Carrot - Cabbage Chutney

In a quest to look for non-raw food, working with chutneys and raitas is one of the biggest challenges. In that search, I came across this recipe at https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/carrot-chutney-recipe/ for Carrot chutney which suited my purpose.
I tweaked it a bit and added cabbage for good measure as well.

CARROT-CABBAGE CHUTNEY

Ingredients:
Sesame oil - 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Chana dal - 1 tso
Carrots, roughly chopped - 1 cup
Cabbage, roughly chopped - 1/4 cup
Green chili - 1, medium
Dry red chili - 1 medium
Asafoetida (Hing) pwd - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Tamarind - 1 pea size
Coconut, dessicated (readymade one works best than fresh) - 1/4 cup
For Tempering:
Sesame oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves, a few
Method:
1. Heat 1/2 tsp oil in a kadhai, add the urad and chana dal, green chili and red chili along with hing. Fry a bit till lentils turn golden brown. Remove and keep aside.
2. Add another 1/2 tsp oil, now add in the carrots, salt and cover-cook for 7-8 minutes or till carrots are semi-soft.
3. Now add the cabbage as well and cook for 5 mins more.
3. Remove, let cool and grind to a paste. Transfer to a bowl.
4. For tempering, heat 1/2 tsp oil, add mustard seeds and let splutter. Add the urad dal and curry leaves and pour over the chutney.
Serve as accompaniment with Idli, dosas, or chapatis too.

Moong Dal Idli

Idli is one of the traditional Indian breakfasts that is guaranteed to give you that instant energy boost, thanks to its carbs content. While we have many options around for Idlis, using Idli rice, raw rice, Millets, let's try one with Green gram. I have used whole Green gram in this for added goodness.

The batter needs to ferment, as with any Idli batter. If you are going to make this at nite, then grind the batter in the morning itself. Best for use within a day.
Serve with this Carrot-Cabbage Chutney

MOONG DAL (GREEN GRAM) IDLI

Soaking time: 6-8 hours

Fermentation time - 6 -8 hours

Serves - 20 idlis approx

Ingredients:

Whole Green gram (Sabut Moong dal) - 1 cup

Whole Black gram, without husk (Dhuli sabut Urad dal) - ¼ cup

Green Chili -1, medium

Ginger - ½ inch piece

Salt to taste

Fenugreek (Methi) seeds - ¼ tsp

Method:

1. Soak the moong dal overnight. Soak the urad dal along with methi seeds for 2 hours before grinding the batter. 

2. In a mixer jar, add the moong dal with a little water, green chili and ginger and grind till you get a frothy batter. Remove to a bowl.

3. Now add the urad dal + methi seeds to the mixer and grind to a smooth and frothy batter, as for idli. Add this to the ground moong dal, add salt to taste, mix well and leave to ferment for 6-8 hours.

4. Apply oil to idli plates, pour ladle-ful batter into each pocket and steam cook for 15 mins or till done. If you wish to add veggies to this, add it just before making idlis.

Serve hot with red chutney or Carrot-cabbage chutney

Quick fix Sambhar

          Sambhar, the perfect accompaniment for Idlis and dosas. But if you are in a rush and need to put together a sambhar for your family or guests, give this quick recipe a go!! 

SHORTCUT SAMBHAR

Ingredients :
Split Pigeon peas (Arahar dal) or Masoor Dal - 1/4 cup
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Tomatoes - 2 (medium)
Sambhar Onion - 2
Coriander seeds = 1 tsp
Dry Red Chili - 1 medium or Readymade Sambhar powder
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander leaves
Curry leaves
Sesame oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek (Methi) seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida (Hing) powder - 1/4 tsp, optional

Method : 
1. Grind tomatoes, onions, dry red chili (avoid if using sambhar powder) and coriander seeds to a paste using sufficient water.
2. Pressure cook arahar dal with turmeric powder till done. 
3. Add 1 cup water to a saucepan along with the ground paste (and sambhar powder if using it) and salt to taste. Let simmer on medium heat till it leaves the raw aroma.
4. Mash the cooked dal with a little water and add it to the simmering mix with coriander and curry leaves.
5. Prepare tempering by heating sesame oil, add mustard seeds, let splutter. Add the methi seeds taking care not to let it become too brown. Use a pinch hing powder as well if you need some extra aroma. Add to the sambhar and check for salt. Remove and serve hot.

Corn Idli Upma

Another variation in the leftover idli saga...this time with the twist of corn ...


                                                                 CORN IDLI UPMA

Ingredients :

Boiled corn - 1 cup
Leftover idlis - 4 to 5 (Cubed)
Chopped coriander - a few
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder (Haldi) - 1/4 tsp
Green chili - 1 (slit)
Chopped ginger - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds (Rai) - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds (Jeera) - 1 tsp
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp

Method :

1. Heat oil in a pan. Add jeera and let crackle. Now add the mustard seeds and let crackle as well.

2. Add in the grated ginger, saute, followed by the green chili and curry leaves. Saute for a minute.

3. Now add the boiled corn, salt to taste and haldi. Toss well, cover and let cook for about 5 minutes.

4. Now add in the idli cubes and mix well. Let cook for a few minutes so the idlis soak in the flavour as well.

5. Remove from flame and add the lemon juice and chopped dhaniya. Mix well. Serve hot.

Sambhar (Type I)

Sambhar, the ultimate accompaniment for Dosas and Idlis. Sambhar, a lentil preparation that's prepared in so many forms across South India. Some use tamarind, some use only tomatoes, Udupi style, made with ground spices or just ready-made Sambhar powder, the list is almost endless and delicious.

Following are 2 variations that we usually make at home, one by grinding fresh spices and the other slightly simpler as it uses Sambhar powder.

SAMBHAR

TYPE I (Using Ground spices)
[Type II using Sambhar powder can be found here]

Ingredients :
Oil - 1/2 tsp
Coriander seeds (Sabut Dhaniya) - 2 tsps
Dry Red Chilies - 3
Asafoetida powder (Hing) - 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek (Methi) seeds - 1/4 tsp
Grated coconut - 2 tbsps
Tomato - 1 small
Split Bengal gram (Chana dal) - 1 1/2 tsps
Split Pigeon peas (Arahar dal) - 1/2 cup
Boiled/Blanched vegetables of your choice - typically drumsticks, capsicum, white radish or Knol Khol(Kohl Rabi). If using capsicum, you can directly cook it in tamarind water, no need to pre-cook.
Tamarind - lemon size portion
Salt to taste

Tempering :
Mustard seeds (Rai) - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek (Methi)seeds - 1/2 tsp
Sesame (Til) Oil - 1 tsp
Asafoetida powder (Hing) - pinch
Curry leaves - as required

Method :
1. Pressure cook arahar dal with a little turmeric powder. Extract tamarind juice using water as required, we need about 1 1/2 cups.

2. Heat 1/2 tsp oil in a small pan and roast coriander seeds, dry red chilies, fenugreek seeds and chana dal till golden brown. Take care not to over-roast.

3. Now add hing and coconut bits. Stir once and remove. Let cool. Grind in a mixer along with 1 small tomato. Keep aside.

4. Use a thick-bottomed saucepan and add the tamarind extract to it. Add salt to taste, curry leaves and if using capsicum, add it as well. Let simmer on low flame till raw aroma leaves the tamarind extract. (roughly 7-10 minutes). If using other cooked vegetables(minus capsicum) add them at this point.

5. Add the ground spices paste and stir. Check salt. Now add the cooked pigeon peas/Arahar dal and stir well so it becomes a homogeneous mixture.
Note : If consistency is slightly runny, dissolve 1 tsp rice flour in 2 tsps water and add to the sambhar. Let simmer for 5-6 minutes more and switch off the gas flame.

6. For tempering, heat 1 tsp oil and add mustard seeds, let crackle. Add methi seeds and give it a very quick stir taking care not to let the methi become too brown else it will spoil the overall taste. Add hing and curry leaves. Remove and pour over the sambhar.

Transfer Sambhar to the serving bowl and garnish with dhaniya leaves. Serve as desired.

Sambhar (Type II)

Picking up from the earlier recipe for Sambhar using fresh ground spices, the second method is using ready made Sambhar powder. Since we are using a dry powder this variation needs little extra portion of lentils (Arahar dal) to add to the texture, consistency and quantity, but cooking time is reduced.

SAMBHAR

TYPE II (Using Sambhar powder)
[Type I using ground spices can be found here ]

Ingredients :

Tamarind - lemon size
Boiled/Blanched vegetables of your choice - typically drumsticks, capsicum, white radish or Knol Khol(Kohl Rabi). If using capsicum, you can directly cook it in tamarind water, no need to pre-cook.
Salt to taste
Sambhar Powder - 2 tsps
Split pigeon peas (Arahar dal) - 3/4 cup (Pressure cooked)
Curry leaves for garnishing

Tempering :
Mustard seeds (Rai) - 1 tsp
Hing - 1.4 tsp
Fenugreek (Methi) seeds - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp

Method :

1. Extract about 1 1/2 cups of tamarind juice. Add it to a thick-bottomed sauce pan.

2. Add salt to taste, curry leaves and sambhar powder at this stage itself. If using capsicum, add it in as well. Let simmer on low flame till raw aroma leaves the tamarind juice. (roughly 7-10 minutes). If using other cooked vegetables(minus capsicum) add them at this point.

3. Add the cooked arahar dal and stir till the dal is well mixed with the tamarind extract. Let simmer for 10 more minutes and remove from the fire.

4. Prepare tempering by heating 1 tsp oil, add mustard seeds and let crackle. Now add hing and finally methi seeds taking care not to let the seeds become too brown. Pour over the sambhar and transfer to a serving bowl.
Garnish with chopped fresh dhaniya and serve.

Idli Upma

Idli upma, i.e, upma made with crumbled leftover idlis are quite common in most South Indian households.  It's very easy to prepare and equally tasty..

IDLI UPMA

Ingredients :

Crumbled leftover Idlis - 1 cup
Chopped green chili - 1 tsp
Chopped ginger - 1 tsp
Chana dal (Split Bengal gram) - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal (Split Black gram) - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Chopped onion - 2 tbsp (optional )
Sesame oil - 2 tsps

Method :

1. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and let crackle.

2. Add chopped green chili, ginger and curry leaves. Fry for 2 minutes. Add the urad and chana dal and fry till golden brown.

3. Now add the chopped onions and fry till translucent and golden brown.

4. Now add the crumbled idli and quickly mix with the onion mixture. If you feel the upma is a bit dry, add a teaspoonful of oil more and cook on a low flame for 4 to 5 minutes more. Check for salt and add only a little bit as the idli would have some salt and sourness in it already.

5. Remove and serve hot.

Spongy Dosas and Idlis

Idlis and dosas are staple foods of South India, with not just the states but even districts having their own version and variation for the same.
Getting the batter right is crucial for both, which involves - correct proportioning of the ingredients, soaking them for just the right amount of time, grinding them to the correct texture, and then letting the batter rest to ferment.

I list below the typical ingredients and methods we follow for spongy dosas and soft idlis. Drool away!!! [ Click here for Dosa recipe...]

                                                                           IDLI

(Makes roughly 15-20 idlis)
Ingredients :

Idli or boiled rice - 2 cups
Whole, washed Urad dal - 1/2 cup (Mum finds Tata I-shakti dal best for this purpose)
Flat poha or flattened rice - 2 tbsps
Sabudana (Sago) - 2 tbsps
Methi (Fenugreek) seeds - 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method : 

1. Wash and soak the rice separately for 2 hours

2. Fifteen minutes before you wish to begin grinding the batter, wash the urad dal only once, and soak in 1 1/2 cups of water, along with lightly washed and cleaned flattened rice, methi seeds and sago.

Note : The traditional wet grinder works best for preparing batter in bigger proportions, also because urad dal needs to be ground to a fine paste and can heat up a standard mixer if run for long. But of course, one can make do with a mixer if grinder isn't available.

3. Grind the ural dal, flattened rice, sago and methi seeds first, gradually adding the entire 1 1/2 cups water used for soaking them. The batter should have a spongy consistency and should increase in volume as you keep up the grinding process.
Once done, transfer the batter to a large mixing bowl or vessel.

4. Now grind the rice, this batter can be slightly grainy, only up to a fine semolina texture. Once this is done too, add to the urad dal batter. Mix the two well together. Leave aside till the dough rises, then refrigerate.
It's recommended not to add salt right away, instead add it just before preparing the idlis. This will prevent the batter from becoming sour soon.
To prepare idlis, grease the idli plates lightly with oil, pour a ladle-ful of the batter in each slot and steam cook for about 15 minutes on a medium flame. Then reduce the flame and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove the idli plates, let cool a bit, then sprinkle water around the idlis to help remove them easily. Serve hot with chutney :)


                                         *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*