Rava - Shavige

Rava Shavige is prepared using medium sized rava/rave/semolina. It is nice and you can enjoy having this Rava Shavige for breakfast, snack time or even for dinner.

I have used medium sized rava, water and salt. You need to have the mould to prepare the shavige.
Shavige is the name for vermicelli. Shavige is normally prepared with raw rice/boiled rice or using both variety of rice.
Shavige/home made vermicelli/noodles  is one of the traditional dish of South Canara. It is one of the tough preparation in those days. In olden days there were big Shavige mane (Shavige mould). One has to wash all the parts of this shavige and then use it. Rice is soaked and ground to smooth paste. Then stirring the ground batter with sufficient water (on fire), and then turn the dough in to big balls and steam. Steamed balls are put it into the mould and then press from the top. You will have to keep a plate at the below and then put them on the plain cloth. Once it it cooled down serve with coconut milk, chutney, thick coconut paladya (vegetable and curd curry), sambar the side list goes on and on. It is one of the nice food to have them for breakfast, lunch, snack time or dinner. Coastal area is rich with coconut trees and the use of coconut is used lavishly in cooking.

Let us see some benefits of having coconut milk in our diet. 
Having coconut milk as one of the side dish with our daily food like idli, dosa, neeru dosa, sweet chapati/Holige /pooran poli, is a habit of our South Canara people. Coconut is rich in fiber, minerals and vitamins.
 Coconut milk is filled with Vitamins C, E, B 1, B 3, and B 6. It contain minerals like iron, sodiumm, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. Coconut milk contain saturated fat, antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties. It helps improves the health of digestive system and good for digestion. Coconut milk helps to relax the nerves and the muscles, control blood sugar level and lower the blood pressure and reduce joint inflammation.
Coconut milk is good for hair care and skin care.

Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients :

Rava /Rave/Semolina (Medium sized) : 2 Cups
Water : 3  Cups
Salt : As required
Ghee / Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Shavige/chakkuli Mould

Method :

1. Keep water for boiling in a big bowl /pan. Add required salt.

2. Pour rava slowly and mix it with water nicely while the water boils. See that no lumps are formed.
3. Once the rava mixes well and it turns thick dough put off the fire.

4. Put a spoon of ghee/oil and mix the dough well.
5. Divide the dough into small portion and make them as ball shape.

6. Apply oil/ghee to idly plates and keep it ready.
7. Now take a small portion of rava dough and put it in the shavige mould.
8. Press/turn the top and put shavige into idly plate.

9. Arrange the idli plates.
10. Put some water in pressure cooker and place a small container or plate.
11. Keep the pressure cooker on the fire and let the water boil.
12. Place the idli plates filled with shavige. Steam for 8 to 10 minutes.

13. Remove the pressure cooker lid and remove cooked shavige to a serving dish.

14. Serve with the side dish that you have prepared.  We had " Rava Shavige " with coconut chutney and jaggery.

Note :

Let rava cooks well while stirring. Use of chiroti rava is optional. Do it on medium flame. The dough should be mixed well or it sticks in the mould and it is hard to press.
Time : 40 Minutes
Serves : 3 to 4 . 

Dideer Rava Idli

Dhideer means fast ...Rava idlies can be prepared immediately and it is easy to prepare. 
Rava idlis were first invented in Bangalore/Karnataka/India from one of the famous Hotel (Even Now) M.T. R. during 2nd World war. It is said that during war time the rice became scarcity and M. T. R, tried the idli, using Rava/Semolina. Thanks to them and it has come long a way and is world wide famous, healthy and yummy.

 I have used medium size Rava, curd/yogurt, cooking soda and little salt.
It is very easy and energetic, healthy and keeps you full for a long time.
Let us see the recipe now :

 Ingredients :

Medium size Rava ( Samolina): 2 cups.
Curd ( Yogurt) 1 Cup.
Green chilly : 2 ( small);
Coriander leaves : 3 Tablespoons.
To Season :
Oil : 1 Teaspoon.
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Urd Dall: 1/2 Tea spoon.
Curry Leaves : One handful.
To Add : 
Salt : to taste.
Cooking Soda : 1/2Teaspoon.

Method :

1. Wash and cut curry leaves, coriander leaves, green chilly in to small pieces.
2. Keep a pan on the fire and put a teaspoon of oil. Let it heat. Add mustard seeds and urid dal.
3. Let it splutter. Add curry leaves and green chilly. Add rava and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Put off the fire and shift the roasted rava to a plate. Let it cool.
5. Take a big pan and add cooled rava, curd, required water, salt and mix it well.

6. It should be idli dough consistency. Let it rest for 5 minutes.
7. Wash and grease idli plates with ghee or oil.
8. Add cooking soda to ready idli dough and mix it well.
9. Put some water to idli cooker or pressure cooker and keep it on the fire. Let the water boil.
10. Add a small ladle of rava idli dough in greased idli plates.
11. Arrange them and keep it in pressure cooker and close the lid. Do not put weight.
12. Let it cook for 7 to 8 minutes. Remove the lid and take out the idli plates with idlis.

13. Sprinkle some water (normal temperature) on hot idlis and remove it from the plates.
14. Put it in hot box or a bowl. Serve with your choice of side dishes.

15. It can be served with ghee/butter, pickle, sambar and chutney.

Notes: 

Roast rava on low and medium flame till the raw smell disappear. Let it cool completely to add curd/yogurt. Or rava dough turns as very soft and idli will not taste good. Adding cashews is optional. Adding more green chilly is optional.You can also add grated carrots, capsicum and prepare vegetable idli. Do not add more cooking soda.
Time : 30 Minutes 
Serves : 3 to 4 
Type : South Indian style.

SWEET PUMPKIN KADABU. ( RED PUMPKIN).

Sweet Pumpkin Kadabu is one of the traditional dish of South Canara and other parts of Karnataka. 

We can prepare spicy and sweet idli from the same ingredients. Adding some greeen chilly and coriander leaves will be added to the same batter to prepare spicy idli.
Jaggey is added to turn the batter sweet. So that sweet aroma and crave for sweets can be satisfied with this dish.
We from South Canara are bit sweet tooth people. Most of the snacks and breakfast dishes are added with sweet mostly jaggery. We do use many vegetables in idli/kadabu/kadubu.
Here is one such traditional dish that is Sweet Pumpkin Kadabu/Kadubu/Idli.
I have used idli plates to prepare the dish and you can cook them in a round /any shape bowl/plate.
I have used idli rava, coconut, pumpkin and jaggery.

Sweet Pumpkin kadabu is good for breakfast, snack, kids snackbox or even for dinner. As I said it is very easy to prepare and healthy to eat.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things needed:

Idli Rava/Raw rice rava : 2 Cups
Coconut : 1/2 Cup
Grated Pumpkin : 1 Bow; (1/4 of the medium sized pumpkin).
Salt : A little
Jaggery : 1 /2 Cup ( Powdered ).
Black Pepper : 4 to 6 pods.
Jeera/Cumin seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Dry Ginger Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon

Method:

1. Wash and remove the thick part ( outer layer ) of pumpkin. Scrape out the inner pulp and seeds.
2. Grate pumpkin and coconut. Keep them aside.

3. Wash idli rava and put it in  a bog bowl. Add salt, curmin seeds,dry ginger powder and crushed black pepper.

4. Add powdered jaggery, grated pumpkin and grated coconut. Mix it well with pumpkin gratings.

5. Add salt and mix all the ingredients well. Add water if required.
6. Leave the batter for 10 minutes.

7. Apply little oil /ghee to all the idli plates.
8. Pour a ladle (small) of sweet idli batter to each plate. ( Each idli mould).
9. Keep a cooker /idli steamer on the fire and put some water in it. Let the water get heated.
10.Keep idli batter filled idli plates in the cooker and cover.
11. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or little more. (Another 5 minutes).

12. Remove the cooker cover and slowly take out the idli from the idli plate.

13. Sweet Pumpkin Kadubu/idli is ready to serve
14. Serve with any side dish you have prepared and some ghee on the top of hot sweet idlis.

15. You can enjoy eating these idli with fresh ghee and pickle. (My favourite).

Note :

We can use banana leaf, jack fruit tree leaf /turmeric leaf to cook these idli/Kadubu. I used idli plates to prepare. You can also use pressure cooker container to cook these idlis. Adding more grated pumpkin is optional. Use of more/less jaggery is optional. Use of dry ginger is optional. I have used pepper corns, dry ginger powder and jeera because Pumpkin is said to be contains lots of gas./Vaayu.
So using these above ingredients helps to take care.
Time :
Preparation time : 10 Minutes + Allow the batter to rest  10 Minutes + cooking time 10 minutes. 
Total Time : 30 Minutes. 
Serves : 5 to 6  ( Maximum 20 idli can be done).

Idli (Rice steamed Cake)

Idli  is normally a breakfast dish. It is one of the healthy steamed dish. You can have them as snack or for dinner. It one of the traditional dish of Karnataka people I can say. Idli is very famous in Karnataka . Varieties of idlis you get but remember that eating plain idlis are always healthy.

Idli is prepared using dal and rice. Now a days there are varieties of idli available in the hotels and at the food points.
Lets see the recipe now

Ingredients :

1 Cup Urid dal
2 Cups of Raw rice
3.Salt : Required

Different vessels are used to steam the same idli batter. A big glass, deep bowl type plate, Idli tatte/plate etc.

Method :

1. Wash and soak rice and urid dal separately for 2 to 3 hours.
2. Grind them separately. Grind rice into rava consistency and urid into paste consistency. Add only  required water while grinding the rice.

3. Remove it from the grinder and put it in a big bowl. Add salt and leave it for ferment. (over night or 6 to 7 hours).

4. Morning when you are ready to prepare idli, wash idly plates and apply ghee or oil.
5. Keep the pressure cooker or idly cooker on the fire. Add some water at the bottom and place a plate or bowl.
6. Put a ladle of idli dough to the idly plate and place it in the cooker and cover the lid. Do not put weight if using the pressure cooker.

7. Cook for at least 8 to 10 minutes. Put off the gas and open the lid. You can prepare different shapes of idli. The second one is cooked with t

8. Remove the idli with the help of a spoon or a knife edge.

9. Serve with a spoon of ghee and the side dish you prepared.

10. Idlis are eaten with sambar and chutney normally. You can also eat them with pickle, chutney powder, sugar, jaggery and rasam.

Note :

Grind urid dal first and then grind rice. You can use rice rava instead of grinding rice. Do not use more water while grinding urid or rice.
Dosa rice can be used to get good idly. (any kind of raw rice can be used.
24 Idlies can be prepared.
Time : Soaking time 3 hours + grinding + 30 minute (Grinder) + ferment - 8 hours + Cooking time = 10 minutes. 
Sambar
Cook dal, any vegetables and mix it together. Add a tablespoon of tamarind and salt. Let it boil nicely. Add rasam/sambar powder, turmeric powder and mix it well. Add little jaggery. Mix it nicely and let it boil nicely. Add mustard splutter with curry leaves and ingh. Add washed coriander leaves at the end and serve Ready Sambar with Idli. I have used brinjal for sambar.
Time : 20 Minutes
Serves : 4 to 5
The same Idli Dough can be poured into these type of cups and steam to get the soft idli

Jack fruit leaf is stitched as glasses and idli dough is poured inside to steam. These are healthy idlis loaded with health benefits.