Varalakshmi Vratam

Varalakshmi Puja is observed by married women in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and other parts ofSouth India.Goddess Lakshmi – the goddess of wealth and prosperity – is worshipped on the day. Varamahalakshmi literally means the boon granting goddess.

The Friday before the Full Moon, or Pournami day, of Tamil Month Aadi is chosen to perform Varalakshmi Puja. The corresponding month in the Kannada, Marathi and Telugu Calendar is the Shravan month.
Worshipping Goddess Lakshmi on Varalakshmi Vrata day is equivalent to worshipping Ashtalaksmi – the eight goddesses of Wealth, Earth, Learning, Love, Fame, Peace, Pleasure, and Strength
The importance of Varalakshmi Puja is mentioned in the Skanda Purana. It is believed that importance of Varalakshmi Puja was narrated to Goddess Parvati by Lord Shiva.
Goddess Parvati wanted to know about a Vrata that is highly beneficial to a woman, which will help her lead a happy and prosperous life on earth. Lord Shiva then mentioned about the Varamahalakshmi Vratam.

Performance of Varalakshmi Puja
Varalakshmi Puja falls on a Friday in the month of August and the preparations for the puja begin on Thursday. All the necessary items needed for the pooja are collected by Thursday evening.
People wake up early in the morning on Friday and take a bath. Traditionally speaking the waking up time for the puja is the brahma muhurtham. Then the designated puja area and house is cleaned well and a beautiful ‘kolam’ or rangoli is drawn on the intended place of puja.
Next is the preparation of the ‘kalasham or kalash.’ A bronze or silver pot is selected and is cleaned thoroughly and a swastika symbol is drawn and is smeared with sandalwood paste. The kalasham pot is filled with raw rice or water, coins, a single whole lime, five different kinds of leaves, and beetle nut. The items used to fill the kalasham vary from region to region and includes turmeric, comb, mirror, small black bangles and black beads.
The kalasham up to the neck is sometimes covered with a cloth and mango leaves are placed on the mouth of the kalasham. Finally, a coconut smeared with turmeric is used to close the mouth of the kalasham. To this coconut, an image of Goddess Lakshmi is fixed or the image of Lakshmi is drawn using turmeric powder. Now the kalasham symbolically represents Goddess Lakshmi.
In some areas, women place a mirror behind the kalasham. Today, there are also specially made Varalakshmi pots available in the market.
The kalasham is usually placed on a bed of rice. First Lord Ganesha is worshipped. Then begins the Varalakshmi Puja. The puja consists of singing slokas dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi like the Lakshmi Sahasranamam. Arati is performed on the kalasham. Different types of sweets are offered. Some people offer pongal. In some areas women tie yellow thread on their hands.
The woman who is observing the Varalakshmi Puja abstains from eating certain kind of food and this varies from region to region. In some regions, women fast till the puja period.
Thamboolam – betel leaf, areca nut and slaked lime – is offered to women in the locality and in the evening an arati is offered.
The next day, that is on Saturday, after taking a bath the kalasham is dismantled and the water in the kalasham is sprinkled in the house. If rice is used then it is mixed with rice in the house.
There are no hard and fast rules in performing the Varalakshmi Puja and you can be flexible on the puja items. Even a simple prayer will please Goddess Lakshmi.

God bless you.

Text taken from http://www.hindu-blog.com/

Aloo Tikki

Ingredients

4 large potatoes (aloo)
¼ cup boiled peas (optional)
3 tbsp raisins
3 tbsp chopped almonds
2 tbsp coriander leaves
4 green chillies finally chopped
½ cup bread crumbs
1 tsp Cumin seeds
½ chilli powder
2 tsp coriander powder (optional)
salt to taste
2 tbsp corn flour
oil (tel) to fry

Method
Make a corn batter with ½ cup water.
Wash and finely cut the green chillies.
Boil the potatoes. Peel and mash well.
Mix well the all ingredient except bread crumbs and oil.

Take out small balls from it and make any shape of your choice..
Dip these balls in the corn flour batter and coat it with breads crumbs. 

Deep fry in oil till crisp and golden brown on all sides.
Serve hot with some chutney or yogurt.

Home made yogurt

Ingredients
2 qt milk, 1%, 2% or whole milk works great, depends on your cholesterol :o)
1 Tsp plain yogurt, (use fresh & tasty one)
1 Green or red chili

Method
Using a pot with a clean & heavy bottom, boil the milk over medium heat. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t boil over.
Allow the milk to cool until lukewarm (the lukewarm temperature is very important)
Now add 1 tsp of yogurt and mix well
Add the chili and cover with a lid

Leave it for few hours in a warm space
In another 3 to 4 hours your yogurt should be ready

Tips
1. If you want it to be farm and thick,you have to boil that minimum 30 min
2. If you want to cool the milk a little quicker, place the pot in cool water. Pour the milk from one cup to another till frothy (for the coarse texture)

3. The surrounding temperature must be warm for the yogurt to form. In winter what you do.
4. Put the Bowl near the hot stove(while you cooking)
5. Put the bowl in to the oven and turn on the oven light.

Asparagus Stir Fry

Ingredients
Asparagus - 1 lbs Chopped
Onion - 1
Green chillies- 3 (slit lengthwise)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Channa dal - 1 tbsp
Split moong dal - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves- 5 to 7
Curry(or chilli) powder - 2 tsp
Gram flour - 1 tbspOil for frying
Salt to taste

Method

Boil the asparagus for 10 min (3/4 cooked), keep aside.
Take a pan pour some oil add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, channa dal and moong dal. After dal turns reddish brown add onion, chillies and curry leaves.
Fry until translucent, now add asparagus fry for few minutes.
Add powder ingredients along with salt, fry until oil separates.
Finally sprinkle gram flour and fry for another two minutes.
Serve with steamed rice or roti.

Broccoli / Cheese Soup

Ingredients
Broccoli - 2 to 3 cups
Butter 1 tbsp
Onion -1/2 cup
Garlic- 2 nos
All purpose flour - 1 tbsp
Milk -3/4
Cheddar cheese - 3/4 to 1 cup
Salt & pepper to taste

Method
Wash a bunch of broccoli and cut it into florets. Sprinkle with a 1 tbsp water. Microwave the broccoli for 2-3 minutes, set aside.
Heat the butter in a saucepan. Saute onion and minced garlic in the butter until fragrant. Stir in flour and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add milk and stir to make a sauce.
Now add the cooked broccoli and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Turn off the heat. Stir in cheese, salt (remember cheese is salty, so...) and pepper to taste.

Blend the soup using a blender/ food processor. Reheat before serving. Enjoy with some bread sticks.

Ellu Seedai / Sweet Seedai

Ingredients

1 cup sifted rice Flour
2 tsp Urad Dal flour (dry roast and make a powder)
1 cup Jaggery
pinch of cardamom powder
1 tbsp white Sesame seeds

Method
Grate the jaggery, pour down 1 cup of hot water on the jaggery and let it sit for at least 40 minutes.
In a skillet dry roast the rice flour until aromatic (about a minute or so). Set aside to cool it down. In the same skillet, dry toast the sesame seeds less than 30 seconds or so. Set aside.
Now using a strainer, strain the jaggery water mixture. Warm this jaggery syrup, add cardamom powder. Give it one quick stir and take off the stove.
Add all the dry ingredients together and slowly (one spoon at a time) add the jaggery syrup to form a tight dough. Too much liquid will spoil the recipe. (Sometimes depending on the quality of the flour, you may require the full jaggery syrup or just half of it)

Set aside for at least 30 min. This enables the flour to absorb all the flavors. Place a damp cloth/paper towel. Take a small piece of the dough and using a greased palm, roll it out into small balls.

Drop few at a time in the oil and deep fry. Slowly move them around to prevent them from sticking to one another. Fry till deep brown. A few cracks here and there on the surface of these Seedais are perfectly normal. Make sure the oil is med-high hot, drain in paper towels to remove excess oil.

Kollu Paruppu Chutney

Ingredients
Kollu paruppu ( horse gram ) - 1 cup
Onion - 1 ( chopped )
Green chillies - 3 ( chopped )
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Coriander seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Garlic -3 nos
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste.

Method
Pressure cook the horse gram with turmeric powder, salt, a spoon of oil and 2 cups of water. Allow up to 4 0r 5 whistles.

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard, onion, green chillies, curry leaves, garlic, crushed coriander and cumin seeds and saute them until it is light golden brown in color.

Then mix it along with cooked horse gram to a blender grind into a coarse paste.
Serve with steamed rice and ghee.

Note: If you want kollu rasam while you pressure cook the dal add more water. In this water add tamarind pulp... then the usual procedure for rasam.

Kothamalli Chutney

Ingredients

Urad Dal - 4 tsp
Channa Dal - 3 tsp
Red Chillies - 3
Green Chilli - 1
Coconut - 1 tbsp
Hing - a pinch
Salt
Coriander Leaves/Cilantro - 1 small bunch
Oil - 3 tsp
Tamarind - a small piece

Method
Heat oil in a pan
Add urad dal, channa dal, red chillies, green chilli, hing and fry till the dals turn reddish-brown
Add the rest of the ingredients and fry for 5 minutes
Cool and grind to a coarse paste by adding enough water
Mix with piping hot rice and ghee and enjoy! It also goes well with any tiffin.

Moong sprout with egg salad - Sandwich

Ingredients
Egg – 6
Vegetables like celery, carrot, bell pepper – 1½ cups,
Sprouts or any other micro greens – 1 cup
Whole grain bread – 8 slices
Mayonnaice - 2 to 3 tbsp
Mustard – ½ tsp
Onion - mediam size
Olive oil – 1 tbsp
Juice of half a lemon
Parsley or cilantro – 1 tbsp, minced
Red pepper flakes – 1 tsp
Salt

Method

Halve the hard boiled eggs, separating the yolks from the whites. Cut the whites and set aside.
In heated kadai add oil fry mustard seeds,onion, vegetables and the sprouts. Just few minutes not fully cook.
After its cool down add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Spread the egg salad on toasted bread, followed by another slice of bread. 

Onion Pakora

Ingredients
3 big onions (chop them lengthwise)
1 cup besan/Gram flour
1/2 cup rice flour
2 tbsp chopped cilantro (coriander leaves)
2 tbsp chopped curry leaves
1 tsp Red Chilli powder
1 tsp green chilli½ tsp ginger crushed
A pinch of hing
Salt as per taste
Oil for deep frying


Method

Mix all the ingredients together along with a tbsp of oil

Sprinkle little water over the mixture, not like a normal batter but just coat the onions.

Heat the oil in a pan, sprinkle the mixture into the oil. Deep fry until golden brown.

Palak Egg Curry

Ingredients

3 boiled eggs
1 big bunch of spinach (discard the coarse stems) – blanch in hot water for 2 minutes, make a paste and keep aside
1 ½-2 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
2 onions finely chopped
2 green chillis slit length wise
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp red chilli pwd
1 tbsp coriander pwd
1 big juicy tomato (finely chopped, optional)
salt to taste
½ tsp garam masala pwd
1 tbsp malai (optional)

Method
Add ghee in a heavy bottomed vessel and add cinnamon stick,cloves and cumin seeds, let them splutter. Add the onions and green chillis, sauté them till light brown.Add ginger garlic paste and fry further for 2 minutes. Add red chilli powder and coriander powder and combine well.Add the tomato and let it cook for 5-6 minutes on medium heat. Add the palak paste and let it cook further for another 4-5 minutes.
Now add the egg pieces and combine. Cook covered on low heat for 3 minutes. You can add some water if you want then add salt and cook on medium heat for 6-8 minutes.
Add malai, garam masala powder and mix well.
Reduce flame, cover and cook for 2 minutes.
Serve hot with rotis or white steamed rice.

Note: for Palak paneer use panner instead of egg.

Thattai

Ingredients

Rice flour – 2 cups
Urad dal flour – ¼ cup
Butter – 2 tablespoon
Channa Dal – 2 tablespoon (Soak for 15 mins in warm water)
Red chillies – 2 or more according to taste
Garlic pods – 2(optiomal)
Sesame seeds – 2 teaspoon
Curry leaves – 1 spring cut into small pieces
Salt as required
Oil for deep frying the thattai.

Procedure

Grind the red chillies and garlic in a small mixer and add it to the rice flour. Dry roast the urad dal and cool it completely and grind it to a fine powder. Mix all the other ingredients together. Slowly add some water and make a tight dough. Let the dough rest for 10 mins.

Grease some thick plastic cover (zip lock) with oil. Now form small balls out of the prepared dough.
Place the balls on the greased plastic cover and press it with your greased fingers to make them flat.
Take a fork and prick some holes on the thattai. This will allow the steam to escape and the thattai will not puff up and remains flat.

Repeat the same with rest of the dough.Not slowly remove the thattai from the greased cover and drop it in hot oil. Fry until golden brown. Remove from oil and transfer it on a paper towel to remove excess oil.

Let it cool and store in a air tight container.

Thayir Pachadi

Ingredients

1 small onion
1 tsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp jeera / cumin
Channa dal - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 2 tsp
2 to 3 green chilli
Curry leaves - few
1 cup thick plain yogurt
Salt to taste

Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds,jeera, and dals
When they pop, add the onions, green chilli and curry leaves.
Fry until onion translucent.
Take a bowl pour yogurt with right salt, add the fried onion mix well.

Note: For a quick side dish, you can add your favorite vegetable in to this (fry veg along with onion)

Rava idli

Ingredients

1 cup upma rava/sooji
1 tbsp chana dal
½ tsp mustard seeds
1″ ginger - grated
4-5 fresh curry leaves - finely chopped
2 medium sized carrots - grated
2 tbsps freshly chopped coriander leaves
2 1/2 cup well beaten thick yoghurt
1 tsp baking soda
Salt to taste
1 tbsp ghee/clarified butter
3 tbsps of cooking oil
¼ tsp turmeric powder
10 -12 cashew nuts (optional)

Method :
Heat ghee in a wide bottomed pan . On medium flame fry chana dal till lightly brown, then add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add grated ginger curry leaves, and turmeric. Fry on low flame for a minute.
Add rava and on medium flame stir fry continuously for 3 - 4 mts till a nice aroma comes out. (Take care not to burn the rava. If you see the rava turns out to be changing brown then lower the heat and fry.) Allow to cool for a few minutes.
Add grated carrot, chopped coriander, 1 cup yoghurt, salt to taste, baking soda and mix well. Cover and leave it aside for 30 mts. The batter rises a little bit by this time.
Remove the cover, add 3 tbsps of oil, and the rest of the yoghurt and give it a good mix. The mixture now looks like thick idly batter.(you can add some water)
Grease idli plates, place a roasted cashew nut in the center of each idli mould, pour the rava batter over the cashew nut. Don’t over fill the idli mould. Fill it ¾ and leave the rest for the idli to rise while cooking.
Steam them covered on medium flame for around 10 mts. Turn off the heat. Let it sit for 5 more minutes before you open the lid.
Remove, and carefully spoon the idlis from the mould.
Serve hot with chutney of your choice.

Simple Tomato Curry / Thakkali Kuzhambu

Ingredients
Oil - for fry
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Onions - 2 medium, chopped
Chillies - 4 to 5
Garlic - 3 cloves, chopped (optional)
Curry leaves - few
Tomatoes - 2-3 Large, chopped
Salt - to taste
1 tsp of turmaric powder
2 tsp of homemade masala/kari powder

To Grind
Coconut - 4 tbsp
Pottukadalai 4 tbs or Cashewnuts - 6 to 7
Poppy seeds (khasa khasa) - 2 tsp
Sombu - 1 tbs
Jeera - 1 tsp
Cinnamon - ½ inch

Method
1. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds,
2. Add chopped onions and garlic. Fry till golden brown.
3. Finally add the tomatoes and fry for about 3 minutes then add powdered ingredients.

After raw smell goes then
4. Add the ground masala paste and sauté for just a minute more.
5. Add sufficient water and allow the gravy to boil for about 10-15 minutes.
6. When the gravy is thick enough, remove from fire and serve.

Serve with Idli or dosa. It goes well with rice too.

Lemon rice

Ingredients :
1 ½ cup of cooked rice
¼ cup of peanuts
few cashew nuts
1 tbs channa dal
1 tbs urad dal
1 tsp mustard seeds
few red chilli
pinch of asafoetida
few curry leafs

Heat gingelly oil in a shallow pan or a kadai. Add the all ingredients one by one. Cook until dals change colour to light brown.then add curry leaves follwed by turmeric powder,lemon juice and salt. Stir fry for half a minute. Add cooked rice.

Garnish with coriander .

Moong sprout salad

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh moong sprouts
1/4 cup finely chopped cucumber
1/4 cup finely chopped/grated carrot
1/4 cup finely chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp finely chopped raw mango pieces
1 tbsp chopped walnuts
1 tbsp chopped dried apricots or dates or raisins
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander

for the dressing:
3-4 finely chopped/minced green chillies
1/2 tsp grated ginger(optional)
1/4 tsp chat masala(optional)
generous drizzle of lemon juice
few drops of honey(optional)
salt to taste

Fry the moong sprouts in a pan with few spoons of water for about 5 min. Take mixing bowl add the all ingredients one by one.(if you give lunch box you have to separate the tomato and cucumber) Then add dressing mix.

Variations: You can avoid honey,ginger in the above salad and add grated coconut to the salad.You can even add raw soaked groundnuts,chopped fresh grapes,sliced oranges/Mesambi for different flavors.

Bagara Baingan

Ingredients:
7 to 9 brinjals
1 cup of groundnuts
2 tbs sesame seeds
small qty of cocount
1 stick of cinnamon
4 cloves
1 tbs of coriander pdr
1 tbs cumin pdr
few elachi
Oil for frying
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 onion
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
few g. chilli
ginger & garlic paste
tamarind juice 

small piece jaggery

Cut the brinjals into four parts but don't cut off the ends
Immediately put them in oil, fry slowly stirring occasionally till they are 70% softened.

Fry peanuts fully dont burn (add oil optionally) then add sesame seeds fry till the colour changes. Before you turn off the stove add coconut. Grind into a paste.
Heat large pot of oil fry whole garam masala, add continuously mustard, cumin and fenugreek seeds. When they start to splatter add onions, curry leafs, turmeric, g&g paste.
Now add masalas (powders) one by one, and add the grounded paste with water cook for 15 min, you have to slow flame otherwise it will burn.
Add tamrind, and jaggery and cook till oil oozes out.
Add the fried bringals into the gravy
Wait for few mins, then serve hot with rice, pulaos, and chapatis and even with biryanis.

Vermicelli / Semiya Upma

Ingredients:
1 cup semiya (vermicelli)
1 onion medium size
3 to 4 green chillies
1\2 inch ginger
6 to 8 leaves curry leaves
1 tea spoon Mustard
1 tea spoon Urad dal
2 tea spoons Chana dal
1 and 1\2 tea spoons oil
1 tea spoon salt (as per taste)
1\2 tea spoon lemon juice (optional)

Method:
Heat half tea spoon of oil/ghee in a pan and fry semiya to golden color and keep it aside. Heat 1 tea spoon of oil in a pan. Add mustard seed, urad dal and chana dal. When they starts spluttering add finely sliced onions, green chillies,curry leaves and finely chopped ginger. Fry in a low flame until onions turn pink. Now add fried semiya, mix well with salt. Then cook while occasional sprinkle some water, reduce the flame and cook for 5 mins until cooked. Switch off the flame and add lemon juice (optional).
Take it into a serving bowl and garnish with fried cashew nuts.Serve hot... with chutney.

Wheat / Gothumai Dosa

Ingredients
Wheat flour - 1 cup
Salt per taste - about 1 tsp
Black pepper - 1 tsp(optional)
Water - 2 to 3

Thoroughly mix the batter without any lumps. The consistency of batter must be like thick buttermilk, not too watery or not too tight. Don’t let the batter sit for long time.Heat the tava over medium high and pour a ladleful of batter on the hot tawa and spread it in the shape of a dosa .sprinkle little oil on the surroundings of the dosa and cook for a minute or two.
Wait until the underside of the dosa turns to be golden and then gently turn it to the other side.cook for another minute or two.
Remove and serve hot with any chutney.


For variety 
1. You can add egg with some water instead of full water.
2. Add onions, chilli, curry and coriander leaves.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Ingredients 

3 tbs unsalted butter
2 tbs olive oil
3/4 cups finely chopped shallots
2 tbs chopped garlic
2 pounds white or any mushrooms -- thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves(optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper per taste
3 tbs all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups veg broth -- reserving 1/2 cup or 1 bullion
1/2 cup milk or few tbs of cream
ground nutmeg to taste -- about 1/4 teaspoon

In a large saucepan melt butter with the olive oil over moderate heat. Add the
shallots and garlic cook until tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms,thyme leaves, salt and pepper, cooking until all of the liquid rendered from the mushrooms evaporates. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add veg broth or bullion water, bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.Now you can add the milk or cream, bring to boil for another few minutes.

Serve warm soup with bread slices.
In a blender puree the soup until smooth.

Adai

Ingredients:
1 cup - Rice
1 cup - mixed dals -Chana dal, toor dal, green moong and urad dal
3 nos - dried Red chillies or to taste
1 tbs fenugreek seeds
A pinch of hing/asafoetida
A sprig of curry leaves
Salt to taste
Oil for cooking the dosa - approx 2 Tbsp

Optional: 1" inch - ginger piece, Chopped onion, Cilantro

Method:
Soak the rice, dals and red chillies in water for about 3 - 4 hrs even over a night .
Grind the soaking ingredients with the curry leaves to a coarse paste. The coarseness is what gives the adai the crisp texture.
Add salt to taste and the asafoetida and mix well. Heat a shallow, wide pan for making the dosas and spread a little oil on the pan and get started with the adais.
The adai should be a little thicker than the normal dosa. 

You can sprinkle those optional items on top of the adai.
Serve hot with Avial, sambar even Chutney also.
For an extra touch, my mom would also add a small dollop of home made butter or ghee.

Andhra-style Brinjal Chutney / Vankaya Pachadi

Ingredients:
Brinjal – 1 no (Big size) / (small-5)
Green chilly – 4 –5 nos
Garlic 3-5 pods
Urad dal 1 tbsp
Coriander seeds 1 tbsp
Jeera 2 tsp
Tamarind – Small berry size
Salt – as needed
Oil – 2 tsp
Turmeric powder – A pinch

Tempering:
Oil for fry
Mustard seeds - ½ tsp
Split moong dal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves few
Red chilli - 1

Method
Heat the pan pour some oil add urad dal, coriander seeds and jeera. After it is fried add garlic and chillis. After a minute add cut brinjals fry it till tender with a tsp of turmeric powder and salt.
Let it cool,grind it with tamarind pulp to the coarse paste.
Prepare tempering and ¼ cup raw onions pour it over the chutney.
Mix well, it is spicy and goes well with rice or even with tiffins.

Sweet Corn Soup

Ingredients
2 tbsp butter
½ cups chopped onion
1 cup corn
½ cup carrot & cabbage finally chopped
Garlic 2 nos
Salt & pepper per taste
½ cup Milk (optional)
1 tbsp corn flour
Veg stock (optional)

Preparation
In pan boil the corn until tender,cool slightly.Then make a coarse paste. Melt butter in a pan over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic to pan fry it for a minute ,then add carrot and cabbage fry it until tender, stirring occasionally. Now sprinkle the flour and mix well. Immediately add water or milk for make light sauce. Now add the corn Paste then pour some more water, put salt and pepper per your taste .Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Cool slightly.

Simple Dosa and Idli

We usually use idli rice for dosa batter, but you can also use parboiled rice.

Ingredients
4 cups rice
1 cup urad dal
1 tbs fenugreek seeds
Salt to taste
Oil for fry
¼ cup Poha(optional)Soak few minuets before grind

Procedure
Soak rice, urad dal and funugreek seeds at least 6 hour or overnight in water.

  

Grind to paste along with poha.(Use wet grinder not in mixie for good result)(For idli batter you have to grind little coarse,dosa is a smooth)
Mix together, add salt with water to make batter.
Leave in room temperature overnight.

For Idli
Take the idli holder spray oil or butter and fill each of them with 3/4th full of batter.

Steam cook idlis on medium flame for about 10 minutes or until done.
Use a butter knife to remove the idlis.

  


  


For Dosa 

For crispy dosa the batter must be thin.
Heat pan or griddle with little ghee or oil.
Spread the mix on pan in circular motion to make thin Dosa.
Cook on both the sides, if desired.

Thenga chutney

Ingredients (chutney):

Coconut-1/2 cup
Channa dhal fried/ Porikadalai-3 to 4spoon
Greenor red chillies-3
Salt to taste
Curry leaves (optional)
Coriander leaves (optional)

Tempering
Oil
Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
split urad dal-1 tsp
Curry leaves few
Chilli -1

Procedure
Just add everything in to the mixie that i mentioned above.
Then add water little bit and grind well.
Then pour the paste in to the bowl.
Now heat the oil do tempering pour it over the chutney.
Note: You can add Ginger also along with grinding mixture.