Kattina Saru - Plain Lentil Rasam

When it comes to simple comfort food, kattina saru / simple lentil rasam tops the list. A very mild spiced, yet tasty and very healthy, this one is a preferred choice for us for lunch on days we’ve had a heavy breakfast. Being very simple to make, it is a good choice for us to cook too. The spices give a subtle flavor and taste, while a correct blend of salt and jaggery and pepper make it tasty.

Kattina Saru

Preparation time : None Cooking time : 15 min Serves : 4 Ingredients: Tur Dal - 1 cup Green chili - 1 or 2 Turmeric - a big pinch Coconut milk - 1 Tbsp Jaggery - 1 small pinch Salt - ¾ tsp Curry leaves - 1 sprig Coriander leaves - 1 sprig For tempering: Ghee - 2 tsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Cumin seeds - 1 tsp Black pepper - ½ tsp Asafetida/hing - 1 pinch Method: • Cook tur dal with 2-3 cups of water, one green chili and turmeric in pressure cooker for 1-2 whistles • Once the pressure releases, bring it to boil again • Add salt, coconut milk, and jaggery. • Add curry leaves and coriander leaves for flavor. Let it boil for 5-10 minutes. • Adjust water to get a thin, rasam-like consistency For tempering: • Make a coarse powder of black pepper and cumin seeds • Heat ghee in a small skillet • Add mustard seeds and allow to splutter • Add cumin, pepper, hing • Mix it to the rasam just before serving • Serve piping hot with hot rice and ghee Variations: • Juice of a lemon can be if you like a sour taste

Strawberry Milkshake

Strawberries are back! What a treat these little red fruits are! I am a big fan of strawberries and especially love it with ice cream and cream served at Corner house - an ice cream parlor in Bangalore. Well, I know that will be too heavy on my diet but strawberries are not something that I can miss. So, a glassful of milkshake with strawberries is something that I make do with, as it is healthy and not so heavy as ice cream and cream!Little niece Hima, also loves it. Whenever I bring home strawberries, she knows I’m gonna make milkshake with it, and she jumps up in joy!

Strawberry Milkshake

Preparation time : 10 min Serves : 4 Ingredients: Strawberries - 14-15 Chilled Milk - 3 ½ glasses Sugar - 4-5 Tsp, depending on taste Strawberry / Vanilla Ice cream - 2 scoops (optional) Method: • Wash and chop strawberries into halves or quarters • Blend it in a mixie or blender with sugar and some milk • Add milk, blend it well, to make the milk frothy • Pour it into serving glasses • Add half a scoop of ice cream to each glass and serve. Variations: • Ice cream can be substituted with fresh cream. It can be omitted if you are too health conscious • Some strawberry sauce can also be added over

Avarekalu Kadubu, Coconut Chutney

This is one of my mom’s specialties. I remember dad asking her to prepare this at least once every year in avarekai-season. Yeah, owing to the elaborate procedure, it can mostly be done once or twice a year when we get avarekai. Of course, it’s special taste will remain fresh in memory for a long time!

When Dee had come home once before marriage, mom had made this, and being the foodie that he is, he had fallen for it! Yeah.... fallen more for it, than for me :DAnd after that, mom never made it when we went there, and I too had almost forgotten it, till the last vacation I was there, when she again prepared it, and made us fall!!!
I concentrated on the recipe this time, and tried it out for in-laws after a couple of weeks. And it was undoubtedly a great super hit! And I was proud of myself, as I prepared it all by myself, for 6 people, and the taste was just perfect. The coconut chutney prepared as an accompaniment makes it a great combination. Try it out once for weekend treat for the family.
Don’t miss this wonderful recipe when avarekai is available.

Avarekalu Kadubu

Preparation time : 20 min Cooking time : 25 min Serves : 5-6 Ingredients: Akki tari / Rice rava - 3 cups Avarekalu / Indian beans - 1 ½ cups Water - 5 cups Salt - 1 tsp Ginger - 1” cube, grated Coconut - 1 ½ Tbsp, grated or cut into very small pieces Ghee - ½ Tbsp Black pepper - 1-2 tsp Cumin seeds - 2-3 tsp Method: • Cook Avarekalu/Indian beans in a pressure cooker with 5 cups of water and ½ tsp of salt for 3 whistles, or till cooked soft • Meanwhile coarsely crush black pepper and cumin seeds • Heat ghee in a large skillet, add crushed pepper and cumin seeds and allow to splutter; add grated ginger • Add rice rava and roast on medium flame for 4-5 minutes or till a mild aroma fills the air. Make sure not to over roast • Now mix the roasted rava into the pan with cooked avarekalu along with the water used for cooking and remaining salt as per taste. • Mix thoroughly, ensuring no lumps are formed. Cook for 7-8 minutes till all the water is absorbed and a upma like lump is formed. • Turn off the heat. • When the mixture is still hot, take out a big spoon full of the mixture into a plate, wet your palms dipping in fresh cold water in a bowl, and form tight tennis sized balls. Move your palms briskly while pressing the ball and shaping it right, not allowing the palms to take the heat continuously • Repeat it for the entire mixture, dipping your palms in water each time • Now arrange these balls in a flat bowl and steam it, like you do for idlis on medium heat for 15 minutes • Allow to cool slightly, and serve it with a dollop of ghee over it, and coconut chutney Tips n Tricks: • The dumpling balls should be made while the mixture is hot. Once it starts cooling, there will be no binding and the dumplings break. So, when cooled, re-heat the mixture with a little more water, and continue • For kids, make smaller, marble sized balls, so that they’ll like eating one whole marble at one go

Coconut chutney

Preparation time : 5 min Cooking time : 5 min Serves : 5-6 Ingredients: Coconut - 1 cup, grated Green chilies - 5-6, depending on taste Chana dal - 2 Tsp Curry leaves - 2 sprigs Coriander leaves - 1 Tbsp, chopped Asafoetida - a big pinch Cooking oil - 1 tsp Jaggery - a small pinch (optional) Tamarind - a small marble sized ball Salt - ½ Tsp or as per taste For Tempering: Cooking oil - 1 Tsp Curry leaves - A few sprigs Mustard seeds - 1 Tsp Asafetida - a pinch, powdered Method: • Roast chana dal, green chilies, curry leaves and asafetida in a tsp of oil • Grind the above with all other ingredients, adding a little water if needed • Transfer the ground chutney to a serving bowl For tempering / tadka: • Heat the oil in a pan, add mustard and allow to splutter • Add asafetida and curry leaves • Garnish the chutney with tadka Tips n Tricks: • Do not make the chutney too smooth – a little coarse consistency will give a better taste