MOM'S COOKING :)

No! No! My mom's not here to cook all these! Mother's day is around the corner,thought I would cook some of my mom's recipes! I know it's a little early!:D

Beautiful Tulips for mummy as I call her! I prefer the flowers to stay where they belong instead of a Vase!


Come to think of it,I am much better cook than my mother is! It's true!:p But she does have some very tasty recipes which I am going to post here and in my future posts which are my favorites.Since she was married very young (at 16!) and had to learn cooking basics from her Mysorean mother-in-law, her recipes are the combination of Mysore and Hassan (coffee plantation/Coorgi style)where she is from.She always had helpers in the kitchen unlike me,so it took her a long time to learn to really cook well but she did it in the end!:))

So here we go with some of her authentic Karnataka dishes:
Chitranna,
Tomato Chutney,
Aloogedde Palya,(Potato Gravy),
Kodubale`,(Flour ring snack),
Kesari Bhaat.(Saffron Semolina dessert)

Chitranna:(Turmeric/Yellow/Lemon rice)
Chitranna is a simple Karnataka dish to make and serve in a hurry.Tangy and very flavorful lemon rice, it can be served with crisps and yogurt.


How to make it:
1. Cook 2 cups of rice,long grain or Basmati,spread in a wide pan and cool.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil,add in 1 tsp each mustard seeds,cumin seeds and curry leaves.When they splutter,add 2tsp each chana dal,Urad dal and Moong dal,stir until reddish.
3. Add in 3-4 fresh red or green chillies split,2 large onions sliced thin,1/2 tsp turmeric,little salt,fry until onions onions are transculent and not reddish.
4. Squeeze 1/2 tsp lime/lemon juice,mix and set aside.In a separate pan,saute 2tbsp peanuts and Cashew nuts until they are crisp and keep aside.
5. Squeeze juice 1 lemon or more to the cooled rice along with enough salt,onion mix and fried nuts.Mix all these well,adjust the salt and lime/lemon juice.
6. Serve the delicious Chitranna with plain yogurt or raita.
Instead of Lemon/lime juice,you can saute 3 plum Tomatoes sliced with onions as well for a different taste. You can also add some fresh grated coconut to mix with rice to serve or replace the peanuts with Cashews.

Tomato Chutney:
A very tasty and easy to make Tomato chutney which goes well with Chapatis,Dosas or as a condiment for rice dishes.


How to make it:
1. Chop 6 Plum Tomatoes and Keep aside.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil,add 1/2 each tsp mustard seeds,cumin seeds,few Curry leaves and 2 red dry chillies..When they splutter,add 1 tbsp Chana dal 2tsp Urad dal, fry.
3. Add 1 small onion chopped,3 garlic minced,fry until just soft.Add tomatoes and cook on high heat until thick and all the water has evaporated.
4. Put in 2tsp coriander seeds powder,salt,1/2 tsp chill pd and turn down the heat,reduce the chutney until it's shiny on the surface.Adjust the spices and store in a bottle in the fridge when cooled.

Aloogedde Palya:(Red Potato Gravy)
This is my favorite Mirchi Aloo of all times and my mom's recipe which goes fabulously with Chapatis,parathas etc,.Hope you do try this dish.

Make masala powder first:
Dry toast 2 tbsp Chana dal(split red gram),2 dry red chillies,2 tsp Cumin seeds,1 tsp Fenugreek seeds,2" cinnamon(Dalchini),2 tbsp dry dessicated coconut until reddish,cool and powder in a blender with little Turmeric.
How to make it:
1. Heat 1 tbsp oil/butter,add 1tsp Mustard seeds,1 small onion minced and fry until red on the edges.Add 1/2 cup water mixed with 1 tsp (marble sized and soaked)tamarind juice,simmer.
2. Add in all the ground masala powder,salt,1/4 cup cilantro,simmer until oil shows on top.Add 1 more cup water to thin it and add 3 medium Red potatoes ,cooked and cubed to the sauce,salt and simmer until the sauce is thickish.It does thicker as it cools.Adjust the spices to your taste.
3. This tastes great after a day, enjoy.

Kodubale`:
Here is my favorite snack I used to eat a lot in Mysore from a bakery just outside huge Mysore vegetable market.It's a simple but delicious recipe."Kodu" in Kannada means horn and "Bale" means bangles.In essence,Kodubales look like round bangles with the ends curve and turned up like horns of an animal!:D
Anyway,you don't have to be that perfect when making them.Just make sure your dough is stiff, not soft like Chapati dough!You can make these into bigger circles as well and not fuss about making horns.Hope you try!:))


You need:
3 cups plain flour,1 cup Rice flour,1/4 cup hot oil to mix,salt and 1-2 tsp chilli flakes(optional) or crushed pepper corns,enough water to knead.
To make it:
1. Heat enough oil to 375F.Heat 1/4 cup oil separately to mix with the flour.
2. Mix all the above with hot oil,adjust the salt and spices,knead well with just enough water to make a thick dough.Do not make it too soft.
3. Take a lump of dough,roll into 1/2" thick rope,break off 4" pieces and roll each around your index fingers to make circles.If you want to make bigger circles with longer ropes,it's fine too.Repeat with repeat of the all the dough.
4. Deep fry until done,don't over fry.You will know when you taste one batch whether to fry less or more.If you have added chill pd,it will be reddish when fried,without it they look lighter or golden.Cool before you store.Enjoy!:))

Kesari Bhaat: (Saffron Semolina/Cream of Wheat)
Finally, a eternal favorite dessert of all Kannadigas,this Bhaat is can be made in a jiffy.You can add any nuts or fruits you want like Bananas,Pineapple etc.It tastes wonderful.You can this thinner by adding more milk or water or thick like this.


To Make this:
1. Heat 3 tbsp ghee or butter in a non-stick deep pan,saute 1 tbsp Cashews and Raisins until raisins plump up.
2. Add 1/2 cup Rava/semolina/Cream of wheat and stir-fry until it is slightly reddish and add 3/4 cup or (more or less) sugar,mix well.
3. Meanwhile,heat 1 cup milk and 1/4 cup water and add 1/4tsp saffron and add to the cooking semolina and keep stirring to prevent lumps.
4. As it thickens ,add in 1 tsp Cardamom powder and mix well.When it becomes semi-solid, pour into a dish.
5. You can serve this warm or chilled.You can also add some fruits like pineapple,Banana when it's cooking if you like.Enjoy the traditional Kannadiga dessert!:)

Delicious dishes I tried and loved from other bloggers:





Latha's(Masala Magic) delicious south Indian Aloo Methi


















Suma Gandlur's Eggplant curry









That's it for this week.I do have some more mom's dishes to post,I will post next month.Enjoy these and see you all in Tamil Nadu next week!;D

Smile and be happy!:)