Soft and Spongy Rava Idly alongside Pirandai Chutney- Without adding Baking Soda

Hey buddies!! Bored with regular Idlies and Chutnies??!! Here it is... Softy spongy Rava Idly with damn healthy Pirandai Chutney!!

Rava Idly with damn healthy Pirandai Chutney!!

Pirandai Chutney Ingredients:

1. Tomato: 1 big
2. Coconut: 1 half - shredded
3. Tamarind: 1 small gooseberry size
4. Urad daal/ulutham paruppu: 2 tspn
5. Pirandai [Botonical name – Cissus quandrangularis, English: Edible Stemmed Vine, Tamil: pirandai/ perandai, Telugu: nalleru, Hindi: hadjod]: as shown in pic
6. Asafoetida/Hing/Perungayam: 1/2 tspn
7. Coriander leaves/kothamalli: a few as shown in pic
8. Curry Leaves/ karuveppilai: a few as shown in pic
9. Oil- 3 tspn
10. Salt: as req

Pirandai Chutney METHOD:

1. Wash well the pirandai, cut the 4 corner stems of pirandai and chop them as shown in pic. Apply some oil in hands to avoid itchy feel given while handling perandai. [avoid leaves in pirandai stems].
2. Heat a pan/kadai, add 3 tspns of oil. Once the oil is heated, add the chopped pirandai and saute well for 3-5 mins in medium flame. The color will change and raw smell of pirandai will go off.
3. After the pirandai is well sauted, strain the pirandai alone from kadai and keep it aside.
4. In the left over oil, add urad daal and fry it until it turns golden..dont fire it up..
5. Once the urad daal turned golden color, add the sliced tomato, shredded coconut, perungayam/hing, curry leaves, coriander leaves, tamarind, salt req for chutney and mix all together well. Add the previously cooked pirandai to this and saute well. Until the tomato turns mushy. [this will take 5-7 mins in medium flame]
6. Turn off the flame and allow them to cool under a fan.
7. Once it turns to warm or to room temperature, grind the contents semi-coarsely to form a chutney consistency. CHUTNEY'S WONT BE A SMOOTH PASTE.
8. Pirandai Chutney is ready!!

RAVA IDLY INGRDIENTS:

1. Roasted Rava/sooji: 1 medium size tumbler
2. Curd/Yogurt: 1 medium size tumbler. [1:1 proportion ; rava and curd]
3. Carrot: 1 Grated
4. Coriander Leaves: Handful: chopped
5. Ginger: 1 inch piece; shredded [to temper]
6. Green Chilly: 1 finely chopped [to temper]
7. Oil: 2 tspn [to temper]
8. Mustard seeds/kadugu: 1/4 tspn [to temper]
9. Urad dhaal/ulutham parupu: 1/2 tspn [to temper]
10. Hing/Perungayam/asafoetida: 1/4 tspn [to temper]
11. Fruit Salt: 1/2 tspn [instead of baking soda, but this is healthy; i used Eno]
12. Salt: as per taste
13. Water: to form the batter [add water carefully since curd is added, the batter should be neither thin nor thick, exactly like idly batter]

RAVA IDLY METHOD:

1. GRATE CARROT, CHOP CORIANDER, GINGER, GREEN CHILLY

2. HEAT OIL IN A KADAI AND TEMPER INGREDIENTS MENTIONED IN [TO TEMPER] AND ADD THEM IN A BIG SIZE BOWL.

3. ADD ROASTED RAVA TO THE TEMPERED ITEMS IN THE BOWL. 

4. ADD CURD.

5. ADD GRATED CARROT

6. ADD CHOPPED CORIANDER LEAVES

7. ADD SALT

8. MIX WELL USING A SPATULA.

9. USE ENO REGULAR FRUIT SALT INSTEAD OF BAKING SODA.

10. ADD 1/2 TSPN OF ENO FRUIT SALT.

11. YOU CAN SEE THE BUBBLES COMING AFTER ADDING ENO [THIS GIVES SOFTNESS]

12. MIX ALL THOROUGHLY. LET IT
MARINADE FOR 30 MINS.

13. GREASE THE IDLY PLATE WITH GHEE/OIL

14. FILL THE MOULDS WITH RAVA IDLY BATTER AND STEAM FOR 15-20 MINS.

RAVA IDLY WITH PIRANDAI CHUTNEY IS READY!

Mulai Keerai Mor Kootu

Healthy and tasty MOR KOOTU

INGREDIENTS:

1. Mulai Keerai: 1 kattu/ bunch [ cut the root alone and finely chop both the leaves and stem]
2. Salt: as req
3. Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tspn
4. Hing/ Perungayam/ Asafoetida: 1/2 tspn
5. Tomatoes: 2 nos. cubed
6. Coconut oil: 2 tspn[to garnish at last]

TO GRIND:

1. Soaked toor daal/thuvaram paruppu: 3 tspn
2. Jeeragam/ Cumin seeds: 2 tspn
3. Red chilly: 1 no.
4. Coconut: 1 half [oru moodi] grated.
5. Water: as req for the paste.

TEMPERING IS NOT NEEDED FOR ANY MOR-KOOTU VARIETIES AND AVIAL

METHOD:

1. Wash thoroughly until the mud goes off from keerai.
2. In a pan/kadai, put the washed keerai add sufficient water until keerai gets soaked.
3. Add turmeric powder, salt, tomatoes, hing/asafoetida and mix well along with keerai and water.
4. Let this mixture cook for 10 mins in medium flame. [once this is cooked, using a spatula/masher, mash the contents slightly to gel each other]
5. Meanwhile, add all the ingredients mentioned in "to grind" to a mixie and grind as a semi-smooth paste [not fully coarse].
6. Add this paste to already cooking keerai and let it give 1 boil and turn off.
7. On top of the prepared keerai mor kootu, add 2 tspns of edible coconut oil and mix well [add only after turning off the flame].
8. Keerai Mor-Kootu is ready to serve.
9. You can have it as a side dish for any rice, chapathis etc.. You can mix this with plain white rice and consume it for a complete lunch. Very Very Healthy. Try it pals!!

Aalo Gravy Rice- Lunch Box Special

Yummy aalo gravy flavored rice

A very very easy and tasty dish. If the ingredients are ready, the dish is just 10-15 mins.

LUNCH BOX SPECIAL

INGREDIENTS:

1. Potato: 2 nos. medium size [chop into 2 inch cubes]
2. Onion- 1 big
3. Tomato- 3 medium
4. Coriander Leaves: a small cup/ or a hand-full 
5. Mint Leaves/ pudina: hand-full
6. Ginger Garlic Paste- 1 tspn
7. Top quality Basmati Rice: 1 medium size tumbler
8. Water: 1 and 1/4th of the tumbler or 1 and 1/2 of the tumbler [if aged/old rice- add 1 and 1/2 tumbler of water]
9. Oil- 3 tbspns
10. Ghee- 2 tspns
11. Salt: as required
12. Sugar: a pinch [tastemaker]
13. Bay Leaf [brinji ilai]: 1 crushed
14. Cloves, Cardamom[kraambu, yelakkai]: 2 pcs each
15. Cinnamon[pattai or lavangapattai]: 1 stick; break into pieces
16. Star Anise[annaasi poo / annasi mokku]: 1 piece
17. Fennel seeds [sombu]: 1/2 tspn
18. Cumin seeds [jeeragam]: 1/2 tspn

MASALA POWDERS:

1. Coriander powder: 1/2 tspn
2. Jeera Powder: 1/2 tspn
3. Chilly Powder: 1/2 tspn to 1 tspn [as per ur taste]
4. Garam Masala: 1 tspn
5. Biriyanai Masala: 1 tspn
6. Turmeric powder: 1/4 tspn

METHOD:

1. Wash and Soak the basmati rice in luke warm water for 15-20 mins.
2. Take a mixie jar, grind tomatoes, coriander leaves, and "masala powders" to a thick smooth paste without adding water.
3. Heat a cooker on stove, add ghee and oil.
4. Add ingredients from no: 13 to 18. Let them get saute in oil and ghee.
5. Add the sliced onion and saute until translucent.
6. Add ginger garlic paste and saute well until raw smell goes off.
7. Add the cubed potatoes and mix well. Add mint leaves and saute.
8. Add the tomato-coriander-masala powder paste and saute will until oil leaves the concoction. 
9. Simmer the flame.
10. Drain the soaked rice from water and add to the masala.
11. Add the mentioned quantity of water [as per proportion mentioned above]. And mix all together.
12. Keep the flame to medium, add salt and sugar as mentioned, mix thoroughly. 
13. Close the cooker lid. Wait until steam comes and place the whistle.
14. If its big cooker [5 litre and above], give 2 whistles, or 1 whistle and keep in sim for 5 mins and turn off.
15. If its small cooker [ 3 litre and below], give 3 whistles and turn off.
16. Open the cooker lid once the pressure is released.
17. Fluff the rice using fork/spatula without breaking and serve with any raitha! 
18. You may garnish with coriander-mint leaves if you wish!

Mutter /Peas Semi Gravy

Ingredients:

1. Mutter / green peas- 100 gms
2. Onion: 1 big- finely chopped
3. Tomato- 1 big- finely chopped
4. Oil/butter/ghee - To temper
5. Bay leaf/ brinji leaf- 1 
6. Jeera-1/4 tspn to temper
7. Special Subzi Masala Powder : 1 and 1/2 tspn [click on this link for SUBZI MASALA POWDER recipe]
8. Salt: to taste
9. Water: as per consistency

Method:

1. Cook the peas initially either in cooker method with 2 whistles or in open pot method by adding peas in boiling water [check often whether its cooked or not if doing in open pot method- normally it takes 10-12 mins hardly to get cooked in open pot method]. If its frozen peas, soak it in water for 5 -10 mins after taking it from freezer.
2. Heat a kadai/pan. Add a tspn of oil/butter/ghee, let it heat and add 1/4 tspn of jeeragam/cumin seeds. Let it split.
3. Crush the bay leaf and add to it.
4. Add the finely chopped onion and saute until it becomes translucent.
5. Add the finely chopped tomatoes and saute until it becomes very mushy.
6. Add Special Subzi Masala Powder and saute the gravy until the masala mix with the onion-tomato.
7. Add 3 tspns of water to the gravy .
8. Add the cooked peas/frozen peas to it. Mix it well. Add required salt.
9. Add 1/4th tumbler of water to it. Close kadai/pan with a lid. Simmer the flame and cook for 3-5 mins.
10. Hot and tasty Mutter semi gravy is ready to be served with rotis, puris, parathas, naan, dosa, etc.

Suggestions:

• You may add a pinch of sugar and turmeric powder while cooking the peas to retain its color.
• You may garnish the dish with fresh and finely chopped coriander leaves.
• Please use naatu thakkali for this dish. If using Bangalore tomato, use 2 big nos instead of 1.

Special Subzi Masala Powder

Spl. Subzi/ Sidedish masala powder!!

Ingredients:

1. Readymade Top Branded Coriander Powder/ dhaniya thool: 100 gms
2. Readymade Top Branded Jeera Powder/ jeeraga thool: 100 gms
3. Readymade Top Branded Garam masala: 100 gms
4. Readymade Top Branded Kasturi / Kasoori methi- 50 gms
5. Readymade Top Branded Red chilly Powder: 50 gms
6. Readymade Top Branded Turmeric powder: 5 tspns
7. Readymade Top Branded Aamchur/ dry mango powder: 5 tspns

Method:

1. Take a bowl and add all the ingredients except kasoori methi.
2. Mix them thoroughly.
3. Take the kasuri methi on your hands, crush them slightly and add them to the mixture.
4. Now mix everything once again along with the crushed kasuri methi,
5. Store it in a air tight container.
6. Your subzi masala powder is ready. You can just add this special powder to all your North Indian subzis / side dishes :)

Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu

It's an Authentic tasty dish that fulfills a lunch!

Ingredients:

For Paruppu urundai:

1. Toor dal/ thuvaram paruppu: 1/4 kg
2. Red chilly- 3 nos
3. Asafoetida/ perungayam: 1/2 tspn
4. Salt- as needed for this urundai alone.
5. Oil- 2 hollow spatula/ 2 kuzhi karandi for sauting grinded urundai

For Kuzhambu:

1. Tamarind- 1 medium gooseberry sized
2. Ripened tomatoes: 2 medium sized or 4 small sized: make it as a smooth paste [I used naatu thakkali for this; which gives you nice tanginess]
3. Sambar powder: 3 tspn
4. Turmeric Powder: 1 tspn
5. Salt: to taste
6. Oil- 3 tspn for kuzhambu
7. Water- As needed

To Temper / Thaalika:

1. Mustard seeds/ kadugu- 1/4 tspn
2. Methi seeds/ venthayam- 1/4 tspn
3. Urad dhal/ uluntham parupu- 1/4 tspn

Method:

1. Soak toor dal/ thuvaram paruppu in water for 1 hour.
2. Soak tamarind in 2 tumbler water for 1/2 an hour. {or} You can also slightly pre-heat the soaked tamarind and leave it to cool for half an hour and extract it in a bowl.
3. In a mixer grinder, add the soaked toor dal/ thuvaram paruppu, red chillies, asafoetida/ perungayam and salt for the balls AND coarse grind [ravai patham] them without adding water.
4. Heat a kadai and add 2 kuzhi karandi oil, and add items mentioned in "To temper" EXCEPT methi seeds/ venthayam.
5. Once tempering items splatters, add the coarsely grinded paste to it and saute well until some moisture goes. Do it in a medium flame for 10 minutes. Dont over or under cook it.
6. Wet your hands and try to roll the concoction after 10 minutes. If you can roll it without sticking in ur hands, you are done with the parupu urundai mixture. Switch off the flame.
7. Let it cool for few minutes until you prepare the base kuzhambu.
8. Now heat a kadai, add 3 tspn of oil and add items mentioned in "To temper" INCLUDING methi seeds/ venthayam.
9. Once tempering items splatters, add the tomato paste, tamarind extract, turmeric powder and sambar powder. Let this gravy cook until raw smell goes off and reduce it to its 3/4th. Do it in a medium flame for 7-10 mins. Dont make it too thick, please have an eye.
10. Add 1-2 tumbler of water and salt needed for the base kuzhambu to this gravy. This kuzhambu must be little watery. Because after adding the toor daal balls, it will become thick in consistency. Toor daal normally thickens the dish. 
11. Meanwhile the base kuzhambu is getting ready, roll the toor daal/ paruppu urundai mixture into small lemon sized balls and keep it ready. 
12. Once the base kuzhambu is all set after reaching perfect consistency, simmer the stove.
13. Add all the paruppu urundai/ balls to the base kuzhambu and keep the flame to medium. Let it cook for 3-4 mins in medium flame. Then switch it off!
14. Garnish with curry leaves/ karuveppilai or coriander leaves/kothamalli or both!!!
15. Your mouth-watering Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu  is all ready to fill your tummy!!!!!!!

Suggestions:

1. Many use bengal gram/kadalai paruppu for making balls instead of toor daal/ thuvaram paruppu. I avoid bengal gram/kadalai paruppu completely since it gives bloating and flatulence [vaaivu].
2. Dont roll the daal balls/ paruppu urundai's neither loosely nor tightly. 
3. Loosely rolled balls may broken while getting cooked in base kuzhambu.
4. Tightly rolled balls may under cook along with base kuzhambu.
5. If the base kuzhambu seems to be very watery, mix a tspn of rice flour/arisi mavu in little water without creating lumps and add it to the base kuzhambu. It'll give you the right consistency. Remember, baze kuzhambu should be LITTLE WATERY not much.
6. You may lavishly sprinkle asafoetida/perungayam if you like its taste for adding authenticity in this dish.. It really tastes good, but it depends on your taste!!! :P

Vanilla Milkshake

Vanilla Milkshake- Side wall decor of glass

Vanilla Milkshake- Topping decor of milkshake

Its our Chill Vanilla Milkshake!!!

Ingredients:

1. Boiled Milk - 1/2 Litre
2. Sugar- 100 to 125 gms as per your taste. [I used 100 gms = 1 small tumbler]
3. Vanilla Essence- 1 tspn for 1/2 litre [I used honey based natural vanilla extract]
4. Vanilla Ice-cream- 1 scoop per glass
5. Rose essence- For decorating glass and topping

Method:

1. Boil milk and allow it cool at room temperature.
2. Using a blender or juicer, blend well the boiled milk, sugar, vanilla essence together.
3. Refrigerate this for about 1 hour or so. Dont freeze!!!
4. Take a glass tumbler, pour half a tspn of rose essence into it and decorate the walls of glass tumbler slowly like rotating all the sides, up and down, criss-cross  etc. Design is all urs!
5. Take the milkshake from fridge and pour half or 3/4th level of the glass.
6. Add a scoop of vanilla icecream on its top.
7. For topping, take half a spoon of rose milk essence and draw ur circles, lines, etc... :P
8. Serve chill! Tasty Vanilla Milkshake is all yours!!!!!!!!!!

Suggestions:

• Use only boiled milk. So that you'll get more froth!
• Go for a good quality brand of vanilla ice cream, vanilla essence and rose essence. Available in all super markets.
• Handle the glass tumbler with care and without any tense. Cool and relaxed mind yields you best results in all!!
• I just used/suggested glass tumbler for the look! You may also use your regular tumblers! Just taste matters my dears.. Not the containers!!
• You may add ice-cubes, but I dont prefer as milkshake may become watery! Refrigeration is best!

Raw veggies mayonnaise Sandwich

It's very simple and healthy! Try it folks!

Ingredients Needed

1. A Loaf of bread.
2. Ghee/ butter- to toast the bread
3. Onion - 1 finely chopped
4. Bangalore Tomato - 1 finely chopped
5. Cucumber - 1 peeled and finely chopped
6. Capsicum - 1 unseeded and finely chopped
7. Eggless mayonnaise- 3 tbspn [available in super markets]
8. Carrot-cucumber sandwich spread - 3 tbspn [available in super markets]
9. Rocksalt- a pinch
10. White pepper powder- a pinch
11. Chilly flakes- very few, just for traces
12. Tomato sauce/ ketchup- 2 tspn for mixture and some for decorations as shown in picture.

Method:

For Toasting:

1. Heat a tawa/ cradle/ pan.
2. Spread some ghee/butter and place the bread pieces.
3. Apply ghee/butter on the to side of the bread using a spoon or cooking brush.
4. Dont over toast. Just give a warmth to it for this variety. You may not see any brown shades in the above pic, as I've just given a warmth to the bread.

For Stuffing:

1. In a bowl, Add all the chopped veggies mentioned above {raw veggies only}.
2. Add a pinch of rocksalt, white pepper powder, chilly flakes, 2 tspn of tomato sauce/ketchup.
3. Add 3 tbspn of eggless mayonnaise and carrot-cucumber sandwich spread.
4. Mix well.
5. Stuff them between two toasted breads.
6. Decorate with tomato sauce/ketchup as you wish.
7. Raw veggies variety of sandwich is all ready! This is a soothing and healthy breakfast, especially in summer. This keeps you cool as it as cooling substances- tomato, cucumber, capsicum!

Suggestions:

• Dont over heat the cradle/ tawa/ pan.
• Make sure you just warmth the bread!
• You may cut the corners of the bread if you wish. I dint here!
• You can use any variety bread of your choice! Make sure it's fresh.
• While buying the EGGLESS mayonnaise and sandwich spread, check the date of packing and expiry.
• Rocksalt, chilly flakes, white pepper powder-  available in all super markets.
• I used "Fun-foods" brand of sandwich spread from Spencers retail! It's really nice.

GOBI-65

Ingredients Needed:

1. Maida/ All purpose flour: 1/4 cup
2. Corn Starch: 1/4 cup
3. Ginger Garlic Paste- 1/2 tspn
4. White/Black Pepper Powder- 1/2 tspn
5. Soy Sauce, Red chilly sauce, Tomato Sauce- Each 1 tspn
6. Red chilly powder/ chilly flakes- 1/4 tspn
7. Garam Masala: 1/2 tspn
8. Salt- As req
9. Water- As req for the batter
10. Fresh florets of cauliflower: As req for the above batter. (I used 1 medium sized gobi)
11. Coriander leaves- a small cup- finely chopped
12. Oil- To fry
13. Onion rings- For garnishing

Method:

1. Soak caulflower/ or its florets in a hot water with some salt and turmeric. You may also blanch. Dont over cook.
2. In a bowl, add all the above ingredients, except blached gobis, oil and onion rings. Mix well.
3. Add the blanched florets in such a way that the batter thoroughly coats it.
4. Leave them to marinade for few mins.

Heat oil in a pan/kadai. Let it get heated gradually.

1. Take the florets with the coated batter and deep fry until getting a golden color. 
2. Dry it in a paper towel.
3. Make sure it doesn't stick to each other! If they stuck, No issues, once done, you may separate it using hands.
4. Hot and classy Gobi-65 is Ready!!
5. Serve hot!

Suggestions:

1. It's a starter variety, you may also have it as an evening snack, a sidedish for your rotis, parathas, friedrice, etc -one who like dry subzis :P 
2. Dont keep ur flame neither too high; nor too low. MEDIUM flame is best for any deep frying items.
3. You may add food color if you prefer!