Mor Kulambu | More Kuzhambu

Mor kuzhambu is very light and easily digested recipe. It tastes good with any spicy fries, here I have used Spicy Potato fries as it complements well. For Mor Kuzhambu any choice of veggies could also be used, here I have used ash gourd for its bland taste and also it easily absorbs the flavor and spices.

Ingredients:

Ash gourd / White pumpkin – 1cup

Sour curd – 1 & 1/2 cup

Water – ½ cup

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves for garnishing

To Grind:

Grated Coconut – 1tbsp

Red Chili – 3nos

Jeera – ½ tsp

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Hing – 2 pinch

Roasted gram – 2 tsp

Garlic pods – 3no

For tempering:

Oil – 2 tsp

Mustard seeds – ½ tsp

Curry leaves a spring

Method:

• Deseed and chop the veggie into medium size and keep aside.

• Beat the curd using a whisk or mixer properly.

• Make a smooth paste of items given under “to grind” section.

• Now add this grounded paste to the beaten curd and add water along with salt and hing. Mix it thoroughly.
• Keep in a low flame, when it ready to starts boiling add the chopped veggie and boil it for two minutes.

• Temper with the listed items under “Temper Section” and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with Rice.

Note:

• Ash gourd cooks very easily & quickly so no need to cook separately.
• This recipe could surely be included in weight loss diet as the veggies used are almost 95% of water content.
• Ash Gourd could be replaced with choice of your favorite veggie, may be with ladies finger, white channa or chow- chow.
• Instead of Red Chilly you could try with Green Chilly to. But the Red Chilly gives you a rich look.

Paneer Butter Masala

I am big fan of paneer and can have it any form. I am sure all would love panner which is protein rich and high in calories. Paneer butter masala is really rich & delicious gravy well accompanied with roti, naan, phulkas and pulao.

Ingredients:

Paneer cubes – 200 gm

Red chilly powder – 1tsp

Coriander powder – 2 tsp

Garam masala powder – ½ tsp

Milk – ¼ cup

Kasuri methi - 1tsp

Almond – 8no

Sugar – 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil as needed

Butter – 1tbsp

To Roast & Grind:

Tomato – 2no

Onion – 2no

Green chilly – 1no

Cinnamon – 1”inch

Cloves – 2no

Ginger – 1”

Garlic pods – 4no

Oil – 2 tsp

Method:

• In a pan heat oil and fry the paneer cubes till it turns golden brown. Remove from heat and immersed in warm water to maintain its softness.
• Soak almonds in warm milk for 30 minutes and peel out the skin then grind into smooth paste and set aside.

• Heat oil in a pan and add the items listed under roast & grind section. Fry the mix for about 5 minutes and grind the fried mix to smooth paste.

• Heat oil in a separate pan and take the smooth paste created from the previous step and fry well until the raw smell goes off.
• Now add garam masala, red chilly and coriander powder, salt and sugar and continue frying for 5 minute.

• Add almond paste and crushed kasuri methi.

• Now add a cup of water and cook well till the oil separates.
• When the mixture becomes thick add milk and fried paneer immersed in water. Keep in medium flame and cook for 2 minutes.

• At last add a tbsp of butter. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with Roti or Naan.

Note:

• Oil could be substituted with butter for a rich and tasty masala.
• No almonds in store, no worries, you could get the same taste with cashew nuts, which will also give the same richness.
• Instead of milk you could use Fresh Cream for garnishing. But remember to do an extra round of workout to burn out the cals.

Rava Kitchadi

Rava Kitchadi is one of the easiest recipe to prepare, I personally like because of its soft texture and flavor of ghee. When there is perfect side dish like coconut chutney, kitchadi becomes more delicious. Also best alternative to usual upma.

Ingredients:

Rava / Sooji – 1 cup

Semiya / Vermicelli – 1/2 cup

Onion – 1 no

Tomato – 1no

Carrot – 1no (finely chopped)

Beans – 8no (finely chopped)

Green chilly – 4 no

Water – 3 cup

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Salt to taste

Ghee –1 tbsp

To Temper:

Oil –2 tbsp

Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp

Urad Dhal – 1 tsp

Channa Dhal – 1 tsp

Cashews few

Curry leaves few

Method:

• Heat oil in kadai, add the ingredients listed under temper section.
• When the mustard seed starts splutters add onion, green chilly. Fry until onion becomes soft and then add tomato. Sauté until tomato become mushy.
• Add the chopped veggies and sauté for one minute.  

• Now add water 3 cup and when it starts boiling, add salt & turmeric powder.

•  Keep the flame low and add the semiya first after one minute mix slowly with sooji. Keep stirring continuously without forming any lumps.

• Cook in low flame till the rava gets cooked and soft.
• Finally add some ghee and mix well.
• Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Note:

• Dry roast the rava / sooji to light golden brown color and use it works best.
• Don't cook veggie too soft. Could also use veggies like potatoes, fresh peas.
• Don't avoid adding ghee, it gives nice flavor and it last long.
• Kitchadi could also be made without semiya / Vermicelli. But reduce the water by 2 cups. I personally like kitchadi with both semiya & sooji.

Rice Roti | With Leftover Rice

It is common that, nobody can keep exact quantity of rice for meal, most of the time rice gets in excess, with which you could prepare Roti as explained below. It also tastes different and unique. I bet everybody will like it and especially Kids might like it more. No special side dish is needed for this Roti, as it is Rice Roti is bit spicy.

Ingredients:

Leftover cooked Rice - 2 cup

Rice flour – 2 tbsp

Onion – 2no

Green chili paste for taste

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves few

Curry leaves few

Oil

Method:

• In a bowl add leftover cooked rice and salt and mash it well.
• To this add chopped onions, green chilli paste, chopped curry leaves & coriander leaves and mix well.

• Now add rice flour and again mix it well and check salt and make the mixture as soft dough.

• Take a banana leaf and grease some oil and now make one big size ball and apply some oil in your hands and flatten dough into circle shape.

• Heat tawa and cook well till it turns golden brown, roast and crispy at the corners on both sides.

Serve Hot!!

Note:

• To make it more crispy add more rice flour to the mixture.
• Don’t forget to mash the cooked rice separately and then add the other ingredients to make soft dough.
• To make it more appealing, you could also add some graded carrot & coconut.