Multi Grain Vermicelli Porridge (Semiya Upma)

South Indian Vegetarian Breakfast Special

Andhra Cuisine
Multi Grain Vermicelli Porridge (Semiya Upma)

Serves 2

Ingredients:

Multi Grain Vermicelli (Semiya)- 2 Cups

Onions- 1 No., Finely Sliced

Tomatoes- 2 Nos., Finely Sliced

Ginger- 1 Inch, Finely Sliced 

Green Chillies- 2 Nos., Slit

French Beans- 7-8 Nos., Finely Sliced

Carrots- 1 Medium, Finely Sliced

Extra Light Olive Oil/Olive Pomace Oil- 2 Tbsp.

Water- 3 Cups

For Tempering:

Raw Peanuts- 1 Tbsp.

Chana Dal- ½ Tsp.

Urad Dal- ½ Tsp.

Mustard Seeds (Rai)- ¼ Tsp.

Jeera- ¼ Tsp.

Asafoetida (Hing)- a Pinch

Curry Leaves- 7-8 Nos.

Salt- To Taste

Fresh Lemon Juice- As Desired

Fresh Coriander Leaves- For Garnish

Method:

In a Bowl, Soak the Vermicelli with just enough water to cover it for about 3-4 Minutes

 

In an Idli Steamer, steam this Soaked Vermicelli till it is cooked

 

Heat Oil in a Non Stick Wide Skillet (Kadhai)

Add Peanuts & Saute till Color changes

Add Mustard Seeds & Saute till Seeds Splutter

Add Chana Dal, Urad Dal & Cumin Seeds till the Dals change Color

 

Add Curry Leaves & Asafoetida & Sauté

Add Ginger, Green Chillies & Sauté

 

Add Onions, Pinch of Salt & Sauté

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Add Sliced Tomatoes & Sauté till they mix well with the Onions

Slowly Add the Steamed Vermicelli & Mix Well

Squeeze Fresh Lemon Juice, Sprinkle Coriander Leaves & Serve Hot with Andhra Ginger/Mango Pickle! 

Tips:

Bengali- Shemai

English- Vermicelli

Hindi- Seviyan

Gujarati- Sev

Kannada- Shavige

Malayalam- Semiya

Tamil- Semiya

Telugu- Semiya/Sevalu

Urdu- Seviyan

This is an excellent Breakfast choice for the Health Conscious, Diabetics or just as a Variety of the Regular Vermicelli!

It also provides a Look & Taste of Noodles which goes down very well with Kids & Adults like to pass of as an All Time Favourite Snack or an Easy to Make Quick Fix for Lunch Boxes or just as Comfort Food! 

Be careful not to overcook the Vermicelli so that it becomes sticky in the Steamer

Assorted Boiled Vegetables includes French Beans, Carrots, Peas etc. which can be Washed, Peeled, finely Sliced & Boiled Ahead to save time in Cooking

Feel free to share your views & do let us know how this one turned out :)

Awadhi Style Cauliflower Preparation (Gobi Musallam)

Indian Vegetarian Main Course Special

Awadhi/Nawabi Cuisine

Awadhi Style Cauliflower Preparation (Gobi Musallam)

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

Cauliflower- 1 Medium

Onion- 1 Large, Cut in Chunks & Pureed

Tomatoes- ¾ Cup, Cut in Chunks & Pureed

Whole Cashewnuts- 4 to 5

Melon Seeds/Pumpkin/Watermelon (Magaz)- 3 Tbsp.

Mix of Ghee & Extra Light Olive Oil/Olive Pomace Oil- For Deep Frying & 3 Tbsp. for Gravy

Ginger-Garlic Paste- 1 Tbsp

Green Chillies- 2, Slit Lengthwise

Whole Garam Masala- 1 Tbsp., Freshly Powdered (Equal Quantity of Cardamom, Cinnamon, Clove, Mace)

Turmeric Powder- ¼ Tsp.

Coriander Powder- ½ Tsp.

Cumin Powder- ½ Tsp.

Red Chilli Powder- ½ Tsp.

Salt- To Taste

Fresh Cream- 2 Tbsp.

Fresh Coriander Leaves- 2 Tbsp., Finely Chopped

Method:

The Cauliflower needs to be Washed, Cleaned & Soaked in Boiling Salted Turmeric infused Water for some time to make sure any Hidden Insects/Worms are out 

 

Heat Oil & Saute the Cauliflowers till they get some Golden Brown Color & are just about Soft & Crunchy

 

Onions, Tomatoes & Magaz Seeds need to be made into a Fine Paste

 

In the Same Oil, Add Onions, Green Chillies, Tomatoes, Saute

Tips:

Credit goes to my Amazing Mother-in-Law & her UP-Jharkhand Friend Circle! 

Ghee & Cashew Nuts are Optional & can be used for those Special Occasions when making this as a Rich Dish for Guests or for Growing Kids at home!
For Regular Cooking, we being Health Conscious use Extra Light/Olive Pomace Oil

The Classic Mussalam Recipe (with Vegetables or Meat) originated from the Royal Kitchens of Mughal Empire in India & at present is found in Delhi, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and North Indian regions in different forms


I wanted to share our Homeopathic Doctor's Tip related to people who Bloat easily with Cauliflower
With either Deep/Shallow Frying/Sauteing Cauliflower Florets, there are less chances of Bloating/Gas/Acidity afterwards

Feel free to share your views & do let us know how this one turned out :)

Dried Lentil Chips (Papad) ki Sabzi

Indian Vegetarian Main Course Special

Dried Lentil Chips (Papad) ki Sabzi

Serves 2

Ingredients:

Dried Lentil Chips (Papad)- 4 Medium Sized

Oil- 5 Tbsp.

Ghee- 6 Tbsp.

Cumin Seeds (Jeera)- 1 Tsp.

Ginger-Garlic Paste- 2 Tsp.

Haldi- 1 Tsp.

Coriander Powder- 1 Tsp.

Red Chilli Powder- 1 Tsp.

Green Chillies-1, Finely Chopped

Ginger- 2 Tsp., Finely Chopped

Water- 1 Cup

Curd- 2 Cups, Whipped

Salt- To Taste

Method:

In a Non Stick Tawa, Heat Oil

Drizzle some Oil & Fry the Papad one at a time

Drain on Kitchen Paper & Keep Aside

In a Wide Non Stick Skillet/Wok, Heat Ghee, Add Jeera & Sauté till the Seeds Crackle

Add Ginger-Garlic Paste & Sauté till Light Brown

Add Haldi, Coriander Powder, Red Chilli Powder & cook till the Raw Smell of the Masalas disappears

Add Green Chillies, Ginger & Cook for about 2-3 Minutes or till the Oil rises on the top of the Masalas

Add the Curd & Stir

Add some Water & let the Gravy boil

Turn down the Heat & Add the Papad broken into Bite sized pieces

Season with Salt & let it Cook for 3-4 Minutes

Garnish with Fresh Coriander Leaves & Serve Hot!

Tips:

This may look like Rajasthani Kadhi but tastes different & is easy to make!

Curd/Yoghurt is almost 4000 Years old discovered in India which has friendly bacteria and is a good source of Protein & Calcium

The Papad has Salt added to it, so be careful not to add extra in the Recipe

Feel free to share your views & do let us know how this one turned out :)

Gram Flour Dumplings in Yoghurt Gravy (Gatte Ki Sabzi)

North Indian Vegetarian Main Course Special

Rajasthani Cuisine

Gram Flour Dumplings in Yoghurt Gravy (Gatte Ki Sabzi)

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

Chickpea/Gram Flour (Besan)- 1 Cup

Turmeric Powder-

Coriander Powder-

Hing-

Salt- ¾ Tsp

Baking Powder- ¼ Tsp.

Roasted Cumin Seeds (Jeera)-

Ginger- Crushed & Finely Chopped

Pudina- Finely Chopped

Curd/Yoghurt- Whisked

For Gravy Base:

Ghee- 1 Tbsp.

Guntur Red Chillies- 3 to 4 No’s

Onion- 1, Finely Chopped

Cloves-

Cassia- 1 Inch Stick

Garlic- 3 Cloves, Finely Chopped

Haldi- ½ Tsp.

Red Chilli Powder-

Coriander Powder-

Hing-

Salt-

Green Chillies- 2, Slit

Curd-

Fresh Coriander Leaves- Finely Chopped

For the Gravy:

Gatta Flavoured Oil- 1 Tbsp.

Ghee- 1 Tbsp.

Method:

In a Bowl, Add Besan, Turmeric Powder, Coriander Powder, Hing, Salt, Baking Powder & Mix Well

Roast the Jeera, Grind it in a Mortar Pestle & Add to the Besan

Add Curd, Ginger, Pudina,

Divide & Roll the Dough into long thin cylindrical Pieces (Cut according to the Gatta Size)

In a Wide Pan, Boil Water

Add the Gatta Pieces Gently, Cook Uncovered till par Cooked

Drain from Water & Keep Aside to Cool

Cut into Bite Sized Chunks

In a Non Stick pan (Kadhai), Heat Refined Oil, deep fry the Gatta Balls till Golden Brown

For the Gravy:

In a Non Stick Pan, Heat Oil & Ghee

Add the Steamed Gatta Pieces

Sprinkle Water & use the Bhunna Technique

Add Curd little by little

As the Ghee starts coming to top, Add Green Chillies & Mix Well

Add Fresh Coriander Leaves

Tips:
This Recipe is a Rajputana, Marwari Community Specialty

Use the Soda Bicarb according to the Besan used, so if 2 Cups of Besan is used, ½ Tsp. Soda Bicarb will be needed

The Gatta Dough would need some Oil to help Bind

Feel free to share your views & do let us know how this one turned out :)

Whole Wheat Wrap with Assorted Vegetables, Bulgur Wheat & Mixed Lentils

International Vegetarian Main Course Special

Whole Wheat Wrap with Assorted Vegetables, Bulgur Wheat & Mixed Lentils

Serves 2

Ingredients:

For the Whole Wheat Wrap:

Whole Wheat Flour- 1 Cup

Water- To Knead the Dough

Salt- To Taste

For Couscous, Lentils & Vegetable Salad:

Bulgur Wheat- ½ Cup

Maggi Vegetable Stock- 1 Tablet

Mixed Lentils (Pancharatna Dal)- 2 Tbsp.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil- 4 Tsp.

Madras Baby Onions- 7-8, Cut in Quarters

Scallions/Spring Onions- 5, Finely Chopped

Carrots- 2 Tbsp., Finely Chopped & Boiled

French Beans- 2 Tbsp., Finely Chopped & Boiled

Green Bell Pepper- ½, Finely Sliced

Black Olives- 4 No’s, Finely Sliced

Jalapenos- 4 No’s

Salt & Black Pepper- To Season

Lemon Juice- 2 Tsp.

Lettuce- 1 Cup, Finely Shredded

Mozzarella Cheese- 1 Cup, Freshly Grated

Wrap Salsa- For Garnish

Method:

For the Whole Wheat Wrap:

Combine all the ingredients for the Wrap & Keep Aside

Make 4 Large sized Tortilla Wraps & Keep Aside

For Couscous, Lentils & Vegetable Salad:

In a Deep Bottomed Pot, Boil Water

Add the Vegetable Stock Tablet & Couscous

 

Check to see if it cooked with a Fork

In a Wide Skillet, Heat Oil
Add Baby Onions, Scallions, Green & Red Bell Pepper & Sauté

Add the Boiled Carrots & French Beans, Black Olives, Jalapenos & Sauté

Add Couscous, Season with Salt, Black Pepper, Chilli Flakes, Cover & Cook Well

 

Add a Dollop of Butter when done

Set Aside to Cool

Tips:

Can use Finely Shredded Carrots, ½ Finely Sliced Red & Yellow Bell Pepper as well

Can use boiled Fresh/ Frozen Thawed Soy Edamame Beans instead of the Mixed Lentils used in this Recipe

Can use ready made Whole Wheat Wrap instead of freshly made Wraps

Can use Packaged Mixed Salad Greens instead of just Lettuce

Feel free to share your views & do let us know how this one turned out :)

Cottage Cheese & Green Peas Simmered in a Rich Creamy Gravy (Matar Paneer/Mutter Paneer made with Parampara Ready to Cook Spice Mix)

North Indian Vegetarian Main Course Special

Cottage Cheese & Green Peas Simmered in a Rich Creamy Gravy (Matar Paneer/Mutter Paneer

made with Parampara Ready to Cook Spice Mix)

Serves 3-4

Classic North Indian Favorites!

Ingredients:

Frozen Green Peas (Matar)- 150 Grams, Thawed

Fresh Cottage Cheese (Paneer)- 100 Grams

Parampara Spice Mix (Matar Paneer)- 1 Packet

Extra Light Olive Oil/Olive Pomace Oil-

Onion-

Ginger-Garlic Paste-

Green Chillies-

Fresh Coriander Leaves-

Method:

In a Bowl, Add the Spice Mix, Curd, Water & Mix Well

In a Non Stick Skillet (Kadhai), Heat Oil

Add Onion, Ginger-Garlic Paste, Green Chillies & Sauté

Add Green Peas & Sauté

Add the Spice Mix & Simmer for about 3-4 Minutes Uncovered

Add Paneer, Mix Gently & Cover to Cook

Let the Gravy Simmer for about 7-10 more minutes
Sprinkle Fresh Coriander & Serve Fresh with Phulka, Jeera Rice, Salad, Dal Fry, Curd, Pickle, Papad!

Tips:

If Fresh Green Peas are used in the Recipe, always Parboil them before putting in the Gravy for faster cooking

Feel free to share your views & do let us know how this one turned out :)