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.


BlueBerry Smoothie

This is R’s idea and recipe, which he calls the healthy drink. R is fascinated with all this healthy drinks. We got this Juice maker to drink all the raw juice from fresh veggies and fruits and their combination which is very good for a healthy life. Oh no, we did not buy the juicer that was shown on TV ad, where all old people drink to a healthy strong life. Just kidding. He tried all juices from spinach, radish, cucumber, bitter gourd, beets… I was partner to all the fruit juices but not the veggies.

This winter he came up with the fresh frozen smoothie from berries. I love them. We even bought the economical version of magic bullet blender. Below is the simple recipe that is tasty. Optional ingredients are for very health conscious ones with nutty flavor.
Frozen berries are considered fresh because they are picked right where they are grown and frozen immediately. And also frozen berries are always readily available.




Ingredients:
Frozen Blueberries – 1 cup
Strawberries – 6
Red cherries – 10
Blackberries – ¼ cup
Soy Milk – 1 cup
Honey – 2 tsp
Banana – ½
Wheat grass or wheat germs - 1 tsp (optional)
Almonds – 8 (optional)
Walnuts – 5 (optional)

Directions:
If you do not have one or 2 berries its ok. Blend all the above into a smoothie.

Enjoy this drink either as breakfast drink or treat your guests to this great drink.