Ingredients:
Rice flour, ground fine - 1/2 cup
Semolina, ground fine - 1/2 cup
Wheat/all-purpose flour - 1/4 cup
Salt - to taste
Oil for frying - 1/2 cup (less than one spoon for each dosa)
Optional ingredients:
Red onion, chopped - 1 small
Green chili, chopped - 1
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 5-6
Asafoetida - a pinch
Fry these ingredients in some oil until the onions turn translucent. Set aside.
Servings: 4-6 dosas
Time: 15 min
Method:
Mix the flours together in a bowl with the salt. Add water in small amounts, stirring until you have a smooth, easy-pouring batter. These dosas will not require spreading with a ladle, instead we will rely on the fact that the batter is watery enough to spread just by rotating the pan. In order for this to work well, you have to ensure that the rice flour or semolina is not too coarse. If it is, you can blend the batter once prepared, but before you add the optional ingredients.
Heat up a skillet or non-stick pan until it starts to smoke. Lower heat to medium, pour 1/2 tsp of oil and spread around by rotating the pan. To test if the batter is fluid enough, pour half a big ladle onto the pan, and rotate the pan to see if the batter spreads thin before it starts to cook. If required, add water to the batter at this point. Each time you ladle some batter into the pan, rotate to spread the batter, then pour a little bit of oil along the sides as well as on top of the dosa. Allow it to cook on one side, then flip and cook the other side.
If you've added the onions, etc, this is a meal in itself and doesn't require a dip to go with it. But may I suggest milagai podi with sesame oil? Or perhaps some thengai thugayal?
Author: Shrinkingsodacan
Source: Mom's recipe
Alternative: Mix the flours and spice with raw cumin seeds and chopped curry leaves.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Milagai Podi (Spice powder for idlis/dosas)
Introduction:
Milagai podi literally means "pepper powder". Milagai podi consists of roasted lentils and red chillies that have been ground fine or coarse (for a more crunchy feel) and is served by mixing with sesame seed oil (vegetable oil can be used, but sesame tastes much better). It traditionally functions as a side dish (dip) for idlis and dosas, but I also use it as a dip for bread (baguettes) and chapatis. I also sometimes mix the powder with cooked rice and a spoon of oil/ghee for a quick meal.
Ingredients:
Chana dal - 1/2 cup
Udad dal - 1/2 cup
Dried red chillies - 2 cups
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp
Servings: makes about 2 cups of powder
Time: 10 min
Method:
Heat a wok until it starts to smoke. Bring the flame down to medium high, and dry roast the udad dal, stirring continuously until it starts to turn light brown. Repeat for chana dal. Set aside. Turn up the flame to high, heat the oil and after about half a minute, first add the asafoetida and mix well. Immediately add the red chilies and stir continuously to coat well. Fry until they start to turn black or you start to cough up a lung. Transfer immediately to a blender. Grind to powder. Mix the lentils together and grind bit by bit to desired coarseness/fineness with salt. Mix the powdered lentils and chillies together. This powder can be stored outside the fridge for a while.
Author: Shrinkingsodacan
Milagai podi literally means "pepper powder". Milagai podi consists of roasted lentils and red chillies that have been ground fine or coarse (for a more crunchy feel) and is served by mixing with sesame seed oil (vegetable oil can be used, but sesame tastes much better). It traditionally functions as a side dish (dip) for idlis and dosas, but I also use it as a dip for bread (baguettes) and chapatis. I also sometimes mix the powder with cooked rice and a spoon of oil/ghee for a quick meal.
Ingredients:
Chana dal - 1/2 cup
Udad dal - 1/2 cup
Dried red chillies - 2 cups
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp
Servings: makes about 2 cups of powder
Time: 10 min
Method:
Heat a wok until it starts to smoke. Bring the flame down to medium high, and dry roast the udad dal, stirring continuously until it starts to turn light brown. Repeat for chana dal. Set aside. Turn up the flame to high, heat the oil and after about half a minute, first add the asafoetida and mix well. Immediately add the red chilies and stir continuously to coat well. Fry until they start to turn black or you start to cough up a lung. Transfer immediately to a blender. Grind to powder. Mix the lentils together and grind bit by bit to desired coarseness/fineness with salt. Mix the powdered lentils and chillies together. This powder can be stored outside the fridge for a while.
Author: Shrinkingsodacan
Thengai Sevai (Coconut with Rice Noodles)
Ingredients:
Dried rice noodles, available in the noodle aisle - 1 brick (about 1/4 of a packet?)
[You can replace the above with 1 cup or more of cooked rice, skipping the soaking in boiled water part below]
Coconut, grated - 4 tbsp
Seasoning:
Mustard seeds - 3/4 tsp
Peanuts/cashews - 1/2 cup (can be replaced with 1/4 cup chana dal)
Red chili, dried - 1 (or 1 long green chili, chopped)
Ginger, chopped fine - 1" piece
Curry leaves - 5-6
Hing (asafoetida) - a pinch (optional)
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Cooking time: 5-10 min
Servings: 2 (breakfast) or 1 (lunch/dinner)
Method:
Bring water to boil in a large vessel. Turn off the stove and soak the rice noodles in the water for a 2-3 minutes, keep covered. In the meantime, heat the oil in a wok and add the asafoetida. When it starts to sizzle, add the mustard seeds and peanuts/cashews/chana dal. When they start to sputter, add the chili, ginger and curry leaves and mix well. Lower the flame and stir in the salt and coconut. You don't have to cook until the coconut turns brown (I usually don't), but that gives a different flavour. Turn off the stove. Drain the water from the noodles, add them to the seasoning and mix well. Serve hot with chutney or sambar.
Alternates:
1) For lemon sevai, replace coconut in the above recipe with turmeric (optional, for colour) when frying. Once the noodles are mixed in with the seasoning, add 1/3 cup of lemon juice and mix well.
2) For curd sevai cook without coconut and with a higher amount of ginger. Once ready, mix with 1/2 to 1 cup of yogurt.
Author: Shrinkingsodacan
Dried rice noodles, available in the noodle aisle - 1 brick (about 1/4 of a packet?)
[You can replace the above with 1 cup or more of cooked rice, skipping the soaking in boiled water part below]
Coconut, grated - 4 tbsp
Seasoning:
Mustard seeds - 3/4 tsp
Peanuts/cashews - 1/2 cup (can be replaced with 1/4 cup chana dal)
Red chili, dried - 1 (or 1 long green chili, chopped)
Ginger, chopped fine - 1" piece
Curry leaves - 5-6
Hing (asafoetida) - a pinch (optional)
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Cooking time: 5-10 min
Servings: 2 (breakfast) or 1 (lunch/dinner)
Method:
Bring water to boil in a large vessel. Turn off the stove and soak the rice noodles in the water for a 2-3 minutes, keep covered. In the meantime, heat the oil in a wok and add the asafoetida. When it starts to sizzle, add the mustard seeds and peanuts/cashews/chana dal. When they start to sputter, add the chili, ginger and curry leaves and mix well. Lower the flame and stir in the salt and coconut. You don't have to cook until the coconut turns brown (I usually don't), but that gives a different flavour. Turn off the stove. Drain the water from the noodles, add them to the seasoning and mix well. Serve hot with chutney or sambar.
Alternates:
1) For lemon sevai, replace coconut in the above recipe with turmeric (optional, for colour) when frying. Once the noodles are mixed in with the seasoning, add 1/3 cup of lemon juice and mix well.
2) For curd sevai cook without coconut and with a higher amount of ginger. Once ready, mix with 1/2 to 1 cup of yogurt.
Author: Shrinkingsodacan
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Thengai Thugayal (Coconut Chutney)
Introduction:
Thugayals are a class of South Indian chutneys that require pre-roasting/frying of some ingredients (typically udad dal, dried red chillies, tamarind and asafoetida) which are then ground into a paste (usually with grated coconut). The recipes are quick and easy and they make excellent sides for rice or chapatis when you're too tired to think of anything else for lunch/dinner. This recipe is for the basic thugayal, but there are tons of thugayal recipes out there which involve the same core ingredients.
Ingredients:
Grated coconut - 3/4 cup
Udad dal - 1/8 cup
Dried red chillies - 4-5
Asafoetida - a pinch
Tamarind concentrate - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tsp
For garnish (optional):
Curry leaves - 4-5
Udad dal - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Servings: 2-3
Cooking time: 5-10 min
Method:
In a non-stick wok, heat the oil . Add the asafoetida, udad dal and red chillies when the oil is hot. As the udad dal starts to sputter, mix in the tamarind paste and stir for a few minutes to coat evenly. Remove from flame and cool for a couple of minutes. Transfer to blender with salt and 1/4 cup of water. Blend into a coarse paste. Add the grated coconut bit by bit, adding small amounts of water (we're going for paste consistency, so don't add too much) if necessary, and grind into a coarse or fine paste (up to you). For garnish, you can decorate with fresh curry leaves, or sputter the curry leaves, udad dal and mustard seeds in 1 tsp of oil for an added crunch.
The thugayal can be refrigerated for a few days. Serve with hot rice or chapatis, adding some oil/butter if you like.
Author: Shrinkingsodacan
Source: Traditional recipe
Thugayals are a class of South Indian chutneys that require pre-roasting/frying of some ingredients (typically udad dal, dried red chillies, tamarind and asafoetida) which are then ground into a paste (usually with grated coconut). The recipes are quick and easy and they make excellent sides for rice or chapatis when you're too tired to think of anything else for lunch/dinner. This recipe is for the basic thugayal, but there are tons of thugayal recipes out there which involve the same core ingredients.
Ingredients:
Grated coconut - 3/4 cup
Udad dal - 1/8 cup
Dried red chillies - 4-5
Asafoetida - a pinch
Tamarind concentrate - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tsp
For garnish (optional):
Curry leaves - 4-5
Udad dal - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Servings: 2-3
Cooking time: 5-10 min
Method:
In a non-stick wok, heat the oil . Add the asafoetida, udad dal and red chillies when the oil is hot. As the udad dal starts to sputter, mix in the tamarind paste and stir for a few minutes to coat evenly. Remove from flame and cool for a couple of minutes. Transfer to blender with salt and 1/4 cup of water. Blend into a coarse paste. Add the grated coconut bit by bit, adding small amounts of water (we're going for paste consistency, so don't add too much) if necessary, and grind into a coarse or fine paste (up to you). For garnish, you can decorate with fresh curry leaves, or sputter the curry leaves, udad dal and mustard seeds in 1 tsp of oil for an added crunch.
The thugayal can be refrigerated for a few days. Serve with hot rice or chapatis, adding some oil/butter if you like.
Author: Shrinkingsodacan
Source: Traditional recipe
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