Healthy Oven-Baked "Fried Idli" With Veggies

Day4: "Fried Idli" is a popular snack/appetizer in Tamil Nadu. I called my dear friend SP to borrow the recipe of her "deep fried" version that I ate last summer.If I am remembering it from last summer, it must be really something,right? She is an instinctive cook and as I listened she ball-parked the ingredients. I told her that won't work cause I need to type a recipe with accurate/near accurate ingredient proportions. The next time I go over to her place, I will observe how she makes it and write up another post. Meanwhile I was scouring the internet for a baked alternative. I was inspired by a recipe from Mye's Recipe Corner. So I used Mye's recipe for baked Idli as a base recipe and built another recipe on top of her's by adding some veggies and masala.

#4 in my LustList: Buccelati White Gold and Diamond Bracelet (US $59, 500. 00)

This no doubt will be the perpetual object of my desire. The astronomical price tag makes it near impossible for me to even think about buying.Unless me and hubby win a lotto or something. Even if Hubby goes loco and decides to get it for me, I would never say yes. I would rather he invest it on real-estate or something. **Sigh**

Now onto the recipe-

Ingredients:

• Idli Batter,  to make 3 plates of mini-Idlis(54#s)

For the Idli Marination:

• 1 Tsp Chili Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Garam Masala
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1/2 Tsp Salt or as needed

For the Idli Fry With Veggies:

• 2 Cups Julienned Mixed Vegetable(Carrot, Red Pepper, Green Pepper, Cubanelle Pepper)
• 1 Small Red Onion, thinly sliced
• 2 Small Tomatoes, pureed
• 3-4 Green Chilies
• 1 Tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
• 1/2 Tsp Garam Masala Powder
• 1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder
• 2 Tbsp Oil
• Salt as needed
• Cilantro for Garnish

Procedure:

• Grease the Idli Molds with little oil and fill the wells with Idli batter using spoons. It is a bit time consuming but the cooked mini-idlis are super cute!

• Steam the Idlis for about 10 minutes. The cooking procedure is the same as the other Idli Recipe I posted the other day.

• Make the marinade in a wide shallow bowl. Remove the Idlis from the mold and when they are relatively warm, add to the bowl. Stir the Idlis to coat with the marinade. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes.

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange the marinated Idlis in the baking sheet in a single layer and bake in the middle rack for 20 minutes.

• After baking, it comes out crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

• In a Kadai (Preferably Cast Iron), add oil.  Soon after add the julienned vegetable and fry until the tips are slightly browned. Remove to a  plate. No need to add too much oil. If the Cast Iron pan is properly seasoned, the browning effect is achieved with less oil.

• In the same pan, add a little oil and brown the sliced onions. Remove to a plate.

• In the same Kadai, add little oil, then add ginger-garlic paste and the green chilies. Follow-up with pureed tomatoes. Add the powders and salt. 

• Once the mixture reaches a gravy consistency, add the baked Idli and the browned vegetables + onions.

• Quickly stir to combine and switch off the stove in 2 minutes.

• Transfer this yummy appetizer to a plate and eat while it is still piping hot with a cup of Chai.

Similar Idli Recipe- Masala Pan-Fried Idli Recipe with Pepper and Peas-

Paneer can be substituted instead of Idlis: Healthy Kadai Paneer

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Enjoy!

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Buttery "Parker House Rolls"

Day3: Even though I live only a few hours away from Boston, I am yet to taste the original Parker House Rolls( and the Boston Cream Pie) from the Parker's Restaurant. While that trip will have to wait, I couldn't resist trying them at home. I have been making these dainty buttery sweet rolls since last year after I started baking with yeast. The smell of these buttery rolls fresh from the oven makes me dizzy with want. I could easily finish off a dozen at one sitting with just a dab of butter and jelly. I just went with Pioneer Woman's recipe for making these itty bitty deliciousness.

#3 in my LustList:  22K Multistrand Gold Chain with seed pearls and other beads, Indian Online Jewellery store ~ (US $6000)

I want this necklace so bad that I am checking it twice everyday. As if looking at twice would manifest this necklace on my neck!!! Wouldn't that be great though?? LoL. This is the most gorgeous necklace that I have seen in ages. I could probably wear this every single day. It is definitely a statement maker! 

Now onto the recipe-

Ingredients(Makes a Dozen):

• 1 Cup Whole Milk
• 1/2 Stick Butter
• 1/4 Cup Sugar
• 1-1/2 Tsp Active Dry Yeast
• 2 Cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1/4 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 Tbsp Salt
• 1/4 Cup All-purposed flour, for kneading
• 1/4 Stick (melted) Butter , for basting

Procedure:

• Combine milk, butter, sugar in a bowl in a pot and bring the pot to a simmer. Cool to lukewarm. It takes about 25- 30 minutes.

• Add Yeast and All-Purpose flour to the pot.

• Make a smooth dough. Cover and let it rise for an hour.

• After an hour, add baking powder, baking soda, salt and additional flour. Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes. Allow to rise in a warm place for 30-45 minutes.

• Divide the dough into 12 even balls.Keep them covered at all times.

• Flatten each ball into disc and line them up on a baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, coat the discs with generous blobs of butter. 

• Fold it into half and let it rise for 30-45 minutes.

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake for 15 minutes. 

• Warm rolls are ready to consumed right-away. 

Enjoy!

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Eggless "Yeast Raised" Pancakes With Plum-Strawberry Compote

Day2: If there is one ingredient that makes me uneasy,its got to be yeast. I have no idea why. Just that I am always petrified working with it. So don't expect fancy bread posts from me. I am still taking baby steps towards getting comfortable with Yeast recipes. Over the weekend I decided to make pancakes for my family -  Nothing new there but this time though, I made it with yeast. Hee Haw! Base recipe is from here. It is actually waffle batter which works great for pancakes too. Umm, so good.

#2 in my Lust List: Alexander McQueen "Skull" Scarf, in every possible color(Now that is greed and its twin sister Materialism!) (US$ 295, each)

Fashion critics say this scarf will never go out of fashion. So I will definitely get this in at-least 2 different colors even if hubby doesn't get it for me. Skull prints look totally wicked.

Now onto the recipe-
Ingredients(Makes 12-14 Pancakes):

• 1-1/4 Tsp Active dry yeast
• 1-1/2 Cups Warm Water 
• 1 Cup Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 
• 1 Cup Atta Flour (Flour Milled from Semi-hard Wheat/Durum Wheat)
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar, packed 
• 1/3 Cup Canola Oil 
• 1/4 Cup Pure Maple Syrup 
• 1/4 Cup Skimmed Milk 
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract 
• 3/4 Tsp Baking Powder 
• 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

For Plum-Strawberry Compote:

• 2 Cups Strawberries,roughly chopped 
• 1 Cup Plums, roughly chopped 
• 2 Tbsp Water 
• 4 Tbsp Maple Syrup (or) Honey

Procedure:

• In a non-metal pan, add the warm water(Test the warm on the inside of your wrist. It should feel warm but not burn the skin). Add the yeast and let this mixture sit in a warm spot for 10-15 minutes. 

• Add both the flour and the salt to the yeast mixture.

• Let the mixtures it in a warm spot overnight. I just stick it in the oven. 

• The mixture is frothy and almost doubled in the morning.

• Add the sugar, milk, oil and vanilla extract in a separate bowl and whisk it well. Mix this wet mixture with the batter.

• Stir the batter so it is lump free. Let it rest for 10-15 minutes.

• Meanwhile, make the compote. Chopped the fruits and add it to the processor.

• Pulse it a few times. Do not puree it.

• Transfer to a pan and cook it along with 2 tbsp water and 4 Tbsp maple syrup/honey for about 10-15 minutes.

• Switch off the stove and let it cool down to room temperature.

• Make the pancakes: Pour a ladle-ful of batter into the center of a non-stick pan and let it cook for a minute to a minute-and-a-half. Flip with a spatula and cook the other side likewise.

• Stack the pancakes and serve warm with Plum-Strawberry compote and whipped cream.

As you can see, I am totally digging into my pancakes-

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Idli "Steamed Rice Cakes" With Red and Green Chutney

Day1: This week I will be posting about fermented foods. I thought I will start off with the easiest one - something that I ate growing up right from when I was in my nappies.Mom told me it was my first solid dish. She said she fed me soft Idlis dipped in warm cow's milk.  It is the classic "South Indian Idli", one of the healthier breakfast option cause it is steam cooked. Babies, adults, old folks all eat Idli cause it is easily digestible. And because it is bland it marries well with just about any side dish - chutney, chutney powder, dhal, sambhar, meat and seafood based dishes. So according to me and million other Indian folks, Idli is a wonder dish. :-).

Before I go ahead with my recipe, I want to share with you what I might like to receive this Mother's Day. Since my likes are way too lofty, I am thinking most of them will remain in the list. But at-least they make my post attractive. Husband, take note-

#1 in the Lust List: Tiffany & Co. Schlumberger Turquoise Necklace ($US 7200.00)
 Tiffany & Co. Tiffany & Co. Schlumberger Turquoise Necklace

Isn't that a cool necklace or what? Oh, how it would pair well with all the summery whites. Hubby would never agree to invest so much on beads, even if it is from Tiffany's.

Now onto to the recipe-
Ingredients:

• 4 Cups Parboiled Rice (or) Idli Rice
• 1 Cup Shelled Whole Black Gram "Urad Dhal"
• A pinch of Baking Soda
• 1 Tbsp Salt (Do not use "Iodized Salt" as it inhibits fermentation)

Tools:

• Wet Grinder Or a heavy-duty Blender

Procedure:

• Soak the rice overnight and the Black Gram for at-least 4 hours.

• Grind the black gram to a smooth paste in a wet grinder or a heavy duty blender with little water. Remove it to a storage container. Grind the soaked rice adding little water periodically. The rice should be 90-95% ground.

• Move the batter the same storage container.Add a pinch of soda. Using ladle or clean hands, mix the ground batter. If using salt, use non-iodized salt. Else salt may be added after the batter is fermented. The storage container should have plenty of space for the batter to raise. The batter doubles up in volume. Store the container in a warm spot, like inside an oven.

• Let it ferment overnight. In cold places, it sometimes takes a day and a half to properly ferment. Keep a watchful eye on the batter else the batter might overflow, like in the picture. The batter for this recipe will make enough Idlis for a large crowd. 

• Take small portions of the fermented batter, add salt if it wasn't added prior to fermenting. The fermented batter is thick and frothy. Mix with little water.

• The batter should be neither thick nor runny. 

• Spray/Smear the Idli pan with little oil and fill up the wells with batter. Using a special Idli steamer, steam the Idlis for 10-15 minutes. If you don't own an Idli pan, use an Indian pressure cooker, remove the cooker weight and steam the Idli's for 10-15 minutes.

• Cooked Idlis look like plush pillows. 

• Serve it hot with Red Chutney and Green Chutney, or any side-dish of choice.

Spicy Onion Chutney:
Ingredients:

• 1 Large Red Onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 3 Dry Red Chili or less/more
• 1/2" Ginger, peeled and finely chopped 
• 1 Roma Tomato
• 1 Stalk Curry Leaf
• Marble-sized Tamarind, cleaned and seeds removed
• Salt, as needed
• Oil as needed
• 1/4 Tsp Mustard seeds, for tempering

Procedure:

• Fry all the ingredients in a little oil except the mustard seeds. The Onions should be well fried.

• Cool and grind it to a coarse paste. Temper the mustard seeds in a little oil and pour it over.

Refreshing Mint Chutney:

• A plate of hot steaming Idlis with Red and Green Chutney is served-

Note:

• The Black Gram draws wild yeast from the air and that is how the batter is fermented.
• After fermentation, refrigerate the batter. It keeps well for up-to a week.
• During winter I sometimes turn on my oven @ 200 degrees F for 5 minutes and then turn it off. A few minutes later I stick my batter into the warm oven to help the batter ferment.

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