Kannadiga Recipes : Bassaru With Sabasige Soppu Palya

Dill leaves are called as "Sabbasige Soppu" in kannada. Bassaru and Palya is a combo,  an Authentic Karnataka dish usually made with a variety of lentils. Bassaru or Basida Saaru means rasam made of the water which is used to cook the lentils in kannada. Traditionally this was made more with horse gram (huruli kaalu) but here I have used Green Moong Dal with Dill Leaves, as the combination of both tastes great. The dish sounds a tedious recipe but easy when you get the hang of preparing it and the taste makes it worth the job done.

So the below listed ingredients are for both. 

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

  Ingredients:

• 1 bunch Sabbasige Soppu(Dill Leaves)
• 1 cup Green Moong Dal
• 7 to 8 Garlic pods chopped
• 2 medium Onion chopped roughly
• 2 tea spoon Sambar powder
• 2 table spoon grated Coconut
• Pinch of Turmeric powder
• 2 tea spoon Mustard seeds
• 2 tea spoon Urad dal
• 3–4 Green chillies
• 2 table spoon Chilli powder
• Salt for taste

 Method:  Dry Palya

• Soak Green Moong Dal for atleast 4 hours.

• Pressure cook Green Moong Dal and Dill Leaves with little turmeric and more water for 3 whistle.
• When dal is cooked drain the water and keep it aside.
• Keep 3 table spoon cooked dal for the Bassaru.
• Cut the onions and tomatoes roughly and keep aside. 

• Heat oil in a kadai, saute urad dal and mustard seeds.
• When it crackles add green chillies and onion.
• When onion starts turning brown in color, add cooked dil leaves and Moong Dal mix.

• Saute for 2 minutes on a medium flame.
• Add 1 table spoon grated coconut and saute for 1 more minute.

• Add salt for taste and simmer for 5 mins.

   Method:  Bassaru

• Heat oil in a kadai,  saute garlic, jeera and onion one after the other.
• Blend together 3 table spoon of cooked dal, 1 table spoon grated coconut and the rest of the mix got from 1st step.

• Add water to make smooth paste.
• Heat oil in a kadai. Saute mustard, curry leaves in oil.
• Add the collected dal cooked water(veggie stock or broth), cook for 5 minutes.

• Add ground masala paste and sambar powder, chilli powder .
• When it starts boiling add tomatoes.

• Add salt according to taste. 
• Add finely chopped coriander leaves and switch off the flame.

PS:  This dish goes well with raagi mudde (ragi balls) and rice.

Restaurent-Style Punjabi Paneer Butter Masala Recipe | Paneer Makhani Recipe | Paneer Makhni Receipe

 Paneer Butter Masala is one of  a popular Indian dish. A delicious Punjabi recipe made with, paneer, cooked in spicy rich tomato gravy. Here is a restaurant style mouth watering recipe where I have used home made Paneer, home made fresh cream, all the home made purees and pastes.

Preparation Time: 60 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 3 big tomatoes - pureed
• 250 g paneer – cubed or paneer made with ½ ltr milk
• 2 big onions
• 1 table spoon ginger-garlic paste
• 1 table spoon red chilli powder
• 3 table spoon cashew nut paste
• 1 table spoon tomato ketchup
• ½  table spoon turmeric powder
• ½  table spoon kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
• 2 table spoon garam masala powder
• salt and lemon juice - to taste
• 3 table spoon butter
• 3 table spoon fresh cream
• ½ a cup milk
• fresh coriander - chopped for garnish

Method:

• Take 1 table spoon of ghee, heat in a pan for 2 mins, the saute the paneer cubes in it till golden brown; Now take 1 cup hot water, add a pinch of salt and turmeric powder to it and immerse the paneer cubes in it for 10-12 mins. Then remove the pieces, drain them on a tissue paper and keep aside.

• Skin two onions and blanch them(boil in hot water for 3 mins, then transfer to cold water) then puree them to form a paste.
• Do the same with tomatoes, unless you are using tomato puree directly.
• Prepare a paste of cashew soaked in water for 2 hours.

• Heat 2 table spoon of butter in a pan,  and 1 big chopped onion. Fry until golden brown. 
• Add ginger-garlic paste. Fry for a minute.
• Add  prepared onion paste, saute for 3 minutes, till light-brown.. Add chilli powder followed by the cashew paste and fry for 5 mins.

• Add tomato puree, tomato ketchup, crushed kasuri methi, turmeric powder, garam masala and salt. Stir and let it simmer for some time.
•  Add a small cup of milk and let it cook on medium heat till you get the desired curry consistency. 

• Add the paneer cubes and simmer for 4-5 minutes.Remove from fire, stir in remaining butter and fresh cream.

• Garnish with coriander leaves. 

• Serve the Paneer Butter Masala with any bread of your choice, roti , pulao or simply jeera rice.

Stuffed Brinjal | Bharwan Baingan | Stuffed Eggplant | Konkani Style Bharyl Vayngan

Brinjal is a very tasty vegetable, which enhances the flavor and nutrition value of any dish when added.  Stuffed Brinjal is a delicious Maharashtrian recipe, made by slicing Brinjal lengthwise and filling it with an awesome blend of Indian spices.

Preparation Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 8 small Egg plant or Brinjal
• 2 large sliced Onion
• ½ a cup grated coconut 
• 1’’ ginger
• 6 clove of garlic
• 6 cloves
• 4 or 5 green cardamom pods
• 1" piece of cinnamon
• 5-6 Red chillies
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 3 tblsp chopped finely coriander Leaves
• 5 table spoon  Oil 
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Wash and split the Brinjal into four parts, while keeping them together at the stalk as shown in picture. Put them aside.

• Heat oil on medium heat in non stick pan.
• When it is hot, add the spices (cardamom, cloves, cinnamon), sauté them first.

• Now add half of the sliced onions and fry until brown.
• Add coconut and red chillies, stir fry until browned, remove and allow to cool.

• In a separate pan, put 1 table spoon of oil, put garlic, ginger and coriander leaves and sauté for 2 minutes.

• Grind all the above mixture, along with turmeric powder, salt to taste, to a paste using mixer.
• Add little water if needed.
• Stuff the Brinjal with this mixture, reserving some.

• Heat the remaining oil in a pan and add remaining onions and fry till brown.
• Keep the stuffed Brinjal on the pan one by one as shown in picture.

• Cook over low heat without burning, add the remaining mixer and little water if necessary, until done.

• Keep an eye. Serve hot with roti and curds.

PS:  Don’t put tamarind as the recipe tastes great with sour curds.

Konkani Randap: Sweet Dosa | Gandarli | Surnali | Goda Polo

Surnali is a traditional breakfast dish among konkanis. It is a Konkani version of Pancake. Jaggery is called ‘GoD’ in Konkani. The dosa is called as ‘Gandarli’ in North Kanara Konkani and ‘Surnali’ in South Kanara Konkani. This is usually prepared with managalore Cucumber (magge in Konkani). Even the normal green cucumber can be used instead of Mangalore Cucumber. This sweetish and tangy dosa tastes yummy when served with delicious ghee.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes for one dosa. Soaking rice overnight.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Dosa Rice
• 1 cup Cucumber(magge/taushe)
• 1/2 cup grated Coconut
• 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
• 1/4 cup Avalakki (Poha/phovu)
• 3/4 cup Jaggery
• Salt for taste

Method:

• Cut cucumber(magge/taushe) in small cubes.

• Mix cucumber, fenugreek seeds and rice nicely and keep it aside for 1-2 hrs. Don’t use water to soak.
• Grind together coconut, cucumber and rice.

• Soak poha for 5 minutes, squeeze out the water and add to the mix.
• Continue grinding to a smooth paste.  Keep the batter as thick as possible.
• When the batter is smooth, add powdered jaggery  and continue to grind until it is well blended.
• Keep it overnight.

• Add salt. Beat and mix well. 
• Make dosas (like uttappa, this dosa is thicker than normal dosa).
• Cover the pancake and cook on low flame till the upper side gets holes and no signs of any raw batter on the top. The lower side of the Surnali should be light golden brown, take care not to blacken it.
• Serve hot with Ghee.

PS:  Don’t use water for soaking. Cucumber when mixed with rice, leaves water which is more than sufficient for the rice to get soaked. Take care not to make it salty, as the jaggery has a little salt in it. 

Indian Sweets : Quick And Easy To Prepare Shrikhand Recipe

Shrikhand is a classic delicacy of Western India, to be had along with puris or as it is.  It is a dessert from Gujarat, prepared on the occasions and festivals like Diwali and Janmashtami.  It is also a very popular sweet dish in Maharastra and equally popular in all over western India.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes (Excluding the time to prepare hung yogurt)

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of ready made yogurt or yogurt made from 1 liters of milk
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 2 spoon sour cream
• Few strands of saffron soaked in about 1 tablespoon warm milk
• About ¼ teaspoon crushed cardamom
• 1 tablespoon sliced almonds
• 1 tablespoon sliced pistachios

Method:

• Take a clean muslin cloth and take the yogurt in it.
• Tie a knot and hang it so that all the water drains out from the yogurt.

• Leave it like this overnight (or for around 10 hours)
• Yogurt will become thick in consistency and is called hung yogurt.
• Put yogurt into a bowl, add sour cream, sugar and mix it well.

• Add crushed cardamom for aroma.
• Add the saffron milk for saffron color, yellowish orange.
• Beat well till sugar dissolves.

• Now add almonds and pistachios.
• Chill for 2 hours before serving.

Quick And Easy Avocado Recipe : Avocado Juice | Avocado Milkshake | Avocado Dessert | Butterfruit Dessert

Avocado is one among the very tasty fruits. Nowadays, this fruit is available in almost all parts of the world. There are many Health Benefits of Avocado. It is also know as Butter Fruit. Here is a very yummy dessert recipe which kids would love to eat.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe Avocados
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 cups of milk
• ½ tablespoon cardamom/elaichi seeds

Method:

• Wash the Avocado and scoop out the flesh neatly with a spoon into a mixing bowl.
• Cut the flesh into small cubes.

• With the back of a spoon slowly mash the flesh into a uniform mixture.
• Combine the rest of the ingredients and blend it

• Refrigerate for an hour. And serve chill.

PS: You could even grind all the same contents in a mixer grinder and have it as a milk shake. The recipe remains the same

Quick Rice Dishes : Pudina Pulav Recipe | Pudina Rice | Mint Pulao

Pudina is a powerful antioxidant and it helps in the digestion of food. The aroma and taste of pudina is simply marvelous and always makes us feel fresh and active. The strong aroma of Pudina helps in prevention of Asthma and cough as well. Apart from this there are a whole lot of nutritional and medicinal benefits of Pudina leaves that makes us want to add this herb to our cooking so that our family benefits from it. Some of the foods often made with Pudina leaves are Pudina Chutney and Pudina Rice. Here is a Pudina Rice recipe.

Preparation Time: About 45 minutes, including cooking time

Servings: 2 to 3

Ingredients:

• 2 cups long grained  rice
• 2 cups fresh mint / Pudina leaves, lightly chopped
• ½ a cup coriander leaves, lightly chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped fine
• 2 to 3 green chillies
• ¼ cup grated coconut (optional, fresh works best, frozen will do too)
• A small piece of ginger, lighty chopped
• 4 cloves
• 1 or 2 green cardamom pods
• 1" piece of cinnamon
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 12 roasted cashews for garnishing (optional)
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Clean, wash and soak the rice for 30 mins.
• Heat ghee on medium heat in non stick pan.

• When it is hot, add the spices (cardamom, cloves, cinnamon), saute them first.
• Add green chillies, then lightly chopped Pudina leaves ,coriander leaves and  ginger.
• Add grated coconut and fry for 2 minutes.
• Make a coarse paste of all the above contents using mixer.

• Heat ghee on medium heat in non stick pan, Add onions, saute until onions start to brown.
• Add the pureed Pudina-green chilli-coconut paste. Fry until the Pudina paste changes color from bright green to light-green.

• Add the washed rice and saute for a minute. Add 4 cups water and bring to a boil.

• Reduce heat and cover with lid and cook till the rice is done.
• Serve hot with raita or any curry of your choice.