Kayi Burfi/ Coconut Burfi:

October 25, 2024

Coconut burfi, a sweet much requested by my daughter, is a delightful and traditional Indian sweet that has been enjoyed for generations. Known for its rich, creamy texture and aromatic flavour, this dessert celebrates simplicity and taste. Made from freshly grated coconut, sugar, and a hint of cardamom, it’s a treat that perfectly balances sweetness with the nutty richness of coconut. Often prepared during festivals, special occasions, or as a thoughtful homemade gift, coconut burfi brings a touch of elegance to any celebration. This recipe will guide you through the steps to create this delectable confection in your kitchen, ensuring each bite is a culinary joy. The essential sweet, which I forgot to add to my blog, will take place today.

Ingredients:

Fresh Coconut gratings – 2 cups (Tightly packed and only white part)

Sugar – 1 cup

Water – ½ to ¾ cup

Cardamom powder – 1 tsp (powdered)

Ghee – 2 tsp (optional)

Milk – 1 tsp

Method:

-Put all the grated coconut in a mixie jar and pulse a little to get a powdery texture.

-Put sugar and water (sugar should immerse) and boil. Add 1 tsp of milk when the sugar dissolves completely and wait to accumulate the impurities at the top centre.

-Remove all the impurities until you see white bubbles.

-When the sugar starts to bubble, you will see that the sugar has reached a one-thread thick consistency.

-Add pulsed coconut and start mixing for a while. Add ghee and powdered cardamom and continue cooking until the mixture becomes bubbly and white and becomes like a mass.

-Pour the mixture into the applied thali. Put some ghee on the back side of the spoon and pat it nicely till it turns smooth.

Leave some time, mark it with the knife and store it in an air-tight container after it turns firm.

Tukudi/ Savoury Shankarpali:

October 21, 2024

Who doesn’t love a diamond-shaped savoury snack with many names such as Thukdi, Tukudi, Spicy Diamonds, and savoury Shankarpali. Tukdi is a beloved snack in our region during Deepavali. Its crispy texture and rich flavours characterise this delightful treat, often enhanced with spices and occasionally with a slight sweetness. Traditionally prepared with flour, red chilli powder, salt, and ghee, Tukdi is deep-fried to achieve its signature crunch. Each household has its unique combination of flour and spice.

 Amma used to prepare airy, light-textured Tukdi, and I relished it during my childhood. Today, I am sharing my version, almost like what Amma used to make.

Ingredients: I have used a 200ml steel tumbler as a cup here.

Maida /All-purpose flour – 2 cups

Whole wheat flour – 3 cups

Besan – 1 cup

Ghee – 5 tbsps.

Red chilli powder – 1 tbsp

Hing – ½ tsp

Cumin – 2 tsp

Sugar – 2 tsp

Salt- 2 tsp

Method:

-Put everything from besan to salt and dry mix thoroughly. Then, make a pliable dough by adding the required amount of water. Close and keep aside for 10 to 15 minutes.

-Take lemon-sized dough, roll it into thin discs, run a Shankarpali wheel or pizza cutter to make a diamond criss-cross and deep fry.

-Store it in an air-tight container and enjoy it whenever you want.

Appa kajjaya/Sweet Guliyappa:

September 6, 2024

Appakajjaya, also known as sweet Guliyappa or sweet Paddu, is a cherished delicacy in the coastal regions of Karnataka and Kerala. This traditional offering holds a special place in the rituals associated with Lord Ganesha, particularly during Gana-homa and Ganesha Chaturthi celebrations.

The preparation of Appakajjaya typically involves a blend of ground rice or rice flour, jaggery, banana, and coconut, resulting in a sweet, soft treat often served as Prasada in temples after offering to the deity as a naivedyam (offering). This dish represents the region’s culinary heritage and symbolizes devotion and gratitude towards the god.

In temples, devotees partake in “Appa Seve,” where they offer these delicious sweets to God, enhancing the spiritual experience of the occasion. The unique flavour and texture of Appakajjaya make it a beloved choice among devotees, reinforcing its significance in the cultural and religious practices of the area. In this blog post, we will explore the reparation method of Appakajjaya in the vibrant traditions surrounding Ganesha worship.

You can smell these beauties in any Ganesha temple in our region, cooking early in the morning or evening, and it was a trip down memory lane to my childhood to gobble these exquisite, ghee-soaked “treats” in no time.

Ingredients:

Rice – 1 cup

Overripe banana – 1 big or 2 small sized

Jaggery – ½ cup

Cardamom – 1

Fresh grated Coconut – 1 small cup

Ghee – as needed

Method:

-Soak Rice for 3 to 4 hrs. Drain the rice while grinding the batter.

-make a jaggery syrup with very little water and boil nicely until the jaggery melts completely and its raw smell vanishes. Sieve the syrup, remove all the impurities, and keep it ready.

-Now, dry grind the rice, add jaggery syrup, banana, coconut, and cardamom, and grind it into a not-so-smooth batter. Mix in 2 tsp of ghee and mix well or beat well and

-Allow the batter to ferment for at least 2 to 3 hrs. It results in the porous and soft Appakajjaya.

-Prepare the guliyappa in Paddu tawa by heating it and using ghee. Offer these guliyappa to lord Ganesha or have it as a snack.

Kanile-Kappu Kadle Kodilu/Bamboo shoot – Black Chana Sambar:

August 29, 2024

Welcome to our culinary journey through traditional flavours! Today, I’m excited to share a cherished recipe celebrating simplicity and authenticity: Kanile Kappu Kadle Kodilu, which is nothing but Bamboo Shoot-Black Chana Sambar. This dish is from our traditional kitchen, without adding onion or garlic, making it both wholesome and flavorful.  Join me as we explore this beloved recipe’s rich, aromatic layers, perfect for those who appreciate the delicate balance of traditional flavours and nutritious ingredients.

The recipe includes cooked dal, fibre-rich bamboo shoot chunks, black chana, and freshly roasted and ground coconut masala. The result tastes so fresh, and the crunchiness of the Bamboo shoot tantalizes the palate.

Ingredients:

Bamboo shoot – Sliced or chopped.

Black Chana – ½ cup (soaked)

Salt, jaggery to taste

Toor dal – ½ cup (cooked)

Fresh Coconut – 1 cup

Byadagi Red chillies – 4 to 6

Coriander seeds – 3 tsp

Cumin – 1 tsp

Methi – ¼ tsp

Hing- 1 pinch

Tamarind – one Amla size (soaked in water)

For the Seasoning: Coconut oil, Mustard, red chilli, and curry leaves.

Method:

-Slice or chop bamboo shoots; if you want to know how it is done, I have a blog post HERE.

-First, cook bamboo shoot chopping with abundant water; discard the water and keep the chopping ready.

-Cook soaked black chana with sufficient water; discard the water and use only chana.

-Now, put cooked chana and bamboo shoots, salt, jaggery, cooked dal, and tamarind water, and boil for some time. If needed, add a cup of water.

-In the meantime, prepare masala; take one small kadai, heat 1 tsp of oil, and put in methi seeds; when it turns light brown, add all the remaining masalas like coriander, cumin, hing, red chillies, and roast everything.

-Grind all these with coconut, make a smooth paste, and add it to the boiling veggies. Boil nicely. Adjust the consistency, either by adding water or salt.

-Add the tadka by heating coconut oil, mustard and curry leaves. Enjoy with Rice or Roti.

Vermicelli Pulav:

May 22, 2024

My daughter persuaded me to write my version of Vermicelli Pulav, which they used to enjoy during their schooling days. It is a one-pot, quick meal with veggies and greens.

Earlier, I posted how to cook vermicelli under the Beginner’s guide.  Here is one more recipe with vermicelli from our kitchen to yours.

Ingredients:

Vermicelli – 3 Cups

Mixed Vegetables   –   1.5 Cups

Ghee and oil       2 tbsp+2 tbsp.

salt and ½ lemon.

To Grind:

 Onion – 1 small                 

Pudina and coriander leaves – ¼ Cup

Green Chillies – 4

Ginger – ½ inch piece

Garlic – 2 cloves

Cloves – 3

Cinnamon – ¼ “

Turmeric – ½ tsp

Dhania/Coriander powder – 2 tsp

Method

-Toast vermicelli in one tbsp of Ghee. Set it aside.

-Chop all the vegetables and keep them aside. (I normally use capsicum, beans, carrot and green peas)

-Grind all the ingredients under “grind” in a mixie jar till smooth.

-Heat the remaining oil and ghee in a pan. Put chopped vegetables in it and fry till half done. Now, add the ground mixture and salt. Cook till the spices are fragrant and the raw smell vanishes.

-Add 4.5 cups of water and boil; add roasted vermicelli, stir well and cover. Cook till done. Add the juice of ½ lemon and mix.

-If you add water after adding the vermicelli, ensure sufficient water, just like we add while making regular vermicelli. Water should be just above the vermicelli. Mix the mixture and check for the salt. Add and cover the kadai with a lid if salt is needed, and cook it on a low flame.

-leave it to rest for a while and then serve.

Padenji -Bajil / Whole moong dry curry with Poha:

May 7, 2024

Bajil/ Avalakki is a default name for seasoned paper-thin poha, with added chopped onion or plain. It is a speciality of our native, Mangalore.

When Bajil/poha is paired and served with Whole moong curry, it is known as Padenji – Bajil. It is a nutritious, protein-rich combo breakfast option that fills our tummies. It is two straightforward dishes combined to make a pair. If you prepare without onion, an appropriate breakfast option for any day is feast / Vrat.

Even though many people would have tasted Avalakki oggarane in any of our temples, this combo is almost extinct in today’s world. Hence, I wanted to share it with you all.

First, we would prepare Padenji/moong curry:

Ingredients:

Whole green moong – 1 cup

Onion – 1 (optional) (chopped)

Green chillies – 2 to 3(chopped)

Curry leaves – 2 springs

Coconut – 1 small cup

Salt

For seasoning: Coconut oil, mustard, hing, curry leaves.

Method:

-Soak green gram overnight. The next day, wash properly, put sufficient water in the pot, and cook in an open vessel.

-When it starts boiling, all the scum comes to the top and remove that by using a spatula. It indeed increases the taste of the final dish.

-Switch off the gas and prepare the seasoning when the moong is cooked well (it should be soft but hold the shape).

-Take one kadai, heat coconut oil and splutter mustard, add hing, curry leaves, green chillies, and onion, and fry until the onion is translucent.

-Add the required amount of salt, cooked moong, and whatever water remains. Garnish with fresh coconut and cook until salt absorbs and the remaining water evaporates.

Now we would how to prepare Seasoned Poha/ Avalakki Oggarane:

If you want a pictorial guide, please click the highlighted section above.

Ingredients:

Freshly grated coconut – 1 cup

onion – chopped (optional)

Salt

Rasam powder OR Roasted coriander, cumin, red chilli, little hing.

Little tamarind

Jaggery – ½ tsp to 2 tsp (acc to your preference)

Paper thin poha – as needed.

For seasoning:

Mustard – 1 tsp

Urad dal – ½ tsp

Red chilli -1

Curry leaves – 1 spring

Method:

-At first, dry grind coconut, Rasam powder or roasted masala, jaggery, tamarind, and salt.

-Add seasoning to this mixture and mix it nicely by hand.

-Add the required amount of poha, mix nicely with your hand, and serve with Chana and Sweet potato curry.

-Relish the Age-old filling breakfast with your near and dear ones.

Horlicks Cake: (Eggless)

April 26, 2024

The recipe came to light to finish off the stock of Horlicks powder. When you are against wasting food/groceries, this is what happens. I was thinking of Horlicks mysorepak, and after seeing both of my daughter’s faces, I turned around and worked out on baking the tea cake instead of one more greasy stuff.

The trial was a big hit and was baked twice after that by demand. After a long gap, I am sharing this “hit” recipe with my readers.  

The recipe is –

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour – 1 cup

 Horlicks powder – 1 cup

Baking soda – ½ tsp

Baking powder – ½ tsp

Walnut – ¼ cup (chunks)

Choco chips – ¼ cup

Butterscotch chips -little (optional)

Salt – ½ tsp

Sugar – ½ cup

Curd – 1 cup

Ghee – 4 Tbl sps

Milk – as needed (to adjust the consistency of the batter)

Method:

-Grease the cake tin, line it with the butter paper, and keep it ready.

-Take one bowl, add flour, Horlicks, baking soda, and baking powder, and mix thoroughly using a wire whisk or sieve everything together a couple of times. Add Choco chips, butterscotch chips and walnut chunks and mix thoroughly with dry flour.

-In another bowl, pour curd, ghee, sugar, and salt. Beat nicely until sugar dissolves.

-Pour the wet content over the dry ingredient and fold in the flour. If the batter looks stiff, add extra milk to adjust the consistency of the batter and adjust accordingly.

-Don’t over-mix the batter; use the spatula to fold the batter.

-Pour the ready batter into the cake tin, and bake in a preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes until done at 180®C.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for about 30-35 minutes or till done.

Instant Khichdi Mix:

January 20, 2024

Instant Khichdi Mix:

Instant Khichdi Mix is a delightful blend of flavours that combines the wholesome goodness of rice, lentils, and aromatic spices in a convenient package. My daughter loves adding readily available veggies, like peas and carrots, to enhance her nutritional intake.

This way, the Khichdi mix is like a culinary hug from home. It allows them to enjoy the comfort of a homemade meal even in a bustling hostel or PG environment.

How I make:

Ingredients:

Split green gram with skin – 2 cups.

Rice – 2 cups

Ghee or Oil – 2 Tbsp.

Cumin –2 tsp

Hing – a small peanut size

Bay leaf – 1 (broken)

Cinnamon – 2 “

Cloves – 2

Cashew bits – 2 Tbsp. (optional)

Salt, Jaggery (optional)

Turmeric – ½ tsp

Red chilli powder – As needed.

Garam masala – As needed.

Coriander leaves – 2 Tbsp. (dried)

Method:

-Take rice and dal, pour them onto a clean kitchen towel, and wipe the grains gently.

-Pulse the grain mix by putting it in a dry mixer jar. This action reduces the cooking time.

-Chop coriander leaves and air dry beforehand and keep it ready.

-Prepare seasoning, heat ghee/oil, fry cashew, cumin, hing, bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves. Add in pulsed dal-rice mixture and roast it for 2 to 3 minutes.

-Add salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, and garam masala; if you are adding jaggery, add that as well.

-Switch off the gas, add coriander leaves or Kasuri methi, mix well, cool the content and pack it in a zip lock pouch or an air-tight container.

How to Prepare the khichdi:

Take ½ cup of readily available khichdi mix; if you want to add vegetables, take chopped veggies, onion or whatever you want.

-If it is in a kettle/induction stove, boil 2 cups of water. Add chopped veggies (if you have them) and khichdi mix. Cook and have it with curd or as it is plain.

Navane -Hesarubele Payasa / Foxtail millet and moong dal payasam:

September 18, 2023

Foxtail Millet Kheer is a delicious addition to the festive menu, including the fasting menu, to the traditional kheer we usually make with rice. This millet, also known as Navane in Kannada & is rich in protein, minerals  & dietary fibre.
I have mixed nutty-flavoured Foxtail millet and a little moong dal to enhance the rustic taste.

Soaking millet makes it easier to digest and allows your body to absorb more nutrients. I usually do it overnight.

Foxtail Millet – ½ Cup
Moong dal – 2 Tblsp
Water (to cook Thinai) – 2 ½ Cups
Jaggery – ¾ Cup to 1 cup
Cardamom powder ½ tsp
Coconut milk – 1 Cup (you can add whole milk as well)
Ghee – 2 tsp
Cashew – 10 nos
Method:

-Soak millet for overnight. Morning, drain the water and leave the millet to air dry on a colander.

-wash moong dal and drain that as well.

-Make jaggery syrup by – Add Jaggery and water in a pan and heat it till the Jaggery melts completely. Use a filter to remove the impurities and extract Jaggery syrup. Keep aside

-Now, take a thick-bottomed vessel or kadai, heat ghee, fry cashew bits, and remove it; keep aside.

-Add moong dal and fry it until light brown; add foxtail millet and fry for 2 minutes.

-Add hot water or 3rd extract of coconut milk or whole milk. Cook until millet and dal turn soft and mushy. (it should hold the texture but turns mushy between your thumb and forefinger while pressing it.)

-If you are using clean Jaggery, here I have used Nolen gur (date palm jaggery); add directly and boil until the raw smell of Jaggery vanishes.

-Add thick coconut milk cardamom powder and allow to boil once. Switch off the stove. Garnish with fried cashews and serve.

Vegetarian lasagna:

June 11, 2023

Who doesn’t love Lasagna/lasagne? It is a baked dish consisting of layers of cooked sheet pasta, pureed tomato sauce, and a preferred filling, such as vegetable or meat and topped with cheese.

 It is an ultimate one-pot meal, and when it is homemade, without using All-purpose-flour nothing is like it. Here I am, sharing my slightly healthier version lasagne pasta recipe.

Lasagne made from scratch:

I have used a circular glass baking pan that is 10” wide.

For dough:

For 4 circular thin lasagne sheets, I took –

Flour – 1 ½ cup ( ¾ cup whole wheat + ¾ cup All purpose flour)

Salt

Water

Olive oil – 2 tsp (approx.)

Method:

For the Lasagne sheet:

Take Flour, and salt, make a stiff dough using sufficient water, knead until soft, apply oil and keep it resting until you make other things.

For Marinara /Red sauce:

-Blanch 4 tomatoes ( take ½ cup of water, chopped tomatoes, microwave for 3 min), cool, grind.

-Boil with required seasoning ( garlic salt, oregano, little jalapeno seasoning etc.) and two tablespoons of  Hot and sweet tomato ketchup and adjust the consistency by adding water.

For Bechamel/ white sauce:

I usually make the veggie-loaded sauce and use it as a filling. ( ½ of zucchini, yellow and red bell pepper, half onion)

-Roast 2 tsp of whole wheat flour OR all-purpose Flour with little butter, whip in a mixer jar with a cup of milk, and keep it ready.

-Heat tawa, add little butter /olive oil, and fry the onion until it turns light brown. Add veggies and fry for a while. Add all the seasonings according to your choice. I usually use garlic salt, red chilli flakes, oregano, and a little jalapeno seasoning.

-Next, add Flour mixed with milk, adjust the consistency by adding extra milk, boil and keep it ready.

Final Layering:

Prepare lasagne sheets one by one. Heat water in a wide vessel, take out the ready dough, divide it into 4, roll it into a circular one, and put it into boiling water; when it is done, it pops up. Remove, drain, and cool it by spreading. Repeat the process.

-For assembling, take the glass bowl in which you bake. Spread one layer of marinara sauce.

Place one cooked sheet, then spread one layer of veggie-loaded white sauce.

-Repeat the process once again. Marinara, lasagne sheet, veggies, last, end with the marinara sauce and grated cheese, and bake at 180 °C preheated oven until the top layer is light brown. Remove, and serve hot.