Jini Dosa (Mumbai Street Food in a Fusion South Indian Style)

          Jini Dosa is a very popular and a yummy street food from Mumbai. But I gave a slight twist and made in a fusion South Indian style, complete with fresh grated coconut and idli podi. It can be relished just as it is or with coconut chutney for breakfast, as an evening snack or anytime you wish. So check the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this wholesome and delicious fusion treat. 

           It is generally stuffed with some chopped cabbage, capsicum, onion, carrots, sauce and cheese.  But I skipped all these and stuffed with onion, tomato, green chilies, coriander leaves, tomato sauce, fresh grated coconut and some idli podi apart from cheese. 

          The uniqueness lies in the fact that it is cut into strips and rolled up. It is then served standing upright and garnished with some more cheese. You can enjoy with coconut chutney for a wholesome meal. 

• 3-4 cups leftover dosa batter 
• 1/2 cup grated cheese or as required
• 1 onion, chopped or as required
• 1 tomato, chopped or as required
• 1-2 green chilies, chopped
• 3-4 tbsp. tomato sauce or as required
• 1-2 tbsp. idli podi 
• 3-4 tbsp. fresh grated coconut 
• 2-3 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped 
• pinch of salt
• oil to shallow fry 

  

          To make the dosa, heat a tawa / griddle and spread a ladleful of the batter. Spread it around in a circular motion with the back of the ladle. 

          Drizzle some oil around the edges and spread some of the ingredients mentioned above (except cheese). 

          Spread it evenly all around the dosa and sprinkle some cheese over it. Cook on one side till the cheese melts. 

          Cut the dosa into 2" long strips. Gently roll the dosa from one end to the other and arrange on a serving plate. 

          Make similar jini dosa with the remaining batter and the stuffing. Garnish with more grated cheese, coconut, coriander leaves and idli podi and serve with coconut chutney.

                      Heat a tawa & spread a ladleful of the batter. Spread it in a circular
                      motion. Drizzle some oil around edges & spread some of the ingredients                                          mentioned above (except cheese). 

                     Spread it evenly all around the dosa & sprinkle some cheese over it. Cook
                     on one side till the cheese melts. 

                     Cut the dosa into 2" long strips. Gently roll dosa from one end to the 
                     other and arrange on a serving plate. 

                     Garnish with more grated cheese, coconut, coriander leaves & idli podi 
                     and serve with coconut chutney.

Curd Rice Seekh Kebab

          This is my 1500th post from my blog. So celebrated the milestone with some innovative Seekh kebabs prepared with some leftover rice and hung curd. Hence the popular South Indian comfort food gets an interesting makeover. I take this opportunity to thank each and everyone for all the unconditional love and support in my culinary journey. 

          Coming back to the recipe, I added some fried onion, mint leaves and some basic seasonings to turn the curd rice into yummy seekh kebabs. So you have a crisp exterior due to the rice flour coating. Relish them hot with some mayonnaise, green chutney or coconut chutney for a divine experience. They are perfect for an evening tea time snack too.
      

• 1 cup hung yoghurt (makes 10-12 kebabs)
• 1 & 1/2 cups cooked rice, mashed
• 1-2 tbsp. fried onion
• 1-2 green chilies, chopped
• 2 tbsp. mint leaves, chopped
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp. red chili flakes
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
• pinch of turmeric powder
• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 2-3 tbsp. oil to shallow fry
• few skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

          In a bowl, combine all the above mentioned ingredients (except rice flour and oil) and refrigerate for some time. 

          Divide into equal portions. Coat each portion around a skewer, lengthwise. Roll in the rice flour and refrigerate for some more time.

          Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the seekh kebabs in batches on all the sides till golden in colour. 

          Drain on a kitchen towel and serve them hot with mayo, green chutney or coconut chutney.

Benne Dosa (Karnataka Style Butter Dosa)

          This is a traditional Karnataka special dosa which has its origin from Davangiri. The dosa batter is slightly thick in texture so also the dosa. Apart from the usual lentil and rice that goes into making a  dosa, some ground puffed rice is also added to the batter for some extra softness. 

          Benne means butter and so the dosa is prepared with a generous amount of butter and also topped with some extra butter during the time of serving. Generally it is served with coconut chutney and potato curry. So check the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this yummy breakfast delicacy.

• 1 & 1/2 cups rice
• 1 cup poha / beaten rice (I used brown poha)
• 1/2 cup urad dal (split black gram)
• 1/4 tsp. fenugreek seeds
• salt to taste 
• butter to shallow fry

          Soak the rice, urad dal and fenugreek seeds overnight or for a minimum of 8 hours. Wash the poha well, drain and keep aside. 

          Blend the rice, dal and fenugreek seeds to a smooth paste with required quantity of water. Transfer to a large bowl. Blend the washed poha too and add to the batter. 

          Ferment overnight. Next morning add salt to taste and mix well.

          Heat a tawa / griddle and brush with some oil. Sprinkle some water and after it sizzles off, pour a ladleful of the batter. Spread out into a circular motion with the back of the ladle.

          The Benne Dosa is prepared slightly thick than the regular dosa. Spread some butter over and around the edges. Cook till it is golden brown on one side.

           Flip it over and cook the other side too till done. Serve these dosas with chutney, sambar and some extra butter on the top. 

                        Fermented batter. Next morning add salt to taste & mix well.

                     Heat a tawa & pour a ladleful of the batter. Spread into a circular motion.
                     Spread some butter over & around the edges. Cook till it is golden brown
                     on one side.
          

                       Flip it over and cook the other side too till done. 

                               Serve with chutney, sambar & some extra butter on the top. 

Apricot Smoothie

           
          This is a perfect blend of apricots, yoghurt and milk in the form of a smoothie and is worth a try. A great way to beat the summer heat is to prepare this yummy Apricot Smoothie and enjoy it. Serve it chilled in individual glasses, garnished with chopped pistachios, dry rose petals and mint leaves. 

           Apricots are good for the eyes, skin and hair. It contains a lot of minerals, vitamins, calcium and dietary fibre. So this pretty fruit has a lot of health benefits for our body. On the other hand, yogurt aids in digestion, treats an upset stomach and has a cooling effect on our body, especially during summers. 

          Apricots are low in calorie and fat. This yummy, creamy and delicious drink can be dished out in a ziffy and can be enjoyed for a nutritious and healthy breakfast or anytime of the day as this aids in weight loss too.

          Prepare in large quantities and refrigerate to have it at intervals. I have used rose water and cardamom powder to flavour the drink. You may add any other flavour of your choice.

• 100 gms. dried apricots, pitted (serves two)
• 2 tbsp. sugar or to taste
•  few drops of lime juice
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
• 1 tsp. rose water
• pinch of saffron
• 2 cups yoghurt
• 1 cup milk

           Soak the apricots overnight in 1 cup water. Then blend into a smooth paste. Heat a pan and simmer the apricot paste, sugar, lime juice, pinch of salt, saffron and cardamom powder till reduced and slightly thick. Add the rose water and keep aside to cool.

         Blend the reduced apricot mix, yoghurt and milk in the mixi. Chill for some time. Pour into individual glasses and enjoy this refreshing summer drink, garnished with chopped pistachios, dry rose petals and mint. 

Curd Rice Kofta

         This is my innovative appetizer prepared with some leftover rice and hung curd. So the popular South Indian comfort food gets an interesting makeover. I added some pomegranate pearls, chopped mint leaves and some basic seasonings to turn the curd rice into yummy koftas. So you have a crisp exterior due to the rice flour. 

          Relish them hot with some mayonnaise, green chutney or coconut chutney for a divine experience. They are perfect for an evening tea time snack too. So check out an easy step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this delicacy.
      

• 1 cup hung yoghurt (makes 9-10 koftas)
• 1 & 1/2 cups cooked rice, mashed
• 1-2 tbsp. pomegranate pearls
• 1 tbsp. mint leaves, chopped
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 1/4 tsp. pepper powder
• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 2-3 tbsp. oil to shallow fry

          In a bowl, combine all the above mentioned ingredients (except rice flour and oil) and refrigerate for some time. 

          Divide into equal portions. Give a round flat shape and roll in the rice flour. Refrigerate for some more time.

          Heat oil in a tawa / pan and shallow fry the koftas in batches on both the sides till golden in colour. 

          Drain on a kitchen towel and serve them hot with mayo, green chutney or coconut chutney.

                       Mix all ingredients (except rice flour & oil) & refrigerate for some time. 

                        Divide into equal portions. Give a round flat shape & roll in rice flour.                                                Refrigerate for some more time.

                        Heat oil & shallow fry the koftas till golden in colour. 

                        Drain on a kitchen towel.

                              Serve them hot with mayo, green chutney or coconut chutney.

Apricot Shrikhand

           Shrikhand is a traditional Maharashtrian Dessert prepared with hung yoghurt. It is a very easy dessert that can be made in no time if the hung yoghurt is ready. It is usually flavoured with saffron and cardamom powder for the plain version. 

          Today I tried it with some apricot and it turned out simply yummy. I used a healthy combination of low fat yoghurt and brown sugar. I flavoured it with rose water along with cardamom powder and saffron. This healthy dessert is best enjoyed chilled or at room temperature as an after meal dessert or with poori.

• 400 gms. yoghurt 
• 200 gms. dried apricots, pitted
• 1 tbsp. sugar (opt)
• 1/2 tsp. lime juice
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
• 1 tsp. rose water
• pinch of saffron
• chopped pistachios, dried rose petals and cherries to garnish 

          Pour the yoghurt in a cheese cloth and place on a strainer. Keep this on a bowl in the refrigerator overnight. The thick hung yoghurt is used for the recipe. 

           Soak the apricots overnight in 1 cup water. Then blend into a smooth paste. Heat a pan and simmer the apricot paste, sugar, lime juice, pinch of salt, saffron and cardamom powder till reduced and slightly thick. Keep aside to cool.

          In a bowl, whisk together hung yoghurt and the reduced apricot. Pass it through a sieve to remove the granules. 

          Add the rose water and mix well. Chill before serving the shrikhand in individual bowls, garnished with chopped pistachios, cherries and rose petals.

Khubani Ka Meetha (Apricot Pudding - Hyderabadi Style)

          Khubani Ka Meetha is a traditional Hyderabadi dessert made from dry apricots, known as Khubani in urdu. It is very simple and easy to make, where the apricots are soaked overnight and then gently simmered to get the desired consistency. In this recipe I have used store bought pitted apricots. The addition of sugar is optional and can be adjusted according to individual taste. 

          It is usually served with custard and topped with chopped nuts. This is a festive sweet that is mostly served during weddings or any special occasions. You can relish this royal delicacy with whipped cream or ice cream too. But I served with some hung yoghurt to balance the sweetness. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it. 

• 200 gms. dried apricots, pitted
• 1 tbsp. sugar (opt)
• 1/2 tsp. lime juice
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
• 1 tsp. kewra / rose water
• 1 tbsp. chopped almonds
• 1 tsp. chopped pistachios
• pinch of saffron
• extra chopped nuts to garnish
• few pomegranate pearls to garnish (opt)
• hung yoghurt to serve

          Soak the apricots overnight in 1 cup water. Pressure cook in the same water it was soaked for 2-3 whistles. This way the cooking time is less. 

          Transfer the contents to a pan and simmer till all the water has dried up. Keep mashing the apricots with the ladle or with a potato masher. 

          Add the sugar (you may add more depending on individual preference), cardamom powder, chopped almonds, lime juice, salt, pistachios and kewra water.

          Mix everything well and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Switch off the flame and add the saffron. Mix and keep it aside to cool. 

          Refrigerate for some time and serve with a topping of some hung yogurt (to balance the sweetness), chopped nuts and pomegranate pearls. 

                       Soak the apricots overnight in 1 cup water. 

                       The soaked apricots.

                      Pressure cook in the same water it was soaked, for 2-3 whistles. Transfer
                      to a pan & simmer till water has dried up. Mash apricots with ladle or 
                      with a potato masher. 

                      Add sugar, cardamom powder, chopped almonds, lime juice, salt,
                      pistachios & kewra water. Mix well & simmer for 1-2 minutes.

                       Switch off flame & add saffron. Mix & keep it aside to cool. 

                     Refrigerate for some time & serve with a topping of some hung yogurt,
                     chopped nuts and pomegranate pearls.