Besan Chilla

Besan Chilla or Besan Cheela is a easy to make pancake made with gram flour (besan) adding spice powders, green chilly, ginger, onion, tomato and can be served for breakfast or as a evening snack with coconut chutney or tomato sauce.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Besan Chilla.

Ingredients:-

Gram flour (besan). -1 cup
Green chillies.          - 2
Ginger.                      - a very small piece
Red chilly powder.    -1tsp
Turmeric powder.      -1/4tsp
Cumin powder.          -1/4tsp
Onion.                        -1
Tomato.                      -1
Water.                         - as required
Salt.                            - to taste

Instructions:-

1). Wash and chop green chillies into very thin round pieces and keep aside.

2). Wash and chop tomatoes into very small pieces and keep aside.

3). Peel, wash and finely chop onion and keep aside.

4). Peel the skin and grate a small ginger piece (about 1/4 tsp) and keep aside.

Method:-

1). In a mixing bowl add gram flour, thinly chopped green chillies, grated ginger, finely chopped onion, cumin powder, chopped tomato pieces, red chilly powder, turmeric powder and required salt and mix well. Add required water little by little into the mixing bowl and mix with all the ingredients together and make a thick batter of pouring consistency without any lumps.

2). Heat a dosa tawa on medium heat and grease with little oil. Take a ladle full of batter.

3). Pour the batter on hot tawa and spread it gently with the back of the ladle and make a round pancake.

4). Pour little oil on the sides and around the pancake.

5). Roast the pancake on medium flame.

6). When the base of the pancake is roasted well flip it to cook the other side.

7). When both sides of the pancake are roasted well and dark brown spots appear on the pancake, transfer the well roasted pancake to a serving bowl using a flat spatula.

A very tasty and healthy Besan Chilla / Besan Cheela is ready to serve hot as a breakfast dish with chutney or tomato sauce.

Peanut Garlic Chutney Powder.

Peanut and garlic chutney powder is a coarsely ground dry chutney powder and a healthy side dish that can be served with dosa, idli or with steamed rice.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Peanut Garlic Chutney Powder.

Ingredients:-

Peanut.                    - 2tbsp
Garlic.                      - 5 cloves
White sesame seeds.- 2tbsp
Grated coconut.        - 3tbsp
Dry Red chillies.       - 2
Coriander seeds.        - 3/4tsp
Tamarind.                   - a small piece
Salt.                            - to taste
Oil.                             -1tsp

Instructions:-

1). Dry roast coriander seeds in a pan on low flame and keep aside.

2). Dry roast white sesame seeds on low flame till it starts to splutter ànd keep aside.

3). Heat 1tsp oil in the same pan and roast dry red chillies and keep aside. Add garlic in the same pan and roast in oil and keep aside.

4). Roast peanuts in the same pan on low flame and keep aside.

5). Add grated coconut and roast till light brown colour and keep aside.

6). Let all the above roasted ingredients to cool.

Method:-

1). Once cooled grind the roasted peanuts along with roasted garlic, red chillies, coriander seeds, sesame seeds, grated coconut, tamarind and required salt to a coarse powder.

2). Transfer the coarsely ground peanut garlic chutney powder to a serving bowl.

A healthy Peanut Garlic Chutney Powder is ready to serve.

Poddale Upkari (Snake Gourd Stir Fry)

Poddale upkari also known as podalya upkari in konkani is a very tasty, simple and easy to make snake gourd stir fry that goes well as a healthy side dish with rice and dal curry.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Poddale Upkari (Snake Gourd Stir Fry)

Ingredients:-

Snake gourd.       -1 big (fresh and tender)
Green chilly.       - 2
Grated Coconut. - 2tbsp
Mustard seeds.   -1tsp
Coconut oil.        -1tsp

Instructions:-

1). Scrap and remove the thin white outer skin of the snake gourd and wash well in water. Chop the snake gourd into very small pieces and keep aside.

2). Wash and slit green chillies into halves and keep aside.

Method:-

1). Heat coconut oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds and saute well.

2). Add slit green chillies into the pan and fry in oil for a second.

3). Add the finely chopped snake gourd pieces into the pan and saute well.

4). Cover and cook the snake gourd pieces till tender on low flame and saute well in between.Do not add any drops of water.

5). Add grated coconut and mix with the cooked snake gourd pieces. When the water evaporates and the stir fry become little dry switch off the flame.

6). Transfer the snake gourd stir fry to a serving plate.

A very tasty, simple and easy to make Poddale Upkari /Snake Gourd Stir Fry is ready to serve hot with rice and dal curry.

Goddu Saaru / Goddu Rasam

Goddu saru /Goddu rasam is a sweet rasam made with tomato, jaggery, tamarind, spicy ground coconut mixture and mustard seasoning and can be served with rice.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Goddu Saaru /Goddu Rasam.

Ingredients:-

Tomato.                - 2
Jaggery.                - a gooseberry size
Tamarind.             - a gooseberry size
Coriander leaves. - few
Salt.                      - to taste

For grinding coconut masala paste:-

Grated coconut. -3tbsp
Tur dal.               -2 tbsp
Coriander seeds. -1tbsp
Dry red chllies.   - 4

For seasoning:-

Coconut oil.     - 2tbsp
Mustard seeds. - 1tsp
Cumin seeds.    - 1/2tsp
Dry Red chilly. - 2 broken into halves
Curry leaves.    - few
Hing powder.    - 1/2tsp

Instructions:-

1). Wash and roughly chop tomatoes and grind to a smooth paste. Keep aside the tomato puree.

2). Soak tamarind in 1/4 cup of warm water for 2 minutes and extract tamarind water and keep aside.

3). Heat little oil in a pan and roast tur dal until golden brown, roast dry red chillies and coriander seeds and keep aside to cool. Once cooled grind all the above roasted ingredients along with grated coconut to a smooth paste. Keep aside the spicy ground coconut tur dal mixture.

4). Wash and finely chop few coriander leaves and keep aside.

5). Crush or grate jaggery and keep aside.

Method:-

1). Heat coconut oil in a steel kadai and splutter mustard seeds and cumin seeds and saute well. Add broken dry red chillies, curry leaves and hing powder into the kadai and saute well.

2). Add extracted tamarind water, required salt and crushed jaggery into the kadai and mix well.

3). Add ground tomato puree into the kadai and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes on low flame.

4). Add ground coconut tur dal mixture and 1/2 cup of water into the kadai and mix with all the ingredients. Boil and cook for 2 minutes on low flame and switch off the flame.

5). Lastly garnish the goddu saaru with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Goddu Saaru /Goddu Rasam is ready to serve with rice.

Chunde Phala Adgai / Turkey Berrry Pickle

Chunde phala Adgai / Turkey Berry Pickle / Chundanga Achar is a spicy pickle made with raw turkey berries served as a side dish with rice, dosa or idli.Turkey berry is called Chunde phal in Konkani and Chundanga in malalyalam.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Chunde phala Adgai.

Ingredients:-

Turkey Berry.    -1cup (tender)
Dry red chillies. -5
Tamarind.          - a gooseberry size
Hing powder.     -1/2tso
Mustard seeds.   -2tsp
Salt.                    -to taste

For Seasoning:-

Gingely oil.      -1tbsp
Mustard seeds. -1tsp

Instructions:-

1). Remove the stem of the turkey berries and wash well in water. Chop each turkey berry into halves and keep them in water to remove the bitterness of the turkey berries.

2). Grind dry red chillies, tamarind and hing powder to a smooth paste adding little boiled and cooled water. Keep aside the ground red chilly paste.

4). Dry roast 1tsp mustard seeds in a pan for a second and allow to cool. Once cooled gently crush the roasted mustard seeds using a rolling pin.

Method:-

1). Heat gingely oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds and saute well.

2). Add chopped turkey berries into the pan and saute well for 5 minutes on low flame.

3). Add ground red chilly paste and required salt into the pan. Mix well and boil for few seconds and switch off the flame.

4). Add 1tsp crushed mustard seeds into the pan and mix with all the ingredients.Keep aside the turkey berry pickle for 15 minutes to rest.

5). Transfer the turkey berry pickle to a serving bowl.

A very tasty Chunde phala Adgai / Turkey Berry Pickle is ready to use as a side dish with rice.Keep the pickle in the refrigerator and stays good for few more days.