Bisi Bele Huli Anna

A speciality dish from Karnataka,mom prepared this for our weekend brunch.Here in Tamilnadu,our friends prepare this like sambar sadham[Sambar rice]adding vegetables but that takes away the original taste of bisi bele bath.

This is my great grandmoms version that has been passed down through the ages.

You need:

Rice – 1 cup
Toor dhal -3/4 cup
Tamarind – lemon size [enough to make ¾ cup extract]
Turmeric powder

Fry with a little oil and grind to a smooth paste

Dhania / Coriander seeds– 3 teaspoons
Channa Dhal - 2 teaspoons
Fenugreek seeds -1/4th teaspoon
Red chillies- 5
Asafetida – a pinch
Dry /fresh grated coconut – 5 teaspoons

Seasoning

Gingelly oil /sesame seed oil – 5 teaspoons
Curry leaves – a few sprigs
Cloves - 5
Groundnut / cashewnuts

Salt – to taste

1. Boil rice and dhal + turmeric powder separately. Rice should be boiled with a little extra water.
2. Mix both in a big vessel and keep aside.
3. In a heavy bottomed vessel, smear a little oil and add tamarind extract and bring to boil.
4. Add salt.
5. Reduce heat and add the paste and simmer.
6. To this add rice dhal mixture and keep stirring till it bubbles over.
7. Remove from heat.
8. In a kadai heat the remaining oil and fry the cloves,nuts and curry leaves and pour over the bisi bele huli.
9.Mix and serve hot with raita and crispies.

Carrot Raita

Raita or Pachadi is a South Indian dish Yoghurt-based.It is a simple prepartion of adding veggies or fruits to beaten curds .Raita also has a cooling effect on the palate.

You need

Curd – 1 cup
Carrot, grated – 2
Salt - to taste

Seasoning

Oil – 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds – ½ teaspoon
Urad dhal – ½ teaspoon
Green chilies – 2
Curry leaves

To Garnish

Coriander leaves, finely chopped

1. Beat the curd well
2. Add the grated carrot and salt.
3. Season and serve garnished with coriander leaves.

Masal Dosa

I made loads of these when I was in China. Hubby dear used to invite his colleagues – both Indians and Chinese for dinner and I loved to include masala dosa as one of the recipes in the menu. Easy to prepare and yummy to chomp, it always reminds me of home. There are numerous variations which include spreading spicy powder or chutneys before spreading the masal.

You need:

For dosa batter :
Rice -5 cups
Urad dhal [White, Whole] – 3/4 cup
Fenugreek seeds – 2 teaspoons.
Salt – to taste

1. Soak rice and urad dhal and fenugreek in 2 separate containers for at least 5-6 hours.
2. Rinse and drain the water and grind the urad dhal + fenugreek first adding little water to a fine paste.
3. Dish it out
4. Grind rice with a little water.
5. Dish it out into the urad dhal paste and mix well adding salt.
6. Let it ferment for 5 hours.
7. When the batter has risen mix again

For Masala
Boiled & mashed potatoes- ½ a kilo
Tomato, finely chopped – 1
Onion, finely chopped – 1
Coriander leaves, finely chopped – 2 teaspoons
Curry leaves, chopped – 1 teaspoon
Turmeric Powder – a pinch
Chilli powder – 2 teaspoons
Oil – 2 teaspoons
Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon
Jeera – 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard and jeera.
2. Once it splutters add curry leaves, onions and fry till onions turn translucent.
3. Add tomatoes and fry till mushy.
4. Add the boiled and mashed potatoes and mix well.
5. Next add Turmeric, chilli powder and salt.
6. Finally add coriander leaves and mix and remove from heat.
7. If the masal is too crumbly add a little bit of water to get the spreadable consistency.

To assemble a masala dosa :

1. Check the consistency of the batter.The trick is getting it just right- not too watery /not too thick.
2. Heat a griddle and pour a ladleful of batter and spread it in a thin circle.
3. Drizzle oil and let it brown on both the sides.
4. Spread the masal on one half and fold in the other half.
5. Serve hot with chutney and sambar.

Check-out some interesting facts about masala dosa

Idli Upma

Do you have leftover idlis and wondering what to do? Here is an easy recipe to vanquish those leftovers.

You need :

Leftover idlis -5
Onion ,chopped – 1
Green chillies ,chopped- 4-5
Ginger – 1” piece
Peanuts,roasted
Salt

For seasoning :

Oil – 2 tsp
Mustard – 1teaspoon
Jeera – 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves – a few
Turmeric powder – a pinch

Variation – grated coconut -5 teaspoons

1.Reheat idlis

2.Crumble them and keep aside
3.Heat oil in a kadai , add mustard and when it splutters add jeera ,green chillies and onion
4.Fry till onion is translucent and add turmeric powder
5.Add curry leaves ,peanuts and crumbled idli and mix well
6.Adjust salt if necessary.
7.If you want to omit onion add coconut instead.
8.Serve hot .

The Green Wonder

Did you know that there is an ancient Chinese proverb that says “Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one”?

Let me explain…..When I first landed in China, I was amazed to see people all around me drink green tea. Yes, no matter what time of the day it was, you could see them with a tall glass of Chinese tea. I soon learnt that tea, called “cha” in Chinese has been one of the daily necessities in China since time immemorial.

I too have heard the benefits to this green tea/Chinese tea but never really believed people would consume it so often.

I went looking for information about this ‘Wonder tea’ and look what I found.

Green tea is the variety which keeps the original color of the tea leaves without fermentation during processing. The enzymes in the leaves [which cause discoloring and fermentation] are deactivated by several minutes of steam heating. Because green tea looks and tastes nearer the original condition of the plant, only good and tender leaves are generally used for making green tea.

I read that there are no major bad effects on consuming large quantities of green tea.It is generally recommended that you can consume 4-5 cups a day along with a healthy diet.

So, how do we prepare a cup of Chinese Tea ??? Well,just pour boiling water over the leaves, let it steep for 3 to 5 minutes, and your tea is ready. It’s as simple as that. The quantity of tea leaves will depend on the strength of the tea you prefer.

Now that our cup of tea is ready lets get to know its health benefits..

1. It is said to have antioxidant properties

2. Green tea is said to aid in preventing cancers of the gastrointestinal tract such as cancer of the stomach, small intestine, pancreas, and colon.

3. Researchers have found that drinking green tea can reduce the ‘bad’ Cholesterol.

4. Green tea has been extensively tested and been found to be highly beneficial in lowering blood pressure and aiding the recovery of heart attack victims.

5. Preventing bad breath

6. Maintains fluid balance in the body

7. Relives fatigue and stress

8. Boosts immune function

9. Delays ageing

10. Calorie burning!!.It helps by promoting energy expenditure and promoting fat burning! Wow!!!! Isn’t that good news!

These are just a few of the benefits I found interesting but the list goes on.

Before I forget let me tell you something. A few months days ago I asked my Chinese neighbor[- a slim and beautiful lady], the age of her cute little daughter. She told me her daughter was 5 years old and she was 38!! [I swear I didn’t ask hers.] I just couldn’t believe my ears. She didn’t look a day older that 25 .So, maybe this too is her ‘secret formula’.