Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Bombay Saag + Soft Chapatis

Bombay saag is a gravy curry and it is prepared with potatoes, besan and garam masala.(spice).  Bambay Saag sounds interesting. May be this curry include besan and its done in minutes must have brought the name.
Potatoes are rich tuberous root vegetable. It is a good source of nutrition, starch, vitamin and fiber. It is one of the cheap staple food item all over the world. It is full of vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber. They are very good natural sources of both soluble and insoluble fiber. It helps to prevent constipation. They are full of B compex group of vitamins. Potatoes contain the good amount of many essential minerlas like Iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorous, copper and potassium.

Here is a recipe of Bombay Saag which is a gravy dish. It is very simple and easy to prepare. Bombay Saag definitely goes very well with chapatis, pooris, roti, idli, dosa and even with bread. All the age group will surely enjoy eating Bombay Saag + Soft Chaptis.

Bombay Saag :

Things Needed :

Potatoes : 3 to 4
Green chilly : 2 to 3
Garam Masala : 1/2 Tea spoon
Besan : 2 Tea spoons
Salt : to taste
Curry leaves : 5 to 6
Coriander leaves : 2 to 3 Table spoons
Lemon : 1 Table spoon (optional)
Oil : 1 Tea spoon
Jeera :  1/2 Tea spoon
Ginger :  1 Table spoon (grated)
Ingh : a pinch
Turmeric powder : a pinch



Method :

1. Wash and cut potatoes according to your wish. Wash it again and keep it aside.

2. Wash and cut green chilly, curry leaves and coriander leaves. Grate ginger.


3. Mix besan with 1/2 cup of water and keep it ready.
4. Now keep a pan on the fire and heat.
5. Put oil and jeera to the pan. Add ingh, curry leaves and green chilly.
6. Add potatoes, ginger to the jeera mixture and fry for 1 minute.


7. Put two glasses of water, turmeric powder and cook potatoes till soft.

8. Add salt and garam masala powder when potatoes are cooked.

9. Mix besan nicely with water and add it to the gravy and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.


10. Stir in between so that it does not get burnt at the bottom and cooked well.
11.Add coriander leaves, lemon juice and shift the Aloo gravy to a serving dish.


12 Mix well and serve with Chapati or Roti or even dosas.


Note : 

You must cook potatoes till they turn soft. You can add more oil if you wish. You can also add onions and garlic to the potatoes. Boiling potatoes in the pressure cooker is a good idea, but do not over cook.
Time : 15 Minutes
Servings : 3 to 4

Soft Chapati :

Take a big bowl add 2 cups of wheat flour, 2 table spoons of curd, salt and 1/2 spoon of baking powder. Mix it nicely and keep the dough for 20 minutes.

Now prepare small balls, roll them and prepare chaptis.






Server them with Bombay Saag.

Note : Add water little by little and prepare the dough, since already curd in it the dough will not take much water. The chapati dough should be normal chapati consistency. Since we have used wheat 20 minutes is more than enough to get the soft dough. Adding oil is purely optional.

Time : 20 Minutes
Servings : 3 to 4 

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Banana Rice Halubai ( Rice Cakes)

Halubai is a traditional sweet dish. This dish is prepared with fresh jaggery or sugarcane juice. During the sugar cane harvesting, sugarcane juice is used instead of jaggery. Rice Halubai is very famous in Dakshina Kannada. (Southern part of Karnataka and some parts of North Kannada also). Bangalore and Mysore side people normally use Ragi (Finger Millet) instead of rice. This famous dish is prepared during Nagara Panchami festival,  which falls in the month of July normally. Using Sugarcane juice and preparing Halubai is a traditional practice in and around Sagara (near Shimoga) and they call this dish as Kilsa.

Jaggery has the ability to cleanse your body. It act as a digestive agent. It also provide good amounts of minerals. According to Avurveda, jaggery strengthens the nervous system, prevents anemia and promotes bone health. It may also protect the body against environmental toxins.

Here is a recipe of Rice Halubai. I have used sugarcane juice, the organic jaggery, ripe Bananas and little ghee while preparing this Rice Halubai. Its soft and nice to have with your lunch or snack or you can munch any time of the day. Using little fresh ghee makes the Halubai more tasty and all the age group will surely love to eat this traditional dish.

Things Needed:

Raw rice : 2 cups
Sugarcane Juice : 2 cups
Jaggery : 1/2 cup
Coconut : 1 cup
Cardamom : 5 to 6
Ghee : 1 Cup (4 to 6 Table spoons)
Salt : a pinc
Bananas : 2 (small size)


Method : 

1. Wash and soak rice for 2 to 3 hours.
2. Grate coconut and powder cardamom.
3. Gind soaked rice, cardamom and grated coconut using sugarcane juice. (Strain sugar cane juice before using.

4. Grind rice coconut mixture till paste. Add jaggery and salt.
5. Remove from the Mixi jar.
6. Now keep a big pan on the fire and pour this ground rice mixture.
7. Let the mixture be little watery. (The ration should be 1 = 1, 1 rice and 1 water).


 8. Start stirring until the dough thickens, add cut banana and stir continuously.


9. Add ghee in between the stirrring.

10. Keep stirring till the batter becomes like a ball (starts to thickens) stir for 2 to 3 minutes more and put this mixture on a ghee greesed tray or plate.


11. Spread evenly and leave it for a while and cut and give a shape.

12. Rice Halubai is ready to serve.




Note :
Must stir continuously or it may get burnt at the bottom. Heat ghee and keep it aside and use little by little, inbetween the stirring. This process helps you to stirr easily since the mixture softens while adding the ghee. Not more than 3/4 cup of the ghee should be used or you feel heavy after eating. Adding ghee makes the stirring easy, since it helps the batter to be little loose. You can also use only jaggery instead of sugarcane juice if it is not available.
Time: 20 minutes.
Rice soaking time extra : 2 to 3 hours.
Serves : 5 to 6

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author
My name is Nalini Somayaji. Teaching is my profession. Cooking is my passion. Reading, travelling, visiting new places, having fun with kids are some of the hobbies I can say. My recipes are Healthy, quick, easy and simple. Grown up being a traditional family member I love and respect Indian culture and traditions. Love classical dance and music.
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