Neer Dosa

Neer dosa or water dosa is the best thing to make when you feel like having dosa but haven't soaked and fermented the dal-rice combo as required to make the usual dosa. Since it requires about an hr or so of soaking the rice, you can make this real quickly and is a good dish to serve when you have surprise visitors.

The authentic way of making this dosa, is to grind the rice with some coconut. But I wanted to avoid using coconut just so that its is healthier. So I completely avoided it and also I added chopped curry leaves and chopped cilantro to the batter just for that zing. But its not the authentic way.

Ingredients:
1 cup rice, soaked in warm water for a min. of 1 hr
1 spoon rice flour (optional)
2-3 curry leaves, torn
2-3 sprigs of cilantro, chopped
Salt as per taste

Method:

• Grind the rice with as little water as you can add.
• As the rice starts grinding, add more water and keep on grinding.
• Remove the batter in a bowl, and add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
• Add more water if required. The consistency should be watery.
• To make the dosas, heat a griddle and wipe some oil on it.
• Neer dosas are not made like the traditional dosas where you to spread the batter.
• Instead you splash the watery batter on the tava (griddle) and swirl around if required.
  
• It should form thin layer.
  
• It should form small holes on the surface.
• Let it cook completely on the bottom.
• If you want it crispier, turn on the other side and heat it as well.

Enjoy with chutney and sambhar.

Pohe

Speaking of pohe/poha brings back sooo many memories!! Mom used to usually serve this as breakfast on Saturday mornings or as an evening snack on saturday evenings. Its such a versatile dish.

I know it is prepared all over the south of india, but for some reason I used to always associate it as a maharashtrian dish! This dish can be stirred up on a moments notice and is a staple snack when you have unexpected guests!!! Hot poha served with garma garam chai!! Ahhhh.. bliss!!

As easy as it is to make this dish, it is still considered an expertise by some. The whole expertise lies in how much the poha needs to be soaked. The end result should be separate poha and not sticky. You get basically 2 kinds of poha.. thin and thick. With the thin poha you can make daDppe pohe which I will post sometime later. Thick poha is used to make this dish.

I remember this as one of the first breakfast dish I learned to make... well I only made it maybe twice before I got married :) and that too the poha was soaked and squeezed and given to me by mommy dear. hehe.

Also, every maharashtrian knows this.. its kinda funny. Traditionally... for an arranged marriage, when someone comes over... like you know... when the guy with his family meets the girl and her family... this is the STANDARD dish to be served.. POHE!!!! I remember someone saying (jokingly ofcourse) that they declined the proposal cause they were not served pohe... hahaha. You get the idea... pohe is that much associated with this tradition!! But ofcourse the norm is changing in some households where they don't serve poha on this occassion... :)

Also, this is such a verstaile dish... you can make just kanda pohe that is poha with just onions like I have made today. Or Batata pohe... poha with potatoes or kanda batata pohe, which was the usual way it was made at mom's place. You can also make it by adding some veggies like tomatoes, peas and/or carrots! Cool isn't it?

And it is always garnished with chopped cilantro leaves and grated coconut... I don't use coconut as I try and limit coconut usage in my house.. You know lesser calories ;)

Makes 1 serving
Ingredients:
2-3 Curry leaves
1/4 tspn mustard seeds
A pinch of hing (Asofoetida)
A pinch of sugar
Salt as per taste
1 green chilli chopped, or sliced vertically
1/2 onion, chopped coarsely
1/4 cup tomatoes, chopped (optional)
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 cup thick poha
1/2 - 1 tbsp lemon/lime juice
Cilantro for garnishing

Method:

• In a hot pan, add a tbsp of oil and put a tempering of mustard seeds.
• As it starts spluttering, add the curry leaves, green chillies and hing.
• Now add the onions and saute till they turn translucent.
• Meanwhile as the onions are turning translucent, wash the poha in water and soak it for about a min.
• Squeeze out all the water and transfer the poha on a dish and separate it out.
  
• After the onions are translucent, add the tomatoes if wanted.
• Add the turmeric, sugar and salt.
  
• Add the soaked and squeezed poha.
• Mix well.
• Add the lemon/lime juice and stir well.
  
• Serve on a plate and garnish with cilantro leaves.

Enjoy!!!

Rava Thalipeeth

Thalipeeth in any form is one of my favourite snacks! I associate thalipeeth with a quick evening snack.. but ofcourse you can have it anytime of the day! Like I had it for lunch yesterday! :)

Thalipeeth.. whenever I think of thalipeeth I remember my mom making it on saturday evenings or my maid serving them for evening snacks. Mom had trained the maid very well, nothing close to my mom but nevertheless! :) The best was to have them when it was raining.. piping hot!!!!

Nowadays I make a lot of variations of thalipeeths.. packing them for my hubby for his mid evening snack. I will post them as I make them :)

Ingredients:

*All approx*

1 cup coarse Rava(sooji)

Water (just enough to cover the rava)

2 green chillies, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

1 tspn ginger, chopped

3-4 curry leaves, chopped

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1 pinch sugar

salt to taste

Method:

• Mix all the above and keep aside for about 15 mins for the rava to soak properly. The rava puffs up just a bit.
• The consistency should be a lil thinner than idli batter. If needed add a lil more water.
• On a hot griddle, spoon a lil oil and spread the above batter and cover.
• When it starts sizzling, uncover and let cook for 2-3 mins more or till the bottom is cooked.
• Turn it over and let it cook further.
• The more you cook (on medium to low heat), the crisper it will become.

You can eat it as it is or with some butter or ghee!! Yummm...

Potato Crisps

The winter plays tricks with your tatse buds! You fill hungry for no rhime or reason sometimes... and you want something realllyyy spicy! At least I do :)

So yesterday at noon, when this mood hit me, I just made some simple potato crisps. Its so easy yet heavenly!!

Ingredients:
1 potato cut like french-fries
1 tbsp Chilly Powder (more or less according to taste)
1/2 tspn turmeric
Salt to taste
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbspn Oil

Method:

• Heat a pan and add oil
• When its very hot, add the spices.
• Saute and immediately add the potatoes and salt.
• Cover and cook without any water. The steam will cook the potatoes.
• When done, serve it on a plate and sprinkle the lemon juice. Enjoy!!
  

Indian Burrito

Last night wanted something quick and healthy... Hubby dear came up with this idea and it turned out yummmy!!

I had soaked masoor dal to make a sabji out of it. But then just gave it a tempering of just chopped garlic, chilli powder, turmeric and added the saoked masoor and cooked it with salt. Tats it!

And then started with the Indian Buritto ;)

Here is how...

Ingridients:
Any leftover cooked vegetable (I used cooked masoor dal)
Vertically sliced 1/2 medium sized onion
Vertically sliced 1 tomato
Chopped green chilles
Chopped cilantro
Cheese (optional)
Rotis - 4

Method:

• Place the cooked rotis on a tava or griddle and top it with the vegetable.
• Layer it with the chopped onions, tomatoes, green chilles and cheese if you want.
  

• Sprinkle with a lil salt.
• Fold the roti like a buritto and pin (close) it with a toothpick so that the stuffing doesnt fall out.
  
• Let it cook on medium heat for 2-3 mins to get the bottom crisp.

• Voila!! Its ready to eat.. You can eat it as it is or with some ketchup.