Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Ragi mudde | Ragi Sangati | Ragi mudda : Finger millet balls




Learn to make ragi mudde........

Though mudde calls for just 2 ingredients, the proportion of water to ragi flour is different in every household. I have seen people adding cooked rice or rice rawa to make mudde soft. Some people add a couple of tablespoons of bombay rawa or upma rawa to the mudde too. Well, my mom made it with only ragi flour & I followed her. Recently I found adding a tbsp of quick cooking oats to the mudde & I liked it. From then on.., I add oats. It is however completely optional.

Some of the side dishes that go well with mudde are:
Masoppu
Majjige huli /Mor kulambu
Upsaaru
Okra Sambar



Preparation Time: Nil
Cooking Time: Less than 10 mins
Serves: 1-2


Ingredients:
Ragi flour | Finger millet flour | Nachni flour: 2/3 cup
Quick cooking oats: 1 tbsp
Water: 1 cup & 2 tbsp
Salt: A pinch
Ghee: A pinch or 1/8 tsp, optional

Method:
Heat water in a sauce pan.

When water starts boiling, add salt & the oats.
Measure the ragi flour & add it to the boiling water. Add the ghee too. DO NOT DISTURB THE FLOUR. 

Let the ragi flour cook on a low-medium heat for 5-7 mins.
Turn off the heat & mix the ragi flour. You could do whisking action to mix it thoroughly.


Ensure there are no lumps.
Scoop the cooked dough onto a plate. Work with the dough when it is hot.
Use your hands to knead the dough for about 10-20 secs. Dip your hands in cold water in between.

Shape the dough to a ball.
Serve it immediately with a side dish of your choice.

Notes:

  • Do not allow the dough to cool. Once cool, you cannot shape the dough or knead it.
  • Adding ghee or oil to the mudde is completely optional. According to my mom, adding oil or ghee will make the mudde soft & also the dough doesn't stick to the saucepan.

Friday, February 14, 2014

Homemade ghee | DIY ghee (With Video)



Want to learn how to make ghee? Here is the generic procedure for making the clarified butter/ghee  Butter is melted until it bubbles & simmered until most of the water content from the butter is evaporated.

I have made a video & also clicked step by step pictures to show you guys how I make ghee at home. Hope it helps.

Language translation of ghee
Kannada: tuppa
Tamil:  nei
Telugu: neyyi
Marati: tup
English: Clarified butter. For other language translations, refer here.

Preparation Time: Nil
Cooking Time: 30-40 mins
Shelf life: About 2 months, without refrigeration..


Ingredients:
8 sticks or 2 pounds or 1 kg of unsalted butter.
Few curry leaves, optional

Method:

Melt the butter over medium heat.
Once butter starts foaming & bubbling, reduce the heat to low-medium & mix once in few mins. The foaming is cloudy & covers the liquid completely.


After 5-7 mins, the bubbles start appearing frequently & starts making sizzling sound. The foam still covers the liquid inside.

After boiling the butter for about 15 mins, the foam starts clearing but the sizzling sound continues.


When most of the moisture is evaporated, the sizzling sound reduces considerably. The color of the liquid becomes clear & then there will be another layer of foaming. But, this will be bubbly & not cloudy as in the beginning.

This is when ghee is done. Add few curry leaves & turn off the heat.
Remove the pan from the heat & allow it to cool.
Once it is cool enough to handle, strain the milk solids from the ghee & store it in a air tight container.


Notes:
Never increase the heat thinking you could make it faster. A little patience goes a long way!!


Thursday, February 6, 2014

Chutney pudi idli | Spicy Idli | Podi Idli : Fiery hot!!



I tried the tempered podi idli at Anand Bhavan Restaurant, Singapore long time back & I liked it very much. My mom or MIL do not prepare this & it was something new to me. After tasting at the restaurant, I got a hang of how they made it & I started making them for myself. Podi idli is not a favorite of my hubby or my son. So, I prepare it with left over idlis for my lunch.

This is my own version, I understand that milagai podi or idli podi is added to this recipe. However I add the putani pudi  ( dry chutney).

If you are at Bangalore (or anywhere in South India for that matter!) & want to try this, here is what you need to do. Go buy around 6 idlis from any fast food joint. Take your mom made or home made chutney pudi & whip this dish in minutes. It could make a great dinner after a long tiring day at office!!

Preparation Time: 5 mins, excluding the idli preparation.
Cooking Time: 10 mins
Serves: 1-2



Ingredients:
Idlis: 6-8 nos, cubed (refer notes)
Oil: 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds: 1/4 tsp
Urad dal : 1 tsp
Onion: 1/2 medium sized, finely chopped
Curry leaves: 4 nos, torn
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp, optional
Chutney powder | Putani pudi: 1 tbsp, a little more or less
Salt: As needed



Method:
Heat oil in a wok. When oil is hot, throw in the mustard seeds & urad dal.
When mustard seeds splatter & urad dal turns golden brown, throw in the curry leaves.
When curry leaves wilt, add the finely chopped onion & saute until the onions turn translucent.
Once onion turns translucent, add the chilli powder, chutney powder, and salt.
Throw in the chopped idlis & saute gently until the chutney powder coats well on the idlis.
Serve the podi idli warm/hot.


Notes:
  • Idli contains salt & chutney powder too. So, be extra careful while adding the salt. 
  • You could use button idlis or mini idlis to make this podi idli. 
  • Idli needs to be completely cooled down before chopping them. You could refrigerate for couple of hours. Idli won't crumble while chopping. 
  • Feel free to add grated carrots or finely chopped bell peppers for some crunch & added benefits!

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Tawa Pulao Recipe: Mumbai Street Food


I have never lived in Mumbai before & tawa pulao is not one of  the things I craved to eat during my visits to India. For me, tawa pulao is a dish cooked at home. I never got a chance to eat them in food joints or restaurants. I learnt this from a Maharastrian friend of mine & have been cooking this from many years!

The twist to this pulao is the addition of Pav Bhaji masala which adds a zing to it & makes it flavorful.Also, this is one of the better options to utilize the left over rice. Isn't it a 2-in-1 bonanza?


Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins (excluding the rice cooking time)

Ingredients: (Serves: 2-3)
Cooked rice: 3 cups
Oil: 1-2 tbsp
Cumin seeds: 1/4 tsp
Ginger-garlic paste: 1/2 tsp
Tomato: 1 no, medium sized (finely chopped)
Onion: 1 tbsp, finely chopped
Bell pepper: 1 tbsp, finely chopped
Finely chopped veggies: 2 tbsp ( I have used french beans & carrots)
Frozen peas: 1 tsp, optional
Pav bhaji masala: 1 tsp
Red chilli paste or powder: 1/2 tsp, adjust accordingly
Salt: As needed

For the garnish:
Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp
Lemon juice: 1 tsp, optional



Method:
Heat oil in a broad pan.
** I used tawa/griddle to show that tawa pulao is actually made on a griddle/tawa.
When oil is hot, throw in the cumin seeds. When cumin seeds turn brown, add the onions.

Saute until the onion turns translucent. Add the ginger garlic paste & saute again. Cook the ginger garlic paste for a couple of mins or until the raw smell disappears.
Follow it by bell peppers & saute again.
Add the finely chopped veggies & cook it on a medium heat until the vegetables are almost cooked.

Add the finely chopped tomatoes & cook until the tomatoes are soft & slightly mushy.
Throw in the frozen peas,  pav bhaji masala, red chilli paste or powder, salt & give it a mix.
Finally add the cooked rice, and mix well. Let the rice heat up for a couple of mins.


Garnish the rice with coriander leaves & lemon juice. Mix well before serving.


Notes:

  • If you are using left over rice, break the rice gently & try to keep the grains separate. Mushy or over cooked rice will spoil the pulao.
  • You could add precooked vegetables too. 

Featured Post

Noodles and Vegetables with Honey Ginger Sauce

Am I the only one who crave for noodles when sick with cold and sore throat? I love this noodles with honey-ginger sauce and it is perfe...