Uppittu with puffed rice

 This is a very light and delicious breakfast item.

Ingredients

8 cups of puffed rice – for 2 servings

2 tbsps oil

½ tsp mustard seeds

A pinch of asafoetida

2 tbsps roasted peanuts

1 large tomato finely chopped

Some curry leaves

Salt to taste

1/3 tsp turmeric powder

1/3 tsp red chilli powder

¼ tsp garam masala powder

2 tbsp grated coconut (optional)

Instructions

-          Take the puffed rice in a pan, pour water over it. Mix with hand for a few seconds and drain off the excess water. Cover and keep aside for half hour.

-          Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add asafoetida, roasted peanuts, the cut tomatoes, and curry leaves.

-          When the tomatoes are cooked, add all the masala powders, salt and mix.

-          Finally add the soaked puffed rice, mix well and remove from fire and sprinkle grated coconut.

Horse gram and kozhuppan cheera sabzi

Kozhuppan cheera, Talinum fruticosum, Spinach cheera, Ceylon Spinach or sambar cheera, also known as water leaf, is a plant that is seen very commonly in Kerala and I have eaten its thoran with jackfruit seeds since childhood. 

I had brought one plant to Belgaum and it is a sturdy plant that grows easily.  It is a rich source of vitamins (Vitamin A and Vitamin E) and minerals (iron and calcium). It has some medicinal properties and antidiabetic property. 

The left over horse gram after making the rasam can be made into a sabzi with spinach cheera.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups cooked horse gram left after making the rasam

A big bunch of spinach cheera, cleaned, washed and cut

1 onion finely chopped

¼ tsp turmeric powder

¼ tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp coriander powder

¼ tsp garam masala powder

Salt to taste

1 tbsp oil

1/3 tsp mustard seeds

Instruction

-          Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the cut onion. Stir and when the onion turns transparent, add the cut spinach cheera.

-          Keep stirring in between and when the leaves are cooked, which may take about 5 to 7 minutes, add all the masala powders and the cooked horse gram.

-          Check and adjust the salt (the horse gram was pressure cooked with salt). Mix well and remove from fire.

-          Serve with steamed rice and dal, or with chapatis

Horse gram (Kulthi or Kollu) rasam

Horse gram is called hurali in Kannada and muthira in Malayalam. 

Though not as popular as black gram, red gram and green gram, horse gram is still one of the most nutritious legumes (Macrotyloma uniflorum), being the maximum protein-rich lentil found on the planet. Besides being intrinsically vast in carbohydrate and protein content, it abounds in essential trace minerals like iron, molybdenum and calcium. These ensure optimal energy, muscle strength, regulated red blood cell synthesis and fortified bones.

It also supplies ample amounts of the B vitamins, guaranteeing the normal metabolic functioning of cells, and is the traditional elixir for ailments like diabetes, heart disease, kidney stones, asthma, obesity, and many more. It has a quick effect on common fever and cold, which basically happen when the body is attacked with various viruses that damage the immune system. When consumed during fever and cold, it opens the nasal tracts and softens the mucous membrane, relieves congestion, and boosts metabolism and immunity.

Horse gram lentils are also helpful for cough, asthma, bronchial issues and much more. Lipids in horse gram have been shown to have anti-ulcer activity due to the presence of phytosterol esters.

Ingredients

Broth: 2 cups of water left from 1 cup cooked horse gram

Salt to taste

¼ lemon sized tamarind, soak in water

1 tsp jaggery

1 tbsp cut coriander leaves to garnish at the end

To make the Paste:

1 tbsp sesame oil.

5 pepper corns

½ tsp jeera (cumin)

4 cloves of garlic sliced

1 medium sized tomato cut fine

¼ cup cooked horse gram

To temper:

1tbsp sesame oil

¼ tsp mustard seeds

¼ tsp fenugreek seeds

¼ tsp jeera

A few curry leaves

Instruction

-          Soak one cup of horse gram overnight, pressure cook with 2 ½ cups of water and salt for 8 minutes. Cool, drain, keep the water and horse gram separately.

-          Take out the tamarind pulp

-          Heat sesame oil in a pan, add cumin, pepper and sliced garlic. Then add cut tomato, stir and cook.

-          Add ¼ cup of cooked horse gram, mix well and remove from fire. Let it cool and then grind to a fine paste, adding a little water if needed.

-          Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, jeera, and fenugreek seeds. When they pop, add the tamarind pulp, the ground paste and curry leaves. Simmer on low flame for two minutes.

-          Add  the broth from cooked horse gram, mix well and let it cook for five minutes.

-          Add the jaggery, mix, adjust the salt if necessary, and remove from fire. Add the cut coriander leaves.

-          Serve hot with steamed rice.

The cooked horse gram can be made into thoran, dry sabzi, or sabzi with spinach cheera .

Jowar puri

This is a speciality of Belgaum and I got the recipe from Dr. Roma Alhad Bagi. It can be even served with only yoghurt or butter.

Ingredients

2 cups jowar flour

1 cup rice flour

½ cup wheat flour

½ cup besan (gram flour)

½  tsp ajwain seeds

1/3 tsp sesame seeds

1/3 tsp red chilli powder

A pinch of asafoetida

1 tbsp finely cut coriander leaves

Salt to taste

3 cups water boiled

Oil for frying

Instruction

-          Keep the water to boil.

-          Take Jowar flour, rice flour, wheat flour, besan, Aajwain, sesame seeds, freshly chopped coriander, asafoetida, salt, and red chilli powder in a vessel and pour the boiling water into it, mixing with a spoon.

-          Pour the water slowly; you may not require all of it. Knead into smooth dough. Divide into ten small balls.

-          Spread each ball on a plastic sheet with moistened fingers. Or, you can put the dough between two oiled plastic sheets and roll it out.

-          Heat the oil till it smokes, gently slide the rolled out dough and fry from both sides. 

-          Here jowar puris are served for lunch, with black matar sabzi, curds, salad, lemon pickle, roasted taro roots, and freshly made mango murabba

Ada with Jackfruit filling

 This is a favourite Kerala dish made with rice flour. It is easy on stomach and as a twelve year old girl, it was my duty to make this every day for my baby brother’s breakfast. That time it was only grated coconut and sugar for the filling. Now I add sliced bananas too. But today I added finely cut jackfruit bulbs. When it was being cooked, there was this sweet aroma filling up the whole kitchen!

Ingredients

2 cups rice flour, for 5 adas

2 cups water, boiled

Salt to taste

I cup grated coconut

 ½ cup grated jaggery

¼ tsp cardamom powder

½ cup finely chopped ripe jackfruit bulbs

5 Pieces of plantain leaf or 5 turmeric leaves

Instruction

For the cover

-          Bring the water to a boil and add this to the flour and salt in a pan. Mix with a ladle, close and keep aside for ten minutes.

-          Meanwhile ready the filling by mixing the grated coconut with jaggery, cardamom powder and chopped jackfruit.

-          Knead the rice flour, sprinkle more water if needed, into smooth dough. Divide into five balls.

-          Take one leaf and spread one ball of dough into round, moistening the fingers in between.

-           Spread the filling on half the portion and fold the leaf into half, pressing down the edges to stick the dough together.

-          Now you can steam them in a pressure cooker for ten minutes or cook them on a thava as shown HERE

-          Enjoy as it is, or with ghee!

July 2022

---Today I prepared ada with jackfruit filling in turmeric leaves. The aroma is just divine!

J

Spinach soup

Spinach is an extremely nutrient-rich vegetable, with high amounts of iron, carotenoids, vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid, and calcium. It  also contains several other vitamins and minerals, including potassium, magnesium, and vitamins B6, B9, and E. Studies have found that eating cooked spinach – versus raw – results in much higher blood levels of beta-carotene, an antioxidant thought to guard against heart disease and lung cancer.

A word of caution:  People who are prone to kidney stones may want to avoid spinach. This leafy green is also very high in vitamin K1, which can be a problem for people on blood thinners.

Spincah soup is a very nourishing, filling, delicious soup, especially on a rainy day.

Ingredients

2 packed cups of washed, cleaned, cut spinach leaves

2 bowls of water

2 tbsps of milk

2 flakes of garlic, peeled and sliced

1 ½ tbsps of milk cream or malai

Salt to taste

¼ tsp pepper powder

Instruction

-          Put the cut spinach leaves, sliced garlic, milk, and water in a saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce the flame and simmer for 6 to 7 minutes till the leaves are cooked.

-          Let it cool and then liquidize it, adding half of the milk cream.

-          Add salt to taste and keep it on medium heat. When it is hot enough, transfer into two bowls, sprinkle pepper powder and add remaining milk cream on the top and serve.

Tender Jackfruit (Kathal) Dum Biriyani

This is a very delicious preparation. During the season, the tender jackfruit can be skinned, cut into large chunks and pressure cooked for 5 to 6 minutes. I keep these in the refrigerator to make different preparations.

         Biriyani served with roasted papad, tomato onion raita and chilli garlic in lemon juice

Ingredients

For marination

200 grams cooked tender Jackfruit  cut into chunks

¾ cup Yogurt

2 tbsps Ginger garlic paste

¼  tsp turmeric powder

½  tsp red chilli powder

½ tsp  Garam masala powder

1 tbsp lemon juice

Salt  to taste

For biriyani

1 cup rice – I use sona masuri rice, soaked in water for ten minutes

2 tbsp ghee

2 onions sliced thin

1 inch cinnamon stick

2 cardamoms

2 cloves

1 bay leaf

1 Star anise

2 green chillies

2 tbsps cut coriander leaves

Some mint leaves

Salt  to taste

1 tablespoon Ghee

Some yellow food color 

To garnish

Some cashew nuts toasted in ghee

Fried onions

Insstruction

-          Heat oil in a kadai on low heat, fry onions until they turn into brown colour. Drain and keep on kitchen tissue paper .

-          While the onion is getting fried, marinate the cooked tender jackfruit chunks with turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, ginger garlic paste , yoghurt, salt, lemon juice, and keep aside.

-          Boil water in a saucepan with salt. Add the soaked and drained rice and all the spices, cardamom, cloves, bay leaf, star anise, green chillies and cinnamon stick.

-          Cook the rice until 70 % done. I cook soaked sona masuri normally for ten minutes, here I did for 7 minutes.  Drain the rice and keep aside

Assembling the biriyani

-          Smear ghee on a deep, wide pan, sprinkle some fried onions, mint leaves and coriander leaves.

-          Now spread the marinated jackfruit chunks.

-          Add the 70% cooked rice, pour 1 tablespoon of ghee, spread mint leaves, coriander leaves , some fried onions (leave some fried onions for garnishing).

      Pour some yellow food color on the surface in three four areas

-         Cover the pan with aluminium foil and keep on low flame for 15 minutes.

-          Remove the aluminium foil, lightly fluff up the biriyani.

-          While serving, garnish with toasted cashew nuts and fried onions.

-          Serve with tomato onion raita, pickle and papad.