Idli / Dosa Batter

The most favorite South Indian breakfast is Idli - Sambar. But preparing a soft idli will be a headache for new cooks.. Even i had this problem initially, so here is the recipe for preparing idli batter which i learnt from my mom.

Ingredients:

Idli Rice - 1 cup
Whole Urad Dhal(uruttu ulundhu) - 1/2 cup
Salt - to taste
Water
Fenugreek(Venthayam)- 1/2tsp(if u wish)

Method:

Soak Rice and Dhal(with fenugreek) separately for atleast 2 hours before u grind.

First wash the urad dhal and drain the water completely. Put drained urad dhal in the grinder. While grinding,sprinkle water(cool refrigerated water gives better result)then and there and grind it for 40mins. Keep sprinkling water in between at regular intervals. When the batter becomes fluffy it is ready to be collected from grinder. Collect it in a big container.

Now wash and drain the idli rice and add it to the grinder. Sprinkle little water and start grinding. It may take nearly 30mins to grind this rice. Add water in between to get a smooth batter. It has to be little thicker than dhal batter.

Collect this rice batter in the container in which u've stored dhal batter. Add required amount of salt and mix it well. Keep in out in a warm place for atleast 10hours to get fermented. After fermenting the level of batter would have raised and then u can store in a refrigerator and use it for preparing idli/dosa.

For Idli, the batter should be thick and the first batter will give soft and white idlis.

For Dosa, the batter has to be little liquid, so its better to take batter separately for dosa and add little water to bring it to a pouring consistency.

Hot Hot soft idlis right out from steam with ghee on it and tomato chutney as side dish.. OMG, thinking abt this brings water in my mouth.. Lemme post the recipe of tomato chutney next. So u can have soft idlis with a tasty chutney. This tomato chutney will go with dosa too.. :)

Pumpkin Kheer

Ingredients:

Pumpkin - 1(Medium Size)
Milk - 1 litre
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 1 Tsp
Raisins - 8 - 10
Cashew Nuts - 4 -5
Cardamom Powder - 1/2 Tsp
Wheat Powder - 1/2 Tsp

Method:

Peel the outer layer of pumpkin and grate it well.

Take a kadai, roast the wheat powder till its color change. Wheat powder is used to give the kheer a thick consistency. Keep it aside. Pour ghee and add the grated pumpkin and roast till the water in it drains. Add sugar to this and fry.

Put the milk in a pan and boil it until it gets thick and keep stirring it continuously.

Add the mixture(pumpkin+sugar) and wheat powder to the boiled milk and cook for few mins and when the pumpkin kheer is cooked well add cardamom powder, cashew nuts, and raisin.

If needed, food color and essence can be added for taste.

Keep it in refrigerator and serve it chill.

How to Cook Rice Perfectly

Rice - 1 cup
Water - 1.5 - 1.75 cup

I usually rinse rice in a few changes of cold water. The reason for rinsing is it removes dirt and loose starch, making the rice less sticky.

For most everyday meals, you can get good results without soaking your rice. If you are using older rice, its better to soak it for about 30 minutes, which makes the grains less brittle and prone to breakage. Soaking is also traditional for Basmati rice, as it helps the rice expand to maximum length. Either way, be sure to drain your rice thoroughly.

For every cup of rice, add 1.5 -1.75 cups water. This portion varies for different rice. For brown rice, the ratio will be about 2 cups of water for every cup of rice.
But you may need to experiment a little to find the correct amount of water till you get the best consistency.

In a medium, heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid, add measured rice and water and a bit of butter/oil/salt, if you wish. Bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as the water is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and cover.Cook at a gentle simmer until the water is completely absorbed and the rice is tender, about 12 minutes (it's okay to lift the lid to make sure the rice is fully cooked and the water is absorbed—just replace the lid quickly).

The rice is now ready to serve.

How to cook rice using a microwave

1. Use a deep microwavable container with lid.
2. For every 1 cup of rice, add 2 cups of cold water.
3. Microwave the rice on maximum heat for 10 minutes, uncovered.
4. Stir the content and put the lid to cover the container and place it into the microwave for another 3 minutes to completely cook the rice.
5. Remove from microwave and let stand a few minutes before fluffing with a fork.

Kheer - Rice Payasam

INGREDIENTS:

1. Cooked rice - 1/2 cup
2. Milk - 4 cup
3. Raisins - 10
4. Cashews - 15
5. Sugar or brown sugar - 3/4 cup
6. Cardamom - 3
7. Shredded almond - 1/4 cup
8. Ghee - 1 table spoon.

PREPARATION:

1. Heat the ghee and fry the cashews, raisins and almonds until the raisins plump and keep it aside.
2. In a pan add milk and boil it. Add the cooked rice and keep the stove in sim.
3. When the milk becomes thick, add the sugar and stir well.
4. Add crushed cardamom, raisins and cashew to the simmering milk. Cook until the right consistency (thickness) is reached and serve. Garnish it with almonds, cashews on the top.

Introduction

This blog is specially created for those who dunno the basics of cooking.. This will help them to learn quick and easy recipes.. Planning to upgrade this blog with more expert recipes, so please share ur comments and feedbacks after going through my posts.. Happy Cooking.. :)