Moong Dal Payasam (Moong dal pudding)

                                                         (pic courtesy: Sri Krishna )
Happy Krishna Janmashtami to all my readers :) So how did you celebrate darling Sri Krishna's Birthday ?
Though I didn't have plans to make this dessert, by evening, my mind changed and I decided to go for it. I was surprised, at how easily it could be made and how easily it got over too :)) .......I am planning to make again sometime. I am not a big fan of payasam, so rarely make it, but after this attempt, I am motivated to make more varieties, especially because I found they are more nutritious and healthier than cakes/cookies. And I was craving for something sweet which doesn't have gluten or dairy predominantly as its ingredients as I have developed a slight intolerance towards these from past few months. I didn't use sugar in this dessert, instead I used Jaggery. I used coconut milk instead of regular milk. Since Jaggery available in the Indian stores here are cleaner than most of  the ones in India, the task to skim away the dirt while melting the Jaggery can be omitted. The cooking time mainly was that of the Moong dal which fairly cooks fast, maybe 30-40 minutes or less (didn't note the time accurately). The rest of the process can be completed in less than 20 minutes. So here goes the recipe:

 Ingredients: 2 cups

•  Yellow Moong Dal : 1 cup
• Water to cook dal : 2.5 cups - 3 cups
•  Jaggery (I used the light brown color jaggery that comes in cubes) : around 4 to 5 cubes
• Water to melt jaggery : 1/2 cup
•  Coconut milk (I used the canned coconut milk) : 1 - 1.5 cups
•  Raisins lightly blanched in 1 tablespoon butter/ghee (just melt butter/ghee in a saute pan and add the raisins and in low fire, just keep stirring with a spoon until all the raisins have plumped up) : 1/2 cup
•  Garnish : powdered cardomom, grated nutmeg : 1/2 teaspoon each

Method:

•  Cook the Moong dal in water until it reaches a very mashable state (if you like the pudding to have some moong dal bits to bite, then dont cook until its totally in the pureed stage. I like them very much cooked and mashable)
• Melt the jaggery in the water and add it to the Moong dal which is on medium low fire, keep stirring until everything is well combined.
• Now add the coconut milk and reduce fire to low and keep stirring.
•  Add raisins, and the garnish. Stir to combine.
•  Serve hot/chilled 

PS: I had mine with pappad (popadum) as that's one traditional way of having payasam which is called 'Payasam Pappadam' :)

Happy Labor Day weekend !

Luv
Roopa

Lauki (Bottlegourd), Breadfruit (Sheema chakka or Kadachakka) Erisseri

I had recently purchased Lauki (Bottlegourd) for the first time. I had seen a lot of blogs posting recipes with this wonder vegetable, so I wanted to try it too. Recently I got a nice piece of Breadfruit from my cousin's place. So I wanted to make something special. Hence this Erissery came up in my mind. Here goes the recipe:

Ingredients:

1. Lauki and Breadfruit cut into cubes - 2 cups
2. Canned Beans (or pressure cooked beans) any variety, I used Pink Beans - 1 can/1 cup after cooking: reserve 1/4 cup to be used for grinding (as told below)
   
3. To grind to a paste:

• Grated coconut: 1 cup (save some for garnishing at the end)
• Garlic and Ginger
  
• 1/4 cup of canned Beans (any variety can be used, I used Pink Beans)
  
• Dry roasted Cumin powder (1tspn), Coriander powder (1tspn), 5-6 Dry red chilli

4. For tampering:

• 1 tablespoon methi seeds
• 1 tspn mustard seeds
• Hing (Asafoetida) : a pinch

5. For the tangy flavor: Make a thick paste (approximately 1/4cup) of tamarind soaked in hot water.
6. Salt to taste and water as needed for gravy


How to make:

In a deep bottom vessel, on high heat, add 1 tablespoon oil. When the oil heats up, lower fire to medium and add all the tampering, then add the vegetables and fry them until they are a bit soft on the outer. then add sufficient water to cook , wait for the water to come to a boil and then close the vessel and let it cook. Add salt when they are almost cooked, that way you don't add more salt. When the vegetables are completely cooked, and there is just the right amount of water for gravy, add the ground paste, remaining canned beans and stir well. Then cook for 2 more minutes. Now add the tamarind pulp and stir again. Check for salt again. Cover cook for another minute and then switch off fire. Sprinkle the remaining grated coconut. Serve hot with Rose Matta rise like I did :) or with any other variety of rice.

Pyaaz bhari Kachori (Kachori with Onion filling)

This is my entry for Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine's :

RCI-Awadhi Cuisine event of December month hosted by Siri of Siri's Corner

When Kachori comes to my mind, I will always remember the first and last time I had this snack. It was in my college hostel. I remember that this snack was served as a tea-time snack when we hungrily gobbled whatever was served. The tastedidn't matter at all especially after a tiring day in college. The first time I got to have kachori, I thought it would taste like samosa with a potato filling, until I tasted the filling. It was a different filling with moong dal and other spices which I don't remember now. But what would always remain in my memories would be the distinctive taste of the Fennel seed/powder which I felt was dominating the other flavors. When Siri announced the Awadhi cuisine event, I went through the links she gave in her blog. I was surprised to see so many dishes, which I had already cooked in the past, never realizing that itsAwadhi :) Maybe its because India is a country where you have such a lot of variety of cuisines , where each one is influenced one way or other by another cuisine. I got this recipe from Manjula's Kitchen (which I slightly modified by adding some extra ingredients to the filling)

Here is how I made Pyaaz bhari Kachori (Kachori with Onion filling):

Ingredients:



For the filling
---------------
Onion: 2 medium
Green chillies minced: 3-4 nos
Curry leaves: 4-5 sprigs of leaves chopped fine
1/4 cup : Yellow moong dal
1 teaspoon: Ground fennel seeds
1 teaspoon : Ground coriander seeds
1 teaspoon : Red chilly powder/flakes
1/4 teaspoon : Ginger powder
1/2 teaspoon: Mango powder
Pinch of asafoetida (hing)
1/2 teaspoon salt /to taste
21 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons water

Oil for deep frying


For the dough
----------------------
1 cup All Purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 cup chilled water

Method:

To make dough:

Mix all the ingredients for the dough and make a nice smooth dough. Cover with a wet paper towel and set aside.


To make filling:

Chop the onions finely. Make a fine powder of the moong dal. In a pan, add 2 tablespoons of oil and all the ingredients for the filling except water. Roast them on a medium flame until all raw smell goes off. Then switch off the flame and add 2 tablespoons water. Mix it well and set aside.
Wait for the mixture to cool .



To make Kachoris:
-----------------------
Meanwhile heat oil for deep frying in a deep bottom vessel like a Kadhai. Make small balls out the dough, and flatten each ball with the palm of your hand as you would to make stuffed parathas (leaving the center thicker than the edges). Then add a ball of the filling to the center of the dough, gather all the ends of the dough to the top and seal the ends by pinching the gathered ends together.



Similarly prepare all the balls. Then flatten each ball with the seam side up.



Make sure the filling doesn't come out (I was not very successful at this step, but will improve the next time I make these :) . Also make sure to distribute the filing evenly. Flatten the balls 3 inches circle .






Place about 3-4 of these in the hot oil. It will take some time for the Kachoris to come to the surface and puff up a little. Turn them over and fry both sides.

The Kachoris are done when they are a light brown color. Serve them with Tamarind chutney. An instant , most simple Tamarind chutney which I made in a hurry was to mix thick tamarind pulp with honey.


Hope you too will enjoy these when you make it :-)

RM2- Day 22- Edamame, Spinach gravy

I had written about Edamame in one of my previous posts. One of my readers asked me how it would taste if used in curries. I prepared a gravy using Edamame and Spinach. Edamame was very buttery and soft on the bite side and has a delicate flavor. I loved the combination with spinach. It gave a rich texture. Here is the gravy I made the base for which is the ingredients I made for the spicy Potato gravy which you may refer here. Just add Edamame and Spinach to it and you can have it with plain rice .

Day 22 RM2: Check what my buddies have prepared :

1) Siri, 2) Srivalli, 3) Ranji, 4)PJ, 5) Curry Leaf, 6) Medha,
7) Priya, 8) Bhawna, 9) Raaji, 10) Ruchii, 11) Anu, 12) Kamala,
13)DK, 14) Divya Kudua, 15) Rekha, 16) Divya M, 17)Lakshmi,
18)Raaga , 19) Lakshmi Venkatesh , 20) Sripriya, 21) Viji,
22) Kamalika, 23)Pavani,>,24)Karuna,25)Roochi

RM2- Day 20 - Sweet corn Edamame soup

We had purchased frozen Edamame during our grocery shopping last weekend. I was looking forward to incorporate it in our food for health benefits. Edamame is a Japanese preparation of baby soybean in the pods, for further information please refer : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edamame

I was inspired to buy Edamame after seeing one of Alton Brown's show on Food Network on Edamame. I decided to make mine and V's all time favorite soup : Sweet Corn soup with Edamame as addition. To make Sweet corn soup, I prefer to buy the canned version of sweet corn cream style, add a little water , some veggies like cabbage, green chilli, and ofcourse Edamame.


I added 50:50 portions of the cream style corn and water along with the veggies, salt and pepper, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, simmered it , and under low fire, for 20 minutes. Served it with Broiled Cheesy Garlic Bread, the recipe for which will be posted in the next few days :)


I cant wait to know what my buddies have prepared in their kitchen:

1) Siri, 2) Srivalli, 3) Ranji, 4)PJ, 5) Curry Leaf, 6) Medha,
7) Priya, 8) Bhawna, 9) Raaji, 10) Ruchii, 11) Anu, 12) Kamala,
13)DK, 14) Divya Kudua, 15) Rekha, 16) Divya M, 17)Lakshmi,
18)Raaga , 19) Lakshmi Venkatesh , 20) Sripriya, 21) Viji,
22) Kamalika, 23)Pavani,>,24)Karuna,25)Roochi

RM2-Day13-Puran Poli

This is my post for RM2-Day13. Puran Poli is known as 'Purna Poli' in konkani, just a rearrangement of letters :) . Its a sweet made for special occasions. I was meaning to prepare this sweet from a long time. I was keeping it for a later time thinking its quiet a cumbersome process to prepare. But after I saw this posted on some of my favorite blogs like Suma's blog and a video on vahrehvah, it inspired me to make it. I decided to give it a try and I can gladly tell that it came out tasting quiet good, (the shape didn't turn out round and uniform though ) for a first timer like me :) . I am planning to make this again some other day and I promise you that time the pics will be much better. But for now, these are the ones I made :)


Ingredients:

Dough:
----------
Maida - 1 cup
salt- a pinch
Melted butter- 2 tablespoons
Water- to make a soft dough

Filling:
----------

Channa Dal - 1/2 cup
Powdered Jaggery - 1/2 cup
Melted butter - 1 tablespoon
(Cardamom powder + Granulated sugar) powdered together - 1/4 cup




Method:

Soak the channa dal for 8 hours. Cook them until they are just tender and mashes when you press them with our finger. Drain them and spread them on a paper towel to absorb most of the moisture. Then slightly powder them using blender or mixie. Do not liquefy. Then in a shallow pan, under medium -low flame, mix mashed channa dal and jaggery and melted butter until all jaggery is melted and it forms a semi - liquid mixture. Then flavor the mixture with powdered mixture of (Cardamom powder + Granulated sugar). Mix well under low flame to uniformly incorporate everything. Switch off the flame and allow to cool.

Make the dough using the dough mixture. Take a small ball from the dough, and an equal size of the filling. Flatten the dough a little and place the filling in the middle of the flattened dough. Gather all the sides of the dough to the top to enclose the filling with the dough. Then using your fingers try to spread the filling inside the dough uniformly. Then roll the dough as you would for stuffed parathas, and make it as thin as possible. Place it on a hot tawa on high flame and watch the Puran poli puff up. Brush both sides of the poli with melted butter or ghee and transfer it to a serving plate.

Check what my other marathon buddies are doing in their kitchen :
1) Siri, 2) Srivalli, 3) Ranji, 4)PJ, 5) Curry Leaf, 6) Medha,

7) Priya, 8) Bhawna, 9) Raaji, 10) Ruchii, 11) Anu, 12) Kamala,

13)DK, 14) Divya Kudua, 15) Rekha, 16) Divya M, 17)Lakshmi,

18)Raaga , 19) Lakshmi Venkatesh , 20) Sripriya, 21) Viji,

22) Kamalika, 23)Pavani,>,24)Karuna,25)Roochi

Pollay- Pitto (Dosa/Idli podi)

The Idli/Dosa podi is something very popular in pantry of almost every South Indian. "Pollay-Pitto" ("Pitto" means powder in konkani. "Polo" means Dosa) is what we call it in konkani in our home. Once made it lasts for months. And it comes in so handy during one of those days when you are too lazy to make any side dish or gravy to go along with Dosa/Idli. My mom usually packed Idli/Dosa with coconut chutney for my lunch at school. But sometimes, I used to have Polley Pitto too :) I like it spicy :) It was recently that I made it the first time at home and its really easy. I made some variations after some tricks I learned from my Fil. He adds garlic cloves while roasting the other ingredients. Here is how I made it:

Ingredients:

Urad dal (without skin): 1/2 cup
Channa dal: 1/4 cup
Dry Red Chilli : 10 nos (you may increase or decrease according to your taste)
Asafoetida (Hing) : 1/2 teaspoon
Tamarind : a very small ball (size of a dime)
Garlic clove: 1 clove cut in half
Salt: as per taste

Method:

Dry roast Urad dal, and Channa Dal until they are slightly brown on medium-high flame. Then add the Red -Chillies, Asafoetida, Tamarind, and Garlic clove. Increase the flame a little more than medium-high. Keep stirring continuously , taking care to see that the Urad and Channa dals don't burn. (It would be a good idea to switch on your vent-fan to high as the red -chilli can cause you to start sneezing when it starts giving out its heat). Reduce the flame to medium low and stir until garlic and tamarind have lost most of their moisture content. Switch off the flame. Let the powder cool. Powder it in your spice grinder or Indian Mixie to a very fine powder. In a warm dry pan (you may use the same pan in which you roasted the ingredients), add salt as per your taste, just stir it so that it becomes a bit warm (maybe 10 seconds). Add it to the powder. Mix well. Store this in a dry airtight container. It lasts for several months together. To serve it with Idli/Dosa, take 1 tablespoon powder and make a small well inside it and add 1/2 teaspoon oil. mix it well to coat every bit of the powder. Just be careful not to accidentally inhale this powder as its very spicy. I am telling this from my own experience :-))


It makes me feel joyous if I can inspire another person. My friend/cousin , Ranji of "Ranji's Kitchen Corner" passed me the "Inspirational Award". Thank you so much Ranji :) You inspire me too :) Hugs :)

Jamie of the Flavour Pantry. started this wonderful award with a very nice image, I loved the design in the coffee cup :) ...According to Jamie,

“This is given to bloggers whose stories and recipes inspire us. Whether it’s to eat healthier, dive back into our past to conjure up something we ate as children, or just make the light bulbs in our brains go on with a new idea for a recipe. As recipients of this award, please share with us what inspires you and then pass on the Inspiration Award to 4 other deserving bloggers. Please let them know what the award means and what to do with it.”

I am passing it to:

Ramya of ManeAdige
Kamala of Mom's recipes
Cynthia of Tastes Like Home
Sukanya Ramkumar of My Cakes and Cookies


What inspires me most?

a) My husband Vijay who willingly eats whatever I make :) .....He takes curd if the dish becomes too spicy, but even then, he manages to finish the dish somehow ! Love you V for your patience and cheerfulness:)

b) The thought of all utensils and ingredients I have in my pantry when I want to bake/roast something for which I needn't go to the market to purchase something more.

c) My mom's cookbooks(recipes she jotted down from TV shows,magazines,news paper clippings etc..), Food Network, Top Chef, Law and Order (SVU,CI) (Yes that's mine and V's most favorite show on TV, "Mariska Hargitay" being our favorite actress in it :), we are so fond of it that we have scheduled its recording on our DVR in case we miss any episode ;-)

d)All those wonderful food blogs and food websites that just makes me think"Wow!! How creative !!"

e) The almighty for being so generous

I also got the "Nice Matters" award from my dear friend , JZ of Tasty Treats
Thank you so much JZ :) !!

Ududha Appay

Appay is a very common konkani breakfast/snack. I am sure its made in other communities too. But in konkani Appay made with Urad-dal is called "Ududha Appay". Though the name has only Urad dal, its basically made with the idli/dosa batter. I make a little variation by adding chopped shallots (for the picture click here) and minced ginger to the batter.

(Idli/dosa batter)To make Appay, you need Appay Kailee. The same "Appay Kailee" is used to make "Unniyappam" which is a sweet Appay. Now here is where I found that Appay is not just something made in India, but its popular in US too, with the difference that, in US they call it "Pancake Puffs" which is made with a different batter though, but its made on the same mould which we konkani's call it "Appay Kailee" . We had already bought our "Appay Kailee" from my in-law's house. When I saw it in the 'Bed, Bath and Beyond' store, I was so happy and surprised to see it. Here you get the non-stick version of the mold. The traditional ones in India is made with cast iron.

So here is how you make the Ududha Appay:

Ingredients:

Idli/dosa batter
Optional : chopped shallots and minced ginger and chopped curry leaves mixed with batter.
Oil

Method:

1. Keep the mould on high flame. Pour 1/4 teaspoon oil in each mould.
2. Pour the batter in each mould such that the batter fills up to just half the mould. This is because the batter rises for forming the Appay. So there should be room for the Appay to rise in the mould. Optionally, sprinkle some Italian seasoning over the batter in each mould, for a little variation.


3. Let it cook until the edges of the Appay becomes very light brown. Mine burnt few Appay's as you can see the below pictures:)) . Don't let it burn, invert them when the edges are lightly brown.
4. Try to run a spoon through the edges to see if the Appay smoothly slides , so that it can be cooked on both sides.Invert all the Appay, when they are cooked on one side as seen below. Lower fire to medium high.

When all the Appay are cooked, transfer them onto a plate. Serve it with coconut chutney, sambar for breakfast, or as snack.



Done :)

Veg 'n Nuts Khichdi with Green Moong Ummaan

First I am glad to tell that I got two more awards. Thank you Ranji (Ranji's Kitchen Corner)for passing me the "Good Chat Blog "award :)

Thank you Anamika (Anamika-The Sugarcrafter) for thinking about me for the "You make my day " award :)

Khichdi is what I keep making when I want a one pot lunch or dinner on a day when I don't feel like preparing anything extra.

According to Wikipedia, Khichdi is Khichdi (also khichri, khichdee, khichadi, khichuri, khichari and many other variants) is a South Asian rice dish made from rice and lentils (dal). Khichdi is commonly considered to be India's comfort food, and was the inspiration for the Anglo-Indian dish of kedgeree.

Khichdi is usually served with kadhi and/or pickle, pappad, yogurt. I usually prefer just pickle, pappad and yogurt. I decided to make it crunchy by adding the nuts from the mixed nut jar we bought from Bj's. That was a great addition.

Green-Moong Ummaan is a side dish me and Vijay prepare most of the times. Did you notice I mentioned me and Vijay, its because V also is an expert at making it , he in fact makes a nice variation by adding caramelised onions and potatoes. Ummaan in konkani means gravy or saaru as some of you may call it. Its basically vegetables and/or lentils/pulses cooked in water with salt.

This is how I made Khichdi:

This serves 2 people

Ingredients:

Basmati rice (or any rice): 1/2 cup
Split Green peas (for the picture click this link ): 1/2 cup
Water: 2 . 5 cups
Vegetables (peas,carrots,corn,cauliflower): 2 cups together
Minced garlic and ginger: 2 tablespoons together
Mixed nuts: 1/2 cup
Salt: as per taste
Oil: 3 tablespoons

Spices:

Chilli powder: 1/2 teaspoon
Freshly cracked peppercorns: 1 -2 teaspoons (as per taste)
Coriander powder: 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder: a pinch



Method:

I make this using pressure cooker. That way its faster. You may also cook in a slow cooker. I don't know about the time it takes in a slow cooker as I don't have one of my own.

1. Keep pressure cooker on high flame. Add 3 tablespoons of oil, then add the minced garlic and ginger. Reduce flame to medium - high , then add the nuts and stir well to combine for 5 seconds. Then add the spices together and stir well for 5 seconds.

2. Add the Vegetables, Lentils, and Rice and stir well. Add a little salt at this time and combine well again. Then add water and again add salt as per taste.

3. Close the pressure cooker and let it cook for 3 whistles. Switch off the flame and let it cool down by itself until all the pressure is gone.

4. Serve it with yogurt, pickle,pappad, or any side dish you like :)

For the Moong ummaan :

This serves two people

Ingredients:

Green Moong ( click this link for the picture ) : 1/2 cup
Water: 1 . 5 cups
Green Chillies: 2-3 slit vertically
Salt: as per taste
Oil: 1 tablespoon
Mustard seeds: 1 tablespoon
Freshly cracked peppercorns: as per your taste
Coriander powder: 1 teaspoon

Optional: Add Caramelised onions and potatoes and crushed tomatoes to the Moong and cook it together.




Method:

In a pressure cooker on high flame, add 1 tablespoon oil and mustard seeds and wait until the seeds splutter. (To avoid the seeds from spluttering everywhere on the stove top, I immediately cover the pressure cooker with a cover and once the seeds start spluttering I lower the fire and wait until all the seeds are spluttered. Helps reduce the cleaning mess later). Add the peppercorns, coriander powder, stir for 5 seconds. Then add the green chillies and saute for 10 seconds. Add water, Green Moong and salt. Cover the pressure cooker with the lid and let it cook for 4-5 whistles. Switch off the flame and let it cool until all pressure is gone. I sometimes garnish it with grated coconut. Serve it as a side dish with rice, khichdi, or roti.

Green Split Peas stew

Hello dear readers !

Finally I got time to sit and post treats from my brand new kitchen :) Well I am so excited now, just to share my excitement I am now listening to our desi version of "Rigga digga song" while I am typing all this :)

We have finally settled in our new place. Though its in the same complex as our old place, it still feels different to be in a different building. I still haven't got adjusted to the alignment in this building , and I just laugh quietly by myself feeling embarrassed when I walk towards my old apartment by mistake :D Luckily I didn't try pushing my new keys into my old apartment which is now occupied ! :DD

Coming back to the Green Split-Peas stew , this was the first time I purchased this variety of lentils. I made this stew with soaked black beans and partly mashed potatoes for a thick gravy for the stew. It was both nutritious and tasty.

This is my entry for the "Click event - Beans 'n Lentils" hosted at Jugalbandi

Here goes the recipe:

Green Split Peas: 1 cup
Black beans (soaked overnight) : 1/2 cup
Partly mashed potatoes: 2 medium potatoes
Onion: 1 medium
Water: Just enough to cook the Black beans and Green Split Peas
Seasoning:
Coriander powder: 1/2 teaspoon
Chilly powder: 1 teaspoon
Salt: as per taste

Tampering:
Oil: 1 tablespoon
Mustard seeds: 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds: 1 teaspoon

Garnish:
Coriander leaves: a few leaves







How to make:

1. Cook the Green-Split peas and Black beans together with just enough water to cook.
2. Mash the above beans a little after cooking and keep it aside.
3. Slice the onions and saute them in a deep pan, in a little oil until they turn light brown.
4. Add the cooked beans, salt, and the rest of the seasonings, stir well at high heat until the flavors of the seasonings mix up well.
5. Lower the fire to medium-high, add the mashed potatoes and a little water (maybe 1/2 cup). Mix it well with the rest of the mixture in the pan. Let it simmer for 30-seconds. check for salt, if needed add more.
6. Add the tampering and garnish with coriander leaves.
7.Serve it along with rice, roti.

Soyi Bajilli Gasshi

This is a Konkani vegetarian side dish made by preparing a spicy coconut masala paste called "Massolu". It is also an inevitable side dish served during temple feasts, marriages etc.. Though the basic coconut masala remains same, because of the various vegetables used to prepare it, its known by various names with the last word always Gasshi. I gave the name Soyi (grated coconut) Bajilli (roasted) Gasshi because I wanted to give the basic name of this dish.
The various veggies used in Gasshi are:

1.Potato
2.Dark Brown Chickpeas
3.Yam (Suran)
4.Carrot (this is not added as a main vegetable in Gasshi, but only as a extra vegetable)
5.Lima bean pulses
6. Pattani (dry peas)


I made it using combination of Lima beans and Potato. I had posted my Mangalorean friend's similar recipe a long time back. You may refer that too.

Ingredients:

Lima beans (soaked overnight): 1 cup
Water and little salt to cook Lima beans separately
Potato (cooked and cut in cubes): 1 big
Salt: as per taste
Water for gravy

For the "Massolu"
Grated coconut: 1 cup
Red Chilli: 4
Coriander powder: 2 teaspoons
Garlic (optional, I add it because I love it): 1 small piece

For tampering:

Mustard seeds: 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves: 3-4




How I made it:

1. Dry roast the ingredient , starting with grated coconut, red chilly and then at the end coriander powder. Roast on medium flame, be careful to not burn the grated coconut. Roast until the mixture turns a little dark brown. Switch off flame and let this paste cool.

After cooling, grind it without any water in a mixie, in small intervals until the paste starts becoming oily. In a separate deep pan boil 3 cups water. Add the cooked Lima beans, Potato, a little more salt, reduce fire to medium, and stir to mash the cooked Lima beans and Potato until it is mashed very very lightly. Dont mash the entire thing as a little Lima beans and Potato left as it is here and there is the proper way to prepare Gasshi. Then add the "Massolu" and lower fire and stir well to combine everything. Increase fire if needed until the gravy thickens and leaves the edges of the pan. Tamper with mustard seeds and curry leaves. Serve along with rice, dip with dosa,idli :)

Idli - Sambar

Idli/Dosa is a favorite and popular not just in India, but the rest of the world too. Dosa might be the favoite of most people, but for me Idli is just as much my favorite as Dosa :-) My parents used to tell that "Idli is the safest food to have when you are travelling to another State in India as it doesnt contain any oil which can cause stomach trouble" .


After coming to US I didnt have the luxury of having good Idli's except once in a blue moon when we visit an Indian restaurant. When I see Idli's once in a while (or for that matter any favorite food), I cant stop myself from hogging, I just ignore the stares I might get from doing this :-D So we usually go for buffets where the serving is unlimited :-D

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

Urad dal : 1 cup
Idli rice: 2 cups
Methi seeds or Methi powder : 1/2 teaspoon
Water to soak the dal and rice
Salt as per taste
Idli stand
Pressure cooker or steamer for steaming the idlis

Method:

Make the fermented batter as described here in my dosa recipe. The batter for idli should be thicker than dosa. So reduce the amount of water you add to the batter the day you plan to make idli's.

Apply a little oil on each of the idli mould of the idli stand to make it easier to scoop out the idlis from the edges when it is done cooking. Pour idli batter in each of the mould so that its not completly filled as the batter would start overflowing if it is completly filled. Steam the idli's without using the whistle in a steamer or pressure cooker for around 5-10 minutes during which a steady steam of water passes through the vent. Lower the heat to medium and let it cook for another two-three minutes. Remove the lid and scoop out the idlis on plates. Serve along with chutney, sambar, potato curry, or pickle :) I also roast left over idli's , its yummy too :)

Update: Dear friends, I felt that I had to write this after I saw your comments. The idli's look very soft, but let me tell you, they were quiet hard in the middle when they cooled down. Any idea why? If its my proportion, I welcome all suggestion based on the fact that I am using a US blender and not Indian mixie or wet grinder. I would also love to know what proportion you use while using a wet grinder and mixie. The dosas come out well though. I use the batter here for both Idli/Dosa batter. I make the batter, let it ferment and on the day I plan to make idli/dosa, I keep away some batter for making Idli's , add a little water to make the batter a little less thick than the original batter. For dosas, I make it less thicker than idli batter. I appreciate your suggestions, so please do write back more of it :)

Left over Lentil Instant Dosa

I had a lot of leftover lentils in my pantry. I decided to go wild and use all of it to make this adai-like dosa. I cant call it adai because it has more variety of lentils than the adai recipe would call for :D

Ingredients:

Rajma (Kidney Beans), Garbanzo (kadala, chana), Toor dal, Urad dal, Moong dal,Green gram : Together 2 cups (or you can vary the cups according to your needs. It doesn't matter because you grind it together to make the dosa).

Whole Red Chilly : to taste

Water: To soak all the above ingredients together

Salt: to taste

Oil: to make dosa

Method:

Soak all the ingredients together in lots of water along with whole red chilly overnight. The next day separate the chilly from the water and grind the lentils and whole red chilly together in batches if necessary (don't over load the blender or mixer), with enough water to grind it like you would grind for dosa batter.
Add salt to the batter and mix it well. Add a little dry mango powder or some tamarind pulp (not too much as it would make it very sour). Mix it well. Start making dosas. Add a little oil when the middle of the dosas turns brown (as shown above). Flip over and let it cook for a few more seconds and take it off the pan. Serve it with hot sambar, or chutney . Store the leftover batter in a airtight container in the refrigerator.