Chilly Paneer

Ingredients:
200 gms -Paneer
1 capsicum(diced/sliced)
2 tbsp-flour(maida)/cornflour
1tsp garlic(finely chopped)
1/2 tsp ginger(grated)
1 tsp-chillies(chopped-optional)
1/2 cup-onion(finely chopped)
2 tbsp-tomato ketchup
1 tbsp-green chilly sauce
2 tsp-red chilly sauce
1/2 tsp-soya sauce
1 cup-water
pinch of ajinomoto(monosodium glumate-optional)
oil-for frying
coriander (chopped)
Method:

1. Cut paneer into small cubes,mix it with maida ,deep fry until golden brown n crisp.
2. For the sauce-Take a pan,add about 2 teaspoons of oil and saute the onions until they turn transparent .Chillies can also be added at this stage to make the dish more spicy.
3. Next add the ginger and garlic and saute until brown.
4. Saute the capsicum with this mixture.
5. Now add in all the sauces and dilute it with water
6. After that add a little of ajinomoto and finally add in the fried paneer.
7. Make sure the fried paneer is always added in the end to keep it crisp
8. Garnish with coriander leaves

Mirchi Ka salan

Ingredients:
6 long green chillies(bajji menasinakai)
1 cup ground nuts
1/4 cup sesame seeds
2-3 cardamom seeds
2 cloves
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp peppercorns
1/4 cup coriander seeds
1 tsp methi seeds
1/4 inch cinnamon
1 cup grated coconut
salt and red chilli powder to taste
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 onion (finely chopped)
2 tsp tamarind pulp
1 tsp ginger -garlic paste
oil for frying
 Procedure:Slit the chillies in the middle and remove the seeds.Roast groundnuts until brown and remove the peel.Roast cumin seeds,peppercorns,coriander seeds,methi,cinnamon,cloves,cardamom and sesame seeds in a low flame until the sesame seeds turn golden brown.Grind all the ingredients roasted with coconut into a very fine paste.Heat some oil in a pan,add the onions and add the garlic paste after the onions turn translucent and roast for a few seconds.Now add the ground mixture.If the mixture is very thick add adequate  amount of water as the chillies should cook in this gravy.Now add the garam masala and tamarind pulp and then season with salt and red chilli powder.Serve hot with rice or roti.

Jackfruit Pakoda

Ingredients:
10 jackfruit pieces (finely chopped,boiled and mashed)
1/2 cup rice flour/akki hittu
1 cup gram flour/kadlehittu/besan
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
salt and red chilli powder for seasoning
a pinch of baking soda
ginger paste
oil for frying

Procedure:

Mix all the ingredients except the oil into a batter.Heat oil for deep frying.Add around 2 teaspoons of the hot oil into the batter.Take small portions and deep fry in oil.

Stuffed Hagalkai/Bitter gourd

Ingredients:
6 baby bittegourds/hagalkai
1 medium sized onion(finely chopped)
2 medium sized tomatoes/tamarind (finely chopped)
3 tsp fresh coriander leaves(finely chopped)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp amchoor/dry mango powder(not required when tamarind is used)
2 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp kitchen king powder
salt and red chilli powder for seasoning
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp ginger paste(garlic paste can also be used with it)
1 tsp asafoetida
1 tsp sugar
2-3 tsp lemon juice
oil for frying

Procedure:Peel the outer skin of bitter gourds and slit in the middle.Remove all the seeds.Mix these bitter gourds with 3 tsp of salt and 2 tsp of turmeric thoroughly and leave it for 12 hours.Mix the onion and tamarind with the dry ingredients and stuff it into each of the bitter gourds.Heat sufficient amount of oil for shallow frying.Add the cumin seeds ,asafoetida and ginger paste and roast.Now add in the stuffed bitter gours.Place a lid on top of the pan and fill it with water.Allow it to cook until the bitter gourds are completely soft.Finally add a pinch of sugar and lemon juice.Garnish it with coriander leaves.Serve it with rice/chapati.


If  a gravy has to be prepared to go with chapati/roti it is preferable to use tomatoes.For a dry gravy for rice use tamarind.

Sweet corn and vegetable soup

Bajjis! pakoda! with a cup of steaming hot soup or chai is something I yearn for during the monsoons...Today seemed to be the perfect day.. a cloudy,chilly,rainy day to snuggle up in bed with a good book and enjoy these hot yummy treats..slurrp!

Ingredients:

1/2 litre milk(boiled)

2 tsp butter

1 cup boiled vegetables(finely chopped carrots,beans,cauliflower and sliced baby corns)

1/2 cup sweet corn

salt and pepper for seasoning

2 tsp cornflour/flour

Procedure:

Heat butter in a pan.Boil the milk in the butter.Add the vegetables and corn into the milk and allow it to cook until the corn is soft.Take cornflour in a bowl and mix it with some water to get a liquid paste.Add the paste into milk to thicken the soup.Season the soup with salt and pepper and serve hot.

Doddapatre soppina thambuli

I have always been told that doddapatre soppu /coleus aromaticus has a lot of medicinal values.I found some information about it in wikipedia as well.

The juice of the leaves for dyspepsia, asthma, chronic coughs, bronchits, colic, flatulence, rheumatism. The dose is one tablespoonful of the fresh juice every hour for adults and one teaspoonful every two hours, four times daily, for children. As an infusion, 50 to 60 grams to a pint of boiling water, and drink the tea, 4 to 5 glasses a day. For chilldren, 1/2 cup 4 times daily.

· For otalgia (ear aches), pour the fresh, pure juice into the ear for 10 minutes.
· For carbuncles, boils, sprains, felons, painful swellings: Apply the poultice of leaves to the affected area, four times daily.
· For sore throats, a decoction of two tablespoonfuls of dried leaves to a pint of boiling water, taken one hour before or after meals.
· Decoction of leaves is given after childbirth.
• In India, leaves are used traditionally for bronchitis, asthma, diarrhea, epilepsy, nephro-cystolithiasi, fever, indigestion and cough.

Ingredients:

10 doddapatre leaves

1 1/2 tsp urad dal

1 tsp peppercorns

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp oil

1/2 cup dried or fresh coconut (optional)

salt for seasoning

1 cup yogurt

Procedure:

Heat the oil in a pan .Add the cumin seeds,urad dal and peppercorns and roast.Add in the leaves after the dal turns golden brown and roast for around 3 minutes frequently stirring it.Grind this mixture with coconut into a very fine paste.Mix it with yogurt and salt.Serve it with rice.

Rotti

Rottis are traditional quick breakfast recipes in karnataka.Healthy,nutrious and very filling.You can make all kinds of variations with these,wheat/godi rotti,akki/rice rotti,ragi rotti,mosaru/curd rotti ,jolada rotti ,tholadakki hittina rotti etc

Ingredients:

Mosaru/curd rotti:

2 cups rice flour

1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

yogurt

1 cup grated coconut (optional)

2 green chillies(chopped finely)

salt for seasoning

oil for frying

Akki/rice rotti:

2 cups of rice flour

1 cup grated cocunut

2 greeen chillies

1 carrot (grated)

1/2 cup coriander leaves(finely chopped)

1 capsicum (very finely chopped)(optional)

onions(finely chopped)

1 tsp cumin seeds

salt for seasoning

water(to mix into a dough)

oil for frying

Raagi rotti:

2 cups of ragi

1/2 cup sabakki soppu/dill leaves or tender drumstick leaves

2 green chillies

1/2 cup onion(optional)

salt for seasoning

water

oil for frying

Godi/wheat rotti:

2 cups wheat flour

2 green chillies

1/2 cup curry leaves

1 cup grated cocunut

salt for seasoning

water

oil for frying

Procedure:Mix all the ingredients except yogurt/water and oil.Add the yogurt/water depending on the requirement and knead into a soft dough.Grease a tava and spread a small portion of the dough evenly through out the tava by patting it.Make sure the dough spread is not very thin.Roast by adding a teaspoon of oil on it.Serve it hot with chutney,pickle and yogurt.