Shavige Baath - Tomato Based

Flavoured Rice Vermicelli is called Shavige Bath or Shavige Uppittu in Karnataka.  I heard that many restaurants in Bangalore are serving this yummy dish and it sells like hot cakes J. Usually it is prepared with freshly made rice noodles but it could be a long process and requires a lot of patients. I have used the ready made rice noodles from MTR brand here. You can try Bambino or any other brand as well which should work fine.  Only make sure you follow the instructions on the cover while boiling the shavige, in order to get best results!  This can be prepared in a variety of ways and I tried the Tomato based Rice Vermicelli on one of those lazy weekends!! Voila...it came out great and has become a family favorite.  I have also tried making the lemon flavoured Shavige but liked the Tomato version better!  The best part is, it has also become my little one’s favorite and eats it without any fuss J. So I have added this dish to the list of foods that he likes and hope his little taste buds stick to it for sometime without getting bored of the flavour!!

This is very easy to prepare and hardly takes 15 -20 minutes. It makes for a yummy breakfast and you could also serve this as a simple supper meal along with coconut chutney or fresh salad J.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

·         Rice noodles/Shavige 500 grams

·         Tomatoes finely chopped – 3

·         Onions finely chopped – 2

·         Green chillies – finely chopped or slit 2-4 depending on your taste

·         Mustard seeds 1 tsp

·         Curry leaves – 10-20

·         Channa Dhal /split black chickpea– 2 tbsp

·         Urad dhal / split black gram - 1 tbsp

·         Red chili powder – ½ tsp

·         Oil – 2 tbsp

·         Fresh Cilantro/ Coriander – a hand full

How to prepare:

1.      Boil Rice noodles in water (double the measure of rice noodles) for 8-10 minutes by         

           adding a ½ tsp of salt.  Once cooked drain and rinse in cold water for couple of times by  

           adding 1 tsp oil in cold water to avoid sticky noodles. OR You can follow the instructions

           on  the cover of MTR pack as well.

2.      Heat oil in a large Kadai or thick bottomed pan. Add mustard seeds and let it crackle.

3.      Add curry leaves, urad dhal and Channa dhal, green chillies and chopped onions one after

           another leaving a gap of 20-30 seconds.  Sauté till onions become transparent.

4.      Add chili powder and give a stir. Add tomatoes and salt and cook till tomatoes turn soft

            and mushy.

5.      Finally add chopped Cilantro and drained rice noodles and mix well

6.      Serve hot with Coconut Chutney or Fresh salad.

Points to Ponder:

“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward.”

                                                                                                                    Psalms 127:3 (NKJV)

Quick Cauliflower / Gobhi Stir Fry

Cauliflower / Gobhi is a good choice for all the folks who are on diet as this humble vegetable is low in fat and carbohydrates.  It is packed with high nutritional density with dietary fiber, folate , vitamin C and water.  It also contains phytochemicals  common in the cabbage family, which protects the body against cancer and helps in slowing the growth of cancer cells.  One of these chemicals (Indole-3-carbinol) is also known to enhance DNA repair process.  High intake of Cauliflower is also associated with reduced risk of aggressive prostate cancer, according to a journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Wow, with all these health benefits one should definitely make sure that this veggie is a regular on the dining table in every home.  I usually don’t like the overcooked Cauliflower dishes that we prepare at home. To keep the food healthy, I usually avoid deep frying as required for preparing Gobi Manchurian!  So, I tried this simple stir fry for a change and everyone liked it.  My little boy liked it so much that he finished everything from his grand fathers plate J.  For once I was glad that he liked something, as he has been getting very fussy about food!  He has got some terrific tiny taste buds at this tender age of 16 months!  Give him anything bland, he spits it out without a second thought. Very hard to please him I must say!  Am just keeping my fingers crossed as he grows up. :P

Ingredients:

Cauliflower florets - 2 cups

Red Chilli powder – ½ tsp

Chat Masala – ½ tsp

Cooking oil – 2 tbsp

Onions – 2 finely chopped

Ginger-Garlic paste – 1 tsp.

Salt to taste

Method of preparation:

1.      Boil water and add 2 tbsp salt. Soak cauliflower in it for 10 minutes and remove and rinse again with cold water for couple of times to get rid of all the worms if any. Drain and set aside.

2.      Heat oil in a Kadai, add chopped onions and sauté till transparent. Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a minute.

3.      Add red chilli powder and stir and add drained cauliflower, salt and stir fry till the masala coats well and cauliflower gets cooked a bit. (avoid over cooking to preserve nutrition level) Add little water if the bottom starts to burn.

4.      Sprinkle with chat masala and remove from flame. If you don’t have chat masala you can use a pinch of pepper powder, jeera powder when you add Chilli powder and squeeze in 1 tsp of lime juice before serving.  Omit lime juice if you are using chat masala as it already contains souring agents.

5.      Serve hot as a side dish.

As Easter is around the corner, I have come across some easy Easter recipes to try out.  Hopefully I will be able to post them after the celebrations.

Wishing everyone a Blessed Resurrection Sunday! Aka Happy Easter J

Leena JD

Points to Ponder:

Praise be to the God and father  of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In his great mercy, He has given us new birth, into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

                                                                                                                          1 Peter 1:3

Jesus said to her, “ I am the resurrection and life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and who ever lives and believes in me will never die.

                                                                                                                          John 11:25-26