Brown Rice Idlis and Dosa

Brown Rice....how many times have I decided to start using it..mainly as "Rice"....but somehow my palate isn't ready...and I keep postponing it.

Few months ago, when "E' was performing a dance at the Ganapati festival, we had the crispiest, yummiest Dosa at one of his friends house. 'V' makes excellent South Indian food.I was amazed at how delicious and crispy the Dosa was..and could hardly make out....that it was made with brown rice, neither by color nor texture nor taste.

Couple days ago....I made up my mind..and bought a 2lb bag of Brown Rice at Walmart for $ 1.32(good deal ha!!)
Inspired by "V''s Brown rice Dosa....I decided to make the batter and mark the beginning of "Brown Rice" era at home!

Batter--
2 Cups Brown rice
1 Cup Urad Dal
Water to soak
Soak the Rice and Daal separately in water for 5-6 hours.The water should cover the rice/daal and little over it.
Grind into a fine paste with the water that it was soaked in.So the rice doesn't loose any essential vitamins.
Let it ferment overnight.I preheat the oven to 'warm' for 5 mins, TURN IT OFF, before I put the batter in a large vessel and keep it overnight in the oven to ferment.
After it ferments and fluffs up...add salt to taste.
Idlis-
Steam the batter in idli stand for 15-20 mins. Serve hot with sambar and chutney

Dosa--
Preheat non stick pan/tava
Smear oil with a paper towel on the tava.
Spread a spoonful batter onto the tava and let it cook on low-medium flame till it browns and crisps up.
Serve immediately with Sambar and chutney.



 Sambar--

1 Cup well cooked Toor dal/masoor dal
1/2 cup Veggies like drumsticks, pumpkin, raddish, gourd,potato etc
1 tomato sliced
1/2 onion sliced
1/2tsp mustard seeds
1/2tsp Cumin
1/2tsp Methi seeds
2-3 tsp Sambar masala ( I used MTR brand)
1tsp red chili powder
1/2tsp turmeric powder
1/2tsp Tamarind concentrate
1/2tsp Jaggery
Curry leaves
2 Red whole chilies
2 tsp oil
salt

Heat the oil, add the mustard seeds, cumin,methi seeds, curry leaves, red chili.Fry for few seconds.Add the onion,tomatoes and veggies and fry for 2-3 mins.
Add turmeric, sambar masala,chili powder and the daal.
Add enough water to make desired consistency and then add the remaining ingredients. Let it boil for few minutes till the veggies cook.Serve hot!


 Coconut-Cilantro Chutney--

1/2 cup fresh coconut
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
3-4 green chilies
1/4tsp ginger
1 clove garlic
1/2tsp cumin
salt
sugar
few drops lemon juice
1tsp oil,1/2tsp mustard, curry leaves for tempering

 Grind coconut,cilantro,chilies etc into a fine paste in a blender. Heat 1tsp oil add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Let it crackle and then add to the ground Chutney.

"Sweet Treats"- Pineapple Sheera

Past week and a half has been pretty rough.'M' was out for work for 4 days..the kids were sick...then the Connecticut tragedy got me shaken to the core...and..illness in the family in India...All in all... I don't feel like doing much...

I  had made this Sheera for lunch before 'M' left for Mexico last week.Even a simple thing like Sheera with variations...can become a whole new dessert!

Ingredients:

1) 1 cup rava/sooji/cream of wheat

2) 1&1/2 cup water

3) 1 cup whole milk

4) 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar

5) 1/4tsp Cardamom powder

6) 1 pinch saffron

7) 1 pinch salt

8)1/8tsp nutmeg powder

9) 3/4 cup butter/ghee

10) 1/2 cup Canned pineapple pieces(bite size)

11)4tsp sugar to saute the pineapple

12) Dried cranberries

Method:

1) Boil water+milk together

2) Roast the rava in butter/ghee till golden in a deep pan

3) Add the hot water+milk to the roasted rava,mix.Cover and steam for 1-2 mins on low flame

4) Add saffron,cardamom,nutmeg,sugar,salt and mix well. Keep aside.

5) Saute the pineapple pieces in 4tsp sugar for 3-4 mins.

6) Mix the sauteed pineapples in the sheera. Mix

5) Garnish Dried cranberries

6)Serve warm.