Vegetable Rava Upma

Vegetables when added to Upma not only makes it look colorful but also healthy.  I have shared a regular & simple version of Upma recipe. Vegetable upma also uses the same recipe and ratios with only few additions in the ingredients.

Upma making is so easy if you take care of few things.. rava should be roasted, ratio of water to rava , right amount of oil and the consistency to which it need to be cooked. You will get perfect upma every time.

1. Rava - 1 Cup (roasted)
2. Beans - 7 Nos. - finely chopped
3. Carrot - 1 small - finely chopped
4. Onion - 1 no. - finely chopped
5. Tomato - 1 no. - finely chopped
6. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
7. Ginger - 1" piece - finely chopped
8. Green chillies - 2 nos. - finely chopped
9. Oil - 3 tbsp
10. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
11. Channa dal - 1/2 tp
12. Water - 2.5 cups
13. Salt to taste

• Heat a wok, Add the oil. when it is hot, add mustard seeds. When they start crackling, add channa dal and fry till it turns golden in color.
• Add Chopped Onions, curry leaves, green chillies and fry till onion turns translucent.
• Add the vegetables, Tomato and fry for a minute.
• Add water and salt, bring to boil
• When vegetables are partially cooked, start adding rava slowly while stirring it to avoid lumps.
• once they all mixed well and solidified, cover it with a lid and leave in low flame for two minutes.
• Turn off the gas.
• Delicious healthy Rava Upma is ready!

Sweet Wheat Dosai

Sharing with you a different variety of dosa which has no grinding or fermenting work.

Whole Wheat Flour - A Nutritious flour. Good source of calcium, iron, fiber and other minerals.

Jaggery - Also known as medicinal sugar has numerous health benefits. It is rich in minerals, vitamin. The magnesium in jaggery helps relaxing muscles, nerves. Iron helps to improve anaemic conditions.

Wheat dosai are made in two ways. One by soaking whole wheat & grinding it second method is the easiest way using wheat flour.

Just let the batter stand for 15 minutes or more and go ahead preparing it.

Ingredients :-

1. Wheat Flour - 2.5 cups
2. Rice flour - 1 cup
3. Semolina (rava) - 1/4 cup
4. Jaggery - 1 cup

Procedure :-

• Mix all the ingredinets except jaggery.
• Dissolve jaggery over medium flame adding a glass of water.
• Strain the impurities and add it to the mixed flour. Mix well.
• Add water little by little & prepare the batter without lumps
• If you find lumps, don't worry, take the big mixer jar, pour the prepared batter, blend well.
• Add salt to taste (lesser than normal consumption)
• The batter should not be too watery or too thick.
• Heat the dosa tawa, grease it, pour a laddle of the prepared batter & immediately & very very gently spread it to circular dosa shape.
• Pour few drops of oil around it 
• When one side is done, flip and cook the other side too till it turns golden in colour.

Note : If you are not able to spread it properly, then don't worry just add little more rice flour, required water & check the consistency. I use the traditional iron dosa tava into which the above ratio comes out well for me. You can use a non-stick tava too.

Flavouring :- By making some variations in the ingredients you can bring a twist in taste.

1. You can add some cardamom powder to the batter to bring in a nice flavour to your sweet dosa. 
2. Use ghee instead of oil.

Variation : - With the given ingredient minus Jaggery you can make the normal salt wheat dosa.

Enjoy the yummy sweet wheat dosa along with chutney / gun powder / pulikachal (puli inji).

Rava Uppuma / Upma / Uppit

The most common and easy to make tiffin variety, comes handy when you have unannounced guests . Uppuma or upma is a tiffin variety made of Broken wheat called rava / sooji, onions, spices and herbs.

In every household, this dish is prepared in different methods using different measures of the ingredients, which gives it an unique taste and texture.

Two important thing to get a perfect looking upma is Roasted Rave and Ratio of water to Rava.

Quantity of water is very important in upma making otherwise it will turn into paste. So right measure will give right consistency. 

Ingridients :-

1. Rava - 1 Cup (roasted)
2. Water - 2.5 cups
3. Salt to taste
4. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
5. Onions - 1 no.
6. Ginger - 1/2" piece
7. Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp (optional)
8. Green chillies - 2 nos or as per taste
9. Oil - 3 tbsp
10. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
11. Channa dhal - 1/2 tsp

Procedure

• If you are not using roasted rava then Roast 1 cup rava till it lets out a good aroma. spread on a paper and let it cool.
• Chop onions, green chillies, ginger and coriander leaves
• Heat oil in a wok, add  mustard seeds. When they start spluttering, add channa dal and roast till it turns into golden colour.
• Add ginger, green chillies, curry leaves and chopped onion, saute till onion becomes translucent.
• Add coriander leaves, salt to taste and 2.5 cups of water, mix well, cover and cook for 2 minutes.(this is to let the flavour blend with water)

• Now open the lid and slowly add the roasted rava little by little and stirring simultaneously to prevent lumps and let is boil.
• When the water on top has dried and you see only bubbles coming out of holes, put off the flame and keep it covered for 10 minutes.
• Hot and delicious upma is ready! When you scoop you can see each granule is visible & cooked well. Put in your mouth & relish the delicious upma that is cooked perfectly.

PS: Texture of rava is as per one's preference. If you like it to be crumbled and dry then use 2 cups of water.

Misal (Misal Pav)

Misal with pav is a famous Maharashtrian dish which can be had as a breakfast or as a snack or a evening tiffin. The pav bread gives a filled up feeling like pav baji.  Farsan (mixture) is added to the prepared ras (gravy liquid), garnished with coriander leaves & finely chopped onions and served along with a bread called Pav.

I have shared two photos.. One with simple farsan (sev and ghatia mix) with boiled potatoes and the second one is with tempered potato and mix farsan.

The tempered potato and mix farsan version I had tasted good so sharing that version as well with you.

Ingredients :-

1. Dried yellow peas (Vatana) - 1/2 cup
2. Onion (Sliced) - 1 No.
3. Onion (finely chopped) - 1 no. (for garnishing)
4. Tomato (finely chopped) - 1 No.
5. Cloves - 3 Nos.
6. Pepper - 1/2 tsp
7. Red chilli - 4 to 5 Nos. (or as preferred)*
8. Cinnamon - 1" stick
9. Dry coconut grated - 2 tbsp
10. Garlic pods - 2 big
11. Farsan (mixture)- 1 cup
12. Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
13. Oil
14. Water - 2.5 cups 
15. Salt to taste
16. Kandha Lasun masala powder - 2 tsp (optional)-a spicy masala powder.
17. Pav Bread or plain bread slices

* I used kashmiri chillies along with the normal red chilli to add colour to the ras. Kashmiri chilli powder or deggi mirchi powder can also be used.

Procedure :-

• Soak dried yellow peas (Vatana) overnight or for 6 hours, pressure cook adding little salt & keep ready.
• In a kadai, dry roast the grated dry coconut till golden colour. transfer to a plate and allow it to cool.
• In a blender grind coarsely - garlic,  pepper, cinnamon, cloves and dried red chillies.

• Heat oil, add the crushed masala, saute for 15 seconds. Add sliced onions and saute till onion turns golden brown, let it cool.

• In a blender grind together the fried onion masala mixture + tomato + roasted coconut to a smooth paste. (If required add little water to grind).
• Heat 3 tbsp oil, add the ground masala paste and saute well. Cover & cook with stirring in between, till oil oozes out.
• Now add water, salt, cover and cook till oil floats on top (approx. 5 minutes)

Now the "Ras" is ready!

You can use boiled potato as it is or you can give a tadka of mustard, curry leaves and potato with salt, lightly mashed... and use it while serving.

Now comes the interesting presentation for serving.

with plain boiled potato and simple farsan

with mix farsan and tempeted potato

Making the bowl of Misal:-

• In a small shallow plate or a wide mouthed bowl, first put 2 tbsp of pressure cooked vatana.
• Add a spoon of boiled potato or the tempered potato
• Sprinkle some Farsan (mixture)
• Over that sprinkle the finely chopped onion
• Pour the Ras over it
• Sprinkle the finley chopped coriander leaves (optional).
• On another small bowl pour some Ras for additional helping.

Serving :-

• On a plate place plain pav or pav toasted in butter, a bowl of Misal & the additonal serving of ras and serve.

Enjoy the Mumbai's 'home made' street food  :-)

Colourful Oothappam

Oothappam is a thick dosa. Many varities can be created viz., Plain, Onion, Mix Veg, carrot, spinach, etc.

Prepare the batter like you do for idli / dosai.

Here I am sharing the carrot + Onion ootappam.

Ingredients :-

1. Dosa / idli Batter - 1 litre
2. Onion - 1 No. Big
3. Carrot - 2 Nos.
4. Green Chillies - 2 Nos (optional)
5. Coriander Leaves - 3 tbsp
6. Ginger - 1 tbsp

Procedure :-

• Grate the carrots
• Finely chop Onion, green chillies (optional), ginger, coriander leaves
• The ootappa should be thick, so pour one and half laddle of batter into the dosa tawa and spread it in round shape. the layer should be thick.
• Pour 1/4 tsp oil all around it.
• Sprinkle the chopped veggies and grated carrot on top, cover and cook on low flame.
• When one side turns golden brown, (here you can flip & cook if you like, but the veg will get roasted and lose its attractive colour), serve it hot with chutney or sambar.

Masala Dosai / Masala Dosa / மசாலா தோசை

It is a filling item compared to Ordinary dosa. Mashed potato cooked in spices is spread on the dosa and the aroma will make one drool and the taste linger in the mouth. Taste best when served hot along with crispy dosa.

Ingridients(serves 4-5 dosas)

1. Potato (medium) - 4 nos
2. Onion (medium) - 1no.
3. Ginger  finely chopped - 1 tbsp
4. Green chilli finely chopped - 1 tbsp
5. curry leaves - 1 sprig
6. coriander leaves - 1 tbsp
7. Hing powder - 1 pinch
8. Turmeric Powder - less than 1/4 tsp
9. Salt to taste
10. water
11. Oil, mustard seeds for seasoning
12. Dosa batter (prepare the batter previous day as given in the link & let it ferment)

Procedure :

• Boil and mash potatoes
• Heat little oil in a wok, add hing powder,  mustard seeds.
• After the seeds splutter add chopped ginger, green chilli and curry leaves, saute for 30 seconds
• Add Chopped Onion and saute till it becomes translucent

• Add mashed potato, salt, turmeric powder and little water.
• Cover and cook till water evaporates and the aroma of spices blend with the potatoes.
• Sprinkle the chopped coriander leaves over it and mix.
• Masala is ready

• Now heat the dosa tawa, grease it with oil, pour a laddle of dosa batter, spread it in round shape, pour little oil around the dosa.
• When the edges turn golden colour & the top portion is also cooked, spread little masala on one half of the dosa 

• fold the other half over it and serve hot.

Idli / இட்லி / इडली

Idli the all time favourite , healthy and now a quitessential dish for breakfast in most of the southindian homes. 

It became an integral part of breakfast only in recent times. I have heard from elders that it was made only during festival days and not a regular affair. Since the joint family system was prevalent, grinding huge amount of batter is not an easy task. During festival days, the work load will be even more hence idli makes the breakfast making easy that day. Mostly served with Molagaipodi (idli chutney powder) mixed with oil (mostly nallenna / sesame oil or Chuttenna [any leftover oil that is used for deep frying] ). Chuttena tastes good and makes the idli molagaipodi, more yummier.

It is made by soaking and grinding rice & urad, fermented and then steamed.

A good combo of lentil and carbs for a healthy breakfast.

Giving the tips for soft idli making at the end of the post. Don't forget to read it.

The art of making soft Idli comes with practice. The best rice that goes into making of soft idlis is the parboiled variety which is otherwise known as 'Idli Rice'. The urad should be of good quality, which you can identify from its appearance and when ground the batter should be fluffy. 

Wet grinder helps you get soft & economy idli as you need to use only 1 portion of urad for five portions of rice. In a mixer the combination is 3(rice) : 1(urad). Adding few methi seeds will not change the colour but gives a nice light aroma to the steamed idlis and also makes them soft. The batter for idli should be of little more than dropping consistency. The same batter can be used for making Dosais (dosas) by diluting it with little water which will be thick but of pouring consistency.

Some soak 2 tbsp of sabudana (Sago/Javvarisi) too along with rice and grind the batter to make soft Idlies but it will be tasty like the normal Idli.

Let us get into Idli Making :-

Ingridients :

1. Parboiled Rice         - 5 Cups
2. White Urad / Bengal Gram (deskinned) (whole) -  1 Cup
3. Methi Seeds / Fenugreek           - 1 1/2 tsp
4. Salt to taste
5. Water to grind

Procedure :-

• Wash rice + methi seeds and soak in water for 6 hours

• Wash urad and soak for 1 hour (urad need not be soaked for long hours)

• First in a wet grinder, put the Urad and grind it for 20 to 30 minutes by adding water little by little till it becomes nice & fluffy.

• Transfer the batter to a vessel

• Now Add Rice + methi seeds and grind it to paste by adding water little by little when required

• when rice is ground, add the already grond Urad & required salt & grind them together for 10 minutes (no need to add water now)

• Transfer it to a bigger vessel and let it ferment for 6 hours or till the batter raise well

• To make idli, to the fermented batter, add required water (slightly more than dropping consistency) and mix well.

IDLI MOULD :

Idli Mould

• Heat the steamer by pouring water inside it for steaming.

• Pour a drop of oil in each mould and grease them while wet to prevent sticking.

• Pour batter into idli moulds & steam for 7 to 10 minutes.

 

• To check whether the idli is done, insert a knife and it should come out clean.

Steamed Idli  :

• Enjoy your soft idlis with the side dish of your choice.

Side dish suggestion :-

Tastes best with Onion Sambar, Coconut or Onion Chutney or Chutney Powder which is also know as 'gun powder' or 'Idli Milagaai Podi' 

TIPS for those using mixer grinder :-

If you are using mixer grinder then for 3 : 1 ratio add a tsp of fenugreek, grind to nice paste as usual and mix both matter and put then again in your mixer jar, whip them for some time till the batter forms bubbles & of creamy texture.

Soft Idli tips :-

1. Add 2 tbsp of rice flakes (Avil / poha) to rice while soaking to get soft idlies.
2. You can also add a tbsp of sago (sabudhana / javvarisi) instead of poha / rice flakes,  to get softer idlies. The famous kushboo idli uses more portion of this sago (Sabudana / Javvarisi) to get that spongy idli.

 

Honey & Raisin Pan Cake (Eggless)

A good breakfast / tiffin item which can be prepared at short notice. Was searching for eggless version and this recipe turned out to be good. Don't remember the link exactly as it was taken long time back. Thought of sharing it with you all

Pan cake

1. Plain Flour (Maida) - 1 Cup
2. Sugar  - 1 tbsp
3. Baking Powder - 2 tbsp
4. Salt - 1/8 tsp
5. Milk - 1 Cup
6. Oil - 2 tbsp
7. Honey - to spread on pancake
8. Raisin - 2 tsp

• In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix well. Add milk & oil and beat it well till the batter is smooth.
• Grease a pan and heat it. Pour 1/4 cup of batter over medium heat and spread it by rotating the pan (don't use the laddle for spreading)
• Cook till the side is done and flip it and cook the other side too till golden brown.
• Apply a tsp of honey on the surface and serve hot

Variation :

• Mash banana like a smooth paste and add to batter to make banana pan cake
• Soak dates in water and grind to a nice paste or add it as it is for making dates pan cake
• can mix any furit pulp or finely chopped fruit to make different type of pancakes making your own variations.
• Instead of honey you can add maple syrup or anyother topping of your choice

Barley Dosai / Dosa

Barley helps in weight loss but as it generates body heat, it is advisable to have it only twice or thrice a week. My friend gave me the recipe for this Barley Dosai and it came out very well.

Ingredients :

1. Barley - 2 tea cups
2. Urad - 1/2 tea cup
3. Methi seeds - 1 tsp
4. salt to taste

Procedure :-

• Soak Barley, Urad and methi seeds together for 5 to 6 hrs.
• Grind to nice paste. The batter will only give a coarse texture, but if you touch it, will be smooth & soft.
• Mix in required salt and let it ferment till it rise.
• Heat a Dosa Tawa, grease it
• Pour a laddle of batter and spread it
• apply few drops of oil on the sides
• cook it on low flame so that you get a crispy dosa of right colour
• When one side is done (golden brown), flip it and cook till the other side is also done
• Serve hot with chutney/sambar

Adai Dosai

Adai, the lentil dosa is crispy, yummy & healthy one. The rice & lentils along with chilli & pepper is soaked together. A nice flavourful dosa variety. Easy to prepare & delicious to eat.

The texture varies as some grind it to nice paste and some leave it look little coarse. So you can try the one which you taste the best.




  Ingredients :- 

1. Boiled Rice - 2 tea cups
2. Tuvar Dhal + Gram Dhal + Urad dhal - 1/2 tea cup (together)
3. Groundnut - 2 tbsp (optional)
4. Peppercorn - 1 tsp
5. Red Chilli - 6 nos. (or as per taste)
6. Salt to taste
7. Curry leaves
8. Hing Powder - 1/4 tsp
9. Methi seeds - 1 tsp

Procedure :-

• Soak rice, groundnut & dhals together for 2 hrs. 
• Grind it little coarse along with curry leaves, peppercorn, redchilli, salt and hing powder. Mix well
• You can ferment the batter for 6 hours & use or just let it stand for 30 min and go ahead preparing the adai dosai.
• Heat a Tawa, pour a laddle of batter and spread it like dosai. 
• When one side is done, flip and cook the other side too. 

 

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Accompaniment : Adai tastes best with the traditional Butter & Jaggery. Some makes avial and have adai avial.You can have chutney too as a side dish.

Rava Dosai / dosa

An easy to make dosa recipe which needs no fermentation. Just 10 minutes standing time for the rava to get soft. This type of dosai turns out so crisp & paper thin.

Rava Dosai

Ingredients :-

1. Rava (Semolina)    - 1 tea cup
2. Rice Flour             -  1 tea cup
3. Maida                   - 1/2 tbsp
   Gram flour (besan)- 1/2 tsbp
4. Green Chilli chopped - 1 tsp
5. Coarsely ground pepper - 1 tsp
6. finely chopped curry leaves - 1 tsp
7. finely chopped ginger - 1 tsp
8. Hing - less than 1/4 tsp
9. water to make batter
10. Oil as required
11. Salt to taste

Procedure :-

• In a vessel mix all the above ingredients and prepare a watery batter of pouring consistency. Let it stand for 10 minutes or more.
• Heat the tawa (dosai kal), apply oil on surface. 
• Pour the batter around towards the edge which will flow towards centre. 
• pour 1/2 tsp oil around. 
• when one side is done, flip and cook the other side too till they turn gold & crisp.

Accompaniment : Onion Chutney / Sambar

Variation : for Onion Rava Dosai, just add chopped onion along with above ingridients.

Bread Upmaa

 

Its an easiest and quickly made breakfast. I used Brown Bread as its a healthy option. Milk / Sandwich breads can also be used. Instead of red chilli powder, chopped green chillies can be used. Garnishing with chopped coriander leaves (optional).

Serves : 2 person

Ingridients :-

Bread Slices - 8 nos
Salt to taste
Onion chopped - 2 tbsp
Mustard
Oil - 3 tsp
Turmeric Powder - less than 1/4 tsp
Hing powder (Asafoetida) - 1 pinch
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
Ginger (chopped) - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder to taste


Procedure :-

• In a mixer, put the bread slices and crumble it finely. 
• Heat oil in a kadai, add Hing powder, then mustard seeds. 
• After mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves, turmeric powder, Red chilli powder, Chopped ginger, Onion and saute well.
• Putt off the flame. Add salt and then the finely crumbled bread.
• Mix well. Tasty Bread upmaa is ready!

Puttu / steamed rice cakes

A traditional breakfast called 'Naadan' breakfast from God's own Country. This dish is common in the state of Kerala, Tamizh Nadu and Karnataka and parts of Sri Lanka. Thus it is called by various names viz., Puttu / Pittu

Chemba Puttu (Red Rice) with Pacha Payaru Puzhuku (Green Moong Curry)

White Puttu and Kadala Curry (Brown Chick Pea Curry)

You will need :-

• Coarsely ground rice powder (little finer than rawa/semolina) - 1 Cup
• Water - 1 Cup  (use only little by little using sprinkling method)
• salt to taste
• Grated coconut - 1 cup

Puttu Steamer  :

Puttu Vessel - it was  used in a coal stove called choola so got blackened at the bottom. My cherishable treasure from my MIL.

Pot, cylinder, palte and lid

• In olden days and even now in some households, it is steamed in coconut shell (Cherata Puttu) or in a Bamboo.

• Puttu is made from coaresly ground rice powder. You can use the readily available Puttu Powder, in the market (roasted one).  

• If you don't have a steamer like this, you can transfer the prepared puttu powder in a cloth and steam it in an idli steamer or in a pressure cooker (without putting the weight or whistle) for 10 minutes and then mix the coconut.

• To prepare puttu powder at home :-  Soak Rice for about 2 hours and drain it completely. Spread on a cloth to dry in shade and then coarsely grind it to a powder (not fine but little coarse) and dry roast it before using.

• The quantity of 1 cup will double in volume after we prepare the flour in the method described below... I have used upto 3/4 cup of water for 1 cup flour.

Preparation :-

The Recipe video is now available in Youtube Channel : Mira's Akshaya Patram. Added below :-

• In a mixing bowl, add a cup of Puttu powder and salt. Mix well. 

• Sprinkle water little by little, I used about 3/4 cup of water. Never mix water at one shot... Sprinkle a little, mix, then sprinkle again, mix... so on..  till it is little moist and crumble in texture. (Please check my Youtube Channel for even more clear video demo)

• The volume of the flour after absorbing the water will become double (say around 2.5 cups).

• Cover and keep aside and make preparations for gravy dish. Else leave it for 20 minutes.  

•  Now take the puttu vessel, Fill water in the pot. Place it on a stove and bring to boil. In the meanwhile, put the small plate with holes (perforated plate) into the cylindrical vessel so that it will settle at the bottom of the cylinder. The lightly shallow side should face upwards. Adjust it to position it.

• Put a tbsp of grated coconut into the cylinder. The coconut will seal the holes in the plate and prevent the rice flour from falling but at the same time allow the steam to pass through, to cook the rice flour.

• Fill the rice flour and then finally layer with coconut. Else you can create patterns of small portions as well by repeating the layer to your preference.

• Fix the filled cylinder on top of the vessel (use a kitchen napkin / towel to hold it and be careful not to touch the vessel with bare hands as it will be hot). Always use the towel to handle the vessel.. Steam for seven to ten minutes.

• Switch off flame. With a cloth towel remove the cylinder from the pot. Plate it horizontally on a plate. Using back side of a laddle or a skewer or a Tong, gently push the plate forward to get the puttu out of the cylinder.

•  You can have it with any one or a combo of these accompaniment suggestions :-
  
  
  
  
1. Kadala Curry (Brown Chick Pea Curry) - http://my-hobby-lounge.blogspot.com/2014/03/kadala-curry-brown-channa-masala-brown.html
2. Pacha Payaru Puzhuku - (Green Gram Curry) - Yet to be posted
3. Green Peas Curry - http://my-hobby-lounge.blogspot.com/search?q=Green+Peas+curry
4. Sugar and Papadam (Kerala Urad Papad)
5. Banana and Papadam
6. Or just mix some sugar to make it more Humble & Savourable!
7. Coconut Milk sweetened with sugar (as they serve in Tamizh Nadu)

There is an interesting story associated with this Dish which happened in Tamizh Nadu. The link is Here

For Kadala Curry Recipe Click Here

For Green Peas Curry  Click Here

Pacha Payaru Puzhuku (Green Moong Curry) will be posted.