Spicy/ Kara Dosa

This is so tasty and spicy dosa which is my family’s favorite. A variation for usual dosa with flavorful taste. The best thing is, the kitchen will be filled with a nice aroma while making the dosa which is really tastes yummy.

Ingredients :

Raw rice – 1cup
Parboiled rice – 3/4cup
Toor dhal – 3/4cup
Onion - 1
Red chili – 6
Tamarind small piece
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Coriander leaves – few
Garlic – 2no
Ginger – 1”piece
Cumin seeds – 1/4tsp
Asafoetida - 1/4tsp
Salt to taste

For seasoning:

Mustard seeds – 1/4tsp
Curry leaves few

For Garnishing:

Onion – 2cup (finely chopped)
Coriander leaves few (finely chopped)

Method:

• Wash and soak the raw rice, parboiled rice and toor dhal together for two hours.
• Grind it along with other ingredients into fine batter.
• Let this batter ferment for four hours.
• Dilute with water into dosa batter consistency.
• Then season with the mustard seeds and curry leaves.



• Now heat a skillet and pour a ladle of batter in a circular way and sprinkle chopped onions (optional) (I personally like adding more onions on dosa) and coriander leaves and add a tsp of oil.
• When it turns slight brown in the edges flip it over and make a crisp on other side too.

Serve it hot with Onion chutney, pickle or curd.
Note:

• The batter can make dosa without ferment too but gives different taste.
• Even can sauté onions and mix in batter itself and make dosa.
• You can enjoy it plain spicy dosa without adding onion and coriander leaves.

Raw Banana/ Plantain / Vazhakkai Podimas

This is my MIL recipe.I am not a big fan of Vazhakkai but when I tasted this podimas I started liking and enjoyed it. It tastes delicious with sambar sadam or you could try simply with hot rice & ghee which tastes excellent.

Ingredients :

Raw Banana / Vazhakkai/ Plantain – 2
Onion – 2no (finely chopped)
Red chili – 6
Turmeric powder -1/4tsp
Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp
Urad dhal – 1tsp
Asafoetida - 1/4tsp
Curry leaves few
Coriander leaves few garnishing (Optional)
Salt to taste
Oil – 1tbsp

Method:

• Wash and cut the two edges of raw banana and cut into two pieces.
• Boil water and add the raw banana with skin and cook for 10 to 12 minutes till the skin turns to dull color.
• Drain out the water and peel the skin and grate the raw banana.





• Heat oil in a pan and season it with mustard seeds, urad dhal, red chili, Curry leaves and asafetida.
• Now add the onions sauté until it turns transparent.





• Add the turmeric powder and the grated raw banana and cook covered on low flame for couple of minutes.
• Finally add salt for taste and mix well and remove from flame.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and enjoy with rice.

Yummy Vazhakkai podimas is ready to serve.

Note:

• Do not over boil the raw banana.
• If u feel the grated Plantain is too dry then you can sprinkle some water while cooking.
• Finally, even can add few drops of lemon juice for tangy taste.

Ven Pongal & Dhal Chutney

One of the most popular dish for breakfast in India especially in south. Its special because it has right mix of protein and carbos. Pongal given in temple as prasadam is very tasty, so here I tried to reach that taste. Normally Ven Pongal is served with coconut chutney or sambhar. But for a change I present here with dhal chutney. This is also equally good in taste, actually both complement each other.

Ven Pongal

Ingredients :

Raw rice - 1 cup
Moong dal - ½ cup
Ginger - 1 tsp finely chopped
Green chili – 1no
Water – 4cups
Milk – ½ cup
Pepper corns - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Cashew nuts – few
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Ghee – 2 tbsp
Oil – 2 tsp
Salt to taste



Method:

• Heat a pan, add the moong dal and dry roast on a medium flame till the raw smell disappears and take care don’t let burn and keep aside.
• Wash the rice and soak along with moong dhal together in four cups of water for 15 minute.
• Heat oil in a pressure pan and fry the chopped ginger till golden brown and add silted green chilly.
• Now add the soaked rice and dhal with water and milk ½ cup add salt for taste.



• Pressure cooks for 4 to 5 whistles.
• In a pan, heat 2 tbsp of ghee and add the peppercorns, cumin seeds, cashew nuts and asafoetida and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds.
• Add this to the Pongal and mix well.

Yummy Ven Pongal is ready to serve hot with Dhal Chutney.

Note:

• Even can crushed the pepper corns and add it to pongal.
• Adding milk to pongal gives rich and creamy taste.
• Don’t avoid adding ginger it give nice flavor for pongal.
• pongal has to be a little watery of runny type to make more delcious.

Dhal Chutney

Ingredients :

Urad dhal – 2tbsp
Channa dhal -1tbsp
Green chili – 3no
Tamarind – 1tsp
Jaggery – 1tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Salt for taste

Method:

• Take a tsp of oil in a pan and fry all the ingredients except jaggery to a golden brown for a while.
• Now grind with jaggery into a fine paste by adding less water.
• Finally season it with mustard and curry leaves.

Dhal chutney is ready to serve with Ven Pongal.

Note:

• Dhal chutney goes well with paniyaram also.
• For chutney tadka is optional.

Pumpkin Sweet Thoran

Pumpkins are very versatile in their uses for cooking. Whenever I buy pumpkin my first choice of recipe is this sweet thoran. It is very simple and tasty recipe with coconut and jaggery. Pumpkin is one of the very fastest cooking vegetable but the only time consuming part is cleaning. Apart from this, pumpkin is a good boost for immune system which is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. Their seeds also have many health benefits, as they are a good source of protein, zinc, and other vitamins.

Ingredients :

Pumpkin – 1 cup
Jaggery – ½ cup
Grated Coconut – 2 tbsp
Roasted gram powder – 2tbsp
Ghee – 1tbsp


Method:

• Clean, remove skin and chop the pumpkin into small cubes.
• Boil water in a pan and add the chopped pumpkin and cook for 5 minutes till soft but no to mushy.
• Drain the water and spread them in a plate.





• In a pan and add jaggery with water just to immerse it and when it dissolves strain the jaggery water to avoid sand and again keep the jaggery water in fire and once it starts bubbling add grated coconut and pumpkin and stir for couple of mins.





• Finally add the roasted gram powder and mix quickly without forming any lumps.
• Stir on lower flame until all combine well (mix gently) and finally add 1 tbsp of ghee.
• Remove it from fire and serve it.

Yummy Pumpkin sweet thoran is ready to serve…

Note:

• Choose Pumpkins that is heavy for its size.
• Adjust jaggery as per sweet taste.
• The only challenge is in getting the pumpkin cooked in correct way to be soft and not to mushy or overcooked.