Breakfast
TOMATO PASTA
Today early morning, my friend called me over the phone, saying that she would be visiting me this morning at 9. And out of reflex or I don’t know what..I just told her that “Lets have breakfast together”…I don’t know what made me say that…Had I gone crazy? Because I had absolutely nothing in my kitchen shelf or my refrigerator, to make a decent breakfast. Not even a single slice of bread, as I had used them all for my kids’ snack for school. All I had was a couple of tomatoes and Onions smirking at me. Don’t tell me you are laughing?!?I don’t know..when my kids are off to school and hubby gone to office and my youngest boy still fast asleep, thats what I feel..I feel all things come alive around me..I literally end up talking to anything and absolutely everything around me..Do atleast some of you guys out there do that? I guess its a kind of security mode that develops in me when I feel I am all alone at home..!
So talking…yes…talking talking talking ,I happen to discover a lonely little Shell Pasta Packet lying at the corner of my shelf..Ah life saver..So I decide to whip up this easy Pasta recipe .You know..its really easy and filling…No additional chopping of vegetables required…you just have to chop a couple of tomatoes, one or two onions and a little garlic and you can quickly make this yummy breakfast/brunch. I have even served this as dinner when I feel too lazy after a long tough day.My family loves it. You will love it too!
Ingredients:
- Pasta – 2 cups(I used shell pasta,you can use pasta of your choice)
- Onion – 1 small (chopped finely)
- Tomato sauce – 2 tbsp
- Pepper powder – ½ tsp
- Olive oil – 1 tbsp
- Grated cheese – 1 tbsp
- Chilli flakes – 2 tsp
- Salt to taste
To grind:
- Tomatoes – 1
- Onion – 1 small
- Garlic – 2 pearls
Method:
- In a big vessel, boil and cook the pasta with a little salt and a teaspoon of oil until done. Strain the water and keep the pasta aside.
- Grind the ingredients under ‘To grind’ and keep aside.
- Heat oil in a pan,add Onions and sauté for a minute. Now add the ground paste and sauté till the raw aroma disappears.
- Now add the chilli flakes, Pepper powder and Tomato sauce and sauté well.
- Add the cooked Pasta to it and mix gently till the pasta gets coated evenly with the sauce mixture. Add salt if required. Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle cheese on top. Serve hot and Enjoy!
Notes:
- I used Olive oil because its healthy and gives a good flavour when used in Pasta dishes. You can use any cooking oil of your choice.
- If you don’t have chilli flakes, you add grind 2 dried red chillies while grinding.
- The Pasta should be cooked perfectly, it should be soft but firm, otherwise in the end it will turn out all mashed up.
- While cooking the Pasta, I have suggested to add a tsp of oil. This is done so that the Pasta shells do not stick to each other while cooking.
Kappa Puzhungiyathu | Boiled Tapioca with Kanthari Mulaku Chammanthi
This dish brings along with it a lot of memories of my childhood!When I did my schooling..just 3 years in kerala,staying with my grandparents..it brings a smile and also a tear on my face..a smile thinking about all that pampering and affection I used to get,being the first and only grandchild on both my maternal and paternal side(At that time 🙂 !Now I have a lot of cousins 🙂 ) and a tear thinking how much I miss my dearest GrandFather who passed away 3 years back..All those days spent with him..just feels like yesterday..How fast time flies!I remember the scene..years aback..the time when I came back from my school..our backyard would be buzzing with activity..lots of workers,bringing the harvest from the paddy fields..threshing,winnowing,the naadan pattu(Local folk songs)…etc..Nowadays there are machines which makes these processes a lot more easier with less labour..nothing like before 😦 So all these remain memories!We dont get to see them today.
The staple food of these workers used to be Kappa Puzhungiyathu(Boiled Tapioca) with Kanthari Mulaku Chammanthi..Our chechi (Help) at home,I remember used to prepare it in big vessels for all the workers with her trademark “kanthai Mulaku Chammanthi”.I just loved watching them eat this dish…my mouth watering..and I used eat it sitting with them 🙂 I can never forget that taste..!The memory of it just leaves me salivating even today 🙂 So to relive those days,I prepared this today for tea!One thing I assure you..the smell and taste of the Kanthari mulaku chammathi will linger for long in your mouth hours after you have devoured it.The chammanthi(Chutney) is made out of fiery Kanthari Mulaku also called Birds eye chillies!These chillies may appear small,deceiving to the eyes,but they set your tongue literally on fire Mind You!
So Try this very special dish for a sunny/rainy evening with a hot glass of Black Tea!!
You can find more of my Kappa dishes in Kerala Kappa Masala, Kappa and Kerala Red fish curry,Kappa Biriyani
KAPPA PUZHUNGIYATHU/BOILED TAPIOCA
Ingredients:
- Tapioca/Kappa/Cassava/Yucca Root .
- Water – as required to cook.
- Salt to taste.
Method:
- Wash and clean the kappa.Remove the outer brown skin and the inner pink skin of the kappa/Tapioca.
- Cut into 2.5 inch pieces and wash well again.Now transfer these in a large vessel filled with water,the water level upto atleast 2.5 inches above the level of Tapioca.
- Add salt and cook covered till soft and tender.Then drain the water and keep aside.
KANTHARI MULAKU CHAMMANTHI
Ingredients:
- Kanthari mulaku /Bird’s eye chilly or regular green chilies – 8
- Shallots/Cheriya Ulli – 12
- Curry leaves – a few.
- Coconut oil – 3 tbsp.
- Salt to taste.
Method:
- Crush the chillies,curry leaves and the shallots in a pestle and Mortar.If you dont have one,you can coarsely grind them in your mixer.
- Transfer this to a small bowl,add coconut oil and salt.Mix gently.
- Serve immediately with hot Tapioca and a glass of hot Black Tea and Enjoy!
Broccoli Roll Muffins
After my last post of Chocolate cake with chocolate glaze..and the loving feedback I got from dear friends,neighbours and my family..I was very much into the mood of baking..So today evening I decided to bake something..something different..something savoury..!I remembered how much we enjoyed the Garlic Mozzarella muffins I baked last month.So I thought to incorporate that idea but using some greens this time.The main problem that was disturbing in my mind was about my youngest 2 year old man 😉 He is by far the fussiest eater in the universe..All he prefers is just plain rice with no greens 😦 and french fries.Cant give him that all the time.And the doctor had been regularly asking me to try and change his food habits..I happened to have a huge Broccoli in my refrigerator..so i decided to use that!I found this recipe here,along with a few modifications from my side.
One thing I must mention here is that when you bake these savoury babies..the aroma filling the air..is really really awesome!!And the happiest part for me is my lil man just LOVED it!!I was wonderstruck..him n Broccoli!!No way!But he just loved it!Now I am going to bake these often!My family loved it too!I share a few with my neighbour too(You know she is quite frank and a good food critic) and she said they tasted wonderful!
You know you can substitute the broccoli with almost any kinda veggies u like or even you can use meat!And this is a very easy recipe perfect for breakfast as well as with tea!Or you can have as for Brunch too!Try it out!
Ingredients:
- All purpose Flour – 1 cup
- Wheat Flour – 2 cups.
- Instant yeast – 1 tbsp.
- Salt – 1 tsp.
- Water – as needed.
- Olive Oil 1-2 tbsp
- Butter 2-3 tbsp or as needed
- Milk 2 tbsp (for brushing)
- Sesame seeds – 1 tsp or as needed
For the Filling:
- Broccoli (Chopped finely) – 1 1/4 cup.
- Red Onion – 1/4 cup (finely chopped)
- Garlic – 2 cloves(finely crushed)
- Ground Cumin / Cumin powder -1/4 tsp
- Red chili Powder – 1/4 tsp
- Garam Masala Powder – 1/4 tsp
- Salt – to taste
- Oil 1-2 tsp
- Mozzarella cheese(shredded) – 1/2 cup
- Pasta sauce/Tomato Sauce/Pizza sauce – 1/4 cup.
Method:
- Sift flours into a big mixing bowl.
- Add yeast and salt and mix well and add sufficient water and knead into a soft and smooth dough.
- Now drizzle oil onto the dough and again knead it for about 10 minutes into a smooth dough.
- Then apply a few drops of oil all over the dough and cover the bowl using a cling wrap or a wet cloth and leave aside in a warm place for about 40 – 45 minutes or until it doubles its volume.
- Meanwhile lets prepare the Broccoli filling.
- Heat oil in a pan,add onion and garlic and saute well for a few minutes.Then add chopped Broccoli and saute well.Now add all the spice powders and salt and saute till it emits an aroma.
- Now turn off the flame and keep aside to cool.
- Once the dough has risen to double its size,preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit or 180 degree Celsius.
- Grease the muffin tray with olive oil or cooking spray and keep aside.
- Now punch down the air in the dough and knead again for a few seconds.Now divide the dough in to two equal parts, take one portion and on a well floured surface roll the dough to a round 1/4″ thick shape using a rolling pin.
- Now apply butter all over surface of the rolled dough(round shaped) and spread all over it and add 2-3 tbsp for broccoli filling,with shredded mozzarella cheese on the top and start rolling from one end and completely.
- Then cut the rolled roll in to 6-7 equal small rolls and place in the greased muffin pans.
- Repeat the same procedure for the remaining portion and arrange everything on the baking pan and sprinkle remaining butter on top and smear pasta sauce on the top(Using the back of a spoon)and brush with milk, sprinkle some sesame seeds.Do this for all the roll muffins and bake them for 20-25 minutes or till the top turns crispy and golden brown.
- After this remove from the oven,allow to cool on a wire rack till warm.. and serve and Enjoy!
Appam
Today my post is of a typical breakfast dish of Kerala.One of my blogger friends,Garima had asked me for an appam recipe and I promised her that I would post one!.These soft and lacy hoppers are called Appams or Palappams.They are soft rice pancakes with crispy sides and have a very soft,airy and fluffy centre(The centre reminds me of my baby’s cheeks,when I touch it with my eyes closed 🙂 ..I can see my hubby laughing at my imagination 😉 ) These Appams are soo easy to make with less ingredients and are very healthy..Moreover no oil is needed for this preparation.
Traditionally,Appam batters were/are fermented using Toddy/Kallu(as it is called in Malayalam and Tamil/Tadi(in hindi) ,which is a local alcoholic drink made from Coconut flowers. Since Toddy is not easily available,it can be substituted with active dry yeast.
Appam is our regular breakfast dish.We make it every week..Its a n unavoidable breakfast dish during special occasions like Christmas and Easter.I remember during my childhood,on easter sundays,I used to wake up to the delicious aroma of Appam and Stew prepared by my Mom in the kitchen.
Appam goes very well with Stew.I have a couple of stew recipes like Chicken Stew ,Beef Stew.Do check them out.Another popular combo is Appams with Egg Roast/Mutta roast or Appam and Naadan Mutta/Egg Curry.When I am too lazy to make a stew or a curry for Appam,I like to have Appam with sweetened Coconut milk.I prepare that by adding sugar(amount according to ones taste) to coconut milk,along with a pinch of cardamom powder.This combo is highly addictive.
So Check out this recipe and do try it out!
Ingredients:
- Raw Rice – 1 1/2 cup(You can use any rice like Sona Masuri)
- Grated Coconut – 3/4 cup.
- Cooked Rice – a handfull
- Salt – a pinch
- Sugar – 4 tbsp
- Water – upto 3/4 cup for grinding..(please add little by little while grinding and check for the required consistency)
- Yeast – 1 tsp
- Luke warm water – 1/4 cup.
- Sugar – 2tsp.
Method:
- Soak the raw rice in water for about 4 -5 hours.
- After 4-5 hours,drain the water and grind with the cooked rice and grated coconut in a mixer grinder.Add water little by little while grinding(you can add upto 3/4 cup of water) to get a smooth batter.
- Transfer the Batter to a big plastic/glass bowl and keep aside.
- Now in a bowl,take 1/4 cup of luke warm water.Add 1 tsp of yeast and 2 tsp of sugar.Leave aside for 15 mts and the yeast will dissolve, froth and double in size. Add this to the ground appam batter and mix well. Place lid and let it ferment overnight in a warm place. Next add morning, add salt and sugar to the fermented batter.
- Mix well,but donot overbeat the batter.
- Now heat a non stick Appa chatti/Appam pan for about 2 minutes(Sprinkle a few drops of water into the pan.If the water drops runs/glides all over,then the pan has got the right temperature to make Appams).
- Now pour a ladle full of Batter/a little more than 1/4 cup of batter into the centre of the pan.
- Lift the pan (off the flame of the stove) and twirl the batter in a clock wise direction so that the batter spreads out in a circular shape. Do not twirl more than twice. There will be more batter in the center than the sides, which is fine. Place back the pan on stove, cover with lid and cook on low flame. Check after 2 minutes and if it is done, remove from pan, otherwise continue to cook with lid for a little while longer. It should cook within 2 1/2 minutes to 3 minutes.
- The edges will be crisp and lacy and will begin to leave the sides of the pan.Using a flat spatula,gently lift the appam off the pan and place on serving plate. You can cook for a while longer for browner edges but I prefer pure white appams.
- Serve warm Appams with Stew or sweetened coconut milk(as I have done,refer picture) and Enjoy!
Notes:
- There is no need to flip the appam to cook the other side.
- Left over fermented batter can be refrigerated upto 2 days and not beyond that as it contains coconut.
- Left over batter that has been refrigerated and used on the second day can be slightly diluted with very little water.
- If you want,you can substitute grated coconut with coconut milk.Instead of 3/4 cup of grated coconut,you can use 3/4 cup of thick coconut milk.Reduce the quantity of water then added to the batter like wise.
- The batter should have a consisitency of a smooth flowing batter.( loose than a dosa batter)
- If you dont have an Appam pan,then use a kadai with handles (refer pic).Smear oil inside the kadai before pouring the batter then.Below is the picture of an Appam Chatti/Appam pan..A kadai similar to this can also be used.
Kerala Kappa Masala|Tapioca Masala
Todays post is that of a Kerala style Kappa Masala or Tapioca masala…Kappa or Tapioca is easily available in kerala..In variation to Kappa Vevichathu,this is a dish which does not require any side dish!This is a perfect dish that can had as a delicious snack to satisfy your hunger in the evenings with tea or it can be had as a filling breakfast dish as well!It will leave you happy and filled and it is quite easy to prepare!Check it out!
Ingredients:
- Tapioca/Kappa – 1 cup(Cubed)
- Garlic – 2 cloves(Crushed with skin on)
- Dry Red chillies – 2(Teared into 2)
- Coconut oil – 3 tsp
- Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
- Curry leaves – a sprig(torn)
- Split Kadala parippu/Split Bengal gram dal – 1/4 tsp
- Turmeric powder – a pinch
- Water enough to cook the tapioca.
- Salt to taste.
- Lime Juice – 3 tsp
Method:
- Was the Tapioca thoroughly,peel and cube it.
- Cook the Tapioca with sufficient water and salt until soft and drain the water and keep it aside.
- In a pestle and Mortar,crush the Garlic and Red chillies.
- In a pan,heat oil,add Mustard seeds.When they splutter, add the split Bengal gram dal, Crushed Garlic and Red chillies,along with turmeric powder and saute for till it emits an aroma.
- Now add the cooked Tapioca and mix gently so that the Tapioca gets coated evenly with the masala.Sprinkle lime juice and mix well.Add salt if required.
- Transfer to a serving dish and Enjoy!
foodpassionandlove 