Nucchinunde - Steamed Lentil Dumplings

Nucchinunde is a traditional Karnataka snack, dumplings of lentils and coconut and steamed and served with coconut chutney. These are quite healthy as they are steamed and filled with proteins from the lentils.

They can be made with toor dal, chana dal or a combination of these. Sometimes moong dal can also be mixed. A bit of coconut is added too, to enhance the taste. Greens like mint, coriander and curry leaves add a nice flavor. Spinach can also be added to add more nutrition.

These can be made in a steamer or in an Idli stand. If you don’t have one, you can even make a temporary fix by boiling water in a big vessel and keeping these in another small container/plate (raised in height by keeping another bowl or so below) and covering with a plate. This time, since I didn’t have proper equipment, I used my bundt pan to steam these dumplings!!

These taste awesome fresh out of the steamer, but can also be reheated and eaten. A dollop of ghee adds to the taste, along with a coconut chutney as accompaniment. They taste good cold too. Can be had as a snack or for breakfast too.

Nucchinunde - Steamed Lentil Dumplings

Preparation time        : 15 min + soaking time of 3-4 hrs

Cooking time               : 15 min

Serves              :  4

Ingredients:

Chana dal - ½ cup

Toor dal - ½ cup
Split Moong dal - 1/2 cup

Green chilies   - 2-3

Coconut           - ½ cup, grated

Salt                  - ¼ tsp or as per taste

Curry leaves    - 2 sprigs

Coriander        - 2 Tbsp, finely chopped

Mint/Dill/Spinach - ½ cup, finely chopped; Optional; I used mint

Oil - just a few drops for greasing the pan

Method:

• Soak the lentils for 3-4 hours or overnight
• Drain completely and wash it a couple of times thoroughly. Soaked dals have a strong smell and washing is very important
• Grind the dals with all other ingredients into a very coarse mixture, in pulse mode. Do not add any water; And do not make it into a fine paste
• Mix in chopped greens if using
• The mixture will be wet enough to hold shape when made into dumplings
• Take TT-ball sized portions of the dough and press it a bit and make into dumplings; usually they are made in cylindrical shapes
• Arrange the dumplings in the greased container of a steamer and steam it for 10-15 minutes till it is just about dry and cooked.
• Serve piping hot or warm with a spoonful of ghee and some coconut chutney… Bliss!! 

Notes:

• Can use only one kind of dal or a combination of any of the three in any proportion; each has a slightly different taste and texture
• I again stress on not grinding to a fine paste; it makes the dumplings hard

Sending these to Akila's event here.

Akki Rotti

Akki rotti always tastes the best when made by patting the dough on the kadai directly after cooling it. We call it BaNLe-rotti, translating to rotti made on kadai. Mom makes wonderful rottis which are so smooth and yet crisp. Adding a lot of onions, veggies is a secret to wonderful rottis.

Here in Sweden, in the initial days, when we had not yet discovered places around, we had to shop only in the neighborhood supermarkets and carrots and onions were some of the most common veggies that would make their way home with us. And with limited options to cook a full meal, some of the meals would be like this one, with a couple of rottis and a chutney.

Here’s how you make akki-rotti:

Akki Rotti

Preparation time       : 15 min

Cooking time             : ~3 min per rotti

Serves                         :  4

Ingredients:

Rice flour        - 2 cups

Onions             - 1 cup, finely chopped

Carrot - 1 cup, grated

Beans / greens            /spring onions - 1 cup, finely chopped; any combination or all of them

Coconut - ¼ cup, grated, optional

Cumin seeds    - 1 tsp, optional

Cooking oil      - 2-3 Tbsp

Ginger             - 1 tsp, grated

Green chilies   - 2-3, optional

Coriander        - 2 Tbsp, finely chopped

Salt                  - ½ tsp or as per taste

Method:

• In a wide pan, add rice flour, cumin seeds, chopped coriander and curry leaves, green chilies, grated ginger, salt and finely chopped or grated vegetables and mix
• Add water and mix to a soft dough. Do not make the dough too watery, neither too tight. The consistency should be soft enough to pat it with fingers easily, without sticking
• Take a skillet, preferably non stick, or otherwise a well seasoned one, and smear a teaspoon of oil on the inside, till about ¾ths from the centre
• Take a ball of the dough (for a medium sized kadai take a small orange sized ball) and place on the centre
• Pat it with your fingers, and spread it evenly till the ¾ths, where oil was already smeared
• Make sure that the rotti thus patted is evenly spread. Try to pat it thin.
• Smear another half a teaspoon of oil over it
  

• Place the kadai on medium high flame and cover with a lid/plate
• After half a minute, remove the plate and let it crisp for another half a minute as per your choice
• Once done, the rotti comes out of the skillet very easily with hardly any effort to remove it manually
• Cool the skillet and repeat the same for the other rotties (See tips below)
• Serve hot with a chutney

Notes:

• Use at least two skillets if you have to make this for 2 to 4 people. Use one, by the time it is cooking pat on the other. When the second one is cooking, cool the first one and reuse. This way, time can be managed well
• To cool the skillet keep it under running cold water, inverted. Do not wet the inside, only outside should get wet and cool
• Any sized kadai can be used. The small, iron skillet used for making tempering is the best. Vary the size of the dough taken and the cooking time based on the size

If you are pressed for time and cannot afford to cool the pans and pat each rotti, then, here’s an alternative:

• Use a thick polythene sheet and cut it into a circle of desired size (size that fits on you tawa), or use a plantain leaf
• Smear the sheet with oil and pat the dough on it.
• Heat the tawa and invert the sheet over and after a few seconds remove and let cook on the tawa on both sides. Meanwhile pat another one and keep ready before removing the first one
• This is easier in preparation, saves time and also consumes less resource like heat and water. However, you’ll be compromising a great deal on the taste. I do not say it tastes bad, but the one made on skillet cannot be compared for sure.

Avalakki Dosa

So here is another type of dosa to make on a Sunday morning! Made out of rice and avalakki/poha, it comes out extremely fluffy and soft. Accompany it with a coconut chutney of choice and it makes a perfect weekend breakfast! To make it better, make some Mango Seekarane also and sever along with chutney and the weekend is made!

Ingredients:
Dosa Rice - 3 cups
Avalakki / Poha - 1 ½ cups (1 cup if you want a little denser dosa)
Fenugreek / Methi seeds - 2 tsp
Curds - ¼ cup
Salt - 1 ½ tsp, or as per taste

Method:
Batter:
• Soak the rice and methi in enough amount of water for 4-6 hours
• Wash avalakki and soak in curd and more water for 30 minutes
• Grind both together into a smooth paste and let it ferment overnight
• Next morning, add salt and mix well

Dosa:
• Heat the griddle
• When the griddle is hot, smear a few drops of oil
• Pour 1 to 1 ½ Tbsp of batter on the griddle. Spread it like a normal dosa - thick or thin as you want. The dosas come out fluffy
• Smear a few drops of oil
• Cook on medium heat, covering
• Serve hot with a coconut chutney

Notes:
• Increase the amount of curd if you want a sourer tinge
• Do not cook the dosa on high flame. It’ll brown too soon

Hurali/ Horsegram Dosa

I love dosas - not just the traditional one, but ALL types of dosas. The newer kind it is the better it is! I find it very easy and convenient to make dosas for breakfast - than any other item.... once the batter is ready, make chutney before people are ready for breakfast and then make hot and crisp dosas and serve one after the other. And you can customize it for each person as they like - thick or thin, fluffy or crispy, small or big, with chutney smeared on it or without, and so on. So everyone’s happy and so you are, without much effort.

Coming to the varieties of dosas, I do keep looking out for different kinds and came across this HuraLi (horsegram) dosa in some blog. I'm so sorry that i forgot where i got this from, and in case this recipe is one of yours, please do update me and i'll add your link. I did search again to find out from where i had noted down this recipe but couldn't find.

I decided to give it a try as horsegram was lying in the kitchen counter in a huge quantity and also people kind of like it at home. I added some spices like cumin, coriander, ginger while grinding the batter as I felt the smell of horse gram was overpowering.

The dosas were good - quite crispy, irrespective of being thin or thick. It tasted good for breakfast and better when the dosas were made the following evening. However, I didn’t like it much when made on the next morning - may be the better had rested too long though in the fridge. Anyways, it was worth the try..

Hurali kalu Dosa / Horsegram Dosa

Preparation time : 15-20 min, excluding time for soaking
Cooking time : 1-1.5 min per dosa
Serves : 5

Ingredients:
Dosa Rice - 1 ½ cups
Horse gram / hurali - 2 cups
Urad dal - 1 Tbsp
Methi (Fenugreek) seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
Coriander leaves - a handful
Grated ginger - 1-2 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp or according to taste
Cooking oil - to make dosas

Method:
Batter:
• Soak the rice, urad dal and methi in enough amount of water for 4-6 hours
• Grind it to a smooth paste and let it ferment overnight
• Soak horse gram in enough water at night and let it soak while the rice batter is fermenting
• Next morning, grind the soaked horse gram with cumin seeds, coriander and ginger to a fine paste. Add water to facilitate the blades
• Mix this with the fermented batter and add salt and mix well

Dosa:
• Heat the griddle
• When the griddle is hot, smear a few drops of oil
• Pour 1 to 1 ½ Tbsp of batter on the griddle. Spread it like a normal dosa - thick or thin as you want. This batter is very obedient
• Smear a few drops of oil
• Cook on medium heat, covering
• Serve hot with a coconut chutney

Tips n Tricks:
• Do not cook the dosa on high flame. It’ll brown too soon

Methi Chapathi

When you want a twist to your usual plain chapathis, you should try this. Adding methi and some spices to the chapathis makes it totally different and so flavorful.... The monotonous flat bread is gone and is replaced by something special... accompanied by a nice gravy, it makes for a special meal....

Here is how to make Methi Chapathis...

Methi Chapathi

Preparation time : 15 min Cooking time : 2 min per chapathi Makes : 8-10 Ingredients: Wheat flour / Atta - 2 cups Methi/Fenugreek leaves - 1 medium sized bunch or 2 small bunches Garam masala - ½ tsp Red chili powder - ½ tsp Salt - ½ tsp, or as per taste White sesame seeds - 2 tsp Water as needed Cooking Oil - 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp per chapathi Method: • Pick, wash and chop methi leaves finely • Mix wheat flour, salt, chili powder, garam masala powder in a large bowl • Add the methi leaves and mix in oil • Slowly add water and knead into a soft dough • Coat it with a little oil and keep aside for half an hour • Take the dough and pinch out lemon sized balls • Roll into thin chapathis and sprinkle methi seed on top. Roll again slightly so that the seeds stick to the rolled dough • Heat a skillet and cook on both sides drizzling a few drops of oil on each side. Remove when small brown spots start appearing • Repeat with the entire dough • Serve hot with one of the below lip smacking gravy as side dish Tips n Tricks: • Making very big chapathis out of this is difficult because of the addition of methi - so a lemon sized ball should be enough to make a 6” chapathi

Homemade Granola

When colleagues started going ‘healthy way’ and started having granola for breakfast regularly, I too was tempted with it. If not for breakfast, I can at least have it for snaks between meals. (err.. I am a foodie, as you know by now and I need a good breakfast to start my day). But every time I saw the pack in the counter in the super market, I would not be convinced to buy it one because of the rate and another because I wasn’t sure if I’d finish it, after buying one!
After searching through some blogs I realized that I don’t have to follow a ‘recipe’ to make granola, just the basics were needed. Since I had a pack of corn flakes to be used up and also a newly bought pack of flax seeds that I had to use, and also brown sugar that was not used from a long time, I set out to make it, and of course it was a breeze to prepare it, absolutely no preparation time, except that the 40 min of baking needs about 4-5 stirs in between.
I didn’t make it in very large quantity, but thought whatever I made would last for at least a week. But then I was surprised when all of it vanished just the second day! Of course I had taken a small jar for mom, who also liked it.
I can say it was much better than the one readily available and works out cheaper too... I’m looking forward to doubling the quantity and making again....

Homemade Granola

Preparation time : 5 min Baking Time : 40-45 min Ingredients: Oats - 2 cups Corn flakes - 1 cups Flax seeds - ¼ cup Almonds - ¼ cup, chopped Cashews - ¼ cup Raisins- ¼ cup Honey - 2-3 Tbsp Brown Sugar - 2 Tbsp Butter - 3 tsp Salt - a pinch Method: • Slightly toast the flax seeds and keep aside • Chop the almonds into smaller pieces and keep aside • Slightly crush the corn flakes, if you feel the flakes are too big • Preheat the oven to 120 deg C (~250 deg F) • In a large bowl, mix the oats, corn flakes, toasted flax seeds, chopped almonds • In a small bowl, melt butter and mix honey and salt • Add the wet mixture into the large bowl with dry ingredients • Mix in the brown sugar • Mix thoroughly so that the oats mixture is evenly coated with honey mixture • Spread it evenly on a large baking tray and bake for 40-45 minutes • Stir it every 10 minutes for baking to be even • Once done, take it out and mix in the raising • Cool completely and store it in a jar • Enjoy the granola as is or with warm or old milk Tips n Tricks: • Use of toasted flax seeds makes it healthy and adds an extra crunch that I loved • Use of brown sugar also added a nice texture to the granola that I didn’t find in the store bought • Adjust the sweeteners as per your personal taste Variations: • Any combination of dry fruits can be added - I had only the ones I have used. Using walnut instead of cashews makes it healthier • Vegetable oil can be used instead or butter

Sending the Granola to Champa's Bake off.

Gojjavalakki

Whenever mom made this in my college days, she would pack me 3 boxes for lunch instead of one. One for me, one for a friend and another large one for the remaining friends and almost for everyone in the class! People would fight to get their share of this delicious spicy food. I still love it when mom makes it, though I too make it fairly good. Here’s the recipe...

Gojjavalakki

Preparation time : 20 min Cooking time : 15 min Serves : 5-6 Ingredients: Avalakki/Poha/Beaten rice - 4 cups (Use thick variety) Tamarind - 1-2 lemon sized ball, soaked in ½ cup water Rasam powder - 2 tsp, vary as per your taste Jaggery - 1 small lemon sized ball Salt - 1 tsp, vary as per taste Desiccated coconut, grated - ½ cup For powdering: Fenugreek / methi seeds - ½ tsp Cumin seeds - 2 tsp Sesame seeds - 2 tsp For tempering: Cooking oil - 1 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Groundnut seeds - 1 tbsp Chana dal - 1 tsp Urad dal - 1 tsp White Sesame seeds - 2 tsp Curry leaves - 2-3 sprigs Red chilies - 1 Turmeric - 1 pinch Method: • Dry roast all the ingredients under ‘For Powdering’ and when slightly cool, grind to powder and keep aside • Take the avalakki in a mixie jar and pulse it a couple of times, just enough to break it into very coarse powder. Do not over do this • In a wide bowl, mix tamarind pulp, jaggery, salt and rasam powder and add a little water, enough to dissolve the ingredients • Now wash the broken avalakki, by pouring water into it in a big vessel and immediately drain off the water, ensuring that it is not soaked • Add this drained avalakki into the tamarind water prepared above and leave it undisturbed for 2 minutes till the avalakki absorbs the liquid. • Mix it a couple of times to ensure uniform soaking and absorbing of the taste • If the avalakki seems too hard even after soaking, sprinkle a little more water and let it absorb • Once done, in a big skillet, heat oil and make the tempering: o Add mustard seeds and allow to splutter o Turn the heat low, add groundnut seeds, and stir o After the groundnuts are half-done, channa dal and urad dal o Add curry leaves and red chili pieces and stir for half a minute till all the ingredients are properly roasted. o At the end add sesame seeds and turmeric powder • Now mix in the soaked avalakki into the tempering, add the spice powder prepared above, grated coconut and stir well to combine • Check and adjust the taste if necessary • Heat it while stirring just till it is hot and mixed well • Serve warm or cold Tips n Tricks: • Do not over powder the avalakki. • Each type of avalakki needs a different amount of water, so use a little initially and increase later if necessary Variations: • You need not heat it after adding tempering. That gives a slightly different taste. I like it if heated.

Ubbu Rotti - Rice flour roties

Where was I all these days? Well I was right at home and at office but too tied up with lots of work and expectations. Well, the last month - Shravana masa as we call it will generally be quite hectic with me, with all those poojas and festivals. Though there were quite many special dishes cooked, I didn’t have any energy or enthu to click and blog. So just stayed back from blogging. Now here I am, back in full swing!

Coming to today’s dish, we have what we call Ubbu rotti - a roti made of rice flour, which just puffs up like poori when making, and is very soft and melts in your mouth. Not very difficult to make, though requires a little more time than the usual chapathis or so, but its really worth a try.This tastes great with some chutney, vegetable palya, esp any side dish made of brinjal/eggplant. The side dish recipe will soon follow.

Ubbu Rotti

Preparation time : 20 min Cooking time : 20 min Makes : 8-10 Ingredients: Rice flour - 1 ½ cups + for dusting Water - 3 cups Salt - ½ tsp, or as per taste Cooking Oil - 2 tsp Method: • In a heavy bottomed pan, boil water by adding salt and a few drops of oil • Once water starts boiling, add rice flour and let it remain for 10 minutes on medium low flame • At the end of 10 minutes, take a strong ladle and continuously stir, avoiding lumps • Cook for a couple of minutes more. The resulting dough should be similar to that of papad dough - soft, but non sticky • Let it cool for a couple of minutes so that it can be handled • Divide the dough into 3-4 parts and knead it well, smearing a few drops of oil. See tips and tricks below for easier ways. • Once the dough is kneaded well into a soft but firm dough, take big small lemon sized balls and roll it using rolling pin like a chapatti/roti. Use a little amount of rice flour if it feels sticky • Heat a griddle on high flame and cook the rolled rotti on both sides by flipping. Ensure not to brown the rotti. Appearance of light brownish spots indicates that it is done. • Repeat the same with rest of the dough • Serve hot with some palya/gojju/chutney Tips n Tricks: • To avoid your palms getting burnt while kneading the hot dough, fill it in thick polythene and cover it in a towel / thick cloth and knead it over it. This way a smooth and soft dough will be ready in a jiffy • It is easy to knead the dough when hot rather than juggling it when it gets colder • Knead it, make into balls before you start rolling. This saves time and effort, and it gets easier to roll and then cook simultaneously • The better you knead, the easier it is to roll. If the dough is not kneaded well, while rolling the rottis start cracking and gets difficult to handle Variations: • The same can be prepared with fine soji or maida instead of rice flour. But the one with rice flour is a far healthier one.

Ashgourd Dosa

Ok, now you have saved that ash gourd pulp after making majjige huLi, right? Well, soak some rice and dal for a soft, and fluffy dosa! Don't waste any edible part of any veggies, is my policy! Especially if it can be converted into a new variety of dosa! Though i'm not a big fan of this actually nice and healthy veggie, i never say no to it in dosa form!
Go ahead and make these and you'll surely love it!

Ash gourd Dosa

Preparation time : 30 min, excluding time for soaking Cooking time : 2 min per dosa Serves : 4 Ingredients: Dosa Rice - 2 cups Ash gourd (inner part) - 2 cups (chopped into chunks, deseeded) Beaten Rice / Avalakki - ½ cup Urad dal - 1 Tbsp Salt - ¾ th tsp or according to taste Cooking oil - to make dosas Method: Batter: • Soak the rice & dal in enough amount of water for 4-6 hours, and soak avalakki for about 15 minutes • Chop and deseed the ash gourd • Grind the rice-dal mixture along with avalakki and the ash gourd in a mixie or grinder and prepare a smooth batter. Batter should be like a thick milkshake. • Let the batter ferment overnight or for about 8-10hours. Batter would slightly rise by then. Dosa: • Add salt to the batter & mix well. • Heat the griddle • When the griddle is hot, smear a few drops of oil • Pour 1 to 1 ½ Tbsp of batter on the griddle. Do not try to spread it thin like for normal dos. Just allow it to spread itself or slightly spread it, making a thick pan cake like dosa • Cook on medium heat, covering. • Turn over the dosa and cook on the other side too, till it becomes light golden brown • Serve hot with coconut chutney. Tips n Tricks: • Do not cook the dosa on high flame. They’ll not be done in the middle but get brown on the outer layer, since these are thick

Sending this to Akila's event: Dish name starts with A.

Avarekalu Akki Rotti

Indian beans, or avarekaLu is one of the specialties of South India, especially Karnataka. There are a wide variety of dishes prepared from this bean. The taste, flavor and texture of these beans are just awesome. Almost every other famous regional cuisine here, can be modified to include these beans, which then give an entirely special variety.
Along with making unique dishes with it, you can add these beans to Rasam, Sambhar, Upma, Bisi Bele Bhaath, make pulav out of it, add to lemon rice, so on and so forth. And the most special one is akki rotti with avarekaLu, which is considered as a real specialty. The taste and flavor it adds to the already mouth watering akki rotti is simply unique. Especially when made directly on a skillet, and served hot with a coconut chutney!
Check out the recipe....

Avarekalu Akki Rotti

Preparation time : 15 min Cooking time : ~3 min per rotti Serves : 4 Ingredients: Rice flour - 2 cups Avarekalu/Indian beans - 1 ½ cups Coconut - ½ cup, grated Cumin seeds - 1 tsp, optional Cooking oil - 2-3 Tbsp Ginger - 1 tsp, grated Curry leaves - 2 Tbsp, finely chopped Green chilies - 2-3, optional Coriander - 2 Tbsp, finely chopped Salt - ½ tsp or as per taste Method: • Cook Avarekalu/Indian beans in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water and ½ tsp of salt for 3 whistles, or till cooked soft • Once cool enough to handle, add rice flour, grated coconut, cumin seeds, chopped coriander and curry leaves, green chilies, grated ginger, more salt if required and mix • Add more water if necessary. Do not make the dough too watery, neither too tight. • The consistency should be soft enough to pat it with fingers easily, without sticking • Take a skillet, preferably non stick, or otherwise a well seasoned one, and smear a teaspoon of oil on the inside, till about ¾ths from the centre • Take a ball of the dough (for a medium sized kadai take a small orange sized ball) and place on the centre • Pat it with your fingers, and spread it evenly till the ¾ths, where oil was already smeared • Make sure that the rotti thus patted is evenly spread. Since it contains beans, it cannot be patted too thin, do don’t worry about that • Smear another teaspoon of oil over it • Place the kadai on medium high flame and cover with a lid/plate • After half a minute, remove the plate and let it crisp for another half a minute as per your choice • Once done, the rotti comes out of the skillet very easily with hardly any effort to remove it manually • Cool the skillet and repeat the same for the other rotties (See tips below) • Serve hot with a coconut chutney Tips n Tricks: • Use at least two skillets if you have to make this for 2 to 4 people. Use one, by the time it is cooking pat on the other. When the second one is cooking, cool the first one and reuse. This way, time can be managed well • To cool the skillet keep it under running cold water, inverted. Do not wet the inside, only outside should get wet and cool • Any sized kadai can be used. The small, iron skillet used for making tempering is the best. Vary the size of the dough taken and the cooking time based on the size • Use tender, fresh Indian beans for the best taste Variations: If you are pressed for time and cannot afford to cool the pans and pat each rotti, then, here’s an alternative: • Use a thick polythene sheet and cut it into a circle of desired size (size that fits on you tawa), or use a plantain leaf • Smear the sheet with oil and pat the dough on it. • Heat the tawa and invert the sheet over and after a few seconds remove and let cook on the tawa on both sides. Meanwhile pat another one and keep ready before removing the first one • This is easier in preparation, saves time and also consumes less resource like heat and water. However, you’ll be compromising a great deal on the taste. I do not say it tastes bad, but the one made on skillet cannot be compared for sure.

Sending this to Akila's event: Dish name starts with A.

Aloo Paratha - South Indianised!

Are we all not so accustomed with tastes that are native to us? Whenever we learn something new from some other place, we make sure that we tweak it to suit our tastes... this is especially true with elders who are so used to their taste familiar to them. They find it hard to get used to some new taste.....

A similar situation has given rise to this South-Inidianised form of parathas! My inlaws, esp my MIL, likes her south Indian form of cooking with lot of coconut and stuff, rather than garam masalas, ginger garlic pastes and so on! And since we all love parathas, and she too wants to have it but in her form, she has tweaked it so much that it hardly resembles the actual paratha in taste, except that it has stuffing of aloo in atta dough! She uses the famous south Indian aloo palya - that we serve with Masala dosa, to make these parathas. And the accompaniment here is the very familiar coconut chutney, and not pickle and curd.

However, I must confess this is a great weekend breakfast item that we all drool over. It is worth a try, if you want variety in your usual parathas....
Here’s her recipe....

Aloo Paratha - South Indianised!

Preparation time : 20 min Cooking time : 15 min Serves : 5-6 Ingredients: For the stuffing: Potatoes - 4-5 medium sized Onions - 3-4, medium sized Oil - 2-3 tsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Urad dal - 1 tsp Green chilies - 3-4, depending on taste Curry leaves - 2-3 sprigs, leaves chopped Coriander leaves - 2-3 sprigs, chopped Turmeric - a pinch Salt to taste For parathas: Atta / Wheat flour - 3-4 cups + more for dusting Salt to taste Water to knead the dough Oil - for smearing on the parathas Method: For the stuffing: • Cook potatoes in a pressure cooker till done • Peel and mash roughly • Meanwhile chop onions finely, slit green chilies • In a pan, heat oil, add mustard seed and allow to splutter • Once done, add the urad dal, curry leaves, green chilies and sauté till done • Add chopped onions and stir till translucent. Add turmeric. • Once onions are done, add roughly mashed potatoes, salt and chopped coriander • Mix well, and sauté for a couple of minutes • The stuffing is ready. Allow to cool for some time • One cool, make small lemon sized balls For parathas: • Knead the flour and salt into soft dough using required amount of water. • Allow to stand for 15-30 minutes • Make lemon sized balls of the dough • Roll it into a 3 inch circle, with the middle thicker than the edge • Place the stuffing ball into the middle and cover the edges evenly and pat the ball flat • Roll it using a rolling pin dusting with atta, ensuring the stuffing does not come out. Do it very gently. • Heat a tawa and cook the paratha well on both sides, smearing teaspoon of oil for each till brown spots appear. • Repeat for the remaining dough and filling • Serve hot with a dollop of butter and some coconut chutney. Onion-coconut chutney tastes best with this version of parathas. Tips n Tricks: • Knead the dough to be soft, if it is too tight rolling parathas will be difficult. • Roll gently to avoid the filling to ooze out • Mash the boiled potatoes so that there are no lumps, which otherwise will be hurdles while rolling

Pesarattu - Moong dal dosa

If you’re from Andhra or have visited Andhra anytime, then you know this awesome dosa for sure! You can’t miss this in any of the hotels..... a hot an crispy dosa topped with finely copped onions served with chutney.... it has all the goodness and appetizing flavor of moong dal.
Well, Dee who was in Hyderabad for a couple of years before marriage had this in his wish list from a long time. I too have tried this pesarattu when I’d been to Hyderabad. Being an avid fan of dosas of any kind, I had fallen for this one as well...
And recently when I saw this recipe in some blog, I couldn’t resist from making it at home. As I browsed through, there were two prominent versions - one with whole moong dal and the other with split moong dal. I was confused as to which would be the best, and so tried out both the versions. And well, both of them were just slightly different and both tasted great.
Here’s the recipe....

Pesarattu

Preparation time : 10 min Cooking time : 2 min for each dosa Serves : 4-5 Ingredients: For batter: Moong dal (split//whole) - 4 cups Dosa Rice - 1cup Curry leaves - 1 small bunch Green chilies - 2-3, depending on taste (optional) Ginger - 1" cube Coriander leaves - a small bunch Salt - 1 tsp or as per taste Water Other ingredients: Cumin seeds - 2-3 tsp Onion - 2-3 medium sized Green chilies - 2-3, depending on taste (optional) Cooking oil - for smearing on dosa Method: Batter: • Wash and soak rice and dal in enough water for 3-4 hours or overnight (I generally soak it overnight) • Next morning, grind the soaked rice and dal with some water and other ingredients mentioned in the ‘For batter’ section in a wet grinder / mixer • Add water if necessary and grind the batter to a medium fine paste • Transfer the batter to a vessel • Add cumin seeds and mix well Dosa: • Chop onions and green chilies finely • Heat a non stick griddle/tawa • Now take a ladle of the batter and spread it on the tawa like normal dosa. Pour the batter in the middle of the tawa and quickly smear it with the back of the ladle to spread it as thin as possible • Immediately spread a couple of spoons of the chopped onion and chili roughly evenly on the spread dosa • Smear a teaspoon of oil and cover it with a plate/lid • After half a minute, open the lid • Allow it to crisp if you like it that way • Take it out of the tawa, roll it so that the onion pieces do not fall off and serve straight to the plate • Enjoy the bisi-bisi pesarattu dosa with coconut-ginger chutney Tips n Tricks: • Ensure that the mixture is thin enough for easy spreading on the tawa • Do not compromise on the onion topping. It is that which makes this dosa even special

Mangalore Banana Buns

Seeing my blog, an aunt of mine who had come home got inspired to teach me some of her specialties that I didn’t make earlier, like the famous Mangalore buns.

These Mangalore buns were something that I had wanted to make from quite sometime. Every time I travel to the south-western part of Karnataka, I don’t miss tasting these buns in the hotels. What surprises me is that they are not at all oily in spite of being deep fried! Initially I had assumed that these were some baked-stuff. It isn’t a big deal to make it at home... try it out when there are over ripe bananas lying in the kitchen, abandoned!

Mangalore Buns

Preparation time : 15 min Cooking time : 15 min Serves : 5-6 Ingredients: Over ripe long bananas - 2 Maida - 2 cups + for dusting Curd - ¾th cup Sugar - 1 Tbsp Salt - ½ tsp Soda / baking powder - 1 pinch Cooking Oil - to deep fry Method: • In a wide bowl mash bananas with salt and sugar • Add curd and beat it with your fingers for 5-6 minutes. Let there be small little lumps of banana • Mix in the flour and baking powder and knead it into a soft dough • Keep it covered for at least 30 minutes. The dough would have got a little soggy after the resting time. • Take small lemon sized balls and roll it into small pooris using more flour for dusting • Meanwhile heat oil in a skillet and deep fry one at a time in medium heat • Turn it over a couple of times, ensuring even browning of the buns • Remove from oil, drain on a kitchen towel • Repeat the same with rest of the dough • Serve hot with chutney of your choice. Pudina-coconut chutney tastes great with these hot buns Tips n Tricks: • Use well ripened bananas for best results • Let the dough rest, to get good puffed up buns

Kusubalakki Paddu / Gundpongalu

Usually, all idli and dosa batters that need fermenting are prepared by MIL. And the ones that can be used instantly after grinding come under my department. This time I came across this very simple recipe for Paddu/Gundpongalu/Indian-aebliskever in a co-blogger’s blog and was tempted to try it out. I thought its high time I pitch into this area of cooking too :)
The list of ingredients being very simple, I went ahead and soaked for it. But again, it was my MIL who ended up getting it ground, since I had to go out for something. My wish of grinding a batter didn’t get fulfilled yet!
Anyway, the paddu came out pretty well, and we were quite impressed with the taste. (My MIL usually uses a different set of ingredients for her version, which I’ll post some other time.)

Kusubalakki Paddu

Preparation time : 30 min, excluding time for soaking Cooking time : 20 min Serves : 5-6 Ingredients: Boiled rice/Kusubalakki - 4 cups Urad dal - 1 cup Salt - ¾ th tsp or according to taste Cooking oil - to brush the Aebliskever pan Method: Batter: • Soak the rice & dal in enough amount of water for 6-8hours. • Grind the rice-dal mixture in a mixie or grinder and prepare a smooth batter. • Batter should be like a thick milkshake. Let the batter ferment overnight or for about 8-10hours. Batter would be doubled by then. Paddu: • Add salt to the batter & mix well. • Heat the paddu pan/aebliskever pan. When the pan is hot, add few drops of oil to each mould. • Pour ½ Tbsp of batter to each mould or ¾ th the mould and cook on medium heat for a minute. • Turn the balls and cook on the other side too, till it becomes golden brown • Serve hot with a coconut chutney. Tips n Tricks: • Do not cook the paddu on high flame. They’ll not be done in the middle but get brown on the outer layer Variations: • Chopped onion, coriander and ginger can be added to the batter

Huli Avalakki - Hot and Sour Beaten rice

Whenever my MIL is expecting some guests at non lunch/dinner hours, this is the most common thing that she likes to prepare. As soon as the relatives or friends call up saying they'll drop in, she starts preparing it and in just a few minutes, she'll be done with it and kept ready for serving. And the guests of course will love it and compliment her and take a second helping, making my MIL beam with joy.

And we, especially Dee and FIL will be waiting for their turn to taste it and finish off whatever is left out. The bowl will be cleaned till the last grain, irrespective of what quantity was left over :)
Simple and quick to make, yet not so common, this is a must try...

Huli Avalakki

Preparation time : 10 min Cooking time : 5 min Serves : 4 -5 Ingredients: Avalakki (beaten rice/poha) - 3 cups Cooking oil - 2 Tbsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Bengal gram dal - 2 tsp Urad dal - 2 Tsp Groundnuts - 2 Tbsp Curry leaves - 1 Tbsp Coriander leaves - 1 Tbsp, chopped Grated coconut - 2 Tbsp Green chilies - 5-6, as per taste Asafetida - a pinch Turmeric - a pinch Salt - ½ tsp or as per taste Lemons - 2 Method: • Break the avalakki into smaller pieces. This can be done by running it in a mixie in pulse mode. Or switch it on and off immediately for a few times, till it is uniformly broken. Do not make it into powder. • Wash the broken avalakki in water, and squeeze out the water. The water that is remaining is sufficient to soak I, since it is broken. • Keep aside for 10 minutes • Meanwhile in a pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds and allow to splutter • Add groundnut seeds and fry for half a minute • Add Bengal gram dal and urad dal and fry till golden • Add green chilies, curry leaves and fry for a minute or two till all the ingredients are crisp • Add turmeric and grated coconut and mix thoroughly, with the heat on • Add this to the soaked avalakki in another pan and mix thoroughly • Add lemon juice and garnish with chopped coriander • Tastes best when served immediately or within a couple of hours Tips n Tricks: • Do not powder the avalakki while breaking it • Do not soak the avalakki for too long