Set Dosa | Set Dose (variation 2)

 Set dosa is one of the most loved breakfast in Karnataka.  Though the basic ingredients remain the same,there are some mild variations used by various restaurants that make them a speciality .

My mom had learnt a recipe from one restaurant cook and I have been following that primarily all these years to make Set Dosas at home . To check out my Mom's variant click here. 

Recently, my cousin Kalyani who blogs at Sizzling Tastebuds posted a Millet Set Dosa which prompted me to look up her recipe of The Regular Set Dosa and I found that it was slightly different from my recipe and  I went ahead and made Set Dosas with her proportion and needless to say everyone at home liked it. They were just spongy and so soft that it was a melt in mouth experience. I have followed her recipe to the 'T' and no changes at all . 

I served these cotton soft set dosas with Aloo Sagoo and Coconut Chutney the way it is served in most restaurants here in Bangalore . Chutney Pudi is of course our family favorite and we cannot imagine having our Dosas without Molagapudi.  Click on the recipe names above for detailed method of preparation. 

Ingredients 

2 cups idli rice 
1 cup whole udad dhall (udad dal gota)
1/4 cup beaten rice /Poha 
1/4 sabudana /jawwarsi 
 2 tsp channa dal
1 tsp methi seeds 
salt to taste 

Method 

• Wash the idli rice and udad dal 3 or 4 times until the water is clear .
• Sift the beaten rice once and wash it thoroughly under the colander .
• Soak the idli rice , udad dhall, beaten rice, Sabudana ,methi seeds in sufficient water for 3 to 4 hours .
• After the soaking Time,  grind the ingredients in a wet grinder or blender until you get a smooth batter . Batter must have the consistency of Dosa batter, neither too thick nor too runny . I prefer the wet grinder as the yield is more compared to  the blender method .
• Add salt, beat it well once with your hands . The warmth from our hands induces good aeration and helps the batter to ferment well.
• Allow the batter to ferment in a warm place for 8 to 10 hrs .

• To prepare the dosas ,heat the tawa , drop a ladle of the batter and donot spread too much. The set  Dosa has to be slightly thick .
• The moment you pour the batter on the hot tawa ,you can see lot of pores /holes developing on it.This means your batter is perfect. Just drizzle a few drops of oil and cook covered for 1min.
• Slowly flip over and cook on the other side for just 10 sec . 
• If the batter is well fermented, then absolutely no oil is required to cook the dosa.
• Serve hot with accompaniment of your choice.

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Sukku Kaapi | Dry Ginger Herbal drink | Sukku Malli Kaapi

 Sukku Kaapi is a spicy herbal concoction made from a powder that is prepared by roasting corriander seeds ,pepper ,ajwain (thyme) and some dry ginger or as an alternative dry ginger powder can also be used. 

Sukku Kaapi is also known as Sukku Malli Kaapi in Tamil Nadu . In Tamil, Sukku is Dry Ginger, Malli is Corriander seeds and Coffee is colloquially referred to as Kaapi .

We can store this powder in an airtight container and use it as and when needed .One has to add a spoonful of this powder to boiling water ,simmer for a few mins and   have it warm .

Sukku Kaapi is a mild and soothing drink to keep us warm during chill winters as well as during monsoon . We can sip some sukku kaapi to get relief from sore throat,  mild fever and cold . 

Some more home made wellness drink on my blog

Tulsi Kashayam (Basil Tea)

Herbal Tea

Jaljeera

Oma Kashayam (carom tea)

Inji Kashayam (Ginger Tea) 

One can add a little bit of jaggery powder or some honey to give a mild sweetness and this also makes it really palatable . Alternatively panam kalkandu (Palm jaggery) also can be added . In my recipe I have used ginger powder as it was easily available in my pantry .

Preparation time - 5 mins

Cooking Time - 3 to 5 mins

Complexity - Simple 

Ingredients 

To make Sukku Kaapi Powder

1/2 cup ginger powder 

1/4 cup corriander seeds

2 tsp pepper

1 tsp ajwain /carom seeds

To make sukku kaapi

1 cup water

2 tsp sukku Kaapi powder

Jaggery or palm candy or honey as per taste 

Method

• Dry roast the corriander seeds until it feels warm and crisp . In same pan ,roast the pepper and carom seeds .
• Let it cool for a few mins and then grind into a fine powder in a blender. 
• Mix the dry ginger powder along with the above spice mix and pass it through a sieve to get fone powder . Store this fine powder in a air tight bottle in the fridge .
• Shelf life - stays fresh for almost 2 to 3 months is used properly with a dry spoon .

To make sukku Kaapi 

• Boil a cup of water and add 2 spoonfuls of sukku kaapi powder to it.
• Simmer for 2 mins
• Mix jaggery or palm candy sugar and sip it while its warm 
• If you want to add honey,donot add while the water is boiling. Let it cool down a bit before adding honey .

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Paruppu Urundai Mor Kuzhambu/ Lentil balls in spicy yogurt gravy

Paruppu Urundai Mor Kuzhambu is an authentic and traditional recipe made in most Tamil homes . It is a festive dish and relished by all .  

The lentil dumplings are made by soaking and grinding thoor dhall along with red chillies ,curry leaves and some salt . This ground mixture is then shaped as balls and steamed to be further simmered along with the yogurt gravy until the flavors are absorbed into the urundais.

 Some use a combination of lentils /paruppu to make the urundais while some use just thoor dhall . This time I have used just thoor dhall and a handful of udad dhall to get the softness.  Pair this delicious paruppu urundai more kulambu with a simple vegetable stir fry with coconut gratings and mix along with piping hot rice to have a wholesome and delicious lunch . 

You may also want to try Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu which is a tamarind based gravy for another gastronomic feast .

Onset of January brings about a lot of festivals in India and the best way to enjoy them is by cooking and eating a delicious feast.This month on our food bloggers' group Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge , we are celebrating a festive theme suggested by me . I was partnered with the versatile and fantastic food blogger ,Mayuri ji who has prepared a Holi special Thandai Flavored Rava cake 

Some more lipsmacking and tasty Mor Kuzhambu variations on my blog

Pooshnikaai (ash gourd) Mor Kuzhambu 

Kumbalkkai (ash gourd )Majjige Huli 

Pooshnikaai (ash gourd) Mor Kootu 

Vendakkai (ladies finger)Mor Kuzhambu 

Bonda Mor Kuzhambu 

Ingredients 

For the Paruppu Urundais

1/2 cup thoor dhall /split pigeon peas

2 tbsp udad dhall

2 to 3 green chillies 

Few curry leaves 

Salt as needed

Generous pinch of asafoetida

For the Mor Kuzhambu 

250ml thick yogurt 
100 ml water 
2 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard 
2 to 3 dry red chillies 
fresh curry leaves 
pinch of turmeric 
Pinch of asafoetida 
salt
To grind
 6 to 7 tbsp  fresh grated coconut 
1/2 tsp jeera/cumin 
3 to 4 green chillies 
1 tsp channa dhall /bengal gram
2 tsp dhaniya /corriander seeds
Small piece ginger 

Method 

To make the Paruppu Urundais 

• Wash and soak the lentils in sufficient water for 2 to 3 hrs .
• Drain the water and grind the lentils along with  chillies ,curry leaves, salt and asafoetida to a fine paste .
• Make small lemon sized balls out of these and steam it until it is half done . Don't steam until the lentils become hard ,else they won't absorb the flavor of gravy into them . Keeping them half cooked helps it remain soft and easy to eat .

To make the Mor Kuzhambu 

• Soak all the ingredients under the "to grind" section in water for 10 to 15 mins and grind into a fine paste.
• Whisk the yogurt until is creamy and smooth. 
• Add in the ground spice paste to the whisked yogurt along with salt and turmeric powder and mix well with water mentioned . Donot add too much water , else the mor kuzhambu will be runny and will split on boiling.
• Add the steamed lentil dumplings to the mor kuzhmabu as soon as it starts frothing up.Simmer for a few mins and turn it off. 
• Prepare a tempering of mustard seeds, dry red chillies and fresh curry leaves in oil and pour it over the mor kuzhambu. 

Veg Pizza - Stove Top version

 Pizza is the most loved quick bite that's enjoyed by all ..Be it kids or adults ,there is something in Pizza that makes it everyone's favorite. 

Kids find the long string of hot melted cheese  while they take a bite as an attraction while elders love the various toppings that are used on the Pizza to make it tasty and enjoyable .

As much as many consider pizza as a junk food or a overload of fat due to cheese,I would say we can make it really healthy by using the whole wheat or multi grain pizza base , loads of vegetables and very minimal cheese or no cheese at all . 

One of the best ways to get the kids eat as much as veggies as possible.  I keep trying various toppings and this time I used even some grated carrots and it was a very nice welcome change.  

Nowadays markets are flooded with a variety of ready made pizza base breads and I was super impressed with the thin crust multigrain base which I have used in the recipe. Though we can bake our own pizza bread at home, for sudden pizza cravings I pick up the pizza base from the nearby organic store. 

Cheese was used very minimally and a mix of cheddar and mozzarella from my favorite brand Amul . Amul is a very famous brand which is widely used in India and known for its superior quality of diary products ,ice creams and chocolates.

This flavor packed and tasty pizza was  prepared for the World Street Food Theme on our food group Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge.  I was partnered with the amazing blogger Preethi who was also the host for this month's theme. She gave me the secret ingredients Oregano and Tofu while I gave her Yeast and icing sugar with which she has made delicious Firi Firi . 

Preparation Time - 15 - 20 mins
Cooking Time - 5 to 10 mins
Complexity - easy 
Serves - 2 to 3

Ingredients 

2 multigrain pizza base bread 
1/2 cup finely chopped assorted bell peppers 
1/4 cup boiled sweet corn 
1 medium onion chopped 
100 gms tofu /paneer diced into cubes 
1 medium carrot finely grated
Chilli flakes 
Oregano flakes 
1/4 cup tomato sauce / pizza sauce
50 gms grated mozzarella cheese
50 gms grated cheddar cheese 

Method 

• Take a pizza base , spread some sauce over and layer it with some cheese. 
• Add the toppings one by one as you wish .
• Sprinkle Chilli flakes and Oregano all over the toppings .
• Spread some more cheese as you like.
• Place the pizza base on a heated tava/griddle ,and roast on slow flame until the cheese on top melts .
• Cut into wedges and serve hot .

Zucchini Paratha

 Winter is in the air ; the chill and pleasant weather calls for  nice soul satisfying hot meals from the pan to the plate . We at home,prefer piping hot parathas or rotis for dinner .

Parathas are filling and healthy as you can include almost as many veggies you wish either by kneading it along with the dough or even by stuffing it into the rolled bread .

Doodhi Parathas are a family favorite during winter, so this time when I had some fresh Zucchini in my fridge I thought of making some delicious parathas with them. I have used green zuchini ,but you can also use the yellow zuchini which are widely available in the market .

Zucchinis belong to the squash family and are used in a variety of recipes across cuisines . Unlike cucumber ,zucchini needs to be cooked before eating.  Zucchini may either be shredded, grated , sliced or even used as cubes depending on the recipe that it is being used in .

For the paratha,I have peeled the zucchini and then grated it finely and kneaded along with the wheat flour with various spices and flavorings. 

If you want to try some healthy,delicious and tasty parathas, please click on the recipe links below 

• Aloo Paratha

• Pudina Paratha

• Palak Paratha

• Moong Paratha

• Doodhi Paratha /Bottlegourd paratha 

• Achaari Ajwain Paratha

• Capsicum Paneer Paratha

• Beetroot Paratha

• Kasuri Methi Paratha 

Preparation Time - 20 mins
Cooking Time - 2 mins per Paratha 
Complexity - medium 
Makes 10 to 12 parathas 

Ingredients 

1.5 cups whole wheat flour 
2 cups grated zucchini
1 tsp red chilli  powder 
1/2 tsp haldi powder 
1 tsp jeera powder 
2 tbsp finely chopped corriander
Salt as needed
Oil to roast the paratha 

Method 

• Squeeze out the excess water from grated zucchini and add it a mixing bowl along with the spices (red chilli powder , haldi powder , jeera powder and salt) . Mix it well with your fingers .
• Add the wheat flour and the corriander and knead into a smooth and firm dough without cracks .Apply some oil over the dough and keep covered for 10 mins. 
• Pinch out big lemon sized balls from the dough and roll them into a medium thick roti .
• Heat a tawa or griddle and place the rolled out paratha on the tawa .
• Flip it over when you see small bubbles and brown spots on the under side .
• Apply some oil around the paratha and roast it until its well done.
• Take it off the tawa and serve hot with some chilled curd or raita of your choice. 

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Parangikkai Vathakuzhambu - Tambrahm Special (Vegan)

Pumpkin is a versatile vegetable and is widely used in the Indian cuisine .Various names of pumpkin in different languages, Parangikkai /Thadiyangai (Tamil) , Mathan (Malayalam) , Kaddhu (Hindi) , Laal Bhopla (Marathi) , Sihi Kumbalkkai (kannada) ,Kumdo /Kumro (Bengali) and so on.

In India, pumpkins are available through the year unlike the western world wherein it is a Fall produce and available only during Autumn .

Having said that, in India we use pumpkin a lot across the length and breadth of various cuisines from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Gujarat to Assam . 

Parangikkai Vethakuzhambu is a classic recipe from Tambrahm kitchen and makes for a yummy main course . Vathakuzhambu is a tamarind based gravy without the lentils and is paired with rice and a simple vegetable stir fry or keerai  masiyal.

"Vathakuzhambum Sutta appalam um" is an eternal favorite combination in most households and our home is not an exception either .Certain terminologies lose the charm when translated, but for the ease of my readers let me translate it .. the term means Vathakuzhambu and roasted papad is the best combination when  served hot .

Vethakuzhambu has a good shelf life and can stay well upto 4 or 5 days when refrigerated provided your family doesn't polish off this yumm gravy.  Vathakuzhambu certainly tickles and rejuvenates our taste buds and appetite especially after heavy festive indulgence or even post traveling. 

I have quite a few variants of Vethakuzhambu and tamarind based gravy which I am linking below for your easy reference 

Appalam Vethakuzhambu 

Kondakadalai (chick peas) Vethakuzhambu 

Karvepillai (curry leaves) kuzhambu 

Milagu (pepper) Kuzhambu 

Vendhiya (fenugreek) kuzhambu 

Verkadalai (peanuts) Vethakuzhambu 

Preparation Time 10 mins
Cooking Time - 30 mins
Complexity- simple
Serves - 2 to 3

Ingredients 

1.5 cups chopped pumpkin 
Small lemon sized tamarind soaked in hot water 
1.5 tbsp sambar powder 
1tsp thoor dhall
1/2 tsp mustard 
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp sesame oil /til oil
Salt as needed 
Few curry leaves 
Chopped corriander 
Pinch of asafoetida 

Method 

• Extract the puree from the soaked tamarind, strain it.Add 1 cup water to it and set aside.
• Heat oil in a thick bottomed kadai and splutter the mustard seeds followed by curry leaves, corriander, thoor dhall and asafoetida. 
• Saute the chopped pumpkin cubes with sambar powder and add 1/2 cup water .let the pumpkin cook well .It should be well cooked, but firm at the same time 
• Add the tamarind extract, required salt and let it boil well and the raw flavor of tamarind is lost .Continue to simmer the vathakuzhambu until it reduces and becomes slightly thick in consistency like tomato puree. The kuzhambu shouldn't be very runny. 
• Turn off the stove and drizzle the sesame oil all over and a delicious Vethakuzhambu is ready to be enjoyed .

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