Andhra Pesarattu

Pesarattu is a very famous breakfast item from Andhra Pradesh. It is made from whole green gram, hence high in its protein content. It is a variation of the usual dosa as it uses green gram in place of urad dal. It can be eaten with or without any accompaniment. Usually it is eaten with ginger chutney. This is because Pesarattu because of the predominance of green gram can cause flatulence. Ginger acts on just that and keeps the stomach healthy and light!!

Ingredients:

Whole green gram/Hesaru Kaalu/Saboot moong dal/Payir 1-1/2 cup.

Rice flour 1/2 cup.

Red chillies 5-6.

Cumin seeds 2 teaspoons.

Curry leaves and finely chopped coriander leaves.

Method:

1. Soak the green gram overnight in water.
2. Next morning, add the red chillies to it and grind it coarsely.
3. Add the cumin seeds, rice flour and salt to taste ; mix well.
4. Optionally finely cut onions and ajwain seeds can be added.
5. Add curry leaves and finely cut coriander leaves.
6. Heat the tava. Smear a teaspoon of oil. Sprinkle water. Make dosas with the batter as usual.
7. Relish with ginger chutney.

Pongal

Pongal is a very much relished breakfast item in the South. It is referred to as Huggi in Karnataka. It is a combination of rice and lentils and hence is a perfectly balanced meal in itself. It is seasoned with pepper and cumin seeds and is savored with chutney or sambar or curds.

Ingredients:

Rice 1 cup.

Green gram dal 1/2 cup.

Ghee 3-4 tablespoons.

Pepper 1 teaspoon, crushed.

Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon, crushed.

Cashewnuts 8-10 broken into pieces.

Ginger 1 inch piece, grated.

Curry leaves.

Turmeric 1/4 teaspoon.

Salt to taste.

Method:

1. Slightly warm both the rice and dal in a kadai.
2. Pressure cook the rice and dal after adding 6 cups of water.
3. In a heavy bottomed kadai, heat 2 tablespoons of ghee. Fry the cashewnut pieces and set aside.
4. Now add pepper, cumin seeds, grated ginger and curry leaves to the ghee along with a pich of turmeric.
5. Mash the cooked dal and rice mixture well and add to the kadai. Add salt to taste.
6. Mix well so that the cooked mixture, salt and the seasoning blend well. Add cashewnut pieces in the end and mix
7. Serve hot with chutney or an accompaniment of your choice.

Supersoft Idlis with Sambar

Idlis are the most popular breakfast item in the South of India. They seem to have originated in South India(one version says that they date back to the time the Chola empire ruled over Tamil Nadu - pretty ancient!!) However, they have a universal appeal and are liked and relished not only all over India but even the world over. Idlis are basically steamed rice and lentil cakes served with a sambar(a spicy gravy) or chutney(a side dish with coconut as its main ingredient). Idlis are very healthy as they have a perfect combination of proteins and carbohydrates and are steamed. Thus they are very low in oil content. There are many many recipes that people follow but here goes my version.

Ingredients:

1 cup urad dal.
3 cups Par boiled rice/Kusubalakki.
1 cup regular rice(sona masoori)/ootada akki.

Method:

1. Wash both the varieties of rice thoroughly and soak them together for 4-5 hours.
2. Wash the urad dal thoroughly and soak it in water for 2 hours.
3. First grind the urad dal in the grinder till very smooth and fluffy. Add water gradually and intermittently to get a light and fluffy texture.
4. Now grind the soaked rice (remove the excess water used for soaking) into a fine rawa texture. It should be neither too coarse nor too smooth. Add water as required gradually.
5. Add the urad dal batter and salt to the ground rice mixture and run the grinder for 1 minute to ensure that both the batters and salt are mixed well.
6. Now tranfer the contents into a large vessel so that there is enough room for the batter to rise.
7. Allow it to ferment overnight.
8. Next morning, mix the batter well and pour into greased idli plates and steam cook in a pressure cooker for 15 minutes.
9. Once the idlis are done, remove them from the moulds carefully with the help of a flat spoon and serve them hot with ghee and sambar or chutney.

For the recipe for sambar, please refer to the entry "Sambar for idlis".

Variation: Instead of soaking and grinding rice, rice rawa can be used to prepare idlis. Soak the rice rawa in luke warm water just as you start grinding the urad dal. Once the urad dal is ground, drain all the water from the rice rawa, squeeze out well in your hands and add it to the smoothly ground urad dal batter. Add salt allow to ferment and make soft idlis the next morning. Use 2-1/2 cups of rice rawa for 1 cup of urad dal.

Akki Rotti

Akki Rotti is a popular breakfast dish relished in Kannada homes. Though it has many forms, this recipe describes the Bengalooru version.

Ingredients:

Rice flour 2 cups.

Grated coconut 1 cup.

Finely cut onions 1 cup.

Finely cut green chillies 3-4.

Finely cut coriander leaves - 2 tablespoons.

Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon.

Salt to taste.

Method:

1. Put all the above ingredients in a bowl ; Mix well with hands.
2. Add water and mix well so as to form a nice and smooth dough.
3. Take a kadai or tava, smear oil generously.
4. Take a cricket ball sized dough mixture. Pat the same on the kadai or tava. Make a small hole in the middle with your forefinger and add a 1/4 teaspoon oil.
5. Place on the stove on medium flame ; Cook covered for 7-8 minutes.
6. Once it is cooked, use a flat ladle to separate the cooked rotti from the kadai or tava.
7. Repeat the process for the next rotti after cooling the back of the kadai or tava with running cold water.
8. Serve hot with ghee/chutney/chutney pudi/pickle/curds. This is best relished when eaten hot.

Variation: To the same dough, thinly cut fenugreek leaves or dill leaves or grated carrot can be added in combination with onion or without onion.