March 2020 – Page 2 – TamarindtoAmchur

Murmura

Murmura is a healthy quick snack you can have when you are craving food or something unhealthy. We call it the 4PM SNACK. Chai or coffee are wonderful accompaniment or even hot chocolate. You basically combine all healthy non oily things ass spices and gobble it

Need –

Puffed rice – 2 cups
Poha/Flattened rice flakes- 1 cup
Oats – 2 tbsp
Lotus seeds/Fox nuts /Makhna – 2 cups
Roasted peanuts – 1 cup
Roasted gram – 1 cup
Salt
Ghee – 2 tbsp
Chilli powder – 2 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Chat masala – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – 10

Process –

In a pan take 1 tbsp ghee , roast the curry leaves ,makhna , poha ,roasted gram , oats and puffed rice and roast till they become crisp. In this stage you can also add cornflakes (I use the cereal ones but you get cornflakes called chivda that can be fried to puff up) You can also choose to add sabudhana the ones that puff up when fried not the regular tapioca pearls.
Now add the remaining ghee , groundnuts and spices and give it a mix till coated.
You may add raisins or other nuts as well.

Millet Dalia Khichdi.

Grains

Khichdi is comfort food of India. The preparation is the same but the additions and flavours vary across. Its ven pongal in south and khichdi in north. It is basically rice and lentil that is so easy on stomach and helps to digest specially when you are down with fever. Broken wheat(dalia) is good for people who like less sugar conversion from food as it takes time to break down and keeps you full for long. While millets have been a primary source of food in many interior parts of India and people have been eating it for ages where rice cannot be grown , it is now making a come back under the famous tag “healthy”. While we enjoy couscous , quinoa and the likes let us also stick to our staple food .

Need –

Millet (Foxtail ) – 1 cup
Dalia / Broken wheat – 1 cup
Yellow moong – 1/2 cup
Chopped – tomato – 1
Chopped – carrot
Ghee – 3 tbsp
Jeera – 2 tsp
Green chilli – 1
Crushed pepper – 1 tsp
Turmeric – 1 tsp
Sambar powder / garam masala – 1 tsp
salt
Ginger – chopped – 1 tsp
Water – 5 cups

Process –

In a pan dry roast the millet and dalia and the moong.
Soak the millet and dalia while you prepare the rest.
In a pressure cooker , add 1 tbsp ghee, temper jeera, chilli , ginger and pepper.
Add the chopped tomato and cook till its mushy.
Add the carrot. You may choose to add more vegetable if its for a simple dinner- like peas , cabbage, potato , onion or turnip or even spinach
Now add the dalia and millet + moong. Add salt, turmeric and the masala.
Add the water , give a mix and cook for 4 whistles or till its cooked and mushy.

Bread Upma with masala

Fast Food

South Indians are famous to make puma out of anything they can lay their hands on be it from rava to new age oats to quinoa. Bread upma is a quick snack/lunch/dinner basically anything and everything . I personally have 3 versions of upma. There is always a bread packet lying in my fridge and it comes to rescue those days when I fall short of rotis or those afternoons I hate to cook elaborate lunch for one. I even made R to start loving it from totally hate it.

Need –

Bread – brown /white – torn into pieces
Chopped Onion – 1 small
Chopped Tomato -1 small
Chopped Capsicum – half
Oil
Jeera – 1 tsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Peanuts – 1 tbsp
Asafoetida
Green chilli – 1 chopped
Salt
Lemon Juice
Chopped coriander – handful

Process –

Unless you are an OCD person you don’t have to necessarily cut cubes. Be happy with torn pieces .
If you like crispy bites , roast the bread pieces in a bit oil or bake it or toast a bread and cut it.
In a pan, take oil. Temper mustard seeds, jeera, peanuts and chilli . Add the onions.
Once they turn translucent add the tomato and capsicum. You can choose to add green peas as well. Add asafoetida.
Once the mix turns mushy , add salt and the bread. Give it a toss.
Once the bread has taken the flavour , remove from fire
Add lemon juice and coriander.