RADISH SAMBAR

RADISH SAMBAR

Sambar is a typical South Indian dish generally had with rice. This is adapted from a recipe for sambar by Chandra Padmanabhan, the vastly experienced cookery expert of South Indian cuisine from yesteryear. If I remember correctly, this recipe was from her book, "Dakshin". Actually the recipe was for Vengaya Sambar, made of small onions or shallots, but I have modified it to make Mullangi Sambar in which radish or mullangi is the main vegetable.

There are two methods of preparing sambar. What is more common these days is the use of ready made off the shelf sambar powder. However, this recipe involves making the sambar by grinding the required spices yourself. This isn't as difficult as it might sound, and it gives you the authentic flavour the sambar is meant to have.

Ingredients:

• Radish, 2-3
• Potatoes, small sized, 2
• Thuar dal, 1/2 cup
• Turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp
• Tamarind, lemon-sized 
• Coriander leaves, chopped fine, (for garnishing)
• Salt, to taste

For the masala:

• Grated coconut, 3-4 tbsp
• Oil, 2 tsp
• Fenugreek  (methi) seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Red chillies, 6-8
• Asafoetida powder, (hing), 1/4 tsp
• Cumin seeds, (jeera), 1 tsp
• Coriander seeds, 3 tbsp
• Bengal gram dal, 1 and 1/2 tbsp
• Poppy seeds 2 tsp

For tempering:

• Oil, 2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds, 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds, 1 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli, halved, 1
• Curry leaves, a few

Method:

Wash and clean the radish and potatoes. 

Peel and cut the radish into rounds. Keep aside.
Peel and cut the potatoes into bite sized cubes
Soak the tamarind in 1 and 1/2 cups of water and extract the juice and set aside

Pressure cook the dal and set aside

Cook the radish and potatoes.
To make the paste: Fry in 2 tsp oil the fenugreek seeds, red chillies, asafoetida, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, Bengal gram dal and poppy seeds.
Grind to a fine paste, adding the coconut gratings using very little water. Set aside.

Heat 2 tbsp of oil and add all the ingredients for tempering in the order mentioned.
Next add the cooked radish and potatoes 

Add the tamarind juice, turmeric powder and salt.

Cover and simmer for 5 minutes till the raw smell of the tamarind juice disappears

Add the cooked dal and the ground masala paste and cook for another 5 minutes till everything blends well

If the sambar is too thick, add 1/4 cup of water or as required to get the consistency you prefer and bring to a boil

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves
Serve hot with rice

PANCHKADAI (PANCHAKAJJAI)

PANCHKADAI (PANCHAKAJJAI)

In festivals like Krishna Janmashtami , which we celebrated yesterday, it is customary for us Konkanis of the Gowd Saraswat Brahmin community to offer "Panchakadai", also known as "Panchakajjai" or "Panchakadayi" as naivedya or prasad. It is also made for festivals like Gowri Ganesh etc.

In order to make a small contribution to keeping alive our old traditions, today I would like to share how I make this. I hope this will be of some use to young Konkani ladies who may want to make this for our festivals.

The measurements given is for a small quantity. You can adjust according to your requirements.

Ingredients:

• Fresh Coconut, grated, 1/2
• Jaggery, grated,  3/4 cup,  or as per taste
• Bengal gram (Chana dal), 2 -3 tbsp 
• Sesame seeds (Til), 1 tbsp
• Cardamom powder (Elaichi powder), 1/2 tsp 
• Ghee, 1-2 tsp
• Dry Roasted Cashew nuts, chopped, 6-8

Method:

In a thick- bottomed kadai, dry roast the chana dal till it gives off a fragrant aroma and turns golden Cool it and grind it in a mixer to get a coarse powder.

Next, dry roast the til until it starts to splutter and keep aside.

Add 1/4 cup of water to the grated jaggery

Heat in the kadai till the jaggery melts completely and the syrup is of one string consistency

Add the grated coconut to the jaggery syrup

Boil this, stirring continuously till this mixture thickens

Switch off the gas and let the mixture cool

Now add the powdered chana dal, roasted til, elaichi powder and mix all this thoroughly

Garnish with roasted cashew nuts

Finally, sprinkle ghee to enhance the taste.

BHARLI VAANGI: STUFFED BABY BRINJALS (EGGPLANT)

BHARLI VAANGI: STUFFED BABY BRINJALS (EGGPLANT)

The advantage of having friends who are interested in cookery is that we get to exchange recipes and learn new dishes from each other. Bharli Vaangi or stuffed baby brinjals (eggplant) is a Maharashtrian dish which I made recently. I would like to thank my friend, Jayashri Baleri for the recipe.

We were thrilled at the way it came out and enjoyed it immensely. The combination of Til and ground peanuts in the masala that is stuffed added significantly to the taste of the dish, which we enjoyed with hot rotis. 

Ingredients & Method:

• 6 to 8 baby brinjals 

For the stuffing

• 2 tbsp dry grated coconut
• 1/4 cup peanuts
• 2 tsp sesame (til) seeds
• 3-4 dry red chillies
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds

Place all these in a skillet, roast on low heat and grind together to a fine powder. 
To this powder, add...

• 2 tsp tamarind paste
• 1 tsp brown sugar, or jaggery
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 2 tbsp finely minced onion
• Salt to taste

Mix together the stuffing, using some water to moisten it if necessary to form a thick paste.
Make 4 slits in each of the brinjals while keeping the stalk intact
Stuff  the thick paste into each of the brinjals

Cooking the brinjals:
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadai. Add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, add 1/2 cup minced onion, fry till translucent.
Add the baby brinjals and 1/2 cup water. 
Cover and cook on low heat. Check every few minutes and add some water to the pan if necessary till brinjals are cooked and onions are golden. 
Garnish with minced coriander.

BHEEDA KANDA: GUEST POST BY BEYNIAZ EDULJI

BHEEDA KANDA: GUEST POST BY BEYNIAZ EDULJI

Bheeda Kanda (serves 4) 

My aim is to broad base my blog, over time, with a variety of dishes, made and enjoyed not only by me, but also by friends who contribute guest posts. My friend Beyniaz Edulji is well-known for her articles on travel and cuisine. 

When I asked her to contribute a guest post, she gladly agreed and we have today her recipe for a dish made of okra and onions, called Bheeda Kanda.  

Ingredients:

• Okra or ladies fingers, 500 grams
• Onions, large, 3
• Green chillies, chopped, 3
• Ginger garlic paste, 1 tsp
• Coriander powder, 1 tsp
• Cumin powder, 1 tsp
• Chilli powder, 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp
• Garam masala, 1/2 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Green coriander, finely chopped, 1 bunch
• Oil, 3 tbsp

Method:
Wash the Okra and dry. 
Cut into thin slices. Finely chop the onions. 
Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onions and fry. 
Add the ginger garlic paste and cook for another 2 minutes. 
Add the chopped chillies, Chilli powder, Salt, Turmeric Powder, the Coriander and Cumin Powders and sauté on low flame for another 2 minutes. 
Add the sliced Okra and mix well. Cook uncovered till the Okra is cooked. 
Add the Garam Masala and green coriander.
Serve with chapattis.

Thank you so much, Beyniaz. I am sure many will enjoy this dish.

KARIBEVA CHUTNEY/ CURRY LEAVES CHUTNEY

KARIBEVA CHUTNEY/ CURRY LEAVES CHUTNEY

This is an old recipe which is frequently made in many Konkani houses. In Konkani, which is my mother tongue, "karibev" is what we call the aromatic "curry leaves", known as "Karubevana soppu" in Kannada, "Karivepille" in Tamil, and "Kari patta" in Hindi.

This is a simple chutney powder which is an accompaniment with the main meal. It is very tasty and I hope you will like it as much as we do.

Decades ago, a lady called Jaya V. Shenoy, was one of the first from our community to write books on cookery! Some of her well-known books were "Dakshin Bharat Cookbook", "Oota Upahaara" etc. This was a standard recipe book gifted to young brides of those days!

I now don't remember in which book it appeared, but I have adapted this from Mrs. Jaya V. Shenoy' s recipe.

Ingredients:

• Curry leaves, 25 sprigs
• Copra, (Dried Coconut) , 1 full
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 20, or as per taste
• Chana Dal, (Bengal gram dal) 1 cup
• Hing, (Asafoetida), a large pinch
• Tamarind, size of a small marble
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 2- 3 tsp

Method:
Clean and wash the curry leaves thoroughly and pat them dry. This is an important step.
Grate the copra and roast it along with the curry leaves till golden brown.
Roast the red chillies and asafoetida separately, with a little oil, and keep aside
Roast chana dal with a little oil, allow it to cool and then coarsely powder it in the mixer. Keep aside.
Break the tamarind into small bits
Next, in a mixer, dry grind the roasted curry leaves and copra, red chillies, asafoetida, and tamarind. It is advisable to dry grind in small spurts, and not continuously, as the copra will leave excess oil.
Mix in salt and chana dal powder, and combine well
Allow to cool
Store in air tight container

MADGANE : TRADITIONAL KONKANI SWEET DISH

MADGANE : TRADITIONAL KONKANI SWEET DISH

"Madgane" (actually pronounced "mud-ga-ne.") is a well-known Konkani sweet dish made of chana dal (Bengal gram dal) and jaggery with the richness of coconut milk.

This is traditionally cooked during our festive occasions and can best be described as a "payasa" of sorts. This reminds me of the elaborate meal served on the banana leaf on such occasions where the last item to be served is the madgane, which is then quickly slurped off the leaf !!

 Ingredients:

• Chana Dal (Bengal Gram dal ), 1/2 cup
• Rice Flour, 2 tbsp
• Coconut Gratings, 2 cups
• Jaggery, grated, 1 cup, or as per taste
• Tender Cashew Nuts, 10-15
• Raisins, 1 tbsp
• Cardamom Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Ghee, a little for roasting raisins

 Method:

Soak tender cashew nuts for a couple of hours. Peel and break into halves. Cook them and keep aside.
In a kadai, dry roast the chana dal over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until it gives off a good aroma.
Wash the roasted chana dal, add 2 cups of water and cook it in a pressure cooker for 3 whistles or till it is soft, but not mushy. Allow the cooker to cool, remove the cooked dal and keep aside.
In a mixer, grind the coconut gratings and extract the thick milk. Keep aside.
Grind the coconut gratings once again, adding a little water, to extract the thin milk.
Next, add the rice flour to the thin coconut milk and mix it evenly
Add grated jaggery to the cooked chana dal and cashew nuts
Combine this with the mixture of rice flour and thin coconut milk
Boil this stirring continuously
Finally, add the thick coconut milk, and boil for a minute more
Now add the cardamom powder and garnish with raisins roasted in ghee
Serve hot or cold, as per your preference.

PULI KODDEL : CURRY OF ASH GOURD IN COCONUT MASALA

PULI KODDEL : CURRY OF ASH GOURD IN COCONUT MASALA

Since we are from the old South Kanara district of Karnataka, ( now called Dakshina Kannada) you will find many Konkani dishes in this blog. Today's recipe is of a dish called "Puli Koddel" which is made of ash gourd. The highlight of this dish is that it is sweet, sour, and spicy at the same time. 

This is a Konkani delicacy which my Mom used to make very often. Fortunately we liked ash gourd ( called Petha in Hindi, Poosinikai in Tamil, and Kumbalkai in Kannada) which is one of the main ingredients. We call it Kuvale in Konkani.

We make this dish for festive occasions as it does not have onions or garlic in the ingredients. It is a side dish which accompanies the main meal.

Ingredients:

• Ash Gourd, 300-350 gms
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Coconut Gratings, 1/4 cup tightly packed 
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 7-8
• Coriander Seeds, 1 tbsp
• Methi Seeds, 1/4 tsp
• Urad dal, (Black gram dal), 2 tsp
• Channa dal, (Bengal gram dal), 2 tsp
• Raw Rice, 1 tsp
• Jaggery, grated, 3 tbsp
• Tamarind, marble -sized ball
• Til (Sesame seeds), 1 tbsp
• Hing, (Asafoetida), a large pinch
• Salt, to taste

 For tempering:

• Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves, 1 sprig
• Coconut Oil, 1 tbsp

Method:

Wash, peel and cut the ash gourd into bite-sized pieces
In a vessel, cook the ash gourd pieces in adequate water along with the turmeric powder till it becomes tender, but not mushy and keep aside

Dry roast the sesame seeds and keep aside
In a kadai, heat a little oil and roast the red chillies, coriander seeds, methi seeds, urad dal, channa dal, hing, and rice separately till they are golden. Keep aside to cool.

Now roast the coconut gratings till they turn golden
Grind together all the roasted ingredients along with tamarind to a coarse paste using a little water
Add the ground paste to the cooked ash gourd along with grated jaggery and salt to taste

Adjust the consistency by adding a little water, if required, mix well and bring the gravy to a boil
Lower the flame and let it simmer for a few minutes, and then switch off the gas
Finally, season with mustard seeds and curry leaves in coconut oil

Serve as an accompaniment to the main meal

SHEERA

SHEERA 

Sheera (this is what we call this rava/semolina halwa in Konkani) is commonly made for festivals and offered as prasad. I made this yesterday on the occasion of Varamahalakshmi Puja. There are different variations of sheera. For example, you could add milk, as well as water. You could also add fruits, such as mango, banana or pineapple. Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipe for Mango Sheera. 

Sheera, (or its equivalents like "Kesari Bath") served in restaurants come with lots of ghee oozing out. Being more health conscious, I have used limited quantity of ghee. 

I have given the recipe below for the sheera in its simplest form, which while being very tasty, is both easy to make and can be made in a jiffy!

Ingredients:

• Semolina ( Medium Rava), 1 cup
• Ghee, 2-3 tbsp
• Sugar, 1 cup
• Warm Water, 2 cups
• Cashew nuts, 1 tbsp, chopped 
• Cardamom powder, 1/2 tsp

Method

In a thick bottomed non-stick kadai, heat the ghee on medium heat 

Lightly roast the cashew nuts, and keep aside

Next, add the rava and stirring continuously, roast it till it gives off a nice aroma 

To this, add  warm water (or milk and water in equal proportions) and mix well
Cook the rava covered on medium heat

Once the rava is cooked, add the sugar, mix well and continue to stir till the sheera leaves the sides of the kadai (In case it sticks to the bottom of the kadai, add a little ghee and stir )
Next add the cardamom powder, and mix well

Grease a thali lightly with ghee and spread the sheera on it uniformly

Let it cool for sometime

Cut the sheera into desired shapes and garnish with lightly roasted cashew nuts, or raisins.

 

VEGETABLE UPMA

VEGETABLE UPMA

A popular breakfast item in South India "Upma" (called "Upittu" in Kannada, and "Rulav" in my mother tongue, Konkani)  can be made in a variety of ways. It can be plain, or with vegetables like beans, carrots, capsicum, peas, and the like.

Today being our Independence Day, I present one with carrots and peas to give it the tricoloured look:)
We are proud of 66 years of Independence. My best wishes go out to you and your families.

I use "medium" rava ( semolina) as this gets you the right consistency. If the rava is too thin, it tends to become pasty, and if it is too thick, it could be very grainy.


Ingredients:

• Rava, 2 cups
• Carrots, medium sized, (chopped) 2
• Peas, 1/2 cup (cooked or frozen)
• Onion, large, (chopped), 1
• Oil,  3 tbsp
• Mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Black gram dal (urad dal), 1 tsp
• Bengal gram (channa dal), 1 tsp
• Green chillies, chopped, 4-5
• Ginger, grated, 1/2 tsp
• Water, 4 to 4 and 1/2  cups
• Curry leaves, 1 sprig
• Juice of a small Lemon
• Salt, to taste
• Coriander leaves, to garnish

Method:
In a non-stick kadai, on low heat, roast the rava until it becomes light brown, and gives off an aroma
Keep aside
Heat some oil in the kadai on medium flame. Add the mustard seeds and when they splutter, add the Black gram dal and the Bengal gram.
When the dals change colour, add green chillies, and curry leaves
Add the chopped onion, and the grated ginger and fry till they are light brown
Add 4 to 4 and 1/2 cups of water, and salt to taste
When the water boils, add the carrots and peas, and cook till they are tender
Next, add the roasted rava, little at a time, stirring continuously to ensure they don't form lumps
Keep the kadai covered and cook over low flame for 2-3 minutes
Switch off the gas, add the lemon juice and mix well
Garnish with coriander leaves
Serve hot, with a chutney of your choice

PEAS AND IVY GOURD STIR FRY

PEAS AND IVY GOURD STIR FRY

This easy to make dish has two commonly available vegetables, ivy gourd and peas. Ivy Gourd is  called Tindora in Hindi, Thondekayi in Kannada, Tendle in Konkani and Tondli in Marathi.

You can use either frozen or cooked peas for this recipe. It serves as a side dish which can be had with rice and curry or even rotis though it is rather dry.

Ingredients:

• Peas,  1/2 cup
• Ivy Gourd, cut length wise, 2 cups
• Onion, 1
• Turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp
• Chilli powder, 1 tsp
• Mustard, 1/2 tsp
• Oil, 1 tbsp
• Salt, to taste
• Coconut gratings, for garnish ( optional) 1 tbsp

Method:

Wash and cut the ivy gourd length-wise
Chop the onions
Heat oil in a thick bottom kadai
On medium heat, add mustard, when it splutters add the chopped onions and saute them
Next add the cut ivy gourd
Cover the kadai and cook the ivy gourd on low flame by adding very little water and stirring from time to time
Once the ivy gourd gets done, add the cooked/frozen peas, salt, and chilli powder.
Mix well and cook for another 2-3 minutes
Garnish with fresh coconut gratings, if you wish
Serve hot

MANGO FLAVOURED PHIRNI: GUEST POST BY ARCHANA PRABHU

MANGO FLAVOURED PHIRNI: GUEST POST BY ARCHANA PRABHU

Today's guest post is by my friend, Archana Prabhu. Apart from cooking, we share a love for gardening! Archana has a huge collection of recipes which you can see in her blog called, "Archie's Authentic Touch" and the blog's Facebook Page.

She gives us her recipe for a dessert well- known in North India called " Phirni." This rice pudding has a mango flavour and when served chilled will delight your guests.  

Thank you, Archana, for this lovely dessert.

 Ingredients:

• Raw Rice -1 tbsp
• Milk-1 litre 
• Sugar-5 tsp or according to the taste 
• Mango puree-3/4 th cup 
• Saffron strands-a few (soak in warm milk for about 10 mts )
• Almonds, a few, for garnishing 
•  Pistas, a few, for garnishing
• Cherries, a few, for garnishing

 Method:
Soak rice for an hour and then grind it with little milk or water to a smooth paste
Boil milk and when it comes to boil, add the rice paste.
Stir continuously till the rice is cooked and the milk has thickened
Add sugar and stir till all the sugar is mixed well
Switch off the gas and add the saffron strands soaked in warm milk
Allow it to cool
Add mango puree and mix well
Chill atleast for 2 hours
Garnish with almonds, pistas and cherries.
Serve chilled !

AVIAL

AVIAL

Avial is one of the most famous vegetarian dishes of Kerala, and no Onam Sadya ( festive lunch for the Onam festival) is considered complete without this dish. This dish is basically made of mixed vegetables, coconut masala, and curds, tempered with coconut oil and curry leaves. It is fairly easy to make and goes well as an accompaniment to rice or adais.

The kinds of vegetables you use and the extent of gravy you make depends on your choice. Yam, pumpkin, ash gourd, carrots, drumsticks, peas, beans, raw banana and raw mangoes are frequently used. However, try to avoid leafy vegetables and also ladies' fingers as they tend to get too mushy.

Keep in mind that the different vegetables used take varying times to cook. While most of the vegetables can be pressure cooked together  (1 whistle), the drumsticks need to be cooked separately.

Ingredients:

• Yam, 100 grams
• Raw Banana, 1
• Potato, 1
• Ash Gourd, 100 grams
• Drumstick, 1
• Beans + Carrot, 100 grams
• Shelled Green Peas, 1/2 cup
• Turmeric Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Coconut Oil, as required
• Curry Leaves, a few
• Fresh Thick Curds, 1 cup
• Salt, to taste

To be ground into a paste:

• Coconut Gratings, 1 cup
• Jeera, 1 tsp
• Green Chillies, 7
• Rice, 1 tsp

Method:

Peel and chop the vegetables into 2 " pieces.
Cook these vegetables with turmeric powder and salt.
Grind together grated coconut, green chillies, jeera, and rice to a paste
Add this paste to the cooked vegetables and boil
Let it cool
Now add the curd that is whipped
Season with curry leaves in coconut oil
Mix well
Serve hot with rice

CAPSICUM & CURD SALAD

CAPSICUM & CURD SALAD

Here is an easy to make salad of capsicum, also known as bellpepper, which can be served with  pulaos and rice preparations such as lime rice, tamarind rice etc.

This curd-based salad has the taste of the crunchy capsicum and the ground masala of coconut, ginger and Fried Gram (bhuna chana in Hindi, hurigadle in Kannada or Udacha Kadalai in Tamil.)

Ingredients: 

• Capsicum, large,1
• Coconut gratings, 2 tbsp
• Fresh Curds, 1 and 1/2 cups
• Ginger, 1/4 " piece (grated)
• Fried Gram, 1 tbsp
• Coriander leaves, 1 tbsp
• Salt, to taste

For Seasoning:

• Mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Black gram (urad) dal, 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds (Jeera), 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida (Hing), a large pinch
• Red chilli, 1, broken
• Curry leaves, 1 sprig
• Oil, 2 tsp

Method:

Wash and chop the capsicum into small pieces
Grind together coconut gratings, grated ginger, fried gram, and coriander leaves to a fine paste
Whisk the curds and mix it with the ground paste, and salt
Heat a little oil in a kadai and add the ingredients for seasoning in the order given
Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the chopped capsicum and saute for 2-3 minutes
Add about 1/4 cup of water, cover the kadai and cook over high flame for 5-7 minutes till the water is absorbed and the capsicum is done. Take care not to over cook the capsicum.
Keep aside and allow it to cool
Next, add the curds (already mixed with the ground paste) to the capsicum
Mix well and serve garnished with coriander leaves

METHI SANNA POLO

METHI SANNA POLO

If in any Konkani household, you were to ask for their Top Ten Konkani recipes, I can bet you "Sanna Polo" will figure on everyone's list. This Konkani delicacy is akin to a small dosa in size and shape. In fact "Polo" is what the dosa is called in Konkani.

However, unlike the  dosa, the sanna polo is not eaten with accompanying chutney. It is like a side dish, best eaten with rice and our famous dal preparation called "dalithoi." We make sanna polos of different types. Perhaps the most common of all has finely chopped cabbage as one the ingredients.

Today, I present my favourite, which in my family we call, "Methi Sanna Polo" for short, where we use fresh, chopped methi ( fenugreek) leaves. Strictly speaking, it is called "Methiyeche Palle Sanna Polo." The addition of fenugreek leaves adds to the flavour of the dish and gives off a nice aroma too.

I may add that different people use differing proportions to make the sanna polo. Some use a different ratio of rice to dal, others may use, less or more chillies to suit their tastes. What I am sharing with you, is the way I make it.

Ingredients:

• Toor Dal, 1/2 cup
• Raw Rice, 1 cup
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1/2 cup
• Roasted Dry Red (Byadgi) Chillies, 10, or to taste
• Tamarind, marble sized
• Large- sized Onion, finely chopped, 1
• Methiye Palle (Fenugreek leaves) , finely  chopped, 1/2 cup
• Salt, to taste 
• Oil, as required

Method: 

Soak toor dal and rice together for 2-3 hours
Drain the water
In a mixer, grind together the roasted red chillies, coconut gratings, and tamarind till the chillies get fully crushed
To this, add the soaked rice and dal
Using a little water, grind to a paste, without making it too dilute
Add the finely chopped onions and fenugreek leaves and salt to taste. Mix well.
You now have the batter to make the sanna polos. This does not require any fermentation.
Heat the griddle, when it is hot enough pour the batter to make small sized dosas
Cook over medium flame for about 2 minutes
Pour a few drops of oil around the dosa, and flip it to cook the other side till it is done
Serve hot

PODALANGAI (SNAKE GOURD) KOOTU

PODALANGAI (SNAKE GOURD) KOOTU

Snake gourd is not exactly everyone's favourite vegetable. Years ago, I remember many houses in Bangalore had their small back gardens and snake gourds grew in plenty. They were sort of straightened by tying a rock to elongate them in a manner of speaking.

My husband, for one, didn't care for snake gourd at all. I was very happy therefore when he actually liked a dish I made out of snake gourd, which is called " podalangai" in Tamil and " padavalkayi" in Kannada. We call it "Poddale" in Konkani.

The dish I made is adapted from Podalangai Kootu in Sangeetha's blog, Spicy Treats.

Ingredients:

• Moong dal, 1/4 cup 
• Channa dal, 2 tbsp
• Turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp
• Onion, medium sized, chopped, 1
• Tomato, medium sized, chopped, 1
• Snake Gourd, chopped, 1 and 1/2 cup 
• Asafoetida, ( Hing), a large pinch
• Salt, to taste

For The Masala:

• Coconut gratings, 1/4 cup
• Green chillies, 4-5, or as per taste
• Cumin seeds (Jeera) , 1/2 tsp

To temper:

• Oil, 1-2 tsp
• Mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Urad dal, 1/4 tsp
• Dry red chillies, 1-2 , broken
• Cumin seeds, 1/4 tsp
• Fennel seeds, 1/4 tsp
• Whole peppercorns, 3-4
• Curry leaves, 1 sprig

To garnish:

• Coriander leaves, chopped.

Method:

Soak the moong dal and channa dal together for 15-20 minutes.
Cook the dals with turmeric powder  in 2-3 cups of water taking care not to overcook the dals
Make a smooth paste by grinding coconut gratings, green chillies and cumin seeds, using a little water. Keep aside.
To the cooked dals, add the chopped onion, tomato, snake gourd and a pinch of hing
Mix this well and now add the ground coconut paste
If it is too thick add a little water. Add salt and stir well.
Cook this in medium heat till the vegetables get cooked. Keep aside.
Heat a kadhai and add oil
When it gets hot, temper with all the ingredients listed  under "to temper" one by one in the given order
When the tempering is ready, add it to the kootu
Stir well and add the chopped coriander leaves
Serve hot