Express cooking (puri with kurma)

We have 2 entries from our blog for the summer express cooking event hosted by Shaheen . One from Latha and one from Viji.

Puri and Kurma by vijisriram

This evening tiffin can be prepared within 15 minutes. We have to cut the vegetables previous day and store in fridge in tupperware containers. Below given is the recipe for puri and kurma for two people.

Ingredients :

For the puri

• Atta – 1 cup
• Salt – to taste
• Ghee – 1 teaspoon
• Oil – 1 cup (for deep frying)
• Water – 1/2 cup

For the kurma :

• Carrots – 1
• Potatoes – 2
• Beans – 50 grams
• Coconut grated – 1 tea spoon
• Ginger garlic paste – 1 tea spoon
• Green chillies – 2
• Roasted gram – 1 tea spoon
• Sunflower oil – 1 tea spoon
• Salt – to taste
• Coriander leaves – a few

All the vegetables are previously cut and stored .
Potatoes, beans and carrots cut into medium size cubes and Onions chopped finely and tomatoes also cut finely and stored in the fridge.

Method :

1. First mix atta with a tea spoon of ghee and salt.
2. Knead it into a dough by adding water to it.
3. Make 8 small balls from the dough.(Total 3 minutes)
4. Take the already cut vegetables (carrot, beans and potatoes) from fridge.
5. Micro wave high adding 1 teaspoon oil,1 tablespoon water and 2 pinches of hing for 4 minutes
6. When the vegetable is cooking in the micro wave, Grind Coconut(grated), green chillies and roasted gram to a smooth paste.
7. Grind onion and tomato into a smooth paste.
8. Put on both the burners of the gas stove and keep in low flame.
9. Keep oil for frying puris in one, and heat kadai for kurma in the other and pour 2 tea spoons of sunflower oil.( 4 minutes)
10. First put the onion tomato paste, ginger garlic paste, fry for 1/2 minute till raw smell goes.
11. Now, add the coconut, chilli, roasted gram paste allow it to fry for 1/2 minute, add the cooked vegetables and salt.
12. Allow this to simmer for 2 minutes
13. Garnish the gravy with coriander leaves.(3 minutes)
14. Now start rolling the puris.
15. Put the puri,in the kadai of oil which is heated well, wait for a second, so that the puri becomes fluffy.
16. Now turn the puri again cook it for a few seconds.
17. Remove it from fire.Make rest of the puris in the same way.(5 minutes)

Serve hot with puris.

Since we have cut the vegetables previously, cooking time for the gravy will be 7 minutes. And puris can be prepared within 8 minutes.

1. Keep all the cut vegetables into a micro safe bowl .
2. Add water and cook at micro high for 4 minutes.
3. Keep this aside.
4. Add oil in a micro safe vessel, add onion tomato, ginger garlic paste to it.
5. Cook in micro high for 4 minutes.
6. Add the coconut, chilli, roasted gram paste to it, add the cooked vegetables and salt.
7. Cook in micro high for 3 minutes.

Garnish this kuruma with coriander leaves and serve hot with puris.

Tip :

Puris can be prepared immediately, after the dough is made.

If lukewarm water is added to knead the dough, puris will be soft for a very long time.

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Vara Maha Lakshmi Viratham

Details of Puja and Festival will be posted soon.

Update: I have started posting details. Festival is on 24th august.

Click here for more information and recipes for the special occasion.

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CAULIFLOWER RICE

This rice can be prepared quickly if you have the masala powder ready in your fridge.

Preparation time 10 minutes.

Cooking time 10 minutes.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• Rice – 1 cup
• Cauliflower – 1 and 1/2 cup (cut into florets)
• Green Peas – 1/2 (half) cup)
• 4 Curry leaves
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds (rai)
• Hing 1/8th of a tsp
• 2 tsp Oil
• 1 tsp Ghee

*Ingredients for the masala powder:

• 1 tbsp Corriander Seeds
• 2 tbsp Channa dal
• 2 tbsp Urad dal
• 3 dry Red chillies (reduce if you need less spicy)
• 1/6th tsp Hing (Asafoetida)
• 1 tbsp Cumin seeds (Jeera)
• 1/4th tsp Fenugreek seeds (Methi)
• 25mm (1 stick) Dalchini
• 1 Clove
• 1 Elachi (Green cardamom)
• 1/4th cup dry coconut grated

• 1 teaspoon oil

Method For the masala powder

1. Pour 1 tsp oil in a frying pan and roast the ingredients for the powder except dry coconut and roast in medium flame till it turns golden. Add dry coconut and fry for 10 seconds.
2. Grind the roasted ingredients in a mixer to coarse powder.
3. Store this powder in an air-tight container.

Method for the rice

1. Clean, wash and cook rice (for one portion of rice add 2 cups of water) – Prefer to use normal rice (not Basmati rice). Allow the rice to cook in any cooker. Each grain of the rice should be separate.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds. After the mustard seeds crackle, add Hing, Curry leaves, Turmeric Powder and Green Peas and saute for a few minutes.
3. Then add Cauliflower and add salt (1/2 tsp – if required add to taste) saute till cauliflower is cooked;
4. Now add the Masala powder (2 tbsp – you can more or less add to suit your taste)
5. **Put-off the flame and add rice and ghee. Mix lightly with out breaking the rice grains.
6. Transfer to a serving bowl (check the salt/taste of the ingredients)
7. Serve with Plain curd, mint raita or vegetable raita or a roasted papad.

*The masala powder can be prepared and stored in airtight containers in the fridge for 2 months.

** Allow the rice to cool a little in a shallow dish and add the ghee to it. This will help to keep the rice grains separate.

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