Jhunka

           

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

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

Ingredients:

1 cup Besan/Kadle Hittu/Chickpea flour

1 Onion, medium sized

1-2 tbsp Water

1 tsp Chili powder

1/2 tsp Haldi/Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Jeera powder

1/2 tsp Sugar (optional)

1 tsp Lime juice

1 tbsp Cooking Oil

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1 strand Curry leaves

2-3 strands Cilantro, finely chopped

1 tbsp Grated Coconut (optional)

Salt as per taste

Method:

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

Prep Time: About 15-20 minutes;

Serves: 2 people;

Ellu Bella

        

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

Ingredients:

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

1 cup Hurigadale/Chana Dhalia/ Putaani

1 cup Peanuts, dry roasted and skin peeled off

1 Cup Finely and uniformly chopped Jaggery

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

Method:

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

Antinunde/Karadantu / Laddu with Edible Gum

        

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

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

Ingredients:

1 cup Edible gum, finely chopped

1 cup Almonds/Badami, finely chopped

1 cup Dry Dates/Uttutte, finely chopped

1 cup Raisins

1 cup Desiccated Coconut/Copra/Kobbari grated

1.5 cups Jaggery

1-1.5 tbsp Khus khus/ Gasagase (optional)

2 tbsp Ghee/Clarified butter for roasting

Ghee for deep frying

Method:

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

Prep Time: About 50-60 mins;

Makes: About 25-30 laddus;