Tasty tiffins , Tastier snacks!

Vellayappam: - my Madurai special, little oily, but very tasty !

This is ideal to be given for Navaratri.
This is customarily made for Deepavali breakfast in Madurai.
In Madurai, is is very often made 2" in diameter !

Raw rice - 1 cup

Urad dhal - 1/3 cup

Minced green chillies - 1 tbsp

Minced ginger - 1 tbsp

Finely chopped coriander leaves - 2 tbsp

Chopped curry leaves - 2 tsp

Hing - ½ tsp

Coarsely powdered pepper & jeera - 2 tsp

Salt

Oil - to deep fry

Wash & soak rice for 1 hour, drain completely & dry in shade on a cloth.

Powder in the mixi & sieve fine.

Wash & soak urad dhal in water in the fridge for ½ an hour.

Take out & grind fine.

Mix rice flour, salt & mix well.

Allow to ferment for minimum 10 – 12 hrs.

Add all minced ingredients & pepper-jeera coase powder.

Heat oil, smearing hand with water, form balls & drop in oil.

Turn over when one side is cooked & fry till uniformly brown all over.

Gently wrap absorbent tissues around it, since it tends to absorb oil !

Serve with coconut chutney.

 

Morappam: - Will tempt you to ask for more and more !

This is deep fried in an appakaral & not shallow fried . There is no grinding involved & so is easy to make at short notice.
This can be made along with idli, for Deepavali breakfast.

Rice flour - ½ cup, flat

Wheat flour - ½ cup, heaped

Thick sour buttermilk - 1 cup

Green chillies - 3, 4, finely chopped

Ginger - 1 “, finely chopped

Curry leaves - few, finely chopped

Salt, hing

To temper:

Oil - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Oil - to deep fry

Mix both flours, salt, hing, buttermilk & enough water to get idli batter consistency.

Rest fo 2 hrs.

Heat oil, temper mustard seeds & add all other ingredients.

Saute & add to batter.

Heat oil in an appakaral.

Pour in tablespoonfuls & fry till golden all over.

Serve with coconut chutney.

It absorbs oil & so dab well in absorbent tissue thoroughly.[
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Masal Seeyan – Much in demand, thanks to Varalotti’e write-up !

This is a Chettinadu delicacy.

Boied rice - ½ cup

Raw rice - ½ cup

Urad dhal - 1 cup

Salt

Oil - to deep fry

To temper:

Oil - 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dhal - 2 tsp

Green chillies - 4, 5 (Chopped fine)

Chopped onions - ½ cup

Chopped coriander leaves - 1 tbsp

Chopped curry leaves - 1 tbsp

Soak both rices & dhal together for 2-3 hrs.

Grind fine adding salt.

Temper all the above ingredients & mix well.

The consistency of the dough is very important - it should be like idli dough.

Heat oil, shape with hands into small portions ( do not roll into balls) & deep fry till cooked.

Serve with small onion-tomato chutney.

 

Tomato Dosai - the colourful dosai combines here with raw onion chutney !

For SBS photos, please go to http://www.indusladies.com/forums/968339-post9.html

Raw rice - ½ cup

Boiled rice ( puzungarisi) - ½ cup

Urad dhal - 4 tsp

Tomatoes, medium size - 3

Red chillies - 4, 5

Hing powder - ½ tsp

Salt


Oil - to make dosais

Wash well & soak rices & dhal for 2 hrs with red chillies.

Drain, add chopped tomatoes gradually & grind.

Do not add water.

Add salt & hing also & grind to a fine paste.

Rest for 4-5 hrs & make dosas, the usual way.


Raw Small onion chutney:

Small onions, chopped - ½ cup

Grated coconut - ½ cup

Red chillies - 2, 3

Tamarind paste - 1 tsp

Salt & curry leaves.


Grind all raw ingredients to a chutney.

 

Lapsi Idli - Specially for diabetics & dieters.

Lapsi is samba godumai rava used for upma.
I am giving the proportion for mixi-grinding.
If you use a grinder increase the lapsi by 1 cup.

Lapsi - 1 ½ cups

Urad dhal - ½ cup

Salt

Mix lapsi with 1 cup warm water & keep. Add quarter cup of medium thick poha soaked in quarter cup of water, to that.


In the meanwhile, wash urad dhal once & soak in just enough water.

Keep in the fridge for 1 hr.

Take out & grind, using the same water.

Just before you remove from the mixie, add the soaked lapsi,poha, salt & blend just for 3,4 secs.

Allow to ferment for 8-10 hrs.

Make idlis the usual way.
Here they are served with the Kara Puli Kuzambu given in
Pasiparuppu dosai with Pulikuzambu
View attachment 48145
OR

Serve with any chutney of your choice.Sambar also is good.

 

Thavaladai - this is a very traditional tasty dish of Thanjavur district

I am giving 2 methods ! One is with freshly ground dough & the other with flour mill made rava called kurunai. This can be served best with coconut chutney or anyother chutney. A certain minimum amount oil is necessary, otherwise it will be quite dry !

Soak together for 2 hrs:

Boiled rice - ½ cup

Raw rice - ½ cup

Tur dhal - ¼ cup

Urad dhal - ¼ cup

Gram dhal - ¼ cup

Red chillies - 4, 5

& grind to a slightly coarse paste with:

Green chillies - 4, 5

Hing - ½ tsp

& Salt.

To temper:

Oil - 2 tsp

Pepper & jeera crushed - 1 tsp

Add;

Grated coconut - 3 tbsp ( or more)

Chopped curry & coriander leaves

Oil - to shallow fry

Wash rices & dhals well & soak in 1 ½ cups of water.

Grind using the same amount of water + ¼ cup

That is the volume of water can be equal to the volume of ingredients.

Grind & allow to stand for 8 hrs.

In a heavy kadai, add 4 tsp oil, pour the batter.

Allow to cook on a low flame for a few mts.

It will become a thick dough.

Remove, cool & shape it into patties.

Make a hole in the center.

Smear oil on the tava and arrange about 2 to 3 adais on the tava.

Smear oil on top of the adai .

Once the under side is golden brown , turn over and cook the other side.

Total cooking time for each set is about 2 to 3 minutes.

Thavaladai kurunai

Raw rice 1 cup

Tur dhal 1 cup

Gram dhal 1 cup

Udad dhal ½ cup

Pepper 1/3 cup

Send to flour mill for arisi upma kurunai (sieve the fine flour & remove)

Chilli pdr, hing, salt & grated coconut

For 1 cup of kurunai, boil 1 cup of water adding 1 tsp chilli powder, salt and hing.

When water boils, add kurunai & 2 tbsp cocinut.

Remove when it cooks & forms a dough.

Then proceed as above.

This kurunai can be stored for 2 mths.

 

Potato-Paneer-Cheese balls - a "wonder-melt" !

Knead the following ingredients to a smooth dough.

Mashed potato - 1 cup

Grated paneer - 1 cup

Cornflour - 1 tbsp

Salt

For filling mix:

Grated cheese - 2 tbsp

Green chillies - 2,3 finely chopped

For the outer cover:

Maida or cornflour paste

Breadcrumbs to roll.

Make a ball with the first mixture.

Make a small depression in the center & keep little filling.

Close it, dip in cornflour or maida paste, roll in breadcrumbs & deepfry on medium fire to golden brown.

Serve with tomato ketchup.

 

Lapsi Kanchipuram Idli – a quick variation from lapsi idli

Please refer to the following link for lapsi idli dough;
http://www.indusladies.com/forums/showpost.php?p=25924&postcount=156

To the dough, add the following, after tempering in

Oil – 2 tsp,

Coarsely powdered pepper + jeera – 2 3 tsp ( or to taste)

Grated ginger - 2 tsp ( or 1 tsp dry ginger powder)

Chopped curry leaves - 2 tsp

Hing powder - ½ tsp.

Mix all ingredients together.

Transfer to a round greased metal vessel, 7-8” in diameter & atleast 3 “ height.

Steam as you do for idlis, for atleast 30 mts, till it is complete;y cooked.

This can be tested by inserting a skewer – this should come out clean.

Cool, reverse on a plate & cut into wedges.

Serve with any chutney.

 

Ragi Upma – Believe me, not one drop of oil !

Ragi rava is now available under the name Raicon. I make upma with that, without using oil. There is no compromise in taste.

Ragi rava - 1 cup

Chopped capsicum - ½ cup ( or more)

Chopped onions - 1 cup

Chopped tomatoes - ½ cup

Green chillies, chopped - 4 tsp

Water - 2 cups

Salt, hing

It is best to use a pressure pan for this.

Heat the pressure pan & in one stroke, add all vegetables & sauté for 5 mts.

The combination of onions & tomatoes, prevent “ catching” at the bottom.

Keep 2 cups of boiling water ready.

Now add ragi rava & sauté on medium flame for 5 mts till the rava gets thoroughly heated.

Now add boiling water, salt & hing.

Close the cooker, put the weight and cook on a low flame for 10 mts.

Cool, open & garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with coriander chutney.
You can make the same way with lapsi, increasing the water for softer texture. For oats also the same recipe with absolutely minimum water can be followed. The trick is sauting onions & tomatoes together so that no oil need be added.

 

Brinjal-Lapsi-Upma - Yet another upma without oil

This is best made in a pressure pan. Select brinjal variety which does not have many seeds.

Lapsi - 1 cup ( pre roast & keep ready)

Chopped onions - 1 cup

Chopped tomatoes – 1/2cup

Chopped brinjals - 1 cup

Water - 2 ½ - 3 cups ( depending on the consistency of your choice)

Masala Powder:

Dry roast till crisp & powder with the necessary salt:

Cinnamon - ½ “

Cloves - 2, 3

Red chillies - 5,6 ( o more)

Dhaniya - 2 tsp

Gram dhal - 2 tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tsp

Heat a pressure pan and first add onions & tomatoes.

Saute on a medium flame & then add brinjal.

Fry very well till all vegetables shrink well.

Add lapsi & sauté the whole mixture for atleast 5 mts, keeping the flame not very high.

Keep water boiling & ready.

Add water, masal powder & mix very well.

When the entire mixture starts boiling, close the cooker & put the weight.

Simmer the flame & cook for 10 mts on Lo.

Switch off, cool well & open.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with coriander chutney.

If preferred, cinnamon & cloves can be omitted.