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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Mixed Flour and Vegetable Thepla

Thepla, a staple bread from Gujarati kitchens is nutritious and can be served for any meal of the day. The bonus point is that one doesn't need to go through the hassle of preparing a side dish to go with them. A spicy pickle and yogurt on the side will do, the two staple ingredients of any Indian kitchen. Theplas remain softer for longer periods unlike the regular rotis and therefore are ideal to get packed in a lunch box, a picnic basket or as a travel food.

I gave a small twist to the traditional recipe adding a blend of flours and vegetables to make it more healthier and filling. You can customize the recipe by adding flours you have on hand and raw vegetables you think would work in theplas. Adjust the spice quantities if serving little ones and they can eat them directly with some ghee smeared over them, if preferred. You can find the classic methi thepla recipe here and oats thepla here.

Ingredients: (Make about 12 theplas)
1 and 1/4 cup wheat flour (gehu ka atta) + extra for dusting
2 tbsp. chickpea flour (besan)
2 tbsp. amaranth flour (rajgire ka atta)
2 tbsp. millet flour (bajre ka atta)
2 tbsp. sorghum flour (jowar ka atta)
1/8 tsp. ground turmeric
Salt to taste
1 inch piece ginger + 2 -3 green chillies (adjust the quantity as needed)
or
1 tsp. ginger - green chillie paste (or adjust as needed)
1/4 cup fresh / frozen green peas
1/2 cup roughly chopped fenugreek greens / methi
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 tsp. white sesame seeds
1/3 cup yogurt (I used homemade fat-free yogurt.)
1 tsp. oil + extra to toast theplas (I used canola oil.)
Water as needed

Method:
1. Pulse the flours, salt, turmeric, ginger - green chillies (if not using paste) and peas in a food processor until ginger, chillies and peas are chopped into fine bits. Or just coarsely grind the peas alone.
2. Transfer the ingredients to a mixing bowl and add all the remaining ingredients except water. Form a firm dough adding water if needed, in small increments. (You may need a tbsp. or two of water.) Finally add a tsp. of oil and knead for few seconds.

3. The final dough should be soft and pliable, easy to roll into a ball. If it is sticky, add flour as needed and knead it to make it firm. In case it is too dry, add a little water and knead. Cover and set aside for about 30 minutes. Divide the dough into 10 - 12 balls or make lemon sized balls.

4. Work with one flour ball at a time, keeping the rest covered. Coat a ball with flour and press slightly to flatten it. Roll it into a thin circle of about 5 inches diameter, dusting the work surface with flour if needed. (Theplas can be rolled and toasted simultaneously. In case of novice cooks, a few theplas can be rolled before turning on the stove so that the process would not become overwhelming.)  

5. Heat a cast iron or non stick griddle over medium heat. Place the rolled thepla on the pan and cook until the surface appears bubbly. Flip it and add 1/2 tsp oil around the edges and run the backside of the oily spoon over the surface of the thepla just to coat it with oil. Press the edges down with a spatula to cook evenly. As soon as the brown spots appear on the bottom side, flip it once more, cook for 10 seconds or so and transfer it onto a plate.

6. Repeat the steps 4 and 5 until all the theplas are made. 
7. Serve them with some Indian style spicy pickle / achaar and yogurt. Lightly smear with ghee if serving kids.

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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