Chinese Vegetable Fried Rice & Sweet and Sour Vegetable

Chinese Vegetable Fried Rice with Sweet & Sour Vegetables

This week was chinese food week at my place..We so very much wanted to eat our "Indian Chinese" specialities and I landed up making some of them..Here is a very easy version of this rice.
Chinese vegetable fried rice
1 cup long grain basmati or 1 cup jasmine rice I(I have used Jasmine rice here for added flavour)
1/4cup peas
1/4 cup finally chopped carrots
1/4 cup string beans chopped at an angle
1/4 cup corn (optional)
1 pack coleslaw (I have used the slaw with shredded cabbage, brocolli stems, brocolli florets)
Use any vegetables you have
bean sprouts (optional)
ginger juliennes 1tbsp
garlic finely chopped 1tbsp
1 bunch spring onions
1tsps soy sauce
2tsp red chilly sauce
1tsp green chily sauce
1tbps tomato ketchup
salt to taste
1tsp sugar
1tbsp oil

Method
First boil rice separately and allow it to cool..
In a big wok, add oil till it smokes, to this add ginger first and then garlic, keep stirring continously so that it wont burn. To this add the while onion portion of spring onions and mix well. Now add all the vegetables and fry for 3minutes in high heat. Add all the sauces, sat to taste and fry again till the veggies get a little tender..Adjust spice and salt to taste and mix rice well and fry again for 2minutes till everything mixes together..Garnish with spring onions..Serve this with Sweet and Sour vegetables..

Sweet and Sour Vegetables
This is my favourite chinese veggie dish. I always made it a point to eat this in shanti sagar whenever I visit Bangalore. Here is how you make it..

Ingredients:
1 bell pepper--chopped to big chunks
1 onion- chopped into big chunks
1 cup pineapple chunks (you can also use half a can of mixed fruits)
For sauce
1tbsp corn starch
1tsp ginger chopped
2tsp ketchup
1 cup water
2tsp soy sauce
salt to taste
1bunch scallions chopped for garnishing

Method: microwave all the vegetables and fruits for a few minutes till they r soft..
Mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl. In a pan, head a tsp of olive oil. add the sauce mix and mix well. When the sauce starts thickening, add the boiled veggies. Adjust the consistency with the boiled water. Mix well..Garnish with scallions and serve with fried rice or noodles...

Menthya-Palak Thovve/Methi Palak Dal/Menthya-Palak Pappu

Menthya-Palak Thovve

Menthya-Palak Thovve/Methi-Palak Dal
This is a very quick and easy recipe with loads of iron, fibre and protein..Try it when you need something very filling quickly..

Ingredients:
1bunch fresh Methi leaves
1bunch fresh baby spinach or regular spinach
3green chillies slit vertically
1/2cup toor dal
1/4 cup moong dal
1/2tsp red chillie flakes
1tsp turmeric
1clove garlic(optional)
1/2tsp amchur/1tsp tamarind pulp

To season
2tsps ghee, 1tsp mustard, hind, 1tsp jeera, 1/4 tsp methi seeds,

To Make

In a pan, roast the dals for a minute till a nice aroma comes. Pressure cook the dals with just enough water to cover them adding turmeric.
In another pan, add the seasonings and garlic. When mustard stops spluttering, add the green chillies and mix well. Now add the cleaned greens and mix well. Cover the pan for 2minutes. The greens wilt at this poin and leaves out water. Now add salt and cover for another 2minutes till the greens cook well.
To this, add the pressure cooked dals and mix everything well. Add little water for desired consistency. Finally add the chillie flakes and mix everything well for another minute and serve hot.
This can be eaten with white rice and ghee, or with rotis..

Honey Cake/Dil Pasand/Dil Khush...

Bangalore Honey Cake, Dil Pasand and Dil Khush

For anybody staying in Bangalore, we all love our good old iyengar bakeries and their goodies. One of the most oldest and favorite bakery product is the Honey Cake and an equally enticing delicacy is the Dil Pasand/Dil Khush.. I am posting this recipe for the benefit of those people who have been searching for these recipes on the Internet, which even included me at one point of time.

So here you go folks. Do try these and it would be great to let me know the results. I have personally tried and tested both the recipes and they come out perfect..

Honey Cake

Note: You can follow any regular white cake recipe for the cake..
Ingredient Quantity
150ml Water
50g Sugar
50g Egg
50g Maida
10gm butter
1/2 T spoon baking powder
1 Tspoon Milk powder
1 Tspoon Vanila Essens........


Honey dip for soaking:
1/ 2 cup fresh honey
150ml water
50ml sugar
25gm coconut powder

In pan boil water with honey, sugar and coconut powder and add 1/4tsp cardamom powder. Boil for 10mines and cool till warm.

Method

Sift the flour.
Add the baking powder and sift the flour again. This makes soda spread evenly in the Maida.
Break the eggs and pour them in a cup. Beat them till the froth color is white. Better if u do it with an egg-beater.
Add sugar and keep beating till the sugar dissolves completely.
Slowly pour the Maida, and as u do, keep mixing to ensure there are no blobs of Maida…
Do not batter it overly. And as soon as the Maida gets dissolved get the batter ready for baking.
I guess u know the baking process. I don't elaborate on that…. Oil the pan, line the bottom of the oven with a waxed paper… oil it again… and then fill it with batter….. Preheat the oven to 350F and bake for around 45mins till the cake is done. Check after every 30 minutes.
After the cake is baked, get it out of the oven and let it cool.
When the cake is done, add this syrup to the entire cake and let it soak for 20-30mins. Cut it and enjoy the Honey Cake.

Tip: Just make sure you adjust the flavor and sweetness of honey and use honey accordingly.

Dilpasand: (serving 4 people)
150Ml Water
250g Maida
150g dalda
10g Salt......

Method: Mix all the above four ingredients to a soft dough like chapatti dough. Cover it and let it sit for an hour.

In a bowl mix.50g dried coconut scrapings, 50gms sugar,50g Cherry frts,50g Dry fruits . Now roll the dough into a thick circle. Dab it either with egg wash or with butter. Add the above mixture and bake it in the oven at 350 for 15mins. Keep checking at 10minutes till it is brown and crispy..


Dilkhush: (Serving 4)

150Ml Water
250g Maida
10g Yeast
60g sugar
10g salt

Mix above ingredients into a dough like chapatti dough and leave it covered for 45minutes-1hr.
For the Masala

For the stuffing
Plum Cake1
Pineapple Essence As desired
Sugar¼ Kilo
Pineapple icing as desired
Coconut grate Grated lengthwise – as required


Mix the ingredients well. Take care that the mix is loose enough just like "alu masala for alu samosa".

3) Prepare a "peda" of thickness u desire out of the dough.
4) Spread the masala on ONE HALF of the peda. Fold the other half of peda sop that it covers the masala. You now have a roti folded in the middle with masala inside!
5) Break an egg. Mix it well in a cup. Take a brush and dab it on the top surface of the bread.
6) Bake the "peda with the mix" for 10 mins. Check if it requires more time. You can check the crust color for that!... to check if it has fully baked, poke it with a toothpick.

Holige/Obbattu/Bottatlu/Puran Poli

Bele Holige/Bele Obbattu

Don’t we all love Holige which is also called obbattu or Puran Poli..

In any Karnataka home, Holige is the traditional sweet prepared whether it is the Kayi Holige, Sakkare Holige or the regular Bele Holige..

All three are a treat to your senses. However, below is a traditional recipe for the Bele Holige..

For Kanaka/Dough you need..

2cups maida

2tbsps Chiroti Rave/fine semolina

A pinch of salt

A pinch of turmeric..

2tbsp oil for soaking

Mix all the ingredients with warm milk till you get soft elastic dough (almost like a chapatti dough). Keep it covered in a warm place and add oil on the dough to prevent from drying..

For Hoorna/suffing

1 cup (1 pav) channa dal

1.5 cups soft dark brown jaggery

2tsps green cardamom powder

½ cup fresh grated coconut

Boil channa dal on stop stop with 3cups of water till the dal is soft but does not break. Strain all the water. Grind the dal to a smooth paste without any water.. In a thick kadai, add jaggery and sprinkle a handful of water and melt the jaggery.. and boil for 2-3 minutes till bubbles form. To this add cardamom powder and mix well. Now add the dal paste and mix well. In a medium flame, keep stirring this mixture for 10-12 minutes till all the water evaporates and the m ixture gets to a halwa consistency. To this add fresh coconut and keep it aside to cool.

To make Holige

Take a pingpong sized dough. Pat it on a foil greased with oil to a little disk. Now take a pingpong sized filling and place it in the poori. Close all the ends and roll out to a desired size. On a tava fry the holige with very little oil if needed.

Tip: Use rice flour for dusting when rolling out the holige. This gives a very unique flavour..

Mysore Badnekai -Kothambari Palya/Green eggplant-Coriender Palya

Badnekai Palya

Mysore Badnekai/green eggplants have a unique flavour.. This is one of my most favourite vegetable. My mom has a very special way of making this vegetable with a coriender masala, it is very simple to make and yet the flavour is out of this world. Here is the recipe..

4 medium sized green eggplants/brinjals(chopped and soaked in cold water)

To make the Coriender masala
a bunch of coriender/cilantro leaves cleaned and chopped
1/2 inch piece of ginger chopped
3-4 green chillies
Make a chutney with the above ingredients..

To make:
In a pan, heat 2tsp oil. Add mustard seeds, 1tsp urad dal, and a little hing. Now add the drained chopped brinjal pieces and mix well. Leave it on a medium flame for 4minutes and these brinjal chunks become crispy . At this point add salt and mix well and leave it for a minute or two. Next, add the coriender masala and mix well for 2-3minutes in a high flame till the chunks are coated well and all the masala seeps through the chunks.
Serve this with chapati/any bread or curd rice..This really tastes very good with plain rice with ghee as well..

Kadubu/Modak/kudumulu

Ganesha Chaturthi!!!

VAKRATUNDA MAHAKAYA SURYAKOTISAMAPRABHA
NIRVIGHNAM KURUMEDEVA SARVA KARYESHU SARVADA

O Ganapati, One with a curved trunk, a large body, and a brilliance equal to a crore (10 million) suns! O God, please make all my undertakings free from Obstacles always.

We all love to celebrate Ganesha Chaturthi dont we?..People of any age group indulge in celebrating Lord Ganapathi on this day to seek blessings and victory in any task they do..

Today, I made the traditional kadubu also called modak..Kadubu comes in various forms, either a steamed one or a deep fried one..I chose to deep fry today:)..Here is how you do it..

You need:
2cups fresh coconut
1.5 cups jaggery
1tsp cardamom poweder
1/2 cup water

For the stuffing: take a heavy bottom kadai. Now add jaggery and water and stir till all the jaggery melts. To this add the grated coconut and cardamom powder and keep stirring till all the water evoporates and forms a thick mass (6-7mins)..

For the dough
2cups maida
2tbps sooji/chiroti rava
2tsp melted butter
Make a dough like poori dough and keep it aside for 10mins.

To assemble:
make small tiny pooris, place a tsp of stuffing and close the outer edges to form a semi circle. You can seal the edges with sugar water. Now deep fry these kadubus till crispy and golden and enjoy..

Menasinakai Bajji/Stuffed Mirchi Bajji/Mirapakai Bajji

Menasinakai Bajji with Coffee....

When we think of a fiery evening snack especially on a cold evening,, the first thing that comes to my mind is the "Mirchi Bajji" lovingingly called as "Menasinakai Bajji" in Karnataka..Especially in bangalore, the cartwheel vendors made delicious bajjis and it was my favourite indulging snack..
My friend got me a bag full of the portugese peppers which are fiery hot fresh from her garden..She warned me about the degree of heat in these chillies..So I decided to make these stuffed bajjis to satisfy my snack craving:)..Here it is..

You need:
5-6 portugese peppers/banana peppers/any kind of peppers which can hold stuffing and long..
Clean them, make a vertical slit on one side and remove the vein with the seeds if you do not like it very hot..
For the stuffing:
2 boiled potatoes
1 onion chopped finely
1/2 cup coriender leaves chopped
2tsps chat masala powder
1tsp peanut powder(optional)
juice of a lime and salt

Mix everything together..

For the batter:
1cup besan/kadle hittu
a tbsp of rice flour/akki hittu
a pinch of turmeric
a pinch of red chillie powder
water
salt
oil to deep fry

mix everything together toa thick batter..
To make
Stuff the potato mixture into the peppers gently and keep it aside..
Heat oil and deep fry the stuffed peppers dipped in batter till brown and crispy.
Cut them into pieces and serve them with lime, chopped onion and cilantro with a steaming cup of coffee..

Tomato Uppinakai/Tomato pickle...& a Tag:)

Tomato Uppinakai"..

With all the tomatoes which has been harvested this summer..my home smelled like a big tomato patch :)..I tried almost all the dishes with tomatoes and still left with many more..Finally I realised I hadnt tried my most favourite pickle which I have eaten growing up , which my grandmom made every summer which is the "Tomato Uppinakai"
This version of the pickle is little labourious for the busy bees but nevertheless its worth the effort..

You need:
3cups of ripe tomatoes (Ihave used a mixture of grape, plum, cherry tomatoes)
salt( preferably sea salt, if you dont have it, you can use the regular table salt) 1/4 cup
red hot chillie powder 3 big tbsps (I love it very hot)
hing 1/2tsp
fresh fenugreek powder/methi powder- 2tbsp
oil- 1 cup
seedless tamarind 1/2 cup soaked

To make
cut the tomatoes into big chunks and place the pieces on a baking sheet.. Now sprinkle salt generously and coat the pieces. Bake it at the lowest temperature for an hour.. Keep checking the tomatoes and tossing once in 30minutes..

Now drain all the water which the tomato leaves and dont throw it away. Now grind the baked tomatoes with all the above ingrediants excluding oil and hing..

In a thick kadai,, heat oil, add turmeric and hing to this and gently add the ground tomato paste..
In a medium heat cook this mixture for exactly 20minutes covering the mixture with a lid to avoid spluttering..

After 20minutes, the paste will be very think and oil will float on top indicating it is ready..
Cool this completely and store..This can be served with roti, rice, curd rice or even bread...

Now time to MeMe:)

Curry Leaf of http://tastycurryleaf.blogspot.com/ and SriLekha of Me&My Kitchen have tagged me for a MeMe :) Thanks guys. Here are the rules
(a) List these rules on your blog.
(b) Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog.
(c) Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

B)7 facts about me:

I am a simply complex character :) living in the US but originally from Namma Bengaluru..

I strongly believe in simplistic living and modern in thinking and trying very hard to follow this principle.

I strongly believe a good upbringing & good friendship is very important to positively influence a person. I am proud of all the people who have influenced my life..

I love my family & they always come first in my priority list..

I have a bachelors in engineering and MS in computer science from RPI, new york and presently working..

I love music from mozart to M. S. Subbalakshmi..

Finally I believe life is full of surprises and Life is very beautiful....

C) I would love to know all my blogger friends.. but sticking to the rules..I would love to tag
Divya of http://mixtomatch.blogspot.com/
Vidhya of http://iyercooks.blogspot.com/
Asha of http://foodieshope.blogspot.com/
Rashmi of http://envittuvirundhusamayal.blogspot.com/
Priti of http://indiankhanna.blogspot.com/
LG of http://testtasteofmysore.blogspot.com/
Rajini of http://vegetarianinme.blogspot.com/

Looking forward to knowing more about you guys :)..

Award & MeMe

For my friends...

A token of appreciation to my friends: I would like to thank my friends who continue to inspire and amaze me everyday. I learn something new from you guys everyday..
I would like to pass this award to Priti of IndianKhana, curry leaf of tastycurry leaf, cham of spice-club, rashmi of envittuvirundhusamayal, Suma Rajesh of suma’s cuisine, Masala Magic, Vegetable Platter, Kitchan flavours, Sireesha, Archy, & Purva

Please pick up your award guys...

I would like to thank Kitchen Flavors , Curry leaf and Srilekha for passing the "Wylde Woman Award" to me. Thanks for thinking about me guys :).. I would like to pass this award to all the wonderful bloggers out there in the blogsphere who constantly teach something new everyday..

The rules of this award are:

1.You can give it to one or one hundred or any number in between - it's up to you.
Make sure you link to their site in your post.
2. Link back to this blog site Tammy can go visit all these wonderful men and women.

Purpose of the Award

To send love and acknowledgment to men and women, who brighten your day, teach you new things and live their lives fully with generosity and joy. It's been a blessing and an inspiration to meet all of you through your wonderful blogs.

MeMe

Sireesha from Mom's Recipies has tagged me for a meme :)

The rules of the MeMe are the following:

Pick up the nearest book
Open to page 123Find the 5th sentence
Post the next three sentences
Tag 5 people and acknowledge the person who tagged you.

:) the nearest book is "IKEA 2009" (lovely manual btw:)

The 3 lines are (:) wow, cant believe this..) Time to make cookies. Time for a snack. With children, you sepand a lot of time in the kitchen together. So make space for it !! give them space for their things and a step up to give you a hand.. Plan your kitchen with the children in mind..

Now.. I am tagging

Divya
Suma Rajesh
LG
Usha
Cham
Curry leaf

Thanks Sireesha,, sure had fun doing this MeMe :)..

Karnataka Tiffin series--Mallige Idli

Karnataka Tiffins Series...

One of the most common and versatile Karnataka breakfast is the "Idli"..These white puffy steamed rice cakes are very simple to make and very healthy with almost nil oil content in them..
We all know what idli is and love it..Here is how you make soft Mallige idli's...These idli's are very soft and extremely delicious..

You need
1 cup whole urad dal (deskinned)--soak if overnight with luke warm clean water
21/4 cup Idli rava--Soak it for 2hours in warm water
1tbsp-poha/cooked rice

Method:
drain the soaked dal and wash it once more under running water. Grind it with a cup of water for atleast 20-25minutes till it turns frothy.The more you grind, the softer your idlis come out..Now mix the idli rava and run the grinder for 6-7minutes till everything is incorporated, add the poha or cooked rice and grind it for 2minutes. Now add salt and mix well.
Take the batter in a big clean vessel and fill it upto 3/4th the vessel. Keep the batter for 4hours in a warm place..(I generally turn on the rice cooker stand for warm setting keep the batter inside the vessel)..
After the batter is fermented , it rises up to the brim of the vessel. Now the idli batter is ready to be used. Grease the idli mould with little ghee/oil,add the batter and steam it for 15minutes till they are nice and fluffy..
Enjoy this with sambhar or coconut chutney or spiced chutney powder...

Karnataka Festive Food

Varamahalakshmi Pooja

Who wouldnt love festive feasts..We all do especially the color, the various rituals, new clothes, holidays and Food..Karnataka festive food is a delicious melange of various tasty dishes..

As the history goes Varalakshmi Vratam is an important pooja performed by many women in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and some parts of Tamil Nadu.The Hindu festival going by the name 'Vara Lakshmi Vrata' is celebrated on the last Friday of the bright fortnight in the month of Ashadha, also called Adi, which corresponds to the English months of July-August
This pooja came to be practiced year after year by women. Done with devotion, it is said that boons would be granted and thus many wishes would be realized.
This pooja can be done with no restriction to caste or creed. To this day, the faithful of modern times observe this tradition.

Some of the popular dishes prepared during this festival are

Hesarabele Payasa/Moong dal Payasam
Aaama Vade/Channa dal fritter
Kosambaris (Kadlebele kosambari/Hesarabele kosambari)/Dal salads
Seemebadnekai Palya
Thovve
Majjige Huli

For Hesarabele payasa/Moongdal Kheer
Grind to a paste (1/2cup coconut, 1tsp dry roasted poppy seeds, 2 cloves, 3-4 cardamom pods,3-4 almonds)
Dry roast 1 cup of moong dal with a tsp of ghee and pressure cook till soft.
To make:
In a thick pan, add the pressure cooked dal, mix with 11/4 cup jaggery and the ground paste. boil till all the ingrediants mix well and jaggery fully melts. Add a cup of milk (optional)..Serve hot or cold..

For Aama Vade/Channa dal fritters
Soak 2 cups of channa dal/kadlebele. Drain and pulse this with a cup of fresh grated coconut, 4 green chillies. Do not overgrind.
To this mixture add chopped mint, chopped coriender leaves and a tsp of jeera.
Flatten small rounds of the mixture into your palm and drop it in hot oil and deep fry till crispy and brown..

Seemebadnekai palya/Chayote Palya
For Take 2 Chayote/Chow Chow and chop into small pieces. Microwave them for 5-6 minutes with little water till soft.
Now in a pan, season with oil, mustard, green chillies and a tsp of turmeric. Now add the boiled chayote. Add salt and fresh grated coconut and serve with hot rice.

Majjige Huli
Please refer to my previous post using Taro leaves. Instead of Taro leaves, I have used a mixture of drumsticks, white pumpkin and okra.

Maavina Seekarane/Mango Relish

Mango, the fruit of the Gods they say..Dont we all love it..I havent come across a variety which I have not liked so far..Here is an authentic simple dessert which is made during festivals in any Karnataka home..I am sure, a variety of this dish must be popular in other regions of India as well.

For Mango Seekarane, you need..
2 very ripe juicy mangos (preferably sweet ones to avoid adding more sugar)
1/2 cup milk
1tsp green cardamom powder
4-5tbsps pure honey
1/4 cup fresh grated coconut
a pinch of ginger powder (optional)
chopped dates and raisins for garnish

To make
Peel mangoes and chop the pieces. If the mango is overripe, try to squeeze out the pulp and juice in a bowl. To this add honey, fresh grated coconut and cardamom powder. Now add ginger powder and mix well. Finally add milk and garnish it with chopped dates and nuts..Serve as it is or chilled.
This can also be eaten with chapatis or rotis..

Majjige Huli

Majjige Huli it is....
A typical south indian meal includes Majjige Huli which is a tangy curry made with curd & ground channa dal(kadlebele)..This is very similar to the Gujarathi Kadhi which again has curd and chick pea flour.. It takes in water based veggies like cucumber, white pumpkin, squash or snake guard.. Okra is an excellent vegetable for Majjige Huli as well. Here is a East Karnataka version which takes a unique vegetable (rather a leaf) which is the "Taro Leaf" which is also called Colocasia/Patra/Kesuvu/Chamaaku..
My vegetable garden this summer gave me fresh Taro plants with bright green tender leaves and I couldnt wait to make this Karnataka speciality..

You need:
3-4 tender Taro leaves
2tbsps besan
1/2 cup fresh grated coconut (use frozen coconut if available)
3 dried red chillies, 2 green chillies
4-5 strands of coriender leaves /cilantro
1/4tsp black pepper
1/2tsp jeera
1.5cups curd/yogurt

Grind all the above ingrediants except the taro leaves..

For tadka: 2tsp oil (use coconut oil if you like since this gives a very unique flavour), 2 small cinnamon sticks, 1tsp mustard, 1tsp jeera, a strand of curry leaves and hing..

To make:
clean the Taro leaves under running water. Chop the leaves into very thin filaments. In a pan, heat oil. To this add hing, mustard seeds till they crackle. Now add jeera, curry leaves and cinnamon sticks and mix for a minute. To this add the Taro leaf filaments and fry them for 3-4 minutes till the leaves turn dark green and cook well. Now add the ground paste and mix well. Close the lid for 2minutes till the flavours incorporate. Now finally add well beaten curd and salt and mix well. Turn off the heat..
Serve this with any rice dish or roti...

Mysore Thali..

A typical Mysore thali consists of many many delicious mouth watering items.. Here is one simple Thali where the common ingredient is Green gram dal or Hesarable which incorporates one salad, one vegetable, a rice item, dal and a dessert.. Most of these dishes are made everyday almost in any South Indian home. Nevertheless, for the benefit of those who are beginning to cook, here is how you make…

Carrot Kosambari

This is very simple and nutritious dish..

You need:
1 cup grated fresh carrots
½ cup green gram dal/hesarabele (soaked for 20mins till they plump up)
2tbps-fresh grated coconut (optional)

To season
1tsp oil, a pinch of hing, 1tsp mustard, 1 chopped green chillie, 1tsp urad dal, 1tsp channa dal

Salt to taste
Juice of a lime

Method:
Mix drained soaked hesarabele with grated carrot and coconut. Heat a tsp of oil and add all the tempering ingrediants. Mix it with the carrot mixture. Add lime juice and keep it aside for 5mins. Just before serving add salt and serve..


Cabbage playa

You need:

2cups chopped/grated cabbage
2tbsps soaked green gram dal (soak for 10mins)
2tbsps coconut optional
Salt

To season
1tbsp oil, a pinch of hing, 1tsp mustard, 1 chopped green chillie, 1tsp urad dal, 1tsp channa dal

Method:

In a thick bottom pan, heat oil and temper with hing mustard seeds, chillies, and dals. Make sure they don’t burn. To this add the chopped cabbage mix well. Now add the soaked dal and sprinkle a hand full of water. Close a lid and in a medium flame let the vegetable cook. Cabbage leaves out lots of water and the dal gets cooked in this water. Once cabbage has cooked, which usually takes 6-7 minutes, add coconut and mix well. Again add salt just before serving to retain crispy playa..

Hesarable thovve/Green gram dal

Among all the dals, I love this dal the most. It gives out a unique flavour. To get the most of this dal, do not overcook hesarable. The grain should be soft and separated but not like a paste..

You need:

1cup hesarable (dry roast this with a tsp of ghee)
1 ¼ cup of water
1 green cucumber deskinned and chopped
1/2cup chopped coriander
Juice of a lime
Salt to taste

To season
1tbsp oil, a pinch of hing, 1tsp mustard, 1 chopped green chillie, 1tsp urad dal, 1tsp channa dal

Method:

Pressure cook the dal until it is soft but not mushy. In a pan, add the seasonings, add the cucumber and mix well. Close the lid for 5-6 minutes till the cucumber is soft. Now add the cooked dal, coriander leaves, juice of a lime and salt to taste and mix everything well. This goes very well with hot rice and ghee..

Hesarabele chitranna

You need:

2 cups cooked rice

Roaste: 1tsps hesarabele, 1tsp jeera, hing.. till it leaves out nice aroma. Grind everything with ½ cup of grated fresh coconut and green chillies..

Method:
In a pan, add 2tbsps oil, Add mustard, dals for seasoning, dried red chillies and a few peanuts and mix for 2minutes. To this add the groundpaste, a pinch of turmeric and mix well till the oil separates. Cool the mixture and mix with rice. Add salt and lime juice and enjoy…

Squash -black pepper Gojju/ Kumbalakai Menasina gojju

The Yellow Summer Squash is one of the most versatile vegetables available in the market.. This summer, the yellow squash graced my vegetable garden and fully in harvest.. The first dish I wanted to try with this fresh homegrown squash is the authentic black pepper gojju from my good old days. This was originally made with pumpkin, but Squash is a very good alternative for this dish..


To make this you need..
a tender yellow squash ( remove the seeds and cube them)
a raw green tomato
juice of lime
Dry roast
1tbsp black pepper corns
2tbsps black gram dal
1tsp jeera
2-3 dried red chillies
1 cup fresh grated coconut
Grind everything together with coconutand water into a paste

Seasoning:
a tsp of oil, hing, mustard seeds

To make
First boil the squash cubes till tender. The young squash hardly takes 8-10minutes in the microwave. In a pan, take oil, season with hing and mustard seeds. Now add chopped raw tomato and fry for 2-3 mins. Now add the ground paste and mix well. fry for 2-3 mins. To this add boiled squash with some water, add salt and mix well till everything incorporates. This takes about 3-4 minus. Add some lime juice for a hit of sourness if you like.

Enjoy this authentic gojju with chapatis or as an accompaniment with rice..

Vegetable Pizza

Pizza!!!!! the name represents comfort food, colorful, cheeesy and delicious..People of all age groups enjoy this Italian delicacy.. Here is a simple home made version of a Pizza. The toppings really can go with imagination..

For the pizza dough
2 cups maida
1 cup warm water
1tsp salt
a pinch of sugar
1 tsp ghee
mix everything into a soft dough and allow it to rise for 2 hours in a warm place..

Tip: if you want to use a semi homemade version, pizza dough is available fresh in almost all the grocery stores. It is very similar to our Poori/ chapati dough.

Tomato pizza sauce:
blanch fresh tomatoes (4) and remove the skin. Make a puree of the tomatoes. To this add salt, sugar and dried herbs of your choice (I have used oregano and fresh crushed black pepper)

Toppings:
The list is endless.. I have used fresh tomatoes sliced, onion rings, green pepper stripes and a few fresh basil leaves
You can go with pineapple, eggplant, olives, jalapeno, banana peppers, apples, zucchini, brocolli etc...

To make:
roll out the pizza dough on to a round oven pan and bake it in the oven for 6minutes at 375 F.
To this spread the homemade tomato sauce allround.Sprinkle a combination of your favourite cheese . I have used a mixture of mozzerella and cheddar cheese.. Now arrange all the veggies per ur imagination. Bake this for 20minutes at 400 till the cheese is bubbly and the edges of the pizza dough get golden brown. Enjoy the pizza...

Hint: To get the best results, always use very fresh ingrediants.

Kothambari Chitranna/Coriender Rice

Coriender has a wonderful flavour. This herb is generally used to garnish almost any dish in the regular Indian cooking. Here is a rice dish made exclusively with Coriender/Cilantro.

You need:
1 bunch fresh green coriender leaves (cleaned and chopped)
2tbsp fresh grated coconut
1 small tamarind ball ( de seeded and made into tiny pieces)
Grind all the above into a coarse paste without adding any water.

for seasoning
Oil, turmeric, curry leaves, 1tsp channa dal, 1tsp urad dal, 1tsp mustard seeds, a pinch of hing, 2 dried red chillies..
Salt to taste
2 cups boiled rice ( boil the rice till the granules separate and not very mushy)

For chitranna
In a heavy bottom pan, heat oil. To this add the seasonings . Make sure the dals are not burned as this will change the flavour of this rice. Dont over heat the oil while seasoning. To this add the ground coriender paste and fry for 2 minutes. Now add salt and switch off the heat..
When the rice is cooled, spread rice in a wide pan, add the mixture and mix well. Adjust salt based on taste..

Aloo Masala/Potato tikki chat

Here is a tasty snack with potato and dried white peas. This dish is inspired by the famous chat "Ragada Patties" but more on the southern tinge...

For the Aloo patties:
3 big russet potatoes (boiled and mashed)
4 wheat bread slices (you can use regular white bread if you want)
1tsp tamarind date chutney
1tsp chillie powder
a pinch of turmeric and a pinch of hing
1/2 cup chopped coriender

soak the bread slices in warm water for a minute. Squeeze out the water and mix the mashed bread with mashed potatoes. to this add the powders and hing and the chutney and mix well. Add the coriender and mix. Make patties on your palm and shallow fry in a pan with a tbsp of oil till brown and crispy

For the Masala
1 cup dried white peas (soak it overnight and pressure cook with salt and a bay leaf till soft)
1 onion chopped
Grind
2 raw tomatoes, 1tsp sambhar powder, 1//2 inch cinnamon stick, 2 cloves to a paste.
In a pan, add a tsp of oil, fry the onion and add the ground paste. To this add the boiled peas and in a medium flame boil the masala for 10mins till all the flavours blend and the consistency is right. Add salt to this.

Putting it together
Serve by adding the patties to a ladleful of masala . Garnish with chopped onion..

Masala Akki Rotti

In most parts of Karnataka, one of the easy breezy breakfast dish is the Akki rotti. Needless to say, this versatile rice flour bread incorporates variety of vegetables. Here is one version of this rotti, where I have used "Sabsige Soppu/Dill leaves" to flavour this bread. This really brings out a sharp flavour which is extremely delicious in this rotti.


To make you need:
1 cup rice flour
1cup chopped fresh dill leaves/Sabsige soppu
2tbsps fresh grated coconut
2tbsps fresh grated carrot
1tbsp jeera
2 green chillies chopped
1 cup sour curd
salt to taste
oil..
Process: In a pan, combine all the above ingredients to form a chapati like dough. The consistency should be soft but not watery. Keep this mixture aside for a few minutes till the sourness of the curd spreads in the dough.
In a flat pan, grease your hands, grease the pan if it is a not a non stick pan. Take a portion of the dough (a medium sized ball) and tap from inside out on the pan till it spreads out evenly. Depending on your taste you can roll it with your palm very thin or a little thick. Now place it on the stove and on a medium flame cook this adding a tsp of oil around this rotti till it is crispy and cooked on all sides evenly.
Serve it with a dollop of butter.

Gulpavute/Wheat Flour Laddus

The rich nutritious Gulpavute is one of my most favourite desserts. With minimal ingrediants and a simple procedure, this quick and easy laddus can be a time saver when you have unexpected visitors or you are looking for a quick something sweet to eat...

Here is how you make this..

Ingrediants:

1 cup wheat flour

1 cup jaggery ( you can use brown sugar if you prefer)

1tsp cardamom powder

2tbsp mixture of your favourite nuts (almonds, pista, walnuts) powder them

water 1.5 cups

1tbsp pure ghee(optional)

Method:

The most important part of making this laddus is to dry roast the wheat flour patiently for 8minutes till the flour turns golden brown and a nice aroma comes out and keep it aside.

Take a heavy bottom pan, add water and jaggery and wait till the jaggery melts fully. Once it is melted, boil this mixture for 3-4 minutes adding ghee and cardamom powder till bubbles form. Now mix the wheat flour and the nut mixture together and add this powder to the jaggery mixture slowly on low heat stirring constantly till no lumps are formed. Make sure there are no lumps in the mixture. Now switch off the heat, keep this mixture aside till it cools a little. Now damp your palm with water or rub ghee on ur palms and make laddus from this mixture.

To add an extra effect , you can sprinkle confectioners sugar if you have and enjoy these nutritious laddus..

Honeyed Jackfruit/Tene Panasa Tolalu/Jenu tuppada Halasina Hannu

Honeyed Jackfruit

Quick Jackfruit & Honey snack…

During summer, another of my favourite fruit is the Jack fruit.. I love the flavour of this fruit & my most favourite combination with this fruit is Honey…

To make:

use 1 cup of pure honey/maple syrup and dip all the jackfruit slices in the honey and enjoy...

Jamun Raita/Java Plum Raita/Nerele Hannina Mosarubajji/Neredu Perugu pachadi

Nerele Hannu/Jamun/Nereda Pallu











Nerele Hannu/Jamun trees start flowering from March to April.. The fruits develop by May or June and resemble large berries. The fruit is oblong, starts green and turns pink to shining crimson black as it matures. A variant of the tree produces white coloured fruit. The fruit has a combination of sweet, mildly sour and strong flavour and tends to colour the tongue purple. The seed is also used in various alternative healing systems like Ayurveda to control diabetes, Unani & Chinese medicine for digestive ailments.
During the summer it is my favourite fruit to indulge in. The tart & sweet flavour of the fruit gives a unique experience. Here is an authentic grandma’s recipe for a special raita using this fruit. This is very good for any stomach ailments & excellent nutrition for diabetics.

Ingredients:
2 cups of ripe Jamun fruit/Nerele Hannu (pit out the seeds from the fruit)
2 cups fresh yogurt.
2tsp fresh grated coconut
Salt to taste
Seasoning: 1tsp oil, mustard seeds, hing, curry leaves, 1 dried red chillie
Chop the jamun fruit into tiny chunks. If the fruit is too ripe, you can sqeeze the pulp from it. Mix the fruit with yogurt and add salt.
Now add the seasoing and mix well and serve it with lime rice or eat as it as a snack..

Makali beru--Nimbekai uppinakai/Marada gaddalu Nimmakai pickle/Lime pickle

Makali Beru/Marada gaddalu/-Limes

When I think of pickles, one flavourful pickle that comes in my mind is the Makali beru (Decaepsis hamiltoni ) lime pickle. I am not sure how many of you have tasted this flavoured root but it has a unique flavour which gives the pickle a good boost. And when used with lime, the combination is so tasty.

Decaepsis hamiltoni is endemic to central peninsular India. Fairly common in the dry hill tracts of Eastern and Western ghats in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu
Medicinal Uses: Tuberous roots are used as cooling agent and blood purifier. Hence used to prepare refreshing drinks. Roots are used to cure indigestion, deficient digestive power, dysentery, cough bronchitis, leucorrhoea, uterine hemorrhage, skin diseases, fever, thirst, vomiting, poisoning, chronic rheumatism, anemia, debility, dysuria and blood diseases.

Ingredients:
6-7 sticks of Makali beru (Makali beru, Mahali. kizhangu, Maredu gaddalu)
12 green limes
3tbsp red chillie powder, 3 tbsp salt
2tsp fenugreek seeds and 2 dried byadige chillies ( roast both and grind it)

Method
First deskin the Makali beru. Now removed the hard vein which runs midway and chop the root into tiny pieces.
Chop all the limes into chunks of the same size and mix it with the chopped root.
In another plate, mix salt, chillie powder and the fenugreek+dried chillie powder. Add this mixture to the lime + root chunks and fold in gently till each chunk is coated with this spice mixture.
In a clean pickle jar ( You can used a sterilized glass jar aswell) add the pickle mixture gently. Close the lid tightly and keep it aside in a warm place for 5-6 days. On the 7 th day, open the pickle jar and mix the fresh pickle with a wooden ladle and the basic pickle is ready for consumption.

To Use: Take a small quantity of pickle.. To this add the mustard-hing seasoning before use. (Take a tbsp of hot oil, add 1/4tsp hing and mustard seeds till they crack) and add this to the pickle before use. This will enhance the flavour of this aromatic pickle.
Enjoy with yogurt rice or chapattis …..

Patrode Masala with Mullangi Raita

Radish Raita

Patrode is a cuisine very famous in Mangalore, Udupi,Karnataka. especially in coastal areas.It is made of Kesuvu/Colocasia leaves which are abundantly available in gardens.
A spicy batter made of by grinding rice, bengal gram dal/green gram dal/green gram, tamarind, and red chilly. This batter is smeared on the colocasia leaves. They are then rolled & steam cooked. Ensure that the tamarind is added in good quantity as using less quantity of tamarind may cause itching of the tongue or throat.
The steam cooked rolls are then taken out & cut into slices.
Patrode is served in different ways. One way is the Patrode Masala/Fry which is a quick delicious tasty evening snack.. Here it is.. I serve this with delicious Mullangi Mosarabajji /Radish Raita...

Semi Homemade patrode masala:
If you dont have time or patience to make the patrode idlis as described above, you can use the instant patra rolls steamed and available in the regular indian grocery store.. I have used the Bhagawati brand of rolls here...
4 patra rolls ( c hop it into chunks)
4 dried red chillies
1/2 cup grated coconut
1/2 tsp turmeric
lime juice 1 tsp
seasoning: 2tsp oil, mustard, jeera, hing and curry leaves.

Method: Heat oil in a pan, add all the seasonings and fry. Now add red chillies aand the patra chunks and fry in high flame till the oil coats the chunks well. To this add turmeric and fry more. Now add lime juice and finally garnish with coconut..
Salt is optional since the pre cooked patra has salt content in it...

Mullangi Mosarabajji/Radish Raita;
1 medium sized radish--peel it and grated it..
1/2 cup fresh grated coconut
1 cup fresh yogurt-- beat it smoothly.
salt
seasoning: 1tsp oil, hing, mustard seeds, 2 dried red chillies, curry leaves

Method: mix the radish in yogurt. Add salt , coconut and seasonings and serve chilled..

Patrode Masala/ Patra fry

Patrode is a cuisine very famous in Mangalore, Udupi,Karnataka. especially in coastal areas.It is made of Kesuvu/Colocasia leaves which are abundantly available in gardens. A spicy batter made of by grinding rice, bengal gram dal/green gram dal/green gram, tamarind, and red chilly. This batter is smeared on the colocasia leaves. They are then rolled & steam cooked. Ensure that the tamarind is added in good quantity as using less quantity of tamarind may cause itching of the tongue or throat. The steam cooked rolls are then taken out & cut into slices. Patrode is served in different ways. One way is the Patrode Masala/Fry which is a quick delicious tasty evening snack.. Here it is.. I serve this with delicious Mullangi Mosarabajji /Radish Raita...

Semi Homemade patrode masala:

If you dont have time or patience to make the patrode idlis as described above, you can use the instant patra rolls steamed and available in the regular indian grocery store.. I have used the Bhagawati brand of rolls here...

4 patra rolls ( c hop it into chunks)

4 dried red chillies

1/2 cup grated coconu

1/2 tsp turmeric

lime juice

1 tsp seasoning: 2tsp oil, mustard, jeera, hing and curry leaves.

Method: Heat oil in a pan, add all the seasonings and fry. Now add red chillies aand the patra chunks and fry in high flame till the oil coats the chunks well. To this add turmeric and fry more. Now add lime juice and finally garnish with coconut.. Salt is optional since the pre cooked patra has salt content in it...

Mullangi Mosarabajji/Radish Raita;

1 medium sized radish--peel it and grated it

1/2 cup fresh grated coconut

1 cup fresh yogurt-- beat it smoothly

salt

seasoning: 1tsp oil, hing, mustard seeds, 2 dried red chillies, curry leaves

Method: mix the radish in yogurt. Add salt , coconut and seasonings and serve chilled..

Mango Delicacies...Instant Pickle/Mango Dal

Mango... the king of fruits is true indeed. This versatile fruit is extremely rich in Vitamin A & C and a good source of potassium.
Mango can be consumed both in green and ripe forms. We all know about mangoes and most of us love them.. Without doubt, I eagerly wait for every summer for this delicious fruit. In Karnataka mango uses are varied whether its Mango chutney, mango tokku, mango gojju, mango chitranna, mango pickle every variety is filled with lip smacking flavour...
I thought I will welcome the Spring with 2 of my favourite Mango delicacies...the instant tasty mango pickle & my mom's extremely delicious mango dal....Here they are

Instant Mango Pickle....
You need:

1 big raw green sour mango
1.5tbsp red chillie powder
1.5 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
1tbsp fenugreek powder
To season: 2tbsp oil, hing 1/4 tsp, mustard seeds 1tsp....

To Make: deskin the mango and chop it into small pieces. In a bowl mix all the powders with a tsp of oil till it resembles a paste.. To this add all the mango pieces and mix well till they r coated nicely. Leave this aside for 10mins. The salt brings out the water in the mango making the mixture nice & tasty.
Now heat oil and add the hing and mustard and mix the mango coated mixture to this... eat it to your hearts content....
This is best eaten with curd rice or chapati or for that matter with anything.....

Yummy Mango dal/Mango tovve/Mango pappu
You need:
1 big raw green sour mango (chopped into big chunks and dont throw away the seed)
1 cup tuar dal
turmeric 1tsp
6dried red chillies ( dry roast it and powder)
salt to taste
Seasoning: ghee/oil, curry leaves, hing 1/4tsp, mustard seeds 1tsp

To make:

Boil the mango chunks along with the seed separately in 2cups of water till soft adding turmeric.
Boil tuar dal separately.
In a pan, mix both dal and mango chunks well. Add salt and bring it to a boil again. To this add the dry roasted chillie powder and season it with mustard, curry leaves and hing...
Enjoy this with rice and a dollop of ghee...

Sweet Pongal/Venn pongal/Menasina gojju(red pepper curry)

Pongal Delicacies...

Sweet Pongal/Venn Pongal/Red pepper gojju....

Pongal!!! reminds us of harvest, fresh grain and great food. This three-day harvest festival is celebrated every year in Magha, from the 13th to the 15th of January. The word 'pongal' refers to the dish of sweet rice prepared on this occasion. The festival is celebrated widely in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The time of the festival is of great importance to all Hindus, as it corresponds to the solar equinox when the days begin to lengthen and the nights begin to wane.
Bhogali Bihu of Assam could be regarded as the matching counterpart of the Tamil Pongal festival.The nightlong feast with family and friends along with the preparation of traditional Assamese goodies, and the early morning worship of the Indian god of fire - Agni, are some of the major highlights of this festival. In W Bengal, it is celebrated in the form of a festival cum fair called Ganga Sagar Mela.However, this fair is not confined to the Bengalis only as people from all over India come to visit the Ganga Sagar with the belief that a dip in the holy bank will absolve them of their sins.In Punjab and its neighbouring states, this day is celebrated, as Lohri. It marks the coming of spring and the approaching end of winter. Fires are lit as dusk approaches. Arrangement for feasts among family and friends and gatherings around the sacred bonfire, and an exchange of greetings and pleasantries mark the festival celebration here. (courtesy:www.theholidayspot.com)

No matter which state, the common factor which makes the festival so special is the special food which is prepared. Here are 3 such authentic pongal recipes which are very simple and can be made any time of the year. It is rich and nutricious.

Sweet Pongal/Jaggery Rice:
You need
1cup long grain rice
1/4 cup split moong dal
3/4 cup jaggery/optional you can use brown sugar
1tsp freshly ground cardamom seeds
ghee 1/4 cup.
Garnish: nuts of your choice fried in ghee
To make: lightly fry the rice and moong dall with a tsp of clarified butter/ghee till nice aroma comes. Boil them together till soft but not mushy. In a thick pan, add jaggery with 1/2 cup water and bring it to a boil. when the jaggery melts, add the cardamom powder and mix well. Now add the boiled rice dal mixture and mix well. keep stirring the mixture for about 7-10minutes till the desired consistency is obtained. Finally add the remaining ghee and garnish with nuts of your choice.. Voila.. Sweet delicious pongal is ready...

Spicy Pongal/?Venn pongal/Khara pongal:
You need
1cup long grain rice
1/4 cup split moong dal
1tsp whole black pepper corns
1tsp jeera
ghee 1/4 cup.
1tsp cashews
To make: lightly fry the rice and moong dall with a tsp of clarified butter/ghee till nice ma comes. Boil them together till soft.
In a pan, add ghee, when it is heated, add jeera and black pepper corns and cashews.. Now add the rice dal mixture and salt and mix well. I personally like the mixture not too watery, so when I boil I dont add much water.
To go with this, is the traditional red pepper curry/Menasinakai gojju..

Red Pepper curry/Gojju: You need
1 fresh red bell pepper/optional can use green pepper or combination of red and green
tamarind paste 1tbsp
jaggery -piece of a lemon
oil-2tbsp
2 cups water
seasoning: mustard, hing, jeera, curry leaves and dried red chillies 2
Gojju powder: 3tsp
To make: heat oil in a pan, add all the seasonings till they mix well. Now add the pepper and mix for 5minutes till the pepper softens. Now add 2 cups water and bring it to a boil. Add tamarind paste, gojju powder and jaggery and mix well. Add salt based on your taste and in a medium flame boil the mixture till desired consistency is obtained. This goes very well with pongal or rice of any kind...

Here is the recipe for the traditonal gojju powder
channa dale-11/2 tsp urad dal-11/2 tsp fenugreek seeds/menthya-1/2 tblsp hing-1 small grannule dhania-1tblsp jeera-3/4 tsp red chilles-6 to 8 til-1tsp cinnamon/dalchini-1'' piece Fry the ingredients in a tsp of oil till nice aroma comes and grind it to a fine powder..

Okra fry/Okra Sambhar/Okra in yogurt.....

Okra Fry....

Okra Sambhar....

Okra is a rich source of many nutrients, including fiber, vitamin B6 and folic acid
For best cooking results, okra should be fresh (not frozen). The pods should be small (3 inches or so long), or the okra becomes tough and stringy. If forced to use frozen okra, remove as much of the moisture as possible before cooking by spreading on a paper towel, or patting it dry after it thaws, etc.
"Avoid cooking okra in pans made of iron, copper or brass for their chemical properties turns the fruit black
Here are some of the authentic South Indian Okra delicacies which are simple and yummy...

Okra Fry:
2cups chopped okra/Bendekai
1tsp red chilly powder/paprika
salt as needed
oil 2tbsp
1tsp mustard seeds
Method: In a pan, heat oil, add the mustard seeds till it splutters.. Now add the chopped okra and fry till all the moisture is gone and it starts getting crispier..(Tip: avoid mixing continuously as this will make the fry sticky).. When its crispy.. add chilly powder and salt and mix well.
This can be served with chapati/bread/rice or eaten as it is....

Okra Sambhar:
2cups okra chopped into big chunks
2tbsp toor dall (boiled)
tamarind paste 1tsp
sambhar powder 2 tsp)
1tsp jaggery
Seasoning: oil, mustard seeds, hing, jeera
For garnish: Cilantro
Method: In a pan, add the oil and seasonings.. Now add the chopped okra and fry lightly till the okra is coated with oil and becomes soft but holds its shape..
Now add the boiled dal with water, tamarind paste, jaggery and sambhar powder and mixwell. Boil with a closed lid for 5min till it comes to a boil..
Now add cilantro and salt and mix well.
This can be served with boiled rice....

Okra in Yogurt:
1cup chopped okra (microwave it till it gets soft and loses its rawness)
1cup yogurt(beat it lightly)
Grind: 2tbsp fresh coconut, 1tsp toor dal, 1 tsp jeera, 1tsp red chilly powder, 1/2inch ginger root, 1tsp black pepper) to a fine paste...

Method:In a pan heat 2tsp oil, add hing andmustar seeds.. Now add the boiled okra and fry for 2mins.. Now add the ground paste and mix well for 4mins..
Finally add the yogurt and salt and turn off the heat..
Serve this with rice...

Usli Chaat with a refreshing Carrot Cooler....

Usli is a quick all time favourite snack in Bangalore.. I remember the Usli given as prasadam during Ganesh Chaturthi.. the taste was unforgettable.. Loaded with protein with spice and a touch of lime tingle your taste buds..
Here is a variation of usli which has a tang of Chaat as well and hence "Usli Chaat"..
What more healthier than washing this off with a refreshing Carrot Cooler....

For Usli you need:
2cups Matki (you can use any combination of pulses soaked and sprouted)--parboil it till soft but not mushy
1 big red onion
1 small cucumber
2tsp tamarind date chutney
1 cup peanuts roasted and coarsly crushed
juice of lemon
salt
green chillies 4 chopped
cilantro 2twigs
1tsp chat masala
oil 2tsp

Procedure:

in a pan add oil, when heated add curry leaves, green chillies and half the onions. Add turmeric and fry till translucent and switch off the heat..
Boil the matki till it is soft but firm.. Drain the water if any.. now mix the left over onion, cucumber and peanut powder.. To this add chat masala and juice of lemon and salt and mix well. Finally add the cooled fried onion mixture and mix well and serve immediatly...

Carrot Juice:
3large juicy carrots (peeled)
1/2 inch ginger root
1tsp honey..
Blend the above adding 1/2 cup water and strain.. Serve it with crushed ice (optional)...

Mysore Tomato Rasam & Seasame Peanut Powder (Uchellina Pudi)

Every south indian meal is incomplete without this delicious tangy soup called "Rasam"..The variety is also varied, whether it is the lemon rasam, pepper rasam, pineapple rasam, dal rasam or mysore tomato rasam the flavour is unique and preparation lies in its simple ingredients and lots of boiling...
I have always found the rasam to be more tasty when I boil it for a long time. maybe because the flavours blend in the water base well..This is by far the most simplest dish and goes with plain rice..
The rasam powder is available in all the indian grocery stores by various manufacturers.. However, I like to make this powder once every 2 weeks since it is very simple and the flavours remain fresh..
My favourite aid to this rasam is the authentic brahmin Uchellina Pudi( black seasame spiced powder).. I love the flavour of this spiced powder with rasam rice...
Here is what you need:

Seasame peanut powder:
1 cup peanuts( roasted and preferable deskinned)
1/2 cup Black seasame seeds (dry roasted)
1/2 cup curry leaves( in a tsp of oil fry these leaves till they get crispy)
1tbsp dhania/coriender seeds( fry it with a drop of oil)
a handfull of red chillies ( I love it spicy so i used more)
1tsp jeera
salt

To do;
Roast all the ingredients separately till a nice smell comes (do not over roast)..Grind everything to a fine powder adding salt..

Simple isnt it?..

Now for the Mysore Tomato Rasam:
1/2 cup tuar dal
2 ripe tomatoes
1tsp tamarind paste
To season:
1tsp ghee, 1 twig curry leaves, mustard seeds, jeera and hing

Rasam powder:

Red chillies (equal proportion of bydage & Kashmiri Red chillies) : 2 cupsDhania Seeds : 2 cupsJeera + Pepper corns (together) : 1/2 cup (1/4 + 1/4)Methi seeds + Mustard seeds(together) : 1/4 cup1twig curry leaves
Method:
Take a kadai with 1tsp of oil. Roast each ingredient separately for 2-3minutes till crispy and aromatic..Cool them and grind them into a fine powder and store..

To make Rasam:
Pressure cook tuar dal and tomatoes with a pinch of turmeric and a tsp of oil with 3cups of water..
In a vessel, add the cooked dal mixture and boil for 2minutes. To this add 3tsp rasam powder, salt and the tamarind paste and mix well. Now close the lid and let it come to a boil..
Meanwhile in a kadai prepare the seasonings with pure ghee and add it to the boiling rasam..