Quinoa and Oats Idli Milagai Podi/Quinoa and Oats Idli Spice Powder Mix

Ingredients:

Quinoa - 3/4 cup

Oats - 3/4 cup
Whole Black Urad Dal or Plain Urad dal - 1/2 cup

Chana dal - 1/2 cup
White Sesame seeds - 2 tbspns
Red chilies - 8 
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tsp

Method:

Dry roast quinoa and oats separately till you get a nice aroma (approximately 3-4 minutes). Keep it separate. 

Heat 1 tsp oil in a kadai and roast whole urad until light golden brown over medium flame. It takes roughly 5-7 mins. Remove it and keep it aside.

Heat another tsp oil in the same kadai and roast chana dal until golden brown. Remove and keep it aside.

In the same kadai add red chilies and roast until crisp and changes its color. Remove and let them cool. Add sesame seeds to the same kadai and let them pop. It takes hardly a minute or two. Set aside. Once the ingredients are cooled down grind everything with salt(according to taste) in the mixer to a coarse powder.

Spread the mixture on a plate and once it is cooled pour into the air tight container and store it in the refrigerator for longer life. Serve it with idli/dosa/upma. Mix the powder with ghee or sesame oil while serving.

Pottukadalai Podi/Split Roasted Gram/Chana Dalia Powder

Ingredients:

Split Roasted Gram/Pottukadalai - 1 cup

Dry Red Chili* - 3, medium size

Garlic - 3 cloves 

Grated Dry Coconut/Frozen Shredded Coconut/Coconut - 3 tsps

Curry Leaves - 5 

Ghee - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

*Adjust according to taste

Method:

In a pan add ghee and roast dry red chili until golden brown, remove from pan and allow to cool. In the same pan roast the pottukadalai for a minute. Keep it separate. Now add garlic and roast it for 2 minutes. Now add curry leaves and coconut and roast it for a minute. Switch it off. Let it cool.

First grind the  pottukadalai and red chili. Grind coarselt. Then add garlic, curry leaves and coconut and salt.

Pottukadalai Podi is ready to serve with steamed rice and ghee or with Idli Dosa!

Spaghetti with Meatless Balls

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup roughly chopped mushrooms
1 cup packed baby spinach
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 cup cooked or canned black beans, rinsed, drained and divided
1 cup cooked rice, roughly mashed
Salt
Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Tandoori Masala - 1 tsp
8 ounces spaghetti
1 - 1 1/2 cup Pizza Sauce or Pasta Sauce(recipe follows)

Method:

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and spinach. Cover and cook until mushrooms are tender and spinach wilts, about 5 minutes.  In a large bowl, combine the sauteed mixture, beans, rice and all the spices. Stir until combined.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Form mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls and transfer to a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake meatballs 30 minutes or until heated through and crisp on the outside. 

Stove top Method;

Grease a kuzhi paniyaram kal and place the balls. Drop a tsp of oil on the balls. Cook until heated and crisp on the outside(add 1 more tsp of oil if the balls are too dry).

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain well and return to pot. Add pasta sauce and toss until combined and heated through. Add meatballs and toss very gently to combine, taking care not to break up meatballs. Serve hot.

Pizza Sauce/Pasta Sauce

Ingredients:

Onion - 1 cup, chopped finely

Green Bell Pepper - 1/2 cup, chopped finely

Tomato Puree - 2 cups( around 6-7 small sized tomatoes)

Garlic Cloves - 3, chopped finely

Tandoori Masala - 1/2 tsp

Chili Powder or Chili flakes- 1/4 tsp

Italian Seasoning - 1/2 tsp

Sugar - 1/4 tspp

Salt - according to taste

Pepper - 1/2 tsp

Olive Oil - 2 tsp

Method:

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the onions and garlic. Saute for a minute and add the bell pepper. Saute for a couple of minutes. Now add the tomato puree, spices, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Lower the heat and let it simmer for 20 -25 minutes. Use in the recipe as directed.

Sending this recipe to Valentine's Day Recipe Contest hosted by Priya 

Almond Butter

Ingredients:

Almonds (raw) - 2 cups

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Toss the almonds on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 5-10 minutes until nicely toasted (and be careful not to burn them!).

Grind the almonds along with the salt in a food processor or a mixie.

Scrape the sides of the processor for two or three times in the beginning. But once the almonds started to release the oil, they stuck to themselves.

Store the butter in an airtight container.