Avocado Dosa(i) + DC Cherry Blossoms

BM#14: Day4:  Last week I went all the way to Tidal Basin Park,Washington DC to gaze on the delicate and much revered Cherry Blossoms. This year is super special because Japan gifted those 3000+ CB trees to the US, a 100 years ago. So I was waiting for the Centennial celebrations and peaking of these flowers like a hawk watching and waiting for its prey.

The weather forecast wasn't so good. It said possible thunderstorms and a couple of showers. As "THE" day grew closer, I saw that there was going to be light rain. We(Me and my buddy) thought to ourselves that we can deal with light rain. But we were so wrong. The kids didn't care one bit about the trees and they wanted to run and play.They grumbled and it was infectious. Lil A wanted to jump in the puddles and he was pouting that he couldn't.It was depressing cause after driving for so long we couldn't stay or appreciate the beauty of those blossoms the way they deserved to be..Slowly but steadily the chill was creeping into our tired bones and in less than an hour we were ready to call it a day.It was a washout weekend.

So it was a good thing we didn't go there for the sole reason of gazing at CB trees. We went to the Murugan Temple and Siva-Vishnu Temple in Baltimore en route to DC. The visit had a calming effect on me. After putting innumerable petitions to god(basically unloading my emotional baggage and heartfelt desires to every single deity) I felt a little lighter. So it wasn't a total disaster but it could have been better..a lot better.

So here are some pictures that I took without any enthusiasm at all..The flowers were gorgeous.I wanted the Sun to come out from behind the clouds badly so I could take a few pictures.As you can see from the pictures,it was a hopeless wish.

Coming to the dosa topic, I usually add the avocado to the left-over dosa batter cause my son won't eat it otherwise. He is like a bean pole and I want him to put some weight. Since avocado is a packed with good fat(heart-healthy unsatured fat), I can't let my son have his way.He has to eat the avocado one way or another. We on the other hand like to eat the avocado with a little lime/lemon juice or guacamole with cucumber chips. The taste of the this dosa is good with the hint of the buttery avocado. The batter yields "soft dosa". 

Ingredients(For 6-8 Dosa, 2 per person):

• 2 to 3 Cups Dosa batter
• 1 Ripe Hass Avocado, peeled and stone removed
• 3 Hot Green Chili
• Salt as needed
• Water as needed

Procedure:

• Chop the Avocado and Chilies. Remove the seeds from the chili for less heat. Puree the Avocado along with the chilies. Add to the batter along with salt. Add water as needed. The batter shouldn't be runny. 

• Heat the griddle and pour a ladle-ful of batter. Spray oil around the edges and over the dosa. Cook one side for a minute on medium flame. Flip and cook the other side.

• Fold and serve it hot with any chutney of choice. 

I like my Avocado dosa with Tomato + Roasted Bengal Gram Chutney or Fiery Tomato Chutney-
Fiery Tomato Chutney-

Enjoy!

Read More...

Tomato Dosa "Thakkali Dosai"

BM14:Day3:  I had bookmarked this recipe from Rak's Kitchen. Had this in draft for a while now as well. Maybe I had waited this long to post for the "Dosa Theme". Love the color(reminds me of a bright spring top that is in the back of my closet raring to see the sun. :-)). Love the taste of this tangy dosa too. Plus points for the fact that this doesn't have to be fermented. So "batter-to-dosa" is possible within a matter of 30 minutes. Sweet!

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Idli Rice
• 2/3 Cup Red Poha, softened with little water
• 3 Large "Very Ripe" Tomatoes
• 1 tsp Red Chili powder 
• Salt as needed
• Water as needed
• Oil as needed for cooking the Dosa

To Season the batter:

• 2 tsp Olive Oil
• 3/4 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1/2 Tsp Fennel Seeds  (Optional)
• 1/4 Tsp Cumin Seeds   (Optional)
• 1 tsp Split and Hulled Black Gram/Urad Dhal
• A pinch of asofoetida
• 1 Stalk Curry leaves, finely chopped  (Optional)
• 1 Medium Yellow Onion, finely chopped (optional but highly desired)

Procedure:

• Finely chop the tomatoes. Keep the other ingredients handy.

• Wash the soaked rice in 2-3 changes of water. 

• Grind the Rice + Poha + Tomatoes + Chili powder to a smooth paste with little water. The batter consistency should be a little runny than the usual Dosa batter. Add salt as needed. Season the batter with the ingredients under "Seasonings".

• Heat a griddle/Tava until it is hot and sizzles when water is sprinkled. Pour a ladle-ful of batter into the center and spread it into a nice circle. Drizzle a little oil around the edges and over the dosa. Place a dome lid over the top and let it cook for a couple of minutes.

• Flip and cook the other side.

• Fold and serve hot with any spicy chutney of choice. 

Enjoy!

Read More...

Plain Dosa/ Sada Dosa

BM14: Day2:  I can't believe I don't have the recipe for this "Omnipresent Dosa". Perhaps because I am taking it for granted as I have been eating it since..forever. TamilNadu, where I was born and brought-up until I moved to the US some 15+ yrs ago,  is well known around the world for its temples, hot weather, Idli and Dosa.

I can tell you plenty of things about dosa. But I am afraid that if I start I can go on and on. If I ask my Brother-In-Law he could tell a bigger tale since he ate dosa as breakfast for 5 years straight. Sister tried hard to convince him that there are other equally delicious, if not better options and now he "appears" to be convinced. He is willing to try oatmeal and croissants with marmalade. But they always have Dosa batter in the house. So do we. :). Dosa has a way of spinning some powerful magic on the taste-buds.

Ingredients:
For the Dosa Batter:

• 2 Cups Parboiled Rice +  1 Tsp Fenugreek Seeds , soaked overnight
• 2 Cups Raw Rice,soaked overnight
• 3/4 Cup Whole Black Gram/Black Lentil/Urad Dhal
• Handful of Flattened Rice "Poha"
• A little salt
• A pinch of Soda 

Procedure:

• Grind the rice separately with water as needed. Add the poha to any one of the rice while grinding. Grind the Lentil to a smooth paste. One can use a heavy-duty blender or an "Indian Wet-Grinder", like the one in the picture.

• Mix the rice batter and Lentil batter into a large bowl/pail(As you let the batter ferment overnight, they double in volume). Add a little salt and soda. Stir the batter and place it in a warm spot to ferment overnight. 

• The fermented batter is frothy and ready to be made into a dosa.  Take a small portion of the batter and add little water. The batter shouldn't be too thick nor too runny.

• Pour a ladle of batter on spray some oil around the edges and over the top.

• Cover the griddle with a dome-lid and let it cook under and over for a minute on medium flame. For the Plain Dosa, no need to flip. Just fold and serve.

• Extra addition1: Egg Dosa: Do this right after the spreading the dosa on the griddle - Crack open an egg, Pour over the dosa batter and smear it evenly.Grind some pepper on top. This will have to be flipped so the eggs can cook.

• Extra addition2: Onion Dosa: Sprinkle some chopped onions on top and press it into the batter with a spatula. This will have to be flipped so the onions can cook.Do this right after you spread the batter. The batter must be a little thick.

• Dosa goes very well with innumerable side dishes, vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Chutneys, sambhar, kurma, kuzhambhu are all excellent choices. The day I took the photo, I ate it with Lamb Curry.

Enjoy!

Read More...

Green Gram/Green Lentil Crepe "Andhra Pesarattu" With Upma and Ginger Chutney

BM14: Day1:  For this edition, I have decided to go with "Dosa/Indian Crepe" theme. To kick start, I am posting a recipe given to me by MIL. Dear, dear MIL is convalescing at home after she met with a car accident a couple of weeks ago.She is in my prayers for a quick recovery.

I am waiting to bug MIL for more recipes, but only after she is completely recovered and able to walk without the help of crutches.

Ingredients(Makes ~18 Crepes):

For the Batter:

• 1/2 Cup Whole Green Lentil, soaked overnight
• 1-1/4 Cup Split Green Lentil, soaked for 2-3 hours
• 1/2 Cup Rice Flour
• 1 Small Yellow Onion (Lemon-sized), roughly chopped
• 2 Green Chili, halved
• 1 Tsp Cumin Powder
• 1/2" Ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• Perungayam/Hing/Asafoetida, a pinch

Additions to the batter:

• Salt as needed
• Coriander, finely chopped
• 1 Green Chili, finely chopped

For the Stuffing:

• Upma
• Ginger Chutney

Procedure:

• Soak the Whole Green Lentil Overnight. Soak the split Green Lentil for 2-3 hours.

• Drain the lentils and add it to a blender jar.

• Add the other ingredients under "For the Batter" into the jar as well. "Pulse" for a few times. The lentils get ground pretty quickly, in about 2 minutes. DO NOT grind to a fine paste. The batter should be a little grainy. Add sprinkles of water while grinding. The batter SHOULD NOT be runny.

• The resultant batter is frothy+ grainy and neither too thick nor too runny. 

• Add chopped Cilantro and chili to the batter. Sprinkle salt as needed.

• Give it a good mix and let it rest for 15 minutes or so.

• Heat a griddle/tava until it is hot but not too hot. I usually sprinkle a few drops of water on the hot tava and it sizzles. It is a sign that it is ready to use. Take a ladle of batter and spread it on the tava. Using an "oil mister", spray some oil. Sesame oil is desired but I just go with Olive oil. The flame should always be medium and not high. High flame makes the dosa stick to the griddle.

• A minute later, flip the dosa and lightly brown on the other side.

• While it is still hot, stuff about 4 Tbsp of  "Upma" and roll it up.

• Top it with Ginger Chutney, sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve.

Enjoy!

Read More...

Upma and Ginger Chutney

Look who has come out of winter hibernation. :). Spring is in the air and I am more than ready for Spring, Spring weather and Spring clothes(Think bright). The only thing that I did not like was springing forward on March 12th. Daylight Savings brings plenty of gray clouds for me. It takes me at-least a month to get over that depression. I feel like I am losing an hour everyday for the next 6 months. Just that very thought is making me want to moan like a sad puppy.. Its brutal on my little son who hates waking up before 7:30 in the morning..His body clock is still way off. Waking that kid and having to deal with his waterworks does not make up for a sunny, chirpy morning. I wish congress would pass a law to end Daylight Savings time.

Anyways, today I have decided to post about the "Ubiquitous" Upma. It is a constant breakfast menu item in South India and also a go-to dish for many Indian ladies. This super yummy dish can be whipped up in no time at all. I love to eat Upma with thick Yogurt and spicy ginger (or) peanut chutney.

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Sooji/Creamed Wheat/Farina
• 2-1/2 Cups Water
• 1 Small Red/Yellow Onion, vertically slit
• 1 Large Carrot, finely chopped
• 5-10 String Beans, optional
• 1/8 Cup Frozen Green Peas, optional
• 2 Small Yukon Gold Potatoes, diced
• 4-5 Green Chilies
• 2 Dry Red Chilies
• 2-3 Stalks Curry Leaves
• 1/8 Cup Cashew, halved
• 1 Tbsp Ghee "Clarified Butter"
• 1 to 1-1/2 Tbsp Split Chick Peas
• 1 Tsp Split Black Gram
• 1 Tsp Mustard Seeds
• Olive Oil for cooking
• Salt for taste

Procedure:

• In a shallow wide pan, add the oil and ghee. Fry the split chick pea until it is slightly browned. Then add the split black gram, mustard seeds, both the chilies, cashews and curry leaves. Fry until the cashews are lightly browned.

• Add all the cut onions, other vegetables and fry for a couple of minutes.

• Pour the 2-1/2 Cups water and sprinkle salt as needed.Increase the flame to high and let the water come to a roiling boil.

• Add the Sooji/Farina gradually to the pan, stirring continuously while adding to avoid clumping. 

• Once the mixture starts thickening, reduce the flame. Also, watch out for hot splashes.

•  After all  the water is absorbed lid the pan and let it cook on a medium-low flame for 7-8 minutes.

• Upma is done if the cooked goop comes away from the edges of the pan. 

Spicy Ginger Chutney:
Ingredients:

• 3" Fresh Ginger
• 1 Stalk Curry Leaves
• Marble sized Tamarind, washed and seed removed
• 3 Golf-ball sized Frozen/Fresh Coconut balls
• 4 Green Chilies
• A few pieces "super-sweet" Jaggery (Called Paagu Vellam)
• Salt as needed

For Seasoning:

• 1-1/2 Tsp Olive Oil
• 1/2 Tsp Mustard seeds
• 1 Stalk Curry Leaves

Procedure:

• Peel and slice the Ginger. Remove the crown from green chilies and split it.
• In a pan, add some oil and fry the ginger, curry leaves and green chilies.

• Once the ginger pieces are slightly browned, switch off the stove and add the coconut, tamarind.

• The coconut balls will thaw completely in the warm pan. Crumble and let the mixture cool. 

• Grind the whole mixture along with little salt till it resembles are coarse paste.

• Transfer it to a serving bowl. Fry the ingredients under "Seasoning" and pour it over the chutney.

• Serve it  with warm Upma on a plantain leaf.

Enjoy!

Read More...