Rice Rava - Moong Khichdi

The idea of this khichdi came from a cook show and it can be a wholesome meal on it's own, served on any time of the day. Though not a quick or instant breakfast like my two previous posts, this one too is a hassle free breakfast provided you have rice rava and coarsely ground moong dal on hand. The original recipe did not have any vegetables included but I added some to up the nutrition. If you are in a hurry boil the water simultaneously as you are preparing the tadka to cut down the cooking time.

Total time: 20 minutes 
Servings: 3
Ingredients:
3 cups water
1/2 cup frozen vegetables like carrot, peas & beans (optional)
2 tbsp. ghee
2 tbsp. cashews
1 tsp. cumin seeds
2 finely chopped green chillies
Few curry leaves
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 cup rice rava / coarsely ground rice
1/2 cup moong dal rava *
Salt to taste

* Toast moong dal (yellow colored) until you notice the aroma and turn off the stove. Let cool and grind the mixture coarsely to a rava / semolina consistency. This can be done in advance and can be stored for months.
 
Method:
* Add water and vegetables if using, to a sauce pan and bring it to a boil. Follow this step only if planning to cook the khichdi faster.
* Heat ghee and toast cashews until golden brown in a medium sized, preferably a non-stick pan. Remove the toasted cashews with a slotted spoon and keep it aside. This is done to retain the crunchiness of cashews.
* To the same ghee, add cumin seeds, chillies, curry leaves and toast until cumin seeds start to turn darker. Next add turmeric, salt, and water - vegetables from the first step. If not in a rush, water and vegetables are added now and brought to a boil. Add both ravas  and mix with a ladle, forming a lump-free mixture. Cover and cook on low flame until done. Stir intermittently once or twice. After the khicdi is done, garnish with the toasted cashews.
* Serve warm with chutney / sambhar. 

This goes to Blogging marathon #59 under the theme 'Bookmarked Dishes'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.

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Paputtu

Initially I thought of doing a travelogue on Coorg for today's post. However when it was time for action, the lazy me decided that figuring out where the pictures were, sorting and compiling them out in an order and writing about the places took longer time than writing down a recipe. I thought that the vacation rant can wait for another time and chose to go instead with an interesting breakfast recipe from the region.

There are several rice based breakfast dishes from Kodagu / Coorg region. Kadambuttu, nuputtu, akki rotti (which is a different version than the one popular in Bangalore - Mysore regions) to name a few. Today's recipe paputtu falls under the same category. Interestingly, the three dishes other than rotti are all steamed and are guilt free options.

Paputtu / paalputtu are steamed rice cakes from the region and the process of paputtu making is on the lines of an instant idli version. The similarities end there and paputtu are enticing with a mild welcoming flavor of cardamom and the creamy sweetness of coconut. These are not sweet from any angle and can be served with any spicy curry or butter and honey. If planning a sweeter version, increase the sugar quantity in the recipe and eat them as it is.

Ingredients:
1 cup akki tari / coarsely ground rice
1 cup milk
1 cup water (Substitute with milk if preferred)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup fresh shredded coconut
1 tsp. cardamom seeds, very coarsely ground

Utensils needed:
Idli Steamer / Pressure Cooker / Idli Cooker
Wide plates with raised rims like dhokla plate or plate idli set

Traditionally very coarsely ground rice is used for this recipe. Rice is washed, dried and ground such that each grain is divided into 3 to 4 bits. I don't grind rice at home and instead use the store bought rice rava when making paputtu. Since that rava is finer, I increase the quantity of rava in the recipe by more than 1/2 cup. It would be somewhere around 1&1/2 cups rava. Or one can decrease the liquid quantity in the recipe if using rice rava. Probably 3/4 cup each of water and milk should suffice.

Method:

* Wash and soak the tari in milk & water mixture along with the coconut for about 30 - 60 minutes.
* Next add the remaining ingredients and gently squeeze the coconut with hands until it releases milk.
* Prepare a steamer and bring water to boil. I used my pressure cooker without the whistle on.
* Grease the plate and pour the batter, filling only upto 3/4 ths.
* Place it in the steamer container, close the lid and cook on medium flame until done, about 20 - 25 minutes. The batter should look cooked and puttu should be firm to touch.
* Allow the puttu to slightly cool, cut into wedges and serve.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 56

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Temple Prasadams ~ Pillayarpatti Modakam

Tamilnadu is known for it's century old temples and I had a hunch that probably I could find a treasure trove of traditional temple recipes if I looked at in the right place. After a few searches on the web, I ended up on a page where I found a list of popular temples in the state and the food associated with them. Yesterday's Azhagar kovil dosa was on that list too though I found it before this search. There was a mention of Karpaga Vinayagar temple of Pillayarpatti on that list, which happens to be an ancient rock cut temple, near Karaikudi. The name of the town is derived from the word 'Pillayar', a Tamil word for Ganesha and obviously the presiding deity of the temple is Lord Ganesha.
This modakam / mothagam is made and distributed as prasadam in the Pillayar temple and when I looked for the recipe, I landed at Sharmi's Place. It sounded similar to Andhra's undrallu recipe albeit a sweeter version. I halved her recipe as there was no one else to share with me and got about nine modakam. They were subtly sweet and in spite of that they were so yummy that I ended up eating a few skipping my lunch. I went by my regular undrallu making method and ended up adding more water than the original recipe mentioned. However still mine were not looking that moist as in the original recipe and I am guessing it is because of the coarser rava I used. 

Ingredients: (Yield 9 modakam)
1/2 cup rice (uncooked) / rice rava
2 tbsp. yellow moong dal
6 - 8 tbsp. jaggery
2 tbsp. fresh shredded coconut
1 tbsp. ghee + extra for greasing

Method:
* Dry toast rice for a couple of minutes and set aside. This step can be skipped if using rice rava. Dry roast moong dal until it starts to turn golden brown. When both rice and moong dal are at room temperature, transfer them to a grinder and coarsely powder them, like rava. (I used the store bought rice rava and just coarsely ground the moong dal.)

* Heat a tsp. of ghee and lightly toast the rava mixture for a couple of minutes.
*  Dissolve jaggery in about 1&1/2 cups water and strain for any impurities. (I skip this step as the jaggery I buy usually is good.) Heat the jaggery water until it starts to boil.
* Lower the heat and add the rice-moong mixture in a slow flow, continuously stirring. 
 
 
* Cover and cook until the mixture looks almost done. Add the ghee, coconut and cardamom and stir for about a minute.
* Turn off the stove and let the mixture cool enough to handle.
 
* Grease your palm with ghee and shape the mixture into lime sized balls. Place them in a greased container.
 
* Steam them for about 10 minutes and serve warm.



This is my post under 'Traditional temple Recipes'. Check the blogging marathon page to see what my fellow marathoners are cooking for BM#52.

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Kadambuttu

Event: BM #47
Theme: One State - Different Cuisines
My Choice: Karnataka State - Kodagu Cuisine
Course: Breakfast

I chose to go with the Kodagu region for today. Living in Karnataka for most part of my life, I roughly have an idea about the geogarphy and the customs of the region. Kodagu that also goes by the anglicized name 'Coorg' and often dubbed as 'Scotland of India" is located in the Western Ghats. This administrative district in the southwestern region of Karnataka happens to be one of the top hill stations in India and a great tourist spot. Most of Kodagu's economy is based on agriculture, plantations and forestry. Kodagu is famous for it's coffee plantations and in fact, coffee revenue helped Kodagu to become one of the richest districts in India. Besides coffee, Kodagu is famous for its unique variety of oranges and forest honey. I remember that when I was younger, we always used to get Coorg honey through one of my father's colleagues.

Kodagu has a rich wildlife and has three wildlife sanctuaries and one national park. The river Kaveri originates in this region at Talakaveri. The river on the banks is dedicated to Lord Brahma, one among the only two Brahma temples in India. Other attractions include Bhagamandala, Nagarahole national park, Iruppu falls, Abbey falls and others. Bhagamandala is a 'Triveni Sangama' - where three rivers Kaveri, Kanika and Sujyothi meet.

The dominant community of the Kodagu region is Kodava, an ethnic indigenous group who were chiefly farmers and militiamen in the past. Guns and swords are essential for their religion, as ritual cult objects and they hold rights to carry light arms. Even a Kodava wedding is an unique affair. No priests are involved like in other Indian communities.

Traditional Kodava Dress:
One can easily recognize kodavas based on their traditional garbs, which of course they (especially men) seldom wear when living in the other parts of the state. I think with the changing ways of the modern world, Kodavas probably wear the traditional dress only on special occasions. The traditional dress for men includes a 'Kupya' - a knee length, half sleeved black coat worn over a full sleeved white shirt. A maroon and golden colored sash is tied at the waist and an ornately carved, silver dagger is tucked into it. Whereas a traditional dress for a Kodava women would be a saree which is draped in an unique way. It is pleated at the back and pallu also comes from back to front and tucked over shoulder. The blouse women wear usually would be a full length or 3/4th sleeved one and they cover their heads with a pice of cloth that usually matches their attire. If you are interested, check this link to see how they dress. (Some info from online sources)
 
Coming to today's recipe, it is going to be Kadambuttu - a guilt-free and gluten free breakfast option from the Coorg Region. As in most south Indian homes, rice plays an important part in Kodava / Coorgi cooking too. Among the long list of rice based 'Kodava' dishes, comes this traditional puttu. Puttu generally refers to steamed rice cakes that maybe either savory / sweet. There are three puttus that are quite popular in the region made with akki thari or coarsely ground rice - paputtu, nuuputtu and kadambuttu. In the case of kadumbuttu, thari (rice rava) is cooked, shaped into balls and then steamed. It is similar to Andhra undrallu without the seasoning. While with nuuputtu, the cooked thari is pressed into strings like noodles and then steamed. 
Usually kodavas prepare kadambuttu from scratch, making their own thari, where rice is ground in such a way that each grain is approximately broken into 3 - 4 bits. Store bough rice rava / idli rava could make a quick and easy substitute. These steamed rice balls are served with a a non-veg side dish like pork or chicken curry since majority of the Kodavas are non vegetarians. Vegetarians can serve this with a vegetable curry, dal or even chutney.

Ingredients: (Make about 15)
2 & 1/2 cups water
3/4 to 1 tsp. salt to taste
1 cup akki thari / rice rava
1 - 2 tbsp. ghee

Method:
* Bring water to a boil in a sauce pan. Stir in salt. Next add rava, stirring it continuously with a sturdy ladle to avoid the mixture forming any lumps. 

* Cover and let the mixture cook on low flame until done, about 10 minutes. The mixture should be moist and well done after cooking but not dried out. (In that case, add a small quantity of hot water, mix and cook further.)

* Remove the mixture from fire and cover. Let it cool enough to handle. Grease your palms with ghee and make smooth, lime sized balls out of the cooked mixture.

* Line a stainless steel container with a muslin cloth or a thin, breathable cotton cloth and place the balls to be steamed without overlapping. Cover loosely with muslin cloth and place it in a steamer/ idly cooker or a pressure cooker without the whistle on.
 * Steam on medium flame for about 20 minutes.

* Remove and serve hot with a side dish of your choice.

Check what other marathoners are cooking during this marathon.

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Instant Rice Rava Idlis / Biyyapu Rava Idli

I was looking forward to try another instant idli for the last entry of this marathon. My husband loves idlis and so I thought of trying a new dish to surprise him. However I almost has to give up on the idli idea when I couldn't come up with anything new until last night. The idea of rice rava idli came today morning when I noticed a rice rava packet in my pantry while preparing breakfast. I prepared the idlis and packed them for my husband's lunch without telling him beforehand. He remembered to tell me that they were very good when he returned home and so I consider this experiment as a hit. According to him, these idlis were way better than rava idlis.

Ingredients: (Make 8 idlis)
1 cup rice rava
1 cup yogurt
Salt to taste
2 tsp oil
1 tsp chana dal
1 tsp urad dal / skinned black gram
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 green chilli finely minced
2 tbsp grated carrot
1 tbsp fresh / frozen peas
1 tbsp corn kernels
2 tbsp finely minced cilantro
2 tbsp finely minced curry leaves
1/2 to 3/4 tsp Eno's fruit salt

Method:
1. Heat oil in a pan. Add chana dal, urad dal, cumin seeds and mustard seeds. When dal starts turning reddish, add green chillies and curry leaves. Saute for about 15 - 20 seconds and add rice rava. Roast the rava for a couple of minutes and remove from heat. Transfer the contents to a mixing bowl and let cool. If in a hurry, transfer the contents to a wide plate and spread to cool faster.
2. Add salt, vegetables, cilantro and yogurt to the rava mixture. Mix well, cover and let it rest for 10 minutes.
3. After the resting period, add Eno's fruit salt to it and mix well. If the mixture seems too thick, add a few tbsp of water and mix well.
4. Grease the idli moulds and fill them with batter. Steam them until done.
5. Serve them with chutney / sambhar. I served them with saagu.

This is going to be my contribution to "Instant Idlis / Dosas". Check what other marathoners are cooking at BM #34.

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Undrallu

What: Steamed Rice Rava Balls
Where: Andhra
When: Vinayaka Chavithi / Ganesh Chaturthi

This month there is going to be a "blogging marathon" here, in a true sense. There will be a new post everyday of this month, which is truly a feat in my standards. :) I don't blog religiously since I see my blog just as a medium for storing recipes. I blog whenever I feel like doing it, sometimes I am excited to do it continuously at a stretch and sometimes I go kaput for weeks. There were of course earlier marathons where I have posted for 4 weeks per month, making it closer to a real marathon. However honestly I have never blogged for a month nonstop and this seems so exciting and challenging at the same time. Thanks Srivalli for being a gracious host and accommodating my wish for a month long marathon. :))

As usual there were set themes for each week of this marathon and the first one is going to be "Ocassions" - the ocassions being anything ranging from themed parties, holidays to religious festivals.We Hindus don't have any dearth of occasions,  especially the latter kind mentioned earlier and the food associated with it. And speaking of religious celebration, here are undrallu served on Ganesha Chaturthi day in Andhra homes.   

Undrallu served with peanut chutney

Undrallu that we are familiar with is a sweet version. They are mandatory "neivedyam" to Lord Ganesha on the festival day in our family but the intriguing part is that no one gets to taste it. It is just thrown over the roof tops of the houses after the puja - neivdyam (worship and offerings) are done or during the evening so that the birds get to eat them. I haven't able to extract the exact reason behind it from the elders though.
Today's post is another version of undrallu, a savory one and is also a part of neivdyam during the festival at many homes. It is a very simple dish to pull through on a festive day and basically a complete contrast to the dishes that are usually associated with festivals. It is not deep fried or loaded with sugar / jaggery and hence a pleasant addition to the neivedyam galore. Basically a non greasy dish that is not spicy and hence can be served to little ones as well. 

Ingredients: (yield 9 balls)
1/2 cup rice rava (homemade or store-bought)
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 Tbsp chana dal / moong dal
1 tsp ghee
Salt to taste

Method:
* Soak chana dal / moong dal for 30 - 60 minutes and drain.
* Heat ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds. When the color starts to change a shade darker, add the dal and fry for few seconds.
* Add 1 & 1/4 cups water to the pan and bring it to a rolling boil.
Slow down the heat, add rice rava and salt to the boiling water. Mix well so that no lumps are formed.

* Cover and cook until the mixture comes together - cooked and dry ( without being watery). Remove the mixture from fire and let it cool for at least five minutes or until you can handle it with bare hands.

* Wet your hands with water and make lemon sized balls out of the cooked rava mixture. Place the balls in a greased container or on a plate, leaving space between them. Steam cook them for about 10 - 12 minutes. I did mine in a pressure cooker without the weight on.

Apart from the festival day, they would be a healthy addition to  breakfast / brunch list on any day. It is usually served with allam pachadi (ginger chutney) since undrallu are not spicy by themselves. Or a peanut / roasted chickpea chutney works as well. 

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

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Rice Rava - Mixed Vegetable Upma / Biyyapu Rava Upma

I could never get away with an easy sandwich, a cereal - milk or a muffin kind breakfast at my home. I, being the one who have to cook on a daily basis can do with a nutella sandwich for my own convenience. However the younger one doesn't like anything sweeter and these quick, instant kind breakfasts get a big "No" from her. While the other adult who keeps traveling for his work, really hates the stuff intensely and besides, I can never shove food down somebody's throat just because I cooked it. And therefore each morning, we prepare and eat what we are used to since our childhoods - a filling, savory Indian breakfast. Friends/ relatives of ours' are surprised to see me dishing out hot steaming idlis, dosas in the morning rush hours, even after being away from the homeland for about one and half decades. 

And so even though sandwiches seemed as the easy route, I went with an upma. Upma is a common south Indian breakfast and a quicker one to pull through among the traditional dishes. To make it quicker, rava frying, cooking the onion / vegetables and boiling the water can be done simultaneously. It is hard to clump up rice rava upma like the semolina one and it tastes wonderful.

Ingredients for 4 servings:
1.5 cups rice rava / finely cracked rice
Serrano peppers, finely chopped - 3 to 4 (If using any other variety, use as many as required.)
2 onions, finely chopped
1 cup prepared and finely chopped vegetables (I used frozen mixed vegetables that had carrot, beans, corn, fresh lima beans and peas.)
Salt to taste
For tadka:  
2 -3 Tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp chana dal / Bengal gram
1 tsp urad dal / Black gram
1 tsp cumin seeds
few curry leaves
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
3 cups water

Method:
* Dry fry the rava on medium flame until the rava starts to turn a shade darker. Remove the rava and set it aside.
* Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan / kadai. Add mustard seeds, chana dal, urad dal and cumin seeds. When the mustard seeds start to splutter and the dals turn red, add chillies and curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds and then add onion and turmeric powder. Cook until the onion turns translucent. If using fresh vegetables, add them along with the onion and cook covered until they are done, for about 10 minutes. 
* Next add water, frozen vegetables (if using) and salt to the pan. Set the stove to highest setting and let the water come to a rolling boil. Once the water is boiling, lower the flame. Add rava slowly in a steady stream, holding the rava container in your left hand while stirring with your right hand to avoid the lumps.  Stir properly and cover the pan. Continue the cooking for a few more minutes until the rava is cooked, stirring in between once or twice. 
Serve hot with chutney or chutney powder or daliya powder.

Check here to know what other marathoners of BM#25 are cooking.

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Biyyapu Rava Upma / Rice Rava Upma / Akki Tari Uppittu

To those who are wondering about me, I am alive and kicking. :) I planned to take a small break during summer because of my India trip. However the actual trip, unpacking, jet lag and falling back to my routine took a while, extending my hiatus to more than a couple of months. After being away, I began feeling like a lost toddler and somewhat grew apprehensive about blogging again. Funny but it happens each time I take a break. :)
To be honest, Srivalli's Blogging marathon #21 brought me back this time and this week, there are going to be some "Upma" posts as this is my chosen theme. These are going to be those upmas that are prepared regularly at my home and haven't appeared yet on my blog. The first one is this simple, delicious and filling upma prepared using rice rava / broken rice.

Ingredients:
1.5 cups rice sooji / biyyapu rava / broken rice / akki tari
5 - 6 chillies, chopped fine (More or less depending upon the heat of chillies.)
Few curry leaves
1/2 cup coconut
Salt to taste
For tadka:
2 Tbsp oil, 1 tsp chana dal / Bengal gram,  1tsp urad dal / split black gram, 1 tsp jeera / cumin seeds, 1 tsp mustard seeds

Method:
* Dry toast the sooji on medium flame until it starts to change color. Remove and keep aside.
* Heat oil in  a pan / kadai. Add the tadka ingredients in the order mentioned. When the dals start to turn reddish, add the chillies and curry leaves. Saute for about 20 - 30 seconds.
* Next add 3 cups of water, salt and coconut to the pan. Bring the water to a rolling boil, lower the heat and add the sooji to it. Keep constantly stirring the sooji while adding to the pan, to avoid forming any lumps. Cover and cook on low flame until the sooji is cooked. Turn off the stove.
* Serve warm with chutney or a dash of lime/lemon juice if desired.

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Easy Breezy Uppudu Pindi

The second session of Blogging Marathon #6 starts from today. There are 20 marathoners participating in this week's marathon and the themes this time are going to be
1. Cooking with one ingredient in seven different ways.

2. Seven days of Regional specials

3. Seven days of Picnic food

4. Seven days of 'Mini bites'

5. One theme a day

I selected "Regional Specials" for this week and chose "Andhra Cuisine" to be my theme. I am starting with a simple and basic sort of dish, "Uppudu Pindi" that can be created using ingredients mundanely found in any Indian pantry. This traditional recipe from the region is served either as breakfast or as a mini meal. One can loosely translate uppudu pindi as rice rava-moong-coconut upma with a basic tadka. A comfortably fulfilling meal that is simple in terms of preparation and can be put together in less time compared to the standard upma since there is no frying of onions / vegetables involved. You don't even have to take out your cutting board and knife if using frozen coconut. 

Ingredients: (For 3 - 4 servings)
1 & 1/4 cups biyyapu ravva (rice rava)
3 Tbsp moongdal (the split, yellow one)
1/4 cup fresh / frozen grated coconut (I used frozen)
2 cups water
Salt to taste
For tadka: 2 - 3 tsp oil, 1 Tbsp uraddal (skinned, split blackgram), 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 5 - 6 red chillies broken into bits

Method:
* Soak moongdal in hot water for about 10 minutes and drain.
* Heat oil in a kadai / pan and add the tadka ingredients. When the dal starts to turn reddish, add water, salt, coconut and moong dal to the pan.
* When the water comes to a rolling boil, reduce the heat to medium low. Add rava, continuously stirring. Cook covered until rava is done and appears fluffy.
* Serve with some avakaya for that authentic touch or with any spicy pickle or powder.

Note:
1. Moongdal is generally cooked prior to the rava addition. The extra water used to cook moongdal tends to make a mushy upma since it is hard to keep count on the water used. I don't prefer to end up with a mushy stuff and so soak the moongdal before adding it to the rava, which results in a fluffier upma.
2. Biyyapu nooka (coarse / cracked rice) can replace biyyapu rava (rice rava / rice ground to semolina consistency) in this recipe. The water quantity may need adjustment when cracked rice is used.

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