Happy Pongal!

 

Wishing you all a very happy Bhogi and Pongal!

Thank you for your continued support to Rathika's Nest!

Energy Ladoos

I have been experimenting with healthy snacks for sometime now and this recipe containing dry fruits, nuts and seeds works out great!

Ingredients: (Makes 30 ladoos of approximately 27-30 gm each)*

Rolled oats - 180 gms

Brown sugar - 3 tablespoons (optional)

Coconut oil - 2 tablespoons

Cinnamon powder - ½ teaspoon

Nuts (300 grams) in proportions given below.

Walnuts - 50 gms

Almonds - 50 gms

Peanuts - 50 gms

Hazelnuts - 50 gms

Pecan - 50 gms

Pistachio - 50 gms 

Seeds (120 grams) in proportions given below.

Cucumber seeds - 20 gms 

Pumpkin seeds - 20 gms

Melon seeds - 20 gms

Sunflower seeds - 20 gms

Flax seeds - 20 gms

Chia seeds - 10 gms

Sesame seeds - 10 gms

Dry fruits (300 gms) in proportions given below.

Kimia Dates - 175 gms

Golden raisins - 25 gms

Black raisins - 25 gms

Cranberry - 25 gms

Dried prunes - 50 gms

*You can add or reduce the variety of nuts, seeds or dry fruits depending on availability.

Method: 

• Dry roast the nuts and seeds separately till they become hot to touch. Transfer to a bowl. Keep aside.
• Roast oats on medium flame till the flakes become crispy. Keep aside.
• Once cooled to room temperature grind the oats to a coarse powder and break the nuts coarsely using the 'pulse' function of  mixer-grinder.
• De-seed the dates. 
• Heat oil in a kadai, add dates and prunes and sauté till they become softer. Add in brown sugar, cinnamon powder, raisins and cranberry; mix well.
• Add oats powder, broken nuts and seeds. Mix well. Once blended, switch off the stove.
• Once mixture is warm to touch, make 30 equal sized balls. I prefer to weigh the balls using a scale as I make them. 
• Line a air-tight container with parchment paper and arrange the balls in layers separated by parchment paper.
• You can store them in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 weeks.   

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Happy New Year!

May this New Year bring Peace, Health and Prosperity to one and All!

Thank you for your continued support to Rathika's Nest!

Navarathri Greetings!

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Sweet Potato Curry (சர்க்கரைவள்ளி கிழங்கு கறி)

Sweet potato (சர்க்கரைவள்ளி கிழங்கு) is a tuber rich in dietary fiber, vitamins A, C and B6, minerals like manganese as well as antioxidants. It is roasted or boiled and eaten as a snack. It can be also prepared as thengai potta porial, ennai vathakkal or added to sambar or vathal kuzhambu. Today, I wish to share with you a new recipe made with sweet potato that can be served with chapatti or roti. Let’s check this recipe out.

Ingredients:

Sweet potato – medium, 3 no

Onion – large, 1 no, chopped

Tomato – large, 1 no, chopped

Turmeric powder - ¼ teaspoon

Salt – to taste

Curds – 100 ml or ½ teacup

Coriander powder – 1 tablespoon

Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon

Kashmiri chili powder - ¾ teaspoon, adjust to taste

Garam masala - ½ teaspoon

Oil – 1 tablespoon

Mustard seeds - ½ teaspoon

Cumin seeds - ½ teaspoon

Curry leaves – a few

Coriander leaves – chopped, 2 teaspoons

Method:

• Wash the sweet potatoes thoroughly, peel the skin, cut into cubes and add to a bowl of water. Keep aside.

• Beat the curds well. Add in coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala. Mix well and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a kadai, add in mustard and cumin seeds, and when they start to crackle, add chopped onions and curry leaves. Sauté till the onion pieces turn transparent.
• Now add tomatoes and sauté for 2 minutes. Add in the sweet potato pieces, required salt and turmeric powder. Cover and cook on low flame till the vegetable is cooked.
• Add the curd mixture and mix well. Cook for 3 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with chapatti, phulka or roti.

Note: While cutting vegetables, please soak cut pieces sweet potato in water immediately, lest the pieces will turn dark when left exposed to air. 

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Paneer Afghani

Even though the ingredients used are more or less the same, there are so many variations of paneer Afghani recipe. Today, let me present my version of paneer Afghani using the same basic ingredients. Let's proceed with the recipe.

Ingredients:

Paneer preparation

Paneer or cottage cheese - 200 gm, cut into large cubes

Black pepper - ¼ teaspoon, powdered

Salt - to taste 

Oil - 2 teaspoons

Paste I

Onion - 3 no, large, cut into cubes

Ginger - ½" piece*

Garlic - 4 pods*

Green chilies - 1-2, adjust to taste

Cashew nuts - 50 gms

Black pepper - ½ teaspoon

Oil - 2 tablespoons

Coriander leaves - chopped, ¼ cup

Bay leaf -2 no

Cardamom - 3 no

Cinnamon - 1" piece

Paste II

Curds - ½ cup

Kasuri methi - roasted, crushed, 1 tablespoon

Coriander powder - 1 tablespoon

Cumin powder - 1 teaspoon

Garam masala - ½ teaspoon

Gravy 

Fresh cream - 2 tablespoons (optional)

Salt - to taste

Method:

Paneer preparation

• Mix oil, pepper powder and salt in a bowl. Coat the paneer pieces with this mixture and marinate for 30 minutes.

Paste I

• Heat oil in a kadai, add in bay leaves, cardamom and cinnamon; sauté for 2 minutes. Now add garlic and fry for a minute. Add in onion cubes and fry till they turn transparent. Remove from fire and allow it to cool. Remove bay leaves, and you can add them to the paste later.
• Once cooled to room temperature, grind the fried ingredients except bay leaves, along with coriander, black pepper, cashew nuts, ginger and green chilies into a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Paste II

• Beat curds well. Add in coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala and crushed kasuri methi. Mix well and keep aside.

Gravy

• Fry marinated paneer pieces in a non-stick pan on medium heat for 3 minutes. Turn the pieces over and fry for another 3 minutes. Transfer the paneer pieces to a bowl.**
• Cook the "paste I" with bay leaves in a kadai on low flame till oil separates. Add in "paste II", required salt and 1 cup of water. Mix well and cook till the gravy boils.
• Add in the paneer pieces and simmer for 5 minutes. Finally add the fresh cream, mix well and simmer for a minute. 
• Serve paneer Afghani with roti, chapati or paratha.

Note: 

* Alternatively, you may use 1 teaspoon of ginger-garlic paste.

** I add the marinated paneer directly to the gravy and it tastes good. If you desire, you may skip this step.

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Thiruvadhirai Kali (திருவாதிரை களி)

During the winter month of Margazhi (மார்கழி), on the day of thiruvadhirai star (திருவாதிரை நட்சத்திரம்), the celestial dance of Lord Nataraja (நடராஜப் பெருமான்) is celebrated in Shiva temples across Tamil Nadu. On this day devotees fast and a special preparation called "kali" (களி) is offered to the lord. Today, let me share with you the traditional recipe of "Thiruvadhirai Kali" (திருவாதிரை களி).

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1 cup or 200 ml measure

Green gram dhal or moong dhal - 1 tablespoon

Bengal gram dhal or channa dhal - 1 tablespoon*

Jaggery - 2 cups or 400 ml measure

Cardamom - 5-6 no, powdered

Coconut - grated, 2 tablespoons

Ghee - 3 tablespoons

Cashew nuts - 12 no, broken

* In some parts of Tamil Nadu, channa dhal is used. You may omit it, if desired.

Method:

• Roast raw rice and dhal/s in a kadai on medium flame till the items start to turn light brown in color. Transfer to a bowl immediately. Once the roasted items cooled down to room temperature, grind in a mixed-grinder to rava consistency. Keep aside.
• Mix jaggery and 5 cups of water in a kadai. Bring it to boil. Add in 1 tablespoon of ghee and coconut gratings. Mix well. Reduce the flame. Now add the ground rice-dhal mixture slowly while stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Add in cardamom powder and 1 tablespoon of ghee. Continue to cook till the mixture thickens.
• Transfer the mixture to a vessel, cover it with a lid and pressure cook for 4 minutes or 4 whistles.
• Once the pressure subsides, remove from the cooker and allow it to cool.
• Heat the remaining ghee in a tadka pan, add in cashew nuts and fry till they turn golden brown in color.
• Add the tadka to kali and mix well. Thiruvadhirai kali is ready!

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Happy Pongal!

 

                Happy Pongal! Thank you for your continued support to www.rathkasnest.com.

 

Wishing you all a wonderful New Year 2025! Thank you for your continued support to Rathika's Nest.

Fruit Cake (Eggless)

This festive season, I was tempted to bake a fruit cake to celebrate the season and welcome the New Year. Fruit cake is made using curds instead of eggs. Let's check out this easy-to-bake recipe!

Ingredients:

All purpose flour or maida - 160 ml measure

Semolina or rava - 60 ml measure

Cooking oil - 60 ml

Cinnamon and mace powder - ½ teaspoon

Brown sugar - 160 ml measure

Honey - 30 ml

Baking soda - ½ teaspoon

Baking powder - ½ teaspoon

Curds - 160 ml

Dry fruits and nuts - ½ teacup or 100 ml measure*

Orange rind - grated, 1 teaspoon

Lemon juice - 3 tablespoons

* You may use Indian raisins, black raisins, dates, tutti-fruiti, dried figs, cranberry, cashew nuts, almonds, walnuts, pecan, pistachio etc.

Method:

• Chop the nuts, dates and figs into small pieces. Add to other dried fruits and mix with lemon juice. Allow the nuts and fruits to soak for 6-8 hours.
• Sieve all purpose four, baking soda and baking powder together. Add in semolina and mix well. Keep aside.
• In a bowl, Mix curds, oil, honey and brown sugar. Beat very well till the mixture becomes smooth.
• Add in the flour mixture, soaked fruits and nuts, orange rind and cinnamon-mace powder. Blend together.
• Transfer the cake mixture to a greased baking tin. Gently shake the tin to get the mixture spread evenly.
• Preheat the microwave oven in convection mode or OTG (oven-toaster-griller) at 180℃ for 3 minutes. Bake the cake mixture at 180℃ for 20 minutes. Check with a tooth pick if the cake is done. If not, bake for 5 more minutes or till the crust turns golden brown in color.
• Once baked, remove from the oven, demould and allow the cake to cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

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Badusha (பாதுஷா)

Traditionally, Diwali celebrations call for preparing an array of sweets for the family to enjoy! Badusha (பாதுஷா) is one of the popular sweets made for Diwali festival. Let's see how to prepare this yummy sweet at home!

Ingredients: (makes 15 pieces)

All purpose flour or maida - 1 cup or 240 ml measure

Fresh curds - 2 tablespoons

Baking soda - ⅛ teaspoon 

Baking powder - ¼ teaspoon 

Ghee - 2 tablespoons

Cardamom - 3 no, powdered

Sugar - 1 cup or 240 ml

Saffron - a few strands

Pistachio or almond - 4 no, sliced

Lemon juice - 1 tablespoon

Oil - for deep frying

Milk - as needed

Method:

Preparing the dough 

• Mix curds with baking soda and baking powder in a bowl. Whisk very well till the curds become frothy.
• Add in all purpose flour and ghee. Gently knead to form a soft dough. If required, add 1-2 teaspoons of milk while kneading to get the right consistency (Fig.1). Cover with a damp muslin cloth and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.
• Later, divide the dough into 15 portions. Shape each portion into a ball, flatten it into a 2" disc and make a depression in the center (Fig.2). Repeat the process with the remaining dough.

Preparing the sugar syrup

• Mix sugar and ¼ cup or 60 ml of water in a kadai. Heat the kadai on medium flame till the sugar dissolves fully. Bring it to boil and then simmer.

• 

     String consistency

  Stir continuously and you will find that the syrup starts to thicken. At this stage, the syrup is sticky to touch. Soon the syrup reaches 'half-string consistency' and then ‘string consistency' (Fig👉) – when touched between thumb and index fingers the syrup stretches like a string. 
• For badusha, you need 'half-string consistency' (before it reaches string consistency) – when touched between thumb and index fingers the syrup DOES NOT FULLY stretch like a string but breaks mid way. At this stage, add in lemon juice and mix well.
• Switch off the stove. Add in saffron strands, powdered cardamom and mix well. Cover the sugar syrup and keep aside.

How to check the consistency of sugar syrup: Place a drop of the syrup on a plate and let it cool for a few seconds. Touch the syrup with your index finger and press it with your thumb. Then separate the fingers. If the syrup stretches between the fingers, but breaks midway, it has reached the ‘half-string consistency’ (அரை கம்பிப் பாகு). If it stretches as a thick string between the fingers, it has reached the ‘string consistency’ (கம்பிப் பாகு).  

Preparing the badushas

• Heat oil in a kadai on low flame. Once it is hot, drop a small bit of dough in the oil. If it rises to the surface, oil is ready.
• Drop the prepared dough discs gently in the oil, one by one, 4-5 at a time. Once cooked, they rise to the surface (Fig.3).
• Turn them over and cook till they turn golden brown on all sides (Fig.4).
• Remove the cooked badushas from oil and place them on a tissue paper. Drop the next set of dough discs in oil.
• Now transfer the cooked badushas to the kadai containing sugar syrup and dip them fully in the syrup. Let them soak for 10 minutes. Turn them over and soak for another 5 minutes in the syrup. Then transfer them to a plate.
• Repeat the process with the remaining dough. Once all the badushas are soaked in sugar syrup and transferred to the plate, garnish them with sliced nuts (Fig.5).
• Allow the badushas to cool fully and store in an air-tight container.

Note: After making badusha, you may have left over sugar syrup, which you can use to make payasam or kheer. 

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Happy Diwali !

 

Wishing you all a wonderful Diwali! Thank you for your continued support to Rathika's Nest.

To add to the festivities please try some of the Diwali Recipes on Rathika's Nest.

Okkarai (ஒக்காரை)

Okkarai (ஒக்காரை) is the traditional sweet that is made in the Brahmin homes on Diwali day, especially in the southern part of Tamil Nadu. This sweet is made using dhal, jaggery and very limited quantity of ghee, which makes it a healthy Diwali sweet option! Let us make okkarai for this Diwali!

Ingredients:

Bengal gram dhal (channa dhal) - 1 cup or 200 ml measure*

Jaggery - powdered, 1 cup or 200 ml measure

Ghee - 2 tablespoon

Cashew nuts - 12 no, broken

Cardamom - 3 no, powdered

Salt - a pinch

Coconut - grated, 1 tablespoon (optional)

* Dhals in various combinations are used to make okkarai, such as Bengal gram dhal only, (green gram dhal) moong dhal only, Bengal gram dhal and moong dhal (1:1 ratio or 2:1 ratio) or Bengal gram dhal, moong dhal and (Red gram dhal) thur dhal in 1:2:1 ratio). I prefer to use Bengal gram dhal alone.

Method:

• Roast Bengal gram in a kadai till it starts to turn reddish in color. Transfer to a bowl and soak in sufficient water for 2 hours.
• Roast the grated coconut in the kadai till the it turns light brown in color. Keep aside.
• Later drain water and grind the dhal with salt in a mixer-grinder into a slightly coarse paste.
• Heat ghee in the kadai, add in cashew nuts and fry till they turn light brown in color. Transfer the nuts to a bowl. 
• Add in the ground dhal paste to the kadai and mix with the remaining ghee. Cover and cook on low flame, stirring occasionally till the paste is cooked and starts to crumble as shown in the picture. 
• Meanwhile, add jaggery powder to another kadai or a thick bottomed vessel. Add in ¼ cup (50 ml) of water and mix well. Bring it to boil and continue to cook on medium flame. First the syrup boils and starts to thicken. At this stage, the syrup is sticky to touch. Soon the syrup reaches ‘string’ consistency – when touched between thumb and index fingers the syrup stretches like a string. Now reduce the flame and continue to stir till the syrup reaches ‘soft ball consistency’ (உருட்டுப் பாகு).
• Now add the cooked dhal mixture to the syrup. Mix well and continue to cook on low flame till the syrup is fully absorbed. Add in cardamom powder, fried cashew nuts and roasted coconut gratings. Mix well and remove from fire. Okkarai is ready!

Soft ball consistency

How to check the consistency of jaggery syrup: Drop little syrup in water. If it dissolves, the syrup is not ready. If it stays intact and you are able to roll the syrup into a soft ball, the syrup has reached 'soft ball consistency'.

Note: If you add coconut, you will have to use up the sweet within a day. Without coconut, okkarai stays good for 3-4 days.

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Badam Kheer (பாதாம் பருப்பு பாயசம்)

The festival season has started and it is time to try different sweet recipes to enhance the festivities! Here's the popular kheer or payasam recipe that has a subtle taste.

Ingredients:

Milk - 750 ml, preferably full cream milk*

Sugar - half a cup or 100 ml measure (adjust to taste)

Almonds - half a cup or 100 ml measure

Almond slices - 2 tablespoons

Saffron - a few strands

Cardamom - 2 no, powdered

* You can, however, use any type of milk such as toned milk, standardized milk etc.

Method:

• Soak almonds in hot water for 15-20 minutes. Later simply squeeze the almond to separate the skin. 
• Grind the almond nuts with required water in a mixer-grinder to form a smooth paste. Keep aside.
• Roast almond slices in a kadai on low flame till they start to turn light brown in color. Transfer to a bowl. 
• Bring the milk to boil in a thick bottomed vessel on low flame. Dilute almond paste in little water and add to the boiling milk slowly, while stirring continuously. Simmer for 2 minutes.
• Add in saffron strands, cardomom powder and sugar. Mix well. Simmer for 5 minutes.
• Switch off the stove. Cool to room temperature. You may refrigerate the kheer and serve chilled.
• Garnish with roasted almond slices before serving.

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Scones

Today I wish to share a special baking recipe with you. It is easy-to-make, simple and yummy 😋 tea time snack! Let's get started.

Ingredients:

All purpose flour or maida -160 ml measure

Semolina or rava - 1 teaspoon

Coconut oil - 2 tablespoons

Curds - 80 ml measure

Baking powder - ¼ teaspoon 

Baking soda - ¼ teaspoon 

Vanilla essence - ½ teaspoon

Sugar - 4 teaspoons

Salt - a pinch

Milk - for glazing

* You may add 1 tablespoon of raisins or caramel bits to the batter if desired.

Method:

• Sieve together all purpose flour, baking powder and baking soda very well.
• Add in coconut oil and blend in with your fingers till the flour mix becomes a crumble.
• Beat curds, sugar, salt and vanilla essence in a bowl very well. Add in the flour mix and semolina. 
• Blend together to form a soft dough. At this stage you may add raisins or caramel bits as desired. 
• Divide the dough into four equal parts. Dust the work surface with flour, fold one portion of the dough a couple of times and then shape it into a disc. Repeat the process with the remaining portions. 
• Grease a muffin tray with oil and place a disc in each of the depressions. 
• Alternatively, you may place a cupcake liner in the the depressions of the muffin tray and fill the cupcake liners with one part of the dough.
• Brush milk on top of the scones for glazing.
• Bake at 200℃ for 10-15 minutes or till the top turns golden brown in color.
• De-mould the scones and serve with butter and jam or preserve of your choice.

                                         Scones baked with caramel bits in cupcake liners!

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Buddha Bowl - Option 2

As I have mentioned in my earlier post, there is no limitation on the variety of ingredients you could use to make a Buddha Bowl. Today, let me share with you the Buddha bowl I made recently with a different set of ingredients.

Ingredients: (Makes 4 bowls)

Whole grain 

Broken wheat or wheat rava - ½ cup 

Plant protein 

Whole urad dhal - 1 cup 

Channa dhal - 2 tablespoons

Rajma - ¼ cup

Sauce

Instead of making a separate sauce, I made dhal makhani to replace protein in sauce!

Vegetables

1. Sauteed vegetables 

Sweet potato - large, 1 no, cut into thick slices

Carrots - 2 no, cut into sticks

Onion - 1 no, large, cut into thick slices 

Capsicum - 1 no, cubed

Black sesame seeds - 1 teaspoon

Salt - to taste

Ground pepper - ¼ teaspoon

Oil - 1 tablespoon

2. Steamed vegetables

Green peas - ½ cup

Cauliflower florets - 1 cup

Yellow pumpkin - peeled and cubed , 1 cup

Salt - to taste

Ground pepper - ¼ teaspoon

3. Salad

Cucumber - 2 no, cut into cubes

Sweet corn kernels - ½ cup

I used the curd dressing for the salad

Greens

Lettuce - large leaves, 8 no

Nuts and seeds

Pumpkin seeds - 1 tablespoon

Method:

Whole grain

Wash the broken wheat well and cook with 1 cup of water in a rice cooker. Keep aside.

Plant protein and Sauce

Click here to view the recipe of dhal makhani.

Sauteed vegetables

• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan. Add in black sesame seeds, and when they start to crackle, place the onion slices and capsicum cubes in the pan. Cook on low flame till onion slices and capsicum start to turn light brown. Transfer to a bowl.
• Now place sweet potato slices and carrot sticks in the pan. Sprinkle salt and ground pepper on top. Cover and cook on low flame till the vegetables are cooked and start to turn golden brown. Switch off the heat.

Steamed vegetables

• Steam green peas, cauliflower florets and yellow pumpkin cubes in a steamer till the vegetables are cooked. Sprinkle salt and ground pepper on top. Keep aside.

Salad

Click here for curd dressing recipe. Add sweet corn and cucumber to the curd dressing. Let it stand for 30 minutes.

Greens

Wash and chill the lettuce leaves in the refrigerator.

Nuts and seeds

Dry roast pumpkin seeds in a kadai for 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Preparing the Buddha bowl

The quantity specified here makes 4 portions. Hence, use a quarter of all items to prepare one bowl. First place lettuce leaves at the bottom of the bowl. Place cooked wheat rava in the bowl. Top it with dal makhani. Surround it with sauteed vegetables, steamed vegetables, salad in curd dressing. Sprinkle roasted pumpkin seeds on top. Your Buddha bowl is ready! Enjoy!

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Dhal Makhani

Dhal makhani is one of the protein rich side dishes that you can serve with chapati, roti, naan , paratha or poori. The main ingredient of this dish is whole black gram, which contains 25 gram of protein and 18 grams of fiber per 100 grams. Let us make this simple recipe today.

Ingredients:

Whole black gram - 1 cup

Bengal gram dhal - 2 tablespoons

Rajma - ¼ cup

Curds - ½ cup

Coriander powder - 1 tablespoon

Cumin powder - 1 teaspoon

Garam masala - 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - ½ teaspoon

Kasuri methi - 1 tablespoon, roasted and crushed

Butter or ghee - 1 tablespoon

Cream - 1 tablespoon (optional)

Salt - to taste

For the masala paste:

Ginger - 1" piece

Garlic - 3 pods

Tomato - 4 no, cubed

Onion - 3 no, cubed 

Oil - 2 teaspoons

Cashew nuts - 1 tablespoon (optional)

Kashmiri chili - 1-2 no, adjust to taste

Method: 

• Wash and soak black gram dhal, rajma and Bengal gram dhal in water over night. Next morning wash again and pressure cook for 15 minutes. Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a kadai; add in Kashmiri chili and fry till they turn darker. Then add onion cubes, and sauté till they turn transparent. Add in garlic pods and sauté for 2 minutes. Allow the ingredients to cool. 
• Grind the fried items, tomato, cashew nuts and ginger into a fine paste.
• Heat 2 teaspoons of butter or ghee in the kadai; add in the masala paste and fry for a minute. Cover and cook on low flame till oil separates.
• Mash the cooked dhals together and add to the kadai. Mix well. Add in required salt and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Beat the curds well. Add coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, turmeric powder and kasuri methi. Mix very well and add to the cooking dhal. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. 
• Decorate with cream and 1 teaspoon of butter. Serve hot with roti or chapati.

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Plantain Flower Curry (வாழைப்பூ கறி)

Plantain flower or banana flower (வாழைப்பூ) is an edible part of the plantain tree, like the plantain stem and is used to make several dishes in the traditional South Indian cuisine. It is rich in fiber, low on calories and contains minerals, antioxidants and essential amino acids. Today I wish to share a traditional curry made with plantain flower.

Ingredients:

Plantain flower - cut into small bits, 2 cups

Coconut - grated, 2 tablespoons

Kashmiri chili - 1-2, broken into pieces (adjust to taste)

Turmeric powder - ¼ teaspoon

Salt - to taste

Asafoetida - a generous pinch

Oil - 2 teaspoons

Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon

Split urad dhal - 1 teaspoon

Curry leaves - a few

Jaggery powder - ½ teaspoon

Butter milk - 1 small hollow ladle or 50 ml

How to clean and cut the plantain flower:

Under each layer of purplish brown skin of  plantain flower, you will find neatly arranged yellowish white florets. Discard the covering purplish brown skin. Separate the florets. Remove the thick central stamen (கள்ளன்) from each floret. Add a ladle of butter milk to half a liter of water. Keep this mixture ready before starting to cut the florets. Cut the florets into tiny bits and add them to the buttermilk mixture. Keep aside.

Method: Heat oil in a kadai, add in Kashmiri chili pieces. When they turn darker in color, add mustard seeds. When the seeds start to crackle, add in split urad dhal. When the dhal turns golden brown in color, add asafoetida. Strain the cut plantain flower in the buttermilk mixture through a colander and add the vegetable to the kadai. Add in salt, jaggery powder and turmeric powder. Add 2 tablespoons of water and mix well. Cover and cook on low flame till the vegetable is cooked well and the fluid is fully absorbed. Add grated coconut and mix well. Sauté for a minute and garnish with curry leaves. Plantain flower curry is ready! Serve hot with rice and sambar or rasam.

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Buddha Bowl

Buddha bowl is essentially a wholesome meal containing whole grain, plant proteins, vegetables, greens and nuts and/or seeds. You can top it with a sauce of your choice.  So you can customize your bowl depending on the availability of ingredients!  According to legend, Buddha would carry his food bowl through the village for the people to fill it with various type of foods. Balance is an important Buddhist concept. Hence, make sure that you prepare a balanced meal for your bowl. Let me share how I prepared my Buddha Bowl.

Ingredients: (Makes 4 bowls)

Whole grain* 

Basmati rice - 1 cup 

*You can use brown rice, hand-pounded rice, red rice, white rice, millet or quinoa instead.

Plant protein* 

White black eyed peas or karamani - ½ cup 

Red black eyed peas or karamani - ½ cup  

*You can used kabuli channa, sprouts, rajma, paneer, tofu etc.

Sauce*

Onion - 1 no, cubed

Tomato - 2 no, cubed

Ginger - ½" piece

Cashew nuts - 1 tablespoon

Kashmiri chili powder - ½ teaspoon

Mixed herbs (rosemary, oregano, basil, parsley, thyme and sage) - ½ teaspoon**

Oil - 1 tablespoon

Salt - to taste

* You can use curd dressing, tahini sauce, green chutney or any other sauce of your choice. Instead of preparing sauce separately, I had added the black eyed peas to it and made it into a gravy.

** You can use garam masala or spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, clove etc.

Vegetables

1. Sauteed vegetables* 

Potato - large, 2 no, cut into wedges

Carrots - 2 no, cut into sticks

Onion - 1 no, large, cut into thick slices 

Black cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon

Salt - to taste

Ground pepper - ¼ teaspoon

Oil - 1 tablespoon

* You can use French beans, capsicum, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, beetroot, yellow pumpkin etc.

2. Boiled vegetables

Green peas - ½ cup

Sweet corn kernels - ½ cup

All purpose flour - 1 teaspoon

Butter - 1 teaspoon

Milk - 100 ml

Salt - to taste

Ground pepper - ¼ teaspoon

3. Salad*

Cucumber - 2 no, cut into 3" long slices

Ground pepper - ¼ teaspoon

Red chili flakes - ¼ teaspoon

Salt - to taste

Olive oil - 2 teaspoons

Lemon juice - 2 teaspoons

* You can use zucchini, capsicum, grated carrot etc.

Greens*

Balloon vine leaves (முடக்கத்தான் கீரை) - 2 cups

Salt - to taste

Oil - 1 teaspoon

Jaggery powder - 1 teaspoon**

* You may use any type of green such as spinach, palak, lettuce etc.

** Balloon wine tastes slightly bitter. Jaggery helps reduce the bitterness.

Nuts and seeds*

Black sesame seeds - 1 teaspoon

White sesame seeds - 1 teaspoon

* You may use peanuts, melon seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, almond, pistachio etc.

Method:

Whole grain

Wash basmati rice well and cook with 2 cups of water in a rice cooker. Keep aside.

Plant protein

Wash black eyed peas well and soak in sufficient water for 2 hours. Later pressure cook the peas for 5 minutes or 5 whistles.

Sauce

• Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a kadai. Add in onion cubes and sauté till they turn transparent. Allow the onion cool down.
• Grind onion, tomato, ginger and cashew nuts into a fine paste using a mixer-grinder.
• Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in the kadai. Add in the ground paste and Kashmiri chili powder. Cook till the sauce thickens. Now add mixed herbs and simmer for 2 minutes.
• Add in cooked black eyed peas and required salt. Mix well. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the fire.

Sauteed vegetables

• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan. Add in black cumin seeds, and when they start to crackle, place the onion slices in the pan. Cook on low flame till onion slices start to turn light brown. Transfer to a bowl.
• Now place potato wedges and carrot sticks in the pan. Sprinkle salt and ground pepper on top. Cover and cook on low flame till the vegetables are cooked and start to turn golden brown. Switch off the heat.

Boiled vegetables

• Boil green peas in water till they are cooked. Steam or boil sweet corn till done. Keep aside.
• Heat 1 teaspoon of butter in the kadai. Add in all purpose flour and fry till it starts to turn light brown. Switch off the fire. 
• Add 100 ml of warm milk and mix well to form a smooth mixture. Cook on the low flame with continuous stirring till the mixture thickens. Add required salt and ground pepper. Blend well.
• Add in boiled green peas and sweet corn. Mix well and simmer for  a minute. Remove from fire.

Note: You can add green peas and sweet corn directly to the Buddha bowl. However, I made a small quantity of white sauce to enhance the flavor and taste.

Salad

Mix olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice and red chili flakes in a bowl to form salad dressing. Add in cucumber slice and mix well. Set aside for 20-30 minutes.

Greens

• Wash balloon vine leaves in running water well and drain. 
• Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a kadai. Add in the leaves and sauté for 2 minutes. Add salt, jaggery powder and ¼ cup of water. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes. Switch off the stove.

Nuts and seeds

Dry roast sesame seeds in a kadai till they start popping. Transfer to a bowl.

Preparing the Buddha bowl

The quantity specified here makes 4 portions. Hence, use a quarter of all items to prepare one bowl. First place cooked rice in the bowl. Top it with sauce containing black-eyed peas. Surround it with sauteed vegetables, boiled vegetables in white sauce, salad and greens. Sprinkle roasted sesame seeds on top. Your Buddha bowl is ready! It is nutritive and filling.

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Cucumber Corn Salad

Summer months are marked by the abundance of cucumber and mangoes. Adding cucumber to our diet increases the fiber content and improves hydration. Here's a simple cucumber salad recipe.

Ingredients:

Cucumber - 2 no, cut into fingers*

Sweet corn - steamed or frozen, half cup

Salt - to taste

Pepper - ⅛ teaspoon, adjust to taste

Olive oil - 2 teaspoons

White sesame seeds - 1 teaspoon

Black sesame seeds - 1 teaspoon

* I have used long cucumber; you may use desi cucumber or English cucumber as well.

Method:

• Roast the sesame seeds in a kadai till they start popping. Keep aside to cool down.
• In a bowl, mix olive oil, salt and pepper well to form salad dressing.
• If you are using frozen sweet corn, allow it to thaw for 20 minutes.
• Add in cucumber pieces and sweet corn to the bowl and mix well. Allow it to soak for 30 minutes.
• Finally add in roasted sesame seeds and mix well. Your salad is ready!

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