Idli Sandwich

 Left over idlies make a very good evening snack if you use it wisely.My kids love fried idli. Which is shallow fried with ghee or butter.Today i thought of making something new with this left over  idlis and  thought of this  sandwich ..I just suffed it with potato tikki /cutlets and little sauce over it and jsut have it like that and it  was just superb.

Ingredients:-

Idli-10( cut into 2 slices)

Potato-2(boiled)

Peas-1/2 cup(boiled)

Ginger-Garlic paste-2tsp

Garam Masala powder-1tsp

Green chilly-2 chopped finely

Cumin-1tsp

Red chilly powder-1tsp

Corn flour

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves-1/2 cup( finely chopped)

Mint leaves-1tbsp( finely chopped)

Oil-2tbsp

Method:-

• Mash the boiled potato and peas and keep aside.
• Heat a kadai or pan,put 2tsp of oil.
• In that put cumin and let it splutter .
• Now add green chilly chopped and saute for a second
• Now add ginger-garlic paste,chilly powder,garam masala powder one by one and little salt to too.
• Now add potato-peas mixture and mix it well and switch off the gas.
• When the mixture cools down sprinkle some coriander leaves ,pudian (mint)and prepare small flat cutlets .Make about 10 cutlets.Now roll all the cutlets into cornflour and keep aside.
• Now heat a shallow frying pan and fry all the cutlets till crisp on both the sides.
• The same way start frying idli slices till crisp on both the sides.
• Now stuff the idlies with the cutlets put some sauce over the cutlet and close it with the idli slice.
• Serve hot

Black Pomfret Panna upkari...Konkani style

This is spicy  Manglorean konkani style pompret curry with out coconut.Usually we konkani's use coconut as a base of our fish curry but this is sort of sour and spicy curry.I just love this Panna upkari..some make it with red chilly powder but i make chilly paste which tastes simply superb especially with red boiled rice.

black pomfret panna upkari

Ingredients:-

Black pomfret-1/2kg ( cut into slices)

Red kashmiri chilly-12

Tamarind-1 lemon sized ball

Onion-4( finely chopped)

Coconut oil-2tbsp

Salt to taste.

Method:

• Roast Red chillies with little a tsp of coconut oil until it turns  to dark red on low flame.
• Now grind red chilly along with  1 onion and tamarind to fine paste using very little water about a cup and a half.
• Now heat a sauce pan and pour the remaining coconut oil and brown the onion .
• Now add the chilly paste and saute for 5 mins.
• Now add 2cups of water and salt to taste,let it boil.
• Now its time to add fish slices.
• Bring to boil for 10 mins on a low flame,let the fish cook in the gravy.
• Once the gravy becomes thick,switch off the gas.
• Serve hot with rice.

Note:-You can try this recipe with almost any type of fishes. this gravy tastes better the next day.

black pomfret in spicy gravy

Pomelon Surprise!!(pomegranate-musk melon )

Pomegranate-musk melon juice

Ingredients:-

Musk melon-2 cups(cubed)

Pomegranate seeds -2 cup 

Sugar-2tbsp

Ice cubes-10

Water-1 cup

Blend both together

Method:- 

• Blend musk melon and pomegranate with ice and sugar.
• Serve chilled with little pomegranate seeds.

Pomelon surprise

Eggless Banana - Walnut Cake

On the occasion of International Women's day i baked this cake for the second time.This time i baked this for  Two beautiful women in my life... my 2 daughters Prajnya and Prithvi.I am baking this cake for the 1st time and it really came out  well Both of them loved it so much that they started fighting for the last piece..
after a week again Kids requested me to bake a cake for them to take for their school picnic. Initially they let me decide on what I wanna bake but next day, they came back with the requested by their friends . They want the banana cake .So I went ahead to bake this beautiful banana walnut cake in micro which i have baked few days back ...I really gland that they still can remember how delicious this cake was even it had been a year and also after tasted so many of my baking :).
  

Ingredients:-
Maida-2 cups
Sugar-11/2 cup
Over ripe banana-2 medium
Walnut-1/2 ( chop roughly)
Raisins-1tbsp( soaked in rum)
Baking powder-2tsp
Baking soda-1 tsp
Butter-1cup(melted)
Milk-1/4cup(warm)
Curd-1cup(sour)
 Method:-

• Grease  10" Microwavable dish and keep aside.
• Now mix curd ,baking powder,baking soda and mashed banana in a blender and keep aside.
• Now combine sugar,melted butter and warm milk and blend it well till the sugar dissolves.
• Now mix the curd mixture and sugar mixture well.
• At last add  maida and gently fold it with a spatula.
• Now transfer the batter to a greased microwavable dish and sprinkle walnut and raisins.
• Now Microwave high  for 9 mins or untill done.
• Remove from the microwave and let it cool before de-moulding..

                   

Puran Poli/Ubbati/obbattu/Holigey

Today is a holi purnima the eve of holi ,holika dahan takes place.People put bonfire and celebrate the with lots of sweets so this puran poli is one of them.
This holika dahan symbolizes the victory of good over evil .today in every household you will see women preparing this Puran poli  through out  Maharashtra and North Karnataka region though the name may vary from region to region but the main stuffing is with chanadal and Jaggery or sugar to offer god.

        Every year i too prepare this on this auspicious day.My kids looking forward to this holi especially to eat this and to enjoy playing with colours with their friends.

     So you all enjoy this holi with lots of ghee and  puran poli......Happy holi to all my friends.

Ingredients for the dough:-

Maida(all purpose flour)-2 cups

Wheat flour-1/2 cup

Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp

Salt-1tsp

Coconut oil or veg oil-1/2 cup

Rice flour to roll the poli

Method:-

• Mix Maida ,wheat flour,turmeric powder and salt
• Now add enough water to knead a soft dough.
• Now add oil and knead again till it soaks all the oil.
• Keep it aside.

Ingredients for the stuffing:-

Chana dal(  Split chickpea)- 2cups

Sugar- 2cups

Cardamom-6-7( powdered)

Method:-

• Pressure cook chanadal  for 30 mins or untill 4 whistle by adding water an inch above the dal.
• Now open the lid and let the dal to cool down a bit.
• If there is any water then strain all the water.
• Now grind this in a mixer to smooth paste.
• Now heat a heavy bottom pan and put the paste and the sugar and start stirring all the time till sugar melts and the mixture thickens.
• Once the mixture becomes thick switch off the gas and add cardamom powder and let it cool completely.

Method of  preparing  Puran Poli:-

• Now take a lemon sized ball of the dough and make a ball and prepare  same with rest of the dough and  keep aside.
• Now take one small lump of the filling and prepare the same size balls as you prepared earlier with the dough.The same way prepare balls with all the Puran(stuffing)
• Now start stuffing the dough with the sweet balls or it is called Puran.Stuff the puran into dough and roll into flat disk using rice flour.
• Now heat a griddle and start frying on medium heat without oil as we have used oil while kneading.
• If you feel its sticking to the griddle then after frying 6-7 poli simply brush with a mixture of water and oil with a clean cloth piece to  just to clean the tava.
• Serve hot with fresh Ghee(clarified butter).

Tomato rice dosa(tomato paan polo)

Tomato Rice Dosa with Garlic and Ground nut Chutney

Neer dosa/paan polo(in konkani) is famous dosa of  Mangalore.This very thin delicate dosa compared to our other dosa.Coconut and rice is the main 2 ingredients in usual Paan pola but this paan pola is flavour of tomato.I got this recipe from one of my friend i really like the twist of this new tomato paan pola and i tried it and it was a hit.Everybody liked it.It goes well with any dry chutney like garlic chutney or Ground nut chutney which i normally prepare at home  and the good part is no need to ferment this dosa batter if you are in a hurry you can soak this in warm water for an hour and can prepare dosa too.

Ingredients:-

Raw rice-2 cups

Coconut-1/2 cup

Tomato-3

Red chillies-5-6

Salt to taste.

Method:-

• Soak rice for about 2hours 
• After 2hours grind rice along with coconut ,red chillies and tomato to a smooth paste.
• Now add enough water to make thin batter.Normally this dosa is thinner then our normal dosa so the batter should be watery .
• Now add salt to taste and start preparing dosa.
• Heat a griddle or dosa tava apply some oil and then put ladle full batter , immediately try to spread the batter it needs lot of patience.now cover it with a lid for about 10-15 seconds.This dosa should be soft.So while taking out just fold the dosa as shown in the picture.
• Serve hot with any of the dry or wet chutney.

Note: If you like crisp dosa's then you can prepare crisp dosa's too as i prepare it for my kids. Just fry until its nicely brown and crisp on one side and then take it out.

Tomato rice Dosa

Shahi Paneer!!

Ingredients:-

Paneer( cottage cheese)-1/2kg( cut into oblong pieces)

Capsicum-2 diced

Onion-4 chopped

Tomato-4 chopped

Coconut-1cup(grated)

Kashmiri Red chillies-12-15(Soaked in warm water)

Ginger-2 (1"piece)

Garlic-1 big pod

Cardamom-10

Cinnamon-4-5 pieces

Cloves-10

Saunf(fennel seeds)-1tsp

Cashew nut-10

Raisin-1tsp

Kasoori methi(dried fenugreek leaves)-2tsp

Orange Red color(optional)-a pinch

Butter-1tbsp

Ghee-1tbsp

Salt to taste

Sugar-1/2tsp(optional)

Method:

• Grind soaked red chillies, ginger, garlic,2 chopped onion, 
• cinnamon, cardamom,cloves,fennel and tomato to fine paste with out adding too much water.Now the 1st masala is ready
• Now grind coconut and 6 cashew nut(remaing 4 preserve for the main dish)to smooth paste adding 2cups of water .Now the 2nd masala is reday
• Now heat a sauce pan add ghee.In that add remaining 2 chopped onion and diced capsicum saute till the onion turns to light brown color.
• Now add the 1st masala paste and salt to taste, saute till the oil floats on top.
• Then add the 2nd masala along with butter,kasoori methi,4 cashew nut chopped, raisins and sugar( if you are using)
• If you are using orange red color add it now.
• Cook until gravy thickens( if it is too thick then add little milk) and oil floats on top.
• At last add paneer pieces (keep few for garnishing)cover  and boil for 5 mins.
• Garnish with paneer pieces and fresh coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with roti or jeera rice.

Shahi Paneer

Prawn Pakoda

Prawn pakoda

Ingredients:-

Marinated prawns

1. Tiger prawns-1/2kg
2. Coriander leaves-1/2 cup
3. Mint leaves-1/4 cup
4. Green chilly-6-7
5. Red chilly powder-1/2tsp
6. Lemon juice-1tsp
7. Turmeric powder-1/2tsp
8. Onion-1small
9. Cumin-1tsp
10. Ginger-1"piece
11. Garlic-6-7 cloves
12. Coriander seeds-1tsp
13. Ajwain-1/2tsp
14. Maida(all purpose flour)-1/2cup
15. Besan(chickpea flour)-1cup
16. Corn flour-1/2 cup

Method:- 

• Remove the shell and de-vein the prawns.
• Now grind  all the 11 ingredients  from  2-12 to fine paste.
• Now marinate the prawns with the paste for about 30 mins.
• Now add maida,cornflour and besan to marinated prawns and make a thick batter.No need to add water
• Now heat a oil in deep frying pan and start frying all the pakodas till crisp.
• Serve hot as an appetizer or evening snack or as a side dish.

Triveni Sangam (mixed veggies)

 Ingredients:-
Peas-1 cup
Spinach-1 cups(chopped finely)
Cauliflower florets -1 1/2 cup
Ginger garlic and green chilly paste-1tbsp
Turmeric powder
Red chilly-2(cut into small pieces)
Cumin-1tsp
Oil-2tsp
Salt to taste


Method:-

• Heat a sauce pan put some oil.
• Now add cumin let it crackle for some time, then add red chilly pieces and fry until it changes to dark red.
• Now put Ginger-gralic-green chilly paste and saute for some time until you get the nice aroma.
•  Add some turmeric powder fry till the masala blends well.
• Then add all the 3 vegetables and put some salt,cover it tightly with a lid and allow it to cook in its own juice.
• Keep checking in between .when done switch off the gas.
• Serve hot with Roti .

Fried Mutton Chops

Ingredients:-

1. Mutton chops-1/2 kg(12-14 pieces)
2. Lemon -1
3. Turmeric-1/2tsp
4. Garlic-1 big pod
5. Ginger-2 pieces (1inch)
6. Mint leaves-2 cups
7. Green chilly-5-6
8. Red chilly powder-1/2tsp
9. Coriander leaves-1tbsp(chopped)
10. Garam masala powder-1tsp
11. pepper-1/2tsp
12. Salt to taste

Method:-

• First marinate the chops with lemon and turmeric and keep aside.
• Now prepare 2nd marination.Grind the remaining ingredients to fine paste.
• Now marinate the mutton chops with the 2nd marination and leave it over night or at least 6 hours in the refrigerator. 
• Next day take it out from the fridge an hour before the preparation.
• Now heat a kadai add 1tbsp of oil then drop all the chops along with the masala and cook it on a high heat for about 10  mins.
• After 10 mins cover it with a lid and cook again 10 mins on a low flame or till it is almost cooked.
• Now trasfer this to tava and start shallow frying till it is dark green color on a medium heat.
• Serve hot with your main course or have it as an appetizer .

Ghee rice, chilly Chicken,mutton Kolhapuri with Mutton chops

                                    

Plantain Flower (Bondi) Upkari...A GSB konkani cuisine

plantain flower

 Ingredients:-

Plantain flower-1(chopped finely)

Mustard seeds-1tsp

Red chillies-3-4(cut into small pieces)

Jaggery -2tsp

Coconut-1tbsp(grated)

Coconut oil or vegetable oil for seasoning

Method:-

• First remove the 2 layers of the flower and then chop it finely.
• Apply 1/2tsp of salt and keep aside.
• Now heat a kadai or pan put 1tbsp of coconut or any other veg oil let it heat for a while .
• Now add mustard let it crackle then add red chilly pieces and fry till its changes color.
• Now add chopped plantain flower,jaggery and check for salt
• then stir it well.Cover it with a lid and let it cook on its own juice.
• Check in between once it is almost dry add grated coconut and switch off the gas.
• Serve hot with rice and dal.

plantain flower upkari 

Achari salad(Sprout Salad With Pickle dressing)

Ingredients:-
Horsegram sprouted-1 cup
Beetroot grated-1/2 cup
Onion sliced-2
Cucumber finely chopped-1/2 cup
Raw mango finely chopped-2tbsp
Salad oil or pickle oil for dressing
Salt to taste 


Method:-

• 1st collect some oil which floats on your mango pickle 
• Now mix all the ingredients and toss it well 
• Add some pickle oil or any salad dressing oil and toss again
• Serve immediately 

Note:- if you don't have Pickle oil then use mango pickle 2tsp.

sprout salad

Pickle oil

Beet & Potato Cutlets

This is typical manglorean style cutlets because of there they use rava/semolina for coating,Whereas in other cities you get breadcrumbs coated one  but rava makes this cutlet unique from others .Actually I was very fond of these cutlets,when i was a kid.So whenever i make this,it brings back so many memories!

Beet and potato cutlets

Ingredients:-

Potato-5-6 (boiled and peeled)

Beet root-1(boiled)

Green peas- 1/4 cup(boiled)

Ginger-1inch piece( chopped finely)

Garlic-6-7 cloves(chopped finely)

Garam masala-2tsp

Green chilly-4-5 (chopped finely)

Red chilly powder-1tsp

Cashew nut-6-7 (chopped)

Cumin seeds-1tsp

Fresh coriander leaves-1 cup(chopped)

Salt to taste

Rava( wheat semolina) -1cup

Method:-

cutlet mixture

• Mash potatoes,chop boiled beetroot finely and keep aside.
• Heat a pan add 1tbsp of oil,then add some cumin seeds wait till it crackles.Now add chopped cashew nut  and fry till it changes to light brown.
• Add chopped ginger,garlic and green chillies and saute for a while,add chilly powder,garam masala powder and salt,mix it well.
• Then add mashed potato, chopped  beetroot  and boiled green peas( you can use dry or fresh.If you are using dry peas,then soak them overnight and pressure cook) and mix it well with the masala.
• Finally add coriander leaves and switch off the gas.
• Let it cool completely before making the cutlets.
• Refrigerate the filling for sometime to get that perfect shape as it is easy to handle.

 For making cutlets:

beet-potato cutlets

• Take a big lump of this mixture and make flat heart shaped cutlets.
• Now roll all the prepared cutlets into the rava and coat it well,press it nicely with your palms
• Now heat oil in a pan and start shallow frying on both the sides on medium flame till brown and crispy.
• Serve hot with tomato sauce.

beet potato cutlets

Apple n carrot shake!!

My kids are busy with their exams so when they return home in the noon i feel like giving them something cold to beat the heat  and at the same time it should be healthy too.They love milk shakes so usually i give them chocolate or vanilla milk shakes .But today i prepared something new with apple and carrots which i never tried  before ,when i gave them this they just  loved it and asked me to prepare this again tomorrow .. This is real yum  and healthy way to beat the heat......

                             

                      

Ingredients:-

Apple - 1(cut into small pieces)

apple cubes

Grated carrots

Carrot-1 big(grated)
Sugar-2tbsp
Milk-1 cup
Ice cubes-10
Water-2 cups









Method:-

• Blend all the ingredients in a blender .
• Now pour into 2 large sized glasses and serve .

trotter soup(mutton paya)

My husband is very fond of mutton legs( paya).He always used to tell me about this but i was not very sure about the taste.But when our daughter broke her arm in an accident his friends advised him to give this trotter soup which is  an effective remedy it helps the bones to heal faster. The next day he went and brought the soup but it was horrible in taste and smell was unbearable so we decided to prepare at home.We searched the net and at last we got this recipe and we tried the recipe but as always i modified little here  and there  and  it was really yum ...simply superb.....we all loved it.

Ingredients:-

Mutton legs-5-6 (5 inch pieces)

Onion-7-8(sliced )

Cinnamon- 3(1inch piece)

Clove-5-6

Pepper corns -20

Ginger- 2( 1inch piece)

Garlic-2 pods

Tomato-2(chopped)

Bay leaf-2

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:-

• Clean the pieces thoroughly .
• Fry onion slices in ghee or in oil till golden brown.
• Once you are done with the onion, pressure cook the leg pieces along with all the ingredients in 4 litres of water and don't forget to add the fried onions as it gives rice colour and  flavour to the soup.
• Take 5-6 whistle.Switch off the gas.
• Now strain the soup after removing all the pieces.
• Bring it to boil and serve.
• It tastes better if you consume it next day or after 5-6 hours gap.
• Garnish with coriander leaves just before serving.

tip: You can store this for a month in deep freezer and use when required.You can also use this soup for your stews and curries to enhance the flavour.

                                              

Batata vada

Batata(potato) vada is a famous indian snack loved by all.It is a street food  through out india. But the name and taste varies from region to region. For example in mangalore we call it batata ambado .Today i am here with north indian sthle batata vada which is normally served with katta meeta chutney.

Ingredients for the potato mixture :-

1. Potato-4 medium sized( boiled and peeled)
2. Ginger-1 inch piece(finely chopped)
3. Garlic-8-10 cloves(finely chopped)
4. Green chilly-6-7(finely chopped)
5. Coriander leaves-1/2 cup(finely chopped)
6. Salt to taste.

Ingredients for the batter:-

Besan(chick pea flour)-2 cups

Turmeric powder-a pinch

Baking soda-1/4tsp

Cumin-1tsp

Salt to taste

Method:-

• Mash the potatoes and then add all the ingredients from 2-6.
• Now make 15-17 lemon sized balls and keep aside.
• To prepare the batter mix all the ingredients and add some water to make stiff batter.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan and start frying vadas.
• Dip the potato balls in the besan batter and deep fry in oil.
• If you want your vadas crisp like how you get in hotels or in streets or in dabas...try this simple method 1st fry the vadas for few seconds and once the outer batter is cooked take it out and fry the remaining vadas then re-fry the 1st vadas which we have already fried till golden brown and crisp.

Besan batter

   

boiled and peeled potatoes

potato balls

serve hot with katta meeta chutney or any tomato sauce.

Tip: Add 1 tbsp of Rice flour to make it more crispy