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Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Ragi Iddiyapam (Finger Millet flour Shevaya)

Ragi Shevaya with Vali Randai (Indian Spinach Coconut Curry)








   


Shevaya/Idiyappam/Sevai (Rice noodles) is a very known dish across the Indian subcontinent. It is made with a special kitchen gadget called shevaya press and looks something like this.

It used to be a long affair where ladies sat and made this seamless beautiful flowing spirals of rice flour called shevaya. Then it got steamed and served with the curry of their family favorite. While growing up I have seen a lot of ladies/grandmas who made it at home in bulk and sold in the neighborhood making it a cool home business. I used to really admire them then. In my house nobody particularly loved this :(, so my mom did not make it often, we ended up buying home made shevaya and ate.

In these past few years, I have become a big fat fan of Ragi (Finger Millet) also called as Nanchni (in Maharashtra/Karnataka) . So I try to substitute Ragi with the rice flour whenever possible. Ragi has a fantastic taste to it and I love to play with it. I used my Ragi Mudde (finger millet balls) recipe to make this ragi shevaya. Comes out really nice. I don't have a traditional press at home, so am using my chakli press with a plate that is used to make sev. I will have to buy a plate that makes thinner spirals :) For now am happy with this result!

Let us take a look at this simple recipe:

Ragi Shevaya with Coconut Oil


Ingredients:
  • 1 cup Ragi flour (finger millet flour)
  • 1 1/2 to 2 cups water (approx)*
  • salt as per taste
  • 1 tsp oil
ragi flour


ragi dough

chakli maker

spirals into idli mold

steam for 15-18 minutes

Preparation: 
  • In a pan take ragi flour and salt and dry roast the mixture for few minutes. Simultaneously bring water to a boil in another vessel, add oil in it.
  • Start adding little by little hot water in the ragi flour and with a wooden spatula keep mixing it. First, it will look like a crumbly mixture, but as you keep mixing water it forms a nice ball of dough. 
  • Take a chakli maker with a plate that has many perforations(sev making plate). Put the dough into the chakli maker and squeeze little spirals of the flour into the idli mold that is greased. ( If you don't have an idli mold stand, just add the spirals in a steaming vessel and follow the same instructions on steaming)
  • Keep doing it until all the dough is used up. Steam it for 15-18 minutes. 
  • Serve hot with pure coconut oil or Potato Stew or any other coconut based curry. 
  • Shown in the picture is vali bhaji (randai).

Notes*: Add hot water into the flour 1 big spoon at a time. Quantity may vary a little depending on the flour quality. So keep adding till you get a soft dough.


njoY!! happY steaminG!! :)

Health Benefits: Where do I begin :) Finger Millet is a power packed grain! It is high in protein and minerals. Helpful in controlling diabetes, keeps one younger for a long period(cross-linking of collagen), reduces bad cholesterol, also has anti-microbial properties and has been found to act against a number of bacteria including Bacillus cereus, which causes food poisoning, Salmonella sp., which causes a typhoid-like fever etc. Try and include this healthy food in your diet.


Potato Stew (Kerala Style)



Call me crazy weird, but sometimes, suddenly out of nowhere, I get a very strong craving to taste this Potato Stew:) I cannot explain the feeling :) The nostalgic aroma literally starts playing up in my brain and I get an urge to have it right then! Today was one of those days and I had no choice but to cook it. Thankfully it doesn't call for an elaborate preparation, it is very simple and easy to make. It actually is eaten with idlis, appams, dosa, idli(instant poha) or roti. I also like to have it as a soup. Everyone may not agree with me on the soup part, but that's just me :)


This above picture reminds me of a married couple :) I was smiling away as I was clicking, marriages happen with food too! These 2 dishes compliment each other so well that it is mindblowing :)
This is my sister's recipe and she makes an excellent stew and steamed rice/ragi shevaya (idiyappam) to go with it. I did not have ragi(millet) in my pantry and cravings for my potato stew was very strong(:)), so just heated some store bought ragi idiyappam/shevaya (You can check the recipe of  ragi idiyappam/shevaya here!)

It is basically a comfort food, and can be enjoyed on any given day. When one is having a cold/sore throat, a super hot bowl of this stew can be served as well :) It originally comes from the state of Kerala.

Let us take a look at this fantastic Potato Stew.


Ingredients:
  • 2 potatoes med size (peeled)
  • 1 onion chopped med size
  • 10+6 curry leaves
  • 2 green chillies
  • 2-inch ginger grated
  • 2 cups semi thick coconut milk
  • 2 tsp coconut oil
  • salt to taste
  • 1/2 carrot chopped (optional)

Preparation:
  • Dump all the ingredients except 6 curry leaves, coconut milk, carrots and coconut oil in a pressure cooker. Add little water till everything is just immersed and cook for 3 whistles.
  • Let the cooker cool down and wait till all the pressure goes away. 
  • Now mash all the ingredients with a masher and add coconut milk, bring to a boil and simmer for few minutes. 
  • Pour coconut oil, drop remaining 6 curry leaves, carrots and cover it with lid. 
  • Serve hot with idlis, appams, dosa, rice, roti...
You may also like the recipe of Plain Dosa, Instant Poha Idli, Oats Rava Idli...

njoY!! happY cookinG!!




Notes:* One can add other veggies also while making this stew. I mostly like it simple and don't like to mix the flavor of potato with other veggies :)

Health Benefits:

Due to the increased interest in foods that are low-carb or low-glycemic index, the potato has unjustly earned a bad reputation. Potatoes consumed in simple roasted, grilled, boiled, steamed manner with little or no oil/butter is very healthy and nutritious for health. It is loaded with calcium, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, iron that helps in having strong bones. It has vitamin B6 which supports heart health. Choline is a very important and versatile nutrient in potatoes that helps with sleep, muscle movement, learning and memory.


Saturday, September 24, 2016

Kori Rotti Curry ( Mangalore Style Chicken Curry with Rice Wafers)




Kori Rotti is a very authentic and traditional dish from the Bunt (Tulunadu) community, Mangalore/Udupi region. It is a chicken (kori) dish made with fresh spices and coconut
+coconut milk, a thin gravy that is poured over bite-sized rice wafers (rotti) and savored with both hands :):) he he I am kidding,  just use 1 hand to eat, that should be enough:). Avoid using spoons and forks..no fun there! But let me warn you, it is a messy deal :) roll your sleeves up before you attack the kori rotti,  just like sloppy joes :)

My first face to face encounter with Kori Rotti was in 1998 at a wedding of a Nepali neighbor with a Bunt girl. And that's when I tasted this beautiful dish and never forgot the taste. The preparation of kori rotti curry is more or less like my (coastal) home preparation but the combination of eating it with the rice wafers (rotti) is unique and very very tasty.

Rotti is basically made from rice like dosas but it is paper thin in texture. When you pour that kori curry over it, it soaks in the goodness of the curry and gets soft and soggy. It then gets irresistible :) It is readily available in the stores. My mom was amazed to know that I get it here in USA, while she literally smuggles it out of Udipi whenever my relatives travel or someone from the town visits the place :). So 3 cheers to US of A :)

I am a big fan of coconut-based masalas while preparing meat. The flavors are simply exotic and as the meat marinates in the masala, bingo! the flavors hit the spot!

This recipe is shared by my bestie Ranjana Shetty (Her mom's recipe). And no, she is not related to Shilpa Shetty or Sunil Shetty.. or maybe she is :):) I cannot thank her enough as this one is a keeper and a fantastic tasting kori ghashi (coconut masala curry). 

Let us take a look at the recipe:

Ingredients: 
  • 2 lb chicken (6-7 chicken thighs with bones)
To grind Masala:
  • 4-5 Cloves
  • 1 1/2 inch Cinnamon stick
  • 5-6 peppercorns
  • 1 small or 1/2 big onion - thinly sliced
  • 5-6 cloves of garlic
  • 7-10 red dry chillies
  • 2-3 tbsps coriander seeds
  • 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 6-7 seeds of fenugreek
  • 1 tsp poppy seeds
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds (optional)
  • 3/4th cup of grated cocount
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 marble sized tamarind piece
  • salt as per taste
  • 1 tsp +1 tbsp coconut oil
To Marinate:
  • 1 1/2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
  • 3/4 tsp turmeric
  • salt to taste
  • 1 1/2 cup thin coconut milk*
  • 1/2 cup thick coconut milk*
  • 2 tbsp oil/ghee
  • 2 onion sliced


Preparation:
  • Chop the chicken thighs into big bite size cubes. Marinate it with turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste, and salt. Keep it aside in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
  • Heat coconut oil in a frying pan and fry the cloves, cinnamon and pepper corns for a couple of minutes and transfer to a blender.
  • Next add the red dry chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and the fenugreek seeds in the same oil. Once fried well you can transfer it to the blender.
  • Take a1 tbsp coconut oil and this time fry the sliced onions. Once it gets slight brown add the garlic pieces into it, along with the poppy seeds and the fennel seeds. Lastly, add the grated coconut into it and fry just a little for the coconut to turn a little reddish brown.
  • Put all of these fried items into the blender and add turmeric powder and tamarind into it and add enough water into the blender and grind into a fine paste. Keep aside.
  • Heat 2 tbsp of coconut oil/ghee into the cooking vessel, add 2 sliced onions and fry well. Add marinated chicken into it. 
  • Fry the chicken for about 5 minutes then add the ground masala into it and let the chicken cook in the masala. You can add a little water to it along with salt to taste. 
  • After 15 minutes, add coconut milk into it and let it boil. Note that the curry should be thin and runny as the rotti should be soaked well in the curry to get the perfect taste. 
  • You can add the seasoning of 1 onion cut into small pieces and fried in ghee to the cooked chicken curry.
  • Serve hot and enjoy with the crisp rotti's crushed well.


njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Notes:* You can use store bought coconut milk tins, or powder, or simply take 2 cups of grated coconut, add water and pulse it in the blender for few times. Sieve the water and that is your coconut milk. Repeat the process for 2-3 times.


Health Benefits: 
Most curries contain turmeric, cumin, cardamon, ginger, garlic, coriander seeds- these are spices with strong anti-bacterial properties. That's why they're found in dishes from hot countries, where meat needs to be preserved. Chicken, as we know is loaded with proteins. Coconut helps to get rid of bad LDL. Rotti is made of rice which is low in calories.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Oats Rava Idli (With Carrots and nuts)



  If dosa is the heart of south Indian breakfasts then idli is the soul :) Man! I am starting this post with an intense statement :) In today's world of fusion cuisine, experimenting with oats and quinoa has become a normal norm. Health conscious community is constantly coming up with innovative ideas, some really good and some super flop :) I have made oats dosa and gave a thumbs up (yet to list it on my blog) and now tried Oats Idlis, I have to say I have fallen in love with these beauties.

It is easy to make with no fermentation process involved. It is nutritious as all ingredients used are healthy and last but not the least it is FILLING. Yes!! Eat 2 or 3 Oats Idlis and you have a full stomach :) Great for dieting according to me :)

Pair it with some spicy peanut chutney and you will know what I am talking about once you have had it. I have added carrots to the idlis and that gives a nice yellowish-orangish tinge to it making it irresistible.



Idlis can be consumed as breakfast, or as a snack, as light supper. It is one perfect dish to have on the days that you are fasting or you can carry it while you are travelling on the road. Another advantage of these oats idlis is that you don't necessarily need any accompaniment, like chutneys or sambar, it in itself is a delicious treat.


 So without any further ado, let us take a look at the recipe:

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup regular oats
  • 1/2 cup semolina (rava, sooji)
  • 1 cup carrots grated
  • 1 cup yogurt
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3 tsp oil
  • 2 tbsp cashews (lightly crushed)
  • 2 tbsp cilantro chopped
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp urad dal
  • 1 tsp channa dal
  • 1 sprig of curry leaves (optional)
  • salt to taste




Preparation:










  • Heat a pan or a tava/griddle and roast oats for just a couple of minutes. Transfer to a blender and grind it to a powder.
  • In the same pan add 3 tsp oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, channa dal, urad dal, curry leaves, cashews and saute for a couple of minutes, then add grated carrots, saute for another minute.
  • Add semolina and roast further for 3 minutes on med flame. 
  • Now transfer this mixture into the bowl, add powdered oats, yogurt, salt, cilantro and mix everything. Add water and keep the consistency little thick, don't make it a running batter. Mix and keep aside for 10 minutes. Rava will soak in water and raise a little. Now add more water if needed.
  • Lastly, add baking soda and sprinkle few drops of water over it. Mix the batter again.
  • Grease the idli moulds with oil or oil spray and add 2-3 tbsp of batter into each mould. Steam it for 12 minutes on med-high flame. 
  • Remove and wait for a couple of minutes for the idlis to cool down. Use a spoon and scoop it out into a plate.
  • Serve hot with your favorite chutney. I have shown red peanut chutney in the picture.


njoY!! happY cookinG!!

recipe adapted from another foodie Priya Reddy! 

Notes:* If you don't have an idli mould no worries, use a plain steel vessel, add batter and steam for 12 minutes. Cut the idlis in square or diamond shape and enjoy :) Roasting the ingredients is an important step to make fluffy oats idli. The sour the yogurt better the taste :)

Health Benefits:


Oats are high in fibre content, helps lower cholesterol. Enhances the immune response to infection. It is known to stabilize sugar levels. Studies show that it may reduce asthma risks in children.

Semolina(Rava, Sooji)- Since rava, sooji or semolina is made from durum wheat(hard variety, cream of wheat) and not the usual soft wheat which is used in bread making, it is digested slowly. Having a low glycemic index, semolina is ideal for those who wish to lose weight or those who have blood sugar problems. It improves kidney problem due to its potassium content.


Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Red Peanut Chutney

This is another basic and fantastic tasting chutney in my chutney collection. I make it regularly. Goes well with idli, Dosa, Roti, Chapati, Rice. You can change the consistency as you like, make it thick or thin depending on with what you are eating. With Dosa keep it thick, with Idlis keep it thin, so on and so forth.



Peanuts will give it a nice texture and ginger will add that perfect side spice making it gingery(is that even a word?:)) and red dry chillies kick it up a notch by giving that much-needed spiciness and grand color.

This chutney is a winner and a keeper.

Let us take a look at the recipe:

Ingredients:
  • 1/4 cup peanuts roasted
  • 1 1/2 tbsp grated coconut
  • 3-4 red dry chillies (use as per your liking of spice)
  • tamarind (small marble shaped)
  • salt as per taste
  • 1 inch ginger 
  • 2 twigs of cilantro (optional)
For Tempering:
  • 2 tsp oil
  • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
  • 5-6 curry leaves
  • big pinch asafoetida (hing)

Preparation:
  • In a blender add all the ingredients and ground to a paste. Transfer to a bowl. 
  • Make the tempering/tadka by adding oil, mustard seeds, as it splutters add curry leaves and hing. Stir and pour this over the chutney. 
  • Mix it and adjust the consistency as per your liking, meaning you can add up to half cup of water, else you will have to adjust the other spices again :)

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Health Benefits: 
Peanut is a universally loved nut :), basically your HEART will go nuts over these peanuts :) It reduces the risk of stroke. It also lowers weight gain. Rich in essential nutrients like fiber, protein, minerals, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. It has anti-oxidants just like that found in fruits that help to keep a healthy heart. It helps to prevent gallstones.

Monday, September 19, 2016

Pathroda / Pathrode (Colocasia Leaves Stuffed, Rolled and Steamed)





Pathroda or Patroda is the most loved dish of Konkani cuisine. Colocasia leaves( Alu paan ) is a tropical plant and grows in abundance in people's backyards. All you got to do is sow in taro roots and water it regularly. You will see these huge luscious green leaves popping out in no time:) I had fun growing these on my patch for the last few years!

There are 10 different names for these leaves and I believe it is consumed in the entire subcontinent of India. Every state has its own authentic dish that has a unique flavor and taste. For example, patra dish from Gujarat/Maharashtra uses a slightly different stuffing that goes in the colocasia leaves and tastes equally delicious! In most parts of Karnataka, they make patroda. In the more southern states of India, they make scrumptious curries. East of India uses the leaf to steam seafood. I should give it a try someday :)!

Initially, whenever I craved to eat Patroda, I replaced colocasia leaves with collard leaves. That works fine too. Also, spinach works, but you have to add more of those leaves as they are very delicate and soft.

You can take a look at alwati(with the corn cobs) recipe on my blog, another unique and authentic dish using colocasia leaves.


The leaves are waterproof and it has a smooth texture, you can actually make cups out of it and drink water :). Amazing creations of nature. In India, one has to be careful when plucking the leaves as some may cause itchiness in your throat while you eat. My mom always kept a glass of buttermilk to drink after having patroda for the meals. It helps to stop the itchiness. When you get it from the store, you need not worry as they get a good stock of leaves. Luckily for me, my home-grown leaves are perfect and itch free :) So no worries hehe.

Let us take a look at the recipe:




Ingredients:
  • 10 med size colocasia leaves - makes 2 rolls of 5 each OR 6 big leaves
  • 1/4 cup toor dal
  • 1 tbsp rice
  • 1 tsp channa dal
  • 1 tsp urad dal
  • 3/4 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp jaggery
  • 3/4 cup grated coconut
  • 5-6 red chillies
  • 1/2 tsp tamarind
  • pinch of asafoetida (optional)
  • 1-2 tsp oil
  • salt to taste









Preparation:
  • Soak toor dal, rice, channa dal in water for about 30 minutes minimum.
  • Heat oil and fry urad dal, asafoetida, red dry chillies and coriander seeds. Transfer it to a blender. 
  • Grind it along with grated coconut, soaked dals, rice, tamarind, jaggery and salt without adding much water (add water sparingly). Make a dry mixture and keep aside. 
  • Take a leaf and trim it stem, place in upside down and slather the masala (abt 1-2  tbsp) on it evenly. Place another leaf over it and apply the masala on it. Continue doing the same till you work with 5-6 leaves. 
  • Now roll it like a burrito, fold the side ends a little inside and roll from bottom to the top to make one giant roll. Do it gently as the leaves are soft, you don't want to tear/bruise it.
  • Steam it using your steaming vessel or pressure cooker without using the whistle for 15 minutes on med-high flame.
  • Let it cool before you take a sharp knife and cut crisply into roundels. You will see the beautiful rings with masala coated on it. 
  • It can be enjoyed as is by drizzling little coconut oil over it, OR additional tadka of mustard seeds, curry leaves can be added over it, OR it can be shallow fried by rolling it in semolina. Any way you devour it, it will taste amazing!



njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Notes*: 
You can replace colocasia leaves with big spinach leaves or collard greens too. Follow the same method of preparation. Steam 10 minutes extra if using collard leaves and trim the stem nicely.

shallow fried pathroda
Health Benefits:
Colocasia leaves are loaded with potassium and several minerals and vitamins. Helps to build a strong immune system, fights the fatigue problems, helps lower blood pressure, helps in the anti-aging process as it has a high content of hyaluronic acid. It's a low glycemic index food. They are home grown Colocasia leaves :)


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