Ragi Mudde 'n' Avarekaalina Sambar

While surfing, I found Ragi Mudde in " Yum blog " and got attracted by it and thought of making it today for our meal. Ragi Mudde with Avarekaalina Sambar is the favorite meal in our house. But my mom makes this sambar in a different way,which tastes great with mudde and along with white rice too. Gojju, kootu,Spinach dal (Soppina hulie) and avarekaalina sambar are the greatest combinations for Ragi mudde.My grandpa and grandma used to eat ragi mudde as their daily meal which was the secret of their healthy life.We used to eat this as the meal and at the end of the day my mom prepares "Ambuli "(salty porridge like) from the left over mudde which is another great drink for the evening.


Ambuli is prepared by adding a cup of curd / buttermilk and salt to the mudde ,by mashing well everything in a container.We can add two tbsp of cooked ice too......Pour in a glass and serve.Easy to prepare and great to taste......

Ragi Mudde:
Raggi mudde is the traditional food of karnataka and is loved by all. We can prepare it in two ways.Either by adding the flour directly to the boiling water or by adding the ragi paste to the water. First method is comparatively difficult for the beginners.I have explained the second way which is easier to all.You can make perfect ragi mudde's without any previous experience.The trick is in the correct measurement.Otherwise,it will be watery and you can't make perfect balls out of it.

All you need:
Ragi flour - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups
Salt -1 tsp

Method:
1.Add a cup of water to a wide opened pan and bring it to boil.
2.While boiling add a pinch of ragi flour and tsp of salt to taste.
3.Add another cup of water to a cup of ragi flour in separate vessel and make it into a thick paste.
4.Now simmer the heat and add the prepared paste into the boiling water and keep stirring continuously using a wooden spatula.
5.Keep whisking till the flour forms a soft dough without any lumps.
6.Now cover the vessel and allow it to cook for further 2 to 3 minutes at very low heat.
7.Care should be taken otherwise dough will stick to the vessel.
8.You can see a solid dough while whisking.
9.Now wet your hands with cold water and take some dough and make the ball.
10.Finally, dip your fingers with a tsp of oil and shape it well .
11.Serve with Avarekaalina saaru.

Avarekaalina Sambar :
Val dhal is known as Avarekaalu or Avarebele in kannada.This is such a yummy curry which is a great combination with Ragi mudde.It goes well with plain rice too.....Fresh dhals tastes much than the dried ones. If they are not available, you can use dried ones too.......or frozen ones , available in indian stores as indian beans / valor lilva. Soak it for 4 to 5 hours and then remove the skin by pressing the dhal with your thumb and fore finger.

( Val dhal / Avarekaalu soaked and skin removed )
All you need:
Valor lilva / Avarekaalu - 1 cup
Dhania / Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp
Chana dal / Bengal gram dal - 1 tbsp
Shredded Coconut - 2 tbsp (fresh)
Methi seeds - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Red chilli - 5
Hing - a pinch
Curry leaves - a few
Salt

Method:
1.Roast coriander seeds, methi seeds, 4 red chillies and chana dal with a tsp of oil and let them to cool.
2.Pour 1 tbsp of oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and 1 broken red chilli to it.
3.Add avarekaalu / val dhal to it with a cup of water and tbsp of salt.
4.Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
5.Meanwhile, grind the roasted ingredients with little water.
6.Add that masala to the boiling dhal .
7.Add 1 more cup of water to it and let it to cook under low heat.
8.It will take 8 to 10 minutes.Then add hing and curry leaves to it.
9.Serve hot with Ragi mudde and enjoy your meal.

Garlic Naan

Naan is an leavened indian flat bread which is common in most of the indian cuisine.It tastes great when you eat hot.Still,I can remember those days when I ate naan with Paneer butter masala ,for the first time ...with my sister.I surfed a lot in internet and find this recipe as perfect for making best naan.Breads are really too soft and tasty and to make garlic naan, I just brush the top side of the bread with some olive oil and topped with some chopped garlic and coriander leaves for its richness. Serve this delicious bread hot with some spicy gravy.I made palak paneer as a combination,for a perfect balanced diet.



All you need:
2 cups of white or all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried active yeast
2 tbsp of milk
3 tbsp yogurt
1 tbsp ghee
1 tbsp of veg.oil
2 tbsp of olive oil
1/4 cup chopped coriander
2 tbsp of minced garlic
( From this you can make 6 Naans).


Method:
1. Mix 2 tbsp of warm water with the yeast and sugar until the yeast dissolves.
2. Put the bowl in a warm place, and leave it for 5 minutes, until the yeast is covered with froth.
3. Mix flour, salt and baking powder.
4. Make a well in the center of flour mixture and add yogurt, ghee, milk and yeast mixture.
5. Knead well until it forms a smooth dough. Now add a tbsp of veg. oil and continue kneading until the dough fully coated with oil.
6. Cover the mixing bowl with a damp cloth and leave it in a warm place to rise. This would take around minutes.
7. Now the dough will be double in size.
8. Knead the dough and divide into around 6 equal portions.
9. Flatten each portion to 1/2" thick with a rolling pin by sprinkling little flour on it.
10. Preheat oven to 450 degrees .
11. Brush the top side of the bread with some olive oil by using pastry brush and sprinkle a little bit more minced garlic and chopped coriander.
12. Now bake them for about 10 minutes in oven or heat the grill pan in medium and keep the flattened dough over it, wait till it unevenly puffs up which will take approx. 2 minutes.
13. Cook on both sides and serve hot with your favorite curry.

Dal Palak

This dish is very easy to make and almost it's a comfort food for all the ages.The combination of lentils and spinach gives us a good nutritious diet .This time ,I have added garlic to it which gives nice aroma and more taste to the dish .If ingredients are set up,then it will take less than 10 minutes to cook but tastes great along with hot rice.Today we had dal palak and eggplant subji for our dinner.


All you need: Palak/Spinach - 1 bunch
Cooked dal - 3/4 cup
Garlic - 3 pods
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
U.dal - 1/2 tsp
Red chili - 1 (broken)
Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Hing - a pinch
Salt

Method:
1.Chop the spinach and wash thoroughly.
2.Heat a tbsp of oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and jeera to it.
3.When it splutters,add u.dal ,broken red chilli and minced garlic flakes.
4.Now add chopped spinach ,cover and cook for few minutes without adding water.
5.When spinach is half cooked add mashed dal into it.
6.Add salt, chilli powder and hing to it and boil it for few minutes.
7. Serve with hot rice / chapathis.

Note: ( you can add chopped onions and tomato too)

Gosthu

Got a chance to taste this dish after my marraige.But I got attracted to it at the first time itself. Its really great to cook with eggplant. I have tasted eggplant gotsu recipe several times but gosthu is something different from it.A nice aroma of dhania (Coriander seeds) and red chillies along with tangy taste makes this dish more lip smacking.It goes well with idlys and dosas.Once you try it,you will get addict to it.



More oil really tastes a lot for this recipe.But for health factor , I have reduced the amount of oil in it.Here the recipe goes.......

Ingredients:
Eggplant - 4
Small Onions - 1 cup
Turmeric Powder - a pinch
Tamarind Paste - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Oil - 3 tbsp
salt

For Masala:
Coriander Seeds - 2 tbsp
Red Chiilies - 4

Method:



1. Dry roast the coriander seeds and red chillies ,cool and grind.
2. Peel and chop the small onions into small pieces and chop the brinjals lengthwise into thin strips.
3. Pour 3 tbsp of oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.
4. When it splutters add chopped onions and fry for 1 minute.
5. Now reduce the flame and add chopped eggplants .
6. Add turmeric powder and cover and cook in low flame for about 5 to 10 miutes.
7. Stir it meanwhile ,so that it won't stick to the pan.
8. When eggplant is cooked,add salt,grounded masala and a tbsp of tamarind juice (make it thick).
9. Again cook in the low flame for about 3 to 4 minutes.
10. Serve with hot idlys or dosas.

Sri Rama Navami

Ramanavami is celebrated on the ninth day in the bright half of Chaitra and represents the birth anniversary of Rama. The occasion is also used to perform SEETHA KALYAN or VIVAH at the Temple.This is an occasion for great rejoicing especially for the Vaishnavas who celebrate it with due solemnity allover the country. The ancient texts lays tress on fasting on this day, and it is believed that anyone who does not will go to the worst hell. It is also said that Rama fulfills the wishes of all those who pray to him on this day.According to recent astrological studies, his year of birth is consider to be January 10, 5114 B.C.

Ayodhya is the focus of great celebrations. A huge fair is organized for two days.People keep awake the whole of the ninth night, in anticipation of Rama's birth. They sing devotional songs in praise of him and rock his image in cradles to celebrate his birth.A special puja is performed the next morning as thanksgiving.

On this occasion, in temples Panakam and Spicy buttermilk are served as prasadam. Panakam, a sweet drink prepared on this day with jaggery and pepper.There is an element of fasting. Some people don't eat certain foods, particularly things like onions, garlic, some spices and wheat products.And in houses,people worship the lord rama by performing pooja's on that day and by offering panakam, buttermilk and kosambari as neivedyam to the god.



Panakam:
Dissolve 3 tbsp of jaggery in 2 glass of water and add a tsp of fresh grated ginger , cardamom powder, pinch of pepper powder and boil it for 2 minutes ,cool and strain.Finally add a tbsp of lime juice to it.

Spicy Buttermilk:
Beat 2 tbsp of yogurt with a glass of water in blender along with a tsp of grated ginger and a pinch of hing.Add few chopped coriander leaves, salt and tadka to it.

Kosambari:
Soak a cup of moong dal in water for about 40 minutes.Drain the dal and add peeled & chopped cucumber to it along with a pinch of salt,chopped coriander leaves,green chillies and tadka to it.