One Day At A Time

South Indian Dosa or Crepes made of whole mung beans, rice and oats. Mung Bean with its skin on is highly nutritious and provides more fiber. Ingredients: Oats - 1/2 cup Idli Rice or Medium Grain Rice - 1/2 cup Mung Bean/Mung/Moog - 1/4 cup Toor Dal/Split Pigeon Peas - 1 tbsp Fenugreek/Methi Seeds - 1 tsp Salt Oil How to prepare Oats and Mung Dosa: Soak rice, mung beans, toor dal and methi seeds in water for 5 - 6 hours. Aromatic methi seeds impart a nice golden brown color to the dosas. Wash the soaked rice and lentils well. Grind soaked rice, lentils and oats to a smooth paste. I used Quick Oats. No need to soak oats. Cover and let the batter ferment overnight. You can also add 1/8 tsp baking soda if you like. Add salt to the batter and mix when you are ready to make dosas. Heat a pan and grease the pan with few drops of oil or cooking spray. Do not add too much oil or else the dosas wont be thin. Spread a ladle full of batter evenly as thin as possible. Roast both sides ...

Once a week, I prepare either a sweet or a deep fried snack. Today's deep fried snack is savory North Indian Mathri which is quite similar to Shankarpali .  These fenugreek and carom seeds flavored Mathris turn more flaky with all purpose flour/maida. But I prefer healthy and fiber rich whole wheat flour. Ingredients: Whole Wheat Flour/Atta - 1 cup Semolina/Rava/Sooji - 2 tbsp Kasuri Methi/Dry Fenugreek Leaves - 2 tbsp Carom Seeds/Ajwain/Owa - 1/2 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp Sugar - 1/4 tsp Baking Soda - 1/8 tsp Oil - 3 tbsp Salt How to prepare Whole Wheat Methi Ajwain Mathri: In a mixing bowl, add whole wheat flour, semolina, carom seeds, fresh ground black pepper, salt, sugar and baking soda. Crush kasuri methi leaves between palms and add it to the bowl. Mix all the ingredients well. You can use all purpose flour/maida as well. Add oil and mix well. The dough will turn crumbly. Oil will make the mathris flaky. Now add water, little at a time to ...

Spicy hot sauce flavored Chicken Wraps with veggies, pickled olives, jalapenos and fresh guacamole. Ingredients: Tortillas - 6 Boneless Chicken - 1 pound (453 gm) Hot Wings Sauce - 2 tbsp Spanish Paprika - 1 tsp Garlic and Herb Seasoning - 2 tsp Lettuce - about 1 cup Mini Bell Pepper - 1 Green Onions/Scallions - about 1 cup Pickled Olives - 1/2 cup Pickled Jalapeno Peppers - 1/2 cup Avocados - 2 Lime Juice - 2 tbsp Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - few sprigs Black Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp Sour Cream Salt Oil     How to prepare Chicken Wraps with Veggies: Guacamole:   Cut the ripe avocado lengthwise around the seed which is at the center. Gently twist the two halves. Scoop out the avocado flesh with a spoon. Discard the seed and the outer skin. Add lemon juice, little salt, chopped cilantro and black pepper powder. Mix and roughly mash the avocado flesh. Set this guacamole aside. Dice chicken into bite size pieces. In a mixing bowl, add c...

Along with rice and wheat, Jowar or Sorghum is also a staple in some regions of India. Jwari Bhakri or Jolada Roti is a popular flatbread in Maharashtra and Karnataka. Thalipeeth is similar to a pancake and is made of a variety of flours. Ingredients: Jowar/Sorghum/Jwari/Jola Flour - 1 cup Rice Flour - 1/4 cup Green Onions/Scallions/Kandyachi Path - about 1 cup Green Chili Paste - 1 tsp Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1 tsp Sugar - 1/2 tsp Salt  Oil How to cook Marathi Jwari Thaalipeeth: Finely chop green onions, both white and green parts. Finely chop green chilies or use green chili paste. You can use red onions instead of green onions. In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients except oil. Add water, little at a time and mix to form a soft dough. Divide the dough into 5 round balls. Grease a plastic wrap with oil or cooking spray. Place a dough ball in the center  of the plastic sheet. Using your fingers, spread the dough ball into a round pancake. Heat a...

Desi chicken curry seasoned with herbs - mint and cilantro. What I love about this masala is a blend of aromatic spices with fresh mint and coriander leaves. Ingredients: Boneless Chicken - 1 pound (450 gm) Mint/Pudina Leaves - about 1 cup Coriander/Cilantro/Dhania Leaves - about 1/2 cup Yogurt/Curds/Dahi - 1 cup Green Chilies/Jalapenos - 6 Garlic/Lahsun - 4 big cloves Onion - 1 medium Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Cinnamon/Dalchini Powder - 1/4 tsp Cloves/Lavang Powder - 1/8 tsp Chicken Masala or any spice mix - 1/2 tsp Salt Oil How to prepare Chicken Curry with fresh herbs: Puree mint leaves, coriander leaves, green chilies, garlic and yogurt to a fine paste. For lesser calories, you can use buttermilk instead of yogurt. Finely chop onions and dice chicken into bite size pieces. Heat 1 - 2 tbsp oil in a kadhai or skillet. Add onions and sauté until onions soften. Now add chicken pieces and turmeric. Sauté until chicken pieces turn slightly brown, about 2 - 3 ...

Rasmalai is a popular dessert made of fresh paneer (Indian cottage cheese). Today's recipe is comparatively easier and less time consuming.  A baked desi Rasmalai version using Italian Ricotta Cheese. Ingredients: Ricotta Cheese - 15 oz (425 gm) Milk - 5 cups Sugar - about 1/2 cup Green Cardamom/Elaichi - 4 pods (seeds only) Saffron/Kesar - few strands Pistachios - 5 How to make Rasmalai using Ricotta Cheese: Crush cardamom seeds in a mortar pestle. Finely chop pistachios or any nuts of your choice. Heat milk in a heavy bottom vessel. I used whole milk. Keep stirring after every few minutes. Cook at low heat until milk is reduced to half. Continue cooking until you get the desired consistency. Add 1/4 cup sugar, half of the cardamom powder and saffron. Turn off the heat when sugar dissolves. Let this sweetened milk cool. To save some time, you can use store bought  Sweetened Condensed Milk and dilute it with milk, until you get the desired consistency and sweet...

Kothimbir Wadi is well known to many to us as a Marathi recipe of savory steamed cilantro cakes. Shepu Wadi is a similar appetizer made of fresh Dill leaves or Sabasgi and protein rich gram flour. These have a nutty flavor of sesame seeds and peanuts. Ingredients: Chickpea Flour/Gram Flour/Besan - 1 cup Rice Flour - 1/4 cup Dill/Sabasgi/Shepu - about 3 cups Roasted Peanut/Groundnut Powder - 2 tsp White Sesame Seeds/Til - 1 1/2 tsp Coriander/Dhania/Dhane Powder - 1 tsp Cumin/Jeera Powder - 1 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp Baking Soda - 1/8 tsp Green Chilli Paste - 1 tsp Ginger/Adrak Paste - 1 tsp Molasses or Jaggery or Sugar - 1 tsp Salt Oil How to make Shepu Wadi: Finely chop dill leaves with tender stems. In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients except oil. Mix well and add water little at a time to form a thick batter. You will need around 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup water. Pour this batter in a...

Kalakand is an Indian milk fudge which needs no introduction. Condensed milk adds a nice creaminess to any mithai and also reduces its cooking time. If you are looking for a hassle free and quicker version of Kalakand, this microwave recipe is perfect. Ingredients: Ricotta Cheese - 15 oz (425 gm) Sweetened Condensed Milk - 14 oz (396 gm)  Green Cardamom/Elaichi - 2 pods (seeds only) Saffron/Kesar - few strands Butter or Ghee (Clarified Butter) - about 1 tsp Pistachios - 5 How to prepare Kalakand in a microwave: Crush the cardamom seeds and saffron strands in a mortar pestle to a fine powder. Finely chop pistachios or any nuts of your choice. Grease a big microwave safe bowl with few drops of ghee. Add condensed milk and ricotta cheese. Stir with a spoon so that ricotta cheese lumps are dissolved. Ricotta cheese works great as a substitute for fresh paneer/Indian cottage cheese. Microwave this milk and cheese mix for about 10 minutes. After every 2 minutes, sti...