Wish you all a very HAPPY NAGA PANCHAMI

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi all,

Naga Panchami is a very big festival in North Karnataka specially for women. Main food for this festival is to make varieties of Laddoos (we call "oondi" in Kannada). We prepare laddoos of peanut, sev, til, besan, rava, dalia powder and Jaggery. Enjoy the laddoos in the photo. I am going to have it now!!!!

WISHING ALL OF YOU A VERY HAPPY NAGA PANCHAMI

ಎಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ನಾಗ ಪಂಚಮಿಯ ಶುಭಾಶಯಗಳು

Keep smiling,

Puffed Rice masala(ಚುರುಮರಿ ಸುಸಲಾ )

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

In North Karnataka, Puffed rice or kurmura is very common. One can find it in every one's house. Now also, people with big jute bag come home to sell it. Every week they come shouting "churumarieeeeee", and we will be waiting with the big tin.

It is prepared in many ways and served with evening tea. It is always ready snack in any season. It accompanies many side snacks and sweets. I call it Apathbandhava (as it saves me when I have unexpected guests in the evening). In North Karnataka, we make a dish called Girmitt from this, and it is very famous. You will get it on the road side tea stalls with hot fried Mirchi( Green chilly bhaji). But be careful, if you are eating on the road side, as it is not good for health.

Here is the recipe,

(In Kannada,we call it as Churumari susala(ಚುರುಮರಿ ಸುಸಲಾ )).

Puffed rice(Kurmura) - 1 big bowl

Onion - 1 big chopped

Curry leaves - 1 line

Green chilly - 2 to 3 chopped

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Jeera - 1tsp

Peanut - 10 to 15(optional)

Oil - 1/4 cup or less if you are health conscious

Lime juice - 1 tbsp

Sugar - 1 tsp

Haldi - a pinch

Dalia (coarse) powder(roasted split Channa) - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Fresh coriander chopped - handful

Soak the puffed rice in water for few minutes. Remove it by squeezing the water and transfer in to a plate.

Heat the oil in kadai, add mustard seeds, when they start popping, add jeera and peanuts. When peanuts are little brown add curry leaves, onion and green chilly. Cook it till onion is brown. Off the heat. Add Salt, haldi and sugar. Finally add dalia powder and mix it properly. Wait till it is warm and add soaked puffed rice. Garnish with fresh coriander.

Puffed rice masala is ready to serve with banana, onion pakora, murukku(Chakli), or any dry sweet.

A perfect evening snack with a hot cup of tea.

Keep smiling,

Instant coconut halwa

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
Hi all,

As I told before, I am always ready for sweet. After meals, I must have some sweet. So this one is the quickest sweet I can make and I love to sit and eat very slowly, enjoying each bite. Here is the recipe,
Fresh grated coconut - 1 cup
Jaggery crushed or powdered - 3/4 cup
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
nutmeg powder - 1/4 tsp(optional, but defintely gives unique taste)
Mix altogether nicely, and keep in microwave oven for 1 minute. Take it out, mix again and keep in oven again for two more minutes.
Coconut halwa is ready to eat.

I am sending this one to Mahima's(http://spicesetc.blogspot.com/) event ,
http://spicesetc.blogspot.com/2009/04/15-minute-cooking-spieces-etc.html

This sweet is going to PJ's Let's Go Nuts! - Event Announcement (for the month of July 09) which is the brain child of Aqua.

Keep smiling,

Haryanvi Thali

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi all,

When I came to know about the event Tried and tasted hosted by Ahwini of (ashwini-spicycuisine.blogspot.com) and which is a brain child of Zlamuska's spicy kitchen, I was excited to know whom we have to follow this time.

And I entered Asha's Foodie's Hope blog. Asha is really talented, creative and deserves so many awards she got on her blog. I was confused what to cook as there are many dishes. Then I went through her RCI event. I was fascinated by all the yummy pictures. I was feeling as if I am in a place where thali's of all the states are available to eat now.

Planning to cook all the dishes very soon, I thought let me start with Haryanvi food. So here is the Thali ready for you all. And I was 100% true to her original recipe. I did not prepare Besan pinni, as I was short of pista.

Check her blog for the recipe to make the Haryanvi thali ready. Here is the link;

http://foodieshope.blogspot.com/2009/02/haryanvi-cuisine-pakodi-di-kadhi-jeera.html

I prepared, Mooli paratha, carrot-ginger pickle, Besan kadhi with pakodi, Aloo Raita and Jeera rice.

I hope you will like it! the way I prepared and arranged in a thali.

And this is going to

Ashwini's Announcing Tried and Tasted event!!!!

Keep smiling,

Green moong chutney

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi all,

Here is the recipe from my cousin Veena, who got married and settled in Sagar. Sagar comes in Shimoga district. The world famous Jog Falls is also in Sagar.

After she got married and went to inlaw's house, she learnt all the customs, the traditional food of Sagar.

It is almost 10 years we did not get time to sit with each other and chat for at least 10 minutes(We were always together before her marriage) and we met only twice in these 10 years!!

Now I do call her once a week and talk. She has promised me, that she will give me recipes of Sagar. So whenever she gives me the recipe I will make at home, and post it here.

Now is the time for this chutney, which is very easy and tasty.

Here is the recipe,

Whole green gram or split green gram - 1 cup

(she told me to use whole green gram, but I used the split one.)

You can use brown chana or kala chana also to make this chutney.

Fresh coconut - 1/4 cup or lesser

Green chilly - 3 to 4

Jaggery - 1 tbsp

Tamarind - 1 tbsp

Garlic - 1 bulb(Small)

Salt to taste

Water to make chutney

(Optional

Curds - as per requirement

Onion - as per taste)

Roast the moong till nice aroma comes, stirring all the time. Let it be cool.

Mix all the ingredients and grind it coarse paste or fine paste.

If you are using whole moong, then grind the roasted moong first 2 rounds, then add other ingredients to it and make it chutney.

The chutney is ready to serve with Akki roti(rice flour rotti),Thali peeth, chapati or dosa or rice.

If you like you can add little curds and chopped onion. It tastes good with akki roti and thali peeth.

I am sending this recipe to

Priya's Spill the beans - Sunday snacks

And my one more dish also is prepared with 14 pulses which is perfect for her event.(http://niveditaskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/06/14-mixed-pulses-gravy.html#links)

Hope you all enjoy the chutney!!

Keep smiling,

Fogotten Indian games!!!!!!!!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi all,

I wanted to write about this last month only. But some how it went out of mind!! Now suddenly I remembered and thought let me share with you.

In the child hood, we used to stay in a chawl. (Many houses together in a big compound, or one big lane having houses built either side of the road.) I had many friends and there was no one to stop us playing the whole day during summer vacations. We used to play many games, which are totally disappeared now a days. Lagori, Halpi, Vattappa, sarbadgi, muttata, hide and seek(stop), kabaddi, gilli dandu, aali guli mani, kuntata, bali churu(broken banlgles), Chakka vacchi, playing house house game with kitchen set and dolls, kalla police(thief and police), dum sharara, goli, writing our own script and playing the dramas.(I do not know the English names for the games, sorry!! These all are Kannada names!) I still do not remember many games.

That included, stealing pickles from the kitchen and then sharing and eating.

Collecting the ingredients for making Chigali(made up of fresh tamarind, jaggery, chilly powder, lime leaves, salt and few more!!). Then making small balls of chigali, sharing and enjoying the spicy, tangy, lemony and salty taste.

Preparing mehandi at home and applying in the evenings.

And not to forget, educational games, like writing names of four things from same alphabet, memory game, Antakshari!!!

Just a thought came in my mind!! Why we can not post all old games one by one, trying to explain it with photo(if possible) !!!

Any one to join me????

I will try to post the games one by one or any one wants to host the event and name it "Forgotten games"

Let me know!!!

Keep smiling

5 flour dosa for kids

Tried and tasted by Nivedita





Hi All,
Toddlers are very particular about eating. We have to do so many tricks to feed them healthy food. I always try to mix and match alot of healthy ingredients to prepare a recipe to give my children.
This five flour dosa is very common recipe, but I am giving this to both my kids from the age of nine months. And they both eat without any problem and its the quickest and healthiest recipe to make as per me. I am giving qty in TBSP measurement, as I make only for them.
Here is the recipe:
Wheat flour - 5 tbsp
Soya flour - 3 tbsp
Maida(All purpose flour) - 2 tbsp
Rice Flour - 3 tbsp
Gram flour - 2 tbsp
Curds - 2tbsp
Salt as per taste
Jeera - 1 tsp
Hing - 1tsp
Onion - 1 small chopped(1 tbsp for each dosa)
Cucumber - 1 small grated(1 tbsp for each dosa)Carrot - 1 small grated(1 tbsp for each dosa)
Fresh coconut - 1 tbsp for each dosa
Fresh coriander to garnish
It looks like so many ingredients, but all are easily avialable at home.
Mix all the flours with curds,salt,jeera powder and hing. Bring it to dosa atta consistancy. Keep it for five minutes aside.
Heat tawa, spread a small puri size portion of atta on tawa. First spread coconut,then onion,cucumber,carrot and coriander.THIS SHOULD BE VERY FAST. Leave oil on the sides, afte a minute turn it and cook other side also.
Serve hot with ghee.
If you have a big kid, you can spread large size atta on tawa and spread all the grated vegetables and prepare large dosa.
My younger daughter gets attracted to small dosas as it looks colourful and she tries to eat herself.
I am sending this recipe to PJ's Tasty Bites For Toddlers.Thanks PJ for encouraging me to take out time and post the recipe.

This recipe is going into Padma's

Announcing my first event "DosaCorner".

Keep smiling,

Tomato Dosa

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All

Now a days, as I am at home, and getting chance to watch TV, I am watching some cookery shows. My mother watches all the cookery shows, and writes down the recipes. She tries most of the recipes also. Now I have joined her!!!

Yesterday, we were watching one show in Kannada channel, and she prepared tomato dosa, which was different from other normal dosa(I felt it!!) And in my mind, came the event hosted by Padma. So I am preparing the same for her event.

Here is the recipe:

Raw rice - 2 cup

Urad dal - 1 cup

Tomato - 2 big, chopped

Red dry chilly - 2

Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp

Jeera - 1tsp

Salt to taste

Oil to make dosas

(The guest garnished the dosa with few ingredients. But it is optional and according to your taste and time)

For garnishing,

Onion -1 chopped finely

Carrot - 1 grated

Coriander - chopped

Green chilly - 1 chopped

Soak the rice and urad dal for 4 to 6 hours. Before grinding, wash both and add other ingredients except oil. Keep it over night or 8 hours.

Heat tava, spread the batter to make thin dosa. Spread the garnishing ingredients if you like. Let it roast. Add little oil. Remove it and serve hot.

I am sending this to Padma's

Announcing my first event "DosaCorner".

Keep smiling

Karela fry salad(Bitter gourd salad)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Bitter gourd or karela or (ಹಾಗಲ ಕಾಯಿ) is a vegetable, I can eat any time, with anything.

I love to experiment with bitter gourd, as I like it. I have tried making chutneys, pickles, stir fries, simple gravies. I will try to post the recipes in the future.

Now, here is the salad, which I love to eat any time with anything or just like that.

Bitter gourd - 2 to 3

Onion - 1 medium

Tomato - 1 big

Lime juice - 2 to 3 tbsp

Chilly powder - 1 tbsp or as per taste

Salt to taste

Sugar 1/2 tsp

Oil - 3 tbsp

Fresh coriander or Parsley(or both) - 1 handful chopped

(General tip to wash the bitter gourd to remove its bitterness

Wash the bitter gourd. Without peeling the skin, cut in to half length wise. Remove the seeds and apply salt both sides and keep for half an hour. Clean with water 2 times. The bitter gourd is ready to cook.)

(If you do not have time to keep it with salt, you can just peel the skin and wash it with saltwater.)

Cut the bitter gourd in to thin slices. Heat oil in kadai, add the cut slices and fry till brown. Keep on stirring other wise it will get burn. Before serving mix all other ingredients in a bowl. Add the fried bitter gourd at the end, mix it well and serve as a side dish.

Keep smiling,