Simply Cooking and Health

Tuesday, 18 August 2015

Steamed roasted brown rice flour with grated coconut ( puttu)

Puttu is a traditional food found in South Asian countries such as South India, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Malaysia. It is also sometimes pronounced as pittu (especially in Sri Lanka).

Today I am going to make puttu with equal proportion of brown rice flour and white rice flour. You can use less white rice flour.You can make entirely of brown rice flour or white rice flour or all purpose flour or any combination of them. The method of preparation is the same. Puttu made entirely of brown rice flour will taste a little rough. When made entirely of all purpose flour will be very soft.

Recipe summary
For
Steamed roasted brown rice flour with grated coconut
(puttu)

Preparation time:30 minutes
Cooking time: 5-7 minutes
Serves: 4

1. You need a steamer to make this dish.

2. Take one cup of white rice flour and set aside.

Main ingredients

3. In a large bowl add the 2 cups of brown and two cups of white rice flour and 1 tsp salt. Mix well.

4. Add two cups of water and mix well with a long chopstick or the handle of a ladle . It will not form a dough because the water is not sufficient. It will form into large crumbles.

5. Put the mixed flour in a food processor with the S blade. Pulse a couple of times.

In the food processor

6. More water will make larger crumbles and less water will make smaller crumbles. If the water is less add water. If water is more add flour. You want the crumbles to resemble slightly bigger than couscous. That will be very tasty. Get the size of the crumbles to suite your taste.

7. In the steamer spread some scrapped coconut. You will need 50 grams of coconut.

Puttu with shredded coconut

8. Add some of the puttu crumbles. Then add shredded coconut. Mix using a fork. Repeat the process, making layers of puttu and coconut and add all the flour.

9. Heat the water in the steamer base until it is boiling. Now place the steamer on top and then the lid. Let the water boil for about 8 to 10 minutes or until you see steam coming out from the top. When steam comes out from the top it means the puttu is cooked.
You will get a nice smell. Remove the steamer.

10. The puttu can be served with some spicy meat curry, fried egg. If you are a vegetarian with spicy fried potato,soft fried brinjal or coconut sambol.

Steamed roasted brown rice flour with grated coconut
(puttu)is ready.

Recipe follows in detail with pictures.

Preparation time:30 minutes
Cooking time: 5-7 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
Main
2 cups brown rice flour
3 cups white rice flour
50 grams shredded coconut
3 cups of water (hot water)
Others
salt to taste

You need a steamer to make this dish.

Ingredients for Steamed roasted brown rice flour with grated coconut ( puttu)

Method
Take one cup of white rice flour and set aside.

In a large bowl add the 2 cups of brown and two cups of white rice flour and 1 tsp salt and Mix well.

Mixed brown and white flour

Add two cups of water and mix well with a long chopstick or something like it . It will not form a dough because the water is not sufficient. It will form into large crumbles. This is what we want.

Mixed with water

mix water accordingly.You can always mix water in between the process.

Put the flour in a food processor with the S blade.
Pulse a couple of times.

In the food processor

More water will make larger crumbles and less water will make smaller crumbles. If the water is less add water. If water is more add flour. You want the crumbles to resemble slightly bigger than couscous. That will be very tasty.

Add water or flour and pulse a few time until you get the desired consistency.

In the steamer spread some scrapped coconut.

Coconut sprinkled in a steamer

Add some of the puttu crumbles. Then add shredded coconut
Mix using a fork. Repeat the process till all flour is added.

Puttu with shredded coconut

Heat the water in the steamer base until it is boiling. Now place the steamer on top and then the lid. Let the water boil for about 8 to 10 minutes or until you see steam coming out from the top. When steam comes out from the top it means the puttu is cooked.
You will get a nice smell. Remove the steamer.

Ready for steaming in a steamer

The puttu can be served with some spicy meat curry, fried egg. If you are a vegetarian with spicy fried potato,soft fried brinjal or coconut sambol.

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Sunday, 16 August 2015

Stocks

Stock is essential in making soups and stews. Stock forms the base for soups and stews. Adding a little stock to a stir-fry goes a long way in improving its taste.

Vegetable stock

Most commonly used stock is vegetable stock. Vegetable stock is fairly neutral and can be used in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Celery

Carrot

2 onions, diced

3 carrots, diced

3 celery stalks, diced

Celery

1 bay leaf

1 small bunch parsley, diced

1 teaspoon whole peppercorns

1 tablespoon olive oil

Onion

Olive oil

I like to keep the taste of stock as neutral as possible. I avoid using strongly flavoured condiments like garlic and ginger to my stock. If you are making a broth you can add such condiments. Broth is consumed on its own and stock is not.

parsely

Method

In a large stock pot add the olive oil. Heat it up. when the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium and add onion, carrot, celery and parsley. Fry for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add enough water to cover all the vegetables. Idea is to make a stock that is as strong as possible. When using the stock you can dilute it as required.

Bring the stock to a boil on high heat. Reduce the heat low and let the stock simmer for 30 minutes, covered.

Strain the liquid through a sieve and discard the vegetables.

Stock can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to a month.

You can use practically any vegetable for making vegetable stock. I often make vegetable juice in a Hurom slow juicer, which discards fibrous parts of the vegetables. I collect the discarded items and throw them into the stock pot. They make the stock tastier.

Chicken stock

Chicken stock is the most commonly used stock after vegetable stock. It can be used in the preparation of other meats as well.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

All ingredients of the vegetable stock above.

Carcass of one or two chicken and some chicken meat like wings.

Chicken bones

Method

Cooking process is same as that for vegetable stock. Add the chicken parts to the vegetables before frying.

Normally I will simmer the chicken stock for 45 minutes instead of 30 minutes for my vegetable stock.

Ikan bilis stock

This is the easiest stock to make.

Ikan bilis is salted and dried anchovies. It is available in all Asian grocery stores. You don't need high quality ikan bilis, which is used for frying and cooking. Lower grade will be acceptable.

Preparation time:15 minutes

Cooking time:30 minutes

Ingredients

100 gram packet of ikan bilis (dried anchovy)

3 cloves garlic, diced

2" piece of ginger, peeled and diced

1 litre water

Wash he ikan bilis very thoroughly ( 2 or 3 times).

Method

In a stock pot add all the ingredients. Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.

Strain the liquid and discard the solid.

Ikan bilis stock is ready.

Stock cubes

If you do not have any chicken or vegetable stock which a recipe calls for, you can make it with stock cubes. All the stocks in this article are available in the form of stock cubes.

Generally you can add about 500 ml of water to each stock cube to get acceptable quality of stock. The problem is that the stock cube will have more salt than you would normally add to your home made stock. If you find the stock made this way is too salty you can dilute the stock with more water or reduce the amount of stock cube you add to the water by crumbling or cutting the stock cube into smaller pieces. You can also reduce the quantity or eliminate the amount of salt called for in the recipe.

Stock cube

Saturday, 15 August 2015

Mild and easy Masoor dal ( Red Lentil) with coconut milk

Masoor dal, also known as red lentils, is a soft lentil which does not require soaking before cooking. But you can soak it for an hour before cooking as it will be faster.It is nutritious with 26% protein content. It cooks quickly. In 20 minutes it will be cooked if covered, but must take care as the foam will overflow I do not cover.. When cooked this red lentil takes a golden color. Because of its pleasant flavor and ease of cooking, it is found a place in the cuisine of many cultures in all parts of the world. In India it is often cooked with rice to make filling one-dish meal.

Mild and easy Masoor dal ( Red Lentil) with coconut milk

Recipe summary
For
Mild and easy Masoor dal ( Red Lentil) with coconut milk

Preparation time:10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

1. In a medium sized pan add 200 grams Masoor dal, washed and drained, coarsely chopped 90 grams onion, 1 green chili sliced thin, 4 cloves garlic sliced thin, 10 curry cut finely, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and 10 grams ginger chopped finely and 2 cups water.

Dhal,onion,garlic,chili curry leaves

2. Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered. You can add more water if needed.

3.Once the dal is cooked, Add ½ tsp cumin powder and ½ tsp pepper powder.

Masoor Dhal curry

Cook about 10 minutes.

Add ½ cup coconut milk and ½ tsp salt. Cook for three minutes and take the pan off the heat.
The curry is ready. It can be served with rice or bread like chapati.

Mild and easy Masoor dal ( Red Lentil) with coconut milk is ready.

Variation 1
Instead of just adding cumin and pepper powder, you can pound 1 teaspoon cumin, 10 pepper corns and a garlic in a mortar and pestle and drop into the boiling dal.
First pound cumin with 5 drops of water.

Ground ingredients added

Then add peppercorn and pound coarsely.
Add 1 clove garlic and crush slightly.
Add ½ tsp salt
Simmer and add coconut milk.
Simmer for 5 minutes and remove from fire. and serve with rice or bread.

variation 2
You can do a tempering after the curry is done and add to the finished curry.

Tempering

Method
Heat 1 Tb spoon oil in a pan or a wok add 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds and let it fry and splutter.
Add 2 dry chili slit into half and fry for a minute.
Add sliced onion and fry till it is crispy. Don't let it burn.Keep on stirring.
Fry till it is crispy.Don't let it burn.Keep on stirring.
Add 7 curry leaves and stir.You will get a nice aroma.
Quickly pour into the pan with dal curry which is already removed from fire and cover the pot.

Tempered onion,dry chili and curry leaves added to dal curry

Few minutes later you can stir the curry.
If the wok you are doing tempering is big enough to handle the cooked curry, just pour the curry into the wok and cover and switch off the fire.Take care when you do this it might splutter on you.

Preparation time:10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients
Main

Masoor dal onion, garlic,chili, curry leaves cumin and pepper corn

200 grams Masoor dal, washed and drained
Others
90 grams onion, coarsely chopped
1 green chili, sliced thin
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thin
10 grams ginger (optional)
10 curry leaves
Spices
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp pepper powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder

2 cups water
½ cup coconut milk
½ tsp salt

Method
In a medium sized pan add dal,onion,garlic curry leaves,turmeric powder and water.You can add ginger too.

Dhal,onion,garlic,chili curry leaves

Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered.

Dal,onion,garlic,chili curry leaves turmeric powder and water

Once the dal is cooked

Dal is cooked

Add cumin and pepper powder.

Adding pepper powder and cumin

Cook about 10 minutes.

Add coconut milk and salt. Cook for three minutes and take the pan off the heat.

Adding coconut milk

The curry is ready. It can be served with rice or bread like chapati.

Variation

Instead of just adding cumin and pepper powder, you can pound cumin, pepper corns and a garlic in a mortar and pestle and drop into the boiling dal

First pound cumin with 5 drops of water.

Then add peppercorn and pound coarsely

Add garlic and crush slightly.

Cumin,pepper,and garlic being ground in a pestle and mortar

.Add to the dal. It will be very aromatic and tasty. You can grind using a grinder

Ground ingredients added

Add salt

Simmer and add coconut milk.

Simmer for 5 minutes and remove from fire.and serve with rice or bread.

Note

In addition to give more aroma and taste:

You can do a tempering after the curry is done and add to the finished curry.

Ingredients
1 onion - sliced
2 dry chili
7 curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 Tb spoon oil

Method
Heat oil in pan or a wok add mustard seeds and let it fry and splutter.
( I skipped it)
Add dry chili and fry for a minute.

Frying dry chili

Add sliced onion fry till it is crispy.Don't let it burn.Keep on stirring.

Adding onion

Fry till it is crispy.Don't let it burn.Keep on stirring.

Crispy Onion fry for tempering

Add curry leaves and stir.You will get a nice aroma.

curry leaves added

Quickly pour into the pan with dal curry which is already removed from fire and cover the pot.

Tempered onion,dry chili and curry leaves added to dal curry

Few minutes later you can stir the curry.

Dhal curry stirred with tempered items.

If the wok you are doing tempering is big enough to handle the cooked curry just pour the curry into the wok and cover and switch off the fire.Take care when you do this it might splutter on you.

Masoor dal ( Red Lentil) with coconut milk with added tempering.

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Sunday, 9 August 2015

Easy Butternut Pumpkin and cheese sandwich spread

The slightly sweet pumpkin and salty cheese made this sandwich extremely delicious.

Easy Butternut Pumpkin
and cheese sandwich spread

Recipe summary
For
Easy Butternut Pumpkin and cheese sandwich spread

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 2 minutes
Serves:4

Easy Butternut Pumpkin
and cheese sandwich spread

1. Boil 50 grams dried mung dal, fully covered in water for 15 minutes.

Ingredients

2. Mix the following ingredients:150 grams butternut pumpkin, julienned; 50 grams bok-choy(green leaf) finely chopped;20 grams mint leaves, finely chopped; boiled mung dal; 80 grams onion, finely chopped; 1 small green chili, finely sliced; 1 small red chili, finely sliced; 3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced;
1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.

3. Mix all the ingredients in a medium sized microwave safe bowl or plate.