Instant Rava Dosa

Rava dosa is one of the most popular breakfast items in South India. It also happens to be the most ordered recipe at any South Indian restaurant. Whenever we go to a south Indian restaurant, we never fail to order Rava dosa. A plateful of lacey textured crunchy Rava dosa paired with coconut chutney and sambhar is something one can dream for starting the day. Normally in a week for a couple of days, fermented dosa batter will be in stock at home. When I run out of fermented batter, instant Rava dosa comes to my rescue.

To prepare such instant Rava dosa, you need to make sure that your hunger pangs are not roaring high and you have enough time to cook it slowly to a paper like thin texture.

Among Rava dosa, my family loves the Onion Rava dosa. The juicy and succulent onions that you bite in between lends to a sweet tinge, while it is mildly spicy and flavorsome from the green chilies and the whole spices that we add to the batter. When I make it for my kids, I leave out green chilies and ginger, but still the whole spices make up for the flavor.Recipe inspired from Vahrevah

Let’s see how it is made:

Ingredients:

Semolina(Rava)	1 Cup
Rice flour	1 Cup
All-purpose flour	½ Cup
Finely chopped green chillies	1
Finely chopped ginger	1 inch
Cumin seeds	1 tsp
Crushed black pepper	½ tsp.
Salt	To taste
Chopped onions	If desired
Oil/Ghee	2 Tbsp.
Water	4-5 cups

Method:

Take a large mixing bowl. Add all the dry items on the ingredients except oil and water.

 Mix well .

Add water to make a very liquid and runny batter consistency similar to buttermilk

 Heat a flat non-stick pan on medium flame and let it get hot. Then add chopped onions.

 You should be able to hear a sizzle. Onions act as a non-stick agent. So it’s preferred to be added first. Then hold the batter bowl on one hand and with the other hand scoop some batter in fingers and quickly sprinkle it on the pan from a height.ghee/oil over the dosa especially over the holes.

 Repeat it 2-3 times so that a dosa with connecting holes like a lacey texture is formed.

 Now pour ghee/oil over the dosa especiallly over the holes. Ghee gives a nice roast and taste to crunchy dosa. Cook on medium-high flame till it is golden in color and crispy in texture. No need to flip it. So fold it and transfer to a plate..

Serve it with piping hot sambhar and coconut chutney.

.

Tips:

·         Make dosas immediately after you make the batter. The rava in the batter will keep absorbing water and the more you rest the batter, the more thick it will get.

·         Make sure that the dosa pan is hot and we need to hear the sizzle when you sprinkle the batter.

·         Wait until dosa is completely cooked and all browned. Trying to remove dosa too soon will only break it.

·         If the batter becomes thick, dilute with enough water and adjust the salt.

·         Since the batter is very thin, the water will stand on top and all the main ingredients will settle at the bottom. So, mix the batter from the bottom every time before you make dosa.

After one dosa is made on the pan, before pouring the batter for the next, just wipe again with a kitchen tiisue.

Onion-Pepper Focaccia with a Hearty Minestrone soup

I had something on my meal plan tonight but I wasn’t in the mood to make it. What I really wanted to bring to my table was an Italian meal that my family loved. Since I had everything that I needed to make, I decided to go ahead with a hearty warm Minestrone soup with Onion-Pepper focaccia bread. Life’s boring if you never go off the plan, that’s for sure.

Anyway, I chose from various internet recipes for the soup with the availability of ingredients on hand and just messed it with it fair amount to make it Aromatic Happy home. So I decided to make use of chickpea in lieu of cannellini beans and macaroni pasta coz that’s for sure easily available in a toddler’s home. Otherwise, I mostly just modified things to be a little simpler and work with what I have (plain water instead of vegetable broth)! The result was a thick hearty, perfectly delicious soup for a cold fall night.

Meanwhile, for the bread, we really enjoy focaccia bread at Sweet tomatoes. Both my sons are big time bread lovers. Ever since I found the recipe from http://cookclickndevour.com/herbs-and-onion-focaccia, I wanted to try it out. I thought the best way to pair it was with a warm soup. So here it is, I just modified it to add peppers. And, omg, you guys! It’s SO good. My kids went nuts for it, and they jokingly tried to steal pieces from each other.

Minestrone Soup

Ingredients:

Olive oil	1Tbsp
Chopped Onion	½ Cup
Peeled diced carrots	½  Cup
Diced Roma tomatoes	2 Cups
Fined chopped French beans	½ Cup
Canned Chick peas	1 Cup
Finely chopped spinach	1 Cup
Finely chopped fresh basil	1 tsp
Dried Italian Seasoning	1 tsp
Garlic powder	1 tsp
Uncooked Elbow macaroni	¼  Cup
Freshly coarse ground black pepper	1 tsp
Water	2 cups
Parmesan cheese	For topping

Method:

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until just lightly browned.

Add water, carrots, French beans, chickpea, basil, dried Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, tomatoes and garlic powder.

Bring to boil and reduce the heat, cover and simmer on medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add macaroni cover and cook an additional 10 minutes.

Adjust spices to suit your taste. Serve hot with some parmesan cheese.

Onion-Pepper Focaccia

Ingredients:

All-purpose flour	1 ½ Cups
Rapid rise yeast	1tsp
Salt	¾ tsp
Warm water	To knead
Sugar	2 tsp
Thinly sliced Onion	½ Cup
Thinly sliced bell pepper	½ Cup
Dried Italian seasoning	1 tsp
Olive oil	3 tbsp

Method:

Proof the yeast by combining it with 1/4th cup warm water and sugar. Stir gently to dissolve.

Let stand for 3 minutes until foam appears. Take all-purpose flour and salt in a bowl.

Add olive oil and mix well.

 Add the yeast mixture and mix well. Now slowly knead the dough and add more water if needed. Form the dough into round and place in an oiled bowl, turn to coat the entire ball with oil so that it doesn’t dry out.

Cover with a plastic wrap in a warm place until it doubles in size, for about 1 ½ hours.

Once the dough is doubled, turn it on the counter.

Roll and stretch the dough into a rectangular/square shape about ½-inch thickness. Lay the flattened dough into a baking sheet and cover with a plastic wrap.

 Let it rest for 1 more hour for second rising. After an hour, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Uncover the dough and dimple with your fingertips. Brush the surface with more olive oil and spread sliced onions, bell pepper and salt and sprinkle the Italian seasoning as needed.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges turn golden. Allow to rest for 10 minutes, slice, and serve warm.

Tips:

·         If you have half of the baked loaf leftover, you can refrigerate or freeze it. First, wrap it tightly in a plastic wrap, then in a foil. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days and in the freezer for a month.

·         Day old bread can be toasted and used as croutons.

Pineapple Rasam with Baby Potato curry

Rasam is one of the irresistible daily courses that we need to have on table be it for my husband or my boys or me..! Last month being our anniversary I wanted to make some comfort food that would help us reminisce our wedding in terms of food at the same time feeling satiated in terms of daily course.

Pineapple Rasam was on our wedding menu. Rasam with the side of potato curry is like being in heaven. The combination is to die for. Kids and adults both devour this combo .Pineapple Rasam is a special variety rasam. Pineapple adds distinct flavor and taste. The sourness and the subtle sweetness from the pineapple brings great flavors to the traditional rasam.

Let’s talk about potato curry.

Who would say no to potatoes? When I was young I thought potatoes were widely Indian favorites, but after coming to US I know that Americans equally love it. It takes plain whole and humble potatoes, a handful of spices to magically transform them into exotic dish full of flavor and pizzazz! So I like to serve rasam with a bowl of steamed rice and a side of Potato curry. I have come up with my version of pineapple rasam and potato curry. Let’s see how it is made.

Pineapple Rasam

Ingredients:

Toor dal	1/4th cup
Pineapple rings	4
Rasam powder	1 tsp
Tomato	2 (medium size)
Curry leaves	Few sprigs
Cilanto leaves	For Garnish
Salt	To taste

For grinding

Pepper	1 tsp
Cumin seeds	1 tsp

 For Seasoning

Clarified butter (Ghee)	1tsp
Mustard seeds	1tsp
Red chilli	1
Asafoedita (Hing)	½ tsp

Method:

Pressure cook the tur dal and smash it well. Keep that aside.

Take pepper and cumin seeds in a mixer jar. Grind pepper and cumin seeds to a coarse powder.

Take 2 pineapple rings or if you are using a fresh pineapple then peel the skin off and cut into rings. Chop the 2 rings into bigger pieces and add that to the mixer .Grind it into fine paste.

 Next, take 1 tomato and grind it into a puree. To the tomato puree, add 1 cup water, 1/2 quantity of coarse pepper cumin powder, ground pineapple paste,salt and rasam powder and let it cook well for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop finely remaining 2 pineapple rings and 1 tomato and keep aside.

 In a separate pan, add ghee and mustard seeds, let that spultter.

Next add red chili, hing, remaining pepper jeera powder and sauté for 20 seconds.

 Add the remaining chopped pineapples and tomatoes and sauté for 1-2 minutes.

 Then add the seasoned mixture to the boiling tomato puree .Add the smashed tur dal and mix well.rasam is ready to be served.

Add 1 cup of water and keep the flame on medium till we get a froth. Switch off the flame and garnish with cilantro leaves.

Now the tangy, sweet, spicy pineapple

Potato curry

Ingredients:

Peeled raw  Baby potato	½ kgs
Cumin seeds	1 tsp
Mustard seeds	1tsp
Urad dal	1tsp
Turmeric powder	1tsp
Red chili	1
Finely chopped onion	1
Greenchilli	2
Ginger	1inch
Oil	3 tbsp
Cilantro	For garnish
Salt	TO Taste
Curry leaves	1-2 sprigs

Method:

Heat a pan with oil. Add mustard seeds and jeera. Let it splutter for a minute.

 Then add ural dal, red chili and curry leaves.

 Next add onions and sauté for a couple of minutes till they are translucent.

 Add potatoes and turmeric powder.

Cook them on low flame with the lid on until the potatoes have fully cooked. Add salt.

 Keep checking and stirring them on and off to prevent potatoes from getting burnt .

Grind green chili and ginger into paste.

 Once the potatoes are fully cooked add this ground paste .

Cook them on low flame until they have turned crispy.

Finally garnish with cilantro leaves.