Sooji utthapam (semolina pancake)

One of my aunt's introduced our family to this quick n yummy idea.

Ingredients:

Yoghurt - 2 cups
Sooji (semolina) - 2 cups
Salt to taste
Finely chopped Green chillies (if you can take it)
Ginger paste (1/2 tea spoon)
Grated cabbage (optional)
Finely chopped tomatoes (optional)
Any of your favorite vegetable chopped (optional)
Peas(optional)

Mix yoghurt, sooji (semolina) and salt. Add water to adjust consistency to pour. Let it sit overnight or more in refrigerator or outside. The idea is to let it get little sour. I generally use the mix over a period of 3-5 days.

When you are ready to cook add any of the veggies you prefer in the amount you prefer. I generally cook it plain and eat it just like that or with sambhar (a little spicy and tangy lentil soup).

Sometimes I add green chillies, ginger, cabbage and tomato to the mix.

Process:

Heat the nonstick pan. Pour the mix and cook it on one side like pancakes. Flip it over. Apply butter if you want. I sometimes apply lil butter and sometimes not. I like it crispy so I cook it little longer on low flame and  add small amount of butter.

ENJOY !!!!!!

Dalia (wheat porridge)

I hated it when my mom made me eat this for breakfast while growing up. But now I kind of like it. P.S. no one ever tells mom about that.

The basic dalia is simple. 

Ingredients: 

1) Cracked Wheat - 1/2 cup

2) Split  Moong dal - 1/2 cup (It is a a lentil green in color) 

3) Brown rice - 1/4 cup or less

4) A pinch of turmeric powder (optional)

5) Salt to taste.

6) Water - 4 cups (you might want more or less depending on consistency that you prefer) I generally add more.

Add all the ingredients in pressure cooker and cook according to pressure cookers instructions. 

I use 

http://www.amazon.com/Futura-Hawkins-Anodized-Pressure-Cooker/dp/B000GR7776/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1348459700&sr=8-6&keywords=prestige+pressure+cooker

15 mins and done. It comes out like oat meal.

You can eat it directly like this for breakfast or lunch. 

Me being me .. don't like such bland food. So, I generally eat it with soups (sambhar, a lentil based soup or kadhi, a yoghurt based soup. I will add them to the blog as well). 

If I don't have time for making soups then I just season the porridge well enough. I have listed one of the seasoning here: 

http://healthy-n-quick-food.blogspot.com/2012/03/namkeen-khichadi-brown-rice-lentil.html

There are tonnes of other ways to season it. My mom adds vegetables like tomato, peas etc while preparing the seasoning. 

Roti (Indian Flat Bread)

I am one of those who finds the entire process of making Roti little difficult. Kneading the dough, rolling out chappattis / rotis and then roasting them. Few things that worked for me.

I make the dough in stand mixer
I put 2 cups of whole wheat flour (aata) in the bowl. Salt to taste. And lil less than a cup of water.
I scoop out the flour unlike baking instructions.
Then, dough hook on the stand mixer. And I let it on for 7-8 mins. I have a perfect ball of dough to work with.

For Roi maker, the dough should be softer. I put lil ghee on roti maker, and small dough ball smaller than  golf ball - flattened. Press the roti maker few times. DONE !!

Roast the roti on the girdle (tawa).

Ghee on it ..and ENJOY with any curry !!