Friday, July 29, 2011

Cabbage Palya or Cabbage sidedish

Ever held a cabbage in your hands and wondered what you could make out of it? I have. Cabbage always gave me the shivers. And then, I learnt an easy and tasty recipe.

Ingredients

Half a cabbage - chopped
Oil - about 2 - 3 spoons
Mustard seeds - half a spoon
Urad dal - half a spoon
Dried red chillies - about 1 - 2
Green Chillies - about 2 slit into halves
Salt - to taste
Lime juice - a few drops
Sugar - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Coriander leaves - a little
Shredded coconut - about 1 handful

Method

In a pan, take oil and heat it. Next add mustard seeds, urad dal and dried red chillies into this oil. Once mustard seeds start to splutter, add curry leaves and slit green chillies. After a few seconds, add chopped cabbage and stir it well.

Add salt and sugar to cabbage and continue to cook it on a medium flame. You can also sprinkle a little water and cover the pan with a lid. This will cook the cabbage in less time.

Once the cabbage is cooked, add shredded coconut and coriander. Stir well for a minute or two. Turn off the flame and add lime juice. Mix well.

P.S.: This dish can be served with rice and rasam.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Udupi's Tomato Rasam Masala

Udupi's tomato rasam is one of the most popular dishes in India. It is not only a local favourite but also a favourite of those who have tasted tomato rasam, specially made in Sri Krishna Temple, at least once.

Udupi's tomato rasam is very easy to prepare. You can find the recipe for it in this blog. Anybody can prepare it at home. But, if you want the authentic taste then you will have to make sure you use the right ingredients. The most important ingredient for Udupi's tomato rasam is the rasam masala.

The masala used by cooks in Udupi is very different from what we get in the stores. This post will today, reveal the secret recipe to its readers.

Ingredients

Dried red chillies - about 30
Mustard - half a spoon
Curry leaves - at least 1 handful
Cumin seeds - 3 spoons
Coriander seeds - about 1 handful
Urad dal - 2 - 3 spoons
Methi seeds - 2 spoons

Method

Take chillies, mustard and curry leaves in a pan and fry for 2 to 3 minutes on a medium flame. We don't need ghee or oil for frying.

Next, add cumin seeds, coriander seeds, urad dal and methi seeds to the pan and continue frying. Fry until urad dal turns brown.

Now, turn off the flame and continue frying for 2 minutes. This will avoid the contents in the pan from getting burnt. Wait till these cool down.

Once this mixture in the pan cools down, grind it into powder in a mixer. Since, no water is added here, the mixture will stay fresh for a long time.

Thus, the masala for tomato rasam is ready. Use this masala while making tomato rasam in Udupi style.

P.S.: This masala can be used for preparing any kind of sambar also.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Tomato Rasam

In Udupi, lunch is incomplete without the favourite Tomato rasam. There are people who would not mind have Tomato rasam over and over for days. Tomato rasam is something that must be tasted at least once in life.

Ingredients

Tomatoes - 2
Dal - 2 - 3 handful
Tamerind paste - half a spoon
Salt - to taste
Green chillies - 2
Turmeric - half a spoon
Jaggery - little
Coriander leaves - few
Curry leaves - few
Asafoetida or hing - very little
Lemon juice - half a spoon

Method

Firstly, cut tomatoes into small pieces. Then cook dal and tomatoes for about 5 minutes in a pressure cooker on a high flame. Once cooked, mash dal to make it paste like.

Next, cut green chillies and keep it ready.

Then, take tamerind, salt, green chillies, turmeric and jaggery in a bowl. Add half a glass water to this bowl and bring to a boil. Now, add cooked tomato pieces to this bowl. Wait till this mixture comes to a boil. Next, add the cooked and mashed dal into the bowl and wait till it comes to a boil. Now, add 2 spoons of Sambar masala and also coriander and curry leaves. Boil for 2 minutes and switch off the flame.

Add Asafoetida (hing) and lemon juice and mix well.

Enjoy your rasam straight from the Udupi kitchen. However, authentic Sambar masala made in Udupi style will make rasam hard to resist.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Beetroot Rasam

Beetroot rasam is one of the tastiest dishes that can be made from Beetroot. The dish is very easy to make and does not take long. Beetroot rasam is one of the most rare dishes from Udupi.

Ingredients

beetroot - 1
urad dal - 3 spoons
coriander seeds - about 1 to 2 spoons
curry leaves - very few
coriander leaves - not much
dried red chillies - 1 or 2
grated coconut - 1 handful
tamarind - half a spoon
turmeric - very little
salt - to taste
jaggery - a small piece
green chillies - 2

Method

Firstly, peel and cut beetroot to small pieces. Next cook them in the microwave.

The masala:
Take coriander seeds, urad dal, curry leaves and dried red chillies in a pan and fry till urad dal turns slightly brown. You don't need ghee or oil to fry. Wait till this mixture cools. Add grated coconut and boiled beetroot pieces to this mixture and grind in the mixer. You can add little water for a smooth paste.

Final stage:
Take turmeric, salt, jaggery, green chillies and tamarind in a bowl. Add half a cup water to this and bring it to a boil. Next add the above ground masala from the mixer to the bowl. Add water to suitable thickness and bring it to a boil. Now, add curry leaves and coriander leaves and boil for 2 minutes.

Switch off the flame. You can garnish Beetroot rasam with a tadka.