Five Recipes from Leftover Food

1. Multigrain Lauki (bottle gourd) Muthiyas

Ingredients:

• 2 cups – freshly grated bottle gourd (lauki/bottle gourd)
• 1⁄2 cup – chopped spinach/fenugreek (palak/methi- spinach/fenugreek) (as per availability)
• 1⁄2 cup – jowar/bajra flour
• 1 cup – sattu -roasted gram (chana) flour
• 1 cup – cooked leftover rice
• 1⁄2 cup finger millet (ragi flour) (optional)
• 1 tbsp – ginger-garlic paste
• 2 tsp – sesame (til) seeds
• 1 tsp – carom (ajwain) seeds
• 2 tsp – red chilli powder
• 1 tsp – turmeric powder
• 2 tsp – coriander powder
• 1-2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp – finely chopped coriander leaves
• 2 tsp – Himalayan pink salt
• 1 tsp – cold pressed coconut oil

For tempering:

• 1 tbsp – cold pressed coconut oil
• 1 tsp – mustard seeds
• 1 tsp – cumin seeds
• 1 tsp – fennel seed
• 10-15 – curry leaves
• 1⁄2 tsp – asafoetida

For garnishing:

• Coriander leaves
• Dry or freshly grated coconut

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients to make muthiya and keep it aside for 15-20 mins.
2. Due to the salt, bottle gourd, methi /palak, the mixture will start diffusing water in the

flour and the flour will become moist.

3. Mix the ingredients to form medium-soft dough. There is no need to add water to dough

as the water diffused by the pumpkin/bottle gourd, methi/palak is enough.

4. Make small muthiyas. Shape each portion into a cylindrical roll (approximately 5 inches-

long and 1 inch-diameter).

5. Keep this muthiya in a greased plate and steam it for 20 – 30 minutes.
6. You can either steam it in a pressure cooker without a whistle or in a pan with little water.
7. You can check if the muthiya is done by inserting a toothpick or fork in it. If the toothpick

or fork comes out clean, it’s cooked.

8. Let it cool for 5 mins and transfer it to a chopping board. Cut into half inch slices.
9. Now heat 1 tbsp of oil for tempering. Add mustard seeds. When it crackles, add cumin,

sesame, fennel, asafoetida and curry leaves into the oil.

10. Sauté on medium flame for a few seconds and add muthiya slices in it. Toss well and roast

the slices on medium flame until it turns light brown and little crispy.

11. Serve hot with chutney of choice.

2. Leftover Rice Dhoklas (steamed cakes)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1 tbsp sattu flour
• 1/4 cup coconut or any leftover dry cooked mashed vegetables.
• 2 green chillies
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 tsp urad dal
• 3-4 curry leaves
• Coriander leaves for garnish
• A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• Salt to taste
• 2-3 tsps any cold pressed oil

Method:

1. Grind and mix rice, sattu flour, leftover vegetables (if any) and salt to make it a smooth batter.
2. Spread it on a greased plate and steam cook, just like we cook idlis.
3. Leave it for 5 minutes to cool and cut into pieces.
4. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. When it crackles, add urad dal, curry leaves, slit green
5. chillies, asafoetida.
6. Add dhokla pieces and grated coconut and mix well.
7. Garnish with coriander leaves.

3. Dal Uthappams

Ingredients:

• 1 cup leftover thick dal
• 1 finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup besan or sattu or jowar flour (as per availability)
• 1 finely chopped green chilli
• 4 tsp rice flour
• 1 tsp salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp chopped coriander or any greens (as per availability)
• Oil as required (any cold pressed, unrefined oil)

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl, add any leftover dal, onion, green chilli, coriander or any fresh greens
2. and salt.
3. Whisk it all together to make a smooth pancake or dosa batter like consistency.
4. Heat oil on a tawa and add a spoonful of batter, spread it into a circle like
5. pancakes/chilla/uttapam.
6. Drizzle oil around it.
7. Cook both sides evenly and serve hot with chutney.

4. Vegetable Chapati Noodles

Ingredients:

• 5 leftover chapati
• 3 tsp oil
• 3 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 green chilli, slit
• 1⁄4 onion, finely chopped
• 4 tbsp spring onion, chopped
• 1⁄2 carrot, julienne
• 1⁄2 cup cabbage, shredded
• 1⁄2 capsicum, sliced
• 2 tbsp tomato sauce
• 1⁄4 tsp pink salt

Method:

1. Firstly, take 5 chapatis and roll them tightly and cut into thin strips forming noodles.
2. Separate the chapati strips and keep aside.
3. Now in a large kadhai (wok), heat oil and sauté garlic and green chilli.
4. Also, sauté the onion and spring onion. Add carrot, cabbage and capsicum.
5. Sauté slightly, till the vegetables shrink.
6. Now add tomato sauce, vinegar, soy sauce and salt.
7. Mix well, making sure all the sauces are combined well.
8. Add prepared chapati strips, spring onions and mix gently.
9. Finally, serve chapati noodles hot.

5. Vegetable Rice Cutlets

Ingredients:

• 1 cup leftover cooked rice
• 1⁄2 cup sweet potatoes or boiled potato (boiled, peeled and mashed)
• 1 cup onion finely chopped
• 1 cup grated carrot, cabbage and boiled green peas
• 1 green chili chopped
• 2 tablespoons coriander leaves
• 1 pinch turmeric powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 teaspoon garam masala powder/ Immunity boosting powder
• 3-4 tablespoon sattu (roasted gram flour)
• Pink Salt as required
• 1-2 tablespoons oil for shallow frying

Method:

Making the rice cutlet mixture:

1. Take all the ingredients, except oil, in a mixing bowl.
2. Mix well. Taste and add more spice powders or salt if required.
3. Mix everything well. When you are mixing, the rice will also get mashed.
4. Shape the mixture into small to medium sized patties or tikkis.

Roasting the rice cutlet:

1. Heat oil in a frying pan or tawa (skillet).
2. When the oil becomes medium hot, place the rice cutlets on the tawa.
3. When the base is lightly browned, flip them and fry the other side.
4. Flip again and fry till they are crisp and golden.
5. When nicely crisp and golden, remove them and place them on a paper towel.
6. Serve rice cutlets hot with coriander or mint chutney or tomato ketchup

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