Coconut (Nariyal) Ladoo

coconut ladoo

This festive season, make everyone's favorite coconut ladoo at home and win over your family's hearts. These coconut ladoos are very not just tasty but very easy to put together.
Recipe of coconut ladoo
200 gm grated coconut (fresh or frozen)
200 gm khoya (mawa) -grated
200 gm powdered sugar
1/2 tsp elaichi (green cardamom) powder
How to make coconut ladoo
1. Put a kadhai (heavy bottomed vessel) on heat and put grated khoya in it. Turn the heat to low.
2. Cook, stirring, till khoya turns a little brownish.
3. Add grated coconut and cook stirring for few minutes.
4. Add powdered sugar and elaichi powder and mix well. Turn off the heat and take out the coconut mixture on a big plate.
5. Allow this mixture to cool down till it is comfortable to touch but still warm.
6. Using your hands, make ping pong size balls from it. These are now called coconut ladoo. Keep them in fridge for 1 hour so that they get tightened. You can eat these ladoo right away or store them in fridge for later use. 

Corn Upma

Corn upma is a nice variation from regular rava upma with vegetables. Corn I used here is tinned American sweet corn which is readily available in the market. So, try it and who knows it becomes regular in your kitchen.
Recipe of corn upma
1 cup sooji (rava/semolina)
2 tbsp corn kernels (tinned)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
Few curry leaves
2 tsp chane ki dal (Bengal gram dal)
3 green chillies- chopped
2 1/2 cups water
1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadhai and roast sooji on a low heat for 5 minutes till nice aroma comes out and
sooji turns very light brown. Take out sooji from kadhai and keep aside.
2. Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil in the kadhai and add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add chane ki dal.
Roast for few seconds.
3. Add curry leaves, green chillies and corn. Fry for 1 minute.
4. Add water and salt. Let it come to boil, then simmer on low heat, covered, for 5 minutes.
5. Slowly add sooji (little by little) mixing with other hand to avoid lumps.
6. Cover the kadhai and let all water gets absorbed. Your corn upma is ready. Serve hot. 

Sweet Pongal Recipe

sweet pongal

This is a South Indian pongal recipe which is rice and lentil dessert made on the festive occasion of Pongal. This is sweet pongal recipe with jaggery, also known as chakra pongal or chakkara pongal. Some recipes use sugar in place of jaggery, then it is known as 'Sakkarai Pongal' as sugar is known as sakkarai in Tamil. Sweet pongal is more popular in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh of South India.

Recipe of sweet pongal

1 1/2 cup rice

1/2 cup dhuli moong dal (split, skinless green gram)

2 1/2 cup milk

2 cups gur (jaggery)

1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)

2 tbsp raisins (kishmish)

2 tbsp cashew nuts (kaju)

1/2 tsp elaichi (small cardamom) powder

1. Wash rice, drain and soak rice for 1/2 an hour. Roast moong dal in a kadhai or a pan till light brown.

2. Break jaggery into small pieces and set aside.

3. Boil milk with 1 cup water in a heavy bottomed vessel like kadhai/wok.

4. Wash rice and moong dal, drain. Add to the boiled milk. Let it again come to a boil. Reduce heat and cook till rice and dal cook completely, mixing continuously. It will take around 15 minutes or so.

5. Add jaggery pieces and cook mixing so that jaggery doesn't stick to the vessel. When gur melts completely, add half of the ghee and cook on low heat for 5 minutes, stirring.

6. Heat remaining half of the ghee and roast raisins and cashews. Add this to the pongal.

7. Add elaichi powder and mix well. Serve sweet pongal warm.

Mini Sooji Uttapam (Semolina Pancake)

sooji uttapam

Sooji uttapam or rava uttapa is a delicious item from South India. You can have these uttapam as a breakfast option or as a low calorie snack as very little oil is used in this recipe.  There is no need for fermentation as it is instant.

Recipe of mini sooji uttapam/ rava uttapam

1 1/2 cups sooji (rava/semolina)

1 1/2 cups sour curd

3/4 cup water

1 big onion- chopped

1 big tomato- chopped

2 green chillies- chopped

Salt to taste
Oil as needed

rava uttapam

1. Mix sooji, curd, water and salt to prepare smooth batter of thick pouring consistency. Beat well. Set aside for 20 minutes.

2. Mix onion, tomato green chillies and salt. Set aside.

3. Heat a non-stick tawa (griddle). Pour some oil on it and wipe with a tissue paper, discard.

4. Keeping on low heat, pour 1 tbsp batter on tawa, no need to spread it as it will spread on its own if the batter consistency is right.

5. If your tawa is big, you can cook at least 3 uttapam at a time (keeping a distance).

6. Drizzle some oil on the uttapa and after 2 minutes sprinkle a little onion-tomato mixture on them. Press the topping with the help of potato masher.

7. When the underside is cooked, turn over and cook the uttapam on other side also. Remove from tawa and serve sooji uttapam hot.

Mirchi Vada

mirchi vada

Mirchi vada or mirchi bajji is basically potato stuffed mirchi ka pakora (chilli fritter). This is a Rajasthani snack which is liked by people who like their food hot. Take large, thick mirchi which is also called 'Bhavnagari mirch' or Anaheim pepper, for this dish.

Recipe of mirchi vada/ mirchi bajji

8-10 large, thick mirchi (Anaheim pepper/ bhavnagri mirch)

1 cup besan (gram flour/ chickpea flour)

3-4 potato (boiled, peeled and mashed)

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

Salt to taste

3/4 tsp chaat masala

Oil for deep frying

1. Make a vertical slit in mirch without separating them. Remove seeds from mirch.

2. Add salt and chaat masala to mashed potato.

3. Stuff this potato mixture in mirchis.

4. In a bowl, take besan and add salt and red chilli powder. Add water little by little, mixing with other hand to prepare smooth, lump free batter. The consistency of the batter should be like that of pakora (fritter) batter like.

5. Heat sufficient oil in a kadhai/wok. Dip stuffed mirchi in besan batter and deep fry in oil till golden from all sides. Serve mirchi vada hot with chutney or sauce.

Note- Mirch or peppers used for this dish are not very hot and after you remove their seeds, they become mild.

Ven Pongal (Khara Pongal)

ven pongal

Today being Sunday, we ate heavy breakfast. By afternoon, we wanted to eat something light and easy on stomach. I made ven pongal or khara pongal for lunch. Usually ven pongal is made for breakfast but it was our lunch today. Ven pongal is a type of moong dal khichdi except that the seasoning is different.

Recipe of ven pongal/ khara pongal

1 cup rice

1/2 cup dhuli moong dal (split, skinless green gram)

1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

1 tsp ginger paste

6-7 black peppercorns (kali mirch) - crushed coarsely

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

3 1/2 cups of water

Lightly fried or toasted cashew nuts for garnish

1. Wash and soak rice and moong dal together for 10 minutes. Drain.

2. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker and add cumin seeds. When they change color, add ginger paste and crushed peppercorns. Fry for 1 minute.

3. Add rice and dal and stir fry for 1 minute.

4. Add water and salt. Pressure cook for 4-5 whistles.

5. Garnish ven pongal with fried cashew nuts and serve hot.

Adai (Lentil Pancake)

adai

Adai is a type of dal dosa and a popular Tamilian breakfast. It's very nutritious and protein packed since it uses so many dals (lentils). It's healthy, tasty as well as filling. To make it tastier, you can also add finely chopped onion or cabbage or both to the adai batter.

Recipe of adai (dal dosa)

1/2 cup rice

1/4 cup toor dal (arhar dal/ red gram)

1/4 cup dhuli urad dal (split, skinless black gram)

1/4 cup chana dal (Bengal gram)

1/4 cup dhuli moong dal (split, skinless green gram)

4 green chillies

Salt to taste

A pinch of hing (asafoetida)

Few curry leaves

Oil to shallow fry

1. Wash and soak rice and dals for 2-3 hours. Drain.

2. Grind dals, rice and green chillies in a blender adding little water into a coarse paste. Remember not to add too much water as the batter for adai is usually thick.

3. Add salt, hing and curry leaves to the batter. Beat the batter well.

4. Heat a non-stick tava (griddle). Grease it and wipe off the excess oil. Pour a ladleful of batter in the center of the tava.

5. Spread it in the circular motion to make a round. Drizzle some oil around the edges and on top of the adai.

6. When the underside is cooked, turn over and cook from other side also till brownish. Similarly make other adai from rest of the batter. Serve adai hot with chutney or chutney powder.

Sambhar

sambhar

Sambhar is a must in any South Indian family and interestingly every family has its own recipe of sambhar. It’s such a versatile dish that it goes well with idli, dosa, vada or plain boiled rice.

Recipe of sambhar

1 cup toor dal (split pigeon peas)

1 medium onion- chopped

1 medium tomato- chopped

4-5 French beans- chopped

A small chunk of bottle gourd (lauki/ ghiya) - chopped

2-3 florets of gobi (cauliflower) - chopped

2 tsp sambhar powder

1/4 cup juice of tamarind (imli)

Small piece of gur (jaggery)

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Seasoning (tadka)

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

A pinch of hing (asafoetida)

3-4 dry red chillies

5-6 curry leaves

1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

Coriander leaves- chopped

1. Place dal and vegetables in a pressure cooker with enough water and turmeric powder. Cook till 3 whistles. When pressure drops, open the lid and mash dal with the back of a ladle (karchhi).

2. Add tamarind juice, sambar powder, salt and gur. Bring to boil on a low heat. Simmer for 5 minutes.

3. For seasoning, heat ghee in a small pan and add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and dry red chillies. When they splutter, add hing and curry leaves. Add this seasoning to the dal and cover the lid so that the flavors are trapped. Garnish sambhar with coriander leaves. Enjoy hot with idli, dosa or vada.

Note- to extract the juice of tamarind, take a lemon sized ball of tamarind and soak it in hot water. Extract juice of imli by mashing it well and straining it.

Bhindi Raita (Fried Okra in Yogurt)

bhindi raita

Bhindi raita or okra raita is a South Indian style raitha where it is also called 'Vendaikai Thayir Pachadi'. Small sized bhindi is good for this raita.

Recipe of bhindi raita/ okra raita

200 gms bhindi (okra) - cut into small pieces

2 cups dahi (curds/ yogurt) - whisked

4 tbsp + 1 tsp oil

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

1 dry red chilli

1. Heat 4 tbsp oil in a pan and fry the okra. Keep aside.

2. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and dry red chilli. When they splutter, remove.

3. Add fried bhindi, salt and above tempering of mustard seeds and red chilli to the well beaten yogurt. Serve okra raita chilled.

Coconut Rava Laddu (Sweet Semolina Balls)

rava laddu

Rava laddu or sooji laddu are made by themselves as well as by adding coconut. Here I am sharing the recipe of coconut rava laddu. They are more popular in Southern part of India but now also available at North Indian sweet shops. Rava laddu are especially made on festive occasions.

Recipe of coconut rava laddu

1& 1/2 cups Semolina (Rava)

3/4 cup fresh coconut- scraped

4 tbsps ghee (clarified butter)

1 cup Sugar

2 tbsps Raisins (kishmish)

1 & 1/2 tbsps Green cardamom powder

1. Heat ghee in a thick-bottomed kadai, stir-fry rava on very low heat, till it just starts changing color to light golden.

2. Add scraped coconut and continue to stir-fry for one more minute.

3. Cook sugar with half a cup of water on medium heat, stirring continuously till it dissolves. Increase heat and bring the syrup to a boil. Cook without stirring for about five minutes or till it reaches single thread consistency.

4. Add the warm roasted rava mixture and green cardamom powder to the sugar syrup and mix well. Cover the mixture with lid and keep aside for thirty minutes, stirring the mixture at regular intervals.

5. Divide the mixture into twelve to fifteen equal portions, shape into laddus by rolling them with your hands. Decorate rava laddu with raisin.

Instant Sooji Uttapam

sooji uttapam

Sooji uttapam is a fast and easy snack to prepare. You can also have it for breakfast or brunch. It’s very delicious as well as healthy option. Sooji uttapam is also known as rava uthappa or rava uthappam.

Recipe of sooji uttapam/ rava uttapam

Batter

1 1/2 cups moti sooji (rava/ coarse semolina)

Salt to taste

1 1/2 cups curd (yogurt) - preferably sour

3/4 cup water

Topping

2 tomatoes- finely diced

2 onions- finely chopped

2 green chillies- finely chopped

Coriander leaves- chopped

Salt to taste

Oil to cook

1. Mix together all the ingredients of the batter. Keep the batter aside for 1/2 hour.

2. Before cooking, beat the batter well and adjust water to get the thick pouring consistency. Batter should be thicker than dosa batter.

3. Mix all the ingredients of topping and keep aside.

4. Heat a non-stick tava or a skillet on medium. Grease it and wipe it clean with a small napkin.

5. Turning the heat to low, pour 2 tablespoon batter in the centre of the tava. With a gentle, outward motion, spread it with the back of a ladle (karchhi) to get a round shape. Keep it a little thick.

6. Turn the heat to medium and after 2 minutes, sprinkle some topping on it. Press the topping gently. Pour a tsp of oil on it and cover it with a lid of some height.

7. After the underside is cooked, remove the lid and turn over the uttapam gently so that top side also gets cooked. When the onions turn little brown, remove from the tava. Serve hot sooji uttapam with sambar or chutney.

rava uttapam

Vegetable Oats Upma

vegetable oats upma

Vegetable oats upma is one of the healthiest dishes so we eat it on a regular basis keeping in mind its health benefits. Also it is very quick and easy to make, packed with goodness. Vegetable oats upma is an almost instant food without compromising on health.

Recipe of vegetable oats upma

1 cup oats

Mixed chopped vegetables like carrot, green beans, potato, peas, cauliflower

1 onion- chopped

1 inch piece ginger- grated or chopped

2 green chillies- slit lengthwise

1/2 tsp mustard seeds (kali sarson)

Salt to taste

2 tsp peanuts

2 tsp cashew nuts- broken

1 tsp chana dal (split Bengal gram)

1 tsp urad dal (skinless split black gram)

4-5 curry leaves

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 tbsp oil

1. Take a non- stick pan and dry roast the oats till they leave their whitishness and turn brown. Take them out of the pan.

2. Heat oil in the same pan after wiping off with a dry cloth. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add chana dal and roast for 1/2 a minute. Add urad dal, peanuts and cashew nuts. Roast till they become light brown.

3. Add onion, green chillies, ginger and curry leaves. Sauté for a minute.

4. Add vegetables, water and salt. Cook covered till vegetables are tender.

5. Add oats and mix well. Lower heat and cook for about 3-4 minutes, covered. Turn off heat and let it stand for 3-4 minutes.

Healthy Bytes- oatmeal is a rich source of dietary fiber, both soluble and insoluble. Oats are proven to be effective in lowering blood cholesterol. Whole oats also reduce high blood pressure. Fiber in oats helps in regular bowel movement. Oatmeal also helps with weight loss.

Tomato Rice

tomato rice

Tomato rice is a delicious South Indian variety of rice. It is well loved by rice eaters. Tomato rice is a quick meal which comes as a saviour when you are short of time. Enjoy it with raita and papads.

Recipe of tomato rice

1 cup basmati rice

1 onion- chopped

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

3 tomatoes- pureed

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

Few curry leaves

1 tbsp chana dal (split Bengal gram)

2 cups of water

1. Wash and soak rice for 20 minutes. Drain. Place rice in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water and cook to 1 whistle. Let the rice cool down by spreading it in a big plate or tray.

2. Heat ghee in a kadhai/ wok. Add mustard seeds and when they pop, add chana dal. Cook on a low heat till dal turns light brown.

3. Add onion and curry leaves. Sauté till onion becomes light brown. Take care not to burn the dal.

4. Add tomato puree. Add salt, turmeric and red chilli powders.

5. Cook on low heat till tomato turns dry and ghee begins to separate.

6. Gently mix tomato to rice stirring carefully because we don't want the rice to break. Mix till well mixed. Serve hot tomato rice with raita.

Rice Idli

rice idli

Idli is rice and lentil steamed cake. They taste best with sambhar and coconut chutney but you can also enjoy rice idli with chutney masala like that made by MTR.

Recipe of rice idli

2 cups parboiled rice (sela chawal)

1 cup dhuli urad dal (skinless split black gram)

2 tsp salt or to taste

1 tsp methi dana (fenugreek seeds)

1. Wash and soak rice and urad dal separately along with methi dana added to each. Soak them for 6 hours or overnight if possible.

2. Grind urad dal to a smooth paste and grind rice to a coarse granulated paste with granules to the size of semolina (sooji). Mix them together with hands. Batter should be of medium consistency that is neither too tight nor too watery.

3. Add salt and leave it for fermentation in a warm place for 8-10 hours. The batter should rise and smell sour.

4. Grease each mould of the idli stand. Take a pressure cooker or some wide, deep pan in which idli stand can fit properly.  Fill it with water so that level of water is below the idli stand.

5. Fill each mould of the idli stand with batter to the level. Remember not to overfill them since idlis need space to swell in size.

6. Place the idli stand in the cooker or a pan and cover with a steel plate and put some weight on it. Put it on stove. As soon as the water begins to boil and steam starts coming out, turn the heat to medium and cook for about 15 minutes. Insert a clean knife in 1 idli. If it comes out clean, idli is done otherwise steam for 2-3 minutes more.

7. Take out the stand from the cooker or the pan and let it stand for 2-3 minutes before taking out idlis. Take out rice idli with the help of a clean knife. Repeat the same procedure with the rest of the batter.

Note- If you live in cold climate, preheat oven to warm, turn it off. Leave the batter to ferment in this oven for 7-8 hours. If you live in a country like U.S., use kosher salt. Also, the water for soaking should be either spring water, filtered tap water or boiled water. Point is to avoid chlorine in the water.

(Semolina) Rava Pongal

rava pongal

While casually surfing through net, I came across this wonderful recipe of rava pongal. This is a healthy South Indian breakfast which people from other parts can eat as a nice variation to regular fare. Rava pongal uses 2 main ingredients that is, rava or semolina and moong dal instead of dal and rice used in pongal. It's healthy and tasty and try it yourself before believing me.

Recipe of rava pongal

1 cup rava (sooji/ semolina)

3/4 cup moong/mung dal (split, skinless green gram)

1 tbsp cashew nuts- broken

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

Salt to taste

1 1/2 + 4 cups water

1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter) or oil

1 tsp ginger- garlic paste

2-3 green chillies- slit

1. Heat a kadhai/ wok and dry roast moong dal till aromatic and light pink. Take out from the wok and wash it thoroughly.

2. Place moong dal, 1 1/2 cups of water and salt in a pressure cooker and cook to 1 whistle. Open the cooker after 3-4 minutes.

3. Place the cooker on heat to evaporate the water in moong dal.

4. In the mean time, dry roast rava till aromatic and some golden grains appear. Take rava out of kadhai.

5. In the same kadhai, heat ghee or oil. Add mustard seeds and when they pop, add cashew nuts. Add ginger-garlic paste and green chillies. Brown them lightly. When the water in moong dal dries, take it off the heat.

6. Returning to kadhai, add 4 cups of water and bring it to boil.

7. Add rava slowly, stirring with other hand. Add moong dal and salt. Mix well. Cook stirring till pongal gets thick. Cook it to desired consistency. Turn off the heat. You can add lemon juice at this stage if you want it tangy. Serve rava pongal hot.

Vegetable Rava (sooji) upma

vegetable rava upma

Vegetable rava upma is a favorite South Indian breakfast. They relish it with a good cup of coffee in the morning. When you add various vegetables to this dish as given in the recipe below, it gets packed with wholesome goodness. Rava upma is a nutritious and low fat breakfast and you can also have it as a snack. I usually roast 1 packet of sooji and store it in an airtight container in my refrigerator.

        Recipe of vegetable rava upma

            1 cup rava (sooji/semolina/suji)

            3 cup water

            1 medium onion- chopped

            2 green chillies- slit lengthwise

            1/4 cup shelled green peas

            1 small potato- peeled and cubed

            2-3 florets cauliflower, 3-4 French beans, 1/2 carrot- chopped

            1 tablespoon cashewnuts- broken

            1 teaspoon chana dal (bengal gram)

            1 teaspoon dhuli urad dal (split black gram)

            1/2 tsp mustard seeds

            4-5 curry leaves

            2 tsp + 1 tbsp oil

            Salt to taste

1. Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan and add rava. Roast till nice aroma comes out and you can see some golden grains. Turn off the heat and take rava immediately out of the pan otherwise it will keep on roasting.

2. In the same pan, heat 1 tbsp oil and add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add chana dal.

After few seconds, add urad dal and cashew pieces. Roast till light brown.

3. Add curry leaves, onion and green chillies. Sauté for a few seconds. Add potato, peas and chopped vegetables. Add water and salt. Cook covered till vegetables are tender.

4. Add rava slowly,a little amount at a time, stirring all the time with other handotherwise you will end up getting thick lumps.

5. Cook covered for 2-3 minutes on low heat.

6. Turn off the heat and let it stand for 3-4 minutes. Serve vegetable rava upma hot.

Rasam

rasam

Rasam is known by many names like Saru, Charu, Sar in different parts of Southern India but rasam is the most common name. There are also many varieties of rasam like toor dal rasam, tomato rasam, Mysore rasam etc. It is just like a spicy soup which you can also eat with rice. It’s quite a comforter in cold weather. I have used freshly roasted spices to make rasam powder but you can also use readymade rasam powder available in the market but to be honest, taste won’t be the same.

Recipe of rasam

4 tomatoes- finely diced

3 tbsp toor dal (arhar dal/ split red gram)

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

A pinch of hing (asafoetida)

Salt to taste

Few curry leaves

4-5 cloves garlic (optional) - crushed

1 tsp ghee (clarified butter)

Rasam powder

2 tsp coriander seeds

3 dry, whole red chillies

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp oil

1. Prepare the rasam powder by heating 1 tsp oil and frying the ingredients of rasam powder on a very low heat till it turns aromatic. Fry for about 3-4 minutes. Blend them in a blender to a fine powder.

2. Boil toor dal till soft. Mash it.

3. Boil 3 cups of water and add tomato. Add salt, turmeric powder; curry leaves and garlic to it. Boil it for few minutes.

4. Add mashed dal, rasam powder and hing. Simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and add ghee. Serve hot rasam garnished with coriander leaves.

Pesarattu (Moong Dal Dosa)

pesarattu

Pesarattu or green gram pancake is a famous breakfast item from Andhra Pradesh. Pesarattu is not just tasty but it is also very healthy and nutritious since we are using whole moong beans.

Recipe of pesarattu/green gram dosa

1 cup sabut moong dal (whole green gram)

3 green chillies

1 inch piece ginger

Salt to taste

6-7 curry leaves

1 medium onion

1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves

Oil to shallow fry

1. Wash and soak moong dal for 3 hours. Chop onion and green chillies roughly. Chop coriander leaves and curry leaves.

2. Drain mung dal and discard the water. Grind moong dal with onion and green chillies. Add salt, curry leaves and coriander leaves.

3. Heat a dosa tava or any non-stick tava (griddle) and smear oil on it. Pour a ladleful of batter in the center of tava and spread it in outward circular motion with the back of the ladle (karchhi). Spread it thinly.

4. Drizzle oil along the edges of pesarattu, cover with a lid of some height. Cook on a medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Remove lid.

5. Turn over and applying oil, cook from other side also till golden and crisp. Make rest of the pesarattu with remaining batter. Serve hot pesarattu with chutney.

Medu Vada

medu vada

Medu vada is a delicious South Indian tiffin item. I love most South Indian food and medu vada is no exception. It takes a little time and practice to make perfect medu vada but you won’t regret it, I’m sure.

Recipe of medu vada/ wada

1 cup dhuli urad dal (split, skinless black gram)

1 tsp ginger paste

3 green chillies- finely chopped

1 tsp black pepper powder or freshly ground black pepper

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

1. Wash and soak urad dal for atleast 6 hours or overnight. Drain.

2. Coarsely grind the urad dal in a blender adding as little water as possible otherwise vadas will not hold shape. Grinded dal should not be too smooth but a little coarse.

3. Add salt, green chillies, ginger and black pepper to the dal. Beat well so that air is incorporated in the batter and vada turn out fluffy.

4. Heat oil in a kadhai/ wok or a frying pan. When the oil is hot, turn the heat to medium.

5. Wet your palms and take a small portion from the batter. Shape it into a ball and then poke your thumb in the center so that a hole is formed. The idea of the hole is to increase the surface area where oil reaches so that vada is evenly cooked from all places.

6. Gently invert the vada in the oil. Similarly make other medu wada and place them in oil. Remember not to overcrowd the kadhai.

7. When the medu vada is cooked from underneath, turn them over with a slotted spoon (pauni/ chhari). Vadas should be golden brown from both sides. They should be fried on medium heat otherwise they will be golden from outside and doughy from inside.

8. Drain on an absorbent paper and serve medu vada hot with sambhar and chutney.

Lemon Rice

lemon rice

Lemon rice is a South Indian favorite where it is known as ‘Chitrannam’. It’s quite delicious and if you love the tangy flavor, then this lime ‘n’ lemoni dish is for you. You can also use left over rice for this dish. Lemon rice can be prepared very quickly and easily.

Recipe of lemon rice

3 cups boiled rice

3/4 tsp mustard seeds (kali sarson)

1 tbsp chana dal (Bengal gram)

1 tbsp urad dal (split black gram skinless)

2-3 dry whole red chillies

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

2 tbsp lemon juice

7-8 curry leaves

1 onion- sliced and separated

1 tbsp oil

1. Gently mix boiled rice with salt and lemon juice. Take care that rice grains do not break.

2. Heat oil in a wok or a kadhai and add mustard seeds and dry red chillies. When mustard seeds begin to pop, add chana dal. Roast for 1/2 a minute.

3. Add urad dal and curry leaves. Roast till dals get light brown. Add onion and sauté till light brown. Add turmeric powder. Add rice; give it a gentle mix and lower heat.

4. Cook covered on a low heat for 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat. Let it stand for 2-3 minutes more. Uncover and take out lemon rice on a serving platter.