Uttapam is a well know South Indian breakfast dish which belongs to the dosa family. Generally most of the dosa’s are thin and crispy however; uttapam is thick and soft similar to pancakes. The batter for preparing any kind of dosa is the same however; the cooking process is different for different kinds of dosas. Uttapam is generally topped with vegetables like onions, tomatos and carrots and served with coconut chutney and sambhar. The batter for regular uttapam is prepared using 1 cup of urad daal and 3 cups of idli rice, however; in this recipe I have used red rice, quinoa, yellow moog daal and red poha to prepare the batter. This is slightly different than traditional uttapam and gives a different taste and texture to it. You can add your favorite veggies and the healthy uttapam is a perfect breakfast and after school snacks for kids.
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Gatte ki sabji( Sabzi)
Rajasthan, a state in India, has its own specialties when it comes to delicacies. Gatte ki sabji is one of that delicacy prepared using simple ingredients however has amazing taste. Though it is specialty of Rajasthan,its famous all over India. Other parts of India have their own variation of besan curry similar to to gatte ki sabji and I have shared couple of recipes of the same. It seem Rajasthani marriage celebrations are incomplete without this dish. The main ingredient of the recipe is besan (gram flour) which is used to prepare Gatte. The curry is based out of tomato, curd and mix of spices. In this recipe, I have also added fresh fenugreek (methi) leaves which make Gatte’s more delicious. Making dough for Gatte is little tricky and it should be of wheat flour chapati’s consistency. The delicious curry goes very well with Roti, Rice, Naan and Paratha.
Paneer Mutter Masala
Paneer mutter masala is one of most popular dish in North India. Paneer is one of the most liked ingredient to adults as well as kids. There are varieties of paneer recipes like paneer butter masala, methi paneer mutter masala, paneer tikka masala, palak paneer, chili paneer masala and so on. This recipe is a considered as a delicacy and prepared only on special occasions. It is also one of the most sought out dish in restaurants. The recipe looks very appealing in its orange red color gravy which is generally due to food coloring. However I have used beetroot to get the same color to the recipe. The main ingredient in the recipe is paneer and mutter which is added to a rich tomato based gravy with spices, cashew nut and cream. The wonderful aroma due to spices and awesome taste of curry is extremely appetizing. The curry goes very well with Naan, Poori, Parathas and plain or jeera rice. If you are not a fan of paneer, you can use Tofu instead. Prepare this dish to celebrate your special days with family and friend, however indulge at your own risk.
Wheat Berries & Stir Fry Veggies
Wheat berries is a whole grain which is good source of protein and fiber. You can prepare various recipes using wheat berries like cereal, salad or soup. You could also grind it to make flour and prepare flour based recipes. Wheat berries could take little long to cook so cooking in pressure cooker is advisable however you can cook it in a open pan too at low to medium heat. Wheat berries can be served with red beans curry, chicken curry or any other curry. For this recipe I have used stir fired vegetable along with wheat berries which make is simple, healthy and a light meal. You could always change the mix of veggies as per your choice and adding a tandoori masala to fried veggies give a zesty flavor.
Chicken Masala
There are varieties of recipes which one can make using Chicken. Different states in India have different chicken masala flavor. This recipe preparation is specifically based on the one which is used in Northern part of India. For this recipe chicken is roasted and cooked in a pan and then mixed with beetroot & tomato based gravy. Using whole spices in the preparation gives awesome garam masala flavor. Chicken masala goes well with plain rice, jeera rice, paratha, naan or phulka. We all loved this recipe, even kids too as I did not make it very spicy. If you a chicken lover, I am sure you and your family would like this too.
Red Beans Curry
Red Beans Curry is a side dish prepared mainly from dry Red Beans. There are variety of beans available in grocery store like kidney beans, pinto beans, soybeans and so on. Using these beans you can also prepare variety of recipes like a soup, curry and salad. Beans are good source of fiber and protein. This recipe preparation is more like Indian style Rajma recipe. The recipe is very simple to prepare basically soak the beans overnight, boil it and then cook with some spices. The curry goes very well with plain rice, jeera rice and well as poori and paratha. This same recipe I have also used for Beet Greens Rice Roll.
Beet Greens Rice Roll
Leafy vegetables like spinach, mustard, kale or beet root are very healthy and everyone should add them as part of their meal plan on daily basis. This recipe is inspired from Japanese Sushi although completely vegetarian and a different texture. The recipe is very easy to prepare basically just saute beet greens with garlic and roll it into brown rice. When served with red beans sauce it tastes amazing. I have used brown rice however you can use any other rice whichever you like. The rolls can also be served with fried yellow daal and it tastes awesome with that too. The green beets can also be just eaten with Rice, Paratha or Roti. Add this recipe as part of you lunch or dinner and enjoy!
Mutter Corn Potli
Mutter Corn Potli is a recipe which goes very well as tea time snacks or as appetizer at parties. There are variety of snacks dishes in India and many of them are the ones which are prepared fresh and served hot. Mutter Corn Potli is very similar to popular snack Samosa however with little cute shape and a slightly different filling. Potli in Hindi is referred to a small jewelry bag. The crust for this recipe is prepared using all purpose flour and filled with sauteed peas & corn with tangy spices mix. The Mutter Corn Potli tastes awesome with date & tamarind chutney. You can adjust the spicy level to your taste. Serve it with tea, coffee or even drinks.