Sooji utthapam (semolina pancake)

One of my aunt's introduced our family to this quick n yummy idea.

Ingredients:

Yoghurt - 2 cups
Sooji (semolina) - 2 cups
Salt to taste
Finely chopped Green chillies (if you can take it)
Ginger paste (1/2 tea spoon)
Grated cabbage (optional)
Finely chopped tomatoes (optional)
Any of your favorite vegetable chopped (optional)
Peas(optional)

Mix yoghurt, sooji (semolina) and salt. Add water to adjust consistency to pour. Let it sit overnight or more in refrigerator or outside. The idea is to let it get little sour. I generally use the mix over a period of 3-5 days.

When you are ready to cook add any of the veggies you prefer in the amount you prefer. I generally cook it plain and eat it just like that or with sambhar (a little spicy and tangy lentil soup).

Sometimes I add green chillies, ginger, cabbage and tomato to the mix.

Process:

Heat the nonstick pan. Pour the mix and cook it on one side like pancakes. Flip it over. Apply butter if you want. I sometimes apply lil butter and sometimes not. I like it crispy so I cook it little longer on low flame and  add small amount of butter.

ENJOY !!!!!!

Dalia (wheat porridge)

I hated it when my mom made me eat this for breakfast while growing up. But now I kind of like it. P.S. no one ever tells mom about that.

The basic dalia is simple. 

Ingredients: 

1) Cracked Wheat - 1/2 cup

2) Split  Moong dal - 1/2 cup (It is a a lentil green in color) 

3) Brown rice - 1/4 cup or less

4) A pinch of turmeric powder (optional)

5) Salt to taste.

6) Water - 4 cups (you might want more or less depending on consistency that you prefer) I generally add more.

Add all the ingredients in pressure cooker and cook according to pressure cookers instructions. 

I use 

http://www.amazon.com/Futura-Hawkins-Anodized-Pressure-Cooker/dp/B000GR7776/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1348459700&sr=8-6&keywords=prestige+pressure+cooker

15 mins and done. It comes out like oat meal.

You can eat it directly like this for breakfast or lunch. 

Me being me .. don't like such bland food. So, I generally eat it with soups (sambhar, a lentil based soup or kadhi, a yoghurt based soup. I will add them to the blog as well). 

If I don't have time for making soups then I just season the porridge well enough. I have listed one of the seasoning here: 

http://healthy-n-quick-food.blogspot.com/2012/03/namkeen-khichadi-brown-rice-lentil.html

There are tonnes of other ways to season it. My mom adds vegetables like tomato, peas etc while preparing the seasoning. 

start your week with energy !!

Monday morning blues :)

Ok here is one quick and healthy and surprisingly (not really) tasty way for monday morning breakfast.

1 Apple + couple of scoops of yoghurt + few strawberries + vitamix magic.

Sip it at or home or carry it with you during morning commute. And you are good to go.

Nutrition: Iron + calcium + tonnes of vitamin C and bit of Vit D as well.

Time less than 5 min including prep and cleaning.

Ingredients: Can be stored easily for few days. And generally available. Instead of fresh strawberries using frozen ones make it readily available.