Grains & Flour Recipes | Page 11 of 13

Red Chura Bhuja: Crispy Red Poha with Peas

A spin-off on the snack Chura Bhuja with Mattar, this dish uses the healthier red poha (flattened rice) instead of white.

The method of making crispy red poha is exactly the same as for white poha – the only difference with red poha is that it is a little less easy to figure out when the grains are cooked enough. With white poha, the color change to golden is a sure indicator. With red poha, the color is already dark when you start so you need to be more watchful. Red poha turns crisp and ready to eat in about 5-6 minutes. Take a little nibble to make sure.

Leftover boiled rice gives us plenty of opportunity for reshaping into new avatars, doesn’t it? I had a tempting pack of button mushrooms with me and used it for this mushroom fried rice tonight.

Khichdi isn’t exactly the height of culinary sophistication – but sometimes we don’t want culinary sophistication. Hands up those living away from family who, after a series of spice-laden oily meals outdoors and countless packets of instant noodles, crave simple home-cooked khichdi?

Prepare a fabulous Indian meal with wheat flour, onion and tomatoes – and no other vegetables! Make stuffed onion tomato parathas (pyaz-tamatar parathas). This onion-tomato filling came to be as I was out of other vegetables and it was raining too heavily for me to venture out and restock. Sometimes, necessity and laziness can produce wondrous results. Onion tomato parathas are proof!

I try to include a variety of grains/flours and cooking oils in my diet. Whole wheat flour, gram flour, brown rice have been regulars in the pantry. One grain I haven’t taken to easily is finger millet (ragi in Karnataka / marua in Bihar). One reason is that I am not a big fan of this millet – too much of it in a dish turns its taste to what I can only describe as ‘dusty’.

Ragi’s health benefits are multifold – nutrition sites tell me it is a rich source of amino acids methionine and tryptophan, and minerals such as calcium and iron. One HAS to eat it, ‘dusty’ taste notwithstanding! The most palatable way I’ve found is to add a portion of ragi flour to chapati flour and make it into ragi roti.

When mangoes are in season, I like to incorporate the fruit in my meals in miscellaneous ways. Here’s my way to spruce up the staid and simple quick oats with fresh mango pulp. This is a breakfast-on-the-run recipe made special with the addition of this glorious fruit. Here’s how you could make mango oats.

Tempering with cumin seeds – a quick way to embellish your plain boiled rice. Jeera rice is a popular addition to a party menu, and why not – this technique of tempering makes a little effort go a long way.

Red Chura Bhuja: Crispy Red Poha with Peas

Mushroom Fried Rice

Khichdi without Pressure Cooker

Onion Tomato Parathas

Ragi Roti: Finger Millet Flatbread

Mango Oats

Jeera Rice: Cumin-Flavored Rice