Gluten free – Page 16

Hog Plum/Ambatekayi Gojju:

May 15, 2018

We call hog plum as “Amtekai” in Kannada and as “ambate” in our local language. In our region you will find 2 varieties of hog plums. One is Wild variety which is also known as Indian sour hog plum and the other one is known as grafted or Kashi Amtekai/ hog plum. Grafted variety is nothing but Hog plums which we normally find in South America or South East Asia. Also known as Ambarella or Golden apple which belongs to the specie – spondias dulcis.

Wild variety is normally used in pickle making or as a souring agent in some of the traditional curries because of its sour taste. When it matures, seed becomes hard and skin becomes thin. Here I have used normal hog plum, which has a fibrous core and when it matures, skin will turn green to yellow and sweetish in taste. People use this as a fruit as well.

Gojju/ Gojji is an essential side dish of our community. Which is a semi solid, tamarind based, sweet and sour curry, which can be relished as it is with hot rice, or as an accompaniment with curd rice as well. Some of the gojjus taste good with Dosa or Idli as well.

Ingredients:

Hog plums – 7 to 8

Jaggery – 2 to 4 table spoons

Salt

Red chilli powder – 1 tea spoon

Seasoning:

Coconut Oil – 1 table spoon

Mustard – 1 tea spoon

Garlic cloves – 8 to 10 (sliced)

Curry leaves – 1 spring

Method:

-Wash and cook hog plums in sufficient water by adding salt, jaggery, red chilli powder in a pressure cooker.

-One whistle is more than enough for this veggie to cook.

-When it is cooked, outer skin layer will separate, inner flesh will become soft.

-Mash a little by using back of the serving spoon, to give a texture to the curry.

-Mix everything and check for salt, hot and sweet. Add whatever is needed.

-Curry should taste tangy, hot and sweet.

-Boil this and add seasoning.

-Heat oil, splutter mustard, add sliced garlic. When garlic becomes brown, add curry leaves and pour this over curry.

-Serve as a side dish with rice or curd rice.

Note:

-Usage of garlic is purely optional.

How to preserve Jack fruit Seed:

May 12, 2018

Yes!! You heard it right. I am using jackfruit seeds in my cooking all year round by preserving it in frozen form. It is rich in anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, calcium, potassium, carbohydrate and starch. So, when we eat the fruit and then throw away the seeds, you are discarding this power house of goodness.

In our region, people have been using jackfruit seeds in their traditional cooking for ages. After consuming the fruit, our elders used to apply some mud paste and used to pile it up in one corner of the veranda. In rainy season, they used to use these seeds as needed for cooking, by making Rasam, palya, sambar by mixing with some other vegetables or greens. They used to prepare some desserts as well.

I never used to like this when I was young, and never realised the importance of it’s goodness. After marriage, I started using these seeds in my cooking, because of my husband, who likes jack seed in some of our traditional recipes. I will post our favourite recipes in the coming days one by one.

Method:

-After consuming or using the fruit bulbs, Collect all the seeds.

-Remove outer slimy cover and discard.

-Wash the seeds and keep aside (to air dry) for 3 to 4 days.

-After 3 to 4 days, seed jacket will become brittle and it will be easier to peel now.

-Take one rough kitchen cloth and one stone pastel or pressing stone.

-Keep individual seed and hit hard. Outer jacket will break, and inner seed will crush.

-Collect all the crushed seeds and throw away all the outer jacket.

-Store the seeds in zip lock for future use and freeze it in a freezer compartment.

-This way, frozen seed will be ready and available to cook throughout the year, until next season.

Jackfruit kottige:

May 10, 2018

Halasina hannu is Jack fruit and Kottige is nothing but idly or kadubu,also known as Halasina Hannina kottige Or Gatti in local language. In which mixture is wrapped in pre-wilted banana leaves like pockets and steam cooked. Like bottle gourd kottige, which I have posted earlier, it is not a savoury kind, it is sweetish and bustling with jackfruit flavour which is enhanced even more with the usage of banana leaves wrap.

Jackfruit season is considered as a feast time in our region. Usage starts from tiny raw fruit form to ripened stage. You will find couple of curry recipes in my blog which I have posted earlier as well as Ripe jack fruit Dosa.

Now we will see how to make kottige, in our traditional method.

Ingredients:

Dosa rice – 2 cups

Jackfruit – 2 cups (cleaned)

Fresh coconut gratings – 1 cup

Grated jaggery – ¼ to ½ cup (according to your taste)

Ghee – 1 table spoon

Salt

Method:

-Wash Dosa rice (white raw rice) and soak for 2 to 3 hours.

-If you are using banana leaves, wilt the leaves on gas flame, wipe with a wet cloth and keep it ready.

-If you are using idli mould, grease the moulds with little ghee and keep aside.

-Chop jack fruit, separate fruit pods, remove outer thin white fibres as well as inner seed and take only yellow fruit part.

-Mix grated coconut and jaggery as well as ghee and keep aside.

-Grind rice into fine paste by adding very little water and salt.

-Now take jack fruit little by little and whip a little to chop roughly by using same mixer jar in which rice batter is ground.

-Take one wide bowl, mix in ground batter, roughly whipped fruit pulp, coconut-jaggery mixture.

-Mix nicely, spread the wilted banana leaves and pour one spoon and fold it like a sealed pocket. (refer the below pictures)

-Assemble all these packets in a water filled idli steamer or Momo steamer and cook this for half an hour to 40 minutes in medium to slow heat.

-If you are using idli mould, pour required amount of batter and steam cook like an idli.

-Relish this jackfruit idli or kottige with ghee or coconut and ginger chutney.

-We usually steam cook this on the previous night and keep it ready for the next day’s breakfast. In this way, It will be easy in the morning as now you just have to prepare chutney and serve.

Simple Bele saaru /Rasam:

May 3, 2018

This Rasam is a very good option, if one has to cook no onion and no garlic meal. Usually it is an option for us during any festivity or “No mood to cook” meal. Olden days usage of onion or garlic was a taboo in our community and our grand moms used to prepare this kind of Rasam, which we call as saaru in local language. My hubby has fond memories attached to this Rasam, which he used to relish as a small child in his grand mom’s place and he usually asks for it and calls this Rasam as Doddajji saaru (grandma’s saaru) to signify. It is a plain Rasam, with ginger and hing flavour. In our region, we see this Rasam in some of the temple meals as well. If it is ginger flavoured one, no Rasam powder will be used and Rasam will be yellow in colour, due to the addition of turmeric and dhal.

Ingredients:

Toor dal – 1 cup

Tomatoes – 3 to 4

Green chillies – 4 to 6

Hing – peanut sized

Ginger – ½ inch (slivered)

Curry leaves – 2 springs

Salt

Jaggery – ½ to 1 tea spoon

Turmeric – ½ tea spoon

Tamarind – 1 tea spoon

Coriander leaves – little (optional)

Seasoning:

Coconut oil or ghee – 1 table spoon

Mustard – 1 tea spoon

Red chilli – 1

Curry leaves – 1 spring

Method:

-Wash and cook toor dal in a pressure cooker, mash a little and keep aside.

-Soak tamarind, chop tomatoes, green chillies and ginger.

-Take one Rasam pot (I normally use clay pot) and take 3 to 4 cups of water, tomato, green chillies, ginger, hing, curry leaves, turmeric, salt and jaggery.

-Cook this until everything cooks properly.

-Now add toor dal and mashed soaked tamarind.

-Boil this and adjust the consistency and check for salt, ginger and green chilli. If needed adjust by adding extra.

-When it is boiled, add chopped coriander leaves.

-Season with oil or ghee by spluttering mustard, red chilli and curry leaves.

-Serve with hot rice .

Fresh muskmelon seed and Watermelon smoothie:

April 30, 2018

If you are calorie conscious or under restricted diet, this smoothie is especially for you. It is nutty flavoured, rich, creamy and at the same time, No sugar and Less in Calories. It is a “No guilt” smoothie for scorching heat.With Summer at its peak, we are one happy family who consumes lots of musk melon and water melon on every day basis. I usually feel very bad to discard power packed melon seeds into dustbin.

Muskmelon has lot to offer, fruit itself is fibre rich, vitamin rich and seeds which you usually throw it away is even more nutritious. Seeds are high in fibre, plant-based protein, minerals, calcium and Omega-3 and when you add this to prepare smoothies, it gives very smooth, creamy texture without adding any high calorie substance. It is very ideal for diabetic, weight loss or even for children.

Here I have added inner core (flesh and seed part) of one musk melon fruit to give thick texture as well as nutty taste and water melon chunks to give sweetish taste.

Ingredients:

Muskmelon inner core – from one muskmelon

Watermelon – one cup

Sea salt – ¼ tea spoon

Pepper powder – ¼ tea spoon

Method:

-Peel outer skin from one muskmelon, collect inner core with seed and proceed.

-I have not used fruit part. It can be consumed as you wish.

-Take water melon chunks.

-Take your juicer jar, put inner core of musk melon, water melon chunks, sea salt, pepper powder and churn.

– Sieve this liquid and discard the roughage and serve smoothie by adding a couple of ice cubes to beat the heat.

Gujje kadle gashi / Tender jackfruit and whole black chickpeas curry:

April 27, 2018

Tender jackfruit is an integral part of our traditional cooking. Till now I have shared a couple of recipes and today I am going to share one more tender jack recipe which is prepared by pairing it with protein rich black chickpea, which is also known as kala chana, black chana in India.

Tender jackfruit is a super food, which is high in vitamins, minerals and dietary fibers and at the same time, less in calories, salt and fats. Now a day, it is available in almost all parts of the globe as fresh or frozen.

This curry is double beneficial because of additional benefit by adding black chickpea. Which is also known as Bengal grams, Garbanzo beans or Kala chana which has darker skin and thick outer cover and has high roughage.

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Ingredients:

Tender jack or Gujje pieces – 1 bowl.

Black chick peas/chana – 1 cup

Salt

Jaggery – 1 tea spoon

Red chili powder – 1 tea spoon

Coconut oil – 1+2 tea spoon

Masala:

Grated Coconut – from half coconut

Coriander seeds – 1 tea spoon

Urad dal – 1 tea spoon

Methi – ¼ tea spoon

Hing – one pinch

Red chillies – 3 to 4

Tamarind – ½ tea spoon

Season:

Coconut oil – 1 tea spoon

Mustard – 1 tea spoon

Red chilli – 1 (optional)

Curry leaves – 1 or 2 springs

Method:

-Wash and soak Black chana overnight. Drain the soaked water the next morning.

-Take one pressure cooker, cook chana by adding sufficient water. It requires around 4 to 5 whistles.

Ribbet collage

-Add Tender jack pieces into cooked chana, if needed some water, salt, red chilli powder and jaggery and cook in an open fire, until jack pieces are soft.

-In the meantime, prepare masala:

-Take 1 tsp of coconut oil in a tawa, fry methi, add coriander, hing, urad dal, red chillies and fry until urad dal becomes red. Next add coconut and fry until it emits fragrance.

Ribbet collage 2

-Cool the mixture, add tamarind and grind into little rough paste by adding water.

-Add the ground masala into cooked veggie mixture, boil.

-Add seasoning, heat coconut oil, splutter mustard, add red chilli (optional), curry leaves into oil and pour the mixture over boiled curry.

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-After adding the seasoning, add 2 tsp of raw coconut oil and keep it covered until u serve. This is to get an authentic taste.

Mavinakai Chutney/ Raw Mango and Coconut chutney:

April 24, 2018

There are so many ways to make lip smacking good Mango chutney. This is traditional mango chutney from Mangalore, South of Karnataka and it is mostly ground to a thicker consistency and is also called as Gatti chutney, which means thick raw mango chutney and is served with Kanji (Brown rice gruel) and ghee. It is our comfort food. DSC_0037_Fotor

Ingredients:

Grated Fresh coconut – 1 cup

Grated fresh green mango – ¼ cup

Green chillies – 2 to 3

Salt

Seasoning: Coconut oil, mustard, curry leaves.

Method:

-Put freshly grated coconut, grated green mango, green chillies and salt in a mixer grinder.

-Instead of green chillies, traditionally people use small bird eye chillies too. If you have that, you can use those chillies as well.

– Now blend the mixture in the mixer grinder coarsely, without adding any water. If juice from the raw mango is not sufficient, then add 1 to 2 tsp of water and grind to get this thick consistency.

-Prepare the seasoning and serve with Brown rice kanji and ghee.

Nendra Sippe Palya/Plantain peel dry curry:

April 17, 2018

Nendra is also known as Kerala Banana. Which is mainly used in chips, if it is raw and firm or Halwa making, when it is ripe and black.

When Chips is made, all the healthy, iron rich and fibre rich peel will be wasted, and it is some what a bi -product of chips making activity.

This palya is normally prepared on previous night of wedding celebrations in our region. Normally plantain chips are an integral part of any festivity meal and it is prepared well in advance, usually process starts from the previous afternoon and peels will be fresh and ready to be used in the previous night’s dinner menu.

It is a very tasty side dish with hot Rasam or as it is with hot rice topped with ghee.

Taste of this dish will be a mixture of sweet, hot and sour and only Raw Nendra banana peel can be used to make this palya.

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Ingredients:

Plantain Peel – of 8 to 10 Raw bananas

Tamarind water – ½ to 1 cup

Salt

Jaggery – 1 to 2 table spoons

Red chilli powder – 2 tea spoons

Fresh grated coconut- ¼ cup

Seasoning:

Coconut oil – 2 table spoons

Mustard – 1 tea spoon

Urad dal – 1 tea spoon

Red chilli – 1

Curry leaves – 2 springs

Method:

-Make thin buttermilk water to immerse the chopping’s:-Take one vessel, put 1 spoon of curd or butter milk and add two cups of water.

-Soak one tea spoon of tamarind in a half to one cup of hot water and make tamarind water and keep.

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–Wash Plantain peel and keep aside.

-Chop plantain peel into thin strips and put it into thin buttermilk water.

-Take one tawa, add one table spoon of oil, splutter mustard, add urad dal, red chilli and fry until dal becomes red. Add one spring of curry leaves.

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-Pour tamarind water, salt, jaggery, red chilli powder and boil.

-Discard butter milk water and keep chopping’s ready for use.

-When it starts boiling, add drained plantain peel chopping’s.

-Close the lid and cook this in a simmer.

-Check for water in-between. If peel is not cooked add some more water.

-When chopping’s are soft and cooked, after water drains, add grated coconut, remaining 1 table spoon of oil and one spring curry leaf.

-Mix everything and cook for 2 to 3 minutes and then switch off.

-Serve with hot rice topped with ghee or as a side dish with rice and Rasam.

Nendra Balekai Chips / Kerala plantain chips:

April 14, 2018

A person who can resist chips, let alone not like them, is unheard of.

Nendra is a variety of banana, which is very popular in Kerala and our coastal region. We usually use this in various snack preparations. Raw banana chips are very popular in South India and it’s usually served as a savoury side dish in a traditional meal or just as munchies. This is very addictive and has a distinct flavour due to usage of coconut oil for frying.

I got this raw banana from my cousin brother’s farm and prepared these chips after ages. All thanks to them.

Now we will proceed towards the recipe-

Ingredients:

Green Nendra Banana – 10

Salt – 1 tbl sp

Water – 1 small cup

Coconut oil – To deep fry.

Chips slicer – to slice

Method:

Apply some oil to your hand. To some extent it will protect your hand from blackening.

Take fresh, green plantain, wash properly. Take one small sharp knife, remove top and bottom part and give slits on outer skin at regular intervals (may be 4 to 5) from top to bottom.

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Now slowly insert your thumb at the slit and open the outer skin.

Don’t throw away this skin; you can make very tasty palya/Subzi out of this.

Immerse these peeled bananas in a bowl of water.

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Take one small bowl of water and mix salt and keep aside.it is your salted water, which is used while frying chips.

Now you can keep coconut oil for heating. When it is very hot, start making chips. To test the hotness of oil, drop one small piece of plantain, if it pops up immediately, it is ready.

Take out plantain from water, pat dry and start slicing directly to the hot oil by using slicer.

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Use one or two plantains at a time.

Keep flame at medium. When the slices of plantain cook, the bubbling sound of the oil becomes faint. Now you can add 1 tbl spoon of salted water, and you will hear lot of bubbles and bubbling sound. When the sound reduces, the chips are ready to be removed from the oil.

Remove the chips from the oil and keep them on a tissue-laid plate.

After cooling store, it in an air tight container and proceed with the remaining plantain.

Capsicum Ennegayi:

April 2, 2018

Ennegayi is a North Karnataka style peanut-based curry. Flavoured with Niger seed powder, also known as Hucchellu or Gurellu in that region. Normally it is done by using tiny brinjals. As a “not so fond of brinjal” person, I have used Capsicum as it is a very good option for those who do not like brinjal and yet enjoy this side dish with any millet-based roti’s or with simple whole wheat pulka’s.

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Ingredients:

Capsicum/Bell pepper – 4- 5 (big)

Onions – 2

Gren chillies – 1 to 2 (optional)

Curry leaves – 2 springs

Tomato – 2 (small)

Oil – 2 table spoons

Cumin – 1 tea spoon

Hing – ¼ tea spoon

Turmeric powder – ½ tea spoon

Salt

Jaggery – a little

Roasted peanut powder – 3 to 4 table spoons

Roasted Hucchellu powder – 2 to 3 table spoons (Niger/Gurellu powder)

Curd – 2 table spoons

Coriander leaves- 2 table spoon (chopped)

Method:

-Wash capsicum, Chop it into bite size square pieces.

-If it is spicy, don’t add any green chillies while making, otherwise you can add one or two.

-If you are adding green chillies, slit and keep.

-Chop onions, tomatoes, coriander leaves.

-Take one cooker vessel, add oil. When it is hot, add cumin and hing.

Ribbet collage 1

-Then comes onions, fry a little and add curry leaves, green chilli, turmeric.

-When onion becomes light brown, add chopped tomatoes, salt and jaggery.

-Fry until tomato becomes mushy.

-Switch off the gas for once and add roasted peanut powder, Niger seed (Hucchellu) powder, curd and mix everything.

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-Now mix in capsicum pieces and once again mix everything together, add one small cup of water.

-Now switch on the gas, close the cooker lid and cook until one whistle and switch off.

-When pressure relieves, open the lid, check for the salt and jaggery or any other seasoning.

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-Adjust, garnish with the chopped coriander leaves and serve with any kind of millet roti’s or with phulka’s.