Monday 3 September 2012

MASALA DOSA




 Masala dosa is all time favorite to all south Indians. This south Indian delicacy is in the news.yup our own masala dosa is in the list of food to be had before one dies!!! This simple ‘celebrity’ is originated from Udupi,a proud fact for all Kannadigas :-).  here goes the recipe….

(The filling I used here is different from the traditional one,this is the one my amma used to cook this tastes little spicy but a good one with different taste)

Ingredients
1.      Dosa batter
                                                                                                  FILLING
For filling
1.      Potato-2 nos cubed
2.      Carrot- 1no cubed
3.      Green peas-1/2 cup
4.      Onion- 1no sliced                             
5.      Ginger-1tbsp julienned
6.      Green chilly-1 or 2 slitted
7.      Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
8.      Chilly powder-1tsp
9.      Coriander powder-3tsp
10.  Garam masala-1/2 tsp
11.  Meat masala-1tsp(optional)
12.  Salt
13.  Water
14.  Oil

Method of preparation
1.      Cook ingredients 1-7 with 1 cup of water and salt.(if you are using dried peas ,soak it overnight)
2.      Heat 1tbsp of oil in a pan. Reduce the flame. Add in all the powders stir for a minute. Add cooked vegetables mix well .slightly mash it with wooden spoon. Turn off the heat. Filling is ready.
3.      Heat a tawa pour a ladle full of batter. Spread it with the backside of ladle. Sprinkle some oil over the top.let it cook.
4.      When it is cooked, keep a big spoon full of masala on one half of dosa cover it with other half. keep it on tawa for another 30 sec. Serve with sambar or chutney .

This filling is enough to make around ten masala dosas

BEEF ROAST





Still in the hangover of pachadi,kichadi,sambar, aviyal and all…then let’s get out of it by this ‘nadan curry’:-).i  dedicate this to all meat lovers in Kerala.

Ingredients
1.      Beef-1kg cut into small pieces
2.      Onion-2 large ,sliced
3.      Ginger- 2tbsp julienned
4.      Garlic-2tbsp,cut lengthwise
5.      Greenchilly-3 or 4 slitted
6.      Turmeric powder-1tsp
7.      Chilly powder-3tsp
8.      Coriander powder-8tsp
9.      Garam masala-2tsp
10.  Pepper powder-1 ½ tsp
11.  Salt
12.  Water-1/2 cup
For tempering
1.      Pearl onions-8 no cut into thin round slices
2.      Curry leaves-a handful
3.      Mustard seeds-3/4 tsp
4.      Coconut oil-3tbsp

Method of preparation
1.      Heat a pan, reduce the flame add all the powders(ingredients 6-10),stir continuously for 3min or till the raw smell disappears and the powders changes its colour.take care not to burn the powders.
2.      Take a pressure cooker, firstly add beef,then add ingredients 2 -5,lastly add powders and salt ,mix well with your hands so that all ingredients coat well with the meat. Add water and cook till it is done.
3.      Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, when they pop up add sliced pearl onions and curry leaves. when the onion turns brown add cooked beef along with the gravy. Cook in high flame till the gravy dries up. then reduce the flame,stir in between and cook until it get well roasted. Serve with rice,chappathi ,porotta,appam…

Notes: To heat the powders it is better to use a nonstick pan. If you are using a normal pan, heat the pan , switch off the flame then add all the powders or else the powders tend to burn in high heat. If you want you can substitute all this powders with about 5 tbsp of readymade meat masala,then no need to heat , directly you can add into the meat and carry on with the remaining steps. Sometimes I do with readymade powders but I feel it lacks the authentic flavor.
PICTORIAL
 sliced onion,ginger and garlic and chilly

 marinated beef
                         cooked beef
                                tempering process
                                        pearl onion turned brown
                                        cooked beef is added ..
                                          ready to be served
                                          

                                         
                                           


Friday 31 August 2012

DATES-SEMIYA PAYASAM


DATES-SEMIYA PAYASAM
Lets celebrate this last day of onam with this simple yet delicious payasam…..
Ingredients
1.      Roasted semiya-1 ½ cup
2.      Dates- 12 nos( deseeded)
3.      Milk-1 ½ litre
4.      Sugar-15 tbsp
5.      Cardamom-4nos
6.      Ghee-3tbsp
Method of preparation
1.      Soak dates in ¾ cup of milk for 30 min.then grind this into a smooth paste
2.      Peel off cardamom ,take out seeds grind with 2 tbsp of sugar to a fine powder.keep it aside.
3.      Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in a  thick bottomed vessel.add vermicelli stir for a minute.add half of milk let it boil,reduce the flame and cook until semiya becomes soft.
4.      When the semiya get cooked add sugar mix well.stir for 10 min.
5.      Add remaining milk,dates paste.mix well.let it boil.
6.      Switch off the flame.add cardamom powder.give a stir.
7.      In another pan heat 2 tbsp of ghee,fry chopped dates and kismis .add this into the payasam ..serve hot..

Thursday 23 August 2012

PAPUTTU



Papputtu is a coorg cuisine.its another version of our puttu but the cooking style is completely different and this one is cooked in milk,that’s the reason it is called papputtu-pal(milk)+puttu ! here goes the recipe of delicious  papputtu.

Ingredients
1.      rice rava/broken rice- 1 1/2 cup   (for preparation check notes)
2.      milk-1 ½ cup
3.      grated coconut-1/2 cup
4.      water-1 cup
5.      cardamom-1 no crushed
6.      sugar-1tsp
7.      salt-1tsp

method of preparation
1.      soak rice rava in water for half an hour
2.      mix this with all other ingredients.(this will look like a loose batter)
3.      grease a steel plate.pour this mixture .fill only half of the plate.cook this in a steamer for 15min.
4.      cut this into triangular shape and serve.it tastes best with any spicy gravy.

Notes : broken rice is available in stores or can be prepared by following method
You can use basmathi rice or sona masoori(pachari). I used sona masoori. wash and soak rice for 5 min. then drain it on a news paper or kitchen towel. Slightly grind it using mixer grinder in to a coarse texture(it should look like medium sized crystals)sieve in order to remove any powder, otherwise your puttu will turn sticky .this can be stored in an air tight container.it is better prepare rice rava in advance as this process is time consuming.
 PICTORIAL
                                             Rice rava 
                                 prepared batter