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January 25, 2012

Instant Stuffed Idli Recipe - Idli Stuffed With Vegetables

I am making this stuffed idli recipe for the third time. Whenever I get bored of usual idli sambar , I make this dish. This is one of the best ways to incorporate vegetables into idli. My daughter never eats the vegetables I add in idli sambar. But she likes this stuufed idli a lot. U can just play around with different combinations of stuffing in it. I’ve given my method of making the filling. Do try this and leave your feedback.
STUFFED IDLY
INGREDIENTS 
1 cup :250ml
For stuffing
  • Carrot – 2 nos
  • Beans – 6 nos
  • Potato – 1 no
  • Green peas – 1/4 cup
  • Big onion – 1 no
  • Cooking oil – 1 tbsp
  • Turmeric powder – a pinch
  • Salt – As needed
  • Red chilly powder – 3/4 tsp
  • Garam masala powder – 1/4 tsp
To grind
  • Cinnamon – 1 inch piecee
  • Cloves – 1 no
  • Fennel seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Grated coconut – 1 tbsp
  • Dalia / Fried gram dal – 1 tsp
  • Ginger – small piece & garlic – 6 cloves or GG paste – 1/2 tsp
To garnish
  • Coriander leaves – a few
  • Lime juice -  As needed.
METHOD
  • Heat a kadai with a tbsp of oil and add the onion pieces.
  • Saute till it turns transparent. Now add the ground masala paste.
  • Saute till the raw smell disappears.Then add the cooked vegetables and the powders.Mix well for few mins.
  • Add the required water and boil well till the  stuffing thickens.
  • Finally  add the lime juice and garnish with coriander leaves.
  • In an idly pot, pour a tbsp of batter and keep a tsp of filling in the center.
  • Then pour another tbsp of batter to cover the filling.Steam for 15 mins.
  • Insert a fork, if it comes out clean, the idly is done.
Serve hot with sambhar ,coconut chutney  or tomato chutney !!

stuffed idly collage
Here is a picture of stuffed idiyappam which I made the next day with the left over stuffing.

Stuffed idiyaapam
Note:
  • U can make the above version in chinese style by adding cabbage , little soya sauce , ajinomotto and white pepper powder. But avoid using garam masala pwd, red chilly powder and ground masala paste. Hope you all know this. Sometimes I make like this too.
  • If you dont want to stuff the idly, just mix the above stuffing in the batter directly and make idlies.It tastes good in that way too..
  • While making for kids , add a tsp of ghee over the stuffing in each idly. That gives an additional flavor..
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January 21, 2012

Sprouts Pulao And Mixed Vegetable Raita

 SPROUTS PULAO
I made this for my hubby’s lunch box today . I got these recipes from Tarla dalal’s website.Both the recipes were given under Protein rich , low calorie , healthy food category. So I chose these recipes for our lunch.I made some slight changes in the actual recipe according to our tastebuds.It was nice & filling too.. Thanks to tarla dalal…About the raita , I should have named this as beetroot raita because the color of beetroot is predominant here. I’ve added carrots and cucumber to the raita. But its not visible Winking smile.So adding beetroot is purely optional. If u want a nice color , please omit it or add less beetroot pieces.Please find the raita recipe below.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml
  • Sprouted green gram / Sprouted moong – 1/2 cup
  • Carrot – 1 no
  • Rice – 1/2 cup
  • Water – 1.5 cups (adjust if u use basmati )
  • Salt – As needed.
To temper
  • Cooking oil – 1 tbsp
  • Cinnamon – 1 small stick
  • Cloves – 2 nos
  • Bayleaf – 1 no
  • Ginger- Garlic paste – 1/2 tsp
  • Green chilly – 1 no (chopped finely)
  • Big onion – 1 no (-do-)
  • Coriander powder – 3/4 tsp
  • Chilli powder – 1/2tsp
  • Turmeric powder – a pinch
  • Garam masala powder – 1/4 tsp
Lime juice – few drops
Coriander leaves – to garnish
METHOD
  • Heat the pressure cooker base with a tbsp of oil and add all the items given under “to temper” one by one in the same order.
  • When the onion becomes translucent , add the carrot pieces and sprouts. Saute well for a minute. Then add all the powders.
  • Mix well for a few minutes and add the rice.
  • Toss it well. Finally add the water & reqd salt.
  • Pressure cook upto 1 or 2 whistle.
  • Add a zing of lime juice and garnish with coriander leaves.
ENJOY EATING HOT WITH RAITA !!

MIXED VEGETABLE RAITA
RAITA

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml
  • Cooked carrot and beetroot cubes – 1/2 cup
  • Cucumber pieces - few
  • Fresh curd – 1/2 cup
  • Green chilly – 1/2 no (Chopped finely)
  • Roasted jeera powder – to sprinkle
  • Water – as needed to dilute the curd
  • Salt – as reqd
METHOD
  • Cube cut carrot and beetroot into small pieces.Cook them for 1 whistle adding little water.
  • Mix the fresh cucumber pieces with the cooked vegetables.
  • Add the thick curd , reqd water and salt.( sometimes water may not be needed as the water in the cooked vegetables may be enough)
  • Finally sprinkle the roasted jeera powder..
Serve with parathas and pulao !!

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January 16, 2012

Masala Chapathi | Khara Chapathi Recipe

Apart from chapati , I usually make Wheat flour adai for dinner.But my husband is not a big fan of it. So i was looking for some other alternative . I got this recipe from Mrs.Mallika badrinath’s cookbook. Its a simple , easy to make chapathi which is ideal for lunch box and dinner. Onion raita or pickle would be the best combination...Bachelors can give this a try..
KHARA CHAPATHI

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml
  • Atta / Wheat flour – 1 cup
  • Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Red chilly powder or sambar powder –3/4 - 1 tsp
  • Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp
  • Dry mango powder/Amchoor powder – 1/2 tsp (optional, i dint add)
  • Salt – As needed.
  • Curd & Milk – Equal quantity as needed
  • Oil – As needed.
METHOD
  • Take a wide bowl and mix all the ingredients given above to make a soft , pliable dough.Dont add water. Just use milk & curd in equal ratio..
  • Cover & leave it for 30 mins
  • Make flat , thin , round chapathis .Brush with ghee or oil..
Enjoy with onion raita or pickle !!

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January 9, 2012

Easy Brinjal Curry/ Kathirikai Poriyal Recipe

I learnt this recipe from my neighbor. I am a big fan of brinjal but my hubby is just opposite to me. So i rarely buy this veggie and cook only for me specially. I love my mom’s brinjal stuffed poriyal very much. Next to that , this is the second best. It can be made in jiffy. It tastes the best with dal , sambar and morkuzhambu rice. I relished with keerai kuzhambu ..!!

brinjal curry

INGREDIENTS
  • Brinjal – 5 nos (medium size)
  • Sambar powder – 1 – 1.5 tsp
  • Tamarind – small gooseberry size
  • Jaggery – Small piece (Add more if want sweetish)
  • Salt & water – As needed
To temper & saute
  • Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal – 1/2 tsp
  • Jeera – 1/2 tsp
  • Channa dal – 1/2 tsp
  • Curry leaves – few
  • Big onion – 1 no (slice cut)
  • Oil – As needed.
METHOD
  • Slit cut each brinjal into 8 pieces .Make thin slices so that it cooks quickly.Immerse in water till use. Soak tamarind in little water.
  • Heat oil in a kadai and temper all the items given above in the same order.
  • Saute onions till it turns transparent.Add the brinjal slices and saute for a minute.
  • Add the sambhar powder ,saute for sometime.Then add the tamarind extract , jaggery ,required water & salt.
  • Cover and cook for sometime.Switch off the flame once the brinjal is cooked.
****If u want in semi gravy consistency , switch off the flame when little water remains.It can be mixed in plain rice topped with ghee !!
Yummy brinjal curry is ready is to serve with dal rice , sambhar & morkuzhambu rice!!
BRINJAL CURRY 1
NOTE
  1. Use long green brinjal variety. But i used the normal purple ones.
  2. When i made this curry , i had cut the brinjal into 4 pieces so it was big to eat. Then my neighbour told me cut into very small , thin slices the next time. I found the taste was blended well when brinjal is small.
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January 3, 2012

Idli Sambar Recipe - Tamilnadu Hotel Style

Tamilnadu hotel style idli sambar
I learnt this Sāmbar from my neighbor. Its very simple. Usually for hotel style sambar recipe,we used to add freshly roasted & ground spices.For this sambar, just besan flour is enough.I had tasted this kind of sambar in some hotels especially in Tirunelveli and Madurai.Do try this and let me know how it turned out.Lets see how to make this easy, South Indian Idli Sambar recipe.
hotel idli sambar

Tamilnadu Hotel style Idli sambar recipe


Tamilnadu Hotel style Idli sambar recipe Idli sambar recipe - Tamil nadu hotel style
Cuisine: South Indian
Category: Sambar recipes
Serves: Serves 2-3
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 30 Minutes


INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 250ml
  • Toor dal – 1/3 cup
  • Carrot –1 no
  • Potato – 1 no
  • Tamarind –Small berry size(Sundakkai alavu)
  • Tomato – 2 nos
  • Small onions / shallot – 10 nos
  • Curry leaves – few
  • Sambar powder – 1.5 tsp
  • Turmeric powder – a pinch
  • Asafetida – 1/4 tsp
  • Besan flour – 1 tbsp
To temper
  • Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Methi seeds – 1/4 tsp
  • Urad dal – 1/2 tsp
  • Red chilli – 1 no
  • Green chilli - 1 no (slit)
  • Coriander leaves – few ( to garnish)
METHOD

  • In a pressure cooker, take the toor dal, chopped vegetables, turmeric powder, hing and a drop of oil. Add the required water and cook for one whistle in low flame. Mash the dal and keep it apart.Dilute besan flour in 1/4 cup of water without lumps and set aside.
  • Heat a kadai with oil and temper the ingredients given under “To temper”. Sauté the onions, slitted chillies,curry leaves, hing & tomatoes. Saute till tomato turns mushy. Now add the tamarind extract and sambar powder.

  • Add more water if necessary.Add the cooked vegetables , little asafetida and fresh curry leaves. Allow it to boil for few minutes. Then add the cooked and mashed toor dal.
  • Add besan water to the sambar. Boil well for few minutes without lumps .The sambar starts to thicken. Add more water if necessary.
  • Finally switch off the stove and garnish with coriander leaves.
  • **For relatives, add a tsp of ghee at the end and close the bowl. Yummy , aromatic sambar is ready to enjoy with piping hot idlis , vada or pongal !!

Note
  • For idli sambar, dal should be dominant and hence less tamarind is added.  If u want the sambar to be more tangy add lime juice at the end after switching off the flame.
  • For more spiciness, add more green chillies while sautéing onions and tomatoes.
  • If u feel the sambar is too thick, add more water, little tamarind extract, salt and sambar powder. Boil for sometime. Similarly if u think the sambar is more spicy or tangy, add little besan flour and water, allow it to boil. Adjust salt.
  • I find the above step as very useful to get the correct taste. That too for beginners these points would be very useful , thanks to my neighbor for sharing these tips with me/>

I enjoyed this yummy sambar with my oats barley idli and onion thokku !

Idli sambar recipe

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December 22, 2011

Oats Barley Idli Recipe - Barley Recipes

Oats barley idli recipe
I have always wanted to try some barley recipes apart from barley water.When i was browsing for the same,I got an idea of making barley idli from here. I followed the same recipe.Idli came out super soft and tasty. I was not able to find i added barely.Thanks Aruna Smile.Nowadays i make this idli very often.We can make crispy barley dosa as well.I wanted to make some changes to the recipe by adding oats and tried yesterday.My husband was surprised & asked me whether i’ve added oats and barley because there was no change in taste or smell from the usual idli recipe.Only the color of idli was different.He was very happy to have this idli for breakfast and dinner.I made dosas too. It was crispy and yummy.I have updated the pictures with step by step pictures.Hope it will be useful.Lets see how to make this healthy oats barley idli,dosa recipe.Check out my 12 Idli varieties HERE.

OATS BARELY IDLY

Barley oats idli recipe


Barley oats idli recipe Oats barley idli recipe - Healthy breakfast recipe
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Breakfast
Serves: Serves 4
Prep time: 10Hours
Cook time: 15 Minutes
Total time: 10H 15Minutes


INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml
  • Barley - 1 cup
  • Idli rice – 1 cup
  • Urad dal - 1/4 cup
  • Quick oats - 1/2 cup
  • Salt & water – as needed
METHOD

    • Wash and soak all the above ingredients for 5 hours. Before soaking , rinse and drain for 2-3 times to remove the dust in barley. Grind it smooth by adding the required water and salt.
oats-barley-idli-step1
    • Ferment it for a minimum of 12 hrs or over night.
    • The next day,batter would have raised or sometimes doubled. (based on weather)
oats-barley-idli-step2
    • Make idlies by steaming in idli pot.It takes about 15-20 mins for cooking. Check it by inserting the tip of the spoon. If it comes out clean,idli is cooked.
oats-barley-idli-step3
    • U can make crispy dosas also by adding water to the batter. Dilute the batter,mix well and make dosas.
    Enjoy soft,healthy idlies with sambar or chutney !!

Note
  1. Please rinse the barley and other ingredients for a minimum of 3 times to remove all the stones and debris before soaking. Please soak barley for 5 hours at least.
  2. if  u want , u can soak and grind urad dal & methi separately and then grind rice , barley , oats  together .Finally mix both the batters and keep it for fermentation. Being lazy , i soaked and ground everything at once.Winking smile
  3. Also while grinding add water in small quantities whenever needed.It takes 25-35 mins for grinding. The consistency should be of normal idly batter consistency.
  4. If u want to reduce the quantity of rice , u can make it to half cup and follow the same recipe.
  5. U can increase the quantity of oats and try the same .
  6. Please don’t reduce the ratio of urad dal as it gives the soft idly.If u want to use less urad dal , try adding rice flakes or cooked rice for softness.
  7. Fermentation is very important here. If it doesn’t ferment properly , i cant guarantee u about the taste and softness. Winking smile

Oats-barley-idli
Oats-Barley dosa
Oats barley dosa recipe


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December 19, 2011

Dal Palak Recipe With Masoor Dal - Spinach Dal For Roti & Rice

I tried this dal palak recipe from Mrs. Mallika badrinath’s kurma book. I have tried with masoor dal. I googled so many recipes before trying this one but I found most of the recipes used toor dal / moong dal . I used masoor dal as mentioned in the cookbook.It’s a nice combination for roti. I made slight changes in the actual recipe according to our taste buds. Lets see how to make Dal palak with masoor dal / Spinach Dal Recipe.
dal palak

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml
  • Masoor dal – 1/4 cup
  • Palak / Pasalai keerai – 2 bunches  (hope u all the know the size we get in india) (roughly 2-3 cups after chopping)
  • Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
  • Salt and water – As needed,
To grind
  • Green chilly – 2 –3 nos
  • Ginger – 1 inch piece
To temper
  • Cinnamon – 1 small piece
  • Cloves – 2 nos
  • Methi seeds – 1/4 tsp
  • Jeera – 1/2 tsp
  • Red chilly – 1 no (pinched into two)
  • Garlic cloves – 5 nos (chopped finely)
  • Big onion – 1 no (chopped)
  • Tomato – 2 nos (-do-)
  • Curry leaves – a few
METHOD
  • Pressure cook masoor dal and palak with turmeric powder for 2 –3 whistles. The dal should be mushy.
  • Grind the ingredients given under “grind” to make a smooth paste by adding required water.
  • Now heat a kadai and temper all the items given above in the same order.
  • Add onions and tomatoes and saute till tomato turns mushy.
  • Add the ground masala and saute well for few mins.
  • Then add the cooked masoor dal & palak mixture and add the required water .
  • Allow it to boil well for few minutes.
Serve with roti.!!
Note: If u want to serve this for rice , just omit the cinnamon & cloves and try the same.

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