Luffa Soup / Loofah Soup / Nethi Beerakaya Soup / Peerkangai Soup - Healthy Soup Recipes

Luffa Soup

Ingredients
Chopped luffa/Nethi Beerakaya - 1 long
Chopped carrot - 1
Chopped onion - 1/2
Chopped garlic - 4
Chopped tomato - 1 small
Salt and Pepper to taste
Italian seasonings - 1/2 tsp
Dried basil - 1/8 tsp
Olive oil - 1 tsp
Water/Broth - 5 cups
Method
Heat oil in a pressure cooker fry onion and garlic till light brown.
Now add the luffa,tomato and seasonings fry till raw smell has disappeared.
Pour water and cook it in low flame for 20 minutes.After 20 minutes just give a whistle and switch off the stove.Cool the mixture mash it slightly with a potato masher.
Adjust seasonings and serve them hot garnished with coriander leaves.
Note:
a) If you are making it in instant pot saute everything in saute mode and pressure cook in soup mode for 30 minutes.
b) If using Indian peerkangai /Ridge gourd then remove the skin and use only the flesh for making this soup.
c) Same method instead of luffa i made with cabbage even that tasted excellent.

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Stuffed Gobi In Avocado Paratha / Gobi Paratha Recipe / Avocado Chapathi Stuffed With Gobi

Gobi Paratha 

Ingredients for stuffing
Grated gobi/cauliflower - 2 cups
Salt to taste
Chopped onion - 1 tbsp
Chopped coriander leaves - 2 tsp
Ginger and Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Curry powder - 3/3 tsp
Amchur/Dry mango powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Method
Heat oil in a pan fry onion till transparent add ginger and garlic paste fry a bit.
Add the dry masalas and gobi saute in high flame till everything is combined and dry.
Switch off the stove mix the coriander leaves,your filling is ready
Ingredients for the dough
Wheat flour - 2 cups
Salt to taste
Avocado - 2 ( scoop out the pulp and mash)
Water as needed
(Mix all above ingredients together in a bowl.Add water little by little if needed & knead to a soft dough.Divide into small balls.)
Method
Take a small ball of the dough,shape it like a cup.
Keep a teaspoon of filling inside the cup & seal it well to make sure the filling doesn't come out.
Flatten it well with your palm,gently roll the parathas to a semi thick disc.
Heat a tawa/griddle & cook these parathas in medium low flame till its light brown on both sides with little oil smeared both sides of the parathas.

Serve it hot with any gravy or raita of your choice.

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Oats Rava Dosa / Instant Oats Rava Dosa / Oats Dosa

Oats Rava Dosa

Ingredients for the batter

Quick Oats - 1 cup powdered
Rava/Semolina/Sooji -1/2 cup
Wheat flour-1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Curd-1 tbsp
Jeera - 2 tsp
Crushed pepper - 1 & 1/2 tsp
Chopped green chilies - 2
Chopped curry and coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Water-to dilute the batter

Method
Add all above ingredients in a bowl.
Pour water and make a thin/pouring/buttermilk consistency,make sure there are no lumps.
Rest the batter for 10 minutes.
Heat an iron dosa tawa and grease it with some oil,take a ladle of batter and drizzle or splash all around the tawa.do not fill up the gaps and don't pour it like the normal dosa.
The dosa should give you a lace / netted effect.
Pour some oil in between and around the dosa,in medium high flame cook till crisp and light golden brown.Do not flip the otherwise.
Enjoy these hot dosa with chutney or Idli Podi.

Note:
a) You can also add chopped onion.
b) Each time mix the batter well before pouring on the tawa because the rava will settle at the bottom.After some batches batter will become thick so dilute it again.
c) Batter must be like a thin buttermilk / pouring consistency.
d) Flipping the dosa and cooking the other side is optional.
e) For this dosa iron tawa is the best.


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Chukka Kura Chutney / Chukka Kura Pachadi / Chutney / Katthi Palak Chutney

Chukka Kura Pachadi

Ingredients
Chukkakura leaves / khatta palak -2 cups
Green chillies-2
Red chillies - 2
Garlic-2
Jeera-1tsp
Coriander seeds - 1/2 tsp
Sesame seeds - 1 tsp
Channa dal - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Methi seeds - 6
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Tempering
Oil - 2tsp
Mustard,Urad dhal,Channa dhal - each 1/4tsp
Red chillies-1
Curry leaves few
Crushed garlic - 2
Method
Heat oil in a pan add the chillies,garlic,dals,sesame seed,coriander seed and methi fry till light brown.Add the washed chukka kura and fry till they reduce.
Cool the mixture completely,add it into a mixi jar,add salt and blend to a smooth chutney.
Heat oil in a pan temper it with above ingredients.
Pour the hot tempering into the chutney, mix it well.
Best served with hot rice.

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Asparagus Soup / Cream of Asparagus Soup Recipe / Easy Cream of Asparagus Soup Recipe - Healthy Soup Recipes

Asparagus Soup

Ingredients
Butter/Olive oil - 3 tsp
Chopped onion - 1/2
Chopped garlic - 4
Lemon zest - 1/4 tsp
Chopped asparagus - 1 small bunch ( around 30 asparagus)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Italian seasonings - 1/4 tsp
Heavy cream - 1/2 cup
Water/Broth - 4 cups
For garnish
1 tbsp finely chopped asparagus tossed in butter
Grated cheese as needed.
Method
Heat oil/butter in a pressure cooker add onion and garlic saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the chopped asparagus,seasonings and lemon zest saute till asparagus are soft.
Pour the water/broth and cook in low flame for 20 minutes.
If using Instant pot saute all in saute mode,pour broth and cook in soup mode( 30 minute).
Cool and blend it in a blender till smooth.Do not strain the mixture.
Bring it back to the pan add heavy cream and just heat it.Do not give a boil sometime they may curdle.I usually don't heat the soup once heavy cream is added.
Garnish with cheese and chopped asparagus fried in butter and serve them warm.

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Kala Jamun Recipe / How to Make Kala Jamun / Kalo Jaam Recipe / Kala Jamoon Recipe

Kala Jamun

Ingredients for Jamun
Grated unsweetened Khoya/Mawa - 1 cup
( I used the store bought)
Maida/All purpose flour - 3 tbsp
Cooking soda - 1/8 tsp
Milk as needed to make a soft dough ( around 3 tbsp)
Yellow food colour - a pinch
Cardamom powder - a generous pinch
Oil/Ghee to deep fry
Filling
Chopped almonds - 1tbsp
Chopped pistachio - 1 tbsp
( Mix both the nuts together in a bowl)
For sugar syrup
Sugar - 1 & 1/2 cup
Water - 1 & 1/2 cup
Cardamom crushed - 6
Rose essence few drops  ( optional)
(Take a pan add water and sugar in low flame boil till you get a 1/2 string consistency syrup or slightly sticky consistency syrup.Add the cardamom powder and rose essence mix and switch off the stove.Your sugar syrup is ready keep it aside)
Method
Take a bowl add the khoya,maida,cooking soda and food colour mix.
Now slowly add milk little by little and gently mix to form a soft dough.Make sure they are crack free and very smooth soft dough.
Divide the dough in equal size balls,take a ball press it with your palm and place some nuts in the middle.Close it and shape it into any shape you wish.
Heat oil and ghee in a pan when medium hot slide these jamuns into the ghee/oil mixture and in medium low  flame deep fry till its light brown.
Remove the jamuns on a kitchen paper,repeat the same with the remaining jamuns.
Deep fry in batches the 2nd time till they reach to a very dark brown colour.
Add these jamuns to the warm sugar syrup and leave it for 2 hour.
Kala Jamuns are ready to serve!

Note:
1. Dough should be a soft and smooth without any cracks.
2.While frying keep rotating the balls for even browning.
3.Kala jamoons are fried 2 times to get the dark brown colour.
4.Ghee gives a nice flavour to your jamoons so don't skip in adding few drops to the oil while frying.
5.Temperature of the oil should not be piping hot otherwise they will brown fast and the inside will be uncooked.Deep fry in medium low/high temperature.
6.Do not over crowd the kadai, fry the jamuns in batches.
7.Soak the jamuns in syrup till they doubles in size then serve.

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Kollu Idli / Horsegram Idli - South Indian Breakfast Recipes

Kollu Idli / Horse Gram Idli

Ingredients
Kollu / Horsegram - 1 cup
Idli Rice - 1 cup
Urad dal - 1/2 cup
Fenugreek seeds/Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Method
Wash & soak rice and methi in enough water and soak kollu separately for 6 hrs.
Wash & soak urad dal in another bowl for 3 hours.
Kollu takes longer time to soak,so today i soaked everything overnight and ground it in the morning.
Drain out excess water from the urad dal,add it to the grinder & grind for at least 20 minutes.
Sprinkle water in intervals till you get a light & nice fluffy batter.Transfer to a wide bowl.
Same way grind the rice,kollu and methi for at least 20 minutes to a smooth batter.The batter should be little thicker than urad dal batter.
Sometimes i grind kollu first as its little hard to grind,once it break up then i add the rice and grind everything together.
Transfer to the urad dal batter,add salt mix everything well.
Cover & leave it to ferment for at least 8 hours.
Beat the batter well before making idli.
Grease idli plates pour some batter into the plate and steam till done.
Best served with any spicy chutney!

Note:
a) If making Idli do not dilute the batter,just beat the batter & steam them in greased idly plates.
b) If making dosa then dilute the batter to a semi thick batter.
c) This batter will ferment fast so do not grind in huge quantity and store it in fridge as we do for regular Idli/Dosa batter.

Click here for another version of Kollu Idli

With the same above batter i made crispy Kollu Paniyaram / Kollu Kuzhi Paniyaram / Kollu Kuli Paniyaram

Kollu Paniyaram

Ingredients and Method
Heat some oil and temper it with mustard and urad dal.
Add chopped onion,green chillies and curry leaves fry till light brown.Switch off the stove and add grated coconut.Add salt if needed add this into the needed kollu idli batter and mix.
Pour oil into the paniyaram pan add a ladle of the prepared batter into the holes.
In medium high flame cook till both sides are crisp and cooked well inside.
Enjoy with any chutney you like.

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Mushroom Pepper Fry / Pepper Mushroom Fry / Kalan Milagu Varuval

Mushroom Pepper Fry

Ingredients to be powdered
Whole pepper - 1 tsp ( heaped)
Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
( Powder these ingredients to a semi smooth powder)
Tempering
Oil - 1 tbsp
Cinnamon - 1 small stick
Red chillies - 4
Other ingredients
Button mushrooms - 20
( cut into cubes)
Chopped onion - a handful
Ginger/Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Cubed coloured capsicum - 1/2 cup
Curry and coriander leaves few
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Method
Heat oil in a kadai add cinnamon stick and red chillies saute.
Add onions and few curry leaves fry till raw small has disappeared,add ginger/garlic paste and fry for few more minutes.Add coloured capsicum and toss well.
Increase the flame to high and add the mushrooms and mix well.
Add salt,turmeric powder and the powdered masala toss well till mushrooms are cooked and dry.
Switch off the stove garnish with curry & coriander leaves.
Best served as a side dish for Roti or Rice.


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Neer Dosa / How to make Neer Dosa / Traditional Mangalorean Neer Dosa Recipe

Neer Dosa

Ingredients
Sona masoori rice / Raw rice - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Fresh grated coconut - 1 tbsp

Neer Dosa

Method
Wash rice 2 times,pour fresh water and soak it for 4 hours.I soaked it overnight as i was making it in the morning for breakfast.
Add the soaked rice and coconut in a blender pour water and grind it to a fine smooth batter.
Add salt and water as needed to dilute.The batter must look like a thin rawa dosa consistency.
Heat a iron tawa, grease it slightly pour the batter and swirl to spread the batter.Cover it with a lid and cook.Fold and remove,do not stack the dosas as they will stick together.
Enjoy these hot dosas with chutney or any side dish you like.

Note:
a) Always use an iron tawa and must be hot each time you pour the batter.
b) Make sure your batter is very thin for best result.
c) Cook only one side do not flip like the regular dosa.
d) Pour the batter like you make the rawa dosa from outer to inside,these will not have a perfect round shaped dosa.
e) Some add a teaspoon of onion while grinding the batter for extra taste.
f) Fermentation is not needed for this dosa.
g) Each time mix the batter and pour the dosa,the rice particles tend to settle at the bottom.


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Crackling Spinach / How to Make Crackling Spinach / Crunchy Spinach Recipe / Crispy Spinach Recipe - Chinese Recipes

Crackling Spinach

Ingredients
Spinach - 1 small bunch
( I have used baby spinach )
Salt to taste
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Red chillies - 2
Sesame seeds - 1 tsp
Chopped garlic - 2
Oil to deep fry

Method
Dry roast sesame seeds till they change colour and keep it aside.
Put the red chillies and sugar into a mortar and crush,keep it aside.
Wash the spinach remove stems use only the leaves, pat dry well to remove water and shred it to thin strips.
Heat oil in a pan and deep fry shredded spinach in batches in medium high flame till crisp.Mix in between for even frying.Remove it on a kitchen paper.
In the same oil add the chopped garlic fry till light brown and remove it on a kitchen paper.
Take a wide bowl add the fried spinach,garlic,salt,toasted sesame seeds,crushed red chillies and sugar,gently mix or toss till well combined.
Serve this immediately as a starter or as a side to any Chinese/Indo Chinese main dish.


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