Idli With A Twist

The Idli here has some ingredients which made it very soft and tastier than the regular idlies. I would like all of you to try this variation. The three coloured peppers, carrots, home grown green chillies and some spinach all finely chopped. The main variation is the split bengal gram lentil soaked in the same quantity as the black gram lentil that is usually soaked and ground, a handful of beaten rice (poha) too. Now i will give you the detailed making of the dish with the ingredients. Don't miss the chilli flower and the plant behind.

Ingredients
The process should start one evening before you want to prepare the idlis

1)
To be soaked for three hours and ground to a fine paste and keep aside for fermentation overnight
1 cup of split bengal gram lentil (Chana dal)
1 cup split black gram lentil (Udad dal)
A handful of the thin variety of beaten rice (Patla poha)

2)
3 cups of idli rava which is available in the market needs to be washed well, drained and kept overnight

3)
Vegetables to be finely chopped are 
4 green chillies
5 spinach leaves
1/2 cup carrots
1/2 cup mixed bell peppers like red, yellow, green
This can be done the next morning, just before adding them to the idli mix

Method

Once the ground mixture is ready and fermented overnight, mix all the ingredients from 1), 2), 3) add salt as per taste and 1/2 tspn of edible soda. Adjust the consistency by adding water if required and make idlies in the idli vessel. Serve hot with chutney and sambar. A dash of  white butter melting away on the idli would take the taste to the next level. 

Could not resist posting the picture of the chilli flower from my tiny balcony.

                       
                                                                        Summer Salad

A very eye pleasing satiating salad, a summer special one. Has all the healthy, tasty ingredients, an easy to make dish.

Ingredients

1/2 a cup of chick peas soaked overnight, pressure cooked to 2 whistles with a pinch of edible soda and a pinch of salt. After draining the chick peas the water can be used in any soup or curry, so preserve it. I also make my dough with the water sometimes.

1/2 cup thin julliens of cabbage
1/4 cup thin julliens of red bell pepper
1/4 cup cucumber thin long pieces
1/4 cup tomatoes chopped into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup of spinach finely jullienned
1/2 cup of cottage cheese chopped into long thin pieces
4-5 olives roughly made into pieces
Olive oil, mixed herbs, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, as per requirement
Cheese shavings can be used as an indulgent topping, I have skipped them since mine is a healthy salad

Method

In a mixing bowl take all the ingredients, add all the above ingredients, skip salt since there is salt in the chick peas and sometimes even the cottage cheese is salted. Mix everything well gently. Keep to rest for at least two hours. You can keep it at room temperature or in the fridge. Choice is yours. This makes for a good healthy mid time meal.