BROKEN WHEAT UPMA - SAMBA GOTHUMAI RAVA UPMA

     Rava Upma is one of the popular South Indian breakfast items usually prepared with White Rava/Semolina whereas Broken Wheat Upma/Samba Gothumai Rava Upma is a version prepared with Broken Wheat/Cracked Wheat.  Broken Wheat is made by milling whole wheat coarsely into various sizes.  The finely milled broken wheat is used in this recipe. Broken Wheat is highly nutritious and rich in fibre.  Broken Wheat is called as Dhalia in Hindi and Samba Gothumai Rava in Tamil.

HOW TO COOK BROKEN WHEAT UPMA 

 SAMBA GOTHUMAI RAVA UPMA

BROKEN WHEAT UPMA - SAMBA GOTHUMAI RAVA UPMA

INGREDIENTS :

METHOD:

• Chop Onions, Green Chillies, Garlic and Ginger.
• Heat Ghee in a pan, splutter Mustard seeds, fry Bengal Gram Dhal, Urad dhal until they turn into light golden brown in colour.
• Add Dry Red Chillies to the above and give a quick stir.
• Saute Onions, Green Chillies, Ginger, Garlic and Curry Leaves, until Onions turn translucent.
• Pour 5- 6 Cups of Water into the pan and boil.
• Add Salt to taste.
• When Water starts to boil, lower the flame, add a tablespoon of Ghee or oil into it and give a quick stir.
• Slowly add Broken Wheat Rava/Dhalia/Gothumai Rava in small batches.
• Stir continuously while adding the Broken Wheat Rava into the boiling water.
• Mix well and close the pan.
• Leave it on a low flame for 3-4 minutes or until the mixture turns slightly thicker.
• Add some ghee(optional) and stir it at regular intervals.
• Cook on a very low flame until Broken Wheat Rava turns soft.
• Serve Broken Wheat Rava /Gothumai Rava Upma hot with any Chutney, Sambar or any preferred Curries.  Goes well with Curd/Yogurt too.
• Can eat with Sugar sprinkled over it or add some mashed Bananas for a sweet treat.

NOTES :

• The right amount of Water plays a major role in the texture of Broken Wheat Rava/Gothumai Rava Upma. Adjust accordingly.
• Can add a few drops of lemon juice, if you prefer a slight tanginess in your Broken Wheat Rava/Gothumai Rava Upma.
• Can also add vegetables like Carrot, Beans or Peas to this Upma.
• If adding Vegetables add them immediately after sauteing the Onions, and let the vegetable turn soft, before adding water.
• Can add few teaspoons of Ghee to Broken Wheat Rava/Gothumai Rava Upma., at the final stage too.
• Adding Ghee to Broken Wheat Rava/Gothumai Rava Upma gives a nice flavour and texture to the dish.  Can substitute it with Vegetable Oil too.

PODI IDLI

MINI IDLI

HOW TO MAKE PODI IDLI - IDLI SMEARED WITH SPICE POWDER

PODI IDLI

 INGREDIENTS:

MINI IDLI

METHOD:

• Pour in the Idli Batter to the Mini Idli moulds/regular sized Moulds.
• Steam cook the Idlis.
• Once cooked, remove the moulds from the steamer and allow it to cool for few minutes.
• Gently remove the Idlis from the mould with a spoon.
• I have used about 30-45 Mini Idlis(2-3 Moulds) in this recipe.
• If using normal-sized Idlis use 8-10 Idlis(Can cut it into small pieces).
• Let the Idlis slightly cool down before adding Idli Milagai Podi.
• Sprinkle a hearty amount of Idli Podi over the Idlis.
• Warm up the Gingelly Oil and drizzle it over the Idlis.
• Toss them up well until each Idli is well coated with the Idli Podi and smeared with Oil.
• Serve Podi Idli warm or at room temperature.
• Serves best to be packed in a Lunch Box or simply serve it as a snack.

NOTES:

• Can prepare Podi Idli recipe with Mini Idlis or Normal Idlis.
• Add more Oil & Idli Podi if you feel the Idlis aren't totally smeared up with the spice powder.
• Adjust the amount of Idli Podi & Oil to suit your preference.
• I have used Gingelly Oil(Nallennai) in this recipe and have used homemade Idli Podi.
• Can prepare the same recipe with store-bought Idli Milagai Podi.
• Can give this Podi Idli a twist by adding Paruppu Podi instead of Idli Podi or try combing both. Tastes great with Paruppu Podi too.
• Can substitute Gingelly Oil with melted Ghee/Coconut Oil.
• Some recipes of Podi Idli calls for tempering it with Mustard Seeds & Curry Leaves.

TRIVIA: A SIMPLE NOTE

Crispy Podi Dosai

 

• Sesame Oil has a high smoke point & can be used for deep frying.
• Gingelly Oil has a low smoke point & can be used for stir-frying. Perfect for using it at the final stage of cooking to bring out the flavour and aroma. (Tamarind Rice/Puli Sadham, Vatha Kuzhambu, Podi Idli, to mix Idli Podi, drizzle over Dosa etc.,)
• Dark Sesame Oil has a very low smoke point & is used mostly as a flavour enhancer and is used in the final stage of cooking(final drizzle in Kuey Teow, Chicken Porridge, Soups etc.,)

  

RAVA UPMA

     

INGREDIENTS :

METHOD:

• Dry roast Semolina(White Rava) until colour changes slightly for 5-8 minutes on a very low flame.
• Keep it aside to cool down.
• Chop Onions, Green Chillies, Garlic and Ginger.
• Heat Ghee in a pan, splutter Mustard seeds, fry Bengal Gram Dhal and Urad dhal until they turn into light golden brown in colour.
• Saute Onions, Green Chillies, Ginger, Garlic and Curry Leaves, until Onions turn translucent.
• Pour 6 Cups of Water into the pan and boil.
• Add Salt to taste.
• When Water starts to boil, lower the flame and add a tablespoon of Ghee or oil into it and give a quick stir.
• Slowly add Roasted Semolina(White Rava) in small batches.
• Stir continuously while adding the Semolina(White Rava) into the boiling water to avoid forming lumps.
• Mix well and close the pan.
• Leave it on a low flame for 3-4 minutes or until the mixture turns slightly thicker.
• Add some ghee(optional) and stir it at regular intervals.
• Cook on a very low flame until Semolina (White Rava) turns soft.
• Serve Rava Upma hot with any Chutney, Sambar or any preferred Curries.  Goes well with Curd/Yoghurt too.
• Can eat with Sugar sprinkled over it or add some mashed Bananas for a sweet treat.

NOTES :

• Perfectly dry roasted semolina plays a major role in the texture of Rava Upma.
• Over-roasted semolina tends to become dry even after adding enough water, and under-roasted semolina turns gooey.
• Can add few drops of lemon juice, if you prefer a slight tanginess in your Rava Upma.
• Can also add vegetables like Carrot, Beans or Peas to Rava Upma.
• If adding Vegetables add them immediately after sauteing the Onions, and let the vegetable turn soft, before adding water.
• Can add few teaspoons of Ghee to Rava Upma, at the final stage too.
• Adding Ghee to Rava Upma gives a nice flavour and texture to the dish.  Can substitute it with any Vegetable Oil too.

TRIVIA - A SMALL NOTE:

RAGI DOSA - FINGER MILLET DOSA

 HOW TO COOK RAGI DOSA - FINGER MILLET DOSA

RAGI DOSA - FINGER MILLET DOSA

INGREDIENTS :

For Ragi/Finger Millet Dosa Batter :

METHOD :

For Ragi/Finger Millet Dosa Batter:

RAGI DOSA - FINGER MILLET DOSA BATTER

• Clean, & Wash Ragi/Finger Millet 2-3 times or until water runs clear.
• It may contain dust & small particles, make sure to remove them. 
• Clean & Wash Blackgram Dhal/Urad Dhal 2-3 times or until water runs clear.
• Soak Urad Dhal & Ragi/Finger Millet for about 2-3 Hours.
• Soak both the ingredients separately.
• Drain and grind the soaked Urad Dhal in a Blender/Grinder adding about 1 - 11/2 Cups of cold water at intervals.
• Once the Urad Dhal turns fluffy and is ground into a fine paste, remove it from the blender and keep it aside.
• Grind the Ragi/Finger Millet in a Blender/Grinder adding about 3/4 - 1Cup of water at intervals.
• Grind it into a smooth batter.
• Pour the ground Ragi paste to the Urad Dhal and mix it thoroughly.
• Leave it aside & Allow the batter to ferment for about 6-8 hours.
• Once the batter has fermented, add salt and give a thorough mix.
• The fermented batter would have increased in volume and would have a foamy texture.
• The batter shouldn't be thick.
• The consistency of Ragi Dosa Batter should be like that of a Dosa/Appam Batter.

RAGI DOSA - FINGER MILLET DOSA (FERMENTED BATTER)

How to Cook Ragi/Finger Millet Dosa:

• Heat the Dosa Griddle on a high flame and then lower the flame to low.
• Smear the Griddle with Oil.
• Thoroughly mix the Ragi/Finger Millet Dosa Batter and pour one big ladle of batter over the Dosa Griddle.
• Spread the batter evenly around the Dosa Griddle.
• Keep the flame at medium-low while cooking Ragi/Finger Millet Dosa.
• Drizzle few teaspoons of Oil over the Dosa.
• Cook the Ragi/Finger Millet Dosa on a low flame until it is cooked.
• Flip the dosa and cook until the Dosa turns into light brown in colour.
• Carefully remove the thin & crispy Ragi/Finger Millet Dosa from the griddle.
• Serve Ragi/Finger Millet Dosa along with your choice of Chutney/Sambar.
• Ragi/Finger Millet Dosa goes well with Coconut Chutneys, Allam Pachadi(Ginger Chutney) Groundnut Chutney etc.,

 

RAGI DOSA - FINGER MILLET DOSA

NOTES:

• The ingredients should be finely ground into a thin batter.
• Adding Salt initially slows down the fermentation process, so I usually add it just before making Dosas. 
• Adjust according to the climatic condition of the region you live in.
• If you have any leftover batter leave it in the refrigerator.
• Use the batter within two days. 
• Can also use sprout the Ragi/Finger Millets and then grind it into a batter.

RAVA KICHADI RECIPE

HOW TO MAKE RAVA KICHADI

INGREDIENTS :

For Tempering :

For Rava Kichadi:

METHOD:

• Dry roast Semolina(White Rava) until colour changes slightly for 5-8 minutes on a very low flame.
• Keep it aside to cool down.
• Chop Onions, Green Chillies, Garlic and Ginger.
• Clean, Peel and cut Carrots into tiny cubes.
• Peel the Green Peas and keep it aside.
• Heat Ghee in a pan, splutter Mustard seeds, fry Bengal Gram Dhal and Urad dhal until they turn into light golden brown in colour.
• Add Cashew nuts to the above and fry until it turns into light golden brown in colour.
• Saute Onions, Green Chillies, Ginger, Garlic and Curry Leaves, until Onions turn translucent.
• Add Turmeric powder and give a quick stir. 
• Add finely chopped Tomatoes to the above and cook until tomatoes turn soft and oil separates from the mix.
• Add Carrot, Green Peas and cook on a very low flame for few minutes.
• Pour 6 Cups of Water into the pan and boil.
• Add Salt to taste.
• When Water starts to boil, lower the flame and add a tablespoon of Ghee or oil into it and give a quick stir.
• Slowly add Roasted Semolina(White Rava) in small batches.
• Stir continuously while adding the Semolina(White Rava) into the boiling water to avoid forming lumps.
• Mix well and close the pan.
• Leave it on a low flame for 3-4 minutes or until the mixture turns slightly thicker.
• Add some ghee(optional) and stir it at regular intervals.
• Cook on a very low flame until Semolina (White Rava) turns soft.
• Serve Rava Kichadi hot with Coconut Chutney & Sambar.

NOTES :

• Perfectly dry roasted semolina plays a major role in the texture of Rava Kichadi.
• Over-roasted semolina tends to become dry even after adding enough water, and under-roasted semolina turns gooey.
• Can add few drops of lemon juice, if you prefer a slight tanginess in your Rava Kichadi.
• Can add few teaspoons of Ghee to Kichadi, at the final stage too.
• Adding Ghee to Rava Kichadi gives a nice flavour and gives a soft texture to the dish.  Can substitute it with any Vegetable Oil too.
• I usually add a small stick of Cinnamon, a Cardamom and 2-3 Cloves while tempering for Rava Kichadi.
• Adding the above spices are truly optional, but gives a nice aroma to Rava Kichadi. 

For Arisi Upma:

• Boil 23/4 Cups of Water and keep it aside. 
• Heat oil in a pan, splutter Mustard seeds, Bengal Gram Dhal, Black Gram Dhal, Dry Red Chillies & whole peppercorns.
  
• Fry them until they turn into golden brown colour on a low flame.
• Add finely chopped Green Chillies, Ginger and Curry Leaves and sauté for a while.
• Sprinkle asafoetida powder and give a quick stir.
• Add grated coconuts and fry for a few seconds on a very low flame.
• Pour the water into the above mix, add salt and mix well. 
• Add a Teaspoon of ghee to the water.
• Add the coarsely ground rice mixture gradually into the boiling water, stirring continuously to avoid lumps.
• Lower the flame and cover the pan with a lid.
• Cook the rice, stirring it occasionally.
• Once the mix becomes thick and dry, switch off the flame.
• Then transfer the Arisi Upma into a bowl.
• Place this into a Pressure Cooker.  
• Pour a few cups of water into the Pressure Cooker and allow it to boil.
• Place the bowl with Arisi Upma into the pressure cooker and cover it with a lid.
• Then close the Pressure Cooker with the lid and place the vent cap.
• Let it cook on a high flame for 2 whistles.
• Lower the flame and again cook this for 2 whistles.
• Switch off the flame and wait for the pressure to release.
  
• Once the pressure is released, open the lid of the Pressure cooker and remove the bowl with Arisi Upma from it.
• Pour in a teaspoon or two of Ghee and gently fluff up the Arisi Upma.
  
• Serve Arisi Upma hot with Brinjal Gothsu, Sambar, Puli Kuzhambu or any preferred Chutney. 

NOTES:

• Do not grind the rice into fine powder, it should be ground coarsely like a kurunai.  Just a pulse or two in a dry mixer grinder jar would do the job.
• Adding spices and tuvar dhal while grinding the rice gives a wonderful aroma to Arisi Upma.
  
• Adding Coconut is totally optional.
• Adding some ghee or oil to the boiling water before adding the rice mixture helps to avoid forming lumps. Also, make sure to stir the mixture continuously.
• Cooking on stove top and then transferring it into the pressure and cooking it again yields with a perfectly textured Arisi Upma.
• I have used 23/4 Cups of Water for 1 Cup of Raw Rice.  
• The whole cooking process happens in two steps - 1/2 while it's cooked with the tempering and 1/2 of the cooking happens in the pressure cooker.