Fresh Turmeric Net Masala Dosa

 

            Check out these yummy Fresh Turmeric Dosas, prepared in a unique net shape and stuffed with some potato curry. They are a real visual treat and very appetizing too. Both healthy and nutritious, fresh turmeric adds a lovely vibrant color to the dosa. 

          There is a very easy way of preparing them. A squeezer bottle does the job. Cook these Net Dosas on both sides as you do to your regular Dosa however, a wee bit gently or your new innovative creation will come apart. Enjoy these unique dosas with coconut chutney and sambar.

          

          Fresh turmeric root has its own health benefits. It has anti inflammatory  properties, lowers cholesterol and prevents cancer. 

          In fact, Dosa made of fresh turmeric root is very popular in the South and it is known as Manjal Dosai. 

          So next time you are thinking of preparing dosa, just add some fresh turmeric to the batter and give this amazing net shape. This pleasant surprise will be widely appreciated. 

Dosa Batter - 

• 2 cups rice
• 1/2 cup split black gram (urad dal)
• 1/4 tsp. fenugreek seeds
• 1 tbsp. chana dal
• salt to taste
• 1-2" fresh turmeric root
• oil for shallow frying
• squeezer bottle
• potato curry as required
• sambar and chutney to serve

        Soak the first four ingredients overnight. Wash and drain well. Add the fresh turmeric root and grind to a smooth paste by adding some water. 

 

          Add salt and mix well. Cover and keep in a warm place overnight to ferment. Fill the batter in a squeezer bottle through a funnel.

          Pour few drops of oil on a hot tawa / griddle and sprinkle some water. After the water sizzles off, wipe clean with a tissue paper.

          Reduce the flame and gently squeeze the bottle on the tawa to make a net pattern. Drizzle some oil over it and cook for 2-3 minutes or till it is done on one side.
     
           Gently flip it over and cook the other side too. Remove on a plate carefully. 

          Make similar Net Dosas with the remaining batter. Serve with a filling of potato curry, coconut chutney and sambar.

Potato Curry - 

• 2-3 potatoes, boiled and mashed coarsely
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tomato, chopped
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. sambar powder
• 1 tsp. roasted coriander powder
• 1 tbsp. red chili powder 
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds. After it stops crackling, add the curry leaves and onion. Sauté till light brown. 

          Now add the ginger-garlic paste and stir fry for a few seconds till the raw smell disappears. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook, covered, on a low flame till it is mashed.

          Add all the dry spices and give it a stir. Add the coarsely mashed potatoes and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes. 

          When done, switch off the flame and add the chopped coriander leaves. Arrange a little of the stuffing lengthwise inside the Net Dosa and enjoy along with coconut chutney and sambar. 

          

         

Stuffed Curry Momo (Fusion style)

 

          Momos are a common street food in the Northern regions of India, Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan. They are made both in a veg. and non-veg. version, with either mixed veggies or chicken. However, I tried this innovative fusion momo with some leftover dry veg. curry as a stuffing. They were then coated with some food colour infused raw rice and steam cooked to perfection. 

          You can enjoy them as a tea time snack or as an appetizer with some sauce / any dip of your choice. So if you are looking for some visually appealing party recipe, then go for these Curry Stuffed Momos. It can be a great crowd puller at any in-house party. 

• 1 cup plain flour (maida)
• a pinch of salt
• 1 tsp. oil
• water as required
• 1 cup of any leftover dry veg. curry
• 1/2 cup raw rice
• pinch of food color (opt)

          Knead a tight dough with plain flour, salt, oil and required quantity of water. Cover with a damp cloth and leave aside for 15-20 minutes. 

          Soak the rice in sufficient water along with a pinch of green food color for 30 minutes. Then drain and keep aside.

          Divide the dough into equal portions. Roll out each portion like a small poori. Make sure the sides are thin and the center slightly thick.

          Place a tbsp. of the stuffing in the center and start pleating the edges. Then gather all the pleats and press in the center, thus sealing it securely. 

          Coat with the drained rice and arrange them on a bamboo steamer basket or on a greased perforated plate. 

          Steam for 15-20 minutes or till the rice is properly cooked. Relish with any chutney or sauce for breakfast, snack or as a light meal.

Dosa Gujiya (Fusion style)

 

          Check out my simple innovative recipe of Dosa Gujiya. It is an amalgamation of South Indian Dosa with a traditional North Indian sweet. 

          Gujiya is a deep fried crisp pastry stuffed with khoya and dry fruits. Dosa as we all know, is a South Indian crepe and enjoyed with chutney and sambar. 

          So I tweaked two age old recipes a bit to come up with this fusion breakfast of Dosa Gujiya, where small sized dosa is filled with some leftover dry veg. curry and given a gujiya shape. 

          They look very appealing and appetizing too. I added little food colour to the dosa, but it is purely optional. This is a great party recipe to be relished with any chutney of your choice. 

• 3-4 cups of dosa batter
• pinch of green food colour (opt)
• 1 cup dry vegetable curry
• oil to shallow fry
• coconut chutney to serve

          Mix the food colour to the dosa batter well. Heat a non stick tawa and pour a ladleful of the batter. Spread it around and cook on a low flame for 1-2 minutes. 

          Drizzle some oil and cook on both sides. Do not make it too crisp. Let it be slightly soft so that it is easy to fold. 

          Cut into rounds with a cookie cutter. Take each round and place a tsp. of any leftover dry veg. curry in the centre.

          Apply some water around the edges and close it securely into a crescent (Gujiya) shape. Press it lightly and run a fork around the edges for some design if you wish. 

          Now your fusion Dosa Gujiya is ready to be relished. Make similar Gujiyas with the remaining dosa batter and the stuffing and serve with coconut chutney for a nice fusion breakfast / meal.

Zunka Vadi

 

          I have reached another milestone. This happens to be my 1700th recipe blog post. I take this opportunity in thanking you all for the support and motivation, without which I would not have been able to reach this far in my culinary journey.

          So let me share a traditional Maharashtrian snack recipe called Zunka Vadi, where the main ingredient is gram flour. It is basically Zunka ( Maharashtrian side dish) turned into a shallow fried snack. It also goes very well as an appetizer, served with any chutney of your choice. 

          

          It is also very popular in Karnataka, where it goes by the same name. It is sometimes called as Jhunka Vadi. A very simple and an easy recipe, it is perfect as a tea time snack or as a tiffin with your favorite accompaniment.

          Try having it with mayo, hummus or any dip. It is pure divine and tastes super yummy. You can also store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. 

Batter - 

• 1 cup gram flour
• 1 tbsp. rice flour
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp. red chili flakes (opt)
• 1 tsp. Kashmiri red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. coriander-cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1 tsp. flaxseed (opt)
• 1 tsp. sesame seeds

Tempering - 

• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida
• 1 tsp. garlic, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup spring onion (only the green part), chopped

          Batter - In a bowl, mix together all the mentioned ingredients. Add water, little at a time and form a batter of pouring consistency. Keep aside.

          Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a pan. Temper with mustard seeds, cumin seeds and asafoetida. After it stops spluttering, add the garlic and onion. Sauté till light brown. 

          Add the chopped spring onion and stir fry for a minute. Now pour the prepared batter and continue to stir on a low flame till it turns thick and leaves the sides of the pan. 

          Transfer to a greased plate / tray and allow it to cool down. Cut as desired and keep aside. 

          Heat remaining oil and pan fry the vadis on both sides till light brown. Serve them hot with some chutney or sauce for an evening tea-time snack. 

Pani Puri ( Indian Street Food)

 

              Pani Puri, the irresistible spicy and tangy street food is to die for. It is a favorite chaat item with young and old alike. It is also called puchka, golgappa or gupchup, based on which state it is referred. 

              In this recipe, small crisp puris are stuffed with a potato mix, dipped in a tangy mint flavored chilled spicy water, drizzled with some sweet chutney and gulped down at a go. It is pure divine. Words cannot describe the magical moment when there is a total burst of flavors in the mouth. 

              It is best enjoyed as an evening tea-time snack. However, they can be relished any time of the day. So here is my version of this all time favorite comfort snack. The ingredients for the stuffing, sweet chutney and the pani puri water can be an individual preference. You can adjust the seasonings, accordingly. 

Pani - 

• Handful of mint and coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• 2-3 green chilies, 
• 1 garlic clove
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp. lime juice
• 2 tbsp. boondi
• 1 marble size tamarind
• 1 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp. red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. pepper powder 

Stuffing- 

• 2 potatoes, boiled & mashed
• 1/2 cup chickpeas, boiled & crushed
• 1 tomato, chopped
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp. boondi
• 2 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. amchur powder
• 1 tsp. red chili flakes
• 1/4 tsp. pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 1 tbsp. roasted peanuts, coarsely ground

Sweet tamarind Chutney-

• 1/2 tsp. tamarind paste
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp. sugar or to taste
• 1/2 cup water or as required

• 1-2 tbsp. nylon sev 
• few store bought small puffed up pooris

           Blend the coriander leaves, mint leaves, green chilies and garlic with required quantity of water to a fine paste. Add lime juice and mix well.

        Pani - Soak the tamarind in water and strain the pulp. Add 3-4 cups of water, 2 tbsp. of the mint-coriander paste, salt and all the dry spices. Mix well. Adjust seasoning and keep aside. Add the boondi while serving.

         Stuffing - In a bowl, mix together all the mentioned ingredients and keep aside.

         Sweet tamarind chutney - In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients and keep aside.

          To serve, make a hollow in the centre of each pani puri with a spoon. Stuff a little of the filling, sprinkle some sev and drizzle a tsp. of the sweet chutney over it. 

          Pour some of the pani puri water and gulp it down immediately at a go and enjoy the mouthful experience.

                                 The potato-chickpea stuffing. 

                                  Boondi.

                                   The spiced water.

                                  Sev and sweet tamarind chutney.

                                  The puris..

Parippu Curry (Kerala Lentil Curry)

 

          Parippu Curry is a traditional and an authentic Kerala style lentil curry. It is an integral part of a Sadya meal, a vegetarian feast, served during Onam, a harvest festival. Split moong dal (green gram) is used in this recipe and is cooked with a mix of fresh coconut-cumin seeds-green chilies paste. 

          A tempering of dry red chilies, mustard seeds, curry leaves and onion in ghee is poured over the end product. It is very easy to prepare and yummy in taste. This classic dish goes very well with hot steamed rice, accompanied with papad and a drizzle of some ghee for a great comfort meal.  

• 1/2 cup split moong dal 
• salt to taste 
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 4-5 tbsp. fresh grated coconut 
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 2 green chilies
• 2 tbsp. ghee
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1-2 dry red chilies
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Dry roast the lentil for 1-2 minutes. Soak in sufficient water 30 minutes. Wash and drain well. 

          Add 1 cup water and pressure cook along with salt to taste and turmeric powder for 3-4 whistles.

          Blend the coconut, green chilies and cumin seeds by adding some water. Add it to the cooked dal along with 1 cup water.

          Let it come to a boil and simmer for a minute. Switch off the flame. 

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with red chilies, mustard seeds and curry leaves. After it stops spluttering, add the onion and sauté till light brown. 

          Switch off the flame and pour this tempering over the prepared dal. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice. 

Mutton Pothi Biryani

 

          This Kerala style traditional Biryani is a local delicacy and is extremely flavourful. It is also called as Kizhi Biryani. It is quite unique as rice and mutton are cooked separately and then layered with few toppings. It is then wrapped in a banana leaf and steam cooked to enhance the flavour of the dish. 

          The banana leaf can be wrapped like a parcel / packet called Pothi or as a potli / pouch which is called Kizhi in the local lingo. Traditionally, small grain rice, called Jeerakasala rice is used in this recipe, but it also goes well with Basmati rice. This is a must try recipe and a great party recipe too. This one-pot meal is best enjoyed with raita and papad. 

          Pothi Biryani is fast catching up with many Kerala restaurants worldwide. In fact, I came across this traditional Biryani in one of the Kerala restaurants and I totally loved this concept of biryani in a banana leaf. It is just divine. 

          At times, pineapple, raisins or saffron is used as a garnish. But I skipped these ingredients. You may add them if you wish. It can be served directly from the banana leaf itself for a nice weekend lunch at home. Though the process may be slightly lengthy for some, however the end result is this super yummy comfort food. So enjoy!!!!

• 1 cup small grain rice, soaked for 30 minutes, washed and drained
• 500 gms. mutton with bones
• 2-3 boiled eggs
• 3 tbsp. oil
• 1 onion sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 2-3 tbsp. fried cashew nuts
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
• 2 tbsp. ghee
• banana leaves as required
• aluminum foil as required

Marination - 

• 1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste
• salt to taste 
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. red chili powder
• 1 tbsp. coriander powder
• 1 tsp. cumin powder
• 1 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1/2 cup yoghurt

          Marinate the mutton with all the mentioned ingredients, preferably overnight. 

          To cook the rice - bring sufficient quantity of water to a boil. Add the drained rice and cook till it is almost done. Drain and keep aside. 

          Heat oil in a pan and fry the sliced onion till well browned. Drain and keep aside.

          In the same oil, fry the chopped onion till light brown. Add the tomato and sauté till it is mashed. 

          Now add the marinated mutton and cook, covered, till almost dry. Add 1 cup water and pressure cook for 20-25 minutes on a low flame after the first whistle. 

          When it is cool enough to handle, remove the lid and simmer further till the gravy is thick. Keep aside.

          Heat a tawa / pan and place the banana leaf for a few seconds (both sides). This will help it to become more pliable and soft so that it can be easily folded without breaking. 

          To assemble - Place an aluminum foil and over it keep a banana leaf. Grease it a bit with some ghee. Place some cooked rice and then layer with little of the cooked mutton, followed with another layer of rice. 

          Place a boiled egg over the rice. Sprinkle some fried onion, cashews and coriander leaves. Drizzle some ghee and a tbsp. of the mutton gravy.

           Gently fold the banana leaf along with the foil into a parcel. Make 1-2 similar parcels with the remaining rice and mutton curry.

          Place a kadai / pan with some water and bring it to a boil. Place a perforated stand and arrange the parcels. 

          Cover it and steam for 8-10 minutes on a low flame. You can also steam in a pressure cooker or an idli stand. 

          Serve with some raita and papad if you wish for a nice traditional Kerala style Biryani.