Jan 27, 2010

SABBASIGE BATH

(DILL RICE)








Rice (long grain) -- 2 cups (cooked)

Coconut -- 1/2 cup (grated)
Green chillies -- 2-3
Garlic -- 2 cloves


Oil -- 3-4 tablespoons
Clove -- 2-3
Cardamom -- 2-3
Bay leaf -- 1 (optional)
Cumin seeds -- 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds -- 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder -- 1/4 teaspoon
Onion -- 2 medium (sliced)
Dill -- 1 1/2 cup (chopped)
Salt to taste


Grind coconut,garlic and green chillies together to a smooth paste. Keep it aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add clove, cardamom , bay leaf and cumin seeds. Fry them on low heat until the nice aroma of the garam masala comes out.

Now add turmeric powder and mustard seeds. When the mustard crackles, add the onion and fry until cooked. Once the onion is done add dill , cover and cook over low flame until dill is cooked.

Put in the coconut paste and stir it for around 3-4 minutes on low heat.

Now add rice and salt and mix the rice and the cooked sauce nicely for a couple of minutes. Serve hot.

BADANEKAI ENABAJJI

(SPICY MASHED EGGPLANT )






























Eggplant (big variety) --2
Onion -- 1

Oil -- 1 tablespoon
Split black gram (Urad dal) -- 1 teaspoon
Red chillies -- 2
Mustard seeds -- 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder -- 1 pinch
Asafoetida -- a small pinch
Coconut -- 2-3 tablespoons (freshly grated)
Salt -- to taste
Sugar -- 1/4 teaspoon

Grill eggplants on open fire on a very low flame until it is soft.
Carefully peel off the skin and lightly chop it with a spoon. Discard the stem.

Chop onion finely and add it to the eggplant.

Heat oil in a small tempering pan. add the urad dall and when it is slighly cooked add red chillies, mustard sees, turmeric powder and asafoetida. Once the mustard starts crackling pour it over the eggplant.

Add coconut salt and sugar and mix all the ingredients nicely.

Serve with roti or rice.

PEAS PULAO





























Long grained rice(like basmati) -- 2 cups
Oil/Ghee -- 1/2 cup
Green peas -- 1/2 cup
Bay leaf -- 1
Clove -- 3-4
Cinnamon -- 1 " long stick
Cardamom -- 4-5 pods
Cumin seeds -- 1 teaspoon
Fennel seeds -- 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
Pepper powder -- 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
Salt to taste
Milk OR Coconut milk -- 1 cup
Vegetable stock / water -- 1 cup


Wash and soak the rice for 20 minutes. Drain and keep aside.

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add cloves,cinnamon,bay leaf,cardamom. Fry them on low heat until the nice aroma of the garam masala comes out.
Add cumin and fennel seeds and let them crackle.

Now add the peas and stir it nicely. The put in the rice and give it a stir again. Take care not to break the rice grains.

Add salt and pepper powder and pour the milk/coconut milk. Cover it and cook it on a very low flame until the rice and peas are done. More water or milk can be added in-between, if required.

Serve hot.

PASTA WITH SPICY CAROM - TOMATO SAUCE



























Pasta (penne ) -- 1 bowl (boiled)
Olive oil - 2 tblsp.
Carom seeds -- 3/4 teaspoon
Garlic - 2-3 cloves
Onion - 1 (chopped)
Tomato - 2-3 (red and ripe)
Italian seasonings -- 1/4 teaspoon
Salt -- to taste
Chilli flakes -- 1/2 teaspoon
Tomato sauce --2 teaspoons

Heat olive oil in a pan. Add carom seeds, garlic and onion and fry till the onions become translucent.

Chop tomatoes and add it to the frying pan with salt and simmer over slow flame, until u get a red, thick sauce.

Now add chilli flakes. tomato sauce and Italian sesonings and simmer for a couple of minutes.

Add cooked pasta and serve hot.

Jan 19, 2010

MAVINA-KAI CHITRANNA

(RICE WITH RAW MANGO-GARLIC-COCONUT SAUCE)






























Rice (long grain) -- 2 cups (cooked)

Raw mango (green)-- 1 small (chopped)
Coconut -- 1/2 cup (grated)
Green chillies -- 3-4

Oil -- 3-4 tablespoons
Split Black gram (Urad dal) -- 2 teaspoon
Garlic -- 6-8 cloves
Red chilies -- 2 (broken)
Mustard seeds -- 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder -- 1/4 teaspoon
Curry leaves -- few

Yogurt (Curd) -- 2 tablespoons
Salt to taste



Grind mango, coconut and green chillies together to a smooth paste. Keep it aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add urad dal and garlic. When the dal and garlic are a little brownish add mustard seeds and let them crackle.

Add curry leaves, turmeric powder and red chillies.
Stir for a couple of minutes.

Put in the coconut-mango paste and stir it with this tempering for around 3-4 minutes on low heat. Add curd and stir for another minute.

Now add rice and salt and mix the rice and the cooked sauce nicely for a couple of minutes. Serve hot.

Jan 18, 2010

PAV -BHAJI

(WHITE BREAD WITH MASHED SPICY VEGETABLES)





























Butter -- 4 tablespoons
Capsicum -- 1 large (minced)
Onion -- 1 large (minced)
Ginger-garlic paste -- 1 1/2 tablespoons

Tomatoes -- 1 1/2 cups (pureed)
Turmeric powder -- 1/2 teaspoon
Chilli powder -- 1/2 teaspoon
Pav bhaji masala -- 2 1/2 tablespoons
Black salt -- 1/2 teaspoon

Green peas -- 1/4 cup
Carrot -- 1 small (chopped)
Potatoes -- 3-4 medium
Cauliflower -- 1 small head (chopped)
Salt (if necessary)

For pav
Pav (square shaped white bread )
Butter

For serving
Onions -- (chopped finely)
Coriander leaves -- (chopped)
Lemon wedges


Boil green peas, carrot,cauliflower until tender. Pressure cook potatoes.
Mash all the vegetables lightly and keep aside.

Heat butter in a pan and add capsicum and onion and saute for 4-5 minutes on low flame. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a couple of minutes more, until the raw smell disappears.

Put in the pureed tomato and cook it on low flame. Add turmeric, black salt, chilli powder and pav bhaji masala and saute till the tomato puree is cooked and the butter starts separating.

Now add the mashed vegetables and mash them further with a mashing spoon. Keep cooking on low flame and mashing the veggies until all the vegetables are mashed into smooth paste and mixed with the masala properly. Add salt if necessary (it already has black salt).

Slit the pav in the middle(horizontally) and apply butter. Roast it on a hot griddle on both sides until golden brown.

Serve hot with hot bhaji, topped with chopped coriander leaves, onion and lemon wedges.

Jan 15, 2010

CARROT HALWA






























Red carrots -- 2-3 medium
Milk -- 1 1/2 liters (full fat)
Cadamom powder -- 1/4 teaspoon
Sugar -- 1/2 cup (or according to taste)
Ghee -- 3-4 tablespoons.
Dry fruits

Wash peel and grate carrot. Fry it in 2-3 tablespoons of ghee until it is wilted. Add 1/2 liter milk to it and cook it covered on low flame.

Heat the rest of the milk and reduce it to 1/4 liter.

Once the carrot is done, add sugar, reduced milk, cardamom powder and cook it until the halwa becomes thick, keep stirring the mixture all the while. Once it becomes thick remove from flame.

Roast the chopped dry fruits in ghee for a couple of minutes. Serve halwa hot garnished with dry fruits.
Carrot halwa is also served topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Jan 14, 2010

VERMICELLY KHEER































Vermicelli -- 1 cup
Ghee -- 3-4 tablespoons
Milk -- 2 liters (full fat)
Sugar -- 1 cup (or more according to taste)
Cardamom powder -- 1/4 teaspoon
Mixed dry fruits for garnish

Boil 1 1/2 liter milk in a thick pan and reduce it to about 1/4 th of the original quantity.

Fry vermicelli in 3 tablespoons of ghee until it turns light brown.
Pour in 1/2 liter of milk and let the vermicelli cook for 5-6 minutes. Once done add sugar,cardamom and the reduced milk to the vermicelli and cook for 2-3 minutes more.

Take 1 tablespoon ghee in a pan and roast all the dry fruits( cashew nuts, dry grapes and almonds) . Pour it over the kheer before serving.

YELLU - BELLA

(SESAME SEEDS-JAGGERY WITH PEANUTS AND ROASTED CHICKPEA)


























HAPPY SANKRANTHI TO EVERYONE

This is a special dish prepared in and around bangalore-mysore for sankranti which falls on January 14.
People distribute yellu-bella among relatives and friends and wish them good luck and fortune.

Peanuts -- 1 cup
Roasted split chickpea (dalia) -- 3/4 cup
Jaggery -- 1 block
Sugar -- 2-3 tablespoons
Sesame seeds -- 1/4 cup
Dry coconut (copra) -- 1/2

Dry roast peanuts until crispy. remove the skin and split it. Dry roast the dalia and sesame seeds separately.

Cube jaggery and copra into small cubes.

Now mix all the ingredients nicely.
Ready to celebrate sankranti.

Jan 11, 2010

DHAN MADDI - HULASE HULI (LENTIL RICE -TAMARIND CHUTNEY)





























Dhan maddi is a havyaka version of pongal. It is prepared in every havyaka household during dhanurmasa (a month in hindu calender which is somewhere in december-january). Every married girl of the family visits her parents during this month at least once and feasts on this dish.



DHAN MADDI





Rice -- 1 cup
Mung dal (split green gram) -- 3/4 cup (fried)
Turmeric powder -- 1 pinch
Water -- 5-6 cups
Salt to taste
Ghee (clarified butter)for serving

to powder

Urad dal(split black gram) -- 5-6 teaspoons
Sesame seeds -- 3 teaspoons
White pepper corns -- 1 teaspoon (around 10)

Dry roast urad dal and sesame seeds separately. Add peeper corns to it and grind it into a coarse powder. Keep aside.

Dry roast mung dal in a pan until it turns pinkinsh in color and gives out nice aroma.
Wash rice and mix it with fried dal, turmeric and salt and cook it covered with 5-6 glasses of water. The rice and dal are overcooked in this dish to enable them to mix nicely.

When the rice and dal are cooked add the ground powder(reserve 1 1/2 teaspoon of powder for the tamarind chutney) and cook it for some more minutes. Add water if the dish becomes very thick or dry.

Serve hot topped with a spoonful of ghee, along with the hulase huli.




HULASE HULI







Tamarind puree -- 1/2 cup
Jaggery -- 1/4 cup
salt to taste

Oil -- 2 teaspoons
Red chilli -- 1
Mustard seeds -- 1/2 teaspoon
Sesame seeds -- 1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaves -- few


Mix tamarind puree, salt and jaggary together. Mix the reserved (see dhan maddi) urad-sesame powder to the chutney.

Heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds, red chillies and curry leaves. When the mustrd seeds crackle add sesame seeds and pout it over the tamarind chutney.
Mix nicely and serve with the dhan maddi.