500 gram(s) lobsters shelled and meat washed
1 big onion finely chopped
2 medium tomato(es) blanched and chopped
2 teaspoon(s) coriander powder
1 teaspoon(s) cumin powder
½ teaspoon(s) turmeric powder
1 teaspoon(s) red chilli powder
½ teaspoon(s) black pepper powder
½ teaspoon(s) garam masala (hot spice mix)
2 tablespoon(s) yoghurt
2 tablespoon(s) oil
4 tablespoon(s) water
salt to taste
finely chopped fresh coriander to garnish Grind to a fine paste:
1 cup(s) grated coconut
2 flakes of garlic
1 teaspoon(s) chopped ginger
2 green chilli(es)
1 teaspoon(s) poppy seeds

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and saute the onions on medium heat for about 3 minutes or till the onions are light brown in color. Add the ground paste and fry till it is golden-brown. Add the tomato pieces and fry till the oil leaves the sides. Add all the spice powders except for the garam masala (hot spice mix) and mix well.
Mix in the lobster meat, salt and the yoghurt. Stir-fry on high heat briefly. Stir in the water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes or till the lobster meat is cooked and tender. Sprinkle the garam masala (hot spice mix) and garnish with finely chopped fresh coriander.
TIP:

It is important that the lobster is fresh because its meat is easily removable then.
Serve hot with: steamed rice and / or slices of bread, rotis

800 gram(s) pomfret fillets cleaned and washed
4 tablespoon(s) lemon juice
salt to taste
banana leaves to wrap each fillet Grind to a fine paste:
1 cup(s) grated coconut
1 cup(s) chopped coriander leaves
6 green chillies
1 tablespoon(s) coriander seeds
4 teaspoon(s) cumin seeds
2 tablespoon(s) chopped garlic
2 tablespoon(s) lemon juice
salt to taste
lemon slices to garnish

Make horizontal slits in the fish fillets to create pockets. Rub the fish fillets with some salt and lemon juice. Keep aside for at least 30 minutes.
Apply the green paste to the fish fillets and marinate them for at least 15 minutes. Place each marinated fish fillet on a banana leaf (or a portion of the leaf) along with a little of the marinade spread on both the sides. Wrap each piece separately. Arrange the fish packets in a steamer and steam for about 25 minutes.
At serving time, unwrap each fish fillet and arrange on a platter. Garnish with lemon slices.
TIPS:

The fish traditionally used in this recipe is pomfret.
Traditionally the fish is steamed in a banana leaf which gives it all the flavor. However, if the banana leaf is not available, aluminum foil can be used instead.
Serve hot with: steamed rice accompanied with a tall glass of chilled Appetizing Kokum in Yoghurt (Quick Sol Kadi)

3 cups rice (not basmati!), soaked overnight — room temp. water. 1 cup urad dal (a specific type of lentils avail. at Indian grocery stores— no substitution; other dals will not work like this)
Soaked separately overnight — room temp. water
Traditionally, stone grinders (huge mortars) and rolling pestles are used to grind the rice and the urad dal and motorized versions of those are now available at Indian elcetronic stores in D.C. A mixie
or a blender cuts the grains into fine pieces, but does not “mash” them like the stone grinders do. So there is a good deal of difference taste when you use a blender. But still, it is not bad at all if you make sure that you grind the rice really fine. Cover the rice with water just 1/2 “above the rice line in the blender.
Grind till Sssssmooth.
Grind the dal separately, with water that barely covers it. Grind a long time (be patient!), stirring once
in a while and grinding again. When
the dal is ground very well, and small air bubbles appear once you stop running the blender, it is enough. Add more water if necessary. But this should be very thick.
MIx the rice and the urad dal pastes, with 1/2 tsp salt.
Add one tablespoon beaten yogurt, and mix well.
Keep covered to let oit ferment fro at least 5 to 8 hrs or more. (Keep it close to a heater or in any warm place).

Once it has risen, stir briefly, and keep it oin the fridge.

You have the batter now.

Grease a griddle with plain sesame oil or peanut oil if you care about max. flavor; if not use veg. oil. The heat should be medium or slightly higher. When hot (a few drops of water will sizzle gently and disappear), using a metal ladle, pour one ladleful over the griddle; with quick and even and gentle strokes, spread the batter out
with the ladle as if you are drawing concentric circles on the batter. Do it either clockwise OR anticlockwise else you get lumps.
It takes a few tries believe me, and some of us who are trained well in this mess up occasioanlly. drizzle oil around edges, and on top. Once the bottom is cooked, turn it over, and cook the top. Be careful when using your spatula (metal preferred) to take it out to flip it.

This can be served with chilli-dal-spice powder and oil or ghee, coconut chutney, cilantro or mint chutney, onion chutney, or
red garlic chutney, and/or saambar. (If you want their recipes, email me) This is standard breakfast or supper fare for us, growing up in the south.

Else, as in your restaurant, make a filling as follows:

1. Take 2 large boiled potatoes, peel and mash coarsely.
2. Thinly slice one large red onion, 2 cloves of garlic (optional) and 3 or 4 green chillies.
3. Grate a 1″ piece of ginger.
4. Cut up a tomato if you want.
5. Take a sprig of curry leaves and chop them coarsely.
6. Heat some veg. oil, add some fennel seeds, and cummin seeds (1/2 tsp. each) 7. Add 1/2 tsp of black mustard seeds.
8. When they crackle, add the green chillies, ginger, garlic (if used), and onions and fry them with a little salt for a while till
onions are transparent. Add curry leaves.
9. Next add 1/2 pkt of frozen peas, tomatoes (if you choose), and fry for 5 minutes.
10. Add the potatoes, and more salt if desired. stir well till blended 11. Add some chopped cilantro if you want.

When making the dosai, spread the batter out as mentioned earlier, drizzle oil, and keep the skillet or griddle covered (any
cover will do as long as the dosai area is covered; just be sure the cover does not touch the dosai). In less than a minute, the dosai will be cooked with oil on the bottom, and its top will be cooked by the steam that is generated when you cover it. The color is now not the white of the batter but kinda dull; you’ll know)

Turn the heat down, place the cooled filling acrooss the center along the diagonal, and fold both sides overlappingly over it
to form a cylindrical shape. Increase the heat slightly, drizzle more oil, and cook both sides till golden.

Else, place the filling in the center, and fold from three sides, forming a triangle, overlapping and covering the filling.

Cook as above.

If you have left over batter, and really fermented, make “OOTHAPPAM”: Chop some onions, green chillies, and cilantro really well, mix with salt.Soon as you spread out the pancake, sprinkle the chopped stuff on top. Drizzle oil on top, flip it over carefully when the bottom is cooked, and cook the other side. Serve with coconut chutney.

If you are into a health-diet, do not drizzle oil over and around pancake. Just grease the griddle lightly with a paper towel; in this case, cook just one side of the dosai on the greased surface, covering the dosai to let the steam cook the top. This dosa is very soft and tasty.

Back home, we add some fenugreek seeds to the urad dal, soak and grind them together for a superior texture, flavor, and color.

Hope that helps! I have babbled too much, but really, it is very easy to make once you have the batter.

Basmati rice 2 cups
Lemon juice 5 tbsp.
Mustard Seeds 2 tsp.
Urad Daal 2 tsp.
Chana Daal 2 tsp.
Dried Red chillies 2-3
Turmeric Powder 1/2 tsp.
A pinch of asafoetida
A pinch of Turmeric
Roasted Peanuts 1/2 cup
Curry leaves 10-12
Grated coconut 1 tbsp.
Salt to taste
Vegetable oil 2 tbsp.

Method:

1. Wash rice well before cooking.Then take rice with 3-3/4 cup water and add a little salt to it. Cook it in pressure cooker (wait for 1-2 whistles and then switch off the gas). You can also cook it in a pan or do microwave cooking just the same way as you cook ordinary rice.Once the rice is cooked, keep it aside.
2. Heat oil in a deep frying pan or a kadai.
3. Add asafoetida, dried red chillies cut into two, urad dal and chana dal.
4. Cook until dals change colour to light brown.
5. Add peanuts and mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start to crackle, then add curry leaves. Fry for 10 seconds more.
6. Next add turmeric powder and stir well.
7. Add cooked rice, salt and lemon juice. Mix well very gently so that the rice grains does not break.

Garnish with grated coconut and serve hot.

2 cup(s) raw rice soaked for 4-5 hours
4 cups coconut shavings
1 cup(s) cooked rice
1 cup(s) coconut water
½ teaspoon(s) yeast granules dissolved in some coconut water or little hot water
salt and sugar to taste

Drain the soaked rice and grind it along with the coconut shavings and cooked rice to a fine thick paste. Coconut water may be preferably used instead of water for grinding. Add the yeast and mix lightly. Mix in the salt and sugar to taste. Allow to ferment at room temperature for at least 6 hours.
Heat a small non-stick wok. Pour approximately half a cup of batter and quickly but gently swirl the pan around such that only a thin layer of the batter covers the sides and a thick layer collects at the bottom. Cover with a lid and cook each appam on medium heat for about 3 minute(s) or till the edges have become golden crisp and the centre is soft and spongy. Another sign of doneness would be when the edges start coming off the wok.
TIPS:

In case coconut water is unavailable, water may be used instead. However, coconut water is preferred since it acts as a fermenting agent.
Coconut water should not be thrown once the coconut is broken. The coconut can be cracked over a bowl to collect the water. Coconut water is very nutritious; hence, one can drink it or use it in stews instead of water. In this recipe, it has been used for grinding the coconut and rice since it acts as a fermenting agent. This will make the pancakes fluffy and spongy.
A special traditional metal wok called ‘appam chatty’ in Kerala is used to cook the appams. Oil is a must in these woks. Nowadays a special non-stick ‘appam chatty’ has replaced the metal one giving oil-free appams. Any small non-stick wok can be used for this purpose.
A well-fermented batter will form small holes (like a lace) all over the appam while cooking. This makes the appams very light.
Serve hot with : recipes such as
Mixed Vegetable Stew (Kerala Vegetable Stew),
Goan Vegetable Curry, and
Vegetables in a Spicy Gravy (Sabzi Kurma).

4 teacup(s) cooked long grain rice (called Basmati rice in India)
2 teacup(s) grated coconut
1 teaspoon(s) mustard seeds
2 teaspoon(s) each of split black gram and split bengal gram
½ teaspoon(s) asafoetida
4 green chilli(es) chopped
2 red chilli(es) broken into bits
4 tablespoon(s) butter or ghee (clarified butter)
a few curry leaves and salt to taste
a handful of fried cashewnuts to garnish.

Heat butter / ghee (clarified butter) on medium level in a large heavy-bottomed vessel for about 2 minute(s). Add the mustard seeds and fry till they splutter.
Now add the grams, red chilli bits, asafoetida and fry for a few seconds till the grams turn light brown. Add the chopped green chilli(es), curry leaves and the grated coconut. Saute on medium / low heat for about 4 minutes till the coconut is light brown in color.
Add the rice and salt to the coconut mixture and mix well. Keep on low heat for 2 minute(s) or till the rice is flavored with the coconut mixture. Garnish with fried cashewnut bits.
Suggestion: Great way to use left-over rice.

Serve hot immediately with: Kerala Mixed Vegetable Stew (Kerala Vegetable Stew) or any other curries of your choice.

1 cup(s) split Bengal gram (chola dal)
3 cups water
½ teaspoon(s) each of turmeric powder and sugar
3 red chillies broken
3 cloves
½” stick cinnamon
1 green cardamom(s) powdered
1 teaspoon(s) cumin seeds
1″ piece ginger finely chopped
1 green chilli(es) finely chopped
3 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon(s) grated fresh coconut
salt to taste

Soak the split Bengal gram in the water for a few minutes. Place the soaked split gram with the water (do not drain) in a heavy-bottomed vessel on high heat along with the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom powder, turmeric, sugar and salt. Let it come to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and cook on low heat for 15 minutes or till the gram is soft but the grains are yet separate. Keep aside.
For the tempering, heat the oil in a pan till very hot . Add the cumin seeds and let them splutter. Now, add the red chilli bits, chopped green chilli(es) and ginger. Fry on low heat for 2 minute(s).
Add the tempering to the cooked gram and mix well. Cook covered on low heat for 5 minutes. Mix in the fresh grated coconut just before serving.
Serve hot with: Green Peas Rice (Matar Pulav), white rice or Indian bread (Roti).

2 tablespoons butter / ghee (clarified butter) / oil
1 teaspoon(s) cumin seeds
½ teaspoon(s) asafoetida powder
2 tablespoon(s) ginger finely chopped
4 green chillies finely chopped
½ teaspoon(s) turmeric powder
1 cup(s) shelled green peas
4 potatoes unpeeled and cubed
2 tablespoon(s) finely chopped fresh coriander
salt to taste
½ cup(s) hot water
1 teaspoon(s) lemon juice

Heat the butter / ghee / oil in a heavy-bottomed pan on medium level and crackle the cumin seeds. Add the asafoetida powder, ginger and green chillies. Fry briefly till the raw smell of ginger goes off.
Add the green peas and potato cubes. Mix well. Add the hot water, half the coriander leaves and salt to taste. Mix well and bring to a boil. Cook covered on low level for about 15 minutes or till the peas and potatoes are tender and cooked. Mix in the lemon juice and the remaining coriander leaves.
TIPS:

As a variation, the green peas and potatoes can be cooked before hand and then tossed in the seasoning. Cover and simmer for 4-5 minutes for the flavors to blend well with the potatoes and peas.
Green chillies can be increased or decreased.
Keep extra hot water ready in case the vegetables are not cooked.
This dish can be cooked in pressure cooker for about 2-3 whistles.
Serve hot with: Indian bread (Pooris, Roti, Chapati), white rice or Coconut Rice (Nariyal Chawal).

500 grams cauliflower florets
4 big potatoes unpeeled and cubed
1 teaspoon(s) cumin seeds
2 tablespoon(s) ginger finely chopped
4 green chillies finely chopped
1 teaspoon(s) turmeric powder
2 teaspoon(s) red chilli powder
2 tablespoons butter / ghee (clarified butter) / oil
2 tablespoon(s) finely chopped fresh coriander
salt to taste

Heat the butter / ghee / oil in a heavy-bottomed pan on medium level and crackle the cumin seeds. Add the ginger and saute for about a minute.
Add the potato cubes and cauliflower. Mix well. Add the rest of the spices and salt to taste. Mix well and cook covered on low level for about 15 minutes or till the potatoes and cauliflower are cooked. Mix in the chopped fresh coriander leaves.
TIP:

As a variation, the potatoes can be boiled first and then cubed. In this case, the cauliflower florets should be added to the oil seasoned with cumin and ginger. Fry it till slightly brown and half cooked. Add the potatoes and proceed as above.
Serve hot with: Indian bread (Pooris, Roti, Chapati), white rice or Coconut Rice (Nariyal Chawal).