Thavala Adai

Hello everyone,

Thavala adai is a traditional recipe from Tanjore. It is prepared with arisi kurunai(broken rice) and lentils. 

I never tasted this until I got married. My MIL makes it and I learnt this recipe from her. Thavala means big pot in Tamil. Adai is roasted in thavala instead of dosa tawa. My MIL used to make this in vengala thavalai later she started doing using dosa tawa as she used to get burns in hand while flipping the adai.  

Thavala adai can be made as a tiffin instead of regular dosa, idli,upma etc. This is rich is in protein. It is crispy outside and soft inside. This is little time consuming but it tastes great. 

This can be given to kids for lunch box and they would love it. Give it a try and here is the recipe. 

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1 cup

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Hing - a generous pinch

Grated coconut - 1/4 cup

Coconut oil - 1 tbsp for preparing mix + 2 tbsp for roasting

Salt as needed

To Soak and Grind:

Toor dal - 1/4 cup

Chana dal - 1/4 cup

Mung dal - 1/4 cup

Urad dal - 1.5 tbsp

Red chili - 1

Green chili - 1

Ginger - 1/2 inch

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Pepper corns - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - 7-8 nos

Method:

1. Grind rice coarsely like sooji and keep it aside.
2. In a bowl soak toor dal, chana dal, moong dal & urad dal in enough water for 2 hrs. 
3. Transfer the soaked dals into a blender and add red chili, green chili, ginger, cumin seeds, pepper,curry leaves to it. Grind it coarsely without adding water. Keep this aside.
4. Heat 1tbsp coconut oil in a large pan, add mustard seeds. Once it sizzles, add 2 cups of water, salt, coconut and hing. Allow the water to boil.
5. When the water starts to boil, add coarsely ground rice. Mix well with a laddle without any lumps. Once it is cooked, add the dal mix. Combine well to make it like upma. Allow it to cool down.  
6. Apply oil in dosa tawa and heat it. Take lemon size ball and make it like thin cutlet and roast in dosa tawa. Apply oil and gently flip to cook the other side. Add 3-4 adai in one batch. 
7. Adai will be crispy when both the sides turn golden brown. Remove them from the tawa and repeat the same with rest of the rice dal mix. 
8. Thavala adai is ready to serve with any kind of chutney. 

Usili Upma/Rice Usili

Hello Everyone,

Usili upma is an easy one pot dish made with rice and moong dal. We can say it as dry form of Ven Pongal :).

My grandma and my aunts used to make this. They call it as accusili(Akki Usili - Rice Usili). As far as I know my mom never made this during my early days.

After marriage I got a chance to taste this from my MIL. She makes it very often. It is easy to prepare and this can be made for lunch as well as dinner. My son likes it very much and he even takes it as a lunch for school. Sambhar/puli kuzhambu/coconut chutney goes well Usili Upma.

Ingredients:

Rice- 1 Cup

Moong Dal-1/2 cup

Water - 2 Cups

Salt as per taste

To Temper:

Coconut oil-2 tbsp

Mustard seeds- 1tsp

Split urad dal- 1tsp

Channa dal- 2 tsp

Dried red chili- 2-3(according to spice level)

Grated Coconut-2tbsp

Curry leaves -5-6

Method:

1. Dry roast rice and moong dal until dal turns light brown.
2. Wash it, drain the water and keep it aside.
3. In a pressure cooker pan, heat coconut oil and add mustard seeds. 
4. Once the mustard seeds splutters, add other ingredients in the To temper section.
5. When the dal turns brown, add washed rice, moong dal, water and salt.
6. Let it boil for 2 mins. Close the lid and pressure cook for one whistle.
7. Rice is cooked. Stir once before serving.

Usili upma can be made using instant pot as well.

1. Dry roast rice and moong dal until dal turns light brown.
2. Wash it, drain the water and keep it aside.
3. Set Sauté mode, heat coconut oil and add mustard seeds. 
4. Once the mustard seeds splutters, add other ingredients in the To temper section.
5. When the dal turns brown, add washed rice, moong dal, water and salt.
6. Let it boil for 2 mins. Close the lid and pressure cook in high pressure for 5 mins.
7. Rice is cooked. Stir once before serving.

Aval Upma/Avalakki/Poha

When you want to make quick breakfast or dinner Aval/Poha is the best option. Not everyone makes Poha by grinding. My mom makes it by grinding and everyone in our family is big fan of this. I learnt this recipe from my mom.

Ingredients:

Aval/Beaten rice flakes -2 cups
Tamarind - small lemon size
Water -1 cup
Coriander leaves to garnish
Salt to taste.
To temper:
Oil-2 tbsp
Mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal-1 tsp each
Green chili-2, Curry leaves-5-6, hing
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp.
Peanuts-2 tbsp
Onion- 1 Cup finely chopped

Method:

1. Soak tamarind in hot water and extract the juice to 1 cup. 

2. Coarsely grind Aval/Poha in a mixer and soak it in tamarind juice for 20 mins. 

3. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, add mustard seeds. Once it sizzles add Urad dal, channa Dal, green chili, Curry leaves peanuts,a pinch of hing. Try till Dal turns brown. 

4. Add onion,turmeric powder, salt for onion and saute until it turns translucent. 

5. Then add soaked Aval mix with it with needed salt in a medium flame for 5 mins. 

6. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.