Category Archives: Leftover Makeover

Raw Mango Rice (Kairi Ke Chawal)

Posted on by

Raw Mango Rice

Raw mango rice is the summer version of tamarind rice or lemon rice. Cooked rice is mixed with a paste made of raw mango, urad dal, chana dal and ground nuts.

Summers in Hyderabad can get super hot and my mom’s way to avoid getting into the kitchen is to cook dishes that can be made ahead and need very less time in kitchen before serving them. One of such dishes is the raw mango rice. It can not only be prepared ahead but is also good to beat the heat.

Tadka_mangoRice

You can replace groundnuts with cashew nuts if you like. Some people also add heeng and grated coconut to the tadka. Green chilli is the only source of spice in this dish. You can add more or less green chillies based on taste and the spice level of the chillies you are using.

Chatan

The quantity of raw mango depends on the sourness of the mangoes. Mix few table spoons of mixture at a time and keep tasting while mixing to get the desired taste.

You can prepare the mango paste in advance and store it in fridge for six to eight weeks. This is an excellent dish to transform leftover rice to a tangy treat.

Kairi ke Chawal

Ingredients

serves 2-3

  • 1.5 cup cooked rice
  • 4-5 tbsp oil
  • ¼ tsp cumin seeds
  • 10-15 curry leaves
  • 4-5 green chillies
  • 1 tsp urad dal
  • 2 tsp chana dal
  • 2 tbsp groundnut
  • 3 dry red chillies
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 cup grated raw mango
  • Salt to taste

Recipe

Heat oil in a kadhai or thick bottomed pan. Add cumin seeds. Once the seeds splutter, add curry leaves and green chillies. Saute and add urad dal and chana dal. Sauté and cook for 1 min or till the dals are lightly browned. Add ground nuts and dried red chillies. Cook for one more minute. Make sure the dals or groundnuts are not burned. Add the grated raw mango, turmeric powder, and salt. Mix well and cook for two minutes mixing in between. Switch off the gas and mix and let the mixture cool for 2-3 minutes. Mix few tablespoons of raw mango mixture at a time in the cooked rice until you get the desired tanginess. You can store any leftover mixture in the fridge for 1-2 months.

Quick Bisi Bele Bath

Posted on by

Quick Bisi Bele Bath

Bisibele bath is a dish from Karnataka but also popular in Hyderabad. It’s a spicy and sour mix of rice and lentils.  My mom uses left over rice and dal to make excellent instant bisi bele bath. It’s a quick makeover to the left over dal rice. Just add some mixed vegetables, spices and you have an interesting and delicious breakfast/lunch dish ready.

Hyderabad has numerous restaurants which serve a dish called sambar rice with veggies. This recipe of my mom comes closest to it. My mom uses the khatti dal that we prepare at home. You can use any toor (split pigeon pea) based dal. I haven’t tried this dish with other lentils yet. If you are using a dal which is not sour, add tamarind water while cooking.

You can use any vegetables you like for this dish but I prefer carrots, beans and peas. The main ingredients for this dish are sambar powder and the karampodi. They take this simple dal rice mix to another level. You can add or reduce the karampodi as per your preference of spice in food.  Bisibele bath can be served a breakfast or lunch. It tastes best when it is hot.

Quick Bisi Bele Bath

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp oil
  • ¼ tsp mustard seeds
  • ¼ tsp cumin seeds
  • 4-5 dry red chillies
  • ¼ tsp asafetida
  • 8-10 curry leaves
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • ¼ cup mixed vegetables chopped (carrot, beans, peas)
  • 1 small tomato chopped
  • ½ tbsp sambar powder
  • 1 tbsp karam podi (gun powder served with idlis or south Indian meals)
  • 1 tsp red chilli powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • ¼ tsp garam masala
  • ¼ tsp turmeric
  • 2 cups cooked rice
  • 1 cup dal (I used the khatti dal my mom prepares at home)
  • 1 tbsp tamarind water (optional)
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tbsp coriander
  • Salt to taste

Recipe

Heat oil in a pressure cooker.  Add mustard and cumin seeds. Once the seeds splutter, add dry red chillies, asafetida, and curry leaves.

Add onions and vegetables and sauté for 1-2 mins. Add tomatoes and cook for 30-40 seconds. Add sambar powder, karam podi, red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and salt. Mix well. Add dal and 1 cup water.  Close the cooker and cook till the pressure is released once (one whistle). Switch off the gas after one whistle. Once the cooker is cooled, open and add rice and mix well. Close the cooker again and cook on slow flame till you get two more whistles. Open the cooker once it is cooled completely. Add chopped coriander and serve hot with papad and lime pickle.

Rotli Nu Chaas Valu Shaak (Leftover Rotis in Spiced Buttermilk)

Posted on by
Left Over Roti Snack

Rotli Nu Chaas Valu Shaak

 

Rotli nu chaas valu shaak is leftover rotis cooked in yogurt and few spices. It is like a quick and easier form of dal dhokli. Some days are just lazy when you don’t feel like cooking but you still want to eat something healthy and tasty. In a place like Singapore where vegetarian food is not as easily available as in India, home food always tastes better and is sometimes the better or only option. This is one of the quick fixes when everyone is tired or there are leftover rotis at home. There is a similar dish that is made at my place. I will post that soon. This is one of the best dishes that my mom in law prepares.

Somehow all the moms have this trick of transforming simple things into yummy delightful meals. They do not even use fancy ingredients. Just a few basic spices and you endup raving about the same leftover food which you would have had made faces at a while ago.

This tastes even better if the butter milk is lightly sour. Make sure to keep stirring the buttermilk till it boils. Since I was using the store bought thick curd for buttermilk, I added more water, if you are using homemade curd you can reduce the quantity of water. This is healthy, quick, and delicious and can be enjoyed as lunch or dinner. The only thing you need to keep in mind is that you cannot prepare this in advance. It tends to get lumpy as it gets cold. This one pot meal is best enjoyed hot.

Rotli Nu Chaas Valu Shaak (Leftover Rotis in Spiced Buttermilk)

Ingredients

Serves 2

  • 5 whole-wheat rotis
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • ¼ tsp mustard seeds
  • 6-8 curry leaves
  • 1 green chilli slit
  • 2 cloves of garlic chopped
  • 1 dry red chilli
  • 1 ½ cups buttermilk (I used ½ cup curd and 1 cup water)
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp red chilli powder
  • 1 tbsp fresh chopped coriander

Recipe

Tear the rotis into small and medium bits and keep aside.

Whisk together the buttermilk, turmeric, red chilli powder, and salt. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a deep pan or kadhai. Add mustard seeds. Once the seeds pop, add curry leaves and green chilli. Add chopped garlic and dry red chilli and cook for 30 seconds to one minute. Add the buttermilk and bring to boil while stirring. Add the roti pieces and reduce the flame to minimum. Check for salt and spice and make adjustments if required. Cook for 5-6 minutes, till the yogurt gets thick and rotis get soft.

Do not stir a lot after you have added the rotis. Just a mix or two should be good. Add chopped coriander and serve immediately.

Dal Dhokli (Fresh whole Wheat Pasta in Lentils Gravy)

Posted on by

Dal Dhokli (Fresh whole Wheat Pasta in Lentils Gravy)

Dal dhokli for me is the Indian version of ravioli pasta. This is just spicier and healthier. For those who haven’t heard of it, it is fresh homemade whole wheat pasta in lentils gravy. You want a simpler explanation? In my mom’s words, it is a perfect dish to finish off the leftover dal at home. This one pot meal is a gujju dish but it is a common menu item at my place. This is my family recipe of dal dhokli so it is slightly different from the traditional Gujarati dal dhokli. My mom makes it without the sugar.

Boiled toor dal (split pigeon peas/arhar dal) is tempered with spices and dhoklis made with whole wheat flour and gram flour (besan) are added to create this one dish meal. The thing you need to take care of while making this dish is to add the dhoklis when the dal boils, or else they will stick and get lumpy. You can shape the dhoklis as you like. Diamond shape is the most common one.

You can make the dhoklis in advance and freeze them to use them next time you have a leftover dal or when you want a quick meal. Though this is a one dish meal, some families make rice with this dish. It is a perfect meal for a cold winter evening. Serve the dal dhokli with fresh cut onions and a piece of lime.

Dal Dhokli (Fresh whole Wheat Pasta in Lentils Gravy)

Ingredients

Serves 4

For Dal

  • 1 cup toor dal (split pigeon pea lentils) washed and soaked
  • 2 tbsp ghee
  • ¼ tsp cumin seeds
  • 10-12 curry leaves
  • 5-6 cloves
  • 1 piece cinnamon
  • 8-10 fenugreek seeds
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 dry red chillies broken
  • 1 green chilli slit
  • 2 inch piece of ginger
  • ¼ tsp asafoetida (heeng)
  • 1 tsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp red chilli powder
  • ¼ tsp turmeric
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
  • ¼ tsp garam masala
  • salt to taste

For Dhokli

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 tbsp gram flour (besan)
  • ½ tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • Salt to taste

Recipe

For the Dhoklis

Combine all the ingredients for dhokli and make a stiff/firm dough using enough water. Cover and keep it aside for 15 minutes (you can prepare the dal in these 15 minutes). Knead the dough again after 15 minutes and divide it into five equal rolls. Roll out each portion into a 7-8 inch circle. Do not roll the dhokli very thin. You can look at the image above for approximate thickness of the dhokli. Cut the rolled circle into small diamond shapes using a knife or a cutter.

For the Dal

Pressure cook the dal with little salt in 1 ½ cup of water. Once the pressure is released, open the cooker and blend the dal the dal till it is smooth. Add 3 ½ cups of water, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala, and salt. Bring to boil. Heat 2tbsp ghee in a separate pan. Add cumin seeds, curry leaves, ginger, green chilli, cloves, cinnamon, fenugreek seeds (methi dana), bay leaves, dry red chillies, and asafoetida. Sauté on a low flame for 1 minute. Add this tadka to the boiling dal and mix well.

Just before serving, bring the dal to boil. Once the dal boils, add the dhokli pieces one by one and stir gently. Cook on low flame for 8-9 minutes stirring occasionally. Add more water if the dal thickens while boiling. Add the lime juice and chopped coriander.

Serve hot with fresh cut onions and a wedge of lime and You can also add a spoonful of ghee (optional).

Leftover Roti Snack

Posted on by

 

Leftover Roti Snack

What started as a snack made from leftover rotis, is now a regular breakfast item in my kitchen. I make extra rotis the previous night to have this breakfast. It is spicy, crunchy, healthy, and quick.

Fresh curry leaves add more crunch and flavor to this snack. Tear/crush the curry leaves a little to get more flavor from them. Only thing you need to take care of is to cook this on low flame and eat it while it is hot and fresh. It tends to get chewy if left for too long after cooking.

You can enjoy this snack with a hot cup of chai (tea) or coffee. I enjoy it as it is. Hot, crispy and flavorful.

Leftover Roti Snack

 

Ingredients

Serves 2

  • 5 rotis
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • ¼ tsp cumin seeds
  • ¼ tsp mustard seeds
  • 4 cloves garlic chopped
  • 10-12 curry leaves
  • ¼ tsp asafoetida
  • ¼ tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 2 tbsp buttermilk
  • Salt to taste

Recipe

Tear the rotis into small pieces. Heat oil in a kadhai or thick bottomed pan. Add cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Once the seeds pop, add curry leaves and garlic. Sauté for 30-40 seconds on low flame.

Add asafoetida, turmeric, chilli powder, and salt. Give it a very quick mix and put the roti immediately and mix well to coat the mixture on rotis. Sauté for 1 minute on low flame. Add the buttermilk and mix well. Sauté on a low flame for 2-3 minutes or till the roti is crispy.

Serve hot with tea.

Masala Rice

Posted on by

Masala Rice

I call this a leftover makeover dish. Leftover rice has multiple uses and this is the most popular one at my home. Recooking it with  simple everyday spices and seasonal vegetables or herbs gives rice a completely new look and taste.

Every family has a different version of this rice. My mom adds a twist to this simple dish with the seasonal veggies (anything from green beans, potatoes, peas), I add tomatoes or lime juice, my mom in law adds coriander powder and I have seen my friend add a dollop of curd in the end. You can experiment with lots of flavours and vegetables and add your own twist to this quick but delicious recipe.

At my home, we eat it as breakfast or when we don’t like the lunch/dinner menu. It can be eaten with curd, pickle or simply without any accompaniment. I like it with basic curd raita.

Masala Rice

Ingredients

  • 2 cups leftover rice
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • ½ tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
  • ½ tsp asafoetida
  • 8-10 curry leaves
  • 2 green chillies slit
  • 2 inch piece of ginger grated
  • 2 dry red chillies
  • 2 tbsp or handful of groundnuts
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 tsp red chilli powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp coriander(dhaniya) powder
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp lime juice
  • Few springs of coriander finely chopped
  • Salt to taste

Recipe

Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and asafoetida. Once the seeds pop, add curry leaves, grated ginger, green chillies and dry red chillies.

Add groundnuts and sauté for a minute. Add onions and sauté till the onions are translucent.

Add rice, turmeric, red chilly powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and salt. Mix thoroughly and cover and cook for 3-4 minutes. (You can add chopped tomatoes at this stage if desired and cook covered for another 3-4 minutes).

Add lime juice and coriander leaves and switch off the gas.

Serve with curd or pickle.