Lunch Menu 20 - Brunch Ideas - Rava Idly, Masala Dosa, Coconut Chutney, Onion Chutney, Aval Kesari and Sweet Pongal 

On a Lazy Sunday, we usually tend to get up late. So it is late for Breakfast and early for Lunch, so I prefer heavy brunch on weekends.

Click on the below links for the recipe:

• Rava Idly
• Masala Dosa
• Coconut Chutney (Recipe coming soon)
• Aval Kesari
• Onion Chutney (Recipe coming soon)
• Sweet Pongal (Recipe Coming soon)

Whole Wheat Olive Crackers 

I found this great recipe in one of the groups I am part of and I tried it immediately as it is simple, Healthy and super tasty.

I did this in the food Processor, so the dough was ready like in a minute.

Ingredients

Whole Wheat Flour - 1 Cup
Olive Oil - 5 Tablespoon
Salt - To Taste
Curry Leaves - 5 (Chopped)
Coriander Leaves - 2 Twigs (Chopped)
Dried Italian Herbs - 1/2 Teaspoon (Optional, add your choice of Herbs)
Garlic Powder - 1/2 Teaspoon (Or else 2 Cloves of Garlic)
Baking Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Black Pepper - 1/2 Teaspoon
Water - As required

Method:

• Add all the ingredients except water in a bowl and mix well.
• Add water little by Little and knead into a smooth pliable Dough.
• I did this step in a food processor.
• Let it rest for 15 minutes.
• Pre heat the oven at 180C and line a Baking tray with aluminium foil and grease the foil with Olive Oil.
• Dust the kitchen counter with some flour, place the rested dough and roll into a big disc using a rolling Pin.
• Keep the thickness as 1 mm while rolling it.
• Using a Knife or Pizza cutter, cut them into desired shape and place them on the greased aluminium foil.
• Brush the top of the Crackers with Some Olive Oil.
• Bake this at 180C for 20 minutes, flip the crackers after 10 minutes so it is cooked on both sides.
• Every Oven is different so keep a close eyes on the baking time. 
• The Baking time will also vary based on the thickness of these crackers. 
• Once it is done, it may be soft, once it cools done it becomes crispy.
• Once cooled down, store it in a air tight container.
• If you store it for some time and if it becomes soft, just heat for a minute in Oven. 

Sakkara Pongal - Sweet Pongal

Sakkarai Pongal or sweet pongal is an important dish made and consumed on Pongal. There are so many ways Sweet Pongal is made. This is one of the recipes that has worked very well for me.

I made this using electric Rice cooker as I find using Pressure Cooker messy. Please do read the Notes before you try this recipe.

Ingredients
Raw Rice - 1 Cup
Yellow Moong Dal - 1/2 Cup
Jaggery - 1.5 Cups (Powdered)
Ghee - 4-6 Tablespoon
Cashew nuts, Raisins - As Required.
Water - 4 Cups (See Notes)
Cardamom - 2 Pods (Crushed)

Method

• Wash and soak the rice in 4 Cups of water in the Electric Rice Cooker for 15-20 minutes.
• In a pan, add tablespoon of Ghee and add the cashews and roast it till golden, then add the Raisins and remove it once it fluffs up.
• In the same pan, then add the Moong Dal and roast till on low flame till the raw smell goes.Ensure  that the colour of the Moong Dal does not change.
• Add the Roasted Moong Dal to the soaked Rice and switch on the Rice Cooker.
• Cook till the Rice and Dal is cooked and all mushy.
• In another vessel, add the Jaggery and pour water till it is immersed and boil it.
• Boil till the Jaggery is dissolved in the water. Add the crushed Cardamom pods to this. 
• Using a filter, filter the Jaggery Syrup.
• Add this Jaggery Syrup to the Cooked Rice - Dal Mixture and cook till they all come together.
• This may take about 5-7 Minutes.
• During this time, add Ghee little by Little and cook. 
• Add the Sauteed Cashews and Raisins and serve. 

Notes:

• The amount of water to be added depends on your quality of Rice. Depending on my Rice quality, I needed 4 cups of water.
• I regularly add 2.5 cups of water to cook rice for daily consumption so I added extra 1.5 cups so it gets cooked well. 
• I prefer the Rice cooker method, as I can check on the rice and decide if it needs more water.
• During the cooking process, if you think the Sweet Pongal is getting Tight/Thick add some warm water or Milk.
• Sweet Pongal tends to become tight after sometime , so switch off accordingly.
• You can make it in Pressure cooker too using the same process.
• Pressure cook the Rice - Dal for 4-5 whistles with enough water and fllow the same steps as above. 

Koodaravalli Special - Aval Kesari 

This Festival comes in the month of Marghazi.Koodaravalli is celebrated on the 27th day of Marghazi. It is believed that Andal rendered 30 Pasurams in praise of Lord Krishna on each day f Marghazi. Every Year, we do Puja at our house and sign Devotional songs and read Thiruppavai Pasuram. For more on Thirupavai or Koodaravalli click here.

Usually Akkaravadisal or Sweet Pongal is offered during Kudaravalli. Click here to check out Last Year's celebration. This year I made Sweet Pongal and Aval Kesari. So today I will share the recipe of Aval Kesari and will share Sweet Pongal recipe later. I got this recipe from my mom.

Ingredients

Aval/Poha - 1 Cup
Sugar - 1 Cup
Water - 2 Cups
Ghee/Clarified Butter - 4 Tablespoon - 6 Tablespoon (As per Taste can decrease or Increase)
Badam, Cashewuts and Golden Raisins - As required
Food Color - a tiny pinch (Optional)

Method

•  In a warm pan, add a Tablespoon of Ghee and roast the aval/Poha for few minutes.
• Please ensure that you do not change the colour of the Aval.
• Pulse the roasted Aval in a mixer until it is coarsely done like Sooji/Rava.
• In a pan, heat 2 cups of water and bring it to boil.
• To the boiling water, add the prepared Aval Rava while stirring continuously.
• Now, put the stove on the low flame and cover the pan with a lid and allow the Aval Rava to cook.
• Stir in between to avoid it from burning.
• Once all the water is gone, all the pinch of Food coloring and the Sugar. The mixture will become watery.
• Dont worry, continue cooking for 5-8 minutes, with frequent stirring so they dont burn. 
• Meanwhile, heat a pan with 1 Tablespoon of Ghee and add the cashews and Raisin and roast till they get a nice golden brown colour. Keep this aside.
• Within 5 minutes the Kesari will come to a nice consistency, now add a tablespoon or two of ghee and stir till it incorporates.Switch off the flame. 
• Now add the roasted nuts along with Ghee and raisins to the prepared Aval Kesari and Serve. 

Spinach Bread/ Green Bread with Whole Wheat Flour 

 To do colored bread was in my wish list for a long time. However, I am wanting to get the color using natural ingredients. So I was wanting to experiment with Spinach, Beet and Carrot to get natural colors. The first one I tried was Spinach Bread and it was a super duper success. I used Whole Wheat flour, you can use APF too for making this.

Ingredients

Whole Wheat Flour - 3 Cups
Spinach/Palak Puree - 1 Cup (For the recipe click here or you can use Blanched Spinach Too)
Olive Oil or Butter - 1 Tablespoon
Sugar - 1 Teaspoon
Salt - 1 Teaspoon
Garlic - 3 (Peeled and finely Chopped, Optional)
Dry Instant yeast - 1 Teaspoon
Warm Water - 3/4 Cup - 1 Cup

Method

• In a bowl, place 1/2 Cup of warm water (Not too warm and not too cold too), add sugar to this and add the Yeast and mix it.
• Cover the bowl with a lid and leave it aside for 5 minutes for the yeast to activate.
• Once it is activated, add the finely chopped Garlic and Salt and the Spinach Puree and mix
  
  well.
• To this add the Whole Wheat flour and start kneading.
• Add warm water little by little as required, depending on the moisture content in your spinach puree and the quality of flour the water amount may vary.
• Knead till you get a soft and slightly sticky dough.
• Place this dough in a bowl and grease the dough with Olive Oil.
• Cover with a wet kitchen towel and allow it to double, it may take upto 60-90 minutes.
• Once the dough as doubled, bring it to your kitchen counter.
• Dust the kitchen counter with Flour and place the doubled dough.
• Punch it down and knead it for 5 minutes.
• Shape it into loaf and place it in a greased loaf tin.
• Cover it with a wet Kitchen towel and allow it to raise for 30 -45 minutes.
• Using a sharp knife , make some incisions on the top (This step is optional)
• Pre heat the oven at 180 C for 10 minutes.
• Bake the Bread at 180c for 45 minutes or till it is done.
• Cool completely before slicing this.