Stir Fried Cluster beans February 7, 2010
Posted by prathibalrao in Uncategorized.Tags: lunch side dish
9 comments
Cluster Beans is also one among the green beans available. It is seasonal and available only during 3-4 months of the year and certainly not as popular as its cousin French beans. Cluster Beans is a little bitterish in taste unlike the other green beans that are sweeter. There are a few variety of beans like french beans, broad beans, long Beans (Alasande in Kannada/Konkani). Here is the cluster beans curry ( and the french beans curry if you missed it earlier ). Cluster Beans is Gorikayi in kannada (in Bangalore-Mysore region) “Chavlikodu” in kannada here in south kanara. Midkesanga in konkani as south canara people call it and also Chitmidkesanga in konkani as it is called in North kanara region.
What you need to have:
1. Chopped Cluster Beans – 2 cups
2. Chopped Potatoes – 2/3 cup
3. Fresh grated coconut – a handful
4. Milk – 1/2 cup
Ingredients of Seasoning:
1. Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon
2. Blackgram Dal – 1 teaspoon
3. Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon
4. Asafoetida powder – 1 teaspoon
5. Dhania-jeera powder – 1 teaspoon
6. Green chill – 3-4
Fresh Cluster Beans
Ingredients of Cluster Beans curry
What you do with what you have:
1. Cut off the edges of the bean, wash, slit it lengthwise and cut into pieces of required length ( I go for 2” pieces)
2. Wash, peal and chop potatoes as well lengthwise into 2″ pieces as shown in the image 2. Grate coconut as well and set aside.
3. Place a skillet with 3-4 teaspoons of cooking oil in it on medium flame. When heated add mustard seeds to it. When it starts sputtering add black gram dal, turmeric powder, asafoetida powder, dhania-jeera powder, one red chilli piece and curry leaves one after the other.
Seasoning in progress
4. Now add chopped cluster beans and chopped potatoes from step 1 to it. Also add normal milk , required quantity of salt, a pinch of sugar to it and allow it to cook closing the dish with a lid.
Cluster Beans curry being cooked
5. Check for salt and if not done add a little more water and allow it to cook. When you cooked you are ready to enjoy it with rice and dal.
Ready to serve Cluster Beans curry
How long it takes: 45 minutes
Number of servings: 5-6
Set Dosa (Mushti Polo) February 3, 2010
Posted by prathibalrao in Uncategorized.Tags: Dosa hut
7 comments
Set dosas is the oldest of the dosas available in almost all the restaurants. At times Masala dosa will not be there and this dosa will always be available. It is an easy recipe and can be relished by any one, since it can be soft as well as crispy. The dough has to be properly fermented for dosas to turn out soft though. We call it Mushti polo in konkani. Mushti is a handful – for every cup of rice a handful of Blackgram dal is added to this recipe. My other Dosa recipes here.
What you need to have:
1. Blackgram Dal – A handful
2. Raw rice (Sona Masoorie) – 1 cup
3. Fenugreek seeds – 1/3 teaspoon
4. Beaten rice – 1 teaspoon
5. Fresh grated coconut – 2 teaspoons (optional)
6. Cooking oil/ghee – 1/2 cup
What you do with what you have:
1. Wash and soak blackgram dal, rice and fenugreek seeds in water for about 2 hours. Also add beaten rice and grated coconut to it while soaking.
2. Grind it to a fine consistency adding water in steps. Add required quantity of salt to it and allow to ferment over night. The ground dosa batter is as shown in the image below.
3. When fermented the dosa batter will be as below.
4. Place a dosa griddle on medium flame and when heated sprinkle a little cooking oil on it. Rub it and then sprinkle a little water as well to it. Now lower the flame and pour in dosa batter and spread it to the required thickness. Close it with a lid. (This dosa need not be flipped.)
5. Serve hot with any chutney, chutney powder or even potato bhaji.
Ready to serve set dosa with chutney
6. On the same skillet sprinkle a few drops of cooking oil and spread it with a coconut coir or tissue paper. Simmer the flame and sprinkle a few drops of water on the skillet and then pour a laddle of dosa batter and spread it to a thin consistency. Sprinkle a little oil on the edges and in the middle of the dosa. The crispy dosa is ready to serve now. Spread a little dry chutney powder on the dosa and fold it.
Ready to serve crispy set dosa with chutney
How long it takes: 45 minutes (other than soaking and fermenting)
Potato Chakli January 29, 2010
Posted by prathibalrao in Uncategorized.Tags: fried snacks
10 comments
Chakli is a South Indian snack and needs no introduction and we prepare a variety of the same. I have already put up a few of them like the just as any of the other Chaklis I have put up before - Rice Atta Chakli, Moong Dal Chaklis, Maida Chaklis and Sugarcane juice chakli. Today I would like to add yet another variety of the same to the long list – the Potato chakli.
What you need to have:
1. Boiled grated potato – 1 cup
2. Maida – 3 cups
3. Seasame seeds – 1 teaspoon
4. Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
5. Asafoetida powder – 1/2 teaspoon
6. Chilli powder – 1 teaspoon
7. Butter – 1 teaspoon (optional)
8. Pepper powder (white) – 1/2 teaspoon
9. Salt – taste
What you do with what you have:
1. Wash, peal and cook potato in the cooker without adding water in the cooker container. On cooling grate it and keep it aside.
Grated potato and sieved and steamed maida
2. Tie maida in a thin muslin cloth and steam it in the cooker for about 20 minutes like you steam idlis. It will turn into lumps and just crush it with your hands and sieve it in the atta siever.
3. Mix sieved flour with steamed and grated potatoes along with cumin powder, sesame seeds, salt, chilli powder and pepper powder.
4. Add a very little water (if needed only) since potato is cooked smooth and has moisture in it. Make a soft dough to suit one’s chakli mould.
5. Place the dough in chakli mould and prepare chakli on a thick plastic sheet in circular form.
6. Place a skillet with 3-4 cups of cooking oil in it on the flame. When heated deep fry chakli from step 5 till done on both the sides.
7. Ready to serve potato chakli is as shown in the image below. Serve as snacks with tea. One can store it for more than 15 days if deep fried in fresh cooking oil and stored in air tight containers !
How long it takes: 60 minutes
Number of Chaklis: 60
Tamarind Gojju January 29, 2010
Posted by prathibalrao in Uncategorized.Tags: 30 minutes, lunch side dish
3 comments
Tamarind in English (Hunsehannu in Kannada and chinchamba in Konkani) is a must in the preparation of Indian food, especially South Indian food. It is often used as a replacement for tomatos and now in the Tamarind season, we buy it for the whole year’s stock in bulk. Now a days of course tamarind pulp is available in plenty but if you can, fresh tamarind is always a better option. We normally prepare Tamarind gojju during this season when they are available fresh. It goes well with some mild dishes like the Moongdal usli and also Rice/Dal. So here goes.
What you need to have:
1. Fresh Tamarind – 4-5
2. Jaggery – 4-5 tablespoons (depending upon tanginess of tamarind)
3. Green Chilli – 1
4. Chopped coriander leaves – 2
Fresh Tamarind
Ingredients of Tamarind gojju
What you do with what you have:
1. Peal tamarind and soak it in water for about 10-15 minutes so that it turns out smooth to run in the mixer. When smooth run it in the mixer and strain it through the strainer adding required quantity of water.
2. Add crushed jaggery, chopped coriander leaves and required quantity of salt to it. Chop green chillis and squeeze it with salt and mix it to the juice.
3. Place a spatula with 2 teaspoons of cooking oil it on medium flame. When heated add mustard, broken red chilli pieces and curry leaves to it. Season the same to the juice. Add finely chopped coriander leaves to it also. Yummy with rice and dal as well.
Good to remember:
1. Quantity of Jaggery depends upon the tanginess of tamarind and once you season the gojju just crush a few mustard seeds in it which gives extra flavor.
How long it takes: 30 minutes
Number of servings: 2-3
Spring Onion Greens Paratha January 29, 2010
Posted by prathibalrao in Uncategorized.Tags: 45 minutes, Parathas and Rotis
1 comment so far
I have already put up a few of the parathas (all parathas) like the Aloo paratha, Moongdal paratha and Methi thepla. Now here come another – spring onion greens which is very healthy and tasty. Spring onion greens are also used in the simple stir fry dish.
What you need to have:
1. Chopped spring onion – 1 cup
2. Wheat atta – 1 and 1/2 cup
3. Chick peas atta – 2 tablespoons
4. Chilli powder – 1 teaspoon
5. Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon
6. Garam masala powder – teaspoon
7. Dhania-Jeera powder – 1 teaspoon
8. Salt – To taste
9. Chopped coriander leaves - A handful
10. Oil to knead - 2 Tablespoons
11. Lemon juice – 1 teaspoon
Ingredients of Spring Onion paratha
What you do with what you have:
1. Wash, chop spring onion greens and the small pearl onions at the tip of the greens and grind it in the mixie without water to a fine consistency.
2. Transfer ground spring onion from step 1 to a broad bowl and add wheat atta, chick peas atta, chilli power, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, dhania-jeera powder, salt, lemon juice, and cooking oil to it and knead it into a soft and paliable dough. Pinch out required quantity of the dough from it.
Spring onion paratha dough and the pinched out ball
3. Dust the pinched out ball in wheat atta and roll it the required thickness on a thick plastic sheet.
4. Place a skillet on medium flame and sprinkle a little oil/ghee on it. When heated place rolled paratha from step 3 on it and roast it .
5. When done apply oil again ,flip and roast the other side as well.
Paratha being roasted on the reverse
6. When done enjoy with either amul butter and chutney powder or tomato ketchup.
Ready to serve Spring Onion Paratha
How long it takes: 45 minutes
Number of Parathas: 8-10
Methi Thepla January 22, 2010
Posted by prathibalrao in Uncategorized.Tags: Parathas & Rotis
10 comments
Methi in hindi is fenugreek inEnglish , Menthya in kannada and meththi in konkani . Methi leaves is one of the most popular greens and is used in most of the dishes. We prepare a number of dishes like the alu-methi masa which i have already put up on this blog and has been responded very well. I have already put up a few stuffed paratas and today i would like to put up Mehi parata which is popularly known as the Thepla. This is a popular Gujrathi dish and serves well during travelling. Here it is:
What you need to have:
1. Methi leaves chopped – 1 cup
2. Wheat atta – approximately 1 cup
3. Chickpeas atta – 1 tablespoon
4. Cooking oil – 1 tablespoon
5. Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon
6. Chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
7. Onion chopped fine – 1 small (Optional)
8. Garlic pods – 4-5 (optional)
9. Dhania Jeera powder – 2 teaspoons
10. Asafoetida powder – 1/2 teaspoon
11. Salt - To taste
12. Sugar – To taste
13. Sweet curds – 1/4 cup
14. Finely chopped coriander leaves - A handful
What you do with what you have:
1. Wash and chop methi leaves, coriander leaves fine and keep it aside. Also peal and chop both onion and garlic fine.
2. Sieve both wheat atta and chick peas atta in the siever.
3. Transfer sieved atta mix to a broad bowl so that one is able to make the dough conviniently.
4. Add chopped methi leaves, coriander leaves, salt, sugar, chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, dhania jeera powder, curds, cooking oil to the bowl of both the atta mix. Make a soft smooth dough (sprinkling a very little waterif needed depending upon the atta one uses) and pinch out the required quantity of the dough to roll out the Thepla. The dough and the pinched out ball is as shown in the image below.
Thepla dough and the pinched out ball
5. Place the pinched out ball dusted in atta on a thick plastic sheet and roll it to the required thickness and is as shown in the image below.
6. Place a chapathi tawa on medium flame and on heating sprinkle a little oil/pure ghee on it. Roast the rolled thepla and when done reverse it and roast it on the other side sprinkling either oi/ghee of your choice.
7. Serve hot either with either tomato kethup or butter and lemon pickle.
Ready to serve Methi Thepla with lemon pickle & Amul butter
Good to know:
1. I have not used either onions or garlic in the above recipe. This is so that it is ideal for traveling and if I prepare it at home for tiffin I normally add both of them for extra flavour.
How long it takes: 30 minutes
Number of servings: 5-6 of the above size
Potato and Onion Bhaji January 20, 2010
Posted by prathibalrao in Uncategorized.Tags: Side dish for Rotis
8 comments
Potato and onion the twin vegetables that go together in a lot of dishes and certainly in the Potato-Onion Bhaji. This Bhaji is slightly different from the one I put up with the Masala Dosa – this has the flavor of sambhar powder and is more of a gravy and a good combination for Poori/Chapati. I have also added fresh green peas to it for extra flavour. Here goes the recipe.
What you need to have:
1. Potatos – 2-3
2. Onions – 5
3. Green peas – 1/2 cup
4. Fresh grated coconut – 2 tablespoon
5. Chopped coriander leaves – A handful
6. Sambar – 1-2 teaspoons
Ingredients of Potato-Onion bhaji
Ingredients of Seasoning:
1. Chopped onions – 3/4 cup
2. Green chilli – 1-2
4. Curry leaves – 2-3 strands
5. Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon
6. Blackgram dal – 1 teaspoon
7. Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon
8. Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
9. Cashews – A handful
Ingredients of Seasoning
What you do with what you have:
1. Peel onions and chop lengthwise and keep it aside as shown in image 2. Grate coconut, wash and chop coriander leaves as well and keep it aside as shown in image 1.
2. Wash, peal and cook potatoes as usual in the cooker till soft/cooked. On cooling, just crush the cooked potatoes with your hands add sufficient water and keep aside.
Crushed cooked potatoes
3. Place a skillet with 5-6 teaspoons of cooking oil in it on the flame. On heating add mustard seeds to it. When it starts sputtering add blackgram dal to it. When dal is fried, add cumin seeds to it. When it sputters add chopped green chillies, curry leaves, and turmeric powder, cashews to it. Add chopped onions from step 1 and required quantity of salt to the dish.
The Seasoning
5. After a while add fresh green peas also and saute it till onions turn transparent and green peas turn soft.
Seasoning in progress
6. Now add cooked potato gravy from step-3 and a teaspoon of sambar powder, garam masala powder(optional) and mix well. Check for salt and if required add some more water to adjust to the required consistency and bring it to boil.
7. Finally add chopped coriander leaves and grated coconut from step 1, stir well and serve hot with your favorite Puri/Dosa/Chapati.
,
Ready to serve potato-Onion bhaji with gravy
How long it takes: 45 minutes
Number of servings: 4-5
Sankashti Dates for 2010 January 3, 2010
Posted by prathibalrao in Uncategorized.Tags: festivals
9 comments
It is the time of the year to put up the Sankashti dates, like I did a year ago and 2 years ago. As usual the source of the dates this time around is from the Udayavani Calendar/Dairy.
Note that this year Sankashti falls on Tuesdays in the month of February and October. The special mention of Tuesdays is highlighted for the reason that there are some people who only follow Sankshtis falling on Tuesdays, Lord Ganesh’s day.
Meanwhile, read more on Sankashti including my puja procedure here.
| Date | Moon rise |
| Sunday, January 3 | 9.06 pm |
| Tuesday, February 2 | 9:50 pm |
| Wednesday, March 3 | 9:21 pm |
| Friday, April 2 | 9:58 pm |
| Monday, May 31 | 9:59 pm |
| Wednesday, June 30 | 10:03 pm |
| Thursday, July 29 | 9:18 pm |
| Saturday, Aug 28 | 9:08 pm |
| Sunday, September 26 | 8:29 pm |
| Tuesday, October 26 | 8:36 pm |
| Thursday, November 25 | 9:27 pm |
| Friday, December 24 | 9:18 pm |
Capsicum Kairas December 22, 2009
Posted by prathibalrao in Uncategorized.Tags: lunch side dish
12 comments
Capsicum (Donne mensinkai in Kannada) is a very popular veggie of the modern kitchen. We prepare variety of dishes like the Capsicum salad, Capsicum Roti and Bhajis. This dish I am putting up today is a popular dish from Northern Karnataka dishes.
What you need to have
1. Capsicum chopped – 2 cups
2. Potato chopped – 1 cup
Chopped Veggies
Ingredients of dry Masala powder:
1. Chick peas dal – 1 tablespoon
2. Coriander seeds – 2 teaspoons
3. White sesame seeds – 2 teaspoons
4. Fenugreek seeds – 1/4 teaspoon
5. Fresh grated coconut – 4 tablespoons
6. Red chillies – 3
Ingredients of Masala powder
What you do with what you have
1. Wash and chop capsicum. Also peal, wash and chop potatoes.
2. Place a skillet on medium flame and dry roast chick peas dal, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, wash and dry roast sesame seeds and using a few drops of oil fry red chillies. Dry roast grated coconut till light brown and till you get a pleasant aroma on low flame. On cooling, powder it together in the mixer.
Dry ground Masala powder
Ingredients of Seasoning
3. Place a pan on low flame with 3-4 teaspoons of cooking oil in it. On heating add mustard seeds to it. On sputtering, add peanuts, cashews and fry it till done. Add curry leaves as well.
Seasoning stage-1
Seasoning in progress
4. Prepare a thick syrup with tamarind, jaggery and salt and keep it aside. Once the seasoning is done add chopped capsicum, potatoes to it and fry for a while.
5. Now add the tamarind-jaggery-salt mix syrup from step 3 to it. Close the lid and cook for a while.
Veggies being cooked in seasoning
6. Finally add the dry masala powder from step 2 to it mix well and let it cook on low flame till done.
Veggies being cooked with Masala powder
Ready to serve Capsicum Kairas is as shown in the image below. Decorate it with chopped coriander leaves. One can enjoy this dish with rice and dal as well.
Ready to serve Capsicum Kairas
Capsicum Kairas with chapati
Number of servings: 4-5
How long it takes: 45 minutes
Masala Rasam December 17, 2009
Posted by prathibalrao in Uncategorized.Tags: gravy
22 comments
I have already put up the normal Tomato Rasam using Rasam powder with Toor Dal. But today I would like to put up yet another Rasam which is prepared with a little masala, without dal and yet really very tasty. This rasam is prepared in most of the temples for pooja food and is also a must in most of the weddings in Coastal Karnataka. Its a great combination for rice/curry/papad. It is also called “Devasthana Saru”/”Devala Saru”.
What you need to have:
1. Fresh grated coconut – 2 tablespoons
2. Tomato -1
3. Coriander seeds – 4 teaspoons
4. Bengalgram Dal – 2 teaspoons
5. Cumin sdds – 1/2 teaspoon
6. Fenugreek seeds – 1/4 teaspoon
7. Asafoetida (Soft) – A pinch
8. Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon
9. Tamarind – size of a half lime
10. Red chillies(Byadgi) – 2-3
11. Curry leaves – a few
12. Jaggery – A little
Ingredients of Masala Rasam
What you need to have:
1. Place a spatula with 3-4 teaspoons of cooking oil in it on low flame. On heating, add bengalgram dal to it. When fried add coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek sdds, asafoetida, one by one. Add red chillis, curry leaves to it and fry for a while. Add grated coconut and fry till it turns light brown in colour. Finally add turmeric powder, tamarind and switch off the flame. Fried ingredients is as shown in the image below.
Masala ingredients being fried in oil
Fried ingredients of wet masala
2. Grind the fried ingredients on cooling in the mixer adding water in steps to a medium fine consistency and the masala is as shown in the image below. 
Ground wet masala
3. Place a broad based bowl on the flame with 2 cups of water with chopped tomatoes. Cook it till smooth.
Tomato being cooked in water
4. When tomato is cooked add the ground masala from step 3 to it and add sufficient quantity of water to bring it to the required consistency. Add required quantity of salt, one or two strands of tender curry leaves to it and jaggery if required and bring it to boil. Finally add chopped coriander leaves and switch off the flame.
Masala rasam being boiled
5. Place a spatula with 3-4 teaspoons of cooking oil in it on the flame. When heated add mustard seeds to it. When it sputters add fresh curry leaves to it. Switch off the flame and season it to the Masala Rasam.
Ready to serve Masala Rasam
Serve hot with rice and papad. yum enjoy!!!!
Number of servings: 3-4
How long it takes: 30 minutes
