Tamarind Rice ( Puliyogare/ Pulihara/ Puliyodhare)

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi All!

Since the Ganesh Chaturthi and Gowri Pooja came around mid-week, it was a bit crazy and hectic. The mid-week storm, gusty winds and rainy day played truant but did not dampen my spirit. I was happy to find Plantain leaves (Keli Paan), Betel Leaves (Padi Paan) at Indian stores. I found a good bunch of sweet smelling Pink Carnations and Daisies in alluring shades of burgundy, yellow and purple. The fresh flowers adorning nooks and crannies of the pooja corner, scent of floral Agarbattis certainly added a sparkle to the festive atmosphere.

Now, I am not big on sweets neither is the husband. So, I decided to make a simple dish for the festival. It also was a good opportunity to replenish my Puliyogare Gojju stock which was almost over. In India, I never made Puliyogare from scratch and relied on the small North Karnataka store in Rajajinagar near a friend's house which supplies the best Gojju in Bangalore in my opinion. I never knew that the Gojju is available as a ready mix, until my friends Mom introduced me to the store. In US, the small packet of store bought MTR Puliyogare mix seemed a bit bland and more sweet and I enjoy my food when its spicy. Surprisingly, it didn't pique my interest and that's when I decided to make my own Puliyogare Gojju mix. For the longest time, I used Coconut powder (unsweetened) but now have begun using scraped pieces of Copra which are easily available at Indian stores.

I make a small batch of this mix and it comes handy for 5-6 meals. My Ma uses Black Sesame seeds and I use White seeds since I had them handy. The black seeds enable the dark brown color for Gojju. On weekdays when I don't have the energy to cook, I turn to this Gojju for serving a nourishing meal. The good thing is both of us are big fans of Puliyogare, so more reasons to enjoy this dish. Its an extremely portable dish and is our favorite for lunch box.

~ Puliyogare ~

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

Puliyogare Masala Powder -

Copra (grated) or Coconut powder (unsweetened) - 4 tbsp

Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

White/ Black Sesame seeds - 1 tsp

Black Pepper corns - 2 tsp

Urad Dal - 1 tsp

Chana Dal - 1 tsp

Asafoetida - Just a pinch

Red Chillies (split into two) [Byadgi variety] - 8

*** Dry roast all of the above one by one and then allow to cool.

Grind to a fine powder ***

For Seasoning -

Urad Dal - 1 tsp

Chana Dal - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1tsp

Curry leaves - 2 sprig

Red Chillies (split into two) [Byadgi variety] - 2-3

Coconut oil - 1/2 cup
Peanuts - 1/2 cup

Puliyogare Gojju -

Tamarind pulp (very thick) - 1 cup

Jaggery (scraped into bits) - 1/2 cup

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Puliyogare Masala powder

Seasoning Ingredients

Salt

Method:

To Make Puliyogare Gojju -

Microwave Peanuts for 3 minutes till they get toasty. Allow to cool till they attain a  crunchy texture. 

In a bowl, add warm water and soak the tamarind for 10 minutes. Extract the thick pulp and remove any fibre, residue from the pulp.

Heat oil and season with mustard seeds. Once the seeds splutter, add the Chana Dal, Urad Dal, Red Chillies and Curry leaves. Add the Peanuts now and saute. Be careful and step back as they splutter rapidly once added in hot oil.

Add the Tamarind pulp now, add jaggery bits. The consistency will be thick like a sauce, bring to a boil. Adjust salt, add turmeric and red chilli powder. Once its par-cooked, add the powder mix. The powder absorbs the mixture quickly and the whole mass will come together like a thick chutney. Once oil oozes out, turn off flame. Store in an air-tight non-reactive jar for future use. It has a shelf life of 1 to 1 and 1/2 month.

To Make Puliyogare -

Cook Rice of choice. Heat a pan with little coconut oil, add the rice and mix well. Add the Gojju and mix well (2 tbsp of Gojju mix for 1 cup of cooked rice with 2 tbsp of coconut oil). Add salt only if required. A perfect tasting  Puliyogare is tangy, salty and sweet. Serve warm as a meal on its own.

Note - The Tamarind affects the quality of Gojju made. I use dark variety of Tamarind (the round blob variety) which I get from India. If the Tamarind has impurities, get rid of them before use, else the impurities will seep in, spoiling the Gojju mix. Use Copra if available instead of Coconut powder.

Tomato Saar with Ginger (Alle Tomato Saaru)

In my household, using Ginger/ Alle as an herb for Saaru is unheard of. Saaru is a soupy broth of herbs and condiments, couples well with rice and constitutes as a light and soothing lunch and dinner. Having said that, one cannot undermine the importance of Ginger and its curative properties in Indian food. This recipe is from my Ma's collection, sourced from Kannada magazine - Taranga. Interestingly, this one is a favorite among our household. The flavour of this Saaru has a very soothing effect, hence holds good for kids as well as elderly and senior citizens in the family. I added a stash of red lentils which needed to be used and it added a good texture to the Saaru.

My Ammama - maternal granny, is an octogenarian, a true matriarch of our family, hale-o-hearty woman, however cannot eat boiled or cooked rice and needs a good mash of food before she can eat. She is on dentures, hates to wear them, rebukes them as artificial aid and like a true Konkani, loves her dose of Dalithoi, Upkari and Patrode. Funnily, she enjoys spicy and savoury food and dislikes bland food. If she dislikes what is made for lunch or dinner, she will grab a bite and stop right there. She will pompously declare that the food is no good. She jokes around by saying - Don't give me patient food when I am ok. We all oblige with laughter! Ma makes Alle Tomato Saaru for her on many occasions and she enjoys her lunch with a satiated calmness which only my Ma and Pachi's can read and comprehend. She eats a little bit and then declares with a grin that this food makes her soul happy. I like this recipe for the tenderness and nostalgic memories built around it.

~ Alle Tomato Saaru ~
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 1o-15 minutes
Source: Original recipe from Kannada magazine - Taranga

Ingredients:
Tomato (ripe, chopped and pureed) - 2 cups
Red Lentils (washed and drained) [optional] - 1/2 cup
Ginger (grated) - 1 tbsp
Garlic (grated) - 1 tbsp
Onion (finely chopped) - 3 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/3 tsp
Green Chilli (split lengthwise) - 1
Salt

For Seasoning -
Red Chillies (split into two) - 1
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 3-4
Oil/Ghee

Method:
Rinse the tomatoes and puree them in a blender. Bring this to a boil along with grated ginger and garlic. Adjust salt, add green chilli and chopped onions when semi-cooked. Add 1/2 cup of hot water if desired. Add washed red lentils at this stage. After it comes to a rolling boil, simmer with the lid on for 5-8 minutes. Once done and lentils are cooked, add coriander powder and give a good stir and turn off the flame. In a separate frying pan, heat few spoons of oil/ghee, season with mustard seeds and once they begin to pop add curry leaves and red chillies. Pour this seasoning on the Saaru and cover with a lid. Serve hot with cooked white or parboiled rice.

Set Dosa (Mushti Polo) - 2.0

I had earlier blogged about Set Dosa, also known as Mushti Polo in Konkani. In GSB Konkani, the traditional serving is although not done in sets of three. Set Dosa is served in Bangalore road side stand-up eateries in set of three with Potato Palya and chutney of choice. The logic for Mushti Dosa was for the prefixed quantity of Rice, a mushti of Urad Dal should be added; mushti in Konkani implies a closed fist hence the name Mushti Polo.

Recently, Mom made an easier version and was pleased as the previous Dosa recipe was modified a bit with less ingredients. I was curious to try, luckily with warm weather prevailing, fermentation problem was solved with plenty of wild yeast in the air owing to summer slowly ushering in. I loved this version and is less painstaking compared to the previous one I had posted. Do attempt only if the weather is warm enough, else you will have to try induced fermentation (with Eno salt or Soda). I am not a big fan of the induced fermentation (unless no choice), so prefer to take advantage of warm sunny days to making piping hot Dosa.

Soaking time: 10 hours (overnight soak)
Fermentation time: 8-10 hours
Cooking time: 3-5 minutes

Ingredients:
Rice (Parboiled rice + Sona Masoori) - 1:1 ratio - 2 cups
Urad Dal - 1/4 cup
Methi seeds - 1 teaspoon
Grated coconut (fresh or frozen but thawed) - 3-4 tablespoon
Salt
Oil/ Ghee

Method:
Soak Rice, Urad Dal and Methi seeds after multiple wash in filtered water. Soak for overnight time which is good 10 hours. Next day morning, when its warm and sunny, grind the batter to a smooth paste of Dosa consistency along with grated coconut. Adjust salt as per taste. Pre-heat oven to around 250 F. Once relatively cool, place the batter container for fermentation with the oven light on. After every five hours, give the batter a good beat with hands, the logic being warmth from hands transfers the heat to the dosa and is the onset for fermentation process. By evening or night, the batter should get fermented. Once done, immediately transfer to fridge and cover with a lid.
Use the batter for next day's breakfast/ lunch or dinner. Take a ladle full of batter, spread on a hot griddle. For Set Dosa, the size is that of a Surnoli, which is larger than a pancake but smaller than a regular Dosa. Drizzle oil/ ghee on all sides if desired, else if using non-stick griddle, oil can be skipped. Do not flip over the Dosa. Slowly, honey comb like structure would form on the exposed side of Dosa. Once edges are brown, serve the Dosa with chutney or Pitti chutney.

Empire Ghee Rice

Bangalore - A workaholic city bustling with IT professionals offers myriad choices for Foodie's around the globe. Be it gourmet & fine dining options or the simple to humble inexpensive Tiffin items, there is something for everyone in this city with great affordable choices & tasty options to suit your palate and pocket. In Bangalore, if one visits Hotel Empire they have a special menu which is most sought after by me and my friends. It was a combination of Veg/ Chicken Kebabs, Ghee Rice served with Salad on the side and Veg/ Chicken Gravy. Over a period of time, this became so famous amongst my friends that every time we went there, we knew what we wanted to order. The flavour has left an indelible mark on my memory. This ubiquitous combination is quite enjoyed by some of my dearest friends in Bangalore.

I usually use the cooked rice from previous day for a good fluffy textured Ghee Rice. Its important to thaw the rice at room temperature before use. The cooked rice has to be dry with less moisture. The more grainy and separated the rice is, the better your Ghee Rice. I added Cashew Nuts to spruce up the flavour. My husband is a big fan of Ghee Rice and he enjoys this with Chicken curry with thick gravy or Fried Chicken. Its an occasional treat for us owing to the high calories involved. The recipe is quite simple and is an effort to recreate the same long forgotten flavour.

~ Empire Ghee Rice ~

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
Rice (cooked) - 4 cups
Onion (sliced) - 3/4 cup
Cashew Nuts - 1/2 cup
Ghee
Salt

Method:
Thaw the rice at room temperature at least 1/2 before use. Use a large faced deep sauce pan, that way your rice gets evenly warmed. First heat a huge quantity of Ghee, allow to melt and saute the cashew nuts. Let them turn golden brown with a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and keep them aside. Next saute the sliced onions and saute them till they turn crunchy and golden brown. The texture should be like deep fried onions. This whole process takes around 10 minutes. After the onions are fried completely, transfer them to a paper towel and keep aside. Now, add the cooked rice in ghee, give a good stir, much better if you can shake up the rice without using a spatula or ladle. The intention is to get the ghee coated and not to break the rice. Adjust salt now. Once rice is fluffy, turn off flame. Garnish with fried onions and cashew nuts. Serve warm with a gravy of choice.

Note - For best results, use good quality Ghee or Unsalted Butter. Fried Onions render a good layering to the dish. Ensure they are completely fried to get a good bite of crunch. Do not add too much salt as your complementary dish would have sufficient salt.

Lentil Spicy Soup (Bele Saaru/ Udupi Daali Saaru)

Bele Saaru or Udupi Daali Saaru is an amalgamation of Daal + Saaru. The final product which you get when you marry both is Udupi Daali Saaru or Bele Saaru. This approach of cooking Daal along with Saaru is very popular and sought after in Udupi & Mangalore regions, also practised in Kannada/ Karnataka cuisines. This version is a far cry from the traditional Tomato Rasam or Tomato Saaru Recipe. The only twist here is the addition of Daal plus the consistency is more thicker and not as thin and soupy as Rasam.

If you are making a big batch of this recipe, try putting a bunch of Coriander leaves and Curry leaves tied together as a Herb Bouquet in the soup. Else, put all the herbs in a muslin cloth, tie off the ends and dunk in the soup. Discard once the soup is ready. I believe this is the chef's little secret to get the 'precise' flavour for Saaru. This is one of the approaches still practised in Udupi Krishna Temple where more than 5000+ people enjoy temple food preparations cooked by Shivalli Brahmins cooks; this Saaru is served as part of lunch and dinner to a huge mass of devotees thronging to the holy abode from nooks and corners of the world. I recall watching it on a Travel and Living documentary on Udupi Temple food served on Plantain leaf hosted by Padma Lakshmi ; simply incorporated this method into my recipe. :)

I am forever bowled over by this humble recipe which fuses two cooking methods of Daal and Saaru. In my home, this is a regular one. Daal adds volume and provides the much required pep to improve the texture. Feel sick, just slurp this up from a mug.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Yield: 2-3 servings

Ingredients:

Toor Daal (cooked) - 1 cup

Tomatoes (finely chopped and pulsed) - 3/4 cup

Rasam powder - 2 teaspoon

Green Chillies (sliced) - 2

Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Asafoetida powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Coriander leaves (chopped) - 1/2 cup

Jaggery - 1 teaspoon

Herb Bouquet - Coriander leaves + Curry leaves strands (bunch of 2-3 strands tied together)

Salt

Water

For Seasoning -

Curry leaves - 1 strand

Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon

Oil/ Ghee

Method:

Cook Toor Daal in a pressure cooker and keep aside. Pulse the tomatoes in blender to rough chops or manually crush them with your hands. Add Toor Daal paste to this. Bring to boil with Green Chillies and the Herb Bouquet. Add Rasam powder, Turmeric powder, Jaggery, Asafoetida powder and adjust salt & water as per taste. Simmer on low flame for 10 minutes. Turn off flame once completely cooked.

In a separate pan, heat few spoons of Oil/ Ghee, add Mustard seeds, once they begin to pop add Curry leaves and saute. Turn off flame and pour this seasoning over the cooked Daal consistency. Garnish with chopped Coriander leaves. Serve hot with warm rice and a dollop of Ghee.

Peanut Masala

Peanut Masala - I tasted this first in Bangalore. Loved the flavour, but did not gather how to recreate the dish at home. Years later, one day my sister made this for me and I was like, "What is the recipe?". Nice flavour, nutritious and great for tea-parties and get togethers. I later found out that its quite a prominent dish in Bangalore. It is also known as Raja Masala in Bangalore, infact some places serve the best ones I know, only in Bangalore.

Its raining Awards at my blog. Supriya, a sweet fellow blogger from My Kook Book fame, has gifted me with some blog awards. Thanks Supriya. Its humbling and a nice gesture. Feels great when someone takes the effort to recognise you and makes your day! Yayy!!

Preparation time + Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Peanuts (roasted) - 3 cups

Onions (finely chopped) - 1/2 cup

Cilantro or Coriander leaves (finely chopped) - 1/4th cup

Chaat Masala - 1/2 teaspoon

Oil - 2 teaspoon

Red Chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Tomato (chopped) - 1/4th cup

Lime juice - 2 tablespoon

Salt - As per taste

Method:

Roast Peanuts for 1 and 1/2 minute in Microwave. Allow to cool or pan-roast on medium flame for 3-4 minutes. Allow to cool. You will notice that the peanuts are little soft upon roasting, allow them to cool, because they tend to get more robust and firm once they cool. Give a shake gently with hands and take off the peanut skin. It is a painstaking process but worth it because the skin interferes with the final taste. I was in a hurry so chose to retain the skin. Add all the ingredients and mix well. If you are adding Tomatoes, you need to serve immediately as the tomato juice would make the peanut texture soft, less tasty and tangy. Add Lime juice while serving. Garnish with chopped Cilantro.

Lemon Rice (Nimkaaya Annaa)

Lemon Rice - This is a simple dish which I enjoy a lot. Lemon Rice, Tamarind Rice, Tomato Rice to name a few. Change the seasoning and the vegetable and you have variety of Rice dishes at your disposal. In Bangalore, India, I was amazed at how the road-side and pavements would be dotted with various Darshini's and Sagar's, these are small stand-and-eat restaurants which cater to the mobile and office going population of Bangalore. Best part is a plate full of this rice bowl is a hearty meal to keep going for the entire 9 hour slot of your work timings. Slowly, when I began cooking I enjoyed taking this for my afternoon lunchbox. I used cooked rice from previous day for my Lemon Rice. Since it has less moisture and is more sturdy, it tastes good. Use them at room temperature and you have a lemony, tangy, spice-seasoned rice ready to-go.

Most of the rice dishes originate from Karnataka and are consumed for morning breakfast or as brunch time "Tiffin Meals" or as afternoon lunch dishes. I was surprised when I came to know that the word "Tiffin" originated from the British era. In my home, Tiffin would comprise of Dosa, Idli Fry or simply put any light 1-cup rice dish like Lemon Rice, Tamarind Rice or Puliyogarey. The seasoning used in the case for Lemon Rice is known as Vagraney in Kannada. With a mild change in the seasoning, you could have a different dish of choice with rice, for e.g Tamarind Rice (Pulihora or Puliyogarey), Brinjal Rice (Vaangi Bhaat or Baath), Tomato Rice. Mom used to make this dish when we used to have family picnics and visits which take 4-5 hours of travel. These are a delight to make, take very less time and are great for short distance travels and most important - Office Lunchbox.

Happy Republic Day to all my Indian friends!! My heart lingers in the Republic Day parades, floats and scenic dances, school speeches & skits and umpteen memories we have bundled up together and grown to be proud as an Indian. Today is the day when Indian constitution came into force, erstwhile on January 26, 1950.

Preparation + Cooking time ~ 20 minutes

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice (cooked) - 3 cups

Lime Juice - 3 teaspoons

Urad dal - 1 teaspoon

White Sesame Seeds (optional) - 1/3rd teaspoon

Peanuts (pre-roasted in microwave or stove for 2-4 minutes) - 1 tablespoon

Chana dal - 1/2 teaspoon

Green Chillies (sliced) - 2

Ginger (minced or grated) - 1/2 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - 1/3rd teaspoon

Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Curry leaves - 3-4 leaves

Red Chilli (optional) - 1

Salt - As per taste

Oil - For frying

Method:

Heat 2 teaspoon oil and add mustard seeds in a heated saucepan. Once they begin to pop, add green chillies and allow to sear in oil. Be careful as they splutter, you could injure yourself. Have the flame on low-to-medium. Add Urad dal , Sesame Seeds and Chana dal and stir for few minutes. Add curry leaves as well. Add rice and give a gentle stir. Add Turmeric powder and adjust salt as per taste. Add Peanuts and mix in. Do not stir too much as rice would turn soggy. Best would be to shake the pan with a gentle hand. Simmer on low flame for couple of minutes. Turn off the flame. Pour fresh lime juice and serve warm.

Rice And Vegetables (Bisi Bele Bhaat)

"Yene maganey?"
"Namgey Bisi Bele bath beyku"

(What kiddo?

I want Bisi Bele bath)

Sweet memories of the Silicon city of the south. I can never forget the good old flavours I have captured in my heart from the great city of career and dreams - Bangalore. It is a potpourri of different cultures yet has managed to preserve the old and has smoothly ushered into the new. Sometimes I wonder where on the world can you find such unique distinctness of culture, diversity, opportunities and cuisines.
When I moved to Bangalore, my survival was dependent on the various Darshinis and Sagars dotting the city space. "Shanti Sagar" the famous chain was one such food joint near my apartment. Mornings were exclusively was Times of India and Bisi Bele Bath and Filter Coffee from Shanti Sagar. Best part about Shanti Sagar is that apart from sit-in spaces they also have stand-and-eat spaces outside their joints which enables office goers and rush-travellers to get a quick bite of their "tiffin" before they head out for a busy day. Maa makes amazing Bisi Bele Bath and the taste of this dish fondly reminds me of green shammi tress, cool mornings, filter coffee and time well spent at this career mecca for millions - Bangalore.

I tried this recipe from Mandhu's Vantalu and it turned out quite nice. Thanks Madhu.

Recipe Source: Madhu's Vantalu
Serves: 6 individuals

Ingredients:
Toor Dal: 3/4 cup
Rice: 1 cup
Water: 8 cups or more
Salt: as per taste
Ghee: 2 tablespoon
Bisi Bele Bath powder: 3 tablespoon

Vegetables -
French Beans: 10-15 - chopped to 1" pieces
Carrot: 3 - chopped to 1/2 " pieces
Onion: 1 - chopped to 1" pieces
Potato" 2 - chopped to 1" pieces

Tempering -
Oil: 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves: 3-4
Cashew nuts: 3-4 tablespoon
Mustard seeds: 1 t easpoon

Method:
Boil 8 cups of water in a deep dish pan and add salt, turmeric and toor dal which preferably could be pre-soaked for atleast 15 minutes. Once par-boiled, add carrot and beans and bring to boil. This whole process takes around 20 minutes.
Wash rice thoroughly and add to this. Add desired amount of salt and bring to boil. Lower the flame thereafter.
On a separate pan, heat ghee and add mustard seeds. Once the seeds begin to pop, add onions and cashew nuts. I had chopped cashew nuts to small pieces because they render a good flavour once done so. Fry till onions turn transparent and cashew nuts turn crunchy.
Give the Bath a gentle stir, once done add the tempered mixture and turn off the flame. Mix well. Serve with hot melted ghee and boondi. They also taste great with Vodee/ Vadams and Appalams.