Indira

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ReKMdvmMSA

The song that I always wanted to sing..

Music always tantalizes me.. It arouses in me a desire to achieve, a desire to love and live.. It flows into me like deep truth, a wave of realization that hits you when you know the truth...I love my life there is no doubt about that.. But music makes me believe that there is God. I am humbly been bestowed with this gift. A very precious gift from my mother. When there are times when I am down, it makes me alive. I know love,truth and God, when I am with music. It is my first love and I am very passionate about it.

Kayaking- San Diego May 11 2011

Rava Idly

I love my Rava Idly. It is extremely simple and amazingly tasty. I make my Rava Idlies from scratch and I absolutely love them.

Things you will need:
1. Coarse Sooji Rava
2. Ghee/Oil
3. Curds(Rava:curds-->2:1)
4. Ginger
5. Green Chillis
6. Urad dal(1 tsp)
7. channa dal(1 tsp)
8. Mustard(1 tsp)
9. Cashewnuts(Kajju)
10.Eno fruit salt(From Indian stores)
11.Tomatos
12. Coriander leaves.

If Eno fruit salt is not available, please use baking powder and lemon juice. The Eno fruit salt gives the fermentation for the Rava Idly.

Take a pan and pour oil into the skillet. Put mustard,channa dal and urad dal into it(Got from the local Indian Store, 1tsp each).









1.Urad dal 2.Channa dal 3.Mustard


Add cashewnuts to the oil with the above ingredient.







Cashew nuts

Add coarse rava to the above recipe and fry till golden brown. Cool it down a while for 5 mins after the frying.


Add finely chopped ginger and green chillies to the to golden brown rava. Add curds and add salt to taste. Mix water to the recipe till a fine paste is formed.
Slice thin slices of tomato(Extremely thin) and cut coriander and keep it aside.
Take the Idly plates as shown in the picture in the left.



Place the thinly sliced tomatoes on top of the idly plates and a a piece of the coriander leaves. Spray the cooking spray on each dent of the idly plate. If cooking spray is unavailable, put oil to each dent. This is done so that the idly doesn't stick to the idly plates.



Take the batter that was prepared previously. Just before placing it on the idly plates add eno fuit salt(2 tsp) to it. As shown in the figure below.

Place the batter on the idly plates. Make sure not to fill each idly dent completely as the idly expands in size in the cooker.
Place the idly plate in a pressure cooker. Steam the idlies without the weight of the cooker for 15 mins. Once that is done cool it down for 5 mins. Remove the cooker lid and the rava idly is ready!

Tawa Pulav:

A very easy dish (15 minutes). I learnt this dish from a video of Sanjeev Kapoor. I really think this is an easy one to make. Especially if you have a lot to do and very little time.















Things you will need:
1. Onion-1
2. Tomatoes-2
3. peas(smashed)-1/2 cup
4. carrots
5. Pav bhaji masala-3 spoons or 2 spoons if you want it less spicy.
6. Ginger garlic paste - 2 teaspoons
7.lemon juice-2 teaspoons
8. Coriander
9. 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
10. Capsicum.



1. Cook the onions till transparent and add cut tomatoes to it. Once tomatoes turn a little tender, add the peas and carrots. Once they are cooked, add the pav bhaji masala and the ginger garlic paste. Add the chilli powder.
2. Add the rice and fry it on a tawa(non stick). Now after stirring add green capsicum(I have used red capsicum, which can be used).
3. After frying for a while add quarter glass water, add the lemon juice and salt to taste. Add coriander on top.
The dish is ready to serve!