White Soda Focaccia With Cheese and Herbs

This recipe is from Rachel Allen,as you know I have posted  some of her recipes especially baking recipes..This is one of them,I have made little changes to this recipe..Foccacia is a italian flat  oven baked bread flavoured with olives,olive oil and herbs,similar to pizza but not consider to be the same.It is very ideal for breakfast or as snack with tea or coffee..
Ingredients
Olive Oil for greasing and to sprinkle on top
Plain flour-450gms
Bicorbonate of soda-1tsp
Salt-1tsp
Grated cheddar cheese-1/4cup
Buttermilk-400 ml
Black olives,chopped-1tbsp
Sundried tomatoes,chopped-1tbsp
Crystal sea salt -1/2tsp
Garlic,finely chopped-1tbsp
Rosemary-1/2tsp(i used dried one you can use fresh)
Method:
Preheat an oven to 230c.
Brush a swiss roll tin or baking tray generously with olive oil.
Sieve the plain flour and the soda into a big bowl.
Add the salt,1/4cup of grated cheese and mix with your hands.
Make a well in the centre, pour in most of the buttermilk, and with one hand stiff and
your fingers spread out like a claw, start mixing in a full circle once the butter milk has
gone in. Keep mixing like this until you have a soft dough
Do not knead it but work it very gently to bring it together.

Transfer to a floured surface and roll it out and transfer it to the oiled tray.
Brush the top with some more oil and sprinkle the sea salt ,dried herb,olives,garlic and sundried tomatoes.
Put it in the oven and cook for 18-25 mins, depending on how thick it is.
Turn the oven down to 200c after 10 mins.
When cooked, it should feel firm in the centre and become golden brown.

Transfer it to a wire rack and cool for a couple of mins, then cut it into squares and serve..

Balekaayi Palya/Plantain

Ingredients:
Balekaayi/Plantain-3
Onion-1,finely chopped
Tomato-1,chopped
Curry leaves-1sprig
Tamarind juice-2tbsp or to taste
Salt to taste
Oil-2tsp
Mustard seeds-1/2tsp
Fresh coriander to garnish


For grinding:
Fresh coconut-1/2 cup
Onion -1,roughly chopped
Tomato-1, roughly chopped
Sambhar powder-2tsp
(you can substitute sambhar powder with chillipowder,dhaniyapowder and turmeric.)


Method:
1.Wash and peel the plantain and cut them into bite size pieces
and soak them in clean water with little salt so they don't turn into
black colour.
2.Grind coconut,onion,tomato and sambhar powder into fine paste.
3.Heat a oil in a pan add mustard,when they started to splutter.add onions
and fry until translucent.Now add tomatoes,curry leaves and salt saute for
minute.
4.When tomatoes becomes soft add chopped plantain saute for second and add grinded masala paste,tamarind juice with 1/2cup water,close the lid of a pan and allow to cook on a low flame until plantain are soft.

5.Take out of the heat,garnish with coriander.
This goes well with Chappati,Akki roti,rice and dosa's.

Soft and Spongy Idli's

Ingredients:
Rice Rawa-2cups
Urad dal-1cup
Cooked rice-1cup(leftover or fresh)
Salt to taste
Soda bicarb-1/2tsp
Method:
1.Wash and soak urad for 4-6hrs in clean water.grind it to smooth paste using very less water.
2.Soak rawa 1hr before grinding in clean water.squeeze excess water and grind it roughly.
3.Grind the cooked rice into fine paste.
4.Mix urad batter,cooked rice paste,and grinded rawa and mix well with clean hands,don't add water.Leave it to ferment for overnight  or 7- 8hrs.

5.While preparing mix salt and soda  then grease the idli plates and pour tbsp or more batter depending on how deep the cups are..don't overfill.
6.Steam the idlis for 10-15minutes or until  done.Serve hot with coconut chutney and sambhar.

Thondekaayi/Ivygourd Palya

Ivygourd

Ingredients:
Thondekaayi/Ivygourd-250g
Onion-1 medium
Curryleaves-1 sprig
Turmeric-1/4tsp
Oil-2tsp
Mustard-1/2tsp
For masala powder:
Dry red chillies-3
Whole coriander seeds-1tsp
Garlic-2cloves
Dry coconut(kobari)-fistful
Puff channa/hurugadale-1tbsp


Method:
1.Wash and cut ivegourd into bite size pieces.
2.Dry grind all the ingredients above for masala into fine powder.
3.Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds and when they begin to splutter add
onions,curryleaves and turmeric and fry until onions are soft.
4.Add ivegourd and salt fry for 2 minutes and let them cook on a medium low flame

by covering the lid(Do not add water)until they are soft.
5.Add above masala to cooked ivygourd and mix well.Serve hot with rice as a sidedish or with chappatis.

Lemon rice/Chitranna

Ingredients:
Rice-2cups
Water-4cups
Preparing rice:
1.Wash rice changing water until the water appears clear.
Soak the rice for 15minutes before cooking.
2.Boil the water in a pan when it comes to boil,reduce the heat to medium, add soaked rice and allow to cook until rice is tender and most of the water is evaporated,now reduce the heat to low,cover the lid and allow to fluff up for 5-6minutes. When you remove the lid steam will come and rice looks fluffier.Now keep it aside to cool.
Microwave Method:
In microwavable bowl add soaked rice and four glasses of water and keep in microwave for 20 minutes or until it is done.
For lemon rice
Ingredients:
2 tbsp-vegetable or sunflower+ oil extra oil for mixing
1/2 tsp- cumin seeds
1/2 tsp- mustard seeds
1/2 tsp- turmeric
2 -dried whole red chili(break them into 2 pieces)
1- green chili sliced in four long way
12 to 15 fresh curry leaves
1 tbsp- channa dal/bengal gram
1tbsp-urad dal/blackgram
1/4 cup unsalted roasted peanuts(store bought)
1/4cup-fresh coconut,grated
1 salt to taste
Lemon juice according to taste
Fresh coriander chopped
Method:
1.Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat,add mustard and cumin and allow them to splutter,now add both dals,make sure to keep an eye on the flame other wise it will burn the tempering,after the dals become lightly brown add green chillies,red chillies,curry leaves and turmeric and saute for 1minute,mix well and add salt and take out of the flame and keep aside to cool for 5 -10minutes.

For mixing:
Take a wide bowl and add all the rice,break the lumps very gently with wooden spatula(clean hand is better),now add the cooled tempering,chopped coriander,lemon juice,and 1 or 2tbsp of oil,roasted peanuts,grated fresh coconut on top of the rice.mix gently with wooden spatula ,making sure not to break the rice.If you find salt is less you can add and mix it along with other ingredients.Before serving garnish with fresh coriander,fresh grated coconut and fried peanuts and enjoy with pickles and
curd rice.

Thanks Chitra  for considering me for this wonderful Award!.I want to share this award with my lovely  fellow bloggers...
1.Vidya of Akshayapatre
2.Madhuri of Cook-curry nook
3.I am home chef of Cookery bits
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5.Neha of Home made food
6.Suman of Incidental indian cooking
7.Kannada cusine
8.Akila of Learning to cook
9.Viju of Lets cook something
10.Vanamala hebbar of Malaskitchen
11.Ramya of Mane adige
12.Priya of Mharo rajsthan recipes
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14.Sonu of Palate corner
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Rules:

1.Accept the award. Post it in your blog with the name of the blogger who has given u this award with a link to his/her blog.
2.Pass it on to 15 other blogger friends.... to keep the ball rolling.
3.Let the nominated blogger know about their award [leave a comment in their most recent post].

Aloo Taheri

Aloo Tahri or Tehri is  a Pakistani dish,I got this from one  of the cookery shows..Tehri  means rice cooked with veggies especially potatoes...The aroma of this dish is unbelievable!!!...You can add other veggies  also.Potato lovers must try this recipe,you will love it for sure....

 Ingredients:
2- onions
3-4-medium potatoes,cut into bite size pieces
3-4 tomatoes,finely chopped
2cups-basmati rice
1/2cup-yoghurt/curd, well beaten
salt to taste
2tbsp-oil
1tsp-ghee
2-3-green chillies,slited
1tsp-chillipowder
2tsp-gingergarlicpaste
1/4tsp-turmeric
1/2tsp- garam masala
1/2tsp-cumin seeds
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2cup-mint leaves,finely chopped
1/2cup-fresh coriander,finely chopped

Whole garam masala:
Cinnamon-2 sticks
Cloves-10
Black peppercorns-10
Cardamom-6-7
Black cardamom-2
Mace-1

Method:
1.Chop one onion finely and slice and fry one onion until blackish brown.Wash and soak the rice for 20minutes.
2.Heat oil in a heavy pan,add whole garam masala,cumin seeds,when they begin to splutter add chopped onions and fry until golden brown,then add tomatoes,ginger garlic paste and salt,cook until it leaves oil.
3.Add yoghurt,Chillipowder,garam masala,turmeric, potatoes and sufficient water,cook with lid closed until potatoes are nearly cooked.
4.When the water begin to boil and potatoes are nearly cooked add rice,cook until well cooked and all the water evaporates.

5. Now spread fried onions,green chillies,mint leaves,coriander,sprinkle ghee and lemon juice on top of the rice,close the lid tightly and leave for dum on a low flame for 10-15minutes.
6.Serve hot with any raitha.