Rava (Semolina) Idli

My go-to hot breakfast when no prior preparation has been made is Rava Idli. I love the MTR ready mix but I also love a fresh home made idli. This idli is ready in a jiffy and tastes so good. No soaking, grinding required. Just assemble together ingredients that are usually available in the kitchen.

Ingredients:

(makes 6 medium sized idlies)

2 cups rava (semolina)
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon chana dal
1 tablespoon coriander leaves washed and chopped
5-6 cashew nuts
1/2 teaspoon oil
4 tablespoon yoghurt
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Eno Fruit Salt
 hing

Method:

1) Roast the rava in a pan on low fire for about 3-4 minutes. The rava should remain white but lose its raw smell. Pour this in a mixing bowl.

Add the Eno Fruit Salt and salt to the rava.

2) In the same pan, pour the oil. When the oil is hot add the mustard. Let it sputter. Now add the chana dal, and hing. Pour onto the rava in the mixing bowl

3) Add 1/4 cup water to the yoghurt. Mix well to form a thick liquid. Add to the rava

4) Add the coriander leaves and cashew to the rava. Now mix all the ingredients well. NOTE : The mixture should not be runny neither should it be thick. It should be slightly thicker than the normal idli batter consistency

5) Let this mixture stand for 5 minutes. In the meanwhile, prepare the idli plates.

6) Pour water in the pressure cooker and place on the fire. Now run a drop of oil in the idli plates.

7) Now pour a ladle of idli batter in each of the idli moulds.

8) Steam in a pressure cooker without the weight for 12 - 15 minutes. Serve hot with coconut chutney and sambhar.

Optional Additions:

The more sour the yoghurt the better they rise as well as taste.

Add grated carrots, grated coconut or finely chopped green chillies for extra flavour.

Eno Fruit Salt is optional. If you have really sour yoghurt, the idlies will rise on their own. However, if its not sour enough then a little Eno will help it rise and make them soft. 

Dietary Considerations:

Lactose Free

Nut Free (leave out the cashew nuts)

Almost Oil Free

Idli Chutney Powder (With A Twist)

What is idli without the chutney podi or molaghai podi or gun powder as most of India knows it! What do you do to make it appropriate for children or for those who don't want that powerful spice? Well, here is a healthy alternative that I love and so do others.

This podi has almonds to give it a refreshing flavour. You can replace it with peanuts if you like. Almonds, contain a large number of nutrients and are easier to digest than most other nuts. I use a lot of curry leaves to give the podi some character, while being a rich source of calcium.

Ground Almonds

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chana dal (kadalai paruppu, split Bengal gram)
3/4 cup urad dal (split black gram)
10-15 almonds
2-3 sprigs of curry leaves
5-6 black peppercorns
1/8 teaspoon hing
1 teaspoon salt

Ingredients

Method:
1) Roast the chana dal on low flame till golden brown.

2) Roast the Urid dal on low flame till golden brown.

3) Roast the almonds on low flame till golden brown.

4) Wash the curry leaves well. Pat dry in a cloth or paper towel. Now roast on low flame – till it loses all it moisture. NOTE: The powder will get spoilt quickly if there is too much moisture.

5) Grind all the ingredients, add hing and salt. NOTE: The salt needs to be slightly more as this podi is eaten along with idlis or dosas.

6) Now make some steaming hot idlies and serve with this podi mixed with ghee or oil.


Optional Additions:
You can add chillies instead of pepper. Roast the chillies then roast add to the other ingredients

Dietary Considerations of the Basic Recipe:
Oil free

Bottle Gourd (Lauki/ Sorrakai) Kofta

I love koftas but always linked it to deep frying the koftas. I always believe that a healthy alternative is possible. Obviously, the taste is slightly different but I would say it is refreshingly fresh and light.

This kofta is made out of bottle gourd. Bottle gourd is a vegetable that is low in calories, high in fibre, high in iron, Vitamin C, Vitamin B and minerals. 

As these koftas are not deep fried but just toasted on a pan, they will crumble if soaked in the gravy for too long. I add the koftas to the gravy just before serving.

Basic Recipe:

Ingredients:

(Serves 2 as mains)

For the Kofta:

1 small bottle guard : Skinned, deseeded and grated.

Besan Flour: ½ cup

Salt: 1tsp

Ginger: ¼ tsp grated

Cumin Powder : 1 tsp

Green Chillies : 1 chopped finely

For the Gravy:

Tomatoes: 3 large

Onion : 1 small chopped

Cumin : ¼ tsp

Cumin Powder : 1 tsp

Coriander powder: 1 tsp

Salt: 1 tsp

Butter/Ghee/Oil : ½ to 1 tsp

Cloves: 2

Cinnamon stick : ½”

Coriander leaves : 1 tbs chopped

Chilly Powder : ¼ tsp

Method:

For the Kofta:

Grated Gourd with Besan and spices

Step 1:  Remove water from the grated gourd by squeezing it. This was contains nutrients and can be preserved to use in the gravy.

Step 2: Mix all the ingredients for the Kofta. Wait for 5 minutes before proceeding as the guard will let out water.

Step3:  You should have a batter that can be moulded into a cutlet.  If you don’t then add a little water or the gourd water.

Step 4: In a flat pan, add ½ tsp oil. Coat the pan with the oil.

Step 5: Now take a little of the batter and flatten it in the pan. Make as many koftas as can fit in the pan. Cook over low heat. Add a little oil around the koftas if required.

Step 6: Turn the koftas over after 3 minutes.

Step 7: It should be cooked in about 5 - 6 minutes. Remember, the besan four has to cook – so cook on low heat.

Step 8: Once cooked – transfer the koftas to a bowl.

For the Gravy:

Step 9:  In a vessel – boil about 1 cup of water. Make two slits ( should form a plus sign)  at the bottom of each tomato (The non stem side). Boil the tomatoes for 2 minutes till the skin starts peeling. Remove the skin from the tomatoes. Remove seeds if required.

Step 10: In a sauce pan, add half the butter. Butter gives the dish a rich flavor.

Step 12: Once the butter is hot and melted, add the oinions and sauté till golden brown.

Step 13: Grind the onions and tomatoes to a puree.

Step 14: In the sauce pan add the remaining butter followed by cloves and  cinnamon.

Step 15:  To this add the puree, chilly powder, coriander powder, cumin powder. Add any remaining Gourd water. If required add additional water. Bring to a boil. Add salt only after adding the water so that you know the correct quantity of gravy.

Step 16: Now add the coriander leaves.

Bringing It Together:

Step 17:  In a cup, place a couple of koftas and pour the gravy on top and serve with Chappatis or Pulao.

  

Optional Additions:

Step 2: For the Koftas, you can add  any of the following for additional flavour - chopped onions, garlic, chopped mint leaves

Step 12: This gravy tastes really nice even without the onions. This works just as well for a day when onions are to be avoided.

Nutrition:

Bottle Gourd is rich in minerals and vitamins. Being high in water content, it is a perfect vegetable for those wanting to healthy without the additional calories.

Dietary Considerations of the Basic Recipe:

-       Lactose Free

-       Nut Free

-       Almost Oil free

Snake Gourd (podalangai) Chutney

This is a tasty chutney and a good way to get people to eat snake gourd. Snake gourd is a highly nutritious, easily digestable and cooling vegetable. It is also a vegetable that is an integral part of Ayurvedic food.

 Basic Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 snake gourd/podalangai : deseeded and diced into small cubes

10 mint leaves : washed and dried

A sprig of coriander leaves : washed and chopped

Ginger  ½ “ piece : washed, remove skin and chop

Pepper  4  ( based on taste)

Method :

Step 1:  Boil the snake gourd in ½ cup of water. 

            Cover the pan to prevent loss of vitamins.

            Ensure that the vegetable is cooked

Step 2:  Once the water has almost evaporated, add the ginger, mint leaves and coriander leaves. 

            Stir for a minute

Step 3:  Grind the above ingredients.

Step 4: Add salt to taste

Step 5 : Serve with Rice, Chappatis, Dosas and Iddlies

Optional Additions :

Step 2:

a.     Add green chillies to taste

b.     Add marble sized tamarind

Step 4: 

Take ½ tsp oil in a small pan, when it is hot, add 1/4tsp of mustard and let it sputter. Now add ¼ tsp of urid dal and curry leaves. When the dal turns golden color, pour the contents onto the top of the chutney. This gives the chutney a different flavour.

Dietary Considerations of the Basic Recipe :

• Gluten Free
• Oil Free
• Nut Free
• Tamarind Free

Additional Nutrition information :  http://www.medindia.net/patients/lifestyleandwellness/snake-gourd-glory.htm