Kothimbir Wadi (Steamed and Fried Coriander Squares)

Ingredients:

• Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves and Young Stems : 2 Cups
• Besan or Chickpea Flour: 1 Cup
• Rice Flour: 1 Cup
• Finely Chopped Green Chillies: To Taste
• Red Chilli Powder: To Taste
• Coarse Powder of Almonds & Cashews: 2 tbsp
• Ginger Garlic Paste: 2 tsp
• Garam Masala: 2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder: 1/2 tsp
• Roasted Sesame Seeds: 1 tbsp
• Lemon Juice: 1 tbsp
• Salt to Taste
• Oil for Frying

Procedure:

1. Mix all the ingredients except oil and both flours very well and keep aside for 10 minutes.
2. Then add both flours, mix well. Add little water at a time and mix everything to form a nice dough just like chapati dough.
3. Make 3 balls of this dough. Roll each ball into cylindrical shape of 1 inch width.
4. Grease steamer plate with oil or place wet cloth on rice cooker steamer. Place dough on this plate and cook them for 20 to 25 minutes. Insert toothpick in the dough, it should come clean.
5. Let it cool for a while. Cut cylindrical dough in half inch discs. You can eat these like this or if you want you can shallow fry or deep fry them.
6. Heat some oil in pan and shallow fry wadis till they become golden brown. Once they start becoming brown sprinkle some roasted sesame seeds.
7. Serve these hot with any kind of chutney or sauce or you can eat just like that.
   

This is my entry for Cilantro's JFI-Cilantro event started by Indira of Mahanandi.

Idli (Steamed Rice and Lentil Cakes)

Ingredients:

• Idli Rice or Any Rice: 2 Cups
• Urad Daal (Black Gram Daal): 1 Cup
• Fenugreek seeds: 1 tsp
• Salt To Taste
• Oil
  

Procedure:

• Wash rice couple of times and soak in sufficient amount of water for at least 7 hrs.
• Wash daal couple of times and soak in sufficient amount of water for at least 7 hrs. Also soak fenugreek seeds in some water or you can soak them with rice or daal.
• Grind daal until smooth and fluffy, adding just the required amount of water to grind into a smooth paste.
• Grind the rice and fenugreek seeds into a smooth paste, adding just the required amount of water to grind into a smooth paste.
• Combine both batters in a large container as batter will increase in volume after fermentation. Add salt to taste and set aside for at least 12 hours or until the batter ferments.
• Grease idli mold with oil. Pour batter in molds and place these molds in idli cooker or steamer or in pressure cooker. If you are using pressure cooker don't put weight.
• Cook these idlis for about 15 minutes. When you insert a tooth pick/clean knife into the steamed idlis it should come out clean.
• Allow them to cool for 5 minutes. Then remove idlis from molds.
• Serve hot with chutney or sambar.
  

Notes:

• Instead of rice you can use idli rava.
• Best way to ferment this batter in winter is in oven. Preheat oven on low temperature for 5 minutes and place batter container in the oven and start the light of oven and close the door.
• If you don't have oven place container in a warm place and cover container with warm blanket.
  

This is my entry for my CFK:Rice event brainchild of Sharmi of Neivedyam

Pithale - Bhakri (Besan Curry and Rice Roti)

I had sinus infection from last week but today I am feeling little bit OK so posting this recipe. May be I need this week to get better and start acting regularly. Thank you very much my friends for your lovely wishes. I am glad that you all care about me. :)


Pithale - Bhakri is very famous village dish in Maharashtra. You can make this pithale dry or as like curry but I curry version. It goes well with rice as well as roti. Pithale is one of my comfort food I can eat this pithale anytime. Usually we make Bajra or Jowar bhakri with pithale but right now I don't have those flour so making rice bhakri.

Pithale (Besan Curry)

Ingredients:

• Besan (Chickpea Flour): 1/2 Cup
• Finely Chopped Onion: 1 Cup
• Minced Garlic, Ginger, Green Chillies, Coconut: 2 tsp or as per taste
• Coarse Powder of Roasted Peanuts: 1 tbsp
• Curry Leaves: 4-5
• Mustard Seeds: 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
• Hing (Asafoetida): 1/4 tsp
• Finely Chopped Coriander: 1 tbsp
• Oil: 1 tbsp
• Salt to Taste

Procedure:

1. In a bowl mix besan with sufficient amount of water to make a smooth paste just like uttappam batter.
2. In a heavy bottom sauce pan heat oil. Then add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds stops popping add curry leaves. Fry for minute.
3. Then add minced ginger, garlic, coconut & green chillies. Fry for a minute. Then add hing and onion. Cook onion till they become golden brown.
4. Add turmeric powder. Mix it well.
5. Then add one and half cup of hot water in the pan. Add salt, peanut powder and bring it to boil.
6. Then add besan paste slowly into the pan. Stir this mixture often to avoid making lumps.
7. Cook this mixture with lid for 5-7 minutes.
8. Garnish this pithale with coriander. Serve this pithale with roti or bhakri or plain rice. Don't forget to eat raw onion and if you wish green chillies with this pithale.

Tandlachi Bhakri (Rice Roti)

Ingredients:

• Rice Flour: 1 Cup
• Water: 1/2 Cup
• Salt to Taste

Procedure:

1. Add salt into water and boil water in a small non stick sauce pan.
2. Add rice flour slowly into the boiling water and keep stirring continuously to avoid making lumps.
3. Cover the pan with lid and remove pan from gas. Keep this aside for 2-3 minutes.
4. When rice dough is look warm knead it very well with hands. This dough should be just like roti dough. If need add some water.
5. Divide the dough into small balls and cover these balls with wet cloth.
6. Keep tava or griddle on the gas on low flame.
7. On any flat surface spread some rice flour. Take one ball and roll it into thin bhakri with rolling pin or with hands. Roll bhakri on one side only.
8. Place bhakri on hot tava and apply little water every where on the top of the bhakri. Make sure that rice flour side of bhakri is on the top.
9. Once water gets evaporated turn it over and cook for at least 10 seconds.
10. Then remove tava from gas and by using steel spatula cook bhakri on the gas burner from both sides.
11. Serve this hot bhakri with pithale or garlic chutney or thecha or any curry.

Note: For bajra or jowar bhakri avoid first 3 steps. Just add look warm water in a flour and make a dough. Rest of procedure is same.

This Pithale - Bhakri goes to Shama's Village Special Recipes and Pithale goes to my Comfort Food for Illness event.

Now it's award time. Saritha of My Kitchen's Aroma, Pooja of Sai Kitchen, Hema of Salt to Taste, Dhanya of My Home Cooking , Suparna of Food Fascination and Priya of Priya's Sourashtrian Kitchen gave me 'I love your blog' award. Thank you very much Saritha, Pooja, Hema, Suparna, Dhanya and Priya. I am honored to get this award.

This award has got the following rules

1. Add the logo of the award to your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded it to you.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs (Only if you like).
4. Add links to those blogs on your blog.
5. Leave a message for your nominees on their blog.

I would like to passt this award to Asha , Mahimaa's kitchen, Vishali , Pooja , Sanghi , EC , Khaugiri , Lavanya , Superchef , Varsha Vipins , Vaidehi , Suparna, Red Chillies , Uma , Ushanandini , Vrinda , Madhuram, Varunavi , Ramya

Announcing 'Comfort Food For Illness' Event

From Monday I am very sick because of cold and fever. Now fever is gone but not cold. Because of this cold I am not able to breath, sleep & speak properly :(. I have lost my taste in food. I tried some comfort food that I know but now I want some more recipes so I came up with this event. I know there may be lot of people who are searching for same kind of food. So lets gather some recipes which are your comfort food for common diseases like cold, cough, fever etc.

Guidelines for Participation:

• Prepare your comfort food and post it in your blog from April 16 to June 2, 2009.
• If you have any detail information related to these common diseases or home remedies you can send them too. For this info you can email me you don't have to post in your blog.
• Provide a link to this announcement.
• Using logo is optional.
• Achieved entries are allowed. Repost that entry within this period and link back to this announcement.
• Send me an e-mail with the subject line "Comfort Food" to RecipeCenter(at)gmail(dot)com with the following details:

Your name:
Blog Name:
Recipe Name:
Recipe URL:
Photo (Any size) : Please give file name as a dish name

• Not having a blog is not excuse. You can email me the recipe and if possible photo too.
• Multiple entries are accepted and there is no limit to the number of entries.

I will post round up in one week. Looking forward for your participation.

Because of this illness I am not able to visit all your blogs regularly, participating in events and replying your emails on time so sorry for that.

Savory Sabudana Kheer

Ingredients:

• Sabudana(Sago/ Tapioca): 1 Cup
• Buttermilk or Water: 3 Cups
• Cumin Seeds: 1 tsp
• Finely Chopped Green Chillies: 3-4
• Roasted Peanut Coarse Powder: 2 tbsp
• Ghee: 1 tbsp
• Salt to Taste

Procedure:

1. Wash and soak sabudana in lot of water for 30 mins.
2. Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan. Then add cumin seeds. Once they stopped popping add green chillies. Fry them for 1 min.
3. Remove water from sabudana and add sabudana, salt, peanut powder in pan. Mix everything well.
4. Then add buttermilk. Cook this kheer till sabudana becomes transparent. You can adjust the consistency of kheer by adding more buttermilk or water.
5. Garnish this kheer with curd or freshly grated coconut or coriander and serve hot.
   

Eggless Apple Muffins

Makes: 12 Muffins

Ingredients:

• All Purpose Flour: 2 Cups
• Sugar: 1/2 Cup or little bit more
• Baking Powder: 2 & 1/2 tsp
• Cinnamon Powder: 1 tsp
• Medium Apples: 2
• Vegetable Oil: 1/2 Cup
• Sour Cream: 1/2 Cup
• Apple Sauce: 1/2 Cup
• Black Raisins: 2 tbsp
• Salt: 1/2 tsp
  

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with liners.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and cinnamon powder very well.
3. Peel, core and cut apples in small pieces. If you want you can coarsely grate apples.
4. In medium bowl combine oil, sour cream and apple sauce.
5. Add dry ingredients, raisins and apples and stir to combine. Mix well everything.
6. Fill the muffin pan 3/4 and bake it for 20-25 mins until golden brown.
7. Let sit in pans for 2 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Enjoy these muffins anytime.

Recipe Source: Baking Bits

Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

• Diced Roma Tomatoes: 3 Cups


• Chopped Onion: 1/2 Cup


• Chopped Green Bell Pepper: 1/2 Cup


• Maida (All Purpose Flour): 1 tbsp


• Cumin Seeds: 1 tsp


• Finely Chopped Garlic Cloves: 4-5


• Bay Leaf: 1


• Black Pepper & Salt to Taste


• Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Butter: 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil or Butter in a heavy bottom sauce pan. Add bay leaf, onion and bell pepper. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes.


2. Add chopped tomatoes and little salt. Cook these for 5 minutes.


3. Remove pan from heat. Remove bay leaf. Blend everything in a blender to make smooth puree.


4. Mix all purpose flour in a small amount of water to make a fine paste.


5. Heat reaining oil or butter in a heavy bottom sauce pan. Add cumin seeds. When the start popping add chopped garlic. Fry garlic till golden brown.


6. Add all purpose flour paste and stir it well.


7. Then add tomato puree, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.


8. Garnish this soup with coriander leaves or spring onion or Cream.


9. Serve hot at any time of the day.

Announcing Cooking For Kids: Rice Event

Cooking for Kids event is a master mind of Sharmi of Neivedyam. As a mother of 3 yr old son I am always in search of kids friendly recipes. Due to this event now I have lots of kids friendly recipe collection. Thank you very much Sharmi for starting this wonderful event. This month I am hosting this event. I am honored to host this event. This month's main ingredient is Rice.

Rice remains a staple food for the majority of the world's population. Rice is very nutritious. This important carbohydrate is the staple food for more than two-thirds of the world's population who rely on the nutritional benefits of rice.

Rice has the following nutritional benefits:

• Excellent source of carbohydrates: Rice is a great source of complex carbohydrates, which is an important source of the fuel our bodies need.
• Good energy source: Carbohydrates are broken down to glucose, most of which is used as energy for exercise and as essential fuel for the brain.
• Low fat, Low salt, No cholesterol: Rice is healthful for what it does not contain. Rice has no fat, no cholesterol and is sodium free. Rice is an excellent food to include in a balanced diet.
• A good source of vitamins and minerals such as thiamine, niacin, iron, riboflavin, vitamin D, calcium, and fiber.
• Low sugar
• No gluten: Rice is gluten free. All rice is gluten free, making rice the essential choice for people with gluten free dietary requirements.
• No additives and preservatives: Rice contains no additives or preservatives, making it an excellent inclusion in a healthy and balanced diet.
• Contains resistant starch: Rice also contains resistant starch, which is the starch that reaches the bowel undigested. This encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria, keeping the bowel healthy.
• Non-allergenic Cancer prevention and diet: Whole grains (such as brown rice) contain high amounts of insoluble fiber-the type of fiber some scientists believe may help protect against a variety of cancers.
• Rice is a low-sodium food for those with hypertension.
• It is a fair source of protein containing all eight amino acids.

Source: Rice Trade

Photo Source: Fotosearch

Guidelines for Participation:

• Prepare any kind of kids friendly recipe with Rice, and post it in your blog from April 1 to May 2, 2009. You can use any type of rice (white, brown, red etc) and any form of rice like flour, puffed rice, flattened rice etc.
• Provide a link to this announcement and Sharmi's Website. Using logo is optional. You can use any logo.
• Achieved entries are allowed. Repost that entry within this period and link back to this announcement and Sharmi's Website.
• Send me an e-mail with the subject line "CFK-Rice" to RecipeCenter(at)gmail(dot)com with the following details:

Your name:
Blog Name:
Recipe Name:
Recipe URL:
Photo (Any size) : Please give file name as a dish name

• Not having a blog is not excuse. You can email me the recipe and if possible photo too.
• Multiple entries are accepted and there is no limit to the number of entries.

I will post round up in one week. Looking forward for your participation.