Chilka Roti

Chilka roti is a simple, rustic crepe from Jharkhand state that I discovered while cooking my Thaalis. These have become a regular on my weekend breakfast menu in the recent months because of the ease in preparation. They are made with rice and chana dal / split chickpeas. It is a simple, straight forward recipe if one is familiar with the south Indian dosa making. The rice and lentil need to be soaked overnight or at least a couple of hours in the morning. It can be then ground with salt and enough water. I usually add a tsp. of cumin seeds to the ground batter though it is not used in the recipe. The crepes can be made immediately using the ground batter as there is no need to ferment this batter.

 

Rice and split chickpeas / chana dal are used in 2:1 ratio but sometimes I use them in equal proportions. The batter can even be ground and refrigerated in advance to save the time in the morning rush hour. Just make sure to use up the batter in about 2 or 3 days after grinding though I remember the batter lasting a little longer in my refrigerator. They can be made for breakfast, brunch or they can even be a fuss-free dinner idea. Serve these easy, healthy and filling crepes with chutney of your choice. Mine were served with roasted gram chutney and tomato chutney.

Ingredients: 

1 cup rice
1/2 split chickpeas / Bengal gram / chana dal

Salt to taste

Water to grind

Oil to make chilka roti

Directions:

1. Add rice and split chickpeas to a bowl and rinse twice with water and drain. Soak them in water for 3 hours or overnight. 

2. Drain the water used to soak before grinding. 

3. Add the soaked ingredients and salt to a blender / grinder and grind finely adding water as required to form a thick, pourable consistency batter. (This batter gets runny very easily and so start adding a small amount of water to grind initially and go on adding as needed). Transfer the batter to a container.

4. Heat a griddle and pour a ladleful batter at the center and spread it thinly with the back of the ladle. Drizzle oil around the edges and cook until the surface appears dry. 

* Flip the roti and cook on the other side as well for few seconds.

* Remove it with a spatula and repeat the roti making process.

* Serve them warm with chutney of your choice.

This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon and check the link to find out what other marathoners are cooking.

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Uppu Huli Dose / Pathrode Dose

It is good to be back after the brief hiatus I had from blogging. I am going to post a few regional recipes from the south Indian state of Karnataka this week. The first one in the series is going to be a popular breakfast recipe from the coastal regions of Karnataka called uppu huli dose. Uppu means salt and huli means sour while dose pronounced 'though-say' is the local term for the popular south Indian breakfast crepe called dosa.  

These dose make a great alternative to regular dosas and the fact that the batter doesn't need any fermentation is an added bonus. All one needs to do is soak rice for a few hours and then grind with spices. The final batter would be slightly spicy, sweet and sour. One can add vegetables like any chopped greens, ridge gourd, or cabbage to the batter to make the dose more nutritious. These dose can be served with or without any side dish.

Ingredients for dose batter:
1 cup rice
1/2 cup fresh or frozen shredded coconut
3 - 4 dried red chili
1 tbsp. sized tamarind ball
1 heaped tbsp. coriander seeds
1 heaped tsp. cumin seeds
1 tbsp. jaggery or to taste
Salt to taste
About 1 cup water to grind the batter
Oil to make dose

Note:
1. There is no need to use sona masuri / Basmati kind expensive rice to make these dose. I used extra long grain rice which is available in bulk at Costco / Sam's club. 

2. If using frozen coconut, nuke it in a microwave for a minute to thaw it. 

3. Byadagi variety chilies lend a reddish color to dose.

Directions:

* Rinse, drain and soak rice in water for about 3 to 4 hours. Drain the water completely from rice after the soaking period. Add everything except oil to  a blender / mixer and grind them together to a fine batter. Transfer the ground batter to a container.

* Heat a griddle and pour a ladleful of batter at the center of it. Spread it into a circle with the back of the ladle. 

* Drizzle few drops of oil around the edges and cook it covered at low medium flame.

* When the bottom side is cooked, flip it and cook the other side as well.

* Remove and serve it warm with butter / yogurt or coconut chutney.

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Millet Tomato Uthappam / Spicy Indian Millet Pancakes

I came across a quick version uthappam with a twist on a Telugu cooking show and tried them, choosing to replace the rice in the recipe with millet. The uthappams on the show were prepared using a 'grind but no ferment' kind of batter. I have tried both that instant and fermented batter versions and I definitely prefer the texture of the uthappams prepared using fermented batter. One can add tomatoes and coconut to the batter while grinding if choosing not to ferment the batter. They can be ground and added to the batter just before making uthappam if you are going to ferment the batter. If you have anyone at home (like my daughter) who prefers not to see veggies on their uthappams, then grind carrot, onion and green chillies (if using) along with tomatoes and coconut and add to the batter. Vegetables and some extra nutrition can be sneaked in that way.

Ingredients: (Yield 15 uthappam)
1 cup millet
1/2 cup urad dal / skinned black gram
Salt to taste
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup fresh grated coconut (optional)
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. chopped ginger
2 finely chopped green chillies (Skip of serving kids)
1 chopped onion
2 carrots, peeled and grated
Cilantro
Oil to make uthappam

Directions:
* Soak millet and urad dal in water for about 3 hours. Rinse and drain the water. Grind them together adding salt to a thick, fine batter, adding about 1/2 cup water. (Midway, add tomato pieces and coconut to the batter and grind if choosing not to ferment the batter.)
* Allow the batter to sit and ferment overnight. Add tomatoes and coconut to the batter and grind fine just before making uthappams.  
* Heat a griddle / rimless pan. Pour about 1/4 cup batter and spread just enough to make a circle, keeping it thick. Immediately sprinkle onion, carrot, green chillies, ginger, cumin and cilantro over the dosa. Pour 1/4 tsp. oil around the edges. Cook until the bottom side is cooked and the top starts to appear dry, about 30 - 40 seconds. Flip and spread oil around the edges again, only if preferred. Cook until the bottom side cooks well, about 30 seconds or so. Remove the uthappam and transfer onto a plate. 
* Repeat the uthappam making steps with the remaining batter. Serve them warm with some spicy chutney.

 

This post goes to Blogging marathon and check out the page to read what other marathoners are cooking. It is posted for 'Kids' Delight' event hosted by Vidyha this month with 'Vegetables sneaked in' theme.

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