Bisibelebath

Bisibelabath stands for Bisi (hot) Bele (Lentil) Bath (Rice). Very famous dish from the southern part of India. This is the first time I tried this dish and I knew from then on that I will make this dish at least once every 15 days. Very healthy and delicious too. Lot of ingredients go in to this dish. Yet, its easy to prepare this dish if you have all the ingredients readily available at home. 

Ingredients:

Precooked rice - 1 cup
Pre cooked lentils - 1/2 cup (toor dal)
Carrots - 1/4 cup
Hing - 1 pinch
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Chana dal - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Chilli powder - to taste
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
Sambar powder - 1 tsp
Butter - 2 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Tamarind paste - 3 tsp
curry leaves - 2 springs
Green chillies - 2
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch

Procedure:

1. Heat 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add mustard seed, cumin seeds, chana dal and urad dal and fry them for few seconds.
2. Add green chillies and curry leaves and fry them for few seconds. Add hing powder and cook.
3. Add grated carrots and cook for few mins. 
4. Add salt, red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and mix. 
5. Add in the tamarind paste along with some water and bring it to boil. 
6. Add pre cooked and pureed lentil paste, and sambar powder to the above and mix well.
7. Add precooked rice to the above and mix well and bring it to boil. 
8. Add 1 tbsp butter and cook it for few seconds. 
9. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Enjoy while it is hot with some crispy papad on the side!!!!

Note: You can use ghee instead of butter. Also, this dish tastes great with lots of veggies like beans, potatoes, cauliflower etc..

Spring Onion pancake (Indian version)

Today, I decided to make some thing with fewer ingredients and at the same time it should taste delicious. In simple words I wanted to make something that is very very easy to prepare. Well, I found one. I made like 10 of these for two people and believe me they were not sufficient. Takes less then 10 mins to prepare and less than 1 min to be consumed. So.. with out any further delay here comes my special recipe.

Ingredients:

Chickpea flour - 1 cup

Semolina - 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Rice flour - 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1 pinch

Salt - to taste

Yogurt - 1/4 cup

Water - 1 cup

Ginger (grated) - 1 tsp

Green chillies - 2 

Spring onions - 4 

Cilantro - 1/4 cup

Baking powder - 1 pinch

Oil - 1 tsp for each pancake

Preparation:

1. Mix chickpea flour, semolina, cumin seeds, rice flour, turmeric powder, salt, yogurt, grated ginger, chopped green chillies in a bowl.
2. Add water to the above and keep mixing till it forms in to a light batter. 
3. Add chopped spring onions and chopped cilantro to the above and mix well.
4. Add in the baking powder just before making the pancakes and mix well. 
5. Heat a nonstick pan and drizzle few drops of oil. Add about a quarter cup of the above batter on the pan and spread it evenly. Add few more drop of oil on the surface of the pancake. 
6. Cook till the pancake turns golden brown [as shown in the pic] on the bottom side and then flip it to the other side. Let it cook on the other side for about a min and then remove from the pan. 

Enjoy with some ketchup on the side..!!!!

Soya - Kheema mutter (Vegetarian version)

Soy chunks are easily available now a days. Very healthy and a good substitution for meat. In fact if you can get the recipe right then it tastes much better than meat. 

Ingredients:

• Soy Chunks - 2 cups
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Cardamom pods - 2
• Cinnamon stick - 1"
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Tomatoes - 2
• Onion - 2
• Green Chillies - 3
• Yogurt - 1/2 cup
• Salt - to taste
• Chilli powder - to taste
• Green peas - 3/4 cup
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1 1/2 tsp
• Coriander leaves - few springs

Procedure:

Soya Chunks Kheema: (A)

• Add hot water to Soy chunks and keep it aside for 10 to 15 mins till all the water is absorbed. 
• Once the water is soaked completely, blend the chunks in to tiny chunks as shown in the picture. At this point it looks like cooked minced meat.

Kheema mutter:

• Heat oil in a pan. Add cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, cumin seeds and fry for a few seconds. 
• Once you get the aroma go ahead and add chopped onions, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder and mix well. Cook till the onions turn translucent. 
• Add the Soy Chunks kheema from (A) and mix well. 
• Add chopped tomatoes, salt and chilli powder and cook for a few minutes. 
• Add yogurt, green chillies, frozen peas. Mix well and cook for for about 3 to 5 mins. 
• Add cumin powder, coriander powder and mix well.
• Add fresh coriander leaves and remove from heat. 

Enjoy with hot rice and yogurt on the side.