Guest Post Series: LOBIA SUVA BHAJI SUBZI (Sauteed Dill with Black-eyed peas) by Shobana Rao

 

 Hope you all found Ashwini Kamath's Piyava tambali very useful last week. This week my guest is another senior blogger whom I hold in high esteem. She is respected by all and much liked in the blogging community. She is very humble, helpful and resourceful. It is my pleasure to introduce to you Shobana Rao. She blogs @ Cooking with Shobana.Her blog has a plethora of recipes that are traditional Konkani as well as several fusion recipes. She resides in Bangalore, India.

 I am honored to have her write a guest post for me. Today, she has brought us Lobia Suva Subzi which is essentially a dish in which black-eyed peas have been cooked with Dill leaves and spices in a very flavorful manner. Do check her blog "Cooking with Shobana" for more healthy and delicious recipes.


This healthy dish of legume and greens is made as a Guest Post for my friend, Suchitra Kamath who has an interesting blog full of healthy recipes called,"Su's Healthy Living." 

The main ingredients in this dish are Black Eyed Beans and Dill Leaves (called Lobia and Suva Bhaji in Hindi respectively). Dill leaves are called Shepu in Marathi/Konkani and Sabsigge Soppu in Kannada. You might be interested to know that Black Eyed Beans (also known as Black Eyed Peas) have many health benefits while Dill Leaves have a distinctive and special flavour all of their own.

You can enjoy this dish with rotis or as a side dish with the main meal.

Servings:

Ingredients:

• Lobia ( Black Eyed Beans), 1 cup
• Suva Bhaji ( Fresh Dill Leaves), chopped, 2 cups
• Rai ( Mustard Seeds), 1/2 tsp
• Jeera (Cumin Seeds), 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves, a sprig
• Green Chillies, slit, 3-4, or as per taste
• Garlic Pods, finely chopped, 3
• Large sized Onion, chopped, 1
• Salt, to taste
• Lemon juice, 2-3 tsp
• Oil, 1 tbsp

Method:

Wash and soak the lobia overnight or for 8-10 hours

Next morning, pour out the excess water

In a pressure cooker, cook the soaked lobia in adequate water for 1-2 whistles or till done.Take care to see that the lobia does not get overcooked.Once the cooker has cooled remove the cooked lobia and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a thick-bottomed kadhai and when it gets hot add the mustard seeds.When they splutter, add the cumin seeds and when they sizzle add the curry leaves and saute for a few seconds.

Next add the slit green chillies, chopped garlic, and onion and saute till the onion becomes translucent and the garlic gives off a nice aroma.

Add the chopped dill leaves, cooked beans, salt to taste and mix well.

Cover and cook on medium flame till the dill leaves get done.

Finally add the lemon juice and mix well.

Transfer to a serving bowl.

Serve hot with rotis or rice.

Enjoy!!

I am bringing this delicious dish of Shobhana akka's to all my friends at Throwback Thursday#39, Fiesta Friday#120  and Saucy Saturdays#44! Angie's co-hosts this week are Loretta @ Safari of the Mind and Linda @ Fabulous Fare Sisters

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Quinoa-Methi Pulao ( Quinoa-Fenugreek-Rice Pilaf); Meatless Monday

I am big fan of quinoa. I make quinoa-black bean salad, quinoa-avocado salad, quinoa dosa, quinoa idlis, quinoa cutlets. However, unlike many people, I cannot substitute rice with quinoa. I love my rice. You see, I am South-Indian and we South-Indians love our rice! Being  that I am always looking for novel ways to incorporate quinoa into my diet, I experimented making a pilaf using it. I mixed it with rice in the ratio of 1:1. I loved it! Even my picky kids ate without any fuss ( or even realizing), which to me was very encouraging. Since then, I became even more adventurous and made quinoa-methi pulao. This one came  out perfect and my husband almost didn't realize that anything was different.

I think this is a technique that all those who want to incorporate quinoa in their meals should use until they are habituated to quinoa.

Methi pulao is one of my favorite dishes. It is simple and easy to make one-pot meal.

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients :

Basmati rice: 1 cup
Quinoa: 1/2 cup
Fresh Methi leaves (Fenugreek leaves): 1 cup ( from 1 medium bunch), washed and cleaned.
Soya chunks: 1 cup ( optional)
Ghee: 1 tbsp
Coconut oil: 1  tbsp
Clove: 2-3 nos
Cinnamon: 1 inch stick
Bay leaf: 1 medium-sized
Cardamom pods: 2-3
Cashewnut halves: 1 tbsp
Onion: 1 medium, chopped lengthwise.
Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tbsp
Green chillies: 3-4( depending on your spice level),chopped fine
Turmeric powder: 1 tsp
Garam masala powder: 1 tsp
Tomato: 1 medium, chopped
Salt : to taste
Sugar: 1/2 tsp
Hot Water: 3 cups + 1 cup

Method:

Rinse the basmati rice thoroughly until all the starch is removed. Soak basmati rice in water for 30 mins. Drain the water and let it dry for 20-30 minutes.

Soak the soy chunks in 1 cup water with a pinch of salt for 5-10 mins. Squeeze and remove them from water. Keep aside.

Wash the quinoa and keep ready.
Boil the water and keep ready.

Heat oil/ ghee mixture in a kadai/ sauté pan/ pressure cooker. Add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves and the onions. Sauté until the onions turn transparent.

Add ginger-garlic paste, chopped green chillies and sauté for few seconds.

Now add the turmeric powder and the chopped tomatoes. Saute until the tomatoes wilt.

Add the methi leaves and cook for 3-4 minutes. 

Add the garam masala powder and drained soy chunks. 

Add the drained rice and sauté for 2-4 minutes. 

Add in the hot water, salt, sugar and bring it to a boil. 

Add quinoa. 

Cover, reduce the flame to low and cook for 15 minutes. If you are using a pressure cooker/ pan, do not use the whistle/ weight.

When done, fluff with a fork/ spoon.

Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro leaves.

Serve hot with a Raita of your choice or by itself.

Enjoy!

I am bringing this delicious dish to all my friends at Throwback Thursday#39, Fiesta Friday#120  and Saucy Saturdays#44! Angie's co-hosts this week are Loretta @ Safari of the Mind and Linda @ Fabulous Fare Sisters

Cooking made easy:

The quinoa can be cooked separately and added to the pulao at the end once the rice has cooked.

Quinoa can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

You can use only garam masala powder or only whole garam masala depending on your preference and availability.

Tip for healthy living:

Fenugreek leaves are highly nutrient-dense . They are especially beneficial for diabetics.

Food for thought:

People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them. James Baldwin

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Guest post series: Bachelor's Sambar by Radha Natarajan

My guest today is a blogger who is a very down-to-earth, unassuming person. For those who are unfamiliar with the blogging world, here is a little bit of background. Food blogging is a cut-throat world. People are always trying to find ways and means to increase traffic to the world. Nothing wrong in that. But what this also means is that if you are new to the blogging world, you will see that very few people share with you the tricks of the trade. Then there are those who think they are the best and everyone else is not worth the time of the day! I am blessed to have some good people around me, most notable amongst them being Sonal Gupta from simplyvegetarian777. It was Sonal who introduced me to Radha Natarajan. She blogs from Your Everyday Cook.

She is a woman after my own heart! She is someone who blogs with the genuine intent of helping others, especially working people like me! She is not a part of the rat race. She does not worry about how many people visit her blog or how popular she is on social media! Don't be fooled by her looks. She has an MBA in marketing and advertising and has worked in that area for several years before she gave it up to take care of her daughter. She started blogging in April, 2014 at the suggestion of her daughter, who suggested that she create a blog to archive all the recipes that she shared and were popular in quite a few food groups! That's how "Your Everyday Cook" was born.

I love her recipes! Every recipe in her blog has been made such that it makes cooking easier, simpler and food healthier. It is not often easy to simplify traditional South Indian recipes. But she manages to make even the most complicated authentic recipes simple! Visit her blog Your Everyday Cook, for all the culinary and visual treats!

Today she is sharing with a very quick and simple recipe which is geared towards those who are living away from home or are new to the kitchen: Bachelor's Sambar! Sambar is basically a spicy mixed vegetable stew that is served with idlis or rice. Let us now take a look at Radha akka's post.

Bachelor' s sambar recipe is nothing but a quick way of making a delicious sambar without compromising on taste .A time saving one .

Bachelors who are away form home constantly travelling may have very few utensils for preparing dishes or less time to cook , so this style of making a sambar all in one step comes very handy.

I personally dont think it is limited to bachelors alone, even busy moms and housewives can try this.

Most people living in temporary residences  will have at least one pressure cooker which doubles up as a cooking utensil too. So the washing chore is reduced greatly, no frying pan required.I find sambar tastier as the dals and vegetables get blended well with spices .This is a great way to make sambar especially in bulk.

Serving size: 2-3 

Ingredients:

1 small cup finely chopped onions or small shallots 

1 small cup finely chopped tomatoes
1 /4 cup or 1/2 cup cubed yellow pumpkins, carrots, or any vegetables ( drumsticks, capsicums).I used a mix of bell papers and yellow pumpkins.
1/4 cup toor dal ( keep soaked while prepping )
1 tsp asafoetida powder
2-3 tbsp sambar  powder
1 tsp kashmiri chili powder for the amazing colour ( recommended)
A pinch of turmeric powder if your sambar powder doesnt have it.
1 tbsp powdered jaggery (optional)
3 tbsp grated fresh coconut or dried. ( optional ) but sambar will taste great with little coconut.
1 tbsp tamrind paste ( or add more tomatoes ) if you dont have tamrind )
salt as required
curry leaves 
2-3 tbsp fresh chopped coriander leaves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp methi seeds
1-2 red dry chilis
2 tsp oil 

Method:

Take a pressure pan or pressure cooker.Add oil, heat it, add mustard seeds, let it splutter.

Add the methi seeds and  red chilies. add the curry leaves.

Add the chopped onions, or shallots , saute well for few seconds. 

Add tomatoes and saute more.Mash lightly.

Add other vegetables,  stir well. 

Add the fresh grated coconut.

Add 4 cups of water, add sambar powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida powder, salt and  tamarind paste.

Add the soaked dal .

Cover and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles.

When cooled, open cooker, lightly mash the dals, but make sure not to mash the vegetables too much.

Add jaggery if you like , garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

For further taste and flavor add 1 tbsp ghee into the hot sambar, stir well, keep covered. 

Serve hot with rice or idlis.

Notes:

Use tomato puree if you do not have tomatoes.
Onions can be skipped,however adding them gives a near restaurant like taste.
Add more tomatoes if you do not have tamarind paste or fresh tamarind.
While adding grated fresh coconut is optional ,adding 3-4 tbsp will give a yummy  taste to the sambar.
Coconut milk powder ( 2 tbsp ) may also be added instead of grated coconut .

Enjoy!!



I am bringing this delicious and useful dish of Radha akka's to all my friends at Throwback Thursday#37, Fiesta Friday#118  and Saucy Saturdays#43! Angie's Fiesta Friday co-hosts this week are Kaila @ GF Life 24/7 and Laurena @ Life Diet Health

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Dosa ( Crepes & Pancakes) Collection;Vegetarian; Meatless Monday.

South India is known for it's dosas! Dosas form the staple breakfast item in the southern states of India. There are hundreds of dosas based on the ingredients used in the batter. What are dosas? Dosas are basically crepes or pancakes made with fermented batter. The batter is usually made up of rice and some sort of lentil.  It could be thin like crepes or thick like pancakes! The crepes could be crispy or soft. The pancakes are all soft and fluffy! The best part is that they are ALL vegetarian! They are usually served with chutney, of which there are hundreds of varieties. While most dosas are savory, there are a few like Surnoli, Thausali that are sweet. However, for kids who are spice intolerant( read mine), they can be served with butter and/or honey/ jaggery syrup/sugar.

Today, I am sharing with you some of my favorite dosa recipes, all in one place! Click on the title of the individual dosa to get the recipe in full.

Colorful Dosas ( vegan pancakes & crepes)

Ragi Phanna Polo ( Instant seasoned finger millet crepes)

Surnali ( Buttermilk pancakes; eggless)

Ragi Masala Dosa ( Crispy millet crepe stuffed with sautéed carrots)

Paper Masala Dosa ( Gluten-free stuffed Crepe)

Quinoa Masala Dosa ( quinoa crepe with stuffing and chutney)

Moong dal dosa ( split moong-bean crepes)

Set Dosa ( Vegan pancakes, served with mixed vegetable stew and chutney)

Watermelon Dosa (pancakes made from batter with watermelon)

I hope you enjoyed this collection. If you are still not satisfied, just type in "dosa" in the search box on this page and many more dosa recipes will pop up!

I am bringing this amazing collection of dosas for my friends to try at Throwback Thursday#37, Fiesta Friday#118  and Saucy Saturdays#43! Angie's Fiesta Friday co-hosts this week are Kaila @ GF Life 24/7 and Laurena @ Life Diet Health

Guest post series: Quinoa-Beet Patties by Preethi Prasad

I hope all of you enjoyed Sushma Mallya's Dahi Bhendi/ Bhendi Sasam last week. This week we have a very enthusiastic, health-conscious, innovative, new kid on the block ( of blogging world) Preethi Prasad from Preethi's Cuisine. She hails from Bangalore and has been residing in Singapore since 18 years.

Like many of us, Preethi is a working mother. She has two boys ages 16 and 11 who love to eat! While Preethi has always cooked as a hobby, she started actively cooking and experimenting with food a couple of years ago. She then wanted to document and share her experiments in the kitchen with others. With this intent, Preethi's Cuisine was born. Her blog is turning one on . I wish her much success! She has many healthy and innovative recipes on her blog. Do visit her blog Preethi's Cuisine for all the yummy recipes.

Today, Preethi is sharing with us a delicious recipe of Quinoa & Beet Patties. Preethi says: "These yummy patties are loaded with the goodness of Quinoa and other multigrains and beetroot. It is easy to make and can be used in Burgers too".

Servings: makes 12 medium-sized patties

Ingredients:

3 Beetroots 
2 Potatoes 
1”Ginger
4 Garlic Cloves
1 Cup Quinoa cooked in Vegetable stock 
1.5 Tsp Garam Masala
2 Tbsp Gram Flour/ Besan
1 Tsp Chilli Powder
Salt to Taste
1 Tsp Jeera
1 Tsp Chaat Masala
1 Cup Multigrain Powder( A mix of roasted and powdered Green Gram ,Flax seeds and Chia Seeds)
1 Green Chilli
Finely Chopped Coriander

Method:

Pressure cook Beets, Potatoes, green chilli,Ginger and Garlic with 1 glass of water for up to four whistles. In case the beets are not fully mashed, blitz once in a blender to get a fine paste. 

Put all the boiled veggies in a wide bowl without the stock .

Use the Vegetable stock to cook Quinoa as per the instructions on the package.

Add all the masalas( spices),  besan, coriander, jeera,multigrain powder and salt to the boiled veggies and mix well. 

Take a small quantity of the mixture and give a round shape. Repeat this process for the balance mixture.

Heat a heavy-bottomed pan. Smear a teaspoon of oil to the bottom of the pan. Place the round patties and cook on both sides with a teaspoon of oil.

Enjoy these yummy patties with green chutney!!!!

I am bringing this lovely dish of Preethi's for all my friends to try at Throwback Thursday#36, Fiesta Friday#117 and Saucy Saturdays#42! The co-hosts this week are two excellent bloggers, Mollie @ The Frugal Hausfrau and Scarlett @ Unwed Housewife.

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Guest post series: Bhenda Sasam ( Crispy Okra in a spiced yogurt sauce) by Sushma Mallya

The month of April is extra-special! It is my birthday month! This week is my birthday-week! Guess how I am celebrating??

 I am going away on a vacation next week since we are having Spring Break! Yay!! I am also celebrating my birthday by starting " the guest post series" which I have been planning for a while now! I am so happy that it is finally coming to fruition! As part of this series, you will be seeing healthy, quick and easy recipes from a variety of food bloggers: some new and some who are already established! It is going to be a nice mix! The guest post will be featured every Friday of the month. They will be accompanying me to many parties! It is going to be so much fun!! I am so excited!!

If you are interested in writing a guest post for my blog: Su's Healthy Living, please reach out to me at sushealthyliving@gmail.com. The criteria for the recipe is that it has to be healthy, quick and easy to make!! That's not too much to ask is it??;)

I am beginning this series with a guest post from a very good friend from the blogging world: Sushma Mallya! She blogs from Authentic Food Delights. She is one of the nicest, unassuming people that I have met in the blogging world. Believe it or not she has had her blog for 8 years now! Way before all the rat race that is going on today! She is a mother of two beautiful boys. Her blog started as a way to document all the recipes that she learnt from her mother, mother-in-law and friends. When she is not churning up delicious dishes in her kitchen, she immerses herself in her other passion, which is painting and sketching! Her creativity and artistry is evident in her food photography! Her blog has a myriad of recipes, mostly traditional Konkani recipes and a few fusion recipes. She has been residing in UK for the past 13 years. Do check out her blog  Authentic Food Delights for more amazing recipes.

Today she is sharing with us a recipe that she learnt from her mother: Benda Sasam ( crispy okra in a yogurt-based sauce). This is a very quick and easy recipe that is healthy too!  This dish brings along a variety of textures and flavors with crispy okra in a delicious spiced yogurt sauce.

Servings: 3-4 people

Ingredients

10-12 ladies finger (bhindi) (cut into thin slices )

2 tbsp cooking oil

For Masala

1/2 cup freshly grated coconut 

1/4 tsp Mustard seeds

3-4 green chilli (adjust according to your spice level)

1/4 cup Thick curd /yogurt 

salt to taste

For tempering /tadka

1 tsp ghee + 1 tbsp oil

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

1/4 tsp Jeera

1/4 tsp urad dal

1 red chilli broken into bits 

1 sprig of curry leaves 

Method 

• Wash Bhindi and pat it dry . Cut Bhindi into thin slices and keep aside. Then take a non stick pan add oil then add ladies finger and fry till v crisp on a low heat and keep aside. ( This can be made well ahead of time and mixed at the time of serving).

• Grind coconut, green chilles, mustard seeds,  yogurt and grind to a fine paste. Add water to thin it to the desired consistency.
• Take it out in a container. keep aside.

• Now Prepare the tadka ; Heat a non stick pan add in ghee and little oil then add in mustard seeds. Jeera, Urad dal, when it starts spluttering add red chilli, fry add in curry leaves.
• Pour this tempering /tadka over the ground paste (NOTE: There is no heating in this type of curry ).

• Add in fried bhindi at the time of serving (so that it stays crisp). Then serve it Garnished with finely chopped coriander leaves . Done it's awesome with Rice ...YUMM !

I am bringing this lovely dish of Sushma's for all my friends to try, at Throwback Thursday#35, Fiesta Friday#116 and Saucy Saturdays! Angie's co-hosts this week are Judi @ cookingwithauntjuju and Cynthia @ eatmunchlove.

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!