A regular normal idli for a breakfast or evening tiffin might not be inviting or of much interest for many. But there is always a WOW factor associated with a mini idli. That too when it is tossed in idli milagai podi or any other colourful spicy podi. Had been waiting to try these tossed podi idlies for a while since I came here. But I had to wait for the mini idli plates, as I did not bring them with me when I started from India. I was all excited when I got the mini idli plates from my mom along with curry leaves powder and other eatables recently :P So, the wait is over and its time for gobbling up those mini spicy treats.
Prep Time: 5 mins || Cook Time: 25 mins || Yields: 20 mini idlis || Category: Breakfast/Starter/Finger Food
Ingredients:
1. Idli Batter - sufficient for 20 mini idlis
2. Idli milagai podi - 4 tbsp
3. Curry leaves powder - 4 tbsp
4. Gingelly oil/Ghee- 3 to 4 tbsp
Method:
1. Grease the idli plates with gingelly oil and fill with idli batter. Steam the batter for 10-15 mins, initially on high flame for 10 mins and then in low flame for 5 mins or until the idlis are cooked soft. Cool the idlis to room temp.
2. For the batch of green colored coating on the idlis, mix normal idli milagai podi with curry leaves powder.
3. In a pan, heat oil or ghee as desired and throw in the required amount of normal idli milagai podi.
4. Toss the idlis in the pan so as to get them coated with the chili powder all over. If more spiciness is required, sprinkle some dry idli milagai podi over the already coated idlis, as it would stick to them easily.
5. Similarly, repeat the process from 3 and 4 for the batch of green colored idlis with curry leaves powder. Serve by stacking two mini idlis of different flavours with a toothpick inserted at their center to keep them intact.
Suggestions:
- Ghee or gingelly oil or any cooking oil can be used. I didnt like the ghee flavour. So, I avoided it for the green coloured batch of idlis.
- I have used the plain curry leaves (dried and powdered curry leaves) powder and mixed it with idli milagai podi. Instead, a readymade spicy Karuveppilai Podi can also be used.
- As I wanted the spiciness to be mild, I didnt sprinkle much of dry milagai podi on the coated idlis. So, the colour might not be that bright as in restaurants.
- Can also try this combination exclusively for mini idlis - 1 part urad dal and 2 parts idli rice soaked for 2 hours and ground fluffy/with granular consistency.
Bread Upma is one such recipe I never even tried or thought about when I was in India. Here we buy bread every week and its liking fades away in a day or two :D Then the pack lies abandoned for 2 more days on the counter or over the fridge. Then I check for its expiry and keep reminding myself to use it up well before the date. Only then I started making Bread Upma where I could get to use most of the slices and without a heavy heart discard only the top and bottom most slices :P
Apart from various types of sandwiches, toasts, plain bread with butter or jam, this is one other alternative to consume bread adding a tasty twist to it.
Have made this multiple times in the last few months and tried it for a potluck too.
With whatever vegetables available at hand, this dish can be made within 30 mins & with no compromise in taste.
Prep Time: 5 mins || Cook Time: 25 mins || Serves: 3 || Category: Breakfast/Kids Recipes
Ingredients:
1. Onion - 2 medium sized
2. Tomato - 2 big
3. Capsicum - 1 small
4. Ginger - 2tsp finely chopped
5. Turmeric Powder - 2tsp
6. Garam Masala - 2tsp
7. Chilly Powder - 3tsp
8. Tomato sauce - 1 tbsp
9. Salt - as required
10. Channa (Chickpea) - 50gm boiled [Optional]
11. Oil - 2tbsp
12. Mustard seeds - 1tsp
13. Cumin seeds (jeera) - 2tsp
14. Bengal Gram (Kadalai Paruppu) - 2tsp
15. Coriander leaves - 2tbsp finely chopped
16. Lemon - 1 small [Optional]
17. Bread slices - 8 or 9
Method:
1. Chop all the vegetables, ginger and coriander leaves. In a pan heat oil & add mustard. Once it splutters, add bengal gram, jeera in reduced flame. Once they are golden, add the chopped onions & turmeric powder and saute for 3-4 mins or until half cooked.
2. Add the chopped capsicum, chilly powder & garam masala & saute for about 3-4 mins or until the capsicum is roughly cooked. Add chopped tomatoes & required salt and saute till the tomatoes turn mushy. Now add the boiled chickpeas and tomato sauce for flavour enhancement. Adjust salt, chilly powder as required. Cook for about 2-3 mins and switch off the flame.
3. Now add the bread cubes & mix well. Top with coriander leaves. If needed, squeeze a little amount of lime juice & mix well.
Suggestions:
- The vegetables added here are only suggestive. This can be altered with any combination of vegetables of one's choice and availability. It can also be left as a simple upma with just sauteed onion, curry leaves, ginger and green chilis.
- The brown rim of the bread can be and discarded and only the white part can also be used.
- As I am okay with the taste of the brown edges, I left them as such.
- Adding lemon juice and tomato sauce are optional.
- If adding lemon juice, it is always better to add it after the flame is switched off, as it might give a bitter taste otherwise.
- Can also add golden corn kernels or peas instead of chickpeas for a variation.
- White bread can also be replaced with whole wheat bread if you are a little health conscious. Variations are endless though :)
It was a lazy evening & I wished to have something easily prepared. I spotted poha(Aval) and decided it would be the best power-packed and easily doable tiffin. An easy to make recipe with whatever vegetables available at hand. Tastes good and filling even without vegetables too. With poha as the base, many different quick tangy tiffin varieties can be tried out - lemon poha, tamarind poha, sweet poha with coconut & sugar and so long as one's creativity travels.
Prep Time: 15 mins || Cook Time: 20 mins || Serves: 3-4 || Category: Tiffin/Breakfast
Ingredients:
1. Aval (Poha) - 200gms
2. Oil - 2tbsp
3. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
4. Bengal Gram - 2 tsp
5. Green chillies - 1 tsp finely chopped
6. Ginger - 1 tsp finely chopped
7. Onion - 1
8. Carrot - 50 gms
9. Beans - 50 gms
10. Salt - as required
11. Asafoetida - 1 tsp
12. Lemon - 1
Method:
1. Wash and chop all the vegetables finely. Wash poha (aval) in water twice and drain completely. Soak with little water for about 10 mins. In a pan, heat oil & add mustard seeds. once they splutter, followed with bengal gram and then chilly, ginger. Add the chopped onion and saute for 2 mins or until transparent in colour.
2. When the onions are transparent (way before they turn out golden brown), add chopped carrot and beans and give a quick stir. Cook closed for about 5 mins.
3. Add hing & salt and mix well. Cook for 2 mins with occasional stirring.
4. When the vegetables have cooked well, switch off the flame and add the soaked poha. (By now, poha would have absorbed all the water, we had added for soaking.) Mix well with the vegetables, adding the juice of a lemon. Adjust salt as required.
Suggestions:
- Use only thick variety of poha, as the thin variety would loose its form when soaked and stirred.
- For a quick fix version of a light evening tiffin, to the soaked and drained poha, add grated coconut and sugar as desired and mix well. A yummy uncooked tiffin is ready in a jiffy.
- As I did not get green chillies in the market, I used serrano chillies instead of normal green chillies.
- Can fry and add groundnuts for a crunchy bite.
Can garnish with grated coconut and coriander leaves.
