Endu Kobbari Podi / Spicy Coconut Powder

We make a kobbari podi aka coconut powder in Andhra using fresh coconut that is usually eaten with rice and ghee. The traditional method of preparation involves a lot of stirring and in turn, loads of patience. The fresh coconut is grated (or even frozen shredded coconut can be substituted) and toasted on low flame until it is uniformly browned. The coconut is then let cool and ground with the basic spices - salt, red chillies and cumin. The powder stays fresh for months, tastes awesome and is worth the time. Today's version is slightly different and uses the dried coconut instead which makes the podi making process much simpler but tastes equally delicious.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. split chickpeas / chana dal 
2 tbsp. skinned black gram / urad dal 
8 to 10 spicy dried red chillies or as needed
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 cup grated dry coconut
Salt to taste
Optional ingredients:
1 tsp. coriander seeds. 
A pinch of fenugreek seeds 

Directions:
* Toast split chickpeas, urad dal and red chillies together on  medium flame, constantly stirring. When the dals start to turn reddish / brown, add cumin seeds and the ingredients mentioned as optional, if using. Toast for a minute or until the coriander starts to change a shade of color. Turn off the stove and let the ingredients cool completely.
* Grind the toasted ingredients along with grated dry coconut and salt finely. 
* Store in a container with a tight lid. The powder remains fresh for months with or without refrigeration.


This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon #101 under 'Condiments' theme.

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Punjabi Mini Thali ~ Jeera Rice & Punjabi Style Kadhi

My 'thaali' of the day comes from Punjab, a northern state of India. People who have tasted Indian food in any restaurant, especially in the western world can be automatically assumed to have tasted Punjabi food. The North Indian cuisine especially served in these restaurants is basically the delicious, calorie laden Punjabi food. The famous tandoor breads like naans, kulchas and parathas, the stuffed breads come from the region as are the paneer (Indian cheese) based side dishes. And of course the region can also boast about their mouthwatering side dishes like rajma, chole, dal makhnis which are equally popular in the other parts of  the country. And the scrumptious carrot halwa, the ultimate dessert of the bollywood movies also is a gift from the region to the Indian subcontinent.
 
My today's thaali consists of the following items and I had tried to cut down calories wherever I can though traditionally it is not done so. I baked the samosas instead of deep frying, prepared a microwave version of gajar ka halwa using skim milk, didn't use butter in dal and made rotis using a little oil. I wanted to try the famous combo of 'makki  di roti and sarson da saag' but wasn't sure how it would be received at home and decided to stick with roti, dal and palak paneer instead. I am posting recipes for jeera rice and Punjabi style kadhi today.

Baked mini Punjabi Samosa
Mithi chutney / Sweet chutneyJeera rice / Cumin flavored rice
Roti (Wheat flour based flat bread)
Achaar (Mango pickle)
Dhaabay di dal  (Mixture of lentils cooked in a spicy base)
Punjabi Kadhi (Spicy chickpea flour & yogurt based gravy)
Palak Paneer 
Gajar ka halwa
Onions and chillies on the side
Salted lassi

Ingredients for jeera rice:
1 cup Basmati rice
1 tbsp. ghee
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 small bay leaf
1 inch cinnamon stick
1 or 2 cardamom pods
Salt to taste
Method:
* Rinse and soak rice in water for 10 to 15 minutes and drain. 
* Heat a tbsp. ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon stick and cardamom. When cumin starts to brown, add rice and saute for a minute. 
* At this point, the rice can be continued to cook in the pan or pressure cooked. 
Add 2 cups water and salt to the pan and bring it to a boil. Cover and cook on low flame until the rice grains appear cooked and fluffy. Don't be tempted to stir in between.
Or transfer the mixture to a container to place in a pressure cooker or directly to a small pressure cooker. Add 1&1/2 cups water and salt to it and pressure cook for 3 whistles.
 
Ingredients for tadka / tempering: 
1 - 2 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp fenugreek/methi seeds
1 or 2 small dried, red chillies, broken into bits
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. ginger paste / minced ginger
2 pinches of asafoetida

Ingredients for the Punjabi kadhi:
2 small onions, thinly sliced lengthwise or chopped
1 cup sour yogurt
1/3 cup besan / chickpea flour
Salt to taste
Red chili powder to taste
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
About 2 & 1/2 cups water or as needed
1/4 tsp each garam masala or as per tasteMaking kadhi:
* Heat the oil in pan and add cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, bay leaf and red chillies. When cumin starts to brown, add ginger and saute for few seconds. Next add asafoetida and onion and fry on low flame until the onion turns translucent.
* Mean while churn / beat the yogurt to get a uniform consistency. Sieve the besan. (Sieving beforehand helps in preventing the besan forming lumps when added to the yogurt.) Add the yogurt to the besan and mix well. Pass the yogurt - besan mixture through a sieve again to avoid any lumps if present. (I take this extra measure to avoid the trouble of lumps in the kadhi mixture later.)
* Add this yogurt mixture, chili powder, turmeric powder and salt to the fried onions. Also add about 2&1/2 to 3 cups of water to it. Cook on low heat for about 15 - 20 minutes till it thickens. Stir now and then. In between, the heat can be increased once or twice for a minute or so to quicken the cooking process. Add garam masala and amchur too if preferred to the kadhi. Cook for a couple of minutes more. Turn off the stove.
Kadhi further thickens after sitting for a while and so prepare the kadhi a little thinner than you like.
 

This goes to Blogging marathon #70, under the theme 'Thaali Recipes'. Check here to find out what the other marathoners are cooking as part of the BM.

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Masala Tikadia

Event: Blogging marathon #40
Theme: Unused posts from BM #39
Day 2: Rajasthan 

I had cooked these tikadias for my Rajasthan post only to realize later that it was somewhat similar to the "Besan ki masala roti", I had posted for Haryana. And so I had to save it in my drafts and go with another post instead. I tried this recipe from Tarla Dalal website and when you search for the recipe, the first two pages in the google search engine leads to the same recipe and same introduction. Besides these plain ones, there are stuffed versions too. I feel these tikadias are subtly spiced compared to the masala rotis and I preferred these tikadias over them. Usually these are served warm with gatte ki subzi but I went ahead with dal tadka instead.

Ingredients: (for 5 tikadias)
1 cup wheat flour / gehun ka atta
Salt to taste
Ghee for stuffing
Ghee / oil to toast rotis
1 tsp cumin seeds - roasted and crushed
1 tsp chili powder

Method:
* Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add enough water and knead into a soft dough. Divide the mixture into 5 portions and roll them into balls and keep them aside, covered. 
* Roll a ball into a circle of about 5 inches diameter.
* Smear the circle with a little ghee and sprinkle some cumin seeds and chilli powder. 

(I added the crushed cumin, chilli powder and ghee in a small cup and mixed them to make a paste. I smeared the paste on the rolled out dough circle.)
* Starting from one long end, roll it and then again like a Swiss roll and press gently at the end with fingers.


* Roll it out into a 5 inch circle. Cook it on a hot griddle using ghee / oil until both sides are golden brown.

 * Repeat the steps with the remaining dough balls to make tikadias. Serve them warm.

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V ~ Vegan Braided Bread

Event: Blogging Marathon #32
Theme: Baking Recipe #5

Priya keeps posting such versatile recipes that one couldn't stop from bookmarking them. When I thought of baking something for the letter V, I honestly didn't have to think twice before checking my list of "recipes to try" from her blog. An added incentive was that I was planning to bake a braided bread from a long time. Leaving apart the rising and baking periods, the bread can be made in a short time. The braiding part is easy once you get a hang of it. Instead of one big one, I baked 4 mini braided loaves.

Ingredients: 
3 cups bread flour / all purpose flour ( I used both flours)
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
1 Tbsp dried herb or 2 Tbsp fresh herb of your choice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp active dry yeast
1 cup luke warm water (I have to add 3 Tbsp more.)
1/4 cup olive oil 

Method:
1. Place sugar, salt, yeast in a bowl and add luke warm water. Let it sit in a warm place for about 5 minutes. The yeast solution would have turned foamy by that time. 

2. Meanwhile, mix together the flour, cumin, sesame seeds and the herbs you are using in a mixing bowl.
3. Add the yeast solution and the oil to the flour bowl. Combine everything and work with it to form a stiff dough. 

4. Place the dough in a well greased bowl, cover and let it sit in a warm place for 2 hours. The volume of the dough would increase by the time.

5. Punch the dough and divide it into 3 portions. Roll and shape them into balls. Further roll each ball into a strand / rope. 
Instead of one big braided bread, I was planning to make 4 mini ones. And so I divided the dough into 12 portions and proceeded with the recipe. 

6. Braid the strands together and seal at the ends. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 deg F and keep a greased baking tray ready. 

7. Place the braided loaf / loaves on the greased baking sheet. Brush it with some oil / milk if not looking for a vegan version.

8. Bake them for 25-30 minutes until the crust turns brown. Let them cool for few minutes before serving.

My experience:
* The bread didn't turn brown even after baking much longer than the time mentioned and the bread started to go on to the harder side. I then increased the temperature to 375 deg F and then it browned in very short time.
* My oven is relatively new and am wondering whether the bread needs to be baked at 375 deg F. I have to check with Priya about this. Or I think the bread initially can be baked at 375 deg F and later reduced to 350 deg F.

Logo courtesy : Preeti

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Homemade Instant Rasam Mix

My regular version rasam recipe is well appreciated in our family / friends circle and so, I was sceptical to go ahead with this instant mix that I tried recently. My husband however said that he actually enjoyed it more than the regular version since it was sinus - clearing spicy. :) And so this is going to be my "Homemade Instant Food Mixes" themed final post of blogging marathon # 10,  for the group 1.

(I have reduced the spice level in the below recipe.)
Ingredients:
5 - 6 Tbsp toordal
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 - 1/2 tsp peppercorns
1 - 2 red, dried chillies
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
Tamarind to taste (I forgot to note down the quantity I used. Will update it next time.)
Jaggery to taste (optional)
Salt to taste
For tadka: 1 Tbsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, a pinch of asafoetida powder and few curry leaves

Method:
1. Toast toordal in a pan until it starts to change the color. Add coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns, chillies to the same pan and toast until the coriander seeds start to change color. Add tamarind to it and turn off the stove. Let cool.
2. Grind the toasted ingredients along with turmeric powder, salt and jaggery (if using) into a fine powder.
3. Heat the oil in a small pan and add the tadka ingredients. When the mustard seeds start to pop, turn off the stove. Cool and add it to the ground mixture. Store in an airtight jar.

Note:
When rasam needs to be made, add water to mix and boil. For a cup of water use about a Tbsp of mix or accordingly.
Cooked tomato cubes and minced cilantro can be added to further enhance the flavor of rasam.

Check what my fellow marathoners are cooking, here.

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Mathri / Mathi

Recently when we went to snack at an Indian restaurant in our neighborhood, I noticed that they had a good collection of sweets and snacks in the anticipation of Diwali customers. I thought of buying a mathri packet there and somehow backed out at the last minute after going through the ingredients. Mathia flour along with maida and sooji were being used. I had no idea what the first ingredient was and so after coming home, checked online to find what it was. In the process, I found out that many of our dear friends have prepared wonderful mathris without the mathia flour. I went ahead and so made these delicious savory snacks without it.  I prepared a spicier version and they turned out crispy, flaky and (some what) melt in mouth kind. They were literally a treat for our taste buds and were a hit even with my son's friends (read non Indian) at school.
Mathris are a great teatime snack or an opt one for a festive occasion like today. They are said to be originated in the state of Rajasthan. It is a mandatory food item prepared on all auspicious occasions there. Mathris are usually served with pickles.

Ingredients: (For about 15 mathris of about 2 & 1/2 inch diameter)
1 cup All purpose flour / Maida
2 Tbsp Semolina / Rava
1.5 tsp Chili powder or adjust
3 - 4 Tbsp hot oil
1 Tbsp Cumin seeds and / or Carom seeds
Salt to taste
Oil to fry

Method:
Mix all the ingredients except the oil to fry in a bowl. Add sufficient water and make a firm dough like poori / roti dough. Now comes the workout for your upper body. Take a small portion of the dough and roll out into a thin circle of about 2 & 1/2 to 3 inch diameter. Prick with a fork randomly, to avoid the mathris puffing up while frying. You can roll out and use a cookie cutter if you prefer your mathris to be of same size. Roll out some and keep aside.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a wide and deep-bottomed frying pan. Add the rolled out dough circles to the hot oil gently. Without crowding, fry as many mathris as the pan could fit. Keep turning them around and fry on low flame till they turn golden brown and crisp throughout. Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain them on absorbent towels. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.
Store them in an airtight container.

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Spinach - Toordal Patoli / Sandiga Koora

I love cumin flavored, protein packed patolis and they keep appearing frequently in our menu. Usually I prepare patoli using chanadal but this time prepared toordal one using M's aunt's recipe.

List of ingredients for 4 generous servings:
A spinach bunch or 2 -3 cups of roughly chopped spinach leaves along with the tender stalks
For grinding:
Toordal - 1/2 cup soaked for a couple of hours, minimum
Cumin seeds – 1 Tbsp
Red chilies - 8 to 10 (depending upon the spiciness you prefer, medium to hot)
Grated, dry coconut / copra;- 1/4 cup (optional)
For tadka: Oil – 2 Tbsp,1 tsp each - mustard seeds, chanadal, uraddal, cumin seeds, few curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste

Preparation:
* Soak toordal in water for a minimum of 2 hours and drain.
* Coarsely grind toordal, cumin seeds, coconut and red chilies with as little as water as possible. Place this mixture in a container and cook on medium flame in a pressure cooker without the weight, till it is done (as you steam idlis). When it is done, the mixture would be dry. It would take about an hour or more and you have to remember to keep adding water to the cooker as the water keeps evaporating, during the cooking process. If you forget, you will end up with a burnt cooker. Let it cool for a while.
* Crumble the toordal mixture, which would have become dry at this point. You can either use it immediately or freeze it and use later. Usually I prepare this in large batches and freeze it in small portions so that I can use it next time with out thawing the entire quantity. Also I prefer this steaming method to frying since less oil is used and frying the toordal paste in the oil is messier. It is done while I am taking care of million other things in the kitchen. :)
* Heat oil in a pan. Add chana dal, urad dal, cumin, mustard seeds, curry leaves to the hot oil. When chana dal and urad dal begin to turn reddish, add turmeric powder and the spinach. Sauté for a few minutes or till spinach is done. Then add the toordal mixture and salt to the pan. Sauté for a couple of minutes more. Turn off the stove.
* This patoli can be served with rice or rotis.



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Pantry Essentials - Charu Podi / Rasam Powder & An Award

I always get good compliments from family / friends for my charu / rasam recipe. Some of those who have tasted it have become loyal fans and even shifted to this charu / rasam powder recipe. :)  Though I feel greatly appreciated for the response I get, I know whom I should be thankful for.
A good charu needs a good charu podi and that's the secret behind my successful charu. And the credit for this charu podi goes to my mother maternal grand mother. Today I thought of sharing this decades old recipe of hers, here. This was supposed to be my first post when I started blogging but some how it got erased. Better late than never and so here it is after three years. 

Ingredients to prepare 1 cup of charupodi:
Toor dal - 1/4 cup
Coriander seeds - 1/4 cup
Cumin seeds - 1/4 cup
Peppercorns - 3/4 th of 1/4 cup
Red chilies - 6 (I used byadagi)

Dry roast the toordal in a sauté pan on medium flame till it turns reddish. Then toast the coriander seeds and cumin seeds separately till they turn a few shades darker. Then toast the peppercorns and red chilies. Except the toordal, the remaining ingredients take about a few seconds each to toast. Take care not to burn them. Cool them.
Alternatively, you can place the ingredients in the sun for a day or two if you have a good sunshine (like in India or 80 - 90 deg F).
Grind the ingredients together to a fine powder in a mixer/spice grinder. Store it in an airtight container and use it when making charu.

This is going to Cooking with seeds - Coriander Seeds, guest hosted by Radhika and the event creator is Priya.

Fellow blogger pals Kiran, Priya Mitharwal, Rupali, Priya Srinivasan  have shared 'The Sunshine award' with me. Thank you gals and I greatly appreciate it.

It is mentioned that these Award Winners have to do the following:

1) Use the logo within your post.
2) Pass on to at least 12 other bloggers.
3) Add a link to the nominees in your post.
4) Let the nominees know of their award.
5) Share the love and link to the friend, who has passed this award to you.

I did 1 & 5. Choosing only 12 among the wonderful bloggers seems hard. I am so going to share it with everyone who generously share their recipes. :))

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