Apple Bread

Dry Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon nutmeg powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon ginger powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup raisins

Wet Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups shredded apples
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation:  Mix flour, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder and baking soda.  Sift the ingredients in a stand mixer or by hand, if you are sifting by hand add the brown sugar after sifting.  To the sifted ingredients add the shredded apples, milk, oil and vanilla and mix.  Do not overmix.  Add walnuts and raisins and mix.
Pour the mixed ingredients into a loaf pan.

Bake at 350F or 177C, 40 to 45 minutes.

Lemon Chutney

Ingredients:
6 lemon (572 gms or 20.15 oz) - 2 1/2 cups after cookings and cutting
1 1/2 cups brown sugar

Seasoning:
2 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon methi seeds or fenugreek seeds
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
2 green chilies or to taste
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation: Wash and cook the lemon in boiling water for at least 5 minutes.
This removes some of the bitterness in the lemon and softens the skin.

Drain the water and cut the lemon into 4 pieces.  Remove and discard the seeds.

Grind the cut lemon with brown sugar coarsely.

Seasoning:  Heat a pan on medium heat with oil, add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds, when the mustard seeds pop add the chopped ginger and green chilies, saute for about 30 seconds add turmeric powder turn the heat off  and add it to the ground lemon.  Add salt mix and store in a glass jar.

This will last in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks.  Serve as a relish.  It goes well with almost any dish. 

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.