Rajma Toast ~ Savory Bean Toast

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Finally after a long break from this space I am back. The last couple of months have been so busy and hectic that I have hardly had the time to peek into this space let alone check through my emails and respond to the comments from my readers. If I've missed responding to your email, sorry for the delay, I have been playing catch up ever since I got back and hope to catch up on all my emails soon. Getting back into my routine after my unplanned break has been a strange and somewhat disorienting experience. The good part is, slowly but surely I am getting there and hope to be much more active in this space in the near future.

Getting back to the post, this rajma toast appears in my kitchen sometimes for weekend breakfast  and sometimes as an evening snack. This is an adaptation of a recipe that I came across in a recipe book of snacks by Nita Mehta. It kind of reminds me of the baked beans on toast that my father in law loves so much, only I think of this as a quicker Indianized version of the same . This is a great way to start the day with some protein and nutrition.  The bean mixture can be made a day or two ahead, so it doesn't take much time to assemble whenever you need it.  And whenever I make this, whether for a weekend breakfast or as an evening snack, it never fails to perk up my day just a little bit :)  

Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and Method to make Rajma / Bean Toast

1/2 cup dry red kidney beans (rajma)

1 small onion cut fine (pyaaz)

2 Thai or Indian variety green chilies ( hari mirch) ( or to taste)

1 clove garlic (lehsun)

1/2 tsp finely grated ginger (adrak)

Salt to taste (namak)

1 Tbsp oil 

1 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro (coriander leaves/ hara dhania)

To assemble

Grated cheese as required (optional) ( use vegan cheese for a vegan version)

A little bit of butter/ clarified butter / oil to apply on the bread ( use oil for a vegan version, I prefer extra virgin olive oil )

Tomato ketchup as required (optional)

8 to 10 slices of multi grain bread ( or any other wheat or white bread)

Soak red kidney beans/ rajma in sufficient water overnight or for 7 to 8 hours. Discard the water the beans were soaked in, fill with 1 and 1/2 cups of fresh water and pressure cook on medium heat for a couple of whistles, then lower heat and cook on low heat for 25 minutes, then switch off the heat. This ensures the kidney bean/ rajma cooks very soft. Once the pressure subsides, remove kidney beans, mash coarsely with a potato masher and keep aside. 

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan on medium heat, add onions, green chilies, garlic and ginger and sauté until onions turn translucent. 

Add cooked red kidney beans and salt to taste and simmer for a few minutes until the mixture thickens a little and the flavors mingle. The mixture does not have to thicken too much, it thickens a little after cooling as well, so do keep that in mind when removing from heat. My picture below was taken a little early, use the picture of the bean mixture on the bread as a guide.  Garnish with cilantro / dhania and keep aside to cool a little.

You can make this bean mixture a day or two ahead if you are planning this for a weekend breakfast and do not want to fuss with it in the morning.

Heat a flat pan / tawa / griddle on low to medium low heat. To assemble the toast, apply butter/ clarified butter/ ghee / oil to one side of a slice of bread. Spread a little of the bean mixture to the other side of the bread. If you want to apply a little ketchup, you can add a little on top and spread a little, then top with grated cheese and place on the tawa/ pan, cover with a lid and cook until the lower side of the bread is golden brown and the cheese has melted on top. Remove and serve hot with ketchup on the side.

Notes : 

The ketchup on top of the toast is entirely optional, I've made this with and without the ketchup and both versions taste equally good.

Similarly the cheese is optional too, I've made it with and without the cheese and it tastes good both ways.

If you are looking for Bread snacks/ toasts/ breakfast recipes, here for a few more

Bread Besan Toast~Savory French toast

Corn Cheese toast

Chilli Cheese Toast

Read more ...

Kambu Oats Adai ~ Bajra Oats dhal Dosa ~ Savory millet and lentil Indian crepes.

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One of the first things I realized when I started working on pictures for my blog is that props are a very important part of a good picture. As a result,  I am always on the lookout for good props that I can use in my pictures. These days, this task is even shared by other members of my family. In addition to buying unique and pretty bowls and such, whenever I find the time I also try and make some of the things that I use as props in pictures. The tray that you see in the background in this picture is one such item that I made a few months back specifically to use in my pics :) This tray is made with leftover paint chips and some mod podge and is one of my favorite trays to use these days :) If you are interested in this sort of thing, do check out this post where I have put the stepwise tutorial for this tray.

Moving on, pearl millet/ Bajra/ Kambu has now become an integral part of my kitchen and I regularly make adais/ dosas with it. But this is the first time I tried making an adai with millets and oats, that has absolutely no rice. Was a little apprehensive that it would impact the texture and crispness of the adai / dosa, but it worked out really well.  There was no substantial difference between this adai and traditional adai made with rice and lentils making it perfect for those of you who have picky eaters in your home.

Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and Method to make Kambu Oats Adai
1 cup pearl millet (Bajra/ Kambu)
1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup split pigeon peas (tur dhal/ tuvaram parappu)
1/3 cup split mung beans (mung dhal/ pasi parappu)
1/3 cup split chick pea lentil (chana dhal/ kadalai parappu)
3 Thai or Indian variety green chilies (hari mirch/ pachai molagai) (or to taste)
3 dry whole red chilies (sukhi lal mirch/ molaga vathal) (or to taste)
salt to taste
a little sesame oil to shallow fry adai/ dosa/ crepes (til ka tel/ nella ennai)

Place first five ingredients in a large bowl, fill with water, swirl with hand and drain. Fill with fresh water and soak the ingredients for about 3 to 4 hours.

In batches,  grind the soaked and drained grains with green chilies and red chilies until it turns into a grainy batter. The grains do not have to be ground very smooth, a little semolina/ rava like texture gives this adai/ dosa a more crisp and crunchy  texture. Make sure the batter is of pouring consistency but not too thin. When in doubt err on the side of a thicker batter, you can always adjust the consistency later if needed. Add salt to taste and mix well. This adai/ dosa does not need any fermenting, so the batter can be immediately used to make adai/ dosa

Heat a tawa/ griddle/ flat pan on medium heat,  pour a small quantity of batter in the center and spread quickly and evenly into a thin circle. Pour a few drops of sesame oil around the circumference, when the lower side is evenly golden brown, flip over and cook the other side until it has brownish spots on it.

Remove from heat and serve hot with chutney of choice/ aviyal/ molaga podi or even some curry.

Yield depends on size and thickness of each dosa/ adai.

Balance of the batter can be stored in the refrigerator and used up within 3 to 4 days for freshest taste.

If you are looking for Adai/ Dhal dosa recipes, here are a few more

Barley oat Adai ~ Dhal Dosa with barley

Cracked Wheat and Oat Adai ~ Dalia Dhal Dosa

Keerai Oat Barley Adai ~ Palak Dhal Dosa

Read more ...

Chana poha ~ Beaten Rice flakes with mixed vegetables and chickpeas

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A few years back, my mother in law mentioned an idea she had come across of making poha with a variety of veggies. This idea appealed to me a lot and since then, from time to time I make a version of poha with veggies in it . A couple of months back when I happened to flip to a cookery channel, I caught the last bit of a show, where the chef made poha with chana/ chickpeas in it. His version had no vegetables though,  just chana. Now I had never tried poha and chana together but I liked this idea too, so I decided to make a version which combines both ideas.

So the very next time I made poha I made this version with vegetables and chana in it. Turned out amazingly well, it was so hearty, filling and delicious. We enjoyed it a great deal and I have been making this version much more often nowadays.  It works great as a snack/ tiffin, for breakfast or even dinner. All the veggies and chana makes it much more filling then the traditional poha. Give this a try and enjoy with your family :)

Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and Method to make chana poha

3 cups medium thick beaten rice flakes/poha/aval

1 and 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (chana)

1 onion cut fine (pyaaz/ vengayam)

1 bell pepper cut fine (capsicum/ Simla mirch)

1 carrot cut fine (gajar)

2 Tbsp oil

5 Thai or Indian variety green chilies cut fine or to taste ( hara mirch)

1 tsp mustard seeds ( rai/ kadagu)

1 tsp cumin seeds ( jeera/ jeeragam)

15 to 20 curry leaves (kadi patha / karvapillai )

1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)

Salt to taste (namak)

Juice of half a lemon or to taste (nimbu )

3 to 4 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro (coriander leaves/hara dhania)

Place beaten rice flakes/ poha in a colander or strainer and rinse under cold water for a few seconds. Allow to drain completely for 10 to 15 minutes.

Prep all the vegetables and keep aside. 

Heat oil in a large heavy bottomed pan, add mustard seeds/ rai to it. When the seeds begin to splutter, add cumin seeds/ jeera, when the cumin sizzles. Add green chilies, curry leaves/ kadipatha  and stir a couple of times. 

Add onions and stir until the onions turn translucent. Add the other vegetables, stir a few times, sprinkle a few tsp of water if required, cover with a lid and cook until the veggies are soft, cooked yet firm. Add turmeric powder and stir a couple of times. 

Add cooked chana and mix with other vegetables. Add softened poha, salt to taste and mix well. Cover with a lid and allow the poha to heat all the way through.

Add lemon juice and mix well. Garnish with cilantro/ coriander leaves and mix well. 

Remove from heat and serve hot on its own, or with some ketchup on the side.

Serves approx 3 to 4.

If you are looking for recipes with poha/ aval/ beaten rice flakes, here are a few more

Easy Aval / Poha Laddu ~ Indian sweet with beaten rice flakes

Aval oats payasam/ Poha Kheer ~ Indian pudding

Kanda Poha ~ Savory Seasoned beaten rice flakes

Read more ...

Kambu Adai ~ Bajra Dhal Dosa ~ Savory vegan and GF millet and lentil crepes

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Ever since I used hulled pearl millet in this dosa for the first time, pearl millet has become a regular addition to my grocery list. I've been wanting to experiment with it a lot more , but for now I have been using it in a variety of dosa recipes. Recently for the first time I tried it in adai. For those you unfamiliar with adai, it is a very nutritious and filling kind of dhal dosa / savory crepe traditionally made with rice and a mixture of lentils. 
 

This version with millet worked out very well.  The combination of millet and lentils make this adai healthy and nutritious. It's also very easy to make, just soak, grind and it's ready to make, making this a convenient option for the weekend breakfast or for a weeknight dinner. If you have been wanting to use pearl millet more often, give this flavorful adai / dosa a try and enjoy:)

Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and method to make Kambu adai/ Bajra dhal dosa

1 cup hulled pearl millet ( Bajra / Kambu )

1/2 cup raw rice ( chawal / arisi )

1/3 cup split mung bean lentil ( mung dhal/ paytham parappu)

1/3 cup split pigeon peas (tur dhal / tuvaram parappu)

1/3 cup split chick pea lentil ( chana dhal/ kadalai parappu)

2 dry red chilies ( or to taste ) ( lal mirch / molagai vathal)

4 Thai or Indian green chilies ( or to taste ) ( hari mirch / pachai molagai)

1/2 tsp chopped ginger ( adrak/ inji)

Salt to taste ( namak / uppu)

1/8 tsp asafoetida powder ( hing / perungayam )

A little extra sesame oil to shallow fry the adai/ dhal dosa.

In a large bowl mix together, millet, rice and lentils. Fill with water, swirl with hand and drain water. Rinse once or twice more, fill with sufficient water and allow to soak for 3 to 4 hours.

Drain the water and grind in batches with green chilies, dry chilies, ginger and water as needed. The grains need only to be of a coarse texture so you do not need to grind it smooth.The batter needs to be on the thicker side, not runny so do not use water too liberally when grinding the batter.
Add salt to taste, asafoetida powder to the batter and mix well. This batter can be used immediately or can be refrigerated for upto 4 days and used as needed to make adai (crepe).



When making adai, heat a flat pan/ griddle/ tawa on medium heat. When hot, pour a little batter on the center of the pan/ tawa and quickly spread it into a thin circle. Pour a few drops of sesame oil around the circumference of the adai. When the lower side is golden brown, flip over and cook the other side until it has a few brownish/golden spots on it.

Serve hot with chutney of choice, honey or jaggery / Gud/ vellam or with aviyal.

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Baingan Cheese Toast ~ Roasted Eggplant Spread ~ Eggplant cheese toast

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These days when I have to go pick up groceries, I make it really quick. I know what I want, make a list and pretty much stick to it when I am in the store, I try my best to be done in less than 30 minutes. I rarely linger around checking out things that are not on my list. That changes when R decides to tag along with me to go pick up groceries. He tends to linger and check out some of the aisles in a little more detail.

On one such trip a few months back, he showed me a savory spread , you know the kind that you can apply on bread. I took one look at the ingredients on the back of the container and placed it right back on the shelf.  But seeing the spread got me thinking about the kind of spreads we could make ourselves that would taste good.

Since I like eggplant, I thought something similar to baingan bharta would probably taste good. Once the idea entered my head, I could not shake it off. That same week I made a spread somewhat on the same lines as the baingan bharta, spread it on bread, topped it with cheese and baked it until done. The results........ yummy :)  Since then I have made this spread numerous times and we have enjoyed it every single time :) This toast works well for breakfast, as an anytime snack or even as a side for soup.

Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and Method to make Baingan Cheese Toast

1 large eggplant / baingan / katrikai 

1/2 onion cut fine ( pyaaz/ vengayam)

1 Tbsp oil + a few drops more  to apply on eggplant 

1/2 tsp cumin seeds ( jeera/ jeeragam)

3 Thai or Indian variety green chilies cut fine or to taste ( hari mirch )

1 tsp ginger garlic paste ( adrak- lehsun)

Salt to taste (namak)

1/4 tsp turmeric powder ( haldi) (optional)
2 to 3 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro / coriander leaves/ hara dhania

To assemble the toast

5 to 6 slices of bread ( I usually use wheat or multigrain, but any kind would work)

Grated cheese of choice as required ( use vegan cheese for a vegan version ) (see notes)

A little butter/ clarified butter/ ghee/ nei/ oil to apply on bread ( use oil for vegan version)

Pre heat oven @ 350 deg F.  Line a tray with parchment paper or aluminum foil and keep aside. Apply oil on the skin of the eggplant and place on pre lined tray and place in oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the eggplant is cooked. To know if eggplant is done, press gently with a wooden spatula or a spoon, if the eggplant is soft, it's done. The baking time will depend on the size and width of the eggplant. 

Remove from oven, allow to cool a little. Peel skin , mash eggplant and keep aside.

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat oil, add cumin seeds/ jeera to it. When the seeds sizzle, add green chilies and stir a couple of times.

Add onions and sauté until translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and stir a few times.

Add mashed eggplant, turmeric powder if using, salt to taste and mix well. Allow the mixture to heat through for the flavors to mingle. Remove from heat, garnish with cilantro / hara dhania and mix well.

When ready to make the toast, pre heat oven @ 400 deg F.  Pre line a tray with aluminum foil/ parchment paper and keep aside.

Apply a little butter/ oil/ clarified butter / ghee on one side of the bread. Flip over and spread about 2 to 3 Tbsp of eggplant  mixture evenly on the bread. Place bread with the eggplant mixture side facing upwards on the tray. Proceed with the rest of the mixture in the same way. Sprinkle a little cheese on top of the eggplant mixture and place in oven and bake for 6 to 7 minutes or until cheese melts.

Serve hot with some ketchup, on its own or as a side for some soup. 

Makes for a nice weekend breakfast or as an anytime snack.

Notes:

This recipe can easily be doubled if required . This spread can be made ahead,if needed. Just cool thoroughly, place in an air tight container and store in the refrigerator a day or two. 

With this quantity I got enough spread for about 6 standard slices of bread, if your slices are wider/ bigger or smaller that could change.

If you are avoiding cheese, or want to make a low calorie version, you can skip the cheese too, just apply the spread and toast till the lower side of the bread turns evenly golden and enjoy :)

If you are looking for Bread snacks/ toasts/ breakfast recipes, here for a few more

Bread Besan Toast~Savory French toast

Corn Cheese toast

Chilli Cheese Toast

Read more ...

Kanda Poha ~ Savory Snack made with Beaten Rice Flakes ~ Aval Upma

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Kanda poha is a classic snack from Maharashtra ( a state  in the western region of India). Kanda = onion and poha = beaten rice flakes in Marathi language. This classic is a favorite of mine and I am surprised that dish has managed to elude this space for so long. The only explanation I can think of is that I usually make this for weekend breakfast and weekends are also the time when I usually do not take pictures for the blog especially around breakfast time :)

Like any other dish, poha too has a lot of regional variations. My sister in law lives in Pune and tells me that people in that region add some roasted peanuts along with grated coconut to their poha. I have tried a lot of variations of poha including the ones I mentioned above and even one version of poha topped with sev and I have to admit that I have yet to find one that I don't like :) Every variation of poha tastes delicious in its own way :) If you are planning poha for your weekend breakfast or even for a quick evening snack, give this version a try and enjoy this easy tasty snack :)  

Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and Method to make Kanda poha

3 cups medium thick beaten rice flakes/ poha/ aval 

1 large red onion cut fine ( pyaaz/ vengayam)

2 Tbsp oil

3/4 tsp mustard seeds ( rai/ kadagu)

3/4 tsp cumin seeds ( jeera/ jeeragam)

3 Thai or Indian variety green chilies cut fine ( or to taste) ( hari mirch/ pachai molagai)

10 - 15 small curry leaves or 8 to 10 large ones torn into small pieces ( kadipatha/ karvapillai )

1/4 tsp turmeric powder ( haldi/ manjal podi) 

Salt to taste ( namak / uppu)

1 tsp sugar (shakkar/ sakkarai )

3 to 4 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro ( coriander leaves/ hara dhania/ kothamalli)

Optional garnish

2 to 3 Tbsp freshly grated coconut ( or frozen thawed to room temperature) (nariyal/ thengai poo)

1 to 2 Tbsp roasted peanuts (mungphali/ kadalai )

Serve with lemon wedges (nimbu/ elimbicham pazham) ( optional)

Place beaten rice flakes/ poha in a colander or strainer and rinse under cold water for a few seconds. Allow to drain completely for 10 to 15 minutes.

Heat oil  on medium heat in a heavy bottomed pan. Add mustard seeds, when the seeds begin to splutter add cumin seeds. When the cumin begins to sizzle, add green chilies and curry leaves and stir a couple of times.

 Add onions and sauté until onions turn translucent.  Add turmeric powder and stir once or twice. 

Add rinsed and drained beaten rice flakes/ poha and mix well. Add salt to taste, sugar and mix again. 

Close with a lid, lower heat to low to medium low heat, cook rice flakes/ poha for a minute or two until the poha heats through and the flavors mingle.Garnish with cilantro/ coriander leaves and serve hot with lemon wedges.

You can also add grated coconut and/ or roasted peanuts for garnish for this poha.  

The lemon wedges are optional, If you like a little lemony taste in your poha, you can sprinkle a few drops just before serving or on your plate.I like it both ways, sometimes with a little lemon juice and sometimes without, depending on my mood that day :)

Serves approx 2 to 3

If you are looking for recipes with poha/ aval/ beaten rice flakes, here are a few more

Easy Aval / Poha Laddu ~ Indian sweet with beaten rice flakes

Aval oats payasam/ Poha Kheer ~ Indian pudding

Javarsi Aval dosai ~ Sabudana poha dosa

Read more ...