Semolina Idli | Rava Idli : Quick Rava Idli

Rawa idli is one of the top evening snack available in Sagars (Bangalore fast food points). I always tried preparing it while I was in India, but never succeeded, it used to become hard always..After coming to Singapore, I started craving for all those fast foods available in Bangalore. I think it is bound to happen as I was used to eating varieties of dosas, rawa idli, pooris etc for such an affordable price.

I never found rawa idli in any of the restaurants in Singapore :((.., but was wanting to eat. The only option available here is...., cook what you want & eat how much ever you want ;) I did few modifications to the original recipe based on my experience :) It turned out just like how we used to get in Bangalore restaurants. Now, it has found a place in my breakfast list. I cook it at least once in fifteen days.

Here is the recipe, which requires no fermentation.

Ingredients:
2 cups upma rawa/semolina
1.5 cups curd/yogurt (it should have turned little sour)
1 tbsp cashew nuts
1/2 tbsp chana dal
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
8-10 curry leaves.
1/4 cup coriander leaves
2 tbsp grated coconut (fresh/frozen)
salt according to taste
1/2 tsp baking soda or 1 tsp eno's fruit salt
1 tbsp oil
Water: As needed to adjust the consistency

Method:

• Dry roast the rawa until it turns golden brown. Allow it to cool.
• Add oil to a pan, when oil is hot, add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds crackle, add chana dal. Allow the chana dal to turn golden brown.
• Add cashew nuts & fry till it turns golden brown. Add curry leaves to it.
• Add this tempering to the rawa.
• Add coconut, coriander leaves to the rawa.
• In a separate bowl, add about 1/2 a cup of water to yogurt/curd & whisk.
• Add the whisked yogurt to the rawa mixture & mix well. Batter should be like normal idli batter or a little thicker than that would do.
• Keep the batter for 1 hour.
• The rawa would have absorbed the moisture & become hard. Adjust the consistency by adding little water at a time. 
• Add baking soda, salt to the batter, just before making the idlis. Mix well & scoop out the batter onto the idli moulds.
• Steam cook the idlis for 15-20 mins.
• Serve it hot with potato sagu (curry) or chutney or any curry of your choice.

Appa/Yeriyappa (Healthier version)

Yeriyappa is a must sweet at my mother's place for Navaratri festival. It is usually prepared on the Saraswathi Pooja day. Yeriyappa is called appa in Udupi/Mangalore.

We had been to our relatives place here in Singapore. We went there without informing about our visit. As soon as we reached there, she started preparing something.., within minutes we were given guliyappa/paddu/gundpongalu. When we tasted.., we were pleasantly surprised.., it was a sweet dish :))

As I generally do everywhere, I asked her about the recipe, she said.., it was made of maida & banana..,I could not get the full recipe from her, but she also told me that the yeriyappa batter can be used to make sweet paddu/gundpongalu. I tried with the yeriyappa batter & it was impressive.

Why I call this healthier version is because the appa is not deep fried in oil. It is prepared using gundponglu/paddu pan.

So, here goes the healthier version of yeriyappa,
Ingredients:
1 cup raw rice
2 ripened bananas
1/3 cup jaggery
1 tbsp dry fruits of your choice ( I used cashew nuts + raisins)
a pinch of powdered cardamom
a pinch of baking soda
a pinch of salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp oil

Method:

• Soak the rice in water for around 3-4 hours.
• Make a fine paste of rice, bananas & jaggery (dont add much water), batter should be like normal idli batter.
• Mix the dry fruits, sugar, cardamom powder, salt & baking soda to this batter.
• Keep aside the batter for 10-15 mins.
• Heat the guliyappa pan, add 2 drops of oil to each of the holes in the pan. Pour the batter to each of the holes. Cook the appa on both sides on a slow flame, it takes a little more time than the normal guliyappa
  

Guliyappa pan can be seen in the below photo.


Here is some appa for you to taste :)

Mungaru Male Music!!

ಮುಂಗಾರು ಮಳೆ!!

Kannadigas can never forget this movie name.., Though the story-line is good, I am more interested in the music. Anybody would love to listen to this song at anytime.., aha!! such a soothing music, where you could enjoy every beat.., wonderful lyrics & fabulous singing by Sonu.
Refreshing!!

ಮುಂಗಾರು ಮಳೆಯೇ ಏನು ನಿನ್ನ ಹನಿಗಳ ಲೀಲೆ.
Even a non-romantic guy would become romantic after listening to this song.., even if he doesn't understand the lyrics..

one such beautiful line of this song...
ಭುವಿ ಕೆನ್ನೆ ತುಂಬ ಮುಗಿಲು ಸುರಿದ ಮುತ್ತಿನ ಗುರುತು.., ನನ್ನ ಎದೆಯ ತುಂಬ ಅವಳು ಬಂದ ಹೆಜ್ಜೆಯ ಗುರುತು..
what a comparison!!. I'm not a poet or ಕವಿಯತ್ರಿ, to say more about this.., but I just love to listen to this song always & always.. regardless of my mood...

Now coming to one more beautiful track of this movie.., the most popular one I suppose...
ಅನಿಸುತಿದೆ ಯಾಕೋ ಇಂದು.., ನೀನೇನೆ ನನ್ನವಳೆಂದು..
This is my son's ever favourite song.., this movies songs have the strength to make my son sit in one place for hours together.., he was just 9-10 months old during that time & he used to be silent when he get to hear these songs..., he is 26 months now & these songs are in his top most list even now.., he listens to this movies songs atleast once a day & he is not bored to listen this.., but would be willing to listen to this again & again. He can even make out a single beat change in those songs :))

ಆಹಾ ಎಂಥ ಮಧುರ ಯಾತನೆ..ಕೊಲ್ಲು ಹುಡುಗಿ ಒಮ್ಮೆ ನನ್ನ.., ಹಾಗೆ ಸುಮ್ಮನೇ..
again a masterpiece.., those who have not listened to these songs.., I suggest you to listen to this once & you would recall what I said..

This movie got released when I was on my maternity leave & was at my native.., Kannadigas were crazy for this movie..,my cousins, brother & sister were no exceptions, everybody kept on saying.., I have seen this 6.., 7.., 8 + times. But, my son was around a month.., so it was not possible for me to watch the movie at that time. But, I managed to watch it after 6 months or so.., but songs were always on the top of my list.

I have just mentioned about 2 songs here.., but all the songs including music, lyrics are fabulous & is a classic of all times..

Hats off to Mano Murthy, Jayant Kaikini, Sonu Nigam & also to Yograj Bhat for making such a wonderful movie & giving us beautiful songs..

Beetroot Pulao | Beets rice recipe

I learnt this recipe from my aunt when cooking became a routine activity for me ( i.e. after getting married) . I wanted to try something new everyday & impress my hubby.., those were the days when we stepped into "Gruhasthashrama".

My hubby is a ready-to-eat rice freak. what I mean is.., he enjoys eating pulaos, bhaths, mixed rice..etc.., more than the traditional South Indian rasam/sambar & rice. This is when I started learning & preparing lot of mixed rices & pulaos. Here is one such rice/pulao learnt during those wonderful days, but somehow this had washed out from my memory until few days back :(...., I prepared it yesterday & enjoyed eating..

Ingredients:
3 cups grated beets/beetroot
2 cups rice (basmati preferred)
2 tbsp dry fruits ( I used raisins + cashew nuts)
1/2 cup frozen green peas, sweet corn or baby lima beans(I used lima beans this time, but I have prepared using peas & corn too.., both taste equally good)
1 medium sized onion sliced
1/2 inch ginger grated
1 inch cinnamon
3 cloves
2 cardamom
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin powder/jeera powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder/dhania powder
1 tsp pulao masala ( I used MTR pulao masala)
1/2 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
1/2 cup yogurt/curd
coriander leaves (for garnishing)
3 cups water
salt according to taste.
2 tbsp butter/oil

Method:

• Wash & soak the basmati rice for 20-30 minutes.
• Heat the pressure cooker/pan, add butter to it. When butter is hot, add cumin seeds.
• Add the sliced dry fruits, cinnamon, cardamom & cloves. Fry it till the dry fruits become golden brown.
• Add ginger, onions & saute till the onions are soft.
• Now add lima beans & cook it in oil for a minute.
• Add the grated beetroot & mix well.
• Now add all the dry spices (red chilli powder, dhania powder, jeera powder, pulao masala & garam masala)
• Add water & salt. Bring the water to a boil & then add the curd to it.
• Drain the water from the rice & add the soaked rice. Add the salt & mix gently. 
• Close the lid of the pressure cooker & cook it for 1 whistle on high heat..
• Allow the cooker to cool, fluff the rice gently & coriander leaves.
• Serve it hot with a raitha of your choice.

Tip of the Day:
Don't discard the skin of the lemon squeezed, instead rub your elbows or face using the lemon skin.., it will reduce the tan on the skin & act as a natural bleach to the skin. This tip is for people having oily or normal skin. If you have dry skin, avoid using lemon juice on your face or on hands.

I'm sending this rice to Sunshine Mom's FIC purple event

Shunti Tambuli ( Ginger Tambuli)

This dish can be prepared in minutes & shunti (ginger) is available at home almost always!! So, prepare this whenever you are in a jiffy & cannot afford to spend more time cooking :)

Tambuli can be prepared like a thick curry by adding thick yogurt or could be prepared like rasam by adding buttermilk (blended yogurt). Choice is left to individuals. My mother prepares tambuli like chutney & my mom-in-law adds lot of butter milk & makes it like rasam.

Thought of adding few cooking tips from now on along with the recipes.

Tip Of The Day: If you have gastric problem, using raw green chilli could harm your stomach, hence always fry it in little oil for about 30 secs & then use green chillies.

Note down the ingredients & prepare it at your ease.
1.5 inch ginger ( roughly chopped)
1/2 tbsp jeera/cumin seeds
1 green chilli (optional)
3 tbsp grated coconut
1.5 cups buttermilk/curd/yogurt

For tempering:
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 red chilli
1 pinch asafoetida
2 curry leaves

Method:

• Grind the coconut, ginger, green chilli & jeera to a smooth paste
• Add curd, salt to the paste & mix it well.
• In a small kadai, add oil. When oil is hot, add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds splutter, add red chilli. asafoetida, curry leaves & add this tempering/tadka to the curd mixture.
  
• Tambuli is ready to be served.

Pathrode fry

A very tasty & healthier tea time snack. We usually prepare this using the left over pathrode. Few sub-dishes are prepared using the pathrode as the main ingredient. Some of them being pathrode palya(both sweet & spicy version could be prepared), pathrode fry.

I was the only consumer of the pathrode prepared at my home, as my son is too young to eat that spicy & my hubby dear prefers only pathrode palya. I prepared pathrode fry for tea time today & enjoyed eating!!!

Ingredients:
1 roll of pathrode
1 tbsp coconut oil (or any oil of your preference)

Method:

• Cut the pathrode as shown in the below picture.

• Heat the tawa. Add 1/2 tbsp of oil
• When oil is hot, place the pathrode slices on it and add the remaining oil on to the surface of the slices
• Shallow-fry it on both the sides for a minute (until the sides are crisp)
• The pathrode fry is ready to be served
  

Pathrode (Colocasia leaves Roll)

Colocasia/Taro/kesuvina leaves grow in abundance during the rainy season & this is the time when South Canara people prepare various dishes using taro leaves. Taro leaves grow where water is in abundance like near the well, near the pond or where water flows as a stream. Every road in Malnad region will have its own stream during the rainy season.., that is the beauty of malnad region. Che!, I became nostalgic.

This dish is not prepared quite often as the availability of this leaves is seasonal. My mom-in-law is very particular when comes to preparing this, she tells.., if the leaves are not good, then after eating pathrode, our tongue starts itching!! Thankfully, I have experienced the itching of my tongue only once.

I got few leaves in the frozen section in the supermarket, just got them & prepared the pathrode. I loved eating them & thankfully the leaves were good.

The preparation of pathrode is quite lengthy, but the end result is so very relishing.

Ingredients:
Taro leaves (ಕೆಸುವಿನ ಎಲೆ ) - 6
Raw Rice - 1 cup
Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
Toor dal - 2 tbsp
Moong Dal (Yellow) - 1/4 cup
Beaten Rice - 1.5 tbsp
Red Chilly - 8-10
Tamarind - One big grape size
Jaggery - One big grape size
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
Salt according to taste

Method:

• Wash and soak the rice, toor dal, moong dal & beaten rice together for around 4-5 hours.
• Dry roast the red chillies.
• Make a coarse paste of the rice, dals soaked along with red chillies, tamarind, coconut, cumin seeds, coriander seeds & jaggery (Batter should be similar to normal idli batter).
• Add salt according to taste (add a little more salt as this paste will be smeared on the leaves)
• Wash the taro/colocasia leaves, remove the stem & the large veins of the leaves & take the largest/biggest leaf.
• Smear the paste prepared on that & place a smaller leaf on top & repeat the same process. In one pathrode roll there can be 3+ leaves. Have a look at this picture to get an idea.

• Now roll the leaves & after it is rolled, smear the paste on top of it.

• Steam cook these rolls for 30-45 mins.

• Cut the rolled pathrode, smear it with coconut oil & serve it hot.

Updated on 26th Oct 09 to include coriander seeds & cumin seeds