Steamed Sweet Dumplings(ಕುಚ್ಚಿದ ಕಡಬು)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

We prepare Til ka Laddoo, Sev Laddoo, Dalia powder laddu, Peanut laddu for Naga Panchami. With these, there are two more preparations which we make on that day. One is Steamed Sweet dumplings and other is the Sorghum pop corns.

These two are must for Neivadyam.

Giving the recipe for Sweet dumplings.

These dumplings are usually fried in the oil during other ocassions. But, as there is custom on Naga panchami, not to fry anything, we steam it or boil in the water.(Please do not ask for the reason, even I do not know, but still follow, as I will get yummy dumplings to enjoy with ghee and yellow gram pachadi or salad.

For Dumplings cover :

Wheat flour - 1 cup

or 

Maida or APF - cup

(choice is yours, but for health reasons, I used wheat flour(against my mother's wishes), and the taste was good).

Salt - a pinch

Water to make dough.

Take flour and salt in a big bowl or plate. Add water to make soft dough. Keep it covered for half an hour.

For Stuffing:

Chana dal - 1 cup 

Jaggery - 1 cup, grated or powdered

Cardamom Powder - 1tsp

Nutmeg powder - 1/4 tsp

Cashew nuts and almonds - 1 tbsp chopped(optional)

Salt -  a pinch

Water - 3 cup to boil the chana. 

Milk and rice paste(3:1) - 1/2 cup

Soak chana dal for half an hour.  Keep water to boil in a thick bottomed vessel and add the chana when water is hot. Boil it till the dal is soft and cooked. Keep on stirring in between or else it will be burnt.

Remove the water and keep it aside. You can use the water to make a tasty curry.

Transfer the chana in to the same vessel with jaggery. Mix well.Add salt. Keep on low flame and boil it till both get mixed well. Add cardamom powder and nutmeg powder. Take it from the heat. Allow it to cool.

Once cold, put in a mixie or blender and make into fine paste(WITHOUT ADDING WATER).

Add chopped cashew nuts and almonds.

Now, divide the dough into lime size equal balls. 

Roll into a palm size oval shape. 

Take one tbsp of chana and jaggery paste. Keep in the middle of the rolled puri.

Fold it and close it by applying milk and rice paste to the sides.

Repeat with remaining dough.

Now, there are two ways to boil or steam it.

First one is,

Take big and wide opened vessel. Add water into it.

When it starts boiling, add these dumplings and boil for few minutes.

Remove and keep on a clean white cloth to remove the water.

OR

The best way is,

Keep the dumplings in a cooker vessel.

Cover and steam it without whistle for 10 minutes.

Remove and serve hot with lot of ghee and yellow moong dal pachadi.

I will be posting the popcorn recipe soon.

Keep Smiling,

Ajwain flavored flat bread(ಖಾರಾ ಚಪಾತಿ)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Are you all wondering what has happened to me? I am going on posting the recipes like as if its end of  my life!!

No, two days left for many events to end, and I want to participate in every event.

Now its time for some Indian flat bread , guessed the event? Check it at the end!

Ajwain is a seed which has strong odor and used in very little quantity. Its very good for indigestion. I used to eat or chew the ajwain and blow it into my kid's naval when ever they had indigestion problem or stomach pain!It works.

Read more  here about Ajwain which is commonly known as carrom seeds also.

Now coming to my recipe, this was common breakfast when we were young! Mom used make it often, but most of the times she used to fry it in hot oil and store it for evening tea or while travelling.

Being a health conscious person I make only chapatis and eat. My elder daughter loves it.

Ingredients :

Wheat flour - 2 cups

Whole grain flour - 1/2 cup(if available)

Gram flour - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder a pinch

Red chilly powder - 1 to 2 tsp

Ajwain seeds - 1tsp, crushed

Oil - 1 tbsp

Water to make dough

Oil to roast chapatis

Ghee to spread on chapatis

Take all the ingredients except water in a big bowl or plate. Add water to make smooth dough.

Keep the dough for half an hour.

Divide the dough in to small balls.

Roll into desired size with medium thickness.

Roast the chapatis both the sides.

Remove and spread 1 tsp of  ghee. It keeps the chapati soft. And good for kids.

Repeat with other dough.

Perfect for lunch box for kids.

Sending this to 

Announcing Global Kadai - Indian flavoured flatbreads ! by Sandhya of Sandhya's Kitchen

Providing the link back to Cilantro's page as per the rule.

AND

Pari's 'Only' Kids Delight

Keep Smiling,

Avare kalu (Surti paapdi ) Pallye

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Being a seasonal vegetable, it tastes great after waiting for many months. I have already written more about this in my last post Avare kalu sambhar(Surti papdi sambhar) and Counti...  

Here is the recipe for Dry sabji.

Directly coming to the recipe,

Ingredients :

Surti paapdi or avare kalu - 1 cup, clean, wash and give one boil to make it tender.

Onion - 1 big, cleaned and chopped

Oil - 1tbsp

Curry leaves - few

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Gurellu Chutney(Niger seeds,ಗುರೆಳ್ಳು) powder - 1 tsp(optional, I used here, because its very common in my house)

Salt to taste

Tamarind paste - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder

Fresh coconut grated - 1 tbsp(optional, I did not put)

Fresh coriander to garnish

Method:

Heat  oil in a kadai. 

Add cumin seeds and curry leaves.

Add onion and fry till it changes its color.

Add salt, tamarind paste, turmeric powder and gurellu powder. Fry for a minute.

Add boiled papdi and coconut. Mix well. Adjust the seasoning. Cook for a minute. 

Its ready to eat.

Sending this to 

Siri's My Legume Love Affair (MLLA) # 25 - an event annoucement and linking this to  Susan's main MLLA host line up 

Keep Smiling,

Broken wheat(or thick rava) and jaggery Halwa (ಸಜ್ಜಕಾ )

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

One more healthy  halwa from my land, North Karnataka. 

In North Karnataka, Jowar(Sorghum) rotti is a must food in villages. Women make more than 50 rottis each day and its a tiresome job. So, the new moon day or Amavasye is like a festival for them. As there will be more work like special pujas for vehicles, cows, buffaloes, tractors, rotti is skipped from their menu. Instead, they prepare only rice, rasam and this sweet, Broken wheat halwa.It is called as Sajjaka in Kannada. It is prepared using rava or thick semolina, usually smaller in size than bulgur. 

Ingredients :

Broken wheat or rava : 1 cup

Jaggery - 1 1/2 cup, grated or powdered

Ghee - 1/4 cup + 2 tsp

Nut Meg powder - 1tsp

Salt a pinch

Water - 3 cups or more to cook the rava.

Mixed nuts - 1 tbsp

Method :

Fry the rava with 2 tsp of ghee till you get the aroma

Keep water to boil.

Once it starts boiling, add the rava. Cook it for a minute. 

Add jaggery and keep on stirring for a minute

Now add salt and cook till the rava is cooked. 

Heat the ghee in a separate kadai. Fry the nuts.

Add ghee and nuts together to the boiling rava. Cook till it starts leaving the edges. 

Transfer it into a bowl and serve it with pickle and paapad. 

This can be used to make polis, called as sajjakada holige.

This is going to my event  

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT - CELEBRATE SWEETS~HALWA!!!!!

Keep Smiling,

Capsicum Masala(ಡೊಣ್ಣ ಮೆಣಸಿನ ಕಾಯಿ ಪಲ್ಯೆ )

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

I have a starting problem!!! I take more than half an hour before I start typing here. Once I start, it goes without break. I know I am not a very good writer and my vocabulary ends only with kitchen or cooking words!! Still I take a lot of time to finish writing one post!! 

Here is one more recipe from North Karnataka. Capsicum or bell peppers or chili pepper call it by any name. It is an universal vegetable and is used in many preparations all over the world. I like the colors of bell peppers, green, yellow, red, purple.. and the shapes : long, short, fat, thin, tiny, big....The big one are not very tasty like the small varieties.

But I like the variety we get in our places. We call these as "Donna Menasinakai" These capsicum are very small in size and have wonderful curved surface. And very very spicy. If you are used to eat spicy food then you will enjoy it. 

The recipe I am giving is an usual way prepared in North Karnataka. It is easy and fast to make. 

Small capsicum - 8 to 10, wash and cut into small or medium cubes.

Oil - 1 tbsp to fry the capsicum 

Onion - 1 big, washed, peeled and cubed

Tamarind paste - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Jaggery - 2 tsp

Turmeric - pinch

Oil - 1 tsp

Jeera or cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Gurellu (Niger seeds) powder - 1 tsp(recipe here), No problem if you do not have. Use dry coconut powder. The taste will definitely differ but that also tastes good.

Fresh Coriander - 1 tbsp, chopped

Water - 1/2 cup

Fry the capsicum cubes in a oil till they change the color. Be careful to keep the kids far as the smell is very strong. It makes you cough.

Add oil in a kadai. When hot, add jeera, curry leaves and onion. Fry till the onion turns brown. Now add salt, jaggery, tamarind paste, gurellu powder and Turmeric powder. Mix well and add the fried capsicum cubes.  Mix well again. Add water. Cover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning. Garnish with Fresh coriander.

It goes well with Jowar rotti or chapati. 

Again reminding, it is very spicy to eat.

Keep Smiling,

Baingan ka Bharta(brinjal chutney)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Brinjal is the main vegetable used in North Karnataka. Brinjal and Onion sabji is a must in every marriage in few communities in Hubli and Dharawad.

Brijnal is known as zero life vegetable also. Many people do not like the taste of brinjal! But, as usual I love this vegetable also. And I love the most in brinjal preparation is this Baingan bharta.

I know two methods to make this one. This time I am giving you the method that is used in North Karnataka. One more is Punjabi style which has its own flavor and method.

Coming to the recipe,

Ingredients used are,

Brinjal - 1 big

Green chilly - 1 or 2

Onion - 1 medium, chopped in to fine cubes

Garlic - 2 flakes(optional)

Fresh coriander - handful

Salt to taste

Lime juice - 1 tbsp

Wash and wipe the brinjal. Prick to make holes all the over. Brush it with oil and roast it on a flame or in a microwave. When cold, keep in water for few minutes. Peel the skin and take the flesh out carefully, Avoid the skin as it tastes bitter.

Roast the green chilly and garlic(if using) Grind  it to make a coarse paste. or you can use  pestle, it gives better taste,

Now, add the roasted brinjal and other ingredients. Again use pestle and mortar to mix all the masalas properly. Check and adjust the taste.

Baingan ka bharta is ready to eat with Jowar rotti or chapati. My dauguter loves it, if I spread it on chapati with curds and make the roll.

Bharta tastes great with Jowar rotti and curds.

Please bear with me and give me some time to post the recipes regularly.

Keep Smiling,

  

Vermicelli Kheer( (ಶ್ಯಾವಿಗೆ ಪಾಯಸ)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Vermicelli, used in Payasam, Idly, upma, halwa or burfi!! tastes great!! Vermicelli  payasam is my husband's favorite. He loves it hot and with lot of milk!!

A very easy and quickest sweet dish, for any unexpected happy occasion!! All  ingredients are easily available at home, no need to buy specially for this!

Ingredients for this,

Thin vermicelli - 1 cup, roasted with little ghee 

(Or we get roasted ready packet also in the market)

Water - 1 cup

Sugar - 3/4 cup

Milk - 1 cup

Ghee - 1 to 2 tbsp

Cardamom powder - 1/8th tsp

Dry fruits (Cashew nuts, almonds, Pista and raisins) - 1/4 cup

Milk powder or condensed milk - 1 tbsp

Roast the vermicelli in very slow heat with little ghee. Or if you have the roasted one keep it aside.

Heat ghee in a thick bottom kadai. Fry the dry fruits and remove it into a bowl. Add water in the same kadai and bring it to boil. Add vermicelli and boil it for a minute. Now add sugar and milk. Let it boil for 2 minutes. Check whether the vermicelli is cooked! If not, add some more water or milk. Add milk powder or condensed milk. After boiling it for half a minute add dry fruits and remove from the heat. 

Vermicelli kheer is ready to serve.

Sending this to Shama's  "Kheer Event"

                             

Keep Smiling,

Peanut Gujiya (ಶೇಂಗಾ ಕರ್ಚಿಕಾಯಿ)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Sweets!!! Deserts!!! I love sweets!!! I love to eat in any form!! I have written before also, if I do not get anything, I will have 1 tbsp Boost! 

Here is a sweet, which is usually prepared during Diwali. Gujiya or Karchikai is very common sweet in India. And the stuffing differs in each state and each region.

Mom always prepares the stuffing with, dry coconut, jaggery, dalia powder and cardamom powder. The one I have prepared was shown in a Kannada TV Show, which mom liked it so much and prepared it on Ugadi.

Giving you the recipe,

All purpose flour - 250 gm

Salt - 1/4 tsp

Milk - 2 tbsp

Oil - 1tbsp

Mix all with little water to make into soft dough, cover it with moist cloth. Keep it aside for an hour.

For stuffing,

Peanut - 1 cup, roasted. Remove the skin and clean it

Jaggery - 1 cup or less, depending on the sweetness of the jaggery

Dry Coconut, grated - 2 tbsp, roasted

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1/4 tsp

Oil to fry

                                 

First, dry grind the peanuts for one round to make it coarse powder. Then add the jaggery, cardamom powder and coconut. Grind it again to make smooth powder. Transfer it into a bowl and add salt, mix it nicely.

Divide all purpose flour in to equal small lemon size balls. Roll into oval shape of palm size. Take one tbsp of ready peanut powder mix and put it slowly in the middle of  rolled puri.  Close it to neatly and bind it with water to give gujia shape. Repeat with other balls. 

Heat the oil in a kadai. When its hot, keep it on medium flame and fry all the gujiyas in batches.

You can store it for a week or 10 days.

Keep smiling,

Thaali peeth! (Masala Rotti)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

One more traditional food of India. Yes! The name is different, but prepared all over India with available fresh vegetables or simply with onions.

It is a very common breakfast in North Karnataka and Maharashtra. We call it as thalipettu (ಥಾಲಿ ಪೆಟ್ಟು ) and in Maharashtra it is famous as Thali peeth. Sindhis call it Dhoda and is prepared only with jowar flour and onion.
 I think Kannada name is influenced by Marathi word. Thali means palm, pettu means beat. Basically it is prepared with bare hands by keeping the dough and pressing it in between the palms to make round and thick rottis. But, I prepare it keeping it on an aluminum foil and press it or roll it to make a thin thalipeeth. My mom always used clean white cotton cloth to make.

And few people directly press it to the tawa to spread it thin and big. Then they fry the thali peeths on medium flame with covered lid . These come out very crispy!

Thali peeth is the best healthy break fast! It is easy, quick and can be prepared with any available vegetables in the fridge. It makes your child eat all the vegetables and Jowar flour without their knowledge. Ohh! I always love this food. You can make thali peets with

ONION, CABBAGE, SPRING ONION, METHI LEAVES, SPINACH LEAVES, CUCUMBER, CARROT, RADISH, BOTTLE GOURD, ASH GOURD, the list goes on!!!

Basically, the flour used for thali peeth is Jowar flour. But you can add other flours in little quanitity, like, WHEAT FLOUR, RICE FLOUR, OATS POWDER, SOYA POWDER, GRAM FLOUR, SEMOLINA, MAIZE FLOUR.... again the list goes on. You can check the shelves in the kitchen, and make these with whatever is available.

So it is the most versatile and friendly and healthy breakfast which is always handy and saves you from worrying about the breakfast.

Here goes the ingredients :

Jowar flour - 1 cup

Rice flour - 2 tbsp

Any other flour of your choice - 1/4 cup

Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped

Green chilly - 2 chopped finely OR Red Chilly powder - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste 

Any vegetable or green leaves of your choice - 1 cup grated

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves - few, chopped

Water to make dough - 1/2 cup or more

Slowly keep on adding water and mix everything in a big bowl or plate to make medium hard (not very soft, nor very hard). Do not keep it for long time or else thali peeth will be torn.

Take the aluminium foil, cut into a square. Keep a bowl of water ready to spread on the foil before making thalipeeth. Sprinkle little water and oil on the foil. Take big lemon size of dough and make a round ball. Keep it on the foil and press slowly to give round shape to make thin rotis. Mean while, heat the tawa and sprinkle oil and put the pressed roti and fry it both the ways with little oil. 

If you want to make directly on tawa,

Take thick bottomed tawa, it should be cold. spread little oil and water on that. Take the ready dough and keep it in the center. Go on pressing it with little water on fingers and give round and thin shape. Make three hoes randomly on the roti to put oil. Cover it with lid and fry on medium flame. Fry it only on one side.

Serve with Butter or ghee or curds or coconut chutney.

Sending this to Suma's  on going event, JIHVA - Breakfast which is linked to Indira's Main announcement-JIHVA

Keep Smiling,

Stuffed brinjal masala(ಬದನೆಕಾಯಿ ಏಣ್ಣಗಾಯಿ), reposted for the event

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
Hi all
Reposting this recipe for the event. (click here for old link)

(As I was new to blogging and taking photos, the photo is not clear!!)

Very tasty and spicy vegetable masala which is perfect with Jowar rotti. This is a very common food in North Karnataka. And it is compulsory in the menu in marriages. Here is the regular recipe, what my mother makes, and even I follow the same.

Brinjal – 4 to 6 (small)

Onion – 1 big (finely chopped)

Curry leaves – 1 line, chopped

Tamarind paste – 2 tbsp (soak the tamarind in warm water for half an hour then squeeze the juice)

Fresh coriander – 2 tbsp

Gurellu chutney powder – 2 tbsp (Check the recipe here), If you don't have it, no problem, you can add crushed pea nut powder and dry coconut powder. event though taste differs, but that also tastes great.

Red chilly powder – 1tbsp

Jaggery powdered – 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Oil – 1 tsp

For stuffed brinjal

Oil – 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Jeera – 1 tsp

Slit the brinjal in the middle and keep in the water.

Fry chopped onion in a pan till slightly brown. Remove in a plate, add all other ingredients except oil and mix it nicely.

This masala is so tasty, that we used to finish it with chapatti or rotti, before it was stuffed in the brinjal.

Now remove the brinjal from water and stuff the ready masala.

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. After they start crackle, add jeera, and stuffed brinjal. Fry for one minute. Now add remaining masala and little water. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Stuffed brinjal masala(ಬದನೆಕಾಯಿ ಏಣ್ಣಗಾಯಿ) is ready to serve with hot rottis or chapattis.

Sending this to silpa of Anita' s Kitchen's event Vegetable Marathon:Event Announcement

Keep smiling,