Breakfast Series: Wheat Bulgur Khara Pongal and Sweet Pongal (Samba Godhumai Ven Pongal and Sakkarai Pongal)

Pongal is a popular breakfast / brunch item across south india, we pair pongal with chutney, vada, brinjal curry and sometimes raita. Pongal is normally prepared with rice but we can use wheat bulgur for healthy option.

Wheat Bulgur Pongal Recipe Video on Vidyascooking

Ingredients:

2 Coffee Tumbler = 250 Grams Wheat Bulgur

1 1/3 Coffee Tumbler = 200 Grams Mung Dhal (Mung Beans)

2 1/2 Coffee Tumbler = 350 Grams Organic Powdered Jaggery from Farmz to Familiez

1 Inch Ginger Grated

1 1/2 Tbsp Black Pepper Crushed

1 Tbsp Cumin Seeds

4 Sprigs Curry Leaves

4 Green Chilies Slit

20 to 25 Cashews 

2 Tbsp Raisins 

4 Pods Cardamom

1/4 Tsp Asafoetida

1 Pinch Edible Camphor (Pachai Karpooram) 

Oil and Ghee as Required

Salt as per taste...

Prep:

Dry roast the wheat bulgur till good aroma releases and the color starts to change a bit to white. Remove from flame and reserve on a plate.

Dry roast the mung dhal till good aroma releases and the color starts to change a bit to light golden. Remove from flame and reserve on a plate.

Measure, combine both the wheat and mung dhal wash thrice and add 7 cups water and place in a pressure cooker.

Cook the wheat and dhal for 3 to 4 whistles or until both the ingredients are mushy to the touch.

Peel, wash and grate the ginger. Crush the pepper and reserve. Slit the green chilies and reserve.

Measure and add the jaggery to a pot with 1 cup warm water. Place on low flame  keep stirring until the jaggery melts.

Using a strainer, strain the melted jaggery and reserve.

To Prepare Sweet Pongal:

Heat a wok with 2 tbsp oil and 1 large heaping spoon full ghee. 

Add 10 split cashews and raisins to the ghee and oil and fry until the cashews turn golden in color. Drain the cashews and raisins from oil and reserve on a plate.

Add crushed cardamom to the hot oil and fry few seconds. Add half the amount of cooked wheat and dhal to the wok and fry for a minute, breaking out any lumps while stirring. 

Add the melted jaggery and 1 cup water stir, bring to rapid boil.

Crush and add a pinch of edible camphor to the pongal and stir.

Allow the pongal to reduce and absorb most of the moisture on medium to high flame.

Just before serving garnish with fried cashews and raisins, top with two more tbsp full ghee and serve hot...Enjoy 😉

To Prepare Khara / Pepper Pongal:

Heat a heavy bottom pot on medium flame. Add 2 Tbsp oil and 1 tbsp ghee. Add 10 to 15 split cashews to the ghee and oil and fry till golden. Drain the cashews and reserve.

To the heated oil and ghee add the grated ginger, crushed pepper, slit green chilies, curry leaves, asafoetida and cumin seeds, fry all the ingredients until raw flavor from ginger reduces.

Add salt as per taste and 1 1/2 cups water to the masala mix, bring to rapid boil. Add the other half of cooked wheat and dhal stir and break down any lumps. Cover and cook until excess moisture is absorbed.

Garnish the pongal with fried cashews and two full tbsp ghee, serve hot with chutney and medu vada...Enjoy 😊

 

Pongal Recipes Posted on Vidyacooking Channel 😊

Rice Ven-Pongal Recipe

Rice Sakkarai Pongal Recipe

Pongal Cheese Balls Recipe

Semiya Pongal Recipe

Tiranga Jeera Poli Recipe #Indianflaginspired

Jeera poli is a traditional Tamil community sweet dish prepared to celebrate birthdays, holi festival and rakshabandhan. These days jeera poli has become a popular street food across Tamil Nadu. 

In Tamil dialect sakkarai-pagu / jeera translates to sugar syrup and poli is a flat bread. Flat bread which is fried and soaked in sugar syrup is jeera poli and is also known as sakkarai poli (sugar poli) or maddippu sakkarai poli (Pleated sugar poli). 

Jeera Poli Recipe on Vidyascooking Channel 😊

Tiranga Jeera Poli Ingredients:

1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour (Maida) 

(Extra flour as required)

1/4 Cup Sooji / Rava / Semolina

2 Cups Sugar

3 Cloves

4 Pods Cardamom

1 Pinch Orange Food Color

1 Pinch Green Food Color

1/4 Tsp Salt

1 Tbsp Ghee or Vanaspati

Oil for frying

1 Cup Warm Water

Garnish: Shredded Coconut, Almonds, Cashews, Pista

Method:

In a mixing bowl combine maida, semolina and salt.

Gradually add water and knead to form a sticky dough. Add ghee and knead for few minutes and allow the dough to rest for five minutes.

Divide the dough into three equal portions. 

To one portion of the dough add orange food color, add 1 tbsp maida and knead till smooth dough consistency.

To the second divided dough ball, add green food color, add 1 tbsp maida and knead to form a smooth dough.

To the plain/colorless dough add 1 tbsp maida and knead to form a smooth dough.

Crush the cardamom and cloves a bit. 

In a wok heat oil on low flame. 

In a pan add sugar, cardamom, cloves and water place it on low flame.

Divide the dough balls into small equal size roundles.

Dust the rolling pin and surface with flour. Dip the dough ball in flour and roll it, to form even circle. 

Fold the circle in half and fold the half to form a triangle gently press. 

Pierce a fork into the rolled triangle this way the dough with fry evenly and wont puff while frying. Follow the step and prepare a batch of these triangles.

Once the oil reaches temperature, gently drop the dough triangles, three at a time in hot oil and fry on medium flame. Flip the bread time to time and fry for a minute and half on each side, or till the edges turn golden and crispy.

Using a slotted spoon drain the excess oil and reserve the fried bread in a bowl. Follow the same step and fry all the rolled out triangles.

Once the sugar has melted and the syrup starts to form a sticky and one string consistency, gently drop the fried bread to the syrup and flip on both sides, till the syrup penetrates, place on low flame.

Once the jeera is fully absorbed, serve it warm along with jeera, garnish with chopped nuts and shredded coconut and Enjoy!

Mango Poli Recipe on Vidyascooking Channel

Breakfast Series: Creamed Sweetcorn with Ghee Toast

 

Creamed sweetcorn with ghee toast is literally a quick fix breakfast. People who want to avoid eggs and try something new with toast this creamed corn is perfect dip for bread toast.

Recipe Video on Vidyascooking Channel 😊

Ingredients:

200 Grams Sweetcorn Kernels

1/4 Tsp Grated Ginger

2 Green Chilies Finely Chopped

3 Sprigs Coriander Finely Chopped

1 1/4 Cups Milk

1 Tbsp All purpose Flour

1/2 Cup Combination Grated Cheddar and Mozzarella Cheese

1 Tsp Chilly Flakes 

1 Tsp Pepper Powder

2 Tbsp Oil

Salt as per taste...

Method:

Heat oil in a wok on medium flame. Simultaneously heat a tawa and start to toast bread slices with ghee and reserve. 

Once reaches smoking point place on low flame, add the grated ginger, chillies, and coriander fry for a minute until the raw flavor reduces.

Place the flame on low and add milk, bring to rapid boil and add salt as per taste.

Wash and drain the sweetcorn. Add the corn to the milk and adjust the milk or water. I added 1/4 cup water.

Dilute the flour in 1/4 cup milk and reserve.

In 2 to 3 minutes the corn should've cooked, add the diluted flour mixture to the corn and stir to form a smooth sauce. 

Crumble and add the grated cheese stir well.

Once the desired sauce consistency has formed remove the cream corn from flame, add the pepper powder and chilly flakes stir well.

Serve the creamed corn topped with cheese, chilly flakes, and pepper powder...Enjoy :)

Bread Recipes Posted on Vidyascooking Channel

Schezwan Masala Bread Toast

Basil Chutney and Cheese Bread Toast

Chilly Cheese Toast

Using Leftover Bread 

Chilly Cheese Corn Toast

Bread and Salami Waffle Toast

Cabbage Toast

Masala Chicken Toast

Hycinth Beans Bread Toast

Bread Upma

Breakfast Series: Red Rice Idly and Dosa Batter Recipe

Red rice is good source of fiber and contains all essential nutrients required for our current lifestyle. Red rice is recommended by all dietitians and nutritionists. Mom and I, try our best to incorporate more and more healthy breakfast options to maintain our overall health. 

Red Rice Idly and Dosa Batter Recipe on Vidyascooking Channel😊

Ingredients:

1 Cup = 125 Grams Par Boiled Idly Rice

1 1/2 Cups = 175 Grams Raw Red Rice

3/4 Cup = 100 Grams Black Gram Dhal Round (Urad Dhal)

1 Cup Red Beaten Rice (Red Paper Poha)

1 Tsp Fenugreek Seeds

1 Tbsp Sugar

1/4 Tsp Cooking Soda

1 1/2 Tbsp Coarse Salt

2 Tbsp Oil + Oil as required...

Method:

Ingredients need to soak for six hours:

Wash combine and wash both the rice thrice and soak in enough water for six hours.

Wash the urad dhal thrice and soak in enough water for six hours.

Wash and soak the fenugreek in 1/2 cup water.

Ingredients needs to soak for 2 hours:

Wash the red poha twice and soak in water for two hours.

Start Stone Grinding:

Wash the soaked rice and urad dhal twice before grinding.

Combine and add all the ingredients to the stone grinder and add 1 cup water grind to form smooth batter.

If needed we can adjust and add i more cup water gradually making sure the batter is neither to thick nor to thin.

Even if he batter is thick we will wash the stone grinder with 1/2 cup water we can adjust the consistency by adding this water.

Add the batter in a bowl with enough space for the batter to ferment and double in volume.

Add salt to the batter and place a cover, allow the batter to ferment overnight. 

If you do not use a stone grinder, use regular mixer to grind the batter. Make sure to grind in small batches as we require a uniform and smooth batter.

Prep the Batter for Idly and Dosa:

To achive crispy dosas and soft idly, we need to add 1 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp oil and 1/4 tsp cooking soda to the batter and mix it well, alow the batter to rest for 15 minutes.

Prepare Idly:

To prepare uniform and soft idlis, mix the batter well, while mixing beat and incorporate air in the batter to achive fluffy idlis.

Place the idly steamer with enough water on medium flame, allow the steam to build on medium flame.

Prepare the idly plate. Apply oil to the idly plate and ladle the batter in the mould.

Place the idly plate in the steamer, cover and allow to steam cook on medium flame for 10 minutes.

To check the idlies have cooked or not pierce a sharp tooth pick or knife in the middle to check if the batter is cooked or wet. 

Once the idlies have cooked sprinkle water to demould the idly, using a sharp pointed spatula demould the idlies and serve hot...Enjoy 😉

Prepare Dosas:

Heat a tawa on medium flame.

Apply 1/4 tsp  oil on the tawa, using half onion spread the oil on the tawa.

Ladle the batter and spread to form even dosa. 

Add few tsp oil over the dosa, cover and cook on high flame for 2 to 3 minutes.

Once the base of the dosa turns crispy and golden in color, we can flip it to other side if needed or demould and serve hot with chutney...Enjoy 😉

Regular Rice Idly and Dosa Batter Recipe Video on Vidyascooking Channel

Appam Batter Recipe Video on Vidyascooking Channel

Chicken Fries Recipe / Chicken French Fries Recipe / French Chicken Recipe

Chicken fries is a perfect starter come sidedish. Since the chicken is cut into finger length strips and looks like french fries, hence the name french chicken or chicken fries 😉 Enjoy these chicken fries with pulao, fried rice, noodles or prepare wraps. Spicy and garlic flavor fries will be hit among kids and adults at home 😊

Chicken Fries Recipe Video on Vidyascooking 😊

Chicken Fries / Chicken French Recipe 

Ingredients:

Marination:

300 Grams Chicken Breast

50 Grams Chinese Five Spice Powder Mix or 10/- Pack Fried Rice Masala Mix (Any Brand)

5 Cloves Garlic + 3 Cloves + 6 Dried Red Chilly Ground into Paste

1 Tbsp Ginger and Garlic Paste

1/2 Tbsp Chilly Powder or Chilly Paste

1/4 Tsp Ajinomoto / Chinese Salt

1/2 Lime Juice

1 Egg

1/4 Tsp Soya Sauce

1/4 Tsp Chilly Sauce

2 Tbsp Maida (All Purpose Flour)

2 Tbsp Corn Flour

1 Pinch Orange Food Color

Salt if needed 

Oil for Frying...

For Garlic Masala:

1 Whole Garlic Finely Chopped

1 Inch Ginger Finely Chopped

6 Sprigs Curry Leaves

1/2 Onion Finely Chopped

2 Green Chilly Slit

1/2 Tsp Chilly Garlic Paste or Chilly Sauce

1/2 Tsp Soya Sauce

2 Tbsp Corn Flour Dilute in Water

Salt as per taste

Lime Juice for garnish...

Prep:

Wash the chicken breast twice and allow to drain in a colander.

Pat the chicken breast dry, using a sharp knife slice the chicken breast into diagonal strips and reserve.

Prepare chilly garlic paste in bulk and reserve.

Finely chop garlic and ginger and reserve.

Juice the limes and reserve.

Dilute 2 Tbsp corn flour in water and reserve.

Method:

Marinate the chicken 1 hour prior to preparation or prepare this marination overnight and refrigerate.

Add lime juice, chilly garlic paste, soya sauce, chilly sauce, chilly powder, five spice powder, ajinomoto, egg, ginger and garlic paste to the chicken mix well cover and allow to marinate.

Place oil for frying in a wok on low to medium flame allow to reach temperature.

Add food color, salt, corn flour, and maida to the chicken mix well and reserve for few minutes before frying.

Once the oil is hot gently add the chicken fries one at a time and fry a batch of 10 to 12 fries.

Gently flip the fries and fry for 2 to 3 1/2  minutes on each side until crispy.

Drain the fries from oil and reserve.

Heat a wok with oil on medium flame.

Add garlic, ginger, chillies, onion, curry leaves, chilly garlic paste and fry till raw flavor reduces.

Add chilly sauce, soya sauce and fry for few seconds.

Add diluted corn flour and fry the masala till well combined.

Add salt and fry the masala.

Toss the chicken fries in the garlic masala, garnish with lime juice and serve hot...Enjoy:)

Please Note: If chicken breast is over cooked it will tend to be rubbery and hard, don't cook it for more than five minutes.

All ready to use sauces and masala contains salt please taste test and add salt only if required.

People have misconceptions using ajinomoto instead we can use chicken stock cube or chicken soup powder.

Chicken Starter Recipes Posted on Vidyascooking Channel

Chicken Sholay Kabab

Tamarind Chicken Recipe

Fried Chicken Kabab Recipe

Lemon Chicken Recipe

Pepper Chicken Recipe

Chilly Chicken Recipe

Grilled Chicken Recipe

Less Oil Chicken Kabab Recipe

Ginger Chicken Recipe

Curry Roast Chicken Recipe

Guntur Chicken Recipe

Chicken Vadai Recipe

Chicken Seekh Kabab Recipe

Chicken Uppu Kari / Salted Chicken Roast Recipe

Achari Chicken Recipe

Honey Mustard Chicken Recipe

Basil Chicken Recipe

Lime Lacquer Chicken Recipe

Street Food Series: Ragda Recipe / Ragda Patties Recipe / Ragda Puri Chaat Recipe

Ragda is a popular streetfood style peas curry. Best way of relishing ragda is to top the curry over cutlet chaat or aloo tikkis. This curry is also stuffed inside a panipuri and served as masala panipuri, Some street vendors also sell ragda with kulcha/ naans or bread toast. The curry is very tasty and pairs well with even rotis.

Ragda Recipe Video on Vidyascooking Channel

Aloo Tikki Recipe on Vidyascooking Channel

Mint and Coriander Chaat Chutney on Vidyascooking Channel

Chilly Garlic Chaat Chutney on Vidyascooking Channel

Tamarind Chutney Recipe on Vidyascooking Channel

Clear Pani Puri Pani Recipe on Vidyascooking Channel

Pani puri Pani Recipe on Vidyascooking Channel

Different Pani Puri Pani Recipe on Vidyascooking Channel

Ingredients for Ragda Recipe:

250 Grams Dried White Peas

1/4 + 1/4 Tsp Asafoetida

1/2 Tps Turmeric Powder

5 Cloves Garlic + 1/2 Inch Ginger + 6 Green Chilly Ground Into Paste

1 Tsp Cumin Powder

1 Tbsp Chilly Powder

1 Tbsp Dried Mango Powder or Chaat Masala

1 Tbsp Coriander Powder

1 Tbsp Coriander and Mint Chutney

1 Tbsp Chilly Garlic Chutney

1 Tbsp Tamarind Chutney

5 Sprigs Coriander Finely Chopped

2 Tsp Use Mustard Oil or Sesame Oil in this recipe

Salt as per taste

For Ragda Patties (Single Serve):

3 Aloo Tikkis

1/2 Cup Ragda

2 Tbsp Each Finely Chopped Onion, Tomato, Cucumber, Mint and Coriander.

1 Tsp Each Mint Chutney, Tamarind Chutney, Chilly Garlic Chutney

1 Pinch Chaat Masala

1 Pinch Cumin Powder

1 Pinch Chilly Powder

1 Pinch Clove Power

2 Tbsp Sev

Prep:

Wash the dried white peas thrice and soak it in enough water overnight. 

Once the dried peas has soaked it should've doubled in size.

Drain the water from white peas and wash twice. Add it to pressure cooker with 1/4 tsp Asafoetida and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, place a cover and whistle and cook it for 5 whistles or until the white peas has absorbed the water and cooked till tender.

Prepare all the chutney's in bulk ahead of time.

Prepare the masala paste ahead of time.

Method:

Heat a wok with oil on medium flame, once the oil starts to smoke add the ground chilly masala paste and fry till raw flavor reduces.

Add the powdered spices and allow to bloom in the oil. Make sure not to burn these powdered spices.

Add the cooked peas and fry in the masala for a minute. Add salt as per taste and stir.

Add all the three chutney and stir well.

Add 1 1/2 cups warm water and cook the peas until the masala is well combined and cooked with the peas.

Try to Stir and mash the peas a little this way the gravy will thicken.

Once the gravy reduces remove from flame. Garnish with mint and coriander and serve hot...Enjoy :)

To Prepare Ragda Patties:

Place the aloo tikki in a serving plate mash it a bit.

Top with ragda, top with all three chutneys and garnish with finely chopped tomato, onion and coriander.

Sprinkle all the aromatic spice powder and top the ragda with sev...serve hot and Enjoy :)

For Ragda Pani Puri (Single Serve):

12 Pani Puri Shells

1/2 Cup Ragda

1/2 Cup Masala Pani

2 Tbsp Each Finely Chopped Onion, Tomato, Cucumber, Mint and Coriander.

1 Tsp Each Mint Chutney, Tamarind Chutney, Chilly Garlic Chutney

1 Pinch Chaat Masala

1 Pinch Cumin Powder

1 Pinch Chilly Powder

1 Pinch Clove Power

2 Tbsp Sev

Assemble Ragda Pani Puri:

Combine all the ingredients in the ragda. Create a cavity in the pani puri shell and fill 1/2 tsp ragda masala inside. Fill the puri with pani and serve right away.

Streetfood Series: Sooji Rava Aloo Tikki Recipe

There are many ways to prepare aloo tikkis but this is a common recipe prepared by many street vendors. This recipe yields 12 large aloo tikkis. Serve 2 tikkis per person. 

Many of us enjoy aloo tikkis or ragda patties, which is a peas masala topped on this cutlet during interval at movie theaters and food courts these days. It is also a comforting streetfood after shopping, very filling.

Aloo tikki Recipe Video 

Ingredients:

125 Grams Dry Roasted Upma Rava / Sooji / Semolina

100 Grams Aloo Boiled Peeled and Mashed

1 Tbsp Chilly Flakes

1 Tsp Turmeric Powder

1 Tsp Cumin Powder

1/4 Tsp Asafoetida

1 Tbsp Chilly, Garlic and Ginger Paste

5 Sprigs Coriander Finely Chopped

Salt as per taste

2 Tbsp + Oil for frying...

Prep:

Boil the potatoes until fork tender.

Allow the potatoes to completely cooldown, peel and crumble or grate and reserve in a bowl.

Dry roast the semolina on very low flame until every grain is separated and roasted without changing color.

Method:

Boil 2 cups water on medium flame.

To the boiling water add chilly,garlic and ginger paste along with 1/4 tsp salt stir well and boil for few seconds until the raw flavor from the ginger reduces.

Add the spice powders, salt and coriander leaves stir well and boil for few more minutes.

Gently pour the semolina and continuously keep stirring until no lumps are formed.

Cook the semolina until it separates from the wok and form a ball consistency.

In small batches add the crumbled potato and mix well on low flame cook this mixture until all the ingredients are well combined.

Remove this mixture from flame allow to cool a bit.

When the mixture is still warm and if we can handle the heat, apply oil to your hands and knead the dough.

Apply oil to a cookie cutter, take portions of the dough and press in the cookie cutter.

Form equal size cutlets and reserve. Make sure the cutlets are completely cool down before frying.

Heat a pan on medium flame add oil and heat on low flame.

Gently place the tikkis and fry for few seconds on each side we must keep flipping and frying these tikkis until crispy.

Once the tikkis turn golden in color, drain from excess oil and reserve in a colander plate or on tissue paper for excess oil to drain.

Serve these tikkis hot with mint chutney, garlic chutney and sweet chutney...Enjoy

Ragda (Mushy peas Indian version) recipe which pairs well with aloo tikkis 😉

Soups: Chicken Sweetcorn Soup Recipe

This indo-chinese inspired soup is packed with flavors from five spice powder and coriander roots. Every sip of tender chicken with sweetcorn is comforting and nourishing. Relish this soup topped with chilly vinegar or few drops of lime juice.

Chicken Sweetcorn Soup Recipe Posted on Vidyascooking Channel 

Ingredients:

150 Chicken Breast (Cut into tiny pieces)

100 Grams Sweetcorn kernels 

1/2 Cup or 1 Onion Finely Chopped 

1 Inch Ginger Finely Chopped

10 Pods Garlic Finely Chopped

2 Green Chilies Finely Chopped

5 Sprigs Coriander with stem and root and Mint Finely Chopped

1 Tsp Chilly Powder

1 Tbsp Chinese Five Spice Powder or Chinese Fried Rice Masala

1/4 Tsp Pepper Powder

1/4 Tsp Ajinomoto

1/4 Tsp Coriander Powder

1 Tsp Soya Sauce

1 Tsp Chilly Sauce

2 Tbsp Corn Flour

2 Tsp Oil

1/2 Tsp Salt as per taste

1/2 Tsp Vinegar or Lime Juice Optional 

3 1/2 Cups Warm Water...

Prep:

Wash and pat dry the chicken. Using sharp knife chop into tiny pieces.

Wash all the veggies well and chop before use.

Method:

Heat a wok with 2 tbsp oil on medium flame.

Add finely chopped ginger, garlic and chilly to the oil and fry all the ingredients for few seconds.

Add finely chopped onion , coriander and mint fry for a minute. 

Add chicken pieces and fry for few seconds.

Add masala powders chilly powder, coriander powder, chinese five spice powder, pepper powder, ajinomoto, and salt.

Fry the chicken in the masala for a minute.

Add warm water stir well cover and cook the chicken until well done.

Add soya sauce, chilly sauce and sweetcorn cook until the sweetcorn starts to float and is tender.

Dilute the corn flour in few tbsp water and reserve.

Once the soup has reduced and all ingredients have cooked, gradually add corn starch and stir the soup.

Add corn starch in batches to avoid lumps in your soup.

Place the soup on low to medium flame and reduce a bit.

Serve the soup warm topped with few drops lime juice or chilly vinegar...Enjoy 😉

Corn Soup  Recipes Posted on Vidyascooking Channel 😉

Sweetcorn soup recipe

Creamy Sweetcorn soup recipe