Sunday, January 20

Simple Onion Oothappam

A lazy weekend dinner... it was onion dosa with milakai podi. Honestly, I don't think if there is much difference between onion dosa and onion oothappam. According to me, onion oothappam is the righter phrase because on it onion pieces will properly get embedded as it is thicker than dosa.  I am a great lover of Surguru's (hotel in Pondicherry) onion dosa ever since I ate it almost during my childhood. This is non-boring tiffin for the most south Indians I guess.


Serves: 2
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
1.     Dosa batter – 4 cups
2.     Onion – 3
3.     Salt – 1 pinch
4.     Oil – 2 tbsp


Method:
Step 1: Chop onion finely and mix a pinch of salt to it else it will taste sweet on oothappam.
Step 2: Heat the griddle, grease the surface and pour a full ladle of dosa batter and flatten it to a thick circle. Let it cook for a minute in simmer.
Step 3: Spread onion on the surface of the oothappam and drizzle some oil around it. Press gently with the flat ladle onto the surface to let the onion sink in a bit.


Step 4: Check if the lower side has browned nicely and delicately flip it.


Step 5: Drizzle more oil if required else just press to cook evenly on the fore side  Repeat for the entire batter.
Step 6:  Serve hot with milagai podi or coconut chutney.



Friday, January 18

Tomato Sauce Pasta

As my husband is a fan of Alfredo sauce pasta, i hardly try something else with pasta. Also, for some reason I do not like red color pastas (tomato sauce pasta) from anywhere outside, I feel it is more ketchupy :). So, this home made one was a step I wanted to take before denouncing tomato sauce pastas for good. Yes, it was not ketchupy when prepared fresh, it was tangy and different. I liked it and he quite liked it.


Serves: 2
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1.     Pasta - 200 gm
2.     Tomato - 4
3.     Yellow bell pepper - 1
4.     Garlic - 4 cloves
5.     Onion – 1
6.     Corn starch – 1 tbsp
7.     Salt to taste
8.     Sugar - 1 pinch
9.     Italian seasoning - 1/2 tsp
10. Pepper crushed - 1 tsp
11. Olive oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

Step 1:  Cook the pasta as per instructions on the pack, toss with few drops of oil and keep it.
Step 2: Puree the tomatoes in a mixer slightly chunky if you prefer, chop the bell pepper & onion in the size matching the pasta used and fine slice the garlic.
Step 3: Heat a non- stick pan add a tablespoon of olive oil, sliced garlic and chopped onion. Toss the bell pepper with it. Sprinkle a pinch of crushed pepper and salt.


Step 4: Add to it the cooked pasta and toss them well and keep aside.


Step 5: In the same pan or another one, add less than a spoon of oil and add Italian seasoning to it. Pour in the pureed tomato and let it boil for 5 minutes.


Step 6: Mix corn starch in some water and stir in the boiling tomato sauce to thicken it. This gives an even consistency to sauce.


Step 7: Add salt and crushed pepper to the sauce.
Step 8: While serving spread the pasta and pour the sauce on top.











TIPS:
*Garnish with shredded cheese if you like it and do not mind some extra calories.

Thursday, January 10

Coriander chutney

Until recently, I used to prepare coriander chutney with only coriander which used to taste good when fresh but turn dark, grainy and separate water after 15 minutes or so. I tried this coconut combined coriander chutney that is the restaurant style one and it was good in texture, taste and color and goes perfectly with south Indian tiffin but may not go well with chats or parathas kinds.





Serves: 2
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 minutes

Ingredients:
1. Coriander - 1 bunch
2. Coconut - 5" piece
3. Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
4. Green chilies - 3
5. Salt to taste
6. Oil - 1/2 tbsp
7. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
8. Urad dal - 1/2 tbsp
9. Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Method:
Step 1: Grind fresh coriander, coconut, green chilies, salt and lemon juice together in a mixer jar.
Step 2: Prepare tempering by spluttering mustard seeds in hot oil, then roast urad dal in it till golden brown and throw in curry leaves.
Step 3: Pour the tempering over the chutney and serve with idli or dosa.