Friday, September 21, 2007

Plantain Tambulli (Plantain mixed in yogurt)




This will be another submission for RCI: Karnataka

I would also like to submit this dish for JFI: Banana. Thanks to Mandira and Ashwin of Ahaar for hosting this event.

Ingredients:
Plantain - 1 small
Urad daal - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Pepper corns - 5
Green chillies - 3
Coconut - shredded 1 tablespoon
Fresh curds/yogurt - 1 cup
Asefotida - pinch
Salt
Oil - 1/4 teaspoon
Mustard - 1/4 teaspoon

Method:
Cook Plantain and peel the skin. Either mash or grate the pulp. Dry Roast urad daal, cumin and pepper corns until the daal turns golden brown. Grind the roasted ingredients with asefotida, green chillies and coconut with little water to a fine paste. Mix the ground paste, plantain and yogurt with some salt. Provide a tempering of mustard.


This dish is relished with rice.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Nuchina Unde, Vegetable Thatte Idli and Onion Mint Chutney for RCI Karnataka


I would like to thank Asha of 'Foodies Hope' for hosting this event.

Nuchina unde:
Ingredients:
Toor daal - 1 cup
Green chillies - 3
Dry Red Chillies - 3
Coriander Leaves - 1/2 cup
Asefotida - 1/4 teaspoon
Grated fresh Coconut - 1/4 cup
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Salt

Optional Ingredients:
Valore Lilva (Avarekai) - 1/2 cup
Onion fine chopped - 1 cup
Methi leaves chopped - 1 cup

Method:
Soak Toor daal for about 3 hours. Drain water completely and grind the daal with Green chillies,Red Chillies,Coriander Leaves,Asefotida,Grated fresh Coconut,Ginger and Salt to a smooth paste.(Make sure no additional water is added, else you will not be able to shape the daal mixture). Mix with any or all of the optional ingredients. Shape into small cylindrical shape and steam in pressure cooker with weight for 2 whistles and once its cool, steam again without weight for 15 minutes and serve.

Tip: If you feel the ground paste is too soft to mould shape, add some rice flour.

This healthy dish can be eaten as is or mixed with rice and ghee. Also we can add these nuchina unde in Majjige Huli or Sambhar after steaming.

Vegetable Thatte Idli
Ingredients:
Idli Rice - 3 cups
Raw rice - 1 cup
Urad daal - 1 cup
Fenugreek seeds - 1 teaspoon
Green beans very finely chopped - 1 cup
Carrots very finely chopped - 1 cup
Salt

Method:
Soak rice and daal seperate. First grind the urad daal into a fine paste and then grind the rice to coarse consistency. Mix the two with enough salt and water(The final batter should not be too thick or too watery). Allow the batter to ferment for at least 8 hours. Before making idlis, steam beans and carrot until half cooked and mix it with idli batter.Pour mixture into plates (thatte) and steam for 10 minutes. Serve with any chutney or Sambhar.

Onion Mint Chutney
Ingredients:
Onions - 2 medium sized diced
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Mint Leaves - 1/2 cup
Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup
Green Chillies - 2
Red Chillies - 2
Urad daal - 1 tablespoon
Mustard - 1/4 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
Tamarind - 1 teaspoon
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Salt

Method:
Heat oil in a pan, add urad daal and roast. When the daal turns golden, add mustard seeds. After the mustard seeds splutter, add fenugreek seeds and red chillies. Then add all other ingredients and saute for about 5 minutes. Grind to a coarse paste without adding water. Serve chutney with thatte idlis.

Friday, September 07, 2007

Vellai Murukku (Chakli/Wheel shaped rice flour crispies)




Ingredients:
Rice flour - 4 cups
Urad flour - 1 cup
Unmelted Butter or Crisco (vegetable shortening) - 5 tablespoons
Cumin - 2 tablespoons
White sesame seeds - 2 table spoons
Asefotida - 1/4 teaspoon
Salt per taste
Water for mixing
Oil for deep frying

Apparatus:
Chakli/murukku mould - single star shaped .
Flat plates covered with saran wrap OR plastic sheets

Method:
Roast rice flour and urad flour separately without oil for about 10 minutes until warm. Then let it cool. Mix the flours with cumin, sesame, asefotida, salt and crisco. Mix water little by little to form a manageable dough without lumps(consistency of a chapathi dough). Fill the murukku mould with the dough and press into murukku shape on a flat plate/plastic sheets. Slide the murukkus and deep fry in hot oil. When the bubbling reduces around the murrukus its an indication that its well cooked. Remove, drain on a paper towel. When cool store in air tight container. Lasts up to 4 weeks.
This is my entry for Srijayanthi or Janmashtami event hosted by 'The Yum Blog'

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Krishna Janmashtami Delicacies

I would like to dedicate these pictures to my Mother In Law and Periamma for being a source of encouragement to make this festival a very grand celebration.
(Clockwise from top) Butter-sugar, parched rice(poha) with raisins, sugar, desiccated coconut and pinch of cardamom powder, dryginger powder-jaggery





Krishna Janmashtami Decorations