Poha or beaten rice cutlets are an easy to make evening snack. They can be made by adding either a couple of slices of bread or potato to bind them. Enjoy them with some green chutney or with tomato ketchup.
Ingredients :
250 gms gms poha
2 potatoes
6 green chillies
1tsp jeera/cumin
1tbsp kasuri methi/dried fenugreek leaves
1 tsp sugar
Salt
Juice of one lemon
Coriander leaves
A pinch of haldi/turmeric powder
Oil for deep frying
Method :
Wash and drain the poha. Pressure cook the potatoes, peel and mash them. Grind the green chillies, jeera and sugar coarsely and add it to the mashed potatoes. Chop the coriander leaves fine. Tip in the lemon juice,
Coriander leaves, kasuri methi, salt and the drained poha into the mashed potato. Mix well. Shape into cutlets. Heat oil in a pan. Drop the cutlets four at a time into the oil. Deep fry till crisp and golden brown. Serve with green chutney.
Mushti literally means a fistful. Mushti dosa is made by adding a fistful of urad dal to rice to make it fluffy and porous. Enjoy it with chutney or pickle.
Ingredients:
250 gms rice
50 gms urad dal
1/4 of a coconut
A large fistful of poha/flattened rice
1/2 tsp methi/fenugreek seeds
Salt
Method :
Wash and soak the rice, urad dal and methi for 4 hours. Grind the grated coconut and Poha to a fine paste. Add the rice, urad dal and methi and grind to a smooth batter. Add salt, mix and allow the batter to ferment for 8 hours. Mix well and pour a ladleful of batter on a hot tava/skillet. Drizzle with oil, cover and cook over a low flame only on one side. Serve with chutney. Recipe for chutney can be found under the category of Chutneys.
Methi leaves/ Fenugreek leaves have that distinct aroma when fried. They are used to make zhunka, in subzi, Dal and also dried and used as a garnish in North Indian dishes. Posting a Methi leaves Pakoda today which can be served as an appetizer or as a side dish with rice and dal.
Ingredients :
250 gms Chana dal (Bengal gram dal)
A small bunch of methi leaves
A few sprigs of coriander leaves
9 green chillies
4 medium sized onions
2 inch piece of ginger
7 flakes of garlic
Salt
3 tbsps rice flour
Oil for frying
Method :
Wash and soak the Chana dal for four hours. Drain and grind to a coarse mixture in batches without water. Do not grind it all at once as it turns into a paste. Remove in a bowl. Chop the onions, methi leaves and coriander leaves very fine and add them to the chana dal mixture. Grind the chillies, ginger and garlic coarsely and tip it into the mixture. Finally add salt and mix thoroughly. Keep it aside for five minutes. The onions release water. Mix well and add the rice flour. Make small balls of the mixture. Pat them into roundels. Heat oil. Slip in five of the pakoras at a time and fry to a deep golden brown. These pakoras need no accompaniment.
Poha usli is a cousin of Aloo poha and Kande Poha, the difference being it is made sans onions. The addition of hing /asafoetida makes it fragrant and the garnish of coconut is simply delish.
Ingredients :
250 gms thick poha/flattened rice
6 tsps sugar
Salt
A generous drizzle of hing/asafoetida
5 sprigs curry leaves
6 green chiillies
1 dry red chilly
3tbsps ghee
3 tbsps oil
1 tsp mustard
1/4 of a large coconut for garnish
Method :
Wash the poha and drain it immediately. Squeeze out all the water and place it in a bowl. Add the sugar, salt and hing. Chop the green chillies fine. Heat the ghee and oil mixture. Add the mustard. After it crackles add the green chillies, dry red chilly and the curry leaves. Toss. Add the poha and heat well. Garnish with grated coconut. Serve immediately.
Undiyu is a traditional Gujarati dish which is made during the winter months because of the availability of the seasonal vegetables that go into making this flavourful dish. Kebabs of fenugreek leaves called Methi muthiya added to it enhance the flavour, and the aroma of fresh garlic leaves is divine!
Ingredients for the Methi muthiya:
1 bunch methi leaves
1/2 kg wheat flour
7 tbsps besan/gram flour
4 tsps oil
8 green chillies
5 cloves garlic
2 inch piece ginger
2 tsp til/sesame
1 level tsp ajwain/Carom seeds
1 tsp chilly powder
3 tsps dhania/coriander powder
1 tsp jeera/cumin powder
5 tsps sugar
Coriander leaves
Salt.
Method :
Grind the ginger, green chillies and garlic to a smooth paste. Take it in a bowl and add finely chopped methi leaves, chopped coriander leaves, and all the remaining masalas , sugar, salt, til, ajwain and the oil. Add the besan and wheat flour. Bind a dough as you would for pooris. Make into desired shape and deep fry.
You can eat them as they are or use it while making subzi.
Ingredients for the Undiyu:
Equal amounts of the following vegetables.
This is of 100 gms each
Peas
Tiny brinjals
Sweet potato
Flat beans/surti papdi
Potato
Raw banana
Methi muthiyas
1/4 of a coconut grated
A bunch of coriander leaves chopped
3 tbsps dhania/coriander powder
2 tsps jeera/cumin powder
1 tsp chilly powder
1/4 tsp haldi
6 green chillies
2 inch piece of ginger
10 flakes of garlic/ fresh garlic with leaves
1 tsp ajwain/carom seeds
2 tsps til/ sesame
2tsps sugar
Juice of one lemon
Chop the sweet potato, raw Banana and potatoes into large pieces. Chop the brinjal and flat beans into half. Grind the green chillies, ginger and the garlic coarsely. Chop the garlic leaves fine.
Heat 5 tbsps oil in a pressure cooker. Add the ajwain followed by til. After they splutter add the vegetables, methi muthias, grated coconut, chopped coriander leaves, all the masalas, salt, sugar, lemon juice the ground paste and pour in one small glass of boiling water into it. Pressure cook for two whistles. Allow the vegetables to cook in the pressure. Remove the pressure only when the cooker has cooled down. Serve hot with rotis.
Leftover Idli is usually turned into an upma the next morning. Idli is crumbled, seasoned and garnished with coconut. The key ingredient that adds to the taste is the generous drizzle of hing/asafoetida and coconut oil.
Ingredients :
24 idlis
12 green chillies minced
2 dry red chillies
5 sprigs curry leaves
A generous drizzle of hing water
Salt
Grated coconut
2 tbsps ghee/clarified butter
4 tbsps coconut oil
1tsp mustard
1tsp urad dal
Method :
Crumble the idli. Add salt and hing water to it. Mix well. Heat a mixture of 2 tbsps ghee and 4 tbsps of oil. Add a tsp of mustard and after it splutters add a tsp of urad dal. After it turns golden brown add the green and red chillies. Toss. Add the curry leaves. Drop in the crumbled idli, mix and heat well. Garnish with coconut.
Serves 6 adults
Note :The recipe for idli is given in the catagory of Breakfast eats of this website.
This is the most popular combo in Mangalorean cuisine. Upma is teamed with poha/flattened rice and sprinkled with a munchy. Do try out this quick and filling breakfast eat.
Ingredients :
Poha chutney
Half a coconut grated
2 tsps sambhar powder
Salt
Sugar/jaggery as required
1/4 tsp tamarind paste.
1tsp oil
1 tsp mustard
2 sprigs curry leaves
Poha/flattened rice as required
Method :
Mix all the above ingredients well. Sprinkle a little water to keep it a little moist.
Heat a tsp of oil. Add a tsp of mustard and after it splutters add curry leaves. Drop the seasoning into the prepared masala. Mix well and keep aside to infuse for ten minutes.
Take a small portion of the Masala and add as much poha as to keep it soft yet firm. You can add more masala as per requirement.
Upma
250 gms Lapsi rava/bulgar wheat
4 green chillies
6 tsps sugar
1tsp salt
4 sprigs curry leaves
600 ml water
Coconut to garnish
3tbsp ghee/clarified butter
4 tbsps coconut oil (optional)
1tsp mustard
1tsp urad dal
Method :
Heat the ghee and oil. Add a spoon of mustard and after it splutters add a spoon of urad dal. After it turns golden brown add the chopped chillies and curry leaves. Toss. Add water and bring to boil. Add the sugar, salt and the Rava and cook till done. Garnish with coconut.
Moong dal which is rich in proteins makes for a healthy breakfast. Posting a traditional breakfast made by the Konkani community of Mangalore. Drizzled with asafoetida and garnished with coconut it is simply heaven!
Ingredients:
250 gms Moong dal
8 green chillies finely chopped
1 red chilly broken
4 sprigs curry leaves
2 inch piece of ginger grated
Hing/asafoetida
2 tsps Sugar
Salt
Grated coconut
4 tbsps coconut oil
1tsp mustard
Method :
Wash and soak the moong dal for four hours. Drain the water and wash the Dal again a couple of times. Heat 4 tbsps oil. Add a tsp of mustard and after it splutters add the green chillies , red chilly bits ginger and curry leaves. Toss for a minute. Add the Dal, salt sugar and half a glass of water. Cover and cook till done. Garnish with coconut.
Methi Malai Matar is a popular North Indian dish where Methi/fenugreek leaves combined with Malai/Cream and Matar/fresh Peas in a gravy of onions makes it a rich and delicious combination with Rotis or Naan.
Ingredients :
250 gms peas boiled and drained
A big bowl of kasoori methi/dried fenugreek leaves
2 glasses of milk
1 slice Britannia Cheese single
1 tsp pepper powder
A pinch of chilly powder
A pinch of sugar
Salt
3 tbsps oil
To be ground to a paste
2 onions
1 inch stick cinnamon
2 cardamoms
1 tsp khus khus
10 cashewnuts
2 inch piece ginger
7 green chillies
Method :
Heat 2 tbsps oil and roast the ground paste till it gives its aroma. Add the kasoori methi and roast for a couple of minutes. Add the boiled peas and roast again for two minutes . Add the milk, cheese, pepper, chilly powder , a pinch of sugar and boil well.
Note: Cream can be added, as desired. I usually avoid it as milk too gives it as good a texture as cream and is also light on the stomach.
Red fruits and vegetables contain Lycopene and Anthocyanin which are antioxidants and also good for the heart. A simple platter of a variety of these should be included in our daily diet.
Ingredients :
100 gms cherry tomatoes
100 gms pomegranate seeds
One Red bell pepper
Salt
Pepper
Method :
Slice the Bell pepper thinly. Arrange it along with the cherry tomatoes and pomegranate seeds on a plate. Sprinkle salt and pepper and serve immediately.
