Mixed Lentils Dosa

Mixed Lentils Dosa - A tasty and nutritious dosa. It goes well with coconut chutney / tomato chutney/ sambar / dosa podi (pole pitto) ...

Makes: 10 - 14
Ingredients

50 g tur dal (1/4 cup)

50 g moong dal (split yellow gram)
50 g masoor dal ( pink color dal )
50 g urad dal
50 g green gram ( moong )

50 g channa dal

50 g raw rice or basmati rice
Water for making batter
1/2 teaspoon salt ( or to taste )
1/4 teaspoon hing ( asafoetida )

1 /2 teaspoon pepper powder
1 tablespoon oil / ghee

Method

Wash and clean dals and  rice.  Soak in water for 4 hours or overnight. Make a smooth paste in a mixer in 2 batches.

Add 1/4 cup water when making batter. Batter should be of dropping consistency. Just like Dosa batter. Add extra water if required. Add salt to taste , pepper powder and hing ( asafoetida ). Mix all the batter ingredients well. Do not keep this batter for fermentation. One can prepare it immediately or after 1 - 2 hours.

Heat a dosa tawa / flat tawa. Grease the tawa with little oil.

Make the dosa by placing a ladleful ( approximately 120 ml ) of batter on the centre. Spread evenly by circular rotations using the base of the ladle, starting from the centre and progressing outwards. Let the dosa color, and sprinkle a few drops of ghee. Cover with a lid and cook for 2 - 3 minutes. The underside should be golden brown in color.

Take the lid off and remove the dosa from the pan / tawacarefully with a flat spatula.

Flip over dosa and cook the other side also for 2 - 3 minutes on a medium heat. Once it turn golden color, remove carefully. Serve with coconut chutney / tomato chutney ...

Tomato Chutney

Serves: 3

Ingredients

3 onions, roughly chopped
10 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
2 pinches turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon salt ( or to taste )
2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 teaspoon oil

Method

Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped onions and garlic. Fry till pink in color.

Add red chilli powder and turmeric powder. Saute on a low heat for 2 minutes.

Add chopped tomatoes and salt. Mix well and fry for 2 - 3 minutes. Do not add water.

Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes until tomato - onion mixture thickens. Switch off the heat and keep aside to cool for 15 minutes. 

Transfer this mixture to a  small mixer  bowl and blend till smooth. Do not add water. Serve with Idli / Dosa .

Chole Bhature

Chole Bhature  - A delicious  deep fried dish in North Indian cuisine !!!

Makes: 11 -12

Ingredients

1 ½  cups maida (all purpose flour ) (Please measure in Indian standard measuring cup of 200 ml / 8 oz capacity)

1 tablespoon  suji ( rawa )

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon oil

3/4 cup thick curd

300 ml oil for frying

Method

In a bowl, mix maida, suji, sugar, salt and 1 teaspoon oil and knead to a firm dough with curd (first start with 1/2 cup curd. Later  adjust with remaining 1/4 cup curd.. (It depends upon the texture of maida.  If the dough is very hard, sprinkle 1 tablespoon water and knead again). Dough should not be very soft like chapatti dough. Cover with a wet cloth  (or in an airtight container - Tupperware) and keep aside for 2 hours (or overnight in refrigerator). Minimum 1 hour. 

Divide bhature dough into 11 - 12 portions and make balls. Flatten them to make rounds (just like puri - 4 - 5 inches in diameter) with the help of little dry flour and flatten them into 4 - inch rounds).

In a kadai / deep frying pan, heat oil on high heat. Reduce heat to medium and fry bhature one at a time till it puffs up. Turn over till both sides are golden brown. Drain on paper towels to absorb extra oil and serve hot with chole.

Here's the recipe of Punjabi Chole

Photos of my kitchen gadgets

Ven Pongal / Ghee Pongal

Ven Pongal / Ghee Pongal

A delicious and healthy breakfast dish in Tamil Cuisine!!!

Serves: 3

Please use same measuring cup to measure rice, moong dal and water.

Ingredients

3/4 cup Silky raw rice (Pacharisi) or basmati rice (Indian standard measuring cup of 200 ml / 8 oz capacity)

1/4 cup moong dal

1/2 teaspoon cooking oil

1 pinch turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 3/4 cup water

For  the seasoning:

1 tablespoon ghee

2 teaspoon jeera ( cumin seeds )

1 spring curry leaves (6 no)

1 green chilli, slit lengthwise

1/2 - inch ginger, finely chopped

1 teaspoon peppercorns

2 teaspoon cashew nut, splits

2 pinches hing ( asafoetida / kaayam ), optional

Method

Wash and clean dal and rice. Do not soak rice and dal in water.

Mix rice, moong dal, turmeric powder, water, oil and salt and cook in a pressure cooker. Reduce heat from high after 3 rd whistle (3 quick whistles) to low and cook again for 5 minutes.

Allow the cooker to cool naturally. Open the lid. Rice and dal mixture will be thick and there won’t be any trace of water.

For the  seasoning:

In a wide pan, heat ghee. Add cumin seeds ( jeera ) and saute for few seconds or till fragrant and light golden color.

Add slit green chillies, chopped ginger, curry leaves, peppercorns, split cashew nuts and hing ( optional ). Fry on a low heat for 5 - 8 minutes or till cashew nut turns golden color and fragrant. 

Pour cooked rice - moong dal  and mix well. Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes. Serve hot with sambar, vada and filter coffee.