Onion Chutney for Idli Dosa varieties

While Coconut chutney is the most preferred option for Idli and Dosa varieties at our place, at times I run out of coconut and so I do try preparing other kinds of chutneys at home. I have posted an Onion Chutney recipe earlier which is prepared with a combination of ground dry coconut and onion and is sautéed nicely- which helps to store it in refrigerator for up to a week. I just love having that chutney with various dishes like Billakudumulu(rice rava tikkis), Dosa or even Chapati. When I have small onions known as shallots at hand, I do not miss making this easy Onion chutney and also another version of raw onion chutney called "Ulli Karam", which I plan to post later.

Coming to today's post - Onion Chutney, it is a very simple chutney recipe which goes nicely with Idli and Dosa varieties. This recipe is very similar to my Tomato-Onion Chutney except that in this version, I avoided tomato and followed the same recipe. This chutney comes handy when we do not have any other ingredients for the usual chutneys as it has very basic ingredients which are available in our pantry always.

Check out other chutney varieties for Breakfast items:

• Coconut Chutney
• Hotel Style Coconut Chutney
• Mint-Coriander flavored Coconut Chutney
• Onion Chutney
• Magaya Perugu Pacchadi 
• Mango Ginger Chutney | Mamidi Allam(Maa Inji) Chutney
• Peanut Chutney
• Red Coconut Chutney
• Tomato-Onion Chutney

Onion Chutney for Idli/Dosa Varieties:

Serves 2-3

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 10 mins | Total time: 20 mins

Cuisine: South Indian | Category: Chutney for Breakfast - Accompaniments

Ingredients:

15-20 small Shallots or 2 Onions

4-5 Red chillies

2 tsp Urad dal

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

3/4 tsp Tamarind Pulp

Salt to taste

1 tbsp. Oil

to temper:

1 tbsp. Oil/Ghee

1/2 tsp Mustard seed

a sprig of Curry leaves

Method:

• Cut the ends of shallots and soak them in water for 10 mins. This helps to remove their skins very easily. Remove the skin of shallots and cut them into 2-3 pieces if they are bit large. If you are using regular onion, cut into medium chunks.
• Heat 1/2 tsp oil and add cumin seeds, red chillies and urad dal and fry until urad dal changes its color to slight red and red chillies should turn dark brown in color, take care that you do not burn them. Remove it and keep it aside.
• Heat remaining oil in the same pan and add shallots and fry them until they turn slight brown in color. This might take some 4-5 mins. Add soft tamarind at the end and mix well, if you are using tamarind pulp add it while grinding.Cool them a bit.
• Grind roasted urad dal,red chllies and cumin seeds with salt to a coarse powder.
• Add sautéed shallots(onion chunks) and tamarind pulp and grind it to a smooth or coarse chutney according to your preference. Add little water if required while grinding. Remove the chutney to a bowl.
• In the same pan heat 1 tbsp. ghee/oil and crackle mustard seeds and add curry leaves and fry for some time and add this tempering to the chutney and mix well.

Serve it with Idli and Dosa varieties.

Notes:

1. You can add 2-3 roughly chopped tomatoes and fry along with onions and grind together to make tomato-onion chutney.
2. You can also 2-3 garlic pods while sautéing onions which adds a nice flavour to the chutney. 

Technorati Tags: how to make onion chutney, chutney with shallots, small onion chutney, ullipaya pacchadi, chutneys for idli and dosa, side dish for idli and dosa, chutney varieties, pacchadi varieties for idli and dosa, breakfast chutney varieties, roasted onion chutney

Ugadi Recipes 2014| Ugadi Festival Menu

Ugadi is being celebrated on the 31st of March this year. Ugadi  is considered as the start of a new year and among the few key festivals that we celebrate every year. While the preparation of 'Ugadi Pacchadi', a mix of jaggery, salt, chopped raw mango, tamarind juice, chilli and neem flower, essentially 6 key flavours is a must, we also prepare an elaborate menu on this day. The preparations for that have already started, so I thought I will highlight a few options for Ugadi Menu spread across various categories.

Check here to find out how to make Ugadi  Pacchadi for Ugadi.

Traditional Sweet Varieties:

1. Hoornada Holige/Obbattu
2. Halu Holige | Paal Poori | Paala Obabttu 
3. Boorelu | Sukkinunde | Suzhiyan
4. Karida Kadubu | Kari Kudumulu | Fried Sweet Dal Dumplings
5. Garugu Hollige/ Hollige with rice flour-coconut filling

 Sundal & Stir fry varieties:

1. Chana Dal Sundal
2. Lobia Sundal/Alasandula Guggillu
3. Kabuli Chana Sundal
4. Kala Chana Sundal/Black Chickpeas Sundal
5. Peanut sundal
6. Sweet corn Sundal 
7. Mixed Bean Sundal 
8. Kosambari | Moong dal Salad 
9. Beans Stir fry
10. Beans-carrot Palya
11. Raw Banana Stir fry

Vada/Snack varieties:

1. Alasandula(Lobia) Vada/Fritters
2. Masala Vada/Chana dal Vada
3. Medu Vada
4. Mixed Dal Ambode(Vada)
5. Mosaru Ambode/Dahi Dal Vada
6. Dahi Vada/Perugu Vada/Mosaru Vade

Dal/Stew/Rasam Varieties(All Varieties-ONE each):

1. Moong dal /Pesara Kattu
2. Kandi Vunta Majjiga Pulusu / Steamed Toor dal Dumplings Stew
3. Holige Saaru/ Special Toor dal Rasam or Chickpeas Rasam/Senagala Kattu

 Kheer/Payasam Varieties:

1. Korra biyyam Payasam | Foxtail Millet Kheer 
2. Moong Dal Kheer / Pesara Pappu Payasam
3. Paal Payasam / Rice Milk Pudding
4. Rava Payasam | Sooji Kheer 
5. Sabudana Kheer | Sago Payasam
6. Semiya Kheer  
7. Rice Chana Dal Kheer
8. Poppy Seed  Payasam
9. Chana Dal Payasam

 Rice Varieties:

1. Chintapandu Pulihora- Andhra Style
2. Dabbakaya Pulihora/Indian Grapefruit Rice
3. Lemon Rice/Chitrannam
4. Mamidikaya Pulihora/Maavinkay Chitranna
5. Methi Peas Bath | Menthya Batani Anna
6. Pulihora/Puliyogre
7. Raw Mango Rice/Mamidikayi Gojju Annam
8. Vangi Bath
9. Aava Pulihora  
10. Cranberry Puliyogre
11. Usirikaya Pulihora   
12. Semiya Pulihora  
13. Lemon Shavige
14. Rava Pulihora 

Technorati Tags: UgadiRecipes, UgadiRecipes2014, UgadiFestivalRecipes, GudiPadwaRecipes, TeluguFestivalRecipes, SouthIndianFestivalRecipes, YugadiRecipes, PaysamRecipes, PulihoraRecipes, UgadiFestivalMenu, UgadiMenu, UgadiLunchMenu

Spring Dosa Recipe | Vegetable Spring Roll Dosa

As mentioned in my earlier Schezwan Dosa post I am here posting another famous Dosa variant - Spring Roll Dosa from the streets of Mumbai. Spring Roll Dosa got its name as Dosa is filled with the same filling which we use for Chinese Spring rolls and is cut in a similar way as the Spring rolls are cut and served. I am though not a big fan of this Spring roll dosa and prefer the Schezwan dosa over this. 

As this is one of the more popular Fusion Dosa varieties, I wanted to document it in my blog so that it would be useful for those who love this Spring Dosa. I usually do not prefer to add noodles to the filling and hence I avoided it but if you like you can go ahead and add them - it is known as Chinese Chopsuey Dosa. If you love Indo-Chinese you would definitely love this Spring roll dosa, give this a try for your guests and I am sure they would be impressed with this.

Check out other Dosa fusion recipes in my blog.

• Chettinadu Cauliflower Masala Dosa
• Mysore Masala Dosa
• Erra Kaaram Dosa...from Rayalaseema
• Masala Uthappam | Uthappam topped with spicy alu masala
• Pav Bhaji Dosa
• Kharada Eerulli Dosa/Spicy Onion Dosa 
• Schezwan Dosa
• Spring Dosa
• Mumbai style Mysore Masala

If you are interested in other dosa recipes,check out more varieties here.

Spring Dosa | Spring Roll Dosa Recipe:

Yields 6 dosas

Prep time:10 mins | Cooking time:20 mins | Total time:30 mins

Cuisine: South Indian + Chinese Fusion | Category: Breakfast/Snacks

Ingredients:

2-3 cups Dosa batter

Butter and Oil, to roast

for Vegetable filling:

1.5 cups of mixed julienned vegetables(carrot,capsicum,cabbage,french beans,spring onions)

1 small Onion,thinly sliced

4-5 Garlic pods, finely sliced

1" Ginger, thinly sliced
1 tsp Tomato sauce

3/4 tsp Soya sauce
3/4 tsp Red chili sauce or Green chili sauce
1 tsp Vinegar
1/4 tsp Black Pepper powder

Salt to taste

2 tsp Oil

Method:

to prepare Veg filling:

• Heat oil in a kadai/pan and add thinly sliced garlic,ginger and fry until they turn light golden brown in color.Add sliced onions(or spring onion whites) and fry until they turn translucent.
  

  
• Add julienned carrots, french beans and capsicum and fry on high heat for 1-2 mins.
• Now add julienned cabbage and spring onion greens and quickly fry for another minute.The crunchiness of vegetables is to be maintained and hence do not over cook the vegetables.
  

  
• Add tomato sauce, chili sauce, soya sauce, vinegar, pepper powder and salt and mix well and switch it off.
  

  

to make Dosa:

• Make the tawa ready for preparing dosa,keep the stove on medium flame and pour a ladle full of batter in the middle of the pan and spread in a circular motion to form a 9 " THIN dosa and pour some oil (1 tbsp roughly) all over the edges and in the center cover it with a lid.
  

  
• Add 1 tsp butter and spread and keep the flame on HIGH and let it roast for another minute until it turns golden brown and crispy. Do not over roast it as it will be difficult to fold it as shown.
• Place the prepared vegetable mixture in one corner as shown in the picture and roll it to the end.
  

   
• Remove it from the tawa and cut it diagonally using a pizza cutter or sharp edge of spatula or knife.

Serve it with Coconut chutney and Sambar. Check out other side dishes for Idli/dosa here.

Notes:

• You can basically use any dosa batter recipe to prepare this dosa but make sure you spread the dosa very thin.
• You can add boiled noodles at the end to the filling if you like.
• I did not have Spring onions at that moment so I avoided it. But add it for extra taste.

Technorati Tags: spring roll dosa recipe, how to make spring roll dosa, chinese chopsuey dosa, mumbai dosa varieties, dosa recipes, street style dosa recipe, spring dosa, dosa with spring vegetables, fusion dosa recipes, indo chinese recipes 

Aloo Paratha | Punjabi Aloo Paratha Recipe

When I think of Paratha, the first and foremost that comes to my mind is Aloo ka Paratha (Stuffed Potato Paratha aka Alu Paratha). Among all the Paratha varieties, I like this classic Aloo Paratha the most .I don't like the thinly rolled, lean looking parathas which we get in south,in fact it doesn't give any satisfaction of eating a Paratha.I love the parathas when it is made in typical Punjabi style-where the Parathas are made plumpy and loaded with fresh and simple spices.However, I do not add more butter or ghee to the parathas as the Punjabi's do,but if you are not bothered about calories, you can go a bit easy on ghee/butter,it tastes really delicious.I was amazed to see how my Punjabi friend served the ghee roasted Aloo parathas with a tub of butter on the breakfast table.

The mixture of mashed potatoes makes the Aloo paratha extremely soft and the fresh spices and butter/ghee add an extra taste to it.I like to add coarsely crushed coriander seeds instead of coriander powder to the potato stuffing and also use larger quantities of ginger and green chillies in the recipe as I am fond of that masaledar taste.

Check out other Stuffed Parathas recipes:

• Palak Paneer Paratha 
• Gobi Paratha 
• Tofu Alu Paratha 
• Paneer Bhurji Paratha 
• Methi Aloo Paratha 
• Mooli Paratha 
• Palak Aloo Paratha

Aloo Paratha | Aloo ka Parantha Recipe:

Yields 6 parathas

Prep time:30 mins | Cooking time:30 mins | Total time:1 hour

Cuisine: North Indian | Category: Flat Bread(Paratha) – Main Course 

Ingredients:

for dough:

1 1/2 cups Wheat flour

Salt to taste

2 tsp Oil

Water,to mix

for filling:

2 big Potatoes,boiled and peeled
1 medium Onion,finely chopped(optional)

2-3 Green chillies,finely chopped

1 tsp grated Ginger

2 tbsp chopped Coriander

1 tsp Amchur(dried mango) powder

1 tsp Coriander seeds,coarsely pounded

1 tsp roasted Cumin powder

Salt to taste

Wheat flour,for rolling

Ghee and Oil,to roast parathas

Butter,to serve

Method:

to make dough:

• In a bowl add wheat flour and add required salt and 1 tsp oil and mix well.
• Add little water(if needed) and knead it into a smooth and soft dough.The dough should be slightly softer than the regular chapati dough for parathas as it will not only make easy to stuff the filling it will help in easy and even rolling of parathas.
• Apply oil on top of the dough and cover it and keep it aside for at least half an hour.

to make filling:

• Grate the boiled potatoes and put it in to the bowl.
• Add finely chopped green chillies,onion,grated ginger,chopped coriander and mix well.
• Add amchur powder, salt, coarsely ground coriander seeds and cumin powder and mix well and keep it ready.

to make paratha:

• Pinch the dough and take a big size lemon sized dough and place the dough in your left hand palm.
• Dip your right hand fingers in the flour and try to make a cup shape(which can hold 3-4 tbsp filling) out of the dough by moving your fingers pressing with the thumb in the center.Take care that the edges should be slightly thinner and in the center it should be thick.

• Fill the cup with 3-4 tbsp filling and seal the two sides of the dough(it would look like Karanji now) and gently press the corners to get a big round ball out of it.See the pictures for better idea.

• If you stuff the filling in the dough in this way you will get evenly filled paratha and it also forms like pocket.If you find all the above process bit difficult,you can easily roll a 3" circle out of the dough and place the filling in the center and pleat the dough and seal it by gathering the dough around the edges.

• Slightly flatten the dough(stuffed with filling) with hands and dip it in the wheat flour and gently roll it to a 6" disc of 1/2" thickness.You should not apply more pressure while rolling,so roll it gently.If you apply pressure the stuffing would come out.
• Flip it on to a hot tawa and fry it until you see bubbles. 

• Turn it and apply oil/ghee and fry and then turn and apply oil/ghee on the other side.Roast until you get golden colored slightly crisp parathas.Mine got bit over roasted as I was doing multitasking at that time.
• Fry the parathas on both sides until you get crisp brown patches on both sides.

Serve them piping hot with a blob of butter and Aam ka Achar/Mirch ka Achaar or Mixed Vegetable Achar , curd/masala dahi and sliced onions.

Notes:

1. You can even do a combination of mashed boiled aloo and gobi or gobi and mooli(radish) in the recipe. 
2. Aloo can be replaced with grated paneer or grated and squeezed gobi or radish and follow the same recipe,it tastes nice too.
3. I like to add coarsely crushed coriander seeds instead of coriander powder to the potato stuffing and also use more quantity of ginger and green chillies in the recipe as I am fond of that taste.
4. You can also try adding coarsely crushed dry pomegranate seeds(anardana) for a different taste.

Technorati Tags: aloo paratha recipe, punjabi aloo paratha, how ot make alu paratha, potato stuffed paratha, stuffed paratha recipes, paratha stuffing ideas, easy paratha recipes, dhaba style stuffed parathas

 

Creamy Avocado Pasta | Avocado Recipes

I rarely find good Avocados here in Mumbai and whenever I  get an opportunity to source them from Bangalore, I never miss that chance. Recently, I got hold of a few avocados which were sent by my mom from Bangalore.While I mostly use Avocados to prepare my favorite Butterfruit Milkshake or Guacamole, I reserved a few this time to experiment something new. Avocados have a natural buttery taste and makes the dish really rich and hence it worked beautifully even in this pasta recipe.I have combined the avocado with tomato to reduce the dominance of the buttery taste of avocado as TH is not very fond of it.You would not not miss cheese in the recipe as the sauce feels rich due to the avocado.The recipe is quite similar to any pesto recipe minus the nuts and cheese.

Check out other Pasta recipes in my blog, if you are interested:

• Basil Pesto with Spiral Pasta 
• Macaroni with Roasted Vegetables and Herbs in White Sauce
• Pasta Salad
• Spinach Pesto Penne Pasta
• Sundried Tomato Pesto Pasta 

Creamy Avocado Pasta Recipe:

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

2 cups of Pasta(any shape would do,I used fettucine)

1 Onion,finely chopped(optional)

1-2 Garlic pods,finely chopped

1/2 tsp Red chili flakes

1/2 tsp Pepper corns

2 tbsp Olive oil 

Salt to taste

Avocado Sauce:

1 small Avocado or 1/2 big Avocado

1 large ripen Tomato

1-2 Garlic pods

1/2 tsp freshly ground Pepper

1 tbsp dried Basil or 1/4 cup fresh Basil leaves

2-3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt to taste

Method:

To Cook Pasta:

• Cook the pasta according to the instructions of your package or follow this procedure:
• Bring water to boil in a big pot (filled to its half) and add salt,1 tsp olive oil and pasta and cook over medium flame for 10-12 mins until al dente(cooked and tender to teeth).
• Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of water for later usage.you can even give a cold bath to the pasta by running it under fresh tap water which helps in keeping the pasta separate.

To prepare Avocado Sauce:

• Mark a cross on tomato and bring water to a boil and add the tomato to it and boil for 2 mins and remove the tomato.After it cools down,peel the skin and roughly chop it and keep it aside.
• In a mixer add scooped avocado, chopped tomato, basil leaves or dried basil, garlic pods, pepper, olive oil, ground pepper, salt and griund to a smooth paste.
• Now check for the taste and adjust the salt and pepper for the pesto.We will add salt and pepper even to the pasta,so keep that in mind and adjust the seasonings.

 To prepare Avocado Pasta:

• Heat olive oil in a wide bottomed pan and fry sliced garlic until slight brown and add thinly sliced onions and fry until they are pink and soft.
• Add cooked pasta and mix well until all the pasta is covered with the sauce and is warm.Now add red chili flakes,salt and pepper and mix well.
• Dish it out to the serving platter and serve with the generous portion of Avocado sauce.Drizzle extra Olive oil and some pepper and dried basil on top.As we are using Avocado in the recipe it is not advised to heat the sauce,just serve the sauteed pasta with the freshly made sauce.

Serve it immediately.I also served it with some sauteed bell peppers as I like the bite of vegetables in my pasta.

Notes:

1. To make sauteed peppers - heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan,add finely chopped 1 garlic pod and add 1/2 chopped onion and 1 cup chopped colored bell peppers and saute them for 2-3 mins.Season it with salt and pepper.You can even add some Italian herbs and red chili flakes if you want.
2. As we are using Avocado in the sauce it is not advised to heat the sauce,just serve the sauteed pasta with the freshly made sauce.
3. You can use any pasta variety for this like Penne,Fusili,Sphagetti etc.
4. Do not add more garlic pods as the flavor will dominate the avocado sauce.

Technorati Tags: creamy avocado pasta recipe, pasta recipes, avocado recipes pesto recipes, healthy pasta recipes, kid friendly pasta recipes, butter fruit recipes, pasta varieties, veg pasta dishes, pasta recipes with home made pesto, different pasta recipes, how to make pasta at home