Fruit cake

Recipe coutsey of 'womens era' magazine where someone sends recipe entry from theier collection.
Ingredients
All purpose Flour – 2 cups
Baking Powder – 1/2 tsp
Eggs - 4
Dry Fruits – 1 1/2 cup assorted ...chopped cherriess, plums,figs, apricots, dates, raisins, currants ),
Candied Peel of lemon, orange, ginger slices – 1/4 cup
Tutti Fruity mix – 1 cup
Mixed Nuts – 1/2 cup mixed ...Walnuts, Cashews, Almonds
Dark Rum – 1 cup
Light Brown Sugar – 1 cup
butter – 1/2 cup
Cloves - 3
Cinnamon sticks - 1

For Caramel
Sugar – 1/2 cup
Boiling Hot Water – 1/2 cup


Method

Soak the dry fruits, candied peel, tutti fruiti, cinnamon sticks and cloves in rum for 1-4 weeks. Remove the candied fruits and peels from rum and save the rum for later. Remove cloves and cinnamon sticks, discard after soaking is done.

In a heavy bottomed pan, on low heat, warm regular sugar till it melts and caramelizes. Add hot water and mix to one good boil.cool.


Sift the flour along with the baking powder. In a mixing bowl, add the butter, eggs and brown sugar and whisk till frothy. Add the flour mixture, the fruits, nuts and cramel and mix well. This turns into a very thick batter so a wooden spoon is recommended for mixing.

Grease with butter, 3 loaf tins. Preheat oven to 350F and bake for 50 mins to 1 hr.

Kubbe sukke

This dish is mostly eaten with pan polo or with undi by the amchigele's that I know.
Maybe we adapted the undi part as a side dish from the Bunts since it is one of their delicacy to have pundi with marwai aajadina/ kori aajadina ( clam sukka/ chicken sukka). Whoever came up with this combo must be a great foodie, since it now ours us to keep....graciously appreciating the Bunts for discovering this!

Ingredients

Clams/kubbe/marwai- about 50

For Masala
1 cup coconut
10 red chillies
1 tbsp coriander seeds
2 flakes garlic
1/4 tsp tamarind paste
Salt to taste

For seasoning
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, finely chopped


Method
Wash the kubbo and steam for 5 mins( do not cook too long) which helps open up the shells. Wash the steamed kubbo to remove sand grains trapped in it. This takes a lot of rinsing but is worth it. Remove one of the shell that is not attached to the meat. All the shells can be removed too but I save some just for the fun of eating the clams.

Roast the red chillies, coriander seeds, and garlic with a little oil. Then grind all the ingredients with tamarind to a fine paste with as little water required for grinding as possible.
Heat oil to temper and add chopped onion fry add the masala and the cleaned kubbo, cover the dish, simmer and cook till the kubbo is cooked completely.
Let the dish reduce its liquid on the smallest flame so the masala sticks to the shells and is a semi dry dish.

Masala bhindi

Ingredients
2 lbs bhindi,slit into 2 lengthwise
1/2 tsp dhaniya-jeera
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoon chilli powder
2 teaspoons chaat masala
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tbsp oil

Mix all the ingredients along with bhindi to coat all the bhindi.
Cover a cookie sheet with aluminium foil and spay with a cooking spray or grease the botton with oil with a paper towel. Preheat oven to 350F.
Roast for 20 mins. Stir to turn over the bhindi and broil for 5-8 mins on high. Serve as starter.

Sungta hinga udda

Ingredients
Shrimp 2 lbs
Coconut 1 cup
red chillies 10-12
tamarind paste 1/2 tsp
Coconut oil 4 tbsp
hing 1 tsp

Make a paste out of coconut, tamarind, salt and red chillies. Cook shrimp on a simmered heat along with the ground masala till shrimps are completely cooked. Remove off of heat and add hing and coconut oil and cover the pot with lid for 5 mins.
Serve hot with rice.

Piyave thamboli

This is a gravy that does not require any cooking. It is served cold with hot rice. The masala is made like a chutney and finely chopped onions are added just before serving.

Ingredients for the chutney
1 cup coconut
4 roasted red chillies
1/4 tsp tamarind paste
salt

onion 1
oil 1tsp

Make a fine paste out the above ingredients(except oil and onion)and add oil and chopped onions. Since this is uncooked gravy, keep it refrigerated.
Serve it with rice.

Happy halloween!

Chakkuli

Ingredients
Rice powder - 3 cups
Urad dal 1 cup
Butter 1 stick
salt
Cumin seeds 2 tsp

Oil for deep frying

Method:
dry roast the urad Dal until it turnslight brown.cool and powder.

In a mixing bowl add powdered urad dal,salt,cumin seeds,rice powder and melted butter. Prepare a soft dough adding enough water. The dough should be bound together and not crumbly.

Now fill it into the chakkuli press and make chakkulies over wax paper .

Heat oil and when the temperature is appropriate drop the chakkuli and fry till they turn brown and crisp.

Note: Typically, this Rao family strongly disagrees storing of awesomely made crisp fried snacks and I never had to worry about storing since they are finished off on the same day....but, Chakkuli can be stored in an airtight container for a couple weeks.

Valval / Avial

Ingredients:
Sour curds 1/2 cup
Curry leaves 1 sprigs
3 tbsp Coconut Oil
Salt

for the masala:
1 cup cup of dessicated Coconut
5-6 Green chillies
1 tsp Cummin seeds

Mixed vegetables : Ashgourd,drumsticks,potato,carrots, beans, yam, plantain,etc.

Method:
Grind together the ingredients to make a fine paste, adding very little water.
Cook all the vegetables with salt and 2 slit green chillies.When cooked, add the masala and boil. Add curds and stir, take off heat.
Temper with mustard seeds, green chillies and curry leaves and mix well. Do not heat.
Serve hot with rice.

Happy Diwali 09!

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khoya and Almond burfi

12 0z Khoya
(comes in a 12 oz slab)
1 cup grated coconut ( 1/2 a packet)
1 cup powdered almonds
1/4 cup rava
1 tsp cardamom powder
1 tbsp ghee

For syrup:
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups water

1/2 cup almonds, crushed
( also,about 25 whole almonds for garnish)
10 cashew, crushed


Mix grated khoya, coconut, almond powder, rava, cardamom and fry them lightly with ghee on a low heat untill u smell the aroma and get close to the color of almond skin.

Separately, prepare one-string syrup by dissolving sugar in the water.

Now stir the coconut mixture into the syrup. keep stirring till the mixture binds into a ball and most of the liquid is evaporated.( took me abt 10 Min's)

Grease the plate with ghee, transfer the prepared mixture and pat evenly (use ghee smeared spatula to deal with the stickiness).

While still warm (not hot) cut it in diamond shape. Place a whole almond for the garnish.

Ekpanne thamboli

Its the 2nd year anniversary to my blog! Yay!
Surprisingly I don't have a sweet dish to put up but I do have a nutritious, memory booster, tastiest thamboli among my favourites.
Ekpanne a k a one leaf , vandelega in kannada, Brahmi in Sanskrit and Thimare in tulu.... tastes very good for health and taste in chutney form and as thamboli ...but we completely disregard the health benifts and eat it just for its taste....just like any other amchi family. I haven't tried it any other way other than chutney or thamboli and I believe these are the only ways of consumption common to everyone back home. I miss this here in the U.S and should remember to have this during my visit to IND in summer, when it grows like crazy in our farm.
This is an uncooked gravy. Refrigerate to preserve the flavor.
Ingredients:
Ekpanne leaves about 1 cup
green chilles 6
Coconut 1/2 cup
cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
ghee
tamarind paste 1/2 tsp

Method:
Heat ghee and fry the jera with ekpanne leaves till they wilt, roast coconut.Grind it with all the above ingredients.
Serve with rice.

Aloo Gobhi

Ingredients
Cauliflower, about 1 lbs
potato 2 large, boiled, cubed
green chillies 5, finely chopped
ginger-garlic paste 2 tsp
garam masala 1tsp
dhaniya powder 1/2 tsp
jeera 1/2 tsp crushed
chili powder 1 tsp
bay leaves 3
hing and salt to taste
coriander leaves for garnish

Heat oil and season with crushed jeera, hing, ginger garlic paste and turmeric, add cauliflower and saute till it softens without adding any water. when cooked halfway, add rest of the ingredients, salt and potatoes. cook on low flame, stirring it often so as to prevent it from sticking. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Varan

A very simple seasonless dal.

Ingredients
1 cup toor dal
turmeric powder
salt
hing
1teaspoon ghee

Method

Pressure cook toor dal & mash and add the required quantity of water to desired consistency..
Add ghee, turmeric powder and hing to the dal and boil well.
Serve with white rice and vaingan-batata bhaji.

Gajar halwa

Ingredients
Carrots 2lbs
Milk 2 cups
Raisins 10
Condensed milk 1 cup
Sugar,according to sweetness you
Almond- 2 tbsp
cashew nuts- 2 tbsp
pistachio-1 tbsp
Ghee- 2tsp

Method
Grate the carrots. Add the grated carrots in a kadai with the milk. Keep stirring till the carrots cook well and the milk is totally absorbed. Then add the condensed milk and keep stirring till you get a thick consistency. Add sugar only if necessary , considering the amount of condensed milk in it. keep stirring till the halwa starts to leave the sides of the pan, add ghee and garnish with pistachio, cashew nuts, crushed almonds and raisins.

Udid Methi

Yes, this dish is named after just these two ingredients even though it has more than 10. This one is among my favourite dish that is prepared by my M I L, who happens to be a great cook according to me, my hubby and my cousins( other delicious preparations are sungat pannaupkari, visonu fry,varan,surnoli and pulao).

Ingredients:
Coconut 1/2 cup
brinjal 4
drumsticks pcs about 1cup
methi seeds 1/4 tsp
Coriander seeds 1/2 tsp
Urad dal 1/2 tsp
Jaggery 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Red chillis 5-6
Curry leaves 4-5
Oil 1 tsp
Salt

Method:
Heat oil and fry coriander seeds, Urad dal, methi seeds, red chillies. Grind with jaggrey, tamarind and coconut to a fine paste.
Heat oil and season with mustard seeds, when they splutter add curry leaves and 2 broken red chillies add vegetables and 1/2 cup water, cook for 10 mins. Add ground masala, salt and Cook for another 5 minutes.
Serve hot with rice.

Bharli Mirchi

Ingredients
2 large onions sliced
3 potatoes-peeled & mashed
1 / 2 cup green peas
1 cup paneer, crumbled
1 tomato, finely chopped
1/ 4 tsp jeera
1 /2 tsp chili powder
1/ 2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 pinch turmeric powder
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

1 tbsp oil

salt to taste

Cut the tops off of capsicum.
Heat oil in a pan add jeera and the onions and some salt and fry 2 mins.
Add the potatoes, paneer and peas, salt ,chili,coriander and turmeric powder, garam masala. when the mixture is well blended, add tomatoes and Mix well, sauteing on medium heat and add coriander leaves. keep aside.
Stuff the mixture into the capsicum.

Heat oil in a saute pan and place all the stuffed capsicum in a single layer.The purpose is to brown the outside of the capsicum to caramalize the skin for a smoky flavor.when the outsides have browned evenly, bharli mirch is done.

Idli

Ingredients
3 cups parboiled rice
1 cup urad dal
1tsp methi, optional
salt to taste
oil for greasing

Method :
Wash and soak the rice and urad dal seperately for 4-5 hrs.
Drain, wash and grind urad dal and methi sees if using to smooth paste.Remove the urad dal paste and grind the rice to a medium fine(rava granule) consistency.
Let it ferment overnight. Add salt and mix well. Pour spoonfuls of the batter into greased idli moulds and steam for 10 to 15 mins in a idli steamer or pressure cooker.

Serve the fluffy smooth idli's along with sambhar and coriander chutney.

Lasuni chutney

The pic here is lasuni chutney pitti.
1 cup dry coconut( copra) shredded
20-25 red chillies
20-25 garlic cloves
salt
Dry roast finely chopped garlic, coconut and red chilles, all separately. cool. Grind dry with coconut and salt to a coarse powder. Make sure to pulse grind since grinding all at one stretch may release moisture and turn into mush. This can be roasted again in a dry kadai to evaporate all the moisture if any.

This can be stored in a refrigerator for about a month.
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This is another kind of chutney that has similar ingredients but is wet ground and mostly used immediately unlike the Puddi chutney recipe (above).

Ingredients
1 cup coconut
15 red chillies
15 garlic cloves/ lasun
salt to taste

Method
Grind the coconut,chillies and garlic with the minimum required water. This does not require any other seasoning.
This chutney is great with pann-polo, as a masala spread for masala dosa and idli's.

Kothambari Chutney

Coriander leaves chutney

Ingredients
1 cup coconut
1 bunch kothombari/coriander leaves
6 green chillies
1/2 tsp tamarind paste
salt to taste

For the tempering
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 red chilli, broken into pieces
1 sprig curry leaves
2 teaspoon oil

Method


Grind the coconut, green chillies, tamarind and salt to a fine paste. Temper with oil, mustard seeds, red chillies and curry leaves.

Val Bhaji

Val or surti val is a little bitter for a first timer and is an acquired taste.

Ingredients
2 cups val
2 tsp cumin seeds
4 green chilies
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tbsp jaggery
1 tbsp coconut
salt

For the tempering
2 tsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp hing
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chili powder

tamarind
coriander leaves

Method

Wash and soak val beans overnight in plenty of water. After 8-10 hrs, drain all the water and rinse beans until the water runs clear. Tie the beans in a cotton cloth to let it sprout. Keep them covered in a warm place, for 24 hours or till they sprout.

After sprouting, soak the sprouted beans in lukewarm water for an hour so that their skins can come out easily during peeling. Peel and set the beans aside.

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and season with mustard seeds and when they splutter add crushed jeera,asafoetida, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and curry leaves.

Add beans and about a cup of water and cook till soft. When done, add jaggrey, coconut and coriander leaves.
Serve with chapathi.

Dudholi

Manni/Dudholi...My fav childhood sweet....my best summer dessert since it is always eaten chilled and it's always a relief knowing that this one is guilt free....no preservatives, not super sweet and absolutely no fat. How many amchi dishes can u find out there that fits the bill?
Ingredients
Ragi ½ kg.
Jaggery about ½ Kg.
Coconut 2 cups
elaichi 5 powdered

Method
Soak ragi for 2 hours. Grind with coconut and water to a fine paste.
In a heavy bottomed pan cook the paste on a low flame stirring to thicken the paste.When it starts thickening and leaving the edges of the pan, add jaggery and elaichi powder, remove from the heat.

Apply ghee to an edged plate and spread the mixture and allow to cool. Can be chilled or left at room temperature. Cut into squares.

Raja masal

Raja Masala is a chatpata snack that is always requested by V during an impromptu get together since it doesn't require any prep.
I have all the list of ingredients but the quantity depends on one's taste....just like any other chaat.

Ingredients
dry roasted peanuts
onion
green chillies
Chat masala
amchur powder
red chili powder
coriander leaves
Salt
lemon

Method
FInely chop onions,green chillies, coriander leaves and mix with the rest of the ingredients.Chatpata raja masala is ready to be savoured.

Chutney's for chaat

INGREDIENTS:

Green Chutney:
Mint Leaves 1 Cups packed
Cilantro Leaves 2 Cups Packed
Garlic 2 Cloves
Green Chiles 6
Lemon Juice 1 tbsp
salt to taste


Tamarind Chutney:
Tamarind 1 cup
Dates 1 cup
Jaggery 1/2 cup
Ginger 1 inch Piece
jeera 1/2 tsp
dhaniya powder 1/2 tsp
amchur powder 1 tsp
black pepper 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Boil the ingredients together and thicken to a pulpy consistency.

Red Chutney:
Whole Red Chiles 15, soaked in warm water for 30 mins
Garlic 8-10 cloves
coconut 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
grind together with as little water as possible.

Method of preparation:

Keerla sukke

Sukke is a dry coconut based dish that is served as a side with daliythoy and rice.
This dish can be prepared with various vegetables using the same masala. Other well known dishes using this masala is alambe( mushroom), cauliflower + batata and ( okra)benda sukke.

Ingredients:
keerlu/bambo shoots - 2 cups, finely chopped
Onion- 2 large, finely chopped
coconut - 1/2 cup
Red Chillies - 6-8
Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Oil - for frying

Method:
In a pan, roast red chillies, urad dal and coriander seeds with 1/2 tsp oil. Add coconut and allow to roast a little. cool and gring along with turmeric powder and salt.
Heat a kadai,add oil and season with mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add onions and saute till they are translucent and add bambo shoot pieces. Add the ground masala and salt. Bring to boil and simmer on a low flame till water completely evaporates. Serve.

Jeera and putani chutney

Ingredients:
1 cup of coconut
1/4 cup of putani/ roasted chanda dal
4-6 green chillies
1/2 tsp jeera
5 curry leaves
Salt

For seasoning:
mustard seeds
urad dal
red chillies
hing
1tsp of oil

Method
Grind together all the ingredients adding just enough water to blend and make a smooth paste.

For tempering heat a tsp of oil, add mustard seeds let them splutter add Urad dal, red chillies, curry leaves and hing.Fry for a few seconds on low heat and pour the tempering on top of the chutney, mix and serve.

Alle chutney

Ingredients:
coconut 2 cups
ginger 2"
tamarind paste 1/4 tsp
green chillies 6
Salt

For seasoning:
Oil 1 tbsp
mustard seeds 1/4 tsp
curry leaves 1 sprig
red chilies 2

Method:
Grind coconut, ginger, tamarind, salt and chillies to a smooth paste with required amount of water.
Heat oil and season with mustard, curry leaves, broken red chilies. Fry for a minute and pour this seasoning over chutney.
Serve the chutney with dosa or idli.

Vegetable cutlets

2 potatoes, boiled , peeled and mashed
3 cups vegetables,finely chopped
1 tsp red chili powder
2 tsp dhania jeera powder
½ tsp saunf powder
½ tsp amchoor
½ tsp garam masala powder
2 green chillies , finely chopped
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
1 tsp chopped cashew nuts
1 egg white, beaten
1 cup breadcrumbs
Salt to taste
1 tbsp ghee
Oil for shallow frying the cutlets

Method

Heat the Ghee and add the ginger-garlic paste and green chillies. Now add the cashew nuts and all the spices. Now add all the vegetables and stir till vegetables are almost done. Mix in the mashed potatoes and salt to taste. Heat through and take off the stove top. Add cilantro.
Mix in 1 egg white.This will help bind together the vegetables. Form the vegetable mix into cutlet shape. Dip each round in the well beaten egg and roll in the breadcrumbs. Shallow fry on both sides till golden brown.

Milagai podi

A borrowed recipe from a Tamilian friend. Milagai podi means chilli chutney powder or famously called as Gun powder due to the heat.
Ingredients
coconut 2 tbsp
1 cup Urad dal
3/4 cup bengal gram dal
1 tbsp til
curry leaves about 5
5 red chillies
1/4 tsp hing

salt to taste

Method:
Roast all the ingrdients seperately without any oil. Cool and then powder it fine with salt.

Golibaje

Ingredients:
2 cups Maida
Thick Sour Curds 1/2 Cup
Ginger,Finely Chopped
Coconut Pieces
green chillies 6, finely chopped
1 Tbsp Sugar
Baking soda 1/4 tsp
curry leaves, cut up
jeera 1/2 tsp

Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Method:
In a bowl mix maida, chilies,ginger,coconut pieces,jeera, sugar,soda and salt. add the curds to make a batter as thick as idli batter consistency.
Heat oil for frying. Drop spoon fulls into hot oil and the bhajis should float immediately if the the batter is done right. Fry till the outside of bhajis are crisp and golden. This bhaji is served typically with ginger chutney.

Pathrodo

Another fav amchi dish!

Ingredients:
20 colocassia leaves
1 cup whole moong
1 cup of shredded coconut
1/2 cup rice
10-15 dry red chillies(roasted in little oil)
One lemon-sized tamarind
1/2 tsp hing
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Soak the whole moong and rice for 4-6 hrs. Grind with roasted red chillies, tamarind, coconut, hing, and salt to paste. Now add the whole moong and rice to this paste and grind to make a coarse paste.

Devein the colocasia leaves. Pick the biggest leaf to use as a wrap, place stem side up, apply the paste to the leaf.


Next layer smaller leaves on the first one, applying the paste until it is( about 8 leaves) thick. Fold the two elongated sides to give a neat edge & now roll and form a log. Make all the rolls in a similar manner.

Place all the rolls into the pressure cooker and steam for about 20-25 mins, depending on the thickness of the roll. Remove from pressure cooker and let cool for about 5 mins. Make 1" slices. Serve with coconut oil.


It can be eaten as is, tawa fried using rawa for coating it, can be made into an upkari or deep fried. Possibilities galore!