POHA \ AVAL UPMA

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Poha/aval/flattened rice is a very simple dish and has amazing flavours too. In south India it is called Aval and Poha in Maharashtra.  Aval upma can be eaten as breakfast or for brunch. It is a very light breakfast and easy to prepare and belongs to the class of instant upma. My mom used to prepare either for breakfast or in the evenings .

Aval/poha comes in two categories - thick and thin. Here I am using paper thin variety. My mom used to put onion, ginger, green chilies, tomato and corriander leaves. I am adding grated carrot and peas. Garnishing with coconut gives it a distinct flavour.

INGREDIENTS

Poha/Aval paper thin variety 2 cups
Carrot grated 1 tbsp
Peas 1 tbsp
Ginger grated 1 tbsp
Onion 1 medium finely diced
Coconut 1/2 cup grated
Mustard 1 tsp
Green chili 2 cut in slits
Tomato 1 medium deseeded

Coriander leaves finely diced 1/2 cup
Curd 1/4 cup
Water 1/4 cup
lemon juice 1 tbsp
Refined oil 1/2 tbsp
salt to taste
METHOD

Add water and curd to the aval/poha with salt in a bowl and. The aval will become soft after sometime. Keep it aside

Heat the oil and add the mustard when it splutters add the onion and ginger and stir till onion becomes brown.Add turmeric saute for few seconds and then add all the vegetables and cook them for 5 minutes. Add some salt. ( salt has already been added to aval)

Add the aval/poha and saute till aval becomes hot. Add the grated coconut and lemon juice and turn off the stove. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Tasty Yummy breakfast is ready, serve hot.

IDIYAPPAM

Idiyappam is a traditional breakfast dish of Kerala. It is also a traditional dish of Tamil nadu, Andhra pradesh, Karnataka and Sri lanka.

Main ingredient is rice flour which is made into a dough using boiling water and pressed into a noodle form and steamed. This is served with variety of side dishes like chicken stew, cauliflower kurma, coconut milk, vegetable stew, chicken curry, egg curry etc.

INGREDIENTS

Rice flour            1 cup
Boiling water      1 cup
Oil                            1 tbsp
Coconut grated   1/2 cup
Salt to taste

METHOD

Take 1 cup rice flour in a large vessel, add salt and mix well.

Take boiling water and pour it little by little into the rice flour and mix well with a spatula. Gather it quickly and form a moist dough with your hand while still the dough is warm. The dough should not stick to your fingers. ( For 1 cup rice flour little less than 1 cup boiling water is required).

For making idiyappam we need a idiyappam maker or nazhi and 3 idli molds. Grease the idli molds with oil.

Divide the dough into three balls. Add a ball to the idiyappam maker and press it into a idli mold in concentric circles. Sprinkle grated coconut over it. Make sure it is not thick or it won't cook properly.

Repeat the same procedure and press the other two balls into the other two  idli molds.

Keep the idli molds into an ordinary steamer or a pressure cooker and steam for 10 minutes.

Once it cools down take out the idli molds and demold the idiyappam with a spatula into a service dish.

Serve it hot with vegetable stew/ coconut chutney/ chicken curry.

BROKEN WHEAT/SAMBA RAVAI UPMA

Whole wheat kernels are crushed or cut into  small pieces. Cracked wheat, dalia, bulgar, lapsi or broken wheat are the free names given to this form of wheat. This is processed into fine size, medium size or large size.

Cracked wheat is a good source of manganese, iron, phosphorus and fibre. It lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and cholesterol.

INGREDIENTS

Samba godumbu ravai/
Broken wheat.                          1 teacup
Carrot finely chopped.            1
Boiled potato                             1
Onion finely chopped              1
Tomato finely chopped           1
Green gram sprouts.                3 tbsp
Ginger finely chopped             1"
Peas                                             2 tbsp
Green chillies                            2-3
Turmeric powder                    1/2 tsp
Urad dal                                     1 tsp
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves chopped     2 tbsp
Oil                                                1 tbsp
Salt to Taste

METHOD

Heat coconut oil in a deep frying pan. Add mustard seeds allow it to splutter then add urad dal. Fry till dal becomes golden in colour.

Add finely chopped onions, curry leaves, chillies and ginger. When onions becomes slightly golden on colour add turmeric powder and saute for a second. Add carrots, potatoes and peas and sauté for a minute, add  tomatoes and coriander leaves and saute for a minute or two.

Add 3 teacups of water and sprouts, allow it to boil. Add samba ravai and salt. Cover and cook on low heat till all the water is absorbed. Turn off the heat.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with bananas.

AWESOME DOSAS

Dosa is made from rice batter and black lentils( urad dal) and is fermented. This dish is famous and staple diet of south indians ( kerala, tamil nadu, andhra pradesh, karnataka). It is high in protein and due to the process of fermentation vitamin B  and C increases.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup urad dal
2 cup of raw rice
2 cup of boil rice
1 tbsp fenugreek

METHOD

Soak the above ingredients for 4 to 5 hrs and grind it nicely. Add salt and keep for fermenting for 7 to 8 hrs. The batter should be in a flowing consistency.

Take a tawa grease it with oil or a non stick dosa tawa can be used . Take the batter in a big tablespoon and put it 0n the tawa and spread evenly like a pancake. Put some oil on top ,wrap it or fold it and serve hot.
It can be served with sambar, chutney.

There are different types of dosa 

Dosa

Variety of dosas are paper dosa, ghee dosa, ragi dosa , masala dosa, egg dosa, butter dosa,onion dosa etc..