Biscuit Rotti ( stuffed fried bread)

Biscuit rotti is a traditional, South Kanara recipe. It is similar to the North Indian Kachoris. Basically it is dough that is stuffed with a sweet and spicy filling and then deep-fried. It is usually served at breakfast or enjoyed with the evening tea. It could be made with whole wheat or all-purpose flour. The filling could be made of predominantly cream of wheat ( sooji) and grated coconut to which spices have been added or it could be just freshly grated coconut that has been mixed with spices. Both taste good. I have made the filling using a combination of cream of wheat and freshly grated coconut.

This is not difficult to make at all. You could make the filling and the outer dough slightly ahead of time an keep it in the refrigerator. When guests arrive, you can make the biscuit rotti and serve it right away!

The only reason I don't make it often is because it is deep-fried and I stay away from deep-fried. I am making this after almost 10 years. My husband and I believe in eating healthy most of the time. I was craving this and therefore made it. This recipe has been graciously shared by my sister, who is something of a " biscuit rotti" expert!

Servings: makes 8 medium-sized biscuit rotti.

Prep time: 3.5 hours ( which includes 3 hours of keeping the dough aside)Cook time: 10 minsTotal time : 3.65 hours

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour or all purpose flour/ maida : 1 & 1/2 cups
Salt: 1/4 tsp
Coconut oil: 1 + 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder: a pinch ( optional)
Warm water: 1 cup ( may not need all)

Oil for frying.

For the filling:
Coconut oil: 1 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves: 1-2 sprigs
Urad dal/ split matpe beans: 1/2 tsp
Cream of wheat/ sooji: 1/2 cup
Freshly grated coconut: 1/2 cup
Salt: 1/4 tsp
Sugar: 1 tsp
Green chillies: 1, finely chopped.
Red chilli powder: 1/4 tsp ( can be adjusted based on your preferred spice level.
Asofoetida : a pinch

Method:

In a bowl, mix together wheat flour, sooji, salt, sugar, 1 tbsp warm oil, a pinch of turmeric. 

Add water little at a time and make a dough. Knead the dough for few minutes.

Apply oil to the outside, cover with damp cloth/paper-towel and keep aside for atleast half hour.

While the dough is sitting, make the filling.

For the filling:

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a sauté pan/ kadai.
Add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add curry leaves, urad dal, chopped green chillies & saute for 30 seconds or until the urad dal turns slightly golden in color.

Add sooji and roast for a couple of mins.  Now add the freshly grated coconut, red chilli powder, hing, salt and sugar.

Sauté for 2 mins. Turn off the flame and keep aside. The filling is ready.

Putting it together:

Pinch lemon-sized portion of the dough and make a ball.

 Roll the dough into a small circle that is not too thin.

Place 1 tbsp filling in the middle of the circle. 

Cover it with the surrounding dough in such a manner that no filling comes out (as shown in the picture ).

Do the same with all the available dough.

Roll each of the filled balls gently into  a poori. Do this with all of them.

Heat oil in a kadai/ wok, on medium flame. When the oil is hot enough, drop the stuffed poori gently into the oil.

Fry it on medium flame for 2-3 mins. Flip it and fry on the other side for 1-2 mins.

Take it out and drain on paper towels.

Serve hot, may be with a cup if tea/coffee.

I am bringing this to Fiesta Friday #141, Throwback Thursday #58 & Saucy Saturdays. Angie's co-hosts this week are: Julianna @ Foodie on Board and Zeba @ Food For The Soul

Cooking made easy:

Fried things cook well and evenly without getting burnt, if you maintain an even temperature of the oil. This is done by initially heating the oil until it is just hot and then reducing the flame to medium and maintaining it there. It is better to fry items like Biscuit rotti on medium flame so that the inside can be cooked as well as outside.

Tip for healthy living:

When making any kind of fried items, use just enough oil as needed for frying. Discard the remaining oil. Every time oil is heated, it releases hydrocarbons and free radicals that are harmful for our health. You can read more in the references below.

Food for thought:

We should not give up and we should not allow the problem to defeat us. A.P.J Abdul Kalam

Ambe Upkari ( Ripe mangoes in a hot & sweet sauce)

While mango season is over in India, here in the United States, we still get fresh mangoes. I love mangoes! When I was little, we used to pluck mangoes from the trees in our yard and eat them. We had atleast 7 varieties. We still have mango trees. I miss them..

Ambe upkari is a traditional konkani dish. It is usually made using ripe mangoes that are sour and cannot be eaten as is! Hence, it is cooked in a hot and sweet sauce. The net result is an explosion of sweet, sour and hot flavors in your mouth, causing it to be an unique and satisfying experience.

This is a very easy dish to make and is usually made for a festive occasion.  The month of Shraavan, hails the beginning of festivals in India. Shraavan is considered the holy month in India and many people observe fasting of varying degrees throughout the month. Today is Varamahalkashmi Vrata, where in prayers are held in the honor of Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, seeking prosperity.

Let us now check out the recipe.

Servings: 6

Prep time: 10 minsCook time: 20 minsTotal time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Ripe, sour mangoes: 6, medium-sized
Water: 6 cups + 1 cup
Jaggery: 1 cup ( can use brown sugar/palm sugar/date sugar)
Salt: 1/2 tsp
Green chillies: 4, slit ( number of green chillies can be adjusted as per individual desired spice level)
Flour: 1 tbsp

For tempering:
Coconut oil: 1 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Dried Red chillies: 2 nos, broken into 2 pieces

Method:

Wash the mangoes thoroughly. Peel each mango using your hands and not the peeler. Put the mango seed with pulp intact into a pot.

Put the peels in another pot. Add 6 cups water to the pot with the peel. Using your fingers, remove any remaining pulp from the peel. Now strain the peel and the water to the pot with the seed and pulp. Discard the peel now.

Add salt, jaggery, slit green chillies and boil it on medium high flame for 10-15 mins.

While the mixture is boiling, mix 1 tbsp flour in 1 cup water until homogeneous. Add this to the boiling mixture. Reduce the flame to low and cook it for another 5-7 minutes, stirring intermittently, until the sauce has thickened. Be careful not to let it burn.

If the sauce is too less, you can add a  little more water. It thickens upon cooling.

Turn off the flame.

In a small frying pan or tadka pan, heat coconut oil and mustard seeds on medium flame. Once all the mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves and broken red chillies. Immediately turn off the flame.

Add this tempering to the pot.

Serve hot!

Enjoy! I am  bringing this to Throwback Thursday #50, Fiesta Friday #132 and Saucy Saturday#57! Angie's co-hosts this week are Sandhya @ Indfused and Nancy @ Feasting With Friends

Cooking made easy:

If taking the pulp off the peels is too much of a chore for you, here is an easy way to do it: just add it to the blender with water and pulse it . Now strain the mixture, adding the water to the pot and discarding the peels!

Tip for healthy living:

It is essential to find ways to incorporate fruits and vegetables into our children's and our own diet. Fruits and vegetables not only provide us with the essential minerals and vitamins, it also provides the necessary dietary fiber to cultivate healthy bathroom habits.

References:
https://www.choosemyplate.gov/fruit
http://www.thekitchn.com/10-photos-that-show-you-your-daily-recommended-servings-of-fruits-vegetables-207261
https://www.choosemyplate.gov/vegetables

Food for thought:

Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul. Henry Ward Beecher

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Beans Ani Batate Upkari ( Sautéed green beans and potatoes); Meatless Monday.

I believe that our traditional Konkani cuisine is very simple without much pomp. It is also very healthy and easy on the gastrointestinal system. The reason for this is that there is very little oil used for cooking the food, there are not many spices and the procedure itself is very simple, yet the result is a delicious dish that could relished by kids and adults alike and with rice or roti.

 Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 15-20 mins

Total time: 30-35 mins

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

Green beans : 250 gms or 1/2 lb
Potatoes: 2 medium sized.
Coconut oil: 1 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Dried red chillies: 1-2 medium sized, broken into two pieces.
Salt: as per taste
Water: 1/4 cup
Freshly grated coconut: 1 tbsp ( for garnishing)( optional).

Method:

Peel the potatoes. Wash them and dice them medium.

Wash the green beans  thoroughly. Chop/snap the tips off at both ends of the string beans. Repeat this with all the string beans. Chop the string beans into 1 cms wide pieces.

In a saute pan or frying pan, heat coconut oil on medium heat. add mustard seeds to the pan. Once the mustard seeds crackle, add broken dried red chillies.  Now add the chopped potatoes & string beans. Add salt, water and mix well. Cover and cook on low flame until both the potatoes & green beans are tender( around 15-20 mins), sautéing once in a while. If the water evaporates and the vegetables are not cooked, add water in between, little at a time.

Turn off the flame. Garnish with freshly grated coconut.

Serve hot with rice or flatbread/ roti.

Enjoy.

Cooking made easy:

Certain types of potatoes may take longer to cook. In this case, add the diced potatoes cook and when they are half-way done, add in the green beans. Cover and cook until done.

Tip for healthy living:

Try to use organic potatoes whenever possible as they have the highest accumulation of pesticides. This is because they have pesticides that are sprayed on the plants and the chemicals already present in the soil.
Whenever possible, peel the potatoes and use them.

Food for thought:

Things start happening when you start believing.  Unknown

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Tendle Ani Batate Upkari ( Ivy Gourd and potatoe sauté); Meatless Monday

Have you ever noticed that when we are stressed/rushed/hurried, we gravitate towards comfort food. What is comfort food?? Different people may have different definitions for it. For me, comfort food is food that you grew up with; food that is familiar to you. Food that makes you nostalgic; food that you can cook with your eyes closed; without any thought! That to me is comfort food!! What is comfort food for you? 

When I am in a rush, I like to cook things that are familiar and that which I can cook without any conscious thought! This for me is with our traditional Konkani food that is really easy to put together. There is not much prep time or cook time involved. They are very simple recipes without a long list of spices in them. The ingredients are very few and involve only 3-4 ingredients apart from the main vegetables that are being used. These usually are: cooking oil, mustard seeds and red chilli peppers. The level of hotness can be easily modified based on individual preference without compromising the taste. In this recipe the vegetables used are potatoes and  ivy gourd. Ivy gourd is also known as gherkin/tendle/tendli/kowakkai/kundru/tindora/tonde kai. Check out this recipe.

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

Tendle/Tendli/Kowai/ Ivy gourd: 250 gms or 10 oz
Potatoes: 2 medium sized.
Coconut oil: 1 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Dried red chillies: 1-2 medium sized, broken into two pieces.
Salt: as per taste
Water: 1/4 cup
Freshly grated coconut: 1 tbsp ( for garnishing)( optional).

Method:

Peel the potatoes. Wash them and cut them into 1 inch length pieces with 0.5 cms thickness.

Wash the ivy gourd thoroughly. Chop the tips off at both ends of the  ivy gourd. If it is red inside, discard it. Slice the  ivy gourd thinly along the length of the  ivy gourd. Each  ivy gourd can be sliced into 6-8 slices. Slice all the  ivy gourd in this manner and keep aside.

Heat coconut oil and mustard seeds in a sauté pan. Once the mustard seeds crackle, add broken dried red chillies.  Now add the sliced  ivy gourd and chopped potatoes. Add salt, water and mix well. Cover and cook on low flame until both the  ivy gourd and potatoes are tender( around 10-15 mins), sauteing once in a while.

Turn off the flame. Garnish with freshly grated coconut.

Serve hot with rice or flatbread/ roti.

Enjoy. 

I am bringing this to Throwback Thursday #47, Fiesta Friday #128  and Saucy Saturday #53!

Cooking made easy:

The above dish can be made quicker if cooked in a pressure pan. After adding the sliced  ivy gourd, potatoes, salt and water, bring it to a boil, close the pressure pan lid. Place the weight/whistle of the pressure cooker and cook on medium flame until you hear the first whistle. Turn off the flame. Wait for the pressure to be completely released before opening the lid. Garnish with freshly grated coconut if you wish.

Tip for healthy living:

 Ivy gourd is an extremely healthy vegetable that is fat-free and fiber rich.It is a great source if iron, vitamin B2, thiamine and dietary calcium.It has been used to treat leprosy, fever, asthma, bronchitis, and jaundice. The fruit possesses mast cell-stabilizing, antianaphylactic, and antihistaminic potential.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coccinia_grandis

https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/ivy-gourd/

http://www.livestrong.com/article/553875-nutritional-value-in-tondli/

Food for thought:

Don't be pushed by your problems; be led by your dreams.

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Guest post series: Piyava Tambali ( a spicy, tangy coconut based sauce with onions in it) by Ashwini Kamath

Last week we all enjoyed seasoned blogger Radha Natarajan's amazing one-pot quick sambar! This week we have another very simple and humble recipe that is absolutely delicious! Piyava Tambali ( a spicy, tangy coconut based sauce with onions in it). This is a traditional Konkani side-dish that has been brought to us by a young, dynamic, enthusiastic and relatively new blogger, Ashwini Kamath.

Ashwini is a mother of two children and a home-maker. She loves cooking dishes that are simple, easy, quick and healthy! Now you see why I invited her over! She started her blog "Cook with Ashu" one year back so that the easy and quick recipes from her kitchen reaches people who want to savor authentic and traditional Konkani food.

Do visit Ashwini's blog & Facebook page "Cook with Ashu" in which she has shared not only lots of easy and quick recipes for veg and non veg dishes but also tips and information about food.

I am very much thankful to Suchitra for believing in me,and giving me an opportunity to write a guest post in her blog ...'Su's Healthy living'...

Suchitra wanted a healthy ,easy and quick recipe...so here I am with a popular and traditional recipe of every konkani  home known as 'Piyava Tambali '......This Tambali is usually prepared during rainy season or when there are no veggies left in the fridge and there is nothing left in the kitchen pantry as this recipe is prepared using only 4 ingredients: coconut,raw onions,red chilles and Tamrind.....
      

It is one of the easiest and quickest  side dishes which can be prepared for rice instead of sambar or Rasam....

This is a perfect combo to boiled rice or steam rice with papads or fryyums (vodi /sandige) ...    But the shelf life of this recipe is less as the dish is not cooked so refrigerate this once it is done....I can say that this is one of the best recipes for cooking without fire ..

SERVINGS: 2-3

INGREDIENTS

•1 cup fresh coconut grated
•6 fried red byadagi chillies
•a small piece tamrind
•Salt to taste
•1tbsp coconut oil to drizzle (optional )
•1chopped raw onion

METHOD

▪In a mixi jar add  coconut ,red chillies and tamrind and grind to smooth chutney consistency using little water
▪Add salt and just whisk once to combine
▪Remove this to a container add water as required (don't add much water,let the ground masala be slightly thick paste )
▪Add raw onions and give a good mix
▪Drizzle coconut oil on it while serving

NOTE
* mix onions at the time of serving
*adding oil is a traditional method but this can be omitted .

I am bringing this simple, yet delicious dish of Ashwini's to all my friends at Throwback Thursday#38, Fiesta Friday#119  and Saucy Saturdays#45! Angie's co-hosts this week are Ahila @ A Taste of Sri Lankan Cuisine and Diann @ Of Goats and Greens.

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Guest post series: Bhenda Sasam ( Crispy Okra in a spiced yogurt sauce) by Sushma Mallya

The month of April is extra-special! It is my birthday month! This week is my birthday-week! Guess how I am celebrating??

 I am going away on a vacation next week since we are having Spring Break! Yay!! I am also celebrating my birthday by starting " the guest post series" which I have been planning for a while now! I am so happy that it is finally coming to fruition! As part of this series, you will be seeing healthy, quick and easy recipes from a variety of food bloggers: some new and some who are already established! It is going to be a nice mix! The guest post will be featured every Friday of the month. They will be accompanying me to many parties! It is going to be so much fun!! I am so excited!!

If you are interested in writing a guest post for my blog: Su's Healthy Living, please reach out to me at sushealthyliving@gmail.com. The criteria for the recipe is that it has to be healthy, quick and easy to make!! That's not too much to ask is it??;)

I am beginning this series with a guest post from a very good friend from the blogging world: Sushma Mallya! She blogs from Authentic Food Delights. She is one of the nicest, unassuming people that I have met in the blogging world. Believe it or not she has had her blog for 8 years now! Way before all the rat race that is going on today! She is a mother of two beautiful boys. Her blog started as a way to document all the recipes that she learnt from her mother, mother-in-law and friends. When she is not churning up delicious dishes in her kitchen, she immerses herself in her other passion, which is painting and sketching! Her creativity and artistry is evident in her food photography! Her blog has a myriad of recipes, mostly traditional Konkani recipes and a few fusion recipes. She has been residing in UK for the past 13 years. Do check out her blog  Authentic Food Delights for more amazing recipes.

Today she is sharing with us a recipe that she learnt from her mother: Benda Sasam ( crispy okra in a yogurt-based sauce). This is a very quick and easy recipe that is healthy too!  This dish brings along a variety of textures and flavors with crispy okra in a delicious spiced yogurt sauce.

Servings: 3-4 people

Ingredients

10-12 ladies finger (bhindi) (cut into thin slices )

2 tbsp cooking oil

For Masala

1/2 cup freshly grated coconut 

1/4 tsp Mustard seeds

3-4 green chilli (adjust according to your spice level)

1/4 cup Thick curd /yogurt 

salt to taste

For tempering /tadka

1 tsp ghee + 1 tbsp oil

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

1/4 tsp Jeera

1/4 tsp urad dal

1 red chilli broken into bits 

1 sprig of curry leaves 

Method 

• Wash Bhindi and pat it dry . Cut Bhindi into thin slices and keep aside. Then take a non stick pan add oil then add ladies finger and fry till v crisp on a low heat and keep aside. ( This can be made well ahead of time and mixed at the time of serving).

• Grind coconut, green chilles, mustard seeds,  yogurt and grind to a fine paste. Add water to thin it to the desired consistency.
• Take it out in a container. keep aside.

• Now Prepare the tadka ; Heat a non stick pan add in ghee and little oil then add in mustard seeds. Jeera, Urad dal, when it starts spluttering add red chilli, fry add in curry leaves.
• Pour this tempering /tadka over the ground paste (NOTE: There is no heating in this type of curry ).

• Add in fried bhindi at the time of serving (so that it stays crisp). Then serve it Garnished with finely chopped coriander leaves . Done it's awesome with Rice ...YUMM !

I am bringing this lovely dish of Sushma's for all my friends to try, at Throwback Thursday#35, Fiesta Friday#116 and Saucy Saturdays! Angie's co-hosts this week are Judi @ cookingwithauntjuju and Cynthia @ eatmunchlove.

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!