Jiffy cooking & Planning of Menus for all occasions at home.

Saamaan Podi - More flavourful & spicy than Paruppu podi:

This powder, mixed with hot rice & ghee, along with a raitha makes an excellent jiffy meal ! Stock this for an emergency.

Tur dhal - ½ cup

Dhaniya - 1/3 cup

Gram dhal - 4 tsp, heaped

Urad dhal - 1 heaped tbsp

Mustard seeds - 3 tsp

Pepper - 3 tsp

Red chillies - 3,4

Jeera - 3 tsp

Salt, hing, Curry leaves

Dry roast each ingredient one by one & grind fine together.

Lemon Rice Mix:

This can be prepared once a week & refrigerated to mix up a quick instant lemon rice or lemon poha.

Salt, haldi

Lime juice - 3-4 tspHing - ½ tspGreen chillies - 3-4 cut into piecesTo temper:Oil - 2 tbspMustard seeds - 1 tspRed chillies - 2,3Gram dhal - 2 tbsp ( soak for 30 mts, drain & use)Curry leaves – few

Heat oil, temper as given & just before switching off the gas, add green chillies, haldi & hing.

Cool, add lime juice & salt.

This can be refrigerated for a week, to make lemon rice, lemon aval etc.

A pack of frozen, boiled mixed vegetables added, along with a raitha makes a quick meal.

Bombay Chutney - a very quick side-dish for idli, dosais & chappathis as well!

This is an old time recipe, which can be prepared in exactly 10 mts !
Some prefer to make it without tomatoes - the choice is yours. In that case, add little lime juice after removing from the flame.

Big onion - 1, chopped fine

Tomato - 1 big, chopped fine (optional)

Green chillies - 2,3, chopped into thin rounds

Ginger - 1 “ chopped fine

Besan - 1 tbsp

Water - 1 cup

Salt, haldi

To temper:

Oil - 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dhal - 2 tsp

Gram dhal - 2 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Heat oil & temper as given.

When the dhals become brown, add onions, green chillies & ginger
Fry till the onions become transparent.
Next, add tomatoes & fry till slightly pulpy.

Mix water with besan, salt, haldi & keep ready.

Add this, stirring well to prevent lump formation.

Boil till the mixture “shines”.

Remove & serve hot.

Addition of coriander leaves & lime juice is optional.

Puri with shrikant & Bombay Chutney.

Dear All,
I am posting the photo of our dinner
I made B C after a very long time & find that it is an extremely versatile side-dish which goes with idli, dosa, chappathi as well. It requires exactly 10 mts to make it !
Love,
Chithra.

Cucumber oothappam - let us call it pancakes !

This is a jiffy dish, which can be “rustled up”, if you have cucumbers ! The addition of jaggery, gives it an intriguing, mildly sweet taste. You can omit it, by choice.

Grated cucumber - 2 cups

Bombay rava - 1 cup

Fresh curds - 2-3 tbsp

Finely chopped green chillies - 4,5 ( more or less by choice)

Chopped coriander leaves - few

Jaggery - 2 tbsp (optional), powdered

Oil - to make oothappams

To the freshly grated cucumber, add all other ingredients.

Keep for 30 mts, for the rava to soak & swell.

Make small oothappams on a non-stick tava, using very little oil.

Wait for the first side to be cooked well & completely, before turning over to the other side.

Mint or coriander chutney makes an excellent accompaniment.

Carrot Oothappam - jiffy, jiffy , all you need is carrots!

Rice flour - 1 cup

Grated carrot - ¾ cup

Grated coconut - ½ cup

Green chillies - 3, finely chopped

Curds - 4-5 tbsp

Melted ghee - 2 tbsp

Sugar - 2 tsp

Salt

Oil - to make oothappam

Mix all ingredients to a dropping consistency.

Pour on a tava with a small ladle to a 3” diameter oothappam.

You can pour 3-4 at a time.

Make oothappams, the usual way with very little oil.

Serve with any green chutney.

Sprouts Oothappam - Protein packed Breakfast

Moong sprouts - 1 cup (or you can use mixed sprouts also)

Rice flour - 4 tbsp

Green chillies - 4, 5 (or to taste)

Salt

Processed Cheese (grated) - ½ cup or more, as necessary

Oil - to make pancakes

Grind in a mixi, the sprouts, green chillies & salt, fine.

Add rice flour, blend well & keep for 15 mts.

On a tava, soread a thin pancake & drizzle littleoil around it.

Spread grated chese on one half & cook the pancake covered on a low flame.

When the underside is browned, fold it and serve immediately with any chutney, pickle or ketchup.

Note:

Chopped onions, green chillies, coriander leaves can be added to cheese.

Potato or any dry vegetable filling can be used.

The filling is your choice.

Alternatively, you can make small oothappams 3” in diameter & top with carrots, onions cheese etc.

Greens oothappam - Tastes good even when cold!

Any greens can be chopped & used.

Besan - ½ cup

Maize flour (makai ka atta) - 1 cup

Chopped greens - 1 cup

Chopped onions - ½ cup

Chopped green chillies - 1 tbsp

Salt

Oil - to make oothappam

Mix all ingredients to dosai mavu consistencty.

Make small oothappams using oil, as usual.

If you do not have Maize flour, substitute wheat flour.

Serve with any chutney .

Jiffy Rabdi - No compromise in taste and texture

Topped with nuts, this can be served as a dessert.
This can be served cold accompanied by a hot pudding also.
I usually serve hot gulab jamun with chilled rabdi.

Milk - 1 litre (preferably full cream)

White bread slices, crust removed - 3 ( make bread crumbs)

Condensed milk - ½ cup

Sugar - ¼ cup (optional)

Saffron - a pinch, warmed and powdered

Nuts - to garnish

Boil milk & add breadcrumbs.

Simmer & boil for 15 mts.

Add sugar ,condensed milk & continue to simmer.

Remove when thick & add saffron.

Chill & garnish with nuts.

Vegetarian Omelette - for people like me, the non-egg eaters !

I am giving the basic recipe. You can modify it, by adding any filling like cheese etc or vegetables.

Maida - ½ cup, flat

Besan - 1 cup, slightly heaped

Tomatoes - 1 big or 2 small, finely chopped

Green chillies - 3, 4, finely chopped

Curry leaves, finely chopped - 1 tbsp

Coriander leaves, finely chopped - 2 tbsp

Butter or oil - to make

Salt & pepper

Mix all ingredients except pepper, adding water to a smooth batter.

Make omelettes the usual way in a non-stick pan, using oil or butter.

When done on the first side, spreinkle pepper powder, fold & serve.