Usli/Sprout Salad/Sprout kosambari

Kaalu Usli/Sprout Salad
Sprouts are known for their nutrition. Almost any variety of whole lentils, beans can be sprouted with moisture and little heat. Here is a very colorful Sprout Usli which is healthy, tasty and extremely simple..

You need:
1 cup of mixed sprouts( I have used moong sprouts and channa dal sprouts)
1 serano pepper slit ( or use a regular green chilly)
1tbsp lime juice
1tbsp grated fresh coconut
a pinch of jeera powder
To season:
1tsp oil, 1tsp mustard seeds, 1/2tsp urad dal, 1/2 tsp channa dal, a pinch of turmeric
In a pan, prepare the seasoning and when this cools, add the fresh sprouts, coconut, lime juice and jeera powder and toss well till it is well coated. Serve this with other veggies or eat as is..

To sprout: Soak moong dal, whole channa dal overnight with clean water. In the morning, drain and place this in a dark vessel. Cover this with a wet tissue paper or wet muslin cloth. Keep it in a dark warm place for atleast 10hrs. Refrigerate the sprouts and use as needed.

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.