Cook Time

Prep time: 3 min

Cook time: 30 min

Ready in: 33 min

Yields: serves two people

Ingredients

• 1 cup Long grained rice, (Basmathi rice)
• 1 Onion -, (large, finely sliced)
• 2 Red chilies, (slit lengthwise)
• 4 Cloves
• 2 Cardamom
• 1 Cinnamon stick, (2 pieces)
• 2 Bay leaf
• 10-12 Cashew nuts, (break into small pieces)
• 4-5 Badam (Almond)
• 10-12 Dried grapes
• Salt to taste Salt to taste
• 4 tbsps Ghee

Cashew and Almond are getting fried in Ghee

Hot ghee with cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves

Sauteed Red chillies, sliced onions in Pressure Cooker

Rice getting sauteed in the Cooker

Instructions

1. In a heavy bottomed vessel, add 3 tablespoons of ghee and allow it to melt. Once hot, reduce the flame; add the cashew nuts, almond and sauté till it becomes golden brown. Remove the sauteed ingredients and place it in a separate cup.
2. Add the raisins(dried grapes) in the same vessel, and saute for a few seconds and place it with the sautéed cashew and almond.
3. In a pressure cooker, add 1 tablespoon of ghee and once ghee is hot, add the cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaf. Allow it to splutter.
4. Add the red chilies in the cooker and sauté for few seconds.
5. In the same pressure cooker add the sliced onions and fry till it becomes golden brown.
6. Now add the drained rice and sauté on low flame for 4 minutes. Do not over mix, as the rice might break. Add 2 1/4 cups hot water and required amount of salt. Close the lid and allow the cooker to give 4 whistles. Switch off the flame when whistles are done.
7. Wait till the pressure gets released, remove the lid and mix well the sautéed cashew, almond and raisins.
8. Garnish the dish with sliced Cucumber, Sliced Tomato & chopped coriander leaves(if required). Serve hot with chicken curry or paneer curry or egg curry or potato curry.

What is idli?

During your visits to South Indian restaurants, especially at morning times, you might have come across most people eating some white round objects served in a tiffin plate along with some small bowls containing chutney and/or sambar. These white rounded pieces are known as idlis and they constitute the most popular south Indian breakfast recipe. The Idlirawa is made up of boiled rice flour ( rough flour) and idlis are cooked in steam. So they are very healthy and soft to eat.This recipe is so much popular and consumed daily, very often, because of this healthiness and easy to digest factor. Further, with the addition of chutney or sambar, its taste becomes superb, lucrative and spicy. The cost is also very affordable which further contributes to its popularity.
Right now, I shall deal with the preparation of Idli recipe and its side dish Chutney. In some later hubs, I may deal with other side items of idly such as sambar, chilli powder and various types of chilli powders.

Idli with chutney

Idly (topped with cow ghee) served with Chutney in the tiffin plate | Source

Ingredients required for preparing Idli

Ingredient	Quantity	Description
Black gram	150 grams	Dehulled (white)
Idli Rawa	300 grams	sold in markets as idli rawa (rough flour)
salt	one teaspoonful (flat)	refined iodized powder
water	350 ml	150 ml for grinding and 200 ml for mixing

The above quantities are for making 24 idlis (6 serves)

Requirements for preparing idli

Dehulled (white) black gram 150 gram to be soaked for Idli | Source

Idli Rava measured of 300 grams | Source

Idli cooker container and its frames displayed | Source

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4 stars from 2 ratings of Idly with Chutney

How to prepare Idlis

• Soak the black gram (known as urad dal in Hindi, mina Pappu in Telugu) in a bowl with water in the previous evening itself. Allow it to soak for at least 4 hours.
• Before going to sleep, wash the black gram and remove the water. Put the grams into your grinder jar. Add water for grinding so that the water levels to the grams in the jar and the black gram completely immerse into the water. Normally for 150 gram soaked black grams, the water required for grinding is 150 ml but water is to be added in parts to avoid spilling out while grinding. Grind it for 30 to 40 seconds and remove the jar after unplugging.
• Now, take a big bowl and measure 300 grams of idli rava into it and add water to it so that it gets wet. It will require 200 ml. of water. Then add the above ground paste of black gram to it and a teaspoonful of salt and mix them all thoroughly with your hand and leave it for the entire night placing a lid on it.
• Next morning, when you are ready to prepare the breakfast, take the idli cooker and remove the frame from it. Fill water in it until it reaches to more than half of the mark indicated at the bottom of the vessel so that water does not touch the idli frame plates while boiling and spoil your recipe.
• Apply some oil or ghee to the idli plates before putting the idli paste into it.
• Then place the idli mix/paste into the places provided in each plate of the idli frame and spread it evenly so that it does not touch each other or spill down into the vessel.
• Now, put the plates one upon another on to the frame so that the holes for the passing of steam are not aligned with holes of upper plate as shown in the image below. Then place the frame of plates into the cooker container and close the lid.
• Light the stove and place the idli cooker on it and let it cook for 12 to 13 minutes. The whistles may be coming continuously but it will take full 12 minutes to get cooked well.
• In the meantime, you can prepare your chutney or do any other work.
• After 12-13 minutes, remove the cooker from flame and allow it to set for one or two minutes.
• Next, remove the plates from the idli cooker and keep each plate separately for one minute so that they can be easily removed from the frame plates with hand or spoon.
• Remove the idlis, each piece separately, from the frame and keep them in a hot box or serve immediately in tiffin plates along with the side dish if people are ready to eat. You can apply some ghee over the idlis for taste and energy.

Cook Time for idlis

PREPARATION TIME	COOK TIME	READY IN
Soaking time (4 hours) and time involved in keeping the idly mix to set for whole night or for at least another four hours at any day time not to be counted as preparation time. So preparation time is 1 minute for grinding and another 3, 4 minutes for mixing and 5 minutes for spreading in idli frame plates= total 10 minutes	maximum 15 minutes	25 minutes

To serve six persons 4 idlis each

Black gram ready for grinding with water added | Source

Idli plates with oil to be applied and idli mixture kept ready for preparation | Source

Idli plate filled with idli mix | Source

Idli frame ready for putting into idli cooker | Source

Ingredients required for "Idli Chutney"

Ingredient	quantity	description
Fried Bengal gram (split)	100 grams	dry fried grams dehulled (packets available in markets)
coconut	25 grams	cut into small pieces
green chillies	two	cut each into 2, 3 pieces
salt	one small spoon (flat)	iodized salt
a bit of ginger	small piece (equal to 1/4 chilly)	raw root (not dried)
turmeric powder	a little bit (say 1/8 tea spoon)	for colour and taste
water	100 ml	for grinding
curd	one or two table spoons	for taste (optional)

These quantities are for six persons or serves

Bengal gram, coconut, green chillies and a piece of ginger for making chutney | Source

Chutney preparation instructions

1. Cut the coconut into small pieces for grinding.
2. Cut chillies into pieces by making 3 to 4 pieces of each chilly.
3. Make ginger also into small pieces.
4. Take the grinder jar and put all the above pieces into it.
5. Add split Bengal gram also into the jar. (If fried gram is not available at your place, you may buy the raw (but split) Bengal gram and dry fry it in your pan until its colour changes slightly to a bit reddish and use it. It may consume a little bit extra water to grind. But it is also as tasty as fried gram.
6. Put one teaspoonful of salt into it and a little bit of turmeric for colour and flavour.
7. Add some water, say 20 to 30 ml and grind for 5 seconds. Then add some more water of same quantity and grind again for 8 to 10 seconds. Again add the balance water out of 100 ml and grind for another 5 seconds. The chutney will be ready now.
8. Remove the chutney into a bowl and you may add some curd to it for a better taste.
9. You can top it with some mustard seeds(big) and a little bit of asafoetida both fried in a little bit of oil for better flavour.
10. Now, you can serve this chutney along with the idlis in the tiffin plates as shown above.

Cook time for chutney

Prep time: 10 min

Ready in: 10 min

Yields: serves six people

Chutney before topping after mixing curd | Source

chutney ready for serve after topping | Source

Precautions to be taken while preparing idli

1. Be careful to see that Idli mix does not become too liquid. The above-mentioned quantities of water are carefully given after practical experience. But sometimes, water consumption changes according to the quality of the gram seeds and rice flour. So always maintain a plus point by adding a little bit less water while grinding or mixing the idli mix. You can add extra water at the time of preparation also if it is too thick for spreading in the cooking plates.
2. Take care while adding water in the idli cooking vessel for steam. Even though the manufacturers mark the borders for keeping water levels on the cooker vessels, it is wise to keep the water level only within 2/3 of the marking line.
3. Turn off the stove or flame within 15 minutes of the cooking time for idlis to get them soft and to avoid burning in some rare cases.
4. Chutney can be either dry/ solid or liquid according to your tastes. Solid chutney may be uncomfortable while eating as the idlis are also dry and your mouth may get dry. So a little bit soft and liquid is preferable as per my experiences.
5. Always serve idlis warm. Cold idlis lose their taste and deter your enjoyment.
6. If the idli mix or chutney is in excess of your requirement, you may adjust the quantities or you can put the extra quantity in the fridge to be used by next day.

Now go, prepare your idli with coconut chutney recipe confidently and enjoy, win kudos.

Here are three places you cannot afford to miss if you are planning on a tour to Rajasthan.

Jaipur:

Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan is also the largest city in the state. It is also famously referred to as the ‘Pink City of India’ due to the distinctive pink colouring of all the houses and buildings in the city. With bustling and colourful streets and small shops selling intriguing artefacts, Jaipur is a must visit place while in Rajasthan. There are mnay places of interest here. The City Palace and the Hawa Mahal will stun you with exceptionally beautiful architecture. Both these palaces will give you a glimpse of the opulence and grandeur of the kings of yore and will also give you breath-taking panoramic views of the cityscape.

Another place you must visit while in Jaipur is the ‘Janta Mantar’ which is an UNESCO World Heritage site. The monument displays impressive astronomical instruments displaying the scientific advancement of Hindu texts on astrology and modern science.

A visit to a place is not complete if you haven’t gotten a taste of the region’s art and culture. And the perfect place to experience the rich and diverse artistic and cultural traditions of Rajasthan is the Albert Hall Museum. The museum itself is beautifully constructed with carved arches and domes made of sandstone. Staying is also a delightful experience as there are a number of luxury resorts in Jaipur offering a variety of amenities and a delightful experience in remodelled palaces or forts.

Udaipur:

Popularly called the ‘Venice of the East’, the city of Udaipur is a city of numerous lakes. With a number of beautiful palaces and forts being converted to hotels, Udaipur records rising number of tourist footfalls every year. The luxury resorts in Udaipur themselves have become destinations you cannot miss! These tastefully remodelled palaces and forts will let you experience royalty like never before!

This well planned city is ideal for a vacation offering a host of different experiences. You can visit the Bagore ki Haveli situated near the picturesque Pichola Lake. With over 100 rooms to explore, the Haveli will let you experience the grandeur and the mystery of a bygone era.

The Kumbhalgarh Fort,standing tall at an impressive 1180 m ridge is one of the most strongest of forts in the city. The fort also has the second longest wall stretch in the world, after the Great Wall of China. Lake Pichola, a man made wonder of Udaipur is another place that will delight you with its stunning views of palaces, temples and bathing ghats situated on its shoreline.This Lake City of Rajasthan is also known for its rich cultural heritage and performing arts and crafts. The Udaipur solar observatory is world famous and is built on an island in the Fateh Sagar Lake.

There are still many more places to visit in this magnificent city!

Ranthambore National Park

Located in the Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan, Ranthambhore National Park is the largest national park in northern India. The park is a tiger reserve and is home to a variety of flora and fauna. But the main attractions are the majestic tigers, the national animal of India, that can be spotted in its natural habitat. Other animals that can be found here are leopards, sambar, striped hyena and nilgai etc. The National Park offers safari rides and treks that make for an adventurous outing. Another attractive feature is the number of jungle resorts in Ranthambhore offering an experience of staying very close to the jungle and waking up to the lush greenery and birdsong!

While the park is known for its rare animal species and greenery, the Ranthambhore Fort is another major tourist attraction. These mysterious and majestic ruins offer a panoramic view of the entire park as it is situated more than 700 feet above the surrounding plain.

These places offer only a small sneak peak to the majesty of the state of Rajasthan. Don’t look any further for your holiday destination! Plan a visit to Rajasthan and get a taste of the true royal experience.

We’ve all been there. You return from a vacation sad, dejected and even less refreshed than you were before you left. Sure, you may have drunk your body weight in cocktails by the pool (or gluhwein by the fireplace, depending on where you were), danced the night away or caught up on some much-needed R n R, but now you’re feeling like none of that ever happened at all.

The post-holiday blues are a very real thing. While vacations do lift peoples' spirits, the effects unfortunately don't last long.

It’s not uncommon to crash at the end of your vacation – a heady mix of sadness that the good times are over, the adjustment of returning to work/everyday life and overindulging in food and alcohol.

Here are a few tips on how to kick the post-holiday blues after that amazing vacation:

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Start planning your next trip

I remember flying back from three weeks in Vietnam and Cambodia and planning my next break while on the plane home. It might be in six months’ time, a year’s time or even five years’ time, but planning where you want to go next will help dull the pain of saying goodbye to the great holiday you’re just been on. Even thinking about and planning things can give you as much pleasure as actually doing them.

Find things to look forward to

Not everyone has the luxury of being able to travel, whether that’s for health, financial or other reasons. So if you’re coming down hard from a holiday, it’s important to plan things to look forward to, both short and long term. In other words, shift the focus to everyday things that give you pleasure. Think about weekends away at the beach or in the wilds, planning a dinner with your friends, treating yourself to a massage or date night with your partner.

Look after yourself

Holidays often involve a lot of socialising and partying, which means a lot of eating and probably way too much drinking. Having a hangover from eating the wrong types of foods and alcohol doesn’t help with those post-holiday blues. It’s time to start looking after yourself by eating right, drinking less and moving more. Add a walk at least once a day and a more regular bedtime. Regular self-care routines may have disappeared during your break but you can reclaim them.

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Phone a friend

If you’re feeling a bit down in the dumps, a great way to lift your spirits is to share a laugh or two with friends. Steer away from conversations about how you’d rather be back on that beach in Barbados and instead share a lively conversation about what’s going on in your life right now. Just chatting to a mate is a great way to lift your spirits.

Make some real changes

Did you absolutely love those arepas you ate in Colombia? Or maybe you’re a little obsessed with flamenco music after that trip to Spain? Your holiday doesn’t have to completely end. Take what you enjoyed from your break and incorporate it into your life. If you ate foods you adored on your holidays, make them at home or find a restaurant that serves them. If you loved hearing and speaking a foreign language, start to learn it. Listen to the same music you danced to in the club in Madrid and meditate like you did on that retreat in Bali. Take a little bit of your trip home with you.

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Take a meditative few minutes

Speaking of meditation, why not take a few minutes during your day to reflect on the great times you had? It’s a bit of a clichéd, old-fashioned idea but “counting your blessings” can be an antidote to the blues.

If you’re jetlagged...

Being jetlagged on top of a little depressed at the end of your holidays doesn’t help. Jetlag affects your ability to sleep on a normal schedule, and that lack of sleep can contribute to feeling depressed that your vacation is over. Get yourself back in sync with your home time zone by trying to stick to your usual sleep schedule. Also avoid alcohol and caffeine for a few hours before you go to bed.

Give yourself an attitude transplant

If you’re still trudging around depressed that your break is over, it’s time to change your thoughts. Looking at the world through mud-covered glasses won’t help you. In many cases, changing the way you think about something can alter the way you feel about it. As that great Cat in the Hat, Dr Seuss, once said, “Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened!”

Prioritise

You’ll probably come home to mountains of work emails, meetings to go to, doctor’s appointments which need to be kept, a messy garden, the cat needing its vaccination, piles of dirty clothes… the list goes on. It’s enough to send you into a panic. Stop, breathe, prioritise - the key word being prioritise. It might be tempting to try to do everything at once, but you will get completely overwhelmed and stressed out. Figure out what is most important and work down the list from there.

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Reminisce

If you are anything like me, you’ll come home with thousands of photos, or most certainly more than you know what to do with. Go through your photos, delete what you don’t need, upload them into online albums and label them – don’t just leave them sitting on an SD card. Reminisce about your vacation by displaying those photos. Set them as backgrounds on your work or home computer, phone or tablet. You can also print out a few pictures to pin up around your home or office to remind you of those relaxed days.

Remember, the blues won’t last

It might feel raw, but take comfort in the knowledge that nothing lasts forever, including the post-holiday blues. Time will pass, soon that trip will be a distant memory (which isn’t such a bad thing, holding on to the past is never healthy) and you’ll eventually get back into the swing of things!

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The travel industry is an important part of the American economic engine. From lodging to air to car rental to food and entertainment.
As we learned during the recession, this industry is a weather vane of the country's economic climate. When down all sectors are headed down IF they are not there yet. When up, it is a solid, conservative forecast of consumer sentiment.
This industry is vitally important to America not just for economic forecasting but also for economics. This sector continues to provide a number of work opportunities for millions of Americans. What is great is the fact this industry is labor intensive and cannot be imported from overseas. So just how big is this industry to our nation? What portion of the GDP does the travel industry contribute? Let's us explore these terms and the impact that these terms have on our economy and the lives our family and our community.

Travel Industry

travel industry clip art symbol in black and white of a person asleep in bed with a roof | Source

Travel Industry Economics

2009 showcased the travel industry as a weather vane for American economics. Dipping 1.8% from the prior year, gross domestic product for the United States was $14.003 trillion. The closest competitor for the United States was Japan at $4.993 trillion.
Remember, the size of the number does matter, a trillion has 12 zeros after it:
Trillion = 1,000,000,000,000........12 zeros (aka one million million; 10^12[1]
Billion = ____1,000,000,000........ 9 zeros
Million = _______1,000,000........ 6 zeros
For more number information: http://www.jimloy.com/math/billion.htm

The question mark is the explosive growth of China. Many predict that in 2010, Japan will outpace the US's gross domestic product. Of course, much of this stems not just from the growth of Japan and China but from the decrease in the US.
The cost of contraction of 2.8 % of $14 trillion sounds small overall doesn't it? Yet, this is billions of dollars. In fact, 3% of 10 trillion is 3 billion. The real cost of this drop in GDP is not dollars or the percentage of the GDP, the real cost is the loss of jobs within the American economy.
The travel industry provides jobs. Many of these jobs are basic service jobs often representing only 80-90% of the economic value because this industry is built upon the foundation of gratuities and trips to motivate and maintain a high level of service.
So what is the real value of the travel industry's GDP? If is listed as $186 billion, so the range would be 10-20% more or in essence $200 billion.
As a percentage of the overall US GDP it is small - $200 billion/$14 trillion = under 2%. Yet the actual workers amount to 7.5 million people.
Answers.com shares with us the "population of the U.S.A is 305,529,237!" ^[2]So 7.5 million workers out of 305 million residents, gives us an outstanding 24% of the population is working and depending upon the travel industry.

Robin Feeding Chick Weather Vane

Source

Automobile Weather Vane

Source

Economic Power of the Travel Industry

Travel Powers Wisconsin View Economic Impact Summary

Spending: $9.7 Billion |Tax Receipts: $1.5 Billion |
Employment: 115,600 Jobs|Payroll: $2.2 Billion(Includes both domestic and international travel impact)

Travel Powers Illinois View Economic Impact Summary

Spending: $30.7 Billion |Tax Receipts: $5.5 Billion |
Employment: 305,100 Jobs|Payroll: $8.6 Billion(Includes both domestic and international travel impact)

Travel Industry National Figures

Travel Powers America
Spending: $704 Billion |Tax Receipts: $113 Billion |
Employment: 7.4 Million|Payroll: $186 Billion

2009 Global GDP

Top 10 Richest Countries by Estimated 2009 GDP

By 2010, it is predicted that China will its explosive growth will be the second largest country in the world in regards to gross domestic product. Why is this important? Because it showcases who is buying - who the target market of the world is becoming. China will out pace Japan and be second only to the United States.
Here are the 2009 global statistics on GDP:"
1. United States … US $14.003 trillion (down 1.8% from 2008)
2. Japan … $4.993 trillion (up 1.4%)
3. China … $4.833 trillion (up 9.8%)
4. Germany … $3.060 trillion (down 16.6%)
5. France … $2.499 trillion (down 12.8%)
6. United Kingdom … $2.007 trillion (down 24.9%)
7. Italy … $1.988 trillion (down 14.1%)
8. Spain … $1.397 trillion (down 13.3%)
9. Brazil … $1.269 trillion (down 19.3%)
10. Canada … $1.229 trillion (down 18.6%)"

Read more at Suite101: GDP Estimates for Richest Countries in 2009: Latest International Monetary Fund Wealth Predictions by Country

2009 National Economic Impact of the Travel Industry

Travel Powers AmericaSpending: $704 Billion | Tax Receipts: $113 Billion | Employment: 7.4 Million | Payroll: $186 Billion

With the travel industry reporting $186 billion annually and the United States GDP at $14 trillion, the percentage that industry contributes is under 20% but still a significant number of jobs at 7.4 million.
Please keep in mind the $186 does not include tips and gratuities which are a large part of this industry actual payroll. So the real figure is 10-15% higher.

United States Employment Provided by the Travel Industry

Source

Travel Industry Employment 2009 - 2008 Change

2008 - 7719.4 thousand
2009 - 7393.6 thousand
Difference: 325.8 thousand or 325,800 jobs lost
Population of the United States in 2009 305 million

Source

American Hotel and Lodging Association

Serving the hospitality industry for nearly a century, AH&LA is the sole national association representing all sectors and stakeholders in the lodging industry, including individual hotel property members, hotel companies, student and faculty members, and industry suppliers. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AH&LA provides members with national advocacy on Capitol Hill, public relations and image management, education, research and information, and other value-added services to provide bottom line savings and ensure a positive business climate for the lodging industry. 
ource: http://www.ahla.com/content.aspx?id=30945

The travel industry is an important sector of the American economy. It employs close to 24% of the population and it is the weather vane of the economy. What happens to the travel industry is a good indicator of what is about to happen to the economy overall. Stay tune as we track this vital component of American life and see where this weather vane is pointing.