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Adai

Adai is a type of dal dosa and a popular Tamilian breakfast. It’s very nutritious and protein packed since it uses so many dals (lentils). It’s healthy, tasty as well as filling and the best part is, you don’t have to ferment the adai batter. To make it tastier, you can also add finely chopped onion or cabbage or both to the adai batter.

Recipe of adai (dal dosa)

1/2 cup rice

1/4 cup toor dal (arhar dal/ red gram)

1/4 cup dhuli urad dal (split, skinless black gram)

1/4 cup chana dal (Bengal gram)

1/4 cup dhuli moong dal (split, skinless green gram)

2 green chillies

Salt to taste

A pinch of hing (asafoetida)

Few curry leaves

Oil to shallow fry

1. Wash and soak rice and dals for 2-3 hours. Drain.

2. Grind dals and rice in a blender adding little water into a coarse paste. Remember not to add too much water as the batter for adai is usually thick.

3. Add salt, hing and curry leaves to the batter. Beat the batter well.

4. Heat a non-stick tava (griddle). Grease it and wipe off the excess oil. Pour a ladleful of batter in the center of the tava.

5. Spread it in the circular motion to make a round. Drizzle some oil around the edges and on top of the adai.

6. When the underside is cooked, turn over and cook from other side also till brownish. Similarly make other adai from rest of the batter. Serve adai hot with chutney or chutney powder.

Ven pongal (khara pongal)

Today being Sunday, we ate heavy breakfast. By afternoon, we wanted to eat something light and easy on stomach. I made ven pongal or khara pongal for lunch. Usually ven pongal is made for breakfast but it was our lunch today. Ven pongal is a type of moong dal khichdi except that the seasoning is different.

Recipe of ven pongal/ khara pongal

1 cup rice

1/2 cup dhuli moong dal (split, skinless green gram)

1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

1 tsp ginger paste

6-7 black peppercorns (kali mirch) - crushed coarsely

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

3 1/2 cups of water

Lightly fried or toasted cashew nuts for garnish

1. Wash and soak rice and moong dal together for 10 minutes. Drain.

2. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker and add cumin seeds. When they change color, add ginger paste and crushed peppercorns. Fry for 1 minute.

3. Add rice and dal and stir fry for 1 minute.

4. Add water and salt. Pressure cook for 4-5 whistles.

5. Garnish ven pongal with fried cashew nuts and serve hot.

bedmi puri

Bedmi puri along with aloo ki sabzi (potato curry) is a popular Uttar Pradesh breakfast. You can also have them in ‘Chandni Chowk’ in Delhi. You can also prepare bedmi aloo for Sunday brunch. They are simply delicious.

Recipe of bedmi puri

2 cups atta (whole wheat flour)

1/2 cup dhuli moong dal (split, skinlesss green gram)

3 green chillies

1/4 tsp garam masala

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1 inch piece ginger

1 tbsp oil + for deep frying

1. Soak moong dal for 2 hours. Drain.

2. Grind together moong dal, green chillies, ginger, salt, coriander and garam masala powders in a blender.

3. Take atta in a bowl and add moong dal paste along with 1 tablespoon oil. Knead using water as needed. Cover and keep aside for 1/2 an hour.

4. Take lemon sized ball out of the dough and flatten between palms. Roll out on an oiled surface into 3-4 inch round.

5. Heat sufficient oil in a wok/ kadhai. Gently slide the rolled out bedmi puri in the oil. Press gently with a slotted spoon (pauni/ chhari) so that poori puffs up. Turn over and fry from other side also till golden in color. Drain using the same slotted spoon on an absorbent paper so that excess oil is absorbed.

6. Serve bedmi puri hot with aloo ki sabzi.

gajar ka paratha

Gajar ka paratha or carrot paratha is a super nutritious food since it is loaded with Vitamin A. It’s both healthy and tasty. It’s also a healthy breakfast option and good way to start your day.

Recipe of gajar ka paratha/ carrot paratha

1 cup atta (whole wheat flour)

4-5 carrots- grated

½ tsp red chilli powder

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)

1/4 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)

A pinch of turmeric powder

Oil to shallow fry

1. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Add water to knead it into pliable dough.

2. Take a ball (peda) out of the carrot dough. Roll it into a 6 inch round dusting with dry flour as needed.

3. Heat a tava (griddle) and place this round or parantha on it. Cook from both sides applying oil till gajar ka paratha turn golden brown with brown-black specks in it. Serve hot carrot paratha with curd or pickle.

Paneer paratha

Paneer paratha is something which is relished by adults and kids alike. It’s a good breakfast option. You can enjoy paneer paratha with some curry or all by itself. It tastes absolutely great and liked especially by paneer lovers.

Recipe of paneer paratha

Filling

100 grams paneer- grated or finely crumbled

3 green chillies- finely chopped

Coriander leaves (cilantro) - finely chopped

1/4 tsp garam masala

Salt to taste

Dough

2 cups whole wheat flour (atta)

1/2 tsp salt

1. In a bowl, mix atta with salt. Add water slowly to knead it into smooth, pliable dough. Cover with a damp cloth and keep aside for 1/2 an hour.

2. Mix well all the ingredients of the filling except salt.

3. Take lemon sized ball (peda) from the dough and roll out into a 3 inch round. Grease this round lightly by an oiled spatula.

4. Place 2 tsp paneer filling in the center and add salt to it. Mix. Gather the edges of the round and reshape into a ball. Flatten the ball between your palms.

5. Roll out, dusting with dry flour as needed, into a 6-7 inch round.

6. Heat a griddle (tava) and shallow fry this parantha from both sides applying oil. Cook till golden brown from both sides with brown- black specks in it. Similarly make other paneer parathas. Serve hot paneer paratha with curd or pickle of your choice.

rava pongal

While casually surfing through net, I came across this wonderful recipe of rava pongal. This is a healthy South Indian breakfast which people from other parts can eat as a nice variation to regular fare. Rava pongal uses 2 main ingredients that is, rava or semolina and moong dal instead of dal and rice used in pongal. It’s healthy and tasty and try it yourself before believing me.

Recipe of rava pongal

1 cup rava (sooji/ semolina)

3/4 cup moong/mung dal (split, skinless green gram)

1 tbsp cashew nuts- broken

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

Salt to taste

1 1/2 + 4 cups water

1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter) or oil

1 tsp ginger- garlic paste

2-3 green chillies- slit

1. Heat a kadhai/ wok and dry roast moong dal till aromatic and light pink. Take out from the wok and wash it thoroughly.

2. Place moong dal, 1 1/2 cups of water and salt in a pressure cooker and cook to 1 whistle. Open the cooker after 3-4 minutes.

3. Place the cooker on stove to evaporate the water in moong dal.

4. In the mean time, dry roast rava till aromatic and some golden grains appear. Take rava out of kadhai.

5. In the same kadhai, heat ghee or oil. Add mustard seeds and when they pop, add cashew nuts. Add ginger-garlic paste and green chillies. Brown them lightly. When the water in moong dal dries, take it off the heat.

6. Returning to kadhai, add 4 cups of water and bring it to boil.

7. Add rava slowly, stirring with other hand. Add moong dal and salt. Mix well. Cook stirring till pongal gets thick. Cook it to desired consistency. Turn off the heat you can add lemon juice at this stage if you want it tangy. Serve rava pongal hot.

My husband insisted on adding vegetables to pongal so I boiled green peas (matar), potato, carrot along with moong dal. I agree it increases the nutritional value of rava pongal. Below is the picture of vegetable rava pongal or healthy upma.

vegetable rava pongal

Masala dosa

Masala dosa or dosai is a popular South Indian breakfast. It’s eaten all over India. Dosa is a low fat, healthy breakfast or snack item. You can also make plain dosa with this recipe that is dosa minus the potato filling. I made masala dosa today and they turned out very crispy and tasy. We enjoyed them with hot sambar.

Recipe of dosa/ dosai

Batter

1 1/2 cup parboiled rice (sela chawal)

2/3 cup dhuli urad dal (split, skinless black gram)

1/2 tsp soda bicarbonate

Salt to taste

Oil for making dosa

Potato filling

4 medium potatoes- boiled, peeled and roughly mashed

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

Salt to taste

2 onions- chopped

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

Few curry leaves

2 tbsp oil

Dosa spread on the tava

1. For batter, soak rice, urad dal together for at least 6 hours or overnight.

2. Drain and reserve the soaking water. Grind rice and dal to a paste using some of the soaking water. Add some more water from it to get medium pouring consistency. Batter should be such that it should coat a spoon thickly when dipped in batter.

3. Add salt and soda bicarb to the batter and mix well.

4. Keep the batter, covered in a warm place for fermentation for 3-4 hours. After fermentation batter will rise a little and smell sour.

5. Now make potato masala for the filling. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a kadhai/ wok. Add mustard seeds. When they pop, turn the heat to medium.

6. Add curry leaves and fry for 1 minute.

7. Add onion and sauté till transparent. Add salt and turmeric and red chilli powders.

8. Add the potatoes. Mix well and cook stirring for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat. Keep aside.

9. To make dosa, beat the batter well. Heat a non-stick tawa (griddle) on medium heat. To season the tawa, for the first dosa, pour little oil on the tawa and wipe with a potato half.

9. Turn the heat to low while spreading the dosa. Pour 2 tablespoons batter in the center of the tawa. Spread the batter gently in an outward circular motion with the back of the tablespoon or ladle (karchhi) just like you would spread a chilla or any pancake. Turn the heat to medium.

10. Wait till dosa gets a little cooked, pour some oil on it. Spread it with a spatula.

11. When brown spots appear from underneath, loosen the dosa from the tawa using a wide, thin spatula.

12. Place some potato masala in the center of the dosa and spread a little. Fold over. Remove from the tawa. Serve hot dosai with sambar.

Bhatura

This recipe of bhatura is made without yeast. Those of you, who are making the bhatura for the first time, may find it difficult to roll out the bhatura as the dough sticks. So, an easy way out is to roll out between greased plastic sheets or a polythene bag teared into 2 halves and oiled. Keep one part on the rolling platform, place the dough ball on it and cover with the second half. Roll out and remove from the plastic sheet and fry. Bhatura tastes best with chole or chana masala.

Recipe of bhatura/ bhature

2 cups maida (all purpose flour)

3/4 cup curd (yogurt/ dahi)

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

Oil to deep fry

dough after rising

1. Sieve flour (maida). Mix salt and baking powder to maida.

2. Mix yogurt and sugar in another bowl. Add this to maida.

3. Add lukewarm warm water to knead the flour into smooth, soft dough.

4. Keep the dough in a warm place for 3 hours so that the dough rises.

5. Heat oil in a kadhai/ wok. While the oil is heating, take a ball from the dough and flatten between your oiled palms. Roll out this ball on an oiled surface using rolling pin (belan) into a 5 inch round.

6. Place the bhatura in the hot oil. Press with a slotted spoon (pauni/ chhari), it will puff up. Turn over and fry form other side also. Deep fry this round or bhatura in the hot oil till golden brown from both sides. Drain on an absorbent paper using the same slotted spoon. Similarly make other bhature from rest of the dough.

7. You can also roll out the bhatura in an oval shape. Serve hot bhature with chole and sliced onion sprinkled with salt and lemon juice.

chole bhature

Khichdi paratha

Masala khichdi paratha is a delicious paratha with which you don’t need any side dish. It tastes great by itself. You can also serve it as a breakfast. It’s also a great way of using leftover khichdi.

Recipe of khichdi paratha

1 cup leftover khichdi

1 1/2 cup atta (whole wheat flour)

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1. Take leftover khichdi in a bowl and add salt and all the spices. Add flour and knead into pliable dough. There is no need to add water. Use khichadi to knead the dough. Adjust the quantity of atta required to knead. Set aside for 20 minutes.

2. Take a ball (peda) out of the dough and roll out into a 5-6 inches round dusting with dry flour while rolling.

3. Heat a tava (griddle) and cook this round or parantha on it from both sides brushing with oil. Cook till golden brown from both sides. Similarly cook other khichdi parathas. Serve hot masala khichdi paratha with curds and pickle.

murmura upma

Murmura upma can also be called murmura poha. Murmura upma is cooked in more or less the same way as poha. You can also temper it with urad dal and chana dal to make more like a South Indian dish. This is a breakfast as well as any time low calorie snack item which we find quite tasty. Murmura upma is also known as pori upma.

Recipe of murmura upma

2 cups murmura (puffed rice/ moori/ mamra/ pori)

1 onion- chopped

2 green chillies- chopped

1 tomato- chopped

Salt to taste

1 potato- peeled and finely cubed

1 tbsp peanuts- roasted

1 tbsp oil

1/4 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

5-7 curry leaves

1. Wash murmura in a strainer (chalni) under running water and set aside so that all water drains out.

2. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and mustard seeds. When they pop, add curry leaves. After few seconds, add onion and green chillies. Fry onion till it becomes pink.

3. Add potato, salt and turmeric powder. Cook covered till potato becomes tender.

4. Uncover and add tomato. Stir fry for 1 minute.

5. Add murmura and mix well. Let it cook covered on a low heat for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and add roasted peanuts and lemon juice and mix. Serve and eat immediately. Keeping it for some time after making will make the murmura soggy.