Oats Puliyodharai and "THE OATS : WATER" ratio

Those in my fb friends list, would be aware, that there was a cookery demo i had taken a month back with Oats as the main theme. So, the weeks prior to it were literally trial and error days. Trying a new recipe each evening, taking pictures to prepare the notes, and ofcourse, for positng in here...see if its worth demonstrating....in terms of easness , time taken...

This was one of the trials for the main dish item using OATS. Didnt demonstrate it for the session thou...as i finally decided to stick on to some non-veg item..(beef-oats biriyani, which will follow shortly)

Basically, the recipe is the same...the prOcedure is the same, as with all other regular puliyodharae.

Just need to fix two things in mind.

1. NEVER use quick/instant oats for these type of cooking. They mush up and is one big mess. Always used the Old Fashioned Rolled Oats.
(refer to "this post" for the different types available)

 

2. The "oats-water" ratio. Some recipes for  upma would recommend soaking the oats in water for a few minutes before cooking. I dont follow it, rather prefer to add it as such. But (a big BUT) keep in mind the proportion.

 

1 cup hot water to 1 and 3/4 cup oats. (Less than that would result in mushy oats, higher than that would result in too dry and undercooked oats) - Stick to this !

1(water) : 1 and 3/4 (oats)

 

To the recipe.... you need:

 

Old fashioned rolled oats - 1 and 3/4 cup
Hot water - 1 cup
Gingelly Oil (Nallena) - 3 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 4 tsp
Channa Dal - 1 tbsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Dried Red chillies - 2
Curry Leaves - few
Powdered jaggery - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Hing (Perungayam) - a generous pinch
Tamarind - lemon sized ball
Peanuts - about 10
Salt - to taste

To roast and grind :

Oil - 1 tsp
Channa Dal - 1 ½ tbsp
Urad dal - 1 tbsp
Coriander Seeds - ½ tbsp
Fenugreek Seeds - ½ tsp
Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp

Procedure :

 

Heat oil and roast the ingredients  under the "to roast and grind" heading above until golden brown. Allow it to cool and grind it coarsely. Keep aside.
 

Add 1/4 cup water (from the already measured 1 cup) to the tamarind, let it soak for 15mins. To save time, you can just microwave it for a minute and then squeeze out thick tamarind pulp. Keep aside.

 

Heat gingelly oil in a kadai on medium low heat and add the peanuts. Roast until slightly browned.

Splutter the mustard seeds, channa dal, urad dal, curry leaves, red chillies, turmeric powder and hing. Toast until they are browned evenly.

 

Now add the tamarind extract (1/4 cup) followed by remaining water (3/4 cup) and allow it to boil . Check and add salt.

Now add the measured oats, the roasted items, mix gently till well coated.
 

 Close and cook for a few minutes (4 or 5)

 

Mix again, gently..till all the water has been soaked, and oats cooked, yet not soggy. Can add a tsp or two of water, if the oasts seems a bit too dry for your taste..but its optional.

 

 

Serve hot with any chutney of your choice.



LoR 08 - Instant Tomato Chutney

(LoR - Leftover Remake )

 

 A quicky post on an even quicky remake.

 

 

 Instant tomato chutney with leftover tomato thokku.

 

Had posted  a remake version of the Tomato thokku (recipe "here") to make Egg Burji some time back. This chutney is yet another version I do almost regularly .

 

 

Infact, i always prepare the simple tomato thokku a bit more than necessary to make way for the remakes..either of them...depending on what i have in hand to pair up with.

 

If for some chapathi, i go for the egg burji remake, but

 

if for dosa or idli, its this chutney version.

 

Its basically just two steps involved :

 

 

Take the tomato curry (thokku) in a mixer , add some grated coconut. Have used dessicated ones in here, as i was short of the fresh ones. Either ways , its fine.

 

Give a pulse, and thats it.  Maybe, you can add in a green chillie if required, for some extra spice, but I dont as my kids are the spice-repellant type.

 

Salt..yes..a tad bit more could go in.

 

Quicky, yeah ?

 

;)

 

click "here" to go to the previous post in the LoR series.

Potato Makhani / Potato Mattar Masala (simple, low-fat version)

 

Alright !!! Here I am back again, trying desperately to give both my blogger "properties" a refresh. This is been going on for quite some time now... my blogs (this) and ofcourse my Pick Quicks too...suffering from hiccups. No regular posts..no regular blogvisits... sorry yaars ! Not that I dont want to keep these up and running..but, just cant afford the time.

 

Do have quite a few in my drafts, as pictures but yet to put up the recipe. This post was halfway done during the Lent season..would have been apt then, for those who were abstaining from non-veggies........ but, better late than never. Here it goees now..on air!

 

Inspired by "Butter Chicken" which is always a favourite with our boys, tried the similar recipe but with Baby Potatoes.  Most vegetarian cuisine uses paneer in a similar way, as Paneer Makhani, Paneer Mattar Masala...but to be honest, I am definitely not the "cheesy" person. So, it was the cute little baby potatoes who got its pick and well....it works !

 

Not to forget, this is indeed a low fat version, with low fat milk and the "deleted" fat by replacing cheese wih potatoes.

 

You need :

 For the spice mix -

 

3  tbsp chilli pdr
2  tbsp coriander pdr
1  tsp garam masala pdr
1  tsp kasoori methi pdr
2  tsp ketchup

2 tsp tomato paste 

And the rest -
2 tbsp butter

2 tsp ginger garlic paste

3 medium sized onions cut to thin slices
1 cup low fat  milk to add to gravy
1/4 cup low fat milk OR LESS, to mix the spices
Baby potatoes (about 10-12)
Salt to taste

How to :

 

Take all the ingredients under the "spice mix" in a bowl.

Mix with the low fat milk to form a thick paste. Not beign specific of the quantity. You know when it is justt right...not to thick...not too watery.

 

Meanwhile, wash, peal, cut to half and bring to boil the potaoes. They should not be too overcooked, else they mush up in the gravey.

 

And ..i would suggest, you do this part yourself...or, be very SPECIFIC!!! on your instructions...lest your potatoes, end up like these ;)

 

  :P :P

(some innocent assistance )

 

Back to task...

 

 

In a woke, add 1 tsp butter, ginger garlic paste, onions, salt and saute till tender.

Grind them to a coarse paste.

 

 

Into the same woke, add in one more tsp of butter.

In goes the prepared spice mix and stir till the raw smell leaves.

Add the ground onion mix to the spice mix...

 

 

Next add the low fat milk to form the desired consistency of the gravey. Let it cook for a couple of minutes  . Dont forget the salt !

 

Add the cooked potatoes and gently coat it all over with the gravey.

Keep pan closed and simmer for a few minutes for the potatoes to absorb the flavours.

 

(Optional - can add in some cooked green peas. I used the canned ones, and the dish is now Potato Mattar Masala very much similar to the Paneer Mattar masala..but again, i repeat, the very low fat version.)

 





 

Serve hot with paratha, naan or chapathi.

LoR: 07 - Egg Burji with leftover Tomato curry

LoR 07  - Leftover Remake Series

 

 

Quick Egg Burji with leftover Tomato Curry.

 

 

This has become kindof customary in our household now. Each time we have this tomato curry on board, as a dinner side for chapathi, a small portion of it will be moved aside for this remake .

Can go in as a dish by itself, or even sandwich filling.

 

To make the tomato curry ,

 

You need :

Oil (coconut oil) 1 tablespoon 
Mustard seeds 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves few
Green chilly 2
Onion (sliced) 2
Turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon
Chilly powder 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder 1 teaspoon
Tomato 4
Salt to taste
Water 1/4 cup

 

Method

1. In a pan heat oil, add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add green chillies and curry leaves. Saute it for a few seconds.

2. Then add sliced onions and saute it till they become brownish in colour.

3. Next stage, add all the dry powders, turmeric powder, chilly powder and coriander powder. Saute till the raw smell goes off.

4. Now add chopped tomatoes and saute till oil starts separating. Add little salt at this stage.

5. Now add 1/4 cup water, bring it to boil, simmer the stove, cover with a lid and leave it to cook for some time.

 

May add some coconut milk too to it at this stage, but its optional. I have not added in here.

 

 

(these two does indeed go well together)

 

 

For the remake, in a wok heat a few tbsps of oil and add 3-4 beaten eggs.

 

Scramble ..scramble !!!

 

 

 Once the eggs are almost cooked, add in the leftover tomato curry.

I do not have any specific measurements, just as you see in the picture..kindof what is enough to well coat the eggs.

You do not need any additional spices as its already there, in the curry. May be an extra dash of salt, would be sufficient.

 

Mix....Mix !!!!

 

shouldn't we ???
 



 

Alright...in goes, some peas too...

 

Mix..Mix...Mix !!!

 



 

Serve HOT..HOT...HOTTT !!!

 

click "here", to go to the previous post in the LoR Series.

LoR - 06 : Inji-Puli-Idli

Leftover Remake Series - 06

 

Puli-inji  (ginger cut to tiny pieces and cooked in spices and mainly tamarind sauce) is one of the  main ingredients of the Kerala Ona-sadhya, and ask me which is my favourite of all the n number of dishes we have served on the banana leaf for the sadhya, the answer is again ..Puli-inji.  Infact, I don’t mind adding  the tangy flavouring of the tamarind in literally anything, esp upma, veggie dishes, chutneys....

 

 

Had some idlis leftover from morning breakfast and thought about some remake for it. Idli Manchurian, Idli 65….the options were various, but deciding on the flavor… you know how it is, your mind keeps wandering around your favourites (the selfish me, afterall) and some how want to bring those on board.

(no wonder i love this thing ! )



Wanted to get tamarind somehow in…that was for sure..either tamarind paste combined with something and that’s when I happened to notice some puli-inji (recipe shared above in the link) in the refrigerator. Life made easy….was what came to mind, after some thought.  

(look alikes)

And  Tamarind + GInger = Puli - Inji.

(a borrowed image of the same from google)

 

You need

Leftover idli’s, cut to small pieces

Puli-Inji (Ginger-tamarind chutney)

Chopped garlic

Chopped shallots

To temper

Mustard seeds

Cumin Seeds

Seseme seeds

Asafoetida seeds (optional)

Curry leaves

Dry chilles

 

How to:

Splutter some mustard seeds in oil, followed by cumin, seseme and asafoetida seeds.

Once tempered, add the rest – chopped garlic, onions, curry leaves and dry chillie. Saute for a few minutes till the shallots turn golden brown.

Now add few spoon fulls of the puli-inji and few spoonfuls again of water to make it loose.

 

When the mix gets to boil, add the idli-cuts and mix well till combined.  

 

Garnish with some chopped coriander leaves and serve hot as such.

Add some fried cashewnuts too for added taste.

 

 

It has all the flavours..the spicy, the tangy and you don’t even need any other side chutney or sauce for it. 

Idli-ki-kasam !!! ;) ;)

click on LoR- 05 to go to the previous post in this series.



 

Chutney Powder Flavoured Baby Potatoes (the 1 minute starter )

As far as cooking is concerned, those which happen on weekends..especially Friday are "crazy".  I have had lots of flop shows, resulting in n number of remakes to camouflage the blunder...but.. unlike those...this previous weekend, was ..thankfully "good" to me.

 

Tried out two things . One is this..for which i still not have got a proper name, so kept it to flavoured baby potaotes (the cuties of all veggies, for me) and well yes, something else too..which went all the way starting from rava dosa (flop)......to upma (floooppp).....to rava idli (bumper flop) but finally, all was well...deep fried upma balls (yeeaahhh !!! ). it came out well. Will post on that later.

 

 

To be honest, this happened to be the most quickest and simplest thing i have ever done.

 

All you need , are basically, just these two ingredients -

Baby potatoes (boiled and peeled)

Dry chutney powder (any )

 

 

I used curry leaf chutney powder which my Mom-in-law prepares and packs for me, while returning back from vacation. (she knows that her this d-i-law is too fond of it, and so i get a heap loads of it. ;) )

Into a wok, add in a spoon of cooking oil, about 3-4 spoonfuls(heaped) of the dry chutney powder.
I jsust eye-balled the ingredients. Had about 20 baby potatoes, so thought this much should be ok.

A half spoon of tomato puree (just added it on an instinct, so that the dry powder sticks to the potato). Mix, say about 1/2 a minute.

Throw in the potatoes and stir to coat. Check salt. Add a pich, if required.

 

 

 

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and some dried herbs (dil).

 

Serve HOT ! It doesnt even require a dipping sauce. All flavours are already coated onto it.

Trust me, i was really satisfied with this and was literally waiting for my Husband to get back home to let him have a try.

 

Customer review : Nice !! Would be great as a "touching" for some drinks ;)

 

 

 

 

Buttered Sweet Corn and how handy these pull tabs can be...

 

A quicky treat for kids and yes..it's my kids' favourite too.

 

You need

 

2 cups sweet corn (I used the store brought cans)

Butter - 1-2 tsp (upto the users discretion)

Salt and pepper to taste

 

 

Mix all the ingredients together.

 

Slightly toast the mix in a skillet on stove top, or warm in microwave for the butter to melt. Mix once again.

 

 

:P 



 

Serve hot and sure the serving plates will be duely returned to you back in no time, asking for more.

 

Have seen a lot of remake / best  -out-of-waste projects with used food cans . Colour and use them as pen holders, planters..so so...but what about these pull up tabs on the can cover ?

I never thought of this before...to be honest. I have already started collecting my can pop-tabs now.



 

and "this" as well.

 

If you have a frame that's doesn't have a wire on the back for hanging, you don't need to go searching for a way to hang it up. All you need is a screw and such a can pull up tab. (A share, from here )