EGG CUTLET ( ANDAA CHOP)

'Sunday ho ya Monday , roj khao Andey" This was a popular commercial jingle  during our growing age in India.  It means whether it's a Sunday or a Monday, eat eggs every day.......The recipe which I am going to write about for you is all about an egg recipe. That is why the jingle rang. 😊....Somethings do not just fade away from memories....

Egg is a very good source of protein for growing children and sportsmen . This doesn't mean that others don't consume it but then if consumed, it should always be in moderation. My children like having egg almost everyday .It becomes very taxing for me to invent a new dish everyday ! .One day I remembered that when I was a child, my mother used to make egg cutlet for me . ( I really don't understand why this thought came to me so late , maybe because it's a cumbersome process ....hehehe)
Anyways, I  instantly called my mom to tell me the process so that I  could make it that day itself.....As usual my mom was upset with me that I was not jotting  down her instruction in a diary......😄
After listening to her I started with the preparation and in forty minutes, the egg cutlets were ready to be fried  when my sons would return from school.......
Now I come to the ingredients for this tasty recipe...

Eggs - Hard boiled
Breadcrumbs - 1cup
Oil - To shallow fry
Salt -To taste
Haldi  (Turmeric )- A pinch
Chilli powder - To taste
Garam masala - 1 teaspoon
Potato -3  ( boiled )

Method -
Boil the eggs and keep them aside to cool down. In the meantime boil the potatoes and add salt, haldi powder, chilli powder and garam masala. Mix well and keep it aside.
Now cut the eggs  into halves .Add a pinch of salt and haladi powder over the yolks. Now take the mashed potato and cover the egg evenly. Then do the same procedure with the other eggs too .Keep aside to set for 10 to 15 minutes.
Heat oil in a pan. When the oil is hot, enough simmer the flame , roll the cutlets in the breadcrumbs and shallow fry them .Serve hot with  any chutney or ketchup.
(You can even deep fry the cutlets in oil .)

********

BREAKFAST MENU PLANNER

A breakfast planner -

Breakfast is the first meal of the day ! It is always recommended that for people who are interested to lose weight should never stop eating breakfast . In India we have a number of local cuisines. The variety you can choose is so vast that sometimes one gets confused on what to eat and what to leave...:)

• In the northern states  the usual breakfast served is aloo paratha, gobhi paratha with curd and pickle .Another favorite breakfast is puri and aloo curry .Chole Bhatura is also a favorite breakfast .

• In the eastern part of the country,  it is usually Upama with aloo curry .Poda pitha (baked cake from rice  and urad dal ) with mix vegetable curry . Even chuda ( rice flakes ) upma and chutney make a good first meal of the day . Luchi and aloo curry is also a favorite combination as breakfast .

• In western part of the country, people usually have poha ,dhokla .Sagoo vada, sagoo upma.

• In the southern states, the breakfast menu is vast which includes Idili ,sambar and chutney. Vada and sambar ,upma with chutney. Masala dosa ,sambar and chutney , plain dosa ,sambar and chutney .Uttapam  and chutney ....the list is quite long. :)

In addition to the above local cuisines, people also have English breakfast sometimes. It includes bread ,sausages ,pancakes and eggs.

Even cornflakes is considered to be a great option these days . Oats ,porridge too are taking a place in the  breakfast table these days . Easy availability ,user friendliness and easy to make options are helping these items making way to the Indian homes these days .

In a family , the lady of the house is always in dilemma over what she would make for breakfast , then lunch and then dinner. If there are children, even snacks needs to be prepared . All these involve a lot of cooking ! If you plan a little ahead, this herculean task can be a cake-walk , I assure you .

I am leaving two days, ie the weekends for you and your family to decide .....Some may like to eat out , some may like to order food from outside......☺ My suggested menu for the other five days are as follows: 

Monday  -

Idili sambar and chutney (From the Deccan )

• Ingredients for idili-

Rice-2cups

Urad dal-1cup

Methi seeds-1/2tspn

Salt-To taste

Oil-To apply on the idli cases

Method-

Soak rice and urad dal separately with enough water for 7-8 hrs. Grind them and mix together to form a batter. Leave it in room temperature for fermentation overnight. On the next day, add salt to taste and grease the idili cases with oil. Pour the batter on to the cases and steam them for 15 minutes or till done. Serve hot with chutney and sambar. Enjoy!

• Ingredients for Sambar-

Toor dal or arhar dal (boiled with salt and haldi powder)-  1cup

Vegetables( brinjal, bhindi, radish)-  1/2cup

Onion-1 chopped

Garlic-2 pods (chopped)

Curry leaves- A few

Asafoetida-  A pinch

Oil- 1 tbspn

Tomato-1large (chopped)

Mustard seeds-1tspn

Sambar powder-1tbspn

Water-1cup

Method-   Heat oil in a pan. Add asafoetida, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Saute for a minute, add garlic and onion and then saute for a minute or so. Then add vegetables. Saute for 2-3 minutes or till the vegetables are done. Add the boiled toor dal, mix well. Add sambar powder and a cup water. Close the lid and let it simmer. Let Sambar have  the right consistency. Garnish with dhaniya patta and serve hot.

• Ingredients for chutney-

Coconut-1cup(grated)

Fried gram dal-1/2cup

Garlic pods-2(chopped)

Green chilli-2

Water-1/2cup

For tampering

Oil-1tspn

Mustard seeds-1tspn

Salt-To taste

Method-  Grind together fried channa dal, coconut with 1/2 cup water. Tamper it with oil  & mustard seed. Add salt to taste. Enjoy with Idli.

***************

Tuesday  -

Moongdal chilla with chutney -

Ingredients -
Moongdal (yellow) -1cup
Hing (asefotida )-A pinch
Garlic pods-4
Salt - To taste
Oil- As required 
Water -To make the chilla batter


Method-

Soak moongdal in water for one hour. Grind it to a paste with very less water, garlic pods, two green chillies and a pinch of hing . Add salt to taste  and mix well  . The batter should have the right consistency  and should not be watery . However, it should be of pouring consistency . Heat a frying pan , take a ladle of batter and spread on the pan. Don't make the chilla very thin . It should be of medium thickness. Take oil in a teaspoon and spread it around the side of the chilla. Turn the chilla .  After it is done , remove it on to a plate. Serve hot with chutney and relish !!

Wednesday -

Vegetable upma-

Ingredients -

Sujji ( Rawa)-1 cup

Mix vegetables -1/2 cup

Onion-1 small chopped

Oil or ghee -1 tbspoon

Mustard seed -1 tspn

Curry leaves -6-7 leaves

Urad dal-1 tspn

Salt-To taste

Method-

Heat a kadhai . Simmer the flame , add sujii and fry till golden brown. Keep aside . Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves. Sauté for a minute. Add onion , sauté till brown . Add vegetables , add salt to taste. Sauté till the vegetables are done. Add 2.5 cups of water . Let it boil . Add fried suji and mix well. Garnish with dhaniya pata (coriander leaves ). Serve  hot with any chutney of your choice.


Thursday-

Puri and sabjee( From the Himalayan belt )

Ingredients-

For the dough-

Atta /Wheat flour-2 cups

Asafoetida or hing- A pinch

Salt- To taste

Dhaniya and jeera powder -1tea spoon

Turmeric or haladi powder- A pinch

Water- To knead the dough

For the sabjee or curry -

Mix veg-1 cup (potato, peas, cauliflower )

Oil-1 tablespoon

Onion-1 small (chopped)

Tomato- 1small ( chopped)

Corriander and cumin powder-1 tea spoon

Garam masala -1 tea spoon

Salt-To taste

Method-

Knead the dough for the puri mixing all the ingredients stated above. The dough shouldnot be soft . Keep aside to rest for an hour.

In the meanwhile heat oil in a pan , add onion. Saute for a minute ,add chopped tomatoes and let it cook till the tomatoes are done. Add the vegetables and mix well. Cover the lid and let the vegetables cook on slow flame till the vegetables are done. add salt, haldi powder, dhaniya and jeera powder and mix well. Add a cup of water and let the vegetables cook on low flame for two minutes . When you get the gravy according to your requirement ,switch off the gas . Serve it hot with puri.

After the sabjee (curry ) is prepared , keep it aside. Heat oil in a pan .Take small ball size dough and roll them with a help of a rolling pin into small puris. Fry the puri and keep aside on a tissue paper so that excess oil is absorbed.

P.S - Some people may like to have just aloo sabjee with puri. For that you need to prepare the sabjee the way I have indicated  except  that  cauliflower and peas may not be used. We need to  use potato only. 

Friday-

Vegetable Poha- ( A delicacy from the western ghats )-

Ingredients :-

Chudwa(Poha)-1cup

Mustard seed-1/2tsp

Curry leaves-few

Salt-To taste

Onion-1small

Green chillies-2

Hing(Asafoetida)-A pinch

Haldi powder-A pinch

Peanuts -A handful

Bengal gram-1/4tsp

Mixed vegetables -1 cup (Potato, beans,peas ,cauliflower)

Oil-2tbsp

Cilantro/Coriander leaves-To garnish

Method:

1. Wash the chudwa in water and keep aside for five minutes so that all water is drained out.This will make the poha dry and not soggy.
2. Then take a kadhai ,add oil,then pinch of hing .To that add the peanuts and bengal gram and the green chillies. Fry them till they turn their colour and get roasted.
3. To that add the onions and curry leaves. Fry, till done .To that add mixed vegetable s and saute till the vegetables are done.
4. Then add the chudwa and add salt, haldi powder and mix well.
5. Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve hot with coriander chutney.