MASALE AVALAKKI

 MASALE AVALAKKI

Today's recipe is for an easy to make yet delicious breakfast item made with beaten rice, coconut gratings and spices. This can also be had as an evening snack. It is popular in the Udupi-Mangaluru area of my Home State of Karnataka. In those parts, it is called Bajil in the local Tulu language. 

Flattened or Beaten Rice is commonly used in various parts of India. It is called "Avalakki" in Kannada,   Poha in Hindi and Phovu in my mother tongue, Konkani.

There are two types of beaten rice: the thin variety called "Patla Poha" in Hindi  and "Paper Avalakki" in Kannada and a thick variety. 

This article details how good beaten rice is for us due to its several health benefits. 

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

• Poha Idlis
• Godu (Sweet) Phovu  
• Phova Usli
• Kanda Poha

I have adapted this from "Masala Avalakki/Bajil Upkari" from Swayam Paaka.

Please note that it is essential to use the thin variety of beaten rice to make this dish. It is advisable to use coconut oil for the seasoning. The use of Byadgi red chillies adds to the colour of the dish without making it too spicy.

We simply love this and I am sure you will too! 

Ingredients:-

• Thin Beaten Rice (Paper Avalakki//Patla Poha), 2 cups
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 3/4 cup
• Coriander Seeds, 1 tbsp
• Cumin Seeds, 1 tsp
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 5
• Jaggery grated, 1 to 2 tbsp
• Salt, to taste 

For the Seasoning:- 

• Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds, (Jeera), 1 tsp
• Asafoetida, ( Hing), 1/8 tsp
• Coconut Oil, 2 tsp

Method:-

In a small mixer jar, grind together coriander seeds, cumin seeds and Byadgi red chillies, without adding any water. Use the pulse mode for best results.

To this add the coconut gratings and grind once again to a coarse powder. 

In a large bowl, mix well together the avalakki, the freshly ground powder, grated jaggery and salt to taste

Use your fingers to mix thoroughly so that the avalakki gets properly blended with the masala.

In a small pan, heat 2 tsp of coconut oil, on medium heat add the mustard seeds

When they splutter add the cumin seeds  and the asafoetida

Saute till the cumin seeds sizzle and change colour

Switch off the gas 

Pour this seasoning onto the Masala Avalakki and mix once again

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. 

INSTANT SOOJI POHA DOSA

INSTANT SOOJI POHA DOSA

On some days, when you have been busy and forget to soak and grind for the dosa batter, recipes like these come in handy as the Sooji Poha Dosa can be made almost instantly.

It is also useful for those who wish to avoid rice in the dosa for different reasons like health, fasting on some days etc.

Elsewhere in this blog you will find some other dishes like this which can be made quite fast such as:-

• Instant Rava Appo
• Oats Appos

Today's recipe doesn't require any fermentation of the batter and can be made fast when you need to rustle up a quick breakfast or a healthy snack. It is made with sooji /rava( semolina), beaten rice ( poha) and curds.

For making this dosa, I have used the thin/patla poha and preferred Eno Fruit Salt over baking soda. The quantities mentioned in the Ingredients yielded 8 dosas.

You can serve with a chutney of your choice or with Tomato Kurma.


I have adapted this from Semolina Rava Breakfast by Bhusanur Cooking.

We tried it out recently and loved the dosa, served with tomato kurma.

Ingredients:-

• Sooji/ Rava, (Semolina), 1 cup
• Poha, (Beaten Rice), 1/2 cup
• Dahi, (Curds) 1/2 cup
• Eno Fruit Salt, 1/2 tsp 
• Oil, as required to make dosas
• Salt, to taste

Method:-

Soak sooji and poha separately for about 10 minutes in just the required amount of water
The quantity of water used should be enough for the sooji and poha to absorb it fully and become soft

In a mixer jar, grind together the soaked sooji and poha, along with the curds, to a smooth paste without adding any water

Transfer this ground batter to a bowl 

The batter should be like the regular dosa batter of pourable consistency
To this add salt, Eno Fruit Salt, and mix well
Prepare the tawa for making dosa by lightly greasing it with oil and wiping it off with a tissue
Sprinkle a few drops of water on the tawa
When it sizzles it shows the tawa is hot enough to start making dosas
On medium heat pour a ladleful of batter to make a dosa
Cover and cook on medium heat for 1 minute till the pores appear 

Drizzle 1 tsp of oil on and around each dosa

Flip and cook the other side of the dosa till it gets done
Serve with chutney or other accompaniment of your choice

POHA SOOJI CHEELA

POHA SOOJI CHEELA

A Chila or Cheela is usually made for breakfast in Rajasthan. The cheela can be described as a spicy pancake much like our Uthappam.  This article in NDTV Food describes chila in much detail.

I make chillas once in a while as a healthy breakfast option. So elsewhere in this blog you will find recipes for :

• Moong Dal & Paneer Chila
• Sprouted Moong & Methi Chila

Today's recipe is for cheela made with Beaten Rice ( "Poha" in Hindi) and Semolina ( "Sooji" in Hindi and "Rava" in the South). I have adapted this from Poha Cheela video on YouTube bu Cooking With Manisha.

We should preferably use the thick variety of beaten rice and fresh curds to get a better cheela. 

We had this for breakfast with garlic chutney and loved it! 

Ingredients:-

• Poha, of the thick variety ( Beaten Rice),  1 cup
• Sooji, (Semolina), 1/2 cup
• Ginger, grated, 1" piece
• Green Chilli, chopped, 1
• Fresh Curds, 1/2 cup
• Water, 1/2 to 1 cup
• Small sized Onion, finely chopped, 1
• Capsicum, finely chopped, 1/2
• Tomato, finely chopped, 1
• Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, 1-2 tbsp
• ENO Fruit Salt, 1/4 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Ghee/Oil, as required to make the cheelas

Method:-

Wash the poha a couple of times and drain away the excess water. Keep aside for about 5 minutes

Next, in a mixer jar grind together the poha along with sooji, grated ginger, green chili, curds and 1/2 cup of water, to form a batter
If required you may have to add another 1/2 cup of water to grind the batter

Remove the batter and transfer to a bowl
To this add the finely chopped onion, capsicum, tomato and coriander leaves
Add salt to taste
Mix well and adjust the consistency to get a medium thick batter
Cover the batter and keep aside for 10 minutes
Just before making the cheelas, add the Eno Fruit Salt to the batter and mix well
Heat a tawa, grease it with ghee/oil  and when it is sufficiently hot pour a ladleful of the batter and spread it lightly ( like how you would do for a Uthappam rather than for a Dosa)
Cover and cook on low/medium heat till one side of the cheela gets done
Likewise, flip and cook the other side
Drizzle ghee/oil around the cheela for it to become nice and crisp
Serve the Poha Sooji Cheela with a chutney of your choice 

MOONG DAL POHA DOSA

MOONG DAL POHA  DOSA

For us in South India, dosa has long been a traditional favorite for breakfast. Thanks to its popularity dosas are now available virtually all over the world. In the United States, they are often referred to as crepes . Many years ago, I remember a survey in the United States announced that our Masala Dosa was among the Top 10 Must Try Dishes in the world!

As most of you would know, there are innumerable types of dosas and their variants. Elsewhere in this blog, you will find, amongst other Dosas,  recipes for :

• The most common and basic Dosa
• Masoor Dal Dosa
• Pancharatna Dosa

Today's recipe is for Moong Dal Poha Dosa which is made with Moong Dal (Split Yellow Gram)  and Jada Poha ( Thick variety of Beaten Rice).

One of the advantages of this recipe is that it does not call for the fermentation of the batter and thereby saves time. Besides, Moong Dal has numerous health benefits.

I have adapted this from Poha Moong Dal Dosa from Simply Tadka. I tried this out for today's breakfast and we enjoyed it very much served with garlic chutney.

Ingredients:- 

• Moong Dal, (Split Yellow Gram), 1 cup
• Jada Poha (Thick Beaten Rice), 1/2 cup
• Rice Flour, 2 tbsp
• Green Chillies, chopped, 2
• Ginger, grated, 1/2 " piece
• Jeera (Cumin Seeds), 1/2 tsp
• Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, 2 tbsp
• Oil, as required for making dosas 
• Salt, to taste

Method:-

Wash the Moong Dal and soak it in adequate water for about 1 hour. Drain the excess water and keep aside.
Wash the Poha and soak it in adequate water for about 15-20 minutes.  Drain the excess water and keep aside.
In a mixer jar, grind together soaked moong dal, poha, green chillies, ginger, and rice flour to form a smooth batter using about 1/2 cup of water    

Remove the batter to a bowl, add salt and mix well. Add more water if required to get the right consistency for the dosa batter. This should not be too thick or too runny. 

To this add the chopped coriander leaves, and cumin seeds and mix well
Check for salt and add only if required

Heat a tawa and when it is sufficiently hot add a ladleful of batter and spread it to form the dosa
Drizzle a little oil on and around the dosa 

Cook covered on medium heat till one side of the dosa gets done
Flip and cook the other side likewise
Serve hot Moong Dal Poha Dosa with a chutney of your choice

POHA CHIVDA (MICROWAVE VERSION)

POHA CHIVDA (MICROWAVE VERSION)

One of the most popular snacks in India has to be Poha Chivda. This is a mildly spiced savoury which is easy to make more so these days when the microwave oven has taken a key spot in everyone's kitchen.

This snack is served at tea time or almost on any occasion, It complements the sweets which are traditionally served in any Indian household.

In the old days, we would usually deep fry the chivda or roast it in a kadhai. Now, the microwave does this task faster with less consumption of oil. You now have a more healthy version.

When you make it in bigger quantities, please ensure that the Poha Chivda is cooled fully before storing it in an air tight container.

Ingredients:

• Pathla Poha or "Nylon" Poha, (Beaten Rice of the thin variety), 2 cups
• Groundnuts, 1/3 cup
• Curry Leaves, 10-12
• Daria (Roasted Chana Dal), 2 tbsp  
• Kishmish (Raisins), 2 tbsp
• Copra, (dry Coconut), cut into thin slices, 2 tbsp
• Powdered Sugar, 1 tsp
• Green Chillies, finely chopped, 2
• Haldi (Turmeric) Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Mustard Seeds, 1/4 tsp
• Salt, 1/2 tsp, or to taste
• Oil, 2 tbsp

Method:

Firstly, in a microwave safe dish,  microwave the poha for 2 minutes 

Transfer the roasted poha to another bowl and keep aside for it to cool
(The roasted poha becomes crisp only when it is cooled)

Add oil in the microwave safe dish, add the mustard seeds and microwave for 1 minute

To this, add the finely chopped green chillies, curry leaves, and turmeric powder

Mix well and add the groundnuts, stir well and microwave for 2 more minutes
Next add the thin slices of copra, daria, and raisins and mix it thoroughly
Add the powdered sugar and salt and microwave for 1/2 minute 

Take out the bowl and once again mix well

Lastly, add the poha which you have roasted and kept aside
Mix thoroughly so that the poha gets evenly mixed
After it cools completely, the Poha Chivda is ready to be served.

POHA (BEATEN RICE) CUTLETS

POHA (BEATEN RICE) CUTLETS

Cutlets are a popular choice when you are looking for a snack in the evenings. Elsewhere in this blog you will find the recipes for cutlets that I make from time to time such as Palak and Corn Cutlets, and Sprouted Moong Cutlets.

Poha is "Beaten Rice" in Hindi and this recipe for Poha Cutlet is adapted from the one given by the legendary Tarlaji Dalal. It makes for a filling snack and goes best with a green chutney.

There are different types of beaten rice available in the market, please choose the thick variety for making these cutlets.

Ingredients:

• Poha, (Thick variety of Beaten Rice), 2 cups
• Yellow Moong Dal, (Split Yellow Gram), 1/4 cup
• Green Chillies, finely chopped, 1 tbsp
• Palak (Spinach), finely chopped, 1/4 cup
• Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, 1 tbsp
• Sugar, 2 tsp
• Lemon Juice, 2 tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, as required, for greasing and making the cutlets

Method:

Firstly, wash the moong dal and soak it in enough water for about an hour and then drain completely

Take the poha in a colander, and wash it under running water for a few seconds. Keep aside until the water drains out completely

In a mixer, add the soaked moong dal, poha, and green chillies and grind to a coarse paste without adding any water

Transfer this mixture to a bowl, add the chopped spinach, coriander leaves, sugar, lemon juice and salt. Mix thoroughly

Divide this mixture into 10 equal portions and shape each of them into flat cutlets of the same size

Heat a non-stick tawa and grease it with 1 tsp of oil

Place five of the cutlets and shallow fry them using oil as required, till they turn golden then flip and fry them on the other side too.

Repeat this procedure for the remaining cutlets.

Serve hot with a green chutney of your choice.

POHA IDLIS

POHA IDLIS

With idlis and dosa being common items for breakfast for many South Indians, I am often asked, " Don't you get bored with the same dishes?" I always point out that in idlis and dosas alone there must be hundreds of varieties. For example, here in this blog you will find recipes for two very different types of idlis namely Urad Dal and Moong Dal Idlis and Mallige Idlis - apart from other types of idlis.

Yet another type of idli, is the Poha Idli  made using beaten rice which I have adapted from the recipe by one of my favourite Chefs, Tarlaji  Dalal. They come out to be very soft and melt in the mouth because of the addition of beaten rice or poha.

For those who may not be familiar, please note that idli rawa which is made out of rice is different from the normal semolina or rawa, which is made out of wheat. I usually buy the ready made Vijay Idli Rawa.

Ingredients:

• Rice Semolina (Idli Rava), 1 cup
• Beaten Rice, (Poha), Thick Variety, 1/4 cup
• Urad Dal ( Split Black Gram Dal), 1/4 cup
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, for greasing

Method:

Wash the idli rava and beaten rice (poha) and soak them in water for about 2 hours

Wash the urad dal thoroughly and similarly soak it in water for 2 hours

Drain the excess water from the idli rava and beaten rice 

Next grind them together in a blender to a smooth batter adding just the required amount of water
Transfer the batter to a large bowl 

Drain the excess water from the urad dal and in the blender grind this too to a smooth batter adding just the required amount of water

Mix the two batters, add salt and keep it for fermenting for 8-10 hours or overnight

Next morning, grease the idli moulds and pour the batter into each of the idli moulds

Steam them in a pressure cooker for about 10-12 minutes without adding the weight 

Once it cools, demould the idlis and serve hot with sambar or chutney of your choice

POHA DOSA

POHA DOSA

Today's dish is a dosa made of not just rice but a mixture of rice and "poha." As you might know, poha is the Marathi word for "beaten" or "flattened " rice. We call this "phovu" in Konkani while as in Kannada it is called "Avalakki."

This dosa comes out as being deliciously soft and spongy on top and crisp at the bottom. 

Ingredients

• Raw Rice, 2 cups
• Poha* (Beaten Rice), 1 cup * Thin Variety or Patla Poha
• Curds, 2 tbsp
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, as required for making dosas

Method:

Wash and soak rice and poha separately for about 5-6 hours
Drain the rice and poha and grind them separately to a fine paste, using as little water as possible
Mix them well together
Add curds and salt
Keep this overnight or for 7-8 hours for fermenting
Your batter is now ready for making dosas
Heat a non-stick tawa and pour a ladle full of batter without spreading it as you would for a regular dosa
Pour a little oil around the dosa and keep it covered on low flame till the bottom of the dosa gets crisp
When you open the lid, you will find that the dosa looks porous
There is no need to flip the dosa
Remove and serve hot with a chutney of your choice.

GODU (SWEET) PHOVU

GODU (SWEET) PHOVU

We are now in the festive season during which it is customary to offer naivedhya for puja. Recently I had made Panchakadai, which recipe I have shared. Today I shall share my recipe for Godu (sweet in Konkani) Phovu, which is another commonly made sweet offered as naivedhya, especially for Gowri Puja.

This is made of  jaggery, beaten rice and coconut. It is advisable that you use the thin variety of beaten rice, which we in Bangalore call 'paper avalakki.'

Ingredients:

• Thin Beaten Rice, (poha/avalakki), 3 cups
• Grated jaggery, 3/4 cup tightly packed, or as per taste
• Fresh Coconut gratings, 3/4 cup
• Cardamom powder, 1/2 tsp
• Ghee, 1-2 tsp

Method:

Mix together  the coconut gratings and beaten rice by hand until they are well combined and the beaten rice becomes soft

Add cardamom powder, and mix well. Keep aside 

Next, add some water, about 1/4 cup, to the grated jaggery and heat in a kadai till the jaggery melts

Keep stirring the jaggery until you get a syrup of one string consistency 

(When you take the syrup between your thumb and fore finger and move them apart, the syrup should form a single string) 

Remove from flame and add the mixture of beaten rice and coconut gratings to this syrup and mix well

Finally, add 1-2 tsp of fresh ghee