Spinach Tambuli (Tambuli or Tampina Huli).

Tambuli Or Tampina huli Does mean that this particular type of curry, helps to keep your body Cool. Tampu is a kannada word which means Cool. Eating this curry with rice in the first few spoons will definitely helps you to keep your body cool. You can have this with rice as I said in the beginning .

Spinach/Palak and little methi seeds (Fenugrik seeds) are used and prepared this Tabuli. (As we call it in Udupi (Dakshina Kannada).  
Lets see some benefits of using Palak/Spinach in our diet.
Spinach/Palak is one of the wonderful green leafy vegetable and it is a store house of nutritions, anti oxidants and anti cancer properties. They are very low in calories and fats. The leaves contain good amount of soluble dietary fiber and control cholesterol levels in our body. Palak leaves are rich in vitamins like vitamin A, Viatmin C and beta carotene. Palak is good for normal eyesight. Spinach leaves are excellent source of vitamin K. Vitamin K helps to strengthen the bones. They contain good amounts of B- Complex vitamins and helps in preventing neural tube defects in the offspring. They contain good amount of Vitamin C and it helps the body to resists against infections. Palak/Spinach contain fair amount of minerals like potassium, manganese, magnesium, copper and zinc. they help in controlling heart beat and blood pressure. Copper helps in producing the red blood cells. Palak/Spinach contain good source of Omega - 3 fatty acids.
Use very little amount of coconut and do not fry or roast it. You can add curd later. Grind it with little water and add the required amount of curd/butter milk. Add water if required. 
Lets see the recipe now:

Things Needed :

To Fry :
Spinach :  1 bundle( medium size )
Jeera : 1/4 Tea spoon
Methi Seeds : 4 to 5
Pepper ( whole ) : 4 to 6 seeds.
Red Chilly : 1
Ingh : a pinch
To Grind :
Fried ingredients
Salt : to taste
Fresh coconut gratings : 1 Tablespoon
To Add : 
Curd( yogurt) : 1/2 cup OR Buttermilk : 1 big glass
Water : If required
Seasoning : (Optional)
Ghee : 1 Tea spoon 
Jeera : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh : a pinch
Curry leaves : 4 to 5

Method:

1. Wash Palak/Spinach leaves and let it dry nicely. Cut into small pieces.
2. Keep a pan on the fire.  Put ghee and Heat.
3. Add methi seeds and let it turn brown. Add jeera, pepper seeds and red chilly.
4. Fry this for 10 seconds. Add cut spinach and fry along with  jeera mixture.

5. Fry for 10 to 20 seconds. Put off the fire. Add grated 1 tablespoon of fresh coconut. Add ingh.
6. Let fried mixture cool. Grind it with very little water. Remove it from the mixi jar.

7. Put it in a bowl. Add salt. Mix with a cup of curd.

8. You  can also add ghee fried jeera and curry leaves seasoning to this Tambuli.
9. Add water if required. (Tambuli is served as first side dish and it is watery content since butter milk is used to dilute the content).
10. Serve with Hot rice.

Note : 

Eating tambuli is a healthy habit and it cleanses our body. It reduce the cholesterol content of the food we eat.
Do not add more water while grinding ingredients. Add water if required, just before serving the dish. Add buttermilk instead of water. If adding curd dilute the curd/yogurt and then add it. This tambuli can be served as welcome drink. Dilute completely (by adding more water/butter milk and salt).
Adding jeera seasoning with ghee adds to the taste.
Time : 10 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4 
(This is my one of the old post and I refreshed with pictures).

Kokum Rasam/Punar Puli Saaru

Kokum /Punar Puli/Murudina Odu Rasam is good for digestion. It helps to get back the taste you lost during your sickness.

It is a practice in Dakshina Kannada and Malenadu (in Karnataka State) of using this Kokum once in a while. It is used to prepare rasam and drink during indigestion and fever. It helps to cure cold and helps to get back the taste of the taste bud in tongue..
Let us see the recipe. You can serve this rasam as soup too.

Things Needed:

Dried Cocum  : 5 to 6
Water : 2 cups
Green chillies : 2
Coriander Leaves : 2 Tablespoon ( wash and cut into small pieces).
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6
Salt :to taste
Jaggery  : 1 Tablespoon
Ghee : 1 Teaspoon
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Pepper : 1/4 Teaspoon
Jeera /Cumin seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh :  a pinch
Turmeric powder: a pinch.

Method : 

1. Soak Kokum pods in hot water. (Wash it before you use). Squeeze out the pulp and keep it aside.

2. Crush pepper and jeera.

3. Wash coriander leaves and curry leaves. Cut into small. Wash green chilly and slit in between.

4. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add little ghee and mustard seeds. Let it splutter.
5. Add ingh and curry leaves. Add slit green chilly.
6. Add kokum pulp and add 2 to 3 glasses of water.

7.Add turmeric powder and jaggery . Let it boil nicely. Add crushed pepper and jeera. Add salt.

8. Let it boil nicely for 3 to 4 minutes.Shift Kokum Rasam to a serving dish.

9. Add cut coriander leaves and serve.

Note: 

You can add more water to take out the content from kokum pods. Adding more jaggery is optional.
This tangy and sweet taste is nice to have like a soup. Adding more pepper is optional.
Time : 20 Minutes
Serves : 4 to 5. 

You can prepare this and serve as soup.

Good for cold, cough, cooling down the body, removes pittam. Helps in easy digestion and helps the tasty bud to get better. (Tongue taste bud)

Paapdis for Sev Pooris or Or Pappadi chat

Papaadis are small Pooris, which are used in Chats and can be eaten plain pooris too..

Ingredients :
Maida :( All Purpose flour):  2 cup
Samolina ( Chiroti Rava ) : 1/2 cup
Salt : to taste
Oil : 11/2 cup
Salt : to taste
Cooking Soda : a pinch

Method:
Mix maida ( All Purpose flour ), Salt, Samolina ( Chiroti Rava, small size Rava) and soda  nicely in a big bowl. Heat one table spoon of oil and  pour it to the mixed flour.  Mix well and add water little by little and prepare thick dough. ( Should be thick like poori  dough) .  Cover the dough and leave it for 5 minutes.
Put one or two spoons of dry maida in  a small plate . 
Now knead the dough and  take a handful of dough and make a ball . Flatten the dough and turn both side of the flatten dough in  dry maida and roll this in chapati roller as chapatis. Take a small bottle cap and cut the flatten chapatis into small circle shapes. Just make small marks on  these small pooris in a small knife to get flatten pooris.   Deep fry these small pooris on low flame to get crispy pooris.  Repeat the same for the rest of the dough.  Paapadis or pooris are ready . Leave them for some time to cool down and put them in a air tight box and use when ever you need them.

Note :  Do  not roll into very thin chapatis. Let it be slightly thick . Must fry them on  low flame to get the crispiness.  Can add butter instead of  hot oil. Do not use Dalda .( A kind of margarin). Using a small knife or the edge of the spoon to mark small cuts in the pooris help them to be flat. ( It does not allow the poori to be fluffy).  Add the hot oil on the flour and leave it for coolingfor 5 minutes and then add water to prepare the poori dough.
One more step is to roast Maida flour for 2 to 3 minutes add a spoon of oil and leave it for cooling. Then add water to prepare pooris or steam the plain flour for 8 minutes in a pressure cooker and when cools you can prepare pooris. ( No need to add any oil to steamed flour.
Step to steam Maida flour:  Keep little water in a pressure cooker. Keep a bowl upside down . On the top keep Maida in a container ( without adding water- dry flour should be steamed. You can also put this flour in a towel and tighten around the flour and them steam it).   
You can also prepare  pooris which are used in Paani pooris by flattening the chapaatis a bit thinner.   And do not cut or mark the small pooris. So that it becomes fluffy and good for paani pooris.

20 to 25 pooris can be made.

WaterMelon Rind Curry

 WaterMelon  Rind is used here to prepare the curry. Curry is one the side dish and we can prepare different types of curries. Normally the fruit part of water melon is eaten and the rest part is thrown out.It is said that water melon's inner part is also should be consumed and it is full of nutritious and filled with good qualities. 
I have used toor dal, black channa and spices to prepare this curry. Watermelon curry goes well with plain rice, chapatis, rotis, dosas and almost all main dishes.
No onion or garlic is used in Watermelon Rind Curry.
Lets see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Moong Daal :1/4 cup
Water Melon  Rind : 2 to 3 cups.
Sambar powder or Rasam powder : 2 to 3 teaspoons
Tamarind Pulp : 1 Table spoon
Salt : to taste
Coconut : 2 to 3 Table spoons( Fresh and grated ).
Jeera/Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Oil : 1Teaspoon
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Urd Daal :1/2/ tea spoon
Ingh : 1 pinch
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6 leaves.

 Method :

1. Wash and pressure cook moong dal and black channa. (better to soak channa at least 4 to 5 hours before cooking). .

2. Wash watermelon rind nicely, remove the top green part slowly and cut it into small pieces. (Pressure cook along with moong dal).
3. Grate coconut and grind it with little jeera. Use very little water to grind it.

4. Soak tamarind (a small marble size) in hot water.  Squeeze out the pulp and keep the pulp aside.
5. Now keep a big pan on the fire. Heat and put mustard seeds, jeera and 4 to 5 grains of methi seeds. Let the mustard seeds splutter.

6. Add curry leaves and ingh. Add cooked dal and cooked water melon pieces.  Add a  pinch of turmeric and sambar/rasam powder. Mix it well and let it cook for 2 minutes.

7. Add salt and ground coconut mixture. Mix it nicely and let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Shift the ready curry to a serving dish. Add cut coriander leaves and serve with main dish.

8. Add a spoon of ghee when the curry is hot.

Note : 

You should use pressure cooker to cook watermelon rind. (The pieces turn hard after cooking it. (It is better to pressure cooker).
You can also use a pinch of garam masala to give a good aroma and adds to the taste. Adding ghee to the sambar is optional. Using more or less jaggery is optional. You can cook this curry with out black channa . Adding different types of beans is optional.
To get fresh rasam powder, fry  1/4 Teaspoon of methi seeds, coriander seeds, red chilly and add jeera. Fry nicely . Dry grind it in the mixi jar and allow it to cool.
Time :Cooking time :30  minutes +  soaking time 4 to 5 hours.
Serves : 3 to 4 .

Channa ( Hurikadale ) Laadu....

Chann seeds ( Huri kadale in kannada , Pottu kadale in Tamail and Malayalam..chenna in Hindi) are very famous people use this to make chutney too...and this seed is used in Mixture also ( fried items).
Channa Laadus are sweet dish and can be eaten at anytime of the day.

Things Needed :
Chenna seeds : 1 cup
Sugar : 1/2 cup .
Mixed Nuts : 2 Table spoons.
Coconut : 2 Table spoons.
Cardamom : 5 to 6 seeds
Ghee : 1/4 cup .

Method : Powder Sugar.  Add cardamom  while dry grinding  ( Use dry grinder )  and keep it aside.  Cut nuts in to small pieces.  Roast Chenna seeds slightly and leave it for cooling .  Dry grind the roasted Chenna  and put it in a big bowl.
Now add  nuts,  powdered sugar and coconut  to the chenna powder.  Mix thoroughly and add ghee little by little and  tale a handful of this mixture and prepare Laddus. Repeat the same until all the  laddus are prepared.
.Note :Roast the Chenna slightly to make it warm so that it powders quickly.  Not to burn the chenna other wise it gives a burnt smell.  You can also roast seseme seeds to this laddu.  Or you can also powder the roasted seseme seeds and add it to this mixture..and then  prepare Laddus. ( 2 Table spoons of seseme seeds are enough). Can Add little more  ghee if you are not able to prepare laddus.( Warm the ghee and keep it as liquid form , so that you can pour ghee and it helps you to make proper Laddus). Use copra ( dried coconut ) or roast coconut until its brown. You can also roast Nuts before adding . ( Dry roast for few seconds). ( Cashew nuts , Raisins, Almonds even Ground Nuts ).

10 Laddus can be prepared.


 

Easy Laddus ( Wheat flour Almond Laadu )

Wheat flour laddu is one of the easy laddu you can prepare quickly and it is easy to prepare.
We do prepare these wheat flour laddu for Gokulastami/Shri Krishna Janmastami because we need to prepare varieties of laddu for Prasadam that particular day. Festivals or feast or any normal day these laddus can be prepared for prasadam/Kids snack box/travelling purpose.

Here I have tried wheat flour laddu adding some almond flakes which are given by our daughter in law Vidya Ravi's sister, Veena /Krishnaveni Bidarahalli.
Wheat flour, sugar, ghee and almonds are used and that makes an energetic Laddu.
Let us see the recipe Now :

Things Needed :

Wheat flour : 2 Cups
Sugar : 1/2 Cup or little more
Ghee : 1/2 Cup
Almond Flakes : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Cardamom : 3 to 4  Pods

Method :

1. Remove the seeds from cardamom pods and powder with sugar and keep it aside.
2. Keep a pan and put a tablespoon of ghee. Let it heat. Add wheat flour and fry.
3. Fry till the raw smell disappear.
4. Put off the fire and put the fried wheat flour to a bowl.
5. Mix it nicely.
6. Add powdered sugar and almond flakes.

7. Add ghee little by little and mix it well.
8. Take a handful of wheat almond mixture and form a round circle laddu.

9. Add little more ghee if the mixture turns dry.
10. Put it in a serving dish. Let it cool. Store them in airtight bottle or box.

Note :

Use of little ghee to fry wheat flour is optional. You can use more. Use of more/less sugar is optional.
It always better to divide fried wheat flour and add little ghee when you are about to prepare laddu.
( Divide fried wheat flour into 2 to 3 portions. Take each portion at time and add 2 tablespoons of ghee. Mix it nicely and then prepare laddu. Repeat the same with remaining portions).
It is always better to prepare laddu when the fried flour is bit warm. Adding little more ghee is optional. You can use hot milk instead of ghee. Remember that laddu prepared using milk with not stay for long.
Time : 20 Minutes.
Serves : 15 to 20 Laddu can be prepared.

CARROT AND BEANS CURRY( SAMBAAR )

Carrot and Beans Huli is a curry.    You can have  Chapati, Poori , Rice and Akki Rotti  with this curry.
Things Needed :
Carrot : 2 to 3
Beans : 1/2 cup
Toor Daal : 2 Table spoons
Coconut : 1/2 cup ( 3 to 4 Table spoons - Fresh and grated ).
Daniya ( Coriander ) seeds : 2 to 3 Tea spoons
Jeera ( Cumin Seeds) : 1/2 Tea spoon.
Red Chillies : 4to 6
Tamarind : 2 Table spoons pulp
Asafoetida :  a pinch
Mustard seeds :1/2 tea spoon
Urd Daal : 1/2 tea spoon
Curry leaves : 5 to 6
Oil : 1 Tea spoon
Salt : to taste.


Method:  Boil Toor Daal  and cut vegetables in a pressure cooker for 5 minutes.  ( Wash and cut vegetables according to your wish ).   Keep it aside.
Grind coconut , coriander seeds, cumin seeds, tamarind pulp and red chillies in to paste and keep it aside.
Now take a pan keep on the fire . Put oil and heat.  Add  mustard seeds and urd daal. Let mustard spurt. Add curry leaves and add boiled toor daal and vegetable mixture. Add salt and boil for 2 minutes . Now add ground coconut mixture and mix well. Soak Ingh in one tea spoon of water and mix well . Add this ingh  to the boiling  Sambaar. . Cook for 5 minutes and pour it to the serving bowl.
Serve hot Sambaar with Rice chapati or dosas....
Note :  Do not  over cook the vegetables. You can cook vegetables separately.  Soak tamarind in hot water  for 2 minutes and squeeze out the pulp . You can also add potatoes to this sambaar.  You can use  Brinjaal instead of carrots .  You can use pumpkins , Mangalore cucumber ,  Beetroot. also... ( Use any one of the vegetable to get better taste). Do not add onions to this curry. Mixing of onions will give different taste.
2 to 3 Servings.

Avare Kalu ( ಅವರೆ ಕಾಳು ) Uppittu ( Avare Upma).

Ready to Serve Avarekai Uppittu

Avere kaalu is also called as field beans or flat beans. We get Avarekai during winter season. It grows well in winter and we get plenty during November to March. It is also one of the favourite beans of many people in Karnataka I can say. There are many dishes prepared each day during Avarekai season. Avarekai is fried and munched in most of the houses. There will be Avarekai Mela.(where you get all items prepared using Averekai and the fresh Avarekai also will be available from different parts of  Karnataka State.
We can prepare many type of dishes using Averekai as I said it earlier. Like wise Avarekai Chithranna, (rice item), Bisibele bath, rotti, Parota, curries, rasam and many more dishes.
Here is one such recipe that is Avare Kalu ( Kalu means crop or pod) Uppittu ( Upma) which is very favorite of many. 
I have not used any onions in this dish so it can be prepared for special and fasting days.
Avarekalu Uppittu can be enjoyed any time of the day. It is good for breakfast, as snack or even for dinner.
Lets see the recipe :

Things Needed:

Medium size Rava  ( Sooji , Samolina ): 1  1/2 cup.
Avare kaalu : 1 1/2  cup
Oil : 3 Table spoons
Ghee : 4 Table spoons
Coconut : 1/2 cup ( Fresh grated ).
Green Chilly : 3
Pepper pods : 5 to 6
Jeera (Cumin Seeds) : 1/2 Tea spoon
Ginger : a small piece
Mustard : 1/2 Tea spoon
Urd Daal : 1/2 Tea spoon
Channa Daal : 1/2 Tea spoon (optional).
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8 leaves
Salt : To taste.
Water 3 Cups.

 Method :  

1. Wash and cook Avarekalu in a pressure cooker for 8 to 10 minutes with 1/2 Cup of water.
2. Wash and cut green chilly, remove the skin of ginger and grate it.
3. Grate coconut and keep it aside. Crush or powder pepper pods.

4. Keep a big pan on the fire. Heat and put oil. Put mustard seeds, urd daal and channa daal. Fry on slow flame until mustard spurts

5. Add  curry leaves, grated ginger  and cut green chillies.

6. Add Rava and roast until the raw smell of rava disappears.  ( At least for 5 to 6 minutes). 

7. Add boiling water to Rava mixture and stir and mix well. ( Keep low flame while adding water). Add salt and cook for 2 minutes.

8. Add  cooked Avare kaai  and mix it well. Add fresh coconut and mix it slowly and put off the gas. 

9. Add ghee on the top and mix it again and shift cooked Avare kaai Upma  to the serving bowl.

10. Serve with a cup of curd with Avarekai Uppituu.

Note :

You can add salt to the cooked Avare kaai and cook it for few minutes so that it taste better. Roast  rava  on slow flame so that it does not get burnt. It should be roasted well .You can add cut onions just before adding rava. Adding more oil or ghee adds to the taste. You can also add more chilly to give a spicy taste. Adding pepper and jeera helps to digest the food easily.
Time : 40 minutes. (cooking Avarekai - 15 minutes. + cooking .
Serves : 3 to 4.

Puffed Rice....Laddu ( Puri Unde )

Puffed Rice Laddus are snacks and can have them at any time of the day.
Things Needed:
Puffed Rice  Flakes : 2 cups
Jaggery : 1/2 cup ( Powdered )
Ground Nuts : 2 Table spoons( Roasted)
Cardamom : 4 to 6 pods
Water : 1 Table spoon
  Method :
Powder  cardamom pods ( Remove the outer layer before powdering ) and keep it aside.
Roast the ground nuts and remove the skin and  keep it aside.
Keep a big pan on the fire and heat . Put jaggery and a  table spoon of water and let it dissolve . when it starts bubbling add Puffed Rice flakes and ground nuts and mix well and prepare Laddus. You can add a spoon of ghee while preparing Luddus to be  more tasty.

Note : The jaggery should not be very watery when you dissolve jaggary .It should not be so thick either.  Keep it on the low flame while preparing these Laddus.
You can also add dry fruits like  Almonds , Cashew and dry grapes.( Raisins). Altogether about 2 table spoons. ( Cut it into small pieces).
10 to 12  medium sized undes ( Laddus ) can be made.