Iyengar Bakery style Carrot Toast/Sandwich

There are so many baked goodies to try from the iconic Iyengar Bakeries. But the 'Carrot Toast' is one of the most favored items of Iyengar Bakery. Recently, my dad and I got into a serious 'food conversation' which predominantly included talking about some delicacies that is nostalgic to him and me. Then popped up the famous 'I.B 's Carrot Toast' in our conversation and I immediately wanted to try it. 


Before going into the recipe, let me tell you the secret of this recipe. Though, it is an 'Iyengar' Bakery I doubt they add egg whites to the carrot masala(I'm not sure.. at least I believe!). So my recipe here calls for egg white. If you are not for it, you can omit that. But trust me, adding the egg white did bring out the exact taste of Iyengar Bakery's and also no one can tell there is egg in it unless you reveal it (I promise!).


One more tip for the authentic I.B's taste: Once you prepare all the toasts, transfer them in a serving tray and saran-wrap it while they are still hot. This way the steam gets into the bread, making it soft. When you are serving you can just re-heat in microwave. (Thats how exactly the bakery do!). So this is perfect for parties too :)


Prep Time       -   05 Minutes
Cooking Time -  10 Minutes   
Total Time      - 15 Mintues
Makes 4 Toasts/ Sandwiches


You will need:
1 large Carrot
1 large Onion
1 small Tomato
1 Green Chilly
1 egg white
1 tsp of Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp of Cumin seeds
1 tsp of Urad dal (split white lentil)
A pinch of Asafetida(Hing)
1/2 tsp of Red chilly powder
A pinch of turmeric
1/4 tsp of garam masala
1/4 tsp of coriander powder
Fresh coriander, finely chopped
Salt to taste
2 tsps of oil
4 Slices of white bread
Ghee(Clarified Butter) to toast

Chop the onions, green chilly and tomato very finely. Peel and grate the carrot.

In a pan, heat oil and add the mustard seeds,cumin seeds and asafetida. Then add the Urad dal and let it golden brown. (caution : do not over brown it!)
Add the green chillies and onions. Fry till translucent.

Add the spices(chilly powder, turmeric, coriander powder and garam masla) with salt. Mix well and then add the chopped tomato.

After a minute, add the grated carrot and cook covered for couple of minutes. Add the egg white and mix so well until it gets disintegrated in the carrot mixture. 

Heat a flat pan and spread some ghee on the bread slices. Place the bread slices and toast them on either side till it becomes golden brown and crispy.

Spread the carrot mixture on top of each slice and serve them as toast or as sandwiches.

Electric Rice-Cooker Bisibelabath

I know its been quite a long time.Please accept my sincere apologies for not being here for almost a year. I was not home and was busy with my MBA course at Chennai. Life there keeps me very occupied that I couldn't spare any time for blogging.

Thanks a million for all the friends and fellow bloggers who wished me for my admission. And also for those who enquired about my absence.

I will be home for the next three more months. And I'am back in kitchen. By August , I'am hoping to fly to USA for pursuing the second year of my course.

One of my guy friends, who is in Oklahoma, asked me the procedure for making Bisibelabath/sambar rice in electric cooker.

So here it is..

I have already posted an elaborate version of Bis-b..but this one is a simple method which can be done in an electric cooker.

I have to mention that you have to compromise the creamy,mushy taste of bis-b made in pressure cooker.

Its appropriate to call it as 'sambar rice' than bisibelabath..

Recipe for 4:

1 cup rice

1/4 cup mix of tuar dal & ground nut

1/2 cup mix of chopped veggies( I used plantain, drumstick,pearl onions,tomatoes & beans)

1-inch sphere sized tamarind pulp soaked in 3 cups of water

Sambar powder or Bis -b podi

1 tbsp ghee

1 tsp oil

1 sprig of curry leaves

5 cloves of garlic

salt

Bis-b Podi:

6 red chillies

1.5 tbsp grated coconut

1 tsp chana dal

1 tsp urad dal

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds

1 inch cinnamon stick

1 clove

1 cardamom

A big pinch of hing /asafotedia

4 curry leaves

Roast all the above ingredients of podi in a tsp of oil.

Cool and grind to fine powder.

Cook dal and groundnut separately.One can also cook them in bulk and freeze it up. Just thaw before cooking.

Turn on the electric cooker, heat oil and fry the onions and garlic until transparent. Add the vegetables and fry for a couple of mins.

Extract the juice of tamarind and the 3 cups of tamarind juice to the vegetables. Add salt, bis b podi and cooked dal.Let it come to boil. Add the washed rice.

Close and cook till gets done. Season with ghee and curry leaves in the end. Finish off before it gets cold!

Mysore Rasam

Its been quite a long time that I created a post here.Many things kept me engaged..Exams,Dad's visit,travelling etc.

It was raining all day for the past 3 days.And our whole house was surrounded by water . And we couldn't get any groceries.There was no power supply and I was going insane without knowing what to do.My sister was sick and I was in the verge of catching cold.The continuous slashing rain,numbing chillness and boredom all together made the day grey.So to keep ourselves warm and peppy we made 'Mysore Rasam'. The steaming rice and the hot rasam was like medicine.I felt rejuvenated and cozy after sipping the rasam.

This may not be the authentic recipe for Mysore rasam.What we made was our own version,which is simple,quick and too good.

You will need:
4 Big Tomatoes
1/4 cup boiled Toor Dal
6 cloves of Garlic
1 tbsp pepper
1 tbsp Cumin seeds
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 small gooseberry sized tamarind
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
A pinch of hing
Salt as per taste

Begin by soaking the tamarind in 1/2 liter water.

Dry roast cumin seeds and pepper.Ground them coasrsely.Add toamotes and garlic in the same jar and puree them.Add sugar,salt and chilli powder mix well and keep aside.

In a vessel,heat 1 tbsp oil and add the mustard seeds,hing and curry leaves.Let the seeds splutter.Add the tomatoe paste.And fry until the raw smell goes away.

Extract the tamarind juice and pour over the tomatoe paste.Add the cooked Dal too.Stir and check for salt .At this point,one can add whatever more is required.

Bring to boil and turn off the heat.

We had it mixed with rice accompained by 'Potato Podimass' and 'Masala Pappad'.