Baby corn subzi with coconut milk.

Our family loves this subzi very much. I make this subzi on festival days/pooja days, when we are not supposed to use onion/garlic. It is very tasty and we can have it with chapaathis, pooris, pongal, idly or dosa. Now, the recipe:

Ingredients:

Serves 3-4 people.
1. 1 1/2 cups, Baby corns, cut into 2" long sliced pieces or round shaped pieces. Cook it slightly in microwave, if it is a bit hard and keep aside.
2. 200g. Tomatoes, chopped
3. 1 Medium sized coconut, grated. Grind it in a mixer with a cup of water, strain and keep aside the milk. This milk will be thick. Grind the squeezed coconut once or twice more, with 3-3 1/2 cups of water. Strain and keep this milk also, separately.
4. 1 tsp. Coconut/refined oil
5. 2 tsp. Coriander(dhania)
6. 2-3 Red Chillies
7. 1 1/2 tsp. Pepper
8. 2 tsp. Bengal gram
9. Curry leaves.

Fry no.5-9 items in oil and grind into a paste, with 1/2 cup of water. While frying, pepper should be added in the end.

10. 1 1/2 tsp. salt or as per your taste.

Method:

Cook chopped tomatoes and the ground masala paste for 5 mts. Add the thin coconut milk, which was taken while grinding second and third time. Let it come to a boil. Add the corn pieces now. Add salt. When the corn becomes soft, add the thick milk. Let it boil for 2 mts. If you boil for more then 2-3 mts. the coconut creamy tasty will not be there.

The subzi is ready to serve!

P.S.: You can use potatoes instead of baby corn too!

Walnut toffee!

I tried this recipe once and it came out well. Here, in India, during the Navrathri pooja season, we get boxes of nuts as gifts. We can collect the walnuts from them and try this!!!

Ingredients:

• 10 whole walnuts - without shells
• 100 gms sugar
• 1 tsp. butter

Method:

Take the sugar in a small kadai and fry without water in a slow fire. Keep on stirring and the sugar will start melting slowly and turn brown in colour. Sugar caramel is ready now. Add the butter and stir for a few seconds. I like to add a pinch of salt also - salt enhances the taste of sweets! Some people do not like to add salt. Both ways are good. Switch off the fire.

Take the walnuts and dip in the caramel, one by one, with the help of a tooth pick. We should finish doing this when the caramel is hot. Line up in a greased plate. Let it cool down.

We can break the walnut into two halves and make two toffees in one nut too! Walnut has got a slight bitter taste. When it is coated with caramel, it tastes yummy!

We can try this with ghee roasted cashew nuts too! Children will love these toffees, I guarantee!!!

Ginger-lemon Sharbath - 100% health drink!

This sharbath is my aunt's recipe. When I was young, I used to go to Mangalore to her place in the holidays. She is a very good cook and loved to feed people with different varieties of snacks, juices etc. Her house is very near to the Mangalore bus terminus and the railway station and our relatives from Madras or any other place, while visiting Mangalore or Udupi, first went to her place, chat with her, fill their stomach (literally!) and then leave. She remembered everybody's favorite dishes and prepared them whole heartedly. She used to make different types of sharbaths for the 11 am drink, which was served everyday! We love you, Chikkamma!

Now, the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 100 gms. raw ginger
• 2 cups lemon juice
• 3-4 cups jaggery or palm sugar
• 1 tsp. kaala namak (Black salt)

Method:

Clean the ginger and grind it in a mixer with some water. Filter it into a vessel, add some more water and grind and strain again. You can use 1-2 cups of water. Leave it like that for half an hour. The sediment will settle down. We have to use only the plain water for the sharbath.

Squeeze the cleaned lemons, after removing the seeds, with a squeezer, in a vessel. Normally, we add jaggery, twice the measure of lemon juice.

Mash the jaggery or palm sugar, add a cup of water and boil it for 5 mts. After the jaggery dissolves, filter it and put it back on the stove. The sand should be filtered. Let it boil for another 5 mts. It can be slightly syrupy. See to it that it doesn't thicken. Keep this aside.

Now pour the ginger water in a big vessel and bring it to a boil. Add the jaggery water. Add the kaala namak powder. Bring it to a boil. Switch off the stove and let it cool. Now, pour the lemon juice into it and mix for a minute. Your sharbath is ready now!

You can pour quarter measure of a glass of juice and add water and stir and serve!

P.S.: You can reduce the quantity of jaggery a little and add a tablespoon of honey, while mixing the sharbath. The 100% health drink is ready. Store the concentrated juice in the fridge. No need to add citric acid, if you are going to keep it in the fridge.

If you have a soda maker with you, add soda water and the children will love it! No more colas!



P.S.2: You can add some cardamom/elaichi powder for flavour. 
You can spray some pepper powder in the juice glass for a change!

Papaya Bread!

I baked this bread last Sunday and it was quite easy and very tasty! Want to give a try? Here, have the recipe:

Preparation time: 2 hours 45 mts.

For making one loaf, you need the following ingredients:

1. 1 cup shredded firm papaya
2. 1/2 cup butter or Margarine, softened
3. 1 cup sugar
4. 2 eggs
5. 1 1/2 cups a purpose flour (Maida)
6. 1 tsp.baking Powder
7. 1/4 tsp. baking soda
8. 1/2 tsp. salt
9. 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
10. 1/2 tsp. ground allspice (I did not have this, so did without this, still, tasty!)
11. 1/2 tsp. ground Ginger
12. 1/2 cup raisins
13. 1/4 cup chopped walnut or cashew

Method:

1. Drain Papaya on paper towels.
2. Cream butter in a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed.
3. Gradually add sugar, beating well.
4. Add eggs or the flax meal mixture.
5. In another bowl, mix together the flour and all the other ingredients. Mix for 3 mts.
6. Stir in papaya, raisins and walnuts.
7. Spoon batter into a greased and floured 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan.
8. Bake in a pre-heated oven (350 F / 180 C) for 1 hour and 10 mts or until done.
9. Let cool in the pan for 10 mts. Remove and cool it completely on a wire rack.

P.S.: If you don't want to use eggs, use this mixture:
Grind in a mixer, 4 tbsp. of flaxmeal (flax seeds) and add 1/4 tsp. baking powder, 6 tbsp.water and add to the bread dough.

We can make banana bread also in this method!

Ref.: www.recipezaar.com

Daalimbe (Pomegrenate) Thambuli - Udupi Recipe

Pomegranate/Daalimbe (ದಾಳಿಂಬೆ in Kannada, மாதுளம் பழம் in Tamil, अनार in Hindi) fruit has got medicinal properties. It has got blood purifying qualities and helps people with arthritis.

Every part of this plant is used in ayurvedic medicine - roots, leaves, seeds, skin of the fruit, etc. Normally we take this fruit in juice form. Try this thambuli with daalimbe/pomegranate skin:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Skin of daalimbe fruit - chopped
• 1/2 tsp. Cumin(Jeera) seeds
• 2-3 Green chilli
• 1/2 tsp. Ghee
• 1/2 cup Grated coconut
• 1/2 cup Curd
• Salt to taste

Garnish:

• 1/2 tsp. Coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp. Mustard
• Curry leaves (optional)

Method:

Fry the daalimbe peels, jeera and green chilli in ghee till the peel shrinks a bit. Grind this with coconut, in a mixer with some water (drinking water is better because we are not going to boil it again). After it becomes soft, add the curd and grind for a second. Pour in a vessel and add water till the thambuli is of dosa batter consistency. Garnish.

If you feel the thambuli is a bit bitter in taste, add 1/2 tsp. sugar and mix. Serve with rice or chapaathis.

Neerulli (Onion) Thambuli (Udupi Recipe)

Neerulli (ನೀರುಳ್ಳಿ - in Kannada, வெங்காயம் in Tamil) thambuli is very tasty and can be had with plain rice or fried rice also and with chapaathis! Now, the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 Medium sized onions chopped,
• 2-3 Green chilli
• 1/2 cup Grated Coconut
• 1/2 cup Curd
• 1/2 tsp. refined oil or ghee
• Salt, as per taste

Garnish:

• 1/2 tsp. Mustard
• 1/2 tsp. Coconut oil
• Curry leaves

Method:

Fry the onion and green chilli in ghee or oil for a few minutes or till the onion is transparent. Grind with coconut and a little water, in a mixer till it is soft and add the curd and grind for a second. Pour in a vessel and add enough water to bring it to the dosa batter consistency. Or a bit more watery, if you feel so. Garnish and your onion thambuli is ready to serve.

Your comments are welcome!

Southekai Thambuli - Udupi Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Southekai,
• 1-2 Green Chillies,
• 1/2 tsp. Cumin/jeera seeds,
• 3/4 cup Grated Coconut,
• 1/2 cup curd,
• Salt as per your taste.
• 4-5 cups of water

Garnish:

• 1/2 tsp. Mustard,
• 2 Sprigs Curry leaves,
• 1 tsp. Coconut oil.

Remove the skin from southekai and cut into pieces after removing the seeds. Cook with green chilli and a pinch of sugar, in 2 cups of water. When cools down, grind this with coconut in a mixer. Add curd in the last round. Pour in a vessel and garnish. The consistency should be like dosa batter.

Second method:

You can make thambuli with just the soft part, after removing the seeds. No cooking, just grind everything like the earlier recipe and garnish. The hard part can be used for saambaar or majjige huli (ಮಜ್ಜಿಗೆ ಹುಳಿ)/more kuzhambu (மோர் குழம்பு)!

Kaake soppu (Wonderberry) Thambuli - Udupi recipe

Kaake soppu (kaake soppu in Kannada - ಕಾಕೆ ಸೊಪ್ಪು,, manaththakkali keerai in tamil - மணத்தக்காளி கீரை) is mostly taken in leaf or seed form when we have ulcers in our mouth. Any type of greens is good for health. Now kaake soppu thambuli recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1- 1 1/2 cups kaake soppu (just leaves)
• 2-3 Green Chillli
• 1/2 cup Coconut
• 1/2 cup Curd
• 1/2 tsp. Ghee
• Salt to taste
• A pinch of sugar

Garnish:

• 1/2 tsp. Mustard
• 1/2 tsp. Coconut oil

Method:

Fry the leaves and green chilli for 2 mts. in ghee and a pinch of sugar. When it is cool, grind this and coconut with some water in a mixer. Add salt and curd and grind for a second. Pour in a vessel. Add water till it is like dosa batter or a bit more watery if you like. Garnish. Your kaakesoppu thambuli is ready.

Have it with rice or chapaathis. We call it as Green thambuli also!

Shunti (Ginger) thambuli - Udupi Recipe

This thambuli will be tasty when we have slight indigestion or when we feel sick. The aroma of ginger (shunti in Kannada - ಶುಂಠಿ , Inji in Tamil - இஞ்சி)makes us feel hungry! I love the flavour of ginger, coriander and curry leaves. Now to Ginger Thambuli:

Ingredients:

• 1" piece Chopped Ginger
• 1-2 Green Chilli
• 1/2 cup Coconut
• 1/2 cup Curd
• Salt as per your taste

Garnish:

• 1/2 tsp. Mustard
• 1/2 tsp. Coconut oil
• Curry leaves

Method:

Grind ginger, chilli and coconut with 1/4 cup water nicely in a mixer. Add curd and grind for a second. Pour in a vessel and add salt. Add water till the thambuli is like dosa batter or a bit more watery, if you like. Garnish. Shunti thambuli is ready.

Serve with Rice or Chapaathis. Tell me whether you liked it, right?

Menthe (Fenugreek /Methi) Thambuli

Today I will write about menthe (ಮೆಂತೆ) thambuli. Fenugreek thambuli. These seeds are very very good for our health. So we use them often in our recipes. Now, try this one:

Ingredients:

• 3/4 tsp. Fenugreek/methi seeds
• 1 Green chilli or 2 red chilli
• 1/2 cup Grated coconut
• 1/2 cup Curd
• Salt to your taste

Garnish:

• 1/2 tsp. Coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp. Mustard
• curry leaves

Method:

Dry roast fenugreek seeds in a kadai. Grind it with all the other ingredients. Grind with the curd, which is important. Otherwise the taste will change. Pour in a vessel and add water till it is of dosa batter consistency. Garnish.

Fenugreek/methi (வெந்தயம்) helps to digest food. Good for diabetics if taken in powder form in the morning - 1/2 tsp. with water or soak 1/2 tsp. methi in water, the night before and drink it, first thing in the morning. 1/2 tsp. seeds with buttermilk will contain diarrhoea. We garnish methi for saambaar and vaththal kuzhambu (வத்தல் குழம்பு)etc. It helps hair growth also. So use this seed in your cooking, wherever possible!

Feed me back with your comments please!

Koththambari soppu (coriander leaves) Thambuli

This recipe is too easy!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Chopped coriander leaves
• 1-2 Green chilli
• 1/2 tsp. Cumin/jeera seeds
• 1/4 cup Grated coconut
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup Curd
• Salt to taste

Garnish:

• 1/2 tsp. Mustard
• 1/2 tsp. Coconut oil
  

Method:

Grind all the ingredients raw in a mixer with little water, first. Then add curd. Grind it for a second for blending everything. Pour in a vessel. Add water till thambuli is in dosa batter consistency. Garnish!

Ready to serve and goes well with rice or chapaathis.

Recipe - Thambuli, various types.

I am from Udupi, Karnataka. Nowadays, we get all types of vegetables almost throughout the year. It was not like that in my grandma's days. During the monsoon season, it rained heavily, as if the sky opened up and poured water on us. We could not get out of the house often to buy vegetables and other things. I remember, our house had beams on the ceiling, inside our dining and Pooja rooms. Vegetables like southekai (yellow cucumber/ಸೌತೆಕಾಯಿ), raw banana (ಬಾಳೆಕಾಯಿ), onions in bunches, used to hang from the ropes - the southekai was tied in banana stems (ಬಾಳೆ ನಾರು) and tied to the beam, to hold them for months together. We use all parts of southekai - the skin and seeds also, in our recipes. Likewise, different ingredients, available in the kitchen, are used to make different types of thambuli, gojju(ಗೊಜ್ಜು)/chutney etc. And coconut tree will be there in each and every house! So, we use coconut, butter milk, curd etc. in a number of recipes. Grandma cooked, for months together, without going out for shopping for vegetables! Imagine us, cooking without fresh vegetables now!

Let me give you the recipes of different types of thambuli first. We can mix this with rice and eat. It will be tasty with chapaathis also. Please try them and let me know if you liked it!

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Patlukai Thambuli - Udupi recipe!

Patlukaai (ಪಟ್ಲುಕಾಯಿ)in Kannada and Pudalangaai (புடலங்காய்)in Tamil, thambuli is my son's favorite thambuli! This will taste a bit like our morekuzhambu (மோர்குழம்பு). We can have it with rice, chapaathis, dosai, adai etc. This is very easy to prepare. Now, the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 Snakegourd (around 200 gms.)
• 2-3 Green chillies
• 1/2 Cup grated coconut
• 1/2 Cup normal curd (not sour curd)
• Salt as per taste.

For garnishing:

• 1 Tsp. Coconut oil
• 1/2 Tsp. Mustard
• Curry leaves

Method:

Cut the snake gourd into 2-3 pieces and pressure cook or cook directly till it is soft, with the green chillies and salt, in a cup of water. Let it cool. Grind it in a mixer (blender) with coconut. After it is soft, add curd. Blend for a second. Pour in a vessel. Add water till it is like dosa batter. If you want it still watery, you can add more water! Garnish! Finished!

Gobi Manchurian!

We did cauliflower manchurian for the evening snack today. Actually, my husband is the expert in preparing new dishes! And my son loves it! Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 - 1/2 cups cauliflower- cut into small florets, (microwaved for 3 mts., if you have the oven - optional)

For the Batter:

• Maida - 1-1/4 cup
• Rice flour - 2 tbs.
• Cornflour - 2 tbsp.
• Green chilli, ginger, garlic paste - 1/2 tsp.
• Salt - 1/2 tsp. or according to your taste
• Optional: Orange food colour and a pinch of Ajino Moto

For the sauce:

• Oil - 2 tbsp.
• Tomato sauce - 4 tbsp.
• Soya sauce - 1/2 tbsp.
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp.
• Corn flour - 1 tbsp.
• Green chilli, ginger, garlic paste - 1 tsp.
• (If you have only ginger garlic paste, add some cut green chilli pieces)
• Garlic chopped - 1 tbsp.
• Ginger chopped - 1 tbsp.
• Green chillies chopped, if you need it hot
• Spring onions chopped - 3 tbsp.
• One small onion, chopped
• Salt - 1/2 tsp.

• Oil for deep frying.

Method:

Mix the ingredients for the batter with 1-1/4 cup of water - or like bajji batter. If you like kadak (hard) cauliflower manchurian, add rice flour, otherwise leave it. Dip the cauliflower in the batter and deep fry in medium flame till crisp and golden in colour. Keep aside.

Heat 1 tbsp. of oil in a pan, add all the chopped ingredients and fry for a second and keep it in a plate. Heat the remaining oil, add the ginger garlic paste, tomato sauce, chilli powder and salt. Fry a bit, add soya sauce and 1 tbsp. cornflour mixed in 1 cup of water. Simmer till slightly thick. Add the fried cauliflower pieces and the chopped ingredients, toss till the flowers(fritters) are well coated with the sauce and serve hot - immediately. Decorate with half fried onion pieces and chopped coriander leaves!

The cauliflower should be fried just before serving or they will lose their crispness. At home I fry the cauliflower on one side and my husband prepares the sauce on the other burner! We love to serve my son and my GRAND nieces Ashwini and Aishwarya who love manchurian!

Now, all of you try this and tell me if it is as tasty as you get in the restaurants! If you feed me back your comments, I will be very happy. Enjoy!