Molake kaalu rotti | Sprouts Thalipeeth | Indian Flat bread with sprouts : Karnataka Recipe

The last few weeks, I suffered from acidity, constipation and gastric problem. During that time, my family and friends advised me to consume fenugreek. So, I used methi leaves, and made many dishes using methi (fenugreek). I sprouted some fenugreek seeds too. I put the sprouts in salads & with the left over sprouts I made this rotti.

The rotti was a tad bitter. But, you won't feel it if you have it with a spicy chutney or a side dish.

Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: About 3 mins for each rotti

Ingredients: (Makes about 9-10 rotti | thalipeeth)
Fenugreek sprouts: 1/2 cup
Finely chopped onion: About 3/4 cup
Finely chopped coriander leaves: 1/4 cup, tightly packed
Rice flour: 4 cups
Salt: As needed
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp, optional
Water: As needed

Other ingredients:
Cooking oil: 1-2 tsp, for each rotti.

Method:
Add the sprouts, onion, coriander leaves, cumin seeds and turmeric to a mixing bowl. Mix it well.

Add the rice flour, salt and mix again.

Add little water at a time to make a soft and smooth dough. Dough should be of patty or cutlet dough consistency. You should be able to pat the thalipeeth or rotti easily.

Divide the dough into equal sized balls. I prefer making them into small orange sized balls.
Grease the griddle or aluminium foil & pat the rotti on the foil/griddle.
Refer here and here to see how I make the rotti.

Cook the rotti on both the sides until slightly golden brown.

Serve it hot with a spicy chutney or side dish of your choice.

Notes:
You could replace rice flour with jowar flour or cream of wheat (semolina or rawa).
You could also add grated carrots and very finely chopped bell peppers to make it more healthy. 

Halasina Beeja Saaru | Jackfruit seeds Rasam | Kotte Saaru: South Indian Rasam Recipes

Jack fruit is used extensively in the South Canara Region of Karnataka. It is less consumed as a fruit, but used as a vegetable in the day to day cooking. To name a few, raw jack fruit is used to make chips, papads/fritters, sambar (koddel or huli), sabzi (palya), and dosa. Ripened jack fruit is also used to make kadubu (idli), dosa and mulka. The seeds of the ripened jack fruit is dried and used too. Posting below is a picture of jackfruit chips.

I learnt this unique jack fruit seeds rasam during my last visit to India. You will need minimal ingredients to prepare this flavorful rasam. Kotte is a Tulu word for Jack fruit seeds.

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 45-60 mins
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:
Jack fruit seeds: 12-14 nos, skinned
Green chili: 2 nos, slit
Tamarind: marble sized
Garlic: 1 lobe or about 1/2 tsp
Salt: As needed
Turmeric: a pinch
Rasam powder: 1/2 tsp, more or less
Water: About 4 cups, divided use

For tempering:
Coconut oil: 1 tsp, refer notes
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Finely chopped garlic: 1 tsp
Finely chopped onion: 2-3 tbsp
Cumin seeds: 1/4 tsp

Method:
Crush the jack fruit seeds roughly. Add the green chili, tamarind, roughly chopped garlic, crushed jack fruit seeds, and salt to a sauce pan. Add about 2 cups of water and turmeric.

Boil the water until the jack fruit seeds are soft and tender. It will take a good 30-35 mins for the seeds to cook completely. Water would also reduce significantly. Allow the seeds mixture to cool completely.

When cool, drain the water and preserve the drained water. Make a smooth paste of the cooked seeds, green chili, tamarind and garlic.

Scoop out the paste to the same sauce pan. Add the drained water, more water (as needed), rasam powder and salt (if needed). Boil the mixture for 5-7 mins on medium-high. Turn off the heat.
Prepare the tempering. Add the coconut oil to a small pan. When oil is hot, throw in the mustard and cumin seeds. When seeds crackle, add the garlic and saute till the garlic is golden brown.

Add the chopped onion and saute until the onions are translucent. No need to brown the onions. Cook for couple of mins only. 

Turn off the heat & pour this tempering over the boiling rasam. Mix well and saaru is ready to be served.

Notes:
For the authentic flavor, I suggest using coconut oil. But, if you are not comfortable using coconut oil, use any other cooking oil that you prefer.

Menthya soppina saaru | Methi Rasam : South Indian Recipes

I will be sharing a simple & humble rasam recipe with you. This is a very aromatic & flavorful rasam. I bet you guys will like it. Try it to believe :D

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 40-50 mins (including the lentils cooking time)
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:
Methi leaves | Fenugreek leaves: About 1/4th cup tightly packed
Tomatoes: 2 nos, medium sized or 1 no, large
Garlic cloves: 2-3 large or about 2 tsp roughly chopped
Green chili: 1 no, sliced
Curry leaves: 3-4 nos, torn
Thick tamarind extract : 1/2 tsp, refer notes
Rasam Powder: 2 tsp
Salt: As needed

Toor dal | Pigeon pea lentils: a fistful
Turmeric: 1/4 tsp

For tempering:
Cooking Oil: 2 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp
Turmeric: a pinch

Method:
Wash the pigeon pea lentils thoroughly in water. Add about 1/2 inch water on top of it, add the turmeric. Pressure cook the pigeon pea lentils for 3-4 whistles or for about 25 mins, until the lentils are soft & mushy.
Let the cooker cool. 
Meantime, finely chopped the fenugreek leaves, and tomatoes. 
Heat oil in a sauce pan. When oil is hot, throw in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves. When leaves wilt & seeds crackle, add the garlic & green chili. Saute till the garlic turns golden brown. 
Throw in the finely chopped fenugreek leaves & saute till the leaves are cooked. This might take about 3-4 mins.
Throw in the chopped tomato & saute till the tomatoes are soft & mushy. Add the turmeric powder, tamarind extract, salt, rasam powder & about 2 cups of water. Boil it on a medium heat. 
Mash the cooked lentils well and add the mashed dal to the rasam.  Boil for a good 15 mins on medium heat.
Turn off the heat & serve the rasam hot with steamed rice and a side dish or fritters/papad. 

Notes: 

• Adjust the tamarind extract according to the sourness needed. If you are using very sour tomatoes, you might not even need the tamarind. 
• You could use store bought rasam powder to make this too. I personally prefer MTR rasam powder. (No, I am not sponsored to say this)

Asparagus Palya | Asparagus Thoran | Asparagus Poriyal

We had an eventful and a memorable "Souramana Ugadi"(Indian New Year) or "Vishu" (an Indian festival) this year. Because of the storms, we did not have power for 30+ hours.We were freezing because of the uninvited snow. Yes, it is spring on the papers but snow on the ground :p Anyways, by the end of the day, we got the power back & I was happy that I could pray to God. All's well that end's well, isn't it?

Back to today's recipe. Some time back I posted a pic on my FB page asking, what do you cook with asparagus? I would make this "Asparagus Palya". It's a very simple, quick and yet tasty side dish that goes well with both roti (Indian bread) and rice. Here is the recipe for your guys to try it out.

Preparation Time: 10 mins

Cooking Time: 15-20 mins

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

Asparagus: 1 lb/ 1/2 kg
French beans: a fistful, optional
Oil: 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp
Urad dal: 1 tsp
Channa dal: 2 tsp
Green chili: 3 nos, slit in half
Curry leaves: 4-6 nos, torn
Salt: As needed
Jaggery : 1 tsp, optional
Water : About 1/4 cup, more or less

For the garnish:
Grated coconut: 1/4 cup, fresh or frozen
Lemon juice: 2 tsp
Coriander leaves: 2 tbsp, finely chopped

Method:
Wash and remove the hard end of the asparagus spears. Chop them into 1/2 - 1 cm pieces (as shown below). Trim the ends of the french beans & cut them as mentioned for asparagus.

Heat oil in a broad sauce pan. When oil is hot, throw in the cumin & mustard seeds. When seeds splatter, throw in the urad dal & channa dal.

Roast the dals on a low-medium heat until they are golden brown. Once the dals are done, throw in the slit green chilies and curry leaves.

When curry leaves wilt, add the chopped asparagus and the beans together. Mix it well.

Add the salt, and jaggery.

Add about 1/4 cup of water, mix well & cook it covered on a medium heat until the asparagus is cooked and soft. It should not take more than 10 mins to cook the asparagus.

Turn off the heat. Add the grated coconut, lemon juice & coriander leaves. Mix well & serve the asparagus palya | sabzi hot with rice or roti (Indian bread).

Notes:
Do not overcook the asparagus. It must be soft & yet holds its shape. 

Bharwan Bhindi | Okra Stuffed with Indian Spices : Punjabi Recipes

I generally avoid buying okra. Not because, I don't like it.., but I feel it takes a helluva time to prepare it. Even if I buy, I make either bhindi besan or bendekai gojju. However recently when I bought okra, my friend suggested me to try out bharwan bhindi. She referred the Harpal Singh's recipe. I tried his recipe & we all liked it. You can try it too!

Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:
Okra: 1 lb/ 0.5 kg
Onion: 1 medium sized or 1/2 cup cubed onions
Ginger: 1 inch piece, finely chopped
Garlic: 2 pods or 4 -5 small pods, julienned
Green chili: 2 nos, slit
Oil: 2 tbsp

For the stuffing/spice powders:
Coriander powder: 2 tbsp
Cumin powder: 1 tsp
Amchur powder (Mango powder): 1 tsp
Chaat masala: 1/2 tsp
Salt: As needed
Red chili powder: 1 tsp, more or less
Asafoetida: a big pinch
Turmeric: 1/4 tsp

Method:
With a damp towel, clean the okra & let it dry completely. Or, you could also wipe the with a dry paper towel instead of air drying it. Trim the edges of the okra & make a slit in the center of the okra leaving 1/2 inch gap on each side.

Mix all the spice powders including salt in a small bowl.

Fill in the spice powders carefully in the okra. Keep the stuffed okra aside.

Heat oil in a broad pan. When oil is hot, throw in the garlic & ginger. When garlic turns golden brown, throw in the slit green chili.

Add the cubed onion & saute till the onions are translucent.

Add the stuffed okra & if you have any left over spice powder mixture, pour it over the okra.

Mix the okra gently & cook it covered on a medium heat. Do stir in between to avoid burning of the okra & the spices. Cook for about 15 mins until the okra is soft, but not mushy.
Remove it from the heat & garnish it with coriander leaves. Serve the stuffed okra hot with roti (Indian bread) or rice and lentils.

Notes: 

• It is important to use equal sized okra to ensure even cooking.Also, do not buy long okras. 
• Okras are very slimy. Hence, it is important to dry the okras completely before slitting them.
• Shallots taste much better than the normal onions. If you get shallots, use them instead of the onions. 

Jeerige Saaru | Jeera Rasam | Cumin seeds Rasam: No onion, no garlic recipes!!

This quick rasam makes your taste buds jump with joy. It is a burst of flavors in your mouth. On a sick day, when my taste buds refuse any food, I make this rasam & relish it. Try it and you won't be disappointed!

Preparation Time: 5 mins

Cooking Time: 15 mins

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients: 

For the rasam:

Water: About 2 cups, more or less

Jaggery: 1 tsp

Tamarind extract: 1 tsp

Salt: As needed

Spice powder: 1.5 tbsp

For the spice powder:

Cumin seeds: 2 tsp

Coriander seeds: 1 tsp

Urad dal | Black dal: 1 tsp

Pepper corns: 6-8 nos

Dry red chili: 2 nos

Oil: 2-3 drops

For the tempering:

Oil: 1 tsp

Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves: 4-6 nos, torn

Asafoetida: a big pinch

Method:

For the spice powder:

Add the oil in a small pan. When oil is hot, throw in the cumin seeds & roast on a low heat until they leave out a nutty aroma.

When cumin seeds are golden brown, add the urad dal, and roast again till dal turns golden brown. 

Add the coriander seeds, dry red chili, pepper corns & roast again on a low heat.

Allow the roasted spices to cool down. Once cool, make a coarse powder of the spices & store them in a air tight container.

For the rasam:

Add water to a sauce pan. Throw in the spice powder, salt, jaggery, tamarind paste & boil the water for about 10-15 mins on medium heat.

Heat oil in a small pan. When oil is hot, throw in the mustard seeds followed by curry leaves. When leaves wilt, turn off the heat & add the asafoetida. Add this tempering to the boiling rasam & quickly cover the rasam with a lid. The tempering gets trapped in the rasam & hence enhances the flavor of the rasam. 

Serve the rasam hot with rice & a side dish or with fritters/papad etc.

Notes:

Make the spice powder in small batches to retain the freshness & the aroma of the powder.