Mor Kali ~ Day 139

Mor (Buttermilk) kali (thick porridge) is an authentic and traditional dish of Southern India.  Rice flour and buttermilk are the main ingredients for this humble and delicious dish.  Adding  mor milagi (chilies soaked in buttermilk and sundried) is highly recommended when making this mor kali.  It gives a slight heat to the dish and can be eaten as is and no need for any side dish or accompaniment.

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Preparation time: 2 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Serves: 2

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Ingredients:

• Rice flour - 1 cup
• Kefir / Buttermilk - 1 cup
• Salt - to taste
• Water - 1/4 cup ( if the batter is too thick after mixing with buttermilk)
• Sesame oil - 2 tbsp or more
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Mor milagai (preserved dry chili) or Dried red chilies - 3
• Asafoetida - a generous pinch
• Curry leaves - few, torn

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, buttermilk, and salt without any lumps.  If the batter is too thick add 1/4 cup of water to thin it out.  Set it aside.
2. Heat oil in a deep skillet / kadai.  Splutter mustard seeds.  Add urad dal and fry until golden brown. Add the  mor milagai or red chillies, curry leaves, and asafoetida.  Saute on low heat until the chillies/ mor milagai turns brown.
3. Pour in the batter and cook, while stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes thick and starts to leave the sides and no longer sticky to the touch.   Drizzle 1 tbsp oil and mix well.  Remove from the heat.
4. Serve immediately or spread on a greased plate and cut into squares and serve.

Akki Roti with Edamame - Taste of Karnataka ~ Day 8

This is a very popular breakfast dish from the State of Karnataka in India.  Akki means rice in Kannada language.  These rice flour tortillas are so simple to make yet it tastes so delicious.  In this recipe, I have used edamame to add some protein to the dish.  You can use dill or fenugreek leaves as well.

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Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Yields: 4

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Ingredients:

• Rice flour (white or brown) - 1 cup
• Shelled Edamame - 3/4 cup, frozen or fresh,  ( if frozen, cook in the microwave for 1 minute)
• Onion - 1, medium, finely chopped
• Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup
• Green chilies - 2
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Cilantro / Fresh Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp, finely chopped
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - for frying
• Water - 3/4 to 1 cup
• Parchment paper for making rotis.

Method:

1. Using a blender jar or food processor, pulse the edamame and green chilies.   It should be coarse and not mushy.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine rice flour, chopped onion, coconut, chopped edamame-green chili mix, cumin seeds, chopped cilantro and salt.
3. Add water little at a time and knead to make a soft dough.  The dough should be moist and spreadable by fingers.
4. Heat a cast iron skillet.
5. Divide the dough into 4 equal balls. Take a small piece of parchment paper and spread little oil.
6. Take one ball of dough and place it on the parchment.  Dip your finger in water and flatten the dough evenly into a round disk. Make a hole in the middle.
7. Pick the parchment paper and place it on the hot skillet.  Remove the parchment paper.  It should come off easily.
8. Spoon some oil around the edges and in the middle.  Cook on a medium heat until bottom is golden brown.  Flip and cook on the other side.  Repeat the process.
9. Serve hot with chutney of your choice.

Sweet Rice Puttu with Jaggery - Navarathri Recipe

Happy Navarathri

Ingredients:
Rice flour / Puttu flour - 1 cup ( I used puttu flour,  Nirapara brand)
Jaggery - 1 cup
Fresh grated coconut - 2 TBSP
Cashew nuts - 5
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Ghee - 2 tsp
Water - 1/2 cup

Method:

1. Boil 1/2 cup water with salt and turmeric powder.  Let it cool.
2. Dry roast the rice flour until hot and slightly brown.
3. Sprinkle the turmeric water little by little to the rice flour and mix.  The right consistency is, you should be able to form balls with the flour and break to powder again.
4. Tie the flour mixture in a clean white cloth / towel and stem cook for 15 - 20 minutes.
5. Transfer the steamed flour mixture into a large plate and crumble the big pieces. You can sift the mixture, if it has lumps.
6. Place jaggery in a pan with little water and melt.  Strain to remove impurities.
7. Boil the jaggery water and make syrup.  Test the syrup for right consistency.  That is when you drop some jaggery syrup in cold water, you should be able to form a ball.
8. Remove from the heat.
9. Add the jaggery syrup little by little to the steamed flour with one hand and mix the flour with another hand using a spoon or spatula.  The syrup will be very hot, so be careful while mixing.
10. The puttu should be grainy and not like halwa.  
11. Heat ghee in a small skillet and roast the cashew pieces and grated coconut until brown.  
12. Add it to the puttu and mix well.

Chakli aka Murukku

Ingredients:
Rice Flour - 2 cups
Roasted gram / Chana gram flour - 1/2 cup (Pottukadalai  maavu)
Besan / Gram flour - 1/4 cup
Sesame seeds - 2 tsp
Red chili powder - 1 tsp or to taste
Asafetida - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 4 TBSP
Salt - to taste
Oil - fro frying

Method:

1. In a large bowl, combine all the flours, asafetida and salt.  Make a well.
2. Heat 4 TBSP oil in a small skillet and pour in the well.
3. Add the sesame seeds and red chili powder in the oil.
4. Mix the flour with enough water to make a soft dough.
5. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying.
6. Place some dough in a lightly oiled chakli / murukku maker with a single star disc attached.
7. While pressing the chakli maker in a circular motion, make a round shape with the dough on a foil or wax paper.
8. Once the oil is hot, carefully lift the chaklis and drop it in oil.  
9. Fry on medium heat, until light golden brown on both sides.
10. Transfer the chaklis onto a paper towel to drain out excess oil.
11. Let it cool completely.  Store in a airtight container.

Adhirasam / Ariselu

Adhirasam is a traditional tamil sweet delicacy made of rice flour and jaggery.  It is prepared during religious functions and for festivals.  This month's challange for Indian Cooking Challange started by Srivalli is to make adhirasam / ariselu. 

Ingredients:
Rice flour - 1 cup
Jaggery - 1/2 cup
cardamom - 1/4 tsp
Sesame seeds - 1 tsp
water - 1/2 cup
oil for frying

Method:
Melt the grated jaggery in 1/2 cup of water.  Strain the impurities.
Boil the jaggery water and add cardamom powder and sesame seed. 
Add the rice flour and mix well till it turns in to a soft dough.
Heat oil in a pan.  Take a lemon sized dough and make round disks on a greased plastic sheet. I used a small zip lock bag.
Deep fry the disks till golden brown.

Notes:
I followed recipe # 2. 
I did not add the coconut as per the recipe. 
I added the sesame seeds in the dough itself.
By the adding of sesame seeds, it tasted more like vella chedai that we make for Krishna Jayanthy.