Arbi Fry (Seppan kilangu varuval)

Seppan kilangu (Tamil) means colocasia or taro root(English),  Arbi (Hindi). 

 Arbi fry is the most sought fried item in my house. Thanks to hubby this fry hardly reaches the dining table . Normally I start preparing our weekend lunch by 10.30 Am. If I make this fry for lunch, then hubby may start demanding it with his 11 Am tea:) So I plan to make some extra servings or totally some other dish along with this:) I personally think this as a catchy side dish for vegetarians. This is my mom's signature dish too. Mom used to make this arbi with paruppu kulambu and rice.

Sembu or seppan kizhangu is a tiny root vegetable available throughout the year. There is another one root vegetable with similar taste, that is the elephant yam (chenai kilangu), which can also be made into attractive fries. This seppan kilangu (arbi) can be stored at room temperature for a week and can be refrigerated for a month.  The matured  round / oval roots are tastier .

Bisibelebath served with arbi fry.( Indian Arbi fried).

Ingredients:

Arbi - 6 roots (1/2 kg)
rice flour - 1 tsp
besan flour - 1 tbsp
salt - to taste
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
black pepper powder - 1.5 tbsp
cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Method:

Cook the arbi root with skin till it is almost cooked (not mushy). Poke a skewer or knife to check if its cooked. This makes the peeling easy.

Cool and remove the skin. Cut it into 1/2 inch thick circles. (If using the South American arbi , the bigger variety, then cut it into big chunks and cook it. Again peel and cube it).

Mix salt, flours, turmeric, pepper powder with a drop of water. Add it to the pieces and mix well.

A bigger variety of taro root .

Heat enough oil to deep fry.  Fry the pieces in small batches till they turn almost golden brown (crunchy outside and softer inside).

Take out, drain oil. Dust some pepper powder over the fried arbi and shake well , so that all the pieces gets some more pepper.

Another method:

Instead of pepper + cumin powder , we can mix red chilly powder and garam masal powder along with flours and deep fry them. Tandoori mix also holds good.

Serving suggestion:

Serve as side dish with curd rice, vegetable biryani, pulav, bisibelebath or simply as a tea time snack.

Tips:

I have heard some people making this fry (baking) in oven. But I have not tried it yet. May be a good option too.
Black pepper is added to root vegetables to make them allergy-free. But this arbi root is not caustic and safer for most of the people.
The South American arbi contains less mucilage and easy to handle, but I prefer the taste of Indian arbi better.
We can boil these vegetables and keep refrigerated without peeling for a day or two. I generally do the boiling part the previous night.

Paneer Pulav

Necessity is the mother of invention is what I can say about this recipe!

Preparing a complete vegetarian dinner is a tricky one, as we have to sneak protein in some form in almost all the dishes to make them attractive and delicious. Generally I won't coin or try newer recipes for guests. But that particular week was so busy for hubby and he could not take me out for a grocery shopping while I had a party on Friday:) So when all my plans for a vegetable biryani with fresh vegetables were collapsed, I had to find an alternative:)

This paneer pulav is a medley of Shahi pulao and ghee rice. Along with this paneer pilaf I made a vegetable kuruma, fried arbi, Malaysian parotta, raitha, bakalava and gulab jamun as per plan and it was quite a successful one. Try this and enjoy!

Paneer pulav served with raitha and arbi fry.

Ingredients:
Basmati rice - 2 cup
(1/2 cup for 1 person)
paneer - 100 gm
Ghee - 2 tbsp
oil - 2 tbsp
bay leaf - 2
cinnamon - 2 inch
cashew, raisin - each 20
garam masala powder - 1 tbsp
lemon juice - 1/4 fruit
sugar - 1 tbsp
onion - 1 (big)
shahi jeera - 1/2 tsp
ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
mint, cilantro - handful
saffron - 5 threads

Method:
Cook the rice with lot of water, 2 tsp salt to a stiff finish. Drain water and keep the lid open.

Heat oil and ghee in a wok. Fry the paneer cubes to get a golden hue and take out.

Now add the bay leaves, cashew, raisin, cinnamon, shahi jeera.Add the thinly sliced onion and fry it a little. Then add the sugar and let it caramelize. Put the ginger garlic paste and stir well. Now add the chopped mint, cilantro, fried paneer, little salt, lemon juice and switch off.

Gently mix the cooked rice. Dissolve the saffron in few spoons of warm milk and sprinkle over the pulav. Serve hot.

Paneer pulav is ready!

Not:
We can microwave / directly heat the pulav before serving.
Vary the paneer quantity, so that every one gets at least 5 pieces.

Boondhi ladoo

Sweets and Deepavali are inseparable. Here is my ladoo for you all to enjoy.
My hearty prayers and well wishes to you all on this golden occasion. Happy Deepavali to you all!

Boondhi ladoo prepared.

Boondhi ladoo:

Boondhi ladoo or simply the laddu available in SouthIndia is different from motichoor ladoo. A traditional South Indian ladu resembles the famous Tirupathi ladoo and long lasting in room temperature too. while the mothichoor version is more soft, colorful and should be kept in fridge to ensure the freshness.

This is my mom's recipe and I have seen her struggling during Deepavalis with these to get that shape. Those were the days when moms would start making sweets and savories nearly a week before Diwali. Ladoo is her specialty. Her kitchen is large and well ventilated, so that many can join hands during festival days.
Ladoo making is a laborious task, if we don't plan well ahead. She and her maid would simplify the job by frying the boondhis on one evening and the ladoo making the next day. She used to have a long list of friends to send gifts during Diwali. Those large vessels sleeping now in the attic would be filled with home made murukku, muthiri kothu, athirasam, achi murukku, ladoo and another remarkable sweet which I will tell later . My ladoo saga started again, when we wanted to prepare for a thanks giving.

Ladoo has given me so many sweet memories and it is my most favorite sweet too. Those box of ladoo my chithappa used to buy for me from the Lakshmi vilas, my friend M's loving Tirupathi ladoo came through USPS, my elder uncle's care to take me to Tirupathi in my childhood, Kanagam mama buying ghee ladoo for me, my mom's diwali rushes, the carry home gifts of marriages, hubby's strong passion and possessiveness for these home made ladoos, etc etc:)

Method:

Boondi soaked in sugar syrup before making the ladu balls.

Enjoy:)

Ladoo I made for Valentine's day 2013

Ingredients:

Besan flour (kadalai mavu)- 5 cups (1 kg)
(1 -200 ml cup / 200 gms flour yields nearly 10 ladoo)
(water for boondhi- almost half the flour)
sugar - 5 cups (1 kg)
(water for syrup - almost 75% of sugar measure; 4 cups)
baking soda - 1/2 tsp
oil - 1/2 liter (500 ml)
cardamom - 15
pachai karpuram (edible camphor) - a pinch
cashew - 50 number
raisin - 50 number

Special equipment needed:

1.A perforated vessel to make boondhis.
(If we are doing for a small batch, say 1 cup flour, then make holes on a disposable plate using a skewer. I have done this home made boondhi making plate , before buying a traditional boondhi maker and it was very successful too.).
2. disposable hand gloves to bear the heat. Those days they didn't use gloves, I can't imagine that.

Preparing Boondhi:

Mix the baking soda, yellow food color - 2 drops (optional), with a cup of water and pour it into the four. Add water little by little, till it reaches a thick dosa batter consistency. The consistency should be so thick that, if we place a scoop of batter on the perforated plate, it should not run down (we press and make spheres through the holes).

In the same time heat few tbsps of ghee in a broad wok and fry the cashew nuts and raisins separately. Keep aside.

Now add the oil in the wok and start heating slowly, without reaching the fuming point. Gently pour a ladle of batter over the boondhi making plate and press it to the hot oil. Fry till its done. The final product should be crispy.(My version calls for crispy white boondhis. But if you want, you can make soft boondhis too) . Drain oil , let cool and store them.

Making ladoo:

Then in your convenient time, start preparing the syrup. You may need more time and energy to prepare these balls.

Mix the 5 cups of white-sugar with 4 cups of water and *heat it till we get a two thread consistency. (Test:A drop of sugar syrup put in a cup of cold water remains intact as a hard ball). Switch off and add fried boondhis, cardamom powder, fried cashews, raisins. Stir well.

Wear your gloves and start preparing the cute balls out of that hot boondhi mix. Rub some melted ghee to get a good shape. Hurry up, before they get solidify. Make sure that each and every ladoo gets a cahsew and a raisin:)
If you can't do it fast, it may crystallize and the ladoo won't hold together. If it solidifies , don't panic. Just heat the sweetened boondhi with a drop of water, make sure it melts and start making the remaining ladoo.

Boondhi ladu is ready!

Note:
* //If making small quantity if ladoo, then no need for 2 thread consistency syrup. Single thread is enough. //

We can make these ladoos using ready-made boondhis too. But buy the boondhi without salt or seasoning.
Don't be anxious on the results. The ladoo will turn out successful for all.It will be much easier, if we split and do the process as said in the anecdote.
Add 1/2 cup milk powder to boondhi syrup mixture, before making the laddu. This gives a more rich taste.

My treat for you all on  Diwali::

Sweets:
Boondhi ladoo
Jangiri
Athirasam (with rice flour)
Baklava
Maladdu
Gulab Jamun
Carrot halwa
Rasgulla
Wheat Halwa
Mysore bah
Maida Burfi
Badam katli
Milk peda(MW method)
Rava ladoo
Besan flour ladoo

Savories:
Murukku
Cashew pakoda
Ulunthu Vadai
Cinema theater samsa
Ribbon Pakoda
ordinary pakoda
Thukkada
Vaazhai poo vadai
Masal vadai

Payasam and kesari:
Semiya Javvarisi Paal Payasam
Paruppu payasam
Pineapple kesari
Rava kesari

For health:

Sukku malli coffee
Deepavali Legiyam
Home made Digestion syrup

Enjoy and have a beautiful Deepavali!

Gray squash poriyal

This is one vegetable I had a lot of confusion in buying. I don't know the Tamil translation for this vegetable, as I have never seen this before:) So when I saw this for the first time in an Asian market, I was not sure of the taste. But bought it one day to trial run. Surprisingly this tasted just like our Ridge gourd. Recording this Indianised gray squash recipe for you all.

Gray squash in a pack.

Ingredients:

Gray squash - 3
Onion - 1/2 cup (chopped)
green chilli - 2 (slit)
curry leaf - 1 sprig
Shredded coconut - 2 tbsp
Oil - 2 tsp
mustard seed - 1/2 tsp
cumin seed - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste

Method:

Peel and chop the squash. keep aside.
Heat oil in a wok.
Add mustard seeds and let them pop.
Immediately add chopped onion, curry leaf, green chilly and stir well til the onion gets semi cooked.
Now add the chopped squash along with 1/2 cup water and cook it tightly covered till the squash gets soft.
Add salt to taste.
Then add the cumin and shredded coconut and stir to loose all the moisture.
Take off heat.
Gray squash stir fry is ready!

Serving suggestions:

The above said quantity can be served for 3 people.
Serve as side dish with roti or sambar rice, rasam or any spicy puli kulambu.

Fish cutlet

I tasted this cutlet for the first time in my friend Gnanam's house (school days). At that time cutlets were served only in restaurants in my home town and newer recipes were rare. Only the young girls would try newer recipes from the cook-books, while the elders sticking with their own tradition. Gnanam's elder sister Clara akka is the one I admire a lot for her cooking, dedication and religious activities. May be she is the one kindled my passion for Jesus, though we have not talked much on that Subject. We all have some role models in life in each and every thing we do, may be our dressing style or way of talking etc, I should say I learned much from her.... Her recipes are the best for me till now. Then I prepared this cutlet at home to impress my mom. So it became our family's  favorite from then on. After marriage I rarely cook fish because of hubby's taste buds:)

Fish cutlet served with lemon wedge. The picture didn't do justice here :)

Fishes suitable for cutlet:

Fish -1/4 kg
Shark (sura meen), king fish (vanjiram/seela meen), sword fish (vazhai meen),
Any fish with good flesh like salmon, red snapper(sankara / romeo), Tuna fish fresh or canned.
I generally prefer shark for this cutlet.

Cooking the fish:

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a vessel. Add turmeric powder 1/2 tsp (to reduce fishy smell), salt - 1 tsp. Then add the washed / cleaned fish pieces along with the skin and bones.
Close it with a lid and cook for 5 minutes.
After it gets cool, peel off the skin and remove the bones.
Mash the fish with your hand or masher without any lumps.

Other ingredients:

Potato (boiled) - 2 (100 gm)
onion - 1
green chillies - 2
ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
fennel - 1 tsp
curry leaf, cilantro, mint leaf (together) - finely chopped 2 tbsp
red chilly powder - 1 tsp
garam masal powder - 1 tsp
lime juice from 1/8 fruit
salt to taste
bread crumbs - 1 cup
egg - 1
oil - to shallow fry

Method:

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok. Add the fennel, finely chopped onion, green chilly, leaves and fry till they wilt. Then add the ginger garlic paste and stir well.
Now add the mashed fish, chilly powder, garam masal powder, salt and fry till moisture is gone.
Now mash the cooked potatoes and add, again stir well.
Sprinkle the lemon juice and switch off.

Frying the cutlet:

Heat some oil to shallow fry the cutlet in a broad based wok.
Pour the egg to a broad dish. Add salt and beat well.
In another plate spread the bread crumbs.
Now take a lemon size ball from the prepared fish mixture. Flatten it to get a oval or circular shape with 3/4 inch thickness.
Dip that in beaten egg, then dip it in bread crumbs.
Bring it to a perfect shape. Shallow fry it both sides. Drain oil and serve hot.
Fish cutlet is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Serve as evening snack or along with rice as side dish.
Mostly this fish cutlet goes well with tomato sauce.

Tips:

Making the cutlets with canned fish is much easy.
Bread crumbs can be prepared at home using few bread slices. Just leave them in a hot oven for a few minutes and powder it.
Left over sura puttu can be made into this cutlet the next day.
2 tins of Tuna fish (water based) and 2 small potatoes will yield 10 or 11 cutlets.

Mango Ice cream

This is my hubby's most favorite ice cream. He always grabs a pack of this flavor whenever we visit a nearby Asian grocery shop. On seeing that, I wanted to make it at home to get the true Indian flavored Mango ice cream. while browsing, I got this recipe from the video, hosted by Hetal and Anuja. Thanks dearies. You have given me a very handy recipe admired by all our friends and family.
From then on, our Fridays can't be complete without this yummy bowl of ice cream on hand:)

There are only three ingredients here, which makes our job easy. We may need just 5 minutes to prepare this one by using readymade pulp. But the ice cream made from fresh mangoes are worth trying too, during the mango season.
Last summer I tried it using fresh mangoes and it was successful. But I would like to recommend mango pulp in can, as we cannot be sure of the quality of fresh mangoes in some places. Sour mangoes won't give the expected taste or color. So its safer to use the canned ones.

Alphonso mango varieties are the best. Here is the picture of another variety (don't know the name) of mangoes I used.

The mangoes I got from an Indian grocery store.

Those three ingredients.....

Very natural mango ice cream garnished with blueberry, mango slice and mint leaf.

When the mango season was over,  I started using canned mango pulp.

Mango ice cream before freezing. Look at the gorgeous color I got by the canned version.

Inviting cup of Home made mango ice cream served.

Ingredients:

Mango Pulp - 30 oz can (4 cups of puree)
(or) 1 kg of fresh mango
Sweetened Condensed Milk - 14 oz can (400 gm)
Whipped Topping - 8 oz  (225 gm)
Fresh Mango - cubed (optional)

Method:

Take a mixing bowl and add the mango Pulp (or freshly pureed mangoes) and Condensed milk . Mix well.
Then add the finely chopped mango pieces .(optional).
Now put the whipped topping and mix gently.
Transfer them to a freezer-safe container.
Cover and freeze for 3-4 hours.

Creamy rich mango ice cream is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Serve as dessert.
Serves nearly 15 people.
Before scooping, keep the ice cream in room temperature for 2 minutes to facilitate smooth handling.

A book sale and Dijon chicken

Book sale:
We cherish some sales as remarkable and incredibly fantastic. One among them is the book exhibition. I am not a great fan of novels, but love to read on various culture, cuisines , arts etc. I have a good collection of folk tales and comics in our house in India but never thought of experiencing one here till I saw a pamphlet on the side-walk.

Various books we bought from the sale. That is the brown bag I mentioned here.

Some months ago, we went to a book sale conducted by the public library of Piscataway, NJ. They called it as the 'brown bag sale'. I hope this is common in many parts of the country. The sale was on some marked books aimed at removing the clutter, it seems. They sold big brown paper bag for $5 and people were allowed to fill the bag with the books they wish. It was much beneficial for both the ends and I could see happy faces all over the hall. That was like cherry picking for the book worms and thrillers were sold the best. I was surprised at their cook book collection as well as the arts side. While hubby was browsing the mystery novels, I gathered some nice books on cooking, quilting etc. Look at the treasure I got:)

Wow! what a catch for $5.

Dijon Chicken:
Then I tried a simple recipe, Dijon chicken from the book 'Hooray for chicken', by Family Living magazine. All the ingredients are very common except the dijon mustard. So I bought it from Shoprite and prepared this dish along with pasta. It was a big hit.
If you cannot get dijon mustard, please see the guidelines to make one. I prefer wine-less dijon mustard, so look for the ingredients before buying, if you have any preference. (Vinegar is substituted for wine in  my pack).

Dijon chicken served with pasta.

Ingredients:

chicken boneless / breast - 1 lb
Dijon mustard - 3 tbsp
(its a sauce available in supermarkets)
butter - 5 tbsp
garlic powder - 1 tbsp
onion - 1 (crushed)
salt - to taste
black / white pepper powder - 2 tbsp

Method:

wash and clean the chicken breasts (approximately 4).
I cut it into 3 inch size pieces. But the original version calls for using the whole big pieces.
Mix Dijon mustard sauce, butter, salt, pepper, onion, garlic.
Add to chicken and marinate for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 deg.
Grease a baking pan.
Place the chicken pieces separately in a baking pan and bake for 1 hour.
Broil to get the red color.
Garnish with parsley. (I didn't have parsley, so I left it).

Serving suggestions:

Generally they use big pieces of chicken for this recipe, but I chopped mine for more marinated effect.
Makes a good side dish for pasta.

Pumpkin corn soup

The colorful autumn season and pumpkin are inseparable. To welcome this season I am publishing a post lying on my draft for a long time. This pumpkin soup is a pureed version of soup with sweet corn to munch on. I personally love this soup very much during cold weather, when we get pumpkin in abundance.

I coined this recipe after tasting it in a friend's home. I was much attracted to this colorful soup topped with a chunk of sweet corn. Its purely inspired by Archana's mom's lovely pumpkin soup.
Thanks Nalini Aunty!

Her procedure doesn't call for any apple. But I add tart apples for a more sharp taste. So it is optional to add apples here.

Ingredients:

Sweet pumpkin - 1 cup (chopped)
(1 long piece is enough)
Any tart apple - 1/2 cup
Sweet corn - 1/4 cup
Sweet corn cob (boiled and sliced) - 1 or 2
onion - 1/2
black pepper - 1 tsp
cumin - 1 tsp
green chillies - 1
butter - 1 tbsp
salt - to taste

Method:

Heat butter in a wok. Saute the sliced onion till it wilts. Take out and add the pumpkin, apple, chilly and saute in the remaining grease. Let it cook a little.

Let cool and puree them in a blener with salt, pepper, cumin, chilly and sauteed onion. Transfer it to the wok and add a cup of water to get a thick soup consistency.
Add the corn kernel and cook well.
Switch off after raw smell vanishes.

Separately cook the corn cob and slice it to 3 inch pieces. Add them to the soup.

Serve the soup in a bowl topped with a piece of corn cob.

Pumpkin corn soup is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Makes 3 servings.
Adding apples is not a must.

Malai kofta curry

'Malai kofta' means 'Indian cottage cheese balls (paneer) served with a rich creamy non spicy gravy'.

Some time ago I prepared this malai kofta curry with the help of Sanjeev kapoor's and Vah chef's recipes. I used Sanjeev kapoor's version as it involved lesser vegetables but followed vahchef's instructions. His videos made me understand the difficulties in keeping the koftas in shape while frying (yeah, that's a big challenge here!). Click here to see the Vahchef's video. Thanks to the two great chefs, I have learned to make a famous Indian gravy.

Malai kofta dough prepared.

Ingredients:

For kofta:

Paneer (shredded) - 1 cup (100 gm)
(I made it at home by using 4 cups of 2 % milk).
Potato (3 numbers,boiled, peeled and mashed) - 2 cups (200 gm)
green chillies -4
All purpose flour - 1/4 to 1/2 cup
cashew - 4
raisin - 20
salt -to taste
oil (to deep fry) - 1 cup

Pressure cook the potatoes, peel and mash them.
Mix the crumbled paneer, finely chopped green chillies, broken cashew, raisin, salt and mix well.
Add all purpose flour (maida) little by little to get a thick but soft dough.
Knead well and keep aside.

Koftas before frying.

Now keep 1/2 cup of all purpose flour in a separate dish.
Take a small (strawberry size to lemon size) ball of dough. Make a spherical shape and dip it in maida flour. Then carefully pat to get a bullet shape.
Keep aside.

Koftas are fried now . I made a big batch and froze 2/3 of the above for further use.

Heat a wok with 1 cup oil and deep fry the cheese koftas carefully in low fire. They may tend to break if the dough is not proper. Otherwise we will get the exact shape.

( Keep in mind how the cheese on pizza melts with temperature. Likewise paneer is nothing but a kind of Indian cheese and hence it will also tend to disintegrate while frying.  So flip very carefully. Fry only one and check for the consistency. If needed add more all purpose flour to get a very thick dough, like the chapathi dough. Moreover the whole frying process should be done in very low flame).

Fry all the paneer koftas and let them cool. While hot,  they will be soft and can be easily broken. So wait till they cool.

After cooling we can freeze the koftas and use whenever required.

Malai kofta curry with a dollop of cream.

For curry:

onion - 1 cup (chopped)
almond, cashew - 5 each
tomato - 2
cilantro , mint - handful,each.
garam masal powder - 1 tsp
red chilly powder - 1 tsp
ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
salt - to taste
milk - 1/2 cup
butter - 1 tbsp
whipped cream - 2 tbsp

Method:

Microwave or cook the onion, tomato, cilantro, mint with 1/4 cup water, let cool and grind along with cashews, almonds to a fine paste.

Heat 1 tbsp butter in a wok. Put the bay leaf followed by the ginger garlic paste. Then add the puree and saute till raw smell vanishes.

Add masala powder, red chilly powder, milk, salt and bring it to a boil.

Check the taste and keep aside.

Before serving reheat the gravy and drop the prepared koftas. Top with the whipped cream.
Serve carefully without disturbing the koftas.

Serving suggestions:

Serve as side dish with any Indian bread like naan or roti.
Makes 25 small size koftas.

Tips:

Generally people add koftas to the curry just before serving, to avoid broken ones.
 I found that the koftas if prepared carefully stays in shape for 4 to 5 hours in the gravy, just like restaurant ones . But microwaving the whole dish may make the koftas crack, so if needed heat in stove top without stirring.
Do not defreeze them in microwave. Just leave them in room temperature or drop in hot gravy.

Sambar Podi (Tamilnadu style)

Sambar and Indian cuisine are inseparable. Sambar is a dhal based curry prepared with certain vegetables and poured over rice. The flavor and color of a typical sambar relies on the sambar podi (podi means powder). So it is a must to prepare a good quality sambar. In India the masala powders are normally ground in a dry mill. The house lady has to make several batches of the dry ingredients and pack them to the mill through some housemaid.

After marriage, I lost the interest to prepare the masala powders at home because of several reasons.  First I could not make our modern maid to carry all the containers to a grinding mill as we do in our parent's house and I too shied to carry them all along that streets:) Then our need was so small to imagine. So I started buying Sakthi masala powders in the beginning and somehow it became a habit of me. But recently I was forced to prepare this authentic sambar powder due to a misplaced shopping list and hence I prepared it in a small quantity (see below) for that month. It turned out much easier and I couldn't control my joy on tasting my mom's sambar after a very very long time. The flavor of the sambar powder not only filled our house but also our hearts too:) Nowadays home made sambar podi has totally replaced that convenient sachets in my house.

Here is that authentic sambar powder recipe.

Freshly prepared Sambar powder.

Ingredients:

coriander seed - 2 cup
dry red chilly - 2 cup
(or chilly powder - 3/4 cup)
cumin - 1/4 cup
black pepper - 1/4 cup
fenugreek (methi / venthayam) - 1 tbsp
mustard - 1 tbsp
turmeric - 1 tsp
asafoetida - 1 tsp
channa dhal - 3 tbsp
urad dhal - 3 tbsp

Method:

The red chilly I have mentioned here is for basic need only. Mostly I prepare my sambar podi without red chillies and add the red chilly powder while making sambar. By this we can avoid the hastle of powdering red chillies and also we can alter the chillies according to need every day.
Heat a wok and dry roast all the above separately (except turmeric, chilly and asafoetida powders). Dry roast the dry chilly in  batches at last , to avoid sneezing. Take out and keep them together in a broad plate (or muram , a very broad winnowing tool / basket).
After they cool completely, grind them to a fine powder. Then spread the powder in a broad paper and keep in room temperature to loose the heat generated during grinding, otherwise the powder may turn black. Store it in an air tight container.

How to use this powder?

Makes nearly 2 cups of powder. This powder can be used in making all kinds of sambar, vatha kulambu, idly sambar, poriyal etc. It will be enough for 2 adults for 2 months. If stored in freezer / fridge, this podi remains very fresh and fragrant.

To make sambar with 1/2 cup toor dhal, use 1.5 tbsp home made sambar powder.

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சாம்பார் பொடி செய்ய தேவையான பொருள்:
கொத்தமல்லி விதை  - 2 கப்
காய்ந்த மிளகாய் - 2 கப்
(அல்லது மிளகாய் பொடி  - 3/4 கப்)
சீரகம்  - 1/4 கப்
மிளகு  - 1/4 கப்
வெந்தயம்  - 1 மேசைக்கரண்டி
கடுகு  - 1 மேசைக்கரண்டி 
மஞ்சள் தூள்  - 1 தேக்கரண்டி
பெருங்காயத்தூள்  - 1 தேக்கரண்டி
கடலை பருப்பு - 3 மேசைக்கரண்டி
உளுந்தம்பருப்பு - 3 மேசைக்கரண்டி

மேலே கொடுத்த அனைத்து பொருட்களையும் தனி தனியே வாணலியில் வாசம் வரும் வரை வறுத்து , ஒன்றாக சேர்த்து அரைக்கவும். காய்ந்த மிளகாய் உபயோகிக்காமல் மிளகாய் தூள் உபயோகிப்பது , நம் சுவாசத்துக்கு நல்லது. கார நெடி பிடிக்காதவர்கள் மிளகாயை வறுத்து  அரைப்பதை தவிர்த்து, மிளகாய் தூளை லேசாக சூடாக்கி , சாம்பார் பொடியில் சேர்த்தால் மிகவும் சுவையாகவும், செய்முறை  எளிதாகவும் இருக்கும். 

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சாம்பார் செய்முறை:
1/2 கப் துவரம்பருப்புக்கு 1 1/2  தேக்கரண்டி சாம்பார் பொடி  சேர்த்தால் போதும் .
பருப்பு வெந்த பின் , காய்கறிகளை வேகவைத்து , இந்த சாம்பார் பொடி  சேர்த்து பருப்புடன் சேர்த்து கொதிக்க வைக்க வேண்டும்.
நெய் சேர்த்து தாளித்தால்  , சாம்பார் ரெடி.

Malli Puthina thuvaiyal

(Malli - cilantro / coriander leaf; puthina - mint leaf; thovaiyal - chutney)

Malli Puthina thuvaiyal is a thick chutney, normally prepared using a hand mortar (ammi in Tamil). It is a very common chutney in Indian household. The mint leaf and cilantro (coriander leaf) are known for their medicinal values. This chutney combines both in a more delicious way.
There are so many variations in making this simple chutney. I am noting down my mom's version.

Malli Puthina thuvaiyal.

Ingredients:

Mint leaf - 20 branches (small bunch)
cilantro - 1/2 the quantity of mint leaf
green chillies - 5
tamarind - a blueberry size
garlic - 1 clove
cumin - 1/4 tsp
salt - to taste

To temper:

mustard seed - 1/2 tsp
black gram - 1/2 tsp
sesame oil - 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp
curry leaf - 1 sprig

Method:

Pick leaves and young stem from the cilantro bunch. Take the leaves alone from the mint bunch.
(Refrigerate and Store the mint stem for tea).
Wash and clean the leaves. Care should be taken to remove all the sand particles in the leaves.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok. Add the black gram and let it get mild red color. Then add the cleaned leaves, green chilly, garlic, cumin and fry till the leaves wilt.
Switch off and let it cool. Add salt, tamarind and grind it to a fine paste with minimal water.

Now heat 2 tbsp oil in the same wok. Slide in the mustard and let it crackle. Put the curry leaves and the fry it. Then carefully slide in the chutney. Stir well till oil oozes out and reaches an almost thick stage (as shown in figure).

Malli puthina chutney is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Serve as side dish with chapathi, idly or dosai.
I prefer this chutney with most of the variety rices (chithrannam) like tamarind rice, lemon rice, curd rice etc.
If prepared with more oil and tamarind, this can be stored in room temperature for a week. Good for a packed food during long travels as this chutney won't get spoiled if handled with care.

Mutton dhalsa

Today we are celebrating Mother Mary's Birthday and I am busy baking a cake, at the same time I am so eager to post this dhalsa dish during Ramzan.

Dhalsa or dhal salna is a unique and tasty side dish served along with the fabulous biryani during Muslim festivals (in my home town). Dhalsa is a thick curry made of toor dhal and mutton. I have seen people using brinjal instead of meat too. That will also taste great.
I got introduced to this dhalsa recipe through my mom's friends. After that we too started making it at home:)

Happy Ramadan!

Mutton dhalsa served with chicken biryani and carrot raita.

Ingredients:

To pressure cook:

Toor dhal (red gram / thuvaram paruppu) - 3/4 cup
goat meat (with bones) - 100 gms
turmeric - 1/4 tsp
green chilly - 6
water - enough to cover
Vegetables:
unripe mango (chopped)- 1 small size
tomato - 2
brinjal - 6 (small)
other items:
shallot - 4
ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
mint leaf + cilantro - a handful
sesame oil - 1 tbsp
sambar powder - 1 tsp
shredded coconut - 1 tbsp
mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
curry leaves - 1 brig
salt - to taste

Method:

Soak the toor dhal for 1/2 an hour.
Cook dhal and meat along with the items given to pressure cook in a pressure cooker with weight for 5 whistles. After the pressure gets released, mash the dhal and chillies gently without disturbing the meat. Add the sambar powder and keep aside.

In the mean time, wash and clean the vegetables. Cut them into big size pieces. In a separate vessel put the brinjal, mango, tomato, 1 cup water, salt and cook completely.

Now heat a wok with the oil. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Then goes the curry leaves, finely chopped shallot and fry till the onion gets a golden brown color.
Add the ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell vanishes.
Pour the cooked vegetables and mashed dhal + meat. Bring it to a boil. Add the shredded coconut, minced cilantro + mint leaf and switch off.

Mutton dhalsa is ready!

Serving suggestion:

Serve as side dish with biryani or pulao.
This curry should be thick.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Hyderabadi Vegetable Biryani

I prepared this Hyderabadi biryani for a weekend lunch. Hyderabadi biryanis are admired for their beautiful coloration and flavor. The ingredients and steps involved may look a bit complex but in reality it will be an easy breeze if we have around 3 hours of time. If prepared with care, this vegetarian version will be equally tasty like a non veg one.

Typically Hyderabadi biryanis are made with a slow cooking process called dhum cooking and I did my best to bring out the true flavors. Here goes the recipe.

Hyderabadi vegetable biryani served.

To cook rice:

Basmati rice - 2.5 cups (500 gm)
salt - 1 tsp
water - 6 cup
bay leaf - 3
star aniseed - 1
black cumin - 1/2 tsp
cinnamon - 1 inch
cardamom - 4
clove - 4
lemon juice- 1/4 of a fruit

Wash and clean the rice. Soak it for 30 minutes. Bring to boil some 6 cups of water.
Add the bay leaf, star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, clove, lemon juice salt, kali jeera (black cumin) and let the rice gets semi cooked. It should be very firm and almost raw. Drain the water using a colander and keep aside.

For garnishing and decoration:

Bread - 2 slices
(or) soya chunks - 10
cashews - 10
ghee - 2 tbsp
mint leaf , cilantro (chopped)- 2 tbsp
yellow or orange food color - 1 drop ea.
(we can use saffron instead)
cooking oil - 3 tbsp
Red onion - 1 cup (chopped lengthwise)

Heat oil in the same dhum vessel and fry the chopped onions to golden brown. Take it out and save for garnishing.
Cut the bread into 2 inch squares. Heat remaining oil + ghee in the same dhum vessel, fry and take out the cashews. Then carefully fry the bread squares / soya chunks and set aside.

For the masala:

cauliflower - 2 cup
carrot - 1
green peas - 3/4 cup
green beans - 10
raisins - 2 tbsp
red chilly powder - 1 tsp
salt - 1/2 tsp
ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp
turmeric - 1/4 tsp
ghee - 1 tbsp
plain yogurt (from whole milk)- 1 cup

Now ,wash and clean the vegetables. chop the beans, carrot to long stripes. Branch out the cauliflower to some big chunks. Put all the vegetables with everything mentioned above in to the bottom of the dhum vessel. Mix and spread them uniformly.

For flavored water:

salt - 1/2 tsp
lemon - 1/2
sugar - 1 tsp
kewra water - 2 tbsp
(or, rose essence 2 drops + 2 tbsp water)
ghee - 2 tbsp
black pepper corn - 10
cinnamon - 1/2 inch
cardamom - 2
clove - 2
black cumin (kali jeera) - 1/2 tsp
green chilly - 2
Mace (javithri / jathipathiri) - 1 strand
nutmeg (jathikkai) - a small shaving

Run everything above in a mixer and make a fine liquid. If you don't have enough time then , omit the whole garam masalas and mix 2 tbsp of some good brand biryani masala powder with the other things mentioned above. (I will suggest shaan brand biryani masala powder).

For dhum process:

wide vessel with tight lid
A dosa tawa
chapathi dough using 1 cup wheat flour

Mix the wheat flour with water to get a bread dough consistency and keep aside.
We can use an aluminum foil also, if we do not want to waste the dough. But sealing with dough is the best method and it is called dum / dhum process, which means 'slow cooking with hot steam sealed inside'. I would suggest sealing with the dough for a tasty dhum biryani.

Arranging the layers:

Now spread the semi cooked rice uniformly over the raw vegetable layer.
Mix saffron with 1/4 cup warm milk (or) mix the food color with 2 tbsp water and sprinkle it over the rice. I used food color here.(Food color gives a beautiful look, whereas saffron is healthy).
Place a thick dosa tawa over stove and place the dhum vessel over the tawa.
Over the rice, spread the fried cashews, finely chopped cilantro , mint, friedonion and sprinkle the flavored water.
Place the fried bread / soya chunks and close the vessel with a tight lid.
Seal the edges with the prepared chapathi dough.
If possible add hot charcoal over the lid (I never get a chance to do this).
Start heating the arrangement. Keep the flame at high till the tawa gets heated and then reduce it to a minimum. Leave the whole set up for 2 hours.
After that discard the dough, open the lid carefully.

Hyderabadi vegetable kachchi biryani is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Serve the biryani like a layered rice, so that every plate gets a portion of rice, vegetable masala and colorful topping.The guest has to mix and devour:)
Serve with some spicy gravy  or  raitha of your choice.
I usually prepare some non veg gravies along with this biryani.
Serves 5 to 6 people.

Jangiri

Jangiri is a South Indian version of Jilebi. Jilebi is made of a sour batter, while jangiri is made with black gram without fermentation.

Recipe source for me:  Our beloved Jegatha achi , who was the binding factor of most us. I have never met anyone like her. She was the most dedicated and trustworthy lady for anyone who approach her. 

This is my mom's most favorite sweet.She got the recipe from her chithi, Jegatha achi  (we fondly call her thoothukudi achi).  I admire that grandma very much because of her  hospitality. She became my mom's mom and supported her, gave her a beautiful life and made all of our lives beautiful with her love and care. She used to buy clothes for us for all the Diwali and sometimes gold jewelry too. Her gift for my wedding is very special for me, a beautiful ring. Most of my happy memories include her and she is a proof that God created some special women resembling angels. 

  'According to aachi, this is a very simple sweet, that can be prepared without much grocery or special equipments'. After trying it my own, I too acknowledge her words:)

Happy Krishna Jeyanthi!

Ingredients:

Urad dhal - 1 1/2 cup
(whole black gram without skin)
Rice flour - 3 tbsp
(1 tbsp rice flour per 1/2 cup of urad dhal)
baking soda - a pinch
(very small pinch...too much will make jangiri puffy and oily)
orange food color - a pinch
(I mixed the red food color and yellow kesari powder to get this color)
salt - 1/4 tsp
oil(to deep fry) - 200 ml
sugar - 3 cup
water - 2 cup
rose essence - 3 drops
cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Method:

Soak urad dhal in water for 2 hours. If possible keep the soaking inside refrigerator to avoid jangiri drinking the oil.(Yes, sour urad dal batter may absorb more oil).
Grind the dhal with very little water to a thick batter. (The batter should be like a softened butter).
Mix the food color, rice flour, salt, a pinch of baking soda and run in mixer again.(Don't keep the batter for long time. Immediately start making jangiri, else it will absorb oil. The perfect jangiri should not be oily).

Fill a zip lock cover with this batter and cut a very small hole in a corner as shown in figure. The hole should be approximately of 4 mm diameter size and not more than that.

Jangiri batter filled in zip lock cover.

(The authentic procedure calls for making a jangiri cloth. For making that cloth, select a new cotton cloth (bigger than a men's kerchief) and make a small hole using a sharp skewer and do 'satin stitch' around the hole very tightly like a button hole. The hole should be  of 4 mm diameter).

In the mean time add sugar and water in a wide mouthed vessel and bring it to a boil. Heat the syrup till it reaches the single string consistency (oru kambi patham in Tamil). It means, if you pour the syrup using a spatula, the last drop should drip like a single string. If heated above that we will get double string and finally the crystallization will occur. So stop with the single thread consistency. Switch off and add the flavoring agents.

Now heat a wide wok with enough oil (1.5 cm high) and wait till its sizzling hot.
Now reduce the flame to minimum and squeeze the jangiri batter in the hot oil.

First make a two or three concentric circles in clockwise direction and then make swirls like petals in anticlockwise direction. (see the image below). Flip once and put the crispy jangiris in sugar syrup.

Let the jangiri soak for a minute or till the next batch is ready.

Take the soaked jangiri out and arrange in a plate.
Jangiri is ready!

Top and bottom views of jangiri, showing the pattern.

Jangiri served.

Diwali 2013

For Hubby's office party 2013

Note:

1)The jangiri should be stiff and not soggy. The rice flour helps in getting stiff jangiris. But the tubes of the jangiri should be filled with sugar syrup, just like a honey comb:)
2)Makes 20 to 25  palm size jangiris if we are grinding using an Indian mixie. If we are using an Indian wet grinder, then we will get 50 jangiris. It can stay good for almost 3 days in room temperature and can be stored for three weeks in fridge.
3)The jangiris are usually made during Deepavali or any Indian festival.
But they are mainly served as one of the desserts in Tamilnadu  marriages.
4)We can make a double layered jangiri also, by doing some circles over the swirls again. These mega jangiris are called 'kalyana jangiri', which are usually made in a bride's home to give to the bride groom's family as 'carry home gift' along with many other snacks and goodies:)

update:
I made this jangiri for a party in hubby's previous office on Dec 5 2012, as per his wish:)

Glad that it came up to my satisfaction and hubby kept a lion's share for himself:).

Notes: (For parties)
For making 80 - 85 big size standard jangiri , we may need the following proportion.
Urid dal - 3 1/4 cup
raw rice - 5 tbsp
Soak them together for 3 hours and grind with 1 tsp salt, food color, pinch of baking soda.

Sugar syrup:
sugar - 5 cup
water - 2 cup
consistency - till we see bubbles around sides , one string stage. Add cardamom powder - 1 tsp and rose essence - few drops.

For deep frying:
Use 2 cups of corn oil and 1 cup ghee.- in a shallow frying pan.

Don't let the fried jangiri soak for more time. Just dip, flip and let it soak less than a minute. Take out and let cool before storing.

Rava Pongal

This is a very quick method to prepare rava pongal. I don't remember where I saw this short cut.  Personally I like this method much better, as we can eliminate handling those heavy pressure cookers while using this recipe:)

Rava pongal served with sambar.

Ingredients:

Sooji / Ravai - 1 cup
moong dhal (green gram lentil) - 1/3 cup
Turmeric - a pinch
water - to cook moong dhal
(water should be approximately 2.5 times that of the dhal+rava)
salt to taste

To temper:

ghee  - 1 tbsp
Black pepper (whole) - 1 tbsp
cumin - 1/2 tsp
cashew nut - 10
hing (asafoetida) - a pinch
curry leaf - few
ginger - 1 tbsp (chopped)

Method:

Dry roast the moong dhal . Wash and coarsely grind it.
Dry roast the rava and keep aside.

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil
Add the dhal and cook well. Minimize heat and put turmeric, salt and roasted rava.
Stir fast otherwise  rava may  agglomerate.
Cover with a lid and cook in low flame till rava is done. Switch off.

In the mean time, heat the ghee in a wok and fry the items given for tempering.
Run the tempering over the pongal and mix well.

Rava pongal is ready!

Serving suggestions:
Serve with sambar and coconut chutney as breakfast or dinner.
Serves 2 adults.
Time taken : less than 20 minutes.

keerai molagootal

Keerai mulakootal is a Kerala based recipe with all the goodness of dhal and greens. It can be served as a curry over rice or a great side dish with roti.

Ingredients:

spinach (pasali keerai) - 25 leaves
(or) any greens like amaranth / ponnanganni - 1 cup (chopped)
Thoor dhal (red gram) - 1/4 cup
shredded coconut - 2 tbsp
urid dhal (black gram) - 1 tsp
dry red chillies - 2
cumin - 1/4 tsp
salt - to taste
coconut oil - 1 tsp
mustard - 1/4 tsp
shallot (chopped) - 1 tbsp (optional)
curry leaf - few

Method:

Wash and clean the dhal and keerai separately. Chop the greens finely.

Cook the dhal with 1 cup water, turmeric - a pinch and asafoetida - a pinch. Pressure cooking the dhal is more convenient. We can cook the dhal in advance and freeze for future use too. This saves a lot of time.

Fry the urid dhal , red chillies and cumin in a drop of oil. Grind them coarsely along with coconut to a fine paste.

Now pour the excess water from cooked dhal and cook the spinach. Mash the greens coarsely. Add the masala paste, mashed dhal to the cooked greens and put salt to taste.

Heat the coconut oil in the pan, add the mustard and let it crackle. Slightly fry the onion, curry leaves and run it over the greens. Mix well.

Switch off as it comes to a boil.

Keerai mulagootal is ready!

Serving suggestions:

The above said quantity is for 2 people.
Serve as curry over rice. Paruppu thogayal (dhal chutney) and fried appalam are the traditional side dishes for this.
Another way is to serve as side dish with rasam+rice.
Pairs well with roti also.

Turnip kuruma

'Noolkol'or 'nookkal' is the Tamil word for Turnip or Kohlrabi. It can be used instead of potato in curries. The health benefits are many. It is good for potassium deficient days.

This curry is just another version of kuruma with whole garam masal made into a fine paste. There is no masal powder here except the turmeric. Shallot (sinna vengayam)adds a lot of flavor to this curry. It is a general practice to add potatoes and peas also along with this vegetable. Potatoes give a good flavor and texture to the kuruma.

I try to make something special for Friday nights and the ready made parathas come handy at that time.Parathas with this spicy turnip kuruma tasted wonderful:)
Noolkol korma is my mom's favorite too. As it was a rare vegetable in my home town at that time, mom used to buy this and would fondly tell us how she devoured this vegetable in Madurai, her home town....now I am recollecting hers:)

Turnip kuruma served with paratha.

Ingredients:

Turnip / noolkol / kohlrabi - 1 (250 gm)
Potato - 1 (optional)
Turmeric powder - a pinch
oil - 1 tsp
fennel - 1/2 tsp
cinnamon - 1/2 inch
curry leaf - 1 sprig
ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
cilantro + mint leaf - a handful (grind)
tomato - 1 (big)

To fry and grind:

Dry red chillies - 4
green chillies - 2
cinnamon - 1/2 inch
cloves - 2
cardamom - 2
black cumin - 1/8 tsp
fennel (sombu) - 1/2 tsp
shallot - 4 (1/2 cup chopped)
shredded coconut - 2 tbsp
coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
cumin - 1/2 tsp
cashew nut - 4
poppy seed - 1/2 tsp
oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

Wash the turnip, potato and remove the skin. Chop them finely into small cubes.
Cook it in a cup of water along with finely chopped tomato and turmeric powder.

Fry the above said ingredients in a tbsp of oil together. They need not be fried till brown, but we just need a good aroma. Let it cool completely and grind it to a fine paste along with mint + cilantro.

Heat 1 tsp oil in a wok. Add the fennel and cinnamon, let them get red. Put the curry leaves and fry a little. Immediately add the ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell vanishes. Now add the cooked vegetables along with the masala paste and bring them to a boil. Add salt, reduce the flame and cook in low flame for 10 minutes (till we get a nice kuruma flavor) and switch off.

Noolkol kuruma is ready!

Serving suggestions:

The above said quantity will yield a large amount of kuruma, sufficient for 6 people. Turnip is good at yielding good amount of curry. So reduce the vegetable quantity as per requirement.
Serve with paratha, poori, ghee rice, chapathi, roti, dosa etc.

Murugal dosai

I didn't realize the need for this post, until one of our friends asked . Dosa is the staple food for any South Indian family .  Just like many of you , the very sight of the dosa batter-container in my refrigerator always gives me a feeling of relief. It is the best friend at supper time, if I can't think much. So I always make a big batch of batter on Fridays, so that the weekends go smoothly :)

The paper roast dosai we get in restaurants is the yummiest version of all dosais. Mom used to call it as 'murugal dosai' (Murugal - crispy) and I like that name very much. Amma's kaipakkuvam (mom's touch) and the 'kalchekku' nallennai (Extra virgin sesame / gingelly oil) along with that perfectly fermented batter would make the house smell heavenly. Even now the same kind of flavor floating from some unknown chimney lifts up my spirit.

How to choose a dosa tawa and maintain it?

Many people add a teaspoon of channa dhal to get the golden brown colored dosa. Below ratio is the one we use. No harm in using whatever works out the best for you. But the real secret lies in the selection of the dosa tawa (dosa girdle).
Indian grocery stores or Indian vessel stores are the best places to get one. Buy an iron dosa girdle of at least 10 mm thickness and as large as 1 feet diameter. The thickness helps in uniform heating, which results in very thin crispy dosas. I am not good at non stick dosa tawas. But the non sticks are great for making soft doas (like pancakes).
Ok, as soon as we buy that thick dosa tawa, immerse it in a solution of rice washed water or water strained out while cooking for 24 hours. After that wash it and heat once uniformly apply a coating of sesame oil over it and put a lid on it. Switch off flame and  let it remain over night. The next morning, gently wipe off the oil and start making dosas.
The rule number one is never use that precious dosa tawa for making chapathi / roti or any other purpose like dhum biryani making etc:) This will spoil fine layers (at molecular level) of the dosa tawa and it will take a lot of time to get rectified.
Keep your dosa-turning spatula clean and sharp. Try to use an ever-silver spatula to turn the dosa, as they are always sharp.  Wipe off the excess batter after every use.

Dosa batter uniformly spread on the conventional dosa tawa.

Golden brown dosa after flipping.

Crispy Murugal dosai served with Coconut chutney.

Ingredients:

Idly rice - 3 cups
black gram dhal - 1 cup
(In India the urad dhal is very fresh so 1:4 ratio is enough. Other than that 1:3 works the best while using an aged dhal or Indian mixie. If using an Indian grinder the ratio can be 1: 3 1/2)
fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
salt - 3 1/2 tsp (1 tsp for each cup of rice and 1/2 tsp for a cup of black gram)
Sesame oil - 50 ml

Batter preparation:

Soak rice separately for 5 hours. Dhal and fenugreek seeds need to be soaked together for about 3 hours. After that grind dhal till it becomes very smooth and fluffy. The batter should be thick like softened butter. Transfer it to a big bowl. Then grind the rice to a very smooth texture.Do not add lot of water. Add salt and by giving several strokes.
Store this in a large vessel so that there is enough space for batter to rise. Grinding and storing of batter should be done the previous day, preferably in the night so that the batter would be ready the next day. The batter should be allowed to ferment for about 15 – 18 hours.
(If the outside temperature is below 85 deg C, then keep it inside a mildly warmed oven to get warmth). The next day, mix the batter well and it can be used to make idly or dosa.
Generally people prepare Idly with the first day batter and the remaining batter can be used to make dosa. Moreover dosa comes out very well if the batter is more fermented. we can add a dash of yeast to the freshly ground batter to enhance fermentation of the batter.The remaining batter can be preserved in tight containers in refrigerator.
A well prepared batter can remain good for almost a week.

Dosa preparation:

Heat a dosa tawa. Check the heat by sprinkling a drop of water. It should be sizzling hot. For the first dosa, Spread the sesame oil uniformly using the special wooden tool we use for spreading oil or a piece of fresh cloth. Wipe off excess oil. There should be almost no oil now.

Take a ladle of batter and pour it gently over the tawa and spread it to get crepe.
Keep the heat in maximum. Drizzle a tsp of sesame oil over the dosa. After it starts turning red, flip and take out immediately.

From the next dosa, start pouring the batter directly. No need to brush oil at first. But feed the dosa with generous quantity of sesame oil. Serve immediately, as it becomes soggy with time.

Murugal dosai is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Serve hot with sambar, chutney.
Makes 40 dosa.

Approximate calories:

(Click to see source)
1 large home made murugal dosai (10 inch dia)
From batter - 80 to 100 Kcal
from sesame oil (1 tsp) - 40 Kcal
Total 140 Kcal.