AVAREKALU MENTHYA AKKI ROTTI

AVAREKALU MENTHYA AKKI ROTTI

This dish from Karnataka is one type of Akki Rotti (featured elsewhere in this blog) with the fragrance of fenugreek leaves (Menthya Soppu in Kannada) and Avarekalu (Hyacinth beans).

As you know the Avarekalu season is ending soon, so I made this dish. The addition of the Avarekalu makes this dish more filling as well as tasty. The averakalu has first to be deskinned. To do this, soak it in water for 3-4 hours. Then remove the outer skin by pressing the bean between the thumb and index finger.

 Ingredients:

• Akki Hittu, (Rice Flour), 2 cups
• Deskinned and Cooked Avarekalu ( Hyacinth beans), 1/2 cup
• Menthya Soppu ( Fenugreek leaves), finely chopped, 1/2 cup
• Onion, finely chopped, 1
• Grated coconut, 2 tbsp
• Hing (Asafoetida), a pinch
• Atta, (Wheat flour),1-2 tbsp
• Green Chillies, 3-4 , or as per taste
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, for roasting the rottis.

Method:
Grind the grated coconut and the green chillies together in a small mixer jar with very little water till the green chillies are fully crushed.
In a bowl, mix this coconut-chilli paste along with rice flour, chopped onion, a pinch of asafoetida, chopped fenugreek leaves, cooked avarekalu and salt.
Knead this to a soft dough by adding some warm water and a little atta for binding the dough.
Set aside for 10-15 minutes.
Divide the dough into equal-sized balls and pat them to make rottis. This is best done by applying a little oil on to a plastic sheet and patting the dough evenly using your fingers to form a round rotti.
Heat the tawa and when it is hot, hold the plastic sheet with the patted rotti in one hand and peel off the plastic sheet with the other and place the rotti on the tawa.
Drizzle enough oil to roast it to a golden brown.
Flip and roast the other side as well.
Serve hot with chutney of your choice

VERMICELLI IDLIS

VERMICELLI IDLIS

Today, January 26, being our Republic Day, I have presented a dish in tricolour. These are Vermicelli Idlis in which we use vermicelli and curds. There is no need for fermentation of the batter. Today's idlis are served with chutney powder and coriander chutney.

I must thank my friend, Sandhya Puranik for pointing out this recipe to me.

 Ingredients:

• Vermicelli, 2 cups
• Curds, 1 cup
• Salt, 1 and 1/2 tsp, or to taste
• Green Chillies, finely chopped, 3
• Fresh Ginger, 1" piece
• Fresh Coriander, chopped, 1 tbsp
• Carrot Gratings, 1/2 cup
• Mustard seeds, 1 tsp
• Chana Dal, 1 tbsp 
• Oil, 2 tbsp

 Method:

To the curds, add grated carrot, salt, finely chopped green chillies and mix well. Keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. When it splutters, add chana dal and when it changes colour, add the vermicelli and roast till it is golden
Add the roasted vermicelli to the prepared curds while it is still hot
Mix well and leave it to soak for 10 minutes
Grease the idli moulds with a drop of oil and spoon the curd vermicelli mixture into each mould
Steam the idlis in the pressure cooker without the weight for 12 minutes
Switch off the gas and allow the pressure cooker to cool
Remove the idlis
Serve hot with chutney of your choice.

PARIPPU VADA: GUEST POST BY SOBHA P. SHENOI

PARIPPU VADA: GUEST POST BY SOBHA P. SHENOI

Today's guest post is from my friend, Sobha P. Shenoi who shares her recipe for these crisp and crunchy Parippu Vadas.The main ingredient is fried gram called Hoorigadle in Kannada, Vodchikaddle in Tamil and Bhuna Chana in Hindi.

Ingredients:

• Fried Gram (pattani parippu), 2 cups,
• Onion, medium-sized, 1
• Green Chillies, 2
• Black Pepper, crushed, 1 tsp
• Coriander seeds, crushed, 1 tsp
• Curry leaves, a few
• Salt, to taste

 Method:
Soak the fried gram for 2 hours then grind it coarsely together with coriander seeds, black pepper, adding very little water. The ground paste should be dry.
Add curry leaves, chopped onion, green chillies and salt to taste
Heat oil in pan and make the vadas using this mixture
Deep fry in oil till the vadas become crisp and golden in colour
In making these delicious vadas, Sobha adds a tip: They should not be fried in very high flame as then the inner portions will not get cooked.

SPINACH SOUP

SPINACH SOUP

Soups are a good source of nutrition and can be quite tasty too. This one is made of spinach, (Palak) one of the greens with multiple health benefits. This soup is especially good for growing children who otherwise may not like to eat spinach as it is. 

 Ingredients:

• Spinach, (Palak). chopped, 2 cups
• Onion, chopped, 1
• Milk, 2 cups
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste

Method:
Wash the spinach in several changes of water and chop them.
Chop the onion.
In a pan, cook the spinach and onion together in 1/2 cup of water till done
Add the milk and transfer the contents to a mixer
Blend it well and strain though a sieve to keep out sediments
Add salt and pepper as per taste
Serve hot

MIRCH KA KHATTA MASALA

MIRCH KA KHATTA MASALA

Whenever I think of Hyderabadi cuisine, I think of spicy food and remember the long chillies used in many dishes. I have elsewhere in this blog another dish using these chillies which you may like called "Mirchi Ka Salan." These go well with paired with biriyani/pulaos or rotis.

We love spicy food so it was delight that I saw this recipe pointed out by my friend, Gayatri Praveen Kamath. I have adapted this recipe for "Mirchi Khatta Masala" from Sailu's Kitchen.

We love the long chillies used here. I have elsewhere in this blog another dish using these chillies which you may like called "Mirchi Ka Salan."

Mirch ka Khatta Masala:
Ingredients:

• Oil, 3 tbsp
• Caraway Seeds, (Shah Jeera), 1/2 tsp
• Mint Leaves, (Pudina), chopped, 1 tbsp
• Onion Paste, made from 1 cup of chopped Onions
• Ginger Garlic Paste, 1 tsp
• Tomatoes, chopped, 1 cup
• Red Chilli Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Coriander Powder, 1 tsp
• Long Green Chillies, 10, cut into 2" pieces
• Salt, to taste
• Khus Khus and Melon Seeds Paste, 2 tbsp ( soak 2 tsp each of poppy seeds and melon seeds in a little water for 1/2 hour and make a smooth paste)
• Cooked Chana Dal Paste, made from 2 tbsp of Cooked Chana Dal
• Tamarind Paste, 2 tbsp
• Water, 2 cups
• Garam Masala Powder,1/2 tsp
• Coriander Leaves, chopped, to garnish

Method:
Prepare a coarse paste from 1 cup of chopped onions. Keep aside.
Soak 2 tsp of poppy seeds and 2 tsp of melon seeds in a little water for 1/2 hour and make a smooth paste. Keep aside
Prepare a paste from 2 tbsp of cooked Chana Dal. Keep aside.
Wash and chop the Long Green Chillies into 2" pieces. Keep aside.
In a pan, heat oil and add Caraway Seeds and Mint Leaves. Fry for a few seconds.
Add the coarse onion paste and fry till the oil separates
Add the ginger garlic paste and fry
Next, add the chopped tomatoes, mix well and fry till oil separates
Add chilli powder, cumin powder, and coriander powder and mix well
Now add the chopped green chilli pieces
Add salt to taste, and mix well
Cover and cook on low heat till the green chillies are three- fourth cooked
Add the pastes made earlier:  khus khus and melon seeds paste, boiled chana dal paste and tamarind paste
Mix well
Add water and cook till the chillies are soft
Lastly add the garam masala powder
Garnish with coriander leaves
Serve hot with rotis, rice/pulao

 

SWEET PONGAL

SWEET PONGAL

Yesterday was the day of the Makarasankranti festival also celebrated as Pongal in Tamil Nadu. usually we Konkanis make Sweet Moong Dal Khichdi . I decided to try out Chakara Pongal, Chakkarai Pongal or Sakkarai Pongal: they all mean the same thing. This is the sweet version of Pongal, a dish cooked during this festival which is made of jaggery, rice and moong dal. The colour of the dish is determined by the type of jaggery that you use. I have used the dark type of jaggery which has given the pongal its distinctive colour.

This is adapted from the recipe for Sakkarai Pongal given in the popular blog, Rak's Kitchen.
I have however not used nutmeg powder and edible camphor.

Ingredients:

• Raw Rice, 1/2 cup
• Moong Dal, 2-3 tbsp
• Dark Jaggery, powdered, 1 cup
• Water, 2 and 1/2 cups
• Ghee, 3 tbsp
• Salt, a pinch
• Cashewnuts, 5- 6
• Raisins, 1 tbsp
• Cardamom ( Elaichi), powdered, 1 
• Clove, 1

Method:

Wash the raw rice and keep aside
Add 1/4 tsp of ghee and roast the moong dal in a pan,
Transfer the roasted moong dal to a pressure cooker, add 2 and 1/2 cups of water, washed raw rice and salt
Pressure cook this for 4 whistles
Once the cooker cools, mash the cooked rice and dal using the back of a ladle.
In a pan, add the powdered jaggery, add enough water to immerse it and bring it to a boil
Make sure the jaggery is totally dissolved
Filter the jaggery syrup and add it to the mashed dal and rice mixture (pongal)
In another pan, heat 1 tsp of ghee and roast the cashewnuts till they are golden
Add the raisins and roast till they puff up. Keep the roasted cashewnuts and raisins aside
Add clove and when it swells, switch off the gas
Now add the powdered elaichi, and clove to the pongal
Mix well, add the roasted cashewnuts and raisins
Cook the pongal on medium flame for 5 minutes adding ghee little by little
If it gets too dry add 1/4 cup of water while it is being cooked

TIL KE LADOO: GUEST POST BY MALLIKA NANDA

TIL KE LADOO: GUEST POST BY MALLIKA NANDA

This guest post is from my friend, Mallika Nanda, who is an expert in making ladoos. At my request, she has prepared this post (and the delicious ladoos, of course) for the festival of Makara Sankranti.


This particular dessert is made of sesame seed/til.  Sesame or til has more health

benefits than most other seeds.  It is especially popular during winter months for Makara

Sankranti.  Sesame seeds are rich in oleic acid, a potent mono­unsaturated fatty acid

which lowers the ‘bad cholesterol’ or LDL cholesterol in the blood and increases the level

of ‘good cholesterol’ or HDL in the body.  Thereby helping you maintain a healthy lipid

profile. All this in turn protects you from heart disease, stroke and atherosclerosis.

Chikki ka gud/Antu bella is used here. If normal jaggery is used in the preparation of

these ladoos then there are chances that we sometimes will not be able to bind them

together since the normal jaggery doesn’t contain edible gum.

Ingredients:

250 g sesame seeds (white til)

250 g chikki ka gud/antu bella/jaggery

1 tsp ghee (clarified butter)

1 tbsp roasted peanuts

1 tbsp roasted putani/ dalia/ roasted channa dal.

1 tbsp fresh coconut grated (optional)

Preparation:

Place a wide bottomed skillet on high flame and dry roast the sesame seeds taking only

one handful of it at a time. As soon as they start spluttering cover with a lid for half a

minute,  immediately remove when pale golden in color, on to a plate.  Then take 1

teaspoon of ghee in the same skillet.  On melting, add the roasted peanuts, dalia, then

add the jaggery to it. Just keep stirring and till it melts completely.  To test if it is done,

drop a few drops into a bowl of normal water.  If it forms a ball, the syrup is ready. If not

and dissolves then cook some more and test again till ready.  Switch off the flame and

add the dry roasted sesame seeds and  mix.  Grease your palms and when the mixture is

still hot (but cool enough to handle) take small portions in your hand to form lemon­sized

balls,  Roll between your palms till smooth.  Repeat till all the mixture is used up.  The

laddoos will soon harden.  Store in airtight jars.

Thanks so much, Mallika.

CABBAGE, PEAS & POTATOES STIR FRY

CABBAGE, PEAS & POTATOES STIR FRY

A food group in which I am a member had "Recipes from Gujarat" as a theme. When we had this the last time, I had made Khaman Dhokla, so I wondered which dish I could prepare when I remembered this simple yet delicious dish called "Kobi, Vatana, Bateta Nu Shaak" after it's main ingredients (Kobi being Cabbage, Vatana being Green Peas, Bateta being Potatoes with Shaak being the word for a vegetable dish or subji as it is popularly called.)

This is a simple to make dish which I learnt when we lived in Gujarat. We usually have it with rotis/chapattis, but it can also serve as a side dish with rice and dal.

Ingredients:

• Cabbage, shredded, 3 cups
• Potato, medium size, cubed, 1
• Green Peas, 1/2 cup
• Oil, 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp
• Cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Green chillies, finely chopped, 2
• Curry leaves, a sprig
• Turmeric powder, (Haldi), 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida (Hing), a large pinch
• Coriander powder, 1/2 tsp
• Chilli powder, 1 tsp, or as per taste
• Salt, to taste

Method:
In a thick-bottomed kadhai, heat oil on medium heat.
Once it it hot, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add cumin seeds and let them sizzle
Next add the chopped green chillies and curry leaves.
Saute for 1/2 minute

Add asafoetida and turmeric powder
Stir and add the cubed potatoes and green peas because they take more time to cook than the cabbage
Mix well
Add salt, coriander powder and chilli powder
Cover the kadhai and cook for 5-6 minutes stirring now and then to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the kadhai
Lastly, add the shredded cabbage and mix well
Continue to cook covering the dish for another 5-6 minutes till all the vegetables are fully done,
Serve hot with rotis, chapattis or as a side dish with rice.

AVAREKALU PADDU/ AVARO APPOS

AVAREKALU PADDU/ AVARO APPOS

Some days ago, in this blog I had posted my recipe for Avarekalu Uppitu. I had mentioned there about the Averekalu Mela held in Bangalore each year. Having returned from there fully stocked with avarekalu (Hyacinth Beans), I made another dish of avarekalu today. In Konkani, we call this dish Avaro (Hyacinth Beans) Appo (Paddu.)

Those who have followed this blog might remember an earlier post in which I have given the recipe for making plain Appos, a popular breakfast item among Konkanis. This one is different in that it has a stuffing of cooked avarekalu with onion, grated carrot, spring onion leaves etc. 

Avarekai (Hyacinth Beans/Field Beans) when it is bought. 

It is then peeled and soaked in water, 

The avarekalu is de-skinned removing the thin outer skin of each bean

Ingredients:

• Urad Dal, 3/4 cup
• Raw Rice, 1 and 1/2 cups
• Avarekalu, (Hyacinth Beans/Field beans) ,cooked, 1 cup * de-skinning optional before cooking 
• Onion, chopped, 1
• Green Chillies, 2-3, crushed to a paste
• Carrot, grated, 1
• Spring Onion Leaves, chopped, a few
• Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, 1 tbsp
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, for making appos

Method:

To prepare the batter:
Wash and soak the urad dal in water for 2-3 hours
Wash and soak the rice in water for 2-3 hours
Grind the urad dal and rice separately to a smooth batter
Now mix both these batters and add salt
Pour these batters to a larger vessel
Set aside for it to ferment overnight
The next morning the batter is ready

In a bowl mix the de-skinned (optional) cooked avarekalu, chopped onion, grated carrot, chopped spring onion leaves, chopped coriander leaves, and green chillies paste and a little salt.
Add this mixture to the amount of batter you plan to use

To make the Appos:
Heat the special griddle/ appe kayili/ paniyarakkal on a medium low flame
When it is hot, fill each of the sockets with a little oil
When the oil is hot, pour the batter in each of the sockets
Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes on low/medium flame
Once they are cooked and turn golden brown, using a skewer, flip the appos carefully and fry the other side in the same way
Remove the appos using a spoon or the skewer
Serve hot with chutney of your choice


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AVAREKALU UPPITU : HYACINTH BEANS UPMA

AVAREKALU UPPITU : HYACINTH BEANS UPMA

I am sharing with you my recipe for Avarekalu Upittu which is what upma is generally called here in Bangalore. The method of making this is fairly similar to how you would make the standard upma.
The avarekalu add a special taste of their own and today's dish was served with spicy Tomato Thokku.

Yesterday we visited the Avarebele Mela in VV Puram in South Bangalore. Running from December 27, 2013 to January 7, 2014 this festival is about dishes made primarily with Hyacinth Beans/ Avarekalu.

Some of you who haven't come across this before may be surprised to know the wide variety of dishes made out of Avarekalu. Apart from the more common Dosa, Upma /Upittu/Paddu, you also have Payasa and Jilebi!

Ingredients:

• Medium Rava, (Semolina), 1 cup
• Cooked Avarekalu (Hyacinth Beans), 1 and 1/2 cups
• Water, 2 cups
• Onion, small, 1
• Curry leaves, 1 sprig
• Green Chillies, 3-4
• Turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp
• Black gram dal (Urad Dal), 1 tsp
• Bengal gram, (Channa Dal) 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds, 1 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Oil,  2 tbsp
• Juice of lemon, 1-2 tsp

 Method:
In a non-stick kadai, on low heat, roast the rava until it becomes light brown, and gives off an aroma
Keep aside
Slit the green chillies, and chop the onion. Keep aside
Heat oil in the kadai on medium flame. Add the mustard seeds and when they splutter, add the Bengal gram and the Black gram dal
When the dals change colour, add green chillies, and curry leaves
Add the chopped onion and saute till translucent 
Add 2 cups of water, turmeric powder, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil
Now add the cooked avarekalu
Next add the roasted rava, little at a time, stirring continuously to ensure lumps are not formed
Keep the kadai covered and cook over medium flame for 2-3 minutes
Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes more till the upma is done
Squeeze some lime juice and mix well
Serve hot.

COCOA BURFI

COCOA BURFI

Considering this is the first post for the New Year, I thought I should present a sweet. Not just any sweet but one which has nostalgic value for me as this was one of the first I learnt after my marraiage, from Bapamma, my husband's grand ma.

As we begin 2014 let me send you my best wishes for a bright, peaceful and happy New Year to you and yours!

Ingredients:

• Wheat flour (atta), 1 cup
• Sugar, 2 cups
• Curd, 1 cup
• Butter, 1 cup
• Cocoa Powder, 3 tbsp
• Vanilla Essence, 1 tsp
• Almonds/Cashewnuts, for garnishing

Method:
In a thick-bottomed non-stick pan, mix together wheat flour, sugar, curd and butter and heat it on medium flame
Stir it properly to ensure that all the ingredients blend well
Keep stirring on low flame till the mixture becomes thick (semi-solid)
Add cocoa powder and vanilla essence and mix it well
Continue to heat and stir till the mixture thickens and leaves the sides of the pan
Grease a plate with ghee and pour the thickened mixture in it and spread it evenly
Garnish with sliced almonds or roasted cashewnuts
Cut into the desired shapes likes squares or diamond to form the burfi
Allow it to cool completely and cut up each piece to serve or store as the case may be.