Bread squares with sesame seeds

This recipe is a good treat for the fussy children also a quick breakfast on a lazy morning. So easy to preapare. I have chosen brown bread with thick slices.

2 Brown bread slices - Thick variety

2 tsp of roasted sesame seeds

For potato masala:

Boil and mash 1 potato

Add salt, Cumin and chilli powder to the mashed potato

Brown bread, Sesame seeds and Potato Mixture

Cut each bread slice into 4 squares.

Cover the bread peices with potato mixture

On each piece sprinkle and press some sesame seeds

Apply butter on a baking tray and arrange the bread squares and place them in the pre heated oven at Gas Mark 6.

Once the colour changes at the corners of the bread pieces, remove from the heat and serve warm with sauce or chutney.

Bread squares with potato mixture topped with sesame seeds

Note: You can also use left over potato fry.

Nuvvulunta / Nuvvula mudda / Sesame seeds laddu

Ingredients:


Sesame seeds – 1 cup
Peanuts (Roasted and skinned) – ¼ cup
Jaggery (Grated) – 1 cup
Dry coconut grated – ¼ cup

Jaggery, Peanuts, Sesame / Till seeds / Grated coconut

 

Method:

Dry roast sesame seeds until they leave nice nutty aroma.
Dry roast peanuts, remove the skin and leave them aside.
In the blender grind the peanuts into extra coarse powder and keep it aside.
Now blend the sesame seeds into fine powder until the oil oozes out. Slowly add the jaggery also and blend it again.

Finally add the grated coconut and extra coarse peanut powder.

 
Mix every thing and form laddus. Preserve them in air tight container.
 

Nuvvuluntalu / Nuvvula mudda / Sesame seeds laddu

Gobi Mattar / Cauliflower with green peas

Gobi Mattar / Cauliflower curry with Green peas

Ingredients:
Cauliflower (1 medium), separated into florets

Green peas - 1 cup
Oil - 2 tbsp
Cumin Powder - 1tsp
Corriander powder -2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Salt
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Onion - 1 large chopped finely
Tomatoes - 2 chopped finely
Fresh Coriander - chopped 1 tbsp

Method:

Heat oil in a deep pan and saute onion for a minute. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for half a minute.

Add chopped tomatoes and fry until they become mushy.

Add salt, turmeric,chilli powder, cumin powder, corriander powder and mix every thing and fry for 2 minutes.Now add cauliflowerand green peas and saute for 1 minute.

Add 1/4th cup of water, cover and cook for eight to ten minutes until the vegetables get cooked and water gets evaporated. Sprinkle chopped corriander and remove from heat.

Serve hot with roti

Paratta with piping hot Gobi Mattar curry

Cabbage Carrot Stir Fry

This is the most easy peasy simple stir fry with less oil and less time to cook. The beauty of the recipe lies in the way the vegetables are grated.

Cabbage, Capsicum and Carrot

Ingredients:
Grated Carrot - 1 cup
Grated Cabbage -  1 cup
Capsicum - cut into thin strips - 1/2 cup
Corriander Powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

Heat a deep pan with 2 tbsp of oil. When it is hot add all the veggies and stir for 2 minutes. Now sprinkle some salt, Corriander powder and Cumin powder. Stir once and cover it with a lid and allow the veggies to steam cooked for another 2 minutes.

Check the texture, if it half cooked and still retains the crunchiness turn off the heat. Do not over cook the vegetables. As we have grated them finely, it won't take long to get cooked. 

                                                      Cabbage and Carrot fry with Capsicum

Masala Idly

This is another variety of idly with added spices. This is very much similar to Rava idli. 

Masala Idly

Ingredients:

Urad daal - 1 cup
Ground Rice / Idly Rava - 2 1/2 cups
Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp

For Masala:
Mustard - 1 tsp
Cumin - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 5
Grated carrot - 2 tbsp
Cashews - 10
Channa daal - 1 tsp
Green chilli chopped - 1 tsp

Method:

Soak urad daal for 6 hours and grind it into fine paste.
Wash and drain the excess water from idly rava and mix it with the urad daal batter.
Mix well and allow it to fermant.
Once the batter is ready, then prepare the masala
Heat a small tava and add 1 tbsp of oil.
When the oil is hot enough, add mustard, cumin, channa daal, cashews, chilli and curry leaves one after the other.
Fry until carrot becomes transparent.

Idly masala

Just before making idly, stir the batter thoroughly by adding salt and baking soda, and the above mentioned masala.

Masala Idly mixture

Pour 1 ladle of batter into each mould and steam. for 15 to 20 minutes.

Masala Idly

Banana Bread

Ingredients:
Wheat flour - 1 cup
Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp
Baking Soda - 1/4 tsp
Ripe Banana - 2
Melted Butter - 2 tbsp
Egg - 1 large
Sugar  - 5 tbsp
Dates - 10 Chopped into tiny pieces
Walnuts / Almond flakes - 2 tbsp
Cinnamon powder - 1tsp
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

Wheat flour, Pitted Dates, Almond flakes, Banana, egg and Sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place oven rack to middle position. Line the pan with baking sheet and set aside. Alternatively you can butter and flour the bottom and sides of a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, dates and nuts. Set aside. 

In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla.

With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients just until combined and the batter is thick and chunky. (The important thing is not to over mix the batter. You do not want it smooth.)

Scrape batter into prepared pan.

Bake until bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 to 50 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan.

Serve warm or at room temperature with a cup of tea.

Vermicelli with Carrot / Semiya Upma

                                                                 Semiya Upma

When I came to UK for the first time, I was very much disappointed with the vermicelli I found in the supermarkets. It was thick and very sticky unlike our famous bambino brand. Especially the colour has disappointed me. Now I have mastered the art of cooking even with the thick vermicelli.

I trick my elder son by telling him as small noodles as I don’t want to cook ready made noodles for him despite of the tangy taste due to obvious reasons, unhealthy, fatty and salty.

Ingredients:
Vermicelli – 1 cup
Water – 4 cups
Grated carrot – 1 cup
Green chilli – 4
Onion – 1
Mustard + Cumin – 1 tsp

Grated carrot, onion, curry leaves and chopped green chilli

Method.

1. Bring 3 cups of water to boil along with salt and drop the vermicelli into it. Allow it to cook for 5 minutes and then pour 1 cup of cold water. This is called as cold magic. When we pour cold water the temperature gets reduced which eventually allow the vermicelli to cook inside as well properly. Other wise you will find sometimes that the outer part is soft and internally it is hard. The same procedure can be followed whilst cooking pasta / noodles

2. Do not over cook them as they will become mushy. Just cook until they are tender.

3. Drain all the water and pour cold water on top to stop further cooking and again drain all the water and keep it aside.

4. Take a wok and heat it with 2 tbsp of oil. When it is hot enough add mustard, cumin seeds , curry leaves, Green chillies and onion. Fry for a minute and add grated carrot and salt. Do not over cook carrot as you will loose the crispiness.

5. Finally add the boiled vermicelli and mix every thing gently

Enjoy the vermicelli upma with pappula podi