Tomato Puree Rasam

I remember the times when I was new to cooking and I had to invite friends and family over for dinner..... I used to be so scared, and I would start planning almost a week earlier!!! :D

I've come quite a long way since then and inviting people over for dinner no more tenses me up ..... Infact, I've started taking it for granted nowadays thinking I'll definitely manage :). I did the same thing couple of weeks back when we had invited few of Naveen's colleague's families over for dinner.... I was under-planned and I did not even scan my pantry before hand to see if I had all the ingredients. Needless to say, the menu kept changing every minute!!!! Until noon, my plan was to make Pulav and Pooris. But later in the evening, I changed my mind and decided to make rice-rasam instead of Pulav. I started seaching my pantry for some toor dal and I realized I had none....... It was then, that I got a little worried and I didnt know what to do. I then got reminded of this rasam recipe which I had tasted back in India which takes only tomatoes and no dal !!!! I made it and it turned out quite good... Among all the dishes that I had made that day, our friends seemed to have liked this one the most..... Infact, they specifically asked me to put it up on "Mane Adige" !!! This ones for you, Veena.... Hope everyone likes it as much as you did ! :)

Ingredients:

3-4 Tomatoes, medium sized

1.5 - 2 tsp Rasam powder

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Jeera

3-4 curry leaves

1 tsp Jaggery

A pinch of hing

Salt as per taste

Method:

1. Blend the tomatoes to a smooth puree in a blender. Do not add any water while blending.
2. Boil the tomato puree on stove for about 4-5 mins. Add the rasam powder and boil further for another 4-5 mins. Add water if you feel the puree is very thick.
3. Add salt, jaggery and mix well. You can even add a couple of spoons of grated coconut and chopped cilantro. Since the tomato already has a sour taste, you need not add any tamarind.
4. Temper with mustard seeds, jeera, hing and curry leaves; Serve hot with rice and enjoi!

Ragi / Raagi Mudde (Finger Millet)

"Hittam thindam bettam kithettam".... is a kannada saying which means, the one who eats raagi mudde has the strength and power to move hills!!! Originated in the old mysore region of Karnataka, Raagi Mudde is a very popular dish in almost all the rural parts of Karnataka, especially in mysore-mandya regions.

Raagi (Finger Millet, in english), as you all know is very rich in iron content and is very low on fat and calories. Raagi mudde is very filling and thats why it is also the staple food of farmers. Moreover, its so fast and easy to make that your meal will be ready in just a few minutes!!!

I still distinctly remember the first time I tasted raagi mudde..... It was at one of our relative's place in Mysore. I was really young then and it was the first time I had heard of or seen raagi mudde. I was surprised how their entire family was relishing those ugly looking raagi lumps.... My aunt forced me to try it out and I reluctantly picked up a small piece. She instructed me to roll the raagi mudde piece in sambhar gravy and swallow it directly without chewing. I started liking it after having a few pieces and have never stopped liking it till date!!! My mom used to make it for me regularly since then and now, I've started making it myself.

Eating raagi mudde which was once considered below status, is now becoming a style symbol. You get to see raagi mudde mess opening up all over the country, including the capital city of Delhi!! Former Prime Minister Mr. H.D Deve Gowda was reputed to serve a ragi mudde that tasted as if it had been made in Mandya, the Vokkaliga belt of Karnataka. When he was in power, it is said that he even had a separate cook imported from his home town, and even a separate kitchen just outside the main kitchen, for making raagi mudde!! Thanx to our ex-PM for having made this healthy and sumptuous dish famous all over India :)

Raagi mudde-Soppina saaru (green leaf curry) is the most famous combination. However, raagi mudde can be eaten with any gravy or curry. I made green beans sambhar this time. In the rural areas, it is also eaten with crushed green chillies, salt and onions. So, you can choose any side dish of your choice. Here's the raagi mudde recipe.. Enjoi!!

This will be my entry for Nupur's 'R' of A-Z of Indian Vegetables.

Ingredients:

1 cup Ragi /Finger millet flour

2 tsp Oil

Salt as per taste

Method:

1. Mix 1 - 1.5 tsp of ragi flour in 1.5 cups of water; Add 2 tsp oil and salt to the mixture.
2. Heat the mixture in a kadai and bring it to boil. Add the remaining ragi flour, stirring continuously so that no lumps are formed. Ragi should form a single mass.
3. Close and cook on low heat for about 1-2 mins.
4. Remove from stove; Wet your hands and make ragi balls of desired size while it is still hot.
5. Serve hot with any gravy/curry of your choice and enjoi!!

Note: To eat, pull out tiny balls of ragi from the ragi mudde; roll it in the gravy and swallow without chewing.

Masala Coke / Masala Pepsi

If you've ever been to the juice centers in the metros of India, I'm sure you've noticed this drink on the menu!!! Coke or Pepsi is mixed with a few Indian masalas and is converted into a heavenly, refreshing drink which is a beautiful blend of videsi and desi flavours!!!

Suketu Mehta describes the Masala Coke in his book "Maximum city: Bombay lost and found" as follows:

"When the Coke is poured into the glass, which has a couple of teaspoons of the masala waiting to attack the liquid from the bottom up, the American drink froths up in astonished anger. The waiter stands at your booth, waiting until the froth dies down, then puts in a little more of the Coke, then waits a moment more, then pours in the rest. And, lo! it has become a Hindu Coke. The alien invader has come into the country. It has been accepted into the pantheon of local drinks but has a little spice added to it, a little more zing. The cocaine is back in the Coke."

I remember the times when my friends and I had just graduated from school and were out on the busy roads of Bangalore all day, attending job interviews and written tests....... We would stop by the juice centers atleast twice a day for this videsi drink with a desi touch :) !! Masala coke was just right for those hot summer days.

Now that the days are getting hotter, I got reminded of this drink and I tried it out over the weekend. It tasted as good as ever!!!! Hope you all like it too....

Ingredients:

500 ml Coca Cola / Pepsi

3/4 tsp Jeera / Cumin powder

1/4 tsp Ajwain/Oma powder (optional)

1/2 tsp Black pepper powder

1 tsp Lemon juice

Salt as per taste

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients together ( except the soda) in a tall glass.


2. To this, add the soda (Coke or Pepsi) little by little; The soda froths up.


3. Stir continuously with a spoon and add more soda after it stops frothing.


4. Repeat until the glass is full. Serve immediately and relish!

Eerulli Kaavu Gojju / Green Onion Curry

Green Onions or Spring Onions are called Eruli Kavu/Eerulli Kaavu in kannada. Back in India my mother used to make a kind of curry (called 'gojju' in kannada) with it ,which we all loved. Its a very traditional dish and is quite common in the Bengalooru-Mysooru parts of Karnataka. Eeruli Kavu that we get back in India are a little more crisp than the green onions you find here in the US, and they have small flowers at the bottom end. So, when I picked up green onions from the store last week I wasn't really sure if they were the same as Eruli Kavu.... So, you know what I did??!!?! I came home... Asked mom to come online on yahoo, switched on the webcam and asked her if they looked the same!! :))))) She okayed it and I went ahead and tried out this traditional recipe. It turned out really good!!!! Here's how I made it...

Ingredients:

1 bunch Green onions

1 cup Fresh/frozen grated coconut

2 tsp Ellu/Til/Sesame seeds

3-4 Dry Red chillis, low to medium spiced

2 tsp Hurigadale/Putaani/Channa Dhalia

1 tsp Mustard seeds

4-5 curry leaves

1/4 tsp tamarind paste
2-3 tsp Oil

1/2 tsp jaggery

A pinch of hing

Salt as per tatse

Method:

1. Wash, clean and chop green onions into fine pieces.


2. Heat oil in kadai and add mustard seeds; Add hing, curry leaves after the seeds splutter.


3. To this, add chopped green onions and fry until it is completely cooked.


4. Meanwhile, dry roast Ellu/Til and dry red chillies until you smell the fresh aroma of the masala.


5. Grind the roasted masala with chana dahlia,hing, coconut and mustard seeds to a smooth paste.


6. Add the masala paste to the onions after they are cooked completely. Add water to get the desired consistency and allow it to boil.


7. To this add tamarind paste, jaggery, salt and boil well.


8. Serve hot with rice or rotis and enjoi!!

Quick Watermelon Slush with Ice Cream

Now that the weather is getting hotter and hotter day by day, the quantity of water intake in very important. I make sure we drink atleast 1.5-2 lts (Its been more than a year since I came to the US, but I still haven't got used to the 'oz' measurements and I still am more comfy with 'lts' :)... ) of water daily. Apart from that, I make sure I have enough fruits like watermelons, tangerines,grapes in my pantry which are also a good source of water content.
I usually prefer having fresh fruits directly instead of making juices out of them...... Juices need extra sugar/sweetners to be added, which I usually try and avoid. But watermelon slush is my all-time favourite and it brings back my sweet ol' memories.... As a kid, I lived in Mangalore and my parents used to take me to the beach every sunday evening. On our way back we would go to Ideal's/Pabbas and have an ice-cream..... And I always ordered either Gadbad or Watermelon slush with Ice cream. Any of you Mangaloreans out there??!! You'll know what I'm talking about.... :). I missed the slush so much after moving out of Mangalore, that I started making it at home, myself !!

This drink was ready so fast that I thought its apt to be entered into Nupur's "Q for Quick" event. Here's the recipe for it. Hope you like it too!!

I just realized that WBB has a similar theme this time-"Summer Fruits". So, I am entering my Watermelon Slush into WBB#11-Summer Fruits hosted by Padmaja of Spicy Andhra.

Ingredients:

1 cup Watermelon cubes, de-seeded
1/2 cup Ice cubes
1 scoop Vanilla Ice-cream
3-4 tbsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Black pepper powder
1/2 tsp Lime juice

Method:

1. Blend the ice cubes in a blender until they are crushed into small pieces.


2. Add watermelon and blend further to make a juice. Add sugar, pepper, lime juice and mix well.


3. Pour into tall juice class until it is 3/4 full.


4. Add a scoop of Vanilla ice cream; Add remaining slush on the ice cream and serve immediately!!

Godambi-Thondekai Palya / Cashew-Tindora Sabzi

Surprised that a sabzi is made with cashews??!!?! So was I, when I heard about it for the first time a year ago. Like I said before, Naveen is a Big.... BIg....BIG lover of godambi/cashews. He had been asking me to make godambi-thondekai palya since a long time . I finally called my M-I-L , took the recipe from her and made it. The idea of making a sabzi out of cashews didn't sound so great to me, initially. But I must admit... I was wrong. The palya tasted really good!!! I loved the palya, though I am not a great lover of cashews.
Godambi-Thondekai palya is a very famous side dish in the Mangalore/Udupi parts of Karnataka. Its rich, as well as healthy. Here's the recipe for it....

Ingredients:

1 cup Thondekai/Tindora, chopped lengthwise
1 cup Whole cashews
2-3 tbsp Fresh grated coconut
3-4 Curry leaves
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
2 tsp Oil
2 Dry red Chillies
2-3 strands Cilantro
1/2 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Lime juice
A pinch of haldi
Salt as per taste

Method:

1. Pressure cook tindora and cashews separately until they are done. Immerse cashews in water while cooking;However, tindora can be cooked even without water.


2. Heat oil in kadai and add mustard seeds; Add curry leaves, haldi and dry red chillies after the mustard splutters.


3. To this, add cooked tindora and cashews; Mix well.


4. Add salt, sugar, grated coconut and mix well.


5. Remove from stove; Add lime juice, chopped cilantro and serve hot with rice or rotis. Enjoi!!

Mango Something!!!

Like the rest of the Indians, Kannadigas are also very fond of Mangoes!!! We use both raw and ripe mangoes in cooking. The most common Karnataka dishes with mango are : Rasaayana/Payasa, Seekarane, Maavinakai Chitranna, Uppinakai, Burfi and many more.
After my wedding, my MIL took me to one of her friends houses and there they offered us Mango Burfi. It was sooooo delicious that I gobbled up around 3-4 pieces :)....And now that its the season for Mango again, I got reminded of the dish. I made a few changes to the burfi recipe and came up with a new recipe of my own!!! I offered it to my friends and they all loved it!! But I still didnt know what to call it.... Some of my friends called it Peda, some called it laddu/ladoo and some others called it mango balls.So, I leave the name to you.... Call it whatever you think is appropriate.... Enjoi!! :)

This will be my entry for the 'AFAM-Mango' Event hosted by Deepa of Recipes N More

Ingredients:

1 tin Condensed milk
2 cups Mango puree (fresh or canned)
3-4 tbsp Cashew pieces
3-4 tbsp Raisins
4 tbsp Dry, powdered coconut
6-7 strands Saffron
2 tbsp Milk
1/4 cup Sugar (optional)

Method:

1. Empty the condensed milk and the mango puree into a heavy bottomed pan(non-stick pan, preferrably) and mix well. If you like it very sweet, you can add some sugar.... But keep in mind that the condensed milk and the mango puree are already sweet!!
   
2. Heat the mixture on medium flame until it thickens and forms a single lump (appr. 40-45 mins). Saute continuously.
   
3. Meanwhile, soak saffron in 2 tbsp warm milk and keep aside for a few minutes. Add cashews, raisins and soaked saffron to the mango mixture on stove and mix well. Continue to boil the mixture. Keep in mind not to increase the heat too much; The mixture might start getting burnt from the bottom otherwise.
   
4. Switch off the stove when the mixture thickens to form a single lump and it comes out of the pan without sticking. Let it cool for about 5 mins.
   
5. Make small balls out of the mixture and roll them in dry coconut powder; Note that the balls should be made when the mixture is still hot.


6. Cool completely and store in airtight containers. Enjoi!!

Bisi Bele Bhaat

Couple of my friends had been asking for my Bisi Bele Bhaat recipe since a looooong time..... I finally made up my mind and prepared it today!!!Anjana, Shwetha....I'm sorry about the delay.... But I'm sure you'll understand ;))

Bisibele Bhaat has been an all time favourite dish for all kannadigas... And its no different in our house. Naveen is a huuuuuuge Bisi Bele Bhaat lover. With some raita, he can have it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even the next day's breakfast too!!! :))

Most of the people use Urad/Chana dal for the Bisi Bele Bhaat masala. But the one that I have for you here is a little different. I got this recipe from my mom and she got it from her grandmom, years ago.... So you can say, this recipe has been passing down in the family since generations!! :). Hope you like it as much we do!!!

Ingredients:

1 cup White rice
1 cup Toor dal
1 cup grated coconut
1 tsp Oil
1 Onion medium sized
1 cup Peas and carrots, chopped
1/2 cup Beans, chopped
1 Potato, medium sized
1/4 tsp Tamarind paste
1/2 tsp
1 tsp Mustard seeds
4-5 curry leaves
2 tsp Cashews
2 tbsp Ghee
A pinch of hing
Salt as per taste

For the Masala:
4-5 Dry red chillies, low to medium spiced
3 tsp Coriander seeds
4-5 Cloves
4"-5" Cinnamon/Chakke/Dalchini

Method:

1. Peel and chop onions into strips. Wash, peel and cut potatoes into 1" cubes.


2. Add oil and haldi to the dal;Pressure cook rice, dal and vegetables with lots of water (I use 6 cups of water for every cup of rice and toor dal). Make sure that the dal and rice is well cooked.


3. Meanwhile, dry roast red chillies, cinnamon, coriander seeds and cloves until you smell the fresh aroma of masalas.


4. Powder the masala in a blender without adding any water.


5. Add grated coconut and grind the masala to a smooth paste with some water.


6. Mix the masala with the cooked rice-dal-veggie mixture;Heat the mixture on medium flame and bring to boil. Stir regularly.


7. Add tamarind paste,jaggery and salt; Mix well and bring to boil again.


8. For the tadka, heat ghee; Add mustard seeds. Add hing, cashews and curry leaves after the seeds splutter. Mix well with Bisi Bele Bhaat and serve hot with raita/potato chips/mixture!

Palak-Corn/Spinach-Corn Soup

Couple of weeks back, one of our friends had invited us over for dinner and that was where I had Spinach soup for the first time. Naveen and I loved it instantly!! I decided to come home and try it myself sometime.
And I finally made it over the weekend!!! Weekend was cold and rainy ...And the weather was perfect for us to relish a hot bowl of soup. Thanx Sangeeta, for sharing tips on this lovely and healthy recipe. Hope you all like it !! This will also be my entry for Nupur's 'P' of A to Z of Indian Vegetables

Ingredients:

1 bunch Fresh Spinach

1/2 cup Sweet corn kernels
1 Tomato, small sized
1 Onion, medium sized
2 tsp Butter
3-4 Cloves
2" Cinnamon stick
1" Fresh Ginger

3-4 tbsp Whole Milk
1/2 tsp Black pepper, powdered
Salt as per taste

Method:

1. Wash and cut spinach leaves into pieces. Cut onions and tomatoes into chunks


2. Cook spinach onions and ginger in salt water until they become soft and are cooked. To this, add tomotoes, a little before the spinach and onions are done.


3. Switch off the stove after the veggies are cooked and let it cool.


4. Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp butter in a kadai and add cloves and cinnamon. Saute for a minute and keep aside.


5. Cook corn kernels in microwave for about 3 mins or until they are cooked and keep aside.


6. Blend together spinach, onions, tomatoes, ginger and cloves-cinnamon.


7. Add corn and milk to the above spinach mixture and bring to boil on stove. Add water if required.


8. Add salt and pepper and serve hot with butter!

Corn Chaat

Sometimes I wonder why chaat items are termed as Junk Food..... All it contains is some raw veggies( like carrots, cucumbers, onions, tomatoes), murmure/cooked channa/corn, little oil and some masalas.... Which are all good for health and also very low on calories!! The oil we add here is almost negligible, compared to pakoras and other fried items. So, I would prefer to call this dish as a healthy food than call it Junk Food. Am I not right, people??!!??

Both Naveen and I love chaats so much, that I make them as starters whenever I have guests over for dinner!!! Here's one such chaat recipe that has won me a lot of appreciation from all my friends...This one is sure to set your taste buds tingling!!! :)

Ingredients:

2 cups Sweet corn kernels
1/2 cup Chopped Onions (Red Onions give a good color. Since I ran short of red onions, I have used yellow onions in the picture)
1/4 cup Grated Carrots
1 tsp Chaat Masala
1/4 tsp Red Chilli powder
1 tsp Lime juice
1/2 tsp Sugar

2 tbsp Nylon Sev

1-2 strands Cilantro

2 tsp Oil
Salt as per taste

Method:

1. Cook the corn kernels in the microwave for about 3 mins, or until they are cooked.


2. In a mixing bowl add oil, cooked corn, carrots, onions, chilli powder, chaat masala, salt, sugar , lime juice and mix well. Add more masalas if required.


3. Garnish with Sev, Cilantro and serve immediately.

Kumbalakai Gojju/ Sweet Pumpkin Curry

Pumpkins are called Kumbalakai in Kannada. I learnt a kind of Kumbalakai curry from my mom that I relish a lot.This curry(called gojju in kannada) can also be made with okra, raw bananas or eggplant. But the sweet tinge of the pumpkin gives an amazing taste that you would not get with any other veggie....Heres the recipe for it.

Ingredients:

2 cups Yellow/Sweet Pumpkin chopped into 1" cubes
1 cup Fresh/frozen grated coconut
2 tsp Ellu/Til/Sesame seeds
3-4 Dry Red chillis, low to medium spiced
2 tsp Hurigadale/Putaani/Channa Dhalia
1 tsp Mustard seeds
4-5 curry leaves
1/4 tsp tamarind paste

2-3 tsp Oil
1/4 tsp jaggery
A pinch of hing
salt as per tatse

Method:

1. Heat oil in a kadai. Temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves and haldi.


2. Add chopped sweet/yellow pumpkins and cook covered until they become soft. Add very little (as little as 2-3 tsp) water while cooking.


3. Meanwhile, dry roast Ellu/Til and dry red chillies until you smell the fresh aroma of the masala.


4. Grind the roasted masala with chana dahlia,hing, coconut and mustard seeds to a smooth paste.


5. Add the masala paste to the pumpkins after they are cooked completely. Add water and allow it to boil.


6. To this add tamarind paste, jaggery, salt and boil well.


7. Serve hot with rice and enjoi!!

Indonesian Potatoes

I happened to come across this dish on the Sanjeev Kapoor show on TV few days back and it looked very delicious and colourful. I made a few modifications to the recipe to suit my taste and tried it out yesterday. It came out really good!!! Naveen and I gulped up the whole thing in just a couple of minutes!! :). Heres the recipe for it....

Ingredients:

1 Medium sized Potato
1 Small Red Bell Pepper
1 bunch Green Onions
2 tsp Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp Powdered Sugar
1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
2 tsp Oil
1/4 tsp Lime juice
Salt as per taste
Oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Wash, peel and chop potatoes into wedges.


2. Heat oil in kadai and deep fry the potatoes until they turn golden brown in color.


3. Remove potatoes from oil and drain them into paper napkins so that the excess oil is absorbed;Keep aside.


4. Meanwhile, chop green onions and the red bell pepper into thin strips.


5. In another kadai, heat 2-3 tsp oil. Add chopped green onions and bell peppers and fry until they are tender.


6. To this, add fried potatoes and saute. Add soy sauce, salt,sugar, crushed red peppers and mix well.


7. Remove from stove, add lemon juice and serve hot. This dish can be eaten with rice or even separately.....

Myrtle Beach

Hey folks, am back from Myrtle Beach!!! The weather was good and the place was beautiful... Everything went as planned and it was a perfect, short n sweet vacation!! Lot of things to see and do out there.... The Beach itself, Watersports, Barefoot Landing Mall, Broadway at the Beach, Ripley's shows (about 4 of them), Miniature Golfing........ Since ours was a short trip we did not have enough time to try out the watersports. Among all that we tried, the one that I enjoyed the most was "Ripley's Haunted Adventure". I recommend this to all of you who haven't seen it yet. Here's the link to the webpage http://www.ripleys.com/sites/haunted_adventure/myrtle/

All of you who live closeby..... you now know where to go when you wanna have a short yet enjoyable vacation!!! :)