Republic Day At The Table

Tricolor Idli

By Chef ANAND RAWAT
Ingredients:

500 gms urad dal

1 kg idli rawa

5 gram of cooking soda salt (as per taste)

For color:

50 gms carrot puree

50 gms spinach puree, blanched 2-3 okra

Method:

Wash and soak urad dal and idli rawa separately. Urad dal needs to be soaked for 5 to 6 hours or overnight.

Drain the excess water and start grinding the urad dal with some salt in a wet grinder or blender to prepare the batter.

Add some water if needed and blend till you get a nice frothy thick and smooth batter.

Squeeze out excess water from rava and add to the urad dal batter. Mix well and keep aside for fermentation in a warm place for a few hours.

Boil carrots and blanch spinach separately and put it in a blender for fine puree for the color.

Once the batter is ready, take some batter in 3 separate bowls. Add the carrot puree and spinach puree to the 2 parts of batter separately and stir nicely to get the desired color. Keep the 3rd part of batter as it is.

Take the idli mold, insert muslin cloth, sprinkle some water and keep aside. Preheat the idli steamer.

With a help of a spoon, first add the orange color idli batter in the idli mold then the plain idli batter, and the third with the green idli batter.

Cut one okra and place it on the center of white layer of the idli batter.

Cook the tricolor idlis in the preheated steamer for about 15 to 20 minutes. Idlis should be soft, light and fluffy.

Remove the tricolor idlis and serve hot with sambhar and chutney.

Tricolor Masala Bhat
By Chef JERSON Fernandes

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice 300gms

Spinach Paste 100gms

Carrot Paste 100gms

Curd 50gms

Cream 150gms

Chopped Onions 150gms

Chopped Garlic 30gms

Cumin Seeds 1tblspn

Mustard Seeds 1/2 tblspn

Curry Leaves 2 sprigs

Red Chillies 4-5nos

Salt To Taste

Pepper Powder to Taste

Tomato Puree 200 gms

Peanuts 100 gms

Chana Dal 100gms

Corriander 1 sprig

Mint 1 sprig

Oil 100ml

Butter 50gms

Ghee 40gms

Chilly Powder 1 tblspn

Garam Masala Powder 3 tblspn

Cumin Powder 3 tblspn

Method:

Wash and soak the basmati rice for 20 minutes. Drain the water and boil it to perfection.
For the carrot rice, heat ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, curry leaves, onions, and garlic, and saute well. Once onions go translucent, add the carrot puree and cook well, add boiled basmati rice, cream, and garam masala powder and mix to get saffron-coloured rice. Check for seasoning
For the spinach rice, heat ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, curry leaves, onions, and garlic, and saute well. Once the onions go translucent, add the spinach puree, chopped coriander, and mint and cook well, add boiled basmati rice, cream, and garam masala powder and mix to get green-coloured rice. Check for seasoning.
For the curd rice, heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and curry leaves, and saute well. Once cold add curd, cream, basmati rice, chopped ginger, and salt and mix well. Check for seasoning.
For the tomato sauce, boil tomatoes, make a concasee, and temper it using garlic, onions, salt, pepper, chilly powder, cumin powder, and garam masala powder.
Start plating by using a ring mould brushed with butter to plate the 3 flavours of rice one above the other to resemble colours of the flag.
Top it with beaten curd and a rolled crispy papad and fresh sprigs of coriander/garden greens.
The tomato sauce has to be poured around the moulded rice.
The beaten curd has to be mixed with cumin powder and lined on the side, over which you place roasted peanuts, chana dal, fried red chillies, curry leaves, and edible flowers of your choice (either rose petals or baby sunflowers)
Accompany with a lemon wedge to squeeze before eating.
Chefs tip: Always brush butter/oil on the inner surface of the ring mould to ensure the rice grains don’t stick to it while demoulding. Ensure while roasting the papad, it is hot while being rolled to get the desired shape and finish. If it’s cold, it will break while rolling.