Mane Adige

Mosaranna/Curd Rice

2011-01-10T08:12:00.001-06:00

No South Indian meal is complete without some curd rice at the end. In its simplest form, it is just some rice mixed with a little yogurt and served with some pickle. However, let your imagination flow…. Add whatever you think would taste good – fresh fruits, dry fruits, nuts… anything! Here is how I usually make it.

Ingredients:

1 cup White rice – I like mine to be mushy and well cooked

1 cup Yogurt/Curds

¼ cup Red onions, finely chopped

¼ cup Cucumber, finely chopped

½ cup chopped fresh grapes + pomegranate

3-4 strands Cilantro, finely chopped

Salt as per taste

For Tempering:

2 tsp Oil

1 tsp Mustard

3-4 Curry leaves

1 tsp Chana dal

1 tsp Urad dal

2-3 nos Chilies , Dry red or Green ones- chopped into pieces

1 tsp Ghee

1-2 tbsp raisins + cashews

Method:

Mix all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl; Add water to get the desired consistency; adjust ingredients according to taste.
Heat ghee in a pan and roast raisins and cashews for a minute or until they turn lightly golden in color; add to the curd rice mixture and mix well.
Temper with the mustard, chana dal, ural dal, curry leaves and chilies; Serve chilled towards the end of the meal

Prep Time: About 15-20 mins;

Serves: About 2-3 people;

Heerekai Dose/ Dosas with Chinese Okra

2011-01-07T03:08:00.001-06:00

New Year Wishes to all Mane Adige readers!!! I hope the new year brings along a lot of joy, happiness and prosperity to everyone....

Okay, so today's recipe is a little unconventional and yet very traditional! This, out of the box dosa recipe is a Mangalorean speciality dish.....Like I've always said, give us Mangaloreans any vegetable and we'll make a dosa out of it! :) Though this dish is called dosa, it is more of shallow fried pakoras. Decide for yourself what you want to call them, after having gone through the recipe!

Ingredients:

Batter ingredients same as Uppu Huli Dosa

1 Chinese okra, heerekai

2-3 tsp Oil

Method:

Make batter as explained in the method for Uppu Huli Dosa; Only difference being that, the batter should be a little thicker (like that of regular besan batter for pakoras) and not as watery as Uppu Huli Dosa. Keep aside.
Roughly peel the chinese okra to remove the sharp and prickly skin; Chop them into circular rings.
Heat a pan and smear a few drops of oil on it; Dip the chinese okra rings in the dosa batter and arrange them on the tava adjacent to each other, in the shape of a dosa.
Pour a few drops of oil on it and cook covered on both sides on low-medium heat.
Remove from stove and relish hot with a blob of ghee/butter.

Note:

While arranging the chinese okra on the pan, make sure that the pieces touch each other, so that they stick as they get cooked.
After arranging the Chinese okra pieces on the pan, you could pour some batter to fill the gaps in between the pieces; This way, it would look more like traditional dosas :)

Prep Time: About 15-20 mins(excluding soaking time);

Makes: About 3-4 medium sized dosas;

Drakshi Saasive/Fresh Grapes in Coconut & Mustard Sauce

2010-12-28T03:59:00.001-06:00

So, I got this pack of fresh green grapes from the store over the weekend. I was actually picking up some grapes after over a year.... While Aadi was an infant, his ped had asked us to keep him away from grapes for a little while so he wouldn't catch any cold and cough. And now that he's a year old, I thought it would be a good idea to introduce them to him. But to my disappointment, the grapes were so sour that they weren't good for even juices :(

My mother in law is great with innovative recipes and using up left overs. So I picked up the phone and called her up to see if she could suggest something with the sour grapes that I had in hand. She suggested I make Saasive- an instant Mangalorean dish that needs no cooking on the stove top and takes very few ingredients. With just red chilies and mustard as spices, it was amazing how flavorful the dish had turned out! Definitely worth a try and its just right for when you need a change from the usual .

Ingredients:

1 cup Fresh grapes (I used the green ones, you could use the black variety as well)

1/2 cup Grated coconut, fresh/frozen

3-4 Dry red chilies, low-medium spiced

1/4 tsp Tamarind paste (optional)

1/2 tsp Jaggery (optional)

1.5 tsp Mustard

2 tsp Oil

1 strand Curry leaves

A pinch of Hing

Salt as per taste

Method:

Wash and slit each grape in the center and keep aside.
Grind coconut, red chilies , tamarind, jaggery and salt to a smooth paste with some water; Towards the end, add half a tsp of mustard and pulse a couple of times.
Add the ground masala paste to the grapes and mix well; Add water to get the desired consistency; Adjust ingredients according to taste.
Temper with mustard, hing and curry leaves; Serve immediately with hot steamed rice and relish!

Tip:

While grinding mustard with the other masalas, keep in mind that adding too much mustard will make your dish bitter; So add just a little of it towards the end.
If your grapes are really sour, you might wanna do away with tamarind altogether, like I did with mine this time; Or if your grapes are sweet, you might wanna let go of jaggery!

Variation: Instead of grapes, you could also use cucumbers,pineapple or mangoes.

Prep Time: About 10-15 mins;

Serves: About 2-3 people;

Rasam Powder/ Saarina Pudi/Menasina Pudi

2010-12-03T03:35:00.001-06:00

Rasam powder, THE KING of all masalas, is the most essential ingredient in any South Indian pantry. This basic South Indian masala is used in several other dishes like Avarekai Sambhar (grind 2-3 tsp of rasam powder with coconut and use as an alternate masala), Avalakki upkari, Tomato Gojju, Puliyogare Gojju (Recipe coming soon!), Punarpuli Rasam, Tomato Puree Rasam, Bolu Huli, Bitter Gourd Sabzi, Gojjavalakki and several other dishes. So, if you have the rasam powder in stock, you could get your meal ready in just a few minutes!

Ingredients:

1 cup Jeera

1 cup methi seeds/fenugreek

1 cup Black pepper

1 cup Mustard

8 cups Coriander seeds

6-8 cups Dry red chilies, adjust quantity according to taste

3 cup Curry leaves

Method:

Dry roast each of the ingredients separately until you smell the fresh aroma of the spice and the color changes lightly;Keep aside and let cool.
Powder the roasted spices in a blender; DO NOT add any water while powdering.
Store in airtight containers; To make rasam, follow Tomato Puree Rasam.

Tip:

While measuring red chilies, chop them into tiny pieces; This way, its a lot easier to stuff into cups and measure them.
While powdering, you might want to powder coriander seeds and dry red chilies separately 'cause, coriander seeds and red chilies take longer to grind.
Rasam powder has a shelf life of about 6 months, so feel free to make enough and store in air tight containers.
You might want to store this masala in the refrigerator to retain its freshness and aroma.

Prep Time: About 30-40 mins;

Makes: Enough to fill a 500ml bottle;

Food Blogger's Meet @ OKO, The LaLit Ashok, Bangalore

2010-11-28T08:35:00.001-06:00

On the occasion of the second anniversary of The LaLit Ashok, a food blogger's meet had been organized at OKO - The rooftop Pan Asian restaurant @The LaLit Ashok, Bangalore. As most of us would be, I was initially a bit nervous about meeting a bunch of friends whom I was seeing for the first time. As it turned out, I was anxious for nothing! We all got along so well and it felt like we've known each other for a long while :) We talked about almost everything - Food, movies, television, our addiction to blogging and lots more. Here is a picture of all of us

From L-R Suma of Cakes and More!!!, Shubhada of Shubhada's123 Blog, Madhuri of Cook-curry Nook, Yours truly!! and Geetha of The Fragrant Kitchen

With most of us bloggers being vegetarians, I was quite curious as to how the chef would bring us some variety in the menu. We were served a sumptuous vegetarian four course meal with a choice of 3 starters, a soup, a salad, 2 choices for the mains and the dessert. The Chef did an excellent job with the starters. I picked Char Grilled Okra in Teriyaki Sauce and Tofu in Vietnamese Spices.And I remember sampling some Sushi as well... The marinated tofu was flavorful and had just the right amount of spices. But the grilled okra in the slightly sweet and tangy teriyaki sauce was my personal favorite!

The Thai Style coconut milk soup, Tom Kha Phak, was creamy, though not very thick, and had a fresh mild flavor of Thai spices. The Yasai Salad with mayo dressing was good, but nothing exceptional that was worth mentioning. We were served Wok Tossed Noodles with Vegetables and Fried Rice for the main course, which were good. For desserts, we were served Sweet Azuki Bean Jelly and Five Spice Chocolate Pudding. The bean jelly failed to impress all that much....I thought it was sticky and a little too plain for me to carry back its taste. But the chocolate pudding was rich and delicious.

Pan Asian cuisine includes all the cuisines of Asia, and taste testing the fusion of all these flavors was a wonderful and interesting experience! Missed taking pictures of the dishes 'coz I forgot to take my camera along... my bad :(

If I had to rate various parameters at the OKO on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the highest, it would be:

Ambience- 4.5

Menu- 3.5 (Would have appreciated some more vegetarian options for the main course)

Taste- 4

Service - 4

Excellent ambience, good food and great company made it a memorable evening on the 20th of Nov 2010. Thanks to The LaLit Group for having us over. And thanks Tinky, of Perfect Relations, for bringing us all together! Oh, and did I mention the view?!? View of Bangalore City from the OKO is breathtaking!! Here are some pictures of the OKO. Would definitely visit again for the food, view and also the ambience!

Moode/Mude ("Kedige" Flavored Idlis)

2010-10-21T04:58:00.001-05:00

This ones a very traditional Mangalorean recipe! Idli batter is filled into moulds made of a certain variety of leaf, known as Kedige in Kannada (English: Screw Pine. Read more here). These leafy moulds add a distinct flavor and aroma to the idlis that makes them really unique and delicious! Moode is made on special occasions like festivals and weddings. These kedige leaf moulds, more popularly known as "moode ele" are available in most vegetable markets during festive season. For those of you that have never seen moode ele, here's how the moulds look

Here is how to make it...

Ingredients:

1 cup urad dal (Soaked in water for about 4-6 hours)

2 cups idli rava / White rice (Soak white rice in water for 4-6 hours)

Salt as per taste

Method:

Grind the soaked urad dal to a smooth dal until it froths up and increases in quantity.
Wash the idli rava and drain out all the water; Add rava to the urad batter and grind further until it blends well with the batter (About 3-5 minutes). If you are using soaked white rice, drain out all the water and add to urad batter; Grind until it blends well and forms a smooth paste.
Transfer into a large mixing bowl and let ferment overnight or for 8-10 hours; Add salt and mix well.
Pour into moode ele (kedige moulds) and steam cook for about 20-25 minutes; Moode is done when no grains stick to the fork when pierced.
Remove from stove and serve hot with coconut chutney, sambhar, gashi or any other side dish of your choice.

Note:

If you are grinding urad dal using the blender, it generally takes about 10-15 minutes for the batter to froth up; Make sure you stop every 5-7 mins and mix with a spatula. In case of a grinder, it takes about 25-30 minutes.
While storing the batter for fermenting, make sure the bowl is large enough to accommodate the rise in batter quantity.
While pouring the batter into moode ele, fill it only up to three fourths.... Moode will rise further while it cooks.
I use a pressure cooker (without weight) to steam idlis and moode. You could also use idli cookers that are available in the market. In either case, add enough water at the bottom to withstand 20 minutes of steaming.
It is important to ensure that moode ele stays upright while it cooks. You wouldn't want the moode to fall off and let the water from the bottom of the cooker get in. So, I place each moode separately inside long steel tumblers.
To remove the moode from the mould, slowly pull out the tiny sticks that hold the mould together; The mould will fall apart automatically.

Avalakki Oggarane/ Avalakki Uppittu (Seasoned Poha)

2010-10-12T02:12:00.001-05:00

Here is one of the simplest and quickest breakfast dish that I have come across. This one gets done in less than 15minutes! It tastes great with a hot cuppa and hence makes for a wonderful tea time snack.

Ingredients:

1 cup Thick Poha/Flat Rice

1/2 cup finely chopped Onions

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1/2 tsp Turmeric/Haldi (optional)

1 strand Curry leaves

1 tbsp Chana+Urad Dal mixture

1 tsp Peanuts/Cashews (optional)

1 Green Chili, chopped finely

1/2 tsp Sugar

1 tsp Lime juice

1tbsp grated coconut, fresh/frozen

1 tbsp finely chopped Cilantro (optional)

Salt as per taste

Method:

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan; Temper with mustard seeds, green chili, curry leaves, dal mixture and peanuts.
Add finely chopped onions and fry until they turn lightly brown in color; Saute regularly.
Meanwhile, wash and soak thick poha in water for about 3-4 minutes; Drain out all the water and keep aside.
Once the onions are done, add poha, salt, sugar, grated coconut and mix well; Cook for about a minute or two.
Switch off the stove; Add lemon juice and mix well.
Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot.

Prep Time: About 15-20 mins;

Serves: 1-2 people;

Tip:

Vary the soaking time for poha depending on how soft you want it. Longer you soak, the softer it becomes.
Use cooked rice instead of poha, and it becomes "Chitranna", a mixed rice variety that makes for a sumptuous one pot meal!!

Chigali/ Powdered Til Sweetened with Jaggery

2010-09-28T04:12:00.001-05:00

Hope all is well with you folks! Things have gotten so busy at my end these days, that blogging has really taken a back seat.... And every time I open my laptop, I end up losing a couple of keys from my keyboard, to my son. So, getting to blog and blog hop is almost impossible these days. Those of you that have a naughty toddler would completely understand what I'm saying :) I spend very little time in the kitchen these days and make dishes that get done in a jiffy with very little prior preparation. Here's one such traditional dish that takes very little time and very few ingredients. But this is a bit of an acquired taste and you may not like it the very first time. Chigali is usually made for festivals and pujas like Krishna Janmashtami and Suhasini Puja.

Ingredients:

1 cup Ellu/Til, black preferably, but white would also work.

3/4 cup Powdered Jaggery

1/2 tsp Powdered Elaichi (optional)

Method:

In a heavy bottomed pan, dry roast til until it turns lightly brown and you smell its fresh aroma.
In a blender, coarsely powder the roasted til ; DO NOT add any water while powdering.
Empty the til into a mixing bowl; Add powdered jaggery, elaichi and mix well.
Take a spoon full and mould into laddus with your palm; Repeat for remaining mixture as well.
Store in an airtight container and relish with tea/coffee or as is.

Prep Time: About 15-20 mins;

Makes: About 6-8 laddus;

Mysore Masale/ Mysore Masala Dosa

2010-06-27T05:19:00.001-05:00

Well, this one needs no introduction! Mysore masale, as most of you would know, is one of the most famous dishes of Karnataka. This dish is so liked by people all over India, that each place has its own variations and versions. "Red Chutney" is the one thing that makes Mysore Masale different from ordinary masala dosas. Red chutney adds a beautiful flavor and spice and makes this dosa indeed delicious. I believe that my mom makes the best Mysore Masale in town ;), and what's more, she is a Mysorean herself!!! :) Here's the recipe....

Ingredients:

For Dosa Batter

Follow Paper Plain Dosa recipe for batter ingredients and procedure

Masale (palya)

2 medium sized Potatoes - Pressure cooked, peeled and mashed coarsely.

3 medium sized Onions - Chopped into thin strips

1/2 to 3/4 tsp Haldi/Turmeric powder

1 tsp Lime juice (optional)

1/2 tsp Sugar (optional)

1" Ginger, finely chopped (optional)

3-4 strands Cilantro, finely chopped

3-4 Green chilies, medium spiced - coarsely chopped

5-6 Curry leaves

1 tbsp Oil

1 tsp Mustard seeds

2 tsp Chana/Urad dal mixture

Salt as per taste

Red Chutney

2 tsp Chana Dal

2 tsp Urad dal

5-6 Dry Red Chilies, low spiced

1/2 cup Grated coconut, fresh/frozen

Method:

Masale:

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan; Temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves, dal mixture, haldi, ginger and green chilies.
Add sliced onions and fry until done;Note:Adding half a tsp sugar gets the onions roasted faster.
Add mashed potatoes, salt and mix well; Remove from stove.
Add lime juice, cilantro and mix well; Keep aside.

Red Chutney:

Dry roast chana dal, urad dal and red chilies until you smell the fresh aroma of spices.
Grind with coconut and some water to a smooth paste; Keep aside.

Mysore masale:

Make dosa as explained here - Paper Plain Dosa .
When the dosa is almost done, smear a spoonful of red chutney on the inside of the dosa.
Spread a ladle full of masale on one side of the dosa; Fold the dosa so that the masala and chutney are on the inside.
Remove from stove and serve immediately with some Coconut chutney and/or sambhar

Makes: Enough masale and chutney for 3-5 dosas;

Prep Time: About 30-40 mins;

Ottu Shavige/ Semige/ Home made Rice Noodles

2010-02-24T03:13:00.001-06:00

So, its been over a month since my last post on Mane Adige. My little boy was sick for a couple of weeks last month and I've been busy with his ped checkups and tests. Haven't really been able to collect too many recipes this month, but here's a traditional one from my drafts. This delicious recipe is easier told than actually made! But Shavige is definitely worth all the effort you put in. Shavige is made in many different methods. Here's the easiest and the one that my mother in law follows.

Ingredients:

3 cups Boiled Rice (uncooked)

1 cup White Rice (uncooked)

Salt as per taste (optional)

Method:

Soak boiled rice and white rice in enough water for about 4-5 hours.
Grind the soaked rice to a smooth paste; Use as little water as possible.
Pour the ground paste into a heavy bottomed pan and cook on medium flame.
Saute regularly and cook until all the water evaporates and the mixture forms a single dumpling.
Separate into smaller tangerine sized dumplings and steam cook for about 15 minutes; I use a pressure cooker (without weight) to serve the purpose. The dumplings are cooked when a knife pierced into it comes out clean without any crumbs sticking onto it. Note: Make sure the dumplings are cooked well. Shavige would stick to each other and come out as a lump, if it isn't well cooked.
Press into thin noodles using the chakli or Shavige press.
Cool and relish with sambhar, pickle, Gasagase Payasa or any other side dish of your choice.
OR make the Chitranna masala and mix to make shavige chitranna.

Note: Use the "bille" (the circular, detachable bottom portion of the press containing perforations, through which the dough oozes out) with multiple tiny perforations for making shavige.

Jhunka

2010-01-20T00:04:00.001-06:00

A North Karnataka recipe for you guys this time!! My aunt lives in Haveri. The cook at her home had earlier worked at a north Karnataka speciality restaurant, I suppose. So, my aunt's family gets to savour some of the traditional north Karnataka dishes, and I get to collect recipes from her cook and try them out in my kitchen :)

When I got hold of this recipe from her, I wasn't too impressed initially..... "Kadle hittu palya na?? thooo...." I thought! But I was so wrong. It tasted so different and refreshing! It was very different from the usual South Indian style palya's, but I relished it thoroughly! If you are the kind that prefers dry sabjis, this one is definitely worth a try. Here is how to make it....

Ingredients:

1 cup Besan/Kadle Hittu/Chickpea flour

1 Onion, medium sized

1-2 tbsp Water

1 tsp Chili powder

1/2 tsp Haldi/Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Jeera powder

1/2 tsp Sugar (optional)

1 tsp Lime juice

1 tbsp Cooking Oil

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1 strand Curry leaves

2-3 strands Cilantro, finely chopped

1 tbsp Grated Coconut (optional)

Salt as per taste

Method:

Peel and finely chop the onion; Keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan; Temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves.
Add the chopped onions and fry until they turn lightly brown; saute regularly.
Add haldi, chili powder, Jeera powder, salt, sugar and mix well; Cook for a minute.
Add besan to it and roast until you smell the fresh aroma of roasted besan (about 1 min).
Add water little by little until the mixture forms a single dumpling ; Saute continuously to make sure no lumps are formed;Cook covered for about a minute or two - saute regularly.
Remove from stove; Add grated coconut, chopped cilantro, lime juice and mix well.
Serve hot with rotis/chapatis and relish!

Prep Time: About 15-20 minutes;

Serves: 2 people;

Ellu Bella

2010-01-13T08:07:00.001-06:00

Sankranti wishes to all Mane Adige readers!! Sankranti, as you all know, is the festival of harvest.In Bangalore-Mysore regions of Karnataka, this festival is celebrated by exchanging "Ellu-Bella" with family and friends. Young girls get dressed and go house hopping for Ellu-Bella, sugar cane and other goodies. For more information on the festival, check out Wiki . Will head straight to the recipe now...

Ingredients:

1 cup Copra/Kobri/Dry coconut, with its skin peeled and chopped into very fine and uniform pieces

1 cup Hurigadale/Chana Dhalia/ Putaani

1 cup Peanuts, dry roasted and skin peeled off

1 Cup Finely and uniformly chopped Jaggery

Quarter to half cup Sesame seeds/Til/Ellu (White Til)

Method:

Dry roast the sesame seeds until they turn golden brown in color; Keep aside.
Halve the roasted peanuts and keep aside; Note: Make sure not to burn the peanuts while roasting them; Ellu bella looks good when the peanuts are lightly golden in color. Peeling off the skin is a lot easier after roasting the peanuts.
Mix all the ingredients together; Store in air tight containers and relish.

Antinunde/Karadantu / Laddu with Edible Gum

2009-11-27T11:02:00.001-06:00

Hey folks! Hope alls well with you all... The update from my end is that, Naveen and I were blessed with a baby boy on the 13th of Oct 2009! Things have been hectic at my end ever since... Each day has been a different learning experience. Despite all the sleepless nights and Aadi's seemingly never ending crying sessions, motherhood has been a wonderful experience. It is such a pleasure to watch them grow, I tell ya! :)

Thanks to Amma and Ajji's 'Baananthana( in simple words, postpartum care and attention given to the new mom), I am learning quite a few unique dishes out here. One such dish is "Antinunde". Edible gum, that is used in making this laddu is high in medicinal value. A lot of dry fruits also go into these laddus making them rich and nutritious. "One Antinunde a day strengthens your spine", my Ajji says. This laddu is more commonly known as Karadantu( or Karidantu) in the northern parts of Karnataka. If I am not wrong, this laddu is also known by the name "Ding Laddu" in Mangalore-Udupi regions of Karnataka.

Ingredients:

1 cup Edible gum, finely chopped

1 cup Almonds/Badami, finely chopped

1 cup Dry Dates/Uttutte, finely chopped

1 cup Raisins

1 cup Desiccated Coconut/Copra/Kobbari grated

1.5 cups Jaggery

1-1.5 tbsp Khus khus/ Gasagase (optional)

2 tbsp Ghee/Clarified butter for roasting

Ghee for deep frying

Method:

Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan for deep frying.
Drop the chopped edible gum pieces into hot ghee and fry until they puff up; Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.
Dry roast khus khus and keep aside;
Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a pan and roast the chopped almonds until they turn lightly golden brown; Keep aside.
Dry roast the desiccated coconut and keep aside;
Mix all the dry fruits, desiccated coconut, fried edible gum and khus khus in a large mixing bowl and keep aside.
Heat jaggery in a heavy bottomed pan and add just enough water to cover the jaggery; Boil until jaggery dissolves and forms a syrup with thread like consistency. Note: To test if the syrup is ready, pour a drop into a bowl of cool water. If the solution forms a tiny lump and does not dissolve in water, the syrup is ready.
Pour the syrup into the above mixture little by little and mix well.
Grease you palm with a drop of ghee; Take some of the mixture in your palm and make laddus of desired size; Repeat for remaining mixture as well.
Let cool and store in air tight containers.

Prep Time: About 50-60 mins;

Makes: About 25-30 laddus;

Annada Kesari Bhaat / Sweet Saffron Rice

2009-09-07T05:15:00.001-05:00

Hey folks! All well at your end, I hope.... Things have been good at my end,apart from the cough and cold that everyone in our house is falling prey to. The weather out here in Bengaluru has been pretty gloomy and rainy. Probably that's the reason why everyone around seems to be falling sick so often.

My Ajji- Taata are here with us since a couple of weeks and I am getting to learn a whole lot of traditional dishes from my Ajji! One such dish that I learned from her was "Annada Kesari Bhaat". This dish happens to be one of my favorites, and I love it even more after having learned how easy it is to make :) Have a surprise guest at home? You could put this together in just 10-15 mins!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Cooked white rice ( I like mine to be mushy and well cooked)

1 cup Sugar (Adjust quantity according to taste)

1/4 cup Ghee/Clarified butter

8-10 Saffron strands

1-2 tsp Warm Milk

1 tbsp Raisin-Cashew mixture

1-2 drops Food color (optional)

Method:

Soak saffron strands in warm milk and keep aside.
Heat a pan on medium flame and add 1/4 cup of water to it.
Add all the sugar and stir until it dissolves completely and forms a thread like consistency; Note:Add just enough water to dissolve all the sugar.
Add half the quantity of ghee to the pan and stir until it dissolves.
Add the cooked and mashed rice, food color and remaining ghee; Pour the milk with saffron strands over it and mix thoroughly.
Roast the cashews and raisins in 1 tsp of ghee and add to the Kesari Bhaat; Serve hot and relish!

Nimbekai Uppinakai/Lemon Pickle

2009-08-25T06:33:00.001-05:00

Hey folks, I'm back! I have been off blogging for over a month now, haven't I ??!?! Time flies here in India... really!! :) August has been a busy month for Naveen and me. We landed in Bengalooru on the 24th of July... The first few days went by in deciding on my doctor and hospital, getting the Internet connection up and running, getting a SIM card for each of us and other such immediate necessities. I have decided to go ahead with Columbia Asia, Hebbal for my delivery.... Any suggestions/experiences/opinions regarding Columbia Asia, Hebbal are more than welcome! :)

After the major task of choosing my doctor and hospital, I was at my in-laws place for a couple of weeks at Mangalooru. Rainy season that it is in India right now, it was pouring cats and dogs in the coastal city of Mangalooru (or Mangalore, as it was known till recently).... Not that it helped in cooling down the weather in any way!!! Despite the heavy rains and the high temperatures, I managed to have a wonderful time out there... hogged on all the traditional south canara dishes, stalled the famous "Pabbas" ice cream parlor almost daily, met up with all our good friends! My in-laws had also arranged for a traditional and elaborate "Seemantha" ceremony for me. Got done with all that and returned to Amma's place in Bangalore last week. And now that even Naveen is back to work in Mangalore, I seem to have a lot of free time in hand. I am also enjoying all the pampering while it lasts :)

Both, my Ajji (Mom's mom) and amma, make amazing pickles. This traditional recipe for lemon pickle is theirs too. Glad that I was with amma when she was making it last time.... I got a chance to take a few pictures and learn the procedure. Though very easy to make, I must warn you before hand that this one is a very time consuming procedure and it takes a lot of patience . But once you get to taste this pickle, you will never like any of the store bought ones. So, all you folks who love home made pickles and have the patience to wait, should definitely try this one!!

Ingredients:

10-12 Fresh lemons, medium sized

15-20 Dry Red Chilies, low to medium spiced

2 tsp Methi seeds

1 tsp Hing

Salt as per taste and requirement

Method:

Wash and chop each lemon into 8 pieces and keep aside.
In the jar that you will be using to store the pickle, drop 8-10 pieces of chopped lemon; Sprinkle a generous amount of salt all over; Continue the process for the remaining pieces as well; Close the lid of the jar tightly and keep aside for 4-5 days. Note: Make sure you pick a jar/bottle with a lid that closes tightly.
Open the lid of the jar and mix thoroughly with a steel spoon; You will see that the lemons would have given out enough water because of the salt.
Close the lid of the jar tightly and keep aside for another 20 days; Remember to mix thoroughly, once in every two days.
Dry roast red chilies, methi seeds and hing until you smell the fresh aroma of the masalas. Powder the roasted masalas in a blender without adding any water.
Add the powdered masalas to the salted lemons and mix thoroughly; Keep aside for 2 days.
Relish with dosas, rotis, parathas, idli, curd rice or just some hot steamed plain rice!

Prep Time: About 30-40 mins, excluding storage time;

Makes: Enough to fill a 500ml bottle;

Baalekai Chips/ Banana Chips

2009-07-15T16:27:00.001-05:00

With just about a week left for our move, mom and I are busy emptying our pantry and making sure we don't end up wasting too many groceries. In the process, we ended up making Mangalore special -Banana Chips last week.... Here goes the recipe

Am sending this across to "RCI-Udupi & Mangalorean Cuisine" event hosted by Sia of Monsoon Spice. Thanx to Lakshmi for having come up with the RCI event concept, and thanks to Sia for hosting this month's event!!

Ingredients:

1 Raw Banana (preferably the long and thick ones, called "nendra baale" in Kannada)

2-3 tsp Salt

1/4 cup Water

Oil for deep frying (Coconut oil, preferably)

Method:

Wash and peel the raw banana; Peel deep enough, such that only the white pulp remains.
Slice the banana into very thin circular slices. You could use a slicer for this purpose.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan; Meanwhile, dissolve salt in some water and keep aside.
Drop a handful of banana slices into the hot oil carefully.
Pour a tsp or two of salt water into the oil; The oil will sizzle a little, so make sure you maintain a distance.
Saute regularly so that the slices do not stick to each other and they are cooked all over.
The chips are done when they turn golden yellow in color; Remove from oil and drain on paper towels; Let cool completely and store in airtight containers.
Repeat the whole process for the remaining banana slices.

Note:

While adding salt water to subsequent batches, keep in mind that the oil would already have some amount of salt in it. So, you might want to add lesser quantity of salt water every time.
You could even add a pinch of turmeric and hing to the salt concentrate, for good color and taste.
Using coconut oil gives it the authentic mangalorean taste, but feel free to go ahead and use any vegetable oil of your choice.

Prep Time: About 30-40 mins;

Serves: Makes enough for 2-3 people;

Gasagase Payasa / Poppy Seeds Payasam

2009-07-07T15:16:00.001-05:00

Hey everybody! Hope y'all had a safe and fun filled long weekend. We spent ours at New York!! Amma Appa were awestruck by all the tall and beautiful buildings, the busy crowds on the streets, abound dining and shopping options..... They loved it all :)

And btw, have I told you guys that we are moving back to India in a couple of weeks?? In case I haven't mentioned it yet.... Naveen and I are moving back to India for good!!!! :) By the end of this month, we'd be in India among family and friends.....Oh, I am so very excited!!!! But before that, we have a whole lot of packing and winding up to do here.The next two weeks are gonna be really busy!!! In the next couple of months, I may not be able to blog as regularly as I would want to... But I'm sure you folks will understand! :)

Anyway, coming to today's recipe... Gasagase Payasa is very traditional and authentic to Karnataka. As most of you would know, poppy seeds are the source of opium. So, don't be surprised if you find yourself dozing off after having a hot cup of Gasagase Payasa :D. There are different ways of making Gasagase Payasa..... some people soak the rice and poppy seeds, while some others roast and powder it. Here's how we make it in our family....

Ingredients:

4 tsp Poppy seeds

1 tsp White Rice, uncooked

1 cup Grated Coconut, fresh/frozen

1/4 cup Desiccated coconut/Copra/Kobbari

3-4 tbsp Jaggery

1/4 cup Milk

1/2 tsp Elaichi, powdered

4-5 strands of Saffron (optional)

8-10 Cashews/Almonds (optional)

Method:

Dry roast poppy seeds and rice until they turn crisp and lightly change color.
Finely powder the roasted poppy seeds and rice in a blender without adding any water.
Add grated coconut, desiccated coconut, some water and grind to a smooth paste.
Add half a cup of water and strain the paste through a finely perforated strainer; Retain the liquid - this will make the payasam later.
Transfer the coarse residue into a blender; Add some more water and grind again to a smooth paste.
Repeat steps 4 and 5 about 3-4 times.
Add jaggery to the strained liquid and boil on low-medium heat until all the jaggery dissolves; Remove from stove.
Dissolve saffron strands in 1/4 cup of warn milk and set aside for 5-10 mins.
Add powdered elaichi,warm milk with saffron and mix well; Serve hot and relish.

Prep Time: About 40-45 mins;

Serves: About 3-4 people;

Menthya Gojju/ Fenugreek seeds cooked in Tamarind & Jaggery sauce

2009-06-18T13:00:00.002-05:00

What is the best part of pregnancy, you ask me?? Well, its definitely the pampering and all the fuss around me, by everyone in the family :) Nothing I say is ever put off! I now indulge gracefully in all my cravings, without the least bit of guilt :D. Ramya wants to go to DQ's for a Sundae, late in the night, and so the entire family goes along without any objections!!! Mom picks and chooses all my favorites dishes and makes them for me.... Some of them, I had almost forgotten they existed. I'm loving this phase of pregnancy!! :) I have also been feeling the baby moves and kicks for over a month now. It feels wonderful! I had confused them for hunger pangs, initially, but learned to differentiate in a few days. The first trimester was terrible with all the morning sickness, and I am already dreading the huge belly that I'm gonna be carrying in the thirst trimester.... The second trimester is the golden phase, as everyone says, and I'm enjoying it while it lasts! :)

Here is a simple and quick recipe that takes very few and common ingredients that are usually present in any South Indian pantry. People who relish bitter gourd (Karela) will definitely love this one. This is a bit of an acquired taste and you might have to try it a couple of time before you actually like it...

Ingredients:

2 tsp Fenugreek/Methi/Menthya seeds

2 tsp Chana Dhalia/Hurigadale/Putaani

1 tsp Tamarind paste

1 tbsp Jaggery

1.5 tsp Rasam powder

1 tbsp Grated coconut fresh/frozen (optional)

2 tsp Oil

3/4 tsp Mustard seeds

3-4 Curry leaves

A generous pinch of Hing

A pinch of Turmeric

Salt as per taste

Method:

Dry roast the fenugreek seeds until them turn lightly red in color; Make sure not to burn them.
Add half a cup of water and pressure cook until done; It takes about 2-3 whistles in my cooker.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan; Temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves, hing and turmeric.
Add the cooked fenugreek seeds, rasam powder, jaggery, tamarind paste, salt and boil well for about 4-5 mins; Add a little water if required.
Meanwhile, coarsely powder the chana dhalia using a blender; Add chana dhalia and grated coconut to the boiling gojju and mix well; Add water to get the desired consistency; Adjust ingredients according to taste and boil further for a minute or two;
Remove from stove and serve hot with hot steamed rice/ dosas/rotis and relish.

Prep Time: About 30-40 mins;

Serves: About 2-3 people;

Theingolu/ Theingolalu\TeingoL (Deep fried,rice and urad flour snack)

2009-06-09T13:39:00.002-05:00

A deep fried snack for you guys today! Theingolalu is a deep fried snack that's very similar to chakli. While chakli is more widely known and is relished by everyone all over India, this one is more authentic and known only in the Mysore - Bangalore regions of Karnataka. The process involved in making Theingolalu is tedious and time consuming, but the end product is delicious! And you know how moms are.... they wouldn't mind going through all the pains, as long as their little one relishes it. Yes, my mom made this for me and brought it along while coming here to visit us! :) I would never have gone through the trouble of making it myself :P Here is how she made it...

Ingredients:

1 cup Urad Dal/ Urad flour

3 cups Uncooked White rice

1 tbsp Butter

1/2 tsp Hing

1 tsp Jeera/Cumin seeds

Salt as per taste

Oil for deep frying

Method:

Wash and drain the rice and Urad dal separately; Spread on paper towels and let dry for about 2 hours.
Dry roast the rice until it turns mildly warm- Make sure not to over roast.
Powder the rice and Urad dal separately in a blender; DO NOT add any water while powdering. Note: If you are using Urad flour, you could skip step 1; Follow step 3 for rice only and continue with the next step.
Mix both flours, melted butter, salt, cumin seeds and knead into a dough- Add water as required; The dough should be of the same consistency as of the poori dough, or slightly thicker than the chapati dough.
Stuff the dough into the traditional chakli press/maker; Press into circles of desired shape.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan; Drop them one by one and fry on medium flame until they turn lightly golden in color.
Drain on paper towels and let cool; Store in air tight containers. Relish with tea/coffee or just as is.

Tip:

If you have enough time in hand, make the rice and urad powders and set them aside for a couple of days before you proceed with making Theingolalu. The color and texture turns out better this way.
If you have access to to any flour mill, it would be a good idea to get the urad dal and rice powdered at the mill instead of using the blender.... You would have a finer and smoother powder this way.
The Urad-Rice mixture can be made well in advance and stored/frozen for almost a year; So when you have guests over, all you need to do is knead it into a dough and then deep fry; Theingolalu would be ready in just a few minutes!
Theingolalu can be stored in air tight containers for up to 3-4 weeks!
Traditionally, the "bille" (the circular, detachable bottom portion of the chakli press containing perforations, through which the dough oozes out) used for theingolalu contains three medium sized circular perforations, while the "bille" for chakli contains only one star shaped perforation. Every Chakli press comes with multiple "bille"s of various types and perforations, So you could choose whichever suits you best.

Makes: About 25-30 Theingolalu;

Prep Time: About 60-90 mins, excluding soaking time;

Aviyal

2009-06-01T13:09:00.002-05:00

Aviyal, as most of you would know, is a Kerala speciality dish. Dakshina Kannada (Mangalore-Udupi) cuisine is highly influenced by Kerala cuisine because of its proximity to Kerala. Aviyal is one such adaptation. While Aviyal is made thick and "sabzi/palya" kinds in Kerala, it is more of a gravy in Karnataka. With a whole lot of veggies, this dish is healthy, nutritious and quite easy to make! Serve with some hot steamed rice and it makes a wonderful comfort food.

Ingredients:

2 cups Mixed veggies, chopped into 1" pieces (green beans, carrots, tindora, potatoes etc)

1/2 cup Grated coconut, fresh/frozen

1 cup Yogurt/Sour curd

2-3 Green Chilies, low to medium spiced

1 tsp Jeera

1-2 tsp Oil

1 tsp Mustard seeds

4-5 Curry leaves

A pinch of Hing

Salt as per taste

Method:

Boil the veggies with some salt and water until tender and cooked; Drain the cooked veggies and retain the excess water.
Grind coconut, jeera and green chilies to a smooth paste with some water.
Add the masala paste to the cooked veggies and boil for a minute; Add salt and mix well.
Switch off the stove and add yogurt; Add some of the retained water from the cooked veggies to get the desired consistency; Mix well and adjust ingredients according to taste.
Temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves and hing; Serve with hot steamed rice and relish.

Maavinakai Kette Uppinakai (Instant Raw Mango pickle)

2009-05-20T12:06:00.001-05:00

Pickles are something that everyone loves!!!! As a child, I would have pickles with almost everything - idlis, dosas, plain rice & ghee, rotis or even bread!! :D And we always had a jar of home made pickles at home. In fact, I hadn't tasted store bought pickles until I shifted to the hostel during my Engineering days!! Amma makes different varieties of pickles and the one I have for you today is the simplest of all. Its fast, easy to make, takes very few ingredients and you need not have to wait for too long before you can start relishing it.... And it is also one of my favorites!!! :) Here's how Amma makes it....

Ingredients:

3 Raw Mangoes, medium sized

3tsp Mustard seeds

30 Dry Red Chilies, low to medium spiced

1tsp Powdered Hing

1 tsp Haldi/Turmeric

Salt as per taste

Method:

Wash and cut mangoes into 1 inch cubes; In a glass jar, spread some of the cubes and sprinkle some salt over it; Add few more cubes and make another layer; Sprinkle some more salt ; Repeat the process for the remaining mango cubes and keep aside.
Powder the mustard seeds and red chilies to a fine mixture; Add hing, turmeric and mix well. Note:DO NOT add any water while powdering the spices in the blender/mixie.
Add the powdered spices to the mango-salt mixture and mix well with the help of a long spoon; Close the lid of the jar tightly. Relish with idlis, dosas,akki rottis, curd rice.

Tips:

Choose mangoes carefully; The mangoes should be sour and hard.
The pickle may seem a little dry on the first day, but DO NOT add any water; the mangoes will give out enough water in a day or two;
Though this pickle can be eaten with any south indian dish, curd rice & pickle is the most famous combination.
Though this pickle is sort of instant and can be used right away, it tastes great after a couple of days when the mangoes would have absorbed the masalas.
This pickle cannot be stored for too long; Its average shelf life is about 1-1.5 months. As days go by, the mangoes would start becoming soft and start dissolving in the gravy.

Prep Time: About 30-40 mins;

Makes: Roughly enough pickle to fill a 450-500 ml bottle;

Badanekayi HinDi (Baingan Bharta, the South Indian style)

2009-05-15T12:09:00.001-05:00

Hey people...I'm back!!! I had disappeared again for a coupla weeks, hadn't I??!?! Well, I didn't want to, but I got so busy with mom n dad that I could barely make time for anything else!!! Amma-appa landed early last week... They had a safe journey. They didn't have too much of jetlag either, thankfully :). Been busy showing them around Chicago, these days. Have also been relishing amma made food.... All the home made sweets and savories, varieties of pickles, daily morning breakfast.... yummm!!!! I'm loving it all. Amma's adige is the best in the world!!! :) I am trying my best to take pictures of most of the dishes that amma is making. Will post them one by one!

The recipe I have for you today is from the Sirsi-Sagar parts of Karnataka. This authentic recipe is very easy to make and is a perfect accompaniment with some hot steamed rice. Thanx to my friend Sangeeta for having shared this simple yet delicious recipe! :)

Ingredients:

1 Large purple eggplant

1 tbsp Grated coconut, fresh/frozen

1 Small Red Onion, finely chopped

1 tsp Amchur powder OR 1 tsp Lime juice

1 tsp Chopped Cilantro, for garnishing

2 tsp Oil

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

2 Green chilies, slit vertically

1 tsp Chana+Urad Dal mixture

A generous pinch of hing

Salt as per taste

Method:

Pre-heat the conventional over to 350 deg F.
Smear the eggplant with a few drops of oil; Make a few cuts on the skin of the eggplant with a knife.
Place the eggplant in an over safe container and bake for about 30-45 mins or until done; Tip: The eggplant is done when the skin shrinks and forms wrinkles all over. You could even poke a toothpick at the center and see if it is cooked completely.
Remove the eggplant from the oven and let cool for a while; Peel off a thin layer of the skin with your hands and discard.... If the eggplant is cooked well it should come off very easily.
Mash the flesh of the eggplant with the back of a spoon and discard the stalk.
Add chopped onions, amchur powder, grated coconut, salt and mix well.
Temper with mustard seeds, green chilies, dal mixture and hing.
Serve hot with rice/rotis and enjoy!

Prep Time: About 60-90 mins;

Serves: About 2-3 people;

Eggless & Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-04-30T14:19:00.003-05:00

Ever since I bought this book last year, I have been doing a lot of baking at home.... Thanx to the book, I'm not scared to bake anymore!! :) This crunchy cookie recipe is also adapted from the same book. A lot of Mane Adige readers have been mailing and asking me to post more eggless recipes. So, here goes!!

Meanwhile, I have less than a week left before my parents arrive... I am soooo excited!!!! And also a little scared... I hope the swine flu issue does not create any problems during their travel... I also have a lot of minor preparations to make, for their arrival. And these terrible rains and cold weather is not helping in any way :((.... Will keep you guys posted! Hope y'all like the cookies....

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Butter at room temperature

3/4 cup Sugar OR 1/2 cup brown sugar+ 1/4 cup sugar

1.5 cups All Purpose Flour/ Maida

1 tsp Baking soda

2 tsp Vanilla extract

3 tbsp Cooking oil

1/2 cup Chopped nuts (optional)

1 cup Semisweet Chocolate Pieces

1/2 cup Shredded coconut (optional)

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 350 deg F.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy - approx. 2 minutes. If you are using electric mixer, set the speed to medium.
Slowly add the flour, baking soda, vanilla, oil and mix until completely combined. Note: For a flatter cookie, or if the batter is too dry, add a couple of spoons of water.
Add the chocolate chips, nuts, coconut and mix gently with a wooden spoon. Adjust the quantity of chocolate chips according to your wish.
Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheets, spaced 2 inches apart; Bake for 8-10 mins or until the cookies are completely done.
Remove from oven and let cool completely. Serve with milk or as is and relish!

Prep Time: About 35-45 mins;

Makes: About 20-25 cookies;

Tomato Gojju

2009-04-23T19:04:00.002-05:00

Hey people!! Hope alls well at your end. Long time indeed...... :) My apologies for having disappeared without even informing. To all my readers who have been mailing and asking me if everything was alright.....Yes, things are great!! Thank you so much for asking :). Past couple of months have been eventful for us, out here. The update from my end is that, Naveen and I are expecting a new addition to our family in a few months from now!!! :) While we were very happy and excited about entering the next phase of our life, the first few weeks were also a little hard for us to cope with. Terrible nausea and morning sickness had kept me away from the kitchen all this while.... I could not bear the smell of food, leave alone cooking and eating it :D. I only lived on fruits all this while :D Naveen even had to stop using his perfumes 'coz I couldn't bear the smell of it :). Glad that the whole phase is over and am slowly getting back to normal. Will keep updating you guys from time to time, with all the happenings at my end....

Another update is that, my parents will be joining us here in the first week of May!!! :) I am really looking forward to having them over..... You guys could expect some nice "amma- made" dishes and recipes here on Mane Adige, after they arrive!! :)

Will now head straight to today's recipe.... Its a simple side dish that takes very few ingredients and gets done really fast. This gojju tastes great with dosas and chapatis. Make it a little more watery and its perfect with rice as well....

Ingredients:

4-5 Ripe tomatoes, medium sized

1 tsp Red Chili Powder + 3/4 tsp Methi powder OR 1-2 tsp Rasam Powder

1 tbsp Jaggery

4-5 Curry leaves

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1 - 1.5 tsp Oil

A generous pinch of hing

Salt as per taste

Chopped Cilantro for garnishing

Method:

Wash and chop tomatoes finely; Keep aside.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan; Temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves and hing.
Add the chopped tomatoes and covered for a few minutes; You could add a few spoons of water if the mixture is too dry but usually, tomatoes give out moisture as they cook.
Add salt, jaggery, rasam powder and mix well; Continue to cook until done;If you are using methi seeds, dry roast them for a minute and then powder them in a blender without adding any water.
Add water to attain desired consistency and boil well; Once done, remove from stove and serve hot with rice /rotis/dosas etc.

Prep Time: About 20-25 mins;

Serves: 2-3 people;

Mangalore Buns

2009-03-10T22:53:00.002-05:00

I was quite young when I heard of this dish for the first time, and I wondered.... "Why is it called buns?? why not pakoras or bhajjis or something?? Its nothing like the actual buns...!!!!" Initially, I found this whole "Mangalore Buns" thing pretty strange, 'coz it was not actually buns, it was only mildly sweet (neither was it a savory, nor was it exactly a sweet dish - and I was told that's how its supposed to be), and its eaten with chutney!!!!!!! I thought i'd never get myself to like something this different. But after trying it a couple of times, I actually started liking them. These mildly sweet, banana flavored, deep fried treats indeed taste great with a spicy chutney!!! They are different.... You should try it sometime, if you still haven't.

As the name suggests, this is an authentic Mangalorean recipe. Scan the menu of any local restaurant in Mangalore and you are sure to find "Buns" on it. While I like my buns with coconut chutney and a hot cup of tea, they can also be had with some steaming hot sambhar. I am posting this on the request from a few of my readers. Sorry about the delay, people... But I hope y'all like the recipe! :)

Ingredients:

1 cup Maida/All purpose flour

1 ripe Banana, medium sized

1-2 tbsp Curd/Yogurt

4-5 tsp Sugar

1 tsp Jeera seeds

1/2 - 3/4 tsp Baking soda

1/2 tsp Salt

Oil for deep frying

Method:

Mash the banana completely with your hands; Add the rest of the ingredients, except oil, and make a dough; The dough should be of the chapati dough consistency. Note: Be very careful while adding yogurt; Yogurt gives out some water and tends to make the dough watery. So, start with very little quantity and then add more, as required.
Cover and set aside for 4-5 hours.
Heat oil in a frying pan on low-medium heat; A tiny ball of dough dropped into the oil should rise immediately - That's when the oil is ready.
Pull out ping pong sized balls of dough and pat them in between your palms to make pooris out of the dough; You could also use rolling pin to make the pooris. Note: If you are using your hands for making pooris, greasing them with a few drops of cooking oil would help.
Drop the pooris in oil and deep fry on both sides until they turn brown; Note: While deep frying, press and keep them inside the oil for a few seconds, just like how you would do for ordinary pooris - This helps them fluff up!
Remove from oil and drain on paper towels; Serve hot with coconut chutney/Sambhar and enjoy.

And the Winner of the "Chutney/Dip Mania" is........

2009-03-04T16:44:00.001-06:00

Sanika for her Kokum Chutney @ "Spicy & Tangy....Sweet & Yummy!!!!"

There were about 521 votes on the whole, and Kokum Chutney won with 240 votes (46%)!!!!!

A big THANKS to all Mane Adige readers and also my fellow bloggers for making this event a huge success! :)

Congratulations, Sanika!!! :) Expect to see a mail from me in your inbox pretty soon...

Chutney/Dip Mania Round-up!!

2009-02-24T17:18:00.002-06:00

Hey Folks!!! :) Hope alls well at your end. I'm sorry for having disappeared without informing..... The event round-up and a couple of other things had kept me busy!! The round-up for the "Chutney/Dip Mania" is ready .... In all, there were around 52-54 bloggers who sent across their entries!!!!! Thank you sooo much fellow bloggers & readers, for making this event such a huge success!! :) Here are all the entries....

Kara/Spicy Chutney, Green Chutney, Coconut Chutney by Srividhya from "Appetizing recipes"

Cabbage Chutney, Bottlegourd Chutney, Tomato-Peanut Chutney by Pooja of "Sai Kitchen"

Carrot Chutney, Bird's eye Chili Chutney, Tangy mango dip (Maanga vella pachadi), Mint Chutney by Dershana The Footloose Chef

Cheesey Paneer Dip by Malini of "Khana Khazana with Malini"

Shallots N Redchillies Chutney, Ridgegourd Peels N Sesame Seeds Chutney, Butternut Squash Chutney, Yogurt-Mayo Dip by Priya of "Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes"

Gulla bhajji/smoked eggplant dip by Poonam of "Poonam's Kitchen"

Curry Leaves Chutney by Vijaya of "Daily Meals"

Mint Chutney by Anu Sriram of "Chandrabhaga"

Kadale Bele Chutney, Red Chili Chutney by Vanamala of "Nalapaka"

Seemebadanekai Chutney by Pavithra of "Pakashale"

Pumpking chutney/Dip by Swapna of "Cooking with swapna"

Poodina / Mint Chutney, Brinjal Dip/ Baba Ghannouj/ Moutabal, Dill Chutney, Pachadi by Swapna of "Swapna's Cuisine"

Raw Mango Chutney, Carrot, Beet and Brinjal Chutney, Garlic Chutney by Lakshmi of "Taste of Mysore"

Cilantro Dip (Coriander Dip), Peanut Chutney by Deepa Hari of Simple Home Cooking

Roasted Tomato and Chickpea Dip by Supriya of "Queen of My Kitchen"

Peerkangai chutney, Red pumpkin chutney, Mixed chutney by Poornima of "Madhu's cooking gallery"

Raw Tomato Chutney by Bhagyashri of "Taste Buds"

Onion Tamarind Chutney, Ridgegourd Chuteny, Chayote Squash Peel Chutney, Tofu Chutney, Lentil Chutney by Vidya of "Delectable Vegetarian Recipes"

Onion Dip/Onion thogayal by Kamakshi of "Sanctified Spices"

Homemade Salsa by Gayathri of "Gayathri's Adige Mane"

Gram dhal and Tomato Chutney by Hema of "Adlak'sKitchen"

Bartho (Eggplant Chutney) by Alka of "Sindhirasoi"

Brinjal/Eggplant Chutney by Madhumathi of "Madhu's Food Journal"

Onion Chutney by Uma of "Essence of Andhra"

Nadiya pachidi, Mango Chutney by Oriya Food of "Home Cooked Oriya Food "

Eggpalnt chutney by Madhu of "Ruchii"

Heerekaayi Chutney / Ridge Gourd Dip by Pooja of "Iyers Kitchen"

Papaya Marcha, Pineapple Chutney by Meera of "Enjoy Indian Food"

Sweet & Spice Fruit Chutney by Soma of "eCurry"

Ginger Chutney by Nirupama Sunder

Pudina (Mint) Chutney, Tomato Chutney, Coconut Chutney, Kokum Chutney, Teel(Sesame seeds) Chutney, Coriander Chutney by Sanika of "Spicy & Tangy....Sweet & Yummy!!!!"

Horse Gram Chutney by Deesha of "Vegetable Platter"

Red chilly chutney, Peanut chutney, beetroot , radish , sesame , coconut and amla chutney by Shama of "Easy 2 Cook Recipes"

Hummus by Nags of "Edible Garden"

Karandi&Garlic chutney and Marinara sauce by Mangala of "Recipes 24/7"

Carrot Chutney by Kamala of "Mom's Recipes"

Dhania chutney by Priyanka of "Asankhana"

Cilantro Dips by Priya Sriram of "Priya's Sourashtrian Kitchen"

Hummus by Namarata of "Welcome to Namu's Kitchen"

White Radish Chutney, Mint Chutney by Rekha of "Plantain Leaf"

Tomato/Peanut Chutney, Tamarind/Onion Chutney, Keerai (Spinach) Chutney by Akal of "Akal's Saappadu"

Tamarind Hot N sweet chutney by Archy of "Archy's Recipe Book"

Horsegram chutney by EC of "Simple Indian Food"

Spinach and Anaheim Chutney by Anudivya of "...and a little bit more..."

Lima Bean Hummus by Jai & Bee of "Jugalbandi"

Garlic Chutney by Bindiya of "In love with food"

Onion chutney, Lemon-Chilly chutney by Chitra of "Ratatouille - Any one can cook"

Onion chutney by Cham of "Spice Club"

Roasted Coconut chana dal chutney, Spicy mixed dal dip by Asha of "Aroma"

Onion Tomato Chutney by Usha of "Veg Inspirations"

Coriander Chutney, Methi Stem Chutney by Sumathi of "Chutney's"

Moolangi Chutney by Smitha of "Kannada Cuisine"

Badnekaayi Chutney by Alamelu of "RasagavaLa"

Kadle bele chutney by Mythreyee of "Paajaka Recipes"

Like I had said before, one of the entries will be chosen as the WINNER of the event!!! Of all the received entries ,13 entries have been short listed as the FINALISTS!!!!! My plan, initially, was to pick exactly 10 entries. But the entries were all so good that choosing among them was almost impossible for me. I had to finally take Naveen's help on this - who, by the way, is really hard to please.... So, all you finalists are winners already!!! :)

Anyway, since we HAVE to pick just one entry, I would like to leave the job of picking ONE WINNER to the readers of Mane Adige!!!! I will post a poll on Mane Adige with the short listed entries. Please vote for your favorite entry and help me in identifying the winner!! :) The short listed entries are

Mint Chutney by Dershana The Footloose Chef
Curry Leaves Chutney by Vijaya of "Daily Meals"
Eggpalnt chutney by Madhu of "Ruchii"
Sweet & Spice Fruit Chutney by Soma of "eCurry"
Kokum Chutney by Sanika of "Spicy & Tangy....Sweet & Yummy!!!!"
Horse Gram Chutney by Deesha of "Vegetable Platter"
Marinara sauce by Mangala of "Recipes 24/7"
Garlic Chutney by Bindiya of "In love with food"
Spinach and Anaheim Chutney by Anudivya of "...and a little bit more..."
Methi Stem Chutney by Sumathi of "Chutney's"
Moolangi Chutney by Smitha of "Kannada Cuisine"
Onion Tomato Chutney by Usha of "Veg Inspirations"
Yogurt-Mayo Dip by Priya of "Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes"

Looking forward to all your votes and opinion!! The poll is on the right side column of the blog. So, go ahead and cast your vote...

Oh, and btw... Authors of all the short listed entries are free to link back to this post and appeal for votes from your respective blog readers as well!!! :) Good luck!!!!!

Ginger Chutney By Nirupama Sundar

2009-02-04T17:02:00.001-06:00

Ever since I announced the "Chutney/Dip Mania" Event , I have been receiving tremendous response from everyone!!! One of my readers, Nirupama Sundar, sent across this flavorful and healthy ginger chutney recipe as an entry to the event. She even sent across a picture with the recipe.... Thanx so much, Nirupama!! :) This is a great entry! Since she does not maintain a blog, I am posting this entry on her behalf. Here goes the recipe, in her own words...

Ingredients:

Chopped Ginger 1 table spoon
Dried Red Chilies (Bedagi) 5 Nos
Curry Leaves        1 Tea Spoon
Broken Urad Dal   2 Tea Spoons
Jeera                   1 Tea Spoon
Tamarind              1 small lemon sized
Jaggery                1 Table Spoon
Oil                       2 Tea Spoons
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat Oil in a Kadai.
2. Fry the Red Chillies and keep them aside.
3. Roast Urad Dal and Jeera and keep them aside.
4. In the remaining oil saute the ginger pieces and curry leaves for 2 to 3 mins.
5. In a blender (mixie) add all the above ingredients alongwith Tamarind, Jaggery and Salt (to taste)
6. Grind it to a smooth paste

Tadka
Mustard - 1/2 Teaspoon
Broken Urad Dal - 1/2 Teaspoon
Curry Leaves - Few
Oil - 1 Teaspoon
Make the Tadka with the above ingredients and the chutney is ready to serve.

This is a typical Andhra dish but the Bedagi Chilies are not so hot. Therefore it gives a bright red color to the chutney. You could even use 1/2 tsp of paprika for the color.

Reminder:

Just a week left for the Chutney/Dip Mania Event....... Rush in your entries!!!! :))

Nimbekai Chitranna/Lemon Rice

2009-01-29T01:26:00.002-06:00

Lemon rice, known as Nimbekai Chitranna in Kannada, is one of the most commonly made mixed rice varieties in Karnataka. Chitranna ( meaning "mixed rice" in Kannada) is a speciality of Bangalore-Mysore regions of Karnataka. It is usually made during festivities and certain special occasions..... You usually get to hear people saying

"Ivattu, nanna magalu hostel inda manege bandidaale. Adikke, Chitranna-payasa maadidde!!" meaning, my daughter is back from the hostel today, So I made Chitranna-Payasam.... Or

" Ivattu habba alwa, adikke chitranna maadidde" meaning, I made chitranna for the festival today.... :)

What I am trying to say is this - mixed rice varieties, called chitranna or bhaat, is synonymous with festivities and celebrations in Karnataka. Lemon rice is the most famous among them all. There are different ways of making it. While all versions taste great, here's the one that I like most. It also makes for a splendid one pot meal! Off this goes to FIC-Yellow event happening at Tongue Ticklers...

This one is also going over to Harvest: Festival of Rice event hosted by Sudheshna at Here I Cook. Thanx for hosting, both of you!! Enjoy being the host :)

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked white rice

1/4 cup Grated coconut, fresh/frozen

1/2 a medium sized Onion, finely chopped (optional)

1 tbsp Lemon juice

2-3 Green Chilies

1/4 tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Turmeric

1/2 tsp Sugar

Salt as per taste

Cilantro for garnishing

For tempering:

2 tsp Oil/Ghee

1/4 tsp Mustard seeds

3-4 Curry leaves

2 tsp Peanuts

1 tsp Urad-Chana dal mixture

A generous pinch of Hing

Method:

Grind coconut, green chilies, mustard seeds and turmeric to a coarse mixture; ; DO NOT add any water while grinding; Keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan; temper with all the ingredients mentioned above; Add finely chopped onions and saute until they turn translucent.
Add the coconut-green chili masala and stir-fry for a minute; Saute continuously and keep in mind not to burn the masalas.
Add cooked rice, salt, sugar and mix well.
Switch off the stove; Add lemon juice and toss until it mixes evenly.
Adjust ingredients according to taste; Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve.

Prep Time: About 20-25 mins;

Serves: 2-3 people;

A reminder and an update on the Chutney/Dip Mania....

Just 2 weeks left for you to send in your entries for the "Chutney/Dip Mania" event, people!!!! After all the wonderful entries that you guys have been sending, I have decided to give away a PRIZE to the best entry!!!! I will put up a poll after the event closes and all you Mane Adige readers can vote and pick the winner.... This is just a rough idea, and the exact plans on short listing the entries are yet to be finalized. Sounds okay, so far??!?

So, rush in your entries on or before Feb 15th 2009.... :)

Badanekai Yennegai

2009-01-20T18:38:00.002-06:00

This dish needs no introduction!!! There isn't one Kannadiga that is unaware of "Badanekai Yennegai", I'm sure! For the ones who are not familiar with it - Yennegai is a signature dish of North Karnataka . Eggplants/Brinjal are stuffed with ground masalas and shallow fried in oil, until done. Pronounced and spelled in different ways (Ennegai/Enngai/Yengai/Yenngai), this dish has multiple versions of the recipe too!! I got this version of the recipe from a friend of mine, Sangeeta. She is a wonderful cook and this recipe of hers is always a winner!!

This recipe takes me down the memory lane to the time I was newly married.... Couple of weeks after our wedding, Naveen and I landed here in the US (his project was in North Carolina, back then) to a very warm welcome from a wonderful set of friends. While some of them were at the airport to pick us up, the others had got an apartment ready for us!! For the next 15 days, we were flooded with dinner and luncheon invites from all the families out there.The ladies out there were all wonderful cooks.... One was better than the other!!! And those were the times when I could barely make my own cup of tea :D.... Needless to say, I was awed by the way they cooked so effortlessly for 8-10 people each time..... single handed, that too!! My friend Sangeeta was one among them and when she had us over for dinner, Badanekayi Yenngai was one of the dishes she had made for us. It was sooooo good, that I haven't stopped talking about it ever since!! I collected the recipe from her instantly, but never got myself to try it until now :( .... I finally made it yesterday and it was awesome! It tasted so different and fresh!!! Jolada rotti and Yenngai or akki rotti and yenngai are the most famous combos in Karnataka. But this dish can also be had with rotis or even some hot steamed rice!!

Ingredients:

4-6 Small, round, purple eggplants

1 tbsp Oil

1 tsp Mustard seeds

A generous pinch of hing

1/2 of a medium sized Onion, chopped finely

Salt as per taste

For the Masala:

1/2 to 3/4 cup Grated coconut, fresh/frozen

2-2.5 tsp Coriander seeds

1 tsp Jeera

3-4 Cloves (optional)

1" Cinnamon stick (optional)

4-5 Dry Red Chilies, low spiced

2 tsp Ellu/Sesame seeds/Til, both black & white will do

1 tbsp Peanuts

1/4 tsp Tamarind paste

1/2 tsp Powdered Jaggery/Sugar

1/2 of a medium sized Onion, chopped coarsely

Method:

Dry roast the coriander seeds, jeera, red chilies, cloves, cinnamon, til and peanuts until the peanuts start popping a little; Make sure not to burn any of the spices.
Grind the roasted spices with coconut, onion, tamarind, jaggery and salt; Add just enough water to make it a coarse paste; Keep aside.
Make two slits on the eggplants, lengthwise- Such that the slits form a "+" sign on each eggplant; Be careful while making the slits, and make sure the eggplant is in 1 piece and not quartered while slitting them; Retain the stalk of the eggplant.
Stuff the eggplants with the ground masala and keep aside; Save the remaining masala for making the gravy.
Heat oil in a pan; Temper with mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves.
Add finely chopped onions and saute for a minute.
Slowly drop the stuffed eggplants one by one into the pan; Cook covered on medium heat for 4-5 minutes; Flip the eggplants once in a while, so that they are cooked on all sides;
Add some water to the saved masala paste and pour into the pan over the eggplants; Adjust ingredients according to taste
Saute regularly and continue to cook covered, until the eggplants are done and the gravy reaches the desired consistency.
Remove from stove and serve hot with rice, rotis, dosas etc.

Prep Time: About 45 mins;

Serves: About 2-3 people;

Inviting Entries for the "Chutney/Dip Mania" Event , here @ Mane Adige

2009-01-14T09:48:00.002-06:00

Sankranti wishes to one and all!!! In Karnataka, people greet each other with "Ellu-Bella" and "Sakkare Acchu", and wish for happiness & prosperity, now and always. "Ellu-Bella" is a snack made with roasted peanuts, chana dhalia, copra, Til and Jaggery.... Hence the name! Sakkare Acchu's are figures made out of sugar syrup. Hot sugar syrup is poured into wooden moulds of different shapes and allowed to cool down. Once cooled, they become hard and can be eaten like candies. While I have the recipes for both "Ellu-Bella" and "Sakkare Acchu", I do not have any pictures to go with them. So, you will have to wait for a little longer, I suppose... I'm sorry :(. Our Sankranti meal, is not going to be any huge affair his time. I am only planning for some Huggi/Sweet Pongal- just to stick to the tradition, and some Raw Mango Rice or Chitranna - Both of which have already found a place on Mane Adige!!

I have no specific recipe for you this time, but I have the details of an event that I will be hosting here at Mane Adige!!

Off late, I have been trying out different varieties of chutneys and dips - Thanx to all the fellow food bloggers.... the number of varieties that you folks have posted is mind blowing!!! So, I thought, why not have them all at one place?!?!!

So....Pour in your entries for the "Chutney/Dip Mania" Event @ Mane Adige!!! All you have to do is:

Post a recipe for a chutney/dip in your blog, starting now till Feb 15th 2009. Old posts are welcome as long as you update and re-post them.
Any number of entries are welcome.
Link back to this event announcement on Mane Adige, from your post. Feel free to use the banner above!!
Non-Bloggers can send in your entries as well!! Mail me your recipe along with a picture, and I will post it on Mane Adige during the round up.
Send in your entries to mane.adige@gmail.com , with the following details

Subject line : "Chutney/Dip Mania"
Your name. Also, the name of your blog and the link to your blog.
URL to the post on your blog.
Name and Picture of the dish. Picture of any size will do.

6. Last date will be Feb 15th 2009- Midnight CST.

Rush in your entries as soon as possible!!! Looking forward to all the delicious varieties.... :)

Thenginakai/ Coconut Chutney

2009-01-05T22:35:00.001-06:00

Here's wishing all Mane Adige readers A Very Happy and a Prosperous New Year!!! May this year bring you a lot of happiness, good health and continued success!! My resolution for the year- Post more regularly on Mane Adige!! Feel free to mail me a reminder if I happen to slip :D

I have been receiving quite a few requests from my readers for the Coconut Chutney recipe. "You have so many variations of dosas, and many breakfast dishes that have to be served with coconut chutney. And I don't see the chutney recipe anywhere... Could you please post the recipe soon??!?".... one of the mails said. So, here goes!!

This recipe is the Bangalore/Mysore/Shimoga version of the chutney. Mangalore/ Udupi version of Kayi chutney is a little different - will post that version soon!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Grated coconut, fresh/frozen

1 tbsp Chana Dhalia/Putaani/Hurigadale

2-3 Green chilies, low to medium spiced

2-3 strands Cilantro

3-4 Curry leaves

1/4 tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Tamarind Paste

1/4 tsp Sugar

A pinch of Turmeric

A generous pinch of Hing

Salt as per taste

For Tempering:

1-2 tsp Ghee/Oil

1/4 tsp Mustard seeds

3-4 curry leaves

Method:

Grind coarsely, all the ingredients for the chutney in a blender; Add just enough water to make a thick paste.
Adjust salt and sugar according to taste.
Temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves; Serve with dosas, idlis, akki rottis, pakoras or any other snack of your choice.

Prep Time: 5 mins;

Serves: About 3-4 people;

Paper Plain Dosa

2008-12-30T11:55:00.003-06:00

This post has been looooooong due!!! I have been postponing it for over a year now. A whole lot of people have been mailing and asking me for the traditional dosa recipe. Well, in the "traditional" method there wasn't much of a difference between dosa and idli batter. The only 2 ingredients used were urad Dal and rice. While dal and rice were added in the proportion 1:2 for idli, 1:3 was the proportion for dosas. Since they are so similar, I remember my grand mom making one common batter for both dosas and idlis.

Back then, dosas weren't made crisp and "paper" like... they were thick and soft. However, things have changed in the last few years. Everyone likes the crisp,thin, golden brown, "hotel-like" dosas these days. Ingredients have changed accordingly, as well!!! My mother used to make one of the best dosas in our neighborhood. One of my friends was over at our place for breakfast one day, and Amma had made dosas for us. The very next day, we get a call from my friend's mother asking for my mother's recipe!! :D That's how good her dosas were. Though my dosas haven't gotten to that level, mine come out pretty well too. Thanx to my mom's recipe.... I barely go wrong!!

Ingredients:

1 cup Urad Dal

3- 3 & 1/4 cups Rice

1/4 cup Chana Dal

2-3 tbsp Methi Seeds

2-3 tbsp Poha, thick

1 tsp Ghee/Butter/Oil for each dosa

Salt as per taste

Method:

Soak the dal, rice, methi seeds and poha with enough water for at least 4-6 hours or overnight.
Grind the soaked ingredients with enough water to a very smooth paste; But keep in mind not to add too much water and make the batter running.
Allow batter to ferment in a warm place for about 8-10 hours; Make sure the container has enough room for the batter to rise.
Add salt to the fermented batter and mix well.
Place a non stick griddle on medium heat; Once hot, pour a ladle full of batter at the center; With the back of the ladle, spread the batter thinly; Start from the center and work outwards, in a fast circular motion; Note: Spread the batter as soon as you pour it on the griddle; The batter will start getting cooked other wise and stick to the ladle, if you try spreading it after a while.
Pour few drops of ghee/oil all over the dosa and also at the edges; Let cook on medium heat until it turns golden brown in color.
Remove from griddle and serve immediately with coconut chutney, sambhar, kurma, saagu or any other side dish of your choice.

Prep Time: About 15-20 mins for grinding and 2-3 mins for cooking each dosa;

Makes: about 10-12 dosas;

Tips:

Keeping the batter as thick as possible, would make your dosas very crisp; So, add water according to the crispness you require.
Keep in mind not to add ay extra methi; If the quantity of methi is too much, the dosa becomes bitter and it even ends up sticking to the griddle while cooking.
If you want the dosa to remain crisp, cook only on one side. Cooking on both sides would make it a little soft.
Covering the dosa with a lid while it cooks makes it soft; So avoid doing so, if you want crisp dosas.
For the batter to be well fermented, you might want to keep it in a warm place like - inside a MW oven or even the conventional oven, overnight.

Punarpuli Saaru/ Kokum Rasam

2008-12-15T23:20:00.002-06:00

I was at the local Indian store couple of weeks back, doing my weekly groceries. I picked up a pack of SWAD toor dal from there; When I was emptying the dal into a container at home, I realized that it smelled bad.... like something bitter. "Old stock, maybe" I thought and ignored it.... noting in my mind to wash the dal one extra time before using it. I made sambhar out of the same dal the next day- I washed it a couple of times extra, just like I had noted. I served myself some rice and sambhar for lunch, and I couldn't believe how it had turned out!!! It was bitter, and it smelled bad.... It tasted nothing like sambhar!!! I tried SWAD toor dal from a lot of places after that, but they all tasted bad. I was wondering if any of you have had similar experiences with toor dal from your local grocery stores?!?!?!!!!

Anyway.... ever since the "smelly dal" episode, I have been looking for dal-less recipes. Here is one such recipe- "Kokum Rasam". Kokum, known as punarpuli in Kannada, has many medicinal values. Read more about Kokum here. Punarpuli rasam is a traditional mangalorean recipe. Its fast, easy to make and healthy too!!! Here is the recipe....

Ingredients:

7-8 Kokum, Wet/Dry

1 tsp Jaggery

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Cumin/Jeera

3-4 Dry red chilies, low to medium spiced

4-5 Curry Leaves

1-2 Garlic flakes (optional)

1-2 tsp Ghee/Oil

A generous pinch of Hing

Salt as per taste

Method:

Add enough water to the kokum and boil well, for about 7-10 mins; If you are using dry kokum, soak it in water for about 30-40 mins before boiling.
Add salt, jaggery and boil further for a couple of more minutes; Adjust ingredients according to taste; Add extra water if the rasam turns out too strong and tangy.
Heat ghee in a pan and temper with mustard seeds, jeera, curry leaves, garlic, hing and red chilies; Serve hot with steamed rice and enjoy!

Tip: This rasam could also be had as is, like a soup!

Heerekayi Bajji/ Sambandha (Chinese Okra chutney)

2008-11-25T18:22:00.002-06:00

Did you expect to see some kinda pakoras or deep fried savories here, when you heard the name "Bajji"??!?! :) Sorry to have disappointed you, but this Bajji is more like a chutney or a thick coconut based curry that is served as a side dish with hot steamed rice, dosas, idlis or even rotis.

This traditional Brahmin dish is called "Bajji" in the Mysore-Bangalore and Sirsi-Sagar regions of Karnataka and "Sambandha ( or Sammandha)" is what it is known as, in the Mangalore-Udupi regions!! The speciality of this kind of chutney is that it can be re-heated and boiled without much of a change in its taste.

While I have used Chinese Okra ( Heerekai, in Kannada) here, you could also use methi leaves, snake gourd, beetroot, carrots etc.

Ingredients:

1 cup Chinese Okra/Heerekayi, chopped into 1" chunks

2 tsp Til/Ellu/Sesame seeds (I use the white ones)

1/2 cup Grated coconut, fresh/frozen

4-5 Dry Red Chilies, low spiced

1 tsp Urad Dal (Optional)

1/4 tsp Tamarind paste

1/2 tsp Jaggery

2 tsp Oil

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

3-4 Curry leaves

A pinch of Hing

Salt as per taste

Method:

Cook the Veggie chunks with some salt and water until done.
Dry roast the sesame seeds, red chilies and the urad dal until they turn golden brown in color.
Grind the roasted masalas with coconut, tamarind, salt and jaggery to a smooth paste; Add the cooked veggie and pulse a couple of times until well blended.
Temper with mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves; Serve with steamed rice (and a spoon of ghee or coconut oil), dosas, idlis, or even rotis.

Prep Time: About 15-20 mins;

Serves: About 2 people;

Variation:

Instead of adding tamarind, you could add some beaten yogurt, for the tanginess, and make a gravy out of the dish; Serve with hot steamed rice.
You could also use green chilies instead of dry red chilies to get a slightly different flavor and color.

"Kashi Halwa for Deepavali!" Well, now for Thanksgiving maybe.... :)

2008-11-19T10:26:00.009-06:00

As most of you would have guessed, this post was meant to be for Deepavali!! It has been lying in my drafts folder for almost a month now.... But it somehow didn't make it to my page before Deepavali :(

P.S: The delay had nothing to do with me being lazy and not getting a picture of the dish, before relishing it right out of the cooking pan!! :D :P :)

Had this post made it on time, here's what I would have said.....

"A Very Happy Deepavali to all Mane Adige readers!!!! Here's hoping that the festival of lights brings your way, bright sparkles of contentment, that stay with you today and in the days to come!

As you all know, the speciality of Deepavali festival (apart from the fireworks, of course :)...) is the multiple varieties of sweetmeats prepared in every household. Unlike other festivals, where the main focus is on worshiping God, Deepavali is a people oriented festival. It is the time for enjoyment.... It is the time when people forget enmity and join hands, back in friendship!".

But now, I'd just say, Hope you all had a wonderful Deepavali!!! :)

Kashi Halwa is an authentic Karnataka speciality sweet dish that is made with Ash Gourd (Also known as Winter melon in English and called Boodkumbalakai/ Kumbalakai in Kannada). Kashi Halwa is usually made during special occasions like weddings and festivals. How did the dish get its name?!?? I am clueless!!! Any info regarding the name would be much appreciated!! :D

There are two ways of making this Halwa

Cook the winter melon with milk, just like how we make Carrot Halwa
Cook the winter melon without adding any milk - This is the version I have for you today.

While both the versions are famous, I personally prefer the one with no milk. You could go ahead and choose whichever suits you best!! Happy Thanksgiving!!!! :)

Ingredients:

2 - 2 1/2 cups Grated Winter melon/Ash gourd/ Boodkumbalakai

1.5 cups Sugar

4-5 strands of Saffron

1/2 tsp Elaichi/Cardamom powder

1 tbsp Raisins/Cashew mixture

2+2 tsp Ghee/Clarified butter

Method:

Drain out excess water from the winter melon; Heat 2 tsp ghee in a pan and roast the grated winter melon until it is coated well with ghee.
Pressure cook the grated winter melon for 1-2 whistles, or until cooked completely.
Transfer the contents to the pan and cook on medium heat until all the excess water evaporates; Saute regularly.
Once the quantity is reduced to three fourth's, add sugar and mix well;
Cook further, until all the moisture evaporates and the winter melon comes out as a single lump; It usually takes about 40-50 mins; Saute frequently towards the end.
Add elaichi, saffron and mix well.
Roast raisins and cashews in ghee and add to the halwa. Serve hot and enjoi!

Prep Time: About 90 minutes;

Serves: About 1-2 people;

Off this goes to Aparna for her Blog Anniversary Event celebrations... Congratulations, Aparna and thanx so much for hosting!! :)

I am also sending this across to Mythreyee of Paajaka Recipes for the Sweet series- Halwa/Katli/Burfee/Peda Event that she is hosting. Thanx so much, Mythreyee!!

Menasina Saaru/ Black Pepper Rasam

2008-11-11T10:41:00.001-06:00

Our friends and we were having a get-together, few days back... It was a great one with a lot of people, both known and not-so-known. Everyone seemed busy, catching up with one another and making new friends. In-between all the chattering, we could hear "acccchhhhoooo...."s and "uhhhu... uhhhu"s at regular intervals from every corner of the room :D. That's when I realized that the cold and flu season is here!!!! We come home after the get-together, and Naveen goes "acccchhhhoooo......" :D. Time for some home remedy, I thought!

Black Pepper is considered to have many medicinal values and is one of the best home remedies for cold and congestion. There are different versions of black pepper rasams. The one that I have for you today is the Bangalore-Mysore version of it. I wouldn't say that this rasam tastes great.... but it is not bad either! Medicines usually don't taste good, remember?!?!?? :) Anyway, here's the recipe... Take good care of yourselves and have a safe winter, people!!

Ingredients:

1 tsp Urad Dal

1/2 - 3/4 tsp Black Pepper

1/2 cup Grated coconut, fresh/frozen

1/2 tsp Jaggery/sugar

1-2 tsp Ghee

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

3-4 Curry leaves

A generous pinch of Hing

Salt as per taste

Method:

Heat a kadai and dry roast the urad dal and black pepper for a minute, or until the dal starts turning lightly golden; Make sure not to burn the dal.
Powder the roasted dal-pepper mixture in a blender; Do not add any water while powdering.
Add coconut to the masala powder and grind to a smooth paste; Add water as required.
Dilute the masala paste with enough water to get the desired consistency.
Add jaggery, salt and boil well on stove top for a couple of minutes.
Temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves and hing; Serve hot with steamed rice.

Tip: This rasam can also be had as is, like a soup!

Prep Time: About 15-20 mins;

Serves: About 2 people;

Rave Unde/ Rava Laddu

2008-10-31T11:20:00.002-05:00

This one needs no introduction! Rava laddu belongs to all cuisines, from all over India. This is one of the easiest sweet dishes to make and takes very little time.... And needless to say, one of the tastiest as well!! Will head straight to the recipe, without wasting any more time...

Ingredients:

1 cup FINE Rava/Sooji

1.5-2 cups Powdered sugar

1/4 cup Desiccated coconut/Grated Copra

2-3 tbsp Ghee

1 tsp Raisins

1 tsp Cashews/Almonds, chopped

Method:

Heat ghee in a pan and roast the raisins and cashews until they turn golden brown.
Add the fine rava and roast well until the raw smell disappears; Saute continuously and make sure the rava does not get burnt.
Let cool for just a minute or two; Add few spoons of water to the rava- just enough to get the rava damp; Form a lump and set aside for a minute or two, so that the water gets absorbed.
Add powdered sugar and desiccated coconut while the rava is still warm and mix well; Adjust sweetness according to taste. Adding the sugar when the rava is still warm, would melt the sugar a little and make the mixture a little sticky.
Take 2-3 spoons of the mixture and mould them into small laddus with your hands; Cool completely and store in air tight containers.

Note:

If the rava mixture is too dry/ brittle and you are not able to mould them into laddus, you could go ahead and add a few drops of milk to the mixture. However, adding milk would make the laddus a little hard... So, you might wanna avoid it as much as possible!! :)

Sajjappa

2008-10-20T16:50:00.002-05:00

Belated Navaratri and Dasara wishes to all Mane Adige readers! Barely am I out of the Navaratri festive mood, and Deepavali is fast approaching!! I have been doing a lot of cooking and experimenting, this month.... But haven't really had the patience to take pictures of each and every one of them. Sajjappa is one such recipe that I tried, and took pictures as well! Sajjappa is a Bangalore/Mysore speciality. It is usually made during festivals and special occasions. It is very similar to Obbattu, in that, both have a coconut stuffing and the outer covering for both of them is made out of all purpose flour/maida. Difference being in the way both of them are finally cooked!

For all you Udupi/Mangaloreans out there..... Sajjappa is like the sweet version of Biscuit Rotti!! Here is the recipe, Enjoi!

Ingredients:

For the dough:

1 cup Maida/All purpose flour

1 cup FINE rava

1-2 tbsp Oil

A pinch of Salt

Oil for deep frying

For the Filling:

1 cup Grated coconut, fresh/frozen

1/4 cup desiccated coconut or grated Copra (Kobbari, in Kannada)

1/4 cup FINE rava, dry roasted until the raw smell disappears.

1 tsp Elaichi/ Cardamom powder (optional)

1 cup Jaggery

Method:

Mix all the ingredients for the dough in a mixing bowl; Add enough water and knead well to make a smooth dough. The dough should be softer than the usual chapati dough, but thicker than the flowing pakora batter;Keep aside.
Heat jaggery in a pan; Add just enough water to immerse half the jaggery.
After the jaggery melts, add the rest of the ingredients for the filling and mix well; Reduce heat a cook until all the water evaporates. Saute regularly.
Pull out a small ping pong sized ball from the dough; Place in-between your palms and tap it with your hand, to form a small chapati.
Place 1-2 spoons of the filling at the center and close/seal from all sides, like how you would do for parathas.
Place in-between your palms and tap further to make a small chapati again; Keep aside and repeat the whole process for the remaining dough and filling.
Heat oil in pan; Drop the Sajjappas one by one and fry on low-medium heat; Fry on both sides.
Drain into paper towels and let cool for a while; Store in airtight containers. Sajjappa can be preserved for almost a week or two, if the coconut filling is well sautéed and all the moisture removed.

Prep Time: About 45-50 mins;

Makes: About 25-27 Sajjappas;

Maavinakai Chutney / Raw Mango Chutney

2008-10-06T09:35:00.002-05:00

Off late, I have been picking up a lot of mangoes from the grocery store and I have been cooking with them almost every other day. Appe Huli, Menaskai, Chitranna, Gojju, Rasaayana.........It's like Mango fiesta at our home!!!! Here's another addition to the collection of Mango dishes on Mane Adige : Raw Mango Chutney! This chutney is very simple to make and goes really well with idlis, dosas, rice and even rotis. You could even use it as a spread for sandwiches. Enjoi!!

Ingredients:

1 Raw Mango, peeled and grated

1/2 cup Grated coconut, fresh/frozen

1.5-2 tsp Methi seeds

3-4 Dry red chilies, low spiced

A generous pinch of Hing

2 tsp Oil/Ghee

1 tsp Mustard seeds

3-4 Curry leaves

1-1.5 tsp Peanuts

1 tsp Urad-Chana dal mixture

Salt as per taste

Method:

Dry roast the red chilies, methi seeds and hing for about a minute and powder them in a blender.
Keep aside a couple of tbsp of grated mango and grind the rest with coconut and the spice powder from step 1; Add just enough water to make a coarse paste.
Heat oil in a pan; Temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves; Add peanuts and the dal mixture and roast until they turn lightly brown.
Add the grated mango that was kept aside in step 2 and fry for a minute; Saute continuously.
Add the mango-coconut paste and boil for another minute; Add few spoons of water to get the desired chutney consistency.
Add salt as per taste and mix well; Remove from stove and serve with idlis, dosas or even rotis.

Prep Time: About 15-20 mins;

Serves: About 3-4 people;

Note:

If the mango is not sour enough, some lemon juice could be added to get the desired tanginess. Similarly, if the mango is not sweet enough some jaggery or sugar could be added.
If boiled well and refrigerated , this chutney could be preserved and relished for almost 12-15 days.
If you do not like finding pieces of grated mango in your chutney, you could go ahead and grind the entire mango, in step 2.

Gashi - A Konkani delicacy

2008-09-25T23:25:00.002-05:00

Apart from Kannada, South Kanara and Udupi districts of Karnataka have two other local languages - Konkani & Tulu. Both the local communities have a very distinct culture and tradition. And when it comes to food... Oh, they both have a very rich and authentic cuisine... Both relying heavily on coconut !!

Gashi is one such authentic Konkani dish, that is a coconut based gravy and is eaten with hot steamed rice. White or Black chickpeas are cooked with other veggies like potato and yam/Jackfruit etc. This dish is also served for lunch and dinner at the Venkataramana Temple in Mangalore during the famous "Car Festival". Here is what the Internet has to say about the famous Venkataramana Temple and Car Festival- OurKarnataka.com

Off this goes to Deepa from Recipes n More for this month's RCI event RCI-Konkan Cuisine. I am just on time, phew!!!!! Thank God I made it... I was so worried that I would be late!!! :D

Thanx to my other friend Deepa for getting me this authentic recipe from her mom.....And, thanks aunty for giving me the recipe in such detail, that I could barely go wrong!!!! :)

Ingredients:

1 cup White/Brown Chickpeas, soaked in water over-night

1/2 cup Potatoes, cooked and chopped into cubes

1/2 cup Yam, cooked and chopped into cubes

3/4 - 1 cup Grated coconut, fresh/frozen

3-4 Dry red chilies, low-medium spiced

1/4 tsp Tamarind paste

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

3-4 Curry leaves

1-2 tbsp Oil (Coconut oil, preferably)

Method:

Pressure cook chana with some salt & water for about 3 whistles or until done; Keep aside.
Dry roast red chilies for a minute or two; Grind to a paste with coconut and tamarind; Add water as required.
Combine the cooked chana, potatoes and yam in a vessel; Add the masala paste and boil for a couple of minutes;
Add salt as required and mix well; You could even add some water to get the desired consistency.
Temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves; Serve hot with steamed rice, idlis or even dosas! Note: You could use any oil for tempering, but sticking to the authentic way of using coconut oil takes this dish to an entirely different level. The flavor the coconut oil adds to the dish is unmatched!!!

Prep Time: About 30-40 mins;

Serves: About 2-3 people;

Idli/Idly

2008-09-24T12:10:00.002-05:00

This recipe has been long overdue.... I have been receiving a lot of e-mails from Mane Adige readers, asking me why I still haven't posted the recipe for idli and dosa.

"Mane Adige is such an authentic South Indian blog, but you haven't posted the recipe for idli and dosa.... Looking forward to your way of making them!!"..... One of the readers said. Well, there are two reasons why I kept postponing it. Firstly, I always felt that idli and dosa are such common dishes that almost everyone would have the recipe for it... I don't have to really put it up, I thought!! Secondly, it took me quite a while to get myself to make soft and fluffy idlis!!! :D While crisp, golden brown dosas happened easily, idlis were a little difficult for me. I tried making idlis with a zillion variations... I tried adding poha, cooked rice, methi seeds, yeast.... but nothing worked :(. Both, my mom and MIL make the softest of idlis, but their tips dint work either. And finally one day, I decided to try out the most basic version again, with just dal, rice and some water. And, Ta-da.... It worked!!! We have been having soft and fluffy idlis ever since!!! :) And now I know what had gone wrong in all the previous times.... Everyone insisted so much on adding very little water while grinding, that I used to add too little water :D. So little water, that my blender used to get heated up and I could see fumes coming out when I opened the lid!!! :D Less is more, no doubt, but not so less that the dal does not even grind well...... My stupidity, I know!! :P Anyway, will head straight to the recipe now, enjoi!

Ingredients:

1 cup Urad Dal, soaked in water for about 4-5 hours or overnight

2 cups White Rice (I use sona masoori), soaked in water for about 4-5 hours or overnight

Salt as per taste

1-2 tsp Oil

Method:

Grind the Urad dal to a smooth paste using a blender; Add enough water to make a fine paste, but also keep in mind not to make it too watery. Blend well, for at least 5-7 minutes.... Fluffier the batter, the better!
Add rice to the blender and grind further with some water.
Pour into a separate container and ferment overnight or, for about 8-9 hours; Make sure the container has enough room for the batter to rise.
Add salt to the fermented batter and mix well; Smear a couple of drops of oil on each depression of the idli stand and pour 2-3 spoons of the batter into each one of them.
Steam cook the idlis in a pressure cooker for about 14-15 minutes; Make sure you remove the weight.
Remove stand from cooker and let cool for a minute or two; Use the back of a spoon or a knife to remove the idlis; Relish hot with coconut chutney or sambhar or any other gravy of your choice.

Prep Time: About 20-25 mins for grinding; and 15 mins for cooking;

Serves: Makes about 20 - 25 idlis;

Tip:

If your feel the batter isn't fermenting well, you could try placing it in a warm place, like, the MW or inside the conventional oven.
You could even use idli rava instead of sona masoori rice, to give a different texture to your idlis.

Maavinakai Appe Huli (Raw Mango Gravy)

2008-09-15T08:23:00.003-05:00

Appe Huli is a side dish to be eaten with hot steamed rice and is a speciality of Sirsi-Sagar/Malnad regions of Karnataka. Thanks to a couple of my friends from Sirsi-Sagar, I get to try out a lot of Malnad dishes! And I must say that the Malnad recipes are as unique and flavorful as their culture and tradition!! Appe Huli is a fast and simple dish that takes very few ingredients. It is just perfect for the times when you are looking for a change from the usual rasam/sambhar menu. Here is the recipe.. Enjoi!

Ingredients:

1 Raw pickling Mango

1/2 tsp Jaggery (optional)

1/2 tsp Lemon Juice (optional)

2 tsp Oil

1/2 tsp Urad Dal

1/2 tsp Chana Dal

2-3 Dry Red Chilies

4-5 Curry leaves

A generous pinch of Hing

Method:

Peel and chop the raw mango into cubes; Add some water,salt and boil well until cooked.
Remove the Mango pieces into a separate bowl and mash well. Add the water that was used to cook the mangoes and mix well; Add just enough water to bring it to rasam consistency.
Add salt and mix; If the mango is not sweet enough, you could add some jaggery or sugar; Boil on stovetop for a minute.
Temper with the chana/urad dal, red chilies, curry leaves and hing; Remove from stove and add lemon juice if the mango is not sour enough;Serve hot with rice.

Note:

You could also use garlic for tempering instead of hing; This would give a completely different flavor to the dish
Raw Mango Appe Huli tastes so good by itself that you could even have it as a soup!

Prep Time: About 15-20 mins;
Serves: About 2-3 people;

Karigadubu/ Karjikayi for Ganesha Chaturthi!

2008-09-02T18:10:00.005-05:00

Here's wishing all Mane Adige readers A Very Happy Gowri-Ganesha Festival!!!! This festival brings back to me, very sweet memories of childhood. Gowri-Ganesha is one of the biggest and most important festivals in Karnataka. This is a two day festival - Gowri puja is performed on the first day and Ganpati puja, on the second day. Back home in Bangalore, the festive atmosphere sets in almost a week in advance. Markets are flooded with different varieties of Gowri- Ganesha idols, flowers and fruits, garlands, decorative items etc. The festivities started quite early at our home as well! Mom would make different varieties of sweets 'n savories couple of days in advance... A day before the puja, Dad would start making the mantap. My job was to assist him in that. Him being a perfectionist, we would un-tie and re-tie the mantap a zillion number of times before he was actually satisfied :D. Oh, how I miss all that now.... :(

Check out my last year's post on Gowri-Ganesha here- Kayi Kadubu!

The recipe I have for you today is a sweet dish made specially for the Ganesha puja. This dish is called Karigadubu (kargadbu) in Bangalore/Mysore regions and Karjikayi or Karjikai in Mangalore-Udupi regions of Karnataka. Karigadubu is very similar to "Modak" that is a Maharashtra speciality.

Off this goes to Mythreyee of Paajaka for the Sweet Series-Deep fried or steam cooked sweets event! Thanx Mythreyee for hosting the wonderful series..... You are doing a splendid job! :)

Ingredients:

For the dough:

1 cup Fine Rava (Note: Please use ONLY FINE RAVA. Upma rava is not suited for this)

1/4 cup Maida

1-2 tbsp Ghee/Butter

Water, for preparing the dough

Oil for Deep Frying

Filling:

1/2 cup Desiccated coconut/ Copra/ Kobbari

1/2 cup Confectioner's / powdered Sugar

1 tsp Powdered Elaichi/Cardamom

1-2 tbsp Raisins (optional)

Method:

Mix all the ingredients for the dough; Add enough water to make a stiff dough; The dough should be slightly harder than the chapati dough; Knead well and keep aside.
Mix all the ingredients for the filling in a mixing bowl; Adjust sweetness according to taste;Keep aside.
Pull out small balls from the rava-maida dough and roll them into small circular pooris. Make sure the pooris are not too thick.
Spoon in the filling on one half of the circle and fold along the center; Seal the ends with some water or milk. Note: If you have the plastic/metal press, you could use that as well. Place the poori with the filling in the press; Fold and press to seal; Remove excess dough.
Heat oil in a wok on low-medium heat; Drop the Karigadubu into oil one by one and fry until they turn golden brown in color; Fry on both sides.
Remove from oil an strain into paper towels; Let cool completely and store in air tight containers.

Prep Time: About 30-40 mins;

Makes: About 15-20;

Badanekayi Bolu Huli / Eggplants in Dal Gravy

2008-08-04T09:41:00.002-05:00

Like I said earlier, people in the coastal regions of Karnataka are great coconut lovers and they use it extensively in their day- to- day cooking. A dish with no coconut is a rarity there! One of the very few such dishes is "Bolu Huli". 'Bolu' in Kannada means, bland or plain. To the Mangaloreans, a dish with no coconut would definitely sound bland and plain.... Hence the name, I guess!!!! :P :). You could use any veggie of your choice - pumpkin, eggplant, green beans, carrot, cabbage etc. Some people in Bangalore/Mysore regions also make a similar dish and call it "Tharakaari saaru" meaning, 'Rasam with Veggies'.

Eggplant Bolu Huli is also a speciality at the Shri Krishna temple (Commonly known as Krishna mutt) of Udupi! Devotees from all over the country, throng the temple for this 'prasadam', served during lunch.

Ingredients:

2 cups Eggplant, chopped into 1 - 1.5 inch long pieces. I use the purple Asian variety.

1/2 to 3/4 cup Toor dal

1/4 tsp Turmeric

1/4 tsp Tamarind paste

1 tsp Jaggery

1 tsp Sambhar/Rasam powder (Optional. It is used only to add a mild flavor)

1-2 tbsp Coconut milk (Optional. Add if the gravy becomes too watery)

1-2 tsp Oil/Ghee

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Jeera seeds

3-4 Green chilies, low to medium spiced

3-4 Curry leaves

1-2 strands Cilantro, chopped finely

A generous pinch of Hing

Salt as per taste

Method:

Wash and pressure cook toor dal with a few drops of oil and turmeric; Keep aside.
Cook the chopped eggplant with some salt and water, until done.
Mix the cooked dal and the eggplant; Boil well for 4-5 mins.
Add sambhar powder, coconut milk, jaggery, tamarind, salt and boil further for 3-5 minutes.
Temper with mustard/jeera seeds, green chilies, curry leaves and hing; Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with steamed rice. Note: You might want to reduce the number of green chilies during tempering, if you opt to add sambhar powder.

Cabbage-Hasi Menasinakai Palya / Cabbage-Green Chili Sabzi

2008-07-24T23:47:00.005-05:00

Some time in July 2006 -Salisbury, NC

My mom and I were voice chatting on gtalk.... Mom asks, "So, what plans for Gowri-Ganpati hubba(Ganesh Chaturti)?"

I say, "I don't know ma.... Maybe a potluck with friends, that's all. Nothing planned as yet."

"C'mon Ramya....It's your first festival after wedding! You should at least go to the temple that day"

"But ma.... there is no temple close by and I don't even have an aarti thaali to have the puja at home."

Mom's unhappy, but doesn't say anything much.... The discussion stops there without any conclusion.

After a couple of days, I get a call from one of my cousins in Atlanta, inviting us over to their place for the festival!!!!!!!! I presume, my mom told her mom about the "hubba discussion", and that's how she got to know about it... Anyway, I accepted the invite, and I am glad I did!!!! It was one of the nicest of all the festivals I've had, here in the US.

The beautiful Ganpati idol made of clay, the tray full of flowers, the "chakli and Karigadubu" for Neivedyam, the festive meal....... Everything was so much like how it was back home in India!! It was amazing how well she had planned for the puja.I hope to be able to do that too, someday :) Thanx Arathi, for the memorable first-year Gowri-Ganpati hubba!!!

Anyway...I am telling you all this because, the recipe I have for you today, is the one that she had made for us back then! Cabbage, to me, was an ugly looking, "always-chopped-into-big-pieces", not so yummy kinda veggie....But only until I had THIS version of cabbage sabzi!! Both Naveen and I loved it instantly. This is the only kind of palya I make with cabbage, nowadays. Thanx again, Arathi!! :) Here's the recipe... Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

3 cups Cabbage, chopped finely

1-1.5 tbsp Grated coconut, fresh/frozen

1 tsp Jeera seeds

2-3 Green chilies, low to medium spiced

3-4 strands Cilantro

1 tsp Oil/Ghee

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

3-4 Curry leaves

A Generous pinch of Hing

1 tsp Lemon juice

A pinch of turmeric

Salt as per taste

Method:

Pulse coconut, green chilies, cilantro, jeera and hing a couple of times OR until all ingredients blend well; DO NOT add water while blending.
Heat oil in pan; Temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves and turmeric;
Add the masala mix and saute for a minute or until the raw smell disappears; Make sure to saute regularly.
Add the chopped cabbage and mix well; Cook covered until done; Note:Do not add too much water while cooking cabbage... They give out water as they cook!
Add salt and mix well; Remove from stove and add lemon juice; Serve hot with rice or rotis.

Prep Time: About 20-25 mins;

Serves: About 2-3 people;

Maavinakai Gojju / Raw Mango Curry

2008-07-14T13:25:00.001-05:00

When one says "Gojju", the first thing that comes to your mind is a coconut based, thick gravy.... But the recipe I have for you today is a little different. It is a very simple, no-coconut recipe!!! This recipe turns out best with "Gini moothi" maavinakai, that you get back in India. "Gini moothi" in Kannada, literally means parrot faced.... These mangoes look like parrots with beaks and hence the name, I guess!!! I don't know what they are called in English or Hindi, but they are those mangoes that you get to see on the road-side stalls in India..... With some salt and chili powder, these mangoes are real thirst quenchers, aren't they??!!!?

Out here in the US, I did not have access to Gini moothi maavinakai :(. So, I settled for the pickling mangoes.... Though not very good, they were pretty okay! They lacked the tanginess, so I went ahead and added some tamarind. I had to add some extra jaggery too, because they weren't very sweet either. But at the end, the gojju tasted good!!! I was satisfied :).

I am sending this over to Monthly Mingle: Mango Mania event hosted by Meeta of What's for lunch, Honey? Thanx Meeta for hosting!!! I hope I am not late.... :)

Ingredients:

1 Raw Pickling Mango / Gini moothi maavinakai

1 tsp Methi seeds

1 tsp Chili powder

1/2 tsp Tamarind paste

1 tbsp Jaggery/sugar

1-2 tsp oil

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

3-4 Curry leaves

A generous pinch of hing

Salt as per taste

Method:

Chop the raw mangoes finely and keep aside.
Dry roast the methi seeds for a minute and powder them in a blender; DO NOT add water while powdering.
Heat oil in a pan;Temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves and hing; Add the chopped mangoes and cook until they are tender; Add little water if required.
Add the powdered methi, chili powder, jaggery, tamarind, salt and mix well;Mix well and let cook for a couple of more minutes.
Adjust ingredients according to taste.
Remove from stove and serve hot with rice, rotis or even dosa.

Prep Time:About 20-25 mins;

Serves: About 2-3 people;

Majjige Huli (Choicest of veggies in coconut - yogurt sauce)

2008-07-08T08:57:00.001-05:00

Hey folks, I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July!! And for the ones that are not in the US.... I hope you guys had a great weekend!!! :)

A lot of my friends and readers have been mailing and asking me for this authentic and traditional Karnataka recipe..... As the name suggests, this dish is a coconut and yogurt based gravy. The veggie could be either tindora, green peppers/capsicum, potatoes, cucumbers, okra/lady's finger, brinjal/eggplant, ash gourd/ winter melon or even the yard long beans, called "Alasande" in Kannada!!

This recipe has two different versions: Bangalore/Mysore version and the Mangalore/Udupi version. While the Bengalooru/Mysooru version takes more spices and ingredients, the Mangalooru version is mild and has no other spice apart from green chilies. " A big NO to jeera or any other spice in Majjige huli.... Adding extra spices would make it aviyal", my MIL says. However, my mom and grand-mom insist on adding jeera, hing, cilantro and mustard seeds!!! So you see how different, yet how similar these two versions are..... Will go ahead and give you the recipe for both the versions. You could choose whichever suits you best!!!

And btw, this gravy goes really well with Nuchinunde...You must try it sometime.

Bangalore/Mysore Version:

Ingredients:

2 cups Chopped veggies

2 tbsp Grated coconut, fresh/frozen

2 cups Yogurt or Buttermilk

2 tsp Chana Dal soaked in warm water for about 20-30 mins OR 2 tsp Besan

3-4 strands Cilantro

2-3 Green Chilies, low-medium spiced

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1 - 1.5 tsp Jeera

1/4 tsp Turmeric

A generous pinch of Hing

Salt as per taste

For Tempering:

1-2 tsp Ghee/Oil

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

3-4 Curry leaves

Method:

Cook the chopped veggies with some salt and water until done; Keep aside. Note: If you are using okra or eggplant, make the tempering in a wok and cook them in oil, on low-medium heat; DO NOT add water for cooking these two veggies.
Grind coconut, green chilies, cilantro, jeera, hing, chana dal/besan, mustard seeds and turmeric to a smooth paste with some water.
Add the masala paste to the cooked veggies; Add a little water if required and boil for a couple of minutes; Remove from heat.
Add yogurt/ buttermilk and mix well; If you are using yogurt, make sure you beat it well before adding..... the masala paste and the yogurt blend better this way; Add water to get the desired consistency.
Temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves; Serve with hot steamed rice.

Mangalore/Udupi Version:

Ingredients:

2 cups Chopped veggies

2 tbsp Grated coconut, fresh/frozen

2 cups Yogurt or Buttermilk

2-3 Green Chilies, low-medium spiced

For Tempering:

1-2 tsp Ghee/Oil

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Methi seeds

3-4 Curry leaves

Method:

Cook the chopped veggies with some salt and water until done; Keep aside. Note: If you are using okra or eggplant, make the tempering in a wok and cook them in oil, on low-medium heat; DO NOT add water for cooking these two veggies.
Grind coconut and green chilies with some water, to a smooth paste.
Add the masala paste to the cooked veggies; Add a little water if required and boil for a couple of minutes; Remove from heat.
Add yogurt/ buttermilk and mix well; If you are using yogurt, make sure you beat it well before adding..... the masala paste and the yogurt blend better this way; Add water to get the desired consistency.
Temper with mustard seeds, methi seeds and curry leaves; Serve with hot steamed rice and enjoy!

Serves:About 3-4 people;

Prep time: About 30-40 mins, including veggie cooking time;

A few of my fellow bloggers have passed on the following awards to me.... Thanks so much, people!! I am glad you picked me for the awards...It is really an honor!!!

Blogging with a Purpose Award by Ashakka from Foodie's Hope
Inspirational Award by RV from My Kitchen Treats
Rocking Girl Blogger Award and a Bear hug by Skribles from Food with a pinch of Love
You Make My Day Award by Kamala from Mom's Recipes
Yumm Blog Award by Veda Murthy from Iyengar's Kitchen

Tomato Mosaru Gojju / Tomato Pachadi

2008-06-27T11:20:00.006-05:00

Siri from Siri's Corner and DK from Culinary Bazaar have recently come up with a brilliant event called OPEN SESAME!! There would be four boxes, each containing a surprise ingredient, out of which you pick one. A riddle corresponding to the ingredient in the box you choose, would be sent to you. You guess the ingredient and then post a recipe with that ingredient!! Points would be allotted to you depending on the number of chances/clues you take to guess the ingredient.... Lesser the chances, the better!! :) Interesting, isn't it??!?!! The riddle I got was:

"I think I am a pleased woman since I blush so much
I am so soft and shiny to your delicate touch
But look what I have for relatives, so different with no common string
one used for smoking, one for hotness, one used to refer idler and one referred as veggie's King

I am not what you refer to me most often
I am 'fruit' of labor but never called one so
I am neither a wolf nor a peach in the scale of one to ten
but then why do you think I am called one as so?

I can go green with envy, or completely red with anger
A little crown on my head makes my walk look like a swagger
You cant do without me in your day to day cooking
Tell me what veggie I am without too much thinking."

And the ingredient is TOMATO!!! And I got it right the very first time.. Yayyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)) Thanx Siri and DK for this wonderful event... You guys are doing a great job with the hosting and the riddles and all that stuff!!! Oh, 'n btw, voting for the Open Sesame 2 starts from July 1st and ends on July 5th. So, all you Dining Hall forum members, if you liked my recipe, please vote for me!!! I will be counting on all your votes, people!! ;))

Coming to the recipe.... As the name suggests, it is a gojju (coconut based gravy),containing mosaru (curd). Tomato Mosaru Gojju is a dish that is very similar to a couple of dishes that I had posted earlier - Kayi Huli , Beetroot Shoot Raita. Or rather, it is a combination of both the recipes. All three dishes are so very similar in ingredients, yet very different in taste!! Tomato mosaru gojju goes really well with some hot steamed rice. If you need a change from the usual rasam and sambhar... this is exactly what you are looking for!! Enjoy...

Ingredients:

3 Red, ripe tomatoes - medium sized

1/2 to 3/4 cup Grated coconut , fresh/frozen

3/4 to 1 cup curd

3-4 Green chilies, low to medium spiced

4-5 strands Cilantro

1-2 tsp Jeera

A generous pinch of hing

1 tsp Sugar (optional)

Salt as per taste

1-2 tsp Ghee/Oil

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1-2 Dry Red chilies, low spiced

3-4 Curry leaves

Method:

Chop the tomatoes into half and cook them on stove top with very little water... Just a few teaspoons of water would also be enough.
Cook for about 7-8 mins or until the skin of tomatoes peel off; Switch off the stove; Remove the skin and let cool for sometime.
Meanwhile, grind coconut, cilantro, green chilies, jeera and hing to a smooth paste; Add as little water as possible. Add the cooked and cooled tomatoes to the masala paste and blend well.
Transfer the mixture to a separate vessel and boil on stovetop for a few minutes; Add salt , sugar as required and mix well.
Switch off the stove; Add the beaten curds and mix well. Note:Add curds ONLY after you switch off the stove. DO NOT boil after adding curds. Add water to get the desired consistency.
Temper with mustard seeds, red chilies and curry leaves; Serve with hot steamed rice and enjoy!

Prep Time:About 20-30 mins.

Serves: About 3-4 people.

Gojjavalakki / Huli Avalakki (Crushed and Spiced Poha)

2008-06-24T09:32:00.005-05:00

A tea time/ breakfast dish for you guys this time.... This is a very simple and easy to make dish. This one, again, gets its name from the tamarind that's added to it!! Though very easy to make, this dish needs a little bit of pre- planning. You need to give about 30-45 mins of soaking time for the poha. So, I wont call this an instant dish... But yes, it is worth the wait!! :)

Am sending this over to Sig for the JFI-Tamarind event that she is hosting this month. Thanx Sig for hosting and Thanx Indira from Mahanandi, for having come up with the wonderful JFI idea!!

Ingredients:

1 cup Thick Poha

1 tbsp Jaggery

1 tsp Tamarind paste

1-2 tsp Rasam powder (home made or readymade, any brand of your choice)

Salt as per taste

1-2 strands Cilantro, chopped finely

1-2 tsp Oil

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

3-4 Curry leaves

1-2 tsp Peanuts

A pinch of Hing

1/2 tsp Chana-Urad Dal mixture

Method:

Pulse the poha in the blender a couple of times, so that it is crushed coarsely; Make sure not to powder it too smooth; Keep aside.
Mix jaggery, tamarind, salt and rasam powder in 2 cups of water and place on stove on low heat; Keep stirring until all the jaggery and salt dissolves in. Note: You do not have to really boil the water here. Mild heating should be enough. This spiced water should taste a little strong.... in the sense that, there should be a little extra of all ingredients.
Pour the spiced water on the crushed poha little by little; Mix continuously. Add enough of it to make the poha damp; DO NOT add too much spiced water and make a paste out of the poha. The poha should still be separate and remain in crumbles.
Cover and let soak for about 15-20 mins; If you feel the poha is too dry, ad little more of the spiced water and let soak for another 20-30 mins. The poha would have absorbed the spices well, by now.
Adjust the sweetness and salt according to your taste.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds; Add hing, curry leaves, peanuts and dal mixture;Once done, add to poha; Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve.

Prep Time: About 1 hr;

Serves: 1-2 people;

More Avalakki/Poha recipes on Mane Adige:

Avalakki Mixture/Chiwda

Avalakki Upkari

"Florida - The Sunshine State".... Really?!?!?!

2008-06-16T14:56:00.001-05:00

Well yes, we were at Miami over the weekend..... It was a nice, short 'n sweet, two-day outing! Miami is a beautiful city with beautiful beaches. I was amazed by the deep blue waters of the Atlantic!! The city is full of life.....The excitement and enthusiasm is contagious!! It is indeed THE Party City!!

The drive from Miami to Key West along "US 1" was very scenic. You get to see a lot of small islands called the "FLORIDA KEYS" on the way to Key West (Key West is the farthest inhabited Florida Key) There was some construction happening on US 1 and the speed limits were low, because of which it took us a little longer than usual... But it was worth every bit! With the famous sunset at Mallory square, shopping on Duval Street and all the thrilling water sports, Key West does quality as one of the most preferred vacation destinations!!!

While it was a nice getaway from the usual grind, our trip had its share of miseries too! Let me start from Day 1.... Our flight from Chicago to Miami was on Thursday morning 9:04 AM. We were at the airport by around 7:30 AM and joined the queue for check-in luggage. It was a big queue and we got to the airways agent after a long 30 mins wait. And guess what she says?!?!!? "I'm sorry you are TWO mins late and I cannot check-in your luggage" Can you believe that?!?! She said we could get in, if we left our stuff back!!! How could we possibly do that?!?! And it wasn't like we were very late or something... we still had an hour's time before our flight took off. But they didn't budge!!! We finally had to postpone our booking to the flight at 5:45 PM :(. We decided to come home as we still had a lot of time in hand. And guess what was waiting for us on our way back home??!?! Our car got a flat tire!!! The next few hours went in getting that fixed. We then caught the evening flight to Miami, that put us at Miami late in the night. We wake up the next morning to heavy rains and thunderstorms :((((. We had already lost more than half a day because of the "missed flight", which we hadn't actually missed... and then the rains!!! It was not until noon that we could step out of the room. The rest of the day was much better.... Small stretches of sunshine in between the dark clouds!!! And every time it got a little sunny, we hurriedly grabbed a few shots of the beach and the places around..... And due to the bad weather, the water sports were also canceled in Miami that day :(. We saw around the city a little, spent some time at the beach, dined at a place on Ocean Drive, and of course, clicked pictures whenever the weather permitted !!! :)

We were all set to drive through the Florida Keys the next day.... The weather seemed pretty good and we were all excited!! We did the glass bottom boat tour at Key Largo - Thanx to my friend Shubha for having suggested this.... It was really good!! We got to see the coral reefs without going snorkeling or scuba diving!!! We were hoping that the weather would remain the same throughout the day.... But not everything we hope for, comes true! By the time we reached Key West, it got cloudy again. Sunset at Mallory square didn't seem anything like what I had heard or seen on the Internet :((. There were a whole lot of people at Mallory Square, waiting for the sunset. Everyone there seemed disappointed.... But only until the street performances started happening. The other thing that Mallory Square is famous for, is the Street performers!! Those performers were really good... exceptional, I must say, at whatever skills and tricks they performed!! There were jugglers, sword swallowers, silver men and many more! We then strolled around Duval Street - The most happening street in Key West! It is mainly a shopping area with lot of bars and cafes too! Duval street was indeed nice!! It had this, "very sweet 'n cozy" atmosphere. The weather didn't really bother us much here... :). Got back to Miami late that night, packed up and reached the airport well ahead of time the next morning, to catch our flight back to Chicago...... We didn't wanna take any chances this time! :)

After such an experience, we wondered..... "Florida - The Sunshine State" Really?!?!?!

In spite of all the spoil sport the weather played, we did enjoy our trip and we did have a blast!! Another set of delays due to bad weather, on our way back, and we finally managed to reach Chicago last evening. Naveen was asking me .... "After such an experience, would you like to go Miami again some other time?" I said... "Yes, absolutely!! I loved Miami. But I would never fly!!! Even if I did, I would never carry check-in luggage!!" :) All in all, an eventful vacation!!

Huli

2008-06-10T09:53:00.006-05:00

In Kannada, the word "Huli" means different things in different contexts. It could mean the "sour taste"... Tamarind is also called "Huli" in certain parts of Karnataka..... "Huli" also refers to the sambhar-like coconut based gravy which is eaten with rice.

Huli- the coconut based gravy, is an indispensable part of Kannada cuisine. This coconut based gravy probably gets its name from one of its main ingredients - tamarind. Though very similar to sambhar, huli and sambhar are NOT the same in Kannada cuisine... They differ by a couple of ingredients!! But, most people use the terms interchangeably because of the similarity in looks and taste . So, go ahead and use whatever term you are comfy with!! :)

I had not posted this recipe all this while, thinking it was too common and that every household has their own version of this recipe. Its hard to generalize and come up with one standard recipe. However, a lot of people have been requesting me for this traditional "Huli" recipe for quite some time now. So, here is my version (To be read as "my mother's version" ;)....). You could use any veggie of your choice, like eggplants, cabbage, beans, cauliflower, tindora, or even a combination of veggies, like potato-onion, okra-onion, carrot-onion, eggplant-black eyed beans etc. Enjoi!!

Oh, and btw, Sig from Live to Eat is hosting this month's JFI event(brainchild of Indira from Mahanandi for the ingredient Tamarind - Jihva for Tamarind. I am sending this "Huli" over to Sig's place for her JFI event. Thanx Sig, for hosting!! :)

Suganya, of Tasty Palettes is hosting this month's A Fruit A Month event , AFAM: Coconut. Started by Maheshwari of Beyond the Usual, the AFAM event celebrates one fruit every month. Thanx Maheshwari for having come up with such a brilliant idea, and thanx Suganya for hosting this month's AFAM event. I am sending this "Huli" recipe over to Suganya's place as my entry for AFAM:Coconut!!!

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped veggies

1 cup Toor dal (thogari bele), cleaned and washed

3/4 cup Grated coconut, fresh/frozen

1 tbsp Jaggery

1/4 tsp Tamarind paste

Salt as per taste

1-2 tsp Oil/Ghee

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

4-5 Curry leaves

1/4 tsp Hing

A pinch of turmeric

For the Masala:

2 tsp Chana Dal / Kadle Bele

4 tsp Coriander Seeds

4-5 Dry Red Chilies, low to medium spiced

1 tsp Jeera (optional)

1 tsp Methi seeds (optional)

Method:

Dry roast the ingredients for the masala until the raw smell disappears; If you are new to roasting masalas, you might want to roast each of the ingredients separately to avoid over roasting them.
Powder the masalas in a blender without adding any water; Add coconut and some water to the powdered masala and grind to a smooth paste; Keep aside.
Add a couple of drops oil and a pinch of turmeric to the washed toor dal.... Dal is supposed to cook faster with some oil and turmeric; Add enough water to cover the toor dal and pressure cook until done... for about 3-4 whistles.
Meanwhile, clean and cook veggies with some salt and water, until done; You could even combine the veggies with the dal and pressure cook them, provided, you take care not to mash the veggies.
Combine the cooked dal, veggies, coconut-masala paste and mix well; Add water to get the desired consistency.
Boil on medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add salt, jaggery, tamarind and mix well; Boil further, for another 3-5 minutes and remove from stove.
Temper with mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves; Serve hot with rice/idli/dosa and enjoy!

Tip:

To make the process simpler and faster, you could make the masala powder in bigger proportions and store them in air tight containers. You could then use 2-3 tsp of "Huli Pudi" (meaning, huli powder) to grind it with coconut to a smooth paste!!!

Prep Time: About 45 mins, including pressure cooking time.

Serves: About 3-4 people.

Appa / Yeriyappa

2008-06-03T18:22:00.001-05:00

I was talking to a friend the other day and she noted a very valid point about my posts. "You hardly have any sweets on Mane Adige", she said. I immediately checked back, and she was right!!!! It's been a while since I posted the recipe for any sweet dish... So, here goes!!!

This dish is again Karnataka's traditional dish and is called "Appa" in Mangalore - Udupi regions and " Eriyappa or Yeriyappa" in Bangalore - Mysore regions.... It's main ingredients being rice, banana and jaggery. I used the non-stick appam pan that I got from India last time. However, you could even use the "Pancake Puffs" pan that you get in the American stores. If you have neither, you could even deep fry - make the batter a little thick and drop into the heated oil spoon by spoon.

Ingredients:

1 cup White rice, soaked in water for about 3-4 hrs

1/2 cup Grated coconut, fresh/frozen

2 Ripe Bananas, mashed

1/2 cup Jaggery

1 tbsp Sugar (optional)

1 tsp Powdered Elaichi

Method:

Grind rice, coconut, jaggery and banana to a smooth paste; Make sure to add VERY LITTLE water while grinding. Add sugar, elaichi powder and mix well. Note: Sugar is an optional ingredient. Adding some sugar gives a golden brown color to the eriyappa.
Heat the appam pan on low- medium heat.
Add a couple of drops on oil in each depression of the pan; Fill the depressions with the prepared batter. Cook covered on low heat - increasing the heat might burn the outer parts of the eriyappa while the inside is still uncooked.
Turn eriyappa with the help of a spoon and cook on both sides; Remove from pan and drain on paper towels; Serve hot and enjoy!!

Variation: You could even use jackfruit instead of bananas.

Prep Time: About 20-30 mins, excluding soaking time

Makes: About 15-20

Nuchinunde/ Steamed Dal Dumplings

2008-05-28T13:23:00.001-05:00

Hey folks, I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial day weekend!!!

Last couple of weeks have been busy for me.... Doing what, you ask?? Well, nothing much!! I mean... I don't know! I got busy on the phone with friends, I shopped (not just window shopping.... I bought some stuff too!! :-)...), did some sightseeing (or "time pass", as Naveen calls it) with friends!!!

And now, I'm finally back to my kitchen and to Mane Adige! Nuchinunde is a traditional dish mostly relished in Mysore/Bangalore/Shimoga regions of Karnataka. Nuchinunde is usually made with toor daal. However, you could even add some chana dal for some variation in taste. Traditionally, nuchinunde is served with majjige huli (will post the recipe for majjige huli soon).... But it tastes pretty good with coconut chutney as well!!

Ingredients:

1 cup Toor dal (soaked in water for about 3-4 hours)

1/2 cup Grated coconut, fresh/frozen

2-3 Green chilies, low to medium spiced OR 1/2 tsp Red chili powder

1/4 tsp Hing

1/2 tsp Jeera powder

1" Ginger, chopped finely

2-3 strands Cilantro, chopped finely

1 strand Curry leaves, chopped finely

Method:

Drain out all the water from the soaked dal and grind coarsely along with coconut, green chilies, jeera and curry leaves; DO NOT add any water while grinding and also, make sure NOT to grind the dal too smooth.
Add hing, salt, chopped cilantro and mix well. You could even add 1/2 tsp sugar for a tinge of sweetness!
Make ping pong sized dumplings with the dal mixture; Place in a steel container and steam cook the dumplings for about 12-15 minutes (I use the pressure cooker for this purpose; Don't forget to remove the weight!!)
Serve hot with majjige huli or coconut chutney or any other side dish of your choice.

Variations:

You could try adding some chopped pudina/mint for a change in flavor. Though I couldn't try it myself, I have a strong feeling that it would taste great!! :P
Instead of a whole cup of toor dal, you could use 3/4 cup of toor dal and 1/4 cup of chana dal. That would give a slightly different taste!!
I think, adding finely chopped onions would be great too.... You could try that! :)

Kai/Kayi Huli (Veggies in Coconut-Chili gravy)

2008-05-14T11:18:00.003-05:00

What good is a mangalorean meal without different varieties of coconut based gravies?!?!!! A traditional festive meal in Mangalore usually starts with a coconut based gravy called Thambuli or Thambli, followed by Rasam, couple of varieties of Sambhar/Huli , Menaskai or Gojju, Majjige Huli or Kayi Huli - most of which are again coconut based....and ends with the humble curd rice and pickle. Not to forget the 4-5 varieties of sweets 'n desserts and also some yummy fritters!!!! I have for you the recipe of Mangalorean Kayi Huli today. Kayi, means 'coconut' and huli means 'tamarind' in Kannada. As the name suggests, it is a coconut based gravy, spiced mildly with green chilies. I have used green beans in my recipe this time. However, you could also use tindora/thondekai, potatoes, cucumbers, spinach and many other veggies. Here is the recipe.... Enjoi!

Note: Jeera is NOT usually used in the traditional version of Kayi huli, but Naveen and I relish the mild flavor of jeera... So, I went ahead and added it. It tasted pretty good!!

Ingredients:

2 cups, Green Beans - chopped to pieces of 1 inch length

2 tbsp Grated Coconut - Fresh/Frozen

2-3 Green chilies - low to medium spiced

1-2 tsp Jeera (optional)

1/4 tsp Tamarind paste

1 tsp Ghee/Oil

1/2tsp Mustard seeds

4-5 Curry leaves

A pinch of Hing

Method:

Cook green beans with some salt and water; Keep aside.
Grind coconut, green chilies and jeera to a smooth paste with some water.Add the paste to the cooked veggies and boil well.
Add tamarind paste and some salt if required. Mix well and boil for a couple of more minutes.
Temper with mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves; Serve hot with rice and enjoi!

Asha from Foodie's Hope has passed on the "Yum Blog" Award to me.... Thanx sooo much, Ashakka!!! Glad that you find my blog yumm!! :) As per the rules, I am listing out 4 of my favorite desserts that I have tasted...

Gulab Jamun - My all time fav!! I could gobble up any number of them.
Pineapple Pastry - Mmmmmm!!! That's what I usually order at restaurants
Cashew Kheer - The first dessert I made, all by myself!!!!
Carrot Halwa - Who wouldn't love this one?!?! :)

I'd like to pass on the "Yum Blog" award to the following lovely bloggers...

Sig's Live to Eat

Archy's Recipe Book

Bee & Jai's Jugalbandi

EC's Simple Indian Food

Ambade/ Aambode/ Chattambade or simply Dal Vada

2008-05-06T11:59:00.006-05:00

Aambode / Ambade / Chattambade are all the different Kannada names for our good old Dal Vada !!! This one is popular all over India and can also be made in different ways, using different ingredients. In Karnataka it is usually made during festivals and other special occasions. Here's my version of it. I am posting this on the request from a couple of my readers. Sorry about the delay, people. Things had gotten a little busy at my end in the past few days.... I'm sure you'll understand! :)

Ingredients:

1 cup Chana Dal, soaked in water for about 3-4 hours

1/2 Big Onion, chopped finely (Omit this, if it is for a festival or God's neivedyam)

2 Green chilies, low spiced

1/2 tsp Red chili powder

A pinch of Hing

3-4 Curry leaves, chopped finely

1/2 tbsp Grated Coconut, fresh/frozen (optional)

1 tbsp Rice flour

Salt as per taste

Oil for deep frying

Method:

Pulse the green chilies in a blender until they are coarsely ground; Drain out the water completely from the soaked dal and pulse a couple of more times; The dal should only be coarsely ground and it should NOT become a paste.
Mix all the ingredients together, except the oil. At this point you can adjust the taste according to your preference.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan; Meanwhile, take small dumplings out of the dal mixture and flatten them in between your palms.
Drop the vada into the hot oil and deep fry until it done; Make sure to keep the heat between low- medium.... If the heat is too high, the outer portions get cooked faster than the inner, and you'll end up with either burnt vadas or semi-cooked vadas.
Once done, remove from oil and drain into paper towels. Serve hot with coconut chutney or ketchup or just as is and enjoy!

Note: While flattening the dal mixture for deep frying, you can make it either very flat or leave it a little thick. the flatter ones turn out crisp and the thicker ones would be a little soft. So, its personal choice to make them flat or thick.

Prep Time: About 15 mins (excluding soaking time)

Makes:About 6-8 vadas

Tip/Variation: Gojjambade (Gojju+Ambade)

What do you usually do with the left over dal vadas?? Here is a Mangalorean tip to use up the left over dal vadas.

1 tsp White Til /Ellu / Sesame seeds

2 Dry red chilies, low-med spiced

1/2 tsp Coriander seeds (optional)

1/2 tsp Jeera (optional)

2 tsp Chana Dhalia/ Hurigadale/Putaani

1 tbsp Grated coconut, fresh/frozen

A pinch of hing

1/4 tsp Tamarind paste

1/2 tsp Jaggery

Salt as per taste

Dry roast the Til, red chilies, coriander seeds and jeera. Add coconut, hing and grind it to a smooth paste with some water. Boil well for a couple of minutes on stove; Add jaggery, tamarind, salt and mix well. Adjust ingredients according to taste; Let cool for a little while; Then, soak the left over vadas in the gravy for about 10-15 mins so that they absorb the spices well; Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve.

Thambittu ( Wheat-Jaggery Dumplings)

2008-04-28T17:40:00.003-05:00

One more authentic Karnataka recipe for you guys today..... Thambittu is a sweet dish that is usually made during festivals - Shivratri, mainly. Mostly prepared in the Bangalore/Mysore regions of Karnataka, Thambittu can be made with different ingredients - like wheat flour, rice flour, urad flour etc.... Godi/wheat thambittu being the most popular one among them all.

As a kid, I disliked thambittu, and my mom had to do a lot of forcing - scolding - yelling to get me to even taste it!! I'd try my best to avoid it...I'd cry and make a big fuss, I'd make a pitiable face with tears in my eyes and hope that Amma would just let me go... But nothing really worked, I HAD to eat at least one small dumpling! Slowly, I developed a liking towards thambittu.. thanks to my mom!!! I guess its the kind of taste that's acquired over a period of time.... Whatever, I love thambittu now!

Couple of other reasons I like thambittu..... Its super easy to make... It takes hardly about 10-12 mins!! And, its healthy too!! Very little (negligible, you can say) fat... wheat-which is anyway healthy... some jaggery- which is again better than sugar!! I can have a decent serving of thambittu without any feeling of guilt within me... what more can one ask for?!?!?! :)

Ingredients:

1 cup Wheat flour / Godi Hittu

1 cup Jaggery

1/2 tsp Ghee

1/2 tsp Elaichi / Cardamom powder

Optional :

1 - 2 tbsp Desiccated Coconut / Grated Copra (Kobri/Kobbari)

1-2 tbsp Raisins- Chopped nuts mixture

Method:

Dry roast the wheat flour for a couple of minutes, or until the raw smell disappears; Saute continuously.... the flour would get burnt otherwise; The flour should turn light brown in color. Remove from stove and keep aside
Take about 1.5 cups of water; Add few drops of ghee, jaggery and boil well until all the jaggery has melted. Adjust sweetness according to taste.
Reduce heat to low; Add the elaichi powder, nuts and mix well;
Add the roasted flour little by little; Mix continuously so that no lumps are formed;
Remove from stove immediately and let it cool; After it cools, grease your hands with a few drops of oil/ghee and shape them into laddus/ laadus. Store in airtight containers and enjoy. It's shelf live is about 3-5 days.

Note: Thambittu is usually a little soft and not as hard as other laddus. Its consistency is somewhere between halwa and laddus.

Prep time: About 10-12 mins

Makes: About 8-10 laadus

Recipes relished and devoured!!!

2008-04-24T12:18:00.001-05:00

Hey folks! Hope alls well at every ones end. Been a while since I put up my last post.... I've been in these weird moods in the past few days, and I feel like doing nothing, but sleep! Cooking has been taking a back seat too. I have been making only the simplest of recipes that don't take more than 30-40 mins of time. Here are some of them that I picked from different blogs. I have tried the dishes myself, and enjoyed them thoroughly! Hope you guys like them too!!

Nupur's Khichdi-Kadhi: This is indeed a comfort food!!! Just perfect for the times when you want something soothing and not to spicy.... It is just perfect for all occasions!! I really loved the way Nupur describes the authentic and traditional way of making Khichdi.... I HAD to try this one!! This one also goes out to my reader and friend, Sonal, who has been asking me for this recipe since a long time....Enjoy!!
Latha's Potato Stir Fry: Well, this one was exactly what I wanted.... Something simple, yet very different!! The white sesame seeds (Til in Hindi- Ellu in Kannada) added a unique flavor to this stir fry. A great accompaniment with rice-rasam or curd rice!!
Manjula's Batate Song: Batate means Potato in Konkani, and Batate Song is an authentic mangalorean Konkani dish. The aroma of coconut oil blended with onions and potatoes brought back old memories... I made this with Akki Rotti and it was a great combo!!
Nav's Taro Root Curry: Taro Root (called Kesavina Gedde in Kannada) is a new veggie to me. Somehow my mom never made anything with it anytime.... Or maybe she did, and me being very picky about food, just chose to ignore it and never bothered to taste.... :D. Anyway, one of my friends was mentioning about taro root and it was only then that I noticed this veggie in the market. I picked up a couple of them and tried this curry. It was indeed good.... Tangy and sweet!!! Goes really well with rice...
EC's Jeera Aloo: As you all know, aloo is very versatile and one of the easiest veggies to cook. So, I ended up choosing one more aloo dish and it turned out yummy too!! You can barely go wrong with such simple and yummy recipes... Tastes great with rotis or even just rice.
Ashakka's Brussels Sprouts Fry: This one was super easy... and tasted great too!!! I had made rasam to go with it and it was a splendid combo!! But for this recipe of Ashakka, I would never have tried Brussels sprouts.. Thank you!! :)

Well, I don't have any pictures to go with the recipes, but the authors definitely have them on their posts and that should help.... Thanx again dear bloggers for sharing such lovely recipes!

Huggi / Sweet Pongal

2008-04-17T13:28:00.008-05:00

Most kids love sweet dishes... and I was no different when I was one. My mom tells me that when I got back from school daily, I would stand at the gate of our house and ask my mom, "Amma, en sweet maadidiya nange ivattu?" Meaning, what sweet have you made for me today? I believe I used to enter the house only after she told me what she had made for me that day :D..... Such was my love for sweet dishes....Huggi was one of my favorites( Huggi!! Yes, that's what sweet pongal is called in Kannada). I loved the taste of melted dollops of ghee on the sweet rice and dal dumplings!!

One more reason why I loved huggi so much was.....My mom used to often tell me a story called "Huggi ya holay" (meaning, a stream of huggi). It was about a woman who tried making huggi with a stolen magic pot, and how she forgot the mantra that would stop making huggi .... The pot started overflowing and slowly the the whole village was filled with delicious huggi and blah blah blah....

And every time I ate huggi, I imagined I was eating it out of the magic pot from the story... and that made me like it even more!!!! Silly, I know.. But hey, I was still a kid !! :) Anyway, coming back to the recipe.... I am posting this on the request from one of my readers and also a good friend, Vimala. I hope you like it!

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Btw folks, I have recently added the Star Ratings option below every post... So, go ahead and feel free to rate the recipes!! Thanx :)

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Ingredients:

1 cup Yellow moong dal

1 cup White rice

1-2 tbsp Dry/Desiccated Coconut, grated/powdered ( Kobbari / Copra)

1.5- 2 cups Sugar OR Jaggery (OR as per taste)

1/2 tsp Elaichi/Cardamom powder

1/2 tsp Black peppercorns, coarsely crushed (optional)

2 cups Milk (optional)

1 tbsp Cashews and Raisins

1-2 tbsp Ghee/ Clarified butter

A pinch of turmeric

Method:

Dry roast yellow moong dal for a couple of minutes, or until it slightly changes color and the raw smell disappears; Do not let it turn brown, though.
Wash white rice under running water, a couple of times and combine the roasted dal, crushed pepper and turmeric; Add about 3.5-4 cups of water... At this point, you could substitute half the quantity of water with milk (i.e about 2 cups of milk and 1.5-2 cups of water);
Pressure cook the rice dal mixture until done ( It takes about 4 whistles in my cooker); Do not worry if it gets over cooked.... the dal and rice blend well when they are a little overcooked.
Take the sugar/jaggery in a pan; Add enough water to JUST cover the sweetener. Boil on low-medium heat until all the sugar/jaggery is dissolved. Note: I personally prefer using sugar bcause it gives a pleasant color, but the jaggery version tastes great too!
Add the dal-rice mixture, copra and half the ghee; Mix well and remove from stove.
Heat 1 tsp of ghee and roast the raisins and cashews until golden brown; Add to huggi and mix well.
Transfer into separate bowls and serve hot, topped with a generous dollop of ghee!!!

Prep Time: About 30-40 mins.

Serves: About 3-4 people.

Sowthekai Dose (Cucumber Dosa)

2008-04-15T11:33:00.011-05:00

A quick post for Srivalli's Dosa Mela!! phew... I made it just on time, thank God!!! :D

Mangaloreans are famous for the numerous varieties of dosas they make. Give them any veggie or greens, and they can come up with a dosa!! Healthy, you say?? Yes, indeed!!! And the best part is that, most of the dosas they make need no fermentation!!! Soak...grind... and make dosas immediately!! Sowthekai/Southekai (cucumber in English) dosa is one such mangalorean dosa variation.... This dosa brings out the mild flavor of cucumber, blended with fresh coconut and rice! This one is going out to Srivalli from Cooking for all Seasons for the Dosa Mela event. Thanx Srivalli for hosting :). And btw people,

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Ingredients:

1 cup White rice (Washed and soaked in water for 5-6 hours OR overnight)

2 tbsp Grated coconut, fresh/frozen

1/2 of big sized Cucumber, peeled and cut into 2" chunks

2-3 tbsp Grated cucumber (optional)

Salt as per taste

2-3 tsp oil

Method:

Grind the soaked while rice, grated coconut and the cucumber chunks to a smooth paste.
Add salt, water and mix well; Add enough water to make it a watery mix, with similar consistency as butter milk or Uppu Huli Dosa / Neeru Dosa batter.
Heat a non stick tava on medium heat; Sprinkle a few drops of oil over it; Once hot, take a ladle full of dosa batter and spill all over the tava little by little. Tilt the tava to spread evenly. However, you will NOT be able to spread the batter with the back of the ladle like the usual dosa batter as it is very watery.
Spread some grated cucumber from the top; Sprinkle few more drops of oil on the dosa and cook covered until done; It might take a couple of minutes.
Once done, fold the dosa into half and then to another half to form a triangle. Note that this dosa is to be cooked only on one side.
Remove from stove and serve hot with any chutney/saagu or side dish of your choice.

Note: You can even keep the batter thick and spread the dosa with the back of the ladle, like how you would do for ordinary dosas with urad dal. But I prefer making the batter watery... Dosas turn out thinner and softer this way!

Makes: About 6-8 dosas;

Prep Time: About 20-30 mins (excluding soaking time)

Idli Masala/Idli Chaat (With the Arusuvai surprise ingredient) & Muchore

2008-04-11T09:37:00.005-05:00

" Shall I make this??!!?".... "How about making that dish?!?!"... "Maybe I could make this with my arusuvai ingredient".... "That old recipe might go good with my arusuvai ingredient, don't you thing?!???"....

Yes... Arusuvai ingredient has been the only thing on my mind for the past 10-12 days! All I could talk about was Arusuvai!! Like I had said in my earlier post about Arusuvai ingredient, Vanamala from My Kitchen World sent me "Chutney Pudi" as a surprise!! As you all know, Chutney Pudi is a versatile ingredient and can be put to use in many ways. It can be had with dosas, idlis, sandwiches or just hot rice and ghee!! So, after a lot of thought process and "discussions" with Naveen.... ( Yeah!! I bugged him so much, that he was forced to take interest and give his suggestions :D... ) I decided to make "Idli Chaat"! I had very little hopes with this recipe, but surprisingly it turned out quite good!!! It was just perfect as an evening snack with a hot cup of coffee or tea. Thanx VM, for sending across such a wonderful ingredient!! :)

Continuing the Arusuvai chain, I will be sending surprise ingredients to Kamala from Mom's Recipes and Swathi from Sanjeevani. While Mom's Recipes is a food blog, Sanjeevani is a general blog where Swathi writes about various topics like travel, her snow experience and some recipes too!! Thanx for offering to continue the chain, girls!! I will be sending across the ingredient in a couple of days...I hope you both enjoy being a part of the chain as much as I did!!!! Will move on to the recipe now.....

Ingredients:

3-4 Left over Idlis

1/2 - 3/4 Onion, medium sized (chopped finely)

4-5 Dates/Kharjura (de-seeded)

1-2 tsp Chutney Pudi

2 tbsp Curds, beaten

1 tbsp Sev

5-7 Papdi , crushed coarsely

1-2 tsp Butter/Ghee

3-4 strands Cilantro, chopped finely

Salt as per taste

For the Tamarind Chutney:

1/2 - 3/4 tsp Tamarind paste OR 1 big lemon sized pulp soaked in warm water

1 - 2 tsp Jaggery

1/2 tsp Red Chili powder

1/2 tsp Jeera powder

Salt as per taste

Method:

Heat butter/ghee in a pan; Keep aside a few spoons of chopped onions for garnishing and add the rest to the pan; Saute for about a minute. Note that the onions need not be cooked completely. I added onions at this point because they blend better this way with the idlis.
Crush the idlis coarsely with your hands or the back of a spoon and add to the pan; Mix well and saute until the idli is coated well with butter.
Add chutney pudi and mix well; Add salt and chili powder, if required.
Remove from stove and transfer into separate plates; Add few pieces of crushed papdi.
Pour few spoons of tamarind chutney and curds all over the idli; Garnish with remaining onions, cilantro, sev and serve immediately.

Tamarind Chutney:

Soak dates in 1/2 a cup of warm water for about 10-15 minutes (If you are using tamarind pulp, you can use the same tamarind juice for soaking dates)
Add tamarind paste, jaggery and microwave for about 2-3 minutes OR until the dates become soft and the jaggery melts.
Blend the mixture to a smooth paste with a blender; Add chili powder and jeera powder and mix well.
Boil further for another minute to get the desired consistency.

Note: If you are too lazy make this elaborate tamarind chutney, you could just add some sugar, chili powder and jeera powder to the tamarind juice and boil for a minute. Though not as good as the traditional chutney, this one is a pretty decent work around!! :)

Prep Time: About 10-15 mins (excluding idli making time)

Serves: About 2 pople

Muchore (Mu - cho - ray)

One of my readers mailed me the other day asking me if I had any information about muchore.... Well yes, I do... Here is a quick recipe! I do not have any pictures to go with it, but I guess that okay... :)

Muchore is very similar to chakli. The difference is in one of the ingredients that goes into them! While urad dal is used in making chakli, yellow moong dal is used in muchore. So, if you have the muchore mix ready, all you have to do is

add a couple of spoons of ghee/butter and knead it into a thick dough using water. Adjust salt and chili powder according to taste.
Press into circles using the usual chakli press.
Heat oil and deep fry muchore until crisp and golden brown.

Traditionally, the "bille" (the circular, detachable bottom portion of the press containing perforations, through which the dough oozes out) used for muchore contains three star shaped perforations, while the bille for chakli contains only one.

Avalakki Mixture / Poha Chivda

2008-04-08T08:58:00.002-05:00

A tea time snack for you guys today! Avalakki/Poha (known as "Flaked/Beaten Rice" in English), as most of you would know, is used to make different varieties of snacks in India. Chivda (more popularly known as "Mixture" in Karnataka) is one of many such varieties. As the name suggests, this snack is a mixture of many ingredients and there is no hard and fast rule as to what goes into the snack ! Here is my version of the recipe... Feel free to make variations according to your taste and choice. Enjoi!

Update: I am sending this dish to EasyCrafts for the Fun 'n Sun event that she is hosting this month.... "Avalakki Mixture" is a perfect snack to munch on and to be carried with you during all your summer outings and travels!!! Thanx EC for hosting... :)

Ingredients:

1 cup Thick Avalakki/ Poha / Flaked,Beaten Rice

1/4 cup Raisins/Kishmish

1/4 cup Whole Cashews/Almonds

1/4 cup Peanuts/Groundnuts

1/4 tsp Hing/Asafetida

5-7 Dry Red Chilies broken into pieces

2-3 strands Curry leaves

1/2 tsp Haldi/Turmeric

1/2 - 3/4 tsp Red Chili Powder (optional)

Sugar as per taste

Salt as per taste

Oil for deep frying

Method:

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan; Once the oil is hot, add poha and deep fry for a couple of seconds; Make sure not to brown the poha.
Remove poha from oil and drain into paper towels to absorb excess oil.
Fry the cashews/almonds, peanuts, raisins, red chilies and the curry leaves in a similar manner and drain into paper towels; Let cool for a while.
Mix all the ingredients and the dry powders; Toss well; Adjust the ingredients according to taste; Store in air tight container and relish with hot tea/coffee or just as a snack!

Prep time: About 10-15 mins

Masala Puri (Masaalpuri)

2008-04-03T23:34:00.003-05:00

Anyone who's been in Karnataka and has been to the chaat centers there, has definitely come across this name!!! Masala Puri (to be pronounced as Masaalpuri), as most of you would know, is a kind of chaat that is everyone's hot favorite in Karnataka. Though chaats originated in the northern parts of India, people from every nook and corner of the country have relished and devoured these delicacies. And it wasn't too long before people from different regions started bringing about variations to these heavenly delicacies and calling it their own!!!! :)

Masaalpuri is one such variation from Karnataka, that is one of the most sold chaat items in every big/small time chaat shops across the state!!!

Okay.... I just cooked up this whole story about the origin of Masaalpuri and stuff!!!!!! I just wanted to write something here before actually heading to the recipe... And I did succeed in getting your attention for a while, didn't I?!?!? :) Though I am not exactly sure about the origin of Masaalpuri, I'd like to believe that my assumptions are right.... It's nice to associate a story with the dishes we relish, isn't it??!?! But hey, Masaalpuri is indeed a speciality of Karnataka and I'm definitely not fibbing this time.... :)

I am posting this recipe on the request from one of my readers. I am sorry about the delay Mamatha.... I had the recipe in my drafts for quite some time, but I forgot to take pictures when I made it last time... really stupid, I know! So I had to wait till I made it again, to take pictures.... Enjoi!

Ingredients:

12- 14 Flat Papdi

1 Potato, medium sized (Peeled, boiled and mashed coarsely)

1/2 cup Dries Peas (soaked in water for about 6-8 hrs)

1 Big Onion, chopped finely ( I prefer red onions)

1 tsp Oil

1 tsp Jeera

1 tsp Red chili powder

1/2 - 3/4 tsp Garam Masala

1/2 - 3/4 tsp Chaat Masala

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder

1 tsp Tamarind paste OR Lime sized tamarind pulp soaked in warm water

1 tbsp Jaggery

2-3 strands Cilantro

1-2 tbsp Thin Sev

1 Tomato, small sized (chopped finely)

Salt as per taste

For the green chutney:

1-2 tsp Jeera

1.5" piece Ginger

5-6 strands Cilantro

2-3 Green Chilies

3-4 Mint leaves (optional)

Method:

Add enough water to the soaked peas and pressure cook until done; It usually takes about 2-3 whistles.
Meanwhile, grind the ingredients for the green chutney to a smooth paste with some water.
Heat oil in a pan and add jeera seeds; Keep aside 1-2 tbsp chopped onions for garnishing and add the rest to the oil and saute for a couple of minutes or until done.
Add the peas and the boiled & mashed potatoes to the sautéed onions and mix well; Add enough water to bring it to a watery- bhaaji consistency.
Add tamarind, jaggery, salt, green chutney and the rest of the dry masalas and boil for a couple of minutes; Add more water if the masala thickens. Adjust the sweetness and masalas according to taste.

To Serve:

Take about 5-7 papdi per plate and crush them coarsely with your hands; Spread the papdi around the plate.
Pour a generous amount of masala all over the papdi; Top with sev, finely chopped cilantro, onions and tomatoes. Serve immediately.

Things to keep in mind:

When you pour the masala on the papdi, the papdi might absorb some of the water content and the masala might become a little dry and thick.... So, keep that in mind while deciding on the consistency of the masala. You might wanna make it a little more watery than you actually want.
Instead of combining all the masalas together, you could even make the green chutney and the tamarind chutney separately and pour them over the peas and potatoes while serving.
You could also add roasted peanuts as a topping; Some people also add a couple of spoons of beaten curds.
Masaalpuri tastes best when the masala is hot; So, make sure you heat the masala well, just before serving.

Serves: About 2 people

Prep time: About 40-45 mins

Mane Adige turns ONE!! And... The Arusuvai surprise ingredient!!!

2008-03-31T19:41:00.005-05:00

Friends, its been a year since I put up my first post on Mane Adige!!!!

When I started Mane Adige last year, I didn't really know how I wanted it to be... in fact, I had no plans at all for Mane Adige. But within a few weeks, I had a clear picture of what I wanted out of Mane Adige. Back then, there were hardly any bloggers from Karnataka and even fewer blogs/web sites dedicated to Karnataka/Kannada food. So, I decided to make Karnataka/Kannada food the theme of Mane Adige and I guess I have been sticking to the theme as much as possible!! Of course, lot of other beautiful blogs and web sites have come up with Kannada cuisine in the past year and I am happy to say that Kannada cuisine is now getting all the well deserved attention!!! :)

A big THANKS to all my readers and fellow bloggers who have made Mane Adige such a sweet success!!! All you beautiful people out there have made Mane Adige possible.... without whom, I would have given up a long time ago!! It feels wonderful to receive notes of appreciation from my readers every now and then... recipe requests... supportive comments from readers and fellow bloggers... I can't thank you guys enough!!! Mane Adige has had about 41,000 visitors and 92,000 page views till date, with an average of 275 visitors per day... Though not a huge number, I am happy that I could reach out to those many of you... and that, those many of you have actually appreciated Mane Adige in some way or the other!! Hoping to receive the same amount of support, appreciation and love from all of you in the days-months-years to come.... Cheers!!!

Coming to the Arusuvai surprise ingredient...... The surprise ingredient has finally arrived!!! I had initially decided not to be a part of the Arusuvai chain, because of my current busy schedule... But I finally gave in to the temptation!! Its too hard to resist when almost everyone in the blogging world is into it, you know!!:)

Anyway, Vanamala from My Kitchen World sent across some home-made "Chutney Pudi" as a surprise ingredient!! The aroma of the pudi was so good that I wanted to gobble it up right away!! She has also sent across a book and a chocolate bar to me as a gift!! Thanx a lot, VM.. that's really sweet of you!! :) Will post later about how I put the chutney pudi to use...

Meanwhile, if there's anyone who lives in the US and is interested in receiving the Arusuvai surprise ingredient from me, please leave a comment on this post or mail me at mane.adige@gmail.com

Read more about Arusuvai friendship chain here

That's all for now... take care and happy cooking!!!

Thovve/ Kattu Saaru/ Daal Tadka

2008-03-30T18:44:00.003-05:00

Thovve (also known as Kattu Saaru) comes right on top of the comfort foods list in Karnataka. Thovve is like a must, during all festivities and is served at the beginning in every festive meal. Its very simple dish and takes very few ingredients that are usually available in any Indian pantry. While I prefer to make my thovve with toor daal (thogari bele, in Kannada), some people also use moong daal (hesaru bele). The thickness or the consistency of the thovve depends on personal choice. I am posting this on the request from one of my readers.... I hope you like it!

Ingredients:

1 cup Toor dal or Moong Dal

2-3 Green chilies

1-2 Dry red chilies

4-5 curry leaves

1/2 tsp Sugar

1/2 - 3/4 tsp Ginger, grated/finely chopped

1 tsp Lemon juice

1-2 tsp oil

1/2 tsp each of Mustard & Jeera seeds

2-3 strands Cilantro

A pinch of Hing

Salt as per taste

Method:

Wash dal in cold water a couple of times;Add about 2 cups of water and the slit green chilies to the dal and pressure cook until completely done; I like my dal mashed completely, and it takes about 3 whistles on medium heat in my cooker.
Add the chopped/grated ginger, salt and sugar to the dal and boil well on stove; Add water to get the desired consistency.
Heat oil in a small pan and temper with mustard, jeera, hing, red chilies and curry leaves; Add to thovve.
Add lemon juice, chopped cilantro and mix well just before serving; Serve hot with rice/ rotis and enjoi!

Prep Time: About 30-35 mins

Serves: About 2-3 people

Picture of "Quintessential Metal" and an award!!!!

2008-03-25T00:03:00.004-05:00

I made it on time to Jai & Bee's Click: Metal event, finally!!!!!!! I so badly wanted to participate in each of the previous CLICK themes, but never made it on time.... When I read about the 'Metal' theme for the month of March, I gave up immediately thinking it was a too challenging and I'd never be able to come up with anything decent. I did not even bother to think about it after that. But when I was blog hopping today, I found a metal picture in almost everyone's blog.... I picked up my camera and hurried through the kitchen looking for something that I could shoot! And look what I came up with.... The pic shows a set of steel spatulas and I call it 'quintessential' as I think that these metallic sculptures are a necessity in every Indian kitchen!! Hope you guys like it....And the judges too!! ;)

Also, guess what??!!?! My Blog has been rated "Excellent"!!! Thanx to Vanamala from My Kitchen World....I'm honored!!! Thanx to all my readers and fellow bloggers for making Mane Adige a sweet success!!!

Taking the award ahead, I'd like to rate the following blogs as "Excellent"...

Cookery Corner by Laavanya

Live to Eat by Sig

Masala Magic by Latha

That's all for now, people... Happy cooking and browsing!! Keep visiting...

Maavina Hannu Rasaayana / Aamras

2008-03-23T16:51:00.004-05:00

One of the many things about India that I miss here in the US is the sweet and juicy mangoes!! Almost every time I see mangoes in the stores, I pick up a couple of them hoping that atleast some time they might turn out to be good.... But I am disappointed every time :-(. I'm sure many of you have been through this too!! But that doesn't put my spirits down.... I still go ahead and make my favorite dishes with these "not so sweet and not so juicy" yellow beauties by adding some extra sugar!! Here is one such famous mango dish, called Rasaayana (pronounced as Rasaaina) in Kannada or more commonly known as Aamras all over India. Here is the recipe... Enjoi!

Ingredients:

2nos Mangoes (medium sized)

1/2 cup Milk

1/2 tsp Powdered Cardamom/Elaichi

8-10 Cashews soaked in warm water for about 30 mins

1/2 tsp Ghee/Clarified butter

1-2 tsp mixed nuts(cashews/almonds) and raisins

Sugar, as per taste

Method:

Peel the skin off the mangoes and chop the pulp into very tiny pieces;You could even mash the pulp coarsely with your hands; Add sugar, elaichi, mix well and keep aside.
Heat ghee in a small pan and add the nuts and raisins. Roast them for a minute and add to the mango mixture.
Grind the soaked cashews to a smooth paste with some milk and add to the mango mixture; Cashews give thickness and richness to the rasaaina.
Just before serving, add the milk and mix well; Make sure NOT to add milk much ahead of time... The milk would curdle if the mangoes are very sour.
Pour into individual bowls and serve with pooris/chapatis or as a dessert.

Variation:You could even add coconut milk instead of ordinary milk. This gives it a completely different flavor and taste.

Prep Time: About 10 mins

Serves: 3-4 people

Other Mango dishes on Mane Adige...

Carrot Halwa

2008-03-16T20:04:00.002-05:00

This one needs no introduction, I'm sure!! There are several ways of making carrot halwa. The one that I follow is the simplest and the most basic version, but the end result is quite good and has never disappointed me. I'm posting this on the request from one of my readers....Enjoi!

Ingredients:

5-6 Grated Carrots

2-3 tbsp Ghee/Clarified butter

1.5-2 cups Milk

1.5-2 cups Sugar

1 tsp Powdered Elaichi/Cardamom

1 tbsp Raisins

1 tbsp Cashews/Almonds

Method:

Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan; Add grated carrots and saute for a minute or until it is coated with ghee.
Add milk to the grated carrots-ghee mixture and pressure cook for about 2 whistles or until done; The quantity of milk should be enough to just cover all the grated carrot. If you are using a separate vessel within the cooker, make sure to cover it with a lid/plate.
Once done, transfer the carrot-milk mixture to a heavy bottomed pan and boil on low to medium heat; Saute regularly.
When the mixture is reduced to half, add sugar and mix well. Continue to boil until all the milk evaporates and the ghee starts separating from the pan; This might take about 50-55 mins on the whole. Saute frequently towards the end to avoid burning or sticking of halwa to the bottom of the pan.
Heat a tsp of ghee and roast the raisins and cashews for a minute; Add elaichi, roasted cashews and raisins to the halwa and mix well.
Remove from stove and pour into separate container; Garnish with chopped nuts and serve hot.

Sabsige Soppu Bhaat ( Fresh Dill Rice)

2008-03-11T10:47:00.002-05:00

Sometime last week, I came across this article on the Internet talking about N.A.D.D. It stands for Nerd Attention Deficiency Disorder. The author says, it is a kind of deficiency in which people are always multi-tasking. Everything that the author was talking about, sounded so familiar to me!! I found myself nodding my head in agreement to everything he had written in the article :).....I figured that Naveen is hit with NADD too!!!! :D

Naveen is the kind who is always restless. He cannot sit idle even for a minute, without his laptop or the TV or his CD player or a book.... After returning home from work, the first thing that people would normally do is drink coffee, waste a few minutes doing nothing.... But the case is a little different in our house. The first thing he does is, logs into his laptop, opens his Google reader and starts browsing through his list of blogs/mailbox/news!! While he is waiting for one of the pages to load, he takes his shoes and jacket off!!!! :D And while he is waiting up on something else next time, he remembers to ask me for a cup of coffee and something to eat!! :) Its sometimes fun to watch them hurrying with everything around, trust me.... Well, this isn't all... I only told you the fun part! On the other side, you can never win an argument against people with NADDs...they seem to have a solution or answer to anything you say, with proof and supporting documentation!!!!!! :)))

THINK.... before you say anything in front of NADDs. You might end up making a fool of yourself in front of someone who has a good reading habit and would, in all probability, have read about what you are talking!! ;)

Here's the link to the article I was talking about Rands In Response - NADD

Wondering what NADD has to do with Fresh Dill Rice??! Well, nothing!!!! I'm just yapping... :P

Will head straight to the recipe now.... Enjoi!!

Ingredients:

1 cup Basmati Rice/Long Grain rice (washed and soaked in water for about 30 mins)

1/2 - 3/4 bunch Fresh Dill leaves, chopped finely

1/2 cup Peas/carrots, fresh/frozen (While using dried peas, soak overnight and pressure cook until done)

1-2 tsp Ghee/Butter

1/2 tsp Red chili powder

1/2 tsp Haldi

1 tsp Lemon juice

Salt as per taste

Dry Masala:

1 tsp Jeera

1 tsp Coriander seeds

1 tsp Saunf

2" Cinnamon stick

5-7 cloves

1-2 Bay Leaves

10-12 Black pepper corns

1-2 Elaichi/Cardamoms, de skinned

Method:

Powder all the ingredients for the dry masala in a blender and keep aside; Make sure NOT to add any water while powdering.
Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan; Add jeera and allow it to splutter. Drain out the water from the soaked rice; Add rice to the pan and saute for minute or two.
Add the dry masala powder, peas and carrots and the chopped dill leaves; Pour about 1.5 cups of water, salt and mix well. Bring to boil and then cook covered on medium heat for about 10 mins or until done.
Switch off the stove; Pour lemon juice and mix well. Serve hot with raita and enjoi!

Prep time: About 20-30 mins (excluding soaking time)

Serves: 2-3 people

Golibaje (Mangalore Bajji) and Onion Pakoras

2008-03-06T00:32:00.004-06:00

Hey folks, here's wishing you all a very happy Shivratri!!

I woke up to a very sweet mail from one of my friends/readers this morning. Her mail said.... "Ramya, I am in this crazy mood of eating onion pakoras and mangalore bajjias.... the mangalore snacks kinds... So, could you please post the recipe on your blog??!! My baby is waiting!!!!"

This friend of mine is pregnant right now and I could actually sense in the mail, how eager she was to have them right away :)!! So, I had to push her request right on top of the request list and post it right away.... I hope the rest of you understand!! Will get to your requests soon.

Onion Pakoras need no introduction.... People from all regions and backgrounds in India are familiar with it and it happens to be the traditional dish of every region in India!!!

Golibaje, commonly known as Mangalore Bajji is a traditional Mangalore snack that is made with maida and curds. They are usually eaten with coconut chutney.

Onion Pakoras

Ingredients:

1/2 Big Onion OR 1 Medium Onion (Chopped into think strips of 1" length)

5-6 tbsp Besan/ Kadle Hittu/Gram flour

1 tbsp Rice flour (optional)

2-3 strands Cilantro (Coriander leaves)

1 tsp Red Chili powder

1/4 tsp Baking soda

A pinch of hing

Salt as per taste

Oil for deep frying

Method:

Combine onions, chopped cilantro and salt in a mixing bowl; Mix well with hands and let stand for about 20-30 mins until the onions shed out some water.
Add all the dry ingredients and mix well to form a thick batter; Note: Do not add any water while mixing the dry ingredients. The thicker the batter, the better.... Add a few drops of water only if the moisture from onions is not enough to bind the dry ingredients together.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan; Scoop out the batter with a spoon (you can use your hands too) and drop into hot oil.
Fry on both sides on medium heat;Pakoras are done when they turn golden brown in color.
Remove from oil and place on paper towels to drain excess oil. Serve hot with ketchup or any chutney or your choice. Enjoi!

Prep Time: About 40-45 mins

Makes: About 8-10

Golibaje (Mangalore Bajji)

Ingredients:

1 cup Maida

1/2 cup Sour curds

1 tsp Jeera

1-2 Green chilies, finely chopped

1-2 strands Cilantro, finely chopped

1" Ginger, finely chopped

1/4 tsp Baking soda

Salt as per taste

Oil for deep frying

Method:

Mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl such that no lumps are formed. The batter should be thicker than the usual bhajia or dosa batter, but thinner than chapati dough.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan; Scoop out small portions of the batter with your hand and drop into oil.Cook on low to medium heat.
Golibaje is done when then turn golden brown in color. Remove and drain on paper towels. Serve hot with coconut/green chutney or any other chutney of your choice. Enjoi!

Prep Time: About 20-25 mins

Makes: About 8-10

Uppu Huli Dose ( Spicy-Sour Dosa)

2008-03-03T09:00:00.002-06:00

Never heard of such a dosa, huh??!?! Nor had I until I had it at my in-laws place after wedding.... I loved it when I had it there for the first time. This is a Mangalore speciality dish and is very similar to Neeru dosa.... While neeru dosa (recipe for neeru dosa is here) is plain and mild, Uppu-Huli dosa is spiced up with red chilies, jeera, ginger etc. This dosa can be had without any accompaniment as it is spicy by itself. I am posting this recipe on the request from one of my readers... Enjoi!

Ingredients:

1 cup Raw white rice soaked in water for about 4-5 hrs or overnight

2-3 tbsp Fresh/frozen grated coconut

3-4 Dry red chilies

1/2 tsp Paprika

1-2 tsp Coriander seeds

2 tsp Jeera

1/4 tsp Tamarind paste

1" Ginger

Salt as per taste

Method:

Grind the soaked rice and grated coconut to a smooth paste in a blender; Add water as required.
Add the remaining spices and pulse a few times so that the spices are ground coarsely.
Add enough water to the batter to make it watery and pourable; The batter should be of the consistency of neeru dosa batter. Add salt as per taste and mix well.
Heat a girdle/tava and pour a few drops of oil all over it. Take a ladle full of batter and spill it all over the tava, little by little. You can even tilt the tava to spread the batter evenly. However, you will NOT be able to spread the batter with the back of the ladle like the usual dosa batter as it is very watery.
Cook covered for a minute for two; Once done, fold the dosa into half and then to another half to form a triangle. Note that this dosa is to be cooked only on one side.
Remove from stove and serve hot with ghee/butter, curds or any chutney of your choice. Enjoi!

Prep time: About 30--35 mins (excluding soaking time)

Makes: About 7-9 dosas.

Nice Matters Award and the recipe for Mixed Veggie Kootu

2008-02-27T10:26:00.005-06:00

Eskay from A Bon Vivant's Chow Chronicles, Archana from Archy's Recipe Book, Seema from Everyday Cooking Recipes from my kitchen... and EasyCrafts from Simple Indian Food have passed on the Nice Matters Award to me. Thanx so much, girls... I feel honored and appreciated!!!

"Nice Matters Award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world.”

I would want to pass this award to each and every food blogger out there for all the effort and hard work that they put in each day on their blogs.... You guys are the best!!! Thanx for inspiring me.....

Coming to the recipe.... Kootu is a South Indian, sambhar like gravy which is usually taken with rice. Each region has its own version of the Kootu recipe and here's the Bangalore/Mysore version of it. Enjoi!

Ingredients:

2 cups Chopped mixed veggies (Potatoes, carrots, beans etc)

1/2 Bunch Fresh Dill leaves (Sabsige soppu)

1/2 cup Peanuts

2 tbsp Toor Dal

1 tsp Urad Dal

12-14 Black Pepper corns

2 Dry red chilies, low spiced

1-2 tbsp Fresh/Frozen Grated Coconut

3-4 Strands Cilantro

A pinch of Haldi

A generous pinch of hing

1-2 tsp Mustard Seeds

1 tsp Jaggery

1-2 tsp Ghee/Clarified butter

4-5 Curry leaves

Salt as per taste

Method:

Combine the veggies, dill leaves, toor dal and the peanuts in a vessel; Keep aside some peanuts for seasoning; Add enough water and pressure cook the veggie mixture until done.
Meanwhile, dry roast the urad dal, pepper corns, red chilies and powder them in a blender. Add coconut, cilantro, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, hing, haldi and grind to a smooth paste.
Add the masala paste to the cooked veggies and boil well; Add water to get the required consistency; Add salt and jaggery and boil for couple of more minutes.
Heat ghee and temper with mustard seeds, remaining peanuts and curry leaves. Serve hot with rice and enjoi!

Prep Time: 40-45 mins.

Serves: About 3-4 people.

Eggless Chocolate Rolls

2008-02-18T23:25:00.005-06:00

Hey folks! A chocolate recipe for you guys this time. I found this simple yet different recipe on the Internet some days back. I tried querying for it again today, but couldn't find it :(..... I was using the wrong name or something I guess, I don't know. Anyway.... I made it with whatever I remembered and it turned out quite good!!! Here's the recipe.. Enjoi!

Ingredients:

1/2 pack Marie/Tea Biscuit

2-3 tbsp Cocoa powder

1/2 cup Milk

1 cup Dry Coconut Powder

3/4 cup Powdered Sugar

2-3 tbsp Butter

1 tsp Powdered Elaichi

Method:

Powder the Marie/Tea biscuits in a blender; Add cocoa powder, milk and knead it to a smooth pliable dough; The consistency should be like that of Chapati dough. Keep aside.
Mix the coconut powder, sugar, elaichi powder and the melted butter in a mixing bowl; The mixture should be sticky and not too powdery. You can adjust the sweetness according to your taste.... However, you might want to make it a little more sweet than usual as the outer cocoa layer is bland.
Pull out a lemon sized ball from the cocoa-biscuit dough; With the help of a rolling pin, roll it into a thick chapati.
Spread the coconut-sugar mixture all over the chapati; Roll the chapati to form and cylinder and keep aside. Repeat the process for the remaining dough.
Refrigerate the rolls for about 30-45 mins; Remove from freezer and cut them width wise . Store in air tight containers in the refrigerator and serve cold.

Prep time: About 30-40 mins

Makes: About 25-30 pieces

Hagalakayi Palya/Bitter Gourd Sabzi

2008-02-12T00:36:00.001-06:00

Life has been pretty busy for me in the past few days and I haven't been doing much of cooking.... I have been sticking to recipes that get done fast and do not require too much preparation! Here's one such sabzi that I made today. Not that it gets done fast..... But its quite easy to make and takes very few common ingredients that would usually be available in your pantry.

Ingredients:

3 Bitter Gourds/Karela/Hagalakayi , medium sized

1/2 tsp Haldi

4-5 tsp Oil

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

3-4 Curry leaves

A pinch of hing

1 tsp Rasam/Sambhar powder of your choice

2" Jaggery cube

3/4 tsp Tamarind paste OR 1 big lemon sized tamarind pulp soaked in warm water

1 tbsp Grated coconut, fresh/frozen

Salt as per taste

Method:

Remove seeds from the bitter gourds and chop them finely; Add haldi,salt and mix well; Keep aside for about 30-40 mins.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan;Temper with mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves.
Squeeze out the juice from the chopped bitter gourd and add to the tempering.
Cook on medium heat until they turn crisp and lightly brown in color; Saute regularly.
Add rasam powder, jaggery, tamarind, coconut and mix well; Add salt if required and cook for couple of more minutes. At this point, you might want to add more tamarind or jaggery depending on the taste.
Remove from stove and serve hot with rice or rotis. Enjoi!

Serves: 2 people

Prep Time: 20-25 mins

Mixed Vegetable Saagu

2008-02-06T17:09:00.001-06:00

Scene I : Just a week after the wedding, Mother-in-law and the new Daughter-in-law of the house are watching TV and having a conversation after dinner....

MIL: What shall we make for breakfast tomorrow?

DIL: Anything is okay...

MIL (all excited): How about Poori-Saagu???!!? It's a famous combo in Bangalore, isn't it? I'm sure you have the recipe.... Let's make it tomorrow.

DIL : Sure! ( In her mind: What??!?!?! I can barely make tea/coffee.. How will I make poori saagu??!?!)

Later in the night, DIL digs into her set of recipes that her mom had written down for her and luckily... she finds the Saagu recipe there!!!! She mugs it up thoroughly before going to bed and hopes everything goes well the next morning

Scene II: Next morning in the kitchen....DIL is all nervous and blank. She is just not able to recollect the recipe.....

MIL: Lets start! what all do you need?

DIL: Err.... ummm.... coconut... ummm.... cloves... ummm....

MIL : How much?

DIL (trying to be as vague as possible) : A little.... as much as you would normally use!!!!

MIL: Should I roast them or grind it directly??

DIL: Roast them.... no no.. grind it directly... ummm... Actually, either ways should be fine.

By then, the MIL realizes that the DIL doesn't really know how to make it!!! She goes ahead and makes it herself with whatever little input she got from the DIL.... At the breakfast table, everyone at home seemed to have liked the saagu. MIL was so sweet that she went on telling everyone that it was her DIL who made it!!!!

And yes, you guessed it right!!!! It was me and my MIL that I was talking about all this while............ :)

This episode is the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of Saagu! I have come a long way since then and I have leant to make pretty good saagu now, but I still get embarrassed when I think of that episode.....My FIL still keeps pulling my leg sometimes about this!! :)

Posting this recipe on the request from one of my readers....Poori-Saagu has always been my fav combo. I wonder how I missed posting it all this while.... Thanx for reminding! Anyway, will stop yapping now and head straight to the recipe !

Ingredients:

2 cups Chopped mixed veggies (Beans, carrots, peas, potatoes)

1-2 tsp Oil

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

3-4 Curry leaves

1/2 Onion (finely chopped)

A pinch of Hing

A pinch of turmeric

Salt as per taste

For the Masala:

2 - 3 tbsp Grated coconut

2"-3" Cinnamon stick

5-6 cloves

4-5 Black Peppercorns

2" Fresh Ginger

8-10 Cashews, soaked in warm water for about 15-20 mins

1/2 Onion

2-3 tsp Chana dahlia/ Putaani/Hurigadale

3-4 strands Cilantro

2-3 Green chilies

Method:

Cook the veggies with some salt and water until done. You could even pressure cook them if you want.
For the masala, grind all the ingredients to a smooth paste with some water. Cashews are added to give thickness to the gravy.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan; Temper with mustard seeds, hing, turmeric, curry leaves.
Add finely chopped onions and fry until done; Add cooked veggies and the masala paste.
Mix and allow it to boil well; Add salt as required. Add water to get the desired consistency.
Remove from stove and serve hot with pooris, dosa, chapati or even rice.

Serves: About 3-4 people

Prep time: about 30-40 mins

Baby Potatoes Cooked in Tangy Tamarind Sauce (South Indian Style) AND a Tribute to my Mom!

2008-01-30T14:09:00.001-06:00

Have I ever mentioned how good a cook my mom is??!?! Well, she is an amazing cook to say the least!!!!! She loves experimenting and trying out new recipes and cuisines. When my parents were newly married, about 30 years back.... they lived in Pune for a while and that was when she was introduced to North Indian food. I believe she used to collect Chaat recipes from the gaadi walaas or neighbors and try them at home without letting the elders of the family know about it.... Those were the times when eating onions was also considered a sin in an orthodox, south indian, brahmin family like ours!!! :D She's been into experimenting and trying out new stuff ever since.... She even bought a conventional oven about 15 years back and tried her hand at baking eggless cakes, chocolates, puddings.... She makes a zillion kinds of yummy juices, soups....and a lot more. Most of the recipes I have here on my blog are also hers!! My mom is not just a wonderful cook but also a wonderful human being. Shez always been there for me, supporting me when I needed her emotionally, listening to all my silly college stories after I got back home from college.... helping me choose the right ear-ring for that particular dress to wear to a party.... Standing and knocking at my bedroom door for long hours when I would shut the door at her after a fight....I remember the time when I got my first job.... She was as excited as me and she could listen to me for hours, about the 30 min interview I had just cleared !!!! She has been my best friend and companion ever!!! I fall short of words to express my feelings..... The least I could say is, Thank you for everything, Mom!!! Friends, please join me in thanking all moms for their sacrifices and the never ending patience 'n love that they show towards us........... I love you, Mom!! It doesn't have to be Mother's day or any other special occasion to thank your mom, does it?? :)

Coming to the recipe....... This recipe is also from my mom. Not too sure where she got the recipe from or what cuisine it is, but I relish it thoroughly!!! This dish can be served as a starter or aa a side dish with rotis. Its a very simple dish and takes very few ingredients that are commonly available in any south indian pantry. Here's the recipe.. Enjoi!

I just realized that Mansi of Food and Fun is hosting this event for Game Night Party Recipes and I will be sending across this recipe to her for this wonderful event... Thanx for hosting, Mansi!!

This one is also going out to Sia from Monsoon Spice for the Ode to Potato event!! You guys should check out this post of her's on potatoes.... Very informative, that one! Thanx Sia.

Ingredients:

8-10 Baby Potatoes (Choose smaller potatoes among the lot)

1 tsp Rasam powder (any brand that you have in your pantry)

3/4 tsp Tamarind paste OR lemon sized tamarind pulp

1-2 tsp Jaggery

1-2 tsp Oil

1/2 tsp Mustard/Jeera seeds

1/2 tsp Urad dal seeds

1/2 tbsp Finely chopped Red Onions

2-3 strands Cilantro finely Chopped

A pinch of haldi

Salt as per taste

Method:

Pressure cook baby potatoes in salt and water on medium heat until 1 whistle OR until completely cooked but still firm; Make sure you add enough salt while cooking.
Soak the tamarind in a small cup of warm water and keep aside for some time; Meanwhile, peel the cooked potatoes.
Heat oil in a heat bottomed pan and temper with jeera,haldi and urad dal. Add the cooked potatoes and saute well.
Add tamarind juice, rasam powder, jaggery; Simmer and cook covered for about 10 mins or until the potatoes are coated well with the masala. Saute once in a while; Add salt as required. Adjust the taste of tamarind and jaggery according to your wish.
Remove from stove; Garnish with chopped onions, cilantro and serve hot with rotis or as a starter!!

Serves: 2 people; Serving size: about 4-5 potatoes

Prep time: About 30-40 mins, including pressure cooking and my photo session!! ;)

Closer look at my all-time favorite dish....

Ellu Huli / Menaskai ( Coconut-Sesame gravy)

2008-01-24T21:46:00.001-06:00

A Dakshina Kannada recipe for you guys this time! I remember the first time I had it at my in-laws place .... It was so good that I kept licking my fingers long after my plate was clean :D. Menaskai is usually made with pineapples or ripe mangoes. The speciality of this dish is its tangy 'n sweet taste... The fruits add to the flavor! Menaskai is usually made during special occasions like festivals and weddings. Here's the recipe...Enjoi!

Ingredients:

2-3 Mangoes ( small sized, ripe and sweet) OR 1-2 cups cubed pineapples

2 tbsp Grated coconut, fresh/frozen

2.5 - 3 tsp Ellu/Til/Sesame seeds

3 Dry red chilies, low to medium spiced

1/2 tsp Paprika

1 tsp Jaggery

1/2 tsp Tamarind paste

1-2 tsp Oil

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

3-4 Curry leaves

A pinch of hing

Salt as per taste

Method:

Wash and cube the mangoes/pineapple; Cook with salt and water for about 3-4 mins or until done. Drain the water and keep aside. Keep the mango seeds too, if the mangoes are small. Note: I retained the mango skin this time. But the skin was a little bitter. So, you might want to peel off the skin , unless they are Indian mangoes.
Dry roast sesame seeds and red chilies; Grind with coconut , paprika and water to a smooth paste.
Add the masala paste to the cooked mangoes and boil well. You can add water to get the desired consistency. Add the tamarind paste, jaggery , salt and mix well.
Heat oil and temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves and hing; Serve hot with rice and enjoi!

Serves: 2 people

Prep time: About 20 mins.

Beetroot Soppu Mosaru Bajji / Beetroot Shoot Raita

2008-01-20T21:49:00.001-06:00

Hey folks, I'm back!!! Missed blogging all these days :(

Anyway, tell me one thing.... What do you do with the shoots that come along with the beets?? I used to just chop them off and throw them away until one of my friends gave me a recipe with it. I tried it out few days back and it tasted fabulous!!! This recipe is very mild and soothing..... Perfect for the times when you wanna have something comforting, after all the heavy/festive spreads!! Okay, I'll stop blah blahing here and head straight to the recipe... Enjoi!

Btw, I just saw that Meeta from What's for lunch Honey? is hosting an event for Comfort Foods this month and this recipe goes all the way to her for the Monthly Mingle: Comfort Foods event. Thanx Meeta for hosting!

Ingredients:

1-2 cups Curds

Shoot from about 2-3 Beets

1-2 tsp Oil

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1-2 Green chilies

3-4 Curry leaves

A pinch of hing

Salt as per taste

Method:

Wash and chop the shoots finely; Microwave with some salt and water for about 4-5 minutes or until cooked. You could even cook on stove top with some water and salt.
Beat the curds in a mixing bowl; Add the cooked shoots, salt and mix well; Add water if the raita is too thick.
Heat 1-2 tsp oil and temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chilies, hing and add to the raita.
Serve with steamed rice or as an accompaniment with Pulav or any other mixed rice. As simple as that!!! :)

Happy Sankranti!!!

2008-01-14T22:43:00.000-06:00

Picture courtesy: www.bharatgreetings.com

Sankranti wishes to all my readers and fellow bloggers!!!!! Wishing you good fortune 'n happiness today and always......

Also wanted to let you people know that I am a little caught up with a couple of things and will resume blogging in a week or so. Thanx for checking on me!

Badanekayi Pudi Kuttida Palya / Eggplant Sabzi spiced with Home made Masala Powder

2008-01-10T13:16:00.001-06:00

Pudi kuttida palya is a kind of sabzi made in Bangalore/Mysore parts of Karnataka. It derives it's name from the masala pudi (meaning powder) that is added to this sabzi.

Remember the masala powder we prepared while making Green Beans Bhaat earlier??!?! Well, we're gonna put it to use today! This palya gets done really fast if you already have the masala ready. Green beans,cabbage, methi leaves, green peppers (capsicum) can also be used instead of eggplants (brinjal).

Ingredients:

2 Eggplants . The long purple ones.... Not too sure what they are called

1-1.5 tsp Palya Pudi / Masala powder

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Urad dal/Chana dal

3-4 Curry leaves

1/4 tsp Tamarind paste

1/2 tsp Jaggery

1-2 tsp Oil

A pinch of hing

Salt as per taste

Method:

Chop the eggplants into thin strips of about 1.5in length and soak them in water so that they don't discolor.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and temper with mustard seeds, chana/urad dal, hing and curry leaves.
Drain the water from the chopped eggplants and add to the pan. Cover and cook until done;Saute frequently.
When it's half done add salt, tamarind, jaggery, Masala powder and mix well; Add little water if required and cook until done.
Remove from stove;Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with rotis or rice.

Tip: If you do not have the masala ready, you could use any store bought Vaangibhat or Sambhar powder!!!