Simple Urad dal and atta Dosa

        I am so talkative, but sometimes when I begin writing a post.......nothing! I am blank right now. So many things happening in our lives but not a single incident that I can recall??? Probably this is what is called a writer's block:-). Speaking of my busy life, we have Ta's birthday coming up. We will be celebrating it thrice, her school (in advance since summer vacations begin this weekend), then at home on the day of her birthday and then again in her day care. I have to begin planning her party at home. 
        Coming back to the recipe, it is a simple dosa made of urad dal, atta and rava. This recipe was shared by a friend (who in turn learnt it from a friend). We ladies talk, share and hence spread happiness:-) What would the world be like if we were like most men (non talkitive, non caring about sharing frivolous details)? On second thoughts may be we would have gender equality at last!  Okay now I am just blabbering. Did I say writer's block? Writers block true, thinker's block... never in my case:-)

Recipe:
Ingredients:
Urad dal: 1 cup washed and soaked for about 4 hours
Atta: 1 cup
Rava/ semolina: 1 cup
Onion: 1 finely chopped
Green chili: 2 chopped
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Grind soaked urad dal to a fine paste. ( I soak dal at about 4 pm and grind it at about 9 pm). Do not add a lot of water. Grind using less water than for regular dosa.
2. Add atta and rava to the urad dal paste. Mix well. Add a little water if requires. The mixture should not be watery. let this mixture stand overnight.
3. In the morning add hot water (about 1 cup) to the batter to bring it to regular dosa consistency. Add salt and mix well.
4. Spread dosa's on hot tava and sprinkle onion and green chili over the dosa.
5. Cook from both the sides and serve hot with chutney.

Makes excellent breakfast.

Ghosale Ambat (Ridge gourd sambar/curry, Dodka amti)

     

        I learnt this recipe from a friend. Once I cooked Ridge gourd in this manner, we never wanted to go back to the regular ridge gourd curry. For the last 4 months this has been a regular dish in our house. It is extremely tasty!  

Recipe:
Ingredients:
Ridge Gourd(Dodka): 1 large, Peeled (remove skin completely) and chopped into 1 inch pieces
Amsul: 2 or tamarind pulp: 1 tsp
Toor dal: 1/2 cup washed and cooked with 1 cup of water and a little turmeric
Chana dal: 1 tsp washed and soaked in water for 10 mins
Red chilies: 2 
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Coriander seeds: 1.5 tsp
Methi seeds(fenugreek seeds): 1/4 tsp (about 4-5 seeds)
Curry leaves: 7-8 + 3to 4
Fresh grated coconut: 1/4 cup (about a handful)
Oil: 1/2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:
1. In a deep pan add Ridge gourd and 1/2 cup water. Add 2 pieces of amsul to it and let it cook till ridge gourd is done. (If using Tamrind pulp add it at the stage (step 3)when we add cooked toor dal to cooked ridge gourd)
2. In a small thick bottomed pan heat 1 tsp of oil. Add ingredients from chana dal to curry leaves in the same order one by one while continuously frying. Do not let any ingredient turn dark brown. In the end add grated coconut and fry for a min more. Take off heat and let it cool down. Once it cools add a little water and grind it to a smooth paste. Set aside.
3. Add cooked toor dal to cooked ridge gourd. (If ridge gourd contains excess water, discard it before adding toor dal.)  Mix well while continuing to cook for about 2 mins.
4. Add ground paste from step 2 to the toor dal and ridge gourd mixture. Add salt and bring it to a boil and take off heat.
5. In a pan heat remaining oil. Add mustard seeds. Once they splutter add 3 to 4 curry leaves and pour this seasoning over the ready curry. Serve hot with rice or roti.

And A New Name..

        The question should not be why I moved to a new name, rather it should be why dint I begin with this name? 
 When I decided to begin my resolution, I did not think of blogging it. After a few initial recipes, my family and friends suggested documenting it. It was then that I decided of beginning a blog. The first thought that came to me was 'my experiment with food'. No other thought even crossed my mind, I did not bother to check if any blog with a similar name exists... Big Mistake. I did not get the name I wanted but I settled with what I got. My recipes were piling up, pending post. Hence I rushed into it. New at blogging, I completely ignored the fact that the name of the blog matters. I continued blogging.... Then sometime about 6 months into the blog I came up with the name 'Bites and Thoughts'. I did not want to restrict my blog to cooking/baking. I wanted to try something different. 
With the new name I plan to document a few interesting things happening in our lives, a few thoughts and some nice recipes.  

Welcome to Bites & Thoughts!!!