Appe is yet another South Indian dish commonly prepared with pulses/lentils and rice. But it needs soaking of lentils and grinding and everything. On the other hand these rava/semolina appe are very convenient to make. It doesn't need the hassle of soaking and grinding. My sis-in-law made these appe while she was visiting and I really liked them. By using fruit salt it doesn't need to be fermented. Eno fruit salt is easily available in any Indian grocery store. It comes in three different flavors. Use regular or lime flavor either is fine.  Ingredients( Serves 5-6) 3 cups fine rava/semolina 1/2 cup yogurt 3 cup water 1 small onion finely chopped 1 tomato chopped 3-4 green chilies 1 inch ginger grated Couple of tbsp chopped cilantro Oil to brush insides of appe mould 1 tbsp Eno fruit salt or as required Method Method is pretty simple, take a big mixing bowl and mix all the ingredients except eno together and let it sit covered for up to an hour or so. You wil

Rasam is a traditional South Indian spicy soup prepared with tamarind and tomato base liquid with added spices and dal. It is similar to sambar but it's consistency is more soup like, unlike sambar which is usually thicker. It can be served as a soup for first course or can be used for main course with idli, dosa, vada etc or can be simply served with rice. It tastes especially good on cold or rainy days. All the spiciness just kicks in and warms you up inside out. I served it with my Zucchini dosas  and tasted just perfect. Ingredients(Serves 2-3 people as soup) 1/4 cup red lentils 1 small tomato chopped  1 tbsp store bought rasam powder(I use MTR brand) 1/2 tsp tamarind paste 1 tbsp jaggery 3 cup water Chopped cilantro for garnish For Tempering 1 tsp ghee/clarified butter 1/4 tsp mustard seeds 1/4 tsp cumin seeds Few curry leaves Method Cook lentil with water and pinch of turmeric and asafoedita in a pressure cooker. Give 3-4 whistles and shut off t

Dal is an important part of any Indian meal. No matter which part of India, dal is one staple food in any household. Dal is a good source of protein for Vegetarian people. Indian meal is not complete without dal. There are variety of dal/lentils available in market and each of them has its own taste. Dal's can be made in variety of ways but basic preparation starts with boiling dals with turmeric and asafoetida(also known as hing) and add tadka/tempering on cooked dal. Now, variation can be made by adding onions, tomato, ginger, garlic or any leafy green vegetables.  Moong dal tadka is a very simple yet scrumptious recipe that will surely make your meal complete. Ingredients(Serves 2) 1/3 cup yellow moong dal 1/4 tsp turmeric powder Pinch of asafoetida Chopped cilantro for garnishing For Takda 1 tbs ghee 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 1 dried red chili cut in half 1/4 tsp red chili powder Salt as per taste 2-3 garlic cloves sliced Method Cook moong dal with turmeric and asa