Paruppu Adai/Lentils Dosa

This is pretty similar like Dosa but since its made of dal, I can say its rich in protein.

Things we need

Idli Rice/ Puzungal aruci (in tamil) - 2 cups

Toor dal - 1/2 cup

Urad dal- 1/2 cup

Channa Dal-1/2 cup

Red chillies -5

Asafoetida

Salt

Green Chillies -4

Corriander leaves

Curry leaves

Grated Coconut - 3 spoons

Wash & Soak the rice & the lentils together for 3 hrs. Then grind salt, red chillies, green chilles, asafoetida, the soaked dals & rice, Salt . Grind them coarsly. Then add the coconut, chopped corriander & curry leaves. the batter is ready

Then in a tava/skillet, take 2 ladle full of batter, spread them around like one would do for a dosa. Add a little oil around. When one side of it is done, turn it over to get the other side cooked.
Its done. It is served best with Avial. some like it well with just jaggery. Even Coconut chutney would do good.
Chopped onions can be added to the batter too.

Mexican Veggie Bowl

This was one dish I had at Chipotle in chicago. It was so yummy I fell in love with. I searched for recipes in vain. So I kind of put things together to make a taste that is little closer to the original that is served there. When I started doing this, I felt like making our Desi Chaat..Lot of items. But it was fun to make & delicious too.

Its pretty easy & very Healthy with a lot Veggies.
Here is what we need:
Brown Rice - 1 cup
Black Bean (raw) - 1 cup
Green chillies - 3
Red chilli Powder 1/2 spoon
Ginger Garlic paste
Onions - 1 chopped well
Tomatos - Pureed (or cut into small pieces)
Cilantro leaves - chopped
Salt
Oil

Avocado - 1 ripe
Guacamole seasoning mix - 1 packet (available at Walmart or any other store)
Sour Cream

Veggies for topping
Lettuce
Onions
Corn
Green Pepper
Little lemon juice

Lets get to preparation.


RICE
Cook the brown rice as per the packet instructions. I felt they came out well when cooked in a electric cooker instead of the pressure cooker.

BEAN
Pressure cook the black beans. Take half of them & mash it . ( I used a food processor for this ) . Then in a skillet, add a little oil. When it si hot enough, add the onions & cook them till they r soft & add the ginger garlic paste, green chillies. Then add the tomatoes & saute well. Add the bean to this & then salt. Add little water & cook them well for 15 mins or so. When done, add the cilantro leaves. The bean is done.

Guacamole Sauce
Take the ripe avocados & miss them with the guacamole Mix. (use a food processor).

Veggies
Chop the lettuce
Cut the onions, green pepper length wise. (nothing to do with the way of cutting them. I felt that they just render a different look to the dish.)

In a skillet, take oil, when its hot, add the onions, green pepper & corn . Add a little salt.. Cook them jus a little & when done add a little lemon juice on top of them.

Now let’s put them all together. In a bowl, add the brown rice, then the bean, chopped lettuce, then the onion, green pepper & corn mix. 1 spoon of Guacamole Sauce, 1 spoon of Sour Cream. Sprinkle little salt & lemon on top.

¡buen provecho (Bon Appetit)

Bendi Microwave Fry

This Recipe was suggested by one of my friends Gowri. This one is pretty easy, really tasty & healthy.

Things you need:

Okra - Fresh ones (not Frozen)
Salt
Chilli Powder
Pam olive Oil Spray / Any oil
Microwaveable plate.

Cut the okra lengthwise as shown in the pic & lay them on a plate. Spray a little oil on them & sprinkle Salt, chilli powder.


Keep it in the microwave for 5 mins, then just mix them up a bit & keep it for 2 more mins. That is all. Crispy Bendi Fry is ready to eat. They r crispy without frying them in Oil, thats the best part.



It is very good with Rasam Rice

Aama Vadai/ Masala Vadai/ Cabbage vadai/ Paruppu Vadai

This Recipe is a mix match from a lot of sources. But the main ratios are from Meenakshi Amma's Samithu Paar, the legendary cook book.

Things Needed:

Toor dal : 1 cup

Channa Dal : 1/2 cup

Urad Dal : 1/2 cup

Green Chillies

Red chillies

Ginger

Mint leaves a small bunch

Corriander leaves

Curry Leaves

Salt to taste

Hing or Asafoetida

Cabbage : Well cut

Onions : Well cut

Saunf/ fennel seeds a little

Oil to fry

Preparation

Soak the Channa Dal Separately. Soak the urad & the Toor Dal together for about 2 hrs. Take the chillies, salt, hing, ginger & grind them 1st. Then add the Toor dal & the Urad dal & grind them very roughly. To this jus add the mint, corriander & the Channa dal & grind them coarsly. Add the saunf. Do not add much water. It shud be thick in consistency

Mix the batter well & add the curry leaves, cabbage & also the onions.

In a kadai, take oil, all it get hot. Then make a small inner palm sized flat vadas & fry it in the oil.

Yummy vadais are ready..

Aloo channa Dal Papad Kootu. Urulaikizangu Kadalai Paruppu Appala Kootu

This Particular recipe is one I tried from a Aval Vikatan, a tamil magazine.
It was realy tasty & real handy when we run out of vegetables.

Things we need:

Potato - 2 /3
Onions - 2 chopped
Channa dal - 1/2 a cup
Papad 2 / 3
Cocunut - 2 spoons (grind them well)
Saunf - 1/2 spoon
Green chilles - 3/4 well sliced
Turmeric Powder
Chilli powder
Corriander Leaves
Ginger - 1/2 spoon Grated
Cinnamon - a little
Cloves - 2 nos
Curry Leaves
Oil
salt

If need be One can use Garlic too

Pressure cook the potatoes. In the cooker you can also pressure cook Channa dal with turmeric, chilli powder & salt. Then Mash the potatoes well & add the cooked Channa dal along with it. Fry the papads & keep them aside.
In a Kadai, take a little oil, add cinnamon, cloves,saunf & onions. Then add curry leaves, green chillies, ginger (add the crushed garlic at this time if you are wanting to add). When they are cooked, add the potatoes + Channa dal mix. add a little water and salt. Then add the ground coconut. Mix them well. When done, add the papads and then garnish with Corriander leaves.
The dish is done. It is good with Rice.
(In the pic I did not add Corriander Leaves, as I didn't have any at that time. They were tasty too)

Panagam/ Panakam/ Jaggery Splash

This is a drink mostly given to us during Raama Navami. Along with Kosmari (Salad) and Neer Moor (Butter Milk).
I shall post reipes of all of them. They are very easy to make.
The main ingredient in this is Jaggery. This was used as a subtitute of Sugar. It has magnesium, potassium, iron & also sodium. Jaggery is known to relax our nerves espically to beat the summer.

Items needed
Water - 1 1/2 cup
Jaggery - have it powdered. Or slice it well using a sharp knife - half a cup
Dry ginger/ Sukku powder - 1/ spoon
Cardamom Powdered - a pinch
Lemon 1/2

Mix the jaggery completely in water. Drain it into another vessel to remove the sediments. Then add the dry ginger powder, cardamom, lemon.

This drink is very popluar to heal commoon cols & sore throat due the properties of ginger. One can also add a little bit of crushed pepper to spice it up.

Vegetable Poli, Vegetable Paratha

The dish I am gonna explain below is my mom in law's specialty. This is pretty easy to make.

Vegetable Poli

Ingredients

For the dough

Maida Flour

Salt

Water

A little oil

For the stuffing

Carrots

Potato

Oil

Mustard

Onions finely chopped

Green Chillies

Salt

Preparation

Take ½ tumbler water, add salt and dissolve, add Maida flour and make dough. Add one spoon oil and make the dough little softer than a chappatti dough. Keep it aside for 2 hours. Pressure cook potato & carrot. Peel their skin and mash them very well. Take oil in Kadai, heat, add mustard, after it sputs add cut onions and till they are really soft. Then add the carrot, potato. Take salt, green chilli (3), grind in a mixie and add to the subzi. Add little water and cook till the masala gets solidified.

Take the maida dough, take a small ball, spread the same on a plate. Spread it in such a way that the center part of the dough has more dough than the corners. Put a small lump of masala on it, close the dough and press it out evenly to make it into a small paratha . Some of the masala might come out, Don’t worry, it enhances the taste if its done so.

Put the pressed dough on frying pan (dosa stone add a little oil around and cook the Poli on both sides by reversing. Its done.

Bon appétit !