DRY PAAN... best homemade paan/ mouth freshner

Dry Paan 

by Latha Murthy

Festive season is here. I hope you all had a wonderful Dasara. Most of us have experienced that after every festival or function we are left with plenty of betel leaves which is a must in our festivities. People who are preparing themselves for the confinement of their daughter/daughter-in-law.can prepare this which will be very handy specially when you are going abroad to help them out.

This time do not wonder or despair try this simple dry paan which is healthy and tasty. 

Ingredients

1 cup finely chopped Betel leaves 

1/2 cup of Sugar. 

optional to be mixed later : betelnut powder (supari), saunf/Fennel seeds , diamond sugar .

Method.

Wash and dry the betel leaves without traces of water. Remove the nodal part ( thumbo kudi) and chop the leaves into fine bits.

In a kadai, add sugar and leaves together ( please remember absolutely no water). Keep stirring occasionally , the sugar starts to melt. Before it completely melts take it out of the heat and keep stirring. Soon the crispy paan is ready. 

Simple isnt it... The consistency can be mastered in a few trials.

After this cools store in a airtight container for a long time.

For added taste add saunf,diamond sugar and ready supari . It can be used without all these too.

Have a great season . Do let me know how it is . 

KOBRI CHATNIPUDI../SPICY COPRA CHUTNEY POWDER

LATHA'S MAGIC series

Author: Latha Murthy


 I would like to start with a simple and tasty chutney powder recipe. This is a perfect side dish for hot rice, dosa, idli and chapatis...Simple and yummilicious. I give here the measurements for one cup of copra. It can be doubled as per requirement.

      KOBRI CHUTNEYPUDI

Ingredients:
The ingredients are simple and available at home usually.

Grated Copra          -  1 cup

Garlic cloves           -  5 to 6 ( optional)
Red chilli powder   - 1 tsp
( Byadigi red chilli can be used 2 or 3 red chillies in that case)      Tamarind                -  small marble size
Jaggery                  -   1 tsp 
Salt                         - to taste

METHOD

1. Dry roast the grated copra, till the remaining moisture evaporates, Keep aside.
2. Garlic is optional but adds to the taste.
3.  Peel and dry roast the Garlic cloves to take out the slight moisture in it so that the Powder can be stored for long. 
4. Turn the heat off and add the red chilli powder ( dry roast the red chilli if you are using the chillies instead of powder) and salt to the garlic and let it stay for a while. 
5. Dry Grind together Copra, Garlic, salt and chilli powder.
6. Add the jaggery and Tamarind and grind again till it mixes well. 

 Your Kobri Chutney powder is ready.

Enjoy with food of your choice...

Dear Friends,

It has been about 18 months or more since the blog is updated.. A lot has happened hence the delay. My aunt L who is person who cooks so well is going to be the guest author from now on. She is going to make a series of the forgotten recipes of Karnataka cuisine like karesa, vaddamuruka , menthye gojju ,,, yum I am already drooling. Watch out this space regularly from now on for the recipes from her. I also think it should be a good Idea to start a page on FB with the same name? so that its easier to look into.

Regards
Shubha.