Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Happy 2009!!




I wish you all, a very happy, prosperous & healthy new year!
May all your wishes come true & you make progress towards achieving your goals.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Corn-Carrot Stir fry/Salad

This is a healthy, nutrition packed, low calorie & yet a tastier stir fry/salad. This again can be prepared in very less time & goes well as a side dish for chapathi, rice or roti. Green peas could replace corn, but I feel nothing can beat corn-carrot combination.



Ingredients:
1 cup grated carrot
1/3 cup boiled sweet corn (if you are using frozen corn, boil it for 3 minutes in a microwave)
1 green chilli (pepper powder could be used instead)
¼ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp urad dal
3 curry leaves chopped
1 tsp oil
½ tsp lemon juice.
1 tsp chopped cilantro/coriander leaves


Method:
  • Take a broad kadai & oil to it. When oil is hot, add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds splutter, add urad dal. Fry till urad dal turns golden brown
  • Add green chilli & curry leaves. Saute for a minute.
  • Add carrot & mix it thoroughly. Add little water (use the water that is used to boil corn). Don’t add more water as the end result is to keep it dry. Cook it on slow flame for a minute
  • Drain out the excess water from corn & add the corn, salt to the carrot mixture. Cook it for 1 minute. Keep stirring often as it might burn easily.
  • Add the lemon juice & mix it well.
  • Garnish with coriander leaves & serve it with rice or phulka/chapathi.

PS: You could also add grated coconut for added taste

Monday, December 29, 2008

Instant Pepper Rasam

I was made to eat pepper rasam twice a day for the first 15 days of my post pregnancy period, but, I never complained as it was tasty. It can be prepared in less than 5 minutes & this rasam is packed with loads of medicinal values. See yourself below to know how it helps our body to fight against diseases.

Jeera : Helps in digestion & fights against acidity
Pepper : Soothes throat in case of itching or infection, fights against cough & cold. It is said to be soothing to stomach too (green chilli causes acidity ). Keeps the body warm.
Garlic : Fights against cold, good for heart (said to reduce the cholesterol level)
Curry leaves : Helps to reduce weight

These days, I’m preparing this rasam once a week to keep ourselves away from cold. So, here is the recipe for you to protect your family from cold, cough & throat infections!!


Ingredients:
1 tbsp black pepper/kalu menasu
½ tbsp jeera/cumin seeds
1.5 cups water
¼ tsp ghee
6 curry leaves
1 pod garlic minced
Salt according to taste
½ tsp tamarind powder/amchur powder
A pinch of jaggery(optional)
1 tsp oil
¼ tsp mustard seeds

Method:

  • Roast the cumin seeds & black pepper separately by adding very little ghee
  • Powder them together & preserve it in a air-tight container. This powder could be used for upto 3 months. It gives out a nice aroma as it is roasted in ghee.
  • Add water, 1.5 tsp of the above mentioned powder, jaggery & bring them to boil
  • Add tamarind powder, salt & boil it again.
  • Prepare the tempering by adding oil to another pan. When oil is hot, add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves & garlic. Fry till garlic turns golden brown.
  • Add this tempering to the rasam prepared.
  • Serve it steaming hot with rice.


PS:

  • This could be consumed as a soup too.
  • Lemon juice can be substituted for tamarind or amchur powder. Lemon juice fights against cold.
Here is our dinner plate that has pepper rasam, rice, palak thovve & corn-carrot stirfry/salad. So, you can expect to see these recipes soon ;)

Friday, December 26, 2008

Akki kadalebele payasa (Rice-channa dal kheer)

This payasam is usually served in temples & is also one of the sweet dishes prepared during occasions like wedding, brahmopadesham, naming ceremony etc. We would be having a comprehensive list of mouth watering dishes along with this payasam. So, this payasam would go unheard most of the times as we have to make place to eat other dishes too. Whenever I prepare, I ensure to prepare it more as I like eating it the next day as well. Not to forget, there are many versions of this payasam. My mother prepares 2 versions; I don’t remember my mom-in-law preparing this much, as paradi payasam takes the priority there.
I’m publishing both versions here. You can choose what you want. I have prepared version #1 as I fell short of khus-khus (poppy seeds) (Poppy seeds are not available in Singapore). Also, my personal choice is with coconut milk & no poppy seeds.

Version #1
Ingredients:
1 cup channa dal/gram dal
1 tbsp rice
1.5 cups powdered jaggery
1.5 cups thick coconut milk
1/2 cup water
½ tsp powdered cardamom powder/elaichi
1 tsp raisins
1 tsp cashew nuts
1 tsp ghee

Method:
  • Soak the channa dal for around an hour
  • Meantime, dry roast the rice until it gives out nice aroma, or is just turning golden brown.
  • Pressure cook the rice & channa dal together for 3 whistles. Don’t add too much water while cooking. If water is more, it has to be drained else payasam becomes too watery.
  • Dissolve jaggery in water & allow it to boil.
  • Add cooked channa dal & rice to it. Bring it to a boil.
  • Now add cardamom powder, coconut milk & boil it again.
  • Roast the cashew nuts & raisins in ghee. Add this to the payasam prepared.
  • Serve it hot or warm.

My mom substitutes coconut with poppy seeds to get the thickness in payasam. Moreover, my father prefers poppy seeds. Rice & channa dal are added in equal quantities here.
So, here is version #2 of the same payasam.
Ingredients:
3/4th cup channa dal
3/4th cup rice
1.75 cups powdered jaggery
3 tbsp grated coconut
1 tbsp khus-khus/poppy seeds/gasagase
1.5 to 2 cups water
½ tsp powdered cardamom powder/elaichi
1 tsp raisins
1 tsp cashew nuts
1 tsp ghee

Method:
  • Soak the channa dal for an hour
  • Dry roast the poppy seeds until they are warm. Soak it in water for 30mins.
  • Make a fine paste of coconut, cardamom powder & poppy seeds.
  • Pressure cook the channa dal & rice together for 3 whistles. . Don’t add too much water while cooking. If water is more, it has to be drained else payasam becomes too watery.
  • Dissolve jaggery in water & bring it to boil
  • Add cooked channa dal & rice to the jaggery water. Bring it to boil
  • Add the prepared paste to the channa dal mixture & cook it on a slow flame. (Around 10 mins)
  • Roast the cashew nuts & raisins in ghee. Add this to the payasam prepared.
  • Serve it hot or warm.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Hongone bolu huli (Sessile Joyweed Sambar)

Bolu is a kannada word & it means ‘nothing’. Huli, again a Kannada word has different meanings in different contexts. General meaning of huli is sour & in this context huli means sambar or curry. The literal transaction of bolu huli means “ sambar with nothing”. Any recipe that doesn’t include coconut is like nothing to people in South Canara. My mother-in-law would be asking, how can you cook without coconut? She can cook without vegetables, without oil.., but never without coconut. She adds coconut milk for rasam too.

According to her, bolu huli is only prepared when there is a power cut at home as she cannot prepare a coconut mixture to prepare the normal sambar. At my mother’s house, it is quite contrary, only during festivals or special occasions, sambar with coconut is prepared. Instead my mom uses more dal to make the sambar thick. Now that I know both secrets, I have the advantage of preparing both ;)
Bolu huli is generally prepared by mixing green leafy vegetables with some pulses. Also, the speciality of this sambar is.., it is prepared with rasam powder!!. Isn’t it interesting ?? Read on:


Ingredients:

1 bunch hongone soppu

¾ cup alasande kalu/black eyed beans

1 big onion cut into big pieces

1 medium sized tomato

1green chilli

½ tsp amchur powder/tamarind powder

1 tsp rasam powder

Salt according to taste

1 pinch turmeric

1 tsp oil

2 pods garlic minced

½ tsp mustard seeds

4 curry leaves

Method:
  • Soak the black eyed bean in warm water for 3 hours
  • Pressure cook the black eyed beans for 3-4 whistles (until soft)
  • Meantime, mix hongone soppu, onion, tomato, green chilli, turmeric in a large vessel, add enough water & cook it until soft (it may take 5-8 mins)
  • Add the cooked black eyed beans to the same vessel.
  • Add rasam powder, tamarind powder, salt & bring them to boil again.
  • Prepare the tempering. Add oil to a kadai, when oil is hot, add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds splutter add curry leaves & garlic. Saute well & add this mixture to the bolu huli prepared.
  • Serve it hot with rice & papad.
You can find one more recipe of hongone at my blog here.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Gulla badane palya (Brinjal curry)

There are many varieties of brinjals available. One is the normal purple colored brinjal, which is commonly used for preparing sabji/palya. A second type is of dark purple to black color and is used for preparing baingan bartha. The third type, our hero for this recipe, is of light green color and circular in shape. These light green colored brinjal, also known as gulla, tastes little sweet while the purple colored brinjals are little bitter. So, I always prefer preparing with the green ones, but it is not easily available here.

This week when I went for vegetable shopping, I found gulla badane & was on cloud nine. I bought it without thinking twice & prepared the curry, the very next day. This recipe could also be prepared with other brinjal varities but, I feel, it tastes lovely with green colored brinjals :)



Ingredients:
3/4 kg gulla badane or normal small purple colored brinjals
1/2 cup green peas
2 medium sized onions
2 pods of garlic
1 tsp jeera
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 pinch fenugreek seeds
1 tsp urad dal
5 red chillies
1 tsp tamarind juice
salt according to taste
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 pinch of turmeric
4 tbsp grated coconut
6 curry leaves
1 tbsp coriander leaves (chopped)

Method:
  • cut the brinjal into large pieces and soak it in water/thin butter milk for 5 minutes
  • meanhile, dry roast the jeera, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, urad dal, red chillies separately
  • Make a fine paste of grated coconut, dry-roasted spices, tamarind juice, 1 onion and garlic
  • In a broad pan, heat oil. When the oil is hot, add mustard seeds
  • when mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves, turmeric, onion and saute it till onion turns golden brown.
  • Now, add green peas. Saute for a while.Add brinjal pieces and saute again.
  • Now, add the paste & salt to it and mix it well
  • Cook on a slow flame for 5-7 minutes.Keep stirring once a while. Look for the softness of brinjal
  • Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve it hot with roti/phulka/paratha.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Capsicum Puri Husali (Capsicum Puffed rice husali)

My father-in-law doesn't take rice at night and prefers light snacks. Once, I prepared & served this to him.., he was very impressed. He called my mother-in-law & told her that this dish is too good & also asked her to learn from me :-P. Later, my father-in-law used to get puri from outside & asked me to prepare & serve this to him. This dish was not prepared at my in-laws home until then & is a very rare breakfast item at my mom's place as my father doesn't like this much.

After my sister got married, she told an interesting variation of puri husali from her mom-in-law. Her mom-in-law prepared it once for me & I was really happy eating. I immediately got the recipe from her & now that I started blogging.., here is the recipe for you.


Ingredients:
150 gms puffed rice/puri/bhel (Gives better results with bhel)
2 tbsp roasted channa dal/ಹುರಿಗಡಲೆ
1 tbsp groundnuts/ಕಡಲೆ ಬೀಜ
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
1 medium sized onion sliced
2 capsicum cubed
3 green chillies (I used red chilli as I was short of green chillies & hence the color is little different)
1.5 tbsp oil
1 pinch turmeric
3 tbsp grated coconut
8 curry leaves
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
1 tsp lemon juice
salt according to taste

Method:
  • Dry roast the peanuts, remove the outer skin & allow it to cool.
  • Prepare a fine powder of roasted channa dal.
  • Make a coarse powder of roasted peanuts.
  • Add oil to a broad kadai, when oil is hot, add mustard seeds.
  • When mustard seeds splutter, add urad dal, curry leaves & allow the urad dal to turn golden brown.
  • Add green chillies, onion & saute till it turns golden brown.
  • Add capsicum & fry the capsicum in oil (for about 3 minutes)
  • Meantime, soak the puffed rice in water for about a minute.
  • Squeeze out the water from puffed rice & add it to the kadai.
  • Add salt, roasted channa dal powder, peanut powder, grated coconut, lemon juice & mix well.
  • Garnish it with coriander leaves & serve it.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Halasina Appa (Jackfruit appa)

Though my native is not south canara, I am influenced by South Canara recipes so much that people keep asking me whether I am from Mangalore/Udupi. I am from Chikmagalur (Karnataka, India) & my husband is from South Canara (Udupi). This is how I came under the influence of south canara recipes & I have learnt all these recipes after my wedding. I have learnt these from my mom-in-law, my hubby's relatives, my co-sister and so on. But, whenever I visit his village, I feel, I know nothing about south canara recipes.
Ok, here is the recipe of another south canara delicacy passed over to me on phone :)

Ingredients:
2 cups jackfruit deseeded & finely chopped
2 cups raw rice
¾ cup jaggery/brown sugar
¼ cup grated coconut
1 pinch salt
1 medium pinch of baking soda
1 tbsp oil

Method:

  • Soak the rice in warm water for about 3-4 hours.
  • Grind the rice, jackfruit & jiggery. The batter should be of dropping consistency (like normal idli batter).
  • Let the batter rest for 2 hours.
  • Add baking soda, salt & mix well. Add 2-3 drops of oil to the mould, pour spoonful of batter on to the paddu/guliyappa/gundpongalu mould & cook on a slow flame on both sides until each side turns golden brown.

Variation: This batter can be used for preparing deep fried appas too. Just make the batter little thick & pour spoonful of batter in hot oil & deep fry till it turns golden brown

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Saagu (Vegetable saagu/curry)



" Poori & Saagu" is one of the most famous combination, usually had for breakfasts. I must say that it is ubiquitous... You can find it in a darshini and also in a five star hotel...We, our foodie family, loves this dish, just like most of you :)

Whenever I prepare poori-saagu, i go to flashback mode. Whenever my mom used to prepare poori, we could easily assume that the combination would be none other than saagu. The recipe of Saagu is patented for my mom :) According to her, nothing suits poori better than saagu(once in a blue moon, she used to cook mavina seekarane instead of saagu...that recipe is for some other day ). I dont know from whom my mom learnt the saagu recipe, because my granny says..., she learnt it from my mom ;)

Anyways, I am continuing the tradition of my mom. My maid prepares chole with poori, that also tastes great!!, but I feel nothing can beat "poori-saagu" & it is like match made in heaven :))

Now, note down the ingredients to prepare over a weekend brunch & enjoi...

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped vegetables (I normally use carrot, beans, peas, potato & chayote squash, you are flexible to add any veggie of your choice)
1.5 to 2 inch cinnamon/ಚಕ್ಕೆ
5 cloves/ಲವಂಗ
1 big pinch poppy seeds/khus-khus/ಗಸಗಸೆ
1 inch ginger/ಶುಂಠಿ
1/2 onion
1 tbsp roasted channa dal/ಹುರಿಗಡಲೆ
6-8 cashews (soaked in warm water for 30 mins)
2 green chillies
1-2 tbsp grated coconut
1 onion finely chopped
1 tomato finely chopped
¼ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp oil
6-8 curry leaves/karibevu
1 string of coriander leaves/cilantro for garnishing

Method:
  • Make a fine paste of cinnamon, cloves, poppy seeds, ginger, cashews, roasted channa dal, green chillies, ½ onion & grated coconut.
  • In a medium sized pan, heat oil. When oil is hot, add mustard & cumin seeds. After they crackle, add curry leaves, onion & sauté till onion turns golden brown.
  • Add tomatoes now & cook till tomatoes become soft. Add the prepared masala paste to this & sauté it for 2 mins (it leaves a nice aroma by then)
  • Add the cooked vegetables, salt & cook in slow flame for 5-7 mins. Garnish it with coriander & serve it with hot poori.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Menthya Tambli (Fenugreek seeds tambli)

I know you people would be thinking how many tambli recipes do I post?? What to do, this simple dish attracts me so much that I end up preparing & enjoy eating it very often.

Here I go with one more tambli recipe:


Ingredients:
1/2 tsp methi seeds /fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
2 cups curd/yogurt/butter milk
2-3 tbsp grated coconut
1 tsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
a pinch asafoetida
1 broken red chilli
1/4 tsp ghee
salt according to taste

Method:
  • Add ghee to a kadai, fry jeera & methi seeds until it turns golden brown (it leaves a nice aroma by then)
  • Make a fine paste of jeera, methi seeds & coconut using curd.
  • Add the remaining curd, salt to this paste & mix well (tambli should be like a thick milkshake).
  • In a kadka pan, prepare the tempering by adding oil. When oil is hot, add mustard seeds, asafoetida & red chilli.
  • Pour this tadka/oggarane to the tambli prepared & serve it with rice, papad or pickle.
PS: If you need it little spicy, you could add 1-2 green chillies when preparing the paste.

Time for the tip:
This tambli helps in reducing the stomach ache. So, if you are having stomach ache, go ahead & prepare this, it gives relief in as early as 30 mins

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Basale Koddel (Malabar Spinach Curry)

Sambar (Koddel in Tulu) is the most common & popular dish that could be prepared using basale (malabar spinach). I started using a lot of basale after coming to Singapore, reason being easy availability in most of the local veggie shops, good for health & of-course affordable price. As I have mentioned in several previous posts, basale is very good for health too. so, I hope, this many reasons are sufficient to persuade to prepare this dish.

Here we go:


Ingredients:
1 bunch of basale soppu ( chop only the leaves if red stemmed Malabar spinach is used, stem could be finely chopped & added if normal tender green Malabar spinach is used)
1 medium sized onion sliced
½ cup toor dal
¾ cup grated coconut
1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
2.5 tsp dhania/coriander seeds
¼ tsp menthya/fenugreek seeds
4-5 red chillies (paprika)
1 tsp tamarind juice
4-6 curry leaves
1 medium grape sized jaggery(optional)
1 tsp oil
1/3 tsp saasive/mustard seeds
1 pinch hing/asafoetida
Salt according to taste
Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

  • Pressure cook the toor dal for 3-4 whistles (until soft). Allow it to cool
  • Meantime, prepare tempering by adding oil to a broad vessel. When oil is hot, add mustard seeds, asafoetida & curry leaves.
  • Add onion & sauté it for 30 secs (Need not fry till turns golden brown)
  • Add chopped basale & sauté again. Now add little water & allow the leaves to be cooked completely.
  • By the time, basale gets cooked, prepare the hasi masale (raw masala). Dry roast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, red chilli separately. Blend these spices along with grated coconut & prepare a paste.
  • When basale is cooked, add toor dal, tamarind juice, paste prepared, salt, jaggery & allow it to boil for about 3-5 mins.
  • Garnish it with coriander leaves & serve hot with rice & papad.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Thundu mavina uppinakayi (Instant Mango Pickle)

I cant believe myself that being such an ardent fan of ಉಪ್ಪಿನಕಾಯಿ (pickle), have not published even one recipe of the same. After coming to Singapore, I have prepared more then 3-4 types of pickles within a short span of 6 months & not only that I have finished all of them myself!! Better late than never, right?? This time, I did not forget to take the picture & here is the recipe...



Ingredients:
2 raw mangoes (medium sized)
1 inch ginger finely chopped
2 pods of garlic (finely chopped)
1/3 cup oil
1.5 tbsp red chilli
2 tbsp salt ( or according to taste)
1 tsp mustard seeds powder
1 tsp fenugreek seeds powder
1/4 tsp mustard seeds

Method:
  • Wash the mango & pat it dry completely(Not even little water should be left out)
  • Chop the mango into small pieces ( around 1/2 inch cubes)
  • Heat oil in a kadai, when oil is hot, add mustard seeds
  • Add garlic & ginger to oil & saute it for 20-30 secs
  • Add salt to the oil & turn off the flame.
  • Now add, chilli powder & mix them well.
  • Switch on the flame, add fenugreek powder, mustard powder & mango to it. Ensure the flame is very slow.
  • Saute everything for 30 secs & remove the kadai from the flame.
  • Mix it well & allow it to cool
  • Once, the mixture comes to room temperature, store it in a air tight container ( Use a porcelain, glass or a plastic container & ensure the container is also dry & no water drops inside it)
  • The pickle can be consumed after 1 day as the mango needs to absorb the salt & chilli :)
PS: Whenever inserting a spoon to the pickle, make certain that the spoon isn't wet. Even a drop of water could spoil the pickle within couple of days!!

This pickle can be preserved & consumed for upto 1 month(without refrigeration).

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Corn Capsicum Rice | Bell Pepper Rice Recipe


Again a classic recipe that our family loves to eat :)), dont ask me what is that we dont enjoy eating :-p

Basic recipe of capsicum rice comes from my co-sister, according to her this can be prepared in a jiffy. I have made some changes to this & I cannot say my version can be prepared quick. It consumes time, but the end result would be yummy!!


Here goes the corn capsicum rice recipe:

Ingredients:

3 cups rice (sona masoori/ponni would do)
3 medium sized capsicum cut into 1 inch sized cubes(it will become colorful, if you use red, yellow capsicum too)
1 cup boiled sweet corn
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1.5 tsp urad dal
4 tsp peanuts
10 curry leaves
1 pod garlic (optional)
3-4 red chillies
2 tbsp grated coconut
2 tbsp oil
salt according to taste
1 tsp lemon juice



Method:
  • Cook the rice and allow it to cool.
  • Meantime dry roast the spices (mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, peanuts, garlic, curry leaves, red chilli) seperately & allow them to cool.
  • Remove the skin of the peanuts & crush them into a course powder ( can crush with a belan, no need to put in the blender/mixie)
  • Make a course powder of mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, garlic, curry leaves, red chilli & at the end add grated coconut and blend it for 30 secs. Dont add water!!
  • Heat a broad pan & add oil to it, when oil is hot, add capsicum & fry till capsicum becomes crisp. Add boiled corn to this & saute in oil for a minute.
  • Now add the course powder, crushed peanuts & saute again.
  • Break the rice & remove lumps if any & add this rice to the capsicum mixture.
  • Remove from flame & add salt, lemon juice, coriander leaves.
  • Mix well & serve it hot.

The above mentioned recipe serves 3-4 people & the preparation + cooking time is around 40-45 mins (including the time to cook rice).

Friday, December 5, 2008

Balehannu dose | Banana Dosa

I learnt this dosa from my sodaratthe(aunty). She gets couple of nicely ripened bananas from the nearby temple almost 3 times a week. And.., this is how she utilizes the bananas.., quite impressive, isn't it??

As I have mentioned before, because of the humid weather in Singapore.., the bananas doesn't last long, hence.., this is a better way to finish the bananas faster. If you have ripened bananas , go ahead & prepare this in the coming days!!

Ingredients:
1 cup raw rice
1 tsp fengreek seeds
1 nicely ripened banana (banana should be 2 times the rice, so., around 1.5 to 2 cups of banana for 1 cup of rice)
a fistful of rice flakes/poha, avalakki
salt according to taste

Other ingredients:
About 1/4 tsp or a little more of oil for each dosa.

Method:
  • Soak the rice, rice flakes & fenugreek seeds together for around 4-5 hours.
  • Make a smooth batter of rice, fenugreek seeds & banana. Batter should be like a thick milkshake.
  • Keep the batter aside for 8-10 hours for fermentation.
  • Add salt just before preparing the dosas. Prepare thick dosas (like pancakes) & serve it hot with chutney or any spicy curry of your choice.


I have published few other recipes using banana.., you can have a look at them here.
Appa
Balehannu chapathi


Thursday, December 4, 2008

Basale Saasime (Malabar Spinach Saasime)

One more recipe from red vege( this is the name mentioned on these leaves in NTUC Singapore). It is also called red-stemmed malabar spinach. Picture of the red-stemmed malabar spinach can be found here. And regional names of this leaves can be found here.

As mentioned before in one of my posts that, this leaves if consumed 3 times a day for couple of days can cure mouth ulcers & also has a cooling effect on the body.

Here is the recipe for this coolant:

Ingredients:
1 bunch ಬಸಳೆ ಸೊಪ್ಪು/red stemmed malabar spinach
1/2 tsp urad dal
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
a big pinch turmeric
1 pinch tamarind powder/amchur powder
1/2 cup curd
3 tbsp grated coconut(fresh/frozen)
1 green chilli
salt according to taste
1 tsp oil

Method:
  • Discard the stem & chop the leaves.
  • Add the oil to a broad kadai, when oil is hot, add jeera & urad dal.
  • When urad dal becomes golden brown, add the finely chopped leaves, amchur powder & fry it in oil until . Remove from flame & allow it to cool.
  • Make a fine paste of grated coconut, green chilli, turmeric & mustard seeds.
  • Add this paste, curd & salt to the cooked leaves. Basale saasime is ready to be served. It is a great side dish for rice & also for roti.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Bele Guliyappa

This is a slightly different version than the normal guliyappa/gundpongalu/paddu. See the ingredients yourself to make out the difference ;)

Here I go...,

Ingredients:
1/2 cup moong dal (split yellow gram)
1/2 cup channa dal (ಕಡಲೆ ಬೇಳೆ)
1/2 cup urad dal (ಉದ್ದಿನ ಬೇಳೆ)
1/2 cup fenugreek seeds (ಮೆಂತ್ಯ)
4 cups raw or idli rice
1/4 cup poha/beaten rice/ಅವಲಕ್ಕಿ
salt according to taste
1 tbsp oil

Method:
  • Soak all the above mentioned ingredients (except salt & oil ofcourse) for atleast 4 hours.
  • Make a smooth paste of this soaked mixture (batter should be like normal idli batter).
  • Allow it to ferment for 6-8 hours (I normally keep it overnight)
  • Add salt to this batter .
  • Heat the guliyappa pan & add 2 drops of oil to each of the holes, pour this batter & cook on both sides until it turns golden brown.
  • Serve it hot with a chutney of your choice.
Guliyappa pan can be seen here...
Here goes some dal guliyappa for you all...


Lastly, you can also find a different type of guliyappa recipe @ TOM.

Sihi Kumbala Gojju (Pumpkin Curry)

I rarely buy this vegetable since I do not know many recipes. One & only recipe that I know is what I'm posting now.This curry is also called "Kayi Saasive Gojju"(English: Coconut Mustard Curry). My mother & mom-in-law prepares a lot of dishes that has pumpkin as the main ingredient. Next time, when I visit India, I would learn more recipes from them.



Ingredients:
3/4 kg pumpkin
1/2 cup grated coconut
1 tbsp roasted channa dal/ ಹುರಿಗಡಲೆ/kadale pappu
1 tsp white seesame seeds/ಬಿಳಿ ಎಳ್ಳು
2-3 red chillis
1/2 tsp tamarind juice
1 tsp mustard seeds/ saasive
1/2 tsp powdered jaggery
a pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds (for tempering)
1 red chilli ( for tempering)
salt according to taste
3-4 curry leaves

Method:
  • Peel the skin of the pumpkin, remove the seeds & cut the pumpkin into medium sized cubes.
  • Dry roast the seesame seeds & red chilli separately. Allow it to cool.
  • In a broad pan, prepare the tempering by adding mustard seeds, curry leaves, hing & broken red chilli.
  • Add pumpkin pieces & little water to the tempering. Cook the pumpkin until soft.
  • Meanwhile, grind the roasted seesame seeds, red chilli, roasted channa dal, mustard seeds, coconut & tamarind to a smooth paste.
  • Add this paste, jaggery & salt to the cooked pumpkin. Cook the whole mixture for 2-3 mins.
  • The pumpkin gojju is ready to be served.

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Semolina Idli | Rava Idli : Quick Rava Idli


Rawa idli is one of the top evening snack available in Sagars (Bangalore fast food points). I always tried preparing it while I was in India, but never succeeded, it used to become hard always..After coming to Singapore, I started craving for all those fast foods available in Bangalore. I think it is bound to happen as I was used to eating varieties of dosas, rawa idli, pooris etc for such an affordable price.

I never found rawa idli in any of the restaurants in Singapore :((.., but was wanting to eat. The only option available here is...., cook what you want & eat how much ever you want ;) I did few modifications to the original recipe based on my experience :) It turned out just like how we used to get in Bangalore restaurants. Now, it has found a place in my breakfast list. I cook it at least once in fifteen days.

Here is the recipe, which requires no fermentation.



Ingredients:
2 cups upma rawa/semolina
1.5 cups curd/yogurt (it should have turned little sour)
1 tbsp cashew nuts
1/2 tbsp chana dal
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
8-10 curry leaves.
1/4 cup coriander leaves
2 tbsp grated coconut (fresh/frozen)
salt according to taste
1/2 tsp baking soda or 1 tsp eno's fruit salt
1 tbsp oil
Water: As needed to adjust the consistency

Method:
  • Dry roast the rawa until it turns golden brown. Allow it to cool.
  • Add oil to a pan, when oil is hot, add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds crackle, add chana dal. Allow the chana dal to turn golden brown.
  • Add cashew nuts & fry till it turns golden brown. Add curry leaves to it.
  • Add this tempering to the rawa.
  • Add coconut, coriander leaves to the rawa.
  • In a separate bowl, add about 1/2 a cup of water to yogurt/curd & whisk.
  • Add the whisked yogurt to the rawa mixture & mix well. Batter should be like normal idli batter or a little thicker than that would do.
  • Keep the batter for 1 hour.
  • The rawa would have absorbed the moisture & become hard. Adjust the consistency by adding little water at a time. 
  • Add baking soda, salt to the batter, just before making the idlis. Mix well & scoop out the batter onto the idli moulds.
  • Steam cook the idlis for 15-20 mins.
  • Serve it hot with potato sagu (curry) or chutney or any curry of your choice.

Appa/Yeriyappa (Healthier version)

Yeriyappa is a must sweet at my mother's place for Navaratri festival. It is usually prepared on the Saraswathi Pooja day. Yeriyappa is called appa in Udupi/Mangalore.

We had been to our relatives place here in Singapore. We went there without informing about our visit. As soon as we reached there, she started preparing something.., within minutes we were given guliyappa/paddu/gundpongalu. When we tasted.., we were pleasantly surprised.., it was a sweet dish :))

As I generally do everywhere, I asked her about the recipe, she said.., it was made of maida & banana..,I could not get the full recipe from her, but she also told me that the yeriyappa batter can be used to make sweet paddu/gundpongalu. I tried with the yeriyappa batter & it was impressive.

Why I call this healthier version is because the appa is not deep fried in oil. It is prepared using gundponglu/paddu pan.

So, here goes the healthier version of yeriyappa,
Ingredients:
1 cup raw rice
2 ripened bananas
1/3 cup jaggery
1 tbsp dry fruits of your choice ( I used cashew nuts + raisins)
a pinch of powdered cardamom
a pinch of baking soda
a pinch of salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp oil

Method:
  • Soak the rice in water for around 3-4 hours.
  • Make a fine paste of rice, bananas & jaggery (dont add much water), batter should be like normal idli batter.
  • Mix the dry fruits, sugar, cardamom powder, salt & baking soda to this batter.
  • Keep aside the batter for 10-15 mins.
  • Heat the guliyappa pan, add 2 drops of oil to each of the holes in the pan. Pour the batter to each of the holes. Cook the appa on both sides on a slow flame, it takes a little more time than the normal guliyappa
Guliyappa pan can be seen in the below photo.


Here is some appa for you to taste :)

Friday, November 28, 2008

Mungaru Male Music!!

ಮುಂಗಾರು ಮಳೆ!!

Kannadigas can never forget this movie name.., Though the story-line is good, I am more interested in the music. Anybody would love to listen to this song at anytime.., aha!! such a soothing music, where you could enjoy every beat.., wonderful lyrics & fabulous singing by Sonu.
Refreshing!!

ಮುಂಗಾರು ಮಳೆಯೇ ಏನು ನಿನ್ನ ಹನಿಗಳ ಲೀಲೆ.
Even a non-romantic guy would become romantic after listening to this song.., even if he doesn't understand the lyrics..

one such beautiful line of this song...
ಭುವಿ ಕೆನ್ನೆ ತುಂಬ ಮುಗಿಲು ಸುರಿದ ಮುತ್ತಿನ ಗುರುತು.., ನನ್ನ ಎದೆಯ ತುಂಬ ಅವಳು ಬಂದ ಹೆಜ್ಜೆಯ ಗುರುತು..
what a comparison!!. I'm not a poet or ಕವಿಯತ್ರಿ, to say more about this.., but I just love to listen to this song always & always.. regardless of my mood...

Now coming to one more beautiful track of this movie.., the most popular one I suppose...
ಅನಿಸುತಿದೆ ಯಾಕೋ ಇಂದು.., ನೀನೇನೆ ನನ್ನವಳೆಂದು..
This is my son's ever favourite song.., this movies songs have the strength to make my son sit in one place for hours together.., he was just 9-10 months old during that time & he used to be silent when he get to hear these songs..., he is 26 months now & these songs are in his top most list even now.., he listens to this movies songs atleast once a day & he is not bored to listen this.., but would be willing to listen to this again & again. He can even make out a single beat change in those songs :))

ಆಹಾ ಎಂಥ ಮಧುರ ಯಾತನೆ..ಕೊಲ್ಲು ಹುಡುಗಿ ಒಮ್ಮೆ ನನ್ನ.., ಹಾಗೆ ಸುಮ್ಮನೇ..
again a masterpiece.., those who have not listened to these songs.., I suggest you to listen to this once & you would recall what I said..

This movie got released when I was on my maternity leave & was at my native.., Kannadigas were crazy for this movie..,my cousins, brother & sister were no exceptions, everybody kept on saying.., I have seen this 6.., 7.., 8 + times. But, my son was around a month.., so it was not possible for me to watch the movie at that time. But, I managed to watch it after 6 months or so.., but songs were always on the top of my list.

I have just mentioned about 2 songs here.., but all the songs including music, lyrics are fabulous & is a classic of all times..

Hats off to Mano Murthy, Jayant Kaikini, Sonu Nigam & also to Yograj Bhat for making such a wonderful movie & giving us beautiful songs..

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Beetroot Pulao | Beets rice recipe

I learnt this recipe from my aunt when cooking became a routine activity for me ( i.e. after getting married) . I wanted to try something new everyday & impress my hubby.., those were the days when we stepped into "Gruhasthashrama".

My hubby is a ready-to-eat rice freak. what I mean is.., he enjoys eating pulaos, bhaths, mixed rice..etc.., more than the traditional South Indian rasam/sambar & rice. This is when I started learning & preparing lot of mixed rices & pulaos. Here is one such rice/pulao learnt during those wonderful days, but somehow this had washed out from my memory until few days back :(...., I prepared it yesterday & enjoyed eating..

beets_rice

Ingredients:
3 cups grated beets/beetroot
2 cups rice (basmati preferred)
2 tbsp dry fruits ( I used raisins + cashew nuts)
1/2 cup frozen green peas, sweet corn or baby lima beans(I used lima beans this time, but I have prepared using peas & corn too.., both taste equally good)
1 medium sized onion sliced
1/2 inch ginger grated
1 inch cinnamon
3 cloves
2 cardamom
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin powder/jeera powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder/dhania powder
1 tsp pulao masala ( I used MTR pulao masala)
1/2 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
1/2 cup yogurt/curd
coriander leaves (for garnishing)
3 cups water
salt according to taste.
2 tbsp butter/oil

beets_rice_with_indian_spices
Method:
  • Wash & soak the basmati rice for 20-30 minutes.
  • Heat the pressure cooker/pan, add butter to it. When butter is hot, add cumin seeds.
  • Add the sliced dry fruits, cinnamon, cardamom & cloves. Fry it till the dry fruits become golden brown.
  • Add ginger, onions & saute till the onions are soft.
  • Now add lima beans & cook it in oil for a minute.
  • Add the grated beetroot & mix well.
  • Now add all the dry spices (red chilli powder, dhania powder, jeera powder, pulao masala & garam masala)
  • Add water & salt. Bring the water to a boil & then add the curd to it.
  • Drain the water from the rice & add the soaked rice. Add the salt & mix gently. 
  • Close the lid of the pressure cooker & cook it for 1 whistle on high heat..
  • Allow the cooker to cool, fluff the rice gently & coriander leaves.
  • Serve it hot with a raitha of your choice.

beets_pulao


Tip of the Day:
Don't discard the skin of the lemon squeezed, instead rub your elbows or face using the lemon skin.., it will reduce the tan on the skin & act as a natural bleach to the skin. This tip is for people having oily or normal skin. If you have dry skin, avoid using lemon juice on your face or on hands.

I'm sending this rice to Sunshine Mom's FIC purple event

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Shunti Tambuli ( Ginger Tambuli)

This dish can be prepared in minutes & shunti (ginger) is available at home almost always!! So, prepare this whenever you are in a jiffy & cannot afford to spend more time cooking :)

Tambuli can be prepared like a thick curry by adding thick yogurt or could be prepared like rasam by adding buttermilk (blended yogurt). Choice is left to individuals. My mother prepares tambuli like chutney & my mom-in-law adds lot of butter milk & makes it like rasam.

Thought of adding few cooking tips from now on along with the recipes.

Tip Of The Day: If you have gastric problem, using raw green chilli could harm your stomach, hence always fry it in little oil for about 30 secs & then use green chillies.

Note down the ingredients & prepare it at your ease.
1.5 inch ginger ( roughly chopped)
1/2 tbsp jeera/cumin seeds
1 green chilli (optional)
3 tbsp grated coconut
1.5 cups buttermilk/curd/yogurt

For tempering:
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 red chilli
1 pinch asafoetida
2 curry leaves

Method:
  • Grind the coconut, ginger, green chilli & jeera to a smooth paste
  • Add curd, salt to the paste & mix it well.
  • In a small kadai, add oil. When oil is hot, add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds splutter, add red chilli. asafoetida, curry leaves & add this tempering/tadka to the curd mixture.
  • Tambuli is ready to be served.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Pathrode fry

A very tasty & healthier tea time snack. We usually prepare this using the left over pathrode. Few sub-dishes are prepared using the pathrode as the main ingredient. Some of them being pathrode palya(both sweet & spicy version could be prepared), pathrode fry.

I was the only consumer of the pathrode prepared at my home, as my son is too young to eat that spicy & my hubby dear prefers only pathrode palya. I prepared pathrode fry for tea time today & enjoyed eating!!!

Ingredients:
1 roll of pathrode
1 tbsp coconut oil (or any oil of your preference)

Method:
  • Cut the pathrode as shown in the below picture.
  • Heat the tawa. Add 1/2 tbsp of oil
  • When oil is hot, place the pathrode slices on it and add the remaining oil on to the surface of the slices
  • Shallow-fry it on both the sides for a minute (until the sides are crisp)
  • The pathrode fry is ready to be served

Pathrode (Colocasia leaves Roll)

Colocasia/Taro/kesuvina leaves grow in abundance during the rainy season & this is the time when South Canara people prepare various dishes using taro leaves. Taro leaves grow where water is in abundance like near the well, near the pond or where water flows as a stream. Every road in Malnad region will have its own stream during the rainy season.., that is the beauty of malnad region. Che!, I became nostalgic.

This dish is not prepared quite often as the availability of this leaves is seasonal. My mom-in-law is very particular when comes to preparing this, she tells.., if the leaves are not good, then after eating pathrode, our tongue starts itching!! Thankfully, I have experienced the itching of my tongue only once.

I got few leaves in the frozen section in the supermarket, just got them & prepared the pathrode. I loved eating them & thankfully the leaves were good.

The preparation of pathrode is quite lengthy, but the end result is so very relishing.

Ingredients:
Taro leaves (ಕೆಸುವಿನ ಎಲೆ ) - 6
Raw Rice - 1 cup
Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
Toor dal - 2 tbsp
Moong Dal (Yellow) - 1/4 cup
Beaten Rice - 1.5 tbsp
Red Chilly - 8-10
Tamarind - One big grape size
Jaggery - One big grape size
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
Salt according to taste

Method:
  • Wash and soak the rice, toor dal, moong dal & beaten rice together for around 4-5 hours.
  • Dry roast the red chillies.
  • Make a coarse paste of the rice, dals soaked along with red chillies, tamarind, coconut, cumin seeds, coriander seeds & jaggery (Batter should be similar to normal idli batter).
  • Add salt according to taste (add a little more salt as this paste will be smeared on the leaves)
  • Wash the taro/colocasia leaves, remove the stem & the large veins of the leaves & take the largest/biggest leaf.
  • Smear the paste prepared on that & place a smaller leaf on top & repeat the same process. In one pathrode roll there can be 3+ leaves. Have a look at this picture to get an idea.



  • Now roll the leaves & after it is rolled, smear the paste on top of it.
  • Steam cook these rolls for 30-45 mins.



  • Cut the rolled pathrode, smear it with coconut oil & serve it hot.


Updated on 26th Oct 09 to include coriander seeds & cumin seeds

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Hagalakayi Tomato Curry(Bitter melon Tomato curry)

Though it has numerous medicinal value.., my son & my hubby donot like to eat this veggie in any form. So, somehow once in 3 months I manage to get this & force my family members to eat.
This time instead of Indian karela(bitter gourd), I got Chinese bitter melon & prepared the "not-so-common" recipe using bitter melon.

You can get to know more about the medicinal values of bittergourd/bitter melon here & here.

My maid told me about this recipe, I made some changes according to my family needs. I did not know the actual name for this curry, as my told the name in her language. So, if any of you have ideas, do let me know.., I'll add it here :))

Ingredients:
1 medium sized ಹಾಗಲಕಾಯಿ/karela/bitter melon (finely chopped)
3 tbsp grated coconut
1 tbsp peanuts
2 tomatoes (boiled)
3 red chillies
1 onion chopped
1 big pinch turmeric
1.5 tsp oil
0.5 tsp mustard seeds
0.5 tsp cumin seeds
3-4 curry leaves
1 red chilli (for tadka)
coriander leaves (for garneshing)
salt according to taste

Method:
  • Finely chop the karela, sprinkle salt & turmeric on it & keep it aside for 10 mins.
  • Dry roast the red chillies & peanuts separately.
  • Grind together the peanuts, chillies, coconut & 2 boiled tomatoes & prepare a smooth paste with it.
  • Squeeze out the water from karela & cook the karela by adding little water ( this would be cooked within 5 minutes).
  • Add the oil to a kadai, when oil is hot, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, red chilli.
  • Add onions & fry them till it turns golden brown.
  • Add the paste to the tadka & cook it for a minute (until raw smell disappears).
  • Add the cooked karela, salt & cook for another 3-5 minutes in a slow flame.
  • Garnesh it with coriander leaves & serve it with chapathi or rice.



You can find one more recipe of bitter-melon here: Hagalakayi palya (In Taste Of Mysore)

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Tukudi | Shankar poli | Namak para

My mother used to usually prepare this during the summer holidays to make all the 3 or sometimes more of us happy & also during our short/long tours. Shankar poli was a must item prepared by my mom for my school trips. I used to tell her to prepare something else, but never understood why she was preparing this so many times.

I learnt the reason once I started cooking. The reason being, the preparation being so easy (her time, effort is saved), can prepare in bulk (to satisfy the entire school bus going on a vacation) & always turns out crispy & yummy.

Now, this has become an all time available evening snack at our home in Singapore. I prepare this, once a week & use it for the rest of the week.

Here is the bowl of thukudi for you, keep munching this.., & enjoy the recipe.

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour/maida
1.5 tsp hot oil/ghee
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp pepper + jeera powder
salt according to taste
oil for deep frying

Method:
  • Mix all the ingredients in a bowl (except the oil kept for deep frying).
  • Prepare a firm dough (dough should be little hard) with the ingredients using water & keep it aside for 10-15 mins.
  • Divide the dough into 4 equal portions & roll out each portion by dusting very little flour(like normal chapathi)
  • Cut the rolled out chapathi into small diamond shapes (like we cut normal barfi) & deep fry the thukkudi (cut diamond shaped) until golden brown.
  • Drain it on absorbant paper, allow it cool & store it in an air tight container. (This can be stored for upto 3 weeks)

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Meme, awards, awards & .................... awards

Thanks a lot to Smitha & Lakshmi for passing on these beautiful awards to me. Awards inspire & encourage people to keep going. I sincerely feel that they are like energy boosters :).

Now, let me share with you all, how & why I started blogging..

I was such a busy lady for atleast a decade.., 97 started my engineering (with full josh, dreaming big) & 2001 completed my engineering.

I could not even spend a month for myself, as I was lucky enough to get selected in campus recruitment & joined my first company.., then on started my career.., parallelly got married, had a kid, but never took a break from my career.

I felt all of a sudden, my life has become standstill, when I first became a full time home maker. It was 2 extremes in my life, but slowly started enjoying the "staying at home" phase of life. This is when I started blogging.., cooking was an all time passion for me, but never found so much enthusiasm before. I started blogging to utilize my time effectively & now, I am so much involved in blogging that I dont want to leave this anymore. I have 50+ recipes already, thanks a lot for all your support.

Time for MEME
7 Things I Say More Often
1. Noooooooooooooo ( for my son who keeps pulling things from here & there)
2. Adi... ( my son's name)
3. yenu ?? ( asking what?? in Kannada)
4. yen madodu helippa (asking my hubby what to cook??)
5. matte..(next)
6. ABCDEFG for my son.., ha ha ha
7. Good boy...(when my son listen to me)

7 things I did before
1. Enjoyed a lot with my entire family ( my brother, sis, father, mom, bro-in-laws, co-sis, MILs, FILs etc)
2. Enjoyed working with an excellent group in my previous company
3.Enjoyed eating out more tha
n 3-4 times a week
4. Completed my masters
5. Enjoyed my pregnancy & post delivery phases.
6. Went kilometers together to have favourite chats
7. Did lot of shopping & enjoyed buying whole lot of things (Shopping is fun yaar)

7things I do now:
1. Most of the time watching TV or browsing the net
2. Cook
3. Play with my son & try to teach him something new everyday
4. Keep applying for jobs without losing hope :(
5. Blogging
6. Laze around & keep dreaming about when to visit India.
7. Go for a walk with hubby + son every evenings.

7 things I want to do ( not sure whether I can write 7! let me see)
1. Start working again
2. Visit India ( missing it damn soo much)
3. Talk to dear ones for hours together...
4. Shop till I drop ( he.., he.., my hubby will be upset after reading this )
5. Publish the recipes ( I have taken soo many recipe snaps, not getting much time to publish)
6. Roam around in Singapore
7. Play a lot & teach new words to my son..

7 things that attract me about opposite sex
1. Honesty
2. Patience
3. Sense of humor
4. Decency
5. Love & Care
6. Trust
7. Helping nature + more....

7 Favorite Foods ( I can easily name more than 10 .., he he he)
1. my first & ever favorite.., nothing can beat this..., bisibelebath
2. curd rice (2nd love)
3. hot upma
4. dahi wada ( I love the one that is served in "Adigas" group of resturants, Bangalore.., slurp, slurp...)
5. shunti tambli
6. timare chutney (brahmi chutney)
7. gujje dose..
8. Kashi halwa/bood gumbala halwa
9. Dry jamoon + ..................................many many many.........................

Here are my awards
Lakshmi of Taste Of Mysore has given me the below awards..




Both, Smitha of Kannada Cuisine & Lakshmi of Taste Of Mysore have given me the below awards.


Sunday, November 16, 2008

Nugge soppu chapathi (Drumstick leaves Bread)

As said in my previous posts, I had got a big bunch of nugge soppu & wanted to try all the recipes taught by my aunt. I tried 2 of the recipes shared by her.. nugge soppu tovve & nugge soppu rotti & it was super-duper hit at our home. My husband suggested me to prepare more dishes using this soppu. I was on cloud nine after those comments & started dreaming about the next recipe & the comments that I could receive from him!!! But, when I saw the remaining soppu, I was a bit disappointed as I had very few left with me. I could just manage with just one more dish :-p

Here you go:

Ingredients:
1 cup cleaned nugge soppu
2 cups wheat flour
1 pinch turmeric
1 pinch om kalu/ajwain
1 tsp chilli powder
1.5 tsp oil
salt according to taste.

Method:
  • Add all the ingredients mentioned above in a bowl & mix it together.
  • Add enough water & make a dough similar to the normal chapathi/roti
  • Divide the dough into equal portion (around medium sized lemon)
  • Roll each portion like normal chapathi/paratha & cook it on tawa.
  • Cook on both the sides until brown spots appear on each side.
  • Serve it hot with curd, pickle or subzi of your choice.
Below picture contains nugge soppu chapathi & a simple chayote sabzi( seemebadane palya)

Bhendi Saasime (Stir fried okra in mustard,coconut paste)

Very soothing side dish for people during summer. Saasime(some people call it saasive), hashi, methi tambli, are all said to have cooling effects on the body & helps one to fight summer temperatures. Hence, one of them will definitely feature in a 'hot day' menu in South Canara/Udupi.

As Singapore's climate is very similar to Mangalore/South Canara's weather, I prefer doing this atleast 2 times a week or sometimes more.

Here is one such saasime prepared using bendekayi/ladies finger.


6-8 thinly sliced bendekayi
1/2 tsp urad dal
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
1 big pinch turmeric
1 big pinch tamarind powder/amchur powder
1/2 cup curd
3 tbsp grated coconut(fresh/frozen)
1 green chilli
salt according to taste
1 tsp oil

Method:
  • Add the oil to a broad kadai, when oil is hot, add jeera & urad dal.
  • When urad dal becomes golden brown, add bendekayi (sliced), amchur powder & fry it in oil until crisp. Remove from flame & allow it to cool.
  • Make a fine paste of grated coconut, green chilli, turmeric & mustard seeds.
  • Add this paste, curd & salt to the cooled bendekayi. Bhendi saasime is ready to be served. It is a great side dish for rice & also for roti.
Note: For bhendi to be crispier, add the paste, curd & salt just before serving.

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