Green gram flour rotti (Rotti Sandige)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

One more traditional food from North Karnataka. It is usually prepared  in villages on No moon day with some sweet. It is taken to the fields also on Sheege Hunnive and Kar Hunnive.

The preparation is same as Thaali peeth.  It is served as a side dish in small pieces.

Ingredients :

Green moong flour - 1 cup

(You will get ready flour packet in any Indian stores,here in India or villages, we take the whole green moong to the flour mill to make it into flour)

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp, crushed

Green chilly - 2 to 3 crushed

Curry leaves - 10-12, chopped finely

Salt to taste

Water to make dough

Oil to fry these.

To make

Aluminium foil - 1 square sheet (12" x 12")

(in olden days, the small white clean cloth was used for the purpose)

water to apply on the foil

Take the flour in a big plate with the edges. Make the small well in the middle. Add all the ingredients except water and oil. 

Go on adding water slowly and mix it properly to get nice dough(Not very hard or very soft) The dough should be little softer than chapati atta.

Divide the dough into equal balls of small orange size.

Take one ball. Keep it on the foil. 

Start pressing it from the middle to make it into thick rotti or a bigger size puri.

Heat tawa and apply oil. 

Hold the foil carefully and put it with the rotti down side on tawa. Slowly remove the foil after few seconds.

Let it cook for a minute. 

Now spread 1/2 tsp oil and turn the rotti. Fry both the sides till it is cooked. Keep on pressing everywhere for rotti to cook evenly.

Repeat with other balls.

Remove it and keep it open for 10 minutes. If you cover the rottis immediately they will leave the water and the rotti gets spoiled.

Have it with Jowar rotti and other vegetable preparations.

Keep Smiling,

Few recipes with green leaves stem

Tried and tasted by Nivedita 

Hi All,

Most of the times, we discard the vegetable peel, fruit feel and this green leafy vegetables. Most of us, use only the leaves from Spinach, Amarnath leaves and many few green leaves(I do not know English names for those like Rajgiri, Harive, dantina soppu). We do not like the tender stem of leafy vegetables. But it tastes very good and has more nutrition.

When I was in school, this was the toughest task for me, to clean these green leaves. But it was my work! I used to take so much time to clean it. Some times, mom used to get irritated and she used to clean it. That time, I used to collect these stems and play with those, making necklace or used to build spider web with the stems. 

When I was in college, I tried making  sabji using these stems. The taste was good. From then, its become regular in my house to use these stems for sabji, sambhar or salad. 

There are three recipes you can make with these(which I know),

1. With onions and garlic

Recipe for the same :

cleaned, and chopped stem - 1 cup

Onion - 1 medium, chopped

Garlic - 1 small bulb or 6 to 8 cloves, crushed

Green chilly - 1 crushed

Salt to taste

Haldi a pinch

Oil - 1 tbsp

Heat oil in a kadai. Add chopped garlic and saute till brown. Add onion and fry till it changes it color. Add green chilly and cleaned stem. Saute for some time. Add salt, haldi and 1 tbsp water. Cook for few minutes.

Garlic and stem sabji is ready.

2. Just add these stems while making dal or sambhar. It taste good.

3. Clean, chop and steam these stems and use it to make salad with curds, onion and tomato with seasoning of salt and pepper.

4. Now coming to the recipe with the photo:

Here is the recipe with dal,

Cleaned and chopped stem - 1 cup

Chana dal - 1 tbsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Green chilly and cumin seeds paste - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Haldi - a pinch

Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Fresh coconut - 2 tbsp grated

Hing a pinch

Soak the chana for one hour in warm water.

Heat oil in a kadai.

Add mustard seeds. When splutter, add curry leaves and hing. 

Add soaked chana and fry for a minute.

Add chopped stem, green chilly paste and 1 tbsp water. Cook for a minute.

Add salt and haldi. Cook with 1/4 cup water till the chana is cooked.

Add Lemon juice and fresh coconut. Adjust the seasoning.

Serve hot with chapati or rice and sambhar.

Sending this to the event hosted by

Nithu at Nithu's Kitchen on 

Best out of Waste

Keep Smiling,

Cashew Nut Rice

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

A very easy and simple but perfect rice for any spicy gravy or curry. This goes very well with Spicy Chicken or Mutton curry.

I prepared this it with Butter Chicken gravy.

Ingredients :

Long grain rice or normal rice - 1 cup

Cashew nuts - 12 to 15, cut into two

Ghee - 1 tsp +1 tbsp

Oil - 1 tsp

Clove - 2

Bay leaf -1

Cinnamon stick - 1/2" piece

Cardamom - 2

White pepper - 4 to 6

Salt to taste

Ginger garlic paste - 1/4 tsp

Water to cook the rice

Clean and wash the rice. Drain and keep it aside for 15 minutes.

Heat 1 tsp ghee and oil in a cooker. 

Add all whole garam masala ( just crush it to avoid the pop out)

Add rice and ginger garlic paste. Fry for some time. Add salt. Add water till the rice is covered. 

Close the lid and give one whistle. Keep it to cool.

Till it is cooled,

Heat a tbsp of ghee in a small pan, add broken cashew nuts and fry till golden color. Add this to the ready rice.

Mix it nicely and serve with your choice of curry.

Sending this to Sara's Corner 's ongoing event Think Spice - Think Garam Masala  which was started by Sunitha of Sunitha's World.

Keep Smiling,

They all met in a kitty party!!! to unite into one!!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Aromatic food makes you feel hungry even after you have finished your food few minutes back!! Each food has its own flavor and taste depending on the spices we use.

South India is famous for its unique spice powder or masala powder or Sambhar powder to be specific. The preparation differs after every 40Km.

I am always hungry to have hot rice with any delicious sambhar!! Here is the sambhar recipe I learnt from one of my friend:

Do these bowl of spices won't look like women at a kitty party!! showing their new jeweleries or saree or accessories???

Giving the quantities for making  powder. You can keep it for a month or a week more. The aroma will go as the days pass. The quantity depends on the size of the cup you take. Its better to make in a little quantity and check the taste.

Ingredients :

Cumin Seeds - 2 cups

Dry coriander seeds - 1 1/2 cups

Curry leaves - 3 cups, if you add more also it tastes good.

Methi or Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 cup

Pepper corns - 1/4 cup

Urad dal or black gram(skinned) - 1/4 cup

Chana Dal or Bengal gram -1/4 cup

Raw rice - 1/4 cup

Dry Red chilly - 20 to 25

Dry coconut - 1 cup

Asafoetida (stoned) or hing - 1 pinch

or Asafoetida powder - 1 tsp

Sesame seeds - 1/2 cup(Optional)

Dry roast each ingredient and keep to cool.

Mix all and make into a fine powder. Store in an airtight jar.

You can use it for Sambhar, Bisibele bath, Cabbage rice or sambhar rice.

Keep Smiling,

Banana Peel Halwa

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Today I am hitting(not killing) 2 birds with one stone!!! Here is the recipe for two events!

Banana is a favorite fruit of everyone, including God! Banana is the first fruit we offer to God in any Puja. Banana is a rich source of potassium and fibres. I am Not going into the details, as I am using only the peel here. But even the peel is as good as the whole banana.

We get different variety of bananas.I usually use the small or Elaichi bananas. Here in this recipe also, I have used eliachi banana peel. You can use any variety available to you.

Here goes the recipe to make a small cup of halwa. You can increase the quantity to make it more. Only to take care is the quantity of sugar and to be very quick in making or else the peels will turn into black and halwa also turns brown.

Banana peel - 4 to 6, depends on the size of banana 

Sugar - 3 tbsp or less 

(depending on the sweetness of banana and your taste)

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Cashew nuts - 4 to 6

Cardamom - 1/8th tsp

Milk powder - 1/2 tsp(optional), 

I was not sure about the taste of the boiled peel, so thought of adding little of milk powder.  I think it tastes fine without milk powder also. Let me try next time. And I will let you know about the taste. 

Wash and clean the bananas properly. Peel the banana, peel the skins. Clean the ends and keep in water for few minutes. Remove it and clean once again with clean cloth to remove any dirt if in case.

Put the peel in a bowl. Add water just to cover the peel and boil for 5 minutes or till the skin becomes tender. Remove and keep to cool.

Puree it.

Heat 1 tbsp ghee and fry the cashew nuts. Keep aside.

Add Sugar and keep it to boil. Keep on stirring. Once the sugar melts, add the puree,milk powder, cardamom powder and ghee. 

Once it starts leaving the sides, add one more tbsp of ghee. Remove it from fire. 

Keep it to cool.

Banana peel halwa is ready to eat. It really tastes good and I think it is good for toddlers!! Am I right???

Sending this to,

 1.the event hosted by Nithu at Nithu's Kitchen on 

Best out of Waste

 and

2. My event  "EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT - CELEBRATE SWEETS~HALWA!!!!"

Keep Smiling,

Pepper Fish Fry

Tried and tasted by Nivedita 

Hi All,

Out of blue moon my blog gets the taste of Non-vegetarian food.!! Fish!!!!! I love only King fish and Pomfret in sea food and that too fried ones. We do not like curry so much other than the way my Laxmi aunty prepared in her South Indian style!! I miss her a lot!!

My family loves Fried Fish. When I was in UAE, every alternative weekend, I used to prepare fish fry and fish kheema. It was a feast for my daughter. She used to wait for her pappa to come home. They both used to wash, clean and cut the salad and keep ready. I used to keep the fish fry ready. Thats all was our dinner!! We three used to enjoy a big bowl of salad and Hot Fish fry directly from the pan. It was a heaven. I miss the days.  

My regular fish fry was with red chilly powder and other masalas. I will try to post the recipe soon. Check the photo here.

But sometimes, I used to make this Pepper fish fry which was my favorite. My daughter never liked it as the pepper taste was very strong for her. These photos were taken in UAE only. But posting the recipe now!! Good I clicked the photos!!! 

Coming to the recipe,

King fish - 5 to 6 big pieces

To Marinate

Pepper corns - 1 tbsp or little more

Salt to taste

Ginger paste - 1 tbsp

Lime juice - 2 tbsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Just check the paste is enough for all the fish pieces. If you feel its less, prepare some more again. The taste depends on your taste buds!! 

to fry

Oil 

1. Clean the fish pieces. 
2. Crush the pepper powder to almost powder but not fine powder.
3. Mix all other ingredients with the pepper powder. 
4. Prick the fish all around so that the masala goes into it.
5. Marinate the pieces with the ready paste and keep it for 4 to 6 hours at least if you want to get that real pepper taste in the mouth. Or even one hour will do for fast cooking.
6.  Heat tawa on high flame till its very hot with 2 tbsp of oil and spread it with spatula.
7. Reduce the flame and spread the fish pieces carefully on tawa. 
8. Cover with the lid and cook for 2 minutes. 
9. Open the cover and turn the pieces.
10. Drizzle some more oil.
11. Fry on the other side with lid open.
12. Cook till the fish is fried and changes its color.

Sorry! I have not decorated this fish plate! 

Sending this to Padma of Padma's Recipes  ongoing event cooking with seeds-pepper   and I am linking this to Priya's Priyas event announcement

Keep Smiling,

Tri Colored Chapatis and Tomato Chutney!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita 

Hi All,

Colorful food!!! We all get attracted towards colorful food. Here is the recipe for colorful chapati! My mom and me prepared it together. She loves to try new food and always supports me with my cooking ideas. 

She prepares it for kids parties or some get together functions. 

I will directly go to the recipe as the procedure is long. But I have taken the step by step photos. It will be easy for me to write the recipe and easy for you to follow it to make.

Step 1 :

Ingredients required :

Wheat flour - 1 bowl each for 3 vegetables.

Spinach - 2 big bunch

(I used only one, as I had only one with me)

Carrot - 2 big

Beet root - 1 big

Salt to taste for each dough

Oil for each dough

Be careful about using chilly as it is mainly served for kids. 

Green chilly - 1 for spinach

Red chilly powder - 1 tsp for beet root

Orange color chilly - 1 (optional if you have) 

or skip it.

Oil to fry chapatis.

Step 2:

1. Wash, clean, chop and boil the spinach for few minutes. Remove and put in the cold water for a minute. Strain and puree it with the hands. Do not use blender as it will be watery and needs more flour.

2. Wash, clean and boil the carrot and beetroot separately. (I cooked in the cooker for 2 whistles.)

Mash the carrot and puree it again with the hands. 

3. Grate the beetroot with small grater and keep it aside.

Step 3 :

Take 3 plates or big bowls.

1. Take one cup of wheat flour. Add pureed spinach, crushed green chilly, salt and oil. Knead it into dough.

2. Take another cup of wheat flour in one more plate. Add mashed carrot, crushed orange chilly(if using), salt and oil. Knead it into dough.

3 . Take 3rd cup of wheat flour in third plate. Add Grated beetroot, Red chilly powder, salt and oil. Knead it into dough.

Be careful about adding water  when making the dough. 

Keep aside for 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 4 :

Make long rolls with each dough. Like this :

Step 5 :

Follow the photo to keep the rolls on each other :

Step 6 :

Slowly cut the roll into equal pieces :

Step 7 :

Gently press the pieces.

Step 8 :

Roll each piece into chapatis.

Step 9 :

Fry each chapati with little oil.  And chapatis are ready to eat.

 

Now for the Tomato chutney :

Raw or green tomato - 3 medium, cleaned, chopped

Green chilly - 2 or less if for kids

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 1 tsp

Curry leaves -few

Garlic - 6 cloves

Jaggery - 1 tbsp or more depending on the sourness of tomato

Fry all the ingredients together for 5 minutes and keep it to cool.

Fresh coconut - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Fresh coriander - 1 tbsp

Add the fried ingredients with fresh coconut, salt, fresh coriander and put it into blender to make into fine paste. 

Tomato chutney is ready.

Sending this to Srivalli's monthly event "Kid's Delight,". And this month's theme is 

Announcing Kid's Delight ~ Colouring your Kid's Delight!

I am 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.

Keep Smiling,