February, 2021 - Vinaya's Culinary Delights

Beetroot saaru

Posted on February 23, 2021February 24, 2021 by vinayaprabhu2

Saaru is a watery preparation served over rice and can be made using ingredients of one’s choice. I have posted quite a few ‘Saaru’ in this website. Today posting the recipe of a Beetroot saaru which I learnt from my friend Aruna Kamath. It is a simple, easy to make but delicious preparation. Serve it over rice or as an appetizer.

Ingredients:

1 small beetroot, pressure cooked, peeled and chopped roughly

1 tbsp grated coconut

2 green chillies

2 cloves of garlic

1 tsp cumin seeds

A large pinch of Hing/ Asafoetida

1 tsp tamarind paste

Salt

1 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves

For the tempering:

1 tbsp Ghee/ clarified butter

7 cloves of garlic crushed

Method:

Drop the chopped beetroot, grated coconut, green chillies, cumin seeds, Hing, tamarind paste and garlic cloves into a mixer jar and grind them to a fine paste. Tip this paste into a pan and add three glasses of water / 750 ml to it. Add salt and bring to a boil. Gently simmer for a couple of minutes. Heat the Ghee in a pan. Add the crushed garlic and roast it to a rich golden brown. Drop it into the saaru and simmer for a couple of minutes. Switch off and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

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Coriander leaves Chutney-2

Posted on February 23, 2021February 23, 2021 by vinayaprabhu2

The variety of Chutneys that accompany the Idli and dosa are mind boggling. Each household has their own recipe. No two chutneys taste the same. The most popular are the variety of coconut chutneys which are served not just with Idli, Dosa, Uthappa or Appan but also with Upma and Poori as well. This coriander chutney recipe was shared by my friend Aishwarya Kamath. It’s been in the family since her grandmother’s times.

Ingredients:

1 cup grated coconut

3 garlic cloves

5 green chillies

1/4 tsp tamarind paste

7 tbsps of chopped coriander leaves

Salt

For the tempering:

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp sesame seeds

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 dry red chilly

1 sprig curry leaves

Method:

Grind the coconut, green chillies, tamarind paste, salt and garlic to a fine paste. Add the coriander leaves and run the mixer on pulse mode. This prevents the Chutney from getting discoloured and it retains the lovely green colour of the coriander leaves. Remove in a bowl and adjust consistency by adding water as required. Heat oil in a pan. Drop in the mustard and sesame seeds. Allow them to splutter. Add the dry red chilly and curry leaves. Toss and drop the seasoning into the chutney. Mix and serve.

Serves four.

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Wheat flour Dosa

Posted on February 23, 2021February 23, 2021 by vinayaprabhu2

This healthy wheat flour dosa can be prepared in no time. Just mix, and leave aside for about five minutes. The batter is ready to be used by the time you prepare the chutney. This recipe was shared by my friend Meghana Laxmidhar . For adults this dosa can be spiced up with either green chillies or chilly powder. Keep off the spice for children. Just use a little sugar,salt and pepper powder.

Ingredients:

3 cups/ 400 gms wheat flour

1 tbsp Chilly powder

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Hing/ asafoetida

Salt

3 tsps sugar

2 tbsps finely chopped coriander leaves

2 tbsps finely chopped curry leaves

1 tsp Cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

Oil or ghee to roast the dosa

Method:

Tip the wheat flour, salt, sugar, Asafoetida, cumin, coriander, chilly and turmeric powders, curry and coriander leaves into a bowl. Add about 2 glasses/ 500 ml of water and mix well. Add more water if required to make a batter of pouring consistency. Keep aside for about five minutes. Heat a tava/ skillet. Pour a ladleful of batter and spread it into a circle to cover the entire tava or as big as you desire. Drizzle with ghee or oil. Allow to roast. Flip. Roast on the other side as well. Serve hot with fresh home made butter, honey or with a coconut Chutney.

This proportion makes ten medium sized dosas.

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Beetroot parathas

Posted on February 23, 2021 by vinayaprabhu2

Beetroot was one vegetable which was never made either at my mother’s place nor at my in law’s. I frankly have no clue why, as my mom and mother in law were both great cooks. I started including it as a sandwich filler for the children or made an upkari, but beyond that never ventured into making anything else with it. Those were days without the internet and we relied solely on cookery books.

The variety today that is made with this humble vegetable is simply amazing! Paratha, saaru, cake, halva…. The list is endless.

The post by my friend dear Nazia Rashidee prompted me to try out the Beetroot Parathas. Thank-you so much dear for the encouragement. They turned out awesome.

I just added some beetroot puree to the Paratha dough . The rest of the procedure remains the same. Sharing the link to the Paratha.

http://vinayasculinarydelights.com/milk-parathas/

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Cabbage, carrot, peas, potato and capsicum Poriyal/ stir-fry

Posted on February 22, 2021February 22, 2021 by vinayaprabhu2

This fragrant Poriyal goes well with both rice and Chapati. The Sambhar powder added to it makes it extremely flavourful. The South Indians like to garnish it with grated coconut, but you may skip it . Tastes just as good. I thank my friend Sara Iyer for having shared this recipe with me. Recipe link to the Sambhar powder is given below.

Sambar Powder Recipe

Ingredients:

250 gms cabbage chopped roughly

1 potato peeled and chopped lengthwise

1 carrot peeled and chopped lengthwise

1 capsicum sliced into slivers

A fistful of green peas

1 heaped teaspoon Sambhar powder

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp chilly powder

3 tbsps grated coconut

Salt

For the tempering:

2 tsps oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp urad dal/ split black gram

A pinch of Hing/ Asafoetida

A sprig of curry leaves

Method:

Heat the oil in a pan. Drop in the mustard and after it splutters add the Urad dal. Once the urad dal turns golden yellow add the Hing and curry leaves. Toss. Drop in the vegetables, salt, Sambhar powder, chilly and turmeric powders. Add half a glass of water and mix thoroughly. Cover and cook till done. Garnish with grated coconut.

Serves four.

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Lemon pickle -2

Posted on February 22, 2021February 22, 2021 by vinayaprabhu2

This is a Lemon pickle which I made with the used peels. I had used the juice to make a mixed vegetable pickle, but didn’t have the heart to throw the rind away as it was so fresh and fragrant. I used some vinegar to preserve the pickle instead of adding more lemon juice to it.

Ingredients:

Rind of 32 small lemons
150 gms Guntur chillies
150 gms Byadgi chillies
Marble sized piece of hing
100 gms mustard

2 tbsp methi seeds
200 gms salt
Half a cup of vinegar
Half a cup of oil heated well and cooled thoroughly

Method:

Roast the chillies with 2 tbsps of oil .Dry roast the methi till a rich brown. Dry roast the mustard till it splutters. Dry roast hing till it gives it’s aroma. Powder the ingredients together. Quarter the lemon rind. Mix the masala, salt, vinegar and oil and store in a glass bottle or ceramic jar. Use after a month.

Copyright © 2021 by Vinaya Prabhu. All rights reserved.

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Masala roasted Idli.

Posted on February 22, 2021February 22, 2021 by vinayaprabhu2

Leftover idlis can be turned into these yummy roasted masala idlis for a quick evening snack. I have shared a couple of recipes of how leftover idlis can be put to use either by roasting them, turning them into a Manchurian or by making an upma of them. Posting the recipe today which my friend Rita Vaz shared with me of how she roasts them with masala.

Ingredients:

10 Leftover Idlis ( refrigerated)
1 medium sized onion finely chopped
2 tsps Molgapudi
1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilly powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

For the tempering:

2 tbsps coconut oil or regular cooking oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp Hing/ asafoetida
10 curry leaves
2 green chillies finely chopped
1/2 cup coriander leaves chopped

Method:

Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds. When they start to sputter add cumin, asafoetida and curry leaves.
Add onions and roast till they turn translucent.
Lower the flame add Kashmiri chilly powder, turmeric and green chillies and roast for 30 seconds.
Add chutney powder and roast for 30 seconds.
Add 1/4 cup hot water and stir to mix well.
Add Idlis directly from the fridge and coat them well with the masala, cover and cook for one minute on a medium flame.
Remove the cover and roast the Idlis until the water has completely dried.
Remove from flame.
Garnish with coriander leaves.

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Goolla Alle piyavva sagllein/ Eggplant in a ginger and onion coconut based gravy.

Posted on February 21, 2021February 22, 2021 by vinayaprabhu2

This is a long forgotten traditional recipe made with Goolla a variety of Eggplant that is grown in Matti near Udupi in South Kanara. Goolla today is used to make Bhajjia/ fritters, Pakora, in Sambhar and also a dish called Phodi. When my friend Suchitra Kamath mentioned this recipe to me, it brought forth fond memories of having enjoyed it at our ancestral house along with Pez/ Kanji/ rice gruel.

Ingredients:

One large Goolla chopped into bite sized pieces

2 large onions sliced

1 small potato, peeled, sliced thinly and quartered

2 inch piece of ginger

Half of a coconut grated

6 roasted Byadgi chillies

6 roasted Guntur chillies

1 tbsp tamarind paste

3 tbsps coconut oil

Salt

Method:

Tip the sliced onion, potato, ginger and salt in a pan. Add two glasses of water and bring to a boil. Simmer till the onions are three fourth done and then drop in the pieces of Goolla. Do not over cook the Goolla. In the meantime grind the coconut, roasted chillies, tamarind and rice flour to a smooth paste. Drop it into the simmering mixture and stir well. Adjust the consistency by adding more water if required. It should be of pouring consistency. Bring to a boil and gently simmer for a couple of minutes. Drizzle with coconut oil. Keep aside for fifteen minutes . The Goolla gets cooked in the hot gravy. Serve with rice or rice gruel.

Note: Drop in the ground paste after the Goolla has boiled only for a minute. Overcooking makes the Goolla mushy.

Serves four.

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Bread Rolls

Posted on February 21, 2021February 22, 2021 by vinayaprabhu2

Bread rolls bursting with cheese and condiments of your choice along with a cup of tea or coffee will leave everybody asking for more. The original recipe by Rachel Sequeira calls for stuffing a potato mixture and cheese inside a slice of bread. The bread I had today started crumbling the minute I tried to fill it, so took the easy way out by mashing the bread along with the potatoes and filling it with cheese. Dusted them with cornflour and deep fried them. Served them with a mint chutney and tomato ketchup. They were over in no time.

Ingredients:

3 potatoes boiled, peeled and mashed

7 slices of bread

1 tsp of chilly flakes

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Amchur/ dry mango powder

2 tbsps finely chopped coriander leaves

Grated cheese as per requirement

Salt

Oil for frying the rolls.

Method:

Tip the chilly flakes, Amchur, turmeric powder, salt and coriander leaves in a bowl. Add the mashed potatoes . Lightly wet the bread and crumble it. Mix it well along with the other ingredients . Take portions of this mixture and pat it like a patty on to your palm. Place some grated cheese over it , bring the sides together and shape it into an oblong roll. Finish off thus with the remaining dough.

Heat oil in a pan. Slide in the rolls gently two at a time and fry them to a golden brown. Drain and place on a kitchen towel. Serve hot with mint chutney and tomato ketchup.

Makes ten rolls.

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Mixed vegetable Sambhar -3

Posted on February 20, 2021February 22, 2021 by vinayaprabhu2

This is the third variety of mixed vegetable Sambhar that I am posting in this website. As we all know, every household has their own way of making Sambhar . Some use ready made powder, others roast the spices afresh and some make the powder to last for a couple of months. Today, I am posting the recipe shared by my friend Sheena Narkar which uses a bit of jaggery to enhance the taste. Recipe link to the Sambhar powder is given below.

https://vinayasculinarydelights.com/sambhar-powder/

Ingredients:

1 cup boiled and mashed Toovar Dal/split pigeon peas

1 carrot chopped into one inch sized pieces

1 cup shallots ( Sambhar onions)

2 Drumsticks chopped into two inch sized pieces

1 tiny brinjal sliced into half vertically

1 tomato chopped into eight pieces

2 tbsps Sambhar powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp jaggery

3 tbsps Tamarind paste

1 sprig curry leaves

Salt

1tsp Ghee

5 tbsps finely chopped coriander leaves

For the tempering:

2 tbsps Ghee or oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

A large pinch of Hing/ asafoetida

2 sprigs curry leaves

1 dry red chilly broken into two

Method:

Cook the chopped vegetables in two glasses of water along with salt, turmeric powder, Sambhar powder, curry leaves and a tsp of Ghee. When half done add the tamarind paste, jaggery and boiled Dal. Bring to a boil and keep simmering for a couple of minutes. Heat oil or ghee in a pan. Add the mustard seeds. After they splutter add the Hing , broken red chilly and the curry leaves. Drop the seasoning into the boiling Sambhar. Give one boil, switch off and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Serves three.

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