Aloo Gobi Matar Recipe | Easy Side Dishes for Roti

Roti with some vegetable sabzi and dal is a routine for my weekday dinners.I do not plan much for weekday cooking and usually decide based on the availability of vegetables in my refrigerator at that time.Sometimes we would be left with less quantity of various vegetables and the resultant curry would be usually a combination of such vegetables.Few vegetables pair up beautifully and aloo is one such versatile vegetable which pairs nicely with almost everything.Today, I am posting a very simple but classic recipe of Aloo Gobi Matar(Dry) sabzi which is a great combination with rice and rotis.

Aloo Gobi Matar Dry Sabzi Recipe:

(serves 3-4)

Ingredients:
2 large Potatoes,peeled and cut into 1" thin pieces
1 small Cauliflower,cut into thin florets
1/2 cup fresh/frozen Green peas
1 big Onion,roughly chopped
2 Tomatoes,finely chopped
2 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste

2 tsp fresh Coriander leaves ,chopped

1 tsp Red chilli powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp roasted Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Amchur powder or juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp Garam masala
1/2 tsp Kitchen king masala(optional)
1/4 tsp Kasuri methi,slightly crushed
a pinch of Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
2-3 tbsp oil
Salt to taste

Method:

• Blanch the cauliflower florets and green peas separately in salted hot water for few minutes until they are tender and remove them and keep them aside.Do not over cook them.
• Heat oil in a thick kadai and crackle cumin seeds and add sliced onions and ginger garlic paste and fry for sometime until the onions turn pink in color.
• Add the potatoes and fry them for 2-3 mins and add blanched gobi florets and green peas to it and fry them again for another 2-3 mins.
• Add finely chopped tomatoes to it and mix well.
• Cover it with lid and reduce the flame and cook for 8-10 mins until they are soft and tender.You should take care that they would not become mushy.You can sprinkle some water on top of the vegetables for faster cooking.
• Add all the masala powders,turmeric powder and fry for some time.
• Now add slightly crushed kasuri methi and mix well and cover it and cook for 2-3 mins until all the masalas are incorporated.
• Add finely chopped coriander and remove it from stove.If you are using lemon juice add it now.

Serve it hot with Roti/Chapthi/Rice/Jeera rice.

Notes:

1. You can try various combinations like Aloo Gobi,Gobi Matar,Aloo Matar or plain Aloo,plain Gobi sabzi following the same process.Add the vegetable quantities accordingly.
2. You can skip kasuri methi and kitchen king masala if you do not have.But I prefer to add them as they adds a nice flavor to the curry.

Check out other Dry Vegetable curries with aloo and gobi here.

• Gobi Matar
• Aloo Gobi ~ Dry Version
• Ajwani Aloo Gobi with mustard flavor
• Gobi Sabzi 
• Gobi Kasoori 
• Aloo Jeera
• Pudina Aloo

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Broccoli Tikkis(Cutlets) | Broccoli Recipes

Broccoli is one of those pretty vegetables which is not only colorful but is also a very healthy and tasty vegetable.I know many would not prefer broccoli but thankfully me and TH both love it absolutely and we usually prefer it having in all forms.I add the broccoli florets in salads, stir fries, pasta, soup, parathas and few snack varieties like these tikkis.The recipe for this tikki is similar to any other tikki recipe. I used potato and roasted chickpea flour for binding and spiced it up minimally. Ever since I tried peanuts in Bengali style Vegetable Chops I am hooked to the taste of a bite of crunchy peanuts in the tikkis I started adding it to even my regular vegetable cutlets.It tastes very good , so do give a try!!

You can check out other Cutlets/Tikkis recipes in my blog.

• Hara Bhara Kabab
• Maggi Noodle Cutlet/Noodle Tikki 
• Upma Tikki..from left over Upma 
• Vegetable Chops | Stuffed Beetroot Cutlets
• Zucchini Patties

Broccoli Tikkis | Broccoli Cutlets Recipe:

makes around 12-14 cutlets

Ingredients:

1 small Broccoli head

1 large(or 2 medium) Potato,boiled

2 tbsp Besan/Chickpea flour (or 2 Bread slices)

2-3 tbsp roughly crushed roasted Peanuts or Cashew nuts

1 tbsp Raisins

1 small Onion,finely chopped

3-4 Green chillies,finely chopped

1 tsp finely chopped Ginger

1/2 tsp Amchur powder or juice of  1/2 lemon

Salt to taste

Chat masala,to sprinkle

Oil,to shallow fry

Method:

• Cut broccoli into florets and wash them nicely and blanch them in hot water for 1-2 mins.Drain and pour cold water on them and keep them aside.
• Grate the boiled and peeled potato and keep it ready.
• Grate the broccoli florets or pulse them in food processor/mixer a couple of time to get the grated broccoli.Do not run in mixer for long as we need just the small bits of it.
• Dry roast the besan until you get the nice aroma for a couple of minutes.Cool it.
• Heat a tsp of oil and add finely chopped onions and fry until they turn translucent.Add raisins and fry until they bulge and then add chopped green chillies and ginger and give a stir quickly and switch off the flame.Cool the mixture.
• In a bowl mix the grated potatoes,broccoli,onion mixture,crushed peanuts(or cashew nuts), roasted besan(or bread) and mix well.
• Add enough salt and lemon juice(or amchur powder) to it and mix well. 
• Start making round tikkis of 2 " wide and 3/4 " thickness with the mixture.You will get around 12-14 tikkis with this mixture.Arrange them in a single layer on a plate and cover it with a cling film and refrigerate for half an hour.You can avoid refrigerating if pressed for time.
• Apply few tbsp of oil on a thick hot tawa and arrange the cutlets in a single layer and roast them on both sides until golden and crisp.You can even shallow fry them in a flat pan with 1/2" depth oil until crisp.Drain the tiikis on a kitchen napkin.
• Sprinkle chat masala on top of hot tikkis.

Serve them hot with Green Chutney and Meeta Chutney.

Notes:

1. If your cutlet is not holding its shape while making you can add another bread slice (run in the mixer to powder) to it and mix and start making cutlets.
2. You can even dip the tikkis in corn starch slurry and coating them with bread crumbs.This gives a thick and crispy crust to the cutlet,it is optional.
3. You can add few cooked and slightly mashed green peas to the mixture.
4. The addition of peanuts/cashew nuts adds a nice crunch to the tikkis,hence I recommend you to add them.If you keep the cutlets longer the peanuts will become soft,so its better you consume them immediately after you prepare them.

Also check out other Broccoli recipes in my blog here.

• Broccoli Stir Fry 
• Creamy Broccoli Soup
• Macaroni with Roasted Vegetables and Herbs in White Sauce

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Matar Kachori(Green Peas Kachori) and Alu Sabzi - Delhi style

I have mentioned in many of my posts that fried foods appear very rarely at home and when I make it we relish them to the fullest extent.TH has a profound love for Medu wada and Chole Batura,especially the way his mom prepares.Ohhh!! Did I tell anytime about my MIL's Chole Batura?? Hubby loves his mom's Chole batura very much and he always keep it as a benchmark when I prepare it;of course I do follow the same recipe and also learnt from her to please him.I have been planning to post my MIL's chole batura recipe from ages but somehow it never happened as we cannot control ourselves on the day we make it at home.I think I should be posting this recipe soon- stay tuned.

Coming back to today's post...during the green peas season we shelled several kilos of fresh green peas and I used them in various dishes. I  could not control myself to prepare this stuffed Matar Kachori which is a typical Delhi preparation.
This Matar Kachori is a cross in between regular khasta kachori and stuffed poori and is usually served as breakfast or evening tiffin.It tastes best when served with Aloo sabzi which is a thin alu gravy spiced up in masalas. Do definitely give this recipe a try if you love variety food and especially the typical Delhi style street food.However this needs a bit of preparation but its worth the effort.

You can check out other varieties using fresh Green Peas here:

• Matar Paneer
• Matar Mushroom Masala | Dhingri Matar 
• Pudina Fresh Peas Gravy   - highly recommended recipe
• Green Peas Usli-Karnataka Style 
• Methi-Peas Bath 
• Gobi Matar/Cauliflower-Peas Curry
• Methi Matar Malai 
• Peas Pulav

Matar Kachori Recipe:

(makes 12-14 kachoris)

source:Nita Mehta

Ingredients:

for dough:

2 cups All purpose flour(Maida)

a pinch of Baking powder

1/2 tsp Salt

2 tbsp Ghee

1/2 cup water to knead,approx

Oil,to deep fry

for filling:

2 cups fresh/frozen Grren Peas

2 tbsp Chickpea flour(Besan)

1 tsp Coriander powder

1/4 tsp grated Ginger

2 Green chillies,finely chopped

1/4 tsp Red chili powder

3/4 tsp Chaat masala

3/4 tsp Amchur powder

1/2 tsp Garam masala

1/4 tsp Cumin seeds

2 pinches Asafoetida(Hing)

1 tsp Salt,approx

1 tbsp Ghee

Method:

to prepare dough:

• Sift flour with baking powder and salt through a sieve.
• Add ghee and mxi well till it appears like bread crumbs.Knead well with water to a soft and pliable dough.Keep it aside for half an hour.

to prepare filling:

• Bring 4-5 cups of water with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar.Add peas to the boiling water and boil for 4-5 mins.Let the peas sit in hot water for another 10-15 minutes.Strain and keep aside.Mash the peas lightly with a back of a big spoon or a masher.
• Heat ghee in a kadai,add asafoetida and cumin seeds.
• Reduce the heat and add grated ginger,coriander powder and turmeric powder and fry for a minute.
• Add the chopped green chilli and fry again for a minute.
• Add slightly mashed peas to it and mix well.Fry for 7-8 mins on low heat until it turns slightly brown.
• Add the salt,red chili powder,chaat masala,amchoor powder,garam masala and besan and fry for another 2 mins.Remove it and let the mixture cool.

to make Matar Kachori:

• Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying the kachoris.
• Pinch a lemon sized ball out of the dough and flatten it to small poori.

• Fill  2-3 tbsp peas mixture and cover it to form a ball and flatten it slightly .Do not roll it much or do not keep it very thick.

 

• Gently drop 2-3 pieces at a time into the hot oil in kadai(depends on the size of kadai and quantity of oil you are using) and fry them until they turn brown.When you put the kachoris in oil you should keep the flame in HIGH and reduce it later and fry them on LOW flame until they turn brown.Flip it in between.

Serve it with Aloo Sabzi(recipe below),sliced Onions and North Indian Aam ka Achar or Mixed Veg Pickle.

Notes:

• The original recipe asked for 1/2 tsp baking powder and also mentioned to use warm water for kneading.As I wanted my kachoris to be neither too hard like a regular kachori nor too soft like a stuffed poori,hence I had done few changes like adding less baking powder and also used regular water in the recipe.It is your wish to adapt the recipe how you want.

Alu Sabzi | Thin Potato Gravy Recipe:

(Serves 3-4)

Ingredients:

3-4 large Potatoes

1 tsp Coriander powder

3/4 tsp Red chili powder

1 tbsp Aam ke Achar ka masala

1 green chilli,finely chopped

2 tbsp chopped Coriander leaves

1 tsp grated Ginger

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds(Methi)

1 tsp Fennel seeds(Saunf)

3/4 tsp Cumin seeds

a fat pinch of Asafoetida

1 1/2 tsp Salt,approx

3 tbsp Ghee/Oil

Method:

• Pressure cook potatoes for 3 whistles and peel the skin and cut each potato into 8-10 chunks and mash pieces roughly.
• Heat ghee in a kadai and keep the flame on LOW and add asafoetida, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and fenugreek seeds.
• When the fenugreek seeds starts turning brown add turmeric powder,coriander powder and red chili powder and fry for 1 minute on low heat.
• Add aam ke achar ka masala and fry again for a minute.
• Add cooked potatoes and chopped green chilli,coriander and grated ginger.Stir fry on medium heat for 3-4 mins.
• Add 2- 21/2 cups of water and bring to a boil.Reduce heat and cook for another 10 mins.This gravy would be slightly watery than the regular gravies,so adjust the consistency accordingly.

Serve it hot with Matar Kachori /Poori.

Try this Matar Kachori with the aloo sabzi for this weekend brunch or breakfast.i would say it is the perfect way to start the weekend.One more look of this delicious Matar kachori with alu sabzi and mirch ka achar..I am hungry again seeing this pic!!

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Matar Mushroom Masala | Mushroom Peas Curry | Mushroom Recipes

Mushrooms is a treat for Vegetarians and we are no exception.Both of us love eating mushrooms and I make it quite often.The only thing which puts me off is the process of cleaning the mushrooms which is very tedious. Apart from that, preparing any dish with it, is a breeze, as they cook very fast.I have posted  Mushroom Chettinad Recipe earlier, which is an absolute favorite for me and today I am posting a simple Matar Mushroom Curry recipe, which is good as an accompaniment for everyday rotis and pulavs and of course even for special occasions.

Matar Mushroom Masala | Matar Kumbh | Dhingri Matar Recipe:

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

200 gms Button Mushrooms,white variety

1 cup fresh/frozen Green Peas

2 medium Onions

3 medium Tomatoes

1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste

8-10 Cashew nuts

2 tbsp Poppy seeds

1/2 tsp Sugar

1 tsp Red chili powder 

2 tsp Coriander powder

1 tsp Cumin powder

1/4 tsp Garam masala

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

2 Cloves,1 Green Cardamom,1/2" Cinnamon stick - to temper

1 tbsp chopped Coriander leaves,to garnish

Salt to taste

2-3 tbsp Oil

Method:

• Soak Khus khus(poppy seeds) and cashew nuts in warm water for 10-15 mins.Drain them before grinding.I forgot to soak the khus khus and hence you can see the grainy texture of them in the gravy,hence I suggest you to soak them ahead.
• Clean mushrooms nicely,I usually rub the mushrooms with maida to remove the excess dirt and wash them and pat dry them.Trim the stalks and cut the mushrooms into 4 quarters.
• Chop one onion into fine pieces and quarter the other onion.
• Chop one tomato finely and mark a cross on the other two tomatoes.Bring water to a boil in a big pot and add the marked tomatoes and quartered onion and boil for 2-3 mins.Remove them with a slotted spoon and cool them.Peel the skin off the tomatoes and keep it ready.
• In that boiling water add fresh/frozen green peas and boil for 2-3 mins.Drain and keep them aside.
• Roughly chop the peeled tomatoes and grind it with boiled quartered onion,soaked cashewnuts and poppy seeds to a very smooth paste.
• Heat oil in a kadai/pan and add cardamom,cloves and cinnamon and let them splutter.
• Add finely chopped onion and fry until they turn translucent.Add ginger garlic paste and fry well until the raw smell disappears.
• Add ground tomato-onion-cashew mixture and continue frying for 2-3 mins.
• Add coriander powder,cumin powder,garam masala,turmeric powder,sugar and salt and continue frying for another minute.
• Now add blanched green peas and chopped mushrooms and saute them nicely.The mushrooms would leave water initially and soak up all the water later.It would take 4-5 mins.You can saute mushrooms and peas simultaneously in another pan and add it now.
• Add 3/4th cup - 1 cup of water based on the required consistency and cover it and cook on low-medium flame for another 3-4 mins.
• Garnish with coriander.

Serve it hot with Roti/Paratha/Pulavs/Steamed Rice/Jeera Rice.

Notes:

1. You can saute the mushrooms and peas separately in a tbsp oil and add to the gravy or you can saute them along with onions before adding the tomato mixture.It is your wish to follow either ways but take care that you do not over cook the mushrooms as they cook really fast.
2. In order to clean mushrooms you can remove the thin layer over the mushrooms using a sharp knife or you can even rub the mushrooms with maida or rice flour to remove the excess dirt.Always wipe the mushrooms with a dry towel before it is added to the recipe,this way the mushrooms will not shrink much.
3. You can add 1 tsp of Kasuri methi while boiling the gravy for a nice flavor.

 Do check out Mushroom Chettinad Recipe which is absolutely a treat with Kerala Parottas.

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Pudina Peas Curry | Fresh Peas Masala Gravy

Fresh Peas are abundantly available in the markets these days and I am preparing lots of recipes using fresh peas like dry curries,tikkis,as a stuffing in parathas and various gravies.

I have tasted this Pudina Peas Gravy for the first time at my aunt's place long back during one of my visits to Bangalore and it was definitely a winner recipe for me.I still remember the taste of the curry which was really refreshing and a very delicious gravy.This is a typical south Indian gravy which is really delicious and is well balanced with the sweet fresh peas spiced up in the aromatic mint gravy.It is also a perfect recipe to make on any day as the recipe does not call for any onions and garlic.There are no masalas added in the recipe too,But I do add a few cloves and cinnamon in the tempering which is optional.In Kannada this Pudina Peas gravy  is called 'Hasi Batani Kaalu Gojju' where 'Hasi Batani Kaalu' stands for 'Fresh Peas' and 'Gojju' is typically a South Indian style 'Gravy'.

If you get hold of fresh peas,I would strongly recommend you to try this at least once as this is one of my favorite gravies and also use only fresh green peas for this,do not use frozen or dried variety for this.I would suggest you to try this Pudina Peas gravy with triangular folded chapatis like the south Indian way (where oil is applied in the inner layers and folded and rolled to a triangular chapati) instead of rotis as they pair up extremely well with the chapatis.

Pudina Peas Curry | Hasi Batani Kaalu Curry Recipe:

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh shelled Green Peas

1 cup loosely packed fresh Mint leaves

1/2 cup loosely packed  fresh Coriander leaves

1/4 cup grated fresh Coconut

7-8 Green chillies(adjust the quantity)

1 tbsp Fried gram

juice of 1/2 Lemon

1/2" Cinnamon(optional)

2-3 Cloves(optional)

a sprig of Curry leaves

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

2 tbsp Oil

Salt to taste

Method:

• Microwave the fresh green peas for 3-4 mins with a pinch of sugar.This will make sure the peas retain their green color through out the cooking process.Drain and keep them aside.
• Heat a tsp of oil in a pan and add green chillies and saute until you see some blisters forming on them.
• Grind mint leaves with coriander leaves,grated coconut,fried gram and fried green chillies to a smooth paste.Open the jar and keep otherwise you will loose the green color if it is closed for long.
• Heat the remaining oil in the kadai and crackle mustard seeds and add cinnamon and cloves and let them splutter.
• Add curry leaves and boiled and drained fresh green peas and fry for 2-3 minutes.
• Add ground mint masala and fry the masala for 5-6 mins until the oil leaves the edges and the raw smell disappears.
• Add 1 cup of water and salt to it and mix well and let it simmer for another 5 mins.You can cover it with lid slightly so that the gravy does not splutter outside.Do not cover the kadai/pan completely with the lid otherwise you will loose the lovely green color of the gravy.
• Switch off the flame and add lemon juice to it and mix well.

Serve it hot with triangular Chapati/Parotta/Rotis or even Jeera rice.

 Notes:

1. The addition of cinnamon and cloves is optional,in general we do not add it but its your wish to add it or not.
2. You can add a small piece of ginger while grinding the mint paste.

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METHI PULAO RECIPE

Its been a while since I have posted a recipe on pulao for the simple reason that I either make it at odd times (well... I consider anything made for dinner also as an odd time as I find it difficult to take any good pics) or when I am short of time.I must say pulao is easy to prepare and is also a good dish in any party. The flavors of the whole masalas and herbs and the beautiful fragrance of basmati rice when cooked to the perfection when paired with a raita(seasoned yogurt) is truly a blissful meal.

While I have already posted various pulao recipes like Mint pulao, Palak Pulao, Vegetable pulav,Peas pulao to name a few, today's Methi pulao is one of the most favorite one at home.Unlike regular pulaos, I make Methi pulao with coconut milk, a hint of bitterness from those fresh greens and the slight sweetness of coconut milk adds a nice taste to the pulao.I can assure you that you will fall in love with this flavorful pulao, if you try this recipe.
METHI PULAO | FENUGREEK LEAVES PILAF Recipe:
(Serves 2)

Ingredients:
1 cup Basmati Rice
2 cups Methi leaves/Fenugreek leaves
1 Onion,sliced
1/3 cup Paneer,cubed
1/3 cup fresh/frozen Green Peas
1 tsp home made Sambar powder*
1/2 cup Coconut milk**
1 1/2 cups Water
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
1 Bay leaf
1" Cinnamon
3 Cloves
2 Marathi Moggu
2 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp Ghee
Salt to taste

to grind:
3/4" Ginger
4-5 Garlic pods
4-5 Green chillies
Method:

• Wash and soak basmati rice in water for 10 mins.
• Remove the fenugreek leaves from the stems carefully and wash them and add a pinch of salt and keep aside for 5 mins.Squeeze the water out of methi leaves.This will help to remove the bitterness slightly from fenugreek leaves,though it is optional to add salt.Do not chop the leaves for the pulav it will make the pulav bitter.
• Heat oil and ghee together in a wide thick pan or pressure cooker.Add cinnamon,bayleaf,cloves and marathi moggu and fry until they pop up.
• Grind ginger,garlic and green chili to a paste.
• Add sliced onions and fry until they turn pink.Add ground ginger-garlic-green chilli paste and fry well until the raw smell goes away.
• Add fenugreek leaves and fry for 2 mins.Add green peas and fry for 1-2 mins.
• Add drained basmati rice and fry well for a couple of minutes.
• Add paneer,sambar powder to rice and give a saute for a minute.
• Add coconut milk(1/2 cup) and water(1 1/2 cups) and add enough salt and let it come to a boil and close the lid of the pan/cooker and cook over low flame for 10-12 mins in the pan.If you are using pressure cooker pressure cook for 1 whistle and simmer the flame and cook for another 7-8 mins.Switch off the flame.
• After the pressure drops,add lemon juice and give a nice and gentle stir to the pulao.

Serve it hot with raitha and papad.

* You can use 1/2 tsp Biriyani Masala(ready made) instead of sambar powder in the recipe.Both have their own taste and I like both the ways.
**I used 2 tbsp coconut milk powder mixed in 2 cups of warm water to make instant coconut milk.You can adjust the amount of coconut milk to suit your taste buds.You can even avoid coconut milk in this recipe if you do not coconut flavored pulaos.
Notes:

1. You can add mixed vegetables like carrots,potatoes,beans,capsicum in the recipe.Also you can add soaked chickpeas instead of veegatbles or peas in the recipe which makes it Methi Chana pulao which tastes nice too.
   
2. If you are using frozen paneer,soak them in hot water for a while which makes paneer soft.
3. You can add cashewnuts while frying onions which adds a nice taste to pulao.
4. You can even avoid coconut milk in this recipe and replace with water(2 cups) if you do not coconut flavored pulaos.
5. Marathi Moggu is not a very common spice available everywhere,if you do not get it leave the spice and proceed with the same recipe.
6. For a Vegan version avoid ghee and paneer in the recipe.
   

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OATS BISI BELE BATH | SAVORY OATS PORRIDGE | INDIAN OATS RECIPES

Oats is a healthy and versatile breakfast option as it can be used in various preparations and can also be used easily in several south Indian dishes. My blog already has various posts that highlights various savory options with oats like Savory Oats porridge(with curds), Oats kharabath,Oats pongal . Oats can also be used to prepare instant idly,dosa,paniyaram varieties which I intend to post later.This post is based on an interesting method of using Oats in a very well known south Indian dish called Bisi bele bath, which I aptly call as the Oats Bise bele bath. Remember to serve it hot , otherwise Oats tends to get a bit sticky when it becomes cold. I am sure you will enjoy this healthy preparation.

Oats Bisi Bele Bath Recipe:
(serves 2)

Ingredients:
1 cup quick cooking Oats
1/4 cup Toor dal
1 cup of finely chopped Vegetables(1 small Carrot,5-6 french Beans,1 small Capsicum)
1/4 frozen green Peas
1 Tomato,finely chopped
1 medium Onion,finely chopped
2 tsp Bisi Bele Bath masala(home made or ready MTR masala)
2 tsp Tamarind pulp
1/2 tsp grated Jaggery
1/2 tsp Red chili powder
a pinch of Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
a sprig of Curry leaves
a pinch of Hing
Salt to taste
1 tsp Oil
1 tsp Ghee(while serving)

Method:

• Pressure cook toor dal and finely chopped vegetables(carrot,french beans,capsicum) and peas in separate containers in the cooker for 3 whistles.
• Meanwhile dry roast oats and keep it aside.This is very important to dry roast oats when you make porridge which helps in making slightly non-sticky porridge,otherwise oats tend to get sticky faster.
• In a big kadai heat oil and crackle mustard seeds and add curry leaves and fry well.
• Add hing and finely chopped onions and fry until translucent.Add finely tomatoes and fry until they are mushy.
• Add water(3 cups) to it and let it come to a boil and add oats and give a quick stir.Add cooked toor dal and vegetables to it and mix well and mash it slightly using the back of the spoon which helps in amalgamating with each other to give a thick porridge consistency.
• Add salt,bisi bele bath masala,red chili powder,turmeric powder and tamarind pulp and boil it fro 3-4 mins.Adjust the consistency of bisi bele bath by adding more water if required.

Serve it piping hot with a dollop of ghee and khara boondi/chips or cool raitha.
Notes:

1. I kept the vegetables simple,you can even add potatoes,fresh double bean pods to it.
2. You can even give a tadka of fried cashew nuts or fried ground nuts.I did not add as I wanted to make it more healthier.
3. Eat this immediately and do not keep it for long as it turns slightly sticky.
4. You can replace Bisi bele bath masala powder with Sambar powder,but you will find a difference in taste.
5. For a Vegan version avoid ghee in the recipe.

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Masala Uthappam...a dosa from Khaogallis of Mumbai!!

I am sure you all know about my love for dosas from my previous posts. Its been a long time I have posted any dosa recipe in my blog not because I wasn't making them but somehow I ended up getting tempted to eat them all instead of taking out time to take snaps. When I made this masala uthappam I thought of sharing this simple yet tasty dish so that you can also enjoy this twist to the regular uthappam. While you might be aware of various kinds of toppings for uthappam such as, onions, tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms, cheese, coriander or a combination of vegetables but this one is unique.
I have already mentioned about various varieties of dosa available in khaogallis (street food joints) of Mumbai in my earlier Pavbhaji Dosa post,if you have not seen it please have a look at this post.
Coming to the masala uthappam, neither the name of this dosa nor the ingredients used in this dosa are fancy enough to attract anyone but the process of making this simple uthappam really caught my attention, when I saw a dosa vendor making it.Though it is quite common to use potato masala in dosa(which is popularly called as masala dosa),the idea of smearing a similar kind of potato masala on the uthappam and frying it on both sides was interesting so I tried one of them from the vendor. Though it tastes like our humble Masala dosa I absolutely loved the taste of roasted alu masala in each and every bite. The addition of chat masala/garam masala gives a special chatpata touch and is completely optional to use it in the recipe.
Warning:I would like to warn you once again that this dosa tastes similar to masala dosa but in a new avatar of uthappam which looks pretty and colorful especially to interest kids and also to impress your guests.
Masala Uthappam Recipe:
(serves 2)

Ingredients:
3-4 cups Regular Dosa batter or Atukula Dosa batter
Masala Aloo Palya(recipe follows)
1/3 cup finely chopped Coriander
a pinch of cooking soda
Oil and Ghee to roast

for masala aloo:
2 boiled Potatoes
1 medium Capsicum,finely chopped
1 medium Onion,finely chopped
3-4 Green chillies,finely chopped
1/8 tsp Turmeric powder
1/4tsp Chat masala or Garam masala (for chatpata flavor,optional)
1 tsp lemon juice or 1/4 tsp Amchur powder
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/4 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
Method:
for masala Aloo palya:

• Pressure cook potatoes and remove the peel and mash it roughly.It should not be like a paste nor chunky.
• Heat oil in a kadai and crackle mustard seeds and cumin seeds.Add finely chopped green chillies and onions and fry them until they are translucent.
• Add finely chopped capsicum to it and fry well.
• Add chat masala/garam masala(if using),turmeric powder and enough salt and for half a minute.
• Add mashed aloo and mix well and mash if you get see any chunky potatoes,this helps in spreading the mixture easily on uthappam.
• Add lemon juice/amchur powder and mix well.Cool the mixture.

to make masala uthappam:

• The dosa batter should be at room temperature.Mix in a pinch of cooking soda and mix well.
• Pour the batter(do not spread) of 7 inch size on a hot tawa and pour oil/ghee from the sides and cover with a lid and cook it on medium flame for a minute and remove the lid.
• Apply 3-4 tbsp of potato mixture all over the dosa(leaving an inch from sides) using the flat ladle and sprinkle the chopped coriander generously and pour a tsp of oil/ghee over the mixture.
• Increase the flame to high and cook until you can see the golden brown crust formation.
• Now turn the dosa to the other side and fry for a minute.

Serve it hot right out from the pan with coconut chutney and sambar.If you want you can sprinkle milagai podi or kaarapodi over the hot uthappams before serving.

Notes:

1. You can even add grated carrots or mashed boiled fresh/frozen green peas to the masala aloo palya for a colorful dosa.
2. You can use your regular dosa batter to make this or follow any of the batter recipes which I mentioned.These batters which I mentioned makes your uthappam thick,crisp and soft at the same time.
3. Addition of chat masala/garam masala is optional but gives a nice chatpata flavor to dosa and also the touch of Mumbai street food to it.
4. Do not make aloo palya in the traditional south Indian style with the addition of chana dal and urad dal,a bite into them while eating uthappam will not taste nice.But you can use it if you have it in hand,no Hard rules!!
5. For a Vegan version use only oil and avoid ghee in the recipe.

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