Toor Dal Rasam ( Udupi Special)

 Udupi Saaru/Rasam is very famous. We kannadigas love to have this tomato saaru with plain rice. 

Ready to serve Toor Dal Rasam

Rasam is cooked using toor dal, tomatoes and spices. Udupi Saaru has special aroma in it. We do use toor dal and it binds the spice and all ingredients nicely and the "Saaru" (that is what we call it). Rasam means the juice of particular content. Here it does mean the aromatic juicy, spicy bit watery content.
Toor dal Rasam of Udupi is very famous and aromatic side dish. Toor Dal, tomato and some spices used to prepare this Rasam. We call this as Saaru ( bit watery ). Having Toor - Tomato Saru with Hot rice and a spoon of ghee makes you happy person. You can also serve this Rasam as a welcome drink or soup.
Udupi Saaru has a special aroma because we have a practice of using the fresh masala. The spices are nicely roasted/fried and then dry ground to get the fresh saaru (rasam) powder. Adding ghee/coconut oil is another step to make the saaru more tasty.
This is purely Udupi style rasam and I have used Ingh/Asafoetida which brought from my home town.
Lets see some benefits of having Toor dal in our diet.
Toor Dal is also referred as lentils or split pigeon peas. Toor dal is an excellent source of carbohydrates. It provides many of the nutrients to our body. Toor dal contain protein, fat, fiber. It contain minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium.B Vitamins and Iron. It is high in dietary fibre , low in saturated fat and and cholesterol free. It contain folic acid which is necessary for women. (Especially during pregnancy).Here is a recipe of Toor Dal Rasam and I am sure every one in the family will surely love this Rasam.

Things Needed :

Toor Dal : 1/2  Cup
Tomatoes : 2
Tamarind : a small lemon size ( 2 Table spoons of tamarind pulp).
Salt : to Taste
Rasam Powder : 2 Table spoons.
Asafoetida : a pinch
Turmeric powder : a pinch
Oil : 1 Tea spoon
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Urid dal :  1/2 Tea spoon
Curry leaves : 5 to 6
Coriander leaves : 2 to 3 table spoons ( or handful)
For Rasam powder :
Coriander seeds : 2 Table spoons
Jeera : 1/2 Tea spoon
Methi : 1/4 tea spoon
Red chilly : 5 to 6
Curry leaves : 5 to 6

Method : 

1. Wash and cook Toor dal in a pressure cooker and leave it for cooling.
2. Wash and soak tamarind in hot water for 5 minutes and squeeze out the pulp and keep it aside.

3. Wash curry and coriander leaves. Wash tomatoes and cut it in to small pieces. ( Dee seed the tomatoes and then cut).
4. Dry roast methi, coriander seeds , red chillies, cumin seeds one by one and add ingh and curry leaves.
5. Dry grind the roasted spices when it is cool and keep it aside.
6. Keep a big pan on the fire and heat. Add boiled toor dal. Smash it nicely and then add.

7. Add tamarind pulp, turmeric powder, cut tomatoes and salt. Let it boil nicely for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 2 cups of water.

8. Now add powdered spice ( rasam powder) and mix it well. Let it boil nicely for 2 to 3 minutes.

9. Keep a small pan on the fire and put oil and heat. Add urid dal and mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds splutter.
10. Add little ingh and curry leaves and put this splutter to cooked Rasam.

11. Now shift the saaru to a serving bowl. Add coriander leaves.

12. Add a Table spoon of ghee and serve with rice or serve as a soup.

Note : 

Toor dal should be cooked well. Adding little jaggery to rasam is optional. Adding more or less water is optional. You can add coconut oil instead of Ghee.You can also use MTR or Maiyya's Rasam Powder. But remember fresh Home Made Rasam Powder gives a classic touch, means fresh and yummy. I have used home made rasam powder. I have also used 1 Green chilly since it adds to the taste.
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 4 to 5.

AALU (POTATO) MOSARU BAJJI

Potato (aloo) mosaru bajji/pachadi or Potato in curd/yogurt/ is a side dish and it can be served as one of the side dish in the festival or feast.

Lets see some benefits of Potatoes.
A baked potato is an exceptionally healthy, it is low in calorie and high in fiber food. Potatoes are good source of vitamin B6, potassium, copper, vitamin C, manganese, phosphorus and dietary fiber. It is also contain good antioxidant properties.
This Potato mosaru bajji goes well with almost all   main dishes including masala (spicy) rice. As I said it is very easy to prepare and all you need is boiled potato, green chilly and curd.
No Onion or No Garlic is used here in this food.

Ingredients.

Potato : 2 medium sized
Green chilly : 2
Coriander leaves : 2 Table spoons
Curry leaves : 5 to 6
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tea spoon
Oil: 1 Tea spoon
Urd Dal : 1/2 Tea spoon
Ingh (Asafetida : a pinch
Salt : required.

 Method:
1. Wash and Boil potato with skin and leave it for cooling. Remove the outer skin.

2.Cut green chillies, coriander leaves into small pieces.

3.Now smash potato and put it in a bowl. Add salt, cut green chilly, curd and coriander leaves. Mix it well .

4. Keep a pan on the fire. Put 1 tea spoon of oil and heat. Put mustard seeds and urd dal.
5. Let the mustard seeds spurt. Add ingh, curry leaves to the mustard mix. Put off the gas.

6. Now add this mixture to the potato curd mixture. Mix it nicely and serve with hot rice or chapati as one of the side dish.

Note :

 You should boil the potato nicely (With its skin). Sour curd taste better. You can add the cut onions to this mixture before serving. You can cook potato in this way :  pressure cook or cut it in to pieces and cook in a pan.You can also use more chilly if you like spicy taste. Adding onions or garlic is optional.
10 minutes : to prepare.
Boiling time : Extra ( 10 minutes).
Serves : 2 to 3

RAAGI HAALBAI

Raagi/Finger Millet is a healthy grain. It is a staple food of part of Karnataka and other south Indians. It is gluten free grain. It has loads of minerals and vitamins and healthy benefits in it.
I just wanted to try Raagi Halubai. ( Halubai is a sweet dish, prepared using raw rice, jaggery and coconut).
I have used Ragi/finger millet, little almonds, coconut.

Raagi contain very minimum portion of carbohydrates, no cholesterol and it contain certain amount of fiber. Ragi is largely grown in Karnataka. (Mysore, Mandya and around).
Lets see the Recipe Now

Ingredients:

Raagi Flour : 2 Cups
Coconut grated : 1  Cup
Jaggery : 1 Cup
Almonds : One handful ( 10 Almonds)
Cardamom : 5 to 6 pods
Ghee : 1/2 Cup

Method:

1. Grind coconut, soaked almonds with cardamom,

2. Keep a pan on the fire and put jaggery and little water. Let the jaggery melt nicely. Now stain the jaggery and remove the dirt.

3. Put jaggery syrup, ground coconut and mix raagi flour and a pinch of salt.

4. Keep this mixture on the fire and stir slowly. It starts thickening. Add ghee little by little and stir until it leaves sides of the pan. Stir little more.

5. Spread little ghee on the tray on plate.

6. Put cooked raagi halubai and spread it evenly on the plate.
7. Cut it into the shape you desire.
8. Serve Raagi halubai warm or cold

Note : Mix it nicely and stir nicely to get the proper Halubai. The proportion is One Ragi = 1 1/2 to 2 cups of water. Adding more jaggery is optional.
Time : 30 minutes.
Serves : 20 to 25 pieces. (According to the size).

Gobi Manchurian

Believe me this is my first blog. I have started blogging from this day. It was all because of my son, who advised me to blog. That can help him and the people who are away from home wants to cook and have some thing healthy and yummy. Gobi Manchurian air was just started and people loved this gobi manchurian very much. Even now it is a world hit dish. People of all age group love to eat this  gobi manchuri. It can be a snack or anytime food for kids and younger generation. 

Gobi Manchurian is an Indian - Chinese fried cauliflower food item very popular world wide now. We have adopted this with Indian style of cooking using our own type of spices and sauce. 
There will be 2 stages of cooking gobi Manchurian. The first one is to deep fry of cauliflower with the coating of maida (All purpose flour) and corn flour. 2nd stage is to fry some vegetables like carrots, onions or spring onions and capsicum. Add the fried gobi and saute with soya and tomato sauce normally. 
I have used little rice flour with maida and corn flour. It taste better and the quantity of maida is reduced by using rice flour. No garlic or onion is used here. (optional). I have prepared it on my own style.
Lets try it out ourselves:

Things needed :

Cauliflower : 1 Small one

Rice flour : 1 Cup 

Maida (All purpose flour) : 1 small cup

Corn flour : 2 Tablespoons.

Turmeric powder : a pinch

Garam Masala : 1/2 Teaspoon

Chat Masala : 1/2 Teaspoon

Red chilly powder : 1 Teaspoon

Jeera : 1 Teaspoon

Salt : as required 

Ginger : An inch.

Carrot : 1 

Capsicum : 1

Oil : 1 Cup 

Soya Sauce : 2 to 3 Tablespoons

Tomato Ketch up : 3 to 4 Tablespoons 

 Method :

1. Wash and dip cauliflower in hot water for 10 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to it. If any worms it comes up. Wash it again and cut them in to small.

2. Take a big bowl, add maida, rice flour and corn flour. Add chilly powder. garam masala powder and salt.

3. Add water little by little to the flours and mix it well. Prepare the thick dough. (dosa consistency). Keep the dough aside.

 4. Keep oil in a pan on the fire and heat.

5. Dip cauliflower florets in the prepared dough and fry them on both sides. (Let the flame be medium and some time high).

6. Remove from the oil and put them on the kitchen tissue. Let the extra oil absorb by the tissue.

7. Repeat the same way and fry all the cauliflower florets. Keep them aside.

8. Grate or cut capsicum, carrots and ginger. 

9. Keep a big pan on the fire. Add a teaspoon of oil. Add little jeera and let it fry for a minute. 

10 Add grated vegetables and fry it nicely. Add Soya sauce and tomato ketch up 

 11. Add fried gobi flowers. Mix it well on low flame. Remove from the pan. 

12. Add coriander leaves and sprinkle chat masala on the top and serve Hot Gobi Mancurian with Tomato Ketch up.

Note : 

Adding onions and garlic is an optional. Adding green chilly is also optional. Adding chat masala on the top of gobi manchurian adds to the taste. Adding spring onions also an optional. I did not fry the vegetables much. It is nice to eat crunchy vegetables along with gobi manchurian. 

Time : 30 to 40 minutes

Serves : 3 to 4

Picture courtesy @ http://www.orugallu.net/vinDu/