Khara Dose (Spicy Dosas) and Fantastic Four MeMe

Khara means spicy in Kannada. My mom recently gave me this recipe over the phone and I immediately gave it a shot coz it so happened on the day I spoke to her I still hadn’t decided what to make for lunch/dinner. It’s a big relief when someone suggests a dish, half the work is done!! Deciding what to make is a bigger task than actually making the dish..phew! I made this for dinner, since I had to soak the rice and dal. This was the first time I made this dosa, all I know is it is supposed to be spicy…I have no idea if this is what my mom had in mind…hehe!

You will need:

2 portions Rice (Sona masoori)

1 portion Tuar Dal

12 Byadagi Dry red chillies

8 Guntur Dry red chillies

½ tsp Tamarind paste (or marble size tamarind)

1 small pc jaggery (1 tbsp if powdered)

Salt to taste

Soak the rice, tuar dal and dry red chillies for atleast 4-6 hours. Grind to a smooth paste along with the tamarind paste and jaggery. Use as less water as possible. Let batter ferment overnight. If batter has not fermented then add ¼ tsp Cooking Soda and mix well.

Heat a pan. Apply a tsp of oil and wipe clean with a paper towel. Pour one ladle of dosa batter in the centre, rotate clockwise to make a thin pancake. Drizzle 1/2 tsp oil on top. Cook on both sides.

Wipe pan with a paper towel between dosas. Since the dosa is spicy it doesn’t need an accompaniment, dosas can be had with ghee. If you still need something to go with it then serve with pickle or Coconut Chutney.

Khara Dose is my entry to "JFI-Toor Dal" hosted by Linda of Out of the Garden and also to "Vegan Ventures"hosted by Suganya of Tasty Palettes.

Now for the Fantastic Four MeMe. When Rajitha of Hunger Pangs tagged me, I was happy, because this is the first time I've been tagged for anything at all since I started my blog. Thanks Rajitha, and I really took my time to get to the MeMe, hope you don't mind!! So here goes...

My Fantastic Four MeMe:

4 Places I have Lived

Mysore - born and brought up there
Ooty - 7 years of boarding school
Bangalore - Granny's place when I was working
Dallas, Texas

4 Jobs I had

(Rather I wish I have in future, I'm still in my mid 20s..long life ahead...or so I think! )

Caterer - my parents have been in that business for a long time, I would love to follow suit
Pastry chef - My new found passion for baking seems to be going stronger day by day

At this point this is all I can think of!


4 Favourite Places I have holidayed

Colorado -on this year's b'day with hubby dear, was a dream come true!
Las Vegas
Orlando - the most recent trip and the best ever
San Francisco with my cousin

4 Favourite Foods

Hard choices to make!!
Chunky Monkey Ice cream (Ben and Jerry's)
Oththa Shavige (Rice Semiya) which granny makes...especially the sweet one
Trifle Pudding

All of my mom's cooking, too hard to choose any one from her list :)

4 Favourite Places I would rather be

Back home in India, with all of my family
Switzerland
Relaxing by a fireplace with hot soup on a rainy day
In Magic Kingdom, I found it hard coming away after my trip (ya, ya I'm still a kiddo!)


I would like to tag:

Kalva of Curry in Kadai

Nags of For the Cook in Me

TBC of The Budding Cook

Manasi of A Cook @ Heart

It’s Pizza time…..no take out!

Pizza…loaded with veggies and oodles of gooey cheese…hmmmm...bliss!

As kids, my brother and I loved Pizzas, and we often used to beg mom to order some. Back then, in Mysore, Pizza was definitely pricey and not a commoner’s food. There was only one Pizza place called “US Pizza” and whenever that place had a ‘eat unlimited’ offer, my brother and I were there in the blink of an eye. Mom used to make Pizzas at home too, but we still craved Pizza from outside. She used the ready Pizza bases available at ‘Nilgiris’ super market. As we grew up, time of course changed and my brother and I both visited Bangalore often which gave us a chance to pig out on pizza at the hundred and one pizza places. Pizza Hut Pizza rocked, and was a favourite and still remains even after I came to the US. I must say here they are more generous with the cheese than back in India. Hubby loves cheese too, so its always pizza with tons of cheese on top!

I crave for Pizza more often than I should, and take out every time means leftovers as well as $$$! So I decided to make my own pizza dough as well the pizza at home. This was the first time I made the dough.

Pizza dough

1 package active dry yeast (7gm/ 1/4 oz)
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
2 1/2 to 3 cups flour, plus more if necessary
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

In a small bowl, combine yeast with water, salt and stir well .After 5 minutes, transfer to the bowl of a food processor along with flour, salt, and olive oil and process until the dough forms a ball. The dough should be soft but not sticky. If it is too sticky, add a bit more flour and process for another minute.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead dough for 2 to 3 minutes, adding enough additional flour if necessary to form a smooth and elastic dough. Dough should not be sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled 2 or 3 quart bowl and turn to coat dough with oil.

Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

Divide dough into 2 portions (for 2 (12-inch) pizzas) and form into balls. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and cover with a damp towel. Let rest for 15 minutes, then transfer to a lightly floured surface, shape as desired and roll out to a thickness of 1/2-inch.Transfer to a pizza pan and bake for 4-5 minutes. Remove and add choice of toppings.

Pizza

You can use any choice of toppings for your pizza. I wanted to recreate the Veggie Supreme version from Pizza Hut, hence used the following toppings.

You will need: (for 2 pizzas)

1 Cup Onions (cubed)

1 Cup Tomatoes (chopped)

1 Cup Green Bell Peppers (cubed)

¾ Cup Mushrooms (sliced)

¾ Cup Babycorn (sliced)

2 Cups Marinara sauce

2 Cups Mozzarella cheese (grated)

Pour 2-3 ladles of marinara sauce on the pizza base and spread evenly.

Top with onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, mushrooms and babycorn. Top with a generous handfuls of grated mozzarella.

Bake in oven for 15-18 minutes, keep a close watch, cheese may burn if your oven has a high cooking power.

Cut into slices with a Pizza cutter and serve…err… gobble up! :)

Back from a vacation and other blogger recipes

It was one awesome long weekend for hubby and me as we headed to Orlando, Florida. We left on Wednesday night and got back last evening, so wasn’t able to get to all of your posts during that time. I’ve been at it since this morning and managed to read past 80 + posts and leave comments too.

I’ve been eager to visit Magic Kingdom ever since I’ve come to the US, and have been eating hubby’s brains on end to plan a trip. I know I sound nothing less than a 4 year old, but hey that’s me..hehe! One part of me is all about fantasy lands and fairy tales. So this trip meant a lot to me. On Thursday we visited Epcot, on Friday Sea World and on Saturday – Magic Kingdom..yeah, saved the best for last. Also because we found out Magic Kingdom is open till midnight on weekends and closes by 8pm on weekdays,so the more time we got there, the better (for me, of course!) We drove to Orlando, which was a 7 hour drive from here. It was one Happy Thanksgiving, in its own way.

I can go on about our trip, but there is just too much to share, so for now I’ll let it rest and instead share a few pics from Magic Kingdom.

S and me on Main Street in Magic Kingdom

Cinderella's Castle by night

Spectro Magic Parade

With Daisy Duck

I haven’t gotten to cooking yet, so will share some of the recipes I’ve tried from other blogs. I’ve been planning to mention it whenever I make a new post and never got to doing it!! So here goes:

(click on name of dish for recipe)

Oriya Thali from Neivedyam (Phulcobi do Piaja and Channa Dal from temple)

Egg Puffs from My Kitchen Hobbies

Methi (Fenugreek) Dal from The Budding Cook

Corn Puffs from Khana Pina -- I made these before we left on the Orlando trip, it was a tasty snack on the drive.

Methi Rasam from CookSpot

Green Moong Dal from The Bubbling Cauldron

I will be back with more of my recipes very soon!

Set Dosa with Vegetable Saagu (curry) & Ginger Chutney

'Set Dosa' was a name coined by restaurateurs long ago in Karnataka when dosas were served more than one per plate. Initially hotels served 4 small dosas in one plate with chutney and Sambar or Saagu (Curry/Korma). Since the dosas were served in sets of two the name “Set Dosa” came into being. Customers who couldn’t consume all 4 dosas began to order “Half Set” which was two dosas and hence the cost of the dish also was halved. More and more people began to order half set rather than full plate, hence restaurateurs decided to change the number of dosas to 3. The customers were now left with no choice but to order a full plate with three dosas rather than half plate with only two dosas. Till date a plate of Set Dosa ordered in any restaurant across Karnataka, consists of 3 dosas.

Set Dosa is a popular variety of dosa in Mysore and Bangalore. It’s easy to make at home.

Set Dosa

1 Portion Thick Poha (Avvalakki)

4 Portion Rice (Sona Masoori)

1 Portion thick plain Yoghurt (Curd)

1 tsp Fenugreek (Methi) seeds

Salt

Soak poha, rice and methi seeds overnight. Grind to a fine smooth paste the next day using as less water as possible. Mix batter with salt and yoghurt and let ferment overnight. If next day the batter hasn’t risen, then add ½ tsp of Cooking soda.

Heat a non stick pan. Apply oil and then pour two ladles of dosa batter in the centre. If the batter has fermented well, when you batter begins to cook, holes will form on the surface, this is what you are looking for. Cover and let cook till one side is done. Some like it one side cooked while some others prefer to flip the dos and cook it on the other side as well. Suit yourself and do accordingly.

Serve with hot Saagu and Coconut chutney. When I make it at home I prefer to make either Saagu or chutney.

Vegetable Saagu

You will need:

1 potato ( small cubed)
½ cup peas
1 carrot (small cubed)
1 cup green beans (small cut)
6-7 green chillies (slit)
2-3 pods Garlic
2 cloves
1" pc Cinnamon stick
1 tbsp Corriander seeds
½ bunch coriander
2 tbsps fried gram (Hurgadale)
1 cup fresh coconut grated
Mustard seeds
Curry leaves
3 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Grind the green chillies, garlic, coconut, fried gram,cloves, cinnamon, coriander seeds and fresh coriander to a thick fine paste. Boil vegetables in lightly salted water, drain and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add the ground paste and fry for a minute or two. Then add the boiled veggies and mix well. Add salt and bring to a boil.

Serve with Set dosas.

Ginger Chutney

Another good combination with this dosa is Ginger chutney.

You will need:

100 gms Ginger
1 tbsp Fried Gram
½ cup Fresh or dry coconut (grated)
6 Dry red chillies (dry roasted)
½ tsp Tamarind paste
½” pc Jaggery
½ onion chopped
2 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
¼ Tsp Asafetida (Hing)
Few curry leaves
Salt to taste

Add ginger, fried gram, dry red chillies, tamarind paste, jaggery and coconut in a blender. Make a smooth paste with sufficient water. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and when it begins to splutter add the curry leaves and hing. Add chopped onions and fry till soft and translucent. Now add the ground paste and sauté till fragrant and oil leaves the side of the pan.

Serve with your choice of main course…chapathis, dosas or rice.

This chutney stores refrigerated for upto 10 days in an air tight container.

This is my entry to “Think Spice – Think Ginger” hosted by Sunita of Sunita’s World.

Rava Idlis and Bombay Gojju

Rava idlis with Bombay Gojju was a mandatory weekly meal for either breakfast or dinner when I was back home.

Bombay Gojju or Bombai gojju, is a favourite with puris as well. No idea where that name came from or why it is even called Bombai gojju, nevertheless it was one of the first few dishes I learnt from my mom before I got married.

Mom makes her own Rava Idli mix, but I was too lazy to learn how to make it, so since the time I’ve come here I’ve been using the MTR Rava Idly Mix. But now for the sake of my blog, to keep it original, I finally took the recipe from mom over phone and gave it a try. 

Home-made Rava Idly Mix

You will need: (Makes: 18 Idlis)

1 Cups Semolina (Upma Rava)
½ tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Chana Dal

Few Curry leaves (finely chopped)

2-3 tbsp Cashew broken to bits

¼ cup Oil

½ tsp Cooking Soda

Salt to taste

(Cup: Standard Cup measurements)

Dry roast the semolina over medium heat till its fragrant and light. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and chana dal. Saute for a minute and then add the curry leaves and cashew bits. Now add the roasted Semolina and sauté for a few minutes. Turn off heat and let cool. Stir in the soda. Use immediately to make Rava Idlis.

This mix cannot be stored for more than 3 days, hence its best to prepare the mix when you want to make Idlis.

Rava Idlis

You will need:

1 portion Rava Idli Mix

2- 2 ½ portions Yoghurt (Curd)

Chopped coriander

Use one measure for both the idli mix and the yoghurt.

Mix yoghurt, rava idli mix and chopped coriander. The batter should be thick and of pouring consistency.

Oil Idli plates, pour batter in each idli mould up to 3/4^th. Steam in a pressure cooker on high till pressure rises. Then reduce heat to low and cook for 8-10 minutes.

Let cool and unmould idlis, serve hot with Bombay Gojju.

Bombay Gojju

You will need:

1 Large Potato (boiled)

1 Medium sized Onion (thinly sliced)

2 Small tomatoes chopped

6 Green chillies

2 tbsp Gram flour (Besan)
1/2 tsp Rasam powder 

½ tsp Garam Masala

1 tsp Lemon juice

Salt to taste

Water as required

Chopped coriander

3 tbsp Oil

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Urad Dal

½ tsp Chana Dal

Few curry leaves

½ tsp Turmeric Powder

Roughly mash the boiled potato and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, Urad dal and chana dal. Saute for a minute and then add curry leaves and slit green chillies. Add the sliced onions and fry till soft and translucent. Add the chopped tomatoes and fry till soft, now add the turmeric and fry for an additional minute. Now add about 1 ½ cups water, and stir. Add the mashed potato and salt. Bring to a boil.

Mix gram flour in little water to make a thick liquid like consistency and add it to the boiling curry. Stir while adding, this thickens the curry immediately. Add lime juice and Garam masala powder. Bring to a simmering boil and turn off heat. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with Rava idlis or Puris.

Bombay gojju is my entry to the event "Grindless Gravies" hosted by Sra of When My Soup Came Alive

Steamed Wheat Rotis and Daal Fry

There are so many exciting events on in the blogosphere and I'm sure all of us are busy deciding what to make for which event. I made these dishes long ago but hadn't got a chance to post them, so decided to do them now.

Steamed Wheat Rotis

These are not your ordinary chapathis. Wheat flour is steamed/cooked in boiling water and then made into a dough.

You will need:

2 Cups Wheat Flour

2 Cups Water

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Oil

Bring water to a boil. Add the salt and oil. Place a wooden spoon in the pot and then add the wheat flour. Do not stir. Reduce heat to low and let cook for 15 minutes uncovered. Turn off heat and stir quickly using the wooden spoon to make a lump free soft dough. Knead the dough while its hot. Roll into large flat rounds, larger than regular chapathis. As you roast them on a hot pan, the dough tends to shrink, so make big ones. Serve hot with Daal Fry.

The kneaded dough dries out quickly so keep unused dough covered with a wet cloth till ready to use or when rolling the rotis.

Daal Fry

Daal Fry is a very good combination with these Steamed Wheat Rotis, for lack of a better name the dish has been christened Daal Fry

1 cup Tuar dal

5-6 Dry red chillies

1 onion cubed

4-5 Garlic pods chopped

1 tsp Whole pepper

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Cumin seeds

Few curry leaves

2 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

½ tsp Tamarind paste

2-3 cups Water

Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add cumin and mustard seeds, when it begins to splutter add the whole pepper, dry red chillies and the curry leaves. Saute for a minute and then add the chopped garlic and onions. Saute for 3-4 minutes till onions are soft and garlic is light brown. Now add the washed, drained Tuar Dal and sauté for 2 minutes. Add water, stir and close cooker lid. Place weight on lid and cook on high, 3 whistles.

Let cool a little, add tamarind paste and salt, bring to a boil. Serve hot with Wheat Rotis. Sautéing the Tuar Dal brings a unique flavour to the dish.

Daal Fry is my entry to "JFI- Toor Dal" hosted by Linda of Out of the Garden . Daal Fry is a one pot dish and can be made in as little as 30-35 minutes (counting the pressure cooking part too)

Steamed Wheat Rotis is my entry to the "Powerless Cooking" event hosted by Easy Cooking Blog

A little bit of This and That – CLICK

Well that’s exactly what my dish has, a little bit of this and that. This month’s theme for CLICK is “Noodles”. My better half and I are into Pasta and nowadays I find myself making Pasta more often than not. Last night was one such time when I set out to make a particular dish and realized I didn't have the kind of pasta the recipe demanded-- angel hair, so I decided to make do with what I had – spaghetti and fettucine ..hence the dish has a little bit of This and That.

Another reason for the pasta, I wanted to finish the fresh basil before it wilted on me.

Fresh Tomato, Basil and Garlic Sauce over Pasta

You will need:

1 large can whole peeled tomatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 oregano sprig
1 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp sugar
1 pound Angel hair pasta (I used Spaghetti and Fettucine)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup chiffonade basil, plus whole sprigs for garnish

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Salt the water generously and add the pasta. Cook for 13-14 minutes till done.

Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add the thyme leaves, oregano sprig, and chili flakes and saute until the garlic begins to turn golden brown. Add the tomatoes and the sugar and stir well. Lower the heat and cook slowly until the mixture is fairly dry, about 15 minutes.

Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Now add the Parmesan and basil and toss well. Garnish with more Parmesan and basil sprigs.

These are the pictures I took using a Canon Powershot A610.

And now for the entry to Bee and Jai's CLICK event:

A Little Bit of This and That

While the pasta water came to a boil, couldn't help taking pictures of the Spaghetti :) so here they are...

Realms of the Noodle world!

I'm nothing but an amateur in the world of photography,and I've taken only a few baby steps yet. This event is keeping me on my toes as well as shaking the rust of my brains as I'm always trying to figure how to take better pictures ...thanks to the duo for that! :)