Bisi Bele Quinoa

Presenting Bisi Bele Quinoa!!!

Bisi Bele Bhat is itself a very healthy & nutritious meal from state of Karnataka but what if it gets more healthy makeover, of course my way ;) using protein packed grain quinoa.

Ingredients List A

• 1 cup quinoa
• 3/4 cup mix of moong dal & masoor dal
• 3 cups chopped vegetables (I used onion / tomato / eggplant / okra / carrot / cauliflower / broccoli / beet) 
• 2 tbsp certified butter or ghee
• whole garam masala (2 bay leaves / 3 black pepper / 2 cloves / 2 green cardamom)
• 7-8 curry leaves
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp turmeric  
• hot water 6 cups

 Ingredients List B (can be made ahead of time & stored)

• 2 tbsp chana dal
• 2 tbsp udad dal
• 2 tbsp coriander seeds 
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp methi seeds
• 3-4 dry red chili
• 6-7 curry leaves
• 1 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds 

Ingredients list C

• 3 tbsp certified butter or ghee
• 3 dry red chili
• 3/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 3/4 tsp mustered seeds
• 6-7 curry leaves
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp red chili powder (optional as per your preference)
• 1/4 cup green peas
• 1 cup spring mix or baby spinach 
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste (i used ready made concentrate)
• 1 tbsp gur or jaggery    
• finally chopped cilantro to garnish

Step one with ingredients list A

in pressure cooker heat ghee and tamper with whole garam masala, curry leaves, salt & turmeric powder. add vegetable & saute for 4-5 min. Add washed lentil/ dal & quinoa, mix well. Add hot give it a nice mix, civet cooker with its lid & let it cook. After one whistle reduce heat to low & let it cook for 15 min. 

it would be cooked & look like this

    

Mean while when dal & quinoa is cooking keep the dry masala ready for List B. Dry rost everything together on low flame & grind it together. Make sure to add sesame seeds at the end & it gets roast very fast. 

Make tadka ready with ingredients of list C 

Heat ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds & muster seeds onec splattered add curry leaves, hing & whole ready chili, turmeric, ginger garlic paste. Add green peas, spring leaves, coriander powder, tamarind paste, gur. Mix well & add 1 cup of water. bring it to boil & add this tadka to cooker.     

mix in tadka & now add curry powder which we made from list B. Mix well let it cook for 2-3 min. Our Bisi Bela Quinoa is ready to serve. 

serve it hot with ghee, papad & yogurt or achar. 

Notes:

• if you want you can make the base khichadi & store it in refrigerator and just add fresh tadka to it when needed. Or just cook it in morning before leaving for work come back add fresh tadka to it you are all set. great option for working busy families.  

Prashad Sooji Halwa

What do you do when you have completely over ripped banana & you are in no mood of baking anything to use it. 

While I was cracking my brain to put it to its best use, just remembered nanimaa for her lip smacking sooji halwa. Its been made in same way from generations at our place and specially while having satyanarayan katha for prashad. 

I personally don't eat banana at all rather I hate it but when it comes to this halwa .....can't resist my self. 

Whether you are banana lover or not .... It adds up so much flavor to regular sooji halwa.....A MUST TRY!!!    

Lets get started

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sooji / rava / Semolina
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup ghee / certified butter
• 1/2 cup water + 1/2 cup milk (mix together & bring it to boil)
• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
• 1 over ripped banana
• choice of nuts (i used almonds)

In heavy bottom pan add suji & ghee    

roast it till golden brown & nice aroma start coming. add nuts

mash over ripped banana & keep it ready

once sooji is roasted nice & golden brown then add sugar & banana. Mix it well

Add hot milk & water

cover it & let it cook for 5-7 min

once cooked add cardamom powder. mix well......its ready to serve. 

I always give a offering to god & then just dig inn....yumm

Methi Balls

Happy to share with you all.....Methi Balls :) another healthy addition of greens to your list. 

This unique dish is from my mom's kitchen, its totally her invention. Whenever mom makes this dish I can't wait to have it. The aroma makes me drool. These methi balls are cooked slowly in onion & tomato puree & taste so heavenly. It can be served just as is or side dish with roti or rice. 

lets get started (it will make 14 balls)

Ingredients A :

1 cup roughly chopped methi

1/2 cup chickpea gram flour / besan

1/4 cup sorghum (also known as millet / jowar flour) (can be substitute with makke da atta or bajre ka aata or just avoid it and make only with chickpea flour / besan)

5/6 garlic & green chili paste

1/2 tsp red chili powder

salt to taste

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp haldi

pinch of asafoetida / hing

1 tbsp oil

2 tbsp water

Ingredients B :

4 tbsp oil

2 big onion puree

3 big tomato puree

 Keep all your listed masals ready

in a mixing bowl add chickpea/ jowar flour + methi + oil

and dry masals

make a dough. use 2 tbsp water if require. Make sure to make tight dough & not sticky one.

divide dough on 14 equal part & roll it to give round shape like laddus.

in broad bottom pan hit 4 tbsp oil & add onion puree, give it a stir

add methi balls as shown, keep gas on low flame

cover pan & let it cook. keep stirring occasionally to avoid onion sticking on bottom

cook till onion turns golden brown & water evaporated

keep tomato puree ready

add tomato puree to methi balls & cover it with lid

occasionally keep stirring, we have to cook it till water from tomato evaporate

its ready to serve

transfer it into serving dish

use a fruit pick to serve as a finger food / starter

Poha Usal

If you have ever traveled to Indore city and Rajwada, you would know about this unique combination of Usal Poha. It's hard to express how much we as a family love it & especially my hubby is all crazy for it. Today being a weekend thought of pampering him with his favorite dish. 

Sharing this with you all, just in case you are looking for some scrumptiously interesting brunch ideas :) 

For Poha

4 cups Poha / Flattened rice 
1 medium onion
1 small potato
1 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds 
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/8 tsp hing
10 curry leaves
3 green chillies 
1/4 cup finally chopped cilantro
1/4 lemon 
salt to taste

In kadai add oil, once oil is hot add mustard, cumin, fennel seed & hing.

once mustard seeds are splattered add potato & let it cook half way

add onion, green chili & curry leaves. Let it cook till onion is tender & potato's are completely cooked

Meanwhile wash poha with warm water & let it rest for 10 min. After 10 min add turmeric + salt + sugar + juice of 1/4 lemon

Mix it well & keep it ready 

Onion & Potato is ready, Now add poha to it, cover & cook it for 2-3 min on very low flame. 

Khila Khila Poha is ready :) 

For Usal 

Traditionally its made with sprouts but this time I made it using whole or sabut Masoor dal. My cooking method for usal is same with sprouts or sabut Massor dal. 

1 cup sabut masoor dal (presure cook it & keep it ready)

3 tbsp oil

1 small onion

1tsp ginger/garlic paste

2 1/2 tsp red chili powder (mine is more red in color & not spicy so add according to your taste) 

1 1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/4 spoon turmeric 

1/2 tsp goda masala (this is type of garam masala from Maharashtra)

pinch of hing

salt to taste

in pot ass oil, once oil is hot add onion

add ginger/garlic paste

Keep masala ready

once onions are cooked & light golden brown, add above masala & mix well

Add tomatoes to masala & let it cook until tomatoes get tender

once tomatoes are cooked add cooked masoor dal to it

mix well, cover it & let it cook 5 - 7 min. Usal is ready to serve. 

For Serving

Namkin mixture or masala sev

Chopped onion / tomato / cilantro / slice of lemon

in serving dish serve poha, pour usal & garnish with namkin, onion / tomato / cilantro / slice of lemon.

Now don't wait just dig in :)