Garlic Thovial

As we were brought up by our granny who does not eat garlic, garlic takes place very rarely in our cooking. But knowing of the abundance of goodness that the garlic offers I started bringing it closer in my kitchen. My niece has taken it too very closely I would say, from the time she started eating solid food, garlic has impressed her so much and it continues to be her favorite even now. This dish is a way where we can easily add a couple of fistful of garlic in a breakfast or dinner.

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 2 minutes

Ingredients:

1. Garlic - 2 pods

2. Coconut grated - 5 tbsp

3. Dry chilies - 3-4

4. Tamarind - 2 marble sized

5. Salt to taste

6. Oil - 1 tbsp

7. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

8. Urad dal - 1/2 tbsp

Method:

Step 1: Peel the garlic cloves; roast them in few drops of oil.

Step 2: Roast dry chilies with a drop of oil.

Step 3: Prepare tempering by spluttering mustard seeds in hot oil and frying urad dal in it. Keep aside.

Step 4: In a mixer jar, take grated coconut, roasted chilies & garlic, tamarind, enough salt and grind into a coarse paste with some water.

                     

Step 5: Mix it with the prepared tempering and serve with idli, dosa or even rice.

Plain Banana Ckae

The other day I had baked a banana cake. I bake cakes in a pressure cooker on stove and they come out really well. I used less sugar expecting the bananas to be very sweet but the cake was less sweet; however I have given the corrected measure.

Ingredients:

1. All purpose flour - 1 cup

2. Sugar - 1 1/2 cups

3. Banana - 5 small or 2 big

4.Butter - 3/4 cup

5. Baking powder - 1 tsp

6. Baking soda - 1 pinch

7. Vanilla essence - 2 drops

Method:

Step 1: Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl.

Step 2: Beat softened butter and sugar into a smooth paste and add mashed or pureed banana and vanilla essence to it and mix well.

Step 3: Grease and dust a baking tin and preheat the oven or cooker.

Step 4: Fold the dry ingredients in the wet mixture and mix thoroughly, add few drops of milk if the consistency is too thick.

Step 5: Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake for 20-30 minutes.

TIPS:
* Coco powder can also be added to banana cake to give added flavor and color.
* Add nuts of your choice or some raisins or tutti fruitti.

Sprouts Pesarattu

I had lots of sprouted moong and wanted to use it in the main course for dinner today and amma gave this idea of pesarattu with sprouts. Because consistency did not work out, I mixed some rava to it and it came out well.

Ingredients:

1. Sprouted green gram - 2 cups
2. Rava/ Sooji - 1 cup
3. Onion - 1
4. Green chilies - 2
5. Ginger - 2" piece
6. Salt to taste
7. Oil as required
8. Coriander chopped - 2 tbsp

Method:

Step 1: In a mixer jar take sprouts, green chilies, onion, ginger and grind well into thin batter.

Step 2: To the batter add rava, salt, chopped coriander and mix well. Leave it for 30 minutes.

Step 3: Heat griddle or a dosa pan and grease it with some oil. Pour a ladle full of batter and spread it with the back of the ladle into a medium sized circle.

Step 4: Drizzle little oil around it and cover it with a lid. Simmer the heat and wait until the bottom side browns.
Step 5: Flip the pesarattu delicately, drizzle oil if required and cook it uncovered for 1 minute.

Step 6: Serve hot with coconut chutney or coriander chutney. Actually it is flavorful and tasty even without any side dish.