Appam

Ingredients

Raw rice : 2 cups
Semolina(rava) : 2 tablespoon
Coconut : 3/4 cup
Instant Dry Yeast : 1/2 teaspoon
Sugar : 1 1/2 tablespoon
Salt : very little
Water/Coconut water : as needed

Method

Soak rice in water for 3 hrs.
Take 2 cups of water in a saucepan and add 2 tablespoon of rava.Bring it to boil stirring continuously.Reduce the flame  to low and continue stirring.When the mixture changes to a thick paste,remove it from heat and allow it to cool.Now rava kurukku is ready.
Drain water from rice and grind it along with coconut and water(coconut water can also be used for better results) to a smooth batter.
Transfer the contents to a vessel.Add yeast,sugar and rava kurukku and mix well with your hands.Keep it for fermentation for atleast 3 hours.
On fermentation add salt to this and little warm milk if the batter is very thick.
Heat a non-stick appachatti.Pour a ladder of batter into the pan and rotate it till you get the edges thin.Close the pan and cook till done.


Tip
Instant active dry yeast is more finely granulated than active dry  yeast and so it  does not need to be dissolved in water first and it can be added directly.

Pearl onion Chutney

 Ingredients

Pearl onions chopped - 15 nos
Oil  -1 tbsp
Dry red chilly  - 2 nos
Ginger - a small piece
Tamarind -a small  ball(size of a gooseberry)
Curry Leaf - as needed
Salt - as needed

Method
Heat oil in a pan and saute onions till translucent.Add all the other ingredients to it and mix well.
Grind the mixture in a mixie to a smooth paste.
Now chutney is ready.

Chemmen/Prawns Fry

Ingredients

Prawns - large peeled &deveined 6 nos
Chilly powder - 1 1/ 2 teaspoon(adjust according to your tolerance level)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
Lemon  juice - 1 1/2 tsp
wooden skewers soaked in water for 4 hours - 6 nos
Salt - as needed
Bread Crumbs - 1/2 cup

Method


Make a marinade with chilly powder,turmeric powder,Ginger-garlic paste,lemon juice and salt.Insert soaked wooden skewers into each  prawn.Apply the marinade on prawns and roll in bread crumbs.Keep it in refrigerator for sometime.Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the prawns,flipping each side.


Tip


To devein a prawn :Use a small sharp knife to make a slit horizontally along the middle of the upperside of the prawns  to expose the dark vein.Pull out the vein from the prawn.

Cup Cakes

Ingredients

Butter - 125 gms
Powdered Sugar - 1 cup
Maida - 1 1/2 cups
Baking powder - 2 1/2 teaspoon
Eggs - 3 nos
Milk - 1/4 cup
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Cup cake moulds lined with baking sheet
Method

Preheat oven to 180 degree celcius.Sieve maida ,baking powder and keep it aside.Mix the  butter and powdered sugar in a bowl and beat gently to make it as a cream.Add sieved maida,eggs,milk and vanilla essence to the cream and beat gently till  the ingredients get mixed.Continue beating in high speed for another  2-3 minutes more till the batter becomes pale and fluffy.Pour the batter equally into the cupcake moulds and bake it for 20-25 minutes or till the cupcakes become golden brown .

Tip:A tooth pick inserted into the batter in the cup comes out clean when the cupcakes are ready

Spring Rolls

Ingredients

Chicken pieces boneless : 1/2 cup

Ingredients for cooking chicken

Turmeric powder : 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder : 1/4 tsp
Salt : as needed

Other Ingredients

Spring roll sheet : 2 to 4 nos
Carrot finely chopped : 1/4 cup
Onion finely chopped : 1/4 cup
Cabbage finely chopped : 1/4 cup
Chicken/Meat Masala : 1 tsp
Soya Sauce : 1/4 tsp
Pepper powder : 1/4 tsp
Egg : 1 no
Salt : as needed
Bread Crumbs : as needed



Method

Mix chicken with 1/4 tsp pepper powder,1/2 tsp turmeric powder and salt znd keep it for sometime for marination.Cook the marinated chicken in a  pressure cooker for 2-3 whistles.Mince the cooked chicken ,when it is cooled.Heat oil in a pan,add onion and all the vegetables.Saute well.Add chicken masala,pepper powder,salt and saute again and then add minced chicken.Mix well and switch off the flame. Place a large scoopful of cooked mixture on the bottom corner of the sheet.Roll the corner over the filling.Continue rolling until you hit the next two corners.Fold the 2 corners in forming an envelope shape.Brush with egg white along the sides and top corner.Continue rolling towards the top corner.Roll tightly so that there is no exposed end.Dip in beaten egg and then roll it in bread crumbs.Fry it in oil.

Pachadi(Pavakka)

Ingredients

Pavakka(Bitter Gourd) : 1 no( cut into thin slices)
Chilly powder : 1 teaspoon
Turmeric : 1 teaspoon
Salt : as needed
Yoghurt : 1 cup

For  Grinding

grated coconut : 1/2 cup
cumin seeds : 1/2 teaspoon
 small onion(cheriyaulli) sliced : 1/2 teaspoon
 water : 1/4 cup

For seasoning

Coconut Oil : 1 teaspoon
 Mustard : 1 teaspoon
dry red chilli : 1 no
Curry leaf : 2-3 sprigs
Small Onion(Cheriyaulli) or Onion : as needed

Method
Mix  the bittergourd with red chilly powder,turmeric powder and salt.keep it for 20 minutes for marinationTake oil in a pan and deep fry it.
Mix together Yoghurt and ground coconut mixture.keep aside.Add the fried bittergourd to the  yoghurt mixture .Take another pan pour coconut oil.Splutter mustard seeds,add redchilli,curry leaf, small onions and fry it.Add this  to the prepared mixture.Pavakka pachadi is ready.

Tip

To remove the bitterness of bittergourd ,rub the slices with lots of  salt and curd.Keep aside for 30 minutes and squeeze out the juices.

Soft Idlis

Ingredients

Idli  Rice : 2 cups
Urad Dal (Uzhunnu) : 3/4 cup
Cooked rice : 3/4 cup
Fenugreek seeds(Uluva) : 1/4 teaspoon


Method
Soak Idli Rice  in water for 6 hours.Soak urad dal and methi seeds together in water for 3 1/2 hours.Drain the water from urad dal and grind it into a smooth paste by adding little water.Keep aside.Drain water from rice and grind it along with cooked rice by adding water.Now mix the ground items.The batter should not be too thick or too watery.Allow it to ferment overnight.On next day add little salt .Apply little oil on the steaming pan.Pour the batter on the steaming pan and steam  cook for 10 minutes.

Tips

1)if you don't have Idli rice,substitute it with the white rice ,which is  used for normal cooking,provided the rice is not a  sticky rice.
2)add the drained water of urad dal while grinding
3)During winter time,set the oven on to minimum for about 5 minutes,and then turn it off.Keep the batter in  oven to aid the fermentation.
4)You could also keep the oven light on,while keeping  the batter inside the oven .