GARLIC BUTTER NAAN

Ingredients

3 Cups Standard Flour or Maida

1.5 tsp of Active Yeast

2 tsp of Sugar

1/3 cup warm water

1/3 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 Cup Yoghurt

1/2 Cup Warm Milk

1/4 Cup Cooking Oil

1/2 tsp Salt

2 cloves minced garlic

Garnish:

3 Tblsp Melted Butter

3 Cloves Minced Garlic

chopped Parsley or Cilantro

Method:

Add the sugar and yeast to the warm water(1/4 cup) and wait for it to bubble.In a mixing bowl add flour, baking powder, yoghurt, milk, cooking oil, salt, garlic, risen yeast. Mix and knead to obtain a smooth ball. If too dry then add little milk. If too wet then add more flour. The dough should not stick to you fingers. In the same bowl, spray it with oil and place the ball of dough in it. Spray some oil on top of the dough and cover the bowl with glad wrap or foil. Allow it to rise- keep it for 45 minutes to an hour.

Remove and then divide it into 8 balls and again cover it and keep it for another 10 minutes.

Melt the butter and add the minced garlic to it. Keep aside.

Remove and roll each ball into an oval shaped naan. Dust it with saome standard flour while rolling. Finish rolling all the Naan’s.

Heat a Tawa or Pan. Spread some oil on it and when hot place the Naan on it. When bubbles start appearing, turn it over and fry the other side. Spray or sprinkle some oil on top of the Naan and then turn over and sprinkle oil on other side.

Take it out and brush with Melted butter and garlic. Then sprinkle with chopped cilantro or parsley.

If you want to have the Naan later, then first wrap them in a clean cloth and when ready, remove and brush with melted butter and garlic and sprinkle cilantro and heat in microwave for 45 seconds.

If you want to store it. Then when it has cooled down, place in ziplock bags and keep outside for a couple of days or in refrigerator for a few days or in freezer for a couple of months. Do not apply the melted butter.

When ready to use. Remove from freezer, allow to thaw at room temperature and then apply melted butter and heat in microwave for 45 seconds.

RICE PANCAKES OR NEER DOSA WITH COCONUT AND JAGGERY FILLING, PORTHA POLE

Ingredients

2 Cups of Idli Rice, Wash and soak it for 8 hours or overnight

Half Scraped Coconut

200 grams and to taste scraped jaggery

1/2 tsp cardamom powder.

Method:

Grind the rice adding water and little salt. It should be of watery consistency. Make the mixture of Coconut, Jaggery and Cardamom Powder. (add scraped jaggery, and cardamom powder to scraped coconut and mix well)

Heat a Dosa Pan. Take a small piece on onion and prick with fork. Dip the onion in oil and apply to pan all round. Take a ladle of batter and pour onto the pan and turn the pan all round. Close the lid for a minute and then remove the fried pancake (the edges will start leaving the pan) and place it on a plate with the bottom side facing up.

Take about two to three spoons of the coconut and jaggery mixture and place it in a straight line about 1/3 way of the pancake. Close two sides of the pancake . Now start rolling the pancake from the second side to the fourth side to form an roll with the filling in the middle.

Similarly form the other pancake rolls.

MANGALOREAN RICE BHAKRI

Ingredients

3 Cups of Ponni Boiled Rice or any Boiled Rice. Washed and soaked for at least 3 hours or overnight.

2 tsps Salt

2 cups of scraped Coconut

Banana Leaves, washed and wiped to have them dry.

Method:

Grind the soaked rice dry adding little salt. Add scraped coconut to the batter and then spread required quantities onto the banana leaves. Don’t make them too thick. On top of the batter put another banana leaf. Make as many as you can.

Heat a Tawa, When the Tawa is hot, place the banana leaf with the batter in it on the tawa. When the Banana leaf at the bottom slightly burns, turn it over and fry on the other side. Remove the banana leaves and fry the bhakri till you get a slight burnt texture. Remove

Variations and consumption:

The same batter if you add scraped jaggery will become a sweet dish.

You can cut the Bhakri in four or six parts. The Bhakri is a good accompaniment for any thick curry, Pork Sorpotel, Pork Bafat etc.

You can also have this for breakfast or afternoon tea. Cut each part in the middle to make a pocket. Apply Ghee and sugar and eat it. You can also eat it with any syrup or ginger preserve.

KERALA BEEF BIRYANI OR THALASSERY DUM BIRYANI

Ingredients

1 Kg of Jeera Rice (5 Cups), washed and soaked in water for 30 minutes

1.25 Kg Beef Cubes (marinated garam masala, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder and salt)

Garam Masala: 1 tsp of Kuskus, 1 Star Anise, 2 inch stick of Cinnamon, 5 green Cardamom, 6 cloves, 1 tsp of fennel seeds. Ground to fine Powder.

Use 3 tsps of the garam masala powder, 4 tsps of ginger garlic paste (5 cloves garlic, 1 inch ginger ginger garlic paste), 1 tsp salt and 3/4 turmeric powder. Add to beef cubes and marinate for 3 minutes.

Into the jar with the remaining ginger garlic paste, add 6 to 7 green chillies and make a paste.

Method: Place a pressure pan on the stove and add marinated beef pieces and little water and pressure cook for 4 whistles. Place a pressure cooker on the stove. Add 4 tablespoons of Ghee. When hot the following spices: 1 tsp of Fennel seeds, 8 Green Cardamom, 2 pepper corns, 10 cloves, 1.5 inch of Cinnamon stick and 1 star anise. Fry for a minute.

Add the drained rice and fry for a few minutes. Add 8 cups of hot water and 1 cup of beef stock (from the boiled meat). Add 1 tsp of Salt. Mix well and close and pressure cook on slow flame (4 minutes) for 1 whistle. Keep aside for 20 minutes to cool down.

Add the drained rice and fry for a few minutes. Add 8 cups of hot water and 1 cup of beef stock (from the boiled meat). Add 1 tsp of Salt. Mix well and close and pressure cook on slow flame (4 minutes) for 1 whistle. Keep aside for 20 minutes to cool down. Open the pressure cooker with rice and spread the rice onto a tray.

Place a vessel on the stove and add 4 tablespoons of ghee. When hot add and fry half cup of Cashewnuts and remove and then half cup of Raisins or Sultanas, fry and remove. Now add the mixture of ginger, garlic, grenn chilli paste and fry for 30 seconds. Add 4 sliced onions and 1 tsp of salt. Let it fry till golden brown.

Add 1 tsp of pepper powder and 3/4 tsp of turmeric powder. Add 400 gms chopped tomatoes, mix well and let it cook on medium flame for 5 minutes till oil separates. Add half cup of beaten yoghurt. Mix well and add ground garam masala (the remaining). Add 1/4 cup coriander leaves and 2 tblsp chopped mint. Add boiled beef, mix well and add remaining gravy and let it cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until beef has cooked. Add water if it becomes dry.

Make layers of rice and beef gravy. In a big vessel, add one layer of beef gravy, on top some rice, sprinkle some fried onions (supermarket) or make some fried onions. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves, mint, cashewnuts, raisins, 2 tsps of ghee. sprinkle milk (saffron threads). Make next layer of the same. If any remaining beef and rice, make a third layer. Add few blobs of ghee on top. Close with Aluminium foil and then the lid, so the steam does not escape. Keep on slow flame for five minutes. Open and mix well.

Serve with Raita (Yoghurt, onion, tomatoes, cucumber mixture)

CURRY LEAVES CHUTNEY

Ingredients

A heaped cup of Curry Leaves (washed well)

3/4 Cup Scraped Coconut or Desiccated Coconut

3 Tblsp of Chana Dhal or Dalia

2 Green Chillies

1 tsp Cumin Seeds

2 tbsp Lemon Juice

1 tsp Salt

2 tsp Oil

Tempering (Optional)

2 tsp Oil

1/4 tsp Urid Dhal

1/2 Mustard Seeds

few curry leaves

Method:

Heat Oil in a pan. Fry the washed curry leaves until crisp. Keep aside to cool completely.

Grind the curry leaves along with the other ingredients Cumin Seeds, Chana Dhal, Coconut, Green Chillies, Salt, Lemon Juice and little water to make a fine paste. The Curry Leaves Chutney is ready

If you want to temper the chutney.

Heat oil in a pan. When hot add the urid dhal. When slightly brown add the mustard seeds and when they splutter add the curry leaves. Fry till Curry Leaves loses its rawness. Pour this mixture over the ground chutney. The Curry Leaves Chutney is ready

sannas (Urid Dhal)

Ingredients

3 cups of Idli Rice

1 Cup of Ponni Parboiled Rice or Basmati Rice

1/2 Cup of Urid Dhal

Method:

Wash and soak each of the above separately for about 6 hours or overnight. Later grind them separately with water, Urid Dhal, Ponni Rice and Idli Rice. Mix them and add 1.5 tsp salt, 2 tsp sugar and Active Yeast.

Active Yeast: In a bowl add about 5 table spoons warm water (not hot), 1 tsp Active Yeast and 1 tsp sugar. When the yeast starts rising in a minute or so, add to the batter and mix well.

The batter should not be too thin. Keep it for around six hours until it starts rising. The Containers : apply little oil and then pour batter into them, about half the container. Now start steaming the Sannas in a Steamer or Tondor. Add water to the bottom section of the steamer and when it is hot, place the Sannas Containers in which the batter has been poured in the top section of the steamer and steam them for 20 minutes.

Prepare a tray adding cold water and ice. After the Sannas are steamed, place the containers in the cold water for it to cool down. Now remove them and place them on a clean cloth with the bottom of the containers facing up. Now place a wet cloth on top of it and let it cool down.

You can now remove the Sannas from the containers. You can do so by either tapping them on your palm, they will come off easily. If not use a butter knife and turn the knife along the edges of the containers to loose the Sannas and then remove them.

Rice pancakes (panpole)

Ingredients

750 grams of Basmati Rice

Salt to taste

Water

Soak the rice for 12 hours. Grind with water and little salt. It should be watery consistency. Should not be thick.

Heat up a pan. Brush little oil. When it is hot, pour a ladle of batter into the pan and twirl the pan for the batter to cover the whole pan. Cover with lid and let it fry for a couple of minutes. Use a metal spatula to remove and place it on plate and wait for it to cool down.

Fold the pancake into half and then again into quarter.

Same pancakes can be used for a Pancake Tuesday Pancake or Shrove Tuesday Pancakes. Make a mixture of Scraped Jaggery and Scraped Coconut. Once the panpole has been removed from Pan and placed on a plate, spread a little of the coconut/jaggery mixture across the panpole. Now fold in the edges a little and then roll the panpole. Your Shrove Tuesday Pancake is ready

Schezwan Sauce

Ingredients:

6 Tablespoons of Red Chilli Paste ( see my recipe for Red Chilli Paste)

5 tablespoons Sesame Oil

12 cloves finely chopped garlic

1 small piece (1 inch) finely chopped ginger

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped celery

1 cup water

1 tsp pepper powder

2 to 3 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tblsp Soy Sauce

1 tblsp vinegar

1 tsp salt

Method:

Heat Sesame Oil in a pan and when hot add the ginger and garlic. Saute for a minute and add the chopped onion. Saute till the Onions turn translucent. Now add the Red Chilli Paste and mix well, fry for a minute. Add water and the rest of the ingredients. Cook for five minutes. Check for salt, vinegar and sugar. The taste should be spicy, sweet and tangy.

When cool, store in sealed container in refrigerator. Good accompaniment for Fried Rice, Chicken Lollipop etc.

Dosa with Rice Flour (No Soaking and Grinding)

Ingredients:

1.5 cups Rice Flour

¾ Cup Urid Dhal Flour (Black Gram Dhal)

1/8 cup Fenugreek Flour (Methi)

3 Cups water

Salt

Dosa Pan

Ghee (clarified butter) – Optional

Water for frying Dosa

Method:

Mix all the flours and water to form smooth batter. Not too thin or too thick. Keep it overnight (10 to 12 hours). Just before frying the dosa’s remove the required batter or all of it, add salt. Heat Dosa Pan. Sprinkle water to test the pan. Don’t apply oil to pan. Spread a ladle of batter and then little ghee on to dosa. Close for a minute. Check if dosa is ready (the sides will start coming off the pan). Remove. Have the dosa with white coconut chutney, green chutney, sambhar.

Chutney Sandwich in Yoghurt

 

Ingredients

6 to 8 bread slices (cut off the sides)

¼ Cup Coconut Chutney for Sandwich

1 Cup Tamarind and Dates Chutney

1 tsp Chaat Masala

3 Tblsp Nylon Sev

1 Kilo Yoghurt (slightly beaten)

Salt or Sugar to taste for the yoghurt

Few Coriander leaves for garnishing

Coconut Chutney:

A bunch of Coriander Leaves

4 Tblsp Scraped Coconut

1 green chilli

Small piece ginger

¼ tsp salt

Water

All above to be ground to make chutney

Tamarind & Dates Chutney:

1 Piece Jaggery (50 gms)

6 dry dates

25 gms Tamarind

2 red chillies

Juice of half Lemon

½ tsp Salt

Ground with little water to make chutney

Method:

Apply coconut chutney to bread slice to make 3 to 4 sandwich. Cut each sandwich into 4 parts. Place the sandwich in a flat serving dish leaving a gap between each sandwich part. Pour the beaten yoghurt on top of the sandwich and also between the sandwich pieces to form two levels. Sprinkle chaat Masala on top of the yoghurt, then one tablespoon of tamarind & dates chutney on top of the sandwich pieces. Now sprinkle the nylon sev all over the yoghurt and finally the coriander leaves.