Wheat Rawa (Dhalia) Kichadi

Dhalia is the whole-wheat version of sooji or rawa and so, preferable as a healthier choice. This version is easy to make and a meal in itself, ideal for breakfast or light supper.
Ingredients:
1 cup Dhalia
100gm French Beans, 1 carrot, 1 potato- all diced into cubes after peeling.
Shelled Green Peas, 1 tbsp
1 inch piece Ginger, grated
2 green chillis, slit
1 pod of garlic, peeled and sliced
a few curry leaves

1 onion, sliced
1/2 tsp turmeric
Salt to taste (about 3/4 tsp)
To season:
1 inch cinnamon, 1 bayleaf, 1 clove and 1 tsp cuminseeds
2 tsp vegetable oil

Method:
Heat oil in a pressure pan. Put in all the seasoning ingredients.
When they crackle add the curry leaves, green chillis, ginger and garlic, in that order.
Add the sliced onions. Saute till transparent.
Add the dhalia and cubed vegetables and mix well.
Add two cups of boiling water.
Add the salt and turmeric.
Close the lid and pressure cook for one whistle to speed up process. Or let it cook slowly on low heat for 10 minutes with just the lid on and no pressure.
When it is done, (If pressurecooking, cool for 5 minutes) open the lid.
Add the green peas and close the lid after stirring the kichadi and patting it to be uniformly spread on the pan.
Close the lid and keep on simmer for 5 minutes till the peas are also cooked.

Garnish with fried cashewnuts (optional) and coriander leaves.
Serve hot with onion raitha (curd pachadi).

Kara Kuzhi Paniyaram

When you are bored of making idlis and dosas make this with the same idli batter:

Kara Kuzhi Paniyaram:

In a pan, heat 2 tsp of oil.
Put in 1 tsp of mustrad and when they splutter add 1 tsp of white urad dal and 1 tbsp of channa dal.
Fry them till golden on low fire for one minute.
Put in a pinch of hing (perungayam), 1 red chilli ,broken into 3 pieces and a few chopped curry leaves.
Add 2 big onion chopped finely and saute till transparent. Take it off the heat.
When it is cooling, grind 1 inch piece of peeled ginger and 1 green chilli coarsely and add it.
Add one tbsp of chopped coriander.
Add all this to 2 cups of the idli batter. Mix well and keep aside for ten minutes.
Use this batter in a kuzhipaniyaram pan and make kara kuzhipaniyaram.
Serve hot with any type of coonut chutney.

Onion oothappam

When you are bored of making idlis and dosas make this with the same idli batter:

Onion Oothappam:
Keep ready finely chopped onion.
On hot flat pan, pour two ladleful batter and describe a thick round dosa.
Sprinkle the onion over the top of the dosa evenly to form a uniform layer.
Pour 1 tsp of oil around the edge.
Cover with a lid and lower heat.
After three minutes, raise the heat and open the lid.
Flip the oothappam over with a longhandled flat spoon (dosai thiruppi) and cook the other side, again lowering the heat after a minute.
As a variation, sprinkle some idli podi over the oothappam, along with the onions, to make podi oothappam.
When done (3 minutes), serve hot with idli sambar and coconut chutney.

Javvarisi vadai

Wash 1/2 cup of Sabudhana (the round variety) and soak in just enough water to cover it.
After 3 hours, drain any excess water.
Add:
1 boiled, peeled and mashed potato and 2 tbsp rice flour.
1 tbsp peanuts pounded coarsely.
1 tbsp of coconut, cut into very small pieces.
1 green chilli and 1/4 inch piece of ginger ground to a coarse paste
Salt to taste (1 tsp)

Mix all the ingredients together till it forms a uniform dough.

Heat oil to deepfry the vadas. Cook on medium fire. Follow the same method as for medhu vadai for frying.

Serve hot while it is crisp, with coconut chutney or with tomato sauce.