Patoli!!!

This is a famous Mangalore delicacy. I used to relish this sweet dish especially made during festivals in India. It is a very tedious ,time consuming dish but the end product is all worth the pains. I never relised the amount of work that goes into making this dish until I made it for Ganesha Chaturthi this year(2010).

You will need:

About 8 turmeric leaves( I used banana leaves instead since I didn't find turmeric leaves here in the US)
1 cup rice
11/2 cup grated coconut
1 cup jaggery
1 tsp cardomom powder


Method:

Soak the rice with 1/2 cup grated coconut for 3 hours. Grind this into a fine paste by adding water.

Take a pot and heat it. Add the rice paste into the pot and cook it by stirring it regularly. You will see that rice paste starts getting thicker and thicker. Once all the rice gets cooked it will all come together. Allow it to cool down and then kneed it just like you kneed the chapati dough. Make small balls out of it.

For the filling:
Take a pan and melt the jaggery into it. To this add 1 cup grated coconut and cardomom powder and stir it well and keep aside.

Take a turmeric leaf( or small square cut banana leaf) and spread a small ball of the rice dough onto it using water occasionally to wet the finger while spreading. Once this is done ,fill it with a spoon of jaggery,coconut filling and close the leaf and seal it well. Repeat this with other leaves.

Steam this in a steamer /idly maker for about 10 minutes.

Once it is steamed you can remove it by opening the leaf and you will get a nice aroma of the turmeric leaf or banana leaf into the sweet.

Patoli is ready to be relished!!!!!

Vegetable Lasagna!!!

VEGETABLE LASAGNA!

I don't generally get a chance to order lasagna at any food joints in here becasue most of the traditional lasagna have meat in it in the sauce that I generally don't prefer. The only delicious vegetable lasagna I ate was on my birthday in 2007 on Catabwa Queen Cruise on Lake Norman here in Charlotte. I loved it. I decided to try making vegetable lasagna at home. It took a hell lot of time for the final product to be ready but it was all worth it at the end.

You will need:

Lasagna (about 8 strips)
For the sauce:
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 cup finely chopped tomatoes
2 cups pizza sauce(store bought)
1 cup broccoli florets (made into small pieces)
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/4 tsp pepper powder
salt to taste

For the cheese mixture:
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated ricotta cheese
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves.

Method:

First cook the pasta in boiling water for about 12 minutes. Drain it and keep it aside.

Take a pan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and add the onions and cook till it gets transparent. Then add the other veggies and stir fry them for about 5 minutes. Then add the pizza sauce ,papper powder and salt and cook for another 5 minutes adding water if required. Allow the sauce to get a little thicker and turn off the flame.

In a bowl mix all the differnt cheeses and oregano and keep it aside.

In a baking container arrange the lasagna strips one over the other filling in the sauce and the cheese mixture on alternate layers . Cover the final layer with the cheese mixture , and sprincle the chooped basil leaves and cover the container and bake it for 30 minutes at 350F. Then bake it agian uncovered for about 10 min.

Vegetable lasagna is ready to be relished!!!!

Obattu/Holige/Puran poli!!!!!

Wow!!! so many names for a single dish!! Puran poli is what I am used to calling it. It is very famous sweet dish in south India and is made during festivals. I tried this for the first time for Nagarpanchami this year(2010). With the help of my aunty's guidance over the phone I was able to make this delicious delight!!!

You will need:

1 cup chana dal
1 cup jaggery
1 tsp cardomom powder
1 1/2 cups maida/all purpose flour
a pinch turmeric
1/4 cup samolina
Salt to taste

Method:

First pressure cook the chana dal and drain all the water and keep it aside.

Then cook the chana dal mixed with jaggery in a pan for about 10 minutes.Add cardomom powder to this and grind the mixture without adding water.This mixture wiil be used as the filling.

Now mix the all pupose flour ,samolina,turmeric ,salt to taste and water and kneed the dough well and keep it covered for an hour.

Make small balls out the all purpose flour dough and flatten each ball with the palm of your hand. Fill each one with the small ball of chana dal mixture(filling )and seal the entire filling by pulling the dough across it on the top.

Apply oil to a plastic paper, keep the dough with the filling on it and roll it to a samll thin disc.Fry this on a hot pan till it becomes slightly golden brown in colour on both sides.

Puran poli is ready to be relished!!!!!

Stuffed capsicum(bell pepper)!!!!

STUFFED CAPSICUM!!!

This is my grandmother's recipe. We used to relish this stuffed capsicum she made for us then.She used to steam them after stuffing the peppers with the mixtures but I tried baking them in the oven. It took about 30 minutes to cook at 425F.

You will need:

Two medium sized green bell peppers(capsicum)
1 cup gram flour
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1tsp red chilli powder
1tsp turmeric powder
1/2 cup water.
salt to taste

Method:

Take a pot and mix the gram flour ,chopped onions,red chilli powder,turmeric powder, salt,water and make it into think paste.Keep it aside.
Make two longitudinal slits (perpendicular to eachother)on the bell peppers so that it nicely opens like a flower.
Fill the peppers with the stuffing mixture and bake them in the oven at 425F for about 30 minutes.

The stuffed capsicum is ready !!! It can be relished as it as or can be served as side dish with rice !

Thai Fried Rice!!!

VEGETABLE THAI FRIED RICE!

This is my all time favorite of the Thai cuisine. I just don't seem to get enough of eating vegetable thai fried rice at a food joint close to my place. I tried making my own thai fried rice last week and surprisingly it came out pretty decent.

You will need:

1 cup jasmine rice
1 cup tofu (I used firm tofu ,cut in shape you prefer)
1/4 cup chopped garlic
1/2 cup brocolli frorets
1/2 cup snow peas
1/2 cup julienne-cut carrots(or diced carrots)
1/2 cup sliced onions
1 tbsp pepper powder
1 tsp fish sauce(optional)
3 tsp soya sauce
salt to taste.

Method:

First cook the jasmine rice and keep it aside.

Take a pan and heat 1 tbsp on oil in it. Shallow fry the tofu till they become reddish brown in color.Take it out and keep aside. Into the same pan add 1 tsp of oil and add the chopped garlic and saute it. Now add the onions and saute till till it becomes transparent.Then add carrots and cook it for 2 to 3 minutes and then add brocolli and snow peas. Cook it for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the fried tofu to this and mix well.

To this add the cooked rice and mix well. Add the soya sauce,fish sauce and pepper powder,salt and mix well. Add more soya sauce if required.

The vegetable thai fried rice is ready to be relished!!

Thai Red Curry!!!

THAI RED CURRY!!

I just love Thai cuisine for their delicious curry and jasmine rice!AH .. heaven!
I found this thai red curry mix at a grocery store and decided to make my customized thai red curry. It sure did turn out very delicious and was quite simple to prepare and quick too!

You will need:

Thai red curry paste
1/4 cup chopped garlic
1 cup sliced onions
1/2 cup julienne-cut carrots
1/2 cup brocolli florets
1 cup snow peas
1/2 thai curry mix
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp sugar
salt to taste

Method:

Heat oil in pan and add onions and saute till they get transparent.Now add the thai curry paste( can be purchased in any grocery store), garlic and cook for about 2 to 3minutes till you get a nice aroma.To this add the coconut milk ,sugar and salt, then bring to the boil. Finally add the veggies(brocolli, snow peas,carrots and close the lid.Cook for about 10 to 12 minutes.

Thai red curry is ready to relish!!!! It is best served with jasmine rice.