Multigrain Crepe (contains Chia seeds, Flax seeds, Oats, Brown rice and lentils)

Multigrain Crepe (contains Chia seeds, Flax seeds, Oats, Brown rice and Lentils)

I am reinventing Adai as Multigrain Crepes. Adai is traditionally a fermented crepe using lentils and rice. Originating from the south of India, this crepe is different from dosa as it has more lentils in it and is thicker. Conventionally it is enjoyed with some jaggery however I prefer to eat it with the Idli Chutney powder/Gunpowder and sesame oil. This makes for a great breakfast or lunch/dinner option.

Paruppu Usili Curry

Paruppu Usili Curry

This curry is made in just 1 tbsp of oil! There are a couple of processes involved in making this curry. This can be eaten along with sambhar or rasam rice. It is a combination of green vegetables and lentils making it rich in protein and carbs. This is also a popular dish from South India. It is also served in weddings due to its popularity. It is a very simple dish but very tasty.
I made this curry today along with Paruppu Rasam. It is a good combination. Try it and let me know.

Paruppu Rasam

Paruppu Rasam

Rasam and South Indians go hand in hand, well we literally have our hands in them! ;)
For those who do not know what Rasam is, it's made with lentils and spices. It is thinner than soup and is had with rice and any curry. It is tangy to taste. For us it is our "Chicken Soup for the soul". We have it when we are sick too, because its nutritious, rich in protein and easy to digest. It tastes best when hot and is very easy to make.

Oats and Flax Seed Idli

Oats and Flax Seed Idli

I am a South Indian, I have lost count on how many Idlis I would have had in my life. However I still crave for more and more. Guess it's now in my blood! Idlis are like staple food for us. We have it for breakfast, meals, when we sick, in weddings, when travelling long distance or just as a snack. We can have them anytime. They are mainly made of rice and dal. However over the years there have been many variations to this. We have added vegetable paste to make it colorful, tried to make it using brown rice instead of white and even used different flours to get similar results. Have you checked my Pink Idli recipe yet - Beetroot stained Idlis? However the cooking process remains the same. They are still steamed and enjoyed hot on the plate. They digest easily and they are just yum.

Chick Pea Shundal

Chick Pea Shundal

This is a South Indian treat from my kitchen. It is specially made during the Navratri festive season in our households. Shundal as its popularly known, can be made using different legumes and lentils. It is served as an offering to the goddess and then distributed amongst the devotees.

Poricha Kootu (Vegetable and Lentils gravy)

Poricha Kootu (Vegetable and Lentils Gravy)

Everyone has a go to comfort food. I personally believe that we associate it with a childhood memory, something your mom or grand mom made, the specific aroma it generated or the flavor of their hands. It may not necessarily be an exotic dish, but just a regular meal. The memory associated with that particular dish makes it your comfort food.
Kootu is a very traditional South Indian dish. It is made with veggies and lentils and has a semi solid consistency. If you have ever had a friend from south or been to any wedding of theirs, you would have surely tasted this dish. Yes it is the same one! It is healthy as its made with veggies, its boiled and oil is only used for tempering. Only drawback is that it is to be enjoyed with regular steamed rice.

Mysore Masala Dosa

Mysore Masala Dosa

Dosas are my weakness. I think only this connects me to being a South Indian apart from craving for rice in terms of food. Dosas can be healthy too if made in non stick pans using no oil, adding oats, flax seed powder and brown rice to make the batter while you enjoy them with coriander chutney. Its perfect diet food. I prefer softer dosa than the crispier one. This time as well, we had friends and their visiting family over for dinner. Since they too love South Indian food, I decided to try Mysore Masala dosa for all. The process may seem little complicated, however it is very quick and worth the effort.
I have split the process in different steps so that is is easy to follow.

Dal and Puffed rice wadas

Dal and Puffed rice wadas

We had invited few friends with their visiting family over for dinner yesterday. Since they love South Indian food, I decided to include at-least one item in the menu from my hometown. While I was looking out for some authentic recipes online, my friend's mom made this dish and shared the pic with me on whats app. I was hooked onto it immediately. I made up my mind to add this to my menu and I was not disappointed at all. It was an instant hit. They loved it and took the recipe from me as well. :) It had the South Indian flavor to it which they devoured upon.
It's said that recipes are meant to be shared, specially the ones made by mom. So cheers to all moms out there who are an inspiration for all of us. We exist because you exist. This post is dedicated to my friend's mom. Thank you aunty. :)

Healthy Vegetable Idlis in Pink!

Healthy Vegetable Idlis in Pink!

Don't we all love Pink! Not just kids, but adults too cannot resist this color in any form. If you have a fussy kid at home or picky eater as spouse, then is the best way to pack a healthy meal camouflaged in this bright color. If the package is like this, then no one wants to know what is inside. :)
Nearing the end of the week, I was in no mood to cook the regular. I had some beetroot at home and wanted to experiment with it. Since I had never tried beetroot idlis, I decided to give it  a go. I tried to keep it as healthy as possible, using flax seed powder,oats, no rice, some veggies and very little oil.
I waited impatiently while they were getting steamed. I was excited to see the final outcome. It is really amazing how our veggies come in different colors and taste. Beetroot offers a certain sweetness to the idlis, while the green chillies help to keep the balance. This is the first time I have tempered them and I like the occasional crunch of the urad dal and the distinct taste of each seasoning. Overall, I am pretty excited the way this dish turned out. I couldn't stop myself from finishing them all. Sending a picture of it to my husband, I wrote, "Have a good look at the pic, I think that is all you will get!"

Oats Uttapam

Oats Uttapam

This is a very healthy breakfast option. Oats can be added to any batter - Idli/Dosa/Dhokla/Chila. Then blend in well and make the dish nutritious. Its high in fiber too.

Adai Dosai with Tomato Almond Chutney

Adai Dosai with Tomato Almond Chutney

Being a South Indian, dinners on Sundays usually was the famous Adai Dosai. My mom would keep making them while we would hog on greedily loosing count of how many we have eaten. While my dad enjoyed his adai with some curd and jaggery, I always loved to eat them with mulagapudi. There is a running joke in my family that I eat dosas and idlis just for the mulagapudi. It is more funny when one hears it in Tamil though ;). Anyways coming back to this recipe..this is one of my comfort food as it reminds me of home and my childhood. Obviously the taste is no where close to my mom's adai, however I manage to make my own version and enjoy it too. Over time, I have evolved as a person and so has my adai recipe. It has become more healthier while not compromising with the authentic taste.

Masala Dosa with Tomato Almond Chutney

Masala Dosa with Tomato Almond Chutney

Since it was World Sibling day yesterday, I decided to dedicate this dish to my younger brother whose favorite dish of all times is Masala Dosa! I am missing him as he is miles away from me right now. So I decided to make his all time favorite dish on this special day. He did get to see it in picture for now and the next time I see him, I will surely make it for him. :)

Green Chutney Dosa with Spicy Tomato & Almond chutney

Green Chutney Dosa with Spicy Tomato & Almond chutney

Post the holi party, I had some left over moong dal and green chutney. I decided to make moong dal dosas and have them with the green chutney. However when I started making the batter, an idea struck me. Read on to know what it was, in case you haven't guessed it by now :)

Tomato Kadhi

Tomato Kadhi/Rassa

This is a very interesting twist to our regular rasam. This is made without using tamarind & dal. However it tastes very much like a spicy tangy rasam but its little more thicker in consistency. I tried this for the first time & was not disappointed by the end result. 

Lemon Rice

Lemon Rice

A south Indian's favorite meal - Lemon rice. Its a quick fix for all mothers. you just need lemons and rice. Again a popular item in weddings and all our happy occasions. Its tangy, spicy and tasty!