Crispy Rava dosa

I love Paper thin crispy rava dosas. This dosa does not need any fermentation and could be prepared quickly. I took the proportion from lathas blog and its pretty accurate.

Ingredients:
Rava - 1 cup
Rice flour- 1/2 cup
All purpose flour - 1/2 cup
Water - 6 cups
Salt
Chopped Green chillis - 3 to 4
Whole/Coarsely ground black pepper - 1 sp
Tempered Mustard - 1 sp
Cumin - 2 sp
1 or 2 Chopped onions

Oil - For making dosas

Mix all ingredients together ( except onions). Let it rest for 1 hour minimum (Rava tends to absorb the water). The batter will be a very thin pouring consistency, like butter milk.

Heat the tava, once it is well heated up sprinkle the onions on top (This way the onions bind well with the dosa, also it gets beautifully browned)

Mix the batter well and start pouring the batter (using a laddle or a small cup) from outside of tava to inside forming a circle, wait until bottom is nicely brown. This will take some time. Top will be automatically cooked, if required you can flip and cook the other side for few seconds. Use oil if its not a non-stick pan.

Wipe the tava with tissue, sprinkle onions on tava and proceed with next dosa. Maintain high heat for better results.

Give the batter a nice mix before making each dosa.

I saw an alternative method of making this dosa here and I had followed this method and the results were really good. Give the batter a good mix , try to take handful of batter WITH YOUR HAND and sprinkle on the hot tava. Repeat this 3-4 times trying to fill in the tava here and there with the batter and until u see a decent round shape on the tava. Let the bottom brown, flip and serve.

This method was really successful for me (Infact I did not use a bit of oil in my nonstick pan except for my first dosa) and the dosa came off pretty well maintaining its shape with much ease.

Pori / Marmaralu / Puffed Rice Upma - A quick filling snack

Most of the times I'll have pori stocked at home. So when hunting for a quick snack, this recipe comes quite handy.
This may not be a substitute for tiffin, but it sure is a filling snack.



Ingredients:
Pori / Marmaralu (Puffed rice) - 2 cup
Onion - 1
Tomato - 1
Turmeric - a pinch
Red chilli powder
Salt
Tomato Ketchup

To temper :
Mustard
Cumin

Keep a bowl of clean water ready.
In little oil, temper mustard and cumin.
Fry the finely chopped onions till brown
Add chopped tomatoes, close and cook till they are done. Adding 1 sp of tomato ketchup at this stage is optional.
Immerse the pori in the bowl of water, squeeze to dry and add to tava.
Add turmeric, red chilli powder, salt
Simmer, Mix well, Switch off.
Serve it with tomato ketchup, it goes excellent with ketchup.

Avocado Chappathi

Avocados have the highest fiber content of any fruit - including 75% insoluble and 25% soluble fiber. And it possess richest nutrients, check out avocado nutrition value here

For quite some time I wanted to try Avocado chappathi, but was in a dilemma. Finally decided to try it when I saw it in some blog, forgot which one. So here it is, avocado chappathi full full of nutrients.

Ingredients:-
Ripe Avocado - 1
Wheat Flour
Salt
Water

Choose a ripe avocado, scoop and add to the wheat flour, add salt and water and make the chappathi dough the same way u do.
Make chappathis in the usual way.
Depending on the amount of avocado you add, the chappathis will have a mild green color and the avocado taste.

** To ripen the avocado, you can put it in a brown paper bag / wrap it in news paper and keep outside for a day or two. More better if an apple/tomato is kept along with it.

Tomato Dosa

Tomato Dosa - Colorful and Flavourful..


I was instantly impressed when I first saw tomato dosa in Pavithras recipe. I tried it today and it was really refreshing to have a flavoured dosa :)

A big hug and thanks to the Dosa queen for sharing this recipe. :) I have made few variations to suit my taste..

You can serve it as CONE DOSA :)



Note:-
- This dosa is best eaten while hot as its made only with rice.
-Though ideally this dosa needs to be done from outer to inner, some tavas really dont suit this style. For instance the authentic iron tava that we get in India will be quite hollow towards centre with raised sides. These are ideal to make outer-inner dosas. But unusually my pan here is little raised in the centre and slanting bit down towards edges ;) so when I try outer-inner, all batter still goes towards edges leaving centre empty. So depending upon your pan, use a method that suits.

Ingredients:
Raw Rice - 1 Small cup
Medium sized tomatoes - 1 and half (can be more depending on taste preference)
Sour curd - 1 Tbsp (Opt, to give a sour taste)
Salt
Cumin - 1/2 sp
Red Chilli - 2 (This adds a bit of color to this dosa)
Green Chilli - 1 or 2
Chopped Ginger - 1 sp
Coriander/Curry leaves - few
Oil

Wash well soak raw rice for 3 - 4 hrs. As Pavithra has mentioned, it is advisable to soak in warm water.
Drain and grind along with Tomatoes, sour curd,red chilli,salt adding water as required.
Make a thin batter to get crisp dosas.
Add Cumin, chopped green chilli, coriander, curry leaves. Set aside for 20-30 mins. Add 1 sp of eno fruit salt just before making dosas.
Heat tava well, drizzle oil, pour the dosa from outer to inner , close cook for few seconds, flip and cook other side till crisp.

Serve hot. Spicy Onion chutney / peanut chutney. I love dosas best with sambar made in hotel style :)

You may also check out few dosa tips that I follow

Usili - Exotic Tiffin made with Rice and Lentils

I wonder how I forgot this simple yet deliciously different tiffin for so long. I am sure this is going to be regular at my home from now on ;)



Ingredients:-
Raw Rice - 1 cup
Moong Dal - 1/4 cup
Water - 4 cups
Salt

To Temper:-
Oil - 1 sp
Mustard - 1 sp
Hing - A pinch
Red Chilli - 3-4
Urad dal - 1 sp
Channa dal - 1 sp
Curry Leaves - few

Heat a tava. Once very hot, fry the raw rice couple of minutes till the color changes.
Switch off and just add the moong dal onto the rice. Set aside.
Boil 4 cups of water in a pan.
Temper the mentioned ingredients and add to boiling water.
Now add the Rice and dal to the boiling water, add salt, cook closed till done.
Serve hot with chutney.

Poha / Aval / Atukula Dosa

A simple , different and a healthy dosa..

Ingredients:-
Thick Poha - 1/4 cup
Raw Rice - 3/4 Cup
Sour Curd - 1 cup
Methi - 1 sp
Salt
Cooking Soda/Eno Fruit Salt - 1 sp



Mix poha, rice, methi, Wash well and soak for 4-6 hrs in sour curd.
Grind to fine paste. Add salt, beat well in hands and allow it to ferment for overnight/12 hrs.
Just before making dosas, add 1 sp of eno fruit salt. Mix well and make dosas.
One side boil itself will be enough. Can also cook both sides.
These dosas come out very soft and porous.
Serve hot with chutney.

Can also add green chilli/ginger/onion to the batter.
Recipe adapted from here. Few variations made.

Paniyaram from left over dosa batter

This needs a 'Kuzhi paniyaram' skillet which could be available (in USA) in the name of "Pan Cake Puff Skillet". Check out here.

This may not be compared to the original Paniyaram as the recipe is different for that. But its a great snack/tiffin made from leftover idli/dosa batter (Made with Idly rice, I am not sure if this will come good with batter made with Idly Rava.). This tastes best when batter is sour. Comes out real fluffy and tasty



Ingredients:-
Dosa Batter - 1 cuppChopped Green Chilli - 3 sp
Chopped Ginger - 3 sp
Chopped Onion - 1/2 cup
Cumin - 1 sp
Eno Fruit Salt - 1/2 sp

Grease the skillet with oil and heat.
Combine above ingredients together. Add baking soda/eno fruit salt, mix well.
Immediately Pour the batter in each hole.
Can cook covered / open for about 3-4 mins. (depending on the amount of oil you can use). If you use less amount of oil, close cook for couple of minutes for it to boil well.
Carefully flip the sides for it to cook both sides.
Serve hot with chutney.

Poha Upma

A simple quick and healthy upma.



Ingredients:-
Thick Poha - 2 cups
Water - 2 cups
Tamarind paste - 1 sp
Salt

To Temper:-
Red chilli - 3
Urad dal - 1 sp
Channa dal - 1/2 sp
Mustard - 1 sp
Hing - A Pinch
Turmeric - a pinch


In little oil temper urad dal, channa dal. Once they are slightly brown add mustard, once they splutter, add red chilli, hing and turmeric. Saute for couple of seconds and add water.
Add tamarind paste to the water. Add salt.
Once it comes to a good boil, add the poha (if its not clean, can wash and immediately add).
Cook closed in Low-Simmer mode for 5-7 mins or till done.
Serve with chutney

Aloo Paratha / Indian Bread

Ingredients:

For Paratha

Wheat Flour - 2 cups

Salt - A pinch

Oil - 2 sp

Curd - 1 Tbsp

Warm water

Mix salt and flour. Sieve well. Add a table spoon of curd (opt)

Add warm water very little by little, not at one stretch, and knead well.

Tip for getting a soft paratha/roti is in how good we knead the dough.

If food processor is available, use it for making the dough. Rotis come very soft in this way. Else knead the dough atleast for 10 minutes.

Use a little oil while kneading, if it sticks to hand.

Close it with wet napkin and leave it for minimum 30 mins.

For Stuffing:

Medium sized potatoes - 6

Big onions - 2

Green chilli - 3

Cumin - 1 sp

Coriander powder - 1 Tbsp

Red chilli powder - 1 sp

Garam Masala powder - 1 sp

Salt

In a pressure pan or normal pan, Boil the potatoes in enough water adding a pinch of salt.

Once done, mash it well. (its easy to do it while its hot)

In a tava, add little oil, Saute the onions well. Add green chillis and the spice powders and saute for a minute or two and add it to the mashed potato.

To this mixture, add the cumin,spice powders,chilli powder,cut green chillis,salt (Per choice, these can be added raw or fried) to the mashed potato and mix well.

Taste it and add spices as required.

Divide them into equal sized balls. Set aside.

Divide the dough prepared for paratha, into equal sized balls.

Using a rolling pin, roll the paratha to a small circle about 2 to 3 '. Drizzle little butter/oil and place the potato stuffing and cover it from all sides.

Flatten it and roll it into thin circle, as much as possible.

Cook the parathas both sides till done in hot tava till brown spots appear.

Serve hot with Bhoondhi Raitha

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Do not keep the potatoes for long in the water as it absorbs moisture and it will be difficult while rolling the Parathas.

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Corn Vada - Sweeter version

Ingredients:
Corn Kernels - 1 cup
Jaggery/Sugar - 1 Tbsp

Grind the corn sugar/jagger adding water as required to make a thick batter.
Make patties and deep fry in hot oil.

Check out Few useful tips for deep-frying

Veggie Paratha

A refreshment from normal Chappathi. Colourful and a bit more healthy too ;)

Ingredients :
Wheat Flour , oil , salt (To make parathas)
Carrot - 2 medium
French beans - 15
Peas - 1 cup
Green chillies - 4
Onions - 1
Ginger - 1 “
Salt
Cumin Coriander Powder

Boil the vegetables with just enough water till soft.
Add ginger,green chillies,salt and mince the whole mixture in the food processor.
(The US food processor minces well but never mashes them. If its Indian Mixie, it will mash up the whole mixture so better chop veggies finely and boil than to mince them).
Add cumin corriander powder/salt per taste.
Saute the onions till pink and add.
Do not squeeze out the water from the vegetables. Mix the minced veggies in the wheat flour and make the dough the usual way. Water in the veggies should be enough to make the dough.
Add more water if required.
Make parathas the usual way.

--I learnt this recipe from Chithra Aunty of indusladies.com

Corn Vada

This is just like corn dosa, but batter must be made thick so as to make vada's

Ingredients:
Corn Kernels - 1 cup
Ginger - 2' piece
Green Chilli - 4
Salt
Onion

Grind the corn with ginger,chilli and salt adding water as required to make a thick batter.
Add finely chopped onions to the batter.
Make patties and deep fry in hot oil.

Check out Few useful tips for Deep-Fryin

Corn Dosa

Ingredients:
Corn Kernels - 1 cup
Ginger - 2' piece
Green Chilli - 4
Salt
Onion

Grind the corn with ginger,chilli and salt adding water as required to make the batter.
Batter should be like dosa batter, flowy.
In hot tava, drizzle oil, pour laddle full of batter and spread it to thin circle.
Top it with finely cut onions.
Boil both sides.

Pesarattu / Moong Dal Dosa

A veryhealthy tiffin ..

Ingredients:
Split Moong / Payaru - 1 cup
Ginger - 2' piece
Green Chilli - 4
Salt
For Topping:
Cumin
Onion
Rice / Rice flour (opt) - 1 Tbsp

Wash well and Soak the Moong over night.
Grind the well soaked Moong along with green chilli,ginger and salt adding water.
If the Moong is well washed before soaking, the soaked water could be used for grinding.
The batter should be like Dosa batter.
Drizzle some oil on hot tava, take a laddle full of batter pour on hot tava, spread it into thin circle.
Sprinkle Cumin and finely chopped onions on top.
Once boiled, flip to other side and boil coupe of minutes.
Serve with chutney.

-- This dosa comes out soft, if you want it little crisp, add a tbsp of rice flour (mixed with little bit of cold water) to the batter.
If rice flour is not available, soak 1 tbsp of rice for an hour or so, and grind along with Moong.

Vermicilli Pulao / Semia Pulao

I was unaware such a thing exist till last month when I heard it from one of my friend. Tried it. It came out great.

Ingredients :
Vermicilli - 1 cup
Salt - 1/2 spoon
Oil / Ghee
Onions
Beans
carrot
Peas
(The whole vegetables can be from 1/2 cup to 1 cup based on choice)
Milk -1/2

To temper :
Mustard
Urad Dal
Green chilli -1
Bay leaf -1
Cinnamon
Cardamom
Cloves
Khus Khus
Cashews

Fry the Vermicilli in dry tava for few minutes till the aroma comes /colour changes. Keep aside.
Add a spoon of oil in tava, temper the masala ingredients.
Fry onions, Add the cut vegetables, add 1/2 cup of water and keep them covered to cook in low flame.
Once cooked, add the 1/2 cup of milk, add salt, let it boil.
When the whole mixture is boiling hot, (you may choose to taste this water and add salt as required) add the vermicilli little by little parallely mixing them so as not to form any lumps.
Add a spoon of ghee.
Once boiled , Switch off and keep covered for sometime.

Vermicilli Upma / Semia Upma

Ingredients :
Vermicilli - 1 cup
Salt - 1/2 spoon
Oil / Ghee
Onions - 1 (Optional.)

To temper :
Mustard -1/4 spoon
Urad Dal - 1/2 spoon
Ginger
Green chilli - 1
Red chilli - 1
Cashew
Curry Leaves

Fry the Vermicilli in dry tava for few minutes till the aroma comes /color changes. Keep aside.
Add a spoon of oil in tava, temper the ingredients, fry onions, add 1 glass of water, add salt.
When the water is boiling hot, (you may choose to taste this water and add salt as required) add the vermicilli little by little parallely mixing them so as not to form any lumps.
Add a spoon of ghee (more ghee will increase the taste)
Once boiled , Switch off and keep covered for sometime.

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Here again, amount of water required can be estimated in one or two trials. Add 1:1 of water for the vermicilli. Keep some boiling water parallely and add them as required.
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Rava Upma

Hmmm yummy, comes handy when I am not in mood to spend time but need a yummy tiffin to eat :)

Ingredients :
Rava - 3/4 cup
Salt - 1/2 spoon
Oil / Ghee
Onions - 1 (Optional.)

To temper :
Mustard -1/4 spoon
Urad Dal - 1/2 spoon
Ginger
Green chilli - 2
Red chilli - 1
Cashew
Curry Leaves

Fry the rava in dry tava for few minutes till the aroma comes /colour changes. Keep aside.
Add a spoon of oil in tava, temper the ingredients, fry onions, add 2 glasses of water, add salt.
When the water is boiling hot, (you may choose to taste this water and add salt as required) add the fried rava little by little parallely mixing them so as not to form any lumps.
Add a spoon of ghee (more ghee will increase the taste)
Once boiled , Switch off and keep covered for sometime.

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The amount of water required for rava varies with each brand. It can be known in one or two trials.
Unfortunately the brand I grabbed from the Indian grocery is not so good. I need atleast 4-5 glasses of water for 1 cup of rava.

This could be made as Vegetable upma too. Add the vegetables like carrot/beans/cabbage.Add the cut vegetables after tempering, fry them a little, add water and let it boil. Once boiled, add the rava and proceed the same way.

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Pongal

A 10 minutes tiffin . Man power 10 mins not the preparation time :)
Simple yet tasty tiffin.

Ingredients
(Serves two)

Rice - 3/4 cup
Green Gram dal (Moong Dal) - 1/4 cup
Cumin -2 spoons
Pepper - 2 spoons (1 spoon full pepper, 1 spoon - coarsely crushed pepper)
Salt
Ghee(optional) - 2 spoons
Cashews (optional)

Wash the rice and dal well.
Add 2 spoons of cumin 1 spoon of pepper and cook the mixture just as u cook rice.
But make sure you add extra water so that pongal comes out little mushy.
Once cooked, immediately add salt and mash the whole pongal well. It mashes well when its hot.
Fry the crushed pepper and cashews in a spoon of ghee and add it to hot pongal.

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Based on choice, you can add more of Moong dal and lessen the quantity of rice. Like 1/2 : 1/2
Ghee added more will enhance the taste.
If not whole pepper, use pepper powder. But whole pepper will not be very hot so can be more.
If pepper powder is used, add less initially, check taste and add later if required.
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Adai

Adai used to be a rare delicacy at home and hence special too. We had a drumstick tree at our home so mom always makes yummy drumstick leaves adai.

Ingredients:

Rice - 1 Cup
Tur dal - 1 heaped Tbsp
Bengal Gram Dal /Channa Dal - 1 heaped Tbsp
Urad Dal - 1/2 heaped Tbsp
(Roughly the 1 cup of rice should equal 1 cup of dal's put together. Urad dal should be less.
Channa dal could be added more if extra crispiness is required)
Hing - 1/2 sp
Ginger (Optional)
Red chilli - 10-12
Salt (per taste)
Green chilli (Optional) - 2
Onions / drumstick leaves (optional)

Take the Rice and Dal's in a vessel, wash well and soak them at least for one hour.
Add the red chillis, ginger, hing and grind them together to a coarse thick batter.
Add salt, chopped onions / drumstick leaves to the batter.
Heat the tava well, pour 1 full laddle of batter on to the hot tava, level them like dosa and make a small hole in the centre. Once finely boiled, turn on to other side and boil.

Idli

Idli Batter (Using Mixie )

Ingredients :

Idly Rice - 3 Cups
Urad Dal - 1 Cup
Methi - 1 Spoon
Poha - 1 Cup

Salt - Add per taste



-Wash well and Soak the Rice,Methi,Poha in 4 cup water and let it set for a minimum of 4-6 hours.

-Wash well and Soak and Urad dal with just enough water for 1 hour. Drain it and let it set
for 1 hour. Grind the Urad dal adding water little by little.
(OR) - Wash well and soak the Urad dal with just enough water and keep it in fridge. After one hour, grind it to paste adding very water little by little.
{You should be able to cut the urad into two, with your nails/fingers. That is a good soaked stage}

-Grind Rice , add Methi, poha and grind to paste.
(can use the soaked water if rice is washed well before)
-Mix them in a vessel.
-Add salt.
-Beat the dough well, using hand (using hand helps in fermentation).
-Let it ferment for atleast 12 - 16 hrs in a warm place.
-Use eversilver vessel which is best for fermenting. Non-stick or porcelein will not be good for fermenting.
-Once fermented, the dough would have fluffied up well. Mix well till bottom and pour in idli plates and steam for 10-12 mins.
-Once its switched off, set it for 5 mins and take out idlis using wet spoon.
-Serve hot with chutneys.