MANGALORE BUNS

I did always wonder why these buns were called buns instead of any bajji or bonda...what is in the name.. it is taste which matters was my final decision.. My neighbour S got me into this and this is her recipe which I followed to the z to  get yummy tasting Mangalore buns...All we need is some ripe bananas and maida to make this sinfully tasty dish.

I tried them this evening for snack and had to struggle and wrangle a few for the photograph. 
They are pretty good for the first time. Next time i promised myself i will give the required round shape...

Mangalore Buns

Ingredients:

2 ripe Bananas , medium sized

2 cups of Maida / all purpose flour

salt to taste

1/2 to one spoon of soda

4 tbsp curds 

1 spoon salt and 

Oil for deep frying...

Method:

Mash the bananas completely so that there  no lumps left.. Add sugar, salt soda Mix the maida and curds to a chapati dough. use  yogurt sparingly and jusr right to get the prefect consistancy.. smear oil all over the dough, cover  and let it rest for about 4 to 5 hours.

Heat the oil in a deep bottom pan. On medium heat , make tiny ball of this risen mixture.. with oil smeared hands. It is  tricky but I used oil on a aluminum foil and flattened them out .  Deep fry both sides to a lovely brown colour. The yummy buns are ready to be served.

Enjoy as evening snack with hot tea...

Red Sauce Farfalle Pasta and Garlic Breadf

Red Sauce Pasta is one of the easiest dishes to be made in less than 10 minutes. My daughters favourite , I made it for her Birthday . It is filling and all time favourite for kids .


FARFALLE WITH RED SAUCE:

                                                        Farfalle with Red Sauce

Ingredients:

A quarter  kilo of Farfalle pasta

Two onions, finely chopped

Three or Four garlic cloves, minced

Three tablespoons Butter

One small carton of  tomato puree

Two  medium tomatoes diced

Ten  cherry tomatoes.

salt & pepper, to taste

Italian seasoning.. and

Grated Parmesan cheese



Method

Cook the Farfalle pasta in water with a dash of salt and oil. When it done... drain it under cold water to avoid further cooking.

In a pan add butter , when it heats up add the finely chopped onions and garlic. 

To this add the cherry tomatoes... keep a bit away from it as the tomatoes splutter a bit. then add the chopped tomatoes and tomato puree. 

Add the salt and pepper and the Italian seasoning to taste.

Add the grated Parmesan cheese and let it cook. 

When it sends a delicious aroma add the cooked pasta and mix well , grate some cheese to garnish and serve hot. 

NIPPATTU / NIPPITTU ,

This Snack is popular in Southern part of India. It is made of rice flour and can be stored for days and so it is an easy alternative and comes handy when there are unexpected guests at tea time. 

There are lots of savoury items to go with tea time and Nippattu is one of the best. Be it a rainy day or a warm one this goes perfect in any season. I am making these again after a long time. 

Nippattu/Nippittu

Ingredients

Rice Flour  -  1 large tea cup (heaped)
Roasted gram powder  -  2 tbsp
Roasted gram chunks -   1 tbsp
Roasted peanuts (crushed)  -  two spoons
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric  -  1/2 
Groundnuts  -  2 tbsp
Curry leaves - a sprig, chopped lengthwise
Oil  -  2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Oil to fry

Method:

In a deep bottom pan add the oil to deep fry and get it to heat. Meanwhile roast the groundnuts, de skin and crush them to coarse chunks. 
Mix the Rice flour, Roasted gram powder, Roasted gram chunks, red chilli powder,turmeric, coarse groundnuts, curry leaves , salt .To this add two table spoons of hot oil and mix well adding water till it is a pliable and moist.

Take a small ball of dough . Place it on a plastic sheet  fold the sheet on top of the dough and press with fingers till it gets flattened to a thin round form.

Deep fry in the hot oil till golden brown on both sides. Keep the heat in medium so that the nippattu is cooked uniformly.

Remove on a paper and let it cool. Serve with tea or coffee or just enjoy anytime of the day.

Instant Pongal (Khichdi) Mix

Pongal or khichdi as I had posted earlier is a one pot nutritious meal. My aunts recipe for this is a certain favourite for all my single and working friends now. Here is the recipe for the mix.
INSTANT PONGAL MIX:Though this simple dish is easy to make , this mix makes it easier. literally gets ready in 10 minutes time. 
Ingredients:


2 cups rice
1cup mung dal
1 1/2 cups grated dry copra
5 tbsp ghee ( clarified butter)
1 tsp Chana dal 
1 tsp Urad dal
1/4 cup cashew nuts
1 tsp mustard seeds (rai)
1tsp  cumin seeds
1 tsp black pepper 
3 dry red chillies (broken into pieces)
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 cloves 
a sprig of curry leaves 
a tbsp of coriander leaves
a pinch of hing (asafoetida)  and 
Salt to taste

Method :
In a little ghee fry till the mungdal is red and then add rice slowly keep frying till the rice starts turning whitish. keep it aside . In a deep bottom pan pour the rest of the ghee ,Add mustard seeds and let it splutter . Add the cashew nuts and fry till they are golden brown. Slowly add cumin, pepper,chana dal, urad dal, asafoetida (hing), Red chillies, cloves , curry leaves and coriander. Saute till the fresh leaves like coriander dehydrate in the heat 
of the pan and oil. Add salt to taste. Into this pour the above rice and dry copra. Mix well on heat and then let it cool.


Store and use as and when required.

This mixture can be stored in refrigerator for more than 6 months. When you want to use.. Pour one cup of this mixture with 3 cups of water in a pressure cooker and one whistle should be enough to get quick and tasty Pongal.


Yum indeed. 

Uppittu/ Upma and Rava Idli instant Mix.

This week was a bit of work and lot of learning. Aunt L taught me lots which I will share here every week. We made lots of Instant mixes to help save time in the kitchen and great for single people who are finding it touch to cook elaborate meals .


First in the series comes the Uppittu or humble UPMA.. which can be used as Rava Idly mix too with a little variation. Uppitu is a quick yummy breakfast says my husband. I am not a great fan of uppittu /upma but agree that it is the quickest after cornflakes and milk. 

  
This instant mix is a real saver.It turns out exactly like the store bought instant mixes. Here is the recipe for you 


Ingredients:


Bombay rava/ Upma rava  - 1/2 kg
Ghee -  3 tbsp
Mustard seeds -  1 tbsp
Cashew nuts  -  broken in half 2 tbsp
Urad dal  -  1tbsp
Chana dal -  1 tbsp
Green chillies   -  sliced ( sliced into 4 or 6 pieces)
Curry leaves -  two sprigs
Coriander  -  two tbsp
hing/asafoetida - a pinch
Salt to taste.


Method : 


Dry Roast the rava or medium coarse semolina till it gives a delicious aroma and turns brownish. Keep aside

In a deep bottom pan  pour the ghee... add mustard /rai seeds  and let it it splutter. Then add cashew nuts, let it turn golden brown then add the urad and chana daals. When these are crisp add green chilies , curry leaves and grander and let them dehydrate in the ghee. Add a pinch of asafoetida/ hing and salt to taste. 


Mix the roasted Rava to this seasoning and let it cool . Your Uppitu/Upma mix is ready to use. 
This can be stored in the refrigerator for 6 months or more and in the open/ room temperature for about 20 days. 

How to use:


Uppittu/Upma


In a  pan add two cups of water . when the water comes to a boil add one cup of the mixture. Let it cook for about five  minutes.Delicious Uppitu or Upma  is ready..




Rava Idli


In a vessel mix one measure of sour curds to one measure of the above mixture with a pinch of soda. let the rawa soak the sour curds.. If the batter gets too hard add a little more curds to it. Let it rest for about 20 minutes and steam in a Idli stand to get soft fluffy Rava Idli. Serve hot with coconut chutney. 


I will post pictures of the dishes soon .


Ciao for now.. hoping this post was useful. Do let me know. 

Dheeli Khicdi.. a simple healthy porridge.

Dheeli Khichdi is a very tasty, healthy and wholesome one pot meal . The fresh khichdi with a spoon of ghee provides right amounts of macro nutrients... Moong dal ( split mung bean ) is easy to digest and so khichdi is given as a diet for many digestive problems.In Karnataka khicdhi is made as huggi and in Tamil  Cuisine it is known as pongal. The major ingredients are same but the process and consistency are a bit different. I made Gujarathi Dheeli khichdi , a favourite one pot meal at my place for any meal.

Dheeli Khichdi

Gujarathi Dheeli Khichdi:
 An unusally simple and super tasty dish is very easy to make. You can just make it out of few basic ingredients. I have made the simplest version you can try variations by adding vegetables and green chillies to spice it up. Here is the recipe.


INGREDIENTS:


2 small cups moong dal
2  small cups  rice
3 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
7-8 whole black pepper-corns
2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp cumin seeds (jeera)
a pinch of Asafoetida (Hing)
salt - to taste (about 1 1/2-2 tbsp)


METHOD


Soak the Rice and Moong dal for about half hour. In a pressure pan add 3 tbsp of Ghee/Oil. 
When the Ghee/oil heats up add cumin seed, pepper corns , turmeric powder and Asafoetida.  Wait till the cumin seeds go reddish and then add the Rice and Moongdal mixture with  salt to taste.
 Pour in about 10 to 12 small cups of water ( to get the watery consistency, lesser if you want it a  bit dry)and pressure cook for about 10 minutes or 3 whistles. Let the pressure go down.


Serve with a spoon of ghee.Enjoy the watery Dheeli Khichdi with pickle or bhujiya.

Stir Fried Hakka Noodles

 I have always wanted to get Hakka noodles right and Tarla Dalal's recipe came just to my aid this time. I did make a few changes like adding pepper powder instead of red chillies. It turned out a great dish. Here is the recipe for you.

STIR FRIED HAKKA NOODLES

Ingredients


2 tbsp oil
3 tsp chopped garlic pods
2 carrot finely chopped
1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup finely sliced capsicum
1/2 cup chopped spring onions whites
1/2 cup peas and corn kernels
3 cups boiled Hakka noodles
2 tsp soy sauce
Pepper powder to taste
salt to taste




To Garnish
1/4 cup shredded cabbage or 
1/4 cup chopped spring onion greens




Method


Boil 6 cups of water with a dash of oil and salt .When the water is boiling add a pack of Hakka noodles , turn the heat off after a minute or so.. close the pan and let the noodles cook .Then drain the water and keep the boiled noodles aside.


Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan over a high flame.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for a few seconds.
Add the cabbage, capsicum ,carrot and spring onion whites and stir-fry over a high flame for a few  minutes.


Add peas and corn kernels, add salt and let the vegetables cook.
Add the noodles, soy sauce ,pepper and salt. Mix well and stir-fry for 2 minute.
Serve hot , garnished with spring onion greens.

Tomato Jam

Tomatoes are in bounty in my city this season. It is a colour feast to see the carts in the lovely red. I have tried Jam yesterday , will try sauce , ketchup and chutneys soon.Depending on the success i have with them I will update the recipes too.


Here is the easy recipe of Tomato Jam






Ingredients :
To make about 400 grams of Jam


Tomatoes - Finely chopped 6 cups 


Sugar  -  2 cups 


Apple  -  1


Ginger freshly grated  -  1 tsp


optional additions can be :


cinnamon powder -  1/2 tsp


Cloves ground  -  1/2 tsp

Method 

Peel and remove the seeds in  the apple. Chop into small pieces and blend it along with the tomatoes to a puree. You Can blanch if you prefer..Just wash the tomatoes and drop them into boiling water for 15 to 30 seconds. Put them into cold water again to stop the cooking .the skin will peel off very easily . Lo tomatoes are blanched. I prefer to eat with the skin on .. The chunky bits in the jam are tasty.

Add the puree and and add one and half cups of sugar in a deep and thick bottom pan and place it on the stove on high heat.

When it melts check for the sweetness and add if necessary. Continue cooking till the puree is reduced to one quarter till the required consistency . 

Add lime juice and reduce the heat.  Add grated ginger and the optional powder (to taste).

Let the puree cook until to a consistency of sauce. Then turn the heat off and let it cool. The jam will thicken when it cools. Fill in your jars when its completely cool.

Store in refrigerators as no preservative is added.

Enjoy with Bread or Chapatis.

Rice and Coconut Milk Payasam

Makara Sankranti is celebrated in most parts of Southern India. We usually make Sihipongal , Khara Pongal, and distribute Ellu and bella. This time with Ellu Bella, I made one simple payasam with coconut milk. It was very easy to make and excellent in taste. 

Ingredients: 

Cooked rice - One  cup

Jaggery - 3/4 cup ( more if its your taste) 

Coconut milk - 2 cartons of 200 ml each ( 400 ml)

Cardomom powder - 1 tsp


Ghee  1 tsp

Dry Fruits - Cashew, Almonds, Pistachio and Raisans.

Method


Cook the rice in a pressure cooker with a little coconut milk for flavour.


Melt the jaggery  in a deep bottom pan by adding very little water. 

When it melts, add the cooked rice and mix well. Add kesar and cardamom powder.

When the mixture starts boiling add  200 ml of coconut milk and a little water.

Mix well and let it come to a boil. Add the rest of the coconut milk and reduce the heat. 


Turn the heat off and garnish with dry fruits of your choice roasted in Ghee.

Serve hot or chilled. Either ways it is as tasty. Best part of this is you can turn a leftover rice portion into yummy payasa within minutes.

Ciao..

Beet and Babycorn Cutlets

I made a few changes to the original cutlet recipe , this seems to be the best way to get my girls to eat beetroot without wincing about the colour of it. 

It is a simple and easy to make recipe. Great for a rainy or cool day. 


Beet and Baby corn Cutlets:


Ingredients:
Potatoes - 2 medium sized.
Baby corn -  8 - 12 cobs
Beetroot - 3 (medium sized)
Ginger garlic paste - 1tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 3/4 tsp
Salt - to taste 
Green chillies - 1 or 2 (minced and to taste)
Cumin/Jeera powder - 1/2 tsp
Dry mango powder - 1/2 tsp
Fine bread crumbs - 1/2 cup (dry)
Oil for shallow frying.


Method:


Pressure cook potatoes and peeled beetroot. Peel and mash potatoes, grate the beetroots. Dice and clean baby corn.
After cooking grate beetroots. Clean and dice the baby corn cobs. 
Heat oil in a deep pan. Add  ginger garlic paste, minced chillies.Fry for a few minutes and then add Jeera powder , garam masala and red chilli powder.Add the baby corn pieces and fry for a few more minutes till it is cooked. 
Add the graded beetroot and salt. Let the moisture evaporate then add the mashed potato and mix well.  Fry for few more minutes, add amchur and more salt if required. Allow to cool down . Mix bread crumbs and made even sized balls. Pat it to flat and dust it with more bread crumbs. Shallow fry to golden brown and serve with Green Chutney.