Mattina Gulla - Avarekai Curry

Udupi Special Brinjal known as " Mattina Gulla " has its own special flavour and whatever you prepare turns out to be superb taste. This is a special variety of brinjal/ eggplant as said earlier.

There is a story behind the special nature of this Mattina Gulla and will surely write it.

I have prepared Gulla Huli/ bolu Huli or a type of curry using some special spices, which always stay in kitchen cupboard.

I have used Famous Avarekai/field beans and Mattina gulla combined together with some special spice powder which is very fresh, home prepared spice powder. 

Let us  know the story of Mattina Gulla.  
Mattina Gulla got patent these days.

Mattu/Matti is a place near Udupi/ Katpadi, in South Canara. It is about 6 to 8 Km from Udupi. The people over there, were very poor and struggling to lead a peaceful life. Once Shree Vadhiraja Swami of Sode Mutt came to visit this place, he saw the peoples' struggle and gave a handful of this Gulla /Brinjal /Eggplant seeds. He said from this seeds peoples' struggle will be reduced. As they grow the brinjal plant and it yield special variety of brinjals. So brinjals turned as famous and peoples' struggle reduced. It is all Swami Shree Krishna's daye/kindness and through the guru he could take care of His devotees and help them to lead peaceful life. Even now the first yield is given it to Lord Shree Krisha Mutt in Udupi. 

One has to eat and relish the taste of this special Mattu Gulla and then he will be able to know that what we say is 100 % true about the taste of this kind of brinjal.

No Onion or Garlic is used in this recipe. Try and enjoy this curry. It suits to all type of dishes.

Let us see the recipe Now :

Ingredients :

To Cook :

Mattu Gulla : 2 

Avarekai : 1 Cup. 250 to 300 grams. 

Methi seeds /Fenugrik seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon

To Add :

Spice Powder : 2 Tablespoons

Tamarind Pulp : 1 Tablespoons

Jaggery : 1 teaspoon

Salt : As required 

Coriander leaves : 2 to 3 Tablespoons

Coconut : 2  to 3 Tablespoons

Ginger : An inch 

Seasoning :

Cooking Oil : 1 Tablespoon

Mustard seeds : 1 Teaspoon

Jeera/Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon

Ingh /Asafoetida : A pinch

Curry Leaves : 6 to 8 Leaves.

Method :

1. Remove the avarekai / Field beans and  wash it.  Pressure cook for 6 to 8 minutes and leave it for cooling.

2. Cut brinjals and put the pieces in a bowl of water for 5 Minutes.

3. Grate coconut, wash and cut curry leaves and coriander leaves. Soak tamarind in hot water for 5 minutes and squeeze out the pulp. Keep the pulp aside.

4. Wash and clean ginger and remove its outer layer. Wash it again and grate it.

5. Keep cooked averekai pan on the fie. Add cut brinjal and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes./Till it gets soft. ( Do not over cook ). Add grated ginger.

6. Add little turmeric powder, tamarind pulp and required salt. Mix it well and cook for 2 minutes.

7. Add spice powder and mix it well and cook for another 2 minutes.

8. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add a tablespoon of oil, mustard seeds and jeera. Let it fry nicely.

9.  Add a pinch of asafoetida and curry leaves. Add this seasoning to the curry. 

10. Add a teaspoon of jaggery.

11. Mix it well and cook for another 2 minutes.

12. Put off the fire and Shift the curry to a serving dish.

13. Add cut coriander leaves and grated fresh coconut. (One Tablespoon).

14. Mix it well and Shift the ready curry to a serving dish. Top up with coriander gratings. ( Optional)

15. Serve with the main dish of your choice. Yummy curry taste best on almost all the dishes.

Note :

Do not over cook brinjals. Adding capsicum taste better. Adding garlic or onion is optional. Adding coconut grating is optional. Adding more jaggery is optional. Use of coconut oil is optional. 

Time : 30 Minutes.

Serves : 3 to 4.

How to make : Home Made Spice Powder :

Dry roast 1/4 teaspoon of methi, 1/2 teaspoon of urid dal, 2 tablespoons of coriander seeds, 4 to 5 byadagi chilly, 1/2 teaspoon of jeera/cumin seeds, 5 to 6 curry leaves and a pinch of ingh. Add a small piece of cinnamon to it. (1/2 inch). Do not fry cinnamon and 1Tbs  coconut, just add it after you shift the dry roast spices to a bowl. Let it get cool. Dry grind and turn it as powder. 

Note : Dry roast the spices one by one on low flame. 

Amtekai Palya /Hog Plum Dry Curry

Amtekai/Hog plum is a savoury vegetable and is used in curries, pickles and it is added in curries instead of tamarind. I have prepared Amtekai Palya /Hog plum Dry Curry.

These Hog plums are from my sister Viji's House in Kadiyali. They have Hog Plum plant at their home. She has specially sent it for me with her son who was coming to Bangalore. 
Here I have tried Amtekai Palya which is very tasty. Hot plain rice, Amtekai Palya and a spoon of fresh home made ghee, you can imagine the tttttt taste.
I have used hog plum, home made rasam powder, roasted sesame seeds, jaggery and dry coconut./Kopra.
Let us see some benefits of eating Hog Plum in our diet.
Hog plum is rich in antioxidant properties. It is full of Vitamin C. It is rich in Iron and it helps to take care of our good blood cells./hemoglobin. It is rich in calcium and full of fiber.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Hog plums : 6 to 8
Rasam Powder : 2 Teaspoons
Sesame Seeds : 2 Tablespoons
Jaggery : 2 Tablespoons
Salt : As required
Coriander Leaves :  1 Tablespoon (4 to 5 sticks).
Seasoning :
Coconut Oil : 2 Tablespoons
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Urid Dal : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh/Asafoetida : A pinch
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8

Method :

1. Wash and cut amtekai into small piece. Keep the pod aside. You can use the pod too.
2. Grate coconut and keep it aside.

3. Keep a tava and dry roast sesame seeds till they pop up.
4. Put off the fire and shift the roasted seeds to a plate. Let it get cool.
5. Dry grind rasam powder, dry roasted sesame seeds and dry coconut till it turn powder.

6. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put 2 tablespoons of coconut oil.
7. Add mustard seeds, urid dal and let mustard splutter.
8. Add ingh and curry leaves. Add cut Amtekai/Hog plum.
9. Stir for a while and put a glass of water. Add jaggery and salt. Add a pinch of turmeric powder.

10. Let Amtekai cook till soft. Allow the all the moisture get disappear. Reduce the flame low.
11. Add ground coconut - spice mixture and mix it well. Let it cook for 2 minutes. Stir in between. Add cut coriander leaves.

12. Shift Amtekai Palya /Hog plum dry curry to a serving bowl. Serve with the main dish you have prepared.

Note :
You can add the pods while cooking. It is fun to chew the pods while having the food. I have used home prepared rasam/saaru powder. (Optional). Use of cooking oil is optional. Use of more/less jaggery is optional.

Time : 15 Minutes.
Serves : 2 to 3.

Crunchy Chakkuli ( Rice flour - Besan - Roasted Chenna).

Chakkuli/Chakli /muruku what ever you call it, it is one of the most favourite snack for most of us. It is said God Krishna, Lord Ganesha loved to have chakkuli on their festival. Varieties of chaklis available and prepared. some traditional, some twisted.

Here is Crunchy Chakkuli which comes out perfect and not to mess up your whole time.
Ganesha Chaturthy /Ganesha festival is here tomorrow. You can prepare this chakkuli for prasadam /neivedya and then enjoy eating this Crunchy Chakkuli later with festival feast.
Let us see the recipe now :
All You need is Fine rice flour, besan/channa dal flour and roasted chenna/Huri kadale/pottu kadale, some simple spices and oil to fry. 

Things needed :

Rice flour : 3 Cups
Roasted Chenna /Hurikadale :1/2 Cup
Besan/ Channa dal powder : 1/2 Cup
Butter : 2 Tablespoons
Salt : As required
Chilly Powder : 2 Teaspoons
Till/Sesame seeds /Elllu : 1 Tablespoon
Jeera/Cumin Seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Oil : To Fry : 2 to 3 Cups

 Method :

1. Dry grind roasted chenna and keep it aside.
2. Take a big bowl and add rice flour, roasted chenna flour, salt, besan.channa dal flour, red chilly powder and butter. Add jeera/cumin seeds and til/Yellu/Sesame seeds.

 
3. Mix all the ingredients nicely and then slowly add water and prepare chakkuli dough.
4.Kneed the dough nicely and divide it as small portions.

5. Wash and clean the chakkuli mould and insert the chakkuli plate inside.
6. Put a portion of chakkuli dough into the mould. Close the lid and keep aside.
 7. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add two cups of oil and let it get hot. ( Medium flame).

8. Now press chakkuli mould straight to the pan. Let chakkuli fall slowly in hot oil and it starts to fry and turn golden brown. Turn chakkuli to the other side and fry.

10. Now remove the done chakkuli to a bowl and put them on kitchen tissue.

11. Repeat the same and prepare remaining chakkuli.
12. Store in air tight box once the chakkulis are cooled.
13.Serve Hot Chakkuli with a cup of coffee, tea, juice or any other drinks.

14. We had it with a cup of tea.

 Note :

Remember that fine rice flour gives the best result. Adding more/less chilly powder is optional. Adding more butter dissolves chakli while frying. So do not add more butter. Adding only jeera/cumin seeds or sesame seeds is optional. Adding more roasted chenna will turn chakli very soft and it cuts into very small pieces or turns into powder while frying. So be careful while adding roasted chenna.
Time : 40 Minutes.
Serves : According to your serving.  

Millet/Jola - Moong - Urid Dal Dosa

Preparing healthy breakfast is one of the task for ladies who have adopted some healthy concepts. Thinking of healthy, protein rich and yummy dish that should accommodate each member of the family. I my self think some healthy options and do prepare healthy breakfast for my family. This is such one dish which is very healthy.

I have used millet flour, moong dal, urid dal and a special chutney which is very easy to prepare and healthy to eat it.

Having  Pepper in your diet helps to keep away Alzheimer disease.

This dosa is filled with proteins and less carbohydrates and easy to prepare, healthy to have them and is one of the diabetic friendly Dosa.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Moong dal : 1/4 Cup
Urid dal : 1/2 Cup
Millet flour : 1/2 Cup
Pepper pods : 2 to 4.
Salt : As required
Curd : 2 Tablespoons
Oil : 2 to 3 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Wash and soak moong and urid dal together for 2 hours and grind it with 2 to 4 pepper pods.

2.Use required water to grind and remove the batter to a big bowl.

3. Put little water and mix millet flour and add this batter to moong - urid batter. Add required salt,          2 tablespoons of curd and mix it well.

4. Add little water to the batter and mix it well and the consistency should be normal dosa batter.

5. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Clean the pan nicely with a kitchen tissue. ( Let the flame be low ).
6. Take a ladle full of dosa batter and spread it on the pan in circle shape.

7. Sprinkle little oil on the top of dosa and cook on medium and low flame for 1 to 2 minutes.
8. Turn dosa on other side and cook for 20 to 30 seconds.

9. Dosa is ready to serve. Serve with your choice of side dish.

10. Repeat the same with remaining dosa batter.

11. You can ferment the batter for 5 to 6 hours and then prepare dosa. It turns crispy and golden colour.

12. We had these Millet /Jola - Moong - Urid Dal Dosa with  chutney pudi chatney and jaggery. .

Note :

Adding curd to batter turns the batter bit soft. You can add little cooking soda. ( Optional, I have not added). Add little water to millet flour and mix it well and then add it to urid - moong dal batter. It helps to mix all the ingredients well. Use of ghee instead of oil is optional. I have used oil.
Sprinkle water on tava each time and clean the tava, it helps to reduce the heat of the pan and you can spread the batter nicely on tava/pan. One should adjust the batter to dosa batter consistency and then make dosa. Do not pour batter on hot tava, it sticks to the ladle and you may not be able to spread the batter into thin dosa. ( Do not put your weight on ladle.
Sprinkle oil on the dosa not on pan. Sprinkle oil on tava will not allow you to spread the dosa easily. It turns thick  and the batter sticks to ladle. Let the flame be low while pouring the dosa batter to tava. And then spread it easily and lightly.
Time : 2 hours + 30 Minutes.
Serves : 2 to 3 

Curd - Chutneypudi Chutney :

Mix 2 to 3 tablespoons of chutney pudi to 2 to 3 tablespoons of curd and mix it well. Season with mustard, curry leaves and ingh. Add this seasoning and little salt to the chutney you prepared and serve.
Time : 5 Minutes.