Rice Appe with Chutney

 This is one of the best recipes as it comes from my mom she is the one who taught me to do this ...comes out perfect and its my family favourite ....as my sons and hubby has given the name Crispy Appes :D I don't have a wet grinder so i do it in my food processor if you dont have food processor tht is fine even mixer grinder works fine here :) 

Ingredients 

3/4 cup Urad dal ( soak separately overnight )

1 heaped cup of Rice ( you can use Sona Masoori or Basmati rice ) (soak separately overnight)

salt to taste

2 tbsp coriander leaves (finely chopped)

1 tbsp finely chopped green chillies ( I skip it cause my kids don't like it spicy )

1/2 tsp Bicarbonate soda /cooking soda

1/4 tsp hing powder Or fresh Hing water ( I use hing water i.e water from prepared from fresh hing)

Method

1. Soak Urad dal and rice in separate bowl immersed in water and soak it overnight  ( its important as i don't use wet grinder soaking well is the key here to get the batter very fluffy 
2. Next morning  grind urad dal add little water and make a semi thick batter it must resemble semi thick pakoda batter .
3. Now grind rice separately adding water the consistency should be like when you touch it should resemble one grain consistency.
4. Now mix in both the batter Urad dal batter and rice batter mix well and add salt, chopped coriander leaves, green chillies (opt), Hing and mix well now at this point when you mix your batter must resemble the one of dosa batter semi thick one .Now add in cooking soda and give a proper mix.
5. This is most important that before you use your appe pan take a clean tissue /kitchen towel  dip it in oil and grease the moulds really well then switch on the gas and put little oil in each holes of the appe pan and pour the batter so much that it fills the holes of appe pan fully.
6. Now cover and cook on low flame take a spoon and try to flip when you can see it cooked a bit on the top and cook on both side till golden. Note it will be very crispy if you lower the flame and take it.
7. Serve with Chutney /sambar of your choice.
8. NOTE : I do it in food pro grind the Urad batter it acts the same as wet grinder to some extent ...but there are days when i have ground in mixer jar and it has still worked on fine for me ...but only thing is grind urad batter till nice nice and fluffy when you feel it must be silky smooth . You can skip green chillies here as my sons feel it spicy so i skip it . Greasing of Appe pan before use is very important as it comes out v nice and crisp on all sides .

Here goes the recipe of chutney which goes well with this :)  

Chutney recipe 

1 cup coconut

2 green chillies

2-3 leaves of mint 

3 tbsp daria dal 

salt ts taste

small piece of ginger

For tadka 

1 tsp oil

1 tsp mustardseeds

few curry leaves

Method 

1. Grind Coconut, Green chillies, daria dal, mint leaves, ginger add water and grind this in mixer grinder to a fine paste. Add salt to taste.
2. Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds when it starts popping add this to the chutney and stir.
3. Please don't use more then 2-3 mint leaves and it will overpower the chutney :)

Melting Moments Cookies

Here is one of the best cookies recipes which I had tried the other day and was really so happy to see my sons request me to bake one more batch of them they have a light ting of lemon flavour and simply the best cookies one could ever taste.....Here is the recipe for that simple yet one of the best recipes the crunch what these cookies had was exactly like the one we get the store brought one ...simply awesome and yummy !

Ingredients (yeilds 10 - 12 cookies)

Recipe credit (Cooking Shooking)

1/2 cup Maida/ Plain flour 

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup sugar ( I used a little bit less then that)

1/4 tsp Lemon Zest 

1/4 tsp vanilla essence 

1 bar of chocolate to melt (Plain chocolate / Dark ) 

1/2 cup of any colourful sprinkles of your choice 

Method 

1. Cream Butter and sugar together with the help of electric beater .
2. Add in vanilla essence, Lemon Zest and mix well.
3. Add in maida little by little to make a smooth dough ..I used just 1 spoon of maida extra but its a perfect measurement don't go to add anymore as it should be a soft dough.
4. Now pinch in a small ball and shape it round .
5. Grease the baking tray with butter and put the cookie rounds and bake at 180'c for 10-15 mins till the base gets little brown.
6. Allow it to cool completely.
7. Melt the chocolate in microwave high for 1 min (I  took around 0 -12 pieces of chocolate)
8. Dip the half of cookies in the melted chocolate and sprinkle a little colourful  sprinkles on the cookie on melted chocolate and arrange it on a baking sheet to set.
9. It should set in a hours time ...store in a air tight container. Enjoy !!!

Biscuit Rotti

Today's post is very special as its about a book review and about the person whom I met in food group KKAJ and met Asha Satish Phillar mayi she is an author of such a lovely book which has got such awesome traditional recipes which you will absolutely love . Book has such a lovely collection of traditional recipes few to name is cabbage zunko, Apple Raisin salad , Biscuit Rotti here is one such recipe which was favourite since my childhood days ...I recommend this book copy to be brought my everyone who loves authentic Manglorean dishes I have already tried 3-4 dishes and simply loved the taste.

 Here is the snippet of the book absolutely lovely I must say

Thanks Asha Phillar mayi for sharing this recipe of Biscuit Rotti which she had learnt from her  Mother-in-law Sumathi S Phillar which makes this recipe extra special to treasure ...

Here goes the recipe for this lovely Rotti :)

Biscuit Rotti is a typical Amchi dish which means Crisp puri with a spicy filling in it.....try this delicious puri and you will simply love it ...I have changed the recipe of outer filling here and used maida you can use wheat flour too ...original recipe used wheat flour :)

Ingredients

For the Dough

1 cup Maida

2 tbsp semolina (fine)

1/2 tsp sugar

salt to taste

2 tbsp hot oil 

water to bind into a thick dough 

For the filling

5-6 green chillies (use more if you like it very spicy )

1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves  use with stacks if tender 

1/4 grated coconut ( I have used desiccated coconut ) (pref good to use as it does reduce moisture level)

2 tbsp Gram flour

2 tbsp semolina 

generous pinch of hing

salt to taste 

Oil to deep fry the puris

Method 

1. For the filling : Blend green chillies and coriander leaves to a fine paste now take it out in a mixing bowl add desiccated coconut, semolina, gramflour , salt, hing mix well and keep aside. Do not add any water.
2. Now in mixing bowl add salt, maida, semolina, salt, hot oil , sugar and add in little water and make it to a smooth dough and cover and keep aside .
3. Now take small roundals of the dough roll into small puri and put 1/2 tsp of the filling and and shape it into a ball . Repeat the same with all of them and keep aside.
4. Now roll these stuff balls into puris and keep aside.
5. Heat oil to a smoking point and deep fry puris till they fluff up and serve.
6. You can serve with any chutney of your choice cause of the spicy filling i didn't find the need for any chutney.
7. Enjoy these with hot cup of coffee its pure bliss !!!

Crispy Nipattu

This recipe was given by my mom ...she is expert in doing nipattu, chakuli I am so blessed to have learnt so many things from her this is one such recipe which i learnt from her and treasure it as it comes out crispy and perfect for me everytime . Here goes the recipe for that 

Ingredients (yields around 20 -25 Small nipattus ) 

1 cup Rice flour (of a very fine quality)

1/4 cup Maida

2 tbsp mix of white and black sesame seeds /til 

3 tbsp chana dal (Presoaked in water  for 3 hrs and drained of completely)

3 tbsp roasted Peanuts (half it as whole might be difficult to pat)

4 - 5 green chillies (roughly minced ) ( Use can use more if you want but this does work fine for me )

2 sprigs of curry leaves (roughly chopped)

1 tbsp butter (don't use more as it will soak in lot of oil)

1 tbsp dessicated coconut (opt)

water for binding it into a dough

salt to taste

oil to deep fry

Method

1. Drain the presoaked chanadal completely . 
2. In a mixing bowl add maida, rice flour mix well now add curry leaves, minced green chillies, white and black sesame seeds, peanuts, presoaked chana dal, coconut , butter, salt and mix all this well.
3. Now add in little by little water to bind it into a thick dough .
4. Now take a plastic sheet or you can take any thick plastic bags here just smear the plastic bag which is cut in square shape and properly smear this with oil evenly.
5. Now pinch out a small balls of the dough and place this on the plastic sheet and dab it to shape into roundals .
6. Now the most important thing here is to heat up the oil in smoking point and simmer it on a med flame then deep fry these in small batches I do 2 at a time as it has to be fried properly in a center too and plus like my nipattu a little white .
7. Note : 1. The rice flour i use here is always of a very fine quality. I presoak my chana dal cause I usually see its gives out perfect crunch when fried esle i usually hardens a lot making it difficult to bite into those chanadal bits )...For making a dough pls add water little by little to make it a very smooth dough just like how we do a chapathi dough.
8. Do try this and leave in your feedback ....its absoulutely delicious and most loved by my family esp me can't resist myself from having these :) :) 

Mushroom Bhuthi

Mushroom Bhuthi very delicious and lovely preparation learnt from my mom ...too good and lovely recipe as well :)

Ingredients 

1 pkt Mushroom ( Button Mushroom / Chestnut Mushrooms)

1 tbsp Coriander seeds

2 Onion finely chopped 

4-5 fried Red chillies

1/2 cup coconut

salt to taste

2 tbsp oil

Method

• Wash and cut mushrooms into quarters and keep aside.
• Grind grated coconut red chillies, tamarind, coriander seeds to a coarse paste. 
• In pan add oil fry onion till it turns translucent add mushrooms and fry till cooked add salt to taste and now add this ground masala and cook till masala is cooked well and well incorporated with mushrooms and it leaves out oil . It is a little semi dry preperation . 
• Done ! ...Serve as a side dish with chapathi / Rice and Dalitoi 
• NOTE : You can replace mushrooms with Cabbage / Cauliflower / Tindora....tastes too good !

Microwave Gajar ka Halwa

Here is one of the easiest method of Gajar ka halwa which is perfect for 1 serving ...esp for those craving when you want to suddenly try something for your sweet tooth then this recipe is perfect for you was so happy with the end result came out perfect just like done in gas stove method ...Here is the recipe from that  was so happy to see my little toddler ask for second helping ...Here goes the recipe for that  Recipe idea based on Tarla dalal book of microwave however i have altered it to make it quicker :) 

Ingredients 

2 cups carrot (grated) ( I have used roughly 2 long carrots here )

1/4 cup milk powder

1/4 tsp green cardamom (Elaichi) (powdered)

2 tbsp raisins and cashews , pistachios (sliced ) ( for garnishing )

2 tbsp Sugar ( U can increase the qnty if you like ....It worked perfect for me here)

1 tbsp Melted Ghee

Method

1. Take a microwave safe bowl add add in carrots and ghee and mix and cover and cook on microwae high for 3 mins . Open and stir after every one minute.
2. In bowl mix in milk powder, sugar, elaichi and mix well.
3. Now add this to the cooked carrot and mix  microwave high for 1 more min. Done 
4. Garnish with sliced cashews and pista ...its so awesome you will want to eat more :) ...So do try this and leave in your feedback !!

Rawa Dosa

I have tried so many recipes till date never have been able to nail any of the recipes and get the texture what we get in Hotel dosa...but my search ended when my sister gave me the recipe and told me it comes out perfect every time and to try this ...and wow i was in full praises on the day I did this recipe...hubby asked me to prepare it again at night during dinner ....wow a big compliment to my ears ...here goes the most awaited recipe .....I have nailed it this time and it comes out perfectly crispy all the time i have tried and never looked back at any one else's recipe since 2 -3 yrs :) 

Ingredients (Yields around 10-12 dosa )

1/2 cup Rawa / Fine Semolina ( Use always fine Rawa it comes out v v crispy )

3 tbsp Rice flour 

1 tbsp Gram flour 

1 onion finely chopped 

2 tbsp coriander leaves (finely chopped)

2 Cups of water

2 tbsp chopped cashews

salt to taste

Method 

1. Mix in Semolina, rice flour and gram flour and mix it well with a spoon add in salt .
2. Now add finely chopped onion, green coriander leaves, cashews .
3. Now add 2 Cups Water & this is the key element here (pls don't go to change the measurement here as it gives out perfect dosa all the time .
4. Now keep the mix aside for 3 -4 mins.This will look like thin watery batter but that is how it should be.
5. Heat a flat non stick pan drizzle with oil properly (I usually rub in oil evenly all over the pan with a help of  tissue  and then sprinkle extra oil.)
6. Now mix in the batter properly with the ladle and then pour in the mix when the pan is piping hot & drop in the the batter from the side of the pan and then fill in the center ...don't fill in the center that much as you want the holes to be seen in the dosa and that is the key which makes the dosa v crispy .
7. Now once you have poured the mix just simmer the gas on v low heat and drizzle with oil on holes which the dosa have made.
8. You will notice after 2 mins the edges start getting crisp only at the time try to take out the dosa.
9. Serve with any chutney / sambar .
10. Note : According to this recipe batter consistency will be very thin it will be somewhat like Neer dosa batter ..Only one ladle full batter to be poured evenly outside and 2nd ladle is to be used to pour the batter inside.....Main thing here is before your start pouring the batter ..batter must be mixed properly as semolina / rawa/ suji has the tendency to settle down and leave the water up ...even it that case your dosa won't come out perfect . Never try to pour extra batter to fill holes your dosa will end up thicker :)