Neer dose literally means water dosa. This crêpe, which is part of Udupi cuisine is very light and requires no fermentation.
Ingredients:
Raw rice - 1 cup
Freshly grated coconut -2tsps
Salt and oil - As required
Method:
Soak the rice in water for 3 hours. Drain and grind it along with the grated coconut to a smooth paste.
Add salt and sufficient water to the batter. The batter should be in watery consistency. Heat an iron griddle on high flame. Grease it and pour ladles of the batter over it. Swirl the batter to spread evenly. Close and cook on one side. Alternatively, open and cook on both sides. The crepe will be soft and white in colour as the batter in not fermented. Serve it hot with red chutney or sambhar.
Note:
Coconut milk can also be added to the batter to give it an extra flavour and softness.
Kurma is mildly spiced gravy made with different seasonal vegetables. It serves as an excellent side dish for Indian flat breads and spiced steamed rice. This is readily available in most restaurants across India. However, the recipe I am presenting here is little different as it uses coconut milk and minimum spices.
Ingredients:
Diced potatoes - 2cups
Shelled peas -1/4cup
Diced carrots -2cups
Chopped capsicum -1/4cup
Chopped onion -1cup
Turmeric powder -1tsp
Grated coconut -2tsps
Cumin seeds -1tsp
Aniseed -1tsp
Green chillies -2
Garlic pods - 4 to 5
Curry leaves - few
Cashew nuts - few (optional)
Green cardamom -2
Cloves -2
Coconut milk -1cup
Pepper powder -1tsp
Chilli powder -1tsp
Chopped coriander leaves -2tsps
Salt and oil - As required
Method:
Grind the grated coconut, garlic, cashew nuts, aniseed, curry leaves and green chillies to a smooth paste. Keep it aside. Cook all the vegetables except the capsicum and onions in 1 cup of water along with salt and turmeric powder. Heat a frying pan and toast the cumin seeds, cardamom and cloves in little oil. Then add the chopped onions and fry. Next, add the ground paste. Stir cook for few seconds. Finally, add the cooked vegetables, capsicum, pepper powder, chilli powder and coconut milk. Cook for few seconds over low flame till it is blended well. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
This Indian flat bread is a whole meal in itself as it has the fillings of spiced up mashed potatoes. It can be baked or cooked over an inverted iron griddle. It tastes great when it is smeared with butter and eaten hot.
Ingredients:
All purpose flour (maida) -250gms
Dry yeast -2tsps
Sugar - 2tsps
Oil - 2tsps
For the filling
Boiled potatoes -100gm
Garam masala -1tsp
Chilli powder -1/2tsp (optional)
Chopped coriander - 2tsps
Kalonji (nigella) seeds -1tsp
Salt to taste
Method:
Combine all the ingredients for the filling and make small balls out of it. Keep it aside.
Place the dry yeast and sugar in a mixing pan. Add half cup of lukewarm water to it. Set it aside for 15 minutes. Then, add the oil, salt and flour to the yeast mixture. Add more water and knead well. The dough should be sticky. Cover and rest for one hour for it to raise and double in quantity.
After one hour, add little oil to the dough and knead again. Divide the dough into equal parts to match the filling. Flatten the dough slightly and place the filling. Seal it thoroughly. Dust some flour and flatten each piece using both the hands. Place it over a greased tray. Sprinkle some onion seeds on top. Bake it at 200°C for 7 minutes in a pre-heated oven. Brush generous amount of butter and serve hot.
Broken wheat is high on high fibre and has a low glycaemic index. When combined with yellow split gram, the protein content is enhanced. Hence, it is considered as an excellent breakfast option for diabetics.
Ingredients:
Broken wheat - 1cup
Yellow split green gram -1/4cup
Pepper corns - 1tsp
Cumin seeds -1tsp
Crushed ginger -1tsp
Green chilly -1(slit in the middle)
Asafoetida powder -1/2tsp
Clarified butter -1/4 cup
Curry leaves - few
Salt to taste
Method:
Soak the broken wheat and yellow split green gram in 3 cups of water for 20 minutes. Then, add green chilly and crushed ginger. Cook in pressure cooker for 15 minutes. Temper pepper corns, cumin seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida in little clarified butter and add to the cooked broken wheat mixer. Add salt and the balance clarified butter also. Stir to blend well. Serve hot with orange peel pulikatchal.
Dates are rich in dietary fibre besides being an excellent source of iron and potassium. Cashew nuts in turn help our body to utilize iron properly. Hence, dates are usually consumed along with cashew nuts. Now for a recipe that uses both these ingredients.
Ingredients:
Dates - 1cup
Cashew nuts -1cup
All purpose flour -1cup
Salt -1pinch
Oil for frying
Method:
Add salt and water to the all-purpose flour and make dough of pouring consistency, similar to dosa batter. Roast the cashew nuts in an oven or fry them in little oil. Remove the seed from the dates and in its place stuff one cashew nut. Prepare all the dates in this similar way. Dip each stuffed dates in the batter and fry them in batches in hot oil till they turn slightly brown.
