IDLY

After so many posts just now I noticed that I haven't posted idly recipe yet. I searched link for idly recipe to provide in baby food recipe. Do I decided to post the recipe while I grind batter the next time. So it's here.

Ingredients:
Idly rice - 4 cups (or 2 cups of parboiled rice and 2 cups of raw rice)
Urid dal or dehusked black gram - 1 cup
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp

Preparation:

Wash and soak rice seperately. If parboiled rice and raw rice are used then soak both rice together. Wash and soak urid dal and fenugreek seeds together. Let it soak for about 2 to 4 hours.

Grind urid and fenugreek seeds in a grinder until it is buttery smooth. Don't add lots of water. Add little by little to get smooth and fluffy batter.

Take from the grinder and keep in a big vessel.

Now grind rice. Don't grind very smoothly but not much coarsely like seashore sand texture.

Mix this batter with urid batter and add salt. Mix well. The consistency must be like little thicker and pouring consistency. Be careful not to add more water like freely flowing.

Allow to ferment for about 8-10 hours. In cold weather it takes a long time.  Keep in warm place. If you live in a cold weather then keep it near heater or inside oven or above the refrigerator. This will speed up the process. 

After about 10 hours batter has fermented and raised.

Now steam idlies using idly plates. 

If you apply oil on the plates and then pour the batter then idly comes out easily but idly dries soon. Simply pour batter and steam. Then while removing from plates pour very little cold water to the edges of idly and turn the plate upside down and pour little cold water over. Then idly comes out easily. I prefer this method. Or use a white cloth. Cut a white cloth to the size of the idly plate and keep over the plate and pour the batter. In this method too, pour little cold water below the idly over the cloth. Then idly won't stick to the cloth.

In the below pictures left plate is simply without applying oil and right plate is with oil. So it's clear that there is no much difference. I like to have without oil taste. 

Or if you don't have idly plates steam in a plate. Just apply few drops of oil in a plate and half fill the plate and steam for 10-15 minutes.

Serve with sambhar and/or chutney. Tastes best with sambhar, coconut chutney, mint chutney, tomato mint chutney or tomato chutney. 

BOILED TAPIOCA

Ingredients:
Tapioca/ Maravalli kilangu
Salt to taste
Mustard seeds
Coconut scrapping
Finely chopped green chilies
Curry leaves

Preparation :
Remove skin of tapioca and cook in water with little salt.


Cook for 15 minutes until it is soft. Drain water and set aside.


Now heat oil in a seasoning pan and splutter mustard seeds. Now add free chilies and curry leaves.
Sprinkle coconut over cooked tapioca. Now pour the seasoning over.


Serve hot with chutney, meat or fish curry. Or as evening snack with black tea or coffee.

WHEAT COCONUT SWEET DOSA

Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour - 2 cups
Freshly grated coconut - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Sugar - 1 or 2 tbsp


Preparation:
Mix salt with wheat flour and add water to prepare dosa batter.


Heat a tawa and pour one ladle batter.


Sprinkle some coconut and sugar to taste.


Allow to cook for about 1 minute. Fold and serve.


Sweetness of sugar, freshness of coconut and taste of wheat together gives a heavenly treat to the taste buds.

PANEER BUTTER MASALA

Ingredients:
Paneer - 200 gms
Onion - 1 medium sized
Tomato - 2 medium sized
Ginger garlic paste - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp to saute onion
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 3/4 tsp
Chili powder - 1/2 tsp or little more
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Cashews - 6 numbers
Butter - 1 tsp + 1 tbsp


Preparation:
Dice paneer into 1 inch cubes.


Heat oil in a pan and saute onion until raw smell goes


Cool and grind to a paste. If necessary add some water.


Grind tomato to a smooth paste. It can be blanched in hot water, removed skin and then pureed. Another variation: Add diced tomatoes after onion is cooked and when tomato too cooked, cool and make a paste together.


Make a paste of cashews.

Heat oil in a shallow pan and slightly roast paneer, until golden color on all sides.


Place a pan in medium flame and immediately add 1 tsp butter. Add ginger garlic paste and add onion paste and tomato puree.


Allow to cook for a few minutes until raw smell goes.


Now add all masalas and allow to cook for about 10 minutes. Close with lid and let it cook.


Now add cashew paste and leave to cook for another 10 minutes or until a nice flavor releases.


Finally add roasted paneer and butter. Serve hot with roti, naan or poori.

EGG DOSA FOR TODDLER

Ingredients:

Egg - 1
Idly batter - 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Pepper powder - a pinch
Cumin powder - a pinch (optional)

Preparation:
Beat egg with salt, pepper powder and cumin powder.


Now add idly batter and mix well. This will be more watery than a dosa batter.


Heat a tawa and pour 1 ladle full of batter and rotate the pan to spread the batter all over.


When it's cooked on one side flip carefully and let it cook for just a few seconds.


Serve hot with any chytney.

THINAI / FOXTAIL MILLET PALM CANDY PONGAL

Ingredients:
Thinai / Foxtail millet - 1/2 cup
Dehusked green gram splits / siru payiru paruppu / moing dal - 1/2 cup
palm candy / panankarkandu - 1/2 cup
Water 3 cups + 3/4 cup
Clarified butter / ghee - 1/4 cup
Salt a pinch
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
Cashews and raisins - as needed


Preparation:
Boil palm candy in 3/4 cup water until it dissolves. Filter and keep aside.


In 3 cups water cook washed rice and dal. After water comes to boil reduce flame to medium.  It will be done in 20 minutes.


Roast cashews and raisins in a table spoon of ghee. Now add cardamom powder, palm candy water, and salt.


Heat in medium flame by continuously mixing. Add ghee, roasted cashews and raisins. Continuously mix for about 5 minutes or until pongal gets thicker. Serve hot. 

GREEN GRAM PEARL MILLET PAN CAKE

Ingredients:
Sprouted green gram- 1/2 cup
Pearl millet flour - 1/2 cup
Jaggery powder / brown sugar - 1/4 cup
Milk - 1 to 2 tbsp
Egg - 1
Cardamom powder or cinnamon powder - a pinch
Butter to cook pan cake
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp (optional, if you need it really fluffy)

Preparation:
First grind green gram, millet flour and jaggery coarsely in a mixer grinder.


Then add milk and grind to a smooth batter.


Now add egg and cinnamon powder and run the mixer for a few seconds.


Prepare pan cakes in medium low flame. Drizzle some butter to the edges.


Serve with honey or syrup.