Hotel Style Paper Roast

Hotel Style Paper Roast:


Paper Dosa. Paper Roast. Ghee Roast. Hotel Style/ Restaurant Style Ghee Roast.

One of the amazing breakfast item in Tamil Nadu is its 'Extra Thin Paper Roast'. Its nothing but Very Thin Dosa. Which is bit hard to fix at home (or at least for me) coz' number 1, I don't have very big griddle like they have in hotels and 2, one has to keep the griddle super hot, I bit scared to do that and 3, one has to repeat atleast 2-3 times to perfect dosa...hmmm I eat less than 1/2 dosa, why am I going to repeat.

Whatever the ingredients are, its no matter here. An experienced cook can make it better, I suppose. If your batter is not well fermented...it will end up like mine here, white dosa.

Ingredients:

Par-boiled Rice 1 cup
Raw rice 1 cup
Urad dal 1/2 cup
Salt
Baking soda 1/2 spoon
Fenugreek seeds 1-2 spoons.

Secret Ingredients:(optional)

Thoor dal 1 fistful (It gives the deep red color at one side of the Dosa)
Sesame oil 4-6 spoons
Aval/ Poha/ Rice flakes - 1 fistful(gives crispness to Dosa)
Cold Rice - little(if you miss poha, you can use cold cooked rice)
Castor oil - 1 spoon (if you like it)

Method:

1. Soak par-boiled rice, raw rice, urad dal and fenugreek seedstogether.......for about 5 hours.

2. In case if you would like to use even the secret ingredients, I mentioned above.....better soak them along with the same-step 1

3.Wet grind them into thin paste.

4. Now add salt, sesame oil, soda to this. Its better to dissolve salt and soda in 1/2 cup of water and then to add.

5. Well.....let them ferment for atleast 7 hours. Always remember they ferment and increase in volume. So try not to cover them or better to have plenty of room in your storage vessel.

6. Once after fermentation....its ready to make crepe/dosa.

7. Take a wide skillet/tawa. Maintain it over medium heat. When it is hot enough.....spray little salt and wipe them off completely. It helps in someway to make the dosa crispier. Then.....spray oil. Let it come to proper heat.

8. Now just take a tablespoon full of thin batter. Starting from the centre......make a thin crepe, as much as possible(if you find it hard....no worries, it comes through experience. keep trying)

9. Now.....while the batter is still wet....using a wooden spatule(which is eventually greesed with oil) spread the crepe to make it thin like a paper. Now cover the skillet with lid. Let the stove be still in medium heat only.

10. Just after few minutes....Remove the lid, turn the stove to high heat, run a spoon full of oil/ghee at the edges and in circles in middle. This high heat will change the light color dosa to get deep red color, running oil at this stage will also increase the crispyness.

11. Next comes the most amazing step. Do not try to roll or fold the dosa immediately. Because, now the dosa will be brittle. Just turn the dosa, other side, Sprinkle a little water(at the red side of crepe) and again turn it back. Now......slowly roll it. Did you get this! The water you sprinkled helps in rolling the dosa without actually breaking it.

Serve them hot with 'Madras Rathna Cafe Style Sambar/ Vellore Palace Cafe Style Sambar.

Hot Mexican Salsa

Hot Mexican Salsa:

Ingredients:

Tomatoes 4 large diced(if needed cored - seeds removed)
Green Chilies 3 (if you dont like it hot - cored - seeds removed)
Lime 1 - juice (lime is raw lemon - green in color)
Cilandro/ Coriander leaves few chopped
Garlic 5 cloves pelled and chopped
Purple onion 1 small diced
Salt
Extra Virgin Olive Oil few spoons.

Method:

In a blender add all the above said ingredients and make it into thick paste.....no further adding any water.

This hot salsa can be served along with 'Tortilla chips' or 'Mexican Corn Chips'.

Fried Bananas:(Chinese Style)


Vazhai-pazha Varuval. Varutha Vazhai-Pazham. Poricha Vazhai-Pazham. Fried Attipandu. Fried Kela.

I happen to taste this recipe recently in one of the Chinese Restaurant. It was awesome. It was much similar to the taste of 'Pazham Peri' in Kerela. I felt like trying it.....somehow managed to figure out the recipe. For my surprice, it turned out awfully good. So....dont hesitate to try this.

Hey...one thing, I generally pan fry most of my food(whereever recipe calls for deep fried)so don't rely on my photos!

Ingredients:

Ripe, long and Firm Bananas 2 - each cut just twice(will give you 3 huge chunks) or one can cut length wise too.
Corn flour few spoons
Egg 1 well beaten
Milk 1/4 cup
Powdered brown sugar few spoons.
Oil for frying.

Method:

In a bowl, mix egg, milk and flour. Make a thin running consistency batter.

Dip the banana chunks in the batter. Deep fry them.

While it is still warm, sprinkle powdered sugar and serve as an evenning snack.

Noi Arisi Upma:

(Cracked Rice Upma/Arisi Rawa Upma)

One can buy commercially cracked raw rice/cracked par-boiled rice for this recipe. Or if you just only have whole rice.....dont panic. Its very simple to crack it down. Wash the whole rice several times and let it get well soaked in water for 20 minutes. Then spread then in a clean cloth or plate or kitchen tissues and sun dry them. Again if it is severe winter out....no worries. Dry roast the rice in medium heated pan. At the same time, do not turn their color. Just roast to remove moiture. Then using a blender crack the rice.

Ingredients:

Cracked rice 1 cup
Onion 1 large finely chopped
Curry leaves 1 cup
Dry red chilies 6-8
Chana dal 1 fistfull
Urad dal 1 fistfull
Mustard seeds 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Salt to taste
Oil 1 cup.

Method:

In a large wok, heat oil. Add mustard and cumin seeds. Let them pop and splutter well.

Then add asafoetida, chana dal and urad dal....fry them till the dals turn golden-reddish color.

Now add dry red chilies and curry leaves. Then followed by onions. Fry them real good until onions turn golden color.

Now add cracked rice and fry them for few minutes...let the rice get well coated with oil. Then add enough water and salt to this. Cover and cook over medium heat.

Serve hot with ginger thokku or tomato thokku.

Chithra Annam:

(Sesoned Rice)

Its one of the simplest recipe...generally cooked with left over cold rice. It got its name from 'Moon'. It seems one usually cooks this rice during full moon day and have it under moon light. So.....its name is 'chithra'.....which actually means 'stars' and moon anyways.....but still they call this in this name traditionally. I think, its cooked on some special day by hindus in India. If you want ot call it 'Chandhra Annam' It will be more appropriate. 'Chandhra means 'Moon'

Ingredients:

Cold cooked cook 1 bowl full(generally non-sticky rice)
Onion 1 large finely chopped
Curry leaves 1 cup
Dry red chilies 6-8
Chana dal 1 fistfull
Urad dal 1 fistfull
Mustard seeds 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Salt to taste
Oil 1 cup.

Method:

In a large wok, heat oil. Add mustard and cumin seeds. Let them pop and splutter well.

Then add asafoetida, chana dal and urad dal....fry them till the dals turn golden-reddish color.

Now add dry red chilies and curry leaves. Then followed by onions. Fry them real good until onions turn golden color.

Now add cooked rice and fry them for few minutes...let the rice get well coated with oil. Then sprinkle water and salt to this. Fry the rice over medium-high heat.

Serve hot with ginger thokku or tomato thokku. It is good to have has such too. It makes a wonderfull choice for lunch box.

Pan Fried Veg-Pocket:

Vegetable Parcel. Pan-Fried Veg Roll. Vegetable Wrap.

Its pretty much like making egg-roll(veg or chicken roll) the only difference is....here I pan-fried it, instead of deep frying. One can even buy egg-roll sheets commericially!

Ingredients:

For Making Egg-Roll Sheets:

All purpose flour - 1 cup
Salt
Soda
Warm water 1/4 cup
Butter few spoons
Dry flour for kneading
Egg white - from 1 egg(optional)

For Filling:

Choice of your veggies:

Pink Cabbage - thinly sliced
Green cabbage - thinly sliced
Green chilies - 3 sliced
Capsicum - 1 sliced
Carrots 2 - thinly chopped
Beans 75 grams - french style cut
Salt
White pepper 1 spoon
Agina Motto 1-2 pinch
Olive oil for pan-frying.

Method:

Wrap Preparation:

Bring flour, salt and soda in a large bowl. By adding warm water little by little....slowly knead them into smooth dough. Run few spoons of ghee and finish the dough. Make equal parts out of it.

Knead them into thin uniform tortillas(chappathis).

Heat a tawa over medium range. Now toast this chappathi exactly 5 seconds on each side.

Well...now it turns to a stiff tortilla/chappathi. Set aside.

Repeat the same for all the remaining dough too.

Filling Preparation:

Heat oil in a shallow wide pan. Stir-in all the cut-veggies(you decided).

Sprinkle salt, pepper and agina motto to it. Give a quick stir-fry for 2 minutes. Then transfer this to display bowl. Allow this to cool for a while.

Making of Veg-Pockets:

Now in shallow pan, heat oil.

Take a stiff tortilla and fill with veggies. Wrap them-up. Dip them in egg white.

Pan-fry till it turns to golden color and crispy enough.

Serve warm along with toamto ketchup as an evenning snack.

Guava Salad:

Guavava fruit / Koiyya Pazha Salad.

Ingredients:

Guava fruit 2-3
Lemon juice 2 spoons
Coconut oil/olive oil 3-4 spoons
Salt 1/2 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon

Select medium size guava for salad. Never go for ripe ones.....let it be like 'about to ripe stage'.....in dull green color.

So, slice them thinly with skin, Spread them in a tray.

Sprinkle little coconut oil(maybe few spoons) or one could use even extra virgin olive oil.

Then followed by salt 1/2 spoon and 1 whole spoon full of red chili powder.
Further add lemon juice. Toss them really good.

Let all the ingredients get together well. Let it stand aside for 2 hours or so. In that way....all the ingredients gets well incorporated in it.

Serve as a starter salad.

Starchy Sweet Potato Balls: (3 versions after few steps)

Chakarai Valli Kizhangu Urundai/Laadu.Sakaraivalli Kizhangu Laadu. Sakaraivalli Kizhangu Inippu urundai.

This recipe was prepared by my late aunty(my Dad's sister). When Daddy was a little kid, there was severe famine in the country. His older sister used tapioca to preapare this laddu. The tapioca was the only produce found back then. She used jaggery and dry coconut from the storage to make this. It had turned out as a great meal, rich in starch and glucose.

Well....for variation I used sweet potatoes here.


Ingredients:

Starchy Sweet potato tubers (large ones)-2
Shredded fresh coconut 1 large bowl full
Jaggerry/brown sugar 2 cups
Ghee few spoons
Cardamon seeds powder 1 teaspoon full.

Method:

Boil really well....the sweet potatoes. It may consume time.

Once it is done....peel off its skin and mash the pulp.

Bring all the other above said ingredients together. Mix them thoroughly.

Let it come to dough like consistency. Divide them into equal parts.....maybe like small balls(nuggets like) 2" inch in diameter.

Version 1: You could taste it as such....it will be good.

Version 2: Place them over cookie sheet....well greezed with butter. Bake them for 30 minutes over 370 degree.

Version 3: Deep fry them in warm oil....till golden brown and enjoy!

Whole Grape Juice: (North-Arcot Sytle)

Ingredients:

Deep Purple grapes(small ones, seedless) 1/2 kilo
Sugar 6-8 teaspoons
Warm water.

Method:

Wash and clean grapes thoroughly. Remove their stem off.

Now allow them to stand in warm water for atleast 5 minutes. This way.....its easy to peel them.

Slowly....starting from the stem end of each berry, try to tear off the skin. One should do this very gently, with extra care. The pulp should be whole and full at the same time. If you feel odd in peeling......make the grapes to stand in warm water, for some more time. Make sure that you are not actually cooking grapes here. Its just....to help peeling the skin off.

Well......after doing so....to all the grapes. Reserve 1/2 of it.....maybe refridgerate it.(1)

The other half peeled grapes should be made into puree. Blend it really long......to extract more juice. One could use limited cold water for this purpose. Then......filter them. Make sure the juice is super thin and free from fibre. Refridgerate these too.(2)

Coming next.....bring the sugar to syrup consistency, by heating them with 1/2 cup water. When the sugar is syrup-y enough.....refridgerate them too.(3)

After 2 hours or so. Bring all the three items from the fridge and combine together. Mix them thoroughly. Let there be a good blend.

Add further crushed ice to this and serve chilled in short goblets. This grape juice can be served as starter.

I learnt this recipe in my home town 'Vellore-North Arcot district'. Though I dont know how the actual recipe is.....yet i figured it out, its conveincing though!

Though this juice is actually from purple grapes.....it wont have any deep purple color......and still one can enjoy....actually biting the grapes in their juice, without having trouble in chewing skin again.

Tenneese Tea:

Ingredients:

Tea leaves 1/2 teaspoon
White grape juice 1/2 cup
Lemon juice 1/4 cup
Sugar 4 teaspoons.
Mint leaves few for decoration
Lime rings for decoration.

Method:

Boil tea leaves in 1/2 cup of water and filter them atleast 2-3 times. Reserve the decotion.

Now to this decotion, add lemon juice and white grape juice. Mix them thoroughly. In this mixture add sugar and stir well.

Cool for atleat 2-4 hours.

Serve chilled with littele crushed ice on them. Garnish with few mint leaves and decorate a lime ring at one end of the goblet.

Maangai Saadham

Mango Rice:


Mango Rice, Maangai Saadham, Maamidukaya Annam. Kacha Aam Ka Chaawal.

Ingredients:

Grated raw mangoes- 3 cups
Fresh ginger 3-4" inch size peeled and finely chopped
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Green chilies 6 slitted
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida
Chana dal 1 fistfull 1/4 spoon
Urad dal 1 fistfull
Curry leaves 1 fistfull
Sesame oil 1 cup
Rice 1 cup - short/long grain rice.

Method:

Cook rice with salt and a spoonfull of oil. Get it done.....to have stiff and well seperated rice. Its better to wash rice several times.....until water runs clear. Just make sure....that the rice is not sticky.

Well....heat oil. Add mustard seeds and wait until they sputter. Then add cumin and followed by chana, urad dal. Let them turn to reddish color. Now add asafoetida, green chilies and curry curry leaves. Fry them for a while.

Add chooped ginger and fry till fragrant. Then followed by grated mangoes. Fry them till they loose moisture. Maybe add salt and turmeric at this stage and cover and cook at low heat.

When it is done....add to rice and mix them thoroughly. Let all the rice get well coated with this oil and mango paste. Fold them in narrow mouthed bowl. Try to pack them real compressed in small narrow bowl. Set aside for atleast 2-4 hours.

Serve them later. Maybe one can garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves. It tastes good without any gravy though. One can try this rice along with fried potatoes or ginger pickle.

Strawberry Surprise:

My Friend Teena calls this recipe as 'Strawberry Soup'. Which is her Gandmom's special recipe. She always wanted this recipe......but still couldnt predict 'what her grandmom's secret ingredient is'. So.....I just started a shot.....throwing myself all the ingredients she predicted, with my own ration and ofcourse, i did rely on some good websites too, to get it done with perfection. It turned out good. But......I wanted to call this 'strawberry surprise'. Hope....Teena would like it!

Ingredients:

Strawberries made into puree 1 cup(from fresh or frozen)
Fresh Orange juice 2 cups
Yogcurd 2 cups
Honey 1 cup / sugar 1 cup
Cinnamon powder 1/4 spoon
Nutmeg powder 1/4 spoon
Fresh strawberies 4-6 quartered for decoration
Large mint leaves few for decoration
Brandy/Rum 2-4 spoons (optional)

One can substitute with Chinese five spice powder or Indian chaat masala in place of cinnamon and nutmeg powder.

Method:

In a blender....bring yogcurd first and blend it real good. Once done with that....add orange juice and blend it too. Reserve them in a large bowl.

In the same blender.....make a thick puree out of strawberries. Without ading any water to it. Then transfer it to the same bowl.(in which we have yogcurd+orange juice)

Then add honey/sugar to this. Further add rum/brandy. Stir well. Refridgerate for atleast 3-4 hours. Its a cold dessert.

Just before serving, decorate with fresh strawberries, mint and garnish with cinnamon and nutmeg powder. Serve in a goblet/bowl.

Cinnamon Coffee:

For Black Coffee: Add 2 cinnamon sticks along with 2 spoonfull of coffee, while brewing. Then as usual add your sugar to taste. Brisk it in a short cup.

For Regular Coffee: Add 1 stick of cinnamon while boiling milk(1 cup) and add as usuall 1/2 spoon of instant coffee powder and sugar. Make it real foamy before serving.

Other Method: Mix 1/4 spoon of ground cinnamon powder with instant coffee powder-1/2 spoon, further add brown sugar-1 spoon and 1/4 spoon of vanilla extract. Mix them real good.....until its fine and dusty. Now run a mug full of warm milk over it. Then filter the same.....serve hot in short cup.

Minty Tea:

Its better to use dry mint flakes than fresh here. 1/4 spoon of mint and 1 spoon of tea leaves. Boil them in 1/2 cup of water.....until dark brown and bubbly. Filter it atleast twice. Then add 1/2 cup of warm milk. Stir in sugar as per taste. Serve warm.

Double ka Meetha

Double Ka Meetha:(Hyderabadi dessert)

Shahi Tukda or Shahi Tukre. Double Ka Meeta. Rich Bread Halwa.

Its one of the rich dessert, heavy in cream and ghee. Its kind of traditional Mughal dessert in Hyderabad. It is generally served after a heavy Mughal biriyani. Its delicious and very easy to make.


Ingredients:

White Bread slices 8- each made into 4 pieces
Whole milk 1 cup
Fresh cream 1 cup
Butter/Ghee 1 cup
Cashewnuts 1/4 cup splitted
Almonds sliced lengthwise
Raisins
Sugar 1 cup
Saffron
Cardamon seeds powder 1/2 spoon.

Variation: One can still use brown/wheat bread instead of white.

Method:

In a wide pan, heat ghee. When it is hot enough....fry bread slices till golden color. Then leave them over kitchen tissues for a while and reserve in a wide tray.

Fry cashewnuts and almonds in butter/ghee.....till golden color. Then spread them over our reserved fried bread.

Heat sugar with 1/2 cup of water. When it comes to syrupy stage add milk and cardamon seeds powder. Boil for some more time. Or until it reduces into half. Run this sugary-milk over the bread tray. Let the bread slices get really well soaked in it. Refridgerate them for atleast 2 hours or so.

After 2 hours....further add cold fresh cream and serve in a small plate/bowl.

Since it has double cream.....its called 'Double ka Meetha'.

Beer Battered Fried Ginger-Chicken:

Ingredients:

Chicken medium size(bone-in and skin-on)-500 grams
Ginger 5" inch size-skin peeled and grated
Beer 1/2 cup(or 4 spoons)
Cloves 5 grated or pounded coarsely
Cinnamon powder 1/4 spoon (optional)
Red food color 1 pinch
Black pepper cracked 2-3 spoons
Salt
Lemon juice from fresh fruit 1-2
All purpose flour 1 fistful
Egg white from 1-2
Groundnut/Peanut oil for deep frying.

Method:

Clean chicken well in running water. Then pat dry them.

In a large bowl.....sift flour, lemon juice, beer,cracked cloves, cracked pepper, ground cinnamon, red food color, grated ginger, salt and egg whites. Mix them thoroughly. Then bring in chicken and mix them well. Cover and refridgerate them overnight.

Generally cloves gives rich aroma when it stands.....if in hurry try to marinate atleast 2-4 hours minimum.

Heat oil in deep pan. Maintain the heat over medium heat condition.

Fry only few at a time......over medium heat. Let the chicken turn crispy and deep reddish-brown color.

Serve hot.....with onion rings, lemon wedges and crisply fried curry leaves.

This can be served as an appetizer or as a side dish for steam cooked rice(it goes well with plain tamarind rasam).

Camamel Cafe

Caramel Coffee:

Ingredients:(serves 1)

Rich flavoured instant coffee powder 1 spoon
Caramel candy 1
Condensed milk 1 spoon
Farm fresh milk 2 cups
Sugar 1 spoon
Fresh cream 1 spoon for decoration
Cocoa powder 1/4 spoon for decoration

Method:

Boil milk.....until it reduced into 1/2. Like 2 cups of milk should come to 1 cup. Boil over sim-medium heat for long time. At the same time.....milk should not be burnt too.

So....to this well reduced milk, add caramel candy and condensed milk. Let it melt in the boiling milk.

Mix them thoroughly. Turn off the stove. Remove from stove top. Then add sugar and coffee powder. Mix well.

Never try to heat coffee after adding coffee powder to it. It not only reduces its flavour.....it turns to acidic nature. Which will give you bitter taste. So....its always like this. Heat only milk and then add coffee powder. Not while still on stove top.

Pour them into serving mug. Drop a spoonfull of fresh cream over this. Drizzle cocoa powder over this. Serve really hot.

Hot Chocolate:


Chocolate Milk. Warm Cocoa Milk.

Ingredients:(serves 1)

Dark chocolate squares 4
Farm fresh milk 2 cups
Fresh Cream 1 spoonfull

Method:

Boil milk.....until it reduces 1/4 of its portion.

In a seperate deep boiling pan.....break in 4 squares of dark chocolate. When it melts really well.....add well boiled milk to this. Let it boil over low to medium heat.

Once it boiled well....allow it to cool down. Maybe overnight would be good. The next day....boil it again.

Once it is bubbly....with good flavour and rich color. Pour them into serving mug.

Float a spoonfull of freah cream on top of it. Serve really hot.