Flax Seed Chutney

Flax seeds also called as linseeds. They contain lots of natural properties and they are world wide famous for their health benefits. They are used in Indian cooking and eaten as a suppliement as well. Indians use flax seeds for chutney, add flax seeds powder to chapatis and parathas.

Flax seeds are called as, agase beeja in Kannada, Ali Vidai in Tamil, Jawas or Alashi in Marathi, Tishi or Pesi in Bengali, Cheruchanavith or Cheruchana Vithu in Malayalam and Avise Ginzalu in Telugu.

Flax seeds come from flax, one of the oldest fiber crops, in the world-known to have been cultivated in ancient Egypt and China.
Flax seeds are rich source of micronutrients, dietary fiber, manganese, vitamin B1 and essential fatty acid (alpha-linolenic acid) and it is known as AlA omega-3. It is a source of healthy fat, antioxidants fiber. They can help lower the risk of diabetes, cancer and heart disease.

Here is a recipe of Flax Seeds Chutney. This chutney can be eaten with dosas, idli, chapati, roti and even with rice. I am sure all the age group people will love this chutney.

Ingredients :

Flax seeds : 2 Table spoons
Coconut : 1 Cup
Red chilly : 4 to 6
Tamrind Pulp :1 Table spoon
Curry leaves : 5 to 6
Ingh : a pinch
Salt : required
Water : required
Oil : 1/2 Tea spoon

Ready to Serve Flax Seeds Chutney 

Method : 

1. Wash and fry flax seeds in 1/2 tea spoon of oil till they are roasted.

Flax Seeds 

2. Add red chilly and curry leaves while frying.

Fried Flax seeds with spices

3. Put off the gas and remove the fried flax seeds to a plate. Allow it to cool.
4. Soak small marble size tamarind in hot water for 5 minutes and squeeze out the pulp.

5. Grate coconut. and add fried flax seeds mixture, tamarind pulp, ingh and salt.

Coconut and the Fried Flax seeds mixute

6. Now grind this mixture of coconut and flax seeds with required water.

Ready to grind 

7. Use water little by little while grinding.

Ground Chutney

8. Remove from the mixi jar and put it in a serving bowl.

Ready to Serve Flax Seeds - Coconut Chutney 

9. Chutney is ready to serve.

Flax Seeds Chutney with Javar + Urid Dosa

Note:

Must take care while frying the flax seeds. It should not be raw or over fried. Do the frying procedure on low flame. (When the roasting is done the flax seeds turn litle brown). You can also add more spice (chilly) to the chutney. You can add cut onions on the top of the chutney just before serving. You can also add mustard spurt to the chutney using little oil, mustard seeds and curry leaves. It adds to the taste.
Time : 10 minutes
Serving : 2 to 3

Flax Seeds Pack - Available in the Market

Bonda -Dall

Bonda is a fried snack. Bondas are prepared with using Besan, Maida, Urid, Channa even Rava.
Bonda is also called as Pakodas.

Uddina bonda (Urid dal bonda) is very famous all over our country and the world wide. Uddina Vada, Dahi Vada or Punjabi Balla are name to some. These eatables contain Urid as main grain. Uddina ambode, Gojju Ambode (full round is meant to be Ambode). or Mosaru vada all these snacks are prepared using dal. These dishes are very famous in South Canara and in South India with little different name. Though these are oily food, people relish a lot and enoy eating these snacks. It has become a practice to serve bondas in festivals, some grand functions, feast and parties.

Urid Dal is used as a major ingredient in Indian cuisine for preparing a healthy diet. It is highly valued due to its numerous health benefits. Urid dal has protein, fat and carbohydrates which is required by the body. Urid dal is also rich in fibre which makes it easy to digest. Urid dal helps to reduce cholesterol and improves cardiovascular health.

Here is a Bonda -Dal recipe which is the favourite dish for many now a days. It is one of the favourite dish of Karnataka. Bonda is prepared and eaten with dal or Sambar which is prepared using lentils and simple  spices. It is also stomach filling. It can be eaten for snack or any time of the day.
Bonda - Dal can be enjoyed with whole family during holidays and get togethers and even at the party or as a starter. (Soup - Bonda). All age group will be surely enjoy eating Bonda - dal.

Recipe for :

Uddina  Bonda 

Things Needed : 

Urid dal : 2 Cups

Green chilly : 2 to 3
Ginger : 1 Table spoon
Pepper seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Salt : required
Ingh : a pinch
Curry leaves : 15 to 20 leaves
Coriander leaves : 3 to 4 Table spoons.
Oil : 2 Cups

Ready to Serve Bonda Dal

Method :

1. Wash and soak urid dal and for 2 hours.
2. Wash and cut green chillies, coriander leaves and curry leaves. Grate ginger.

3. Grind  urid dal using little water. ( The dough should be thick).

4. Now add cut green chilly, curry leaves, coriander leaves, ginger and salt.

5. Keep a pan on the fire. Put oil to the pan and heat.
6. Add ingh, crushed pepper podds and mix the dough well

7.Now take a handful of dough and leave as small ball in the oil and fry.

7. Fry on the medium flame till they are golden brown and remove from the oil.
8. Put the uddina bonda on a tissue (Kitchen Paper towel).

9. Now put them in the serving bowl.









10. Serve with the Dal you have prepared.

11. At time you can prepare 6 to 8 bondas (small size).
12. Repeat the same with the remaining dough.

Note :

The ground dough should be thick. (Add little water while grinding). Watery dough may absorb lots of oil. You can also add jeera and coconut pieces. If the dough is watery try adding little rice powder. Adding more rice powder makes Bonda hard. Do not soak dal for more than 2 hours. 

Recipe for Dal

Method :

Wash and boil 1 cup of  Toor/Moong dal.

Wash and cut 2 tomatoes, green chilly. curry leaves and coriander leaves. ( quantity : as you wish). Now Keep a pan on the fire. Put a tea spoon of oil. Add 1/2 tea spoon of jeera and let jeera turn brown.  Add cut tomatoes, green chilly and curry leaves. Fry for 20 to 30 seconds. Add cut ginger and put cooked toor dal. Add required water, turmeric powder and salt. Mix it nicely and boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Put of the gas and shift the dal to a serving bowl.

Add 1 leamon juice and coriander leaves to the dal.

How to serve Bonda Dal

Fill the bowls with dal mixute and put 3 to 4 bondas and serve Hot Dal Bonda .

 Dal Bonda 

Serves : 5 to 6 

Time : 1 hour.

Navane - Mentya Dosa

Navane (Foxtail Millet) - Millet dosa is prepared using Navane, methi seeds, a handful of Urid dal and little rice. Mentya dosa is very famous dish in Karnataka. Mostly South Canara . (Dakshina Kanaada region).

Fenugrik is known as, Mentya (Kannada), Vendayam (Tamil), Menthulu in Telugu, Ulva in Malayalam, Methya in Marathi, Uluhaal in Sinhalese, Methi in Punjabi, Hindi, Oriya and Bangla. The Arabic name for Mentya is Hilbeh.
Mentya seeds are strongly aromatic. They are popular spices, widely used for their well recognized for culnary as well as for medicinal properties. Traditionally fenugreek seeds are being used to cure digestive problems. Fenugreek seeds are rich source of minerals, vitamins and phytonutrients.(natural chemicals that are found in a variety of plant food). These seeds are a very good source of soluble dietary fiber. It is also rich in many vital vitamins that are essential nutrients for optimum health including thiamin, pyridoxine (vitamin B6), folic acid, vitamin A and vitamin C.
Navane (Foxtail millet) is a non gluten grain and contain lots of minerals, vitamins and healthy content as I mentioned in my previous Navane Recipes.
This Navane Mentya Dosa recipe contains Navane, Mentya seeds, Urid dal and little rice. This is a healthy recipe and I am sure every one and all age group will love the Mentya Dosa. You can even prepare Paddu (Guli appa) and send it to kids in their Lunch box. We can have this dosa for breakfast, as snack and for dinner also.

Things Needed :

Navane : 2 Cups
Rice : 1 Cup
Mentya Seeds : 1/3 of the Cup ( the cup which you use for navane and rice).
Urid dal : 1 Hand ful ( 1 to 2 Table spoons)
Salt : Required
Water : Required
Oil : 4 to 5 Table spoons.

Method : 

1. Wash and soak Navane (Foxtail Millet), rice and Mentya seeds for 5 to 6 hours.

2. Now grind them together using required water till paste.
3. Remove from the grinder (Liquidizer), add salt and mix it well.
4. Allow it to ferment for 6 to 8 hours.

5. Keep a dosa pan on the fire. Sprinkle oil on the pan.
6. Take a spoonful of dough and spread on the pan.

7. Sprinkle a little oil on the top of the dosa and cover the dosa.
8, Cook for 15 to 20 seconds and turn the dosa other side.
9. Cook for another 10 seconds and remove from the pan.

10. Serve Hot Mentya dosa with the side dish you have prepared. Serve Mentya dosa with ginger coconut chutney and jaggery.

11.Let the dosa be the size of set dosa.
12. It will be nice to have soft  thick dosa.
13. Repeat the same with remaiining dough.

14. We can also prepare Guli appa (Paddu) with Same batter. 

Note :

Mentya Navane dosa batter should be ferment well or dosa will not be soft and tasty.

You can use ghee instead of oil to get a better taste. Let the batter cosnsistency be like idli dough.

Serves : 6 to 8 
Time : 30 minutes .

Soaking and fermenting time extra .

Ginger coconut chutney :

1. Grate coconut, wash ginger and cut it into small pieces.

2.Now add 2 green chilly, a marble size tamrind, curry leaves and coriander leaves, grind it till paste. Add salt.

3.  Remove from the jar to a serving bowl.
Serve this chutney with any dosa or idlie

Serves : 4 to 5 
Time : 10 minutes.

Goli Baje (Maida Pakoda)

Goli baje (Mangalore Bajji) is very famous in Dakshina Kannada (Sourth Canara) side. When the Heavy Mansoon Rains pouring continuously outside, the sky covered with black clouds, we used to watech the rains, eating these Hot Goli bajes. Goli baje is nothing but a fried item which is prepared with Maida (all purpose flour), sour curd, green chilly, salt and little sugar.

Goli Baje is the round shape (goli) baje is pakodas. Maida is mixed with sour curd, requiring salt, a tablespoon of sugar. Keep this batter for at least half an hour and then mix it again. Add a pinch of cooking soda (bicarbonate soda) just before you fry pakodas. Adding soda along with curd and other ingredients will surely absorb oil. It is definitely a tasty dish when it is eaten piping hot.

Maida is a finely milled and refined and bleached wheat flour. We use Maida to prepare bread, cake, cookies and even it has sneaked into our kitchen, with loads and loads of recipes are prepared using maida.

Here is a recipe of Goli bhajji, we can have them with a cup of tea or coffee and even for parites or it can be served as starter too.

Things Needed:  

Maida (Plain flour) : 2 Cups
Curd: 1/2 cup
Green chilly : 2
Ingh : a pinch
Curry leaves : 5 to 6
Cooking Soda : a pinch
Sugar : 1 Tablespoon
Salt : as required
Oil : to fry (1 Cup)

Method :

1. Put maida, sugar and salt in a big bowl.

2. Add curd and mix it nicely (let it be thick). Leave it for 10 minutes.

3. Wash Green chilly and curry leaves and cut it into small.

4. Add green chilly, ingh and curry leaves and mix it well. 

5. Keep oil for frying. Heat it. (on medium flame)

6. Just before frying add a pinch of cooking soda and mix it well.

7. Take a handful of batter and leave it in oil. ( just small balls shape).

8. Fry on both sides til they are golden color and remove from the oil.

9. Put it on a kitchen tissue (kitchen napkin) so that it absorb the extra oil.

10 Repeat the same with the rest of the batter.

Serve Hot Goli bajji with ketch up or any kind of chutney you prepared.        

Note 

Do not leave the batter more than 30 minutes. Do not mix cooking soda while you are adding curd. Let the batter be thick. When you add soda it becomes soft and little loose. If the batter is very watery add little more maida flour or besan. But the taste differ. Or it absorbs more oil while frying. You can also add cut onions to the batter. Udupi Goli bajji (original recipe) has no onions. You can also add cut coconut pieces in the batter. It gives a better taste. (optional). You can also add grated carrots but the taste differs. 

Serves : 3 to 4 
Time : 30 minutes. 

Brown Rice Bisibele Bhat (Rice Khichdi)

Brown rice (Jaddakki in Kannada language) with dal, vegetables and spices cooked together to prepare this Bisi bele Bhat. Bhat means normally a rice item. This is also a quick and easy and tasty dish. Normally Bisibele bhat is prepared with white rice and I haveused brown rice.

The name bisi bele bhat, which literally means Hot lentil rice in Kannada. Bisi means hot, bele means lentil and bhat means a dish made of rice. It is also known as Bisi bele huliyanna which means hot lentil sour rice. The traditional way of preparation of this dish is elaborate and the perticular spices are used. The dish has a unique flavour and taste. It should be served Hot and eaten with chips or papad.

Brown Rice is more nutritious and it contain essential nutrients such as B vitamins, phosphorus, manganese, potassium and magnesiu. The high content of dietary fibre contribute to a healthy colon and digestive system. Brown rice is an excellent source of soluble fibre and it helps to lower lthe levels of bad cholesterol in the blood. It helps to maintain a healthy body weight. It also controls the blood sugar level.

Toor Dal or pigeon pea provide an excellent source of fiber, protein and sodium. They are also low in fat content and it is an ideal food for heart healthy diets.

Vegetables are low in fat and contain good amount of minerals and vitamins. They are rich source of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron,Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Vitamin A. Vegetables are antioxidants

Here is a recipe of quick Bisibele bhat, very easy to prepare and I am sure the whole family of all age group will enjoy having this bhat. We can have this bisibele bhat for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Things Needed :

Carrots : 1
Beans :  1/2 Cup  (10 to 12 beans)
Capsicum : 2
Brown Rice : 1 Cup
Toor Dal : 3/4
Tamrind Pulp : 2 Table spoons
Chutney Powder : 2 Table spoon (MTR)
Garam Masala : 1/2 Tea spoon
Rasam Powder : 1 Table spoon
Cloves : 2 to 3
Cinnemon : small piece
Coconut : 1/2 Cup (3 Table spoons)
Salt : required
Oil : 2 Table spoons
Mustard seeds : 1 Tea spoon
Urd Dal : 1 Tea spoon
Ingh (Asafoetida) : a pinch
Turmeric Powder : a pinch

Method :

1. Wash and cook Rice and Dal separately. (You can presssure cook also).













2. Wash and cut vegetables and cook carrots and beans. Keep the capsicum pieces aside.

3. Grate coconut and grind with rasam powder, chutney powder and garam masala. (Use required      water).

4. Soak tamarind in hot water and squeeze out the pulp after 5 minutes. Keep the pulp aside.
5. Now keep a big pan on the fire and put cooked rice, dal and vegetables.

6. Add tamarind pulp. Add salt. Mix it well.
7. Add required water and let it boil nicely.
8. Now add ground coconut spice mixture.

9. Mix it well and let it boil on low flame. Stir inbetween.
10. Keep a small pan and put oil. Heat and put mustard seeds and urd dal.
11. Let the mustard seeds spurt, add ingh and curry leaves.

12. Add this mustard spurt mixture to bath mixture. Mix it well.
13. Keep a pan and put one tea spoon of oil. Add cloves, cinnemon.
14. Add capsicum pieces to the pan and fry capsicum along with cloves and cinnemon. Add this capsicum fry to the bath mixture.

Ready Bisibele Bhat 

15. Shift this mixture to a serving bowl.

Bisibele Bhat in the Serving Bowl

16. Serve bisibele bhat with a cup of curd and papad or as you like.

Ready to serve Bisibele Bhat

Note:

Do not over cook rice. You can also add cut onions along with capsicum while frying. You can add more oil or ghee if you wish. You must use good quality of rasam powder, chutney powder and garam masala. Make sure that chutney powder contain roasted channadal and urid dal. I have used  MTR powders. You can also add chilly powder if you like more chilly taste. Using Ghee with Bisibele Bhat adds to the taste. I have tried this dish with mixing chutney powder, rasam powder and garam masala. You can also use bisibele bhat powder of any good company or even you can prepare the powder.
Time : 40 minutes.

Serves : 3 to 4

Organic Brown Rice