Perugu annam / Curd or Yogurt Rice / Daddojanam

Perugu annam / Curd or Yogurt Rice / Daddojanam

I am the only person in the house who eats plain yogurt or curd. My kids are used to eating flavored yogurts bought from the store. I can coax my older one to eat it by adding fruit to it, but he will never eat it plain. My husband will only it eat if its in any curry or in the form of raita.
So in the beginning I always bought store yogurt and had it at home only for me. But these days I make it home and eat it all by myself over a few days. Thats the reason I never get to make perugu annam. Its very rare that I make it this way. I usually eat it plain mixed in rice.
For Ugadi, I decided I will make it even if its only for myself!
Curd rice is eaten on many occasions in India. Its also given as prasadam in many temples in south India. Its also called 'Daddojanam'


Ingredients:


1 cup cooked rice
3/4 to 1 cup plain yogurt or curd
1 small onion, chopped lengthwise or juliened
4 green chillies, slit
5-6 curry leaves
1 tbsp grated ginger or 1/2 inch piece chopped ginger
1/2 tbsp channa daal
1/4 tbsp urad daal
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp jeera
2 dry red chillies, broken
a pinch of hing or inguva
1 tbsp oil
salt to taste
some water if required
1/2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves


Method:


In a pan, heat oil, add channa daal, urad daal and brown them. Add the mustard seeds, jeera and let them splutter. Add the red chillies, curry leaves and green chillies. Add the hing or inguva and saute. Add the ginger and chopped onion and saute just for a minute and take off the flame.
Add the curd to the rice, salt and coriander leaves and mix. Add also the tempered mixture to the rice and mix. If you think the its too thick, you can add some water or more yogurt. Serve cold with chutney or plain. Enjoy!!!

Tip: I like crunchy onions in the rice, thats why I don't cook them too much, but if you don't like them crunchy, cook them a little more.


Prep time: Less than 10 min, if you have everything ready.

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Coconut Rice / Kobbari Annam

Coconut Rice / Kobbari Annam

So I was still making out my menu for Ugadi, and since whatever I make I would have to eat it all. Just didn't want to make the typical festival food of pulihora, vada (garelu), polis and stuff. I can't cook in little amounts at all. And now was the time I had to make only less amounts. Then I decided that I will make coconut rice, which I can make in less amount and then perugu annam (curd rice) which I had to make only for myself. So I ended making coconut rice just for us 3 (me and my kids).

Here I used frozen grated coconut, as I didn't have grated fresh coconut available right then. Most of the time I bring a coconut, it usually ends up being spoilt! Frozen coconut is a saviour.
This is very easy to make if you have everything available at hand, main ingredient being coconut :). And I have cooked rice ready.
Please adjust spiciness to your taste.

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked rice
3/4 to 1 cup packed frozen grated coconut (you can use fresh also)
4-5 green chillies slit lengthwise
1/4 cup Cashew broken in halves
1/2 tbsp channa daal
1/4 tbsp urad daal
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp jeera
2-3 broken dry red chillies
5-6 curry leaves
less than 1/4 tsp hing or inguva
2 tbsp oil
salt to taste

Method:

In a kadai, heat oil, add the channa daal, urad daal and brown it. Add the mustard seeds and jeera and let them splutter. Add the cashews and brown them. Add the red chillies, curry leaves and hing and saute. Add the green chillies and saute before adding the rice, coconut and salt. Mix well. Serve hot with any chutney or plain. Enjoy!!!

Prep time: Less than 10 min if you have everything ready.

Tip: I use fresh or fresh frozen coconut. I never made it with dry powdered coconut, tho I use dry coconut powder in many other recipes. You can also add some peanuts if you like.

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Paramaannam as Naivedyam / Sweet Jaggary Rice with nuts / Sweet Pongal

The way I make Paramaannam is probably the most unusual way. It is usually made by boiling milk and rice together or cooking rice in milk then adding the melted jaggary.

I boil milk in the microwave, melt the jaggary on the stovetop, cook rice in the rice cooker, and fry the kaaju and kismis (cashew and raisins) in a different pot. Look like I do all types of cooking just for one dish :). In the end it does turn out good.

Many people make this without any kind of daal in it. But in my house we have always made it with channa daal and I continue the tradition. Not only channa daal but also moong daal can be used.

I have made it less and just enough sweet to my taste. You can adjust that by adding more jaggary.

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked rice

1 cup grated jaggary

1 cup milk

1/4 cup channa daal (soak in warm water for 1/2 hour)

1/2 tsp elaichi powder (cardamom)

1/4 cup cashews and raisins

1-2 tbsp ghee

Method:

Soak channa daal in warm water for 1/2 hour.

Cook rice. Grate the jaggary. Boil milk.

In a pot add some water and boil the channa for few minutes only until they get cooked. They shouldn't become flat when you press them between your fingers.

Now add the jaggary and let it melt down and come to a boil. Add very little water if required.

Next add the cooked rice and elaichi and mix well. Then stir in the milk and let it come together.

In a different pan, saute the cashews and raisins till they get brown.

Add the cashews and raisins and mix well and remove from heat.

Serve GOD!!!

Serve it hot or warm with ghee. People eat it with plain daal on the side too. Enjoy!!!

Prep time: It can be done in less than 20 min, if you have everything ready.

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50th post, Happy Ugadi with Ugadi Pachadi

HAPPY UGADI  to everyone!!!.. May this year bring lots of happiness into your life!!

As my husband is in India on work, I will be celebrating Ugadi alone with the kids this year. I am used to making lot of food on festival days, but this year since I will have to eat everything if I make a lot, so I decided against it. I am going to unconventional and not make the typical festival food I make this year, but instead I will make something easy and in less quantity is what I thought. So I started out by making Ugadi Pachadi which is like a must on Ugadi. Then I made Paramaannam as Naivedyam for God. Then I made Kobbari annam or Coconut rice. Then since I felt like eating Perugu annam or curd rice, I made that too. So was that less food??.. hmph!!...if I start in the kitchen, I just keep going.........

Anyways, here is Ugadi Pachadi celebrating my 50th post (alone) and Happy Ugadi once again to everyone!!!

In my Ugadi pachadi I only put tamarind, coconut, mango, banana, putnalu pappu (soft channa daal), jaggary and neem ka phool or vepa pootha. Now where do I get vepa pootha?? Well, I ask my Mother-in-law to dry the flowers when they are in season and store them. I do this the year I go to India. Its only thinking ahead. Here in US, I refrigerate them and they last me 2 years atleast, till the next time I go to India.

If I put anymore fruits into the pachadi, my husband would ask me if I made pachadi or fruit salad!!!:)

Ugadi Pachadi

Ingredients:

1 big lemon sized ball of tamarind (juices squeezed)

1 cup grated jaggary

1/2 cup coconut, cut in small pieces

1/2 raw mango, cut into small pieces (or more)

1/4 cup soft channa daal or putnalu pappu

1 banana, cut into small pieces

some vepa pootha or neem ka phool (optional)

some water, you can use coconut water if you like

Method:

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Add the vepa pootha in the end. Serve to GOD and Enjoy with your family and friends!!!

Prep time: 15min for chopping, 5min for mixing, 10min to relax, eat and enjoy!

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Wholesome all lentil Crepes / Daal Dosa / Pappulu Dosa

Wholesome all Lentil Crepes / Daal Dosa / Pappulu Dosa

An healthy dosa it is. Full of protein from different grains or lentils. Also one of the easiest dosa to make as it needs no fermentation. Only over night soaking then grinding.
I used 4 kinds of daals or lentils for this dosa. You can add the other types of daals too. Grind the daals with small piece of ginger and green chillies to get flavorful dosas. I served mine with the Coriander - mint chutney I made.

Ingredients:

1 cup rice
1/4 cup channa daal (channaga pappu)
1/4 cup urad daal (minapa pappu)
1/4 cup toor daal (kandi pappu)
1/4 cup moong daal (pesar pappu)

1inch piece of ginger
5 green chillies
Salt to taste

1/2 tsp jeera
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
Oil for making dosas

Method:

Soak the rice with all the daals over night or atleast 6 hours. Grind the daals with the ginger, green chillies and salt to a dosa type batter. Add the jeera and coriander leaves to the batter and make dosas. Serve hot with any chutney or pachadi. Enjoy!!!

Prep time: 6 to Overnight for soaking, 10-15min for grinding, 2-3min for each dosa, less than 30sec for eating!!!

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Tortilla Pizza - my older Son's recipe

Tortilla Pizza - my older Son's recipe

Everyday after my son comes back from school, he needs a snack. He is really very hungry, so he needs a big snack!
Today he came up with this recipe and asked me to make it for him. He gave me his idea of using the tortilla, putting marinara sauce, and the cheese on it. I added the veggies to it. He even helped me making his own one and I made mine with whole lot extra veggies and less cheese.
He thinks he came up with whole idea of the pizza on a tortilla, but I think he must have seen it somewhere and picked it up from his memory. I didn't tell him that tho, just played along.
I had only small size tortillas at home, so we used them. I used Ragu's chunky garden marinara sauce, and shredded mixed pizza cheese which is readily available in our refrigerater.

I thought using only one tortilla would make it too thin and fragile after adding the veggies and cheese, so I used 2.

Ingredients:

His Pizza:

2 tortillas
2-3 tbsp of marinara sauce
chopped onions
chopped tomatoes
3-4 tbsp cheese

My Pizza:

2 tortillas
2-3 tbsp of marinara sauce
chopped onions
chopped green bell pepper
chopped red bell pepper
(you can use any other veggies or toppings you want and in any amount)
(I sauteed my veggies before adding them on the tortilla, raw veggies are also fine)
1-2 tbsp cheese

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Assemble the tortillas on a baking sheet. Spread the marinara sauce over it. Assemble the veggies over the tortilla. Last spread the cheese. I haven't added any herbs, but you are more than welcome to, to make it more flavorful! Bake at 400 till the cheese melts. Since the tortillas are thin, they will get crispy.
Serve hot or warm. Enjoy!!!

Tip: This is good way to get kids involved in cooking if they are interested. This is easy and as long as they don't have to go near the hot oven or stove when an adult is helping them.

This is going to Kid's Delight wholesome snacks hosted by Srivalli on her blog. 

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Coriander - Mint Chutney / Dhaniya - Pudina Chutney / Kotmir - Pudina Pachadi

Coriander - Mint Chutney / Dhaniya - Pudina Chutney / Kotmir - Pudina Pachadi

Its almost officially spring here. Spring comes around on the 21st of March according to the calender. Tho weather wise I cannot say that. It has been raining for the past 3 days non-stop. Maybe that is a sign of spring taking over. We are expecting better weather over the next half of the week, maybe that is a sign of spring. Oh well, just let the weather get better.
Spring means fresh grass, new leaves, new flowers, time to set up my garden, new plants, I can't wait...
I made Dhaniya - Pudina chutney, as I love the smell of pudina and I sometimes crave to eat this chutney, tho I haven't made this in a while.
When you make either only coriander chutney or only mint chutney, I feel there is something missing. Thos they taste equally good, I like mixing them together. Sometimes when I want to make coriander chutney, I add little bit to mint and when only mint chutney, little bit of coriander. This is just for the smell I think!!.. This time I made using both coriander and mint in equal amounts. I made is enough spicy for me. Adjust the spiciness to your liking. I made thick chutney, you can also make it little thinner by adding water.

Ingredients:

A big bunch of mint leaves, washed properly
equal amont of coriander leaves, Washed properly

6 pods of garlic, peeled and halved
6-7 green chillies
1 small lime sized ball of tamarind without seeds
some water

2 tbsp oil and few drops
1 tbsp channa daal
1/2 tbsp urad daal
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp jeera
5-6 dry red chillies
5-6 curry leaves

Method:

In a pot, add a few drops of oil. When hot, add the garlic and brown it. Next add the channa daal and urad daal and brown it too. Add the mustard seeds, jeera and let it splutter. Now add the red chillies and curry leaves. Add also the washed coriander leaves and mint leaves with the green chillies. Let it cook down. Keep checking so that it doesn't burn. Add the tamarind too and tiny bit of water.
When it cools, grind it into a smooth paste or a crunchy paste :). Serve with hot rice, idli, vada, dosa, or bhajjilu. Enjoy!!!

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