Plain Dosai - Type 1

Adding a handful of few more ingredients into the Dosa Batter not only upgrade the taste of the Plain Dosa but also makes it more healthier. The technique of adding extra ingredients was learnt from my mother-in-law when she visited here.

Ingredients

Idly Rice / Par Boiled Rice - 3 cups

Urad Dal / Ulutham Paruppu / Mina Pappu - 1 Cup

Fenugreek Seeds / methi seeds / Vendhayam - 2 tbsp

Soya Bean Seeds - 1  Handful

Sago Seeds / Javvarisi / Saggubiyyam - 1 Handful

Aval / Avalakki / Beaten Rice - 1 Handful

Oats - 1 Handful

Salt - To Taste

Olive Oil - For Frying the Dosas

Method

1. Wash all the ingredients as mentioned above and soak everything together for 4-5 hours.
2. Then, grind everything together in the wet grinder to a fine paste.
3. After grinding is done completely, add required amount of salt to the dosa batter and keep it for fermentation.
4. After the batter gets fermented, take few portions of the batter in a separate vessel and add little water to the batter for making dosa.
5. On medium heat, in the dosa pan pour 2 full scoops of dosa batter and make an excellent spiral shaped thin dosa.
6. On its side and wherever you feel, add drops of Olive Oil.
7. Let it becomes golden brown, then flip onto the other side. Then, take it out from the pan.
8. Likewise continue making other dosas and dont forget to keep the remaining dosa batter into the fridge.
9. You can serve this healthy dosa with good chutneys, sambar, podi, potato masala.

Tips

Don't pour water into the main dosa batter vessel at one shot while making Dosas. Its always better to take a portion of it in a separate vessel and add sufficient amount of water to the smaller portion.

Mixed Fruit Payasam - Pazha Payasam

Few remaining fruits in each variety  in the fruit basket were disturbing my mind. Wanted to consume all the fruits, wanted to avoid them turning black and getting thrown into the garbage. So, I decided to make a fruit payasam without using actual sugar. Heard about the health benefits of  Palm Sugar, a natural sweetener and sugar substitute, I bought it from a nearby Asian Store and used it in this recipe.

Ingredients

Bananas - 1 big one or 2 medium ones

Apple - 1 big one

Pear - 1 big one

Pineapples - 1 slice

Kiwi - 2

Strawberries - 5 or 6 medium ones

Ripe Mango - 1

Dry Grapes - 1 Handul

Elachi Powder - 1 tsp

Milk - 1/2 cup

Cashew Nuts - 1 Handful roasted in ghee

Palm Sugar - 3/4 th of a cup ( Brown colour coarse sugar powder )

Method

1. Wash the fruits and dry them. Peel the skin of fruits like apple, pear, banana, Mango, Kiwi. Cut all the fruits into medium size.
2. Grind all the fruit cubes into a fine smoothie in a mixer grinder and keep it ready.
3. In a heavy bottomed vessel, add the fruit smoothie first and then add 3/4 cup of Palm Sugar. Along with that, add a pinch of kesar food colour a pinch which gives the payasam mild orange / yellow colour.
4. Mix them nicely and let it cook and boil for 5-6 minutes.
5. Then add the elachi powder , add the ghee roasted cashew nuts into the Payasam.
6. Finally add half a cup of milk ( boiled and cooled separately) into the payasam. Mix again and switch off the flame after a minute.
7. Let it cool for sometime. This payasam tastes very good once if it cools and settles down completely.

Variations

You can add any variety of fruits and try this Payasam. But dont add the citric fruits while making this Payasam.

You can add more sugar if you feel that the fruits sweetness is not enough.

Tips

Like our puliogare, this payasam taste increases with time. It tastes even better after 2-3 hours after all the fruit flavour mix and blend together.

Potato Masaal - For Masaal Dosai

I could call "Masala dosai" as "Masaal Dosai" only. I still remember the server in one of the Bus stand hotels at thanjavur described the menu as "Masaal Dosai, Boori, Bongal,etc.," everything in a different tone and I got used to it. ( Regularly visited that hotel nearer to Bus Stand!!!). Still, people at home make fun of me for these different names.

Potato Masala hiding inside the masala dosai is always a mouth watering curry for all ages. Let us see how we can make this tasty potato masala.

Ingredients

Potatoes - 8 medium size

Onion - 1 Big One

Fresh Peas / Frozen Peas - 1 Handful

Curry Leaves - 5 or 6 ( if you have!!)

Grated Ginger - 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 2 tsp

Hing / Asafoetida - 1 dash

Salt - To taste

Green Chillies - 1 Big One

For tempering

Olive Oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Urad Dal / Ulutham Paruppu / Mina Pappu - 2 tsp

Channa Dal / kadalai paruppu / Senaga Pappu - 2 tsp

Dry Red Chilly - 1 medium

Method

1. Wash and cut the potatoes into equal halves and cook it in a separate vessel. After its done, drain the water and let is cool for 2-3 minutes. Then peel the skin of the potatoes carefully and keep the cooked ones aside.
2. Slit the green chilly, cut the onions finely into small pieces and keep it ready.
3. On a thick bottomed vessel, add Olive oil first. When it gets heated, add the Hing/Asafoetida, Mustard seeds, jeera, urad dal, channa dal, dry red chilly, curry leaves in order.
4. When tempering is done as usual, add the cut onions first. Fry it with a pinch of salt and let it become translucent.
5. Add the green chilly slits into the onions and add 1 tsp of grated ginger too now.
6. Add one handful of fresh peas or frozen peas to the onions. If its uncooked fresh peas, add a pinch of salt and cover the vessel with a lid for 2 minutes for the peas to get cooked.
7. If not, continue the process by adding turmeric powder to the contents in the vessel.
8. After the peas get cooked, add the cooked potatoes into the vessel and mash it thoroughly.
9. Add enough salt ( generally 1 tbsp ) to the contents.
10. Mix everything thoroughly and fry the contents for another 2-3 minutes.
11. Switch off the heat and the mashed potato masala is ready either to eat alone or serve with Dosai.

Softer Idlies

Idly is one of the healthiest and low calorie food , easily digestible and an ideal breakfast in South India. Idly can be neither too softer or rubbery , it should be little fluffy, but softer and tastier. Making the batter itself a very careful job, which determines the fate of the Idlies.  I generally add 1 cup of urad dal / Ulutham paruppu / Mina pappu for 3 cups of Idly rice.
                     But the idli i tasted in my friends house at California was very tasty and softer, we all liked it. Thanks to gai , my friend, today I tried the Idlies with her ratio 2:1 , 1 cup of urad dal for 2 cups of Idly Rice. It came out very well. And we enjoyed it with our green colour chutney today.

Ingredients

Idly Rice / Par Boiled Rice - 4 Cups

Urad Dal / Black Lentil / Ulutham paruppu / Mina Pappu - 2 Cups

Olive Oil / Gingelly Oil - Enough to coat the Idly Plates before steaming

Method

1. Soak the Idly Rice and Dal separately for 4-5 hours.
2. After that, wash the Idly Rice first and grind it in the grinder to a semi solid state. Don't make it too watery.
3. Then, wash the Black Lentils and grind it in the grinder next. While grinding the Black lentils, add water little by little. Patiently grind the Black lentils by constantly mixing the contents on the side, adding little water side by side. If you follow this way, the black lentil batter would come very fluffy and would get more quantity too.
4. Then, mix it with the grounded Idly Batter thoroughly.
5. Add enough salt to the Idly Batter and mix again perfectly.
6. Keep it for fermentation till the quantity gets more at the top with light bubbles.
7. After the fermentation process is done, pour the idly batter into the oil coated moulds and steam it in the Idly Cooker for 10 minutes on medium flame. 
8. When its cooked fully, switch off the heat. Let it cool for 2 minutes.
9. Take take out the idlies carefully with a big flat spoon dipped in cold water.
10. Serve it with idly podi, chutneys of your choice, delicious sambar on a banana leaf.

Variations

As I mentioned earlier, the Idly Batter ratio varies. Some people like to add in the ratio of 1:4 too. As we like to reduce the Rice quantity as much as possible in our food, I use the ratio as 1:2. ( 1 cup of Black lentils for 2 cups of Idly Rice ).

Tips

Be patient while grinding the Black Lentil. Don't add more water in the beginning itself to quicken the process. If you are bit patient, your idlies would turn out great.

While taking out the idlies, please dip the Big flat spoon in cold water and then slowly take out from the moulds.  If you hurry unnecessarily, you will spoil the shapes of your Idlies.

Try to grind the Black Lentils at the end which eases the cleaning process after the grinding is done.

Green Coconut Chutney

For the super soft idlies, I made a green colour chutney just to attract my kids and make tiffin time more enjoyable. Grinded the Coriander stems along with fresh coconut gave me a more flavoured chutney than the regular coconut chutney. If you have fresh coriander leaves, then substitute those with the stems. Generally there wont be any leftover of this tasty green chutney.

Ingredients

Coriander Stems stored in the fridge - 1 full handful or
Coriander Leaves - 1 /2 cup

Fresh Coconut grated / shredded -  1 cup

Pottukadalai / Putnalu Pappu / Split Roasted Gram - 2 tbsp

Green Chilly - 2 medium Size

Salt - To Taste

Hing / Asafoetida - 1 Dash

For Tempering

Olive Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Urad Dal / Ulutham Paruppu / Mina Pappu - 1 tsp

Curry Leaves - 5 or 6 ( if you have )

Dry Red Chilly - 1 Medium

Method

1. Grind the fresh coconut, coriander stem, green chillies, Pottukadalai / Roasted gram in the mixer grinder along with salt, Hing and water. Make a semi solid paste and keep it aside.
2. Then, heat the olive oil in a tadka spoon and add mustard seeds, jeera, urad dal, curry leaves, red chilly. When tempering is done, add it to the chutney.
3. Now the green colour chutney is ready to be served along with super soft idlies.

Pav Bhaji

Pav Bhaji , the moment we utter the word, we could hear "Yes" from all directions. Its liked by all at home. Today I made this Pav Bhaji specially for my daughter along with Strawberry Milkshake for the evening. I did not buy the Indian Paav this time. I made it with the regular Burger Breads.

I added fresh paneer cubes also into the Bhaaji as I liked the Pav Bhaji served in New Delhi. In that, i noticed few panner pieces finely shredded and added to the bhaji.

For kids, its definitely a healthy variety meal. It has lot of mixed vegetables, paneer, Pav, butter and its very yummy and tasty for them to enjoy. ( With a side of a Milkshake, its yummy!!)

Ingredients

Tomato - 2 Medium Size

Green Capsicum -  3 Medium Size

Onion - 1 Big 

Green Peas ( frozen or fresh ones ) - 1 handful

Potatos - 1 Medium Size fully cooked

Fresh Paneer Cubes - 5 Cubes

Coriander Leaves - To garnish

Lemon Juice - 1 tsp

Jeera - 2 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1 tbsp

Pav Bhaji Masala Powder - 2 tbsp

Red Chilly Powder - 1 tsp

Salt - To Taste

Olive Oil - 2 tbsp

Method

1. Wash all the vegetables and  cut the capsicum, onion and tomatoes into very thin pieces easy to get cooked and mashed.
2. On the thick bottomed kadai, add Olive Oil first. When it gets heated, add the jeera seeds.
3. Add the finely shredded onions first into the kadai. Add a pinch of salt now which quickens the onion to get cooked.
4. Add the green capsicums, frozen peas or fresh peas into the kadai and fry it nicely for 2-3 minutes.
5. Then add the tomatoes to the mixture. Add all the powders into the kadai mixture and mix it thoroughly.
6. Cover the kadai with a lid and let all the veggies get cooked nicely for about 4-5 minutes on a medium flame.
7. Dont add any water to this mixture till everything gets cooked and mashed.
8. Open the lid and check to see if all the veggies are cooked. If its done, add required amount of salt and mash the bhaji nicely.
9. Mash the cooked potato and add it to the kadai. Finally add the fresh paneer cubes to the kadai mixture.
10. Mash everything in the kadai thoroughly.
11. Keep it open and let it cook on open flame for 2-3 minutes.
12. Add sufficient water now to the Bhaaji in the kadai just to make it semi-solid. Let it cook in open flame for 3-4 minutes.
13. When you see the bhaaji coming to a semi-solid state, switch off the heat. Garnish with Coriander leaves.
14. On the pan, toast the Burger / Sandwich breads / Pav with little Olive Oil on both sides and keep it hot and ready.
15. 

    Serve the Paav with a side of hot Bhaaji ,finely cut onions, little coriander leaves and lemon juice.

Variations

You can add little butter just before serving the Bhaaji with Pav.

You can avoid Paneer in the Bhaaji to make it little lighter.

You can add crushed green chillies for more spicyness. It gives a nice aroma and good spicy taste to the bhaaji.

Tips

Dont add water in the beginning before the vegetables get cooked. It will make the Bhaaji more watery and its difficult to mash the contents after adding water.

Make the vegetables finely shredded in order to make the bhaaji more quickly.

While making Pav for kids, toast the Pav with little ghee and serve.

Avacado Dip - Indian Style

Avocado fruit is a native of Mexico, mostly grown in the tropical climates. Avocado is one of the nutrient dense foods which is loaded with good mono saturated fats,  Vitamin K, folate, Potassium and lots of other good Vitamins. So, to make our snack time a bit healthy one, I made this Indian Style Avocado Dip ( or chutney ) to go with Lijjat pappad, little corn chips with a cup of  Hot Chai on the side.

Ingredients

Avocado - 2 Medium Size

Onion - 1/2 Medium Size finely shredded

Ripe Tomato - 1 Medium Size

Coriander Leaves - 1 Handful

Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp

Black Pepper Powder - 1 tsp ( Depends on your taste bud )

Salt - To taste

Method

1. Take few Lijjad Papads and fry it in the microwave without oil and keep it aside.
2. Cut the onions and tomatoes into tiny pieces, finely shredded and keep it ready.
3. Wash and cut the coriander leaves and keep it ready too.
4. Take the 2 avocados and scoop the avocado from inside and put it in a round bottom vessel easy to mix.
5. Add the onions, tomatoes, coriander leaves, pepper powder, salt, lemon juice on top of the avocado and mix everything thoroughly.
6. Mash it as much as possible so that it looks pasty.
7. Now the Avocado Dip ( Chutney ) is ready to eat with pappads or corn chips.

Variations

Instead of black pepper powder, you can add finely crushed green chillies to the Avocado Dip if you like the taste of green chillies.

You can grind the Avocado for just few seconds before serving if you feel the pieces of onions, tomatoes are visible and not pasty. This makes the Dip more perfect.