Instant Oats Idli

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup coarse sooji ravva

1 cup fat free yougurt

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup shredded carrot

1 tsp chopped green chillies

curry leaves, as required

salt, as required

Method:

1. Dry roast the rolled oats in a pan. Allow them to cool and grind them coarsely to take care not to grind them completely to fine powder.

2. Mix the ground rolled oats and the coarse sooji ravva. This mixture can stored in an airtight container and can be used when required.

3. Take equal parts of the oats-sooji mixture and fat free yogurt and mix, add little water if required. Add shredded carrot, green chillies, curry leaves, baking soda and salt and mix.

4. Take idli moulds, grease the moulds and pour the batter into the moulds and cook them for 15 minutes until done.

5. Take the idlis out, drizzle little ghee and enjoy them with chutney of your choice.

Fruit and Nut Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup mixed dried fruits and walnuts

1 large egg

1/3 cup sugar

1 stick butter, at room temperature

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp red wine

1/2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp orange zest

1/2 tsp nutmeg powder

1/2 tsp clove powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon powder

1/4 tsp salt

Method:

1. Take mixed dry fruits and walnuts into a bowl, add lemon juice, red wine and honey and mix them properly and close the bowl.

2. Leave them for couple of nights.

3. Preheat oven to 350F.

4. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar for 3-4 minutes. Add orange zest, vanilla extract, nutmeg, clove and cinnamon powder till smooth.

5. Add the egg and mix for another 1 minute.

6. Sift the flour to remove lumps and slowly add the flour to the above and mix slowly (I used a spatula from this point).

7. Also, add the soaked dry fruits and nuts along with any leftover juices.

8. Divide the cookie dough into three parts and shape them into logs and put them in a foil and close the foil tightly around the dough. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

9. Take the dough from the fridge, cut them into 1/2 inch ovals and arrange them on a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil.

10. Bake them for 15-20 minutes and cool them off on a cooling rack.

I did these cookies for my husband before Valentines Day and he loved them. The cookies turned more chewy than crispy, so next time I will reduce the oven temperature to 325F and bake them for 25-30 minutes. I came across the recipe for these cookies at http://akshayapaatram.blogspot.com/2009/02/fruit-cake-cookies-eggless.html and tried them last weekend. I substituted ground flax seeds with 1 large egg, pecans with walnuts and increased couple of other ingredients and the cookies tasted awesome. Thanks Akshayapaatram for this recipe.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Ingredients

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup dark cocoa powder

1/2 stick butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs

1 tsp vinegar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 oz red food color

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. In a small bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder and salt to remove any lumps (dry ingredients).

3. In a separate bowl, mix together buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla extract and red food color (wet ingredients).

4. Beat sugar and butter for 3-5 minutes until smooth.

5. Crack and pour the eggs into the sugar-butter and mix for 1-2 minutes.

6. Slowly add and mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients alternately on medium speed starting and ending with dry ingredients.

7. Pour the prepared batter into cupcake holders and bake for 20 minutes or until done.

After the cupcakes were done, cool them off on a rack. For the icing, I used cream cheese icing and they tasted moist and perfect. I took them to a beach party and they were devoured in minutes.

White Radish Paratha

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup water
2 cups white radish, grated
1 tsp ginger, grated
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp lime juice
oil, for frying parathas

Method:
1. Mix whole wheat flour and 1/2 tsp salt with 1/2 cup water.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the grated radish, ginger, red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp salt and lime juice and leave it for 15-30 minutes.
3. Squeeze out the excess water and set the grated radish aside. I used the squeezed out water to mix the whole wheat flour and it added extra flavor.
4. Take a small lemon sized flour ball and roll it into a circle. Take some grated radish and spread on half of the rolled paratha. Cover it with the remaining half of the paratha and roll gently to seal the radish mixture.
5. On a heated pan, place the paratha and fry it on both sides till golden brown with some oil.

Tastes good with some pickle or with curd.

Mirchi and Brinjal Bajji

Ingredients:

6 light green chillies (used for bajjis)

5 medium purple brinjals

1 cup besan powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp red chilly powder

1 tbsp tamarind paste

1 tbsp ajwain seeds

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/2 small tomato, finely chopped

1/4 bunch coriander, finely chopped

2 tbsp lime juice

oil, as needed for deep frying

salt, as required

Method:

1. Wash the light green chillies and boil them in water for 10 minutes to cook them a little. After boiling, cut them vertically on one side without completely halving it and then make a cut horizontally thus making a T shaped cut. The T shaped cut helps in putting the stuffing inside the chilli easily.

2. Mix tamarind paste and ajwain seeds. Add little water if required.

3. Stuff the cut green chillies with the above paste.

4. In a bowl mix together besan, chilly powder, salt and baking powder with some water. The besan should be flowy like dosa batter, not too thick not too thin.

5. In a pan heat the oil for deep frying. After the oil gets heated, slip the stuffed green chilly into the bowl with besan mixture, coat it completely with besan and drop it smoothly into the oil.

6. Fry the green chillies till they are golden brown. Repeat it with the rest of the chillies. Do not overcrowd the oil pan, it will result in reducing the heat of the oil and the bajji's wouldn't fry properly.

7. I had some besan mixture left over, so I quickly chopped the brinjals into half inch thick round slices, dipped them in besan and fried them in oil.

8. Mix the finely chopped onion, tomato, salt, coriander and lime juice in a separate bowl. Slit the fried bajji's vertically and stuff it with the above mixture.

Enjoy them hot with some tea.