December, 2017 - Vinaya's Culinary Delights

Instant Bread Uthappa

Posted on December 14, 2017 by vinaya

A quick and easy snack if bored of eating sandwiches. Use the bread to make instant Uthappa which can be enjoyed with chutney, sambhar or with butter.

Ingredients :

8 slices of bread
250 gms semolina
100 gms rice flour
2 glasses of sour buttermilk
8 green chillies
1 carrot
1 inch piece of ginger
2 onions
Coriander leaves
Salt
Oil for roasting the Uthappa

Method :

Remove the crust and crumble the slices of bread. Add the semolina, rice flour and butter milk. Allow to rest for 15 minutes. Grind it to a smooth batter. Grate the carrots, crush the ginger and green chillies coarsely and add it to the batter along with salt. Mix thoroughly. Chop the onions and coriander leaves fine. Keep aside. Heat the tava/ skillet. Pour a ladleful of batter on the hot tava. Do not spread. It has to be as thick as, a pancake. Sprinkle the coriander leaves and finely chopped onions. Drizzle a tsp of oil. Cover and cook till it is roasted. Flip. Drizzle oil and roast the other side too. Serve hot with accompaniment of your choice.

Note:

The recipes for chutney and sambhar can be found under the category Chutneys and Pulsating Pulses of this website.

Instant Dahi vada Recipe

Posted on December 13, 2017 by vinaya

This instant Dahi vada Recipe makes use of the hard butter biscuit which is available at the bakers. Popularly known as Benne Butter in Mangalore, it is sold as kadak pav in Mumbai. When short of time, or having unexpected guests, this comes in handy.

Ingredients :

6 kadak pav
400 gms yoghurt
2 green chillies
Salt
Sugar
Coriander leaves finely chopped
Carrot grated
Boondi

Method :

Heat water. Dip the kadak pav in it. Leave it in for a minute and then gently press and drain the water. Finish off similarly with the other pav. Arrange in a bowl. Crush the green chillies coarsely. Blend yoghurt with sugar and salt and add the crushed green chilly mixture to it. Pour it on to the kadak pav. Garnish with grated carrot, coriander leaves and Boondi. Serve chilled.

Corn Chevda Recipe

Posted on December 13, 2017 by vinaya

Corn Chevda is an easy, tasty and an extremely quick snack that one can make, when the children are clamouring for munchies. One can use a variety of seasonings as per one’s preference. Today I have posted the one which I had learnt from my sister in law Roopa Prabhu. It holds fond memories of my annual trips to Surat with the children during the summer vacations.

The Cornflakes mentioned herein are not the ones that are used as in ready to eat Cereal. These are flakes of corn that are deep fried to a crisp and sprinkled with spices and condiments.

Ingredients :

250 gms Corn flakes/ Makai
100 gms peanuts
5 sprigs curry leaves
Powdered sugar
Salt
Chilly powder or Paprika
Turmeric powder
Oil for frying

Method :

Heat the oil. Drop in the peanuts and fry them to a golden brown. Drain and keep them aside. Throw in a small fistful of the corn flakes in the hot oil . They immediately puff up. Remove them with a slotted spoon and drop them into a wide mouthed pan. Continue frying in small batches till half the corn flakes are done. Spread the curry leaves and the fried peanuts on the hot corn flakes. Finish frying the remaining corn flakes and drop them on the layer of curry leaves. Sprinkle powdered sugar, salt, chilly powder and turmeric powder as per requirement and mix thoroughly. Allow to cool before storing in an air tight container.

Banana Shikran Recipe

Posted on December 13, 2017December 13, 2017 by vinaya

Banana Shikran is traditionally served with Chapati/Poli. In Karnataka it is offered as Naivedya in temples. It was probably the brain child of a very ingenious mother to see that her children got their daily intake of fruit and milk or by a housewife who had excess bananas and milk offered during a Pooja in the temple on her hands.

Ingredients :

3 elaichi or the small variety of Banana
250 ml milk
2 tsps sugar
2 Cardamom crushed fine
2 tbsps grated coconut

Method :

Peel and slice the bananas thinly. Add the grated coconut, sugar and Cardamom powder to the milk. Mix and drop in the sliced banana. Refrigerate a while before serving.

Cucumber Raita Recipe

Posted on December 10, 2017December 10, 2017 by vinaya

A favourite with the Indians, Raita is thick yoghurt mixed with a vegetable or fruit of one’s choice. The garnish too varies as per preference. Posting a cucumber raita today which can be enjoyed with Roti, Naan, kulcha, Biryani, Pulao or even a Jeera rice.

Ingredients :

1 Cucumber
250 ml thick yoghurt
2tsps sugar
Salt
1 green chilly
Coriander leaves

Method :

Wash and deskin the Cucumber. Grate it. Mince the green chilly and crush it with salt. Tip in the grated Cucumber, crushed green chilly and salt along with sugar into the yoghurt. Garnish with coriander leaves. Mix well. Serve chilled.

Lady’sfinger or Okra Sagllein Recipe – 1

Posted on December 10, 2017September 19, 2018 by vinaya

Lady’sfinger Sagllein or Bhenda Sagllein is a traditional Konkani preparation which goes well with Roti or Dal rice. A variety of vegetables like cabbage, potato or even French beans can be used with the Masala that has been used today for making the Ladyfinger sagllein.

Ingredients :

16 tender Ladyfinger
3 onions
2 sprigs curry leaves
1/2 of a small coconut
10 roasted dry red chillies (or as per spice level)
1 heaped tsp tamarind paste
1 heaped tbsp coriander seeds
10 seeds methi/ fenugreek
I tsp mustard
Salt
3 tbsps Coconut oil

Method :

Slice the onions. Wash, pat dry and snip the ends of the Okra. Chop into one inch size pieces. Keep aside.

Heat a tsp of oil. Add the coriander seeds and the Methi and roast to a rich golden brown. Grind it along with, the coconut, roasted red chillies and tamarind to a smooth paste.

Heat the coconut oil. Add a tsp of mustard and after it splutters add the curry leaves. Toss. Drop in the sliced onions, Okra and salt and roast till the onions are translucent. Add the ground coconut masala and a small glass of water. Boil well for a couple of minutes. Keep aside for half an hour for the flavours to infuse.

Cauliflower and Potato stir fry Recipe

Posted on December 9, 2017December 9, 2017 by vinaya

A simple stir fry which is an utter delight with both Dal rice or Roti. This one is a personal favourite. Fresh Cauliflower which gets cooked in minutes combined with the all time favourite potato and garnished with coriander leaves is so delicious without the addition of too many masalas.

Ingredients :

1/2 kg Cauliflower
2 potatoes
1 tsp chilly powder
A large pinch of turmeric powder
Salt
1 tsp mustard
2 tbsps oil
Coriander leaves

Method :

Wash and chop the cauliflower and potatoes into thin long slices. Heat oil. Add a tsp of mustard and after it splutters add the cauliflower and potato. Drop in the salt and chilly powder and turmeric powder . Mix thoroughly and, sprinkle a little water. Cover and cook till done. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Yam fritters Recipe

Posted on December 7, 2017December 7, 2017 by vinaya

Try out these wonderful fritters made from Yam/ Sooran . Melt in the mouth and so delicious that you will keep asking for more. Pieces of Yam are boiled in salted water, marinated and then fried which gives them their awesome texture.

Ingredients :

1/2 kg Yam
Chilly powder
Salt
Hing/asafoetida
Besan/Chickpea flour
Rice flour
Oil for frying

Method :

Deskin the yam and wash it throughly. Chop it into bite sized pieces and boil it in salted water till three fourth done. Drain the water and sprinkle chilly powder and hing. Allow to stand for half an hour. Mix Besan and rice flour in the proportion of 2:1. Dust the pieces in this mixture. Heat oil in a pan. Deep fry the pieces to a golden brown and crisp.

Eggplant fritters Recipe

Posted on December 5, 2017October 1, 2018 by vinaya

Eggplant fritters or Vangyache Fodi is a delicious accompaniment to Rice and Dal. One can also enjoy it on its own. Best made out of the Eggplant/Brinjal that is used to make Baingan Bharta as it is more fleshy. This is a traditional Goan and Mangalorean recipe which is simply amazing!!

Ingredients :

1 large Eggplant/Brinjal
Chilly powder
Turmeric powder
Salt
Hing/asafoetida
Besan/Chickpea flour
Rice flour
Semolina
Oil for roasting

Method :

Wash and slice the eggplant thinly. Marinate in a mixture of salt, chilly powder, turmeric and hing, all as per preference. Keep aside for 15 minutes. Mix Besan and rice flour in the proportion of 2:1. Dust the slices in this mixture. Finally dust them in semolina. Heat a skillet/tava. Drizzle oil. Place the eggplant slices two at a time and allow them to roast. Drizzle oil and flip. Roast on the other side too. Serve hot.

Chana Ghashi Recipe

Posted on December 1, 2017 by vinaya

Chana Ghashi or Chick peas in Coconut gravy is an authentic Konkani delight wherein either raw jackfruit or Yam is added to enhance the flavour of the Ghashi. Since raw jackfruit is seasonal, yam is usually used. These need to be cooked separately in a pan as pressure cooking them along with the Chick peas will make them mushy.

Ingredients :

200 gms chana/ Bengal gram/chick peas washed and soaked for 8 hours.
16 bite sized pieces of raw jackfruit or Yam
1/2 coconut grated
6 Guntur and 4 Byadgi chillies roasted or any dry red chillies that are available.
1 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tbsp grated coconut kept separately.
2 tbsps of Parachute Coconut oil
1 heaped tsp of mustard
A pinch of turmeric
5 sprigs of curry leaves

Method :

Pressure cook the chana with salt. Also cook the raw jackfruit or Yam separately in salted water. Grind the coconut, roasted red chillies and tamarind to a smooth paste. Add it to the cooked chana and the raw jackfruit or Yam. Boil well. Heat 2 tbsps oil add a spoon of mustard. After it splutters add the tbsp of grated coconut. Toss and add a pinch of turmeric. Drop in 5 sprigs curry leaves. Switch off and drop the seasoning into the boiling ghashi.