Couscous and Lentil Dosa with Tomato Coconut Chutney

Internet is such a boon for mankind. If you have it on your mind, you can find it on the internet. Anything and everything. You name it and you have it. My couscous was just not getting over even after experinenting with couscous pizza, couscous pudding, salads, and what not. Problem is the grain swells up so much after soaking that you just cannot use a lot of it in one go. Today, however, I finally finished it with this wonderful dosa recipe from a website called Samayalarai I found on the net. The recipe is quite simple and uses a good bunch of lentils which makes this dosa a super healthy option from the regular ones. Also, it requires just a few hours of soaking which is better for people like me who always forget to soak it overnight! Serve it with some yummy tomato coconut chutney and some sambhar or masala potatoes and you have a wonderful meal to be served!

                                   

Ingredients

2 cups raw rice

1 1/2 cup couscous

1/2 cup moong dal

1/4 cup chana dal

1/4 cup toor dal

1/4 cup urad dal

1 tbsp fenugreek seeds

1/2 cup rice flour

Salt as per taste

Tomato Coconut Chutney

2 medium onions chopped

3 medium tomatoes chopped

1/3 cup grated coconut

1 sprig curry leaves

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 dry red chilli

1 tsp sambhar powder

1 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

1 tbsp oil

Direction

Wash and soak the rice, dals, and fenugreek seeds separately for 4-5 hours. 

Soak the couscous in 1 1/4 cup hot water for 10 minutes. Put all the soaked ingredients in a grinder with little water and make a fine paste just like you do for your dosa batter. 

Add the rice flour and salt and mix well till no lumps remain.

Heat the griddle and lightly grease it. Pour a spoonful of the batter and spread it out with the back of the spoon like you do for regular dosas. Once it browns on one side, flip and cook on the other side till slightly browned. Serve hot!

                                           

Tomato Coconut Chutney

Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds and dry red chilli. Add the curry leaves. Now add the chopped onions and fry till translucent. Add the tomatoes, grated coconut, spices, and salt and mix well. Cover and cook till tender. Remove from heat and let it cool. Grind to a smooth paste and serve.

                                          

Oats and Poha Uttapam (Oats and Beaten Rice Savory Pancakes)

There is nothing much to write about this recipe except that it was simply yummy and my family, including my baby, happily enjoyed their Uttapams without even realizing that they were eating Oats! A very healthy and nutritious breakfast, I had them for dinner instead as I was in no mood to do any major cooking. I have some guests coming over for dinner tomorrow and it is going to be a cooking marathon for me. The dessert is also setting in the fridge and the main course is going to be quite elaborate too. So settled for a simple dinner yet quite filling and healthy. Now, who says you cannot have breakfast for dinner!

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats, lightly roasted

1 cup thin beaten rice or Poha

1/4 cup semolina or sooji

200 ml buttermilk (you may use yogurt diluted with water)

1 cup or more water to soak the oats, poha, and sooji

1 medium onion chopped

1 inch piece ginger finely grated

Fresh coriander leaves chopped

1-2 green chillies chopped (optional)

1 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp chilli powder

Salt to taste

Direction

Soak the oats, poha, and sooji in a bowl with the buttermilk and a little water so that it just covers the mixture. The total water and buttermilk mixture should not exceed 3 cups, else you might end up with a watery batter. Let it stand for about 10-15 minutes and then with the help of a hand blender, blend it to a smooth paste. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix. Heat a non stick girdle and add a little oil. Tilt the girdle so that the oil gets covered on all sides. Now add a little batter and gently tilt the girdle again so that the batter gets spread on its own. Do not make it too thin as it will be difficult to lift later. Cook it on med high heat till golden on one side and then gently flip. There are chances of it getting stuck so be careful while lifting, slowly scraping with a spatula. Serve hot with green chutney and enjoy this delicious and healthy meal.

                                    

 

Tomato Onion Chutney

It often happens that my family sits down to enjoy some homemade dosas and idlis but I have nothing to serve them for chutney. This time around I prepared my meal in advance and made sure I serve them a complete meal. So here is a quick and easy to make onion tomato chutney.

Ingredients

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2-3 dry red chillies

1/4 cup grated coconut

1 tsp mustard seeds

Few curry leaves

Oil 

Directions

In a pan, heat the oil and fry the onions and garlic till onions are translucent and garlic leaves a nice aroma. Add the red chillies and tomatoes and fry till the tomatoes become mushy. Add the coconut and fry some more time. It should not become too dry. Season with salt as per your taste and remove from heat. Cool. Transfer it to a blender and make a fine paste. In another pan, heat about 1 tsp oil and add curry leaves and mustard seeds. When they start spluttering, add it to the blended chutney. Serve. You can chill it in the refrigerator for 1 week. Serve with your favorite dosa, idli, or uttapam.