The Spice Box

Always ensure you have a spice box in your kitchen. It helps keep all the improtant spices to gether at one easilty reachable spot.
A typical spice-box would contain the following spices: mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, urad dal, chana dal, pepper corns, jeera and red chillies.

Kura Podi

This is one of the most versatile cooking masala that can be found. They also vary in ingredients and taste from family to family.

Ingredients:

3 pieces dried coconut
1/2 cup urad dal
2 cups chana dal
1 cup coriander seeds (dhaniya)
approx 3 handfuls of red chillies
lime-sized tamarind
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 tsp cooking oil
1 tsp hing (LG black hing)
4 tsp Salt

Method:

• Chop the coconuts into small pieces
• Mix the pieces with the urad dal, chana dal, dhaniya, red chillies and fenugreek seeds and set aside.
• In a small wok, heat the oil & hing till the hing fluffs up and changes colour
• Pour the oil into the mixture given in step 2, and set the hing aside
• Transfer the mixture of condiments into a large, thick wok, and heat on a high flame, stirring constantly
• Once the chana dal is lightly roasted, turn off the heat and add salt, tamarind and the hing, and mix well.
• Once cooled, grind the mixture into a fine powder.

This masala can be used for flavouring vegetable as well as served with various tiffins.

Dosa Preparation

Complaint: the dosa sticks to the iron skillet, and just refuses to come off.

Solutions:

• I have never used an onion, but i heard its a really good solution. Simply rub a cut onion to the surface of the hot skillet before pouring the dosa. The dosa comes off easily, albeit with the faint whiff of onion.
• Another one is:  let the skillet heat up well, while keeping it on a small/medium flame (depending on the size of the burner & skillet). Spread a tsp of oil over the surface and let it heat till it gives off smoke. Then, keeping the flame small, spread the dosa carefully. the trick it not to be too fast or too slow. That will come only with experience. Once you pour the dosa, put some oil all around it and a few drops towards the center. Put the flame on high, allowing the oil on the edges to bubbles slightly while cooking the dosa. Carefully, using a spatula,lift the dosa from the skillet and flip over. Reduce the flame to small immediately. Let it cook for a few seconds and take off completely.