Dal adai ( parappu adai) and awards

I was bumped with so many awards from my friends Suja and Chaitrali. Suja shared the versatile blogger award. As per the rule I need to share it with 15 blogger friends and tell 7 things about me. Suja has lovely collection of traditional and authentic recipes all the way from God's own Country.... Kerala! Do visit her blog and enjoy some lip smacking recipes from her space. Chairali was very kind to share all the other awards with me. Name of Chaitrali's blog is I'm not a chef... Interestingly she is a chef who not only holds a degree in hotel management but also has a master degree from the hospitality industry. I love the way she blogs restaurant style recipes which are not just easy to follow but also tasty and yummy. Do visit her blog for a complete roller coaster foodie ride...

About me as per the rule of versatile blogger award...

1. Die hard non-veg food lover turned lacto-veggie
2. Eat- a -holic turned diet- a -holic
3. Friendly and would love my friends for life
4. Junk food eater turned, healthy food eater
5. Love and live cooking
6. Love travelling, exploring new places, food etc.
7. Simply super shop- a -holic!

I surely would feel its unfair to share it with only 15 friends ( as I also want to know about all my friends).... So, would like to share all these awards with all my friends.

Adai is native of T N . Though there are many variety of it like adai, kara adai, parappu adai etc. I always felt the dal or parappu adai is way too healthy. Here goes the recipe for Dal adai...

Ingredients:

Moong dal - 1 cup

Urad dal - 1 cup

Toor dal - 1 cup

Onion - 1 nos

Green chillies - 1 nos

Freshly chopped coriander leaves - 1/2 cup

Dry red chillies - 4 nos

Grated coconut - 4 tbsp

Hing or asafoetida - one pinch

Salt for taste

Oil for frying

Method:

Soak all the dals together for 2 hours. Grind it along with red chillies and grated coconut to a coarse paste. Add finely chopped green chillies, onions, fresh coriander leaves, hing, salt and mix well. Pour the batter on a hot tawa using a laddle spoon and just pat it. Add enough oil and fry. Turn over, add more oil and cook till its done. Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Note:

Adai batter does not require fermentation and can be a instant recipe for breakfast, evening snacks etc. The dal adai version is very healthy when compared to rice adai, coconut adai, kara adai etc.

Chappathi/chapathi/chapati

Chappathi is a unleavened Indian flat bread. It is made of wheat and is commonly consumed in most parts of India. It is a staple food and is usually served with subzi, dal, dahi etc. Usually made of wheat or maida or a mixture of wheat and maida. Here goes the recipe....

Ingredients:
Wheat flour - 2 cups
Maida - 1/2 cup
Oil/ghee - 4 tbsp
Salt for taste
Water for kneading

Method:
In a large mixing bowl, add wheat flour, maida, salt and mix well. Boil one cup water add the ghee into it and pour it over the flour mixture. Mix well forming crumbles. When it is just warm knead well into a soft dough (add water if required). Keep this aside for 30min. Make even sized balls and roll them into thin chappthis using a rolling pin. Add flour for dusting. Heat a tawa or a non-stick pan , place the chappathi on it. When it puffs, turn and cook till it is slightly brown. Press with a cloth softly so that it puffs well. After removing can add little ghee on top. Serve with subzi, dal etc.

Note:
Adding ghee after removing from fire, keeps the chappathis soft.

Rava idli ( Rave idli/ Rawa idli)

Rawa idli or Rava idli or Rave idli ( in karnataka its called this way) is a idli made of semolina or sujji. This is a typical south Indian dish. I'm happy this is from karnataka. I used to have it often back in Bangalore and Mysore ( Bombay tiffanys is too good). I've heard this was invented by MTR when there was shortage of rice during world war second, they substituted rice with wheat( semolina or sujji) and they were successful. I'm really not bothered about its origin. I'm happy someone invented a fantastic recipe like this. Here it goes...

Ingredients:
Rava - 2 cups
Sour thick yogurt - 2 cups
Curry leaves - 1/2 stalk
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Cashew nuts - 6 nos
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Channa dal - 1 tsp
Fresh coriander(chopped) - 2 tbsp
Green chillies - 4 nos
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
Salt for taste
Ghee- 6tbsp

For garnishing each rava idli:
Tomatoes - 1 slice
Grated carrots - 2 tbsp
Grated coconut - 2 tbsp
Cashew nuts - 1 nos

Method:
Roast rava and keep aside. Heat 5 tbsp ghee in a tadka pan and splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal, curry leaves and cashew nuts. When the cashew nuts , channa dal, urad browns lightly, turn off the flame. Pour this over the roasted rava and mix well (see that no lumps are formed). Add the thick sour curd to this rava mixture and mix well. Add finely chopped coriander leaves, chopped green chillies, salt and baking soda. Now the rava idli batter is ready. Grease the idli plates with remaining ghee. Place the garnish of your choice on these greased plates, pour the batter over the garnish and steam for 7 min in medium flame or till its done. Serve hot along with coconut chutney and ghee.

Note:
I used fine semolina. In India its called Bombay rava. Click here for a idli/idly recipe

Ven Pongal

Ven pongal is spicy pongal (sakkarai pongal is the sweet dish). This is very famous in south India. Specially in T.N. In the month of January there is pongal festival which is celebrated with great pomp and joy. Ven pongal is usually served at breakfast along with thick coconut chutney and sambar. I simply love this as its very nutritious (it contains rice, moong dal). Here goes the recipe...

Ingredients:
Rice - 3 cups
moong dal - 1 cup
water - 8 cups
salt for taste

For the seasoning:
Ghee - 4 tbsp
Black peppercorns - 3 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
Cashew nuts - 6 nos
Curry leaves - 1 stalk

Method:
Cook the dal and rice together along with salt for taste and water in a pressure cooker up to 1 or 2 whistles or till its done. In a tadka pan, heat ghee and splutter black peppercorns, cumin seeds, curry leaves, and cashew nuts . when the cashew nuts turn very light brown, turn off the flame and do the seasoning on the cooked rice and dal. Mix well, garnish with cashew nuts (optional). Serve hot along with coconut chutney and sambar.

Note:
Do not mix before seasoning as the pongal would become sticky and the seasoning will be concentrated in one area.

Masala bread

Did you always think of trying something new with bread and eggs or did you ever wanted to create of snack with it? Did you like to have something spicy out of bread and eggs? Did you wonder what to do with leftover bread or eggs? Then, this is the one... Here goes the recipe...

Ingredients:
Bread - 1 loaf
Eggs - 4 nos
Onion - 2 nos
Tomato - 1 nos
Green chillies - 2 nos
Ginger - garlic paste - 1 tsp
Chilly powder -1 tbsp
Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
Veg stock cube - 1 nos
Salt for taste
Oil for cooking (I used about 4 tbsp)

Method:
Cut the bread into diced cubes and keep aside. In a wok, heat oil , add finely sliced onions and fry till they turn golden brown. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for a min. Add chilly powder, tomatoes and saute for 3 min. Now add chopped green chillies, veg stock cube and give a stir. Add eggs with constant stirring. Add bread, pepper, salt if and only if required and stir well until each piece of bread is well coated. Serve hot.

Note:
Can also fry the bread earlier and then use in the recipe. But, I preferred this way. This recipe is very similar to bread upma, but not the same, as I have excluded the seasoning and also included veg stock cube etc.

String hoppers ( idiappam/ nool puttu/nool appam)

String hoppers are simple and easy to digest food served at breakfast, or dinner (I can't remember having it anywhere at lunch). These are so simple and made out of rice flour and water. Very healthy as it is only steamed. This is given to elderly people and also infants (as its very easy to digest). Tastes best when Served with chicken, fish, egg or mutton curry (usually at wedding parties it is served with mutton or chicken gravy). In kerala they serve it with coconut milk and sugar, even little children prefer to have it that way. I remember when I was a child I simply used to love the coloured string hoppers( pink, blue, etc.) which one of my aunt used to make (and I remember her whenever I cook string hoppers). Some people prefer to add wheat flour, that gives a brownish color. To do string hoppers, you will surely need a vermicelli press or idiappam press, a idiappam plate or idli plates or steaming plates( with holes) and a steamer. Here is the recipe...

Ingredients:
Rice flour - 1 cup
water - 1 cup
salt for taste
ghee/oil - 1 1/2 tsp

Method:
Boil water along with salt and ghee. Lower heat and add rice flour with constant stirring (see the mixture is lump free). Remove from heat, knead the mixture well to form dough. Put some dough into a vermicelli press and press onto the idli plates, rotating clockwise. Steam for 5 - 10 min or till done. Serve hot with veg kuruma, or chicken gravy or even coconut milk( sweetened).

Note:
Grated coconut can be added before steaming for better taste.

Dosa( Dosai,dose)

Dosa is a south Indian delicacy. It is served at breakfast and evening tiffin. This is very very healthy as it is made of rice and black lentils. Each dosa would cost you about 100 calories only( inclusive of the oil). I feel they are very healthy and tasty option. In available all around south India at restaurants and even some thathukadai dosa shops. In India there are certain restaurants which serves mainly dosa only( all varieties dosa, may or may not include other food on the menu) like Dosa express, Dosa calling, Dosa corner etc... Here is the recipe....

Ingredients:
Par boiled rice - 4 cups
urad dal( black lentils)- 2 cups
fenugreek seed - 1tsp
toor dal - 4 tsp
salt - 1 tsp
oil for cooking dosa

Method:
Soak rice and dal( add fenugreek seeds and toor dal along with dal) separately for about 4-6 hours. Grind this into a smooth paste and allow it to ferment overnight. In the morning, add salt and mix the batter well. Heat a non-stick pan( even dosa tawa is ok), pour dosa batter using a laddlespoon in the centre. Spread in circular motion to the outer edge.Drizzle a tbsp of oil all around. Turn over and cook if required( I cook only one side). Serve hot crispy dosas with sambar, chutney etc...

Note:
The pan should be hot enough before pouring the batter( not very hot). Pour oil in the sides as this helps in the dosa to come out well.

Poori/puri ( boori)

Poori is very common at Indian breakfast, evening tiffins and even thali lunch. Its a tasty dish. Not a very healthy option as they are deep fried. But indulging occasionally is just worth it. Here is the recipe..

Ingredients:
wheat flour - 2 cups
maida - 1/2 cup
salt - 1/2 tsp
water for kneading the dough

Method:
Sieve flour with salt. In a mixing bowl mix along with water gradually.Knead to a soft dough( not very soft). Make small balls and roll out into puri discs using a rolling pin.Deep fry in hot oil until its golden brown and puffs both sides.Serve hot along with Saagu, kuruma, aloo masala, channa masala etc.

Note:
Sugar may be added. This would make the poori to puff up and remain crisp.

Idly/idli

Idly/idli is a south Indian delicacy and served at breakfast, evening tiffin or even for dinner.Its healthy as it is only steamed and also its ingredients include rice and lentils( good source of carbs and proteins).Its caloric value may be around 50 calories per idly approx. Sambar( lentils cooked with vegetables) and chutneys are great combinations to idly.For people who have never cooked a idly before may always be looking for some recipes,here is one...

Ingredients:

Par boiled rice - 3 cups(heaped)
black gram(dehusked,whole) - 1 cup (heaped)
fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
salt - 1 tsp

Method:
Soak rice and black gram dal(fenugreek seeds should be soaked along with dal) seperately in water for minimum 4 hours. Grind rice to fine rawa consistency and then the dal to smooth paste until its frothy. Remove from grinder and keep in a large container overnight( space is required for rising). Next morning mix the batter well along with salt and pour in greased idly plates and steam for 7-8 minutes in idly cooker or steamer on medium flame. Allow to cool, remove the idlis using a spoon. Serve along with sambar and chutney.

Note:
Click here for a Rawa/Rava/Rave idli recipe (semolina idli)