MATTI GULLA HULI

 MATTI GULLA HULI

Matti Gulla is a special type of brinjal available in the Udupi area of my Home State of Karnataka. In India, it's commonly called the brinjal, while as abroad it is more usually called the eggplant or the aubergine. Call it what you will, we make much use of it in our Indian cuisine. 

Brinjals  are strong in antioxidants and Vitamin A and C and have numerous health benefits.  They are available in different sizes and forms, ranging from the cute baby brinjal to the voluminous balloon brinjal.

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for different dishes made with brinjals, such as:-

• Bharli Vaangi : made with baby brinjals
• Roasted Brinjal Chutney: made with large balloon brinjals 
• Kathirikai Rasavangi : made with the regular brinjals  
• Matti Gula Podi: made with a special type of brinjal available in the Udupi area of Karnataka

Tradition has it that the first crop of Matti Gulla ( named after a place called Matti, near Udupi) is offered at the Udupi Sri Krishna Temple.

Today's recipe is for a dish made withe very same Matti Gulla. It is for a Udupi-style Huli/sambar called Matti Gulla Huli. I have adapted this from the YouTube video Udupi Style Gulla Huli of Sudha's Kitchen. 

Notes:-

• This recipe assumes you have cooked toor dal ready. 
• We use the long green chillies which are less spicy for this dish. 
• It is preferable that you use coconut oil for best result, but any other cooking oil will do

We enjoyed this very much for lunch with hot steamed rice. 

Ingredients:

• Matti Gulla, 2 
• Tamarind - size of a lemon 
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Jaggery, a small lemon sized ball
• Green Chillies, 4
• Coriander Leaves, 2 tbsp
• Curry Leaves, a sprig
• Asafoetida, 1/8 tsp
• Cooked Toor Dal, 1/2 cup 
• Salt, to taste
• Coconut Oil, 1/2  tsp + 1 tbsp

To Be Dry Roasted & Ground To A Powder:- 

• Urad Dal, 1 tbsp
• Coriander Seeds, 2 tbsp
• Cumin Seeds, 1 tsp
• Fenugreek Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 7-8

For The Seasoning:-

• Mustard Seeds, 1 tsp
• Urad Dal, 1 tsp
• Red Chillies broken into halves, 2
• Coconut Oil, 2 tsp

Method:-

Wash the gulla and remove the stalk and cut into big pieces. Immerse these pieces in a vessel of water to avoid discolouration

Soak a lemon-sized ball of tamarind in adequate lukewarm water for 10-15 minutes and extract the juice. 

Slit the green chillies

Chop the coriander leaves

In a kadhai, dry roast the urad dal on medium heat till it changes colour. Keep aside

Next dry roast the coriander seeds followed by the cumin seeds and fenugreek leaves on medium/low flame till they change colour. Keep aside

Add 1/2 tsp of oil to the kadhai and on medium heat roast the Byadgi Red Chillies till they become crisp

Allow all the above roasted ingredients to cool

Transfer to a small mixer jar and grind to a fine powder. Keep aside

In the same kadhai, heat 2 cups of water then add tamarind extract, turmeric powder, jaggery, slit green chillies and salt and bring to a boil 

Next add the gulla pieces, cover and cook on medium heat till they get done but take care that they don't get overcooked

To this add 3 tbsp freshly ground powder and 1 tbsp of coconut oil and mix well

Then add the chopped coriander leaves, curry leaves, asafoetida and the cooked dal

Mix well and let it come to a boil

Lower the heat and let it simmer for a couple of minutes

Switch off the gas

In a small pan, heat 2 tsp of oil and on medium heat add the mustard seeds, when they splutter add urad dal and fry till the dal changes colour

Add the broken red chillies and saute for a few seconds

Pour this seasoning on to the Matti Gulla Huli 

Transfer to a serving bowl

Serve the Matti Gulla Huli with hot steamed rice 

MAJJIGE HULI

MAJJIGE HULI

As one who has lived most of my life in our home State of Karnataka, it is natural that we have a liking for the local cuisine. Elsewhere in this blog, you will find, amongst others, recipes for three favourites : Akki Rotti,  Nimbehannu Chitranna, and Nuchina Unde.


Today's recipe is for Majjige Huli. in which we use Ash Gourd, which has many health benefits. This vegetable is called Boodu Kumbalakayi in Kannada, Neer Poosanikai in Tamil, and Peta in Hindi.

Buttermilk is called 'Majjige' in Kannada and hence the name for this dish, as buttermilk is a prime ingredient in it. Apart from ash gourd, you could make Majjige Huli with vegetables such as bottle gourd, raw banana, ivy gourd, lady's fingers etc.

Ingredients:-

• Ash Gourd, 250-300 grams
• Butter Milk, 1 and 1/2 cups 
• Curry Leaves,  6-8
• Turmeric Powder, a large pinch
• Salt, to taste

To Be Ground To A Smooth Paste : 

• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1/2 cup
• Channa Dal, 1 and 1/2 tbsp
• Coriander Leaves, 1-2 tbsp
• Cumin Seeds (Jeera), 1 tsp
• Green Chillies, 4-5
• Coriander Seeds, 1/2 tsp

For Seasoning:

• Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds (Jeera), 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida (Hing),  a pinch
• Dried Red Chilly, broken into halves, 1 
• Oil, 2 tsp

Method:-

Wash, peel and cut the ash gourd into bite sized pieces/cubes after removing and discarding the core and seeds

Wash and soak the channa dal in adequate water for about 30-45 minutes. Keep aside.

In a large pan, cook the ash gourd cubes in adequate water adding salt, turmeric powder and curry leaves. Make ensure the ash gourd does not get overcooked. It should be cooked yet remain firm.

In a mixer jar, grind together the Fresh Coconut Gratings, soaked Channa Dal, Coriander Leaves, Jeera, Green Chillies, and Coriander Seeds, adding just the required amount of water, to a smooth paste

Now, add the ground paste to the cooked ash gourd, mix well and cook on medium flame stirring from time to time and bring to a boil
As the ground paste contains channa dal, you will find that the mixture begins to thicken as it gets boiled
Lower the heat and add the buttermilk (Adding the buttermilk when the mixture is boiling will make it curdle) and continue to cook on low/ medium flame, for a few minutes
Add water as required to get a medium consistency
Majjige Huli traditionally is not too thick or too thin/watery

In a small pan, heat oil and when it is hot on medium flame add the mustard seeds and when they splutter add the cumin seeds/jeera and when they sizzle, add the asafoetida and broken red chilli
Lastly, add this seasoning to the Majjile Huli
Serve hot with rice or Nuchina Unde or Akki Rotti

MIXED VEGETABLE HULI

MIXED VEGETABLE HULI

Huli, is a South Indian dish made with dal and vegetables. Today's Huli is made in the Honnavar style, Honnavar being a place in Uttar Kannada in the state of Karnataka.

I have adapted this from a recipe shared by my friend Suphala Shenoy, who has made a guest post here in the past of Mangalore Ghee Dosa.

This dish turned out to be delicious when we had it with chappatis. The ingredients do not include onion and garlic so many make this Mixed Vegetable Huli on festival days when they don't use onion and garlic.

I make it often these days and hope you will enjoy it as much as we did.

Ingredients:

• Toor Dal, 1/2 cup
• Green Peas, 1/2 cup
• Carrot, 1
• Cauliflower florets, 1 cup
• Potato, 1
• Tomato, 1
• Turmeric (Haldi) Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Grated Jaggery, 1 tbsp
• Salt, to taste
• Grated Coconut, 2 tbsp
• Byadgi Red Chillies, roasted, 4
• Tamarind, a small ball
• Coriander seeds, 2 tsp
• Cumin (Jeera) seeds, 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds, 1 tsp
• Fenugreek (Methi) seeds, 1/4 tsp
• Oil, as required 

Method:
You can use any vegetables of your choice. Today I have used fresh green peas, carrot, cauliflower, potato and tomatoes.
Pressure cook 1/2 cup of toor dal and keep aside.
Cook the vegetables and add the turmeric powder, grated jaggery and salt.
In a little oil, fry the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard and methi seeds.
Grind the above along with grated coconut, Byadgi Red Chillies and tamarind to a smooth paste.
Now add the cooked toor dal and the paste to the cooked vegetables and bring it to a boil.

Serve hot with rice or chappatis.