Menthula Pappu / Andhra Style Lentil Preparation with Fenugreek Seeds

I being an Indian and vegetarian, eat legumes in one form or another on a daily basis for my protein quota. And I  therefore keep showcasing 'traditional' dals (Indian lentil recipes) regularly here. When I peeked recently at the 'dals' category in my blog, I realized some needed tweaking in terms of content and some posts needed better images. Here is one such post which needed some fixing and was originally posted in July, 2010. This dal used to be a regular one in my mother-in-law's kitchen and now loved by even my kids at our home.

Today's dal is a healthy and rather an uncommon one from Rayalaseema area of Andhra Pradesh, called menthula pappu. As the name suggests, menthulu or fenugreek seeds is the star in this traditional recipe. It should not be confused with the dal prepared using fenugreek greens / methi leaves. Unlike most of the dals, this does not require any vegetables and gives the fenugreek seeds an opportunity to shine. 

And no, the dal is not bitter because of the fenugreek seeds used. The fenugreek seeds soften once they are cooked and it is hard to notice them while eating. If you are one of those who soak their lentils before cooking, just remember not to soak the fenugreek seeds as well as they lend bitterness to the dal. The taste of the finished dal is uniquely flavorful and refreshes your taste buds. 

Ingredients:
1 cup pigeon peas / yellow lentils / toordal
3 tbsp. fenugreek seeds
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1 tsp, spicy variety chili powder or to taste
1/4 cup watery tamarind puree (Soak 1/4 cup tamarind in water for an hour or place in a microwave with little water for about 3 minutes. Then squeeze the juice adding a little if needed. The leftover tamarind puree can be refrigerated and used within 2 days.)
Ingredients for tadka: 

1 or 2 tsp. oil

1 tsp. mustard seeds

1 tsp. cumin seeds

A sprig of curry leaves

2 pinches of ground asafoetida

Cooking:
1. Wash the lentils and fenugreek seeds with two exchanges of water and throw away the cloudy water. Then transfer the lentils and fenugreek seeds to a container. Add about 2 cups of water and turmeric to it. Place the container in pressure cooker, close the lid and put on the valve. Pressure cook the lentils until 3 whistles or until done.  
Alternatively, the lentils can be cooked in a pan on stove top, stirrng frequently. Add water as needed and cook until the lentils turns mushy.
2. Remove the dal from cooker and mash it slightly with the back of a ladle. 
3. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When mustard seeds start to splutter, add curry leaves and asafoetida. (This tempering can be done at the end and added to the cooked lentils.) 
4. Then add the mashed lentils, salt, chili powder and tamarind puree to the pan and mix well. Add some water if the mixture appears too thick. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. 

5. Cook  on medium heat setting until it starts to boil and then turn down the heat setting to low. Cook for a couple of minutes more and turn off the stove.

* Serve it warm with some hot steamed rice and a tsp of ghee.

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A - Z Idli Series ~ V for Vendhaya Idli

It's time for the idli series again. For those uninitiated, here is a detailed post about idlis and tips for the preparation. So far in this series, I have posted -

A for Avarekayi Idli

B for Bajra Flour idli

C for Cornmeal Idli

D for Dal Idli

E for Elaneer Idli

F for Foxtail Millet Idli

G for Green Gram Idli

H for Halasina Hannina Idli

I for Idli (using idli rice)

J for Jowar Idli

K for Kumbalakaayi Idli

L for Lauki Idli

M for Mallige Idli

N for Navadhanya idli

O for Oats Idli

P for Poha Idli

Q for Quinoa Idli

R for Ragi Rave Idli

S for Sabbakki Idli

T for Thatte Idli

U for Uddina Idli

The standard version idlis are prepared with skinned black gram and idli rice, that usually go in a ratio of 1:2 or 1:3. However there are a few exceptions like my previous post in this series, uddina idli which was made using skinned black gram / urad dal alone. Here is one more which is prepared using idli rice alone, called vendhaya idli from Tamil Nadu. I accidentally came across these idlis on a YouTube video and the recipe intrigued me enough to try them later. These idlis are made with just two ingredients, namely idli rice and fenugreek seeds. Fenugreek seeds are called 'vendhayam' in Tamil and hence the name of the idlis. The traditional version also contains castor seeds and prepared during summer to combat heat.

Idli rice and fenugreek seeds are soaked, ground and the batter is fermented. Fenugreek seeds which are bitter by taste do not lend any bitterness to idlis and are a healthy addition to idlis here. The fenugreek seeds when soaked turn soft and yields fluffiness to the ground batter. Eno's fruit salt or baking soda is added to the fermented batter just before making the idlis. In fact, adding Eno's fruit salt is a crucial step in the preparation. It helps in yielding a soft, fluffy texture to idlis, even without the addition of black gram / urad dal. Omitting Eno's fruit salt would yield rock hard idlis that are fit to trash. I prefer Eno's fruit salt over baking soda, whenever a idli recipe requires it but if using baking soda, make sure that it is still within expiry date. Otherwise baking soda yields a weird smell to idlis, ruining the taste.

Ingredients:

2 cups idli rice
1.5 to 2 tbsp. fenugreek seeds

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp. Eno's fruit salt *

* Baking soda can be added instead of Eno's fruit salt but make sure that it is not beyond expiry date.

Directions:

1. Rinse idli rice, and fenugreek seeds together with water and drain. Repeat the step one more time. Soak them together in water in a bowl for about 4 hours and drain the water used to soak completely.

2. Grind them together adding salt and water as needed to grind them into a smooth and thick batter. (The salt can be added just before making idlis if living in a warm climate. I add it while grinding since I live in a cold climate and the batter takes longer to ferment.)

3. Transfer the batter to a container that is big enough to allow the batter to raise during fermentation. Cover the container and allow it to ferment overnight (if the batter was ground in the evening) or for about 10 - 12 hours in a warm place. If living in a cold climate, leaving the batter in an oven with the lights on (without turning on the oven) helps. Or use yogurt setting in an instant pot.

4. The fermented batter should rise well and be fluffy but not turn sour.  . 

5. Heat about 2 cups of water in a idli cooker base or a idli cooker or a steamer on medium heat. 

6. Grease the idli moulds with ghee / oil. 

7. Gently stir the batter a couple of times with a ladle. Add Eno's fruit salt to the batter and sprinkle a tbsp. of water over it. Immediately stir the batter well until it starts to turn frothy. 

8. Ladle the batter into the idli plates carefully without spilling.

9. Place the idli stand in the prepared cooker / steamer and close the lid. Don't use the valve for the lid if using a pressure cooker.

10. Steam the idlis on medium heat setting for about 15 - 20 minutes or until done. (The idlis should not stick when touched with moist fingers.) Check the water level in the steamer base and add extra if needed.

8. Wait for about 10 minutes and then remove the idlis from idli stand. Remove the idlis by running a spoon around the edges.

How to serve idlis:

Drizzle some melted ghee over the idlis and serve them with a chutney, and sambhar if preferred. Mine were served with Kumbakonam Kadappa and sambhar.

What to do with leftover idlis:

1. Refrigerate the left over idlis and use in a day or two. 

2. Or they can be cooled down immediately after preparation and frozen to use later. Nuke them in a microwave, covered and enjoy hot, piping idlis when needed. 

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Brown Rice Dosa

                                    Brown rice dosas served with chutney powder

After starting Jihva work out, I am using more brown rice in my diet than before. I have started to replace white rice with it even in breakfast items like dosas and idlis. Using brown rice does not change either appearance or taste of dosas.
Breakfast these days mostly is a brown rice dosa and a fruit.

Ingredients to make dosas:
Brown Rice - 1 cup
Urad dal - 1/4 cup
Chanadal - 2 Tbsp
Methi/Fenugreek Seeds - 1 tsp
Salt as needed

The 'How' part:
Soak rice, dals and methi seeds in plenty of water for at least 4 hours. Drain the water and grind the ingredients into a smooth batter adding as little water as needed. Add salt and mix well. Allow the batter to ferment overnight in a warm place.
Make dosas with the fermented batter in the morning.
For fermenting tips, look here and for making dosas, check here.

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Menthya/Menthe Dose

I have a special bonding with the state Karnataka, the sandalwood land where I grew up and spent most part of my life. I am partial towards its cuisine. My all time favorite dishes happen to be from that state and my closest friends happen to be Kannadigas. Though not pre planned, I strongly feel the urge to showcase this week, Karnataka breakfast dishes for the Jihva - Breakfast event. 
And therefore after cabbage dose, here are menthya doses. (I promise the next dishes will not be doses.) As the name suggests the dose batter contains menthye / fenugreek seeds in a little over dose than a regular dose batter and that difference counts. It makes these dosas taste fabulous with that fenugreeky aroma. Serve hot with chutney / palya /sambhar and your guests would be salivating for more.


Served on the plate - Menthya dose with peanut chutney

Ingredients to make dosas:
2 cups rice (long grain will do)
1/2 cup uraddal
4 tsp fenugreek (methi) seeds
1 Tbsp poha
2 tsp salt

Making Batter:
Take all the ingredients except salt in a container and wash them twice. Then soak them in water for a minimum of 3 - 4 hours. (The ingredients should be immersed in water through out the soaking period and so add more water while soaking.)
Throw away the water used to soak and grind the soaked rice - dal to a smooth batter adding as little water as needed. When you feel the ground batter between your fingers, it should be smooth and not coarse. Then add the salt to the batter and mix well. Allow it to ferment overnight.

Making dosas:
Heat a dosa pan and pour a ladle (about 1/4 cup) of batter onto it. Spread into a thin circle with the back of the ladle and pour 1/4 tsp of oil around the dosa. Let it cook on low - medium flame. When the bottom side is cooked and turns golden brown, flip the dosa with a spatula, spread again 1/4 tsp of oil around the dosa and let it cook for a few seconds. Remove the dosa when done.
Repeat the process with the remaining batter.

Tip: If dosa and idli batters wont ferment/raise during cold weather, leave the batter container covered, in an oven with the light on. And if the problem still persists, try this. Preheat the oven & turn it off, leave the light on and put the batter container. Also try to ferment for a little more time than you usually do. For example, if you grind usually during 6 pm try doing it by 1 pm.

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