How to make idli and dosa?

In previous post I wrote about the ingredients and preparation for adai which is a variety of dosa. But how to make a plain dosa?Since dosa and idli are the most common breakfast dishes in south india especially in Tamilnadu, I think those should not be missed in my blog. Here is the proportion for idli and dosa batter.


Ingredients:

• Idli Rice -4 parts
• Urad dal -1 part
• Fenugreek(venthayam)-2 tablespoon(optional)
• Salt
• Oil

How to make the batter?

• Soak the rice and the urad dal(and fenugreek) in water seperately for 5-6 hours and grind it into a thick paste.
• Mix the batter with required amount of salt and keep it overnight to ferment.
• While mixing the batter, use the hand so that it helps to ferment soon.
  
• It expands almost 2 times that of the original volume.

How to make idlis?

• Use little water for idlis and mix the fermented batter.
• Do not stir much .
• Grease the idli plates / trays with oil (or use cloth) and pour the batter to each mold.
• Boil water in idli cooker or the electric rice cooker and keep the idli trays inside with the lid closed.
• Cook it for 6 -7 minutes according to the size.
• Serve it with sambar and any kind of chutneys.

How to make dosas?

• Use more water than that of the idlis.
• Heat the dosa tava and pour 1 or 2 large spoonful of batter and spread it into thin round circle.
• Pour 1 or 2 teaspoon of oil (or ghee) on the sides.
• Either it can be cooked one side by closing the tava with the lid for few seconds or it can be flipped out to cook the other side.
• When the circles are made thinner the dosas are crisper and tastier.
• Serve it with sambar and any kind of chutneys.

Tips :

• If mixer is used, instead of grinder change the proportion of rice to 3 parts.
• If the idli rice is not available in your place, use 2 1/2 parts of parboiled rice and 1 1/2 parts of basmathi rice.
• Fenugreeks are used most commonly in preparation of dosa rather in idlis.
• If u want to store it after the fermentation, store it in refrigerator.
• When it is taking a longer time for fermentation (like in cold countries), use very little amount of baking soda. But it is not advised to be used often.
  

Adai dosa / Parupu dosai

This is one of my favorite dishes in India.It is a dosa variety in which dals are used . Avial is the most known combination with adai in south indian hotels though it suits better with tomato chutney.

Ingredients:

• Raw rice( pacharisi-1 cup
• Thoor dal (thuvaram parupu)-1/2 cup
• Channa dal( kadalai parupu)-1/2 cup
• Urad dal-2 tablespoon
• Red chilli-3 or 4
• Cumin seeds( jeeragam)-1 tablespoon
• Large onion-2 to 3
• Drumstick leaves (optional)
• Salt
• Oil

Method:

• Wash the rice and soak in water with red chillies seperately.
• Wash all the dal varieties thoor dal, chenna dal and urad dal and soak in water together.
• Allow it for atleast 4 hours before grinding.
• Drain the water and grind the dals varieties seperately into coarser paste.
• Do not grind into a fine paste.Add little water only if needed.
• Drain the water from the soaked rice and grind it with red chillies and the cumin seeds.
• Add little water and grind it into fine paste.
• Mix it with the dal to make the batter.
• Add required amount of salt.
• This batter need not be kept for longer time like the usual dosa.
• Fry the finely cut onion and drumstick leaves (optional) in oil seperately.
• Then just add the onions and drumstick leaves (optional)to the batter, before making dosa.
• Use more oil on both sides than used for the usual dosa.

Rava kichadi / Sooji kichadi

I said there are other methods for doing the same rava kichadi with some spices.Here is one of the methods.

Ingredients:

• Rava-2 cups
• Water-4 cups
• Large Onion-2
• Tomato-1 (large)
• Cut vegetables-2 cups
• Turmeric powder-1/4 teaspoon
• Oil-4 or 5 tablespoon
• Salt

Vegetables preferred:

• Carrot,Beans, Green Peas, Cauliflower.

To grind:

• garlic-2
• cinnamon-1 small piece
• cloves-2
• cardamom-1
• Fennel (sombu)-1/2 teaspoon
• Green Chillies-3(or 2)

For seasoning:

• Mustard, Curry leaves

Cashews for garnishing if desired.


Method:

• Cook the vegetables in salted water (as said before in previous post)and drain the excess water.
• Fry the rava in pan without oil till it is heated.
• Heat oil in pan and add the seasoning items.
• Add onions, tomatoes and fry it till it is cooked.
• Add the paste and turmeric powder and little amount of water.
• Allow it to cook well till the raw smell goes off.
• Now add the cooked vegetable and fry it for few more minutes.
• Add the measured quantity of water and the salt.
• When the water boils, add the fried rava and stir it.
• Remove it from the flame when it becomes thick enough to serve.
• Garnish it with fried cashews if desired.
• Serve it hot with any kind of chutney or sugar.

Rava Upma / Sooji Upma / Upuma

Rava Upuma or the rava upma is done in the same method as that of the kichadi,
without adding the vegetables in it.

It is said to be derived from the tamil words uppu(salt) and mavu(flour) => upma.

I guess even those who do not know how to cook other dishes, know this easy and fastly made recipe.

Of course this recipe must be the most favorite dish among the employed women... :-)

Rava kichadi / Sooji kichadi

I usually do this kichadi plainly with rava and mixed variety of vegetables alone. There are other varieties of this same kichadi, in which some more spices are added.

Ingredients:

• Rava-2 cups
• Water-4 cups
• Large Onion-2
• Tomato-1 (large)
• Red chillies-3 or 4
• Cut vegetables-2 cups
• Oil-4 or 5 tablespoon
• Salt

Vegetables prefered :

Green Peas, Beans,Carrot, Cauliflower

For seasoning: Mustard,curry leaves



Method:

• Fry the rava in pan without oil evenly in the medium flame, till it is heated.
• Cook the cut vegetables in salted water and drain the excess water.
• Do not overcook the vegetables.
• Use approximately the right amount of water to cook the vegetables.
• Heat oil in pan and add the mustard seeds and the curry leaves.
• When it starts spluttering, add the red chillies.
• When the chillies are fried, add the onions and fry till it becomes transparent.
• Then the tomatoes are added and allowed to cook.
• Now add the measured amount of water and the salt needed.
• When the water starts boiling swift the fried rava into it evenly.
• While pouring the rava, stir it with a spoon constantly to avoid the clumps.
• Add the cooked vegetable when the kichadi is still in liquid consistency.
• Stir it for few seconds till it becomes thick enough to serve.
• Serve it with chutney or sugar.

Semiya ( with Sago) Payasam / Pal Payasam / Milk Payasam

I think, this is the most commonest kheer prepared in most of the Tamil occasions. Though there are many kind of kheers, most of the Tamilians are addicted to this dish. I don't know how they found out this taste, but some people love to have this kheer mixed with broken pieces of appalam.
Here is the recipe for such a tasty Tamil pudding(?????????? can we call it like this? ...no idea!!!!!)

Ingredients:

• Vermicelli (or any other brand)Semiya-1/2 cup
• Sago(Javarisi)-1/4 cup(either one or both can be used)
• Milk-2 cups
• Water-1 cup
• Ghee-2 tablespoon
• Sugar-5 or 6 tablespoon(according to the sweetness required)
• Cahsew- 7 or8
• Cardamom(elakai)-4 or5
• Dry grapes-8 or 10

Method:

• Heat little ghee in the pan and fry the cashews to golden brown.
• Keep aside and fry the semiya in the remaining ghee.
• Fry it evenly in medium flame till it changes to golden brown.
• Fry the sago in the pan for few seconds till it becomes hot.
• Sago need not be fried till golden brown.
• Mix the water and milk and boil it seperately.
• When the milk boils, add the fried sago and then the semiya.
• Stir it in intervals of every 20 seconds till the sago and the semiya is cooked well.
• Now add the required sugar to the kheer and mix it well.
• Do not add the sugar until the sago and the semiya is cooked well.
• Some prefers the payasam to be watery.
• Allow it to boil till the required consistency is acquired.
• Garnish with the fried cashew,(can add any kind of nuts)crushed cardamom, and the dry grapes.
• Serve it hot or cold.

Vegetable poriyal / Curry

When I usually have many kinds of vegetables like cauliflower, beans , carrot,etc.., I used to do this mixed vegetable curry. This can also be done with any one of the vegetables seperately.But usually it tastes wonderful, when we use more variety of vegetables.

Ingredients:

[Vegetables that can be used generally:

• Cauliflower
• Beans
• Carrot
• Cabbage
• Green Peas
• (Maize can also be used)]
  

• Cut Vegetables -2 cups
• Moong dal- 2-3 tablespoon
• Green Chillies-3
• Onion-1
• Oil- 1 tablespoon
• Salt
• Lemon juice- few drops (if desired)
  
• For seasoning: Mustard,Urad Dal, Curry leaves.

Method:

• Wash the vegetables and cut into larger pieces.
• Cook the cut vegetables in salted water along with moong dal.
• Take care that the vegetables are not overcooked.
• Use the right amount of water to cook the vegetables.
• Stir it with a spoon in intervals so that the water does not spill out while cooking.
• Heat the oil in pan and add the seasoning items as usual.
  
• When it starts spluttering add the green chillies.
  
• After few seconds add the onion and fry till it becomes transparent.
  
• Now add all the cooked vegetables and the moong dal after draining the remaining water.
  
• Add salt if needed and fry it for 2 minutes before removing from the flame.
  
• A colorful tasty mixed vegetable curry is ready to serve.
• Add few drops of lemon juice, if desired while serving.
  
• Side dish for all kind of rices...

Cauliflower kuruma

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower(cut pieces)-2 cups
  
• Large Onion-1
• Tomato-2(Boiled and smashed)
  
• (or tomato puree-1 tablespoon)
  
• Garlic-4,5
• Ginger-1 inch
• Fennel(Sombu)-1 teaspoon
• Turmeric Powder-1/4 teaspoon
• Chilli Powder-1/2 teaspoon
• Coriander Powder-1/2 teaspoon
• Cloves-2
• Cinnamon-small piece
• Oil-2 tablespoon
• Salt
• Coriander leaves for garnishing
  

Method:

• Make ginger garlic as fine paste.
• Heat little oil in pan and add the cloves, cinnamon, fennel.
• When it is fried, add ginger garlic paste.
• Add the cut onions and fry till it becomes transparent.
• Allow it to cool to room temperature and grind it into fine paste.
• Heat oil in pan and add the paste and the tomato puree
  
• We can also add the tomato paste prepared by smashing the boiled tomato after peeling the skin.
• Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder to the paste.
• Cook it till oil comes in the sides.
• Now add the cauliflower pieces and little water with required amount of salt.
• Remove it from the flame when the cauliflower is cooked well.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.
• Served with hot chappathis, puris or any kind of variety rices.