Maavina Hannu Seekarne or Aamras

The best thing about summer??? MANGOES. My sweet dreams are made of eating a ripe juicy mango dripping juice all over my hands. I never saw any other reason for the month of May to appear on the Calendar. I mean, May is the HOTTEST month of the year. In school, it marked the end of one month of summer vacations. The only saving grace for the month of May was the mangoes it brought with it.

Every Indian household I know uses mangoes to make either their favorite milkshake, or lassi, or dessert or pickle. There are so many dishes that you can make with Mangoes - both raw and ripe. I've made a few in the past:

Mavinkayee Chitranna or Mango Rice - Flavored rice made with grated raw mangoes and leftover rice.

Hagalkai Mavinkayee Gojju or Bittergourd & Raw Mango Curry - Bitter sweet sour and spicy curry made with bitter gourd and raw mangoes

Sweet and Sour Mango Curry or Saasav or Pashingiri - Mango curry made with ripe mangoes and fresh coconut famous along the Konkan coast of India.

Aam Panna or Sweet and Spicy Raw Mango Cooler - A sweet and spicy beverage made using raw mangoes

Mango Cheesecake - Cheesecake made using fresh mangoes, paneer and agar agar.

Raw Mango Gojju - South Indian raw mango curry and coconut curry

Corn and Raw Mango Salsa - A Simple Salsa made with boiled sweet corn and raw mango.

Don't you just want to grab that bowl of luscious Seekarne and eat it right now?

Maavina hannu Seekane or Aamras is probably the easiest delicacy you can make with Mangoes. All you need are ripe fresh JUICY mangoes. India is the birthplace of Mango and every state has it's own favorite. Alphonso, Kesar, Dasheri, Badami, Mankurad (Being a Goan, I had to list this one), Raspuri etc.There are so many more varieties, I don't even know all the names. 

Maavinahannu Seekarne or Aamras was my Mom's favorite Mango dish, she made it every summer, without fail. I made this today as a dedication to her. 

Maavinahannu Seekarne can be made in two ways, either by finely chopping the mangoes, like my mom made it or squeezing the mango to get a fine puree, the way my grandmother made it. The only difference in the 2 methods, is the way the mango pulp is treated - chopped or pureed. It is typically flavored with cardamom and almost always has a little milk added to it.

Traditionally, the Maharastrians eat their aamras with deep fried puris and here in Karnataka, it is eaten with chapati - the pan fried wholewheat flatbread. But you can eat it just like that as a dessert. Seekarne tastes best chilled for an hour or two in the fridge. But you can eat it at room temperature as well.

Maavina Hannu Seekarne or Aamras

Maavina Hannu Seekarne or Aamras is a simple traditional dessert made with mango pulp and milk and flavored with cardamom.

Recipe Type:  Dessert/ Drink
Cuisine:         Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Yield:             2-3 bowls

Ingredients:

2 ripe Mangoes
1/2 cup of Milk
1 tsp Cardamom Powder
1-2 tsp Jaggery Powder or Sugar

Method:

Peel the mangoes and chop the mango cheeks finely. Alternatively, instead of chopping it, you can just puree the mango.
Add cardamom powder and milk. Mix well.
Taste and check if you want it sweeter, then add jaggery or sugar.

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Churmuri Soosla | Puffed Rice Breakfast

I LOVE ___ This is usually how I start my posts. You must think I love practically everything that I can eat (i.e. Vegetarian). I do hate some food. Well, hate may be a strong word. More like dislike. And I dislike something that more than half the world loves - Breakfast Cereals.

I'll replay a usual breakfast discussion between me and my hubby dearest Raj.

Me (crestfallen, yet optimistically looking for answers) - "I don't know what to make for breakfast"

Raj - "Don't worry, lets eat cornflakes"

Me - "Nooooo... I'll make something, give me 10 minutes"

He loves it, I dislike it (at least the ones currently in the market). All those cereal lovers out there, please FORGIVE me for my next statement. I somehow feel Cereals are just loaded with sugar and offer nothing health wise. And I'm somehow not a big fan of sweet breakfast.

So this promise of 10 minutes isn't always upheld, but then, he's out there with the Newspaper and doesn't really keep track of time.

Isn't a girl allowed plus or minus 10 minutes? I'm sure she is. This wonderfully light breakfast of puffed rice (Churmuri or murmura or mandakki or kadle puri. Whew! that's a lot of "or"s) is done and on your plate in less than 20 minutes. And no - I'm not exaggerating at all.

Puffed rice is exactly what the name says - it is puffed up rice. It is basically Rice Popcorn (more like popRICE). There are varieties in it - salted and unsalted. They both differ slightly texture wise. I've always used the salted variety.

This Churmuri Soosla as I call it, it my goto breakfast when I'm short of time. It's light, quick and it has the sweetness from the onions, tartness from the tomatoes and the lime, the heat from the green chillies and freshness from the coriander leaves. Basic spices like cumin seeds (jeera) and turmeric (haldi) just make it all the more delicious. You can skip the roasted gram, but I highly recommend it. If you cannot find it, I'd say try replacing it with powdered roasted peanuts and that should do.

Churmuri Soosla | Puffed Rice Breakfast

A light South Indian breakfast made with puffed rice.

Recipe Type:  Breakfast
Cuisine:          South Indian
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     15 minutes
Yield:              Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

150 gms of Puffed Rice / Churmuri
1 small Onion
1 medium sized Tomato
1-2 Green Chillies
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 Lemon / Lime
1/3 cup of Roasted Gram / Puthani
3 tsp of Oil
1 tsp of Cumin seeds
6-8 Curry leaves
1 Tbsp of finely chopped Coriander leaves
Salt to taste

Method:

Heat oil in a pan or kadhai.
Add the cumin seeds and allow them to brown slightly.
Add finely chopped onions, curry leaves and slit green chillies. Cook until the onions turn translucent.
Add chopped tomatoes and fry them for around 2 minutes until the tomatoes are soft.
Add the turmeric powder and mix well.
Wash the puffed rice and squeeze out the water.
Add to the pan and mix well.
Now add salt and lemon juice.
Grind the roasted gram into a fine powder and add to the pan. Mix well.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Read more ...

Vangi Bhaat | Eggplant Rice Pilaf with Raita with Step by Step Instructions

Vangi Bhaat or Eggplant Rice Pilaf is perfect for those weeknights when you are tilting towards ordering that pizza or planning to drive to the closest restaurant for that greasy take out but your head is making you feel guilty over that restaurant food.

Isn't it true that we all get burned out sometime? All that going to work, doing the laundry, dusting the house, exercising and cooking.... seriously tires me out. Sometimes a little retail therapy aka shopping is what helps ease all that stress. Thank heavens for those little pleasures of life !!

Vangi Bhaat is always my GO TO dish when I'm not in the mood for too much of work and I want something home cooked, quick to make and as comforting as rice. It sometimes takes less time to come home and make Vangi Bhaat than wait for my take out at restaurants. And I know what goes in it and I can tweak it to my liking. And to add to it, it is a ONE POT recipe. Just one pot to wash, HURRAY!!!

There are absolutely no more excuses to not make it anymore - Quick, Tasty, Healthy and less pots to wash. What more can one ask for, right?

Vangi Bhaat is rice cooked with brinjal or eggplant along with some basic spices. Toss in everything in a pot and cook until the rice is done. I use a pressure cooker and I recommend it as it cuts the cooking time by half. 

I usually pair it with some cooling mix vegetable raita. The raita can be made while the Vangi Bhaat is cooking away.

Step-by-Step Recipe:



1) Wash the rice in sufficient water. Drain and set aside.
2) Roughly chop the onion, tomato and the brinjal.
3) Heat oil in a pressure cooker or a deep pan.
4) Add the cumin seeds.
5) Once they brown slightly, add the onions and fry until translucent.
6) Now add the tomatoes and brinjal and fry for 1 minute.

7) Add water, all the spices and salt. If you are not using a pressure cooker, the quantity of water may vary. Adjust accordingly.
8) Add the rice and cover and cook until the rice is done. In a pressure cooker, that will take you around 3-4 whistles or approximately 10-12 minutes.
9) Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve with Raita

10) To make the raita, just mix all the ingredients well.

Vangi Bhaat | Eggplant Rice Pilaf with Raita

Vangi bhaat is rice cooked with brinjal or eggplant and a few spices. It is vegan and gluten free.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:          Indian
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Yield:              Serves 4-5

Ingredients:

Vangi Bhaat:

200 gms of Brinjal or Eggplant
1.5 cups of Rice
1 Tomato
1 Onion
1/2 tsp of Turmeric Powder
1 tsp of Red Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp of Cumin Seeds / Jeera
1 Maggi Magic Cube (Optional)
4-5 tsp of Oil
3 cups of Water
Salt
A handful of fresh Coriander leaves

Raita:

1 cup of finely chopped mixed Vegetables (Tomato, Carrot, Cucumber, Onion)
1 Tbsp of finely chopped Coriander leaves
1.5 cups of Yogurt or Curd
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash the rice in sufficient water. Drain and set aside.
Roughly chop the onion, tomato and the brinjal.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker or a deep pan.
Add the cumin seeds.
Once they brown slightly, add the onions and fry until translucent.
Now add the tomatoes and brinjal and fry for 1 minute.
Add water, all the spices and salt. If you are not using a pressure cooker, the quantity of water may vary. Adjust accordingly.
Add the rice and cover and cook until the rice is done. In a pressure cooker, that will take you around 3-4 whistles or approximately 10-12 minutes.
Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve with Raita
To make the raita, just mix all the ingredients well.

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Vegetable Stew Recipe [Video]

Vegetable Stew recipe with video instructions. Vegetable Stew is a mildly spiced vegan stew made by cooking colorful peppers, cauliflower, carrots and beans in coconut milk. Vegetable Stew is a gluten free curry.

In a hurry? Jump to Video or Jump to Recipe

The weather is confusing, on some days it feels like summer and on others it looks like the monsoons are already here. Today was one such a day. It started out sunny and ended up wet.

When it rains, I feel like having some warm comfort food. Don't you?

And a vegetable stew is just that. It is comfort food personified. I made it with rainbow veggies. You can make it with what you have available, but I find that colorful food cheers me up. I watched this food truck on Eat Street that seemed to have the same thinking. It was a healthy food truck where the chef served everything with a colorful salad. Oooh! today's newspaper is saying food trucks are in town. Yeah, baby! I hope I find myself in the neighborhood of one interesting truck. Let me know if you try one out. Until then our little bhel puri carts will have to do.

Anyway back to the stew. I will not call this a Kerala veg stew, but it is inspired from Kerala. I made this stew with coconut milk like a lot of Kerala curries. This is my sister's recipe. So its been tried and tested on other people before me :)

I made it with cauliflower, tri-colored peppers, carrot, and french beans. You can add green peas, potatoes, frankly, any vegetable you fancy in a curry. Anything tastes good with coconut milk, I swear. This curry is mildly spiced, so it does not take you away from the delicate taste of coconut milk and the vegetables.

It can be eaten with rice or bread. The choice is yours. We enjoyed the stew with rice and spicy jeegujje podi. Ummm... my mouth is watering just remembering my lunch.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

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Video Recipe

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Vegetable Stew

Mildly spiced vegetable stew made by cooking colourful peppers, cauliflower, carrots and beans in coconut milk 

Recipe Type:  Main Course
Cuisine:          South Indian
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Yield:              3 Servings

Ingredients:

1 cup Capsicum ( red, yellow, orange, green)
0.5 cup Cauliflower florets
1 Carrot, diced
6-8 Beans, chopped
2 cups Coconut Milk
3 tsp Oil
2 Cloves
0.5 tsp Black Pepper
0.5" Cinnamon
1 sprig Curry leaves
1 Onion, sliced
1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1-2 Green Chillies, sliced
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add the whole spices and curry leaves.
2. Once curry leaves splutter, add the sliced onion and fry until translucent.
3. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute until fragrant.
4. Add the vegetables that take longer to cook like the cauliflower, carrot and beans.
5. Add half a cup of water and salt and cover and cook until the vegetables are partially cooked.
6. Then add the capsicum or bell peppers and cook until all the vegetables are cooked.
7. Add in the coconut milk and salt to taste.
8. Simmer the stew for 3-4 minutes.
9. Enjoy it hot/warm with rice/bread.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Punjabi Dum Aloo

Raw Banana Kofta Curry

Eggplant Coconut Curry

Read more ...

Pudina Majjige Soda | Yogurt Soda with Fresh Mint | Pudina Chaas Soda

Summer is here... yippee... isn't that your first thought when the sun comes out of its winter snooze and begins to shine down with all its warmth? Well... that's how I feel in the initial days of April, until the sun really begins to scorch us poor little earthlings.

As a kid, I did not mind it though. I simply loved summers. 2 months vacation from school, it is definitely any kid's best dream come true.. well, may be except Lisa Simpson. Be it 30 degrees C or 40 degrees C,  we played outdoors until we were called indoors for lunch/dinner.

Now a days, without the blissful ignorance of childhood, I actually feel the temperature outside and it makes me want to sit inside all day in the cool confines of the house and keep drinking something cool. But cool drinks aren't very healthy, right? What if there was one that was refreshing and healthy?

South Indians have housed this secret all through the ages - Buttermilk. Known for its cooling qualities, every South Indian meal in summer ends with a tall glass of mildly spiced buttermilk. Spices can range from cumin to ginger to asafoetida. Traditional buttermilk is actually the milk from which butter has been churned. I don't like that too much, so what I make is actually a watered down version of yogurt.

Add to add a little twist... add plain soda water instead or regular water and see the difference...

Pudina Majjige Soda | Yogurt Soda with Fresh Mint | Pudina Chaas Soda

A healthy low fat fresh mint and yogurt soda

Recipe Type:  Beverage
Cuisine:          South Indian
Prep Time:     5 minutes
Cook time:     10 minutes
Yield:              2 Glasses

Ingredients:

Yogurt / Curd - 1 cup (Taste better if the yogurt/curd is sour)
Fresh mint leaves - 1 cup (washed and chopped)
Plain Soda - 400ml
Salt to taste. 

Method:

Grind the mint leaves into a fine paste along with a little yogurt.
Add the yogurt, salt and mint paste to a blender and blend until combined.
Strain well and pour equally into the serving glasses.
Add the soda, stir and enjoy the refreshing goodness of this drink

Read more ...

Mexican Green Rice with Spicy Fried Potatoes

Work has been very stressful lately. All I want to do is get home and start blogging. But at the end of the day I have literally no energy left. In fact, hubby dearest has been cooking dinners too. It’s been raining outside, and I have no time to enjoy it :( . I’m missing watching MasterChef on TV :( . I am craving for my end of the month vacation. I hope for it to be my much needed relief. Until then, my blog will have to be my only source of relaxation. *End of ranting*

Now, back to my sane self. Forgive me, sometimes “Hyper-Stressed out-Worried Anu” makes an appearance here. This post is going to cater to those with lack of time – like me. One pot meal. The answer to a busy night. I know the name sounds simply Exotic. I’ll let you in on a secret *hush* it is only coriander rice *hush*. Yup, you heard it right. Coriander/Cilantro is abundantly available in India, albeit it’s gotten really costly off late. I pay Rs.40 for a bunch :( in Bangalore. I did try growing it. It grew too, though not enough to suffice and the heavy rains killed almost half of my saplings :( . Too many sad smileys. Isn’t that an oxymoron? Sad smiley. Or is there a more appropriate name for it?

For a lot of communities, rice is a side dish and the main is something else. But for us Indians, especially South Indians, rice is the star. Everything else is a side dish. I have seen a lot of friends for whom a meal isn’t complete if they don’t have a spoonful  of curd rice at the end. If you have never seen a paddy field, I suggest you do see one, especially in or after the monsoons. That is probably the brightest green nature can throw at you. It really relaxes the eyes and the mind.

The original Mexican rice obviously uses Mexican chillies, I had no time to find exotic chillies, so I just used the regular desi chillies. They are probably a little spicier than their Mexican counterparts, so use it carefully to match your taste buds.

I toyed with the idea of different accompaniments and finally settled on the spicy potato fry. I did seriously consider the raita, but gave it to my greediness of having some fried potatoes *feeling guilty*

So on a slightly free weeknight, we enjoyed a part Mexican and part Indian meal of Green rice with spicy fried potatoes watching another exciting episode of MasterChef. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Mexican Green Rice with Spicy Fried Potatoes

Rice flavored with Coriander and Spinach served with spicy fried potatoes 

Recipe Type:  Main Course
Cuisine:          Mexican
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     60 minutes
Yield:              2 servings

Ingredients:

Mexican Green Rice:

3/4 cup Basmati Rice
1/2 cup coriander leaves
1/2 cup spinach leaves
2-3 cloves of garlic
1-2 green chillies
4 tsp oil
1 Onion
1 tsp Lemon juice
1.5 cups Water
Salt

Spicy Fried Potatoes:

2 Potatoes
3 tsp oil
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
4-5 Curry leaves
Salt

Method:

Mexican Green Rice:

• Wash and drain the rice.
• Lay it out on a towel to dry.
• Grind the spinach, coriander, garlic. onion and green chillies into a coarse paste
• Heat oil in a pan/kadhai and add the rice
• On a medium flame fry the rice until it is slightly golden appx. 5 mins
• Add the green paste, water and salt
• Cover and cook on low flame until the rice is cooked
• Add lime juice and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot

Spicy Fried Potatoes:

• Peel and chop the potatoes
• Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds
• Once they splutter, add the curry leaves and the potatoes
• Add the spices and salt and mix well
• Cover and cook until the potatoes are done
• You can have this with roti/chapati also

Read more ...

Raw Banana / Plantain / Balekaayi fry

For the coastal people of Konkan, the banana plant forms an integral part of life. Every part of the plant is used for something. The fruit is eaten when ripe, it is used in cooking when raw, the blossom and the stem are also used for cooking. Of all these, the raw banana is probably the most versatile. We make chips out of it, bhajji, sabzi / palya etc. But I recently learnt that a few Jains use it as a replacement to potato in sabzis and paratha. I'm yet to try that out, but apparently you just cannot make out the difference once you add all those aromatic spices...

The recipe serves 2-3

Raw Banana / Plantain / Balekaayi fry

Raw banana fry/dry curry.

Recipe Type:  Side
Cuisine:          South Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     20 minutes
Yield:              2-3 Servings

Ingredients:

2 Raw banana/ Plantain/ Balekaayi
2-3 tbsp Oil
8-10 Curry leaves
1 tsp Red chilli powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
Salt to taste
A handful of Coriander leaves (Optional)

Method:

• Cut off the edges of the banana and peel it.
• Slice the banana lengthwise and then cut into semicircle.
• Heat oil in a kadhai and add the mustard seeds
• Once they splutter, add the curry leaves and the banana
• Stir well
• Add the turmeric, red chilli powder and a little salt and mix well
• Cover and allow it to cook until the banana is cooked through
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with chapatis

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Mirchi Ka Salan

Did you know, that India is the largest producer and consumer of chillies?  And Andhra Pradesh accounts for 30% of production... No wonder when we think of Andhra food, we think spicy... It is fitting that AP has a dish showcasing their favorite hot chilli. This is generally served as an accompaniment with Biryani. Now, although, I can eat spicy food, I cannot go all the way and eat it as spicy as the Andhraites, so instead of using spicy green chillies, I stuck to using the yellow ones which are generally used to make bhajjis. I also cut them into chunks rather than use them whole, this just made it easier to eat with chapati... 

Mirchi Ka Salan

Spicy Andhra curry made with chillies and peanuts. Usually served as an accompaniment to Biryani.

Recipe Type:  Side
Cuisine:          South Indian / Andhra
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Yield:              2-4 Servings

Ingredients:

4-5 Banana pepper / Wax chili / Bhajji mirchi
4 Tbsp Peanuts
3 Tbsp Coconut (desiccated)
1.5 Tbsp Sesame seeds
½ cup Curd/ Yogurt
1 tsp Tamarind
1 Onion
2-3 cloves Garlic
1” piece Ginger
1 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1-2 tsp Red chili powder
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Cumin seeds
2” stick Cinnamon
1 Cardamom
1-2 Cloves
2 dry Red Chilies
5-6 Curry leaves
1 tsp Jaggery or 1/2 tsp Sugar
5 tsp Oil
Water
Salt


Method:

• Heat a tsp of oil in a kadhai and add the peanuts once the oil is hot.
• Fry the peanuts on low flame until slightly brown.
• Add the sesame seeds and continue frying until the sesame is slightly browned.
• Now add the desiccated coconut and fry until the coconut browns slightly.
• Do this on low flame and not on high. You want them to cook, not just color.
• Keep this aside to cool.
• Soak tamarind in half a cup of water.
• Crush and grind the ginger and garlic into a fine paste. Alternatively, you can use 1 tbsp of ginger-garlic paste.
• Heat 3 tsp of oil in a kadhai.
• Once it is hot, add the red chilies (either whole or you can break them), cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.
• Fry for about 20 secs and then add the mustard seeds.
• Once the mustard crackles, add the cumin seeds.
• After the cumin seeds have browned, add the onions and fry until the onions are golden brown.
• Now add the curry leaves and ginger-garlic paste and fry until fragrant
• Add the coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder and red chili powder and fry for 30 secs – 1 min.
• Add ½ cup water and cover and cook until the oil oozes out.
• Now add the whisked curd, tamarind water and jaggery and cover and cook until the oil oozes out. I did not add all the tamarind juice at once, added ¼ cup first and tasted it later and added the rest.
• Grind the coconut, peanut and sesame into a fine paste with some water.
• Add this paste and salt and cover and cook for 15-20 mins until the raw taste disappears.

Read more ...

Nippattu | Thattai

Same story as my Kaju Katli post. I asked hubby dearest what khara/ namkeen/ spicy snack should I make for Diwali and the reply was Nippattu. Again, I had tried this earlier and it was something I couldn't brag about. Tried it again and presto! it tasted good this time. I did struggle a little initially even this time, but I got the correct advice from multiple people and managed to salvage my nippattu mission. I was not rolling them thin enough and hence they were not cooking properly in the center giving them soft centers and crispy sides. After about 7-10 turning out soft, I took the advice and patted them out evenly and thinner and they turned out nice and crisp. The recipe made close to 40 nippattus.

Nippattu | Thattai

Spicy flat South Indian crisps made from Rice flour

Recipe Type:  Snacks
Cuisine:          South Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Yield:              40

Ingredients:

2 cups Rice flour
1 cup Maida / Flour
1-2 tsp Red chilli powder
50 gms or 3 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Oil (hot)
2-3 sprigs Curry leaves
2 Tbsp Coriander leaves (chopped)
1/2 cup Peanuts
1/4 cup Puthani / Roasted gram
1/4 tsp Asafoetida / Hing
A pinch of Cooking soda
Salt
Water
Oil for deep frying

Method:

• Dry roast the peanuts and peel them. Crush the peanuts into 2-3 pieces, just be careful not to powder it.
• Mix the rice flour, maida, red chilli powder, butter, chopped curry leaves, coriander leaves, peanuts, roasted gram, hing, cooking soda and salt.
• Heat 2 tbsp of oil and add to the mix.
• Add water and knead into a smooth dough.
• Cover and keep aside for 10-15 mins
• Take a small ball of dough and place it on a butter paper or any other greased surface and pat it down into a disk using your fingers. The disk should be around 2mm in thickness. Make sure it is evenly thick.
• Heat the oil in a kadhai for deep frying. After the oil is hot, reduce the stove to medium flame.
• Deep fry the nippattu on medium flame until they are brown on both sides.
• Allow it to cool a little to check if they have crisped up.
• Allow it to cool and then store in an air tight container.

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Matki Usal

Matki or Moth beans are look very similar to moong beans but are brown in colour and are slightly smaller in size. They are a high source of protein and as most beans, very low in calories. I usually use these to make Misal, but on days I have less time, I am content with just the usal. You can make the same recipe with sprouted moong beans too...

Matki Usal

Maharastrian curry made with sprouted moth beans and fresh coconut.

Recipe Type:  Main Course
Cuisine:          Indian / Maharastrian
Prep Time:     15 minutes (Does not include sprouting time)
Cook time:     45 minutes
Yield:              3-4 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup dried or 2 cups sprouted Matki beans / Moth beans
1 Onion
1 Tomato
2-3 Green chillies
5-6 Curry leaves
A handful of Coriander leaves
3 tbsp desiccated Coconut
3 tsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
Salt
Water
Method:

• To sprout the beans yourself, soak in matki beans in 2 cups of water overnight
• Next morning, drain out the water from the container and cover the container with a steel plate and allow to rest in a warm place for 2 days or until the beans sprout.
• Alternatively, you can also tie the beans in a muslin cloth and allow them to sprout.
• Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.
• Once they splutter, add the curry leaves, slit green chillies and chopped onions
• Fry until the onions are done
• Add chopped tomatoes and cook until they are done
• Add the sprouts and enough water to cover them
• Add salt and cover and cook until the beans are done.
• Keep checking the beans, if it feels dry and the beans aren't done, then add more water and cover and cook longer. If the beans are done, and there is excess water, then remove the lid and cook on high flame until the water evaporates. This can take anywhere between 20-30 mins to cook.
• Once the beans are done, garnish with desiccated coconut and finely chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with chapati

Read more ...

Kadle Bele Payasa | Chana Dal Payasam

Guysss !!! "100" H-U-N-D-R-E-D... This is my 100th post on OneTeaspoonOfLife...

My first milestone in my blogging journey. Ever since I reached the nervous 90's, I started thinking about what my 100th post should be. I asked for suggestions from family, but I was more confused than ever. I wanted it to be something sweet, something influenced by my roots and most of all, something I love.

Kadle Bele Payasa has been a favourite since childhood. And to top it, this was a part of the naivedyam (offering) to Lord Ganesha for Ganesh Chaturthi. I made it long back, but held on, on posting it, so I could make it my 100th. So blessed by Lord Ganesha, comes my 100th recipe on this blog for the simple, delicate and delicious Kadle Bele Payasa or Chana Dal Payasam.

Kadle Bele Payasa is a South Indian Kheer or pudding made using Chana Dal (Split Bengal Gram) and Rice. The dal and rice are cooked in coconut milk along with cardamom and jaggery.

The base of this payasa or kheer is the Chana Dal. The dal needs to be soaked for at least 2-3 hours to make cooking it easier. I pressure cooked it, but you can easily cook it in a deep saucepan. Usually, dal is cooked until it disintegrates and is mushy, but not in this case. The dal should be just cooked. It should still retain its shape and should still have a slight bite to it.

The other major ingredient here is the rice. And just like the chana dal, it needs to be just cooked. The rice grains should not be mushy. They should still have a bite to them.

Coconut is the soul of South India and also of this Kadle Bele Payasa. The Kadle Bele Payasa gets its creaminess from coconut. You can add coconut milk or finely ground coconut flesh. I sometimes add coconut milk and sometimes the ground coconut. The difference is not in taste, but in texture. Coconut milk gives it smooth creaminess while the ground coconut gives the payasa a coarse texture.

Jaggery is unrefined cane sugar. If you don't have access to jaggery, you can add palm sugar or brown sugar or any unrefined sugar. If you are using jaggery, I suggest using the darkest variety you get. Dark jaggery has the least amount of additives it in and has a richer taste.

No Indian sweet is complete without ground Cardamom. Just the fragrance of cardamom reminds me of dessert.

Dry fruits are totally optional for this Kadle Bele Payasa, but I don't know any dish where the addition of dry fruits has ruined it. Add them just chopped or fry them in ghee like I did. If you are vegan or want to make a vegan dessert, skip the ghee and just lightly toast the dry fruits. I added cashew nuts and raisins, you can add almonds as well.

If you are making this for Naivedyam or as an offering to god, refrain from tasting it. Follow the recipe and you should be good. Hold off on the jaggery if you are concerned it being too sweet while offering it in Naivedyam. You can heat a little water and dissolve jaggery in it and mix it to the payasa while eating.

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Modak - Modaks are traditional steamed Indian dumpling made from rice flour, coconut and jaggery. Served as an offering to Lord Ganesha in West and South India. 
• Coconut Laddoo - Instant Fudge balls made with coconut and condensed milk.
• Mavinahannu Seekarne - Maavina Hannu Seekarne or Aamras is a simple traditional dessert made with mango pulp and milk and flavored with cardamom.

Kadle bele payasa | Chana dal payasam

Kadle Bele Payasa or Chana Dal Payasam is a South Indian kheer or pudding made with rice, lentils and fresh coconut.

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine:          South Indian
Prep Time:     2 Hours (Includes lentil soaking time)
Cook time:     60 minutes
Yield:              2-3 Servings

Ingredients:

0.5 cup Kadle bele / Chana dal
2-3 Tbsp Cooked rice
0.5 cup desiccated fresh Coconut or 1 cup Coconut Milk
0.5 cup Jaggery (grated or shaved)
1 tsp or 4 pods of Cardamom
8-10 Cashew nuts(Split) (Optional)
8-10 Kismis / Raisins(Optional)
1 Tbsp Ghee (Optional)
Water as required

Method:

Soak the kadle bele for 2-3 hours.
Pressure cook it with water until done. It should be cooked but not mushy. I cooked it in 2 cups of water for around 10 mins/ 2-3 whistles.
Pour the kadle bele along with 1 cup of the water it was cooked in, into a kadhai. Keep the flame low.
Add the cooked rice to it.
If using coconut milk, just pour it to the kadhai with the kadle bele and rice. If using fresh cococut, grind it with water until it is is fine and then add this to the kadhai.
Add the grated jaggery and cardamom and cook for 5-10 mins until the jaggery melts and mixes evenly. I suggest adding it by the spoonful until the sweetness is right for you. Add water as required. The consistency is usually on the thicker side.
In another small pan, heat the ghee and lightly fry the cashew nuts and raisins until the cashews are light brown and add this to the payasa. If you are vegan, toast the cashews lightly instead of frying in the ghee and add to the payasa.

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Heserkalu palya | Moong masala

Monsoons have almost stopped. The weather is awesome, but the vegetables are not. On most days I am disappointed looking at the dull looking veggies in Hopcoms or the local vendors. These are the days when the Beans/Kaalu/Dals come to the rescue. Heserkalu or Moong beans are easy to cook and make an awesome gravy dish to be mopped up with phulkas, chapatis or bread.

Heserkalu palya | Moong masala

A spicy moong beans curry

Recipe Type:  Main Course
Cuisine:          South Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Yield:              3-4 Servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Moong beans/ Heserkalu(dried)
1 large Tomato
1 medium Onion
2-3 cloves of Garlic
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Garam masala
3 tsp Oil
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds / Jeera
4-5 Curry leaves
1.5 cups Water
A handful of Coriander leaves

Method:

• Wash the moong and cook it in the pressure cooker using 2 cups of water until cooked. It takes me around 10 mins in sim after one whistle.
• Heat oil in a kadhai and add the cumin seeds
• Once they brown add the curry leaves. chopped garlic and finely chopped onion
• When the onion turns translucent, add finely chopped tomato and all the spices.
• Fry until the tomatoes soften
• Add the moon along with the water it is boiled it.
• Add salt and cook until the water evaporates and you achieve the desired consistency.
• Add more water if the moon has soaked up all the water while boiling itself.
• Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve with chapati or bread.

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Lemon rice | Chitranna

Again, this is a mandate on your banana leaf for festivals and functions. It is served on the bottom left side of your banana leaf or plate right next to the plain rice. If you are eating this for breakfast, you can make many different versions. You can add vegetables like onion, capsicum, carrots, potato or peas. You can add avarekalu or lima beans. You can add raw mango. But again, at the end of the day if this is for festival, the simplest version is served with just peanuts. This is the recipe that follows…

Lemon rice | Chitranna

Lemon Rice or Chitranna (Kannada) is a South Indian dish in which rice (usually leftover) is flavored with lemon and turmeric. Peanuts can be added for additional texture.

Recipe Type:  Main Course
Cuisine:          South Indian
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     15 minutes
Yield:              2 cups

Ingredients:

2 cups Cooked Rice
2-3 Green Chillies
6-8 Curry leaves
2 Tbsp Peanuts
A handful of Coriander leaves (Optional)
1 Tbsp desiccated fresh Coconut(Optional)
1 tsp Mustard seeds
3 tsp Oil
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1 Lemon
Salt

Method:

Heat oil in a kadhai and add the mustard seeds to it
After they splutter, add the peanuts and fry until the peanuts are slightly brown.
Add the slit green chillies and curry leaves.
Add the turmeric powder and lime juice
Add the rice and salt and mix well until the rice is coated with the turmeric powder
Cook for 1-2 mins while stirring
Garnish with desiccated coconut and chopped coriander leaves

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