Puri/Masala.

Puri/Masala.
This is a wholesome breakfast in many South Indian homes. It is also very convenient to prepare, when guests are around.

For Puris.

Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour(atta)-2cups,
salt-to taste,
oil for frying.

Method:
Mix atta and salt and make a tough and hard dough.
Apply little oil and knead well and keep aside for 15 mts.
Heat oil in a pan.
Roll out puris on a flat wooden surface. .
Deep fry them, one by one.
Fry both sides on getting golden brown.
Puris are ready.

For Masala.
Ingredients:
 potatoes-4(medium),
onions-3(medium),
green chillies-4,
ginger-1" piece,
tomato-1,
chana dal-1tsp,
mustard seeds-1tsp,
turmeric powder-1/4tsp,
curry leaves-a few,
corriander leaves-2tbsps(cleaned and chopped),
salt to taste,
oil-1tbsp.

Method:
Cook the potatoes.
Mash them well.
Cut onions into pieces.
Cut the chillies and ginger to small pieces.
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and when it flutters, add the chana dal and saute a little to golden brown.
Add the onions, chillies, ginger and turmeric powder.
Cook for 5 mts on a low flame.
Add chopped tomatoes and a cup of water along with salt and cook for 5 more mts on medium flame.
Add the mashed potatoes and mix well.
Add more water, if necessary, to get one's own required consistency.
Boil well and remove from flame.
Add chopped corriander leaves and mix well.
The masala is ready.

Eggless Fruit Cake

Eggless Fruit Cake.

Those who do not use eggs, but  have a taste for cakes, this is an ideal one. The preparation is similar to the other cakes.

Ingredients:
flour(maida)-250gms,
sugar-250gms,
butter-100gms,
milk powder-100gms,
sugar-30gms(for making caramel)
dryfruits-200gms,(dry fruits can be a mixture of almonds,cashews,raisins,dates, pista,walnut or any other fruit as per choice.)
baking powder-1tsp,
soda-1/4tsp,
almond essence-1/4tsp,
salt-1tsp.

Preparation of caramel:
Put the sugar in a kadai and heat it.
The sugar will start melting(no water is used). Keep on stirring till it becomes deep brown.
Lower the flame and add 1/2cup of water and stir well .
Put off the flame.
When it cools down, filter the solution.
Caramel is ready.
Preparation of cake:
Sieve the flour with baking powder and soda 3 times in order to ensure the proper mixing of the baking powder, soda and the flour.
Powder the sugar.
Chop the fruits to small pieces.
Put the butter(at room temperature) and sugar in a vessel and beat the mix, till it gets fluffy.
Add 1/2 cup of water or milk to the milk powder and mix well. add it to the butter-sugar mix.
Add caramel, salt, essence and the dry fruits into the above mix and mix well.
Add flour to the above and mix well.
Preheat the oven to180 degrees centigrade for 10mts.
Grease the cake pan/vessel with butter and sprinkle little flour on it.
Pour the above flour and dry fruit mix contents into the pan.
Bake it for 1 hour or till done.
Insert a needle to find out whether the cake is done. The cake is done, if the needle does not stick to the contents.
On cooling, remove the cake from the pan and put it upside down.
Cut the cake into pieces

Skinned Urad Dal Appam

SKINNED URAD DAL APPAM

This is a snack made with skinned urad dal(dal with chilka) instead of the usual white(de-skinned) dal. Besides being fibrous, it is also nutritious. The batter is slightly dark in colour because of the dal skin. It tastes very good.

SKINNED URAD DAL APPAM

Ingredients:

skinned(black) urid dal-1/2cup,

boiled rice-1cup,

raw rice-1/2cup,

jeera-1tsp(crushed),

pepper-1tsp(crushed),

salt to taste,

oil for frying the appams.

Method:

Soak the dal and rice for 5 hrs separately.

Both the rice varieties can be combined together for soaking.

Grind the dal to a smooth texture as is being ground for dosa.

Grind rice to a coarser texture.

Add salt, pepper and jeera and mix well.

Ferment the batter for 6 hrs.

Heat appam pan(pan with appam depressions), put little oil in all depressions and pour the batter to 3/4 level in each depression.

Keep the flame on medium.

When one side is done, turn to the other side in the hollow itself, by using a pointed needle, similar to the knitting needle.

When done, remove the appams.

Repeat the process till the batter is exhausted.

Can be served with sambar, chutney or any other hot and spicy currie

RAWA IDLI

RAWA IDLI.

Rawa idli is an easy preparation and is generally consume for breakfast. It does not require much time.


Ingredients: 
white rawa(suji)-2 cups,
curd-1cup,
soda-a pinch,
green chillies-3(chopped),
ginger-a small piece(chopped),
mustard seeds-1tsp,
curry leaves-a few(chopped),
Corriander leaves-a few(chopped),
cashewnuts-5nos-cut into pieces(optional),
ghee-1/2tsp,
hing-1/8tsp,
oil-1tsp,
salt to taste.


Method:
Mix rawa, curd, soda and salt in a bowl. Make a idli consistency batter using water.
Fry the broken cashews in ghee. 
Add to the batter along with the chopped items. 
In a pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds and when it splutters, add the hing.
Add this to the batter. 
Mix the batter well and keep aside for 30 mts. 
Grease the idli moulds with oil. 
Fill the idli moulds and steam for 10 mts. 
Can be served with any side dish such as sambar, chutney, pickle, hot and spicy potato curry, etc.
Note: 
Chopped vegetables like carrots, cabbage or grated coconut can be added to the batter as per choice.

Seasoned Dried Green Chillies.

Seasoned Dried Green Chillies.

Green chillies can be seasoned, dried and stored and can be used whenever required. It can be fried and used with curd rice, kanji etc.It is an excellent hot and spicy item to go well with these dishes.


Ingredients: 

green chillies-250gms(preferably round and short ones),
salt-2tbsps,
curd-1cup(sour),
hing-1/2tsp.


Method:

Wash the chillies.
Prick them at a few places with the help of a needle.
Add 2 cups of water to the curd and churn it to make buttermilk.
Add salt.
Soak the chillies in the buttermilk overnight.
Next morning, squeeze the chillies and dry them under the sun.(Do not throw away the buttermilk).
In the evening, soak them again in the remaining buttermilk.
Again dry them under the sun the next day.
Repeat the process, till all the buttermilk is absorbed.
Dry them well for another two to three days, till they are well dried.
Store them in a clean bottle.

Maanga Thokku(Fresh Mango pickle).

Maanga Thokku(Mango Pickle).

Thokku is a variety of pickle prepared from raw mango. This is basically a Tamilnadu preparation. It tastes good and goes well with meals as well as many snack dishes.


Ingredients:
fleshy raw mangoes-1kg(they should not be soft),
salt-70gms,
chilly powder-50gms,
turmeric powder-1tsp,
hing-1tsp,
methi seeds-2tsps(fried and powdered),
mustard seeds-1tbsp,
gingely oil(til oil)-200gms.


Method:
Wash and peel the mangoes with the help of a peeler.
Grate all the mangoes.
Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan, add mustard and when it splutters add all the other items.
Stir well and cook on a low flame keeping the lid on, till the grated mango is cooked properly. 
Open the lid and stir well again. 
Cook, till oil separates from the mass.(Separation of oil can be observed, when it starts floating separately around the cooked mango). 
Stir in between. 
When oil starts separating, remove from flame. 
On cooling, store it(thokku) in a sterilised bottle..

Semia Idli.

Semia Idli.
This is a preparation done when you are short of time for making some good and filling dish for the guests. It is something that will be relished by everyone.


Ingredients:
urad dal-1cup,
semia(vermicelli)-2cups(lightly roasted),
green chillies-2(finely chopped)
ginger-a small piece(finely chopped),
Curry leaves(optional)-a few(finely chopped),
salt to taste.


Method:
Soak the dal for 2 hrs.
Grind it to a fine batter.
Add salt and mix well.
Keep for fermentation for 6 to 8 hrs.(if the batter is required to be used immediately, add 1tbsp of curd and a pinch of soda).
Add the semia and mix well.
Keep aside for 15 mts.
Grease the idli moulds with oil and fill with batter.
Steam them for 8 to 10 mts.
Can be served with any side dish, viz. chutney, fresh pickles, thokku, sambar or a hot and spicy curry.
Note: 
Vegetable semia idli can also be made by adding chopped vegetables like carrots, beans, green peas, cauliflower, etc.