Bell pepper-Alu stir fry

July 6th, 2010 by User | No Comments | Filed in Indian Food

Bell pepper and alu both need no introduction. This is a very simple dish good for starters as well. I have already put up Alu-Capsicum Masala which is among the most poplar posts on this blog. Alu and Bell pepper is also a very good combination. In this dish I have used Bengal gram dal as an additional ingredient to give a further boost to the dish. Here goes:

What you need to have:

1. Bell pepper (green) – 2 cups

2. Potatoes chopped – 1/4 cup

3. Bengalgram Dal – A handful

4. Salt – To taste

Ingredients of Bell-pepper Alu stir fry

Ingredients of Seasoning:

1. Chopped onions – 1/2 cup

2. Chopped tomatoes – 1/3 cup

3. Cumin seeds – 1 Teaspoon

4. Turmeric powder – 1 Teaspoon

5. Chilli powder – 1 Teaspoon

6. Garam Masala powder – 1 Teaspoon

7. Dhania-Jeera powder – 1 Teaspoon

Ingredients of Seasoning

What you do with what you have:

1. Wash and chop Bell pepper lengthwise, wash, peal and chop alu as well lengthwise as shown in image above.

2. Soak Bengalgram dal in water for about an hour and grind it in the mixer to a coarse consistency. Wash, peal and chop onions and tomato and keep aside.

3. Place a skillet with 3-4 teaspoons of cooking oil in it on medium flame and when heated add cumin seeds to it. When it sputters add chopped tomatoes from step 2. When it turns mushy add chopped onions and also required quantity of salt to it so that it does not get burnt. When done add chopped potatoes as well, lowering the flame and all the powders one after the other in a row and mix well. Close it with a lid for a few minutes till potatoes turn a little soft.

Seasoning in progress

4. Add ground Bengalgram dal from step 1 to it and lower the flame till it is cooked.

Ground Bengalgram dal being cooked in seasoning

5. When ground dal is cooked add chopped Bell-pepper from step 1 to it and let it cook till done on low flame. When done decorate it with chopped coriander leaves.

Ready to serve Bell pepper-Alu stir fry

6. Enjoy hot with either roti or chapati.

Bell pepper-Alu stir fry with chapati

How long it takes: 30 minutes (other than soaking of dal)

Number of servings: 2

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: lunch side dish

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Yellu Neeru ( White Sesame Juice )

July 1st, 2010 by User | No Comments | Filed in Indian Food

Yellu in kannada is sesame in English. Sesame juice is very soothing in hot summer. It really tastes great when chilled and served. Here in Manipal it is available in some of the shops close to the college campuses. It is very easy to prepare and also very tasty. So yeah, give this a shot.

What you need to have:

1. White yellu(sesame ) – 1/4 cup

2. Jaggery – As per taste

3. Milk – 1 cup(I have used “good life” milk)

4. Cardamom – 4-5

Ingredients of Yellu juice

What you do with what you have:

1.Wash and drain water from sesame. Place a skillet on medium flame with washed sesame in it. Just warm it up in such a way that it just swells when compared to the original sesame seeds in image 1, but never sputters at all (See below). Chop jaggery, peal and powder cardamon and keep aside.

Warmed up Sesame seeds(Yellu)

2. Transfer warmed up sesame seeds from step 1 to a mixer bowl and grind it to a fine consistency adding required quantity of water in steps.

Ground juice mix

3. Transfer ground sesame mix to a bowl and required quantity of milk to it. Also add chopped jaggery and powdered cardamom from step 1 to it. Check for sweetness and add some more jaggery if needed. Ready to serve Yellu juice is as shown in the image below. Enjoy chilled !

Ready to serve Yellu juice

Number of cups: 3 cups

How long it takes: 30 minutes

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Garlic Rice

July 1st, 2010 by User | No Comments | Filed in Indian Food

Garlic/Belluli/Losun is healthy and as we know just a little bit of it makes quite a difference to a dish. Its strong odor means that its either loved or hated. But that it has medicinal properties is not a point of dispute. Garlic rice is tasty but not a very common dish out there. Nevertheless, its worth a try.

What you need to have:

1. Basumati rice – 1 cup

2. Chopped Spring Onions & greens – 1 cup

3. Green chillies – 3-4

4. Chopped Garlic cloves – 2 Teaspoons

5. Resins – A handful

6. Cashews – A handful

7. Garam Masala powder – 3/4 teaspoon

8. Lemon juice – 1 teaspoon

9. Cooking oil – 2 tablespoons

Basumati rice

Ingredients of Garlic rice

What you do with what you have:

1. Wash and chop spring greens and onions and chop it fine and keep it aside separately. Peel and chop garlic pods as well. Wash and slit Green chillis also.

2. Wash and drain water from rice and cook it in the cooker adding required quantity of water till done. Add 1 teaspoon raw oil to it and keep it aside to cool down.

Cooked Basumati rice

3. Place a skillet with 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in it on medium flame. When heated add chopped garlic to it and in between add slit green chillies to it from step 1.

Chopped garlic cloves and green chillies being fried in seasoning

3.When done, add resins, cashews and chopped spring onions and the greens together and required quantity of salt to the dish.

Spring onions & grens being fried in seasoning

4. When done add Garam masala to it. Add cooked rice from step 2 to it and mix well. Check for salt and squeeze lemon juice. You may serve hot with a salad but I have noticed that people prefer to enjoy it plain to relish the strong garlic flavor ! This dish serves as lunch box as well.

Ready seasoning

Ready to serve Garlic Rice

Garlic rice with Salad & sauce

How long it takes: 1 hour

Number of servings: 3-4

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Amla Soup (Avale Saaru)

July 1st, 2010 by User | No Comments | Filed in Indian Food

Amla is Nellikayi, Goosbery and Avalo (in konkani). Medicinal qualities, pickling ingredient, hair oil, its everywhere. Today I would like to put up “Amla Saaru”, something that is typically used as a soup for patients recovering from the common stomach upsets and fever. I tried this when I was recovering and it worked for me ! Here it is.

What you need to have:

1. Salted Amla – 2-3

2. Green chillies – 3-4

3. Garlic pods – 8-10

4. Red chilli pieces – a few

5. Tamarind – a little or bilimbi

6. Cooking oil – 3-4 teaspoons

Fresh Amla

What you do with what you have:

1. Buy fresh amla from the supermarket and put it in a bottle with 4-5 spoons of salt and enough water. One can observe the next day and add water if the water level is just below the amla. After 5-6 months it will be as below absorbing salt, swollen and the change in colour as well. ( this is how salted amla is made, here you are using already available salted amla)

Amla soaked in salt water

Ingredients of Amla Saaru

2. Remove the seeds of the salted amla and mix it in the blender to a fine consistency.

Salted Amla pulp

3. Transfer the ground pulp to a bowl and required quantity of water to bring it to the required consistency. Add slit green chillies, bilimbi and a little tamarind and bring it to boil on a medium flame. There is no need to add extra salt since amla is salted.

Amla pulp being boiled adding the required quantity of water and other ingredients

4. Place a spatula with 3-4 teaspoons of cooking oil on the flame. Add chopped garlic to it and fry it till light brown. When half done add broken red chillis and later on add turmeric powder to it.

Seasoning in progress

5. Add this seasoning to the Amla liquid from step 4 to it. Serve hot with rice and enjoy. I know those who season this with mustard, asafoetida, red chilly and curry leaves as well. Also those who love the aroma will enjoy garlic seasoning.

Ready to serve Amla Saru

How long it takes: 30 minutes

Number of servings: 3-4 people

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Muthia (Bottle Gourd Dumpling)

July 1st, 2010 by User | No Comments | Filed in Indian Food

Muthia is the dumpling of the Louki/Gardhudhi/Sorekayi/Bottle gourd, whatever applies ! Louki again has a lot of medicinal value and not that popular a vegetable. We prepare burfi and halwa and even bottle gourd peel curry which I put up before. What I am putting up here is a Gujrathi dish, a little time consuming sure but a tasty dish just like the dhokla. These dumplings can be steamed, frozen and can be seasoned and served for parties as well. Here it is:

What you need to have:

1. Grated Bottlegourd – 2 cups

2. Semolina – 1/4 cup

3. Wheat atta – 1 cup

4. Chick peas atta – 1/4 cup

5. Green chillies – 1

6. Ginger – 1/2 ” piece

7. Sugar – 1 Teaspoon

8. Cooking oil – 2 Tablespoon

9. Eno fruit salt – `1/2 Teaspoon(for each bowl of steaming)

10. Curds – 1 Tablespoon

11. Salt – As per taste

Fresh Bottle gourd

Ingredients of Muthia

What you do with what you have:

1. Peal and grate bottle gourd. Wash and chop green chillis and also peel and chop ginger fine and keep aside separately.

2. Sieve both the atta and the chick peas atta together in the atta sieve and stir in the sujee as well. Add sugar and salt to it.

Atta, chickpeas atta and sujee mix

2. Squeeze out water from grated gourd and keep aside. Add sujee-atta mix from step 2 to it. Add 2 tablespoons of curds, also mix chopped ginger, green chillies, 2 tablespoons of raw oil from step 1 to it. Check for the consistency and add squeezed out water from the gourd to it slowly in steps and bring it to the consistency shown below.

Muthia dough mix(before adding Eno fruit salt)

3. Place a broad based vessel with required quantity of water in it and bring it to boil. Once it starts boiling, just divide the muthia dough into two different bowls and add Eno fruit salt to it mix well and place it in the boiling bowl. Close it with a lid covered with a clean cloth as shown in the image below so that the steam will not drop back on to the cooked muthia and it is done in 3-4 minutes. One can even steam it in the cooker. Just insert a toothpick/knife to know if it is cooked. If it comes out clean with the dough sticking to it ( like the Idlis ) then it is done.

Muthia dough mix (on adding Eno fruit salt)

Muthia dumpling being steamed

4. Steamed Muthia is as below. Cut it on cooling. Season it.

Steamed Muthia being cut on cooling

Ingredients of seasoning:

1. Mustard seeds – 1 Teaspoon

2. Cumin seeds – 1 Teaspoon

3. Asafoetida powder – 1/2 Teaspoon

4. Turmeric powder – 1 Teaspoon

5. Sesame seeds – 1 Teaspoon

6. Red chilli pieces – A few

7. Curry leaves – 2-3 Strands

8. Fresh grated coconut – a handful (for garnishing)

9. Chopped coriander leaves – a handful (for garnishing)

Ingredients of seasoning & garnishing

5. Place a skillet with 4-5 teaspoons of cooking oil in it on medium flame. When heated add mustard seeds to it. When it sputters add cumin seeds, asafoetida powder, sesame seeds to it one after the other. Add red chilli pieces and curry leaves.

Seasoning in progress

6. Now add cool, sliced muthia from step 5 to it and stir in well.

Muthia being seasoned

7. Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves/cilantro and fresh grated coconut.

Garnished with coriander leaves and fresh grated coconut

8. Enjoy with Coriander leaves/Cilantro chutney and tomato sauce.

Muthia with Tomato sauce and Corriander leaves/Cilantro chutney

How long it takes: 60 minutes

Number of servings: 4-5

Good to remember: The consistency of the dough should not be too thin but a little medium (it should not fall from the serving spoon too easily). Adding squeezed out water is a must to adjust the consistency. Always add eno fruit salt just before one keeps the bowl for steaming. It should be done steaming in not more than 5 minutes. In fact, this is evidence that the dough is set to the proper conasistency.

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: lunch box, tiffin

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Biscuit Roti

July 1st, 2010 by User | No Comments | Filed in Indian Food

Biscuit Roti is a very popular recipe from the Mangalore region. This was requested by Vidya. Surprisingly and unlike the usual puris, this puri will remain crispy for more than a few hours (maybe up to a day) and hence can be served for parties without much trouble where you don’t have to keep making fresh puris when people turn up in large numbers. The stuffing varies though – some stuff it with Daliaa-dal spicy powder, some with roasted fresh grated coconut with sujee masala etc. I have stuffed it with sujee masala with grated dry coconut. It will be yummy and can be relished plain or with tomato sauce. Here goes the recipe:

What you need to have:

Ingredients of the stuffing:

1. Chiroti sujee(Thin sujee) – 1 cup

2. Dry grated copra – 1/2 cup

3. Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon

4. Dhania-jeera powder – 1 teaspoon

5. Chilli powder – 2 teaspoons

6. Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon

7. Asafoetida powder – 1/2 teaspoon

8. Chopped Jaggery – as per taste

9. Tamarind – a pinch

10. Curry leaves – 3-4 strands (Preferably tender)

11. Salt – As per taste

12. Cooking oil – 3-4 teaspoons

Ingredients of stuffing

What you do with what you have:

1. Place a skillet with chiroti sujee in it on low flame. Just warm it up for about 5 minutes in such a way that you get a pleasant aroma stiring continuously, but do not burn it or let the color change.

2. Place a skillet with 3-4 teaspoons of cooking oil in it on medium flame. When heated add mustard seeds to it. When it sputters add curry leaves, chilli powder, Dhania-Jeera powder, Turmeric powder one after another. Stir it well and add chopped jaggery and tamarind and salt to it.

Seasoning in progress

3. Mix well and add the roasted sujee from step 1 to it and also add grated dry copra to it. On cooling mix it with your hands in such a way that you get a wonderful color and the mixture looks as below.

The stuffing mixture

Ingredients of the outer puri dough:

1. Maida – 2 cups

2. Chiroti sujee – 1/2 cup

3. Raw cooking oil – 5-6 teaspoons

4. Oil for frying -2-3 cups

Ingredients of the outer puri dough

4. Stir in both sujee, maida, salt in a bowl and add cooking oil to it and mix well. Slowly add water in steps and make a soft paliable dough. Pinch out the required quantity of the dough and roll it into a small disc on a thick plastic sheet dusting slightly in atta (if necessary) and place 2 teaspoons of filling from step 3 in it. Fold the edges and roll it again as shown in the image below. Repeat the same process for the remaining puri.

The dough, pinched out ball, roti with filling and the rolled roti

5. Place a skillet with 2-3 cups of cooking oil in it on medium flame. When heated just drop in the rolled and stuffed roti from step 4. It would fry and when done reverse it and fry till done. Just drop it in a colander with tissue paper in it to drain out extra oil if any.

Swollen Biscuit Roti

6. Enjoy hot either plain or with any sauce of your choice. Yummy I say !

Swollen, Yummy, Crispy Biscuit roti

How long it takes: 60 minutes

Number of rotis: 15-20 of above size

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Watermelon Dosa

July 1st, 2010 by User | No Comments | Filed in Indian Food

Watermelon which is a wonderful fruit loved by one and all not only quenches the thirst but is also filling. I have already put up the watermelon juice and today I would like to put up Dosa with the top red pulpy and juicy portion of the fruit. It tastes really yummy and is easy to prepare. Here it goes.

What you need to have:

1. Grated water melon – 2 cups

2. Sona masuri raw rice – 2 cups

3. Fresh grated coconut – 1/2 cup

4. Chopped jaggery – As per taste (i have added 1/2 cup)

5. Salt – to taste (i have added 1/8th spoon)

Fresh Water melon

Raw rice soaked in grated water melon

What you do with what you have:

1. Wash Sona Masuri rice and drain water. Wash and peal watermelon and just grate the upper red pulpy and juicy portion of the fruit. Soak washed sona masuri rice in it as shown in the image 2 for about 2 hours. If the juice is not sufficient to soak rice one can add normal water to it.

2. Grind soaked rice with fresh grated coconut in the grinder adding required quantity of water in steps to a very fine and thin consistency. Add required quantity of chopped jaggery and also a pinch of salt to it. Allow it to ferment overnight for around 8-10 hours. (Make the batter very thin adding around 3-4 glasses of extra water so that the batter should be a free fall from the spatula and on fermenting the next day it will be fine.)

Watermelon dosa dough

3. On fermenting the dough would be as shown in the image below.

Fermented Dosa batter

4. Place a dosa skillet on medium flame with a teaspoon of pure ghee on it. On melting pour a tablespoon of the dough on it. Close it with a lid.

Dosa batter being spread on the skillet

5. When closed with a lid dosa is done and one can see it being done fluffy and with a lot of holes on it.

Dosa being done

6. Serve hot with pure ghee and the chutney powder of your choice. Here is a choice of dry chutney powders if you please.

Ready to serve Watermelon dosa with pure ghee & chutney powder

Number of Dosas: 15

How long it takes: – 45 minutes (other than fermenting etc.,)

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Vegetable Pulav

July 1st, 2010 by User | No Comments | Filed in Indian Food

Whenever I think of this dish my mouth starts watering. Veg Pulav though a common dish at home and at functions, there seem to be so many variations of it. And many of them are equally good. Here is my version, give it a shot and leave your feedback. Leave a note if you have significant variations as well. Here meanwhile is a link to other one-pot meals/rice items.

What you need to have:

1. Basumati rice – 1 cup

2. Chopped carrots – 1/4 cup

3. Chopped French Beans – 1/3 cup

4. Green peas – 1/2 cup

5. Chopped florets – 1/2 cup

Washed and drained Basumati rice

Chopped variety of veggies

Ingredients of Seasoning:

1. Chopped onions – 1 and 1/2 cups

2. Cumin seeds – 1 Teaspoon

3. Turmeric powder – 1 Teaspoon

4. Garam masala powder – 1 Teaspoon

5.Cashew – A handful

6. Resins – A handful

Ingredients of Seasoning

What you do with what you have:

1. Wash and drain water from basumati rice and keep it aside as shown in image 1.

2. Wash and chop all the veggies and keep it aside seperately as shown in image 2. Also wash, peal and chop onions lengthwise and keep it aside as shown in image 3.

3. Place a cooker with 2 tablespoons of cooking oil/ghee on medium flame. When heated add cumin seeds to it. When it sputters add cashews and resins to it. When fried add chopped onions from step 2 to it and also add salt to it so that onions do not get burnt. When done add turmeric powder, garam masala powder to it and stir well.

Ingredients of Wet Masala:

1. Onion(medium) – 1

2. Fresh grated coconut – 2 Tablespoons

3. Garlic pods – 5-6

4. Chopped coriander leaves – A handful

5. Tomato(medium) -1

6. Green chillies – As per taste( i have used 4-5)

7. Ginger – 1/2 ” piece

8. Poppy seeds – 1 /2 Teaspoon

Ingredients of Wet Masala

4. Grind the above ingredients of wet masala in the mixer adding required quantity of water in steps to a fine consistency. The ground masala is as shown in the image below. All ingredients of the masala should be ground raw only.

Ground Wet Masala

5. Now add Basumati rice from step 1 to the seasoning in the cooker in step 4 and just stir for a while. Add also the chopped vegies from step 2 to it and also mix well.

6. Finally add ground wet masala from step 5 to it and mix till it is mixed well on a medium-low flame. Add required quantity of water and check for salt and close the lid of the cooker with the weight placed. When done enjoy warm with the salad of your choice.

Ready to serve Veg-pulav with salad

Number of servings: 5-6

How long it takes: 1 hour

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Cashew Fruit Juice

July 1st, 2010 by User | No Comments | Filed in Indian Food

Cashew need no introduction although they are more common as cashew nuts rather than the fruit itself. Though it is available in plenty here in general, this year was an exception with a rather poor crop. The juice though tastes great, is simple enough to prepare and whats more even gives you a sound sleep !

What you need to have:

1. Cashew fruit -2

2. Salt – To taste

3. White pepper powder – A pinch (for 1 cup)

Fresh cashew fruit

What you do with what you have:

1. Wash and cut cashew fruit into bite size pieces and put it into the mixer bowl. Run the mixer/blender adding water in steps to a fine consistency.

2. Strain the juice and pour it into a glass and add required quantity of salt to taste and a pinch of white pepper. Serve chill. Very yummy, though simple.

Fresh Cashew fruit juice

Number of cups: 2 if the fruit is juicy

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Kuvale Khadi (Ash Gourd Burfi)

July 1st, 2010 by User | No Comments | Filed in Indian Food

Ash gourd/Winter melon/Kumbalkayi and Kuvale. We prepare a lot of dishes like Kuvale Sasam, Ash Gourd Coconut gravy, Juice, Puli which I have already put up and burfi which is what I am putting up here. This sweet is one of the most popular wedding snacks in my part of the world. Its also available in almost all the sweet stalls in and around Mangalore/Manipal though not quite so in other places. Its a bit time consuming to prepare and if you have the time, I tell its worth it.

What you need to have:

1. Grated Ash gourd – 3 cups

2. Sugar – 1 and 1/2 cups

3. Pure ghee – 2 Tablespoons

4. Grated dry fruits – A handful (i have added cashew & pista)

5. Turmeric powder – 1 Teaspoon

Grated Ash gourd

What you do with what you have:

1. Wash, peal and grate ash gourd and keep it aside. Squeeze it and keep the juice aside. Run the grated gourd in the mixer/blender to grind it to a smooth consistency. Transfer the ground ash gourd to a skillet with its juice and put it on medium flame and keep stiring adjusting the flame.

Ground Ash gourd being cooked

2. Cook it on the flame till all the juice evaporates. Measure the cooked gourd and normally it will be about half the quantity of the original grated Ash gourd in volume. (1 and 1/2 cups ).

Cooked gourd being solidified

3. Add 1 and 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder , 2-3 teaspoons of pure ghee and place it on medium flame again.

Ash gourd pulp being cooked with sugar

4. Cook it adjusting the flame and add grated dry fruits to it. Add ghee as well in between and cook till it leaves the side of the skillet.

Cooked Ash gourd burfi mix

5. Grease a tray with pure ghee and spread the mix on it. Flatten it and cut it into required shape and size.

Ash gourd Burfi being cut into pieces

A closer view of Ash gourd Burfi

How long it takes: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Number of Burfi pieces: 25

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