5 minute Banana Pancake - Four ingredients Fix - Step by step - Instant Breakfast Series

      For the last day of "Instant breakfast series", I chose pancake. As this is a kids favourite. This recipe is a keeper and whipped up in minutes.
      Banana pancake is a very easy pancake,which involves just 4 ingredients. Those ingredients are readily available in our pantry. I saw this recipe in a viedo and tried immediately. It was so soft and fluffy.This can be prepared by a beginner very easily. The key to get a fluffy pancake is ,beating the eggs well.The recipe called for cinnamon, but you can substitute it with vanilla or almond extract.Try this easy pancake and let me know the feedback.

Preparation time : 10 mins
Cooking time : 5 mins
Serves : 2

Ingredients :
1.Banana - 1 
2.Eggs - 2
3.All purpose flour - 2 tbsp
4.Cinnamon pwdr -  1/4 tsp

Method:

* Take the banana in a bowl. The banana has to be ripe. This banana ,gives the smooth texture to the pancake. * Mash the banana using a hand blender . There should not be any lumps . * Now add the eggs and beat it. whisk the eggs as fluffy as possible, this acts as a rising agent to the pancake. * Once the eggs are whisked, add the flour and cinnamon powder to the bowl.Adding flour is purely optional. I liked to add ,to give the pancakes a structure. But you can also cook the pancake without the flour. * Heat a pan and scoop a  laddle full of batter. It will spread automatically.Let it cook well . * Now flip the pancake over and cook for another minute. But don't overcook the pancake, else it will become rubbery. Serve the pancake with maple syrup or honey.

Notes:
* We can skip the addition of addition of all purpose flour to make it fluten free.
* Adding eggs make the pancake fluffy.
* It also replaces the addition of baking soda and baking powder.
* We can also top the pancakes with some chopped fruits.
* Instead of cinnamon ,we can add vanilla extract.
* We can make the pancakes in batches and freeze it.

Kaman Dhokla - Instant Breakfast Series - Step by step

     

  For the 4 th day of "Instant breakfast Series" , I chose to prepare Dhokla. Its a very easy snck or breakfast.

      Dhokla is a very famous Gujarati Snack.It can also be treated as a breakfast,as it is very filling. It is made up of besan flour. Baking soda and baking powder are used to make it rise. But some use fruit salt to make it rise.When I was browisng, this particular video caught my eyes, as the dhoklas were so soft and fluffy.Immediately, I decided to make it as all the ingredients are readily available. In my first try, I forgot to add tuermeric powder and I steamed in a rectangular pan. Since the steamer was not as tight as the idli cooker, the dhoklas too so much time to cook. So for the second try, I prepared the batter with turmeric powder. Also I steamed the dhoklas in a tight idli cooker. It made the dhokla to cook faster. Then I made the tempering. First time ,I poured the tempering on the dhoklas,when it was hot. So  dhoklas become soggy. Second time, I poured the tempering ,when the dhoklas were cold. The right time to pour the tempering is ,while serving.

Recipe Source : Here
Preparartio time : 10 mins
Cooking time : 20 - 25 mins
Serves : 2

Ingredients:
For the dhokla:

1. Besan - 1 cup
2. salt -1 tsp
3. Lemon juice - 1 tsp
4. Baking Soda - 1/4 tsp
5. Baking Powder - 1 tsp
6. Water - as needed
7. Turmeric powder - a pinch (optional)
8. Fresh Coconut - 2 tbsp (to garnish)
9. Fresh Cilantro - to garnish

For tempering:

1. Oil - 1 tbsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
3. Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
4. Curry leaves - few
5. Green chilli - 1
6. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
7. Hing - a pinch
8. Water - 1/4 cup
9. Sugar - 1 tbsp                

Method:

* Take a bowl,add besan,salt,baking power and baking soda. Mix the dry ingredients well.At last add turmeric powder. I forgot to add it to my dhokla. So I prepared again another batch ,with turmeric powder. When we add turmeric powder, it reacts with the baking soda and gives a orange tint to the dhokla. So you can add tuermeric powder or skip it.  * Add water little by little to form a smooth flowing batter. Whisk it to form a smooth batter,without any lumps. Now add lemon juice to the batter. We can increase the lemon juice or decrease it, depending on your taste. * Grease a bowl with oil. We can use any kind of bowl,which is flat.I used my 6 inch cake pan.Pour the batter to the bowl. Tap the bowl, so the trapped air bubbles get released. * Take a idli cooker and pour water. Place the dhokla pan inside the idli cooker and steam it for 20 - 25 minutes or untill the tooth pick comes out clean. * While the dhokla is steaming, lets prepare the tepering. Take a pan, add oil.Temper with mustard seeds,urad dal,cumin seeds and hing. *When they splutter add curry leaves,and slit green chilli. * Add water an bring it to boil. At last add sugar . Now we can also add lemon juice .But I skipped that.Turn off the stove and let this syrup cool ,till the dhoklas are steamed. *After 24 minutes, the dhoklas would have steamed well.You can see the oraange tint, which formed due to the turmeric powder. Let the dhoklas cool inside the pan for 5 minutes. * Invert a plate on top of the pan and flip the dhokla over to the plate. Let it cool for some time. * Now cut the dhoklas to your desired shape. See how the dhokla is soft with pores.  * While serving, place the dhokla in a plate. This was my first batch of dhokla,which was made without turmeric powder.It has no tint of orange . * Pour the tempering over the dhokla.Garnish with fresh coconut and cilantro . Serve with green chutney.

Notes:
* Always use fresh besan for a better taste.
* If you are going to use turmeric powder, then add little.
* Don't pour the tempering on the dhokla,when it is hot. If not it will become soggy.
* Steam the dhokla in a tight steamer, if not it will not cook properly.
* The sugar can be increased or decreased according to your taste.
* We can skip the coconut ,if you don't like.

Bread Upma - Instant Breakfast Series - Step by step

    Under the "Instant Breakfast series", I chose today "Bread Upma". Its one of the easiest upma, I ever made. When we were studying, my sister used to make this upma as an instant tiffin. In this recipe, I have added tomatoes and lemon juice. But if  you don't like too much tangyness to the upma, you can skip the lemon juice. Whenever I have leftover bread slices, I will prepare this upma. I prepared this dish ,last year. When I was browsing through my drafts, this recipe caught my attention. Hence the post today.Enjoy the recipes under "Instant Breakfast Series".

Preparation time : 10 mins
Cooking time :10 mins
Serves : 2


Ingredients:
1.Bread Slices - 4
2.Onion - 1/2
3.Tomato - 1
4.Green Chillies - 2
5.Chilli powder - 1 tsp
6.Ghee - a tbsp
7.Lemon juice - 1 tsp
8.Salt - to taste
9.Oil - 2 tbsp
10.Curry leaves - few
11.Cilantro - for garnish
12.Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
13.Water - as needed
14.Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method:

* For a good bread upma, toast the bread slices in ghee. We can also prepare bread upma with plain bread. But toasted bread tastes good. Take a pan, add oil and temper withfennel seeds ,curry leaves, chopped onion and green chillies . Let the onion get roasted well . Now add ginger garlic paste and saute. Add little ginger garlic paste, if not it will dominate the upma. * Now add chopped tomatoes and sprinkle salt to the pan.Let the tomatoes get mashed well with  the onion. Now add chilli powder and saute.Let the raw smell of the chilli powder goes away.Sprinkle little water for the gravy to come together. * Once the masala is ready, add shredded bread slices to the pan. Toss it well . Let the masala get coated well with the bread slices.Adjust salt to taste. Turn the stove off. t last sprinkle lemon juice for a sour taste . At last garnish the upma with chopped cilantro .Serve it hot. We can also serve the upma with raita.

Notes:
* We can add any kind of masala like garam masala, biriyani masala to the upma.
* If you don't like sourness, don't add lemon juice.
* Toasting the bread slices,will give  very good taste to the upma.
* If you want dry upma, just skip the addition of tomato.
* We can also add some cooked vegetables to the upma.
* For a healthier option, use wheat bread.

Mawa Gulab Jamun - Gulab Jamun using Khoya - My 500 th post - Step by step

     Today I am reaching 2 mile stones. One is , this is my "500" th post and the other is ,my blog has crossed 2 million views. This would not have happened ,without you all . Thanking all my friends, readers, for constantly supporting me with your comments and likes. Today ,I look back and revive my journey in the blogging world. It has so many struggles ,which I had ,in bringing the dishes. Both in cooking and clicking ,I have improved a lot.Constant blogging ,kept me occupied and has given me peace of mind.When I don't blog ,something,keeps stress me out. Now blogging became my part of life.Thank you once again, for keeping me as ME.

      Coming to the recipe, one of my friend asked this recipe, so I prepared it. The jamuns were very soft and melt in mouth. We can either prepare the khoya at home or can use store bought. Both works fine. I have given all the solutions for a perfect jamun. If you have questions, just shoot me to savitha.ganesan@gmail.com .

Check my other gulab jamun recipes

* Ricotta Cheese Gulab Jamun

* Gulab Jamun using milk powder

* Gulab jamun using ready made mix.

Preparation Time : 15 mins
Cooking time : 15 mins
Yield : 35 small jamuns
Recipe Source : Rak's Kitchen

Ingredients:
1.Khoya - 1 cup
2.Maida - 3 tbsp
3.Baking soda - 1/8 tsp
4.Cardamom powder - a pinch
5.Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
6.Water  - 1 1/2 cups
7.Oil - for frying
8.Milk - as needed

Method:

* I made Khoya at home, instantly. You can check the recipe here. You can also use store bought khoya for your jamuns.Grate the khoya finely.The khoya has to be at room temperature.  * Take a mixing bowl, add the grated khoya,maida and baking soda . Mix them well. Add little milk to the mixing bowl. Form a smooth and pilable dough.  * Let the dough rest for atleast 5 mins. Meanwhile lets prepare the syrup for the gulab jamuns. Take sugar and water in a bowl. Heat it , till it reaches boiling point. The syrup should be sticky .Now turn off the flame and add cardamom powder . While dropping the jamuns ,the syrup should be warm. If it truns cold, just heat the syrup, so that its suitable for the jamuns. Always use ,a wide pan to prepare the syrup, as it will help the jamuns to absorb syrup properly. * Divide the dough into small equal parts . The balls has to be smooth, without any cracks. If not, it may break ,while frying. * Here is the prepared dough balls. These should be equal sized . Cover the balls for 2 mins,using a muslin cloth. * Heat a pan of oil . The oil should not be too hot. If not the jamuns will cook in the outer side and will be raw inside.If the oil is cold,then the jamuns will break while frying. Drop the balls into the oil, While they are cooking, use a spoon and mix the oil, so they rotate while frying. This will make the jamuns to have golden colour throughout.  * Remove the jamuns from oil. The jamuns ahould be uniformly coloured like that of the picture. Strain the oil completely ,by keeping it on the laddle for atleast 1 minute. Immediately, drop the jamuns into the syrup. The syrup should be warm, while dropping the jamuns. * Similarly fry all the jamuns and drop them into the warm syrup. Let the jamuns get syrup completely for atleast 30 mins. Serve the jamuns warm or cold. We can refrigerate the jamuns for later use. Since ,we have used khoya, the jamuns were melt in the mouth.                                                   Serve jamuns with ice cream and enjoy !!!

Notes:

* Jamuns has to be rolled smoothly, without any crack.

* The syrup has to be warm, while dropping the jamuns.

* The oil has to be medium hot, for frying the jamuns.

* We can also add saffron or rose essence to the syrup.

* We can also garnish the jamuns with crushed nuts.

* Since, we have used khoya in the jamuns, it has to be consumed immediately, within 2 days.Always refrigerate the jamuns.

* Adding khoya makes the jamuns soft.

Instant Oats Idli - Instant Breakfast Series - Step by step

       Its been more than 10 days, aince I posted something. Have been busy with long weekend. Also ,my parents are going to visit us , next week. So got myself  busy with the preparations. For this month's "Instant breakfast " series, I thought  of oats idli ,as it is easy to prepare in no time. I have made a tempering and added to the batter. But you can just cook the idlies ,without any tempering. For these kind of idlies, spicy chutneys will go very well.

Check my other varieties of idlies,

 * Rava Idli

* Soft idlies

Preparation Time - 10 mins
Cooking time : 10 mins
Yield - 12 idlies

Ingredients :
1.Insant Oats - 1 cup
2.Rava - 1/2 cup
3.Yogurt - 1 or 3/4 cup
4.Carrot - 1/2 cup (shredded)
5.Salt - to taste
6.Water - as needed
7.Baking soda - a fat pinch

To temper :
1.Onion - 1/4 (chopped)
2.Green chillies - 3 (chopped)
3.Chana dal - 1/2 tsp
4.Mustard seeds - 1/2 sp
5.Urad dal - 1/4 tsp
6.Beans - 1/4 cup (finely chopped)
7.Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

* Take the oats in a blender. We can either ground the oats as such or roast it and grind it. Pulse the oats to a fine powder. * Take rava and mix with oats.Add salt to the bowl. *Take a pan and heat it . Add oil and splutter with mustard seeds,urad dal and chana dal. I didn't have curry leaves, so skipped it. You can use it , if you have. * Now add chopped onion, green chillies and saute. Sprinkle little salt to the pan. * Now add chopped green beans and saute. The beans will take time to cook, so chop it finely. Let the mixture cool for some time. * Once the mixture is cooled, add it to the mixing bowl. Now add shredded carrots . Mix them well. * Now dump the beaten yogurt to the mixture and beat. The consistancy should be of idli batter. If you fine the batter is too thick, then we can add some water to thin it. Yogurt gives the required  sourness to the idli.  *This is the right consistancy. Now add baking soda. and mix . The bking soda will make the idli fluffy.  * Grease the idli plates with oil. Pour a laddle full of batter to the plates .Steam the oats idli for 5 to 7 mins or untill toothpick comes out clean. Let the idlies ool for some time in the plates. Once cooled, take them out using a spoon and store in a hot pack. Serve these idlies with garlic chutney or onion chutney.

Notes:

* We can any kind of vegetables to the idli.

* Instead of sauting, we can just dump the vegetables to the batter and cook.

* Instead of baking soda, we can lso use fruit salt.

* Don't skip the addition of yogurt. It acts as a fermenting agent for the idlies.

* We can also roast the oats and powder it ,for a good aroma.

Linking this to "Friendship 5 Series ", started by "Savitha Ramesh" and "Geetha Achal"