Rawa Kesari/KesariBhaat

Rawa kesari,an easy and wonderful dessert .Yesterday was my 's' birthday,who's a sweet lover...more than that never fed up with eating it,what else can i make for my sweet kothiyan rather than this tasty kesari.Actually i did't know that it's so simple n can be made so quickly.Amma makes kesari very tastly,but i havent noticed how she makes,u know well girls rarely enter kitchen before marriage,same with me too.But after marriage we should start cooking,no other option but now i love cooking .Though kesari is quite simple,one should be careful while adding water to rawa to avoid lumps.when i made,got lumps and mashes it with dal masher.Anyway it came out very well,he loved birthday sweet.
Ingredients

Rawa/semolina/sooji 1cup

Water 2cup

Sugar 1 1/2cup

(i used granulated sugar)

Cardamon 2 powderd

Ghee 1/4cup

Kesari colour apinch

Cashewnuts 8-10

Raisins 8-10

Almonds 8-10

Method...

In a thick bottomed pan,pour 1tsp ghee and roast rawa till it becomes cream in color or till a nice flavour comes.Boil water in another pan ,add kesari colour to it.In a small pan roast cashew,raisins n almonds with ghee and set aside.once rawa is roasted,bring fire to low flame.Add water and stir continously to avoid lumps.When it's almost cooked,add sugar,cardamon,ghee and mix well.Keep stirring till the kesari leaves the pan.At last add roasted nuts .u can serve hot or if u like to cut kesari in pieces.pour it in a ghee spread plate,when it is cooled ,cut into required shapes.

Mysore Masala Dosa

Mysore Masala Dosa, a crispy pan cake with spicy chilli chutney and stuffed potato masala with hot tea....This is one of my favourite from childhood, amma usually makes dosa on sunday morning with potato stuffing served with green coconut chutney and spicy kerala sambar..when i started cooking,i tried to mix n mash ingredients .some are my own discoveries ,some from cookery sites.After coming here, my experiments has increased. so my 's' is bit tensed co'z he's a good tester....Last week i was telling him like on sunday i'm goin to try mysore masala dosa.He was bit worried n tried to pull me back from doing it .But after eating ,he wants me to blog this recipe.here it goes my style of masala dosa...

For Dosa batter...

Idili rice/Long grained rice 3cups

Urad dal 1cup

Methi seeds 1tsp

Salt to taste

Boiled rice 1cup (optional)

Soak rice,dal,methi seeds for 6 -8 hrs .Blend them till it forms a smooth batter with enough water.Let it ferment for 8-10 hrs or keep overnight.As its cold here,i used reheat the bake oven for 5 min .place the dosa batter inside it and take it back by morning .An other way to ferment is to add boiled rice while blending .This helps to ferment quickly even it is kept outside overnight.

For potato masala(stuffing)...

Potatoes 2 large

Onion 1large

Green peas 1/4cup

Carrot finely chopped 1/4 cup

Green chilles 2

Turmeric powder 1/4tsp

Asafoetida a pinch

Garam masala 1/4tsp

Red chilly powder 1/2tsp

Ginger-garlic paste 1tsp

coriander leaves

oil 1tsp

Mustard seeds 1tsp

urad dal 1tsp

Pressure cook potato,carrot ,peas for one whistle.In a sauce pan ,heat oil,add mustard and dal.when it pops add chopped onions ,green chillies ,ginger-garlic paste and stir fry till it's light brown.Now add turmeric powder,red chilly powder,garam masala, asafoetida and stir.Add boiled vegetables and afew drops of water ,cook for few mintues .finally add coriander leaves.

For masala spread inside dosa...

Many varieties of speads can be tried like Red chilly chutney,coriander chutney,coconut-paruppu podi.Here i used red chilly chutney.i'd like to share all spreads recipes here.

Red chilly chutney

Red chilles powder 2tsp

onions 1

Garlic pods 1

Tamarind pulp 1tsp

salt

Make a fine paste out of this ingredients in a blender without addingwater.

Coriander chutney/mint chutney

Coriander leaves 1/2 cup

Green chillies 2-3

Tamarind pulp 1tsp

Garlic pods 1

salt

Make a fine paste out of it.

Coconut paruppu podi/coconut channa dal powder

Channa dal 1/2cup

Dried Coconut 3 tbsp

Red chilly powder 2-3 tbsp

Cumin powder 1tsp

Garlic pods 2

salt

Mix all items and make in fine powder in a dry mixer without adding water.

To make masala dosa

Heat tawa for few mintues.spread few drops of oil in the tawa and spread evenly with a tissue.

Pour one spoon of dosa batter into it and rotate in clockwise direction.Cook for few mintues by closing the dosa with a lid so that dosa cooks faster.

Now spread 1 spoon of red chilly chutney evenly .Then some potato masala in one side of dosa and fold the other edge of dosa.

now masala dosa is ready.serve it hot.

RCI: Karnataka's Chitranna and Tomato Saaru

This is my first entry to a food event. Happy to begin with" Karnataka Cuisine".A few months back,i was in "Garden City" Bangalore, where i got an opportunity to explore the taste of typical cuisine which is characterised by the distinct textures, flavours and tastes. Karnataka is a unique blend of tradition and modernity.
"Nimbehannu Chitranna" is one of my favourite dish ,commonly known as Lemon Rice a tasty ,healthy n easy dish which can be made even with leftover rice.i usually prefer to make this for my hubby for lunch packets.As we are more concerned about health ,just try this .Lemon is rich in Vitamin C is vital to the function of strong immune system . Rice is easy to digest, naturally sodium and cholesterol-free, with only a trace of fat. It's an important source of vitamin B1 and encourages stable blood sugar levels.
Ingredients...
Rice 2cups
Lime juice 2tsp
Mustard seeds 1tsp
cumin seeds 1tsp
Urad dal 1tsp
Channa dal 1tsp
Moorng dal 1tsp
Curry leaves 4-5
Red chillies 3-4
A small piece of ginger crushed
Turmeric powder 1/4tsp
Peanuts 8-10
oil 1tsp
Salt as required
Coconut grated(optional for garnishing)
Method....
Cook rice in pressure cooker in ratio 1 : 1.25 ( ie 1cup of rice : 1.25cups of water)
Heat oil and add dals,mustard seeds,curry leaves,cumin seeds,redchillies,peanuts and ginger.
When the dals turn brown,add the turmeric and ginger.Fry for another minute till the mustard crackles.
Now add the lime juice and reduce heat.Heat through and remove.Mix this with rice as required and add salt to taste.
Tomato Saaru

"Sarru" is a Karnataka dish ,Usually known as "Rasam " in southindia,which is prepared almost daily in indianhouseholds.Its also known as "Indian Spicy Soup".Spices added in rasam is benefical to health,it helps to cure stomatitis, indigestion, gastric irritability.
Ingredients...
Toor dal 3/4cup
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
oil 1/2stp
Tomatoes 2 ,cut into small pieces
Tamarind juice 1-2 tsp
Jaggery 1tsp
Rasam powder 1-2 tsp
Coriander leaves
salt to taste
For seasoning....

Ghee 1tsp
Mustard seeds 1tsp
Cumin seeds 1tsp
Asafoetida 1pinch
Curry leaves
Method...
Cook toor dal in a pressure cooker with salt ,turmeric and oil.Mash well and keep aside.
Grind tomatoes into a paste or put rasam powder,tomato pieces,jaggery in a pan ,add water and boil to 10-12 min.Remove from heat.
Heat ghee in a pan,add seasonings,when it starts to spilt,stir into the rasam.Garnish with coriander leaves.