Dahi baingan/ Brinjal curry

 Dahi baingan/ Brinjal curry 

Dahi baingan is a unique and delicious combination of brinjal in curd curry. It is a popular cuisine of Orissa and Bengal. It is a quick and easy recipe prepared with just a handful of ingredients easily available in kitchen. This lip smacking brinjal curry is best served in lunch or dinner.  

Recipe notes -

1. Add spices to taste.

2. Whisk curd properly. There should be no lumps.

Ingredients -

12 small brinjal (sliced)

1 tbsp cooking oil

Other Ingredients - 

2 tbsp cooking oil

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp ginger garlic grated/ minced

1 onion chopped

5 tsp gram flour/ besan

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp kasuri methi

1 cup water

2 cup curd (whisked properly)

Ingredients for garnish - 

2 tbsp coriander leaves

1/4 tsp roasted sesame seeds 

Method - 

1. Heat oil in a wok. Add sliced brinjals and fry on medium slow flame. Stir in between. 

2. Cover and cook on slow flame until all the sliced brinjals are golden and properly cooked. It will take 5-6 minutes. Switch off the flame. 

3. Properly cooked.

4. Remove it in a plate and keep aside. 

5. In the same wok add oil and heat it. Add cumin seeds and ginger garlic. Saute it for few second. 

6. Add onion and fry till golden. 

7. Add gram flour and fry/ roast for 5 minutes on slow flame. 

8. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, kasuri methi and garam masala. Mix well on slow flame.

9. Mix.

10. Add water and mix. Keep cooking on slow flame.

11. Add whisked curd and mix on slow flame. 

12. Stir continuously so that it mixes well. 

13. Add salt and cooked brinjal. 

14. Mix well. 

15. Cover and cook on slow flame for 5 minutes. Switch off the flame. 

16. Open the lid and mix well. 

17. Add coriander leaves and mix. 

18. Transfer to a serving bowl. Add few coriander leaves and roasted sesame seeds. 

19. Serve hot with rice, chapati or naan. 

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Foxtail millet appam

 Foxtail millet appam 

Appam is healthy, gluten free and easy to make dish. These appam's are prepared with fermented foxtail millet and urad dal batter combined with onion, coriander leaves and spices. Foxtail millet is low in fat and rich in dietary fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals. 

Quick tip -

1. Add water to millet level for soaking foxtail millet. 

2. Fermented batter can be stored in fridge. 

Ingredients - 

1 cup foxtail millet

1/2 cup white urad dal

To taste salt

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1 onion finely chopped

3-4 tbsp coriander leaves 

Method -

1. Wash and soak foxtail millet for 6-7 hours. 

2. Wash and soak white urad dal for 6-7 hours. 

3. After 7 hours drain the water and add urad dal in mixer jar. 

4. Add water little by little and grind it to a smooth batter. 

5. Remove urad dal batter in a big bowl. 

6. Add drained foxtail millet in mixer jar. 

7. Add very little water and grind it to a smooth batter. 

8. Remove it in the same bowl having dal batter. 

9. Mix well with your hands. 

10. Cover and keep aside for 8 hours or overnight to ferment. 

11. Fermented batter. 

12. Perfectly fermented. 

13. Mix well. 

14. Add salt, red chilli powder, onion, coriander leaves and mix well. 

15. Mix well. 

16. Heat appam pan. Pour a drop of oil in all the appam holes and pour batter with a spoon in it. Let it cook on slow flame.  

17. Cover and cook on slow flame. 

18. It will puff a little and top will dry up from sides.  

19. Now turn its side with a spoon. Keep cooking on slow flame. Keep turning the sides after an interval.  

20. Cook till both sides are properly cooked. 

21. Foxtail millet appam are ready. 

22. Transfer to a serving plate. Serve with hot sambar. Garnish with coriander leaves. 

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Quinoa idli/ Instant quinoa idli/ Gluten free quinoa idli

Quinoa idli/ Instant quinoa idli/ Gluten free quinoa idli 

Quinoa idli is gluten free, nutritious and wholesome meal in itself. These are instant quinoa idli's which require no fermentation. These are healthy, low carb and protein rich idli's. These soft, spongy and wholesome idli's can be served in breakfast or mid day meal. These super grain idli's are prepared by mixing quinoa flour and  oats flour with curd, water, spices and then steamed in idli cooker. 

Quick tip - 

1. Adjust spices according to taste.

2. For Quinoa flour -

I have used pre-rinsed quinoa. Incase 'quinoa' is not pre-rinsed then rinse quinoa with water and sun-dry it completely. Then dry roast it in a wok. Let it cool. Grind it. Powder quinoa/ quinoa flour is ready.

3. For Oats flour - dry roast oats. Let it cool completely. Grind it to a fine powder. Oats flour is ready.

4. Tempering is optional. But adding tempering to idli batter makes idli more flavourful. 

5. If required add a teaspoon of water. Not more than that. Idli batter should be of dropping consistency. 

 Ingredients -

1 cup quinoa flour

1/2 cup oats flour

1 cup curd

3/4 cup water

To taste salt

1/2 tsp sambhar masala

1/2 tsp baking soda 

For tempering -

2 tbsp mustard oil

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp white urad dal

1/2 tsp grated ginger

1 tsp green chilli paste 

Method -

1. Add quinoa flour, oats flour, salt and curd and mix well. 

2. Add water and mix well. There should be no lumps. 

3. Heat oil in a wok. Add cumin seeds,  mustard seeds, urad dal, ginger and green chilli paste. Let it saute for few seconds. Switch off the flame. Tempering is ready.

4. Mix tempering in the idli batter. Keep aside for 30 minutes. 

5. Mix well.

6. Add sambhar masala and mix. 

7. The batter consistency should be thick but dropping. 

8. Add baking soda and mix well.

9. If needed add a teaspoon of water and mix.

10. Add spoonful of batter in the greased idli moulds. 

11. Place moulds in the idli cooker and steam for 10-12 minutes on high flame. Switch off the flame. Let it cool a bit. 

12. Take out the idli moulds from the idli cooker. 

13. De-mould idli's.

14. Quinoa idli is ready. 

15. Transfer to a serving plate/ bowl. 

16. Serve hot with sambhar and coconut chutney. 

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