Baked & Stuffed Lauki

I started out with the idea of making Bharwaan Lauki for dinner. Then got side-tracked with the idea of trying something Continental instead. Eventually decided on a mélange keeping the stuffing and spices pretty simple.

                                          BAKED BHARWAAN LAUKI (Bottle gourd)

Ingredients :
Bottle gourd (Lauki) - 1 (tender and slim)
Salt to taste
Haldi - 1/4 tsp

Stuffing :
Crumbled Paneer - 1 cup
Potatoes - 2 medium (Boiled and mashed)
Salt to taste
Crushed black Pepper to taste
Chili powder - 1  1/2 tsps
Italian herbs/ Dried Oregano - 1 1/2 tsps (Tip - Preserve the oregano sachets the Pizza guy gives you!!)

Gravy :
Tomatoes - 3 medium (Blanched and puréed)
Capsicum - 2 tbsps (chopped)
Olive oil - 2 tbsps
Salt to taste
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Italian herbs / oregano - 1 tsp

Other ingredients :
Cheese slices or grated processed cheese
Italian herbs/oregano for garnishing


Method :

1. Wash, peel and slice the bottle gourd into 1 inch thick pieces. Bring water to boil in a saucepan and add some salt and haldi. Drop in the lauki roundels and cover-cook till 3/4th tender. Do not let them become too soft. We will be baking them later. Drain the excess water and keep aside.





2. Meanwhile, to prepare the stuffing, in a bowl, mix together grated paneer, the mashed potato, salt, chili powder and herbs. Take care to leave no lumps.







3. For the gravy, heat oil in a pan and add the tomato purée. Add salt to taste, chili powder and let cook.

4. When half done, add the capsicum and let cook along with the gravy for 4-5 minutes. Again, it's ok to leave the gravy 3/4th done as we will be baking this as well. Finally, add the herbs and give it one last stir. Remove and keep aside.

5. Now let's start assembling the dish. Fill the stuffing carefully into the lauki discs. Place them on a baking dish. Pre-heat the oven @ 180 deg C.






6. Drop a spoonful of gravy on top of each lauki disc. Finally sprinkle the processed cheese or cheese slices. Bake @ 200 deg C for about 4-5 minutes. Reduce temperature to 170-180 deg C and bake for 7-8 minutes more or till cheese starts bubbling and becomes golden brown.

7. Remove from the oven and serve hot with toasted bread.

Notes : Since I use the microwave, the baking times might vary as compared to a conventional oven.

Beetroot Carrot soup

Next in the healthy and quick soup series....

                                                        BEETROOT-CARROT SOUP

Ingredients :

Beetroot - 1 (medium)
Carrot - 2 (medium)
Water as required
Salt to taste
Crushed black pepper to taste
Coarsely crushed Dhaniya seeds to taste (optional)

Method :

1. Wash, peel and roughly chop the beetroot and carrots.

2. Pressure cook till soft. Remove and let cool.

3. Blend in a mixer and refrigerate till ready for use, i.e, when you actually want to prepare the soup.

4. Strain the blended mixture using up to 2 cups water. Add to a thick saucepan and bring to a boil.
Add salt and crushed black pepper to taste, optional to add some crushed dhaniya (coriander) seeds.

Serve hot as desired.

Easy Sweet Corn Soup

Who doesn't love home made soups, and if they were easy to make??
Well, here's a very easy to make Sweet Corn Soup recipe...


                                                           SWEET CORN SOUP

Ingredients :

Sweet Corn kernels - 1 cup
Corn starch - 2 tsps
Water - as required
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Mixed Chopped vegetables - 1/2 cup (Beans, carrot, peas)

Method :

1. Bring 2 cups of water to simmering point in a thick saucepan.

2. Add the vegetables and the corn kernels to the water and a little salt. Cover-cook for 7-10 minutes or till the vegetables are 3/4th cooked, not too soft.

3. Meanwhile dissolve the corn starch in 2 tbsps water and keep aside.

4. Once the veggies are cooked, add the corn starch paste stirring continuousl, make sure to leave no lumps. Add more salt if needed along with crushed black pepper. Stir till soup is semi-thick.

Remove and serve hot as desired.

Eggless Peanut butter Carrot Cake

A healthy eggless carrot cake made with a combo of butter and peanut butter.

                                               

EGGLESS PEANUT BUTTER CARROT CAKE

Ingredients :

Finely grated carrot - 1 cup
Chopped/grated dates -2
Softened butter -1/4 cup
Peanut butter - 1/2 cup
All purpose flour - 1/2 cup (75gms)
Whole wheat flour -1/2 cup (75gms)
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - a pinch
Vanilla essence - 1/4 tsp
Milk - 1/4 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Brown/Demerara sugar - 1/2 cup
Melted chocolate - for garnish

Method :

1. Pre-heat oven @ 180 deg C.

2. In a bowl mix together butter, peanut butter and both the sugar and whisk till sugar dissolves and mixture is light and creamy. Mix vanilla essence and mix again.

3. In a separate mixing bowl sift together the all purpose and wheat flours along with a pinch salt and baking powder.

4. Gradually add the flours to the butter mix and fold gently. Add milk as required to get a thick cake batter.



5. Grease a cake tin or use a silicon mould and pour the batter into it. Bake for 12-15 minutes.
Note : check after 10 minutes using a clean knife or toothpick to see if done, if not continue baking a bit more.
Using a microwave, I first baked @ 200deg C for 4 minutes and then @ 180 deg C for 7 minutes more.

6. Remove and let cool slightly on a wire rack.  Then invert on to a serving dish and decorate/serve as desired.

Multi-grain Thalipeeth

Thalipeeth is a famous Maharashtrian dish typically made of three flours, whole wheat, millet and bengal gram flour or besan.

I've attempted a healthy and green twist to this versatile and healthy preparation ....

                                                   MULTI-GRAIN THALIPEETH

Ingredients :

Whole wheat flour - 1 cup
Besan (Bengal gram flour) - 1 cup
Bajra/Jowar flour - 1cup
Soya flour - 1cup
Rice flour - 1 cup
Rajgira Flour - 1 cup
Maida - 1/4 cup
Jeera - 2 tsps
Dhaniya-curry leaves chutney - as required (Click link for chutney recipe)
Salt to taste
Whisked curds - 1 cup
Water - as required

Method : 
1. Add all the flours and pinch salt to a clean bowl and mix well with hands. If possible, sift them together on to a large plate to allow them to mix well together.

2. Add the jeera and green chutney and mix again. You can add as much chutney as desired, based on the spice and flavour you need.

3. Now gradually add the curds and keep kneading the flours into a tight but soft dough. Add water only if required. Drizzle a little oil on to your hand and coat the dough with it. Cover and let rest for about 5-7 minutes.

4. Take 2 clean plastic sheets. Give the dough a rough kneading but do not knead too much. Divide into equal sized portions and keep aside.

5. Heat a tawa on medium heat. Place one dough round in between the plastic sheets on a counter and either press evenly into a pancake using your hands or use a rolling pin if it's easier. It's OK for the edges to be uneven.

6. Cook the thalipeeth on the tawa using oil/ghee till golden brown on both sides. Use a flat ladle to press down and let cook evenly.
Serve hot with pickle / chutney and curds.

Dhaniya-Curry Leaves Chutney

A quick and tasty chutney, goes well with any main dish...


                                                 DHANIYA-CURRY LEAVES CHUTNEY

Ingredients : 

Dhaniya leaves - 1 cup
Curry leaves - 1 cup
Dry red chili - 1
Urad dal (split black gram) - 1 1/2 tbsps
Hing - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Tamarind - 1 inch piece

Method : 

1. Heat a pan and dry roast urad dal and red chili till slightly brown. Add hing and remove from fire. Let cool.

2. Grind to a paste along with the dhaniya and curry leaves, tamarind and salt. Add very little water in order to get a thick chutney. Check for salt.

3. Serve as desired.

Kadhai Roti

Utterly bored and in search of something spicy for dinner...That's when I spotted the left-over chapatis. Got to work chopping some vegetables, a dash of Schezwan sauce and masala..hey presto! Kadhai Roti ready !!


                                                                   KADHAI ROTI

Ingredients :

Left over chapatis - 4 to 5 (Chopped into square pieces)
Chopped Capsicum - 1/2 cup
Chopped Carrots - 1/2 cup
Diced Paneer - 1/2 cup
Oil - 2 tbsps
Jeera - 1 tsp
Schezwan Sauce (I used Ching's) - 1 tbsp
Karahi Paneer Masala(MDH) or Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method :

1. Heat oil in a pan/wok. Add jeera and let crackle.

2. Add the carrots and let cover-cook till 3/4th tender, I left them a bit crunchy.

3. Add the capsicum and some salt to taste. Cover and let cook for 5 minutes more.

4. Add the Karahi Paneer Masala or Garam masala and mix well. Add the chopped chapati and paneer and mix again.

5. Now add the Schezwan sauce and mix well so that the chapati and paneer pieces especially are well-coated. [I added the schezwan sauce to create a deviation from the kadhai masala and this also prevented the preparation from being too dry.]
Cover and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove and transfer to serving bowl.

Banana Stem Specials

        The Banana tree is a wonder in itself. Not only are its different parts edible and used in different culinary preparations, they also have amazing healing properties.
The banana(plantain) leaf is rich in chlorophyll and it has been an age old tradition in many parts of the world to serve food on Banana leaves. The leaf is also used as a wrap in many steamed dishes which lends a unique and extremely healthy flavour and quality to the preparation.
The use of the banana flower and stem have amazing healing properties where the overall digestive system is concerned. The stem especially is known to be so effective that it is believed to help clear Kidney stones!!!
Recently I had a completely detoxifying meal at Sanjeevanam, the Kerala Veg restaurant, where none of the curries are cooked in oil. One of them was steamed banana stem curry which was simply too good.
I list here few simple recipes using the banana stem that can only do good, and taste excellent as well.

Tip : Ask the vegetable vendor to help you select as tender a stem as possible. The best method to cut it right for any dish is :
- Peel the outer layers till you are left with a slender pearl white tube that looks like it cannot be peeled further
- Cut into discs, you might encounter thick fibre on the surface, simply wrap them around your index finger and continue slicing
- Once you have sliced the stem tube, stack them a few at a time and chop them into 1 cm long pieces. For salads, use the discs as a whole.
- Soak them in diluted sour buttermilk till ready to be used in the preparation. This prevents them from changing colour, i,e, darkening.
                                                             BANANA STEM SALAD
Ingredients :
Tender Banana Stem - 1 (sliced into discs)
Green chili - 1 long
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste
Method :
1. Add the sliced banana stem into a salad bowl.
2. Add the lemon juice, sliced green chili and salt to taste. Mix well. Let rest for 10-12 minutes.
3. Serve.
                                                                -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
                                                               BANANA STEM CURRY
Ingredients :
Banana stem - 1 (Sliced and chopped)
Salt to taste
Dessicated coconut - 2 tbsps
Curry leaves
Tempering :
Oil - 1 tbsp
Rai - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Dry Red Chili - 1
1. Soak the chopped stem in sour buttermilk till ready to use. Strain and cook with water and salt to taste till well done. Strain the water and keep the stem aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, let crackle. Add the Urad dal and red chili and saute for a bit.
3. Add the cooked banana stem pieces and stir well. Check for salt and adjust accordingly if needed. Add the dessicated coconut and curry leaves and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes and remove.
Serve hot.
                                                              -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
                                             BANANA STEM STEW (MOR KOOTTU)

Ingredients :
Tender Banana Stem - 1 (Sliced and chopped)
Slightly sour whisked curds - 1 cup
Haldi - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Curry leaves - a few
To grind to a paste :
Jeera - 1 tsp
Grated coconut - 3 tbsps
Dry Red Chilies - 2
Tempering :
Oil - 1 tsp
Rai - 1 tsp
Method :
1. As mentioned above, soak the chopped banana stem in buttermilk till ready to use. Strain and cook in water along with haldi and salt till well done. Drain the water and keep the cooked stem aside.
2. Soak the jeera, red chilies and coconut in a little water to soften. Grind them to a paste in a mixer.
3. In a saucepan, add the whisked sour curds and add the ground paste. Stir and cook on a low flame to avoid curdling.
4. Add the cooked stem and curry leaves as well and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Check for salt and adjust if required. If the stew is a bit runny, mix 1 tsp rice flour in 1 tbsp water and add to the pan.
5. For the tempering, heat oil and add the rai. Once it splutters add to the stew. Serve hot.

Stuffed Kuzhi Paniyaaram (Appams)

A variation of the plain Kuzhi Paniyaaram , stuffed with left-over vegetables...

Stuffed Kuzhi Paniyaarams (Appams)

Ingredients : 

Thick leftover Dosa batter (sour the better) - 1 cup
Chopped Green chilies - 2
Salt to taste
Chopped ginger - 1 tsp
Peppercorns - 1 tsp (whole or slightly crushed)
Hing - a pinch
Chopped curry leaves
Oil to fry

Filling :
Any leftover subzi (vegetables)

Method :

1. Heat an Appam stand on medium flame and pour a little oil in all the holes.

2. In a bowl, mix together the dosa batter along with chopped green chilies, peppercorns, hing, curry leaves, salt to taste and chopped ginger. Do not add any water as we need a thick consistency. If the dosa batter is slightly runny, add enough rice flour to thicken it. If you have done this, check for salt again.

3. Carefully pour a bit of the batter first using a small ladle or tablespoon into each of the holes, drop a few pieces of the vegetables and top off with some more batter covering up to 3/4th of the appam cup.
Lower the flame at this point if you feel the oil is too agitated. Cooking this on a high flame right away will cause the appams to become brown quickly without the insides actually getting cooked.

4. Using a clean knife or fork, carefully turn over the appam to let the other side cook. Once both sides are golden brown, remove and drain excess oil.

Serve hot with ketchup or spicy green chutney.

Quick Fix Pasta in White Sauce

A quick fix Pasta in White Sauce with ingredients mostly available at home...became an instant hit with my niece and nephew!!! As a plus I used up the leftover Broccoli-peas curry from the morning as well!


                                                       PASTA IN WHITE SAUCE

Ingredients : 

Boiled pasta (Penne or Farfalle works best) - 2 cups
Cold Milk - 1 1/2 cups
Cheese slices - 2
Maida - 2 tbsps
Whole wheat flour - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Olive oil / Butter - 1 tbsp
Garlic powder - 1 tsp
Crushed Black Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Oregano / Mixed herbs (I used the small packs that usually get left-over each time one orders pizza!!)
Chilli flakes (optional)
Spicy tomato sauce for the garnish

Method : 

1. Heat oil / butter in a pan. Add in the vegetables as desired. For this recipe I used leftover Broccoli-Peas curry from the morning, so I added them along with the pasta, since they didnt need extra cooking!

2. In a bowl, whisk together milk, Maida + Wheat flour and salt leaving no lumps. Pour the milk mixture into the pan stirring all the while.

3. When it starts to thicken add the garlic powder and let simmer. Don't forget to keep stirring. Check for salt and add the pepper powder as well.

4. Drop in the 2 cheese slices and keep stirring till the cheese melts and mixes well with the milk. Let simmer for 2 minutes. Add the chili flakes if you need it extra spicy.

5. Now add in the boiled pasta and stir. [I added the leftover curry at this point.] Cover and let simmer for about 2 - 3 minutes. Stir in between and let cook for a minute more so the sauce coats the pasta well.
Tip : If pasta has cooled down and sticking together, drop it for a split second in hot water and take out immediately, This will shock the pasta and make it easier to mix in with the sauce.

6. Finally sprinkle the oregano and stir once. Remove and serve hot with lightly toasted brown bread.
Optional to half-cook this on flame and bake it with more cheese and tomato sauce(till cheese melts and forms golden brown spots) on top as I have done.
This is the basic sauce. One can also add in chopped and blanched spinach, capsicum, zucchini and so on for the vegetable touch.

Methi Sambhar

The versatility of methi...
Methi or fenugreek leaves are known to have quite a few health benefits. They are said to be a rich source of Vitamins E & K along with minerals such as iron, calcium, zinc, magnesium and many more.

Consider keeping a stock of lightly roasted and powdered methi at home.  Having a quarter teaspoon of this mixed in half a glass lukewarm water first thing in the morning is said to regulate blood sugar levels, neutralise acidity, is an excellent source of fibre and controls body heat.

 Soak a teaspoonful of methi seeds in a quarter cup water overnight. Drain and drink up the water on an empty stomach the next morning and grind the soaked methi seeds to a paste. Apply this on the scalp, leave for about 20 minutes and rinse off. Follow it up with a mild shampoo +conditioner wash. This will not only help control hair-loss due to body heat but also helps nourish the hair roots.

The methi leaves when used either in their natural or dried form transform the aroma and taste of any dish amazingly. Though ready made Kasuri methi is available in the market we can make it quite easily at home too.
Sort out the good leaves from the stems, wash and pat dry. Spread out on a plate or newspaper and leave out in the sun to dry naturally for minimum 2 weeks till it completely dries up.
Alternately you can use the microwave method, spread the washed and pat-dried leaves on a micro-proof dish and run on 60% power for about 5 minutes,  remove and lightly shuffle the leaves,  increase the power to 80% and micro for 2 minutes more. Remove and let dry for about 10 minutes till it cools to room temperature. Store in an air-tight container for future use.
The next time you want to give the boring rotis a skip, try adding a bit of kasuri methi to the atta. Add a generous spoonful to any bland curry to instantly spice it up.

An interesting dish that my mum prepares is methi sambhar that tastes simply divine with just about anything.

                                                             METHI SAMBHAR

Ingredients :
Methi leaves - 1 bunch (leaves separated)
Toor dal ( Split pigeon peas) - 1 cup
Imli - 1/2 lemon size
Sambhar powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Haldi - 1/2 tsp
Chopped dhaniya
Curry leaves
For tempering :
Oil
Rai - 1/2 tsp
Hing - 1/2 tsp

Method :
1. Wash and pat dry methi leaves. Chop roughly. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan and lightly fry the leaves for about 2 minutes. This helps reduce the bitterness of the leaves.

2. Cook the methi leaves till tender. Mash lightly. Wash and pressure-cook the toor dal with haldi till well done.

3. Extract tamarind juice and add to a thick bottomed vessel.

4. Add salt to taste, curry leaves and mashed methi leaves, let simmer on low flame till raw aroma leaves the imli juice.

5. Add the sambhar powder and stir. Simmer for 5 minutes more. Mash the cooked toor dal and add to the vessel. Stir and continue to simmer.

6. Now add the chopped dhaniya and check for salt. If the sambhar is a little runny, dissolve 1 tsp rice flour in 2 tbsps water and add to the vessel. Let cook for 5-7 minutes more.

7. Prepare tempering by heating oil and adding hing, followed by rai. Once it splutters add it to the sambhar.
Serve hot.
Note : Another variation to try, grind together some shallots, unroasted coriander seeds and coriander leaves and add that to get a 'Hotel Sambhar'-like feel !!!

Beans with Dal curry (Paruppu Usuli/Usili)

Paruppu (Dal/Lentils) Usuli or Paruppu Puttu as it's commonly known in South India is a curry that is made with lentils blended with spices and cooked along with vegetables of choice.
This is one of my many favourites from the repertoire of my mother's cooking and when served along with South Indian kadhi and Pepper rasam, the deliciousness (and balancing factor) of the dish simply sky-rockets!!!
I have mentioned here the recipe for using French beans with the dal, however this curry can be prepared using any vegetable imaginable - carrots, banana flower, cauliflower, raw banana, cluster beans...or even Broccoli !!

BEANS PARUPPU USULI

 Ingredients :
French Beans - 250 gms (chopped)
Toor Dal (split pigeon peas) - 1 cup
Chana Dal (Bengal gram) - 1 tbsp
Dry red chilies - 2
Hing (Asafoetida) powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 4 to 5 tbsps
Rai (Mustard seeds) - 1 tsp
Urad dal (split black gram)  - 1 tsp

Method : 
1. Wash and soak the Toor dal and Chana dal for about 30 minutes. Drain and leave in a colander or sieve.

2. In a mixer, blend the drained dals, red chilies, salt and hing. Use very little water, say about 1-2 tbsps and grind to a coarse paste (fine semolina/rawa consistency)

3. Spread this mixture on a steamer/Idli plate and steam cook for about 15-20 minutes

4. Meanwhile, cook the chopped beans (or vegetable of your choice) with a pinch of turmeric till tender. Drain and keep aside.

5. Remove the cooked dal and spread it on to a wide plate and let cool. Once down to room temperature, lightly crumble using hands to prevent any lump formation. A neat trick is to give it a very quick run in the mixer, just 2 quick turns, which will help break down the dal clusters formed during the steaming.

6. Heat oil in a pan and add the urad dal, followed by rai. Once rai splutters, add the cooked dal and mix well to let the oil coat the lentils all through and cook evenly, for 5 to 7 minutes. Again, make sure no lumps are visible.

7. Now add the cooked vegetables and mix well. Check for salt, and let cook for about 4 to 5 minutes more. Optional to garnish with curry leaves.
Remove and serve hot.

Pepper Rasam

Pepper rasam is a perfect home-made medicine for any weather. It is a natural decongestant, aids digestion and improves appetite. It is an excellent accompaniment for rice, and can even be had as a soup.
When I was in school, I 'inaugurated' my very first recipe diary with this recipe. After all, good things need to go in first isnt't it !!!
Humble though it may be, the taste and resulting benefits of this simple rasam are almost incomparable.

                                                                PEPPER RASAM

Ingredients :

Sabut Kali Mirch (Black peppercorns) - 1 1/2 tsps
Jeera (cumin seeds) - 1/2 tsp
Dry Red chili - 1
Curry leaves - a few
Toor dal - 1 tsp
Tamarind - a lemon sized portion
Salt to taste
Tempering :
Ghee - 1 tsp
Rai - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - a few

Method :

1. Soak tamarind in warm water for about 10 minutes and extract as much juice from it as possible using enough water to make 2 cups.

2. Soak jeera and toor dal in a little water for about 5 minutes. This will make them tender and easy to grind.Then blend in a mixer along with the pepper corns and curry leaves using a little water to make a fine paste.

3. Cook the tamarind extract on a low flame and add salt to taste. Once the raw aroma leaves the juice (roughly after 10 minutes), add the ground paste and stir well.

4. Now add water to adjust consistency and the spiciness as desired. Take care not to add too much water so as to take away the natural spiciness factor. Remember, we need this rasam to be a decongestant and not a bland soup!!!  Let cook for 5 more minutes. Check for salt and remove from the fire.

5. Prepare tempering by heating the ghee. Add rai and once it splutters toss in the curry leaves. Fry for a bit and pour over the rasam.
Serve as desired.

Neer Dosa

On a trip to Mangalore, the chef at the hotel where we stayed recommended the Mangalore-special Neer dosa for breakfast. I admit we had never heard of that preparation before and were more than willing to give it a try.
'Neer' means water, and adds as an adjective to this dish due to the thin water-like batter that is used.
When it arrived, it looked quite humble, much like a well-washed and crisp folded white kerchief. Delicate to the touch, it tasted like a million bucks with the distinctly flavoured Udupi sambar.
Though the original recipe only calls for raw rice and grated coconut, we discovered that adding some cooked rice improves the texture of the batter. Sorry Purists, but this works for us :) !!!

                                                                     NEER DOSA

Ingredients : 

Raw Rice - 1 cup
Cooked Rice - 1 cup
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste

Method : 

1. Wash and soak raw rice for about 30 minutes. Drain but do not discard the water.

2. Blend the drained rice first in a mixer. Now add the cooked rice, coconut and salt and a little water to blend well to a fine paste.

3. Transfer to a bowl and let rest for minimum 6 to 8 hours. So if you intend to have this for breakfast, prepare and rest the batter overnight.

4. Before use, check for salt and dilute the batter with the drained rice water to get a dripping consistency. Always best to add water gradually and it's good practice to prepare a mini tester dosa to check the texture and binding.

5. Heat a pan on medium heat, drop a ladle of batter and spread it as thin as possible. Since the batter is based purely on rice, it cooks fast and you can turn it over once bubbles start forming. No need to make it crisp like the normal dosas. We need the white colour as well as softness retained.

6. Serve hot with coconut chutney and Udupi Sambar.

Udupi Sambar

Udupi sambar differs quite minutely from the traditional Sambar of Tamil Nadu. The use of Urad Dal, Jeera, Byadagi chilies (famous in Karnataka) and coconut oil seem to stand out as some of the points that set its taste apart.

                                                                UDUPI SAMBAR

Ingredients : 
Toor dal (Split pigeon peas) - 1/2 cup
Imli (Tamarind) - 1 lemon size ball, juice extracted
Haldi (Turmeric powder) - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Vegetables of choice - Drumsticks, Brinjal, shallot onions, etc
Curry leaves - a few
Jaggery - 1/2 tsp (optional)

To be roast and ground :
Dhaniya (Coriander) seeds - 2 tbsps
Urad Dal (Split Black gram) - 2 tbsps
Chana Dal (Bengal gram) - 1 tbsp
Jeera (cumin seeds) - 4 tsps
Methi (Fenugreek) seeds - 1 tsp
Dry Red Chilies - 4 to 6
Fresh grated coconut - 1/2 cup

Tempering :
Coconut Oil - 1 tbsp
Dry Red Chili - 1/2 or 1 medium
Hing (asafoetida powder) - 1/2 tsp
Rai (Mustard seeds) - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - a few

Method :
Note : Blanch the vegetables till 3/4th done. If using shallot onions, fry them in a little oil till tender and use as below.

1. Wash and pressure cook the toor dal with twice the amount of water and haldi. When done, whisk till smooth.

2. Heat a small pan and dry roast all the ingredients for Sambar masala except the coconut for about 2 minutes. Then add the coconut and fry for a minute more till lightly brown. Cool and grind to a paste using a little water.

3. In a thick-bottomed pan, add the tamarind extract and salt and add the semi-cooked veggies / fried onions and cook on a low to medium flame till the tamarind leaves its raw aroma (roughly 8 to 10 minutes).

4. Add the toor dal and let simmer for 5 minutes more on low to medium flame. Add water if too thick. On the other hand, if the sambar seems too runny, dissolve 1 tsp rice flour (or cornstarch) to 2 tsps water and add to the pan.

5. Now add the ground masala paste and continue to cook for 7 to 8 minutes more, i.e till the aroma of the ground paste becomes absorbed in the lentils as well as the vegetables. It's optional to add the jaggery for the typical Udupi touch.

6. To prepare the tempering, heat coconut oil and add the red chili and hing. Now add the rai and let splutter. Finally add the curry leaves and pour over the sambar. Give it a stir, check for taste and remove. Serve hot.

Crispy Dal Vadas

Two types of vadas are pretty common in South Indian households, the popular 'Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside' Urad dal one, and the crispy dal vada. Both are prepared on festivals and enjoyed with equal fervour....

                                                           CRISPY DAL VADA

Ingredients (Makes 25 medium-sized vadas) :

Toor dal (Split pigeon peas) - 1/2 cup

Chana dal (Bengal gram) - 1/2 cup

Moong dal (Green gram) - 1/2 cup

Urad dal (split black gram) - 1 tbsp

Green Chili - 1

Dry Red Chili - 1

Hing - 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Ginger - 1/2 inch piece

Chopped Dhaniya - 2 tbsps

Method : 

1. Wash and soak all the lentils for about an hour. Drain the water (preserve the water) and keep aside.

2. In a mixer jar, blend the green and red chilies along with ginger.

3. Now add the soaked lentils and grind coarsely so that the dals remain partially visible. Add hing and salt to taste and run the mixer one more time.

4. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Add the chopped coriander and mix well.

5. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying. Using the drained water that we preserved, wet your hands lightly and scoop out a small portion of the batter. Flatten and drop into the oil. Remember to keep the oil on medium heat as we want the dals to be cooked from the inside as well and which will result in crispy vadas.

Remove and drain excess oil. Serve hot.

Optional : If preparing as a snack, you can experiment with the batter by adding chopped onions, chopped spinach, raw banana flower and so on.

South Indian Patra

Stuffed, rolled and fried colocasia leaves are a delicacy popular in most parts of India, especially the Western belt, ranging from Gujarat, Maharastra, as also in Tamil Nadu. Different cuisines make use of different stuffings for the leaves, but the end result is always the same - uniquely delicious!!!
The plants are pretty easy to grow at home and quite maintenance free. Every time we get arbi, we plant a couple in a vacant flower pot. That gives us an almost continuous supply of good quality leaves round the year !!!
The South Indian variation makes use of toor dal (Yellow pigeon peas) ground along with spices and applied to the leaves. Let's take a look.....

SOUTH INDIAN PATRA 

(STUFFED & FRIED ARBI LEAVES)

Ingredients :

Arbi (Colocasia) leaves - 8 medium (or 4 large)
Toor Dal (Split yellow pigeon peas) - 1 1/2 cups
Urad Dal (split black gram) - 1 tsp
Hing - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Dry Red Chilies - 2 to 3
Method : 
1. Wash and soak the toor dal and urad dal for an hour. Drain the water.

2. Gently wash the arbi leaves and place face down on a counter. Carefully slice off the thick spine without tearing the leaf, so as to make the it less stiff and easily fold-able.

3. Add the dals, hing, red chilies and salt to a blender. Grind to a fine paste using very little water.

4. Now spread an arbi leaf face down and apply a generous ladle-ful of the paste over it. Cover with another leaf and repeat the process. If the leaves are quite large, 2 should suffice, else 4 medium. Once the leaves are stacked and well-smeared with the stuffing, roll them into a tight cylindrical shape.

5. Prepare a steamer bowl and place the rolled leaves on a steamer plate. Let cook for about 30 minutes.
Remove and let cool.

6. Cut the rolled leaves into 1/2 inch thick slices and shallow fry till crisp, just before serving.

In most South Indian house-holds, this is served typically with spicy Pepper rasam and South Indian kadhi

Sweet and Spicy Golgappas

A twist in the tale for the versatile and ubiquitous Golgappas.....

                                                       SWEET AND SPICY GOLGAPPAS

Ingredients :

Pani Puris :
Maida (Refined Flour) - 1/2 Cup
Rawa (Semolina) - 1/2 Cup
Baking Soda - 1/4 tsp
Salt - a pinch
Oil - For Frying

Filling :
Soaked and sprouted green gram - as required
Sweet Potato - 1
Salt to taste
Chili powder - 1/4 tsp

The "Pani":
Jaggery - 1/2 cup
Water - 2 cups
Tamarind paste - 1/4 tsp
Jeera powder - 1/2 tsp
Chili powder - 1/4 tsp (can be substituted with black pepper powder)
Dry ginger powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - a pinch

Method : 

1. For making the puris, combine the rawa, maida, baking powder and a pinch salt in a bowl. Add water little by little and make a soft dough. Cover with a muslin cloth and keep aside.

2. To prepare the filling, boil and dice the sweet potato. Add to a bowl. Sprinkle a little salt and chili powder and toss lightly. Keep aside.

3. For the "Pani", dissolve the jaggery in 2 cups water. Strain to remove any impurities. Now add the tamarind paste and mix well.

4. Flavour with a pinch of salt, jeera powder and chili or black pepper powder.

5. For the puris, divide the dough into small portions and roll out into a roti. Using a small round cutter, cut out mini puris and fry them in medium hot oil. Drain excess oil.

6. To serve, make small cracks in the puris, fill in the green gram sprouts, sweet potato and arrange on a plate. Pour the sweet and spicy 'Pani' into a glass and serve along with the puris.

Spicy Chana (Navrathra special)

This spicy chana recipe is my personal favourite. Also commonly known as 'Sundal', it's mostly served as 'prasad' during the Navrathras. There are quite a few variations to the recipe and one gets to taste them in different households during the 9-days festival. But I'd like to be biased towards my mother's formula :)

                                                            SPICY CHANA (Sundal)

Ingredients :

White Chick peas - 250gms  (Soaked overnight)
Coconut bits - 1/4 cup (Or grated)
Salt to taste

To be roasted & ground :
Oil - 1 tsp
Dhaniya seeds - 1 tbsp
Dry Red Chili - 1
Hing - 1/4 tsp

For Tempering
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Dry Red Chili - 1
Hing - a pinch
Curry leaves - a few

Method : 

1. Pressure cook the chana (chick peas) along with salt to taste, till soft.

2. Heat oil in a pan, add dhaniya seeds, red chili and hing and fry for a minute. Remove and cool. Dry grind this to a powder.

3. Strain the cooked chana in a large colander and keep aside.

4. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a larger pan, add mustard seeds and let crackle. Add red chili and hing and fry for a bit. Add the curry leaves followed by the chana and mix well.

5. Add the coconut (bits or grated) and the powdered spice to the pan and mix again. Check for salt, remove from the flame and serve.

Quick Chickpea Salad

Here's a simple and refreshing salad with a desi tadka (Tempering)!!!

                                                        QUICK CHICKPEA SALAD

Ingredients :

Dark Brown/White Chick Peas, or combination of the two - 1/2 cup (Soaked overnite)
Boiled Green Peas - 1/4 cup
Boiled and diced potatoes - 1/4 cup
Chopped Capsicum - 1/4 cup
Chopped coriander
Lemon Juice - 1/4 tsp
Tempering :
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Hing (Asafoetida) powder - 1/4 tsp

Method :

1. In a salad bowl, toss together the chick peas, potatoes, peas and capsicum.

2. Prepare the tempering by heating the oil and adding mustard seeds, let crackle, then add the hing.

3. Add to the salad and mix well.

4. Just before serving, add lemon juice, mix well. Serve garnished with fresh chopped coriander.

Variations : One can also add chopped onion, chopped tomato, or even substitute the normal potatoes with sweet potatoes.