Rava (semolina) Idli

A quick and easy idly that can be fixed instantly. We had a sudden guest drop by during the weekend and I made this urgent 'SOS' call to my mother in law. She was a saviour! Here is a quick and easy way to fix idli's when you have unannounced guests over or when you just feel like going 'South Indian Tiffin' or your toddler needs some good nutrition!

Ingredients:

• Idli Rava/Rava- 1 cup
• Curd- 2 cups
• Fresh Curry Leaves- 15 to 20, washed and roughly torn
• Coconut (optional)- 1/4th cup, grated
• Vegetables (optional)- 1/2 cup, (carrots, beans, beetroot, green peas) diced into very small pieces, pre-boiled
• Ginger- 1 inch, grated
• Hing- a small pinch
• Salt- as per taste

Method:

• Mix the rava, curd, salt, curry leaves, coconut, ginger and hing into a batter.
• Set aside for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Add the vegetables and mix batter again.
• In a pressure cooker fill water up to 2 to 3 inches upward of the base. Switch on the heat and leave the water to steam.
• Handy Tip: When I use my aluminium pressure cooker, I add a couple of pieces of tamarind to the water in order to avoid the blackening. A useful and handy home tip passed on by my mother in law! 
• Now grease the idli pan with a few drops of oil.
• Scoop in a ladle full of the dough into the idli pan. Make sure that the batter is slightly lesser than the edge of the rim else it will over flow while cooking. Makes the pan look very messy!
• Once the set is ready, screw the pan/tray and carefully place into the cooker. I've burnt (chutka types) my hands a few times in the past while trying this trick! 
• Secure the lid without the whistle. Idly needs only the steam therefore the whistle is not required for this dish. You can use any large sauce pan with a lid instead of a cooker.
• Allow the idly to cook for about 8 minutes. Now switch off the flame.
• Once all the steam escapes remove the idly tray. Let it sit for a few minutes before scooping out the idli's.

Serve hot with sambhar/rasam/ginger chutney/coconut chutney/gun powder. 

Macaroni in tomato and basil sauce (pressure cooker recipie- 10 minutes flat!)

I have been crazy busy with my almost 3 year old toddler and thanks to the ever increasing burden of daily chores which has successfully kept me away from my  foodie blog! Being a Monday morning rush hour I am stealing some moments from the mundane to write this post as its helping me de-stress. Adi's breakfast is done and I have exactly 10 minutes before we rush in for our bath post which we dress and leave for school. Phew....no wonder I am getting active on quick and easy food for the family!

I whipped this dish for last nights dinner and it was an instant hit. Had a long day due to our Sunday outing and all of us were dog tiered. Needed some peppy food and voila Italian was the fastest and yummiest of the lot. Sorry, no pictures for the post as I just didn't manage clicking any!

Ingredients:

• Macaroni OR pasta of your choice- 250 gms
• Tomato puree- 2 cups
• Onion- 2 large, cut into small pieces
• Garlic- 8 pods, crushed
• Fresh Basil- 8 to 10 leaves, roughly torn
• Oregano- 1 teaspoon
• Salt- as per taste
• Sugar- 1 teaspoon
• Olive Oil- 3 tablespoon
• Parmesan Cheese- grated, 5 tablespoons.

Method:

• Heat oil in the pressure cooker. Add onion and garlic. Cook till they are brown.
• Now add the oregano and basil leaves and stir for about a minute.
• Add the macaroni and give it a quick stir.
• Pour in the tomato puree and 2 cups of water, salt and sugar. Mix thoroughly.
• Put the lid on. Cook on medium heat. Switch off from heat after 2 whistles.
• Once the steam releases completely transfer the macaroni onto a serving dish and garnish with the cheese. You can be very very liberal while grating the cheese. Adds to the taste!

I served this dish with a liberal portion of cubed seasonal mangoes. Was a hit with not just my son but also 'THE HUSBAND"! :D

Happy cooking!