Wheat noodles upma

Wheat noodles upma is a easy,quick and healthy breakfast recipe. wheat noodles are available in supermarkets. rice noodles can also be used instead of wheat noodles. however precaution must be taken while cooking rice noodles, as they cook very fast and if overcooked turn very mushy.

Ingredients :                                                                                serves : 4 adults

• wheat/rice noodles packet :  one
• water  :  5-6 cups
• oil    :  2 tbsp
• ghee / clarified butter   :  1 tbsp
• chopped onions   :   1 cup
• chopped tomato  :   1 cup
• green peas    :    half cup
• chopped french beans  :    half cup
• chopped carrots  :   1 cup
• mustard seeds  :    1 tsp
• jeera   :    1 tsp
• hing     :     1 tsp
• curry leaves  :     5-6
• chopped green chilies :      2-3 chilies 
• salt    :   for taste
• coriander  :  for garnishing

Method  : 

•  heat the noodles without adding oil or ghee in a kadhai. keep turning them in the kadhai till they turn slightly brown and fragrant.
• in another flat bottom vessel, boil water. add salt and oil to the water and bring it to boil.
• pour the boiling water over the noodles in kadhai till the noodles immerse in water completely. heat for some time. check with a spoon whether the noodles have turned soft enough.(rice noodles cook fast, almost immediately after pouring the boiling water.) 
• pour the water and noodles mixture in a sieve and hold for some time under tap water. all the noodles should be cooled completely. this will help to make the noodles non-sticky. keep the cooled noodles aside.
• in a kadhai, heat ghee. add mustard seeds and jeera. after the seeds splutter, add hing and curry leaves, saute for 30 seconds.
• add chopped onions. saute till the onions turn translucent.
• add chopped tomatoes and cover the kadhai with a lid.
• add all the vegetables, saute them and cover the kadhai with a lid. let the vegetables cook for for 5 minutes.
• check if the vegetables have cooked, and add the noodles. stir the mix.
• add salt,mix. add coriander , mix and cover with a lid.

Wheat noodles upma is ready to eat!!

Cheese Garlic Nachini Dosa 

A healthy version of plain dosa with taste of garlic and cheese and goodness of calcium rich nachani - an ideal breakfast option.

Makes - 2 - 3 dosas                                                             Cooking time - 10 mins

Ingredients 

Ready dosa batter - 1 Cup

Nachini flour - 1/2 Cup

Garlic, chopped - 1/4 Cup

Grated cheese - 1/4 Cup

Ghee/ Oil -  1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Chutney/ Sambar - as accompaniments 

Preparation

1. Mix dosa batter and nachani flour. Add salt to taste and water to adjust batter consistency.

2. Heat tava. Spread this batter on it as we make dosas. 

3. Immediately sprinkle chopped garlic and grated cheese on it.

4. Sprinkle little oil/ ghee.

5. Cook till dosa turns brown

6. Serve with coconut chutney/ sambar

P.S. Although the pic doesn't look appetizing, but it tastes amazing :p

Raagi Badam Hot Drink

This is my favourite as its easy to make and is healthy too so can serve to toddlers & babied too :-) This tastes best when served hot. If you have it for teatime, you will feel full till dinner time as its very filling.

Ingredients:

• Ragi flour - 4 tbsp
• Milk - 2 cups
• Water - 1/2 cup
• Sugar - 2 tsp
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
• Kesar (optional)
• Badam powdered / chopped finely - 1 tbsp

Preparation:

• Dry roast Ragi flour till nice aroma comes, it may take 3-5 mins. Set aside.
• Take 1/2 cup milk add a tbsp of ragi flour to it and make it to a smooth paste. Set aside.
• Heat boiled milk then add the ragi milk paste and remaining ragi flour, sugar to it. Stir continuously making sure no lumps are formed. Add 1/2 cup water and mix well.
• Keep stirring till it becomes slightly thick like porridge but still in pouring consistency. Add cardamom powder, give a quick stir and then switch off. Garnish with powdered almonds and serve hot or warm.

Oats Upama

What better way to gain the strength and energy to carry you through a hectic morning schedule than with a steaming bowl of freshly cooked oat in different forms of recipes. Oats upama is very easy & very healthy can also serve to babies & toddlers :) 

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup roasted Oats (if want you can grand it in a mixer grinder to get texture like a Rava)
• 1 1/2 tsp oil
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds ( rai / sarson)
• 1/2 tsp urad dal (split black lentils) ( optional)
• 2 1/2 to 3 pcs curry leaves (kadi patta)
• 1/2 pc whole dry kashmiri red chilli , broken into pieces ( optional)
• 1 pc green chillies
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onions
• 1/8 cup finely chopped carrot ( optional)
• 1/8 cup green pease ( optional)
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• salt to taste

For The Garnish

• 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander (dhania)

Preparation :

Heat 1 tsp of oil in a non-stick pan, add the oats and ½ tsp of turmeric powder and sauté on a medium flame for 3 to 4 minutes or till it turns light brown in colour, stirring occasionally. Keep aside.

Heat the remaining 2 tsp of oil in a broad non-stick pan and add the mustard seeds.

When the seeds crackle, add the urad dal, curry leaves, red chillies and green chillies and sauté on a medium flame for 1 minute.

Add the onions and sauté on a medium flame for 1 minute or till the onions turn translucent.

Add the carrots and green peas and sauté on a medium flame for 2 minutes.

Add the oats mixture, sugar, salt and remaining ½ tsp of turmeric powder, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 1 minute, stirring continuously.

Add 1½ cups of hot water, cover and cook on a slow flame for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve immediately garnished with coriander.

Yummy Chocolate Cupcakes

Cooking time 40 minutes

Ingredients :

• Maida  250 gms
• baking powder  1/4th tablespoon
• baking soda  1/8th teaspoon
• cocoa powder  100 gms 
• soda water  50 ml
• eggwhites  3  ( for the eggless version, use 1 cup of vegetable oil instead of 3 eggs)
• milkmaid  small can  1/3rd part of the can of milkmaid
• unsalted softened butter ( nutralite butter)  divide the butter block into half, and use the half part only

  for decoration :

• chocolate spread
• chocolate chips or crushed chocolate biscuit crumbs can be used as topping.

other things required : 

• a cupcake mold

        paper baking cups

Method :

• sieve together maida, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder. set aside.
• in a large bowl , add butter and milkmaid and whisk till u get a smooth consistency. now add the egg- whites / oil and whisk again. 
• in this mixture, add half part of the maida mixture and whisk slowly in one direction. whisk lightly 3-4 times only.
• now add the remaining maida mixture, whisk lightly again 3-4 times.
• add the soda water into this mix, and whisk again lightly till all the flour ( maida) is consumed in the mix. there should be no lumps. the mixture should be of a smooth homogeneous consistency.
• cover with a lid and keep aside.

 baking process :  

microwave version : 

• preheat the oven by putting it on convection mode, at 180 degrees.
• grease the cupcake molds very slightly. (more greasing will make the paper baking cups oily to hold while eating).
• place the paper baking cups in the molds.
• pour the batter in the paper baking cups till they fills more than half but not completely.
• now place the cupcake mold in preheated oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes.
• after 20 minutes take it out from the microwave oven and cool it off to room temperature . ( very important : do not check whether the cupcakes are fully baked by inserting a knife in cupcakes. doing this will flatten the cupcakes. u can just press the cupcakes and if they are too soft keep in the oven again for 4-5 minutes.)

pressure cooker version :

• only small cupcake molds can be used as 6 or 8 cupcake molds would not fit in cooker.
• remove the whistle and gasket (rubber ring) of the cooker.
• place a small plate at the base of cooker to avoid burning of the cupcakes.
• preheat the cooker for 20 minutes on high flame.
• place the paper baking cups in the molds.
• pour the batter in the paper baking cups till they fills more than half but not completely.
• now place the cupcake mold in on the plate in the preheated cooker and bake for 12 to 15 minutes on low flame.
• after 15 minutes , remove from the cooker carefully, and cool it to room temperature.

decoration / garnishing :

        there are variety of ways to decorate a cupcake. we can simply apply the chocolate spread on top of the cupcake and sprinkle some chocolate chips on top. 

        keep in refrigerator for some time till the chocolate spread on top of the  cupcake hardens.

 Yummy Chocolate Cupcakes are ready to eat!!

Corn and Mint Rice

Corn and Mint Rice

Serves - 2                                                                   Cooking time - 15 - 20 mins

Ingredients
Boiled Rice - 2 cups
Ginger, Garlic, Chili paste

Fresh Mint Leaves

Coriander

Sweet Corn

Jira

Salt

Oil

Method
1. Boil sweet corn. Don’t make it too soft

2. Make Pudina/Mint paste, also add little coriander
3. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan, add Jira
4. Add boiled rice and fry
5. Add Ginger garlic and Chili paste, add Mint paste (add this on rice only otherwise this paste will get stick to pan)
6. Add sweet corn and salt and cook for 2-3 min

7. Once done add Butter and cover with lid (this gives shine to rice)

Mint rice ready to eat J

Methi Thepla

 Methi thepla is a all time favorite at home. methi thepla are flatbreads made from fresh fenugreek leaves, whole wheat flour and gram flour can be munched anytime of the day. Methi thepla are light as well as healthy. a good snack for children who don’t like greens, especially fenugreek ; this way you can incorporate some greens in their diet.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour/atta
• 1 cup gram flour/besan
• 1 cup chopped fresh fenugreek (methi) leaves
• 1 tsp cumin powder or whole cumin
• 1 tsp coriander powder (dhania powder)
• ½ tsp turmeric (haldi)
• 1 tsp red chili powder (lal mirch powder)
• 1 tsp green chilli-ginger paste (hari mirch - adrak paste)
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 to 2 tbsp water or 1 to 2 tbsp curd/yogurt
• salt as required
• oil for frying

Preparation:

1. mix all the ingredients except water.
2. start kneading without adding water first.
3. the methi (fenugreek) leaves leave a lot of water.
4. just add 1 tbsp or 2 tbsp water if required.
5. if the dough become sticky, then just add some more wheat flour.
6. keep the dough aside for 15-20 minutes covered with a kitchen towel.
7. now make medium sized balls from the dough.
8. roll each ball thinly into flat discs.
9. heat a frying pan or tava.
10. place the thepla on the pan.
11. when one side is half cooked, flip it.
12. apply ½ or 1 tsp oil on the cooked side.
13. now again flip and apply ½ or 1 tsp oil on the other side.
14. flip again twice.
15. once the thepla is cooked as well as browned, remove from the pan.
16. make all the theplas this way.
17. stack them up and keep in a roti basket or in covered in a kitchen napkin.
18. serve methi theplas with mango or lime pickles, or potato sabzi.
19. you can also have methi theplas plain with Tea.

You can add Spinach instead of Methi as per like.