Pesarattu (Green gram dosa)

                I tasted this dosa for the first when my friend Lalitha made it for the combined lunch. She said it is a famous Andhra cuisine. So thought why not give a try. Sharing the recipe with you so you can also give a try. I didn’t have time to soak the green gram for long time. When soaked overnight, the taste also will get enhanced.

Ingredients:

Green gram	1.5 cups soaked overnight
Idli rice (optional)	1/4 cup
Jeera	1 tbsp
Ginger	1/2 inch piece
Asafoetida	A small hing
Green chillies	2 or 3
Salt to taste

Method:

1.       Wash and soak the green gram and idli rice overnight.

2.       Grind it along with jeera, green chillies, ginger and asafoetida to a very smooth paste. (Add little water to grind)

3.       Add salt to taste and mix water so that it reaches dosa batter consistency.

4.       Heat dosa tawa, apply oil and make like normal dosas. Enjoy with coconut or ginger chutney. I served with coconut and tomato chutney. :D

Chole or Chick Peas Biriyani

                This recipe just came through my mind when I saw soaked channa. The result of the recipe was awesome. It was flavourful and rich in taste just like any biriyani. So here comes the recipe.

Ingredients:

Basmati rice	1 cup
Soaked Chickpeas/Channa	1 cup
Onion	1 big sliced
Tomato	1 sliced
Green Chillies	3-4 slit lengthwise
Chilli powder	1.5 tbsp
Coriander powder	1 tbsp
Garam Masala	½ tbsp
Cinnamon stick	1 inch piece
Bay leaf	1
Cardamom and cloves	2 each crushed
Coriander and mint leaves	Chopped to garnish
Ginger garlic paste	1 tbsp
Salt to taste and oil as needed

Method:

1.       Clean and soak the basmati rice for atleast 30 mins.

2.       Pressure cook the channa/chick peas with little salt and keep it aside.

3.       Heat oil in a pan and add the bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, and then add the onion and sauté till it turns transparent.

4.       Then add the ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell goes. Then add the tomato, fry till it turns mushy. Add the masala powders and fry it their raw smell goes. Then add the cooked channa and rice and water ( I used 1:1.5 ratio, depends on the variety you use).

5.       Allow to boil, then close the lid of the cooker and cook it for 10 mins on low flame. Once the pressure is released, garnish with coriander leaves and serve with any raita.

Bitter Gourd Curry

Ingredients:
Bitter gourd - 1 chopped finely
Onion - 1 large chopped finely
Tamarind - goose berry sized soaked in water
Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Jaggery - a small piece
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Chop the bitter gourd and soak in salt water for atleast 15 mins. This will reduce its bitterness.
2. Heat oil in a pan and saute the onion. Then add the bitter gourd and fry well till its half cooked.
3. Then add the masala powders and fry till the raw smell goes. Then add the tamarind extract and allow it to cook on simmer.
4.Cook till all the water drains off. Add the jaggery at the last stage and give a stir fry. Check for salt and serve it with dosa/ rice / chapathi.

Egg Fry Masala

Ingredients:
Serves - 2

boiled eggs - 3
Ginger - 1 inch pc
Garlic - 3 or 4 flakes
Cashew - 2 tbsp (wash and soak for atleast 30 mins)
Green chillies - 3 slit lengthwise
Coriander and mint leaves - 1 bunch each chopped finely
Onion - 1 large chopped roughly
Tomato - 1 large chopped roughly
Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Chilli powder - 1.5 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Salt to taste

Method:
1.Add oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Then saute the onion till it becomes transparent.

2. Then add the chopped tomatoes and saute till it turns mushy.Add the green chillies and fry too. At the same time, grind together the cashews, garlic and ginger to a smooth paste.

3. Then add the ground paste and fry till the raw smell goes off.

4. Then add all the masala powders and salt and fry till the raw smell of the masala goes. Chop the eggs into 2 or 4 and add to the mixture and fry till its well coated with it. Garnish with coriander and mint leaves.

Serve it with chapathi or parotta or any variety rice.

Roasted gram Laddu

Ingredients:

Roasted gram- 1 cup
Sugar - 1/2 cup (depends on your taste)
Cardamom - 2 tbsp
Salt - a pinch
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Cashew nut - 2 tbsp

Method:
1. Grind the roasted gram to a fine powder

2. Then grind the sugar and cardamom together to a fine powder and set aside.

3. Heat ghee in a pan and fry the cashews till they become golden brown, then fry the roasted gram powder. Then add the powdered sugar and fry again. Allow it to cool down. When its warm roll it into small ladoos. If not able to roll add some more ghee.

Rava Pongal

I am not a great fan of pongal.. came across this recipe while browsing for something else. Gave it a try today and am going to be a fan of pongal from today. It is lighter than the usual raw rice pongal. So here comes the recipe.

Ingredients:

Rava/Sooji - 1 cup
Moong dal - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 1/4 cup
Pepper corn - 1 tsp
Jeera/Cumin - 1 tsp
Cashew broken - 2 tsp
Curry leaves - a spring
Asafoetida - a hing
Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Pressure cook the moong dal along with asafoetida and mash it well.

 2. Then in a pan, heat half the ghee, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves and allow to splutter. Then add the pepper corns, jeera and cashews and fry till they turn golden brown.
3. Then add the rava and fry it till a nice aroma comes. Add the mashed moong dal to the rava and mix it well.
4.Add 1.5 cups of water to the rava by stirring continuously without forming any lumps.Add salt to taste. Serve hot with chutney and sambar.