Pizza Oothapam

Addition of cheese makes the food "superhit" at my home. So I came up with this pizza oothapam recipe.

Pizza Oothapam
Ingredients
1 recipe Dosa Batter

Garnish
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp. Italian parsley
A generous pinch of Italian seasoning

Oil for frying

Suggested Accompaniment
Marinara Sauce
or
Basil Pesto

Method
1. Heat a pan or tawa.
2. Spread thick layer of dosa batter.
3. Place all the vegetables, seasoning, and cheese.
4. Drizzle oil as needed.
5. Cover and cook till it's crispy and cheese has melted on top.

6. Serve hot with marinara sauce.

Note -
1. Cut into wedge before serving, if you like

Masala Sanna Khotte - Spicy Idli (2)

 

During my cabbage marathon cooking, I thought of masala sanna khotte. These steamed dumpling is a variation of Masala Sanna Khotte(1).

Masala Sanna Khotte - 2
Spicy Steamed Dumpling
Ingredients
1/4 cup toor daal
1 cup rice

Grind
8-10 byadgi chilies, roasted in few drops of coconut oil
1/2 cup fresh coconut

You will also need
1/2 tsp asafetida
1 tsp tamarind paste
salt
1 cup finely shredded cabbage

Coconut oil to grease the mold

Method
1. Soak toor daal and rice overnight.
2. Next morning, grind to a smooth paste along with roasted chilies and coconut.
3. Cover and set aside for about  8 -10 hours.
4. Right before steaming the idlies, stir in asafetida and tamarind paste. Add shredded cabbage.
5. Adjust the batter consistency, adding more water as needed.
6. Grease idli mold with coconut oil. Pour the batter.

7. Steam for about 45 minutes.
8. Serve hot with coconut oil. Serve as an accompaniment with your meal.

Note -
1. For most authentic flavor, use containers made with jackfruit leaves.
2. This idli is not as fluffy as the usual idli.


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Kultha Idli - Horsegram Idlies

Idlies using kulith or horsegram is a traditional Konkani delicacy. It imparts a distinct flavor so it may be an acquired taste. For a truly authentic flavor, do use coconut oil for greasing the idli moulds and also serve these idlies hot off the steamer along with a drizzle of coconut oil.

Kultha Idli
Horsegram Idlies
Ingredients
1 cup urad daal
1/2 cup kulith sprout
2 cups rice
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
salt to taste

coconut oil as needed

Method
1. Soak urad daal, kulith/horsegram and (rice+fenugreek seeds) separately.
2. Drain and grind to a smooth paste.
3. Cover aside to ferment for 7-8 hours. Add salt and mix.
4. Grease idli moulds with coconut oil or any oil of your choice - although coconut oil is preferred.
5. Pour a ladleful of batter.
6. Steam the idlies.
7. Serve with coconut oil and chutney of your choice.

Note -
1. Traditionally, kulith are soaked, drained and used. I use kulith sprouts for this recipe.


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Punjabi Egg Curry

 

My mom makes this Punjabi style egg curry. When she first made it way back when I was in school, all of us were blown away that a non-vegetarian curry was made without an iota of coconut! Today, when I don't know what to make on Sundays, this curry comes very handy. Mom always used to add some potato chunks in her mutton curries. I took that inspiration to add potatoes in the egg curry.

 

Punjabi Egg Curry

Ingredients

4 hard  boiled eggs, peeled and halved

4 baby potatoes, halved or leave whole

 1 tsp garam masala - preferably freshly made

2 tsp coriander-cumin powder

1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder - (For color)

salt to taste

 

Grind to a smooth paste

1 1/2 cup sliced onion

3/4 cups tomatoes

1 tbsp. ginger garlic paste

1/4 cup cilantro

2-3 green chilies or per taste

 

Tempering

1 tbsp. oil

2 cloves

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

 

Suggested Accompaniment

Garden Kachumbar

or

Raita

&

Paratha/Rumali Roti

And/or Jeera Rice

 

Method

1. Boil eggs and potatoes. Peel the eggs and halve them.

2. Heat oil. Add cloves and turmeric powder.

3. Add ground onion paste. Sauté for 15 minutes or so till the raw smell of onion goes away.

4. Add garam masala, coriander cumin powder, Kashmiri chili powder and salt.

5. Add 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to boil.

6. Place eggs and potatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes.

7. Garnish with cilantro

 

Note -

1. You can peel the potatoes or leave them unpeeled. You can keep them whole or halve them.

2. If Kashmiri chili powder is not available, use paprika or any mild chili powder for color.

3. The most important step is sautéing the ground onion paste till raw smell disappears. It may very well take more than even half an hour. If you are hard pressed for time like me, I add oil in the pressure cooker. Add tempering. Sauté masala paste for 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water and pressure cook for 2 whistles - before adding eggs. This expedites the process and onion mixture no longer smells raw.

 

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Masala Sanna Khotte - Spicy Idli (1)

 

 

I haven't eaten Khotte in ages. But these days, Indian storeowners bring many uniquely exotic vegetables. So I am hoping that one day I may even get jackfruit leaves. You see, khotte are steamed in the containers made using jackfruit leaves. After they are steamed, the idli gets a very unique flavor. The leaves are meant to be discarded. When we visited "Robert is here" in Miami, I longingly looked at their jackfruit tree.  I wished they were selling jackfruit leaves along with their delicious fruits. I guess, only a Konkani can understand that feeling about jackfruit leaves.;-)

Mom mentioned that Ram Nayak's Idli House in Matunga/King Circle area serve all the Konkani idlies - Khotte and masala khotte included. They are served with chutneys, but more importantly with coconut oil as well. There are two ways (with or without cabbage) Masala Khottes are made in my family. So for keeping records, I am going to blog both the methods. However, accept my apologies since there are no jackfruit leaves to be seen in my part of the world. So I steamed them in my usual idli stand. One can make banana leaves wrapper as I had tried here. But still for qualifying it to be the authentic khotte, jackfruit leaves are essential.

Please note that these khotte are heavier than usual fluffy idlies. They are served as a side dish with your daily Konkani meal.

Masala Sanna Khotte - 1
Spicy Steamed Dumpling
Ingredients
1/4 cup toor daal
1 cup rice

Grind
8-10 byadgi chilies, roasted in few drops of coconut oil
1/2 cup fresh coconut

You will also need
1/2 tsp asafetida
1 tsp tamarind paste
salt

Coconut oil to grease the mold

Method
1. Soak toor daal and rice overnight.
2. Next morning, grind to a smooth paste along with roasted chilies and coconut.
3. Cover and set aside for about  8 -10 hours.

4. Right before steaming the idlies, stir in asafetida and tamarind paste.
5. Adjust the batter consistency, adding more water as needed.
6. Grease idli mold with coconut oil. Pour the batter. Traditionally, the batter is poured into the moulds made up of jackfruit leaves.

7. Steam for about 45 minutes.
8. Serve hot with coconut oil. Serve as an accompaniment with your meal.

Note -
1. For most authentic flavor, use containers made with jackfruit leaves.
2. This idli is not as fluffy as the usual idli.



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Tingalavrya Bendi - White Beans Curry

 

Remember my post about the South Canara curries? Each curry has a distinct name and that name itself indicates which tempering to use, and thus each curry results in a unique flavor - although basic ground masala paste is coconut + tamarind + byadgi chilies. So those who are not very familiar with South Canara cusine may find each curry is orange colored but the name clearly tells not only the tempering, but also the consistency of the gravy, consistency of ground masala paste (coarse or fine), heat level (e.g. Ghasshi and Ambat are mild while koddel & Bendi/बेंदी are hot!)

When in Mumbai, I head straight to my most favorite Mahima Mangalore Stores at Hill Rd. They stock up some good Konkani delicacies. This is the place where you will get your Tingalavre and Fajjav - though they may not be on their display. Mostly, their display consists of usual snacks and other tidbits. But do ask the owner about those Konkani delicacies, and if they are in season, you may get them. So I was lucky that "Tingalavre" was in season. We make two curries with it. Bendi (Using Garlic tempering) and Tepla Randayi (Using Teppal/Tirphal).

Tingalavrya Bendi
White Beans Curry
Ingredients
 3/4 cup dry Tingalavre, soaked for 6 hours in adequate water
salt to taste

Grind
3/4 cups freshly scraped coconut
15 byadgi chilies, roasted quickly in few drops of coconut oil
1 1/2 tsp tamarind paste

Tempering
2 tsp coconut oil
5-7 cloves of garlic, peeled & smashed but still left whole

Method
1. Soak tingalavre in water for 6 hours. Drain and pressure cook using enough water. Set aside.

2. Heat a pan. Drizzle few drops of coconut oil. Roast byadgi chilies.
3. Grind fresh coconut, roasted chilies and tamarind to paste.
4. Pour cooked beans in a saucepan. Add ground masala paste. Add enough water per desired consistency.
5. Add salt to taste. Bring to boil. Switch gas to low. Let it simmer.
6. In a separate small saucepan, heat coconut oil. Add garlic cloves. Fry till brown.
7. Drizzle hot oil with garlic over the curry. Switch off the gas and cover the curry with a lid.
8. Serve with plain rice.

Note -
1. Traditionally, bendi (बेंदी ) is on thick side. Adjust water per your preference.
2. Bendi is also very hot. Adjust chilies per your preference.

Tingal Avre From Mahima Mangalore Stores, Bandra

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Grape Tomato Salad

 

Grape tomatoes are abundant in our farmers' market this year. I make this simple grape tomato salad. I pluck some fresh mint from my kitchen garden to garnish. This simple salad goes really well with spicy curries or pulaos.

 

Grape Tomato Salad

Ingredients

1 box grape tomatoes, halved or quartered

1 lemon, freshly squeezed

2 tbsp. minced onion

1 tbsp. cilantro, chopped

1 tbsp. mint, chopped

salt and black pepper - freshly ground

 

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients and serve immediately.

 

Note -

1. Do use fresh cilantro and mint.

2. Do use freshly squeezed lemon juice.

 

 

 

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