A - Z Karnataka Recipe Series ~ W for Watermelon Rind Dose / Kalingana Polo

I did not have to think much about the alphabet 'W' in this series as I was set on this watermelon rind dose recipe early on. I could not think even one recipe from Karnataka with a local name that starts with the letter 'W'. In fact I have saved this recipe for ages in the hopes of doing a Karnataka recipe series in the alphabetical order some day. Mysore pak, hitakida bele saaru, nuchinnunde, some of the classic recipes were not posted on my blog until this series for the same reason.

This watermelon rind pancakes called kalingana polo is a traditional recipe from Konkani households. Dosa, the popular south Indian breakfast is called dose (though-say) in Kannada whereas it is called polo in Konkani. It is one of those recipes which shows how our ancestors in the agrarian economy had been frugal and nothing went wasted in their kitchens. The white part of the watermelon rind which is usually tossed away after enjoying the fruit is used in these dose preparation. The white rind is crisp with a very mild flavor and is used in preparation of other dishes as well.

These dose are not instant and needs advance planning. The ingredients need to be soaked, ground and fermented overnight similar to regular dose. These are soft and spongy in texture like surnoli / set dose. One cannot even notice the watermelon flavor here. In fact one can hardly notice these dose being any different from the regular version except these being softer. The yummy dose go well with any spicy accompaniment like the regular dose.

I find summer to be the best time to prepare these dose when the watermelons are available in abundance. I freeze the white part of the rind after enjoying the fruit so that I can have access to it even during winters when the fruits are not found. Any cheap quality rice will work for dose recipe, if living in India. I use extra long grain rice for my dose which they sell in bulk at Sams / Costco stores. 

Ingredients:  (Yield - about 9 to 10 dose)

1 cup rice
1 tsp. fenugreek seeds
1 cup puffed rice or flattened rice (I used puffed rice.)
1 heaped cup of white watermelon rind
1/4 cup fresh / frozen grated coconut 
Salt to taste
1/2 cup water
Oil to make dose

Prep work:
* Rinse rice, fenugreek seeds and flattened rice (poha) if using with water and drain. Soak them in water for at least 3 to 4 hours. If using puffed rice / murmura instead of flattened rice / poha then just rinse them before grinding the dose batter.
* Cut the red fruit from the watermelon and you will be left with the outer green skin and the white rind.

* Carefully remove the white part with a knife and discard the outer green part.

* Drain the water used to soak the rice or save about half a cup to grind the batter and drain the rest.

* Thaw if using frozen coconut. First grind together watermelon rind and coconut. Then add soaked rice and fenugreek seeds, rinsed puffed rice / flattened rice, coconut and salt. Grind into a thick and fine batter adding water as needed. (I used about half cup. You can use the water that was used in soaking the rice. If you live in a hot climate, salt can be added before making the dose instead.)

* Transfer the ground batter to a container, cover it and leave it in a warm place overnight to ferment. (I ground the batter the previous evening at around 4 pm and made dosas for the breakfast next morning. Basically I left it to ferment for about 15 hours.)
* The batter in this case won't rise dramatically but it will become thicker and porous and you can lightly smell the fermentation.

* Heat a tawa and pour a ladleful of batter at the center and don't spread it. 

* Add a tsp. of oil around the edges and COVER it with a lid. You will start to notice holes developing and when the dose appears dry  on the surface, flip it.

* Cook for few more seconds until the bottom side gets cooked as well and transfer the dose onto a plate using a spatula.

* Repeat the steps of dose making with the remaining batter.
* Serve them warm with a chutney any spicy accompaniment. Mine were served with vegetable saagu and chutney pudi.

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A - Z Karnataka Recipe Series ~ G for Girmit

So far in my A - Z Karnataka Series
A - Akki Halbai
B - Biscuit Roti
C - Congress Kadalekayi
D - Davanagere Benne Dose
E - Ellu Pajji
F - Field Beans / Avarekalu Payasa

Spicy, puffed rice based snack is a popular street food in India, with various regional versions thrown in. Each, popular and delicious in it's own way like the bhel puri of Mumbai, jhal muri of Bengal and so on. Girmit, my 'G' recipe of today is another regional variation and comes from the northern regions of Karnataka. It is quite a popular evening snack there and is usually eaten with menasinakayi bajji / mirchi bajji or fried green chillies. 

Preparation of this spicy, tasty and filling snack is quite easy. What makes girmit unique among the category is the addition of a cooked tangy, spicy onion mixture and ground fried gram along with the usual crunchy tidbits like some minced onion, tomato, sev, spicy, fried peanuts and fried green chillies which make it more appealing. The onion mixture can be cooked in advance and refrigerated that makes the preparation of girmit quite a simple one. Combine all the ingredients quickly and serve immediately to retain the crispiness.
 
Ingredients:
About 3 cups of puffed rice / mandakki 
1 tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 sprig of curry leaves
2 green chillies, chopped
2 onions, finely chopped
A big lemon sized tamarind ball
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
Jaggery / sugar to taste
Salt to taste
 2 tbsp. powdered fried gram / hurigadale
Ingredients for garnishing:
2 tbsp. powdered fried gram / hurigadale
1/4 cup finely minced red onions
1/4 cup finely minced tomato (optional)
2 - 3 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
1/4 cup sev
A handful or more of congress kadalekayi 
3 to 4 fried whole green chillies 

Directions:
* Soak tamarind in hot water for few minutes or nuke it along with water in the microwave for a couple of minutes. Squeeze tamarind pulp and collect about 1/2 cup tamarind water.
* Heat oil in a pan. Make a slit along the green chillies and fry them for a couple of minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon and sprinkle some salt over them. Keep them aside and use them to garnish.
* Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds to the pan. When mustard seeds start to splutter, add green chillies and curry leaves. 

* Saute for few seconds. Add onion and cook until it turns transparent.

* Next add tamarind, turmeric, jaggery, powdered fried gram and salt. Cook the mixture until it turns thick. Turn off the stove and let the mixture cool.

* Add puffed rice to a mixing bowl and the ground fried gram. (If the puffed rice is stale, toast them on low flame for few minutes until crisp.)

* Add the cooked onion mixture next.

* Add onion, tomato, cilantro to the bowl and toss the bowl to combine.
 
* Sprinkle finally sev, congress kadalekayi or fried groundnuts before serving.
 

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Jhal Muri

So far in the series,

First week - Sweets
Malaadu / Hurigadale Unde
Dry Gulab Jamun
Coconut Burfi / Kobbari Mithai
Almond Halwa / Badam Halwa
Elaneer Payasam
Godhuma Sojjappalu

Second week - Snacks from Gujarat
Damni Dhokla
Doodhi Muthia / Lauki Muthia
Dal Pandoli

Sev Khamani

Methi Khakhra
Pressure Cooker Khandvi

Third Week - Snacks
Bafauri
Soy Beans Guggillu / Sundal

While bhelpuri is associated with beaches of Mumbai and churumuri / girmit is famous in Karnataka, the Bengali variant is called jhalmuri. Jhalmuri literally means spicy puffed rice and is a popular street food from Kolkata. It is a light and yummy snack made with puffed rice, chanachur, onions, chilies, a special masala powder, and other ingredients. What keeps this popular Bengali street food apart from the other regional puffed rice snacks across India is the use of mustard oil which lends a piquant flavor and uniqueness to the dish. 

Jhalmuri is a melange of spicy and tangy flavors and the tasty snack makes a great guilt free option to snack on though diabetics must pay attention since the puffed rice shoots up the sugar levels. Jhalmuri though originated in the Bengal region seems to be quite popular in eastern regions of India and Bangladesh as well. This is how I prepare but the recipe can be customized to one's own preferences by adding  / omitting other spices and flavors. Fine sev can be added in lieu of chanachur. Combine all jhalmuri ingredients quickly and serve immediately as soon as it is assembled to maintain the crunchiness of the snack while eating.

Ingredients:
4 cups puffed rice
Salt and / or black salt to taste
1/4 tsp. red chili powder or to taste
1/2 tsp. cumin powder or to taste
1/2 tsp. chaat masala or to taste
1/2 cup toasted peanuts
1 big sized potato
1 tomato, seeds removed and chopped
1 big sized onion, peeled and finely chopped
3/4 cup peeled and diced cucumber
1 green chillie, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely minced cilantro
1 tsp. mustard oil
Lemon juice to taste
1/4 cup chanachur / sev

Prep work:
* Peel and chop potatoes. Boil them until fork tender and drain the water used to cook. (I cooked them in a microwave.)
* Chop onions, tomatoes, cucumber, green chillies and cilantro and keep them ready.
* Heat a kadai / wok and add puffed rice. Keep toasting on low - medium flame, until crisp and turn off the stove. It takes just a few minutes to toast them and continuously stir to avoid burning the puffed rice.
Directions:
* To the toasted puffed rice, add the remaining ingredients except oil and lemon juice and toss the ingredients to combine. 

* Add oil and lemon juice at the end and toss well to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Serve Immediately.

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A - Z Indian Street Foods ~ K for Khakra & Chana Bhel

I had thought of posting another Andhra street food for ‘K’ but the recipe was so time consuming that when the time came for action, I neither had the energy nor the inclination to try it. Instead I went for Kalyani’s khakra bhel that was cook free and fuss free. The recipe has been in my bookmarks folder since she posted and I was itching to try it for quite some time now. Bhel must be one of the simple street food fare that can be created at home. With additions, deletions and substitutions of ingredients, one can come up with variations. Khakras, the spicy, toasted flat breads from Western India come in as substitute for flat pooris in this bhel and add a nice crunch along with sev. Khakras come in a lot of flavors and I used the coriander-chilly variety in this bhel. Chickpeas are a nice addition to this bhel besides adding protein factor. I tried her dry / sookha version and enjoyed this yummy bhel. 

Ingredients:

2 khakhras (spicy flattened toasted breads) (I used the coriander-chilly variety.)

1 cup puffed rice / murmura

Boiled and salted chickpeas as needed (black or white variety)

1 green chilli, finely chopped

½ minced Onion (optional)

½ chopped tomato (optional)

Grated or finely chopped raw mango

Green chutney to taste

Dates-Tamarind chutney to taste

Salt to taste

Chaat Masala to taste

Ingredients for topping:

Sev

Finely chopped coriander leaves
Minced onion & tomato if using

Method:

* Crush the khakra into small pieces. Add all the other ingredients except the toppings to a mixing bowl. Mix well and toss once. 

* Taste and adjust the ingredients’ quantities if needed. Top with sev, minced cilantro minced onion and tomato.

* Serve immediately as the puffed rice gets soggy if allowed to sit.

So far, on this series,
A for Aloo Kabli
B for Bajra Vada
C for Chooda Matar
D for Dahi Batata Puri
E for Elaichi - Kesar Lassi
F for Fulwadi
G for Ghugni Chaat
H for Hare Chane Ki Chaat
I for Indori Garaadu Chaat
J for Jamun Bun

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B ~ Bhel Puri

Event: Blogging Marathon #32
Theme: Pictorial Post

I could not properly execute my initially chalked out plan regarding this marathon because of my absence from home for more than two months. The finalized recipe lists and plans had gone to a toss owing to the pre and post travel chaos. I had to again sit and wrack my brain to go through what I need to cook for some of the alphabets this week but have decided not to stress out much and enjoy this marathon. I am going to go with those dishes that keep repeatedly cooked and enjoyed in my kitchen. Bhel puri is one such snack that appears during evenings when ever my husband is in charge of the kitchen. Honestly I rarely make bhel puri as it is always him who takes care of it.

Bhel puri made with puffed rice is one of the popular street / beach snacks through out India. As this is supposedly a pictorial post without recipe, I am letting my pictures do the talking / explaining. I just would like to mention that you can add whatever you like / have at hand. And so one can always add extra ingredients or omit any from the following list. By having chutneys / sev ready in advance makes it a lot easier and quicker to put this dish together.

Check the blogging marathon page for the other marathoners doing BM #32.  And logo courtesy - Preeti

 

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Borugulunda / Puffed Rice Balls

The puffed rice laddus are prepared as a part of a festival / even weddings in some parts of India. For me somehow, it is a snack that is a part of old world charm. The kind mothers / grand mothers lovingly prepared when candies and other junk were not there to entice kids. When I was little, I remember the small stores near schools stocking puffed rice / peanut / sesame laddus in bottles along with candies. The kids would hop to these stores during lunch time to buy the delicious treats.
These laddus are one of the traditional dishes you can pull through in no time. Jaggery and puffed rice are two ingredients you need to make these delicious laddus, besides the cardamom for flavor. As many of the traditional Indian sweets, these laddus make use of jaggery, a healthier option over sugar. Hard ball consistency jaggery syrup is made, then flavored with cardamom and then puffed rice is gently mixed in. And then shaped into laddus to enjoy.

Ingredients (yield a dozen laddus)
1/2 cup jaggery
2 cups puffed rice
1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Method:
* Heat jaggery and 3 to 4 Tbsp water in a pan. After cooking for about 8 - 10 minutes, the jaggery melts, turns frothy forming syrup.
(If you need to get rid of the impurities from the jaggery, you can do it two ways. Either you can soak jaggery powder in water allowing it to melt, strain the impurities and then heat. Or heat jaggery and water until the jaggery just melts and then stain.)

 

* Cook until the syrup reaches hard ball consistency. (Unda paakam). To check the correct consistency, take a few tablespoons of water in a small plate or cup. Drop a tiny quantity of syrup into the water. Check whether a ball can be formed using your fingers. If the syrup doesn't melt in the water and a ball is formed, then we got the correct consistency. When you touch the syrup with your fingers and it disintegrates into the water, then some more cooking is needed. 

* When the required consistency is reached, add cardamom and puffed rice. Mix well and turn off the stove.

* Wet your hands in cold water and shape the mixture into lemon sized balls. Once cool, store them in an airtight container.

Check what other marathoners are cooking during this month long marathon. 

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