Rava Idli - Steamed Semolina pancakes

This is one of the basic recipes of Indian cooking. Well, I have to admit that my normal idli does not come as fluffy as the rava idli's. So most of the time I prefer to do Rava Idli's. This is my mom's version of idli's that's my kids favorite. Any time of the day Idli or Dosa, they are ready to have them. 

Ingredients:

Urad Daal / Black Lentil - 1 Cup
Fenugreek or Methi Seeds - 1 tsp.
Idli Rava/ Thick Semolina - 2 Cup
Salt - 1 tsp.

Batter in the mold, ready to get steamed

Method of Preparation:

~ Wash and Soak Urad dal and Fenugreek seeds overnight or for 4 to 6 hours.
~ Discard the water and rinse them again. Grind them smooth using a grinder or a blender with minimal water. The batter should be thicker than for dosa or pancake batter.
~ Leave it to ferment in a warm place for 4 to 6 hours.
~ When ready to do the idli, soak idli rava in water (just to get it wet and soft) for 15 to 20 minutes.
~ Mix this with urad batter, add salt.
~ Lightly oil the idli molds, bring water to boil in a pressure cooker (with lid open)
~ Pour little batter in all the molds, and place it in the cooker. Cover with lid. DO NOT put the whistle on.
~ Once the steam starts coming out, continue to cook on high for 7 minutes.
~ Switch the gas off, once you are able to handle, remove the lid and take out the molds.
~ Once molds are cooled, using a spoon take out the idli's.
~ Serve it hot with chutney and sambhar.

Note:
- Split urad dal is white in color. But when they are whole bean it's black. Hence the name black Lentil.
- Urad daal increases in volume once soaked, so choose a bigger vessel to soak it in and also add more water.
- It's important to throw the soaked in water. This will make sure the idli's won't trouble the gastric person.

Dill Pancake / Sheppu Bhaaji Poley/ Sabasige Soppu Dosa

One of my childhood memories is of eating these aromatic green dosa's/ pancakes for breakfast. The aroma of Dill leaves would fill the whole house. I used to call it "Godda Poley", meaning Jaggery Dosa. I didn't know the name of Shepu bhaaji, as we call it in Konkani, until I moved to US. And knowing it's called "Dill" added more fun to it. For those who don't know Hindi language, Dill means "Heart". Isn't it pretty cool. :o)

Dill is supposed to be zero in cholesterol and low in calories. My mom used to say it promotes good digestion. Find more health benefits of Dill here. You can make the batter ahead and keep it in the refrigerator for a day or two.  
Prep Time: 10 min + 3 hrs to soak | Cooking Time : 2 min/ dosa |
Makes : About 20

Ingredients:

Dill Leaves / Shepu Bhaaji - 1 Bunch (About 2 cups packed)
Rice - 2 Cups 
Cooked Rice - 1/2 Cup
Coconut - 1/2 Cup
Jaggery - 1/2 Cup
Salt - 1/4 tsp.
Chili Powder (optional) - 1/4 tsp.

Method of Preparation:

~ Wash and soak rice for 2 to 3 hours.
~ Clean and wash dill leaves. Grind all the ingredients using a cup of water to a fine paste.
~ Transfer the contents to a bowl and use the water to make a pancake/ dosa consistency. 
~ Heat a non-stick pan or a griddle. 
~ Pour a ladle of batter onto the hot pan and quickly spread it into a circle.
~ Cover and cook for a minute. Open the cover and continue to cook on the same side to get crisp dosa or flip it over to make it soft. 
~ Serve it hot with ghee spread on top.

Note:
- You can make this using Dosa batter too. Just skip rice and cooked rice. Grind everything else and add the 4 cups of dosa batter.
- There is no need to ferment the batter. Since there is cooked rice and jaggery, the dosa turns out pretty soft and fluffy.

Sending this to,
Nayna's let's Cook Rice Dishes

Bon Vivant Roundup #14 - Spring Surprises

Spring has really surprised us over here. With weather changing each day drastically and pollen count getting higher than ever. But it also was so beautiful. Little buds, blossoms and flowers covering every inch of the trees.. Sprouting tulips give me immense happiness. They are one of the most beautiful flowers I think. 

Here are the Bon Vivant participants who brought even more happiness @Sumee's Culinary. Below is the beautiful roundup of the same. Enjoy your approaching summer holidays!