PLANTATION ENNEGAYI WITH KODAVA PAPUTTU !

Ennegayi I am posting today, a eggplant dish which is also called Mulgayi palya, a popular dish in the coffee plantations or Lingayat communities, and also called Badanekayi enngayi elsewhere!! :)
I thought I would cook this dish which I have not done in quite a long time! I rummaged through all my old notes to get this recipe out and when I was done, it did look like as I remembered,actually tasted even better!!Traditionally ennegayi is made with whole slit stuffed whole eggplants but I don't like it that way because sometimes it stays raw in the center unless I pressure cook it gently. It's almost always served with plantation style rice rottis, which are differently from the regular rice rottis elsewhere in the estates.You could also serve with Coorgi Paputtu (Dill is my grandmother's addition, you may skip it), dosas, Idlies and may be even chapatis too! Never tasted with chapatis or Parathas but might work too!!

Mulagai Ennegayi:


Mulgayi is an another word for eggplant around Hassan, literally means (Mullu- kayi) a thorny veg, may be because some eggplants do have thorns at the top! Ennegayi literally means cooked in oil although I don't use that much of oil in my version. This authentic recipe is from my aunt Prema, who is married to a coffee planter near Sakleshpura, Hassan district in Karnataka. Although there are no particular "plantation cuisine", we do cook little differently from the rest of the Kannadigas using uncommon vegs like Bamboo shoots fresh off the ground and citrus fruit like Dodlikayi which are grown in that region etc!! So, even if you think these dishes are not very authentic "plantation style", take a deep breath, smile and just enjoy the recipes! :D

Mulgayi ennegayi is so popular around there, my cousins when they were young children, as soon as they come home from outside playing, would ask their mom whether she has made mulgayi palya with rice rottis everyday! :D
My kids on the other hand,..sigh..whenever I make ANY eggplant dish, take one look at it and say "OH NO!! You made another Indian eggplant dish! Do WE HAVE TO EAT eat that?" Grrr.....YES!! I make them eat it all!! and after eating it they compliment me on the "yummy" dish as always! Try it and see if you like it too! :)

YOU NEED:

Roast and Grind:
2 tbsp Chana dal, 1 tsp Urad Dal,1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds, 2" cinnamon(dalchini),1/2 onion,1 big garlic,2 tsp Chana Dalia (Roasted Yellow Gram),1 tsp poppy seeds(khus khus),4 dry red chillies,2 tbsp dry coconut(optional),1-2 tbsp tamarind juice ,little sugar and hing to a smooth paste.



Season:
Heat 1 tbsp oil/ghee,add 1 tsp mustard,1 onion chopped,curry leaves,turmeric. When onion are reddish, add about 3-4 cups of diced eggplants.Fry, cover & cook until almost done. Add ground masala ,1 cup or more water ,and salt.Simmer gently until you get thickish gravy.




Garnish with cilantro.

Serve with plantation style Rice Rottis,Paputtu, with dosas or idlies if you like!!



NOTE: if you use the whole slit eggplants, stuff them with masala without much water and cook in non-stick pan with 1/8 cup oil and ghee mixed until they are cooked inside out.Ennegayi always tastes better the next day.I usually keep it in the fridge and forget about it (on purpose!) for 2 days!! ;))

Here is How Plantation Rice Rottis Look Like:

For How To Make Akki Rotti , click here..



COORGI PAPUTTU OR THARI (made with Nucchu or coarsely crushed rice):
Dill leaves (Supseege/Subbasige soppu) are optional, my ajji always added it and I like the flavor of Dill but not necessarily required in this dish.



What??!! Did you ask what the heck is Paputtu? :D :D
Well! It is a kind of Kodava steamed crushed rice(Nucchu) cake made around Coorg to eat with all the unique yummy dishes of the region, specially with non-veg gravies. Although I am not a Kodava, we all do have similar foodie culture around coffee estates, do cook similar food. Since children always attached to mom's family more than dad's usually, I know bit more of Malnad cuisine than Mysore where my dad comes from! We also call this Thari which literally means 'crushed rice', in kannada 'akki thari or akki nucchu' or may be some other name around here.
To make sweet Paputtu, you add sugar,cardamom pd,little butter before steaming and serve with any Payasa (sweet porridge)! Hope you will try these unique delicious dishes from green pasture of Malnadu atleast once:))

YOU NEED:


1 cup long grain rice,crushed in blender until coarse like rava or semolina,1/2 cup milk or coconut milk, 3/4 cup water, 2-3 tbsp dry coconut, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder (optional), 1 tbsp chopped Dill leaves(optional).



Mix all the above except dill and pour into a sprayed (no-stick)wide mouthed dish, spread rice evenly and sprinkle dill on top.It will look watery.Steam like Idly in a pressure cooker making sure pan sits flat to cook uniformly for 10-12 mins.Open lid, cool slightly, take them out carefully and slice into triangles and serve with Ennegayi.


NOTE: This will make about 1" thick paputtu.If you want thinner paputtu, cut this recipe into half before adding liquid to the rice, add rice and milk mix to each plate separately and steam in two plates instead of one pan. Make sure they sit flat,( not tilted to a side ) in the cooker,so the milk is equally distributed over rice mixture, to let the paputtu rise as it steams uniformly.




Since we are talking about Plantation style dishes, how about trying a Bamboo Shoots Pickle which is, I am sure, a favorite of many coffee planter families in Karnataka:)




Hope you try my family's traditional dishes. ENJOY!!