Avial

Avial is an important dish of the Kerala cuisine. Avial has an unusual combination of  vegetables with curd and coconut to give a balanced flavor which is highly nutritious. Other main ingredients to flavor and season this aviyal is the coconut paste,curry leaves and coconut oil which gives a very unique aroma to this dish. avial is one of the main dishes that goes on your plantain leaf as you sit down to devour your onam sadya.

Ingredients:  1 drumstick cut into 2" pieces

                      1/2cup white pumpkin sliced

                      1/2cup carrot sliced

                      1/2cup beans sliced

                      4 green chillies

                      1/2cup grated coconut

                      1tsp cumin seeds

                      1/4cup beaten curds 

                      1/4tsp turmeric powder

                      1tsp coconut oil

                      3tsp curry leaves

                      3tsp oil

                      salt to taste

Method: 1)grind together coconut,green chillies, jeera into a smooth paste and keep aside.

               2)heat oil in a pan add drumsticks and cook for two minutes, add rest of the 

                  vegetables, turmeric powder and cook till they are half done. add coconut paste,

                  salt, water and cook for 3minutes. add curds, curry leaves and cook for another 2 

                  minutes.

               3)take off the flame, pour the coconut oil and close the lid immediately to seal the 

                  aroma.

               4)serve hot with rice.    

          

Bisibele bath

Bisi bele bath is a rice-based dish with its origins in the state of karnataka.The name bisi bele bath is a Kannada phrase, which literally means "Hot Lentil brown Rice". In Kannada, Bisi means hot, bele means lentils and bath means a dish made of rice.It’s a one pot meal in which you get your protein, carbs and veggies cooked to perfection in our favourite Indian spices. Cucumber raita on the side is a nice compliment to this classic dish of Karnataka.here i have used freshly grounded spices which tastes great or else the masala powder used for the dish is available off the shelf in all the grocery stores.

Ingredients: 1cup rice
                    1cup toor dal
                    1cup mixed vegetables(beans,carrot,potato,green peas) finely chopped
                    1onion finely chopped
                    1tomato finely chopped
                    1/2cup tamarind pulp
                    1/4cup jaggery crushed
                    5tsp masala powder
                    1/4cup cashew
                    1/2tsp turmeric powder
                    3tsp curry leaves
                    1tsp mustard seeds
                    1/4tsp asafoetida
                    5-6tsp oil
                    8cups of water(1:4 proportion)
                    salt to taste

masala powder: 1tsp urad dal
                          1tsp channa dal
                          1tsp cumin seeds
                          1tsp coriander seeds
                          1/4tsp methi seeds
                          1/2tsp black pepper
                          1/2tsp poppy seeds
                          8-10 red chillies
                          1/4cup dry coconut grated
                          1' cinnamon
                          4 cloves
                          1 star anise(chakra phool/chakra moggu)
                          2 capers(kachra/marathi moggu)

Method:

masala powder: dry roast all the ingredients and grind them together to form a fine powder

bisibele bath: 1)shallow fry cashews and keep aside.
                      2)heat oil in a cooker, add mustard seeds, asafoetida and when the mustard seeds splutter
                         add curry leaves and fry for a minute, add onions and fry till they turn pink, add
                         tomatoes and cook till they are soft. now add vegetables,turmeric powder,tamarind              
                         pulp, jaggery and cook for a minute. add rice, dal, masala powder and fry for a minute.
                         now add water, salt and pressure cook it for 5-6 whistles(rice must be over cooked)
                      3)check the consistency, add water if required. add cashews and mix well.
                      4)serve hot with boondi and raita.                 

Gujrati Thepla

Theplas are an inherent part of gujarati meals, and are used for regular meals, travelling and for picnics! eaten with curds and chunda, theplas can be enjoyed hot or otherwise. Sometimes whole jeera or til can be added to enhance the flavour of theplas. You can even add other ingredients like methi and doodhi to this recipe, to add more variety to your menu

Ingredients: 1cup wheat flour

                     1/2cup water

                     1tsp jeera powder

                     1tsp coriander powder

                     1tsp ajwain

                     1tsp red chilly powder

                     1/4tsp turmeric powder

                     salt to taste

                     5-6tsp oil

Method: 1) mix all the ingredients(except oil and water) in a bowl. by adding water knead to     

                   form a smooth dough. allow it rest for 15min

               2) divide the dough into equal sized roti balls. roll each ball into 5" circle.

               3) heat a tava and cook each circle using a little oil on both sides until it turns golden 

                   brown in color.

               4)serve hot with tomato pickle.

            

Dum aloo

Dum aloo is a very popular north indian recipe.Every culture has it's own version of the dum aloo. Dum means cooking in steam. Dum cooking brings the oil or ghee, used for the preparation, to the top of the dish thus improving its appearance.This Dum Aloo preparation uses baby potatoes which are easier to cook. You may however, use medium sized potatoes, each cut into 2, if you do not find baby potatoes. here i have made amritsari version of dum aloo. u can serve this as a main dish along with indian breads, parathas, rotis and rice. this will be a very popular party dish and who doesn't like potatoes?

Ingredients: 10-15 baby potatoes

                     1cup tomato puree

                     1onion sliced

                      3tsp ginger-garlic paste

                      5-6 kaju soaked in water

                      2tsp red chilly powder

                      1tsp jeera powder

                      1tsp dhania powder

                      2tsp garam masala powder

                      1/2tsp turmeric powder

                      3tsp yogurt(curd)

                      1tsp cumin seeds

                      a pinch of asafoetida

                      oil for deep frying 

                      salt to taste

Method: 1)Peel, wash and prick potatoes all over with the help of a fork. Keep in salted water    

                   for fifteen minutes.heat sufficient oil in a kadai and deep-fry the potatoes on 

                   medium heat till golden brown. if you are worried about the excess oil you can 

                   parboil the potatoes .

               2) grind the soaked kaju into a smooth paste.

               3) heat 5-6tsp oil in a pan add cumin seeds, asafoetida, ginger-garlic paste and fry for

                   a minute. add onions and fry till they turn pink. add kaju paste, tomato puree and fry

                   till the oil separates. now add all the dry masala powders and after a minute add 

                   fried(or parboiled) potatoes, salt and cook till the potatoes are done by adding 

                   required amount of water. finally add whisked yogurt and cook in low flame for 2min.

               4) garnish with fresh cream and coriander leaves. 

Spicy tomato pickle

This flavourful tangy and spicy pickle from Andhra Pradesh is the easiest pickle ever made, for whom the recipe of pickles seems like an alien, this one is very simple and doesn't need much preparation. no need to go shopping for long list of ingredients or no more long waits to taste it.this can be prepared with very less ingredients that are easily available at home and can be eaten immediately. if refrigerated this can be kept for 15days or consume it within 2-3days. Just a little of this spicy and sour pickle goes great with Indian breads, parathas, rice, dal etc. It is just perfect with curd rice. Not only does it brighten up your meal but you will also be left with the a lingering taste that will not be forgotten for a long time to come.

 

Ingredients: 1kg ripe red coloured  tomatoes

                  5tsp crushed garlic

                  2tsp jeera powder

                  1tsp pepper powder

                  1/2tsp methi(fenugreek) powder

                  4tsp red chilly powder

                  1/2tsp turmeric powder

                  5tsp curry leaves

                  2tsp mustard seeds

                  1/2tsp asafoetida

                  1/2cup oil

                  salt to taste

Method: 1) cut each tomato into 4-6 pieces dependimg on the size of the tomato.

              2) heat oil in a pan, add garlic and fry for a minute. add tomatoes and fry them until it is reduced to

                  half of its size. add all the dry masala powders, salt and cook for 2min.

              3) heat 3tsp oil, add mustard seeds and when they splutter add asafoetida,curry leaves and fry for 

                  a minute. add this tempering to the pickle and mix well.

                  

                  

Gojju avalakki

Gojju Avalakki also known as kuttavalakki and huli avalakki is a delicacy from Karnataka which is a combination of avalakki(poha/beaten rice), spices, jaggery and tamarind sauce. gojju avalakki is served as prasadam during hindu festival days especially during gokulashtami, it also makes a great breakfast dish.this recipe is contributed from my mom. poha used in this recipe can be crushed into powder or can be used as it is. here i have used poha directly.

Ingredients: 1bowl poha
                     1/2cup tamarind sauce
                     1/4cup crushed jaggery
                     5-6tsp rasam powder/puliogare powder
                     3tsp red chilly powder
                     1tsp turmeric powder
                     4-5 red chillies
                     3tsp curry leaves
                     4tsp  fried ground nut
                     1/4cup grated dry coconut
                     2tsp urad dal
                     2tsp channa dal
                     1tsp mustard seeds
                     1/2tsp asafoetida
                     5-6tsp oil
                     salt to taste

Method: 1)soak the poha in water for 15min, drain the water and keep aside.
               2)heat oil in a pan, add mustard deeds, when they splutter add asafoetida, curry 
                  leaves, red chillies, urad dal, channa dal and fry for a minute. add tamarind sauce
                  jaggery, rasam powder, red chilly powder, turmeric powder and cook it in low  
                  flame until it becomes a thick paste. now add grated coconut, fried ground nut, salt
                  and poha. mix well. 
               3)garnish with grated coconut and curry leaves.

Davangere benne dosa

One traditional and ever popular dosa variety from Karnataka is the davangere benne dosa, benne means butter in kannada. it is a type of dosa which traces its origin from the city of Davangere in Karnataka.Today, benne dosa is almost synonymous with the city of davangere and has found its own well-deserved place in the menu cards of all well-known restaurants in Karnataka.The dosas are cooked over a hot iron pan with generous amounts of butter and this gives it that authentic, signature taste and aroma. Benne dosas are generally soft yet crisp on one side and has a melt-in-your mouth, buttery texture.Davangere being my hometown i have grown up eating this and thats why couldn't resist myself from posting this recipe.

Ingredients:

Benne dosa: 1cup dosa rice

                    1/4cup urad dal

                    1tsp methi(fenugreek) seeds

                    1/2cup puffed rice(mandakki/kadle puri)

                    2tsp maida flour

                    1tsp salt

                    1tsp sugar

                    1/4tsp cooking soda

                    1/2cup white butter

potato curry: 2potatoes boiled and smashed
                    1/2cup onion sliced
                    2tsp oil
                    salt to taste

coconut chutney: 1cup grated coconut
                          2green chillies boiled
                          1/4cup coriander leaves
                          2tsp ginger roughly chopped
                          2-3 cloves
                          2tsp split dalia
                          1tsp tamarind pulp
                          salt to taste

Method:

Benne dosa: 1)soak rice, urad dal+methi seeds and puffed rice separately overnight. grind them separately
                       and mix together with maida, salt, sugar, cooking soda and water to form a thin dosa batter
                   2)heat dosa tava and greese it with butter. pour one laddle of batter on the hot tava and spread
                      it evenly to form a thick dosa. sprinkle small chunks of butter all over the dosa and cook for
                      a minute, turn it over and again sprinkle butter chunks and cook for 1min.now turn over the
                      dosa again and add butter for one more time and cook it till it becomes crisp and golden
                      brown in colour.
                    3)serve hot with potato curry and coconut chutney.

Potato curry: heat oil in a pan, add onions and fry till they turn pink. add potatoes, salt and mix well.
                      Coconut chutney: grind together all the ingredients by adding very little water to form a thick chutney.                                           

Methi paratha

Methi(fenugreek) Paratha is a type of Indian bread, widely consumed in Gujrat and the north of India.Fenugreek leaves have lots of medicinal properties. They are enriched with minerals like potassium, calcium, and Iron. One hundred grams of fenugreek leaves comprise only 49 calories. The leaves have good dietary fiber and are also enriched with Vitamin C. In this recipe it is mixed with wheat flour and other spices which gives this a great taste.Due to its long shell life (2-3 days), people prefer to carry it as a travel meal.

Ingredients: 1cup wheat flour

                     1/4cup water

                     1cup methi(fenugreek) leaves

                     1tsp dhania powder

                     1tsp jeera powder

                     1tsp red chilli powder

                     2tsp besan flour

                     4-5tsp oil

                     salt to taste

Method: 1)mix wheat flour, water and knead it properly to form a smooth dough

               2)in a bowl mix methi leaves, dhania powder, jeera powder, red chilli powder, besan 

                  flour, 2tsp oil, salt and 2tsp water. the mixture should be dry.

               3)now roll the dough into 3 inch diameter circle. place a small portion of methi 

                  leaves mixture in the center. seal by pulling edges of the rolled dough to make

                  a ball. roll the ball light handed into 6-inch circle.

                  now shallow fry this  until it becomes golden brown.

               4)serve hot with pickle and curds.

Appam and tomato chutney

'Appam' is regarded as the ‘Queen of Kerala Breakfast Dishes’, a traditional fermented flat ‘Rice n Coconut bread’.Appam has become an identity of all Keralites. Tamilians call it as 'aappam' and in karnataka it is famously called as 'banale dose' means dosa cooked in a kadai. In kerala appam is usually served with coconut milk, coconut stew or kadala curry. In 

karnataka 'banale dose' is served with two types of chutney i,e coconut chutney and tomato 

chutney.

Ingredients: 

appam: 1cup dosa rice

              1cup idly rice

              1/4cup urad dal

              1/2cup coconut milk
              1tsp methi seeds

              1tsp salt

              1tsp sugar

              a pinch of cooking soda

              3-4tsp oil

tomato chutney: 4 red tomatoes

                            5 red chillies

                            3 garlic cloves

                            2tsp coriander leaves

                            1/4cup grated coconut

                            1tsp split dalia

                            1/4tsp tamarind pulp

                            2tsp curry leaves

                            1tsp mustard seeds

                            a pinch of asafoetida

                            1tsp oil

                            1tsp salt 

                            1/2tsp sugar

Method:  1)soak rice and dal+methi seeds separately overnight.grind them separately and mix 
                   them  together along with coconut milk, salt, sugar and cooking soda to form a 
                   smooth watery batter. batter should be thinner than the regular dosa batter.
                2)heat the appam tava and greese it with oil. pour one laddle of batter from the      
                   edges of the tava towards the center. sprinkle 3-4 drops of oil. close the tava with   
                   an  lid and cook in low flame till the appam is cooked well. u should cook only one 
                   side of the appam and u should not turn it over.
                3)boil the tomatoes along with the red chillies for 10min in low flame. peel the skin of 
                    tomatoes,cool it and grind it together with red chillies, garlic, coriander, coconut
                    tamarind pulp, sugar and salt. add water used for boiling tomatoes if required.
                4)heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, asafoetida and when the mustard seeds 
                   splutter add curry leaves. mix this tampering with tomato chutney.
                5) serve hot appam along with tomato chutney.

Open dosa

open dosa is slightly thicker than the normal dosas. The masala is arranged on the dosa openly when served hence the name open dosa.

Ingredients:

dosa:  1cup dosa rice
          1/4cup urad dal
          1tsp methi seeds
          1tsp salt
          1tsp sugar
          a pinch of cooking soda
               
masala:   3potatoes boiled and smashed
              1onion finely chopped
              3green chillies finely chopped
              3tsp coriander leaves finely chopped
              2tsp curry leaves
              1/4cup grated carrot
              1tsp mustard seeds
              1/4tsp turmeric powder
              3-4tsp oil
              salt to taste

chutney powder: 1cup split dalia
                          1/4cup grated dry coconut
                          3 red chillies roasted
                          salt to taste

Method: 1)soak rice and dal +methi seeds separately over night.
                 grind them separately by adding required amount of water,mix them to form a dosa batter and
                 allow it to ferment for 6-7hours.
                 now add salt, sugar and cooking soda and the batter is ready to make dosas.
              2)heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds when they splutter add curry leaves, turmeric powder  
                 green chillies and fry for a minute.now add onios and fry them till they turn pink. now add
                 boiled and smashed potatoes, salt, coriander leaves and mix well.
              3)grind together all the ingredients of chutney powder without adding water
              4)heat the dosa tava, grease it with oil and pour a laddle of dosa batter and spread it evenly to 
                 form a thick dosa, cook both the sides by applying oil until it becomes crisp and red in color.
                 sprinkle chutney powder on the top of dosa, keep the masala in between, sprinkle grated
                 carrot on the masala and the dosa is ready. serve the dosa openly.

Steamed dal dumplings(nuchinunde) and Majjige huli

Steamed dal dumpling(nuchinunde) is one of the traditional dish of karnataka, originated from Mysore.  It is made up of toor dal and spices, well to give a twist in taste one can add even channa dal and moong dal along with toor dal. This is a low fat, high protein  dish. This can be served as breakfast or an evening snack. Traditionally it is served with 'Majjige huli' prepared with curd and spices....

Steamed dal dumplings(nuchinunde)

Ingredients: 1cup toor dal

                     1cup channa dal

                     1cup moong dal

                     1cup grated coconut

                     6 green chillies

                     1 onion finely chopped

                     1/2cup coriander leaves

                     3tsp curry leaves

                     3tsp ginger finely chopped

                     a pinch of cooking soda

                     1tsp oil

                     salt to taste

Method: 1)soak all the 3 dals in water overnight.

               2)grind all the ingredients(except oil) together without adding water

               3)make even sized oval shaped dal dumplings from the above mixture

               4)you can use idly cooker or steamer to steam the dumplings.

               5) grease the idly plates with oil or keep the steamer ready.

               6)place the dal dumplings in the idly cooker or steamer for 15minutes.

               7) serve with majjige huli.

Majjige huli

Ingredients: 2cups curd

                     1cup largely chopped ashgourd(white pumpkin)

                     1/2cup grated coconut

                     1/4cup soaked channa dal

                     5 green chillies roasted

                     2tsp ginger finely chopped 

                     1/2cup coriander leaves

                     2tsp jaggery

                     2tsp roasted cumin seeds

                     1/4 roasted methi(fenugreek) seeds

                     3tsp curry leaves

                     1tsp mustard seeds

                     3-4 red chillies

                     1/2tsp turmeric powder

                     1/4tsp asafoetida

                     salt to taste

                     3-4tsp oil

Method:1) boil the ashgourd pieces till its half cooked and keep aside

              2)grind together coconut, channa dal, green chillies, ginger, coriander leaves, cumin      

                  seeds, methi seeds and jaggery by adding water to form a smooth paste.

              3)heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, when they splutter add asafoetida, curry 

                  leaves, red chillies and turmeric powder

              4)add grinded paste, boiled ashgourd to the pan and boil it for 2-3min.

              5)now add beaten curds, salt, required amount of water and boil it only for 2min. 

                  majjige huli should be little thicker than sambar.

Ridge gourd bajji

This is an very traditional and old dish. this i have learnt from my mother and have tried to maintain the same taste.bajjis can be prepared with different varieties of vegetables as fillings such as potatoes, onion, green chillies, brinjal, gobi,capsicum and even with slices of paneer,egg and cheese. bajjis are very famous in all parts of karnataka and mostly prepared as an evening snack.

Ingredients: 1 medium sized ridge gourd
                  1cup gram flour
                  1tsp ajwain
                  1/2tsp jeera powder
                  1/2tsp red chilly powder
                  a pinch of asafoetida(hing)
                  a pinch of cooking soda
                  salt to taste
                  oil for deep frying

Method: peel the skin of ridge gourd and slice it into thin circles.
             in a bowl mix all the ingredients(except oil) using required amount of water to form a thick batter.
             heat oil in a pan. dip each of the ridge gourd slices in the batter and deep fry them in the oil until it
              turns golden brown.
             serve hot with tomato sauce or coconut chutney.

Aloo paratha and Matar Paneer paratha

Paratha really doesn't need an introduction to any indian cuisine lover. parathas can be made plain or stuffed with many different fillings.this recipe uses the most popular fillings aloo and paneer. parathas are perfect for a weekend breakfast or brunch.

Aloo paratha

Ingredients: 1cup wheat flour

                  4 potatoes boiled and smashed

                  2tsp ginger-garlic paste

                  1/2cup coriander leaves finely chopped

                  1/2tsp dhania powder

                  1/2tsp cumin powder

                  1tsp red chilly powder

                  1tsp garam masala powder

                  1/2tsp amchoor powder

                  4-5tsp oil

                  salt to taste

Method: in a bowl mix wheat flour and water and knead it into an smooth dough. allow it to rest for 10min.

            now in a bowl add all the rest of the ingredients instead of oil and mix them properly.

            make even shaped balls from the above mixture.

            now roll the dough into 3 inch diameter circles. place the potato balls in the center. seal by pulling the  

            edges of the rolled dough to make a ball

            roll the ball light handed in to 6-inch circle. 

            now shallow fry this on the hot tava by applying oil on both the sides, until it becomes golden brown.

            serve hot with pickel and curd.   

Matar Paneer paratha

      the procedure for making matar paneer paratha is same as aloo paratha, only difference is you have to use smashed paneer and green peas with rest of the ingredients instead of smashed aloo as the filling.

Iyengar bakery style tomato toast

This simple but delightful combination of toasted bread and tomatoes is an perfect breakfast recipe.

Ingredients: 4 toasted bread slices
                 2  sliced large tomatoes 
                 1 sliced onion
                 7-8 crushed garlic cloves
                 2 green chillies finely chopped
                 3tsp coriander leaves finely chopped
                 1/4tsp jeera powder
                 1/4tsp dhania powder
                 1/2tsp garam masala powder
                 1/2tsp red chilly powder
                 1/4tsp turmeric powder
                 1/2tsp sugar
                 3tsp oil
                 salt to taste

Method: in a pan heat oil, add onions and fry for a minute
            now add garlic,green chillies and saute them
            add the tomatoes,fry for 2minutes and now add all the dry masala powders,salt, sugar
            and cook till the tomatoes are soft. 
            finally when its done add coriander leaves
            now take a toasted bread and spread 2tsp of the above mixture evenly all over the 
            bread.