Dosa podi / Gun Powder

In every South Indian (esp.Brahmin) household , this powder is a staple.
We have it with dosa, idly and it can be used in different 'poriyals' too.

The oil we mix in with this powder is based on personal taste. My dad loves to mix it with the left over oil in which Pappadom had been fried, I love plain coconut oil , but my mom loves gingelly / til oil!

Notes:
1. It is better to use Asafoetida gum instead of Asafoetida powder in this recipe , as the smell of the former is more than the latter.
If you cannot lay your hands on this gum , then do not fret. Add the asafoetida powder at the very end into the container and mix well.
2. I prefer to use white Til seeds as the black ones do not give a good color to the end powder. But the choice is completely yours. You can even mix both the color til seeds together in the recipe.
3. If you want more volume of Dosa powder, then add 1 part of 'puzhukkal' or par boiled rice for every 4 parts of urad dal. If you do this , do not forget to increase the quantity of red chilly and asafoetida. Personally, I do not add the rice. So my recipe and photographs will not have it.
4. The powder can be ground either in a very fine way or can be kept a little crunchy. I prefer it a little crunchy, but my husband likes it like talcum powder!

The ratio of the main ingredients is as follows:
Urad dal : Channa dal : Til seeds is 4 : 1: 1+.
So if you use 4 cups urad dal , then use only 1 cup of channa dal and 1 cup and 1 tbsp of til seeds.
The amount of Red chillies to be used is dependent on your spice level.

Ingredients:
Urad dal / Uzhundu - 4
Channa dal / kadala parippu - 1
Til seeds - 1 +
Asafoetida gum
Salt
Red chilly - to taste

Method:
Fry the Asafoetida in a bit of oil. Press down to fry the insides also. Keep aside.

Dry fry  the other ingredient separately till it either pops or turns golden brown.
Mix and cool.

Powder and store in an airtight container.

Enjoy with Idly or Dosa.
Do try the chammandi podi too!

Lemon Rice

Easy tasty tangy rice!
Great for packed lunch or as a makeover for leftover rice.

Ingredients:
Cooked rice - 3 cups
Ginger - 1 tbsp , chopped fine
Green chilli - 2 or more, chopped fine
Onion - 1 medium , chopped fine (optional)
Curry leaf - 1 sprig
Red chilli - 2 , broken
Oil - 2 tbsp
Cashew nuts - 4
Ground nuts - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp
Urad dal -1 tsp
Salt
Turmeric powder -1 tsp
Lemon - 1 (we need just the extract / juice)
Coriander leaf - 4 tbsp

Method:
Heat the oil in a heavy vessel and fry the cashew nuts. Keep aside.
In the same oil , fry the ground nuts and keep aside.
In the remaining oil, splutter the mustard and then fry the urad dal till it turns golden brown.
Now add the red chilly and curry leaf.
Next add in the onion (optional), ginger and green chilly.
Once the onion turns translucent, turn off flame and add the salt and turmeric powder.
Mix the rice to this and heat well. Turn off flame.

Add the lemon juice, a little at a time, till the rice gets tangy.

My mom , who make the best lemon rice, does not heat the rice after adding the lemon juice.

Decorate with the fried nuts and coriander leaf.
Serve either hot or at room temperature.

Tastes best with Ennai Katrikkai.

Ammini Kozhakkatta / masala fried mini rice balls

Steamed flavored rice balls, tossed in traditional Kerala masala.

These little beauties are the perfect short eat.
Every Kerala household will have rice flour. Idiyappam, Appam, puttu are the staple 'tiffins' here.
My mom makes these small flavored rice balls as an evening snack, to be had with coffee / tea.
The recipe is very easy and the dish is very filling.
Perfect after-school snack.
But my husband loves these with his cool 'Tonic water'.
However you pair these beauties, they are the absolute stunners!

Ingredients:
Rice flour - 1/2 cup
Salt - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder (optional) - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida powder (optional) - 1/2 tsp
Coconut oil - 2 tbsp + extra for greasing steamer plate
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dal- 1 tsp
Red chilli - 2, broken
Curry leaf - 1 sprig
Small onion - 6, chopped fine
Grated coconut - 2 tbsp
Green chilli - 1, chopped

Method:
Take rice flour. Add salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder (optional) and asafoetida powder (optional). Mix well.
Add about 3/4 cup or less of rolling boiling water to make a dough.
Cover and keep aside till temperature reduces.
Knead once cool enough to handle.
Make small balls. (If the balls are not looking smooth or are cracking, add some normal water and knead dough again. Then make smooth balls.)
Take your steamer and grease the plate with oil.
Place the balls on the greased plate and steam for 15 minutes.

Take coconut oil in a kadai.
Splutter mustard.
Add urad dal and red chillies.
When dal turns red add in the curry leaf and finely chopped shallots / small onions.
Fry till it turns golden.
Add some salt, green chilly and the grated coconut.
After about 30 seconds add the steamed balls and cook for 2 minutes on a low flame.
Serve (preferably at room temperature) with the drink of your choice!

Vangi Bath / Brinjal Masala Rice

I have been travelling a lot to Bangalore and most restaurants there serve a variety of mixed rice like Bisi bela bath, Kara bath (upuma), puliyogarai (tamarind rice) and of course Curd rice.
Vangi Bath or Brinjal rice is similar to bisi bela bath, but is made with ONLY Brinjal and has no Turdal. So the consistency is not a 'mush' like khichdi but rather more 'biriyani-ish'(?). Taste wise....my mouth is watering!!

Recipe courtesy: Mrs.Shanthi Ganeshan

Ingredients:
Rice - 1 1/2 cups , soaked, boiled till 3/4th done and drained
Brinjal - 2 medium, each cut into 8 slices and kept immersed in water
Tamarind
a) if using ready made extract - 2 tsp mixed with 1/2 cup water
b) otherwise a ball of 1 cm radius soaked in water and extract 1/2 cup of pulp
Salt
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Cashew nut - 5
Ground nuts - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Red chilli - 2 , broken
Curry leaf - 2 sprigs
Onion - 1 medium, chopped fine

Masala:
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Channa dal - 1 tsp
Methi seeds / uluva - 1 tsp
Red chilli - 4 or 5
Pepper corns - 1 tsp
Cloves - 3
Cinnamon stick - 2 inch
Coconut grated - 3 tbsp
Oil - 1tsp

Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed vessel.
Add all the above ingredients except the coconut and fry till the dal turns golden brown.
Now add the coconut.
Turn off flame and continue stirring till the vessel starts to cool.
Once the masala ingredients cool down, powder (not too fine) and keep aside.

Heat the 2 tbsp of oil in a heavy bottomed vessel and splutter the mustard seeds.
Then add the urad dal and red chillies.
When the dal turns golden add in 1 sprig of curry leaf and chopped onions.
Fry till the onion turns transparent.
Now add in the sliced brinjal, salt and turmeric powder.

Fry the brinjal for 2 minutes and then add in the tamarind juice.

Do NOT cover the vessel or the brinjal will become mushy.
When the juice is boiling, add in the ground masala powder and the second curry leaf sprig. Mix well.

Almost immediately the mixture will become dry. Press one brinjal slice to see if it is cooked. If not, add 2 tsp of water and wait for it to evaporate. Once dry , mix in the cooked rice.

Cook for a further 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Be very careful to not break the rice.

Fry the ground nut and cashew in the ghee (separately) and add to the vangi bath. (add the left over ghee too!)

Serve at room temperature with curd and papad.

Kadachakka chips / Bread fruit chips

Bread fruit or Kadachakka is a variant of jackfruit and grows abundantly in Kerala. We make all sorts of curries and dry preparations with it. But my favorite is chips.
The preparation of this chips is no different from Banana chips.
Remove skin of the fruit.
Keep immersed in water till the frying time.
Cut into wedges, then into thin slices and deep fry.
Add brine water (1 tbsp salt mixed in 3/4 cup water) almost immediately and mix well.
Wait for the chips to stop frothing / making noise in the oil and once they turn golden brown , remove using a slotted spoon.
Store in tightly sealed container.

Image source : google

 Remove the sticky middle part