Chakkuli or Murku.

Chakkuli or Murku is a fried  fritter that can be munched on any time of the day. There are varieties of chakkuli made from different ingredients. This particular chakkuli is prepared using moong and urid dal with rice.

Lets see the recipe Now
Things needed :
Rice powder: 3 Cups
Urd Dal : 1 Tablespoon
Moong Dal : 1 Cup
Jeera : 1 Teaspoon
Sesame seeds( Till seeds) : 1 Teaspoon
Red Chilly powder : 1 Teaspoon
Oil : To fry
Salt : to taste
Butter : 1 Tablespoon

Method:
1. Wash Urid dal and moong dal and  pressure cook with required water. ( 8 to 10 minutes). Let it cool.

2. Take a big bowl and add rice flour, cooked and cooled dals, chilly powder, salt, sesame seeds and jeera.
3. Add butter and mix all the ingredients nicely. Let butter mix with all the ingredients.

4. Add water carefully (little by little) and prepare thick dough. Kneed the dough nicely.
5.Divide the dough in to small portions.

6. Take a chakkuli mould and put one portion and cover its lid.
7. Keep a frying pan on the fire and heat. Add oil and heat.

8. Press chakkuli to hot oil (Medium heat) and fry them till they turn golden brown or crispy.

9. Cook on both side and remove from the pan and put it on a kitchen tissue.

10. Put it in a glass jar or airtight box once it is cooled. Serve with a cup of coffee or tea.

Note :
You can not prepare the round Chakkuli. It is better to press the chakkuli to the hot oil. Do not add more butter. It might turn soft or curdle in oil. Adding more chilly powder is optional. Remember mild spicy chakkuli taste better. Adding urid dal is optional.
Time : 30 to 40 Minutes + Urid and Moong dal cooking  10 to 15 Minutes.

Rava (Semolina) & Peas Upma

Uppituu/ Uppuma/Upma is an easy and simple breakfast dish. It is favourite of many. On a cold morning day having spicy upma is fun. It goes well with a cup of coffee or chai(tea).
I have used medium sized rava, onion, peas as main ingredients.

 Rava Peas Upma is stomach filling and you do not feel hungry for a long time. Rava/Semolina helps to shed extra weight and it is an energy giving grain. It is full of carbohydrates. It helps you to stay long for healthy way.

Ingredients:

Rava (Samolina : 2  cup
Curry leaves: 6 to 8 leaves
Oil: 4 table spoons
Ghee : 2 Tablespoons
Peas : 1 Cup  (Frozen peas)
Coconut : 2 Tablespoons
green chillies : 2
Salt: to taste
Water: 2 cups
Mustard seeds: 1 tea spoon
Urd Dal: 1 tea spoon
Water : 4 cups

Method:

1, Dry roast rava till the raw smell goes off. (Roast on low flame).
2. Wash and cut green chilly and curry leaves. Wash frozen green peas with fresh water boil for 2 minutes and keep it aside.

3. Wash ginger and remove the outer layer, wash it again and grate it. Keep it aside.
4. Grate coconut and keep it aside.
5. Keep a frying pan on the fire, heat and put oil. Keep 4 cups of water to boil.
6. Put mustard seeds, urid dal and fry them. Let the mustard seeds splutter.
7. Add curry leaves, cut green chilly and fry.

8. Add roasted rava and mix it well. Now add grated ginger and salt.

9. Add 4 cups of boiling water and mix it slowly. (Let the fire be on low flame while adding hot water to Upma. Add peas. Mix it well.
10. Be careful and mix it slowly. Cover the lid and cook Upma on low flame for 2 to 3 minutes.

11. Put off the fire and add grated coconut and shift the ready upma to a serving dish.

12. Serve with a small bowl of curd along with upma. (You can serve with any thing you like, fruits, sugar, chutney, chutney powder or curd.

Note:

Using different size of rava is optional. Ratio of rava and water is 1 = 2 (1 rava and 2 cups of boiling water). It differ  when you chose the size of rava. Thinner variety of rava does not take much water. The ratio is 1= 1 1/2 .
Adding onions is optional. Adding peas is also optional. I have added frozen peas. Just wash it before using frozen peas or vegetables. You can use dried peas. (Soak for at least for 5 to 6 hours and then cook before using the dry peas). Adding ghee is optional. One should roast or fry semolina nicely to get good taste and consistency of Upma.
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 4 to 5