Simple Uthappam

If you have dosa batter ready at home,this is one of the easiest and quickest breakfast or any meal.You can use your imagination and creativity as far as this dish goes.

Ingredients

Dosa batter- 1 ladle for 1 uthappam,
Onion- 1 finely chopped,
Tomato- 1 finely chopped,
Coriander leaves- 2-3 tbspn chopped,
Salt- as reqd,
Chilli powder- 1 tsp,
Idly chilli powder- as reqd,
Ghee- as reqd.


Method

Mix the onion,tomato,coriander leaves,salt and chilly powder together well.Keep the tawa on the stove and let it become hot.Now,pour 1 ladle and spread it to form a big pancake like shape.Keep it slightly thick only.Now,sprinkle the onion-tomato mixture and sprinkle a tsp of idly chilli powder.Pour a tsp of ghee around it and press the vegetables in a little.Cook both sides for approximately 1 min.

Serve hot.

Dosa with sambhar and tomato chutney

My favourite dish ever is dosa.Mostly south indians can have dosa with any side dish.My mom used to make dosa with chicken curry.That used to be our sunday night dinner.Just thinking about it,I feel I'm in heaven.My mom used to make sambhar very often.I used to hate it.Every time she made,my brother and I always used to put on long faces.So,when I finally married a north indian,I thought good riddance to sambhar.Little did I know that I would miss it so much.I guess we take a lot of our daily dishes for granted.Only when we don't have access to it do we realise how much we need it.I guess its the same with people also.Anyway, my hubby loves this but he is only open to eating dosa with sambhar.He wont even give the other side dishes a chance.So,I dedicate this recipe to my mom from whom I inherited this passion for cooking and to my MIL who is my kitchen guru and who is desperate to taste this dish.Don't worry Mummy-ji,only 3 more months to go.


Dosa
Ingredients

Rice- 2 cups,
Whole white urad dal- 1/2 cup,
Aval or flat rice flakes- 1/2 cup,
Methi or fenugreek seeds- 1 tsp,
Salt- as reqd,
Oil- as reqd.

Method

Wash the rice well and soak it with sufficient water.Wash the urad dal,aval&methi seeds together and soak.The rice and the dal should be soaked seperately atleast for 6-7hrs.I normally soak it first thing in the morning and grind it just before going to bed.Now,grind the dal mixture till it feels soft and buttery to touch.Add adequate water.Now grind the rice also till it becomes soft.Then,mix the dal and the rice mixture together till the blend together as one mixture.Leave it outside overnight.Put it in the fridge in the morning after,mixing it again well with your hand.Just before making the dosa,add sufficient salt.Always use a seperate tawa for dosa preferably a non-stick one.Make sure the tawa is hot.Now,using a big ladle with a hole,spoon in a small amount of batter and rotate the batter to form one big circle.Pour a spoon of oil over the middle and the sides of the dosa.Wait for a minute or so till it gets cooked on one side and flip it over.After,the other side is cooked,remove from flame.Serve hot with sambhar and chutney.


Sambhar

Ingredients

Vegetables chopped- 1-2 cups,
Toor or arahar dal- 3/4 cup,
Onion- 1 chopped,
Tomatoes- 3 roughly chopped,
Curry leaves - few sprigs,
G.chillies- 1-2 whole,
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp,
Coriander leaves- 2-3tblsps,
Turmeric powder- 1 tsp,
Chilli powder- 1 tsp,
Sambhar powder- 2 tblsps(Aachi sambhar powder),
Tamarind- a small lime size,
Salt- as reqd,
Oil- as reqd.

Method

Wash and soak the dal for 10-15 mins.Put the dal,vegetables,turmeric powder,little salt,tomatoes in a pressure cooker and cook for 3 whistles.In a pan, add oil and splatter mustard seeds.Fry onions and curry leaves and chillies.Put all the dry powders and fry for a few mins taking care not to burn it.Now,add the dal mixture and mix well.Check salt and add more if reqd.Soak tamarind in lukewarm water for a little while.Now,squeeze the tamarind and discard the pulp.Add the tamarind to the boiling sambhar and mix well.The tamarind and salt ratio is very important as that brings out the true taste of the sambhar.Simmer it for 10-15 mins and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with idli,dosa or rice.Its a good side dish for venn pongal and vadai too.



Tomato chutney

Ingredients

Tomatoes- 3-4,
Onion- 1 finely chopped,
Chilli powder- 1 tsp,
Salt- as reqd,
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp,
Oil- as reqd.

Method

Wash the tomatoes and make a small "X" shaped insicion at the back.Place the tomatoes in boiling water for 10-11 mins.Once the cool down a little,peel the skin off and blend them to a smooth paste.In a kadai,take oil and splatter mustard seeds.Fry onions and add the tomato mixture and put salt and chilli powder.Simmer it till it thickens.

Serve hot as side dish.

Tomato Biriyani

Finally I'm reaching south indian dishes.Tomato rice is one of the fastest south indian dish cooked in almost all households.Yet,its not very popular in the north.Not many are aware of this dish.So,when I finally made it,it was an immediate hit.Today,I shall make tomato biriyani-a slight richer version of tomato rice.

Ingredients

Basmathi rice- 2 cups,
Onion- 1 big sliced,
Tomato- 3-4 chopped,
Ginger-garlic paste- 2 tsp,
Oil- 2-3 tblspns,
G.chillies- 3-4 nos slit,
Green peas- 1 cup,
Pudina leaves - 1 bunch minced,
Coriander leaves- 1 bunch minced,
Curd- 1 cup,
Cloves- 2nos,
Cinnamon- 1no,
Cardamom- 1 no,
Star Anise- 1 no,
Chilli powder- 1 tsp,
Turmeric- 1/2 tsp,
Garam masala- 1 tsp,
Coriander powder- 1 tsp,
Cumin powder- 1 tsp,
Salt- as reqd,
Ghee- 1 tblsp.

Method

Wash and soak the rice for an hour.In a pressure cooker add the oil and ghee.Splatter the cloves,cinnamon,cardamom and star anise.Fry the onions in it till transparent.Then, fry the ginger-garlic paste till the raw smell disappears.Now, add the minced pudina and dhania leaves.Cook for roughly about 2-3 mins.Then,add the tomatoes till they become soft.Add the green peas and cook till the water evaporates.Put the rice in and cook till all the water evaporates and almost starts sticking to the bottom.Now,add curd and 2 1/2 cups of water.Dont close the lid tightly but keep the lid on top with a little tilt to let the hot air out.After the rice is 80% done,close the lid and put the weight on and cook for 8-10 mins in sim flame.

Serve hot with onion raita and potato chips.

Aloo-Gobi Ki Subji

This is one of the more common of dishes in many north indian households.It is very simple and easy to make.It hardly takes about 15 mins.The preparation alone takes another 15 mins.

Ingredients

Cauliflower- 1medium size(cut into equal florets),
Potato- 3-4(cut into cubes),
Onion- 1 finely chopped,
Garlic- 4-5 pods finely chopped,
Tomatoes- 2finely chopped,
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp,
Turmeric- 1/2 tsp,
Asafoetida(hing)- a pinch,
Chilli powder- 1 tsp,
Garam masala- 1tsp,
Salt- as reqd,
Coriander powder- 1 tsp,
Kasoori methi- 1tblsp,
Aamchoor- 1 tsp,
Oil.

Method

Put the cauliflower in hot water and boil it for a while till it is 50% done.Drain and keep aside.In a kadai,take some oil and splatter cumin seeds.Fry onions and garlic till done.Add the tomatoes and cook till they become soft.Now add the masala powders except kasoori methi and aamchoor.Fry the masala for a minute or so taking care not to burn it.Then,add the potatoes and cauliflower and mix well.Cook on medium flame till done.When its almost done add the kassori methi and mix well.Now,switch off the flame and add the aamchoor.
Serve hot with rotis or rice.

Moong Dal

After all the deep fried and mushrooms and prontis,I thought I needed a break from all the heavy food.So, what else is lite and healthy and tasty??of course,its DAL...But unfortunately,my husband hates dal.That's actually a benefit in disguise.My hubby also hates coriander leaves.So,I loaded the Moong dal with dhania and enjoyed a guilt free pleasure.Moong dal is also full of proteins.For vegetarians,it is very important that they include dal in their diet at least 2-3 times a week.

Ingredients

Moong dal- 1 cup,
Onion- 1 finely chopped,
Garlic- 2-3 chopped,
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp,
Tomato- 1 finely chopped,
Turmeric- 1/2 tsp,
Garam masala- 1 tsp,
Chilli powder- 1 tsp,
Salt- as reqd,
Oil.

Method

Wash the dal well and soak it in water for a few mins.In a pressure cooker,put oil and splatter cumin seeds.Fry the onions and garlic for a few mins until done.Add the tomatoes and cook till they become soft.Now,add all the dry powders and mix well.Don't let the spices burn.Add water if necessary.Add the dal and water.Let it boil for a few mins.Put the lid on and cook for 2 whistles on high flame.Reduce the flame to sim and simmer it for a fewmins.Switch off the flame and wait till the pressure leaves.
Serve hot with rotis or rice.It tastes best with curd,pickle and onions.

Curd

Another basic and simple dish in all Indian households is curd.I never got it right for so long.After endless advices and searching through the net I finally got it right.So,here goes.....

Ingredients

Milk- 1 litre,
Curd- 3-4 tblsps.

Method

Boil milk.Let it cool down for a few mins.Feel it with your finger.It should be lukewarm.For a few days until you get used to the right heat,you can use a thermometer and check the temp. to be 105-110 degree fahrenheit.Then,mix a few big spoons of curd into the milk.Make sure the curd is completely dissolved in the milk.Now,let it sit till it becomes curd.Preferably,do it overnight.

Basic White Rice

White Rice is one of the basic and daily dishes prepared all over India.Its silly to even talk about the recipe or process of making it.But there are some poor souls out there like me.When my MIL was with us she taught me some of the basic cooking.Assuming that i knew how to make rice that too being a south-indian she never tried to teach me.I never had the courage to ask her how to make something as simple and as basic as rice.So,when I first tried to make it,I used 4 cups of water for 1 cup of rice and left it for 5 whistles.What I got could not even come under the rice family.It was a goop of some kind.So for people like me out there,here is the recipe or rather the process of making rice.

Ingredients

Raw rice- 1 cup,
Water- 2 cups.

Method
Wash the rice well until the starchy colour reduces and the water becomes transparent.Soak it for 15 mins.I always pressure cook it or cook it in the microwave.I personally prefer the texture of rice cooked in the pressure cooker.Put the washed and drained rice in the pressure cooker and add 2 cups of water.Cook for 2 whistles on high flame and turn off the cooker.Let it sit till the pressure leaves.Steaming hot rice is now ready.