Some quick yet tasty and healthy recipes for busy or lazy college students low carb crock
MASALA IDLY ingredients measuring cup used, 1 cup 250 ml 5 to 6 regular medium sized idlis 1 medium onion or ⅓ cup finely chopped onion 1 medium to large tomato or ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes 1 green chili, chopped ½ teaspoon ginger garlic paste, ½ inch ginger/adrak 3 to 4 garlic/lahsun, crushed to a paste in mortar ptle a pinch of turmeric powder/haldi ¼ teaspoon red chili powder/lal mirch powder ½ teaspoon pav bhaji masala ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds/jeera 1 tbsp oil ¼ cup water, optional 1 to 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves/dhania patta how to make the recipe chop the idlis and keep aside. make bite sized pieces and do not chop finely. heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. add ¼ teaspoon cumin and let them crackle. then add ½ teaspoon ginger garlic paste. saute till the raw aroma of ginger garlic goes away. then add ⅓ cup finely chopped onion. stir well and saute till the onions turn translucent or a light brown. now add ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes. mix well and then add 1 green chili, chopped. saute till the tomatoes soften. then add a pinch of turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon red chili powder and ½ teaspoon pav bhaji masala. also add salt as per taste. mix the spices very well with the onion tomato mixture. add ¼ cup water. use idlis which have been refrigerated. if using fresh idlis then dont add any water. you can even skip adding water if you want. mix well and simmer the gravy on a low to medium flame. simmer till the gravy thickens. this takes about 2 minutes on a low flame. then add the chopped idlis. mix the idlis very well. the idlis will absorb the gravy and become moist and soft. switch off the flame and lastly add chopped coriander leaves. mix well. serve masala idli hot. you can sprinkle lemon juice if you want. GARLIC BREAD ingredients measuring cup used, 1 cup 250 ml half a loaf of bread or 8 slices each of 0.75 inches, any bread of your choice 2 tbsp butter, salted or unsalted 3 to 4 medium sized garlic, minced or grated red chili flakes as required dry oregano as required or your favorite herbs black pepper as required, optional salt as required, to be added if using unsalted butter how to make the recipe slice the loaf of bread in slices having 0.75 inches width. then halve each slice. take 2 tbsp softened butter butter at room temperature in a bowl. grate or mince 3 to 4 medium garlic directly into the butter. instead of garlic, you can also add garlic chives. mix the grated garlic very well with the butter. now spread the garlic butter evenly on all the slices. you can be more generous with the butter if you want. heat a griddle or tava on a high flame. when the tawa becomes hot, reduce the flame to a low or medium. then place the bread slices. cover the bread slices with a lid. keeping the slices covered, roast till light golden and a bit toasted at the edges. if you want a more crisp toasted texture, then you can toast the bread slices for some more minutes. once the bread has got lightly toasted from the edges, sprinkle your favorite herb or spice from top. EGGLESS FRENCH TOAST ingredients measuring cup used, 1 cup 250 ml 4 to 5 slices of bread whole wheat, brown or multigrain or white ½ cup milk 2 tbsp custard powder 2 tbsp sugar or add as per taste ¼ tsp vanilla extract or essence 4 to 5 tsp salted butter or as required how to make the recipe in a mixing bowl take 2 tbsp custard powder, 2 tbsp sugar and ¼ tsp vanilla extract or essence. add 2 tbsp corn starch in the absence of custard powder. in this case add 1 tsp vanilla extract. now add ½ cup milk. you can even use soy milk or almond milk. keep on stirring till all the sugar is dissolved. now heat a well seasoned pan or a non stick pan. add ½ tsp butter. you can use salted or unsalted butter. i use salted butter as it gives a good taste. with a spoon spread the butter on the pan. dip the bread slice in the custard milk mixture. let the bread absorb this mixture. but remember not to make the bread soggy. every time before you dip the bread, do stir this mixture as the custard powder settles down. remove the bread slice and place it on the pan. toast on a low to medium flame. when the base gets golden, flip the bread and toast the other side. flip again. you can even flip once or twice to get a even frying and golden color. you can also fry two or three slices at a time. in this case add 1 to 1.5 tsp butter respectively. remove the slices in a plate or tray and serve french toasts hot. notes dairy milk can be substituted with soy milk or almond milk. butter can be substituted with any flavorless oil. if you use eggs, then add 1 small egg instead of the custard powder. 2 tbsp corn starch can be added instead of 2 tbsp custard powder. in this case add 1 tsp vanilla extract. All can be done in 15–20 mins.
