Lapsi and Urad dal Dosa

Lapsi / Broken wheat has so many health benefits , I have already posted Lapsi upma earlier this is one more delicious dosa which I learnt from my mom , doesn't require any fermentation and comes out crispy too it does take a little bit of time to take out the dosa , but mark my words it 's tastes fab when paired with coriander chutney ....too good to taste ...so here is the quick and easy recipe for this dosa :)

Ingredients

1/2  cup lapsi /Broken wheat

1/2 cup urad dal

salt to taste

oil for taking out the dosa

For tempering

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 sprig of curry leaves ( finely chopped)

1 tbsp coriander leaves (finely chopped)

2-3 green chillies (finely chopped)

1 tsp ghee /oil

Method

• Soak lapsi /broken wheat and urad dal together preferably overnight .
• Next morning grind soaked urad dal and lapsi and grind to a smooth consistency.
• Add in salt to taste.
• Now let's prepare the tadka /tempering : Heat oil /ghee add in mustard seeds when it splutters add in curry leaves, green chillies, coriander leaves fry well and add this tadka to the batter . Mix well.
• Heat a chapathi /Dosa pan when it is hot drizzle with oil and smear the pan evenly with oil with the help of the kitchen towel.
• Add a ladle full of batter and then spread a little with the ladle and simmer the gas to a minimum heat Then when the base gets crisp drizzle with a little oil and cook on both the side. 
• Serve with chutney of your choice.
• Note : Simmer the gas and take out the dosa as this dosa does take a little time to cook as it doesn't have any crispy agent like rice . So always simmer the gas once you have spread the dosa so that it comes out nicely and crispy.
• This Dosa doesn't need any fermentation so it's quick, easy and tasty too :)

Kele Harshale

Harshale is a very simple dessert and is always the best tasting too , well atleast for me :)....  There is no heating involved in this dessert so u should consume it quickly as it wouldn't stay for more then 1 day so though it's my family favourite I always do it in a small quantity . This is one of the main sweet which we always prepare for Janmastami , it is said that Lord krishna loved Poha and this is a traditional dish which mom used to prepare on ashtami and I have followed this tradition too  ....So blogging this traditional recipe for my reader's reference :D

Ingredients 

1 cup coconut milk 

3 -4 tbsp grated Jaggery 

4-5 green cardamom seeds (crushed in a motor and pestle) 

1 banana (sliced , cut into quarters add a few and reserve a few to be added at the time of serving )

1/4 cup Paper thin Poha 

2-3 cashews (finely chopped) (opt)

Method 

• Grind freshly grated coconut say about 1/2 cup add 1 cup warm  water and grind to a fine paste.Extract the thick coconut milk with the help of the strainer . Then again add 1/2 cup and grind again and extract  thin coconut  milk again and keep aside. Now mix the thick and thin milk and keep aside.
• Now add in Jaggery to the coconut milk and mix well.
• Now add in elaichi powder , cashews (opt) add a few banana pieces ( I just add 1/2 of it ).
• Cover and leave it for 1 hr .
•  Now at the time of serving ...serve with paper thin poha and serve with remaining banana pieces .
• I always add a little poha as I offer this prasad to Lord Krishna ....( Serve poha and chopped banana only when your serving this sweet and relish it :)

Garlic flavoured Arbi Saar Upkari (Alvamande losun phanna galnu upkari )

Alvamande / Arbi / Taro roots are my favourite there are very few upkaris and stir fry I prepare with this ....this is one of the most delicious and simple way to cook this curry , my mom used to even use aloo in place of arbi ...it's simply delicious food and when served with Rice can't stop myself from having a second helping :D ....the flavour of garlic and hing just hypes the taste so much oh simply yummy to even describe....Do try it dear friends and readers and enjoy it with your family as much as I did preparing it for so many years :D , Here goes the recipe for this dish 

Ingredients 

5-6 Arbi/Taro Root ( Pressure cook it and remove the skin , wash and keep aside ) 

2 tbsp Hing water (Prepared from fresh hing about the size of pea) or 1 tsp Hing powder

3-4 green chillies 

1 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves

2 tbsp desiccated or fresh coconut 

salt to taste

For Tadka /Tempering 

1 tsp oil + 1/2 tbsp ghee

4-5 big flakes of garlic (finely chopped)

2 -3 Red chillies (broken)

Method

• Pressure cook Arbi / Taro root then when it cools to a room temperature , Peel the skin , wash lightly and cut into cubes and keep it immersed in water (about 2 cups of water)
• Now add green chillies , Hing (asafoetida ) water , coconut, coriander leaves and bring to a boil and simmer till it is reduced to half. You will also notice that as arbi as it is very starchy has made the water fairly thick . Add salt and simmer for 5 mins. Now let's prepare the tadka.
• Now for the tadka : My mom used to crush the garlic with skin on I usually chop them . Take 1 tbsp oil and ghee when ghee has melted add in chopped garlic fry well add in red chilles and roast on a low flame till garlic turns golden brown and add this to the cooked Arbi .

Variation :  You can try and replace arbi with potato . It tastes equally delicious :) 

Layee pitta &Tila Undo ( Popped Rice and Til Ladoo)

Happy Krishna Janmashtami to all my readers this is one of our traditional ladoo which we prepare during Ashtami is Layee pitta and Tila undo ( Ladoo made with Popped Rice and Roasted Sesame seeds) with Chikki gud /Anta Gud (which is stickier then normal Jaggery ) mixed with roasted til makes it one of the most delicious sweet . This is usually offered to Lord Krishna and we as children have so many fond memories of  us waiting for my parents to do the pooja so that we can savour on these sweets it's got such a unique taste ...Yumm so today as I prepared this ladoo thought of posting it :)

Ingredients 

1 & 1/2 cups popped Rice (Layee pitto)

1 cup Chikki Gud /Anta Gud 

1/2  cup Roasted til 

3 tbsp water 

10-12  Roasted cashews (broken) (roasted in 1 tbsp ghee)

1 tsp Elaichi powder ( seeds of 6-7 Green Cardamom Crushed and powdered)

2 tbsp ghee 

Method

• Wash Black til and lightly pound them so that a little of the skin is removed then add in to a non stick pan and roast it on a low flame when it starts spluttering switch off the gas and store in an air tight container when cooled to room temperature.
• Take a non stick pan add in Chikki Gud  little water then melt it on a medium heat allow it to bubble . Once the Jaggery is melted and it has began to bubble add in popped Rice, Roasted til , roasted cashews , elaichi powder  mix well.  ( Make sure you keep all the ingredients ready ).
• Mix well then switch off the gas . (Take a small bowl add in little water and to test if the Jaggery is ready drop a small piece  in the water if it turns hard that means it is ready)
• Grease the plate with ghee and pour the mixture ,  grease your hands with ghee and shape the mixture into ladoos and store in air tight container . 
  

NOTES

• Make sure you don't leave in till mixture till room temperature to bind them into ladoos as they harden very easily
• This can be prepared just with chikki gud and layee pitto is easily available in any Indian store.

Cheppi Kheeri (Sugarless Pudding)

Cheppi kheeri is most auspicious sweet ...well I won't call it sweet as it is sugarless pudding which we prepare on special occasions like Nagarpanchami, Gowri Pooja this is a very simple traditional dish which is prepared of just 3 ingredients Rice, coconut milk , haldi leaves (Patholi paan) . There is no sugar added here the sweetness is from coconut milk which gives a tinge of sweetness to the pudding and the scent of patholi paan /Haldi leaves gives out such a delicate scent that you will simply love it . Here is the simple recipe for this preparation. Here I have shared one of special tip especially for those people who stay abroad like me and cannot get Patholi leaves . 

Ingredients 

1-2 Patholi Paan 

1/2 cup Rice ( I have used basmati Rice here )

1 cup Coconut milk 

1 and 1/2  - 2 cups of water to boil the Rice

Method 

• Boil Patholi leaves in 2 cups water in a heavy bottomed vessel .

• Add in Rice and let it come to a boil and when it starts cooking and water reduced to half add in coconut milk  both and cook till Rice gets mushy ( should get mashed up a bit).
• When rice gets a bit mashed up switch off the gas and serve. I like it little watery some like it little thicker adjust the consistency as per your desire.
• To prepare coconut milk : Grind 1/2 cup coconut with 1/2  cup hot water and grind to a fine paste . Now strain and extract the coconut milk reserve this residue left and grind it again with remaining hot water and grind to a fine paste strain it for the second time to reserve coconut milk .

Here is the tip 

Here is the picture of the patholi paan I had brought from India 1 Year back ...actually I had preserved a few just as an experiment to see if i could use for the next festive season . Here is the picture of the leaf which I am taking 1 yr later ....actually what I have done here is have washed and wiped the leaf properly when it's properly dried up then I have just wrapped in a news paper and kept in the refrigerator and tada there is the picture of these leaves believe me friends the scent of these leaves have doubled . Just put 2 of these leaves in the boiling water you will see after 2-3 mins these leaves will be very fresh and ready to use when you want :)....Hope this tip helps many like me who wants to prepare these traditional dishes but due to non availability of the leaves can't prepare this ...Happy me and happy family :D 

Mamidikaya Pappu ( Raw Mango Dal)

Dals  are so good and so high in protien, it's staple food of Indians especially southern part of India where our main meals include Rice and dal , main lentils that we use here is Toor dal / Masoor dal / Moong dal . It's my fav soul food too and I tend to bring in so many variations and I always blog the one which tastes amazing and is the true winner. This is one such recipe shared my by friend Sandhya Puranik Andhra style Mango dal....Oh it's so good the Raw Mango just compliments the dal so beautifully loved it :)....whole pot of dal was completed in no time...,,,this is sure to be in my to do list every time I get hold  of raw mangoes .....What more can I say about this Yummy dal can also request my readers to try this and relish it with your rice :)

Ingredients

1 Raw Mango (cut into cubes)

1 cup Toor dal

1/2 tsp Haldi Powder

1 onion (finely chopped)

3-4 Green chillies (slit)

For tadka /Tempering  

1/2 tsp Jeera /Cumin seeds

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 sprig of curry leaves 

1 tsp Red chilli powder

2-3 Red chillies (broken)

4-5 garlic flakes (crushed)

salt to taste 

1 tbsp oil + 1tbsp ghee for tadka

Method

• Chop Raw Mango pieces. Pressure cook toor dal mash it well. Then add in mango pieces, haldi powder , chopped onion, slit green chillies and again pressure cook for 1 whistle .Keep it aside.
• Add salt and bring it to a boil.

For tadka :

• In a pan add in oil and ghee when it melts and is sizzling hot add in cumin seeds,  mustard seeds, crushed garlic and fry well till gralic becomes slightly brown . Now add in red chilli powder, fry for 1-2 mins then add in curry leaves and add in to the dal .
• Cook again for 2-3 mins. Serve hot with Rice and papad......actually I can even relish it just like that :)