Category: Gluten free

Haalittu Payasa / Rice Noodle Kheer :

August 23, 2022

It is an age-old recipe and an almost extinct dessert in our region/ community. Haalittu, the name itself, suggests the softness of the rice noodles.

Here, freshly prepared rice noodles are cooked in boiling jaggery-laced water, enriched with coconut milk, and flavoured with freshly ground cardamom powder. 

The method is straightforward and not so complex.

Ingredients:

Dosa Rice – 1 small tumbler

Jaggery – ½ to ¾ tumbler or more

Salt- ½ tsp

Fresh Coconut – To extract milk or Coconut milk – 1 pack

Cardamom powder – 1 tsp (freshly ground)

Method:

-Wash and soak the rice for 3 to 4 hrs with sufficient water.

-Grind the soaked rice with salt into a smooth paste.

-Take one thick Kadai, pour the batter, heat on a low flame and cook until it forms a smooth pliable dough, with constant stirring.

-When the mixture cools down, take a chakli presser, fix a multi-hole plate, press the noodles and keep it ready.

-In another thick-bottomed vessel, take jaggery, and sufficient water or if you are using freshly extracted coconut milk, take 3 rd and 4th extract of thin coconut milk and boil until the raw smell of the jaggery vanishes.

– Now, drop the rice noodles and boil further. When noodles are well cooked, add thick extracted coconut milk or open the tetra pack, pour, and give one boil.

-Garnish with cardamom powder and serve hot. Here, we don’t use any ghee-fried dry fruits.

-if you wish to add, you can add and serve.

Soya Nuggets Kurma:

August 15, 2022

Soya Chunks/nuggets curry is a perfect protein rich side dish for any Rotis. I usually make Yeasted Roti’s to go with it. It tastes good with regular whole wheat pulka or chapati as well.

Soya chunks or nuggets, also known as meal makers, are made from defatted soy flour, a by-product of extracting soybean oil. It is easy and quick to cook and known as veg meat. Though it does not have its flavour, it tends to absorb flavours well. I have shared Soya chunks in  Biryani, and now, I want to share this kurma.

Ingredients:

Soya nuggets – 1 to 2 cups

Oil – 1 + 1 tbl spoon

Cumin – 1tsp

Green chillies – 2 (slit)

Cashew – 10

Onion – 2 (medium, chopped)

Garlic – 8 – 10 (crushed)

Turmeric – ½ tsp

Red chilli powder – 1tbl spoon

Coriander – 2 tsp

Garam masala – 1tsp

Coconut – 1 cup (grated)

Curds – 1 small tumbler

Salt, sugar – to taste

Coriander leaves – little

Method:

-Take one saucepan, boil water and pour soya nuggets, and when it swells, drain the water and keep aside.

-Now, take one skillet, heat one tbl spoon of oil, and fry cashew, garlic, and onion.

-When the onion turns translucent, add all the dry masalas such as turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala.

-Add coconut, switch off the flame and toss the coconut for 2 minutes.

-Cool the mixture, grind it into a smooth paste, and keep it aside.

-Now, heat one tbl spoon of oil, cumin, and green chillies toss for 1 minute. Next, add ground masala paste, adjust the consistency by adding water and boil.

-When it has boiled for a while, switch off the gas. Add beaten curd and drained soya and mix everything properly.

-Switch on the gas, and allow the gravy to boil. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with roti or any flavoured rice.

Menthya Baath: Fenugreek/ methi greens rice:

July 31, 2022

Menthya baath/bath is a quick, healthy, flavourful south Indian dish, made with methi greens and mixed veggies or plain. It is a one-pot nutritious meal and ideal for lunch boxes.

Here, we use fresh methi/ fenugreek leaves and green peas. The rice’s raw and earthy flavour of methi greens makes it unique. Hence, it is an added advantage to avoid the difficulty of including greens in kids’ diets. Each family has its recipe, and I will share how we like it. Typically eaten with raitha or just with some curds. But it tastes great with any mild vegetable curry, like gobhi and broccoli, which I shared earlier. 

Ingredients:

Rice – 2 cups (wash a couple of times, drain and keep aside)

Fresh Green peas – 1 small bowl (frozen would do)

Methi/fenugreek leaves – 1 small bowl ( cleaned, chopped)

Coriander leaves – ½ small bowl (washed, chopped)

Milk – 1 cup ( you can opt for any plant-based milk as well)

Onions – 2 ( medium) thinly sliced

Oil – 2 to 3 tablespoons (As required)

Whole masala: Cumin – 1 tsp, cinnamon – 1″, cloves, Marathi moggu, cardamoms and bay leaves ( 2 each)

To dry grind: Green chillies – 3 to 4, ginger – 1 inch, garlic – 6 to 8 cloves

Coriander powder – 1 ½ tsp

Salt ( as required)

Lemon – ½

Method:

-Take one cooker, heat oil, and put all the whole masalas such as cumin, two pieces each of cinnamon, cloves, Maratha moggu, cardamom, and bay leaves.

-Now, add sliced onion, and fry until it is transparent. Then, add green peas and continue to fry.

-Next, add dry and roughly ground ginger-garlic-green chilli paste. Fry until its raw smell vanishes.

-Next, add chopped methi greens, coriander greens, coriander powder, and salt and fry further.

-Add drained rice and fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 3 cups of water and 1 cup of milk and allow to boil.

-Lastly, add the lemon juice. When water starts boiling, close the cooker lid. Cook until the first whistle.

-When pressure releases, serve with any preferred raita, plain curd or veg curry.

 

 

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.

 

 

Huchellu Chutney :

July 3, 2022

If you are wondering what exactly it is? Wait! It has some more names, such as Gurellu in Kannada and Niger seed in English. They are used extensively in the North Karnataka region.

Niger seed or Huchellu is filled with many nutrients and is the best Omega 3 natural supplement for vegetarians.

I made Huchellu chutney with Ragi Rotti, considered the best combo in Bangalore.

Ingredients:

Chana dal – 1 tsp

Urad dal – 1tsp

Peanuts – ¼ cup

Hurigadale, roasted gram – 2 tbl spoons

Green chillies – 2 to 4

Garlic – 4 cloves

Curry leaves – 4 leaves

Coriander leaves – little

Salt and tamarind little

Roasted niger seeds or powder – 1 tbl spoon

Fresh coconut – 2 to 3 tbl spoons

Method:

-Heat little oil, roast chana dal, urad dal, and peanuts. Add roasted gram, green chillies, and garlic cloves and fry further.

-Switch off the gas, add curry leaves and coriander leaves, and toss a little to wilt the greens; cool.

-Grind the content to smooth paste by adding coconut, salt, and tamarind.

-I don’t add any seasoning. If you wish to add it, please go ahead and add it. Serve with Ragi rotti.

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.

 

Basale bendi / Malabar spinach and jack seed curry :

May 15, 2022

I have shared some Basale / Malabar spinach recipes and jack seed recipes in my previous posts. If you are interested in finding out more Mangalore-based recipes, such as basale Chutney and basale with raw papaya curry, the method to preserve jackseed, hummus, the side dish with coloured cucumber, dry curry with bamboo shoot and Rasam. Please click the hyperlink and check it out.

As we all know, basale is rich in iron, fibre, and vitamins and low in calories. When combined with jackseed, natural plant protein is an added benefit; cooked jackseed is creamy in texture, tasty to the palette and healthy for our bodies.

Here is the most amazing Malabar spinach and jack seed recipe from my family to yours, which is a perfect pair with Hot Rice or traditional red rice rotti or Rotti using rice flour.

Ingredients:

Malabar spinach – 250- 300 grams

Jack seeds – 12 to 15 ( crushed and shelled) OR Soaked black-eyed peas (white)

Onion – 1 sliced (medium)

Turmeric – 1tsp

Salt – as required

Jaggery – ½ tsp (optional)

Red chilli powder – 1tsp

Tamarind – small gooseberry size, soaked in water.

For the Masala Paste:

Grated fresh coconut – 1 cup

Red chillies – 4 to 6 ( Byadagi)

Coriander seeds – 1 tbl spoon

Cumin – 1 tsp

Garlic – 2 cloves (optional)

For the seasoning:

Coconut oil – 1 tbl spoon

Mustard – 1 tsp

Red chilli – 1

Crushed garlic – 8 – 10

Curry leaves – 1 spring.

Method:

-If you use Pieces of stems from the Malabar spinach, cook those stems with salt in a pressure cooker for 2 to 3 whistles. Add Jack seed or Black-eyed peas and chopped Malabar spinach greens, tamarind water, salt, jaggery, and red chilli powder when the pressure releases.

-cook further in an open vessel or close the lid of the pressure cooker and give one whistle.

-Now, make masala. Heat a coconut oil, coriander, cumin, garlic, and red chillies, and fry until crisp. Now, grind these fried items with coconut and make a smooth paste.

-Add the ground masala to cooked veggies, boil, and season.

-For seasoning, heat coconut oil, splutter mustard, add crushed garlic and red chilli, and fry until it turns light brown; add curry leaves and pour it over the curry. Enjoy with Dosa, Rotti, or rice.  

Kithul Flour- Sweet and Savoury Drinks:

May 10, 2022

Kithul tree is found all over south India while travelling in and around our native, at fields,  ghat section or any hilly area. Kithul palm, commonly known as Solitary Fishtail palm, sago palm, Toddy palm, jaggery palm etc.

Scientifically, Caryota urens is a species of flowering plant in the palm family from the Indian Subcontinent and South-East Asia.       

 In Kannada, it is called as ಬೈನೆ ಮರ /baine tree.

In and around Mangalore, it is known as ಈ0ದು /Eendu.

It is famous for Folk medicine in our region.

What is Kithul flour?

Starch extracted from the pith of the Kithul tree is “Kithul Flour” and known for its benefits in traditional “grandmom’s remedy” to control many ailments such as reducing body heat during summer, remedy for Sevier acidity, stomach ulcers, headache due to stomach ailments etc. in our villages. It is high in fibre and antioxidants. Hence, it helps to regularise gut health.

Extraction of Kithul flour is a tedious process; hence, we need to be extra cautious while buying the product.

Luckily, I have found a farmer who follows the traditional farming method and manages to prepare Kithul flour conventionally.

Kithul flour Porridge: One of the most popular breakfast porridge/puddings in Srilanka.

Rich in fibre and healthy Sri Lankan breakfast porridge, usually prepared by cooking kithul flour with sufficient water, then enhanced the taste by adding coconut milk, jaggery and crushed cashews or grated nutmeg.

The benefits of usage of this flour are endless.-

-Stops lose motion.                                                                   
-Reduces body heat and mouth ulcers.
-Reduces the painful periods
-Regulates acidity and improves gut health.
-improves the nerve health

Method: which I followed is straightforward.

-Take a glass of water, and add a spoon of Caryota powder and a pinch of salt or sugar or jaggery. Boil the mixture until the content is cooked and turns shiny.

-Adjust the consistency by adding hot milk. Garnish with cardamom powder and roasted cashews.

If you don’t like sweet and prefer to have it savoury, one can also make the salted version.

Boil 1 tsp of kithul flour with water, add sufficient salt and cool a bit. Add buttermilk and make a chaas / thin version of buttermilk like consistency. You can add crushed jeera or jeera powder, chopped coriander or hing.

I prefer cumin and salt. Drink as a thirst quencher and enjoy this summer drink with an added benefit for your health.

 

 

Badanekai Gojji Sambar/ Brinjal Dal :

March 18, 2022

Our Native Brinjal has its charm and a fan base. People who like it relish it in many ways. I have already shared the palya, and this dal is one more item, which is our family favourite and mild at the taste. Here, we use either Gulla or a native variety of big green brinjal.

It needs hardly any ingredient but tastes fantastic and soothing in the summer heat. It is No coconut, vegan curry. 

Ingredients:

Brinjal – 1 ( big)

Toor dal – 1 cup ( cooked with turmeric and mashed)

Green chillies – 5 to 8 ( slit)

Salt – as per taste

Jaggery – as per taste

Roasted methi powder – ½ to 1 spoon

Tamarind – small lemon sized

coriander leaves – 2 tbl spoon (Chopped)

Seasoning: Coconut oil – 1 tbl spoon, Mustard – 1 tsp, Hing – peanut size ball, red chilli – 1, curry leaves – 1 spring.

Method:

-Here, we use full brinjal, even its stalk. So, the chopping procedure is, Halve the brinjal, even the stalk. Make four slits lengthwise. And dice it. Remove the inner woody part of the stalk and discard.

-Put those brinjal pieces in water and immerse.

-Now, take one vessel, Boil tamarind, 2 cups of water, salt, jaggery, slit green chillies. When it starts boiling, add brinjal pieces by draining the immersed water.

-When brinjal pieces turn soft, add mashed dal, roasted methi powder, adjust the salt and, jaggery and chillies according to your taste.

-Boil nicely, garnish with coriander. Do the seasoning by heating oil, splutter mustard, hing, red chilli and curry leaves.

-Enjoy with hot rice and papad.

NOTE: You can check the quantity of all the essential ingredients in the Above picture.