Grated Potato and Cheese Omelette

I was looking for authentic French recipes for dinner for my French Food Week in November 2016 and came across this very simple recipe that can be done in less than 15 minutes. And it could make a perfect and filling main course for dinner or even lunch or could be had for breakfast too! The recipe is again from Saveur - a gourmet, wine, food and travel magazine at saveur.com. This recipe is from The Good Cook: Eggs & Cheese, and was shared with Saveur by Tim Mazurek.

https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Grated-Potato-and-Cheese-Omelet/

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and grated (about 1 ¼ cups)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp. finely chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp. finely shredded Gruyère (I used Cheddar as Gruyère is not available in the Indian market)
• 2 tbsp. butter

Preparation

• Mix together the eggs, potatoes, salt and pepper, onion, garlic and cheese. Melt the butter in a medium sized omelette pan, pour in the egg mixture and cook for 5 minutes on each side, or until golden and firm.
• Serve hot with tomato sauce or Tobasco sauce of choice or with bread!

Greek Omelette with Spinach and Feta

I was looking for different omelette recipes for dinner while I found some Greek omelette recipes with gyro meat, grilled chicken, etc. I then found this recipe which said My Big Fat Greek Omelette. Having watched the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, I became interested immediately and checked it out. It seemed to be quite a healthy one with spinach and I tried it out. came out good and yummy. Recipe here:  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/80046/my-big-fat-greek-omelet/

Recipe tried and tested in October 2016

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup spinach, dunked in boiling water, squeezed dry and chopped finely
• 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved (I used normal ones, diced)
• 1/2 tsp oregano, divided
• 1/2 tsp salt, divided
• 1/2 tsp pepper, divided
• 1/4 cup feta cheese
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Preparation

• In a bowl, mix tomatoes with 1/4 tsp oregano, 1/4 tsp salt and pepper and stir in feta cheese.
• Beat eggs in another bowl, stir in spinach and the remaining oregano, salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat and add the egg mixture to it. Push back the eggs that have set with a spatula, tilt the skillet and allow the uncooked egg mixture to run into the empty portion of the skillet. Continue doing this till the omelette is moist but cooked, about 3 to 4 minutes. 
• Reduce heat to low and add the tomato mixture to half of the egg. Carefully fold the untopped half over the filling, remove to a plate and allow to let stand for a minute. 
• Cut the omelette into two portions and serve immediately. 

Dhokla

I had tried the instant dhokla recipes and failed miserably. So I decided to do the traditional dhokla with the traditional dhokla batter and it did come out very well! No shortcuts! Quite elaborate and time consuming but worth the wait and energy! Recipe from www.foodviva.com

Makes about 16 pieces

Ingredients
For the batter

• 1/4 cup gram lentil (chana dal)
• 1/2 cup rice (I used idli rice)
• 1/4 cup sour curd
• 1/4 cup water
• 3/4 tbsp green chili, ginger, garlic paste
• 1/8 tsp turmeric
• Salt, a pinch
• 1/2 tsp Enos fruit salt
• 1/2 tsp oil
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• Paprika powder, pinch

For tempering

• 2 tsp oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, optional (actually, better without!)
• 1/2 tsp white sesame seeds
• 2 curry leaves
• 2 to 3 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander, for garnish
  

Preparation

• Clean and soak gram lentils and rice for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
• Drain and grind to a fine paste with sour curd and water. The batter should not be of idli batter consistency. 
• Add salt and turmeric, cover and allow to ferment in a warm place for 6 to 8 hours.
• Grease a container with oil and prepare a steamer with 2 to 3 cups water. (I used the idli cooker)
• Add oil and green chili, ginger and garlic paste to the batter and mix well. Add Enos fruit salt and mix in one direction for a minute. The batter should be doubled now.
• Pour it immediately into the greased mould. Sprinkle cumin seeds and red chili powder on the top and steam for about 10 to 15 minutes or till a fork comes out clean if inserted.
• Allow to cool for a couple of minutes and cut it into squares.
• Heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add sesame seeds and stir for 30 seconds. Add curry leaves, remove from flame and add water. Pour immediately over the dhoklas to coat evenly and serve immediately garnished with chopped coriander.

Jackfruit Idli (Halasina Hannini Kadubu)

I had some left over jackfruit and was looking for a sweet dish from them. I got this recipe from http://www.smithakalluraya.com/2016/06/jackfruit-idli-halasina-hannina-kadubu.html. I tried it and it came out well. I believe the dish is famous in Coastal Karnataka.

Makes about 8-10 idlis

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw rice rava (See note)
•  2 – 2 1/2 cups ripe jackfruit, deseeded and chopped coarsely
• 1 cup grated coconut
• 1/2 cup jaggery, add more or less as per your taste
• 2 – 3 cardamom
• Salt, a pinch
• Oil to grease mould

Preparation

• In a mixer, grind jackfruit and jaggery with little or no water to a coarse paste.
• Add grated coconut and cardamom and grind everything to a fine paste and add it in a mixing bowl.
• Add rice rava and salt a little water. Mix well and allow to stand for about 20 minutes. The consistency should be a little thicker than idli batter. 
• Grease idli moulds with oil and pour the mixture into them.
• Steam for about 15 minutes. It is done when a toothpick or a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the idlis.
• Serve hot.

Note

To make rice rava, soak raw rice in water for an hour, drain it on a cloth for an hour or two and dry grind it to a coarse semolina (rava) consistency.

  

Appam & Vivikkam (Sweet Rice Cakes)

This is another traditional breakfast dish from Tirunelveli handed down to my mother from my dad's family. My mother still makes them and sends them over to me. I tried it for the first time and it turned out quite well! 

Makes about 12 to 15 appams (அப்பம்) or vivikka (விவிக்கா)  

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw rice
• 1/2 cup sour yogurt 
• 3 bananas (Poovan variety)
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup sugar (You can add more or less to taste)
• Cashews and raisins, roasted in oil
• Oil for frying

Preparation

• Wash and soak rice in water for an hour. Drain it completely and dry on a clean cloth under a fan for 2 or 3 hours till completely dry.
• Put it in a mixer and grind it to a fine powder. Using a sieve separate the coarse granular flour (semolina texture) about 1/4 cup. Set the fine powder aside.
• Heat about 3/4 cup water in a sauce pan and add the coarse granular flour in it with a pinch of salt. keep stirring till it forms a paste. Remove from heat. Allow to cool.
• Once it is cool, add the yogurt into it and mix well. 
• Now add the fine powder little by little and mix well to make a ball of dough.
• Allow it to ferment at least for 18 to 20 hours. 
• Mash bananas and sugar and add it to the fermented batter. Add the roasted cashews and raisins and mix well.

Appam

Appams

• Heat a non stick pan. Add a tsp. of oil. Take a little batter and drop it into the heated oil. Spread it and allow to cook. (It must cook well otherwise it can tear when flipping it over). Now flip it over and allow to cook on the other side. 
• Remove from heat and serve hot.

Vivikkam

Vivikka

• Grease idli plates, pour batter into them, steam for 5 to 7 minutes or till done.
• Serve hot.

Mallidha (Sweet Sticky Rice Cakes topped with Grated Coconut and Sugar)

This is a traditional dish from Tirunelveli district, handed down to my mother from my dad's aunt. Made from white sticky rice (vellai puttarisi), it used to be a favourite breakfast dish when we were kids. After many years, I tried it and it turned out great!

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sticky rice
• 1 cup grated coconut
• Salt to taste
• Sugar to taste

Preparation

• Wash and drain sticky rice well. Spread it on a clean cloth to dry under a fan. After it has completely dried, (about 2 to 3 hours) grind it into fine powder. Using a sieve, separate the coarse granular flour and grind it again into fine powder. 
• Boil about 1 1/2 cups water and add it to the powder with a little salt to make a ball of dough.
• Divide into 5 equal portions and shape each portion with hand into a patty of about 7 to 8 cm in diameter and about 1 cm thick.
• Boil water in a sauce pan and drop each patty into it. When it is cooked it will come up to the top. Take it out with a spatula, set on a plate and drop the next patty into the boiling water. Continue till all the patties are cooked.
• Mix grated coconut with sugar and spread on the top of each cake. Stack them one over the other, 3 or 5 in a stack as much as you can eat.

Ragi Idli

Ingredients:

• 1 cup ragi
• 1/4 cup urad dhal
• Salt to taste
• Grated vegetables, optional

Preparation:

1. Soak urad dhal and ragi separately for at least 3 hours.
2. Blend urad dhal till it becomes fluffy.
3. Blend ragi separately
4. Mix both with salt and allow to ferment overnight.
5. Add vegetables, if desired.
6. Grease idli plates, pour batter and steam for 15 minutes or until cooked.
7. Remove and serve hot with tomato chutney or mint chutney.

Rice Flakes Idli (Aval Idli)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw rice
• 1/2 cup rice flakes (aval)
• 1/2 cup yogurt, sour
• 5 green chillies
• 1/2 cup grated coconut
• 1 tbsp bengal gram dhal
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp whole pepper
• 1/4" ginger, finely chopped
• asafoetida, pinch
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

• Soak rice for 2 - 3 hours. Soak rice flakes separately in curd for about 1 1/2 hours.
• Blend them together with grated coconut and chillies coarsely.
• Add salt and blend again.
• Add pepper, cumin seeds and bengal gram dhal on top of the batter and allow to ferment overnight.
• Add ginger, asafoetida and baking soda and mix batter well.
• Pour into idli plates over cashews, if desired, and steam for 10 minutes or until cooked.
• Serve hot with any spicy chutney.

Carrot Chutney

Ingredients:

• 3 large carrots, peeled and grated
• 3 tbsp grated coconut
• 3 tbsp coriander seeds
• 4 dry red chillies
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• Oil

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a pan, add red chillies and coriander seeds and fry till chillies turn light brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Add grated carrot to the same pan and fry till fully cooked.
3. Blend these in a mixer along with grated coconut and salt to a fine paste. 
4. Heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, add it to the ground chutney and serve.

Broken Wheat Idli (Wheat Rava Idli)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cups broken wheat
• 1 cup yogurt, preferably sour
• 1 tbsp grated coconut
• 1 tbsp grated carrot
• 4 - 5 stalks coriander leaves, finely chopped 
• curry leaves
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp urad dhal
• 1 tsp channa dhal
• Cashews, optional

Preparation:

1. Dry roast broken wheat and mix with yogurt.
2. Heat oil, add seasonings, fry well and add to the mixture.
3. Add vegetables, coriander and curry leaves. Mix thoroughly.
4. Pour into greased idli plates over cashews and steam for 10 minutes or until cooked.
5. Allow to cool and remove.

Banana Idli

Ingredients:

• 1 cup semolina 
• 4 ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup grated coconut (can add more to taste)
• 1/2 cup jaggery / brown sugar (can add more to taste, I used more than 3/4 cups)
• Salt, a pinch
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• cashews, optional

Preparation:

• Dry roast semolina till the favour is given out.
• Mash bananas and add all the ingredients.
• Mix well and add some water to bring it to idli batter consistency.
• Grease idli plates, place cashews in each, pour batter and steam for 10 to 12 minutes or until cooked.
• Serve hot.

The idlis came out well and I loved them! Try them and leave your comments!

Vermicelli Idli

Ingredients:

• 2 cups vermicelli (semiya) 
• 1 cup semolina (rava)
• 2 cups yogurt
• Baking soda, a pinch
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp split Bengal gram 
• 1 tsp black gram
• 10 - 12 curry leaves, chopped
• Asafoetida, a pinch
• Cashews
• Salt to taste

Optional:

• 1 small carrot, grated
• 1/2" ginger, grated
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped
• 5 - 6 stalks coriander, finely chopped

Preparation:

1. Mix together vemicelli, semolina, salt and baking powder.
2. Add yogurt to form a thick batter. (Batter should be thicker than idli batter). Add 1 to 2 tsps of water.
3. Heat oil and season with mustard, split Bengal gram and black gram. Fry till golden brown. Add curry leaves and asafoetida.
4. Add this to the batter and mix well. Add all the vegetables.
5. Let it stand for 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Grease idli plates, place cashews in each, pour in batter and steam for 12 minutes or until cooked. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve with coconut or tomato chutney.

The idlis came out pretty well. My lunch tomorrow!

Channa Idli

Recipe from Aval Vikadan


Ingredients

• 2 cups brown chickpea
• 1 tsp fenugreek
• 2 tbsp urad dal
• 1 tsp whole pepper
• 1 tsp whole cumin
• 2 tbsp chopped cabbage
• 2 tbsp peas
• 2 tbsp beans
• 2 tbsp diced onions

Preparation

1. Soak chickpea, fenugreek, urad dal for 4 hours.
2. Grind with pepper, cumin and salt. Let stand for 2 hours.
3. Add all the vegetables, pour into idli moulds and steam for about 12 to 15 minutes, cool and then serve with spicy chutney

Rava Idli

Ingredients:

• 2 cups semolina 
• 2 cups yogurt
• 1 1/2 cups grated carrot
• 1 tsp ginger, grated and crushed
• 3-4 green chillies, finely chopped
• 4-5 stalks of coriander, finely chopped
• 4 tbsp grated coconut
• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 tsp channa dal (split chickpea)
• baking soda, a pinch
• cashews
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Roast semolina until the aroma comes out.
2. Heat oil and splutter mustard seeds, add ginger, green chillies and channa dal and fry for some time. 
3. Switch off, add semolina and mix well. Add all the other ingredients except cashews and mix well. Let it stand for 30 minutes.
4. Grease an idli stand and place some cashews in each mould. Then pour the mixture and steam for 12 to 15 minutes.
5. Serve hot with mint and coriander chutney.

Note: Makes about 24 idlis

Kushboo Idli

Ingredients:

• 2 cups idli rice ( kaar arisi)
• 1/2 cup sago 
• 1/2 tsp urad dal
• 1/2 tsp fenugreek
• baking soda, a pinch
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Clean and soak rice, urad dal and fenugreek together and sago separately for 4 hours.
2. Grind the soaked ingredients together, add salt and allow to ferment for 12 hours or overnight.
3. Add baking soda, mix well, pour into idli moulds and steam for 8 - 10 minutes.
4. Serve hot with tomato chutney. 

Note: 

I was looking out for vegetarian tiffin recipes as I'm now in a Jain school. It was then that I came across varieties of idlis and this was one such recipe. I don't know the reason behind the name, but the idlis did come out fluffy because of the sago.