Masala Dhosa Recipe

Ingredients :

2 1/2 Cups long grain rice.

1 Cup urad dal whole.

2 1/2 Cups converted rice.1 tsp Methi seeds.Salt to taste.For Masala.

3 Boiled potatoes.

1 Onion.

2 Chillies.

1 tsp Tumeric.

1 tsp Besan.

Chana dal.

Mustard seeds.

Salt to taste.

Method Of Preparation :

Soak urad dal and long grain rice for one hour and 6 hours respectively.
Grind them with methi seeds to make fine paste.
Add salt and set the mixture aside for fermentation for a day.
Saute onions, seeds and chilli in a pan with oil.
Add peeled potatoes, tumeric and salt.
Cook it for a few minutes.
Mix besan with water and add it to the mixture.
Cook this mixture for a couple of minutes.
Garnish with chopped coriander.
Pour ladleful of the batter on a non-stick pan and give it a round shape.
Drop little oil around it and turn over when bubbling appears.
Fill in the center of dosa with a spoonful of masala and fold it.
Masala dosa is ready. Serve it with Sambhar or Chutney.

Dahi Vada

Ingredients :

For Bada :

1 Cup Urad daal.
Salt to taste.
Oil to fry.

For Dahi :

1 kg Dahi (yogurt).
1/2 tsp grated Ginger.
Finely chopped coriander leaves.
1-2 green chilies chopped.
Salt to taste.
2 tsp Roasted cumin (jeera) powder.
Red chili powder to taste.

Method Of Preparation :

For Bada :

Clean, wash and soak the daal overnight.
Grind it into smooth paste.
Add salt to taste.
Heat oil in a pan and drop spoonfuls of batter and fry till golden brown.
Take the hot vadas and put in cold water for 2-3 minutes.
Now Take them out of water and squeeze the water and keep aside.

For Dahi :

Blend the curd (yogurt) and little water until it is smooth.
Keep in refrigerator for an hour to get chilled.
Add salt, red chili powder and cumin powder.

Serving :

In a deep dish arrange vada and pour dahi over them.
Now add imli (tamarind) chutney and green chutney.
Garnish with coriander.

Serve the dahi vadas chilled.

Uttapam

Ingredients:

Batter (1:3 ratio of urad dal and rice).
1 Tomato.
1 small Onion.
1 bunch of fresh Coriander leaves.
Little broken Cashewnut or Putna or both.
1 or 2 Green Chillies.

Method Of Preparation :

Put them all in a small chopper and cut them very fine.
In a cup of batter, mix all of it and add little salt.
Put your non-stick pan or tawa on burner and heat it up to medium heat.
Use a serving spoon to spread the batter thick, spread a tsp of oil on sides (optional) and cover the pan for a while.
should be between medium and low.
When it is ready (light brown) remove the lid and turn the Uttapam with the help of a spatula.
Allow it to bake for a while without the lid now.
Turn it once more and keep it for less than a minute to make it crisp.
Serve with sambar and coconut chutney.
Batter is made up of 1 portion of urad dal and 3 portions of rice.
One half of the rice is boiled rice and other half is kolam or basmati or any rice other than boiled rice.
Rice and dal are washed separately and left overnight to soak well and after grinding them very fine separately, they are mixed well and left to ferment in a warm place for 12 to 18 hours.

Medu Vada

Ingredients :

4 cups urad dal.
1 cup ordinary rice.
1 tsp. ginger grated.
1 tbsp. coconut grated coarsely.
8-10 whole pepper corns.
1 tsp. cumin seeds.
Salt to taste.
Oil to deep fry.

Method Of Preparation :

Wash and soak dal and rice together in plenty of water overnight.
Drain, grind to a soft batter, a fine grain should be felt in it.
Do not make the batter thin.
It should be thick enough to shape vadas.
Add all ingredients and beat well with hand to incorporate air.
Heat oil, wet palm and take an idli sized lump on fingers palm side up.
Make a hole in the middle with thumb.
Slip gently into hot oil, repeat for more.
Or use a medhu vada press.
Fry 5-6 at a time on medium flame.
Drain, serve hot with chutney and sambar, or accompany with idli.

Making time: 1 hour (excluding soaking & grinding time).
Makes: 35-40 vadas.
Shelflife: To store batter for 2 days, refrigerate without adding any other ingredients.
Add just before making, and continue as above.

Coconut Milk Dhosas

Ingredients :

1 cup rice.
1/3 cup udad dal.
2 cups coconut milk.
1/2 tsp. methi (fenugreek) seeds.
1/3 cup curds.
1/2 tsp. soda bicarb.

Method Of Preparation :

Wash and soak the rice and dal together.
Add methi seeds and soak for 6-7 hours or overnight.
To prepare coconut milk put grated coconut in blender.
Repeat with the same residue.
Restrain.
Add water and blend till smooth.
Strain.
Use this milk to grind the dosa batter.
Salt to taste Add curds, soda, salt and mix well.
Oil to shallowfry Keep aside for 3-4 hours.
Heat griddle, pour 1 spoon batter.
Proceed as for plain dosa.
Even thick dosas may be made from the same batter if desired.
Serve hot with coconut or onion chutney.

Rava Idali

Ingredients :

3 cups parboiled rice (washed and soaked overnight).
1 cup urad dal (washed and soaked overnight).
1/2 tsp. soda bicarb.
salt to taste.

Method Of Preparation :

Having soaked both rice and dal separately, wash well with plenty of water.
Grind dal to a very fine paste.
Grind rice till fine grains are left (like very fine semolina).
Mix both rice and dal together after grinding.
Add soda bicarb and salt and beat well.
Add a little water if necessary.
The batter should be fairly thick.
Cover and keep aside for 7-8 hours, undisturbed.
To make idlies, do not beat the batter again.
Spoon batter onto an idli stand.
Heat water in idli cooker, and place stand in.
Steam for 5-7 minutes.
Insert a clean matchstick (back end) or a skewer.
The skewer should come out clean if the idlis are done.

Making time:

Soaking Time: 7-8 hours.
Grinding: 30 minutes.
Fermenting: 7-8 hours.
Steaming: 7-8 minutes per round.

Makes: 30-35 idlis.

Sambhar

Ingredients :

1 cup toor dal (washed and soaked for 30 minutes)
4-5 strips tamarind soaked for 5 minutes (paste or pulp may also be used)
1 tbsp. jaggery or sugar
2 tbsp. sambar masala
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. dhania powder
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1/2 tsp. each cumin and mustard seeds
3 whole red chillies
1 stalk curry leaves
4 onions
1/2 cup pumpkin or bottle gourd boiled and cubed
1 large tomato
1 tbsp. chopped coriander leaves
2-3 flakes garlic
salt to taste
2 tbsp. oil

Method Of Preparation :

Add tamarind, 1/2 tomato & 1 onion chopped, to the dal.
Pressure cook till dal is done very soft. (Approx. 4 whistles)
Remove dal and beat with a whisk or churner till smooth.
Grind to a paste, 1 onion, 1/4 tomato, jaggery, garlic, all dry masalas.
Chop the remaining onion and tomato to medium or fine pieces.
Heat oil, add seeds , curry leaves and allow to splutter.
Add onion, pumpkin, tomato and stir fry for 2 minutes.
Add paste, and cook for further 2 minutes.
Add dal and bring to a boil on high.
Add enough water to get sambar consistency.
Check and adjust masalas as required.
Simmer for 12-15 minutes on low, till the aroma exudes.
Add chopped coriander before serving.
Serve steaming hot with hot idlis, coconut chutney and ghee.

Note:

You may substitute homemade masala with ready made.
But you may even prepare the homemade powder in quantity and store in a clean airtight jar for 6 months.

If using ready made masala, supplement with the following:

1 tsp. dhania seeds, 1 tsp. cumin seeds, 1 stalk curry leaves, 1/2 tsp. methi seeds.
Roasted and ground together with the ingredients for paste.

Making Time: 30 minutes (excluding pressure cooking time)
Serves: 4-5 servings

Paneer Tikkis Recipe

Ingredients :

300 grams (about 12 oz.) cottage cheese crumbled
2 big potato(es) boiled and mashed
2 big slice(s) bread
1 onion(s) finely chopped
2 green chilli(es) finely chopped
2 tablespoon(s) cornflour
2 tablespoon(s) coriander leaves finely chopped
oil for shallow frying, salt and pepper to taste

Method Of Preparation :

Place the bread slice(s) in water just enough to soak them for about a minute. Squeeze gently between palms of hand and discard excess water. Tear into small pieces and keep aside.
Mix the cottage cheese, potato(es), onion(s), green chilli(es), cornflour, chopped coriander leaves, bread pieces,salt and pepper. Shape the mixture into patties.
Spread 1 teaspoon of oil on a griddle and heat on medium level for about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Place 4-5 patties on the griddle and fry for 3 minutes on each side or till both the sides are golden brown. Fry the remaining patties in the same way.

Time (approx.): 4 minutes Serves: 4

Serve immediately with: Green Chutney (Hari Chutney) and Tomato Ketchup.

Kesari Bhat Recipe

Ingredients  :

1 cup semolina (rava)
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups water
5 pistas slivered
5 almonds slivered
10-12 raisins
1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
2 pinches saffron, soaked in 1 tbsp. warm milk
few drops yellow colour (optional)
3 tbsp. ghee

Method Of Preparation :

Heat ghee in a large heavy pan, add rava.
Stir and roast on low for 7-8 minutes or till aroma exudes.
Side by side, put water to boil, add sugar, bring to a boil.
Add boiling water to the rava, little at a time stirring continuously.
Take care to protect hands from the spluttering.
When well mixed, check rava grain between fingers and taste for sweetness.
Adjust sweetness, and add more boiling water if grain is hard.
Add the remaining ingredients, cover and simmer till ghee separates.
Save a small amount of almonds and pistas for garnishing.
Add colour if desired and mix well.
Grease a katori or steel cup. Press hot bhath inside it, and unmould onto a plate.
garnish with a few slivers of almonds and pistas, serve hot.

Making time: 25 minutes
Makes: 3 servings
Shelflife: Dry roasting may be done a few hours ahead.