recipes that is π I love to experiment in my kitchen and regular readers know it by mostly… So when I read this post by Roop, which says that she finds desi cooking boring. This is what she has to say
No matter what cookbook I read, itβs the same recipe one after another. A combination of various spices to be tempered, onions to be browned, garlic/ginger to be added if liked, and the rest. True, you can add in new flavors, play with ingredients β example, adding chickpeas to your standard fare of baingan ka bhartha β but really, the base of all cooking remains similar. How much can one ignore the mundane?
Well I for one couldnt disagree more π I started to type a looooooong comment to her and than thoought of giving a couple of recipes to prove otherwise π π roop I hope these are good enough to make it intersting for u π
Uttapam Sandwich
Yes you heard it right, I had first read about it long long ago in a magazine somewhere and since than I have been making it at home regularly and I can’t tell you what a hit it is at home… I make it with various stuffings and turns out well with every one of them… this one is my favourite though, something about combining the chinese and the indian flavours
What I used
- Dosa batter
- Mix vegetables I used yellow and red peppers, onions and carrots
- Soya sauce – 2 tsp
- Vinegar – 1 tsp
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Olive Oil for stir frying
How I made it
- Heat oil in a pan, add onions and fry till pink
- Add the cut and grated veggies and stir fry on high flame till just about tender
- Add salt, pepper and sauces fry for another 1 minute
- Keep it away to cool down
- Now heat the dosa tawa/pan and spread the batter on it a little thick to make a utthapam
- Flip when cooked and cook the other side
- Cut from the center and spread the veggies on one half
- Cover with second half and grill it, I use the sandwich maker and griller that I have at home
Oats Idly
There is no limit to what can we done with the humble idly, the variations that I make with idlies are so many that when I wanted to choose one for here I was totally confused, I make pumpkin idly, cucumber idly, spinach and cheese idly and ofcourse the good old rava idly… What is my favorite here is the oats idly… I have said that on the blog before that I love oats and a cereal but unfortunately no one in my house eats it… hence I keep discovering recipes that contains oats in forms other than porridge and that is when I chanced upon oats idlies and trust me they are worth the try… totally nutritous and give the regular idly such a nice facelift
What I used
- Oats – 1 1/2 cups
- Semolina/Rawa – 1/2cup
- Mix veggies – 1 cup (I used grated carrots, capsicum, chopped onions and boiled peas)
- Sour Curds – 2 cup
- Green chilli – 2 chopped
- Corainder leaves – a handful
- Curry leaves – 6-7
- Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
- Chana dal – 1 tsp
- Urad dal – 1 tsp
- Oil – 1 tsp
- Eno Fruit Salt – 1 tsp
How I made it
- Mix oats, rawa and curds and keep aside for 30 minutes
- Heat oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds
- when they crack add curry leaves, channa dal and urad dal
- fry till it turns light brown in color
- Add the tempering to the oats mixture.
- Add the veggies and salt to taste and mix well
- Grease the idly mould and keep them ready
- Add the eno fruit salt and pour in moulds immediately
- Steam for about 15 minutes and your idlies and ready to be demolished
Dunk in a bowl of sambhar and relish
or if u like my little one who just wants to touch sambhar and eat, ur loss π
So roop does this excite u enough π
The uttapam sandwich is an awesome looking thing!
thanks aathira
Oh wowie…the oats idlis look incredible!!! Will try them out soon! Thanks!
starry did u try them?
How lovely these recipes sound!:) So glad you shared them here! Maybe you shld write a blog on food and stuff? Or do you already have one
aaah mee I really cant handle another blog so I do post recipes here only and have a page dedicated to them
The uttapam sandwich looks awesome… cant wait to try it. The oats thingy.. I think I’ll pass (not a fan of healthy food ;-))
LOL not a fan of healthy food π
LOL i got a mention!! π Couldn’t be prouder. hehee
Gorgeous pics, Mon, and lucky family that you feed so well. Really. When I am in Bangalore, you are more than welcome to feed me heheh. Always always always ready to be fed excellent food such as yours! π π π
I still hold the same about cooking myself though: cooking is mundane and a chore. π¦
At least, for the phase that I am in rite now. hmm.
u are a joker roop u know that right π
and yeah come come I would love to cook for u π
Wow! The Idlis look yum π
Ok coming back to my point now, I read through your recipes, Mon, as lovely as they are, I applaud them. However, I don’t see anything that I couldn’t have thought of. I’ve combined soya sauce and vinegar numerous times cuz it tastes great. Although I’ve never made Utthapam sandwich so to speak but I don’t see how it is an out of the box thing and hard to be imagined at all. I’ve made dosa sandwiches in the past. Cut it into squares to feed a nephew who wouldn’t eat dosas.
Please dont take this as a criticism. It is not. You have a talent of patience to play with ingredients in kitchen and coming out with beautiful looking and most definitely scrumptious dishes. And you deserve all the accolades for it.
My only … is with … what’s new in any desi recipes? Now that I’ve seen majority of south indian cooking in the past 3 years and have lived in north indian cooking all my life and have been exposed to bengali et marathi/gujarati styles etc which i dont like, I don’t seem to learn anything new anymore. It is mundane now. Really.
yeah thats the whole point roop its not rocket science to do those small changes and yet they make a difference, change the taste of the dish… give it a new look and a taste
and then may be as ritu says u are just bored
i read both Roop’s and your post…:)
no taking sides, but this post is ur awsumest post on recipes…..i loved the otas idly idea….:D..u sure have a patience to experiment…:)
awwww thank u deepti… this is not abt sides at all π
Monuuu.. I want that grill!!
Where did u buy? I have checked in a lot of places & they jus look @ me like I am speaking French! π
LOL I know what u mean, its morphy richards let me mail u
Oats idly!! Ok I’m floored….I really need to think of inventions in my cooking too! π
think think its not that difficult as it sounds ashwathy
Droooled and dead. I like Dosa sandwich. Girl, you should have a food blog.
haaa too much effort sols to maintain another blog and rememeber u were the one who suggested friday feast π
Thank you! Have been breaking my head these days to see what different things I can make for breakfast everyday… and pop comes your post… Will try these out next week…
hope u like them preeti
Roop, you are just bored with the chore of cooking – that’s all. I have been through such phases and totally understand. Monika, wonderfully creative recipes. Must try on Sunday
i know what u mean by phases we all have them I guess
Yum yum! I might actually try the uthappam sandwich today. I have house guests and this might be fun to try π
so did u make them smitha? did u like it?
Wow! Loved both the recipes. Am gonna try out soon. Thanks for sharing. π
@ phoenixritu: u read it correctly. i am b o r e d ! π¦
LOL roop that me can probably understand
Not done ya. Here i am living alone in a country without home-made food and you post pics……
I almost tore the screen down to grab a bite!!!
awwww masood yahan aaja
You are one talented chef! Did u try for Masterchef India?
thank u thank u but I hate that show akshay kumar is eeeks
amazing!
I loved the idea of a dosa sandwich! π
Will try it out π
yeah yeah try and let me know if u liked it
Monu, thats one damn good interesting and delicious thing – uthappam sandwich….u are fantastic Monu. π π Am going to try that one… π π π
Oats – not a fav at home, though I like it. Rava idly is ok with S. Let me give it a try in a small scale, and if they like it then make it for bfast….. π π
oh uma try oats idly without telling them its oats… i doubt they will figure it out π
Wow!! the dosa -sandwich idea is insanely ingenious..
Hi Monika..Been reading your blog from 2 years but havent commented as yet..I think I wrote a comment once but it didnt get published:)..Love your friday feasts..I tried out the oats idly for breakfast this morning..Delicious! Love the twists in the tale when it comes to food:)