IDLLY

INGREDIENTS:

IDLI RICE	4 CUPS
URAD DAL	1 CUP
RICE FLAKE |POHA|  AVAL	A FISTFUL
WATER	AS NEEDED
SALT	AS NEEDED

METHOD:

• Wash and rice , urad dal and poha several times and soak them in enough water for 4 hours. Even soaking overnight is also ok, but 4 hours is more than enough.

• After 4 hours drain the water and add the soaked rice, urad dal and poha into the wet grinder. Do not discard the water. You can use it for grinding.
• Grind this into a smooth batter adding water in regular intervals.
• Adding water is so important as this will help in bringing out soft idlis .
• It took approximately 2 to 3 cups of water to grind this batter.
• The entire of process of grinding took 30 minutes.

• The consistency after grinding should not be so thick. Add salt and mix it nicely with your hands or a spatula.

• Keep it in a container and allow it to ferment for 8 to 10 hours.
• The fermentation time depends on the outside temperature as if it is very hot you get it fermented soon, whereas in rainy season this will take extra 2 hours.
• My usually says it depends on the body heat of the person who grinds the batter and mix salt using hands.
• Normally i soak for idli in the evening around 5 0 clock and grind at 9 pm.
• I allow it to sit overnight and make idlis for next day breakfast.Before making the idlis in the morning mix the batter nicely using a ladle.

• If you are not going to make idlis after fermentation just keep it refrigerated to avoid over fermentation ,resulting in sour idlis.
• For making idlis, grease the Idli plate  with oil(preferably sesame oil) . Heat the Idli pan with 1 cup of water and allow the water to boil.
• Pour 3/4 the ladle of idli batter to the idli plates and steam it for 8-9 minutes.

• If you want to check out whether it is done, just wet your finger and insert it in a idli and it is not sticky just switch off the flame and take the idli plate out .
• After a few seconds dip a spoon in water and carefully take out the idlis and transfer them to the serving plate. Do not take out when the idlis are hot as it will not come out properly.

• These idlis will stay soft for many hours and never get dried. Just cover it properly if you going to eat it later.
• We had with red chutney, coconut chutney and Sambar.

BADAM KHEER

 
                                                   

 INGREDIENTS: 

BADAM | ALMOND	1/4 CUP
MILK	3 CUPS
SAFFRON	A PINCH
SUGAR	4-5 TBLSP
CONDENSED MILK	2-3 TBLSP(OPTIONAL)
YELLOW FOOD COLOR	2 DROPS

METHOD:

• Soak badam in hot water for 1/2 an hour.
• Keep it aside and take out the skin of the almonds .
• Do not discard the skin, this can be used while grinding any thogaiyals.

• Grind the blanched badam into a smooth paste. While grinding you can add milk instead of water.
• Soak saffron in 3 tblsp of warm milk.

• Boil 3 cups of milk in a heavy bottomed pan. Keep stirring it till the milk reduces little.No need to make it half the quantity.
• If adding condensed milk add at this stage.
• Add the ground badam and saffron mixture to this.
• Keep the flame low and stir well without getting burnt.

• If adding food color add at this stage and switch off the flame.
• Add sugar and stir well.
• Badam milk | badam kheer is ready to serve. you can serve it chilled or serve warm.
• But i recommend serving this chilled.
• I sliced few badam and cashew nuts(1 tblsp) and added to this while serving.

Note:

1. Do not keep the badam milk on the flame for not more than 3 minutes after adding the badam paste.
2. Add sugar in the last else it may curdle.
3. Never reheat this.

TOMATO PULIHORA

Tomato Pulihora

Ingredients:                                                                                                     

• Rice – 55gms (50ml Cup)
• Water – To Cook Rice (110gms---for 1 cup of rice use 1 3/4cups of water)
• Tomatoes – 2 (200gms)
• Green Chilies – 4
• Curry Leaves – Few
• Cashew Nuts – 3
• Bengal Gram – 1/2tsp
• Black Gram – 1/2tsp
• Mustard Seeds – 1/4tsp
• Fenugreek Seeds – 3
• Asafoetida – A Pinch
• Kashmiri Chili Powder – 1/4tsp
• Salt – To Taste (1/4tsp + 1/8tsp)
• Oil – 1Tbsp + 1tsp

(Online Conversion utility to convert Gms to Cups & Temperatures etc)

Preparations:

Take rice into a bowl and add water. Wash rice well and discard water. Add measured water to the washed rice. Place the rice bowl in a pressure cooker and cook on high flame. After first whistle, cook rice on low flame for 10 to15 minutes and switch off the flame. Allow pressure cooker to cool and then remove the rice bowl. Spread rice in a plate and keep it aside.

Wash tomatoes and chop them finely. Similarly wash green chilies and cut each chili into 8 parts. Wash curry leaves and keep them aside. Cut cashew nuts into pieces.

Method:

Heat a pan and add 1tsp oil to it. When oil is hot add kashmiri chili powder and mix. Immediately (before the chili powder starts to burn) add chopped tomatoes and mix well. Cook the tomatoes covered on high flame for a minute. Open the lid and cook the mixture on high flame only till it is dry. While cooking mash the cooked tomatoes with the back of the ladle to make them into paste.  When the mixture is dry transfer it into a bowl and keep it aside.

Heat a pan and add 1Tbsp oil. When oil is hot add cashew nut pieces and fry stirring on low flame till they turn golden in color. Remove the fried cashew nut pieces into a plate. To the remaining oil in the pan add Bengal gram, black gram, fenugreek seeds and fry stirring till they start to change color. Then add mustard seeds and fry stirring till the seeds splutter. Then add green chili pieces, curry leaves and asafetida and mix well. When green chilies are fried well switch off the stove and add the tomato paste, cooked rice and salt. Mix all well and transfer the prepared tomato pulihora into a serving plate and garnish with fried cashew nut pieces.

Points To Observe:

Cook rice as we cook daily either in a rice cooker or a pressure cooker or on a stove top---whichever way it is convenient. While cooking rice, remember to add water that is just sufficient to the quality of rice used---rice should not be mushy after cooking.

Chop tomatoes finely before cooking so that they cook fast and also it would be easy to mash them after they are cooked. Cook the tomato mixture till dry so that when mixed with rice the mixture should not be mushy.

Some cook the rice with tomato puree to make this pulihora---but due to the sourness of tomatoes it would be difficult to cook rice—however if one wishes to cook that way, soak rice for 20 minutes, at least, and then cook so that it would be easy.

If curry leaves are too big then chop them finely so that it gives a nice look and also it can be consumed easily---curry leaves contains Vitamin A and should be consumed.

Kashmiri chili powder would not be spicy but gives a nice color to the tomatoes. Use DESI variety tomatoes if possible, as they would be sour and gives a nice taste to the pulihora---but to get nice color it is best to use the hybrid tomatoes---choice is personal.

Pulihora is usually prepared using tamarind, lemon juice or grated mango. Each sour flavor gives a different taste to the pulihora. Similarly tomatoes in the pulihora give a different taste. Try the tomato pulihora as given here and enjoy its unique taste.

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POTATO FRY

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This simple potato fry | curry is my family’s favorite and kids will eat a little extra rice if i make this curry. A very simple recipe with potato goes well with sambar , rasam and curd rice.

INGREDIENTS: (SERVES 3-4 PERSON)

POTATO	5
SAMBAR POWDER(Can be replaced with red chilli powder)	1-2 TSP
SALT	TO TASTE
TURMERIC POWDER	1/4 TSP
OIL	2 TBLSP
MUSTARD SEEDS	1/4 TSP
ASAFOETIDA	A PINCH
CURRY LEAVES	FEW

·         Peel the skin of the potatoes and chop into cubes.

·         If you are going to make the curry immediately proceed further, else transfer the chopped potatoes in a bowl of water. This is to avoid the decolouration of potatoes.

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·         In a pan,add oil and temper with mustard seeds and asafoetida.

·         Add the potatoes (if immersed in water drain the excess water and pat dry them in a kitchen towel) and add it to the pan. Add sambar powder, turmeric powder and salt.

·      Gently mix and let it get roasted in a medium flame for 10 to 15 minutes. Saute in between to avoid getting burnt.

·         Serve with any rice of your choice...                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                If u Like My BLOG plz Subscribe:  

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