Rava Idli

Rava, usually used to prepare Upma can also be used to prepare delicious idli.

INGREDIENTS:

• Roasted Rava - 1 cup
• Curd - 1 ½ cup
• Finely Chopped Ginger -  ½ tsp
• Grated Carrot - 2 tbsp
• Green Chillies - 2 nos
• Mustard seeds - ½ tsp
• Channa Daal - 1 tsp
• Urad Daal - 1 tsp
• Cashewnut - 10 nos
• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Curry leaves - A few
• Chopped corriander leaves -2 tbsp
• Sugar - ½ tsp
• Salt to taste

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Heat ghee in the pan and fry cashewnut and take it aside.
• Add mustard seeds and wait for them to splutter. 
• Add channa daal, urad daal and fry it.
• Add green chilies and chopped ginger and saute for a minute. 
• Add rava, mix well and roast for a minute.
• Remove from fire and add grated carrot, chopped corriander leaves, salt, sugar, curry leaves and curd and mix well.
• Now the Idli batter is ready.
• Grease the idli mould with oil.
• Put fried cashewnut in the center of each idli mould.
• Pour the batter in the mould .
• Steam the vessel for about 10 - 12 minutes.
• Turn off the stove and let it cool.
• Remove the idlis from the mould and serve.

Recommended Combination: Serve with Chutney or sambar.

Muringayila Curry / Drumstick leaves Curry

Drumstick leaves can be used to prepare a varities of dishes.
One amongst them is a curry (Muringaila Curry), which is very rich in Iron.

INGREDIENTS:

• Drumstick leaves - 2 tbsp
• Grated coconut -½ cup
• Garlic -1 nos
• Red Chilly -2 nos
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Coconut Oil- 1 tbsp

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add mustard seeds and red chilli and let it splutter.
• Put the leaves in the oil and saute for a minute.
• Grind the coconut and garlic to a fine paste.
• Add this paste to the pan with little water and salt.
• Allow to boil. 
• When it starts to boil, turn off the stove.

Recommended Combination: Muringa ila curry can be served hot with Rice

Asparagus Thoran

Asparagus has no cholestrol and is low in calories and sodium, a healthy source of vitamins and dietary fiber. Young shoots of Green Asparagus can be used to prepare delicious thoran as shown in this receipe.

INGREDIENTS:

• Chopped Asparagus - 1cups
• Grated coconut - ¼ Cup
• Chilly Powder - ½ tsp
• Red Chilly -2 nos
• Garlic - 1 nos
• Cumin Seed -¼ tsp
• Urad Daal - 1tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Curry Leaves -few

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Cook Asparagus with turmeric powder and salt in little water.
• Crush Coconut ,Chilly powder,Garlic and Cumin seed and add to cooked Asparagus and mix it well.
• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add mustard seeds and red chilli and let it splutter.
• Add urad daal and fry it.
• Once Urad becomes brown, add Cooked Asparagus and Curry leaves.
• Stir well and slow down the flame and cook it for 2 mins.

Recommended Combination: Serve hot with Rice

Soya Curry

This recepie shows how to use Soya Chunks to make a delicious Curry.

INGREDIENTS:

• Soya Chunks- 1 cup
• Diced Potato- ½ cup
• Diced Capsicum- ¼ cup
• Green peas(frozen) - ¼ cup
• Chopped Beans - ¼ cup
• Diced Carrot -¼ cup
• Chopped onion -½ cup
• Slit Greenchilly- 6 nos 
• Ginger Paste- 1 tsp
• Chilly Powder - ½ tsp
• Corriander Powder-1½ tsp
• Turmeric powder -¼ tsp
• Aniseed powder - 1 tsp
• Pepper powder -¼ tsp
• Cinnamon -2 inch stick
• Bayleaf -1
• Cloves- 2 nos
• Cardamom - 1 nos
• Thick Coconut milk - 1 cup
• Salt to taste
• Oil -1 tbs 
• Curry leaves-few

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Soak soya chunks or in hot water for 15 minutes.
• Drain the chunks and put them in cold water.
• Squeeze the chunks out of water and keep aside.
• Cut each balls into 2 pieces
• Heat Oil in a pan and fry Cinnamon Stick, Cardamom, Bayleaf and cloves . 
• Add Onion, Ginger Paste and Green Chilly until Onion becomes golden brown. 
• Add Soya Chunks, Capsicum, carrot, peas, Beans, Potato and saute for 2 minutes.
• Add turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder and saute till the raw smell goes.
• Add salt and water,cover the pan and let it cook. 
• When the Vegetables are cooked add Aniseed Powder and Pepper Powder and let it boil for 2 minutes.
• Then add coconut milk and allow to boil. 
• When it starts boil,put curry leaves and remove from fire

Recommended Combination: Serve hot with Chappathi / Appam / Rice

Ishtu

This is a simple delicious dish, popular in a traditional Kerala Sadya, which can be served on its own with Appam or Chappathi.

INGREDIENTS:

• Diced Onion -1 nos
• Diced Potato - 2 nos
• Green Chilly(Slit) - 6 nos
• Ginger(chopped) -1 tbsp
• Thick Coconut milk - ½ cup
• Coconut Oil - 1tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Salt to taste

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Cook Onion, Potato, Chilly and Ginger along with salt and water.
• When the vegetables cooks well, add Coconut milk and let it boil.
• When it starts boil,turn off the stove and add Curry leaves and coconut Oil

Recommended Combination: Serve hot with Rice/ Appam/ Chappathi

Idli

Idli is a popular food throughout South India.
Idli is a fermented food which is prepared by steaming fermented black gram (Urad Daal) and rice batter. It makes an important contribution to the diet as a source of protein, calories and vitamins, especially B-complex vitamins, compared to the raw unfermented ingredients.

INGREDIENTS:

• RawRice -2 cups
• Urad Daal - 1 cup
• Water - as required
• Salt - 1 tsp

PREPARATION METHOD:

• Soak rice and Urad daal separately for 5 hours.
• Nicely grind rice and Urad daal separately in water.
• Mix together rice, daal and salt.
• Keep it overnight to ferment.
• Spread oil on the idli mould.
• Pour the batter in the mould .
• Steam the vessel for about 8- 10 minutes.

Recommended Combination: Serve hot with Sambar or Chutney.