Sabsige Soppu Rotti (Fresh Dill Rotti)

Dill rotti is one more quick recipe. Dill or Sabsige soppu is a herb which has a very strong smell. My amma never used this herb in her cooking. So I didn't have any idea as to what to do with this.Once I saw someone making a dish using this herb in a cooking show, I thought of trying something with dill at home. So my father got me this herb and I made rotti just like as we make Akki rotti (I like trying new things). The taste was awesome!! This is how I came up with this recipe.

Dill is very rich in calcium and Iron(Check here for more information and start using dill regularly). This is our favorite rotti. Soon it might become yours too!!

(I remember one of our good friends telling that he doesn't like dill but he ate this rotti happily:-) So its worth trying for all lovers/ non lovers of dill!!)

Ingredients:

• Sabsige soppu/Fresh dill- 1/2 a bunch
• Rice flour- 1 1/2 cups
• Salt- To taste
• Oil- To fry

(Smell of dill is very dominating, So it doesn't make a difference if you add onions,coriander leaves or not. Still you can add if you like it. You can also add capsicum, carrot or any other vegetable of your choice to make it more healthy)

Procedure:

Wash dill thoroughly. Discard the stem of the herb and then chop the leaves finely. Now take the chopped dill, rice flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add water in small quantities. Mix it well. The dough consistency should be as shown in the picture.

Now divide the dough into small balls(5-6). Then take a zip loc to make the rotti.( if you don't have a zip loc then you can also use a banana leaf / wet cloth. Another option is to use milk or oil packets:-)). I love making rotti on a banana leaf (lucky , those who have that option). Apply little oil on the zip loc so that the dough doesn't stick to it.

Start spreading the dough without any gaps in between (don't make very big/ thin rottis. It will be difficult to transfer to the tawa)

Transfer this rotti carefully on a heated tawa. Fry each side for about 2-3 minutes. Add oil/ butter while frying (optional).

Sabsige Soppu Rotti is ready!! Serve it hot with any chutney of your choice or just serve it with little butter on top. Above measurement is for serving two people.

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Nanchane pitta polo (Ragi dosa)

Nanchane peeta means Ragi flour in Konkani. This is one more quick breakfast recipe. This dosa can also be served for dinner. Ragi/Finger millet has more calcium, iron and fiber when compared to wheat, brown rice and maize. Even it has a less fat content in it.You can know more about ragi here. So if anyone is planning for a low Carbohydrate recipe for dinner, then this is one such recipe.

I got this recipe from a very good friend. This recipe also includes yogurt/curd and hence this dosa is very rich in calcium.

Ingredients:

• Ragi flour- 1 cup
• Rice flour- 1/2 cup
• Yogurt/curd- 1 cup
• Green Chilli- 1-2
• Onion, small- 1
• Coriander leaves/ Cilantro- Few springs
• Salt- To taste

Procedure:

First Chop the onion, green chilli and cilantro very finely and put them in a mixing bowl. To this add ragi flour, rice flour, curd and salt. Mix it well so that there are no lumps in it. Add water if required. Consistency of the batter should be such that its thinner than normal dosa batter.

Once the dosa pan is ready, pour one ladel of the batter on the pan ( Since the batter is little thin and has chopped onions in it, its difficult to spread the dosa batter in circular motion unlike other dosas. Hence just spread it as you do a neeru dosa or rava dosa).

Add little oil (optional). Close it with a lid for a minute. Then flip the dosa to fry the other side. Each side of the dosa might take two minutes. Fry until it gets a light brown color on both sides of the dosa. Nanchane Pitta Polo is ready!

Serve it hot with any chutney of your choice. I served it with Gosale Shire Chutney .Above measurement is for serving 2-3 people.

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Dalitoy (Konkani Dal)

This dal is very popular among the konkanis. I just love this. It is prepared for almost every function and is the simplest dal ever! I am sure most of them will like this.

Ingredients:

• Toor dal- 1 cup
• Green Chilli- 3-4
• Red chilli- 3
• Oil- 2 Tbsp
• Mustard- 1 tsp
• Curry leaves- Few
• Asafoetida- ¼ tsp
• Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
• Salt- To taste

Procedure:

Cook dal along with turmeric in a cooker (2-3 whistles should be fine and the water level should be much greater than dal in the cooker). After it gets cooled, transfer the dal in another container. Add water if it is essential. The consistency should be such that it shouldn’t be too thick or thin (Then it depends on how you would like to have it). Now add green chillies which are cut length wise, asafoetida and salt. Bring it to a boil and let it continue to boil for 5-6 minutes. Then turn off the flame. For seasoning heat oil and then add mustard seeds. Once it starts spluttering, add broken red chillies and curry leaves. Fry them for few seconds and add to the dal and mix well. Dalitoy is ready to serve.

This dal goes well with rice. Above measurement is for serving four people. 

Note: If you don’t like the flavor of asafoetida, then you can substitute it with ginger (1Inch). Add chopped ginger along with green chillies . This is another version of dalitoy. Generally the second version is followed in temples. This is because they are not supposed to add asafoetida to naivedyam. Both versions are equally delicious.

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Rulao Bhakri (Konkani flat bread)

Rulao means Sooji/ Semolina in Konkani. This Bhakri is very simple and Quick. It takes only 15 minutes to prepare the batter. This bhakri comes to your rescue if you want to prepare a breakfast very quickly.

Ingredients:

• Semolina/Sooji- 2 cups (I substituted 1/2 a cup of Sooji with All purpose flour)
• Green Chilli- 2
• Ginger- 1/2 inch
• Jaggery- 1 tsp
• Grated Coconut, fresh/frozen- 3-4 Tbsp
• Salt- To taste
• Oil- 2 Tbsp

Procedure:

Chop the green chillies and grate the ginger. Keep it aside.
Now mix sooji, chopped green chilllies, grated ginger, grated coconut, jaggery and salt.
Add water little by little. Consistency of the batter should not be too watery. The batter has to be kept for 10 minutes. In that 10 minutes, the sooji will absorb the water content. After 10 minutes, if it becomes too thick, then you can add little water (the final consistency should be thicker than the urad dal dosa batter).
Now take a cup of water in a bowl (this will be used in spreading the bhakris). Once the pan gets heated, take a small portion of the batter using your hand and place it in the middle of the pan. 

Dip your hand in water and start spreading the batter as much as possible ( you should be very quick in doing this, otherwise it will be difficult to spread, resulting in very thick bhakris. If you feel it difficult then you can also spread it on a banana leaf or aluminum foil and then transfer it to the pan)

Add oil while frying(optional). After 1-2 minutes flip the dosa to fry the other side. This might take 1-2 more minutes. Rulao Bhakri is ready.

Serve it hot with butter on top. You can also serve it with any curry or chutney of your choice. Above measurement is for serving two people.

Note: You can also try making slight variations to the bhakris by adding onions and coriander leaves.

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Beetroot Cutlet

Whenever I see beetroots in the market the first thing which comes to my mind are these yummy cutlets.I learnt making these cutlets from Amma.Whenever we get beetroots, I make these cutlets because my husband is a big fan of them. Beetroot is a very rich source of nutrients. Its juice helps in reducing the blood pressure.

Ingredients:

• Beetroot (medium sized)- 3
• Potatoes (large)- 3
• Onion (small)- 1
• Red chilli powder- 1/4 tsp
• Green Chillies- 2
• Oil- 4 Tbsp
• Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
• Chana dal- 1 tsp
• Urad dal- 1 tsp
• Curry leaves- Few
• Cilantro/Coriander leaves- 5-6 strands
• Salt- To taste
• Rava(semolina)- 3 Tbsp

Procedure:

First wash the beetroots and potatoes thoroughly and remove the peel (i removed the peel of potatoes after cooking them). Cut them into halves. Now cook it in a pressure cooker with sufficient water and salt to taste (two whistles should be sufficient). 

Now chop the onion and keep aside. Take a small pan and add 1 Tbsp of oil. When it gets heated, add mustard seeds. Once it starts spluttering add curry leaves, urad dal and chana dal. Fry for few seconds and then add chopped onions and chopped green chillies. Fry it until the onions turn slight brown in color. Once it starts turning brown add little salt, red chilli powder and chopped coriander leaves. Turn off the heat. Let it cool. (You can increase the amount of red chilli powder to make it more spicy).

Now grate the cooked beetroots.

Remove the peel of the cooked potatoes and mash them. Mix the grated beetroot, mashed potatoes and the seasoned onions (Check for the salt. If its less you can add it now)

Now make small balls from the mixture.

Roll these balls one by one in semolina and then flatten them into small discs and fry them on a tava. Add oil while frying. Fry it until each side turns brown.

Beetroot Cutlet is ready. Serve hot with Tomato sauce or Chutney. Above measurement serves 3-4 people.

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Kashi Halwa (Kumbalakayi Halwa)

Ash gourd halwa is popularly known as Kashi Halwa (I don't know why it is called Kashi halwa;-)). Trust me its very tasty. This is a must try for those who have sweet tooth. Its our favorite halwa:-)

Ingredients:

• Grated Ash gourd- 2 1/2 cups
• Sugar- 1/2 cup (vary according to your taste)
• Saffron/ food color - A pinch (Optional)
• Cardamom powder- 1 tsp
• Ghee- 4 Tbsp
• Cashewnut, Raisins- 1 Tbsp each.

Procedure:

Remove the seeds and peel of the Ash gourd and grate it.

Now cook the grated ash gourd in a pressure cooker without adding water (two whistles) and then transfer to a pan along with water (I discarded the excess water to save time).

Continue heating it, until all the water evaporates. Then add 2 Tbsp of ghee and saffron/food color. Keep stirring this mixture for five minutes. Now it starts forming into a mass.

Now add sugar (Again it leaves water).

Keep stirring until it turns into a single mass. Now add the remaining ghee (save little amount of ghee to fry the nuts) and mix well. Keep Stirring for five more minutes. Add fried cashews, raisins. Turn off the heat. Now add the cardamom powder and mix well. Kashi Halwa is ready!!

Above measurement serves two people. You can also try making this halwa by adding jaggery instead of sugar. Try it and enjoy!!

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Kultha Idli (Horse gram Idli)

Kulithu means Horsegram in Konkani. Horsegram is mainly used by the people of South India. It is a protein rich pulse and has many medicinal values. It is used to cure many health problems in Ayurveda. It is also used to reduce weight and helps to bring down cholesterol. It is also used as a cattle food. Try making these healthy idlis for breakfast. Making these idlis is similar to the simple idlis. Its tastes very good with coconut oil:-)

Ingredients:

• Rice rava- 1 cup
• Split blackgram/Urad dal- 1/2 cup
• Horsegram/ kulithu/ huruli- 1/2 cup
• Salt- To taste

Procedure:

Soak Horsegram and Urad dal for 5-6 hrs. Soak the Rice rava for 2 hrs. Now grind the soaked horsegram and urad dal until it becomes a fine paste. Add sufficient water while grinding. Don't make the paste too watery. Now drain the water of the rice rava. Add the horsegram- urad dal paste to the rice rava and mix well. Add water if required (consistency should be such that it should be little thicker when compared to dosa batter). Keep overnight for fermentation (My amma doesn't ferment the batter. She just keeps the mixture for 4 hrs after grinding but I tried this way. I couldn't make out a major difference).

Add salt to the fermented batter. Apply oil to the idli moulds and pour the batter in the moulds. Steam for 15 minutes.

Kultha idlis are ready. Serve it with chutney , sambhar or any curry of your choice. Above measrement serves 3-4 people.

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Kuvale Sasam (Ashgourd Curry)

Kuvale means Ash gourd in Konkani. Sasam means mustard seeds. This dish is prepared by cooking ash gourd in a coconut based masala and the masala contains mustard seeds. Hence it is called Kuvale Sasam. This dish has a very distinct taste and also ash gourd has many medicinal values. Many people also drink juice of ash gourd which helps in weight loss.You can know more about Ash gourd here.

Ingredients:

• Small Ash gourd (Kuvale/Kumblakaayi) - 500g
• Grated coconut (fresh/frozen)- 3/4 cup
• Roasted red chilli- 5
• Tamarind- A small ball (gooseberry sized)
• Mustard seeds- 1+1 tsp
• Oil- 2 Tbsp
• Curry leaves- Few
• Salt- To taste

Procedure:

Remove the peel of Ash gourd and cut into small pieces.

Cook it in a cooker with sufficient water and salt in it (I took 2-3 whistles). Let it cool. Meanwhile prepare the masala. Grind the grated coconut, roasted red chillies, tamarind along with 1 tsp of mustard till it becomes a smooth paste. Mustard seeds gives it a different flavor. Add little water as required. Don’t make it too watery. Now the masala is ready. Just add this masala to the cooked ash gourd and bring it to a boil. Let it cook until the rawness of the masala goes (5 minutes would be enough after it comes to a boil).The consistency of the curry should be such that it’s not too thick or too watery. Turn off the heat.

For the seasoning, heat oil. Then add 1 tsp of mustard seeds. After it starts spluttering, add curry leaves and turn off the heat. Add this to the curry and mix well. Kuvale Sasam is ready!

This goes well with white rice.You can also have it with rotis. Above measurement is for serving three people. This is a mild dish. If you want it spicier then you can increase the number of red chillies according to your requirement.     
  

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Tandla Bhakri (Konkani Bread)

Tandulu means Raw rice in Konkani. I made this bhakri using a special variety of rice called boiled rice which is common in South India. Boiled rice takes pretty longer time to cook than white rice. It is brownish in color. Using this rice we also make Undi, rice noodles, idlis.

Ingredients:

• White rice (raw)- 1 cup
• Boiled rice/red rice (raw)- 1/2 cup
• Grated Coconut, Fresh/Frozen- 4 Tbsp
• Salt- To taste

Procedure:

Soak both white rice as well as boiled rice for a minimum of six hours. Then grind the rice along with grated coconut and salt. Add sufficient water. Since we have used boiled rice, it will take more time to make a fine paste when compared to white rice (don't worry if there are few small coarse pieces of boiled rice). The consistency of the batter is similar to other dosas (not too watery, not too thick).

After the pan gets heated, apply little oil and pour the batter using a ladle(I didn't spread the batter in circular motions as we do it  in case of other dosas). After a minute or two, turn it to cook the upper side of bhakri. This might take one more minute. (I didn't make Bhakri as mentioned in Aayis recipes. Usually that is the exact way to make but my amma makes this way, which i feel little easier)

 Tandla Bhakri is ready!!

Serve it with any curry or pickle of your choice. Above measurement is for serving two people.

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Kyane Chips (Banana chips)

Kyane means banana in Konkani. These chips are prepared from a special variety of banana called Nendrabale. These chips are very common in Kerala as well as coastal Karnataka.Usually they are fried in coconut oil. Chips are made from fully grown, unripe bananas. 

Ingredients:

• Unripe Plantain- 2
• Salt- 1 1/2 tsp
• Water- 4 Tbsp
• Oil- For deep frying

Procedure:

Mix salt, water and keep aside.Remove the peel of plantain carefully, using a knife. Then cut into thin circular pieces using a knife or a slicer.

 Now deep fry these pieces in small batches and see that the pieces are well separated in oil. After putting in oil, the color of banana pieces start changing and slowly they become crispier. When the bubbles completely vanish, then this is the time to add salt water. Add nearly 1/2 tsp of the salt water to each batch.(As soon as the salt water is added, there are chances of oil spluttering, leading to skin burns. So care should be taken regarding that). Mix for a while. As soon as the bubble reduces, remove the chips and put it on a paper towel to drain excess oil. Banana chips is ready!! Store it in an air tight container.

Plantain should be absolutely in unripe condition. Even slightly ripe will give soggy chips. Above measurement serves 2-3 people. Fresh home made hot chips are really very tasty! Try them:-)

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Churmundo (Wheat flour Ladoo)

First thing which reminds me of Churmundo is my Amma. She is an expert in making these ladoos. If we are visiting our relatives they were sure that they are going to get Churmundo:-) As a kid, I used to sit beside her and act as if I am watching how she does it but the fact was I wanted to eat in small amounts until she finishes rolling the ladoos. Then gradually even I started to help her in making these ladoos. I have heard from many people that its very difficult to make these ladoos. But I never felt so.

These ladoos are easy to make and trust me they will just melt in the mouth.

Ingredients:

• Wheat flour- 1 cup
• Ghee- 1/4 cup
• Powdered sugar- 3/4 cup
• Cardamom powder- 1 tsp

Procedure:

Take wheat flour in a pan and add ghee to it. Mix it well and fry it on a medium flame until you start getting the aroma. This might take 10-12 minutes (keeping on a high flame might burn the flour).
Now turn off the heat and allow it to cool.
When completely cooled, add powdered sugar and cardamom powder. Mix well.
Now take little amount of mixture in your palm and roll it into ladoos (The mixture is not so sticky and hence requires more care while making them. If you feel difficult in making ladoos then add little amount of ghee which will increase the stickiness and hence less difficult to bind the mixture). Churmundo is ready!! Store them in a container.

Above measurement yields 12 ladoos. These ladoos should be carefully handled:-) (by its looks, it deceives people that its very hard!)

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Godu Appo (Sweet Paniyaram) ~ Using Wheat Flour

God in Konkani means Jaggery:-) Godu Appo is usually offered to Lord Ganapathi on the occasion of Ganesh Chathurthi. Even it is served for breakfast. Appos are small, spherical in shape and can be made instantly. Another version of appo is made from Urad dal/Split blackgram and it is called Udida Appo. Appo is made in a different kind of pan and if you don't have that pan then you can also make dosas from the same batter.

I made an alteration in the recipe given by my mother. Generally bananas are not added but I had few over ripe bananas and hence added them. It will not change the taste of Appo.

Ingredients:

• Wheat Flour- 1 cup
• Ripe banana- 1
• Puffed Rice- 1 cup
• Jaggery-To taste
• Cardamom- 1/2 tsp
• Grated Coconut- 2 Tbsp
• Oil/ghee- For frying

Procedure:

Grind the puffed rice along with banana and jaggery to a smooth paste. Then add this mixture to the wheat flour. Add sufficient amount of water so that the batter is little thick (but of dropping consistency). Now add grated coconut and cardamom powder. Mix well. Batter is ready. Now keep the pan for heating and then pour little oil/ghee in each mould of the pan (I prefer to add ghee). When the pan is hot, pour the batter in each mould.

After a minute or so, it will turn golden brown and turn the spherical appo, so as to cook the other side. This might take one more minute. Godu Appo is ready!!

Above measurement serves two people. Enjoy this healthy dish.

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Mooga gashi (Sprouted Green gram Curry)

Moogu in Konkani means Green gram. Mooga gashi is a coconut based  Sprouted green gram curry. Along with the sprouts we can add Tender jackfruit/ Bamboo shoots/ Suran (yam)/ Potatoes. I have used Bamboo shoots. Mooga gashi is a protein rich curry. This curry is common for special occasions in temples of Udupi and Mangalore. 

Ingredients:

• Green gram/ Moong - 2/3 cup
• Bamboo shoots- 1/4 of a can (50-75g)
• Grated Coconut, fresh/frozen- 2/3 cup
• Roasted Red chillies- 5
• Tamarind- A small ball (gooseberry sized)
• Oil- 2 Tbsp
• Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
• Fenugreek/ Methi- 1/4 tsp
• Curry leaves- few
• Salt- To taste

Procedure:

Soak the green gram overnight. Then put these soaked green gram in a muslin cloth. Tie it tightly and keep in a warmer place for another day. Green gram sprouts are ready.

Cut the bamboo shoots into small pieces.Take the green gram sprouts and bamboo shoots in a cooker with sufficient water. Add salt to it. Then cook it without weight for 15 minutes.For the masala- grind coconut, red chilli and tamarind. Make a smooth paste by adding required amount of water.Then add this masala to the cooked sprouts and bring it to a boil. Continue cooking further for 5-7 minutes so that the rawness of the masala goes off. Turn off the heat.

Now for the seasoning- Heat oil and then add mustard seeds. Once it starts spluttering, add fenugreek/methi seeds and fry for a minute. Then add curry leaves. Turn off the heat and add this to the curry and mix well. Mooga gashi is ready. It goes well with Rice,Chapathi, idli. Above measurement is for serving three people.

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Keerla Podi (Bamboo shoot fritters)

Keerlu in Konkani means Bamboo shoots. Bamboo shoots are commonly used in many Asian countries like India, Indonesia, China, Japan etc. On the onset of Monsoon, I remember my aanu(father) getting fresh bamboo shoots from the market (in Udupi). Amma used to remove the outer peel (not eatable) and then preserve it in salt so that it can be used throughout the year. Keerla sukke made from fresh bamboo shoots feels like heaven.I just love it.If the bamboo shoots are used fresh then it has to be soaked in water for three days (everyday the water needs to be changed) in order to remove the bitterness.In Konkani cuisine it is used to make many dishes like dosa, fritters, pickle etc. Also it reminds me of one of my post-Mooga gashi, which you can find it here.

For making keerla podi, I used canned bamboo shoots.After eating these fritters, many will be surprised to know that it has bamboo shoots:-) These fritters are easy to make and trust me its very tasty and addictive!!

Ingredients:

• Bamboo Shoots- 3/4 of a Can (200-225g)
• Rice flour- 1/2 cup
• Red chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder- 1/2 tsp
• Salt- To taste

Procedure:

Wash the bamboo shoots thoroughly. Then crush them using a hard object as shown in the picture.

Now take the crushed bamboo shoots in a bowl. To this add rice flour, red chilli powder, coriander powder (i made it fresh) and salt.(those who are using the bamboo shoots preserved in salt- soak the crushed shoots in water to remove excess salt). Mix well. Don't add water (the shoots will have enough moisture in it).

Now deep fry the above mixture (make small balls out of it or just in random shapes) on a medium flame, until it turns crispy.

Keerla podi is ready!! It can be served along with rice or can be eaten independently. Above measurement is for serving two people,

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