Parp Dosa (Toor dal dosa)

This is a spicy dosa made of Toor dal (yellow split pea, togari bele).
You can find toor dal in Indian grocery stores.

Ingredients:

Toor dal 1/2 cup
Rice 1 1/2 cups
Dry red chillies - 3-4 (more if you want it spicier)
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Hing (asafoetida) - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste

Preparation:

Batter

1. Soak toor dal and rice in water for 4-5 hrs (till the dal is soft enough to grind) . Overnight is best.
2. Drain all the water. You can save this water to use for grinding.
3. In a blender grind the soaked dal, rice and coconut to a smooth paste adding little water at a time. Keep the consistency similar to any other dosa/pancake batter.
4. Add hing, turmeric and salt. Mix well.
The batter is now ready to make dosas. Unlike the usual urad/rice dosa batter, this does not need to sit for a while to slightly ferment. You can use the batter immediately to make dosas.



Dosa

1. Heat the tava (griddle)
2. With a medium sized serving spoon, take the batter and slowly spread it on the tava in circles to make a thin layer.
3. Put few drops of oil around the dosa.

4. Leave it for 1-2 minutes. When the top layer starts to dry and the edges start to turn brown, you can flip the dosa to cook the other side. Again leave it for a minute or 2 and take it out.


5. Serve with Pickle or Chutney.

Minestrone Soup

This is the Vegetarian Minestrone soup that you get in Olive Garden restaurant.

Ingredients:

1 can of tomato chunks (i have noticed that canned tomato gives the restaurant taste compared to fresh tomatoes)
2 cups of Rajma (Red kidney beans)
1/2 cup of chopped celery (small bite size pieces)
3/4 cup of shell pasta
1 tsp butter
1 small bunch of basil leaves (10-12 leaves) finely chopped.
1/2 tsp Oregano powder
1/2 tsp crushed black pepper
Few leaves of Rosemary (the dried ones will also do)
1/4 tsp of dried Tarragon
1/4 tsp of Thyme
1/4 tsp of Red chilli powder (papparika)
salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Soak Rajma overnight. Then pressure cook rajma. If you are using canned red kidney beans, you don't need to cook it. Use it as is.


2. Heat butter in a pot/vessel. Add pepper, oregano, rosemary, thyme and tarragon.

3. Saute for a few seconds. Then add chopped basil and saute for another minute.

4. Add tomato chunks and celery.

5. In the meanwhile, boil water for pasta. Add a pinch of salt and 1 tsp olive oil and pasta to the water and boil till the pasta is cooked al-dente.

8. Add this pasta along with the water to the boiling tomato/herb mixture.
9. Add salt and chilli powder to taste and boil it for a good 15-20 minutes for all the flavors to be incorporated.

10. You may add more water and boil if you think the consistency is too thick.

Soup is now ready. If you like, you may add some croutons or have it with bread.