Water Melon Salsa

Summer is here and so are water melons!
On every other pavement there are mountains of water melons. Needless to say it has become the main ingredient in all my culinary endeavors this month- Hand crushed Water melon juice with pepper, melon scoop fruit salad …
Here is one of the recipes I tried for a get-together we had last weekend. I also decided to carve a water melon basket to hold the salsa gracefully.
It is easy to make and friends approved its good taste!
So here it is..

Ingredients

3 cups water melon (chopped fine)
2 cups Capsicum (finely chopped)
1 cup Yellow pepper (finely chopped)
2 firm and ripe tomatoes (cored and chopped)
2 cups sweet corn (steamed)
3 medium sized onions (finely chopped)

2 Tablespoons Olive oil
Dried Basil
Oregano

For the dressing
2 Table spoons vinegar
2 tsp sugar
Salt
2 table spoons red chilli sauce
2 table spoons tomato ketchup
1 tsp white pepper powder

Method

Sauté onions in olive oil.
Mix all the veggies in a large bowl except water melon
Mix all the ingredients in another bowl
Add the dressing and toss the veggies gently
Add oregano, basil liberally
Add the water melon just before serving as it makes the salad watery.
Again toss gently and serve with a smile !

You can fill this in the water melon shell or carve a basket and fill it with the salsa. You can top it with water melon balls scooped out using a fruit baller.

QED (Quite Easily Done OR Quite an Easy Dish)
PS: This recipe is for a party(15-20 servings) , so halve or quarter the measures if it is just for your family.

Sweet corn Macaroni Soup

This is one of the dishes I demonstrated on the cookery show on TV (etv-kannada).
Of late, I have developed a great weakness for sweet corn. In all the three shows I have done so far there was at least one sweet corn dish!
Ingredients
1/2 cup sweet corn
½ cup boiled and cooled macaroni
½ cup mixed veg chopped (carrot, capsicum, cauliflower florets)

2 cups milk
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp maida
1 tsp white pepper powder
1/2 tsp sugar
Salt to taste
Oregano (optional)

Method

Melt the butter and add the maida
After a minute add the milk little by little stirring continuously
Add the salt and pepper
If you want to make it more creamy – this is when you add some cheese spread (1 tbsp)
So this is your white sauce.
Meanwhile bring 1.5 cups of water to boil and add al the veggies and sweet corn in it.
Cook it for 5-7 minutes else they become too soft – we need them crunchy
Add the white sauce and macaroni slowly into this and bring to a boil.
You can add a dash of oregano for additional flavour if you wish.
I give it to my kids with dinner rolls or garlic bread
It is very wholesome indeed!

Idli Reigns Supreme!

Yes ! In the kingdom of breakfast ,Idli is the undisputed king!
Healthy, tasty and filling !

What more can you ask for?
I used to hate them when I was small – but you can't hate it for long !
Not when you are born in a south Indian family ! It grows on you and one day you will crown it …
So, here’s the easy formula for fluffy , soft and nutritious Idlis. I bet you will like this …

Ingredients
1 Cup Urad Dal
2 ½ Cups Idli Rava/Idli Soji
4-5 Tablespoons Poha/Avalakki
Salt to taste

Method

Soak Urad dal and poha for a min of 4 hours
Wash the Idli rava in water
Soak the idli rava in warm water for 30 minutes
Grind the urad dal and poha into a fine paste
Squeeze out the water from Idli rava nad add it to the dal mixture
Blend it in the mixer for a couple of minutes
Ferment it for at least 8 -10 hours (tropical climate)
Add salt and water to get dropping consistency (thicker than dosa batter)
Set in greased moulds and steam it for 15- 20 minutes
Cool it for a couple of minutes before scooping it out.
Allow the moulds to stand in a cold water bath for faster cooling

QED ! (Quite Easily Done)

Savour it with sambhar or chutney!

MultiGrain Rotti

Who says healthy food is not tasty – Try this…
Rotti cannot get more nutritious than this one !
This is a mix of 4 different cereals and is really yummy when you eat it hot.
You could pack this for lunch too.

Ingredients

• ½ Cup Rice Flour
• ½ Cup Ragi Flour
• ½ Cup Fine semolina
• ½ Cup Maize (JoLa ) Flour
• 2-3 Tsp Jeera /Cumin Seeds
• 2 Medium onions finely chopped
• 1-2 carrots grated
  
• 6-8 Green chillies (paste)
• ½ Cup Coriander chopped
• Salt to taste
• Oil
  

Method

1. Boil 2 cups of Water (1:1 of all the flours). Add salt and Jeera.
2. Switch off the flame and add the flour Mixture.
3. Mix thoroughly using a spatula (I use a thin rolling pin).
4. Add green chilly paste, carrot,onions and coriander.Mix well with your hands.(Warning: hands will be messy!)
5. Smear a little oil on a brown wrapping paper with a plastic sheet.Pat this mixture( size of a small orange) on a plastic sheet as thin as you would want.
6. Transfer the Rotti onto a hot Tawa. Leave it on the tawa with the wrapping paper for a few seconds and then carefully take the sheet out.
   
7. Dribble 1/2 tsp oil all over the rotti. Cover it and cook till one side is done.
8. Reverse the rotti and cook till done.
   
9. Serve hot with chutney or just like that.