Barley & Red Rice Salad

This is a modified version of the salad that Viky Ratnani demonstrated in one of his shows. First time, i felt I had a healthy salad that tasted as good as a chaat. 

Ingredients:

1. Steamed red rice - 3/4 cup
2. Steamed barley - 1/2 cup
3. Cooked rajma - 1/2 cup
4. Pomegranate beads - a handful
5. Coriander - 3 tbsp finely chopped
6. Onion - 1 chopped
7. Orange - 1/2
8. Lemon - 1/2
9. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Olive oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

Step 1: Drain the water from cooked rice, barley and rajma. Spread them in a wide bowl to let the moisture evaporate.
Step 2: Add pomegranate beads, coriander, chopped onion and toss well with olive oil.
Step 3: Add this to cooked grains; then squeeze in orange juice, lemon juice, sprinkle pepper, salt and mix well.
Step 4: Serve chilled or as is.

Tri-root Cutlet

This again is an experimental attempt as a beginner. I had eaten one sweet chutney from north called sont or saunt which is an ideal combination for cutlets or tikkis; it is such an explosion of tastes inside the mouth that we can’t understand which is complimenting which. Okay, here we are discussing the cutlet part…

Ingredients:

1. Potato - 1/2 cup semicooked & shredded
2. Yam - 1/2 cup semicooked & shredded
3. Sweet potato - 1/2 cup semicooked & shredded
4. Corn flour - 2 tbsp
5. Bread crumbs - 1/4 cup
6. Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
7. Coriander chopped - 2 tbsp
8. Salt as per taste
9. Oil as required

Method:

Step 1: Take the shredded vegetables in a bowl and add salt, bread crumbs, corn flour, crushed saunf and coriander and mix well.
Step 2: Shallow fry them in a tawa
Step 3: Serve hot with chutney/ sauce

Groundnut Chutney

Peanuts are known as 'poor man's almonds', (not that rich people make almond chutney to have with idlis ;)) they are so rich in protein and have most properties of nuts while they are actually legumes. Gandhiji had lived on fruits, goat's milk and groundnuts alone; I mean to say groundnuts are that very wholesome and happily India is second largest producer of groundnuts in the world.

Ingredients:

1. Roasted peanuts - 1 cup
2. Dry red chillis - 2 or 3
4. Tamarind - 10 gms or 1 tsp tamarind pulp
5. Garlic - 3 cloves
6. Salt to taste
7. 1/2 cup water

    For seasoning:
10. Oil - 1 tbsp
11. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
12. Urad dal - 1 tbsp
13. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
14. Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Method:

Step 1: In a kadai, dry roast the peanuts in low to medium heat until the aroma emanates and the moisture completely evaporates. Let it cool down for 10 minutes. Roast the chilies with few drops of oil.

Step 2: Grind the roasted peanuts, chilies, tamarind, garlic along with salt and half a cup of water.

Step 3: Heat oil in a pan for seasoning; splutter the mustard seeds, add the urad dal and let it turn golden brown. Add curry leaves asafoetida and pour the tempering over the chutney.

Step 4: Serve with idlis or dosas; some people like it with rotis or steamed rice.

TIPS:
* Soak the tamarind in warm water for 10 minutes to grind easily.
* Peel off the skin by rubbing the roasted peanuts on rough surface and then blowing away the husk; the chutney is lighter in color this way. I prefer with skin because they are good for health, nice in color and am a bit lazy. I don't think there is much difference in taste though.