Little Millet Idli/Dosa (சாமை இட்லி/ தோசை)

Little millet (சாமை) is a minor millet that is rich in vitamins like folic acid and vitamin B3 as well as minerals like calcium, phosphorus and iron. This millet can be used as staple rice, and today let us make idly and dosa using little millet.

Ingredients: 

Little millet - 4 cups

Whole urad dhal or Black gram dhal - 1 cup

Methi or fenugreek seeds - 1 tablespoon

Salt - to taste

Oil - for making dosa and for smearing idly moulds

Method:

How to prepare the batter: Wash and soak little millet separately. You may have to wash the millet several times till the water runs clear. Let the millet soak for 8 hours. Wash and soak urad dhal and fenugreek seeds together, and let the ingredients soak for 4-5 hours. Drain the water and grind urad dhal and fenugreek seeds using a wet grinder or a mixer-grinder into a spongy mass. Transfer to a large vessel. Now grind the soaked little millet into a smooth paste. This way you can make both idly and dosa with the same batter. However, if you want to make only idly you can remove the millet paste when the consistency is slightly coarse. Alternatively if you want to make only dosa, you can grind the paste to a very fine consistency. After grinding to the desired consistency, transfer the millet paste to the same vessel on top of the urad dhal paste. Add required salt and mix both the pastes very well. Cover and allow it to ferment for 8 hours. 

Note: Use a larger container to hold the batter overnight, as the batter will rise when fermented.

How to prepare idlies: Mix the batter well before using. Smear the idly moulds with oil. Pour batter up to the brim in each mould. Pour 300 ml of water in a pressure cooker or rice cooker. Steam the idlies for 5-7 minutes. Switch off the stove and remove the idly mould. Allow the idlies to cool for a minute or two. Remove the idlies from the mould using a knife or flat spoon, and transfer to a hot case. Serve hot with chutney and sambar.

Note: You may test if the idlies are cooked by using a wooden tooth pick. Wet the tooth pick and drive it through the idly in the mould. If the idly is cooked, the tooth pick will come out smoothly with no batter sticking on it.

How to prepare dosas: Mix the batter well before using. Add water, if required, to make a smooth batter with pouring consistency. Heat the tava on medium flame. Once ready, spread the batter evenly on the tava. You may make the dosa slightly thick or thin and crisp. Add oil around the dosa and allow it to cook for a minute. When cooked, bubbles appear on the surface of a thick dosa. If you are spreading the batter thin, wait for the dosa to become golden brown. Turn the dosa over and cook for short while. Remove from the tava and serve hot with chutney and sambar.

Note: You may refrigerate the batter and use it make idlies and dosas as needed. Idlies are preferably made on the first two days. Beyond two days the batter may start to sour and idlies will not taste good.

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Sev Tamatar

Sev Tamatar is a traditional Gujarati tomato and sev curry. This is easy-to-make tangy recipe that can be served with roti or chapati. 

Ingredients:

Tomato - medium sized, 12 no, chopped

Onion - large, 1 no, chopped (Optional)*

Oil - 2 tablespoons

Cumin seeds/Jeera- 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - ½ teaspoon

Coriander powder - 1 tablespoon

Cumin powder - 1 teaspoon

Ginger green chilli paste - 1-2 teaspoons (adjust to taste)

Sugar or jaggery powder - 1 teaspoon

Asafoetida - a generous pinch

Salt - to taste

Coriander leaves - chopped, 1 tablespoon

Sev - preferably thick variety, 1 cup or as required** 

*Onion is not used in the traditional preparation. However, I prefer to add onion.

**Sev can be made at home using a sieve with larger holes.

Method:

Heat oil in a kadai; add cumin seeds and when they start to sputter, add in chopped onion. Sauté till onion turns light brown in color. Add tomato pieces, masala powders, salt, sugar, ginger-green chili paste and asafoetida. Add 1 cup of water and mix well. Cover and cook on low flame till the tomato becomes pulpy. Mash with a vegetable masher and add half a cup of water if needed. Simmer for a minute. Garnish with coriander leaves. Add sev just before serving.

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Kâradai (காரடை)

Traditionally, kâradai (காரடை) is prepared for the festival called "Kâradaiyan nombu" (காரடையான் நோன்பு) or "Savithri nombu" (சாவித்ரி நோன்பு), celebrated on the first day of Tamil month "Panguni" (பங்குனி). This festival is mainly celebrated in South India. On this day, married women observe fasting since morning till the pooja is concluded, and pray for the longevity and well-being of their husbands. Kâradai is made as a pooja offering. Both sweet and salt varieties of kâradai can be made, and it can be served as a snack as well. Let us proceed with this traditional recipe.

Ingredients: (Makes 12 pieces each)

Sweet kâradai:

Idiâppam flour - 1 cup or 200 ml measure*

Jaggery powder - 1 cup or 200 ml measure

Cardamom - 2 no, powdered

Coconut - grated, 2 tablespoons

Karamani or black eyed pea - 2 tablespoons**

Salt kâradai:

Idiâppam flour - 1 cup or 200 ml measure*

Coconut - grated, 2 tablespoons

Karamani or Bengal gram dhal - 2 tablespoons**

Green chili - 1 no, chopped

Ginger - ½" piece, grated

Oil - 1 tablespoon

Mustard - 1 teaspoon

Split urad dhal - 1 teaspoon

Asafoetida - a generous pinch

Curry leaves - a few

Salt - to taste

*Traditionally raw rice is washed several times in water and left to dry in the shade. When half dry, it is powdered finely, sifted through a sieve and lightly roasted. As this process is laborious, I use store bought idiâppam flour and it works well for me.

** You can use either red or white karamani.. 

Method: 

How to make sweet kâradai:

• Wash and soak karamani or black eyed pea in sufficient water for one hour. Later cook in a pressure cooker for 5 minutes. Keep aside. 
• Dissolve jaggery powder in 1¼ cups (250 ml) of water and bring it to boil in a kadai. Reduce the flame. Add idiâppam flour slowly to the jaggery water, while stirring continuously without forming lumps. When the flour mixture forms a mass, switch off the stove. Add in cooked karamani, grated coconut and cardamom powder. Mix well.
• Smear idly mould with oil and keep ready.
• Divide the mixture into 12 equal sized balls. Oil your palm and flatten a ball into a 3" wide disc. Make a hole in the center. Place it in the idly mould depression. Repeat this process with the remaining balls.
• Steam the sweet kâradai in a pressure cooker or idly cooker for 8-10 minutes. Remove and serve hot with butter.

How to make salt kâradai:

• Heat oil in a kadai; add in split urad dhal and Bengal gram dhal. Avoid Bengal gram dhal if you are using karamani. When the dhals turn golden brown, add mustard seeds. When they start to sputter, add ginger, green chili, curry leaves and asafoetida. Sauté for 10 seconds. 
• Add 1¼ cups (250 ml) of water, grated coconut and required salt. Bring it to boil.  Reduce the flame. Add idiâppam flour slowly to boiling water, while stirring continuously without forming lumps. At this stage, you may add cooked karamani instead of Bengal gram dhal. When the flour mixture forms a mass, switch off the stove.
• Divide the mixture into 12 equal sized balls. Oil your palm and flatten a ball into a 3" wide disc. Make a hole in the center. Place it in the idly mould depression. Repeat this process with the remaining balls.
• Steam the salt kâradai in a pressure cooker or idly cooker for 8-10 minutes. Remove and serve hot with coconut chutney or curry leaves chutney.

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