madhuri's kitchen

Kodubale Recipe / Chegodilu with hyacinth beans / Karnataka Famous Food

This is a snack recipe. When I first saw the recipe here, I was quite surprised and found it very interesting. I had some avarekai left in the fridge after preparing some Charu. So I thought of using it for the preparation of these chegodilu ( as we call them in Andhra ). They are crunchy, crispy snacks that fill our evenings. But today, I am preparing a softer version which are not so crispy. But they have an excellent texture which are chewy and very tasty. I have adapted the recipe to suit my family´s tastes. Do try out and let me know how it turned out for you.

These field bean snacks are very easy to prepare and very tasty as well. However, they are not very healthy in the sense that they absorb too much oil when deep fried. So, I do not recommend these snacks on a daily basis, but are perfectly ok 👌 for festive occasions. Since Ugadi 2018 is another 20 days ahead of us, I planned to prepare this dish for the same.

The outcome of this snack is supposed to be crunchy and crispy but I made a soft version which was delicious as well. Serve this hot and your family 👪 would enjoy it thoroughly. However, you can also serve it cold, there is no compromise on taste.

You can also try out my other snacks like

Poha Oats Chivda

Jowar Flour Murukku

Sago Vada

Soya Bean Sundal

Black Chickpeas Sundal

Aloo Matar Chat

Homemade Tapioca Chips

Masala Sweet Corn

Preparation

Cook the field bean seeds into soft in a pressure cooker until soft for upto 3-4 whistles.

When they cool down, drain the water and mash them with a masher or hands.

You can also put them in a blender to get a smooth consistency. Do not throw away the water. We will require it to make a dough. Add salt, chilli powder, curry leaves, ajwain and hing. Mix everything well.

Now add the rice flour and maida flour and combine everything with your hands.

Heat homemade ghee until smoking point and add to rice flour mixture.

Carefully mix thoroughly with your fingers such that the ghee is nicely coated with the flour mixture. Now add the water ( that was kept aside earlier ) little by little to make a soft dough. It should neither be too watery nor too dry.

The consistency of the dough should be such that we should be able to form rings from the dough without breaking. If the dough Is too watery, then it will not hold the shape. Similarly if the dough is too dry, the dough will break when we try to form rings. Once the dough is ready, prepare the rings as shown in the video.

Sprinkle few sesame seeds on the platform. Take a small lemon sized ball from the dough and roll gently on the sesame seeds. Pressing gently, roll and form an even shaped cylinder. Join the edges and press gently such that they do not get apart. Prepare the rings until the dough is finished.

Heat oil in a pan for deep frying. The oil should not be too hot. If you drop a small piece of dough, it should come up immediately. At this point, drop the prepared rings in batches of 5 - 6.

Immediately, reduce the flame and cook on a low flame until they are cooked. They become light brown in colour and the bubbles also reduce. Remove from oil with the help of a slotted ladle and place on a tissue paper to absorb the excess oil. Repeat the frying process until completely done. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Ingredients

Avarekai. 1 cup

Rice flour 2 cups

Maida 1/4 cup

Salt. To taste

Chilli powder. 1 tsp

Curry leaves 2 -3 sprigs

Hing a big pinch

Ajwain 1/2 tsp

Ghee 2 tbsp.

Sesame Seeds 2 tbsp.

Oil for deep frying

Method

Cook avarekai in a pressure cooker until soft for 4-5 whistles.
Drain the water and mash the avarekai very well.
Add rice flour, maida, salt, chilli powder, curry leaves, ajwain and hing.
Mix everything well and add hot ghee.
Carefully mix with your hands such that the ghee incorporates in the flour completely.
Now add water little by little and make a smooth dough just enough to make rings out of it.
Make rings with the dough as shown in the video.
Heat oil in pan for deep frying.
Fry these rings in a low to medium heat until they become golden brown in colour or until the bubbles stop.
Put them on a tissue paper to absorb the excess oil.
When they cool down, store them in an airtight container. They stay fresh for until 2-3 days.

Notes

These chegodilu are soft on the inner side and are chewy. An awesome evening snack.
These can also be made crispy and crunchy by another method. I will share the same in another post.
You can also use white sesame seeds instead of black sesame seeds.
You can also add finely chopped coriander leaves, cumin seeds or ginger garlic paste as per your taste and preference.
You can also add butter or oil in place of ghee.

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Tasty Cabbage Recipes indian / Indian Vegetarian cabbage recipes / sauteed cabbage recipes /

Purple Cabbage Stir Fry / Cabbage Curry Recipe Indian Style / How to Cook Cabbage Healthy

Purple cabbage fry is similar to that of the normal cabbage fry except the colour. The procedure of preparing this curry is also more or less same as the other fries like ivy gourd fry, ladies finger fry, cauliflower green peas fry, broad beans fry, simple radish fry, spring onion fry, karela fry, baby potatoes fry, etc. .

The nutrients in this purple coloured cabbage is way more than that of the ordinary one. As a matter of fact, the coloured veggies like carrots, bell peppers etc. are more necessary for our health. Health experts also advice us to take more coloured and colourful food which pleases our eyes 👀 and body. So, I do not miss any chance to grab these colourful cuties whenever I see them.

If you check my broccoli stir fry recipe, I included sweet corn and capsicum. My idea was to make it colourful and tasty 😋. I could have included paneer, red bell pepper for the extra colour, but alas, I did not have any of them on me. I will work on this and let you know the outcome.
For today, its the simple cabbage fry which becomes more appealing with the addition of green peas. I have used the frozen green peas but you can also use the dried peas or fresh peas when available in the market. If you are using the dried peas, then soak them overnight and cook them in the pressure cooker the next morning. Now they are ready to be used in the preparation of this curry.

Preparation

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard and cumin seeds.

When they splutter, put the chopped onions and slit green chillies in.

Sauté for a minute and add turmeric powder.

Give a stir and add the shredded cabbage. Sprinkle salt and sugar and mix well.

Cover with a lid and cook on low to medium flame. Keep stirring occasionally to avoid burning at the bottom of the pan. When the cabbage becomes soft and tender, remove the lid off and add the frozen green peas.

Mix well and do the seasoning with chilli powder, Garam masala powder, coriander powder and flax seed powder.

Mix well and fry for another 2 minutes. Switch off the flame and serve with either rice 🍚 or roti.

Ingredients

Purple Cabbage 1/2 of a medium sized cabbage
Oil 1 1/2 tbsp
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Onion 1
Turmeric 1/2 tsp
Green peas ( frozen ) fistful
Salt to taste
Sugar 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder 2 tsp
Flax seed powder 1 tsp

Method

Shred or chop the cabbage finely and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan and temper it with cumin and mustard seeds.
When they crackle, add the chopped onions and green chillies.
Saute for a minute and throw in the turmeric powder.
Add the shredded purple cabbage along with sugar and salt. Mix well and cover with a lid.
Keep stirring in between to avoid sticking at the bottom of the pan.
When the cabbage becomes soft and tender, add the frozen green peas and cook for another 5 minutes.
Sprinkle all the spices namely, chilli powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder and flax seed powder.
Check for salt and switch off the flame. Serve hot with either rice or roti. This curry can also be used as a stuffing for katti roll or parantha.

Notes

During tempering, you are free to add any ingredients like red chillies, channa dal, curry leaves etc. which give additional aroma to the dish.
You can also include cumin powder in the spices list.
If you are adding fresh green peas, then add them along with the shredded cabbage and cook covered.
If you want to use the dried green peas, then soak them overnight, pressure cook them the next morning and then use in the curry as mentioned above.
To make it masaledaar, you can add ginger garlic paste as well.
You can also add any other veggies like carrots, potatoes, beans and paneer as well.

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Easy Chayote Squash Side Dish Recipes / Chow Chow Vegetable Side Dish For Chapathi / Easy Chayote Recipes / Bangalore Vankaya Gravy Curry for Chapathi or Rice

Today's recipe is a side dish for chapati prepared with chow chow vegetable. This is no regular curry. It has got a rich, creamy texture with just the normal ingredients. The addition of lentils like the channa dal and moong dal gives the dish a delicious and homely taste. Actually you can prepare two versions for the same curry that goes with rice 🍚 as well. I have already posted the simple chayote kootu. Though the kootu also included channa dal but the taste of this easy chayote squash side dish gravy was completely different and tasted better than that of kootu.

To make the dish rich and creamy like that of the restaurant style, I have added some milk. The curry was so delicious 😋 that my man 👨 loved it a lot and had way extra curry with chapattis. To accompany this dish with rice, just avoid adding milk to the gravy. You will be left with a simple yet amazing side for rice which can either be mixed or as a side. The preparation of this Bangalore Vankaya ( Bangalore Kathirikai ) is very easy. Just mix all the ingredients in the cooker and cook. As simple as said.

Preparation

Peel the skin of Bangalore Vankaya ( Bangalore Kathirikayi ). Discard the inner seed. Chop into small pieces and keep aside. Wash the lentils and keep aside. Get the remaining ingredients ready. Heat oil in a pan and do the tempering with mustard and cumin seeds.

When they splutter, add chopped onion ,slit green chillies and ginger garlic paste.

Fry until the onions turn transparent. Throw in the chopped tomatoes along with salt and turmeric powder.

Cook until the tomatoes become soft. Now add the masalas like coriander powder, chilli powder and garam masala powder.

Give a nice mix and add the washed lentils.

Stir in completely and add the chopped chayote pieces and mix well.

I had some leftover purple cabbage fry which I included in the curry. This is completely optional, but if you have any other leftover fry, you can go ahead and add it in your preparation. I do this kind of preparation on a daily basis which adds an extra flavour to the dish. You can add fresh cabbage leaves as well.

Now add sufficient water and cover with the lid.

Cook for 2-3 whistles and switch off the flame. Remove the lid when the pressure subsides. If you are serving this curry with rice, then serve hot after checking the seasoning.

If you are planning to serve this dish with roti, then go ahead and add milk in the gravy.

MIx it well and add little tomato ketchup.

Give a nice stir and check for seasoning. Add chilli powder if you want it more spicy. For me, it was perfect. Let it cook on a low flame until it comes to a boil. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with chapathi. Chow chow vegetable side dish with restaurant style gravy for chapathi is ready.

Ingredients

Chayote vegetable 2 big

Channa dal 3 tbsp.

Moong dal 3 tbsp.

Onion 1 big

Tomatoes 2

Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp

Green chillies 2

Turmeric powder 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil 2 tbsp.

Garam Masala powder 1 tsp

Coriander powder tbsp.

Chilli powder 1/2 tsp

Leftover cabbage fry 1 cup ( optional )

Milk 1/2 cup

Tomato ketchup 2 tsp

Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds 1 tsp

Method

Heat oil in a pressure cooker.
Temper it with mustard and cumin seeds.
Once they crackle, add onions and slit green chillies.
When they turn transparent, add ginger garlic paste.
Add tomatoes, salt and turmeric powder and cook until the tomatoes become soft.
Sprinkle coriander powder, chilli powder and garam masala powder.
Mix well and add the washed lentils ( dals ).
Add the chopped chow chow and the leftover cabbage ( optional ).
Add water, mix well and cover with lid.
Cook for 2-3 whistles and switch off the flame.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice.
If serving with roti or chapathi, then add milk and tomato ketchup to the cooked gravy and let it come to a boil.
Remove from flame and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with roti.

Notes

You can add any leftover fry curries for this gravy curries. This is purely optional. You can skip this step if you do not have any leftovers. I generally tend to use my leftover foods in this way. Adopting this method, gives a new dish each and every time and prevents food getting wasted. Your family will also get the feeling that they are eating fresh and not leftovers.
Addition of lentils gives a very homely touch to the dish. , So do not skip the lentils.
You can also include other lentils like whole moong or sprouts as well.

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Broccoli Stir Fry Recipe / Sautéed Broccoli / Pan Fried Broccoli

Todays recipe is a simple stir fry just like any other fry curries. But what makes it special is the variety of veggies that are added and the spices that go into it. This is a curry that I prepared using whatever veggies were available to me at the time, but you can basically include anything you like.

Broccoli is a versatile veggie just like cauliflower, carrots, beans, potatoes, green peas etc. It is highly rich in Vitamin K, Vitamin C, chromium and folate. Broccoli is also a very good source of soluble and dietary fibre which thereby helps in reducing cholesterol levels. It also has numerous antioxidants which helps in building immunity in the body.

Though it is not easily available in the local markets, it is quite common in the supermarkets. It is good to include this veggie once in a fortnight considering the fact that it is very gassy. My son is not a great fan of broccoli, but the addition of the other ingredients like paneer, sweet corn and capsicum makes him to forget about the broccoli and enjoy the dish thoroughly.

You can also check my other simple fry curries which go very well as an accompaniment for both rice or roti :

Snake Gourd Poriyal

Baby Potato Fry

Munagaku ( moringa ) leaves fry

Paneer Bhurji

Ladies Finger Fry

Spring Onion Fry

Broad Beans Stir Fry

Cauliflower Green Peas Stir Fry

Simple Radish Fry

Preparation

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard and cumin seeds.

Allow them to splutter. Now add chopped onions and saute until they become transparent.

Throw in turmeric powder and mix.

Now add chopped broccoli and sweet corn seeds.

Add salt and cook covered until the broccoli is 90% cooked. Now add the capsicum ......

.......and cook uncovered until the capsicum is cooked but it still retains its crunchiness. Now add the paneer cubes and mix. You can add homemade herbed paneer for extra flavour.

Finally add the diced tomatoes and cook until soft.

Sprinkle all the spices namely - chilli powder, garam masala, coriander powder and flax seeds powder.

Mix it well and check for seasoning. Switch off the flame and serve hot with either rice or roti.

Ingredients

Broccoli 1/2 of a medium broccoli

Sweet corn 1 cup

Paneer 100g

Capsicum 1

Oil 2 tbsp

Onion 1 ( chopped )

Salt to taste

Garam masala 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder 1 tsp

Chilli powder 1 tsp

Flax seeds powder 1 tsp

Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds tsp

Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

Method

Heat oil in a pan.
Temper it with mustard and cumin seeds.
Once they crackle, add chopped onion. Sauté until translucent and add turmeric powder.
Add the broccoli pieces and the sweet corn kernels.
Sprinkle salt and mix well. Cook covered stirring occasionally until the broccoli is almost cooked but not completely cooked.
Add the capsicum pieces and cook uncovered for 5 minutes.
Now add paneer cubes and diced tomatoes.
Cook until tomatoes are soft.
Sprinkle chilli powder, garam masala, coriander powder and flax seeds powder.
Mix well and check for seasoning.
Switch off the flame and serve hot with either rice, roti or chapathi.

Notes

Any other veggies like beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, cabbage, green peas etc. can be added according to the availability.
Addition of flax seeds powder makes the dish more nutritious.

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Chhena Poda Recipe / Food Odisha / Famous Oriya Sweets

There are 2 occasions coming up on Feb 13 and Feb 14, 2018. Feb 13, 2018 is Maha Sivarathri and Feb 14 is Valentines Day as all of you know. There is a special recipe which suits both these occasions which I have been planning to post since long. I thought of posting this recipe for a long time but I was waiting for the right occasion. There could not be a better occasion more than this because there are two reasons to celebrate.

I am talking about the famous Orissa sweet - Chenna Poda. Chhena Poda is also known as Pitha Poda. This famous Odia sweet is purely an Indian cake 🎂 which is made with Fresh chenna ( paneer ). This is one of the traditional recipes of Orissa that is quite famous which is served to Lord Jagganath in Puri. This is a very rich cake or dessert dish that is sooooo delicious and lip smacking. My man and daughter just love this cake.

The origin of this Indian milk cake is from the state of Orissa. I was born in Berhampur, a famous town area in Orissa and was brought up in the capital city of Bhubaneshwar until the age of 7 after which I moved to our own state of Andhra. But my dad made frequent official visits to Bhubaneshwar. And there was this delicious eggless cheesecake on his return. In that way, we were connected to this dessert.

Traditionally this is made in a big earthen pot which is cooked on a very low flame 🔥for hours together. Since we do not have such equipment in our homes, we can make it in an oven or even in a pressure cooker. Today, I am gonna give the recipe that requires an oven.

Preparation

Take milk in a big vessel and bring it to a boil.

When it is boiling, add curd to cuddle the milk. If it doesn't curdle, add more curd and mix gently until the whey is separated from the milk solid.

Switch off the flame immediately and strain through a muslin cloth or a clean cotton cloth.

Do not throw the whey. You can use it for the preparation of chapathi or any other curries. You need not drain the water completely, it's ok even if there is a little amount of water in the chenna. Take curdled milk ( while it is still hot ) in a bowl and beat or stir until smooth.

Add sooji and mix well until smooth.

Add sugar and mix again until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Now add cardamom powder and mix once again. Add any nuts if you wish at this stage and mix well. I do not like any nuts or raisins in this cake, hence I have not added any. Keep aside.

Now take a pan and heat ghee. Add sugar and stir until it dissolves.

Immediately switch off the flame and pour this sugar mixture in the greased baking pan. This gives a caramalisation effect for this pitha poda. This also makes the cake so juicy unlike the normal cakes. Now add the chenna mixture and bake at 170 degrees centigrade for 45 - 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. After baking, leave the cheesecake in the oven until it cools down completely. Once it comes to room temperature, invert the cake upside down onto a plate and cut into slices. Enjoy with family on the auspicious occasion of Mahasivarathri.

Ingredients

Milk 2l

Sugar 1 cup

Sooji 3 tbsp.

Cardamom powder 1/4 tsp

Nuts 2 tsp

Ghee to roast sugar 1 tsp

Curd 4 tbsp.

Sugar ( for caramelisation ) 1 tsp

Method

Curdle milk with the addition of curd at its boiling point.
Strain the curdled0 mixture to separate the whey. Do not throw the whey.
Take the chenna in a bowl and add sooji. Mix well until smooth.
Now add sugar and continue mixing until the sugar is well dissolved.
Add cardamom powder and nuts and mix. Keep aside.
Heat ghee in a pan and add sugar. Keep stirring until it dissolves.
Immediately, pour it in the greased pan and add the chenna mixture on it.
Bake at 170 degrees centigrade for 45 - 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Let the cake cool completely in the oven. Remove on cooling and invert and slice the cake into pieces.

Notes

Adding roasted sugar to the baking pan gives a lovely caramelising to the ricotta cheesecake. So do not skip on this step.
The cake mixture should be smooth and like that of the normal cake mixture. Add little whey if your cake mixture is very thick.
The original recipe calls for the addition of baking powder. But I did not feel the need of adding in my recipe. But if you wish, you can add 1/4 tsp of baking powder.

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