Kadhai Idli

Ingredients:

Idli Batter                                                 - 2 cups
Spinach/Fenugreek                                  - 1/2 cup very finely chopped (Optional)
Tomatoes/tamatar                                    - 3 medium, finely chopped
Onions                                                     - 2 medium, finely chopped
green chilies/hari mirch                          - 2, cut into 2
Garlic/lahsun                                           - 6-7 cloves,  julienned
Ginger/adrak                                           - 1 inch,  julienned
Bell peppers/capsicum/shimla mirch      - 2, julienned Mixed colored if available or only green
Mustard seeds                                          - 1 tspoon
Curry Leaves                                           - 5-8
Asafetida/Hing                                        - 1 pinch
Turmeric powder/haldi                            - 1/2 tspoon
Coriander powder/Dhaniya                     - 1 tblspoon
Garam masala powder                             - 1/2 tspoon
Amchoor                                                  - 1/2 tspoon
Sambhar Masala                                      - 1 tspoon
Fresh Coriander                                       - 2 tblspoon chopped
salt                                                           - to taste
Oil                                                           - 2 tblspoon
Water                                                       - 2 tblspoon

Method:

Mix Idli batter, salt  and spinach in a bowl.

Grease a steamer bowl and pour the batter into it.

Steam the idli cake for 25 minutes to make it a bit harder then regular soft idlis.
Once steamed, let it cool for few minutes.

Now cut the desired side cubes out of steamed idli cake.

In a deep and heavy bottom Pan heat the oil.
Now add the Mustard seeds, Asafetida, Curry leaves and green chilies cut into 2, saute for few seconds.













Now add ginger and garlic  julienne, saute these till the raw smell disappears.


Now add onions and saute till they start to become translucent.

Now add capsicum julienne into it and saute for 1 minutes.

Now add the chopped tomatoes. Cook for 1 minute.

Now add turmeric, coriander, sambhar masala and amchoor powder and salt to it..

Cook this masala for about 7 minutes. Add 2 tblspoon of water if the Masala seems to be very dry.
Meanwhile if you want to fry your Idli before cooking with masala you can do it now. I did not fry it to make it less oily. But if you go for big quantity cooking do fry the Idli otherwise mixing with masala in big quantity will break the Idli cubes easily.
If you are using fried idli cubes it will not absorb the water from masala but if your not using fried idli cubes, it will absorb all the water from masala and becomes a bit on drier side.
Add 2 tblspoon of water if the Masala seems to be very dry.
Now sprinkle garam masala powder and mix well.
Now its time to add the Idli cubes, mix the idli cubes and just switch off the flame.

Lastly add coriander leaves mix very gently to avoid breaking idli cubes.

Your Kadhai Idli is ready. It can be served as side dish for your dinner or lunch parties.
Serve the kadai Idli hot with Dal, Rotis or laccha parantha.

Mix Veggie Idli/Rice Cakes

Ingredients:

Fermented Idli batter                                 - 2 cups
Pureed Mix Veggies                                  - 1 cup
Salt                                                             - to taste
Red Chili                                                    - to taste


Method:

Wash and par-boiled mix veggies. I used Mushroom, Corn kernels, carrot, peas and beans.
Once boiled puree the veggies. Keep them aside.
Mix the Idli batter with pureed veggies.
Now add salt and red chili according to your taste.
Now scoop you idli batter on the idli tray and steam for 10-15 minutes depending on the steamer you are using.
Once steamed, take the Idlis out and serve with peanut chutney, saunth chutney or coriander chutney.

Oats & Lentils Paniyaram / Appe/ Guliyappa

Ingredients:

Mix Lentil paste                   - 3 tblspoon (Moong, Urad, Chana, Masoor, Toor)
Oats Powder                         - 2 tblspoon    
Green Chili                           - 1
Fresh Coriander                    - 1 tblspoon
Ginger Paste                         - 1 tspoon
Curry leaves                          - 5-6 finely chopped
Asafetida                               - a pinch
Salt                                        - to taste
Garam Masala                       - ½ tspoon
Lemon Juice                          - 2 tspoon
Baking Soda                          - 1/8 tspoon  
Water                                     - as required to adjust the consistency

Method:

Wash and Soak 5 lentils, I used Moong, Masoor, Urad, Chana and Toor daal, overnight.
Drain the water and wash again the soaked lentils in the morning.
Grind them to a coarse/fine paste, as per your choice. Add the green chili while grinding the lentils.

Now take 3 tablespoon of lentils in a mixing bowl, add salt, garam masala, chopped coriander, Asafetida, curry leaves, ginger paste and mix well.
Now add 2 tablespoon of Oats powder, give it a good mix. The batter would be a bit on the thicker side.
Add few tablespoon of water into this thick batter, to make it pouring consistency. I added 3 tablespoon of water to do it.

Add a drop of oil in each hole of your Paniyaaram Pan. Keep the flame to low at all times.

Pour a tablespoon of batter into each hole of the pan. Cover with a lid and cook for few minutes.

After say 5-6 minutes open the lid and the batter would fluff up a bit.

Flip all the Paniyaamrams.  You will see a nice golden brown crust.

Cover it again and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Serve these lovely Oats & Lentils Paniyaarams with home-made coconut/peanut chutney.

Veggie Sunnyside Up

Ingredients:

Bell Pepper Roundels - Mixed color 5-6 (I used red and green)
Rava Dosa Batter - 1/2 cup
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tspoon
Salt                            - to taste
Fresh Coriander - few leaves
Oil                             - 1-2 tablspoon

Method:

Cut the roundels of bell peppers, wash and keep on a paper towel to let them dry.
Meanwhile, divide the batter into two bowls. Mix turmeric in one bowl to give it yellow color.

In a heavy bottom griddle, sprinkle some oil and place a roundel on the griddle.

Now pour a tablespoon of white batter in the hollow part of roundel. Give it  few seconds to set.

Now pour 1 teaspoon of yellow batter over the white batter.

Now cover it with a lid and let it cook in steam for 2 minutes in low flame.

If you want you can flip it to cook from both sides.
My kids & husband likes it cooked from both side and I love it steamed, So I make it both ways.
Once done garnish with fresh coriander leaf and serve with your choice of condiments.

Lemon Rice

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice                       - 2 cups cooked
Lemon Juice                        - of 1 big lemon
Curry leaves                        - 8-10
Whole Red Chili                 - 2
Asafetida                            - a pinch
Mustard Seeds                     - 1/2 tspoon
Chana Dal/Urad Dal            - 1 tspoon mixed (black gram and yellow split lentils)
Turmeric Powder                - 1/2 tspoon
Green Chillies                     - 2 chopped
Ginger                                - 1 tspoon chopped very fine
Peanuts                               - 1/2 cups roasted
Oil                                      - 1 tblspoon
Salt                                    - to taste

Method:

Take a pan and add oil to it.
Add whole red chili, hing, mustard seeds, black gram and yellow split lentils and saute for 2 minutes.
As soon as the mustard seeds start spluttering, add green chillies, ginger pieces, curry leaves and roast for 1 more minute.
Now add turmeric and salt. Now add roasted peanuts into it.
Pour the freshly squeezed lemon juice and put a lid on the pan.
Now add the rice into the pan and mix very well.
Serve hot or cold with a pickle, yogurt or on its own.

Assorted Idlis

Ingredients:

Fermented idli batter                                         - 4 cups
Carrot                                                                - 1/2 cup grated
Green Beans                                                      - 1/2 cup shredded
Cabbage                                                             - 1/2 cup shredded
Tomato puree                                                     - 1/2 cup (of 1 tomato)
Salt                                                                     - To taste    
Red chili                                                             - to taste    


Method:

Grate or shred the veggies very fine. Also puree 1 tomato. Keep them aside.

Divide the idli batter into 4 equal parts in 4 separate bowl.
Now mix the each veg into each bowl, like one bowl we will mix carrot, second bowl we mix beans and so on.

Now add salt and red chili according to the taste.
Now scoop you idli batter on the idli tray and steam for 10-15 minutes depending on the steamer you are using.
Once done, take them out and serve with peanut chutney, saunth chutney or coriander chutney.

Stuffed Masala Idli

Idlis are the most popular breakfast dish from south of India. It's also very popular in north of India as the food makes all of us one. I experiment a lot with Idli recipes. Idlies can be made in several different ways such as authentic style rice idli, stuffed idli, methi idli, masala idli and so on.... here is one of my idli recipe.

Ingredients:

Fermented idli batter - 3 cups
Red Peanuts - 2 tblspoon
Cashewnuts - 5-8
Almonds                      - 5-8
Raisins - 10-12
Achari Masala - 1 tblspoon
Corn Kernels              - 1 tblspoon
Carrot - 2 tblspoon (Finely chopped)
Mix Peppers - 2 tblspoon (Finely chopped)
Fresh Coriander - 1 tblspoon
Salt                           - To taste              


Method:

Take a pan and dry roast peanuts, cashewnuts, raisins and almonds in it until they start leaving their oil. Now finely chop all the nuts except raisins.

Chop carrots, fresh coriander and capsicums finely. Add in the corn kernels.

Now mix Achari masala and salt to the nut mix.

Now mix together the nuts and veggies.

Beat the Idli batter well and add the salt to your taste. Remember that we have added the salt to stuffing as well.

I've steamed my idlies in microwave steamer this time but they can be steam the authentic gas steamer way.
Refer the picture to stuff the idlies. first layer idli batter on the idli mould and place 1 tspoon on the batter then layer it again thinly over the stuffing.use the spoon to make it even.

Steam the idlies for 7-10 minutes depending on your microwave temperature or gas steamer.
Stuffed idlies are ready to tuck in as breakfast or evening snack with chutney and hot tea.