MY KARNATAKA CUISINE; LAST EDITION!! :)

A rare find of a cookbook about Karnataka cuisine! Phew, took quite a time to find this book!:) It does have some good collection of authentic K'taka dishes written by Rani Kuttaiah,a Coorgi and she writes about dishes from Lingayat, Gowda, Bunt, and Madhwa communities , although it is a tiny book.I chose Kaimasale Rotti, red chilly chutney, Chicken dish and easy Halu Obbattu to make from this book. Menasale and Gojju are my own dishes.Enjoy!:) Kaimasale rotti,Vana Menasinakayi Chutney and Avarekalu palya: Kai in Kannada also means hands, Kairotti means hand patted rottis similar to Thalipeeth. Vana Menasinakai= dry Red chillies chutney is tasty and fiery,goes well with Rottis. Avarekalu is Field beans, which is much loved beans in K'taka.I have linked the Avarekalu palya recipe for you. Enjoy. To make rottis 1. Mix 1 cup each of rice, flour, chick pea flour, ragi flour and maize flour (fine white cornmeal), salt, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1 onion, finely chopped, 3 green chillies, finely chopped, some cilantro, few curry leaves, finely chopped, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1/4 cup Fenugreek leaves OR dill leaves, with enough hot water to make a stiff dough. 2. Divide into tennis ball sized portions. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes. 3. Spray non stick spray on a piece of square foil, put one ball and pat it into a six inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. 4. Heat a griddle and cook the rotis on both sides with a little oil until golden. Serve with dry red chilli chutney. Dry red chillies chutney: 1. Soak 12 red dry chillies in hot water for an hour. Drain most of the water and add it to the blender. 2. Add 6 cloves of garlic, 1/4 tsp cumin seeds, 8-10 curry leaves, 1/2 tsp thick tamarind juice, salt to taste and grind all this to a thick, smooth paste. 3. Heat 2 tsp of butter, plus oil, add 1 tsp mustard seeds, when it splutters, add to the chutney. Southekai Menasale`, my maternal ajji's recipe!:) This is a no cooking on stove top kinda gravy my maternal grandmother makes, also called Hasi Gojju, which is best made in Summer usually and served at room temp with plain rice and any beans Usli. My favorite cool dish for hot summer lunch or dinner! :) You need: 3 cups finely cubed fresh cucumber OR 2 cups grated white radish (I used cucumber this time), 2-3 cups fat free thick sour cream or yogurt, well beaten. To roast and grind: Roast 3-4 green chillies, 1 tbsp each of coriander seeds and cumin seeds until reddish and grind these with 1/2 cup coconut, 1 garlic, 1/4 onion, curry leaves and cilantro until a smooth paste. Add yogurt or sour cream in the blender with the masala. Give it a whirl once or twice to make them blend well together. How to make Menasale: 1. Add grated or cubed vegetables in a big bowl, add the ground masala and a cup of water, mix well.Gravy should be thickish,not thin.Add more or less water.Sour cream works well with this gravy. Season: Heat 1 tbsp oil, add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, few curry leaves,2-3 Garlic sliced, 1 red chilly until garlic pieces are golden, let it cool and add to the dish with the Cucumber Menasale`, mix well. Serve with rice, fried dry chillies (Balaka) and Moong Usili on the side. To make Moong Usli: Cook 1 cup whole Green Moong in 4 cups of water in the microwave or cooker until soft but mushy,beans should be whole.Drain completely dry,add 1/2 tsp salt,mix and Keep aside. Heat 2 tsp oil, add 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds, 2 chopped green chillies,1 chopped onion with little salt until onion is reddish.Add some Cilantro and grated coconut,mix. Take off the heat,mix in cooked beans, adjust the salt and serve with any yogurt based gravy to add some nutrition. Hagalkai Gojju, my mom's style: This Bitter Gourd Gojju is my mom's recipe and Arvind's favorite dish too.I can manage to eat about 2 tbsp with Rotti, Bitter gourd is not a easy veggie to like!:D By soaking in salt water and then frying first,you will take out most of the bitterness and tastes great with rotis. This is how I make it: 1. Peel, chop 3-4 bitter gourds into small pieces, soak in salt water for 15 mins, drain well and squeeze all the water until very dry. 2. Heat 2 tbsp oil, add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1-2 broken red chilli, 1/2 onion, finely chopped and fry for a few minutes. 3. Add chopped gourd, fry well until they are reddish in color and wilted, add more oil if necessary.You can add 3 tbsp Tomato sauce at this stage but optional. 4. Add 1/2 tsp of cayenne chilli powder, 2 tsp or more Tamarind juice, 2 tsp or more Jaggery,salt, 2 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1/4 tsp clove powder, 1/4 tsp Indian Cinnamon powder and salt. Mix well and saute` until oil shows on top. 5. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with rice rotis, Parathas or as a side dish with rice. Koli Kayi Saaru: Chicken with spicy coconut gravy. Kayi ususally is a shortcut for Tenginakayi/Coconut. A traditional Gowda community Chicken curry form the above book. It is, she says, is served with Ragi Mudde (Millet four balls) in Karnataka.I served with Cumin rice, it tasted fabulous.Tastes better the next day as the spices get a chance to mingle with the meat. You need: 3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, 2 chicken thighs, all cut into bite-sized pieces, 1 onion, cilantro for garnish, salt and pepper to taste. Grind these to a fine paste: 1/2 cup grated coconut, 1" piece ginger, 1/4 onion, 1 garlic, 1 tsp tamarind juice, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 2 cardamoms, 1 green chilli, 1 tsp poppy seeds, 2 tsp raw rice, 2-3 red chillies, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 4 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon, 2 plum tomatoes, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder,1/4 tsp turmeric pd. How to make it: 1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pressure pan. Add 1 large finely chopped onion, fry until reddish. Add ground masala paste, fry for a few minutes,until you smell the good aroma. 2. When a little bit of oil shows up on top, add chicken, stir well for a few minutes and add 3 cups of water and cover with a lid and cook very gently for 5-8 minutes on medium heat. 3. Open the pressure pan lid, mix well, add salt, cilantro. Simmer until you get a thickish sauce and adjust the salt, tang and heat. 4. Serve hot with sliced boiled Eggs and rice or ragi mudde or parathas. Kayi-halu Obbattu: Another easy dessert I chose from the book, tasted great too.Lot easier than making Holige and Payasa! Here is a instant Holige or Obbattu, soaked in safforny fragrant Coconut milk-Poppy seeds to complete the meal with a sweet touch! Have fun!:) To make Kai-Halu you need: 2 cups grated fresh coconut (or use canned coconut milk), 1 tbsp poppy seeds, 1 tbsp raw rice, 1/2 cup sugar or jaggery, 1 tsp cardamom powder, few toasted Almonds, few strand of Saffron. To make instant plain flour Obbattu: Mix 1 cup of plain flour, a pinch of salt, 2 tbsp sugar powder, mix all this to a stiff dough. Roll out to 6" circles, cut again into 3" circles. Prick the circles with a fork to prevent them from puffing. Fry these until golden, drain, keep aside. To make Kai-Halu Obbatttu: 1. Grind all the above KaiHalu ingredients with coconut to a very smooth paste, heat gently on low heat for about 10 minutes, adjusting the sugar to taste. 2. Take off the heat, cool a minute, then add the fried circles, and push them down for them to soak well. 3. Serve them, warm or chilled, garnished with toasted almonds. That's my last contribution to my beloved home state of Karnataka! JFI next and HUGE Round up posts(Yes, in plural!) of RCI K dishes is coming up after the 30th!! After the round up, I might have to sleep for a week after those marathon posts!:D ***************************************************************************************************************************** Our weekend BBQ in lot of cooler weather, just 82F! :)) Ribs (I chose the skinniest ribs for me! :D) smothered with Cattleman's BBQ sauce, Baked beans, Tomato salad, grilled Peppers and chilled Margarita!!We had a blast!:) Delicious and spicy Tomato-onion Salad: After an hour of marinating,this salad is so deliciously spicy,you can eat as it is or with plain rice too, very flavorful. Hope you try!:) 1. Cube 6-8 Plum Tomatoes,add chopped 1/2 red or white onion,1-2 Garlic or 1/2 tsp garlic pd, chopped cilantro,mix in a bowl with salt to taste.Add little Lemon juice if Tomatoes are too sweet! 2. Heat 1 tsp oil, add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp Urad dal, 1-2 hot green chillies, finely chopped curry leaves, fry and add to the Tomatoes, mix well. 3. Cover and let it rest marinate for an hour before you can eat it. Enjoy! and have a great weekend. I am looking forward to Fall and lot cooler weather in coming weeks!!