Watermelon Dosa ( Watermelon pancakes);GF

.

This is one of my favorites to make during the summer as there is plenty of watermelon lying around!! Yes, I had written this post during the end of summer but never got around to posting it!! Well, one is allowed to be nostalgic about the warm days on cold evenings! Also, in certain parts of the world like Australia it is summer ! Anyways, coming back to presents,when it comes to food, I hate wasting food. You surely have noticed that when we cut watermelon, we tend to throw out quite a lot of the red part of then watermelon with the peel/ rind. This recipe uses that part that you discard, the white fleshy part that you tend to throw out with the green peel. I also use the overripe watermelon to make this dosa. It gives it a nice, pretty pink color to the dosa which the kids absolutely love! This dosa is not only super-easy to make, it is a joy to eat! It is soft and fluffy with a hint of sweetness to it. You could pair it with a spicy chutney or eat it with honey/syrup/molasses like my kids do!

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

Rice: 1 1/2 cups
Urad dal: 2 tbsp
Methi( fenugreek seeds): 1/2 tsp
Watermelon rind and pieces : 1 cup
Beaten rice( poha):1/2 cup
Salt to taste.
Water : 3/4 cup for grinding the batter.( you may not use all of it).
Oil : to grease the tawa( skillet).

Method:

Soak rice, urad dal & methi together for 3-4 hours atleast or overnight.

Soak poha( beaten rice) for 10 mins ( just before you begin grinding the batter )and keep aside.

Grind the rice-dal mixture to a fine batter in the blender using watermelon pieces to it instead of water.Add water only as needed if it becomes difficult to grind.Once the rice is ground finely, add the soaked poha and blend it with the rest of the batter in the blender.

The batter should be slightly thick as in fermentation it tends to get a little thin..The batter has a faint pink hue.It is NOT bright pink or red in color!

Allow the batter to ferment overnight ( at least 6-8 hours).

Add salt  to the batter when you are ready to make the dosa.

Heat the skillet to medium hot, take a ladleful of batter and pour it on the skillet ( just like you would do while making pancake).

Cover with a lid, reduce the flame, and cook until you here a sizzling sound. Open the lid and see if you see any wet patches. If not, the dosa is done!

Remove from the skillet and serve hot! This dosa is cooked only on one side. DO NOT FLIP THE DOSA!

You can eat these soft fluffy dosas with wet or dry chutneys of your choice or with honey/ syrup/molasses!

Enjoy! I am taking these to Fiesta Friday as well, in case the Surnalis are all gone!

Cooking made easy:

Make sure that the flame is low while cooking this dosa or else the underside of the dosa will burn.

Once you have removed the dosa from the skillet, you can increase the flame to heat the skillet.Reduce the flame again, once the batter has been poured onto the skillet.

Tip for healthy living:

Not only is watermelon full of water and refreshing during the summer months, it also has several health benefits.It is rich in Vitamins A, B6 and C, lycopene, antioxidants and amino acids. It is also fat-free and low-calorie food. The lycopene in it makes it a heart-healthy and anti-inflammatory food.

References:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/266886.php
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=31
http://www.livescience.com/46019-watermelon-nutrition.html

Food for thought:

You change your life by changing your heart. Max lucado

Surnali ( Buttermilk pancakes; eggless)

It is interesting that quite a few of our memories are associated with food. When I think of my childhood, I think of my mother's cooking . One of the things that she used to make for breakfast was dosa( pancake and crepes).My mother makes a whole variety of dosas. Interestingly, I am very fond of dosas; all kinds! I could never tire of dosas!! I just love them!!!

One of the dosas my mother would make is Surnali. Surnali is a traditional konkani dosa( pancake), where in the batter is made by the addition of buttermilk and then fermented. The resulting dosa is soft and fluffy like cotton!! It is absolutely the melt-in-the-mouth kinds! Oh, did i forget to mention that it is also sweet. So you don't need to add any additional syrup/molasses or honey. By default Surnali is sweet, the batter is sweetened by the addition of jaggery;  but we do have a non-sweet version called "cheppi Surnali". For cheppi Surnali, you just have to forego the addition of jaggery while grinding the batter. This is very easy to make, but care has to be taken to ensure that the ground batter is thick. The addition of jaggery tends to make the batter a little runny, so this needs to be factored in. Also, the dosa/pancake has a tendency to get burnt easily , again due to the presence of jaggery in the batter. Therefore, more attention is needed while preparing the pancake on the griddle.Traditionally,surnali batter is made with the addition of freshly grated coconut. My mother does not do that. Instead she uses a little urad dal( split matpe bean), which also helps it to become soft and fluffy.

Servings: 4 ( 10-12 pancakes).

Ingredients:

White Rice: 1 1/2 cup
Urad dal (split Matpe bean):1 tbsp ( Can use 1/4 cup freshly grated coconut instead of urad dal).
Buttermilk/ yogurt: 1 cup( for grinding the batter, may need less)
Methi seeds: 1 tsp
Poha( beaten rice): 3/4 cup
Water: 1 cup, to soak the poha
Jaggery: 1 cup(skip if making cheppi Surnali)
Turmeric powder: a pinch.
Salt: as per taste.

Method:

Soak white rice, urad dal and methi seeds for atleast 2-3 hours.
Soak the poha( beaten rice) in  one cup water for 10 mins, then squeeze, remove and keep aside.
Grind it  using the yogurt/buttermilk to a fine batter. Add the soaked poha , jaggery and grind again. Now add the turmeric powder and blend well. Make sure that the batter is on the thicker side and not runny.

Let it ferment for atleast 5-6 hours if the weather is warm; may take 8 hours in cold weather.

Just before making the pancakes, add  salt as needed and mix well.

Heat the griddle/ skillet, grease it using oil/ghee/butter. Add a ladleful of batter. Do not spread the batter too much.

Reduce the flame to low, cover and cook until you hear a faint hissing sound. If there are no wet spots on the dosa, it is done. Remove from the griddle. This dosa IS NOT TO BE FLIPPED. It is cooked only on one side.

Serve hot with a dollop of butter. You do not need to add any additional syrup or honey.

If it is cheppi surnali (the non-sweet version), serve it with some chutney!

Yummy! I am salivating as I am writing this! I am bringing this to Fiesta Friday! Margy & Juju are the co-hosts this week!

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

The key to making a nice soft and fluffy Surnali is the consistency of the batter and the amount of fermentation. The batter has to be on the thicker side and has to be well fermented. Well fermented means that it has to rise a little but not turn sour.

Also, this dosa has a tendency to caramalise and burn easily on the bottom while the dosa is still uncooked. Hence it is essential to lower the flame as soon as the batter is put on the griddle and cook it on low flame until the dosa is cooked.

Tip for healthy living:

Probiotics are essential for the healthy functioning of the gut. Yogurt and other fermented foods are rich in probiotics and therefore beneficial to the gut. Try to include atleast one serving of probiotic rich food in your everyday diet.
References:
http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/update0905c.shtml
http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/probiotics-10/slideshow-probiotics
http://www.rd.com/slideshows/13-probiotic-filled-foods/
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/foods-high-in-probiotics

Food for thought:

Set your course by the stars, not by the lights of every passing ship. Omar N. Bradley

Quinoa Masala Dosa ( Paper thin crispy crepe made with rice-lentil-quinoa batter and stuffed with spicy onion- potato stuffing)

Masala dosa is one of the favorite breakfast items for my husband. My kids and I love dosas( crepes). Since I do not eat potatoes any more I stay away from the stuffing. I eat my paper thin crisp dosas with chutney.
Being that everyone likes dosas, I try to make it as healthy an wholesome as possible. I use 4 different kinds of lentil for my paper masala dosa. The quinoa masala dosa was quite accidental actually. One day, when I was soaking the lentils and rice for masala dosa, I realized that I didn't have any tur dal in my pantry. I believe in making use of what is available. I had about 1/2 cup of quinoa left. I decided to use it in this. I reduced the amount of rice used. Quinoa as you all aware is a superfood with immense health benefits. My little ones do not eat quinoa salad or pulao or cooked quinoa. This was a great way to sneak in the healthy grain into their bodies! The end result was that the masala dosa was delicious and the kids didn't know the difference! They chomped away!

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

For the Dosa batter:

Rice: 1 1/2 cups
Urad dal: 1/4 cup
Chana dal: 1/4 cup
Moong dal: 1/4 cup
Massoor dal: 1/4 cup
Quinoa: 1/2 cup
Methi ( fenugreek) seeds: 1 tsp
Water: to grind the batter.
Salt: to taste

For  the Bhaji ( stuffing):

Potatoes : 3 medium
Onion: 1 big, chopped small.
Green chillies: 2 slit lengthwise
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Urad dal: 1/2 tsp
Chana dal: 1/2 tsp
Jeera(cumin): 1/4 tsp
Haldi( turmeric powder):1/2 tsp
Curry leaves: 1 sprig
Oil: 1 tbsp
Cilantro ( coriander leaves) 5-6 sprigs
Salt to taste

For the Chutney:

Grated fresh coconut: 1 cup
Green chilli: 1
Red chilli ( dry): 2
Ginger: 1/4 inch
Tamarind: marble sized
Chana dal: 1 tsp
Oil: 2 drops for saut�ing
Salt to taste

Method:

The dosa batter:

Soak the lentils, rice, quinoa and methi seeds together in water for 4-5 hours or overnight.

Grind all the ingredients  that were soaked to a batter with fine consistency using water as needed.The batter should not be runny. 

Let it ferment for atleast 8 hours or overnight.

Next morning just before making the dosa, add salt to taste. Mix well.

The stuffing ( baji):

Boil potatoes till tender. When cooled, peel and dice it into 1cm cubes and keep aside.

Heat a kadai/ saut� pan on medium heat. Add oil,temper mustard seeds.

Then add curry leaves, jeera,chana dal, urad dal one after the other and saut� till urad dal turns a little golden brown. 

Now add the slit green chillies and the chopped onions. Saut� until onions turn transparent. 

Now add haldi and saut� for 1 more min. 

Add the diced potatoes and saut� for 2-3 mins. 

Garnish with finely chopped cilantro leaves.

The chutney:

Saut�  chana dal in one drop of oil until golden brown. 

When cooled, grind it together with grated coconut, green chilli, red chili, ginger,tamarind, salt and water into a thick paste.


Putting it together:

Heat a tawa/griddle on medium-high flame. When the skillet is hot, sprinkle cold water. Take a ladle of dosa batter and go in concentric circles from the center to the periphery of the skillet. 

When the dosa is slightly done lightly smear oil along the edges and the center of the dosa.

Once it turns golden brown and crispy, smear the chutney at the center of the dosa and place a tablespoon of the potato baji. Now fold the dosa into a roll as shown in the picture.

Serve hot with chutney and/or sambar. 

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

I have substituted quinoa for 1/4th of the rice used. You could use greater proportion of quinoa.

Any kind of stuffing an chutney can be used depending on individual preferences and taste. The one that I shared is the one that is traditionally used.

For a nice crispy dosa, it is essential that the griddle is hot, the temperature should be maintained evenly at medium high.

Wait for the dosa to be crisp before adding the chutney and the stuffing. This dosa is to be cooked only from one side.

Tip for healthy living:

Adults need at least 7-8 hours of restful sleep to energize the body. Children need more. The time that we sleep is used by the body to repair, recover and re-energize itself. Inadequate sleep leads to fatigue and listlessness. There is nothing called "catching up with my sleep". The body does not work like that!
References:

Food for thought:

Big jobs usually go to the men who prove their ability to outgrow small ones. Theodore Roosevelt

Meatless Monday Ootthappam/ Utthappa( Rice-lentil pancake topped with veggies)

Oothappam or Utthappa is a favorite amongst my family members. I like it too as it is a great way to use leftover dosa/ idli batter or batter that had turned a little sour. I also like it because it makes for a balanced, filling meal and is a fool-proof way of sneaking some veggies into my children's meal. It is also quick and easy to make if you are using leftover batter.

Servings: 4( around 8 dosas/pancakes)

Ingredients:

Leftover dosa batter/ idli batter: 4 cups
Carrots: 2, grated
Onion: 1 medium, finely chopped
Cilantro: finely chopped, 1 tbsp
Green chillies: 1-2, finely chopped ( based on your spice level)( optional)
Salt: pinch
Ghee( clarified butter): for making the dosa

Method:

For dosa batter: I have used leftover Mushti-polo batter.

In a bowl, mix together chopped onions, green chilli, cilantro, grated carrots and salt. Mix well. This is the topping.

Heat the tawa/ griddle until hot. Smear ghee/ butter. Pour one ladleful of batter. Make sure that you spread it thickly. 

Sprinkle 1 tbsp of the topping on top. 

When the dosa seems cooked, spread 1/4-1/2 tsp of ghee on top.

 Flip the dosa and let it cook until slightly golden brown.

Serve hot with chutney/ sambar or both!

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

While making dosas, the consistency of the batter plays a very important role. If you want to make thick dosas( like pancake thickness) then the batter has to be thick. 

If you want to make thin dosas then the batter has to be relatively thin but not runny. Hence, uthappams can be made only with thick batters like that of idli or dosa.

Some amount of ghee/ oil has to be spread on top of the filling as otherwise when you flip the dosa over the filling will stick to the pan/ tawa.

Tip for healthy living:

For people having extremely dry skin, applying olive oil at night 30 minutes before going to bed , on a regular basis will help relieve the dryness and improve the quality of the skin. Olive oil is natural, light and therefore trumps any man-made chemical laden moisturizer. It also is relatively inexpensive and without side-effects!

Food for thought:

Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you! Dr. Seuss

Paper Masala Dosa ( Gluten-free stuffed Crepe)

The ambition of anybody who loves making and eating Masala Dosa is to get it to be crispier and more perfect than before.For those who don't know about "masala dosa", "masala" means stuffing and "dosa" means crepe.Basically it is stuffed crispy crepe. But in this case, the crepe is paper-thin! While my Masala Dosas come out well, a few months ago I came across this recipe for Paper Masala Dosa. The batter was different from what I made and used several different types of dal. I was intrigued. Not just for the concept of having a crispier, thinner dosa but due to the use of multiple lentils. I am always looking for ways to make my kids meals protein-rich and this seemed to be perfect! Even if the dosas didn't turn crispy, I still would have healthy dosas for my kids. They love dosas. Well, the dosas came out perfect! I absolutely fell in love with them. The recipe was shared by an innovative cook, one of my favorites Seema D.Shenoy. She has a Facebook page called DineDivine.

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

For the Dosa batter:
Rice: 2 cups
Urad dal: 1/4 cup
Chana dal: 1/4 cup
Moong dal: 1/4 cup
Tur dal:1/4 cup
Methi ( fenugreek) seeds: 1 tsp
Soak all above ingredients in water for 5-6hours.
Water: to grind the batter.
Salt: to taste

For the bhaji (stuffing):

Potatoes : 3 medium
Onion: 1 big, chopped small.
Green chillies: 2 slit lengthwise
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Urad dal: 1/2 tsp
Chana dal: 1/2 tsp
Jeera(cumin): 1/4 tsp
Haldi( turmeric powder):1/2 tsp
Curry leaves: 1 sprig
Oil: 1 tbsp
Cilantro ( coriander leaves) 5-6 sprigs
Salt to taste

For the chutney:

Grated fresh coconut: 1 cup
Green chilli: 1
Red chilli ( dry): 2
Ginger: 1/4 inch
Tamarind: marble sized
Chana dal: 1 tsp
Oil: 2 drops for saut�ing
Salt to taste

Method:

For the dosa batter:

Grind all the ingredients  listed under dosa batter to a fine paste. The batter should not be runny. Let it ferment for at-least 8 hours or overnight.

Next morning just before making the dosa, add salt to taste. Mix well.

The stuffing( bhaji):

Boil potatoes till tender. When cooled, peel and dice it into 1cm cubes and keep aside.

Heat a kadai/ saut� pan on medium heat. Add oil,temper mustard seeds. The add curry leaves, jeera,chana dal, urad dal one after the other and saut� till urad dal turns a little golden brown. Now add the slit green chillies and the chopped onions. Saut� until onions turn transparent. Now add haldi and saut� for 1 more min. Add the diced potatoes and saut� for 2-3 mins. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro leaves.

The chutney:
Saut� chana dal in one drop of oil until golden brown. When cooled, grind it together with grated coconut, green chilli, red chili, ginger,tamarind, salt and water into a thick paste.

Putting the  Paper Masala Dosa together:
Heat the skillet/tawa/griddle on medium-high flame. When the skillet is hot, sprinkle cold water. Take a ladle of dosa batter and go in concentric circles from the center to the periphery of the skillet.

When the dosa is slightly done lightly smear oil along the edges and the center of the dosa. Wait for it to turn crispy. 

Once this happens, smear the red chutney at the center of the dosa and place a tbsp of the potato bhaji. 

Now fold the dosa into a roll as shown in the picture.This dosa is cooked only from one side and is not flipped.

Serve hot with any chutney of your choice and  sambar. I have served with just  ridge-gourd peel chutney in the first and radish sambar in the second. 

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

Always make extra batter enough for 2 breakfasts.The above dosa batter can be used to make plain paper dosa the next time. Serve it with chutney of your choice.

You can also be versatile with the stuffing you make. You could use mushroom bhaji or paneer stuffing.

Tip for healthy living:

Fermented foods are a good source of probiotics. Probiotics are needed to promote good health of the gastrointestinal system. Probiotics are the good bacteria in the intestine that help digestion and prevent bloating, constipation and diarrhea.Good sources of probiotics include yogurt, kimchi, saurkert etc.
References:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/264721.php
http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/update0905c.shtml
http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/features/what-are-probiotics
http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/6-healing-benefits-of-probiotics

Food for thought:

Laughter is the best medicine.(unknown).

Mushti Polo/Dosa ( Gluten-free vegan Indian pancakes)

This post was originally not intended for Fiesta Friday but after reading this week's co-host Sylvia @ Superfoodista.com, I am going to take this dosa/pancake to Fiesta Friday!.This will spread the message of gluten-free eating options that has been always available..

Mushti polo literally translates into "fist dosa" in English. "Mushti" means fist and "polo" means dosa. Why? I don't know? May be because they used their fists for measuring? According to my mother, they put the batter in the center of the griddle/skillet like a fist and let it spread. I, of course, spread it a little as I don't want it too thick!

Anyways, Mushti polo is a common dosa/ pancake made in Gowda Saraswat Brahmin households of South Canara region of India. It is a soft, fluffy and light dosa that melts in your mouth. There are a few variations in the batter with some using grated coconut in it and most using cooking soda ( soda bicarbonate) for fermentation. My mother never used soda bicarbonate in any of her cooking as she always believed that the use of it would cause bloating. I have learnt from her and I too avoid soda bicarbonate in my cooking ( except for cakes and breads). So here is my recipe for "Mushti polo":

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

Raw rice: 3 cups
Urad dal: 1 fistful
Methi seeds( fenugreek seeds): 1 tbsp
Poha( beaten rice): 1 fistful
Salt: 2 tsp
Water: for soaking and grinding

Method:

Soak 4-5 hours or overnight ,3 cups rice with 1 fistful of urad dal, 1tbsp methi seeds.

Next morning grind the above mixture with just enough water to make a batter with fine texture.

Soak 1 fistful of poha/beaten rice in water for 10-15 mins. Add it to the above ground mixture and pulse once or twice.The batter should be thick.

Pour everything in a bowl. Let it ferment for 6-8 hours or overnight.

Heat a tawa/ griddle, smear oil, spread out a ladleful of batter thickly. Cover and cook on very low flame until done.Do not flip the dosa. This dosa needs to be cooked only from one side.

Serve hot with chutney of your choice.In the picture below I have served the dosa with wet ridge-gourd peel chutney ( ghosale sheere chutney) and dry garlic chutney powder ( lasun/loshne chutney)

My kids love it with butter and a dash of honey!

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

If using non-stick saut� pans, skillet and griddle for cooking, use only wooden spoons/ spatulas on it. Using metal spoon/ spatula can scrape of the non-stick coating of the pan.

Use lukewarm water to wash non-stick cookware.While washing non-stick pans, use soft, non-abrasive sponge. Coarse fibers/ scrub can again damage and scrape off the non-stick coating.

Tip for healthy living:

Try and avoid the use of non-stick cookware in your kitchen.The non-stick cookware is coated with Teflon. The chemical name for Teflon is Polytetrafluorethylene(PTFE).The possible problems that arise are mainly from another chemical used in making Teflon,Perflurooctanoic acid ( PFOA) that has been linked with possibly causing cancer, hypothyroidism and reduced fertility. Do not heat empty cookware and never at very high-temperatures.The Teflon when heated to high temperature can release toxic fumes that are harmful to the body and can cause flu-like symptoms.

Discard any non-stick cookware that has it's coating scraped off or worn off.
References:

http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID=4491

http://www.ewg.org/research/healthy-home-tips/tip-6-skip-non-stick-avoid-dangers-teflon

Food for thought: 

Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute. Josh Billings