Aariyum-Thakkali Uththappam

Aariyum, kezhvaragu, ragi are all names in different South Indian languages for finger millet.

Ironically, millet is associated with bird feed despite the amazing nutrients it has.

Back home, this is the first cereal food to be introduced to infants. My mother, with ideas given by her maids or neighbours uses, ragi, maize and millet (cumbu) in lot of dishes, mostly in dosais.

They are all worth the pain of cleaning and curing the cereals. Amma is never tired of all that as we all bring back with us the cured grains or the flour. This is one such dosai which will tickle your tastebuds. I used store bought milletflour.

These can be had as uththappams or as normal thin dosais with usual chutney, sambhar etc. etc.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup finger millet flour (or cured ragi, same quantity)

1/2 cup idli rice

1/2 cup raw rice

2 tablespoons urad dhal

1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds

2 red chillies (or more if desired)

2 green chillies

4 medium tomatoes

2 tablespoons buttermilk ( optional; it just helps fermentation process.)

oil as required.

For garnish:

1 large onion -chopped and sauteed in oil with some salt

coriander leaves -chopped -fistfull

curry leaves -chopped -few

tomato rings

Wash and soak together idli rice, raw rice, urad dhal and fenugreek seeds for few hours.

Cut tomatoes in fours or eights. Put the tomatoes and chillies in the mixie jar first and blend well.

Add the soaked rice-lentil combination and grind to a smooth batter.

In the last stages, add the ragi flour and buttermilk to blend well in the batter.If using whole grain millet, that has to be soaked and ground along the rice.

Add the salt and set to ferment for atleast 12 hours.

Pour ladlefuls on hot tawa and adding little oil make the dosais until well done on both sides.

For uththappams pour larger quantity of batter, spreading it thick.Wait for a few seconds and on the top side spread sauteed onions, curry leaves, coriander leaves and tomato rings. Press these gently to sink into the batter.

Cover with a lid. When the bottom is cooked the top would have been steamed and ready.

Flip quickly on its back if you want that side done also.

Serve with any accompaniment.

This is yet another dosai to feature in Padma's Dosa Corner.