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,

Ugadi - Day 2

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Ugadi is celebrated one day before also i.e  on New moon day(Amavasya)! That was yesterday, and I have already posted the food we prepared. And today is the main festival. Usually, Sevian payasam is prepared on this day. But as this is very common in our home, mom prepared the Peanut karchi kai. (The recipe will be posted in few days)And the main prasad will be the sweet called Bevu-Bella. The meaning of this is Bevu means neem leaves which is bitter in taste but good for health. And Bella means sweet. Today it is offered to the God, praying that our life should have both the experiences. We pray to God to give us strength to face equally, all good and bad things in our life.

Bevu Bella sweet is prepared with  Dalia dal, sugar, fresh neem flowers and dry fruits. 

Take equal parts of dalia(puthani) dal and sugar. Dry grind it to make powder. Mix the neem flowers and dry fruits.

Today, we got the first batch of raw mangoes from our trees. So offering the same to God as Neivedyam. 

I will be back with regular food.

And Thank you everyone for the wishes on my first day Ugadi post.

Keep smiling,

Happy Ugadi!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
Hi All,

 WISHING EVERYONE A VERY HAPPY UGADI

 ಎಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ಯುಗಾದಿ ಹಬ್ಬದ ಶುಭಾಶಯಗಳು 

Offered in Neivadyam,  the plate contains, PURAN POLI, BRINJAL AND ONION FRY, KOSUMBARI, RICE, CURDS AND GHEE.

The recipes will follow soon.

Keep smiling,

Apple Rasam!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

When Nithu announced her unique event! I kept on thinking about what you can prepare with fruits. I gave lot of work to my brain.

 I wanted to try something new, but was not sure what!! Then, last week, when my mother was eating this apple, after her first bite, she complained that the apple is very sour like tomato!! Ding!!!

 

I got an idea, to try  apple rasam and taste it! Yes, it turned out yummy.
But  I think I delayed in posting it, as Nithu has already posted "Apple Mor Kuzhambu / Apple Buttermilk Gravy". Even though the taste is totally different, I was thinking I will be the first one to do something with apple!! (so much pride or ego I do have no!!)

Anyways, Coming to the recipe,
Apple - 1
(take the juicy apple, so that when you grate it, you will get long thin apple threads.)
Tomato -1 small, chopped, jut to get the color
Curry leaves - few
Green chilly - 1
Garlic - 1 bulb, peeled and crushed
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Red chilly powder - 1 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Fresh coriander to garnish
Oil - 1 tbsp

Wash the apple, and grate it.

Heat the oil in a vessel. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and wait till they crackle. Add garlic and wait till brown. Now add curry leaves and green chilly and fry for a minute. Add chopped tomato and all the dry powders. Add grated apple and little water. Let it boil for a minute. Put some more water to suit the taste. Boil it for few minutes. The apple rasam is ready to serve. You will enjoy the apple taste while drinking.

Sending this to

"Think Beyond the Usual - Soup, Curry and Chutney with Fruits" event hosted by  Nithu's Kitchen

Keep Smiling,

Broken Bangles game(ಬಳೆಚೂರು ಆಟ) for Forgotten Indian Games

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
Hi All,

One more game for my event! This was also one of our favorite game. This does not need anything other than broken bangles and ground. This was the Girl's Game! but even boys used to enjoy it with us, as we girls enjoyed playing Goli aata( Marbles)! I have tried to explain it with pictures. 

And, and, as now a days, we do not allow children to go out and play in the mud, I have given a new way of playing it, with the help of pictures. 

I hope, after going through the details you will say, "hey yes, even I too played it!!!"

Come, lets play the game!

Collect the old bangles and cut in to pieces. We always used to take elder's help for this. 

Share the pieces into almost equal pieces in to two players.(even you can make 2 groups and allow one person to guess at one time)

Dig 3 holes in a soft ground, as shown in the photo.

First time, let one player go and stand in a place where she can not see the holes. And another player should hide all or few bangle pieces in any one hole and close all the three holes with loose mud.

Now, the other player which is hiding will come and it has to guess in which the bangles are hidden!!! If the guess is right then that group will get all the bangles and it will be repeated the other way round. If first player looses all the bangle pieces in first game only, either she should guess it right on her turn or she can hire few pieces from other player.

The game will continue till you wish or one player goes on loosing by wrong guessing. 

Now, when I think about this game, it won't look so interesting, but at that age, we have enjoyed it to the most.

Now, coming to this age, we can make our children play it without bangles and mud. My daughter enjoyed it when I played it with her.

I used the sand in an empty saree box and used my daughter's hair beads as bangle pieces!!!

Here are the photos :

This is going  to my event  Forgotten Indian games!! (Edited and re written), ... 

Keep Smiling,

Paratha and Egg Curry

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

My daughter's favorite food on weekend. When we were in UAE, we never missed to have Kerala parrotha with chicken curry from Malabar restaurant on weekends. It was a must food for all of us. But here I have replaced it with home made paratha and egg curry. My mother prepares very tasty and soft parathas. One can not beat the taste of original Kerala  Paratha, but adjustment is the life!!! :-). I still need to learn how to make the original Kerala or Malabar parathas.

To make parathas,

All purpose flour - 1 cup

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Water to make dough

Transfer the flour, salt and ghee into a plate or bowl. Go on adding little water to make very soft dough and keep it covered with moist cloth for an hour.

For Paratha filling,

Ghee or oil - 1 tsp for each paratha

Sesame seeds powdered - 1/2 tsp for each paratha

All purpose flour to dust the parathas.

Sesame seeds and fresh coriander to garnish the parathas.

(I wanted to take step by step photos to make  parathas. But, my friend had taken the camera. I am finding it difficult to describe it in words. Hope you will understand. When ever I prepare this again, I will make it sure to take pics and put it here.)

Divide the dough in to medium size balls. Take one ball, roll it to puri size. Spread the ghee or oil. Fold it round like a cylinder(sorry, I am not getting proper words) and then again like a ball. Roll it to puri again. Repeat the same step again.  Now spread the sesame  powder and roll it again. This is the final rolling. Now roll it in to a chapati size and roast it both the sides with little oil. Garnish with Sesame seeds and fresh coriander.

Parathas are ready to serve. Parathas tastes great only if you have them hot!

For Egg curry,

Eggs - 4 hard boiled

For masala

Onion - 1 big

Tomato - 1 big

Fresh or dry coconut - 2 tbsp

Ginger and garlic paste - 1 tsp

Fresh coriander - handful

Red chilly powder - 1 tbsp

Cardamom - 1

Cloves - 2

Cinammon - 1/2"

Star aniseed - 1 petal

Salt to taste

Poppy seeds - 1 tbsp

Tamarind - 1 tsp

 Put all the above ingredients to a blender and make into fine paste. Keep it aside.

To make curry

Oil - 2 tbsp

Onion - small, long thin slices

Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp

water to make curry.

Heat oil in a vessel. Add onion and fry till brown.Add turmeric powder. Add ground paste and fry till the raw smell of onion vanishes. It may take 15 to 20 minutes. Keep on stirring or it will get burnt. Once the masala starts leaving the oil, add one cup water and check the consistency. Adjust the water quantity. Allow it to boil. Adjust the seasoning and add boiled eggs. Cook for few more minutes. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with parathas.

Sending this to Srilekha's     EFM - Parathas and Gravies / Curries Series!     event.

Keep Smiling,

My Blog's First Anniversary with Tea and Biscuit!!!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Even though I registered my blog in December 2007 only, I started posting  in it from March. March 12th was my first post published! So I thought, this day should be the birth day of my blog. I started to blog with lot of doubts, confusions and questions in my mind. But within no time, this one year went off!! I have 192 posts in my blog today which includes, recipes, my thoughts and few things from my daughter.

When I revisited the posts, I was happy to see that, my most of the recipes have been participated in one or the other event. I need some one to push me to do some good work!!! I laugh, when I read my first few posts, as the language is so bad, with lot of grammar mistakes. Now also, I am not so good in writing, but improved a bit! 

I want to thank all my friends here, who always took time to visit my blog, and came up with their sweet comments and suggestions and requests and support. 

"WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BLOG"

I would like to recall my first post, which was an introduction about why I came in to blogging,

Hi All

Its almost more than a year I thought of entering the blog world. But!!!!!!!! this "but" is the mother of laziness!!!

Having 2 kids, managing alone everything, it was impossible for me to sit and share my world with others.

From past one month I am regularly following few blogs and surprised and really amazed about the knowledge, these girls have. Keep up the work. Jai Ho Blogging.

Learning words from blogworld also.

Started to learn now, just laugh and forget at my mistakes. Mistakes makes man not perfect but takes him to perfection. (No one is perfect in this world!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

I will try to share my recipes in next few days and will try to share my views also.

Bye for now.

Keep smiling!!!

And PJ was the first to comment on my post! I was so happy to see my first comment!!! Thanks PJ for giving me that happiness. 

Coming to the recipe for birthday!!! Are you wondering, why am I posting the recipe for Tea!!!

Actually, I wanted to start my blog with tea! Again I thought, it is very basic thing, and I wanted to start with something different. So the tea recipe went on postponing. 

I thought today is the best time for this recipe as it is a birthday of my blog.

Last week, I took photos of making tea! And believe me, I enjoyed making and taking pictures as if first time I was making tea!!!

Here goes the recipe with pictures,

                                      

After water, the tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...(Read more here ). 

Each country, and in each country,each region or state, the method of preparing tea is different. There are many types in tea, white tea, green tea, black tea(my daughter's favorite), herbal tea and KT! It is very interesting and vast subject to study.

So, without much introduction, I am coming to a very normal and regular way of making tea, (as it is the post has become very long!!)

To make two cup of tea,

Water - 1 cup

Hot or warm Milk - 1 cup(do not add cold milk)

(or if you do not like more milk, adjust the qty by adding more water and less milk)

Sugar - 3 tea spoon

Tea powder - 2 tsp

You can add, a pinch of Cardamom powder or dry ginger powder or crushed fresh ginger! OR, some times add half a piece of Parle G biscuit in that and check the taste! It really tastes great! 

Keep the water to boil and add tea powder and wait till it starts boiling. Add sugar and wait for 30 seconds. Now add hot milk and allow it to boil for a minute.  Remove it from the fire and strain in to cups.

Enjoy it with biscuit or any favorite snack.

A game played in our ladies club;

There was a "One Minute" competition in our ladies club for sports day. Every body was given a question to write in one minute, the things we need to make tea! Ladies started laughing, thinking that how much time we need to write the things to make a cup of tea!! 

What do you think what all you need to make a cuppa tea?????

My mother was the only one to write all the things needed. And here is the list,

1.Gas stove

2.Lighter or match box to lit the fire

3.Lifter or Pakkad to hold the vessel

4.Vessel to make tea

5.Tea spoon to put tea powder and sugar

6.Cups

7.Strainer

8.Water 

9.Tea powder

10.Sugar

11.Milk 

Any thing else we need to make a cup of tea???

Need the best wishes and support for my blog to come up with more recipes and other things also.

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,

Green Grape Juice

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

As the Summer is already in, the Sun in always dancing with full energy!!!! The right time for juices, shakes and smoothies!!!  and of course for ice cubes in the freezer!

I am eating water melon and writing about grapes!!! 

I never knew or I never tried to know more about Grapes. It was always in my mind, that Grapes has lot of pesticides and it is not good while one has cold. But, when I went through the article, Grapes, it is an amazing fruit with lot of benefits. 

"Like other berries, grapes are highly nutritious and valuable with plenty curative agents. It has high content of vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C.....
It has consumption tips also in the article : Grapes are among fruits that have high pesticide residues. Try to choose organic where possible. If not, take the trouble to soak the tiny fruits in water with some salt and vinegar to rid it of the pesticides.
Soak for about 10~15 minutes, then rinse and pat dry. Store in refrigerator to maintain its freshness for a few days. ..... "Read more here!!

I tried this grape juice first time. Last week, I had this in my aunt's house. I asked her the recipe and sharing with you all with an extra ingredient.

Coming to the recipe,

Grapes - 500 gm,(washed and soaked in salted water for 15 to 30  minutes)

Pinch of Black salt

Jaljeera powder or chaat masala or pani puri powder - 1 tsp

Sugar - 1 tbsp

Ice cubes - few(optional)

Dry ginger - 1/2 tsp

Take grapes, Ice cubes, dry ginger and sugar in a juicer, mixer or blender and turn it into juice with little water. 

Remove and strain it to take out the skin, if any. 

Add other ingredients and mix it well. 

Grape juice is ready to share with your loved ones!

Sending this to Madhuri's event  Serve me Some...  

Sending it to  Dr.Sameena's  event

Juice recipes...

Keep Smiling,

Masala stuffed Brinjal Fritters (ಮಸಾಲೆ ಬದನೆ ಕಾಯಿ ಭಜಿ)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Brinjal fritter is prepared in many ways. It depends on your taste, your time and the occasion. Each region has its own way to prepare this bhaji. I am trying to do it the way it is prepared in Gadag District in Karnataka. When my mother was still working she got transferred to Gadag for 2 years. Every day she used travel from Dharwad to Gadag by 3 types of transportation. First, early in the morning I used to drop her to bus stand. From there she will travel in bus till Hubli, From Hubli to Gadag in train and from Gadag station to her office in mini cab!!! While coming back from the office, she used to  have this bhaji which is a famous street food. I never had this as I never got chance to have it when ever I traveled to Gadag. So I have taken mom's instructions and took her help to make it with little changes, as I felt the taste will be better if I do the changes.

Going to the recipe,

Brinjal - 4, medium, purple

Oil to fry the fritters

Wash, cut brinjal into very thick round pieces(3 pieces in one brinjal)

Again slit the brinjal in to two  pieces, keeping one end intact. Put them in salt water and keep aside.

For batter,

Gram flour - 1/ cup

Red chilly powder - 1 tbsp

salt - very little only for the cover, as we are going to add again in stuffing

Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp crushed

Ajwain - 1/4 tsp crushed

Haldi - pinch

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Hot oil - 1 tbsp

Mix all in a bowl and keep aside.

For stuffed masala,

Green chilly - 4

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Fresh coriander - handful

Salt to taste

Curry leaves few

Mix everything in a blender and make into a paste.

Take the brinjal out in a plate. Drain the water. Stuff the green masala in to it as shown in the photo. 

Heat the oil in a kadai.

Dip the stuffed brinjal in to a batter and fry them in a oil. Remove from oil and keep it on a tissue paper to remove any excess oil.

But, when I tasted these, I felt the stuffed masala is still raw, So I fried the green masala and then stuffed it. This also tastes good. 

So the choice is yours!!!

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

Keep smiling,