RASAM RICE

This is no onion recipe which is a quick one.   One day when we came back from vacation there was no vegetables at home and we were not in a mood to have from hotel.   I had rasam powder in my fridge so I thought of preparing  a combination of rasam and rice.   We all were very hungry and every body liked it very much.  This is similar to Puliyogare but simple to prepare and  can be prepared easily for  lunch box for school kids.  In busy mornings instead of running around preparing rice, curry and side dishes  this can be prepared easily  and this makes  a complete meal.

 

INGREDIENTS

Cooked rice                                      2 cups

Mustard seeds                                  1 tsp

Peanuts                                             1 tbsp

Red chilly powder                            ½ tsp

Rasam/sambar  powder                   1 tbsp

Coriander leaves chopped               1 tbsp

Oil                                                       1 tbsp

Ghee                                                   2 tsp ghee

Salt to taste.

Lemon juice                                       2 tsp  

Method

Heat oil and ghee in kadai,    add mustard seeds when it pops up add peanuts and  fry for 1 or 2 min.   Then add chilly powder,  salt and rasam powder.   Fry in low flame for 2 min. Then add cooked rice and chopped coriander leaves mix well cover and cook for 2 min.   Switch off gas.   Add lemon  juice and mix well.   Rasam rice ready to eat.   No need of any side dish.  If required you can  serve with any raitha or pickle too.

 

 

 

Karathe Thambude (Fried bitter gourd in spicy gravy)

Bitter gourd/ karathe                           1

Red chilly                                                15 to 20

Tamarind                                                lemon size

Grated coconut                                     2 tbsp    

Masala items to  be fried

Coriander seeds                                    1 tsp

Methi   seeds                                         ¼ tsp

Mustard seeds                                      ¼ tsp

Hing powder                                          ½ tsp

Oil                                                             2 tsp

 method

Heat oil in seasoning pan  add all masala  items  fry in low flame till nice aroma comes.

 Then grind this with grated coconut, tamarind and red chilly into fine paste.

Meanwhile   deseed the bitter gourd   and chop into small pieces. Add little salt and keep aside for 10 min.

Shallow fry them till  crisp then keep aside.

Add little water, salt  to the ground paste and boil it for 5 to 10 min.

Then add fried bitter gourd pieces to it boil for 1 min. Switch off the gas.

Heat oil in seasoning pan  add mustard seeds when it pops up add curry leaves. pour this on  boiled masala.

Serve with rice as side dish or good combi with idly, dosa also J

Chana dal moong dal seasoned doddak (dosa)

Ingredients

Chana dal ( Bengal  gram dal                  ½ cup

Moong dal  (Green Gram)                       1 cup

Ginger                                                          small piece

Green chilly                                                2 to 3

Mustard seeds                                           1 or 2 tsp

Oil   for cooking

 

Method

Soak moong dal and chana  dal for 3 to 4 hours.

Then grind this with ginger, salt and green chilly into fine paste.

Batter should be thick like idly batter.

 

Heat oil in deep bottom pan/kadai  add pinch of mustard seeds when it pops up add one ladle full of batter,  cover and cook in low flame.  Open lid put little oil over it and fry it and cook. Till both side becomes crisp and golden colour. Serve  hot with  coconut chutney.

7 Cup Barfi

My husband is a sweets lover  so I thought of preparing this on our Fourteenth  wedding Anniversary.  I am so lucky to have you as my husband and this is my best day in my life.  Happy  anniversary to you my dear.

 

 

 

Ingredients

 

Besan (kadala podi)                            1 cup

Grated coconut                                   1 cup

Ghee                                                  1 cup

Milk                                                     1 cup

Sugar                                                  3 cups    

 

Method

 

Take all ingredients in non stick pan mix well.

Heat this on medium flame. When it starts to boil keep this on low flame stirring continuously.

After 15 to 30 min, when the mixture  becomes  thick slowly ghee starts to separate from it.  Colour changes into light brown.   Switch off the gas.

 

Grease one plate with little ghee and  pour this mixture on it  and  spread it evenly.

When it becomes half cool in room temperature cut into desired shapes.

Allow it cool. Then keep this into air tight jars. U can keep this for  10-15 days J  if its left over. Today I prepared  this in the evening its  already become half J J

 

 

 

 

Penne pasta in white sauce

Ingredients

 

Penne pasta cooked                  2 cups

Sweet corn boiled                      ½ cup

Butter                                           1 tbsp

Maida/corn flour                        1 tbsp

Milk                                               2 cups

Finely chopped                            2 tsp

Dried oregano                             1 tsp

Dried thyme                                 1 tsp

Grated cheese                             2 tbsp

Pepper   powder                         2 tsp

Coriander leaves   chopped      little for garnish

Method

Heat  butter in  a non-stick pan add finely chopped garlic and fry for  few seconds. Then add maida or corn flour  fry for 1-2 min in low flame.   Then add milk stir continuously    till the sauce becomes thick.

Then add oregano, thyme, cheese, black  pepper,  boiled sweet  corn , cooked  pasta and salt and  cook on medium flame for  1 to 2 min.

Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves .    Serve  hot

Alasande palya (long bean stir fry) udupi style.

Ingredients

Alsande/ payar                        1 bunch

Red chilly                                  5

Mustard seeds                         ½ tsp

Jeera                                         1 tsp

Urad dal                                   1 tsp

Grated coconut                      2 tbsp

Turmeric powder                   ¼ tsp

Curry leaves  few

Jaggery                                      small piece(optional)

 

Method

 

Cut  alsande  into small pieces.

Heat oil in kadai add mustard seeds when it sputter add urad dal fry till light brown add curry leaves  and  2 red chilly cut into pieces fry for a while   then add alsande pieces and turmeric powder, jaggery,

salt and little water. Cook till half done.

Grind coconut, 3 red chilly and jeera into coarse powder  without adding water. Add this powder to half cooked Alsande cook in low flame till done.

Serve this with hot rice and any rasam. Yummy yummy.....      

 

Pyaaz ke paratha(onion porota)

Since Onions are easily and readily available at every house holds preparing this will not be big task. This  is easy to prepare  and also make good snack or lunch for kids and   good for health too.   If you have leftover chappathi dough it will even easier.  Try this once.

 

Ingredients

 

Wheat flour                           2cups

Onion                                      2 finely chopped

Chilly powder                        1 tsp

Garam masala powder        1 tsp

Salt to taste

Butter or ghee for cooking

 

Method

 

Take one big bowl   add wheat flour, salt, pinch of turmeric powder  and water  knead a dough   like chapathi dough and keep aside for 5 to 10 min.

 

In one plate keep finely chopped onion, mix of chilly powder ,garam masala powder and salt.

 

Make lemon size balls from chapathi dough  roll it like small puri.

 

Then put chopped onion in the middle,   sprinkle chilly mix cover it like potli (pouch).  For the method of preparing potli kindly refer the Aloo paratha in my blog.

Then roll it again like thick chapathi .

Heat tawa fry both sides with butter/oil or ghee. Serve  with curd, khadhi or any pickle.

 

KARATHE UPKARI (kaipakka/karela stir fry)

Ingredients

 

Bitter gourd                             2

Onion                                        1 

Chilly powder                          2 tsp

Turmeric  powder                   ¼  tsp

Mustard  seeds                       ½ tsp

Urad dal                                   1 tsp

Salt to taste

Grated coconut                       1 tbsp

 

Method

 

Cut bitter gourd  remove seeds and cut into small pieces.

Chop  onion and keep aside.

Heat  oil in kadai  add mustard seeds when it sputter  add urad dal fry till light  brown then add onion fry till light pink add chilly powder,  turmeric powder  and curry leaves fry for 2 to 3 min.

Then add  add bitter gourd pieces  fry for a min then add little water close the lid cook till half done.  Add grated coconut mix well again cook till done.

Healthy bitter gourd stir fry ready to serve.

Batate Humman

This is no onion no garlic recipe.

Ingredients

Boiled potatoes                                  --  4 to 5

Grated coconut                                  --   ½ cup

Red chilly                                             --  15 to 20

Tamarind                                             --   lemon size

(Instead of tamarind we can use Raw mango or Bimbul)

Hing powder                                       --  ½ tsp

Coconut oil                                          --  2 tsp

Salt to taste

Method

Remove skin of boiled potatoes and make 1” cubes.  Grind coconut, red chilly  and tamarind into fine paste.   Mix the potatoe cubes with masala  add salt add enough  water  to make gravy and boil it for 10 minutes.  Mix hing powder with little water and pour this on boiling gravy.  Switch off gas and pour 2 tsp of coconut oil.  Batata Humman is ready to serve with hot steaming rice.

Kotto (Kottige)-Idly steamed in jackfruit leaves basket

We all know that most of us are very familiar with this dish.   This is a regular weekend breakfast  and festival breakfast in almost all Manglorean Konkani  homes.    I would like to describe about this to the Non-Mangloreans.    Kotto is nothing but Idly batter steamed in mini basket made out of four Jackfruit leaves  pinned together in a form of mould with the help of sharp and clean broom sticks.    From today  lots of   festivals are coming one by one,   today  “Naagara Panchami” then comes “Avani Avittam (Sutha Punnav)” ,  “Ganesh Chaturthi” etc.

 

Nowadays people don’t spend time in making these baskets,  but these baskets  are available readily made in Mangalore market.   But still  all Grand Mothers prepare this very patiently with their hands.  Although  it is idly batter but the aroma it gives when prepared in jackfruit leaves is superb.  Here I would share the step by step method of preparing the basket and then Kotto.

 

 

Making leaf basket

1.   Take four jackfruit leaves of same size washed and cleaned,   few clean broom sticks cut into 1 inch pieces. 

 

 

 

1.   Pin 2 leaves head to head then keep 2 leaves perpendicular to the pinned leaves and  pin head to head. 

 

 

1.   Now it will look like a ‘plus’ sign.  Fold the leaves upwards fold the edges without giving any gap and pin to the adjacent leaves. (otherwise batter will leak). 

 

   Basket (kotto) is ready.   (refer pics)

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

 

Urad dal                                    --   1 cup

Raw rice                                    --   2 cups

Salt to taste

 

Method

 

Soak urad dal and rice separately for 3 to 4 hours.  Wash and grind  urad dal  into thick batter (add little water while grinding).   Grind rice in to rawa consistency.  Add both batters together add salt and keep for fermentation for 6 to 8 hours.

Add water in a steamer, fill batter in the baskets (please do not fill to the edge fill only 3/4^th of the basket).  Steam for 20 to 30 minutes.  Let it cool for some time. 

 

 

Tear the basket and the kotto is ready to serve with green chutney  or yam pickle(already posted in my blog) or sambhar or chutney powder.