Peanut Chikki

Peanut chikki is very simple, crunchy, tasty toffees.
When I was little, when we used to visit mysore palace, we used to  see vendors selling these strips of peanut chikkis, it used to be crunchy and tasty.
While going back home we used to buy a whole lot of them to enjoy later.
This is the sweet, which is enjoyed by all ages, up till today I have not heard a single person saying that he/she doesn't like chikkis.
My mil never misses out this on Krishna Jayanthi.

Ingredients:
Peanuts - 2 cups,
Jaggery - 11/2 -13/4 cups,
Ghee to grease the plate.

Method:
Fry the peanuts in thick bottomed kadai in medium flame.
Add a teaspoon of oil to fry, so later the skin of the peanuts comes out easily.
Take care to  roast evenly, by stirring continously.
The skin of the peanuts becomes dark, once the peanuts are well roasted.
Remove from heat and cool.
Remove the skin of the peanuts by rubbing between the hands.
Clean the peanuts and separate the peanuts from the husk skin very well.
Keep the de skinned peanuts aside.
In a thick bottomed kadai, add jaggery and 1/2 cup of water.
Allow to boil, once the jaggery dissolves completely and strain for impurities.
Bring the jaggery and water to boil again.
Allow the jaggery to boil until it forms ball consistency.
That is, keep a  bowl of water by your side while making the jaggery syrup.
Once the syrup starts to thicken, pour tiny drops of the syrup in water.
If it forms a stiff ball, without getting messed up, also when you take the ball in your hand from water, it should be a stiff ball.
This consistency is very important for crunchy chikkis.
At this stage add the syrup to peanuts and mix well.
Spread the mixture evenly on the greased plate and cut immediately into desired shapes.
Remove them once cooled and store in air tight containers.

Badam Puri

After a long time a post from my mil's corner.
My mil is very popular among friends and family for this sweet.
Everytime she makes it, it comes out perfect and yummy.
I still remember her making it hundreds and hundreds of them during Krishna Jayanthi, with such ease.
I used to simply savour and enjoy.
It took some time for me to master it. Now I make it perfect badam puris just like my mil.
My husband himself has certified it.

Ingredients:
Plain Flour/All Purpose Flour/Maida - 2 cups,
Salt a pinch.
Hot Oil - 11/2 tablespoon,
Oil to Fry.

For Syrup:
Sugar - 1/2 cup,
Water.

Method:
Mix plain flour, salt and hot oil
Take half the flour and add water to make a soft, stiff dough.
Knead the dough very well, say for at least for 10 minutes.
Heat sufficient oil in a kadai.
Take a small amount of dough and press to thin roundels.
Fold it to triangle shape  and seal it from all sides.
Put these triangles, one at a time in medium hot oil.
Immediately after putting the triangles into oil, press the triangles down tightly for couple of minutes.
This is to avoid the puffing or bloating up of puris.
Fry it until very light brown and crisp.
Repeat with the rest of the dough and keep ready.
Make sugar syrup once all the puris are fried and ready.
Now in broad pan add sugar and water, just to immerse the sugar.
Boil together, remove the impurities by adding a teaspoon of milk, while it starts to boil.
The syrup should be of sticky consistency. That is, when you take a drop of it and press between two fingers it should be sticky.
Remove from heat, cool for a couple of minutes.
Dip the puris both the sides in sugar syrup, while the syrup is still warm.
Put them away in a plate and allow to cool well and store in air tight containers.

Note:
The sugar syrup should be of sticky consistency only, if it crosses this stage, then when you dip the puris it becomes crystalised and doesn't taste good.
Make sure while frying the puris doesn't puff or bloat up, when you dip the puris in sugar syrup it becomes soggy.

Coconut Barfi/Kobbari Mithai

Barfis are the all time favourites and especially the coconut based barfi is very popular.
Somehow, being a south indian I have always love the coconut based sweets, even coconut biscuits.
This is one of my favourite barfis..not that I am a big fan of barfis.
I love the old traditional sweets of south india, mostly jaggery based.
Now coming to the recipe.

Ingredients:
Fresh/Frozen Grated Coconut - 4 cups(loosely packed),
Sugar - 2 cups,
Ghee - 1 tablespoon,
Cardamom Powder - 1/2 teaspoon,
1 teaspoon of ghee to grease the plate.

Method:
Grease a plate with ghee and keep aside.
Grate the coconut, grate only the white part, therefore do not grate to the core of the shell.
Just leave the last layer of coconut in the shell.
In a thick bottomed kadai, add sugar and water just to immerse sugar.
Boil both of them in medium heat.
Once it starts to boil pour, say about a tablespoon of mild to remove the impurities from the mixture.
The dirt would collect at the edges of the kadai, remove it from a spoon.
Allow the mixture to boil, until it comes to a single string consistency.
It means, when you take a drop of syrup between two finger and stretch, you can see it forming a thin string.
If it forms a single string then add the coconut.
Keep stirring the mixture, without leaving it for a minute.
After few minutes, say about 10-12 minute, you can see all the mixture coming together into  a single lump, without sticking to the pan.
Add a tablespoon of ghee and cardamom powder and transfer into greased plate.
Allow to cool for couple of minutes and cut into desired shapes, while still hot.
Once completely cooled, remove from plates and store in air tight containers.

Nipattu/Thattai

One more typical karnataka sanck, just like ring murukkus/kodubale.
The only difference is that, this are pressed into flat plates and flavoured with curry leaves and peanuts.
Yum Yum....typically savoured with evening coffee.
But no coconut is added. Again this is available in all condiment stores and popularly liked snack.

Ingredients:
Rice Flour - 2 cups,
Roasted Gram Powder - 1/2 cup,
Red Chilly Powder - 2 teaspoon,
Sesame seeds - 1 teaspoon(optional),
Peanuts - 1/2 cup crushed,
Curry Leaves - 20,
Asafoetida - a fat pinch,
Salt,
Hot Oil - 1 tablespoon,
Oil to fry.

Method:
Mix all the ingredients, except oil to fry.
Make sure that the oil added to the flour is right enough.
After mixing all the ingredients, if you can make a ball of the flour, then the consistency is right.
Or if the ball breaks, add a little more of oil and adjust the consistency.
Take a little flour at a time and mix with water to make a stiff dough.
Knead well ,as there are no cracks.
Heat oil.
Press the dough to equally sized, your palm sized roundels.
Deep fry in medium hot oil.
Turn the sides to ensure even cooking and fry until crisp.
Drain the excess oil on a tissue and serve with hot coffee.

Kodubale/Ring Murukku

I would credit this spicy snack to Karnataka..very yummy spicy snack..people enjoy this with their evening hot filter coffee. This is also made during festival season.  It best served with sweet kobbari mithai or coconut barfi. You could find this in all most all the condiment stores and most popularly savoured snack. It is one of my family's favourite too.

Ingredients:
Rice Flour - 2 cups,
Red Chilly Powder - 2 teaspoons,
Roasted Gram Powder - 1/2 cup,
Fresh/Frozen Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup,
Hot Oil - 1-11/2 tablespoon,
Asafoetida - a fat pinch,
Salt,
Oil to fry.

Method:
Mix all the ingredients, except the oil to fry.
Mix well and try make a ball of the flour.
If the flour holds into a ball, then it is right quantity of hot oil is added.
Or if it breaks, then it means that you need to add a little more of hot oil.
Once this consistency is reached, take a little amount of flour at a time.
Mix with water to a stiff dough.
Knead well so that there are no cracks in the dough.
Pinch a small amount of dough, roll into sticks and connect the ends to form rings.
Heat the oil. It should be medium hot.
Fry the rings until golden brown and crisp.
Keep turning the sides and fry evenly.
Remove and drain excess oil on a tissue paper and serve.
Enjoy with a hot cup of coffee.

Thenkuzhal

One more south indian snack varieties, made during krishna jayanthi and also during deewali, when we all do different kinds of snacks and savouries. This is a very easy, simple, tasty snack. No need to fry the rice and dals like other murukku varieties.

Ingredients:
Rice - 2 cups,
Urad dal - 1/2 cup,
Cumin - 2 teaspoon,
Salt,
Butter - 2 tablespoon softened,
Asafoetida - a fat pinch,
Oil to fry.

Method:
Mix rice and dal and flour mill to a fine powder(no need to fry the ingredients).
Add salt, asafoetida, cumin and butter to the flour.
Take a little amount of the flour at a time and mix with water to a stiff dough.
Knead the dough well, so that there are no cracks in the dough.
Put the thenkuzhal plate to the mould. Stuff the dough into the mould.
Press into thenkuzhal murukkus and fry in medium hot oil.
Keep turning occasionly and ensure even cooking in both sides.
Fry until lightly browned.
Remove and drain excess oil on a tissue and serve.
Repeat the procedure with remaining flour and enjoy.

Muchore-Murukku with Moong Dal

This is one snacks prepared during Krishna Janamashtami..
Very tasty just like urad dal murukkus, good even with evening tea.

Ingredients:
Rice - 1cup
Moong dal - 3 cups
Butter - 2 tablespoons(Softened),
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tspn,
Salt.
Oil for frying.

Method:
Prepare rice as it is given here.
Fry moong dal until it is lightly browned and emits nice aroma.
Mix both rice and dal and flour mill to fine powder.
Keep enough oil for frying.
Mix salt, softened butter, cardamom powder and mix well
The flour will form crumbles.
Take little flour at a time at a time and mix to a stiff dough.
Knead the dough well, so that there are no cracks in the dough.
Heat the oil. The oil should be medium hot.
Use 3 star murukku mould plate and prepare the mould.
Stuff the dough.
Press into murukkus and fry in oil until crisp.
Keep turning occasionaly to ensure even cooking both the sides.
Remove from oil, drain the excess oil and serve.
Repeat the same with rest of the flour.

Processing Rice Flour

Processing rice flour is the base for murukkus and also idiyappam/othu shavige.

There is a slight difference between murukku flour and idiyappam flour.

Method:

The quantity of rice always depends on the measurement you needed for murukkus.

Take raw rice(not basmati rice), wash it twice or thrice and remove all the dirt and stones if any.

Drain the water completely and spread on a white cloth like veti/panche in shade.

Never dry in hot sun.

When completely dried, 

For Idiyappam Flour, just give in to the flour mill and finely powder and store  in air tight containers and use whenever needed.

For Murukkus, When dried , take a thick bottomed pan in medium low heat, once fistful of rice at a time fry it , until you feel  the rice is just hot for your hands . Take care the rice should not change colour, this will affect the colour of the murukkus.

Continue this for rest of the rice.

Flour mill with rest of the ingredients you need to make murukkus and store in air tight containers.

Lunch Menu 13

Chapathi
White Peas Kurma South Indian Style
Bisibele Bath and Curd Rice
Chips

Boondi Chaat

My first post for chaats.
I love chaats so much and same with my hubby and sons.
At least once a week I make chaats for my son's craving for chaats.
But I wonder what took so long to post the chaats.
This boondi chaat is a easy, simple and made in jiffy.

Ingredients:
Boondi - 1 cup spicy masala variety,
Onion - 1 small finely chopped,
Tomato - 1 medium finely chopped,
Fresh Coriander - 1 tablespoon finely chopped,
Lemon juice - 1 tablespoon,
Green Chillies - 1 finely chopped,
Red Chilly Powder - 1/2 teaspoon,
Chat Masala Powder - 1/2 teaspoon,
Roasted Cumin Powder - 1/2 teaspoon,
Salt.

Method:
Mix all the ingredients and serve immediately.

Note:
You can omit green chillies if you want to, but the instant burst in the mouth makes it more tasty for me.
Adjust the dry spice powders, according to your taste.

Beetroot Pulao

The pulaos are the best for packed lunches and a one pot meal.
This can be made previous night to avoid all the hazzles in the morning rush.
My son loves all the pulao rice.
Though this is made with beetroot, trust me it doesn't taste sweet at all, in the final product, it tastes like any other pulao.
Beetroot has a lot of iron content and good for growing children and for the grown ups..Best of all, it is very tasty and suits all palate.
This pulao has very few ingredients and can be made in less than 1/2 hour and can served with any raita or even papad.

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice - 2 cups(washed and soaked for 20 minutes),
Oil - 11/2 tablespoons,
Bay Leaf - 2,
Onion - 1 large chopped,
Beetroot - 1 cup grated,
Tomatoes - 3 medium chopped,
Salt,
Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon
Water - 31/2 cups boiling,
Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 teaspoon,

To Grind:
Cinnamon - 2 inch peice,
Cloves - 5,
Cardamom - 1,
Saunf - 1 teaspoon,
Green Chillies - 6-8,
Coriander leaves - 1 sprig,
Mint leaves - 2 sprigs,
Ginger - 2 inch piece,
Garlic - 5 cloves.

Method:
Grind the ingredients under grinding table with water to a smooth paste and keep aside.
In a broad pan heat oil.
Add bay leaf and after few seconds, add onions.
Fry onions until translucent and add grated beetroot and fry.
When the beetroot starts to turn white(approximately after 3-4 minutes of frying). add tomatoes.
Fry tomatoes until cooked and mushy.
Add ground paste and fry for couple of minutes.
Add boiling water, salt, garam masala powder, and turmeric.
Stir well.
Drain water completely from rice and add to boiling water.
Cover and cook, until rice is completely cooked and fluffy.
Serve with Raita or Papad.

White Peas Kurma South Indian Style

Kurmas in South India are so very unique than the rest of kurmas made in India or other asian countries.

The main ingredient in most of the other kurmas is Coconut milk and very mild is taste and spice, in contrast, typical of south indian kurmas are spicy with spices and heat of chillies, fresh coconut is used instead of coconut milk, this kurma is made with white peas, kabuli chana or mixed vegetables.

It is a very good side dish with, idlis, dosas, chapathis, pooris  or even with biryani or pulao.

Ingredients:

White Peas - 2 cups(soaked overnight or 6-8 hours,

Oil - 1 tablespoon,

Bay Leaf - 1,

Star Anise - 1/2 of the a flower,

Onion - 1 large chopped,

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tablespoon,

Tomatoes - 3 Medium chopped,

Red Chilly Powder - 1 teaspoon,

Coriander Powder - 1 teaspoon,

Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon,

Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 teaspoon,

Chopped Coriander leaves - 1 tablespoon,

Lemon juice - Juice of 1 medium lemon,

Salt.

To Grind to Paste:

Fresh/Frozen Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup,

Cashews - 4-5,

Fennel Seeds - 1 teaspoon,

Poppy Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon,

Split Roasted Gram - 1 tablespoon,

Green Chillies - 2,

Cinnamon - 1 inch,

Cloves - 3,

Cardamom - 1.

Method:

Pressure cook the soaked peas in enough water with salt for 3-4 whistles.

Grind the Ingredients, under grinding table with water to smooth paste and keep aside.

In a broad pan, heat oil.

Add bay leaf and star anise.

Once the spices roasted, add chopped onions and fry until pink.

Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute.

Add chopped tomatoes and fry until tomatoes are cooked and mushy.

Add the dry spices, turmeric, red chilly powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder.

Fry for a minute. Adjust salt.

Add cooked peas with a cup of water.

Lower the heat and cook for 5 minutes.

Just before serving add lemon juice.

Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with poori, chapathi, idlis, dosas or even with pulao and biryani.

Note:

Instead of white peas, you can aslo use kabuli chana or mixed veggies.

You can use peas cooked water to adjust the thickness of the kurma.

Bisibele Bath and Curd Rice Classic Karnataka Combo

This is a classic kannadiga dish with curd rice, a perfect combo and a complete meal.
Savoured with fried papad, chips or sometimes even with raita.
It is one of my favourite dish since childhood, I am happy my kids and husband also love it.
It is a blend of spices, rice, toor dal and veggies.
Its perfect blend of all these and makes heavenly when had with a dash of ghee and fries.
I guess every region of India has something like this, a perfect, comfort combo.

Bisibele Bhat:
Ingredients:
Rice - 1 cup washed and soaked 20 minutes.
Toor Dal - 3/4 cup,
Tomatoes - 3 medium,
Veggies - 1 cup (beans, Carrot, potato, peas),
Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon,
Tamarind - 1 medium lemon (indian) sized soaked in warm water,
Jaggery - Small marble size,
Salt.

To Grind and Roast:
Oil - 2 teaspoons,
Chana Dal - 1 fistful,
Coriander Seeds - 1 fistful,
Urad Dal - 1/2 fistful,
Cumin - 1/2 teaspoon,
Cinnamon - 2 inch piece,
Cloves - 5,
Cardamom - 1,
Whole Dry Red Chillies - 5 Normal Spicy Red Chillies,
Whole Dry Kashmiri/Byadagi Red Chillies - 5,
Pepper - 1/2 teaspoon,
Poppy Seeds - 1 teaspoon,
Coconut - 1 cup grated.

To Temper:
Oil/Ghee - 1 tablespoon
Mustard - 2 teaspoons,
Asafoetida - a fat pinch,
Peanuts - 1/2 cup,
Curry leaves - 20.

Method:
Wash and cut vegetables into two inch cubes and cook with little water until just done.
If you are using dried peas, soak overnight and pressure cook with salt and keep aside.
Pressure cook toor dal, tomatoes and turmeric for 3-4 whistles. Once the steam cools down, Mash well and keep aside.
Roast all the ingredients under roast and grind table(except coconut), until the dals are browned and finally add coconut and fry for 30 seconds. Remove from heat, cool and grind to smooth paste with water.
Extract the tamarind juice.
In a large sauce pan, mix tamarind juice, veggies, salt, dal and jaggery and bring to boil.
Once the raw smell of the tamarind is evaporated and you get the nice aroma of the jaggery and tamarind, add ground paste and allow to boil for couple of minutes.
Add 2 cups of water. Allow to boil.
Drain water from the rice and add to the boiling mixture, and turn the heat to medium and cover and cook until the rice is completely cooked.
Keep stirring it occasionally, to avoid the rice and spice mixture getting burnt.
Lower the flame to low, once the rice is cooked 90%.
Once the rice is completely cooked , remove from heat and temper with the ingredients under tempering table and serve hot with ghee and fries.

Note:
If you find the boiling mixture is too thick, then you can add water as required.
The final dish should be of medium consistency, nor too thick or too thin.
If you want add onions to the dish,
Then if you are adding shallots, you can add while cooking the dal and tomato.
Or you can chop normal onion and add while tempering, once you have added curry leaves then you can chopped onion and fry until glossy and add to the rice.
You can add 2 medium sized onions or 50 grams of shallots(small onions).
Instead of peanuts, you can also add cashews.

Curd Rice:
Ingredients:
Rice - 1 cup cooked
Yogurt - 1cup,
Milk - 1/2 cup,
Salt,
Pomegranate - 1 tablespoon,
Grapes - Red or Green cut into halves 1 hand ful,
OR
Dried Grapes - 11/2 teaspoon soaked in hot water for 1/2 hour,
Grated Carrot - 1 Tablespoon,
Cucumber - De seeded and finely chopped 2 teaspoons,

To Temper:
Oil - 2 teaspoon,
Mustard - 1 teaspoon,
Asafoetida - a fat pinch,
Urad dal - 1/2 teaspoon,
Grated Ginger - 1/2 teaspoon,
Curry Leaves - 8-10,
Green Chillies - 2-4 finely chopped
Or Red Chillies - 2-3 broken,
Chopped Coriander - 1 Tablespoon.

Method:
Cook rice with enough water, tip is while cooking for curd rice, add 1/2 cup of milk to make the rice creamier.
Slightly over cook the rice and completely cool the rice.
Add yogurt and milk to the rice and mix well.
Adjust the consistency and taste, by adding more of milk or yogurt according to your taste.
Add salt.
Mix in pomegranate, grapes(is using soaked dried grapes, completely squeeze the water and then add to the rice), carrot, cucumber and mix gently.
Temper with ingredients under the tempering table, in the same order and add to curd rice and enjoy.

Note:
It is not compulsory to add all veggies and fruits that I have mentioned.
It is completely of your choice to add or delete any of them.
You can also completely omit fruit and veggies and make  dowith just tempering, even that tastes heavenly.

Lunch Menu 12

Rice
Tomato Rasam
Ridge Gourd/Peerkangai/Hirekaayi Poricha Kootu
Okra/Bhindi/Vendakkai/Bendekaayi Spicy Stir Fry
Spinach Palak Masiyal

Okra/Bhindi/Vendakkai/Bendekaayi Spicy Stir Fry

I love okra in anything, stuffed okra, okra raita, okra sambhar, okra stir fry, or in sweet tangy sauce or just fried, salt and spice powder sprinkled. Okra is very good to improve your memory. The only thing about okra is to remove the slime, which is again very easy and many different ways using less oil.
This particular stir fry is very tasty and goes well literally with anything like rice, chapathi or just to enjoy in a bowl.

Ingredients:
Oil - 1 tablespoon,
Mustard - 1 teaspoon,
Asafoetida - a pinch,
Curry leaves - 8-10,
Okra - 250 grams,
Sambhar powder - 2 Teaspoons,
Turmeric - 1/4 teaspoon,
Salt,
Coconut Grated - 11/2 tablespoons.

Method:
Wash okra and pat dry the okras with dry cloth very well.
Cut the okras into 1/2 inch slices.
In a broad pan, add oil.
Heat oil and add mustard and asafoetida.
Once mustard crackles, add curry leaves and fry for few seconds.
Add okra and fry in medium high flame, by constantly stirring.
Once the slime reduces, cover and cook for few more minutes until okra is cooked and slime is completely gone.
Add salt, turmeric and sambhar powder. Mix well.
Fry this for few minutes until everything is blended and smells heavenly.
Add grated coconut and remove from heat and serve.

Spinach /Palak Masiyal

Masiyal is a basic dish, which is eaten with kootu or even sambhar rice..just like I would say chutney.
Its a great side dish, which is simple with few ingredients and so very flavourful and dominantly of the spinach.

Ingredients:
Spinach - 2 large bunches,
Green Chillies - 2,
Salt.

To Temper:
Coconut oil - 1 teaspoon,
Mustard - 1/2 teaspoon,
Urad dal - teaspoon,
Red Chillies - 2.

Method:
Clean the Spinach with lot of water and remove dirt and sand.
Remove Stalks and pick the leaves.
Blanch Spinach leaves in hot water for a minute and remove from water.
Immediately drench in cold water, to retain the gorgeous green colour.
Squeeze the water completely from the spinach and grind with green chillies to fine paste(no need to add water while grinding).
Add Salt. Mix well.
Temper with the ingredients under the tempering table.
Enjoy with kootu sadam/rice or sambhar sadam/rice.
But I also like to mix it with hot rice and enjoy.
If you dont like coconut oil, you can use any oil normally you use.
But trust me coconut oil adds lots of flavour. Its worth a try.

Ridge Gourd/Peerkangai/Hirekayi Poricha Kootu

Kootu Varieties is one of my favourite south indian cuisine with hot rice...There are varities of kootus like this one I am posting here today..it is 'poricha' kootu...simply to mean that the spices added to this gravy is fried in little oil and ground with coconut..there are also varieties like milagu or pepper kootu, puli or tamarind kootu or pachai or hasi kootu(spices are ground with coconut without frying)...so on.
I will be posting each and every one of the variety whenever I get the opportunity with different vegetables and green leaf vegetables.

Ingredients:
Ridge gourd - 1 large sized,
Peanuts - 1/4 cup,
Moong Dal - 1 cup,
Salt,
Jaggery - 1 teaspoon,
Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon.

To Roast and Grind:
Oil - 2 teaspoons
Urad Dal - 2 teaspoons,
Coriander seeds - 1/2 teaspoon,
Red Chillies - 2,
Pepper Corns - 1 teaspoon,
Raw Rice - 1 teaspoon,
Asafoetida - a fat pinch,
Coconut - 1/2 cup.

For Tempering:
Oil - 1 teaspoon,
Mustard - 1 teaspoon,
Asafoetida - a pinch,
Urad Dal - 1 teaspoon,
Curry leaves - 12-15.

Method:
Pressure cook moong dal and peanuts with turmeric with enough water for 1-2 whistles.
Once the pressure comes down, open the lid and lightly mash the dal.
Peel skin of the ridge gourd and cut into two inch cubes.
Cook ridge gourd in, as little as water possible, with little salt, until just done and keep aside.
Do not throw away the ridge gourd water, you can use later to adjust the consistency or to grind the spices.
And also if the peel or skin of the ridge gourd is fresh you can use to make chutney.
Click here for the recipe.
Roast the ingredients under roasting and grinding table, with oil(except coconut), until the urad dal is browned. Add coconut and fry for few seconds. Remove from heat. Cool it and grind  to smooth paste with water.
Now bring the cooked ridge gourd,ground paste, salt and jaggery to boil.
Boil for 2 minutes and add cooked dal and adjust the consistency.
If the consistency is too thick add little water and allow to boil only for a minute.
Remove from heat.
Temper with ingredients under tempering table.
Serve with rice or chapathi.
It even goes well with curd rice.

Lunch menu 10

Rice
Cumin Rasam without Onion or Garlic
Curry Leaves Rice
Curd
Papad

Cumin Rasam without onion and garlic

My favourite rasam without onion and garlic for those days, when I want to cook only for myself, then I want make something quick and comfortable and have it with hot rice and papad.
After that I want to indulge in some of my favourite things, like baking or reading..or listening some soulful music or gardening, just be cozy..on top of it, if it is cloudy or raining...ooohhh such a bliss to be alone and enjoy some good and comforting food like this and indulge in something you die for..finally I may end up with some nice hot ginger tea.

Ingredients:
To Roast and Powder:
Oil - 1 teaspoon,
Cumin - 1 tablespoon,
Toor Dal - 2 teaspoons,
Coriander seeds - 1 teaspoon,
Pepper - 1 teaspoon,
Red Chillies - 2,
Asafoetida - a fat pinch.


Tamarind - a medium lemon size(Soaked in warm and extract the juice),
Salt,
Jaggery - small marble size.

To Temper:
Oil - 1 teaspoon,
Mustard - 1 teaspoon,
Curry leaves - 6-8 leaves.

Chopped Coriander Leaves for garnishing.

Method:
In oil, fry the ingredients under the roasting and grind table, until dal turns brown. Switch off heat.
Allow them to cool and powder.
In a medium saucepan, boil salt, tamarind extract and jaggery, until raw smell goes(about 3-5 minutes).
Add 2 cups of water to it and keep aside.
In a broad pan add oil and temper the ingredients under the tempering table in order.
Add ground powder and fry for 30 secs.
Add the boiled tamarind mixture.
Now take care not to boil the rasam, once it starts to foam up, switch off the heat and garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Banana Rasayana

This is a typical kannadiga banana sweet dish..Savoured on all occasions..even during fasting and 'vrat' days..I love this simple banana dish whenever I am homesick or missing any festivals back in India. Now that dasara is round the corner..what better occasion to enjoy this. Dasara makes me nostalgic..My mom used set 7 to 9 steps of traditional idols and dolls..collected from generations.
Inviting friends and family in the evening ...distributing different savouries like chakali, sweets and sundals/gugri..all nine days of festivities and wear pattu dress and enjoying....miss all those ..still lot more to enjoy with friends around

Ingredients:
Ripe Bananas - 5 sliced
Jaggery - 1/2 cup,
Ghee - 1 tablespoon,
Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup,
Cardamom powder - 1/2 teaspoon.

Method:
Slice the bananas and keep aside. You can sprinkle some lemon juice to avoid darkening.
Boil jaggery with a tablespoon of water until, jaggery is completely dissolved.
The whole purpose is to dissolve the jaggery.
Once jaggery is dissolved remove from heat and add ghee and grated coconut.
Add cardamom powder and allow to cool for a while.
Add sliced bananas and mix well.
Serve and enjoy.

lunch menu 9

Rice
Avarekai/Chaparada-avarekai Molagootal
Tomato Rasam
Beans Paruppu Usli
Papad
Yogurt

Vermicelli Pudding/Sheera/keasri bhat

This yummy vermicelli/semiya sheera/keasri, I tasted in one of my family celebrations...I just loved it and asked the caterer who was serving this, as he was our family caterer he was happy to explain me the procedure and measurements..this is different from how I make my kesar bhat.
Best part is can be made in less than 10 minutes and served..tastes heavenly.

Ingredients:
Fine or Thin Vermicelli/Semiya - 1 cup
Ghee - 3 tablespoon,
Water - 1/2 cup,
Sugar - 1/2 cup,
Food colour - a pinch orange
Cardamom Powder - 1/4 teaspoon,
Saffron - few strands(optional).

Method:
In a medium broad pan heat half the ghee and add vermicelli and fry in medium low flame, until the vermicelli is roasted to light brown.
Add water and cook until the vermicelli is cooked.
The vermicelli cooks very fast, say in two to three minutes.
Add sugar and stir well, the mixture turns watery.
Keep stirring, add food colour.
When you see the vermicelli is forming a lump, add remaining ghee.
Mix well and add cardamom powder and saffron. Remove from heat.
You can also fry 1 teaspoon of cashew and raisins in ghee and add to the mixture.
Enjoy.

Spinach Pesarattu

One of the best from the andhra cuisine..I love this with ginger chutney and groundnut chutney.
Basically this dosa is served with onion and tomato upma, wrapped inside the dosa or with chopped  onions and green chillies sprinkled on the dosa and cooked. The best part of this dish is, you dont have to wait for it to ferment..you grind it and rest it for one hour and pour dosas and enjoy.
Spinach pesarattu came to me as I was thinking to give my kids, who come home from school tired and need something more than a snack and also that among, lot of different dosas made like paneer dosa, vegetable dosa and so on..so I thought why not spinach in pesarattu..and tried it..but at the same time I didnt want to change it completely the taste of it so, tried this by adding blanched and pureed spinach into batter...to my joy it came out very well and kids loved it.
I have made a little change in proportion of rice and whole bengal gram. I have added half and half, because the spinach makes the dosas very soft, so increasing the proportion of rice will keep the dosas crisp. Normal pesarattu will have one whole bengal gram and 1/4 rice.

Ingredients:
Rice - 1 cup,
Whole Bengal Gram/Moong dal - 1/2 cup,
Green Chillies - 3-4,
Red Chillies - 2-3,
Ginger - 2 inches,
Spinach - 1/2 cup blanched and pureed,
Salt,
Few drops of oil.

Method:
Wash and soak rice and whole bengal gram together for 6-8 hours or over night.
Grind both together in a grinder or in mixer to a smooth paste with water.
The consistency should be that of the normal dosa batter.
Grind green chillies, red chillies and ginger.
Add the ground paste and spinach puree to the batter and rest it for 1 hour.
Add few drops of oil on hot tawa and spread the batter and cook like any other dosa.
You can sprinkle chopped onions and green chillies to the spread dosa and cook.
Alternatively you can traditionally serve with tomato onion upma wrapped inside the dosa.
Or just with any spicy chutney.

Note:
This dosa is packed with nutrients like fibre protein folic acid, its filling and healthy for both kids and children.
Don't add water to spinach while grinding.

After school snack

Sonny Boy comes from school on couple of weekdays after a tiring swimming session, so he needs something more than a snack. For those days I try something like this, spinach pesarattu, and ginger and green chillies chutney, to add up for that instant energy semia sheera.
Spinach and whole green gram is packed with fibre, iron and folic acid. Healthy and filling and low in calorie.
Spinach Pesarattu
Vermicelli/Semiya Pudding/Sheera/Keasri Bhat