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.

PUnjabi style Surma/ king fish fry

Punjabi fish fry is an authentic style preparation of the fish fillets unlike south indian style.Here fish is well coated in the batter of Gram flour ,curd and egg ,where as in south india rice flour or rava is used for the coating the fish.It is one of the favorite recipes from Punjabi cuisine,ready to spread its aroma all over.

Ingredients:

1. 5-6 Surma/king fish/anjal ,1 cm thin slices
2. 1/2tsp turmeric
3. 1tsp lemon juice
4. 1tbsp Mustard oil for the marinade
5. 1tbsp ginger garlic paste
6. 1/4 cup hung curd
7. 3tsp red chilly powder
8. 1/2tsp Garam masala
9. 1cup Besan/Gram flour
10. 1/2tsp Ajwain/carom seeds
11. 1 Egg lightly beaten
12. Salt to taste
13. Oil for frying
14. Chat masala as per taste

Method: 

• Wash and clean the surma slices and make them dry and keep aside
• Add red chilly powder,Garam masala,Crushed ajwain,ginger -garlic paste and salt to the gram flour,mix it well.
• Add curd ,mustard oil and egg beaten to the same besan mixture and make a thick paste.You can sprinkle little water if needed,but the consistency of the batter should be thick so that fish could coat properly.
• Now add the pieces of fish in this mixture and nicely massage each pieces of fish  with this besan batter.
• Let it marinate for 10-15 minutes in this batter.
• Heat oil in a pan and Shallow fry all the pieces on both the sides till golden brown.
• Sprinkle some chat masala and Serve hot with onion and lemon slices.

Chef's tip:

• You can use water instead of egg for the batter.
• If you want to make fish more crispy then deep fry the fish in hot oil instead of shallow frying.
• YOU can also try this same batter with pomfret or any other fishes of your choice.

Sending this to one of my favorite blog Amchigele Vasari as a guest post

Mysore style mutton saru/curry

Dussehra or VijayDashami marks as the Tenth Day (According to the Hindu Lunar Calender) of month Ashwin and Kartik. The first nine days of this month is celebrated as Navaratri and on the tenth day the “Dussehra” is celebrated. Dussehra festival is sign of (Triumph of) Good over Evil.

 Hindu’s observe the 10 Day fast of Navaratri and on 10th day ie On Vijaydashami day, at the culmination of a colourful 10-day celebration, the goddess Chamundeshwari is worshiped and then borne in a grand procession on a Golden Ambari or elephant-mounted throne through the city of Mysore, from the historical Mysore Palace to the Banni Mantapa. Banni is the Kannada word for the Sanskrit Shami, and Mantapa means "Pavilion". On this day in some cummunity Meat is heavily consumed after the sacrifice taken as the gift of god.

"Mamsa Mudde" is a much loved dish of Gowda community in mysore. This mysore style mutton curry is a complete bliss. In kannada, 'mamsa' means meat and mudde means soft cooked ragi balls

Ingredients :

1. 1kg Mutton,cut into medium size pieces
2. 1tsp Turmeric powder
3. 1tsp Red chilly powder
4. 1 Onion,sliced
5. 3 Tomato chopped
6. 2 Cinnamon
7. 5-6 Cloves
8. salt to taste

For the masala paste:

1. 1/2 Coconut,grated
2. 2 tsp Daniya powder
3. 1tsp Jeera powder
4. 6-7 Garlic cloves
5. 1 inch Ginger
6. 2 Cinnamon
7. 6-7 Cloves
8. 7-8 Spicy red chillies/guntur red chillies

For the main dish:

1. 1tbsp Ghee or oil
2. 1 onion,chopped
3. Salt to taste

cooking directions:

• Wash and clean the mutton.
• Pressure cook mutton pieces with turmeric,chilly powder,Sliced onion,chopped tomato,cloves cinnamon and salt.Add 2 cups of water and cook for 20-25 minutes or take 3-4 whistle depending on the tenderness of the meat.
• In the meantime grind masala with coconut,red chilly,cinnamon, cloves,ginger,garlic,coriander powder and jeera powder to smooth paste using 2-3 cups of water.
• Heat Ghee or oil in a big pan,add onion and fry until light brown.Add ground masala and saute for 3-4 minutes.
• Now add the cooked mutton and little salt (as we have added salt while cooking the mutton).The gravay should be medium consistency,if you want more water add about a cup of warm watre, Cover and cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes.
• When done remove from the fire and garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with roti or ragi balls/mudde or plain basmati rice.

Corn-cheese sandwiches and canapes..

Having a pack of Canape shells or bread can really save your day, be it an unexpected guest or sudden requests from your family :-) 

Sandwiches are great for breakfast,lunch and i can even see myself eating this tasty sandwich for dinner.This cheese corn filling only took few minutes to make and really hit the spot.It is one of my all time favorite  and is amazing filling on canapes too. 

Its a great for a quick meal.As i said it only takes minutes to make,but will leave you satisfied! i know we will be making this filling again and again!

Ingrdients:

• 1 cup Sweet corn
• 1 tbsp Butter
• 2 tbsp White flour/maida/plain flour
• 2 cups Milk
• 2 tbsp Cheese,grated
• 2 Capsicum(green and red)
• 20 Canape shells
• 10 Slices of bread
• 1c up Chopped White onion/spring onion

Cooking Directions

1. Heat butter in a pan,quickly toss,corn,capsicum and onion and take out on a plate.
2. In the same pan fry the flour for couple of minutest till its changes the colour.
3. Add milk,salt and pepper,cook till the mixture thickens.
4. Now add the tossed veggies and grated cheese.Mix it well and switch off the gas.
5. Now butter the bread slices and Place the mixture and Prepare sandwiches.
6. For Canapes:
7. Fry the shells in hot oil for a few seconds. Drain onto an absorbent paper. Fill the shells with this mixture.

.Note: There are plenty of options for the toppings. Let your imagination take flight… :-)

• You can cut bread slices into bite-sized desired shape and toast them on both sides till crispy. Top it up with this corn mixture and your snack is ready. Yummmmmmmmmm……
  
  

Broken wheat /gova kanya/ payasam

I wish all my readers "Shubh Navrathri"

Today i am here with simplest and one my favourite payasam prepared by in Mangalore.We call it "Gova kanya godshe" as in konkoni .Gova kano means broken wheat Godshe means Payasam or sweet prepared with jaggery and coconut milk.

Broken wheat is a wheat product made from whole raw wheat kernels which are crushed or cut into smaller pieces. There are a large number of uses for cracked wheat, and the food makes a popular dietary supplement in many cultures. It is made by milling wheat grains coarsely. Wheat is cleaned and husked and then processed to the required size. It is highly nutritious as it does not undergo refining.

When the broken wheat is cooked, it has a very hearty, warm aroma and a grainy, delightful taste. It is slightly nutty and chewy. Broken wheat may be ground into coarse, medium and fine kernels.It is also calles as Cracked wheat, Dalia, Bulgar, Burghul, Fada, Lapsi, Bulgar Wheat.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Broken wheat
• 300 grms Jaggery or to taste
• 3cups Water
• 2 tbsp Ghee
• 1 tsp Cardamom powder
• 2 cups thick coconut milk
• 2 cups thin coconut milk

Cooking Directions

1. Wash the cracked wheat in water thoroughly and cook in 2 cups of water in an open pan until it gets soft, make sure it does not get mashed up. Alternately you can use a pressure cooker to cook the same, but make sure to cook for a whistle and turn off the stove. Let it cool and the rest of the cooking can be done in an open pan for 5-10 minutes or until the wheat gets soft. If it starts to stick to the bottom add little bit of water and then continue to cook.
2. Meanwhile in another pan mix jaggery with 1 cup of water and dissolve it completely. Just before it starts to boil remove from fire and filter the jaggery syrup, Add the syrup to the cooked grain. Stir well until the jaggery gets fully blend into the cooked wheat. Stir continuously. Mix well and add thin coconut milk. Stir until it starts to boil. Next add the thick coconut milk and cardamom powder. Give a final mix and remove from the fire. Garnish with ghee roasted cashew nuts and raisins and serve.

How to prepare coconut milk:

Grate coconut and grind it with 2 cups of water to smooth paste.Once it is ground,pour it to strainer squeeze it well to get the 1st extract milk or thick coconut milk.

Transfer the squeezed coconut again to a blender and add 2 cups of water and grind it again.Strain this again and extract the milk,now you'll get thin coconut milk.

Note:

• If you are using good quality jaggery avoid this step and add jaggery directly to the cooked wheat and proceed.

Soft and spongy Sagoo-Set dosa

Set dose/dosa is a set of 3 dosas served with vegetable gravy known as sagoo  very popular in Karnataka.This dosa is kind of thick almost like a pancake.,also for this not necessary to sprinkle oil or ghee on top rather than on the pan to avoic sticking.If making thin dosa the griddle to be medium high temprature and drizzle some water after each dosa is make to regulate the heat steady. You can make dosa thick or thin depending on your taste.

Today i am here with a small twist to a regular set dosa and the twist is sagoo set dosa...I've added some sagoo/tapioca pearls to get that soft and spongy texture just like what we get in any south indian restaurants.

     

sagoo set dosa

Ingredients for the dosa :

1. 1/2cup Urad dal
2. 1cup sagoo/tapioca pearls
3. 2 cups Dosa rice
4. 1tsp Methi seeds
5. 1cup Buttermilk ( sour)
6. salt to taste
7. Ghee or oil

Ingredients for the chutney: 

1. 3-4 Raw tomatoes
2. 1/2 cup Fresh coriander leaves
3. 2tbsp Fried gram/huri kadale
4. 1tsp Ginger chopped
5. 4-5 Green chillies
6. 1 small onion or 2-3 sambar onions
7. 1/2tsp mustard
8. 1/2 tsp jeera
9. few spring curry leaves
10. 1tsp oil 

Cooking Directions

soaked rice and methi 

soaked urad and sagoo

1. Soak urad dal and Sagoo for 5-6 hours in 3 cups of water.
2. Soak rice separately with methi for minimum 3hours.
3. First grind urad-sagoo with the 2 cups of water(use the same water in which you have soaked urad and sagoo ).You can add more water if needed.The batter should be light and fluffy.
4. Next in the same jar add soaked rice and methi and grind using butter milk to smooth paste.
5. Now mix both the batter and let it stand overnight or at least 7-8 hours for fermenting.
6. Next day add salt to taste and adjust the batter with little water if it is too thick.
7. Heat a non stick pan or iron griddle. Apply ghee and then pour two ladles of dosa batter in the center. If the batter has fermented well, when the dosa starts to cook, holes will form on the surface, this is what you are looking for that perfect set dosas. Cover it with a lid and let cook till one side is done. Remove it on a plate and serve hot with vegetable sagoo or chutney of your choice.I usually prefer it with vegetable sagoo or tomato- coriander chutney

Tomato chutney:

1. Heat oil in a pan ,add ginger and green chilly ,saute for couple of seconds.Then add fried gram/huri kadale and fry again till its crispy and changes to light brown colour.
2. Add the chopped shallots or onion and fry till it changes to pink colour or till transparent 
3. Now add rest of the ingredients and saute till the tomatoes and soft and mushy.
4. Let it Cool completely and then grind to smooth paste using very little water. 
5. Now prepare the tempering.Heat oil in a small pan,add mustard and jeera,let it splutter for a while,then add curry leaves and switch of the gas.
6. Pour this over the chutney and serve with dosa or idli

Kane piyyav panna Ghashi/ambat ....A typical GSB konkani fish curry

In konkani cuisine,the staple food is rice and fish.We mostly east fish like pomfret,mackerel,king fish ,sardines,prawns crabs and most delicate lady fish.Today i am here with  a typical GSB fish curry called "Piyyav panna ghashi or Ambat" ,We Mangalorean GSB's love to eat fish almost on daily basis .make this ambat with only fresh water fish or white meat fish,they are lady fish/nogli in konkani/kane in tulu,silver fish/mothyale in konkani/bolanjeer in tulu,pomfret/sungruti in konkani /maanji in tulu and sometimes i do make this with  king fish or mackerels or crabs  but i prefer to make it little spicy by adding 3-4 more chillies.Vegetarians can try  this ambat with mixed vegetable or with the fresh peas or gherkin and potatoes too.

Ingredients

• 500 gms Lady fish/kane/nogli
• 4-5 Whole dried red chillies,roasted
• 1 small marble sized tamarind
• 5-6 Shallots/sambar onion/red onions,finely chopped
• 1tbsp Coconut oil
• 3 cups Freshly grated coconut

Cooking Directions

1. Clean and cut each Fish into 2-3 pieces depending on the size.
2. Apply salt to taste and sprinkle some turmeric and keep aside.
3. Roast the dry red chillies in a tsp of coconut oil till they turn crisp.
4. Now grind coconut,roasted red chillies and tamarind to smooth paste with 2 cups of water and our masala paste is ready.
5. Take a wide vessel to cook the fish.Add all the ground masala paste and add some more water to adjust the consistency of the gravy.The gravy should be nice creamy and thick.Then add salt and bring it to a boil.
6. Lastly, add the fish pieces. Cook until fish is cooked. It takes hardly 5 minutes to cook this fish. Stir carefully so that the fish pieces remain intact because this lady fish is very delicate. so just one or two boil is more than enough to cook.
7. Now prepare the tempering.Take a small panna/tempering pan,heat coconut oil and add chopped shallots and saute till they turn to nice and brown colour.
8. Pour this over the fish and serve hot with steaming hot rice.

You can use any white meat fish of your choice for making this curry.

Pasta with peas and carrots

This pasta dish is so easy and versatile because you can use any meat and pasta you have on hand.A very good choice for Your Sunday brunch.

1. 2 cups (500 ml) of Pasta of your choice, not pre-cooked  (I use macaroni and shells)
2. 2 medium onion,finely chopped
3. 1 big bulb of garlic (10-12 cloves)
4. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
5. 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth 
6. 1 cup heavy cream
7. 3/4 cup water
8. 2 cups shelled fresh peas (2 to 2 1/2 pounds in pods)
9. 2 tbsp chopped carrots
10. salt to taste
11. 1 tspblack pepper
12. 1tsp dried oregano
13. 1/2 tsp dried basil
14. 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest
15. 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan plus additional for serving

Preparation

• Cook onion and garlic in butter in a heavy skillet over moderately low heat, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add broth, cream, and water and simmer, uncovered, about 5 minutes.
• Stir shelled peas and carrots into sauce and simmer 3 minutes.Add salt, oregano,basil and pepper and simmer until peas are tender, about 5 minutes.
• Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water. Drain pasta, then add to sauce, tossing to combine. Sprinkle some pepper, oregano and Parmesan on top and toss again.
• Serve with freshly grated Parmesan

cooks' note:

1. You can substitute 1 (10-oz) package frozen peas (not thawed) for shelled fresh peas. 
2. 1/2 cup  chicken boneless, skinless, cubed OR Pork(boneless, cubed OR sausages or any meat you have on hand.

Chemmeen (prawns)biriyani... A popular rice dish of Kerala

Chemmeen /Prawns biriyani is a specialty of the Malabar coastal region in Kerala. The rice is cooked with cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and cooked to perfection and finally cooked with prawn masala and garnished with roasted cashews, raisins and onions. It a popular rice dish served during ramzan ,holidays and special occasions. this is traditionally cooked with meat or chicken or fish and layered rice by following a challenging baking process called Dum.

Ingredients For the main dish:

1. 3 cups Basmati rice,washed and soaked for 45 minutes.
2. Salt To taste
3. 1/2 cup Ghee
4. 1/2 cup Oil
5. 4 Onion sliced
6. 1 tbsp Lemon juice
7. 2 Green cardamom
8. 3-4 Cloves
9. 2-3 Bay leaves
10. 2-5 Cm Cinnamon
11. 12 Cashew nut
12. 2 tbsp Raisins
13. 2tbsp chopped Coriander leaves
14. Flat cast iron skillet/tawa
15. 1/2 cup wheat flour dough for sealing.

For the Prawn masala:

• 500 Gms Prawns,Cleaned,shelled and deviened
• 2 tomatoes,chopped
• 10-12 Garlic cloves
• 1 inch Ginger,chopped
• 1/4 cup Coconut,scrapped
• 1 tbsp Coriander/daniya seeds
• 1 tsp Cumin /jeera seeds
• 1 tbsp Saunf / Fennel seeds
• 6-7 whole dried red chilles

For the garam masala powder:

• 1/2 inch Cinnamon
• 2 Cloves
• 2 Green cardamom
• 1 Mace/javethri
• 1 Star anise
• 10 Black pepper corns
• 1 small piece Nutmeg/jaiphal
• 10-12 Curry leaves

Cooking Directions
Method of making Prawn masala:

1. Heat four tablespoons oil and fry all the masala ingredients except prawns and tomatoes till light brown. Cool and grind to a smooth paste with little water.
2. Dry roast all the ingredients for garam masala for two to three minutes and pound into a coarse powder
3. Add curry leaves and masala paste. Fry till oil separates. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook on high heat till the moisture evaporates. Add Prawns and stir. Cook for a couple of minutes on high heat till the masala is almost dry.

Method of preparing rice and onions for the Biriyani:

1. Heat the remaining oil and fry the onions till golden brown,just before taking add cashew nut and raisins and fry till golden brown and keep aside or you can fry cashew and raisins separately in ghee
2. Wash,soak and drain the rice well. Boil 2 liters of water add whole gram masala ( cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaves) . Add salt to taste and soaked rice and stir. Bring to boil on high heat, then reduce to medium heat. Add lemon juice Cover and cook, stirring once in a while till almost done.
3. Drain and spread the rice on a big plate or tray .

Assembling the biryani:

1. Place the flat iron tawa/griddle over the lowest burner of your cook top.
2. Take a heavy bottomed handi/pan.Layer some prawn masala,precooked rice,fried onions and sprinkle some coriander leaves and gently mix it with a fork. Reapeat this process 
3. then again add the remaining prawn masala and then top it with cooked rice and sprinkle remaining fried onions and pour ghee. Cover with a tight lid.Seal the edges with a prepared wheat flour dough. Keep on hot iron griddle for about 20 minutes . on high flame for 5 minutes,then lower the flame  and cook again for 15 to 20 minutes or till done.Let it stand for 30-1 hour before serving over the same tava.
4.  Open when ready to serve. Serve it with yogurt-cucumber  salad or any other gravy of your choice.

1. Tip :Traditionally Jeeraga Samba rice is used to make this biriyani. But you can also use any other biriyani rice.

Sweet lime/Mosambi Juice

Sweet lime juice

Mosambi juice or the sweet lime juice is a favorite heat reliever of the summer months. This citrus fruit ranges from sweet to bland in taste. They are not acidic in flavor or taste and are not sour. This drink is made by extracting the juice of sweet lime and adding black salt or chaat masala to give it an appetizing taste. Ensure that you drink this juice fresh as it turns bitter in taste.Sweet lime Juice is considered best, affordable all year round and its available at every street joint and road side stall or vendor.

Ingredients

• 6 Sweet lime/mosambi
• 1tsp Ginger,chopped
• 1/4tsp Black salt/kala namak
• Sugar To taste

Cooking Directions :

Mosambi juice

1st Method ( blender)

1. Peel and remove the seeds from the sweet lime.
2. Roughly chop into pieces and then blend the sweet lime pieces with ginger,sugar and black salt in a blender.
3. now strain the juice in a fine strainer and squeeze the pulp or press the pulp with a back of a spoon in the strainer to extract additional juice and discard the pulp.
4. add some crushed ice cubes and serve chilled.

2nd method (Electric juicer)

1. in a electric juicer, add the sweet lime pieces in the juice feeder and extract the juice.
2. add sugar,crushed ginger and black salt and stir.
3. serve in glasses with some crushed ice cubes and serve

Spicy Kolhapuri Soya Thamda rassa

Vegans forgo the consumption of meat and meat derivatives, which leaves them looking for alternatives to meet their nutritional needs. Soya chunks are made from soy beans and they work well as meat substitutes. These come in the form of regular chunks, mini chunks and granules, and can be used in many ways. The nutritional value is similar to meat in some areas and different in others.Soya chunks are dry when you purchase them. They need to be reconstituted in water, which causes them to become spongy. Plain soya chunks do not have much flavor at all, but they absorb sauces, spices and flavorings well. 

Try this spicy kolhapuri style Red curry /Thamda rassa with a aromatic kolhapuri masla. I am sure you and your family gonna love it :)

Ingredients

• 3 cups Soya chunks
• 4 Tomatoes chopped
• 4 onion,sliced
• 1tsp Ginger garlic paste
• 1tbsp oil

Dry Roast separately and grind (masala paste)

• 1 cup Dry copra/ coconut,grated
• 2 pieces Cinnamon sticks
• 4-5 Cloves
• 1/4tsp Pepper corns
• 10 spicy dried red chillies
• 1tbsp Coriander seeds
• 2tsp Cumin/jeera
• 1/2tsp  Dagad phool
• 1/2 Mace/javethri
• 1 tsp White thil
• 1 small piece Nutmeg/jaiphal
• 1tsp poppy seed

Cooking Directions

1. Soak soya chunks in hot water for 30 minutes.
2. After 30 minutes Squeeze out all the water from soya and drain it well.
3. Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry soya chunks till they tuns to nice golden brown colour and take out on a kitchen towel or paper to drain out the excess oil
4. In the same pan and fry onion slices till golden brown and let it cool completely before grinding it to smooth paste and our brown onion paste is ready.
5. Meanwhile dry roast all the masala ingredients till brown and grind it to smooth paste with 2 cups of water.
6. In a seperate kadai /sauce pan heat some oil and saute remaining 1 sliced onion till translucent.Now add ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell goes.
7. Add in chopped tomatoes and saute further till oil separates.
8. Now its time add in brown onion paste,Roasted masala paste along with fried soya chunks.Give it a nice stir and add 3 cups of water.cover and cook on low heat .
9. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or roti.

Upavasache idli /sagoo-jungle rice idli

Normally on Ekadasi or sankashti day we hindus avoid eating grains and beans, anything made from them or anything that has them in it. This means avoiding bread, pasta, lentils, rice, as well as beans and preparations made from bean flour. Most of the people in Maharashtra have sabudana and wari tangul /jungle rice during fasting.

Usually i make sabudana khichidi or sabudana kheer or rava idli during fasting but this time i have tried something new using sabudana and vari thandul .Vari Tandul in marati is the seed of a grass ( Echinochloa Colonum) which frequently grows amongst the rice paddy as it requires damp, or even waterlogged, soil. Instead of removing it with weedkiller, farmers harvest it. When cooked, it makes a tasty and filling meal. Tandul means rice and though vari is not a grain it provides the nourishment and energy that rice does. In the west it is called 'Samo' or 'jungle rice'.Varicha Tandul is quite delicious, and the following recipe will prove it. Don't fast - just feast!

Ingredients

• 2 cups vari/varai/jungle rice/
• 1 cup sagoo/ tapioca pearls/sabudana
• 2tsp Baking powder
• 1tsp Sugar

Cooking Directions

1. Wash and Soak sagoo and vari together in 5-6 cups of water for 4-5 hours.
2. Now grind both to smooth paste using same water in which we have soaked sagoo and vari. The consistency of the batter should be thick like idli batter.
3. Let it ferment overnight or at least 6-7 hours.
4. Next day morning add salt and sugar, mix it well. you can add little water if the batter is too thick.
5. Boil water in a idli steamer and grease the idli stand or ramekins .
6. Lastly add the baking powder to the batter.Blend it well and then fill the moulds with this batter and steam for about 12-15 minutes..First 10 minutes on high and then lower the flame and steam again for 3-4 minutes till done.
7. Serve hot with peanut chutney or sambar.

Methi Malai Matar.

Today i'll take you the gastronomic journey of Punjab with Mouth watering, aromatic and delicious Punjabi delicacy. Methi Malai Matar is a typical dish which Punjabis make for their parties and very popular in dabhas. I absolutely love this dish! It reminds me of fresh methi that used to grow by my mom as methi was not very easily available in those days in mangalore! The aroma of this dish makes me nostalgic and homesick!! I enjoy it with with fresh rotis or pulkas.

Ingredients for the main dish

• 2 cups Fresh Green Peas
• 2 bunches Methi/Fenugreek leaves
• 1 onion chopped
• 1Tomato,pureed
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tbsp Butter
• 2-3 tsp Ghee or oil
• 1 tsp Crushed Dry fenugreek leaves/kasoori methi
• 1/2 tsp Red chilly powder
• 1 cup Milk
• 2tbsp Fresh cream
• 1/4tsp Turmeric powder

For masala paste:

• 1 onion
• 3 Green chillies
• 6-7 Cashew nuts
• 1 tsp Coriander seeds
• 1 tsp Poppy seeds/Khus khus
• 5-6 Cloves/lavang
• 2 ( 1 inch) Cinnamon/dalchini
• 10 Pepper corns
• 4-5 Cardamoms
• 1 tsp Cumin/jeera
• 2 tbsp Thick curd
• 2 tsp Ginger chopped
• 10 Garlic cloves

Cooking Directions

1. Wash and clean Fenugreek leaves and drain it well.
2. Roast cloves,cinnamon,Pepper corns,jeera,coriander and cardamom for 2-3 minutes till it changes to light brown colour and keep aside.
3. Grind roasted ingredients along with cashew nut,onion,poppy seed and green chillies,ginger and garlic using curd to smooth paste.
4. In a shallow pan or kadai, heat ghee and butter,over medium heat. Add jeera. When it crackles, add onion and haldi and saute till the onion changes to light brown colour. Add in methi leaves and saute for 5-6 minutes on high flame till all the water evaporates,now add peas and saute for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add in chilly powder,salt and ground masala paste and mix it well.
6. Add Tomato puree and 1 cup water to the above, cover with a lid and let it simmer for 10 mins.
7. Lastly add milk ,cream and kasoori methi and give it a nice mix.Cook again for 5-6 minutes on low flame till the gravy is semi dry ( you can add more milk if the gravy is too thick) and oil comes on top.
8. You can serve it with jeera./Ghee rice or rotis.

Cabbage kofta

As the raindrops keep falling, enjoy a plate of crispy koftas with a cup of tea.I love koftas in general. This makes a wonderful snack to munch,while it was pouring outside. Koftas are made with different vegetables, which are blended in a besan (gram flour) and other flours and deep-fried. You can use almost any vegetable when making these koftas. From cauliflower, eggplant, bell pepper, onion, potato,the choice is wide and varied. Paneer koftas and egg koftas can also tickle your taste bud. Of course, if you are calorie-conscious then koftas are not for you. But how about giving calorie thoughts a miss once in a while?

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 10-15 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 cups cabbage ,Grated
• 2tbsp Ginger garlic paste
• 2 Green chillies
• 1 1/2 cup Besan/ gram flour
• 1tsp Coriander powder
• 1tsp Chilly powder
• 3tbsp Fresh coriander,chopped
• 1/4 cup Corn flour
• 1/4 cup Rice flour
• Salt to taste
• A pinch of Baking soda
• Oil for deep frying

Cooking Directions

1. In a large bowl add grated cabbage and salt and mix it well.Keep aside for 10-15 minutes.
2. After 15 minutes add ginger garlic paste,Chopped green chillies,coriander powder,chilly powder and Coriander chopped.Blend all the ingredients with a spoon.
3. sieve togther, besan,rice flour,cornflour and soda and add this to cabbage mixture.
4. Mix all the ingredients to soft dough,enough to form balls for koftas.
5. Now take deep frying pan,heat 2 cups of oil.
6. In the meantime, start making koftas.
7. Take a small lump of cabbage mixture and make small lemon sized balls and keep aside.
8. Now drop 7-8 balls at time in hot oil and fry till crisp and golden,drain over a kitchen paper.
9. Serve hot with tomato sauce or vegetable salad/laccha.
10. Notes: You can add any vegetables of your choice and some grated cheese while making the koftas
11. you can prepare the koftas in advance and keep it refrigerated for some time before frying

Crispy Ghee Roast Dosa

Ghee roast dosa

Ghee Roast dosa

For every South Indian their day is incomplete without a plate of dosa, idli ,vada and sambar.Today i am here with crispy ghee roast Dosa a popular breakfast in south India and in the menu of restaurants it is a must. It is prepared by drizzling ghee and the dosa should be very crispy with a golden brown colour

Ingredients

• 4 cup Dosa rice or raw rice
• 1 cup Urad dal/ Split black gram
• 1/3 cup Moong dal/split Green gram or Tur dal
• 1/3 cup Chana dal
• 1/3 cup Masoor dal
• 1 cup Thick Beaten rice/Poha/avalakki
• 1tsp Methi/Fenugreek seeds
• Ghee for Roasting
• Salt to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Wash and soak moong dal,masoor dal, chana dal ,rice and methi for at least 4 hours in summer and 8-9 hours in winter in one big bowl, with enough water.
2. Soak urad dal separately in a bowl for 5-6 hours.
3. Wash and Soak Poha/beaten rice for 30 minutes.
4. Strain water from urad dal. Keep the water for grinding.
5. Start grinding by putting urad dal and a little water in my wet grinder. If the paste is getting dry and very thick, add water as required. I used about 4 -41/2 cups of water. Keep grinding until there is a good amount of froth. The paste should be very smooth and fluffy like whipped egg white or cream. You can use mixer grinder if you do not have a wet grinder.
6. Transfer the urad dal paste into a big vessel.
7. Now Strain water from rice and dal mixture. Use this water for grinding.
8. No need to wash the grinder. Add the rice and dal along with soaked poha into the grinder. While grinding rice and dals, first put 3/4 cup of water. Add water slowly on the stones and on the sides where you can see that a thick paste is forming. Otherwise the grinder will not grind properly and may stop to rotate. With the help of a spatula mix the mixture.
9. When the rice and dal is ground to a smooth and fluffy paste, the grinding process is complete.
10. Now mix this rice mixture to the Urad dal mixture and blend it well.The batter should be thick thick like pancake batter.Keep the batter overnight for fermentation
11. Fermentation will make the batter to raise.Transfer the batter into 2 or 3 boxes. Fill only half of them.
12. Next day morning add salt and give a nice beat till the bubble appears and salt dissolves completely.

1. Preheat the dosa tava or griddle or non-stick dosa tava , when it is hot ,sprinkle some water mixed with oil and just clean the tava with the help of the dosa spetula /flat spoon meant for lifting dosas,The water is sprinked to bring the temperature of tava little down, so that we can rotate the batter well. . Dosa will come in good golden brown colour and it will not stick to the tava.
2. Then put a spoonful of batter or ladleful batter in the middle of tava and spread it with the help of ladle as a medium circle size dosa with very thin base .After few seconds drizzle ghee around the dosa and let it cook for few min, till you can see on the dosa itself the golden brown colour.
3. Now after making the dosa , it is up to you , how you want to fold it or what shape you want to give. I have just rolled my dosas,the way it is served in many restaurants.
4. Repeat the same above process, every time you cook the dosa.
5. Serve hot with chutney,sambar and Potato baji.

Tips:

1. In cold countries, you can ferment and then refrigerate. But in hot places like India, when the batter is ground it is kept in fridge. When needed, the required quantity is taken and then fermented. For example, for next day breakfast, the required amount of batter can be taken and kept for fermentation overnight in the kitchen. When the batter is fermented in the morning, add required additional salt and then prepare idlis or dosa. In cold places, you can grind in the evening (say 4 pm) and keep it for fermentation near a heater until next day morning. The batter should be in a warm environment to get fermented properly. If the batter gets fermented in lesser time then no need to keep it for longer period.
2. Every time you put the dosa,try to sprinkle some water and clean it with flat spoon