ADA

Whenever I go to Lulu Center I buy a roll of banana leaves . (5 banana leaves rolled and covered in cling film).  I dont look at the price tag because if I do I wont be able to make ada or kumbilappam with peace of mind.

My mother used to make ada in two ways. The easier way is to steam them  in an "appachembu". The second method is by heating the ada in a thick pan. Ada made by this method has a special name, "ottada"

INGREDIENTS

1. Roasted fine rice flour - 1 cup (pathiri podi is fine)

2. Boiling water - 1 1/4 cup

3. salt - 1 pinch

4. Coconut oil - 1 tea spoon

5. Jaggery - 1/2 cup

6. Grated coconut - 1 cup

7. Crushed cardamom - 2

8. Banana leaf

METHOD

1. Mix the rice flour and salt. Add boiling water and mix with a spoon . Allow to cool a little and knead well,  Add coconut oil and knead again to get a soft dough.

2. The jaggery can either be grated or heated with 2 table spoons of water to get a thick solution. Mix this with coconut and cardamom

3. Boil water in the steamer or appachembu.

4.Cut and clean the banana leaf. Wipe with a cloth.

5. Divide the dough into 4.  Spread each  portion on a piece of leaf using the index,middle  and ring fingers only. If the dough is sticky dip the fingers in water.

6. Spread 1/4 of the poornam (coconut- jaggery mixture) on one half portion of the ada and fold.

7. When all 4 adas are ready, steam them  for 10-15 minutes.

UPPUMA KOZHUKKATTA

This is a different type of kozhukkatta made with broken rice

INGREDIENTS

1. Raw rice - 1 cup
2. Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
3. Coconut oil - 1 table spoon
4. Mustard seeds - 1/2 rea spoon
5. Chana dal - 1 tea spoon
6. Dry red chillis - 2 ( break into 2 or 3 pieces)
7. salt
8. Hot water - 2 1/2 cups

PREPARATION

1. Soak rice for 1 hour. Drain the water completely by spreading on a  towel for some time. Grind in the mixie for 5 seconds. ( the rice shouldnt get powdered. Should look like khus khus)

2. Heat oil in a pan Splutter mustard seeds and fry the dal and chillis. Add the rice and stir fry for 5-6 minutes. Add hot water, salt and coconut. Cover with a lid and cook on low flame . When the water is gone and the rice is cooked , remove from fire.

3. Wait till it is safe to touch the rice. Make lemon sized balls dipping the hand in water in between. Steam for 5-6 minutes. This can be eaten with lime or mango pickle.

ADA DOSA

There are different versions of ada dosa made with different combinations of ponni rice, raw rice, moong dal, chana dal, toor dal and  urad dal. The ada dosa we make at home is made with raw rice, moong dal, urad dal and chana dal (optional)

INGREDIENTS

1. Raw rice - 1 cup
2. Moong dal (cherupayar parippu) - 1/2 cup
3. Urad dal (uzhunnu parippu) - 1/2 cup
4. Chana dal - 1 table spoon
5. Asafoetida (kaayam) - 1/2 tea spoon
6. Red chillis - 3
7. Sesame oil
8. Salt

METHOD

1. Soak rice, dals and chillis for 1 hour. Blend in the mixie with kaayam, salt and water for a few seconds to get a coarse paste (not a fine paste like that of ordinary dosa).

2. Heat the tava. Wipe the tava with a cloth soaked in sesame oil. Pour half a cup of batter and spread. Sprinkle a tea spoon of oil on it. Increase the heat . Flip when one side is done. Lower the heat and alow to cook for 10-15 seconds. Flip again and fold.

3. Sprinkle some cold water on the tava and wipe dry before making the next dosa.

Ada dosa and avial is a very good combination. It is good with butter and sugar also.

CHICKPEAS CHUNDAL

Chundal is a dish prepared often during the Navarathri season. Kabuli chana, black chana, kidney beans, green gram , ground nut, chana daal, moong daal or any other pulse can be used to make chundal. My all time  favourite is the chick peas chundal

INGREDIENTS

1. Kabuli Chana (chick peas) - 1 cup
2, Water - 2 cups
3. Scraped coconut - 1/4 cup
4. Ginger (chopped) - 1/2" cube
5.Green chilly - 1
6. Salt
7. Oil - 1 table spoon
8. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
9. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
10. Red chilly - 2 (break into 2 or 3)
11. Asafoetida - 1 pinch
12. Raw mango (cut into very small pieces) - 1 or 2 table spoons (optional)

METHOD

1. Soak the chana for 8-10 hours.  ( if you dont have that much time wash the chana well and soak in 2 cups of hot water). Pressure cook for 10 minutes. (Wait for the first whistle and cook on low flame for 10 minutes) There will be some water left when you open the cooker Add salt mix well and cook uncovered till the excess  water evaporates.

2. Crush the green chilly and mix with the coconut

3. Heat oil in a pan. Splutter the mustard seeds. Add red chilly, ginger and curry leaves and stir fry.

4. Add the asafoetida, stir and then add the cooked chana Stir well and add the coconut and cover with the chana. Cover the pan with a lid and cook on low flame for 2-3 minutes. Stir well and  switch off the stove .

5. Sprinkle the mango pieces. Mix before serving.

MODAKAM / SWEET KOZHUKKATTA

 

I was travelling from India to Kuwait on Vinayaka Chathurthi day. Luckily I reached home by 4.00 pm just in time to make some prasadam and offer to Lord Ganapathy.  I am going to share this recipe with you all.

I used 1 cup of readymade rice flour; used half of it to make modakams and half to make kozhukkatta. (The difference was in shape only. Lack of time did not permit me to make a whole batch of modakams)

INGREDIENTS

1.       Rice flour – 1 cup (I used Double Horse brand flour)

2.       Water - 1 1/4 cup

3.       Jaggery  - 1 cup (dissolve in ¼ cup water)

4.       Grated coconut – 1 cup

5.       Cardamom – 1

6.       Coconut oil – 1 Tea spoon (or ghee)

7.       Salt – 1 pinch (optional. I dint add salt)

PREPARATION

Heat 1 ¼ cup water in a thick pan .  ( if you are using salt it should be added to the water) When it starts boiling add the flour, mix well and switch off the stove. Cover and keep aside to cool a little. When it is safe to touch knead the flour well adding the oil towards the end.

In another pan boil the jaggery and water. Normally I don’t bother to grate the jaggery. For 1 cup of rice I use 1 jaggery ball (sharkkara unda) or 1 ½ jaggery cubes (aani sharkkara) When the jaggery is completely dissolved and starts boiling lower the heat. When the water is almost gone add the coconut and stir for 1-2 minutes. Add the crushed cardamom and remove from fire.

I use the old fashioned “appachempu” for steaming the modakams. Half fill the chempu with water and let it boil. Meanwhile divide the dough into very small balls. Take each ball and flatten it with the fingers. Put a little of the jaggery-coconut mix in the center and fold the sides upwards and twist to look like a small onion. If you want to make kozhukkattais  take lemon sized balls and flatten. Put the jaggery mix on one half portion of the circle and cover with the other half Press the sides with the thumb and index finger to close it tightly.

Transfer the modakams/kozhukkattaa  on to the “thattu”in the chempu and steam for 10 minutes.