Tomato Oats Upma

Ingredients:

1. Quaker Oats - 3 tbsp.
2. Tomato - 1 large or 2 small chopped finely
3. Onion - 1 medium chopped finely
4. Green chilli - 1 finely chopped
5. Chilli powder (optional) - 1/2 tsp.
6. Dhania powder - 1 tsp.
7. Oil - 2 -3 tsp.
8. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp.
9. Ginger-garlic paste (optional) - 1/2 tsp.
10. Curry leaves - 5-6
11. Salt - to taste.

Procedure:

1. Heat oil in a kadhai and splutter the mustard seeds. Add ginger-garlic paste, green chillies, curry leaves and saute.
2. Add onions and lightly fry till golden brown.
3. Add tomatoes and stir fry till the tomato becomes pulpy.
4. Add chilli powder, dhania powder and salt.
5. Add oats and stir in. Add around 1 cup of water and boil as you keep stirring.
6. When it reaches the required consistency ( like saffola masala oats), switch off and enjoy it while it is hot.
7.  

Mor Koozhu with Ragi

Mor Koozhu is traditionally a poor man's dinner made by boiling together rice flour and buttermilk with spices. This version is Paatti's innovation in order to consume other grains like Ragi which do not feature in many recipes in Tam-Brahm cuisine. This is a quick recipe and ideal for breakfast or a light snack too.

Ingredients:

1. Ragi flour - 2 tbsp.
2. Curds - 1 cup diluted with 1 cup water (to make buttermilk)
3. Green chilly or red chilly or Mor Milagai(preferable) - 1 broken into 3-4 pieces.
4. Curry leaves - 5-6
5. Oil - 2-3 tsp.
6. Mustard - 1/2 tsp.
7. Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp.
8. Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tsp.
9. Salt - to taste

Procedure:

1. Dissolve Ragi flour in the buttermilk making sure no lumps are formed. Add asafoetida powder and salt to this and stir.
2. In a kadai, heat oil, season with mustard seeds, urad dal, chilly and curry leaves.
3. Pour in the dissolved ragi and cook on medium flame with constant stirring.
4. Keep stirring till the mixture reaches a glue-like consistency. 
5. Switch off the flame and cool for 5 minutes and the mixture will turn more solid.
6. Serve immediately while it is still warm.

For the original Mor Koozhu recipe, use rice flour instead of Ragi flour.

Ragi flour dissolved in buttermilk

When glue-like consistency is reached.

Rava Idli

Ingredients:

1. Rava (Bombay rava/Upma rava) - 2 cups
2. Sour curds - 2 cups ( or as per requirement)
3. Eno fruit salt - 1 tsp
4. Mustard - 1 tsp
5. Asafoetida powder ( Hing) - 1/2 tsp
6. Chana Dal - 1 tsp
7. Grated ginger (optional) - 1/2 tsp
8. Cashewnuts - 10-15 (optional)
9. Curry leaves (chopped) - 1 sprig
10. Coriander leaves (finely chopped) - 3-4 sprigs
11. Green chillies ( finely chopped) - 2 or 3
12. Salt - to taste
13. Oil - 2-3 tsp.

Procedure:

1. In a kadai, heat oil and temper with mustard seeds. Add chana dal ( and cashewnuts) and fry on low flame till they turn light brown. Add the curry leaves and asafoetida powder.
2. Add rava to the above and roast it on low flame till you get a light aroma.
3. Remove from flame and transfer to another container. To this add sour curds, grated ginger, green chillies, coriander leaves, salt and stir well to make a batter of consistency thicker than usual idli batter. You may have to vary the quantity of curds added to achieve this consistency.
4. Set aside the batter for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile grease the idli plates and line them a thin tomato slice or coriander leaves or a pinch or grated carrot or a roasted cashewnut. This for garnishing and is optional.
5. Heat water in the cooker.
6. Just before ladling out the batter onto the idli plates, add a tsp of Eno to the batter and stir well. This must be done in the last moment.
7. Ladle out the batter onto the greased idli plates and steam for around 15 minutes like regular idlis.
8. Serve with aloo saagu.