Paper Plain Dosa

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:

1. Soak the dal, rice, methi seeds and poha with enough water for at least 4-6 hours or overnight.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Add salt to the fermented batter and mix well.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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)

      

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:

1. Cook the Veggie chunks with some salt and water until done.
2. Dry roast the sesame seeds, red chilies and the urad dal until they turn golden brown in color.
3. 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.
4. 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.... :)

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:

1. 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.
2. Pressure cook the grated winter melon for 1-2 whistles, or until cooked completely.
3. Transfer the contents to the pan and cook on medium heat until all the excess water evaporates; Saute regularly.
4. Once the quantity is reduced to three fourth's, add sugar and mix well;
5. 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.
6. Add elaichi, saffron and mix well.
7. 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

      

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:

1. 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.
2. Powder the roasted dal-pepper mixture in a blender; Do not add any water while powdering.
3. Add coconut to the masala powder and grind to a smooth paste; Add water as required.
4. Dilute the masala paste with enough water to get the desired consistency.
5. Add jaggery, salt and boil well on stove top for a couple of minutes.
6. 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

        

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:

1. Heat ghee in a pan and roast the raisins and cashews until they turn golden brown.
2. Add the fine rava and roast well until the raw smell disappears; Saute continuously and make sure the rava does not get burnt.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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

       

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:

1. 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.
2. Heat jaggery in a pan; Add just enough water to immerse half the jaggery.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Place 1-2 spoons of the filling at the center and close/seal from all sides, like how you would do for parathas.
6. 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.
7. Heat oil in pan; Drop the Sajjappas one by one and fry on low-medium heat; Fry on both sides.
8. 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

       

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:

1. Dry roast the red chilies, methi seeds and hing for about a minute and powder them in a blender.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Add the grated mango that was kept aside in step 2 and fry for a minute; Saute continuously.
5. Add the mango-coconut paste and boil for another minute;  Add few spoons of water to get the desired chutney consistency.
6. 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

       

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:

1. Pressure cook chana with some salt & water for about 3 whistles or until done; Keep aside.
2. Dry roast red chilies for a minute or two; Grind to a paste with coconut and tamarind; Add water as required.
3. Combine the cooked chana, potatoes and yam in a vessel; Add the masala paste and boil for a couple of minutes;
4. Add salt as required and mix well; You could even add some water to get the desired consistency.
5. 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

      

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:

1. 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!
2. Add rice to the blender and grind further with some water.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Steam cook the idlis in a pressure cooker for about 14-15 minutes; Make sure you remove the weight.
6. 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:

1. 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.
2. 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)

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:

1. Peel and chop the raw mango into cubes; Add some water,salt and boil well until cooked.
2. 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.
3. Add salt and mix; If the mango is not sweet enough, you could add some jaggery or sugar; Boil on stovetop for a minute.
4. 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!

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:

1. 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.
2. Mix all the ingredients for the filling in a mixing bowl; Adjust sweetness according to taste;Keep aside.
3. Pull out small balls from the rava-maida dough and roll them into small circular pooris. Make sure the pooris are not too thick.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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

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:

1. Wash and pressure cook toor dal with a few drops of oil and turmeric; Keep aside.
2. Cook the chopped eggplant with some salt and water, until done.
3. Mix the cooked dal and the eggplant; Boil well for 4-5 mins.
4. Add sambhar powder, coconut milk, jaggery, tamarind, salt and boil further for 3-5 minutes.
5. 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

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:

1. Pulse coconut, green chilies, cilantro, jeera and hing a couple of times OR until all ingredients blend well; DO NOT add water while blending.
2. Heat oil in pan; Temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves and turmeric;
3. Add the masala mix and saute for a minute or until the raw smell disappears; Make sure to saute regularly.
4. 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!
5. 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

      

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:

1. Chop the raw mangoes finely and keep aside.
2. Dry roast the methi seeds for a minute and powder them in a blender; DO NOT add water while powdering.
3. 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.
4. Add the powdered methi, chili powder, jaggery, tamarind, salt and mix well;Mix well and let cook for a couple of more minutes.
5. Adjust ingredients according to taste.
6. 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)

   

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:

1. 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.
2. Grind coconut, green chilies, cilantro, jeera, hing, chana dal/besan, mustard seeds and turmeric to a smooth paste with some water.
3. Add the masala paste to the cooked veggies; Add a little water if required and boil for a couple of minutes; Remove from heat.
4. 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.
5. 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:

1. 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.
2. Grind coconut and green chilies with some water, to a smooth paste.
3. Add the masala paste to the cooked veggies; Add a little water if required and boil for a couple of minutes; Remove from heat.
4. 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.
5. 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

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Transfer the mixture to a separate vessel and boil on stovetop for a few minutes; Add salt , sugar as required and mix well.
5. 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.
6. 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)

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Adjust the sweetness and salt according to your taste.
6. 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?!?!?!

                       

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

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Combine the cooked dal, veggies, coconut-masala paste and mix well; Add water to get the desired consistency.
6. 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.
7. 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

       

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:

1. 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.
2. Heat the appam pan on low- medium heat.
3. 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.
4. 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

      

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:

1. 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.
2. Add hing, salt, chopped cilantro and mix well. You could even add 1/2 tsp sugar for a tinge of sweetness!
3. 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!!)
4. Serve hot with majjige huli or coconut chutney or any other side dish of your choice.

 

Variations:

1. 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
2. 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!!
3. I think, adding finely chopped onions would be great too.... You could try that! :)

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

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:

1. Cook green beans with some salt and water; Keep aside.
2. Grind coconut, green chilies and jeera to a smooth paste with some water.Add the paste to the cooked veggies and boil well.
3. Add tamarind paste and some salt if required. Mix well and boil for a couple of more minutes.
4. 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...

1. Gulab Jamun - My all time fav!! I could gobble up any number of them.
2. Pineapple Pastry - Mmmmmm!!! That's what I usually order at restaurants
3. Cashew Kheer - The first dessert I made, all by myself!!!!
4. 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

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:

1. 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.
2. Mix all the ingredients together, except the oil. At this point you can adjust the taste according to your preference.
3. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan; Meanwhile, take small dumplings out of the dal mixture and flatten them in between your palms.
4. 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.
5. 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)

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:

1. 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
2. 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.
3. Reduce heat to low; Add the elaichi powder, nuts and mix well;
4. Add the roasted flour little by little; Mix continuously so that no lumps are formed;
5. 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!!!

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!!

1. 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!!
2. 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!!
3. 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!!
4. 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...
5. 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.
6. 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

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:

1. 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.
2. 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);
3. 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.
4. 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!
5. Add the dal-rice mixture, copra and half the ghee; Mix well and remove from stove.
6. Heat 1 tsp of ghee and roast the raisins and cashews until golden brown; Add to huggi and mix well.
7. 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)

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:

1. Grind the soaked while rice, grated coconut and the cucumber chunks to a smooth paste.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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)