Lemon Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 cup long grain rice
• 2 tbsp gram dal (Chana dal)
• 1½ tsp urad dal
• ½ tsp mustard seed
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp asafetida
• 1 tsp chaat masala
• ¼-½ tsp red chilli powder
• ¼ cup roasted or fried peanuts
• ½ cup coriander leaves
• 8-10 curry leaves
• 4 tsp oil
• Juice of 1 large sized lemon
• Lemon zest
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Soak rice and chana dal for 1 hour and cook it with salt, turmeric powder and 2 tsp oil with adequate water (enough to cook the rice grain, but not to make it very soggy)
2. Heat remaining oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, urad dal and hing. When urad dal gets light pink, add rice and dal mixture, salt, red chilli powder, chaat masala and mix properly.
3. Add peanuts and lemon zest and mix well. Allow it to cool to room temperature.
4. Add lemon juice and coriander leaves and mix softly.
5. Serve warm.

Kesari

Ingredients:

• 1 cup soji rava
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 cups thick coconut milk
• 1¼ cup water
• 2 pinches saffron (kesar) soaked in 1 tbsp water
• 10-12 cashew nuts
• 10-12 raisins
• 5-6 almonds (chopped)
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• 3-4 tbsp ghee

Method:

• Heat ghee in a pan. Fry raisins and cashew nuts in it till golden brown and keep them aside.

• In the same pan, add rava and sauté for some time till light pink. Now add water, coconut milk and soaked saffron.
• Mix properly and add sugar and cardamom powder and cook it with lid.

• When milk gets properly absorbed and ghee separates, add almonds, cashew nuts and raisins.
• Mix well and cook it for some time.Arrange some cashew nuts & raisins in a serving bowl, place the sheera in the bowl and unmould it on a serving tray.

Fada (Wheat Dalia) Upma

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fada (wheat dalia – small sized)
• 1 dry red chilli (cut into pieces)
• 1 green chilli
• 3 cups warm water
• 2 tbsp curd
• 1½ tbsp oil
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 1-2 tbsp soaked Urad dal (Soaked chana dal can be used)
• 5-6 curry leaves
• 2-3 pinch of turmeric powder
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and dalia. Fry for sometime till it gets light pink. Then add chillies, curry leaves and urad dal; sauté for 2 mins.
2. Now add water, curd, salt and turmeric powder, let it cook with lid for sometime till the dalia cooked properly. Let it sauté for sometime till water gets absorbed properly.
3. It can be served with buttermilk.
4. You can add boiled vegetables like carrot, peas, etc.

Cheese Palak Idli

Ingredients:

• 500 gms Idli Batter
• 1 bwl Fried palak ( Washed the chopped palak properly, Let it dry for 1 hr on clean cotton cloth then dip fry it in oil)
• 2 cubes grated cheese
• 1-2 tsp Pepper powder
• 1 tsp sambhar powder
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. In a bowl mix fried palak, pepper powder, cheese & salt together.

2. Spread Idli batter in the Idli stand, place some palak mixture on it & again pour batter on that.

3. Sprinkle some grated cheese or Sambhar powder on top. Let it cook for 10 mins.

4. Serve hot Idli with coconut chutney.

Tofu Mushroom Uttapam

Ingredients:

For the batter:

• 2 ½ cup rice + 1 cup Urad dal (Or 1 kg readymade Idli uttapam batter can be used)
• 1½ tsp soda
• Salt

For the Masala / Topping :

• 100 gm Tofu grated
• 5-6 Button mushroom (Thin slices)
• 1 bowl boiled corn
• 1 tsp chat masala
• 1 tbsp oil

Method:

1. Soak the rice & urad dal over night. Next morning grind it in mixer with little water to make a soft batter. Add salt and keep it aside till evening. At the time of making uttapam add soda in it. Add the water if required for uttapam consistency. (OR you can also use the readymade batter of Idli & Uttapam. Even here, you will need to add salt and soda.)
2. Now in the nonstick tava take the batter & spread it a little. Arrange the mushrooms on sides of the batter & also put some tofu & corn. Sprinkle some chaat masala on it.Put some oil around the Uttapam and cook it on both the sides.
3. Serve hot with Sambhar, coconut chutney, garlic peanut chutney.

Ajwain Idli

This dish is traditionally called Padiya. I learnt it from my Mom. It tastes great with coriander chutney or any South Indian chutney. My husband and I like it a lot.

Ingredients:

• 2 cup rice
• 1 cup ‘math’ dal
• 4-5 green chillies
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 7-8 garlic cloves (paste to be made)
• 1 tsp soda
• 2 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
• 2-3 tsp oil
• Salt to taste
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp curd

Method:

1. Soak the rice and dal overnight.
2. Wash them and grind in a mixer after adding some water, green chillies and ginger paste.
3. Add curd and salt to the mixture and let it stand for 5 hours.
4. Now add garlic paste, carom seeds, turmeric powder and salt (if required). Mix it properly.
5. Separately, mix oil, 1tsp water and soda. Stir it properly and add it in the mixture.
6. Pour the mixture in Idli-stand and prepare it like traditional Idli.
7. Serve hot with chutneys.

Beet-Carrot Uttapam

Ingredients:

For the batter:

• 3 cup rice + 1 cup Urad dal (Or 1 kg readymade Idli uttapam batter can be used)
• 1½ tsp soda
• Salt

For the Topping :

• 1 beetroot grated
• 1 carrot grated
• 1 large tomato finely chopped
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 green chili finely chopped
• 1 tsp chat masala
• 1 tbsp oil
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Soak the rice & urad dal over night. Next morning grind it in mixer with little water to make a soft batter. Add salt and keep it aside till evening. At the time of making uttapam add soda in it. Add the water if required for uttapam consistency.
2. (OR You can also use the readymade batter of Idli & Uttapam. Even here, you will need to add salt and soda.)
3. In a pan heat the oil & add cumin seeds, grated beetroot and carrot and cook it for some time.
4. Now add the garam masala, green chili, chat masala and salt. Mix it properly.
5. Separately, mix some salt and chat masala in the chopped tomato.
6. Now in the nonstick tava take the batter & spread it a little. Put the toppings of beetroot & carrot & also put some tomato on the top. Put some oil around the Uttapam and cook it on both the sides.
7. Serve hot with Sambhar, coconut chutney, garlic peanut chutney.