Shavige Uppittu/ Vermicelli Upma

This is again a special ‘fasting day’ recipe. It was not one of my favorites till I discovered how easy it was to prepare this dish. It makes a super fast breakfast or a quick meal. Traditionally the Shavige or the rice vermicelli is made right at home. But it is a labour intensive process. I remember my grand mother used to make fresh rice vermicelli, divide it into half, turn one half into this savory uppittu and the other half would be devoured with enormous quantities of Kai-Haalu or a sweet coconut sauce. She used to make this elaborate breakfast when all of us visited her for the vacation. I still remember my uncle manning the Shavige mould. It was a difficult job for the women folk, so it fell upon my youngest uncle (who was then a mint-fresh bachelor doctor). It must have been a very good for his biceps!! The mould was awfully tight. Though today’s technical improvement has lead to the emergence of many easy to use moulds, it is just so much less fun with fewer mouths to feed and fewer kids screaming in the yard

We will need,
Rice Shavige/ iddiyapam/Vermicelli ½ lb
Oil 2 tbsp
Mustard ¼ tsp
Urad dal 1 tsp
Channa Dal 1 tsp
Peanuts 2 tsp
Green chillies 4-5 (according to taste)
Curry leaves 8-10
Hing a dash
Coconut 2 tbsp grated (optional)
Lemon juice 1 tbsp (or to taste)
Salt

Method:

• Soak the vermicelli in hot water till it softens, that is about a 7-10 minutes and drain. Else follow the instruction on the packet.
• Heat oil in a Kadai. Throw in the mustard seeds, hing, curry leaves in quick succession with an interval of say 10-15 seconds between each.
• Throw in the green chillies, the dals and peanuts. Toss and stir till the dals are golden in colour.
• Now reduce the heat and toss the coconut if using and lemon juice. Throw in the drained vermicelli, adjust salt. Toss well and serve hot.

Gojjavalakki/ Tamarind Poha

We Hindus fast on certain days of the calendar like Ekadashi the 11th day of the hindu fortnight (Krishna & Sukla Paksha or the two weeks following new moon and full moon respectively), the fourth day of the fortnight also known as Sankasta Chaturthy, Srikrishna Janmastami, Shiva Ratri etc. Fasting like many parameters in our religion can take up different meanings, I guess mostly based on personal convenience! (This is the best part of being a Hindu, you define your religion and practices, very personalized) So fasting can mean anything between complete fasting, no food, no fluids to a semi-feasting which will include sweets, fruits and cereal preparations. Somewhere in between are special sweet and savoury fasting dishes make of Avalakki/Poha,, Semolina etc. The savoury ones generally do not contain either onions or Garlic but can be very tasty and flavourful. One such dish is Gojjavalakki. It is often served as a Prasada in temples in southern Karantaka




We will need

Poha 1 cup
Water 1 cup + a little more
Tili Saaru Pudi/ Sambar Power 1 tsp (adjust according to taste)
Tamarind extract 1 tsp
Jaggery 2 tsp grated (more if you like it sweeter)
Salt to taste
Oil 2 tbsp
Dry red chillies 4-5
Curry leaves 8-10
Peanuts ¼ cup
Channa Dal 1 tsp
Urad dal 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds ¼ tsp
Hing a Dash

Method:

• In a blender or a food processor, grind the Poha into a coarse powder. Set it aside.
• Combine water, Tili Saaru Pudi, tamarind extract, salt and jaggery. Mix well thoroughly. If you have problem dissolving the jaggery, just pop the mixture into the microwave for about 20 seconds and it will dissolve in a jiffy. Taste the mixture. The balance of flavors should be right. Adjust the ingredients accordingly.
• Mix the coarse Poha powder in the mixture. Set it aside for at least 15 minutes.Once the Poha powder has absorbed all of the mixture, fluff it up with a fork.
• Heat oil in a Kadai. Throw in the mustard seeds, hing, curry leaves and the chillies. Once the spluttering stops, throw in the peanuts, channa dal and urad dal.
• Once the dals are fragrant and golden brown, throw in the fluffed up Poha mixture. Give it a good toss. Cook for a few minutes and remove from heat.
• Serve hot or at room temperature with a dollop of thick curds
  

Ragi Rotti / Ragi Roti

Ragi is one of the ancient grains, native to Africa but very popular in Karnataka. It has been consumed for a long time and has remained popular even though evolving food pattern and changing tastes and preference over the past 4-5 decades seem to ignore mi’!! Surprising is it not that the most nutritious millets (including foxtail/Navane, finger/Ragi, Bajra/Sajje, Sorgum/Jola) should all be included in this category of ‘coarse cereal’ in India, which makes it sound inferior to Rice and Wheat. Should not we have a name that is more dignified and sort of sounds more respectful towards to under appreciated foods??
Well the nomenclature apart, I love millets, all of them. In fact Ragi happens to be one of my favourite cereals. I simply cannot get enough of Ragi. When my mother asks me what I would like to eat for break fast, the answer would be a straight –Ragi Rotti. In fact my sister would get really pissed of with me for this, more so when I used to return home for vacations during my university days. Needless to say she is not a big fan of Ragi. Apart from all the health benefits from Ragi, we should also remember that it is a far less resource intensive than say Rice or Wheat and can be cultivated under rain-fed conditions. There used to be drought resistant breeds of Ragi long back which I am not sure exist anymore.
I guess I can go on reams and reams over my love affair with Ragi. I should probably get back to the recipe part of it.



We will need,

Ragi flour 1 cup Scant
Water 1 cup
Avarekalu/ Lilva beans ¼ cup tender ones
or Dill chopped ¼ cup
Onion 2 tbsp finely chopped (optional)
Curry leaves a handful chopped
Green Chillies 5-6 chopped (adjust according to taste)
Jeera ½ tsp
Fresh Coriander a handful chopped
Salt
Oil as required (about ¼ cup)

Method:

• In a thick bottomed pot, bring a cup of salted water to a rolling boil.Dump the flour into the water, mix is slightly and close the lid.Cook on low heat for about 3-4 minutes and switch off the heat.Once the flour is cool enough to handle, stir in all the other ingredients except oil.
• Knead the dough till it comes together nicely. In case the dough is too tight or dry, heat some more water and mix it right into the dough. If it is too soft ( the chances are remote with this measurement :) ), add Ragi flour by the spoon fulls till the dough is pliable.
• Divide the dough into 4 parts (according to preference). Roll each part into small balls.
• Take a plastic sheet or a piece of wax paper. If using plastic sheets, grease the sheet with oil.
• Place a dough ball in the centre of the plastic sheet/ wax paper. Grease your finger and start rolling the ball out into flat breads from the centre reaching the edges. Keep stretching the dough out till the flat bread is uniform in thickness resembles and has a thickness of about 1/6 of an inch.
• Heat a griddle/ tawa. Gently place the rolled out flat bread on the hot tawa and peel off the plastic/wax paper. This needs to be done pretty fast to avoid the plastic melting over the tawa!! Else gently slide the roti onto your hand and transfer it to the hot tawa. (My preferred way)
• Cook covered for about 3 minutes. Flip and cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Remove from heat and serve hot with some ghee and chutney of your choice.
  

Tondekai Palya Ver.2/ Sauteed Ivy Gourd

Tondekai is one of my favourite vegetables. In fact it is my long time desire to have the creeper in my yard so that I can revive our childhood practice of plucking them off the vine just before tucking them into our tiny mouths. It is not too versatile that it is limited to Huli, Palya and Gojjus. But there can be a variety of Palyas. I have already posted one version here . This version is a much simpler version which goes well with Dal/ Huli or curries. I love it because of its crunch and because it is very easy particularly suitable for a busy week night meal.



We will need,

Tondekai/ Tendli 1 Lb
Green Chillies 4-5 slit
Coconut 2 tbsp grated
Oil 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds ¼ tsp
Jeera ¼ tsp
Urad Dal 1 tsp
Channa Dal 1 tsp
Curry leaves 8-10
Fresh Coriander a handful chopped
Turmeric a pinch
Hing a dash
Salt

Method:

• Wash and pat dry the Tondekai. Remove the tops and tails and slit length wise into fours. Set it aside.
• Heat oil in a Kadai. Throw in the Mustard seeds and jeera.
• Once they stop spluttering add the Urad and Channa dals. Stir for a minute till they are golden in colour.
• Toss in the green chillies and curry leaves. Once they stop spluttering add coconut stir the mixture.
• Now throw in the cut vegetable and toss them well. Cover and cook till tender but still has a crunch to it.
• Finish with coriander and salt.
• Serve hot with rice and dal/ Huli of your choice
  

Dumrot / Kashi Halwa/ Ash Gourd Halwa

Dumrot or Kashi Halwa is this decadent dessert that is also a standard feature in Kannada wedding feasts. It is mostly served with Idli and Pongal for breakfast and I love such a lavish breakfast spread. But otherwise it is a mostly made as offerings for gods during festivals and special occasions. In my place, this is one of the offerings made during the 9 days Navaratri/Dasara festival when we are supposed to make offerings twice a day all 9 days. But this time around I made it Janmastami. Because I was quite bored with just the used raveunde, Hesarunde, Chakkli, Karjikai etc.. This dish is one of the easiest to make and I love it for this. It is also a a great fit for Janmastami for the recipe calls for Cream and Milk and Ghee all of which were Lord Krishna's favorite foods..



Ash Gourd 2 lbs or about 2 cups grated and drained and squeezed thoroughly
Sugar 1 1/2 cups more if you like it sweeter. (I use 2 cups if I am serving my FIL)
Whole Milk 1 cup
Cream 1/2 cup
Ghee a little over 1/4 Cup
Saffron a few strands soaked in 2 tbsp warm milk
Raisins 1/4 cup fried in ghee.


Method:

1. Heat the ghee in a think bottomed pan. I generally use my small cooker. It is somehow perfect for this kind of recipes.
2. Throw in the grated and squeezed Ash Gourd. Toss well and cook till the vegetable is almost transparent.
3. Now throw in the remaining ingredients. Cook till the mixture thickens to a jam like consistency. Finis with the raisins. Serve warm

P.S: A note on the cream.
I prefer to use home made cream, (cream that has been accumulated for a couple of days or so.) the cream that is sold in supermarkets tends be have a higher percentage of fat and a lower percentage of milk solids that the texture of the finished dish gets altered to a great extent and definitely not to my liking. Also if Khoa is available, grated khoa can be used instead of cream. That gives the dish a better finish.

Sending it out to FIL Milk . Dedicating this dish to my Honey.. He loves the dish. It had once happened during Dasara festival that I had as usual prepared this dish and had placed it in front of the deities as offering. Half an hour past the pooja, I see the offering is all gone.. My Honey then started blaming stray cats. We all knew which was that cat. So it is for him

Janamastami

Hearty Janmastami wishes to all. Today is the commemoration of Lord Krishna's birthday. Very auspicious day. The day is generally marked by fasting and mid night prayers. This year I am not fasting. But yes tried to keep away from rice, onions and garlic. The obvious choice on such days will be something with Avalakki/beaten rice/ poha. So dished up some Gojjavallakki, Kashi Halwa, Shavige Uppittu and Kai halu. Honey will not be home for dinner. So it is just me and I am not complaning :)
All the recipes will follow shortly.


For now, dear Lakshmi has tagged me, so here it is.

1. What is your current obsession?
Research and food…Trying to combine both :)
2. What are you wearing today?
A cotton wrap skirt and a linen blouse
3. What’s for dinner?
It is Janmastami therefore Gojjavalakki and Kashi Halwa
4. What’s the last thing you bought?
Haldiram’s Rasgolla
5. What are you listening to right now?
Birds chirping out in the yard
6. What do you think about the person who tagged you?
Lakshmi is a wonderful person. She encouraged me when I started my blog and of course her blog ‘taste of Mysore’ is like my go-to-recipe-reference!!
7. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?
J.P.Nagar, Bangalore!! I am pretty specific about J.P.Nagar
8. What are your must-have pieces for summer?
Cotton sleeveless blouses, Jeans (for all season), cotton dresses.
9. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
Home, Maddur or Bangalore.
10. Which language do you want to learn?
Sanskrit ..or may be Spanish
11. What’s your favourite quote?
Live and let live; If only we all appreciated the quote enough, the world would have been a better place today.
12. Who do you want to meet right now?
My sister
13. What is your favourite colour?
Yellow
14. What is your favourite piece of clothing in your own closet?
Black skirt (Lycra Spandex mix) and my Maroon top.. (That’s what Honey saw me in for the first time and here we are today )
15. What is your dream job?
Consultant Economist, researching on an array of problems ..
16. What’s your favourite magazine?
Economist, Reader’s Digest, Science Reporter, Kurukshetra and Yojana, Sudha (when available)
17. If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?
I did stash it away in my bank
18. What do you consider a fashion faux pas?
Faux Pas…. copycat clothes that’s ill fitting and those that makes absolutely no sense to wear just because some Celebrity or some fancy designer promoted the wear.. Unseasonal dresses…
19. Who are your style icons?
My sister, she carries off anything and everything with the grace of a real princess…
20. Describe your personal style.?
Comfortable and youngish
21. What are you going to do after this?
Continue reading ‘Satanic Verses’
22. What are your favourite movies?
Roman Holiday, Casablanca, Lamhe, Half Ticket, Beladingala Bale, Eradu Kanasu etc… mostly feel good comedies and oldies.
24. What are three cosmetic/makeup/perfume products that you can't live without?
Neutrogena Mineral Sheer Powder Foundation, L’Oreal infallible eye liner and C O Bigelow lip gloss.
23. What inspires you?
Success, Talent and Achievement
24. Give us three styling tips that always work for you:
Accessories, scarves, chunky jewellery and little make-up
25. What do you do when you “have nothing to wear” (even though your closet’s packed)?
Close my closet and tell myself thrice that I have all that I need in the world!! It works.
26. Coffee or tea?
Neither.. how about some frooti…
27. What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed?
Forage the fridge
28. What is the meaning of your name?
Smile
29. Which other blogs you love visiting?
All those that I follow
30. Favorite Dessert/Sweet?
Rasgulla, Kashi Halwa, Kaju Burfi, Holige, Chocolate, Indian-style ice cream….
31. Favorite Season ?
Spring
32) If I come to your house now, what would u cook for me?
Today is Janmastami, so it is going to be Phalahara or just some fruits, some sweets and may be Avalakki…

My addition to the list of questions is,
33) What is your favourite snack?
Chickpea vada!!!!

Passing it on to
Deesha of Vegetable platter,
Paru of Brindavan ..
Vanamala of Nalapak
Gayatri of Gayarti's adigemane
Archana of Archy's recipe book

Garam Masala

A very important spice blend in our pantry is Garam Masala. Aromatic, floral and powerful, this particular blend adds a zing to most North-Indian, Punjabi dishes. I have been making my own Garam Masala for quite some time. One reason why my recipes call for such small quantities of Garam Masala. However, the quantity will need to be increased if using the store brought version. I am unhappy with the store brought version because they are mostly a combination of cumin and coriander and much less other floral spices that actually make dishes fragrant. It is indeed very simple to make and a little goes a long way. In fact the quantity mentioned below lasts me for more than 4-5 months :)
This is also a versatile blend. I know we have our favorite spices, not-so-favored spices and cannot-stand-spices. Honey for instance hates cloves, I for instance cannot take too much of cardamom. This blend therefore can be altered according to ones taste. I am after a couple of tries, we will end up with out perfect version of Garam Masala. I did after a couple of attempts and this is my favorite version from my test kitchen!!

Also Garam Masala especially the home made kinds should be used almost at the very end of the cooking process;overcooked spices sort of smell acrid and I hate it. Most store brought varieties withstand rigorous cooking because they are more of a coriander-cumin mixture than a combination of delicate floral spices.



This makes about a few tablespoon fulls. But it does last a long time. I store it in a tiny glass jar with a tight fitting lid. In fact the lib is so tight that when I open it there is a whiff of all wonderful spices seducing my nose !!!

Cardamom pods 1 tbsp
Cloves 2 tbsp
Cinnamon 2 tbsp
Cumin 1 tsp
Pepper corns 1/2 tbsp
Star Anaise 1
Maratha Moggu 1

Method:

• Heat a small pan. Toast the cardamom pods till fragrant. Set aside to cool
• Toast all the other spices one by one till fragrant. Set aside to cool.
  
• Shell the cardamom and separate the seeds. Discard the shells.
• Combine all the spices in a coffee blender and blend till the mixture resembles the texture of fine sooji. I prefer mine to be on the coarse, Somehow when the spices are ground very fine, they somehow tend to loose their aroma.

Store it in a small jar with a tight fitting lid.
Enjoy

Dahi wali Saag Panner/ Spinach & Cottage Cheese in Yogurt Sauce

Summers on the east coast is lovely. The trees are lush green, the lawns emerald and flowerbeds colorful. The air is filled with the smell of grass and the chirping of the sparrows, blue bird, robin, black birds and numerous other birds.. So much to look around and so little time. This summer has been pretty mild, yet I have been preferring lighter, cooler foods than our normal fare. Tambli has become a favorite, I am making it often. Along with it, I have been experimenting with other yogurt based dishes that are lighter and cooler as well. This is what I ended up the other day. Me and Honey both loved it. What was meant for two meals, disappeared right at lunch :) So I guess it was good.



Here is what we need,

Spinach 1/2 lb washed and chopped
Onion 1 medium diced
Tomato 1 medium diced
Ginger 1/2 tsp scant grated
Garlic 1/2 tsp scant granted
Chilli powder 1 tsp (adjust according to taste, Mine is not too hot this time around)
Garam Masala 1/4 tsp (more if it is ready made)
Panner 1/2 lb cubed and fried
Yogurt 1 cup (Use non-fat, low fat, anything of your choice)
Oil 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Heat oil in a Kadai. Throw in the cumin seeds.
2. Once the cumin stops spluttering, throw in the onions. Cook till translucent.
   
3. Throw in the ginger and garlic puree. Toss the vegetables a few times till the raw garlic smell disappears.
   
4. Throw in the chilli powder and the diced tomatoes . Cook till the tomatoes are mushy.
5. Add the Spinach. Cook uncovered for all the liquid to evaporate.
   
6. Now toss in the Panner. Mix gently, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes till the Panner is spongy and flavourful.
   
7. Turn off the heat.
   
8. Now beat the yogurt well. Stir in the yogurt into the spinach- Panner mixture. Adjust salt.
9. Serve warm or at room temperature with Pulkas or a choice of bread.

Spicy potatoes

Potatoes were not something I liked much as a child. Unlike my sister who is a big potato eater, I liked potatoes only if they were highly seasoned, spicy and fried.. Over these years I have come to appreciate the vegetable better. There was a time however during my years in the hostel and immediately afterward, that I had banned potatoes in Mom kitchen as well as mine! Now I have started to use them again and of course in a lot more creative ways than before.
This is one such dish. We had it as a side dish the other day.



We will need,

Potatoes 1/2 lb cubed
Olive oil 1/4 C
Chilly Powder 1 tsp (adjust according to taste)
Capsicum 1 medium diced
Cumin powder 1/4 tsp
Garlic 1 clove diced up fine.
Vinegar 2 tbsp
Salt
Pepper to taste
Mint leaves a handful

Method:

1. Heat oil in a thick bottomed saute pan.
   
2. Toss in potatoes. Coat well with oil and saute it on medium high heat till they are browned at the bottom.
3. Stir to make sure they brown well on all sides.
4. Mix the vinegar, chilly powder and cumin powder. Set it aside.
5. When the potatoes are cooked half way through, toss in the chopped garlic, diced capsicum and the spice-vinegar mixture.
   
6. Mix well. Sprinkle the mint leaves, salt and pepper and cover. Cook on a low heat till the potatoes are fork tender.

Serve as a side dish with rotis or paranthas.

Spinach Tambli/ Spinach in Buttermilk Sauce

Tambli is a cold, yogurt based accompaniment to rice. However, it is not popular amongst the folks from the interior plains! The unfamiliarity of the dish is portrayed pretty well in the Kannada movie 'Galipata' -the Kite. In the movie the hero visits his friend's family somewhere in Malenad region and is unable to identify the dish. He likes it but asks his hostess to serve him the 'green colour oil paint' kind of emulsion. It was funny. It is indeed what happened with us when we were eating at a friend's wedding. In this particular wedding that took place in Sirsi, they were serving all sort of strange food !!! Something called Kashaya instead of beverages, (a potion which is given to us when we are kids) then Mosaravalakki for breakfast!! (that is our fasting foods), then the feast itself. We did not know what to expect and we filled our stomach half way through the feast and regretting it later. I wish we had know to take it slow, or may be we had someone familiar with such feasts to guide us. But then it is history. The next time we are invited for a wedding in that part of the world, I am sure to do a better job.




For the Tambli, actually local greens are widely used like Amaranth etc. But we hardly find it in markets here. So had to do with what ever is available on hand- in short, spinach.

Spinach 1/2 lb
Coconut 1/4 c
Green chillies 1
Ginger 1/2 " piece about 1/2 tsp if grated
Curry leaves 8-10
Oil 1 tsp
Hing a dash
Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp
Dry red chilly 2 beak into pieces
Buttermilk 2 cups or yogurt 1 cup

Method:

1. Wash and drain the spinach well. Chop it coarsely and pop it in the microwave for a few minutes till cooked but vibrant green in colour.
2. Alternately, Cook the spinach with little water on stove top. Set aside and cool
   
3. Combine the cooled spinach, coconut, ginger and green chillies in a blender and blend it till smooth.
   
4. Whisk the buttermilk well. If using yogurt, beat it well and combine it with a cup of water and beat it into a homogeneous mixture.
5. Combine the spinach puree and the buttermilk/yogurt.
6. To make the oggarane/tadka, heat oil in a pan. Throw in the hing, mustard seeds, curry leaves and dry red chillies. Once the spluttering stops, pour over the spinach buttermilk mixture. Adjust salt.
   
7. Serve it with rice.
   

This goes out to the RCI Udupi Mandalore hosted by Sia, started by
Lakshmi .

Bolu huli

When the RCI -Mangalore- Udupi event was announced, I was all excited. In fact I had wanted to do something in this direction myself. My cousin was actually giving me ideas to host events to highlight the regional culinary diversity of Karnataka. This is a perfect platform for one such cuisine.
The problem however is the common features of cuisines from the Karavali and the Bayaluseeme. There are several dishes like Huli, Tovve, Kosambari, Palya/Upakari, Gojju/Menasinakai which are common to both the regions. Looking up for something unique from that region was indeed quite an adventure. Besides, there is a lot of variations in the food habits of people hailing from the region. There are at least four major sub currents in this region, mostly depending on the community.

• Bunts -a major community speaking Bunt-Tulu are non-vegetarian and they prepare some amazing Gassis using Chicken and fish viz Kori gassi and Kane Gassi. In fact our erstwhile Bunt tennat used to go 100 kilometers every Sunday to fetch their 'Halwa-piece' Kane- the lady fish. That was my introduction to Mangalorean cusine I guess. Their fish fries are amazing. Fresh mackerels, sardines lightly coated with a spice mixture made of ground dry red chillies, coriander, black pepper, rice and shallow fried to be crisp. Then of course the Gangi anna/boiled rice with pickles and a palya. My mother used to get the starch water they discard after draining the Gangi rice to starch my school uniforms (this was before the era of instant starches available these days :) Since my father works for a Bank with a lot of people from this community we had some wonderful friends and they always surprised with one their culinary specialities. But now I could not quite get in touch with any of them to borrow some recipes. I have this on my agenda now. For extra info, Aishwarya Rai and Shilpa Shetty, Sunil Shetty belong to this community. They also operate a large number of Udupi restaurants and of late high end restaurants especially in Mumbai.
  
• Konkanis, mostly made of Gauda Saraswats, Chitpavans speaking the Konkani language, whoes cuisine is closer is Maharastrian cuisine than to the local one. Originally from Konkan region, they dispersed in waves to escape the persecution of the Islamic rulers and Portugese hundreds of years ago carrying with them their language, tradition and cuisine. The GSBs make generous use of spices including onions, garlic and consume sea food/fish. Some of their delicacies include Dali thoy, various ambats and sukkes.
  
• Shivalli Madhwa Bramhins : They are the custodians of the Udupi Krishna temple and speak Udupi-tulu which is a dialect different from the Bunt-tulu. They are renowned for their excellent culinary skills. In fact there was an era not too long ago when hotel boards announced that the cooks were Shivalli bramhins. It used to say "Bramhanara Upahara Mandira (Shivalli bramhanaru)". Dietary restrictions including a ban on onions, garlic, bringal most vegetables that were exotic in the context of Ayurveda. (Which means 80% of the vegetables on a super market shelf today) meant that these eateries were the safest places to eat for orthodox people away from home. They were originally the chefs who dished out all the Udupi hotel/Darshini foods. Their domination was complete till recent years. In fact even today they are specifically selected to cook feasts for weddings and other auspicious occasions. We had a team of Shivalli bramhins cook the feast during my sister's wedding. My god! what a fabulous time we had. I ate like crazy and tried to replicate their 'Saaru' and needless to say failed repeatedly. Each and every dish was fantastically prepared with a lot of love and devotion. My tongue is slightly partial to this sub-cuisine from the region. Ah! if only I had had enough time with those cooks at the wedding that I would have asked them for culinary tips.
  
• Roman Catholic: Mangalore also has a small Christian population with their own style of cooking. I do not actually know much about their food habit. I only remember the dinner we were invited to when I was a very young. My father's colleague invited our family for dinner. He was Mr Rai. We went to their place and as we moved to the dining hall for the dinner, my mom noticed a big frame of Jesus and a couple of candles. She was shocked. I still remember it took her a while to realise that she was about to feed in a non-Hindu household for the first time in her entire life!! But Mrs Rai was very sweet. I guess my mother was to go through a lot more 'shocking' experiences later on in her life and now she will eat anything vegetarian except snake gourd, any where without much qualms. I cannot not say the same of my grand mother though. She still remains suspicious of all store brought foods, including bakery biscuits :) I guess she is too old to change.
  

So for the RCI event itself I had a choose something that was truly unique to the region. Not something like Mosaravalakki, tovve, kosambari... But something unique. I had to fall back on Krishnaveni and Sushma for reference. I finalized on making Bolu huli. Bolu huli literally means bald huli. I am not sure if it is the absence of dal or coconut that make this version of huli bald. may be someone can enlighten me on this.



We will need,

Baby eggplants 2 cubed
Yellow Cucumber 1 large cubed
Green chillies 3-4
Saarina pudi 1 tsp (Substitute chilly powder)
Turmeric 1/4 tsp
Tamarind paste 1/2 tsp
Jaggery 11/2 tbsp crushed.
Ghee 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves 8-10
Hing a generous dash

Method:

• Combine the cubed eggplants and cucumbers in a pressure cooker or a thick bottomed pot with turmeric and a drop of oil. Cook till tender but not mushy.
• Throw in the Saaru pudi, jaggery and tamarind. Bring it to a gently boil. Simmer till the flavors combine.
• Prepare the oggarane/tadka. Heat ghee in a small pan. Throw in the mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves. Once fragrant pour over the vegetable-spice mixture, adjust salt and turn off the heat.
• Serve hot with rice.

This is my entry to the RCI started by lakshmi, Mangalore-Udupi event hosted by Supriya.

Eggplant Stew

Mediterranean cuisine is so much closer to our own than I had ever expected. Similar techniques, similar spices makes it one of the closest cousins of our food. I got hold of a couple of books from the library on the subject and of course found some interesting recipes. One of them was the Eggplant stew. I sort of tweaked on of the recipes to accommodate things in my pantry. I liked it and Honey loved it. We had it for dinner with rice and packed the leftovers for Honey's lunch.



We will need

Eggplant/Brinjals 2 small (baby eggplants)
Masoor Dal/Lentils 1/2 c (Soak over night)
Tomato 1 giant
Onion 1 small
Garlic 2 cloves
Dhania powder 1 tsp
Chilly powder 1/2 tsp (adjust according to taste)
Turmeric scant 1/4 tsp
Jeera powder 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon powder /2 tsp
Olive oil 3 tbsp
Mint leaves 2 tbsp chopped
Salt
Lemon juice

Method:

1. Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan. Throw in the onions followed by minced garlic.
   Saute till golden.
2. Throw in the chopped Brinjal, saute for a few minutes and throw in all the spice powder.
   
3. Mix well and saute for a few minutes till the masala smells cooked.
4. Throw in the lentils, diced tomatoes and about 2 cups of water.
5. Bring it to a quick boil and simmer till the lentils are tender and all the spiced are cooked.
6. Finish with salt, mint leaves and a dash of lemon juice. Check before adding the lemon juice. Sometimes the tomatoes are tart and in that case, Lemon juice is entirely optional.
7. Serve hot with rice and Boondi mixture

Sending it to the FIL Brinjal . Thanks a lot Nithya for letting me know. Dedicating this dish to my Honey for he is the one who gets to eat what ever comes out of my kitchen, and because he is sporty enough to try new tastes.

Urad Dal

For some reason I never thought of making Urad dal as a main course dish. The legume was reserved for Idlis and Dosas, nothing less and nothing more. But last time when I visited my friend in Bangalore, she was telling me about her postpartum sojourn with her north Indian mother-in-law. Apparently the MIL was dishing up Urad dal every day as it is considered good for new moms. I was horrified but at the same time curious as well. I had to give it a try.
To be on the safer side I did not do the simpler basic dal, instead took the longer route because I was not convinced that this dal was fit to be consumed this way.
The results were not bad. Honey liked it. I was OK with it but definitely not something I did dish up thrice a week. May be it is a good way to use up the dal if it is sitting on your pantry self for too long.


We will need,

Urad Dal 1/2 C (Split and hulled variety )
Tomato 1 small diced
Onion 1 small diced
Turmeric 1/4 tsp
Ginger 1 tsp chopped
Chilly powder 1 tsp
Dhania powder 1 tsp
Ghee 2 tsp
Hing a generous pinch
Jeera 1/2 tsp
Kasoori Methi 1 tbsp
Salt and lime juice

Method:

• Wash the urad dal in plenty of water several times. Combine it with turmeric, water, ginger in a pressure cooker and cook till soft. (That is one whistle in my cooker) Set it aside.
  
• Heat the ghee in a pan. Throw in the Jeera, hing.
  
• Once the spluttering stops, add the onion. Fry till golden. Throw in the chilly powder, dhania powder. Stir briskly for a couple of minutes and add the diced tomatoes.
  
• Scrap the bottom of the pan and crush the tomatoes as you cook.
  
• Once the tomatoes are mushy, remove from fire and mix it with the cooked dal.
  
• Reheat the dal and finish with some kasoori methi. Serve with rice or roti. We had it with Brinjal potato curry on the side

This goes out to MLLA 13 started by Susan