snacks | Pakoda Stories

Uthappam Recipe | How To Make A Quick Vegetable Uthappam

April 26, 2021 2 Comments

Childhood Memories

My mother is undoubtedly a great influence on my cooking journey. She is a superwoman who has so many food tricks up her sleeve! The kitchen habits she practices are efficiency in time management and optimal utilization of resources in the kitchen. She is also good at sneaking vegetables into food, using up leftovers, and cooking within a budget without any wastage.

Every week, she would make a huge batch of idli batter, enough to feed our family of 4. The idli batter is made of rice and a specific type of lentil known as urad dal. The urad dal gives the batter a fluffiness akin to egg whites in a recipe. The lighter, fluffier combination of the urad dal with some rice batter floats around at the top. The heavier and denser rice batter settles at the bottom.

No Wastage!

My mother makes the versatile idlis for breakfast, lunch, or dinner during the first half of the week. Pair the idlis with coconut chutneys and a spicy vegetable sambar for a sumptuous meal. After the first couple of days, the batter becomes denser as we skim the lighter urad-rice batter off the top for making idlis. This batter is perfect for making dosas. You can make dosas with the dense batter for the next couple of days. The final bit of leftover batter becomes so thick that it can neither make a good dosa or good idli on its own. My mother uses this batter to make an easy, quick pancake recipe called Uthappam.

South Indian Pizzas!

The Uthappam is like a pizza made using idli/dosa batter. You can put any toppings you want on it and it becomes whatever you want it to be! It is great for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Make this Uthappam in a dollar pancake pan and watch your kids get super excited about their meals. My favorite version is a podi uthappam which is made with veggies and a special spice powder made of lentils, chilies, and sesame seeds. Lace the uthappam with a touch of ghee to lift the flavors of the vegetables and the spices!

Learn to make idli batter at home

You can make this Uthappam with fresh idli batter as well! Check out my recipe on how to make a basic idli batter. Or you can always head to a nearby Indian grocer and pick up a tub of idli batter.

FOOD

5-Minute Recipes | How to Make Cilantro Cheese Æbleskivers

January 5, 2021 No Comments

Discovering Æbleskivers

On one of our trips to Southern California, we stopped at a city called Solvang in Santa Ynez Valley. Once you enter the exit to Solvang via another city called Buellton, the architecture is more German/Danish than American. You see a traditional windmill which is rare in this side of the country. As you drive further down into Solvang, you are transported to the midst of a very Danish city. The only American things are the currency used and the way they drive their cars.

Paula’s Pancake House in Solvang, California

One of the highlights of this trip was definitely food. It was delightful to see so many Danish families carry forward their traditions to this day. Interestingly, this was also the trip we had Æbleskivers for the very first time. On our first day in Solvang, we had breakfast at a popular spot – Paula’s pancake house. I was amazed at how very similar these little bite-sized pan-fried doughnut holes were to our Tamil “Kuzhipaniyaram”. Our paniyarams are both sweet and savory. I loved it and we make it a point to stop at Paula’s every time we drive by Solvang.

Celebrating New Year’s Eve during the Pandemic

On New Year’s Eve, we celebrated a quiet evening at home. My husband and I cooked up a simple and sumptuous meal. The day before, I was looking through recipes to plan a simple menu for New Years’. I had already decided on a Spinach Mushroom Lasagna and a squash and fig salad.

Paniyaram or Æbleskiver?

I was looking up recipes for an appetizer. I wasn’t in the mood to fry up anything or bake more. I needed something that was quick, savory, and never tried before. The only thing that came to my mind which would qualify for an appetizer without baking or frying was Kuzhipaniyarams. That recipe needs an overnight fermented batter. This is when I had an A-ha moment. Why not make savory Aebleskivers? They are like paniyarams except they don’t need all that fermentation. The batter takes all of 2 minutes to put together. And the topping options are endless.

I made a simple cheese and cilantro stuffed Aebleskiver. It takes all of 5 minutes to cook up a batch of Aebleskivers. It is delicious, light, fluffy, and mildly spiced. Overall, this is one recipe I will be revisiting.

Notes

You can deseed the pepper if you find it very hot.Take 2-3 cardamom pods. Lightly crush and remove the seeds. Powder the seeds

I’m not sponsored. But these are some of the pans I like. Cast iron is always the best. But sometimes a non-stick pan can help especially for those with weak hands!

FOOD

How to Make Idli – Essential South Indian Breakfasts

November 28, 2020 1 Comment

Fermentation – The Foundation of South Indian Cooking

One must learn to ferment to get a true understanding of South Indian cuisine. From our pickles to our idlis/dosas to our yogurt, we rely heavily on the process of fermentation. So what is fermentation? To put it in simple terms, it is to simply wait. If you learn to wait, half the cooking is already done.

Practice the art of waiting

Wait for the pot to get hot.
Wait for the water to boil.
Wait till you get a sour smell in fermentation
Wait a few days before you mix the pickle before you wait again!
Wait… Wait… WAIT!

Good for your Guts

The best way to learn the art of waiting is to learn fermentation. The recipe that will teach you that is the humble Idli. This fermented and steamed recipe is the most essential South Indian breakfast. The fermentation creates good bacteria in the batter that is good for your gut health. Indian doctors recommend idlis as the first solid food for babies. If you are sick, have idli. If you are celebrating, have idli. Idlis are perfect for every occasion.

Use this recipe to make crispy dosas too!

Over the weekend, I made a fresh batch of idlis with a delicious instant pot sambar. Some families are so particular about their batters. They will use separate ratios and ingredients to make their batters. I use one ratio for most batters. Why? Because it makes my life easy and also the closest thing to home.

Notes:

There are variations. But the base ingredients of rice and dal remain the same. Some add poha or flattened rice flakes. Some add a handful of cooked rice and some add broken rice.
You can soak the urad dal an hour before grinding.
Ensure the pot is only filled halfway through to allow the fermented batter to rise.
I like mixing the batters with my hand to allow some bacteria from my hands to propel the fermentation process. I follow it up with a quick turn of my hand blender.
I like to place the batter in my instant pot or the microwave. The instant pot ferments the batter on yogurt mode. This usually takes about 6-10 hours in the summer and 18-30 hours in the winter.

Once fermented, the batter should have risen. Idlis can be made using a special idli cooker or by simply steaming the idli plate in a closed pot with a little water at the bottom. For either method, you will need to purchase a set of idli plates for the authentic idli.