Rava Idli 

(South Indian Savory Dumplings)

Here they are featured with some coconut oil and sprinkled with chutney powder (idli podi). These were from the recipe of Nisha Madhulika. I steamed them in an Instant Pot (not sponsored), using a very special idli rack. (You can get a glimpse of the idli rack, in the back left of the pic.) Yesterday was #worldidliday !

These idlis are considered "instant" although the batter must rest for 20 minutes, as that is still much quicker than the traditional version. The rava/sooji is basically cream of wheat/farina, and is mixed with yogurt. A little baking soda is added just before steaming, to further lighten the idlis.

These were very tasty just eaten plain, and even better as pictured here. I've been eating them for breakfast that way. Yummy!

Nisha Madhulika Website, Rava Idli Recipe

Nisha Madhulika YouTube, Rava Idli Recipe

Sweet Pizza Bites

These were based on the Kouzounas Kitchen recipe for Sweet & Savory Pizza Bites. These are topped with her own Lavender Sugar (which also has vanilla?). The combination was heavenly.  I "baked" these on a griddle, but maybe next time, I'll bake them in the oven, instead. Oh, and I should try them savory, with pizza sauce. I did find that leftovers were in less-than-optimal condition after a couple days in the fridge. Next time, I think I'd just freeze the leftovers; they probably thaw quickly, anyway. I was glad to finally have a chance to try these out! 

Kouzounas Kitchen Website, Sweet & Savory Pizza Bites

Punjabi Dal Palak 

(North Indian Kale & Legumes)

This was based on the spinach dal recipe of My Tasty Curry. I had kale, so I figured I'd try it this time; next time, it'll be spinach, like the recipe. I made the dish in an Instant Pot (not sponsored). Basically, I just cooked everything together for about 18 minutes on Manual/High Pressure, and let the pressure come down by itself.

This is a blend of spices, fresh ginger, greens, tomatoes, and 3 different kinds of legumes. I used mung dal (yellow split mung beans) and toor dal (pigeon peas), like the recipe, as well as masoor dal (red lentils). I didn't even think of pre-soaking the toor dal, but as I prefer to overcook dal anyway, it came out okay. I know better, so I count that as "operator error" (= my own error). The end result was just a little heavy and very thick -- but that just lends it more to other uses, so it's all good! 

I like having so many nutritious ingredients cooked all together like this. Next time, I'm sure it will be even yummier! 

My Tasty Curry Website, Punjabi Dal Palak

Noodles Dosa

(South Indian Savory Crepes, 

with Spicy Noodles)

This was based on a recipe from Magic of Indian Rasoi. The recipe calls for dosai (savory South Indian crepes) filled with Chinese-style noodles.

The dosa batter is considered "instant" although it must rest for 15 minutes, because this is still much quicker to prepare than the traditional dosa batter. These dosai were delicious by themselves, and they were even a bit crispy with just a small amount of oil.

One reason I was so eager to make this, was because I already had leftover Thai Massaman Noodles. I used these (instead of the noodles in the recipe) to fill the dosai this time. These were chuka soba aka ramen noodles, which cook in 3 minutes. I cooked them with some chopped veggies (green peppers, onions, celery, and carrots), as well as leftover Thai Massaman Curry paste, soy sauce, and a little brown sugar. Hopefully next time, I can make this Noodles Dosa with the noodles from the recipe. 

These were awesome! 

Magic of Indian Rasoi Website, Noodles Dosa/Spring Dosa/Chinese Dosa Recipe

Magic of Indian Rasoi YouTube, Noodles Dosa/Spring Dosa

Almond Halwa 

(Indian Milk Fudge)

I made this with ground almonds, sooji/cream of wheat, milk, sugar, and cardamom. The recipe is from Suneeta Vaswani's Easy Indian Cooking. Halwa is an Indian sweet that's thicker than a pudding. I've seen it described as "fudge." This one stays nicely in the fridge for several days. 

Dal Para(n)thas

(Indian Flatbread)

I made these Parathas with leftover Sambhar (South Indian Dal/Legumes & Veggies). I don't recall the specifics of what was in the Sambhar (as it was from the freezer), but it certainly contained tomatoes. In the interest of full disclosure, I'll mention that these weren't perfect . . . but I sure enjoyed them! Nice for a light meal with some whole-milk yogurt.

Chawla's Kitchen YouTube, Punjabi Dal Paratha / Dal Wali Roti

Instant Rava Kuzhi Paniyaram 

(South Indian Savory Dumplings)

These were from the recipe of Hebbar's Kitchen. These dumplings are made from rava/sooji/farina/cream of wheat, mixed with yogurt. They are "instant" even though the batter must rest for 20 minutes, as this is still much quicker than the traditional version. I cooked these in an ebelskiver pan, as I don't have an appam/paniyaram pan.

The results were amazing! Even with using little oil, they were still a bit crispy. The leftovers kept in the fridge weren't crispy, but were still spongy and yummy for the time they lasted. They were good just by themselves with whole-milk yogurt.

Hebbar's Kitchen Website, Instant Kuzhi Paniyaram Rava Appe 

Hebbar's Kitchen YouTube, Paniyaram recipe | Instant appe recipe | Instant rava kuzhi paniyaram 

Arepas
(South American Corn Cakes)

These were inspired by Arepa Sports.  I guess you could call these South American corncakes? They're made from a pre-cooked cornmeal, which in my supermarket was sold in the Baking aisle, near the masa harina corn flour.

Anyway, I think I made these too thick, as the inside was still soft. I put some pizza sauce on a couple, and put them in the toaster oven. If you put toast in this toaster, and walk away (or look away) for a couple of minutes, the toast will definitely burn to a crisp ... but the thick Arepas were safe from that.

I liked the combination of Arepas and sauce, but wonder if it's okay that the Arepas came out like that (thick, with the soft inside). I figured, it must be cooked, and also, the cornmeal is pre-cooked ... so it should be safe to eat. I'm glad I finally tried them, and after all, practice makes perfect! (Not that it must be perfect, but you get the idea.) 

Arepa Sports Facebook

Arepa Sports YouTube, How to Make Arepas

Arepa Sports YouTube, How to make an easy recipe - The Art of Making Arepas - Episode 18

Instant Rava Toast

(Eggless Indian Savory French Toast)

This was from the recipe of Something's Cooking with Alpa. Basically, rava/sooji/semolina/cream of wheat is mixed with yogurt, spices, and veggies. The mixture is spread on a piece of bread, and fried on a griddle on both sides. (Though the recipe calls for butter, I used my usual oil.) Very yummy! When I ran out of bread, I just fried the remaining rava topping as a pancake (1st photo).

This is a great use for leftover bread. For example, I like Calabrese Italian bread from the store, which is oval; sometimes I have to be creative to use the much smaller slices left at the end. That's what is featured here, with defrosted frozen chopped veggies (mirepoix mix = onion, carrot, celery; and green bell pepper).

Something's Cooking with Alpa Website, Instant Rava Toast Recipe -- Open toast sandwich 

Something's Cooking with Alpa YouTube, Instant Rava Toast Recipe -- Open toast sandwich

Punjabi Dal Fry, 

with Masoor Dal (Red Lentils), 

Tomatoes, Broccoli, & Cauliflower

This recipe was from Vegan Richa, and made in the Instant Pot (not sponsored). The tomatoes were leftover from a can, and the broccoli and cauliflower were frozen and defrosted, before I added them. Everything went together in the IP, which I set to cook extra (longer than the recipe) (to make sure the lentils were very well-cooked). The end result would have fit nicely into a 7-cup container, but I also put some in 2 smaller containers for the freezer. Instead of adding lemon juice directly, I squeezed fresh lemon juice over the portion of dal I was eating. This dal was good with toast (including as a sandwich), as well as over cooked potatoes. Yummy! 

Vegan Richa, Punjabi Dal Fry Recipe

Aloo Para(n)tha 

(Indian Flatbread with Potato Stuffing)

These were inspired by the videos of Eat East Indian. As I already had leftover cooked potato, I decided to live it up, and make this griddle-cooked flatbread. In the interest of full disclosure, while I enjoyed eating these, I didn't get it quite right on the inside. I say that, because it's important to be able to make whatever you want, even if its not always perfect. They say, practice makes perfect. Now that I have a method and pan that work for me, I can practice more often. In the meantime, these Aloo Para(n)thas have made some nice meals for me, accompanied by applesauce and whole-milk yogurt. 

Eat East Indian Facebook 

East East Indian Youtube, How to make Punjabi-style Aloo Paratha | Indian Potato Flatbread - Aloo Paratha

Eat East Indian YouTube, How to make Aloo Paratha  (Potato Stuffed Indian Flatbread)

Eat East Indian YouTube, Mom's Aloo Paranthas | How my mom makes breakfast for us

Healthy Carrot Soup

This was based on the recipe of Kouzounas Kitchen. I was inspired by her recent Instagram Live demonstration of how to make this soup. It was also convenient to try, after I had already steamed carrots in an oven-safe parchment bag. I wanted something simple and nourishing.

I made a much smaller batch than the recipe, with olive oil, chopped onions, the steamed carrots, some cumin and dried basil and mint, water, and salt. I also added some cinnamon, as I thought was mentioned in the Instagram Live video. I don't mind unblended soups, so I left it as it was; I added creamy whole-milk yogurt (not pictured), instead of coconut milk, which I didn't have. (The soup is supposed to be vegan, suitable for those observing Lent, and I thought maybe it wouldn't be nice to show off the dairy. )

The soup was warm and comforting. Hopefully I'll make it again some time soon, when I have coconut milk.

Kouzounas Kitchen Website, The Governor Olive Oil Review & Healthy Carrot Soup Recipe

Instant Poha/Aval Idli 

(Steamed South Indian Dumplings)

These were from the recipe of Hebbar's Kitchen. These are "instant," because the batter is ready to steam in about a half-hour, versus a much longer traditional process of soaking, grinding, and fermenting legumes and rice.

Poha/Aval are rice flakes, pounded flat, which cook more quickly than regular rice. In this case, just to be safe, I put the flakes in a coffee/spice grinder first, before soaking them in yogurt. Another key ingredient here is rice rawa/idli rava, for which I used Cream of Rice (as I believe it's the same). This is also soaked in yogurt. That, along with salt, water, and "a pinch" of baking soda, makes up the batter. The trick is, to get the pinch of baking soda right, as that helps lighten the batter. (It can help to watch a video of the recipe, where available.)

As this was a new method and recipe for me, I decided to steam it the first time on the stove, using 2 different kinds of non-stick egg poachers (not sponsored). Now that I have a better idea of the process and results, I can try it again, with an idli-rack. ... These Idlis were light, and my favorite way to enjoy them, was with chutney powder and coconut oil. 

Hebbar's Kitchen Website, Poha Idli/Instant Poha Idli Recipe/Aval Idli Recipe

Hebbar's Kitchen YouTube, Poha Idli/Instant Poha Idli Recipe/Aval Idli Recipe

Thai Massaman Curry 

with Veggie Crumbles, Carrots, & Potatoes

I made this using store-bought massaman curry paste. I made this based on the Beef Massaman Curry of Hot Thai Kitchen. It was spicy and a little sweet, and actually tasted best after 3 days.  The only thing was, this curry paste was very rich, with a lot of oil. (For that reason, I'm not sure I'd buy it again. Of course, I could make my own, but sometimes it's nice when someone else helps me out.) Therefore, I couldn't eat much at a time, no matter how good it was. Keeping this in mind, next time, I'll use less curry paste. (There's plenty left, still, for a "next time.") I stashed half of the curry sauce in the freezer, for one of those times I need to order my own personal take-out. 

Hot Thai Kitchen Website, Beef Massaman Curry Recipe

Hot Thai Kitchen YouTube, Beef Massaman Curry Recipe

Baked Qatayif 

(Pancakes with Ground Almonds)

Now for something sweet! Here are Baked Qatayif (Pancakes with Ground Almonds). I wanted to make real Qatayif, Arabic pancakes filled with nuts, then baked or fried, and sweetened with a sugar syrup. Sounds yum! But ... it would be too rich for me, so I'd never made it before. Another thing is, while I enjoy pancakes, I find it difficult to stand at the stove long enough to make a batch, sometimes. What a bummer! Now, how could I make it more suitable for me?  Recently, I found an answer ...

I made Baked Pancakes, in a muffin pan! This was according to the Kitchen @ Hoskins method in the recipe for Baked Pumpkin Pancakes. I used the Basic Pancake batter from Mom's Big Book of Baking, by Lauren Chattman, except: I used 2 Tbsp almond filling instead of sugar, added 1 Tbsp rosewater and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract to the liquid, and used a little less milk.

The filling I used was from Lebanese Cuisine, by Madelain Farah, for her Qtayif recipe. The only difference was, I used 1 cup ground almonds instead of walnuts, and added a little extra rosewater. I stored leftover filling in the fridge, to use elsewhere.

I added some batter to each of the muffin liners in the muffin pan, sprinkled in some almond filling, and then covered it with more batter. Towards the end, there wasn't quite enough batter to cover the almonds, so they became more of a streusel topping. I baked it all at 375 F, for about 26 minutes. When I would eat one of these goodies, I'd reheat it gently, and then drizzle some sugar syrup on it. (Note: errant almond topping sticks to the pan, so it helps to at least wipe it off, after baking, while the pan is still somewhat warm.) I hope someday to try the real thing, but until then, I'm glad I have a substitute!

To illustrate what the real deal looks like, I've taken the liberty of adding links below, to YouTube videos of SmileyGirl230 making Atayif (just the pancakes), as well as Atayif bil Jibneh (pancakes filled with cheese, and baked). While I have never made her Atayif before, I have made other of her recipes, and they were outstanding! I have also added a link to Najat's Kitchen on YouTube's video of Atayef (with English subtitles), as she uses a walnut filling. While I have not made this particular recipe, I thought it would help to illustrate the traditional version. 

Kitchen @ Hoskins Website, Pumpkin Streusel Pancake Cups  

SmileyGirl230 Facebook

SmileyGirl230 YouTube, Atayef - The easiest pancakes you will ever make 

SmileyGirl230 YouTube, Atayef bil Jibneh - Lebanese pancakes with cheese 

Najat's Kitchen YouTube, How to make Atayef (Arabic Pancakes) (with subtitles)