Gargi | Red pumpkin sweet

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Gargi is a sweet dish from North Karnataka. It looks very similar to Athras/kajjaya but it's softer in texture and made of pumpkin. I have gulped down many of these in my friends' place during school days. It was never made at our house for whatever reason and I had almost forgotten about it.

The other day I brought a red pumpkin and I was thinking of recipes. While on the phone with my doc sis she reminded me of Gargi and also told me a recipe from her patient. I finished the call with a promise to make this for her when we meet next time :)) Surprisingly My little one who doesn't like the taste of pumpkin polished off 3 of them at one go. So I made it couple of times again and it was a quick hit. Here you go with the recipe.

Ingredients:
Grated Pumpkin : 1 cup
Jaggery: 1/2 cup
Wheat Flour: 2-3 tbsp
Cardamom powder: 1/2 tsp
A pinch of salt
Ghee: 1 tbsp
Oil: To deep fry

Method:

1. Heat ghee in a pan and add grated pumpkin and salt, saute for 5 minutes or until the pumpkin becomes soft.

2. Add in jaggery and cardamom powder and saute on low flame for about 2-3 minutes. Now the pumpkin mixture will become a bit gooey.

3. Turn off the flame and add wheat flour, adjust the quantity of flour depending on the moisture in the pumpkin. Make a soft dough.

4. Take a small lemon sized dough and roll and press it on your palm and make a hole in the center like a donut. Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown on medium flame.

5. Remove on absorbent paper and relish :)

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Mangalore Buns- Fried banana pooris

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Mangalore buns, as the name suggests is a delicacy from Mangalore, Karnataka. Although it's called a bun it's not a baked food, but similar to deep fried pooris. It's a great way to use the over ripe bananas. This mildly sweetened bun is soft and fluffy in texture. It's traditionally made with maida or all purpose flour but I have used whole wheat flour. Here is the easy recipe to make these delicious buns.

Ingredients:
Wheat Flour/Plain Flour : 1.5 Cups
Long Ripe Banana : 1
Yogurt: 2-3 Tbsp
Cumin Seeds: 1/2 tsp
Baking Soda:  1/4 tsp
Salt: 1/2 tsp
Sugar : 2-3 tsp

Oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Mash the banana with fork leaving no lumps (It can even be pureed in the blender).

2. Sift the flour with baking soda and salt.

3. Add Sugar and cumin seeds and combine well.

4. Mix in mashed banana, yogurt and knead the flour to make a soft dough. Add a little water if needed.

5. Apply few drops of oil and cover and keep aside for 3-4 hours.

6. Heat oil in a deep pan for frying the buns.

7. While the oil is getting hot, start rolling the buns. Take small lemon size dough and roll into 1/4" thick round sheet.

8. Slowly drop it into hot oil and fry on both sides until the color changes to golden brown.

9. Remove on absorbent paper towel and the delicious mangalore buns are ready to devour. 

10. Serve hot with coconut chutney or tomato sauce.

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Masala Majjige | Indian Spiced Buttermilk

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I am back with another cooling recipe for the hot summer. It's yet another simple and humble drink majjige (butter milk). On a hot and humid day nothing works like a chilled buttermilk. It's low in calories and very good for digestion and keeps the body cool.

Ingredients:
Buttermilk: 2 large glasses
Ginger: 1 inch
Coriander leaves: 2 tbsp
Green chilli: 1
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Take ginger, coriander leaves, green chillies and salt in a pestle and crush roughly.

2. Take buttermilk in a mixer jar and mix the crushed masalas and whisk for a min and chill it in the refrigerator.

Delicious butter milk is ready to gulp down.

Notes:
1. If you do not have buttermilk, please take curd in the mixer jar, add enough water and whisk for 2 minutes.

2. Instead of crushing the masala in the pestle you can also add it in the mixer jar and pulse it before adding the buttermilk.

3. For variations you can add cumin seeds or mint leaves. or you can also add a tempering of mustard and curry leaves before serving.

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Pesarattu | Whole Green Gram Dose

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Pesarattu or Green Gram Dose is a very popular and nutritious breakfast dish from Andhra Pradesh.  It's very easy to prepare it. There is no fermentation needed like other dosa varieties. It takes a handful of items to make this delicious dose. It's usually served with coconut chutney or ginger chutney. Also there is another version where its folded with Uppittu/Upma in the center.

I first tried this tasty Pesarattu in Woodlands hotel in Bangalore. This recipe is very close to the one available in Woodlands. Do try this nutritious, healthy, gluten free and vegan breakfast recipe. 

Ingredients:
Green Gram/ Hesarukalu (Whole Moong Daal) : 1 cup
Rice: 1/2 cup
Ginger:1 inch
Green chillies: 2
Cumin Seeds: 1/2 tsp
Onion: 1
Salt to taste
Oil/Ghee for making Dosa.

For topping: Finely chopped ginger, coriander leaves, green chilies : 1/2 cup

Method:

1. Soak green gram and rice in enough water over night.

2. Grind it fine in mixer along with ginger, green chillies and onion, cumin seeds.

3. Remove the batter into a mixing bowl, add salt and mix well. Add a little water if its too thick. Bring it to regular dosa batter consistency.

4. Heat a non stick pan and pour 1 ladle full of batter in the center and spread it into circular motion and make a thin crepe/dosa.

5. Pour a little oil/Ghee on the sides and in the center and sprinkle finely chopped ginger, onion and coriander leaves and let it cook and turn slightly crispy. Fold and remove on the plate and serve hot with ginger chutney or coconut chutney.

To Make Coconut chutney:
1. Grind together 1/2 cup of fresh coconut with salt, 2-3 green chillies, 1 small piece of ginger and tamarind in a mixer Jar. you can also add half onion (optional)

To make ginger chutney:
1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and fry 1/4 cup ginger pieces, once it starts browning on the edges add 5-6 red chillies, 1 tsp of jaggery and 1 marble sized tamarind and saute for 2-3 mins. Cool it down and grind it to a coarse paste with Salt. 

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