"Fusion Cuisine"- Oatli ( Oat Idlis)

Oatli.....such a cute name isn't it!!!! No.....unfortunately I did not coin that term...someone already did before me:(

I was talking to 'V' the other day and she mentioned about making these 'Oat Idlis' .Couldn't wait to try these.Got the 'Rava' from the Indian store last evening and we had 'Oatlis' for lunch today!!!
There are various recipes out there for the oat idlis..some people use Rice + Oats to make these and the other used Oats + Semolina or rava. I made them pretty similar to the 'Rava Idlis' but more of the rava was substituted by oats....

Ingredients:
2 cups whole grain quick cooking oats
1 and 1/2 cup Rava
3 and 1/2 cups yogurt
1tsp Baking soda
2 tbsp oil
2 tsp grated ginger
2tsp finely chopped  green chilies
1tsp Chana daal
1tsp Urad dal
1tbsp Cashew pieces
6-8 Curry leaves
1tsp mustard seeds
Salt
Water
Cooking spray

 Method: 
1) Dry roast the oats till slightly brownish.Let them cool.Powder coarsely in a blender.
2) Heat 2 tbsp oil , add the mustard seeds, chana dal, urad dal, grated ginger,green chilies, curry leaves torn into small pieces, cashew pieces and fry till everything is golden brown.
3) Add the rava and roast till it just starts to change color. Let it cool.Add salt and baking soda
4) Mix together the rava mixture with the coarsely ground oats.

 5) Mix the yogurt with little water to thin it out.
6) Spray the Idli pans with cooking spray. Boil water in large pan/steamer for steaming the idlis.
7) For 1 cup of the oats+ rava mixture add 1 cup of yogurt.Mix. The batter is thicker than the usual idli batter. Mix yogurt only to the mixture that will be used up immediately for steaming.Once yogurt is added you have to steam the idlis. If kept longer with yogurt, the soda will loose its action and the idlis will not be fluffy.

8) Steam for 10-15  mins.

9) Serve hot with Sambar and Coconut Chutney

Enjoy the nutritious but delicious fluffy Oatli and feel good about stuffing yourself  to full!

"Everyday Cooking"- 4 colored Capsicum Masala Rice

Last week, it was yet another 'bye-bye' to a friend here in Columbus.  'S'(this is the 3rd friend with name starting with 'S'.... I had to say 'good bye' to in the past few months:(  was going to leave Columbus for good. She and her family were busy packing and I wanted to help her out with the dinner that night. I had these colored Peppers(capsicum) ...green, red, yellow and orange...I love those bright colors and how 'fancy' or 'festive' they make the food!

I remembered 'P' making this delicious and spicy 'Capsicum rice' in New York. Gave her a call...got the recipe and fixed dinner for S's family!

'P' mentioned that she got the original recipe from www.vahrevah.com. 
Here is the recipe from their website:
http://www.vahrehvah.com/indianfood/capsicum-masala-rice/
Basically----
1) Prepare white basmati rice and let it cool.Grains should be separate.
2) Slice the Peppers. Dry roast the 'masala' ingredients given in the recipe. Grind the masala ingredients.

3) Fry the peppers for just couple mins. The peppers should remain 'crisp'. Add the masala powder and fry for few seconds.
4) Add the cooked rice.Toss. Add 2 tsp Ghee.Toss again.

Serve hot along with cool yogurt or curries or your favorite soup. Enjoy!!!

"Aroma From a Guest Kitchen"- (Guest- Prachi Ranzekar)- Zucchini Patties

Guest: Prachi Ranzekar
Prachi was one of the contestants of the 'Taste of Columbus' Cooking contest. She made these incredible 'Indian style Zucchini Patties" for the 'Spice Fusion ' Category, where you had to make an Indian dish using  ingredient that was not so typical in Indian cooking. What I loved most about the patties was, the texture of the crust! It was so crispy and crunchy and stayed so for a long time!!  Prachi had dipped them in corn starch batter and then coated them with bread crumbs.This was a neat idea!!
The patties looked so tempting and mouth watering and all the spectators were drooling...just looking at them!!!

Ingredients:
3medium zucchinis
1/2tbsp red chili powder
1/2tb cumin powder
1 and 1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp corn starch
salt and black pepper for taste
oil for frying

Tamarind Sauce to go along with the patties

Method:
1) Grate the zucchinis.Mix zucchini, red chili powder, cumin, salt pepper and 1/4 cup of bread crumbs
2) Mix 1/4 cup water and corn starch
3) Form the zucchini mixture into small patties
4) Dip each pattie into the corn starch mixture and then into the remaining 1 cup of bread crumb mixture
5) Fry in hot oil for about 2 mins on each side till golden brown.
6) Serve hot along with tamarind sauce or ketchup!

OMKAR 2011- "Taste of Columbus" Cooking Contest

For the Ganesh Festival 2011(OMKAR 2011) in Columbus(Indiana), we had organized a cooking competition. I really enjoyed being a part of it and organizing it and more so.... judging it!! I got to taste some excellent food and experience a great deal of creativity shown by the participants. Some interesting recipes that were made for the competition and also some that won will be shared on the blog with the participants permission.

Here is the flyer for the competition:                                

  ‘The Taste of Columbus"

 Cooking Contest for OMKAR 2011

 When: September 4, 2011 

Where: Commons Mall

 

Categories: 

1)    U-pick and Dish-it-up

Mandatory Ingredient: Rava (Cream of wheat/Semolina/Sooji)

Optional Ingredients: (You pick 2 of the following)

a)        Corn

b)        Sugar/Jaggery/Honey

c)        Potato

d)        Apples

Create a dish using ‘Rava’ plus 2 of the ‘optional’ ingredients as main ingredients in the dish

(Other household ingredients like oil, butter, salt, spices, milk etc. may be used as needed)

*You can either make a ‘sweet’ or a ‘savory’ dish.

2)       2)Spice-Fusion

Use any one of following ‘Non-Indian’ ingredients to create an ‘Authentic/Traditional Indian dish’

a)        Tofu

b)        Ricotta Cheese

c)        Oats

d)        Zucchini

(Other household ingredients like oil, butter, salt, sugar, spices, nuts, vegetables, milk etc. may be used as needed)

3)       3)For the ‘Little Connoisseurs’ (Nutritious but Delicious)

Create a ‘Nutritious Snack’ for kids with the ingredients of your choice.

*Rules for the Contest:

1) Dish should be completely prepared at home and arrive in time for the contest

2) Each entry/ dish should have a Name, Written recipe, Time of preparation, Nutritional value (if you know) along with it.

Judging Criteria:

a) Originality/ Creativity
b) Taste
c) Presentation
d) Nutrition value
e) Time consumed for preparation/ Ease of preparation

The winners received a certificate and an apron.Had fun making those at home! 

 

" For Little Tummies"- Oats and Peanut Butter laddos

 I had a jar of peanut butter sitting in the pantry.Now, I am not a big fan of having peanut butter with bread and was wondering how could I use this jar up??? I have used peanut butter to make the 'Thai' peanut sauce for dipping and for noodles before, but this was the first time I tried this recipe!

The combination of oats and peanut butter worked really well and the ladoo texture was pretty similar to the 'Besan' ladoos.Also, to make it even 'protein richer'...I sneaked in powdered Cashews-almonds and pistachios. Now that's a ladoo any kiddo will like!!!!

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cup powdered whole grain oats ( Quick cooking oats)
1/2 cup-1/3rd  powdered sugar (add more for sweeter ladoos)
1/4 cup peanut butter( with low sodium)
2tbsp Ghee/Clarified butter
1/4 cup powdered cashews-almonds-pistachios
1/2tsp cardamom powder
Almonds, raisins etc for decoration

Method:
1) Powder the 'whole grain quick cooking oats' in the mixer.
2) Roast the oats powder in 2 tbsp ghee till golden brown

3) Take off the heat.After it cools down completely, add the peanut butter, nuts powder, sugar, cardamom powder etc and knead into a dough

4) Roll into small balls/ladoos and decorate with almonds, raisins etc

"Aroma From a Guest Kitchen"-(Guest- Aarti Kumbhojkar)- Shahi Paneer

 

Guest: Aarti Kumbhojkar

Aarti needs no introduction!She has already shared this delicious recipe on the blog before...

http://my-kitchens-aroma.blogspot.com/2011/08/aroma-from-guest-kitchen-guest-aarti.html

I am going to miss you Aarti-----It's one of those situations where you are just getting to know someone...you think you might get along ....and it's time for them to move to another place...

I am sure Aarti will keep making her delicious food once she moves to India and share still more recipes with us!!!

Ingredients:

Paneer cubes
Oil - 2 tbsp
Big size Red Onion  - 1
Medium size Tomatoes - 3
Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Garam Masala - 1 tbsp
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Cashew pieces - 3/4 cup
Milk/Cream - 1 cup

Method:

1) Soak cashews in milk/cream for minimum 1 hr and grind to paste.

2)Grind the onion in food processor coarsely and puree the tomatoes.
3) Heat oil in wok, and add processed onion.
4)Add ginger- garlic paste.
5)As it cooks and starts leaving the oil, add pureed tomatoes.
Stir till all the water from tomatoes is evaporated.
6)Add garam masala and red chili powder. Mix well and cook for another 1 min.
7)Add the cashew paste, mix well. Add half cup of water and let boil for 2 mins.If the gravy is too thick, add another half cup water.

8)Add salt and sugar to the gravy mix well and boil for another 1 min.
9)In another wok/pan add 1 tbsp oil and fry the paneer cubes till golden brown.
10)Drain all the oil on tissue and add the cubes to the gravy.

Serve with paratha or rice!