Saturday, November 23, 2013

Savory Oatmeal Porridge Recipe | Instant Oats & Yogurt Porridge


All oats & yogurt lovers, this is a must try. This porridge is healthy, filling & tastes great. You can be happy that you started your day with a healthy breakfast.

Preparation Time: 2 mins
Cooking Time: 1 min
Serves: 1

Ingredients:
Oatmeal | Instant Oats: 1/2 cup
Water: 1/2 cup
Salt: 1/4 tsp, more or less
Plain yogurt: 1/4th cup
Finely chopped cucumber: 1 tbsp
Grated carrots: 1 tbsp
Finely chopped coriander leaves:  1 tsp

For the tempering:
Oil:  1 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds: 1/4 tsp
Urad dal | Skinned black gram dal: 1/4 tsp


Method: 
Microwave the oatmeal in the 1/2 cup of water for a minute. Add salt, mix well & let it cool.
Heat oil in a small wok, when oil is hot, add mustard seeds & cumin seeds. When seeds splatter, add the black gram dal. When the dal turn golden brown, turn off the heat. Pour the tempering over the cooked oatmeal.
Add yogurt, chopped cucumber, grated carrots. and coriander leaves.
Mix well & relish the hearty porridge!


Notes: 
This porridge should be consumed as soon as it is prepared. If kept for long time, the oatmeal becomes soggy & goo-ey.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Ragi rotti | Finger millet flat bread | Ragi Thalipeeth

How to make Karnataka Style Ragi rotti? 

                              (Served with spicy green chilli chutney & butter)

It's already very cold & gloomy here. The Sun is hardly seen for 4-5 hours a day. I normally cook around 3-4 p.m & by the time I'm done cooking, the Sun would sleep. I'm struggling with the pictures. When I checked my old hard disk, I found a whole lot of food photos taken during my Singapore days. Hence decided to utilize all the pictures. So, for the next couple of months, it'll be mostly clearing my old draft posts.

Ragi | Nachni | Finger millet is rich in calcium, low GI, good for diabetic & keeps you full for a long time. Not to forget, it is rich in fiber, protein, and iron too. If you are using ragi for the first time, you might not like it. You need to develop the taste of ragi to relish the goodness.

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 2-3 mins for each rotti
Serves: 2-3

ragirotti


Ingredients: (Makes about 6-7 rottis)
For the rotti dough:
Ragi flour : 3 cups
Onion: 1 medium sized, finely chopped
Dill leaves : 1/2 cup, finely chopped (refer notes)
Grated coconut: 3 tbsp, fresh or frozen
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Salt: As needed
Water : As needed

Other ingredients:
Oil: About 1 tsp for each rotti/flat bread

For making the rotti:
Aluminium foil or parchment paper or brown paper:  about 10-12 wide.


img_2158

img_2164
(Served with chutney powder & ghee)

Method:
Mix all the ingredients mentioned for the rotti (Except water). Add 2-3 tbsp of water at a time & prepare the dough. The dough will be soft & a bit sticky. Consistency of the dough should be like a patty dough consistency. Let the dough sit for 5-10 mins.
img_2150

Make golf ball sized dough balls.
img_2148

Grease the aluminium foil & pat them on the aluminium foil. Wet your hands  in between with water to ease the patting.
img_2152

Heat the griddle. When griddle is hot, grease the griddle. Put the aluminium foil(I used a brown paper this time, aluminium foil works great too!) on the griddle (rotti side on the griddle). Cook the rotti along with the aluminium foil for 30-45 secs. Slowly remove the foil. 

img_2155

The rotti gets transferred from the foil to the griddle.Add oil around the rotti & also few drops on top of the rotti.
Cook it covered on a medium-high heat on both sides.
img_2156
Remove the cooked rotti. Repeat the patting & cooking procedure. 
Serve the rotti hot with a chutney/dip or vegetable stew/curry of your choice.




Notes: 
  • You could mix a portion of cooked rice (mash it thoroughly) for softer rottis. Adding jowar flour (sorghum flour ) works too. 
  • If you do not have dill leaves handy, other green leafy vegetables like spinach, methi (fenugreek leaves) or coriander leaves could be added. 
  • I have served rotti with chutney powder & ghee for my hubby, while I ate it with butter & spicy green chilli chutney.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Chayote Squash Curry | Seeme badnekai huli menasina kodilu | Chayote Squash Side dish


kodilu recipe


When I tell my friends that I frequently buy chayote squash or chow chow, they all look at me amazed! They have asked me what all can we prepare with chayote? Seeme badanekai (Chayote Squash in Kannada) is used extensively in Karnataka. My mom uses this vegetable regularly. She makes kootu, dal or thovve, chutney, sambar, majjige huli, palya & many other varieties. I have already posted the palya (stir fry) & chutney recipes.

Today am posting a South Canara specialty dish, kodilu made using chayote Squash. Kodilu is a spicy, and a tangy curry flavored with lots of garlic! This kodilu is mostly prepared using tendli (thonde kai or Ivy Gourd). However, I prepare it using few other vegetables too. This is a great side dish for dosa, especially the set dosa, banana dosa or bread dosa!

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Serves: 2-3

kodilu

Ingredients:
Cubed chayote squash/seeme badnekai : 2 cups
Grated coconut: 1/2 cup (fresh or frozen) [Refer notes]
Fresh tamarind :  big marble sized (soaked in 1/4 cup warm water) [Refer notes]
Red chilli powder: 1.5 tsp, more or less
Salt: As needed
Turmeric powder: a big pinch

For tempering:
Oil: 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Curry leaves: 4-6 nos, torn
Garlic: 1 tbsp, sliced



Method:

chayote squash

Add enough water to the cubed chayote squash, a pinch of turmeric & bring it to boil. Cook the squash until it is soft & yet firm. Do not add too much water while cooking the vegetable. You have to discard extra water which could be avoided.
Soak the tamarind in about 1/4th cup of warm water for about 10 mins. Squeeze the soaked tamarind & extract the pulp. Discard the fiber strands & the seeds from the tamarind.
tamarind soaked in warm water

coconut

Make a smooth paste of the coconut, red chilli powder & tamarind extract. You could add water to make a smooth paste.
Heat oil in a broad vessel. When oil is hot, throw in mustard seeds. When seeds crackle, add the curry leaves. When leaves wilt, throw in the sliced garlic & saute in a medium heat until the garlic turns golden brown.
tempering

Add the prepared coconut paste to the tempering & cook for 2-3 mins until the raw smell of tamarind & red chilli powder vanishes.
Drain extra water from the cooked squash & throw in the cooked squash to the coconut mixture. Add the salt & let the mixture boil on a low-medium heat for about 15 mins.

chayote squash curry

The squash should absorb the flavors. If you find the curry dry, add some of the drained water & boil again.
Let the cooked gravy or curry sit for about 10 more mins. Serve it hot with dosa or rice.


huli menasina kodilu


Notes:

  • I do not like throwing away the water in which the vegetables are cooked. Hence, I add little water while boiling the vegetables.
  • Instead of adding water, the drained water from the vegetable could be added for making the coconut paste.
  • Always thaw the frozen coconut well. Also, use hot or warm water while making a paste using frozen coconut. The coconut will not ooze out oil. I have mentioned the tip here before.
  • You could replace fresh tamarind extract with store bought tamarind pulp or paste. Use just 1 tsp of tamarind paste. I prefer using the fresh tamarind pulp because I love the sweet tinge from the fresh extract.

Friday, November 8, 2013

Avalakki Oggarane | Batata Poha | Avalakki uppittu | Seasoned Rice flakes : Without onion & garlic


avalakki_oggarane

After all the festive cooking, I wanted to make something simple for the next couple of days. Hence, made this avalakki oggarane for brunch. Avalakki oggarane is a very simple, yet filling breakfast item that can be cooked in 20 mins.

Preparation Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Serves: 3-4



Ingredients:
Thick rice flakes | Gatti avalakki | Thick poha: 3 cups
Boiled Potato: 1, medium sized
Diced bell pepper: 1/4th cup (I have used red bell peppers)
Frozen corn: a fistful, refer notes
Green chillies: 3-4 nos, sliced
Curry leaves: 4-6 nos, torn
Oil: 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Urad dal | Skinned black gram dal: 1 tsp
Peanuts: 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder: 1/8 tsp
Salt: As needed
Sugar: 2 tsp, optional
Lemon juice: 2 tsp


Method:
Dice the boiled potato & keep aside. Thaw the frozen corn kernels.
Wash the rice flakes thoroughly. Add the washed rice flakes to a colander & let the rice flakes sit in the colander for about 5 mins. The rice flakes will absorb water & become soft.



Meantime, heat oil in a broad kadai/pan. When oil is hot, throw in the mustard & cumin seeds. When seeds turn golden brown, add the urad dal & peanuts. Cook till the peanuts turn golden brown.


Add the sliced green chillies, curry leaves & saute till the curry leaves wilt. Add the diced bell pepper. Cook till the bell peppers are soft & yet firm.

Throw in the corn kernels, diced potato & turmeric. Mix well. Cook for a minute.

Add the soaked rice flakes to the tempering. Throw in the salt, sugar & mix well.

Cook the rice flakes on a medium heat for 2-4 mins.
Add the lemon juice. Mix well & turn off the heat.


Serve the seasoned rice flakes (avalakki oggarane) hot or warm. It tastes great either ways.



Notes:
  • You could replace frozen corn kernels with frozen sweet peas or frozen green peas too. 
  • Fresh corn kernels could be added as well. Make sure to cook the fresh corn kernels before adding it to the tempering. 
  • This is a very basic avalakki oggarane or batata poha recipe. You could add or omit vegetables as per your choice. 
  • One more variation is making the avalakki oggarane with onion. Onion adds the crunch & a different flavor to the poha. 

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