BAJJILE PHOVU OR ROASTED BEATEN RICE

BAJJILE PHOVU OR ROASTED BEATEN RICE 

From the days of our childhood, we are used to having what in India is termed " an evening snack". This is something to munch in the duration between an early lunch and dinner. 

The recipes for some of the snacks that we used to have are elsewhere in this blog, such as :- 

• Moong Dal Usli 
• Congress Kadalekayi
• Masala Charamburo /Spicy Puffed Rice

I guess the concept of making an evening snack is not very popular these days. Probably, people prefer store bought snacks as they are short on time. 

Today's recipe is for what we call " Bajjile Phovu " in my mother tongue, Konkani. This roughly translates to Roasted Beaten Rice in English. The principal ingredient is Beaten Rice of the thin variety. We call Beaten Rice, "Phovu" in Konkani. It is called Poha in Hindi, and Avalakki in Kannada. Another ingredient is Fried Gram which is called Hurigadale in Kannada and Bhuna Channa in Hindi. 

This easy to make snack brings back many memories of my childhood and even now we make this from time to time. 

Ingredients:-

• Beaten Rice/Phovu/ Patla Poha, 6 cups
• Cumin Seeds, 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp 
• Green Chillies, chopped, 3
• Fried Gram, 1/3 cup
• Oil, 1 tbsp
• Salt, to taste 
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1/2 cup 
• Asafoetida, (Hing), 1/4 tsp,  dissolved in water 

Method:-

Heat oil in a thick-bottomed kadhai and on medium heat add the cumin seeds and when they sizzle, add the turmeric powder, salt to taste, chopped green chillies, and fried gram

Saute on medium heat till the fried gram becomes slightly golden in colour

Add the beaten rice and roast, stirring continuously, till the beaten rice gets well blended with the fried gram and spices

Switch off the gas and allow the Bajjile Phovu to cool 

You will notice that the Phovu becomes crisp as it cools

Transfer to serving bowl 

Mix in the asafoetida water (Hinga Udda) with the fresh coconut gratings

When you are serving the Bajjile Phovu,  add the fresh coconut gratings -asafoetida water mixture to individual portions 

GULACHA SHEERA

 GULACHA SHEERA

Today's recipe is called Gulacha Sheera and is popular in Maharashtra. Apart from loving the taste of this dessert, I like the fact that we use  jaggery to make it. Jaggery gives the dish adequate sweetness and is a more healthy option than using sugar which is normally used to make sheeras.

Over the last few years, I have consciously tried to use jaggery instead of sugar. This article in The Times of India details the benefits of jaggery over sugar in our diets. 

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find other dishes in which we use jaggery such as:-

• Peanut Sesame Ladoo
• Ponsa Polo, Jackfruit Dosa
• Godu Phovu
• Godu (Sweet) Appo 

I made this recently as neivedhya for Varamahalakshmi festival . Please try out this Gulacha Sheera and I am sure you will enjoy it! 

Ingredients:-

• Rava/ Semolina, 3/4 cup
• Jaggery, grated, 1/2 cup, or to taste
• Warm Water, 1 and 1/2 cups 
• Ghee, 2 and 1/2 tbsp
• Cashewnuts, broken into pieces, 1 tbsp
• Raisins, 1 tbsp
• Cardamoms 2-3, made into a powder

Method:-

Dissolve the grated jaggery in 1 and 1/2 cups of warm water. Heat if required for it to dissolve completely. Keep aside. 

Peel the cardamoms and crush them to a powder. Keep aside.

Heat a thick bottomed pan and on medium heat add 1/2 tbsp of ghee. Roast the broken cashewnuts till they turn slightly golden. Keep aside

Next add the raisins and fry till they puff up. Keep aside. 

In the same pan, add 1 tbsp of ghee and roast the rava on medium heat stirring constantly till it gives off a good aroma and turns slightly golden in colour

To this add the jaggery water and mix well taking care that there are no lumps

Cook till the rava gets done and the excess water gets absorbed, stirring constantly 

Now add 1 tbsp of ghee, roasted cashewnuts, roasted raisins and cardamom powder and mix well

Continue to stir till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and forms a ball

Apply some ghee  to the insides of a bowl. Transfer the Gulacha Sheera to this bowl. 

Garnish with raisins or nuts as you wish 

PHAGILA SUKKE

 PHAGILA SUKKE

Teasel Gourd/Spiny Gourd/ Kantola is a relatively rare vegetable that we get only in the monsoon months of July-August. We call this "Phagil" in Konkani. This is called Kantola in Hindi, Adavihagalakai in Kannada, Kakrol in Bengali, Adavikakarakaya in Telugu and Kattupavakai in Tamil.

This is a vegetable that many of us crave for this time of the year. It has various health benefits being rich in protein and iron and low in calories.

We make different kinds of dishes using phagil. Elsewhere in this blog you will find recipes for :-

• Phagila Phodis, 
• Phagila Puddi Sagle.
• Phagila Talasani
• Phagila Kismuri

Today's recipe is for Phagila Sukke. In our Konkani cuisine, a sukke is a mildly spiced side dish made with either roasted coriander alone, or with roasted coriander and roasted Urad Dal ground into the coconut masala.

This is usually served as an accompaniment with the main meal of rice and dal.

Ingredients:-

• Phagil (Teasel Gourd) , 4 to 5 or about 250 gms
• Turmeric Powder, 1/8 tsp
• Coconut Gratings, 1 cup
• Roasted Byadgi Red Chillies, 4
• Tamarind, a small marble-sized ball
• Coriander Seeds, 1 tsp
• Urad Dal, 1 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Coconut Oil,  1 tsp 

For Seasoning:- 

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

Method:- 

Wash the phagils thoroughly and snip off the two ends. Cut them into halves then cut each of the halves into quarters. 

The seeds can be used as long as they are tender. Discard the seeds if they are hard.

Using 1 tsp of oil, roast the coriander seeds and Urad Dal separately in a kadhai till they become fragrant and turn golden in colour. Keep aside

In a pan, cook the phagil pieces in adequate water, adding a little salt and a pinch of turmeric powder

Make sure the phagils do not get overcooked. They should be cooked yet remain firm

In a mixer jar, grind together the coconut gratings, the roasted  Byadgi red chillies, and the tamarind along with the roasted coriander seeds and Urad Dal 

Grind this to a paste which is a little coarse using the required amount of water

Add this ground paste to the cooked phagils and bring to a boil

Check for salt and add if required

Lower the heat and cook on medium heat till the mixture becomes semi-solid in consistency 

Switch off the gas

Finally do the seasoning by heating 2 tsp of coconut oil in a small pan. On medium heat add the mustard seeds, and when they splutter add the curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds

Pour this seasoning onto the Phagila Sukke

Transfer to a serving bowl  and serve the Phagila Sukke as a side dish with the main meal.

 

AVALAKKI AKKI ROTTI

AVALAKKI AKKI ROTTI

Today's recipe is for a dish from my Home State of Karnataka.  It is made for breakfast or as a snack. The key ingredients are Beaten Rice (Avalakki in Kannada) and Rice Flour ( Akki Hittu in Kannada).

At home, we are fond of Karnataka cuisine so elsewhere in this blog, you will find some other famous dishes from our State such as:-

• Davangere Benne Dosa
• Gojjavalakki 
• Akki Rotti with Badanekayi Yennegayi
• Berake Rotti

When you make it for yourself, I am sure you will like the Avalakki Akki Rotti as much as we do.

Ingredients:-

• Avalakki / Beaten Rice (thin variety)/ Poha, 1 cup
• Akki Hittu, (Rice Flour),  1 cup
• Medium- sized Onion,1
• Green Chilies,  2-3 
• Curry Leaves, 1 sprig 
• Coriander Leaves,  2 tbsp
• Jeerige, ( Cumin Seeds),  1 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, as required for making the rotates

Method:-

Wash the Avalakki ( thin variety) in adequate water and drain away the excess water

Mash the washed avalakki 

Finely chop the onion, green chillies, curry leaves and coriander leaves

In a vessel, mix together the mashed avalakki with the rice flour, the finely chopped onion, green chillies, curry leaves and coriander leaves 

To this add the cumin seeds and salt to taste 

Add 1/2 cup of hot water, mix well and knead this with your fingers to form a soft, pliable dough

Next, divide this dough into equal portions. With this quantity, I got 6 portions as you can see. 

Heat a tawa and lightly grease it with oil.

Next step is to flatten the dough to form rottis. If you prefer, you can use a greased banana leaf or butter paper to flatten the rottis and transfer them to the tawa. I like to flatten the rottis directly on the tawa using my fingers after greasing them lightly with oil. 

Make 3-4 small holes in the rotti and roast on medium flame 

Drizzle oil in and around the rotti for it to get better roasted

Once the base of the rotti gets roasted, flip and roast the other side by drizzling oil as required 

Transfer each cooked rotti to a serving plate 

Serve Avalakki Akki Rotti with chutney of your choice. 

PHAGILA KISMURI (TEASEL GOURD MASALA)

 PHAGILA KISMURI ( TEASEL GOURD MASALA) 

There are some veggies that make an appearance only during some seasons. The fans of these veggies wait eagerly for this season so as to make all the dishes they can using this. One such veggie is Teasel Gourd/Spiny Gourd or Phagil in my mother tongue, Konkani. This is called Kantola in Hindi, Adavihagalakai in Kannada, Kakrol in Bengali, Adavikakarakaya in Telugu and Kattupavakai in Tamil.

Phagils are almost universally loved by all Konkanis when they makes an appearance in the monsoon months! They have a few health benefits as well. 

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for some dishes we make with phagils, such as:-

• Phagila Phodis (Teasel Gourd Fritters) 
• Phagila Puddi Sagle
• Phagila Talasani

Today' s side dish is for Phagila Kismuri,whch is easy to make yet is so totally delicious! 

Normally this is deep fried but I prefer to shallow fry as this method uses less oil. 

Ingredients:- 

• Phagils, Teasel Gourd, 4 or about 250 gms
• Coconut Gratings, 1/3 cup
• Roasted Byadgi Red Chillies, 3
• Small-sized Onion, 1
• Tamarind, a small piece
• Coriander Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, to deep fry or shallow fry, as required 

Method:- 

Wash the phagils thoroughly and snip off the two ends

Cut them into small pieces

Apply salt to the cut phagil pieces and leave it to marinate for about 30-45 minutes

Squeeze out the water ( released when salt is applied) from the phagil pieces 

Finely chop the onion 

In a kadhai, heat oil and deep fry the phagil pieces till they turn brown and crisp

Take care they are not burnt

Alternatively, you can shallow fry the phagil pieces using less oil 

The shallow fry method takes a little longer

Keep aside

In a small mixer jar, grind together the coconut gratings, roasted Byadgi red chillies, tamarind and coriander seeds and salt as required, with very little water to a coarse paste. Remember that some salt has been added to the phagil pieces while marinating

Remove the ground paste from the mixer and combine with chopped onion

This gives you the masala for the kismuri 

Finally, mix well together the fried phagils with the freshly prepared masala to make the Phagila Kismuri 

Please note this mixing should be done just before you are ready to serve this dish, as otherwise the phagil will become soft and lose its crunchiness 

Serve as an accompaniment to the meal of hot steamed rice and dalithoy.

ASH GOURD CURRY

 ASH GOURD CURRY

Ash Gourd, also known as White Pumpkin or Winter Melon is commonly available in India. We  call this  "Kuvale" in my mother tongue, Konkani. It is called, "Boodagumbala " in Kannada, "Petha" in Hindi, and "Neer Poosinikai" in Tamil.

It is rich in fibre and is good for health. 

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find other recipes for dishes made with Ash Gourd such as:-

• Ash Gourd Mor Kuzhambu
• Ash Gourd Pumpkin Coconut Stew
• Ash Gourd Kootu
• Puli Koddel

Today's recipe is for a side dish made with Ash Gourd which I make often. I have adapted this from Poosanikai Rasavangi in Subbu's Kitchen. A rasavangi is a thicker type of sambar.  To simplify matters, I have called this Ash Gourd Curry for many readers who may not be familiar with the intricate differences between sambar and rasavangi. 

It goes well with hot steamed rice. 

Ingredients:-

• Ash Gourd, 250-300 gms
• Chana Dal, 1 tbsp 
• Toor Dal, 1/2 cup 
• Turmeric Powder, 1/8 tsp 
• Tamarind, size of a lemon sized ball 
• Salt, to taste

To Be Roasted & Ground To A Coarse Powder

• Urad Dal, 2 tsp
• Chana Dal, 2 tsp
• Coriander Seeds, 1 tbsp
• Fenugreek Seeds, 1/4 tsp
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 6
• Oil 1 tsp for roasting above ingredients
• Coconut Gratings, 2 tbsp 
• Asafoetida,1/8 tsp 
• Curry Leaves, a few
• Oil, 1 tsp for roasting above ingredients 

For Seasoning -

• Mustard Seeds, 1 tsp
• Curry Leaves, a sprig 
• Oil, 2 tsp

Method:-

Wash and peel the ash gourd, discard the core and seeds and cut into bite-sized cubes

Wash and cook the toor dal in adequate water with 1/8 tsp of turmeric powder in a pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles or till it gets fully cooked

Once the cooker cools, remove the cooked dal, mash it and keep aside

Soak 1 tbsp of channa dal in water for about 10 minutes

Soak the tamarind in warm water for about 10 minutes and extract the tamarind juice. Keep aside.

Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan and add the Urad Dal, channa dal, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds and Bydagi Red Chillies and roast till the dals change colour

Transfer to a small mixer jar

Heat 1 tsp of oil in the same pan, add the coconut gratings, asafoetida and a few curry leaves and roast till the coconut gratings turn a light brown 

Transfer this too to the same mixer jar

Grind these ingredients to a coarse powder. Keep aside 

Cook the ash gourd in adequate water in a vessel along with soaked channa dal and turmeric powder till it gets done. The ash gourd should be cooked yet remain firm

To this add the tamarind extract, mix well and cook for about 5 minutes till the raw smell of the tamarind goes

Now add the cooked and mashed toor dal, the freshly ground coarse powder and salt to taste and mix well

Bring to a boil, then lower the flame and cook for another 8-10 minutes

In a small tadka pan, heat 2 tsp of oil and on medium heat add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds

Add this seasoning to the Ash Gourd Curry 

Transfer to a serving bowl

Serve with hot steamed rice