Sabudana Vada

This blog has been a long time in completion...started it end of 2014...got busy...decided to give it a fresh start on the first day of new year 2015...events happened...
Finally back onto it ...after going a whole week into the new year...

Ok...so though I am way too late ...let me wish all of you a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year...and that you get all that you desire in your lives...

So how did this vada post start ...well we had a visit from my dear friend's daughter...she was visiting India with her husband for the first time after their wedding....and so I decided to invite them over...a tea party was planned for on Christmas day...
Since it was Christmas ....cake had to be a part of the menu... made my favourite Date & Walnut cake...I know, I know, it should have been plum cake for the occasion...but never mind ...this is just as good ....also made some coconut ladoos, and some methi puri as snacks...but was wondering what should be the warm snack served to them...( btw they were coming along with her in-laws as they were stopping by on their way from some family lunch )...

Decided on sabudana vada ( having enjoyed some made by my sister a few day earlier...thought that would be a good snack to serve )...so got cracking on the recipe...

First of all let me say sorry...I have not got any pictures of the vadas or the process...and that is cuz I somehow did not plan or rather think of posting it...silly me :-( 

Had made it some long time ago - so refreshed my memory with the internet...checked out a few different methods...got the necessary ingredients...and voila...a quick and tasty snack...

Sabudana khichdi in a Microwave

Sabudana Khichdi

Microwave is one of the most marvellous inventions of the last century....and I am sure many would agree with me....though there are a few naysayers...and they may have a valid point with regards to the rays of that machine....but boy it does make life soooo much easier...

Take the above mentioned dish...I used to prepare sabudana khichdi on the stove top - but had it turn to mush many a times...and then I discovered this recipe...and thought..duh!?! ...how could I have missed this...this dish is meant for the micro - where every pearl needs to be separate...and yet thoroughly cooked...what better method is available...

I had my own recipe for cooking this dish - but when I read the microwave version on  One stove top's site...I found it so perfect...that I appropriated that for my own and now that is my standard recipe with a minor changes. I find it a bit dry - so add a couple of tablespoons of water while cooking it. I have also reduced the peanuts...though these are just to my taste...you may add more peanuts, chillies, coconut, dhania(cilantro), salt & sugar as per your taste.

The past few days the weather has been kind of chilly, so one feels the need to relish a nice hot breakfast...and T has been out of town the whole week...(missing you sweetie)....so decided that I could make this and share it with my Mom who also loves having something different for her breakfast / mid morning snack.

Beetroot Salad - Beetroot Kosambari

Beetroot Salad

When you read newspapers or magazines re. what to eat, what is good for you, you get so confused ....every day there is a new diet, new idea, a new fad....lots of confusion...should you follow it....or continue with the way things are?

A long time ago...( sounds like the start of a fairy tale, but is not so )...I too had  joined up along with a friend....a lady was conducting some classes - re. nutrition and healthy eating...would rather not mention the actual name of that organisation...do not wish to create any controversy....not sure how I feel about their ideas now....but at the time I was very convinced about their philosophy and thoughts etc...and followed it in totality....
Their concept was that in the morning our systems are busy with the cleansing process and so should be given energy to do their job !?!....and hence we should not eat a heavy breakfast...it should be just fruits...tons of it ( supposed to be energy givers )....
Lunch at around 12...the heaviest meal of the day...should definitely contain sprouts, and salads ( better if raw )...less or none oil in our meals...
Dinner light meal...
Milk to be avoided, yogurt good, nuts yes, along with fruits or salads.

There is a lot more in the same vein and as I mentioned ...that I had been a convert for a while...until regular life intruded and it became quite difficult to continue with that scheme of diet.

But certain points still remain with me...I try to reduce oil in my cooking...have as much as fruits as possible...and add nuts in salads for taste...whether it is fruits ( with walnuts ) or the above beets with peanuts....it adds a crunch to the dish and you do not miss the oil...a simple salt, pepper, lemon and you have an dish out of this world.

Peanut Butter

Peanut Butter

When in Rome....as the saying goes

I have found this to be quite true of my eating patterns...while I was in US, was quite enamoured of their crackers ( as they call it ) ...here we call it biscuit...and now some have started calling their products cookies( ? ) ...anyhow...

So some of my favourites were Oreos, Graham crackers ( Nabisco's )...and the very light with a delicate salty flavour Club crackers in it's original form...and it's varieties, honey flavoured, and puffed etc...and also Wheat thins ( with it's varieties )....every trip to the grocery store would see me stocking up on them...so as to have them as my tea time snack...
But when we settled back here in India...all of those favourites were replaced by those available here...one of my current favourites is the toast made by Britannia, and biscuits like Hide-n-seek, Bourbon ....

Coming back to old favourites...the reason why I meandered into the crackers lane...was cause I saw a recipe for making peanut butter and felt a wave of nostalgia come over me...this was something else that I used to relish with the above mentioned crackers or bread ( ... do not have it here though it is now readily available )

Anyways decided to make it at home, checked out a few different recipes...and got 'cracking' on it :-) ....ok so not that funny...never mind...

Carrot Rice

My pressure cooker has been on the blink ....and before you ask...yes I have only the one....and next question why have I not rushed out to get another...am still trying to figure that one out...

Sometimes I feel I have some sort of inertia...am intent on following Newton's First Law of motion...and that means no movement until an external force is applied....wondering  what will be the stimulating factor for me...anyways I digress. 

So how do I manage? What happens to our rounded out meals of  chapatis, subzis, rice, dal and salads...well till now no dals have been cooked (since pc malfunction)  other than moong dal ( yellow split dal )....which being easy to cook in regular pan on stove top is first in line...and of course the standard khichdi - rice & moong dal ( again the same reason )...curd rice...etc... and at times have also borrowed some cooked tuvar dal ( have a source conveniently situated )...

But today I felt I needed to hunt out something new in rice dish.....otherwise our taste buds might languish in gastronomic purgatory...and had also wanted to make use of some carrots which would soon be meeting it's demise too....and so set out on a internet search for carrot, rice...and somehow in my mind ginger seemed to go with it...so added ginger to the list...

Actually did find quite a few options on the net...was totally surprised....what's with all of these recipes...did all of them also have their pressure cookers on the blink ?....
Not planning to look a gift horse in the mouth...I decided to adapt one of them to suit my ingredients...and so here's how I went about it...

Ingredients :

1 cup of rice
2 medium carrots, grated
1 small onion, chopped
1 green chilli, chopped ( could add more if you like it spicier)
pinch of asafoetida
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 inch piece of ginger, grated or chopped fine
1 tblspn of roughly crushed roasted peanuts
1/2 tsp urad dal
salt to taste
2 tsp butter, 1 tsp olive oil or any other vegetable oil
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp red chilli powder


Method:
Wash and soak rice for about 20 minutes, then cook till done.
Heat a non-stick pan.  Add the butter and olive oil.
Then add mustart seeds, when it splutters, add urad dal
Add onions and fry till it turns translucent.
Then add the ginger and green chilli.
Then adding the crushed peanuts, give it a quick stir and then add carrots.
Add turmeric and chilli powder and salt...cover and let it cook for couple of minutes..till the carrots have softened.
Add the cooked rice and mix it all together gently -taking care not to crush the rice.
Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Add few coriander springs and serve.

Enjoy !!!