Wheat Dosa/கோதுமை தோசை

                 Wheat ,being a staple food of North-India,also included in South-Indian's meal, but not as their routine food.South-Indian's staple food can be said as rice.Nowadays due to the awareness of diabetes, wheat and its products are consumed in huge level compared to that of rice.It's good to take wheat in our diet.Also a good thing about this is ,its a low calorie food.Wheat reduces the risk of diabetes,cardio diseases and controls obesity too.So people who plan their diet,will generally reduce the intake of rice and replace it with wheat and vegetables.And it's rich fiber content helps in constipation related problems.And it has a loads of vitamins and minerals,proteins and lots of medicinal benefits,I can't complete this post if i start writing about the Wheat benefits.So if you wish to add the benefits of wheat to your body,do make it a part of your daily meal.We have wheat based menu's like chapathi,phulka's,parotta and so and so..Just for a change try to make this you will love to have it the next time.And it's a easier menu to prepare for your dinner or breakfast.Coming to my ingredients,whole wheat dosa also can be prepared instead of adding a portion of rice flour(as i have added below in my recipe).But some people especially kids hate to have it,because of it's sticky nature.So to satisfy the people at home ,I've included the rice flour along with wheat flour,which gives a crispy dosa.

Ingredients:

Serves 2 -3

Wheat Flour - 1 Cup

Rice Flour - 1/4 Cup

Jeera seeds - 1 tsp

Chopped Onions - 1/2 Cup

Green Chilly - 2 to 3

Curry Leaves - few

Water - as reqd

Salt - as reqd

Oil - as reqd

Method

• In a wide bowl add rice flour,wheat flour,jeera and salt .Give a mix with your ladle once to ensure even mixing of salt.Add chopped onion,chopped green chilly and curry leaves.Add water and mix throughly without any lumps.The consistency of the batter should be in a running consistency.Keep the batter aside for 10 -15minutes.

• In a hot tawa spread oil and take a ladle full batter and pour the batter from the egde like ,as you do for rava dosa. Donot spread like our ordinary dosa.Keep the flame in Medium-High.Drizzle some oil if you wish around the dosa and flip it over.Let them cook on the other side too.Remove from the tawa once done.

• Serve hot with red hot chutney or coconut chutney.

Tip

• Can add grated ginger,grated coconut and grated carrot to give an yummy look for kids.
• Can reduce the amount of rice flour to 1 to 2 Tbsp,if you want a more wheat flour version.

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Vazhakaai Roast/Raw Banana Roast

          Raw Banana ,a variety of dishes can be prepared using this as the main ingredient.Raw has a less amount of saturated fat. It has a sufficient amount of dietary Fiber,vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium and manganese.As similar to ripe banana ,which serves as a mild laxative,raw banana can also be taken for diarrhea problems.I have mentioned below in tips section,how to use for diarrhea problems.This is a simple and easy recipe to prepare.

Ingredients

Serves 2

Raw Banana  - 1 noSambar Powder - 2 tspSalt - as ReqdOil - For shallow fry

Method

• Cut the top and bottom portion of the raw banana and peel the skin.Cut the raw banana's to 1/4"inch thickness.Add salt,sambar powder to the cut banana's and keep them aside for 15 minutes.

• In a hot tawa spread oil and place the raw banana.Drizzle some oil above the banana's ,roast on side side and flip them , roast on the other side.When its cooked well,remove from the tawa and keep them in a tissue paper.

Serve them as a side dish for your curd rice,rasam and sambar rice.

Tip

• Boil the raw banana's with salt ,mash them adding a little butter to it.This could taken for diarrhea problems.
• Can also add red chilli powder instead of sambar and prepare in the  method.
• Instead of shallow fry /roast you can also deep fry them and serve as a evening snack.

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Simple Rasam

         Rasam ,South indian soup ,is prepared in various methods.Also many varieties of rasam are being prepared.It can be taken with rice and also consumed as a drink,if we have starting symptoms of nasal congestion.Rasam is very light to digest ,so it is generally advised for sick people to have for their lunch.I have posted the rasam recipe which my mom prepares at home,its simple and easy to prepare.I struggled to get the close match of the rasam mom prepares,but now somehow i have got the similar taste of mom's rasam by preparing it again and again.To get the perfect rasam please follow the instruction's below.I'm sure you too will get it.

Ingredients

Serves 5-6

Tomato(Medium Size) - 2 

Tamarind - a gooseberry size

Hing - 1/4 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander Leaves - few

Salt - as reqd

Water - as reqd

To Grind

Garlic pods-5 to 6

Black Peppercorns- 1.5 tsp

Jeera seds - 1 tsp

Green chilly - 1'inch size

To Temper

Oil - 1tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Dry Red Chilly (broken)- 2 to 3 pieces

Garlic (crushed) - 1 tsp

Curry Leaves - a sprig

Method

• In a kadai/heavy bottomed vessel add water and boil the tomatoes till its outer skin splits.Switch off.Transfer it to a vessel (is using kadai to boil tomatoes).Add turmeric powder,salt,hing and add required amount of water.When the water is warm enough, add the tamarind.You can also soak the tamarind separately in a bowl ,mash it to extract the juice and then mix it to the vessel.Let it stand for 10minutes.

• Mash the tomatoes and tamarind with your hands after 10 minutes.Then in a mixer grind pepper,garlic,jeera and green chilly.Add them to the mashed tomato-tamarind water.Add chopped coriander.

• In a pan temper with mustard seeds,crushed garlic,dry red chill and curry leaves.Add the rasam mix to the pan.Let it boil in medium flame.When the upper layer of the rasam forms a foamy layer Switch off the flame.Dont boil more than that stage,else the taste will be perfect.

Tip

• Add the other ingredients in the temper section,only after all the mustard seeds have crackled.
• Dont over boil the rasam mix,the tamarind juice will spoil the perfect taste if the rasam get overboiled.
•  It's shelf life is 7days,if stored in refrigerator immediately after use. 

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Idiyappam/String Hopper

      Idiyappam a familiar recipe around Kerala and TamilNadu.It's a simple breakfast/dinner to have,makes our stomach feel light.Easy to digest .If you wish to give a light load to your stomach,you could blindly opt this.It can be made both with store brought rice flour or home made flour.Both sweet and spicy version can be prepared with this plain Idiyappam as the base.I will post the sweet and spicy version in my future posts.Nowadays ready made idiyappam's are available.But nothing can beat the freshly made one's.

Ingredients

Serves 3 to 4

Rice Flour - 2 Cup

Water - 3 Cup

Salt - 1/4 tsp or as reqd

Method

• Add your flour in a wide bowl and keep aside.In a  vessel add water and salt and let it boil.Switch OFF the flame when you find the bubbles at the bottom of the boiling water.Slowly add the hot water to the rice flour,and mix with a spatula.Take care ,as the water will be hot to handle with.

•  Add the water little by little.And when the dough is warm enough to touch,form it to a dough with your hands.Remember to rub your palms with a bit of oil.Cover the dough with a wet cloth and leave it aside for 10 minutes.Let the dough cool by itself.Once the dough is little warm.Using a Idiyappam press layer it to the greased idli plate and steam it for 5-7minutes.

•  Serve hot with grated coconut and sugar/Coconut Milk/Veg Stew.

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MorKuzhambu-Yogurt Gravy/Curry

      Morkuzhambu ,a mild-spicy yogurt based gravy.Since it's summer now,most of us take curd,buttermilk,lassi to cool our body.So this would be spiced yogurt curry ,which could be served hot ,and would be your alternative to the normal curd rice.Not only during summer,this curry is prepared all through the year.The probiotics present in the yogurt has a balancing effect to our guts,and helps in easy digestion.It also has a soothing effect to our digestive system.It can also be said as south indian kadi,because of its similar nature with yogurt based version,that's prepared in north india.

IngredientsServes 4

To Boil 

Ash Gourd/White Pumpkin - 1/4 Cup(Optional)

For Gravy

Fresh curd - 2 Cup

Turmeric Powder - 1 Tsp

Asafoetedia/Hing Powder - 1/4 Tsp

Water - 1 Cup

Salt - as required

To Soak and Grind

Thoor Dhall - 2 Tbsp

Green Chilly -1 No

Jeera - 1 Tsp

Coconut (Grated)- 2 Tbsp

To Temper

Oil - 1 Tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp

Curry Leaves - few

Method

• Boil the Ash Gourd in water with a dash of salt and keep aside when they are ready.In your mixer add the fresh curd, asafoetedia ,turmeric,salt and give it a pulse.Collect the curd mixture in a vessel and keep aside. 

•   Soak the thoor dall along with Jeera for 1/2 hr. In a mixer add the soaked dall,jeera,chilly and     coconut to a smooth paste.And mix the paste to the curd mixture.Now the main part is over.

• In a pan add oil and temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves.If you wish to add the boiled ash gourd add it after tempering.You can also add cubed Ladies Finger,saute them until they are cooked.

•  Then add the prepared mix and let it boil.Keep the flame in Medium-Low.

•  Switch off the flame when the boiling mixture forms a frothy upper layer.Do not let it boil ,after that.Else the gravy will curdle.So keep an eye while boiling.

• Now it's ready ,serve hot /warm .

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