Vegetable Rava Upma

Vegetables when added to Upma not only makes it look colorful but also healthy.  I have shared a regular & simple version of Upma recipe. Vegetable upma also uses the same recipe and ratios with only few additions in the ingredients.

Upma making is so easy if you take care of few things.. rava should be roasted, ratio of water to rava , right amount of oil and the consistency to which it need to be cooked. You will get perfect upma every time.

1. Rava - 1 Cup (roasted)
2. Beans - 7 Nos. - finely chopped
3. Carrot - 1 small - finely chopped
4. Onion - 1 no. - finely chopped
5. Tomato - 1 no. - finely chopped
6. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
7. Ginger - 1" piece - finely chopped
8. Green chillies - 2 nos. - finely chopped
9. Oil - 3 tbsp
10. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
11. Channa dal - 1/2 tp
12. Water - 2.5 cups
13. Salt to taste

• Heat a wok, Add the oil. when it is hot, add mustard seeds. When they start crackling, add channa dal and fry till it turns golden in color.
• Add Chopped Onions, curry leaves, green chillies and fry till onion turns translucent.
• Add the vegetables, Tomato and fry for a minute.
• Add water and salt, bring to boil
• When vegetables are partially cooked, start adding rava slowly while stirring it to avoid lumps.
• once they all mixed well and solidified, cover it with a lid and leave in low flame for two minutes.
• Turn off the gas.
• Delicious healthy Rava Upma is ready!

Ardhanarishwarar - Kerala Mural Musings 2

Couple of days back, I have shared my first try on Kerala Mural painting using water color. Thrilled with the outcome, I decided I will make another one and this time something big and different from the first one.  Came across lot of pictures from internet and finally decided on Ardhanarishwarar.

Since I am doing this art by looking at a small picture from internet, I had little tough time in sketching it. After trial and error, finally drew a decent picture which definitely will not justify the beauty of the original but still I was happy as I felt the improvement from my first try.

This time, I tried to keep the color subtle as much as possible. Working with water color is always fun and this project, I enjoyed more.

Sharing with you my work step by step as it advanced...

Light pencil sketching and started darkening the outlines with outliner.

Completed outlined sketch

Started coloring.... 

The coloring stage normally starts with a similar color application and then getting into the details. However, I forgot that and it flowed naturally in my own way, which I will keep in mind in my next project.

Major coloring done. Now waiting for the details.

Major details added.... still some finishing minor ones to be done.

Now comes the final picture!........

Nama Parvathi Padhaye ; Hara Hara Mahadeva! _/\_

This painting was done as per God Shiva's wish and  I dedicate it at his lotus feet. Praying that all the  Kailash Manasaroar Yatris be blessed with a smooth journey to & fro and darshan. 

Shambo Mahadeva!

Usal - ऊसळ (with coconut)

Usal or ऊसळ is a Maharashtrian Gravy dish made using legumes and an excellent accompaniment with Pav Bread. This gravy uses an unique masala blended with fried coconut and the Maharashtrian speciality Goda Masala, which gives it an unique taste, color and flavour. 


I have attached two types of photos as they were taken at different days at different times. The lovely color of the Ras (liquid) is seen in the last photo and that was made little watery in consistency to show you how both consistency look like.

Usal can be prepared using any one of the following or with combo of these :-

• Turkish gram or moth bean - Matki (Marathi) - looks like green gram but color is dull.
• Yellow Peas - Vatana (Marathi) / Manal Pattani
• Black eyed Peas - Lobia / Chawli / Karamani / Payaru

This gravy is an excellent accompaniment for Pav Bread (soft) / Kadak Pav (hard) / Normal Bread that is toasted and crisp.

It is always on demand at home and I love making this.

Ingredients :-

1. Onion - 2 Nos. (Finely chopped)
2. Grated Coconut - 2 tbsp
3. Tomato - 1 No. (Pureed)
4. Ginger - 1/2 " Piece (Grated)
5. Garlic - 3 big pods (Grated)
6. Turmeric Powder - less than 1/4 tsp
7. Red Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp (or as preferred)
8. God Masala Powder - 1/4 tsp
9. Garam Masala Powder - 1/4 tsp
10. Salt to taste
11. Oil - 2 tbsp + 2 tbsp
12. Legume - (Any one or combo of all) - 1/2 cup
13. Finely chopped coriander leaves

Process :-

• Soak the legumes overnight (or for 8 hours) and pressure cook it adding salt.

• Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok and fry half of the finely chopped onions, till golden brown and then add 2 tbsp of grated coconut and fry well till the coconut also turns into golden in color. Leave it to cool and then grind it to a nice paste.

• Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a wok and fry the remaining chopped onions till golder in color and then add the grated ginger garlic paste, fry till the raw flavour goes. Add the tomato puree and fry well (till oil separates)

• Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, Goda masala powder and Garam masala powders. Fry for a minute.

you can notice the color difference between these masalas. Goda masala will be darker in color.

• Add the fried and ground onion+coconut paste and cook for 2 minutes

• Add the cooked legume and adjust the seasoning and consistency of the gravy as per your preference. Some like thin consistency and i usually keep it medium (neither watery, nor thick).

• Cover and boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally in between.

• finally garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

wow! Look at that lovely color on top of the gravy!!

• Lip smacking Usal gravy is ready!!

Adjust the number of units given as per the measure you take for legumes.

 A filling food!

Masal Vadai

Masal vadai generally means dal vadai with Onion. But some call the onion medu vadai also as Masal Vadai.

The recipe today I am going to share is the Masal Vadai using Toor Dal and Channa Dal. This makes it an excellent snack.

For those who don't like onioin , the 'without onion' version is HERE . Else, also you can just skip onion in the recipe given below and add other ingredients as specified.

The process is the same as Dal Vadai.

Before reading the recipe, giving you few tips to make crispy vadai.

Tips to make Crispy Vadais :-

1. use Toor dal
2. Grind without adding water or little water only.  Less the water, crispier the vadais.
3. Fry in hot oil in medium to low flame by pushing them down frequently.

Now let's start!

Ingridients :

1. Channa Dhal - 1/2 tea cup
2. Toor Dhal  - 1/2 tea cup
3. Asafoetida  powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Dried Red Chillies - 6 nos
5. salt to taste
6. Curry leaves - 3 sprig
7. Onion - 1 No (big)
8. Fennel Seeds (Saunf) - 1 tsp
9. Oil for deep frying

Procedure :

• Soak the lentils (dhals) for 2 hours
• Grind the soaked dhal along with curry leaves, red chillies, Salt, Asafoetida Powder - to a coarse paste without water. Incase, if you feel you need and then add only little water - a tsp or 2 only, max.
• Transfer it to a bowl, Add chopped onions and mix well
• Divide them into equal portions of balls and flatten them
• Deep fry in hot oil on a medium to sim flame and out them on an absorbent paper or in a colander to drain the excess oil.
• Crispy, tasty Masal Vadai is ready!!