Onion Salad

Ingredients

2 onions

½  lemon

¼ Spoon red chillie powder

Salt to taste.

Method

Cut onions add red chilli powder and salt.

Finally squeeze the lemon juice and mix well.

Keera Kootu

Ingredients

50 gms Toor dal (pressure cooked and mashed well)

6 Spoons grated coconut

¼  spoon Jeera

¼ Spoon rice flour

1 or 2 Red chillie

1 Spoon urad dal

Turmeric powder a pinch

1 spoon oil

Salt to taste

For grinding

Roast urad dal and red chilli in little oil.

Grind the above with  coconut, jeera and rice flour to fine paste.

Method

Wash the keerai for 3 to 4 times with lots of water and filter it.

Chop it and cook well with little water adding a pinch of turmeric powder and salt.

Add coconut masala to the above and cook well.

Now add the mashed dhal along with this and allow to boil for 2 more minutes.

In a pan add 1 spoon of oil season it with mustard and urad dhal.

Goes well with hot rice.

Combination onion salad, mango salad or any raitha.

Keerai Masiyal

Ingredients

1 Bunch - Arai keerai

¼ Spoon mustard

¼ spoon Urad dal

1 Red chilli

1 Spoon oil

A pinch of turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Method

It is very simple and easy to cook this recipe. Only thing, it will take time to clean.

Wash the keerai for 3 to 4 times with lots of water and filter it.

Chop it and cook with little water adding a pinch of turmeric powder.

After cooked add salt and mash it well.

Heat oil and splutter mustard add urad dal and red chilli when it turns brown add to masiyal.

Now mashed Keerai masiyal is ready.

This goes well with hot rice and curd rice also.

Do not overcook greens.

Health benefits

Rich in fiber, folic acid, iron and calcium.

Low in calories and ideal for weight management.

Potato fry

Ingredients

¼ kg Potatoes

¼ Spoon red chili powder

1 Spoon corn flour

A pinch turmeric powder

¼ spoon mustard

Salt to taste

4 tbsp Oil

Method

Pressure cook potatoes with salt and turmeric powder, peel the skin and cut into pieces.

Heat oil and splutter mustard, add boiled potatoes fry well for 5 minutes.

Then add red chili powder and corn flour cook well until they are crisp.

Serve it hot with rice/ sambar / rasam.

Aloo Paratha

Ingredients for making dough

1 Cup wheat flour
1/2 Cup warm water with little milk
2 spoons of oil
Salt to taste

Method for dough

Mix wheat flour, water, milk,oil and salt together to make soft dough.
Cover it and keep aside.

Ingredients for filling

1/4 kg. Potatoes
1/4 Spoon of jeera / Ajwain
1/4 Spoon of  red chilli powder
A pinch garam masla powder
2 Spoons of oil
Coriander leaves / Kasuri methi
Salt to taste

Method for filling

Pressure cook potatoes with turmeric powder and salt.
Peel the skin and mash well and keep aside.
Heat 2 spoons of oil add jeera , red chilli powder, garam masala.
Now add mashed potatoes and salt saute for 2 minutes.
Finally add coriander leaves and mix well.
Potato stuffing is ready.

Method for paratha

Roll out in to round shapes using little wheat flour for dusting.
Fatten it, fill the potato stuffing and cover it.
Roll out in to round shaped and flatten it by dusting wheat flour.
Place the prepared paratha on the hot tawa and cook on low flame.
Apply a tsp of oil / butter, flip it over and add another tsp of oil / butter.
Cook till brown spots appear.
Enjoy these paraths with curd / sauce / pickle.

Onion Pakoda

Ingredient

1 cup gram flour

1/2 cup rosted gram flour

3 onions (thin sliced)

1 Green chilli

1 spoon red chilli powder

Ginger (optional)

Oil for frying

Salt to taste

Method

Take bowl add gram flour and roasted gram flour in that add salt and red chilli powder mix well.

Now add onions, green chilli and curry leaves mix well and sprinkle very little water.

Heat oil and deep fry till it is golden brown.

Uttapam

Ingredients

Dosa batter

1 Tomato

1 capsicum

Idly podi ( optional)

Oil

Method

Pour a small ladle of batter on a hot tawa, do not spread it.

Sprinkle tomatoes and green capsicum. Pour oil around it.

You can sprinkle few idli podi on the top.

Now turn the dosa to the other side and cook for a minute.

You can prepare 4-5 at a time.

delicious and colorful uttapam is ready.

Serve hot with any chutney or sambar.

various types of uttapam toppings

1. Regular - Chopped onions, green chilli, ginger and curry leaves/coriander.

2. Mix of  grated carrot, cabbage, coriander, green chillies.

3. Pizza uttappam - slices of tomatoes and capsicum, few sweet corn 

   grated Cheese, green chillies.(cover it with lid)

   Do not turn this uttappam, cook it only on one side. Serve hot.

4. Mixed capsicum (Green, yellow & red)  onions and butter.

Kuzhipaniyaram

Ingredients

1Cup idli batter

1 Finely chopped onions

1 Chopped green chilli 

A small piece finely chopped ginger

1 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves

1/4  tsp mustard

2 tsp gram dhal

Oil - for frying

Asafetida - a pinch

Salt- to taste

Method

Heat oil and splutter mustard  then add gram dhal, green chili, ginger, asafetida and curry leaves.

Then add onions saute for 2 minutes.

Transfer this to the batter and mix well.

Heat kuzhipaniyaram pan, pour oil in each hole of the pan.

Fill each hole with the batter to 3/4 of the whole cook well in low flame.

Flip the other side and allow it to cook well.

Serve hot with any of your favorite chutney.  

    

Masala dosa

Heat a nonstick tawa/iron tawa Pour a ladle of the batter in the centre of the tawa

and spread it out from the centre making round shape.

Drizzle a tsp of oil around the dosa,cook well on one side only.
(If you want you can cover with lid also) So that top of the dosa also cooked well.
No need to turn dosa to other side.
Spread some red chutney all over evenly.

Place potato masala in the centre and fold the dosa.

After folding it apply little butter on the top of the dosa.

Hot masala dosa is ready. 

    

                                                                         

Onion-garlic Chutney

Ingredients

1/4 kg Onions

1 Tomato

Very little tamarind

Few garlic

4 Red chillies (or 1 spoon of chilli powder)

Salt to taste

Oil 4 spoons

Method 

In a pan add oil heat well then add garlic, onion, tomatoes, tamarind,

red chillies and salt one by one and fry until it cooks well. Allow to cool.

Grind all in to fine paste.

Season it with mustard and curry leaves.
This chutney is too spicy and hot so serve very little, with ghee or oil on top each time you serve.

Potato masala (for dosa / poori/ chapathi)

Ingredients

¼ kg Potatoes

2 Onions chopped

1 Spoon ginger finely chopped

1 Green Chili chopped

Turmeric powder - a pinch

2 spoons of oil

Salt to taste

¼ tsp mustard

¼ tsp urad dal

¼ tsp gram dal

1 Red chili

Few curry leaves/coriander leaves.

1 Lemon (optional)

Method

Pressure cook potatoes with salt and turmeric powder, peel the skin mash it well and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan add mustard, gram dal, urad dal and red chillie fry till brown.

Add green chillie, ginger, curry leaves and onions fry until they cooked well.

Add turmeric powder, salt, mashed potatoes and 2 spoons of water to it

cook well in low flam for 5 minutes.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Finally squeeze the lemon juice and mix well.

idli upma

Ingredients

1 Finely chopped onion
Turmeric powder – a pinch
2 spoons Idli molagapodi (or red chili powder ¼ spoon)
Asafetida a pinch
Salt to taste (Use very less salt because both idli molagapodi & idli has salt already)
2 spoons Gingelly Oil
1/2 tsp Mustard
1/2 tsp Urad dal
1 Red chillie
Few curry leaves

Method

Crumble the idli with your fingers and make it ready, set aside. (You can use the leftover idlis also)
Heat oil in a pan add mustard let it splutter then add urad dal, red chilli, asafetida and
curry leaves  fry for a minute then add  onions and saute for 5 minutes.
Add turmeric powder, idli molagapodi (or red chili powder) and salt and saute for 3 more minutes.
Finally add crumbled idlis sprinkle 2 spoons of water cover it and cook for 5 minutes in low flame.
Ready to serve hot idli upma.

Sambar Idlis

Ingredients

1 cup cut idlis
1 cup sambar
Few onions and curry leaves

Method

Take one bowl of cut idlis.
Pour sambar on idlis.
Garnish with  onion and curry leaves.

Idli Manchurian

Ingredients

A bowl of cut and fried crisp idlis

For dry gravy 

2 onions

1 capsicum

1 spoon ginger garlic paste

¼ spoon chilli flakes (or chilli powder)

Few spring onions for garnishing.

Tomato sauce, soya sauce each 2 spoons

Salt to taste

Oil

Method

Take one bowl of fried idlis.

In a small cup mix 2 spoons of each tomato sauce, soya sauce,

a pinch of each chilli flakes (or chilli powder) salt and mix well and keep aside.

In pan add 2 spoons of oil fry onion for 5 minutes add ginger garlic paste.

Then add capsicum and half of the mixed sauce fry for 2 minutes.

Finally add the fried idles and left over sauce fry for 5 minutes.

Garnish with spring onions.

Crisp Idlis

Ingredients

One Bowl cut idles.

2 spoons corn flour

¼ spoon chilli powder

Salt to taste

Method

Cut idls in to desire shape. Sprinkle 2 spoons of corn flour, red chilli powder and a pinch of salt.

Add 2 spoons of water mix well keep for 10 minutes.

In a pan pour oil and heat well.

Then deep fry the cut idlis till it is crisp.

You can do shallow fry also by using less oil in a tawa.

Ready to serve hot crisp idlis.

How to make Idli and Dosa batter | Soft and Spongy Idli batter | Home made Idli batter | How to Make Idli | Idli | Dosa

Now a days various products are available in the market for ready-to-use.

South Indian’s mostly prefer idli and dosa for breakfast or dinner all most everyone knows how to do this.

This is mainly  for beginners and those who are interested to make idli batter at home.

The texture of batter depends purely on the quality of urad dal, always use good quality of urad dal. 

The secret of soft idli is in grinding and the consistency of the batter. (Don’t add too much water)

In the same batter you can prepare dosa also.

Ingredients

4 or 5 cups boiled Idli rice

1 cup urad dal (full)

1 spoon Fenugreek ( optional) 

2 spoons flat rice / poha (optional) 

Method for batter

Wash well 2 times above all ingredients separately, soak them for4 to 5 hours.

Drain water from urad dhal add it to the grinder, then add fenugreek with soaked water.

Use the same soaked water for grinding.

Keep sprinkling water in between at regular intervals and the consentience of the batter should be fluffy.

Collect the urad dhal batter in a container (big enough to hold the fermented batter)

Now drain water from rice and flat rice add it to the grinder, sprinkle little water.

Keep adding water in between, grind it slight coarse texture.

Now take the rice batter and urad dhal batter, add salt and mix well.

Keep aside to ferment well for at least 8 hours and batter should raise well.

Now you should mix well the fermented batter and your idli, dosa batter is ready to use.

Method for idli

First steam the cooker well then keep ready your idli plates greased with oil.

Take a ladle full of batter to the idli plate and pressure cook without weight for steaming.

(Steam it for 8 to 10 minutes) Allow to settle the pressure after 5 minutes hot soft and spongy idlies are ready.
Serve hot with sambar, molaga podi or onion chutney.

Tips -

1. The quality of the idli depends on the quality of the urad dal. 

2. Don't soak rice / dal more then 5 hours. 

3. To retain the freshness of the batter more then 4 days don't mix salt in full batter. Mix it to only for using portion. 

4. You can keep banana leaf or betel leaf on the top of the batter. 

Tomato thokku

Ingredients

1 kg - Ripe tomatoes

1 tsp Fenugreek 

1  tsp mustatd

Turmeric a pinch

50 gms (4 spoons) Red chilli powder

¼ tsp Asafetida

100 gms gingili oil

Salt to taste

Method

Wash the tomatoes well, wipe them without water and chop them into small pieces.

In a pan add mustard dry roast until the mustard splutters then add fenugreek roast well make it as powder.

Heat a heavy bottom pan and add tomatoes and half of the oil.

Now add to the above turmeric powder, red chillie powder and salt saute well till oil leaves the sides.

Finally add balance oil ,asafetida, dry roast powder of mustard and fenugreek.

Goes well with idly, dosa, appam and curd rice.

This can be stored for 1 month.

Cabbage parathas

Parathas can be made plain or stuffed with many different fillings.

Ingredients for dough

Wheat flour as much you required.
Water, salt as required and
2 spoons oil.

Method for dough

Add warm water, salt and 2 spoons of oil to wheat flour and knead in to soft dough for parathas.

Ingredients for stuffing

1 cup shredded cabbage
Kasuri methi / Small bunch of coriander leaves
Small piece of ginger
¼ spoon Jeera/ajwain
¼ Spoon red chilli powder
¼ spoon masala powder
Salt to taste
Oil / butter/ ghee

Method for stuffing

In a pan add 2 spoons of oil in that add jeera, red chilli powder, masala powder, ginger and cabbage.
Saute for 2 minutes finely add kasuri methi or chopped coriander leaves mix well, set aside.
Don’t add salt now otherwise it will become watery.

Method for parathas

Roll out into round shapes using little wheat flour for dusting.
Fatten it fill the cabbage stuffing, sprinkle salt on it and cover it.
Roll out in to round shape by dusting wheat flour.
Heat a tawa, place the prepared chapatti on the hot tawa and cook on low flame.
Apply a tsp of oil or butter flip it over and add another tsp of oil or butter.
Cook till brown spots appear.

Our tasty & healthy cabbage Paratha is ready to serve.
Enjoy these parathas with curd, sauce or any pickle.

Green Gram Sprout

Green gram sprouts are rich source of protein and high in fiber.

It has vitamin B, C and folic acid. Low in calories.

Daily have a hand full of this sprouts to prevent from hair loss

whatever may be reasons (thyroid, hormonal changes or menopause) 

Barley

Barley is an excellent choice when it comes to fiber diet. Very low in fat.

It may also reduce blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

It can be used for weight loss also.

It keeps your bowels healthy by improving bowel function.

Natural remedy for constipation.
Have 4 spoons of boiled barley with milk or buttermilk.

Urinary tract infections are common in women.

Drinking 1 glass of barley water daily is beneficial in treating urine infection.