If you ever meet a mallu away from home, just mention puttu kadala and you will be friends immediately. I am yet to meet a mallu who doesn’t sigh dreamily at it’s mention. Or for that matter, anyone who’s eaten it. This is something special. Beware though, for it is also deceptively filling!
What’s more, the kadala is one of the healthiest vegetarian forms of protien to have. Pairing these two along with coconut makes it a nearly perfect breakfast.
Ingredients:
2 cups coarse rice flour or chemba puttu podi (red rice flour)
1 cup freshly grated coconut
½ cup water
Salt
Special Equipment:
The puttu vessel is traditionally used to prepare puttu
Substitutions: A coconut shell with one eye pierced and placed over the valve of a pressure cooker might be used as a substitute.
A steamer could also be used.
Method:
Mix half of the grated coconut and salt into the rice flour.
Mix water into it in small quantities. The water is mixed in by rubbing it into the flour, so that the flour becomes granular. It should not be too dry or too wet.
Place a layer of 2-3 tbsp of coconut at the bottom of the puttu vessel and then put the rice flour mixture, followed by another layer of coconut.
Steam for 5 minutes.
Remove the puttu from the vessel and serve hot with kadala or payar curry, plaintains or just sugar and ghee.
Akki roti is typically eaten in various parts of South Karnataka. I remember enjoying them the most at a friend’s place in my early days in Bangalore. We used to go together to office, and I’d be at her place most nights, letting her mother happily indulge me in her awesome akki rotis and cucumber gojju.
Those akki rotis were different, though. There are 2 different types of akki rotis. The ingredients are the same, but while one uses a banana leaf to smear the dough on, the other, bāndlay akki roti is made in a kadhai (wok) and is smeared on a hot wok by hand. Not my favourite process. It is then covered and allowed to cook. It is not turned over (obviously. The shape doesn’t allow it) The result is very different in both cases. The former is soft, and the latter is a combination of very soft and very crispy, if you get it right.
Makes 3 akki rotis
Ingredients:
½ cup very fine rice flour (Appam flour usually works well)
½ onion, chopped
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
½ cup grated coconut
1 green chili minced
Salt to taste
Equipment:
Banana leaves or plastic sheets
Skillet (tava)
Method:
Mix all ingredients with boiling water to make the dough thick enough to hold in your hands.
Smear oil on a banana leaf and flatten some dough on it. You could either flatten the dough with your hands – in this case, wet your fingers with water periodically to prevent the dough from sticking to them. Or, you could place the dough between two well-oiled banana leaves and use a rolling pin to spread it. Take off the upper banana leaf before cooking, in this case.
Heat some oil on a tava and place the banana leaf on it, dough-side down.
Carefully peel the leaf off. If you are using a plastic sheet, make sure it doesn’t touch the tava.
Cook on a medium flame on both sides. Serve with coconut chutney or vegetable curry
This is one of my favourite snacks. The ginger and chili gives it a lovely flavour and it is also is sooo healthy. The best part is, for those who find steamed foods boring, it also gives you the option to make them a fried version. Satisfies the health-conscious as well as the,… well, the rest of them 😀
Traditionally nuchchina unde is made purely with toor dal. I found these to be quite dry. I experimented until I was satisfied. Mixing in urad dal and letting it sit, even overnight if possible, makes them much more moist and soft. Adding some mung and chana dal enhances the taste.
Drop the left overs in majige huli or sambar.
Ingredients:
1 cup toor dal
½ cup bengal gram/ chana dal
¼ cup black gram/ urad dal, split, without skin
¼ cup mung dal
3-4 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
2-3 tbsp chopped dill leaves (optional)
2 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp chopped green chili
½ cup chopped onion (optional: This is usually skipped during festivals)
A pinch of asafetida
Salt
Equipment:
Food processor/ Wet grinder/ Mixer
Steamer
Recipe:
Soak the dals together for 2-3 hours.
Drain and grind with minimum water into a very thick consistency, almost between a dough and a batter.
(For an instant version, I grind the dals into a powder first, and then soak in just enough warm water for about half an hour. )
I’ve found that if I let it sit for about half an hour or more, the result is softer nuchchina unde, so this is an optional step if you have the time.
Mix in the leaves, asafetida, onion, grated ginger, chilies and salt.
Make into little balls and steam for 10 minutes.
Serve with a dollop of ghee and curds, or drop into majige huli.
Note: You could also flatten the balls and deep fry them for a crispier version.
Almost every time I am at a darshini, this is what I order. I really think I can eat idly everyday and still love it. Hold on, I do eat idly nearly everyday and still love it!
It was hard initially for me to get the idly batter to rise, so I’d simply stick to the store-bought batter. Not a satisfying thing for someone like me. Then I found it, just through trial and error.
One thing I do very differently is that I use a lot more dal than other people. Why not, I wonder, because that makes the idly infinitely healthier and doesn’t seem to affect the texture any. I make a LOT of variations of idly, this is just the basic recipe.
Before I begin, I must also mention to the uninitiated, that the same, normal white idly is made in a variety of ways. Kerala idly is waayyyy different from Karnataka idly. This is the idly Kerala style, also similar to what you would find in Saravana Bhavan.
Ingredients:
1 cup parboiled rice
1 cup black gram/ uraddal (traditionally, this would be ½ cup)
¼ cup beaten rice/ poha or cooked rice (optional)
¼ tsp fenugreek/ methi seeds
water, oil, salt as needed
Soak the rice and poha together, in sufficient water.
Soak the dal along with methi seeds.
Let these soak for atleast 4 hours. I’ve let them sit for up to 15 hours and it seems to do just fine. About 8 hours of soaking is ideal.
Drain the rice, as well as the dal. Reserve the water. Grind both of them separately, using the reserved water to bring it to a smooth, thick batter consistency.
Mix both the batters together. Place this batter in a vessel that can hold twice the amount, because it will rise.
Cover with a cloth or a lid and let it ferment for about 8-10 hours.
This process works great in summers, but if the room temperature is under 25°C, the results can be a bit disappointing. To counter this, you could place the vessel with the batter inside a casserole, warmed up pressure cooker or pre-heated (40°C) oven.
Mix the batter, add salt.
Prepare the steamer. If you are using a pressure cooker, remember to remove the vent, pour about an inch of water inside, and bring to a boil.
Oil the idly moulds, pour the batter into them and steam for 10 min. For best results, let the idlies rest for another 5 minutes before you take them out of the moulds.
Serve hot with chutney and sambar.
Makes 12-14 idlies.
Note: The batter can be refrigerated upto 3 days.
Tips: I know we all love to wash the rice and dal to remove any chemical residues, but this also washes off the precious bacteria that help in the rising process. I’ve seen better results when I don’t wash the rice and dal. Use organic ingredients to skimp on the chemicals.
The white coconut chutney is most popularly served in restaurants, alongside idlies and dosas. The addition of garlic is tricky, and you have to be careful not to overdose, as this is raw garlic and people are often sensitive to it.
It was in a small ashram that I had this chutney with a crunchy tempering – with the fenugreek seeds and urad dal. It gives the chutney a lovely crunch. Skip these two items if you like it soft.
Time taken: 10 min
Serves 2
Ingredients
½ coconut, grated
1 green chili
½ tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp dhuli urad or split black gram dal
¼ tsp methi or fenugreek seeds
½ tsp mustard seeds
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tsp coconut oil
Salt to taste
Method
Grind the coconut, chili, garlic and salt together. Add water bit by bit to help with the grinding, until it reaches the consistency you desire.
Heat oil, add the mustard and fenugreek seeds, urad dal, coriander and curry leaves. Pour this on top of the chutney. Serve.
Dal idlies came about in my kitchen as a variation of Nuchchina unde. I found the traditional recipe of nuchchina unde too dry, so I set about experimenting, trying to make a softer version. One day, I added too much water by mistake. Not able to think of any other option, I simply poured the batter into idly molds and steamed them, thinking, oh, how different could they be?
It is somewhat hard to understand how just a little extra water can change the taste so much. But it does. And so, I proudly present, the dal idly.
Ingredients:
1 cup toor dal
½ cup bengal gram/ chana dal
¼ cup black gram/ urad dal, split, without skin
¼ cup mung dal
3-4 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
2-3 tbsp chopped dill leaves (optional)
2 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp chopped green chili
½ cup chopped onion (optional: This is usually skipped during festivals)
A pinch of asafetida
Salt
(As with nuchchina unde, if I want to make this immediately, I grind the dals into a powder first, and then soak in just enough warm water for about half an hour. )
While you could proceed to the next step immediately with a slightly drier result, you could let it sit for some time to increase the softness. Overnight is the best, if you can afford the time.
Mix in the leaves, asafetida, onion, grated ginger, chilies and salt.
Pour into idly molds and steam for 10 minutes.
Let it sit for about 5 minutes before removing from the molds. Serve with chutney or ghee.
This chutney is probably the most healthy of all coconut chutney options. A generous helping of the greens in the morning will help to flush the kidney and liver, thereby detoxifying your system.
In restaurants, they often add roasted chana dal/ gram dal, as this increases the life of the chutney. It changes the taste quite a bit, and is optional – add it if you like the taste.
Time taken: 10 min
Serves 2
Ingredients
½ coconut, grated
1 cup mint or coriander leaves, or both
½ cup roasted chana dal or gram dal (optional)
1 green chili
1 dried red chili, broken
½ tsp mustard seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tsp coconut oil
Salt to taste
Method
Grind the coconut, dal, leaves, chili and salt together. Add water bit by bit, to help with the grinding, until it reaches the consistency you desire.
Heat oil, add the mustard seeds, red chili and curry leaves. Pour this on top of the chutney. Serve.
This chutney is most popular in Kerala homes. They make it quite diluted, and it is usually served warm alongside idlies or dosas. I prefer using Byadige or Kashmiri chilies as they impart a lovely flavor, without making the chutney spicy. If you prefer the burning sensation that chilies bring, Guntur chilies would be your choice.
Time taken: 10 min
Serves 2
Ingredients
½ coconut, grated
3 dried red chilies, broken
½ tsp mustard seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tsp coconut oil
Salt to taste
Method
Grind the coconut, 2 red chilies and salt together. Add water bit by bit to help with the grinding, until it reaches the consistency you desire.
Heat oil, add the mustard, chili and curry leaves. Pour this on top of the chutney. Serve.
OR
To make it Kerala style, heat oil in a vessel large enough to hold the chutney, and add mustard seeds, chili and curry leaves. Now pour the chutney into this vessel and warm the chutney. Do not boil. Serve warm.
Having grown up eating the Kerala style idly, I was always intrigued by the grainy texture of the idlies we ate in various parts of Karnataka. And after moving to Bangalore, I fell head over heels in love with them – Bangalore darshnis are absolutely the best place to try idly in my experience. My personal favourite joint is SLV at Ragi gudda.
So if you are in love with Bangalore idlies like I am, this recipe is dedicated to you.
Ingredients:
1 cup idly rava (this is not the usual rava. Idly rava is made by grinding parboiled rice)
1 cup black gram/ uraddal (traditionally, this would be ½ cup)
¼ cup beaten rice/ poha or cooked rice (optional)
¼ tsp fenugreek/ methi seeds
water, oil, salt as needed
Soak the idly rava in sufficient water. Separately, soak the dal along with methi seeds.
Let these soak for 4-8 hours.
Soak poha for 20 min in just enough water to cover it.
Drain the dal and reserve the water. Grind it along with the poha/ cooked rice, using the reserved water to bring it to a smooth, thick batter consistency.
Mix the batters with the idly rava. Place this batter in a large vessel as it will rise.
Cover with a cloth or a lid and let it ferment for about 8-10 hours.
This process works great in summers, but if the room temperature is under 25°C, the results can be a bit disappointing. To counter this, you could place the vessel with the batter inside a casserole, warmed up pressure cooker or pre-heated (40°C) oven.
Mix the batter, add salt.
Prepare the steamer. If you are using a pressure cooker, remember to remove the vent, pour about an inch of water inside, and bring to a boil.
Smear oil on the idly moulds to prevent sticking. Pour the batter into them and steam for 10 min. For best results, let the idlies rest for another 5 minutes before you take them out of the moulds.
Serve hot with chutney and sambar.
Note: The batter can be refrigerated upto 3 days.
Tips: I know we all love to wash the rice and dal to remove any chemical residues, but this also washes off the precious bacteria that help in the rising process. I’ve seen better results when I don’t wash the rice and dal. Use organic ingredients to skimp on the chemicals.
Peanut butter is such a nutritious spread. Just 2 tablespoons would fulfill 15% of an average adult’s daily protein requirement and 10% of phosphorus and manganese requirements. It is, of course, high in saturated fat in calories too, so it isn’t wise to overdose.
Given it’s popularity, the peanut butters in the market are priced quite insanely. And for what? You’ll find that when you make it at home, it’s going to cost you a small fraction of what you pay in the market. And what’s more, you can avoid the refined sugars and all the free chemicals they dump into it as well. All in 5 minutes of work!
Time taken: 5-10 min (45 min incl roasting peanuts)
Makes 1½ cups
To roast the peanuts, preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F and place raw peanuts on a sheet pan, spreading them out evenly. Bake 30-35 min and allow them to cool.
Now, most recipes suggest removing the peels before you grind. I don’t see why I would want to throw off all the fiber, so I grind them whole, with skin. Peel if you want to.
Warm up the peanuts a bit. This helps them release the oil more effectively while grinding.
Grind to a powder, and then add the salt, honey, and groundnut oil and continue grinding to the consistency you desire.
If you like it chunky, separate a couple of tablespoons of the partially ground peanuts before you add the rest of the ingredients and then stir them in after the grinding is over.
Transfer to an airtight jar. Keeps for up to 2 months.
Special Equipment:
