Vegetable Suji Idli /सब्जी और सूजी की इडली /Semolina vegetable Idli

Vegetable - Suji Idli with Peanut Chutney 

Idli and dosa are traditionally made of rice and urd daal. Urd daal is called Black Lentil in English. It's botanical name is Vigna Mungo. 

But many variants of idli, dosa are made, like Sabudana dosa, suji dosa, suji idli etc. In this post I am going to explain how suji idli with the goodness of vegetables is made. Suji/Semolina idli is easy to digest. When vegetables are added to batter then these idlies become more tasty and nutritious. Paired with coconut chutney /peanut chutney and Sambhar it becomes healthy, nutritious, tasty full meal. 

Preparation Time : 4hrs. Soaking time included 

Cooking Time: 20 minutes 

Servings : 20 Idlies (approx) depends upon the size of idli slots in idli stand. 

Nutritional Value  of whole idli mix from given ingredients : (approx. Values) 

Calories : 1600

Carbs : 285 gm

Proteins: 65 gm

Sugar : 16 gm 

Iron : 14 mg

Fats : 20 gm

Dietary Fibers : 16. 5 gm

Folates : 612 mcg 

Calcium : 300 mg

Potassium : 2452mg

Sodium : 1gm

Vitamin C : 10mg

Vitamin A:According to Cooks.com,

30941.91 IU 

For nutrional value (approx) of one idli divide the given values with the number of idlies you make from the idli mix. 

Ingredients Required for Suji Idli :

• Suji/Semolina :  200 gm or 2 bowls (measuring 150 ml.) 

Suji/Semolina 

• Carrot grated : 100 gm. Or 1bowl 
• Beans : 3-4 Finely chopped 
• Cauliflower grated : 1/2 bowl 
• Peas : 1/2 bowl 

Grated Carrot and Cauliflower 

• Fresh Coriander leafs finely chopped :  2Tes spoons 
• Curry leafs : 6-8 
• Grated Ginger : 1teaspoon 
• Dhuli moong daal (Yellow moong daal) : 2 teaspoons 

Dhuli Moong Daal 

• Mustard seeds : 1 Tea spoon 
• Cooking oil : 2 Tea spoons 
• Salt : 1 Tea spoon 
• Curd : 250 gm or 2 bowl 
• Eno : 1sachet 

or 1teaspoon baking powder +1/4 tea spoon cooking soda 

• Lemon juice : 1 Tea spoon 
• Oil for lining idli stand 

When measurement is done by bowl or cup then it should be same size bowl or cup for all measurements. 

Directions For Making Suji Idli : 

• Wash moong daal and soak it in water for at least 30 minutes. Once daal is soaked drain and keep soaked daal aside for further use. 
• Dry Roast suji till it gets light golden color. 
• Shred curry leafs. 
• Take a thick bottom cooking pan. Put 2tea spoon oil in it and heat. When the oil is hot add mustard seeds. 

Mustard seeds sputtering in hot oil 

• When mustard seeds start sputtering add shredded curry leafs and grated ginger . Let it cook for 10 sec. max. 

Curry leafs and Ginger added 

• Immediately add:

1. Grated carrots 
2. Finely chopped beans 
3. Grated cauliflower 

Beans, Cauliflower and Carrots added 

• Cook on low flame with continuous stirring till the beans and carrot become tender and change color. It will take 2-3 minutes. 

Vegetables cooked nicely 

• Add roasted suji (Semolina), mix and cook for 1-2 minutes with continues   

Suji/Semolina added to cooked veggies 

• Add : 

1. Salt 
2. Turmeric 
3. Kashmiri mirch

•  Mix nicely and cover. Cook for a minute. 

• Add soaked drained moong daal, mix and cook for a minute. 

Moong daal added 

Mixture with cooked Moong daal 

• Mash green peas and add to the mixture. Cover and cook for 1-2 minutes. 

Mashed Green Peas added 

• Add finely chopped coriander leafs. Mix and switch off the heat. 
• Cover and let it cool. This will infuse the flavor of coriander in suji mixture. 
• Once the mixture is cooled it can be used immediately or stored in fridge for future use. 

Idli mix is ready 

• To the cooled cooked mixture of suji and vegetables add the curd (200 gm) and mix nicely. Keep it aside for at least for 1/2 hr. Or till suji gets soaked and becomes soft. This mixture can be used immediately or can be kept in fridge. for 2-3 days for further use. 

Curd added to idli mixture 

Curd mixed nicely 

Idli mix nicely soaked in curd suji is soft 

• To make idli stir the soaked mixture nicely. It will be thick so add about 50-100 ml water in small batches . Mix nicely. 

Water added to bring it to correct pourable thick batter 

• Coat the idli stand with oil. 
• Fill 500 ml water in idli steamer and keep it on high heat. 
• Add Eno/cooking soda +baking soda and lemon juice. Mix in circular motion but in one direction only. Either clockwise or anticlockwise for 1minute. 

Eno added

Thick pourable Idli batter 

• Immediately pour the prepared idli mixture into idli slots and place the idli stand inside idli steamer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes on medium heat.

Batter in Idli stand 

• Lower the heat. Remove the lid and poke any one idli with clean knife or long needle. If it comes clean then idlies are cooked. If any thing sticks to the knife /needle then cook for another 5minutes. 
• Remove the idli stand from steamer and let it cool slightly. Pry the idlies from edges and take out from idli slots. 
• Serve hot suji-vegetables idli with chutney and Sambhar. 

Vegetable - Suji Idli ready 

Tips : 

• Preferably take suji (Semolina) of bigger grain size.
• Curd and water requirement may vary little depending upon the grain size of suji(Semolina).  I use big grained semolina/Suji 
• If your curd is not thick then lesser amount may be required. 
• Make sure the water inside steamer is near boiling before Eno /baking soda +cooking soda is added to suji mixture
• If using cooking and baking soda make sure it is mixed evenly else brown spots will appear on idli. 
• I prefer Eno. 

Suggested Variations : 

• Green chillies can be chopped and added to idli mix as per taste. 
• Thin curd or butter milk can be added instead of water to soaked idli mix for bringing batter to correct consistency. 
• Break cashews into two halves. Place one half on idli stand then pour the idli batter. Cook. Idli with cashew on it looks beautiful and appealing. 

Enjoy healthy Idli for breakfast /lunch /snacks /dinner. 

Beetroot Cutlets / चुकन्दर की टिकिया

Beetroot Cutlets Without Sesame Seeds Coating

Cutlets served with Tomato Ketchup

Beetroot is not only nutritious alongwith being tasty, but it is also a very good root vegetable helpful for controlling weight. It is rich dietary fibers, Vitamins, minerals and low on calories. This red tuber can be made to savory, salads, sliced and put in sandwiches, burgers. I love cutlets of beetroot. They can be had as snacks with tomato ketchup or green chutney; they can be placed between slices of bread with chutney, ketchup or humus to make a delicious, healthy nutritious sandwich.

Preparation Time: 10-15 minutes

Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Servings: makes 6-8 Medium size cutlets

Nutritional Value: (Approx.)

• Calories: 550
• Fat: 11gm
• Carb: 100gm
• Sugars: 25gm
• Protein: 10gm
• Calcium: 100gm
• Dietary fibers: 19gm
• Sodium: 1200mg
• Potassium: 2010mg
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Iron, and calcium

Ingredients Required For Making Beetroot Cutlets:

• Beetroot: 2 medium size or 250 gm
• Potatoes: 2 Medium size or 100 gm
• Ginger: 1inch piece (Optional)
• Garlic: 4-5 cloves (Optional)
• Ginger Powder: 1 Teaspoon
• Green chilies: 1 or according to taste
• Green coriander leafs: 3-4 sprigs
• White Sesame seeds: 2-3 table spoon

Ingredients For Cutlets

• Olive oil/cooking oil: 1 Teaspoon is using nonstick pan else more
• Salt to taste

Directions for Making Beetroot cutlets:

• Peel and grate beetroots. Keep aside.
• Peel potatoes and grate them, Keep aside.
• Heat a pan (no oil required) and put grated beetroot in it. Cook on medium heat with stirring till most of the moisture evaporated and the grated beetroot become soft. Do not cover while dry cooking. It will be done in 8-10 minutes.

Raw grated Beetroot being cooked to rteduce the juice

Ready to make cutlets mixture

• Roast sesame seeds on low flame till they gain light brown color.
• Chop coriander leaves finely.
• Chop green chilies finely.
• Grate or chop ginger as per your liking.
• Take the grated potatoes and beetroot in a bowl and mix 
• Salt
• Ginger 
• Chopped ginger
• Green chilies
• Dry ginger powder
• Garlic (Optional)
• Corianders leaf and mix well.

• 

  Mixture of cutlets

• Make 6-8 balls from the mixture.
• Flatten the balls between your palms to give the shape.
• Coat each raw cutlets with roasted sesame seeds. (Optional)

Ready to be cooked (Without Seesame seeds)

Rounds of cutlets coated with White Sesame seeds

• Take a non-stick pan and heat on high flame.
• Sprinkle few drops of olive oil on the pan once it is hot.
• Bring the heat to medium and place the raw cutlets on the hot pan with oil.
• Cook on medium flame for two minutes and then flip them carefully. Making sure they do not break.

Cutlets Being Cooked in Spoonfull of Oil

Cooked on one side

Cutlets ready for serving

Cutlets Ready To be Served

• Cook the other side also for two minutes. By now both side of cutlets should be brownish.
• The cutlets will be on soft. Do not cover them once they are done.
• Take then on a plate serve them hot with chutney/ketchup or if you want to store let them cool without covering before storing.

Beetroot Cutlets (Without sesame seeds) With Raw Mango Chutney

Cutlets With Coriander-Mint Chutney

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/10/green-coriander-and-mint-chutney.html

MY favorite breakfast is grilled sandwich (Call it a taco) made by palcing these cutlets between two folds of chapati, grilling it and pairing it with homemade humus or coriander-mint chutney.

Tips:

• Do not overcook beetroot and potatoes else the cutlets mixture will become too wet and gooey, resulting not so firm cutlets.
• Dry ginger gives good flavor and absorbs moisture thus is essential to be added.
• Red chilies powder spoils the flavor so avoid it.
• All chopped ingredients should be chopped finely , big pieces of chilies, garlic are very unsavory in soft cutlets.
• Adjust the flame according to your cooking equipment, that is pan and gas stove/hot plate.

Suggested Variations:

• I am a big fan of garlic and ginger thus I have added chopped ginger also, if you wish you can avoid chopped ginger.
• The cutlets after being coated with roasted sesame seeds can be coated in egg white, then with all purpose flour and deep fried.
• To a cup of all-purpose flour add salt and make batter using soda. The batter should be thick but of flowing consistency. Dip each sesame coated raw cutlets and deep fry them. I prefer my cutlets pan fried with as little oil as possible, this is simply to keep them on healthier side.
• Butter can replace olive oil. It certainly adds a wonderful flavor to the cutlets.

Whole Wheat Flour Pineapple cake

Pineapple Cake

Whenever I pass near the cart selling ripe juicy pine apple I cannot but resist of thinking of Pineapple cake. The one we get in market are full of artificial flavor and color which desists me from buying them from bakery. I love my food as far as possible free of chemicals which are harmful and add no value to the food we eat. The cake which I am presenting today is free of artificial flavor and color. It is made in whole wheat flour, chunks of pineapple and juice of pineapple thus is packed with nutrients and fibers. The color may not look as good as you get in bakeries or are sold by many home bakers but the taste is certainly better and it will be guilt free eating as you will know that it is not going to cause any harm to you and your loved ones as it is free of artificial color and flavor.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Baking Time: 40-45 minutes

Servings: makes 750 g. cake (approx.)

Nutritional value: (Approx.)

• Energy 2000 Cal
• Fat: 100gm
• Cholesterol: 775mg
• Sodium: 200mg
• Potassium: 1100mg
• Carbs: 125 gm
• Fibers: 39gm
• Sugar: 100gm
• Protein: 24g
• Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium, Iron

Ingredients Required For making Pineapple Cake:

• 150 gm. Whole wheat flour
• 3 Medium size eggs
• 1 Teaspoon baking Powder
• 1/2Teaspoon baking soda
• 100 gm. Butter (I use Nutrelite butter)
• 1 Pinch of Salt (If using white/unsalted butter)
• 150 gm. Castor sugar (I prefer less sweet so use 100 gm. only)
• 200 gm. Diced pieces of Pineapple
• 150-200 ml. Fresh Pineapple pulp

Directions For making Pineapple cake:

• Remove all peel and spiky things from pineapple.
• Cut the pineapple to slices and core the slices.
• Cut the slices to 1cm (Approx.) pieces.

Pieces of Pineapple for Cake

• Keep 200 gm of the pieces away for further use.
• Pulse the remaining slices and the core of pineapple to get thick pulp.
• Mix
• Flour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Pinch of salt (if using unsalted butter)
• Sieve 3-4 times.
• Separate egg whites from egg yolk.
• Whisk egg white to stiff peaks.

Whisked Egg White

• Cut the chilled butter to small cubes and add sugar to it.
• Whisk till it becomes creamy.
• Add egg yolks one at a time and whisk to get frothy, creamy mixture of butter, sugar and egg yolk.

Creamy mixture ready for Flour and Pineapple

• Add the pieces of pineapple to flour and mix so that all pieces get coated with flour mix.

Pineapple pieces in Flour mixture of Cake

• To the (butter + sugar + egg yolk mixture) add (flour + pineapple mixture) and whisked egg whites alternately and after each addition of flour/egg white mix with very light hands using either wooden spoon/fork or your fingers.
• Add pineapple paste in two instalments. Mix after each addition. Depending upon your batter thickness the pineapple paste requirement may change.
• The last step should be finished fast as the acid of pineapple reacts with baking soda and baking powder.
• The batter should be pourable but not runny or thick which does not get poured.
• Pour the batter in the prepared baking pan.
• Tap two three times to level the surface and remove the trapped air bubbles.
• Bake at 180^oC for about 35-40 minutes, or till the cake is done. Check for the doneness of cake by poking a clean skewer in the cake, if it comes out clean cake is baked.

Baking at 180 C

• Remove the cake from oven and cool it in the rake. Cake is ready.

Pineapple cake

• Cut the cake when it is cooled.

Soft Moist Pineapple cake

Enjoy the fruity, chemical free pineapple cake with tea/coffee.

Tips:

• The size of the eggs thus the liquid content provided by them differ thus the amount of pineapple pulp required may change. Always check the consistency of batter before adding all pulp.
• Eggs and butter should be at the same temperature (Approx.), else curdling occurs.
• If ever the butter eggyoly mixture starts curdling then do not worry either keep working with it or add just a spoon of flour and whisk. 
• The baking time varies with the type of oven used. Keep checking for doneness of cake after 30 minutes.
• If you desire to have the cake pieces cut too evenly then dice the pineapple to small pieces. I love chunks of pineapple in cake.
• To get the yellow color and strong flavor you may use one drop of yellow color and 2-3 drops of pineapple flavor any good brand.
• Whole wheat flour can be replaced by refined white flour (Maida/all-purpose flour). The cake comes out softer and lighter. I prefer whole wheat flour as it is more nutritious and has lots of fibers.
• Place a small bowl with chilled water at the bottom rake of oven while baking the cake this will make sure the top crust does not become hard.
• If the cake is not done but the top is becoming darker, just cover it with a tin foil and bake till done.

Suggested Variations:

• Butter can be rerplaced by olive oil to get less fatty and less cholesterol content in cake. For replacement of butter amount to oil always use 100:60 ratio of butter to oil because butter has water content which is lacking in oil.
• If fresh fruit is not available then tinned pineapple can be used. 4-5 pieces can be diced and 5-6 pieces can be made to pulp. Artificial flavor and color is must if using tinned pineapple.
• Whole wheat flour can be replaced by all-purpose flour. If using all-purpose flour then replace the baking soda by baking powder (1+1/2) the cake will certainly will be lighter and less dense but the goodness of fibers and nutrients will be missing from the cake.
• Use 50 gm. less sugar and soak the cake with the sugar syrup of tinned peneapple this will add sweetness with pineapple flavor.

Deli- Milk -Shake

Deli-Milk-Shake

·  It was most difficult time for me when I had to make my children aged 8 1nd 12 yrs. eat Lauki (Bottle guard) sabji. They always wanted me to make Koftas of Lauki. Though I had no difficulty in slogging in kitchen for my family yet how many times one make and eat Koftas. So to make sure this cooling and healthy summer vegetable is eaten without much of ado and get maximum benefit of it I came up with a brilliant idea of making shake and passing it off as Pista milk shake with few pieces of pistachios sprinkled on the top of the shake. The Pistachios  made it look absolutely authentic and they lapped it up. But then came the end of honeymoon with Lauki. My daughter who is elder by 4 yrs. to her brother returned earlier than expected from evening games time and saw what I was doing and then onwards refused to have that shake. Reason? There is Lauki in it!
      I fail to understand this fixation of not wanting to eat Lauki once they grow up.

Well years later I gave it to my daughter-in-law and after she said it is yummy ija  (term for mother in our language), I told her the ingredients and she just could not believe. This shake is very cooling and perfect for summers. It helps reduce acidity and is perfect drink for person suffering with sun stroke as it is light to digest, cooling to whole system, nourishing and yet easy to digest.

One precaution when you make it sure kids are not around. They will love it till they are not told it has Lauki, it does not take to be Einstien to guess the rest :) 

Preparation Time: 10 min

Making Time: 15 min
Servings: Makes approx. 300 ml Shake

Ingredients Required for Making Deli-Milk-Shake:

• 100 gm Tender Green Lauki (Bottle gourd)
• 250 ml. Full cream milk
• 5-10 pistachios
• 1 Teaspoon Green Cardamom Powder
• 5 Teaspoon Sugar powder /to taste
• 10-15 ml. Water

Directions For Making Deli-Milk-Shake:

• Wash the bottle gourd and cut the 1 inch part with stalk and little from the lower end.
• Cut into two halves and if there are seeds in the bottle gourd then remove the soft portion with seeds.
• Grate the gourd and place it in a thick bottom container.
• Add
• Water
• 2 Teaspoon sugar
• Mix nicely
• Cook on low flame with continuous stirring till the gourd shreds change color and are cooked soft.
• Cover and let it cool.
• When the cooked gourd is cooled pulse it in a mixer-grinder to make absolutely smooth paste.
• Add
• Chilled milk
• Cardamom powder
• Sugar powder
• Churn nicely to get a uniform light green milk shake.
• Pour the mixture in glasses and top it with finely cut pistachio pieces.
• Serve this chilled milk shake and pass it off as Pistachio shake to children as well as elders. Believe me until unless they are told they will not be able to find the ingredients used to make this wonderful shake.

Deli-Milk-Shake

Enjoy this cooling, healthy milk shake this summer.

Tips:

• Make sure there are no seeds and pulp when you grate the bottle gourd.
• Do not worry about the change in color as it may turn little dark on grating. Faster it goes for cooking lesser will be the color change.
• The gourd has to be tender else the peeling will make the paste coarse this will make the shake unpalatable.
• Removing the peeling from the gourd may be an option but this reduces the green color as well as the nutritional value of the shake.

Alternate Suggestions:

• It can be decorated with rose petals along with pistachio flakes
• Rose flavor can be added instead of cardamom.
• The shake can be topped with little cream and cherry to make it tempting to kids.
• 1 lt. milk can be boiled till it reduces to 250-300 ml. This thickened milk can replace normal milk. The resulting mixture can be frozen to make ice cream. Children love it. I have done it so many times while making kulfi (A type of ice-cream made from thickened milk) also.

Low Oil Sewai Upma/सिवंई का उपमा (Low oil Indian Savory Of Vermicelli )

Breakfast of Sewai (Vermicelli) Upama with Tomato-Dates Chutney and Sweet lime (Mausami) juice

Vermicelli (Sewai) is used in India in different ways. It is used to make sewai kheer, Sewai cutlets, Sewai upama….. Sewai upma is very tasty easy to make healthy breakfast / snack. It is a good variation for children lunch box. If upama is made with lots of vegetables then certainly it makes it colorful, attractive, appealing and of course healthy and nutritive. Since oil used is very less so it is least fattening. The carbs come from sewai and fibers, vitamins, minerals from all vegetables we add. Sewai upama with Tomato-dates chutney / Coconut chutney

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.in/2012/08/tangy-delicious-coconut-chutney.html

tastes absolutely yummy. So why wait try this great sewai dish today only and see the surprised smiling face of your family members.

Preparation Time: 5 min.

Cooking Time: 10 min

Servings: 4-5 Large Servings

Ingredients Required For Making Sewai Upama:

• 150 gm. Sewai (Vermicelli)

Sewai (Vermicelli)

• 1 Medium size Carrot

• 8-10 French Beans

• 1 medium size Onion

• 2 cm. Ginger piece

• 1-2 Green Chilies

• 1 ml. Olive oil / any cooking oil

• Salt to taste

• 1/2Teaspoon Red Chili powder

• 200 ml. water

Directions For Making Sewai Upama:

• Roast sewai in a wok on low flame till they are very light brown (Golden brown)

Roasted Sewai

• Cut carrots, beans, Onion, green chilies and tomatoes to small fine pieces.

• Grate ginger.

• Take oil in a thick bottom wok and heat till smoking hot.

• Add

• Mustard seeds

• Cumin seeds and let them splutter.

• Add

• Green chilies

• Ginger and cook for 30 sec.

• Add onion and cook till they turn transparent. (Not brown).

• Add beans and carrot and cook for one minute.

Vegetables cooking for Sewai Upma

• Add roasted vermicelli and mix nicely.

Sewai added to vegetables

Salt and Chili powder added and mixed

• Add 
• Salt 
• Chili powder and mix.

• Add 150 ml. water mix nicely.

• Bring the flame to high and when it starts boiling bring the flame to low.

Water added and is brought to boil on high heat

• Cover and cook o low flame for 2-3 minutes.

• Stir and cover and cook till the sewai become soft and all liquid gets soaked in sewai. (If required add the remaining 50 ml. water and cook).

Sewai Upama Ready to be Served

• Remove on a serving bowl garnish as per your liking with grated fresh coconut/finely cut coriander/Mint.

Sewai Upama with Tomato-dates Chutney

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2013/07/tomato-dates-chutney-thick-sauce-of.html

• Serve hot with tea /coffee as snack.

• Combined with fresh fruit juice sewai upama makes a complete breakfast.

Tips:

• Sewai can be roasted and kept in a airtight container /zip pouch.

• The requirement of water may change with the type of sewai. If it is thin one then water required will become less. The present proportion is for the sewai shown in the picture.

• Always check green chili for hotness before adding and change the amount as per the hotness and your requirement.

Suggested Variations:

• Peas can be added along with other vegetables.

• If more color and spicy flavor is required then 1 tea spoon of red chili powder can be added.

• 2 Medium size tomatoes can be cut finely and added to vegetables before adding sewai. Cook till the mixture leaves the edges then ad vermicelli and cook as directed earlier.