Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Udupi Sambar | Mixed Vegetable Sambar | Karnataka style Sambar Recipe

udupi sambar
Udupi is known for the origin of the famous 'Masala Dosa' and also for various tiffin varieties.Udupi sambar is very aromatic because of the usage of freshly ground spices and also the addition of coconut,jaggery and red chillies makes it mildly sweet,sour and spicy in taste.It can be served with most of the breakfast varieties like idli,dosa,vada and even plain steamed rice,it tastes nice. You can prepare this sambar with just one vegetable or various combination of vegetables with or without onions.The addition of onions is optional but I love the addition of onions to sambar and in fact the addition of shallots adds to a better taste.
udupi sambar

Check out other sambar recipes in my blog:
udupi sambar

Udupi Sambar Recipe -Mixed Vegetable Sambar - Karnataka style:
Serves 2-3 | Author: Prathibha
Prep time:10 mins | Cooking time:30 mins | Total time: 40 mins
Cuisine: South Indian | Category: Side dish for Rice - Main Course

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Toor dal
2 cups diced Mixed Vegetables(Carrot,Potatoes,Beans,Drumstick,Brinjal)
1 Onion, diced or 12-15 Shallots,optional
1 large Tomato, chopped
a small gooseberry size Tamarind
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1-2 tsp grated Jaggery,optional
2 tsp Oil
Salt to taste

to roast and grind:
2 tsp Coriander seeds
2 tsp Urad dal
1 tsp Chana dal
1/4 tsp Peppercorns
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
7-8 Fenugreek seeds
2 Red chillies,spicy variety
2 Byadige Red chillies
1/3 cup grated coconut

to temper:
2 tsp Ghee/Oil
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1-2 Red chillies
a sprig of Curry leaves
a pinch of Asafoetida

Method:
  • Chop the vegetables  into 1" cubes and keep them ready.
  • Wash and soak toor dal for 10 minutes in 1.5 cups of water. Add turmeric powder to it. In a separate container add chopped vegetables and tomato and pressure cook dal and vegetables separately for 3 whistles, Once the pressure drops slightly mash the dal with a wooden ladle.
  • Soak tamarind in water for some time and extract pulp from it and keep it ready.
  • Dry roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, chana dal,fenugreek seeds red chillies and pepper corns and grind them to powder first and then add freshly grated coconut and grind to a fine paste by adding some water.You can even saute the fresh grated coconut at the end for half a minute along with the spices,this way the sambar does not spoil quickly even in summers.
  • Heat oil in a big kadai/pan and add diced onions and fry until they turn translucent. Add boiled vegetable pieces and cooked dal to it.
  • Add ground mixture , tamarind pulp, salt, jaggery and mix nicely and boil it until the raw smell of the ground paste is gone.Also add enough water to get the required consistency while boiling.
  • Taste the sambar once and adjust the seasoning if needed. Sambar thickens slightly when it sits, so adjust the consistency according to your requirement. 
  • Heat ghee/oil in a small tempering pan and crackle mustard seeds and add red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida and fry for half a minute and add the tempering to the sambar at the end and mix well.
Serve it hot with steamed Rice and fryums and a vegetable stir fry. You can even serve it with  breakfast varieties like idlidosavada
karnataka style sambar

Notes:
  1. You can use any other vegetable like  cluster beans,  pumpkin, chow-chow,,raw papaya,broad beans(chikkudu) etc or a combination of mixed vegetables.
  2. You can follow the same process for ladies finger sambar, in that you need to fry the ladies finger pieces in oil first and then add to the sambar while boiling.You should not pressure cook the ladies finger pieces.
  3. You can even prepare sambar with greens like amaranth, fenugreek(methi), palak or mixed greens following the same process.It tastes nice with Ragi Mudde.
  4. If you want a no onion-no garlic version skip onion in the recipe.
  5. Instead of boiling the tomato, you can even grind the tomato with the other ingredients, that gives a nice color to sambar.
  6. For a quicker version you can even grind tomato,grated coconut with Karnataka style sambar powder to a fine paste and follow the same recipe.
mixed vegetable sambar

Monday, December 22, 2014

Parle G Biscuit Cake in Microwave | Microwave Biscuit Cake

parleg biscuit cake
Few years ago,one of my aunt shared this recipe which she took it from a tupperware booklet.I was new to baking then and tried it immediately because of the simplicity of the recipe and I was really amazed by the texture of the cake .I had shared this recipe to my mom,mil and friends and everyone appreciated this cake as it is quite simple to prepare with very few ingredients available at pantry.This cake has been quite regular at my mom's place for her get togethers and kitty parties as this cake does not need oven and also the fact that it is eggless.All you need is a pack of parle-G biscuits ,a sachet of fruit salt and few basic ingredients from your pantry and you can prepare this cake in no time. I am sure many of you tried the instant version of biscuit cake in microwave.If you have not tried yet, I recommend you to try this simple biscuit recipe.It is the most easiest way to please your kids who demands for cakes with short notice.
biscuit cake

Check out other cake recipes for Christmas:

microwave biscuit cake

Parle G Biscuit Cake Recipe :
makes an 8" cake | Author : Prathibha
Prep time: 5 mins | Cooking time: 4-5 mins | Total time: under 10 mins
Cuisine: Indian  | Category: Cakes/Bakes

Ingredients:
150 gms Parle G Biscuit packet
3 tbsp Cocoa powder
1/2 cup Sugar
1 1/2 cups Milk,approx
1 Eno fruit salt sachet, plain
2-3 tbsp chopped Dry fruits(almonds,cashew nuts etc)
Butter/Oil , to grease the pan
Cocoa powder or Icing sugar, for dusting

Method:
  • Chop dry fruits into small pieces and keep them aside.
  • Take a deep microwave bowl and grease it with butter or oil nicely and keep it ready.
  • Break biscuits into fine pieces and add cocoa powder, sugar to it and run it in the mixer to a fine powder.
  • Take milk in a bowl and add the ground powder to it and mix well.The mixture should be smooth,neither very thin nor very thick.
  • Add sliced almonds and cashewnuts to it and mix well.                                 
  • Add eno to it and give a quick stir, you will see a foamy batter ready.

  • Pour this batter into the greased bowl and level it off evenly.Sprinkle few more sliced almonds on top.Microwave it on HIGH for 4-5 mins.Check it after 4 mins, as the power differs for each microwave it is always better to check it in between.Insert a tooth pick and see if it comes out clean it is ready if it is slightly battery then again microwave it for a minute or more.Repeat the tooth pick test if needed.
  • Leave it undisturbed for 5 mins.Run a knife around the corner of the cake and unmould it on to a plate.Let the cake cool completely.
Serve the cake as it is  or you can even dust it with cocoa powder or Icing sugar or pour chocolate ganache on top of it.Decorate it as per your wish with color sprinkles,gems etc.

microwave biscuit cake

Notes:
  1. You can use combination of biscuits like Parle G and Hide and seek biscuits or use just plain Parle G biscuits.
  2. You can reduce the sugar to 1/3 cup if you like it mildly sweet.
  3. As the Microwave power differs for each microwave it is always better to check the cake in between.Insert a tooth pick and see if it comes out clean it is ready, if it is slightly battery then again microwave it for a minute or more.
  4. Checck out the chocolate ganache recipe if you want to cover the cake with it.You can even use ready whipped cream or chocolate icing or simply dust it with icing sugar or cocoa powder like how I did.
  5. You can easily keep this cake for 2-3 days at room temperature.
biscuit cake

biscuit cake

Monday, December 15, 2014

Bombay Chutney | Besan Chutney Recipe | Side dish for Dosa,Poori

bombay chutney
'Bombay Chutney' is basically 'Besan Chutney' which is prepared as a combination for usually Dosa , Poori and Chapathy in South India.I personally like it with soft and fluffy Atukula dosa and chapathy.I wonder how it got the name 'Bombay Chutney' as I never came across something like that here in Mumbai.It is a simple yet delicious and can be made with the basic ingredients available in the pantry and also a perfect recipe to pair with chapathis if you run out of veggies.The addition of boiled potato to the bombay chutney makes a delicious combination with poori.

Check out other gravies that pairs commonly with Dosa, Chapathy and Poori :
                besan chutney
Bombay Chutney | Besan Chutney Recipe:

Serves 2-3
Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 20 mins | Total time: 30 mins
Cuisine: Andhra - Indian | Category: Side dish

Ingredients:
2 tbsp Besan(chickpea flour)
1 large Onion, sliced thin
2 medium Tomatoes,chopped
4-5 Green chillies,slit and cut
8-10 Curry leaves
2 tbsp Coriander leaves,chopped
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Red chilli powder
1/2 tsp Garam masala (optional)
1 tsp Lemon juice or 2 tbsp Curd,optional
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Urad dal
1 tbsp Chana dal
Salt to taste
1 1/2 tbsp Oil

Method:
  • Mix the besan with 1/4 cup of water properly to form a nice paste without any lumps.
  • Heat oil in a kadai and crackle mustard seeds. Add urad dal and chana dal and fry until the dals turn slight red in color.
  • Add cut green chillies and sliced onions,curry leaves,ginger-garlic paste and fry till the onions turn translucent.
  • Add chopped tomatoes and fry until they turn pulpy.Add turmeric powder,red chilli powder,garam masala and 3 cups of water,cover it cook for 6-8 mins until you see bubbles.
  • Remove the lid,add salt and add the mixed besan mixture slowly by stirring the entire mixture continuously as we do for upma and cover it and cook for 2-3 mins until thick.
  • Add lemon juice or curd,coriander leaves and mix well.
Serve hot with Dosa or chapathy or Poori.It tastes nice with Atukula Dosa too.

bombay chutney
Notes:
  1. The addition of tomato is optional, you can skip it.
  2. You can even add one boiled potato by slightly mashing it to chunks or cut into pieces,this tastes better with poori.
  3. The addition of lemon juice or curd makes it tangy, you can skip it if you do not want it that way.
  4. You can always skip garam masala and ginger- garlic paste for simple bombay chutney.
bombay chutney

Monday, December 8, 2014

Pappula Podi | Putnalu Podi | Pappindi | Fried Gram Powder

putnala podi
'Pappula Podi' is a common accompaniment apart from 'Avakay','Gongura Pacchadi' and 'Kandi Podi' which you find in any Andhra meal in restaurants.It is mostly mistaken with 'Gun Powder aka Kandi Podi' as they both look similar,but the taste and texture for both the powders is quite different. We call it as 'Pappindi' at ur place and our version is slightly different from Andhra style Pappula Podi as the additon of dry coconut, sugar and cumin seeds makes it taste different and nice.You should not miss to add the cumin seeds at the end while grinding as it adds a nice flavor to the powder and also make sure that you do not grind it completely,you just need to run it once in whipper mode.Try this simple Pappindi and I am sure even you will love it.It is usually mixed with hot rice and a generous dollop of ghee,a combination which is definitely a heaven on plate.My most favorite way of using this podi is to mix with curd and eat with Chakli,it is infact a favorite comboat my place and we usually prepare this powder in more quantity if we have huge supply of chaklis at home during marriage season,You can even use it as a quick chutney with dosa, it tastes nice.
putnala podi

Check out other powder varieties for Rice in my blog:
pappula podi
Pappula Podi | Fried Gram Powder Recipe:shelf life:2-3 months
Prep time:10 mins | Cooking time:5 mins | Total time:15 mins
Cuisine: South Indian | Category: Accompaniments - Podis

Ingredients:
1 cup Fried gram
1/4 cup Dry Coconut pieces
7-8 Red Chillies
1 small amla sized Tamarind
4-5 Garlic pods
2 tsp Cumin Seeds
2 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Mustard seeds
a Sprig of Curry leaves
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Oil

Method:
  • Grind dry coconut,red chillies,salt and sugar to a powder.
  • Add tamarind and fried gram and grind again to a powder. 
  • Add cumin seeds and garlic pods and grind again.
  • Heat oil in a kadai and crackle mustard seeds and add curry leaves and add the ground powder and mix it once and switch off the flame.You should keep it on the flame just until you mix it,not for long.
  • Cool it and store it in an air tight container.
Serve it with hot steamed Rice,Ghee and chopped Raw onions.You can even mix Avakay to this powder,it tastes yum.

andhra gun powder
Notes:
  1. You can add more dry coconut if you wish,it adds more taste to podi.
  2. The addition of sugar is optional but helps in balancing the flavors.
  3. This tastes yum when you mix it with hot steamed rice,ghee with fryums and raw onion on the side.You can even mix it with avakai pickle and ghee it tastes nice.
  4. You should not miss to add the cumin seeds at the end while grinding as it adds a nice flavor to the powder and also make sure that you do not grind it completely,you just need to run it once in whipper mode.
  5. You can add a couple of garlic pods while running in the mixer in the last round for different flavor.
fried gram powder

Monday, December 1, 2014

Pulusu Upma | Tamarind Upma | Pulusu Pindi

pulusu upma
When it comes to breakfast,we prepare lot of varieties and there are so many recipes which are just common to our community. I have posted many of our community special recipes and today's post is also one among them. 'Pulusu Upma' is basically Tamarind upma which quite tangy,sweet and spicy and tastes much different when compared to regular upma as we use a combination of ingredients like tamarind,jaggery and sambar powder to get the balanced taste in this upma.Also, the usage of rice rava in this upma makes the texture different compared to regular upma.It is known as 'Pulusu pindi' in Andhra and it is slightly different from our version.I prefer this Pulusu Upma over the regular Sooji Upma any day because of its distinct taste,you can try this tangy Tamarind upma sometime for a different breakfast recipe.
pulusu upma

Check out more breakfast recipes of our Community style:
pulusu pindi

Pulusu Upma | Pulusu Pindi Recipe:

Serves 2 | Author: Prathibha
Prep time:10 mins | Cooking time: 20 mins | Total time: 30 mins
Cuisine: Andhra | Category: Breakfast
Ingredients:
1 cup fine Rice Rava(see notes for how to prepare it at home)
15-20 Shallots or 2 large Onions
2-3 Green chillies,slit
3 cups Water
2 tbsp chopped fresh Coriander
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder(optional)
1/4 cup Groundnuts
1 large lemon sized Tamarind
2-3 tbsp Jaggery
a sprig of Curry leaves
1 tbsp Chana dal
2 tsp Urad dal
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
2-3 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
1  tbsp Ghee

Method:
  • Dry roast rice rawa in a kadai until the nice aroma starts from it.Remove it from the pan and let it cool.You can even roast rawa in a tsp of ghee which also gives a nice flavor to upma.
  • Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of water for half an hour and extract pulp from it.
  • Heat oil in a thick aluminium kadai(which is ideal for making upma) or non-stick kadai and crackle mustard seeds.
  • Add ground nuts  fry until they turn little red in color and add chana dal and urad dal and fry until they turn golden brown.
  • Add slit green chillies,curry leaves and fry them until they wilt.
  • Add shallots or sliced onions and fry them until they are pink in color.
  • Add tamarind pulp extracted and 3 cups of water (1c rawa:3c water) to it.
  • Add turmeric powder,sambar powder,salt and jaggery to it and let it boil.
  • Add roasted rava to it with one hand and keep stirring with another hand using a ladle,make sure you make this process very quickly otherwise you will end up having lumpy upma.
  • Once everything is mixed,keep the lid on and cook it on low flame for 8-10 mins.Switch off the flame.
  • Add ghee and coriander to it and mix well.
  • Cover it and let it sit for 4-5 mins before you serve.
Serve it hot with some boondi/chips/cucumber.
pulusu pindi

Notes:
  1. To prepare Rice rawa: Clean and Soak the rice for some time and drain it completely and spread over a cloth so that it will drain off excess water.Coarsely grind the pound mixture in a mixer and then sieve it(do it in whipper mode).Use the rawa which is in sieve and the flour that it is sieved can be used for dosa's or regular rice flour.
  2. This upma is sour,sweet and spicy at the same time so adjust the seasoning as per your taste.
  3. We prepare another version called 'Pulusu Biyyam' where the roasted rava is replaced with roasted rice but the rest of the procedure is similar.
  4. I highly recommend to use shallots for this recipe, if you do no have you can use thickly sliced onions instead.
             tamarind upma
Check out other Upma recipes in my blog:
tamarind upma