Dry Fruit & Nut Sweet Chutney

Serve this sweet concoction over toasted bread, waffles, or ice cream - or find another creative way to consume it!

1 cup assorted dried fruit, chopped (pineapple, apricot, apple, peach, pear, cranberries, blueberries - any combination)
1/2 cup nuts (chopped walnuts, pecans, cashews, sliced or slivered almonds - any combination)
2 tblsp butter or ghee
2 tblsp brown or white sugar
1/4 tsp each cardamom powder and ground cinnamon OR 1/2 tsp ground allspice

Melt the butter or ghee in a skillet or saucepan. Add the fruits and nuts, and stir on low heat for a few minutes.

Add sugar and half cup water. Bring to a boil and simmer till the fruits are soft and the liquid is thick and syrupy, adding a little more water if necessary.

Remove from the stove, and mix in the spice powders. Refrigerate any leftovers and reheat in microwave before serving.

Brown Rice & Nut Paayasam (rice pudding)

This delicious paayasam (பாயசம்) satisfies your sweet tooth, while being healthy. It uses brown rice, nuts and skim milk. The sugar in this recipe is typically half of what is traditionally used. Add more according to taste, or sweeten individual servings with honey.

1/3 cup brown basmati rice, soaked for 2 - 3 hours
1/3 cup blanched almonds, cashews or walnuts
1/3 cup sugar
2 tblsp coarsely powdered pistachio
2 tblsp raisins (optional)
A few shreds of saffron, crushed
1 tsp cardamom powder
Skim milk

Rinse and drain the rice, and cook in a pressure cooker with 1 cup water and 1/2 cup milk. When pressure has subsided, remove lid and mash to a coarse paste.

Grind the nuts into a smooth paste with milk. Add to the rice in the cooker. Add milk and cook (without the pressure lid) for a few minutes, stirring frequently on low heat, taking care that the milk does not boil over. Add 2 - 3 cups of milk first, adding more if necessary to obtain desired consistency.

Add the sugar, raisins, pistachio and safron. Cook for a few minutes. Turn off heat, and add cardamom. Mix well and enjoy!

Brown Rice and Whole Moong Idli (steamed dumplings)

பச்சை பயிறு இட்லி

2 cups brown basmati rice, washed and soaked for 4 - 5 hours

2/3 cup whole moong (green gram/ lentils), washed and soaked for 3 hours

2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tblsp finely grated ginger or 1 tsp dry ginger powder

1 tsp coarsely ground cumin

1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

Grind the drained rice in a blender, adding enough water to achieve a medium-coarse consistency (slightly coarser than a very smooth paste). Grind the dal separately with enough water to make a thick smooth paste.

Mix the rice and dal pastes, salt and baking soda together with hands, until well blended. (Note: Batter should not be thin; nor should it be so thick that it cannot be spooned into the moulds easily).

Place in a large container that will allow room for the batter to rise. Batter is ready when it has risen to more than double the original level. Mix with spoon until frothy. (It should be refrigerated if not using immediately after full fermentation).

When ready to make the idlis: Grease idli plates; add the ginger, cumin, pepper, and a couple of teaspoons of oil or melted ghee (clarified butter) to the batter. Steam in a pressure cooker (on the steam setting, without pressure), or an idli cooker for 15 - 20 minutes. Serve with any chutney or sambar.

Red Pepper Chutney

This chutney is an excellent accompaniment to dosas, idlis, upma, adai or pongal, and is also great as a sandwich spread.

1 large sweet red bell pepper, cut into pieces
2 tblsp cashewnuts
1 large (or two small) dried red chillies
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp asafetida (hing) - optional
2 tblsp oil
1 tsp salt
2 tsp tamarind paste

Heat oil in a small pan or skillet. Add the mustard, coriander, cumin and red chillies.

Add cashew, and roast till cashew turns a deep golden color. Add red pepper, turmeric and hing.

Stir fry the peppers for a few minutes. Add tamarind and cook for another minute.

When the mixture is cool, grind into a smooth paste in a blender or food processor, adding water to achieve a thick chutney consistency.

Variations: Add a small cut tomato in addition to the pepper; experiment with orange and yellow peppers; use more cashew nuts for a creamier, richer chutney.

Instant Dosa (oats, cream of wheat & rice flour crepes)

Mix the following ingredients with enough water to make a thin batter:

1/2 cup instant oatmeal (plain)
1/2 cup rava (cream of wheat)
1/2 cup rice flour (regular or brown rice)
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp asafetida (hing)
1/2 tsp dry ginger powder
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 green chilli, finely sliced

Heat 2 tsp oil in a small pan. Add the following seasoning ingredients; when they splutter, pour into the batter:

1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds

Add the following to the batter:

1/2 cup chopped spinach
1/2 cup chopped red onion

Let the batter rest for 10 - 15 minutes prior to making the dosas.

1. Drizzle some oil on a griddle and spread evenly, especially in the middle.

2. When the griddle is heated (drops of water should sizzle and disappear immediately when sprinkled on it), pour the dosa batter in a circle, starting outside and filling in.

3. Cook till brown, and flip to the other side; drizzle a few drops of oil around the dosa and on top when cooking.

Tip: distribute batter evenly, working quickly. It should have a lacy appearance like a crepe.

Vegetable Adai (brown rice and lentil pancakes)

Sorry followers - I've been on a long hiatus, with no time to update my blog. I hope to restore some regularity to my posts. Try this wholesome, protein-rich recipe that tastes as good as it sounds. Enjoy!

Soak the following ingredients for 2 - 3 hours:
1/2 cup each of these lentils: urad dal (black gram), channa dal (bengal gram), whole moong (green gram) and toor dal (split pigeon peas)
(Variation: use 1/2 cup of whole moong and 1/4 cup each of two other dals; or 2 cups of whole moong)
1 cup of brown rice

Grind soaked ingredients into a thick, medium-coarse paste in a blender or food processor, along with the following:
2 small green chillies
2 dried red chillies
2 - 3 tsp salt
1 tsp asafetida (hing)
1 tblsp chopped ginger
1/2 tsp turmeric

Add the following to the batter:
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped onions (optional)
1 cup chopped spinach

Heat a griddle rubbed with sesame oil. Pour a big ladle full of batter in the center, and spread in a circular motion to desired size/ thickness. Drizzle some oil all around the circumference of the adai and on top.

When it turns a reddish-golden brown at the bottom, flip it over and cook on the other side. Serve with your favorite chutney. (Leftover batter can be refrigerated; make sure you use it within a few days).