Brown Rice Flour & Vegetable Rotti

 

Rotti is a staple of Karnataka cuisine and these unleavened flat breads are usually prepared using rice flour or finger millet flour or sorghum flour. Jolada rotti / Sorghum flour rotti are a specialty of the North Karnataka region and they are commonly eaten for meals there whereas akki rotti, the rice flour based ones are commonly prepared through out the state with variations. These akki rottis are frequently eaten as a breakfast at homes and they also become convenient lunch box item for kids. ('Akki' is rice in the local language). 

I replaced a portion of white rice flour with brown rice one in these rotti to make them healthier. (The brown rice flour I buy at 'Whole Foods' is not very fine ground and so need some regular rice flour to bind the dough.) Rotti can be kept simple with the addition of green chilis, salt, onions and coconut, which are called masale rotti in some parts. Or vegetables can be added to add nutition. Fenugreek leaves can be substituted with amaranth or spinach leaves. The combination of veggies I have added here, especially the cucumber helps in keeping the rotti softer longer. 

The dough can be prepared the previous night and refrigerated which saves time during the morning rush. The dough can be taken out and used in the morning even without thawing. The rottis can be made thinner than what I have made here. Each rotti takes less than 10 minutes to make and doesn't even need constant supervision. One standard tawa / griddle sized rotti would be sufficient if packing a kids' lunch box. These rotti do not need any side dishes in general. They are served with jaggery or some chutney pudi (for older kids / adults), which are staples in any south Indian kitchen. 

Ingredients: (Yield - 5 rotti)
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup rice flour (Store bought can be used.)
Salt to taste
1 carrot
1 small cucumber
1/4 to 1/2 cup fenugreek leaves / methi leaves
1 or 2 green chili
1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded, fresh coconut
A handful of cilantro leaves, finely minced
Oil to make rotti

Preparing the dough:
* Peel and grate the cucumbers. If the cucumbers are not tender, quarter them vertically, remove the seeds and then grate.
* Peel and grate the carrot. Wash and roughly chop the fenugreek leaves.
* Chop green chili very finely. (Green chili can be pulsed with  coconut in a food processor / mixer without adding water, to avoid biting on them. This method is helpful, if especially cooking for kids.)
* First combine the flours and salt in a mixing bowl. Then add all the other ingredients except oil in a mixing bowl.

* Add water as needed to form a firm dough. The rotti can be made immediately at this point, following the below method. Or the dough can be refrigerated in a container with a tight fitting lid. Plan to use the dough within a couple of days.
 
* Divide the dough into 5 equal portions. Work with one portion at a time and keep the rest covered. Shape one portion into a ball.
* Pour a tsp. of oil in the center of a griddle / skillet you are going to use to make rottis. Place the dough ball at the center of the griddle and pat with your fingers till you form a thin, flat circle. (There is no need to make it super thin like pancakes.) The rotti size depends on one's preference. Some prefer to make it griddle sized and some go with smaller ones. Poke a hole in the middle with your index finger if you wish or just leave it out.
 
* Pour a tsp. of oil around the edges of the dough circle and over it. Cover with a lid and turn on the stove. Let it cook on a low - medium flame and flip it when golden brown spots develop on the bottom side and the upper side doesn't look raw. It may take around 5 to 6 minutes. 
 
 * Add 1/2 tsp.  of oil around the edges again if needed. Cover it again and cook for about 3 -4 minutes or until the other side turns light brown too. Turn off the stove and remove the cooked rotti with a spatula.

* Repeat the above steps with the remaining dough balls. However be sure to turn off the stove and cool the griddle before using it again. If in a hurry, the hot griddle can be held under running water to cool it down quickly. Or simultaneously 2 griddles can be used to quicken the cooking process.
* Rotti are usually served with chutney pudi. Some even serve with butter or yogurt, especially ragi / fingermillet rottis. When serving kids, they go with a combo of jaggery and ghee. The latter combo remains my favorite even though I am no longer a kid. :)

This is going to be my contribution to this week's Blogging marathon, with the theme 'Quick Breakfasts'. Check the page link to see what other marathoners are cooking.

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A 'Simple' Tamil Nadu Thaali

As I mentioned in my yesterday's post, it is time for mega marathon this month with the theme of Indian thaalis and platters. I reserved this week for everyday style mini thaalis. I chose to go with the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu for today's mini meal platter aka saapadu. It is a simple, traditional style, vegetarian meal platter. A typical Tamil Nadu or for that matter, any south Indian style lunch menu revolves around rice and is always a balanced meal of carbs, proteins and vegetables. Each side dish is eaten in a specific order, mixed with a small portion of rice and drizzled with ghee. A vegetable preparation is eaten as a side dish while rice is eaten first with a lentil and vegetable based gravy, followed by a thin, spicy broth called rasam and the meal is rounded off with a serving of yogurt and rice or buttermilk. There would be a pickle or an instant chutney or a spicy powder (podi) to perk up the meal. It may be a chutney / thogayal prepared that day with a vegetable or lentil base or a pickle / oorkaai scooped out from a jar, that was made and preserved during summer months for the year long usage. And then there may be some fried popadums / sun dried fritters that every one enjoys but are optional for everyday meals. Ghee, salt and water are of course part of the meal. Sweets and snacks are usually reserved for special occasions at homes. One can even add a banana to the thaali if it is not an every day meal.

Though people still practice this regimen, one cannot forget that the word 'traditional' is the keyword here. People in the modern day hustle bustle may not have enough time to cook all the side dishes and may opt for one or two side dishes or sometimes even just a wholesome, one pot meal. Now let's come back to our traditional style meal. The vegetable preparation typically can be a dry saute called poriyal or a fry that is common across the south Indian states. Or preparations with regional touches or those ones unique to the state. The tamarind based lentil / gravy preparations typically fall under sambhar, kuzhambu, kootu, paruppu varieties. The food never gets boring taking into consideration how a typical housewife injects variety into everyday cooking rotating the recipes from repertoire.

This was one of those meals I wished I could serve on a plantain leaf but had to manage with my steel plate which is what typically used back home to eat everyday meals (at least these past few decades.) No cutlery is used in the traditional style of eating. And also the side dishes are not served in cups either since each item is individually eaten. For example rice and sambhar is mixed in a plate using the tips of the right hand fingers, scooped up and eaten. There may be a small serving of some chutney, curry or a papad on the side. Once the sambhar - rice is finished, rice and rasam are again added to the plate and so on.

We almost always have a chutney / pickle, curry, sambhar, rasam, yogurt to go with our rice. I therefore included those varieties in the meal and had kootu as an extra as it is a personal favorite and usually part of a traditional spread . Hop over here for the recipe of cucumber kootu.  I had a sago kheer prepared for neivedyam that day and so it went into the platter as well. This is a Tamil Brahmin aka tambram style mini thaali without the usage of onion and garlic. My lunch platter had the following items along with rice. (Usually we would place the pickle next to curry, I realized later.)

Avakkai - Mango pickle in powdered mustard base
Appalam - Papad (Microwaved)
Vazhakkai poriyal - Plantain curry with addition of coconut and simple seasoning 
Varutharacha kuzhambu - Mixed vegetable gravy
Vellerikka kootu - Cucumber and moongdal stew
Rasam - Lentil and tomato broth
Thayir - Yogurt
Javvarisi payasam - Sago kheer / Tapioca pearl pudding

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Vellarikka Kootu ~ Tamil Nadu Style Cucumber - Moong Dal Stew

I am posting the recipe for kootu from the Tamil Nadu thaali I posted. Check that link to read about it. Now coming to today's recipe, kootu can be roughly translated as a lentil and vegetable stew, originating in south Indian cuisine. This simple, comforting side dish is common to Tamil Nadu and Kerala cuisines. Karnataka has also a gravy dish called 'kootu' but it is more along the lines of a arachuvitta sambhar though both are not the same. The Tamil word 'kootu' means 'to add', which refers to the blending of lentils and vegetables in the dish. Kootu is usually served with rice and is thicker in consistency than of a typical sambhar. 

A kootu can be prepared using moong dal, split chick peas, pigeon peas or a combo of dals. I have used cucumbers here but some of the commonly used vegetables are chayote, bottle gourd, ridge gourd, cabbage or even greens. A medley of vegetables can be used as well. Any variety of green cucumbers can be used in the recipe. Just check for bitterness before using the cucumber as the bitter flavor is going to ruin the dish. Remove the seeds as well if the cucumber appears to be a mature one.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup moong dal (yellow colored)
A pinch of ground turmeric 
1/2 cup peeled and cubed cucumber
Salt to taste
Ingredients for grinding:
1/4 cup fresh / frozen coconut
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. rice / rice flour
1 tsp. pepper corns / 2 green chilies (or a combo of both can be used.)
Ingredients for tempering:
1 tsp. oil / ghee
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. black gram / uard dal
A pinch of asafoetida
Few curry leaves

Directions:
* Thaw if using frozen coconut and soak rice for about 15 minutes in water, if using.
* Rinse moong dal with water twice and drain completely. Pressure cook dal along with turmeric and a cup of water until soft, about 3 whistles. Let the pressure subside and mash the dal well with the back of the ladle.
* Peel the cucumber and quarter it lengthwise. Remove the seeds if the cucumber is a mature one and chop them into fine cubes. Cook cucumber separately either in a microwave or in a sauce pan on stove top adding enough water just until done. Don't throw away the water.
*  Grind together coconut, soaked rice, cumin seeds and peppercorns / green chilies finely, adding water.
* Add oil / ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds and black gram. When the black gram starts to turn reddish add asafoetida and curry leaves. Immediately add the mashed dal, the cucumber pieces along with the water, the ground coconut paste and salt. If rice isn't being used, make a paste of rice flour and few tbsp. of water and add it to the mixture. Add extra water if needed. Mix well and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer fora minute or so and turn off the stove,
* Serve it warm with rice, drizzling a little ghee over it.

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Kumaoni Raita

Here is a simple and flavorful raita from the Uttarakhand region. This cool and refreshing side dish contains grated cucumber and ground mustard seeds which add a piquant flavor to it. However since the mustard seeds flavor is an acquired taste, add only as much as needed. Add a pinch of toasted and ground fenugreek seeds as well if preferred. The raita goes well with any stuffed parathas or any pulao kind of rice dishes. I served it along with stuffed horse gram parathas / gehat ke parathea

Ingredients:
1/2 to 1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 small sized cucumber
2 cups yogurt
Salt to taste
A pinch of turmeric powder
1 or 2 green chilis, finely minced

Directions:
* Lightly toast the mustard seeds and let cool. Grind them finely.
* Peel and grate the cucumber. Squeeze out water from the cucumber and keep aside.
* Whisk yogurt, mustard powder, salt, turmeric and green chillies in a bowl. Add cucumber to the bowl and mix well. (Taste and add mustard powder as much as preferred. The mustard powder is an acquired taste and so use as needed, more or less.)
* Serve the raita with any spicy rice or stuffed parathas.

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Jhal Muri

So far in the series,

First week - Sweets
Malaadu / Hurigadale Unde
Dry Gulab Jamun
Coconut Burfi / Kobbari Mithai
Almond Halwa / Badam Halwa
Elaneer Payasam
Godhuma Sojjappalu

Second week - Snacks from Gujarat
Damni Dhokla
Doodhi Muthia / Lauki Muthia
Dal Pandoli

Sev Khamani

Methi Khakhra
Pressure Cooker Khandvi

Third Week - Snacks
Bafauri
Soy Beans Guggillu / Sundal

While bhelpuri is associated with beaches of Mumbai and churumuri / girmit is famous in Karnataka, the Bengali variant is called jhalmuri. Jhalmuri literally means spicy puffed rice and is a popular street food from Kolkata. It is a light and yummy snack made with puffed rice, chanachur, onions, chilies, a special masala powder, and other ingredients. What keeps this popular Bengali street food apart from the other regional puffed rice snacks across India is the use of mustard oil which lends a piquant flavor and uniqueness to the dish. 

Jhalmuri is a melange of spicy and tangy flavors and the tasty snack makes a great guilt free option to snack on though diabetics must pay attention since the puffed rice shoots up the sugar levels. Jhalmuri though originated in the Bengal region seems to be quite popular in eastern regions of India and Bangladesh as well. This is how I prepare but the recipe can be customized to one's own preferences by adding  / omitting other spices and flavors. Fine sev can be added in lieu of chanachur. Combine all jhalmuri ingredients quickly and serve immediately as soon as it is assembled to maintain the crunchiness of the snack while eating.

Ingredients:
4 cups puffed rice
Salt and / or black salt to taste
1/4 tsp. red chili powder or to taste
1/2 tsp. cumin powder or to taste
1/2 tsp. chaat masala or to taste
1/2 cup toasted peanuts
1 big sized potato
1 tomato, seeds removed and chopped
1 big sized onion, peeled and finely chopped
3/4 cup peeled and diced cucumber
1 green chillie, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely minced cilantro
1 tsp. mustard oil
Lemon juice to taste
1/4 cup chanachur / sev

Prep work:
* Peel and chop potatoes. Boil them until fork tender and drain the water used to cook. (I cooked them in a microwave.)
* Chop onions, tomatoes, cucumber, green chillies and cilantro and keep them ready.
* Heat a kadai / wok and add puffed rice. Keep toasting on low - medium flame, until crisp and turn off the stove. It takes just a few minutes to toast them and continuously stir to avoid burning the puffed rice.
Directions:
* To the toasted puffed rice, add the remaining ingredients except oil and lemon juice and toss the ingredients to combine. 

* Add oil and lemon juice at the end and toss well to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Serve Immediately.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#104.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

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Kachumber

Kachumber is a vegetable based salad from the north Indian region which is quite simple and quick to prepare like a Mexican salsa. It uses the commonly available ingredients from an Indian kitchen, chiefly comprising of cucumber, tomato and red onions. Herbs and spices are thrown in to bring out the flavors associated with Indian palates.

 

Ingredients:

1 small cucumber, peeled and cubed

1 tomato, chopped

1 red onion, peeled and chopped

1 to 2 green chilies, chopped

A handful of mint and cilantro leaves, finely chopped

1/2 tsp. cumin powder (optional)

Salt to taste

Lemon juice to taste

Method:

* Combine everything in a mixing bowl and toss to mingle.

* Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed and serve immediately.

This is going to be a part of Blogging marathon #62 under the theme 'Light Salads' and check here to find out what other marathoners are cooking today.


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Khamang Kakdi / Kakdichi Koshimbir

Khamang kakdi or Kakdichi koshimbir is a flavorful, cucumber based salad from Maharashtra region. It is very easy to put together and can be quickly made. If you are familiar with kosumbari, from the neighboring state of Karnataka then this is a similar one with few interesting add-ons like crushed toasted peanuts and sugar to it. This can be served as a side dish though I prefer to serve this alone to enjoy the flavors more.

Ingredients (yield 2 servings)
1 small cucumber / 1.5 cups finely chopped cucumber
3 to 4 tbsp. toasted peanuts
2 to 3 tbsp. shredded fresh coconut
2 tbsp. minced cilantro
1 finely chopped green chili
1/2 lemon / lime slice
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
For seasoning:
1 tsp. ghee / oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds and/or 1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 sprig of curry leaves
A pinch of asafoetida powder

Method:
* Trim the edges, peel and chop the cucumber finely. Discard the seeds if mature.
* Coarsely crush the toasted peanuts using mortar and pestle.
* Combine cucumber pieces, crushed peanuts, coconut, cilantro, green chili, salt and sugar if using in a mixing bowl. squeeze the lemon juice to taste and mix.
* Heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When the mustard seeds start to sizzle and pop, add curry leaves and asafoetida and turn off the stove.
* Add the seasoning to the cucumber mixture, mix well and serve.


This is going to be a part of Blogging marathon #62 under the theme 'Light Salads' and check here to find out what other marathoners are cooking today.

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Pita Sandwich

 

Though a "sandwich" sounded great for a mess free kids' lunch box theme, I had to give up since my kids are mostly the nutella / cheese sandwich eating kind. And when I was thinking about other sandwiches, this pita one did not even cross my mind since it is one of the most mundane things that keep happening in my kitchen. When I discussed about this theme with my daughter, she was in fact eating this very pita sandwich and said 'mom, this one". :)

Trust me, this is a mess free sandwich provided the ingredients used to stuff the pita are cut into big pieces. It is one of my daughter's favorite food and so I thought of including this in this theme. I however would want to make clear that this is a tailored recipe to suit my daughter's taste. Whatever she likes go into this - Shredded lettuce, purple cabbage slivers, carrot slivers, tomato pieces, cucumber cut into half moons, olives, cheddar cheese with ketchup. I usually prefer the tomatoes cut at the ends than the middle portion, to keep out the seeds / juice from preventing the pitas turn soggy. Similarly I would prefer to remove seeds from the cucumbers and squeeze out some ketchup in the middle of the vegetable stuffing. Instead of grated cheese, I slice the cheese slices into long thin strips for making it non-messy.Warm the pita pockets in the microwave for about 10 -15 seconds if needed before stuffing.

This is going to be my contribution to "Mess-Free Kids' Snack / Lunch Dishes". Check what other marathoners are cooking at BM #34.

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Cucumber Raita (Version 2)

Raitas are side dishes usually prepared to accompany spicy dishes since yogurt acts as a coolant. There are of course spicy raitas too like this one for example, that can form a quick meal when served with rotis / rice. I some times keep it pretty basic to eat it as a snack and go with (naturally) sweet, fresh yogurt as this cucumber raita. I added some crushed fennel and cumin seeds for the flavor and trust me, this is simple yet yummy. This can be served along with rotis as well.

Ingredients: (2 servings)
1.5 cup yogurt
1/4 cup grated cucumber
1 tsp roughly crushed fennel seeds / saunf (save some to garnish)
Cumin powder to taste
Salt to taste
Minced cilantro to garnish

Method:
Whisk the yogurt lightly with a fork. Add salt, cumin powder and fennel seeds. Mix well. Gently stir in the grated cucumber. Garnish with cilantro and crushed fennel seeds before serving. 

I decided on this dish as soon as I saw the announcement of this minth's Magic Mingle. It goes to MM#17 - Yogurt & Fennel Seeds.

 
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Keera Majjiga Pulusu

Actually I had prepared two other snacks for this week but drafts were not ready and I had to settle with this majjiga pulusu recipe instead. Why? The draft for this recipe was ready and right now I am so tired that I have zero inclination to sit, edit pictures and draft a new recipe. Also this pulusu is a perfect example of everyday traditional, south Indian cooking and I love it. 
This delicious, spicy dish can be loosely translated as south Indian version of kadhi. It is prepared using sour yogurt and a ground spicy mixture and is popular through out the region. It is known by local names in each state - Majjiga pulusu in Andhra, mor kulambu in Tamilnadu and majjige huli in Karnataka. The basic recipe remains the same though there tend to be minor variations regarding the ground paste. I myself have three tested and tried versions, all equally liked by me - my mother's, my grandmother's and one from my MIL's kitchen. The following is my mother's version of majjiga pulusu. Majjiga is buttermilk and pulusu being stew in Telugu.
White pumpkin, cabbage, cucumber, chayote, bottle gourd are the commonly used vegetables to prepare majjiga pulusu. In Andhra homes, majjiga pulusu is always served along with muddha pappu (Toordal cooked plain and salt added.) and hot steamed rice.

Ingredients for 6 - 8 generous servings:

2 cups sour yogurt

1 cucumber / keera

2 Tbsp rice + 2 Tbsp toor dal

2 - 3 Tbsp cilantro leaves

5 - 6 Serrano peppers

1/4 cup fresh, grated coconut

1 One inch piece of ginger

For tadka: 2 tsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida powder

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Method:
* Soak rice and toordal together in about a cup of water for at least an hour or more. Then drain and wash them. Grind the soaked rice + dal mixture along with cilantro, green chillies, coconut and ginger.
* Peel, grate and quarter the cucumber lengthwise. If the seeds are mature, remove them and chop the cucumber into cubes. I had about 1.5 cups of cucumber cubes. Cook them adding about a cup of water in a microwave or in a sauce pan on stove top.

* Whisk the yogurt adding a cup of water.

* Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. When they start to pop, add curry leaves and asafoetida. Then add the cucumber cubes along with the water used to cook, turmeric powder, ground mixture, yogurt and salt. Add enough water to bring it into the required consistency, about 2 -  3cups. Bring it to a rolling boil and turn off the stove.

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Eggless Chocolatey Cucumber - Walnut Cupcakes

Each month, Kalyani keeps throwing an interesting combination of two ingredients for Magic Mingle, which seem to not at all work together in any recipe. I guess that's what makes this event more challenging. I don't wrack my brain over our personal issues as much as I do for blogging events, my husband notes amused. A salad was out of question as I had already posted it. This time as usual when I was going bonkers over cucumber - walnut combination, my husband decided to put me out of my misery and suggested to core the cucumber and fill it with walnut stuffing. I wasn't sure whether he was serious or joking. I therefore decided to leave it for another time. :)

I took the hint of walnuts and decided to settle with a baking recipe since I like the crunch, the nut offers. And also I wanted it to be chocolatey to mask the flavor of cucumber, if any present. I  prepared these cupcakes inspired by these zucchini ones from here.

I didn't cream the sugar and butter since I was using a smaller proportion of ingredients. I just combined all the ingredients as in case of muffins. I used the chocolate frosting and sprinkled with walnuts. The resulting cupcakes had a perfect fluffy, moist texture with current amount of sweetness. Even the kids couldn't guess the presence of cucumber.

Ingredients: (yield 7 cupcakes)
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
6 Tbsp sugar
3/4 baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk + 1 Tbsp vinegar
2 Tbsp melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup peeled and shredded cucumber without seeds
1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts (Save 2 Tbsp for sprinkling on the tops.)

Method:
1. Add vinegar to milk in a cup and leave aside for five minutes for the mixture to curdle.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 deg F. Line the muffin cups with paper liners or grease them.
3. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.
4. Add the curdled milk mixture, butter, sugar, vanilla, cucumber and walnuts to the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.
5. Fill the muffin cups up to about 2/3rds with the batter and bake for 15 - 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean. Mine were done in 16 minutes.
6. Cool them on a wire rack. Remove them from the muffin tin and frost them when they are completely cool. Frost and sprinkle the remaining walnuts.

Note:
If not frosting, increase the sugar quantity in the recipe by 2 -3 Tbsp. They will be bland otherwise.

 

This goes to BM#24 under the theme of "Cooking with Appliances". Check here to find out what others are cooking during the marathon.

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Simple & Quick Subzis ~ Cucumber Subzi / Kheera Koora / Southekayi Palya

This simple, south Indian style preparation uses the regular, green cucumbers and is going to be my third day "microwave cooking" entry of BM#8.  Needless to say this one is quick, delicious and goes great with rice.

Check what my fellow marathoners are cooking.

Ingredients:

For tadka: 2 tsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp urad dal, 1 tsp chana dal, 4 red chillies broken into bits and few curry leaves
2 cups peeled and cubed cucumber

Salt to taste

1/4 - 1/2 cup grated fresh / frozen coconut

(1/8 tsp of turmeric powder may also be added while cooking cucumbers.)

Method:

Heat the oil in a microwave safe bowl and add the tadka ingredients. When the dals turn reddish, add the cucumber and continue to cook until done. Then add the salt and coconut to the cooked cucumber and mix well. Cook for  a couple of minutes more and remove the bowl. Serve with hot rice.

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Keera - Nuvvula Pachadi

Recipe Source: Prabha Gandlur

I can't shy away from posting a 'pachadi' (chutney / pickle) recipe while posting Andhra specials. J Can I ? And so here we go with a  quick cucumber - sesame seeds chutney today. The combination of cucumbers and sesame seeds in chutney may sound preposterous to some. Or to many, it may seem like a combo that never works. I must mention that I was in the second category until I tasted this and had to change my mind.
I got hold of this recipe while casually chatting online with a family member. With BM in mind, I had asked her for some simple, Andhra recipes though I hadn't expected that she would surprise me with such an interesting recipe. This chutney is a simple and quick one besides being unusual. The original recipe needs only five ingredients but I tweaked the recipe a little bit by adding the sweetener and a flavorful tadka of hing. Everyone at home admired it and so here I am sharing this yummy chutney recipe. J

Ingredients:
1 cup very finely chopped cucumber
1/4 sesame seeds
10 - 12 red chillies
Small ball of tamarind soaked in water and juice extracted
Jaggery to taste
Salt to taste
For tadka: 1 tsp oil, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp uraddal (split blackgram), few curry leaves and a little asafoetida

Method:
* Toast sesame seeds and red chillies together on low flame and let cool.
* Heat oil and add the tadka ingredients. When urad dal starts turning reddish, turn off the stove.
* Dry grind the sesame seeds, red chillies, jaggery and salt together finely. Then add the tamarind juice (about 2 -3 Tbsp or to taste) and run the blender again to mix. There is no need to add water even if the mixture appears not well combined or seems very dry. The moisture from the cucumbers is enough to bind. In fact, the paste turns liquidy after combining with cucumbers. Combine this ground paste and the tadka to the finely chopped cucumbers and mix well. Leave aside for 5 - 10 minutes.
* Serve with hot steamed rice and ghee.

Check here for other version of keera / cucumber pachadi.

Now let's check what the other marathoners are cooking today, during this Blogging Marathon #6.

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Blogging Marathon Day 6 ~ Dosa Avakaaya (Dosaavakaya)

Today's 'Special Choice' post - Regional Cuisine (I chose Andhra)

Pickle making process (in India) is often considered a tedious and laborious task and this is indeed true to some extent. Our home state Andhra, the land of spicy food lovers can boast about the variety of pickles they make ranging from vegetable to meat based ones. Each year, people there dedicate a few summer days to prepare a variety of large batch of pickles that could be used for the rest of the year. Pickle filled large ceramic jars adorning the kitchen shelfs is a common scene in Andhra homes. 

Though pickle making sounds intimidating for amateurs, there are a few Andhra pickles that are super easy to prepare. Dosa avakaya happens to fall under this easy breezy category and all you need is some vegetable chopping skills. :) Also this is almost a guilt free pickle since this does not ooze with oil as the other pickles do. The star ingredient in this pickle happens to be dosakaya - the round cucumbers available locally in Andhra that range from greenish to yellow color. The regular, slender green cucumbers are not a substitute. 

Ingredients to make about 1.5 cup pickle:

2 dosakayas / yellow cucumbers (About 1.5 cups dosakaya cubes)
4 Tbsp chili powder (or as  needed)
1&1/4 Tbsp salt
3 Tbsp sesame oil (I used olive oil)
1.5 Tbsp mustard seeds powder

Note:
1. Choose firm cucumbers without any blemishes. There is no need to peel the dosakaya since the crunch offered by the peel is preferred in this pickle. Though I have removed the seeds, deseeding is entirely optional. If you prefer the seeds, they can be added as well.
2. Either mustard seed powder can be bought from the stores or prepared at home. If you choose to prepare it at home, it is quite an easy process. Just dry toast the mustard seeds for a few seconds, cool and grind them fine. Ditto with the chili powder. Lightly toast the red dried chillies, cool and grind them. Or use the store bought one.
3. This pickle is supposed to stay fresh for a few months, even unrefrigerated. I prefer to refrigerate it but leave the pickle outside two days before doing so.
4. Take care that the working surface, dosakaya and the utensils used are completely DRY. Even a trace of moisture would mean less shelf life of the pickle.

Making the Pickle:
* Wash the cucumbers and dry them thoroughly so that there is no trace of moisture left. Quarter them and remove the seeds, if not using them. Chop the cucumbers into small cubes.
* Take a clean dry bowl and add the cucumber pieces, chili powder, mustard powder, salt and the oil to it. Mix well and adjust the quantities of salt and chili powders if needed. Cover it and leave it overnight.
That's it. It is ready to use from the next day.

Dosa Avakaya - Cucumber pickle in a pungent mustard base 

Check what my fellow marathoners are cooking up!
Azeema, Bhagi, Champa, Gayathri Anand, Gayathri Kumar, Harini, Jay, Kamalika, Meena, Minu, Padma, Pavani, PJ, Priya Mahadevan, Priya Suresh, Priya Vasu, Rujuta, Santosh, Saraswathi, Savitha, Shanavi, Smitha, Sowmya, Srivalli, Usha, Veena

This goes to Hima's Pickle / Achar / Uragayi Mela.

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Authentic Andhra Meals ~ Dosakaya Pappu

Like a true Andhrite, I would drool over the mere mention of the word 'pappu' though I happen to eat it once or twice a week. Some pappus happen to be favored universally where as some happen to be personal favorites. Mamidi, gongura and dosakaya pappu happen to fall in the former category and so mentioning that how much I like this particular one is nothing but a reiteration.
Dosakya - the tangy cucumber available locally is the soul of this dish. The regular, green cucumbers / keera can be substituted in absence of dosakaya but the flavor / taste offered by the latter would be missing.

Ingredients for dosakaya pappu to serve 6:
1 cup - Toordal
1 dosakaya / cucumber - peeled and cubed (about 2 cups). Remove the seeds only if they are not tender.
1/8 tsp Turmeric powder
2.5 tsp - Salt
1.5 tsp - Chili powder
A small ball of tamarind - soaked in water and pulp squeezed
For tadka: 2 tsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, few curry leaves and a little asafoetida powder
Minced cilantro/kothimira for garnish (optional)



The cooking part:
1. Wash the toordal in two exchanges of water. Add toordal, cucumber cubes, turmeric and 2 cups of water to a container, place it in a pressure cooker and cook till you hear about 3 -4 whistles. If dal takes longer to cook, then cook dal and the cucumber cubes separately since the latter turns mushy easily.
In the absence of a pressure cooker, the dal can be cooked on stovetop in a sauce pan or a thick bottomed vessel on low to medium flame adding water as needed, till the dal reaches a fall - apart stage.
2. Remove the dal container when valve pressure is gone. Add salt, chili powder and tamarind puree to the dal mixture and mix well. Switch on the stove and bring it to a boil. Then on low setting, allow it to simmer for a couple of minutes more.
3. Meanwhile, in a small sauté pan, heat the oil and add all the tadka ingredients. When they start to sizzle, remove them and add it to the cooked dal / pappu and mix well.
4. Garnish with cilantro, if using.

Serve with hot rice and a tsp of ghee for a true Andhra meal experience.

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Quick Subzis ~ Cucumber Subzi / Dosakaya Koora

Using dosakaya to prepare koora (subzi) is a mundane thing in traditional Andhra cooking. In the absence of those, my mother happens to substitute regular cucumbers that taste unique in their own way. Pairing with besan is one of the easiest and tastier ways to cook these cucumbers and this is how she does it.

Ingredients to serve 4:
1 cucumber - peeled & finely diced, about 2 cups
Besan - about 2 Tbsp
Salt & chili powder - 1 tsp each
For tadka: 2 -3 tsp oil, 1 tsp chanadal, 1 tsp mustard seeds, few curry leaves and 1/8 tsp turmeric powder

Cooking part:
Heat oil in a non-stick pan/ kadai and add the tadka ingredients in the order mentioned. When chanadal starts to turn reddish, add the cucumber pieces and salt. Stir the ingredients once and then cook covered on low - medium flame till done. Keep stirring in between.
After the cucumber turns tender, add the chili powder and besan. Mix them well and cook till the raw smell of besan disappears. This would take a couple of minutes. Turn off the stove.
Serve with hot rice and a tsp of ghee as part of a Andhra meal.

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