Pesarat

Ingredients:
2 cups whole moong dal

1/4 cup rice
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
4 green chilies or to taste
1 teaspoon salt or to taste

For Topping: 
Shredded carrots
Sliced onions
chopped cilantro leaves
or your choice of topping

Wash and soak the whole moong dal overnight or for at least for 8 hours before grinding.

After it has been soaked, drain the water out and grind the dal.
Since the amount to grind was large, it was divided and ground in 2 batches.  The first batch was ground with green chili, ginger, cumin seeds to a smooth paste of medium spreadable consistency.  The 2nd batch was ground with just water.  After grinding mix the 2 ground dal batches add salt to taste to the batter mix and the pesarattu is ready to be prepared.

To prepare the pesarattu heat a griddle apply about a teaspoon of oil over it and spread it around.  Take a scoop of batter and spread it over the griddle in a round fashion.  Spread the shredded carrots, sliced onion and chopped cilantro leaves over the spread batter.
Apply a little oil to surround the batter.  Let it cook until the edges start to loosen.  When the edges have loosened turn the pesarattu over and cook on the other side.  When the batter turns reddish brown on both sides it is cooked and can come out to be served.
Serves 4.

I

Spicy Buckwheat crepes or Kuttu ata ki Dosa

Ingredients:
1 cup Buckwheat flour or kuttu ata
2 cups water or as needed to make a flowing batter
a few curry leaves
a few cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon of cumin powder
a pinch of asafoetida
1/2 teaspoon of salt or to taste
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

Ingredients: for crepe or dosa topping
ginger
chili
red and green bell pepper thinly sliced
shredded carrots
or use your own favorite topping


Prepare Batter:  Add water to buckwheat flour and make a liquid batter.  Add curry leaves, cilantro leaves, cumin powder, asafoetida, salt and keep it aside.  For best results make the dough 4 to 8 hours before making the crepes or make it overnight and refrigerate it.
Before making crepes add lemon juice and ground black pepper and stir the dough since the contents would have settled.


Prepare crepes or dosa:  Heat a greased griddle.  Pour some batter in the middle and tilt the griddle to spread the batter.  Evenly distribute the topping over the dosa.  Press it down lightly with the spatula,  Let it cook until the sides are loosening.  Use a spatula to turn it and cook the other side.  It is done when brown spots appear. Remove and serve.

Makes 6 crepes.

Note:  I usually buy buckwheat flour in small quantities.  It gets rancid very easily.  I store it in the refrigerator. 

Buckwheat crepes with Kale and Mushroom Filling

To make crepes:

1 cup buckwheat flour  (called kuttu ka atta in Hindi)

1/2 cup rice flour

1 cup almond milk (or any milk)

1 1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

In a bowl mix all of the ingredients to make a lump free, flowing batter.  Adjust the water as necessary.

For best results let the batter rest for at least 4 hours before making crepes.  I usually leave it overnight in the refrigerator for chilling.

To make crepes use a greased griddle or a skillet.  Pour some batter in the center and tilt the griddle to spread the batter.  Wait for it cook.  It is done, when the edges are loosening, turn it over and cook the other side and remove.  Do the same with rest of the batter.  Makes about 6 to 8 crepes.

Spicy Kale and Mushroom filling

1 tbsp sesame oil
1 bunch of kale
8 oz pkg or 4 cups chopped mushroom
green chili to taste
1 tablespoon of chopped ginger
some chopped parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
tobasco green sauce to taste

Heat oil add green chili and ginger, saute it for a few seconds.  Add parsley and saute it for a few seconds, add mushrooms and kale and saute for a few seconds.  Add salt and let it cook until all of the water has evaporated.  Turn the heat off when the curry is dry add some tobasco sauce and mix. 

To assemble the crepes put some filling in the center and fold the edges of the crepe over the filling.  Serve with chutney or tomato salsa.

Simple ingredients for healthy living

Note:  I usually buy buckwheat flour in small quantities.  It gets rancid very easily.  I store it in the refrigerator. 

Dosa Recipe

1/2 cup urad dal
1/2 cup idli rava (cream of rice it is actually coarsely powdered parboiled rice)
1/2 cup rice flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup of lemon juice
Enough water for preparation
Oil for dosa preparation (Indian sesame oil preferred)

Wash and soak the urad dal for at least 8 hours or overnight.   Discard the water it was soaked in and grind it with enough fresh water to make a smooth batter.

Add the rice flour and idli rava mix it thoroughly with enough water and remove any lumps.  Keep it in a warm place for the dough to rise.  I usually keep it in the oven with the light on but the oven power off.  It usually takes about 4 to 5 hours for the dough to rise.  In warmer weather it rises faster.

After the batter has risen add salt and lemon juice mix with enough water according to the thickness of the dosa desired.  For thin dosa more water for thick dosa less water.  Add the water slowly.  Adding too much water the dosa might break during preparation.  

Heat a non-stick greased griddle.  Scope some batter with a ladle and pour it on the griddle and spread it immediately using the flat side of the ladle.  Pour some oil around the dosa and some in the middle.  The side is cooked when it comes off easily when you try to loosen it with a non stick spatula, turn the dosa and cook the other side, add some oil around the dosa.  Both sides are done when the dosa is brown and does not stick to the griddle.  Remove from heat.

To make stuffed dosa before removing from the griddle place the stuffing at the center of the dosa fold and remove.  Serve with sambar and chutney

Hint:  If the batter fails to rise use about 1/2 teaspoon of yeast.  If you are in a hurry adding about 1/2 teaspoon of fruit salt (Eno) will make the batter rise right away.  If your dosa is breaking up while cooking slowly add some extra rice flour to the batter.

Soft and crunchy you can never stop eating just one.  Even though the preparation takes a long time, if you plan ahead it works out great.  Originating in south India this is a extremely liked dish.  Served with sambar and chutney what more can a person want!

Filling used in the video Vermicelli Upma

Adai Mixed Dal

1/2 cup of idli rawa found in Indian grocers ( idli rawa is actually ground parboiled rice also known as cream of rice)
1/2 cup of rice flour found in Indian grocers
1/2 cup of Toor dal
1/4 cup of channa dal or mung dal
1 tablespoon of urad dal
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder or haldi
1/2 teaspoon of cumin or jeera
1/4 teaspoon of asafoetida
1 teaspoon salt
A few red chili and green chili to taste
A few curry leaves

Wash toor, channa and urad dal  pour hot water in it at let it soak for at least 4 hours.

After four hours grind it with the chilies, cumin and asafoetida into grainy consistancy.  Pour the ground dals into a bowl, add the rice flour and rest of the ingredients and with enough water make it into a thick batter.

Grease a non-stick griddle and place it on high heat.  When the griddle is hot take a scope of batter with a ladle and spread it like a round omelet or pancake, add a teaspoon or so of oil around and center of adai.  

The adai bottom is done when it loosens from the griddle you can push is with a spatula.  At that point turn it and cook the other side.  Add some oil on top.

The adai is cooked when brown spots appear.  Remove and serve with tomato pachadi, aviyal, chutney, pineapple pachadi, brown sugar or butter.  Serves 4.

You can add cut vegetables like onion, carrots, bell peppers on top of the adai while it is cooking for a variation.

Hint:  For oil use til oil or sesame it tastes better.  For really rich adai ghee or clarified butter can be used.

Made with a medley of dals and rice the taste for this savory is outstanding.  It is very filling.  This is very popular in South India.