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..

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..

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

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.

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

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.

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

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)

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)