Soft Rawa Idli [ Karnataka Type ]

Ingredients :

• Roasted rawa - 1 cup
• Thick fresh curd - 2 1/2 cup
• Salt - as required
• Cooking soda - a pinch
• Carrot - 1 [ grated ]
• Cashewnuts - 10 [ broken into very small pieces ]
• Oil - as required  [ Seasame oil ]

Method:

First mix rawa, salt, cooking soda along with beaten curd and keep aside for 15 to 20 minutes. Meantime, mix carrot and cashewnuts together and keep aside. Then keep the idli vessel on the gas. Grease each idli mould with gingelly oil [ nalannai ]. Spread little carrot, cashew mix on the mould and then pour one ladle of the batter in each mould and steam for 10 minutes in high flame and 5 minutes in low flame. Then remove from the gas and allow to cool.

Serve hot with onion chutney or molagai podi. [ Mix molaga podi with little sugar oil or ghee ].

P.S. I learnt this recipe from a TV programme which comes in Vijay TV conducted by Chef Venkatesh Bhat. It came out very well, nice and soft.

Naytheram Pazham Bajji

Ingredients :

• Kerala banana - 2 [ not fully riped (peeled and cut in to thin 2 inch pieces) ]
• Maida - 1 cup
• Rice flour - 1/4 cup
• Salt - as required
• Cooking soda - a pinch
• Sugar - little
• Milk - 1 cup
• Water - as required
• Oil - enough for frying

Method :

First make batter with all ingredients like a dosa batter. In the meantime, keep oil in kadai. When oil becomes hot, dip the banana piece in the batter [ batter should be coated completely on banana piece ], put in the hot oil and fry till the bajji gets completely done [ golden in colour ]. Remove from the oil and serve with tomato sauce.

Chilli Paneer [ Chinese Type ]

 Ingredients :

• Paneer - 1/4 kg [ cut into cubes ]
• Maida - 2 tbsp
• Cornflour - 2 tbsp
• Salt - as required
• Red chilli paste - 1 tbsp
• Capsicum [ all 3 colours ] - 3  [ cut into cubes ] 
• Spring onion - 1 small bundle [ onion cut into cubes and leaves chopped ]
• Soya sauce - 3 to 4 drops
• Tomato ketchup - 3 tbsp
• Black pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
• Ginger - 1/2 inch [ chopped ]
• Garlic flakes - 3 to 4 [ chopped ]
• Oil - enough for frying
• Sugar - a pinch

Method :

First mix maida, conflour, salt, little water into a small bowl. [ like dosa batter (see the 2nd image) ] Then put the paneer cubes in that and keep aside for 5 minutes. Then take one deep kadai & add enough oil. When the oil becomes hot, add the soaked paneer one by one till it becomes golden brown in colour. Fry all the paneer cubes and keep separately on a tissue.

In the remaining oil, add ginger, garlic [ chopped ], till it changes into light brown in colour. Then add chilli paste to that & mix well. Then add chopped onion and capsicum [ all three colours ], stir fry for 5 minutes in high flame till the vegetables gets cooked [ not over cooked, capsicum should remain crunchy ]. Then add pepper powder, salt, sugar, fried paneer and tomato ketchup. Add chopped onion leaves to that. When the sabhji is completely mix well, remove from the gas. Again garnish with chopped onion leaves. Serve like starter or side dish for paratha.

Note :  For red chilli paste get some kashmiri dry chillies, remove the seeds and soak in hot water for 1 hour. Then add a pinch of salt to that and grind in mixer to a smooth paste. You can keep this paste in freezer for a period of 15 days.

Microwave Hot Chocolate

Ingredients :

• Cocoa powder - 2 tsp
• Sugar - 2 tsp
• Milk - 1 cup
• Microwable cup - 1

Method :

Add cocoa powder, sugar into a microwave cup. Then add 3 table spoon of milk to that and mix well. After mixing, add the remaining milk to that and keep in microwave high for 1 1/2 minutes. Wait for a second, remove from the oven and serve hot.

Paneer Kheer

Ingredients :

• Thick milk - 1 cup
• Grated paneer - 1/4 cup
• Sugar - 5 to 6 tbsp
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
• Milk masala - 1 tsp
• Kesar - little [ soaked in little warm milk ]
• Milk maid - 1/4 cup [ optional ]

 [ if the milk is thin, then you can use the milk maid ]


Method :

First take one deep vessel, pour the milk and boil well. When the milk comes up, reduce the flame and allow to boil for 5 minutes. Then add the sugar and then grated paneer. Just stir continuously till the sugar gets fully dissolved and the paneer becomes soft. Finely add kesar and cardamom powder. Allow to boil for 5 minutes more. Remove from the gas. Garnish with milk masala or powdered nuts.

[ If you are using thin milk, add milk maid to the milk and boil well before adding sugar and paneer ].

Iyangar Pulli Kuttu

Ingredients :

• Pumpkin - 1/4 kg [ peel and cut into cubes ]
• Raw banana- 1 [ peel and cut into cubes ]
• Yam [ sanai ] - 1/2 kg [ peel and cut into cubes ]
• Tamarind paste - 1/2 tsp
• Tuvar dahl - 1/4 cup
• Channa dahl - 2 hand full
• Kuttu podi - 4 to 5 spoon
• Salt - as required
• Green chilli - 1 [ slit ]
• Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
• Grated coconut - 3 tbsp
• Rice flour - 2 spoon  [ dissolved  in 1/2 cup water ]

For seasoning :

• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - little
• Coconut oil - 2 tsp

Method :

Take one pressure cooker, add tuvar dal, channa dal, cut vegetables, tamarind paste, salt and turmeric powder. Add slight chilli and required water to that and close the lid. Wait for 3 whistles to come till the vegetables and dal becomes soft. When the pressure goes, open the cooker and add the kuttu podi and mix well. Grind the coconut and add to the kuttu. Allow to boil for 10 minutes in a low flame. Finely add the rice water to that. Heat oil and add mustard seeds. When it pops, add urad dal. Wait till it changes to light brown colour. Then add curry leaves and pour to the kuttu. Serve with hot sambhar rice, rasam rice.

Kuttu podi :

• Red chilli  - 10 to 12
• Black broken dal [ ulutham parupu ] - 100 gms
• Cumin seeds - 4 to 5 spoon
• Black pepper - 2 spoon
• Dry coconut [ sukka copra ] - 1 [ grated ]
• Asafoetida - 1 tsp

       
 [ Fry all the ingredients except copra in little ghee or oil till it becomes golden in colour. Then remove from the gas. When it becomes cool, grind in mixer along with grated coconut. You can keep this powder for 1 month ].

Karadaiyan Nombu Adai

Sweet Karadai / Vella Adai Recipe :

Ingredients :

• Rice flour - 2 cups [ good quality ]
• Powdered Jaggery - 2 cups
• Water - 3 cups
• Powdered elaichi - 1/2 tsp
• Bean seed - 1/2 cup
• Coconut bits - 1/4 cup
• Ghee - 2 tbsp

Method :


1. Soak the bean seed for 3 hours and pressure cook with just enough water.

2. Roast the rice flour, till the raw smell goes.

3. In a kadai, heat the jaggery adding 3 cups water.

4. When it is melted, strain through a strainer.

5. Replace and heat till it boils.

6. Add the rice flour, powdered elaichi, cooked bean seed and coconut bits.

7. Stir from the bottom till it thickens.

8. Add ghee, mix well and remove from the fire.

9. When cooled, take little dough [ bigger than the size of a lime ], press it to make thin adas over each greased idli plate or over greased banana leaves.

10. Make a small hole with your fore finger in the centre of each Ada.

11. Steam for about 10 minutes. Put out the fire and keep for another 7 minutes.

12. With a sharped edged spatula, gently remove each Ada and keep in a serving dish.

13. Serve with a lump of butter when it is cool.
(Adas are slightly thinner & bigger in size than vada)

Salted Nonbu Adai :

Ingredients :

• Rice flour - 2 cups [ good quality ]
• Water - 3 cups
• Bean seed - 1/2 cup [ Soaked and cooked ] 
• Coconut pieces - 1/4 cup
• Salt - to taste

For seasoning :

• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tsp
• Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig [ chopped ]
• Green chillies - 2 [ finely chopped ]

Method:

1. Roast the rice flour in a frying pan till the raw smell goes. Keep in a plate.

2. Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds, asafoetida powder, urad dal, chopped curry leaves and chopped green chillies.

3. When mustard seeds splutters and urad dal has turned into golden colour, add 3 cups water and boil adding salt.

4. Add cooked bean seed, coconut pieces and rice flour.

5. Simmer and stir till it becomes thick without forming any lump.

6. Remove from the fire and allow to cool.

7. When cooled, take little portion of the dough, make thin round adas [ the size of your palm ] over each greased idli mould or over small pieces of greased banana leaf.

8. Steam for about 10 minutes. Put out the fire and keep for 5 minutes.

9. When slightly cooled, gently remove each ada with a spatula.

10. Place them in a serving dish and serve.

        Serve with fresh butter.