Ingredients:

• Rice – 1 cup
• Toor Dal – 1 cup
• Urad Dal – 1/2 cup
• Gram Dal – 1 cup
• Moong Dal – 1/2 cup
• Red Chillies – 6
• Green Chillies – 2 chopped finely
• Onions – 1 big chopped finely
• Curry leaves – few
• Asafoetida – 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste

Method:

Soak the dals and rice in water for about 4-5 hours. Grind them with red chillies, asafoetida and salt adding water to get a medium thick batter consistency. Add in the chopped onions, green chillies and curry leaves and mix well.

Smear oil on a tawa/flat pan, and pour about 8 tbsp of batter and spread to make a round shape. Pour a little oil on the sides to make it crispy. Cook on one side, when done, turn over and cook the other side.

Serve with chutneys, sambhar or butter or can be taken plain.

Ingredients:

• Parboiled Rice – 4 cups
• Whole Urad Dal – 1 cup
• Fenugreek seeds – 1/4 tsp
• Salt – 1 1/2 tbsp

Method:

Soak all the ingredients (except salt), rice and dal+fenugreek separately for about 4 hours. Then wet grind them separately pouring enough water to make a thick batter. Then, mix both batters (from rice & dal) and add the salt and mix well and set aside to ferment (the batter will rise about 1/2 inch to an inch). Under normal tropical weather conditions, this should take around 10-12 hrs. In colder conditions, it might take longer. Don’t allow to ferment longer (The batter will turn sour).

Once the batter is fermented, mix well again, adding a pinch of baking soda dissolved in few tsp of water. Add some water to get a lighter consistency (compared to the idli batter). Heat a tawa (flat pan), smear some oil on top, and then pour about 8 tbsp of the batter into a round shape on the tawa. Spread the batter well on the tawa to make a thin layer. Pour a little oil on the sides to make it crispy. Once cooked and crisp on one side, turn over and allow to cook on the other side. Can be served with any chutney or sambhar.

Ingredients:

• Parboiled Rice – 4 cups
• Whole Urad Dal – 1 cup
• Fenugreek seeds – 1/4 tsp
• Salt – 1 1/2 tbsp

Method:

Soak all the ingredients (except salt), rice and dal+fenugreek separately for about 4 hours. Then wet grind them separately pouring enough water to make a thick batter. Then, mix both batters (from rice & dal) and add the salt and mix well and set aside to ferment (the batter will rise about 1/2 inch to an inch). Under normal tropical weather conditions, this should take around 10-12 hrs. In colder conditions, it might take longer. Don’t allow to ferment longer. The batter will turn sour.

Once the batter is fermented, mix well again, adding a pinch of baking soda dissolved in few tsp of water. Pour the batter into the idli moulds and steam them in a pressure cooker (without putting the weight in the cooker) for about 10 min. Remove from cooker and keep aside for a few minutes and then remove the idlis from the moulds and serve. Can be served with any type of chutney, curries or sambhar.

Ingredients:

• Rava – 2 cups
• Onions – 1 big (cut lengthwise)
• Tomatoes – 1 medium (chopped)
• Green Chillies – 2 (slit lengthwise into 2)
• Carrot, Beans, Peas chopped – 1/2 cup
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
• split urad dal – 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Curry Leaves – a few
• Oil – 2 tbsp

Method:

Slightly roast the rava in a dry pan and set aside. In another pan, heat the oil, splutter mustard seeds, then add the urad dal, curry leaves and fry for a while. Then add onions and green chillies/red chillies and fry for a while. To this, add tomatoes and fry for a while. Then, add the vegetables and saute for a couple of minutes. Pour about 3-4 cups of water to this. Add salt, turmeric powder and mix well and allow the water to boil. When the water is boiling and the vegetables are almost cooked, add in the rava slowly and keep stirring simultaneously so as to not form lumps and cook till done. (till the water all evaporates). If you add too much water, the kichadi might become sticky. This can be had as a light tiffin. Can have pickles or coconut chutney or any hot chutneys as side dishes.

Ingredients:

• Rava – 2 cups
• Onions – 1 big (cut lengthwise)
• Tomatoes – 1 medium (chopped)
• Green Chillies – 1 (slit lengthwise into 2) (Optional)
• Dry red chillies – 2
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
• split urad dal – 1/2 tsp
• Gram Dal – 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Curry Leaves – a few
• Oil – 2 tbsp

Method:

Slightly roast the rava in a dry pan and set aside. In another pan, heat the oil, splutter mustard seeds, then add the urad dal, gram dal and let them turn slightly brown, then add in the curry leaves, onions and green chillies/red chillies and fry for a while. Then add in the tomatoes and saute for 2 minutes. Pour about 2-3 cups of water to this. Add salt and mix well and allow the water to boil. When the water is boiling, add in the rava slowly and keep stirring simultaneously so as to not form lumps and cook till done. (till the water all evaporates). If you add too much water, the upma might become sticky. This can be had as a light tiffin. Can have pickles or coconut chutney or any hot chutneys as side dishes.

Ingredients:

• Semiya (Vermicelli)- 200g
• Onions – 1 (chopped lengthwise)
• Green Chillies – 2 finely chopped
• Gram Dal – 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Split Urad Dal – 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil – 2 tbsp

Method:

Slightly roast the semiya in a dry pan and set aside. In another pan, heat the oil, splutter mustard seeds, then add the urad dal, gram dal and let them turn slightly brown, then add in the onions and green chillies and fry for a while. Pour about 2-3 cups of water to this. Add some salt and mix well and allow the water to boil. When the water is boiling, add in the semiya and cook till done. (till the water all evaporates). If you add too much water, the upma might become sticky. This can be had as a light tiffin. Serve with pickle or any hot chutneys as side dishes.