Utthapam

The best thing about Utthapams is that they are easy to make and ready in no time. Inspite of all that, they are tasty just as is, or with ketchup or with spicy tomato chutney or sambar!

Veg utthapam recipe-

Ingredients-

4 cups of dosa batter -store bought (I don't have the patience to make my own batter and wait for it to sour.. uff)

salt to taste

1 tsp jeera

1 tsp chopped curry leaves

1 tsp chopped coriander

1 medium onion chopped finely

1 tsp fresh grated coconut

Some veggies- capsicum, carrots, any other veggies of your choice but chopped finely)

Directions-

Heat the tava / griddle. Mix all ingredients in the batter and spread spoonfuls of this batter on the tava. Do not spread very thin, drizzle a bit of oil around the edges. Let cook, flip and cook till done. Serve hot with accompaniments of your choice. It is ketchup for me :)

Chhole in Malabar Spinach / green gravy

Ingredients-

1 cup Chickpeas- washed and soaked overnight, pressure-cooked with 1 cup water for one whistle and simmered for another 10 mins.
2 cups Bachele soppu in Kannada (I don't know the name in Hindi, in English, I think it is known as Malabar Spinach), cleaned and boiled, then blended for 2 mins.

1 tsp ginger garlic paste
Oil to cook
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 chopped onion, 1 chopped tomato
1 tsp coriander, turmeric, garam Masala Powder
Salt to Taste
Optional- can add 1 medium sized boiled potato. I did

Directions-
Heat oil in a wok. Add cumin and let them change color. Now add the onions and ginger garlic paste. Add the chopped tomato and the dry spices, salt. Cover and cook till done. The oil should separate from the masalas.
Add the blended greens and chhole with the water in which you cooked it. Stir, cover and simmer for 10 mins or so, stirring in between.

Serve warm with rice / rotis.

The leaves of this greens I have used here are succulent and mucilaginous after cooking, It makes a good base for soups, stews and curries like these. If you know the Hindi name, let me know. I wish I had clicked a pic of the plant, it used to grow in the house we resided in before. 

bhindi/okra in coconut-tamarind gravy

I have this recipe from my colleague, Lakshmi. This recipe can be used with both bhindi / okra or karela / bittergourd.

Ingredients:

1/2 kg Bhindi/ okra chopped
Tamarind - lemon size soaked in 1/4 cup lukewarm water, extract juice upto 1 cup
2 tsps Curry Leaves
1 tsp Jeera / cumin
3-4 pods garlic crushed

1/2 tsp turmeric powder, coriander powder and all spice / garam masala.

Salt to taste

oil to cook 2tbsps or so

2 tsps Methi / fenugreek seeds
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
2 tsps fresh coconut
(Roast methi and mustard, add coconut. Let cool and grind to a paste with little water)

Directions-
Heat oil,  add curry leaves, garlic and cumin.Add bhindi / okra, powdered spices, salt and mix till the spices and salt coat the bhindi pieces well. Cook till the bhindi is fried well, around 10-12 mins.
Now add the tamarind extract

Add the tamarind extract and coconut paste cook till it comes to a thick gravy consistency.

This is going to Chettinad special because this is a famous recipe of Tamil Nadu as well.

Raw mango rice- microwave cooking

I have learnt to make raw mango rice after I came to Bangalore. I think this is a Karnataka special dish. Thanks to Lakshmi, my friend and colleague, for this recipe. I have posted this recipe earlier, but I am reposting this with a pic and microwave cooking directions.
Earlier recipe is here-
Ambrosia: Raw mango rice

My recipe-

Ingredients-
A handful of roasted peanuts
You can roast peanuts in the microwave.
Oil or ghee for cooking
Mustard seeds for tempering
curry leaves - a few
1 Onion-chopped
1 tomato - chopped - optional
One small raw mango (can be peeled), grated
Salt to taste
1 tsp Turmeric
1 cup white rice- cooked

Soak the rice for about 20 mins to half an hour in 2 cups water, cook in the microwave for 12-15 mins on 75% power, let stand for 10 mins.

Method-
Keep the cooked white rice ready.
In a microsafe dish, add the tempering,curry leaves and onions. Micro for a couple of mins.
Add tomato, micro for another couple of mins, mash with the back of your spatula.
Add roasted peanuts, turmeric, salt and cook for another minute. Now add the raw mango, mix and cook for another minute.
Don't overcook the raw mango or the flavor will disappear.
Mix plain rice very well, and cook in the micro for another couple of mins.
Let stand for about 5-10 mins for the flavors to mix and serve hot.

This is going to MEC Rice hosted by Priya of Mharo Rajasthan. She has a lovely blog! Also check Srivalli's original announcement page here. This event will soon complete a decade ;)

bittergourd / karela - karnataka style!

I don't know what this recipe is originaly called. I have this recipe from my friend and colleague, Lakshmi. We work together at Ibexi. She shared this recipe after I tasted thsi at lunch sometime from her lunch box. She is a pucca Kannadiga and her Mom makes awesome Bisi bele bhath too.
I really liked this dish for how the jaggery and coconut milk sets off the bitterness of the karela. My FIL is also a fan.
Niket is allergic to tamarind, so I always use lemon juice. But I feel the goodness of the recipe comes from the swee-sour taste of tamarind!!

Ingredients:
1 onion chopped
1 tomato chopped
1 tsp ginger garli paste
2 medium sized bittergourds diced thinly
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala or all spice
2 tbsp jaggery
1 tsp tamarind paste or lemon juice
4 large tbsps coconut milk
1 tsp grated coconut
oil for frying
1/2 cup water
salt to taste

Directions:
Heat oil in a wok. Add onions, cook till they turn pink. Add tomato and ginger garlic paste, cook till the raw smell disappears. Add the diced bitter-gourd. Add all the spices, salt and cook till they turn brown. Add jaggery, tamarind paste, coconut milk and water. Cook covered till half the liquid is absorbed, roughly 10 mins. Serve with chapatis.