Dosa/cheela with left over idli batter

        After I am done with my fill of idlis and dosas,its almost couple of days and there are times I have just a bit left which has soured so much that we cannot make any more idli or dosa with it.So I often recycle it as I hate to throw away anything.This is a good way of using it and making some tasty and different kind of pancakes or dosas.Try them out!
Ingredients
Left over idli batter               1 cup
Suji/semolina                        1/4 cup
besan                                   1/4 cup
salt to taste
cumin seeds                         1/2 tsp
hing                                     1/4 tsp
chopped green chillies          1/2 tsp
chopped coriander               1 tbsp
curry leaves                         10 leaves
chopped onions                   1/2 no
chilli powder                       1/2 tsp
Method
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.Add water to adjust quantity and consistency.Keep for 15 minutes.Add water if required to get pouring consistency.Heat tava and grease.Pour batter full and spread into a nice thin dosa.Pour oil and cook on both sides.Serve with chutney of choice.

Idlis

     If something that just peps my mood , its a plate of steaming idlis ducked into hot sambhar and/or with spicy chutney.The day I decide to make idlis, the whole family makes sure they have a full quota for the week.I have always made them but since the last few years,we got very good batter ready made near my home in Pune, I stopped grinding it.It made life very easy as I would just decide when to eat them and the man would give you a batter as needed,one that was already fermented for instant cooking and the other unfermented if you decide to make it later.The guy from south India could not speak much except his language but did brisk business all day,doling out packets of idli/dosa batter with chutney.Once we moved here to Germany, the carving increased manifold.Then started looking for a great mixer, which could grind the perfect batter.Braun food processor entered our home and started trial and error of that perfect ,soft,white cottony idlis.Thanks to my friend Sumathi,God bless her,we have idli batter each week in our fridge.She has given me the exact proportions along with a lovely chutney which I play around with and get different tastes.So here is the recipe dedicated to her.Thanks Sumathi!!
Ingredients
Par boiled (idli) rice                       2 1/2 cup
white urad dal (whole)                   1 cup
Fenugreek seeds                            1 tsp
salt to taste.
Method
Soak parboiled rice after washing in enough water for 5-6 hours.Wash dal not too rigorously and add fenugreek seeds and keep aside too.
Grind dal  with  little water at a time and grind to a fine paste till it is very fluffy.Keep aside.Grind rice till it is very fine with little water.Do not let the batter get heated.Mix it to the dal mixture and mix well to a thick pouring consistency.Add salt.
Keep in a warm place overnight.Next morning , it would have doubled.Mix slowly and pour into greased idli molds.Steam for about 7-10 mins till the knife comes clean.Cool for about 5 mins and with a sharp knife scoop out hot soft fluffy idlis.Serve with chutney,sambhar and ghee if you like.

Tomato and onion chutney
Chopped onions                         2 nos
Chopped tomatoes                     2 nos
Garlic peeled                              5-6 cloves
red chilli                                     2 nos
oil                                              2 tbsp
salt to taste
FOR TEMPERING
oil                                              1 tsp
mustard seeds                            1 tsp
urad dal                                     1 tsp
curry leaves                               6-8 nos
Method
Heat 2 tbsp oil and add the onions and garlic and saute on slow heat.Add tomatoes and red chiili keep cooking on slow flame till the water evaporates.Add salt and cool.Grind well.
Heat oil and add mustard seeds.Put in dal when the seeds crackle.Add the curry leaves and pour over the chtney.Serve with steaming hot idlis.

Tip
Add 1 tbsp roasted bengal gram while cooking onions to get the chutney a bit thicker and differ the taste.

Matar paneer

Matar paneer is one of the most favorite of curries in Indian food.All households have it on their menu at least once in a week and is also a preparation on the menu when you have guests.It is great on taste, has goodness of milk from milk protein and greens from peas.So here is this lovely dish , serve with nan, tandoori rotis or parathas.
Ingredients
Paneer cubed                      200gms
peas                                    200gms
chopped tomatoes               4 nos
chopped onions                   2 nos
chopped garlic                     1 tbsp
chopped garlic                     1 tsp
chopped chilli(optional)        1 no
cashewnuts soaked              6 nos
jeera                                    1 tsp
chilli powder                        1/2 tsp
coriander powder                2 tsp
haldi(tumeric) powder          1/2 tsp
green cardamom                  2 nos
cinnamon                             1"stick
Bay leaf                               1 no
milk                                     1/2 cup
salt to taste
oil                                       2 tbsp
Method
In a mixer put in onions,tomatoes, ginger,garlic,whole garam masalas(cinnamon,cardamom,jeera) and cashewnuts.Mix to a fine paste.
Heat oil and add the bay leaf.Add the ground masala and stir well.Add the chilli powder, coriander, haldi and salt and stir to cook.Cook till oil comes out of the masala.Add the paneer pieces and peas.Mix well.Add some water and give it a boil.
Add the milk (use cream to make it richer) and cook till the peas are soft, paneer too would take flavours of the gravy.Adjust the consistency and simmer till the curry is ready.
Top with chopped coriander and serve with parathas or rotis. 

Spicy Red chilli and tomato sauce/chutney

      My husband does not leave any opportunity to pick up chillies from any store he sees.We had about 4 different varieties of chillies in my fridge and was today forced to finally make 2 different chutnies.I was very pleased with this one in particular.The colour is fantastic, red and spicy hot!!I look forward to eating it with all my meals this week!!

Ingredients
Thick red chillies                 3 nos
peeled garlic                       1 full pod
tomato paste                       50 gms
olive oil                              2 tbsp
lime juice                            2 tbsp
salt to taste

Method
Wash and chop the chillies roughly.Roughly crush the chillies with the garlic in a blender.Heat oil and pu the crushed chilli mixture.Add salt and cook on high heat till water gets dried.Add the thick tomato paste , salt and lime juice.Cook till it thickens.Cool and store in dry jar.Serve with pancakes,sandwiches,dosas and snacks.

Beet root and spring onion soup

     Beet root is a vegetable which is delicious and very very nutritious.It is high on iron and is very good to raise the good cholesterol and lowers the bad one.It has many other goodness and should be used regularly in the diet.But getting the kids to eat it and its a challenge.So here is one good recipe.Tastes super and is over in no time. It resembles tomato soup and kids would never know!!
Ingredients
Chopped beetroots             2 nos
chopped tomatoes               3 nos
chopped onions                   1 no
chopped spring onions         1/2 cup
garlic                                   1 tbsp
bay leaf                               1 no
black peppercorns              5-6 nos
oregano crushed                1/2 tsp
sugar                                  1/2 tsp
salt to taste
lime juice                            1 tsp
olive oil                              1 tbsp
butter                                 1 tbsp
cream(optional)                  2 tbsp
Method
     Heat oil and butter.Add the chopped bay leaf,pepper corns and garlic and saute.Now put in chopped onions and cook till transparent.Put in the beet root and saute.Once a bit colored, add the chopped tomatoes and mix well.Put the salt and some water and cover to cook till the beet root is soft.Blend well till smooth (remove the bay leaf).Crush the oregano and add to the soup.Put sugar and water to adjust consistency.Boil again and add the chopped spring onions.Now pour in cream and lime juice and cook for about 2 mins.Pour in soup plates and garnish with spring onions and a swirl of cream.Serve with soup sticks and buttered warm bread.