Onion Podi Dosa, Karam Dosa ~ 101 Dosa Varieties!

It was a late afternoon in the summer of 98, when I was studying a course in computer. Along with my two friends we decided to eat at the neighboring hotel. Tiffin are quite common at all times but eating out was not so common then. I used to get my regular 100 Rs as pocket money. Amma has been giving me since I started college. Not that I spent much other than the petrol for the two wheeler.

Having decided to eat, I was apprehensive if parents would object to me eating out. We were never encouraged to eat out and we never even thought of doing something without their knowledge. But are there times as first always right. I think it was one of those firsts. Of course until much later, I never confessed to having indulged in a sinful feast on dosas back from institute.

I have always been fond of dosas, be at home or outside. So it was natural that I order a Dosa variety. Browsing through the menu card, my eyes kept going back to the Podi Dosa on the menu. Being so crazy of the podi that Amma makes and dosas in general, I was at lost imaging how yummy it was going to be. Believe me, the dosa that came finally to my table, kept to its fantasy!

It was beyond words can express my joy I felt devouring every bit of that dosa and couldn't get it out of my system for a long time. Imagine my misery, enjoying something so delicious, yet unable to share that joy with Amma as it was an illicit dealing..:)

Share I did, many years later. Still Amma was candid enough to ask where I had that. I had to gulp the details and just tell her how it was made. The long lost happiness finally came in when I was able to recreate the magic at home. Of course for all the flowing adulation I am bestowing on this, it is natural this type is a common fare at most homes, still it was something that had caught my attention. And if even after nearly a decade and half, if the mind feels the satiation, I am sure it was very delectable.
 

The trick lies on browning the onions to the right colour and then spreading the podi over it

I must say this most surely falls under the Bachelor feast as it is something one can do within minutes, provided if one can assemble the required ingredients in short time.

There is no ingredient at all.
 

Get yourself a bowl of Dosa batter.
Your dose of podi or Gun powder as it is called at our place
Finely chopped onions.
A dollop of ghee/Clarified butter

Heat a dosa pan, spread a ladle of batter as you regularly do, sprinkle chopped onions. Sprinkle oil on the sides
Once done, flip on the other side, allow it to cook. Simmer for couple of mins for the onions to get browned.
Flip it back to the original side. Sprinkle the podi/ spiced powder over the dosa, pour the ghee over it (the ghee should be hot for it to spread evenly)

Transfer and just eat!

Wasn't that quick? Believe me it is surely heaven on a plate!

Next one on the plate is a simple Karam Dosa, which is same as the Erra Karam Masala Dosa but even simpler!

Chop Onions finely, mix in Red Chili powder, salt to taste. Mix well

Pour of ladleful of Dosa Batter, spinkle a spoon of this Onion, Chili mix over the top. 

Flip onto the top side down for it to get cooked. Once done turn it back again.

This is different from the Erra Karam Dosa as that was ground, while this is even more quick!

Hope you enjoyed these simple yet very satisfying Dosa varieties!

Quick Tomato Chutney!

When you are in hurry, it always helps to have some handy dishes that you can whip in minutes. Yes that refers to our traditional Indian Dosa batter or Idli batter. I have always seen Amma storing this for ever. The moment it gets over, she has a fresh batch ready. It also helped that her kids were fond of dosas. Not that mine aren't ok. All 3 of them, even when asked at different periods of the day, would shout out Dosa! Its actually such a relief most of the times. But I do try to give them different things for breakfasts.

So when it comes to our south Indian breakfasts, they always go hand in hand with some dips. And believe me, I can never get tired of eating Coconut chutney or groundnut chutney. But hubby dear desists monotony. So I got to think of some quick tomato chutneys. Both Amma and Athamma have their version of tomato chutneys. So naturally when I am blending it together, I ought to come up with something in common right!

This quick Tomato Chutney takes just 5 mins! If you don't believe me, then try it yourself and enjoy. I believe this fits the label of Bachelor cooking as my bachelor colleagues have asked me for ideas and this was one of the few that I shared with them. They were amazed that such a lip smacking dish can be prepared in just 5 mins! You can double the quantities for more.

Remember the Jowar Appayes, well I served it with these quick tomato chutneys.

Makes a cup enough for two people, of course depends on how much you eat!

Ingredients Needed:

Tomatoes - 2 medium
Onion - 2 medium
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Garlic - 3- 4 pods

Mustard, Urad dal and curry leaves for seasoning.



Method to prepare:

Heat a pan with 1 tsp oil, fry roughly chopped onions till they are pink, add garlic and sauté well. Remove.

Then add roughly chopped tomatoes for 2 minutes. Cool and grind to smooth paste along with chili powder, salt and onions.

Heat the pan with remaining oil, temper with mustard, urad and curry leaves. Add the ground chutney, sauté for 2 minutes.

Serve with Dosas or idles.

Masala Peanuts ~ Healthy Snacks!

I can go on and on on this wonderful snack that never fails to tempt me or excite me. Many fond memories come rushing in when this comes to mind. The many vacations that we went along with our family friends. This for sure was something Amma would pack for the journey. The long or short train journeys become an adventure and these lovely masala peanuts would sure accompany those. Peanuts have also been very important to our menu and Dad just simply loves this. So Amma always used to make this very often.

I was in for a surprise after marriage, as I came to know that its hubby dear's favorite too. Athamma said she always has a batch ready for his request. Maybe its in the genes or whatever, my kids also love these peanuts. And when hubby dear wanted something to munch, this is what came to mind. Making it, I was recollecting all those days back when this was made at home. Hubby really enjoyed this snack and I made sure I get this recorded too.

Ingredients Needed:

Fresh Ground nuts/ Peanuts - 1 cup
Besan / Gram flour - 1/2 cup
Rice Flour - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Fresh Garlic - 4 -5 cloves

Chili powder - 1 & 3/4 tsp

Turmeric powder a pinch
Water enough to make a stiff dough
Jeera powder a pinch (opt)


Method to prepare:

Wash the peanuts and let it drain.

In a bowl, take the peanuts, besan, and all the spices. Mix well. By now you will have a thick batter coating the peanuts. If needed add some water. else you can fry it as such.

Heat oil in a kadai, when its piping hot, drop the peanuts into the oil. Turn when its cooked on one side.

Drain them to kitchen towel and store it in a air tight container.

Sending this to Alka for her Just for you event, since I made it specially for my hubby.


Since I feel this is an healthy snack on a moderation, sending a bowl to Rachna too for her Healthy bite event. Hope she feels this is healthy too.

And finally to Susan for her MLLA - 8th helping, since this uses both besan and peanuts! Hope the ladies like this!

Healthy Sprouted Moong dal Pulao!

The other day I was chatting with my old friend, who now lives in UK. As he is living on his own, I was very interested to know what he eats. I was really impressed when he said he is cooking for himself and not the simple ones, mind you! He said he makes Sambar, Mutton curry, Biryani and lot more. He even sets his own curds for curd rice. He said living in a different country on his own, he finds ample time to spend on cooking, when eating out, everyday is not the good option. I was totally taken in and even invited him to do a guest post for Bachelor's corner, which he said he will.

So when bachelors are able to cook up such elaborate dishes, this simple and healthy sprout moong dal pulao, would be a chore! All you need is to get the moongs sprout and if they are available ready made, you can just include in the rice and get a pulao for yourself. This one pot meal is very simple and gets done fast. I strongly recommend this, when you are in a hurry to fix a quick dinner but still want it to be healthy! Check out How to Sprout, for sprouting process!

Check out How to Sprout, for sprouting process!

Ingredients Needed:

Moong Sprouts - 1/2 cup
Rice - 1 cup
Onions - 1 medium
Green Chilies -3
Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Garlic pods - 2 small
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon - 1"
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Lemon juice -1 tsp

Method to prepare:

Wash and soak rice for 10 mins.

Heat a cooker, sauté chopped Garlic, clove, cinnamon, cumin seeds. Fry for a min, then sauté onions till they are brown Then add the ginger garlic paste, green chilies and sauté well.

Wash the sprouts and add to the pan, fry in sim for 2 mins, add the drained rice. Mix.everything well. Add 3 cups of water, salt and cover and cook for 3 whistles.

This takes about 15 - 20 mins to get done. Serve with Buttermilk raitha.

Sending this to Vegan ventures, hosted by Suganya!

Simple Veggie Sandwich!

I am sure there are many takers for Sandwiches. Especially those that take very less time to get fixed. These were in matter of 10 mins, where the major time was spent on sautéing the veggies. This makes it a perfect breakfast, with added advantage of vegetables in it. Of course, I couldn't imagine my daughter would've wanted to eat, so I didn't' make for her. But this was a quick fix for hubby dear, when he was in a hurry to leave. So I thought this makes it a perfect one to made by Bachelors. When I think of sandwiches, I can't but think of the many options, one has to choose.

If you have ever lived in Madras and gone around the city, I am sure you would be familiar with the famous Sandwich shops in Egmore. Those are just road side stalls, where the innovative chef, cooks up hundreds of sandwiches for his ardent customers. Those stalls are famous by its clientèle. If you happen to visit by evening, you will find huge crowd, waiting patiently for their order to be made. I was really surprised by the many varieties they had to offer. The customers, mostly college students, stand in tons, chatting, laughing, and spending hours without a care but venting their hunger with sandwich or two. And how hygiene it is, you can see for yourself, unlike in other places. He does it right in front of you and you can customize your orders too.

So when I was making this, I was only thinking of those yummy sandwiches that get done and devoured in tons!

Ingredients Needed:

Beans and Carrot - 1/2 cup
Tomato - 1 small
Onion - 1 small
Ginger garlic paste -1 /2 tsp
Chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Green Chili - 1
Salt to taste
Ghee for roasting


Method to prepare:

Par boil the vegetables. Saute the onion till pink along with chillies and ginger garlic paste, then add the tomatoes. Saute till it gets mushy.

Then add the cooked vegetables. Chili powder and salt. This takes about 5 -7 min.

Roast the bread slices over pan, stuff the filling and press firmly.

Serve with ketchup!

This serves as a quick breakfast fix!

Vazhakai Bajji ~ Banana Fritters!

Banana Bajjis are always a hit. These are made in tons in the beach side stalls and invite many customers. When you visit the beach, you can miss the stalls having all the sliced banana, ready to be dipped into the batter and deep fried for the eager customers. You can actually get to quite a few to choose from. The bajji chilis, Onions, Potatoes and of course, the bananas are the different vegetables, all ready to be fried on customer's demand.

Though I have not actually tasted the ones made there, they sure tempt you so much. Amma always used to make these, when she makes the onion bajjis. This is so common in Madras, that I was quite surprised when my Sil said they never made these. So I made these for her, when I visited them. It gets done so fast that it doesn't require much preparation.

Just the dish for Bachelors, who can get this done on their own.

Ingredients Needed:

Plantain / Banana - 1
Gram Flour / Besan - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Ajwain / Carom seeds -1/2 tsp (opt)
Oil for deep frying

Ready made Bajji mix is also available in stores, you can just buy those and get this done in a jiffy!

Method to prepare:

Trim the ends, peel the outer skin. You can either cut these into long strips or circles. Once done, soak them in water, to prevent it from turning black.

Mix the batter in a bowl. Heat a Kadai with Oil, once its hot, take a banana piece, shake well to drain the water, dip in the besan and gently drop into the hot oil.

Cook on both sides and once it turns golden colour, remove to a kitchen towel.

Serve with Coconut Chutney!

Potato Cumin Bread Roll!

The Ninjas decided that they are going to bake something on account of the World Bread day. And this Ninja not being in a position to bake nor do anything else, could only come up with this teenage fantasy, that gets done in a jiffy. This was something I used to make so very often and completely forgot about it, until faced with a challenge!

Its very simple to make and its a kid's delight. Well as I kid I loved it. Beauty of it was, I used to make it myself with sweet and spicy versions. I can still remember the jam that used to go into it most often. I used to roll out and then freeze and then roast! Wow, I was able to bring back those lovely memories by making it again. And I should thank my fellow ninjas for initiating this.


Ingredients Needed

Potatoes - 2 medium
Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
Chili flakes/ Chili powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Bread Slices - 4
Ghee for roasting

Method to prepare:

Boil Potatoes till tender. Peel the skin and allow to cool.

Then add cumin powder and chili flakes/ chili powder, Salt and mix well.

Trim the sides of the bread and roll it out flat using the rolling pin. You will get a thick, thin slice.

Place the potato filling on one side and roll it tightly towards the other side. Apply some water to the fag end that you are going to cover and stick together.

This is ready to be roasted but if you want, you can freeze it for 5 mins or so. I used to freeze the sweeter versions but not the potato filled ones.

These are ready in flat 5 mins. Then heat a pan with ghee and roast this till crisp on both sides.

This is my simplest way of appreciating the goodness of bread to mankind! But this is something that works magic on kids and very simple to be made by Bachelors too.

But be sure to check out the awesome creations that my fellow ninjas are going to dish out!

Lakshmi, Divya Vikram, Anu, Raaga, Dhivi, Siri, Ranji, Bhags and Swati are sure going to charm you with their creations!

Since this will be a great party food, sending this to WYF:PArty Food hosted by EC

Simple and Quick Potato Sandwiches!

Sunday breakfast was different from the usual this weekend. Every Sunday, its always Poori that adores the table along with different gravies. But since we had an outing planned and hubby dear insisting on not eating pooris, I thought given the time and scope, Sandwiches were the best bet. I was reminded of the many varieties, that I used to make for myself, during my early years of cooking. I have always been very fond of bread and experimented with different varieties. But hubby dear was not so keen bread in the early years, as its tagged as a food to eat during illness. Only the last decade, has seen a great change in approach, to many towards bread.

Now hubby dear prefers bread for most days and on top whole wheat loafs. We discovered a bakery near our house, from which we get our bread fresh from oven. Given my distance with baking these days, getting freshly baked loafs are a boon! So having decided on sandwich, I remembered Mint stuffing that I used to love, then I knew I may not be able to convince Konda to eat this. These days she has been such a darling, eating most things when I tell her that I am saying she eats without fuss in the blog. So resorted to that tagline, she even said she wanted to see where I mention that!

Since there was a time constraint, I pressure cooked potatoes before leaving. We went for a temple visit and we really enjoyed seeing the kids being so religious. Three of them were having their hands folded and ready to prostrate in front of every deity. We planned for a picnic at the temple place for the twins as we thought they will eat fast in a new place. So I was running around them, to feed. Finally after they finished their breakfast, we returned home. As expected the rest of the folks were hungry the moment we reached. So fixing their sandwich was a matter of minutes job.

Konda really enjoyed eating and was trilled at the crispy sandwiches. I made these in sandwich maker, but I normally make it over the pan, which comes out equally crispy.

Preparation time : 15 mins

Ingredients Needed:

Potatoes - 3 medium
Bread Slices - 12
Onions - 2 medium
Green Chillies - 2 long
Mint leaves - 4 -5
Salt to taste
Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp (opt)
Oil - 1 tsp
Ghee - for greasing the bread slices.

Method to prepare:

Pressure Cook Potatoes to tender. Cool and peel the skin. If you have potato masher, use it to mash it to a smooth paste. You can use your hands to mash if its well cooked.

Heat a pan with oil. Sauté the onions, finely chopped green chillies. Fry till the onions are pink. Then add the mint leaves and fry for another 2 mins.

Then add the cooked mashed potatoes, salt and garam masala if you are using.

Simmer for 2 mins. Allow it to cool.

Meanwhile, if you don't like the sides of the slices, trim them

Then top a slice with the aloo stuffing, spread well. Then press another slice over it. Grease both sides with ghee and roast either on hot tawa or in a sandwich maker.

Serve with Tomato ketchup.

Note: Remove the chilies from the stuffing for the sandwiches that you are serving your child.

The mint adds a nice zing to the sandwich. Enjoy with choice of your likings.

These are very quick and ingredients needed are not much. So another simple recipe for the Bachelors and a tasty breakfast for kids.

Mixed Vegetable Curry ~ A Bachelor's Guest Post!

When I wanted to start Spice your Life, I only wanted to concentrate on Parenting and Kids. But I was getting so many requests for Bachelor's recipes, I thought I might be able to cover it in this blog. Now what's more interesting and encouraging than getting a post from a bachelor, who is going to showcase the dishes he prepared on his own.

Sanjay Keswani is from UK and is Alka's brother in law. Now what more proof do I need to know, that recipes from Sanjay would be awesome. Alka's blog is a great resource on Sindhi cuisine and her pictures are breathtakingly beautiful. I am not kidding you can check it out yourself. So I jumped the gun when she said her BIL cooks.

Ok I don't want to crowd his post, lets go straight to see what's been simmering in our bachelor's kitchen! I have not modified anything.

Mixed Vegetable Curry - By Sanjay Keswani

Ingredients:

Onions 3
Tomatoes 2
Green chillies 2 or more
2 or more cups of chopped Mixed vegetables like cauliflower,potatoes,sweetcorn,peas,carrots etc)
Turmeric powder 1/4 tspn
Coriander powder 1 1/2 tspn
cumin powder 1/4 tspn
Garam masala powder 1/2 tspn
Kitchen king masala(optional) just a pinch
Oil 1 tbspn(or less if cooking in nonstick pan)
Salt as per taste

Method:

Peel and chop onions finely(A daunting task)
Take 1 tbspn oil in a nonstick pan or handi
Sauté onions in this oil till they turn brownish in colour
Add tomatoes and all dry masalas and fry well
Add small chunks of potato,mix properly and then add water
Add salt ,mix properly and let it cook for sometime till potatoes are half done
Then add all other vegetables(The frozen pack of mix vegetables available in UK is very handy and also get cooked fast,but you can use fresh vegetables cleaned and chopped,and saute them for few seconds before adding them to curry)
Let the vegetables cook,on minimum flame and adjust consistency of curry as per your requirements
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with Rotis or Pita bread or even bread.

All bachelors out there, do try this as its sure Sanjay enjoyed his meal.

Potato Masala ~ Delightfully Simple Feast!

Poori Kelangu is a term that evokes fond memories! I never knew this term almost until few years back and when I heard this being referred it almost reflected the attachment this dish has for many. It was in the hills of Kodaikanal that I heard the potato masala served with Pooris, being referred as Kelangu. The road side shops excelled in serving hot pooris with yummy kelangu. The chill mornings did nothing but added more joy being treated with this combo for a breakfast.

Pooris on Sundays have always been the way at home for many years. I guess almost ever! Only for a while it got alternated with Appam. But we are back on track. At parents place, its always Potato Masala or Channa Masala or Pessarappu Kura. I have continued the tradition after marriage. Though I don't really like potato much, this simple dish is something that's much cherished.


The first in the series for simple quick dishes for Bachelors, is Potato Masala. Of course, this is well known to all. Still I have tasted so many different varieties. It was to my utter disbelief I found recently that I had blogged on this simple dish. I make this in different ways and I believe all of them are simple, yet this variety gets done in 10 -15 mins of time. This is almost the same way its done for Masala dosa, yet sightly different when its accompanying Pooris.

Another thing that I am very particular is, the amount of Onions added. I like more of Onions in the potato, that it could well be called an Onion dish. Plus I like it as juliennes. It gives a distinct taste to the dish when you munch on the onion chunks while you sap up the hot pooris in it. This version is not very spicy, so makes it a great Kids dish too!

Preparation Time : 10 mins
Cooking Time : 10 mins
Serves :

Ingredients Needed:

Potatoes - 250 gms
Onions - 250 gms
Green chillies - 4 long chopped in middle
Cashew Nuts - 5 whole
Curry leaves - 5-8 leaves
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Turmeric a pinch
Water - 1/2 cup

Method to prepare:

Wash and cut the potatoes to half. When you are pressure cooking Potatoes, its always best if you chop them in middle and cook. This way it gets cooked fast. Once its done, peel the skin and roughly mash them. You will have small to big chunks of pieces.

Chop onions as juliennes. Heat a pan with oil. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves, then add cashew nuts. Saute well. Add onions and fry for 2 mins in high flame.

The Onions should not turn brown. When it starts turning pink, add the salt and turmeric. Mix well.

Then add the potatoes and combine all together. Simmer for 2 mins. Then add the water and bring to boil.

It should not be too thick or running. Since you mash few potato pieces to almost paste, it will give thickness to the gravy.

Serve with deep fried delights, there is no words to describe this yummy combination. Puffed Pooris served with this yummy potato masala, sure makes you giddy with delight!