Category: Rice

Tri colour Capsicum Rice :

July 2, 2020

Capsicum flavoured one pot rice item, with added richness by coconut milk as well as lots of curry leaves and goes very well with any side dish of your choice. It is an absolute favourite at our office potlucks or any parties. It is rich in taste ,easy to make and nutritious too. I normally serve this with simple dhal fry .

I normally Use Basmati rice or small grain Jeera samba rice to make rice and all the three colours of capsicums.

Ingredients:

 Basmati rice – 2 cups

Onion – 1 big (sliced)

Green chilli – 1 (slit)

Ginger garlic paste – 1tsp

Ghee + Oil – 1 + 1 tablespoon

Bay leaves – 2

Cardamom – 2

Cinnamon – 1”

Clove – 2

Coconut milk powder – 2 tablespoons (I normally use Maggi brand)

To Garnish:

Red, Green and yellow capsicum – 1 each

Ghee or Oil – 2 tablespoons

Cumin – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – 2 springs

Green chilli – 1 (slit )

Method:

-Wash ,soak rice for 10 minutes and drain.

-Take one cooker, add ghee and oil, Bay leaves, cinnamon,  clove and cardamom.

-Add sliced onion, green chilli and fry until it is golden. Continue frying with adding ginger garlic paste.

– Add drained rice, coconut milk powder ,4 cups of water ,salt and cook for one whistle ,keep it in a simmer for 3 minutes and switch off. 

To Prepare capsicum garnishing – dice all the three-coloured capsicum.

-Heat ghee, cumin ,curry leaves and slit green chilli and fry.

-Add capsicum ,toss for a while and sprinkle some salt and when it is done, add the ready rice and mix with a light hand and serve with your favourite side dish or simple dhal fry.

Jackfruit Cup cake:

May 24, 2020

My idea behind this cup cake is our very own, traditional Jackfruit Kottige or Idli, that we have been making for ages. When I wanted to try cup cake, somehow, I was not convinced to use All-purpose flour due to my motto of healthy baking . Also, I was not ready to use an egg with jack.

Now, the biggest challenge was how to make it? That is when I thought of incorporating our traditional ingredients, which pairs very well with Jackfruit.

So, I took Rice flour , instead of fresh coconut opted for a homemade coconut flour. It would have helped to give an airy texture to cake. Now comes the egg replacer, without any doubt went with flax gel. Worked out really well.

Now comes the tasting session, whoever loves the Jackfruit and its preparation? They all loved it. Whoever does not love jack fruit or its flavour, they said…No 😉

My verdict: Cake was soft, airy ,not at all dense. Tasted more of Jackfruit. After all it is Jackfruit cake 😀

 

Now, we would move towards the procedure 😀

Ingredients:

Rice flour – 1 cup

Coconut flour – 1 cup

Baking powder – ¾ tsp

Baking soda – ¾ tsp

Salt – ¼ tsp

Flax gel – Replacement for 1 egg

Buttermilk – ¾ cup

Jaggery powder – 2/3 cup ( you can add brown sugar or normal sugar as well)

Ghee / clarified butter – 1/3 cup

Jack fruit chunks – ½ cup (heaped)

Method:

-Pre heat oven at 180 °C , grease the muffin pan. If you want to keep jack fruit piece at the bottom, you can keep one piece on each mould and keep it ready.

-Make flax gel: The basic ratio is 2 ½ tsp of flax seed powder and three tablespoons of  hot water  and then you simply whisk in the mixture until it becomes gelatinous  to replace one egg.

-Make  Jack fruit pieces by using chopper or mixer jar (by opting Pulse option)

-Take one bowl, add both the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and mix nicely or sieve couple of times. It is our dry mixture.

-Take one more bowl, make a wet mix. Take flax gel, ghee, buttermilk, and beat nicely.

-Now add jaggery or sugar and beat until frothy. Now add Jack fruit and mix.

-Pour  wet mixture into dry mixture and fold in and make a uniform mixture. Do not over mix.

-Pour the ready batter to muffin mould and bake in a Pre-heated oven for 20 minutes. Check the doneness and take out. 

-Cool and enjoy gluten free Jack fruit cupcake.

NOTE: – if you want to use all-purpose flour, please go ahead, and use 1 ½ cup and follow the same recipe.

Apple Pie Pancake:

April 2, 2020

Pancakes are always a boon to our busy morning schedule or during the weekend brunch. When you are locked down at home, due to our recent Corona virus scenario, it is an ideal thing to use the ingredients that are available in your pantry to make filling healthy meal than to prepare apple pie, by rolling, filling and baking, this pancake is the perfect answer for your Apple pie craving and a much more healthier option due to the usage of varieties of healthy flours, as it has room for addition or deletion of flours and choice is yours.

Here I have used ground oats, whole wheat and brown rice flour with caramelised apples as well as with the goodness of flax seed to give extra fluffiness without adding any eggs. So, it is eggless too.

If you want to make gluten free version, replace the whole wheat flour and add any flour of your choice. I love this cinnamon flavoured pancake ,which is a perfect variation of the classic dessert and tastes really yum! With Maple syrup.

How I made: For 4 people

Ingredients:

Apples – 1 or 2 (chopped)

Salt 

Jaggery – 2 tsp

Cooking soda – ¾ tsp

Flax seed powder – 1 tsp

Cinnamon powder – ½ tsp

Milk – 1 cup

Oats – 1 cup ( powdered)

Whole wheat flour – ½ cup

Red rice flour – ½ cup

Method:

-Mix Apple, jaggery , cinnamon and keep aside for 5 minutes. Add milk and cook until apple cooks and becomes soft.

-Switch off ,leave aside for 5 minutes. Add in cooking soda, flax seed powder and mix vigorously until it is frothy.

-Add all the flours ,salt, water to make a batter pourable consistency.

-Heat tawa, when it is hot, pour a ladle of batter, sprinkle some ghee or butter, cook in a low flame.

-When it is almost cooked, flip and roast the other side. Serve with maple syrup and enjoy.

 

 

Instant Raw Banana Dosa:

February 4, 2020

Raw banana has been used as a baby food from ages. It contains various essential vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre as well as small amount of protein. It is very good for digestive health and people with diabetes. In our native, raw banana is an integral part of our cooking. It starts from baby food/ banana flour porridge, side dishes, curry as well as instant dosa like this. You might be wondering, how come? Raw banana usage? Indeed, there is a reason behind extensive usage. Our elders are all from agricultural background. They all were into Areca nut farming. In between Areca nut plants, there will be Banana, pepper, Cocoa and many more side crops.

Usually we use small variety banana for this dosa and not a big banana variety. This recipe which I learnt it from one of my Atthey and trust me, it is very tasty. It is quick, instant, vegan, gluten free and what not?

Let us see, how I make it –

Ingredients:

Raw small variety bananas – 9 – 10

Salt

Soaked rice or rice flour – 1 tablespoon.

Method:

-Wash, peel outer fibre or main skin of the banana and chop into bite size.

-Immerse in water and keep aside.

-If you are using soaked rice, make a paste at first, add drained banana pieces, salt and grind into smooth paste by adding sufficient water.

-Batter should not be very thin and watery. It should be like idli batter consistency.

-heat iron griddle. When it is hot, spread thin dosas, cook both the sides by pouring little ghee or oil.

-Serve with chutney or sambar.

Ripe Jackfruit Idli:

July 15, 2019

Jack fruit idli is Instant , if you have left over Jackfruit dosa batter 😀 . Other wise you should soak dosa rice for 2 hours and then you can proceed to make idli. Last week when I made dosa , I had some left-over batter and tried this idli instead of our usual traditional kottige. Which is wrapped and steam cooked in Plantain leaf.

It turned out to be super soft and fluffy. It is very easy, at the same time no compromises in taste.

How I made:

Ingredients:

Dosa rice – 1 cup

Cleaned jack fruit – 1 big bowl 

Salt

Coconut gratings – ½ cup

Grated Jaggery – 2 tablespoons ( as required)

Ghee – 1 table soon (optional, but it surely enhance the taste)

Eno fruit salt – ½ tsp (optional)

Method:

-Wash and soak Dosa rice in sufficient water for 2 to 3 hours.

– Chop the jack fruit, remove bulbs and separate outer cover and inner seed.

– Collect only the outer yellow fruit shell and put it in a mixer grinder, give couple of whipping sessions and remove.

-Divide it in half ( use one half for grinding and other half to ready batter. to enhance the taste.

– Now take soaked rice, half of  fruit chunks  , put little water and grind this into a smooth paste by adding sufficient salt. Batter consistency should be  little thicker.

-Take coconut gratings, mix in jaggery, little ghee( if you wish) and mix in half of jack pieces which we have kept aside.

-Mix this mixture with ground batter. If you want, add Eno and mix everything and make idlies by using idli mould.

-serve this with honey or with ginger chutney.            

Note:

For ginger chutney: Fry red chillies with little oil and grind it with coconut, salt, little tamarind and piece of ginger.

If you have ready Dosa batter, add jack fruit pieces, coconut, jaggery ,ghee, Eno and mix everything and proceed.

If you are using idli stand, grease the idli plate with oil/ghee and pour a ladle full of batter and steam cook them in pressure cooker for 10-15 minutes.
Let it cool for few minutes before serving the idlis with spicy chutney and ghee.

Plantain stem dosa / Bale dandina dosey:

July 4, 2019

Every part of the banana plant has its own benefits to our health. Banana stem is one such thing, which is high in fibre and filled with nutritious water. It is very good for Human gut as well as kidney.

The juice of the banana stem helps in flushing out of toxins as well as to prevent kidney stone formation as well. Overall it acts as a healing food for human body. In coastal Karnataka, we do use plantain stem or flower in various recipes. Today I am going to share our traditional Dosa recipe and previously I have shared Raw salad as well as Rasam recipe.

Plantain stem dosa turns out porous, soft as well as crispy and goes very well with any side dish of your choice.

Ingredients:

Dosa rice – 2 cups

Urad dal – ¼ cup

Methi seeds – 1 tablespoon

Banana/ plantain stem – 2 cups

Salt

Method:

-Wash , soak dosa rice, urad dal, methi in water for 2 to 3 hours.

-Chop Banana stem as I have shown in the picture below.

-Grind soaked rice and chopped plantain stem pieces by adding sufficient salt into smooth paste.

-Ferment overnight or 8 – 10 hours. Next day prepare Dosa .

-If you like crisp roasted one, spread as thin as possible on heated iron griddle.

-Serve with coconut chutney or any other curry.

 

Paneer Pulav:

June 9, 2019

This is a one pot meal and is wholesome and quick. Working days are always hectic and when you have to pack dabbas, it is a challenge to think of some interesting wholesome food. This pulao is one such thing, my family doesn’t mind having even in dabbas when cold or piping hot for a quick weekend lunch.

It needs very little ingredients as well as time. Here I have taken Beans, carrot, peas along with paneer chunks to enhance the nutrition.

Ingredients:

Basmati rice or any rice of your choice – 3 cups

Veggies of your choice – 1 bowl (Beans, carrot, peas)

Paneer – 200 grams

Bay leaves – 2

Cinnamon- 1 “

Cardamom – 2

salt

Oil – 3 to 4 tablespoons

For Masala:

Cinnamon – 1”

Clove – 4

Ginger – 1”

Garlic – 10 cloves

Green chillies – 5 to 6

Coriander leaves – little

Pudina – little

Coconut – 2 tablespoons

Curd – 1 small cup

Method:

-Wash rice and soak for 20 minutes. Drain and keep aside.

-Chop veggies, grind masala and keep aside.

-For masala: Fry clove, cinnamon, green chillies, garlic, sliced ginger, coriander, pudina and coconut by adding little oil, cool and grind into smooth paste by adding curd.

-Take one cooker, add oil, drop cinnamon, bay leaves ,cardamom. Add chopped veggies and fry until raw smell vanishes.

-Next, add masala, add salt and fry until oil leaves at the sides.

-Add drained rice, fry for 2 minutes. Add paneer chunks mix gently and add water (1:2 cups) and when it starts boiling, close the lid.

-Cook for one whistle, keep in a simmer for 1 to 2 minutes and switch off.

-When pressure releases, mix everything and serve with onion raita.

 

Halasina hannina Guliyappa/ Jackfruit Paddu:

June 2, 2019

Jackfruit is an integral part of our kitchen during the Summer months. In our native, it is an everyday affair to make something or the other out of home-grown huge jack fruits. A lot of family bonding happens during its chopping, separating the fruit bulbs and cleaning. After cleaning, it is time to think about what to make? One says Dosa, other one Kottige or Guliyappa. Even after making all these delicacies if it is in excess, then it is time to make Berati and preserve it for a long.

Guliyappa is usually an instant thing if the rice has been soaked and ready. But I like Paddu out of fermented batter. Let us see how I make it.

Ingredients:

Dosa rice – 2 cups

Jackfruit – 1 big bowl

Coconut – 1 small bowl

Jaggery – I piece (according to taste) Or Jaggery Syrup as needed.

Salt

Method:

-Wash, soak Dosa rice in water for 3 to 4 hours. Clean jack fruit bulbs by removing fibre and seed.

– Drain the water, grind Rice, jaggery ( I would suggest using jaggery syrup), salt, coconut and chopped jackfruit with adding minimal water.

-The batter should be a little coarse, and the consistency should be like idli batter (should neither thick nor thin)

-Allow fermenting overnight in cold weather, or 2 to 3 hrs is enough.

-Heat Appe or Paddu pan. When it is hot, pour ¼ tsp of ghee or oil.

-Pour the batter into each mould, close the lid, and cook for a few minutes.

-Flip the side and cook the upper side as well.

-Serve with chutney. We normally prefer Ginger and coconut chutney as a side dish for jackfruit items.

-Repeat the process and enjoy your breakfast or brunch or dinner.

Note:

For ginger chutney: Fry red chillies with little oil and grind this with coconut, salt, tamarind, and a piece of ginger.

Masala Dosa:

May 9, 2019

Who doesn’t love Masala Dosa? It is an absolute favourite in our family.

A properly made crisp Dosa is very delicious if the batter is perfectly fermented with little sour flavour and correct consistency.

Normally Masala Dosa can be served either by applying Red chutney or Green chutney.

Red chutney what I make is not very hot and made with only chillies. It is coconut-based garlic flavoured chutney.

In other hand, green chutney smeared Dosa is something I relish in Hotel MTR outlet in Bangalore. I tried to replicate the taste at home, and it is once again a coconut chutney, which is flavoured by coriander leaves.

In our coastal region, you never get to see red chutney applied Masala dosas. It is normal paper plain Dosa with bhaji at the centre and rolled like a paper roll and served with the watery ginger chutney and sambar as an accompaniment.

In our house we normally make red chutney and apply and enjoy garlicky flavoured chutney with aloo masala.

First, we will see How to make Dosa Batter:

Ingredient:

Dosa rice -1 cup

Idly rice -1 cup

Urad dal – ½ cup

Bengal gram/Chana dal – 1 tbl sp

Fenugreek/methi seeds – 1 tsp.

Beaten rice – ¼ cup

  Method:

-Wash all these ingredients couple of times.

-Soak this in a sufficient water (washed rice and dal should submerge) for 3 to 4 hours. Drain water from the rice and keep aside. This water is used while grinding according to the requirement. Grind soaked rice –dal mixture by adding salt in to a very fine /smooth batter by using wet grinder or Mixer grinder. I prefer Wet grinder and it certainly gives much finer, perfect batter. After removing the batter adjust the consistency by mixing properly. Now keep this ground batter for fermentation in a big vessel, so that it will allow room for puffed/fermented batter. It will take anywhere between 8 to 16 hours (according to the outside weather)

Note: In Bangalore I usually soak my lentils around morning, grinding happens around afternoon 2 to 3 pm and until next morning I keep the batter for fermentation. This is how I get my perfectly fermented batter. 

Potato Bhaji/ filling:

Ingredients:

Potato – 6 big

Onion – 3 big

Green chilli – 2 to 3

Grated ginger – ½ “

Turmeric – ½ tsp.

Salt

Seasoning: Coconut oil -2 tbl sp, mustard- 1tsp, Urad dal -1 tsp., chana dal-1 tsp, Cumin seeds – ½ tsp, hing – ¼ tsp, Red chilli -1, curry leaves -2 springs.

Chopped coriander leaves for garnishing.

 Method:

-Wash potato cut in to half and put this in a cooker with sufficient water. Cook for two whistles. Cool, remove outer skin, mash and keep aside.

-Slice onion and slit green chillies.

-Take one kadai, add coconut oil, mustard, when it starts to splutter, add cumin, hing, Urad dal, chana dal, red chilli. When dal becomes red add Curry leaves, slit green chillies and onions.

-Add turmeric and fry onions till it becomes light brown.

-Now add one to two cups of water, add salt.

-When water starts boiling add mashed potato and mix nicely. Check for the seasoning and close the lid and cook for a while until it becomes homogenised and water drains.

-Switch off the gas and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

 

Red Chutney: It is garlic flavoured very thick coconut chutney.

Ingredients:

Grated fresh coconut – 1 cup

Red chilli – 2

Garlic cloves -7 to 8

Tamarind – ¼ tsp.

Salt

Method: Roast Red chillies by putting ¼ tsp of oil.

Put all the ingredients together in a mixer jar, dry grind at first and then put very little water and make very thick consistency. This chutney is used for applying over the Dosa while making.

 

Green chutney: This chutney can be smeared as well as served as an accompaniment with Dosa. If you are smearing, keep the consistency little thick and if you are serving as a side, you can add little water and make it thin.

Ingredient:

Grated fresh coconut – 1 cup

Roasted gram/ puffed gram – ½ cup (putani or Hurigadale)

Green chillies – 3 to 4

Tamarind – little

Sugar – ½ tsp

Salt

Coriander leaves – 1 small cup

Curry leaves – 1 spring

Method:

Fist grind coconut, puffed gram, salt, tamarind by adding little water. Then add chopped coriander and curry leaves and churn a little and add seasoning with mustard and curry leaves.

 

White Coconut Chutney: This is served as a side dish and usually with ginger flavour.

Ingredients:

Fresh grated coconut – 1 cup

Green chilli – 1 or 2

Tamarind – ¼ tsp.

Salt

Ginger – ½ “     

Method: Grind all these by putting sufficient water and adjust the consistency. Do seasoning by putting coconut oil, mustard, red chilli and curry leaves.

 

How to Prepare Masala Dosa:

Now everything is ready, and we can proceed with our preparation.

-Keep the Dosa griddle over the gas stove for heating. You can use Iron griddle or Non-stick one.

-Nicely mix fermented Dosa batter and check for the consistency. If it is thick add ½ cup of water and adjust and keep it ready.

-When Dosa tawa becomes hot, pour one serving spoon of Dosa batter, move spatula in to a circular motion and spread the batter.

-sprinkle little ghee /butter/oil and cook until it is little brown in a low flame.

-when it is light brown spread Red garlic chutney or Thick green chutney at the centre of the Dosa in a circular motion and keep one serving spoon of potato filling at the centre and fold.        

-Now serve this ready Masala Dosa with White coconut chutney and Enjoy.

 

 

 

Sabudana/Sago idli:

March 30, 2019

Sago/ Sabudana is also known as Sabbakki, Javasiri in Southern part of India. Yes! It has many names and is one of the favourite staple foods during the festivals or fasting time. Sabudana is rich in complex carbohydrates due to which, it is easy to digest as well as takes longer to breakdown. Hence, you don’t feel hungry for long.

In our tradition, it has been used from ages during the summer time to maintain body heat, during the time of illness or as baby food. During all these situations, people need to take low calorie, high in energy, easily digestible meal option. Traditionally it is combined with rice while making gruel.

In India we normally make sweets as well as savouries from these edible pearls. Sago is usually confused with Tapioca pearls. Sago is extracted from the inner pith of the tropical palm trees. On the other hand, Tapioca pearls are made by using Cassava, it is a tuber.

In Summer, it is a good idea to include Sago, rice as well as curds in your diet to maintain body heat. I have included fresh homemade turmeric powder, fresh coconut, cumin as well as chopped coriander to enhance the taste as well as nutrients.

Ingredients:

Rice Rava / Idli Rava – 2 cups

Sabudana – 1 cup

Curds – 2 cups

Water – 1 cup

Cumin – 1 table spoon

Turmeric – 1 tsp

Salt

Grated coconut – 1 fist full

Chopped coriander leaves – 3 table spoons

Eno fruit salt or cooking soda – 1 tsp

Method:

-Mix Rice Rava and Sabudana, wash twice and drain. Add curd, water, cumin, turmeric powder, salt and keep it covered overnight.

-Next morning, add coconut, Eno fruit salt, coriander. If needed, adjust the consistency of the batter by adding little extra water.

Mix well and make idlies like regular idlies in an idli steamer for about 10 minutes and serve with chutney.

NOTE: Vegans can substitute with any plant based curds to make this batter.