CONGRESS KADALEKAYI (ROASTED & SPICED GROUNDNUTS)

CONGRESS KADALEKAYI (ROASTED & SPICED GROUNDNUTS)

If you have lived in Bengaluru, and we have lived here for decades, you can't miss having had
" Congress Kadlekayi" the spicy roasted groundnuts that is mostly available in the local Iyengar's Bakery.  No one can say how this got the name and I am not even attempting a try.

With the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket matches going on, snacks and quick bites are much in demand as we watch the television. As die hard Benagalureans, we are big fans of Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Congress Kadalekayi makes for a good "timepass" snack but there is one problem! It will vanish in no time.  This recipe is adapted from a YouTube video in Kannada called Congress Kadale Beeja by Swayampaaka.

Ingredients:

• Kadalekayi (Groundnuts), 2 cups
• Fresh Curry Leaves, 2-3 sprigs,
• Hing (Asafoetida), 1/4 tsp
• Arasina, (Turmeric Powder), 1/3 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder, 1 tsp, or to taste
• Pepper Powder, freshly ground, 1 tsp
• Salt, 1 tsp, or to taste
• Oil, 1 tbsp

Method:

Dry roast the groundnuts in a thick-bottomed kadhai, stirring till it becomes crisp which could take 6-8 minutes. (You could also roast the groundnuts in the microwave oven)
Allow the groundnuts to cool, then de-skin them and break them into halves. Keep aside.
Heat oil in the same kadhai on low flame and fry the curry leaves until they become crisp taking care that they don't get burnt

Add hing and saute for a few seconds, followed by the roasted, de-skinned and halved peanuts, salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder and pepper powder
Mix well and stir for 1 minute on low flame so that the spice powders get well blended with the roasted groundnuts
Take it off the flame and allow it to cool
When it is cool enough to handle, using your hands gently crush the roasted curry leaves and mix well
When it cools completely, store in an air tight container

CURRY LEAVES RAITA

CURRY LEAVES RAITA

Did you know we could use the commonly available curry leaves ( Kadi Patta in Hindi, Karibevu in Kannada and Karbev in Konkani) to make a raita? A raita is a curd-based salad. As you would probably know, curry leaves also have numerous health benefits.

I made this as an accompaniment for Nimbehannu Chitranna (Lime Rice) and it tasted just great. It would go well with Kayi Sasive Chitranna , and Maavinkayi Chitranna ( Raw Mango Rice ) as well.

The recipe for this easy to make yet delicious raita was shared by my friend Sarojini Kini.

Ingredients:

• Curry Leaves, 2 sprigs, or 15-20 leaves
• Fresh Curds, 1 cup
• Cumin Seeds ( Jeera), 1/2 tsp
• Green Chilli, chopped, 1
• Red Chilli, 1 (broken into two)
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 1 and 1/2 to 2 tsp

Method:

Wash the curry leaves and pat them dry

In a bowl, add salt to the curds, whisk the curds and keep aside

Heat oil in a kadahi and when it gets hot add the cumin seeds

When they sizzle, add the chopped green chilli, broken red chilli and the curry leaves

Saute till curry leaves become crisp 

Allow them to cool and once they cool crush it to a coarse powder

Add this crushed powder to the curds, check for salt, and mix well

Serve the Curry Leaves Raita as an accompaniment to the main meal

CURRY LEAVES RICE

CURRY LEAVES RICE

This dish is made of curry leaves (Kaddi Patta in Hindi, Karibevu in Kannada and Karuvepillai in Tamil) which has many health benefits as detailed in this article in The Health Site.

By using cooked rice, it saves you time as well so as it can be rustled up in a jiffy, this recipe comes in handy if you are strapped for time.

Ingredients:

• Cooked Rice, 3 cups

For the Curry Leaves Powder:

• Bengal Gram Dal, 1 tbsp.
• Urad Dal, 1 tsp
• Red Chillies, 2
• Black Pepper, 1/4 tsp
• Asafoetida powder, 1/4 tsp
• Coconut Gratings, 1 tbsp.
• Curry leaves, a handful

For Seasoning:

• Oil, 2 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds, 1 tsp
• Curry leaves, a few

Salt, to taste
Roasted Cashewnuts, 5-6 , broken, for garnishing.

Method:

First prepare the curry leaves powder as given below:

Heat 1 tsp of oil in a kadhai and roast Bengal Gram Dal, Urad Dal, Red chillies, black pepper and asafoetida .
Then add the curry leaves and coconut gratings. Fry for a while on low flame.
Let it cool and powder it in a mixer. Keep aside.

In the same kadhai, add oil. When it gets heated on medium flame, add mustard seeds and when they splutter add curry leaves.
Next add the cooked rice, salt and the curry leaves powder.
Stir and mix well till the rice gets well coated with the curry leaves powder.
Garnish with roasted cashewnuts.
Serve hot

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