Sabudhana umpa

I love to try different variations of dishes and I am always in a look out for it.I hit the jackpot with this Marati version of upma.This Sabudhana upma is nothing like its South Indian kin! Itz easy and I was charmed with this version of upma with its first bite.

Ingredients:

1 cup  Sabudhana
1 cup Yogurt / sour curd
1/2 cup peanuts
4 green chillies
1 tbps oil
1 tsp jeera /cumin
1 sprig curry leaves
salt

Preparation:
1.Mix Sabudhana and curd in a vessel .If the mixture is dry, add water or buttermilk.
2.Add salt and soak the mixture  for atleast 3 hours.
3.Check if Sabuhana is ready by squeezing it .If it is soft it is ready.If it still has a hard core, soak it for a bit longer.make sure the mixture is not too dry.
4.In a pan roast peanuts with a drop of oil, till golden brown.
5.Cool the peanuts in a dry plate for about 5 min.
6.Once the peanuts are cooled, make a coarse powder and set aside.

Method:
1. Heat oil in a pan and add  jeera, finely chopped green chilies and curry leaves ,fry till crisp.
2. Add Sabudhana and fry on a medium  flame till the sabudhana turns transparent.
3.Once most of the sabudhana turns transperent , add the peanut powder and mix well.
4.Serve hot.


Note:
If you are using Nylon Sabudhana , you will have to soak the mixture overnight.
While soaking the sabudhana for 3 hours, check in between to make sure the sabudhana is not too dry.If it is dry add little buttermilk or water.
Try and use a non-stick pan.The buttermilk will stick and blacken the pan.

Pacha Pulusu ( no cooking rasam)

This hot summer, try this light and cool rasam.

Serves 4

Ingredients :

1 cup finely chopped Onions

2 cup tamrind juice

1/2 cup water

2 tbps chopped Cilantro

2 tsp Jaggery

8 green chillies finely chopped

salt to taste

Method:

1.In a 1 quart bowl crush greenchill , onions with salt .

2.Add cilantro and tamrind juice.

3.Add water and Jaggery to adjust tanginess to your taste.

4.Serve cool with hot rice and ghee.

Note :

You can sever this rasam as a soup as well.

For more flavour you can add tempering.

Idli / Steamed rice cakes

Idli the steamed wonder! Idli Sambar with vada is a breakfast that I can eat everyday without getting bored.

Idli making is generally a 2 day process, so lets get started...

Idli recipe

3 cups idli rice

1 cup urad dal /black gram

1 tbps methi seeds / fenugeek

1/2 tsp dry yest (optional)

1/2 tsp baking powder(optional)

salt to taste

Method:

For Batter:

1. Soak urad dal and idli rice in separate container overnight or for about 8 hrs.

2. Grind the rice to a coarse texture and set aside.

3. Grind urad dal separately till a shiny sheen appears on the surface.

4. Mix the ground rice , urad dal and salt.

5. You can add yeast to you batter so as to help ferment faster. It is completely optional.

6. Close the lid and store the batter in a warm area.

7. Let the batter ferment for about 8 to 10 hours.

8. If the batter is well fermented your batter will be almost double.

Steaming idis:(this is the easy part )

1. Add baking powder to the batter and mix well.

2.Coat the idli plates with very little oil.This will make it easier for you to remove steamed idlies later.

3. Add idli batter into each depressing about 3/4 of the depressing. (If your idli batter is well fermented it will puff up to double the volume).

4. Steam the idlis for about 15 minutes.

5. Once the steam has escaped open the steamer/cooker lid. Remove the plates and let it cool for a minute.

6. With a spoon scoop out idlies by loosening the edges 1st.

7. Add a drop of ghee if you like and serve hot with sambar or chutney.

Note:

1. Make sure you do not add excess water, or the batter will become runny.If you place a drop of batter it must retain the shape.

2.You can soak about 3 cups of rice rava / cream of rice instaed of soaking and grinding rice.

3. Fermenting idli batter in winter might take more than 10 hours.

4. I generally add yeast during summers so as to skip adding baking soda altogether.

Sambar for idli

This tangy Sambar completes the idli. Idli can be eaten with various chutneys and podis but I don't feel satisfied until there is sambar with it. I prepare this sambar specially for idli and vada, but it tastes good with rice as well. I end up eating more sambar than idli, the combi is simply the best. Some people like to immerse the idli in sambar like I do, but others prefer it in a cup, either way it is yummy! So what are we waiting for?

Sambar Recipe:

1 cup Thoor dal / split pigeon pea

1 cup Tamrind juice

1 small Onion chopped lengthwise (optional)

1 pound small Onions / pearl onions

5 juicy Tomatoes finely chopped.

1/2 tsp Turmeric

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Jeera / Cumin

1/2 cup chopped Cilantro

1/4 tsp crushed Jaggery

1 pinch Hing.

1 sprig Curry leaves

Salt to taste.

For grinding:

1 tsp Ghee /clarified butter

2 tbps Oil

1 inch Cinnamon

8 Cloves

2 Marati moggu

1/2 tsp Urad dal/split black gram

1/2 tsp Channa dal

1/3 cup grated Coconut.

2 tsp Curry powder/Rasam powder

Method:

1. Pressure cook thoor dal and turmeric with adequate water.Let it whistle for atleast 3 times.

2. Let it cool. Once cool mash the dal .

3. Heat Ghee in a pan and roast Cinnamon,Cloves and marati moggu, till cloves swell.

4. Add urad dal and channa dal and fry till crisp and golden brown.

5. Grind the fried mixture along with coconut , curry powder and water to a fine paste.

6. In a deep sauce pan, heat oil add mustard seeds, cumin, hing and curry leaves.

7. Once the curry leaves are crisp , add onions.

8. Fry onions till they are translucent and then add tomato.

9. Fry tomatoes for about a minute.

10. Add the mashed dal and tamrind water.

11. Add crushed Jaggery and stir.

12. Add the ground masala and boil for 3 to 4 minutes.

13. Add salt and garnish with cilantro.

14. Serve hot with hot idli , vada or rice.

Note:

If you prefer spicy Sambar add extra Rasam powder.

If your rasam powder is not very spicy you can add about 1/4 tsp chilli powder to 1 tsp rasam powder to make it more spicy.

Chakku Dosa

Chakku dosa tastes best with Onion Chutney or Yaragaddala Mirumu ! Traditionally this dosa mixture is milled with washed rice and channa dal in mills.This is a instant version of the same.Try this unique south Indian dosa today.

Ingredients:

1 cup cream of rice

1/4 cup Gram flour /Besan

1 cup sour curd

1 cup butter milk (optional)

salt to taste

For seasoning

1 tbsp oil

1 pinch Asofoetida

1 sprig curry leaves (optional)

1 tsp channa dal

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

2 to 3 red chillies broken into 1/2

Method:

1. Mix cream of rice , gram flour, salt and curd.Soak the mixture for at least 4 hours.If the mixture is very thick add water.

2.In a small pan heat oil and add mustard seeds, Asfoetida, curry leaves , channa dal and red chillies.Fry till crisp.

3.Add the seasoning to the batter just before making dosa.

4.Add buttermilk or water to the dosa batter to bring it to a flowy consistency.

5.Make dosa on a tawa.

6.Add few drops of oil over the edges of the tawa.

7.Cover the tawa with a lid and heat it on medium flame.

8.When the edges turn red and crispy flip it over and heat it for about a minute.

9.Serve hot with ghee and Onion chutney.

Note:

Make dosa on a Concave tawa / Appam tawa.Pour the batter on the edge of the Tawa , so that the batter flows towards the center.Add additional batter if required to make the dosa complete.

Palak Papu \Spinach Lentil curry

One of the mild but rich in nutrients dal.Try this easy dal.

Ingredients:

1 cup Thoor Dal

1 cup chopped Spinach \Palak

5 or 6 Green chillies slit

5 to 6 Garlic cloves slit

1 pinch turmeric

Salt to taste

For seasoning

1 tsp oil

1 pinch Asofoetida

1 sprig curry leaves (optional)

1 tsp channa dal

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Cumin

2 to 3 red chillies broken into 1/2

Method:

1.Pressure cook toor dal, turmeric, green chillies, garlic and chopped spinach with sufficient water.

2.In a small pan heat oil and add mustard seeds, Asfoetida, curry leaves, cumin, channa dal, and red chillies.Fry till crisp.

3. Add salt and seasoning to the dal and stir.

4.Serve hot with cooked rice or roti.

Note:

Let the pressure cooker whistle for an extra whistle than usual to get a well done and soft dal.

Serve palak papu along with raw chopped onions and fried sour chillies.