Tag Archives: Breakfast

Breakfast time, Desserts, Millet recipes, Snacks

Ragi Ela Ada | Steamed Finger Millet snack | Vegan, Gluten free and Oil free

May 8, 2023 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 3 Comments

Click on the image to save the recipe on Pinterest

Kids’ schools have started after Eid holidays and days have started flying again. Waking up early, preparing their snack boxes, sending them to school, morning walk, cleaning the house, relaxing till they come back and after that hearing about their day at school, teaching them, walking again in the evening while they play outside, finally preparing for their next day at school and putting them to sleep.

Days are super busy but I would not want it any other way. I have realized being busy is actually great than sitting idle and overthinking. So it’s a blessing in disguise for me. ❤️

In midst of this, is cooking which I love and which brings me happiness. I listen to bhajans and songs while cooking which makes it so peaceful. Music is truly therapeutic. ❤️

Apart from breakfast, lunch and dinner, there is one meal of the day which is most difficult for me – Snack time. Finding a quick, healthy and tasty snack which the kids also love is very hard. So when I tried this Ragi ada inspired by my Kochi memories of the regular ada and it came out so well that we all loved it, I knew I had to share it with all of you too. ❤️

I don’t know why some people think Ragi is bitter. Ragi is such a tasty millet and I use it regularly in my cooking. It is tasty and very healthy too. Have shared all the recipes that I make using Ragi in the notes section towards the end. Do try and I think if you follow the recipe well, adapt it in your cooking, in few days, you will love Ragi too, just like we do. ❤️

Happy and healthy cooking ❤️

RECIPE:

Ingredients: { to make about 5 adas }

1 Cup = 240 ml

Banana leaves to make the ada

To make outer covering:

1 Cup Ragi flour ( finger millet powder)

Salt to taste

Approx 1 Cup hot water

To make inner filling:

3/4 Cup Jaggery

3/4 Cup freshly grated Coconut

1/4 tsp Cardamom powder

Step by step recipe:

1. Dry roast Ragi flour ( do NOT add oil while roasting) on medium flame till you get an aroma of the flour and it changes colour to a darker tone.

Note: Even if you have roasted ragi flour with you, dry roast for few minutes as it enhances the flavour a lot.

2. Transfer it to a bowl. Add salt.

3. Now add hot water, little by little. Mix as you add water.

4. As you add hot water, little by little, after mixing, the dough will look like this. Do NOT add water after this.

5. Now the dough will be warm. Using hands, mix together to form a smooth and soft dough.

6. Now make the inner filling. Take coconut and jaggery in a pan. Heat it together on medium flame till the jaggery melts and coconut will stick to jaggery. Remove from flame. Add Cardamom powder. Mix well.

7. Now cut the banana leaf into rectangle pieces as shown. Clean it with water and wipe it dry.

Also divide the ragi dough into equal sized balls. If you have taken 1 Cup (240 ml) of Ragi flour, you will get 5 balls.

8. Take a ball of ragi dough and spread it using slightly wet fingers as thin as possible.

9. Take a spoonful of the filling and place it on one half side. Spread it on the half side using spoon as shown in the image below.

10. Fold the banana leaf while closing both the halves as shown.

11. Seal the edges of the dough using fingers so that the filling does not come out.

12. Repeat the same with the rest of the dough balls. Place it on a idli steamer.

13. Steam for 20 to 25 mins on high flame till the ada cooks thoroughly. Remove from flame. Allow it to cool for 5 mins.

14. Now peel off the banana leaf, discard it and enjoy the warm Ragi ela adas. 😍

Just look at the inside of the ada. Sweet, juicy and so delicious 😍

Notes:

* As you can see from the above picture, the ada is of the right thickness and also steamed fully. This is due to spreading the dough thin over the banana leaf and also steaming for atleast 20 mins.

* Even if you have roasted ragi flour with you, dry roast for few minutes to get perfect aromatic ragi adas.

* Do use only hot water while preparing the dough. It took me around 1 Cup hot water for 1 Cup Ragi flour. Add only 1/4 Cup at a time and mix well till you get the dough as in step number 4. Then mix using hands to form a smooth dough.

* Don’t add a lot of water while making dough. It will be difficult to spread if dough is too soft.

* For 1 Cup Ragi flour, 3/4 Cup coconut and 3/4 Cup jaggery made the right filling for me. If you add a lot of filling, it will be difficult to seal the edges. So add only a spoonful to cover half of the ada.

* I have not made this without banana leaves. So can’t say the alternative to it. Spreading the dough on the leaf is easy and the ada turns aromatic too. So try to get the leaves if you can.

* These adas are best eaten soon after they are steamed but tastes yummy even after few hours too. So you can carry it in tiffin box and during travel too.

* A similar recipe with coconut jaggery filling is this Kerala style Nendrapazham nirachathu or stuffed Nendran Bananas..

Nendrapazham nirachathu

* I make many dishes using Ragi flour. You can check the recipes here:

Instant Ragi Rava dosa

Ragi Set Dosas

Instant Ragi Idlis

Ragi Urad Idlis

Ragi Malpuas/ Ragi Pancakes

Ragi Jaggery Ladoos

Ragi Butter cookies

Eggless Ragi Chocolate Cake

Breakfast time, Idli Stand, Konkani Recipes

Idli Usli | Idli Upma | Seasoned leftover idlis

May 1, 2023 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 3 Comments

As a kid, whenever my Anama (grandmother) or Amma made idlis, I would ask them to keep some extra to make idli usli as breakfast for next day. The super soft hing flavoured idli usli with bites of green chillies in it was, is and will always be one among my most favorite breakfast. Childhood nostalgia. ❤️

Now in my kitchen, where I am the manager 😂😂, I purposely make a whole batch of idlis extra just to savour idli usli the next day. My family too likes it ( Thank God! 😁), so two days breakfast is set when I make idlis.

Even though I make it every couple of weeks, it never occured to me that I could share this easy recipe with all of you too. But yesterday when I was about to make it, the idlis in my steel case looked so beautiful that as I admired it, I thought why not share this recipe on the blog too. If it helps even one of you, I will be very happy. ❤️

So here’s me sharing this super easy, quick and very tasty recipe of Idli Usli, Konkani style. Hope you all try it and remember me while enjoying it. Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️

RECIPE:

The Idlis used here are : Mallige idlis

Ingredients:

About 10 to 15 Leftover idlis (depends on how much you have)

1/4 tsp Hing/ Asafoetida

1 tsp Sugar

Salt to taste (be mindful as idlis already have salt)

For seasoning:

2 Tbsp Coconut oil

2 tsp Mustard seeds

2 tsp Cumin seeds/ Jeera

2 tsp Urad dal

A sprig of Curry leaves

3 to 4 Green chillies

Freshly grated Coconut for garnish

Step by step recipe:

1. Leftover idlis : I keep them in the refrigerator the previous night. Since they are cold and slightly hard, it’s easy to crumble them. You can also use idlis that are at room temperature. Fresh idlis need to be cooled completely before making usli.

2. Crumble them using hands as shown in the picture. Add salt ( be mindful as idlis already have salt) , sugar and hing.

3. Mix everything well and evenly with hands. Keep aside.

4. Heat coconut oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter. Now add cumin seeds, urad dal, curry leaves and green chillies. Fry on medium flame till urad dal turns brown.

5. Now add the crumbled idlis and mix well on medium flame. Cover and keep for 5 mins.

6. Garnish with freshly grated coconut and serve hot. Done 🙂

Notes:

* If you don’t have leftover idlis, you can make the same recipe using Thick Poha. Only addition is peanuts in the seasoning which needs to be fried till crisp. Rest recipe is same. I make this regularly for a light and tasty evening snack. In Konkani it is called Phova Usli.

* I make regular idlis using this recipe of Mallige idlis. They come out super soft and very tasty.

* Since I love Idli Usli, I make an extra batch of Mallige idlis and refrigerate. Next day morning for breakfast, I make Idli usli.

* In this recipe, you can adjust the seasoning according to how many idlis you have leftover. I even make the usli when I have 6 to 8 idlis. It serves two people.

* Do remember to add less salt as idlis already have salt in them. Hing gives a wonderful aroma in the usli. So don’t skip it. Sugar gives a good balance in flavours too. Just a little is enough.

* You can also check these seasoned breakfast recipes that I make often:

Chow Chow Bath (Upma and Sheera)

Batat Phovu

Muga Dali usli

Chane Usli – Godu Phovu

Kobi Pohe

Bhajjil Phovu

Undi – Piyava Gojju

* You can also check different varieties of Idlis in my Variety Idlis collection.

Chutneys

Red Capsicum Peanut Chutney| Red bell pepper chutney

April 6, 2023 Healthy Cooking with Mitha Leave a comment

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As many varieties of dosas and idlis that I make, I love to try different varieties of chutneys as well. Spicy chutneys are my favorite as they make such an amazing accompaniment to dosas. So when I tried this red capsicum chutney recently, it instantly became my favorite as it turned out spicy and delicious.

Even though red capsicums are sweet, the peanuts and red chillies give a wonderful flavour to this chutney which makes it a very tasty dip for dosas. A definite must try if you get your hands on red capsicums. ❤️

Apart from this chutney, I also make Tri colour Capsicum Salsa and fried rice with these capsicums but I must say, red capsicum chutney has won my heart with it’s flavours. Hope you all try and love it too. Happy and healthy cooking ❤️

RECIPE:

Ingredients: { Serves 2 to 3 people }

1/2 a large Red Capsicum

1 medium sized Onion

4 Red chillies (adjust to taste)

2 Tbsp Peanuts

1 tsp + 1 tsp + 1 tsp Coconut oil (for frying and seasoning)

2 tsp Mustard seeds

2 sprigs Curry leaves ( for frying and seasoning)

Salt to taste

Step by step recipe:

1. Heat 1 tsp oil in a small pan and fry peanuts in it on medium flame till the peanuts change colour and start to open slightly.

2. Remove it in the mixer jar and let it cool down.

3. In the same pan, heat 1 tsp oil and add roughly chopped onions, curry leaves, red chillies and roughly diced Red Capsicum. Fry well till onions turn translucent and capsicum turns soft.

4. Now transfer this to the mixer jar too and let it cool down.

5. Add salt and little water as needed to grind it to a smooth paste.

6. Now heat 1 tsp oil in the pan and add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Let mustard seeds splutter. Now remove from the flame and add the ground chutney to the pan. Mix well. Done 🙂

7. Serve with dosas or idlis. Tastes so yum ❤️

Notes:

* I have served it with Methi dosa or the regular way I make my dosas. Makes for such a great combination.

* Don’t add more than two spoons of peanuts as otherwise the chutney will have a nutty flavour than that of red capsicum.

* This ratio of 1/2 capsicum, 2 spoon peanuts, 1 medium onion and 4 Red chillies works perfectly for me. If you prefer less spicy, add 3 red chillies and then you can adjust the spice using red chilli powder.

* This chutney is very unique in it’s taste due to the sweetness of the capsicum, spice from the chillies and the nuttiness from the peanuts. A must try if you love different flavours in chutneys.

* Since oil is used thrice while frying and seasoning, add very little each time so that the chutney does not turn oily. You can skip oil while frying if you prefer less oil.

* This chutney is based on my recipe of Peanut Onion Chutney which tastes amazing as well.

* You can check my other chutney recipes too:

* Amma’s tomato chutney

* Coriander leaves chutney

* Sambarpalli leaves chutney version 1

* Sambarpalli leaves chutney version 2

* Hotel style Tomato Chutney

* Gooseberry or Amla Chutney

* Pudina lehsun Chutney

* Allam Pachadi or Ginger Chutney

* Walnut Chutney

* More than 30 Dosa recipes : Dosa Corner

* 21 Varieties of Idlis : Variety Idli Compilation

* “No rice” Dosa recipes Compilation

* If you have three coloured capsicums, you can try this: Tri colour Capsicum Salsa/ Salad

Breakfast time

Mooli Paratha | Easy Radish Paratha

March 20, 2023 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 3 Comments

As I have already mentioned in my last post of Methi Theplas , during Winter in Qatar ie from October to March, most residents here grow many veggies and flowers in their garden. It’s a delight to see the greenery in front of all houses, specially where we live as it’s away from the main city.

Along with my husband who loves gardening, we are lucky to have neighbours who grow and share their produce with us too. One among the veggies that grows well here is white Radish. Look at these freshly plucked ones given to me by my neighbour who grew it with love. 💚

And as usual, whenever I get any veggie, I first see how it can be fed to my kids in a way that they like it. After my success with Methi Theplas and Bottlegourd Theplas, I decided to add these radishes as stuffing into parathas and imagine my happiness when it got gobbled away by both my little rabbits. 😍😍

So nowadays, whenever I get radish, I make these Mooli Parathas with it and as it tastes same like Paneer Parathas, kids never realize, it’s a vegetable that’s going inside them.

I had to share this with all of you and hence clicked photos when I made it recently. Hope you all try and like it. Happy and healthy cooking ❤️

RECIPE:

Ingredients: { Makes about 6 Parathas}

(1 Cup = 240 ml)

2 Cups Whole Wheat flour/ Atta

3 medium sized white Radishes (3/4 Cup gratings)

2 Tbsp finely chopped Coriander leaves

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder (haldi powder)

1/2 tsp Cumin powder (jeera powder)

1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder

1 tsp Red chilli powder

Salt to taste

Ghee to cook the parathas

Step by step recipe:

1. Peel the radishes and grate it finely as shown.

2. Add salt and keep it aside for about 10 mins. It will leave all the water content.

3. Now squeeze the radish gratings and add to another bowl. Don’t discard the water. We will knead dough in it.

4. Now to the radish gratings, add coriander leaves, turmeric powder, jeera powder, Garam Masala powder, red chilli powder and salt. Mix well.

5. In the radish water, add wheat flour and knead a soft dough similar to chapati dough. Add extra water if needed to knead the dough. No need to add salt as we have already added to radish.

Now both the outer dough and inner filling is ready. Keep the Chapati dough for rest for about an hour before making parathas. Till then, it’s best to refrigerate the filling in case it leaves water.

6. To make Parathas, divide the chapati dough into equal, medium sized balls. Take one of the ball and dip it in dry wheat flour. Roll it into a small sized thick chapati and add a spoon of filling inside, in the center as shown.

7. Cover it by folding the edges and sealing it using the dough in the sides.

8. Dip again in dry wheat flour and roll as thin as possible, ensuring that you don’t give much pressure as the filling can come outside.

9. Now heat a pan/ tawa and place the paratha over it. Fry both sides using ghee till it browns and cooks well.

10. Serve with raita, chutney or pickle. Tastes so yum!

Notes:

* Remember to add salt and keep the radish gratings for atleast 10 mins so that all the water gets let out and you don’t get a soggy filling.

* Don’t discard the water and knead the wheat flour in it so as to not waste the nutrients in the radish water.

* While keep the dough to rest, refrigerate the filling so that it does not leave out water. In case, you feel the mixture is wet, you can add little crumbled paneer so that it absorbs the extra moisture from the filling.

* You can add the masalas which you like to the filling. I like which my family prefers. You can also add finely chopped green chillies to the filling.

* You can also check my other Paratha/ Thepla recipes:

Alu Paratha

Bottlegourd Theplas

Methi Theplas

Breakfast time, Healthy Meal Ideas, Snacks

Methi Thepla | Easy, soft, flavourful theplas with fenugreek leaves

January 18, 2023 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 2 Comments

As my son is sleeping after coming back tired from school, I have finally sat down to write this recipe of Methi Theplas which are his favorite 😍. He loves variety of dosas, bhakris, parathas and his recent love is this Methi Thepla. ❤️ It’s winter now in Qatar and we have fresh methi (fenugreek) leaves growing in our tiny kitchen garden, handled very lovingly by my husband. Here are the tiny yet pretty and very healthy leaves 😍

These leaves are plucked when my son demands for Theplas and love how homegrown leaves have an amazing flavour of it’s own. Farm to kitchen lifestyle is really the best way to enjoy and respect food. ❤️

Though I also make Alu methi and methi dal, these Theplas have become more regular as my kids love it. It’s also very easy to make and hardly takes 30 mins from start to finish.

They also stay well at room temperature for few hours and remain soft. So, in case there are leftovers, they still taste yum when enjoyed later.

Do try this delicious and healthy variation instead of rotis or parathas and you will definitely love it. Happy and healthy cooking ❤️

Ingredients: { Makes about 7 Theplas }

1 Cup = 240 ml

1 cup finely chopped Fenugreek leaves/ Methi leaves

2 Cups Wheat flour / Chakki ka Atta

2 tsp white Sesame seeds / Til

2 tsp Oil ( I use coconut oil)

1 tsp Red chilli powder

1 tsp Coriander powder

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

A pinch of Hing/ Asafoetida

Salt to taste

Approx 1/2 cup water to make the dough

Oil or Ghee to cook the Theplas

Step by step recipe:

1. Take finely chopped methi leaves in a large mixing bowl (I chop the tender stems too along with the leaves. You can chop only the leaves if the stems are thick). Add sesame seeds, red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt, oil, hing.

2. Now add wheat flour and mix everything well. Add water little by little and form a soft dough just like chapati dough.

3. Now divide the dough into equal sized balls as shown.

4. Using dry wheat flour, dust each of the balls and roll just like chapatis.

5. Heat a pan and fry the Theplas, both sides while applying oil or Ghee. Cook till brown spots appear on either sides of the Thepla.

6. Enjoy hot Theplas with curd and pickle or even as it is. Tastes so yum ❤️

Notes:

* You can also enjoy them after a while as they remain soft for many hours. Hence they make an excellent lunch box option or to make and carry during traveling.

* Just pack them tightly in a steel box or a hot case.

* The ratio of 1 : 2 for methi leaves : wheat flour works well for me. If you change the ratio, it might be difficult to roll the Theplas.

* Remove thick stems from methi leaves before adding to Theplas. I add thin, tender stems finely chopped and you can never feel them in the mouth.

* Make sure to cook both sides of the Theplas well with oil or Ghee which makes the Theplas soft.

* I also make Theplas adding yogurt which is another method you can try. I make Bottlegourd or Dudhi/ Lauki Thepla that way. Here is the recipe : Bottlegourd Theplas

* For growing your own methi leaves, just sprout regular methi seeds and add them to soil. You can also grow in pots of you don’t have the space for direct soil. It takes about two weeks for methi leaves to grow completely once sowed in soil. I have shared the detailed blog on how to sprout methi seeds in this blog. You can check HERE.

Dosa corner, Millet recipes

Kodo Millet Dosa | Soft and tasty Millet Dosa recipe

December 28, 2022 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 2 Comments

Dosa is our favorite breakfast and when we are spoilt for choices, how can one resist making it almost everyday. 😅 We Konkanis are famous for our unique yet delicious dosas and it makes me so happy to add yet another dosa, 34th variety on the blog. You can check all the recipes here – Dosa Corner.

I started making Millet dosas few years back and we loved the flavour very much. Combine it with your favorite chutney and you have a healthy, filling breakfast ready. ❤️

However, I have noted that Millet dosas are best had hot and can’t be packed in tiffin boxes as the texture changes. Also, it tastes the best when cooked in ghee instead of oil.

Kodo Millet is a lesser known millet variety but dosas made it with tastes really delicious, trust me on this. Once you start making it, you are sure to make it again and again..

Hope you all try and like it. Happy and healthy cooking ❤️

RECIPE: { Makes about 15 dosas }

Kodo millet is also known as Kodra (Hindi), Varagu (Tamil), Arikelu (Telugu), Harka (Kannada), Koovaragu (Malayalam)

Ingredients: { 1 Cup = 240 ml }

1/2 Cup Urad dal

2 Cups Kodo Millet

2 tsp Methi/ Fenugreek seeds

Salt to taste

Ghee to cook the dosa

Step by step recipe:

1. Wash well and soak Urad dal, Kodo millet and methi seeds in separate bowls in atleast double the water for 4 hours.

2. Now discard the soaked water from Urad dal and grind it with methi (along with soaked water) till it turns into a smooth batter adding water little by little as required. Pour into a large vessel. Add drained Kodo millet into the mixer.

3. Grind the millet with little water to a smooth paste. Pour into the same bowl. Add salt and mix well with hands.

4. Keep in a warm place for 8 to 10 hours for the batter to ferment.

5. Make dosas either thick or thin. My kids like it thick while we like it thin. For making it thick , just pour a ladle of dosa batter and don’t spread much. For making thin, spread the batter over the pan. Add ghee and cook till the surface cooks. Flip and cook for thick dosas.

6. Repeat the same with the rest of the batter. Serve with a chutney of your choice.

Notes:

* You can refrigerate the leftover batter to make dosas later.

* I used Kodo Millet from Manna brand.

* Don’t discard the soaked methi water while grinding the batter. It is important to get a soft porous texture of the dosas.

* These dosas are best cooked in ghee and eaten hot.

* We love the dosas when made thin but kids like it thick. So make and see how your family prefers it.

* I served it with Hing Chutney. Grind coconut with red chillies, hing, tamarind paste, salt and little water to a smooth paste.

* You can check all my Millet recipes here –

Millet Recipes Collection

* You can all my “No rice” Dosa recipes here –

No Rice Dosa recipes Compilation

* You can check all my dosa recipes here –

Dosa Corner

Breakfast time, Konkani Recipes, Snacks

Batat Phovu| Kanda Batata Poha | Easy Breakfast recipe with rice flakes

December 4, 2022 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 4 Comments

Whenever I ask my husband what breakfast he would like to eat when there is no dosa or idli batter, he immediately says “Batat Phovu”. 😄 And to imagine that he used to simply dislike potatoes when we got married. I used to beg him to please get us some potatoes as it used to be my favorite vegetable. Yes, “used to be” 😂 Now I have joined him in not liking potatoes so much but he is slowly liking them in some dishes and one of them is this Batat Phovu. 😍

In fact, it is he who suggested me that I should definitely share this recipe on the blog while I was sceptical as this is quite a well known recipe. “Everyone makes this and everyone knows the recipe..”, I told him. “But don’t think anyone can make it as perfectly as yours!”, was his reply instantly. (This man really loves what I cook 😂😂)

So I decided to share the recipe on the blog. Because if it helps even one, I will consider my efforts worthwhile. Though I am not a perfect cook in any way, some dishes I cook comes out really tasty and Batat Phovu is one among them.

Here’s sharing the simple recipe for those who don’t know yet. Hope it’s helpful for you. Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️

RECIPE:

Ingredients: {Serves 2 to 3 people}

1 Cup = 240 ml

2 Cups Thick Poha / Rice flakes / Beaten rice

2 Tbsp Coconut Oil

1 tsp Ghee

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Cumin seeds

2 Tbsp Peanuts

Few Curry leaves

3 Green chillies

1 medium sized Onion

2 medium sized Potatoes

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

A pinch of Asafoetida/ Hing

2 tsp Sugar

Salt to taste

2 Tbsp Coriander leaves, for garnish

2 Tbsp freshly grated Coconut, for garnish

Juice of 1/2 an Indian lemon

Step by step recipe:

1. Heat oil + ghee in a pan. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Allow mustard seeds to splutter. Now add peanuts, curry leaves and finely chopped green chillies. Fry for few seconds till peanuts get roasted.

2. Now add finely chopped Onion and fry till onions turn translucent.

3. Add peeled and finely chopped Potatoes and turmeric powder. Mix well and fry the potatoes for a minute. Now add few spoons of water. Cover and cook till the potatoes turn soft. Will take about 5 mins.

4. Meanwhile take Thick Poha in a bowl. Note to take thick variety of Poha and not the thin variety of Poha.

5. Now wash it well once or twice to remove impurities from it. Drain water completely after washing. Poha turns soft now. Add salt, sugar and hing powder. Mix well.

6. Once potatoes turn soft, add poha to it and mix well continually till the mixture combines. Cover and keep for 5 mins on very low flame.

7. Now remove from flame and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and grated coconut. Drizzle lemon juice on top. Mix well. Serve hot. Done! ❤️

Notes:

* We like the Poha soft and moist. So I wash really well and also cook after adding to the pan. If you don’t like it soft, you can wash only once and just mix in the pan and remove from flame without covering it.

* Batat Phovu is best had hot when freshly made. If kept for long, it tends to get dry. In case you have to make ahead, just sprinkle few drops of water while reheating before serving. That makes it moist again.

* You can skip potatoes if you don’t like and make simple Kanda Poha with only onions.

* Some people also add carrots, capsicum and peas to this making it Vegetable Poha which is even healthier but my family loves Batat Phovu the authentic way only. Just shared as I thought it’s a great idea.

* I add oil + ghee to enhance the flavour of the Batat Phovu. You can add only oil if you like.

* Thick Poha is used to make Batat Phovu and not Thin Poha. Thin Poha is used in dishes like Godu Phovu (sweetened rice flakes) and Bhajjil Phovu (roasted rice flakes).

* I mix salt, sugar and hing in the washed Poha instead of adding in the pan as I have seen it results in even mixing and tastes really good.

* The thick Poha I use does not need soaking at all and turns soft when I wash it twice. If your Poha is very hard, you will need to soak for few minutes to make it soft before use.

* You can also try my other Poha recipes:

Kobi Pohe (Satwik version of Pohe with Cabbage)

Poha Vegetable Cutlet

Instant Poha Idlis

Instant Oats Poha Dosa

Other Breakfast Ideas

Chutneys

Walnut Chutney

October 6, 2022 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 1 Comment

Recently I got a lot of walnuts (at super cheap price 😁✌️) which are so crunchy and tasty that I munch couple of them when I have mid meal hunger pangs. Apart from eating the walnuts as it is, I looked up for recipes so that I can add it in my kids’ diet too without them knowing (sshhh 🤫😄).

That’s when I found that they could be added in chutneys and what better an idea as my kids love their dosa and idli with chutney. So I tried in many ways and finally found this way the best. In this chutney you can never say it has walnuts in it as the flavour of red chillies and hing masks the nuttiness of walnuts really well.

Today made this chutney with Rava Idlis and they made such a great combination that I felt like sharing it with you all instantly. Hope you all try it too. Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️

RECIPE:

Ingredients: { Serves 2 to 3 people }

3/4 Cup freshly grated Coconut or Desiccated coconut

4 Walnuts

4 Kashmiri Red Chillies or to taste

1 tsp Tamarind paste

Pinch of Hing / Asafoetida

Salt to taste

For seasoning:

2 tsp Coconut Oil

1 tsp Mustard seeds

5 to 6 Curry leaves

Step by step recipe:

1. Take coconut, red chillies, tamarind paste, hing and salt in a mixer.

2. Roast walnuts in a small pan for few seconds. It just needs to heat a bit. Then remove from the flame.

3. Add to the mixer.

4. Add water as needed and grind to a smooth paste.

5. Remove to a bowl. Heat coconut oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and when it splutters, add curry leaves and roast a little. Pour over the chutney. Mix well.

6. Serve with dosas or idlis.

Notes:

* I add 4 Kashmiri red chillies for 3/4 Cup Coconut. It does not turn out very spicy and I make it so as I make for my kids. You can increase as per your taste.

* 4 to 5 Walnuts are perfect for this measurement. If you add more, the walnut nuttiness might become more prevalent.

* I made this chutney with Instant Rava Idlis today.

* You can check my Variety Idli Recipes Compilation.

* I make more than 30 types of Dosas including many no rice dosas too. You can check:

All Dosa recipes

No Rice Dosa recipes

Breakfast time

Kobi Pohe | No onion No Garlic Satwik version of Poha with Cabbage | Breakfast recipe

June 2, 2022 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 2 Comments

I know if you have come here to read the recipe, you must be wondering as to what kind of Pohe this is. The name itself is so unique that I too was amazed as I read it few months back. My friend on Facebook, Aparna Kamat had posted this recipe and as part of a theme, I had tried it. Even though I was hesitant as to how it must taste with cabbage (also called Kobi in Goan side), I was surprised that it tasted so delicious and I never missed onions in my Pohe.

Thus Kobi Pohe found it’s place in my kitchen and I started making this whenever I had fresh Cabbage or when I felt like making Pohe on Pooja days and I needed to skip onions in my dish. Cabbage substitutes onion really well and you can never tell the difference. Aparna says this Pohe is made in our temples in Goa and I must say, what a great idea!

Though our breakfast is mainly Dosa and Idli varieties, some days the dosa batter is not sufficient for everyone and that’s when I make seasoned dishes like this Kobi Pohe for breakfast and relish it.

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

Thank you so much Aparna for your wonderful recipe. It’s a keeper for sure. ❤️

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

3 Cups Thick Poha/ Flattened rice/ Beaten rice

1 Cup Finely chopped/ Shredded Cabbage

2 medium sized Potatoes

3 to 4 Green chillies

1 inch Ginger piece, finely chopped

For seasoning:

1 to 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Cumin seeds

2 Tbsp Peanuts

A sprig of Curry leaves

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

Salt to taste

1 Tbsp Lemon juice, for garnish

1/4 Cup finely chopped Coriander leaves, for garnish

2 Tbsp freshly grated coconut

Step by step recipe:

1. Keep finely chopped Cabbage, peeled and chopped potatoes, finely chopped ginger, green chillies and curry leaves ready.

2. Take the thick Poha in a large bowl and wash it well removing impurities if any. Drain and keep aside.

Note: Be careful while washing Poha as some Poha requires only be sprinkled with water and it turns soft. My variety of thick Poha needs to be washed well and drained completely to get the desired texture.

3. I add salt to this softened Poha. Mix well and keep. This ensures that salt gets mixed evenly in the poha.

4. Now heat oil in a large pan. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves, ginger, green chillies and peanuts. Roast till peanuts turn slightly brown in colour.

5. Now add potatoes, cabbage and turmeric powder. Keep frying for couple of minutes. Now cover and keep on medium flame. Cook till potatoes turn soft.

Note: Only if needed, you can sprinkle little water for potatoes to cook. I don’t add water at all.

6. Now add the softened Poha and mix well. Cover and keep for 2 mins on low flame.

7. Remove from flame. Drizzle lemon juice and garnish with finely chopped Coriander leaves and freshly grated coconut. Done! Enjoy Kobi Pohe with a hot cup of tea. ❤️

Notes:

* For a regular version of Poha which is called Kanda Poha in Maharashtra and we Konkanis call Batat Phovu, substitute Cabbage with finely chopped Onions. Rest procedure is the same.

* You can use white or brown Poha but make sure it is Thick Poha and not Thin Poha.

* If you are unsure of whether your family will like this or not, just use 1/2 Cup Cabbage first. Trust me, you just can’t say the difference between this and Kanda Poha. Just be sure to finely chop the Cabbage such that it mixes well with other ingredients.

* I also like to drizzle a spoon of ghee at the end as garnish while making any kind of Poha. It not only ensures that the poha is not dry but gives a wonderful flavour to the poha too. It is completely optional but just sharing the way I do.

* All Breakfast Recipes: Breakfast Recipes Collection

* All recipes with Poha: Poha recipes Collection

* All recipes with Cabbage : Cabbage Recipes

* My favorite recipe with Cabbage : Cabbage Kosambari

* My favorite recipe with Poha : Instant Poha Idli

Dosa corner

Methi dosa | How I make my dosa regularly | Kids’ Favourite dosa

May 24, 2022 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 3 Comments

My Dosa Corner page is proof for our Dosa love. It has 35 Dosa recipes as of now (just back from counting 😀) and here is the 36th variety of dosa – Our favorite and a dosa which I make most regularly, Methi dosa. ❤️

Methi or Fenugreek seeds when soaked and if the soaked water is used while grinding the dosa batter yields really delicious dosas. Also, is very beneficial for our body. I have been making different kinds of Urad dosas but this one works perfect for me and is a weekly once dosa at our place.

My kids’ can eat these dosas for breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner (True dosa lovers 😍😍). Making dosas for them and watching them enjoy it is my happiness. ❤️

Hope you all try and enjoy these dosas too. Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️

RECIPE:

Ingredients: Makes about 20 dosas

1 Cup Whole Urad dal (can use split urad too)

2.5 Cups White rice ( I use any regular white rice or parboiled rice)

2 tsp Fenugreek seeds/ Methi (please note it’s the small teaspoon and not tablespoon)

Salt to taste

Ghee to cook the dosa

Step by step recipe:

1. Wash well and soak Urad dal, rice and fenugreek seeds in separate vessels in atleast twice the amount of water for 4 hours.

Note: Do soak fenugreek seeds separately as we won’t be draining the soaked water but will use it while grinding the batter. This gives best texture to the dosas.

2. Drain water from Urad dal and add to the mixer. Now add the fenugreek seeds along with the soaked water.

3. Grind to a smooth paste. Pour into a large vessel.

4. Drain water from soaked rice too and grind it to a smooth paste adding little water as needed. Add this to the Urad dal paste. Mix well adding salt.

5. Keep it covered to ferment for about 8 hours at room temperature.

6. Heat a dosa pan and spread a ladle full of dosa batter into a circle.

7. Cover and cook till the surface cooks. Add ghee on top and sides.

8. Flip and cook for crispy dosas. Else you can just cook one side, fold and remove the dosas. Serve with a chutney of your choice!

Notes:

* I have served this dosa with Hotel Style Tomato Chutney. Tastes really delicious with this chutney.

* Leftover batter can be refrigerated and used for two to three days.

* Please do soak fenugreek seeds in a separate container and do not discard the soaked water while grinding. Use it as it is very healthy and will also give a great texture to the dosa.

* You can also make dosas within an hour of making this batter as it still turns soft and tasty. I make it when my son craves for dosas and the batter is just ground. He loves it.

* Soft dosa lovers can make the dosa thick and cook only one side. Crispy dosa lovers can make the dosa thin and cook both sides till crisp.

* You can check all my Dosa recipes (35 Dosa recipes): Dosa Corner

* All my No rice Dosa recipes: No rice Dosa recipes Collection

* Chutneys which we love: Chutney recipes

Update: I have been getting doubts that will 2 tsp methi seeds make the batter turn bitter. Please note that it’s teaspoon which is the small spoon and not tablespoon measurement which is the big spoon. So the batter won’t be bitter at all. Just don’t discard the soaked methi water which gives this dosa it’s softness, flavour and also good for our health.