TEA KADAI SUNDAL

Tea Kadai Sundal recipe is from the regular tea shop where my Husband is a frequent visitor. It's a posh pretty tea stall with sandwiches, bajji and bonda varieties too. Tea Kadai anna makes this in front of us around 3 pm it gets over by 5 pm max. The specialty of this sundal recipe is no garam masala or any processed paste are used. He has a very huge pressure cooker in which the white peas is cooked and he reserves the stock and uses it little by little when the sundal gets dried up.

White peas - 1 cup
Onion - 1 no
Tomato - 1 no
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 3/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/ 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - 1 tsp
For Garnishing:
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
Onion finely chopped - 1/4 cup
Raw mango - 1/4 cup grated or chopped
For Green chutney:
Mint leaves - hand full
Coriander - hand full
Green chilies- 2 nos

Salt as required

Soak peas overnight. Discard the water and pressure cook with 1 pinch salt enough water to soak for 3 whistles and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan add mustard once it splutters add curry leaves saute well add onions saute it add tomatoes and cook till it softens.

Add chili, coriander, turmeric powder give a nice mix add cooked peas with the water in which it was cooked add salt and cover and cook it and bring to boil if the water reduces add half to one cup water as per your need mix well boil for a minute and then switch off heat.

For green chutney blend all ingredients until smooth with very little water and use.

Serve in a bowl topped with chopped onion, chopped green mangoes and drizzle green chutney and fresh coriander and serve hot.

Jowar / Sorghum Masala Bhat

This Sorghum /  Jowar / Cholam is a nutritious whole grain variety with high  high fibre content and protien rich as well. I mostly made adai / paniyaram using the ground batter. Cooking the whole grain like rice and using had become my new found liking.

Made a spicy dish with soya beans which is again a protien rich legume variety.

What I used:
Jowar / Cholam – 1 cup
Onion – 1
Tomato - 2, medium
Soya beans - 1/2 cup,  cooked (can be replaced with vegetables)
Ginger and Garlic - 1/2 tsp grated each
Green chilli - 1, slit
Bay leaf - 1
Clove, Cardamom if you wish to add
Ghee - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Coriander Leaves
Mint leaves
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Biryani Masala (optional)
Garam Masala (optional)
Salt - as required

Method:
Rinse jowar remove dirts if any, soak it overnight.

In a wider pressure cooker fill it with one cup, place another bowl which can sit inside add jowar, 4 cups water and pressure cook for 12-14 whistles on low to medium heat. If you're cooking directly you can reduce the timing but in this method I found Jowar cooked exactly as I wanted hence I went for the old method how my amma used to cook.

After the pressure fully subsides drain excess water from Jowar and use it as you want.

Mean while warm ghee + oil in a pan add bay leaf, other aromatics as you wish sauté it, add onion, green chillies ginger garlic sauté well.

Add tomatoes, chilli powder other spices if using cook on low heat, add soya beans / veggies, salt mix well and cook until well combined.

Add drained jowar, mix well, cook it covered for a minute add mint, coriander mix and it's done.

Notes:
It depends on the quality of Jowar cooking time varies.

Cooked Jowar can be made into upma, pulao or it can be just be replaced instead of rice and used.

KADAI CHANNA, BETROOT CURRY RECIPES

Kadai Channa, is just a simple replica of the famous restaurant style kadai paneer / vegetables. Didn't go with the traditional onion, tomato curry base just made it into a dry recipe.

To roast and grind to fine powder:
Cinnamon stick - small piece
Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
Red chilli - 4
Cardamom n clove - 1 each

Other Ingredients:
Pressure cooked - 1 cup Chickpeas
Onion - 1 medium, cubed
Red, Green, Yellow Capsicum - 1 cup, cubed
(Any vegetables can be used like boiled cauliflower, broccoli, peas / carrots)
Green chilli - 1, slit
Garlic - 1 tsp finely chopped
Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp or as required
Kasuri methi - 1/2 tsp
Oil / Ghee - 1 tbsp
Salt

How i made:
Warm oil in a pan, add the required spice ground, chilli powder, saute in low heat well, add green chilli, garlic saute it along, add vegetables, coked chickpeas, salt some chickpeas cooked water 2 tbsp to 1/4 cup, cover and cook in lowest heat.

Once it turns dry / do not leave it to burn, switch off heat, add crushed kasuri methi and give a good mix.

*Adjust spices / salt as per your need

Beetroot curry, simple curry can be made dry or as a gravy to go with rice / rotis.

Ingredients used:
Beetroot - 2, skin peeled and sliced thinly
Onion - 1/2, sliced
Green chilli - 1, slit
Thick coconut milk - 1/4 cup
Red chilli powder - 1/4 to 1/2 tsp
Oil- 1 tsp
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves
Salt

How i made:
Warm oil, splutter mustard, curry leaves, onions, green chilli add the beetroot, mix well add chilli powder, salt, water 1/2 cup, cover and cook for 10 minutes max or until beets are cooked well but not mushy.

Add coconut milk and cook for few more minutes in lowest heat, either it can be left as a gravy / cooked further more as dry.

LOW CARB MEAL IDEAS - Spinach stir fry, Soya chunks stir fry, Cucumber raitha, Beetroot stir fry

Anther simple low calorie meal for weight watchers. Keeping it really simple these days cause of the heat. Not adding tomatoes, coconut to the dishes which tends to spoil quickly when packed for lunch boxes. If its to be eaten fresh at home, adding grated coconut to stir fries gives all the required amount of good fat needed for the body.

Veggies can be replaced as per availability. Soya chunks can be replaced to paneer / tofu for protein option.

Spinach stir fry with moong dal
Beetroot stir fry
Soya chunks stir fry with veggies
Cucumber raitha

1.Spinach stir fry with moong dal
1/4 cup - Soaked yellow moong dal
Full bunch fresh spinach, chopped and cleaned
1/4 tsp - Pepper powder
1 tsp - Coconut oil, preferably
1/2 tsp - Mustard seeds
1/4 tsp - Jeera
Salt

In a pan add the soaked and drained moong dal and add 1/2 water and bring it to boil until its 3/4th cooked.

Add the chopped spinach, mix and allow to cook.

Meanwhile make tadka with oil, mustard, jeera and pour over greens.

Add pepper powder, salt as required and mix well.

2.Beetroot stir fry
2 - Big beetroot, sliced thinly
1 tsp - Oil
1/2 tsp - Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp - Jeera
1/2 tsp - Pepper powder
Salt

In a 2 litre pressure pan add 1/4 cup water sliced beetroot, salt and pressure cook on high for 2 whistles.

Release pressure immediately, if thrs excess water, drain it, add the tadka that is made with heating oil, spluttering mustard, jeera, pepper powder and mix everything well. You want the tadka to combine well with beetroot, you can re heat and toss it quickly for 30 seconds.

This can be also done in a pan, by making tadka, adding beetroot, pepper,salt, 1/2 cup water and cooked in low heat until beets are fully cooked.

3.Soya chunks stir fry with veggies
1 tsp - Oil
2 cups - Pre soaked soya chunks in warm water and squeezed
1/2 cup - Green peas
1 cup - Mixed colored capsicums
1 - Onion, sliced
1 - Green chilli, slit
1/2 tsp - Ginger, grated
1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp - Red chilli powder
1/4 tsp - Jeera powder
1 tsp - Salt

Heat oil in pan, add onions, green chilli, ginger and saute well.

Add spice powders, salt, soya chunks, peas cover and cook in low heat until well roasted approx 5 minutes. Some water can be sprinkle in between, cover and cooked.

Add capsicum cook for another minute, sprinkle fresh coriander and remove from heat.

4.Cucumber Raitha
To whisked 1/2 cup curd, add chopped cucumber, roasted jeera powder, black salt, crushed kasuri methi, small pinch of red chilli powder and mix.

Low carbs meal -Thambli, salad, paneer fry

Quick and easy dishes post workout.

Black nightshade greens thambli
Brown channa salad
Paneer pan fry
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Black nightshade greens thambli
Sauté a teaspoon ginger,  1 small green chilli, big bunch of black night shade greens with thinner stems until they wilted but do not over cook.

Blend these with 2 tablespoon coconut, 1/2 cup curd, salt until smooth.

Make a tadka in coconut oil with mustard seeds, red chillies, curry leaves and pour it over.
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Paneer recipe, marinated 60 grams paneer in 1/4 Red chilli powder, 1/4 tsp Coriander powder, 1/4 tsp Jeera powder
Fat pinch pepper powder
Fat pinch garam masala
Salt

Pan fried in a teaspoon oil on both sides until crunchy.
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For the salad, mixed all of the below.
1/4 cup Brown channa
3/4 Cucumber
1/2 Green tomato
1/2 Red tomato
1/4 Green capsicum
Red chilli flakes
Black salt
Coriander
Lime juice

INDIAN MEAL PLAN (Bajra roti, Green Moong tadka, Cauliflower pigeon peas sti fry, Salad)

A well portion controlled meal would consists of all the nutrition value required. Sharing one such meal plan recipes here, roti can always be replace with brown rice / red rice varieties.

Green moong dal tadka
Cauliflower pegion peas stir fry
Salad
Masala bajra roti

1.Green Moong Dal Tadka Recipe:
1 cup - Pressure cooked green moong dal
2 medium - Tomatoes
1/2 tsp - Ginger
2 - green chillies

grind above 3 ingredients to smooth paste with little water.

1 tsp - Ghee
1/2 tsp - Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp - Jeera
1/2 tsp - Red chilli powder
Salt

Heat ghee add mustard, jeera, splutter it. Add red chilli powder saute it, add the puree, salt and cook until raw smell leaves.

Add cooked moong dal, required water, cook in low heat until it thickens and switch off the heat.


2.Cauliflower pigeon peas stir fry Recipe:
1/2 tsp - Mustard
1/2 tsp - Jeera
1 tsp - Coconut oil
2 cups - Par boiled Cauliflower florets
1 cup - Par boiled fresh pigeon peas
1 - Onion, sliced
1 - Green chilli, slit
1/2 tsp - Ginger, grated
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp - Red chilli powder
1 tsp - Salt

Heat oil in pan, splutter mustard, jeera add onions, green chillies, ginger and saute well.

Add spice powders, salt, cauliflower, pigeon peas cover and cook in low heat until well roasted approx 5 - 7 minutes.

Sprinkled fresh coriander and remove from heat.

3.Salad Recipe:
Sliced capsicum, tomatoes, cucumber, few onion slices mixed with with roasted jeera powder, black salt and a small pinch of red chilli powder. Lime squeezed and fresh coriander added to it.

4.Masala Bajra Roti Recipe:
1 cup - Bajra Flour / pearl millet
1/4 tsp - Red chilli powder
1/4 tsp - Roasted Jeera powder
1/4 tsp - Coriander powder
1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder
1 tsp - Kasuri Methi / Dried Fenugreek Leaves
Ghee / oil
Salt

Mix the flours, spices, salt in a bowl, add warm water little by little and knead to smooth dough and portion it.

Spread ghee / oil on a foil paper / parchment paper, take a portion of dough and pat it until desired thickness, this dough has to be little warm.

Heat a tawa, flip the patted roti carefully, so that it doesnt break on to the hot tawa and cook on both the sides with ghee / oil.

AVAREKALU CURRY / SAARU

Avarekalu / Mochai are in season, i buy them in bulk, peel and freeze them. Made a simple curry with it, not a traditional saaru one but a version which would suit us. Traditionally lots of dry spices and poppy seeds are ground and added to this saaru. Served the sarru with bajra + dill leaves akki roti and coconut chutney. This was our brunch a week ago on a holiday.

What you need for Avarekalu Saaru / Curry:
1/2 cup - Coconut
4 - Shallots
2 pods - garlic
1 tsp - Red chilli powder
1 tsp - Tamarind paste

Grind above ingredients with little water to smooth paste.

1 cup - Avarekalu
1 tsp - Salt
1 tbsp - Ghee / Oil
1/2 tsp - Mustard seeds
Fat pinch hing
Curry leaves

How to make:
Cook avarekalu and keep aside. Heat a pan add the masala, 2 cups water, salt mix and bring to good boil.

Add cooked avarekalu, add more water depending on how thick you need it boil for another minute and switch off heat.

Heat ghee / oil in a small pan splutter mustard seeds, curry leaves, hing and pour over the curry.

Serve it how with bajra dill roti.