Oats with Milk Recipe

oats with milk

Oats with milk or oats porridge is a quick to make, easy and healthy breakfast option. You can cook oats either in a pan or a microwave. I have shared the recipe for both. Having oats in the morning is a great way to start your day.
Recipe of oats with milk
2 cups milk
3 tbsp oats
1 tsp sugar/honey or to taste
How to make oats with milk
1. Take milk in a pan and add oats to it. If you are using sugar, add it. If using honey, add it after the porridge is ready.
2. Cook on a medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Your oats are ready.
                                           or
You can take milk in a microwave safe bowl and add oats and sugar to it. Cook on a micro high for 2 & 1/2 minutes. 

Microwave Masala Peanuts

microwave masala peanuts

Earlier I made a blog post of masala peanuts in microwave. This time I tried making microwave masala peanuts in a different way. You can try both ways to find out which suits you better. This is a low calorie guilt free snack since it uses very less oil. I find them better than store bought ones coz they are not deep fried.

Recipe of microwave masala peanuts

1 cup peanuts (moongphali)

Slightly less than 1/4 cup besan (gram flour/chickpea flour)

3/4 tsp salt or to taste

1/2 tsp red chilli powder (cayenne pepper)

1/2 tsp chaat masala

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Oil to grease and drizzle

1. Take peanuts in a strainer (chalni) and wash under running water so that all peanuts are wet. Shake off excess water.

2. Mix besan and all the spices and salt.

3. Mix spiced besan with wet peanuts such that all peanuts are coated with besan.

4. Grease a microwave safe plate and arrange peanuts on it. Drizzle some oil on the peanuts.

5. Microwave them on a High for 4 minutes. Take out and wait for 10 minutes for it to cool down. Your crispy crunchy masala peanuts are ready. Store them in an airtight container.

Microwave Palak Paneer (Spinach and Cottage Cheese Curry)

microwave palak paneer

It never fails to amaze me how quick and hassle free microwave cooking is and palak paneer in microwave is no exception. I also cook palak paneer on a stovetop. When I tried it in microwave, I found it to be equally tasty and easier.

Recipe of microwave palak paneer

400 gms palak (spinach)

150 gms paneer (cottage cheese)

3 green chilles - washed and caps removed

2 onions

3 medium tomatoes

1 inch piece ginger

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1 tbsp oil

1/4 cup malai (cream of milk)

palak before microwaving

1. Remove stems of palak and retain the leaves. Wash palak leaves thoroughly under running water, drain. Chop them coarsely.

2. Grind together onions, tomatoes, ginger and green chillies to a smooth paste. Cut paneer into cubes. Set aside.

3. In a microwave safe bowl, place chopped palak leaves and cook covered for 2 minutes on a High. Take out and puree the cooked palak leaves.

4. In the same microwave safe bowl, place oil and add onion-tomato paste and all the spices and salt. Cook uncovered on a High for 3 minutes.

5. Add palak puree and mix. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes.

6. Add paneer cubes, malai and cook uncovered for 1 minute. Serve hot palak paneer with naan, paratha or rice.

Cooking Rice in Microwave

microwave plain rice

One of the advantages of cooking rice in microwave is that rice turns out 'khila khila' that is, grains are separate. You can serve rice in the same container in which it was cooked, that is, if you are using micro safe glassware. You can also reheat in the same container.

Recipe of cooking plain rice in microwave

1 ½ cup basmati rice

3 cups water

1. Wash and soak rice for about 1/2 an hour. Drain.

2. Cook rice with 3 cups of water, covered in the microwave safe bowl with a lid or with a cling film through which some holes have been pierced. Cook for 13 minutes on a High.

3. Turn off the microwave but let the rice stand in it for 5-10 minutes. In the meanwhile do not open the lid. Serve rice hot.

Microwave Green (French) Beans Foogath

french beans foogath

French bean foogath is a very simple recipe. Foogath is any vegetable dish with curry leaves and coconut. Here I have cooked it in microwave. You can also make it in a pan or a wok. Microwave French bean foogath is a main course vegetarian dish. Also check out other microwave dishes in microwave recipes category.

Recipe of microwave green (French) bean foogath

300 gms French beans (green beans/phalli) - chopped

6-7 curry leaves

1 onion- chopped

2 green chillies- chopped

Salt to taste

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

Fresh grated coconut- for garnish

2 tsp lemon juice

1. Take a microwave safe bowl and put oil in it. Add mustard seeds, green chillies and curry leaves. Cook uncovered, on a High for 2 minutes.

2. Add onion and cook uncovered, on a High for 3 minutes.

3. Add green beans and salt. Cook covered, on a High for 5 minutes. Take out and mix in lemon juice. Garnish bean foogath with coconut and serve hot with roti or paratha.

Quick Microwave Besan Ladoo

besan ladoo

Microwave besan ladoo is a very easy and quick substitute for traditional ladoos in kadhai. You don't have to go for endless stirring lest the besan burns. You can get accolades without going through the grind. They taste absolutely great and you cannot tell the difference between microwave besan ladoo and those made the traditional way.

Recipe of microwave besan ladoo

2 cups besan (gram flour)

1 cup ghee (clarified butter)

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

4-5 pods hari elaichi (green cardamom) - crushed

2 tbsp chopped nuts like almonds, cashew nuts and raisins

1. In a microwave safe bowl, mix besan and ghee.

2. Microwave on High for 6 minutes. First stir after 2 minutes, then after 2 minutes, then after 1 minute, then after 30 seconds till you get desired brownness. Let it cool.

3. Add powdered sugar, cardamom powder and chopped nuts.

4. While the besan mixture is still warm and comfortable to touch, make ping pong size balls using your hands. These are now called besan ka ladoo. Store besan ladoos in an airtight container. 

Toasting/ Roasting Nuts in Microwave

roasted cashews

Roasting nuts in microwave is a breeze. You will be surprised as to how quick and easy this job is. All it takes is a few minutes to toast or roast nuts like almonds, cashews or peanuts in a microwave.

Recipe of roasting nuts in microwave

Cashew nuts, almonds, peanuts- as required

Salt to taste

Oil or Ghee (clarified butter) or butter- as required

Chaat masala (optional)

roasted almonds

1. Mix nuts of your choice like cashew nuts, almonds or peanuts with oil or butter or ghee.

2. Sprinkle salt and chaat masala over them and mix.

3. On a microwave safe plate, spread these nuts evenly.

4. Cook on a micro High for 2 minutes. Then check after every 30 seconds till they turn slightly brown. It usually takes 3-4 minutes to roast them but it also depends on the power of your microwave oven.

5. Take out of the micro and let them cool. When fresh from the micro, nuts will be soft but turn crisp when cool down.

Microwave Jeera Rice (Cumin Rice)

microwave jeera rice

Microwave is very good for cooking rice. As far as jeera rice is concerned, it's very flavorful and tasty.

Recipe of microwave jeera rice/ cumin rice

1 1/2 cup basmati rice

2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)

1. Wash rice and soak in water for 1/2 an hour. Drain.

2. Take a big microwave safe bowl. Put ghee in it and add jeera. Cook uncovered, on High for 30 seconds.

3. Add rice, salt and 3 cups of water. Mix well. Cover with a micro safe lid or a cling film through which some holes have been pierced.

4. Cook for 13 minutes on High.

5. Let it stand for 5 minutes. Serve microwave jeera rice hot with some curry or vegetable.

Microwave Aloo Posto (Potatoes in Poppy Seeds Paste)

aloo posto

Aloo posto or aloo poshto is a Bengali dish of potatoes cooked in poppy seeds paste or khus khus as it is known in hindi. Posto or poppy seed not only add great flavor to aloo but it also has great medicinal value. Poppy seeds are used to treat nervous disorders and insomnia. Here is my blog post of aloo posto cooked in microwave.

Recipe of microwave aloo posto/ poshto

1/2 kg aloo (potatoes) - peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/2 cup poppy seeds (posto/ khus khus) - finely ground into a paste

1 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

2 green chillies- slit

1. Pour oil in a micro-safe dish and add aloo and mix. Cover and cook on High for 5-6 minutes.

2. Add red chilli powder, salt, poppy seeds paste, and green chillies. Mix well and add 2 tbsp water. Cover and cook on High for 5 more minutes.

3. Serve aloo posto hot as a side dish with rice or roti.

Instant Microwave Dhokla

microwave dhokla

Instant microwave dhokla is really an instant and delicious snack. If you take the measurements as given in the recipe below, you get excellent results. Here, I have made the microwave dhokla just like we make microwave idli using microwave safe idli stand except that the batter is different, of course. Earlier, I also made a blog post about khaman dhokla made traditionally that is steamed on a stove. You can check out that too.

Dhokla

1 cup besan (chickpea flour/gram flour)

3/4 cup water

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp lemon juice (juice of 2 lemons)

1 tsp oil

1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste

1 tsp Eno fruit salt

Tempering (tadka)

1 tbsp oil

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp mustard seeds

100 ml water (1 small cup)

3-4 green chillies (slit vertically)

1 tsp lemon juice

1. Take besan in a bowl and add water little by little, mixing with other hand so as to prepare lump free batter.

2. Add salt, turmeric powder and ginger-green chilli paste to the dhokla batter. Let the batter rest for 20 minutes, covered.

3. Take a microwave safe idli stand and after washing it in running water, don't wipe clean it. Take 1 cup water in the plate of the stand.

4. In a small bowl, take lemon juice and add 1 tsp oil to it. Add eno fruit salt and mix quickly. Add this to the batter and mix.

5. Pour dhokla batter in the moulds of the idli stand immediately. (Don't let the batter sit after adding eno).

6. Cover with the lid which comes with the stand and steam on a micro High for 4 & 1/2 minutes. Take out from the microwave and after 1 minute, remove dhokla from the moulds.

7. For tempering or tadka, heat oil in a small pan on a stove and add mustard seeds. When they pop, add green chillies. Add water and sugar and let it come to boil. Turn off the heat and add lemon juice.

8. Pour this tadka over steamed dhokla and refrigerate it. Let the water from the tadka gets absorbed turning the dhokla soft. You can serve the dhokla garnished with fresh coriander leaves and grated coconut.

Note- You can cut each idli shaped dhokla into 4 pieces and serve.

dhokla

Stuffed Tomato Recipe (Bharwa Tamatar)

stuffed tomato

Yesterday I cooked stuffed tomato or bharwa tamatar for dinner. I used paneer for stuffing tomato but you can also use paneer with boiled and mashed potato for this recipe. Stuffed tomato is a very delicious side with rotis. Try it to believe it. What’s more, it can be made quickly if you are entertaining some guests.

Recipe of stuffed tomato

5-6 medium tomatoes (tamatar)

100 gms paneer (cottage cheese) - crumbled

1 inch piece ginger- grated

1 onion- chopped

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves)

2+2 tsp oil

Chopped coriander leaves

hollowed tomatoes

1. Wash tomatoes and pat dry. Remove top of the tomato like a cap and keep aside.

2. Scoop out pulp of the tamatar and chop the edible portion of the caps. Set aside.

3. Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. When they change color, add onion and ginger. Sauté till light brown.

4. Add pulp and chopped caps of tomato. Add salt, red chilli powder and garam masala. Cook till pulp turns dry.

5. Add paneer and kasoori methi. Cook, mixing, for 1 minute. Remove from fire and let the paneer masala cool.

6. Preheat oven at 180 degree C. Stuff this paneer mixture inside the hollow tomato. Arrange the stuffed tomato on a greased baking tray.

7. Pour 2 tsp oil mixed with 1/4 tsp salt on all the tomatoes. Bake at 180 degree C for 30-35 minutes or till tomato turn soft. Take out stuffed tomato in a serving bowl and garnish with coriander leaves.

Stuffed tomato in Microwave

Place stuffed tomato in a microsafe bowl and cover with a microsafe lid or a cling film with holes pierced. Before covering, Pour 2 tsp oil mixed with 1/4 tsp salt over the bharwan tamatar. Cook on a High for 5 minutes or till tomato turn soft.

bharwa tamatar

Instant Rava (semolina) Idli

instant rava idli