vinaya - Vinaya's Culinary Delights

Thali Meal – 7

Posted on May 27, 2018 by vinaya

A simple but delicious Thali Meal of Rice, Potato Pez upkari, Ivygourd Tallasani, Raw mango chutney, Dalithoy, Curds and Cherries.

Potato Pez Upkari Recipe

Ivy Gourd Tallasani Recipe

Raw Mango Chutney Recipe

Dalithoy Recipe

Farmyard beans and Potato Stir fry Recipe

Posted on May 26, 2018 by vinaya

The simplest, healthiest and easiest dish is a stir fry. Use of minimum oil and spices brings out the inherent flavours of the dish. Posting a delicious Farmyard Beans and potato stir fry/ upkari today which can be enjoyed with Rice, Roti or even as a meal by itself.

Ingredients :

250 gms Farmyard Beans
1 large Potato
1tbsp Coconut oil
1 heaped tsp mustard
A pea sized piece of hing /asafoetida powdered
3 dry red chillies broken into bits
Salt

Method :

String the Farmyard Beans and wash them. Chop them into one inch sized bits. Deskin potato, wash and slice it lengthwise into one inch bits too. Heat oil in a pan. Drop in the mustard. After it splutters add the broken red chilly bits and Hing. Toss. Tip in the vegetables, salt and half a glass of water. Cover and cook on a high flame till done.

Ashgourd Huli Recipe

Posted on May 24, 2018May 26, 2018 by vinaya

Huli is to Karnataka what Dal Fry is to Punjab. A dish where a variety of vegetables can be used along with mashed split Pigeon peas and a seasoning of mustard, curry leaves and asafoetida, it goes well with both, Rice or Roti. The recipe for the Huli powder is already posted under the catagory of Spice powders of this website.

Ingredients :

250 gms Ashgourd
1 large potato
2 large onions
1 small tomato
150 gms split pigeon peas
1 tsp tamarind paste
3 tsps Huli powder
2 tbsps Ghee/clarified butter
1 tsp mustard
3 sprigs curry leaves
A pea sized piece of asafoetida
Salt

Method :

Deskin the Ashgourd, potato and onion. Chop the Ashgourd and potato into bite sized pieces and the onion into slices. Quarter the tomatoes. Pressure cook the onion, potato, Ashgourd and tomato to one whistle with salt and the huli powder in two glasses of water to one whistle. Keep aside. Pressure cook split pigeon peas, churn it well and drop it into the cooked vegetables. Add the tamarind paste. Adjust salt and boil well. Heat the ghee in a pan. Add the mustard. After it splutters add the asafoetida and the curry leaves. Toss and drop into the boiling Huli. Keep aside for fifteen minutes for the flavours to infuse.

Huli Powder Recipe

Posted on May 20, 2018September 30, 2020 by vinaya

A fragrant Huli can be made from this home made Huli Powder from Karnataka. Huli is a preparation in which vegetables of one’s choice along with Dal / cooked split Pigeon peas and tamarind are seasoned and served over rice.

Ingredients :

2 tbsps Chana dal/Bengal Gram Dal
1 tbsp urad dal / Black gram dal
2 Marathi moggu
1inch piece of cinnamon
4 tbsps coriander seeds
1/2 tbsp jeera/cumin seeds
1/4 tbsp methi/fenugreek seeds
12 Byadgi chillies
2 sprigs curry leaves
A pea sized piece of hing /asafoetida

Method:
In a pan dry roast all the above ingredients separately till they give out a good aroma. Powder all the ingredients together. Store in an air tight container when cool.

Khichdi and Kadhi/One pot meal Recipe

Posted on May 19, 2018 by vinaya

This is the comfort food of most Indians. Throughout India it is known by different names, though the basic ingredients remain the same. Khichdi is a one pot meal of Rice and Green gram dal with seasoning and is enjoyed with either Yoghurt , Kadhi or Avial. Posting a Khichdi with Kadhi today.

Khichdi

Ingredients :

125 gms Rice
125 gms Moong dal/Green gram dal
A large pinch of Haldi/turmeric powder
Salt
2 tbsps Ghee/clarified butter
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin seeds
1tsp Pepper corns
3 sprigs curry leaves

Method :
Wash the rice and moong dal and keep them aside in a pan. Heat 2 tbsps ghee and add a spoon of jeera and a spoon of pepper corns. After they splutter drop in 3 sprigs of curry leaves. Tip it into the rice and moong dal. Add 4 glasses of boiling water, salt and haldi. Cover and cook till done. Drizzle with 2 tbsps of Ghee.

Kadhi

Ingredients :

2 tbsps Besan/Chickpea flour
1 glass thick curd
3 green chillies finely chopped
2 inch piece of ginger grated
Sugar
Salt
A large pinch of Haldi/Turmeric
Coriander leaves
1 tsp Jeera /Cumin seeds
2 Cloves
A pinch of Hing/ asafoetida
2 sprigs curry leaves
2 tbsps Ghee/clarified butter

Method :

Mix the besan in a little water and add it to the curds. Add two glasses of water and churn the curds. Drop in the green chillies, ginger, haldi, sugar and salt and boil well. Heat 2 tbsps of ghee. Add a spoon of jeera, a couple of cloves and after they splutter a pinch of hing and two sprigs curry leaves. Boil well. Remove from heat and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve the Khichdi with a tsp of ghee and Kadhi.

Avakai Pickle Recipe

Posted on May 16, 2018 by vinaya

This is a traditional Andhra pickle which goes well with Rice, Roti, Bread or Poori. I like it best with curd rice. The addition of whole garlic cloves and whole Chickpeas is the highlight of this pickle. I love the crunch that they impart to the Pickle.

Ingredients :

1kg Rajapuri or Ladva mangoes(raw)
250 gms Chilly powder
250 gms Salt
250 gms Mustard powder
250 gms Garlic peeled
100 gms Methi/Fenugreek seeds
100 gms Chana/Chickpeas
Marble sized piece of Hing/Asafoetida
5 tbsps Haldi/Turmeric powder
1litre Til /Sesame oil

Method :
Wash, wipe and chop the raw mangoes into bite sized pieces. Heat the oil to smoking point and cool thoroughly. Powder the hing and drop it into a tsp of warm oil so that it gives out its aroma. Allow to cool. Wipe the chana thoroughly. Mix the salt, chilly powder, hing, turmeric, Methi, garlic, chana and mustard powder together. Drop in the oil and the raw mango pieces and mix well. Store in bottles. There should be half an inch of oil standing above the Pickle. This pickle takes two months to mature before it can be consumed.

Rava/Semolina Burfi Recipe

Posted on May 16, 2018 by vinaya

This is one of my mom in law’s signature dishes. She was so adept at making it, that I used to marvel at her dexterity. It does take constant stirring for around twenty minutes on a gentle flame, but the end result is totally worth it!

Ingredients :

1 cup Rava/Semolina
1 cup Milk
1 cup ghee/clarified butter
2 cups Sugar
1 tsp Cardamom powder

Method :

Heat a pan and dry roast the Rava till it is a golden yellow and keep it aside.
Grease a thali with ghee and keep it ready.
Add sugar, milk and ghee to the roasted rava and keep stirring continuously for 20-25 mnts on a gentle flame till it starts leaving the sides of the vessel and you can see the ghee separating. Add the Cardamom powder, mix well and pour into the greased plate. Cut into desired shape after ten minutes.

Banana fritters (sweet) Recipe

Posted on May 15, 2018 by vinaya

These Banana fritters are made throughout India with a little variation. Mullik, Pitha, Bora or Gulgule are the names depending on the region where they come from. Easy and quick to make they make an excellent tea time snack.

Ingredients :

2 ripe elaichi bananas
2 tbsps jaggery syrup
1 tbsp grated coconut
A pinch of salt
1/2 tsp Cardamom powder
Rice flour enough to bind them
Ghee to fry the fritters.

Method :

Puree the bananas with the grated coconut . Add the jaggery syrup, Cardamom powder and the salt. Mix thoroughly. Add the rice flour little by little to form a pliable dough. Roll them into desired shape. Heat ghee in a pan. Gently slide in four of the fritters at a time and deep fry to a rich golden brown.

Thali Meal – 6

Posted on May 15, 2018 by vinaya

A traditional South Indian meal of Rice, Rasam, Avial, Puliogare, Green Chilly pickle, Papad, Curd and Fruits.

Avial/ Mixed Vegetables in Coconut gravy Recipe

Rasam Recipe

Puliogare Recipe

Green Chilly Pickle Recipe

Avial/ Mixed Vegetables in Coconut gravy Recipe

Posted on May 15, 2018July 18, 2018 by vinaya

This traditional South Indian recipe calls for a mixture of vegetables. The vegetables used vary, depending upon the preference of the family. This is a dish which is not seasoned, but the liberal use of fresh curry leaves and a drizzle of a generous amount of coconut oil makes it supremely divine!

Ingredients :

100 gms of each of the following vegetables

Pumpkin
Ashgourd
Peas
Carrot
Small variety of Brinjal
Farmyard beans
Raw Banana
Drumstick
15 green chillies
A pinch of jeera/Cumin seeds
1 coconut grated
1/4 tsp Haldi/turmeric powder
1 glass slightly sour buttermilk
10 sprigs of curry leaves
5 tbsps coconut oil

Method :

Deskin the vegetables and chop the Ashgourd, pumpkin, carrot and raw Banana into bite sized pieces. Chop the farm yard beans an inch long, the drumsticks into two inch sized pieces and the Brinjal into half. Cook the Ashgourd, Carrot, Peas and Farmyard beans together in two glasses of water. When they are three fourth done add the Brinjal, Raw banana and Drumstick. Add salt and when they are almost cooked add the pumpkin. Grind the grated coconut, green chillies and jeera to a smooth paste with the buttermilk. Drop the paste into the cooked vegetables along with the haldi and the curry leaves. Add enough water to make it into a semi solid preparation. Boil well. Drizzle with coconut oil and allow to stand for half an hour for the flavours to infuse before serving.