Kodubale | A special snack from Karnataka

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Kodubale is a special snack from Karnataka - a festive snack usually made during ganesha festival or deepavali. The list pof ingredients is quite simple but just need a little effort to roll and fry them. Once you start munching on this crispy snack all the effort will seem worth it :-) It's a very addictive snack and I must say the tagline 'no one can eat just one' suits kodubale aptly.

I have adapted the recipe from Swayampaka channel. It's an easy recipe. Do give it a try and impress your family members :-)

Ingredients:
Chiroti Rava/Semolina/Small Sooji: 1/4 cup
All purpose Flour/Maida: 1/5 cup (little less than 1/4 cup)
Rice Flour: 1 cup
Oma/Ajawain/Carom seeds: 1/2 tsp
Salt: 1 tsp
Asafoetida/Hingu : 1/4 tsp
Oil: 3 tbsp + for deep frying
Fresh Coconut: 1/2 cup
Dry red chillies: 8-10 (Byadagi / kashmir non spicy variety)

Method:

1. Heat a pan and add all purpose flour and semolina and warm them for a min. Transfer to a mixing bowl, when it is still warm add 1 tsp oil and mix it well and keep it aside.

2. In a mixer jar grind together coconut and dry red chillies with a little water.

3. Add the ground coconut paste, rice flour, asafoetida, salt and ajwain seeds to Rava and maida mixture and combine everything well.

4. Heat 2 tbsp oil until it's smoking hot and add to the mixture and mix them with a spoon. Do not touch with bare hands as the oil will be too hot.

5. Once its cooled down a bit, knead into a soft dough with hands by adding very little water at a time to get a soft kodubale dough. Keep it covered for 15 minutes.

6. Heat oil in frying pan or a deep wok on medium heat.

7. While the oil is heating, take a spoonful of dough and hand roll it into 1/2" thick rope size and join the ends to make a circle. Repeat the steps and make about 6-8 kodubale in one batch.

8. Drop them into hot oil one by one and deep fry on low- medium heat for about 2-3 minutes and flip it and fry the other side also until both sides turn into golden brown color. 

9. Remove on a kitchen towel, bring them to room temperature and store in an air tight jar.

Notes:
1. Make the oil very hot before adding to the flour mixture and it should make sound when poured on the flour mix.
2. Be careful while kneading the dough as the hot oil can scald your palm.
3. Keep the flame on low-medium while deep frying and give it enough time to fry, otherwise the kodubale will be crisp from outside but raw inside.
4. If the dough breaks while rolling, touch a little water or oil and knead the dough well and roll again. If it doesn't help add a little all purpose flour/maida and try again.
5. Fry Kodubale immediately after rolling if not it will break while frying.

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Banana Halwa | Festive Sweet and Deepavali Celebration

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Deepavali - the festival of lights spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness. The festival preparations and rituals typically extend over a three to five-day period, but the main festival night of Deepavali coincides with the darkest, no moon night of the year. 

It's one my favorite festivals. lights, colors, sweets, savories and family get-togethers always make this festival very dear to me. I have very fond memories of Deepavali since my childhood. When we all grew up and went to different places to study and work, it was the only time of the year when my sisters, my brother and I would meet up at home. We always looked forward to this festival. 

The night before the Deepavali traditionally the water wells (bavi) and copper pots were cleaned and decorated with marigold flowers and Creepers. Bathroom is cleaned and the fireplace is worshiped before the water is filled in the decorated pots (hande). My job was to beat the jagante (metallic plate with a stick to beat it) while my mother filled water in the pot. This is filling water or 'Neeru tumbuva habba'. I never missed to be home for this day even if that meant taking an additional day off from college or work.

Next morning (Naraka Chaturdashi) we did oil bath (Enne Snana) and in the evening we lit clay lamps and lined them inside and outside the house along Veranda, windowsills, Tulsi and compound wall and gate. Me and my sisters made big rangolis together and decorated with colors and flower petals. This was done for all three days of the festival and 2 clay lamps were lit for one full month of Kartika.

We did Lakshmi Puja (prayer to goddess of Wealth and Prosperity) on no moon day (Amavasye) with all the family members together, it was followed by setting off crackers, pots, rockets and other fireworks.

Next day (Bali padyami) we usually had puja in my father's and uncles' hotels. We all cousins used to dress up and go from one hotel to the other enjoying puja, prasad and most importantly the chit-chat and photo time we all got together :)

My mother makes holige, karchikayi, Avalakki Chooda and other Sweets. From last 2 years I am missing the festival at my mother's place. Yet another year has gone by and my kitchen is gearing up for the festival.

Like the clay lamp which burns itself to spread the light in darkness, let's spread happiness around us this Deepavali. Here is a sweet recipe from coastal Karnataka to indulge on this festive occasion. I wish you and you family a very happy and prosperous Deepavali.  - ದೀಪಾವಳಿಯ ಸಿಹಿ ಹಾರೈಕೆಗಳು.

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
6 Medium size Ripe Bananas
1 Cup Sugar
1 Tsp Cardamom Powder
4 Tbsp Clarified butter /Ghee
8-10 Cashew - chopped into small pieces
1 Tbsp Roasted White sesame seeds for garnish

Method:
1. Peel Bananas, add cardamom powder and Sugar and grind it into a smooth paste in a mixer.

2. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a thick bottomed pot and roast broken cashews until it turns to golden color.

3. Add the ground banana paste and start sauteing. It will take about one hour to cook completely.
   Scrape the sides and mix it well every 10-15 minutes and add the remaining ghee little by little.

4. Once the banana mixture turns transparent and becomes sticky turn off the flame.

5. Pour it on a greased plate and level with back of a spoon. Sprinkle roasted sesame seeds on top and let it cool down completely.

6. Cut them into small cubes and enjoy the delicious sweet on this festive season.

Notes:
1. Adjust the amount of sugar according to sweetness of banana, usually this dish is made with nendra balehannu  (Musa Nendran Banana) but you can pretty much use any type of banana.
2. You can use sliced almonds or pistachio for garnishing instead of sesame seeds.

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Avalakki Chooda | Poha Chiwda |Spicy beaten rice Mixture.

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Avalakki chooda or poha chiwda. Learn how to make crispy beaten rice mixture.

This is my favorite snack since childhood. 100s of things rush through my memory lane when I think of chooda. It was my snack in the tiffin box on all Saturdays in school days. My savior when I hated the hostel food or when late night hunger pangs striked us girls during exams.

Talking about my hostel life we had a unique way of eating the softened/limp chooda after we have it in store for more than a month :P We would mix up all sort of choodas which has lost the crispiness, sprinkle water and sauce from pickle and mix it well and that was the perfect and the most tastiest midnight snack for us. 

To cut the long story short this snack has been part of my school and college days and still continues to be my favorite:-)) 

Traditionally the beaten rice was sun dried until it was crunchy and then mixed with spicy, nutty masala. I like it with a lot of rich nuts, spice and a bit of sweetness. Adjust the amount of ingredients as per your taste.

Ingredients: 
Medium Avalakki (Beaten rice/Poha) : 1/2 kg
Peanuts: 4 tbsp
Cashew: 12-15
Raisins: 4 tbsp
Sliced dry coconut: few pieces
Roasted Bengal Gram (Putani/Hurigadle/Dalia): 3 tbsp
Asafoetida: 1/4 tsp
Mustard Seeds: 1 tsp
Curry Leaves: 3 sprigs
Green chilli : 4-5
Powdered Sugar : 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil: 3-4 tbsp

Method: 
1. Heat a big deep pan and dry roast avalakki/beaten rice. Keep mixing it for 3-4 minutes or until the avalakki turns crunchy.

2. Remove it and keep aside and heat oil in the same pan.

3. Add Mustard seeds, when it splutters add peanuts and sauté for 30 seconds and then mix in Halved Cashews and fry them for a while. Next add Raisins, Dry coconut, roasted Bengal Gram and fry on low flame for 30 seconds.Add asafoetida, curry leaves, finely chopped green chillies and turmeric.Saute until the curry leaves and chillies turn crispy. Keep the flame low so that the nuts are not burnt.

4. Next add roasted avalakki, sugar and salt and mix everything up nicely.

5. Keep it on low flame for 2 minutes and turn off the flame and let it sit in the pan for 5 minutes, do not cover with lid.

6. Let it cool down and store the crispy beaten rice mixture or chooda in an airtight container.

Notes: 
1. You can fry all dry fruits and nuts one by one and remove and keep it aside. When the tempering is ready add them back to pan along with roasted avalakki. This way the nuts will not burn although it takes a little extra time.
2. If there is space and option to sun dry the avalakki until they turn crisp, you can skip roasting them on the pan and directly add them to the tempering.
3. You can skip raisins if you do not like the sweet taste in the mixture.
4. Adjust number of chillies as per your taste, you can also add 1/2 tsp red chilli powder if you like it very spicy.

5. Deep fry the beaten rice if you are using thick variety.

6. If you are using thin variety, roast it just for a minute. After mixing the masala turn off the flame immidiately as thin poha is easily broken and the mixture gets powdered when stored.

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Apple Payasa or Apple Kheer Recipe

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Apples! Nobody likes to eat them at home..so anytime I buy apples I end up making some dish out of it. Apple Halwa, Chutney, Milkshake, Apple pie etc and this time I turned them into delicious payasa or kheer which everyone at home loved and devoured including my little one :-) 

It's important to cook the apples before adding any milk as it may curdle the milk if it's undercooked. Here is the recipe to make this simple, delicious dessert. 

Ingredients:

Red apple : 3

Milk: 1 liter

Sugar : 1/2 cup

Cardamom powder : 1/2 tsp

Pista : 1 tbsp

Badam : 8-10

Method:

1. Bring milk to boil in a thick bottomed pan and simmer it. Keep stirring in between and let it condense and reduce to half.

2. Grate apples with the peel on and sauté them in another pan until all the water is evaporated and the color of the apples is changed. 

3. Mix in sugar and keep sautéing. Sugar will melt and the mixture will turn a bit watery. Let it cook until Apple and sugar are well cooked.

4. Add 1/4th of the milk to Apple mixture and boil it for 2-3 minutes.Let the remaining milk to boil and condense further.

5. Add some more milk, blanched badam slices, pista, cardamom powder and boil for 2 more minutes.

6. Finally finish it by adding all the remaining milk and bring to boil and turn off the flame.

7. Let it come to room temperature and then chill it in refrigerator for 2-3 hours before serving.

Notes:

1. Ensure to cook the apples thoroughly before adding milk into it to avoid curdling of milk.

2. Use whole milk or full cream milk to get a better taste.

3. Adjust the amount of sugar as per your taste and sweetness of apples

4. If you do not like the Apple peel, you can remove the skin and grate it.

5. To slice the almonds soak them in hot water for 15 minutes, remove the skin and slice them.

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Pineapple Kesaribath /pineapple sooji halwa

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Kesaribath is a sweet dish made with semolina and saffron. It's also known as sheera or sooji halwa in different parts of India. 

Pineapple Kesaribath is made using pineapple chunks or puréed pineapple. I have used pineapple chunks, you can use purée if you don't like the fruit chunks in Kesaribath.

Ingredients:

Semolina/Rava/sooji : 1 cup

Sugar : 1 cup

Clarified butter: 3/4 cup

Pineapple : 1 cup

Cashews: 10-15

Raisins :15-20

Saffron:1 tsp

Water: 2 cups

Method:

1. Cut pineapple into small pieces and keep aside.

2. Heat ghee in a pan and add semolina and mix well.

3. Add saffron and fry semolina in ghee for 2 mins.

4. Add pineapple pieces and mix well and sauté for a min.

5. Next add in 2 cups of hot water on very low flame, cover with lid and let it cook for 3-4 mins. All the water will be absorbed and the mixture will look dry at this point.

6. Mix in sugar and fold properly. After adding sugar the mixture will become a bit liquidy again. Keep mixing it until you get halwa consistency and turn off.

7. Fry cashew and raisins in ghee and mix in the halwa and serve hot.

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Almond - banana dessert : Badami-Balehannina payasa

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A high fat food that's good for your health? That's not an oxymoron, it's almonds. Almonds are rich in monounsaturated fat, linked to lower risks of heart disease and controlling cholesterol levels.

Here is a quick sweet recipe with goodness of almonds and richness of banana. That's almond banana dessert/ payasa/kheer.

Ingredients:

Ripe banana: chopped 1/2 cup

Milk: 500 ml

Almonds: 15-20

Sugar: 1/4 cup

Cashew: 10-12

Raisins: 2 tsp

Cardamom powder: 1/4 tsp

Saffron: few strands

Clarified butter/ Ghee: 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Soak almonds in water for 30 mins, remove the skin and grind to a smooth paste. Keep aside until needed.

2. Bring milk to boil in a thick bottomed pan and boil until it reduces to 3/4 and becomes thick.

3. Add chopped banana, sugar, cardamom powder and cook until sugar has melted and milk has started to thicken.

4. Reduce the flame and add almond paste and stir well.

5. Boil for 5 more minutes and turn off the stove.

6. Heat ghee in a small pan and fry cashews and raisins and add to payasa.

7. Keep it in the fridge for atleast one hour, garnish with few saffron strands and serve chilled.

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