Sura Puttu

SURA fish (Shark)  1/4 kg

Sambar Onions 150 gm (Chopped fine)
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Green Chilli 3, slit lengthwise
Garlic 10 cloves, peeled and chopped
Curry leaves 1sprig
1 tsp aniseeds crushed coarsely
Salt to taste (about 1 to 2 tsp)
Oil 2 tsp
Method:
Clean, wash and steam or cook the fish with half the salt and turmeric.
Cool it, remove the bones and crush it into crumbs.
Heat oil in a wok and put in the crushed aniseeds and curry leaves.
Add the chopped onions, garlic and green chillis and saute till transparent.
Add the fish and the balance salt and mix well.
Reduce the flame and keep mixing it on slow fire till it resembles scrambled eggs.
This sura puttu is good for lactating mothers.

Instant sevai

There are many instant sevai varieties available in the market like rice sevai, ragi sevai and millet sevai which are easy to make.

For any of these instant sevai, the preparation is the same>

Place the sevai in a bowl.

Boil enough water to immerse the sevai and pour it into the bowl.

After a minute drain it onto a colander and pour cold water onto it to stabilize it, just as you do for pasta.

After the water is drained spread the sevai on a plate and let it cool.

Follow the steps for making uppuma, lemon rice, coconut rice etc., and use the sevai in lieu of rice and you get sevai upma, lemon sevai, coconut sevai etc.,

Sweet Sevai:

For sweet sevai, heat half cup sugar and half cup grated coconut in a pan over slow fire with a sprinkling of water. Add half tsp of cardamom powder for flavor Mix in the sevai and enjoy it as a sweet dessert preparation.

Bajra/ Millet/Maize Dosai

You can use idli batter for making some more dishes out of it.

ForBajra or millet dosai, take 1 cup of the bajra/millet/corn flour (readily available in super markets and healthfood stores) and 2 tbsp of idli batter. Mix well. Add 1 tsp of jeera, 1 tsp of chilli powder, 1 tsp each of chopped curry leaves and coriander leaves and salt to taste. Add enough water to make a pouring consistency.

(If you don't have idli batter, substitute 1/2 cup of rice flour, 1 tbsp of maida and 1 tbsp of sour curds.)

Make dosas using the method followed for adai.

 

In Tamil these flours are called 'kambu/ கம்பு  for millet and cholam/ சோளம்  for maize along with ragi which is called kezhvaragu/கேழ்வரகு .

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.

Vella pidi Kozhukkattai

1 cup idiyappa mavu

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup jaggery

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup grated coconut

1/4 tsp cardamom powder

Method:

Heat the water in a deep pan and dissolve the jaggery in it. Strain it to remove the dirt from jaggery.
Again bring it to a boil in a deep pan.
Put in the coconut gratings, cardamom powder and salt.
When it starts boiling, add the flour stirring continuously.
When it is cooked and leaves the sides, cool it.
Make pidi kozhukkattai and steam it in an idli maker.
Serve as a healthy snack.

pidi kozhukkattai

1 cup idiyappa mavu

2 cups water

1 tsp salt

To season: 1 tsp oil, 1 tsp mustard, 1 tsp urad dal,  a pinch of heeng (perungayam), 2 red chillis split into 4 pieces and a few curry leaves.

Method:

Heat  the oil in a deep pan. Put in the seasoning ingredients, with mustard first, follwed by the others in the order specified above.
Pour in the water and salt.
When it boils add the flour little by little, stirring the contents continuously.
When it is cooked and the doulgh leaves the sides of the pan, take it off heat.
Cool it and take a lemon sized ball of the dough in a wet hand and press it to make a 'pidi kozhukkattai'. Put it in a idli maker.
Finish all the dough likewise and steam it in the idli cooker for ten minutes.
Take it off the heat and serve with coocnut chutney.

How to prepare Idiyappa Mavu

How to prepare Idiyappa mavu:

Clean and wash 1 kg of raw rice. Drain it.
Dry it on a towel on the counter indoors till water is evaporated.
Give it for grinding in a flour mill.
Cool it on a paper, spreading it flat.
Pour it into a tall cooker vessel.
Put it in a pressure cooker and cover it.
Pressure cook for 20 minutes.
Take it out and cool it on a paper using a fork to spread the hot flour.
Sieve it through a fine sieve and dry it indoors till it is completely dry.
Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for future use.

Some people dry roast the ground rice flour little by little but this pressurecooking method is easier by comparison with the same result.

If you find this process too cumbersome just use the readymade raw rice flour available in the market instead of washing and grinding raw rice.

If even this step is too much, just use the readymade idiyappam flour for recipes calling for idiyappa mavu.