Dosayum Chammanthiym (Recipe idea - Hotel Lakshmi, Ponnamveli, Cherthala)

Dosayum Chammanthiyum (Recipe idea – Hotel Lakshmi, Ponnamveli, Cherthala) - A simple and tasty coconut chutney, goes well with Dosa / Idli / Vada / Pakoda …

Here's the recipe of Dosa and other photos !!

Serves: 3

Ingredients

75 g (5 tablespoons) grated coconut

4 shallots (chuvannulli /piyyavu / small onion), chopped

1 teaspoon coriander powder

½ teaspoon red chilli powder

1/2 teaspoon thick tamarind paste

½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

2 tablespoon water

Extra 50 ml (1/4 cup) water

Method

Transfer all the ingredients (except extra 50 ml water) in a small mixer bowl and make a smooth paste. Adjust the consistency of the chutney with extra 50 ml water.

For the Seasoning:

Ingredients

1 teaspoon cooking oil

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon cumin ( jeera ) seeds

3 curry leaves

1 red chilli, halved

Method

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. When they pop, add cumin seeds, halved red chilli and curry leaves. Saute on a low heat for 1 -2 minutes until fragrant and crisp.  Pour this seasoning over chutney. Serve with dosa / idli /  medu vada / dal vada....

Kumbakonam Kadappa

Kumbakonam Kadappa  - A tasty & less spicy side curry with Idli / Dosa / Chapatis / Parotta. A popular dish in Tamil Nadu cuisine, made of moong dal, potatoes, coconut paste and lime juice !!

Serves: 3 – 4

Ingredients

For the coconut paste:

5 cashew nuts (soak cashew nuts in 2 tablespoon water for one hour)

5 tablespoon grated coconut

1 tablespoon pottu kadala (split roasted gram dal)

6 cloves garlic, chopped

4 green chillies, chopped

2 tablespoon water

Make a smooth of above ingredients ( along with cashew nut soaked water) in a small mixer bowl. (Adding cashew nuts will make a creamy and thick curry). Keep aside.

For moong dal and potatoes:

Ingredients

1/3 / 80 ml moong dal  (Indian standard measuring of 1/3 / 80 ml / 6 oz capacity) or 1 cup left over cooked moong dal

1 ½ cup / 250 ml water

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

2 potatoes

Method

Wash and clean moong dal and potatoes. Gently peel off the skin of the potatoes and pressure cook along with moong dal. In a pressure cooker, boil moong dal, potatoes, turmeric powder and 1 ½ cup water for 15 minutes. Pressure cook on high heat for 3 quick whistles,  reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes. Switch off the heat. Allow the cooker to cool naturally. Open the lid and gently mash potatoes and dal with the base of a steel ladle.

Other ingredients

1 tablespoon oil / ghee

4 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

1 onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

Boiled moong dal

Boiled and mashed potatoes

Extra 1/2 cup water

¾ teaspoon salt  (or to taste)

Coconut – cashew paste

2 teaspoon lime juice

2 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves

Method

In a pan or wide  karahi, heat oil or ghee on a medium heat. Add cloves and cinnamon. Fry on a low heat until fragrant.

Add chopped onion and fry until light golden color. Add garlic and fry for 3 – 4 minutes until fragrant.

Add turmeric powder and stir on a low heat  for 1 minute until well combined with onion and garlic.

Add boiled moong dal and potatoes. If it's thick mixture, adjust with ½ cup water (100 ml) and salt to taste. Gravy should be medium thick in consistency (like kurma).  Mix all the ingredients well. Cover with a lid and cook on a medium to low heat for 10 – 12 minutes.

Now add coconut – cashew paste. Mix well. Cover again and cook on a low heat for 5 minutes / until boiles. Switch off the heat and sprinkle lime juice. Decorate with chopped coriander leaves. Serve as a side curry or main curry with dosa / idli / poori / chapatti / parota …

Chinese Style Chicken with Capsicum and Tomatoes

Chinese style Chicken with Capsicum and Tomatoes – A tasty side dish with fried rice / noodles …

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

1 green chilli, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

¼ teaspoon ginger, finely chopped

1 onion, cubed,  separate  each layer

1 capsicum, remove seeds and cut into cubes

1 tomato, cut into cubes

½ cup boiled boneless chicken  (or ½ cup chicken pieces from the curry)

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon red chilli sauce

1 teaspoon sweet chilli sauce

1 teaspoon vinegar

Method

Heat oil in a pan.  Add chopped green chilli, garlic and ginger. Saute on a low heat for 3 minute until soft.

Add cubed onion and fry till light pink color.

Add capsicum and fry for 3 minute on a low heat (almost tender).

Add tomato and fry on a low heat for 1 minute.

Add boiled chicken, soy sauce, red chilli sauce,  sweet chilli sauce and vinegar. Stir well continuously for 5 – 6 minute until the vegetables and chicken well coated  with sauce. Do not overcook vegetables. Serve hot  as a side dish with fried rice / noodles ..

Whole wheat Pancakes with Jaggery Filling (Govva Polo (dosa) with Jaggery filling)

Whole wheat Pancakes with Jaggery Filling (Govva Polo  / dosa with  jaggery filling) – A delicious  and nutritious quick energy  snack or serve as a breakfast dish !!

Makes: 5 - 6

Tip : Take care to mix the dosa batter to even consistency without lumps. This improves the even spreading of dosa.

Ingredients

For Coconut Filling:

2 teaspoon ghee

1 cup / 200 ml grated coconut or 9 tablespoon grated coconut (Indian standard measuring cup of 200 ml / 8 oz capacity)

1/2 cup  melted  jaggery or 7 - 8 tablespoon melted and sieved jaggery

1 pinch cardamom powder

1 tablespoons chopped dry fruits (optional) raisins or chopped cashew nuts

Method

In a frying pan, heat ghee. Add melted jaggery and fry for 5 minutes on a low heat till fragrant.

Add grated coconut and mix it well. Do not cover with lid. Stir continuously and fry for 10 - 12 minutes on a low heat till the coconut - jaggery mixture thickens and water dries up.  Add cardamom powder and keep aside. Sweet filling should be dry in consistency.

For whole wheat pancakes (govva polo):

Please use same measuring cup to measure atta and water.

Ingredients

1 cup / 200 ml whole wheat atta ( whole wheat flour - Aashirwad / Pillsbury / Annapoorna ) Indian standard measuring cup of 200 ml / 8 oz capacity

1 ½ cup water for mixing ( adjust water as per wheat flour - some need more / less or 1 ½  cup + 3 tablespoon for Aashirwaad atta)

A pinch of  salt

3 teaspoon oil / ghee

For Dosa / Polo batter:

Mix atta and salt. Add water to make a smooth batter; just like dosa / polo batter (batter should neither be too watery nor too thick - one can use mixer also to mix the atta and water to make it smooth).

Dosa / Polo Preparation:

Heat dosa tawa. Apply little oil and pour one ladleful  of batter so that it spreads in a thin , even layer. Sprinkle little oil / ghee if required.

Cover with a lid and cook on a medium heat till the upper crest is cooked.

Take the lid off and remove the dosa from tawa carefully with a flat spatula.

Flip over dosa and cook the other side / till golden color and light brown spots. Once the underside  cooked, turn other side and carefully spread 1 ½ tablespoon jaggery filling in the centre (like masala dosa). Gently fold both the sides (see the photo). Carefully remove with flat spatula.

Prepare dosa from the remaining batter in a similar way.