Spinach gojju

Palak gojju

Ingredients:
Mustard seeds
Spinach/Palak - 3 cups (frozen) or 2 fresh cleaned bunch
Onion - 1
Garlic - 1 clove
Tomatoes - 2
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Curry powder - 1 tsp
Maida/all-purpose flour - 2 tsp
Oil

1. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.
2. Add chopped onions and minced garlic and fry for 3 mins.
3. Add chopped tomatoes for cook for 3 mins

4. To this add, chillipowder, turmeric powder, curry powder and the frozen spinach ( or fresh cut spinach)

5. Add 1/2 cup of water and cook for 8 mins.
6. Mix all-purpose flour in little water and add this to the spinach along with salt.
7. Cook this for another 2-3 mins.

8. Enjoy palak gojju or spinach gojju with plain rice or jeera rice.

Paneer Capsicum

Ingredients:

Paneer cubes - 250 gm

Capsicum/Bell Pepper - 2

Onions - 1

Tomatoes - 2

Cloves - 4

Pudina/Mint leaves - 10

Kasuri methi - 1 tsp

Cinnamon - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Red Chilli powder - 2 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1 tsp

Milk - 1/4 cup

Oil

Sal to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large pan and fry chopped onions until they are translucent. 

2. Add chopped tomatoes and fry for 4-5 mins

3. Allow onions and tomatoes to cool down

4. Blend the fried onion & tomatoes along with cloves, mint leaves, kasuri methi, cinnamon, turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala powder.

5. In another pan heat oil and add the bay leaves , with the aroma flower ( I dont know what they are called. It looks like a star flower)

5. Fry the chopped capsicum for 2 mins.

6. Add the blended mixture into the capsicum and cook for 4 mins.

7. To this add paneer cubes, milk and salt to taste and cook for another 2-3 mins.

Enjoy paneer capsicum with rotis, chappathis or parathas.

Rave Uppittu

One of the favourite south Indian recipe. Kids hate and start loving as they turn into adults. It happened with me and my sisters. We hated uppittu and was always forced to eat. Now we prepare this with love and relish it.

Ingredients:

Rave/Semolina - 3 cups

chopped onions - 2 

chopped tomatoes - 1

green chillies - 6-8

grated, coconut (optional) - 2 tbsp 

grated ginger -1/2 tsp.

curry leaves - 10

lemon -1 

mustard seeds -1/2 tsp

cumin seeds - 1 tsp

chana dal/bengal gram/kadle bele - 2 tsp. 

urad dal/black gram/uddina bele

turmeric powder 1/2 tsp.

coriander leaves - 1/2 cup

oil - 2 tbsp

salt to taste 

Directions:

1. Fry the rave for about 5-6 mins on low flame and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a deep vessel and splutter mustard and then add cumin seeds, bengal gram, black gram and let it turn light red in color.
3. Add grated ginger,curry leaves, green chillies, chopped onions and fry for 2 mins.

4. Add turmeric, tomatoes and 4 1/2 cups of water and let it boil.

5. Reduce the flame, add salt and then add the fried rave slowly with constant stirring, so that it does not form any lumps.
6. Add grated coconut and coriander and let it stand for 3 mins on low flame.

7. Squeeze lemon juice over uppittu before serving hot.

Strawberry smoothie

Since my MIL is here and its summer time, we had been out for strawberry picking. Had fun but it was very sunny..I know I should not complain about summer. We hardly have 3 months of sun before we starting welcoming the snow and cold winter. 

Blend of strawberries and little water. 

Strawberry farms

Our pick of berries

Shavige Uppittu

Ingredients:
shavige/vermicilli (Bambino ) - 3 cups

mixed vegetables (beans, carrot, green pepper,and peas) - 2 cups

chopped onions - 2 

green chillies - 6-8

grated, coconut (optional) - 2 tbsp 

grated ginger -1/2 tsp.

curry leaves - 10

lemon -1 

mustard seeds -1/2 tsp

cumin seeds - 1 tsp

chana dal/bengal gram/kadle bele - 2 tsp. 

urad dal/black gram/uddina bele

turmeric powder 1/2 tsp.

coriander leaves - 1/2 cup

oil - 2 tbsp

salt to taste 

Directions:

1. Fry the shavige until golden brown and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a deep vessel and splutter mustard and then add kadle bele, uddina bele and let it turn light red in color.
3. Add grated ginger,curry leaves, green chillies and fry for 2 mins.

4. Add veggies and fry for another 5 mins.

5.  Add turmeric and 4 1/2 cups of water and let it boil for 8 mins or until the veggies are just done.



6. Reduce the flame, add salt and then add the fried shavige slowly with constant stirring, so that it does not form any lumps.
7. Add grated coconut and let it stand for 3 mins on low flame.

8. Squeeze lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves.

Avalakki Uppittu

Ingredients:
Avalakki/puffed rice/poha - 2 cups
Mustard - 1 tsp
Cumin/jeera - 1 tsp
Kadle Bele/Chana Dal - 2 tsp
Uddina Bele/Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Groundnuts - 1 tblsp
Green chillies - 8
Onion - 1
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves
Oil - 1 tblsp
Salt
Lemon - 1 


Soften Avalakki/poha
Wash avalakki in water and then let it sit for 10-15 mins.


Directions:
1. Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard, add kadle bele, uddina bele and saute for 2 mins
2. Add groundnuts and fry until they are reddish in color or just done.




3. Add chopped onion and green chillies and fry for 3-4 mins.


4. Add turmeric, red chilli powder and salt.

5. Mix the softened avalakki into the above mixture and garnish with coriander leaves.
Adjust salt to your taste.


Enjoy avalakki uppittu for breakfast.

Red Cabbage Palya

Ingredients:

Thinly sliced Red Cabbage

Green chillies - 3

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp

Mustard - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 3 tsp

Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup

Salt

Directions:
1. Heat some oil in a pan, splutter mustard, then add green chillies as shown below2. Add the thinly sliced red cabbage and let it cook for 4-5 mins

3. Add garam masala, red chilli powder, salt and let it cook for another 3-4 mins.

4. Add coriander leaves and mix. 

Enjoy the red cabbage palya as a sidedish with rice or rotis.

Mosaru Huli

ಮೊಸರು ಹುಳಿ

This one of those dishes that I do not do regularly. Its easy, yet its cooked rarely as I am not a person who likes sourness. This is R’s favorite and he enjoys this dish. Since MIL is here, I prepared this dish and below is the recipe I tried. Need to compare notes with my Mom ;), on this recipe.

For Paste (grind all the below)
Channa dal / Kadalebele - 1tbsp (pan fried until golden red)

Cumin seeds/Jeera : 2 tsp

Green Chillies : 8 (according to your spice level)

Grated Coconut : ¼ cup

Salt

For Tadka:
Mustard – 1tsp
Curry leaves - 10
Red chillies – 2
Asafoetida/hing – ¼ tsp
Oli for tadka

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard, curry leaves, red chillies and hing.

2. Add winter melon cubes and sauté for 5 mins.

3. Add 2 cups of water and close the lid and let it get cooked.

4. Grind all the ingredients under paste and keep aside.

5. Once the winter melon gets cooked add the paste and cook for another 6 minutes.

6. Once off the flame, mix this with mosaru or nicely beaten curds and add salt to taste.

7. Enjoy mosaru huli with rice.

Batani Aloogedde gojju

Peas Eggplant and Potato curry

Its summer time and MIL is here, so we planned for strawberry picking. Googled and finalized the Von Thun farms. Along with strawberries we picked some fresh pea pods and hence the below recipe. The dish turned yummy. Is it because of pea pods or my recipe? Try the recipe and let me know.

Ingredients:
Fresh peas from pea pods – 3 cup
Potato - 3
Long Eggplan/Brinjal – 2 (optional)
Mustard – ½ tsp
Red Chili – 2
Oil – 3tsp

Masala paste:
Onion – 1
Tomato – 1
Coconut powder – ¼ cup
Cloves – 3
Cinnamon – ½ tsp
Curry Powder – 3tsp ( or more if need more spicy)

Directions:
1. Grind all the ingredients under masala paste and keep aside.

2. Heat oil in the the pressure cooker and add peas and stir for a minute.

3. Add diced eggplant and potatoes and stir for 2 mins

4. Next add the masala paste and 2 cups of water and mix well.

5. Add salt and close the cooker lid for next 10 mins or 1st whistle.

6. Turn off heat and let it stand for 15 mins.

7. If the consistency is too watery, mix 2 tsp of rice powder in little water and pour to the mixture and cook for another 2 mins.

8. To this add tadka with mustard seeds and chillies.

9. Enjoy with hot rice or chapathis.

Beans Potato saagu

One of the quickest recipe to make saagu. As we spent whole day outside on Sunday, had very little time to make something nice for next lunch and also for MIL. I made up this recipe with what I had and it turned out really good.

Ingredients:
French cut beans – 1 lb
Carrots – 3
Potatoes – 3
Onion – 1
Diced Tomatoes – 1 can or 5 tomatoes
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Chili powder – 1 tsp
Curry powder – 1tsp
Garam Masal powder – 1 tsp ( I use MTR brand )
Oil – 3 tsp
Salt

Directions:
1. Half cook the cut potatoes and keep aside.

2. Heat Oil in a big pan, add mustard and chopped onions and fry for 3 mins.

3. Add the potatoes and stir fry for another 4 mins.

4. Add French cut beans, grated carrots and stir fry for 2 mins.

5. Next add 1 can of diced tomatoes or 5 chopped tomatoes and stir the mixture.

6. Add turmeric, curry powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, salt and stir the mixture.

7. Add 2 cups of water and pressure cook for 8 mins or until the veggies are just cooked.
If the consistency is too watery, mix 2 tsp of rice powder in little water and pour to the veggies and cook for another 2 mins.

8. Serve hot with rotis, chapathis.