Thai Iced tea (Trinaya)

 

5 cups water, 6 bags of black tea, 2 star anice, 3 whole cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, pinch of powdered cardamom, pinch of turmeric, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, milk?, 3 tablespoons of condensed milk.

Chiness Egg - Tofu - Veggie Fried rice

 Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked jasmine rice cold day-old rice recommended
• 2 large eggs
• 3.5 oz extra-firm tofu diced and evenly seasoned with salt, black pepper and garlic powder
• ¼ cup peas frozen kind, rinsed with water and strained
• ¼ cup carrots diced frozen kind, rinsed with water and strained
• ¼ cup onion finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or sub with dairy-free butter
• 1.5 tablespoon regular soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 2 teaspoon sesame oil
• salt to taste if needed
• black pepper to taste if needed

Instructions

 

• Break up cold cooked rice with clean hands or a rice paddle and set aside.
• Dice tofu into ½-inch cubes and set aside.
• In a small bowl, beat eggs with 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and 1 teaspoon of regular soy sauce together. Set aside.
• Heat ½ tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Scramble eggs until they take shape. Remove and set aside.
• Heat another ½ tablespoon of vegetable oil and fry tofu until edges are browned. Remove and set aside.
• Add another ½ tablespoon of vegetable oil, add onion, peas, carrots and garlic. Fry until onions are translucent. Push everything to the side of the pan.
• Add remaining oil, rice followed by remaining regular soy sauce, dark soy sauce, remaining sesame oil and butter. Toss everything together until rice is colored brown.
• Toss back in cooked eggs and tofu. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot and enjoy!

Oats upma (To Try)

Key to making it dry (like granola not mushy and slimy) is to roast the oats well. 

• Rolled oats - 1 cup - roast it well till it’s aromatic 
• Do the tadka mustard cumin, onion, ginger , finely chopped green chillies for spice and curry leaves and peanuts/ cashews just like upma.. 
• Boiled veggies another cup - carrot peas beans potato - can be cooked on the pan or OPOS it while roasting 
• Mix with tadka the veggies and add same amount of water  as oats (one cup water for one cup oats - even a bit less is ok, as you can add more as needed) 
• Add tomato paste / puree  - 2/3 tbsp
• Salt it to taste
• Add roasted oats and keep it covered and see if you want a bit more water to cook and just sprinkle water and keep it closed and cook
• Once oats is soft, fluff it out if it’s clumped together and add coconut - fresh or desiccated in the end and mix 

Yum upma to eat with coconut chutney or any chutney… or even applam.

Usual upma but careful on water levels. Start with less water as it also depends on thickness of rolled oats. Start at 50% water and check for your oats type

Cabbage Rice

 

• ▢
• Ingredients
• 3 cups Cooked rice
• 3 tablespoons Oil
• ½ teaspoon Mustard seeds
• ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
• 2 tablespoons Peanuts
• 2 Dried red chilies
• 8-10 Curry leaves
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
• ⅛ teaspoon Hing (Asafoetida)
• 1 ½ cups Cabbage thinly sliced
• ½ cup Capsicum (Green bell pepper) thinly sliced
• Salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon Red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
• ½ teaspoon Garam masala
• 2 tablespoons Desiccated coconut
• ½ teaspoon Lemon juice or Lime juice
• 2 tablespoons Cilantro or coriander leaves finely chopped

Instructions 

• Use the leftover rice or cook the basmati rice beforehand and let the rice cool down before using in the recipe.
• Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add mustard seeds. As soon as they start to crackle, add cumin seeds and let them sizzle.
• Then add peanuts, dried red chilies, and curry leaves. Saute till peanuts are light golden in color.
• Add turmeric powder and hing.
• Immediately add cabbage, bell pepper, and salt, mix well. Cover and cook till veggies are soft and tender.
• Add red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and desiccated coconut. Mix well and cook for a minute.
• Add cooked rice and mix really well. Cook for 2 minutes or till the rice gets heated through.
• Lastly, add lemon juice and cilantro, stir and serve.

Instant Pot Banana bread

 

Ingredients 

• 3 medium ripe bananas about 1 1/2 cups mashed
• ½ cup unsalted butter softened
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup sour cream(replace with Greek yogurt)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Add up to 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips or nuts (pecans)
• 2 Tablespoons cinnamon sugar blend optional

Instructions 

• In a large mixing bowl, blend mashed bananas with softened butter. Add in both sugars and beat until combined.
• Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla extract. Beat in the sour cream.
• Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Using a rubber spatula, mix just until combined.
• Spray a 7×3-inch push pan with baking spray. Pour in batter. If you like, top with the extra cinnamon sugar blend (or leave plain). Cover with foil (leaving room for expansion), but pinch the edges tight.
• In the Instant Pot, add 1 1/2 cups water. Place cake pan on trivet or sling and lower into the pot.
• Secure the lid and make sure the vent valve is set to "sealing."
• Select HIGH PRESSURE for a cook time of 55 minutes.
• Once the cook time ends, allow to naturally release for 15-20 minutes, then release the remaining pressure by turning the valve to "VENTING"
• Remove pan by lifting the trivet or sling out of the pot. Immediately remove the foil. Allow bread to cool in pan for 10 minutes.
• Using a sturdy jar or cup, place push pan on top, pushing the cake plate up and lifting the bread out of the pan. Slide the plate to a cake platter (you can remove the bread from the push pan plate or serve with it on there, your choice).
• Store in airtight container at room temperature. Best within 3 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months. ENJOY.

Notes

• Recipe tested in a 6qt Instant Pot.
• Add up to 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips or nuts for a delicious twist!

Podi Idli - Podi recipe

 https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/podi-idli-recipe/#wprm-recipe-container-37582

 

Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons peanuts
• 1 tablespoon chana dal (bengal gram)
• 1 tablespoon urad dal (skinned black lentils)
• 3 dried red chilies (Adjust to suit your spice levels)
• 1½ teaspoons sesame seeds (optional)
• 1½ teaspoons copra (dried coconut or desiccated coconut, optional)
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1 sprig curry leaves (optional)
• ¼ teaspoon tamarind (cleaned, optional) (I do not use)
• 2 pinches jaggery (powdered, optional) (I do not use)
• ¼ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
• 8 to 10 large idlis or 3 plates of mini idlis (3 servings)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons ghee or raw sesame oil
• 1 pinch mustard seeds optional
 

Instructions

Preparation
1. If you are new to making idli, then you can follow this Soft idli recipe.
 

2. While the idlis steam, dry roast peanuts along with red chilies until
light golden.
 

3. Add urad dal and chana dal. Roast on a medium flame until they turn
golden. Make sure peanuts, urad dal and chana dal all are roasted
well to deep golden.
 

4. Add sesame seeds, coconut, cumin & curry leaves. Dry roast until the
leaves turn crisp and sesame seeds smell good.
 

5. Cool these and powder finely along with enough salt, tamarind
(optional) and jaggery (optional) if using. Check the salt and add more
if needed.
 

How to make Podi Idli
1. Remove the idlis from the mould. Allow them to cool a bit.
2. Pour ghee or oil to a hot pan. Add mustard seeds if using. Let them
splutter.
3. Add idlis and then switch off the stove.
4. Sprinkle podi over the idli and toss gently. Add more or less podi &
ghee as desired. Coat the idlis well with podi.
5. Serve podi idli warm.

Instapot - Kozhakattai maavu/Dough