Rice Vermicelli Upma/Akki shavige/

Akki Shavige is a breakfast delicacy in Iyengar family. You just need few basic ingredient from your pantry and make this dish. I remember eating it in Kadambam restraunt which serve authentic Iyengar cuisine in Bangalore. How to make it? I learned it from my husband :). It's very simple and quick.

Ingredients 
Akki shavige(Rice vermicelli) - 2 cups
1/2 Capsicum chopped into dice size
4-5 Green Chili (adjust it as per your taste)
1/2 lemon juice (adjust as per taste)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp tumeric powder
1 red chilli cut into half
1 tsp urad dal
Few curry leaves
2 tbsp spoon oil
Salt to taste.
Few string of coriander for garnish

How I Make
1. Boil 5-6 cups of water in a pot. Once the water starts to boil, add vermicelli to it and make sure it is immersed completely in water.

2. Allow to cook for 3-4 minutes (check if vermicelli is cooked, it shouldn't become mushy). Using pasta strainer drain the water and run cold water on vermicelli.

3. Heat oil in a big pan. Once hot add mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, green chilli,
red chilli, saute until urad dal turns golden brown.

4. Add capsicum and cook till 3/4th done, add tumeric, salt and vermicelli. Mix well and cook for 3-4 mins while stirring.

5. Add lemon juice and corainder mix it well and serve hot.

Red Leaves/Amaranth leaves Raitha/Dantina soppu pachadi

Recipe from my hubby (Iyengar speciality). Got bored of making the same old sambhar or palya from dantina soppu. Try this refreshing raitha !!!!

Ingredients
Small bunch of dantina leaves, wash it and chop it into small pieces
1 teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon mustard
1 red chilli cut into half
1 teaspoon urad dal
Few curry leaves
Pinch of hing

2 cup of yogurt
Salt to taste

To Grind
1/2 cup coconut
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2-3 green chilli (as per spicy taste)
Water

How I Prepare

1. Heat oil in a pan, add hing, mustard seeds, curry leaves, red chilli and urad dal and saute for few seconds until the urad dal turns golden brown in color.

2. Add the chopped leaves into the pan, give it a toss and allow it to cook. Once the leaves are reduced into half switch off the stove. Allow the mix to cool.

3. In a mixer add coconut, mustard seeds, green chill, little water and grind into smooth paste. 

4. Add the above paste, cooled leaves to the yogurt and salt as per taste and whisk it nicely