Bangalore Crispy Dosa

It is nice to post a recipe after a long time. The three major festivals kept me busy since October this year. I am posting an all time favourite to everyone, a dosa dish. This was in  my draft post since long. The title itself indicates that this recipe is popular in Karnataka. It will be apt to call it Bangaluru crispy dosa now. I viewed this recipe in a TV channel during January 2010 prepared by Mrs. Kalaichelvi chokkalingam.
The recipe requires three types of preparation. First the batter, then red chilli paste and the masala for spreading. When the masala and chilli paste is ready, we can proceed making dosa with the batter and after spreading the paste and masala in each dosa it can be served hot. Here is the list of ingredients and method with a few pictures.

INGREDIENTS

Boiled rice	1 ½ cup
Raw rice	1 1/2 cup
Udith dal	1/2 cup
Tuwar dal	4 tsp
Sago/sabudhana	5 tsp
Rava/suji	4 tsp
Sugar	3 tsp
Methi seeds	1 tsp

For Masala:

Boiled potato	4 no/ 1 cup
Onion (chopped)	2 tsp
Oil	2 tsp
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Udith dal	1 tsp
Green chilli (finely chopped)	1
Ginger (finely chopped)	1 tsp
Asafoetida	a pinch
Haldi	½ tsp

For chilli paste:

Red chilli	8 to 10
Garlic pearls	6

METHOD
Soak rice, dals, methi seeds, sago for 3 hrs and grind adding salt to a smooth batter.
Add suji/rava, sugar and grind for a little while to mix and set aside for minimum 3 hours.
Heat oil in a kadai/pan and add mustard seeds, udith dal, ginger, green chilli, asafoetida and onion. Saute till it is 3/4 done. Dissolve salt and haldi in water and add to onion. Add cooked potato cubes and just saute and remove.
Soak red chilli in water and grind adding garlic and salt and make 1/4 cup paste and keep aside.
Heat tavva and spread batter. Add oil and also little butter. Then spread red chilli and also spread curry all over. Cook on medium flame on only one side. Fold and serve.

NOTE: 
As a variation pottukadalai powder/roastedgram powder too can be used  to sprinkle on the dosa before spreading the masala curry. This is popular in Rayalaseema region. So one more dish by name Rayalaseema dosa is ready.

Diwali 2012-Laxmi Puja

Vijaya Dasami Day Pujai to Goddess Lakshmi with Jemmi leaf also known as Vanni elai

After bidding goodbye to Goddess Lakshmi on Vijaya Dasami Day. We are once again waiting to welcome her into our home to accept our humble offerings on the Diwali day.

I am happy to greet one and all in advance for a memorable Diwali. The preparations will be going on in full swing in each house. Let us celebrate and pray God and Goddesses on this happy occasion. 

The Naraka Chaturdasi is on 13th November and the sacred bath which marks the begining of the Diwali celebrations in all the south Indian families is also on 13th November, early hours.

The Chaturdasi thithi is upto 6.57am (IST) then follows Amavasya. The Laxmi puja to be performed during Amavasya evening is also on 13th November. The timings/muhurthams are as follows:

PRADOSH KAAL:  The duration of 2hrs and 24mins is from the Sunset time on 13th November.

that is from 17.41  to 20.05. During this auspicious duration Laxmi puja, Kubera laxmi puja and Kuthuvillakku puja can be performed.

NISHITH KAAL: The 2hrs 24min duration after pradosh kaal , that is from 20.05 to 22.29 is auspicious to chant sthothras like Srisuktham and laxmi mantras and sthothrams.

MAHA NISHITH KAAL:  During this time a lamp with 4 wicks is lighted the whole night. It is the 

duration  from  22.54 TO 1.30. 

GOLU -2012

Happy Navarathiri to all my blogger friends. I am sure the celebration has begun in all the houses duly receiving  THRIDEVI. I wish she will be pleased with the prayers offered during her stay in the coming eight days and  will confer the wishes desired by her devotees. I am happy to be back in India and perform DEVI
pujai. I like to share the pictures of the Golu here. Thanks to the new Plastic Golu padi which was made available by Giri traders in Secunderabad. Dolls are also from chennai. The Devi Navrathiri is in full swing in all the temples and houses here including Bathukamma celebrations (speciality of Telangana region).

MAHADEVAICHA VIDHMAHE SARVA SAKTHYAICHA DEEMAHI THANNO DEVI PRACHODAYATH.

DEVI NAVARATHRI - 2012

This year Navarathri starts on 16th October. Devi puja which begins on Pratamai thithi and performed on
all nine days, is shortened by a day this year too like last year. We have only eight days puja followed by
Vijaya Dasami on 25th October. On 5th day of Navrathri, that is, 20th October, both Panchami and Shasti thithi combines, hence on 21st Sapathami thithi has to be followed. On 20th October Panchami thithi rules upto 7.07 AM (IST), followed by sashti thiti which lasts upto 3.35AM of 21st october. As the thithi at the time of sunrise is taken into account,  sashti thithi on 21st october is not considered. Thus sashti thithi puja will be missed.
I am posting the chart giving details of the various ways of worship including the prasadams to be offered
to Devi, on day to day basis starting from Day 1 to Day 9 of Navarathri this year too. I tried to give the
details of the Navrathri celebrations,  the ways to worship Goddess Durga, the spritual force, Goddess Laxmi, giver of wealth and Goddess Saraswathi giver of wisdom in my previous posts from 2009 onwards.
The chart each year will undergo changes, as the combination of prasadam each day will be different as per the thithi, day of the week and star that rules the nine days of that year.
The main purpose of Navrathri celeberation each year marks the significance of worshipping DEVI (in three forms) and  to seek the blessings of three aspects of devine feminity. They are the three Shakthis namely Eccha sakthi, Kreeya sakthi and Gyana sakthi. Hence the nine nights of worship in  the order of Durga, Laxmi and Saraswathi on first three days, second three days  and third three days respectively.  The idea of giving the chart is to enable to worship and offer in nine ways each day to Goddess, by following the thithi, day, star and putting kolam each day using different material, offering nine flowers, fruits and nine types of food and danyam (pulses). When these are given in a tabular form it is easier to perform and keep things ready in advance without missing out any. I wish this will be of good use to all those who are keen to perform the puja and seek the blessings of DEVI MAA.
Arrangement of dolls in Golu Padi and Kalasa stapana is to be done on the Mahalaya Amavasya Day which is on 15th October this year and it can be done during auspicious time before 18.27 hrs (IST). The Navarathri Puja will begin the next day being Pratamai thithi and last upto Navami thithi on 24th October. The details of Kolam are given in my last year's post during September  and the Kizhamai (DAY) prasadams recipe links were also posted for the seven days of the week.
There are books and CDs giving procedure for performing the Pujai daily. As the practice is,  all the three Devis (Durga,Laxmi and Saraswathi) are prayed together each day. So the offerings made,  based on the kizamai, nakshatram and thithi prasadams are for three Goddesses daily. Apart from this, it is believed and emphasis is given in offering  the prayer to Goddess Durga on first three days as Devi/Annai takes the form of Durgai with a purpose to kill Madhukaidabar and Mahisasuran. Accordingly second three days prayers are for Devi who takes form of Goddess  Laxmi and accepts Devar thuthi , hears Asura's messenger Sukreeva's message and kills Thumralochana. Finally the third three days Devi prayers are offered to Goddess Saraswathi who takes this form with a purpose to kill Sandamunda, Rakthapejan and Sumbha Nisumbha.
Based on the above,  rice prasadam is offered to Goddess Durgai, Lime rice  on day 1 , Ellu (sesame) rice on day 2 and curd rice on day 3. Likewise  Sugar rice on day 4, Paal (milk) rice on day 5 and Kalkandu rice on day 6 is offered to Goddess Laxmi.  Venpongal on day7, coconut rice on day 8 and milk rice on day 9 is offered to Goddess Saraswathi. It is upto individual's convenience and wish, to follow the above. Only this prasadam can be offered  or these can be offered in addition to the ones mentioned in the chart. Pujai in any form with true devotion is accepted by the Goddess and her blessings are always there for her devotees.
Above all the prayers offered gives immense satisfaction of having followed the tradition and it is a pleasure when  the knowledge is shared.
Click on the link below to view the chart.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AlPi-SCjGqUXdHNQOUVJSGctQ3UzcUJZWnl3cXFDUmc

GOLU -2011

GANESH CHATURTHI

OM GAM GANAPATHAYE NAMAHA

Aindu karathanai yanai muhathanai

Indin ilampirai polum aitranai
Nandhi mahanthanai gnanakozhunthinai
Punthiyil vaithadi potruhintenae.

  PAALUM THELITHENUM PAAGUM PARUPPUM EVAI NAANGUM KALANDHU UNAKKU

  NAAN THARUVEN KOLAM SEI THUNGAKARI MUGATHU THOOMANIYE NEE ENAKKU

                                             SANGA TAMIZ MOONDRUM THAA

 VAAKKUNDAAM NALLA MANAMUNDAAM MAA MALARAAI NOKKUNDAAM MENI

               NUDHANGAADHU POKKUNDAAM THAPPAAMAL SAARVAAR THAMAKKU

 The Tamil month Purattaasi is auspicious and devine, with important events like Mahalaya Amavasya followed by Navrathiri. The  whole month is celebrated in Tirupathi, and  Saturdays of this month are significant, not only at the uphills but in most of families whose family deity is Venkateswara.The preparation of  Maa Vilakku and praying Lord is followed in many houses.

This year the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is also in this month. To start any work Ganesha is prayed initially. So let us start this month by offering prayers to Lord Ganesha. I pray for a smooth celebration of Navrathri festival by all friends and relatives.
I am missing the Ganesh festival which is also called as Ganesh Navrathri and in my home town Secunderabad every street has a pandal and the huge idols are placed for nine days and the immersion of the idols is done on the tenth day. They declare holiday for schools on this occasion. We too have the custom of praying to the newly bought clay idol of ganesha and puja is performed duly offering many types of green leaves and flowers which are sold  as a set in the lotus leaf a day before the festival.
My parents used to make us perform this puja under their guidance as this is meant for students. I remember my mother making two types of neivedyam for this. Along with fruits we offer Milk, Honey, Coconut with jagree sweet (the name is Chitturundai) and Kadalai paruppu sundal. The above slokam in tamil , starting as "Paalum, Thelithenum, Paagum (jagree syrup), parruppum (kadalai paruppu). ..... is literally meaning - Lord, when offered with the four prasadam will in turn will give us all the three sanga tamil. This sloka is taught to children when they are kids. I too followed this practice with my kids.

Recipe for sweet coconut urundai/chitturundai

Grated Coconut 1 Cup
Grated Jaggery 1/2 Cup
Oil 2 Tablespoon
Cardamom Powder 1/4 teaspoon

Heat a pan, add 1 cup of water and add grated jaggery.
When the jaggery dissolves completely in water, strain it to remove dust and sand particles.
Add the strained jaggery juice again in the pan, and keep it in flame.
When the the jaggery juice starts to boil and become thick, add grated coconut, cardamom powder and stir well continuously till it roll like a ball and does not stick  to the sides of the pan.
This is the correct consistency to remove from flame. Take this in a plate and allow it to cool ,
Courtisy: Subbus kitchen.com

Kadalai Paruppu Sundal Recipe:

Bengal gram/Kadalai paruppu -1/2 cupGrated coconut - 2 tbsp
Lemon juice - few drops
Oil - 1 tsp 
Mustard - 3/4 tsp
Hing - a pinch
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Green chilli - 1 small finely chopped
Red chilli - 1
Curry leaves - few

Soak bengal gram dal for 1 hour. Pressure cook dal with needed salt and less water for 1 or 2 whistles. The dal should be soft but not mushy. You can even cook in a pan. If there is water, drain it and keep it aside.
Heat a tsp of oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add hing, urad dal, green chilli, red chilli and curry leaves.
Then add the cooked kadalai paruppu/dal and mix it well.
Add grated coconut, mix and switch off the flame.
Courtesy:Padus kitchen.com

Modagam or kozukattai is important for Ganapathy. The above two prasadams are used as poornam (for stuffing) in kozukattai.
Once again I wish you all a Happy Ganesh Chaturthi.
After this festival I will be back in India for arranging Golu and perform puja. I am posting the Navrathiri Chart in the following post.

Bottle gourd Manchurian/Lauki Manchurian (repost)

I was inspired by this Manchurian recipe ever since I saw it in a TV channel demonstrated by Mrs.Mallika Badrinath. It was an all time favourite for my kids then.I used to offer them as an incentive, after my full busy  working week on a weekend.When bottlegourd was bought in my home it means Manchurian dish will follow.Seriously I never tried making anything else with it.I have not tried Manchurian with mixed vegetables or Gobi.Though it takes long time for this dish to be ready, it tastes yummy and it will be finished in no time.

INGREDIENTS FOR VEGETABLE BALLS

Bottle gourd	1 medium size
Plain f lour/Maida	1-2 cups
Greenchilli and ginger paste	2 tsp
Onion chopped	1/2 cup
Salt	To taste
Oil	For frying

METHOD

Peel, cut and grate bottlegourd.Add a tsp of salt and leave for 5 min.

Squeeze and drain excess water and take  this in a bowl.

Add flour ,green chilli paste, chopped onion and salt and mix to make a dough.

The measure of flour given is adjustable and you can  feel the dough texture while mixing.You can add more or reduce.

Make balls to desired size and keep.

Heat oil in a pan and deep fry adding few balls at a time.Remove and place them on a kitchen towel.

Now the sauce should be prepared for these balls to soak in it.

The manchurian can be prepared dry with just enough sauce or as a wet one by making a gravy.

The method for the sauce preparation is the same for both.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE GRAVY

Onion (finely chopped)	1 cup
ginger and garlic paste	1 tsp
white pepper powder	1 tsp
worcestershire  sauce	2 tsp
soy sauce	2 tsp
red chilli sauce	2 tsp
vinegar	1tsp
corn flour	1 tblsp
garlic (finey chopped)	2 tsp
green chillies (finely chopped)	2 tsp
Salt	to taste
Sugar	1 tsp
Oil	2 tblsp

METHOD

Heat oil in a sauce pan,add a teaspoon of sugar and wait till it turns burn.Do not turn with spatula.

Now add chopped onion and mix. If Ajino motto is used add it and fry on high heat.
Put back flame on medium.Add ginger garlic paste and saute.

Add little salt, white pepper powder and mix.

Keep the sauces ready.Take each sauce as per measure mentioned and mix them with little water(few spoons) and add one after the other.

Finally take corn flour in a bowl and mix with 1 1/2 glass water and mix well.

Pour this into the pan and give a quick stir.

Wait till glazy texture is formed and put off flame.

Now drop the fried balls in this sauce and mix well.

If a gravy consistency is required more of onion can be added and corn slurry can be increased.

Garnish with fried garlic pieces and fried green chillies.

I am sending this recipe to Ramya's ABC series- Gourds Event.

ABC Series : Gourds @ Ramya's Recipe

Bottle gourd gravy/Sorakkai gravy/lauki masala

This side dish made with a single vegetable in a gravy form goes very well as a side dish for rotis and also rice.

INGREDIENTS

Bottle gourd/lauki/sorakaya	1 small size
Onion	1 No
Tomato	1 No
Toor dhal/Red gram	1 tblsp
Sesame seeds/Thill	1 Heaped tblsp
Red chillies	4 No
Coriander seeds	1 tsp
Fennel seeds/Saunf	1 tsp
Roasted peanuts or Dry coconut	1/2 cup
Garlic	2 cloves
Turmeric powder/Haldi	1/2 tsp
Oil	2 tsp
Salt	To taste

METHOD

Peel and cut bottle gourd into bite size cubes. Dice onion and  finely chop tomato and keep.

In a cup of water cook bottle gourd adding turmeric powder and salt till done but not very soft. Do not drain water.

Dry roast toor dhal,red chillies,coriander seeds,fennel seeds,sesame seeds,grated dry coconut and also garlic.

When cool first powder toor dhal and (roasted) peanuts and remove. Then powder coriander seeds, fennels seeds, red chilli and garlic. Finally add roasted thill/sesame seeds and coconut (if using instead of peanuts).

Heat oil in a pan add onion and saute,then add tomato and cook for a while.

Add this to cooked bottle gourd and also add powdered ingredients and mix well and bring to boil. Add salt and adjust consistency. Tasty side dish is ready to serve.

I am sending this recipe to Ramya's  ABC series - Gourds Event.

http://ramyasrecipe.blogspot.in/2012/05/abc-series-gourds.html

New Year Eve with Vegetable Biryani

May there be moments of joy...
Love of family and friends...
Rays of sucess...
To brighten your days of the New Year....
                                                             Happy New Year to all.
There cannot be a happier moment when you spend the last day of the year bidding good bye to 2011 and  welcoming  the dawn of the New year with your near and dear.  We had one such memorable day, of course with the gala food preparation. The year 2011 was a remarkable year for me, both as a blogger and a mother cooking variety of dishes and sharing it with my fellow bloggers and  staying with my family members and  making them happy with tasty food which I tried following the blogs.

Salad, Pulkas, Panchrathan Dal

Mini Samosas

Panchrathan Dal

Steamed corn, Vegetable Biryani  and Fruit salad for Desert (hidden behind )

The items in the menu for the dinner were all tried and tasted several times. Only one recipe for the main course was tried for the first time by me after viewing it in a local TV channel. I am happy to share it here.
It is the popular Vegetable biryani, a Hyderabad special.
Two weeks of this new year has passed with  devine Margazhi month chanting Thirupavai in the early hours and there after  pongal celebrations.  I am sure this recipe will be interesting to try though most of you would have prepared in different method.  Thanks to Aks-e rasoi programme.

INGREDIENTS

Basmathi rice	2 cups
Salt	3 tsp
Bay leaf	1 no
Cinnamon	1” piece
Pepper	4 nos
Cardamom	2 nos
Lavang/cloves	2 nos
Lime juice	½ tsp
Water	7 cups

For Kurma

Cooked vegetables- carrot, green peas, beans and cauliflower florets	2 ½ cups
Onion	2 nos
Ghee	1 tsp
Star anise	1
Cinnamon	1” piece
Green cardamom	2 nos
Black cardamom	1 no
Cloves	3 nos
Pepper	6 nos
Cumin	½ tsp
Mace	little
Ginger	1 tsp
Garlic	1 tsp
Cumin powder	½ tsp
Red chilli powder	½ tsp
Turmeric powder	¼ tsp
Biryani Masala	¼ tsp
Water	¼ cup + ½ cup
Tomato puree	2 tblsp
Curd	¼ cup
Grated coconut	1 tblsp
Cashew nuts powder	1 tblsp
Milk	¼ cup
Mint leaves	few
Coriander leaves	1 tblsp
Fried onion or badam slices	½ cup
Orange food color	pinch

METHOD

Cooking basmathi rice in a right texture is important in the preparation of biryani . To acheive each grain cooked separate, lime juice is used. Care should be taken to cook the rice 80 to 90% done, as the final process requires baking the rice in oven or the process of DUM to be followed on stove top. 

Assemble the ingredients given in the first table to cook rice. Cut the vegetables and cook and keep ready. Finely chop onion and keep. Keep all the other ingredients ready to prepare the kurma. When all the ingredients are kept ready ( as the list is long) half the work is done. You can process cooking rice in one stove and make kurma in another burner. 

Heat 7 cups of water in a big heavy bottomed vessel. Add salt, bay leaf, cinnamon, pepper, cardamom, cloves and bring to boil.Add lime juice. Add rinsed and drained basmathi rice and cook. When 80% is done remove and drain. Cool it in a wide plate.

While the rice is cooking the kurma can be done. In a pan melt ghee and add the whole masala one after the other in the order given. First star anise, then cinnamon, cardamom green and black, cloves, pepper, cumin, mace and fry. Add finely chopped onion and fry till light brown. Grate the ginger piece  and garlic directly into the pan. Add salt, cumin powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and biryani masala and mix adding 1/4 cup water. Add tomato pureee and mix.  Now add the cooked vegetables. In a bowl take curd and beat well. Add grated coconut, cashew powder and mix well. Pour this on vegetables and mix well. add 1/2 cup of water and mix well. Put off stove.

Now the rice and kurma should be combined. Grease a bowl with ghee first. Spread a layer of rice then vegetable kurma. Sprinkle orange food color and fried onion. Repeat the process of spreading rice and kurma. Spread mint and chopped coriander leaves and pour the milk evenly all around the bowl . Sprinkle fried almond slices and cover with aluminium foil and bake for 20 minutes in a pre heated oven.

The biryani is ready to serve. Spoon the biryani vertically with a spatula, with the layers of rice and kurma in tact . It tastes superb with raita as a side dish.