Vangibath

Vangibath is one of the most popular Karnataka specials and our all time favorite, of course because it has Brinjals!! Vangi in marathi is brinjals and known the maharastrian influence on Karnataka, presumably the dish is named thus. We can have it daily and for every meal. What more can we say as vangibath speaks for itself.


Serves 2

Preparation time: 25-30 mins

Ingredients:

For Vangibath powder:

Bengal gram (senagabedalu/chana dal) 100gms
Black gram (minapappu/urad dal) 100 gms
Coriander seeds (dhaniyalu/dhania) 1tsp
Red chillies 2-4
Dried Capers (Marat moggu) 1
Star Anise (Anaasa poovu) 1
Cinnamon stick (dalchinchakka/dal chini) 1
Cloves (lavangam/laung) 2
Grated Dry coconut (turimina endukobbari) 2 tsp
Salt to taste

For the curry:

Long brinjal (purple/light purple/green) 2
Refined cooking oil 2 tsps
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Bengal gram 1 tsp
Black gram 1 sp
Red chillies 2
Curry leaves 4-5
Pinch of turmeric
Pinch of salt

For Vangibath:

Cooked white rice 1 cup/200 gms

Finely chopped coriander and freshly grated coconut to garnish.

Method:

For the powder, dry roast with a drop of cooking oil (optional) all the ingredients mentioned except dry coconut and salt. Now powder all the roasted ingredients including dry coconut and salt to taste. Vangibath powder is done.

Please note the more quantities can be also be made and stored in air tight containers and used as curry masala too. Vangibath powder is also available in the markets now a days.

Pressure cook or boil a cup of rice. Cut the brinjals into finger long pieces

Now in a kadai/pan (bandli/mookudu) add 2 tsps of refined cooking oil. Once hot, add a tsp of mustard seeds, and once they splutter add 2 red chillies, split chick peas, black gram and curry leaves.

Once the tempering is done, add a pinch of turmeric and sauté. Now add the brinjals and salt to taste and sauté for 2-3 mins. Now add ¼th cup of water and leave brinjals to cook and turn soft.

Once the brinjals are cooked and the water has evaporated, add 4-5 tsps of the vangibath powder (more if it is required to be spicier) and mix well. Leave for a min or two and switch the stove off. Since we have added dry coconut to the powder, please don’t leave on heat for a long time.

Now add the boiled white rice to the curry and mix well. Garnish with finely chopped coriander and grated fresh coconut. Vangibath is ready.

Any of the gravy curries or raithas including boondi or guava raitha goes well with vangibath. Vangibath can be had with plain curds or just as is too. It’s yummy anyway.

Milky Mango

We have seen quite a few recipes with raw mangoes and now with the ripe yellow mangoes that are already coloring the town yellow!! Whether it is the king of mangoes, Apoos or alphansos from Ratnagiri or the Bangenpalli, Himayat, Dasehri and Rasalu that throng the Hyderabad ke “Galli Fruit dukaans” (especially Mojamjahi market) or the Raspuris that fill Bengaluru, the sandalwood city with their striking aroma and the malgobas popular for their size, mangoes are mangoes. Gleaming yellow under the bright summer sunshine, just a look at them makes the tongue smack the lip sounding slurrrrrp!! Milky mango is one such slurpy recipe that can be made from any variety of mangoes, but only from ripe and yellow ones.

Preparation time: 5-10 mins

Serves 2

Ingredients:

Ripe and yellow Mangoes
Cold Milk (paalu) ½ a cup (2 ladles)
Cardamoms (elaichi) 2
Sugar to taste




Method:

We have not mentioned the number of mangoes as that depends on the variety of the mango used:
If it is Malgoba,bangenpalli or himayat variety, 1 mango will do and the mango should be peeled, sliced into cubes and kept aside.
If it is Apoo or dasehri variety, 2 mangoes will do and the mangoes should be peeled, sliced and kept aside.
If it is the rasalu or raspuri variety, 2 mangoes will do and the mango should be squeezed so that the all the juice is extracted.
Any other variety, please use accordingly.

Now into the juice jar of the mixie/juicer, add the chopped slices of the mangoes or the juice extracted from the mangoes. To this add exactly 2 ladles or half a cup of milk (If more milk is added, the dish becomes light and like a milkshake)

Add Cardamoms and sugar to taste. Sugar shall depend on how sweet the mango is and how much sweet is preferred.

Now grind the ingredients together till they make a thick liquid mixture. (For Rasalu and raspuri variety however, it doesn’t turn out very thick)

Fresh and fruity, Milky mango is ready. The best way to have milky mango is with hot pooris or peas pooris and any of the mango pickles (a few of them listed below). It can also be had as a dessert after a meal, making the meal itself feel fantastic or even just as an evening food for kids.

Biscuit Chat

Biscuits are the best compliment to an evening tea or coffee. Biscuit chat will just add spice to the evening tea. Simple and filling, it is another of those 5 mins recipes that we make.

Preparation time: 10 mins

Serves 2

Ingredients:

Salt biscuits 12
Cheese flakes 12
Mashed potato (aloo) ½ cup
Grated tomatoes ½ cup
Finely chopped onion (ullipaya) ½ cup
Chat masala 2 tsp
Pinch of Red chilli powder
Pinch of sugar
Pinch of Salt
Finely copped coriander
Lemon juice 2 tsps

Method:

Boil and mash the potato. Grate the tomatoes or chop them finely. Finely chop the onions too. Cut the cheese into small flakes, enough to fit onto the salt biscuits.(grated cheese can also be used)

Mix the mashed potato, grated tomato and finely chopped onion in a bowl. Add a pinch of salt and a pinch of red chilli powder and mix again. Also add 2tsps of chat masala and a pinch of sugar (optional if a sweet taste is preferred with the tea) and mix well.

Place the salt biscuits in the serving plate. Keep the cheese flakes( or a small ball of grated cheese) on them. Top it with the mashed potato mixture.

Garnish each biscuit with fresh and chopped coriander. Sprinkle lime juice on each biscuit before serving (optional, generally not advisable if the biscuit chat is made as a snack with coffee)

As suggested biscuit chat goes well with evening tea or coffee. Children will also love the different way of eating biscuits.

Didir uppinkai and Mamidikaya mukkala pachadi

Pickles are the “in” foods during the mango season and more so in Indian homes.We bring you two of the simplest mango pickles made in the Northern states of South India, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Before we go into the detailed procedures, the following are important for both the pickles:

• Please use dry and moisture free hands
• All the vessels/ladles/spoons used for making the pickles should be dry and moisture free.
• Please store the pickles in a dry and moisture free place.
• Please ensure that the mango is raw. Even a slightly ripened mango will spoil the pickles.(Doraga unde maamidikayalu)
• Before making the pickles the mangoes should be thoroughly washed and properly wiped and completely dried of any water.

Didir Uppinkai




Didir in Kannada means Instant and uppinkai is pickle. So didir uppinkai translates to instant mango pickle. As the name suggests, didir uppinkai can be quickly prepared and is quickly completed because of its awesome taste. Regularly made all over Karnataka, any and every kannadiga will relate to this pickle and so does our amma, who taught us this recipe.

Ingredients:

Medium sized Raw mango 1
Red chilli powder 2 ½ tsp
Salt 2 tsp
Refined cooking oil 2 tsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Pinch of Asafoetida

Method:

Chop the mango into smallest slices without peeling the mango.

Add 2 spoons salt and 2 and a half spoons red chilli powder to the chopped mango and mix well. Cover and leave for half an hour. This way the mango will absorb all the salt and red chilli powder. This process is also called as marinating.

After half an hour, heat 2 tsp oil in a kadai/pan. One the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter and switch the stove off. Leave the oil and mustard seeds for cooling for 5 mins. Once cooled, add a pinch of asafoetinda(hing) to the oil and mustard seeds and add the tempering to the marinated mangoes.

While adding the seasoning to the chopped mango, please open the lid add the tempering and close it immediately so that the aroma of asafoetida is not lost. After 2 mins, open the lid again and mix well so that the chopped mangoes absorb the tempering too.

Didir uppinkai is ready. Please store in a dry and moisture free place. Didir uppinkai is an instant pickle and is best when had fresh. However if stored in a dry and moisture free place and air tight container, it will come for 3-4 days.

Mukkala Pachadi




We learnt this from Pratyoosha’s mother in law and thank you to amma for this recipe. Tangy, spicy, salty and sour, mukkala pachadi is one of the innumerable pickles made at Andhra homes. Though not as popular as the Andhra hot favorite aavakaaya, mukkala pachadi is a simpler mango pickle that can be made easily in less quantity and stored for a few days. Mukkalu in telugu means slices and pachadi is chutney, thus the name translating to be sliced mango chutney or pickle.

Ingredients:

Medium sized raw mango 1
Red chilli powder 2 tsp
Salt 2 tsp
Roasted fenugreek powder 1 ½ tsp
Refined cooking oil 4 tsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Pinch of Asafoetida

Method:

Chop the mango into smallest slices without peeling the mango.

Add to the chopped mango with a tsp of oil, 2 tsp of red chilli powder and 2 tsp salt and mix well. Cover and marinate for half an hour.

Roast 2 tsps of fenugreek seeds (menthulu) and powder them.

After half an hour, add 1 and a half tsp of roasted fenugreek powder to the marinated mango and mix again. Keep aside.

Now in a kadai/pan heat 2 tsps of oil and add mustard seeds. Once they splutter switch the stove off and leave the oil to cool for 5 mins. Now add a pinch of asafoetida.
Add the above tempering to the mango and cover the lid immediately. After 2 mins remove the cover and mix well for the mangoes to absorb the tempering.

Mukkala pachadi is ready. Please store in a dry and moisture free place. Like Didir uppinkai, mukkala pachadi is also an instant pickle and is best when had fresh. However if stored in a dry and moisture free place and air tight container, it will come for 3-4 days

Saagu

Poori and saagu is a regular Sunday special at home. As the name suggests saagu is a gravy curry and the best thing is it can be made with any and almost all the veggies. It is more a mixed vegetable curry.

Ingredients:

Any vegetables in required proportions 2 cups
(Mostly used vegetables however are carrot, green peas (batani), cauliflower, cabbage, french beans, baby corn etc)
Finely chopped onion (ullipaya) 1
Finely chopped green chillies 2
Roasted gram (Puttani dal/bhuna chana/putnala pappu/ hurigadale) 2 tsps
Finely grated fresh coconut 2 tsps
Cinnamon (Dal chini/ dalchin chakka) 1-2
Cardamom (elaichi/yellakai) 1-2
Clove (Laung/lavangam) 1-2
Fresh and finely chopped coriander 2 tsp
Refined cooking oil 2 tsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

Make small cubes of the vegetables of choice or rather available. Please note that the other ingredients are given in proportion to 2 cups of vegetables.

Grind into a fine paste the following and keep aside:
2 tsps of Roasted gram, 2 tsps of finely grated coconut, 2 finely chopped green chilies, cinnamon, Cardamom, clove and a pinch of salt.

In a kadai/pan (bandli/mookudu) add 2 to 3 tsps of oil. Once hot, add mustard seeds and once they splutter add finely chopped coriander, onions and allow them to fry slightly. Add all the vegetables and sauté for 2 mins. Add salt to taste and one cup of water and leave the vegetables to boil.

Once the vegetables are cooked, add the roasted gram paste as ground above and water as required to make it a gravy curry. Mix well, leave for 5 mins and switch the stove off.

Garnish with coriander and serve with hot pooris or peas pooris. Saagu also supplements rice, flavored rice and any of the Indian bread.

Mamidikaaya pachadi/Mango chutney

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The mango season in Andhra is incomplete if the world famous mango pickle Avakaaya and mango chutney or maamidikaaya pachadi is not made. Savoured by young and old, mamidikaya pachadi is a must have during the mango season.

Ingredients:

Raw mangoes 2

Refined cooking oil 2 tsps

Red chillies 2

Curry leaves 3 - 4

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds 1 tsp

Red chilli powder 4 tsps

Pinch of asafoetida

Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and cut the raw mangoes into small cubes.

Roast and powder a spoon of fenugreek seeds and keep aside.

Grind the mangoes, fenugreek powdered, red chilli powder and salt to taste. Grind into a paste.

Take a kadai/pan and add oil. Once oil is hot add mustard seeds, red chillies, curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida. Season the chutney with this tempering.

It is optional to either roast, powder and use the fenugreek seeds while grinding or just add the fenugreek seeds to the tempering(after red chillies and before adding curry leaves) and use for seasoning. Either way, it suits the chutney.

Maamidikaya pachadi is done. Maamdikaya pachadi goes well with rice, any of the Indian breads and of course Dosas of all kinds.

Methi moong ki dal (Menthikura pesalu pappu)

Methi leaves are fenugreek leaves. It is an agreeable fact that greens are high on nutrient charts and dal from pulses like sabut moong or whole green gram as it is called in English will only add to the nutritious value of the food. Not just healthy but tasty too for sure.

Serves 2

Preparation time: 25-30mins



Ingredients

Fenugreek leaves (Methi/menthikura) 1 bunch
Whole green gram (sabut moong dal/pesalu) 1 cup (150 gms)
Pigeon peas (Toor dal/kandipappu) 2 tsps
Finely chopped onion 1
Finely chopped green chillies 2
Finely chopped ginger 1 tsp
Curry leaves 4-5
Refined cooking oil 4tsp
Mustard seeds (aavaalu) 1 tsp
Cumin seeds (jeera/jeelakarra) 1 tsp
Black gram (urad dal) 1 tsp
Pinch of turmeric
Pinch of garam masala
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and soak the whole green gram (pesalu) in water for 15 minutes.

Pressure cook the soaked green gram along with 2 tsps of pigeon peas (kandi pappu) for up to 7 whistles. Add a pinch of turmeric to the green gram while keeping it in the cooker.

Fenugreek leaves are generally sold in bunches in the market and one such bunch will do. Wash thoroughly and pluck out the fenugreek leaves.

Take a kadai/pan (bandli/mookudu), add 4 tsps of oil. Once oil is hot add the mustard seeds and once they splutter add cumin seeds, black gram and curry leaves.

Once tempering is done, add finely chopped green chillies and a tsp of finely chopped ginger and sauté. Add a pinch of turmeric.

Now add the finely chopped onion and sauté. Please ensure the onions are cooked but not brown. Now add the fenugreek leaves, salt to taste and sauté. Note that fenugreek leaves don’t leave out much water but make a seemingly dry mixture.

Add a 1/5 of a cup of water and leave the fenugreek leaves to cook for 2 minutes. Now add the cooked whole green gram and pigeon peas mix and a little more water if required and mix. Leave to cook for 5 minutes.

Add red chilli powder (optional for spice lovers) and a pinch of garam masala and mix. Leave to cook for another 2 minutes. Switch the stove off. Please cook on simmer.

Highly nutritious methi moong ki dal is ready. It can be had with any of the Indian bread, flavored rice or just plain white rice. It will surely seem a get away from the conventional pigeon peas dal often made at south Indian homes.

Mamidikaya gojju/Raw mango gojju

Summer is here and so has the season of mangoes begun. Yellow and ripe or green and raw, whichever way, mangoes taste awesome. Here comes our 1st recipe of the mango season, mamidikaya gojju or sweet mango curry. Gojju is a sweetened semi-gravy curry and mango gojju is a taste bud teaser.

Preparation time: 15-20 mins

Serves 2

Ingredients:

Medium sized raw mangoes (maamidikaya) 2
Jaggery(bellam) 250 gms
Refined cooking oil 2 tsps
Mustard seeds(aavalu) 1 tsp
Red chillies 2
Curry leaves 4-5
Black gram(uddipappu/urad dal) 1 tsp
Red chilli powder 4 tsp
Pinch of asafoetida(Hing/Inguva)
Pinch of turmeric(Haldi/pasupu)
Salt to taste

Method:

Peel and cut the mangoes into small cubes.We can use the normal raw mangoes or even the totapuri mangoes called chilakamooti maamidikaayalu in telugu for having an edge that looks like a parrot’s beak. These mangoes are found in abundance especially in Tirumala on the roadside where hawkers sell slices of the mangoes sprinkled with red chilli powder and salt. The mangoes are available now-a-days in local markets too. Using totapuri variety of raw mangoes gives a different taste to the maamidikaya gojju, however the normal raw mangoes have their own special taste.

In a kadai/pan(bandli/mookudu) add 2 tsps of oil. Once oil is hot add a tsp mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add red chillies, curry leaves,black gram and a pinch of asafoetida . Sauté once and add a pinch of turmeric.

Now add the mango cubes and mix well. Add salt to taste and a quarter of a cup of water and leave the mangoes to cook for around 5 minutes (please cook on simmer)

Once the mango cubes are cooked, it will seem a mashed juicy mango mix. Now add the jaggery and mix well. Add a little water if necessary so that the gojju is not burnt. Mix well and allow the jaggery to get dissolved.

Now add red chilli powder and mix. Leave for 2 mins and switch the stove off.

The gojju will now seem thick in consistency and is done. In Karnataka gojju is garnished with grated fresh coconut too.

Tangy, sweet and spicy mango gojju can be served with rice or any of the Indian breads.

Happy Sree Rama Navami

From Thyagaraja to Ramadasa and even Tulasidasa there are innumerable saint poets who have sung innumerable songs in praise of Lord Rama. Sabari is said to have tasted every fruit that she fed Rama and Lakshmana with. Today on Sree Rama Navami, we bring to you the taste of Ramanavami special food. Sree Rama Navami is a major festival in North India. In Andhra, the annual Sree sitarama kalyanam that is performed at Bhadrachalam is viewed on television all over the state and is a ritual in today’s Andhra households. The typical festivities include a compulsory menu of Vadapappu (Kosambri in Kannada), Panakam (Panaka in Kannada), Majjiga (Majjige in Kannada) and Rasayanam (Fruit Salad). Bangaloreans will be more familiar with Karaga, which happens on the chitra poornima day, around a week after Sri Rama Navami. As the procession hits the streets we find a lot of aravatige (stalls) distributing Kosambari, Panaka, Majjige and Rasayna to the devotees.

Kosambri/Vadapappu (Green gram salad)

Serves 2

Ingredients

Green gram (Moong Dal /Pesara pappu) 1 cup (200 g)
Grated Carrot ¼ cup
Grated Mango ¼ cup
Grated cucumber ¼ cup
Grated fresh coconut ¼ cup
Finely chopped coriander ¼ cup
Ghee 1tsp
Red Chilly 1
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Finely chopped green chillies 1
Pomogrenate seeds ¼ cup (optional)
Pinch of asafoetida
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash thoroughly and soak the Moong Dal for 2 hrs. Drain the water out completely.

Keep a kadai/pan on the stove and add a tsp ghee. Once hot add the mustard seeds and once they splutter add the red chilli, curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida (hing).

To the moong dal add the grated carrot, cucumber, grated raw mango (mamidi kaayi/maavinkaay), finely chopped green chilly and mix well. Pomegranate seeds can also be added as per taste. Add salt to taste and mix.

Now season with the above tempering and garnish with finely chopped coriander and grated fresh coconut.

Kosambri is ready to serve. Please note that all the ingredients should be added to the moong dal just before serving. That means the dish should be had as and when it is prepared because the moong dal starts smelling after a while.

Kosambri is highly rich in proteins and a very nutritious, tasty, simple and healthy recipe.



Paanakam/Paanaka (Lime juice)


Ingredients:

Jaggery 250 gms
Cardomom (Elaichi) 2
Lemons (Nimmakaayi) 1
Water 1 cup

Method:

Soak the jaggery in water and let it dissolve completely. Add the cardamom.

Once the jaggery has completely dissolved in water, squeeze juice from the lemon and add it to the jaggery water and mix well.

Now add a few ice cubes (optional) and serve.

Panakam is a soothing coolant on hot summer evenings.



Majjiga/majjige (Buttermilk)

Ingredients:

Beaten Curds 1 cup
Cumin powder (jeera powder) 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Curry leaves
Finely chopped Coriander

Method:
Beat the curds well so that it is very thin. Add water and beat the curds to make it thinner as possible. Please ensure there are no lumps.

Add cumin powder and salt to taste and beat again. Now add the curry leaves, freshly chopped coriander and serve. Majjiga can be stored in the refrigerator for 10 to 12 hrs.

Curds are the best coolant available and it is always advisable to have a cup of majjiga after lunch on hot summer afternoons.



Rasaayanam (Fruit salad)

Ingredients:

Ripe bananas
Apples
Musk melons
Grapes
Pomegranates
Chickoos
Oranges
Finely grated coconut
Honey
Cardamom powder (Elaichi powder)
Sugar

Method

Cut into slices all the fruits mentioned above and any other fruits that you please.

Add a sugar and cardamom powder and mix.

Add honey and freshly grated coconut and serve. Children can be specially treated to a little fresh cream added to the salad.

This fruit salad is sweet, healthy and fresh. A treat for children and a relief for moms from the worry of the exact nutritious intake.

Please note that we have not mentioned the required quantities as they depend on respective preferences.






Ramaaya Rama Bhadraaya Rama Chandraya Vedase Raghunadhaya Nadhaya Seethaya Pathaye Namaha