Category: Breakfast

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.

Instant Upma/Uppittu Mix

January 2, 2023

One of the easiest, quick, and most handy pre-mix for working or student individuals. I have been making this upma mix for the past three years, and it has gained popularity among my family and friend circles. After typing so many times, I thought, let me share it here and save it.

For Instant Upma Mix:

Ingredients:

Upma rava / Bombay Rava – 500 grams ( one can use multi-millet rava as well)

Oil – 3 to 4 tablespoons

Mustard – 2 tsp

Cumin – 1 tsp

Urad dal – 1 tbl sp

Chana dal – 1 tbl sp

Hing – ¼ tsp

Cashew bits – (optional)

Curry leaves – 2 springs ( finely chopped)

Green chillies – 2 ( finely chopped)

Coriander leaves – 3 tablespoons (finely chopped)

Method:

First, chop the curry leaves, green chillies and coriander leaves and air dry( inside the room) for 3 to 4 hrs. It would help to dry out all the moisture.

After that, For seasoning: Oil, mustard, cumin, hing, curry leaves, and green chillies.

How to make: Take one kadai, add oil, splutter mustard, hing, curry leaves, and green chillies and fry until chillies are fried and crisp.

-Now add Rava and cumin, and fry till it is grainy. Add coriander leaves, and fry until it is crisp. Switch off the gas.

-Cool the mixture, and pack it in an airtight container or a zip lock bag.

Cooking Process: For One individual

1) If you have access to an induction or gas stove:

Take one tawa, heat one tbl spoon of oil, add lots of onions, chillies, salt, and chopped preferred veggies and add water to boil. When boiling, add half a cup of ready upma mix and cook on a low flame. Allow for 2 to 3 minutes by closing the lid and having it.n You can garnish with lemon, grated coconut, or chopped fresh coriander.

2) If it is in Kettle,

-Take one cup of water with the required amount of salt.

-Switch on the Kettle (Boil mode). When water starts boiling, add ½ cup upma ready mix.

-The Kettle would turn off automatically within 2 ½ minutes if the lid is on. Keep it as it is for 5 to 10 minutes.

-After taking out the Upma, pour water for the used Kettle to soak in before you start eating.

-In this way, the Kettle will be ready for washing by the time you finish eating. You can use liquid dishwashing soap and a nonabrasive scrubber to clean the inside. Take care of the outside base (no water should enter)

Note: Here, I have not used any coconut.

Avarekai Usli/Hyacinth beans:

December 25, 2022

Avarekalu or Avarekai is pure love for the people of Bangalore- Mysore region. These are seasonal beans available in and around Bengaluru between Nov and Jan., Also known as Hyacinth beans.

We relish Avarekai curry with dosey, a yearly affair at our home. Now, after tasting usli at our friends’ place, there is no looking back. I make it a point to prepare the same combo of vermicelli Uppittu and Avarekai usli.

Avarekai usli is versatile, and it can have it as a salad or with anything and everything.

To make a much-loved effortless dish, here is the method.

Ingredients:

Avarekai ( soaked and peeled one) – ¼ kg

Salt, turmeric

Coriander leaves – 1tbl sp (chopped)

Fresh coconut – 2tbl spoons

For seasoning:

Cold pressed oil – 1 tbl sp (as per your choice)

Mustard – 1tsp

Cumin- 1 tsp

Hing – one pinch

Green chilli – 1 (chopped)

Ginger – 1 tsp (juennile)

Curry leaves – 1 spring

Method:

-Cook Avarekai ( peeled dals) in water. When it froths, remove all the foam and discard. ( I would help to enhance the taste as well as to help to avoid bloating.

-When the dal becomes soft, switch off the gas and keep the vessel aside.

-Now, prepare the seasoning. Heat oil, splutter mustard, hing, cumin, green chillies, ginger, curry leaves, and turmeric and saute.

-Now, add the cooked dal with the remaining water. Add Salt and coconut and allow the flavour to seep by closing the lid. Garnish with coriander greens, and enjoy.

Sajjige idli/ Urad and Rava idli:

August 29, 2022

It is a no rice, fermented idli using ground urad dal and steamed rava. The outcome is pillowy soft idlies. We avoid rice before the main pooja, which is taboo in our customs. Hence, it is a default breakfast option in our family, especially in our community, on festival days or any auspicious day.

Here is the recipe, which we follow

Urad dal – 1 cup

Upma Rava / Bombay rava – 2 cups

Salt

Method:

-Wash urad dal and soak it for 3 to 4 hours.

-Grind soaked urad dal into fine paste by adding sufficient water.

-Now, take one cotton cloth, pour rava, and tie it like a potli/ packet.

-Take one idli steamer with water at the bottom. When water starts boiling, place the tied towel with rava and steam cook for 10 to 20 min in low heat.  

-After 20 min, remove the towel, loosen the knot, spread the rava and cool it.

-Add cooled rava and required salt to urad dal paste and make a batter by mixing and adding sufficient water.

-Batter needs to be like regular idli batter and allow it to ferment acc to your climate.

-next day, prepare idli like regular idli or by using banana leaf or steel tumblers etc.

-If you are following the procedure like me, use wilted banana leaf, pour the batter and steam for 30 minutes or more, according to the thickness.

-Serve with chutney, thovve,  sambar or menthe kodilu (methi sambar).

Capsicum Upma/ Uppittu:

August 10, 2022

Uppittu/ Upma can be prepared in so many ways. Each recipe has its unique flavour and is an excellent option when you want to eat a quick, no-preparation meal. Upma works out well and fits the bill on any meal and time of the day, even as a tiffin box item.

My daughters, who love Upma in any form, have a particular fondness for Capsicum Uppittu, and that was why I want to share this much-loved recipe, under “beginners guide” in my blog. 

Ingredients:

Fine rava / Bombay rava / Uppittu  rava – 2 cups

Oil – 6 tablespoons

Mustard – 1tsp

Urad dal – ½ tsp

Chana dal – ½ tsp

Cumin – ½ tsp

Cashew nuts – 2 tablespoons

Curry leaves – 1 spring

Onion – 1 big (chopped)

Green chillies – 2 to 3

Small Tomato – 1 ( optional)

Capsicum – 1

Salt

Water – 5 cups

Coriander leaves – as much as needed

Grated Coconut – as much as needed

Method:

-Boil water in one vessel by adding the required amount of salt.

– Take one Kadai, add oil, splutter mustard, cumin, urad, chana dal, cashew nuts, curry leaves, green chillies, onion, and fry.

-If you are adding Tomato, add now and fry for a while.

-Next, add chopped capsicum and fry until it is soft.

-Now add Rava and fry till it is grainy. Add coriander leaves, and fry until it is crisp.

-Add water, and cook on a low flame by closing the lid.

Garnish with grated Coconut, close the lid, and leave it for resting.

-After 5 to 10 min, if you mix it, upma would turn perfect in texture and soft.

-Serve and enjoy.

 

 

Thovve:

July 10, 2022

Our Thovve is nothing but dali thoye, a delicacy of the Konkani household. With Idli or buns,thovve is somewhat the most loved combo of my husband and his family. Over the years, even I have started to relish this combo as much as they do.

According to my father-in-law, tempering is the basis of any dish. Here, cooked toor dal is boiled and added with a liberal tempering. As we have now monsoon season, it is a most comforting and soothing meal option for us.

Ingredients:

Toor dal – 1 cup

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Green chillies – 2 (slit)

Salt

Hing – ¼ + ¼  tsp

Ghee or coconut oil – 1 tbl spoon

Mustard – 1 to 2 tsp

Red chillies – 1 or 2

Curry leaves

Method:

-I prefer to soak toor dal in advance to get a smooth texture. Wash the dal, add sufficient water, and collect and discard all the foamy froth which forms at the upper surface.

-Now, before closing the cooker lid, put turmeric, green chillies and a tsp of coconut oil or ghee and cook for 3 to 4 whistles with sufficient water.

-Mash the dal, and adjust the consistency by adding extra water. Add salt, ¼ tsp of hing and nicely boil.

-Now, do the tempering. Heat oil or ghee, crackle mustard, hing, red chillies, and curry leaves and pour over the boiled dal.

-Close the lid for some time and allow it to seep in all the flavours. Serve with Idli or buns.

NOTE:

-Soaking the dal and skimming (removing the foam) is optional. It does change the taste of the final product. Hence, I follow the process.

 

 

Ragi Rotti:

June 25, 2022

Ragi rotti, either you love it or hate it. It is one of the healthiest meals in the Mysore-Bangalore region. Unlike a dosa, where the fermented batter is poured and swirled, we pat the pliable batter by hand.

Even though it was a part of the rural part of Karnataka or in traditional cooking, it has now got its due credit by being considered “Superfood”, diabetic-friendly, calcium-rich, gluten-free, and what not!

Ragi rotti with peanut/Huchellu(Niger seeds) chutney is a healthy and authentic breakfast in Bangalore.

The Rotti and chutney, which I learnt from a couple of my friends, then adapted to make my version, according to my family requirement is here,

Ingredient:

Ragi/ finger millet flour – 2 to 3 cups

Cooked rice – ½ cup

Grated coconut – ¼ cup (optional)

Chopped onions – 2 to 3 (medium size)

Chopped green chillies – 2 to 3

Chopped coriander leaves – ½ cup

Chopped Curry leaves – 2 tbl sp

Chopped pudina – 2 tbl sp (optional)

Salt

Hot water – as needed.

Method:

-Take one wide steel bowl, dry mix everything from ragi flour, cooked rice, chopped green chillies, onions, coriander, curry leaves, pudina, coconut gratings and salt.

-Make a pliable dough by adding sufficient boiling hot water.Keep it aside for 5 to 10 minutes to absorb the seasoning and soak.

-When you want to make rotti, take one piece of banana leaf or butter paper.

-Take a little rotti dough in your moist hand, and start patting in a circular motion by wetting your hand in the water now and then.

-Make 3 or 4 holes here and there if you want the crispier version. Sprinkle one teaspoon of oil over this patted rotti and keep it ready.

-Heat iron skillet and cook oil sprinkled rotti by putting upside down on it. After 2 to 3 minutes, peel off a banana leaf or butter paper.

-Sprinkle little oil over it and flip. Cook and serve hot with peanut chutney or Huchellu chutney.

Note:

-Keep one bowl of water at a reachable distance to dip your hand in-between.

– wetting your hand will help avoid the dough sticking to your fingers while patting.

 

Overnight Poha flakes:

June 10, 2022

Overnight Poha flakes are our desi version of overnight oats with my personal touch to solve my daughter, who doesn’t like oats but stays in the hostel and prefers a quick breakfast option in busy mornings.

This recipe is forgiving and adaptable to however one wants to have it.

One can use available millet flakes, medium-thick rice flakes white or red or black and can be soaked in plain or vegan /plant-based milk, yoghurt, or mixture. Hence, according to one’s diet restriction, it can be made and consumed.

Let us see how I made them. It is ready to make a flaky overnight mixture as an instant mixture to replace plain oats.

Ingredients:

Medium-thick poha – 1 cup

Ragi poha / flakes – 1 cup

Jowar poha – 1 cup ( optional)

Puffed Amaranth – 1 cup ( optional)

Method:

-Dry grind Red poha ( what I have used) in a small mixer jar using “PULSE” mode.

-Pulsing the rice poha helps reduce the size, and it helps to match the size of other millet poha and puffed Amaranth.

-Now, take one dry bowl, mix everything properly and store it in an air-tight bottle.

As we all know how to make overnight oats, we use this poha flakes mix and proceed.

Take 2 to 4 tbl spoon of the above poha flakes in a glass bottle or bowl. Add chia seed, dry fruits etc

Pour cow’s milk or vegan plant-based milk. Close the lid and keep it overnight inside the fridge.

-Next morning, add chopped fruits and dates with/ without a prefered natural sweetener like honey, jaggery syrup or sugar.

 

Rice flour Ubbu rotti / Ukkarisida akki rotti:

March 5, 2022

Rotti is an integral part of our breakfast menu. In Karnataka, every region has a different method to make Akki rotti/Rice rotti. Mangaloreans prefer to make Red boiled rice rotti by grinding the soaked rice, I have already shared the recipe, and the link is HERE.

After some exposure to Bangalore, I learned this shortcut method to make equally satisfying no preparation or soaking, an instant and quick method, which uses readily available rice flour.

One can use a Rotti press or coupe of wooden planks or roll like a chapati/ pulka.

Ingredients:

Rice flour – 2 cups

Water – 2 ½ cups

Salt – as needed

Oil – 1 tsp

Method:

-Boil water in a thick bottom vessel by adding salt and oil.

-When it starts boiling, switch off the gas, add rice flour mix everything, close the lid and leave it for 5 to 10 minutes.

-The build-up Steam would help you get a smooth, crack-free dough to make perfect rotti.

-After 10 minutes, Open the lid start kneading the dough. Take out the little dough, make the roundel and start making the flat disc.

-To make the disc, take two thick plastic or butter paper sheets. Use Roti press and keep the lemon-sized ball between two papers and press.

OR

-Roll like a chapati/ Pulka by dusting the dry flour.

-Cook on tawa, just like whole wheat pulka —Cook both sides by flipping. Then, place it on gas fire to puff.

-If you wish, you can apply coconut oil or ghee on top of the puffed rotti. Serve with Chutney of your choice of curry.

NOTE:

While kneading the dough, If you feel it is dry, breaking and not holding together, please add little hot water and adjust it until it turns out pliable.

-Each rice flour acts different, and the water absorption happens accordingly.