Rava Idli (Karnataka)

Ingredients:

Rava – 2 cups

Curd – 4 cups

Carrot - 1 (grated)

Mustard – 2 tsp

Chana dal – 2 tsp

Cashews – 2 or 3 (depends on your diet:-))

Curry leaves – as required

Cilantro – a small bunch

Salt – as required

Oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds,cashews and chana dal. Once it splutters, add curry leaves.

2. In a mixing bowl, mix rava, grated carrot and the seasoning prepared as above.

3. Mix 2 cups of curd and leave it for a minute.

4. Finely chop coriander leaves and add to the above mixture.

5. Finally, add the remaining 2 cups of curd and stir until the mixture comes to batter consistency.

6. Ladle the batter in idli cooker and cook.

7. Serve the idlis with cilantro chutney and sambhar!

Pesarattu (from Andhra Pradesh)

Ingredients:

Whole Moong  – 1 cup

Rice – 1 tbsp

Onions – 2

Green chilies - 4

Ginger – Approx. 1 inch long

Cumin seeds – 2 tsp

Salt – As required

Oil – As required

Method:

1. Add 1 tbsp rice to 1 cup of whole Moong and soak the mixture in water for around 3 hours.

2. Drain the water and add 1 chopped onion , 4 green chilies, ginger piece, one tea spoon cumin seeds and the salt with a little water.

3. Grind the mixture to a smooth paste.

4. Chop the remaining onion into small pieces, mix the cummin seeds and keep this aside.

5. Keep the frying pan on medium heat and grease it with little oil. Pour about a ladle of paste on it and spread it into a thin round layer like a pan cake and drizzle 1 tsp of oil around the edges of Pesarattu.

6. Sprinkle small quantity of chopped onions, cummin seeds and green chilies on the Pesarattu and cook until the edges become brown.

7. Then flip the Pesarattu over and cook it for a minute, keeping a watch that it does not get charred. Remove from the pan, and your Pesarattu is ready for eating. Serve it with hot ginger chutney or sambhar

Sodhi (South Indian Stew)

Ingredients:

Coconut milk(canned) – 1 can

Ginger grated – 2 tbsps

Moong Dhal boiled with one pod of Garlic – 1/2 cup

Lemon Juice – 1tbsp

Drum Stick – 1

Carrots – 1 cut in long slices

Potato – 1 cut in cubes

Onion – 1 cut in cubes

Grated coconut – 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp

Green chillies – 2-3

Method:

1. Take the 1/2 can of coconut milk and dilute it in water to make 1 can and let the vegetables cook in the diluted coconut milk.
2. Take the juice of the grated ginger and set it aside.
3. Grind the grated coconut,cumin seeds and green chillies.
4. When the vegetables are tender add the ground mixture and 1/2 can of coconut milk and let it cook for some time.
5. Now add the cooked dhal ( mash the dhal and garlic well) and the remaining 1/2 can of coconut milk.
6. Just before you switch off the stove add the ginger juice and cook for a minute and take it off the stove.
7. When Sodhi cools down add salt and lemon juice and temper with mustard and urad dhal.