Poli or Obittu

Stuffed sweet rotis made using maida or wheat or all purpose flour.

Ingredients:       

For outer Cover:

Maida or All purpose Flour or Wheat flour - 1 cup

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Gingely Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt - 1 tbsp

Water as required

For Pooranam:

Bengal Gram Dal - 1 cup

Jaggery - 2 cups

Cardamom Powder - 1 tsp

Grated Coconut - 1 cup

Method:

Make a dough using maida just like chappati dough. But this should be a bit elastic in texture. Rub the dough with gingely oil and cover it with a muslin cloth and set aside for a while. In the mean time make the Pooranam. 

Pressure cook Bengal Gram Dal. Let it cool. Grind it along with cardamom powder. Make a syrup of Jaggery using 1/2 cup of water and when it boils add grated coconut and bring it to a boil in medium flame. Add the ground bengal gram and mix well. Saute well till all the jaggery is absorbed and it becomes thick. Remove and let it cool. 

Make thin chappatis from the dough. Make a ball of big gooseberry size of the bengal gram mixture. Place it in the middle of the chappati. Pull the sides of the chappati and cover the pooranam thoroughly. Flatten it again. Heat a tawa and put the poli. Pour a tbsp of oil around it to help in cooking.  Ensure both the sides are golden brown in colour. Remove from the tawa and spread ghee on both the sides. Serve hot. 

Note: The Poli will come out well and will also taste very good if the outer cover dough is let to set for atleast 2 to 3 hours the best result can be obtained when it is let to set for about 6 hours. 

Moong dal idly

Every other day we are becoming highly health conscious. Here is one dish which tastes realky the same as our regular idly but too tasty without rice. Can be had by diabetics too.

Ingredients:
Urad dal -1 cup
Moong dal - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Asafodeita - 1 pinch
Bengalgram dal - 2 tsp
Green chilly - 1 no finely chopped

Method:
Wash and soak the dals for an hour. Grind it to a fine paste. Add the required quantity of salt and mix well. Heat oil in a seasoning laddle, add mustard seeds and when it splutters add the bengal gram dal, asafodeita and green chilly. When bengal gram turns golden brown add the seasoning to the batter. Mix well, pour it in the idly moulds. Steam well.

Serve with chutney and sambar.

Alternatively one can make idlies without seasoning. Cut the idles into pieces and fry them in little oil along with seasoning.

Idly Upma using Idly milagaipodi

    Left over idlies are always consumed by dipping in milagaipodi. Thought of making it as upma and try out the taste and yes it did turn out yummy.

Ingredients:
Idlies - 8 nos
Gingely oil - 4 tsp
Idly podi - 4 spoons (or more according to need)
Mustard seeds - 1/2 sp
Asafodeita - 1/2 pinch
Salt to taste
Ghee - 2 spoons

Method:
Break the idlies into small pieces. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and when it splutters add asafodeita and idly milagaipodi. Saute and add idly immediatly and mix well. Check for salt and add if needed.

Add ghee and serve hot.

Upma Kozhukattai- Pidi Kozhukattai by Uma Sridharan

This is also known as Pidi Kozhukattai.

Ingredients:

Raw rice 1 1/2 cup

Toor dhal  1/4 cup

Salt to taste 

Oil  2 tbs

Ghee  2 tbs

Mustard  1 tsp 

Urid dhal  1 tsp

Pepper corn 1/2 tsp

Jeera  1/2 tsp

Red chillies 3

Asafetida powder- a pinch

Preparation

Grind rice, toor dhall, pepper, jeera, red chillies to a rava consistency. Heat a heavy bottomed pan, pour oil. Add mustard seeds, urid dhall and curry leaves. Pour 4 cups of water and bring to boil. Add salt and ghee. Now slowly put in the ground rice mixture.

Mix well without any lumps till the rice mixture absorbs the water and becomes soft .

Remove from heat and keep aside.

When it is cool shape them into small cylinders.

steam for 15-20 minutes.

Serve with coconut chutney

Makes a different kind of Party Starter dish

Samba Rawa Vegetable Upma

Ingredients:

Roasted Samba rawa - 1 cup 

Mixed vegetables - 

Potato,beans,carrots and peas. 

ginger- few cut finely 

green chillis-2(small) 

red chillies-2 

Onions- 1 big 

Tomatoes-2 medium 

curry leaves-few sprigs 

coriander -for grarnishing 

salt- as req. 

water-2 to 2 1/2 cups 

For seasoning- mustard, urad dal and chana dal( kadala parupu) 

Method: 

In a pan add little oil and when slightly hot, add mustard,then urad dhal, chana dhal and chilies (to suit to your taste) add ginger and curry leaves. Then add onions and saute . when onions turn translusent add tomatoes. Then add 2 cups of water and salt . when water begins to boil. add steamed vegetables( can be done in microwave or cook first keep aside) add turmeric.and mix well. simmer for a few minutes till the water gets fully absorbed . add a teaspoon ghee and mix well. 

Add coriander for garnishing. This is a very nutritious receipe and suits well for the diabetics.

Idly - Every one's favourite

Idly is one dish that will not do any harm to any one. Right from toddlers to adults can have idly as their diet. Lactating mothers, ill people all are subscribed with idly if you are a south Indian. Idly digests very easily and as it is steamed, there is no need to worry about diet.

How to make idly batter:
This is the basic every one should know even before making idly.

Ingredients:
Par Boiled Rice  - 4 cups (You get good quality idly rice now a days in market)
Urad Dal (Whole) - 1 cup
Methi seeds - 1 tsp

Method to Make Idly batter:
Wash and soak rice and Urad dal separately. Methi seeds can be added along with the urad dal. Soak for about 6 to 8 hours. Grind Urad to a fine batter and rice to a coarse batter. Grind them separately. It is better to grind the urad dal first and then grind the rice. In a deep vesserl add a hand ful of rock salt and beat the batter thoroughly with hand, which will help in better fermentation.

Once ground, leave it to ferment for atleast 8 to 12 hours. (But now the summer is starting it will ferment within 2 to 3 hours itself normally). Refrigerate the batter. Before making idlies, bring the batter to room temperature.

Method to make Idly:
Wash the idly plates and smear them with gingelly oil. Pour the batter only up to 3/4th leaving place to raise. If pressure cooker is used, there is no need to use the whistle. Let it steam for about 15 to 20 mins. Remove from flame and let it cool. Before removing the idlies from the plates, sprinkle water on the plates so that the idlies will come off smoothly without sticking to the plate.

Serve hot with idly chilly powder, different chutneys or sambars.