Methi Paratha (Fenugreek Flatbread)

Methi Paratha served with Dahi and Lima Beans Subzi (as side dish)

A paratha(also spelled as parantha) is an Indian flaky, flat-bread made up of whole wheat flour. Dough is first prepared, rolled out and then cooked over a flat pan/tava.; ghee or oil is added during the cooking process. Sometimes veggeis, greens like fenugreek, spinach are added to the dough making the parathas healthy and delicious. For this recipe of Methi Paratha, methi/fenugreek is added while making the dough and then the parathas are made the usual way. Spinach paratha can be made similar way.
My mom makes varieties of parathas for breakfast and she is an expert in making Aloo parathas and Methi parathas. (Don’t we all think the same way about our moms :-) ). I remember growing up my mom used to pack these for my lunch and my friends would finish them up in no time. They would even request me to bring more of them the next time around.
Fast forward few years (OK, 10 years to be precise) and I make these at home myself; of course nowhere near to what my mom makes. We get very good Methi/Fenugreek leaves during the fall, winter season here and so I make them whenever I can. The frozen methi variety does not have the same flavor, zest and aroma as the fresh ones and so do not yield good results.

( Methi Paratha served with Dahi and Lima Beans Subzi (as side dish))

The trick for making good parathas depends on the preparation of the dough (I do have to admit again, I am no expert in making parathas/rotis/chapathis), but these are some tips that I have learnt from my mother and MIL that work well for me.

•  Chop the leaves first, add salt, chilli powder and set aside; after a while it leavens water and that can be used for making dough.
•  Do not use too much water while making the dough, the chopped methi leaves will leave water and will make the dough more watery and we do not want that.
•  Knead the dough well, use as much elbow grease and make it as soft as possible.

Ingredients:

•  3 cups whole wheat flour( I used the atta from Indian store)
•  1.5 cups of packed methi/fenugreek leaves (remove the stems)
•  1 tsp grated ginger
•  Carom seeds/Ajwain
•  Turmeric
•  Chilli powder (depending on spice level)
•  2 tsp oil
•  Salt 
•  Water for kneading

( Methi Paratha served with Dahi and Lima Beans Subzi (as side dish))

Method:

• Dough:
•  Make sure the leaves are thoroughly cleaned and the stems are removed. Chop the fenugreek leaves finely. Add salt, chilli powder, turmeric, ginger, carom seeds to this and mix well.
•  Let this sit for about 30 minutes. The combination of chopped leaves and salt releases some of the water.
•  Now add the flour in small bits and mix with hands, because of the presence of methi water, you will be able to knead a bit. Doing this will also spread the fenugreek mixture through out. After all the flour is added, add oil to it and mix well.
•  Add water in intervals and knead thoroughly to make soft dough. Do not add too much water.
•  Keep aside covered for 2 hours or refrigerate. Note: the parathas come out best if the dough is refrigerated overnight.

Making Parathas:

•  Heat a flat pan/tava on medium to high flame.
•  From the prepared dough, take out lemon sized balls and shape into balls.
•  Roll them into rounds with a rolling pin dusting little flour in between, to prevent it from sticking.
•  Add a 2 drops of oil on the rolled circle, spread it around and fold it into a triangle. Roll the triangle into flour again and then using the rolling pin, roll into kind of a circle.
•  Place this on the pan and after about 30 secs, the circle/paratha begins to cook on the bottom and begins to puff at different places.
•  Turn it over and let the other side cook. Spread around little oil and cook. Keep a close eye on the pan, else the parathas will brown and harden.
•  Take out from the pan and place them in box and cover it with a lid. 
•  Follow the steps for the remaining dough and make the parathas.
•  Serve with any subji, pickle of choice and or with some spiced yogurt/ Dahi.

Cucumber Pancake/ Cucumber Rotti Recipe

Given a chance I would eat this everyday for either breakfast, or lunch or dinner. This is how fond I am of this Cucumber Rotti. It is easy to prepare, uses readily available ingredients, does not require any fermentation and the taste is delicious. It is light tasting and also healthy. It is also a good way of using up the cucumbers lying around.

This is a variation of the Cucumber Dosa that I have made before. This is traditionally eaten during breakfast. If you are skeptical of the taste of cooked cucumber then let me assure you that cooked cucumber lends a sweet taste to the dish, while imparting wonderful aroma while it is cooking. The sweetness is offset by the green chillies and also the different flours. The quantity and the different flours used here can be changed as per taste and availability.

I was planning to send this to AFAM-Cucumber, but now I realise that I have missed the deadline .

Ingredients:

• 2 medium to small size cucumbers (Taushe in Konkani)
• ½ cup rava/ sooji (fine)
• ½ cup idli rava
• ½ cup rice flour
• 2 tbsp wheat flour
• Coriander leaves
• 4-5 green chillies
• oil, salt

Preparation:

• Peel the cucumbers and grate them. Retain the seeds of the cucumber but drain part of the cucumber water.
• Chop up the green chilies very finely. Chop the coriander leaves.
• Add the idli rava, rice flour, sooji, wheat flour, coriander leaves, and green chilies to grated cucumber and mix well. Add salt as required
• Let this whole thing rest for about 30 minutes. Note that the mixture in this case will be coarse and not “gooey” or watery like a dosa batter. 

Procedure:

• Heat a griddle /tava and grease it a little bit. When the griddle/tava is hot, take a handful of the cucumber mixture and place at the center. 
• Pat the mixture using finger tips and spread it around starting from the center to form a circle. 
• Use little water to spread this out if it becomes hot to handle.
• This spreading should not be either too thick or thin, make it as even as possible.
• Make about 4-5 small holes around the periphery and center of the circle using a spatula.
• Put about 1 tsp of oil around the pancake (rotti) and also 1 tsp into the small holes.
• Cover this with a lid and let it stay for a minute or so on high heat.
• After a minute take a peek and check to see if the backside of the rotti has a brown color.
• If it has not, then let it stay for a while or the rotti will break when trying to turn it around.
• If it has browned then, turn the rotti around, put some more oil around it and let it cook for a while. 

This can be eaten as is or with little ghee or coconut oil.

Akki Rotti / Thalipeeth and Coconut Chutney

  
 
Akki Rotti means rice flour pancake in Kannada and is a rice-based specialty breakfast item from the sate of Karnataka. This is also very similar to “Thalipeeth” made in Maharashtra. This is served along with chutney and a dollop of ghee or butter on the side.
As with every other recipe there are so many different ways of doing this “Rotti”, some add shredded carrots, papdi liva (avarekai), dill etc to the dough. I pretty much follow my mother’s recipe here using the basic ingredients like onion, coriander, cumin seeds. She adds some oil/butter and cream to the dough as it makes the “Rotti” little softer and not dry like cardboard. This also allows the “Roti” to be kept for a longer time as otherwise it gets hard.
There are also different ways in which the Rotti is made. Some of my friends pat the prepared dough directly over the girdle/tava and some make this on a Kadai/bandle. The later method is called “Bandle Rotti” in Kannada. But I follow another method in which the Roti dough is patted on to a shape of circle on a plastic cover. I then transfer the prepared circled dough onto the hot tava. I feel this method gives more flexibility as it is easy to control the shape and the thickness of the “Rotti”. My mother uses the milk covers (available in India), washes them thoroughly, dries them and then magically cuts the rectangular plastic bag into a circular one. No matter how many times I have tried I can never get a circular shape. So as a last resort, whenever we go to India, I get bagful of these circular bags and store it there. If this is not available then aluminum foil can be used instead.

The coconut chutney is my MIL’s recipe. As the base coconut chutney itself has no special taste, the flavor is imparted from the tadka, so it has to be strong; a good quality of asafetida is recommended for this. The flavor for the chutney comes from hing and curry leaves. 

This is my contribution to FIC-White, an event created by SunshineMom at TongueTicklers. This has been hosted this month by Lubna at Yummy Food.

 Ingredients:

• 2 cups rice flour
• ¾ cup very fine  chopped onions (more the better)
• 3-4 green chillies cut finely
• 1 Tbsp cumin seeds
• Handful of chopped coriander leaves
• Salt to taste
• 1 Tbsp warm butter/oil (while making the dough)
• 1 Tbsp cream (optional)
• Little jaggery (optional)

Preparation: (making the dough)

• Take a big flat plate and spread in the rice flour. Take the remaining ingredients (except oil and cream) and spread it over this. Mix well.
• Warm the oil and pour it over this. Add the cream (if using) and mix well.
• Make stiff dough out of this by adding warm water in parts. Do not add all the water at once.
•  This should have a consistently of chapathi dough. The more the dough is kneaded the better. Cover this dough and keep aside for about 30 minutes.

Method:

• Heat a tava/gridle on medium flame. Meanwhile take a handful of the prepared dough and pat it on a plastic cover shaped into a circle (see above). Spread this around until medium thickness is attained.
• Place this on the tava, pat round and remove the plastic cover. Spread oil around it and cover with a lid. There is no need to crank up the heat. This is usually cooked on medium to medium high flame.
• Turn on the other side, add some oil and allow to cook on other side.
• Proceed with the same method for the remaining dough.

 Ingredients for coconut chutney:

•  1 cup shredded coconut
• 3-4 green chillies
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
• Salt to taste

Tadka

• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• 3-4 Curry leaves
• Asafetida (hing) a pinch
• 2-3 red chillies broken into an inch
• oil

Method:

• Grind the coconut along with green chillies, tamarind and salt adding sufficient water. Make sure there are no lumps and that it has become a fine paste.
• For tadka heat oil, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, red chillies and asafetida. Pour this over the chutney and close this with lid immediately.

Sago Rotti (Sabudana Thalipeeth)

Tension filled engineering exams, vast syllabus, Parents care and concern; these are the memories that come to me whenever I cook this. Years ago I used to be a nervous wreck when it came to my exams, the last minute cramming, never ending studies, burning of midnight oil, lack of sleep etc.  
As usual, my parents were concerned and wanted to alleviate my tension in ways they found feasible. Somewhere along the way they came with the idea of making my all time favorite dish “Sabudana Thalipeeth” during my exams, so that I could relax and take a break for a little bit. I now recall the way my Mom used to prepare it with so much warmth and care, while my Dad would try to calm me by saying some encouraging words. My Grandpa would crack some jokes and cheer me up while my younger brother as usual would complain that I was the center of attraction and that I hog the limelight as well as everybody’s attention at home. 
I would then indulge myself in that Roti, taking small pieces at a time and relishing every bit of it, crispy on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside. The combination of cooked potato along with sago, peanuts gives it a unique taste. So with all the affection showered, lingering taste in my mouth, my mind would be deviated and that would calm me and give me a fresh approach to my studies. 

Ingredients

1. 1 cup sago/ tapioca / sabudana
2. 1 medium potato
3. 2 tbsps yogurt
4. Handful of peanuts
5. 3-4 green chillies
6. Jeera,
7. Coriander leaves a handful
8. Oil
9. Salt to taste

Preparation:

• Soak the Sago/ tapioca in enough water for about 2-3 hours.
• Drain the water completely; making sure no liquid is left out.
• Dry roast the peanuts until crunchy, remove skin and collect them together on a square of people. Use rolling pin to roll over it and make coarse powder.
• Peel and grate the raw potato.
• Also cut the green chillies into small pieces.
• Cut the coriander leaves finely.
• Mix all the ingredients (except oil) thoroughly and keep aside.
• Taste to make sure the salt, spice is correct.

Method:

• Heat a tava/flat pan and grease it a little bit. When the tava is hot, take a handful of the sago mixture and place at the center.
• Pat the mixture using finger tips and spread it around starting from the center to form a circle.
• Use little water to spread this out if it becomes hot to handle.
• This spreading should not be either too thick or thin, make it as even as possible.
• Make about 4-5 small holes around the periphery and center of the circle using a spatula.
• Put about 1 tsp of oil around the Roti and also 1 tsp into the small holes.
• Cover this with a lid and let it stay for a minute or so on medium heat.
• After 2 minutes take a peek and check to see if the back of the Roti has a brown color.
• If it has not, then let it stay for a while or the Roti will break when trying to turn it around.
• If it has browned then, turn the Roti around, put some more oil around it and let it cook for a while.

 The Roti can be served as is as it has all the flavorings and does not need any accompaniment. 
NOTE: The roti has to be cooked on medium heat for a long time on both sides. If left un-cooked or half done it tastes bitter.

Instant Sooji Onion Appe /Paniyaram

________________________________________

I was going through the food pictures I had taken a while ago and realized that I had not yet blogged the recipe for this Instant Appe. It was intended to be a part of the trilogy series, the others be Chana Daal Appe and Dahi Vada Appe.For this Appe I was thinking of a way of making a healthier version of the famous “Rave vade” of Karnataka. The batter is made of Sooji, onion, green chilies and it is deep fried.

Of course, this version is no where close to the original, but nevertheless a healthier version to snack on.  Also as a note of caution these cannot be let out for a long time as they do not maintain their crispness for a long time.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup fine Sooji (rava)
• 1 small onion
• ½ cup idli rava
• ½ cup rice flour
• 2 Tbsps yougurt/cream
• 3-5 green chillies
• 1 Tbsp jeera (cumin)
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• Coriander leaves
• Salt, oil
• Curry leaves

 

Method: 

• Chop the onions and coriander leaves finely.
• Mix all the above ingredients except oil into a thick paste. Add little water to thin it out a little.
• Check for salt and other seasonings. Add more as per taste.
• Heat the Appe/ Appam pan and add 1 tsp oil into each groove.
• Make sure that the oil has become hot (not smoking hot). Drop a bit of batter to test and if you hear the sizzling sound, the oil is of the right temperature.
• Add the prepared sooji batter into each of the grove, so that ¾ of the grove is covered and then cover it with a lid.
• Reduce the heat a little bit at this time. After a minute or so, open the lid and with a kitchen knife, run it around the edge of the appe, to see if it is browning.
•  Make sure the appe does not turn dark brown or black in color. The one in the middle is the one that gets dark fast.
• If some of the appe can be easily displaced from the grove turn it on the other side, add oil and cook until done. Let the remaining appe cook correctly and turn them when done.
• When turned on the other side, add oil again and reduce the heat even further and there is no need to cover with lid. This side gets done pretty fast.

Chana Daal Appe : Low fat Masala Vada

Masala vada is an all time favorite snack in our family, but since it is deep fried I don’t make it a lot. I make it during festivals and special occasions but most of the time I tend to look for healthier alternatives. After I made the urad daal appe, this was a natural extension to that idea and I decided to give this a shot. The batter that is used is the same as Masala vada. The final verdict is that, the taste is great, can be made when ever you want to make something healthy, can be used as a finger food, snack for kids etc. However this is no substitute for the actual Masala Vada and there is no reason to throw the deep fryer yet !

Ingredients

1. 1 cup chana daal
2. 1 medium onion
3. 2-3 green chillies
4. 2-3 pods garlic
5. Coriander leaves
6. Jeera
7. Cloves
8. Salt

Preparation:

• Soak the chana daal in enough water for about 4-5 hours.
•  Meanwhile dice the onion into small pieces.
• Grind the soaked chana daal along with green chillies, jeera, garlic, cloves with little water in the grinder to a semi smooth paste. (The batter should be a bit coarse)
• Add the diced onions and mix thoroughly and keep aside.
• Check for taste; if necessary add salt, chillies etc.

 Method:

• Heat the Appe/ Appam skillet and add 1 tsp oil into each groove.
• Make sure that the oil has become hot (not smoking hot). Drop a bit of batter to test and if you hear the sizzling sound, the oil is of the right temperature.
• Add the prepared chana daal batter into each of the grove, so that ¾ of the grove is covered and then cover it with a lid.
•  Reduce the heat a little bit at this time. After a minute or so, open the lid and with a kitchen knife, run it around the edge of the appe, to see if it is browning.
• Make sure the appe does not turn dark brown or black in color. The one in the middle is the one that gets dark fast.
• If some of the appe can be easily displaced from the grove turn it on the other side, add oil and cook until done. Let the remaining appe cook correctly and turn them when done.
• When turned on the other side, add oil again and reduce the heat even further and there is no need to cover with lid. This side gets done pretty fast.

Low Fat Methi Pakodas (Appey/Paddu/Paniyaram Style)

My dear friend Upsi makes the best Methi (Fenugreek leaves) Pakodas. Whenever she makes them at home, she is sweet enough to bring some for us as well.  Pakodas made with Fenugreek are new to us and we had not tasted it before. Of course, we have had onions pakodas and they are our all time indulging favorites.  

The Methi Pakodas that Upsi makes are crispy, spicy with strong flavors of fenugreek, fennel complementing the sweet taste of cooked onions. The bitter taste of fenugreek is no where to be found. All in all a deadly combination J.Suffice to say that we all including the little one waste no time in polishing off the container clean and clear. That is how good they are!

Last Thursday I came back early from work and had that craving to indulge on something crispy and yummy. It was too early for dinner, but about the right time for evening tea. With the impending long weekend in mind, I was all set to do some experimenting in the kitchen. The first thing that came to my mind were these pakodas and also I had been meaning to try them for a long time. However with not–so-happy thought of bulging waistline I decided to make it the low-fat Appe Style way.

For all those new to this method, I use the Aebleskiver Pan to make low-fat version of pakodas, vadas, bhajjis. The Appe (Konkani cooking word) is also referred to as “Ponganalu/Paniyaram/Uniyappam”. I have found very favorable results by using this pan and this forms a healthier alternative to the deep fired variety. To see how the Aebleskiver pan/skillet looks like check here. 

You can also check other recipes using this skillet: Dahi Vada (Appe ), Malai Kofta Curry,  Masala Vada.

My son also liked this and ate it with some ketchup. This week I also packed some for him in his lunch box as one of the items. It has the same taste and this is crispy on the outside, with spongy idli like texture on the inside and definitely worth a try.

This is my contribution to the event CFK: Healthy Lunch Boxes guest hosted by Neha. This is a monthly event started by Sharmi of Neivedyam.

Ingredients: 

• 1 ½ cup Besan (Gram flour/Chickpea flour)
• 2 Tbsp rice flour
• 1 cup of chopped onion
•  1 cup of pressed fenugreek leaves chopped (I used ½ cup of frozen Fenugreek leaves)
• Turmeric
• Red chili powder
• Salt per taste
• 2 tsp fennel seeds
• Sugar a pinch
• ½ tsp Baking soda
• Water to make the batter

Yields:

Approximately 30 appes.

Method:

·         Note: If using the frozen fenugreek, thaw it first and microwave it until the water content is gone.

·         In a bowl mix together Besan, Rice flour, baking soda, salt, red chili powder, turmeric, fennel, sugar. Add water so that it has a consistency of pakodas/bhajji (Neither thick nor runny)

·         Add the diced onions, fenugreek and mix thoroughly and keep aside for 10 minutes. Check for taste; if necessary add salt, chillies etc.

·         Heat the  Aebleskiver pan/ Appe skillet and add 1 tsp oil into each groove.

·         Make sure that the oil has become hot (not smoking hot). Drop a bit of batter to test and if you hear the sizzling sound, the oil is of the right temperature.

·         Add the prepared batter into each of the grove, so that 2/3 of the grove is covered and then cover it with a lid.

·         Reduce the heat a little bit at this time. After a minute or so, open the lid and with a kitchen knife, run it around the edge of the appe, to see if it is browning.

·         Make sure the appe does not turn dark brown or black in color. The one in the middle is the one that gets dark fast.

·         If some of the appe can be easily displaced from the grove turn it on the other side, add oil and cook until done. Let the remaining appe cook correctly and turn them when done.

·         When turned on the other side, add oil again and reduce the heat even further and there is no need to cover with lid. This side gets done pretty fast.

Eat them warm as is or with ketchup. Do not forget to drink with some tea J

Appe with a twist: Dahi Vada (Appe)

Update: In this recipe I first make the Medu Vada as an Appe (Konkani cooking word) in a Aebleskiver Pan.  This ‘Appe’ is also referred to as “Ponganalu/ Paniyaram/ Uniyappam/ Gundupongalu or Gundpaanglu”. After that I dip them in the seasoned yogurt/curd. I have found very favorable results by using this pan and this forms a healthier alternative to the deep fired variety. There is also no difference in taste. To see how the pan/skillet looks like check here. 

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It is funny how I came up with this idea of “Dahi Appe” and I have to thank my toddler for that. Strange, but sometimes their stubbornness, fussiness challenges you to think outside the box and come up with creative ways of feeding them healthy and nutritious food. Their temper tantrums, constant whining, screaming, terrible two’s syndrome …….. now that is a different story altogether and makes you want to sit inside a box forever.

Anyways, so S as any other toddler has this nasty habit of turning his head around in a 180 turn, the moment I take food to him.  So I usually have to tax my brain to try something new to allure his taste buds. I thought about the usual vadas, bhajjis etc but did not want to give him deep fried food as it is very easy to fall into that temptation and then hard to get them out of it. So somewhere along and had this idea of making “Urad daal vada (medu vada)” as appe.

I was so excited with this idea, that I could not wait to try it. In fact, when I made them I was surprised as they tasted pretty good by themselves. It is good idea for a healthy wholesome snack even for the adults. Of course, they do not taste anywhere near the deep fried ones but nevertheless a filling snack and a healthy substitute.

But then while munching on those goodies I had another wicked idea and that was to put it in the yogurt mix to make “Dahi vada”.  After all, anything dipped in yogurt goodness has to taste good, right? . This tastes exactly like Dahi Vada/ Dahi Bada/ Thayir Vada.

Ingredients for the urad vada ( appe )

• 1 cup urad daal
• Curry leaves
• Ginger
• 2-3 green chillies
• Pepper corns
• Salt

Ingredients for the yogurt sauce

• 1 cup yogurt (if thick thin it out with little milk)
• 2-3 red chillies
• 3-4 curry leaves
• Mustard
• Salt, oil

• Soak the urad daal in enough water for about 4-5 hours.
• Grind the soaked urad daal with little water in the grinder to a smooth paste. The batter should not be flowing or too thick either.
•  Add salt, diced green chillies, ginger, curry leaves. Mix thoroughly and keep aside.
• Yogurt sauce:  The yogurt should not be very thick, thin it out a bit with milk.
•  Prepare a seasoning of oil, mustard, curry leaves, red chillies and pour it into the yogurt.

 Method:

• Heat the Appe/ Appam skillet and add ½ tsp oil into each groove.
• Make sure that the oil has become hot (not smoking hot). Drop a bit of batter to test and if you hear the sizzling sound, the oil is of the right temperature.
• Add the prepared urad daal batter into each of the grove, so that ¾ of the grove is covered and cover it with a lid.
• Reduce the heat a little bit at this time. After a minute or so, open the lid and with a kitchen knife, run it around the edge of the appe, to see if it is browning.
• Make sure the appe does not turn dark brown or black in color. The one in the middle is the one that gets dark fast.
• If some of the appe can be easily displaced from the grove turn it on the other side, add oil and cook until done. Let the remaining appe cook correctly.
• When turned on the other side, reduce the heat even further and there is no need to cover with lid. This side gets done pretty fast.
• After done, place it in the already prepared yogurt mixture.

This can be served after an hour or so after the yogurt mixture is absorbed into the appe / vadas.













Update: In this recipe I first make the Medu Vada as an Appe (Konkani cooking word) in a Aebleskiver Pan.  This ‘Appe’ is also referred to as “Ponganalu/Paniyaram/Uniyappam”. After that I dip them in the seasoned yogurt/curd. I have found very favorable results by using this pan and this forms a healthier alternative to the deep fired variety.

Kids Lunch Box: Multi Lentil Vegetable Appe/ Kuzhi Paniyaram

Two of my good friends who are also moms, liked this idea of Veggie Dosa triangles that I had posted before and requested to share few more of lunch box ideas. The tricky and challenging part is not only to make a dish kid appealing but also pack in maximum nutrition in it. Also what appeals to one kid does not appeal to the other. The other two friends have shared their food ideas as well. I plan to have a post on LunchBox ideas for kids atleast once a month.
I pack lunch for DS everyday in the morning. However I do not prepare something new and pack it in his box. I experiment the dish on the kiddo first during the weekend, try to get a feel of his liking and then pack it for him during the week. Of course, there is no guarantee that just because he liked it during the weekend that he will eat it during the weekday
I tried this Appe dish last weekend and the kiddo liked it very much. The Appe/ paniyaram is a dish made by cooking batter, traditionally made from lentils and rice using a special pan/skillet/mold. Appe (Konkani) is known by various names such as Paniyaram, paddu, guliappa, gundponglu, gunta pongadalu etc.

The good thing about this is it is low-fat, nutritious and just the right size for the kids. Since it is savory and has the right flavors there is no need for additional chutney or sabji for this. The only requirement is this special pan/skillet/mold.
Notes:

• The kiddo liked it better when the outer covering of the Appe was crisp. This can be achieved when the skillet is hot, however if not careful then the appe get black very fast.
• When I made it the second time, I added too much grated carrot and not so crispy and he did not like that taste.
• The taste of the Appe is good even after 3-4 hours when it is kept covered.
• You can use some left over idli or dosa batter for this instead of making it from scratch.
• Also use any vegetables, greens of choice.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup urad daal
• 1/4 cup chana daal
• 1/4 cup toor daal
• 1 cup idli rava
•  
• Ginger
• Carrot (grated)
• Cumin seeds
• Curry leaves (this enhances taste, however kids might not like it)
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• Peas/cabbage
• finely chopped coriander leaves/spinach leaves
• Salt
• oil

Preparation:

• Soak all the daals/lentils in enough water for about 5-6 hours.
• Grind the soaked daals with water in the grinder to a smooth paste.  
• Meanwhile wash the idli rava and then drain the water completely.
• Add the ground daal paste to this wet idli rava and mix well.
• Let it ferment overnight or for about 10-12 hours.
• Note: You can use idli or dosa batter for this instead of using the above batter. 

Method:

• Take out the fermented batter and add salt, grated carrots, ginger, peas, curry leaves, coriander leaves. Mix thoroughly and keep aside.
• Heat the Appe/ Aebleskiver Pan and add ½ tsp oil into each groove.
• Make sure that the oil has become hot (not smoking hot). Drop a bit of batter to test and if you hear the sizzling sound, the oil is of the right temperature.
• Add the prepared batter into each of the grove, so that ¾ of the grove is covered and then cover it with a lid.
• Reduce the heat a little bit at this time. After a minute or so, open the lid and with a kitchen knife, run it around the edge of the appe, to see if it is browning.
• Make sure the appe does not turn dark brown or black in color. The one in the middle is the one that gets dark fast.
• If some of the appe can be easily displaced from the grove turn it on the other side, add oil and cook until done. Let the remaining appe cook correctly.
• When turned on the other side, reduce the heat even further and there is no need to cover with lid. This side gets done pretty fast. v

Rava Idli and Potato Saagu/ Bombay Saagu

 

Rava Idli or Rave Idli is a variation of Idli, made with Rava/ Sooji/semolina instead of the usual rice and Urad Daal.  It is a specialty of the state of Karnataka and is usually served as a breakfast item. It has been said that the popular restaurant chain, Mavalli Tiffin Room (MTR) of Bangalore invented it. Apparently during World War II, when rice (a staple item used in idli) was short in supply, they experimented in making idli using semolina and created the now famous Rava Idli.
 Rava-Idli translates to semolina-idli in the Kannada language. Rava idli is served hot and is usually eaten along with Saagu and Coconut Chutney. A dash of Ghee poured on the top of Rava Idli adds to the overall taste. (Adapted from here).
Unlike a regular Idli, the batter can be prepared in an instant and does not require any grinding or fermenting. So this is more of an Instant Idli. There are many versions of Rava Idli and Saagu, but this is the one that I follow often.

• Potato SaaguIngredients:
• 3-4 medium potatoes
• 1 medium Onion (chopped)
• 3/4 cup peas
• 2 Tomatoes
• 4-5 Curry leaves
• 2-3 green chillies
• handful of chopped coriander leaves
• Asafetida  a pinch
• ½ tsp Turmeric powder
• Cumin seeds
• Mustard seeds
• Red chilli powder (depending on taste)
• salt, OilPreparation eel the potatoes and chop into small cubes. Put them in water to avoid browning. Now cook them over the stove top or microwave along with salt.
• Alternatively pressure cook potatoes with water and then chop into cubes. Retain the water and keep aside.
• Take a big pan and heat oil.  Now add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafetida and curry leaves,
• Add the chopped onion, green chillies and cook until the onion turns transparent.
• Add salt, chopped tomatoes, turmeric, red chilli powder and mix well.
• Add the cooked potatoes, peas, salt, and water from the boiled potatoes. Cover a lid and turn the flame to medium and let it boil until the whole thing becomes thick and starchy.
• Turn off the stove and garnish with coriander leaves and serve with Rave Idli.

Ingredients for Rava Idli: (makes about 9 medium Idli)

• 1 cup Semolina/Rava(coarse)
• 2.5 cups yogurt/curd (sour is preferable)
• ½ tsp fresh ginger(grated)
• Coriander leaves (chopped)
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• Salt to tasteSeasoning/Tadka
• 1 tsp Urad dal
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• Asafetida (a pinch)
• 1-2 Green chillies(finely chopped)
• 2-3 Curry leaves
• Oil
• 10-15 small Cashew pieces (optional)
  Method for making the Idlis: Heat oil in a big pan. Add the mustard seeds and allow to splutter. Now add the curry leaves (cut into pieces), asafetida, urad dal, cashew pieces, green chillies and mix well.
• Add Semolina/rava slowly to this seasoning and fry until it turns light brown and the aroma waffles through. Keep aside and allow to cool.
• Take a bowl, add salt and whisk the yogurt.  Add this yogurt to the seasoned semolina mixture in intervals and mix well.
• Now add baking soda, coriander leaves, and ginger to this and mix again. Keep aside for 15-20 minutes.
• Note: The mixture is thick. Add 1-2 Tbsp of yogurt more if it is too thick.
• Grease the Idli plates. Add spoonful of the batter to each of the idli plates.
• Heat water in a pressure cooker and place the idli stand in a pressure cooker and cook covered without the whistle for 10-12 minutes.

Serve hot with a spoonful of ghee, potato saagu and with coconut chutney.

Masala Idlis

While talking to MIL last week, I was telling her how DS is not fond of Idlis. The 4 year old will eat dosas but somehow has not developed fondness for Idlis. Now if you are anything like our family who take their Idlis seriously this statement can be quite a shocker. If the extended family back home hears this, then I am pretty sure everyone will offer suggestions to bring the ‘rebel’ back onto the Idli track. ?
Until he can come with his own theories for dislike, my theory is that since he does not like chutney, the idli by itself is bland and hence it does not appease his taste buds. I presented this thought to MIL and she suggested trying Masala Idlys. Now I was all ears while she eagerly handed over the recipe.
Seasoning with onions, grated carrot is prepared, added to the idly batter and then steamed the regular way. The Idlis cook up the usual way and have a wonderful flavor. There is no need to make additional chutney. I loved the idea and prepared them the first opportunity I had.
The 4 year old ate one or two, but depending on his interest and enthusiasm I am sure he has not become an Idli convert yet. The parents however loved and enjoyed the taste. Sigh!

Ingredients: 

•  1 measure Idli batter
•  Curry leaves
•  Chopped Onions (optional)
•  Carrot grated
•  Curry leaves
• grated Ginger
•  Cut Green chillies (optional)
•  Handful of coriander leaves
•  Mustard seeds
•  Salt, oil

Method:

•  Heat oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds and when they splutter add curry leaves, onions and mix well. Add the grated carrot, ginger, green chillies and chopped coriander leaves and mix until they slightly cook and the leaves wilt. There is no need to over. 
• Add this and salt to the prepared Idli batter. Mix well and check for seasonings.
• Steam idli the usual way. Serve hot.

Healthy Breakfast: Pumpkin Idli (Dudhi Idli)

I was introduced to the new concept of Pumpkin Idli only after my wedding. My mother-in-law had prepared it early in the morning for breakfast and I had it with some ghee. Suffice to say that the taste was totally out of this world and I became a big fan of it ever since. This is an instant idly/idlies and requires no fermentation or grinding. It has a sweetish taste because of the pumpkin but when combined with salt, coconut and green chillies, the Idli imparts totally unique flavor. 
Pumpkin is chock full of goodness. Not only is pumpkin loaded with Vitamin A and antioxidant carotenoids, particularly alpha and beta-carotenes, it’s a good source of Vitamins C, K, and E, and lots of minerals, including magnesium, potassium, and iron.

This along wit some fruits, orange juice/ milk/yogurt can serve as a well balanced breakfast and keep us going through out the day. 
This is my entry to Balanced Breakfast WBB#20 hosted by the wonderful and talented Mansi.


Ingredients

• 2 cups grated yellow pumpkin
• 3/4 cup of idli rava (not the upma rav, adjust according to the coarseness you want, less the bettter)
• Handful of coriander leaves
• ½ cup shredded coconut (optional)
• 4-5 green chillies
• salt

Preparation:

• Remove the skin from the pumpkin and grate it.
• Chop up the green chilies and coriander leaves very finely.
• Add the idli rava, green chilies, coriander leaves to grated pumpkin and mix well. Add salt as required. No need to add water at all.
• Note that the mixture in this case will be coarse and separate and not “gooey” or sticky like regular idli batter. The mixture should have more of pumpkin than the idli rava.
•  Keep aside for 30 minutes.

Procedure:

• Grease the idli stand and pour the pumpkin mixture in each groove.
• Steam this in a pressure cooker without whistle for 15 minutes.

Serve hot with ghee. This can be had as snacks as is without chutney or pudis.

Leftover Idli? Try Idli fries

Whenever I have leftover Idlis, I usually make Idli Upma or Idli Roast. Idli Roast is shallow frying whole Idlis on a flat pan, until it is crunch on the outside and soft on the inside. Suffice to say that many a times; we look forward to eating Idly roast more than the regular Idlis.
I got this idea of cutting the idlis as strips and making Idli Fries, when I was flipping through a food magazine at a dentist’s office. The recipe there was for making baked fries using Polenta, somewhat similar to this. I loved the idea and used the concept for making Idli Fries.
Even though this called as Fries, the Idli strips are shallow fired and not-deep fried. It’s an extension to the Idli Roast in the sense these are cut as strips instead of using whole Idlis for roasting.

The kids will love this, not only for taste but also for the shape. It is easy to prepare and makes a good evening snack. I think it is a cool idea to pack this as a side item in the kid’s lunch boxes. The next time around I plan to add some shredded carrots, peas to make it more filling and nutritious.

Ingredients: 

• Leftover Idlis
•  Curry leaves
•  Coriander leaves (optional)
•  Sesame seeds(optional)
•  Mustard seeds
•  Oil, salt

Method:

• Take Idlis and cut them into strips (like cutting potato French fries). I cut them thicker that the usual potato fries.
• Take a thick flat pan (preferable non-stick), and add oil on medium to high heat.
• Add the cut idlis and toss it around in the pan. Do not handle them a lot as it tends to break. (I used rubber spatula to turn them around).
• Add little more oil onto a side and ddd mustard seeds, chopped curry leaves, sesame seeds and toss around again. 
• Adding salt is optional as it depends on the idlis.
• Make sure that the idli fries, brown evenly on all the sides.
•  Garnish with chopped coriander (optional). Serve Hot.