Savory Modak, Uppu Kozhukattai, Ganesh Chaturthi Special
In Southern India, It is customary to offer Savory Modak or Uppu Kozhukattai which is a Ganesh Chaturthi Special item along with sweet Modak to Lord Ganesha.
Author: fitnfastrecipes
Traditional Steamed Modak,Sweet Kozhukattai, Ukadiche Modak, Ganesh Chaturthi Special
Presenting a No fail recipe with some tips and tricks for Traditional Steamed Modak,Sweet Kozhukattai, Ukadiche Modak which is a Ganesh Chaturthi special recipe.ting a No fail recipe with some tips and tricks for Traditional Steamed Modak,Sweet Kozhukattai, Ukadiche Modak which is a Ganesh Chaturthi special recipe.
Traditionally Modak is shaped using hands.
Nowadays moulds are available which make the task simple. Yet to keep our tradition alive, lets try to make it the traditional way
Easiest Vegan Curry, Tricolor Poriyal, Poduthuval
On this Independence Day, I am happy to be sharing the recipe for this Easiest Vegan Curry in Tricolor, or Poriyal or Poduthuval as we call them in Southern India.
Sometimes the easiest of recipes can turn the trickiest. And this is one such recipe as it requires the right balance of texture and color.
It used to be a struggle for me to get the brightest color for my Poriyals without compromising on texture. And then I came to know of OPOS Technique (Thanks to my friend Anu!).
OPOS, which stands for One Pot One Shot, is a cooking style developed by B Ramakrishnan from Chennai. OPOP uses scientific technique to cook vegetables in their own juices using Flash cooking method. This helps to retain maximum nutrients.
I have used this technique here only to cook the veggies since this is a fail proof technique and if you follow it correctly, you are surely going to get the right color and texture for the vegetables.
This Poriyal or Poduthuval in Tricolor is indeed the Easiest Vegan Curry since it takes just a few minutes to prep and exactly 6 minutes to cook.
Today being Independence Day, I have used vegetables which represent the tricolor of the Indian Flag.
This uses very light spices and hence brings out the true flavors of vegetables.
Variations and Serving Suggestions
You can make Poriyal, which is a simple south indian style curry, with many vegetables like French Beans, Cabbage, Carrot, Snake gourd, Long Beans, Raw Jackfruit etc.
Serve this Satvik, Gluten Free, Vegan Curry as healthy snack items or side dish.
Poriyals taste best with Rice and Sambhar and are part of everyday meals in Southern India. In Tamilnadu, people call it Poriyal whereas in Kerala, we call it Poduthuval.
You may check some more Satvik Recipes of mine here.
Easiest Vegan Curry, Tricolor Poriyal, Poduthuval
This Poriyal or Poduthuval in Tricolor is indeed the Easiest Vegan Curry since it takes just a few minutes to prep and exactly 6 minutes to cook.
Today being Independence Day, I have used vegetables which represent the tricolor of the Indian Flag.
This uses very light spices and hence brings out the true flavors of vegetables.
Vegetables to Steam
- 1 Tsp Coconut Oil
- ¼ cup Water
- 1 cup White Cabbage. (Finely Chopped.)
- 1 cup French Beans (Finely Chopped.)
- 1 cup Carrots (Finely Chopped)
- 1 tsp salt
To crush together
- 2 Nos Green Chillies
- ¼ cup Grated Fresh Coconut
For tempering
- 1 tsp Coconut Oil
- ½ tsp Black Mustard Seeds
- 1 tsp Whole Urad
- 1 sprig Curry Leaves
Take a 2 Litre Pressure Cooker
Add 1 tsp Oil.
Add 1/4 cup Water.
Add Carrot to the bottom most layer.
Then add Beans.
Add Cabbage to the top most layer.
Add Salt.
Close the lid and cook for 2 whistles or 6 minutes whichever is earlier.
Release pressure immediately with the help of a fork or spoon.
Open Lid and let cool.
Prepare Tempering
In a Pan, heat a tsp of coconut Oil.
Add Mustard Seeds.
When Mustard Seeds crackle, add Urad Dal/White Lentil.
Add a sprig of curry leaves. Turn off the flame as soon as Urad turns pink.
Add this tempering to Curry.
Roughly Pound
Add grated coconut and green chillies to a mortar and pestle. Or, put them in a Blender and pulse.
Add this to the curry
Mix everything and Serve.
Serve with Rice or have it as a healthy salad or side dish.
Vegan Semolina Mango Cake
In the season of Mango, here is an easy recipe for a Vegan Semolina Mango Cake.
All you need is one Bowl and 5 minutes of prep time to make this delicious cake or loaf. Have it as a breakfast loaf or turn it into a delicious dessert with a little variation.
Chickpea Curry with Mustard Paste/Besan ki Machhli
This is a very popular vegetarian curry from Bihar and Jharkhand region. This Chickpea curry with Mustard Paste is popularly known as Besan ki Machhli.
Machhli in Hindi means fish. A base of yellow mustard paste is the key ingredient for this cuisine and the same base is normally used for fish curry. Hence the name Machhli.
Healthy No-Bake Energy Bites in Two Ways
Here is a simple recipe for Healthy No-Bake Energy Bites in Two Ways. Make and keep these Grab-n-Go Energy Bites handy to get you through your day.
Whether you are heading out to work, or for a day at the park, or on a road trip, These Healthy No-Bake Energy Bites in Two Ways are perfect snack to keep hunger at bay.
Loaded with nutrients, these portable snacks carry the goodness from Oats, Peanuts, Seeds and good sources of fat. Addition of some extra protein in the form of Protein Powder makes these Energy Bites a perfect Pre/Post Workout Snack.
There is no cooking involved to make these. Only roasting of all ingredients is required to enhance the flavor. And for seeds like flax and sesame, roasting helps to crisp up and bring out the natural oil which lends a shiny texture to these bites.
I have used natural sweeteners like Dates and Honey in this recipe. For the Vegan option, you can replace Honey with Maple syrup.
Flaxseeds are not new to India cuisines. They have been available and in use since decades. Consumed in every region of India, we know them with different names in different states like Tisi, Alsi, Jawas.
These days, of course, flax seed is considered a staple in the nutrition world and is known for being an excellent source of healthy omega-3 fatty acids and fiber.
Two Delicious Ways to make this recipe
You can make these Healthy No-Bake Energy Bites in Two Ways. The first way is to dry roast all ingredients (except wet ones) and then directly make balls without grinding them. This tastes equally delicious and saves grinding time.
The pictures below represent the second way wherein I have ground all dry ingredients after roasting and then added wet ingredients and formed balls. Depending on whether you prefer coarse or fine texture for the balls, you can pick your option.
So please try this recipe for Healthy snack, Oats Ladoo and leave a comment and let me know how it turned out for you.
Please check my other dessert recipes here.
Healthy No-Bake Energy Bites in Two Ways
Here is a simple recipe for Healthy No-Bake Energy Bites in Two Ways. Make and keep these Grab-n-Go Energy Bites handy to get you through your day.
Whether you are heading out to work, or for a day at the park, or on a road trip, These Healthy No-Bake Energy Bites are perfect snack to keep hunger at bay
Ingredients to be Ground together
- 1½ cups Rolled Oats. (Dry Roasted.)
- ¾ cup Peanuts. (Dry Roasted.)
- ¼ cup Dry unsweetened Coconut flakes
- 2 tbsp Roasted Flax Seeds
- 2 tbsp Roasted Sesame Seeds
- 12 Nos Soft Dates. (If you don't have soft dates then soak Dates in milk for sometime and then use.)
- ¼ cup Unflavored Protein Powder
- ¼ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1 tsp Cinnamon powder
Ingredients to be added to Ground Mixture.
- ¼ cup Peanut Butter
- ¼ cup Honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Method 1-For Coarse Balls.
Add Roasted Peanuts and Dates to a small mixer jar.
Blend Coarsely.
Add all other ingredients one by one.
Wet hands with a little water.
Make small balls.
Method 2-for smooth Balls, follow below steps:
Put all ingredients which are to be ground together in a Blender Jar.
Grind to fine powder.
Add ingredients which are to be added later.
Mix everything together.
Make small Balls. This ratio will yield 25 small balls.
Easy Red Lentil Fudge/ Indian style Burfi
Today is a very popular festival in India-Raksha Bandhan. For this festival, let’s make a super delicious, melt in mouth Easy Red Lentil Fudge/Indian Style Burfi.
Desserts are the highlight of any Indian festival.No indian festival is complete without a touch of sweets.
Mango Kadhi, Manga Morkootan from Southern India
Manga Morkootan is a delicious coconut gravy based side dish made with semi ripe mangoes. This is widely consumed with rice during summer season when mangoes are found in abundance in entire India
Two No-Cook Summer Desserts
Beat the heat with these Two No-Cook Summer Desserts which can be made under two minutes. Make these for your next party and indulge into a healthy treat.
Pizzas and Ice Creams are every kids favourite. Why not try this healthier version of Pizza and Ice Cream for your kid’s next party and sneak in some extra nutrients in the form of fruits.
These two recipes will excite kids as well as adults. During summer, take a break from the kitchen since these are Two No-Cook Summer Desserts. The best part is that these two are fruit based desserts. So you get hidden benefits from fruits.
The first recipe is Banana Nice Cream and the second Recipe is Greek Watermelon Pizza.
Nice creams are slowly gaining popularity across the globe. Why not start your first step with this simple recipe which is easy to make.
Typically in a Nice cream, Banana is given a cream kind of a texture. But I wanted to keep this recipe short and simple. Hence I took a whole banana and tried to disguise it as a chocobar.
The second recipe, which is Greek Watermelon Pizza is an easy dessert bursting with fresh summer fruits.
Watermelon is the best summer fruit containing loads of water and due to its neutral flavor, pairs well with any other ingredient.
Please do try these recipes and leave your comment to let me know how they turned out for you.
You may check my other Dessert recipes under Breads and Cakes.
Two No-Cook Summer Desserts
These two recipes will excite kids as well as adults. During summer season, take a break from kitchen since these two recipes are No-Cook recipes. Beat the heat with these two cold desserts which can be made under two minutes.The best part is that these two are fruit based desserts. So all the more reason to definitely give them a try.
The first recipe is Banana Nice Cream and the second Recipe is Greek Watermelon Pizza.
Recipe 1 Banana Nice Cream
- 2 Nos Ripe Bananas
- ½ cup Dark chocolate chips
- ¼ cup Hot Milk
- 2 tbsp crushed nuts of choice
- 1 tbsp any sprinkler
Recipe 2 Greek Watermelon Pizza
- 1 slice watermelon. (Cut a round slice from a watermelon.)
- 2 tbsp Hung Curd or Greek Yogurt.
- ¼ piece cucumber
- 6 piece strawberries
- 6 piece blueberries
- 2 tbsp feta cheese
- 6 nos Basil Leaves
- 1 tsp salt
Recipe 1 Banana Nice Cream
Peel Bananas. Cut into halves.
Insert wooden skewer sticks into each half.
Put in a stasher bag and deep freeze for an hour.
Add hot milk to choco chip and make ganache. Make it just when you want to have the Nice cream. It may solidify if made ahead. If that happens, reheat in microwave or double boiler.
Take the frozen bananas out of freezer and coat them well with ganache.
Sprinkle crushed nuts or sprinklers of your choice.
Chill and enjoy a cool Banana Nice cream
Recipe 2 Greek Watermelon Pizza
Cut a round slice out of a watermelon. The slice can be roughly about an inch think.
Spread some Greek Yogurt or hung curd on top.
Top with seasonal vegetables or fruits of your choice. I used Cucumber, Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries.
Spread some feta cheese on top.
Add Basil leaves and sprinkle some salt.
Cut into wedges and enjoy a healthy cold pizza.
EGGLESS,WHOLE WHEAT, MUFFIN WITH LEFTOVER CEREAL
This a perfect recipe for an eggless, whole wheat, muffin with leftover cereal or granola.Whether you are 8 or 80, this muffin is an absolute delight