Tofu Bhurji

Recently at one of our friends meet, the topic of healthy foods was being discussed and one of them was Tofu. I realized that though everyone had heard of Tofu but only a few of them had a clear idea on what exactly is the stuff made of or its various preparation.

So, what is Tofu?

Tofu, also called bean curd, is a food made by coagulating soy juice and then pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks. These soft white blocks resemble paneer (cottage cheese). In fact these are sold in the supermarket in packets as soya paneer. Ofcourse, tofu is a much healthier option than paneer. Tofu can be substituted for paneer.

And what is Bhurji? “Bhurji” is another name for scrambled (like in scrambled eggs).  I would like to call “Tofu Bhurji” as vegetarian’s or vegan’s scrambled eggs!

In this preparation of “Bhurji”, I have used very few ingredients. You can spice it up with any masala of your choice and also add a few vegetables if you so desire to increase its nutritive value.

Ingredients:

Tofu	200gms
Onion (chopped)	1 medium
Green chilies (thinly sliced)	2
Ginger (chopped)	1” piece
Salt	As per taste
Oil	3-4 tsps
Coriander leaves(chopped)	1 tbsp

Method:

1. Firstly, crumble the tofu (using your hands) and keep it aside.
2. Then heat the oil (on a medium flame) in a pan.
3. Add to it the chopped onions, thinly sliced green chilies and chopped ginger. Saute them till the onions are translucent.
4. Add the crumbled tofu and salt. Lower the flame, mix well and cover it with a lid. Keep it covered for about 2 mins and remove from flame.
5. Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves.
6. Serve hot with buttered and toasted bread.

Tofu slab

Crumbled Tofu

Chopped onion, ginger and sliced green chilies being sauted

Tofu Bhurji - almost done

Preparation time: 10 mins

Cooking time      :  about 5 mins

Serves                  : 2 -3

Note:

• This is a healthy breakfast for the whole family especially if you use whole wheat bread or 7-grain bread instead of the white bread.
• I generally serve it with sliced tomato, cucumber and capsicum on the side. I did not have cucumber at the time of preparing this dish.

For more info on Tofu: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tofu

Happalla Kismuri

In Konkani language, “Haappolu” means Chilly Pappad and “kismuri” meaning a dry mixture. It is served as a side-dish and instantly adds that "zing" to any bland lunch!

This “kismuri is generally prepared during rainy season in our villages as in those days venturing out to buy vegetables was next to impossible. Hence, before the onset of monsoon, a lot of items (non-perishables) would be stocked in every household and one such item would be “happollu”.

These “Chilly Pappads” can be deep fried or fried directly over the flame. It is also eaten plain as an accompaniment during lunch or dinner like a normal pappad - except that, these are red in colour and very spicy.

 Another "kismuri" which tastes divine is the  "Bitter-gourd Kismuri" .

 

 Happala Kismuri

Ingredients:

Happalla (Chilly Pappad)	8
Onion (chopped finely)	1 medium
Freshly Grated coconut	2 tbsps
Coriander leaves (chopped)	1 tbsp
Optional ingredients:
Oil	For smearing the pappad
Green chilies (chopped)	1
Lime juice	1 -2 tsps
Salt	As per taste

Method:

1. Fry the chilly pappad directly over low flame. Fry it on either side using tongs till dark brown spots appear. Fry all the pappads in similar manner and keep them aside.
2. Smear each pappad with oil. (Generally coconut oil is used. You can use any oil of your choice.  I have omitted the oil in my recipe).
3. In a separate bowl, crush together the chopped green chillies and salt
4. In the same bowl, add grated coconut, chopped onions, chopped coriander leaves, and lime juice. Mix well and keep aside.
5. Crush all the chilly pappads and combine it with the above mixture.
6. Serve immediately.

 

" Haappolu" (Red Chilly Pappad) being fried over flame

 "Haappolu" being fried with the help of tongs

 

 Ingredients ready for preparing the "kismuri"

Preparation time: 10 mins

Cooking time     : 10 mins

Serves                :  4

Note:

• This is a great accompaniment for rice and dal or rice and curds. 
• Combine the crushed Haappolu to the onion-coconut mixture just before serving or else it gets soggy and looses its crunchiness.
• It tastes heavenly with our simple “Paez” (Konkani word for “kanji”).
• Since the “happallas are very spicy and also contain salt, you may omit the green chilies and salt depending upon ones taste.
• These Chilly Pappads are available in any Mangalore Stores.

Quick “Shevai” (Indian Rice Noodles)

“Shevai” is a much sought after delicacy (a breakfast dish) in southern India especially among the GSB community or the Konkani speaking people.

Traditionally, prepartion of this dish involves a lot of work like grinding (rice and coconut gratings), reducing this batter to semi-solid constituency, forming into balls, steaming them and finally putting them into the Shevai making unit or “Daante” as it is called in Konkani language. “Daante” requires two people to operate.  This long drawn process is what deters the modern housewife (me included) from attempting this tasty dish.

I am all for short cut methods with good results! If it can save time and tastes good too, why not ? !  This “Quick Shevai” method eliminates a lot of work and secondly, instead of Daante, I have used the the "Sev" making unit which can be operated singly. Try it out and see for yourself.

This dish is traditionally eaten hot or cold with a sprinkle of coconut oil on top along with  “Kochla  Nonche” or Mixed Veg Pickle. It is also eaten with “Humman” (potato, or Kook).

Shevai and Potato Humman

Ingredients:

Rice flour	1 cup
*Coconut milk + water	1 cup
Salt	As per taste
Oil	For greasing the plates

You will also need :

• a “Sev” unit with "Sev" mould to prepare the Shevai.
• Two well greased steel plates or  “thalis”
• A steamer or a cooker (without the whistle)
• A wooden spoon

Method :

1. Place the rice flour in a bowl.
2. Place the *coconut milk (3/4th cup) dilute it with (1/4th cup) water in a pan. Add salt and heat it on a medium flame and allow it to boil. As soon as it starts boiling, remove from flame and pour it in the bowl containing the rice flour. Immediately mix it with a wooden spoon (if you use your hand, you may scald it). The coconut milk will be absorbed instantly and you can then knead it into soft dough.
3. Divide this dough into two portions and roughly shape it into a ball and place it into the “Sev” unit and press it or rotate it (depending upon the type of unit you are using) directly on to the greased plate and spread it evenly on to the plate.
4. Repeat the same procedure for the other portion as well.
5. Then steam them in a steamer or a cooker (as is done for “idlis”) for 10 mins.
6. Serve hot. 

Dough ready for making shevai

Shevai making in the process

"Daante"- traditional Shevai-making unit

"Sev" making unit

Preparation time:    20 mins
Cooking time    :     10 mins
Serves              :      4



Note:

Shevai "Usli"

• In this recipe, I have used the readily available Dabur’s “Hommade” coconut milk. 
• Instead of coconut milk in the recipe, you can also use plain water and it still comes out well. 
• The steel plates or “thalis” that I have used are 8-1/2 inches in diameter each which fits into my steamer.
• If you are averse to coconut oil (a lot of people are) you can totally omit sprinkling it on top of the prepared “Shevai”.
• From the left-over Shevai, you can prepare "Usli", a tasty breakfast dish.

Simebadanekayi Upkari

When we first came to Bangalore, this vegetable caught our attention as it was available in plenty. This vegetable is known as “Simebadanekayi” in Kannada. In Tamil it is know as chou-chou and in western countries esp. in US it is known as chayote.

This vegetable cooks very easily and varies dishes can be made from it. Besides, it is also very good for health and not expensive too. It is a very versatile vegetable. It can also be used in Sambhar, Sindhi Kadhi, Kurma, salads or even fries or “phodis”.

When I first tried my hand at this vegetable, I was not aware that the skin needs to be peeled. So we all had a tough time eating this - as the peel does not cook and is very hard and chewy! Ofcourse, I have learnt my lesson the hard way - literally!

This dish which I have made here is a typical Bangalorean dish.

Ingredients:

Simebadanekayi	2
Channa Dal (split gram)	3 tbsps
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Jeera (cumin seeds)	1 tsp
Dry Red chillies	2
Green chillies	1
Asafetida	A pinch
Curry leaves	1 sprig
Salt	To taste
oil	1 tbsp
Corriander leaves (chopped)	2 tbsps
Lime juice	2 tsps

Grated coconut (optional) 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Wash and peel the skin of simebadanekayis. Halve it and discard the white seed which is inside. Then cut the vegetable into cubes.
2. Wash the channa dal and keep aside.
3. Heat a pan/kadai/wok on a medium flame. Add to it oil, mustard seeds, jeera and dry red chillies.
4. When mustard seeds pop, add curry leaves, asafetida and green chillies. Then add the washed channa dal. Stir well and add half a cup of water and allow it to cook for a while.
5. When channa dal is half cooked, add the simebadanekayi cubes, salt and mix well. Simebadanekayi leaves its own water. But if necessary, you may add a little water to avoid sticking at the bottom.
6. Cook till done. Add lime juice and mix well.
7. Finally garnish with chopped coriander leaves and grated coconut.
   
8. Serve hot.

Serves: 3

Note:

• Grated coconut is generally also added as garnish along with coriander leaves.
• This dish goes well with rice and dal and even with chapattis.

See here for more info on this vegetable:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chayote

Tasty Snacks (from left over chapattis)

You must have faced this situation sometime or the other - what to do with the left-over chapattis? Well ofcourse, the easy way out would be to eat the same boring thing by warming it up!!

Next time, may be you can try out these two interesting ways of eating the left over chapattis. Do not be surprised if you are tempted to make more chapattis than you normally need to, so that you can make these tasty snacks the next day!!

As I am writing this, I suddenly remembered that there is also a third way of transforming the humble chapatti into an interesting one. This will have to wait for now as I had only six (leftover) chapattis. I used four for the usli and two for the pizza.

If anyone has any new ideas for left-over chapattis, please do write in.

Snack Number 1 – Chapatti Usli

• Roughly tear off the chapattis into small pieces.
• Heat a pan and add to it – oil, mustard seeds and salt. When mustard seed starts to pop, add turmeric powder, chopped onions, curry leaves and green chilies and chopped tomatoes. Saute it for a while till the onions are translucent.
• Lower the flame and add the chapatti pieces and mix well. Cover the lid. After about a few minutes, switch off the gas.
• Garnish with lime juice, coconut scrapings and coriander leaves.

Snack Number 2 – Chapatti Pizza

• Heat a pan or a tawa. See that the pan/tawa is hot. Then lower the flame to minimum.
• Lightly smear the chapattis with ghee or oil on both sides and place the chapattis on the pan one by one and heat it on either side till golden spots appear on both the sides and it loses all its moisture and softness and becomes nice and crisp.
• Heat all the chapattis in this way.
• While the chapattis are being heated, you can chop onions, tomatoes and coriander leaves and make a mixture of this adding salt and pepper or any other masala of your choice.
• Spread this mixture over each chapatti. You can also top it with some grated cheese, tomato ketchup and any other ingredients of your choice. Serve and relish.

Note :

• Chappati Usli can be made for breakfast or served as an evening snack or as a side-dish during lunch or dinner.
• Chapatti pizza can be served as an appetiser.

Sindhi Kadhi

This tasty dish is Sindhi specific as the name suggests. I learnt this dish from one of my neighbours in Dubai. She used to love our South Indian Sambhar.

She introduced this kadhi to me as Sindhi people’s Sambhar as this can be prepared with any type of vegetables (carrots, beetroots, mushrooms, beans, etc) though the main vegetables that are normally used are the yam, papdi (flat green beans) and potato. Coccum is an important ingredient too which gives it a unique tangy flavour.

I was also told that this dish is the specialty of the Bhatia community in particular. This recipe does not have onion and garlic as ingredients and hence considered as Saatvic food.

Ever since I have mastered the art of preparing this dish, I prepare it at least once every week as this dish can be prepared in a hurry and does not require any boiling of dal or grinding of any masalas.!!

Do not be put off by the number of ingredients that are required in this dish.

Ingredients:

Yam/Suran – cut into big size cubes	7- 8 pcs
Papdi/Flat green beans	8-10
Potato	1
Tomato	1 large
Beans	8
Capsicum	1/2
Coccum	About 4 pcs soaked in water
Water	3-4 cups
Ginger	1” pc (chopped)
Turmeric	½ tsp
For Seasoning
Ghee/oil	1½ tbsps
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Jeera/cumin seeds	1 tsp
Methi /Fenugreek seeds	1 tsp
Green chillies ( split)	1-2
Asafoetida	½ tsp
Curry leaves	2 sprigs
Gram flour/Besan	3 tbsps
For Garnish
Chopped coriander leaves	2 tbsps

Method:

1. Wash all the vegetables and cut them into bite size pieces.
2. Heat a pan. Add to it the seasoning ingredients – ghee or oil (or a mixture of both), mustard seeds, jeera, and fenugreek seeds on a low fire. When it starts spluttering, add the split green chilies, asafoetida, curry leaves and the gram flour.
3. Stir constantly till the gram flour gives a nice flavor and turns reddish brown.
4. Add water, ginger and turmeric. Mix well and see that no lumps are formed.
5. Increase the flame slightly and allow it to boil. At this stage see that the mixture does not boil over. Do not cover the lid. Stir frequently and take care that the gram flour does not stick at the bottom.
6. Add vegetables (those that take longer time, first ) and when all the vegetables are nearly cooked, add salt, tomatoes and the soaked coccum.
7. Lower the flame and allow it to simmer for about 5 minutes and then switch off the gas.
8. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
9. Serve hot.

Serves: 3

Note:

• This is eaten with rice. It tastes good with chapattis too.
• The gravy can be thickened by increasing the quantity of gram flour or diluted by adding water depending upon ones liking.

Daangar (Drumstick leaves Balls)

“Daangar” is traditionally made with “Taikillo” (in konkani language) which is a wild leafy vegetable and grows only during the monsoons.

I have substituted drumstick leaves for “Taikillo” as these are available throughout the year and also have medicinal/nutritional benefits. Drumstick leaves are slightly bitter in taste but the snack as such is very tasty especially so when it rains!!

This snack or side dish tastes good with or without chutney.

Ingredients:

Leaves of drumstick	3 cups
Toor Dal or Channa Dal	¼ cup
Rice	¼ cup
Tamarind	A small lump (a big rajma size)
Coconut gratings	1- 2 tbsp
Dry Red chillies	5-6
Salt	As per taste
Oil	For frying

Method:

1. Wash and soak rice and toor dal together in water for about an hour. Then drain the water.
2. Wash only the drumstick leaves (stems to be discarded) and roughly chop them. OR if you have a food processor, put the leaves in it and run it in for a few seconds.
3. Grind the washed and soaked toor dal & rice mixture without adding water along with red chillies, coconut scrapings and tamarind to a coarse paste.
4. In a bowl, add the ground mixture, chopped leaves and salt. Mix it well with your hands. Shape small balls of this mixture and slightly flatten them.
5. Deep fry these flattened balls in oil.
6. Serve hot.

Makes about 18 (Daangars) balls

Note:

• For weight watchers - instead of deep frying it, you can fry it in a tawa or frying pan like a dosa /pancake. Smear a little oil on the pan Take a little mixture and place it on the frying pan and flatten it with your hands. Wet your hands first with water and then flatten to the desired shape. Add a few drops of oil on the sides of the pancake and fry it on both sides.
• Adding chopped raw onions to the mixture also enhances the taste of Daangar as well as Pancake

See here for picture of drumstick leaves :

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/8007/drumstickleaveskn2.jpg

See here for nutritional benefits of drumstick leaves:

http://www.brighthub.com/health/diet-nutrition/articles/52344.aspx

Stuffed & Fried Snake Gourd Rings

In my last post I had promised you all another snake gourd recipe. Well, here I am with two variations in the recipes for the price of one!!

The first (potato) one is the typical Konkani type but the other one (gram flour) is the Maharashtrian version. Yet another filling variation is to substitute sweet potato for the regular potato stuffing. All the versions are equally tasty.

Generally salt is applied to the cut snake gourd rings and then stuffed. But here, I have steamed the snake gourd rings first before stuffing. This is one of my friend’s suggestions which I have followed and I feel it’s a healthier version. Moreover, it takes less time to cook during frying and with the result less oil is also used.

Steamed snake gourd rings with the stuffings

Stuffed and fried snake gourd rings

Ingredients:

Snakegourd (small)	1
Boiled Potato (large)	1
Onion (chopped)	1
Green Chilly (chopped)	1 or as per taste
Corriander leaves(chopped)	1 tbsp
Lemon juice	1 tsp
Salt	as per taste
Oil	for shallow frying
Fine semolina/ sooji/rawa	2-3 tbsps

Method :

1. Wash and scrape the snake gourd and scoop out the seeds and the pulp.
2. Cut it into 1.5" size rings. Steam these rings for about 15 minutes and keep aside.
3. Mash the boiled potato in a bowl and add to it the chopped onions, chopped green chilies, salt and lime juice. Mix it well.
4. Stuff this mixture into the Snake gourd rings.
5. Heat a frying pan and smear oil on it. Roll each stuffed snake gourd rings into the fine semolina and fry it in the frying pan with the heat lowered. Add oil all around if necessary and do the same on the other side till golden brown.
6. Remove and serve hot.

About 11 rings can be cut from one small snake gourd.

II - Variation

Ingredients : Gram flour, turmeric powder, chilly powder, jeera (cumin) powder, pepper powder, salt, sugar, eno or soda and tamarind water.

Mix all these ingredients to form a thick paste and stuff this into the steamed snake gourd rings. Frying procedure is the same as mentioned above.

Note:

• This can be eaten as a side dish or as an evening snack.
  
• You can substitute boiled sweet potatoes for the regular potato in which case add asafoetida and another chilly to the stuffing mixture as sweet potato is naturally sweet.