Tag Archives: Easy

Aval Payasam | Phova godshe | easy sweet with poha

April 17, 2024 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 2 Comments

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Today is Shree Rama Navami which is one of the most important festivals for us. We Konkanis make many dishes today dedicated to Shree Rama which I have already shared in my Rama Navami recipe collection page. I also made Paanak and moong dal kosambari to celebrate this occasion.

Along with that, like always, I had to make a sweet too. Usually it would be jaggery Poha or godu phovu as we call it. But today I decided to make something different yet very tasty Aval Payasam. It’s easy and hardly take 15 mins to make but is delicious. Today as I made it on a special day, it was extra tasty due to Shree Rama’s divine grace. 🙏

I sat quickly to write the recipe as well so that it’s helpful for those of you who are looking for easy sweet recipes. Hope you all try and like it too. Wishing you all a very blessed Shree Rama Navami. Jai Shree Ram 🙏

RECIPE:

Ingredients: { Serves 3 to 4 people }

1 Cup = 240 ml

1/2 Cup thick Poha/ flattened rice/ Aval

2 Tbsp Ghee

Handful of Cashews and raisins

1 Cup thin Coconut milk (1/2 Cup thick coconut milk + 1/2 Cup water)

1 Cup thick Coconut milk ( I used canned)

1 Cup Jaggery powder

2 tsp Cardamom powder

Step by step recipe:

1. Heat ghee in a thick bottomed pan. Add cashews and raisins. Roast till it turns slightly brown in colour.

2. Now add 1/2 Cup thick Poha. Roast for couple of minutes till it turns crisp.

3. Add 1 Cup thin Coconut milk. I had used canned coconut milk. I took 1/2 Cup of thick Coconut milk and added 1/2 Cup of water to make 1 Cup thin Coconut milk. Allow it to boil for about 5 mins.

4. Add thick coconut milk and jaggery, 1 Cup each together. Allow it to boil for about 5 to 8 mins till the Poha turns soft. Adjust the consistency of the Payasam if needed.

5. When the Payasam turns thick, add cardamom powder. Mix well. Done! Enjoy hot Payasam.

Notes:

* Use thick Poha and not thin as thin Poha will not give the desired texture of the Payasam.

* I have used canned coconut milk. You can use fresh one by grinding fresh coconut and sieving to extract the milk.

* You can increase the coconut milk depending on the Poha, if it absorbs and becomes thick.

* Do check my other recipe collections:

Ram Navami recipes compilation

Ready in 15 min easy sweets collection

Breakfast time, Millet recipes

Barnyard millet Upma |Varai Upma | Easy breakfast with millets

December 3, 2023 Healthy Cooking with Mitha Leave a comment

Breakfast is the most important meal in the day for me and I make sure it’s as healthy and filling as possible. Usually it’s any kind of dosa or idli but on days when the dosa batter is less, upma is my go to breakfast. Quick to make, quicker to finish, I love upma and often wonder why people make fun about it that it’s their least favorite breakfast. 🤔

Today morning, I felt peaceful as kids left for school after weekend 😀 and as I finished my morning walk, I thought of making this Barnyard millet upma. Since I was already feeling peacefully happy, I decided to utilize this moment to blog the recipe too. It has been long I am making this upma for breakfast and evening snack but never took pictures.

I have been substituting semolina or rava with millet for upma since sometime now as it’s more filling and healthy too. Also, I make pulav with millets too instead of rice for a change and love how delicious it comes out. Will share the recipe soon.

Hope you all try this simple yet tasty Barnyard millet upma. I am sure you will like it. Happy and healthy cooking ❤️

RECIPE:

Ingredients: { Serves 2 to 3 people }

1 Cup = 240 ml

{ Barnyard Millet is called Varai in Konkani, Kuthiraivali in Tamil, Sanwa in Hindi and Kavadupullu in Malayalam }

1 Cup Barnyard millet

3 Cups Water

For seasoning:

1 Tbsp Ghee

1 Tbsp Coconut Oil

2 tsp Mustard seeds

2 tsp Cumin seeds

A sprig of Curry leaves

3 Green chillies

6 to 8 Cashews

Salt to taste

Freshly grated Coconut for garnish

Step by step recipe:

1. Take 1 Cup of Barnyard millet in a bowl and wash it well. Remove water and keep aside. I use Manna brand of millet as it is readily available here in Qatar.

2. Now heat ghee and oil together in a pan. You can use only oil too but ghee adds a wonderful flavour to the upma. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once mustard starts spluttering, add curry leaves, green chillies and cashews. Fry till cashews turn light brown in colour.

3. Now add the washed millet and roast for few seconds. Now add salt and mix well.

4. Add hot water and mix together with the ladle.

5. Lower the flame to medium, cover and cook till the water gets absorbed completely by the millet and the mixture turns dry (takes about 10 mins) . Check if millet is cooked by mashing between fingers. Garnish with freshly grated Coconut. Serve hot.

Serve Barnyard millet Upma as it is or with peas curry like I have served and with chutney powder. Coconut chutney also goes well with this upma.

Notes:

* I have used Manna brand of Barnyard millet as it is readily available here in Qatar in all major supermarkets. I get mine from Lulu or Grand mall.

* 1 Cup Barnyard millet needs atleast 3 Cups of water to cook. Keep hot water ready beforehand and add as soon as you roast the millet in the seasoning.

* Making upma with millet takes more time than regular upma with semolina or sooji as millet takes atleast 10 mins to cook but it is more filling and healthier.

* You can also add vegetables to make it vegetable upma.

* I also make Barnyard millet idli and it tastes delicious.

* You can check all my Millet recipes here:

Millet recipes Collection

Curry house, Konkani Recipes

Dudde Upkari | Konkani style Pumpkin stir fry

November 24, 2023 Healthy Cooking with Mitha Leave a comment

I have been sharing many Konkani recipes on the blog which have been loved by all of you. So nowadays when I cook something from our amchi cuisine which is loved a lot by us, I immediately take pictures to share on the blog, even if it’s a very simple dish like this Pumpkin upkari.

Mostly all our upkaris or stir fries are very simple with mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chillies or red chillies in seasoning with hing or garlic or onion seasoning. This particular stir fry is my most favorite with jaggery added that enhances the taste a lot. The simplicity is what makes it extra special and I can eat it as it is, even without rice. 😍

We are getting locally grown pumpkin in Qatar and it’s flavour and texture is amazing. Very quick to cook and super tasty. So I have been making this upkari almost every week. Also it’s one of the healthiest vegetable too. Hope you all try and love this delicious upkari. Happy and healthy cooking ❤️

RECIPE:

Ingredients: 1 Cup = 240 ml

1 medium sized Pumpkin ( about 4 cups chopped)

3 Green chillies

1 to 2 Tbsp Jaggery or to taste

For seasoning:

2 Tbsp Coconut Oil

1 tsp Mustard seeds

A sprig of Curry leaves

A pinch of Hing/ Asafoetida

Salt to taste

Freshly grated Coconut for garnish

Step by step recipe:

1. Wash well, remove the core, peel the skin of the pumpkin. Chop into bite sized cubes as shown in the picture.

2. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, hing, curry leaves and green chillies. Let mustard seeds splutter.

3. Now add the chopped pumpkin pieces along with salt. Mix well.

Cover and cook on medium flame. Don’t add much water while cooking as pumpkin releases its own water as it cooks. If needed, that is if you feel it’s sticking in the bottom of the pan, add just a spoonful of water.

4. Pumpkin cooks very quickly and within 5 mins, you will see that it has turned soft. Now add jaggery.

5. Mix well. Cover and cook on low flame for 5 more mins or till the pumpkin pieces turn very soft. Now garnish with freshly grated coconut. Check for salt/ jaggery. Done. 🙂

6. Enjoy dudde upkari with pej (matta rice gruel) and Kosambari or with rice and rasam.

Notes:

* You can use any variety of Pumpkin for this upkari. I use the local one available in Qatar.

* Some people don’t peel the pumpkin but I love it when peeled.

* Hing and jaggery are very important to give flavour to the upkari. So please don’t forget it. You can add jaggery, less or more, as per your taste.

* Don’t add much water while cooking this upkari as pumpkin releases its own water. Just add a spoon in the beginning if you feel pumpkin is sticking to the pan. Once you cook it covered on medium flame, it will start turning soft and release water.

* More recipes with Pumpkin:

Instant Pumpkin Idlis (Dudde kadamb)

Orange flavoured Pumpkin soup (Narangi Shorba)

* You can check all my Konkani recipes here:

Konkani recipes collection

Curry house, Konkani Recipes

Tendle Kajjubi Upkari | Ivy gourd – Cashewnut stir fry Konkani style

May 10, 2023 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 3 Comments

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Having grown up now (though I would love to be a child 😍), I realize how much my food choice has changed over the years. From loving hotel food as a kid to now, loving all the dishes that were made at home by my Amma and Grandma, recreating them in my kitchen and remembering my childhood memories with the dishes, I have come a long way. ❤️

Even though I still like to enjoy restaurant dishes occasionally, my comfort will always be the simple dishes that I make daily. We have pej or matta rice gruel for dinner and any kind of stir fry or upkari (as we call in Konkani) is a must with it.

So whenever I get good ivy gourd, I make this tendle kajjubi upkari which is an alternative to the famous Konkani dish called Tendle Bibbe upkari which is made with Bibbo or Fresh Cashews. They are available during our new year festival or Ugadi and in every Konkani household, either Bibbe upkari or Tendle Bibbe upkari is made.

Since I live in Qatar and we don’t get fresh cashews here, I make this upkari with regular cashews and it tastes delicious too. I made it yesterday and decided to share this easy recipe with all of you too. I know Konkanis already know this easy recipe but I am sure it will be new to atleast some of my readers.

So here’s sharing the recipe. Hope you all try and love this yummy dish. Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Tbsp Coconut Oil

1 tsp Mustard seeds

A sprig of Curry leaves

3 Green chillies

About 20 Ivy Gourds/ Tindora/ Tendle (2 Cups sliced)

3/4 to 1 Cup Cashews (regular ones)

Salt to taste

2 Tbsp freshly grated Coconut for garnish

Step by step recipe:

1. Wash ivy gourds well, then chop off the ends and slice them as shown. You can slice one ivy gourd into 6 long pieces.

2. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, allow it to splutter. Now add curry leaves and green chillies. Fry for few seconds.

3. Now add the sliced ivy gourds and cashews together. Mix well.

4. Add little water ( about 1/4 cup) along with salt. Cover and cook on medium flame for about 10 mins. Check in between if the water has evaporated. Add little more if needed.

5. Once the ivy gourds change colour to light green and turns soft along with cashews turning soft too, the upkari is done. If water is remaining in the stir fry, just keep the flame on high and fry till the mixture turns dry. Now garnish with freshly grated Coconut. Done 🙂

6. Serve with rice meals or with congee (pej/rice gruel). Tastes so yum ❤️

Notes:

* The ratio of ivy gourd to cashew is upto you. We love cashew in this upkari. So I add 1 Cup for 2 Cups sliced ivy gourd. You can also add just a handful. Tastes good even then.

* Remember to cook both the ivy gourd and cashews till soft. Ivy gourd takes time to cook, so keep the flame on medium, add little by little water and cook till it changes to light green and soft.

* We Konkanis make this with Bibbo or fresh, tender Cashewnuts during our New year festival called Ugadi. But since I live in Qatar and am here during Ugadi, I make it with cashews.

* You can check all my Konkani recipes here:

All Konkani Recipes

Salads

Beetroot Raita

May 3, 2023 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 1 Comment

Here’s welcoming my favorite veggie as a child – Beetroot into the blog ❤️ I have never posted a recipe with beetroot before as my husband used to dislike it so much that we hardly bought it. Even if we bought it after my hundred requests 😁, it used to go into only two dishes:

* Amma’s Carrot Upkari, where carrot is replaced with beetroot, like how my Amma made and is my favorite dish with Beetroot.

* Restaurant style Vegetable Kurma, where I add Beetroot too which gives it a delicious flavour due to the coconut masala.

But still it was rare as he still did not like the flavour of beetroot at all. 😔

Then one day, I tried this Beetroot Raita as a quick side dish for Pulao and everything changed 😍 He said it’s the best dish he had ever tasted with beetroot and now he himself gets the veggie to make this raita (Happy me ❤️)

And the kids? Yes, they too love it for it’s Gorgeous colour and enjoy dipping it in their parathas and theplas.

So, finally our love – hate relationship with Beetroot turned into love, much to my delight, all due to this delicious raita. ❤️

Hope you all try it and love it too. It’s a very easy recipe. Happy and healthy cooking ❤️

RECIPE:

Ingredients: (Serves 2)

1 Cup Yogurt/ Curd

3/4 Cup grated Beetroot (half a medium beetroot)

1 small sized Onion, finely chopped

1 Green chilly

2 Tbsp Coriander leaves

1 tsp Cumin powder / Jeera powder

1/2 tsp Chaat masala

Salt to taste

Step by step recipe:

1. Take yogurt in a bowl and mix with a spoon till it becomes creamy in texture and lump free.

2. Now add all the ingredients – peeled and grated Beetroot, finely chopped onion, green chilly and coriander leaves, jeera powder, Chaat masala and salt.

3. Mix well. Done 🙂

4. Serve with Pulao or with any meals. I also serve it with parathas or theplas and it tastes delicious. ❤️

Notes:

* I have used homegrown mint leaves in the presentation above which I fine chop and add to the raita sometimes. So if you have mint leaves, you can add it as well ( about 5 to 6 leaves).

* The yogurt we get here is thick. If you get watery curd, sieve it to make it thick and then add other ingredients.

* Alternately if you like slightly thin raita, you can adjust the consistency as you like.

* Chaat masala can be substituted with amchoor or dry mango powder.

Makes a great combination with:

* Easy Vegetable Biriyani

* Soya Chunks Pulao

* Amma’s Carrot Pulao

* Mooli Paratha

* Methi Thepla

* Bottlegourd Theplas

* Masala Oats Paratha

* Drumstick leaves Aloo Roti

Breakfast time, Idli Stand, Konkani Recipes

Idli Usli | Idli Upma | Seasoned leftover idlis

May 1, 2023 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 4 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

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

Curry house

Easy Tomato Curry | To eat with dosa, chapati and rice

April 1, 2023 Healthy Cooking with Mitha Leave a comment

After homegrown methi leaves, one produce that has been growing abundantly in our garden is the gorgeous red tomato 🍅. It’s also one of my favorite as I love the flavour it brings in my chutneys and curries.

During off season, I use it only in North Indian gravies but now that they are available in abundance, this tomato curry has been my first choice to make always. I made it as an accompaniment with dosas as a change for breakfast and we loved it so much that now I make it regularly to eat with chapatis and rice too.

The quantity of tomatoes that grows in our garden make me so happy and I want to share it with all of you too. Homegrown love 😍 Look at the variation in size and colours as some are yet to ripe. They stay well at room temperature and the green ones will soon turn red sitting with other ripe tomatoes. It’s a treat to see and use them daily. ❤️

Hope you all try and love this curry with tomatoes too when they are in season. It’s a very simple recipe but tastes really yummy specially with ripe tomatoes. Happy and healthy cooking ❤️

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

6 to 8 medium sized Tomatoes

2 medium sized Onions

1 inch Ginger piece

3 Green chillies

A sprig of Curry leaves

1 Tbsp Coconut oil

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Coriander powder

2 tsp Red chilli powder or to taste

Salt to taste

1/2 Cup Coconut milk ( I mix 2 Tbsp Coconut milk powder with 1/2 cup water)

3 to 4 Tbsp finely chopped Coriander leaves

Step by step recipe:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add cumin seeds, curry leaves, finely chopped green chillies and ginger.

2. Now add finely chopped onions and fry till it turns translucent.

3. Now add deseeded and roughly chopped tomatoes. Add salt and mix well.

4. Allow tomatoes to cook well. It will leave water and the mixture will be watery. Now add turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chilli powder.

5. Mix well and allow the mixture to come to a boil. Now add coconut milk and mix well.

6. Cook till tomatoes blend well and the mixture thickens ie for about 5 mins. Check for salt and other spice powders. Adjust and then remove from flame. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Notes:

* This curry tastes really delicious as an accomplishment with dosas, chapatis, parathas and rice.

* I add 6 to 8 tomatoes as I have plenty of homegrown tomatoes. You can also use 3 to 4 as per what you have.

* For satwik version, skip onions and add hing instead in the seasoning.

* You can also add rasam powder for a unique flavour. I keep alternating between powders to give different taste each time.

* I also add a dash of pepper powder sometimes. Tastes yum too.

* I use instant coconut milk powder to make coconut milk. You can use fresh coconut milk or even skip it completely. But coconut milk gives a nice thick texture and flavour to this curry.

* For other tomato dishes:

Ammas Tomato Chutney

Hotel style Tomato Chutney

Eggless Tomato Omelette

Salads, Snacks

Tri colour Capsicum Salsa | Easy Capsicum salad/dip recipe

March 23, 2023 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 1 Comment

Tri colour Capsicums always attracted me when I went for grocery shopping but it used to be super expensive and I never felt like buying it. Recently Qatar has been growing a variety of veggies locally and hence we have been getting even expensive vegetables like Broccoli and coloured capsicums considerably cheaper. Also just see how fresh they are! 😍

So, whenever I get my hands on them, it’s either this salsa or fried rice. Both ways, it is consumed happily by my kids which is most important for me whenever I cook something. With salsa, I present it to them with nachos for evening snack and they munch it on happily. ❤️

Also, these capsicums are best when they are had raw with their flavours intact. Cooking them leads to make it soft and is not as fresh. So my preferable way to use these capsicums is by making this salsa which we have as an accompaniment with rice meals as well. Tastes so yum. ❤️

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

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

1/2 a medium sized Green Capsicum

1/2 a medium sized Yellow Capsicum

1/2 a medium sized Red Capsicum

1 medium sized Onion

1 medium sized Tomato

3 Green chillies

1/4 tsp Pepper powder

Salt to taste

Juice of 1 Indian lemon or half of large lemon

Finely chopped Coriander leaves, for garnish

Step by step recipe:

1. Finely chop the three capsicums and add to a mixing bowl.

2. Now add finely chopped Onion, tomatoes and green chillies to it.

3. Add finely chopped Coriander leaves, salt, pepper powder and lemon juice. Mix well. Taste and adjust the lemon juice and salt as needed.

4. Done! Enjoy as a salad or as a salsa with Nachos. ❤️

Notes:

* The above measurement serves 4. If you are making for more people, just use three whole capsicums and about two tomatoes and two onions.

* You can skip green chillies if making for small kids. I remove green chillies before giving to my kids.

* You can also add a dash of red chilli powder for more spice but we love this as it is.

* I also serve it as a side along with rice meals and the salad gives a nice, fresh crunch to the meal.

* The other salads that I make regularly:

Mixed Bean Salad

Carrot Kismuri

Moong dal Kosambari

Cabbage Kosambari

Mixed Vegetable Salad

Khamang Kakdi/ Cucumber salad

Barley Salad

Banana Stem Salad

Purple Cabbage Coleslaw

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.