TOMATO RICE

My whole idea of this blog is to present a lot of simple recipes that would be of a great help during just-started-to-cook phase or if one wants something different as I remember how I used to sit and take notes referring to various sites. So came the idea of compiling all into one blog which I experimented, relished and tasted by my family and good friends.

I try this once in a while when I get bored of the usual stuff. Certain dishes like this helped me a lot when I initially started to cook. This is a no fail, simple and easy recipe. Here comes the to-do list.

Ingredients

serves 2

Rice - 1.5 cups

Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped (optional)

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Channa dal - 1 tsp

Red chillies - 2 (I add one more as I like it spicy)

Red chilli powder - a pinch (optional)

Peanuts - 1/2 cup

Asafoetida/Hing - a pinch

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Curry leaves - a few

Peas - a handful

Salt - to taste

Sambhar / Curry powder - 1/2 tsp

(or dry-roast and grind - coriander seeds(1.5 tsp) + Channa dal (2 tsp) + Red chillies (2) + Fenugreek seeds(1/2 tsp)

Oil - 2 tbsp

How to make it

Heat the oil and temper mustard seeds and urad dal. Add the chana dal, green chillies, peanuts and chopped onions and saute for about 3 mins.

Add the turmeric, hing and the curry leaves and fry

Add the chopped tomatoes and cook till the raw smell leaves the mixture. Add salt, peas and curry powder or grounded masala.Make sure that the mixture is a thick paste and not watery (don't add water. If you fidn it to be watery, increase the flame and keep stirring so that the excess water evaporates).

Once done, mix in the cooked rice, stir well until blended, adjust taste and serve hot with raita of choice. ( My favorite raita is onion-cucumber combo)

RAVA DOSA

One of the easiest and delicious recipe, enjoyed by all. Unlike the usual dosa, the dosa batter doesn't need to wait hours together. This is definitely one of my favorites.

Ingredients

serves 2

Rava or sooji - 1 cup

Riceflour - 1/2 cup

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Plain yogurt (preferrably sour) - 1 spoon

Green chillies (finely chopped) - 2

Curry leaves - a few

Ginger - a small piece chopped finely

Oil

How to make it

Mix the rice flour, maida and rava and add water and salt to it. The batter should be watery, almost similar to the consistency of a buttermilk.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the batter and mix thoroughly.

Heat the tawa or pan (the tawa should be very hot) and take one ladleful of batter and spread on the tawa starting from the sides and finishing off in the middle as rava dosa cannot be spreaded like ordinary dosa. It is alsmost like sprinklin the batter on the tawa.

Drizzle 1/2 tsp of oil on the sides. (If preferred, ghee can also be used)

Turn it over when it becomes golden brown or dark crispy brown(I like the color to be really dark and not light) accordingly for a minute.

Serve hot with sambhar or chutney of your taste.

Note

To avoid the batter sticking to the pan and for crispy dosas, rub the pan with a slice of onion.

I would recommend that the batter is mixed and kept at least for half an hour before you start to cook.

The more watery the batter is, the more crispier it will be...

p.s. - excuse the shape of the dosa. My iron pan doesn't have sides to shape the dosa accordingly. :T

KAARA PORI (SPICY PUFFED RICE)

This snack was introduced to me by my good friend Prem Kumar. Though I have heard the name vaguely, I never had a chance to taste it until he made for us when we visited his place. Talking about this guy, he being a north indian guy ( no offense meant), loves the south indian food, much more than I do. There is also a tale that, no one can stop him from eating sambhar once he starts..lol...jokes apart, I profusely thank him for this recipe. Thank you Prem Kumar!

Ingredients

serves 2

2 cups of puffed rice (plain and not the sweetened ones)

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - a few

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Turmeric powder - A pinch

Asafoetida - A pinch

Oil - 1 tsp

How to make it

In a pan, add the oil in a medium flame. Once the oil is heated, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Let it splutter. Add the asafoetida, turmeric powder and the red chilli powder.

Saute for a few seconds and add the puffed rice. Mix it well. Add the salt and mix again.

And its ready to eat.

Note

This might take only 10 mins to finish. Make sure you do all these in a medium flame (whichever is not very high for you) so that the rice doesn't get burned.

ALOO TIKKI

I like anything with potato. You have no idea how much I love potato. My second love is potato. The first is Chocolate...er..we are still talking about food :)

I had this burning desire to try these out after getting the recipe from the famous cooking blog edible garden. I din't follow it in the order given probably next time
I'l do it.

Ingredients

(serves 2)

2 medium potatoes, grated

A bunch of fresh coriander leaves, chopped ( I dint use it and used curry leaves instead)

1 tsp jeera / jeerakam

2 green chillies, chopped

1 generous pinch asafoetida / hing / perungayam

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1 to 2 tbsp besan / bengal gram powder / kadala mavu

Salt to taste

How to make it

Grate the potatoes and add the other ingredients in.

Mix welll.

Make into flat patty shapes on palm of hand and shallow fry in a wide pan until golden brown on both sides.

Serve hot with ketchup, mint chutney.

Notes

I noticed that once the potato is grated and kept, it becomes very soggy. So, see to that you drain the water so that it becomes easy for you to make the flat shapes. The shape doesn't come if the mixture is soggy.

Besan is just for the grated ones to hold tight. The given amount is just an assumption.

I forgot to add onions. Why don't you try and tell me how it tasted?!