Menthe dose | Fenugreek Seeds Dose

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Menthe Dose | Fenugreek Seeds dose is a lesser known dish from Karnataka. It's made with fermented batter of fenugreek seeds, rice, coconut and jaggery. This sweetish and utterly delicious  dose is served with a big dollop of ghee at home. While you can also pair it with spicy chutneys, I like mine dunked in ghee. 




 
Fenugreek seeds (menthe/methi seeds) are known to have many medicinal values, it aids in digestion, good for lactating mothers and also used to control diabetes. It's used widely in many Indian recipes specially curries. Today I am posting a sweet dish  - Menthe Bella dose. 

Here is the recipe that my mom passed to me. Do give it a try!



Ingredients:

2 cups rice (sona masoori raw rice/dose rice)

1 cup freshly grated coconut 

2 tbsp fenugreek (methi) seeds 

1 cup jaggery

Salt to taste

Method:
 

1. Wash and soak rice and methi seeds separately for 3-4 hours.

2.  Grind it with fresh coconut. Let the batter be a bit coarse and thicker than the usual dosa batter.

3. Add salt and let it ferment overnight, add powdered jaggery in the morning and mix well.

4.  Heat a dosa pan, grease it and pour a laddle full of batter, spread a little and cover with the lid. Flip and cook on both sides and serve with ghee or chutney of your choice.





Notes:
1. Methi seeds should be very soft to grind in the mixer.
2. Keep the batter slightly coarse so the dose will turn fluffy.
3. Let the batter ferment well, if the weather is cold it's better to grind it a bit in advance.
4. Don't spread the dosa very thin, it should be thicker similar to set dose.

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Neer Dose

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Neer Dose is a specialty from coastal Karnataka. It's simplicity has spread to other parts of India now, mainly through Mangalorean restaurants. It's a very simple recipe made with handful of ingredients mainly rice, salt and water. Neer in Kannada/Tulu means water, in kundapur kannada it's also called Tellin Dose (thin dose). I add onions and a little coconut that makes it more tastier. There are other variations to this simple dose. Spicy version that my grandma used to make. When there was no time for elaborate cooking she would add some dry red chillies, cumin and coriander seeds while grinding the rice and eat the spicy neer dose without any sides/dips (chutney/curries). My mother also makes a healthier version by mixing half of finger millet seeds (ragi) and half raw rice to make the batter. It takes very little oil to make it, you can also skip the oil if you are making it on nonstick pan but I prick a fork into half onion and use it to grease the pan a bit. I somehow don't like the oilfree neer dose :-)

Here is the recipe that I learnt from my mother when I was in high school. It was such a proud moment for me that I learnt to make perfect neer dose like her. Since then I wanted to show off my skill whenever my mother made it. The story continued even after I got married and started living with my in laws. When we had guests at home my job was to make just neer dose :-) It's not a rocket science but many still fear trying it. It will take couple of really thick doses before one can learn to sprinkle it the right way and make good neer dose. It's so thin that you can easily eat 4-5 of them in one sitting. Read on for the ingredients and method.

 

Ingredients:
1 cup Sona masoori Raw Rice
2-3 tbsp of fresh coconut
1 small onion (optional)
Salt to taste
Oil to grease the pan

Method:

1. Wash and soak rice in enough water for 2-3 hours (1-2 hours is sufficient if you are using a wet grinder/stone grinder).


2. Drain the water from rice and put it in the mixer jar, add coconut and grind to smooth paste. Do not add more water while grinding. Check the batter between your fingers, it should be smooth in texture.


3.When the batter is almost done add the sliced onions and grind for 2 more minutes.

4. Remove in a big pot, add salt to taste and enough water to make thin batter. The consistency is similar to Rava Dosa. Do not add more water at once, check the consistency by making a dose and add water as desired.

5. Heat a pan/tawa and rub a little oil with the help of a cut onion or banana stem and sprinkle the dose batter to form a thin dose (similar to Rava Dose). Cover and cook for 30 seconds and remove it. Fold as you like.

6. Serve with coconut chutney /coconut-jaggery mixture or even spicy curries. 

Notes: 
1. Do not add too much water at once, try to sprinkle the batter on the hot pan and see if it makes thin dose with pores.

2. If the pan is too hot you can not make thin dose as it will not spread properly and makes thick ones. 

3. It just needs a little practise to play with water for right consistency and adjust the flame as needed to make thin dose. 

Thanks for reading, please comment and let me know if you try it:-)

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Mushroom and Cheese Omelette

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Omelette is a simple and very adaptable dish. One can make it in so many ways. This mushroom and cheese omelette is my personal favorite. It's a perfect brunch idea for a lazy weekend. Mushrooms cook faster and it will not take more than 20 mins to prepare this stuffed omelette. So here is a quick, filling breakfast idea to try this weekend.

Ingredients:

Button mushrooms: 8-10

Onion: 1

Garlic :3-4 cloves

Green chillies: 2

Crushed black pepper: 1 tsp

Dried Oregano leaves: 1 tsp

Coriander leaves: 2 tbsp

Grated cheese: 1/2 cup

Eggs : 3

Milk: 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Olive oil: 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Heat 1.5 tbsp of oil in a pan and add finely chopped garlic and green chillies. Sauté for 30 seconds.

2. Add thinly sliced onions and salt, sauté until onions turn translucent.

3. Add dried oregano and crushed pepper and mix well. Mix in sliced button mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are done. Turn off and let it cool down.

4. Once it's a bit cool, add coriander leaves and grated cheese and the mushroom topping is ready. (I used cheddar cheese).

5. For the omelette, beat the eggs in a bowl along with milk, salt, a pinch of oregano and crushed pepper.

6. Heat the remaining oil in a pan and pour the eggs, simmer the flame and cover with lid.

7. Once the egg is firm carefully flip the omelette. Flip it back after a min. Now add the mushroom and cheese masala on top and cook it covered for another minute. Turn off the flame. 

8. You can fold it and serve just the omelette or make slices and serve with bread.

Notes: 

I have used cheddar cheese, you can use any other cheese or combination of cheeses.

I usually flip the omelette but you can skip it and top with mushroom masala once the omelette is dried on top.

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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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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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Cheese and Corn Sandwich

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White or wheat? Mayo or mustard? Hero or gyro?

 However you slice it - there are a million ways -- almost everyone has a favorite sandwich.

The origins of this hands-on meal date back centuries, but it was popularized in 1700s in England by John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, who ordered meat between slices of bread so that he could eat while continuing to play cards :-) It makes me believe that all great things are invented by lazy people. Now some 250 years later, the humble sandwich has grown to encompass infinite regional variations. 

Today, 3rd November is the national Sandwich Day in United States. Like many of these days I have no idea why it's celebrated but here is how I made my cheese and sweet corn sandwich with mayonnaise :-)

Ingredients: 

Bread slices : 4

Boiled Sweet Corn : 1/2 cup

Green chilli : 1
Chopped garlic : 1 tsp

Butter: 1 tbsp

Grated cheddar cheese: 2 tbsp

Mayonnaise: 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat 1/2 tsp butter in a pan and add finely chopped chilli and sauté for 10 seconds, add chopped garlic and fry then add boiled corn, salt and sauté it for 2 minutes and cool it. Mix in mayonnaise and grated cheese.

2. Apply butter on bread slice and spread corn and cheese mixture and cover with another slice of bread. 

3. Apply butter on griller/sandwich maker and grill the sandwich for 5 minutes or until it's golden brown in color.

4. Enjoy hot sandwich with tomato ketchup.

Notes:

1. Do not add more salt as Cheese and mayonnaise have a bit of salt.

2. If you are making it on a pan then roast on both sides on low flame for about 10 minutes.

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Sago or Sabudana kichadi

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Sabudana kichadi is a popular dish from Maharashtra, India.It has no onion and garlic so usually made during fast/vrat during Hindu religious occasions.

The first time I tried this dish, I had soaked sago in lot of water and it was so sticky that I maintained one arm distance from this dish for long.

Later I learnt from a friend's mom that the sago pearls should be soaked in just enough water to cover the pearls to get smooth and fluffy pearls. Then I gave it another try and it was soft and quite tasty.

It's a very simple and easy to make recipe with very few ingredients. Do give it a try and you will have one extra option for breakfast.

Ingredients:

Sabbakki/Sabudana/ sago pearls : 1 cup

Medium size potato : 1

Coarse Peanut powder: 3 tbsp

Sugar :1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil: 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp

Green chillies: 2-3

Curry leaves: 1 sprig

Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp

Coriander leaves: 2 tsp

Method: 

1. Soak sago pearls in just enough water to cover the pearls and leave it overnight. It will turn fluffy and soft in the morning.

2. Boil, peel and dice the potato and keep aside.

3. Mix in peanut powder, sugar and salt to the sago pearls.

4. Heat oil in a wok, add cumin seeds and fry for 30 seconds.

5. Add green chillies, curry leaves and turmeric and sauté for 30 seconds.

6. Add diced potato and stir well for 2-3 minute.

7. Next add the sago mixtures and let it cook on medium flame for 4-5 minutes until it turns transparent and soft.

8. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

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