Kakdi thalipeet/thali pettu...cucumber pancakes

We have probably never been more health conscious as we are now. An increase in lifestyle disorders,especially heart diseases,blood pressure and diabetes, and experts taking serious note of this fact,has helped increase awareness about health and fitness among common people. Today i am here with a healthy pancake with cucumber and rice flour a popular breakfast dish from Maharashtra and Karnataka. In Maharashtra it is known as thalipeet and in Karnataka locals call it thalipettu.,its easy more importantly very healthy and delicious breakfast idea.

Ingredients

• 11/2 cups Rice flour
• 1/2 cup Semolina/ bombay rava
• 1 Cucumber ( medium size) ,grated
• 1/4 cup Freshly grated coconut
• 2tbsp Freshly chopped coriander leaves
• 5-6 green chillies
• 2tsp Jeera/cummin seeds
• Salt as per taste
• Oil for frying

Cooking Directions

• Grind coconut and green chillies to coarse paste with little salt.
• Next, in a bowl add rice flour and semolina with grated cucumber ,ground coconut paste ,cumin,coriander leaves and add salt to taste.
• Add little water,mix well to a soft dough.Keep it covered for 10 minutes.
• Now heat a griddle/pan.smear it with a tsp of oil,take a handful of the dough and spread it nicely (it should be about 3/4 cm thick) with your hand.
• Keep this covered with a lid and fry on medium heat,After a minutes,add oil to the sides of the thalipeet/pancake to make it easier to remove when it is cooked evenly.Now flip the pancake and fry on the other side till it is well cooked.
• if you prefer your thalipeet more crispy,leave it on a little longer.
• Serve hot with a chutney of your choice.

Note: To make another pancake,sprinkle some water all around.Once the pan has cooled, you can make another pancake. But be careful while sprinkling the water onto the hot pan,as water will start sizzling as soon as it hits the pan.

Phenori...A traditional Konkani sweet

 

Its a popular sweet in mangalore and some parts of  south india,traditionally prepared during festivals and weddings.Phenori is  round in shape, with multiple layers interspaced with ghee or butter.

 

Ingredients:

For the puries:

1. 1cup maida
2. 2tbsp fine chiroti rava or rice flour
3. 2tsp ghee for kneading the dough
4. 2tbsp Ghee or butter for brushing the puri
5. Water as required 
6. Oil for deep frying
7. 1/2tsp Salt 

For the sugar syrup:

1.  1cup sugar
2. 1/2 cup water
3. 3-4 cardamom,powdered

Method:

• Mix maida and salt well. Then add the ghee and combine well with the flour
• Now add the water little by little and form a hard but pliable dough.Knead this dough for few minutes and rest for 30 minutes covered with a cling film .
• Knead the dough again and divide them into equal sized balls.
• Dust the working area with little flour.Roll out the dough into think circles or puries  and brush each puries with ghee or butter to coat the entire surface of the puri and then dust it with little fine chiroti rava or rice flour.Now place the second puri and repeat the same process until you have stack of 5-6 puries .Make sure to brush ghee or butter between each of them.
•  Now roll the entire stack of puries into a big roll.
• Cut the puries into 1 cm thick or equal sized  pieces/pedas and gently press the pedas to avoid any open ends.Now gently roll the each pedas into mini thick spiral puries .
• Once your done with the rolling
• Heat oil in a pan  and deep fry all the phenoris till crisp but not brown.
• Meantime start making sugar syrup.Mix water and sugar and boil on medium flame till it reaches to one string consistency.Add cardamom powder and take it out from the flame.
• Now add all the fried phenoris in this hot syrup one at a time and arrange on a broad steel plate one by one.while dipping the puries make sure it coats well on all the sides.
• For special touch sprinkle some crushed pistachios on top and serve.
• Let it cool completely before storing.You can store this up-to a week in an airtight container.