Horsegram / Muthira / kollu Paratha

Horsegram / Muthira/ kollu is very good in cold season becoz of its warming effects on body. Horse gram is rich in B-complex vitamins and protein. It is quite delicious to taste and at the same time highly nutritious.

Ingredients:

Horsegram / Muthira/ kollu - 250 gms

Green chillies - 3

Ginger - 1/2 inch piece

Corriander leaves - few

Salt - to taste

Wheat flour- 6 cups

water- to knead the dough and pressure cook horse gram.

Refined Oil, Butter,Ghee - 1/2 cup

Method:

Soak horse gram overnight. Pressure cook the horsegram with the water just covering the horsegram. Give three whisles, one in high flame and two in Low flame.

Grind the cooked horsegram in a mixer with out any water. Also add coriander leaves, salt, green chillies and ginger while grinding. with the help of a knife or spoon stir so that all are ground uniformly. Make balls with this and keep aside.

Knead Wheat flour with enough water and salt. Divide chapatti dough into balls. Spread them with hand. Keep the prepared horsegram ball inside and bring together all the sides in the center and seal tightly. .

Roll this ball with a rolling pin like a chapati , using wheat flour for Powdering.

Transfer them on to a tava (griddle). Cook the paratha on a tava (griddle) using  little ghee or butter or refined oil, until both sides are golden brown. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling to make more parathas. 

Horse gram Paratha ready..... Serve hot with pickle or curd. I have sprinkled red chilly powder and salt on curd. I could make 14 parathas with this measurements.

Recipe Courtesy: Mrs.Ruchi Raman,Dehradun.

Mushroom Biriyani ( Using Rice cooker )

Ingredients:

Cloves -2

Cardamom -2

Cinnamon - 1/4 inch piece

Onion - 3 big chopped 

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Garlic - 10 pods

Green Chillies - 4

Tomato - 2

Coriander leaves - 3/4 cup

Mint leaves - 1/2 cup

Curry masala Powder - 2 tsp

Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp

Basmati Rice - 3 cups

Button mushrooms - 500 gms

Oil - 3 tsp

Ghee - 1/2 tbsp

Water - 4 1/2 cups

Salt - to taste

Lemon  - 1/2 piece

Pepper-1 tsp

Method:

Heat oil and ghee in a kadai (or pressure cooker in case if you want to pressure cook) and add  cinnamon, cloves, slit cardamom and fry them for a minute. Add chopped onions and fry well. You can add a pinch of  salt to let onions become soft  faster. Grind ginger,garlic and green chillies and add to onions and saute well.

Then grind tomatoes and saute till raw smell leaves, Add Curry masala powder  or biriyani masala powder and saute till raw smell leaves. Once they turn slight brown in color add ground coriander and mint leaves and fry well until the masala does not stick to the Pan.

Clean and chop mushrooms into 4 pieces. Add mushrooms to the masala and saute for 2 mins until water leaves and it starts softening. 

In the rice cooker add water and switch on the rice cooker. when the water starts boiling add cleaned basmati rice and the mushroom masala and give a stirr. Add garam masala powder, salt and pepper powder. Give a stir and close the lid.

 (If you are using a cooker you can saute all the masalas in the cooker itself and add rice and water and  pressure cook for 1 whistle in high flame and one in low flame. Once pressure releases, fluff the rice with a fork carefully without breaking the rice.)

Do not  open the lid immediately after it is done. Leave it for 10 mins,this helps the rice to absorb all the flavors and stay fluffy. Squeeze lemon and gently mix the mushroom biriyani. If wanted add some ghee also.

Yummy Mushroom biriyani is ready to serve with raitha...:)

Recipe Courtesy: Mrs.Latha, Coimbatore.

Basic Chocolate Eggless cake ( with curd)

Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour (Maida) -1/2 cups (140 gms)

For Chocolate Eggless Cake remove 3 tbsp pf flour( maida) from 11/2 cups and add 3 tbsp of cocoa powder to the flour.

Thick curd - 1 cup (150 gms)
Sugar - 3/4 cup (100gm
Refined Oil - 1/2 cup (65 gm)
Baking Powder - 1 tsp
Soda-bi-carb- 1/2 tsp
Vanilla essence- 1tsp

Method:

Mix Sugar and curd till the sugar dissolves completely.Add baking powder and soda. Mix well and let it stand for 2-3 minutes. Bubbles will appear.

Add oil. Mix well. Add Vanilla essence and mix well.

 Add Sieved maida and mix well The mixture should be of dropping consistency. If it appears extra thick, add a little more curd. 

 Pour into a greased tin and bake in a preheated oven at 210°C for 10 minutes. Lower the temperature to 150°C  and bake for 30-35 minutes.Test the cake by inserting  a skewer or a knife in the center of the cake. When it comes out clean,Switch off the oven. Remove the cake after 5 minutes from the oven. 

 Let the cake cool for 10 minutes int he tin before taking it out of the tin.


Cake Ready......You can also make cup cakes with this batter.......:)

Recipe Courtesy: Mrs.Neetha Mehta.

Payar Mezhukkuperatti / Long beans stir fry

Ingredients:

Long beans/payar - 1/2 kg

Small Onions - 10

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Red chilli Powder- 1 tsp

Coconut oil - As reqd

Curry leaves - Few

Garlic - 4 cloves

water-1/2 cup

Salt - to taste.

Method:

Wash long beans/ Payar well in water and drain and keep aside. Cut the ends of the long beans and cut into 2 inch pieces. Pressure cook beans with turmeric, salt and  water.  Give 2 whistles on high flame.

Crush the small onions and garlic and keep aside. Heat oil a pan. When the oil gets hot add the crushed onions and garlic. Saute till the onions become light brown. Add red chilly powder and curry leaves and saute few minutes. Add   cooked beans to this and mix well. Stirr and cook till  all liquid is evaporated.

Long beans/payar mezhukkuperatti is ready....:)

Recipe Courtesy: Mrs.Prassana Sugathan (Amma)