Boiled Rice + Rice Flour Ottu Shavige

 Ottu Shavige ( Rice Noodles)

Ottu Shavige is Home Made Noodles or a type of pasta. It is prepared with using Rice. It may be boiled or raw rice. Shavige (Noodles) prepared for special functions and festivals. Festivals like Thread ceremony and some special occasions. Though it is a long process to prepare this shavige it is one of the most liked food by all age group. We in South Canara ( Southern part of Karntaka , India) prepare this Shavige and enjoy eating with Fresh Coconut milk and Jaggery or make chitranna (lemon Shavige) and with curd curry, coconut chutney and Mango pickle and fresh coconut oil.
Ottu shavige is prepared with slightly different way in Tamilnadu, Kereala and even in Srilanka and they call it as Idiappam.
Now a days so many varieties of noodles with different size and shapes have come to the market and we do prefer the ready made. But still the Home Made is always the best and the healthiest food one must know.
 Ottu Shavige Can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Things Needed :

Boiled Rice : 2 Cups
Raw Rice flour : 1 Cup
Salt : to Taste
and Shavige Mould 

Method :

1. Wash and soak boiled rice in boiling water and leave it for overnight or 8 to 10 hours.
2. Grind it with sufficient water. Grind nicely till  a paste consistency . Add salt and remove the ground mixture to a big bowl.

3. Keep a bigger pan on the fire and put ground mixture. Add a glass of raw rice flour and mix it well.
4. Start stirring the ground mixture until it turns thick and cooked. ( 6 to 8 minutes). Put off the gas.

5 Take a handful of mixture and prepare as a balls. Arrange these balls in a plate.

6. Keep a Idly cooker or pressure cooker on the fire and put some water and keep a bowl upside down.
7. Place a plate on the upside bowl. Place the arranged balls on the plate and cover the lid.
 8. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes. (if pressure cooker do not keep the weight).

 9.Now remove the balls one by one and fill in the ready mould and press them on the plate in circle shape.

10 Repeat the same with the remaining rice balls.

  11. Ottu Shavige is ready to serve . Serve with the side dishes you prepared.

Note :

You need a Shavige  mould to prepare this. I have used Chukkli mould and the Shavige plate (which is available in the market).
You must grind the rice till paste. Use required water and add 2 glasses of water while adding rice flour.  Do not make it watery. You can not put it in a mould if it is watery and it does not taste good. Better use Shavige Mould which is available in the market.
You must press the dough when it is piping  hot or it may turn hard and pressing the shavige might be difficult.
You can have this Shavige with
Majjige huli, coconut chutney, Vegetable curry, Pickle and Coconut oil, Kai Haalu ( that is coconut milk with jaggery), Mango Rasayana. Banana Rasayana  OR you can prepare chitranna , puliyogare, etc...

Time : 40 minutes . Soaking time extra 8 hours.
Serves : 5  to 6

Mangalore Southekai Pepper - Jeera Curry.

Mangalore Southekai is a type of cucumber and it is also called as bannada southekai (coloured cucumber). It is well grown in Dakshina Kannada in Karnataka. May be because of this it might have got the name Mangalore Southekai.  This vegetable is available  most of the places in India and well famous now a days. This cucumber is known as Velarekai in Tamil, Vellarikaikka -Malayalam, Kheera or Kakdi in Hindi and Shosha in Bengali.
Mangalore Southekai Pepper Jeera Curry is prepared using Pepper and Jeera as main ingredients as the recipe named. In Udupi Mutt and some Mutt and the Dharmik People ( who are following strict samskruthi and sampradaya) follow  Chaaturmaasa.  Duration of four months are called as "Chaturmaasa" in a year. In this particular months the food is prepared using Pepper instead of green chilly or red chilly. May be it is good to follow this system since pepper and jeera help us to keep a good health. Having these spices in limited portion makes our body strong and keep us from any disease.

Lets see the benefits of having Pepper and Jeera (cumin seeds) in our diet.
Black pepper improves the digestion. It contain antioxidant properties. The outer layer of peppercorn helps to breakdown the fat cells and using pepper pods are a good way to shed the over weight naturally. In Ayurvedic practices pepper is used to tonic for cold and cough. It provides relief from sinusitis and nasal congestion. Pepper has the quality that helps to break up mucus and it clears the respiratory tract.
Jeera (Cumin Seeds) are beneficial for our body. They are rich source of iron and good for lactating mothers and pregnant women since they need more iron during that period. It helps the digestion of food and prevent indigestion. It also helps in time of nausea and morning sickness. Jeera seeds have antiseptic properties and good for curing common cold. They also boost the power of the liver and flush out toxins from the body.
Lets see the recipe of   "Mangalore Southekai Pepper - Jeera Curry" which goes well with plain or masala rice, rotis, chapatis, poris, any type of dosas and idli.
This dish do not contain any onion or garlic. It can be prepared during festivals or on special days.

Ingredients :

Southekai : 2 bowls ( 1/2 of 1 medium size Mangalore southekai).
Coconut : 1 Cup
Pepper Pods : 6 to 8
Jeera 1 Tea spoon
Green Chilly :1
Almonds : 10 to 12
Salt : required
Coconut Oil : 1 Tea spoon
Curd Chilly  : Majjige Menasu or Moru Molagai ) : 2
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Ingh : a pinch
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8 

Method : 

1. Wash Southekai and remove the outer skin and the inner pulp with seeds. Cut them in to small

2.Grate coconut and grind with 1/2 tea spoon of jeera, pepper and almonds.

3. Cook southe kai pieces till they are soft.(5 to 6 minutes).

4. Add ground coconut to cooked Southekai. Mix it well.
5. Wash and slit green chilly and  add it to the boiling mixture.
6. Add required salt and mix it well. Let it boil for 2 minutes. Put off the fire and shift the curry to a serving bowl.

7. Keep a small pan on the fire and add a spoon of coconut oil. Add mustard seeds to the hot oil. Let it splutter.
8. Add curry leaves and ingh. Add Curd chilly and fry nicely till the chilly turn black. Add this mixture to the ready curry.
9. Serve " Mangalore Sothekai Pepper-Jeera Curry" with plain rice or chapati or any main dish you prepared.

Note :

Do not over cook the vegetable. Tasty may differ. You can use any cooking oil instead of coconut oil. Adding onions or garlic is an option. You can add roasted chenna ( hurikadale or pottu kadale)or a spoon of soaked raw rice while grinding, instead of almonds.  This gives the thickness to the curry. Taste may differ. You can add a cup of curd. Adding curd is optional. Add curd just before you serve the curry.  Do not re heat the curry after mixing with curd. It may curdle. I have not added.
Time : 20 Minutes 
Serves : 3 to 4