One Day At A Time

Lately, for some unknown reason, I haven't been able to blog about new recipes. But today, I managed to shrug off my laziness and cook something different. So, here I am with gluten free  Indian Rice Noodles or Vermicelli . In Konkani, we call this as Shevai and it is served with both sweet and savory accompaniments. Many of you might know this as Idiyappam or Shavige . Traditionally, Shevai is made by a lengthy process of soaking rice, grinding and stuff. As you know me, I look for the easier way. But, its equally delicious. Ingredients: Rice Flour - 1 cup Water - 1 cup Salt Oil How to make Rice Shevai / Idiyappam: In a mixing bowl, add rice flour and salt. Mix well. Heat 1 cup water in a small sauce pan. Turn off the heat when water starts boiling. Pour the hot water to the bowl and mix with a spoon. When it turns cold enough to handle, knead it well to make a soft dough. Divide the dough into 2 balls. Grease the idli plates with cooking spray or oil. ...

I am a person who loves to eat, but always looks for easier, time saving ways of cooking. Today was somehow different. I had enough time to cook something elaborate for our lunch.  Here comes a spicy curry with fresh roasted spices, onions and coconut. You can cook any other vegetable, your favorite beans or lentils, mushrooms in this flavorful sauce as well.   Ingredients: Cauliflower/Phul Gobi - about 500 gm Desiccated (dry) Coconut/Suka Khobra - 1/2 cup Red Onions - 2 medium Coriander Seeds/Dhane - 1 1/2 tbsp Poppy Seeds/Khuskhus - 1/2 tbsp Shahjeera/Black Cumin - 1 tsp Cloves/Lavang - 2 Cinnamon/Dalchini - 1/4 inch piece Dry Red Chilies - 5 (Byadagi Variety) Bay Leaf - 1 Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - about 1 cup Green Chilies - 5 Ginger - an inch piece Garlic - 4 big cloves   Tomatoes - 2 small Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Oil - 5 tbsp Salt How to cook Spicy Cauliflower C...

Snack time at my place! Its been a while, I made any fried goodies. Thanks to last night's leftovers, I had plenty of time to make this savory Ribbon Murukku. We love such crunchy munchies with our evening cup of tea. Ingredients: Rice Flour - 1 cup Besan / Gram Flour - 1/2 cup Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp White Sesame Seeds/Til - 1 tsp Asafetida/Hing - 1/2 tsp Sugar - 1/2 tsp Salt Oil for frying How to make Ribbon Pakoda: In a mixing bowl, add rice flour, gram flour, hot oil, chili powder, asafetida, sesame seeds, sugar and salt. Mix well. Now add water, little at a time and knead to make a stiff, non sticky dough. I added about 3/4 cup water. Divide the dough into 3 balls. Heat oil for deep frying. Heat the inner part of chakali / murukku maker with oil. Place the ribbon plate and add one dough ball. Close it with the lid. When the oil turns medium hot, hold the chakali maker above the frying pan. Carefully turn the handle so that the ribbon shaped mu...

What's cooking for lunch at your place?  We are having a simple roti sabji for lunch. A protein rich split chickpeas curry with soft, fluffy phulka. Today's recipe is the basic style of cooking an Indian curry, with onions and tomatoes. Add your personal touch to this curry by choosing your favorite Masala or spice mix. Ingredients: Chana Dal/Split Chickpeas/Split Bengal Gram - 1 cup Onion/Pyaz - 1 medium Tomatoes/Tamatar - 2 medium Garlic/Lahsun - 3 big cloves Ginger/Adrak - half inch piece Green Chili/Hari Mirch - 1 Red Chili Powder/Lal Mirch - 1 tsp Garam Masala or any other spice mix - 1/2 tsp Chat Masala or Aamchur (Dry Mango Powder) - 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/2 tsp Cilantro/Coriander/Dhania Leaves - few sprigs Salt Oil How to cook Chana Dal Masala: Soak chana dal in plenty of water for 20 - 30 minutes. Soaking is optional. Wash the soaked dal well. Heat about 4 cups of water in a pot. Add washed dal and cook until cha...

Anyone experiencing the Monday blues? I am feeling too lazy to cook anything.  But at the same time, I don't want any takeout either. South Indian lemony rice, well known as Chitranna, seemed like a nice easy lunch to cook. The crunchy peanuts and aromatic dals make this tangy rice a true delight as a meal or as a snack. Ingredients: Basmati Rice - 1 cup Raw Peanuts/Groundnuts/Shenga - 1/3 cup Chana Dal/Split Bengal Gram/Split Chickpeas - 2 tsp Urad Dal/Split Black Gram - 1 tsp Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/2 tsp Curry Leaves/Kadipata - a sprig Coriander/Cilantro/Dhania Leaves - few sprigs Green Chilies - 3 Onion - 1 medium Oil - 3 tbsp Lime/Lemon - 1 Salt How to make South Indian Chitranna: Wash rice well with water. Drain all the water. Cook washed rice with 1 1/2 cups water, little salt and 1/2 tbsp oil.  Oil is optional, but the cooked rice does not turn sticky because of oil. Fluff t...

Anyone who is familiar with the whole elaborate process of making South Indian Dosa, knows about the importance of measuring ingredients, quite similar to baking.  But, Mushti Polo is traditionally made using fistful of ingredients. Mushti refers to fistful in Konkani. Cooking using fistful of this and fistful of that is slightly inconvenient for me. As usual, my Mom has her recipe for me, where fistfuls are substituted with measuring cups. Ingredients: Medium Grain Rice/Idli Rice - 1 cup Thin Poha/Flattened Rice/Avalakki - 1/2 cup Urad Dal/Split Black Gram - 1/4 cup Shredded Coconut (fresh or frozen) - 1/4 cup Fenugreek/Methi Seeds - 1 tsp Salt Oil How to make Konkani Mushti Polo: Soak medium grain rice, urad dal and fenugreek seeds in plenty of water for 6 - 8 hours. Wash the soaked ingredients well. Grind soaked rice, urad dal, fenugreek seeds, coconut and flattened rice flakes, in batches,...

Bhakri is a gluten free flatbread made of rice flour or jowar flour or finger millet flour or pearl millet flour. These are well known as Bhakri in Maharashtra and Rotti in Karnataka. One good thing about Bhakri is that these are oil free. Nutrition wise, you are eating whole grain complex carbohydrates. For a wholesome meal, pair it with a protein rich beans curry. Or a simple coconut chutney tastes great too. Ingredients: Nachni/Ragi/Finger Millet Flour - 1 cup Rice Flour/Tandlacha Peeth - 1/2 cup Water - 1 1/2 cups Salt How to make Nachni chi Bhakri: In a mixing bowl or a big plate, add nachni flour and rice flour. Add salt to taste and mix well. You can make bhakris with just nachni flour as well.  Add 2 cups of water in a pot and bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat and add this boiling water to the bowl. Using a spoon, mix all the ingredients well. When it turns cold enough to handle, knead the dough well and divide into 5 balls. Sprinkle some rice flour ...