Vaangibaath ( Eggplant Rice/ Brinjal Rice)

The other day my friend and I were out running errands and we felt like going to a South Indian Restaurant. While the North Indian restaurants are ubiquitous, South Indian are harder to come by. I don't know exactly why.. However I think the western world relates Indian cuisine mainly to flatbreads ( rotis, paratha, naan), chicken tikka masala, tandoori chicken, aloo gobhi and chole than to the South Indian cuisine of dosas and idlis. Dosas are nothing but pancakes and crepes while idlis are steamed rice-lentil cakes both of which form the mainstay of South Indian Cuisine.Anyways, we happened to go to Dosa Hut ( translates as pancake hut) to eat some nice and crispy masala dosa. 

While we were done, my friend ordered some Vaangibaath "to go" for her hubby and her for dinner. She doesn't know how to make it and was craving it. Her ordering Vaangibaath made me crave it too.. I realized I had not made Vaangibaath in a long time. I decided to make it. Vaangibaath or Vangibath is nothing but Eggplant Rice. "Vaangi"
means "eggplant"or "Brinjal" and "Baath" is rice. Basically it is rice and eggplant cooked together with flavorful spices to make it something like a pulao( pilaf). It is quite simple and easy to make. I had some chimes eggplant in my fridge and I made it for lunch the next day. It is usually served with some chutney or raita ( yogurt based salad). My husband and I both relished it.

You get Vangibath powder in the store. I don't like to keep a whole bunch of pre-mixed spice mixes in my pantry if I am only going to make the dish sporadically. I keep a bunch of basic spices and mix it when I want a specific mix. For Vangibath I use sambar powder and add a couple of other spices to it. I use sambar powder to make my bisibelebath too. Here is my quick version of Vaangibaath.

Servings: 4-6

Prep time: 15 minsCook time: 20 minsTotal time: 35 mins

Ingredients:

White rice ( Basmati or any long grain rice is preferred): 2 cups
Water: 4 cups
Onion: 2 medium, chopped lengthwise
Cashew halves: 1-2 tbsp ( optional)
Eggplant, long variety ( Chinese eggplant): 3-4 medium-sized.
Oil: 2 tbsp ( I used coconut oil; any cooking oil can be used).
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Curry leaves: 1 sprig
Cinnamon stick: 1 inch piece
Cardamom:4 pods
Bay leaf: 1 small
Sambar powder: 2-3 tbsp
Salt: 1 tsp
Jaggery or sugar: 1/4 tsp
Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp  for garnish ( 1 tbsp)

Method:

Wash and soak basmati rice in water for atleast 30 mins. Drain and keep aside.

Heat oil in a sauté pan or pressure pan. Add mustard seeds. Once it splutters, add curry leaves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and cardamom. If adding cashew halves, add them now. Sauté for 15-20 seconds.

Add the sliced eggplants. Sauté for 3-4 mins until the eggplant slightly wilts. Now add the sambar powder. Mix well. Add the washed and drained rice. Add 4 cups water, salt, jaggery and bring it to a boil. Reduce the flame to low.

Cover and cook for 15 mins.

When done, fluff the rice using a serving spoon.
Garnish with freshly grated coconut and/or coriander leaves.

Serve hot with raita/cucumber-tomato slices and/or chutney of any kind.

Enjoy!   I can't wait to bring this to Angie's Fiesta Friday#174! I am sure this will be something new to everybody!

Cooking made easy:

If using a pressure cooker, don't use weight or whistle.
If it is convenient for you, you can use the Vaangibath mix that is readily available in stores.

Tip for healthy living:

Cooking with minimal oil reduces the overall calorie and fat content of the meal. A rule of thumb is that any dish that uses water for cooking, does not require much oil to cook.

Food for thought:

He who angers you conquers you. Elizabeth Kenny

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

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Mint-Cilantro/Coriander-Coconut Chutney

Mint-Cilantro chutney is one of my favorite chutneys! It is a go-to accompaniment for must appetizers, be it kebabs, pakoras or bhajias! It is also great with almost all kinds of dosas & idlis. It is a perfect amalgamation of the fragrance and flavors of both herbs. This chutney can be made with or without coconut. 

I like to make it with coconut as it adds bulk to the chutney. When I make it with coconut, I usually do not use garlic or onion in it. I only use ginger and green chilies to spice it up. For the version without coconut, click here.

Servings: 10

Prep time: 15 minsCook time: 0Total time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Cilantro: 1/2 bunch, leaves separated from the stems & cleaned, stems discarded.
Mint: 1/2 bunch, leaves separated from the stems & cleaned, stems discarded.
Freshly grated coconut: 1 cup
Green chillies: 2-3 small, can be adjusted based on individual spice level.
Fresh ginger: 1 inch, peeled.
Tamarind: if dry marble sized. If using the pulp, 1/4 tsp.
Salt: as per taste
Water: 1/2 cup

Tempering: ( optional)
Coconut oil: 1 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves: 1 sprig

Method:

In a blender, add all the above ingredients except cilantro and mint and grind them.When coconut is almost ground to a fine paste, add the cilantro & mint leaves and blend it to a fine paste.
You could add a little more water while grinding as needed as per your desired consistency of the chutney.

Tempering ( optional):
Heat coconut oil in a small frying pan. Add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves and turn off the flame.
Add this tempering to the chutney.

This chutney could be served with samosas,rotis, fritters, rotisserie chicken, kebabs etc. It could also be used in sandwiches.

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

It is a great idea to make this chutney and keep it in your freezer to use as needed. This chutney is not only a great as a dip but is also a great base for vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes and pulao and biryanis.

Tip for healthy living:

Herbs have plenty of medicinal value. It is an established fact that mint is a great digestive aid.

Food for thought:

Genius is the ability to renew one's emotions in daily experience. Paul Cezanne

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

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Instant appe/paniyaram with vegetables; Diabetes Friendly Thursday.

It is that time of the week again! It is time for Diabetes Friendly Thursday! All the lovely ladies are bringing  their appe ( Aebelskiver) pans out. We will be sharing with you a whole variety of delicious food recipes that can be cooked using the appe pan and are something that people with diabetes can enjoy as well.

Creating Recipes with a Cause!
I am a proud DFT blogger. 

To learn about DFT, read this link. 

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Did you know that appe pan has been a staple in South Indian homes. I have the traditional iron one too. Now a days we get non-stick ones in the market. We Mangaloreans call it appe or Appo  whereas in Kerala and Tamilnadu, they call it paniyaram. The traditional appe can be sweet or savory. The sweet appe are usually made as an offering to Lord Ganesha during certain religious days. This sweet appe is made using wheat, banana and jaggery. You can find the recipe here.Traditionally, the savory appe are made using leftover dosa or idli batter and is served with chutney. Now what does one do if one has no ready or leftover batter to make appe and you feel like eating appe? Well, do not fret. I am going to share with you a super-easy recipe for making instant appes without any kind of overnight fermentation!! How cool is that? It also is perfect for those days when you cannot think of what to make for breakfast. You can rustle this up instantly.The idea for this came from a recipe I happened to come across a few months ago, on Konkani Amchi Food, a food group that I belong to on Facebook.The recipe was shared by Garishma Ravi. I was intrigued. I tried it and liked it. I have modified her recipe to make it more wholesome by adding some vegetables in it. It is even more tastier now. You can sneak in vegetables to your kids without them even realizing! It is also perfect for tiffin or the lunchbox . Do try it and let me know your thoughts.

Servings: 3-4 ( serving size per person: 4 appes) ; makes about 14-16 appes.

Ingredients:

Rice flour: 1 cup
Sooji( wheat farina): 1/2 cup
Plain yogurt: 1/2 cup
Baking soda: 1/2 tsp
Water: 1 cup .
Salt : to taste
Spring onion: 1 , chopped fine( optional)
Green chilli: 1 chopped fine ( optional)
Carrot: 1 small, grated ( optional)
Curry leaf: 1 sprig ( optional)
Fresh coconut pieces: 1 tsp ( optional)
Oil: for greasing the appe pan

Method:

Take all the able ingredients listed above except the oil and mix to make a nice thick batter. The consistency of the batter should be not too thin or not too thick.

Heat the appe pan. Grease it with oil. Using a tablespoon drop the batter into the appe pan.

Cover and cook until the batter changes color around 2-3 mins on low flame.

Flip the appe and cook from the other side for 2 mins.The appe should come off the pan easily to flip. Don't force them.

Serve hot with chutney. 

I have served them with my favorite ridge-gourd peel and pomegranate peel chutney. Both ridge gourd peel and pomegranate peel are great for digestion.

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

These appe can be made even more healthier by making it with matta rice (red rice)powder. This is usually easily available in Kerala stores and some Indian stores and is known as puttu or idiappam podi.

Plain appe without vegetables with ridge gourd peel chutney

The appe are very versatile in the fact that you could use any or all of the vegetables that I have used or swap and use some other veggies or even make it without vegetables. I of course, like to make it with vegetables, but if you are in a rush, well skip them or better yet, make the batter and while you are waiting the 15 mins for the batter to ferment a little, chop the veggies that you wish to add and they can be added even at the very last minute just before putting the batter in the appe pan. I would recommend not waiting for too long once the veggies have been added as they tend to leave water and therefore make the batter thin.

Foot Notes (Tip for healthy living):

We all know the health benefits of eating vegetables. That is why it is essential to include them / sneak them everywhere possible! Carrots are a great source of vitamin A and are rich in fiber.
I have mentioned this before, carbohydrate per day is not the enemy for diabetics. It is which kind of carb and how much of it that is consumed that is the problem. Right amount of the right carbs are not harmful. 

Disclaimer:
I am not a nutritionist or dietitian. My knowledge and information is based on my research and reading from different resources. Please consult your doctor or dietitian before making any changes to your diet.

Do check out all these other wonderful recipes that you would never think of making using the appe pan!

1 Shailja's Ram Ladoo

https://shailjatomar.wordpress.com/2015/05/20/delhis-famous-ram-ladoo-in-appe-abelskiever-pan/

2 Swati's Spinach Pakoda Kadhi

http://www.letscookhealthytonight.com/spinach-pakoda-kadhi-made-in-appe-pan/

3 Anu's Quinoa Lentil veg paniyaram

http://easybitesonline.com/quinoa-lentil-veg-paniyaram/

4 Sri's Multigrain paniyaram

http://www.vidhyashomecooking.com/2015/05/20/multigrain-paniyaaram-with-veggies-dft/

5 Apsara's Minty Falafel.

http://eatingwelldiary.com/2015/05/20/minty-falafel-bites-in-appepaniyaram-pan-for-diabetes-friendly-thursdays/

6 Prachi's Mixed lentil falafel koftas.

http://divinespicebox.com/2015/05/20/mixed-lentil-falafel-koftas/

7 Chahat's Shaam Savera

http://gorgeandserve.com/2015/05/20/shaam-savera/

8 Sonal's Vegetable Manchurian balls in hot garlic sauce.

https://simplyvegetarian777.wordpress.com/2015/05/20/vegetable-manchurian-balls-in-hot-garlic-sauce-diabetes-friendly-thursdays/

Food for thought:

The first wealth is health. Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Meatless Monday Ootthappam/ Utthappa( Rice-lentil pancake topped with veggies)

Oothappam or Utthappa is a favorite amongst my family members. I like it too as it is a great way to use leftover dosa/ idli batter or batter that had turned a little sour. I also like it because it makes for a balanced, filling meal and is a fool-proof way of sneaking some veggies into my children's meal. It is also quick and easy to make if you are using leftover batter.

Servings: 4( around 8 dosas/pancakes)

Ingredients:

Leftover dosa batter/ idli batter: 4 cups
Carrots: 2, grated
Onion: 1 medium, finely chopped
Cilantro: finely chopped, 1 tbsp
Green chillies: 1-2, finely chopped ( based on your spice level)( optional)
Salt: pinch
Ghee( clarified butter): for making the dosa

Method:

For dosa batter: I have used leftover Mushti-polo batter.

In a bowl, mix together chopped onions, green chilli, cilantro, grated carrots and salt. Mix well. This is the topping.

Heat the tawa/ griddle until hot. Smear ghee/ butter. Pour one ladleful of batter. Make sure that you spread it thickly. 

Sprinkle 1 tbsp of the topping on top. 

When the dosa seems cooked, spread 1/4-1/2 tsp of ghee on top.

 Flip the dosa and let it cook until slightly golden brown.

Serve hot with chutney/ sambar or both!

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

While making dosas, the consistency of the batter plays a very important role. If you want to make thick dosas( like pancake thickness) then the batter has to be thick. 

If you want to make thin dosas then the batter has to be relatively thin but not runny. Hence, uthappams can be made only with thick batters like that of idli or dosa.

Some amount of ghee/ oil has to be spread on top of the filling as otherwise when you flip the dosa over the filling will stick to the pan/ tawa.

Tip for healthy living:

For people having extremely dry skin, applying olive oil at night 30 minutes before going to bed , on a regular basis will help relieve the dryness and improve the quality of the skin. Olive oil is natural, light and therefore trumps any man-made chemical laden moisturizer. It also is relatively inexpensive and without side-effects!

Food for thought:

Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you! Dr. Seuss

Paper Masala Dosa ( Gluten-free stuffed Crepe)

The ambition of anybody who loves making and eating Masala Dosa is to get it to be crispier and more perfect than before.For those who don't know about "masala dosa", "masala" means stuffing and "dosa" means crepe.Basically it is stuffed crispy crepe. But in this case, the crepe is paper-thin! While my Masala Dosas come out well, a few months ago I came across this recipe for Paper Masala Dosa. The batter was different from what I made and used several different types of dal. I was intrigued. Not just for the concept of having a crispier, thinner dosa but due to the use of multiple lentils. I am always looking for ways to make my kids meals protein-rich and this seemed to be perfect! Even if the dosas didn't turn crispy, I still would have healthy dosas for my kids. They love dosas. Well, the dosas came out perfect! I absolutely fell in love with them. The recipe was shared by an innovative cook, one of my favorites Seema D.Shenoy. She has a Facebook page called DineDivine.

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

For the Dosa batter:
Rice: 2 cups
Urad dal: 1/4 cup
Chana dal: 1/4 cup
Moong dal: 1/4 cup
Tur dal:1/4 cup
Methi ( fenugreek) seeds: 1 tsp
Soak all above ingredients in water for 5-6 hours.
Water: to grind the batter.
Salt: to taste

For the bhaji (stuffing):

Potatoes : 3 medium
Onion: 1 big, chopped small.
Green chillies: 2 slit lengthwise
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Urad dal: 1/2 tsp
Chana dal: 1/2 tsp
Jeera(cumin): 1/4 tsp
Haldi( turmeric powder):1/2 tsp
Curry leaves: 1 sprig
Oil: 1 tbsp
Cilantro ( coriander leaves) 5-6 sprigs
Salt to taste

For the chutney:

Grated fresh coconut: 1 cup
Green chilli: 1
Red chilli ( dry): 2
Ginger: 1/4 inch
Tamarind: marble sized
Chana dal: 1 tsp
Oil: 2 drops for sautéing
Salt to taste

Method:

For the dosa batter:

Grind all the ingredients  listed under dosa batter to a fine paste. The batter should not be runny. Let it ferment for at-least 8 hours or overnight.

Next morning just before making the dosa, add salt to taste. Mix well.

The stuffing( bhaji):

Boil potatoes till tender. When cooled, peel and dice it into 1cm cubes and keep aside.

Heat a kadai/ sauté pan on medium heat. Add oil,temper mustard seeds. The add curry leaves, jeera,chana dal, urad dal one after the other and sauté till urad dal turns a little golden brown. Now add the slit green chillies and the chopped onions. Sauté until onions turn transparent. Now add haldi and sauté for 1 more min. Add the diced potatoes and sauté for 2-3 mins. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro leaves.

The chutney:
Sauté chana dal in one drop of oil until golden brown. When cooled, grind it together with grated coconut, green chilli, red chili, ginger,tamarind, salt and water into a thick paste.

Putting the  Paper Masala Dosa together:
Heat the skillet/tawa/griddle on medium-high flame. When the skillet is hot, sprinkle cold water. Take a ladle of dosa batter and go in concentric circles from the center to the periphery of the skillet.

When the dosa is slightly done lightly smear oil along the edges and the center of the dosa. Wait for it to turn crispy. 

Once this happens, smear the red chutney at the center of the dosa and place a tbsp of the potato bhaji. 

Now fold the dosa into a roll as shown in the picture.This dosa is cooked only from one side and is not flipped.

Serve hot with any chutney of your choice and  sambar. I have served with just  ridge-gourd peel chutney in the first and radish sambar in the second. 

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

Always make extra batter enough for 2 breakfasts.The above dosa batter can be used to make plain paper dosa the next time. Serve it with chutney of your choice.

You can also be versatile with the stuffing you make. You could use mushroom bhaji or paneer stuffing.

Tip for healthy living:

Fermented foods are a good source of probiotics. Probiotics are needed to promote good health of the gastrointestinal system. Probiotics are the good bacteria in the intestine that help digestion and prevent bloating, constipation and diarrhea.Good sources of probiotics include yogurt, kimchi, saurkert etc.

Food for thought:

Laughter is the best medicine.(unknown).