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..