Prawns Ghassi

Ingredients :

• 1 kg medium-sized prawns/shrimps (deveined)
• 3 large onions chopped fine
• 2 cups fresh grated coconut
• 5 dry red chillies
• 2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 1/2 tbsps black peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsps garlic paste
• Salt to taste
• 4 tbsps cooking oil
• Walnut-sized ball of tamarind, soaked in hot water and pulp removedChopped fresh coriander to garnish

Procedure :

• Roast the dry red chillies on a hot pan till they begin to release their aroma.
• Grind all the spices, coconut, 2 of the onions, garlic and tamarind pulp into a smooth, thick paste.
•  Do not add any water while grinding the masala.
• Heat the oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan on a medium flame. Add the remaining onion and fry till golden.
•  Add the wet masala paste and fry, stirring frequently, till the oil begins to separate from the masala.
• Add 1 1/2 cups of hot water to this masala and stir to mix well.
•  Bring to a boil, simmer and add the prawns. 
• Cook for 3 minutes and turn off fire.Garnish with chopped fresh coriander and serve with plain boiled rice.

Kaai vade/ Rice vade

Ingrediants:

1. Par boiled rice/kuchhige akki- 2 cups

2. white rice/Dosa rice/tindi akki-2 cups

3. Half grated coconut

4. Oil to fry

Preparations:

Soak the rice together overnight or for about 4 hrs.

Drain water and grind the rice along with grated coconut. You can add required amount of water  for grinding. Let the dough be slightly coarse. don't grind it to fine paste. It will not give that crispy bite if the dough is too fine.

Add salt to the dough . Now heat the dough over stove, turning repeatedly till dough becomes thick .

Take a clean plastic sheat or banana leaf, wipe oil on the surface.

Take the dough and make round balls and place it on the leaf and press with fingers and make round  patties.

Fry this patties in hot oil on both sides till it turns slightly red.

Serve with chutni or curry. Goes best with chicken sukka.

Mavina Hannina Sasive

Mavina Hannina Sasive is nothing but Ripe-Mango curry. It is a very common dish during summer/mango season. [Picture]

Ingredients: 

• 4 well ripped juicy mangoes
• Green chillies to your taste (2 or more)
• Jaggery/brown sugar – small piece/1 tsp
• Salt
• For seasoning: Oil, Mustard, 1 red chili & curry leaves.

Method: 

1. Wash mangoes well. Peel the mango skin and save it separately with a cup of water added to it.
2. In a think bottom vessel, put the peeled mangoes (along with the pit/seed), place it on the stove at medium-high heat.  
3. Squeeze juice from the skin and add the juice to the mangoes. Discard the skin/rind. 
4. Add slit green chili, salt and jiggery to the mangoes. 
5. Bring the mixture to boil and let it cook for ten more minutes until the mangoes are cooked. 
6. For seasoning: Heat oil, add mustard, red chili and curry leaves; Once mustard start to splatter, pour the mixture over the cooked mango gravy. 

Enjoy warm delicious gravy with rice or chapati

Boodhkumabalakayi Majjige Huli

This curry is good on a hot summer day. Also prepared when there is left over curds or butter milk.

Ingredients:

• Boodh-kumabalakayi/Ash Gourd / white pumpkin - 1/2 kg.
• Buttermilk - 2 to 3 cups
• Salt - to taste
• For masala
• Grated Coconut - 2 tbsp 
• Cumin/Jirige - 1/2 tsp
• Green chillies/Hasimensu - 3 to 4 (or to taste)
• Coriander leaves / Kothambari Soppu - a handful (washed and chopped)
• For seasoning:
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Mustard/Sasive - 1/4 tsp
• Cumin/Jirige - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves/Karibevu - 5 to 6 leaves.
• Asafoetida / Hing - pinch

Method:

1. Remove the seeds and the skin of the kumabalakayi, cut it into inch and a half cubes
2. Transfer the washed kumabalakayi cubes into pressure cooker or steamer. 
3. Add a  cup of water and salt. Let it cook for one whistle and turn it off.
4. Meanwhile grind masala with bit of water (or buttermilk) into paste.
5. Once the pressure is released, add the ground masala to the cooked kumabalakayi and bring it to boil. 
6. Let it boil for 4 to 5 minutes than turn off the heat.
7. Whisk thick curds and water together ,or add buttermilk. 
8. For seasoning: Heat oil, add mustard, cumin, red chili and curry leaves; Once mustard start to splatter, pour the mixture over the curry. 
9. Server warm with rice.

Variation:

• Small piece of ginger may be added while grinding the masala
• 1/2 tbsp soaked Kadale Bele (Bengal Gram) - may be added while grinding the masala.

Limbe Sar

Limbe Sar / Lemon Juice curry is good for new-moms.

Ingredients:

• Lemon juice - 2 (to taste)
• Coconut - 1/2 cup (grated) 
• Cumin/Jirige- 1/2 tsp
• Coriander seed/KothambariBeeja - 1 tsp
• Red Chillies / Onna menasu - 4
• B.Pepper / Kal menasu - 4 to 5
• Turmeric/Haldi -1/2 tsp
• Suger - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• For Seasoning:
• Ghee /Purified Butter - 1 tsp
• Cumin/Jirige - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves/Karibavu - 6 or 7 leaves

Method:

1. Roast jirige, kothambari, OnnaMenasu, KalMenasu and coconut each separately with bit of Ghee/oil.
2. Grind the the roasted ingredients with haldi and water. 
3. Transfer the ground paste to a sauce pan, add water, sugar and salt. Cook it on medium heat
4. Let it for 4 to 5 minutes. 
5. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Amount of lemon juice depends.
6. Seasoning the curry: In a small sauce pan, heat  ghee, add Jirige and Karibavu. Once the leaves stops splattering, pour the whole mixing over the curry.
7. Optional: garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
8. Serve hot with rice and enjoy!

Rave Unde

Ingredients :
  

• Chiroti Rava - 3 cups
• Ghee - 6-7 tsp
• Dried Coconut - 1 cup
• Sugar - 1 and a half cup
• Cardamom - 2
• Raisins and Cashews - half a cup
• Milk - optional

Method :

• Fry Chiroti Rava with ghee.
• Add powdered  : dried coconut (kobbari) , cardamom, sugar to it.
• Add raisins and cashews to the same.
• Make small balls of the above mixture by adding milk in little quantity,if required.
• Rave Unde is ready to eat.

Note : raisins and cashews can be fried in ghee before using for better taste

Savatekaayi Kadabu

Ingredients :

• Grated Cucumber(Savatekaayi)
• Medium Sized Rava - 1 cup
• Coconut (grated) - 1 cup
• Cardamom - 2-3 
• Salt - a pinch
• Jaggery - as per the requirement
• Ghee - 5-6 tsp

Method :

• Fry medium sized rava with ghee till it turns a light brown.
• Thoroughly mix grated cucumber(Savatekaayi), grated coconut, cardamom, jaggery, a litte salt, fried rava. 
• All these ingredients has to be mixed in cucumber water. Kindly note that no extra water here is required as cucumber itself leaves out water.
• Smear a little ghee on a steamer plate.
• Put the above mixture on the steamer plate.
•       Steaming time : 15-20 mins
• Cut them into small pieces
• Savatekaayi Kadabu is ready to eat.

Menthya Ganji

Ingredients :

•  Fenugreek Seeds - 3-4 Spoons
•  Rice - 1 cup
•  Coconut milk - 1 cup
•  Jaggery - as per the requirement
•  Cardamom - 1

Method : 

• Soak Fenugreek Seeds overnight.
• Cook the overnight soaked seeds with rice in a cooker adding water(a little more in quantity).
• Boil the same mixture with coconut milk, jaggery, Cardamom.

Note: Add  ground khus khus for better taste

Chattambade

Chattambade  a.k.a Dhal vada or Masal Vada is easy to make. It may be served as an appetizer, side dish along with rice, or goes well with evening tea. I truly enjoy hot Masal Vada with my evening tea on a rainy day :)

Ingredients:

• Kaddle Bhale /Bengal gram dhal /Chana dhal– 1 cup.
• Finely chopped onions – 1/4 cup.
• Green chillies – 7 ( or to taste) –finely chopped or paste. If you prefer Chilli powder may be used instead of green chillies.
• Crushed ginger – 1 tsp. (Optional)
• Chopped coriander – 2 Tbl.sp.
• Chopped curry leaves – 1 tsp.
• Salt - to taste
• Oil enough for deep frying.

Method:

1. Soak dhal in water for 2 hours ( Tip: if you are short on time, wash Chana dhal and with little water microwave for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove add some more water and let it soak for half an hour)
2. Drain water completely and grind to coarse paste. Say pulse the soaked lentils for 5 to 6 times in the blender. As you will notice in the picture some of the lentils are intact.
3. Add salt and other ingredients and mix it all together.
4. Make lemon sized balls, flatten slightly and deep fry in hot oil. 8 to 10 vadas may be deep fried at a time or till the oil holds depending on the size of the frying pan.
5. Serve hot with coconut or chickpeas chetney.

Variations:

• Grind red chillies, cumin seeds, hing(asafoetida and few small onions together. Mix with ground dhal paste. Add drumstick leaves and aniseed. Make vade as mentioned previously
• Finely chopped mint leaves (puddina) or dill leaves (sabsige soppu) or any other greens may be added.

PICTURE

Sajjige Vade

Sajjige Vade is normally made with leftover Sajjige Rotti dough.

Ingredients:

• Sajjige Rotti dough  - 2 cup
• Sujji/Rava - ½ cup
• Ginger - small piece - minced 
• Asafoetida/hing - a pinch
• Onion - cut into small pieces (optional)
• Salt - If needed

 Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients and keep aside for 5 minutes to let the fresh rava absorb the moisture and spice to form think dough.   
2. Form the dough into small 5 cm diameter sized balls and press it on a plastic sheet to flatten it into  patties.
3. In a frying pan, heat oil and when oil is ready, add each patties carefully and fry until golden brown in color
4. Remove vadas from oil and place them on strainer or paper tissue to remove excess oil.

Enjoy with hot evening tea!!

Sajjige Rotti

This is a breakfast dish. Served with Coconut chetney or sweet pickle.

Ingredients:

• 4 cup Upit/Upma/Wheat Rava (Sujji/Semolina)
• 1 cup grated coconut
• 1 green chilli (finely chopped)
• 1 cup Onion (finely chopped)
• 1 cup Fresh Coriander
• Grated carrot - ½  cup (Optional)
• ½ cup curds
• 1 tsp sugar
• Salt

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and add water until everything is immersed. Mix and keep it aside for 15 minutes.
2. Rava will soak and the batter thickens. If needed add more water so that the batter is easy to handle.
3. Cooking Rawa Roti:
1. Apply oil on hot thawa/griddle
2. Scoop out a big spoon of batter over the griddle and spread.(See picture below)
3. Cover and let it cook for couple of minutes or until the underside is cooked and golden.
4. Turn it over and cook for couple of minutes more
4. Repeat step a to d to make more Rotis

Chicken 65

Ingredients: 

• Chicken (breast pieces is better) - 1 kg
• Onion - 1 small - cut into thin long pieces for garnish
• Turmeric/haldi powder
• Salt
• Ghee
For Masala:
• Garlic - 1 bulb - peeled and cut
• Ginger - 1 inch piece - cut
• Onion - 2 big - cut
• Tamarind/HonseHooli pulp - 1 Tblsp
• Red Chillies - 6 o 7 (according to the taste)
• Funnel Seed/Somp  - 1 tsp
• Cumin/Jeerge - 1 tsp
• Fenugreek/Menthe - ½ tsp
• Coriander seed/Kothumbari beeja - 2 Tblsp 
• B. Pepper/Kalmenisu - 1 tsp
• Poppy Seeds/Gusgase - 1 tsp
• Cinnamon/Dalchin Chekke - 3 pieces
• Cloves/Lavanga - 3

Method: 

1. Clean and cut chicken into 1 to 2 inch pieces. Squeeze out the extra water.  
2. Sprinkle salt and haldi over the chicken.(optional: rub in some lemon juice or vinegar - help tenderize the chicken ). Mix it all and keep it aside to marinate for at-least 10 minutes
3. Make masala ready:Roast all the masala dry ingredients with bit of ghee/oil on a tawa/griddle. 
4. Grind all the masala ingredients in a blender(mixie) to a fine paste.  Keep aside 
5. Pressure cook Chicken pieces with masala - for one whistle.  
6. Once pressure is released, transfer the chicken and masala on to a think bottom tawa/griddle. 
7. Let it cook on medium high (covered if needed) until liquid is observed.
8. Add a spoon of ghee or oil and shallow fry/roast the chicken in the same tawa by gently turning the chicken pieces around. Note: Do not disturb the chicken too much, the pieces will break apart.
9. Once done, turn off the heat and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes before transferring to serving tray. 
10. Garnish with coriander leaves, cut onion and lemon wedges.

Enjoy!!

Chicken Sukka(Dry Curry)

Ingredients: 

• Chicken - 1 kg
• Onion - 2 big - cut into thin long pieces 
• Garlic - 1 bulb - peeled and minced
• Ginger - 1 inch piece - minced
• Tamarind/HonseHooli pulp - 1 Tblsp
• Turmeric/haldi powder
• Salt
• Ghee
For Masala:
• Red Chillies - 6 o 7 (according to the taste)
• Mustard/Sasive  - ½ tsp
• Cumin/Jeerge - ½ tsp
• Fenugreek/Menthe - ½ tsp
• Coriander seed/Kothumbari beeja - 1 ½ Tblsp 
• B. Pepper/Kalmenisu - 1 tsp
• Poppy Seeds/Gusgase - 1 
• Cinnamon/Dalchin Chekke - 2 pieces
• Cloves/Lavanga - 3
• Cardamom/Elachi - 1 pod
• Coconut - Grated from one whole coconut 

Method: 

1. Clean and cut chicken into 1 to 2 inch pieces. Squeeze out the extra water.  
2. Sprinkle salt and haldi over the chicken.(optional: rub in some lemon juice). Mix it all and keep it aside to marinate for at-least 10 minutes
3. Make masala ready:Roast all the masala ingredients with bit of ghee on a tawa/griddle. 
4. Except coconut, grind all the masala ingredients in a blender(mixie) to a fine paste. Add coconut and grind to a course consistency. Keep aside 
5. Put a thick bottom pan, add 2 tsp ghee over medium heat. Add cut onion and fry for couple of minutes. Add minced ginger & garlic to the pan and fry altogether.
6. Add the the chicken pieces to the pan, cover the pan, simmer the fire and cook for about 5 minutes.
7. Add tamarind paste to chicken and let it simmer in the covered pan. (Reduce the tamarind if you had added lemon juice while marinating the chicken)
8. Once chicken is almost cooked, add the masala and a cup of water. Stir all together and cook until done.
9. Garnish with coriander leaves or roasted onion before serving. 

Godhi Laddoo

When it came’s to laddoo,Godhi laddoo is my favorite. Especially the ones my mom makes. It always tastes better when mom makes it.

Godhi Laddoo brings memories of childhood. There is no place in the world anybody can hide these from me. No matter where you put it, I will find it. My mom learnt this early on and had given up hiding it. No use!

I make Godhi laddoo during most of the festivals. I make plenty to share. It just melts in your mouth. It is easy and quick to make. Simple ingredients, most of them found in the kitchen all the time. Tastes good.

To make Godhi laddoo you need… 
· Godhi Hittu- Atta – Wheat flour - 1 ½ cup
· Sugar (powdered) – 1 cup
· Ellachi powder– Cardamom –from 4 pods
· Dry grapes – raisins - a handful
· Ghee –Purified butter – 1 cup (or dalda)


Here is how to make Godhi laddoo…

1. In a heavy bottom pan, dry fry the wheat flour on a medium flame. Continue stirring so that flour won’t burn or brown. It may take 10 to 15 minutes. You will know it is done when you get sweet pleasant aroma from it.
2. Turn off the fire. Add raisins, sugar and cardamom powder. Mix it well.
3. Stir-in melted ghee into the mixture. Mix all together with a wooden spatula until the raisins puff-up. (Mind, it is very hot).
4. Now let the mixture stay until it has cooled down. This is the only laddoo I know of which you work with when cold.
5. Take a handful of mixture and press it to form onto lemon size balls.

Note: If laddoo is not able to hold it’s shape, add more melted ghee to the mixture. 

Enjoy this traditional sweet from my mom’s kitchen. :)

KarjiKai

Karjikai is made during Ganesh Charthuthi, Ugadhi, or Deepavali. Depending on region of South India it is referred to by different names. This is my mom’s recipe; she always used dry ingredients for the filling so the sweet would keep for a long time ….as long as some mischievous hands didn’t eat it away by then!

Ingredients: 

• All purpose flour 2 cups
• Sooji Rawa 1 cup (Semolina)
• A pinch of salt
• Ghee (purified butter) 3 tbsp
• 1/2 cup warm Water to make dough
• Oil for deep frying

For Filling: 

• Chickpeas ½ cup
• Grated Dry coconut ½ cup
• Sugar ½ cup
• Cardamom pdr ½ tsp (from 3 – 4 pods)
• Any dry fruit [Optional] Cashew or Almond (roasted and powered coarsely); or Raisins.

Method: 

1. Mix the flour, Semolina and salt together. Heat 3 tbsp ghee in low flame, pour the boiling ghee into flour mix. Carefully blend the mixture.
2. Add enough water to make a stiff dough. Keep aside covered in a wet cloth or paper towel for half an hour.
3. Knead well again to make the dough soft and pliable.
4. In a blender, powder Chickpeas. Remove the content into a separate bowl.
5. Add grated dry coconut, sugar, cardamom powder and dry fruit. Mix all together and keep aside. – for filling
6. Make small balls from the dough. Roll and flatten each ball into thin circles (about 4 to 5 inches in diameter).
7. Spoon in the filling on one half of the circle and fold along the center. Seal the ends with some water or milk. As you see in the picture I have taken the edges and overlapped to form a design. Start from one corner, take both edges together from the tip of your finger, fold it over and press a bit; repeat the step until you reach the other end. This sounds like a lot of work, but believe me it is not. After practicing on couple of karjikai, your fingers will move very fast. In this way you are sure you have sealed the pouch well. You don’t want the filling to come out while deep frying. Hint: Give this job to the kids (or your husband :P) it will keep them busy and help develop their fine motor skills :D
8. Deep fry the Karjikai in oil on medium flame till crisp and golden. Since Karjikai puffs up while frying, fry 1 or 2 at a time.
9. Remove from oil onto paper towels and allow them to cool completely before storing.

Filling Variation 1 - with jaggary 
Dry grated coconut - 2cups; Jaggary ¾ cup(grated); Sesame 4tbsp(roasted & crushed); Cardamom powdered ½ tsp.
Heat a thick bottom pan and add coconut and grated jaggary, fry them together for 6-7 mins, then add crushed sesame and cardamom powder and mix well, again fry for 2-3 mins then turn of the heat.
Filling Variation 2 – with milk 
Grated Coconut-1 cup; Sugar-3¼ cups; Milk-1½ cups; Few Almonds; Few Raisins; Cardamom powder ½ tsp; 1 tbsp poppy seeds
Cook grated coconut (use fresh or dried), sugar, milk, chopped almonds and raisins, cardamom powder, and poppy seeds (optional) till the milk evaporates.
Filling Variation 3 – with cashew and melon seeds
Grated Coconut-1 cup; Sugar-3¼ cups; Milk-1½ cups; Few Almonds; Few Raisins; Cardamom powder ½ tsp; 1 tbsp poppy seeds
Cook grated coconut (use fresh or dried), sugar, milk, chopped almonds and raisins, cardamom powder, and poppy seeds (optional) till the milk evaporates.
Filling Variation 4 – With Koa
Crumble sugarless thick milk Koa (if necessary put in a hot pan and keep on low flame and stir for a minute) and mix it with equal measure of powdered sugar, finely chopped cashews, raisins, cardamom powder and grated dry coconut.