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Appam are tasty lacy soft hoppers made from a ground, fermented rice and coconut batter, traditionally served with Veg stew.

Traditionally appam are fermented with toddy( local alcoholic drink made from from palm or coconut flower).

As toddy is not available everywhere easily, dry active yeast is used as a substitute. .

This appam recipe is made without yeast.

Ingredients:

2 cups regular white Rice.

1/2 cup Poha .

1/2 cup freshly grated Coconut.

1/2 tsp Methi seeds.

2 tbsp Sugar.

Salt to taste.

1 cup Tender Coconut Water.

Oil for smearing.

Method:

Rinse the rice and methi seeds together for a couple of times.
Soak rice in water for 5 hours.
Drain and add to the grinder,also add grated coconut, poha (soaked and drained),sugar, salt and tender coconut water.

Grind to a smooth flowing batter.Pour the batter in a large bowl or pan. Cover and keep aside for fermenting for 10 to 12 hours, depending on the temperature conditions.
The batter will rise and increase in volume the next day.Add little water if required to have a runny consistency.

Heat an appam pan,smear some oil on the pan.
Spread a ladle full of the batter.

Turn and tilt the pan so as to spread the batter.

Cover the pan and let the appam cook. The base should become nicely light golden.

Make all appam this way.

Serve immediately with vegetable stew.

Happy Cooking!!!

Sameera.

This is a healthy breakfast recipe,its a simple diabetic friendly recipe that can be served not just for breakfast but even as an after school snack for kids or it could even be packed in their lunch boxes.

Jowar, a complex carbohydrate, is digested slowly, prompting a more gradual rise in blood sugar. That’s why it’s a great diet choice for diabetics and people who want to lose weight.

Ingredients:

6 tbsp Jowar Aata.

2 tbsp Wheat Flour.

1 Onion finely chopped.

1 Green Chilly finely chopped.

15 Palak leaves washed and roughly chopped.

2 tbsp Curd.

1/4 tspn Dhana Jeera Powder.

1/2 tsp Red chilly powder

Pinch of Haldi Powder.

1/2 tsp Ajwain.

1/2 tsp Sesame Seeds.

2 tbsp Oil.

Salt to taste.

Method:

Make batter by mixing jowar flour,wheat flour,curd and dry spices and salt, add water to get dropping consistency.

Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Add chopped onions, green chillies and palak. Give it a good mix.

On a non stick pan add oil and add spoon full of prepared batter, cook well on both the sides.

Remove in a serving dish and serve hot with ketchup or mint chutney.

Tip:Instead of palak,chopped methi leaves or grated cabbage or carrot can also be added to this dish.

Happy Cooking!!!

Sameera.

One of the most commonly consumed grains in India, bajra is often referred to as “poor man’s staple”. This powerhouse of a grain has multiple health benefits. Mainly made of starch, and mostly insoluble fibres. This makes it a great long-acting source of energy and takes longer time to break. Therefore you feel fuller, for longer. These are great for diabetic people as well.

Bajra Chilla is a healthy crepe that can make a wholesome breakfast.

I was introduced to this awesome dish by my friend Ashraf Merchant who is an awesome food maker.

So here goes the recipe…

Ingredients:

Recipe

6 tbsp Bajri Aata.

2 tbsp Besan.

1 Onion finely chopped.

1 Green Chilly finely chopped.

15 Palak leaves washed and roughly chopped.

2 tbsp Curd.

1/4 tspn Dhana Jeera Powder.

1/2 tsp Red chilly powder

Pinch of Haldi Powder.

1/2 tsp Ajwain.

1/2 tsp Sesame Seeds.

2 tbsp Oil.

Salt to taste.

Method:

Make batter by mixing bajri flour,besan,curd and dry spices and salt, add water to get dropping consistency.

Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Add chopped onions, green chillies and  palak. Give it a good mix.

On a non stick pan add oil and add spoon full of prepared batter, cook well on both the sides.

Remove in a serving dish and serve hot with ketchup or mint chutney.

Happy Cooking!!!

Sameera.

 

Easy to make,simple breakfast dish.Goes well with ketchup or mint chutney.

Ingredients :

1 cup Corn Kernels.

1/2 cup Besan.

1/4 cup Oats (optional)

1/2 tsp Green chilies,Ginger & Garlic paste.

1/4 cup Oil.

Salt to taste.

Method:

In a mixie jar,mix together corn kernels ,along with green chilli,ginger and garlic paste.Adding little water,grind to a rough paste,consistency should be like dosa batter.

Remove in a bowl,add besan and oats (optional) and salt ,mix well.Let the batter stand for 15 minutes.

Heat and grease a non-stick tava (griddle) with a little oil. Pour a small ladleful of the batter on the tava randomly,

Drizzle a little oil on the sides ,cover and allow it to cook. When the dhirdre is lightly browned, flip to the other side and cook again till it is golden brown in colour.

Repeat to make  more Dhirde. Serve hot with the  chutney of your choice.

Happy Cooking !!!

Sameera

I had read this recipe somewhere, but we reluctant to try it as making dosa or pancake out of wheat flour was something I was not very comfortable  with…but finally I gave it a try and the results  were amazing…to make it more healthy a cup full of oats can also be added to this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup Wheat Flour

1/4 cup Rice Flour.

1/8 cup Besan.

½  tbsp Cumin Seeds.

1 tsp Pepper Corns.

5-6 Cashew Nuts.(chopped)

1 tsp Coriander Seeds.

2 Green chilies.(finely chopped)

2  tbsp Coriander Leaves.(finely chopped)

1/ cup Onion.( finely chopped)

Salt as per taste.

3 tbsp Oil.

Method:

Crush coarsely jeera,pepper corns and coriander seeds.

Take wide vessel, add all the ingredients except oil.

Mix well,add enough water to make a batter, consistency should be like dosa batter.

Heat a non stick tawa or cast iron pan,Mix the batter well,take a ladle  full of batter and pour on the tawa to form a pancake. Drizzle oil all around the pancake,cover and cook on slow heat.

When cooked from one side turn over and cook on other side till crisp.

Remove from the griddle.

Serve hot with chutney of  your choice.

I have  served it here with  mint chutney.

Happy Cooking !!!

Sameera.

India is the highest producer of nachani, yet only few people are aware of its health benefits.

Nachani has very high  calcium contents as well as fibre and is also gluten free.One should try to incorporate nachani in various forms in our daily diet.This Ghavna recipe can be had for breakfast with chutney or  it can replace roti/chapati in lunch/dinner.

Ingredients :

2 cups Nachani.

1 cup Brown Rice.

1/2 cup rice aata.(Optional)

1 tsp Salt.

Oil.

Method: 

Wash and soak nachani and brown rice in 4 to 5 cups of water for 8 hours.

Grind the saoked nachani and  rice into fine paste.Add rice flour,salt and water to adjust the consistency.Consistency should be like that of buttermilk.As per my mother in law adding of rice flour helps in making crisp ghavans,but my mom makes it just with rice paste.

Usually a special griddle called Bhide is used to make these,but same can be made in non stick pan also.

Cut one onion into half and pierce a fork in it.Use this to grease the griddle with oil.Alternately a tissue paper dipped in oil or silicon brush can also be used.

Heat the griddle on high heat,stir and pour the batter spreading on the griddle.Cover with a lid.

Lower the heat and let it cook till it leaves side and becomes crispy(No need to turn and cook on other side).

Remove on banana leaf or cotton cloth.Fold only after it cools down or will stick together.

Repeat the process to make another ghavan.

Serve hot with chutney of your choice.

Happy Cooking !!!

Sameera

This is a popular South Indian dosa variety. Making rava dosa is very easy as it does not require grinding or fermentation.  This dosa can also be made plain without onion.

To make perfect crisp rava dosa which has a netted texture, the batter has to be very thin and griddle has to be very hot.

We can Add ghee or butter and make ghee rava dosa or butter rava dosa. This dosa can be served with potato masala and you get rava masala dosa.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Rice flour cup

1/2 cup Rava/Sooji/Semolina

1/2 cup Maida

2 tbsp Curd (optional)

½  tbsp Cumin seeds

1 tsp Pepper corns

5-6 Cashew nuts   (chopped)

8 Raisins.

2 Green chilies  (finely chopped-optional)

6 Curry leaves  (finely chopped)

2  tbsp Coriander leaves (finely chopped)

1/2 cup Onion( finely chopped).

Salt as per taste

3 tbsp Oil.

Method:

Take wide vessel, add rice flour, rava,maida and salt.

Mix well,add curd and enough water to make it a thin batter …as thin as  buttermilk.

Add chopped coriander leaves and raisins to the batter.

In a tempering pan heat 1 tbsp oil,add cumin seeds,roughly crushed  pepper corns,  chopped curry leaves, chopped chillies and cashewnut.

Add this  tempering to prepared  batter,mix well.Add chopped onions.

Mix well and keep aside  for 15-20 minutes.

Add chopped coriander leaves and raisins to the batter.Then heat a tawa, mix the batter well and take a ladle of batter and spill all over the tawa randomly. Drizzle oil all around the dosa.

Do not spread the batter,cook on medium heat.This dosa is cooked only on one side till it becomes crisp.once crisp and brown remove the dosa from the griddle.The crispy rava dosa is now ready to serve with any chutney or sambar.

Tip:This dosa can be make without using onions also,u can make onion rava masala dosa using potato bhaji,grated cheese can also be sprinkled once dosa is ready to make cheese rava dosa.

Happy Cooking !!!

Sameera.

This is just a diiferent version of regular sada dosa,my son is a cheese crazy and doesnt like normal dosa,so just created this spicy cheesey version for him….

Ingredients:

1 cup Urad dal(skinless split black gram)

3 cup Rice.

2 tsp methi seeds.

1 tsp Sugar.

Salt to taste.

Oil.

6 tbsp Chings Schezwan chutney

3 tbsp Butter

6 tbsp grated Chese/cheese slices.

Method:

Start a night before.Add methi to urad dal.Soak urad dal and rice in water seperately for 10 to 12 hours.

Grind urad dal and rice to fine paste.Mix together.Add salt and sugar..

Keep for fermentation.(Batter will rise in size,once fermented)

Use a non stick tava.

In a a bowl keep cold water ready,and a cotton cloth handy.

Heat the tava on slow heat,sprinkle cold water and wipe clean with cloth.

Now add spoon ful of batter on center of the tava spreading on the tava in a circular motion.(from center of the griddle ).

smear little oil on the sides.

Cook on slow flame,till it turns brown and crispy.

Spread half a tablespoon of butter,spread around 2 tbsp of schezwan chutney and sprinkle 2 tbsp of grated cheese/1 cheese Slice.

Turn and fold in three folds.

Repeat the process to make another dosa

Serve hot with coconut chutney and sambar.

Happy Cooking !!!

Sameera

Sprouts are a great source of protein,Iron and vitamin C.This is an easy to make healthy snacks.

Ingredients:

2 cups Sprouted Moong.

2 tbsp Rice.(washed,soaked for 2 hours and drained)

2 Green chilli.

1 inch Ginger piece.

1 tsp Jeera.

Salt to taste.

2 tbsp chopped Corriander leaves.

4 tbsp Oil.

Method:

In a mixie jar,mix together sprouted moongs and rice,along with green chilli,ginger and garlic paste.

Adding little water,grind to a smooth paste,consistency should be like dosa batter.

Remove in a bowl,add salt and chopped corriander leaves,mix well.

Heat and grease a non-stick tava (griddle) with a little oil. Pour a small ladleful of the batter on the tava and spread it evenly by moving the pan in a circular motion to make a chila .

Drizzle a little oil on the sides and allow it to cook. When the chila is lightly browned, flip to the other side and cook again till it is golden brown in colour.

Repeat to make  more chilas. Serve hot with the  chutney of your choice.

Happy Cooking !!!

Sameera

This is an easy to make tasty snacks recipe,I learned this from my sister in law,Sudha Parab.

I am a great fan of dosas and polis,this is become an instant hit with me.

Ingredients:

1 cup Rava.

1/2 cup Rice Aata.

2 tbsp Dahi.

1/2 cup choppd Onions.

1/4 cup chopped Corriander leaves.

1 tsp finely chopped Green Chillies.

1/8 tsp Black Pepper powder.

Salt to taste.

Oil for smearing.

Method:

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl ,except oil.

Add little water to get batter like consistency.

Keep aside for 20 minutes.

Heat a non stick griddle.,stir and pour the batter spreading on the griddle in a circular motion.(from center of the griddle ).

Cover and cook on slow flame,turn it to cook on other side.

Repeat the process to make another uthapam.

Serve hot with chutney/sauce of your choice.

Happy Cooking !!!

Sameera