Chocolate -Banana Cake

This Chocolate Cake is very special. I baked this cake for my son Ravikanth on his birthday. It came out yummy and just beautiful. I am Happy for that we had good time spent with Ravi during his lunch hours.

It is an eggless cake with minimum sugar, dates and dark chocolate. You can use more sugar if you love to have little more sweet. I have used curd, milk, cinnamon and cooking oil. 

Lets see the recipe now:

Things needed :

Maida /All purpose flour : 2 Cups

Sugar : 3/4 Cup

cooking Oil : (any) : 3/4 cup

Cinnamon : An inch

Chocolate : 2 to 3 Tablespoons ( any chocolate)

Dates : 8 to 10

Banana (ripe) : 2 

Salt : a pinch

Curd : 1/2 Cup

Milk : 1/4 Cup

Baking Powder : 1 Teaspoon (Heaped)

Cooking Soda : 1/4 Teaspoon

Method : 

1.Sieve maida , baking powder and cooking soda and keep it aside. 

2. Grind sugar, dates, cinnamon into powder.
3. Add oil and grind nicely till sugar is melted.

4. Add curd and grind. Add chocolate pieces and grind again. Add banana and grind till it mixes.

5. Add milk at the end and grind for a minute. Let the mixture be soft and fluffy. 

6. Add a pinch of salt and give a churn at the end.
7. Remove the ground mixture to a big bowl.

8. Mix maida baking powder, cooking soda mixture slowly. Let it mix well. 

9. Apply little oil on the tray. Pour the cake mixture to the tray.

10. Preheat the oven for 5 minutes.

11. Now keep cake try inside the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes on 180 dc. Take it out from the oven and allow the cake to cool down, 

12 Insert a knife or spoon edge to check the cake. If it sticks to the spoon end then bake for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Note : 

Using ghee or butter instead of oil is optional. Using fresh ghee is also optional. ( I have used 1 Tablespoon of ghee along with oil. It adds to the flavour). Adding any flavour is optional. Example , venila essence or cardamom or clove. Use of more sugar is also optional. Banana adds to the sweet and softens the cake. 

Time : Preparation : 5 minutes : Baking time 30 minutes : Total time : 35 Minutes.
Serving : According to the serving.

Bindi Pakoda (Lady's finger Pakoda)

Bindi Pakoda/Fritter is a fried dish and we can munch them any time of the day. I love fried dishes as one of the side dish during lunch time. It is good to munch some thing spicy along with rice and rasam or curd. It adds taste to the food that we eat. I know eating oily food is  not good for health. I feel it is ok once in a while. (Not always).

Bindi/Lady's finger/Bendekai fry goes well with curd rice, during lunch or as starter also I have tried this bindi fry with very little quantity. It was just enough for two.
It is easy, simple and yummy. You can try and enjoy the dish.

Things Needed :

Lady's Finger/bendekai/bindi : 5 to 6
Channa Flour/Besan : 2 Tablespoons
Red chilly Powder : 1 Teaspoon
Jeera/Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Salt : as required
Oil : 1 Small cup (to fry)

Method : 

1. Wash and remove the moisture from bindi. (Use a clean towel or kitchen tissue to wipe out the moisture).
2. Cut them in to small circle.
3. Take a plate or bowl. Add cut lady's finger and channa/besan flour, salt, chilly powder and jeera.
4. Mix it well by hand. Sprinkle little water and mix again.

5. Keep a pan on the fire and put oil. Heat it.
6. Just drop lady's finger mixture in hot oil. (little by little).
7. Fry them till they turn slightly golden brown.

8. Remove from oil and put it on a kitchen tissue.

9. Repeat the same with rest of the mixture.
10. Serve hot fried bendi as starter, as one of the side dish or with curd rice.

Note : 

Wipe out the moisture completely. You can cut them according to your wish. (Long or short).
Do not add much water while mixing. Adding garlic cuts is optional.(I have not added). Adding cooking soda is also optional. (I did not add). Better to eat immediately, when it is hot.
Adding more spice is also optional. You can use curry leaves and coriander leaves. (But it softens the fry).
Time : 15 minutes.
Serves :2

TATTE IDLI ( PLATE IDLI )

Tatte Idli/plate idli is also called majjige/mosaru idli. It is prepared using mosaru/curd or majjige/butter milk. In this particular type of idli we do not use much of Urid dal.

We do this kadabu/idli back at home in South Canara and Malnad area. (Karnataka). It is one of the healthy dish for breakfast and its easy too. Recently I have seen Mr. Sadananda Mayya the owner of Mayya's group of Hotels showing the recipe in one of the T. V. Channel. Then I thought I should put up this recipe here. I have tried this many times and the result is super soft idlis.
The ingredients used here are raw rice, curd or butter milk and avalakki/flattened rice. (Avalakki). You can add grated ginger and carrots .

Things Needed :

Raw Rice : 2 Cups
Thick Avalakki : 1 Cup
Urid dal : 1 Tablespoon
Curd : 3/4 cup
Salt : as it required

Method :

1. Wash and soak rice and urid dal for 2 to 3 hours.

2. Wash and soak Avalakki/flattened rice for at least 1 hour.

3. Now grind avalakki/flattened rice in 1/2 cup of curd/butter milk till smooth.
4. Add rice to this avalakki and grind it as rava. (not fully in to paste).
5. Remove the ground mixture from the mixi jar and put it in a big bowl.

6. Add required salt and leave it for fermenting.
7. Apply oil on the plates or cooker container. Mix this mixture nicely and pour it to the plates.

8. Keep a idli cooker/pressure cooker on the fire and put some water into it.
9. Let the water boil. Keep these dough poured plates in the idli cooker and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

10. Insert a spoon edge to know idli is cooked well. (if the dough sticks by the sides of the inserted spoon then cook for another 10 minutes).

11. Remove from idli plate and cut the idli in to small pieces.
12. Serve with ghee and the side dish you prepared.

Note :

You can use tatte idli stand to prepare this idlis/cooker container or small plates.

The dough must be fermented well. The consistency of the dough turns little watery. Not to worry. It is because of curd and Avalakki the dough turns as little watery.  Use only the required curd. Do not grind the ingredients into watery. (Let it be thick when groun, since curd is added the dough turns little watery). That is the reason we use plates.
You can add grated carrots, ginger, coconut pieces, curry leaves, cut green chilly and coriander leaves (cut into thin)  to the dough (just before preparing idli) and prepare masala tatte idli.
Do not add any bicarbonate soda or baking powder and Eno salt. It takes away the natural aroma.
Be careful while eating outside. They might use ajino moto (a type of chinese salt) (taste powder as they call) to pull the crowd. Ajinomoto is a kind of salt which is not good for our health and it damages our intestine.
Time :   Total time : 7 hours & 40 minutes.
Soaking time : 2  hours
grinding : 10 minutes
Fermenting time : 5 to 6 hours.
Cooking Time : 20 minutes.
Serves :  5 to 6.

Avalakki Huggi (Flattened Rice Sweet Pongal)

Avalakki is nothing but Flattened Rice or Beaten Rice and Huggi is Sweet Pongal. 

During the month of Dhanurmasa (December 14th to January 14th normally)  normally Huggi/Pongal is prepared. It is said that at least once we should eat Huggi/Pongal in this month. We prepare sweet version of pongal/huggi. But now Khara or Sweet Pongal has become one of the favourite dish of many. The spicy/khara pongal is prepared for breakfast/lunch/snack/dinner (any time of the day). Of course it is good to eat this healthy food. It is prepared using moong dal and rice. Moong dal is full of protein and is one of the good legume for vegetarians. Dhanurmasa is full of cold and in some places it is a harvesting time. Fresh grains (rice) are brought home or cooked in the field and the whole family sit and enjoy. 
Sankranthi falls on 14th of January every year.(may be a day difference some time, according to the calendar. (Panchanga). The sun moves towards North (Uttara) side on that particular day and it is noted as Uttarayana. There is a belief that the heaven's door opens on that day. (According to Hindu Purana). Uttarayana circle goes on for 6 months and on July 15th is noted as Dakshinayana. On that particular day the sun moves slightly towards South. (Dakshina).
It is a tradition that, people cook both varieties of Pongal. (Khara/spicy and Sweet) on this day and celebrate Sankranthi mainly in South India. Some part of Karnataka like Udupi /Mangalore and Malanad we do cook mild sweet huggi and it is eaten with tamarind and jaggery mixed gojju. . That is a superb combination with Huggi.
One more interesting thing is that this particular day Ellu bella  ( sesame, jaggery , roasted channa and roasted ground nuts mix) is also eaten and given (shared in little quantity)  to neighbours. There is a saying that "ellu bella tindu olle maatadu", which means eat sesame and jaggery and speak good words.
India is a traditional land. Each part of India has different varieties of traditions. That is why it is said " Unity in Diversity ".  Though we have  different culture, tradition, cloth, food habits from place to place we all belong to " MOTHER INDIA ".

Dals are rich in protein and they also help in many ways. It strengthen our body and provide good vitamins and minerals.
Coming back to the dish, Avalakki Huggi /Flattened rice Pongal is prepared using moong dal, avalakki and jaggery as main ingredients. This is an easy dish and you can enjoy Avalakki Huggi even on any festival day.
Lets see the recipe now :

Things  Needed :

Avalakki/Flattened Rice Thick variety  : 2 to 2 1/2 cups
Moong Dal : 1 Cup
Jaggery : 1/2 cup
Ghee : 4 to 5 Tablespoons
Carrot : 2
Cashews and raisins : 3 to 4 Tablespoons
Cardamom : 5 to 6

Method :

1. Wash and soak avalakki (1/2 cup of water ) for 10 minutes.
2. Wash and remove all the water from moong dal.

3. Wash and grate carrot (slightly remove the outer layer, wash again before grating) and grate coconut. Keep it aside.
4. Powder cardamom and keep it aside.

5. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Put 1 Teaspoon of ghee. Fry washed moong dal for 2 to 3 minutes.

6. Add 1/2 cup of water and cook till they turn soft.
7. Add jaggery and mix it well. Let jaggery melt and mix it with cooked moong.
8. Now add soaked avalakki to cooked moong. Mix it well.

 9. Let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in between.
10. Now keep a small pan and heat. Put 2 tablespoons of ghee. Fry cashews and raisins till they turn slightly golden brown.
11. Remove  some fried cashews and raisinis . Add grated carrots to the same pan and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.

12. Put this carrots to the moong and avalakki mixture. Mix it nicely and slowly.

13. Add powdered cardamom and mix it again. Add grated coconut. 

 14. Shift the cooked avalakki huggi to a serving dish. Add ghee fried cashew and raisins on the top.

 15. Serve when it is hot. We had it with Uppittu/ Upma.

 Note :

You should use thick variety of beaten rice to get the good consistency and taste. Roasting moong dal is to separate the grains.(or it becomes very soft when cooked and it might turn saggy). Adding jaggery (more/less) is optional. Adding ghee is optional. I have used Delhi Carrots (red carrots). Since it is winter you can get plenty of red carrots in the market. Use of less/more carrots is optional. Use sugar is optional. Jaggery is good for health and it mixes well with  avalakki/flattened rice. Take care while cooking. Do not make the dish watery. It should be like Upma consistency. (Avalakki Uppittu). Adding a pinch of salt is optional. ( I did not add).
Preparation time : 15 minutes.
Cooking Time 15 minutes.
Serves : 5 to 6.