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.

GRILLED FISH

With all of us poised for Digital India, we in deed are moving ahead and have come a long way. Our daily life is getting more and more associated with technology driven tools and today we are more dependent on machines and equipment. We are today less agile and our physical postures are much simpler. We hardly sit on floor; nor do we use our hands in a grinding stone. This is affecting our body shape and weight. I saw a cartoon showing how people are growing around the waist and equipment becoming sleeker and thinner. :)

Jokes apart, we need a bit of planning for an ideal weight and shape of our body. We need a bit of more will power too. Not only we Indians, it seems mankind as a whole are confronted with this issue of shape and weight.  I have therefore been trying to bring out  simple and  non- oily recipes for you all. These are not only tasty and easy to make ,but as I have said earlier, facilitate our journey towards our goal to remain fit .

Coming to my recipe, this is a fish recipe,but the non-fish lovers and the vegetarians can make this recipe with vegetables/ lean meat as well.

Ingredients -

Fish -8 pieces (I have taken here Rohu fish )

Ginger /garlic paste-2 teaspoon

Salt -To taste 

Haldi powder- 1 teaspoon

Chilli powder-To taste

Green chillies -2 (sliced)

Garam masala powder- 1 teaspoon

Pudina leaves- A few (For garnishing)

Onion-1(sliced)

Oil- 2 teaspoon 

Method-

Marinate the fish pieces, green chillies and onion with the given masala and keep aside. After 2 hours, heat a grill pan .Add 2 teaspoon of oil , add the marinated fish pieces, green chillies and onion . Simmer the stove .Let it cook on both sides till done. Garnish with pudina leaves.Serve hot as a starter or with rice and dal . Enjoy !!

BAGHARA BAINGAN

With the vacations nearing to end, I thought I would resume my writing .My children always keep me busy and the daily chores have become a ritual these days . I have been keeping so busy that it took me nearly three months to resume blogging again.

I would like to thank my viewers and well wishers who have been visiting my blog and keep it going . My friends and family have also been prodding me that I resume blogging .A big "Thank You" to all my well wishers ! 

Coming to my recipe .This recipe is a traditional dish of Hyderabad. Nizams had a great appetite for a variety of food starting from non -vegetarian to vegetarian dishes . Baghara baigan which means tempering of stuffed eggplants with grounded peanut,sesame mixture and cooked in a rich and creamy paste was one of their  favorite  vegetarian dishes  . It is a very yummy dish which I am sure will be liked by all of you .

A teacher of mine has requested this recipe . Therefore this is just for Sabita Madam, who was my lecturer in College .

Ingredients-
Brinjal or baigan-6 (baby purple )
Sesame seeds-2 tbspoons
Peanuts-2 tbspoons
Grated coconut-2tbspoons
Onion-1 chopped
Ginger and garlic paste -2tbspn
Turmeric powder-1/4 tspoon
Jeera powder-1 tspn
Coriander powder-1 tspn
Red chilli powder-1tspn
Tamarind -A small lemon sized ball
Salt- To taste
Oil-For frying and for the curry

Method-

• Dry roast the peanuts and sesame seeds separately golden brown .Set aside to cool. Then grind together the peanuts ,sesame seeds and dry coconut with a little water into a fine paste.
• Extract the tamarind juice from the pulp after soaking the tamarind in warm water for 20minutes .

• Give 4 cuts to the brinjals with the stem intact .Fill a small quantity of the mixture into the brinjals .Deep fry in oil till the brinjal is soft but still holds the shape. Keep aside .

• In another pan, add two table spoons of oil , add chopped onion  and the ground paste .Add turmeric powder, chilli powder,jeera powder ,coriander powder and salt to taste. Mix well and add the tamarind juice and add the fried brinjals, again mix well .Cover the lid for 5 to 10 minutes .( You can add 1/2 cup of water at this point if you feel the gravy is thick .)   When done, serve it hot with biriyani or steamed rice .

PRAWN MALAI CURRY

 

Stress seems to the buzzword everywhere and is spreading to new areas where peace and tranquility prevailed not long ago. Stress appears sometimes due to heavy work, monotonous nature of work or even no work. Stress sometimes is due to health problems, relating to children, their studies....... I sometimes wonder how our older generations managed with STRESS!

I am sure they also must be having this "bimari". This was not a common term then, it may be because they were better in managing situations. They knew perfectly well how to manage it,
 both at work and at home.

Some people find bliss in cooking and find it an effective way to keep stress away.  My mantra to de-stress is to find time for your favourite hobby and devote some time in pursuing the same. I find myself quite activated and fresh in making any non-veg item........

Ingredients -
Prawns- 500 gms
Ginger and garlic paste -1teaspoon
Green chillies -2
Coconut milk -1cup
Dhaniya powder-1teaspoon
Oil - 2 tablespoons
Salt - To taste
Onion - 1 medium ( Grind into a paste )
Turmeric powder -1teaspoon
Green chillies ( slit )-1 for garnishing

Method -

Clean the prawns, add salt and haldi powder. Mix well and cover it and let it marinate for 30 minutes.Heat oil in a pan, add the marinated prawns and cook on both sides till done .(Please don't over cook the prawns otherwise they lose lusciousness)After the prawns are done, remove them to a plate and keep aside.

In the same pan heat oil , add onion, ginger and garlic paste. Add a pinch of salt and haldi powder. Mix well and saute till the raw smell goes. Add green chillies and saute for sometime .Add coconut milk and  one cup of water.Mix well and let it cook for ten minutes. As you get the desired consistency, add the fried prawns, salt to taste and haldi powder. Add dhaniya powder and mix well .  As the prawns absorb the juices well, switch off the stove . Garnish with a sliced green chilli. Serve hot with rice . Enjoy !

KOSALA SAAGA WITH BADI (RED LEAVES COOKED WITH URAD DAL DUMPLINGS )

In my state Odisha ,millions love to have Saag ----leaf based curry --with rice and dal at home .Choice of leaves has been wide. Varieties include Kalama saag (water spinach) ;Kosala saag ; Khada saag ;leutia saag ;palanga saga (spinach) ;Poi saag ; Sunusunia saag ; kakharu saag(leaves of the pumpkin plant);sorisha saag (mustard leaves ); Methi saag (fenugreek leaves ). All leafy vegetables are rich in protein ;fibre and vitamins. it is very low in calorie and fat . Leafy vegetables are easily available and are usually very cost effective .

The most popular, however, have been spinach and fenugreek leaves among the urban consumers while Kosala and Leutia have been the preferred ones in the rural households.  The "Red Saag"  as called in other parts of the country is a very popular leafy vegetable, which is called koshala saag in Odiya.

Coming to my recipe for today, I write about the red saag; or kosala. Usually it becomes quite difficult to make the children eat leafy vegetables. My children like badi i.e. (urad dal dumplings dried in sun and then fried to use it as required ). This time I made the red saag with badi which both my husband and my children liked. Even my 5 year old son also had it...... My senior female family members make this saag with vegetables. That also tastes good. I will tell you about that recipe some other day . This is a very rustic dish right from the countryside .....Happy cooking!

Ingredients -
Red saag or kosala- 4 bunch (Chop finely after cleaning it thoroughly with water)
Badi (urad dal dumplings fried )- A few 7-8 pcs
Oil- 2 table spoon
Panch phooran -1teaspoon
Green chillies- 2 (Finely chopped)
Garlic pods-4 ( Crushed )
Salt -To taste



Method-

Heat 2 tea spoon of oil in a pan ,add the urad dal badis and fry till crisp. Keep aside .

Heat  2 teaspoons of oil in the same pan, add panch phooran . Let it crackle , add chopped green chillies , garlic and fry till the raw smell of garlic vanishes. Add the red saag and cover it with a lid. Simmer the stove and let it cook with its own juice. After 3 to 4 minutes , remove the lid to check the saag . By then, volume of the saag must have reduced to half; add salt and mix well. Now don't cover it ,cook the saag till done . Keep on stirring the saag . When the saag is done,add the fried badis and mix well. Serve hot with rice, and plain dal.

PIYAZI (A TRADITIONAL ODISHA SNACK )

Evening comes, and a mother gets tensed over snacks that needs to be  made for the children returning from games or a swim. Children have ever been fussy; but with an over active media displaying varieties of snacks children expect similar or comparable snacks .  Sandwich , maggie, pasta , pakoda have been easy options for a mother.

In Odisha ,we have a variety of snack items to choose from like upama, pakoda, chaat, dahi vada ,mudhi ,chuda upma, piyazi and the list goes on. I had made piyazi for my children and they liked it. Therefore I thought of sharing this easy ,simple and tasty recipe with my viewers. Hope you all will enjoy it, but remember to exercise and stay fit !

Here is how I made it.

Ingredients -

Channa dal-1 cup
Ginger/garlic paste-2 tea spoon
Green chillies- 3( Chopped )
Onion- 2 small ( Sliced )
Soda - A pinch
Salt - To taste
Oil-For deep frying

Method-

Soak channa dal for 5 to 6 hours.Grind the channa dal into a coarse paste . Keep aside, add salt to taste, ginger /garlic paste, onion and green chillies. Add a pinch of soda and mix. Keep aside for 10 minutes . Heat oil in a fry pan or kadhai . Take a portion of the channa dal mixture and drop it in oil. Cook the piyazis in low flame. Turn it over and let it cook from both sides. Serve it hot with a sauce of your choice...

P.S -In case the batter is a little watery, add one table spoon of besan (gram flour) .