cooking

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.

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.

Omum and dry ginger Tambli:

February 26, 2022

Omum/ Ajwain/ carom seeds are the lesser-known spice of our Indian Kitchen. Our moms turn their hands whenever we complain about bloating or Indigestion and feed us Omum water by infusing it with water. It has been known for its benefits in treating bloating and diarrhoea due to intestinal inflammation for ages.

As we all know, Carom seeds have Anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal properties. We are here, Combining Carom with dry ginger, which has the capacity of cleansing our digestive system and nourishing our body. The taste of the tambli is so refreshing and soothing.

—such a simple preparation.

I learnt this recipe from my Foodie friend, Lakshmi Akka.

Ingredients:

Carom seed/ omum – ½ tsp

Grated dry ginger – ¼ tsp

Ghee or coconut oil – ½ tsp

Grated Fresh Coconut – ½ cup

Buttermilk – 1 serving spoon

Method:

Take ½ tsp of ghee or oil, fry omum and dry ginger.

-Grind fried items, coconut, salt and water to make a smooth paste.

-Add buttermilk adjust the consistency by adding water.

-If you like seasoning on tambli like me, please go ahead and heat some ghee add cumin and curry leaves. Pour on Tambli and enjoy it as a soothing drink or with Hot Rice.

Kesari bath:

November 29, 2021

Kesari bath is made in many ways. Traditionally, it is made with Bansi Rava, and that is how my husband likes it. Since it is our Anniversary, presenting one of the much-cherished desserts and an integral part of our wedding menu.

Today, I am celebrating five years of blogging and 23 years of our togetherness with the much-loved sweet of my Husband, Kesari bath.

It is a simple sweet, with minimal ingredients like Bansi Rava, Sugar, Saffron and ghee, garnished with ghee fried cashews and raisins. Earlier I used to eyeball the measurements and prepare. The traditional measure and this foolproof recipe, which we cherish, is by my friend Madhu.

For measurements, use any tumbler of your choice.

Ingredients:

Bansi Rava- 1cup

Water-3cup

Sugar – 1 ½ to 2 cups ( Acc to your sweet level)

Salt – ¼ tsp

Cardamom powder – 1 tsp

Saffron – 10 to 12 strings (soak it in hot water or milk)

Ghee- ½ cup or a little more, as needed.

Cashews 10-15

Dry grapes- 15-20

Method:

-Take a small cup, add saffron, pour little hot milk or water, and allow soak.

-Keep water to boil in a saucepan.

-In a pan, add a tablespoon of ghee, fry cashew and dry grapes and keep aside.

-In the same pan, roast Bansi Rava till a pleasant aroma comes and turns grainy.

-Add salt and pour boiling water and allow to cook on a low flame.

– Once Rava is cooked, add sugar stir well to make sure there is no lump.

-While stirring, In every small interval, add ghee and proceed to stir.

– After 10 minutes of stirring, you can add saffron laced milk and mix well.

– Keep adding ghee little by little and mix well. Cook this mixture until ghee starts leaving from the sides. Finally, add cardamom powder, dry fruits mix well.

Serve hot.

NOTE:

If you wish to make square pieces out of it, when the Kesari bath is done, Spread the content on a ghee applied plate.

Allow to cool, mark the shape, get the perfectly shaped pieces, and store them in an air-tight container.

Milk Noodles: Instant noodles with coconut milk

September 26, 2021

As I always say, learning is an ongoing process. This particular recipe, which I learnt from my daughter. Yes! You heard it right 😀 Here, she has used coconut milk powder, which is an easy option for a hostller.

Instant noodles can be a super tasty, comforting meal by themselves if we consider replacing it with a little healthier option by opting for millet noodles and some tossed veggies. When I heard milk and the explanation of the recipe, I was a little hesitant. After tasting it, I can tell you; it was creamy and delicious. I felt the addition of curry leaves and coconut milk was a game-changer.

Here, I have used Instant Millet based noodles. One can opt for any preferred noodle and its masala for this recipe.

Ingredients:

A small pack of instant noodles – 1 ( with masala)

Onion – 1 ( slightly bigger pieces)

Garlic – ½ tsp (chopped)

Ginger – ½ tsp (chopped)

Green chilli – 1 (sliced)

Curry leaves – 2 springs

Coconut milk/powder– 1 sachet or as required

Chopped veggies – of your choice ( I used Carrot, green peas)

Turmeric – ½ tsp

Coriander powder – ½ tsp

black pepper powder – if needed ( optional)

Garam masala – ½ tsp

Sugar – to enhance the taste ( to balance)

Method:

-Take one tawa, heat a tbl spoon of oil, when it is hot, season with lots of curry leaves.

-Then, add chopped onion, green chilli, garlic, ginger fry for 2 min.

-Add turmeric, coriander powder, salt and add chopped veggies and green peas.

-Fry all these until veggies wilts. Add 2 cups of water, ready Maggi masala, and adjust the salt.

-Now, drop those noodle blocks, cook. When it is almost done, add coconut milk or coconut milk powder, add water to adjust the consistency.

-if you want some more zing, sprinkle a little pepper powder and serve.

Kayi Ganji: Coconut Flavoured Rice porridge

August 24, 2021

It is my go-to recipe for a lazy, Simple, soulful meal on weekends or rainy/winter evenings. This recipe of Kayi Ganji is not our traditional recipe. My way of making a one-pot meal is by mixing my mom’s Theli saru, nothing but rice starch Rasam and rice.

Amma used to make fantastic ginger flavoured Rasam by using drained rice starch of cooked rice. We sisters used to enjoy Hot white rice with Amma’s theli saaru and pickle a lot. Hence, I introduced those two aspects in a single one-pot meal, and the recipe is here.

Here, one can use freshly extracted coconut milk as well as instant coconut milk powder. Freshly extracted milk does taste out of this world, and for sure, there is no comparison in taste. When you are sick and have no mood to cook, it is a soothing and relaxing one-pot meal option.

The procedure is simple-

Ingredients:

Rice – 1 cup

Water – 4 cups

Salt

Green chillies – 1 or 2

Ginger – ½ inch (julienne)

Coconut milk or powder – according to the taste

Seasoning: Ghee/coconut oil, mustard, cumin and curry leaves.

Method:

-Wash rice, boil water in an open vessel or a cooker. Add rice, slit green chilli, ginger, salt and cook.

-Here, the rice should become mushy. If it is the cooker, switch it off after 3^rd whistle.

-Open the lid, add coconut milk, adjust the consistency by adding more water.

-Boil for 2 minutes and switch off.

-Do seasoning by heating ghee or oil, splutter mustard, cumin, and curry leaves. Pour it over the rice and mix everything and serve. You can enjoy it with any side dish or plain pickle.

-You can garnish with chopped coriander as well as lemon juice (completely optional)

Note: I have added one pandan leaf to enhance the flavour. It is entirely optional.

Bendekai Kayirasa / Ladies finger coconut curry:

August 17, 2021

Kayirasa is one of our almost extinct dishes, which can be seen only in our rural houses and found only in our community / homely recipe. It is coconut-based, slightly sweetish, and pairs well with hot boiled red rice or white rice.

Like Sambar, we always use a light green or purple coloured heirloom variety of Bhindi to make Kayirasa. I have never tried Kayirasa with any other types of Bhindi. It is my childhood favourite, and I used to ask my ajji / Grandmother to prepare whenever I visited her. Her preparation tasted like heaven, and I could never replicate that taste even if I used clay pot like her. Grandmothers are ultimate, and they have a magic wand in their hand to dish out such a delicious meal.

Ingredient:

Bendekai / Ladies finger – ½ kg

Tamarind – big gooseberry size.

Salt

Jaggery

Red chilli powder – ½ tsp

Fresh coconut – 1 big bowl

Urad dal – 1 tablespoon

Dried red chillies – 3 to 4

Seasoning:

Coconut oil – 2 tsp

Mustard – 1 tsp

Red chilli – 1

Curry leaves – 1 to 2 springs

Method:

–Soak tamarind, boil with little added water, salt, jaggery, red chilli powder.

-When it starts boiling, add chopped Bhindi. Allow cooking on a low flame.

-To avoid sliminess, don’t close the lid or put a spoon to mix while boiling Bhindi.

-In the meantime, prepare the masala: heat coconut oil, fry urad dal, red chillies. Grind into smooth paste by adding coconut and water.

-Add the ground masala to cooked veggie, boil nicely by adding sufficient water to adjust the consistency.

-Do the seasoning and serve with hot rice.

How to cook Par Boiled Red Rice/ Matta Rice:

August 5, 2021

Often, I get a query regarding the cooking method of our traditional parboiled Rice, red Rice, matta rice. So, I thought of including the procedure in my blog to share the link whenever required.

Before discussing the method, we would see how we used to prepare Rice in our traditional kitchen-

We have come a long way in the cooking method as well. Earlier, people used to cook Rice in a huge open pot by using a wood fire. You can see in this picture, which I clicked in our ancestral home; they follow this method, even now.

Then, gradually cooking medium has changed from firewood to a kerosene stove or hot plate. Hence, the system changed, and a huge wooden box insulated with a layer of thermocol was the trend to keep/cook Rice.

Pic Courtesy: By Google

In the modern era, the scenario has changed; with the micro family system, our huge box has turned into a small stainless steel insulated pot, marketed in the name of “China pot”. It consists of an insulated outer container and a cooking vessel.

Let us see The procedure of Cooking: (Open Vessel Method)

-Procedure is simple, Boil water in a vessel; when it starts bubbling, add washed Rice, boil further for 5 to 10 minutes, remove, and keep it in a china pot.

-After one hour or so, check the doneness. You can refer to the picture. If you prefer soft Rice like us, boil one more time and keep it inside the china pot once again.

Within an hour, it would be soft and well cooked. Strain water and use it like regular Rice with curry or have it as a Ganji by including gruel.

To experience the real taste of parboiled Rice and curry, you need to separate starch from the Rice.

Vegetable and Soya Nuggets Biryani:

July 24, 2021

This recipe is for Soya Chunk/ nuggets lovers. Soya is known as vegetarian meat. A full-fledged protein source is a by-product of extracting soyabean oil and is relatively healthy, fibre-rich apart from the nutritional value.

Even though I’m not fond of the smell of Soya, My family love to have soya chunks in gravies or Biryani.

Let us see the Dum Biryani / which I make.

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice – 2 cups (standard cup)

Soya Nuggets – ½ packet ( 2 or 3 cups)

Cashew – 1 fistful ( you can take a mixture of melon seed and Cashew as well)

Milk – to soak Cashew (vegans can use hot water as well)

Onions – 4 medium-sized ( 2 for frying, 2 for the gravy masala)

Veggies – 1 cup ( Beans, Carrot, green peas )

Garam masala or Biryani masala – 2 tbl spoons

Red chilli powder – 1 tsp

Oil- ½ cup ( to deep fry onion and further cooking process)

Rosewater – 1 tablespoon

Lemon – Juice of 1 lemon

Saffron – 7 to 8 strands soaked in 2 tbl spoon of milk (vegans can use any plant-based milk)

Coriander and pudina leaves – chopped (as needed)

For the Gravy Masala:

To Ground into a paste:

Dry ingredients: Coriander seeds – 1 tablespoon, Cinnamon – 1″, Bayleaf – 1, clove – 2, Star anise – 1, Cardamom – 2, Black cardamom – 1, Black peppercorn – 5 to 6, Red chillies – 3 ( Byadagi)

Ginger garlic paste – 1 ½ tablespoon

Coconut – 2 tablespoons

To Make Gravy:

Cumin or Shajeera – 1 tsp, Cardamom – 2, Star anise – 1, Cinnamon -1″, bay leaf – 2, Black cardamom – 1, Stone flower – 1 small chunk.

Method:

-Wash rice, soak for 10 minutes. Take one big pot, fill the water, add little salt, turmeric, 1 tsp of oil, one bay leaf, one cardamom, 1″ cinnamon. When it starts boiling, add soaked rice, cook only for 7 min (1/2 done), drain the water and keep aside.

-Soak Saffron in a two tbl spoon of hot milk and keep it aside.

-Soak Cashew and melon seeds in hot milk, keep it ready.

-Boil water in a saucepan, add a pinch of salt and give one boil for the soya chunks; drain and keep it aside.

-Slice 2 onions, drain the excess moisture and deep fry and keep it aside. I usually sprinkle little salt and garam masala to this and mix it delicately.

-Now onwards, use leftover oil from the deep-fried onions.

–Let us move towards grinding masala:

-Take one Kadai, add little oil, add all the masalas from Coriander seeds, Cinnamon, Bayleaf, clove, Star anise, Cardamom, Black cardamom, Black peppercorns, Red chillies fry well. Add chopped two onions, fry until it is transparent. Add ginger-garlic paste fry for 2 minutes. Add in coconut fry for 2 minutes. Cool the mixture, grind with soaked Cashew and make a fine /smooth paste.

–Next step is making veggie and soya nuggets gravy:

Take one Kadai, Add little oil, drop everything from shah jeera, cardamom, star anise, cinnamon, bay leaf, black cardamom, stone flower. After frying for 2 minutes, add in chopped veggies (beans, carrot, peas). Fry nicely by adding salt, a pinch of sugar, garam masala/biryani masala and red chilli powder. Add in ground masala, fry until oil oozes out. Adjust the consistency by adding water. When it starts boiling, add in drained soya chunks and give one boil. Switch off. Now, gravy is ready, and we are moving towards preparing dum by layering this with cooked rice and other elements.

To Make Dum:

We need to layer the veggie and soya nuggets gravy, cooked rice, chopped coriander and pudina, lemon water, rose water, saffron milk, deep-fried onions and leftover oil after deep frying onions. Hence, keep everything in your hands reach.

I use my pressure pan or big Kadai to assemble Dum.

-Apply ghee or oil to the surface of Kadai or pan. Roughly, take one-third of the soya gravy and spread it at the bottom of the vessel.

Next, take 1/3 of the rice, spread it over the soya gravy. Now, Sprinkle 1/3 of each rose water, saffron milk, lemon juice, fried onions, chopped pudina and coriander.

-Next, 2^nd layer of gravy, rice and repeat the process.

-Next, 3^rd layer of gravy, remaining rice, lemon water, saffron milk, Rosewater, chopped greens, fried onions.

Now, make a hole at the centre by using your forefinger, pour all the remaining onion fried oil to the bottom, close the lid, and keep it in a simmer for 7 to 10 minutes.