Semiya/Vermicelli Chicken Pulao with Coconut Milk

HI Guys, It's been very long since I posted any recipe in my blog. Little busy all these days with my cute little pie Sahsara, who entered into my life 10 months back and changed my whole life. Now handling two princesses is a tough beautiful job for me. I badly missed my blog all these days, but don't have time to spend. Today, I want to post something easy and simple, so started thinking........

While I am thinking,  what to post on by blog, I heard some sounds like someone knocking at my door. When I opened my door, some unaccepted guests entered my house. Me and saanvi are so exited by looking at them, Ice pellets. It's raining heavily along with these frozen rain drops.

What next, the weather was beautiful. Next comes food. I think some simple, tasty, spicy food accompany this weather. While thinking what to prepare (the hardest job), this came to my mind. Pulao, who don't like pulao, not me, I love pualo's. So made this simple pulao and enjoyed watching my favorite television series on Netflix(only for 10 minutes :-)). That 10 minutes is gold mine to any Mom, right. As a Mom, we think about one person the most, about our Mom. Miss my mom so badly. What about you?

Oops, I told so many things except the recipe name. I simply mentioning pulao, so many times. It's chicken semiya pulao. Don't have chicken, but want to prepare yummy semiya pulao. Not a problem, clicking Here and check my vegetable semiya pulao.

Ingredients

• Chicken - 1 lb
• Semiya / Vermicelli - 2 cups
• Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Star anise - 2
• Cardamom - 2
• Cloves - 3
• Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
• Nutmeg - 1/4 piece
• Mace flower - 1
• Kapok/Marati Moggu - 2
• Bay leaf - 1
• Mint leaves 
• Coriander leaves
• Oil - 2 Tbsp
• Ghee - 1 to 2 Tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Water or coconut milk - 2.5 to 3 cups (Amount of water used will vary depending on the amount of water oozed out  from the chicken. Add less water. If u feel semiya not cooked well then add some more water)

      For Chicken Marination

• Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsp
• Chili powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1.5 tsp
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
• Garam  masala - 1/2 tsp or to taste
• salt  

       Veggies

• Onion - 1/2
• Green Chilies - 2 to 4 (Depending on the spice level)
• Cauliflower, carrot, capsicum, potato - 1.5 cup ( we can also add tomato and french beans)

 Preparation

• Take a pan, add a tbsp oil and roast semiya and keep aside.
• Cut all the veggies, slit the green chilies.
• Marinate the chicken with ingredients under marination and keep aside for at least for one hour.(Marination will reduce the cooking. Chicken will be soft)

Let's Prepare 

• Heat oil and ghee in a pan and add all the ingredients under masala and fry for 1 minute.
• Add chicken and all the veggies, mint leaves and cook till chicken is almost done. 
• Add water or coconut milk (I used coconut milk). When water is boiling, add semiya, stir, place the lid and cook till semiya is done. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

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Vegetable Dosa

Dosa is one of the popular breakfast in South India. There are many varieties of dosa like plain dosa, masala dosa, onion dosa, egg dosa, rava dosa and so on, the list will be long. Again in masala dosa there are many varieties like potato masala dosa, panner butter masala dosa, chicken masala dosa and vegetable dosa etc.....

Today's recipe is vegetable dosa which is very easy to prepare. We can also use any leftover vegetable fry as filling for this dosa. I used carrots, french beans and capsicum for preparing filling. The sweetness from carrots and the spiciness of the idli-dosa podi will compliment each other very well. Don't miss this yummy dosa.... 

Ingredients

• Urad dal/Black gram/Minnapapu - 1/2 cup (I am using with skin)
• Brown rice or White rice - 2 cups (We can also use half white rice and half parboiled rice)
• Menthulu/Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Salt to taste

Veggies

• Onion - 1/2 cup (I used full cup, not packed)
• Carrot - 1/2 cup
• French Beans - 1/2 cup
• Capsicum - 1/2 cup
• Green chili - 2 (optional)
• We can also use tomato, green peas, cabbage and sweet corn.

For Tempering and Spices

• Avalu/Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp or to taste (If using idli-dosa powder, then add less)
• Salt to taste
• Idli-dosa podi(powder) as required (optional, but add taste)

Ingredients For Making Idli Powder

• Chana dal/Senagapappu - 2 tbsp
• Urad dal/Minapappu - 2 tbsp
• Nuvvulu/Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp
• Peanuts/Verusenagapappu - 2 tbsp
• Jeera/Cumin - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - 1 spring
• Red chilies - 3
• Salt to taste

Preparing Dosa Batter

• Wash and soak rice and dal separately over night or atleast for 3 hours. Soak fenugreek seeds along with dal.
• After soaking wash them thoroughly and grind separately into paste and mix them and let the batter ferment over night or 8 hours by keeping in a warm place.

Preparing Idli-Dosa Podi

• Dry roast all the ingredients under idli-dosa podi and make into powder. We can store this in a air tight container. (After roasting all the ingredients then add sesame seeds as there may be a chance of burning)

Preparing Vegetable Filling

• Finely chop all the veggies
• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they start spluttering, add all the veggies, little salt, red chili powder and cook till they are done on low flame with lid on. Dish out and keep aside.

Preparing Vegetable Dosa

• Mix salt and water to the batter. Batter must be thin. (We already added salt to the veggies so check it out)
• Heat a griddle, add 2 ladles of batter and spread it rotating in a circular motion.
• When the dosa ia half done, sprinkle idli-dosa podi and spread vegetable filling and cook till dosa turn golden brown on one side.
• Fold it and serve with as it is or with sambar.

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Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Once upon a time, wait, I am starting a story and I think I must give a introduction right. This story is about a girl and her love. That girl is me and the hero of the story is very popular and those who reading this is very familiar with him. Any guesses? OK, I will tell. He is none other than "PIZZA". I Love Pizza like many other. I merely remember the day first I came to know about pizza by a girl, who is my roommate and she is from a city which is Capital to Andhra pradesh state, once upon a time, again and now joint Capital to Telangana State and Seemandhra State. Many thinks changed but my love over him didn't.

I came to know about pizza when I am in Intermediate also known as High school. You may get a doubt, until then what I did without knowing him. I am a small town girl, "small world". Mine is not love at first sight and love at first taste. It seemed to me like vegetable Uttapam, a thick crepe topped with vegetables. But second time, I feel in love and started enjoying the soft crust, spicy and tangy sauce, juicy vegetables and perfectly covered with melted cheese.

Whenever we have some special occasion and want to celebrate, first thing we think about food. What food to prepare or which restaurant we have to go? If we want to celebrate with our friends we will think about fast food. Whenever you think about fast food What food you think off? I will think about crispy pizza... We all have special occasions, but do you agree that pizza made some special occasions like the days we bunk college, went to pizza corner, chit-chatting with our close buddies, sharing yummy pizza.... Having pizza with our family members and fighting with our brother or sister about the last piece of it....

You may think it is a happy ending love story, right. But not, My story had a villain, but a good guy. He is non other than "Health Consciousness". I started thinking how to meet him and finally got the solution in the from of Cauliflower. I googled and got this recipe and searched many blogs, thanks to all of them and finally made it and loved it. This time not only me but my hubby also fell in love with Cauliflower Crust Pizza. Finally, it's happy ending.....

Makes : Small Pizza
Serves : 3

Ingredients

• Cauliflower Head - 1, Medium Size (I got 1.5 cup grated cauliflower)
• Parmesan Cheese - 1/4 cup (* see note)
• Large Egg - 1, Lightly beaten
• Garlic - 1 tsp, chopped
• Dry Basil - 1/2 tsp
• Dry Oregano - 1 tsp
• Salt - 1/4 tsp
• Pizza Sauce and Veggies of choice for topping

Preparation

• Clean cauliflower florets with water and dry them. Grate the cauliflower and roast it in a pan on medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes until there is no smell and let it cool.  
• Preheat oven to 450 degree F.
• Grease a pan or pizza pan with olive oil or use a parchment paper. We have to grease the pan very well as the crust will stick.
• Mix egg, Parmesan cheese, basil, oregano, garlic, salt to cauliflower and mix well. 
• Pour this mixture onto a prepared pan or pizza pan and spread evenly.
• Bake it for 15 minutes or until the crust turn golden brown.

Serving Ideas:

• Top the crust with any sauce and vegetables and cheese if want and  broil till cheese melt.
• If don't like cheese, saute veggies and top the pizza. No need of broiling.
• I topped with mushroom, you can use any veggies you like.
• I don't like to add cheese so sprinkled little cheese on top.

   
*Note

• We can add more cheese upto 1 cup if want, but I cut the amount.
• We can also add mozzarella cheese or any Italian blend cheese mix. 
• We can also add low fat cheese.

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Egg Dipped Toast With Avocado Filling

Perfect recipe to start a day. Not only for breakfast it will be perfect for lunch and dinner too. Simple, quick, tasty and healthy. If don't like to use egg yolk, we can use only egg white and can change seasoning to our taste. 

Avocado is a good source of Vitamin K, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Potassium, Folate, Copper, Dietary Fiber. It contain good fat and lower cholesterol. As avocado is a buttery fruit we can replace many fatty ingredients like cream, cheese and butter.     

Ingredients:

• Multi-grain Bread - 4 pieces
• Eggs - 3
• For Seasoning
• Little red chili powder(optional)
• Oregano - 2 pinches
• Pepper to taste
• Salt - 1/4 tsp or to taste

Avocado Filling

• Ripe Avocado - 1, Medium size
• Tomato
• Yellow Onion 
• Cucumber
• Green Bell pepper/Capsicum (Take veggies quantity as per your taste)
• Lemon juice - 2  tsp
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

Crack eggs in a bowl and beat lightly and add seasoning and mix.Heat a pan or griddle, dip bread slices in egg mixture and cook on both side till golden color by sprinkling little oil. (I prefer half cooked toast)For avocado filling, mash avocado and finely chop onion, tomato, bell pepper, cucumber.Mix chopped veggies, mashed avocado, lemon juice and salt.Take one grilled bread slice and put the avocado filling on top and cover with another bread slice and serve.

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