Potato Balls

 These potato balls are yummy and easy to prepare. These potato balls can be good starters with some hot and spicy soups. Good for all age group because it is soft, filled with carrots and potatoes and flattened rice. I have tried this Potato balls for Recipe super stars group to cheer them up.

I have used boiled potatoes, carrots, methi leaves, ground nuts and some simple spices like chilly powder, garam masala.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Boiled potatoes : 2 to 3 ( Medium sized )
Carrots : 2
Methi /Fenugrik leaves : One small bundle. ( Only leaves )
Ground nuts : 3 to 4 tablespoons /1 Small bowl.
Flattened rice : Avalakki /Aval : 1 Small bowl.
Rava /semolina : 1 Small cup ( Medium size)

Spices :

Ginger : An inch
Green chilly : 1
Red chilly powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Garam Masala powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Salt : As required
Oil to fry  : 1 Cup

Method :

1. Wash and boil potatoes. Leave it for cooling. Peel off the outer layer.

2. Wash and grate carrots, cut coriander leaves, methi leaves and green chilly. Wash and remove the outer layer of ginger and wash it again. Grate it. Keep it aside.
3. Dry roast groundnuts and remove its husk. Dry grind in to powder. Remove from the mixi jar and keep it aside.Keep rava in a plate.

4. Take a big bowl. Add potatoes and smash it. Add avalakki, grated carrots, chilly powder, garam masala powder and grated ginger.

5. Add 2 tablespoons of powdered groundnuts, cut coriander leaves and methi leaves. Add required salt and mix it well.

6. Now divide the mixture into small portions and turn them as small ball shape.
7. Roll them on dry rava. Arrange them in a plate.

8. Keep a pan on the fire and put oil. Let oil get hot.
9. Fry potato balls in hot oil. ( Medium and low flame ).

10. Let it turn golden brown. Remove the potato balls from the oil and put it on a kitchen tissue

11. Cut a carrot as small stick and insert the carrot piece edge in  potato balls when it is hot Or the ball may break while inserting the carrot stick.
 Serve them as a starter with tomato ketch up or chutney.

12. We had it with coconut chutney and ketch up.

Note :

Do not use any water. Smashed potatoes will bind all the ingredients well. Use of more /less spice is optional. Small carrot pieces are done and inserted into potato balls. ( Just for fum )
Time : 30 Minutes.
15 to 20 Very small bondas can be fried.

Crunchy Chakkuli

Chakkuli /Chakli/ Muruku is one of the favourite munching snack at any time of the day. I do love it . I also wants try varieties of chakkuli but not going beyond the tradition. I always think of what to do and how it might taste.

This Crunchy Chakkuli also from Traditional way but just made it bit easy. I have tried roasted and powdered urid dal and rice powder. Here I have pressure cooked Urid dal and then added to flour and made chakli dough.
When you are trying the recipe please do try in smaller quantity, so that even if it turns bad you do nt feel sad, or you can use your creativity and turn then as something else.
Let us see the recipe Now :

Things Needed :

Rice flour :  3 Cups
Boiled Urid Dal : 3/4 Cup
Roasted Chenna / Putani /Hurikadale : 1/2 Cup
Sesame Seeds : 1 Tablespoon
Red chilly powder : 1 Teaspoon
Jeera /Cumin Seeds : 1 Tablespoon
Salt : As required
Butter : 1 1/2 Tablespoons
Oil : To Fry : 2 Cups or little more
Mould and the plate

Method : 

1. Wash and pressure cook urid dal and leave it for cooling. Smash the cooked urid dal nicely.
2. Dry grind roasted chenna/hurikadale/putani and keep it aside.
3. Take a big bowl and add rice flour, powdered chenna, chilly powder, salt and butter.
4.  Add jeera/cumin seeds and sesame seeds. Mix all the ingredients nicely.

5. Add smashed urid dal and mix all the ingredients nicely once again.
6. Add water little by little and prepare the chakli dough. ( It should not be too loose or tight ).
6. Kneed the dough well and divide them in to small portions.

7. Wash chakli mould and insert chakli plate inside.

8. Take a portion of chakli dough and put it inside the mould.
9. Now you press the chakli mould on a plate and give a round shape to chakkuli.
10. Press and prepare chakkuli on a tray or plate.

11. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add oil and let it get hot.
12. Put these circle shaped chakkuli to hot oil and fry on both sides till they turn crisp. ( On medium flame).

13. Put the done chakkuli on a kitchen tissue so that extra oil can be absorbed by tissue.

14. Repeat the same and prepare the remaining chakkulis

15. Now chakkulis are ready to serve. Put them in a air tight box or bottle and store.

Note :

Cook dal with 1/2 cup of water. Let it cook nicely. Soft dal is easy to smash it. You can grind the dal instead of using the hand to smash.
You can also use more chilly powder to give chilly taste. Adding more butter turns chakkuli very soft and it might dissolve in oil while frying. So do not add more butter. Water use should be very little at time, just add enough water and prepare dough. If the dough turns very loose it might absorb more oil and chakkuli will not be proper. If the dough turns very thick, you may have to put your energy to press the mould to prepare chakkuli. Poori dough consistency will be perfect. Adding more oil to fry is an option. I use minimum oil to fry. Fine rice powder should be used.
Time : 30 to 35 Minutes.
30 to 40 Chakkulis can be made. ( According to size ).

Chakkuli and Ompudi Plates.

You can also prepare Ompudi /thin khara Sev with the same mix and using Khara Sev plate.

Ompudi - Plate 

Ash Gourd - Moong Dal Bolu Huli /Curry

Ash Gourd - Moong dal Curry /Bolu Huli is one of the traditional dish from Udupi / Karnataka. I have added  tomatoes and fried moong dal. It is easy to prepare and easy to digest. One more healthy curry that you surely enjoy with all the main dishes.

Ash Gourd is filled with nutritious, vitamins and medicinal values. We do use each part of this vegetable, like the outer layer is used for preparing chutney. The vegetable is used for curry and other dishes. The inner part/pulp is used for curd curry and the seeds are dried and dry roasted and eaten.
Here I have prepared " Bolu Huli " which means curry that does not have coconut init. So the curries which are prepared with out using the coconut is called " Bolu ". ( ಬೋಳು).
Let us see some benefits of eating Ash Gourd /ಬೂದು ಕುಂಬಳಕಾಯಿ .
Ash gourd is also known as kumbalakayi. booda kumbalakayi in Kannada. The pumpkin is known as sihi kumbala.
Ash gourd is good for diabetic people. It is also good for loosing extra weight. Ash gourd juice helps to treat acidity and peptic ulcer. Ash gourd is good for people who suffer from constipation.
Ash Gourd is rich in fiber and contain Vitamin C and minerals like phosphorus, iron and calcium.
 Let us see the recipe Now :
No Onion or No Garlic is used in this Ash Gourd - Moong Dal Bolu Huli /Curry.

Ingredients :

Ash Gourd : 1 Big bowl. (250 Grams).
Moong Dal : 1 Small cup. /2 to 3 Tablespoons
Green chilly : 3 to 4
Tomatoes : 2 ( Medium sized )
Ginger : An inch
Salt : As required
Turmeric Powder : A pinch
Coriander leaves : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Lemon : 1/2 lemon juice  /1 Teaspoon
For seasoning :
Oil : 1 Tablespoon
Mustard seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Urid dal : 1/2 Teaspoon
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6
Ingh / Asafoetida : A pinch ( A little )

Method : 

1. Wash Ash gourd nicely and remove its outer hard layer. Remove the pulp and seeds.
2. Cut the vegetable into small pieces. Keep it aside.

3. Wash tomatoes, curry leaves, coriander leaves, green chilly and keep it aside.
4. Wash and remove the outer layer of ginger and wash it again. Grate it and keep it aside.
5. Cut tomatoes, slit green chilly and cut coriander leaves. Wash and cut lemon in to halves. Squeeze out the extract from half lemon.
6. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put oil and mustard seeds. Put urid dal.
7. Let mustard seeds splutter. Add slit green chilly, ingh and curry leaves. Add grated gu
8. Wash and remove the water from moong dal and add it to mustard seeds seasoning.

9. Fry nicely for 1 to 2 minutes. Add cut ash gourd pieces, tomatoes and put some water.

10. Pressure cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Let it cool.

11. Put cooked ash gourd - moong mixture. Add salt, turmeric powder and mix it. Add required water and let it boil for 3 to 4 minutes.. Add lemon extract.

12. Shift Ash gourd - moong dal bolu huli /curry to serving bowl. Serve with the main dish you have prepared.

Note : 

Use of pressure cooker is optional. You can cook it separately. Prepare the seasoning and add cooked ingredients and them mix it. Adding any other spices is optional. Adding more chilly is optional. Adding a tablespoon ghee to curry is optional. It adds to the taste.
Time 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4.

Akki Tari /Rice Rava Uppittu

Uppittu /Upma is an easy dish that is loved by many like me. ☺. In the morning when you do not have any idea what to prepare this uppittu helps a lot. This time it is Akki Tari Uppittu.

Akki Tari Uppittu brings back the hidden memories. We two sisters used to fight with amma to prepare our favourite food for breakfast. I like uppittu the most even from those days and my sis likes Avalakki. Most of the time I used to get what I want and give a big smile at my sister for winning. She is ok, ok with what ever it is because she too liked the uppittu that amma made. What ever you say, the big cup of coffee and Hot spicy uppittu goes hand in hand. Eating 1 gulp of uppittu and sip a drop of coffee mast mast maja / Great fun.
After a long time I am preparing this Akki Tari Uppittu. This Akki Tari was brought to prepare some quick Avalakki mosaru /curd idli. Then the left rava is just lying in the kitchen shelf. So wanted to prepare this Akki Tari Uppittu because one of our friend in face book reminded about Akki tari uppittu and its yummy taste.
Let us see the recipe Now :
No Onion or Garlic is used here. 

Things Needed :

Akki Tari / Raw Rice Rava /Rice Semolina : 2 Cups
Ginger : An inch
Fresh Coconut : 1 Cup
For Seasoning :
Oil : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Mustard seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Urid dal : 1 Teaspoon
Curry Leaves : 6 to 10 Leaves.
Green chilly : 2 to 3
Ghee : 2 To 3 Tablespoons of Ghee
Salt : As required
Boiling Water : 4 Cups.

Method :

1. Wash and cut green chilly, curry leaves and grate coconut. Wash and remove the outer layer of ginger and grate it. Keep it aside.
2. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add oil, mustard seeds and urid dal.
3. Let mustard seeds splutter. Add cut green chilly and fry for a minute.
4. Add curry leaves and fry for a second.
5. Add Rice Rava /Akki tari and fry nicely for 3 to 4 minutes on medium flame.

6. See that it does not get burnt while frying.

7. Add boiling water and required salt. Mix it well and cook on low flame.

8. Add ginger and mix it well. See that all the moisture disappear from uppittu.
9. Stir nicely and add fresh grated coconut. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of ghee and mix it nicely.
10. Leave it for a minute and put off the gas. Cover and leave it for 2 minutes.

11. Shift the ready the Akki Tari Uppittu to a serving bowl.

12. Serve with pickle/coconut chutney/any type of mixture / fried eatables and a cup of  Coffee / Tea.

Note :

Fry Akki Rava on lower and medium flame. Do not burn the bottom because the uppittu smells burnt.
Adding more /less oil is optional. Adding ghee adds to the taste. Adding onion is optional. It is an easy digestive food and all age group people can enjoy this Uppittu. Adding more coconut gratings adds to the taste.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4.