Kanchipuram idli

A healthy steamed cake is very soft and fluffy to eat and can be taken as a breakfast with sambhar or idli milagai podi.The ghee with seasoning gives nice aroma to idli.

Ingredients:

• Idli rice - 1 cup
• Raw rice - 1 cup
• Urad dal - 1 cup
• Salt - as per taste

For tempering:

• Mustard - 1 tsp
• Urad dal - 2 tsp
• Channa dal - 2 tsp
• Cashews - 2 tsp
• Pepper - 2 tsp
• Grated ginger - 2 tsp
• Curry leaves - 8
• Coriander leaves - 1 tsp
• Sesame oil + Ghee - 2 tbsp

Method:

Soak rice and dal separately for 2 hrs. Grind the urad dal into smooth paste, and rice very coarsely. Mix them with salt and ferment it for 8 hrs or overnight.

In a pan, add oil and ghee and add the ingredients given for tempering in the same order, mix in the batter.

Grease the pan with oil and pour the batter and cook for 20 to 30 mins on a low flame. Cut into any desired shape. You can prepare this idli with small bowls and glasses too.

Ashoka sweet

This was the recipe sent by my sister. I did not start my diwali sweets yet, so recipe from her :)

Ingredients:

• Moong dal - 1 cup
• Milk and water - 3 cups
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Ghee - 1/2 cup
• Cardamon powder - 1 tsp
• Cashews - 10

Method:

Pressure cook the moong dal with milk and water. After it cools down, mash it. In a large pan add sugar and dal. Mix well and cook on a medium flame . Add ghee little by little and cook till it all comes together to form a ball. Add cardamon powder. Put on a greased plate and make slices. Add cashews or dates on top.
 

Ribbon murukku

Happy Diwali to everyone !!!

I tried this murukku with equal parts of besan flour and roasted gram flour, so it turned out very crunchy and the pepper in murukku enhanced the flavor.

Ingredients:

• Rice flour (idiyappam flour) - 2 cups
• Besan flour - 1/2 cup
• Roasted gram flour - 1/2 cup
• Butter or hot oil - 2 tbsp
• Pepper - 1 tbsp
• Hing - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste

Method:

Mix all the flour with salt,hing, turmeric powder, pepper, butter or oil and water to make a fine dough.

Fill the murukku press with the dough, meanwhile heat the oil. Press straight in the oil and fry the ribbon murukku on both sides.

Murukku (With boiled urad dal)

This taste of boiled urad dal murukku is unique. The murukku will be white in color since we don't roast the urad dal.

I used idiyappam flour here, the store bought flour will be fine too. If urad dal flour is not there, this would be handy. 

Ingredients:

• Rice flour - 5 cups
• Urad dal - 1 cup(boiled and grind)
• Sesame seeds - 1.5 tbsp
• Hing - a pinch
• Salt - as per taste
• Butter - 1 tbsp

Method:

Soak urad dal for 15 to 30 minutes; pressure cook for one whistle and simmer for 10 minutes. After it cools down, grind in a blender.

The ground batter urad dal and rice flour should be in the ratiio of 1:5. Measure it and add hing, butter, sesame seeds and salt. mix together. Add water to make a soft dough.

Take the 3 holes plate in the murukku press and fill the dough. In the oily sheet press 6 or 8 murukkus. Heat oil, drop one by one and cook in a medium flame.

Masala pori

This is a simple spicy snack with extra crunch. One of my Maharashtrian friend used to prepare this way. Everyone has their own twist, so add or reduce whatever way you like.

Ingredients:

• Puffed rice - 10 cups
• Coconut oil - 2 tbsp
• Peanut - 1/4 cup
• Red chilly powder - 1 tbsp
• Chat masala - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Mustard - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - 15
• Salt - as per taste

For garnishing :

• Cucumber - 1
• Onions - 1
• Tomatoes - 1
• Coriander leaves - few
• Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Method:


Chop the vegetables finely and keep aside. In a big pan add coconut oil or butter, add puffed rice and saute for 4 to 5 mins till it becomes hot. Don't overheat it.


Add some more oil in the pan, fry peanuts and keep aside. In the same oil add mustard seeds, curry leaves, redchilly powder, salt and chat masala. Then add peanuts and saute till it is mixed . Allow to cool.


After it cools completely add puffed rice and mix well. Store in a airtight container.


When serving add chopped veggies, lemon juice and serve immediately.

Raw banana in yougurt gravy

This is the simple kadi from green banana. This dish can be served with rice or roti. I got this recipe from Vidhu mittal in "pure & simple" book. To avoid the color changing of raw banana add in water till it is cooked.

Ingredients:

• Raw banana - 2 (medium sized)
• Sour curd - 1.5 cup
• Gram flour - 1.5 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste

For tempering:

• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Jeera - 1/2 tsp
• Dried red chilly - 3
• Curry leaves - 6
• Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
• Hing - a pinch
• Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp

Method:


Peel and cut the bananas into semi circles. Mix gram flour, turmeric powder, redchilly powder and salt with curd and water to make a smooth paste.

Cook the bananas and drain the water. Combine bananas and curd mixture and bring to boil. Simmer for 10 mins.

Heat 1 tbsp of ghee add all the ingredients mentioned in tempering in the same order. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Dal Tadka

The mixture of the dals tastes very good with the flavor of ghee. The tadka enhances the taste of it.

Ingredients:

• Masoor dal - 3/4 cup
• Channa dal - 1/4 cup
• Moong dal - 1/8 cup
• Spinach or methi leaves - 1 cup
• Tomatoes - 2
• Green chilly - 1
• Amchur powder - 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
• Ginger - 2tsp

For tempering:

• Ghee - 2 tbsp
• Hing - a pinch
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp

Method:


Pressure cook the dals with 3 cups of water, turmeric and salt to taste. Chop methi or spinach very fine and cook with 1 tsp of oil.

In a pan, add chopped tomatoes, green chilly, amchur powder, garam masala, ginger ; bring to boil.

Add the cooked spinach and boil for a min. Heat ghee in a pan and all the ingredients mentioned for tempering in the same order. Remove and pour in lentils. Serve with rotis
                          

Plain Roti

This plain roti is very simple to make. Weight watchers can omit applying ghee.

Ingredients:

• Whole wheat flour - 1 cup
• Water - as desired 
• Salt - 1/4 tsp
• Oil - 1tsp
• Ghee for applying

Method:

Add salt with flour and knead to make a soft dough with a tsp of oil. Keep covered for 20 mins.

 

Divide the dough equally and dust with wheat or rice flour if watery and roll with a rolling pin.

Place on the heated griddle and cook both sides.

Remove and roast over the flame with the help of roti stand or directly. Apply ghee if needed.

Chana Sundal (salad)

Hope everyone will be having sundal for this navarathiri. This is a little different version of sundal, a type of salad with tempering.

Spicy Veggie Pasta

Bite-sized pasta tubes with mild, chewy texture, you can create all sorts of artworks by adding your favorite veggies and other ingredients. Even without Italian seasoning it tastes so good. Seasoning mix from noodles packet gives a nice twist in this recipe.

I tried this in an Indian way, little spicy. I didn't add cheese in this recipe. If you like, top with Parmesan cheese. Since there is no cheese, there should be more sauce otherwise it would become dry.  I have used 2 cups of pasta and 4 to 5 cups of combined vegetables. An healthy version of pasta with more veggies and no cheese. Give a try.....