Microwave Milagai Podi | Molaga Podi | Dry Chutney Powder for Idlis, Dosas | Step by Step Recipe

When I think about either Idly or Dosa, the first thing that comes to mind is naturally the spice powder that's served or the Molaga podi which is an eternally side dish for these tiffins in Tamil Nadu or for that matter, any home in Tamil Nadu.

We always have different spice powders stocked at home for different tiffins. And this is one of the variations we make. Since I decided to make condiments and microwave recipes for this week, I thought those spice powders will make a great choice and quick to make in microwave.

I also made a chutney in microwave, making sure to kill two birds in one shot and the podi will be a great asset for masala dosas. But I finally made just the podi and chutney and saved the masala dosa for another day. 

There are many ways you can make a spice powder and use it in different ways. There are spice powders for enhancing the flavour, like Kootu podi, for enhancing the taste, like idli podi, for making a dish on it's own like sambar.

One can make lentil as the main ingredient, or a herb as the main ingredient in which case the herb is used in its dried form. I am not sure about other cuisines, but from what I seen and done in Tamilian or Andhra Cuisine, spice powders play a vital role in many dishes.

You make a vegetable sauté, finally sprinkle some spice powder and lo you have the most delicious curry on hand! The list is endless.

For today's post I made the famous Molaga or Milagai Podi for are eternally served with Idli, Dosa in Tamil Nadu. And that too in microwave where it took just about 4 mins to get the entire thing done.

 

Cooking mode : Microwave mode
Cooking Time : 3 mins.
Total time : 5 mins.
Mixer with good strong blades.

Idli / Dosa Molaga Podi in microwave

Dry Red chilies (stacks removed ) - 1 cup
Gram Gram dal / Husked Urad dal - 3/4 cup
Bengal Gram / Channa dal - 1/2 cup
Asafetida / Hing - 2 pinches
Curry leaves - handful
Salt - 1/2 tsp (per taste)
Oil - 1 tsp

How to make Molaga Podi in Microwave:

In a microwave safe bowl, add 1 tsp oil and mix in channa dal. Micro for 1 min. Remove the dal to a plate. Add in udad dal. Micro for 30 secs

Once done, remove to the plate, add in the red chilies, salt, hing, and curry leaves. Microwave for 30 secs.

Remove to a plate. Allow it to cool or put it under fan.

First take the lentils, blend or pulse it for couple of times. Then finally add the chilies and blend again.

How coarse you want depends on your preference. I normally make it little coarse so that you get to bite on the lentil.
 

 

I made this for both my events Condiment Mela & MEC : Potluck Party, after all there is no party without this spice powder to spice it up!
 

And of course to Preeti who is hosting MLLA # 38, an event started by Susan.


Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#8

Microwave Tomato Pulao | Tomato Pulav Recipe | How to make Tomato Pulav in Microwave ~ Step By Step Recipe

We are starting the second group of the Blogging Marathon 8th Edition. It's going to be a big group of 21 bloggers for the second group. I hope you enjoy will enjoy this session also.

My first week was Cooking without Fire for Kids and I actually managed to make 7 different dishes that were so well received by my kids. So I am sure I will be making them again for them.

Coming to the second group, I decided to do a 3 day of Microwave Cooking and 4 days of Condiments. Yes you guessed it right, if not like this I might never make any dish for my own events. I am celebrating 4th year anniversary of Microwave Easy Cooking. As I had said earlier, my aim for to create an event that will be helpful for working folks. Initially my thoughts were to have something to do with Lunch Box Recipes. But later based on reader's choice, decided to have one with Microwave. I have my own Lunch Box recipes that I was posting every week for almost 3 years. I want to be regular in posting those, but starting a Microwave Easy Cooking Event, I never really realized the event will get into it's 5th year!

For the better part of my microwave usage of my old mw oven, I mostly used it for re heating etc. But after I got my new one, I made sure I make the best. I never realized how easy and useful it has been since. Even when I am not working entirely in my microwave, I use it extensively as a help to my regular stove top cooking. I mostly boil my vegetables in microwave. But just for the event and to generally use the microwave oven more, I end up making the entire dish in the oven.

Since I have a Microwave Convection Oven, most recipes come with a combination mode of cooking. But I wanted to concentrate on recipes that are done only microwave mode.

Tomato Pulao is a favorite at home and since I wanted to make some party dish, this naturally came to mind. I made this for Sunday lunch and none could recognize that it was completely made in microwave.

I also make Thakkali Sadam which is a favorite mixed rice variety.

Step by Step Picture Recipe

Add 2 tsp ghee, 1 tsp oil in a microwave safe bowl along with cumin seeds, javathri. Microwave for 2 mins.

Remove and add the ground spices, micro for 2 mins. the ground masala was very stiff, maybe 1 min is fine.

Remove add onions, green chiles and micro for 2 mins.

After 2 mins, it looks like this.

 Added fresh peas

 Microwave for 2 mins

Washed Rice that was soaked for 15 mins.

 After mixing well.

Added tomato juice, added chili powder, turmeric pw

 This is after 15 mins.

After 20 mins

After 25 mins,

Kept it covered for 5 mins

Served with Aloo Paneer Kofta curry, our Sunday lunch.

Microwave Tomato Rice / Pulao

Basmati Rice - 2 & 1/2 cups
Tomatoes ripe and juicy - 5 medium
Onion - 1 big
Fresh Peas - 1 small cup
Green chillies - 4 nos
Bay leaf - 1
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Javathri / Javatri / Mace - 2
Turmeric powder a pinch
Red Chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Ghee - 2 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp

Spices to be ground

Garlic - 7 pods
Ginger - 3"
Fennel Seeds - 1 tsp
Cloves - 3
Cinnamon - 2 "
- Make about 1 & 1/2 tsp of paste.


How to make Tomato Pulao

Soak basmati rice for 15 mins. Drain and keep aside

Make a coarse paste of the spices to be ground. Puree the tomatoes and keep it aside.

In a microwave safe bowl, add ghee and oil. Add cumin seeds, javathri. Micro for 2 mins.

Then add onions julienne and slit the green chillies. Micro for 2 mins. Followed by the ground masala for 2 mins.

Once done, add fresh peas and micro for 2 mins.

Drain the rice and add to the bowl. Mix everything well. then add the tomato puree which is added to 4 glass of water. If you are using regular rice, you can use 1: 2 ratio, if you are using Basmati, then make it 1 & 1/2 cups. When you add tomato puree, the water measurement will increase, so take care.

Add chili powder and turmeric. Salt should be added in the last 10 mins of cooking.

Microwave for 20 mins.

Check after 10 mins is done, stir well and keep it back.

After 15 mins, remove, add salt and mix well. Micro again for the remaining time. If required you can microwave for 5 more mins.

Once done, keep it closed for 5 mins. This way the rice gets done well.

This goes for my MEC : Potluck party to celebrate my Microwave Easy Cooking Event Anniversary! Do join me in the celebrations.



Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#8

Chocolate dipped Fruit Pops | Fake Chocolate Fondue with Fruits!

With the weekend on, I wanted to make something for the kids that they will be interested in. They naturally love chocolates and the moment I said I was going to make chocolates, they were after me to make it right away for them. But time flew and I had no time to make it. Since I was off for lunch, I couldn't finally make it.

So decided to make something else that they will still love. These chocolate dipped fruits made a great thing for the kids to make it themselves.

As I had to stick to the theme, I had to use nutella. But melted chocolates make a great fondue for these seasonal fruits.

Once you dip these fruits, you can even freeze them and they make a great pops.

I had the fruits all cut into small bites, had both nutella and chocolate for them. Each made their own choice.

This was Konda making a pop with banana.

This was the plate that was served to them.

Konda had another one to make for herself.

This was Chinnu trying with banana.

Then came Peddu, he was really confused on what to select, Guava or Apple.

Guess what he made both!

Dip these fruits into chocolate and freeze them by storing in the glass and freeze.

Those frozen pops makes a great snack!

You are wondering why I call it fake, well because I used Nutella for the dip!

I am happy to say I have successfully finished one week of cooking without fire for kids, you won't know how delightful it has been making these and enjoying it myself. Of course with these Konda felt she will be called more frequently to help, well that needs to be seen.

I hope you enjoyed these

• Masala Peanut Chat


• Chocolate Marie Biscuit Balls aka Tsunamika Cake


• Banana Delight


• Soft Serve Banana Ice Cream


• Homemade Peanut Butter and Homemade Peanut Butter Sandwitch


• Hung Curds Sandwich

Sending this to Kamalika, who is hosting this month's edition of Kid's Delight, themed on No Fire Cooking for Kids.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#8

Masala Peanut Chat | Easy and Quick Snacks for Kids | Step by Step Recipe

This is another one of my favorite peanut based chats that we make for parties. We have always enjoyed this at our club and when we finally made it at home, we were surprised at how easily it can be done. This morning when I decided that I should make the best of my Saturday by making this, I told Konda that I wanted her help in making yet another dish.

She didn't show much interest in the beginning, but when she saw that I was willing to let her to most work, she was excited. Then she went ahead with clicking pictures. Most of the pictures for today's post are clicked by her. I see that she gets excited when I ask her to either help in the making of the dish or at least clicking pictures.

Boys agreed to eat it only because their sis was making it. But after one bite, they were asking for more. Infact what we make was not enough. So I promised to make it for them again.

Soak roasted peeled Peanuts/ Grounds in salted water for 5 mins.

Drain them

Take them in a bowl, add finely chopped onions.

Then goes the finely chopped tomatoes, finely chopped green chilies, coriander leaves

Sprinkle salt, chat masala, mix well.

Serve right away.

Of course I removed the green chilies when I served to the kids, but adults can have as such if desired. I was so happy that kids eat this along with onions, tomatoes which they normally never take.

This chat is also served at most places with puffed rice.

Sending this to Kamalika, who is hosting this month's edition of Kid's Delight, themed on No Fire Cooking for Kids.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#8

Chocolate Marie Biscuit Balls aka Tsunami Ka Cake | Easy and Quick Snacks for Kids | Step by Step Recipe

Just as I said yesterday, today's post is exclusively made by Konda herself. This was a dish that her teacher made and got for them. I am not sure on what basis this is called Tsunami Ka Cake, but that's what she was told and she insisted I keep it same.

I got completely drenched while way back home. So I quickly told her that she can make that dish she was telling me in the morning. She was so excited and went about checking if I have all the things she needed. She was telling me that she was going to tell me only once and not repeat so I better listen to her properly and not make mistakes in the recipe..:)

She was all set to make the dish, while her brothers were hovering around. She said her teacher made with a full pack and almost half of the condensed milk tin. I said we would hardly want that much. So she grudgingly accepted to make do with just six biscuits because her brothers will also love to have them.

And yes, before I could finish with clicking the pictures I was left with just four of these treats. Konda first made as coins. Later decided to roll as balls, with the boys helping her. Some they popped into their mouth, while some found its way back to the plate.

Seeing how well these turned out, I was dreaming of bake less cakes and tarts with marie biscuits. Well for another day.

Chocolate Marie Biscuit Balls aka Tsunami Ka Cake

Ingredients Needed:

Marie Biscuits - 6 -8
Condensed Milk - 3 tsp
Cocoa powder/ Drinking Chocolate - 3 tsp

How to make

Take the biscuits in a blender / mixer and pulse into fine powder.

Transfer to a bowl, add the condensed milk and milk well. Add the cocoa powder/drinking chocolate along with it and combine to a even mix.

Make it into any shape as you desire.

Serve right away.

If you notice one is missing, well Chinnu popped it in

Sending this to Kamalika, who is hosting this month's edition of Kid's Delight, themed on No Fire Cooking for Kids.


Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#8

Banana Delight | Easy and Quick Snack for Kids | Cooking without Fire for Kids

Well I got to agree, banana seems to be the most desired fruit to make all your cooking without fire dishes, that too that will delight your kids. Of course, as said earlier, one can't please all the kids. While this is something that has been on my to do list since the time Konda was a year old, this is also something that she finally made herself.

She was in a rush to leave for the school this morning, when she was telling me about this absolutely easy and fun dish her teacher treated them to. She liked it much better because it had chocolate. Well that's for sure going to be tomorrow's post. But before that I was baiting her to make this Banana Delight herself. I was sure she must have felt why mummy was asking her to do it, as I mostly never let her handle knifes, most times.

This took all of 2 mins to get it done and is something her pediatrician had recommended to give for her when she was over a year old. She was always a fussy eater and when I was telling the doctor that Konda hardly eats anything, she suggested I make this for her as this is very simple to make, plus it has banana and condensed milk, both rich and healthy for growing up kids.

Just chop the bananas, mix in how much ever condensed milk you want, sprinkle with cinnamon powder if you prefer, chill it for a while if you have time. Simply eat! Konda said it was too delicious and going to make it regularly.

I know she was telling more for the fact that she got to do everything herself. But still this is one addictive dessert.

Sending this to Kamalika, who is hosting this month's edition of Kid's Delight, themed on No Fire Cooking for Kids.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#8

Soft Serve Banana Ice Cream | Step by Step Recipe for Soft Serve Banana Ice Cream

If you want an ice cream with just one ingredient then you should try making this soft serve banana ice cream! As simple to make you should try making this if you want a quick dessert to give the kids. I had planned to make this during Cool Comforts two months back for the Kid's Delights. I came to know about this delicious dessert from Champa when I was looking for ideas to make for Cool Comforts. 

I finally ended up making it for this edition and Kids Delight. Doesn't take much time if your freezer is good. And not much of a recipe.

Cut into pieces

Transfer to a cover and freeze till it is firm.

Pulse it couple of times to get soft mix

Freeze it again

Pulse it get a soft serve Banana Ice Cream.

Sending this to Kamalika, who is hosting this month's edition of Kid's Delight, themed on No Fire Cooking for Kids.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#8