Quinoa Adai

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
1 cup split urad dal with skin
2 green chilies or to taste
a bunch of cilantro leaves(dhania leaves) or use curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon asafoetida powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon lemon juice or to taste
water and oil as needed

Preparation: Wash and soak the quinoa and and urad dal for one hour before grinding.

After it has been soaking for one hour grind it somewhat coarsely with cilantro leaves, green chilies to taste and lemon juice and water.
To the ground batter add salt and asafoetida mix.  The batter is now ready for make adais

Heat a griddle on medium heat, grease the surface and let it get hot.
Once hot pour a few scoops of batter on the surface and spread it around.  Surround the edges with a little oil and let it cook until the edges loosen. When the edges loosen turn it over and let it cook on the other side.  You can make the adai plain or put some topping.  Suitable toppings are shredded carrots, bell pepper, onion, ginger.

When both sides cooked the indication it will turn brown, remove from heat and serve.  Serve with pickles or chutney.
Serves 4.

Adai parboiled rice

Ingredients:
3 cups parboiled rice
1/2 cup split urad dal with skin
1/2 cup toor dal
1/4 cup channa dal
Green chiles to taste
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon of asafoetida powder (also called hing or perungayam)
Water as needed
Sesame oil as needed (also called til ka tel or nalla ennai) you can use any oil or ghee

Preparation:  Soak rice for at least 8 hours or overnight.  Grind with green chillies, curry leaves and water.  Grind to a coarse batter.

Soak the dals together one hour before grinding.  Grind to a coarse batter.

Mix the ground rice and dals together.  Add salt, asafoetida and mix it thoroughly into the batter.  The batter is now ready to make adais.

To make the adais.  Heat a griddle on medium heat and wait for it to warm up.  Grease the surface of the griddle with some oil.  For best results use the Indian variety sesame oil.

When the griddle is hot, take a few scoops of batter and with a spoon spread it evenly around the surface of the griddle making a round shape.  Spread a few drops of oil around the edge and a few in the middle.  Wait for the adai to cook.  When the edges start to loosen turn it over and let it cook on the other side.  Apply a few drops of oil to the other side.  When you see it turning brown on both sides the adai it ready to come out and to be served.

The batter will last for 4 to 5 days if kept in the refrigerator.  As the batter gets older it becomes more sour, making it more tasty.

Serves 6.

You can serve adais for snack, breakfast or appetiser.  This is a very filling dish.  If you are serving it for appetiser make the adais smaller.  Serve adais with chutney, pachadi or avial.  Sweet chutneys go really well.

Sweet Potato and Blueberry Pie

Ingredients:
1 lbs sweet potato (469 gm)
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon orange and lemon zest combined
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup frozen blueberry
1 10" pie crust

Preparation:  Cook the sweet potato in water until they are soft inside.  Let it cool to room temperature and peel it and discard the peel, mash the inside.

To a bowl with the mashed sweet potato add milk, brown sugar, oil, corn starch, orange and lemon zest, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder, salt and vanilla, mix all of the ingredients and make a smooth paste which is lump free.

To a 10" pie crust line the bottom with the frozen blueberry, distribute the filling evenly over the top.

Bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit or 177 celsius for 1 hour.  Adjust the cooking time to your own oven.

Serve topped with ice cream or whipped cream.

Nei Appam

Watch in you tube here: http://youtu.be/DV9DC4wwhfo

Ingredients:
1 cup rice flour
3/4 cup jaggery you can adjust this more or less according to taste (jaggery is also called gud or vellum)
1/4 cup mashed banana
1/4 cup sliced coconut bits
1/2 teaspoon crushed cardamom seeds
ghee or clarified butter as needed
water as needed

Preparation:  Heat a pan on medium heat with 1/4 cup of water add the jaggery and cook until the jaggery has melted.  Turn the heat off and let it cool to room temperature.  Sometimes the jaggery has small stones in it, in that case you will have to strain it through a clean cloth.

After the jaggery has cooled to room temperature add the rice powder and mix, add the mashed banana and mix add water as needed to make a flowing batter which is lump free.  Add the coconut bits and crushed cardamom seeds mix.  Keep it aside.

Heat a paniyaram pan on medium heat.  Add about 1/2 a teaspoon of ghee into the moulds and let the pan warm up.  When the pan is warm, fill the moulds with the prepared batter reduce the heat to low and let it cook until the sides loosen.  When the sides loosen turn it around and let it cook on the other side.  Check to see if it is cooked by inserting a skewer in the middle, if it comes out clean it is cooked and is ready to come out.

This dish originates from Kerala.  This is one of the dishes that is prepared to celebrate Karthigai Deepam.