Rawa idli

       I had my first rawa idli at MTR in Bangalore. They served it with potato curry, for me that was very surprising.But I loved the taste of these fluffy idlis and the best part is you do not have to do the grinding and fermenting part which is a very major part of idli making.Over the years I have made many versions with vegetables grated, peanuts and also plain .All the times it has been a hit with everyone who ate them.They make for a good snack,lunch or lunch box recipe. One just needs an hours notice to prepare them. I serve them with sambhar, chutney or even potato gravy,and it always satisfies the mood for good food.I have used baking powder as baking soda was not available, but the recipe was as good. Enjoy this recipe.This makes about 30 idlis.

Ingredients
Roasted semolina/suji                                  300 gms
Sour curd                                                    200 ml
roughly crushed roasted peanuts                 3 tbsp
Oil                                                              2 tbsp
chopped chillies                                          1-2 nos
chopped ginger                                           1 tbsp
curry leaves                                                 handful
Chana dal                                                    1 tbsp
urad dal                                                       1 tbsp
mustard seeds                                              1 tsp
hing                                                             1/4 tsp
Flax seeds crushed(optional)                       1 tbsp
baking powder                                            15gms
Chopped coriander                                      1/4 cup
salt to taste                            
Method
Take the roasted semolina/sooji in a bowl and add the curd in it.
Mix the flax seeds (like to add as its healthy).Add more water to make it into a thick batter.
Add salt and keep for 30 mins.
The mixture would have thickened and so adjust the consistency with water and make it like the idli batter or cake batter.
Heat oil, add hing.Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
Now put in the dals and let them color.
Add ginger and green chillies and curry leaves.
Pour into the batter and mix well.Add the peanuts and coriander and keep this mixture for 10 mins.
Put the baking powder and mix well.
Grease the idli stand .Pour spoonfuls in each plate and put the stand in the steamer or a pressure cooker in which some water is being heated.
Close and steam without the whistle for 6 -7 mins and keep aside.
Ope the cooker/steamer and take out the stand and with a wet spoon,spoon out the hot idlis.
Serve with chutney,sambhar or rasam.

Tips
You can add grated carrots, shredded cabbage,sauteed chopped onions,coconut pieces, grated coconut,green peas, chopped capsicum, raisins,sauteed cashewnut etc to give it variety.It would always be a hit.

Calzone

    Germany is doing good for me in the sense I am trying new recipes each day with ingredients easily available in supermarkets.In India it is now getting easier to get all the ingredients but sometimes they are too expensive and sometimes available to far away or maybe all the ingredients are not available.So I was sometimes making pasta sauces at home which I don't need to here and so can try better recipes.My family is excited about me trying out new recipes.This week I had picked up potato bread ready made flour from the supermarket to try out something with it.I thought I would end up making pizza but then decided to make calzone.It is a very close to pizzas, only they are folded over with a nice stuffing and then baked.I sometimes top them with cheese and bake them too or just top up with some herb butter after they are baked.They are delicious.
Ingredients
Flour(ready made dry flour with active yeast)     500gms
olive oil                                                              2 tbsp
warm water                                                        325ml
alternatively
Flour                                                                 450 gms
dry yeast                                                            1 tbsp
sugar                                                                   1 tsp
warm water                                                          250 ml
salt                                                                       1 tsp
olive oil                                                                2 tbsp
For the stuffing
Broccoli  sliced                                                250 gms
sliced mushrooms                                             100gms
sliced onions                                                   1 no
sliced bell peppers                                           1 no
olives                                                               8-9 nos
chopped garlic                                                  1 tbsp
tomato puree                                                     200 ml
chopped tomato                                                1 no
Italian herbs                                                       1/2 tsp
chilli flakes                                                         1/2 tsp
salt to taste
olive oil                                                               1 tbsp
grated cheese                                                       100 gms

Method
If you are using the ready mix,just use warm water , knead well, add oil and knead and keep to rise for 1 hour for the dough to rise to double.
If using dry yeast,soak yeast in luke warm water with sugar and keep aside for it to bubble up.Make a well in the flour mixed with salt.Add the yeast mixture and add more warm water to knead into a soft dough.Put the olive oil and knead well.make into a pliable ball and keep in a warm place covered to double up.This should happen in 1 hour.
Now the stuffing.Heat oil in a pan and add chilli flakes.Add the garlic and saute.Toss in onions and saute.Put in the vegetables and cook on high heat.Sprinkle the herbs and salt.Mix well.Pour in the tomato sauce and cook till the vegetable is in thick gravy.
Divide the dough into 4 portions and roll into a balls.Roll with the help of some flour into a circle.Put some mixture on one side of the circle.Top with cheese and fold over into half.Press the sides to seal well.Brush with oil and put into a pre-heated oven at 200 deg for about 15 mins or till golden brown.Remove from oven and brush with butter and serve them hot.they work very well for snacks, for kids' lunch box or for travel.

TIP...you can also use left over baked vegetables or bakes as a filling.Works well and a good way to recycle  left overs from a parties or previous night dinner.