough should raise up when dropped into the oil). Fill the murukku press with the prepared dough, with the thenkuzhal murukku plate(This will be the one with 3 small holes or 5-6 small holes) . Squeeze the dough into a aluminum foil or parchment paper to make a murukku shape.

Drop this murukku in the hot oil and fry till the oil stops bubbling turning the murukku at regular intervals. When it turns very light brown color remove and place on a tissue paper.

Enjoy your Thenkuzhal Murukku

Ribbon Pakoda

This one is from my friend Jeyanthi. She made and shared the recipe when I was at her house last week.

1 Cup Rice Flour
1/2 Cup Besan Flour
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Seasme Seeds
1 tsp Chilli powder
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp Butter(microwave to liquid consistency)
1 cup water
Oil for frying

Microwave the butter to liquid consistency( it takes 30 seconds in mine). Also heat the cup of water for a minute in the microwave.

In a wide bowl, add the rice flour, besan flour, cumin seeds, seaseme seeds, chilli powder and salt to taste. Mix once.  Add the butter and mix well. Now add the water 1 tbsp at a time and mix until it is the consistency of a chapati like dough.

Now heat oil in a deep bottom kadai. Once the oil is hot(the dough should raise up when dropped into the oil). Fill the murukku press with the prepared dough, with the ribbon pakoda plate. Squeeze the dough into the oil into 4-5 inch strips.

Fry till it is crisp and turns light brown color. Remove and place on a tissue paper. The ribbon pakodda will become a golden brown color after a few minutes(remember the pakoda will gain color after it is removed from the oil).

Enjoy your snack anytime of the day!!