Balekayi Masale Palya (Spicy Raw Banana Stir-fry)

Spicy raw banana stirfry is inspired by Sanjeev Kapoor's Chettinad Special episode of Khana Khazana.  Me & my 3 & 1/2 year old son watch this religiously. My son gets involved in the show so much that, he tells.., bus bus kaafi hain (enough, dont add more) in between when he adds something to the dish ;D This is the one & only show that my son watches without running around for 30mins(He doesn't even watch cartoon for this long!!). This makes me think whether he would become a chef one day!!

Ingredients: (Serves 4-5)
Raw banana: 3 nos
Oil: 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds: 1/4 tsp
Urad dal: 1/2 tsp (optional)
Curry Leaves: A string
Red chilli: 1 broken (optional)
Asafoetida: a pinch
Turmeric: a pinch
Water: 2-3tbsp
Salt: According to taste
For spice powder: 
Urad dal/Uddina bele: 1.5 tbsp
Red chillies: 4-5nos
For garneshing:
Grated coconut: 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp (finely chopped)
Lemon juice: 1 tsp
 

Method:

• Gently peel the raw banana & cut them into 1 cm squares. You can slice them too. Its your choice.
• Soak them in thin buttermilk or rice drained water. (Note: This is to avoid them from turning black soon)
• Meantime, dry roast the urad dal & red chillies. Allow it to cool & prepare a powder using a mixer. Keep it aside.
• Heat the oil in a broad pan. When oil is hot, add mustard & cumin seeds. When mustard seeds splutter, add urad dal & saute till dal turns golden brown. Add curry leaves, asafoetida, turmeric & red chilli. Saute for 10secs.
• Now add the raw banana pieces & saute till a fine layer of oil is coated on the bananas. Sprinkle few drops of water & allow the banana to cook for 2-3mins (keep stirring in between as the banana might stick to the pan). When bananas are half cooked, add salt & if needed sprinkle few more drops of water. Cook for another 1-2mins.
• Finally add the spice powder, mix together & cook for another 30secs.
• Turn off the heat, add grated coconut, coriander leaves, lemon juice & mix well.
• Serve it hot/warm as a side dish for rice.

Mavinahannu Seekarane | Rasayana (Mango Dessert)

Mango seekarane/rasayana is a "popular" dish in many of the Kannadiga(people from Karnataka, India) house holds. During the mango season, this dish would be prepared atleast once (not just once though!) either as a side dish or a dessert.  Mango seekarane/rasayana is a very quick, easy & simple dish that tastes great as a side dish with chapathis (Indian Flat bread) or pooris. Our family just love this dish with pooris & the left over seekarane/rasayana is consumed as a dessert, in no time !!!

Ingredients: (Serves 2-3)

Ripened Mangoes: 2 numbers (sweet ones)

Sugar: 6 tbsp (adjust according to the sweetness of the mangoes)

Milk: 1 small cup

Water: 1/2 cup (this could be replaced with milk too)

Cashews: 5 (soaked in water, optional)

Saffron: a small pinch

Method:

• Peel out the skin & chop the mango around the seed. Discard the seed. Preserve a small cup of chopped mangoes.
• Blend together the remaining mangoes, sugar, milk, soaked cashews, water until a smooth & a thick puree is formed (should be like a thick milkshake)
• Scoop out the puree, add the remaining finely chopped mangoes & saffron.
• Serve chilled as a side-dish or dessert.

Notes:

• Cashews are added to get the thickness to the seekarane. This could be avoided by more mangoes. Ripened bananas can also be used to thicken the seekarane.
• A vegan version of the same can be prepared using coconut milk. My mom-in-law prepares using coconut milk & that version is equally tasty.
• Sugar could be replaced with jaggery. You can do many changes with this dish, but the final result is always tasty & relished by everybody.

Hah!!, after a long time I got a chance to send this dish to an event. This goes to "No-Cook" event hosted by PJ of seduceyourtastebuds.

Majjige saaru | Buttermilk Soup | Mor Rasam

This dish is very close to kadhi prepared in Gujarat & Maharastra. This is a very popular dish in North Karnataka. However, they make this dish very thick like a sambar using a lot of gram flour. Infact, the thicker version of this saaru is majjige huli (mor kolambu/yogurt curry) for North Karnataka people. My atthe/bua (aunt) stays in Hospet & I got a glimpse of this dish there.
The advantage of this rasam is, it requires few basic ingredients & takes around 3-5minutes to get it on table. I always prepare this rasam for my afternoon meal :)

Ingredients: (Serves 2-3)
Buttermilk/Thin yogurt: 500ml
Gram flour/besan/kadale hittu: 1.5 tsp
Turmeric: A pinch (optional)
Oil: 1 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds: 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves: a string
Asafoetida: a pinch
Green chilli paste: 1/2 tsp (adjust according to your family needs)
Coriander leaves: 1 tsp (finely chopped)
Salt: According to taste.

Method:

Mix salt, gram flour to the buttermilk & mix thoroughly. Ensure no lumps are formed.

Heat a medium pan. Add oil to it. When oil is hot, add mustard & cumin seeds.

When mustard seeds splutter, add green chilli paste & curry leaves. Saute for 5-8 secs.

Finally add asafoetida & turmeric. Pour the buttermilk mixture to the tempering & cook on a medium heat until the rasam/soup boils. Donot overcook.

Turn off the flame as soon as the soup/rasam start to boil.

Garnish this with coriander leaves & serve it hot with piping hot rice & chips/papad.

(Above photo has plain rice, instant majjige saaru & beetroot chips)
Notes:

Donot use thick yogurt or hung curd for this dish.

If you fall short of buttermilk, add 1.5 cups of water to 1/2 cup thick yogurt & whisk it well to prepare the buttermilk.

The rasam/soup tastes great if the buttermilk is slightly sour. Hence, use a day old buttermilk or keep it out from the refrigerator for few hours before using them.

Saarina Pudi (Rasam Powder:Udupi Style)

Udupi dishes use curry leaves & coconut in abundance. I may not be exaggerating when I say, there are very scanty dishes that do not call for these two. Udupi rasam powder recipe is no exception for it.

(This recipe was requested long time back by one of my readers. It was lying in my drafts for a long time. Sorry!!)

Ingredients:

Dhania/Coriander seeds: 1 cup

Jeera/Cumin seeds: 1/2 cup

Dry red chilli: a fistful (10-15) (adjust according to your family needs)

Methi/Fenugreek seeds: 1 tsp

Black pepper/Kalimirch: 1 tsp

Curry leaves: a fistful (20-30 leaves)

Asafoetida: a big pinch

Method:

• Dry roast all the above ingredients(except asafoetida) one at a time until the raw smell disappears & a nice aroma is filled in the kitchen. Ensure not to burn any of the spices. Do not roast until the spice turn brown. Remove it from the flame as soon as they slightly change the color.

• Be very cautious while dry roasting the curry leaves. Curry leaves can be dry roasted under the sun. It takes around 3-4 days under the sun for the curry leaves to get dry roasted properly. Keeping it in the microwave is also a good option (I haven't tried it, but read about it in few other blogs). Curry leaves should become crisp (Crush the leaves using your finger, if the curry leaves gets crushed without any moisture, then the curry leaves are crisp to be used for the rasam powder).
• Allow the spices to cool down. Add asafoetida & powder it in a small mixer jar.
  
• Spread the rasam powder on a paper & allow it to cool. Once the powder reaches room temperature, store it in an air tight container & use as required.
  

Doddapatre Tambuli (Coleus aromaticus in yogurt sauce)

I feel doddapatre leaves (they look like this ) are underrated considering the medicinal values. Also, visit this link for language translations. BTW, tambuli is part of Udupi cuisine and its loose translation is yogurt coconut sauce.

Some of the home-remedies using doddapatre leaves are as follows:
1. It has a cooling effect when mixed with yogurt/curd. Hence, this tambuli cools your body.
2. It helps get rid of common cold. These leaves must be heated on a griddle & when they start oozing out the juice, remove it from the griddle & squeeze the juice from these leaves. Mix this juice with equal amount of ginger juice + few drops of honey. Give to infants ( more than 6 months old) or young children. It is a very effective medicine.
3. It reduces the phlegm in young children. Follow the same procedure as above, but do not add ginger juice, just the doddapatre leaves juice + honey.
4. It works wonders for constipation & acidity. Consume the doddapatre chutney/tambuli three times a day for 2 days & notice the change. For treating acidity, don't add green chilli while preparing the tambuli or chutney. Avoid coconut too. Prepare a chutney/tambuli with loads of doddapatre leaves.
5. Read in a newspaper that, doddapatre juice is consumed and applied externally against measles.
6. Doddapatre juice helps to cleanse our system.

Ingredients:
Doddapatre leaves: 30-40nos
Black Pepper: 1/2 tsp
Green chilli: 1 no (optional, I normally don't add this)
Cumin seeds: 1/4 tsp
Grated coconut: 3 tbsp
Curd/Yogurt: 2 cups
Salt: According to taste
Oil: 1/2 tsp

For tempering:
Oil: 1 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves: a string (optional)
Red chilli: 1 no (broken)
Asafoetida: a pinch


Method:

• Wash the leaves thoroughly & chop them.
• Heat oil in a small wok. When oil is hot, add cumin seeds. When cumin seeds turn golden, add pepper & saute for 10secs. Add the doddapatre leaves & saute them till the leaves wilt. Turn off the heat & allow it to cool.
• Transfer the leaves, coconut to a mixer jar & pulse it until a smooth paste is formed.
• Scoop out the paste & pulse the yogurt with water for 2-3secs.
• Add the diluted yogurt/buttermilk, salt to the paste & mix well.
• Prepare the tempering. Heat oil in a pan. When oil is hot, add mustard seeds, when mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves, broken red chilli, asafoetida & pour this tempering to the prepared yogurt mixture.
• Tambuli is ready to be served with steaming hot rice & papad/fritters.

I happened to update the picture of bittergourd chips. Have a look at the same here.

Nugge soppu palya (Drumstick leaves stir-fry)

Happy Shivaratri. May Lord Shiva bless us all.

Some of my friends here in Singapore had requested me to learn & post some drumstick leaves recipes. These are exceptionally nutritious and moreover, are available in abundance here. :)

Some nutritional information about drumstick leaves:
1. It is given to lactating mothers as it is said to enhance the milk production (rich in calcium).
2. Given to pregnant women, growing children & anemic patients as it is rich in iron.
3. Builds the immunity system of the body as it is rich in vitamin C.
4. It helps overcome malnutrition.
You can find more information about drumstick leaves here & here.


(Photo courtesy: http://www.treesforlife.org/our-work/our-initiatives/moringa)

Hence, this time when I visited India, I noted down 2-3 recipes using drumstick leaves. This is one of them.

Ingredients:
Drumstick leaves/Nugge soppu: 1 bunch (around 250gms)
Yellow moong dal/hesaru bele: 3 tbsp
Water: 1-2 tbsp
Salt: According to taste
Sugar: a pinch (optional)
For tempering:
Oil: 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Shallot onion: 3 nos (finely chopped)
Green chilli: 2-3nos (finely chopped)
Curry leaves: a string
For garnishing:
Grated coconut: 1-2 tbsp
Lemon juice: 1 tsp (optional, but recommended)



Method:

• Take out the leaves carefully (this takes the maximum time). Though the stem looks sleek, they are not tender, hence it is a must to take out only the leaves. Wash them thoroughly.
• Soak the dal/lentil in warm water for 30mins.
• Heat oil in a broad pan, when oil is hot, add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds splutter, add onion & saute till onion becomes soft. Now add, green chillies, curry leaves & saute for 10-20secs.
• Add the dal & mix well. Sprinkle water. Cook on a medium heat for 2-3mins
• Throw in the leaves, mix well. Add 1-2 tbsp water & cook it on a medium flame until the leaves & the lentils are soft yet firm.
• Add salt, sugar & mix them well. Cook for another 1-2mins.
• Add the grated coconut, lemon juice. Mix the stir-fry & serve it hot. Goes well as a side dish for rice.
  
  
  
  Notes:
  Drumstick leaves give out a pungent odour while cooking in water. Hence, if your are new to drumstick leaves, add very little water to cook this stir-fry.
  These leaves are a tad bitter, so addition of sugar & lemon to the stir-fry is recommended.
  
  Last note, though I was a bit skeptical about cooking these leaves in a large quantity (because of the odour), we both liked this stir-fry (I cannot say we absolutely loved it). But, I'm planning to prepare this dish more often to get adapted to this wonderful green leafy vegetable.
  
  Other recipes using drumstick leaves at Savi-Ruchi
  Drumstick leaves chapathi (this is awesome, as there is no pungent odour while cooking this)
  Drumstick leaves rice roti (same as above)
  Drumstick leaves dal (Good)

Mosaru Avalakki (Beaten rice in yogurt)

This came as a total surprise.I did neither register for a poll nor vote for winning this Tote Bag. I was randomly chosen from the list of registered blogs at Foodie blogroll. This is the first gift Savi-Ruchi has received so far. I’m really happy & thankful to them.

(My son exhibiting Foodie blogroll's tote bag)

Thanks Asha for the wonderful TOFA (Token OF Appreciation). I have already written about myself here.

When I published this recipe using beaten rice, few friends of mine requested me to post mosaru avalakki(Beaten Rice in Yogurt) too. So, this recipe is for them & for all others who are interested. This dish is a “must to-do” on Krishna Janmastami as it is Lord Krishna’s favorite food.


Language Translations for beaten rice:
Kannada: Avalakki
Tulu: Bajeel/Bajil
Hindi: Poha
Tamil/Malayalam: Aval
Konkani: Phovu
Marathi: Pohe
Telugu: Atukulu
For other languages: refer here

Ingredients:
Beaten rice (Thicker version): 2 cups
Yogurt/Curd: 1 cup
Salt: According to taste
For tempering:
Oil: 1.5 tsp
Mustard Seeds: ½ tsp
Urad dal: 1 tsp (optional)
Green chilli : 1 (chopped)
Curry leaves: 4-5
For garnishing:
Grated coconut: 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves/cilantro: 1 tsp (finely chopped)

Method:

• Wash the beaten rice in water 2-3 times. Soak the beaten rice in water for 5-8minutes.
  Drain the water. Add yogurt to the beaten rice & let it soak for another 10-15minutes. By now, beaten rice will become soft & spongy (firm yet).


• Prepare the tempering, heat oil in a small wok. When oil is hot, add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds splutter, add urad dal & sauté till the dal turns golden.Add curry leaves, green chillies & sauté for another 10secs. Turn off the heat & pour this tempering to the beaten rice-yogurt mixture.


• Add salt, coconut, coriander leaves & mix well. Chill if needed.


• Serve it with pickle or papad.
  
  

(In the above picture, top most: Avalakki bhath(Beaten rice bhath), right most: Halasina Happala (Raw jackfruit papad/fritters), Down: Mosaru avalakki)

Notes:

• To make it more healthy, add some grated carrots, cucumbers or pomegranate seeds.


• Some people also add, fried onions to this. However I refrain from adding them as I prepare this mostly on Ekadashi (11th lunar day of Krishna & Shukla Paksha of every month in the Hindu Calender)