Krishna Janmashtami spread - Neer dosa with sweet coconut milk and coconut chutney

Krishna Janmashtami marks the birth of our beloved Lord Krishna and is a day of religious fervor and celebration. Lord Krishna symbolizes the triumph of good over evil and hence this day brings hope that no matter what, ultimately, goodness and truth will prevail.

We celebrate this day with a typical Manglorean treat - Neer dosa with sweet coconut milk and coconut chutney. Old memories come flooding by on this day and I remember my mum churning out neer dosas  for the midnight feast...yes, we would wait for the 12 0' clock strike signaling the birth of Lord Krishna to start our dinner. The ringing of bells in the nearby temple would echo all around the sleepy colony and mark the birth of Balkrishna. The feeling is ethereal…sheer bliss !!

Once the clock struck 12, we would offer our prayers to the Lord and get down to enjoy the special feast. Now, I have moved to a different country where there is no ringing of the temple bells nor is there dahi handi ( breaking of the earthen pot by a human pyramid ) which invariable follows Krishna  Janmashtami. But I do have a small celebration at home and the joy pervading the house is priceless !!

Im sharing here the recipe of Neer dosa. Neer means water and dosa is well, dosa :) The  word neer comes from the fact that this dosa batter, unlike the regular batter, has a very watery consistency giving you really thin and soft melt-in-the-mouth dosas …Neer dosas do not need fermentation and hence for non-planners like me, they are a blessing in disguise. It goes well with most spicy chutneys.

Recipe source : My mum

Ingredients :
Raw rice  - 2 cups
Grated fresh coconut ( optional but lends a wonderful taste ) - 1/2 cup
Salt - to taste
Oil - to grease the tawa

Method :

1.  Wash and soak raw rice for a minimum of 2 hours.
2.  Drain the water and grind it to a fine paste with grated coconut adding water little at a time. *
3.  Once ground finely, add water till the batter has a watery consistency.
4.  Heat a non stick tawa/ griddle . In case of non stick, you needn't apply oil but if in doubt, grease the tawa with very little oil *
5.  Take a ladleful of the batter and start pouring from the edges of the tawa towards the center ( will need some practice ). Quickly swirl the tawa so that the batter covers the empty spaces. Close the tawa with a lid and let it cook for about 20- 30 seconds. There is no need to flip. With the help of a wooden spatula, fold the neer dosa in half and fold this half again to get a quarter ( triangle shape ).If you find the neer dosa to be thick at this stage, add a little more water in the batter and continue. You will get the right consistency after judging 2-3 dosas.
6.  Transfer the dosas to a cooling rack / mesh or they will become soggy due to the moisture.
7.  Enjoy hot with sweet coconut milk and coconut chutney.

Notes :
1. Do not add too much water while grinding rice since it will be difficult to grind it to a fine consistence. Add water, little at a time.
2.  To grease the skillet with oil, I use a tiny top segment of an onion ( with the stem intact for me to hold the piece ). I simply dip the flat end of this onion piece in oil and grease the skillet by rubbing it all over. The dosas do not stick to the pan and also give a nice flavor.

Sending this recipe to “Healthy breakfast “ event hosted by Nandoo’s kitchen

and to Nivedhanam's  South Indian Cooking Series  and to Anu's healthy kitchen

Matar ( peas ) pulao

Peas are such a versatile vegetable. I add peas to a myriad of dishes including upma, mixed vegetable curries, cutlets and pulao.

Peas pulao is not a very popular dish in the family but a favorite with me. There isn't much chopping to do which, by the way, is such a relief. The one and ONLY thing I hate about cooking is chopping. So, when I am on those lazy moods ( which is more often than not ), peas pulao , it is for me !!

Peas pulao is usually served with dal fry or korma. But it tastes equally wonderful on its own too…Try it…you will know :)

So here goes:

Matar pulao 

Ingredients :

Raw Basmati rice  -  1.5 cups
Ghee / oil ( ghee gives a wonderful flavor, so try using it ) -  2 tbsp
Cumin seeds ( jeera ) -  1 tbsp
Cinnamon stick -  a  1- inch stick piece
Cloves -  3-4
Bay leaf  - 1
Onion, thinly sliced - 1 large
Green chillies , slit - 3
Ginger - garlic paste -  1 tsp
Coriander leaves ( a fistful ), chopped -  1/4 cup
Peas  -  1 cup
Salt - to taste

Method :
1.  Wash rice and keep soaked in water for about 15 mins. Drain and keep aside.
2.  In a heavy bottomed pan, heat ghee.
3.  Add cumin seeds and let them brown. Then add the spices - cinnamon, cloves and bay leaf. Stir
     until a nice aroma comes out ( do not fry too much ).
4.  Now, add the sliced onion and sauté until it turns golden brown.
5.  Next, comes the ginger - garlic paste and green chillies . Stir for a while,  then add the coriander
     leaves and mix again.
6.  Mix in the green peas and give a quick stir.
7.  Finally, add the washed rice and very gently mix it , so as not to break the rice grains. Stir the rice
     grains gently in the pan for a few seconds.
8.  Add about 2 - 2.5 cups water and salt. Bring to a boil.
9.  Then lower the heat, close the lid and let the rice cook on low flame till done.
10. The rice grains should not be overcooked and they should remain separate.

Spinach rice

Hello folks…back with yet another super easy and a one-pot recipe. I have been making spinach rice for my little one ( albeit the spices ) but never got around to make the adult version of it.

Its a favorite with my little one and makes for less war between us during mealtimes . The fact that its also healthy , naturally makes me a happy mommy !! Since last few days, I was toying with the idea of making it for us as well someday and yesterday was the day . Also, I was not in the mood to cook something elaborate. So , this was it for me !! Simple, one-pot and aromatic Spinach rice. There are many variations of it, as is with most Indian delicacies…Here is mine :)

Spinach rice

Ingredients :

Raw rice ( I used Basmati ), washed and drained  - 1.5 cups
Spinach leaves  -   from 1 large bunch or 2 small bunches
Cloves  -     3
Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
Bay leaf  -   1
Black cardamom - 1
Onion, sliced - 1 large
Tomato, chopped - 1 medium
Turmeric powder  - a pinch
Green chillies - 2
Ginger  - 1 inch piece
Garlic  -  3-4 cloves
Oil/ ghee -  1 tbsp
Salt  -  to taste

Method :

1.    Wash spinach leaves and blanch. Cool and grind it to a fine paste. Keep aside.
2.    Grind together ginger , garlic and green chillies to a paste.
3.    In a pan, heat oil. Add cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf and black cardamom. Stir only until a nice
       aroma comes out ( do not fry too much )
4.    Next, add the sliced onions and sauté until golden brown.
5.    Now, add the ginger-garlic-green chillies paste and stir.
6.    Mix in chopped tomatoes and turmeric powder and cook till tomatoes turn
       mushy.
7.    Now, comes the spinach (palak ) paste. Stir for a few seconds.
8.    Lastly, add the  rice and mix very gently so as to not break the rice grains.
9.   Add about 2 - 2.5 cups ( depending upon the type of rice ) of water and bring to a boil.  Then,
      lower the heat and let it simmer (close the  lid) on low heat till the rice is done.
10. Serve hot with raita, papad and pickle…Slurrrppp !!