Its been a long time i made dosa varieties at home..I tried this recipe after watching a local telugu channel show in you tube..It was a show about a hotel’s dosa mela . I tried this dosa with the recipe roughly told by the chef to the anchor. I have never eaten or seen this dosa variety in any hotel . I found this recipe new & interesting .I love to try sweet corn recipes as it is our family favourite.It was very tasty and we loved it withcoconut chutney as side..Do try this , i am sure u’ll find it different & tasty . I’ll post some more dosa varieties soon..
Boil the sweet corn adding required salt & water. Remove the corn kennels and set aside.(please refer this post for easy removal of corn kennels)
In a kadai , heat oil and temper the cumin & fennel seeds. Add g&g paste if necessary.Saute till the raw smell emanates.Then add the finely chopped onions , saute till it turns transparent.Now add the tomato pieces & saute till its mushy. Now add the turmeric powder , red chilli powder , dhania powder & garam masala powder , salt & mix well, cook for sometime.Make sure it doesn’t get burnt..
Finally add the corn kennels with little water and mix well and cook for sometime to get all the masala infuse into it & the mixture becomes dry.Switch off the stove & garnish with coriander leaves..
Now heat a dosa tawa, pour a ladle full of batter & spread it nicely.Drizzle oil ,Cover & cook it for sometime in medium flame till u get a nice color. Then keep the masala in the center of the dosa , close it & serve hot with any chutney !!
I wanted to try North Indian dahi vada/dahi bhalla , a famous north indian street food for long time. I love South Indian thayir vada. I thought both are same but then I came to know dahi vada is similar to curd vada made with leftover medu vada and in addition they add chaat chutneys, also the shape will be round like bonda. I got North Indian dahi recipe from a chaat book and I tried in a weekend. We all loved it. I made a batch in vada shape for my hubby and the remaining in round shape. So i’ve mentioned both in step by step pictures. Do try any based on your liking. It tastes great !
Chaat masala powder – 1 tsp (to sprinkle- optional)
Warm water – 1 bowl (to dip the vadas)
Coriander leaves – To garnish
METHOD
To make medu vada : Wash and soak the urad dal for 30 mins. Drain all the water and grind it to a smooth paste adding chillies , ginger , salt and 1/4 cup of water. If necessary add 1-2 tbsp of water to make it very smooth.
Keep the warm water ready in a bowl. Heat oil in a kadai and take a tbsp of batter and drop in the oil. OR u can take a small ball shaped batter and drop in the oil. U can make it in vada shape / donut shape too. Deep fry in both sides till golden brown. Remove and add it immediately to the warm water bowl.
Let it soak for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile beat the curd adding salt & very less water if the curd is too thick. Please do not add water if it is already slightly watery. Take the vada in your palm & squeeze the water without changing its shape and add it to the curd. Let it soak in the curd for 10 minutes. By this time , finish the remaining batches of vada & follow the same procedure.
In a serving plate , arrange 4-5 balls and pour the curd over them.Now put 1/2 tsp of green chutney & 1 tsp of sweet chutney over each ball. Sprinkle the red chilli powder , cumin powder and finally sprinkle the ginger bits,coriander leaves & if desired oma podi..
I am a big fan of chaat items .I can live with it.Recently i tried dahi vada( will post next).I made these chaat chutneys & the urad dal batter in large quantities, refrigerated it and prepared it for my daughter as evening snack for 3-4 days ..She loved it a lot.Making varieties of chaat is very easy.If we have these chutneys, oma podi & onions at home , we can make chaat recipes instantly. I used to make a single sweet n sour chutney for chaat which u can find here. But after going through some books and websites , i found there are different varieties of chutneys. So this time i tried all these chutneys.I made them thick & i diluted it while use..I quickly browsed some recipes and i finally settled down with recipes of Few minute wonders..I made some slight changes in the ingredients and the procedure for my comfort ..Do try these chutneys , u’ll love it..
GREEN CHUNTEY
INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml
Coriander leaves – 1 cup
Mint leaves – 1/3 cup
Green chillies – 3-4 nos
Lime juice – 1 tbsp
Jeera / cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder – A pinch
Garlic – 2 pods
Ginger – 1/2 inch
Salt & water – As needed
METHOD
Take all the ingredients in the mixer & grind all the ingredients to a smooth paste adding salt & water.
Store in an air-tight box, refrigerate it. Dilute the chutney when use.
RED CHUTNEY/ GARLIC CHUTNEY
INGREDIENTS
Garlic cloves – 7 cloves
Red chillies – 4- 5 nos
Salt & water – As needed
Tamarind – Small piece (optional)
METHOD
Grind all the ingredients to a smooth , thick paste.Store, refrigerate n use!.This chutney can be used as a dip for momos and it can be applied in masala dosa !
SWEET CHUTNEY/DATES CHUTNEY
INGREDIENTS
Dates – 6-8 nos
Grated Jaggery – 1/4 cup
Tamarind – Big gooseberry size
Water – As needed ( 1/2 cup)
Salt – a pinch
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Cumin powder – 1/2 tsp
Chaat masala powder – 1/2 tsp
METHOD
In a pan , add water , dates , jaggery , tamarind & allow it to boil.
Close it with lid and allow the dates to cook & jaggery to melt completely. By the time the dates get cooked , the water will be reduced to half..Switch off the flame .Drain the excess water & allow the mixture to cool down.
Grind it to a smooth paste.Again boil the paste adding the drained water. Add the red chilli powder , cumin powder & chaat masala powder. Boil for sometime till the mixture thickens.
Store in an-air tight box , refrigerate and dilute it while use !
Rava upma (suji ka upma) is one of the most popular South Indian breakfast/dinner recipes. It’s a bachelor friendly dish as it is fast to cook and easy to make. I am not a big fan of rava recipes but Sendhil loves anything made with rava/semolina.He likes rava upma if its fluffy( uthir uthiraa) whereas I love it with small lumps here and there (Undaium urulaiumaa).
The consistency of this upma is completely dependent on the quantity of water.Before marriage,my mom makes rava upma only in weekends.My dad & sis enjoy it adding grated coconut. I hate that combo. So my mom makes dosa especially for me by reserving some batter,how sweet. Now I crave for my mom’s rava upma and coconut combo. So this time I added some grated coconut in my upma plate and enjoyed a lot.
After marriage tables turned. I am making rava upma or kichadi at least once in a week for Sendhil’s breakfast as it is his most favorite. My MIL makes different types of upma and she is a pro in making rava upma. When I was new to cooking, I struggled a lot to get soft & flavourful upma. Usually I don’t roast rava properly and the end result would be a sticky, hard upma. I have even tried with store bought roasted rava. But it was also a super flop show. Then Sendhil taught me how to roast rava properly, quantity of oil, water etc.
When he was a bachelor, he used to prepare this rava upma often and he is an expert too. Now after many successful attempts, I thought of posting the recipe here. Of course making rava upma is not a big deal for most of you. But for beginners, its always a night mare and most of the time it will be with lumps.
This post is purely for beginners and bachelors. We love to have rava upma with sugar. So I don’t make any side dish likechutneyorsambar. It makes my job very simple. This upma stays soft for some hours. So I pack it for my hubby’s breakfast when he leaves to office early from home. But it tastes the best when served hot. U can make rava upma in microwave and add some vegetables like carrot, potato and peas to make it healthy. Sometimes I add tomato too as you see in the above picture. Soon I will share wheat rava upma.
Rava upma/Semolina upma - Easy South Indian breakfast recipe !
Cuisine:South Indian
Category:Breakfast/Dinner
Serves:Serves 2
Prep time:10 Minutes
Cook time:10 Minutes
Total time:20 Minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 cup = 250 ml
Semolina / Rava – 1 cup
Water – 2.5 cups ( Add 2.25 cups for fluffy upma)
Salt – As needed
To temper & saute
Cooking oil – 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Urad dal – 2 tsp
Chana dal – 1 tbsp
Big onion – 1 no ( slice cut) OR Small onions – 1/2 cup ( chopped roughly)
Tomato - 1 small ( optional)
Green chillies – 3 nos ( for less spice,add 2)
Curry leaves – few
Ginger – 1 inch piece
Coconut oil – 1 tbsp ( Must add)
METHOD
Dry roast the rava in a kadai in very low flame for 5-7 minutes without changing the colour. Keep on mixing well to avoid discoloration in certain areas. Remove & keep it in a plate.
In the same kadai , heat oil , splutter mustard seeds , urad & chana dal . After the dals turn golden brown , add the sliced onions ,green chillies, curry leaves & ginger bits. Saute well till onion turns transparent . Add tomato and saute till mushy(Optional step). Finally add the required water , salt. Cover it and allow it to roll boil for 5 mins.
Now simmer the flame completely and add the rava in one hand and mix well with a ladle using other hand ( Use a whisk to mix if u have). This step is very important to avoid lumps.
Stir till the mixture becomes thick and all the water is absorbed by the rava. Close the kadai with a lid for 5 minutes. Open the lid and mix well and again close it for 2 minutes.
Rava will be well cooked , switch off the flame & add the coconut oil.. Mix well and serve hot immediately!!
Adding small onions instead of big onions gives a nice flavour & taste.
The amount of oil mentioned here should be added to get the softness & flavour.
Roasting rava without changing color is very important to get a white colored upma. Otherwise it will be slightly yellow.Upma looks yellow even if you add tomatoes.
Please add more water if you want mushy upma.
If you are afraid of getting lumps , this step can be followed. i.e. switch off the flame after the water starts to roll boil. Remove the kadai , add the rava little by little by stirring in one hand slowly . Mix well and make sure there are no lumps. Then again keep it on the stove and mix well till all the water is absorbed. This method can be followed for making sweet kesari too.
My FIL likes to have this upma adding little lemon juice. It also tastes great. U can also add lots of grated coconut before eating to make it more rich & tasty. My sister loves this combo a lot : ))
Enjoy this easy breakfast/dinner recipe with coconut chutney or sugar !
Today I relished it adding grated coconut. It was yum !
This is my mom's idli milagai podi recipe with garlic. I love this idli podi. I like the one with sesame seedsas well. But my husband & my daughter likes idli podi with garlic. I learnt this recipe from my mom.When I was in school and college, I used to carry mostly idli or dosa with this podi for lunch . I love to eat this more than rice varieties. My doter is also the same like me . I’ll soon post my favourite sesame seeds/ Ellu version with dal . Please refer notes section for variations..
INGREDIENTS 1 cup - 250ml
White round urad dal – 1/2 cup
Chana dal – 1/4 cup
Red chillies – 15-20 nos
Hing/Asafetida – 1/4 tsp
Garlic cloves – 12 nos (Peel the skin & chop into small pieces)
Curry leaves - few
Salt – As needed
Cooking oil – 2 tsp
METHOD
Heat a kadai with 2 tsp of oil and roast the dals adding hing till u get a nice golden color & aroma.Add few curry leaves at the end and saute well.
Remove the dals in a plate. In the same kadai , roast the red chillies. in medium flame till it becomes crispy. Make sure you don’t burn them.
Once everything cools down, grind it to a coarse powder running twice. Then add the salt & peeled ,chopped garlic pieces.Grind it again to make a slightly coarse or fine powder as you like.
Store in an air-tight box and enjoy with idli/dosa ! It stays good for 2 weeks with nice garlic flavor.
Garlic flavoured idli podi is ready !! Add sesame oil while serving.
NOTE
Adjust the amount of red chillies based on ur taste.
Garlic pieces will be ground well even when u add at the end. If u want, u can add it along with dals & red chillies.
My mil makes the same podi adding hing alone. It also tastes good. Try for variation.Add more hing when u try this version.
Sometimes I add few curry leaves while frying the dals which gives a nice flavour.
In this post, let's see how to make sakkarai pongal in a pot/ Pongal paanai. Hope you all had a great pongal celebration yesterday. I too had a good time in my in-laws house and we celebrated very well. I wanted to post our sakkarai pongal recipe in pot ( Pongal paanai) for a long time. This is our traditional method of making sweet pongal for Pongal festival. I think its is the right time to post this recipe along with some pictures of pongal celebration in my house. This year my sweet pongal turned out very tasty , flavourful and soft.. It tasted great even the next day after reheating.
I’ve given the step by step pictures and video for making pongal traditionally in a pot / venkala paanai. U can do the pongal in pressure cooker or Mann paanai/ clay pot too. The quantity of ingredients I’ve given is the same for both except water quantity. The amount of water may vary for cooking in aluminium or brass pot and the cooking time also differs. In pressure cooker, you can make it fast.. In Tamil Nadu, we get pongal arisi and paagu vellam during this time and we used to buy that for making pongal.
In bangalore , I buy good quality sona masoori raw rice and I make sure to buy dark colored jaggery to get a nice color of pongal. So the color of pongal may vary depending the color of jaggery you use. The water quantity may also vary depending on the quality of rice. I’ve tried to approximate the water quantity as per the rice varieties i used. Lets see the Tamil nadu traditional method of making sweet pongal in a pot !
sweet pongal in pot
INGREDIENTS 1 cup - 250ml
Raw rice/ Sona masoori – 1 cup
Yellow Moong dal – 2 tbsp
Raw Milk – 1/2 cup ( Unboiled , fresh milk)
Water – 4-5 cups (Water quantity varies as per pot size)
Salt – A pinch
Jaggery – 1-1.25 cups (based on the sweetness)
Ghee – 4 tbsp
Cashews and dry grapes– few nos
Elachi/ cardamom seeds– 3-4 nos
Cloves – 3 nos
Edible camphor – A pinch
Jaathikai - A pinch ( take a small piece , roast in ghee and crush it before adding)
HOW TO MAKE SWEET PONGAL IN POT - METHOD
In a kadai , dry roast moong dal for few minutes till you get a nice aroma and golden brown in color.Mix the rice and roasted dal. Wash , drain the water.
Add milk and water to the aluminium or brass vessel/ venkala paanai. When it starts boiling over and after it raises to the rim of the pot and spills a bit, Shout out "Pongalo Pongal". Simmer the flame and add the washed rice, dal mixture & a pinch of salt.
Remove the excess water and keep it in a bowl. Add this water whenever needed. Cover the vessel with a lid and cook the rice in medium flame OR if using pressure cooker, cook for 4-5 whistles till it rice is cooked well.
In the mean time , grate the jaggery and keep it ready. After rice is cooked well, open the cooker/vessel , mash it well & add the jaggery and mix well till the jaggery melts and allow it to boil in low flame. You can also boil and melt the jaggery in water. Strain the syrup and add to pongal. Add a tbsp of ghee to avoid the pongal sticking to the bottom ..Make sure it doesn’t get burnt..Give a nice boil in low to medium flame. Keep mixing.
After the raw smell of jaggery emanates, switch off the flame. Please make sure the pongal has slight moisture content when you switch off the flame. ( i.e it should be slightly watery n mushy. Don’t make it very thick .) This is very important ..
Once it cools down , the consistency will be correct else it will become very hard. If you feel , all the water is absorbed and if it looks dry , add little boiled milk or coconut milk , Mix well and switch off the flame.
In a frying pan , add a tsp of ghee and roast the cloves & cardamom seeds, jaathikai. Crush it & add to pongal. Mix well. Again heat 3 tbsp of ghee in the pan and roast the cashews, dry grapes till golden brown. Add it to the pongal with ghee. Add a pinch of edible camphor powder. All these ingredients helps to give temple style sweet pongal flavor.
Mix well before serving.Yummy , flavourful pongal is ready !!
NOTE
Adding milk is optional. U can make only adding water. If you want milk version, add only milk instead of water.
Make sure the rice and dal is cooked perfectly( should be mushy) before adding jaggery else rice will be visible and separate.
Adding more ghee makes it more rich n tasty.
Adding nutmeg & edible camphor is purely optional. But adding them enhances the flavour for sure and gives a temple touch.
Last but not the least , here are some pictures of pongal celebration in our house.
This is a simple & healthy breakfast recipe which comes to my mind when I run short ofidli/dosa batter.
I make this at least once in a week either for breakfast or for dinner. We like this very much. We usually have this topped with sesame oil. I learnt this recipe from my MIL.It can be made in jiffy..If u want to make it fluffy , please add the water quantity which I mentioned in ingredients. Add more water to make it mushy.
INGREDIENTS
Thick Aval / Thick poha – 2 cups
Lemon juice – 4 tbsp ( adjust acc to tanginess of lemon)
Water – 1.5 cups
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves – few
Asafetida / Hing – 1/2 tsp
Salt – as needed
To temper
Sesame / gingelly oil – 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Urad dal – 2 tsp
Channa dal – 2 tbsp
Red chillies – 2 nos
Green chillies – 2 nos
Coriander leaves – To garnish (optional)
METHOD
Wash the poha once or twice to remove the debris and drain the water.
In a wide bowl take the poha & add lemon juice , salt , turmeric powder , hing and curry leaves. Add the mentioned amount of water ( OR ) water to soak the poha ( i.e the level of water should be 1/2 inch above poha)..Let it soak for 30 minutes.
Then in a kadai , heat oil and temper with the above given ingredients in the same order.
Finally add the soaked poha and mix well using a fork like ladle to avoid turning mushy. Cover & cook for 5 minutes.
Serve hot. Add sesame oil before serving and enjoy!!
NOTE
Sesame oil is a must for this recipe as it gives a nice smell & taste to this recipe. It is also good for health.
U can also add roasted ground nuts for crunchy taste while tempering.
Please adjust the amount of lemon juice based on the tanginess of lemon. U can always add any time (even after cooking) if u require.
It will be initially tangy to eat but it levels down after it is warm..
I rarely make stuffed chapathi for dinner. Though i know its very easy n quick to make , i am not doing this often.At least this year i should try more varieties n post here.Nowadays i make thepla often in my kitchen as it is the only dish i know with methi leaves;).I don't saute the leaves as it loses its nutrients.So i chop the leaves finely and add as it is.I use buttermilk instead of water as it gives mild tangy & softness to the thepla.Do try this recipe.It comes out very soft & tastes great with a simple onion raita !
INGREDIENTS 1 cup - 200ml
Wheat flour – 1 cup
Methi leaves – 1/2 cup
Buttermilk- as needed
Jeera OR ajwain seeds – 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Dhania powder – 3/4 tsp
Garam masala powder – 1/2 - 3/4 tsp
Salt – As needed
Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
METHOD
Remove the leaves , wash it and chop roughly. Set aside.Whisk 2 tbsp of curd in 1/2 cup of water to make buttermilk.
In a wide bowl,take the flour , leaves ,cumin seeds or ajwain , red chilli powder , dhania powder , garam masala powder & salt. Mix it well. Then add the required buttermilk and a tbsp of oil to make a soft , pliable dough. Set aside for 30 mins.Then knead again for few minutes and make small balls of even size .
Roll it to make a thin roti.Dust in the flour whenever necessary.Instead of rolling it , i used to pat it thin in a polythene sheet greased with oil. I have showed both the ways in pictures.
Cook both sides adding little oil ..Soft n yummy theplas are ready to eat !! Serve hot with raita & pickle ..
Note
For variations , we can saute the methi leaves till it shrinks in size & then add to flour.
Sambar powder can used instead of red chilli pwd & dhania powder. Add 2 tsp of sambar powder for the above recipe.
I tried this recipe from jey's blog..I usually maketomato chutney using chana dal .This recipe is also similar to that but she used fried gram dal and garlic which made me to give a try. It was very nice with idli. . As i had less onions in my pantry , i used more tomatoes & less onion. The actual recipe suggested to use equal number of onions & tomatoes.Try any based on ur liking.
INGREDIENTS
Tomato – 2 nos
Big onion – 1 no
Red chillies – 4 - 5 nos ( for less spice , use 3)
Fried gram dal / Pottukadalai – 2 tbsp
Garlic cloves – 4 nos
Salt & water – As needed
To temper
Cooking oil – 1 tsp
Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
Urad dal – 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - few
METHOD
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a kadai and add the red chillies & garlic flakes.saute well and then add the sliced onions. Saute until the onions turn transparent.Then add the chopped tomatoes.Saute till tomato turns mushy. Add salt for quick saute.
At last add the fried gram dal and switch off the flame. Grind to a smooth paste and temper with ingredients given above.
Let me start this new year briskly with a masala tea post . Have you ever tried a masala chai adding jaggery instead of sugar ? This is the first time i am trying this way. I got this recipe from a cookbook. I simply loved its taste & aroma with all the spices in it. If you want , you can always replace the jaggery with sugar or honey as per your choice. Some people prefer less milk in tea. Some may like with half & half milk and water. I used more water & less milk. Adjust the quantity of milk & water as per your liking.Do try this tea , you’ll love it for sure.Lets see Indian style masala chai with jaggery with step by step pictures.
INGREDIENTS 1 cup - 240ml
Water – 1 cup
Boiled milk – 1/2 cup (adjust)
Tea powder – 1 tsp (I used 3 roses brand)
Fennel seeds – 1/4 tsp
Cinnamon – 1 inch piece
Cloves – 2 nos
Cardamom – 2 nos ( Open it & add seeds)
Ginger – 1/2 tbsp OR 1/2 inch (crush it slightly)
Jaggery – 1 tbsp OR Sugar - 2 tsp (adjust)
Pepper corns - 2 nos (crushed)
METHOD
Boil water in a pan and when it starts boiling , add all the spices by crushing it slightly. Allow it to roll boil. After 3-4 mins, add the jaggery. When the jaggery is completely melted , add tea powder. As soon as you add the tea powder, water will rise. Simmer the flame & bring it to boil.
Lower the flame completely. Then add milk and boil in very low flame till you get a nice color..Strain and enjoy with your favourite snacks !
NOTE
For masala chai powder : Grind 1 inch cinnamon , 3 cloves , 3-4 cardamom , A pinch of nutmeg ,10 pepper corns , 1/2 tsp of dry ginger powder & 1/4 tsp of fennel seeds(if u like) to a fine powder , sieve & store in an air tight box..Use whenever required.