Masala Mor (buttermilk) Sambar

This is a very different and special recipe I learnt from one of our family friends. This sure will impress ur family and guests and no doubt it would be new to everyone

Ingredients :      Toor Dhal – ½ cup

                        Channa Dhal – 2 tbsp

                        Coriander (Dhania) Seeds – 2 tbsp

                        Green Cardamom (Elaichi) – 2 nos.

                        Bay leaf – 1 big

                        Cloves (Laug) – 4

                        Cinnamon  – 1 inch stick

                        Red Chillies – 2/3 med. Sized ones

                        Crated coconut – 3 tbsp

                        Fenugreek – 1/4 tsp

                        Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

                        Butter milk – 2 cups

                        Oil – 1 tbsp

                        Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp

                        Curry leaves – ½ handful

                        Salt to taste

Vegetables required :    Drumstick – 1 big

Potatoes – 2 med sized. (cubed)

Carrot – 1 big (julienne)

Beans – 4 nos (julienne)

Grean peas – ¼ cup

Brinjal – 2 nos

Small onions – 1 cup

To Grind :  In kadai add little oil and fry Channa dhal, Coriander seeds, Fenugreek, Crated coconut, Cinnamon, Cloves, Red chillies and Cardomom. Grind them to paste with little water

Method : Pressure cook toor dhal and set aside. Boil vegetables (drumstick, potato, carrot, peas and beans) with little turmeric powder. Take the butter milk and mix the ground paste without forming lumps. Now in kadai add oil, let mustard seeds splutter. Now add onion and curry leaves and fry for a while, add brinjal fry and let it cook, bring together the cooked dhal, boiled vegetables, butter milk masala and cook for a while. Add salt to taste and serve hot with rice and papads.

PS : This goes too well with Dosa.

To all my diet conscious friends if u notice it has no tamarind and very less oil.. Healthy cooking to all J

Kanchipura Idly

This is one of the traditional Iyengar receipes. It does not only taste good but also cleans up the digestive system because of its ingredients. It is ideal for travel and can last for about a day and a half.

Ingredients :    Idly rice – 1 cup

                        Raw rice – 1 cup

                        Urad dhal – 1 cup

                        (Black urad – full / broken can be used)

                        Dry ginger – ¼ cup (Chukku)

                        Pepper corns – 2 tsp

                        Jeera – 2 tbsp

                        Asafoetida – few pinches (to taste and flavour)

                        Curry leaves -  one hand full

                        Gingely oil – 3 tbsp

                        Ghee – 3 tbsp

                        Salt to taste

Method:

Soak both the rice and dhal together for about 3-4 hours.

Add water and grind it. (grind it little coarse not like the regular idly consistency)

Add salt, mix well and keep aside.

Grind in mixer, Pepper corns, jeera and Dry ginger and spread (sprinkle) it on top of the batter that is kept (do not mix)

Spread the curry leaves the same way.

Heat Kadai then add gingely oil and ghee to it. Once it is heated up jus pour it around in the batter which is topped with the above powder/curry leaves.

(The idea is the topping will taste fresh with original flavour and the heated oil will take care of the mild frying part)

Now to make the idly you will need tall tumblers. Grease the tumblers with gingely oil and pour on the batter till half the tumberl. Take your pressure pan and steam it. 3-4 tumblers can be steamed at a time (depending on the pan you use)

Close the pan and lock the pressure.. Leave for around 7-8 whistles. Once steam releases, wait for a while and tilt the tumbler upside down on a plate and jus tap it. Since it is greased your steaming hot delicious flavoured idlys are ready to serve.

This does taste well as such or can have Idly podi for side dish !! Happy Idlying J)

PS : use a butter spreader around the tumbler if idly’s does not come out on ur tapping

Delicious quick sambar rice

Ingredients : Oil - 2 tbsp
                     Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

                     Fenugreek (Methi)  - 1tsp

                     Turmeric powder – 2 pinches

                     Sambar powder – 2 tbsp                                   

                     Red chillies – 2 no.

                     Sliced Onions – 2 med.sized ones                                           

                     Chopped Tomatoes – 2 med.sized ones

                     (Any 3 veg of ur choice) Brinjal,  Capsicum,  Beans, Carrot,

                     Raw Banana, Flat beans (avarakai), Clustered beans (kothavarangai),

                     Chayote (chow chow)   

                     Rice – 1 cup

                     Toor Dhal – ½ cup

                     Tamarind Paste – 1 cup

                     1 tsp Ghee/Gingely oil

                     Curry/Coriander leaves

                    

Heat the pressure pan with oil, add mustard, methi, curry leaves and red chillies. Add onion and sauté for a while then add tomatoes and the vegetables and fry for a while. Add all the powders and the tamarind paste and stir well. Add Rice and dhal. For one cup rice add 3 cups water  (excl 1 cup tamarind water is already added) Add salt to taste and mix well and close the pan and lock the pressure.. Leave for around 5- 6 whistles. Once steam releases, heat ghee and gingely oil and pour it on top of rice and mix well. Add coriander leaves and serve hot with applams.

PS : preferably small/sambar onion would be a better choice to enhance taste

        The consistency of this rice has to be watery