Vegetable Noodles

There are some days when you are just down with a flu and you want some yummie spicy dish to pep you up and add some punch to your already dead taste buds. DH and I are down with flu, stuffy nose and little bit of fever. Both of us wanted something spicy and nice. I checked the pantry and it was stocked up with vegetables - mushrooms, french beans, spring onions. What better dish than Chinese noodles. This one is ideal for any bachelor cooking coz its easy to make and has a nice punchy flavour to it. DH loved the final taste and wanted some for his lunch box as well. Needless to say I am beaming with happiness!!!

Serves: 2-3 individuals

Recipe source: Ashwini

Ingredients:

Mushrooms - 6-10 of them sliced

French beans(green beans) - 8-10 (1 inch chops)

Spring onions - 2-3 shoots - finely chopped

Noodles - 1 packet

Stir fry sauce - 1 T

Soya sauce - 4-6 drops

Salt - As per taste

Method:

Boil around 3 cups of water. Once boiled, put off the stove and add noodles to it and add a drop of oil abd mix well. Drain after 3 minutes and add cold water and keep aside.

Fry spring onions, beans and mushrooms in oil for around 5-10 minutes till they are well cooked. Add soya sauce and stir fry sauce. Mix well after adding salt. Now add the cooked noodles and give a gentle stir. Do not stir much after adding noodles because the dish can turn soggy and the noodles will get a mashed look. Serve hot with stir fry curry or gobi manchurian.

Neer Dosa (Paan Polo/ Paan Pole)

Neer Dosa or Paan Pole is a staple dish and one of my personal favorites. Neer in Kannada stands for water. The dosa batter has a watery consistency owing to which the name - Neer Dosa. In Konkanis, we flip the final shape of the dosa which takes the form of a leaf, hence the name - Paan Pole. Good quality rice forms the basis of a good batter, that along with the amount of coconut (grated) added.

I liked this Dosa for the simple reason that it does not require fermentation. So weatherman goes right or wrong with predictions the breakfast is safe and intact.

Yield : 20-25 dosa's

Ingredients:
Rice (uncooked) - 2 Cups
Grated coconut - 1/2 to 3/4 Cup
Water for consistency
Salt as per taste
Oil/ Ghee for frying

Method:
Soak rice after multiple wash for 4-5 hours. Once ready, grind coconut to a fine paste along with rice. Add enough water and salt to make a smooth paste which is like milk but thinner than regular dosa batter. If the batter is right the dosa comes out well. If the batter is not okaye or if coconut gets added wee bit more, the dosa tends to get sticky. So if you desire Dosa's for breakfast, soak rice the previous day and grind the batter at night and keep it in warm oven or microwave. Take a ladle full of batter and pour on a heated frying pan; unlike other dosa batter Neer Dosa batter tends to spurt on the pan after it comes into contact with heat since it has a watery consistency. Do not bother about shape as the Dosa batter spreads on its own and takes its shape. Slather ghee on the edges of Dosa, once the Dosa is entirely fried, fold it once and fold again till it forms the shape of a leaf (as shown in picture). Hence the name Paan Polo, serve hot with chutney of choice.

Suggestion: Unlike conventional Dosa batter this batter does not require fermentation. So the rice quality and time for which the rice is soaked determines the quality of your dosa.

Maida Dosa (Maida Phanna Polo)

A simple Dosa made of All Purpose Flour (Maida) with seasoning and one of my personal favorite. The seasoning and crushed green chillies with few spoons of grated coconut adds the extra flavor. This is a favorite Dosa among my cousins and extended family. I would not be surprised if there are many fans of this humble Dosa.

~ Maida Phanna Polo ~

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 8-10 Dosas

Ingredients:
All purpose refined flour - 2 cups
Green Chillies - 2
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup

For Seasoning -
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Oil/ Ghee
Hot water for consistency

Contraption needed - Cast Iron Pan

Method:

Crush the green chillies, salt and grated coconut in a pestle and mortar along with salt. Once completely crushed to a paste, add the flour and mix well. Take care to avoid any lumps. Use a whisker to get a smooth consistency. Heat little oil in a small frying pan, season with mustard seeds and once they splutter add curry leaves. Pour this seasoning on the whisked batter. Mix well to get a thick paste (almost like buttermilk consistency).

Slather some oil/ghee  on a hot cast iron pan. Pour a laddle of dosa mix and spread as much as you can. Fry till cripsy and light brown on both sides. Serve with Pitti Chutney or Pickle.

Note: Use hot water for good results while mixing the batter. For a crispy Dosa, use Cast Iron Pan for frying.

Beetroot Potato Cutlet - Diana Style

Growing up, Ma made these lovely Cutlets which were inspired by a restaurant which was and still is very close to our hearts. Its Diana Hotel located in the heart of Udupi, a small cosy town near Mangalore. Any visit to Diana would be incomplete without a trip to Diana for their signature dish - Beet-Potato Cutlet. I have some fond memories of dining at this place with my Grandma and Grandpa who are no longer in this world. Every time I visit this place, their memories flash by and my eyes turn misty. So in essence, it is greater part of our family legacy and past that will be cherished always.

This recipe is my Ma's spin inspired the same restaurant. She does not add too many vegetables and keeps it simple, plus its shallow fried so is an healthy option. As a kid, I loved packing these goodies for my school tiffin box. To make life easy, I prepare them way ahead before use. This way they can be easily shallow fried and quickly cooked.

~ Beetroot Potato Cutlet ~
Prep Time: 60 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 20 Cutlets

Ingredients:

Potato - 4 (Medium - boiled, peeled and mashed)

Beetroot - 2 (Medium - boiled, peeled and mashed)

For Seasoning -

Green chillies - 3 (chopped finely)

Split Urad Dal - 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp

Rava (semolina) - 3/4 cup

Salt 

Method:

1. Boil, peel and mash potatoes and beetroot together. Add salt and keep aside. To make things easy, I use a pressure cooker. 

2. In a small frying pan, heat few teaspoons of oil. Season with mustard seeds and once they splutter add Split Urad Dal. Saute till they change a shade or two in color. At this stage add the chopped green chillies. The chillies need to be well sauted to turn crispy. Allow the seasoning to cool.

3. Pour this seasoning and mix well with the mash mixture done earlier. Using a Cutlet mould, make cutlets of uniform shape and refrigerate till use. This helps in binding the mixture and firms their texture.

4. Heat a cast iron pan and dredge the cutlets in Rava. Pat lightly to let go of extra Rava and place on the pan side by side. After a minute, drizzle oil on sides. Keep the flame medium-to-high. Flip them with a turning spatula after 5 minutes. Let the cutlets cook on both sides. There will be a brown crust formed on either sides making the texture crisp. Once done, turn off flame and serve with Ketchup.

Note - Ensure the Cutlets are refrigerated after done. This process keeps them firm and aids binding when dredged in Rava.

Brocolli and Cheese Soup

Today the weather is quite funny! Its raining when it was just bright and sunny yesterday.
Cannot seem to understand the weather here, nevertheless what better thing than a warm bowl of soup and some farmer bread which is warm and all bathed in butter.

Today I prepared Brocolli and Cheese soup. The dish is simple and gets ready in almost half an hour. We got some produce of Brocolli this weekend. The stem is quite fresh and very cute, I could just devour it all raw!!


Serves: 2-3 individuals
Source: Self


Ingredients:
Brocolli florets - 2 C
Cheese slice - 1
Salt - As per taste
Water - 4 to 6 C
Onion - 1/2 c (chopped finely)
Maggi cube - 1 buillion (vegeterian)



Method:
Boil Brocolli florests in water alongwith salt. Food cooks faster if boiled with water. Add Maggi buillion, if not available one can add local Maggi cubes the one which is available in plenty in any Indian local kirana store or super markets like Food World.

Bring the ingredients to gentle stir and boil and add cheese slice. Once cooked, add onions which is pre-fried and translucent.


Serve hot with Naan or Farmer's bread.

Yam Curry (Surna Tambudi)

Suran or Sooran is also known as Yam. Popularly available in South India, it belongs to the tube root or root family and grows in abundance and to a fairly bigger size. Some varieties of Suran leave an itchy feeling in throat so one needs to ensure that the Suran pieces are carefully cooked.

Surna Tambudi is a choicest and tasty coconut gravy based dish. Some people often complain about being unable to eat this dish owing to the itchy sensation it leaves on hands while cooking and throat post consumption. Unlike other 'Tambli' based dishes, this one is not cold and needs to be boiled and seasoned with spices.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 20-30 minutes

Yield: 3-4 servings

Ingredients:
Suran/ Yam - 3 cups (Frozen or fresh)

Coriander seeds - 2 tablespoon
Mustard seeds - 1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Asafoetida powder - 1/10 teaspoon
Grated coconut (optional) - 1 cup
Red Chillies (Byadgi chillies) - 3-5
Methi seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Water - For curry consistency

Salt - as per taste

For seasoning -

Oil - For frying
Curry leaves - 3-6 leaves

Method:
1. Defrost Suran and allow to thaw, keep aside for 1/2 hour at room temperature. If using fresh ones, chop off the thick skin and chop into bite sized pieces. Use kitchen gloves to prevent itchy sensation on hands. Pressure cook for 2-3 whistles.

2. Heat 2 spoons of oil in a kadhai and temper with coriander seeds, mustard seeds, turmeric powder, red chillies. Take care to fry these ingredients on a low flame since the masalas could easily get burnt. Saute for around 5 minutes and towards the end while putting off the flame add grated coconut. This is optional however if added gives a great flavour to the dish. Once cooled, grind the masala to a paste.
3. In a saucepan, boil the Suran pieces and add the ground gravy. Bring it to a boil for around 10 minutes and simmer on low flame till the Yam pieces are completely cooked. Temper with a seasoning of Mustard seeds and Curry leaves tempered in heated oil. Serve hot with rice.

Cashewnut Side dish (Tendley Bibbe Upkari)

Festivals are times we look forward to the good old moments we spent with our loved ones especially if you are a far away land like in my case. Today is Gudi Padwa. It reminds me of sweet moments when Mom used to wake me up from a deep slumber and force me to eat Kadoo Limba Patra and Good (Neem Leaves fried in oil) after brushing my teeth. I used to detest the taste much to the bitter flavour of Neem Leaves. Lunch is a big affair with a lavish spread on Samsaar Padwaa (Gudi Padwa as known in Konkani). We had Khotto, Madganey, Patrodo, Bibbe Upkari (king of all dishes), Phodis, Saasam. Today I cannot help but sigh in nostalgia as I am terribly missing home be it the love and affection of mom and dad, the early morning calls wishing Happy Gudi Padwa or simply the feeling of being with your loved ones. The hope of a new beginning. The hope of a better life.

Here's some info I got when I googled Gudi Padwa, which is quite an interesting read:

"Gudhi Padwa (Devnagari: गुढीपाडवा {often mis-pronounced as guDi padwa because ढी sounds like डी while speaking}) is celebrated on the first day of the Chaitra month, and is celebrated as New Year's Day by Maharashtrians and Hindu Konkanis ( called as Samvatsar ( Sausar ) Padvo or Yugadi by Konkanis ). It is the same day on which great king Shalivahana defeated Sakas in battle.
This is also first day of Marathi Calendar. This festival is supposed to mark the beginning of Vasant (spring). According to the Gregorian calendar this would fall sometime at the end of March and the beginning of April. According to the Brahma Purana, this is the day on which Brahma created the world after the deluge and time began to tick from this day forth. This is one of the 3 and a half days in the Indian Lunar calendar called "Sade-Teen Muhurt", whose every moment is considered auspicious in general to start a new activity.
While the people of Maharashtra use the term Gudhi Padwa for this festival and the Konkanis use Sanvsar Padvo (sanvsar derived from samvatsar meaning year) the people of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka term the same festival, observed on the same day, Ugadi. The Sindhi festival of Cheti Chand is celebrated same day."

Today I prepared Bibbe Upkari (Raw Cashewnut Fries). Amongst Konkanis, its holy to eat Cashewnuts on this auspicious day. For generations to come, this dish is quite symbolic and on Gudi Padwaa day, we make Bibbe Daali Aambat. I decided to make Tendley Bibbe Upkari. Since, I had less Ivy Gourd, I added boiled Potatoes for added flavour and to increase the quantity as well. Take your pick on the vegetables accordingly.

Tendley Bibbe Upkari

Serves: 6 servings

Cooking time: 45 minutes hour (excluding the preparation time)

Ingredients:
Cashewnut: 2 cups (Pre-soaked in warm water for 4-6 hours)
Ivy Gourd: 3 cups (chopped into thin - 1" pieces)
Potato: 1 cup (optional - boiled and chopped into thin slices)
Grated coconut: 1/2 cup
Mustard seeds: 1/2 teaspoon

Corn Oil/ Any vegetable oil: 2 tablespoon
Red Chillies(Byadgi preferably): 2-3
Curry Leaves: 6-7 of them
Salt as per taste
Water: For boiling vegetables

Method:
Pre-soak cashewnuts in water the previous day. Once done they would be swollen and kind of plump.

Heat oil in a kadhai and temper with mustard seeds and chillies. Saute for 2-3 minutes after seeds start popping. Remove the chillies if you wish to avoid spicy taste. Add Potatoes and Ivy Gourd. Saute for 5 minutes till the flavour of tempering spreads across the vegetables. Add Cashewnuts and add water. Bring to boil and simmer on low flame with a covered lid till water evaporates and the vegetables are completely cooked. Adjust salt as per taste. Once done, garnish with grated coconut and serve hot as a side dish.

Tip: For a sweet taste, one could add 1/3 teaspoon of Jaggery while boiling vegetables to give a mild sweet flavour. Raw Cashewnuts are available in plenty in season in Udupi, Mangalore and Bangalore. They are the actual ones to be used for this Upkari, we call it Jeevo Bibbo (Fresh Cashew). Since, I did not have them handy, I decided to soak store brought Cashews and made Upkari.