September, 2017 - Vinaya's Culinary Delights

Uthappa Recipe

Posted on September 15, 2017November 14, 2017 by vinaya

Uthappa and chutney is one of the most popular breakfasts in South India. Fermented batter of Urad dal and rice is spread thickly on a skillet and roasted by drizzling oil or ghee. Rich in B Complex because of the fermentation process it is a healthy breakfast option.

Ingredients :

250 gms urad dal
600 gms rice
Salt.

Method :

Wash and soak both rice and urad dal separately for 5 hours. Grind the urad dal in the grinder non stop for half an hour adding water at regular intervals. Grind the rice in the mixer to a rava like consistency.
Mix both the urad and rice batters, add salt and allow to ferment overnight or for 10 -12 hours.

Pour the Uthappa batter on a hot skillet/ tava and drizzle with oil or ghee. Roast on both sides.

The proportion of urad and rice is if you are using the wet grinder to grind the urad dal. If using the mixer the proportion is 250 gms of urad dal and 400 gms of rice.

Peanut Sunday Recipe

Posted on September 15, 2017November 14, 2017 by vinaya

Peanuts are high in protein and the tender ones that are available during the season are simply delicious either cooked with salt or seasoned and made into a subzi. Posting a Peanut sundal which is made on auspicious occasions and even during weddings in South India.

Ingredients :

250 peanuts
4 green chillies minced
1 broken dry red chilly
Grated coconut
Juice of half a lemon
2 sprigs curry leaves
A few sprigs of coriander
2 tsps oil
1tsp mustard
A large pinch of hing/asafoetida
Salt

Method :

Soak the peanuts overnight. Pressure cook them with salt. Heat oil. Add a spoon of mustard. After it crackles add the dry red chilly and the chopped green chillies. Toss. Add the curry leaves and hing. Sauté and tip in the cooked peanuts. Cook till all the water is absorbed. Add the lemon juice, chopped coriander leaves and grated coconut. Mix well. Serve with rice and dal.

Red Amaranthus Subzi Recipe

Posted on September 15, 2017November 14, 2017 by vinaya

Leafy vegetables are a great source of iron and calcium. Red Amaranthus/LalMath is a personal favourite. Combined with a potato and seasoned with garlic, it is delicious with rice or even with roti.

Ingredients :

One bunch Red Amaranthus , cleaned, washed well and chopped roughly.
A big handful of garlic crushed
One large potato peeled and chopped fine
Dry red chillies as per requirement
Salt
2 tsps Parachute Coconut oil.

Method:
Heat 2 tbsps oil. Drop in the garlic and roast to a golden brown. Add the broken red chilly bits. Toss. Add the chopped red Amaranthus , potato and salt. Mix. Add half a glass of water and cook till done.

Lasooni Palak Recipe

Posted on September 14, 2017November 14, 2017 by vinaya

Lasoon or Lehsun is the Indian name for Garlic and Palak is Spinach. A typically Punjabi dish, Lasooni Palak is best eaten with tandoori roti and raw onions.

Ingredients:

One big bunch of Palak/spinach
One big fistful garlic chopped fine
1 tsp chilly powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
A pinch of haldi
A tsp of jeera/cumin
2 large onions chopped fine
2 tomatoes chopped
One large Kashmiri chilly

Method :

Boil the spinach and puree it. Heat a mixture of 2 tbsps ghee and two tbsps oil. Add the Kashmiri chilly. Toss. Remove and keep aside. Add jeera and after it splutters add the chopped garlic. Allow it to turn a little golden. Add the onions. Roast till translucent. Add the coriander, chilly and haldi powders. Toss. Add the tomatoes and salt. Cook till mushy. Finally add the pureed Palak. Boil well. Top with the Kashmiri chilly and a few pieces of the roasted garlic. Serve with Nan, Paratha or tandoori roti.

Onion Tamballi Recipe

Posted on September 14, 2017November 14, 2017 by vinaya

Onion Tamballi/Tamboli/Tambli is a coconut preparation which is garnished with raw onions and coconut oil. It is an accompaniment to rice and fried fish. Goes well even with dosas and rice bhakri.

Ingredients:

Half of a small coconut
6 roasted Byadgi chillies
2 roasted Guntur chillies
1 tbsp tamarind paste
2 onions roughly chopped
1 small onion finely chopped
2 green chillies crushed
Salt
Coconut oil

Method :
Grind the coconut, roasted red chillies, tamarind and the two roughly chopped onions to a fine paste. Remove, add the crushed chillies, salt and the finely chopped onion. Drizzle with coconut oil and serve with rice.

Note: This is a cold preparation and is usually prepared just before a meal. Any leftovers have to be refrigerated immediately.

Mangalore Cucumber And Drumstick Ambat Recipe

Posted on September 14, 2017November 14, 2017 by vinaya

Ambat is a coconut based preparation which is seasoned with finely chopped onions. Vegetables or lentils can be used to make Ambat.

Ingredients :

200 gms magge/ Mangalore cucumber deskinned and chopped into bite sized pieces
2 medium sized potatoes peeled and cubed
2 medium sized onions cubed
1 drum stick cut into 2inch pieces
A handful of cashews halved
100 gms pigeonpeas/ tuvar dal pressure cooked and churned
1/2 of a small coconut
7 Guntur chillies roasted
7 Byadgi chillies roasted
1 tbsp tamarind paste
Salt

Seasoning

3 tbsps oil
2medium sized onions finely chopped
1/4 tsp methi seeds/fenugreek

Method :

Pressure cook Mangalore cucumber, potato, cashew and onion in a glass of water with a little salt to just one whistle. After the pressure is released add the drumstick and cook on an open flame till done. Grind the coconut, roasted red chillies and tamarind to a smooth paste. Drop it into the cooked vegetables along with the Dal, adjust salt and boil well.

Heat 3 tbsps oil. Add two medium sized onions chopped fine and roast till they are light brown. Add 1/4 tsp methi seeds and continue roasting till the onions become a rich brown. Drop the seasoning into the ambat and boil for a couple of minutes.

Mangalore Cucumber Koddel Recipe

Posted on September 14, 2017November 14, 2017 by vinaya

Mangalore Cucumber as the very name indicates is a variety of cucumber grown in places in and around Mangalore. Called Magge in Konkani, it can be enjoyed raw or cooked in a variety of ways.

Ingredients :

250 gms Mangalore cucumber cut into bite sized pieces with the skin.
Half of a medium sized coconut grated
6 Byadgi chillies roasted
6 Guntur chillies roasted
1 tbsp tamarind paste
25 garlic cloves
3 tbsps coconut oil (or oil of choice)
Salt

Method :
Pressure cook the Cucumber to two whistles with a little salt.
Grind the coconut, roasted red chillies and tamarind to a smooth paste. Add it to the cooked cucumber . Adjust salt and add enough water to make it to a gravy like consistency. Heat 3 tbsps oil. Add the garlic and roast to a rich golden brown. Season the koddel with it and boil well. Keep aside and allow to infuse for about half an hour before serving.

Gajbaje Recipe

Posted on September 14, 2017July 23, 2018 by vinaya

Gajbaje literally means a concoction in Konkani. This dish is a flavourful concoction of a variety of vegetables that are available during the monsoons. Enjoy it with rice or on its own. It is a meal by itself!!!

Ingredients:

50 gms each of the following vegetables:

Pointed gourd/Ghointa/parwal
Teasel gourd/Phagila/ kanthola
Farmyard beans/alsando/chawli
Pumpkin/dudhi/Lal bhopla
Mangalore cucumber/magge
Sweet potato/ kanang/ratalu Jackfruit seed/bikkand/fanas ka beej
Taro leaves/terya panna ganti/arbi ke pathe
Ridgegourd/ghosale /turiya
Sweet corn/jolu/makai
Tender bamboo shoots/keerlu
Salt

Other Ingredients

100gms Hogplums/ambadi
1 coconut grated
12 roasted dry red chillies
4 tbsps coconut oil
2tsps mustard
5 sprigs curry leaves.

Method :
Cook all the vegetables in salted water till done.Crush the hog plums and cook them separately. Grind the coconut and roasted red chillies to a smooth paste. Add the cooked hog plums and masala to the vegetables and boil well.

Seasoning
Heat coconut oil. Add mustard and after it splutters add the curry leaves, toss and pour into the gajbaje.

Note: in case of unavailability of hog plums replace it with 1 heaped tbsp of tamarind paste.

Black Pigeon Peas Bendhi Recipe

Posted on September 14, 2017June 17, 2018 by vinaya

India is home to a variety of lentils. Black Pigeon peas are used widely in Karnataka, are also known as Kali tori or Kala tuver. Jackfruit seeds or chunks of tender jackfruit are added to the preparation. Here is a Mangalorean delicacy Kali tori bendhi which is usually eaten with rice.

Ingredients:

125 gms black pigeon peas or black whole tuver.
A handful of Jack fruit seeds or bikkand
Half of a small coconut grated
12 roasted dry red chillies
1tsp tamarind paste
Salt
15 garlic cloves crushed
Coconut oil for seasoning.

Method :
Wash and soak the pigeon peas overnight. Pressure cook and keep aside. Similarly cook the jack fruit seeds too. Grind the coconut, roasted red chillies and tamarind to a smooth paste. Pour into the cooked pigeon peas and jackfruit seed mixture. Add salt and boil well. Heat coconut oil. Add the garlic and roast it till it is rich brown. Season the bendhi with it and boil for a couple of mnts. Allow the flavours to infuse for half an hour before serving.

Ivygourd Bhuthi Recipe

Posted on September 14, 2017February 27, 2018 by vinaya

Here is a semi dry subzi made of Ivy gourd also known as gentleman’s toe or Tindora. Mangaloreans love coconut in their dishes and make use of it liberally.

Ingredients :

250 gms ivygourd
2 large onions
Half of a small coconut
6 roasted Byadgi chillies
6 roasted Guntur chillies
1tbsp tamarind paste
3 tbsps coconut oil
1 tsp mustard.
Salt

Method :
Chop the ivygourd into tiny pieces.
Chop the onions fine.
Heat oil and add the mustard. After it crackles add the onion and salt and roast till transparent. Add the ivygourd, a glass of water and cook till done.
Grind the grated coconut, roasted red chillies and tamarind to a smooth paste and add to the cooked onion tendle mixture. Allow to boil well n cook till it turns semi solid.