Sweet Potato - Poppy Seeds Payasa / Kheer.

Sweet Potato Payasa is one of the traditional Payasa/kheer done during the harvest of sweet potatoes.  You get plenty of fresh sweet potatoes during winter season.
It is normally during winter and sweet potatoes helps the body to be warm and energetic.

 I normally prepare sweet potato payasa without poppy seeds and use coconut milk.
I thought of using poppy seeds and wanted to try and enjoy this payasa. Anyways it is an easy dish and it taste delicious.
Normally we do use coconut milk in payasa and this time I have used poppy seeds/gasgase with coconut and use the whole ground paste. Use of poppy seeds helps us to get rid of gas in food.

Let us see some benefits of eating Sweet Potatoes in our diet.
Sweet Potatoes help us to lose weight. Eating sweet potatoes helps to maintain a healthy blood pressure. It is high in fiber and helps to prevent constipation. Sweet potatoes helps to improve immunity. It helps to control diabetes.
Sweet Potato contain no fats and filled with antioxidants. It is rich in carbohydrates and proteins. It contain Vitamin C, Vitamin B6 and potassium. It contain minerals like Vitamin E, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and zinc.
Sweet Potatoes are good for diabetic people. It helps to improve the digestion and reduces the inflammation. It helps in reducing the stress and strengthens the body immunity.
I have used sweet potatoes, jaggery, coconut, cardamom and poppy seeds.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Sweet Potatoes : 3 to 4 ( Small in size ).
Jaggery : 1 Small cup  ( Powdered jaggery 4 to 5 tablespoons ).
Fresh grated coconut : 1 Cup
Poppy Seeds : 1 Tablespoon
Cardamom : 4 to 5 Pods
Avalakki :2 Tablespoons ( Optional )
Salt : A pinch

Method :

1. Keep a pan and put jaggery and 1 cup of water. Let jaggery melt nicely. Let it boil for 2 minutes after it melts. Sieve this mixture and keep the clean jaggery aside.
2. Wash and peel off the skin of sweet potatoes and cut in to small. Wash it again and soak in clean water for 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Now cook sweet potato pieces with required water till they turn soft. Wash and soak a tablespoon of avalakki / flattened rice.
4. Grate coconut and remove the seeds of cardamom. Grind it with 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds with required water till it turn as paste.

5. Add jaggery water to cooked sweet potato pieces and let it boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Add a pinch of salt to boiling mixture.

6. Now add ground coconut and poppy seeds - cardamom mixture. Mix it well.

7. Add soaked avalakki /flattened rice and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. It helps to bind the payasa nicely.

8. Shift Sweet Potato payasa to a serving dish. Add a cup of fresh milk just before serving.

9. Serve delicious Hot or cold " Sweet Potato Payasa /Kheer " and enjoy.

Note :

Cut sweet potato pieces into small to relish the taste. It helps to cook sweet potatoes fast. Adding flattened rice/Avalakki helps to bind the payasa well. You can use a teaspoon of soaked raw rice instead of avalakki. Wash and soak raw rice for at least for 5 minutes. Use of poppy seeds is optional. Use of coconut milk instead of coconut paste is optional. Adding more / less jaggery is optional. Use of sugar instead of jaggery is optional. Adding fresh milk adds to the taste. Add it once the payasa turns slightly cool.
Time : 20 Minutes.
Serves :  5 to 6.

Field Beans Dry Curry

Field beans /ಅವರೆಕಾಯಿ is one of the seasonal pods we get plenty in winter. People long to prepare varieties of dishes using this Field beans.

This recipe is told by Renuka Manjunath one of my fb friend and she said this has to be cooked directly and not in pressure cooker. Sogadu Avarekai should be used to get the best taste.
Here I have tried traditionally as Renuka Manjunath mentioned, which has beautiful aroma of averekai.  and it is yummy, filled with ghee taste roasted methi/fenugrik seeds and jeera/cumin seeds powder.
This Field  beans dry curry is one of the traditional dish from Tumkur district. The process of cooking is done in the night with low flame may be cooked with using the fire wood, and the butter quantity is more nearly 200 grams and with the help of slow cooking the butter turns as ghee and adds to the taste.
Let us see the recipe now :
I have used tender avarekai/field beans, onions, green chilly, curry leaves, coriander leaves, grated coconut and butter.
This curry taste better when you cook the pods directly with low flame. The aroma adds to the taste and we can have this curry with plain rice, rotis, chapati, poori and especially akki rotti.
I have prepared Akki rotti with remaining Field Beans dry curry also.
Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients 

Avarekai/Field Beans : 1 Cup
Onions : 2 to 3
Green chilly : 2 to 3
Butter : 2 Tablespoons full
Cumin Seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Methi /Fenugrik seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Coriander leaves : 1/2 Bundle
Curry Leaves : 1 Handful
Coconut : 3 to 4 Tablespoons
Salt : As required
Turmeric Powder : A pinch
Cooking Oil : 2 to 3 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Remove avere kalu /Field beans and keep it aside. Use the tender pods. Do not wash it.

2 Remove the outer layer of onions and cut in to small. I have used the chopper to cut onions, curry leaves and green chilly.

3. Take a bowl, put field beans, cut onions, green chilly, curry leaves and mix it well.

4. Keep the pan on the fire and put mixed avarekai/field beans mix and little turmeric. Let the flame be very low.

5. Mix it well and sprinkle some water on the top. Do not add much water to cook. Field beans has to be cooked slowly with the help of onions and sprinkled water.

6. Add a tablespoon of butter and mix it well. Let it turn slowly as ghee. Sprinkle some more water on the top and cover the dry curry.

7. Let it cook on low flame. Stir in between so that it does not get burnt. Add a tablespoon of butter again and mix it well.
8. Dry roast jeera/cumin seeds and methi seeds and dry grind it.  Keep it aside.

9. Stir the mixture again and sprinkle some more water. Do not add much water at times.
10. See that pods are cooked and turned soft. Add dry roasted jeera and methi powder. Mix it well.
11. Add required salt and mix it well. See that it is done completely. Add grated coconut and mix it well.

12. Add cut coriander leaves and shift the curry to a serving dish. We had this curry as one of the side dish.

Note :

You should use more onions so that it helps to cook field beans nicely. Adding butter gives a ghee aroma and taste yummy. This dry curry should be cooked directly to get the best taste. It might take at least one hour to cook. But the taste is divine. You should use the tender seeds to prepare this curry.
Time : 1 Hour 
Serves : 3 to 4 
I have added the same dry curry to rice flour and prepared Akki Rotti and it tasted yummy.

Kesu / Colocasia Spicy Palya.

Kesu /Colocasia Spicy Palya is one of the traditional dish that goes well with plain rice and coconut oil.

 In South Canara, the use of kesu is often tried with varieties of dishes. This is one of the dish that every one likes and when you are looking for some thing spicy, traditional, quick dish that helps as one of the side dish.
Colocasia or Kesu leaves are good for keeping our body warm. They are filled with fibers. Leaves are good to have since they are loaded with nutritious value.

Kesu /Colocasia Spicy Palya is one of the traditional dish from Udupi / South Canara.

No Onion or No Garlic is used in this Kesu / Colocasia Spicy Palya.

Ingredients :

Kesu Leaves : 10 to 15 : Small and medium sized
Raw Rice : 1/2 Cup
Methi /Fenugrik Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Coriander Seeds : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Jeera /Cumin Seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Red chilly : 6 to 8
Tamarind : 1/2 Lemon size
Salt : As required
Turmeric powder : A pinch
Ingh / Asafoetida : A pinch

Method :

1. Wash and soak raw rice and methi seeds for 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Grate coconut, grind it with coriander seeds, jeera, red chilly and tamarind.

3. Add soaked rice and grind it like rava consistency.

4. Add salt and churn for a few seconds.
5. Remove it from the mixi jar and keep it aside.
6. Now wash and clean Kesu /Colocasia leaves. Remove the stem part if it is hard.
7. Cut it into very small pieces.

8. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil.
9. Add mustard seeds and urid dal. Let mustard seeds splutter.  Add ingh and a few curry leaves.

10. Put cut Kesu leaves and stir slowly.

11. Spread them evenly. Add ground rice - spice mixture like dosa batter on the top of the leaves.
12. Sprinkle some water on the top and cover. Cook on low flame for 5 to 8 minutes.

13.Now remove the cover and mix it slowly. Let cooked leaves and the batter mix well.

14. Cook on low flame till it is done. Add little oil on the top. ( 1 Tablespoon ).

15. Shift the Kesu /Colocasia Spicy Palya to a serving dish and serve.

Note :

Use a thick bottom pan to prepare this dish. Let the flame be low and medium while cooking this dish. Do not use so much water while grinding. Let the batter be like rotti consistency. Sprinkle some water on the top while it is cooking. You can repeat the process of sprinkling water on the top at least 4 to 5 times. So that it does not get burnt. Low flame helps the dish to cook well. Do not add any jaggery. It should be only khara/spicy and slightly savoury.
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 2 to 3.

Chutney Rava Rotti

Chutney Rava Rotti is prepared using Chutney and Rava/Semolina.

I prepared this chutney for afternoon lunch and used the left over chutney to prepare crispy, yummy rava rotti
Rava rotti turned yummy. It is easy, yummy, quick and simple. You can prepare this rotti very easily and quick. You can add the vegetables of your choice. All the ingredients are already mixed in the chutney and it adds taste to rotti.
I have used coconut, green chilly, ondelaga /Gotu kola leaves and little tamarind for chutney.
Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients :

Rava /Semolina Medium sized : 2 Cups
Chutney /Any chutney : 1 Small cup
Carrots : 2
Salt : As required
Curd : 2 Tablespoons
Oil : 3 to 4 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Take a big bowl and add curd, required salt, rava and mix it well.

2. Add chutney and required water.

3. Wash and scrape out the outer layer of carrots and grate it.
4. Put grated carrots to rava and mix it well. Add water if required.

5. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put a teaspoon of oil on the top.
6. Spread the oil around the pan with the help of spatula.

7. Now take a handful of rava rotti mixture and spread it with your finger. ( As thin as you like ).
8. Add little oil on the top of rotti and let it cook on medium and low flame.

9. Turn the other side and cook for a minute.

10. Now Chutney Rava Rotti is ready to serve.

11. Serve with your choice of side dish like chutney powder, chutney or sambar/curry.

12. We had Chutney Rava Rotti with coriander - coconut chutney and chutney powder. Added a teaspoon of fresh home made ghee on the top while serving.

Note :

Do not use stale chutney. You might get sick. Use of any vegetable of your choice is optional.
Use of more /less oil is optional. Adding curd to rotti mixture adds to the taste. ( Optional ).
Adding onions to rotti is optional. Chutney is filled with all the ingredients. Adding extra coriander leaves, curry leaves and coconut is optional.
Time : 20 Minutes.
Serves : 2 to 3.

Ondelaga / Gotu Kola leaves Chutney :

Wash and remove the stem from Ondelaga if they are very hard. Grate coconut. Grind coconut, cleaned and washed Ondelaga /Gotu Kola, tamarind pulp and coriander leaves. Add required salt and grind it with required water. Add mustard seasoning with curry leaves and ingh. Your Ondelaga chutney is ready to serve. I have used this chutney for preparing Rava Rotti.
Time :
Rotti Preparation : 20 Minutes
Coconut chuteny : 10