Vattayappam

Ingredients

1. Rice flour -3 cups
2. Cooked rice -exactly 3/4cup
3. Grated coconut /Coconut milk- 2 cup
4. Yeast - a pinch
5. Sugar - 1 cup
6. Salt -3 pinch
7. Cumin powder (Jeerakam)-1 tsp
8. Elakka/Cardamom powder-1 tsp

Preparation

1. Dissolve 2 tsp sugar in 3 tsp luke warm water/Coconut water /juice.[Coconut juice is the best]. Add the yeast to it and keep in warm temperature.
2. Grind the cooked rice with little water to a fine paste and mix this with the rice flour

3.Now grind the grated coconut with water and add to the rice flour. 

4. Add the dissolved yeast in step1, Cumin powder, Elakka (Cardamom) & Salt into the rice flour and mix well

5. Grind the mixed rice flour for few minutes to avoid lumps. The batter should be very thick as we need to add sugar later which will make the flour looser. 

6.Preheat the oven to 150 degree Fahrenheit and turn off.

7.Keep the batter in oven with the lights turned on.

8.The batter will be fermented and ready to be made in 6 hours.This batter is good enough to make 5 vattayappams.

9.Apply some Ghee on a round pan and half fill the batter

10.Add some raisins to the top (You can also add some cashews too)

11.Steam it for 20 - 25 minutes and VATTAYAPPAM will be ready to serve

Kerala appam /palappam

Ingredients

1.Rice flour/white rice - 4 cup

2.Thick coconut milk- 2 cup(optional)

3.Cooked rice -1 cup [depends on the stickiness of the cooked rice,this amount may vary.I am using  the par boiled rice]

4.Yeast -1/4 tsp

5.Sugar -3 tsp

6.Salt -to taste

Preparation

1.Dissolve 2 tsp sugar in 3 tsp luke-warm water/Coconut water /juice.[Coconut juice is the best]

Add 1/4 tsp yeast to it and keep it in a warm temperature.

2.In a mixer grind the cooked rice with 1/2  a cup of water to a fine paste and keep aside

3.Now grind the rice flour, water , coconut milk and yeast

4.Mix together the cooked rice batter(step 2) and rice flour batter(step 3) 

5.Preheat the oven to 150 degree fahrenheit and turn off the heat

6.Keep the batter in the oven with the lights turned on.

7.The batter will be ready in 6 hours

8.In an appachatti ,pour the batter and make appams

Idiyappam

Ingredients

1.Chemba Idiyappam podi/rice flour/any kind of idiyappam podi -1 cup

2.Boiled water -2 cup

3.Salt- as required

4.Grated Coconut -1 cup

Preparation

1.Boil 2 cup water with salt.

2.Mix rice flour/idiyappam podi with boiled water and knead well using a spoon

3.When the dough is warm enough to handle knead with your hands and make a smooth dough.

4.You need Idiyappam maker and Idli plates for making idiyappam

5.Place a medium sized ball of dough in to the  the idiyappam maker.

6.Put some grated coconut on the idli plate

7.Rotate the idiyappam handle and let the noodle shaped dough  fall in to the idli plate

8.Sprinkle 1 tbsp of grated coconut on top of the uncooked idiyappam.

9.Cover the idli maker and cook until its done.

                                     

Spinach Chappathi/Spinach Roti/Pulka Fulka /Indian Soft bread

Ingredients

1.Wheat flour/Chappathi flour - 1 cup

2.Salt -as required

3.Warm water-1 cup

4.Oil - 2 drops
5.Spinach / any greens /vegetables- 1 bunch

6.Garlic- 4 (optional)

7.Chili powder- 1/4 tsp (optional)
8.Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp (optional)


Preparation

1.Heat  1/2 cup water in a pan and cook spinach by adding little salt ,cumin powder ,crushed garlic and chilly powder.
2.Grind it well in the food processor/mixer.
3.Get the puree from the mixture using a sieve /sifter.

4.Mix wheat flour and salt in a vessel.

5.Add the spinach puree and knead into a smooth dough .If spinach puree is not enough to knead the dough ,you can use hot water also.

6.Refer this link to get tips on chappathi making http://annshealthykitchen.blogspot.com/2012/02/chapathichapati.html

7.Make chapathi's as shown in the above link.

Chapathi/Chapati/Roti/Pulka Fulka /Indian Soft bread

Ingredients

1.Wheat flour/Chappathi flour - 1 cup

2.Salt -as required

3.Warm water-1 cup

4.Oil - 2 drops 

Preparation

1.Add salt to 1 cup of  water and microwave / heat for 2 minutes.

2.Pour water little by little to the wheat flour and mix well.
3.Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about  5 - 10 minutes.
 [Tip: If your dough is really hard ,at this stage pour 2 drops of oil  to the dough  and  keep kneading.
   Sprinkle little amount of flour and make it to a ball.] optional

4.Cover the dough and let it rest for 10- 30 minutes.Because by then it will be soft, easy to handle and it will cook perfectly and form little bubbles as soon as you put it on the heat.
[Tip 2:If your dough is still dry ,roll the dough in to long ropes,rub with oil and coiled them in to rounds and roll them out.] optional
5.Divide the dough into small balls.

6.Dust a clean surface lightly with flour.
7.Lightly coat one ball in dry flour
8.Put 1 ball of dough on the surface, keep the other balls covered.
9.Flatten the dough using a rolling pin.

10.With each roll,rotate the dough one -quarter and turn to keep it in an even circle
11.Flip the dough over once or twice and dust it with flour to prevent sticking.
12.To get chapati that are soft and flexible it is crucial that the skillet is very hot, so that they are done in under 30 seconds per side.

13.When you see bubbles on one side of chapathi,gently press and rotate it , then turn it and do the same.

14.Keep the chapathi in a container and close with the lid

[Tip 3 :Its better to keep the chapathi covered in a wet cloth or napkin so that the chappathi will be soft and will not be dry.]

How to make Fulka

When the chapati is placed over flame and it puffs up it is known as fulka. To eat it apply butter or ghee.

Cook both sides of the chapati on a hot tawa for 30 seconds and then put directly on the flame (eg: gas stove, electric stove) using a  locking tong[see the below image] .Turn quickly and let the other side puff up.

If you are using an electric stove place a wire mesh on the stove [something like the following image] and put the chapati on the wire mesh to puff up. 

To keep the chapatis warm and fresh apply some ghee on top of the chapati ,rotate and spread the ghee using another chapati.Keep chapatis one over the other .In this way the ghee will spread on both sides.[optional]

Upma /Upmavu

Ingredients

Rava/Sooji/Semolina -2 cup
Oil -4 tbsp
Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
Ginger root -1 tsp, grated
Green chillies -3-5 med, chopped
Chopped onions 1 med, chopped
Salt to taste
Vegetables of choice: Green peas,beans, carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, tomatoes, capsicum, etc
Grated coconut -3-4 tbsp, optional
Egg-2 (optional)
Lemon juice (2 tsp, optional)

Preparation

1.Heat oil in a pan
2.Add mustard seeds and wait for them to splutter.
3.Add cumin seeds,ginger ,green chillies and chopped onions.Fry until onions caramelise.
4.Add vegetables and saute for 3-4 minutes.Depends on the vegetables the cooking time may vary.
   I have added 1 handfull of chopped beans,1 handfull of green peas and 2 grated carros.
5.Add 2 eggs and saute until it dry well.
6.Add rava and dry roast until it just begins to turn brown.
7.Add grated coconut and salt.
8.Boil 2-3 cup of water in a sauce pan.
9.Keep a slow fire and add boiled water little by little to the rava stirring continuously.
10.The upma is done when all the water is absorbed by the rava.
11.Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves and lemon juice.


Another way to prepare upma

1.Dry-roast rava until it just begins to turn brown, then keep aside.

2.Do steps from 1 to 7.

3.Add 2 cups of water and bring to boil(for 1 cup rava,2 cup water)

4.Add the roasted rava ,turn down the heat, and mix quickly to avoid lumps forming.

5.Continue step 10 and step 11.

Carrot Puttu

Ingredients


1.Rice flour/Arippodi/Samba wheat puttu podi/ Any kind of puttu podi - 2 cup
2.Salt- as required
3.Water-as required
4.Carrot -1 grated
5.Cumin seeds/Jeerakam -1tsp(optional)
6.Curry leaves -1 spring (optional)
7.Coconut- 5 tsp

Preparation


1.Crush 1tsp cumin seeds and 1 spring curry leaves together.Add this to the puttu podi and mix well.
2.Mix salt with water and sprinkle this to the powdered flour  just to make the powder wet.
Do not pour a lot of water
3.Finally add 1 grated carrot to it and mix well.(Add carrot  last otherwise its difficult to mix the powder )
4.You need puttukudam to make puttu.
5.Put a hand-full of grated coconut  in the puttu kutty and then put puttu podi.
  If you like coconut you can add coconut in the middle section and top of puttukutty.
6.Close the lid and steam it for 5 minutes
7.Serve puttu hot.

Idli /Dosa

Ingredients

1.Rice - 2 1/4 cups

2.Urad dal/Uzhunnu-1 cup
3.Salt-as required
4.Uluva/Fenugreek seeds - 1tsp

Preparation

1.Wash the rice and dal
2.Soak rice and dal seperately for at least 6 hours

3.When the rice and dal  is smooth enough to grind,
4.Grind the rice,uluva and dal separately by adding very little water

5.Mix the grinded rice and dal together in to a batter
6. Keep it  overnight (6-8 hours) for fermentation.
(tip:In some cold countries it is difficult to ferment the batter.Preheat the oven to 110 degree  Fahrenheit.Switch off the oven and keep the batter in it.

7.Add salt and stir well.
8. Apply oil /spray some non-stick cooking spray in the idli thattu(idli plate) and pour a spoon full of fermented batter to the plates.

9.Make Idli's in high flame.
10.Have it with Sambar [http://annshealthykitchen.blogspot.com/search?q=sambar]  and Chammanthi [http://annshealthykitchen.blogspot.com/2012/04/thenga-chammanthicoconut-chutneythenga.html]

Pidi

Ingredients

1.Roasted rice flour /aripodi -2 cups
2.Grated Coconut - 2 cups
3.Cumin powder  - 3 - 4 tsp
4.Crushed garlic- 7-10 pods
5.Curry leaves-2 stem
6.Salt-as required

Preparation

1.Boil water.
2.In a skillet, lightly roast the rice flour and keep it aside.
3.Roast the coconut very lightly just to remove the extra water from the grated coconut.
4.Grind the garlic.
5.Add the grated coconut,salt ,cumin powder and garlic to the roasted rice powder and mix well.

6.Add boiled water little by little and knead it using a spatula to make a smooth dough.
7.When it is warm enough to handle knead the dough very well by hand.
8.The consistency of the dough should be same as that of Idiyappam dough.

9.Make small balls from the dough.

10.Pour some roasted rice flour on the balls so they won't stick together.Later you can add this rice flour also to the boiled water.

11.Boil 2 - 4 cups of water with salt
12.Add curry leaves
13.Put the balls in to the boiled water
14.Add boiled water if water is not in the level of Pidi.
15.Cook it in low-medium flame with the lid closed.
(tip from mom : If the gravy is not thick,mix some roasted rice flour in boiled water and add to the boiled water)
16.Allow it to cool.
17.Serve with Chicken curry.
 (tip:For better taste, you can add coconut milk also to the boiling water.)