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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Kuska Rice and Boneless chicken biriyani | Learn how to make plain biriyani rice and boneless Chicken Biriyani

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I am back with another biriyani recipe. The chicken biriyani that I made before was with chicken on bone cooked in dum style. Today I tried boneless version without dum cooking. I was trying to replicate my childhood favorite rice item Kuska Rice from my father's hotel. It's nothing but plain biriyani rice.  Me and my sisters loved to eat this kuska rice with sherva (Plain Savji curry). In the hotel they used keep the Kuska rice ready and prepare chicken/Egg/Mutton or Veg biriyani with it as and when the order was placed.

So this Kuska rice came out really well and it had all the flavors of a good biriyani. Then I thought of making a chicken masala and preparing biriyani with it. I had some boneless chicken in store so out came this delicious chicken masala and the biriyani! It tasted just like the famous Meghana Boneless Biriyani. My family loved it. This has all the qualities to be out next family favorite dish:) I have noted down the recipe to make Kuska Rice and the boneless chicken biriyani with it. You can replace it with chicken on bone. It was just another pefect Biriyani :) Please read on for the recipe.

Kuska Rice /Plain Biriyani rice recipe: 
Ingredients:

Rice: 3 cups

Green chillies: 4-5

Onion: 3

Ghee/Oil: 3 tbsp

Caraway seeds (shahijeera): 1 tsp

Cardamom pods: 3-4

Clove: 4

Cinnamon stick: 1

Bay leaf: 1

Ginger garlic paste: 1 tbsp

Yogurt/curd : 1/2 cup

Chopped coriander and mint leaves: 1 fistful

Salt to taste
Safrron: 1 pinch
Rose water: 1 tbsp (Optional)
Kewra Water: 1 tbsp (Optional)

Preparation:

1. Wash and soak rice in enough water for 30 mins

2. Thinly slice onion, slit green chillies, chop coriander and mint leaves.

3. Soak saffron in 2 tbsp of warm milk or water.

Method:

1. Heat ghee/oil in a thick bottomed wok, add caraway seeds and whole garam masalas - clove, cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaf. Sauté until the ghee is fragrant.

2. Add thinly sliced onion and fry until onion turns to golden brown and crispy.

3. Now remove 2 tbsp of fried onions and keep it for garnishing. Add ginger garlic paste and green chillies, sauté until the raw smell disappears.

4. Add beaten yogurt, salt, chopped mint and coriander leaves and mix well. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

5. Add soaked rice and fry it for 2-3 minutes. Add 4.5 cups of water (1.5 cups for 1 cup of rice)

6. When it starts boiling cover with the tight lid and cook until the water on top is dried.

7. Open the lid sprinkle 1 tsp of rose water and kewra water and saffron milk  and put the lid back and keep it on low flame for 15 mins and turn of the flame.

8. Allow it to cool for 10 mins, open the lid and mix the rice up slowly without breaking it.

Garnish with fried onions and the rice is ready. You can serve it some spicy gravy of your choice or make biriyani with it. Read on to to know how to make boneless chicken biriyani.

Boneless Chicken Masala for Biriyani:

For Marinade:

Lemon Juice: 2 tbsp
Red chilli powder: 2 tsp
Turmeric: 1/2tsp
Coriander powder: 2 tsp
Cumin powder: 1 tsp
Biriyani powder: 2 tsp
Egg: 1
Corn Flour: 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Boneless chicken cubes: 500 gms

In a large mixing bowl add all the items listed for marinade and mix well. Add boneless chicken pieces and mix. Keep it refrigerated for 2 hours.

For chicken masala:

Ingredients:
Ghee: 5-6 tbsp.
Cashews: 10-12
Onion: 2
Green chillies: 2
Ginger garlic paste: 1 tbsp
Mint and coriander leaves: 3 tbsp

Yogurt: 1 cup
salt to taste

Method:
1. Heat ghee in a pan and fry cashews until golden brown, remove and keep aside.

2. To the remaining ghee, add sliced onions and fry until golden brown, add ginger garlic paste and saute until the raw smell disappears.

4. Add slit green chillies, salt, coriander and mint leaves saute for a while.

5. Mix in marinated chicken and fry for 5-6 minutes. Add a cup of beaten yogurt and cook until the chicken is done. It shouldn't be too dry, should be of thick gravy consistency. Add a little water if required.

6. Squeeze in lemon juice and the chicken masala is ready to go!

Serving:
1. In a serving bowl, add the plain biriyani rice and top it up with chicken masala and garnish with fried cashews, fried onions, chopped mint and coriander leaves. Serve hot with yogurt raita.

Notes:
1. Do not over cook the rice, Biriyani rice grains should be separated in a good biriyani :) you can add orange food coloring if you like the rice to be colorful.

2. Adding rose water/Kewra water is optional but recommended as it really brings the biriyani flavor out.

3. You can adjust the chicken masala according to your taste, you can add tomato puree or also can add 2 tbsp cream to make the gravy rich.

Please click here to know how to make biriyani powder.--> Fresh Biriyani Powder in a Jiffy

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Biriyani powder in a jiffy.

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Fresh biriyani powder is the soul of a good biriyani. You can buy ready made biriyani mixes from the market but the freshly ground biriyani powder makes all the difference. It certainly brings that "the biriyani flavor". I make very small batches of this powder so that I have the freshly pound masala everytime I make Biriyani. For 1 kg meat about 3 tbsp of this aromatic biriyani powder would be sufficient. 

It only takes 5 minutes to prepare the powder if you have all the ingredients at home.

Ingredients:
Cloves: 8-10
Black Cardamom - 3-4
Green Cardamom - 8-10
Mace(Javithri/Japathre) - 2
Bay leaf - 1
Cinnamon Sticks: 3-4
Peppercorn - 8-10
Kasuri Methi (Dried Fenugreek leaves): 1 tbsp

Stone flower (kalpasi/dagad Phool): 1 tbsp
Cumin powder: 1 tsp
Turmeric: 1/4 tsp
Coriander Powder: 2 tsp
Red Chilli powder: 1/2 tsp
Anardana powder : 1/2 tsp (Optional - it works as a meat tenderizer)

 Method:
1. Put all ingredients except the powders in the blender and grind to coarse mixture, Add in all the powders and mix well. Store in an airtight jar.
2. Do not use more than 3 tbsp for 1 kg Chicken otherwise the garam masala tastes overpowers the biriyani flavor.

If you make a big batch of biriyani powder it's better to dry roast the ingredients before grinding so that it stays fresh for longer.

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Mosaranna | Curd Rice | Simple and comfort food

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Weekends are for my food experiments. I usually try new recipes over the weekend. It was a bit different this time and we decided to dine out at our favorite Chinese restaurant "Old Chengdu" in china town. Both of us like spicy food and this restaurant offers the best chengdu/schezuan dishes. They cook with chilli oil and Sichuan peppers, we devoured our favorite super spicy chilli chicken and double cooked potatoes. 

Wondering what am I talking about? This is supposed to be a curd rice recipe:) yes! I am coming to it..last thing first, the next day we had a burning stomach (no regrets!! as the aroma and taste of chengdu food still lingered on). And I had to resort to something humble that will heal the burn instantly.  Our very own South Indian soul food Curd Rice came to our rescue. It takes a very few and humble ingredients to make this complete meal. It's also good for digestion, usually all the South Indian meals end with curd rice. You can simply eat plain rice and curd with a pinch of salt and also can make it a bit rich with fried cashews, raisins or fresh fruits with the mustard tempering. Here is my way of making this comfort food, inspired by my friend's mom's recipe. 

Ingredients:

Left over/Fresh Rice: 2 Cups

Thick Curd: 1.5 cups

Milk: 1/4 cup

Salt to taste

Coriander Leaves: 2 tbsp

Pomegranate seeds : 1/2 cups

Oil:1 tbsp

Split black gram /urad dal : 1 tbsp

Mustard: 1 tsp

Chopped Curry Leaves: 1tbsp

Green chillies: 1-2

Raisins : 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Take rice in a bowl, make sure its cooled down if you are using fresh rice. Add curd, milk, salt, chopped coriander leaves and pomegranate seeds and mix well. 

2. Heat oil in a tempering pan, add split black gram and then mustard seeds, when it splutters add chopped green chillies and curry leaves. Saute for 30 seconds. Then add in raisins, saute for a while and turn off the flame.

3. Mix this  tempering to the rice and serve with the pickle of your choice.

 

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