Vegetable and Sausage Tom Yum Rice

My test kitchen is in full swing , when my husband is not there for meals at home...
It means i m free from the regular cooking of roti sujis , and can freely experiment , with whatever I have at home.
So even if the new invention does not go well , I still can survive on Maggi!! And , I wont feel guilty of keeping my husband hungry!( I normally dont take chances when my husband and In Laws are at home, always play safe , when cooking for them)
But with my toddler, he's just like me....loves most of what I cook , especially when I cook something Firang! Loves cakes,cookies , and ofcourse Noodles and Rice.
And this one was a hit !! He loved the rice and the sausages too!! What more does a Mom want?

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cup Cooked Rice( Leftover rice will do)
1 Small Sliced Onion
1/2 Sliced Capsicum
1/2 Cup Shredded Cabbage
2-3 Chopped Spring Onion Greens
2 Sliced Sausages
2 tsp Chopped Garlic
2 tsp Tom Yum Paste
1 tsp Soya sauce
1 tsp Crushed Black Pepper
1 tsp Namak Shamak
2 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Lemon Juice
1 tbsp Oil

Heat oil in a wok or kadhai , add garlic and saute for 1 min.
Add sliced onion and fry till translucent, add sausages and fry for 1-2 mins , till cooked.
Now add capsicum , cabbage and stir fry on high flame for 1 min.
Add soya sauce , black pepper, sugar and tom yum paste and fry for a min.
Now add the cooked rice and mix together with the vegetables .

Add the salt and lemon juice.
Add spring onion greens and mix.
Cook covered for 1 min.
Serve hot.

You can also make this without tom yum paste , if you dont have one. The sausages add a nice twist and taste to the rice!

 

Lemon Rice/Fodnicha Bhat

My Sunday evening meals are generally light (after heavy lunches followed by extra long naps, there is no scope heavy dinner).
And they are generally made with leftovers either from morning breakfast or lunches.I normally do not cook with the previous days leftovers.For me the definition of leftover is the excesses from the same days meals. And since sunday evenings are spent out shopping or on long drives , but we mostly prefer eating at home ,so want them to be made with least efforts and time.

With lots of cooked basmati rice remaining from the lunch , a quick lemon rice was the obvious choice. We call it Fodnicha Bhat in Maharashtra. But the recipe is said to have originated in south India,where its made with tamarind ,instead of lime. Many a times scraped dry coconut is also added ,along with chana dal.

Ingredients:

11/2 Cup Cooked Rice ( preferrably Basmati)
1 Medium Onion Chopped
2 Green Chillies Chopped
2 tbsp Peanuts
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Cumin/jeera
3-5 Curry leaves
1 tsp Turmeric
1 Lemon Juice
2 tbsp Chopped Coriander
1/2 tsp Namak Shamak ( If rice is cooked with salt , else adjust the salt accordingly)
1 1/2 tsp Sugar
1 tbsp oil

Heat oil in a kadhai , add mustard and cumin .Once they splitter , add curry leaves and peanuts and fry for 2 mins.

Add chilly and onion and fry till onions are translucent ,but not brown.

Add turmeric and lemon juice and mix. Add the cooked rice and mix together.

Add salt , sugar and coriander and mix.
Cook ,covered on a low flame for 1-2 mins.
Serve hot with papads and pickles.

Rasmalai - Leftover rasgullas put to perfect use!

My experience so far tells me, "If you are not a bengali , you might not be able to make a perfect rasgulla!!" There might be exceptions though , but , making the perfect rasgulla is an art and maybe the secret is passed on my bengali moms to their sons and daughters!!
I have tried hands at making the perfect rasgullas , soft and spongy , but somehow ,wasnt satisfied with my effort...and I honestly accept it!!
So when it comes to rasgullas, they come readymade...I prefer mostly the canned ones from Chandu Halwai or Haldirams.
Shopping for groceries, I was tempted by the sweet treat....but what I didnt estimate , was the quantity, and since I was the only one to indulge, I soon got satiated with a few....So there was almost more than a can full of the soft spongies.....
So wanted to turn it into something that my husband and son would enjoy too...
So a quick rasmalai ,with the leftover rasgullas,loaded with lots of  dryfruits!!

Ingredients:

8-10 Rasgullas
1/2 litre milk
1/2 Can Condensed Milk
2 tbsp Sugar
2-5 Saffron Strands
5-10 Pistachios chopped
2-3 Chopped Almonds

Heat milk in a thick bottom vessel and add sugar and saffron.
Once the milk boils ,lower the flame , and add condensed milk and stir gently.
Simmer for 10 mins ,till the milk thickens a bit.( Add 1/2 tsp cornflour mixed in water to thicken further)

 

 

 

Squeeze out the syrup from the rasgullas and drop them in the thickened milk and boil for 5 mins.
Add chopped nuts and put off flame.
Cool and serve.

 

Idli Chaat

Most households have a sunday special breakfast, ours is no exception. And its a nice heavy one. Actually Sunday's by itself are heavy. Begins with a heavy breakfast and lots of chai's . Followed by heavy lunch and a long afternoon nap(quiet an irony though ,long and nap) And eventually when its time for dinner and you aleady begin getting Monday blues , you really dont have any appetite remaining!
This Idli Chaat , is just the quick grab dish for one such sunday evenings. And what more , you can be satisfied for putting those leftover morning idli's to correct use!

Ingredients:

8-10 Idlis
1 Cup Yogurt
1/2 Cup Green Mint and Coriander Chutney
1/2 Cup Tamarind and Date Chutney
( Refer the link for making chutneys)
http://namakshamak.blogspot.com/2012/08/chaat-chutneys.html
1 tbsp Sugar
1/4 tsp Namak Shamak
1/2 Cup Khari Boondi
1/2 Cup Barik Sev
2 tbsp Chopped Coriander
1/2 Cup Salted Peanuts
1 tsp Cumin/Jeera Powder
1 tsp Red Chilly Powder
2-3 tsbp Oil for frying

Cut the idlis vertically into 3 pieces each soo that they resemble french fries and shallow fry them in hot oil till golden brown and crisp on both sides.You can also deep fry the idlis if desired.
Let the idlis cool a bit.

Wisk the yogurt and add salt and sugar to it.

Arrange the fried idlis in individual serving plate and pour 2-3 tbsp of sweetened yogurt over it.
Sprinkle pinch of Jeera Powder and Chilly powder over the yogurt.
Add a tbsp each of boondi ,sev and a tsp of peanuts over the chaat.
Drizzle 1 tbsp each of mint and tamarind chutneys.
Sprinkle some more sev and top with chopped coriander.
Serve immediately.