Adai & Avial | Idli Dosa Recipes | Indian Curry Recipes

There would be an infinite number of combinations to make Adai, the healthy lentil-rice crepes of South-India. This recipe is just one of the many possibilities you can make adai healthy. I have reduced the quantity of rice in this adai and also replaced the white rice with brown rice. Did you know that Adai and Avial is a combination which tastes awesome? I have heard about this combination but only quite recently tried it. It really is a super healthy combination. 
Avial is tamil for "steamed". Quite true to its name the vegetables in this dish are steamed with just a little water and gets ready in a little time. The protein from the dhal, carbs from the rice in the adai and the fiber and nutrients in the vegetables of the avial makes a wholesome meal in itself.
Also check out my other Adai recipe here.

Ingredients for Adai:
Measurements in rice cooker cup; Makes 10-12 adais
Toor dhal - 1 cup
Moong dhal - 1/2 cup
Chana dhal - 1/2 cup
Raw Rice - 1/2 cup (I used Brown Basmati)
Red chillies - 5
Pearl onions - 5 - halved
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Method:
Wash and soak the dhals and rice together for 4 to 6 hours. Grind to a slightly coarse batter with the rest of the ingredients. Heat a griddle and pour about quarter cup of batter in the center. Use the back of the ladle to swirl the batter in a circle manner. Spray some oil and cook for about 2 minutes. Flip over and cook until done. Serve hot with Idli podi / Tomato thokku or Avial.

Avial
Recipe Source - MIL
Vegetables - 4 cups (I used a mix of drumsticks, carrot, green beans, brinjal, zucchini)
Thick Greek Yogurt / Curd - 2 tbsp (whipped)
Coconut oil - 1 tsp (kind of an inevitable part of avial)
Water - 1/2 cup
Salt - taste
Make a paste:
Grated Coconut - 3 tbsp
Cumin seeds - a pinch
Green chilli - 1 or 2

Method:
Boil water in a saucepan with salt. Add the vegetables, cover and cook until done. I added drumstick, carrots and beans first and allowed it to steam for 10 mins. Added the eggplant and zucchini (which cooks relatively fast) after 10 minutes and cooked covered for another 5-7 mins. When the vegetables are cooked and tender, drain excess water. Add the ground paste, coconut oil and cook in medium heat for another 4-5 mins. Remove from heat and mix in the whipped curd. Serve with Sambar rice or Adai.
Note: Zucchini is not traditionally added in avial. Other traditional vegetables are potato, yam, colocasia, taro root, plantain. You could use whatever you have at hand.
Sending this delicious combo to From out of Mom's Kitchen event.

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Thai Style Mushroom Tofu Soup | Soup Recipes

This Thai style soup is sure to fill your senses and appetite. This soup makes for a delicious dinner which has the goodness of all the vegetables and is light yet filling. I made this for dinner last week and totally enjoyed it. It reminded me of the Thai soup served at Noodles and Company. 
Looking for more Thai recipes? Check out my Garlic Basil Vegetable Fried Rice, Thai Red Curry and Thai Green Curry.

Ingredients:
Serves - 2
Preparation time - 10 mins; Cooking time - 20 mins.
Mushroom - 4 oz - about 1 cup sliced
Tofu - 4 oz - julienned
Bell peppers - julienned - 1 cup (I used a mix of green, red and yellow)
Zucchini - 1 small - sliced into half moons
Garlic clove - 1 - sliced thin
Ginger - sliced thin - few slivers
Chicken / Vegetable stock - 2 cups
Coconut milk - 1 cup
Thai Curry paste - 1 tbsp 
Light soy sauce - 1 tbsp
Olive oil - 1 tsp
Salt & Pepper - to taste
Red pepper flakes - to taste

Method:
Heat a skillet and saute the mushrooms for a couple of minutes. Follow the same method for the zucchini and tofu. This step is completely optional though. Heat olive oil in a wide saucepan with the ginger and garlic. When the garlic is cooked add the thai curry paste and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the stock and allow it to heat. Add the vegetables and tofu along with coconut milk and let it come to a boil in medium heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the soy sauce, salt and pepper. Remove from heat after 5 minutes and serve hot garnished with cilantro or basil.
Note:
1. Any type of vegetables can be added to this soup. Carrots, Beans, asparagus, snow peas, bamboo shoots, broccoli etc., are good additions.
2. Watch the amount of salt which goes in the soup since the stock and soy sauce already has salt in them.
3. Heat the oil along with ginger and garlic so as not to burn the garlic.

Sending this to Saras' Dish in 30 minutes - Soups & Salads event and to Pari's Only-Vegan event hosted by PJ. Also to Favorite Recipes - Non-Indian Food event by Satya.

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Beetroot Chutney | Chutney for Chapathi

When I was going through my posts I realized that I had not posted the Beetroot chutney until now. This is one of the staple dishes in my home and features atleast once a month when I make Chapathis. See, that is the case with certain dishes. We make them so often that we do not even think of clicking or sharing. This time I planned to click and post.

Ingredients:
Recipe Source: Aunty
Beetroot - 1 medium sized - grated
Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup
Shallots / Pearl onions - 5
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Chana dhal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Green Chilli - 1 or 2
Tamarind - a small piece (about size of half a blueberry)
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
For Tempering:
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Heat 1/2 tsp of oil in a pan and roast the urad dhal and chana dhal until they are light brown. Remove and set aside. Heat the remaining oil and add the green chilli and onions and saute until the onions are almost cooked. Add the curry leaves and the grated beetroot and fry until the beetroot is cooked through. Remove from heat and add the grated coconut and set aside to cool. Blend/Grind the beetroot mixture and dhal mixture until smooth. Add salt to taste and pulse for a couple of times. Heat oil for tempering and add the mustard seeds and urad dhal. When the mustard seeds pop, pour the tadka over the chutney and serve. This chutney is a great combo for chapathis or hot phulkas.
I am sending this to Pari's Only-Vegan event hosted by PJ this month.

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Classic Oyster Stew

Listen to Patty Page singing 'Old Cape Cod'

 while you put this yummy soup together.

If you are a fan of oysters you'll love it.

It takes very little time and you'll be 

singing along with Patty.

 Pick up two 8 ounce containers of fresh shucked 

oysters from the seafood section of your supermarket. 

My Publix doesn't always carry them, 

so I check every once in a while.

 Saute the minced shallot and celery in the

 butter until very tender.

 Stir in the half & half, the salt, pepper,

 and a pinch of cayenne.

 Stir constantly. When the mixture is almost
 boiling, pour in the oysters and their liquor. 

 Stir constantly on a low simmer for
just a minute or two.

 When the oysters float to the top they are done.

The edges will curl and the stew is finished.

Add chopped fresh parsley if desired.

Remove from heat.

Add a shot of hot sauce if you want a little kick!

 Serve along with crusty warm bread. 

Add a spinach or Caesar salad and a nice glass

 of white wine and you have yourself a 

a simple Friday night supper.

Classic Oyster Stew

5 T butter

2 T minced shallots

2/3 C minced celery

3C half&half

salt, pepper, cayenne

two 8-oz containers fresh oysters

2 T chopped parsley

Melt the butter in a large skillet over 
medium heat.Cook the shallots and celery
 until very tender. Add the half&half,
 about 1/2 t salt, 1/8 t pepper and 
a pinch of cayenne. When the mixture is

almost boiling, stir in the oysters and their

liquid. Stir constantly until the oysters
float and their edges are curled. 
Add the chopped parsley and serve 
with a shake or two of hot sauce.

Serves 2 for supper.

Enjoy!

It's a nice first course for Christmas Dinner

 or a light Christmas Eve dinner with a salad and 

crusty warm French baguettes.

Links: The Charm of Home,
Between Naps On The Porch,
Stone Gable, My Romantic Home,

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Baked Crispy Drumsticks By Chef Shireen Anwer

Baked Crispy Drumsticks

Ingredients
Chicken drumsticks ½ kg
Crushed garlic 1 tsp
Oil 2 tbsp
Chili powder 1 tsp
Allspice 1 tsp
Lemon juice 2 tbsp
Salt 1 tsp
Black pepper ½ tsp
Chili powder 1 tsp
Bread crumbs as required
Baking powder ½ tsp


Method
Prick drumsticks well, marinate drumsticks with pepper, salt, allspice, garlic,  lemon juice and chili powder, in another bowl mix baking powder, bread crumbs and extra chili powder, coat marinated drumsticks with this mixture, place on  baking sheet, drizzle with melted butter, bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes, serve with garlic bread and garlic chatni.

Ingredients for garlic chatni
Yogurt 1 cup
Garlic paste ½ tsp
Salt and white pepper ¼ tsp each


Method
Mix altogether

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Orange cookies and White chocolate By Chef Shireen Anwer

 Orange cookies and White chocolate

Ingredients
Butter 4 ounces
Caster sugar ¾ cup
Egg 1
Orange zest 1 tbsp
Vanilla 1 tbsp
Flour 1 ½ cup
Baking soda ½ tsp
Baking powder ¼ tsp
Salt ¼ tsp
White chocolate chips 1 cup


Method
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C, beat butter and sugar till creamy, add egg, orange zest and vanilla, sieve together the dry ingredients, mix chocolate chips with the sieved flour and mix it into the butter mixture until combined, roll into balls, use fork to flatten onto a nonstick baking sheet 2 inches apart, bake for 10 to 12 minutes, cool for 10 minutes, store in an air tight container for 1 week.

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Linzer cookies By Chef Shireen anwer

Linzer cookies

Ingredients
Almonds grinded ½ cup
Flour 1 cup
Granulated sugar 4 tbsp
Salt pinch
Butter 4 ounces
Strawberries jam 4 tbsp
Icing sugar to dust
Vanilla essence ½ tsp

Method
Preheat oven to 180 degree C, grind almonds in a food processor until fine add the flour, granulated sugar, salt, butter, vanilla and mix until the mixture looks crumbly. Work the dough into a flat round shape, wrap in plastic bag, chill for 30 minutes, roll the dough ¼ inch thick on a floured surface, using a cookie cutter, cut out shapes, making sure you have equal number of each shape, place half the cookie on a butter paper lined baking sheet, cut out a hole in each center, bake the cookies with a cut out center, separately from the remaining cookies for 10 minutes. Sandwich the cooled cookies together with the strawberry jam using a small piping bag. Top up the cut out center with jellies, decorate the cookies with dusted icing sugar.

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Ceramal pudding By Chef Shireen anwer

Ceramal pudding:

Ingredients
Condensed milk 1 tin
Eggs 6
Water 2 tin
Vanilla essence 1 tsp
Yellow color few drops
Ingredients for ceramal
Sugar ½ cup

Method
Melt half cup sugar in a saucepan till light golden, remove, pour in a jelly mold and leave to set. Remove condensed milk in a bowl add 2 tins of water in it, mix. Beat 5 eggs well add to the milk mixture with vanilla and yellow color, sieve mixture, pour over the set ceramal and bake in a preheated oven on a water bath for 45 minutes. Remove, cool in fridge overnight, overturn and serve.

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Simple Dal Tadka

When I have lot of chores to do on a weekend, I opt for this quickly done Dal Tadka. Paired with some spicy oven roasted vegetables (cauliflower/bitter gourd/tindora/potatoes) it is a complete meal which does not demand long time in the kitchen. Now, there are different ways to do a simple dal tadka and this is one of them. You can play around with the dhals used or the spices used and I bet it would turn delicious no matter what. What is your favorite combination?

Ingredients:
Moong Dhal - 1 cup
Onion - 1/2 cup chopped
Tomato - 1/2 chopped
Green chilli - 1 or 2
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Water - 3 1/2 cups
Ginger - 2 tsp - minced
Garlic - 1 tbsp - minced
Oil  - 1 tbsp + 1 tsp
For Tadka:
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Dry red chillies - 2
Curry leaves - a few (optional)

Method:
Pressure cook moong dhal with a dash of salt, turmeric powder and water (about 3-4 whistles). When done mash with the back of a spoon. Heat oil in a kadai and saute the onion. After a couple of minutes add the minced ginger, garlic and slit green chilli. Saute for 2-3 minutes and add the tomato. Saute with a pinch of salt until the tomato turns mushy. Pour the onion-tomato mixture over the dhal and simmer in low heat until the flavors meld, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Heat 1 tsp of oil in the same kadai and add the ingredients for tadka. When the mustard splutters, pour over the dhal. Serve hot with rice/roti and ghee (if desired). Pair with a spicy side dish for a complete meal.
Note: 
1. The ginger and garlic have to be fresh and minced. The paste would not work here.
2. A combination of different dhals can be used viz toor dhal, chana dhal, masoor dhal.

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