Dabbakaaya Pulihora

In Andhra, a pulihora is a rice dish prepared with any souring agent like cooked tamarind sauce, lemon / lime juice, green mango and so on. 'Pulihora' (under different regional names) has been an essential part of the travel paraphernalia for generations, for those with south Indian roots. Especially the tamarind rice that don't get spoiled for at least two days even in Indian tropical climate, a perfect and economical travel food, especially if travelling with a large group. And there are those pulihoras which can be made in a jiffy like the lemon rice or the green mango rice which make perfect travel food when there is not enough time to slave around in the kitchen. Adjust the spice levels if there are kids in the group and carry some yogurt, you will have a filling meal for the whole family. I usually pack a rice item when we are taking car trips so that an hour is not wasted for lunch at the food joints along the way. I pack food individually in disposable containers with our names labelled on the box to avoid confusions over who gets what and to avoid my daughter eating spicy food. I put a disposable spoon, glass/water bottle and napkin in each set so that no one comes bothering me to figure out the wheres and whats.

Today's rice item called dabbakaaya pulihora is one such easy item. Dabbakaya called so in Telugu is a citrus fruit, which is as big as an orange but somewhat similar to a lemon in taste and looks. It is called as heralekaayi in Kannada and if I am not wrong, narthangai in Tamil. I saw it being referred to as a grape fruit, pomelo and citron online and I am leaning more towards citron. Dabbakaaya rice goes along similar lines of a lemon rice preparation and one just need to substitute this citrus fruit juice for lemon juice. It makes a simple, quick, and flavorful dish that can be enjoyed by the whole family. It can be packed either in a lunch box, or a picnic basket. It can be carried as travel food or served as a part of a south Indian style festival meal. Just remember to cool down the rice completely if it is being packed.

Ingredients: (4 servings)
1 cup rice (I used sona masuri.)
2 tbsp. oil (I used canola oil.)
2 tbsp. peanuts
1 tbsp. chana dal (split chickpeas)
1 tsp. urad dal (skinned and split black lentil)
1 tsp. mustard seeds
3 chopped green chillies or 5 - 6 dried red chillies, broken into pieces *
1 - 2 stalks of curry leaves
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
A pinch of asafoetida powder
Salt to taste
1 dabbakaaya or 3 to 4 tbsp. juice (Adjust depending upon the sourness of the juice.)
Minced cilantro to garnish (optional)
* A combo of both green and red chillies can be used too. The number of chillies in the recipe can be adjusted according to one's preferred spice levels.

Method:
* Wash the rice in two exchanges of water and drain completely. Pressure cook the rice adding 1 and 3/4 cups of water. (Add 2 cups of water if using a rice cooker.) When the rice is done, spread it on a wide plate and fluff the rice. Or let the rice sit for a while before using.
* Once the rice is ready, heat oil in a pan / kadai. Add peanuts, split chickpeas, split black gram and mustard seeds. When mustard seeds start to sizzle and pop and the dals start to turn reddish, add chillies and saute for few seconds. Next add curry leaves, turmeric and asafoetida. Stir once and turn off the stove.
* Add rice, salt and the fruit juice and mix well. Taste the rice and adjust salt or the juice if needed. Salt and the fruit juice flavors tone down a bit after the resting period and so add those ingredients accordingly or taste the rice again after 30 minutes and adjust the quantities. 
* Let the rice sit for at least 15 - 30 minutes for the flavors to develop. 
* It can be served on it's own or serve some papad / chips along with it.
* If packing for lunches or as travel food then make sure that the rice is completely cool before packing. The rice may get spoiled quickly if packed warm.

This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon #97 and BM - 'Kids' Delight' event hosted by Renu this month with 'Travel Food' theme.


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Brazilian Fried Bananas

Here is a simple and easy fruit based dessert from Brazil. Bananas are toasted in butter until golden brown and flavored with cinnamon sugar and all it takes is less than 10 minutes. I usually associate apple in this kind of dessert but definitely not bananas. And I was not expecting it to taste so good that I ended up making two batches of fried bananas on the same day. My daughter, whom I was not even counting to do the taste testing decided to try it as soon as she entered home and smelled something cinnamon. The girl who acts like she is food-phobic decided that she was going to have them again at dinner. They were that good. 

This is a recipe one can try when they have bananas in surplus. However bananas that are going to be used should be ripe yet firm, not the overly ripe and mushy kind. I think these fried bananas would taste extra good if prepared with sweeter variety bananas. The regular bananas would have a tinge of tanginess after the roasting. They can be served as it is warm or with ice cream if preferred. 

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 big sized bananas or 4 - 5 small bananas
2 to 3 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:
* Heat a griddle pan and melt butter over it. 
* Peel the two bananas and cut each banana lengthwise. Now again cut each banana piece into two. (There are totally 8 banana pieces now.)
* Place the banana slices over the griddle, cut sides down. Fit as many banana slices as the griddle can fit without overlapping.
* Meanwhile, mix cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and keep aside.
* Toast the bananas until the bottom side turns golden brown, about 3 minutes or so. Tilt the pan once or twice if you notice the butter moving towards the edges so that bananas are browned nice and even. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar generously over the banana slices and flip them with a spatula, taking care not to break them. (Actually I noticed that using two plastic knives was more convenient to flip the bananas.)
* Toast the bananas for another 2 - 3 minutes, until the flip side turns golden brown as well. Sprinkle the bananas with cinnamon sugar again.
* Serve the fried bananas warm as it is or with ice cream.

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



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Eggless Boy Bait / Blueberry Coffee Cake

A 15 year old teenager from Chicago named Renny Powell submitted a blueberry coffee cake in 1954 to the Pillsbury $100,000 Recipe and Baking Contest, which happens to be the precursor to today's Pillsbury Bake - Off contest, The girl scored second place in the youth division for her creation, which she called boy bait.  She found that the teenage boys found it irresistible and so decided to attribute this blueberry coffee cake, a special adjective. I found the name not so odd after I tasted it since one can bait anyone they wish with this tempting cake or one need not be a teenager to be lured in. 😋 I am the proof since I truly detest eating blueberries as such but I have baked and enjoyed this cake many times over the years though I never got around to sit and post it until today. These images are at least a couple of years old.
Cook's Country magazine tweaked the original recipe 'to improve it' as they say. They swapped the shortening and granulated sugar used in the original recipe with butter and a combination of granulated and brown sugars. And they topped the cake with a light, sweet sugar - cinnamon topping instead of streusel. I replaced half the butter with oil and used only half the quantity of the sugar mentioned. I don't like overtly sweet stuff and so the 1/2 cup sugar in the cake plus the sugar topping was enough for me. I swapped the 3 eggs in the recipe with plain yogurt. I used a springform pan to bake this. Still, the final coffee cake is a tender and sweet one with a 'melt in mouth' kind texture. This 'easy to make' rich cake is an addictive one and one would add it to their repertoire if they try this berry packed cake once. 

Ingredients:
2 cups + 1 tsp. all purpose flour (divided)
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter + 1/2 cup oil (or use 1 cup butter / 2 sticks butter instead.)
3/4 cup sugar * 
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup yogurt
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup blue berries (fresh or frozen)**
For topping:
1/2 cup blueberries (fresh / frozen) **
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

* The original recipe uses 1 cup sugar. I used only 1/2 cup and I think 3/4 cup makes it sweet enough.
** Don't thaw if using frozen blueberries.

Directions:
* Preheat the oven to 350 deg F. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan or a square pan. 
* Combine 2 cups flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl and set aside.
* Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  
Next add oil, 1/2 cup yogurt and vanilla and beat to mix. Next fold in 1/3 of the flour mixture, half of milk, another 1/3 of the flour mixture, the rest of the milk, then the remaining flour and finally the remaining yogurt, mixing well after each addition.
* Toss the blueberries with a tsp. of flour. Fold 1/2 cup blueberries gently into the batter. If using frozen berries directly add them to the batter without thawing.
* Pour the batter into the prepared pan and scatter the remaining berries over the top of the batter. Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top evenly.
* Bake until a tooth pick inserted at the center comes out clean, about 45 - 50 minutes.
* Let it cool completely before slicing.

It goes to Bakeathon  and Blogging Marathon #95 under the theme 'cake recipes' events.


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Blackberry Cobbler

Call me weird but I don't like to eat berries unless they are in some form of a baked dish. Strawberries are an exception though. My share of sweet blackberries were lying in the refrigerator and a one minute online search landed me at 'Food Network' site which featured this baked berry dessert recipe. It captivated my attention immediately as it is an easy breezy kind of recipe besides being made with the every day ingredients found in most of the kitchens.
 
This is not a biscuit based cobbler but the batter based one, perfect for lazy bodies like me. It is a great recipe to try when looking for ways to enjoy the summer's berry bounty. All it takes is a few minutes to mix the batter, dump the berries and stick it in the oven. In case if you don't have berries on hand, other fruits such as peaches, apples and others will work fine. This is a no fuss dessert made with minimal efforts and great results. One ends up with a beautiful cake like consistency at the bottom and slightly crispy top with fruit embedded in between. A perfect dessert to prepare on a lazy day. I had to scale down the recipe since I didn't have the required amount of berries on hand. 

Prep time: 5 to 10 minutes
Baking time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
1 cup self raising flour or 1 cup all purpose flour + 1.5 tsp. baking powder + 1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup + 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. sugar (divided)
1 cup milk (Non-dairy milk can be substituted.)
1/2 stick or 1/4 cup butter, melted + extra for greasing the pan
2 cups fresh blackberries (Frozen ones can be substituted.)

Directions:
* Preheat the oven to 350 deg F. Grease a 3 quart baking dish with butter.
* Rinse the berries and pat them dry.
* Whisk self rising flour, 1 cup sugar and milk in a mixing bowl. Add melted butter next and whisk to combine.
* Pour the batter into the baking dish and sprinkle the berries uniformly over the top of the batter. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup sugar over the berries.
* Bake until bubbly and golden brown, about an hour. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tbsp. sugar when 10 minutes of the baking time remains.
* Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

It goes to Bakeathon  and Blogging Marathon #95 under the theme 'Meal Time Dishes' events.



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Eggless Applesauce - Oatmeal Bread

This applesauce based bread is one delicious, moist and flavor filled one that can be served as a breakfast or brunch item or even as a dessert if you ask me. Even after cutting the sugar by half from the original recipe, this quick bread tastes really awesome and is filled with the goodness of oats, wheat, apple, dry fruits and nuts. I got to clear one more bookmarked recipe from KAF with this bread and it was rich and yummy even after making substitutions and omissions to suit my preferences. 

Ingredients:
2 flax eggs*
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole white wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt 
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon*
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 cup sugar*
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1.5 tsp. vanilla or boiled cider
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce* 
1/2 cup chopped walnuts*

* The changes I made:
I substituted eggs with flax eggs. 
The original recipe used a cup of sugar. I used half of it and it was still perfectly on the sweet side.
I substituted all purpose flour for wheat flour.
The original recipe has 1.5 tsp. ground cinnamon and 1/4 tsp. nutmeg as well which I left out.
I used homemade applesauce that was prepared with about 3 apples and increased it's quantity from 3/4 to 1 cup.
I added  sweetened dried cranberries and raisins along with walnuts.


Directions:
* Preheat the oven to 350 deg F. Lightly grease a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan. (The specified loaf pan is bigger for this bread and the loaf filled about 2/3rd of the pan.)
* Combine 2 tbsp. flaxmeal and 6 tbsp. warm water in a mixing bowl and keep it aside for about five minutes. Then add sugar, oil and vanilla to the flax eggs and mix well.
* Combine flours, salt, baking soda, baking powder. cinnamon, all spice, and nutmeg (if using) in another bowl. 
* Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix in the rolled oats, applesauce and walnuts. 
* Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake it until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes.
* Remove the bread from the oven and let cool.
* The bread can be stored well wrapped at room temperature for few days or can be frozen for later use.

It goes to Bakeathon  and Blogging Marathon events.


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Malabar Aval Milkshake

This post has been in my drafts for the past two years. I tried this milkshake as soon as I saw it on PJ's blog and again the day after for my son and many more times later. A proof of how much I liked it. This is an unusual milkshake made with aval (poha aka flattened rice) and is supposedly a popular drink in the Malabar region of Kerala, a south Indian state. I can guess why. It was like a banana milkshake taken to another level by topping it with crisp toasted flattened rice flakes and peanuts. 

The crunchy rice flakes and peanuts add an interesting and contrasting texture to the otherwise smooth shake. While the texture of this drink was what made it appealing to me,  surprisingly it had an opposite reaction on my son who is otherwise an ardent lover of milkshakes. And so, I suppose it is not everyone's cup of shake. 😊

Ingredients:
1 tsp. ghee
2 tbsp. poha / flattened rice 
1 small banana
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 cup chilled milk
1 tbsp. toasted and skinned peanut halves

Directions:
* Heat ghee in a pan and add peanuts. Toast them until they turn golden brown. Remove them with a slotted spoon and transfer onto a plate.
* Now add the flattened rice to the same pan and toast on low flame until the flakes turn crisp. Take care not to burn them.
* Chop the banana into discs and roughly mash the pieces with the back of a spoon. (We don't need banana puree here and so don't go grabbing the blender.) Add sugar to the banana and mix well.
* Take a tall serving glass and add the mashed banana to it. Sprinkle half of the fried flattened rice and half the peanuts over the banana. Pour the chilled milk over it.
* Garnish it with the remaining flattened rice and peanuts. Serve immediately.

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Apple Chutney (South Indian Style)

Granny Smith apples, especially the sour ones work well in some of the south Indian style dishes and this chutney is one of those. Along with the instant pickle variety, this is a regularly made and well liked chutney in my home.

Ingredients:
2 small green apples / 1 cup peeled and grated apple
2 tsp. oil
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
2 tsp. skinned black gram / urad dal 
2 dried red chillies, broken into bits
1 pinch of asafoetida powder
Salt to taste

Method:
* Heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds and black gram. When black gram starts to turn golden brown, add red chillies and asafoetida. Stir once, turn off the stove and let it cool.
* Peel and grate the apple just before grinding. Add the above tempering, grated apple and salt to a food processor or blender and grind coarsely. In case if the apples are not sour, add lime / lemon juice to taste, if preferred.
* Serve immediately and refrigerate the left over chutney.

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