PEAS KOLUMBU

When it comes to Weekend, my husband needs something special to eat. Even though whole week, in busy working days we eat more of Rasam and vegetable dry (sabzi/palya/poriyal), still there is demand for Rasam and I am thinking of other recipes - not just to eat but also to share in my blog. I had once prepared ladys finger (bendekai) puli kolumbu which turned out to be most delicious. The specialty of cooking and being in Tamil house is anything with tangy (tamarind) and spicy, you will get at least passing marks for the recipe you garnish. Coming back to my new try on peas kolumu!!! This is very similar kind of puli kolumbu but varies in frying broad beans, YES its chapparada avarakai in Kannada and avarakai in Tamil. Its very simple and easy so here I go... 

INGREDIENTS

Avarakai- 250 grams

Onion- 1, chopped into peices

Tomato- 1, chopped into pecies

Green chili-1 chopped

Coriander/cilantro - very little for garnishing and taste (as always I recommend)

Tamarind- 1 big lemon size

Kolombu melaga powder- 2-3 tb sp. ( I use aachi kolombu powder because the taste is very much adjusted for my cooking!  you can also use the other brands which is very comfortable for you. 

Tur dal- 1 cup cooked in pressure cooker

COOKING

1. we need to 1st saute mustard, green chilies and onions in oil until it turns brownish color
2. Then fry tomatoes for 5 minutes or until it is completely cooked
3. Now avarakai cut into long pieces could be added and fried for 15 minutes along with adding tamarind paste once in 2 minutes. By adding this way, it will make avarakai, a good tangy taste 
4. Now I added cooked and smashed dal. Usually dal is not used in kolumbu but I add this to give a good enough consistence. 
5. allow it for 7-8 minutes and then add 2 tb sp. of melaga powder and stir it often for 10 -15 minutes. 
6. This completes addition of all special magic ingredients for my style Kolumbu. garnish with washed coriander and serve. This serves 4 people. Preparation and cooking takes 20 minutes. 


I enjoyed eating just now and even got praising from my family. I am happy. You too, I wish... 

HAPPY COOKING!!!

GREENY SNACK

India is known for variety of snacks either its a Gujarati style Dhokla, Misal pav of Mumbai or its tip south bajji masala or omlet masala. We have many roadside venders who sell all kinds of chatpati-sweety- tangy foods. More recently we have moved to Indian style modified Pizzas and burgers. But still we somewhere recall what we have eaten in our childhood days.. and we say, "my mom was the best cook". Of course, we like everything what our MOM prepares. I used to wait for my mom in evening, when she returns from work, she used to prepare bonda, bajji, laddu, chakli, kodbale, avalakki, many many and many- what ever the number of friends come home, MOM rocks!!!.
Pani puri was very spicy, tangy taste while molakekalu masala (sprouted green gram masala) was just too awesome. Even though it was very mild, enjoyment while eating was different. Just do gossiping with friends, talk nothing important and eat!!!
I want to share molakekalu masala here. Please do try and enjoy your evening snack.

INGREDIENTS
Spinach- take ~200 gms and cut into small pieces.

Onion- 1 chopped into small pieces

Sprouted green gram - 200 gms : this should be soaked in water for overnight. Then morning remove water and close tight the soaked grams for 4-5 hours. It will start sprouting. 

Carrot- 1-2 grated

Green chili- 1

Garam masala- 1tb sp.

Lemon-1

Coconut-1/2 cup.

COOKING

1. In a hot pan add oil, turmeric, green chili and onions. 

2. Once onion turns brownish color, add carrot and  sprouted green gram and fry it for 5 minutes or until carrot and gram is half cooked.

3. Add spinach and saute.

4. Here, we can add garam masal and coconut, if you like lemon juice only on top. Or add lemon juice along with garam masala. 

5. Mix this well and as usually, I suggest adding cilantro/coriander on top for good flavor. 

Here comes Green snack. The additional taste we could add are - khara mixture, pomegranates or sweet corn. The other part is, instead of green chili if more spicy is required add red chili paste. 


HAPPY COOKING :)

AMMA'S BISIBELE BHAATH

Bisi-bele-bhaath is hot-lentil-rice in the Kannada language and a famous recipe in KARNATAKA.

Since 6 months I had not tried bisibele bhaath. I wonder how didn't this dish came to my mind. My mom had given me home-made sambar powder which she uses for preparing bisibele bhaath. This powder mix can also be used in sambar preparations. This is typical Karnataka Brahmin's house belebath style recipe. When you taste, it tells you YES! this is Karnataka bisibele bhaath. Last week one of my friend's tried bele bhaath & I was tempted to prepare my own belebhaath.
Please try this and let me know. When I tell my mom about comments, she will be happy I must say!!!

INGREDIENTS FOR MASALA (SAMBAR POWDER)

Channa dal- 1 hand ful
dried grated coconut- 1 cup
Coriander seeds- 1 cup

red chilis- 3/4 cup

Jaggery - 1 inch piece

Urdal- 1/4 cup

Methi seeds (fenugreek seeds)- 1/4 cup

hing (asafoetida)- 1 tb sp.

Turmeric powder- 2 tb sp.

Red channa dal- 1 cup. 

Dried curry leaves- 10

salt

(Dry grind all the above ingredients)

NOTE: 1 cup should be almost equal to 100 grams

TO GRIND

Tomato- 2 
Coconut- hand ful
Channa dal- 1/4 cup
sambar powder- 2 tb sp. 
garam masala- 1/2 tb sp.
Salt to taste
(Roast for 2 minutes before grinding)

INGREDIENTS (TO SAUTE)

Mustard seeds, turmeric, hing (asafoetida), oil and curry leaves- as required

cinnamon, clove- 3/4 pieces 

green chili-2 cut into long pieces

Coconut- cut into pieces

Onion- 1, cut into long pieces (optional)

Capsicum- 1, cut into long pieces 

Peanut- 1/2 cup

Beans, Carrot, Green peas, Sweet corn, Potato- 1 cup each, cut into piece as required (long or round)

Tur dal-  1-2 cup (Cook  in pressure cooker long with 1 green chili)

Cooked rice- 3 cups

COOKING

1. saute cinnamon, clove in a pan along with oil, turmeric, hing (asafoetida), mustard and curry leaves.
2. Fry onions and capsicum
3. Fry pea nut until it becomes brownish followed by vegetables mixture. By now it will give you a very nice flavored aroma all around your Kitchen (Happy)
4. add cooked dal along with grinded masala paste. 
saute all these ingredients for 10 minutes. 
4. Once this mixture is cooked well, the masala will get along with vegetables. 
5. Add cooked rice and keep stirring it for like 10 more minutes, or until rice is well cooked with all other ingredients. 
6. Even though salt was added while grinding, add as per taste required. 
7. Add coriander for final touch up.. AND THIS GIVES YOU TASTY BISIBELE BHAATH. 




 


  

HAPPY COOKING :)

SUTTA BADANEKAI BAJJI

(BURNT EGGPLANT CURRY)

 This is one special recipe which could be prepared using big brinjal. This dish is very native of Karnataka villages as we need coal to burn eggplant and cook.
Guys!! I know how difficult to use coal and cook food in modern days. I have a very short and sweet recipe for this. here I go!!!

INGREDIENTS

Brinjal/ Egg plant big -1
Onion-1, thinly sliced
Tomato- 1, chopped
Cabbage- 1 cup thinly sliced (Optional)
Green chilies- 2 chopped round
Spring onions-1-2 sticks

TO MARINATE

Red chilli powder- 2 tb sp.
Tamarind- 2 tb sp paste
salt to taste

COOKING- 2 PARTS
1- cook the whole big Brinjal in pressure cooker or on direct stove flame (by rotating it often)
Once it is cooked, then smash it with hands and mix it with chilli powder, tamarind and salt. This is the marinate part. Keep it aside for 10 minutes.

2- In a pan, heat oil, add green chili, mustard seeds, curry leaves.
Saute Onions, Cabbage and Tomato until its cooked properly.
Add to the pan, the marinated brinjal mixture.
Allow it to boil for 10 more minutes. By this time Brinjal mixes well with onions and tomatoes.
Add Coriander after every thing cooked.

HAPPY COOKING!!!

VEGGI VEG PALAV

gUYS, I was waiting to write this recipe from a very long time. I am very much aware that if Palav is a key word given for search in google, you will end up in seeing 20-40 blogs and websites listing all ingredients, how to prepare, secrets and all.... 

But still I want to list this out in my blog as well. its like saying, no food without pickle, no blog without palav ;) Enjoy.. Let me know how it was or any ingredients to be added.. 

 

INGREDIENTS

Vegetables to be cut/chopped - Big Onion-1,Beans, tomato, potatoes, carrot - 1 cup full each, peas 1 and half cup (Cauli flower could also be added, but I don't like it in palav much)

Green chilies- 2-3 chopped

Ginger- 6-8 pieces

Garlic - 8 cloves

Basmati rice- 2 cups

 

Masalas

Cumin seeds- 1 tb sp.

Fennel seeds- 1 tb sp.

Cinnamon stick- 2-3

palav leaves- 1

pepper corms- 8-10

Cloves- 8-10

Marati Moggu- 1

Cilantro- few leaves

1 tbsp. oil
Salt to taste

COOKING

To a hot pan, add oil, broken cinnamon sticks, pepper corns, cloves, Marati Moggu, cumin seeds and funnel seeds. saute for 5 minutes. 

Add green chilies and all chopped vegetables and fry for 10 min. (I prefer adding raw/uncooked vegetables because, it will be cooked along with rice.)

Add garlic and ginger so that it mixes well with vegetables

Basamati rice is very good for palav. Add 1 cup of Basmati rice and fry until rice becomes smooth. 

Add 2 cups of water and bring it to boil. Close the pressure cooker and allow for 2 whistles. 

Can be served hot with raitha.. It’s delicious!!!  

HAPPY COOKING!!!

 

RAITHA FOR PALAV

I must mention Niharika here for preparing raitha for Palav. That was really tasteful, Thanks Nihar :)
Raitha would be prepared of many kinds like onion raitha, tomato raitha etc. I feel this one very special. Try this along with Palav or Biryani and let me know. This takes just 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS

onion- 1, finely chopped
Tomato- 1 finely chopped
Carrot-1/2 or 2/3, grated
Green chili- 2 chopped finely
Coriander/ Cilantro- finely chopped few leaves
Curd- half a cup
Pepper and salt

PREPARATION

The finely chopped onion and tomato are to be mixed with grated carrot, cilantro and green chilies
then add curd, bring it to medium consistency by adding water
Then add required amount of pepper and salt, as per taste

NICE WITH PALAV, HAPPY COOKING!!!