Neer Dosai with Capsicum Chutney

Neer dosai is a Karnataka special, usually served with a vegetable gravy spiced with green chili and coconut. Neer dosai can be good to carry as lunch as it retains its softness and doesn’t become dry.The texture is like a tissue paper.

Ingredients for Neer Dosai:

1. Raw rice – 2 cups
2. Coconut (Grated) – ¾ cup
3. Salt to taste

Method:

• Wash and soak the rice for 3 hours or overnight.
• Grind the rice and coconut to a very fine batter. Add salt and 4 cups water.
• The batter should be of butter milk consistency.
• Heat a tawa with rim on a medium flame. It should not be too hot. *Hold the tawa in your left hand and spread the batter on to the tawa with a cup or deep ladle.
• Now place the tawa back on the stove and keep the flame high. Turn the dosa after two minutes. Cook both sides and place the dosa on to a plate.
• Continue with the rest of the batter in the same way. Always stir the batter before pouring on to the tawa.

*Preparing this dosa is tricky and one can learn by practice only.

 

Capsicum chutney

Ingredients:

1. Yellow red and green coloured capsicum – 1 cup (roughly chopped)
2. Urad dal – 2 teaspoons
3. Channa dal – 2 teaspoons
4. Coriander seeds – 2 teaspoons
5. Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon
6. Red chili – 2
7. Green chili                 – 1
8. Curry leaves – 6 leaves
9. Perungayam – a small piece
10. Til oil – 1 table spoon
11. Tamarind – 2inch piece
12. Salt to taste.

Method:

• Heat oil and fry coriander seeds, urad dal, channa dal, perungayam, mustard seed and red chilies till golden.
• Add the chopped capsicum, green chili, tamarind and curry leaves and sauté on a medium flame. Cover and cook on low flame till the capsicum is soft.
• Allow to cool. Add salt and grind to a paste. You can serve this chutney with any tiffin or serve with rice.

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Angaya Podi

Angayapodi is a powder made with sundakkai vathal and vepampoo. It has medicinal value and is good to eat with rice once in a week. It is helpful in preventing stomach ailments. This podi is always in stock in most Brahmin households in Tamizh Nadu. The measurements and recipe are authentic as it was given by my mother.

Ingredients:

 

1. 1.Sundaikai vethal   – 1 cup
2. Vepampoo – 1 cup
3. Kadugu – 1 tablespoon
4. Venthayam – 1 tablespoon
5. Milagu – 1&1/2 tablespoons
6. Jeeragam – 1 table spoon
7. Kothamalli vidai – 2 table spoons
8. Perungayam – small piece
9. Sukku – small piece
10. Milagai vethal – 4
11. Karivepilai – 12 leaves
12. Ulutham paruppu – 1 tablespoon
13. Kadalai paruppu – 1 table spoon
14. thuvaram paruppu – 1 table spoon
15. 15 Salt to taste

Method:

1. Dry roast Vepampoo separately till it browns. Roast sundaikkai till it is almost black.
2. Roast the dals together. Roast remaining ingredients together.
3. Allow to cool. Add salt and grind to a fine powder. Store in airtight container.
4. Serve with hot rice and ghee.

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Almond Kulfi

 

Kulfi is Indian Ice cream. You can set this in Ice tups, Kulfi molds or just trays.

Ingredients:

1. Milk – 1 liter
2. Fresh cream – 200 ml
3. Almonds – ½ cup
4. Cardamom – 2
5. Sugar – 150 grams*

Method:

• Boil the milk in a heavy bottomed container for around half an hour, stirring continuously. The milk should be reduced to a thick consistency. Stirring helps maintain a smooth texture. Allow the thickened milk to cool.
• Powder the cardamom, sugar and almond. Mix cream, thickened milk and powdered ingredients.
• Spoon this mixture into kulfi molds or ice tups. And set to freeze for 6 hours.
• To serve dip the molds into Luke warm water for half a minute and remove from mold.

*You can increase or decrease sugar to suit your taste.

 

 

 

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Baked Vegetable Spring Rolls

Spring roll is nothing but Samosas made in shape of rolls.

Ingredients:

For the outer cover:

1. Maida – 1 cup
2. Cold butter – 1 table spoon
3. Salt to taste
4. Ice cold water

For the filling

(You can include peas beans carrots cabbage cauliflower bell peppers etc.)

1. Assortment of vegetables cut into desired shape – 2 cups
2. Ghee – 2 teaspoons
3. Finely chopped green chili, coriander and ginger – 1 teaspoon.
4. Salt to taste
5. Diced paneer – 1 table spoon.
6. Garam masala – ½ teaspoon (Optional)
7. Butter for brushing – 2 teaspoons

Method:

• Mix Maida with salt and cold butter. Rub well and add ice cold water and knead to a tight dough. Leave in the fridge for an hour.
• Heat ghee in a kadai and stir fry the vegetables adding salt, diced paneer, chopped green and garam masala. Let the vegetables be crunchy and not fully cooked. Allow to cool.
• Take out the dough from the fridge and divide into one inch balls. Roll into thin rounds.
• Place the filling at one end and roll as shown in the picture. Seal the roll using little water.
• These rolls can be baked or deep fried or shallow fried.
• Place the rolls on a greased oven proof plate, brush with butter and Bake for 10 minutes at 230 degrees centigrade in convection mode.
• Serve hot with tomato chutney.

 

 

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