ROSHAN's CUCINA

Thattil Kutti Dosa with Garlic Chutney

This dosa-chutney combination requires no introduction to Malayalis, who would have watched the movie Salt & Pepper. Yes, this dosa was the root cause or rather the plot of the movie.....

Thattil kutti dosa is a small fluffy dosa which is not spread but just laddled onto the griddle pan.

The garlic chutney also has a mention in the movie and i have come out with my own version because the recipes which i searched in the web used lot of tamarind or sometimes coconut. This is a simple, garlic-onion-lemon juice recipe.

ingredients for the garlic chutney

garlic - 20 large cloves, vertically slit
onion - 1 small, roughly julienned
salt to taste
deseeded green chilly - 1 (optional) - i did not use
lemon juice - 1 tsp

method

To prepare the garlic chutney, heat 2 tbsp of oil in low flame and add the garlic and onion. Saute till the raw smell goes off but before it turns brown. Drain the onion and garlic from oil and place it in a blender. Add salt and few tablespoons of water and grind it to a smooth paste. Place the chutney in a bowl and mix in the lemon juice. You can serve the chutney with dosas or spread it on to roti like a mayonnaise, you can see the texture in the picture.

Saute the chilly also if you are using green chillies

ingredients for the dosa

dosa batter - as much as you need

method to prepare thattil kutti dosa - grease a non-stick pan or the traditional cast iron pan and pour a ladle full of batter and let the batter take shape by itself. Drizzle few drops of oil on the sides and top of the pan. When the dosa is cooked and crispy, flip the dosa with a spatula. Let the other side also turn crispy.

Serve hot with the garlic chutney.

Kabuli Chana / Chole Biryani with Caramelized Vegetables

ingredients to prepare the caramelized vegetables

2 medium carrots, cut into juliennes as seen in the picture
2 large onions, cut into juliennes
1 medium cauliflower, separated into florets as seen in the picture
salt to taste
oil to fry

ingredients to prepare the rice

basmati rice - 2 cups (to serve 4)
water as needed
cardamom - 4
star anise - 1
cinnamon - 1 inch stick
cloves - 3 or 4
oil - 1 tbsp
salt to taste

ingredients to prepare the chole

3/4 cup or 1/2 cup (use as much as you need) Kabuli Chana, soaked overnight and cooked with salt

onion - 1, chopped
ginger - 1/2 inch piece, crushed
garlic - 4 cloves , crushed
curd - 4 tbsp
cumin powder - 3/4 tsp
coriander powder - 1 level tsp
garam masala - 1 tsp
chilly powder - 1 1/2 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/3 tsp
oil - 2 tbsp

ingredients for layering

coriander leaves - chopped with hands - 5 - 6 sprigs
mint leaves - 5 -6 sprigs
ghee - 1 or 2 tbsp

the method

1. Caramelized vegetables

Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the onions first. then deep fry the carrots, followed by the cauliflowers. While frying the vegetables sprinkle one or two pinch salt. Reserve the fried vegetables.

2.To cook the rice

Wash the rice and soak it for about 15 minutes. Boil adequate water with the spices and add the rice and salt to taste. When almost done add the oil and lemon juice. Drain and reserve the rice.
3. To prepare the chole, heat oil in a pan and saute the onion till golden brown. Add the ginger, garlic and all the spice powders. Saute for a minute and add the cooked Kabuli chana and stir well. Add the curd, stir for a while and then turn off heat.

4. Take heavy bottom pan and pour 1 tbsp ghee. Place a layer of rice and sprinkle the coriander and mint leaves. Spoon a layer of chole. Place another layer of rice and sprinkle the coriander and mint leaves and place a layer of chole. Repeat till the rice and curry is fully used up.

Layer the caramelized vegetables on top. Cover the pan and place in low flame for about 5 to 10 minutes. Serve with onion raita or a pomegranate raita.

Since the chana itself has a nutty flavor i did not add fried cashewnuts and the caramelized veggies was enough to give the sweetness which would have otherwise been given by fried raisins.

Dates & Vermicelli Payasam

A very easy Payasam recipe for festive or normal days

the recipe

Dates – 15
Water – 200 ml
Vermicelli – ½ cup
Water – 100 ml
Milk – 100 + 300 ml
Sugar – 4 tbsp
Ghee – 1 tbsp
Almonds & Cashewnuts – ½ cup
ingredients to be powdered

Cardamom – 5
Cumin – 2 pinch
Dry Ginger Powder – ½ tsp or 1/3rd inch piece

The combination of cardamom, cumin and dry ginger powder is used to balance the sweetness from the dates.
the method

Deseed and chop the dates and cook it in water till mushy. Once the dates are cooked, stir it well to form the consistency of a pulp. Keep it aside.

Heat ghee in a saucepan and fry the cashewnuts and almonds. Drain the nuts and keep it aside. Saute the vermicelli in the remaining ghee and add 100 ml water and 100 ml milk and let the vermicelli cook. Once done add the remaining milk, cooked dates, sugar and fried nuts. Powder the cardamom, cumin and dry ginger with about 1 tsp sugar and add it to the payasam. Stir well and serve hot.

Round Up of Kerala Kitchen - Feb 2012

hi all, thank you very much for the overwhelming participation to Kerala Kitchen...here is the round up...enjoy....

Neethu has sent Kerala Roast Chicken