Mint and Beetroot Juice

A refreshing and a healthy juice.

Ingredients:

Beetroot -  1 med size
Mint leaves - 4 to 5
Curd - 2 tsp
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

Blend the Beetroot and the mint leaves together. Add the curd and give it another whip.

Add the sugar and salt and the juice is ready to be sipped.

Beetroot is rich in iron and it helps to increase the haemoglobin content in the blood.

Muddi Palya

        Muddi Palya or Pappu ( Known in Telugu) is a very famous side dish cooked with greens and lentils and eaten with rice. This in particular is a very common recipe in Central Karnataka like Bellary, Raichur etc.

        There are various methods to cook this. I have presented here the one without onion and garlic. Various green leafy vegetables like Spinach (Palak) , Fenugreek (methi) and Amaranthus (Dantu/ Rajgiri) can be used.

Ingredients:

Methi Leaves chopped - 1 bowl
Toor Dal - 1/2  bowl
Tamarind - 1 lemon size
Rice Flour - 2 tsp
Salt to taste

For Tempering:

Red Chillies - 5 to 6
Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Channa Dal - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Hing (Asafoetida)

For the masala:

Desiccated Fresh Coconut - 2 tbsp
Green Chillies - 3 to 4
Dhaniya Powder - 2 tsp
Jeera Powder - 2 tsp
Coriander chopped - 2 tsp
Ginger - 1/2 inch

(Note: You can also add garlic to the above masala)

Method:

Cook the toor dal and keep aside. Soak the tamarind in water.

Ground all the masala ingredients in a grinder.

Wash the methi leaves and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, channa dal and urad dal. Also add turmeric, hing and red chllies. Now add the methi leaves. Add sufficient water and cook till the methi leaves are done.

Once the methi leaves are cooked, add the toor dal and the ground paste.

Mix the rice flour to the tamarind paste and add it to the pan. Add Salt. Simmer for around 5 more mins. Serve hot with rice and tamarind thokku.

Note: You can also substitute corn flour to rice flour. This is used only to thicken the dish.

2. You can also cook the methi leaves in the beginning and add the tempering at the end for the red chillies to remain crisp.

Tri Capsicum Rice

A nice recipe which I got inspired from a Television Program. The masala prepared is very simple and the taste is just perfect. Ideal to cook when you need a break from your routine everyday recipes.

Ingredients:

Green , Yellow and Red Capsicum Chopped - 1 bowl
Rice cooked - 2 bowl
Red Chillies - 4 to 6
Peanuts - 2 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp
Black gram - 3 tsp
Channa gram - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1tsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Ghee - 2tsp
Salt to taste
Chopped Coriander - 1/4 bowl.

Method:

Take a pan and dry roast the masala ingredients. These include Red chillies, Peanuts, 1tsp mustard seeds, 2 tsp Black gram, Coriander and Jeera seeds.

Once the black gram turns brown, remove the pan and ground the mix coarsely in the grinder.The masala can also be  stored in air tight container and used later.

Now take a pan and heat ghee in it. Add the mustard seeds, channa gram and black gram for tempering.

Now add the Capsicum and shallow fry for a while until they turn soft. Add little water and cook it on a low flame.

Once the capsicum is cooked, add salt and the masala powder and cook for 2 more mins. Now add the boiled rice and mix well. Garnish it with coriander. Colourful rice is ready to be served.

Tomato Bisi Uppinkayi

Generally in Karnataka we call bisi uppinkayi for the pickles that last for two to three days. There are different varieties of uppinkayis that are prepared and one among them is the one prepared with Tomato. It is very tasty and is best suited with Chapathi and Rice.

Ingredients:

Tomatoes - 4 to 5

Chilli powder - 1tsp

Salt to taste

Jaggery - 1/4 cup 

Uppinkayi powder - 2 tsp

Curry Leaves - 5 to 6

For tempering:

Oil - 2 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Bengal Gram - 1 tsp

Black  gram - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Method:

To prepare the Uppinkayi Powder:

Take equal quantities of Urad dal, Mustard Seeds and Methi seeds and shallow fry till the urad dal become brown and the mustard seeds splutter.  Cool the ingredients and powder them in the grinder. You can store this powder in an airtight container and use it for later use.

For the Bisi Uppinkayi:

Chop the tomatoes in small size. Take a pan and heat oil in it. Add the mustard seeds and when they begin to splutter add the bengal and the black gram. Also add turmeric and curry leaves. 

Now add the tomatoes and saute it for few seconds till the tomatoes turn soft. Now add little quantity of water to it and allow the tomatoes to cook. 

Once the tomatoes are cooked, add the salt and chilli powder. Add the powdered jaggery and also the grounded powder. Cook it for few more minutes on low flame. 

Add little oil to the pan once you switch off the stove.This enhances its taste.

Sprouts Chaat

Healthy and nutritious Sprouts Chaat... with a little bit of sev (optional). Perfect for a evening when you return tired from your office.

Ingredients:

Sprouts - 1 cup
Carrot - 1
Beetroot - 1
Onion - 1 small size
Sev - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Pepper
Lemon Juice - 1 tsp
Coriander chopped - 1/4 cup

Method:

Mix all the vegetables with the sprouts. Add salt, pepper and lemon juice. Garnish it with coriander and Sev.

The chaat is ready to eat.

Chole Masala

Chole Masala is a very famous Indian side dish. It is best tasted with Chapathi, Poori or Roti's.
Love to cook it and wonderful to taste in any season.

Ingredients:

Kabuli Channa - 1 bowl
Onion -  1 large
Tomato - 2 medium size
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Fresh Cream - 2 tsp
Tomato Puree - 2 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Cashewnuts - 10 to 20
Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Lemon Juice - 2 tsp
Coriander chopped - 2 tsp
Salt to Taste

Method:

Soak the Channa for around 5 hours in water. Boil them and keep aside.

Finely chop the tomatoes. Grind the cashews, onion and 2 tsp of the boiled channa together.

Heat oil in a pan and add Jeera. When the jeera starts to splutter, add the ginger garlic paste
and chopped tomatoes.

Now add the grounded paste to the pan. Let this cook on a medium flame till done. Add the boiled channa to the pan.
Also, add the other masalas along with the tomato puree and cook for 10 more mins till the channa soaks the masalas.

Add the lemon juice, chopped coriander and cream and serve hot.