Idiyappam

Idiyappam - is basically rice flour noodles from Kerala, a variation of our very own ottu shaavige(Karnataka). Traditionally ottu shaavige is made in “shaavige oralu”. Making ottu shavige is time consuming and frankly speaking very cumbersome. I only love eating part of it. 

Idiyappam on the other hand is mini version and can be pressed in Chakli press. I don’t know if traditionally it is made this way. May be it was similar to ottu shaavige before but over the years became mini.. no idea.  But anyways the recipes I saw online seemed very doable compared to ottu shavige.

I made 2 batches. First one clicked, second one flopped. I was nervous before making the first batch and prayed to God. While making second batch I was confident and hence didn’t pray. I think that was the major reason for failure :). In this particular recipe, you mix rice flour with hot water. In other recipes I’ve seen online, you cook rice flour in boiling water till it comes together as a dough. That can make a difference in the texture too. 

I’ve also listed other reasons I think might’ve caused the problem, below in notes. Do try!

Happy Makara Sankranti! Happy New Year!!

Chana Dal with Lauki(Bottle gourd)

Dals/ tovve are my favorite. I never knew that dal can be made with chana dal also. I’m also not too fond of bottle gourd in traditional south Indian sambars. This recipe is an amalgam of both, in good ways. Extremely tasty and easy. Have it with rice, ghee and pickle and some fryums(sandige) and enjoy your winter break! 

Do try!

Happy holidays! Happy New Year!!

Veg Burrito Bowl

My husband loves chipotle burrito bowls. Burrito bowls are easy to prepare at home. If you are hosting a party, you can prepare all the side dishes in advance and still have time to dress up and look fresh :) You can easily feed a crowd. Taste bhi health bhi kinda dish. 

Do try!

Happy holidays!!

Minestrone Soup

What better to savor than hot minestrone soup on cold winter nights. Especially when it can be done in less than 30 min hassle free in Insta Pot. Add everything, set IP for 6 min on high and piping hot soup is ready to be savored. Pair it with some garlic bread and you have a filling, quick lunch/dinner. You can pressure cook this too. Same procedure. 

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Rave rotti

I don’t know what I was thinking when I stored upma rava in the spot where I generally store idly rava. It was bound to happen sooner or later that I soaked regular uppit rava instead of idly rava while making idli. Not knowing what to do with the soaked rave, I asked my mother. She suggested I can either make rave dose or rave rotti. I had never tried rave rotti before, even though many people had given me the recipe. I really loved the taste. It was crunchy and soft at the same time. Very easy recipe. Even kids will love it.

Simple breakfast item.

Do try! 

Zucchini stir fry

My cousin, a novice gardener, started growing crazy big zucchinis and gave some to me :) I hardly use zucchini in my everyday cooking. So I got creative and googled for recipes… [that’s the creative best I can get :D]. I found this recipe in one of my favorite blogs. I was sure it is going to turn out great. Basically you just toss sliced zucchini in spiced besan flour and pan roast it. I might’ve used more besan than necessary, hence mine tasted more like zunka. Tasted exceptional nevertheless. Do try and include zucchini in your everyday cooking. 

Bread masala

So one day, casually browsing I came across bread masala video on Hebbar’s Kitchen and my daughter who was close by saw it and insisted that I make it for her. It looked easy.. so I gave it a try.. It tasted soo good! Generally making pav bhaji is easy, but this is easier than that. This is perfect for lunch box for kids. You can make masala previous day and add bread pieces in the morning, mix and give it for lunch box. 

Do try!