bonellilou

          Today's post is going to be one more dosa, and this time I have used Vella Pusinikkai/ Ash Gourd or Winter Melon to make it. As I have said so many times, we love idlis and dosas at home, and this one again turned out to be really good. To make it a little more healthier, I have used idli rice and jowar ( solam ) in equal proportions. This is not an instant dosa, it needs previous soaking, grinding and then the batter has to be fermented. The dosas came out so soft and spongy like set dosas and they would go very well with coconut chutney, sambar or vada curry..

Need To Have

• Idli Rice - 1 cup
• Whole Jowar/Solam - 1 cup
• Pusinikkai/Ash Gourd Puree - 1 cup
• Green Chillies - 4
• Whole Urad Dal/Husked Black Gram - 2 tablespoons
• Fenugreek Seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Salt - 2 teaspoons

Method


          Wash and soak the rice, jowar, urad dal and fenugreek seeds overnight. Next day morning, grind it with the green chillies into a smooth batter. Make a puree with the ash gourd pieces ( about 1 cup ).


          Add the ash gourd puree to the ground batter along with the salt and mix everything together with your hand, cover and leave it to ferment for about 8 to 10 hours.


          Heat a dosa pan, pour a laddle of batter, spread it as thick or as thin as you want, drizzle some oil all around, cover and cook, till the bottom starts browning, flip and cook the other side and remove.


Note
I have used the mixie/blender for grinding, if making large quantity then you can use the grinder.
I made thick and spongy dosas ( like set dosa ) with the batter, but you can make them thin and crispy too.
The holes that pop up when you pour the dosa batter on the pan, shows that the batter has fermented well, only then the dosas will turn out soft and spongy.
When I say smooth batter, it doesn't mean powdery smooth, it'll still be a little grainy.
After fermentation, the batter will not increase in volume like in the case of regular idli/dosa batter, but you'll still be able to see that it has fermented.

          At home, we never get tired of idlis and dosas, so whenever I find a new type of idli or dosa, I immediately try it out. Today's post is going to be yet another healthy idli, Yellow Pumpkin Idlis, Parangikkai Idlis. The original recipe here uses idli rava ( rice semolina ), I have replaced it with millet rava, this time I have used saamai rava/little millet rava. The idlis are a lot similar to the Cucumber Idlis that I have already posted. The texture is not like that of regular rice idlis, it's more like rava idlis and sort of crumbly, like, when we dip it in chutney or sambar, it breaks down. We loved it with some coconut and peanut chutney, do give it a try..

Need To Have

• Saamai Rava/Little Millet Semolina - 1 cup
• Grated Yellow Pumpkin/Parangikkai - 2 cups
• Chana Dal/Bengal Gram - 1 tablespoon
• Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup
• Green Chilly - 1, chopped finely
• Chopped Coriander - 2 tablespoons
• Salt - 1 teaspoon

Method


          Grate the pumpkin in a fine grater and keep, about 2 cups. Soak the chana dal for about 30 mins to an hour. Now take the millet rava, grated coconut, chopped coriander and salt.


          Add the grated pumpkin, mix it with your hand, the consistency should be like, when you press the mixture with your hand the liquid should ooze out. Leave this covered for about 40 minutes to an hour. Then add the soaked chana dal, a tablespoon of water and mix it up.


          Grease the idli moulds with oil, then spoon in the mixture and spread it out and steam it for about 15 to 17 minutes. Leave it to cool down a little, then remove the idlis and serve.


Note
The consistency of the mixture depends on the moisture content of the grated pumpkin, if it's dry, then add some water and leave it.
The idlis might look very delicate, they might look like they will break down while removing. But if you leave them for about 5 minutes, then you can remove them easily with a spoon dipped in water. After removing, keep them in a hot pack.

          Millets, no longer we need to go into, how healthy they are, it's a known fact now. Now, in India we not only get whole millets and millet flour, we also get them now in rava ( semolina ) form and also as instant idiyappams ( noodles ). For today's idli I have used Kuthiraivali ( Barnyard Millet ) rava and sorakkai/bottle gourd. The idlis came out soft and delicious, the texture was like that of regular rava/semolina idlis. Try out this super healthy idlis, you can use varagu/kodo millet or saamai/little millet too, they go very well with peanut or coconut chutney..

Need To Have

• Kuthiraivali/Barnyard Millet Rava - 1 cup
• Grated Sorakkai/Lauki/Bottle Gourd - 2 cups
• Yogurt/Curd - 1/2 cup
• Broken Cashews - 11/2 tablespoon
• Chana Dal/Bengal Gram - 1 tablespoon
• Urad Dal/Husked Black Gram - 1 teaspoon
• Mustard Seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Green Chilly - 1, chopped
• Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
• Eno/Fruit Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
• Chopped Coriander - 1/4 cup
• Curry Leaves - 10, torn into pieces
• Salt to taste

Method


          Take the millet rava in a bowl, grate the bottle gourd in a fine grater.


          Add the grated bottle gourd to the kuthiraivali rava, add the 1/2 cup curd, mix it well with hand and leave it for 30 minutes.


          Heat about 3 teaspoons of oil, add the cashews, chana dal, urad dal followed by the mustard seeds. When the cashews turn golden and the mustards start spluttering, add the asafoetida followed by the green chilly and curry leaves, saute for a minute and remove.


           Add the sauteed cashew mixture to the soaked kuthiraivali rava, also add the chopped coriander, salt and 1/2 cup water and mix everything together.


          Heat the water in the steamer ( idli maker ), grease the idli moulds, now add the eno/fruit salt to the batter, mix it and spoon it into the idli moulds and steam them immediately for about 15 to 20 minutes. Let it cool for a couple of minutes, then remove them carefully using a spoon dipped in water.


Note
The batter will not be like regular idli batter, you have to spoon the batter and set it in the mould with the spoon.

           This is my 500th post, it took me more than 3 years to do this, with my laziness, I can't believe that I have done so many posts. Actually I should have celebrated it with something sweet, but I noticed it only now, Well then, coming to today's post, Millet Upma, I have started including millets in our diet at least 2 or 3 times in a week, mostly I use it in the place of rice, in idlis, dosas, pongal and pilafs. I made this upma, some time back, I have used saamai/little millet and I have made it slightly different from the regular upma. The upma was very flavorful and colorful from the different vegetables and was very filling too. We can serve it either with coconut chutney or even with yoghurt/curd..

Need To Have

• Saamai/Little Millet - 3/4 cup
• Onions - 2 medium, chopped
• Yellow Capsicum/Bell Pepper - 1 small, chopped
• Carrot - 1 small, chopped
• Fresh/Frozen Green Peas - 1/4 cup
• Tomato - 1 medium, chopped
• Chopped Coriander - 2 tablespoons
• Green Chillies - 2, sliced
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Urad Dal/Husked Black Gram - 1 tablespoon
• Curry Leaves - 10 - 15

To Pound

• Shallots - 4
• Ginger - 1" piece
• Garlic - 3 cloves

Method


          Pound together all the ingredients given under ' to pound ' with a mortar and pestle. Wash and drain the saamai and keep.


          Heat some oil, add the urad dal and mustard seeds, when it starts spluttering, add the chopped onions, green chillies and curry leaves and saute for a minute. Then add the pounded onions and keep sauteing till you get a nice smell.


          Add the capsicum, carrots and peas and mix it, then add the tomatoes and keep mixing for another minute.


          Add the millet and mix for one more minute, then add about 21/2 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Then reduce the heat, cover and cook till the millets are cooked. Finally mix in the chopped coriander, cover and leave it undisturbed for about 10 minutes.


Note
You can add some roasted peanuts or cashews for more taste.

          Foxtail Millet/Thinai Cookies, I should have posted this sometime last month, I was paired with Veena Shankar for the 'Shhhh Cooking Secretly Challenge', she was travelling and I was caught up in something, so by the time we decided on our ingredients, we had crossed the posting date. She had given me millets and sugar as the secret ingredients, my mind was already set on making cookies with the two ingredients, and after so much delay, I finally made them. I was debating whether to use only millet flour or a combination of flours, I finally settled on using millet flour and whole wheat flour and I also used some dark chocolate chips. The cookies turned out superb, melt in the mouth kind, the texture was like that of the Dark Fantasy cookies. Before we go on to the recipe, I don't have to tell much about Veena's blog, if some of you have not visited her space, do so, she has so many different and delicious recipes..

Need To Have

• Foxtail Millet/Thinai Flour - 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon
• Whole Wheat Flour - 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon
• Unsalted Butter - 2 tablespoons
• Oil - 2 tablespoons
• Sugar - 1/4 cup
• Vanilla Extract - 1 teaspoon
• Chocolate Chips - 1/8 cup
• Salt - very small pinch

Method


          Melt the butter, add the oil, salt and vanilla extract, followed by the millet flour, whole wheat flour, sugar and chocolate chips. Using your hand, mix it together to make a soft cookie dough.


          Shape it into small balls and flatten it slightly, arrange it on a cookie sheet lined with aluminium foil, bake it at 180 C for 15 minutes. Remove, let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes, remove and leave it on a wire rack to cool completely, then store it in an airtight container.


Note
I initially started with 1/4 cup millet flour and 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, but after making the dough, I felt I can add another tablespoon of each.
I have used organic sugar, I forgot to powder it, but still the cookies came out very good.

         Kambu/Bajra/Pearl Millet Adai, this is another easy recipe using millets, I have used bajra and a mixture of dals/lentils, but I have changed the flavors in this adai, I have used cumin and black pepper while grinding and lots of onions in the batter. The combination of the above three gives this adai a nice flavor and taste. It goes very well with coconut chutney or any chutney with a little coconut in it, try this out, the next time you are thinking of making adais..

Need To Have

• Kambu/Bajra/Pearl Millet - 1 cup
• Tuvar Dal/Split Pigeon Peas - 1/2 cup
• Chana Dal/Gram Dal - 1/2 cup
• Urad Dal/Husked Whole Black Gram - 1/4 cup
• Dried Red Chillies - 2 - 4
• Cumin Seeds - 2 teaspoons
• Black Peppercorns - 2 teaspoons
• Onion - 6 medium ones, chopped finely
• Curry Leaves - 10 - 15. chopped roughly
• Salt to taste

Method


          Wash and soak the millets and the dals for at least 4 hours.


          Grind the dal with the cumin seeds and peppercorns into a coarse paste and remove. Grind the bajra with the red chillies into a smooth paste, mix both of them.


          Add the chopped onions, salt and curry leaves, mix it well, the batter should be slightly thick, at the same time, you should be able to spread it. Heat a pan, add a ladle or 2 of the batter, spread it as thin as possible, drizzle some oil, cover and cook on medium heat. When the bottom has started turning golden brown, flip and cook on the other side till you get brown spots, remove and serve it with some chutney.


Note
If you don't like onions, you can also add some finely chopped cabbage instead.
Like all adais, it tastes best, right off the stove.
I have given chillies as 2 to 4, depending upon the spiciness of the chillies, use more or less.

          Millets is finding back its place in South Indian cooking, we can find them in many stores, and they are available whole, as flours or even coarsely broken like semolina/rava. In my house, I use them mostly in the place of rice in tiffin varieties like idlis, dosas, pongal and adais. I have already posted idlis using kambu/ pearl millet, varagu/ kodo millet, today's post is once again idlis, this time I have made it using thinai/ foxtail millet. I have also used some rice and rice flakes along with the millets and the idlis came out really soft and fluffy..

Need To Have

• Thinai/ Foxtail Millet - 2 cups
• Idli Rice - 2 cups
• Red Rice Flakes - 1/2 cup
• Urad Dal/ Husked Whole Black Gram - 1 cup
• Fenugreek Seeds - 1 teaspoon

Method


          Wash and soak the foxtail millet, rice and rice flakes and the urad dal and fenugreek seeds together for 3 to 4 hours.


          Grind the rice, rice flakes and foxtail millet together into a slightly coarse paste ( don't make it very smooth, it should have a grainy texture ). Grind the urad dal and fenugreek seeds, add it to the rice and millet mixture, add 4 teaspoon salt, mix it well, using your hand and leave it overnight to ferment.


          Pour them in idli molds, steam them for 12 to 15 minutes, remove and serve it warm with the chutney of your choice.


Note
The idli batter should have a thick pancake consistency.
When using the idli maker, pour water in the vessel, it should start boiling, before you put the idli stand inside.
Once cooked, leave the idlis for a minute or two on the stand, or sprinkle some water around the edges, then using a wet spoon, remove the idlis.
I have used the wet grinder to make the batter, and I grind the urad dal for 25 minutes.

          Happy Pongal/Sankranti ! While going through my blog, I realized that I had lot of sweet/sakkarai pongal recipes but not one ven pongal ( savory ), so decided to post this today. But instead of using rice I have used millets, I have used saamai/ small millet for making this pongal. It's a very easy recipe, it came out really good and tasted as good as the regular pongal..

Need To Have

• Saamai/Little Millet - 1/4 cup
• Moong Dal/ Green Gram - 2 tablespoons
• Ginger - 1" piece, chopped finely
• Cashews - 5 to 6, broken into pieces
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Black Peppercorns - 11/2 teaspoons
• Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
• Turmeric Powder - 1/8 teaspoon
• Curry Leaves - 15 leaves

Method


          Dry roast the little millet and moong dal till you get a nice aroma. Wash it and cook it with about 21/2 cups of water  and 1/2 teaspoon of oil till done.


          Heat some oil and ghee mixture, add the cumin seeds, black pepper and cashews. Once the cumin seeds start sizzling and the cashew start turning golden, add the ginger, curry leaves, asafoetida and turmeric powder and mix it for a 1/2 a minute. Add it to the cooked millet and moong dal and mix it well. Serve it warm with chutney and sambar.


Note
I cooked the millets and dal in the pressure pan, you can do it in a regular pan too.
The millet and dal once cooked, shouldn't be dry, add some water, it should be in a porridge consistency, it thickens as it cools.
Be a little liberal with the ghee and don't avoid the ginger.

Some Sakkarai Pongal varieties in my blog :

Broken Wheat Sakkarai Pongal
Regular Rice Sakkarai Pongal
Semolina/Rava Sakkarai Pongal
Karumbu Charu Pongal/ Sugarcane Pongal
Kothiraivali Sakkarai Pongal

          Dosas are always welcome at home, any new variety, I am always ready to try it. When I first heard of this dosai from my friend, I thought, we would be just adding some grated bottle gourd/ sorakkai/lauki  to regular idli/dosa batter, but then the taste was different and awesome. Then I got the recipe from her, this dosa batter has only rice along with a little dal, the vegetable and some spices. I wanted to use millets, so I replaced half the quantity of rice with varagu arisi/kodo millet and made the dosa. It came out so good, very soft and crispy ( the perfect dosa texture ) with a nice unique flavor..

Need To Have

• Idli Rice/Parboiled Rice - 1 cup
• Varagu Arisi/Kodo Millet - 1 cup
• Whole, Husked Urad Dal/Black Gram - 2 tablespoons
• Grated Bottle Gourd/Sorakkai/Lauki - 2 cups, packed
• Fenugreek Seeds/Methi/Vendayam - 1 teaspoon
• Garlic - 6 small cloves
• Dried Red Chillies - 6
• Fennel Seeds - 2 teaspoons
• Salt to taste

Method


          Wash the idli rice, millet, urad dal and soak it along with the methi/fenugreek seeds for about 4 to 5 hours. Grate the lauki/sorakkai/bottle gourd.


          Grind the rice and dal mixture, along with bottle gourd, red chillies, garlic and fennel seeds into a smooth batter. Add 2 teaspoons of salt, mix well with the hand, cover and let it ferment for 6 to 8 hours.


          Then pour a laddle of batter on a hot tawa/skillet, spread it well, you'll see small bubbles breaking, add a little oil on the sides, cover and cook. Remove the lid, you can see the bottom side turning golden brown, flip it, cook on the other side for a few seconds, remove and serve with the chutney of your choice.


Note
If the batter is fermented well, then only you'll see those small holes while spreading the dosa batter,
Coconut chutney goes very well with this dosa.

          My new kitchen is all done and I was slightly busy with arranging everything back, so I couldn't post for the last couple of days. Have to start cooking and clicking, it's been a long time now, almost more than a month. Coming to today's dish, I had made it, some time back, for lunch, a simple and healthy recipe with millets, I have used Kuthiraivali/Barnyard Millet and carrots, actually, while making it, I was not very sure and almost expected it to turn out mushy like carrot pongal, but it came out very good, the final dish had the perfect texture and taste..

Need To Have

• Kuthiraivali/Barnyard Millet - 1 cup
• Carrots - 2, chopped finely
• Onions - 2 medium, chopped
• Grated Coconut - 3 tablespoons
• Peanuts - 2 tablespoons
• Mustard Seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Urad Dal/Huusked Black Gram - 1 tablespoon
• Red Chilly Flakes - 1 teaspoon
• Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
• Garam Masala - 1/2 teaspoon
• Curry Leaves - 10 - 15

Method


          Cook the millet with 21/2 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of oil, once it starts boiling, reduce the heat, cover and cook till done and let it cool completely. Roast the peanuts, remove the skin, pound it coarsely and keep.


          Heat some oil, add the mustard seeds and urad dal, when it starts spluttering, add the onions and saute till pink. Then add the curry leaves, asafoetida and the chopped carrots along with the chilly flakes, mix, cover and cook till the carrots are done.


          Add the grated coconut, garam masala, mix and switch off. Add the cooked and cooled millet ( break it with a fork ) and mix, finally add the peanuts and serve.


Note
The cooked millet will be lumpy mass, break it down well, you'll get the nice perfectly cooked rice texture.