Health for life

If its chilled outside,obviously my mind will goes definitely for something deepfried for snacks. Eventhough am keep myself away from deepfried fritters, once in a while i dont hesitate a second to make some masala vadas as my kids started asking vadas for their snacks. Our recent favourite crispy fritters are these oats masala vadas,they are truly addictive and we couldnt stop ourselves munching these fritters.

Oats and channadal together turned out this vadas truly super crispy. For making this vadas, instead of soaking oats for a while i went for dry roasted rolled oats and grinded them along with soaked channadal mixture. With loads of onions and usual spices, these vadas turned out simply incredible.Sending these vadas to my own event CWS-Channadal and to 60days of Christmas hosted by Priya and Divya.



2cups Channadal
1/2cup Rolled oats (dry roasted)
1no Onion (big &chopped)
2nos Green chillies (chopped)
1tsp Ginger (grated)
Few Curry leaves
1tsp Fennel seeds
Salt
Oil for deepfrying

Soak the channadal for atleast two hours, drain the water and grind them as coarse paste without water, if its too hard to grind,just sprinkle some water.

Before removing the channadal paste, add the dry roasted rolled oats,fennel seeds and grind it.

Add the chopped onions, chopped green chillies, grated ginger pieces, curryleaves and salt, mix everything well.

Meanwhile heat the oil for deep frying, take a small ball from the channadal-oats mixture, flat them in your palms and gently put them in hot oil.

Fry them until they get well cooked, strain the excess of oil with a paper towel..

Serve hot with spicy coconut chutney!

I know how most of us will breaking our heads to come out a simple,quick and pect lunch box dishes to our lil ones. But fortunately i dont need to pack foods for my lil one, instead of it i have to pack foods for my better half as he dont like to have his lunch in his office canteen. Obviously i have to cook almost everyday to pack him some healthy,quick,easy lunch dishes with veggies definitely. Two days back, i quickly prepared this yummy masala rice simply with bhindis and cooked channa aka chickpeas, trust me this combo works out wonder and my H happily carried this flavourful masala rice for his lunch and enjoyed thoroughly.Sending this delicious rice to my own event CWS-Chickpeas guest hosted by Kavi of Foodmania.



2cups Cooked rice
1no Onion (chopped)
12nos Bhindis/Ladys finger (chopped)
1cup Cooked chickpeas
1/2tsp Mustard seeds
1/2tsp Urad dal
Few curry leaves
Oil
Salt

To Grind:
1tsp Cumin seeds
1tsp Channa dal
1tsp Peppercorns
1inch Cinnamon stick
2nos Cloves
2tsp Coriander seeds
3nos Dry red chillies

Heat few drops of oil, roast all the ingredients given in the list To grind,one by one until they turns golden brown, grind them as fine powder and keep aside.

Meanwhile heat few drops of oil in a pan, fry the chopped bhindis until they turn soft.

Heat enough oil, lets splutter the mustard seeds,urad dal, curry leaves, add immediately the chopped onions, saute for few minutes with salt until they turns soft..

Add the chickpeas, grounded powder and saute again for few seconds, now add the cooked rice,already cooked bhindis, toss gently everything until the rice get well mixed.

Serve hot with papads.

When i posted Brioche Rolls with Strawberry Jam two days back,many of my readers asked me to post the stepwise pictures to show how i prepared the rolls, finally yesterday i prepared some savoury rolls with potato-peas masala and cheese with the same method. This time without any fail,i clicked the stepwise pictures just to share with my readers, please forgive me for the poor light else those pictures will be definitely helpful to everyone whoever want to give a try to this cute rolls.

This time i prepared the dough with wholewheat flour and an easy breezy potato-peas masala and baked along some cheese slices, apart from it these rolls are terribly addictive. An excellent evening snack to enjoy with your favourite drink.We enjoyed thoroughly these rolls when they were still warm and those melted cheese were simply awesome while having these rolls.These rolls suits pect for this months Magic Mingle#11 as this months secret ingredients are potato and cumin seeds and to my own event Healthy Diet- Healthy Finger Food guest hosted by Preeti of Isingcakes and to 60days of Christmas hosted by Priya and Divya


2+1/2cups Whole wheat flour or Bread flour
1tbsp Active dry yeast
1/2cup Luke Warm water
1tsp Salt
1tsp Sugar
1/4cup Olive oil
Sliced cheese as per need

Potato-peas masala:
2nos Potatoes (cooked & cubed)
1/2cup Green peas
1no Onion (chopped)
2nos Green chillies (chopped)
1/2tsp Cumin seeds
1tsp Garam masala powder
Oil
Salt
Few curry leaves

Potato-peas masala:

Heat enough oil,let crack the cumin seeds and curry leaves, add the chopped onions,chopped green chillies,saute until the onions turns transculent.

Add the green peas,garam masala powder,salt and cook in medium flame, springle some water and cook until the peas gets partially cooked.

Finally add the cubed potatoes,cook for few more minutes until the masala gets well cooked.

Keep aside and let them cool.

For Rolls:
Mix the yeast,sugar and salt in a cup of  luke warm water and keep side for 5minutes until the yeast mixture turns foamy.

Take the whole wheat flour in a bowl,slowly add the foamy yeast,water if needed and olive oil and knead as a soft dough.

Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover the bowl with a towel and arrange in a warm place.

Let them sit for two hours until they double their volume.

After two hours, punch down the doubled dough and knead again, roll as 6-8medium sized balls.

The best way to sneak veggies is to add either in fried rice or as stuffing in masala dosas, actually i quite often finish leftover vegetable stir fries by stuffing them in crispy dosa and serve them mostly during our dinner. Obviously my small family love vegetable masala dosas. When i chosed cooking with different veggies for this weeks blogging marathons theme, i know ill be making vegetable masala dosas.

Last weekend i prepared this mixed vegetable masala dosa quickly for our dinner and went for a easy breezy vegetable masala, needless to say i prepared my vegetable masala with carrot,cabbage and green peas as i chosed this combination from the list given by Srivalli for cooking with different veggies theme. This vegetable masala gets ready very much quickly and we truly enjoyed having this healthy masala dosa.Check out the marathoners running this 24th edition of blogging marathon here.Sending to Siris Celebrating First Anniversary.

If the idly batter is thick, add water to turn them little bit thin.

Heat a pan, brush the pan with oil,pour a ladle of the idli batter,drizzle oil and cook on both sides..

Place enough vegetable masala in the middle of dosa and fold it.

Serve immediately with spicy chutneys or sambar.

Snakegourd is one of my favourite vegetable but honestly speaking none at home like this Indian vegetable. To feed everyone at home, i usually prepare them with dals as kootu so that none can remove the vegetable from the dal. But recently i tried making this super crispy starters with snakegourd stuffed with spicy potato masala, this crispy rings are big hit among my kids and they vanished very much quickly. 

Even these rings goes for a bit long cooking process, i dont bother to make them again just to feed this veggie to my kids.I know potatoes is almost everyones favourite, thats why i went for a quick potato masala, you can also go for paneer masala or minced soya masala or else any other masala your family likes.A pect starter to serve in a party menu or as a side dish to serve along with variety rice dishes.



Make a thick paste with cornflour,maida and salt.

Now drop gently the potato masala stuffed snakegourd rings in the flour paste,take out and roll it well in the bread crumbs,continue the same process until the masala stuffed snakegourd rings gets finished.

Heat enough oil in a pan, shallow fry the breadcrumbs coated snakegourd rings until the crust turns golden brown.

Drain the excess of oil with a paper towel.

Enjoy warm with ketchup.

If you have abundantly village side vegetables like brinjals,drumsticks at home, you have to give a try to this Chettinad Masala Kuzhambu.This fingerlicking kuzhambu goes for a super quick cooking process and this gravy goes for an easy breezy freshly grounded masala paste too.Most of the chettinad gravies always have few common ingredients like coriander seeds,coconut,fennel seeds,dry red chillies,cashew nuts or roasted channadal, shallots in their masala paste. Obviously those ingredients have their important role in this gravy too and they gives a wonderful taste,flavour,spiciness and thickness to this gravy.

I cant imagine eating bhatura without channa masala, every household will have their own way of making channa masala, even sometimes i mix and match the ingredients according to my mood. This channa masala is kinda restaurant style of dish as i prepared it as a usual channa masala will go for. As i told earlier this weeks blogging marathon is going to be cooking with restaurant menu as theme, for the second day of blogging marathon i chosed to cook channa masala from the category kadai, listed by Srivalli from the Balaji bhavan restaurant menu.

We had this channa masala with pooris for our dinner two days back, since this channa masala tastes fabulous you can even serve them with a mildly spiced pulao or rice dishes. My daughter relished simply this channa masala with rice for her lunch.Obviously with amchur powder and chaat masala in it, this masala will definitely tickle your tastebuds. Check out the blogger running this 24th edition of blogging marathon here.

2cups Cooked channa/chickpeas
2nos Tomatoes (chopped)
1no Onion (big & chopped finely)
1/2cup Tomato puree
1tsp Ginger garlic paste
1tsp Red chilly powder
1/2tsp Cumin powder
1tbsp Coriander powder
1/2tsp Amchur powder
1/4tsp Chaat masala
1tsp Garam masala powder
1/2tsp Cumin seeds
1tbsp Kasuri methi/dry methi leaves
Oil
Salt


Heat the oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds  and let them fry.

Add the chopped tomato,onion,ginger garlic paste and saute them until they turns mushy..

Add the tomato puree with salt, red chilly powder, cook them in simmer.

Finally add the cooked channa,coriander powder,chaat masala, amchur powder, garam masala powder,cumin powder and cook for few seconds.

Add enough water and cook again in simmer for a few minutes,finally add the kasuri methi leaves,bring it to boil and put off the stove.

Serve with onions and a lemon wedges, squeeze out the lemon juice before serving.

Enjoy hot with rotis!!