Jack Fruit -Rava Sweet Idli

Jack fruit or halasina hannu ( in Kannada) is a seasonal fruit. Most of us love Jackfruit and especially we from Dakshina Kannada, do prepare many many dishes out of Raw Jack Fruit and Fruits when they ripe. Not only enjoy eating Jack Fruits we prepare Payasa (Kheer), Halwa, Kadabu (Idli), papad (from half ripe and fully ripe fruits), sweet pakodas etc. Eating roasted Jackfruit Papad is fun during the rainy seasons. Childhood memories are always sweet when remember that, you feel really missing something now. Though you can not bring back those moments, you just think and cherish the good time. Oh where am I heading to? Hmmm This Jack fruit took me back to my childhood days where I loved and lived in my Doddamma's (my mother's elder sister) house those days. Let me tell youthe process and preparations and what are the benefits we get from Jack Fruits.

Llets see some benefits we get from Jack fruits.
Jack fruit is a sweet and delicious fruit with many health benefits. It contains high amount of carbohydrate and calorie. It is rich in antioxidants and protect us from ageing and degenerative disease.It increases eye vision and protect from cataract. It is a good source of potassium. It also improves bone and skin health. It contain high amount of Vitamin C and it increases immune system function to protect from infections. It also helps to maintain the blood pressure and improve the digestion. Jackfruit contain potassium. Jackfruits is rich in dietary fibers.

Here is a recipe of "JACKFRUITS RAVA SWEET IDLI."    It is tasty, healthy and easy to prepare. We can have these Jackfruits idlis are really good for breakfast for the people who like sweet taste. Very nice dish for evening snack and we can have them for dinner too. Since it is steamed food its good for all age group. We can pack Jackfruit Idli for lunch box or snack box for a change.

Ingredients : 

Jack Fruits : 4 Cups
Rava (Semolina ) : 3 Cups (Medium Sized)
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup
Pepper Pods : 8 to 10 Pods
Jeera : 1 Tea spoon   
Coconut : 1 Cup or more
Eno Salt : 1 Tea spoon (Heap)

Method :

1. Grate coconut and keep it aside.
2. Now grind coconut, pepper pods, jeera till coconut is soft and nice.

3. Add Jackfruits and grind nicely till they are soft.
4. Add jaggery and grind till they mix well with dough.

5. Now take a big bowl and pour ground jackfruit mixture to the bowl.
6. Add rava and mix it nicely .
7. Keep a pressure cooker or idli cooker on the fire and put some water at the bottom of the cooker.
8. Apply oil or ghee on each mould of the idli plate.
9. Add Eno to the Rava Jack Fruit mixture and mix it well.

10. Put a spoon of this Eno mixed mixture in the idli plate and arrange the plates.
11. Keep this plates in the pressure cooker, cover the lid and steam for 15 minutes.

12. Put off the fire and open the lid and check idli to know its cooked well.

13. Remove idli from the plate and put it in a serving bowl.

14. Serve with ghee on the top of idli.

Note : 

You can use raw rice instead of Semolina. Rice should be soaked in water for 2 hours and ground with coconut and jackfruit. ( If using rice). Using Rava is a healthy and it is light when eaten. You can use more jackfruits. Adding Eno is optional. Remember if you use more jackfruits do not add Eno. Adding more or less jaggery is also optional.
Time : 30 Minutes
Servings : 6    

Crispy Mandakki (Murmure) Kadle Puri

MandakkI (Puri ) or Puffed rice is used to prepare many dishes like chats, bhel puri, masala puri or masala mandakki even mandakki unde or puri unde (sweet version) also can be prepared. Puffed rice or Mandakki oggarane is very famous in North Karnataka side. I just tried this snack and we can munch them as it is or try your own version and create your chat.

Mandakki or Puffed rice is used in breakfast cereals, snack food like puffed rice cakes. Mandakki is also used in temples and gurudwaras as Prasad.Mandakki and Menasina bajji from Davanageri in Karnataka is world famous. Likewise Churumuri which is a popular chat which is prepared using  grated carrots, fried or roasted groundnuts, onions and some spices.

Puffed rice is known as Puri or Kadle puri in Kannada, Murumure - Marati, Muri in Assamese and Bengali, Murra or Murmure-Hindi, Mamra - Gujarati, Malaru - Malayalam, Bhuja - Oriya, Pori - Tamil, Fulla - Sindhi and Murmural in Telugu.
Here is a Crispy, yemmy riecipe of Mandakki which you can prepare and store for 2 to 3 days (at least) and go ahead with your creations and tongue licking recipes.

Ingredients 

Mandakki (Puffed rice) : One big bowl. ( 1 Pack ).
Plain Corn flakes.(Any brand) : 2 to 3 cups
Ground Nuts : 1/2 cups
Oil : 3 Table spoons
Salt : as required
Green chilly : 2
Curry leaves : Handful (or more)
Red chilly Powder : 1 Tea spoon
Ingh : a pinch
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Urid dal : 1/2 Tea spoon
Turmeric powder : a pinch or 1/4 Tea spoon

Method :

1. Keep a dry pan on the fire and heat. Roast Mandakki on low flame till they are crisp. Stir gently in between slowly so that it does not get burnt at the bottom.

2. Remove the mandakki once they turn crispy.
3. Keep a small pan on the fire. Put oil and heat. Put mustard seeds and urid dal. Let the mustard seeds spurt.

4. Add cut green chilly and fry till they turn crispy. Now add curry leaves and fry.
5. Add ground nuts and fry till they turn brown. Add ingh and mix it well.
6. Add corn flakes and fry them for 10 seconds.

7. Add Crispy Mandakki and mix it well. Add chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt.
8. Mix all the ingredients well and put off the gas .

9. Shift the ready Mandakki to another bowl. Let it cool.

10. Store this Mandakki in a tight tin or in a bottle.

11. Use this Mandakki to prepare your own chat.

12. You can munch this Mandakki as it is with some coconut pieces too.

Preparation time : 20 minutes 
Servings : 5 to 6

 Note : 

1. Churumuri preparations : Cut onions, tomatoes, grate carrots and green chilly. Mix all this with little coconut and some rasam or sambar powder, lemon juice or mango powder (amechur powder). Add the required mandakki and mix it well and put a nippattu or chips on the top and serve immediately.
2. Bhel Puri : Cut tomatoes, onions, grate carrots, raw mango pieces. Add green chutney (coriander leaves, green chilly) and sweet chutney (dates and jaggery ). Mix it well and add Mandakki and put fried Semiya (Sev) on the top and serve.
 You can add some Chenna ( Huri Kadale) and more ground nuts and have them with some fried mixture. They taste fantastic.