Instant Sweet Appo | Wheat Jaggery appe | Easy Sweet Paniyaram | Godu Appo

December 16, 2021 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 3 Comments

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The bowl of sweet appes that you can see above has been finished off by my sweet 3 year old son as I write this. After I made it and gave him one, he took a bite and asked me innocently, “mmm yummy Amma, ye hotel?” 😄. I felt very happy and like a chef that my son found the appes so good that he thought they were from hotel. 😍

He wanted more and finally ate the whole bowl of it. My heart filled up as a mother by seeing him eat happily and I wanted to share my happiness with all of you too as soon as possible. So, sat to write down this blog now itself. ❤️

These appes were one among the first I learnt to make when I got the Appe pan as we have grown up eating them. My kids love it a lot and I make it regularly for them as a tasty snack. It’s so quick to make yet fills up their tummies in a healthy way. ❤️

I also want to share a glimpse of my kitchen counter with all of you today seeing which makes me very happy each day. I love arranging it and love to keep the house clean. Took this picture to send my Amma and felt like sharing with you all too. A peek into my kitchen and my favorite place in the house. 😍

The popsicle molds are my recent purchase and I am loving making new varieties of fruit popsicles each day for the kids. Their excitement while enjoying them is one of a kind. 😍 Will share the recipes when I find time. ❤️

Hope you all loved reading this blog. Do try these appes and I am sure you will love them. Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️

RECIPE:

Ingredients: { Makes about 24 small sized appos }

1 Cup Wheat flour (Chapati Atta)

1/2 Cup Jaggery powder or to taste

2 to 3 Tbsp freshly grated Coconut

A pinch of Salt

1/4 tsp Cardamom powder

1/2 Cup Milk

1/2 to 3/4 Cup water (to make the batter)

1 small Indian Banana (1/4 Cup mashed banana)

Ghee to cook the appos

Step by step recipe:

1. Take 1 Cup wheat flour, 1/2 Cup Jaggery powder, about 2 Tbsp freshly grated coconut, salt and Cardamom powder in a mixing bowl.

2. Add 1/2 Cup Milk and water (1/4 Cup each time) to make a slightly thick lump free batter. It takes about 1/2 Cup to 3/4 Cup water to make this batter depending on the brand of wheat flour and how much water it absorbs. The consistency should be neither very thin nor very thick. It should be thicker than dosa batter.

3. Now add the mashed banana to the batter. Mix well. I add 1 small Indian Banana which is 1/4 Cup when mashed.

4. Now heat the Appe pan and when it becomes hot, reduce the flame to medium. Now add a drop of ghee in each of the holes of the pan. Add one spoonful of batter in each of them. Don’t keep the flame on high as the appes may turn black in colour. Always keep the flame on medium to get golden coloured appes.

5. Cover and cook for a minute or till the surface looks slightly cooked.

6. Flip and cook for a minute again.

7. Serve them warm or at room temperature. Tastes so yum! 😍

Notes:

* You can skip banana if you don’t have but trust me, these appes taste really heavenly with the banana flavour and the slight bite of bananas in them.

* If you are not adding bananas, you will need to add a pinch of baking soda to help the appos fluff up. I don’t like to use soda and hence I add bananas everytime while making appos.

* This is how I make Wheat banana pancakes too. So you can use appe batter to make pancakes.

* The measurements I have shared above works very well for me. You can add or reduce jaggery, coconut and milk as per your taste.

* Always cook the appes in medium flame for perfect golden coloured appes.

* I also make Mixed dal Appes which comes out delicious. You can check the recipe here.

Cakes and Bakes

Dry fruit Cake | Eggless, whole wheat | Kids’ healthy snack box idea

December 12, 2021 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 3 Comments

It has been so long that I have posted a cake recipe, in fact the last one was in February which was this delicious Chocolate Sponge cake. The cake is so amazing that I have been making it regularly, mostly as cupcakes for my kids. It is also a great snack box option for my daughter who’s school has started regularly now (after months of online classes, my butterfly is happy to be flying again 😄).

Apart from chocolate cake and other cakes, I have also learned to make this healthy Dry fruit Cake which she takes to school and my 3 year old son too enjoys it as his morning snack. In fact I made it again today on their request and decided to take step by step pictures to share the recipe with all of you too. 😍

My son could not wait for me to complete taking pictures and he came to take a slice. I captured the moment and it came out so cute. Those tiny hands. 😍

He gobbled up two slices of the cake and the rest of them are waiting for my daughter to come back from school. It’s her favorite and I am sure she will be very happy to see it. ❤️

Hope you all try and love this cake too. They are a great way to add the healthy dry fruits in the kids’ diet and since it has wheat flour and ghee along with the nuts, they are filling too. Specially great for the winters now. I have also been making these easy Sesame seeds Burfi and Dry fruits ladoo for them which you can try as well. Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️

RECIPE:

Makes a single loaf cake in a loaf pan of length 20 cm and width 7 cm

Ingredients:

Dry Ingredients: { 1 Cup = 240 ml }

1 Cup Whole wheat flour (Regular Chapati atta)

1 tsp Baking powder

1 tsp Baking soda

1/4 tsp Salt

Wet Ingredients:

1 Cup Mixed nuts, raisins and dates (I take about 10 cashews, 10 Almonds, some raisins and 5 seedless dates which make a total of 1 Cup)

1 Cup Orange Juice (I use freshly squeezed)

1/4 Cup Jaggery powder

1/4 Cup Ghee

Step by step recipe:

1. Sieve together 1 Cup wheat flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt into a mixing bowl.

2. Take mixed nuts and raisins in a mixer. Deseed dates and halve them (Fine chop them if they are not very soft. It helps when you pulse later in the mixer). Keep aside.

3. Coarsely powder the nuts and raisins together using Pulse mode of the mixer. Don’t grind at one go or you will get a paste. Just pulse few times till the nuts turn into coarse powder. Now add the deseeded dates to it.

4. Pulse again till the dates blend together and it forms a coarse mixture as shown. (Small pieces of dates left in the mixture is fine. Gives a great bite in the cake.) Note that this mixture is in powder form and not paste. Pulse the mixer few times to get this. Don’t grind all at once as the nuts leave oil and the mixture becomes a paste.

5. Now preheat the oven at 180 C for 10 mins.

6. Meanwhile take this dry fruit mixture in a mixing bowl, along with jaggery powder and ghee. Keep orange juice ready too.

7. Add orange juice and mix well. Remember to sieve the orange juice if using fresh ones so that it does not have the pulp.

8. Now add the dry ingredients to the wet Ingredients. Mix well using light hands till you don’t see any dry flour specks. Don’t overmix or you will get a dense cake. Just few mixes till you don’t see dry flour is enough.

9. Add to a greased cake pan. I grease my pan with ghee. The size of my loaf pan is 20 cm length and 7 cm width. Using a spatula, flatten the surface.

10. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 C for 30 mins. Might take between 25 to 35 mins depending on your oven type. Keep an eye after 25 mins. Don’t keep opening the oven door before that. Using a skewer or toothpick, insert in the center of the cake. If it comes out clear or with dry crumbs, it is done. If it comes out wet, keep again for 5 mins and check again.

11. Allow it to cool for sometime. Once cooled, loosen the edges of the cake using a knife and invert onto a plate.

12. Slice and serve. Store in a moisture free container.

Notes:

* This cake lasts well at room temperature for a day. Mine gets over within that time but if yours lasts, you can refrigerate it. Microwave for few seconds before serving if needed.

* I always use Pillsbury wheat flour and it works well for all my bakes. Recently though I started baking with Lulu brand of wheat flour and they come out great as well. This particular bake was with Lulu wheat flour and I was happy to see the cake come out soft and tasty.

* I have used freshly squeezed and sieved orange juice for this cake. It enhances the flavour of the cake so much. You can use store bought ones too.

* Regarding the mixed nuts, raisins and dates, as I have mentioned above, I have used about 10 cashews, 10 Almonds, few raisins and 5 dates. This made 1 Cup. You can use other nuts too if you like but I prefer this combination. Don’t skip dates though as it adds to the sweetness of the cake.

* You can also finely chop all the nuts and dates but I prefer coarsely powdering it as my kids don’t like the bite of nuts in their cakes.

* I have used 1/4 Cup Jaggery powder. It makes the cake sweet like bakery ones. You can skip if you want to make it completely sugar free and also substitute with brown sugar if you want.

* I always use ghee or butter in my bakes as I make it mainly for my kids. So, not sure about the texture and flavour if oil is used instead.

* Don’t overmix the dry and wet Ingredients. Mix slowly with light hands till the mixture is free from dry flour specks.

* My cake gets done exactly at 30 mins. Since each oven type is different, please keep an eye on the cake after 35 mins. Mine is an OTG. In microwave convection oven, the time required to bake will be less. So keep an eye after 20 mins into the baking time.

* This cake is very soft and slightly moist due to the orange juice and dates. So be careful while slicing it and start slicing only after it cools completely. Else it can break apart as it’s very soft in texture.

* If you are new to baking, I have written an article combining all notes and pointers that I learnt in my decade long baking journey. You can check that if needed – Baking Basics for Beginners

* For all my healthy bake recipes – Healthy Cakes, Cookies and Breads

* This cake was an inspiration from my Sugar free Dates Carrot Cake which uses milk instead of orange juice and grated carrots instead of nuts.

* Dates in cakes taste so heavenly and my Dates Chocolate Brownie and Dates Oats Cake recipes are examples to that.

I have tried to note down as much points as possible so that it’s easy for you all to follow but if you still have any doubts, either comment here or message me on my Facebook page Healthy cooking with mitha or on my Instagram handle and I would be happy to help. Happy baking!

Breakfast time, Idli Stand, Recipe collections

Variety Idlis compilation | Different types of Idlis | More than 21 varieties

December 2, 2021 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 10 Comments

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As I started compiling all the 21 varieties of Idlis for this post, I got nostalgic and went back to the memories of my first few months here in Qatar when I hardly knew to cook nor to make idlis. I only made dosas or upma for breakfast and idlis were a luxury when we visited any South Indian restaurants (I remember I used to crave idlis so badly 😍).

So the next time when I visited my parents in Kochi, my dad took me to Broadway ( a place known for its large collection of utensil shops and all kinds of shops that you can think of 😄). There he bought me this small Idli steamer or Pedavan as called in Konkani and since then, this Pedavan has been my true friend in the kitchen. 😍

*Drumstick leaves idlis in my Pedavan* 😍

It was in 2012 that my dad gifted me this steamer and I never thought that in 2021, I would be compiling 21 varieties of Idli recipes in my blog. What a wonderful coincidence there! ❤️

This post was long pending and I am happy that finally today I got the time, mood and energy to complete it. Hope you all have a great time making these idlis. Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️

* Click on the images or the names for the recipes. *

Varieties of Idlis:

Instant Idlis – Idlis that can be prepared instantly without the need of soaking or fermentation.

1. Instant Poha Idlis – These idlis taste as good as regular white idlis but can be made instantly with very few ingredients. A kind of magic idlis these are! 😍

Recipe here – Instant Poha Idlis

2. Instant Rava Idlis – Rava Idlis were among the first idlis that I learned to make in my cooking journey. Before trying these, I had thought rava idlis were made only in restaurants and now, I laugh at my thought then. 😀 Very quick to make yet comes out so delicious, these idlis definitely can be made quite easily at home.

Recipe here – Instant Rava Idlis

3. Instant Oats Idlis – These idlis are a regular at my place as my kids love it a lot. Great way to add oats in our diet. So soft and tasty idlis, you can never say it has oats it it.

Recipe here – Instant Oats Idlis

4. Instant Ragi Idlis – A variation from the oats idlis above. Yet another favorite when I have forgotten to soak for regular idlis.

Recipe here – Instant Ragi Idlis

5. Instant Vermicelli Idlis – When you wish to make something unique, these idlis are for you. A variation from the Rava Idlis, love how colourful they turn out and a great idea to add carrots in our kids’ diet. Don’t they look beautiful too? 😍

Recipe here – Instant Vermicelli Idlis

6. Instant Cucumber Idlis – Traditional Konkani style idlis which can be made both sweet and savory. The aroma when these idlis steam are heavenly. Best part is these can be prepared instantly too.

Recipe here – Instant Cucumber Idlis

7. Instant Drumstick leaves spicy Idlis – Also known as Sannamudhos in Konkani, you can make these idlis with any kind of leaves like spinach, Methi leaves or drumstick leaves. Traditionally enjoyed as an accompaniment in rice meals, I also enjoy to eat them soon after it’s steamed, hot with a drizzle of coconut oil. Tastes like a bite of heaven! 😍

Recipe here – Drumstick leaves spicy Idlis

8. Broken wheat sweet Sannan – Sweet Konkani style idlis, they are steamed in a vessel and cut into pieces like a cake. Tastes too delicious for words. Learned it from my friend Sreeja and this is her mother’s recipe. ❤️

Recipe here – Broken wheat sweet sannan

9. Instant Pumpkin Idlis – Also known as Dudhe Kadamb in Konkani, love the aroma of pumpkin in these idlis. Can be made both sweet or plain ones.

Recipe here – Instant Pumpkin Idlis

Millet Idlis – Idlis with millets or millet flours

1. Jowar Idlis – A regularly made idli at my place and trust me, you will not miss rice at all in these idlis and can definitely not say it is made of Jowar flour. Very tasty idlis! 😋

Recipe here – Jowar Idlis

2. Barnyard millet or Varai Idlis – Yet another regular at my place, tastes too delicious for words, you can never say it has millet in it. One of my favorite idlis too. ❤️

Recipe here – Barnyard Millet Idli or Varai Idlis

3. Ragi Urad Idli – Right from when my kids’ were babies, I have always made these idlis instead of Ragi porridge. They loved it’s flavour ad soft texture. They used to and still call it “chocolate idlis” 😍

Recipe here – Ragi Urad Idlis

4. Instant Ragi Idlis – An instant version of Ragi Idlis which can be made within 30 mins, yet comes out soft and very tasty. Idlis for those quick hunger times. 😀

Recipe here – Instant Ragi Idlis

Other Idli varieties

1. Mallige Idlis – If there is a way I make regular white idlis, it is this way. Mallige Idlis are so soft and delicious even when ground in the mixie. So, for those who want super soft idlis like restaurant ones, these idlis are for you. ❤️

Recipe here – Mallige Idlis

2. Urad Moong dal Idlis – Diabetic friendly idlis as they don’t contain rice, yet comes out very soft. These idlis are traditionally made in Konkani households like ours on fasting days when we don’t consume rice for breakfast. One among the most tried recipes from my blog among idli recipes apart from Mallige Idlis. You can make crispy dosas with this batter too.

Recipe here – Urad Moong dal Idlis

3. Mixed dal Idlis – Protein rich idlis as they combine a variety of lentils in them, these can be made either as idlis or dosas.

Recipe here – Mixed dal Idlis

4. Horsegram Idlis – A traditional Konkani idli which was regularly made by my grandmother and steamed in the big Pedavan or steamer. Tastes too delicious for words and a must try idli if you have not tasted it yet. ❤️

Recipe here – Horsegram Idlis

5. Whole Moong Idlis – My way to feed whole Moong or green gram to my kids in the way they love the most – the idli/ dosa way. 😍

Recipe here – Whole Moong Idlis

6. Kanchipuram Idlis – Can’t explain in words as to how much I love these idlis. The seasoning in the idlis take it to another level completely. ❤️

Recipe here – Kanchipuram Idlis

7. Broken wheat idlis – One of my experiments but came out so well that I have been making them regularly now. Very tasty and soft idlis.

Recipe here – Broken wheat Idlis

8. Urad Rava Idlis – Yet another Konkani style idli made on fasting days where Rava or semolina is added to Urad dal batter instead of rice. Delicious idlis and so pretty too 😍

Recipe here – Urad Rava Idlis

9. Split green moong Idlis – These idlis are similar to Urad Moong dal Idlis but I have used green split Moong dal instead of yellow ones. The colour change in idlis excites my kids 😀

Recipe here – Split green moong Idlis

So here are all the idli recipes that I have shared till now on the blog. Hope you all have a great time trying these idlis. Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️

Breakfast time

Mixed dal appe | Paniyaram with mixed dals and Matta rice | Ukde tandla appo

November 15, 2021 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 3 Comments

This must be the fastest I have ever made and blogged a recipe (the excitement of sharing this great recipe 😍). These beautiful golden appes or appos as we call in Konkani were our breakfast this morning and I must say, it made for an amazingly delicious breakfast today (My favorite meal of the day ❤️).

I got a Paniyaram pan recently and have been making different varieties of appes with it. For those who don’t know what a Paniyaram pan is, here is a photo of it. Isn’t it super cute? 😍 Making these appes have been such a stress reliever for me. Feels so happy when these cute bundles of joy come out of the pan 😍 (Me and my thoughts 😅).

So, in my quest to find many varieties of appe recipes, I found an interesting one in my dearest Asha Satish Philar Mai’s cookbook. This recipe is very unique as it has mixed dals and Matta rice or parboiled rice in it. The flavours are also very delicious along with it being healthy too. A great idea to add protein in the form of lentils in your diet. The addition of ginger, green chillies, coriander leaves and curry leaves makes it taste really heavenly. ❤️

Thank you so much for sharing this recipe in your cookbook mai. Just like all the other recipes in your book, this one is amazing too. ❤️

Hope you all try and love these golden beauties (as I have named them 😅). Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️

RECIPE:

Recipe credit: “The Konkani Saraswat Cookbook” by Mrs Asha Satish Philar

Ingredients: { Makes around 65 appes } {My 1 Cup = 240 ml}

1/2 Cup Urad dal {I used split ones}

1/2 Cup Chana dal

1/2 Cup Toor dal

1/2 Cup Moong dal

1/2 Cup Matta rice/ Parboiled rice/ Brown rice/ Ukde tandulu (can be replaced by regular white rice too)

Salt to taste

Ghee or coconut oil to cook the appes

Additional ingredients: 1 inch Ginger, 3 to 4 green chillies, two sprigs of curry leaves and few sprigs of coriander leaves, finely chopped

Step by step recipe:

1. Take Urad dal, Chana dal, Toor dal, Moong dal together in a large vessel. Take matta rice in another vessel.

2. Wash well and add fresh water. Soak for about 4 to 5 hours.

3. Drain the water from both completely and grind to a fine paste adding water little by little as needed to make a thick batter resembling the consistency of dosa batter. Add salt and mix well with hands.

4. Keep it covered at room temperature overnight or for 8 hours. Look at the well fermented batter. 😍

5. I divide the batter into two. One half to make plain appes for my kids and second half to make the one with ginger, green chillies, curry leaves and coriander leaves. Add them into the batter and mix well.

6. Now heat the Appe pan and reduce the flame to medium. Add ghee or coconut oil. Pour the batter into each of the holes of the Appe pan filling up to three fourth of the pan.

7. Cover and cook for few seconds till the underside turns golden brown. Using a wooden spoon, check the underside.

8. Now add little ghee or coconut oil on surface. Flip them slowly and cook till opposite side too till they turn crisp and golden brown.

9. Repeat the same with the rest of the batter. Serve hot appes with coconut chutney.

Notes:

* Remember to add ghee or oil each time before adding the batter so that the appes come out clean as well as for the golden brown colour.

* You can use any variety of white rice which you use for dosa/idlis instead of matta rice.

* Ginger, green chillies, curry leaves, coriander leaves give a wonderful flavour to appes. So don’t skip it unless if making for kids.

* If you don’t have any of the dals in Chana dal, Moong dal and Toor dal, skip it and make 1 1/2 Cups of the other two dals.

* Since it has dals in the batter, don’t ferment the batter for more than 10 hours in hot weather as it can lead to a smell in the batter.

* I bought my appe pan from Lulu supermarket here in Qatar and it’s really good in quality.

* I also make Mixed dal dosas and Idlis always. You can check the recipe here –

—- Mixed dal dosas and Idlis.

—- Broken wheat and mixed dal dosas

—- Oats and Mixed dal dosas

* In Konkani cuisine, we make a dosa combining white rice and matta rice called Surai Ukde polo. You can check the recipe here – Surai Ukde Polo.

Breakfast time, Konkani Recipes, Snacks

Bhajjil Phovu | Easy Konkani style roasted Poha snack

November 11, 2021 Healthy Cooking with Mitha Leave a comment

I know I have been taking long breaks from blogging and there are many reasons for it, some are personal, some are worth sharing with all of you. The main reason why I can’t blog like before is my son, who needs me all the time, to play with him, to hear his life issues as a 3 year old (😅) and sometimes to just hug him tight, sitting on our sofa, looking outside at the birds. ❤️

But all this will last only for 4 more months as we have got him admission for Kindergarten (KG 1/ LKG) which he will join in April. It’s a bitter sweet moment for me as both the kids will be at school while the home turns empty.. Though I know I will get all the time in the world for myself, I really don’t know what I will do with that time 😂. Will definitely miss the chatter and the fun mornings with my son. ❤️

It’s been many days my husband has been asking me to restart blogging ( he loves this blog much more than me 😅) and I wanted more time to get my mind reset on blogging. Today he said he will play with the momma’s boy and here I am writing this blog.

I learned to make this roasted Poha snack long back when Nandini Bhandarkar Akka posted it on our common food group. We all loved it and it has now become a regular at my place. I absolutely love how quickly it can be made, yet tastes really delicious with simple flavours.

Hope you all try and love this Bhajjil Phovu. Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️

Thank you Nandini Bhandarkar Akka for your recipe. ❤️

RECIPE:

Recipe credit: Mrs Nandini Bhandarkar

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups thin Poha/ Aval/ flattened rice (thin variety)

2 tsp Coconut oil

1 tsp Mustard seeds

6 to 8 Curry leaves

3 Green chillies

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder/ Haldi

1 tsp Sugar/ Jaggery powder

Salt to taste

Freshly grated Coconut for garnish

Step by step recipe:

1. Dry roast the thin variety of Poha in a pan (without oil) on medium flame till it turns crisp. Takes about 5 mins.

2. Now remove it in a mixing bowl. Keep aside.

3. Now heat coconut oil in the same pan. Splutter mustard seeds, add curry leaves, finely chopped green chillies, turmeric powder and fry for few seconds.

4. Add the roasted Poha to this seasoning along with salt and sugar. Mix well. Switch off the flame.

5. Remove in a bowl. Garnish with freshly grated coconut. Serve!

Notes:

* Bhajjil Phovu makes for an excellent evening snack as it is light on the tummy and can be easily made, yet really delicious.

* You can also roast peanuts in the seasoning.

* Please note that this snack is made using thin Poha and not thick Poha. Thick Poha needs soaking before consuming whereas thin Poha does not need it.

* If making for breakfast, you can combine it with Upma or Chane Usli too for a filling breakfast.

* Store this in a tight, moist free container and it lasts well for few days too. You can add freshly grated coconut just before serving.

* This Bhajjil Phovu tastes just like the Phova Chiwda that is made during festivals, the difference being this Phovu is a simpler and easier version of it.

* For more recipes with Poha/ Aval, you can check – Poha recipes collection

* For all breakfast recipes – Breakfast recipes collection

* For all snack ideas – Snack recipes collection

* For all Konkani recipes – Konkani recipes Collection

Idli Stand, Millet recipes

Jowar Idlis | Idlis with Urad dal and Jowar flour

September 21, 2021 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 2 Comments

Had been wanting to add this recipe on the blog since long and so glad I am finally writing this today. As mentioned in my last couple of blogs, my daughter’s school has started. So after sending her in the morning and finishing breakfast for the rest of us, I get some free time to do what I love to do. ❤️

So I have been making some fun reels on Instagram combining my kids’ videos and pictures with my favorite songs in the background. Love how they come out. ❤️ You can check them in my Insta handle @healthycookingwithmitha if you want. Some cute memories from my life. 😍

After my daughter comes in the afternoon, I get busy with feeding her, helping her with her homework and also taking tuitions for a boy who comes for an hour every evening. Love teaching the boy and I am learning so much new from the current syllabus too. Post that follows my outdoor walks and playtime with the kids which refreshes me a lot. Early dinner and a good 8 hours sleep too which gives the required rest to my body. This is how my day passes nowadays and enjoying it a lot. ❤️

Coming back from my life to these idlis 😀, after Ragi flour, Jowar flour has been accepted well by my kids and these idlis are what I make regularly for them. They turn out super soft, really tasty and are very nutritious as well. Hope you all try and love it. Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️

RECIPE:

Ingredients: { Makes about 20 idlis }

1 Cup Urad dal ( I use split ones )

2 Cups Jowar flour/ Sorghum flour

About 1 Cup water to make the batter

Salt to taste

Step by step recipe:

1. Soak 1 Cup Urad dal in enough water for about 4 hours. Drain the soaked water and grind using fresh water to a smooth paste. Add as little water as possible while grinding. Pour into a large preferably steel vessel.

2. Now add 2 Cups Jowar flour into the batter.

3. Now add about 1 Cup water and make a thick batter free from lumps. The amount of water to add depends on the consistency of the Urad dal batter. I make a very thick Urad batter. So it takes me 1 Cup water to bring the batter to thick consistency. Add salt, mix well with hands and keep aside covered for fermentation for atleast 8 hours.

4. After fermentation, pour the batter into greased idli moulds.

5. Steam for 20 mins or till a knife inserted in the center of the idli comes clear.

6. Serve hot with a chutney of your choice.

Notes:

* I make a simple ginger chutney with these idlis. Grind about 1 Cup Coconut with 3 green chillies, a small piece of ginger, a tsp of tamarind paste, salt and water to a smooth paste. Season mustard seeds and curry leaves in coconut oil and pour over the chutney. Mix well.

* The ratio of Urad to Jowar flour is perfect for me as I grind in mixie. For those of who grind in grinder, you may need a little bit more of the Jowar flour as in grinder, the Urad batter is more.

* An important tip while making these idlis is to NOT add much water both while grinding the Urad dal and also while mixing the Jowar flour. Add water to make a thick batter, thicker than dosa batter. If made a thin batter, the idlis don’t come out as fluffy but you can still make dosas from it.

* This batter can also be used to make dosas.

* I also make Jowar flour dosas. You can check the recipe here – Jowar flour dosas.

* These bhakris from Jowar flour also come out very tasty – Jowar Vegetable Bhakri

* For all Millet recipes – MILLET RECIPES

* For all Idli recipes – VARIETY IDLI RECIPES

Healthy Meal Ideas

Healthy meal ideas – 1 | Snake gourd upkari, Broccoli fry, Carrot Kismuri

September 13, 2021 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 1 Comment

There was a time when I used to make only one or two curries for our meals. But since few months, I have been making atleast 3 to 4 curries because my son is a huge fan of vegetables (touchwood 🤞). He loves seeing different colours on his plate and enjoys eating them too. 😍

Here is him holding his share of all three curries as soon as I make them. He eats them as it is at first even without rice. 😀

He’s only three years old and I hope this love for vegetables lasts always. In this plate, my daughter’s favorite is the broccoli stir fry. When I make it, she eats her matta rice gruel only with broccoli. It is super easy to make but tastes really delicious. ❤️

The rest two curries are simple Konkani style accompaniments which are also very healthy. Will share the recipes below. We eat these curries with matta rice gruel but if you make normal rice, you can add a rasam/ dal/ sambar to the meal. Makes for a wholesome, healthy and yummy meal. ❤️

Hope you all like this idea of mine to share healthy meal plans. I know how difficult it is to decide for meals each day and my aim is to make it easier for all of you. Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️

RECIPES –

Snake gourd Upkari | Poddale Upkari

1. Soak about 2 Tbsp of Chana dal in water for about 20 mins or till needed.

2. Scrape the skin of the snake gourd, remove core and finely chop the snake gourd. Keep aside.

3. Heat 1 Tbsp coconut oil in a pan, add 1 tsp mustard seeds, a sprig of curry leaves and a pinch of hing. Allow mustard seeds to splutter.

4. Add 3 finely chopped green chillies and soaked Chana dal along with chopped snake gourd and salt. Mix well. Cover and cook on medium flame till the snake gourd turns soft. Add very little water only if needed.

5. Garnish with freshly grated coconut. Mix well and remove from flame.

You can check the recipe for Snake gourd spicy dosa which I make with the core of the snake gourd.

Broccoli fry

1. For Broccoli stir fry, take bite size broccoli florets in a bowl and wash it well. Drain and keep it ready.

2. Heat oil in a pan and add the broccoli florets. Also add salt and pepper. Fry on high flame for few seconds. Cover and cook on medium flame till the florets turn soft. Sprinkle water only if needed. You are done!

You can also check the recipe of Vegetable Paneer Chilly where I add Broccoli too and my kids love it a lot.

Carrot Kismuri

You can check the recipe for Carrot Kismuri here – Carrot Kismuri recipe

Salads

Healthy Coleslaw | Purple cabbage salad recipe

September 5, 2021 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 1 Comment

It’s been more than two months that I have blogged a new recipe (Too long a break, I know!😀). But sometimes you just want to get away from the same schedule of life and do something different. For me, in these two months, I enjoyed a lot with my kids. I made reels with them with funny Instagram filters (did not post them but made it just for fun.. their smiles on seeing them as Tigers and Donkeys were super cute 😍😍), played football with my son, did a lot of drawing and colouring with my daughter, danced like crazy everyday with both the kids and cooked whatever they wished for. ❤️

Since it was my daughter’s vacation, I made it my vacation as well 😅. Had a fun couple of months sleeping till late in the morning and watching my favorite songs on repeat. ❤️

So now that her classes have started with alternate weeks of online and physical classes, I said enough of my break and restarted blogging. What’s better to start than this salad which both my kids love a lot. ❤️

Purple cabbage has this unique flavour and crunch which tastes so good when made as a salad. Usually coleslaw recipes use Mayonnaise but I have substituted it with yogurt to make it vegetarian and of course healthy. Hope you all try and enjoy it. Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️

Special thanks to those who missed me and pinged me to ask why am I not blogging. It was so nice of you all and I appreciate it with all my heart. Loads of love. ❤️

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Purple cabbage, finely chopped

1/2 Cup regular cabbage, finely chopped

1/2 Cup Carrots, peeled and grated

1/2 Cup Capsicum, finely chopped

2 Tbsp thick yogurt (or hung curd)

1 tsp Vinegar (or lemon juice)

Pepper powder to taste

Salt to taste

Step by step recipe:

1. Take the finely chopped cabbages, Capsicum and grated carrots in a mixing bowl.

2. Now add thick yogurt, salt, pepper powder and vinegar. Mix well.

3. You are done. Serve immediately or chilled as it is or as an accompaniment with rice.

Notes:

* You can also add onions, lettuce or coloured capsicum if you want but I make this way.

* This salad is best consumed the same day when made as when kept in refrigerator and consumed next day makes it taste slightly bitter due to the purple cabbage.

* Make sure to use thick yogurt. If your yogurt or curd is thin, sieve it to remove water content and add to the salad.

* Pepper powder and vinegar are to taste. You can add as much or as less as you desire.

* This salad acts as an excellent sandwich filling. My kids love it a lot. ❤️ I add a little more yogurt to it, a little ketchup and fill in sandwiches.

* You can check : All my Salad recipes

Dosa corner

Barley Urad dosa – No Rice dosa

July 1, 2021 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 2 Comments

I know this dosa might be new for most of you. Don’t worry, it’s the same with me too. 😄 Never knew dosas could be made with Barley. I usually make this Barley Carrot soup and Salad but dosa idea never dawned upon me (which is quite a surprise in itself as I see dosa in every grain, every lentil that I see 😂😂 Talk about Dosa Pyaar 😍).

Few months back, as I was organizing my pantry shelves (which is my favorite timepass when I have extra time after my chores and my kids are playing on their own = Rare blue moon occasions 😅), I found this little packet of Barley lying in the corner of the cupboard smiling at me, as if happy to be found. 😍 As I was about to soak it to make salad and soup, I remembered I had to soak for dosa batter too. A quick Google search and next day, Barley dosas were born in my kitchen for the first time. 😍

These dosas come out so tasty and you can never say it has Barley in it. If you are looking to include this healthy grain in your diet, dosa is the best way. My kids love it so much that they have more dosas than usual when I make them. ❤️

Hope you all try it too. Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️

RECIPE:

Ingredients: { Makes about 10 dosas }

1 Cup Urad dal (I use split ones)

1/2 Cup Barley

1/2 tsp Methi seeds

Salt to taste

Step by step recipe:

1. Take Urad dal, Barley and Methi seeds in a large bowl.

2. Wash it well and soak in enough water for atleast 2 to 4 hours. Now drain the water and add to a mixer jar.

3. Add salt and little water. Grind to a smooth paste. Pour into a large vessel.

4. Keep covered at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight.

5. Heat dosa pan and pour a ladle of dosa batter over it. Spread using the back of the ladle like regular dosas. Cook till the surface cooks. Add ghee or oil. You can either cook only one side or flip and cook both sides.

6. Remove and serve hot with a chutney of your choice.

Notes:

* I served it with Sambarpalli leaves Chutney. Makes a great combination with this dosa.

* Barley dosa made this way comes out very soft. You can cook both sides to make it crispy.

* Barley is very good for health, mainly for intestines and is rich in vitamins. Here is the Barley Salad and Soup recipe that I make with Barley.

* You can check all my “no rice” dosas here – “No Rice” dosa recipes compilation

Chutneys, Konkani Recipes

Sambarpalli Chutney | Panikoorka/ Doddapatre chutney – version 2

June 30, 2021 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 1 Comment

Sambarpalli leaves are also known as Panikoorka in Malayalam, Doddapatre in Kannada, Ajwain Patta in Hindi and Indian Borage in English. They are very good for digestion and also to cure common cold.

It’s amazing how good music can change your mood completely. This morning as I woke up, checked my YouTube subscriptions and saw that T series has released something called a mixtape which is a combination of two beautiful songs. Today’s was a mix of Tera Chehra and Jaan Meri, both of which are soothing songs, the mixtape sung beautifully by Jubin Nautiyal and Tulsi Kumar. It gave a wonderful start to my day and I loved it so much that I listened to it on repeat. ❤️

So since I am in a pleasant mood, I decided to utilize it to blog a new recipe (Make hay while the sun shines 😀). This chutney might look like a simple recipe but it’s a very special one. Not only does it taste super delicious, is healthy, made from our home grown leaves and importantly learnt from one among my favorite people, Mamta mai. ❤️

Me and her are so similar in many many ways that she calls us as twins with 25 years difference 😂😂. We met each other through food groups, then realized we are related distantly and now we bond just like two long lost siblings and gel along like best friends. 😍 It’s super sweet how she cares for me and her love is very precious for me. ❤️

So when she shared this recipe of Sambarpalli chutney, I had to try it as we have loads of these leaves in our backyard, all thanks to my husband’s gardening skills. For him, plants are his love and passion in midst of his hectic work life, something which makes him very happy. Here is the sambarpalli bush which came in as a small plant but look at how well it has grown. 😍

So, here’s sharing the recipe of this chutney made from homegrown leaves. A very healthy yet delicious chutney. Hope you all try and love it. Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️

Thank you so much Mamta mai for this recipe. ❤️🙏

RECIPE:

Recipe Credit : Mrs Mamta Shenoy

Ingredients:

About 8 to 10 Sambarpalli leaves

1 tsp Oil

1 tsp Jeera/ Cumin seeds

3 to 4 Green chillies

4 Garlic pods

3/4 Cup Coconut

1 tsp Tamarind paste

Salt to taste

Step by step recipe:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. Fry for few seconds. Add green chillies and garlic. Fry till garlic turns slightly brown in colour. Add sambarpalli leaves and fry till it wilts.

2. Allow it to cool. Then add it to a mixer jar along with coconut, tamarind and salt.

3. Add little water as needed and grind to a smooth paste. Serve as a rice accompaniment or with idlis or dosas.

Notes:

* You can another version of chutney with these leaves here – Sambarpalli leaves Chutney . This version is without garlic.

* The leaves I have taken are tender, small ones. If the leaves in your plant are large ones, 5 to 6 will suffice for the amount of coconut mentioned.

* These leaves are very healthy and I use them in two ways apart from making chutney:::

1. I put couple of leaves in a vessel along with water. Heat it and take steam inhalation when even having the slightest of cold symptoms.

2. Heat the leaves in a pan as shown in the first picture. Then when it starts oozing water, remove it and crush it using mortar and pestle. Sieve the juice and mix honey (for kids above one year old) . Give as medicine for kids and adults when suffering from cold or stomach ache. Works very well. Take about 6 to 8 small leaves for one dose.

Hope these home remedies are helpful to you too. These leaves are really magic!