Surna Adgai /Konkani Style Yam Pickle /Chena Achar

 Surna adgai/ Yam pickle /Chena achar is a konkani style spicy pickle made with deep fried elephant yam pieces, roasted red chillies, roasted mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, and tamarind goes well as a side dish with dosa, idli, appam and rice. The following ingredients are needed to prepare Surna Adgai / Konkani Style Yam Pickle / Chena Achar.

Ingredients:
Yam pieces chopped.-1 cup
Dry red chillies.        -10
Mustard seeds.          -1tsp
Fenugreek/Methi.     -1/4 tsp
Asafoetida / Hing.    -1tsp
Tamarind.-a gooseberry size
Salt.                           -to taste
Coconut oil.        - for frying

For Seasoning:
Mustard seeds.    -1 tsp
Curry leaves.       -1 sprig
Asafoetida / hing.-1/4 tsp
Coconut oil.         -1 tsp

Instructions:
1). Cut and remove the outer skin of elephant yam and chop the yam into 1/2 inch lengthy small pieces. Wash and clean the chopped yam pieces in water and keep them in a colander to drain water completely from it. Apply little salt on yam pieces and keep aside for 30 minutes to marinate. After 30 minutes squeeze out water from yam pieces. Deep fry the squeezed yam pieces in hot oil until crisp and golden brown. Keep aside the deep fried crispy yam pieces.

2).Soak a gooseberry size tamarind in little boiled and cooled water for 5 minutes.

3). Heat 1tsp coconut oil in a small pan and roast dry red chillies in hot oil till crisp on low flame. Remove the roasted red chillies from oil and transfer to a plate. In the same small pan add 1tsp mustard seeds and 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds /methi seeds and roast on low flame for few seconds. Do not burn them. Add  1 tsp asafoetida / hing powder into the pan and mix well for a second. Switch off the flame and remove the roasted mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and asafoetida from small pan and transfer to a plate.

4). In a small mixie jar add roasted dry red chillies and soaked tamarind and grind together to a smooth paste adding 1tbsp of boiled and cooled water. Add roasted mustard seeds, fenugreek /methi seeds, asafoetida/ hing and little salt into the small mixie jar and grind again for 2 rounds.

5). Transfer the ground red chilly tamarind mustard fenugreek asafoetida mixture to a small vessel. Wash the mixie jar with little boiled and cooled water and add the washed water into the small vessel and mix well. Check for salt and add required salt if needed. Mix the chilly tamarind paste mixture in the small vessel and give a boil. Switch off the flame.

6). Heat 1 tsp coconut oil in a small pan for seasoning and splutter mustard seeds. Add curry leaves and saute in oil. Add 1/4 tsp asafoetida / hing powder and stir well. Switch off the flame and pour the seasoning into the boiled chilly tamarind paste mixture in the vessel.Cover the vessel with a lid and keep aside to cool.

7). When cooled add the deep fried crispy yam pieces into the boiled chilly tamarind paste mixture in the vessel and mix well.

8). After 1 hour Surna Adgai / Konkani style Yam Pickle /Chena Achar is ready to serve with dosa, idli, appam and rice.

Besan Rice Flour Dosa

Besan rice flour dosa is very easy to prepare instant and crispy dosa made with besan /gram flour, rice flour and rava /semolina and can be served with coconut chutney for breakfast. The following ingredients are needed to prepare Instant Besan Rice Flour Dosa.
Ingredients:
Rice flour.          -1 cup
Rava.                  -3/4 cup
Besan flour.        -1/4 cup
Green chilly.       -3
Shallots.              -4
Turmeric powder.-a pinch
Mustard seeds.    -1 tsp
Cumin seeds.       -1tsp
Curry leaves.       -few
Salt.                     -to taste
Water.                 -as required
Coconut oil.       -1tsp
Ghee          - for roasting dosa 

1). In a vessel add rava /semolina and 2 cup of water and soak for 15 minutes. Add rice flour and besan / gram flour into the vessel and mix everything using your hand. Add more water and make a loose batter.

2). Heat coconut oil in a small pan for seasoning and splutter mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Add thinly chopped green chillies, thinly chopped shallots and thinly chopped curry leaves and saute in ghee. Pour the seasoning into the dosa batter and mix well using a ladle.

3). Heat a dosa tawa and apply little ghee on tawa. Mix the dosa batter well.Take a ladle of loose dosa batter and pour it on tawa and make a thin round dosa. Don't spread dosa on tawa using the back of the ladle. Cover and cook dosa on medium low flame.

4). Apply little ghee all over dosa and flip it to cook the other side on low flame.

5). Remove the well roasted dosa from tawa and transfer to a serving plate. Repeat the process and roast besan rice flour dosa with the remaining dosa batter.

Instant and crispy Bessn Rice Flour Dosa is ready to serve with coconut chutney for breakfast. 

Ridge Gourd Tomato Potato Curry

Ridge gourd tomato potato curry is a simple and easy to prepare tasty curry goes well with rice. The following ingredients are needed to prepare Ridge gourd Tomato Potato Curry.
Ingredients:
Ridge gourd.      -1
Tomato.              -2
Potato.                -2
Green chilly.       -4
Asafoetida/ hing.-1/4 tsp
Water.                  -as required
Salt.                     - to taste
Coconut oil.         -2 tsp

Method:
1). Remove both the ends and spiny ridges on the ridge gourd. Chop the ridge gourd into thin 2 inch lengthy pieces. Peel and chop potatoes into thin 2 inch lengthy pieces.Chop tomatoes into thin 2 inch lengthy slices. Keep aside.

2). Heat 2 tsp coconut oil in a wide bottom pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add half slit green chillies and saute in oil. Add asafoetida / hing powder and stir in oil.

3). Add thinly chopped tomato slices and thinly chopped potato pieces into the pan and saute well.

4). Add thinly chopped ridge gourd pieces, required salt and 3/4 cup of water into the pan and mix well. Cover and cook on low flame until tomato, potato and ridge gourd pieces become soft. Switch off the flame. Transfer the ridge gourd tomato potato curry to a serving bowl.

Ridge gourd Tomato Potato Curry is ready to serve with rice.

Pattanam Pakoda

Pattanam pakoda is a deep fried south Indian street food snack made with gram flour, rice flour, powdered roasted gram dal, onion, green chilly, garlic, curry leaves and spices.. Deep fried pattanam pakoda is very tasty, crispy and crunchy outside and soft inside.The following ingredients are needed to prepare Pattanam Pakoda.

Ingredients:
Gram flour/ Besan.-3/4 cup
Rice flour.              -1/2 cup
Roasted gram dal powdered.-1/2 cup
Onion.                    -1
Red chilly powder. -1/2 tsp
Hing powder.          -1 tsp
Ginger.                    -1/2 inch piece
Garlic cloves.          -2
Green chilly.            -2
Fennel seeds.           -1/2 tsp
Curry leaves.           -few
Coriander leaves.     -few
Baking soda.            -1/4 tsp
Water.                       -as needed
Salt.                          -to taste
Ghee.                        -2 tbsp
Oil.                -for deep frying

Instructions:
In a mixer grinder grind roasted gram dal (pottukadala) to a smooth powder and keep aside the powdered roasted gram dal .

2). Coarsely crush together ginger, garlic, green chilly and fennel seeds in a mortar and pestle. Keep aside the coarsely crushed ginger garlic green chilly fennel seeds mixture.

3). Finely chop onion, curry leaves and coriander leaves. Keep aside.

Method:
1). In a mixing bowl add 2 tbsp ghee and 1/4 tsp baking soda and mix together for 2 minutes using your fingers and make a soft cream.

2). Add 3/4 cup gram flour (besan), 1/2 cup rice flour, 1/2 cup powdered roasted gram dal (pottukadala podi) and required salt into the mixing bowl and mix with creamed ghee.

3). Add coarsely crushed ginger garlic green chilly fennel seeds mixture into the mixing bowl and mix well.

4). Add finely chopped onion, red chilly powder, hing powder (asafoetida), finely chopped curry leaves and finely chopped coriander leaves into the mixing bowl and mix with the flour mixture.

5). Sprinkle required water little by little into the mixing bowl and knead the flour mixture and make a medium thick dough.

6). Take a small lemon size portion of the dough and keep it in between your palm and roll it into small round ball. Repeat the process and make small dough balls with the remaining dough and keep them on a plate.

7). Heat enough oil in a deep frying kadai. Once the oil is hot drop the prepared small dough balls in hot oil. Deep fry them in batches on medium flame until golden brown.

8). Once done remove the deep fried dough balls from hot oil using a slotted spoon and transfer to a tissue paper  to absorb excess oil.

Very tasty and crispy deep fried Pattanam Pakoda is ready to serve as a snack.

Ridge gourd Bajji / Peechinga Bajji

Ridge gourd bajji also known as Peechinga bajji in malayalam and Peerkangai bajji in tamil is a deep fried crispy south Indian teatime snack made with ridge gourd slices and spicy gram flour batter. The following ingredients are needed to prepare Ridge gourd Bajji / Peechinga Bajji.

Ingredients:
Ridge gourd.           -1or 2 tender
Besan /Gram flour. -1 cup
Rice flour.               -2 tbsp
Red chilly. Powder.-1tsp
Turmeric powder.   -1/4 tsp
Baking soda.           -1/2 tsp
Salt.                        - to taste
Water.                   -as needed
Oil.                 -for deep frying

Method:
1). Wash ridge gourd, trim both the ends, peel and remove the hard ridges and cut the ridge gourd into medium thick round slices. 

2). In a mixing bowl add besan /gram flour, rice flour, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, required salt, baking soda and mix well. Add required water little by little into the mixing bowl and mix all the ingredients in the mixing bowl and make a smooth and medium thick gram flour batter.

3). Heat enough oil in a deep frying kadai. Once the oil is hot dip the ridge gourd slices one by one in spicy gram flour batter and drop them into hot oil and deep fry on medium flame. 

4). When one side of the ridge gourd slices become golden colour flip them over in hot oil to cook the other side.

5). When both sides of the ridge gourd slices become crisp and golden colour remove them from hot oil using a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Crispy Ridge gourd Bajji / Peechinga Bajji  is ready to serve. 

Chono Moogu Kele Elchikeri / Konkani Style Erissery

Chono moogu kele elchikeri is a konkani style erissery made with black chickpeas, green gram and raw banana and goes well with rice.The following ingredients are needed to prepare Chono Moogu Kele Elchikeri. / Konkani Style Chickpeas Green Gram Raw Banana Erissery.

Ingredients:
Black chickpea/ Chono.-1/2cup
Green gram/ Moogu.    -1/2 cup
Raw banana/ Kele        -1
Sun dried mango.     -a small piece
Salt.                              - to taste

For grinding Coconut Masala Paste:
Grated coconut.     -1 cup
Red chilly powder.-1tsp
Turmeric powder.  -1/4tsp

For Seasoning:
Coconut oil.     -1tsp
Mustard seeds. -1tsp
Cumin seeds.   -1/2 tsp
Curry leaves.   -1 sprig

For Garnishing:
Coconut oil.      -1tsp
Grated coconut. -1/4 cup

Instructions:
1). Wash and soak black chickpea and green gram in water overnight. Drain and pressure cook both till soft adding enough water. Keep aside the cooked chickpea and green gram along with little cooked water.

2). Grind grated coconut, red chilly powder and turmeric powder to a smooth paste adding very little water. Keep aside the ground coconut masala paste.

3). Peel the outer skin and chop raw banana into small pieces and keep aside.

Method:
1). In a wide bottom pan add the chopped raw banana pieces and 1 cup of water. Boil and cook raw banana pieces till soft.

2). Add required salt and a small piece of sun dried mango into the pan and mix well.

3). Add cooked chickpesa and green gram along with little cooked water into the pan. Mix well and boil for 3-4 minutes on low flame and switch off the flame.

4). Heat 1tsp coconut oil in a small pan for seasoning. Splutter mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Add curry leaves and saute in oil. Switch off the flame and pour the above seasoning into the curry and close the pan with lid.

5). Heat 1tsp coconut oil in the same small pan. Add 1/4 cup grated coconut and roast well till coconut becomes golden colour and switch off the flame.Pour the roasted coconut gratings over the curry. Transfer the curry to a serving bowl.

A very tasty Chono Moogu Kele Elchikeri / Konkani style Black Chickpeas Green gram Raw Banana Erisseriy is ready to serve with rice.

Potato Stuffed Wheat Paratha

Potato stuffed paratha is a very easy to prepare breakfast made with wheat flour and spicy potato onion mixture. Potato stuffed wheat paratha can be served with curd or tomato ketchup or any side dish of your choice. The following ingredients are needed to prepare Potato Stuffed Wheat Paratha.

Ingredients:
Wheat flour.         -2 cups
Potato.                  -4
Green chilly.         -2
Ginger crushed.    -1/2 tsp
Onion.                   -1
Red chilly powder.-1tsp
Amchur powder.   -1/2 tsp
Garam. masala.     -1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds.        -1/2 tsp
Water.                 - as needed
Salt.                      - to taste
Ghee.                - as required

Method:
1). In a bowl add 2 cup of wheat flour, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp salt and mix well. Add 1cup of hot water little by little into the wheat flour and mix well. Add 1tbsp ghee and knead the flour and make a smooth and soft dough. Cover the dough and keep aside for 30 minutes to rest.

2). Pressure cook potatoes with skin for 1 whistle and simmer for 20 minutes. Once cooled peel and mash the cooked potatoes. In a mixing bowl add mashed potatoes. Add finely chopped onion, thinly chopped green chilly, crushed ginger, red chilly powder, amchur powder, garam masala and required salt into the mixing bowl and mix with the mashed potatoes. Make lemon size balls out of the potato onion mixture. Potato balls are ready for stuffing.

3). After 30 minutes knead the wheat dough again and divide the wheat dough into lemon size dough balls.Dust the wheat dough balls with some dry flour and roll them into little thick round shape roti.

4). Apply little ghee on  rolled wheat roti. Place one potato ball in the center of the rolled wheat roti. Bring together all sides of the potato stuffed wheat roti to the center and rotate the tip and seal it tightly. Gently press the potato stuffed roti to remove the air bubbles. Sprinkle some dry flour over it and gently roll the potato stuffed roti evenly from all sides and make a round shape little thick big potato stuffed paratha.

4). Repeat the same process and make potato stuffed paratha using the remaining wheat dough balls and potato balls. Keep aside the rolled potato stuffed paratha for roasting.

5). Heat a tawa on medium flame. Place the potato stuffed paratha on hot tawa and cook for a minute. When the base of the paratha is half cooked flip the paratha. Apply little ghee on it and roast on both sides. When brown spots appear on both sides remove the roasted potato stuffed paratha from tawa and transfer to a serving plate. Repeat the process and roast the remaining potato stuffed parthas.

Very tasty Potato Stuffed Wheat Paratha is ready to serve with curd or any side dish of your choice. 

Cracked Wheat Pepper Dosa

Cracked wheat also known as nurukku gothambu in malayalam is a wheat product made by grinding the whole wheat into big coarse particles. Cracked wheat pepper dosa is a spicy and instant dosa made with cracked wheat adding crushed black pepper corn and grated coconut and can be served with chutney for breakfast. The following ingredients are needed to prepare Cracked Wheat Pepper Dosa. 
Ingredients:
Cracked wheat.      -1 cup
Idli rava /Rice rava.-1/4 cup
Grated coconut.      -1 cup
Black Pepper corn .-1tsp crushed
Cumin seeds.          -1tsp
Salt.                        -to taste.

Method:
1). Wash and soak cracked wheat in water for 1 hour. Drain and grind the soaked cracked wheat along with idli rava (rice rava), grated coconut, crushed black pepper corn, required salt and 1/4 cup of water in a mixer grinder to a fine paste.

2). Transfer the ground cracked wheat batter to a bowl. Add little water into the bowl and mix well to make it a dosa batter consistency. Add cumin seeds into the batter and mix well. No need to ferment the ground craked wheat dosa batter.

3). Heat a dosa tawa on medium flame and apply little oil on hot tawa. Take a ladle of cracked wheat batter and pour it on hot tawa and spread the batter using the back of the ladle and make a round shape dosa. Pour little oil on all sides of dosa and cook on medium low flame.

4). Apply little oil on top of the dosa and flip and turn it with a flat spatula to cook the other side.

5). When both sides of the cracked wheat pepper dosa is roasted well remove it from tawa and transfer to a serving plate. Make cracked wheat pepper dosa with the remaining dosa batter.

Cracked Wheat Pepper Dosa is ready to serve with coconut chutney or any side dish of your choice. shape