We are just beginning to enjoy the weather here with our parents. We have made small trips close by and have been cooking a lot as well. I am trying to learn as much as I can from amma. Growing up, I preferred the regular dosas to this, but once I came to the US, I began to crave for foods most familiar to me.

Adai is a south Indian breakfast/dinner dish served along with chutney, some jaggery and in our home, freshly crushed garlic and a dollop of freshly churned butter.  Do you notice the amount sides for one dish? We were spoiled. It is typically made when the dosa batter is getting over and family members want something else other than regular dosa.  Adai is a highly protein laden dish and does not require much advance planning.

Par boiled rice /Idly rice – 1 cup (uncooked)

Jasmine rice – 1 cup (uncooked)

Tuvar dal – 1 cup

Channa – dal – 1 cup

Urad dal – 1 cup

Dried red chillies – 8 or more to taste

Asafetida – 1/2 tsp

Onion – 1 medium size, roughly chopped

Salt – 1 tsp

Oil – ½ tsp

Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – 6, finely chopped

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

• Soak rice and dals in water for an hour and grind along with onion, red chillies, asafetida and salt with little water to make a thick batter. This batter can be ground in a regular blender.
• Heat oil in a sauté pan and when the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, curry leaves and cumin seeds and when the mustard pops, pour over the batter and mix well.
• Heat an electric griddle or iron skillet, pour a big ladle full in the center and spread with the back of the ladle. You can spread it think or thick to suit your taste.
• Drizzle oil around the edges and some inside. Let is cook on medium low (until it turns brown) and then flip to cook the other side.
• Fold in half and serve with a dollop of butter with as many sides as your family likes.

The red hot chutney you see on the side is a whole another post.

Notes: Eileen asked a question about par boiled rice- please note that it is a variety of rice available at the Indian store. If you don’t want to make a trip to the Indian store, substitute  either with jasmine rice.

Back home, we are used to cooking three fresh meals a day. Breakfast would be idli,  dosa, upma etc, lunch will be rice, dal and a vegetable and for dinner roti, or  dosa. After we moved here, we have gotten used to having cereals, oatmeal, bread or smoothie on the  go. From the time, my parents are here, we have been cooking three meals a day. Mom & dad are used to that and we don’t want to change it. So yesterday morning, it was upma. Upma is made with semolina and almost has the texture of polenta when cooked.  Since we were getting late for work, mom taught me how to make this upma without chopping veggies and slicing onions.

Semolina – 1.5 cups

Ghee – 1 T + ½ tsp

Oil – 1 T

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Urad dal – 1 tsp (optional)

Channa dal/split garbanzo beans – 1 T

Curry leaves – 5 to 6

Dried red chillies – 2 broken into pieces (use the seeds please)

Cashew nuts – 1 T, roughly chopped

Asafetida – 1/8^th tsp

Water – 3 cups

Salt – 1 tsp or to taste

Coconut – 1 T, grated

• Heat 1 T of ghee in a sauté pan and sauté the semolina until it slightly changes color.
• Transfer the semolina to a plate
• Heat oil in the same sauté pan and when the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal, curry leaves, chillies, cashew nuts and asafetida.
• When the channa dal starts changing color,  add the water and salt and let it come to a rolling boil
• Slowly stir in the semolina while continuing to stir with the other hand.
• Reduce the heat to medium low. All the water will be absorbed. Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for roughly 3-4 minutes

We enjoyed this for breakfast yesterday. I like to sprinkle some sugar on the top, while my parents like to eat it with Indian pickles.

Rava dosa is all time favorite in our house, but I would not make it for the fear of pouring the batter right. But I have now come up with a technique that makes it easier to make it whenever I want.  Rajesh took a video when we made the dosa at home. Remember to only look at how I made the dosa and not how terrible I look, the excuse- I just got back from work! so tied my hair up and started cooking- all for you

Semolina– 1 1/4 cup, dry roasted in a pan

Rice flour – 1 cup

All purpose flour – 1 1/2 cup

Salt – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1 T

Ground black pepper – ½ tsp

Curry leaves – 10 tender leaves, chopped

Green chillies – 1, finely minced

Ginger – ½ tsp, minced

Water – 4 cups approx

Oil for cooking – 4 T

• In a large bowl, add all the dry ingredients and mix it well.
• Add curry leaves, green chillies and ginger.
• Start adding water little at a time and mix well such that there are no lumps, about 3 cups
• Allow the batter to rest for  at least 30 to 45 minutes
• Some of the water will get absorbed at this time, so add more to make a thin batter.
• Heat griddle or non stick pan
• Pour the batter on to a measuring cup , such that you can easily pour from it on to the griddle
• Pour with one hand and with the spatula starting thinning the batter
• Drizzle oil over the dosa and let it cook on side until golden brown
• Flip the dosa and let it cook on other side.
• Serve with mango chutney or any chutney of your choice

Variations:   Sprinkle finely chopped onions or roughly chopped cashew nuts when you make the dosa.

Notes: I started off with one cup semolina and 1.5 cups flour, but thought the dosas were a little too soft, so added roughly quarter cup semolina. In class, we used brown rice flour and it worked well too.

I just could not help posting this, after I finished laying the fruits on the toast. Had to share it…

I toasted two slices of whole wheat bread, a little bit of peanut butter and

then alternated the strawberries and banana. The burst of fruits in your mouth along with the bread is simply delicious.

Try it and tell me what you think.