Idli Milagai Podi (Paruppu Podi)

Idli podi or thool or chutney podi as some call it, is a staple in any south Indian or at least Tamil kitchen. There are several variants and slightly varying domestic recipe versions for each of them which result in different heat level (chilies), coarseness, color, flavour and so. At home we call this paruppu milakai podi to differentiate from others like ellu podi, mallatai podi, etc.  Fortunately both my mother-in-law’s and mom’s recipe are almost the same (except that my mom doesn't add curry leaves), so our tastes on this match pretty well.

Yield: 3 cups

Preparation Time: 5 Minutes

Cooking Time: 15 Minutes

Ingredients:

1.     Dry red chilies – 15

2.     Bengal gram – 1 cup

3.     Urad dal – 1/2 cup

4.     Coriander seeds – 1/3 cup

5.     Curry leaves – fistful

6.     Salt to taste

7.     Asafoetida – 1/4 tsp

8.     Oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

Step 1: Heat a pan and roast Bengal gram, urad dal, coriander seeds and chilies each separately using few drops of oil preferably in simmered mode.

Step 2: Spread the curry leaves in the hot pan and let them turn crisp.

Step 3: Remove stem part from the chilies and in a mixer jar finely powder chilies, curry leaves and coriander seeds.

Step 4: Add the pulses, salt and asafoetida and grind until required texture is obtained. We at home prefer coarse one.

Step 5: Let it cool down; then store in a air tight container. This goes well with idli, dosa and other south Indian tiffin items.

 TIPS:

* I have heard Rajee aunty, one of our relatives had added some horse gram replacing a portion of bengal gram in idli podi recipe once; I’ve tried it and it indeed is flavorful and healthy.

* It is important that the dals are roasted well else it will have a flour kind of smell. If you are not sure, it is okay to slightly darken them rather than having them under done.

 * My mom prepares almost every week or once in 10 days but they stay good for even up to 3 months. Fresher and crispier podis are better in taste and flavor.

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.

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.