Yet another copy cat!

Folks yet another copy cat. But this time, it is a discussion form not a food blog as such.
There is this forum askamma /askagent where someone requested for ennegai recipe. One response is a URL for my blog. Such responses are welcome. The next response by some lady called Neeraja Naveen who also charges money for such advice, come to my blog as directed by the previous respondent and searches for an ennegai recipe, ends up with my Brussel Sprouts recipe, unscrupulously copies my recipe and posts it as her advice. How smart? Very nice way of posting advices. She might as well post an advice as to 'how-to-google-up-stuff-and -claim-it -as-your -own' .... Copy cat.

Copycat they not only lack scruples but also basic netiquettes. Looks like they feel everything google-searched is their own property! Shame on such people. It is like a chimp wandering into my kitchen all muddy and dirty, encroaching my space and having the liberty to call it his own. Grrrh!!! If only there was a way to banish all such lawless, junglee creatures back to where they deserve to be.

Bloggers take note and of course make sure your contents have not met the same fate.

Menasinakai bajji/ Jalapeno Fritters

For all Kannadigas (north, south, coastal...)there are few endearing foods that are very close to heart. We all love them with equal passion. One such food is Menasinakai - aka Menasina kai Bajji -Mirchi Bajji. The nomenclature differs, in south Karnataka it is called Menasinakai bajji, in central Karnataka it is called Menasinakai, in the northern part it is called Mirchi bajji. Again the way it is relished is also different. In south, it is rather stand alone, we just eat them without any accompaniments! or eat it with a small salad like sprinkling of carrots, onion, lime juice and some masala. In the central and northern parts it is relished with Churmuri- Mandakki oggarane/ Puri oggarane/Mandoli vagani or Pav. My cousin who was raised in Bellary which is sort of north-central part of Karnataka, is a big foodie as well. Well I should say every one in my family are true foodies, we all compete with each other for the top spot. I wonder who will eventually win. (May be my grandfather, no one can beat his age :)) So each one us being very particular about how a dish should taste, it is a hard job to please every one of us!! My mom, my cousin, my sister are few people who mostly end up pleasing all of us. Me on the other hand, can be very highly rated, or very poorly rated. I lack the consistency. May be in these two years, my skills have indeed improved! I will get to test it this time when I head back home.

Coming back to my cousin, he is an armature photographer has clicked some wonderful pictures. He is very lucky that his work involves a lot of traveling and he gets pictures from places far and wide. You can find some of his work here. Here is a sample of his work! Man I was drooling the minute I saw this picture... The bajjis looks absolutely mouth watering.



Also, this is what he had to say about the lick smaking goodie.

"... Menashinkai as we call it and love to eat it with Pav, Mandoli(Churmuri as you would call it) and the our fav. Mandoli vagani ( you should eat this on the road side, just yummmY)....."

One version of the recipe is here.

Khanavali Part 5: Madike Kal Palya

Now for the last part of Khanavali series. The madike Kal Palya. Unlike the Huli/dal/Sambar meals, this meal till now has no protein component apart from the yogurt. So generally north Kannadigas do have a lentil in their meal, mostly raw salads or sparsely cooked palya. This is a sprouted Moth dal Palya.

You will need,
Sprouted Moth/ Madike Kal 1/5 cups
Khara Masale 1 tbsp
Onion medium 1 chopped
Coconut powder (coconut paste) 3 tbsp
Green chillies 2-3
Garlic 2 cloves
Curry leaves 5-6
Oil 2 tsp
Hing a dash
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Jeera 1/2 tsp
Fresh Coriander a handful
Salt to taste
Lime juice to taste

Method

• Heat oil. Throw in the mustard seeds, Jeera, Hing and curry leaves.
  
• Once the spluttering stops, toss in the chopped onions, grated garlic and chillies.
  
• Cook till the onions are soft.
• Now throw in the moth dal. Add the khara masale, coconut and about half a cup of water.
• Cover and cook till the moth dal is tender but still firm. (al dente!)
• Adjust salt and sqeeze some lime juice, finish with fresh coriander.
  
• Serve with hot Jowar rottis!

Khanavali Part 4 -Ennegai/ Stuffed Eggplant/Aubergines/Brinjal

This is yet another version of Ennegai. No wonder, eggplant being a native vegetable to India, we have cultivated so many different ways of cooking it! It is such a tragedy that Indian government has given a go ahead for the field trails of genetically modified brinjal/Egg Plants. Never know what will be the consequence! If BT cotton is of any indication, there will be more tragedy to follow..That is for another day, perhaps I will turn yet another blind eye on another impending catastrophe.
But now for the ennegai.


Brinjal/ Eggplants 6 small
Onion medium 1 chopped
Butter 1 tbsp
Oil 1 tsp
Jeera 1 tsp
Mustard 1 tsp
Peanuts 2 tbsp
Curry leaves 8-10
Tamarind Paste 3/4 tsp
Jaggery 1" piece
Khara Masala entire quantity mentioned except 1 tbsp
Hing a dash
Salt to taste.

Method:

• Toast peanuts. Cool and grind them into a smooth power using a coffee grinder.
• Mix the ground peanuts with the Khara Masale. Set it aside
• Make two perpendicular slits on the eggplants starting from the tip running all the way up to a centimeter from the stalk. Make sure the stalk still hold the vegetable together.
• Stuff the Khara masale and peanut mixture generously into the egg plant.
  
• Heat a thick bottomed pan with a tight fitting lid.
  
• Drop the butter and oil. Toss in the mustard seeds, Jeera, hing and curry leaves. Once the spluttering stops, add the onions. Cook till they are soft.
• Now gently place the stuffed egg plants in a single layer on the bed of onions. Cover and cook for five minutes. Turn them over after five minutes.
• Once the skin of the egg plant has turned darker, add the tamarind, 1 cup of water, jaggery, salt (remember the khara masale already has some salt!). Simmer till the egg plants are soft
• Serve hot with Jowar rotti!
  

Khanavali Part 3 -Jowar Rotti/ Pearl Millet Flatbread

Jowar roti or Jolada rotti in Kannada, it sounds very complicated for a southern Kannadiga, just like Ragi mudde would for northern Kannadigas! Never mind the awe and fear, much like Math in class seven, can be easily overcome. It is not much different from Akki/Rice Rotti at all. Just needs a little more love and a lot more kneeding :)

You will need,
Jowar Flour
Water.
Salt (Sorry folks, could not actually measure it out! Will do it the next time)

Method:

• In a thick bottomed pan with a tight filling lid, boil about 2 cups of salted water.
  
• Add jowar flour stirring constantly with a heavy wooden spatula.
  
• Once the mixture comes together and has absorbed all the water, stop adding flour.
• Cover and cook for five minutes. Turn off the heat and set it aside to cool.
• Once it is cool enough to handle, kneed well, till the dough is smooth and pliable.
  
• Pinch small balls off the dough and roll it out like a roti.
  
• Transfer the roti on to a hot griddle.
  
• When the side starts fluffing up, smear water on the uncooked side of the roti and flip. Cook the other side till done. Serve hot with Ennegai, Junka and kal palya (May be a dollop of butter as well yum!)
  

Khanavali Part 2: Junka

Any Khanavali meal should have this chickpea side dish. It sort of tones down the fiery pungency of the other side dishes served in such places. It is tasty and goes very well with Jowar/ Jolada rotti!



Junka is also known as hittina palya. You will need,

Chick pea flour (Besan/ Kadale hittu) 2 tablespoon
Onion medium minced 1
Green chillies 4 minced
Cilantro/corinader 3 tablespoons fine chopped
Oil 1 tsp
Jeera 1/2 tsp
Mustard 1/2 tsp
salt
lemon juice

Method:

• Heat oil in a thick bottomed pot. Drop the mustard, jeera, green chillies and the onion. Saute till soft.
  
• Add the chickpea flour. Keep stirring vigorously till the raw smell disappears (more or less like making a roux)
  
• Whisk in 1/2 a cup of water, salt and lemon juice. stir till it thickens and resembles scrambled eggs. Turn off the heat
  
• Serve with the Jolada Rotti. This dish somehow neutralizes the spice and heat from the Ennegai and i enjoy the combo like i would the manna from the heaven.