Delectably crisp crepes! – The penta-grain dosa

I started this blog because I am so interested in adapting traditional Indian recipes to make them healthier, tastier and easier-to-make. During the course of my writings, I have started to solicit reader recipes, since many minds work better than one! Here is a post written by my mother, Madhuram – recipe courtesy, my sister, Indu Sundaresan, author of four books – “The Twentieth wife“, “The Feast of Roses“, “The Splendor of Silence” and “In the Convent of Little Flowers” with a fifth on the way.
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Every culture in the world has some sort of crepe or pancake in its recipe repertoire. In South India, it is the ‘dosa.’ Served in almost all Indian restaurants the world over, the dosa is a fermented batter of rice and a dal (lentils), served usually with sambar (a stew of vegetables and lentils) and different types of chutneys.

When I was young, my brothers and sisters (I come from a family of 10 children!) would wait eagerly by the stove as our mother or grandmother made us piping hot dosas, swept off the pan, crisp, golden and crunchy. When I had children, and learned to cook, dosas were a favorite Sunday treat for them.

Now my daughters make this for their children and below is a recipe concocted by my daughter Indu—more tasty and nutritious than the usual recipe—for her daughter.

The original recipe has only two grains in it—rice and urad dal (black lentils). My daughter’s recipe has five grains to increase the nutrition content of the original dosa—white rice, brown rice, mung dal and whole urad dal and pearl barley in center (shown below, clockwise from white rice on top right corner).

Brown rice is a good source of minerals such as manganese, magnesium, also contains Niacin and has a lower glycemic index than white rice. Barley is loaded with fiber, has no sodium, is very rich in iron and has hardly any fat. Mung dal (split yellow lentils) is rich in protein, dietary fiber and minerals like magnesium, phosphorous and potassium, and urad dal is full of protein.

Here’s the recipe for this Penta-grain Dosa. This can be served with any chutney or even folded with scrambled eggs, or spread with cream cheese, or hummus, or stuffed with mashed potatoes.

Here is what you need:

1/2 cup white rice
1/2 cup brown rice
1/4 cup pearl barley
1 1/4 cup yellow mung dal (equal to the mixture of the brown and whiter rice and barley)
3/4 cup whole urad dal (husked black lentils)
3/4 tsp salt

This will make about 12 to 15 dosas of about 8″diameter. If lesser quantity is needed, use less ingredients, but in the same proportions.

Here is how you make the batter:

Combine the white and brown rice, barley and mung dal in a big bowl and fill with water. Swirl water around and drain to wash the grains. Repeat twice more until water runs clean. Then fill enough water in the bowl to cover about 2 inches above the grains, and let the mixture rest thus overnight.

Put the urad dal in a separate bowl and follow the washing and soaking instructions as above. Fill the bowl with water at the end and let it rest overnight also.

In a blender, grind the first grain mixture with a little water—should grind fine and to a thick batter consistency. Set aside in a large steel bowl or an oven-proof deep dish.

Grind the urad dal with some water also, again to a thick batter consistency. Stir in the urad dal batter with the grain batter. Mix well. Add ¾ to 1 tsp of salt and mix again.

Here is how you ferment the batter:

If the kitchen/room temperature is below 70 degrees F, heat oven to 140 degrees, switch it off, let cool awhile until inside of oven is warm and set the batter bowl inside. Make sure you cover the bowl well with aluminum foil or an oven-proof lid.

Let the batter ferment for 6-8 hours. Upon uncovering the bowl, the batter should have risen an inch or so and become foamy on the top.

This batter can now be refrigerated and used when wanted, or used immediately.

Here is how you make the dosas:
Heat a frying pan or a pancake griddle until hot (but not smoking). Pour a big ladleful of the batter and spread immediately into every widening circles with the flat side of the ladle.

Drizzle a little oil around the edges of the dosa and a little in the center. Keep the flame on a medium to medium high so that the dosa does not burn. When the edges begin to look golden and curl up from the pan slightly (about a minute or so), flip the dosa over to cook the other side for another minute or so.

Take off the griddle—the dosa should be crisp and gold on the edges, a little softer in the middle. Serve with coconut chutney, spicy tomato chutney, sambar, or any of the other accompaniments suggested above.  Enjoy!

Kohlrabi and lentil stew (Kootu) – Cooking on a Shoestring Budget

Austin, Texas prides itself for being a weird city. In fact, the residents even host an annual event called “Keep Austin Weird”. It is a vibrant city, filled with an exotic, eclectic crowd of people. It is a fun city, because there are lots of things to do. Whether you are the stay-at-home mom, lugging around 2 toddlers or the high flyin’ corporate executive used to having power lunches, or the keep-it-cool, meditative kind who is in eternal search of nirvana, you’ll always find people to hang out with in Austin. The sheer cultural diversity, the fun crowd, the vast open Texas spaces, the hills and plains, the beautiful brush, the cacti, the deer, the throbbing city life, the green farmlands, the farmer’s markets – there is always something for everyone in Austin.

You guessed what is in it for me: the wonderful sights, sounds, colors, aroma, the life and the fun of checking out the Saturday Farmer’s markets! The opportunity to chat with the local farmers, check out their wares, admire their new recipes, buy their products and support them… all of it makes for a fantastic start of the weekend.

Last weekend, I attended the Sunset Valley Farmer’s market. The site mentions that this Farmer’s market has been voted at one of the top 5 markets in the US by Eating Well magazine. I believe that may well be true, because when I spoke with the Market Director, Salila Travers and her husband Jim Moore, I realized how particular she was with what was served at the market and how careful she was about reviewing all the produce and prepared food that was served at the market. The market was well-run, large, thriving and bursting with shoppers and vendors. Everywhere around me were people – people with dogs, people with children, and people with dogs and children. Most people sampled the vast array of international food, bought locally grown fresh vegetables, sat around listening to the music and generally had a fun morning in the bright Texas sunshine.

I too, bought stuff. I bought a loaf of organic bread made with spelt flour, seeds and nuts. Then I went to the stalls I love the most – the vegetable stalls. There were many farmers who brought their harvest: fresh greens, roots and tubers, milk, yogurt and meats. I bought a bunch of fresh Kohlrabi and made this very easy to make Kolhrabi and lentil stew with it. It goes very well served hot over brown rice.

Here is what you need:
1 bunch fresh Kohlrabi (cut the leaves and set aside for another dish)
1/2 cup yellow tuvar dal (lentils)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 1/2 tsp salt

For the masala:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh grated coconut
4 dry red chili
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1  cumin seeds
For the garnish:
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds 1 pinch Asofoetida powder
1 stalk fresh curry leaves

Here is how you make this:
Wash, peel and cut the Kohlrabi into small cubes. Place in a pan with sufficient water, sprinkle turmeric powder and bring to a boil. Boil until the Kohlrabi is partially cooked and crunchy. Remove from the stove and set aside.

In another pan, boil the lentils until soft and cooked. Mash with a spoon. Add the boiled Kohlrabi to the boiled lentils. Add salt and simmer.

In a non-stick pan, heat the oil to fry the masala. Add the ingredients in this order: first the cumin seeds and the coriander seeds. Fry for a minute until brown. Now add the dry red chili and fry until roasted. Now add the grated coconut and fry until brown. Remove from the pan, cool, and place in a blender with sufficient water to blend to a smooth paste.

Add the masala paste to the Kohlrabi and lentil stew. Simmer.

Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan for the garnish. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. Wait until they crackle. Now add the asofoetida powder, cumin seeds and the washed and dried curry leaves. Fry until the leaves are crisp. Pour over the stew.

Serve hot with brown rice.

Cost:
Kohlrabi: $1.99
Lentils: $0.80
Oil : $0.50
Spices: $0.70 (including grated coconut and curry leaves)
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Total : $2.99

Makes 6 servings.

Cost per serving: $0.50

Mustard Greens and Lentils

I’ve heard a lot of people complain that being a vegetarian is an uphill task. I completely understand.

I know what they mean: they have to be on the job 24/7. Especially if they are cooking for a family and are in charge of the kids diets, they have to be particularly watchful about incorporating different kinds of vegetables in many different dishes, so that the kids are tempted to eat their veggies.

You know by now that I am a big fan of vegetables. I love all kinds of veggies. My idea of a wonderful weekend is a visit to a well stocked produce store. And I invariably buy all my vegetables fresh. The only frozen veggies I buy are green peas.

I love the multitude of greens we get here in the US and so I usually pick up a couple of new ones each week – it allows for variety. Greens are not only good for you, they are also good for your wallet. A bunch of greens usually cost around $2 and it makes a dish that feeds a family of 4! This week I came home laden with mustard greens because they looked so fresh.

Mustard greens are stuffed with nutrients. They have 9 vitamins, 7 minerals, dietary fiber and protein. Best of all, they are a unique source of 3 notable antioxidants: Vitamin K, Vitamin C and Vitamin A. They are known as nature’s free radicals scavenger. Mustard greens are wonderful for children and adults who have asthma. The vitamin C in the greens help them breathe easier. The greens are also particularly helpful for women’s health. They are laden with calcium, B6 and phyto nutients. Read more about Mustard Green’s nutritional value here.

I made a mustard green and lentil combo dish that tasted deliciously smooth and buttery, even though it had no butter. It was also extremely quick and easy to make and is not at all spicy, so the kids will enjoy it too. Serve with brown rice and some salad and you have a healthy and complete meal cooked in just 30 minutes. Yeah! Rachel Ray, I can cook a meal in 30 minutes too. 🙂

As usual, this recipe uses just one teaspoon oil for the entire dish, so you have an entire meal for a family of 4 made with just 1 teaspoon oil.

Here is what you need:
1 bunch mustard greens
1 cup yellow lentils (tuvar dal)
2 cups water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric powder

To garnish:
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 pinch asafoetida powder
1 habanero or jalopeno (chopped fine)
1 tsp olive oil

Here is how you make this:
Wash and boil the lentils in 2 cups of water until soft. Add more water if necessary. When the lentils are cooked, add the chopped mustard greens, turmeric powder and salt. Cook for another 5-7 minutes until the greens are also cooked. Remove from the stove.

Heat oil in a pan. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. Wait until they crackle and add the cumin seeds. Brown for 10 seconds and add the chopped habanero. Fry crisp. Add the asafoetiday powder. Remove from stove and pour the garnish over the lentil and mustard green dish.

Serve hot with brown rice and salad. (If you make brown rice side-by-side in another stove, your entire meal is ready in 30 minutes!)

Reasons to Season!

I must confess – I am a lazy cook. But then, I must also divest myself of false modesty – to be honest, I also consider myself a good cook – as far as my family is concerned, the dishes I whip up (when I am not feeling lazy 🙂 ) are usually new, usually fresh, usually different.

My family has no clue, so let me let you in on a secret: I am the queen of leftovers and the queen of redo and refresh. And this skill will come in handy to those hordes of busy, busy women, who are constantly juggling homes, babies, careers, and personal growth.

I didn’t feel like cooking something new for dinner yesterday. Alas, I also have an image to live up to. So I fished in my fridge and found a day old dish of leftover dal (Yellow Lentils). We had eaten some and there was a lot leftover because, rashly, I had asked my husband to pressure cook the dal while I was out shopping, without giving him precise instructions about quantity. He made 2 cups worth for the 3 of us and of course, there were left-overs. As left-overs go, it looked unappetizing and boring.

So, I decided to refresh the dal and give it a make-over by just adding some seasoning.

Here’s what you need:
1 cup cooked yellow dal (lentils)
1/2 cup finely grated carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped red peppers

To season:
1 tsp Olive oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp cummin seeds
1/4 tsp asofoetida powder

To garnish:
1 small bunch (handful) of green cilantro leaves
1/4 tsp red chili powder
1/4 tsp garam masala powder

To make:
Heat a pan and add oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. Wait until the seeds crackle and add the cummin seeds. Brown for 10 seconds and add the asofoetida powder. Now add the chopped red peppers and stir fry for just 30 seconds. Add the dal and add some water (eyeball it to get the consistency you want for the dal) and salt. Bring to a boil and take off the flame.

Add the garnish: grated carrot, red chili powder, garam masala powder and green cilantro leaves.

Serve hot over white or brown rice.

This is the reason to season!!