Nan Khatai

Probably nan khatai are the first cookies I ever baked in my kitchen and so, they are special to me. Over the years I have tried various versions, liking them all even without realizing they had Parsi connection. This time around I tried this semolina-almond version which yield crispy, crumbly delicious nan khatai that are quite addictive. For the uninitiated, nan khatai are shortbread biscuits that have been popular in the Indian sub continent for centuries. They are believed to be originated in Surat, a city in western India during 16th century. The word nan khatai is said to have derived from a Persian word 'naan' meaning bread and an Afghani word 'khatai' meaning biscuit.
 
According to the ebook Eat, Pray and Live, some of the Parsi cooks who worked for the Dutch in Surat had learnt to bake soft bread by fermenting the dough with toddy, which is supposedly the beginning of the legacy of Parsi bakeries in Surat. Parsis were inspired by the eggless Scottish shortbread, to create nan khatai, one of Surat's famous confections.The Surat bakers realized that the recipe was suitable for Gujarati vegetarians who did not eat eggs and adapted to suit the local populace by adding nuts and cardamom. Here is another interesting read about how nan khatai came to existence.

Ingredients: (Yield 18 - 20 cookies)
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup semolina (I replaced half of it with ground almonds.)
2 tbsp. ground almonds (Optional)
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
A pinch of baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tbsp. slivered almonds for garnish

Method:
* Sift together flour, semolina, cardamom and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Add ground almonds to the same bowl if using and mix to combine,
* Cream butter and sugar in another bowl until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture in small increments and blend until a dough is formed. If for any reason, the dough turns out hard / dry, moisten it with little milk. (I didn't need any milk.)
* Preheat the oven to 350 deg F / 180 deg C. Grease or line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
* Divide the cookie dough into 18 - 20 portions and roll each portion into a smooth ball. Flatten them slightly with the palm of your hand and decorate with almond slivers. Gently press the almond pieces so that they stick to the cookie.
* Arrange them on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them an inch apart since they expand while baking.
* Place them in the preheated oven and bake for about 15 - 20 minutes or until they turn light golden in color. (I baked them for about 20 minutes, turned off the oven and left them in the oven for another 6 minutes or so.)
* Let them cool on a wire rack and store them in an airtight container.


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A - Z Karnataka Recipe Series ~ S for Sajjige Rotti

So far in my 'A - Z' Karnataka Recipe Series,
Akki Halbai
Biscuit Roti
Congress Kadalekayi
Davanagere Benne Dose
Ellu Pajji
Field Beans / Avarekalu Payasa
Girmit
Hitakida Avarekalu Huli
Iyengar Bakery Style Masala Toast
Jolada Vade
Kumbalakayi Idli
Limbe Hannina Gojju
Mysore Pak
Nuchinunde
Oodhalina Bisibele Bhath

Panchakajjaya
Quinoa Oralu Chitranna
Rave Vangi Bhath

Welcome back on this culinary journey across the state of Karnataka. My first choice for today's letter was sakkare achchu, the sugar figurines which are associated with the harvest festival in the region, Sankranthi. I was planning to visit India this summer and this achchu making was on the cards for the marathon. Achu making requires expertise and patience and I was planning to reacquaint with the process along with my mother who has stopped making them in the recent years. Unfortunately, the trip and the achchu did not happen for the obvious reasons. Going by the chaos happening around right now, this should be of least concern, I know.😟

I chose to go with something made with sajjige aka semolina and so here are some sajjige rotti if one is looking for some filling, tasty and healthy breakfast ideas. A rotti conjures up an image of thick and sometimes crisp flat breads which are a very popular breakfast choice in Karnataka. They can be made with rice flour and finger millet aka ragi flour which are the most common ones served for breakfast. Then there is jola/sorghum based flour ones which are a routine lunch item in North Karnataka homes. 

Today's semolina rotti aka rave or sajjige rotti is slightly different than those and can can be made in two ways. One is where a firm dough is prepared like the akki masaale rotti or the ragi ones and patted on the griddle and toasted. Or a thick batter is prepared with a similar consistency to idli batter and are prepared as thick dosas. However they do not have any resemblance to another popular version of  semolina pancakes in south India called the rava dosa either in texture or taste. They take a little longer to cook than the regular dosas and make an instant, no ferment dosas though the semolina needs to be soaked in yogurt for a short time. I make dosas sometimes adding turmeric as well and so there are both yellow and brown colored rottis pictured here.

Some other 'S' Dishes of the region:
* Sabbakki payasa - Tapioca pearl kheer
* Sajjappa - A festive dish with a sweet filling of coconut and semolina.
* Shaavige payasa - Vermicelli kheer
* Sukkinunde - Stuffed and fried sweet dumplings
* Shenga holige - Peanut poli
* Saasive - A raita prepared with a paste of coconut and mustard seeds with a tempering of spices. 
* Shenga hindi - North Karnataka style peanut powder
* Saaru - Rasam
* Saarina pudi - Rasam powder
* 'Sandige' aka sun-dried vadi 
* Sandige huli - A gravy made with steamed lentil dumplings
* The 'Set dose' which is served as a stack of three thick, spongy dosas served with vegetable saagu and coconut chutney. 
* Shaavige bhath / uppittu - Vermicelli upma
* The savory and sweet versions of 'Surnoli', dose / pancake from the Konkan region. 
* Southekayi rotti - Flat breads made with rice flour and cucumber
* Susla / Sushila - A puffed rice based snack from North Karnataka.
* Dishes made with the following vegetables would also fall under 'S' category. 

'S' kitchen ingredients / produce in Kannada:
* Sabsige soppu  aka dill leaves which is a commonly used greens in the region. 
* Soppu in general means greens. 
* Seeme badanekayi - chayote / chow chow
* Southekayi - cucumber. 
* Sorekayi - bottle gourd 
* Shunti - ginger
* Suvarna gadde - elephant yam / suran
* Sapota hannu - chikoo fruit
* Sebu or sebina hannu - apple
* Seebe hannu - guava
* Seethaphala - custard apple
* Saame - little millet
* Sakkare - sugar
* Sabbakki - sago, tapioca pearls
* Sajje - pearl millet / bajra
* Sasive / Sasive kaalu - mustard seeds
* Sihi - sweet
* Siri dhanya - millets
* Shavige - vermicelli

Ingredients: (Yield 8 dosas)
1 cup semolina
3/4 cup yogurt
3/4 cup water
Salt to taste
1 tsp. cumin seeds
2 pinches of asafoetida powder
2 pinches of turmeric powder (optional)
2 sprigs of curry leaves, finely chopped
A handful cilantro leaves, finely chopped
2 green chilies, finely chopped
1 tsp. ginger finely chopped
A handful of fresh / frozen grated coconut
Ghee / oil to make dosas

Directions:
* Combine semolina and salt in a bowl. Add yogurt and water to it and mix well. Leave it aside for at least 15 to 30 minutes.
* If using frozen coconut, thaw it in the microwave before adding it to the batter.

 * Add the remaining ingredients except the ghee / oil to semolina bowl and mix well.

* Heat a tawa / shallow pan on medium pan. Sprinkle a little water on the pan to check whether the pan is ready to make rotti. It is ready if the water sizzles and evaporates immediately. If not, heat the pan some more but don't bring it to a smoking point. 
* Pour a ladleful of batter at the center. Spread it as thin as possible. The traditional way is to spread the batter thickly using fingertips.  A ladle can be used instead to be on a safer side though these can not be spread as thinly as the regular dosa.

* Pour a 1/2 tsp. oil / ghee around the edges and cook until the batter appears dry on the surface, around 2 minutes and flip. Cook the other side as well for about a minute and remove the dosa with a spatula.
* Repeat the rotti making with the remaining batter and serve warm with a chutney.

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Peanut - Carrot Raita

 I had made this peanut - carrot raita recently to go along with jowar vade. This is a simple and quick raita made with chilled yogurt, peanuts and carrots. Carrot and the crunchy peanuts are a perfect foil to the creamy yogurt here. Go with full fat yogurt that has been chilled in advance. Some grated cucumber can be added as well if preferred. It is a perfect coolant during the hot weather and also fit my theme of the week 'protein rich dishes'. This raita is a creamy and lightly spiced side dish that goes well with stuffed parathas or a spicy rice dish. I sometimes prefer to eat this as it is since it makes a very refreshing and protein rich snack and tastes delicious. 

Ingredients:
1 cup yogurt
2 to 3 tbsp. roasted and skinned peanuts
1/4 cup grated carrot
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp. ground sugar
A generous pinch of cumin powder
Ground pepper to taste

Directions:
* Coarsely crush the peanuts. 
* Whisk the chilled yogurt, salt, sugar, cumin powder and pepper powder in a bowl to combine.
* Add the crushed peanuts and grated carrot to the yogurt. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
* Serve with a spicy main dish or spicy flat breads.

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Keskul / Turkish Almond Pudding

I came across this one while exploring traditional pudding versions prepared around the globe. Sutlac, muhallebi and keskul are dairy based puddings from Turkey. My version today is a quick and easy rice - almond flour based pudding called keskul and is prepared along the lines of a phirni. This version is the easiest one I came across and some versions even had eggs. This is a delicious, creamy dessert with bites of coconut and nuts that provides an interesting crunch to it. I added more ground almonds than recommended and prepared it with a thicker consistency. More milk can be added if one prefers to keep it thinner.

The original recipe had an interesting anecdote, connecting 'keskul' to Ottoman empire. A keskul is a bowl prepared with a coconut shell. Sultan's people would go around disguised as beggars, collecting money in keskul bowls. The money collected would give them an indication of the people's status. And the money then used to get distributed among the poor. 

Ingredients: (Yield - 2 small servings)
1.5 cup milk
2 tbsp. rice flour
1.5 tbsp. almond flour (I used about 3 tbsp. ground almonds)
2 tbsp. coconut flakes
Sugar to taste 

Directions:
* Whisk about 1/2 cup milk with rice flour until there are no lumps or pass the mixture through a fine sieve.
* Add this mixture, remaining milk, almond flour, coconut and sugar in a thick bottomed pot or a non stick one. Cook on low medium flame until the mixture thickens, continuously stirring. I blindly cooked the mixture for about 15 minutes in a non stick pot, stirring the mixture intermittently. Leave a ladle inside the pot to avoid the mixture from boiling over while cooking.
* Chill the pudding and distribute between bowls. Garnish with chopped almonds / pisatchios / raisins before serving.

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Gulkand - Cream Cheese Spread

I chose to go with some 'spread ' recipes for this week's blogging marathon and was looking for some traditional recipes that are doable at home with minimum fuss. I had 2 packs of cream cheese lying in the refrigerator and so initially thought of preparing a savory spread to go with bagels. My daughter suggested to go the opposite way and requested to add some date puree to make it sweeter. My daughter is not a fan of 'sweet' stuff in general and so I knew that even if I obliged her request, I would end up eating all of it. I was lazy even to puree the dates as I was making it for myself 😉 and was looking for another alternative to sweeten the cheese spread until I found a bottle of unused gulkand lying in my refrigerator.

This 'no cook' spread has only two ingredients - cream cheese and gulkand and doesn't even require a recipe. For the uninitiated, gulkand is a preserve made with a special pink colored rose petals. I used low fat cream cheese and gulkand, that I had brought from a store in Coorg from India, who support local women in promoting their homemade products. Use the ingredients in equal parts and whisk them with a fork or puree them if you are patient enough and use it as a spread. I did not even whisk them properly and so you can see bits of cheese in my spread. It tastes good even if it looks somewhat rustic, if you like the rose flavor that is.



This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon #102 under 'Spreads' theme. Check what other marathoners are cooking, clicking at the link.

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Caakiri ~ African Pudding

Caakiri is a pudding from Western Africa prepared using a grain and a local version of fermented milk. The word 'caakiri' refers to the grain from which the dish is made and as well as the finished pudding. It also goes by other regional names of chakery, chakrey, thiacry, and tiakri. The preparation is similar to a rice pudding though it do not contain eggs. This can be eaten both as a snack or a dessert, though it is on the sweeter side. 

It was traditionally made using local African grains such as fonio which happens to be a super grain like quinoa, millet, maize or even black eyed peas. The modern version uses couscous though I used millet here. If using couscous, cook according to package directions. It is speculated that the modern version sweetened caakiri might have it's origins in a similar unsweetened dish that once might have been served as a main course. It might have evolved into the modern version with the passage of time and the easy, increased available ingredients like sugar. The dairy combination used here is a substitute for the African version fermented milk used to prepare the caakiri. I got the info and recipe of caakiri from the congocookbook. I have tried few recipes from this site before and the site offers a wide variety of everyday African recipes that are traditional and rustic. 

Ingredients:
1 cup of millet
A pinch of salt (optional)
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 cup plain / flavored yogurt (I used Greek yogurt.)
1/2 cup sour cream
3 - 4 tbsp. sugar (adjust the quantity as needed.)
Any preferred flavoring (like vanilla, nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon or any others.)
Optional garnishes - Raisins / Crushed pineapple / Mint

Method:
* Wash millet in two exchanges of water and drain. Pressure cook millet adding 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt for 3 whistles. If not using pressure cooker, add millet, salt and 3 cups of water to a sauce pan. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Cover and cook until all the water evaporates, about 17 to 20 minutes. Let cool a little and fluff with a fork. 
* Combine evaporated milk, yogurt, sour cream together in a bowl. Next add millet and mix well. Add sugar according to taste and mix well. Add flavoring of your choice.
* Scoop caakiri into serving bowls and garnish with raisins / crushed pineapple / mint. 

This goes to Blogging Marathon under 'Recipes from Southern Hemisphere' Theme.


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Saggubiyyam - Kobbari Payasam / Sago and Coconut Kheer

A sweet pudding made with sago, jaggery and coconut

Growing up, the standard payasams cooked at home were either rice based paramannam or sago based one until the ready made vermicelli started selling in the market. To be honest, I did not use to appreciate the sago payasam as I do now. Sago kheer started to a become a regular feature somehow when I had my own home and hearth, and acquired the status of being a favorite payasam. 

I decided to switch to jaggery this time and also threw some coconut at the last moment. The resulting payasam was tasting so good that I have decided to stick to this new version in the future. The final payasam is creamy and delicious and has no resemblance to the stand version in any manner. Give this a try if you are looking for a payasam recipe and I assure that you would not get disappointed. 

Ingredients: (Yield 2 servings)
1/4 cup sago / saggubiyyam
1/4 cup shredded fresh coconut
1 cup milk
1/2 powdered jaggery
2 cardamom pods
1 tsp. ghee
1 tbsp. cashew nuts


Method:
* Rinse and soak sago for about 10 minutes in water. Drain and wash away the starch powder. I do it to get rid of some of the starch but this step is however optional.
* Choose preferably a non stick pot or a non stick sauce pan to cook kheer. Add drained sago and a cup of water and cook on low flame, stirring occasionally. Cook until all the sago pearls become transparent. 
(Starch keeps building up while cooking the sago and tends to stick to the bottom of the pan if not stirred intermittently. If one finds cooking sago tricky because of the starch buildup, follow this step. When the water used to cook sago becomes starchy, add another cup of cold water. Sago pearls go to the bottom of the pan and then throw away all the (starchy) water from the pan. Add a fresh cup of water to the sago and continue to cook. This step can be repeated one more time while cooking sago.)
* Crush the cardamom pods using a mortar and pestle. Grind the cardamom seeds fine. 
* Throw away all the water in the pan when the sago pearls become transparent. Add fresh coconut, jaggery, milk and cardamom to the pan. Cook on low flame until the jaggery melts and milk starts to boil. Turn off the stove.
(I usually add milk and jaggery together and it has never curdled. Touch wood. In case, if you feel milk is going to curdle because of the addition of jaggery, milk may be separately boiled in another pan, cooled and added finally.)
* Heat ghee in a small pan and add cashews. Toast them until they turn golden brown. Add them to the kheer along with the ghee and give a quick stir.
* The kheer can be served warm or chilled.


This goes to Blogging marathon # 89, under the 'Indian Sweets - Payasams' theme. Check out the page here to read what other marathoners are cooking.

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Paal Payasam ~ South Indian Milk Pudding

The past month for us marked two birthdays, visits from extended family members and a bout of illness that affected every one at home. After that unplanned month break, I am back in business with a traditional sweet dish from the southern parts of India. Payasam, the south Indian term and kheer, the north Indian name basically refer to the same dish - an eggless sweetened milk pudding cooked on stove top adding either a grain or lentil or vegetable and so on. Milk is the star ingredient in today's payasam where only a tiny quantity of rice is added, similar to the case of a kheer preparation. Usually milk and water are cooked until the quantity is reduced to half here, allowing a slow caramelization that lends the payasam a light cream colored hue. 

To be honest, I have never seen my mother or grand mothers preparing this since this seems to be a typical preparation from Tamil nadu and Kerala. Our go to dish when it comes to traditional payasams in Andhra happens to be paramannam. I am not sure how many modern kitchens still prepare it but it also happens to be a rice based payasam. 
I just went through recipes from online when I tried it for the first time, that were basically the same. One either cooks in a pot that happens to be the traditional aka tedious process or use a pressure cooker which cuts down the cooking time considerably. The short cut method however doesn't compromise in the taste department and so I usually go with it.
Ingredients:
4 cups milk / 1 litre milk
1 tsp. ghee
2 to 3 Tbsp. rice
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. sugar (or according to taste)
2 cardamom pods
1 tbsp. cashews 


Method:
* Heat the ghee in a small saute pan and fry the cashews if using, to golden brown. Transfer the cashews onto a plate with a slotted spoon. 
* Add rice to the same ghee and fry rice for a couple of minutes on a slow flame. Next pulse the rice a couple of times just to break the grains. There is no need to coarsely grind the rice. 
* Grease inside bottom of the cooker with little ghee and add the broken rice grains and milk to it. Drop a small spoon into the milk to prevent the milk from spilling over while pressure cooked. 
(I usually drop a spoon even when I am boiling the milk in a pot or leave a ladle in the pan to avoid the milk from boiling over.)
* Cook the milk on lowest setting of heat for one whistle. When the pressure subsides, remove the lid and continue to cook on low flame until the milk turns thick and creamy or until the milk coats the back of the ladle.
* Next add the sugar and ground cardamom seeds and continue to cook until the sugar dissolves. Turn off the stove and add the toasted cashews. 
* Serve warm or cold.

This goes to Blogging marathon # 89, under the 'Indian Sweets - Payasams' theme. Check out the page here to read what other marathoners are cooking.

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Chokladbollar - No Bake Swedish Chocolate Balls

These yummy coconut coated oat - chocolate balls are from Sweden and are quite kid friendly. They are very easy to prepare and can be made in no time. The liquid traditionally used to bind these balls is coffee though any other mentioned in the list below can be used if serving kids.

Ingredients: (Yield 6 balls)
2.5 to 3 tbsp. butter, softened but not melted
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1.5 tbsp. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 tbsp. liquid (It can be coffee, water, cream, milk, chocolate, orange juice or any other liquid of your choice.)
Shredded coconut

 Method:
* Add all ingredients except coconut to a bowl and mix until well combined.
* Divide the mixture into 6 or 7 portions and roll each into a ball and keep them aside.
* Now roll the balls in shredded coconut and refrigerate them until firm. Or freeze them if in a hurry.


This goes to Blogging marathon #86, under the theme 'All that come round are laddus?'. Check out the page to read what other marathoners are cooking.

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Apple - Badam Mix Drink

I was on a blogging break, for those who have been wondering to which hole I disappeared into for the past few months. A break that spanned over two seasons without intentionally meaning to. A break when I didn't glance at my blog, touch my camera or peek into my email folder even once. 

Now getting back into business, here is a quick and flavorful drink using only three ingredients - apple, milk and badam mix powder. The latter one sold by the south Indian brand MTR is an instant mix of ground almonds, sugar, milk solids and cardamom. A small quantity of this instant mix is usually blended with milk and served either cold or hot. This almond milk aka 'baadami haalu' is a popular beverage sold in restaurants across Bangalore. 

For today's drink, I blended 1/2 peeled apple, 1 cup milk and 2 tbsp. almond instant mix powder. This can be served cold as a milkshake or the mixture can be boiled on low heat and served warm. It tastes delicious either way.

This post goes to Blogging marathon #85 under the theme "Recipes using three ingredients". Check out the page to read what other marathoners are cooking.
 

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Bionico

I came across bionico when looking for an easy dessert recipe from the Latin cuisine. It is one of the popular street snacks from Mexico and is a perfect treat to serve on a hot day. It is along the similar lines as the popular fruit custard from India though no cooking is involved in the case of bionico. A medley of chopped fruits are drenched with a sweetened sauce, made primarily with dairy products and  coffee granules.
 
It takes only a couple of minutes to prepare the sweetened sauce but it is a very delicious and interesting base to the fruit medley. Any combination of fruits you have on hand can go into this recipe as long as they are sweeter. Similarly, any toppings of your choice can go into bionico. We didn't feel that granola complimented bionico well but it can be included if proffered.
 
Recipe source: Here
Ingredients: (Yield 4 servings)
About 5 cups of chopped mixed fruits
(The original recipe had banana, apple, papaya, strawberries and grapes. I used banana, cherries, mango, peaches and strawberries.)
 
Ingredients for the sweet sauce:
Half of 14 oz. condensed milk can
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup Greek yogurt / low fat sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 to 1 tsp. instant coffee granules

Ingredients for toppings:
Raisins
Chopped pecans (I used walnuts instead.)
Sweetened coconut flakes
Granola
 
Method:
* Add all the ingredients mentioned under the sweet sauce into a bowl and whisk to combine.
* Add fruit pieces to parfait glasses / bowls. Pour the prepared sweet sauce as needed over the fruit pieces and garnish with preferred toppings.

This post goes to Blogging marathon #77 under the theme "Latin American Recipes". Check out the page to read what other marathoners are cooking.

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Mango - Coconut Overnight Oats

Overnight oats is a make-ahead and no cook option when looking for a fuss free breakfast. It is also an easier and quicker way to include whole grains into one's diet. The humble bowl of oats could be transformed from a boring one to a delicious one with the add-ons that can go into an overnight oats dish. Besides, overnight oats can get interesting since there are plenty of variations one could think of depending upon the fresh / dried fruits, nuts, liquid base choices, sweeteners and flavorings that can go into the bowl of oats.

Ingredients: (Yield 1 serving) 
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
3/4 cup milk or milk + yogurt
1/4 cup or more mango cubes
2 tbsp. grated fresh coconut or coconut flakes
A sweetener to taste

Method:
* Combine oats and milk or milk and yogurt in a closable container. Close the lid and refrigerate overnight.
* Add mango cubes and coconut to the oats before serving. Stir in a sweetener of your choice as needed and serve.
 
This post goes to Blogging marathon #77 under the theme "Whole Grains". Check out the page to read what other marathoners are cooking.
 
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