Balekayi Palya

 

Balekayi Palya. When we visit our parents, one of the first things that get planned (even before we reach their place) is the food! My father takes the lead, asking us for our preference before he goes out to buy vegetables. Considering my mother's fairly vast repertoire of lip-smacking traditional cuisine, not so easy to decide! Also considering my three siblings, their spouses, plus our kids, there are too many palates to please when we all gather. This time around, the popular vote for the meal was for balekayi palya, saaru (rasam), huli (sambar) and rice, the star being the palya. 

Balekayi in Kannada is raw plantain and I have fond memories of eating different types of palya made by my mother. Part of the umm... charm was squabbling over the slightly charred bits of the stir-fry.  We would so look forward to the meal, eat some palya with plain steamed rice, some with rasam and then finally some with curd rice.  Simple meals are often the most satisfying, especially with the mother hovering around, serving generously!

This is not a dish you could make in a hurry as peeling the plantains and grating them can be a bit messy. The grated plantain is mixed with some rawa, wheat flour, spices, oil and salt. Then fried in a generous amount of oil until cooked and crisp. Well worth the effort of course! 

I did not have my standard measuring cups, measured using another cup set which looked a bit suspiciously un-standard to me! Please take this as a rough estimate, remembering that more of wheat flour will make the palya sticky, whereas a bit more oil won't hurt :) Be generous with the spices and you will have a winner!

Balekayi Palya (Serves 8 -10)

Ingredients
Raw firm plantains, grated 7 cups-  (about 5 medium sized ones)

Bansi rawa - 5 tablespoons

Wheat flour - 3 tablespoons (read note)

Salt - to taste

Red chilli powder - 2 tablespoons

Hing - a generous pinch

Oil - 2 tablespoons + 1/3 cup (Yes, this is quite a bit, but necessary! Do not skimp)

Mustard - 1 teaspoon

Urad dal - 1 teaspoon

Chana dal - 1 teaspoon

Turmeric - 1 teaspoon

Hing - a pinch

Method : The plantains need to be raw, green and very firm. If you do buy them ahead, keep them immersed in water as it prevents them from ripening.

Oil your hands, peel and grate the plantains using a fairly large holed grated. A thin holed one may make the palya mushy.

Mix together the wheat flour, bansi rawa, salt, chilli powder, 2 tbsp oil, hing and salt. Mix this lightly but thoroughly into the grated plantains. Heat the remaining oil in a heavy bottomed wide pan. Add the mustard, let it sputter. Then the chana dal, urad dal, hing and turmeric. Once the dals turn golden brown, add the plantain mixture. Mix well, cover and cook on low heat. Do not add any water. Cook till done and crisp, mixing gently 2-3 times in between, making sure you scrape out the palya from the bottom. Take care not to over mix or the palya will be mushy. Turn off the heat, keep covered for a few minutes. 

Serve hot with steamed rice and rasam.

In case you thought I am experimenting with the camera, of course not! It is just me trying to manage a couple of pictures  in the chaos with the hungry clan waiting for their meal!

Bele Chutney Pudi

If you live in Karnataka, you are no stranger to Chutney Pudi. Pudi means powder, so this is roughly, chutney in powder form for you. You will always find a big box of this on the kitchen shelves of every self-respecting Kannadiga, albeit different versions and different recipes. Most plates of steaming fluffy idlis and crispy dosas have a tiny heap of this powder along side the chutney (the wet kind) and sambhar. 

Some of us from the North of Karnataka will be miffed at the idea of eating avalakki vaggarane, mandakki vaggarane, and uppittu (upma) without chutney pudi. No actually, we eat chutney pudi with uppittu and avalakki. To the extent, my mother gets annoyed every time there is a holler for some more chutney pudi.  ''We need a person to manufacture only this pudi exclusively for this household!!''  you can often hear her grumble. Not that anyone ever sacrifices a second and third serving  to placate her! 

All wedding preparations start with the making of kilos of chutney pudi and menthyada hittu, another versatile, very flavorful but bland powder made with mixed lentils. Mention wedding preparations at home and you can bet your next dose of filter coffee, at least one person around will ask " Is the chutney pudi and menthyada hittu ready? These are packed in covers, small ones for guests, big ones for close family ; )  along with chakli, mandakki unde and other snacks to be given along with the tambula and the mandatory 'return gift'. Of course, there is invariably feedback, comments and ratings on these from folks who receive them! 

And then there is the small army of people you need to feed in a wedding household. Having chutney pudi and menthyada hittu around is a life saver as it fills up any empty spaces on the plantain leaf. Often after the first 'batch' of dinner is served, you can hear the kitchen in-charge for the evening (one of the elderly Aunts mostly) whispering about an unexpected shortage of rasam/sambar/ kootu . No panic! We will serve some chutney pudi! Hungry kids bawling for a snack or (more) visitors in the bedlam? There will be a huge box of chutney pudi avalakki (a dry snack made with rice flakes) and the usual snacks all ready. I am too lazy to grind chutney for the dosa / idli today? No worries, we will eat it with the pudi doused in oil or melted ghee. Oh did I mention, its also heavenly mixed with hot rice and a dollop of ghee! 

I know by now, it is all coming out of your ears. But this is one tongue tickling spicy pudi we all love to have around. Handy, spicy, versatile, lip-smacking. Time consuming yes, but keeps well. If your mother or mother-in-law or 'expert' Aunt doesn't pack pouches of this for you, and you don't already have that family heirloom recipe, here is how my mother makes it. 

Bele Chutney Pudi

This version is called Bele Chutney Pudi  as it is made with a larger proportion of lentils, making it a healthier, protein rich one. This is a rough guide (OK Amma  eye balled and I measured it, hence the odd measures),  do go by your taste,  please refer the note below.

Ingredients (makes a generous 5- 6 cups or more) 

Chana dal -  2.75 cups

Urad Dal - 1.5 cups

Peanuts - 1 cup

Dry coconut - 1 large, grated

Red chilli powder - 1/2 heaping cup (or more)

Peanut or vegetable oil - 8-10 tablespoons

Hing - 1.5 teaspoons

Jeera - 2 tablespoons

Coriander seeds  - 2 tablespoons

Curry leaves, washed and dried. - 1 cup loosely packed

Tamarind - 1 large lemon sized ball

Jaggery roughly bashed and measured - 1/3 to 1/2 cup
Salt to taste

Method : Measure and set aside all ingredients separately. In a heavy pan, dry roast each ingredient on low heat separately till light golden and aromatic. Cool on separate plates. Grind the chana dal, urad dal, coriander, jeera and peanuts one by one till slightly coarse. Dump in a large vessel. Toast the coconut till light golden, curry leaves till crisp. Warm the tamarind till it is slightly crisp. 

Take a small portion (about a cup) of the ground lentils, add the tamarind, curry leaves and process till fine. Then add the coconut and process very briefly till it is done, do not over do or it will turn oily. 

Roughly mix together all of the above ground ingredients, add the jaggery and grind again very briefly just to combine. 

Heat the oil, switch off once hot, reserve 2 tablespoons of it. When it is just barely warm, add the chilli powder and hing.  Mix thoroughly with the rest of the ingredients with your hands adding salt to taste. The powder should not be very dry. Add the reserved oil if needed. Store airtight.

Please  note : Too much urad dal will make the pudi smell odd, the proportion of chana dal needs to be almost double this. You can use more of peanuts and coconut, but then you may need less oil later. Be sure the hing is strong and of good quality. Do not shy away from using enough chilli  powder and the spices, or your pudi may taste bland.

Nucchina Unde - Steamed Lentil Dumplings

It doesn't take a six course meal to please me. Just mentioning in case I am invited to break bread with you :D  Simple, satisfying comfort food is what I crave most for. I find that much against my will, my tummy growls louder and earlier than usual  when its one of these dishes on my dining table. Soppina Palya and steaming Tomato Rasam, Spicy, vegetable loaded Bisi Bele Bhat and Sandige, piping hot rice with Menasinakyi Raitha, Stuffed Brinjals and chapatis to name a few. Another all time favorite, filling and easy meal I love is Majjige Huli (a kind of yogurt gravy) simmered with Nucchina Unde.

Ingredient wise, Nucchina Unde is similar to the more popular, deep fried Masala Vadas of South India. Bengal gram dal, fresh coconut, green chillies, hing, turmeric are ground to a coarse paste and made into dumplings and steamed. Sometimes even a mixture of lentils like Bengal gram dal, moong dal and toor dal are used in different proportions. I like to use coriander, dill / mint and onion are also used. You could shape them into flat discs or into oblong shapes as you please.

You can eat these as a snack as is or with coconut chutney. Or crumble them into steamed rice and melted ghee. Even better, simmer them for a few minutes in Majjige Huli and serve with rice. That's my favorite way of eating these dumplings. Deep fried chickpea bondas in yogurt gravy is delicious too, but these lighter steamed ones are way friendlier during hot Indian summers. Light on your stomach and no sweating over deep-frying them.

You will hardly need more than 20 minutes to put these on the table if you remember to soak the lentils ahead. The important thing is not to grind the lentils too much or add water as that will make them hard.

NUCCHINA UNDE

Ingredients: To make about 12 dumplings. If doubling the recipe, grind in two batches.

Bengal Gram Dal - Chana Dal - 1/2 cup.

Fresh grated coconut - 1/2 cup

Green chillies - 8-10 (less will make them bland and tasteless)

Fresh coriander, chopped - 1/4 cup
Hing - A generous pinch
Fresh ginger, grated - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Salt to taste

• Wash and soak the lentils for 3-4 hours or even better overnight. Drain and rinse well. Drain out all water again, making sure there is absolutely no water left.
• Put all the ingredients (no water) in the medium sized jar of your blender and grind at speed 1 for just 10 seconds. Open the lid, mix with a spoon. The mixture should be coarse, a few whole grains of dal or bits of chillies is just fine. If absolutely needed, process again 5-10 seconds. If you make a paste of it, you may not love the dumplings.
  
• Taste to check if you need more seasoning like salt or ginger. If necessary, just add more of these to the ground mixture, do not grind the mixture again. If you need more chillies, either chop fine and add or grind separately and mix. 
• Lightly grease idli plates. Make about 12 small portions of the mixture and place in the plate, flatten slightly. Steam on high heat for about 12-14 minutes and check to make sure the dumplings are not doughy. Do not steam much longer as they may feel very dry.
  

          Serve warm or at room temperature with coconut chutney. Or simmer in Majjige Huli for 5 minutes.

 Tell me your favorite summer savory dishes?

Huggi

Few things can match up to the comfort of being indoors on a cold day, wearing something warm and relishing steaming hot food. Particularly food which is believed to warm your body and help brave the cold, at least momentarily. In our country,  we have zillions of such foods. One of South India's most commonly made dish during this season is Huggi or Khara Pongal. This simple, peppery rice and moong dal preparation is offered to God with a dollop of butter on top, a sprig of tulsi and some jaggery. Huggi  distributed as prasadam in temples tastes especially good as its cooked on wood fire. Pongal served with chutney is invariably found on the menu of most eateries.

Traditionally served  with hunse gojju, a kind of tamarind and jaggery sweet-sour sauce, huggi is eaten on a number of days in the season as part of the meal. The meal is served really early, imagine eating lunch at 6.30 am! Proportions of moong dal and rice range from 1:1 to 3:1, though my mother and mother-in-law both use 3/4 measure of moong dal to a measure of rice. A matter of taste, nothing more to it.

Here is how we make it. The amounts of spices given are just indicative, use as you wish. Just remember not to overcook the rice and dal or you will end up with a pasty mass. Enough pepper, cumin and ghee are absolutely imperative if you ask me, specially if there isn't gojju or chutney to eat alongside. And yes, please do eat it hot or at least warm!

Ingredients: This serves about 4 people.

Moong dal - 3/4 cup

Rice - 1 cup

Ghee - 4 tablespoons (or more to taste) plus a teaspoon or two for sauteing.

Turmeric - 1 teaspoon

Pepper, whole - 1 teaspoon

Crushed pepper - 1 - 1.5 teaspoons (more to taste)

Cumin / Jeera - 2 - 3 teaspoons

Grated dry coconut - 1/2 cup
Hing / Asafoetida - a generous pinch

Salt to taste

Cashewnuts, broken - 1/3 cup

Heat 2 teaspoons of ghee in your pressure cooker. Fry the cashew nuts till golden, drain and keep aside. Saute crushed pepper, cumin and the dal and rice. Saute till you get a good aroma, taking care not to over do it, just enough to toast them lightly. Now add the turmeric and 4 cups of water. Cook for 2-3 whistles. You want the rice and dal slightly undercooked. You can cook it to the consistency you need.

Once the pressure drops, gently stir in about a cup of water to adjust the consistency. Huggi gets thicker as it cools, so adjust the consistency depending on when you would be eating it. Add the asafoetida, coconut, salt to taste and the cashew nuts. Taste. If you need more pepper or jeera, you can heat the remaining ghee, add the jeera / pepper. Add this to the huggi and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remember not to cook it for too long as it tends to get mushier and thicker. Or just add the remaining ghee and heat covered on sim for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh coriander.

Serve hot with gojju or chutney. A little extra ghee on top when you eat takes it to another level! 

Variations : You could add grated ginger to huggi when you saute the pepper and jeera. Use a couple of chopped green chillies and reduce the amount of pepper. My mother sometimes uses tiny pieces of dried coconut for some more bite. Try peanuts pressure cooked with dal and rice, give the cashew nuts a skip. Though the classic combination is huggi - hunse gojju, you could also serve this with coconut chutney or Nimbe Hannina Gojju.

 I know I keep disappearing from here more often than I care to admit. Am pretty much around, yes. But I seem to be terribly busy all day, just don't ask me doing what! Does this happen to you too? I hope to be more regular here with lots baking!

Wishing you a very happy new year and great times ahead!

Kadalebele Chutney / Habbada Chutney

Although I am the kind who will be super happy to eat a simple meal of rasam, vegetable and rice, a chutney would take it to another level. A spicy,  fiery one, even better! If you are familiar with the cuisine of North Karnataka, chutneys are common as part of the lunch menu. And when I say chutneys, I don't just mean the kind which are eaten with idli /dosa. The ones which go with rice and chapatis / jowar rottis are another large bunch altogether. Among those commonly made during festivals, functions and community gatherings is Habbada Chutney (translating to festival chutney) or Kadalebele chutney.

One of the reasons why this could be so popular during festivals could be the ease of  preparation. And the fact that the star of the dish, the soaked Bengal gram or chana dal is used in multiple dishes in a typical festival meal. In kosambari ( a salad), in majjige huli ( yogurt based gravy) and of course chutney. This recipe doesn't  involve even sauteing of any ingredient, so is just a matter of grinding everything together. Think of this dish as the festival-stressed lady's way of adding one more easy dish to her habbada adige (the festival menu), one more dish taken care of for the professional cook slaving over an elaborate meal for scores of people

 Kadalebele chutney is a finger-licking good one yes, but only if you like the taste of the uncooked chana dal.  If you can't tolerate spicy food, you are better off not making this one as it will be bland and tasteless. With barely any ingredients, the heat from the chillies, the slight tang of the tamarind and a generous dash of hing are absolutely necessary. Another necessary and welcome addition - a trickle of melted ghee on your rice!

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Ingredients:

Bengal gram / Chana dal - 5-6 tablespoons (makes almost a cup after it is soaked)

Fresh grated coconut - 3/4 cup to 1 cup ( or lesser, read note)

Green chillies - 8-10

Fresh coriander leaves, chopped - 1/4 cup (measured after cutting)

Tamarind pulp - 1 - 1.5 teaspoons

Turmeric powder - 3/4 teaspoon

Hing / Asafoetida powder - a very generous pinch

Salt to taste

For the tempering

Oil - 1 tablespoon

Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon

Curry leaves - a few

Hing

Procedure : Wash and soak the Bengal gram in enough water for at least 4 hours. You should be able to pinch it easily with your nails once its soaked. Drain completely. Grind together the soaked Bengal gram, fresh coconut, hing, chillies, salt, turmeric and tamarind. Use very little water to grind, you can add more water later to adjust the consistency. The chutney must be coarse and not completely smooth. Bits of green chillies here and there make the chutney more appealing to the taste buds and the eyes too! Transfer the chutney to a small dish.

Heat the oil, add the mustard, allow to pop, add the curry leaves. Take off the heat. Pour it on the chutney and mix. Serve with hot rice and ghee.

Please note: You could use varying amounts of coconut in the chutney.  Some people prefer lesser than what I have given, so please don't tell my mother. If you add more tamarind, the chutney will be tangy and I would not prefer this as there is no jaggery to balance out the taste.

Kadalebele chutney goes to the 61st edition of My Legume Love Affair, a very popular event started by Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook,  Its now being carried forward by Lisa, hosted by Aparna this month. Dishes with fresh or dried beans, lentils, pulses, and/or the sometimes edible pods that contain these seeds, and derivative products like tofu or besan, along with tamarind, fenugreek, carob, peanuts are all acceptable says Aparna. But legumes have to be the star ingredient here.

You may not want to miss this event as there are also three prizes to be won, including a copy of Bong Mom's CookBook! The event is on till 31st July. Please visit Aparna's blog for more details. 

There is another version of this chutney where the Bengal gram and other ingredients including dried red chillies are roasted. Hope to post that sometime.

Kobbari Tovve / South Indian Style Coconut And Lentils

'' Today the tovve is really good Amma!'' declares my ten year old son at the dinner table. Before I can smile a modest thank-you he promptly asks  ''Ajji sent it right?''.  I try not to sound like an indignant ten-year-old with a deflated ego and say  ''No, I made it!''. His spontaneous 'Oh!'' in reply is hastily replaced with a placating ''Great job Amma, looks like you have a bit of Ajji's touch in your cooking today, what say?''. When you are a foodie, take not any chances and irk the cook. Especially if she happens to be the only cook around!!

These instances happen, though not very often in my home. Pitting 40 years of solid experience against 12 stumbling years of it - tough competition! But then I guess even when I graduate to having 40 years of experience, I will still think my mother's cooking had that extra bit of yumminess to it...

Guess being born a South Indian invariably brings with it the fondness for rice and all things coconut. From chutneys to payasams to simple everyday garnishes, coconut finds its way into most cooking. And when life hands us more coconut than we normally use, more often than not, it goes into Kobbari Tovve. Tovve is basically a lentils based dish either with or without vegetables, mostly without sambar powder in it. Needless to say, kobbari or coconut is the star ingredient in this dish.  A spice mix made with roasted coriander seeds, cumin and fenugreek seeds add that subtle but very certainly there aroma and taste to the dish.

These spices are roasted and ground together and stored for a couple of months like sambar powder, rasam powder and the rest. But since everyone doesn't have this spice mix at home, I have made it using the three individually. The taste of the tovve is pretty much close to what my mother makes, though may not be exactly the same. If she lived closer by,  probably I could have got each of these dishes made by her..sigh!

Spicy with the green chillies, subtle but flavorful and loaded with fresh coconut, it may not be entirely disappointing to try this. This makes about 4 1/4 cups of tovve, I would suggest to maintain the level of spices (the coriander, cumin and fenugreek) and alter the amount of the rest to suit your taste. This tastes good with good quality hing, generous amount of chillies and enough tamarind and jaggery to balance it out.

Ingredients :
Toor dal - Pigeon pea Dal - 3/4 cup
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Fresh tomatoes (sour or plum), chopped - 1 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Roasted coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Roasted cumin powder - 3/4 teaspoon
Roasted methi / fenugreek powder - 1/8 teaspoon
Green chillies, 6-7 (or even more) - ground to a paste, smooth or coarse
Thick tamarind pulp - 1/4 cup (If using sour tomatoes, use less, say 3 tablespoons)
Grated jaggery - 3/4 tablespoon
Grated fresh coconut - 1 cup
Water - 1/2 cup if needed.
Salt to taste

For the tempering
Oil - 2 teaspoons
Mustard - 1 teaspoon
Hing, good quality - a good pinch
Curry leaves - a few

Pressure cook the dal with the turmeric and enough water till the lentils are well cooked and soft, but not completely mushy (this cooked dal will be about 3 cups and a little more) Set aside till the pressure drops completely. In a thick bottomed pan, heat a teaspoon of oil. Add a dash of hing, add the chopped tomatoes and a bit of salt. Cover with about 1/4 cup of water and cook covered till the tomatoes are very soft.  Add the cooked dal,  the spice powders, jaggery, tamarind pulp and the chilli paste. Add the coconut and salt to taste. The tovve is meant to be on the thicker side. Add about 1/2 cup of water if needed to adjust the consistency. Bring to a simmer, cook for about 10 minutes on low heat. Check and adjust the seasoning if needed. Turn off the heat.

Heat the remaining oil, add the mustard. Once it sputters, add the curry leaves and the hing, Pour over the dal and mix. Serve with hot rice, ghee and uppu hacchida menasinakayi (deep fried sun-dried stuffed chillies). I like the flavor best when it is warm (not hot), even better a few hours after its cooked.

Hayagreeva - For My Santa In June!

 June has been a much awaited month for more reasons than one! Very obvious one, school re-opened after a particularly difficult ( for me, not the kids) summer break. If you wondered what that blast of warm air was that hit you on 4th of June, it was just me heaving a sigh of relief! My sister-in-law arrived soon after from the US, lugging along my much-awaited bread machine and lots of other baking goodies, yaaay! According to her, when I saw all my goodies, I looked like someone who got her Christmas and Diwali gifts all at once! Well, it certainly felt like it! Thank God she keeps picking up stuff for me or I can't imagine how tough my baking life would be!

Summer was a busy time at work, daughter refusing to go to a summer camp adding to my woes :(.  With my son's swimming and cricket camps, going in and out, getting on with routine, effectively put a dampener on my baking / blogging plans.  Life will continue to be on the fast track for some more time with some amount of shopping and outings with the visiting family (did I mention, my sister is visiting too!) Maybe this will explain the lull in the posts here, hopefully I shall bounce back soon, while I make use of my new baking toys!

Now to Hayagreeva ,one of my sister-in-law's favorite sweet dishes we made as part of the welcome-home meal along with another of her favorites Menthya Bele Huli. (Not that jet lag is the best state for folk to relish food). Its basically cooked Chana Dal simmered with jaggery, some poppy seeds thrown in along with grated dry coconut.  Lord Hayagreeva or Hayavadana, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, was fed this dish everyday by the great saint and composer, Sree Vadhiraja.

If you like the taste of jaggery and dal, this is a very simple, easy and tasty dish to make, the taste akin to the filling of some kinds of obbattus.. Here goes the simple recipe

Ingredients :
Chana dal (uncooked) - 1 cup
Jaggery, crushed - 1cup or more (depending on the sweetness of jaggery and taste, less may make the sweet taste bland)
Poppy seeds -  1 1/2 teaspoons
Grated Dry coconut - 2 -3 tablespoons
Cardamom powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Cashew nuts - a few
Ghee - 2 tablespoons

Procedure : Wash the dal thoroughly. Cook in a pressure cooker with enough water and a pinch of turmeric, add a tiny pinch of cooking soda if you wish. Cook for about 3 whistles. When the pressure drops, drain the liquid, reserve it for another use. The dal must be soft and cooked, but not mushy. The dish must have some texture when you are done cooking it. Place the jaggery in a heavy bottomed vessel, cover it with about 1/4 cup of water and place it on the stove on low heat. Let the jaggery dissolve. Add the cooked dal and stir. Let cook on low heat till it turns a nice homogenous consistency. Mash some of the dal with a masher as it helps it come together. Cook till most of the liquid is evaporated, stirring frequently. (You could of course let more or less liquid remain, depending on the consistency you prefer.) The presence of water helps the dal and jaggery cook together for some time till the dal takes on a bit of the sweetness, without getting a burnt taste. In the meantime, lightly toast the poppy seeds. ( My mother doesn't toast, adds them as is in the beginning). Add the poppy seeds and the coconut. Cook for about 10 minutes, add the cardamom. Heat the ghee and fry the cashews. Tip it in, mix. (Imagine some in the pictures, will you, they are conspicuous by their absence I know!) Take off the heat. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Gasgase Payasa - Poppy Seeds Pudding

There are some dishes I cook as I have grown up eating and watching my mother cook them, and a few others which I have eaten a few times, but learnt making them from my mother-in-law. My mother doesn't make them you see. My mother-in-law lived in Mysore for quite some time, my mother has her roots in Rayalseema (a part of Karnataka which is the border between Karnataka and Andhra). So they have different styles of cooking and their own specialties. Some dishes which my mother makes, mother-in-law doesn't and vice versa. Mother-in-law makes excellent kodubale, chakli, kobbari mithayi, menthya bele huli, kayi-sasuve chitranna etc. Gasagase payasa or poppy seeds pudding is another dessert she makes really well . Apart from other occasions, she makes this for Ganesha Chaturthi as a family tradition (I have no complaints eating dessert for breakfast, will make sure this tradition is carried forward dutifully!). The pooja in the morning is quite elaborate and by the time we eat breakfast, its around 12!!  Breakfast  comprising of soft idlis, coconut chutney and gasagase payasa will thankfully be ready by then and waiting, so nobody (read me) actually faints of starvation. The gourmet breakfast is substantial enough to keep us full till the late elaborate lunch of kadabu, chitranna, ambode, majjige huli etc ...burrp!

 The payasa itself was not very common to me, the combination even uncommon. Dunking some idlis in the chutney and some in the payasa - a nice combination if you have a sweet-tooth. This pudding (for the medicinal value of poppy seeds) is supposed to be a remedy for mouth ulcer (don't you love such delicious medicines!) Again, there are different ways of making this pudding. Commonly made by grinding soaked poppy seeds (sometimes roasted), dry fruit like almonds or cashew, rice and fresh coconut, simmered with jaggery and water. A splash of milk and the customary ground cardamom is added in the end . I prefer and like a predominant taste of jaggery and less milk and a slightly thicker consistency. You could add more of milk and less of water and also thin the consistency if you prefer.

Ingredients

Poppy seeds - 1/4 cup
Almonds - 10-12
Rice (uncooked) - 1 tablespoon
Fresh grated coconut - 1 3/4 cups
Crushed jaggery - 1 cup (alter t suit your taste)
Crushed green cardamom - 5-6 pods
Water - 2 cups, divided use (or as needed)
Milk - 2-3 tablespoons
10-12 broken cashew nuts fried golden in a teaspoon of ghee for garnish

Procedure: Soak the poppy seeds, almonds and rice in enough water for at least 3-4 hours. ( I soak overnight in the fridge if I need to make this early in the day). Drain and the water (using a fine meshed sieve preferably, makes it easier with the tiny seeds) Pour more water through the sieve to rinse. Using as little water as possible, grind the poppy seeds, coconut, rice and almonds to a fine paste. The smallest jar of your mixer will be the best for this.

In heavy bottomed pan, take the jaggery and 1/2 cup water, heat to dissolve it. (Strain the liquid if there are any impurities and return the jaggery water to the heat. Mix the ground paste with 1/2 cup water to thin it to the consistency of dosa batter. Add it to the water and jaggery. Mix well. Add 1 cup water (approximately) to get the desired consistency. Go easy with the water (or milk), you can always add more later to thin it. Cook on low heat till it thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add about 2-3 tablespoons of milk if desired. Mix in the crushed cardamom and the fried cashew nuts. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Please note: Alter the amount of jaggery (this also depends on the variety) and milk / water to suit your taste. When you add the jaggery, do remember that the pudding will taste sweeter and will also thicken slightly once it cools. The color of the pudding depends on the color of the jaggery and the amount of milk used. The pudding in the above pictures has a little more milk than I prefer adding, hence the lighter color. You could use milk from a tetra-pack instead of the coconut, but the coconut really helps grinding the poppy seeds to a smooth paste, so I prefer using fresh coconut.

The above proportions will make enough to serve 4-5 people.

The pudding goes to Raven's  Cook Eat Delicious Desserts event hosted by Sadhana Of Sensible Veg, the theme is  Wholesome Desserts With No Refined Flours Or Refined Sugars. The vent comes with a giveaway of a delicious book

Kayyi Chutney - Super Spicy, No Grind, Quick Chutney

Taking another walk down the memory lane, we were brought up in a small town near the famous city of ruins - Hampi, in North Karnataka. My great-grandfather was instrumental in forming a committee in honor of the famous saint-singer-composer Shree Purandharadasa. The tradition of being part of organizing religious events and music festivals on a regular basis has been handed down from generation to generation in the family - carried on till date. For most of similar events, there are committees that manage the functions and other activities like pujas, Aaradhane (anniversaries of saints), music festivals etc . Some of the committees are traditionally well funded, some well funded by members, some not, public contributions and things keep them going. As a kid, I remember us eating a few times at these functions at temples and Mutts (religious establishments usually with a seer heading them), where the number of people who are fed during these events are by the hundreds.

Most of us are no strangers to these kinds of kinds of mass gatherings where the food is prepared in gigantic quantities, by dozens of people who seemingly have boundless energy. Kilos of rice and chopped vegetables, gallons of rasam and sambar are cooked over raging wood fire. Preparations begin since the dark hours of the day  in order to feed crowd in the noon - more often than not, going on till evening. The food thus cooked on wood fire, has a distinct aroma of smoke and eating this meal on a plantain leaf adds to it. Many a times, the menu also includes some dishes which require lesser effort and time, not to mention cost and the feeding capacity quotient. You got to feed the sea of people and serve in batches and batches! One of these dishes commonly made is something called as Kayyi Chutney which literally translates to 'hand-chutney' meaning a chutney which doesn't need to be ground. Its made simply by sauteing green chillies, sometimes greens, coriander and hing, then coarsely crushing them by hand in a mixture of yogurt, gram flour, salt. The mandatory tempering goes into it and there you have a really quick, tasty accompaniment to rice. Unexpected shortage of rasam or sambar  and kayyi chutney is dished up to quickly feed the anticipating hundreds. 

This is a chutney made in a number of households too, when you feel lazy and need something quick to go with rice while its cooking. Or when you have an unexpected guest and you want to add another dish to the rest of the meal. At home kitchens, the green-chilli mixture is normally ground to a coarse paste in the mixer and mixed in fresh yogurt and gram flour. But be warned, this is quite spicy, no, very spicy and doesn't have that wow factor if it isn't spicy enough. If you like your food fiery,  you will love this one and make this part of your regular menu.

Ingredients: 

Green chillies - 5-6 medium sized ones
Fresh coriander leaves, chopped and measured - 2 tablespoons
Hing - a pinch
Oil - 2 tablespoons
Fresh, thick yogurt - 3/4 cup
Gram flour (not roasted) - 3 tablespoons
Salt to taste

For the tempering
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Urad dal - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric - 1/4 teaspoon
Curry leaves - A few
A dash of hing

Procedure: Stem and wash the chillies, pat them dry. Slit them vertically and cut into two parts. If you use them whole, they will pop in the hot oil and may cause injury. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the chillies. When they blister and change color, they will also soften enough for you to crush them with your hand if you so wish. Take them out and place on a plate. Now add the coriander leaves and hing, saute for just a few seconds till the leaves wither. Remove on to the plate. Turn off the heat. You will be using the remaining oil for the tempering in the same pan. Allow the chilies and coriander to cool. Crush this by hand, this will give you chunks of chilly in the chutney. Or grind to a coarse paste in the smallest jar of your mixer.

Whisk the yogurt, salt to taste and gram flour in a small bowl. make sure there are no lumps of flour. Add the crushed /ground green chilli paste. Heat the remaining oil, add the mustard seeds, when they splutter, add the urad dal and allow it to turn golden. Add the curry leaves, hing, turmeric, saute for a few seconds till the curry leaves turn crisp. Turn off the heat. Add the tempering to the yogurt mixture and mix.

Serve with hot steamed rice and a spoon of oil. Keep any leftovers refrigerated or it will turn sour.

 

Please note : The above quantity makes about a cup which is enough to serve 3-4 people. You can't eat this fiery chutney like sambar you see! The chilli will not be soft enough to crush with your hands if there isn't enough hot oil to dunk them in. Don't skimp on the oil, even if you chose to grind in a mixie. You could use slightly less number of chillies, but too little will make the dish bland and tasteless.

I could eat kayyi chutney and rice as a meal in itself. Given that I am the only person at home who feasts on this, I often make, store in the refrigerator for 2 days.

Hasi Majjige - Quick Coconut and Yogurt Gravy

After the exams are over, who do you think is more relieved? The teacher or the student? Can hear all the Moms out there - the mother! The past few days have been quite busy as my son had his mid-term exams and they finally ended yesterday. Whew! And to think he is just in 4th grade and goes to one of those schools which don't have the concept of a test every Monday... that would be so sad and compound the Sunday evening blues for both him and me...thank God for small mercies! The pre-exam days and days of the exams are days when I need to set my alarm to go off half-an-hour earlier than my usual time...when the student is blissfully snoring away tucked cozily in his blanket. Don't you think its funny the way mothers try to cozy and huddle the sleepy angelic looking little ones in their beds when you have only 10 minutes more to get them out of there? 

Lest you think I am one of those mothers who spend hours everyday helping kids with their studies, I am not! The only reason I get up earlier and rush through my chores is so that I can sit with my son for his exam prep for an hour and still mange to get on with the rest of my routine, i.e, workout, cooking, office, bake and blog. If you are a mother, then you know its nothing short of a Herculean task to get the kids to sit down for studies and actually get them to concentrate. How I wish my son would like me (and most other kids of our times, we are now ancient aren't we?) study on his own and I just had to supply him some thing to snack on.. sigh! Like my Mom would when we were preparing for the exams. My childhood best friend and immediate neighbor would come over to my place for 'combined studies' and it was a huge plus for us. Guess why? Girl talk was one thing, Aunty, the friend's mother would also pitch in to send us, the hard-working students some yummy eats!! Now I won't tell you, though I was a 'serious and tense' good student who would study for hours, the 'exam tension' could not stop me from keeping my ears strained for my mother or Aunty to give a shout for something to eat. Such welc..uummm breaks!

This of course has nothing at all to do with the dish here, am just again chattering away as I am so glad that exams are over! Now this dish called Hasi Majjige (funny name right?) translates literally to 'uncooked buttermilk'. Which is to say, that this dish needs no cooking, except for the tempering. Fresh coconut, roasted Bengal gram, mustard, asafetida, chillies are ground to a paste and whisked in yogurt, watered down a bit and there you have a very delicious and simple dish to go with your rice. When you feel like a change from the usual dal and you are too lazy to bother with veggies, this makes a very nice variation...

Here is how we do it.

Ingredients:
Grated fresh coconut - 3/4 cup
Roasted Bengal gram - 1 teaspoon ( 2 teaspoons if you prefer a thicker gravy)
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Green chillies - 2 (more if you want it spicier)
Fresh coriander, chopped - 2 tablespoons
Fresh thick yogurt - 1 1/2 cups
Asafetida / hing - A pinch

Salt to taste
Water - 1/2 to 3/4 cup as needed

For the tempering:
1 or 2 teaspoons oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon urad dal
A few curry leaves
A dash of hing


Procedure: Grind the fresh coconut, mustard seeds, asafetida, chillies, Bengal gram and coriander to a smooth paste using very little water. Take the yogurt in a bowl. Add the ground paste, salt to taste and whisk till well combined. Add about 1/2 cup water to thin it. Do not thin it down too much or the flavor will be lost.


Heat the oil for the tempering. Add the mustard seeds. When it sputters, add the urad dal, saute till it turns a golden color. Add the curry leaves, hing, saute for a few seconds. Pour this over the yogurt gravy, mix. Serve with hot rice. This is a preferred accompaniment to Matodi Palya.

The consistency of the gravy is meant to be neither thick nor very thin. 1 teaspoon Bengal gram works fine for this proportion, add another teaspoon if you prefer more thickness. Keep the gravy refrigerated or it will turn sour.