Miscellaneous - Vinaya's Culinary Delights

Preparation of Home made Ghee /clarified butter

Posted on June 25, 2018June 25, 2018 by vinaya

Though Ghee/clarified butter is available today at all the grocery stores, I prefer making mine at home. Nothing can beat the home made one in fragrance and the colour. Enjoy it on Parathas, dosas or even with banana and sugar.

Method :
Wash the home made butter three to four times till the water runs clear. Drain and heat it on a gentle flame, stirring in between to prevent it from overflowing. When it nears completion, a fragrant smell of the ghee emanates, accompanied by the darkening of the milk solids that form the residue. Once it has turned light brown, switch off the gas. The heat of the pan itself ensures that the ghee takes on a beautiful golden brown hue.

Preparation of Coconut Oil

Posted on June 25, 2018 by vinaya

For those who are wary of buying the refined and processed Coconut oil in the market, here is an easy way of making it at home. Though dried coconut or Copra is used commercially for the extraction of oil, one can make it at home using mature coconuts.

Ingredients :

3 large Coconuts
8 glasses of hot water
Sieve or Cheese cloth to extract milk
Paper towels to strain the oil.

Method :

Break the coconuts into two halves. Prise the kernel from the shell using a knife. Cut it into small pieces and tip in as much as the blender can hold. Water too depends upon the size of the blender. Take care to see the water is hot. Grind to a smooth paste. Sieve the paste. Tip the residue back into the blender. Grind again with hot water and sieve it. Take care to see that the coconut milk has been totally extracted. Refrigerate the extract for four hours. The fat will form a hard cake and float on top of the water. Gently remove it and put it in a pan. Heat it on a slow flame stirring once in a while till a brown charred residue forms at the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about ten to fifteen minutes. Use a kitchen towel to strain the oil into glass bottles. Three coconuts yield around 750ml of oil.

Extraction of Coconut Milk

Posted on June 25, 2018June 25, 2018 by vinaya

Apart from its use in a variety of dishes, Coconut milk can also be used to moisturise dry hair and also works wonders for the skin. Coconut is grated, ground to a fine paste with water and the milk extracted. Coconut milk sold in tetra packs or in powdered form can only be used in the preparation of food though they can never live up to the original one.

Ingredients :

One large Coconut
Four glasses of water

Method :

Dehusk the coconut thoroughly. Wash and break it into two halves. Grate and divide the grated coconut into two portions. Tip in one portion into the blender with one glass of water and grind to a fine paste. Sieve the paste or alternatively use a wet muslin cloth to extract the milk. Similarly finish off with the second portion. This forms the first extract. Keep aside. Tip the residue back into the blender. Add two glasses of water and grind. Remove and sieve the paste. Squeeze out all the milk from the residue. This forms the second extract. Vegetables are always cooked in the second extract. After they are done, the first extract is added, boiled just for a minute and put aside for the flavours to infuse.

Beauty tip

If using the Coconut milk for cosmetic purposes, keep five tbsps of the first extract aside in a separate container. This is to be gently massaged on the face and hands and washed off after a couple of hours. The skin feels smooth and soft to touch. Mix the remaining milk of the first extract with the second extract and use it to massage the scalp and hair. Leave it on for a couple of hours and shampoo hair. The result is silky and bouncy hair.

Preparation of Neem Oil

Posted on June 25, 2018 by vinaya

Best known as a curative as well as a prophylactic, Neem oil works well with scars, can be used to get rid of dandruff and also to sport a blemish free skin as it is has anti bacterial and anti fungal properties. Skin glows and hair grows with regular use.

Ingredients :

1 litre coconut oil
A big bunch of neem leaves
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

Method :
Wash the neem leaves and dry them thoroughly.
Boil them in the coconut oil till they turn crisp and form a sediment. Allow to cool. Add the turmeric powder and store in an airtight container.

Tomato and Onion Chutney Recipe

Posted on June 5, 2018 by vinaya

This Tomato and Onion Chutney goes well with almost everything. Roti, Rice, even as a dip for Nachos, spread on Tacos, Neer dosa, or even with vegetable cutlets. You can even experiment trying a variety of spices to suit your palate.

Ingredients :

7 large ripe tomatoes
3 large onions
2 tsps Sambhar powder
1 tsp chilly powder
Salt
Jaggery or sugar
3 tbsps oil
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp coriander leaves.

Method :

Chop the tomatoes, onions and coriander leaves finely . Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard. After it splutters drop in the onions and roast on a gentle flame till translucent. Add the chilly and Sambhar powder. Toss. Tip in the chopped tomatoes and salt. Stir for a couple of minutes. Add a glass of water and cook till the tomatoes are nice and mushy. Add jaggery or sugar as per taste. Boil well. Switch off. Garnish with the coriander leaves and serve hot or chilled.

Vangyache Bharith/ Roasted Eggplant Mash Recipe

Posted on May 30, 2018May 30, 2018 by vinaya

This recipe calls for Eggplant to be roasted gently on a direct flame, till the skin is charred and the insides of the Eggplant nice and mushy. This preparation is made all over India, but the spices used vary depending on the region where it is made. Posting a Vangyache Bharith from the state of Goa.

Ingredients :

250 gms Large sized Eggplant
2 green chillies
1 large onion
1inch piece ginger
3 tbsps grated coconut
1tsp tamarind paste
Coriander leaves
Salt
Oil

Method :

Wash and pat dry the Eggplant. Smear it with oil and roast it on an open flame, turning it repeatedly till the entire skin gets charred. Allow it to cool. Peel it and discard the charred skin. Mash it well. Coarsely grind ginger, green chillies, tamarind paste and salt. Tip it into the mash. Chop onions fine and add them too. Mix thoroughly. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Temple style Saaru / Devasthana Saaru Recipe

Posted on May 15, 2018October 1, 2018 by vinaya

This is a traditional Saaru which is served in all the temples in Dakshin Kannada. The freshly roasted spices ground together with the roasted coconut lend the unique flavour to this Saaru. Garnished with coriander leaves and seasoned in oil or ghee as per preference.

Ingredients :

4 tbsp Coconut grated
3 tbsp Coriander seeds
10 pepper corns
1.5 tsp Jeera/cumin seeds
1/4 tsp Methi/Fenugreek seeds
1/8 tsp Haldi/turmeric powder
A kidney bean size piece of Hing /asafoetida powdered
12 Byadgi chillies
Lemon size ball jaggery
1 tbsp tamarind paste
5 tomatoes boiled & puréed
3 sprigs curry leaves .
2 tsps mustard
Mixture of 1tbsp ghee and 3tbsps of coconut oil for seasoning though in temples they use only coconut oil.
A small bunch of Coriander leaves.

Method :

Dry roast the coriander seeds, Methi, pepper and jeera separately till they give out their aroma. Roast the coconut to a golden brown. Add haldi to the hot roasted coconut & mix thoroughly. Roast the chillies with a little oil. Grind the coconut and the roasted ingredients to a paste with a little water. Set aside. Boil the puréed tomatoes in 5 large glasses of water with the tamarind paste, jaggery & salt. Add the ground masala, half of the chopped Corriander leaves, a few curry leaves and boil thoroughly. Heat the ghee and oil mixture . Add the mustard and after it crackles add the powdered Hing and curry leaves . Drop it into the boiling saaru. Give one boil and switch off. Garnish with the remaining coriander leaves.

Crispy Poha/Flattened rice Recipe

Posted on May 13, 2018 by vinaya

Crispy Poha is not to be confused with Chevda made from Poha. This is served with grated coconut and some like it with a drizzle of asafoetida. This is normally served as a tea time snack or eaten on the days one fasts.

Ingredients :

500 gms Patla poha/thin variety of flattened rice
5 tbsps oil
1 tbsp mustard
3 tbsps coriander seeds
10 green chillies chopped fine
2 dry red chillies broken into bits
10 sprigs curry leaves
A kidney bean size of hing/asafoetida powdered
Salt
1/4 tsp Haldi /turmeric powder
Grated coconut

Method :

Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard. After it splutters add the coriander seeds. Once they turn a golden brown add the chopped green chillies, broken red chilly bits and the curry leaves. Finally add the powdered hing. Toss. Tip in the Poha, salt and turmeric powder. Mix thoroughly and keep roasting on a very gentle flame till the poha turns crisp. Allow to cool thoroughly before storing. Serve garnished with grated coconut.

Sanna pollo / Rice and Pigeon Peas pancake Recipe

Posted on May 13, 2018 by vinaya

Sanna Pollo should not be confused with the regular Dosa or Crepe that we have for breakfast. This preparation is served during lunch or dinner though I don’t mind making a meal of it by itself.

Ingredients :

125 gms Rice
125 gms Toor dal/ split Pigeon peas
12 roasted Byadgi chillies
1/4 of a small coconut grated
2 large onions
1 heaped tsp tamarind paste
Salt
Oil to roast the Sanna pollo.

Method :

Wash and soak the Rice and toor dal for four hours. Drain and keep the water aside. Grind the grated coconut, roasted red chillies and tamarind to a smooth paste with the water which had been kept aside. Add the rice and dal and grind to a semolina like consistency. The batter should neither be thick nor runny. Chop the onions fine and tip them into the batter along with salt. Mix thoroughly. Heat a tava/ skillet. Pour a ladleful of the batter onto it and spread it as you would a pancake or a dosa. It should be neither too thick nor thin. Drizzle with oil. Roast to a golden brown. Flip. Roast on the other side too. Serve hot.

Sol Kadhi Recipe

Posted on May 5, 2018 by vinaya

Sol Kadhi is a digestive made from Kokum/Garcinia Indica extract. A coolant and a delicious drink, the seasoning to the Kadhi depends on individual preference. Some prefer to season it with hing/asafoetida and some like it with a tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves. I like mine with crushed garlic and green chillies and garnished with coriander leaves. It can be served as an appetizer or along with a meal.

Ingredients :

1/2 of a large coconut
3 tbsps Kokum agal/extract
2 green chillies
5 garlic cloves
Salt
Coriander leaves

Method :

Grind the coconut to a fine paste with water. Extract the coconut milk. Strain and keep aside the first extract. Add half a glass of water again to the residue and grind. Strain again and add the first and second extract together. Crush the green chillies, garlic and salt and after straining it, tip it into the coconut milk. Add the Kokum agal , salt and chopped coriander leaves. Serve chilled.