Rava/Sooji Dosa

Ingredients:-

1. Rava - 2 cups
2. grated coconut - 1/2 cup(optional)
3. salt to taste
4. jeera - 1 tsp(optional)
5. water - 1 cup or as needed

Preparation Method:-

• Soak rava in water for 10 - 15 mins.
• Grind together rava, coconut and salt to a smooth batter. Add the cumin seeds to the batter and mix well.
• Heat a non-stick pan, pour a ladle of batter and rotate clock-wise to make round dosas.
• Turn over when the dosa is light brown color. Remove from the pan when done.
• Repeat the process to make required amount of dosas.
• Serve with coconut chutney or Sambhar

Beetroot Pachadi

Beetroot Pachadi is so simple and ezee to make and it goes well with any kind of rice or biriyani's. My husband sometimes eats it as it is, he cannot resist and wait for the main food to be served. This recipe came my way from my brother who is a chef by profession and passion. Oh yea, he is an awesome cook and my husband prefers to go to India for vacation only when my brother is home on vacation as he can enjoy some of those awesome authentic restaurant type of food being cooked by my bro. After I came to US we used stay with my hubby's friend and family for a while where I saw Seema chechi also making it with a very slight variation. Thanks to my dear brother and Seema Chechi for adding this healthy dish to my daily menu list.

Ingredients:-

1. Beetroot - 2 grated
2. Green chilly- 5 (slit into halves)
3. salt to taste
4. Grated coconut - 1 cup
5. mustard seeds - 1 tsp + 1 tsp
6. yogurt - 1 cup
7. Coconut oil - 2 tbsp
8. urad daal - 1 tsp(optional)
9. curry leaves few
10. dry red chilly broken few
11. Okra - 3 chopped into small round shapes(optional)

Preparation Method:-

• Cook the grated beetroot by adding green chilly and salt in medium flame. Don't need to add any water as beetroot oozes out moisture by its own.
• When it is cooked switch off the flame
• Grind the coconut and 1 tsp mustard into a smooth paste and add it to the cooked beetroot.
• Now using a whisk beat the yogurt slowly just to remove the lumps if any. Add it to the beetroot and mix everything gently. Set aside.
• For seasoning:- Heat a pan, add coconut oil, crackle the mustard seeds. Add urad daal, okra and stir till light brown and crispy.Add the curry leaves and split red chilly, give it a stir. Pour it over the Pachadi
• Your pachadi is ready to serve. It tastes better after 3-4 hrs when the beetroot absorbs the sourness of the yogurt.

The slight variation I mentioned is nothing but opting out the okra while you do the seasoning.

Cucumber Pachadi-No cooking needed

In Kerala 'Pachadi' means a side dish similar to Raita made with vegetable or fruit(not all the fruits) in ground  coconut and yogurt to make a thick consistency. Cucumber(Kakkiri/Kaakdi) Pachadi is such an ezee dish that can be served with Rice or Biriyani or instead of Raita and can be made in less than 15 mins. This recipe had been travelling with me from the time I was in Plus two(actually pre-degree). Thanks a ton to my friend Mridu's mom, she is an excellent cook and so is Mridu. Mridu used to stay close to our college and I remember having this first time at her home when myself and few friends(Pritz, Nikhi, Ras...) went to her home for lunch.  I really do not know if this is the exact way Mridu's mom made this but alI I knew is, it was made with uncooked cucumber and I started making it from then by following the normal rules of Pachadi. So Friend's I would again say this is my version of cucumber pachadi which is so ezee to make and I'm sure you guys are gonna love it :)

Ingredients:-

1. Cucumber/Kakkiri/Kakdi - 2 med size(peeled and chopped into small cubes)
2. Green chilly - 4(slit into halves)
3. Ginger - a small piece(chopped finely)
4. salt to taste
5. Yogurt - 1 cup

To Grind:-

1. Grated Coconut - 1 cup
2. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

For seasoning:-

1. Coconut oil - 2 tbsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
3. Whole dry red chilly - 3
4. urad daal- 1 tsp
5. curry leaes few

Preparation Method:-

• In a bowl add Cucumber, green chilly, ginger and salt. With clean hands mix everything together by mashing the veggies slightly.
• Make a thick paste of coconut and mustard seeds without adding much water(add water little by little just to get it grind, maybe a tbsp at a time). Add it to the cucumber, stir to mix.
• In another bowl whisk the yogurt with a spoon gently just to remove any lumps and add it to the cuucmber-coconut mix and stir well with a spoon. Adjust the salt to taste
• Now the only part where you have to switch on your stove - Seasoning the dish and this is purely optional.
• Heat a pan and pour coconut oil. Add mustard seeds, when the mustard seeds crackle add urad dal and give it a stir. Add curry leaves and red chillies and stir till dal turns becomes golden brown. Pour this over the pachadi.
• Your Cucumber pachadi is ready to serve with Rice/Biriyani/Pulav or anything of your choice. Enjoy!!!!

Ithal Roti(orotti)/Atti Pathil

Ithal Orotti is a malabar special breakfast/Snack item that is served with any kind of chicken/egg/veg curry or can be eaten as it is.The name of the dish almost conveys you the method of its preparation. Ithal means Petals/Layers and Orotti means Roti. So this is a layer/petals of rotis made with rice and coconut milk. This is such an easy dish to make, kids and grown ups will love it alike.

Ingredients:-

1. Raw rice/Basmathi rice/Jeera rice - 2 cups
2. Cooked par boiled rice - 1/2 cup
3. coconut milk -  3/4 cup + 1/4 cup(if the milk is very thick you can dilute it by adding some water to make a medium thick coconut milk)
4. salt to taste
5. Ghee - 3 tbsp
6. Cooking spray to greese the cooking plate

Preparation Method:-

• Soak the rice for 3-4hrs, wash and drain the rice.
• Grind the soacked ice, parboiled rice, salt and coconut milk together, transfer to a bowl.
• Spray a flat bottom pan with cooking spray or grease it with butter/oil and pour a big laddle of batter into it and steam it in a Idli cooker or any other steamer to set say 2-3 mins.
• Take out the pan apply some ghee on top of the set roti and 1-2 tsp of coconut milk. Pour a laddle of batter and steam it agin for 2-3 mins or till it is set(the batter becomes dry and not run off the pan is the what i mean by set)
• Repeat this pocess by ghee-coconut milk and batter till the pan is full. Once the pan is full, cook it covered for 5 mins till the Roti is fully done. 
• Switch off the flame and let it cool. Turn over the Roti to a plate.
• Cut and serve with any Chicken/Egg/Veg curry or serve it as it is.

 



Note:- you can opt of ghee if you are on less fat/cholesterol free diet. Also you can use either of them ie coconut milk or ghee when you make the layers.

Butter Almond Cookie

Cookies are kids all time favourite. My son often ask me 'Amma, what are you gonna make for me today??? Can you make me some cookies or may be some cupcakes Ammaaa '. And every time my answer is 'no dear'. As every mom I have been trying to build some healthy eating habits in my children. Trying to make them eat more veggies, fruits, dairy products, fish, eggs, less meat and carbohydrates so and so and so...

But then sometimes I think, even we grown ups make reasons while eating some of the unhealthy food may be like cookies, cakes or any extra calorie food at home, work or at any party. Then why don't kids have some fun in eating those freshly baked yummy cookies rather than the store bought snacks. So when my son insisted I thought of baking some Almond cookies and the result came out be nice soft, cream colored yummy cookies. Friends, try to bake them at home and I'm sure you will stop picking cookies from the stores.

Following is my version of Almond cookies which I have adapted from Pillsbury.

Ingredients:-

All purpose flour - 1 1/2 cup

Butter - 1/2 cup

Baking soda - 1 tsp

Salt - a pinch

Sugar - 3/4 cup

Egg - 1

Almond extract -  1 tsp

Almonds - 15(or as required for the number of cookies you are gonna bake)

Preparation Method :-

• Pre-heat the oven to 350 degree F.
• Sift together flour, baking soda, salt. Set aside.
• Line a cookie sheet with a parchment paper and set aside.
• In a large bowl beat togther sugar and butter till soft peaks form. Add the egg and beat again till creamy.
• Add almond extract and mix. Add the flour mixture and mix well till it becomes a smooth dough (either do it with your hand or use dough hooks once you add the flour mixture and beat in medium speed)
• Refridgerate for atleast 2 hours
• Take out from the fridge and make small balls by rolling them under your palm.
• Gently press one almond each on each dough balls and place it on the lined cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
• Bake till done for 12-15 mins or till they are crispy outside and soft inside. Let it cool
• Cookie stays fresh for a week in an air tight container kept outside.(If and only if you kids let it stay that long :-) )