Carrot Kosambari (Seasoned Carrot Salad)

Carrot Kosambari is a very healthy seasoned salad. Carrot is considered to be a rich source of Vitamin A. It is also a good source of dietary fiber, minerals etc. Read more about it here. Eating raw carrot has many benefits. Try making this Salad and get the goodness of carrot.

Ingredients:

• Carrot, medium sized- 2
• Grated Coconut, fresh/frozen- 2 Tbsp
• Green Chillies, chopped- 1-2
• Cilantro/Coriander leaves- 4-5 sprigs
• Lemon- juice from half of a lemon (adjust accordingly)
• Salt- To taste
• Oil- 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves- 3-4

Procedure:

Grate the cleaned Carrot. Take the grated carrot in a bowl.

To this add grated coconut, chopped green chillies, lime juice and salt. Mix well. 

For seasoning- Heat oil and add mustard seeds. Once it starts spluttering add curry leaves and turn off the heat. Add this to the carrot mixture. Mix well. Garnish it with chopped cilantro. Carrot Kosambari is ready!!

Serve it for lunch or dinner. Above measurement serves two people.

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Ukde Idli (Boiled Rice Idli)

Ukde Idli is a different variety of idli. It is made, using a special variety of rice called boiled rice/Red rice. This rice is commonly used in Coastal regions of Karnataka. The rice gives a different taste as well as texture. Red rice gives more softness when compared to white rice. Hence this rice is added 3 times to the amount of Urad dal. I got this recipe from a cook book written by Jaya V Shenoy.Try making it and enjoy!

Ingredients:

• Boiled Rice/ Red Rice- 1 1/2 cups
• Split Black gram/ Urad dal- 1/2 cup
• Cooked rice- A fistful (Optional)
• Salt- To taste

Procedure:

Soak boiled rice for 6-8 hours (I soaked it over night). Soak urad dal for 2-3 hours. Grind urad dal along with cooked rice. Add water as required. The urad dal paste should be thick. Transfer the paste to a bowl. Let it ferment for 8-9 hours in a warm place.

For rice rava- Grind the soaked rice to a medium coarse consistency, with very little water (divide the rice into two batches. Red rice takes more time to break down than the white rice). Add the coarse rice to the fermented urad dal and mix well. Add salt to taste. Idli batter is ready.

Now grease the idli mould using oil and add the batter half way through in each mould.

Steam them in a steamer for 15-16 minutes. Ukde Idli is ready!!

Serve it hot with Sambhar or any chutney of your choice. Above measurement serves four people.

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Celebrating my 100th Post with Appi Paaysu (Crushed Pooris in Saffron Milk)

Appi Paaysu is a very rich milk based dessert. It is similar to rice pudding. Here instead of rice, crushed pooris are added. One more way to satisfy the sweet tooth:-) I am a big fan of this dessert. I had this dessert only few times, that too in wedding functions. My amma never made this at home. I got this recipe from my aunt but not the measurements. I made some rough calculations, without knowing how it would turn out! Aaah.. All went well and I was happy with the result. 
When I was approaching my 100th post, I kept on thinking as- what would be that special post? I had few recipes in my mind and finally settled with this.

The journey from 1st post to 100th was not at all tough. Posting the first recipe itself was a tough thing to me. Even though I enjoyed cooking, I didn't have that confidence in me that I can write a blog. All the credit would go to my dearest husband for encouraging me- to cook as well as write a blog! I am also thankful to my parents, in laws and all my dear ones who joined me in this cooking journey and encouraged me to post more recipes. Not to forget my brother in law- he was the one who suggested the name to my blog- LAKSHMI CANTEEN.
I always believe cooking is one of the way to impress your loved ones. Eat healthy and Happy cooking:-) Enjoy making this Payasam..

Ingredients:

For Poori:

• All Purpose flour/Maida- 1/2 cup
• Semolina/Rava- 2 Tbsp
• Oil- 1 tsp

For Saffron Milk:

• Milk- 3 cups
• Sugar- 1/2 cup (adjust accordingly)
• Saffron- A generous pinch
• Cardamom pods- 4-5
• Cashew nut and raisins- 2 Tbsp each
• Ghee/ Clarified butter- 2 tsp
• Oil/ghee- For deep frying

Procedure:

To make Poori- Take all purpose flour and rava in a bowl. Mix it well and add a tea spoon of oil. Again mix it well so that all the particles get a light coating of oil. Now add water as required and make a stiff dough. Once the dough is ready, coat it with few drops of oil. Close it with a lid or damp cloth and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, knead the dough for 1-2 minutes and divide the dough into 8-10 small balls.

Now start rolling the ball into circle of 5-6cm of diameter (just like the size of a medium poori). Use All purpose flour for dusting.

Repeat this process for rest of the balls. Then fry these rolled pooris in ghee/oil (ghee would be preferred. If not use fresh oil).

Pooris are ready. Half of the work is completed!

Now to make saffron milk- Take milk in a pan and start heating it on medium flame. Keep stirring to prevent it from burning.

Add crushed saffron to the milk (you can as well dissolve it in few tea spoon of hot milk and then add it). After 7-8 minutes, add sugar and mix well. Continue heating for 3-4 minutes and turn off the heat. Add cardamom powder and mix well. Now crush the pooris using hand (I just added 7 poories out of 9). Add these pieces to the saffron milk. 

Let this rest for 15-20 minutes. Garnish it with cashews and raisins roasted in ghee. Appi Paaysu is ready!!

It tastes best when chilled. Above measurement serves 2-3 people.

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Udida Appo ( Rice- Lentil Balls)

Udida Appo is one more simple and popular breakfast in South India. It is also popular as Paniyaram. This is also a way to finish up the dosa batter:-) I had also posted the sweet version of Appo. Check it here. Enjoy this simple dish. You can also make it more interesting, by adding veggies to the batter.

Ingredients:

• Rice- 1 cup
• Split black gram/Urad dal- 1/2 cup
• Cooked rice- Fistful (Optional)
• Salt- To taste
• Oil/butter- For Frying (optional)

I used the left over batter of Uthappam.

Procedure:

Soak the rice and urad dal for 2-3 hours. Grind them together along with cooked rice, to a fine consistency. Add water as required. The batter should be medium thick. Keep this batter 8-10 hours, for fermentation. Once it is fermented add salt and mix well. Batter is ready.

Now heat the special pan, used for making Appo.

Add few drops of oil in each small moulds. Now pour the batter in each of them.

Let it cook covered/uncovered until it turns golden brown on bottom part. Then carefully turn them using a fork/spoon.

Look at the color. I just love it (you can fry them little less than this. I like to make it golden brown). Fry the other side until you get a uniform color throughout. Remove them and serve. Udida Appo is ready!!

Serve it hot with coconut chutney. Above measurement serves 3-4 people.

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Gova Kanache Khichidi (Broken Wheat Pudding)

Gova Kanache Khichidi is a very healthy dessert. Gova Kana in konkani means broken wheat. This pudding is sweetened using jaggery and demands less ghee. I had also posted one more khichidi in my earlier post. Check the recipe for it here. So enjoy making this easy, old and healthy dessert.

Ingredients:

• Broken Wheat- 1/2 cup
• Split Chickpeas/Chana dal- 1/4 cup
• Jaggery- 3/4 to 1 cup (adjust accordingly)
• Grated Coconut- 1/4 cup
• Ghee/ Clarified butter- 2-3 Tbsp
• Cardamom powder- 1 tsp
• Cashew nut and raisins- 2 Tbsp each

Procedure:

Fry chana dal in pan for few minutes, until there is a slight change in its color and a nice aroma is got.

Now mix this with broken wheat and cook in a pressure cooker for three whistles, by adding required amount of water (I added 2 cups of water).

Now keep the cooked broken wheat- chana dal mixture on a flame and add powdered jaggery and mix well (Add water if it is too dry. I didn't add water). Once the jaggery mixes well with the broken wheat-chana dal mixture, add grated coconut and 1-2 Tbsp of ghee.

Continue heating for five more minutes with constant stirring and turn off the heat. Now add cardamom powder and garnish it with cashew nut and raisins fried in ghee. Gova Kana Khichidi is ready!!

Serve it hot with an extra topping of ghee. Above measurement serves 3-4 people.

Note: You can substitute sugar for jaggery. Even this way, it gives good results.

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Rava Dosa

Rava dosa is one more popular item in the menu of the South Indian restaurants. This dosa has a very crispy texture. The batter for this dosa can be made within five minutes and doesn't require any fermentation. The only time where it takes more time is while frying. So I would prefer making this dosa on a week end and enjoy each and every bit of the dosa.I got this recipe from vahrevah.com.

 I have made this dosa couple of times, but didn't turn as good as this. May be I made it on a week day and didn't give enough time for roasting or may be the dosa knew that, it would be seen by many people:-) I enjoyed making it as well as eating. So now its your turn to make and enjoy!!

Ingredients:

• Rava/Semolina- 1/2 cup
• Rice flour- 1/2 cup
• All purpose flour/Maida- 1/4 cup
• Cumin seeds/Jeera- 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida- 1-2 pinches
• Pepper powder- 1/4 tsp (I didn't add)
• Green chillies, chopped- 2-3
• Grated ginger- 1/2 tsp
• Salt- To taste
• Chopped Onion- As required
• Oil- As required

Procedure:

Take a mixing bowl and add all the above mentioned ingredients except chopped onion. Add water generously and mix it well. The consistency of the batter should be thin (Buttermilk Consistency).

Now heat the dosa pan on medium heat ( I had a huge pan, hence could make a bigger square shaped dosa like they give in a restaurant). Then start spreading chopped onions all over it.

Now start spreading (or spluttering) the batter all over the pan with the help of your hand. Don't try to fill all the spaces in between. It gives a good look as well as gives a nice texture (you can as well use a ladel but hand would be recommended. The batter must be constantly stirred as rava keeps settling down. Add water after each dosa, if you think the batter is thick). Spread little oil, all over the dosa.

Allow the dosa on the pan until it turns very crispy. 

Once it is golden brown and crispy, fold the dosa and transfer it to a plate. Rava Dosa is ready!!

Serve it hot with Chutney. Above measurement serves 2-3 people.

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Vaali Bendhi (Malabar Spinach Curry)

Vaali Bendhi is a very tasty and simple konkani dish. Vaali in konkani means malabar spinach. You might check my earlier recipes for malabar spinach recipes here  along with its benefits and one more here. Vaali Bendhi is nothing but malabar spinach cooked in coconut based gravy and has a garlic seasoning. Enjoy this healthy dish!

Ingredients:

• Malabar Spinach- 1 bunch
• Grated Coconut, fresh/frozen- 2/3 cup
• Roasted Red Chillies- 4
• Tamarind- A very small ball (gooseberry sized)
• Garlic pods- 5-6
• Oil- 1 Tbsp
• Salt- To taste

Procedure:

Separate the leaves and stem of malabar spinach. Chop the leaves and cut the stem into 5-6cm long.

Now pressure cook this adding little water and salt for one whistle.

For masala- Grind grated coconut, roasted red chillies and tamarind to a fine paste, adding water as required. Add this paste to the cooked malabar spinach and bring it to a boil.

Continue heating for five more minutes and turn off the heat. Consistency of the gravy should be medium thick.

For seasoning- Heat oil and add crushed garlic pods. Fry it until it turns golden brown. Add this to the prepared gravy. Vaali Bendhi is ready!!

Serve it hot with rice. Above measurement is for serving two people.

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